Investigating the Effect of Stratospheric Radiation on Seed Germination and Growth

Three seed types: bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), corn (Zea mays) and radish (Raphanus sativus) were flown in a high altitude weather balloon into the mid-stratosphere to investigate the effects of high altitude radiation on germination success and seedling growth. After recovering and planting the seeds, the bean seeds showed lower germination success with exposure to high altitude radiation, and consequently stunted seedling growth. Cord and radish seeds experienced a statistically significant positive effect on germination success form radiation exposure compared to control seeds, but negative effect on seedling growth. Overall, the field experiments presented here support laboratory studies that show radiation exposure on vegetable seeds has a mixed effect on the germination success and negative effect on seedling growth on investigated seed types

Factors influencing quality of life following lower limb amputation for peripheral arterial occlusive disease: a systematic review of the literature

Background: The majority of lower limb amputations are undertaken in people with peripheral arterial occlusive disease,\ud and approximately 50% have diabetes. Quality of life is an important outcome in lower limb amputations; little is known\ud about what influences it, and therefore how to improve it.\ud Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to identify the factors that influence quality of life after lower limb\ud amputation for peripheral arterial occlusive disease.\ud Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Cochrane databases were searched to identify\ud articles that quantitatively measured quality of life in those with a lower limb amputation for peripheral arterial occlusive\ud disease. Articles were quality assessed by two assessors, evidence tables summarised each article and a narrative\ud synthesis was performed.\ud Study design: Systematic review.\ud Results: Twelve articles were included. Study designs and outcome measures used varied. Quality assessment scores\ud ranged from 36% to 92%. The ability to walk successfully with a prosthesis had the greatest positive impact on quality\ud of life. A trans-femoral amputation was negatively associated with quality of life due to increased difficulty in walking\ud with a prosthesis. Other factors such as older age, being male, longer time since amputation, level of social support and\ud presence of diabetes also negatively affected quality of life.\ud Conclusion: Being able to walk with a prosthesis is of primary importance to improve quality of life for people with lower\ud limb amputation due to peripheral arterial occlusive disease. To further understand and improve the quality of life of this\ud population, there is a need for more prospective longitudinal studies, with a standardised outcome measure

Spherical Panoramic Image Payload Design for Stratospheric Ballooning

The 2017 total solar eclipse inspired innovation in design and implementation in stratospheric ballooning techniques and payloads to fully document the unique near-space experience. The Arkansas BalloonSAT team, as part of the Eclipse Ballooning Project, designed and fabricated a spherical panoramic image payload using computer aided design (CAD) software to capture images of the eclipse from the high altitude balloon. The light, durable, and water resistant mount consisted of a polyurethane-coated UV-resin based enclosure that housed six Hero 4 Session GoPro cameras, and a relative inertial measurement unit (IMU) PCB equipped with GPS. The cameras’ lenses faced radially outward on the six faces of a cube. The IMU/GPS PCB system computed the absolute orientation of the cameras, which allows the time-lapse pictures to be stitched together into a relatively stable spherical video. The batteries for this system experienced a voltage drop during flight as the payload temperature dropped below -60 degrees Celsius resulting in an auto-shutdown procedure disabling the system before eclipse totality. Future designs for this model will include a temperature regulation or insulation system to prevent this voltage drop

Models of Models: The Symbiotic Relationship between Models and Wargames

Military planning uses wargames to model the processes and decisions of an operation. As these operations become increasingly complex, the wargames similarly become more complex. Complex wargames are difficult to design and execute. As such, computer-based modeling and simulation can aid the wargame development, ensuring smooth execution. In particular, computer-based modeling and simulation can develop and validate the processes, determine initial conditions, evaluate the rules, and aid in validation. In turn, the wargame can provide useful data that can be fed into detailed models that can provide quantitative analysis to decision-makers

