Effects of solar wind density on auroral electrojets and brightness under influence of substorms

Using the auroral electrojet indices and Polar Ultraviolet Imager auroral images, we examined two fortuitous events during which the solar wind density had clear enhancements while the other solar wind parameters were relatively constant. Two electrojet enhancements were found in each event. The first electrojet enhancement was likely to be related to a substorm in which an auroral bulge appeared at premidnight. The second electrojet enhancement was driven by the density enhancement in the solar wind. The auroral oval became wider in latitude and the auroral distribution became dispersed after the density enhancement arrived at the Earth. The total auroral power integrated over the entire nightside region from 50 to 80° MLAT, however, did not increase significantly in response to the density enhancement. Our interpretation is that the substorm that occurred prior to the solar wind density enhancement had drained out a significant portion of the stored energy in the magnetotail; therefore, less precipitation energy was deposited into the auroral ionosphere by the density enhancement

Integration of Animal-Assisted Therapy Standards in Pediatric Occupational Therapy

The primary purpose of this study was to describe how the best practice recommendations and standards of practice related to animal-assisted therapy (AAT) are being incorporated into pediatric occupational therapy (OT). The study design was a nonexperimental survey that identified the qualifications of pediatric occupational therapists that are incorporating AAT, the AAT standards of practice that are or are not used in practice, and the barriers and facilitators to being an AAT qualified occupational therapist. There were 21 respondents to the survey. The majority of respondents had a master’s degree, more than 10 years working as an occupational therapist, less than 10 years of experience with AAT, and practiced in the inpatient rehabilitation setting. The data collected indicated that 2 out of the 13 standards of practice and none of the best practice recommendations are being implemented by 50% or more of respondents. The lack of education and awareness of the AAT standards of practice according to the professional organization Animal Assisted Intervention International and the actual role of volunteer organizations may be impacting the best practice implementations in pediatric occupational therapy practice

Trigger-Point Self-Care for Chronic Neck Pain: Pilot and Feasibility

poster abstractMassage is a non-pharmacological approach for neck pain with building evidence. Trigger points (TrPts) are thought to be associated with chronic neck pain (CNP) and can be treated with massage techniques. Due to massage’s out-of-pocket costs, TrPt self-care (TrPtSC) may serve as a cost-effective treatment that may reach broader populations. No study has examined a) feasibility of conducting TrPtSC training in a research setting, b) ability of such programs to meet stated training objectives, c) adherence to personalized TrPtSC plans, and d) TrPtSC outcomes for CNP. A pilot observational, pre- post-intervention cohort study with 1-, 4-, and 8-week follow-ups was implemented. Participants: self-identified adults with CNP and Neck Disability Index (NDI) ≥4. Measures: pre-/post-TrPtSC training objectives survey, TrPtSC daily self-report log, NDI and 11-point pain rating scale. Intervention: three-hour TrPtSC training with interactive lecture, demonstration, supervised practice, and private assessment with individualized TrPtSC plan development. Handouts and tools were provided for training and home TrPtSC. Participants documented their individualized TrPtSC plan adherence daily. Five participants (women=3; ages 22-58; White=5) enrolled in the study and two separate group training sessions occurred (n=3 & 2, respectively). By the end of the TrPtSC training, all participants agreed or strongly agreed they achieved all intended training objectives. Baseline NDI categorized all participants as mild neck pain with disability (mean NDI=10.4±2.1). Week-1 follow-up: 1 participant had no NDI change, 1 participant worsened, and 3 reported 23-50% improvement. All participants had improved NDI at week-4 and week-8 compared to baseline. Three participants reported 23-30% improvement by study’s end. Our TrPtSC group training approach met objectives and our study design is feasible for larger scale trials. Results suggest TrPtSC may improve CNP outcomes. More robust studies with greater than mild neck pain and disability participants are needed to estimate effect sizes and adequately power larger comparison trials

Sleepwalking into lock-in? Avoiding wrongs to future people in the governance of solar radiation management research

This paper argues for two ways in which we can avoid the reckless endangerment of future people in the governance of solar radiation management (SRM) research, which could happen through lock-in to SRM deployment from research. SRM research is at an early stage, one at which the mechanisms of lock-in could start to operate. However, lock-in fit to endanger future people could be slowed or stopped through targeted governance. This paper argues that governance of SRM research that does not include provisions to detect, slow, or stop lock-in fails the test of an intergenerationally adequate precautionary principle, and that research governed without these provisions cannot itself be justified as a precaution against the impacts of climate change

Coastal Zone Management--The Tidelands: Legislative Apathy vs. Judicial Concern

The following three cases, City of Long Beach v. Mansell, Candlestick Properties, Inc. v. San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and Zabel v. Tabb, are important recent developments in the rapidly expanding area of the law of coastal zone management. The purpose of this Article is to present each of the cases individually, then to demonstrate how the inter-relation of the three cases can and probably will be utilized by the courts to effectuate legislative policy

Pressure balance at the magnetopause: Experimental studies

The pressure balance at the magnetopause is formed by magnetic field and plasma in the magnetosheath, on one side, and inside the magnetosphere, on the other side. In the approach of dipole earth's magnetic field configuration and gas-dynamics solar wind flowing around the magnetosphere, the pressure balance predicts that the magnetopause distance R depends on solar wind dynamic pressure Pd as a power low R ~ Pd^alpha, where the exponent alpha=-1/6. In the real magnetosphere the magnetic filed is contributed by additional sources: Chapman-Ferraro current system, field-aligned currents, tail current, and storm-time ring current. Net contribution of those sources depends on particular magnetospheric region and varies with solar wind conditions and geomagnetic activity. As a result, the parameters of pressure balance, including power index alpha, depend on both the local position at the magnetopause and geomagnetic activity. In addition, the pressure balance can be affected by a non-linear transfer of the solar wind energy to the magnetosheath, especially for quasi-radial regime of the subsolar bow shock formation proper for the interplanetary magnetic field vector aligned with the solar wind plasma flow.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure