Wind Climatology at 87 km above the Rocky Mountains at Bear Lake Observatory--Fabry-Perot Observations of OH

This paper presents the neutral -wind climatology at approximately 87-km 53 altitude from Utah State University\u27s Bear Lake Observatory (BLO). a mid-latitude site 54 situated in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. The winds were determined using a very 55 sensitive Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) observing the OH Me inel (6-2) PI (3) line al 56 843 nm. The climatology. determined from monthly averages of the nightly evolution of 57 the geographic meridional and zonal wind components over forty· five months, has three 58 distinct seasonal patterns: winter (November- February), summer (May-Jul y), and late 59 Slimmer (August and September). The background zonal wind is eastward the whole year 60 except March and April. The background meridional wind is northward in winter and 61 southward during the rest of the year. In late summer. the winds exhibit a very strong 62 semidiurnal tidal variation almost every night. In summer, they exhibit a similar tidal 63 variation on enough nights that a semi diurnal pattern appears in the climatology. In 64 winter. the nighHo·night variability is so great that little structure is evident in the 65 climatology . These winds are compared to those from other techniques or sites: ~l 66 observations from UARS. FPI observations from Michigan, and MF radar observations. 67 While generally agreeing in relative amplitudes and i.n phase. differences do exist. 68 especially the weak semidiurnal tide at BLO in winter and a greatly reduced {tide at spring 69 equinox compared to late summer. It is likely that these differences arise from the 2 70 topographical generation of gravity waves by winds flowing over the Rocky Mountains. 71 The tidal variations are also compared to results from the global-scale wave model 72 (GSWM): our semidiurnal amplitudes arc considerably bigger except in winter, and our 73 phases vary from showing very good agreement in July, fair agreement in April and 74 January, and disagreement in October. These large differences may be evidence that 11011 - 75 linear effects are more important than realized. The behavior of the background winds is 76 consistent with different populations of gravity waves reaching 87 km in summer and 77 winter. The behavior of the semidiurnal tidal variation is consistent\u27 with a strong 78 interaction between the tidal and gravity·wave wind fields, and is consistent with the 79 different summer and Winter gravity wave population s, and with a fall· spring asymmetry 80 characterized by much weaker gravity wave sources in late summer than near spring 81 equinox

Visual Processing in Reading Disorders and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Its Contribution to Basic Reading Ability

Whether visual processing deficits are common in reading disorders (RD), and related to reading ability in general, has been debated for decades. The type of visual processing affected also is debated, although visual discrimination and short-term memory (STM) may be more commonly related to reading ability. Reading disorders are frequently comorbid with ADHD, and children with ADHD often have subclinical reading problems. Hence, children with ADHD were used as a comparison group in this study. ADHD and RD may be dissociated in terms of visual processing. Whereas RD may be associated with deficits in visual discrimination and short-term memory for order, ADHD is associated with deficits in visual-spatial processing. Thus, we hypothesized that children with RD would perform worse than controls and children with ADHD only on a measure of visual discrimination and a measure of visual STM that requires memory for order. We expected all groups would perform comparably on the measure of visual STM that does not require sequential processing. We found children with RD or ADHD were commensurate to controls on measures of visual discrimination and visual STM that do not require sequential processing. In contrast, both RD groups (RD, RD/ADHD) performed worse than controls on the measure of visual STM that requires memory for order, and children with comorbid RD/ADHD performed worse than those with ADHD. In addition, of the three visual measures, only sequential visual STM predicted reading ability. Hence, our findings suggest there is a deficit in visual sequential STM that is specific to RD and is related to basic reading ability. The source of this deficit is worthy of further research, but it may include both reduced memory for order and poorer verbal mediation

Limits to modern contraceptive use among young women in developing countries: a systematic review of qualitative research

