Characterization of Tropical Cyclone Intensity Using Microwave Imagery

In the absence of wind speed data from aircraft reconnaissance of tropical cyclones (TCs), analysts rely on remote sensing tools to estimate TC intensity. For over 40 years, the Dvorak technique has been applied to estimate intensity using visible and infrared (IR) satellite imagery, but its accuracy is sometimes limited when the radiative effects of high clouds obscure the TC convective structure below. Microwave imagery highlights areas of precipitation and deep convection revealing different patterns than visible and IR imagery. This study explores application of machine learning algorithms to identify patterns in microwave imagery to infer storm intensity, particularly focusing on weaker storms where other analysis methods struggle. An analysis of 91 GHz Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sensor imagery onboard various Defense Meteorological Satellite Program assets from February 2006 to 2017 is presented. Incorporating pattern recognition methods into the current analysis process at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center has the potential to significantly improve TC intensity estimates across all basins of responsibility

Social re-orientation and brain development: An expanded and updated view.

Social development has been the focus of a great deal of neuroscience based research over the past decade. In this review, we focus on providing a framework for understanding how changes in facets of social development may correspond with changes in brain function. We argue that (1) distinct phases of social behavior emerge based on whether the organizing social force is the mother, peer play, peer integration, or romantic intimacy; (2) each phase is marked by a high degree of affect-driven motivation that elicits a distinct response in subcortical structures; (3) activity generated by these structures interacts with circuits in prefrontal cortex that guide executive functions, and occipital and temporal lobe circuits, which generate specific sensory and perceptual social representations. We propose that the direction, magnitude and duration of interaction among these affective, executive, and perceptual systems may relate to distinct sensitive periods across development that contribute to establishing long-term patterns of brain function and behavior

Cross-sectional associations between variations in ankle shape by statistical shape modeling, injury history, and race : the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project

Rheumatology Research Foundation Medical Student Preceptorship Award (Lateef/Nelson), NIAMS K23 AR061406 (Nelson); NIH/NIAMS P60AR064166 and U01DP003206 (Jordan/Renner), NIH/NIAMS R01AR067743 (Golightly). The funders had no role in study design; collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; writing the manuscript or the decision to submit for publication.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Alcohol-Related Consequences Among First-Year University Students: Effectiveness of a Web-Based Personalized Feedback Program

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a web-based personalized feedback program using an objective measure of alcohol-related consequences. Participants were assigned to either the intervention group or an assessment-only control group during university orientation. Sanctions received for campus alcohol policy violations were tracked over the academic year. Results indicated high-risk drinkers in the control group received significantly more sanctions than other students. Results support the effectiveness of web-based interventions

Provider Perspectives in Serving Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Their Families using Tele-Intervention

Purpose: In the second of a two-part survey series, this cross-sectional survey study explored professionals’ perceptions of tele-intervention (TI) services for young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Using Likert rating scales and open-ended questions, the survey queried professional’s confidence in providing TI services, including their views and recommendations. Data were collected March-May 2020, not realizing the survey release would coincide with the Covid-19 pandemic and the influx of unexpected virtual services. For this reason, data were stratified between those who had been providing TI services for more than versus less than three months. Responses for in-person providers were also evaluated for additional context. Methods: Responses from 123 participants who provided TI and 21 participants who provided in-person services (n=144) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Cronbach’s alpha showed high internal consistency for all Likert scales; items of each subscale were sum-scored to examine relationships across queried areas of service delivery. Results: Provider perceptions of TI services were largely favorable. However, providers with more than three months’ experience were significantly more confident in coaching and supporting parents through TI, including more overall favorable views of a TI delivery than providers with less than three months of TI experience. There were no differences in provider confidence in coaching and supporting parents between providers with more than three months’ TI experience using TI delivery and in-person providers using in-person delivery. Conclusions: Experienced providers reported confidence in service delivery and positive views of the TI model. Programs seeking to implement virtual services should consider TI training, with a commitment to TI longevity to improve provider efficacy and confidence in TI services

A creative conversation for re-imagining creative visual methods with children and young people in pandemic times and beyond

In this project we forward insights about the importance of being in ‘the room where it happens’ – creating tactility and togetherness in the research encounter – for research with children and young people in times of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Created in response to the intense uptake of digital methods catalysed by COVID-19, in this project we productively re-imagine moments from our creative visual research with children and young people from before the COVID-19 pandemic. This re-imagining began early in 2020 and has continued to evolve, incorporating our shifting perspectives and ‘thinking with’ the scholarship of leading creative methodologists. The creative output is in the form of a ‘Prezine’ which is our concept and is a portmanteau bringing together ‘Prezi’ a presentation tool, and ‘zine’. The Prezine charts our creative conversation, moving between four connected rhizomes of thinking about creative research with children and young people: ‘the room where it happens’, being in the encounter, spaces for the unexpected, and what we are calling ‘methodological alchemy’. The Prezine documents our experiment in thinking about research futures where we openly and creatively explore the process of making this reflective resource about research ‘becomings’

