Two-year observations of the Jupiter polar regions by JIRAM on board Juno

We observed the evolution of Jupiter's polar cyclonic structures over two years between February 2017 and February 2019, using polar observations by the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper, JIRAM, on the Juno mission. Images and spectra were collected by the instrument in the 5‐μm wavelength range. The images were used to monitor the development of the cyclonic and anticyclonic structures at latitudes higher than 80° both in the northern and the southern hemispheres. Spectroscopic measurements were then used to monitor the abundances of the minor atmospheric constituents water vapor, ammonia, phosphine and germane in the polar regions, where the atmospheric optical depth is less than 1. Finally, we performed a comparative analysis with oceanic cyclones on Earth in an attempt to explain the spectral characteristics of the cyclonic structures we observe in Jupiter's polar atmosphere

Predicting young adult social functioning from developmental trajectories of externalizing behavior

Background. The long-term consequences of child and adolescent externalizing problems often involve a wide spectrum of social maladaptation in adult life. The purpose of this study was to describe the predictive link of child and adolescent externalizing developmental trajectories to social functioning in adulthood. Method. Social functioning was predicted from developmental trajectories of parent-reported aggression, opposition, property violations and status violations that were defined in a longitudinal multiple birth cohort study of 2076 males and females aged 4-18 years. Social functioning was assessed using self-reports by young adults aged 18-30 years. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to describe the extent to which developmental trajectories are prospectively related to social functioning. Results. Children with high-level trajectories of opposition and status violations reported more impaired social functioning as young adults than children with high-level trajectories of aggression and property violations. Young adults who showed onset of problems in adolescence reported overall less impaired social functioning than individuals with high-level externalizing problems starting in childhood. Overall, males reported more impaired social functioning in adulthood than females. However, females with persistent high-level externalizing behaviour reported more impairment in relationships than males with persistent high-level externalizing behaviour. Conclusion. The long-term consequences of high levels of opposition and status violations in childhood to serious social problems during adulthood are much stronger than for individuals who show only high levels of aggressive antisocial behaviours. Copyright © 2007 Cambridge University Press

Prioritization of high-cost new drugs for HCV: making sustainability ethical

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem worldwide. Chronic HCV infection may in the long run cause cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma, with an ultimate disease burden of at least 350,000 deaths per year worldwide. The new generation of highly effective direct acting antivirals (DAA) to treat HCV infection brings major promises to infected patients in terms of exceedingly high rates of sustained virological response (SVR) but also of tolerability, allowing even the sickest patients to be treated. Even in the face of the excellent safety and efficacy and wide theoretical applicability of these regimens, their introduction is currently facing cost and access issues denying their use to many patients in need. Health systems in all countries are facing a huge problem of distributive justice, since while they should guarantee individual rights, among which the right to health in its broader sense, therefore not limited to healing, but extended to quality of life, they must also grant equal access to the healthcare resources and keep the distribution system sustainable. In the face of a disease with a relatively unpredictable course, where many but not of all chronically infected will eventually die of liver disease, selective allocation of this costly resource is debatable. In most countries the favorite solution has been a stratification of patients for prioritization of treatment, which means allowing Interferon-free DAA treatment only in patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, while keeping on hold persons with lesser stages of liver disease. In this report, we will perform an ethical assessment addressing the issues linked to access to new therapies, prioritization and eligibility criteria, analyzing the meaning of the term “distributive justice” and the different approaches that can guide us (individualistic libertarianism, social utilitarianism and egalitarianism) on this specific matter. Even if over time the price of new DAA will be reduced through competition and eventual patent expiration, the phenomenon of high drug costs will go on in the next decades and we need adequate tools to face the problems of distributive justice that come with it

Energy/Environment Models: Relationship to Planning in Wisconsin, GDR, Rhone Alps

This report is a description and cross-regional comparison of the institutional structures and modeling methodologies of the three regions participating in the IIASA Research Program on Management of Regional Energy/Environment Systems. Descriptions are presented for the state of Wisconsin (USA), the German Democratic Republic, and the Rhone-Alpes Region (France), by specialists and policy makers from the respective regions. These descriptions demonstrate quite vividly the relationships between the institutional structure of a region and its use of models and planning tools

Understanding the Relationship between Quality of Life, Adaptive Behavior and Support Needs

Psychometric tools providing quantitative measures of the constructs of adaptive behavior, support needs, and quality of life (QOL) have received considerable attention within the field of intellectual disability (ID). The relationship between the three constructs was investigated by examining scores on the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS), Supports Intensity Scale (SIS), and Personal Outcomes Scale (POS; a QOL scale). Data from 146 Portuguese adults with ID revealed that: (a) the ABS domains showed a moderate negative relationship with the SIS subscales; (b) the absolute value of correlations between SIS/ABS domains were greater than either the ABS/POS or SIS/POS correlations; and (c) people with relatively stronger adaptive skills and less intense support needs experience a higher QOL. Additionally, adaptive behavior scores were a stronger predictor of personal outcomes than the support needs scores. Personal outcomes associated with QOL were similar when assessed by the POS through self-report and report-of-others measures. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.<br/

