Finite amplitude gravity waves in the Venus atmosphere generated by surface topography

A two-dimensional, fully nonlinear, nonhydrostatic, gravity wave model is used to study the evolution of gravity waves generated near the surface of Venus. The model extends from near the surface to well above the cloud layers. Waves are forced by applying a vertical wind at the bottom boundary. The boundary vertical wind is determined by the product of the horizontal wind and the gradient of the surface height. When wave amplitudes are small, the near-surface horizontal wind is the zonally averaged basic-state zonal wind, and the length scales of the forcing that results are characteristic of the surface height variation. When the forcing becomes larger and wave amplitudes affect the near-surface horizontal wind field, the forcing spectrum becomes more complicated, and a spectrum of waves is generated that is not a direct reflection of the spectrum of the surface height variation. Model spatial resolution required depends on the amplitude of forcing; for very nonlinear cases considered, vertical resolution was 250 m, and horizontal resolution was slightly greater than 1 km. For smaller forcing amplitudes, spatial resolution was much coarser, being 1 km in the vertical and about 10 km in the horizontal. Background static stability and mean wind are typical of those observed in the Venus atmosphere

Growing older in secure mental health care: the user experience

Background: The proportion of older adults using secure forensic psychiatric services is rising. Research is needed to examine the experience of older service users and evidence how adult services can adapt to meet their needs. Aim: To explore user experiences of being an older adult in secure forensic services. Methods: Thematic analysis of interviews and observations of weekly routines conducted with fifteen service users aged 50 and over residing in a low and medium secure NHS unit in England. Results: User experiences of ageing and age-related needs are reported using five themes: age-related identities; ward environments; participation in activities; management of physical health; and ageing futures. Older adults living with people their own age reported more social integration than those on wards dominated by younger adults. Most wished to self-manage their physical health needs with the support of primary care staff. Older adults were reluctant to identify as “old” or “vulnerable”. Some older adults downplayed their changing care needs. Conclusions: Placement of older people in adult secure services requires awareness of the age balance of the ward. A culture of inclusivity, sensitivity and respect for older persons’ agency is key to collaboratively meeting additional care needs and discharge planning

Quality assessments of untreated and washed quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) seeds based on histlogical and foaming capacity investigations

Quinoa seed has a high nutritional value, but has a coating of bitter-tasting saponins, making it unpalatable. Therefore the seeds are usually processed in order to remove the naturally occurring saponins from the seeds. To investigate the impact of processing, untreated and washed seeds of the white and brown types of quinoa were investigated histologically and by foaming capacity evaluations. Reference samples of known origin and treatment were investigated as well as unknown samples. The results revealed a relationship between the presence of saponin containing papillose cells at the outermost layer of the seed hull in the histological sections and the foaming capacity of the seeds. After washing, the papillose cells were severely damaged or completely removed and virtually no foam formation was observed. This investigation indicatedthat washing resulted in an effective removal of the saponin layer, leading to quality improvement of the seeds intended for human and animal consumption. The same features were observed for the unknown samples. These results imply that the treatment of the investigated samples was based on washing. The determination of the type of treatment applied provided useful information for the correct tax classification for Custom purposes

A mixed methods analysis of factors affecting antenatal care content: A Syrian case study

Background Maternity care services provide critical interventions aimed at improving maternal and newborn health. In this study, we examined determinants of antenatal care (ANC) content in Syria, together with changes over time. Methods We analysed two national surveys conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Damascus (PAPFAM 2001 and MICS 2006). Findings of this initial analysis led to a qualitative study on adequacy of antenatal care content in two Syrian governorates, Aleppo and Latakia in 2010, which in turn informed further quantitative analysis. The perspectives and practices of doctors, women, midwives and health officials were explored using in-depth interviews. A framework approach was used to analyse the data. Results The quantitative analysis demonstrated that women’s education level, the type of health facility they attended and whether they had experienced health complications were important determinants of adequacy of ANC content received. The qualitative study revealed that additional factors related to supply side and demand side factors (e.g. organization of health services, doctors’ selective prescription of ANC tests and women’s selective uptake of those tests), influenced the quality of ANC and explained some regional differences between Aleppo and Latakia. Conclusions The percentage of women who received adequate ANC content was probably higher in Latakia than in Aleppo because women in Latakia were more educated, and because services were more available, accessible, and acceptable to them

Absence of mutations in the coding sequence of the potential tumor suppressor 3pK in metastatic melanoma

