1,482 research outputs found
An analysis of the long-term variation in stream water quality for three upland catchments at Loch Dee (Galloway, S.W. Scotland) under contrasting land management
International audienceA long term record of water chemistry, consisting of twenty years of weekly spot samples, from three sub-catchments draining into a loch and the loch outflow in Galloway, S.W. Scotland have been analysed. The analysis undertaken consisted of a three component statistical trend model. The technique allows the identification of long-term, seasonal and short-term trends, as well as differentiation between base flow and high flow responses. The land usage in the three sub-catchments is moorland, forest and forest plus lime. The results show that, since the mid-1980s, there has been a gradual decline in stream-water sulphate of the same order as reductions in the deposition of non-marine sulphate. Superimposed on this trend are somewhat random but considerable perturbations to this decline, caused by sea-salt deposition. There is no evidence of changes in surface water nitrate concentrations. The influence of different land management is evident in the sulphate, nitrate and pH data, whilst variations in calcium concentrations are also a product of differences in hydrological routing and the impact of sea-salt episodes. Keywords: trend analysis, acid deposition, land management, water quality, sea-salts, Galloway, S.W. Scotlan
InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device: The 20 element linear imager
The design and fabrication of the 8585 InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device (CCIRID) chip are reported. The InSb material characteristics are described along with mask and process modifications. Test results for the 2- and 20-element CCIRID's are discussed, including gate oxide characteristics, charge transfer efficiency, optical mode of operation, and development of the surface potential diagram
âIt's like the bad guy in a movie who just doesn't dieâ : a qualitative exploration of young people's adaptation to eczema and implications for selfâcare
Background
Eczema is a common childhood inflammatory skin condition, affecting more than one in five children. A popular perception is that children âoutgrow eczemaâ, although epidemiological studies have shown that, for many, eczema follows a lifelong episodic course.
Objectives
To explore the perceptions of young people about the nature of their eczema and how these perceptions relate to their selfâcare and adapting to living with eczema.
Methods
This is a secondary inductive thematic analysis of interviews conducted for Healthtalk.org. In total 23 interviews with young people with eczema were included. Of the 23 participants, 17 were female and six male, ranging from 17 to 25 years old.
Results
Participants generally experienced eczema as an episodic longâterm condition and reported a mismatch between information received about eczema and their experiences. The experience of eczema as long term and episodic had implications for selfâcare, challenging the process of identifying triggers of eczema flareâups and evaluating the success of treatment regimens. Participantsâ experiences of eczema over time also had implications for adaptation and finding a balance between accepting eczema as long term and hoping it would go away. This linked to a gradual shift in treatment expectations from âcureâ to âcontrolâ of eczema.
Conclusions
For young people who continue to experience eczema beyond childhood, a greater focus on selfâcare for a longâterm condition may be helpful. Greater awareness of the impact of early messages around âgrowing out ofâ eczema and provision of highâquality information may help patients to manage expectations and support adaptation to treatment regimens
The Arts, Education and Technology: A Winning Combination
This issue of Monographs provides profiles of how local arts agencies, arts organizations, and educators are incorporating new technologies into their already-existing programming and curriculum. The Arts, Education and Technology: A Winning Combination highlights examples of how locally, the arts community and schools are forging new collaborations with patterns such as libraries, universities, public access television stations, cooperative education agencies, and businesses to link arts and technology to the classroom. Funding trends are discussed by Arlene Krebs, author of The Distance Learning Funding Sourcebook. In the resource section is a list of publications and online websites. Believe it or not, this braver new world of technology can be demystified
Diagnostic accuracy of perinatal post-mortem ultrasound (PMUS): a systematic review
OBJECTIVE Ultrasound is ubiquitous in live paediatric
imaging; however, its usage in post-mortem setting is less
established. This systematic review aims to evaluate the
diagnostic accuracy of paediatric post-mortem ultrasound
(PMUS).
DESIGN MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library
databases were queried for studies published between
1998 and 2018 assessing PMUS diagnostic accuracy
rates in children<18 years old, using autopsy as reference
standard. Risk of bias was assessed using Quality
Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2. A bivariate
random-effects model was used to obtain combined mean
estimates of sensitivity and specificity for different body
systems.
RESULTS Four studies were included, all relating to
ultrasound for perinatal deaths. The mean diagnostic
sensitivity and specificity for neurological abnormalities
were 84.3% (95% CI: 70.8% to 92.2%) and 96.7% (95%
CI: 86.5% to 99.3%); for cardiothoracic abnormalities
52.1% (95% CI: 27.6% to 75.5%,) and 96.6% (95% CI:
86.8% to 99.2%); and for abdominal abnormalities 78.4%
(95% CI: 61.0% to 89.4%) and 97.3% (95% CI: 88.9% to
99.4%). Combining all body systems, the mean sensitivity
and specificity were 73.3% (95% CI: 59.9% to 83.5%) and
96.6% (95% CI: 92.6% to 98.4%).
