University of Portsmouth

About: University of Portsmouth is a education organization based out in Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 5452 authors who have published 14256 publications receiving 424346 citations. The organization is also known as: Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art & Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and the Arts.

Quality assessment of observational studies in a drug-safety systematic review, comparison of two tools: the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and the RTI item bank

Abstract: Background The study objective was to compare the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the RTI item bank (RTI-IB) and estimate interrater agreement using the RTI-IB within a systematic review on the cardiovascular safety of glucose-lowering drugs.

The cognitive interview: A meta-analysis

Abstract: A meta-analysis was performed on the effects of the cognitive interview on correct and incorrect recall. The database comprised 42 studies with 55 individual comparisons involving nearly 2500 interviewees. A strong overall effect size was found for the increase of correctly recalled details with the cognitive interview compared to a control interview (d = 0.87). The overall effect size for the increase in incorrect details, although considerably smaller, was also significant toward the cognitive interview (d = 0.28). However, the accuracy rates (proportion of correct details relative to the total amount of details reported) were almost identical in both types of interview (85% for the cognitive interview and 82% for standard interviews, respectively). Taking methodological factors into consideration it was found that effect sizes for correct details were larger if staged events were used as the to-be-remembered episode (as compared to video films) and if the interviewees actively participated in ...

The Occurrence of “Green Tides”— a Review

Abstract: The eutrophication, or nutrient enrichment, of coastal waters as a result of man’s activities is now widely recognized as a major, world-wide pollution threat. Essentially, the increased anthropogenic source of inorganic plant nutrients interferes with the natural annual nutrient cycles and can artifically enhance primary production during periods when activity is normally low. This can have quite considerable ecological consequences for both pelagic and benthic organisms. For example, phytoplankton activity will be increased (Hoogweg et al. 1991) and, although this can be generally beneficial by increasing fisheries (Raymont 1947; Fonselius 1978; Elmgren 1989), there is some evidence that it has resulted in the occurrence of some phytoplankton blooms, both toxic and non-toxic, which have had serious effects on local fisheries and leisure activities (Braarud 1945; Ruud 1968; O’Sullivan 1971; Zou and Dong 1983; Rosenberg 1985; Kimor 1991). One such bloom occurred in the northern Adriatic in 1988 when large quantities of mucilaginous material was washed up on many tourist beaches (Degobbis 1989; Vukadin 1991). A number of authors have similarly speculated on the possible relationship between eutrophication and the occurrence of toxic blooms of microalgae in the North Sea (Cole 1972).

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): the GAMA galaxy group catalogue (G3Cv1)

Abstract: Using the complete Galaxy and Mass Assembly I (GAMA-I) survey covering ∼142 deg2 to rAB= 194, of which ∼47 deg2 is to rAB= 198, we create the GAMA-I galaxy group catalogue (G3Cv1), generated using a friends-of-friends (FoF) based grouping algorithm Our algorithm has been tested extensively on one family of mock GAMA lightcones, constructed from Λ cold dark matter N-body simulations populated with semi-analytic galaxies Recovered group properties are robust to the effects of interlopers and are median unbiased in the most important respects G3Cv1 contains 14 388 galaxy groups (with multiplicity ≥2), including 44 186 galaxies out of a possible 110 192 galaxies, implying ∼40 per cent of all galaxies are assigned to a group The similarities of the mock group catalogues and G3Cv1 are multiple: global characteristics are in general well recovered However, we do find a noticeable deficit in the number of high multiplicity groups in GAMA compared to the mocks Additionally, despite exceptionally good local spatial completeness, G3Cv1 contains significantly fewer compact groups with five or more members, this effect becoming most evident for high multiplicity systems These two differences are most likely due to limitations in the physics included of the current GAMA lightcone mock Further studies using a variety of galaxy formation models are required to confirm their exact origin The G3Cv1 catalogue will be made publicly available as and when the relevant GAMA redshifts are made available at http://wwwgama-surveyorg

Recent advances in the study of biocorrosion: an overview

Abstract: Biocorrosion processes at metal surfaces are associated with microorganisms, or the products of their metabolic activities including enzymes, exopolymers, organic and inorganic acids, as well as volatile compounds such as ammonia or hydrogen sulfide. These can affect cathodic and/or anodic reactions, thus altering electrochemistry at the biofilm/metal interface. Various mechanisms of biocorrosion, reflecting the variety of physiological activities carried out by different types of microorganisms, are identified and recent insights into these mechanisms reviewed. Many modern investigations have centered on the microbially-influenced corrosion of ferrous and copper alloys and particular microorganisms of interest have been the sulfate-reducing bacteria and metal (especially manganese)-depositing bacteria. The importance of microbial consortia and the role of extracellular polymeric substances in biocorrosion are emphasized. The contribution to the study of biocorrosion of modern analytical techniques, such as atomic force microscopy, Auger electron, X-ray photoelectron and Mossbauer spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and microsensors, is discussed.