Laser Guide Star for 3.6m and 8m telescopes: Performances and astrophysical implications

We have constructed an analytical model to simulate the behavior of an adaptive optics system coupled with a sodium laser guide star. The code is applied to a 3.6-m and 8m class telescopes. The results are given in terms of Strehl ratio and full width at half maximum of the point spread function. Two atmospheric models are used, one representing good atmospheric conditions (20 per cent of the time), the other median conditions. Sky coverage is computed for natural guide star and laser guide star systems, with two different methods. The first one is a statistical approach, using stellar densities, to compute the probability to find a nearby reference. The second is a cross-correlation of a science object catalogue and the USNO catalogue. Results are given in terms of percentage of the sky that can be accessed with given performances, and in terms of number of science object that can be observed, with Strehls greater than 0.2 and 0.1 in K and J bands.Comment: 14 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. Also available at: http://www-obs.univ-lyon1.fr/~lelouarn

Reforming the U. S. health care system: where there's a will, there could be a way

The essay in the 2005 annual report summarizes the themes and consensus-based prescriptions for action that emerged from the Boston Fed's 50th economic conference, Wanting It All: The Challenge of Reforming the U.S. Health Care System, held in June 2005.Health care reform ; Medical care, Cost of

School Personnel’s Knowledge and Perception of School Refusal Behavior

This study examined the knowledge of school personnel regarding risk and protective factors, the four-function model, assessment, and treatment of school refusal behavior. This study also explored the perceptions of school personnel regarding the understanding of school refusal behavior as an emotional condition versus its being delinquent behavior and the climate of understanding at their work setting. Two hundred, ninety-six mental health and non-mental professionals who currently work in school settings across the United States participated in this study by completing an online survey pertaining to this topic. Results indicate that mental health professionals demonstrated a higher level of knowledge than non-mental health professionals regarding risk factors and protective factors. School personnel from both groups demonstrated limited knowledge of the four-function model of school refusal behavior. School personnel from both groups perceived differences, emotionally and behaviorally, between students who demonstrated emotionally-based school refusal behavior and delinquent behaviors. There were inconsistent results regarding school climate as school personnel indicated that students from either group were treated the same, although school personnel from the both groups indicated that staff were supportive of students by helping determine their reasoning for being absent and understanding financial difficulties and a lack of resources they may be facing. Mental health professionals demonstrated adequate knowledge of assessment and treatment modality of school refusal behavior and limited knowledge of effective counseling strategies. Based on this information, school personnel should receive additional training and professional development, especially in the areas of the four-function model and treatment of school refusal behavior

Epic

Eighteenth-century epic is often said to have declined after Milton’s accomplishments in Paradise Lost. Because no major eighteenth-century poets wrote sober, “original,” formal verse epics, the period is envisioned as an emblematic instance of generic death. This chapter argues for a reappraisal. After noting recent challenges to this understanding of the genre and the period, I propose an alternate vision of the epic’s Restoration and eighteenth-century development. The period saw not a “decline” of epic but a consequential shift in how the genre was understood: from a notion of epic based on Virgil (epic as a “heroic” handbook for princes) to an understanding of epic centered on Homer (epics as lofty portraits of primitive, distant cultures). This transition informed translations and imitations, sober-spirited poems and mock-heroics, verse and prose pieces, and critical commentaries. Throughout the period, however, the epic remained closely associated with meditations on British “manners.

Got Graphs? An Assessment of Data Visualization Tools

Graphs are powerful tools for simplifying complex data. They are useful for quickly assessing patterns and relationships among one or more variables from a dataset. As the amount of data increases, it becomes more difficult to visualize potential associations. Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH) was charged with assessing its current visualization tools along with others on the market to determine whether new tools would be useful for supporting NASA's occupational surveillance effort. It was concluded by members of LSAH that the current tools hindered their ability to provide quick results to researchers working with the department. Due to the high volume of data requests and the many iterations of visualizations requested by researchers, software with a better ability to replicate graphs and edit quickly could improve LSAH's efficiency and lead to faster research results

