An Analysis of Form and Function of Ceramic Rim Sherds from LA 20,000, A 17th Century Estancia Outside Santa Fe, New Mexico

This thesis examines a sample of ceramic sherds from LA 20,000 to determine the functional uses of the locally made ceramics and their relationship to food preparation, consumption, and identity. LA 20,000, the Sanchez site, is a Spanish colonial estancia, or ranching headquarters, located in La Cienega, New Mexico, roughly 12 miles southwest of Santa Fe and was occupied during the seventeenth century before the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. It is important to understand Pueblo, or native made, ceramics because all ceramic assemblages recovered from 17th-century Spanish sites in New Mexico consist of a majority of native made ceramics. I analyzed the ceramic rim sherds recovered from the site to determine vessel form, vessel size, and vessel function. The results of this study reveal that the inhabitants of LA 20,000 continued to display their Spanish identity by making wheat bread and using individual serving vessels as well as introducing new Spanish vessel forms to the repertoire of locally made ceramics. This study can be used as a comparative tool to other Spanish and Pueblo sites from the same time period in New Mexico

Relative age affects marathon performance in male and female athletes

Marathon runners are ranked in 5-year age groups. However the extent to which 5-year groupings facilitates equitable competition has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of relative age in male and female marathon running. Marathon finishing times for the top ten male (aged 20-69 years) and female athletes (aged 20-64 years) were obtained from the 2013 New York and Chicago marathons. Intra-class and inter-class validity were evaluated by comparing performances within (intra-class) and between (inter-class) the 5-year age groups. Results showed intra-class effects in all male age groups over 50 years, in all female age groups over 40 years, and in male and female 20-24 age groups (p < 0.05). Inter-class differences existed between the 20-24 and 25-29 age groups in both males and females, between all male age groups over 50 years, and between all female age groups over 40 years (p < 0.05). This study provided the first evaluation of the effects of relative age in male and female marathon running. The results provide preliminary but compelling evidence that the relatively older male athletes in age groups over 50 years and the relatively older females in age groups over 40 years are competitively disadvantaged compared to the younger athletes in these age groups

A revision of the structure of (bipyridyl-N,N')-dicyanoplatinum(II)

In a previous X-ray crystallographic study of crystals of Pt(bpy)(CN)_2 (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) the planar molecules were reported to be exactly eclipsed, stacked directly on top of one another with a spacing of 3.33 Å so as to form a linear Pt· · ·Pt· · ·Pt chain. A reinvestigation shows this structure to be incorrect. The presence of weak intermediate layer lines indicates that the repeat distance along the stacking direction is 6.66 Å rather than 3.33 Å. Successive molecules within the stack are rotated by 180° and the resulting Pt-atom chain is slightly zigzag with a Pt· · ·Pt· · ·Pt angle of 168.6 (1)°. The implications are discussed of the determination and refinement of an apparently satisfactory, although grossly wrong, structure that was based on an incorrect unit cell and an incorrect space group

Emission Spectroscopic Properties of the Red Form of Dichloro(2,2‘-bipyridine)platinum(II). Role of Intermolecular Stacking Interactions

The structure of the red form of Pt(bpy)Cl_2 (bpy = 2,2‘-bipyridine) has been studied by variable-temperature X-ray crystallography. The stack of square-planar Pt(bpy)Cl_2 units in the linear-chain material contracts with decreasing temperature; in the interval between 294 and 20 K, the platinum−platinum distance shortens from 3.449(1) to 3.370(2) Å. Both absorption and emission spectra of the red compound depend strikingly on temperature; as previously found for tetracyanoplatinate salts, the emission maximum red-shifts as the temperature drops (613 nm at 300 K; 651 nm at 10 K), with the peak energy decreasing linearly with the inverse cube of the metal−metal separation

Procedural confidence in hospital based practitioners: implications for the training and practice of doctors at all grades

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Medical doctors routinely undertake a number of practical procedures and these should be performed competently. The UK Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) curriculum lists the procedures trainees should be competent in. We aimed to describe medical practitioner's confidence in their procedural skills, and to define which practical procedures are important in current medical practice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross sectional observational study was performed measuring procedural confidence in 181 hospital practitioners at all grades from 2 centres in East Anglia, England.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both trainees and consultants provide significant service provision. SpR level doctors perform the widest range and the highest median number of procedures per year. Most consultants perform few if any procedures, however some perform a narrow range at high volume. Cumulative confidence for the procedures tested peaks in the SpR grade. Five key procedures (central line insertion, lumbar puncture, pleural aspiration, ascitic aspiration, and intercostal drain insertion) are the most commonly performed, are seen as important generic skills, and correspond to the total number of procedures for which confidence can be maintained. Key determinants of confidence are gender, number of procedures performed in the previous year and total number of procedures performed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The highest volume of service requirement is for six procedures. The procedural confidence is dependent upon gender, number of procedures performed in the previous year and total number of procedures performed. This has implications for those designing the training curriculum and with regards the move to shorten the duration of training.</p

A revision of the structure of (bipyridyl-N,N')-dicyanoplatinum(II)

In a previous X-ray crystallographic study of crystals of Pt(bpy)(CN)_2 (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) the planar molecules were reported to be exactly eclipsed, stacked directly on top of one another with a spacing of 3.33 Å so as to form a linear Pt· · ·Pt· · ·Pt chain. A reinvestigation shows this structure to be incorrect. The presence of weak intermediate layer lines indicates that the repeat distance along the stacking direction is 6.66 Å rather than 3.33 Å. Successive molecules within the stack are rotated by 180° and the resulting Pt-atom chain is slightly zigzag with a Pt· · ·Pt· · ·Pt angle of 168.6 (1)°. The implications are discussed of the determination and refinement of an apparently satisfactory, although grossly wrong, structure that was based on an incorrect unit cell and an incorrect space group

Bostonia: The Boston University Alumni Magazine. Volume 12

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University’s main alumni publication