We have analyzed data recorded by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) aboard the Cassini spacecraft during the Titan flybys T0–T10 (July 2004–January 2006). The spectra characterize various ...regions on Titan from 70° S to 70° N with a variety of emission angles. We study the molecular signatures observed in the mid-infrared CIRS detector arrays (FP3 and FP4, covering roughly the 600–1500 cm
−1 spectral range with apodized resolutions of 2.54 or 0.53 cm
−1). The composite spectrum shows several molecular signatures: hydrocarbons, nitriles and CO
2. A firm detection of benzene (C
6H
6) is provided by CIRS at levels of about
3.5
×
10
−9
around 70° N. We have used temperature profiles retrieved from the inversion of the emission observed in the methane
ν
4
band at 1304 cm
−1 and a line-by-line radiative transfer code to infer the abundances of the trace constituents and some of their isotopes in Titan's stratosphere. No longitudinal variations were found for these gases. Little or no change is observed generally in their abundances from the south to the equator. On the other hand, meridional variations retrieved for these trace constituents from the equator to the North ranged from almost zero (no or very little meridional variations) for C
2H
2, C
2H
6, C
3H
8, C
2H
4 and CO
2 to a significant enhancement at high northern (early winter) latitudes for HCN, HC
3N, C
4H
2, C
3H
4 and C
6H
6. For the more important increases in the northern latitudes, the transition occurs roughly between 30 and 50 degrees north latitude, depending on the molecule. Note however that the very high-northern latitude results from tours TB–T10 bear large uncertainties due to few available data and problems with latitude smearing effects. The observed variations are consistent with some, but not all, of the predictions from dynamical-photochemical models. Constraints are set on the vertical distribution of C
2H
2, found to be compatible with 2-D equatorial predictions by global circulation models. The D/H ratio in the methane on Titan has been determined from the CH
3D band at 1156 cm
−1 and found to be
1.17
−0.28
+0.23
×
10
−4
. Implications of this deuterium enrichment, with respect to the protosolar abundance on the origin of Titan, are discussed. We compare our results with values retrieved by Voyager IRIS observations taken in 1980, as well as with more recent (1997) disk-averaged Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) results and with the latest Cassini–Huygens inferences from other instruments in an attempt to better comprehend the physical phenomena on Titan.
The need for policy makers to understand science and for scientists to understand policy processes is widely recognised. However, the science-policy relationship is sometimes difficult and ...occasionally dysfunctional; it is also increasingly visible, because it must deal with contentious issues, or itself becomes a matter of public controversy, or both. We suggest that identifying key unanswered questions on the relationship between science and policy will catalyse and focus research in this field. To identify these questions, a collaborative procedure was employed with 52 participants selected to cover a wide range of experience in both science and policy, including people from government, non-governmental organisations, academia and industry. These participants consulted with colleagues and submitted 239 questions. An initial round of voting was followed by a workshop in which 40 of the most important questions were identified by further discussion and voting. The resulting list includes questions about the effectiveness of science-based decision-making structures; the nature and legitimacy of expertise; the consequences of changes such as increasing transparency; choices among different sources of evidence; the implications of new means of characterising and representing uncertainties; and ways in which policy and political processes affect what counts as authoritative evidence. We expect this exercise to identify important theoretical questions and to help improve the mutual understanding and effectiveness of those working at the interface of science and policy.
Stillbirths: recall to action in high-income countries Flenady, Vicki, Dr; Wojcieszek, Aleena M, BPsySci; Middleton, Philippa, PhD ...
The Lancet (British edition),
02/2016, Letnik:
387, Številka:
10019
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Summary Variation in stillbirth rates across high-income countries and large equity gaps within high-income countries persist. If all high-income countries achieved stillbirth rates equal to the best ...performing countries, 19 439 late gestation (28 weeks or more) stillbirths could have been avoided in 2015. The proportion of unexplained stillbirths is high and can be addressed through improvements in data collection, investigation, and classification, and with a better understanding of causal pathways. Substandard care contributes to 20–30% of all stillbirths and the contribution is even higher for late gestation intrapartum stillbirths. National perinatal mortality audit programmes need to be implemented in all high-income countries. The need to reduce stigma and fatalism related to stillbirth and to improve bereavement care are also clear, persisting priorities for action. In high-income countries, a woman living under adverse socioeconomic circumstances has twice the risk of having a stillborn child when compared to her more advantaged counterparts. Programmes at community and country level need to improve health in disadvantaged families to address these inequities.
