Summary Background Information about trends in adolescent health inequalities is scarce, especially at an international level. We examined secular trends in socioeconomic inequality in five domains ...of adolescent health and the association of socioeconomic inequality with national wealth and income inequality. Methods We undertook a time-series analysis of data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, in which cross-sectional surveys were done in 34 North American and European countries in 2002, 2006, and 2010 (pooled n 492 788). We used individual data for socioeconomic status (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Family Affluence Scale) and health (days of physical activity per week, body-mass index Z score zBMI, frequency of psychological and physical symptoms on 0–5 scale, and life satisfaction scored 0–10 on the Cantril ladder) to examine trends in health and socioeconomic inequalities in health. We also investigated whether international differences in health and health inequalities were associated with per person income and income inequality. Findings From 2002 to 2010, average levels of physical activity (3·90 to 4·08 days per week; p<0·0001), body mass (zBMI −0·08 to 0·03; p<0·0001), and physical symptoms (3·06 to 3·20, p<0·0001), and life satisfaction (7·58 to 7·61; p=0·0034) slightly increased. Inequalities between socioeconomic groups increased in physical activity (−0·79 to −0·83 days per week difference between most and least affluent groups; p=0·0008), zBMI (0·15 to 0·18; p<0·0001), and psychological (0·58 to 0·67; p=0·0360) and physical (0·21 to 0·26; p=0·0018) symptoms. Only in life satisfaction did health inequality fall during this period (−0·98 to −0·95; p=0·0198). Internationally, the higher the per person income, the better and more equal health was in terms of physical activity (0·06 days per SD increase in income; p<0·0001), psychological symptoms (−0·09; p<0·0001), and life satisfaction (0·08; p<0·0001). However, higher income inequality uniquely related to fewer days of physical activity (−0·05 days; p=0·0295), higher zBMI (0·06; p<0·0001), more psychological (0·18; p<0·0001) and physical (0·16; p<0·0001) symptoms, and larger health inequalities between socioeconomic groups in psychological (0·13; p=0·0080) and physical (0·07; p=0·0022) symptoms, and life satisfaction (−0·10; p=0·0092). Interpretation Socioeconomic inequality has increased in many domains of adolescent health. These trends coincide with unequal distribution of income between rich and poor people. Widening gaps in adolescent health could predict future inequalities in adult health and need urgent policy action. Funding Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The latest generation of high-angular-resolution unbiased Galactic plane surveys in molecular-gas tracers are enabling the interiors of molecular clouds to be studied across a range of environments. ...The CO Heterodyne Inner Milky Way Plane Survey (CHIMPS) simultaneously mapped a sector of the inner Galactic plane, within 27.8° ≲ ℓ ≲ 46.2° and |b|≤ 0°.5, in 13CO (3–2) and C18O (3–2) at an angular resolution of 15 arcsec. The combination of the CHIMPS data with 12CO (3–2) data from the CO High Resolution Survey (COHRS) has enabled us to perform a voxel-by-voxel local-thermodynamic-equilibrium (LTE) analysis, determining the excitation temperature, optical depth, and column density of 13CO at each ℓ, b, v position. Distances to discrete sources identified by FELLWALKER in the 13CO (3–2) emission maps were determined, allowing the calculation of numerous physical properties of the sources, and we present the first source catalogues in this paper. We find that, in terms of size and density, the CHIMPS sources represent an intermediate population between large-scale molecular clouds identified by CO and dense clumps seen in thermal dust continuum emission, and therefore represent the bulk transition from the diffuse to the dense phase of molecular gas. We do not find any significant systematic variations in the masses, column densities, virial parameters, mean excitation temperature, or the turbulent pressure over the range of Galactocentric distance probed, but we do find a shallow increase in the mean volume density with increasing Galactocentric distance. We find that inter-arm clumps have significantly narrower linewidths, and lower virial parameters and excitation temperatures than clumps located in spiral arms. When considering the most reliable distance-limited subsamples, the largest variations occur on the clump-to-clump scale, echoing similar recent studies that suggest that the star-forming process is largely insensitive to the Galactic-scale environment, at least within the inner disc.
Summary
Background
Treatment options that improve overall symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS‐C) are lacking.
Aim
A prespecified further analysis to evaluate the efficacy and ...safety of linaclotide, a guanylate cyclase C agonist, in patients with IBS‐C, based on efficacy parameters prespecified for European Medicines Agency (EMA) submission.