Characterization of Mesoscale Waves in the Jupiter NEB by Jupiter InfraRed Auroral Mapper on board Juno

In 2017, the Jupiter InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM), on board the NASA-ASI Juno mission, observed a wide longitude region (50° W–80° E in System III) that was perturbed by a wave pattern centered at 15° N in the Jupiter's North Equatorial Belt (NEB). We analyzed JIRAM data acquired on 2017 July 10 using the M-channel and on 2017 February 2 with the spectrometer. The two observations occurred at different times and at slightly different latitudes. The waves appear as clouds blocking the deeper thermal emission. The wave crests are oriented north–south, and the typical wave packet contains 10 crests and 10 troughs. We used Fourier analysis to rigorously determine the wavenumbers associated with the observed patterns at a confidence level of 90%. Wavelet analysis was also used to constrain the spatial localization of the largest energies involved in the process and determine the wavelengths carrying the major contribution. We found wavelengths ranging from 1400 to 1900 km, and generally decreasing toward the west. Where possible, we also computed a vertical location of the cloud pressure levels from the inversion of the spectral radiances measured by the JIRAM spectrometer. The waves were detected at pressure levels consistent with the NH3 as well as NH4SH clouds. Phase velocities could not be determined with sufficient confidence to discriminate whether the alternating crests and troughs are a propagating wave or a manifestation of a fluid dynamical instability

Reliability of infrared thermography in skin temperature evaluation of wheelchair users

To examine the reliability of infrared thermography (IRT) in wheelchair users (WCUs), as a noninvasive and risk-free technique to detect the natural thermal radiation emitted by human skin and to allow subsequent interpretations of temperature distributions

Efectividad de una intervención motivacional breve para procesos de cambio en jóvenes colombianos consumidores de marihuana

Estudio de casoEste trabajo establece la efectividad de una intervención motivacional breve para procesos de cambio frente al consumo de marihuana en jóvenes colombianos. El programa de prevención selectiva fue implementado mediante la estrategia de taller y los parámetros del modelo transteórico. La intervención motivacional breve afectó los procesos de cambio asociados al consumo de marihuana, siendo efectiva para la muestra seleccionada.1. ANTECEDENTES TEÓRICOS Y EMPÍRICOS 2. JUSTIFICACIÓN Y PLANTEAMIENTO DEL PROBLEMA 3. OBJETIVOS 4. VARIABLES 5. HIPÓTESIS 6. MÉTODO 7. RESULTADOS 8. DISCUSIÓN REFERENCIAS APÉNDICESMaestríaMagister en Psicologí

From research to practice: Lay adherence counsellors' fidelity to an evidence-based intervention for promoting adherence to antiretroviral treatment in the Western Cape, South Africa

In the Western Cape, lay counsellors are tasked with supporting antiretroviral (ARV) adherence in public healthcare clinics. Thirty-nine counsellors in 21 Cape Town clinics were trained in Options for Health (Options), an evidence-based intervention based on motivational interviewing (MI). We evaluated counsellors’ ability to deliver Options for addressing poor adherence following 5 days training. Audio-recordings of counselling sessions collected following training were transcribed and translated into English. Thirty-five transcripts of sessions conducted by 35 counsellors were analysed for fidelity to the Options protocol, and using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment and Integrity (MITI) code. Counsellors struggled with some of the strategies associated with MI, such as assessing readiness-to-change and facilitating change talk. Overall, counsellors failed to achieve proficiency in the approach of MI according to the MITI. Counsellors were able to negotiate realistic plans for addressing patients’ barriers to adherence. Further efforts aimed at strengthening the ARV adherence counselling programme are needed.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Understanding the influence of race/Ethnicity, gender, and class on inequalities in academic and non-academic outcomes among eighth-grade students: findings from an intersectionality approach

Socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and gender inequalities in academic achievement have been widely reported in the US, but how these three axes of inequality intersect to determine academic and non-academic outcomes among school-aged children is not well understood. Using data from the US Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten (ECLS-K; N = 10,115), we apply an intersectionality approach to examine inequalities across eighth-grade outcomes at the intersection of six racial/ethnic and gender groups (Latino girls and boys, Black girls and boys, and White girls and boys) and four classes of socioeconomic advantage/disadvantage. Results of mixture models show large inequalities in socioemotional outcomes (internalizing behavior, locus of control, and self-concept) across classes of advantage/disadvantage. Within classes of advantage/disadvantage, racial/ethnic and gender inequalities are predominantly found in the most advantaged class, where Black boys and girls, and Latina girls, underperform White boys in academic assessments, but not in socioemotional outcomes. In these latter outcomes, Black boys and girls perform better than White boys. Latino boys show small differences as compared to White boys, mainly in science assessments. The contrasting outcomes between racial/ethnic and gender minorities in self-assessment and socioemotional outcomes, as compared to standardized assessments, highlight the detrimental effect that intersecting racial/ethnic and gender discrimination have in patterning academic outcomes that predict success in adult life. Interventions to eliminate achievement gaps cannot fully succeed as long as social stratification caused by gender and racial discrimination is not addressed