BACKGROUND: Activation of Ras or Raf contributes to tumorigenesis of melanoma. However, constitutive Raf activation is also a characteristic of the majority of benign melanocytic nevi and high intensity signaling of either Ras or Raf was found to induce growth inhibition and senescence rather than transformation. Since the chromosome 3p kinase (3pK)) is a target of the Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk signaling pathway which antagonizes the function of the oncogene and anti-differentiation factor Bmi-1, 3pK may function as a tumor suppressor in tumors with constitutive Ras/Raf activation. Consequently, we tested whether inactivating 3pK mutations are present in melanoma. METHODS: 30 metastatic melanoma samples, which were positive for activating mutations of either BRaf or NRas, were analyzed for possible mutations in the 3pk gene. The 10 coding exons and their flanking intron sequences were amplified by PCR and direct sequencing of the PCR products was performed. RESULTS: This analysis revealed that besides the presence of some single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 3pk gene, we could not detect any possible loss of function mutation in any of these 30 metastatic melanoma samples selected for the presence of activating mutations within the Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Hence, in melanoma with constitutively active Ras/Raf inactivating mutations within the 3pk gene do not contribute to the oncogenic phenotype of this highly malignant tumor

Learning to dislike alcohol: conditioning negative implicit attitudes toward alcohol and its effect on drinking behavior

Rationale: Since implicit attitudes toward alcohol play an important role in drinking behavior, a possible way to obtain a behavioral change is changing these implicit attitudes. Objectives: This study examined whether a change in implicit attitudes and in drinking behavior can be achieved via evaluative conditioning. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental condition and a control condition. In the experimental condition, participants were subjected to an evaluative conditioning procedure that consistently pairs alcohol-related cues with negative stimuli. In the control condition, alcohol-related cues were consistently paired with neutral stimuli during the evaluative conditioning phase. Implicit attitudes, explicit attitudes, and drinking behavior were measured before and after the evaluative conditioning phase. Results: Following the evaluative conditioning procedure, participants in the experimental condition showed stronger negative implicit attitudes toward alcohol and consumed less alcohol compared to participants in the control condition. However, this effect was only found when the evaluative conditioning task paired alcohol-related cues with general negative pictures, but not when using pictures of frowning faces. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that evaluative conditioning can effectively change implicit attitudes toward alcohol and also suggest that this procedure can be used to change drinking behavior. Hence, evaluative conditioning may be a useful new intervention tool to combat alcohol misuse

Un procedimiento nuevo para adaptar cualquier tipo de suelo para la construcción y consolidación de estructuras de tierra: Sistema de Tierra Proyectada

The “projected earth system” is put forward as an alternative construction method. The soil from each site is adapted following a specific protocol to make it suitable for spraying. The type of construction and the receiving surface determine the machinery and spraying system used (dry or wet mix). The result will be similar in texture and colour to the original material (in the case of earth walls) or to the surrounding material.Un procedimiento nuevo para adaptar cualquier tipo de suelo para la construcción y consolidación de estructuras de tierra: Sistema de Tierra Proyectada. Se plantea la “tierra proyectada” como nuevo sistema constructivo. Se adecuará la tierra de cada intervención con un protocolo para poder ser proyectada. El tipo de intervención y el soporte sobre el que se proyectará determinarán la maquinaria y el sistema de proyección (vía seca o húmeda). El resultado tendrá similar textura y color que el soporte restaurado (en muros de tierra) o que el material del entorno (en taludes carreteros u obras de tierra de nueva construcción)

Early encounters of a nascent membrane protein: specificity and timing of contacts inside and outside the ribosome

An unbiased photo–cross-linking approach was used to probe the “molecular path” of a growing nascent Escherichia coli inner membrane protein (IMP) from the peptidyl transferase center to the surface of the ribosome. The nascent chain was initially in proximity to the ribosomal proteins L4 and L22 and subsequently contacted L23, which is indicative of progression through the ribosome via the main ribosomal tunnel. The signal recognition particle (SRP) started to interact with the nascent IMP and to target the ribosome–nascent chain complex to the Sec–YidC complex in the inner membrane when maximally half of the transmembrane domain (TM) was exposed from the ribosomal exit. The combined data suggest a flexible tunnel that may accommodate partially folded nascent proteins and parts of the SRP and SecY. Intraribosomal contacts of the nascent chain were not influenced by the presence of a functional TM in the ribosome

Specificity of the failure to inhibit responses in overweight children

Poor response inhibition has been associated with obesity, excessive food intake, and other consumptive behaviours, including alcohol use. However, the correlation between obesity and addictive behaviours like alcoholism is low: people who are obese appear to have a specific problem in restraining food intake. This would imply that obese people have more difficulties in inhibiting responses towards food, compared to other rewarding stimuli. In the present study eighty-nine children (ages 7-9) were tested with the stop signal task, in which responses towards food pictures or toy pictures had to be inhibited. Results showed that children were less effective in inhibiting responses towards food and percentage overweight predicted a lower ability to inhibit responses in general. When dichotomizing the sample in overweight and lean children, it appeared that overweight children were specifically less effective in inhibition towards food cues, compared to lean children. In conclusion: The results confirm weight related inhibitory problems and might explain the increased overeating to food cues in overweight children, as reported in the literature