3,368 research outputs found
Confirmation of the presence of Mycobacterium-tuberculosis complex-specific DNA in three archaeological specimens
This journal published the first reported identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTE) DNA in ancient human remains but CONCERNS were raised about the article two years after publication. These were based on methodology which, in the field of ancient DNA, was still developing. Here we present a re-examination of the 1993 research conducted on three specimens which exhibited palaeopathologies indicative of tuberculosis. The specimens were: an ulna from pre-European-contact Borneo, a spine from Byzantine Turkey, and a lumbar-sacral spine from 17th century Scotland. There was insufficient material to permit re-examination of all of the original samples. The earlier results were confirmed in two independent laboratories using different methodologies. MTB DNA complex-specific Dna amplicons were obtained, and sequenced in both laboratories, in a re-analysis of samples which supported the earlier findings
Probing the Geometry of Supernovae with Spectropolarimetry
We present results from a spectropolarimetric survey of young supernovae
completed at the Keck Observatory, including at least one example from each of
the major supernova types: Ia (1997dt), Ib (1998T, 1997dq), Ib/c-pec (1997ef),
IIn (1997eg), and II-P (1997ds). All objects show evidence for intrinsic
polarization, suggesting that asphericity may be a common feature in young
supernova atmospheres.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of the 10th Annual
October Astrophysics Conference in Maryland: Cosmic Explosion
Letter from A. C. Matheson
Letter concerning expenses from attending the meetings of the State Board of Education
DIR Floortime Therapy
DIR Floortime Therapy is a social pragmatic approach used to help children with autism develop stronger verbal and social skills. Dr. Stanley Greenspan determined there were six milestones all children must master in order to develop appropriate language and social skills. DIR Floortime Therapy engages with the child through play in order to create a naturalistic environment that helps children achieve these milestones. While the approach is not evidence based, several studies have been conducted using DIR Floortime Therapy to strengthen language and social skills in young children with autism. The majority of these studies found a greater increase in the participants’ language and social skills. The study that did not find an increase in language, did see greater joint attention and enjoyment in social interactions. These two factors are predictors of language which possibly points to the assumption that with a longer period of DIR Floortime Therapy, these children would eventually improve their language skills. Moreover, while DIR Floortime is not evidence-based, the Early Start Denver Model, whose foundation is based on DIR Floortime, was deemed evidence-based. This model targets mostly toddlers in hopes that intensive early intervention of this therapy could significantly decrease autism symptoms, enabling these children to progress socially and verbally at a similar rate to their typically developing peers. Perhaps with further research DIR Floortime therapy will be found as an evidence-based practice to increase positive social interactions and language skills in young children diagnosed with autism
Ovarian and cervical cancer awareness: development of two validated measurement tools.
The aim of the study was to develop and validate measures of awareness of symptoms and risk factors for ovarian and cervical cancer (Ovarian and Cervical Cancer Awareness Measures)
From the clinic to the street:the changing role of benzodiazepines in the Scottish overdose epidemic
Reducing drug related deaths : a pre-implementation assessment of knowledge,barriers and enablers for naloxone distribution through general practice
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
The Deepest Radio Study of the Pulsar Wind Nebula G21.5-0.9: Still No Evidence for the Supernova Shell
We report on sensitive new 1.4-GHz VLA radio observations of the pulsar wind
nebula G21.5-0.9, powered by PSR J1833-1034, and its environs. Our observations
were targeted at searching for the radio counterpart of the shell-like
structure seen surrounding the pulsar wind nebula in X-rays. Some such radio
emission might be expected as the ejecta from the <~ 1000 yr old supernova
expand and interact with the surrounding medium. We find, however, no radio
emission from the shell, and can place a conservative 3-sigma upper limit on
its 1-GHz surface brightness of 7 x 10^-22 W/m^2/Hz/sr, comparable to the
lowest limits obtained for radio emission from shells around other pulsar-wind
nebulae. Our widefield radio image also shows the presence of two extended
objects of low-surface brightness. We re-examine previous 327-MHz images, on
which both the new objects are visible. We identify the first, G21.64-0.84, as
a new shell-type supernova remnant, with a diameter of ~13' and an unusual
double-shell structure. The second, G21.45-0.59, ~1' in diameter, is likely an
HII region.Comment: 8 Pages, submitted to MNRA
Spectroscopy of High-Redshift Supernovae from the ESSENCE Project: The First Four Years
We present the results of spectroscopic observations from the ESSENCE
high-redshift supernova (SN) survey during its first four years of operation.
This sample includes spectra of all SNe Ia whose light curves were presented by
Miknaitis et al. (2007) and used in the cosmological analyses of Davis et al.
(2007) and Wood-Vasey et al. (2007). The sample represents 273 hours of
spectroscopic observations with 6.5 - 10-m-class telescopes of objects detected
and selected for spectroscopy by the ESSENCE team. We present 174 spectra of
156 objects. Combining this sample with that of Matheson et al. (2005), we have
a total sample of 329 spectra of 274 objects. From this, we are able to
spectroscopically classify 118 Type Ia SNe. As the survey has matured, the
efficiency of classifying SNe Ia has remained constant while we have observed
both higher-redshift SNe Ia and SNe Ia farther from maximum brightness.
Examining the subsample of SNe Ia with host-galaxy redshifts shows that
redshifts derived from only the SN Ia spectra are consistent with redshifts
found from host-galaxy spectra. Moreover, the phases derived from only the SN
Ia spectra are consistent with those derived from light-curve fits. By
comparing our spectra to local templates, we find that the rate of objects
similar to the overluminous SN 1991T and the underluminous SN 1991bg in our
sample are consistent with that of the local sample. We do note, however, that
we detect no object spectroscopically or photometrically similar to SN 1991bg.
Although systematic effects could reduce the high-redshift rate we expect based
on the low-redshift surveys, it is possible that SN 1991bg-like SNe Ia are less
prevalent at high redshift.Comment: 21 pages, 17 figures, accepted to A
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