Adults with long COVID often report intolerance to exercise. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) has been used in many settings to measure exercise ability but has been conducted in a few long ...COVID cohorts. We conducted CPET in a sample of adults reporting long COVID symptoms using a submaximal cycle ergometer protocol. We studied pre-exercise predictors of achieving 85% of the age-predicted maximum heart rate (85%HRmax) using logistic regression. Eighty participants were included (mean age 46 years, range 25−78, 71% women). Forty participants (50%) did not reach 85%HRmax. On average, non-achievers reached 84% of their predicted 85%HRmax. No adverse events occurred. Participants who did not achieve 85%HRmax were older (p < 0.001), had more recent COVID-19 illness (p = 0.012) with higher frequency of hospitalization (p = 0.025), and had been more affected by dizziness (p = 0.041) and joint pain (p = 0.028). In the logistic regression model including age, body mass index, time since COVID-19, COVID-19-related hospitalization, dizziness, joint pain, pre-existing cardiopulmonary disease, and use of beta blockers, independent predictors of achieving 85%HRmax were younger age (p = 0.001) and longer time since COVID-19 (p = 0.008). Our cross-sectional findings suggest that exercise tolerance in adults with long COVID has potential to improve over time. Longitudinal research should assess the extent to which this may occur and its mechanisms. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05027724 (TROPIC Study).
Objective: Orthostatic intolerance (OI) is common in Long Covid. Physical counterpressure manoeuvres (PCM) may improve OI in other disorders. We characterised the blood pressure-rising effect of PCM ...using surface electromyography (sEMG) and investigated its association with fatigue in adults with Long Covid. Methods: Participants performed an active stand with beat-to-beat hemodynamic monitoring and sEMG of both thighs, including PCM at 3-minutes post-stand. Multivariable linear regression investigated the association between change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and change in normalised root mean square (RMS) of sEMG amplitude, controlling for confounders including the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ). Results: In 90 participants (mean age 46), mean SBP rise with PCM was 13.7 (SD 9.0) mmHg. In regression, SBP change was significantly, directly associated with change in RMS sEMG (β=0.25, 95% CI 0.07-0.43, P=0.007); however, CFQ was not significant. Discussion/Conclusion: PCM measured by sEMG augmented SBP without the influence of fatigue.
Aim
To evaluate emergency nurse practitioner service effectiveness on outcomes related to quality of care and service responsiveness.
Background
Increasing service pressures in the emergency setting ...have resulted in the adoption of service innovation models; the most common and rapidly expanding of these is the emergency nurse practitioner. The delivery of high quality patient care in the emergency department is one of the most important service indicators to be measured in health services today. The rapid uptake of emergency nurse practitioner service in Australia has outpaced the capacity to evaluate this model in outcomes related to safety and quality of patient care.
Design
Pragmatic randomized controlled trial at one site with 260 participants.
Methods
This protocol describes a definitive prospective randomized controlled trial, which will examine the impact of emergency nurse practitioner service on key patient care and service indicators. The study control will be standard emergency department care. The intervention will be emergency nurse practitioner service. The primary outcome measure is pain score reduction and time to analgesia. Secondary outcome measures are waiting time, number of patients who did not wait, length of stay in the emergency department and representations within 48 hours.
Discussion
Scant research enquiry evaluating emergency nurse practitioner service on patient effectiveness and service responsiveness exists currently. This study is a unique trial that will test the effectiveness of the emergency nurse practitioner service on patients who present to the emergency department with pain. The research will provide an opportunity to further evaluate emergency nurse practitioner models of care and build research capacity into the workforce.
Objectives
The rapid uptake of nurse practitioner (NP) services in Australia has outpaced evaluation of this service model. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the effectiveness of ...NP service versus standard medical care in the emergency department (ED) of a major referral hospital in Australia.
Methods
Patients presenting with pain were randomly assigned to receive either standard ED medical care or NP care. Primary investigators were blinded to treatment allocation for data analyses. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients receiving analgesia within 30 minutes from being seen by care group. Secondary outcome measures were time to analgesia from presentation and documentation of and changes in pain scores.
Results
There were 260 patients randomized; 128 received standard care (medical practitioner led), and 130 received NP care. Two patients needed to be excluded due to incomplete consent forms. The proportion of patients who received analgesia within 30 minutes from being seen was 49.2% (n = 64) in the NP group and 29.7% (n = 38) in the standard group, a difference of 19.5% (95% confidence interval CI = 7.9% to 31.2%; p = 0.001). Of 165 patients who received analgesia, 64 (84.2%) received analgesia within 30 minutes in the NP group compared to 38 (42.7%) in the standard care group, a difference in proportions of 41.5% (95% CI = 28.3% to 54.7%; p < 0.001). The mean (±SD) time from being seen to analgesia was 25.4 (±39.2) minutes for NP care and 43.0 (±35.5) minutes for standard care, a difference of 17.6 minutes (95% CI = 6.1 to 29.1 minutes; p = 0.003). There was a difference in the median change in pain score of 0.5 between care groups, but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.13).
