Adaptation of a University Soils Mechanics Course for a Union Technician Training Program

When dealing with the term “geotechnical”, most often engineers associate this with the engineering during the design phase. However, equally important is the quality control performed during the construction phase. While great time and expense is used in the initial investigation, the field quality control is usually regulated to the lowest bidder. In 2002, the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 started an organizing effort in the Chicagoland area. In the area of Soils, the Union relied on certifications revolving around laboratory testing and not actual field work. This is in a large part due to the fact that the in the field evaluation of soils there is not a trade organization acting as governing body (such as the American Concrete Institute, American Institute of Steel Construction, or the American Welding Society) for certification. Experience is paramount in the field as the evaluation of soils can be as much “art as science”.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Graston Technique Used In The Treatment Of Patellofemoral Pain In An Ultimate Frisbee Player: A Case Report

Background and Purpose: Graston® Technique (GT) is an instrumented tool used in rehab shown to improve soft tissue injuries. While studies have shown GT to be effective with injuries such as achilles tendinitis, it has not been extensively studied in patients with patellofemoral pain. The purpose of this case report was to investigate a plan of care that included GT in a 38-year-old male ultimate frisbee athlete with patellofemoral pain. Case Description: The patient was an active 38-year-old father of four and a recreational ultimate frisbee player. His chief complaints were pain in the lateral compartment of the right knee, knee stiffness, and an inability to play with his children without pain. The patient was seen once a week for sixteen weeks. Physical therapy treatment included IASTM using GT on the surrounding tissue structures of the knee, stretching and strengthening of the lower extremity, and a comprehensive home exercise program (HEP). Outcome measures included lower extremity functional index (LEFI), numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) and the deep squat test. Outcomes: LEFI improved from 19% to 6% disability from initial evaluation (IE) to discharge, which indicated a clinically significant difference. At IE, the deep squat test reproduced 5/10 pain on the NPRS with visible lateral patellar tracking to less than 1/10 pain and significantly reduced lateral tracking of the patella at discharge. The patient’s pain while playing ultimate frisbee improved from 7/10 to 1/10 on the NPRS. Discussion: A rehab program that combined GT with general lower extremity exercise was an effective treatment for a 38-year-old patient with patellofemoral pain. Future research should investigate the use of GT in a larger population of patients with patellofemoral pain

Antiferromagnetic spin phase transition in nuclear matter with effective Gogny interaction

The possibility of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phase transitions in symmetric nuclear matter is analyzed within the framework of a Fermi liquid theory with the effective Gogny interaction. It is shown that at some critical density nuclear matter with D1S effective force undergoes a phase transition to the antiferromagnetic spin state (the opposite direction of neutron and proton spins). The self--consistent equations of spin polarized nuclear matter with D1S force have no solutions, corresponding to the ferromagnetic spin ordering (the same direction of neutron and proton spins) and, hence, the ferromagnetic transition does not appear. The dependence of antiferromagnetic spin polarization parameter as a function of density is found at zero temperature.Comment: Report at the workshop "Hot points in astrophysics and cosmology", Dubna, August, 2-13, 2004. REVTeX4, 9 pages, 3 figure

A Practical Look at the Variable Area Transect

The variable area transect (VAT) is a plotless density estimator that has received little attention in the ecological literature despite having potentially robust estimation properties. VAT allows for density estimations without the lengthy search times associated with other plotless density estimators. In spite of this, little has been written about the effect of varying transect widths on its density estimation properties or on the practical implementation of the VAT in field settings. An artificial population sampler was used to examine the effect of transect width on density estimates obtained using the VAT. Three transect widths were chosen corresponding to the mean object size, the largest object size, and twice the size of the largest object. Transect width had a marked effect on the quality of the density estimation, with the largest transect width resulting in significant negative biases in estimation. For the narrowest width, most estimates were within 10% of the true value for a nonrandomly distributed poulation. The practical considerations of choosing a VAT transect width are enumerated

Spin polarized states in strongly asymmetric nuclear matter

In the framework of a Fermi liquid theory it is considered the possibility of appearance of spin polarized states in strongly asymmetric nuclear matter with Skyrme effective interaction. The zero temperature dependence of neutron and proton spin polarization parameters as functions of density is found for SLy4, SLy5 effective forces. It is shown that at some critical density it will be formed the state with the oppositely directed spins of neutrons and protons, while the state with the same direction of spins does not appear. In comparison with neutron matter, even small admixture of protons strongly decreases the threshold density of spin instability. It is clarified that protons become totally polarized within very narrow density domain while in the density profile of neutron spin polarization parameter their appear long tails near the transition density.Comment: Prepared with RevTeX4, 8p., 3 figures; to appear in PR