Methods
Two randomised, double‐blind, multicentre Phase 3 trials investigated once‐daily linaclotide (290 μg) for 12 weeks (Trial 31) or 26 weeks (Trial 302) in patients with IBS‐C. Prespecified primary endpoints were the EMA‐recommended co‐primary endpoints: (i) 12‐week abdominal pain/discomfort responders ≥30% reduction in mean abdominal pain and/or discomfort score (11‐point scales), with neither worsening from baseline, for ≥6 weeks and (ii) 12‐week IBS degree‐of‐relief responders (symptoms ‘considerably’ or ‘completely’ relieved for ≥6 weeks).
Results
Overall, 803 (Trial 31) and 805 patients (Trial 302) were randomised. A significantly greater proportion of linaclotide‐treated vs. placebo‐treated patients were 12‐week abdominal pain/discomfort responders (Trial 31: 54.8% vs. 41.8%; Trial 302: 54.1% vs. 38.5%; P < 0.001) and IBS degree‐of‐relief responders (Trial 31: 37.0% vs. 18.5%; Trial 302: 39.4% vs. 16.6%; P < 0.0001). Similarly, significantly more linaclotide‐ vs. placebo‐treated patients were responders for ≥13 weeks in Trial 302 (abdominal pain/discomfort: 53.6% vs. 36.0%; IBS degree‐of‐relief: 37.2% vs. 16.9%; P < 0.0001). The proportion of sustained responders (co‐primary endpoint responders plus responders for ≥2 of the last 4 weeks of treatment) was also significantly greater with linaclotide vs. placebo in both trials (P < 0.001).
Conclusion
Linaclotide treatment significantly improved abdominal pain/discomfort and degree‐of‐relief of IBS‐C symptoms compared with placebo over 12 and 26 weeks. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (identifiers: NCT00948818 and NCT00938717).
Linaclotide is a minimally absorbed peptide guanylate cyclase-C agonist. The objective of this trial was to determine the efficacy and safety of linaclotide treatment in patients with irritable bowel ...syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) over 26 weeks.
This phase 3, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial randomized IBS-C patients to placebo or 290 μg of oral linaclotide once daily for a 26-week treatment period. The primary and the secondary efficacy assessments were evaluated over the first 12 weeks of treatment. Primary end points included the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) end point for IBS-C (responder: a patient who reported (i) improvement of ≥ 30 % from baseline in average daily worst abdominal pain score and (ii) increase of ≥ 1 complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM) from baseline, both in the same week for ≥ 6 / 12 weeks) and three other primary end points, based on improvements in abdominal pain and CSBMs for 9/12 weeks. Adverse events (AEs) were monitored.
In all, 804 patients (mean age = 44 years, female = 90 % , white = 78 % ) were evaluated; 33.7 % of linaclotide-treated patients were FDA end point responders, vs. 13.9 % of placebo-treated patients ( P < 0.0001) (number needed to treat = 5.1, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 3.9, 7.1). The pain responder criterion of the FDA end point was met by 48.9 % of linaclotide-treated patients vs. 34.5 % of placebo-treated patients (number needed to treat = 7.0, 95 % CI: 4.7, 13.1), and the CSBM responder criterion was met by 47.6 % of linaclotide-treated patients, vs. 22.6 % of placebo patients (number needed to treat = 4.0, 95 % CI: 3.2, 5.4). Remaining primary end points ( P < 0.0001) and all secondary end points ( P < 0.001), including abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, and bowel symptoms (SBM and CSBM rates, Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) score, and straining), were also statistically significantly improved with linaclotide vs. placebo. Statistically significant differences from placebo were observed for responder and continuous end points over 26 weeks of treatment. AE incidence was similar between treatment groups, except for diarrhea, which caused discontinuation in 4.5 % of linaclotide patients vs. 0.2 % of placebo patients.
Linaclotide 290 μg once daily significantly improved abdominal and bowel symptoms associated with IBS-C over 26 weeks of treatment.
This study develops a conceptual model of the 7V′s of big data analytics to gain a deeper understanding of the strategies and practices of high-frequency trading (HFT) in financial markets. HFT is ...computerized trading using proprietary algorithms. Empirical data collected from HFT firms and regulators in the US and UK reveals competitive asymmetries between HFTs and low-frequency traders (LFTs) operating more traditional forms of market trading. These findings show that HFT gains extensive market advantages over LFT due to significant investment in advanced technological architecture. Regulators are challenged to keep pace with HFT as different priorities to the 7V′s are given in pursuit of a short term market strategy. This research has implications for regulators, financial practitioners and investors as the technological arms race is fundamentally changing the nature of global financial markets.
