Some reports of snowfall from fog during the UK winter of 2008/09

Snowfall during anticyclonic, non-frontal, and foggy conditions is surprising. Because it is often not forecast, it can present a hazard to transport and modify the surface albedo. In this report, we present some observations of snowfall during conditions of freezing fog in the UK during the winter of 2008/09.

The infrared spectrum of silicon difluoride

The infrared spectrum of the stretching fundamentals of SiF2 has been obtained at a resolution of ≈ 0.1 cm−1 using a FTIR spectrometer. The spectrum has been analysed using computer simulation based on a coupled hamiltonian for v1 and v3, giving v1 = 855.01 cm−1 and v3 = 870.40 cm−1. The relative magnitude and sign of the vibrational transition moments has been determined from the ξC13 Coriolis coupling.

Rapid acidification and alkylation: Redox analysis of the MHC class I pathway

The technique of rapid acidification and alkylation can be used to characterise the redox status of oxidoreductases, and to determine numbers of free cysteine residues within substrate proteins. We have previously used this method to analyse interacting components of the MHC class I pathway, namely ERp57 and tapasin. Here, we have applied rapid acidification alkylation as a novel approach to analysing the redox status of MHC class I molecules. This analysis of the redox status of the MHC class I molecules HLA-A2 and HLA-B27, which is strongly associated with a group of inflammatory arthritic disorders referred to as Spondyloarthropathies, revealed structural and conformational information. We propose that this assay provides a useful tool in the study of in vivo MHC class I structure. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Avaliação da resposta clínica, inflamatória e infecciosa de crianças submetidas à cirurgia de coarctação da aorta com ou sem uso de precondicionamento isquêmico por pinçamento da aorta torácica descendente

Introdução: O precondicionamento isquêmico é o mais poderoso método experimental de proteção celular e pode ser aplicado em cirurgias que ocasionem isquemia tecidual como na correção de coarctação da aorta. Objetivo: Avaliar os resultados clínicos, inflamatórios e infecciosos de crianças submetidas à cirurgia de coarctação da aorta com ou sem uso de precondicionamento isquêmico por pinçamento da aorta torácica. Como desfechos primários foram avaliados os Eventos Adversos Principais (EAP) e o óbito em até 30 dias. Método: Foram analisados retrospectivamente os dados clínicos de 104 pacientes submetidos consecutivamente a cirurgia de coarctação da aorta entre dezembro de 2007 e dezembro de 2012 no Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Centro Pediátrico da Lagoa e Hospital Prontobaby na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Foram constituídos dois grupos, G PRE: 27 pacientes submetidos ao precondicionamento e G CONT: 77 pacientes de controle Resultados: Houve predomínio do sexo masculino, 62,5%, a média de peso foi de 4,04±3,07 kg e 11,53% tinham peso < 2,5kg. A média de idade foi de 3,82±2, com mediana de 1,04 meses. A cirurgia foi realizada em caráter de emergência em 81,48% no G PRE (p<0,001) e o Basic e o Comprehensive Aristotle Score foram maiores no G CONT (p<0,001). A bandagem da artéria pulmonar foi realizada em 37,9% do G PRE contra 9,09% do G CONT e 81,48% do G PRE tiveram anastomose estendida no arco aórtico (p<0,001). As complicações aconteceram em 66,23% no G CONT e em 22,22% no G PRE (p<0,001). Os tempos de entubação traqueal, internação no CTI e internação hospitalar do G CONT foram 3 vezes (p=0,281), 2,44 vezes (p=0,175) e 1,7 vezes (p=0,196) maior que do G PRE. Os EAP aconteceram somente no G CONT (p>0,05), sendo mais comuns os abdominais (8,65%). Ocorreram três óbitos cirúrgicos (2,88%) todos no Grupo CONT (3,90%) (p=0,401). Nove pacientes (8,65%) tiveram óbito na internação da cirurgia, um do G PRE (3,70%) e oito do G CONT (10,39%) (p=0,265). As curvas livres de desfecho em 30 dias (100%) e 60 meses (74,07%) foram favoráveis para o Grupo PRE (p=0,007 e p=0,017). A análise multivariada de COX demonstrou que as variáveis: cateterismo venoso prévio, interrupção de arco aórtico, ventrículo único, hipertensão arterial pulmonar e a dupla via de saída de VD estão associados ao aumento de risco para desfecho nos pacientes do G PRE (p<0,05). Conclusão: Os pacientes do G PRE apresentaram maior complexidade e risco operatório e menores índices de complicação. Os desfechos foram mais comuns no G CONT mesmo sem diferença estatística. A evolução livre de desfecho com 30 dias e até 60 meses foi favorável para o G PRE. A análise multivariada revelou grupo de variáveis em que o pré- condicionamento é desfavorável para aparecimento de desfecho em 30 dias

Farm business survey 2008/09: horticulture Production in England

The report gives an overview of the horticultural industry in the United Kingdom, including a snapshot of the different sectors of production, together with other information of interest about the business of horticulture. The data includes the economic performance of horticultural businesses in Ebgland during 2008/09.