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Improving the reproductive health of young women in developing countries requires access to safe and effective methods of fertility control, but most rely on traditional rather than modern contraceptives such as condoms or oral/injectable hormonal methods. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative research to examine the limits to modern contraceptive use identified by young women in developing countries. Focusing on qualitative research allows the assessment of complex processes often missed in quantitative analyses.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Literature searches of 23 databases, including Medline, Embase and POPLINE^®, were conducted. Literature from 1970–2006 concerning the 11–24 years age group was included. Studies were critically appraised and meta-ethnography was used to synthesise the data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 12 studies which met the inclusion criteria, seven met the quality criteria and are included in the synthesis (six from sub-Saharan Africa; one from South-East Asia). Sample sizes ranged from 16 to 149 young women (age range 13–19 years). Four of the studies were urban based, one was rural, one semi-rural, and one mixed (predominantly rural). Use of hormonal methods was limited by lack of knowledge, obstacles to access and concern over side effects, especially fear of infertility. Although often more accessible, and sometimes more attractive than hormonal methods, condom use was limited by association with disease and promiscuity, together with greater male control. As a result young women often relied on traditional methods or abortion. Although the review was limited to five countries and conditions are not homogenous for all young women in all developing countries, the overarching themes were common across different settings and contexts, supporting the potential transferability of interventions to improve reproductive health.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Increasing modern contraceptive method use requires community-wide, multifaceted interventions and the combined provision of information, life skills, support and access to youth-friendly services. Interventions should aim to counter negative perceptions of modern contraceptive methods and the dual role of condoms for contraception and STI prevention should be exploited, despite the challenges involved.</p

Point-of-care testing in India: missed opportunities to realize the true potential of point-of-care testing programs

Background: The core objective of any point-of-care (POC) testing program is to ensure that testing will result in an actionable management decision (e.g. referral, confirmatory test, treatment), within the same clinical encounter (e.g. POC continuum). This can but does not have to involve rapid tests. Most studies on POC testing focus on one specific test and disease in a particular healthcare setting. This paper describes the actors, technologies and practices involved in diagnosing major diseases in five Indian settings - the home, community, clinics, peripheral laboratories and hospitals. The aim was to understand how tests are used and fit into the health system and with what implications for the POC continuum. Methods: The paper reports on a qualitative study including 78 semi-structured interviews and 13 focus group discussions with doctors, nurses, patients, lab technicians, program officers and informal providers, conducted between January and June 2013 in rural and urban Karnataka, South India. Actors, diseases, tests and diagnostic processes were mapped for each of the five settings and analyzed with regard to whether and how POC continuums are being ensured. Results: Successful POC testing hardly occurs in any of the five settings. In hospitals and public clinics, most of the rapid tests are used in laboratories where either the single patient encounter advantage is not realized or the rapidity is compromised. Lab-based testing in a context of manpower and equipment shortages leads to delays. In smaller peripheral laboratories and private clinics with shorter turn-around-times, rapid tests are unavailable or too costly. Here providers find alternative measures to ensure the POC continuum. In the home setting, patients who can afford a test are not/do not feel empowered to use those devices. Conclusion: These results show that there is much diagnostic delay that deters the POC continuum. Existing rapid tests are currently not translated into treatment decisions rapidly or are not available where they could ensure shorter turn-around times, thus undermining their full potential. To ensure the success of POC testing programs, test developers, decision-makers and funders need to account for such ground realities and overcome barriers to POC testing programs

Opening Up as the World Shuts Down: Empowering Students to Advocate for Equitable Access and Social Justice by Becoming Open Education Influencers