Abstract
We present the first data release of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope Plane Survey (JPS), the JPS Public Release 1. JPS is an 850-μm continuum survey of six fields in the northern inner ...Galactic plane in a longitude range of ℓ = 7°–63°, made with the Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array 2. This first data release consists of emission maps of the six JPS regions with an average pixel-to-pixel noise of 7.19 mJy beam−1, when smoothed over the beam, and a compact source catalogue containing 7813 sources. The 95 per cent completeness limits of the catalogue are estimated at 0.04 Jy beam−1 and 0.3 Jy for the peak and integrated flux densities, respectively. The emission contained in the compact source catalogue is 42 ± 5 per cent of the total and, apart from the large-scale (greater than 8 arcmin) emission, there is excellent correspondence with features in the 500-μm Herschel maps. We find that, with two-dimensional matching, 98 ± 2 per cent of sources within the fields centred at ℓ = 20°, 30°, 40° and 50° are associated with molecular clouds, with 91 ± 3 per cent of the ℓ = 30° and 40° sources associated with dense molecular clumps. Matching the JPS catalogue to Herschel 70-μm sources, we find that 38 ± 1 per cent of sources show evidence of ongoing star formation. The JPS Public Release 1 images and catalogue will be a valuable resource for studies of star formation in the Galaxy and the role of environment and spiral arms in the star formation process.
The Dusty Galactic Center as Seen by SCUBA-2 Parsons, H.; Dempsey, J. T.; Thomas, H. S. ...
The Astrophysical journal. Supplement series,
02/2018, Letnik:
234, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We present new JCMT SCUBA-2 observations of the Galactic Center region from and , covering 10 × 2 square degrees along the Galactic Plane to a depth of 43 mJy beam−1 at 850 m and 360 mJy beam−1 at ...450 m. We describe the mapping strategy and reduction method used. We present 12CO(3-2) observations of selected regions in the field. We derive the molecular-line conversion factors (mJy beam−1 per K km s−1) at 850 and 450 m, which are then used to obtain the amount of contamination in the continuum maps due to 12CO(3-2) emission in the 850 m band. Toward the fields where the CO contamination has been accounted for, we present an 850 m CO-corrected compact source catalog. Finally, we look for possible physical trends in the CO contamination with respect to column density, mass, and concentration. No trends were seen in the data despite the recognition of three contributors to CO contamination: opacity, shocks, and temperature, which would be expected to relate to physical conditions. These SCUBA-2 Galactic Center data and catalog are available via https://doi.org/10.11570/17.0009.
We present the JCMT Gould Belt Survey's first look results of the southern extent of the Orion A Molecular Cloud (δ ≤ −5:31:27.5). Employing a two-step structure identification process, we construct ...individual catalogues for large-scale regions of significant emission labelled as islands and smaller-scale subregions called fragments using the 850 μm continuum maps obtained using SCUBA-2. We calculate object masses, sizes, column densities, and concentrations. We discuss fragmentation in terms of a Jeans instability analysis and highlight interesting structures as candidates for follow-up studies. Furthermore, we associate the detected emission with young stellar objects (YSOs) identified by Spitzer and Herschel. We find that although the population of active star-forming regions contains a wide variety of sizes and morphologies, there is a strong positive correlation between the concentration of an emission region and its calculated Jeans instability. There are, however, a number of highly unstable subregions in dense areas of the map that show no evidence of star formation. We find that only ∼72 per cent of the YSOs defined as Class 0+I and flat-spectrum protostars coincide with dense 850 μm emission structures (column densities >3.7 × 1021 cm−2). The remaining 28 per cent of these objects, which are expected to be embedded in dust and gas, may be misclassified. Finally, we suggest that there is an evolution in the velocity dispersion of YSOs such that sources which are more evolved are associated with higher velocities.
Market fragmentation, technical complexity and information asymmetry drive the regulation of financial markets. We examine how government bodies develop and implement policy mandates for regulatory ...oversight of automated trading. Simon's theory of bounded rationality guides the research enquiry on regulatory decision choices and outcomes. Primary and secondary data reveal four phases of evolutionary technological change in financial markets. Each phase presents financial regulators with unprecedented policy challenges in preventing systemic and firm-specific risk in financial markets. Findings show regulatory mandates eschew ex-ante for ex-post decision criteria, as constrained optimization results in regulators’ seeking satisfactory solutions to mitigate financial market risk.
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