Identification of Degraded Land in the Canary Islands; Tests and Reviews

Degraded Land is an area that either by natural causes (fires, floods, storms or volcanic eruptions) or more by direct or indirect causes of human action, has been altered or modified from its natural state. Restoration is an activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem. It can be defined as the set of actions taken in order to reverse or reduce the damage caused in the territory. In the case of the Canary Islands there is a high possibility for the territory to suffer processes that degrade the environment, given that the islands are very fragile ecosystems. Added to this they are territories isolated from the continent, which complicates the process of restoring them. In this paper, the different types of common degraded areas in the Canary Islands are identified, as well as the proposed solutions for remediation, such as afforestation of agricultural land or landfill closure and restoration

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2009 Appropriations

This report analyzes the FY2009 request and recent-year funding trends; it tracks major foreign policy issues Congress may consider and highlights congressional action throughout the appropriations process

The Feasibility, Appropriateness, Meaningfulness, and Effectiveness of Parenting and Family Support Programs Delivered in the Criminal Justice System: A Systematic Review

Children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system (CJS) are at increased risk of developing social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties and are more likely than their peers to become involved in the CJS themselves. Parenting behaviour and parent-child relationships have the potential to affect children’s outcomes with positive parenting practices having the potential to moderate some of the negative outcomes associated with parental involvement in the CJS. However, many parents in the CJS may lack appropriate role models to support the development of positive parenting beliefs and practices. Parenting programs offer an opportunity for parents to enhance their parenting knowledge and behaviours and improve relationships with children. Quantitative and qualitative evidence pertaining to the implementation and effectiveness of parenting programs delivered in the CJS was included. Five databases were searched and a total of 1145 articles were identified of which 29 met the review inclusion criteria. Overall, programs were found to significantly improve parenting attitudes; however, evidence of wider effects is limited. Additionally, the findings indicate that parenting programs can be meaningful for parents. Despite this, a number of challenges for implementation were found including the transient nature of the prison population and a lack of parent-child contact. Based on these findings, recommendations for the future development and delivery of programs are discussed

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2010 Budget and Appropriations

The annual State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies appropriations bill is the primary legislative vehicle through which Congress reviews the U.S. international affairs budget and influences executive branch foreign policy making in general. On May 7, 2009, President Obama submitted a budget proposal for FY2010 that requests $53.9 billion for the international affairs budget. This report analyzes the FY2010 request, recent-year funding trends, and congressional action for FY2010. To date, this includes the introduction and committee approval of H.R. 3081, the House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill for FY2010

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2011 Budget and Appropriations

This report analyzes the FY2011 request, recent-year funding trends, and congressional action related to FY2011 State-Foreign Operations legislation

Socio-economic status and mortality in people with type 1 diabetes in Scotland 2006-2015:a retrospective cohort study

Aims: To describe the association between socio-economic status and mortality in a nation-wide cohort of people with type 1 diabetes in Scotland and to compare patterns over time and with the general population.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed using data for people with type 1 diabetes from a population-based register linked to mortality records. Socio-economic status was derived from quintiles of an area-based measure: the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Sex-specific directly age-standardized mortality rates for each Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile and rate ratios comparing the most vs least deprived quintile were calculated for two time periods: 2006-2010 and 2011-2015. Data for the population without type 1 diabetes between 2011 and 2015 were available for comparison.Results: Data for 3802 deaths among 33 547 people with type 1 diabetes were available. The age-standardized mortality rate per 1000 person-years decreased over time (from 2006-2010 to 2011-2015) for men and women with type 1 diabetes: 24.8 to 20.2 and 22.5 to 17.6, respectively. Mortality in populations with and without type 1 diabetes was generally higher for men than women and was inversely associated with socio-economic status. Rate ratios for the most vs least deprived groups increased over time among people with type 1 diabetes (men: 2.49 to 2.81; women: 1.92 to 2.86) and were higher than among populations without type 1 diabetes in 2011-2015 (men: 2.06; women: 1.66).Conclusions: Socio-economic deprivation was associated with a steeper mortality gradient in people with type 1 diabetes than in the population without type 1 diabetes in Scotland. Age-standardized mortality has decreased over time but socio-economic inequalities may be increasing.</p