Photographic observations of 10 artificial meteors

Photographic observation of artificial meteo

Haze in the Klang Valley of Malaysia

Continuous measurements of dry aerosol light scattering (Bsp) were made at two sites in the Klang Valley of Malaysia between December 1998 and December 2000. In addition 24-h PM2.5 samples were collected on a one-day-in-six cycle and the chemical composition of the aerosol was determined. Periods of excessive haze were defined as 24-h average Bsp values greater than 150 Mm-1 and these occurred on a number of occasions, between May and September 1999, during May 2000, and between July and September 2000. The evidence for smoke being a significant contributor to aerosol during periods of excessive haze is discussed and includes features of the aerosol chemistry, the diurnal cycle of Bsp, and the coincidence of forest fires on Sumatra during the southwest (SW) monsoon period, as well as transport modelling for one week of the southwest Monsoon of 2000. The study highlights that whilst transboundary smoke is a major contributor to poor visibility in the Klang Valley, smoke from fires on Peninsular Malaysia is also a contributor, and at all times, the domestic source of secondary particle production is present

What are women stressed about after birth?

Background Having a baby is associated with a variety of stressors, change, and adjustment. This study aimed to identify what women find stressful during the early postpartum period in contemporary Western society. Methods Women (n = 148) 6‐12 weeks postpartum wrote anonymously about a situation they found stressful as part of the Health after Birth Trial (HABiT) of expressive writing. Transcripts were analyzed for categories of stressors and cross‐cutting themes. Results Five categories of stressors were identified. Stressors in pregnancy, labor, and the early postpartum period (49.3%) included physical and emotional difficulties, and insensitive treatment by health professionals. Stressors related to adjusting to life with a baby (35.8%) included difficulties coping with a new baby, parenting, juggling responsibilities, changes to physical health, and loneliness. Stressors related to the baby's health (32.4%) included infant digestive problems, acute health problems, long‐term impact, and neonatal intensive care unit experiences. Stressors related to breastfeeding (23.7%) included pressure to breastfeed, feeling like a ‘bad mum’ for not breastfeeding, or wanting to breastfeed and not being able to. Other stressors related to changing relationships (18.2%): with their partner, children, and other family members. Cross‐cutting themes that emerged in different stressor categories were women making negative self‐appraisals (eg, a bad mum, failure), feeling guilty, and lack of support from others. Discussion Our findings emphasize the importance of exploring stressors and psychological well‐being with women to provide support, help women's adjustment postpartum, and ensure interventions are offered when appropriate

Charge Transfer in Partition Theory

The recently proposed Partition Theory (PT) [J.Phys.Chem.A 111, 2229 (2007)] is illustrated on a simple one-dimensional model of a heteronuclear diatomic molecule. It is shown that a sharp definition for the charge of molecular fragments emerges from PT, and that the ensuing population analysis can be used to study how charge redistributes during dissociation and the implications of that redistribution for the dipole moment. Interpreting small differences between the isolated parts' ionization potentials as due to environmental inhomogeneities, we gain insight into how electron localization takes place in H2+ as the molecule dissociates. Furthermore, by studying the preservation of the shapes of the parts as different parameters of the model are varied, we address the issue of transferability of the parts. We find good transferability within the chemically meaningful parameter regime, raising hopes that PT will prove useful in chemical applications.Comment: 12 pages, 16 figure

Aerosol chemical composition and distribution during the Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM) Tropics

Distributions of aerosol-associated soluble ions over much of the South Pacific were determined by sampling from the NASA DC-8 as part of the Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM) Tropics campaign. The mixing ratios of all ionic species were surprisingly low throughout the free troposphere (2-12 km), despite the pervasive influence from biomass burning plumes advecting over the South Pacific from the west during PEM-Tropics. At the same time, the specific activity of 7Be frequently exceeded 1000 fCi m-3 through much of the depth of the troposphere. These distributions indicate that the plumes must have been efficiently scavenged by precipitation (removing the soluble ions), but that the scavenging must have occurred far upwind of the DC-8 sampling regions (otherwise 7Be activities would also have been low). This inference is supported by large enhancements of HNO3 and carboxylic acids in many of the plumes, as these soluble acidic gases would also be readily scavenged in any precipitation events. Decreasing mixing ratios of NH4 + with altitude in all South Pacific regions sampled provide support for recent suggestions that oceanic emissions of NH3 constitute a significant source far from continents. Our sampling below 2 km reaffirms the latitudinal pattern in the methylsulfonate/non-sea-salt sulfate (MSA/nss SO4 =) molar ratio established through surface-based and shipboard sampling, with values increasing from \u3c0.05 in the tropics to nearly 0.6 at 70°S. However, we also found very high values of this ratio (0.2-0.5) at 10 km altitude above the intertropical convergence zone near 10°N. It appears that wet convective pumping of dimethylsulfide from the tropical marine boundary layer is responsible for the high values of the MSA/nss SO4 = ratio in the tropical upper troposphere. This finding complicates use of this ratio to infer the zonal origin of biogenic S transported long distances. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union