CONCLUSIONS PMUS demonstrates a reasonable
diagnostic accuracy, particularly for abdominal and
neurological abnormalities, although cardiac anomalies
were less readily identified.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42018106968
Students\u27 use of personal technology in the classroom: analyzing the perceptions of the digital generation
Faculty frequently express concerns about studentsâ personal use of information
and communication technologies in todayâs university classrooms. As a requirement
of a graduate research methodology course in a university in Ontario,
Canada, the authors conducted qualitative research to gain an in-depth understanding
of studentsâ perceptions of this issue. Their findings reveal studentsâ
complex considerations about the acceptability of technology use. Their analysis
of the broader contexts of studentsâ use reveals that despite a technological revolution,
university teaching practices have remained largely the same, resulting in
âcultural lagâ within the classroom. While faculty are technically âin chargeâ, students
wield power through course evaluations, surveillance technologies and
Internet postings. Neoliberalism and the corporatisation of the university have
engendered an âentrepreneurial studentâ customer who sees education as a means
to a career. Understanding studentsâ perceptions and their technological, social
and political contexts offers insights into the tensions within todayâs classrooms
Routine data linkage to identify and monitor diabetes in clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia
No abstract available
Maceration determines diagnostic yield of fetal and neonatal whole body postâmortem ultrasound
OBJECTIVES: To determine factors in non-diagnostic fetal and neonatal post-mortem ultrasound (PMUS) examinations. METHODS: All fetal and neonatal PMUS examinations were included over a 5 year study period (2014 - 2019). Non-diagnostic image quality by body parts (brain, spine, thorax, cardiac, abdomen) were recorded, and correlated with patient variables. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant factors for non-diagnostic studies. RESULTS: 265 PMUS examinations were included, with median gestational age of 22 weeks (12 - 42 weeks), post-mortem weight 363g (16 - 4033g) and post-mortem interval of 8 days (0 - 39 days). Diagnostic imaging quality was achieved for 178/265 (67.2%) studies. It was high for abdominal (263/265, 99.2%); thoracic (264/265, 99.6%) and spine (265/265, 100%), but lower for brain (210/265, 79.2%) and cardiac imaging (213/265, 80.4%). Maceration was the best overall predictor for non-diagnostic imaging quality (p<0.0001). Post-mortem fetal weight was positively associated with cardiac (p =0.0133), and negatively associated with brain imaging quality (p =0.0002). Post-mortem interval was not a significant predictor. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal maceration was the best predictor for non-diagnostic PMUS, particularly for brain and heart. Fetuses with marked maceration and suspected cardiac or brain anomalies should be prioritised for post-mortem MRI
Viewpoint â Pouring money down the drain: Can we break the habit by reconceiving wastes as resources?
As water-sector professionals re-discover the value in the 'waste' conveyed in 'waste'water, this Viewpoint argues that the theory of plural rationality (also known as Cultural Theory) may accelerate the switch from waste management to resource recovery. Accordingly, it extends the framing of plural rationality, from its traditional applications in matters of governance and social and economic analysis, to the beginnings of a set of plural schools of engineering thought. This sounds controversial. Indeed, we hope it is. For all too often ways to resolve water issues end up in the impasse of two deeply entrenched positions: the 'technocratic reductionism' of the 'quick engineering fix' to problem solving; and the 'participatory holism' of the 'local, socially sensitive, integrationist' approach. Plural rationality sees this is an impoverished duopoly. Our very strong preference is to find ways of promoting the creative interplay among plural (more than two), mutually opposed, contending ways of framing a problem and resolving it. This, we argue, should not only expand the portfolio of possible alternatives for technology-policy interventions, but also lead to the chosen alternative being preferable â in social, economic, and environmental terms â to what might otherwise have happened. Such solutions are called 'clumsy' in plural rationality theory. We use a synopsis of a case history of restoring water quality in the River Rhine in Europe, within a wider account of the sweep of resource recovery spanning two centuries (late 18th Century through early 21st Century), to illustrate how clumsiness works. This, however, does not extend to our elaborating our proposed set of plural schools of engineering thought beyond just its very beginnings. Our Viewpoint allows us merely to start framing the challenge of developing, and eventually applying, such a notion
Guidance for teaching R programming to non-statisticians
The Centre for Applied Statistics Courses (CASC) at University College London (UCL) provide short
courses on statistics and statistical software packages. Popular day-courses include a wellestablished
âIntroduction to Râ course and the newly developed âFurther Topics in Râ. In the latter,
attendees are taught intermediate-level topics such as loops and conditional statements. Attendees
range from postgraduate students, academic researchers and data analysts in the private sector
without a strong background in statistics or programming. First, we highlight some issues with
providing our training course to this demographic, derived from our experience and from anonymous
online feedback. Second, we discuss some of our solutions to these issues that have shaped our course
over time. For example, one issue is catering to a wide audience from differing fields, different levels
of computer literacy and approaches to learning. To address this, we prepare for a high level of
flexibility on the day and include intermittent practical exercises to get real time feedback on the
abilities of attendees. Finally, we reviewed the experiences of other teachers on similar courses
documented online and compared these experiences with our own. We offer guidance to other
teachers running or developing courses for intermediate-level R programming
- âŠ