Propagation of HF radio waves over northerly paths: measurements,simulation and systems aspects

Large deviations in the direction of arrival of ionospherically propagating radio signals from the Great Circle Path (GCP) have serious implications for the planning and operation of communications and radiolocation systems operating within the HF-band. Very large deviations are particularly prevalent in the polar and sub-auroral regions where signals often arrive at the receiver with bearings displaced from the great circle direction by up to ±100° or more. Measurements made over several paths are presented in this paper, and the principle causes of off-great circle propagation outlined. Significant progress has been made in modelling the propagation effects and work is now in hand to incorporate the results into tools to aid the planning and operation of HF radio systems operating at northerly latitudes

Fruit crops 1990: a summary of research

Orchard temperature profiles in spring frost conditions / R. D. Brazee, R. D. Fox and D. C. Ferree -- Orchard sprayers: how much spray moves out of the orchard? / R. D. Fox, D. L. Reichard, R. D. Brazee, and F. R. Hall -- Influence of pruning treatments on mature spur-bound 'Starkrimson Delicious' apple trees / D. C. Ferree, J. C. Schmid, J. R. Schupp and I. J. Warrington -- The winter of 1983-84: a test winter for Ohio's fruit crops / C. K. Chandler and D. C. Ferree -- Performance of apple roostock, cultivars and cultural treatments under the stress of the 1988 drought / D. C. Ferree and J. C. Schmid -- Performance of a spur and standard Delicious strain in a slender spindle system / D. C. Ferree and J. C. Schmid -- Survey of Ohio strawberry growers: present practice and future directions / J. C. Scheerens and G. L. Brenneman -- Orchard crop loss assessments: a precondition for improved crop protection decisions / F. R. Hall -- Evaluation of compounds for control of foliar grape phylloxera, Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch) in Ohio / M. J. McLeod and R. N. Williams -- Marketing Ohio Strawberries / W. T. Rhodus and R. C. Fun

Efficacy and safety of mavrilimumab in giant cell arteritis: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

OBJECTIVES: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is implicated in pathogenesis of giant cell arteritis. We evaluated the efficacy of the GM-CSF receptor antagonist mavrilimumab in maintaining disease remission. METHODS: This phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled patients with biopsy-confirmed or imaging-confirmed giant cell arteritis in 50 centres (North America, Europe, Australia). Active disease within 6 weeks of baseline was required for inclusion. Patients in glucocorticoid-induced remission were randomly assigned (3:2 ratio) to mavrilimumab 150 mg or placebo injected subcutaneously every 2 weeks. Both groups received a 26-week prednisone taper. The primary outcome was time to adjudicated flare by week 26. A prespecified secondary efficacy outcome was sustained remission at week 26 by Kaplan-Meier estimation. Safety was also assessed. RESULTS: Of 42 mavrilimumab recipients, flare occurred in 19% (n=8). Of 28 placebo recipients, flare occurred in 46% (n=13). Median time to flare (primary outcome) was 25.1 weeks in the placebo group, but the median was not reached in the mavrilimumab group (HR 0.38; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.92; p=0.026). Sustained remission at week 26 was 83% for mavrilimumab and 50% for placebo recipients (p=0.0038). Adverse events occurred in 78.6% (n=33) of mavrilimumab and 89.3% (n=25) of placebo recipients. No deaths or vision loss occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Mavrilimumab plus 26 weeks of prednisone was superior to placebo plus 26 weeks of prednisone for time to flare by week 26 and sustained remission in patients with giant cell arteritis. Longer treatment is needed to determine response durability and quantify the glucocorticoid-sparing potential of mavrilimumab. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03827018, Europe (EUdraCT number: 2018-001003-36), and Australia (CT-2018-CTN-01 865-1)

Auditory-Visual Object Recognition Time Suggests Specific Processing for Animal Sounds

cote interne IRCAM: Suied09bNone / NoneNational audienceAuditory-visual object recognition time suggests specific processing for animal sound

