Eskdalemuir Observatory monthly mean Potential Gradient 1911-1981

Measurements of atmospheric electricity, specifically the Potential Gradient (PG), are relatively rare but have occasionally been made at some sites, such as meteorological or geomagnetic observatories. A long series of twentieth century PG measurements exists from Eskdalemuir Observatory in Scotland, which was obtained between 1911 and 1981. This archive provides the mean monthly values of the Eskdalemuir PG derived from hourly measurements

The Young Minds Leadership Meeting 2021 a virtual experience

The Young Minds (YM) programme of the European Physical Society (EPS) was initiated 10 years ago, with the goal to connect young students and researchers all over Europe and to support their professional and personal growth

Lerwick Observatory monthly mean Potential Gradient 1925-1984

Measurements of atmospheric electricity, specifically the Potential Gradient (PG), are relatively rare but have occasionally been made at some sites, such as meteorological or geomagnetic observatories. A valuable series of measurements were made in the UK at Lerwick Observatory, Shetland, between 1925 and 1984. In this archive, mean monthly values of the Lerwick PG derived from the hourly measurements during this period are made available digitally

Wpływ metody rozwijania umiejętności komunikacyjnych na aktywność fizyczną dzieci z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną

Background. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a selected special education method on the level of physical activity in schoolchildren with intellectual disability. Material and methods. The study was conducted on 32 children with rather similar backgrounds: all participants were Armenians with no medical history of any registered disorders and the same moderate degree of intellectual disability (IQ score = 35-49). A physical education program based on two games using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was conducted for three months by a physical educator trained in PECS. The level of habitual physical activity before and after the study period was assessed by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for children (PAIC-A) and pedometry (Omron HJ-112, Illinois, USA). Twoway ANOVA (intellectual disability × intervention) with a post hoc Bonferroni test was used to examine the differences between the pre- and post-intervention physical activity and pedometry assessment results. Results. The use of PECS resulted in an overall increase in the levels of physical activity. The results showed a significant group-by-time interaction effect for unstructured physical activity, structured exercise, organized sports, commuting to and from school, and total sedentary activities (all measured in min/week; p<0.05). Post hoc comparisons revealed a remarkable improvement in PAIC-A and pedometry scores in the intervention group (p<0.05). Conclusions. Technologies for developing communication skills are an option to increase the physical activity of children with intellectual disability. Enhanced working memory facilitates improved executive motor functions.Wprowadzenie. Celem pracy jest ocena skuteczności wybranej metody kształcenia specjalnego na poziom aktywności fizycznej u dzieci w wieku szkolnym z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną. Materiał i metody. Badaniem objęto 32 dzieci o dość podobnym pochodzeniu: wszystkie były Ormianami, bez historii medycznej jakichkolwiek zarejestrowanych zaburzeń i z takim samym umiarkowanym stopniem niepełnosprawności intelektualnej (wynik ilorazu inteligencji, IQ = 35-49). Program wychowania fizycznego oparty na dwóch grach wykorzystujących Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) był prowadzony przez trzy miesiące przez pedagoga wychowania fizycznego przeszkolonego w zakresie PECS. Poziom nawykowej aktywności fizycznej przed i po okresie badania oceniano za pomocą kwestionariusza aktywności fizycznej dla dzieci (PAIC-A) oraz pomiaru liczby kroków (Omron HJ-112, Illinois, USA). Dwukierunkowa analiza wariancji ANOVA (niepełnosprawność intelektualna × interwencja) z testem post hoc Bonferroniego została wykorzystana do zbadania różnic między aktywnością fizyczną przed i po interwencji oraz wynikami oceny liczby kroków. Wyniki. Zastosowanie PECS spowodowało ogólny wzrost poziomu aktywności fizycznej. Wyniki wykazały istotny efekt interakcji między grupą a czasem dla nieustrukturyzowanej aktywności fizycznej, ustrukturyzowanych ćwiczeń, zorganizowanego sportu, dojazdów do i ze szkoły oraz całkowitej aktywności sedenteryjnej (wszystkie mierzone w min/tydzień; p<0,05). Porównania post hoc wykazały znaczną poprawę wyników PAIC-A i pomiaru liczby kroków w grupie interwencji (p<0,05). Wnioski. Technologie rozwijające umiejętności komunikacyjne stanowią opcję zwiększenia aktywności fizycznej dzieci z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną. Poprawiona pamięć robocza ułatwia poprawę wykonawczych funkcji motorycznych

Evaluating the burden of brucellosis in hospitalized patients in Armenia, 2016

ObjectiveTo understand the disease burden, we studied the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and associated costs for brucellosis patients hospitalized in Nork hospital in 2016.IntroductionBrucellosis, endemic in Armenia, is recognized as a significant public health challenge with a major economic burden. To address the regional threat of brucellosis for both animal health and public health, the “One Health Surveillance of Brucellosis in Armenia” was initiated in December 2016. The project aims to develop scientifically sound strategies and policies for sustainable control of the disease.MethodsIn 2016, 265 patients diagnosed with brucellosis were hospitalized at “Nork” hospital, of whom 16 were 0-14 years old and 94% were males. Diagnosis was confirmed using agglutination test and ELISA. The SPSS program was used to analyze the data.ResultsDistribution of the disease by marz revealed that the most cases came from Ararat (53), followed by Kotayk (49), Armavir (38), Aragatsotn (36), Yerevan (28), Gegharkunik (26), Vayots Dzor (24), Syunik (8), and Lori (3). Clinical data indicated that 71% of patients had acute brucellosis with fever, arthralgia and night sweating while 29% suffered chronic brucellosis with damage of organ systems. The primary complaints included arthralgia (80%), sweating (60%) and fever (40%). Joint pain was mainly located in knee, elbow, and sacroiliac regions. Average grade of fever was 37,9±0,95oC. Total days spent in hospital were 1798, economic losses for the hospital were estimated at AMD 36 million per year.ConclusionsThose at the highest risk for brucellosis were males living in Ararat and Kotayk marzes who work with livestock.

Glossary on atmospheric electricity and its effects on biology

There is an increasing interest to study the interactions between atmospheric electrical parameters and living organisms at multiple scales. So far, relatively few studies have been published that focus on possible biological effects of atmospheric electric and magnetic fields. To foster future work in this area of multidisciplinary research, here we present a glossary of relevant terms. Its main purpose is to facilitate the process of learning and communication among the different scientific disciplines working on this topic. While some definitions come from existing sources, other concepts have been re-defined to better reflect the existing and emerging scientific needs of this multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary area of research