Laser-driven electron source suitable for single-shot Gy-scale irradiation of biological cells at dose-rates exceeding 101010^{10} Gy/s

We report on the first systematic characterisation of a tuneable laser-driven electron source capable of delivering Gy-scale doses in a duration of 10 - 20 ps, thus reaching unprecedented dose rates in the range of $10^{10} - 10^{12}$ Gy/s. Detailed characterisation of the source indicates, in agreement with Monte-Carlo simulations, single-shot delivery of multi-Gy doses per pulse over cm-scale areas, with a high degree of spatial uniformity. The results reported here confirm that a laser-driven source of this kind can be used for systematic studies of the response of biological cells to picosecond-scale radiation at ultra-high dose rates.Comment: submitted for publicatio

A Methodological Review of the Articles Publishes in Georgia Educational Researcher from 2003-2010

Methodological reviews, reviews that concentrate on research methods rather than research outcomes, have been used in a variety of fields to improve research practice, inform debate, and identify islands of practice. In this article, we report on the results of a methodological review of all of the articles published in Georgia Educational Researcher from 2003-2010. We examined the methodological characteristics, authorial characteristics, and methodological quality of those articles using quantitative content analysis. The major findings were that (a) the proportions of the type and traditions of articles published in Georgia Educational Researcher were similar to the proportions in education research articles in general, (b) case study research and correlational research were most prominent, (c) a few universities accounted for most of the articles published, (d) male and female authors’ articles were published in equitable proportions, and (e) there were no statistically significant differences in methodological quality between genders, university affiliations, types of research, or years of publication. We end with a few suggestions for improving the quality of qualitative research articles in the Georgia Educational Researcher

Laser-driven electron source suitable for of biological cells at dose rates exceeding 10¹⁰ Gy/s

We report on the first systematic characterization of a tuneable laser-driven electron source capable of delivering Gy-scale doses in a duration of 10–20 ps in a single irradiation, thus reaching unprecedented dose rates in the range of 1010–1012 Gy/s. Detailed characterization of the source indicates, in agreement with Monte Carlo simulations, dose delivery over cm-scale areas with a high degree of spatial uniformity. The results reported here confirm that a laser-driven source of this kind can be used for systematic studies of the response of biological cells to picosecond-scale radiation at ultrahigh dose rates

Aboriginal spiritual perspectives: Research findings relevant to end-of-life care

The cultural differences between the dominant Anglo-Australian and the Aboriginal Australian groups are significant, particularly in the way death is dealt with. It is thus extremely important for health care professionals caring for Aboriginal people with a terminal illness to be informed as fully as possible on Indigenous spiritual beliefs associated with death and dying. This article shares findings on Aboriginal spiritual perspectives relevant to the care of individuals coping with a terminal illness from a study in the Northern Territory. The findings emphasize the multiplicity of Aboriginal spiritual perspectives on serious illness and dying, which can juxtapose both Christian and traditional beliefs, as well as the importance for the well-being of Aboriginal persons of respecting these beliefs. The role and importance of traditional healing, the medicine man, and the preferred place of death are also discussed