Parents’ Perspectives about Tele-Intervention Services for their Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Purpose: In the first of a two-part survey series, this cross-sectional survey study explored parent perceptions of tele-intervention (TI) services for their young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Using Likert rating scales, the survey queried parent confidence in understanding their child’s language development, perceptions of the coaching and support they received, the parent-professional partnership, and overall views and recommendations. Data were collected March-May 2020, not realizing the survey release would coincide with the Covid-19 pandemic and the influx of unexpected virtual services. For this reason, data were stratified between those who had received TI services for more than versus less than three months. Responses for in-person services were also evaluated for additional context. Methods: Responses from 48 participants who received TI and 18 participants who received in-person services (n=66) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Cronbach’s alpha showed high internal consistency for all Likert scales; items of each subscale were sum-scored to examine relationships across queried areas of service delivery. Results: Ninety-six percent of all respondents were highly or mostly satisfied with their TI services and 90% would definitely or probably recommend TI to other families. Overall positive findings were found across Likert scale queries, with no differences between parent perceptions of TI and in-person services, nor between TI for more than versus less than three months. However, findings also highlighted areas in which TI and in-person providers could improve intervention effectiveness, including coaching and supports to optimize parent confidence in understanding and facilitating their child’s language and communication goals. Conclusions: Parent perceptions of the TI delivery model were favorable. Implications and recommendations for both TI and in-person providers are discussed

Characterizing the gut microbiome in trauma: significant changes in microbial diversity occur early after severe injury.

Background:Recent studies have demonstrated the vital influence of commensal microbial communities on human health. The central role of the gut in the response to injury is well described; however, no prior studies have used culture-independent profiling techniques to characterize the gut microbiome after severe trauma. We hypothesized that in critically injured patients, the gut microbiome would undergo significant compositional changes in the first 72 hours after injury. Methods:Trauma stool samples were prospectively collected via digital rectal examination at the time of presentation (0 hour). Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (n=12) had additional stool samples collected at 24 hours and/or 72 hours. Uninjured patients served as controls (n=10). DNA was extracted from stool samples and 16S rRNA-targeted PCR amplification was performed; amplicons were sequenced and binned into operational taxonomic units (OTUs; 97% sequence similarity). Diversity was analyzed using principle coordinates analyses, and negative binomial regression was used to determine significantly enriched OTUs. Results:Critically injured patients had a median Injury Severity Score of 27 and suffered polytrauma. At baseline (0 hour), there were no detectable differences in gut microbial community diversity between injured and uninjured patients. Injured patients developed changes in gut microbiome composition within 72 hours, characterized by significant alterations in phylogenetic composition and taxon relative abundance. Members of the bacterial orders Bacteroidales, Fusobacteriales and Verrucomicrobiales were depleted during 72 hours, whereas Clostridiales and Enterococcus members enriched significantly. Discussion:In this initial study of the gut microbiome after trauma, we demonstrate that significant changes in phylogenetic composition and relative abundance occur in the first 72 hours after injury. This rapid change in intestinal microbiota represents a critical phenomenon that may influence outcomes after severe trauma. A better understanding of the nature of these postinjury changes may lead to the ability to intervene in otherwise pathological clinical trajectories. Level of evidence:III. Study type:Prognostic/epidemiological

Neuropsychological Outcomes of U.S. Veterans with Report of Remote Blast-Related Concussion and Current Psychopathology

This study explored whether remote blast-related MTBI and/or current Axis I psychopathology contribute to neuropsychological outcomes among OEF/OIF veterans with varied combat histories. OEF/OIF veterans underwent structured interviews to evaluate history of blast-related MTBI and psychopathology and were assigned to MTBI (n = 18), Axis I (n = 24), Co-morbid MTBI/Axis I (n = 34), or post-deployment control (n = 28) groups. A main effect for Axis I diagnosis on overall neuropsychological performance was identified (F(3,100) = 4.81; p = .004), with large effect sizes noted for the Axis I only (d = .98) and Co-morbid MTBI/Axis I (d = .95) groups relative to the control group. The latter groups demonstrated primary limitations on measures of learning/memory and processing speed. The MTBI only group demonstrated performances that were not significantly different from the remaining three groups. These findings suggest that a remote history of blast-related MTBI does not contribute to objective cognitive impairment in the late stage of injury. Impairments, when present, are subtle and most likely attributable to PTSD and other psychological conditions. Implications for clinical neuropsychologists and future research are discussed. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1–11