The acceptability to women of techniques for managing an impacted fetal head at caesarean section and of randomised trials evaluating those techniques: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore women's views on the acceptability of different techniques for managing an impacted fetal head at caesarean; and the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a trial in this area. METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews with a systematic sample of women who experienced second stage emergency caesarean section at a tertiary National Health Service (NHS) hospital in England, UK. Thematic analysis was used to extract women's views. RESULTS: Women varied in their perceptions of the acceptability of different techniques for managing impacted fetal head. Trust in medical expertise and prioritising the safety of the baby were important contextual factors. Greater consensus was found around informed choice in trials where subthemes considered the timing of invitation, reduced capacity to give consent in emergency situations, and the importance of birth outcomes and having good rapport with healthcare professionals who invite women into trials. Finally, women reflected on the importance of supportive antenatal and postpartum education for impacted fetal head. CONCLUSIONS: This research provides information on the acceptability of techniques and any trial to evaluate these techniques. Findings illustrate the importance of context and quality of care to both acceptability and approaching women to take part in a future trial

The acceptability and feasibility of a randomised trial exploring approaches to managing impacted fetal head during emergency caesarean section: a qualitative study

Background Caesarean sections (CS) account for 26% of all births in the UK, of which at least 5% are done at full dilatation, in the second stage of labour. Second stage CS may be complicated by the fetal head being deeply impacted in the maternal pelvis, requiring specialist skills to achieve a safe birth. Numerous techniques are used to manage impacted fetal head, however, there are no national clinical guidelines in the UK. Aim To explore health professionals’ and women’s views on the acceptability and feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) designed to explore approaches to managing an impacted fetal head during emergency CS. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 10 obstetricians and 16 women (6 pregnant and 10 who experienced an emergency second stage CS). Interviews were transcribed and analysed using systematic thematic analysis. Results The findings considered the time at which you obtain consent, how and when information about the RCT is presented, and barriers and facilitators to recruiting health professionals and women into the RCT. Obstetricians emphasised the importance of training in the techniques, as well as the potential conflict between the RCT protocol and current site or individual practices. Women said they would trust health professionals’ to use the most appropriate technique and abandon the RCT protocol if necessary. Similarly, obstetricians raised the tension between the RCT protocol versus safety in reverting to what they knew under emergency situations. Both groups reflected on how this might affect the authenticity of the results. A range of important maternal, infant and clinical outcomes were raised by women and obstetricians. However, there were varying views on which of the two RCT designs presented to participants would be preferred. Most participants thought the RCT would be feasible and acceptable. Conclusions This study suggests an RCT designed to evaluate different techniques for managing an impacted fetal head would be feasible and acceptable. However, it also identified a number of challenges that need to be considered when designing such an RCT. Results can be used to inform the design of RCTs in this area

Accounting students and communication apprehension: a study of Spanish and UK students

Accounting is about measuring and communicating. Accounting bodies and employers have expressed opinions, which have been supported by research results, advocating that greater emphasis is placed on the development of communication skills throughout the education and training of accountants. Consequently, an increasing number of accounting programmes now include communication skills as educational objectives or learning outcomes, and have integrated activities into the curriculum specifically to develop these skills. It is important to recognise that certain factors can severely restrict the development of communication skills; a major factor is communication apprehension. Research suggests that the existence of high levels of communication apprehension will make efforts to improve communication skills ineffective. Previous research findings indicate that accounting students have high levels of communication apprehension. This paper compares and contrasts the levels and profiles of communication apprehension exhibited by accounting students at the (UK University) and those at the (ESP University). The levels of communication apprehension are also compared with those of students from other disciplines at the same institutions. The results confirm the high levels of communication apprehension in European accounting students. There are notable differences between the two countries however in certain underlying factors.</p

A multicenter, longitudinal, interventional, double blind randomized clinical trial in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients residing in remote areas: Lessons learned from the late cytomegalovirus prevention trial

AbstractPurposeThe logistics of conducting double-blinded phase III clinical trials with participants residing in remote locations are complex. Here we describe the implementation of an interventional trial for the prevention of late cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) subjects in a long-term follow-up environment.MethodsA total of 184 subjects at risk for late CMV disease surviving 80 days following allogeneic HCT were randomized to receive six months of valganciclovir or placebo. Subjects were followed through day 270 post-transplant at their local physician's office within the United States. Anti-viral treatment interventions were based on CMV DNAemia as measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (>1000 copies/mL) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) was prescribed for neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count (ANC < 1.0 × 109 cells/L). Blood samples for viral testing and safety monitoring were shipped to a central laboratory by overnight carrier. Real-time communication was established between the coordinating center and study sites, primary care physicians, and study participants to facilitate starting, stopping and dose adjustments of antiviral drugs and G-CSF. The time required to make these interventions was analyzed.ResultsOf the 4169 scheduled blood specimens, 3832 (92%) were received and analyzed; the majority (97%) arriving at the central site within 2 days. Among subjects with positive CMV DNAemia (N = 46), over 50% received open label antiviral medication within one day. The median time to start G-CSF for neutropenia was <1 day after posting of laboratory results (range 0–6; N = 38). Study drug dose adjustments for abnormal renal function were implemented 203 times; within one day for 48% of cases and within 2 days for 80% of cases.ConclusionComplex randomized, double-blind, multicenter interventional trials with treatment decisions made at a central coordinating site can be conducted safely and effectively according to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines over a large geographic area