In this panel discussion, stakeholders share insights, reflections, lessons and challenges of collaborating under lockdown, meeting and connecting for Open, from multiple spaces around the world. Becoming an Open Education Influencer (BOEI) is an Open, online empowerment course started through the Open Education Influencers (OEIs) (http://openedinfluencers.mandela.ac.za) project at Nelson Mandela University (South Africa). BOEI aims to support pathways for individuals and groups wishing to influence decision-makers, and those who want to affect decision-making and challenge practices through direct actions and advocacy. BOEI is part of the Open Education for a Better World programme’s project cohort, engaging across the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals. In 2020 with the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown across the globe, an international collaboration was born, with BOEI opening up as the world was shutting down. Stakeholders include the University of Massachusetts Amherst, The Open University UK, ProductionHauss, and the OEIs from MandelaUni.Starting as a conversation at OEGlobal 2019 in Milano, Italy, MandelaUni and UMass Amherst explored possibilities for collaboration between institutions. Open education initiatives at UMass Amherst had been strengthening since 2011, with programs focused on faculty transitioning to open publishing, and providing low or no-cost textbooks (www.library.umass.edu/oer/open-education-initiative/). Understanding that students outside of official student governance had little notion of what OER was or how to bring it to their classes, the BOEI program presented itself as an opportunity to educate and empower learners to advocate for themselves. The original intent was to start with engaging the library peer leaders with BOEI, then broaden to other institutions. The plan seemed clear and initial conversations went well, and then the world came to a screeching halt. The collaboration moved forward despite the pandemic, and designing the curriculum for BOEI took on a life of its own, enabling opportunity for professional development and engagement with Open Education. The collaborative nature of the curriculum design and development process combined unique, global skills that could translate content from paper to the digital realm, ultimately bringing it to life. While the future of learning is still so uncertain for many, the case for OE has been elevated. Teachers from all over the world are leveraging online resources to make equitable access to education achievable for global learners

Barriers to Implementation of Rapid and Point-of-Care Tests for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: Findings From a Systematic Review (1996-2014)

Implementation of human immunodeficiency virus rapid and point-of-care tests (RDT/POCT) is understood to be impeded by many different factors that operate at 4 main levels-test devices, patients, providers, and health systems-yet a knowledge gap exists of how they act and interact to impede implementation. To fill this gap, and with a view to improving the quality of implementation, we conducted a systematic review.Five databases were searched, 16,672 citations were retrieved, and data were abstracted on 132 studies by 2 reviewers.Across 3 levels (ie, patients, providers, and health systems), a majority (59%, 112/190) of the 190 barriers were related to the integration of RDT/POCT, followed by test-device-related concern (ie, accuracy) at 41% (78/190). At the patient level, a lack of awareness about tests (15/54, 28%) and time taken to test (12/54, 22%) dominated. At the provider and health system levels, integration of RDT/POCT in clinical workflows (7/24, 29%) and within hospitals (21/34, 62%) prevailed. Accuracy (57/78, 73%) was dominant only at the device level.Integration barriers dominated the findings followed by test accuracy. Although accuracy has improved during the years, an ideal implementation could be achieved by improving the integration of RDT/POCT within clinics, hospitals, and health systems, with clear protocols, training on quality assurance and control, clear communication, and linkage plans to improve health outcomes of patients. This finding is pertinent for a future envisioned implementation and global scale-up of RDT/POCT-based initiatives

RAS-Transformation in Cancer Cells Requires CUX1-Dependent Repair of Oxidative DNA Damage

The Cut homeobox 1 (CUX1) gene is a target of loss-of-heterozygosity in many cancers, yet elevated CUX1 expression is frequently observed and is associated with shorter disease-free survival. The dual role of CUX1 in cancer is illustrated by the fact that most cell lines with CUX1 LOH display amplification of the remaining allele, suggesting that decreased CUX1 expression facilitates tumor development while increased CUX1 expression is needed in tumorigenic cells Indeed,CUX1 was found in a genome-wide RNAi screen to identify synthetic lethal interactions with oncogenic RAS. Here we show that CUX1 functions in base excision repair as an ancillary factor for the 8-oxoG-DNA glycosylase, OGG1. [...] Elevated CUX1 expression in a transgenic mouse model enables the emergence of mammary tumors with spontaneous activating Kras mutations. We confirmed cooperation between KrasG12V and CUX1 in a lung tumor model. Cancer cells can overcome the antiproliferative effects of excessive DNA damage by inactivating a DNA damage response pathway such as ATM or p53 signaling Our findings reveal an alternate mechanism to allow sustained proliferation in RASt ransformed cells through increased DNA base excision repair capability. The heightened dependency of RAS-transformed cells on base excision repair may provide a therapeutic window that could be exploited with drugs that specifically target this pathway