Towards more accurate and reliable predictions for nuclear applications

The need for nuclear data far from the valley of stability, for applications such as nuclear as- trophysics or future nuclear facilities, challenges the robustness as well as the predictive power of present nuclear models. Most of the nuclear data evaluation and prediction are still performed on the basis of phenomenological nuclear models. For the last decades, important progress has been achieved in funda- mental nuclear physics, making it now feasible to use more reliable, but also more complex microscopic or semi-microscopic models in the evaluation and prediction of nuclear data for practical applications. In the present contribution, the reliability and accuracy of recent nuclear theories are discussed for most of the relevant quantities needed to estimate reaction cross sections and beta-decay rates, namely nuclear masses, nuclear level densities, gamma-ray strength, fission properties and beta-strength functions. It is shown that nowadays, mean-field models can be tuned at the same level of accuracy as the phenomenological mod- els, renormalized on experimental data if needed, and therefore can replace the phenomenogical inputs in the prediction of nuclear data. While fundamental nuclear physicists keep on improving state-of-the-art models, e.g. within the shell model or ab initio models, nuclear applications could make use of their most recent results as quantitative constraints or guides to improve the predictions in energy or mass domain that will remain inaccessible experimentally.

More than a nuisance: personal injury under Rylands

Discusses, by reference to case law, whether damages for personal injury are recoverable under Rylands v Fletcher liability. Considers the issue by reference to a hypothetical scenario in which a claimant suffers personal injury as a result of a chemical leak from a factory for which the factory owner is not at fault. Considers claims based on diminution in amenity and for consequential loss.

No more nonsense

Discusses the approach of the courts to the quantification of beneficial interests in the family home in the event of a relationship breakdown. Assesses the clarification provided by the Court of Appeal ruling in Fowler v Barron on whether the respondent was the sole beneficial owner of a property purchased with his former partner, by means of a significant cash contribution from him and a mortgage in both their names, focusing on whether he could rebut the presumption that they held the property as joint tenants in equity where it was registered in joint names. [From Legal Journals Index]

Student nurses need more than maths to improve their drug calculating skills

Nurses need to be able to calculate accurate drug calculations in order to safely administer drugs to their patients (NMC, 2002). Studies have shown however that nurses do not always have the necessary skills to calculate accurate drug dosages and are potentially administering incorrect dosages of drugs to their patients (Hutton, M. 1998. Nursing Mathematics: the importance of application. Nursing Standard 13(11), 35–38; Kapborg, I. 1994. Calculation and administration of drug dosage by Swedish nurses, Student Nurses and Physicians. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 6(4), 389–395; O’Shea, E. 1999. Factors contributing to medication errors: a literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing 8, 496–504; Wilson, A. 2003. Nurses maths: researching a practical approach. Nursing Standard 17(47), 33–36). The literature indicates that in order to improve drug calculations strategies need to focus on both the mathematical skills and conceptual skills of student nurses so they can interpret clinical data into drug calculations to be solved. A study was undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of implementing several strategies which focussed on developing the mathematical and conceptual skills of student nurses to improve their drug calculation skills. The study found that implementing a range of strategies which addressed these two developmental areas significantly improved the drug calculation skills of nurses. The study also indicates that a range of strategies has the potential ensuring that the skills taught are retained by the student nurses. Although the strategies significantly improved the drug calculation skills of student nurses, the fact that only 2 students were able to achieve 100% in their drug calculation test indicates a need for further research into this area.

More public rescues for more private finance failures - a critique of the EC Communication on PPPs

A critique of the EC Communication on PPPs, challenging the scale of state aid offered to PPPs, the role of PPPs in the economic recovery strategy for the EU, and drawing attention to the damage done to public authorities by 'innovative' financing mechanisms.

Climate-related increases in jellyfish frequency suggest a more gelatinous future for the North Sea

Data obtained since 1958 from the continuous plankton recorder show an increasing occurrence of jellyfish in the central North Sea that is positively related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Atlantic inflow to the northern North Sea. Since 1970, jellyfish frequency has been also significantly negatively correlated with mean annual pH, independent of NAO trends. Jellyfish frequency increased in the mid-1980s, coincident with the reported regime shift in the North Sea and tracking trends in phytoplankton color. As models produced under all climate-change scenarios indicate a move toward a positive NAO, and pH of the oceans is predicted to decrease with rising CO2, we suggest that jellyfish frequency will increase over the next 100 yr.

Macro-ecology of plankton–seabird associations in the North Pacific Ocean

In conjunction with the North Pacific Continuous Plankton Recorder program, we conducted surveys of seabirds from June 2002 to June 2007. Here, we tested the hypotheses of (i) east–west variations in coupled plankton and seabird abundance, and (ii) that surface-feeding and diving seabirds vary in their relationships to primary productivity and mesozooplankton species abundance and diversity. To test these hypotheses, we developed statistical models for 20 species of seabirds and 12 zooplankton taxonomic groups. Seabird density was highly variable between seasons, but was consistently higher in the western than eastern North Pacific. Seabird diversity was greater in the east. Zooplankton abundance did not differ between regions. We found associations at the “bulk” level between seabird density and net primary productivity, but only one association between seabirds and total zooplankton abundance or diversity. However, we found many relationships between seabird species and the abundance of different zooplankton summarized at the genus or family level. Some of these taxonomic relationships reflect direct predator–prey interactions, while others may reflect zooplankton that serve as ecological indicators of other prey, such as micronekton, upon which the birds may feed. Surface or near-surface feeding, mostly piscivorous seabirds, did not differ systematically from diving, mainly planktivorous seabirds in their zooplankton associations. Seabirds apparently respond to zooplankton taxonomic groupings more so than bulk zooplankton characteristics, such as abundance or diversity. Macro-ecological studies of remote marine ecosystems using zooplankton and seabirds as ecological indicators provide a framework for understanding and assessing spatial and temporal variations in these difficult-to-study pelagic environments.