Conclusions
Nurse practitioner service effectiveness was demonstrated through superior performance in achieving timely analgesia for ED patients.
The Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE), is the Herschel Space Observatory`s submillimetre camera and spectrometer. It contains a three-band imaging photometer operating at 250, 350 and ...500 μm, and an imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) which covers simultaneously its whole operating range of 194–671 μm (447–1550 GHz). The SPIRE detectors are arrays of feedhorn-coupled bolometers cooled to 0.3 K. The photometer has a field of view of 4´× 8´, observed simultaneously in the three spectral bands. Its main operating mode is scan-mapping, whereby the field of view is scanned across the sky to achieve full spatial sampling and to cover large areas if desired. The spectrometer has an approximately circular field of view with a diameter of 2.6´. The spectral resolution can be adjusted between 1.2 and 25 GHz by changing the stroke length of the FTS scan mirror. Its main operating mode involves a fixed telescope pointing with multiple scans of the FTS mirror to acquire spectral data. For extended source measurements, multiple position offsets are implemented by means of an internal beam steering mirror to achieve the desired spatial sampling and by rastering of the telescope pointing to map areas larger than the field of view. The SPIRE instrument consists of a cold focal plane unit located inside the Herschel cryostat and warm electronics units, located on the spacecraft Service Module, for instrument control and data handling. Science data are transmitted to Earth with no on-board data compression, and processed by automatic pipelines to produce calibrated science products. The in-flight performance of the instrument matches or exceeds predictions based on pre-launch testing and modelling: the photometer sensitivity is comparable to or slightly better than estimated pre-launch, and the spectrometer sensitivity is also better by a factor of 1.5–2.
From grazing lands to meat packing, beef production systems in the United States are striving to meet global demands without compromising environmental quality or local profitability. These ...challenges and opportunities are manifest in four US regions connected ecologically and socially through beef production: the American Southwest, the Ogallala Aquifer region, the Northern Plains, and the Upper Midwestern Corn Belt. Most calves raised on extensive, arid Southwestern ranches are exported to the Ogallala Aquifer region for finishing on grains that are grown either locally on Ogallala Aquifer water or imported from the Upper Midwest. Changes in climate, vegetation, and human demographics threaten the sustainability of the regionally-interconnected system. Heritage cattle genetics, precision ranching, and alternative supply chain options are three strategies that show promise for addressing these sustainability threats, but major knowledge gaps exist. For instance, while environmentally-friendly landscape use by Raramuri Criollo, a heritage cattle type, has been identified in several arid rangeland settings, little is known about their performance in conventional feed yards. While precision agriculture is already prevalent in croplands, less is known about how such technologies can be cost effective in arid rangelands. Moreover, many perceive grass-finishing on rangeland as environmentally friendly and beneficial for local agricultural communities, but tradeoffs involving greenhouse gas emissions, increased rangeland use, and disruption of cattle feeding systems of the Ogallala Aquifer region must be assessed. Here we introduce a USDA-NIFA Coordinated Agricultural Project designed to fill these knowledge gaps and advance sustainability of beef production linked to the US Southwest. With a boundary-spanning approach of education, participatory research, and extension, the project is identifying tradeoffs of the three strategies with explicit attention to pericoupling (i.e., socioeconomic and environmental interactions) of regions connected by beef production and full consideration of the coupled ecological and social systems within those regions.
The oribatid mite
Alaskozetes antarcticus
, one of the most abundant terrestrial invertebrates in Antarctica, survives extreme temperature fluctuation and desiccation, and thrives in the short ...growing season characteristic of this polar environment. Several aspects of the mite’s ecology and physiology are well studied, but little is known about its reproduction. In this study, we utilize sex- and development-specific next-generation RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses to identify differentially regulated transcripts underlying reproduction of
A
.
antarcticus
. Pairwise comparisons between males, females, and tritonymphs revealed more than 4000 enriched transcripts based on different transcriptional levels among sexes and developmental stages. More than 500 of these enriched transcripts were differentially upregulated over 1000-fold. Many of the highly enriched and sex-specific transcripts were previously uncharacterized or have no known orthology. Of the transcripts identified, gene ontology-based analyses linked the transcriptional distinctions to differences in reproduction, chemosensation, and stress response. Our comparative approach allowed us to determine sexually dimorphic transcript expression in
A. antarcticus
. We anticipate that this study will provide a baseline to better understand the mechanisms that underlie reproduction in both polar and non-polar oribatid mites.
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