Helioseismic Ring Analysis of CME Source Regions

We apply the ring diagram technique to source regions of halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs) to study changes in acoustic mode parameters before, during, and after the onset of CMEs. We find that CME regions associated with a low value of magnetic flux have line widths smaller than the quiet regions implying a longer life-time for the oscillation modes. We suggest that this criterion may be used to forecast the active regions which may trigger CMEs.Comment: Accepted for publication in J. Astrophys. Astr. Also available at http://www2.nso.edu/staff/sushant/paper.htm

Paediatric trauma care

Paediatric trauma care varies in different countries. In South Africa injury is the leading cause of death in the 5 - 14-yearold age group - 1,5 - 3,8 times higher than in the USA. In 1978 the Child Safety Centre was established and prospectively collected data on paediatric injuries. The various types of injuries are discussed. Trauma is responsible for the highest percentage of years of life lost but the least amount of money is being spent on research and prevention of injuries. The Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Southern Africa has been constituted to research, prevent and reduce the risk factors of the injuries and to improve facilities for the injured child

Training South African clinician-scientists: Lessons from the University of Cape Town’s intercalated programme

In 2011, the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town, South Africa (SA), established the Clinician-Scientist Training Programme (UCTCSTP), consisting of intercalated BMedSci Hons/MB ChB and integrated MB ChB/MSc/PhD tracks. We report and reflect on the programme’s performance and challenges. The UCTCSTP has so far enrolled 71 students: 51 have received BMedSci Hons degrees and 4 have received Master’s degrees, while there are 14 BMedSci Hons, 4 MSc and 4 PhD candidates. Graduates have produced significant research outputs, and many remain actively engaged in research. The UCTCSTP has been successful in encouraging a cohort of future clinician-scientists, but should aim to broaden and improve its appeal to address the need to transform and grow the SA clinical academic workforce. As graduates progress with their postgraduate clinical training, they require institutional support and guidance, which may necessitate policy reform

Validation of remote mapping of cochlear implants

Recipients of cochlear implants need to attend regular mapping sessions to adjust their speech processors.We developed a PC-based system for remote mapping, which employed voice, video and text communication. Eleven implant recipients had their implant electrodes programmed (mapped) both by conventional methods and remotely. Speech tests, conducted by a family member or research assistant, were used to test the outcome of the programming during the remote consultation. The recipient and audiologist were surveyed regarding aspects of the teleconsultation. There were no significant differences between conventionally and remotely programmed electrode settings. The speech test results were perfect in most cases. The average time to complete the conventional mapping session was 37 min and the average time for the remote mapping session was 42 min (P_0.034). Recipients and the audiologist reported favourably on most aspects of the consultations. Lack of synchronisation between voice and video was the most common problem, which disrupted communication. The assistant was important to overcome this problem. All but one participant indicated they would be willing to use tele-mapping in the future. Remote programming of cochlear implants can be conducted reliably with relatively simple equipment, potentially in the homes of remotely located patients assisted by a family member.Med-el and ESIA’s Gift of Hearinghttp://jtt.sagepub.comam201

Similarities in Sectional Delimitation in Tripsacum and Zea (Gramineae)

Subtribe Tripsacinae of the tribe Andropogoneae comprises two New World genera, Tripsacum and Zea (Clayton, 1973). These “sister” genera (terminology of Hennig, 1966) are distinct morphologically and also karyotypically, with base chromosome numbers of n = 18 in Tripsacum and n = 10 in Zea. Doebley and litis (1980; see also litis and Doebley, 1980) radically revised sectional circumscription in Zea, and provided the first workable taxonomy for that genus

General practice performance in referral for suspected cancer: influence of number of cases and case-mix on publicly reported data

Background:Publicly available data show variation in GPs’ use of urgent suspected cancer (USC) referral pathways. We investigated whether this could be due to small numbers of cancer cases and random case-mix, rather than due to true variation in performance. Methods:We analysed individual GP practice USC referral detection rates (proportion of the practice's cancer cases that are detected via USC) and conversion rates (proportion of the practice's USC referrals that prove to be cancer) in routinely collected data from GP practices in all of England (over 4 years) and northeast Scotland (over 7 years). We explored the effect of pooling data. We then modelled the effects of adding random case-mix to practice variation. Results:Correlations between practice detection rate and conversion rate became less positive when data were aggregated over several years. Adding random case-mix to between-practice variation indicated that the median proportion of poorly performing practices correctly identified after 25 cancer cases were examined was 20% (IQR 17 to 24) and after 100 cases was 44% (IQR 40 to 47). Conclusions:Much apparent variation in GPs’ use of suspected cancer referral pathways can be attributed to random case-mix. The methods currently used to assess the quality of GP-suspected cancer referral performance, and to compare individual practices, are misleading. These should no longer be used, and more appropriate and robust methods should be develope

Links between observed micro-meteorological variability and land-use patterns in the highveld priority area of South Africa

Links between spatial and temporal variability of Planetary Boundary Layer meteorological quantities and existing land-use patterns are still poorly understood due to the non-linearity of air–land interaction processes. This study describes the results of a statistical analysis of meteorological observations collected by a network of ten Automatic Weather Stations. The stations were in operation in the highveld priority area of the Republic of South Africa during 2008–2010. The analysis revealed localization, enhancement and homogenization in the inter-station variability of observed meteorological quantities (temperature, relative humidity and wind speed) over diurnal and seasonal cycles. Enhancement of the meteorological spatial variability was found on a broad range of scales from 20 to 50 km during morning hours and in the dry winter season. These spatial scales are comparable to scales of observed land-use heterogeneity, which suggests links between atmospheric variability and land-use patterns through excitation of horizontal meso-scale circulations. Convective motions homogenized and synchronized meteorological variability during afternoon hours in the winter seasons, and during large parts of the day during the moist summer season. The analysis also revealed that turbulent convection overwhelms horizontal meso-scale circulations in the study area during extensive parts of the annual cycleThe authors would like to acknowledge the bilateral Norway–South Africa project 180343/S50 “Analysis and the Possibility for Control of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Processes to Facilitate Adaptation to Environmental Changes” co-funded by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Norwegian Research Council (NRC). A significant part of this work has been developed under the NRC project 191516/V30 “Planetary boundary layer feedback in the Earth's Climate System”, under the European Research Council Advanced Grant, FP7-IDEAS, 227915 “Atmospheric planetary boundary layers: physics, modeling and its role in the Earth system”, and under a grant from the Government of the Russian Federation (project code 11.G34.31.0048).http://link.springer.com/journal/703hb201

Infraspecific variation and systematics of cultivatedSetaria italica, foxtail millet (Poaceae)

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica,) is grown as a cereal in southern Europe and in temperate, subtropical, and tropical Asia. Its closest wild relative isS. italica ssp.viridis (green foxtail). Green foxtail is native to temperate Eurasia, but was introduced and became widely established as a weed in temperate and warmer parts of the Americas. Spontaneous and cultivatedS. italica cross to produce fertile hybrids. Derivatives of such crosses, resembling foxtail millet in some inflorescence traits but with efficient natural seed dispersal, accompany the cereal across its range of cultivation. Giant green foxtail of Europe and the American corn belt is a weed of hybrid origin. Foxtail millet was domesticated in the highlands of central China; remains of cultivated foxtail millet are known from the Yang-shao culture period dating back some 5,000 yrs. Comparative morphology suggests that foxtail millet spread to Europe and India as a cereal soon after its domestication. Three cultivated races are recognized. Moharia, from Europe and southwestern Asia, includes cultivars with 5–52 culms, each bearing several, small, more or less erect inflorescences. Cultivars in race maxima are characterized by plants with 1–8 usually unbranched culms that bear large inflorescences; they occur in Transcaucasian Russia and the Far East. Race indica is intermediate in culm number (ave. 6.6) and inflorescence size between races moharia and maxima, and is cultivated in southern Asia

Diversity in Kodo millet,Paspalum scrobiculatum

Paspalum scrobiculatum is widely distributed in damp habitats across the Old World tropics. It is harvested as a wild cereal in west Africa and in India.The species was domesticated in India some 3,000 yr ago. It is grown in India from Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the south, to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal in the north. Kodo millet is variable but lacks racial differentiation. The species was apparently domesticated across its range of present-day cultivation. HybridizationwithwildP. scrobiculatum , which commonly invades fields of kodo millet, obscures racial differentiation. Weedy kodo is harvested with the crop, making it difficult to distinguish wild and cultivated complexes ofP. scrobiculatum. Wild, weed and cultivated kinds merge in all characters studied