Farm business survey 2008/09: poultry production in England

The report provides a commentary on the UK poultry industry focusing on its structure, development and contribution to the UK agricultural economy. It also includes data on the economic performance of poultry businesses in England during 2008/09.

A preliminary investigation of the impact of catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype on the absorption and metabolism of green tea catechins

Purpose Green tea is thought to possess many beneficial effects on human health. However, the extent of green tea polyphenol biotransformation may affect its proposed therapeutic effects. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), the enzyme responsible for polyphenolic methylation, has a common polymorphism in the genetic code at position 158 reported to result in a 40% reduction in enzyme activity in in vitro studies. The current preliminary study was designed to investigate the impact of COMT genotype on green tea catechin absorption and metabolism in humans. Methods Twenty participants (10 of each homozygous COMT genotype) were recruited, and plasma concentration profiles were produced for epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epicatechin (EC) and 4′-O-methyl EGCG after 1.1 g of Sunphenon decaffeinated green tea extract (836 mg green tea catechins), with a meal given after 60 min. Results For the entire group, EGCG, EGC, EC, ECG and 4′-O-methyl EGCG reached maximum concentrations of 1.09, 0.41, 0.33, 0.16 and 0.08 μM at 81.5, 98.5, 99.0, 85.5 and 96.5 min, respectively. Bimodal curves were observed for the non-gallated green tea catechins EGC and EC as opposed to single-peaked curves for the gallated green tea catechins EGCG and ECG. No significant parametric differences between COMT genotype groups were found. Conclusions In conclusion, the COMT Val(158/108)Met does not appear to have a dramatic influence on EGCG absorption and elimination. However, further pharmacokinetic research is needed to substantiate these findings.

A largely intolerable combination of two mainly unconnected texts: 1. Description of the Barefoot in the Head event, at BHQU, NY, 12/11/09; 2. Fictioning and the End

An evaluation of the 'Barefoot in the Head' performance event, I co-curated with Alun Rowlands and Mark Beasley, at Bruce High Quality Foundation University, New York, as part of Performa 09 New York, 12 November 2009 - an examination of my own performance and the other performances occurring simultaneously at the event.

Changes in area and geodetic mass balance of small glaciers, polar Urals, Russia, 1950-2008

Changes in area of 30 small glaciers (mostly <1 km2) in the northern Polar Urals (67.5-68.25 °N) between 1953 and 2000 were assessed using historic aerial photography from 1953 and 1960, ASTER and panchromatic Landsat ETM+ imagery from 2000, and data from 1981 and 2008 terrestrial surveys. Changes in volume and geodetic mass balance of IGAN and Obruchev glaciers were calculated using data from terrestrial surveys in 1963 and 2008. In total, glacier area declined by 22.3 ± 3.9% in the 1953/60-2000 period. The areas of individual glaciers decreased by 4-46%. Surfaces of Obruchev and IGAN glaciers lowered by 22.5 ± 1.7 m and 14.9 ± 2.1 m. Over 45 years, geodetic mass balances of Obruchev and IGAN glaciers were -20.66 ± 2.91 and -13.54 ± 2.57 m w.e. respectively. Glacier shrinkage in the Polar Urals is related to a summer warming of 1 °C between 1953-81 and 1981-2008 and its rates are consistent with other regions of northern Asia but are higher than in Scandinavia. While glacier shrinkage intensified in the 1981-2000 period relative to 1953-81, increasing winter precipitation and shading effects slowed glacier wastage in 2000-08.

An experimental manipulation of responsibility in children: a test of the inflated responsibility model of obsessive-compulsive disorder

The objective of this study was to investigate whether Salkovskis (1985) inflated responsibility model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) applied to children. In an experimental design, 81 children aged 9– 12 years were randomly allocated to three conditions: an inflated responsibility group, a moderate responsibility group, and a reduced responsibility group. In all groups children were asked to sort sweets according to whether or not they contained nuts. At baseline the groups did not differ on children’s self reported anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms or on inflated responsibility beliefs. The experimental manipulation successfully changed children’s perceptions of responsibility. During the sorting task time taken to complete the task, checking behaviours, hesitations, and anxiety were recorded. There was a significant effect of responsibility level on the behavioural variables of time taken, hesitations and check; as perceived responsibility increased children took longer to complete the task and checked and hesitated more often. There was no between-group difference in children’s self reported state anxiety. The results offer preliminary support for the link between inflated responsibility and increased checking behaviours in children and add to the small but growing literature suggesting that cognitive models of OCD may apply to children.