Head injury from falls in children younger than 6 years of age

The risk of serious head injury (HI) from a fall in a young child is ill defined. The relationship between the object fallen from and prevalence of intracranial injury (ICI) or skull fracture is described. Method Cross-sectional study of HIs from falls in children (<6 years) admitted to UK hospitals, analysed according to the object fallen from and associated Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) or alert, voice, pain, unresponsive (AVPU) and CT scan results. Results Of 1775 cases ascertained (median age 18 months, 54.7% boys), 87% (1552) had a GCS=15/AVPU=alert. 19.3% (342) had a CT scan: 32% (110/342) were abnormal; equivalent to 5.9% of the overall population, 16.9% (58) had isolated skull fractures and 13.7% (47) had ICI (49% (23/47) had an associated skull fracture). The prevalence of ICI increased with neurological compromise; however, 12% of children with a GCS=15/AVPU=alert had ICI. When compared to falls from standing, falls from a person's arms (233 children (mean age 1 year)) had a significant relative OR for a skull fracture/ICI of 6.94 (95% CI 3.54 to 13.6), falls from a building (eg, window or attic) (mean age 3 years) OR 6.84 (95% CI 2.65 to 17.6) and from an infant or child product (mean age 21 months) OR 2.75 (95% CI 1.36 to 5.65). Conclusions Most HIs from a fall in these children admitted to hospital were minor. Infants, dropped from a carer's arms, those who fell from infant products, a window, wall or from an attic had the greatest chance of ICI or skull fracture. These data inform prevention and the assessment of the likelihood of serious injury when the object fallen from is known

“A Hideous Torture on Himself”: Madness and Self-Mutilation in Victorian Literature

This paper suggests that late nineteenth-century definitions of self-mutilation, a new category of psychiatric symptomatology, were heavily influenced by the use of selfinjury as a rhetorical device in the novel, for the literary text held a high status in Victorian psychology. In exploring Dimmesdale’s “self-mutilation” in The Scarlet Letter in conjunction with psychiatric case histories, the paper indicates a number of common techniques and themes in literary and psychiatric texts. As well as illuminating key elements of nineteenth-century conceptions of the self, and the relation of mind and body through ideas of madness, this exploration also serves to highlight the social commentary implicit in many Victorian medical texts. Late nineteenth-century England, like mid-century New England, required the individual to help himself and, simultaneously, others; personal charity and individual philanthropy were encouraged, while state intervention was often presented as dubious. In both novel and psychiatric text, self-mutilation is thus presented as the ultimate act of selfish preoccupation, particularly in cases on the “borderlands” of insanity

Anti-α-glucose-based glycan IgM antibodies predict relapse activity in multiple sclerosis after the first neurological event

Background There is no specific serum-based biomarker for the diagnosis or prognosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Objective We investigated whether levels of IgM antibodies to Glc(alpha 1,4) Glc(alpha) (GAGA4) or to a panel of four glucose-based glycans could differentiate MS from other neurological diseases (OND) or predict risk of early relapse following first presentation (FP) of RRMS. Methods Retrospective analysis of 440 sera samples of three cohorts: A) FP-RRMS (n = 44), OND (n = 44); B) FP-RRMS (n = 167), OND (n = 85); and C) FP (n = 100). Anti-GAGA4 IgM levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay in cohort-A and cohort-B. Cohort-C IgM antibodies to glucose-based glycan panel were measured by immunofluorescence. Results FP-RRMS had higher levels of anti-GAGA4 IgM than OND patients (cohort-A, P = 0.01; cohort-B, P = 0.0001). Sensitivity and specificity were 27% and 97% for cohort-A; and 26% and 90% for cohort-B, respectively. In cohort-C, 58 patients experienced early relapse (= 24 months), and 11 did not experience second attack during follow-up. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated decrease in time to next relapse for patients positive for the antibody panel (P = 0.02, log rank). Conclusions Serum anti-GAGA4 IgM discerns FP-RRMS patients from OND patients. Higher levels of serum anti-alpha-glucose IgM in FP patients predict imminent early relapse. Multiple Sclerosis 2009; 15: 422-430. http://msj.sagepub.co