An Ethnographic Study of Stigma and Ageism in Residential Care or Assisted Living

This study explored aspects of stigmatization for older adults who live in residential care or assisted living (RC–AL) communities and what these settings have done to address stigma. Design and recognition of resident preferences and strengths, rather than their limitations

The relationship between foot arch measurements and walking parameters in children

BACKGROUND: Walking mechanics are influenced by body morphology. Foot arch height is one aspect of body morphology central to walking. However, generalizations about the relationship between arch height and walking are limited due to previous methodologies used for measuring the arch and the populations that have been studied. To gain the knowledge needed to support healthy gait in children and adults, we need to understand this relationship in unimpaired, typically developing children and adults using dynamic measures. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between arch height and gait in a sample of healthy children and adults using dynamic measures. METHODS: Data were collected from 638 participants (n = 254 children and n = 384 adults) at the Museum of Science, Boston (MOS) and from 18 4- to 8-year-olds at the Motor Development and Motor Control Laboratories. Digital footprints were used to calculate two arch indices: the Chippaux-Smirak (CSI) and the Keimig Indices (KI). The height of the navicular bone was measured. Gait parameters were captured with a mechanized gait carpet at the MOS and three-dimensional motion analyses and in-ground force plates in the Motor Development and Motor Control Laboratories. RESULTS: Linear regression analyses on data from the MOS confirmed that as age increases, step length increases. With a linear mixed effect regression model, we found that individuals who took longer steps had higher arches as measured by the KI. However, this relationship was no longer significant when only adults were included in the model. A model restricted to children found that amongst this sample, those with higher CSI and higher KI values take longer relative step lengths. Data from the Motor Development and Motor Control Laboratories showed that both CSI and KI added to the prediction; children with lower anterior ground reaction forces had higher CSI and higher KI values. Arch height indices were correlated with navicular height. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that more than one measure of the arch may be needed elucidate the relationship between arch height and gait.K12 HD055931 - NICHD NIH HHS; K12HD055931 - NICHD NIH HH

Geothermal loan guaranty cash flow model: description and users' manual

This is the users guide for the Geothermal Loan Guaranty Cash Flow Model (GCFM). GCFM is a Fortran code which designs and costs geothermal fields and electric power plants. It contains a financial analysis module which performs life cycle costing analysis taking into account various types of taxes, costs and financial structures. The financial module includes a discounted cash flow feature which calculates a levelized breakeven price for each run. The user's guide contains descriptions of the data requirements and instructions for using the model

Changes in extreme climate indices for the northeastern United States, 1870-2006

The northeastern United States is one of the most variable climates in the world, and how climate extremes are changing is critical to populations, industries, and the environment in this region.Along-term (1870–2005) temperature and precipitation dataset was compiled for the northeastern United States to assess how the climate has changed. Adjustments were made to daily temperatures to account for changes in mean, variance, and skewness resulting from inhomogeneities, but precipitation data were not adjusted. Trends in 17 temperature and 10 precipitation indices at 40 stations were evaluated over three time periods—1893–2005, 1893– 1950, and 1951–2005—and over 1870–2005 for a subset of longer-term stations. Temperature indices indicate strong warming with increases in the frequency of warm events (e.g., warm nights and warm summer days) and decreases in the frequency of cold events (e.g., ice days, frost days, and the cold spell duration indicator). The strongest warming is exhibited in the decrease in frost days and the increase in growing season length. Although maximum temperatures indices showed strong warming trends over the period 1893–1950, subsequent trends show little change and cooling. Few significant trends were present in the precipitation indices; however, they displayed a tendency toward wetter conditions. A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicated that some of the variability in the 27 indices from 1951 to 2002 was explained by the North Atlantic Oscillation, Pacific decadal oscillation, and Pacific–North American pattern. However, teleconnection patterns showed little influence on the 27 indices over a 103-yr period

Modeling Delta O-18 in Precipitation over the Tropical Americas, Part II: Simulation of the Stable Isotope Signal in Andean Ice Cores

We use the ECHAM-4 and the GISS II atmospheric general circulation models (AGCM) with incorporated stable isotopic tracers and forced with observed global sea surface temperatures (SST) between 1979 and 1998, to simulate the δ18O signal in three tropical Andean ice cores, from Huascarán (Peru), Quelccaya (Peru), and Sajama (Bolivia). In both models, the simulated stable isotopic records compare favorably with the observational data, when the seasonality of precipitation and dry season loss due to sublimation and wind scour are taken into account. Our simulations indicate a significant influence of the local climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation amount) on the δ18O signal. Moisture source variability appears to be less of a factor on interannual timescales. Even though the moisture originates over the Amazon basin and the tropical Atlantic, correlation fields with National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR) Reanalysis atmospheric variables and SST data indicate a dominant tropical Pacific control on interannual timescales. More enriched (depleted) δ18O values are associated with periods of warm (cold) conditions in the tropical Pacific. This is consistent with modern observational evidence, which shows that climate and atmospheric circulation in the tropical Andes are closely correlated with SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific domain on interannual to interdecadal timescales. The growing number of stable isotope records from tropical Andean ice cores may thus provide an important archive for reconstructing Pacific climate variability