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This study presents wind observations from an airborne Doppler Wind Lidar (ADWL) in 2016 tropical cyclones (TC). A description of ADWL measurement collection and quality control methods is introduced for the use in a TC environment. Validation against different instrumentation on-board the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s WP-3D aircraft shows good agreement of the retrieved ADWL measured wind speed and direction. Measurements taken from instruments such as the global positioning system dropsonde, flight-level wind probe, tail Doppler radar, and Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer are compared to ADWL observations by creating paired datasets. These paired observations represent independent measurements of the same observation space through a variety of mapping techniques that account for differences in measurement procedure. Despite high correlation values, outliers are identified and discussed in detail. The errors between paired observations appear to be caused by differences in the ability to capture various length scales, which directly relate to certain regions in a TC regime. In validating these datasets and providing evidence that shows the mitigation of gaps in 3-dimensional wind representation, the unique wind observations collected via ADWL have significant potential to impact numerical weather prediction of TCs.

Relations between children's sleep and cognitive functioning were examined over 2 years, and race and socioeconomic status were assessed as moderators of effects. Third-grade African American and European American children (N = 166; M = 8.72 years) participated at Time 1 and again 2 years later (N = 132). At both Time 1 and Time 2, sleep was examined via self-report and actigraphy. Children were administered selected tests from the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities, and Stanford Achievement Test scores were obtained from schools. Children's sleep was related to intellectual ability and academic achievement. Results build substantially on an emerging literature supportive of the importance of sleep in children.

This study presents a verification and an analysis of wind profile data collected during Tropical Storm Erika (2015) by a Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) instrument aboard a P3 Hurricane Hunter aircraft of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). DWL-measured winds are compared to those from nearly collocated GPS dropsondes, and show good agreement in terms of both the wind magnitude and asymmetric distribution of the wind field. A comparison of the DWL-measured wind speeds versus dropsonde-measured wind speeds yields a reasonably good correlation (r2 = 0.95), with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.58 m s−1 and a bias of −0.023 m s−1. Our analysis shows that the DWL complements the existing P3 Doppler radar, in that it collects wind data in rain-free and low-rain regions where Doppler radar is limited for wind observations. The DWL observations also complement dropsonde measurements by significantly enlarging the sampling size and spatial coverage of the boundary layer winds. An analysis of the DWL wind data shows that the boundary layer of Erika was much deeper than that of a typical hurricane-strength storm. Streamline and vorticity analyses based on DWL wind observations explain why Erika maintained intensity in a sheared environment. This study suggests that DWL wind data are valuable for real-time intensity forecasts, basic understanding of the boundary layer structure and dynamics, and offshore wind energy applications under tropical cyclone conditions.

Amplicon‐sequence data from environmental DNA (eDNA) and microbiome studies provide important information for ecology, conservation, management, and health. At present, amplicon‐sequencing studies—known also as metabarcoding studies, in which the primary data consist of targeted, amplified fragments of DNA sequenced from many taxa in a mixture—struggle to link genetic observations to the underlying biology in a quantitative way, but many applications require quantitative information about the taxa or systems under scrutiny. As metabarcoding studies proliferate in ecology, it becomes more important to develop ways to make them quantitative to ensure that their conclusions are adequately supported. Here we link previously disparate sets of techniques for making such data quantitative, showing that the underlying polymerase chain reaction mechanism explains the observed patterns of amplicon data in a general way. By modeling the process through which amplicon‐sequence data arise, rather than transforming the data post hoc, we show how to estimate the starting DNA proportions from a mixture of many taxa. We illustrate how to calibrate the model using mock communities and apply the approach to simulated data and a series of empirical examples. Our approach opens the door to improve the use of metabarcoding data in a wide range of applications in ecology, public health, and related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federal and state agencies have begun using residual genetic information taken from the environment--environmental DNA or eDNA--to help make management and regulatory decisions. Environmental DNA can provide information from water, soil, or air samples about the living parts of ecosystems with unprecedented scope, in some cases providing broad surveys of the species present and in others pinpointing hard-to-find species. However, standards for analysis and interpretation have only recently begun to arise in the nascent field of eDNA analysis. As this new and valuable source of information begins to influence the implementation of environmental laws, we survey existing federal uses of eDNA and review federal information requirements relevant to natural resource management--in particular, under the data-hungry Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act. We find that some agencies are already using eDNA data, and, for the most part, these uses are likely to meet the legal requirements of the controlling statutes and regulations. Though legally acceptable, social factors influence the degree to which a technology becomes widespread in agency practice. We survey likely future scenarios for eDNA uptake and offer recommendations for driving broader adoption of this useful technology and enabling management and regulatory decisions grounded in eDNA as a data source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article outlines clinical practice guidelines for exercise-based knee and anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention. It suggests effective exercise-based knee injury prevention programs for athletes under specific subgroups, including HarmoKnee for soccer players and Sportsmetrics for women athletes. It list abbreviations related to knee and anterior cruciate ligament injury and prevention.

Federal and state agencies have begun using residual genetic information taken from the environment--environmental DNA or eDNA--to help make management and regulatory decisions. Environmental DNA can provide information from water, soil, or air samples about the living parts of ecosystems with unprecedented scope, in some cases providing broad surveys of the species present and in others pinpointing hard-to-find species. However, standards for analysis and interpretation have only recently begun to arise in the nascent field of eDNA analysis. As this new and valuable source of information begins to influence the implementation of environmental laws, we survey existing federal uses of eDNA and review federal information requirements relevant to natural resource management-- in particular, under the data-hungry Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act. We find that some agencies are already using eDNA data, and, for the most part, these uses are likely to meet the legal requirements of the controlling statutes and regulations. Though legally acceptable, social factors influence the degree to which a technology becomes widespread in agency practice. We survey likely future scenarios for eDNA uptake and offer recommendations for driving broader adoption of this useful technology and enabling management and regulatory decisions grounded in eDNA as a data source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A population level study was conducted to understand large-scale genetic patterns along the Pacific coast of North America. The data showed that a distinct latitudinal connectivity gradient among chitons and a latitudinal trend in gene flow might contribute to the enhanced species diversity observed at lower latitudes.

• Intradural extramedullary pathology can be treated with minimally invasive surgery. • Minimally invasive surgery has comparable outcomes to open procedures. • Minimally invasive surgery can be completed with standard operating room equipment. Intradural spinal cord pathologies have traditionally been managed with open surgical procedures and require the completion of a durotomy. Minimally invasive techniques are emerging as alternative procedures with the goal of reducing complications, but often require specialized equipment with additional training. We conduct a single institution retrospective review from 2016 to 2019 of patients undergoing minimally invasive durotomy closure for intradural extramedullary pathologies using a novel technique that utilizes standard operating room equipment. This cohort is compared to a cohort of patients treated with a traditional open approach. Patients treated with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) had no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics compared to patients treated with open procedures. Patients treated with MIS had decreases in complication rates, estimated blood loss, and length of stay in the hospital compared to the patients treated with open procedures, but these differences did not reach levels of statistical significance. Our novel MIS technique for intradural extramedullary pathologies appears to be safe and effective in creating a watertight dural closure using standard operating room equipment, while avoiding the costs and training associated with specialized equipment and possibly improving surgical outcome measures when compared to open approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]