Remote-sensing Characterisation of Major Solar System Bodies with the Twinkle Space Telescope

Remote-sensing observations of Solar System objects with a space telescope offer a key method of understanding celestial bodies and contributing to planetary formation and evolution theories. The capabilities of Twinkle, a space telescope in a low Earth orbit with a 0.45m mirror, to acquire spectroscopic data of Solar System targets in the visible and infrared are assessed. Twinkle is a general observatory that provides on demand observations of a wide variety of targets within wavelength ranges that are currently not accessible using other space telescopes or that are accessible only to oversubscribed observatories in the short-term future. We determine the periods for which numerous Solar System objects could be observed and find that Solar System objects are regularly observable. The photon flux of major bodies is determined for comparison to the sensitivity and saturation limits of Twinkle's instrumentation and we find that the satellite's capability varies across the three spectral bands (0.4-1, 1.3-2.42, and 2.42-4.5{\mu}m). We find that for a number of targets, including the outer planets, their large moons, and bright asteroids, the model created predicts that with short exposure times, high-resolution spectra (R~250, {\lambda} 2.42{\mu}m) could be obtained with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of >100 with exposure times of <300s

Small Bodies Science with Twinkle

Twinkle is an upcoming 0.45m space-based telescope equipped with a visible and two near-infrared spectrometers covering the spectral range 0.4 to 4.5{\mu}m with a resolving power R~250 ({\lambda}<2.42{\mu}m) and R~60 ({\lambda}>2.42{\mu}m). We explore Twinkle's capabilities for small bodies science and find that, given Twinkle's sensitivity, pointing stability, and spectral range, the mission can observe a large number of small bodies. The sensitivity of Twinkle is calculated and compared to the flux from an object of a given visible magnitude. The number, and brightness, of asteroids and comets that enter Twinkle's field of regard is studied over three time periods of up to a decade. We find that, over a decade, several thousand asteroids enter Twinkle's field of regard with a brightness and non-sidereal rate that will allow Twinkle to characterise them at the instrumentation's native resolution with SNR > 100. Hundreds of comets can also be observed. Therefore, Twinkle offers researchers the opportunity to contribute significantly to the field of Solar System small bodies research.Comment: Published in JATI

Forged in the Fires of COVID-19: The Evolution of Systemic Therapy for Online Practice and Beyond

There has been a swift uptake in the use of teletherapy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has corresponded with an increase in clinical scholarship focused on conducting systemic therapy in an online format. A majority of this scholarship offers ideas for adapting therapeutic tasks developed around in-person contact for a remote format. The current article moves beyond adapting and offers ideas for remote systemic therapy that are born from our experiences of evolving through teletherapy. We begin by noting some of the significant differences between in-person therapy and teletherapy before describing how these differences can influence client presence and professionalism in session. Following this discussion, we offer ideas for how systemic therapists can enhance client presence, communicate the importance of the work, and inspire client initiative for change while working remotely

Jones Fracture

CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND EXAM: The Jones Fracture is mostly seen as a stress fracture caused by continuous trauma or impact to the lateral portion of the foot. The fracture can also be caused by an acute forceful trauma to the same area. The Jones Fracture is most commonly seen in athletes or chronic runners. Typically, athletes and runners experience the fracture in the non-dominant leg. ANATOMY AND PATHOLOGY: The Jones fracture is a fracture in the fifth metatarsal occurring at the metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction. The lateral portion of the foot is affected. Pain, swelling, discoloration, and difficulty in regular gait are common symptoms of this fracture. Inflammation can cause limited range of motion of the ankle and excess pain in the distal ankle, in turn radiating pain up the lower leg. DIAGNOSTIC TESTING & CONSIDERATIONS: A patients’ daily activities need to be taken into consideration when diagnosing a Jones Fracture. The diagnosis involves a physical exam. Initially there is a determination of how the injury happened and when the pain started. This is followed by a palpation examination of the foot in order to assess the location of the pain. Additionally, an X-Ray or other imaging scans can be used to verify the facture. TREATMENT & RETURN TO ACTIVITY: The treatment plan will depend on the severity of the fracture. The most common surgical fixation technique utilizes plates and screws to fix the fracture. The screw fixation can have a titanium screw as well as a bone graft, whereas the plate fixation uses both a screw and a titanium plate to help stabilize the fracture. The screw fixation has shown to have a 1-2-week quicker return to participation than the plate fixation. A cast is usually placed on the patients’ foot following surgery. Non-surgical interventions include rest and ankle exercises that aim to alleviate pain and loss of performance. Individuals choosing a non-surgical treatment tend to take a longer time to return to previous participation levels. During the healing process there may be complications with the reunion of the fracture. These complications can include nonunion, delayed union, and refracture, all of which can occur with surgical as well as nonsurgical techniques. Nonunion happens when the fracture does not heal, and the screw or plate has not held them together. Delayed union is when the fracture takes longer than usual to heal. It is the most common due to the athlete participating in their sport before healing has happened. A refracture can occur when previous activity levels are initiated too soon, exposure to high impact on the area, or not having complete union of the fracture. Physical therapy can take 6-8 weeks depending on the healing progression. Due to the distal proximity of the fracture the adequacy of blood flow may affect the healing progression. Additionally, there may be limited range of motion due to swelling, pain and scar tissue build up. Ankle exercises including range of motion work, banded resistance, and stability work are also used to strength the affected ankle. Ultimately the goal of therapy is healing of the fracture along with developing adequate range of motion, proper gait, and reducing pain. Suggestions to prevent an initial or a reoccurrence of the injury include wearing proper footwear, avoid running on uneven surfaces with unstable ankles, and use of proper running technique