Homer Simpson Marches on Washington: Dissent through American Popular Culture

The Simpsons consistently questions what is culturally acceptable, going against the grain of popular culture by showcasing controversial issues like homosexuality, animal rights, the war on terror, and religion. This subtle form of political analysis is entertaining and great for television ratings, but it also can be an effective means of changing opinions and attitudes on a large scale. To consider another example, what does Star Trek teach viewers about feminist politics? Do comedy programs like The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live advance democracy in ways the mainstream news media cannot? Can horror films contribute to a contemporary understanding of environmentalism? Homer Simpson Marches on Washington: Dissent through American Popular Culture explores how popular culture influences political agendas, frames audience perceptions, and changes values and ideals on both the individual and collective level. Editors Timothy M. Dale and Joseph J. Foy have assembled a top-notch team of scholars from the fields of political science, history, women’s and minority studies, film and media studies, communication, music, and philosophy to investigate the full spectrum of popular culture in a democratic society. Homer Simpson Marches on Washington examines television shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, The X-Files, All in the Family, The View, and The Colbert Report, as well as movies and popular music, demonstrating how covert political and social messages affect the cultural conversation in America. The contributing authors investigate a wide range of controversial topics, including gender, race, religion, class, the environment, and sexual orientation. Kate Mulgrew, who played Captain Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager, offers her own story in the book’s foreword, describing the societal pressures of being the first female captain in the Star Trek franchise. In today’s fragmented society, audiences are met daily with thousands of messages competing for their attention. Homer Simpson Marches on Washington offers an entertaining and insightful look at how popular culture can break through the clutter and bring about profound changes. Timothy M. Dale, assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, is coauthor of Political Thinking, Political Theory, and Civil Society. Joseph J. Foy, assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin–Waukesha, is the editor of Homer Simpson Goes to Washington: American Politics through Popular Culture. Popular culture is a growing area of interest, especially given its status as a major U.S. export in this rapidly globalizing world. Homer Simpson Marches on Washington is a useful and interesting work. --Margaret Ferguson, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis Homer Simpson Marches on Washington is essential reading for anyone who believes that mass media can be effective in exposing the oppressive powers the be and inspiring people to resist them. --catapult magazine Both Homer Simpson Goes to Washington and Homer Simpson Marches on Washington look at popular culture as not simply entertainment of the masses. Instead, pop culture can emphasize contemporary societal norms, or introduce new ideas and social constructs....Pop culture reaches a national audience, and as such, is inspiring nationwide conversations about politics, race, marriage, religion, etc. If you want to learn more about the basis for these conversations, these two books are excellent resources. --Annette Aguayo, Voices From the Earthhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_american_popular_culture/1009/thumbnail.jp

Applicability of Three Alternative Instruments for Food Authenticity Analysis: GMO Identification

Ensuring foods are correctly labelled for ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is an issue facing manufacturers, retailers, and enforcement agencies. DNA approaches for the determination of food authenticitys often use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and PCR products can be detected using capillary or gel electrophoresis. This study examines the fitness for purpose of the application of three laboratory electrophoresis instruments (Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100, Lab901 TapeStation, and Shimadzu MCE-202 MultiNA) for the detection of GMOs using PCR based on a previously validated protocol. Whilst minor differences in the performance characteristics of bias and precision were observed, all three instruments demonstrated their applicability in using this protocol for screening of GMO ingredients

Homer Simpson Ponders Politics: Popular Culture as Political Theory

It is often said that the poet Homer “educated” ancient Greece. Joseph J. Foy and Timothy M. Dale have assembled a team of notable scholars who argue, quite persuasively, that Homer Simpson and his ilk are educating America and offering insights into the social order and the human condition. Following Homer Simpson Goes to Washington (winner of the John G. Cawelti Award for Best Textbook or Primer on American and Popular Culture) and Homer Simpson Marches on Washington, this exceptional volume reveals how books like J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, movies like Avatar and Star Wars, and television shows like The Office and Firefly define Americans’ perceptions of society. The authors expand the discussion to explore the ways in which political theories play out in popular culture. Homer Simpson Ponders Politics includes a foreword by fantasy author Margaret Weis (coauthor/creator of the Dragonlance novels and game world) and is divided according to eras and themes in political thought: The first section explores civic virtue, applying the work of Plato and Aristotle to modern media. Part 2 draws on the philosophy of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Smith as a framework for understanding the role of the state. Part 3 explores the work of theorists such as Kant and Marx, and the final section investigates the ways in which movies and newer forms of electronic media either support or challenge the underlying assumptions of the democratic order. The result is an engaging read for undergraduate students as well as anyone interested in popular culture. Joseph J. Foy, associate campus dean and associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin–Waukesha, is the editor of Homer Simpson Goes to Washington: American Politics through Popular Culture and coeditor of Homer Simpson Marches on Washington: Dissent through American Popular Culture. Timothy M. Dale, assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, is coeditor of Homer Simpson Marches on Washington: Dissent through American Popular Culture. “Today, film, fiction, and television reflect our notions of civic virtue, morality, and the human condition—or at least help us to struggle with understanding and defining these. The ubiquitous nature of popular culture means that it will have an effect upon us, whether one likes that or not. The authors argue that, given this fact, even those who doubt the ‘seriousness’ of popular culture would do well to pay attention to it.”—Margaret Ferguson, Assistant Vice President for Statewide Academic Relations at Indiana University Since ancient times myths and stories have been used to convey our deepest thoughts about how to live together in community. With this book we now have a fun and engaging way to learn and think about political theory through the myths and stories of our time, popular culture. -- William Irwin, author of Black Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering Reality Foy and Dale have done it again, this time with political theory! Political theory is one of the most difficult subjects that political science undergraduates encounter and Homer Simpson Ponders Politics opens up an avenue for students to engage many of the broad theories through some of the cultural artifacts with which they are most familiar: popular culture. These important theories bubble up through all areas of popular culture from Machiavelli and The Godfather to Plato and Star Wars— there is much to learn from this compendium. This is a useful book for students of political theory of any age or training and for those who are intrigued by the many political concepts popular culture teaches us. --Lilly J. Goren, coeditor of Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics Most essays in this collection employ their philosophical guides in ways that can...disabuse undergraduates of the notion that political theory can better address the sterile and obsolete concerns of forgotten eras than fundamental questions about contemporary political life. -- Choicehttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_american_popular_culture/1013/thumbnail.jp