An investigation of the marine boundary layer during cold air outbreak

Methods for use in the remote estimation of ocean surface sensible and latent heat fluxes were developed and evaluated. Three different techniques were developed for determining these fluxes. These methods are: (1) Obtaining surface sensible and latent heat fluxes from satellite measurements; (2)Obtaining surface sensible and latent heat fluxes from an MABL model; (3) A method using horizontal transfer coefficients. These techniques are not very sensitive to errors in the data and therefore appear to hold promise of producing useful answers. Questions remain about how closely the structure of the real atmosphere agrees with the assumptions made for each of these techniques, and, therefore about how well these techniques can perform in actual use. The value of these techniques is that they promise to provide methods for the determination of fluxes over regions where very few traditional measurement exist

Characteristics of Patients with Late-Stage Parkinsonism who are Nursing Home Residents Compared with those Living at Home

OBJECTIVES: To determine clinical characteristics and treatment complications of patients with late-stage Parkinsonism living in nursing homes compared with those living at home. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This study is an analysis of 692 patients with late stage Parkinsonism recruited to an in-depth international study, Care of Late-Stage Parkinsonism (CLaSP). MEASURES: Sociodemographic characteristics were compared between patients who were living in a nursing home (n = 194) and those living at home (n = 498). Clinical assessments included the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), the nonmotor symptom scale, the neuropsychiatric inventory, and a structured interview of patients and carers. Predictors of nursing home status were determined in a multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Nursing home placement was strongly associated with more severe cognitive impairment, worse UPDRS motor scores and disability, and with being unmarried and older. Although nursing home residents had significantly higher axial scores, falls were less common. Despite similar levodopa equivalence doses, they had less dyskinesia. Nonmotor symptom burden, particularly delusion, hallucination, and depression scores were higher in nursing home residents, and they were more frequently on psychotropic medication. They had lower rates of dopamine agonist use and lower rates of impulse control disorders. In multivariate analysis, being unmarried, presence of cognitive impairment, worse disease severity as assessed on the UPDRS parts II and III, severity of delusions, and lower rate of dyskinesia were associated with nursing home placement. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These clinical characteristics suggest that in patients with Parkinsonsim who are nursing home residents, presence of cognitive impairment and delusions particularly add to the higher overall symptom burden, and more often require specific treatments, including clozapine. Despite similar levodopa equivalent daily dose, motor severity is higher, and dyskinesias, indicative of a response to levodopa, are less common. Falls, however, also occur less commonly, and dopamine agonists are less frequently used, with lower rates of impulse control disorder

Researching Intimacies and New Media:Methodological Opportunities and Challenges

Researching intimacies and new media encompasses a wide variety of intersecting practices and relationships. This special issue presents contributions from researchers who are investigating practices of intimacy mediated either wholly or in part through new media in which a variety of different methodological opportunities and challenges are highlighted and discussed. Existing research has addressed different combinations of new media, intimacy, and methodology, but there remains space for a dedicated focus on the ways in which these areas are interrelated and entangled. The articles in this special issue build up a conversation around this particular intersection from a range of directions, from reflections on specific technological devices/apps and their promotion of particular forms of intimacies that may lead to (dis)comfort and (dis)connection, to the intimate—and sometimes risky—investments in research processes and fieldwork, as well as the ethical frameworks and decision-making processes guiding the research

The Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey III: Observations Toward the Galaxy Pair NGC 7332/7339 and the Isolated Galaxy NGC 1156

Two 5 square degree regions around the NGC 7332/9 galaxy pair and the isolated galaxy NGC 1156 have been mapped in the 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen (HI) with the Arecibo L-band Feed Array out to a redshift of ~0.065$(~20,000$ km/s) as part of the Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey. One of the aims of this survey is to investigate the environment of galaxies by identifying dwarf companions and interaction remnants; both of these areas provide the potential for such discoveries. The neutral hydrogen observations were complemented by optical and radio follow-up observations with a number of telescopes. A total of 87 galaxies were found, of which 39 (45 per cent) were previously cataloged and 15 (17 per cent) have prior redshifts. Two dwarf galaxies have been discovered in the NGC 7332 group and a single dwarf galaxy in the vicinity NGC 1156 . A parallel optical search of the area revealed one further possible dwarf galaxy near NGC 7332.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, uses emulateap

Seminar on Securities Law

Materials from the UK/CLE Seminar on Securities Law held February 14-15, 1986

The CCCTC-Binding Factor (CTCF) of Drosophila Contributes to the Regulation of the Ribosomal DNA and Nucleolar Stability

In the repeat array of ribosomal DNA (rDNA), only about half of the genes are actively transcribed while the others are silenced. In arthropods, transposable elements interrupt a subset of genes, often inactivating transcription of those genes. Little is known about the establishment or separation of juxtaposed active and inactive chromatin domains, or preferential inactivation of transposable element interrupted genes, despite identity in promoter sequences. CTCF is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein which is thought to act as a transcriptional repressor, block enhancer-promoter communication, and delimit juxtaposed domains of active and inactive chromatin; one or more of these activities might contribute to the regulation of this repeated gene cluster. In support of this hypothesis, we show that the Drosophila nucleolus contains CTCF, which is bound to transposable element sequences within the rDNA. Reduction in CTCF gene activity results in nucleolar fragmentation and reduced rDNA silencing, as does disruption of poly-ADP-ribosylation thought to be necessary for CTCF nucleolar localization. Our data establish a role for CTCF as a component necessary for proper control of transposable element-laden rDNA transcription and nucleolar stability

Identifying postpartum intervention approaches to prevent type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Women who develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. Despite this "window of opportunity," few intervention studies have targeted postpartum women with a history of GDM. We sought perspectives of women with a history of GDM to identify a) barriers and facilitators to healthy lifestyle changes postpartum, and b) specific intervention approaches that would facilitate participation in a postpartum lifestyle intervention program.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used mixed methods to gather data from women with a prior history of GDM, including focus groups and informant interviews. Analysis of focus groups relied on grounded theory and used open-coding to categorize data by themes, while frequency distributions were used for the informant interviews.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 38 women eligible to participate in focus groups, only ten women were able to accommodate their schedules to attend a focus group and 15 completed informant interviews by phone. We analyzed data from 25 women (mean age 35, mean pre-pregnancy BMI 28, 52% Caucasian, 20% African American, 12% Asian, 8% American Indian, 8% refused to specify). Themes from the focus groups included concern about developing type 2 diabetes, barriers to changing diet, and barriers to increasing physical activity. In one focus group, women expressed frustration about feeling judged by their physicians during their GDM pregnancy. Cited barriers to lifestyle change were identified from both methods, and included time and financial constraints, childcare duties, lack of motivation, fatigue, and obstacles at work. Informants suggested facilitators for lifestyle change, including nutrition education, accountability, exercise partners/groups, access to gyms with childcare, and home exercise equipment. All focus group and informant interview participants reported access to the internet, and the majority expressed interest in an intervention program delivered primarily via the internet that would include the opportunity to work with a lifestyle coach.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Time constraints were a major barrier. Our findings suggest that an internet-based lifestyle intervention program should be tested as a novel approach to prevent type 2 diabetes in postpartum women with a history of GDM.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01102530">NCT01102530</a></p