Femoral Neck Stress Fracture

CLINICAL PRESENTATION & EXAM: A patient with a femoral neck stress fracture will complain of persistent deep groin pain, orientated anteriorly. The patient will note pain as a new sensation in that area of the body that increases during activity. A patient with a femoral neck stress fracture will have tenderness to palpation. Pain from femoral neck stress fractures occur with repeated vigorous training, such as running, rather than trauma. During a physical examination by a medical professional, a patient suffering from a femoral neck stress fracture will have a gait that favors one leg, the fractured leg will present itself shorter than the un-fractured leg, or the fractured leg could be rotated externally with the knee and foot outwardly turned. Upon further examination, via magnetic resonance imaging or X-Ray, a dense line will present itself in the femoral neck indicating a fracture. ANATOMY & PATHOLOGY: The femur is the longest and most dense bone in the human body, making it an excellent weight-bearing supporter during walking, standing, running and jumping. Since the muscles surrounding the femur are larger muscles, such as the quadriceps, intense forces act on the femur to illicit movement. At the proximal end of the femur is the head of the femur, which is smooth and round forming the ball-and socket joint of the hip which articulates at the acetabulum. Distally from the head of the femur is the femoral neck; the femoral neck is considerably more narrow; this allows the leg to have more range of motion at the hip joint, however the thinness of the femoral neck increases the susceptibility to fractures. To combat the likelihood of a fracture in the femoral neck, the greater and lesser trochanters provide width and strength to the femur. At the acetabulum, the femur aids in the flexion, extension, abduction and adduction of the leg. A femoral neck stress fracture limits internal rotation of the femur. DIAGNOSTIC TESTING & CONSIDERATIONS: A femoral neck stress fracture can be diagnosed by examining the position of the patient’s hip and leg, along with their symptoms. A recommendation of an X-Ray is usually given following an examination by a medical professional. X-Ray’s may not be able to detect miniscule hairline or incomplete fractures; therefore, a CT scan, an MRI or a bone scan may be recommended. If a femoral neck stress fracture is not diagnosed within a proper time frame, blood vessels that supply the femoral head could tear; resulting in the femoral head not having adequate blood supply, leading to avascular necrosis and the inevitable collapse of the femur. TREATMENT & RETURN TO ACTIVITY: Treatment of a femoral neck stress fracture depends on the severity. Femoral neck stress fracture treatments can include surgery and rehabilitation. . Whether there is displacement causing the blood supply to be compromised to the femoral head determines the type of surgery needed. If blood supply is disrupted, partial or total hip replacement is required. Internal fixation involves the use of metal screws or pins that are either implanted into the femur or secured to a metal plate along the femur. This is used when there is no displacement compromising blood supply. Post-surgical physical therapy is needed in order to restore mobility and strength. Medication can be a source of treatment in the early stages, but it only offers short-term pain relief and does not heal the fracture. A non-surgical treatment may involve spending six to eight weeks non-weightbearing. Return to activity depends on the severity of the fracture and type of treatment

