University Presidents and Politicians

It is customary to think of the ideal university president as being necessarily opposed to the methods and aims of the public politician. I f , as Thorstein Veblen argued, he adopts those methods and aims, he betrays the university and becomes, in effect, the head of a corporation or a minor state. It is the argument of this paper, however, that the president can lead and direct the University only if he accepts a political role, and strives to establish a high place for the university among public priorities. At the University of Toronto (and at other Canadian universities in varying degrees and in varying ways), the president was not able to play this political role until the great expansion of the 'sixties. Then, the need for long-range planning brought the presidents into the political arena. At the same time, internal stresses led to the creation of more representative governing bodies within the universities, and made the president a political figure who must strive to achieve a central alliance within the academic community.On a l'habitude de penser que le président d'université idéal soit nécessairement opposé aux méthodes et aux objectifs des politiciens publics. Si, tel qu 'a raisonné Thorstein Veblen, il adopte ces méthodes et ces objectifs, il trahit l'université et devient, en effet, le chef d'une corporation ou d'un état mineur. Cet essai, cependant, suit le raisonnement suivant: le président est en mesure de guider et de diriger l'université seulement s'il accepte un rôle politique et s'il oeuvre pour que l'on accorde à l'université un rang important parmi les priorités publiques.A l'Université de Toronto (ainsi qu 'à d'autres universités canadiennes à de divers degrés et dans de diverses façons), le président n 'avait pas été en mesure de jouer ce rôle politique jusqu 'au dévéloppement vaste et rapide des années 60. A ce moment-là, le besoin de planification à long terme a amené les présidents d'université dans l'arène politique. En même temps, les tensions internes ont mené la création des corps gouvernants plus représentatifs à l'intérieur de l'université et ont poussé le président à devenir un homme politique obligé d'oeuvrer pour la réalisation d'une alliance centrale à l'intérieur de la communauté académique

Dreams of Heaven

[Chorus]Come to me dreams of heaven!My fainting spirit bear,On your bright wings by morning giv\u27nUp to celestial air,[repeat] [Verse One]Away! far, far a way! From bow\u27rs by tempests riven,Fold me in blue still cloudless day,O blessed dreams of heaven,A way! far, far away!from bow\u27rs by the tempest riven. Fold me in blue still cloudless day,O blessed dreams, O blessed dreams of heav\u27n,O blessed dreams of heav\u27n,O blessed dreams of heav\u27n. [Verse Two]Come but for one brief hour,Sweet dreams and yet again,O\u27er burning thought and mem\u27ry show\u27r Your soft effacing rain.[repeat] [Verse Three]Waft me where gales divine,With dark clouds ne\u27er have strivenWhere living founts forever shine. [repeat] [Repeat 7x]O blessed dreams of heav\u27

DC modulation noise in clustered particulate media

Mallinson’s theory of recording media noise is extended to ensembles where the particles have an easy axis distribution or are clustered. The effect of clusters is that there is a critical value of packing fraction at which noise in the demagnetised state switches to a minimum. Comparison is made with measurements of DC modulation noise in double layer MP tape

The Union and Médecins Sans Frontières approach to operational research.

Operational research (OR) has become a hot topic at national meetings, international conferences and donor fora. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Operational Centre Brussels strongly promote and implement OR with colleagues in low- and middle-income countries. Here we describe how the two organisations define OR, and explain the guiding principles and methodology that underpin the strategy for developing and expanding OR in those countries. We articulate The Union's and MSF's approach to supporting OR, highlighting the main synergies and differences. Then, using the Malawi National Tuberculosis Control Programme as an example, we show how OR can be embedded within tuberculosis control activities, leading to changes in policy and practice at the national level. We discuss the difficult, yet vitally important, issue of capacity building, and share our vision of a new paradigm of product-related training and performance-based OR fellowships as two ways of developing the necessary skills at country level to ensure research is actually performed. Finally, we highlight the need to consider and incorporate into practice the ethical components of OR. This is a key moment to be involved in OR. We are confident that in partnership with interested stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, we can stimulate the implementation of quality, relevant OR as an integral part of health service delivery that in turn will lead to better health for people, particularly for those living in the poorer parts of the world

Nuclear Charge Radius of 12^{12}Be

The nuclear charge radius of $^{12}$Be was precisely determined using the technique of collinear laser spectroscopy on the $2s_{1/2}\rightarrow 2p_{1/2, 3/2}$ transition in the Be$^{+}$ ion. The mean square charge radius increases from $^{10}$Be to $^{12}$Be by \delta ^{10,12} = 0.69(5) \fm^{2} compared to \delta ^{10,11} = 0.49(5) \fm^{2} for the one-neutron halo isotope $^{11}$Be. Calculations in the fermionic molecular dynamics approach show a strong sensitivity of the charge radius to the structure of $^{12}$Be. The experimental charge radius is consistent with a breakdown of the N=8 shell closure.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Nuclear spins, magnetic moments and quadrupole moments of Cu isotopes from N = 28 to N = 46: probes for core polarization effects

Measurements of the ground-state nuclear spins, magnetic and quadrupole moments of the copper isotopes from 61Cu up to 75Cu are reported. The experiments were performed at the ISOLDE facility, using the technique of collinear laser spectroscopy. The trend in the magnetic moments between the N=28 and N=50 shell closures is reasonably reproduced by large-scale shell-model calculations starting from a 56Ni core. The quadrupole moments reveal a strong polarization of the underlying Ni core when the neutron shell is opened, which is however strongly reduced at N=40 due to the parity change between the $pf$ and $g$ orbits. No enhanced core polarization is seen beyond N=40. Deviations between measured and calculated moments are attributed to the softness of the 56Ni core and weakening of the Z=28 and N=28 shell gaps.Comment: 13 pagers, 19 figures, accepted by Physical Review

WII-FIT FOR BALANCE AND GAIT IN SKILLED NURSING FACILITY: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Background: Falls in elderly are a major public health problem. Poor balance and gait abnormalities are risk factors for falls. Exercise improves gait and balance in elderly. However, it is difficult to engage patients in exercise programs. Wii-Fit might bridge this gap by providing high level of engagement at an affordable price. Wii-Fit is a Nintendo game used for balance, yoga, aerobics, and strength training. It is a TV based self-directed activity. Virtual trainers talk the user through the activity and track progress while visual and auditory feedback improve engagement. Anecdotal reports suggest improvement in balance and social benefits with Wii-Fit, but no systematic studies are available. Objective: To compare the effect of Wii-Fit augmentation to physical therapy alone in subjects undergoing rehabilitation in skilled nursing facility (SNF) using a retrospective chart review. Methods: 100 charts were reviewed of which seventeen patients were noted to have used Wii-Fit during their rehabilitation. These subjects were matched with seventeen controls who did physical therapy alone. Results: There were no baseline differences between the groups. The mean age was 77.7 years, with 11 females in each group. All the subjects were Caucasians. The average length of stay was 30 days in each group. Mean duration of the Wii-Fit use was 4-weeks. Wii-Fit augmentation group improved significantly in Activities of Daily Living (p=0.008), balance (p=0.0001), and assistance with gait (p=0.05) when compared to the control group. Conclusion: Wii-Fit can be used safely in a SNF, and it may improve balance, gait, and functional status