Plantar Fasciitis

CLINICAL PRESENTATION & EXAM: A patient with plantar fasciitis will often present symptoms of pain isolated to the media tubercle of the calcaneus, or a burning sensation over the inner foot arch. The symptoms usually start as a dull intermittent pain but tend to progress to sharp and more persistent pains. Patients will typically experience pain within the first steps of the morning, after a prolonged resting period, or after continual stress to the plantar fascia. Plantar fasciitis is a degenerative syndrome of the plantar fascia as a result of repetitive trauma on the calcaneus. The plantar fascia stabilizes the foot arch while walking. Frequency and intensity of stress to plantar fascia causes microtrauma and results in heel pain. ANATOMY & PATHOLOGY: Plantar fascia is a thick aponeurosis formed from three bands of dense connective collagen fibers that attach proximally to the medial calcaneal tuberosity and span down to the proximal phalanges. Plantar fascia provides support to the longitudinal arch of the foot by distributing force between the heel and the forefoot during weight bearing activities. The plantar fascia acts as a shock absorber for the foot, protecting nerves, vessels, muscles, and tendons, along with maintenance of the plantar arch of the foot during weight bearing activities. Plantar fasciitis was traditionally considered an inflammatory process, but recent research points primarily to a degenerative process. Plantar Fasciitis is characterized by thickening of fibrous tissue, swelling, edema, increased pain sensitivity, or rupture of plantar fascia. DIAGNOSTIC TESTING & CONSIDERATIONS: Plantar Fasciitis can be diagnosed through patient history of signs & symptoms, along with a series of examinations. Foot palpation exams can be done on the medial tuberosity of the calcaneus and the proximal portion of the plantar fascia. Other manual examinations include ankle passive supination and the Windlass test. An X-ray can show possible bone spurs, which are asymptomatic. Bone scans can be used to rule out a stress fracture. An Ultrasound can show thickening of the fascial regions, and magnetic resonance imaging can be used to show swelling of the fascia, indicating plantar fasciitis. TREATMENT & RETURN TO ACTIVITY: There are a variety of treatment methods for plantar fasciitis that focus on functional improvement and reducing pain & swelling. Physical treatment methods include physical therapy, massage/manual treatments of soft tissue, stretching exercises, orthotic devices, kinesiotaping, dry needling, and osteopathic or manipulative treatments. Kinesiotaping has been found to reduce pain, swelling, and provide arch support. However, effects of kinesotaping lessen during prolonged running/activity. Along with improved running mechanics, a reduction of running frequency and running on uneven or inclined surfaces will reduce strain on plantar fascia thereby allowing the body to heal. Dry-cupping and electrical stimulation have been shown to reduce pain and increase function in patients with plantar fasciitis. Other treatment methods include laser therapy, iontophoresis, ultrasound, cryoultrasound, low-dose radiotherapy, and extracorporeal shock waves therapy (ESWT). ESWT is a process of creating high pressure waves, generated outside the body, that focus on a certain point inside the body. Pharmacological treatment includes the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). More serious treatment methods involve surgery for chronic and severe cases of plantar fasciitis

Field Observations of Northbound Truck Traffic at Pacific Highway

This report pertains to a field project designed to collect data suitable for development of a simulation model of commercial vehicle operations (CVO) in the northbound direction at the Pacific Highway border crossing in Blaine, Washington. The project complements a recently completed effort that generated similar data for trucks moving southbound at Pacific Highway

Vertebral arteries do not experience tensile force during manual cervical spine manipulation applied to human cadavers

Background: The vertebral artery (VA) may be stretched and subsequently damaged during manual cervical spine manipulation. The objective of this study was to measure VA length changes that occur during cervical spine manipulation and to compare these to the VA failure length. Methods: Piezoelectric ultrasound crystals were implanted along the length of the VA (C1 to C7) and were used to measure length changes during cervical spine manipulation of seven un-embalmed, post-rigor human cadavers. Arteries were then excised, and elongation from arbitrary in-situ head/neck positions to first force (0.1 N) was measured. Following this, VA were stretched (8.33 mm/s) to mechanical failure. Failure was defined as the instance when VA elongation resulted in a decrease in force. Results: From arbitrary in-situ head/neck positions, the greatest average VA length change during spinal manipulation was [mean (range)] 5.1% (1.1 to 15.1%). From arbitrary in-situ head/neck positions, arteries were elongated on average 33.5% (4.6 to 84.6%) prior to first force occurrence and 51.3% (16.3 to 105.1%) to failure. Average failure forces were 3.4 N (1.4 to 9.7 N). Conclusions: Measured in arbitrary in-situ head/neck positions, VA were slack. It appears that this slack must be taken up prior to VA experiencing tensile force. During cervical spine manipulations (using cervical spine extension and rotation), arterial length changes remained below that slack length, suggesting that VA elongated but were not stretched during the manipulation. However, in order to answer the question if cervical spine manipulation is safe from a mechanical perspective, the testing performed here needs to be repeated using a defined in-situ head/neck position and take into consideration other structures (e.g. carotid arteries). Keywords: Spinal biomechanics; cerebrovascular accidents; spinal manipulation; stroke; vertebral artery dissection

Perceptions of auditor independence: U.K. evidence

The reality and perception of auditor independence is fundamental to public confidence in financial reporting. A new Independence Standards Board was set up in the U.S. in 1997 and the European Union (EU) is currently seeking to establish a common core of independence principles. The general setting within which audit decisions are made and independence perceptions are formed is evolving rapidly due to competitive and regulatory changes. Policy-makers must work continuously to evaluate the critical threat factors and develop appropriate independence principles. This paper explores the potential of recent regulatory reforms in the United Kingdom (U.K.), many of which are unique to that country, to strengthen the independence framework. Using a questionnaire instrument, U.K. interested parties' perceptions of the influence on auditor independence of a large set of 45 economic and regulatory factors are elicited. Most factors have a significant impact on independence perceptions for all groups (finance directors, audit partners, and financial journalists). The principal threat factors relate to economic dependence and non-audit service provision, while the principal enhancement factors relate to regulatory changes introduced in the early 1990s (the existence of an audit committee, the risk of referral to the Financial Reporting Review Panel and the risk to the audit firm of loss of Registered Auditor status). Exploratory factor analysis reduces the factor set to a smaller number of uncorrelated underlying dimensions