A search for OH 6 GHz maser emission towards southern supernova remnants

OH masers at 1720 MHz have proven to be excellent indicators of interactions between supernova remnants and molecular clouds. Recent calculations suggest that the 6049 MHz OH maser line is excited for higher column densities than for the 1720 MHz line. It is therefore a potentially valuable indicator of remnant-cloud interaction. We present preliminary results of a survey using the Parkes Methanol Multibeam receiver for 6049 MHz and 6035/6030 MHz OH masers towards 36 supernova remnants and 4 fields in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. While no 6049 MHz masers have been found, three new sites of 6035 and 6030 MHz OH maser emission have been discovered in star-forming regions.Comment: 2 pages, 1 fig, iaus.cls. To appear in IAU 242, Astrophysical Masers and Their Environments, eds. J. Chapman & W. Baa

Revision Of The Computer Technology Curriculum At Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Based On Small Business Training Needs

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (O-C Tech) is one of sixteen two-year institutions comprising the statewide comprehensive technical education system in South Carolina. At O-C Tech, over sixty-three percent of the students register for computer technology courses. Many of these students discover that the series of computer courses they are taking may not qualify them for an entry-level position in local small businesses. This results in increased attrition and loss of money and time for students. The purpose of this major applied research project was to provide O-C Tech\u27s Computer Technology (CPT) department with a model microcomputer applications curriculum and a sense of direction for the 1990\u27s. The project was designed to bring resolution to the following research questions. 1. What will the Computer Technology needs of O-C Tech’s students be for the 1990\u27s, taking into account the projected societal changes? 2. What microcomputer business programs would most likely be supported by regional businesses to the extent they would be willing to employ students trained in these applications? 3. Will O-C Tech be able to respond to the needs identified in (1) and (2) above, in terms of curricula, faculty expertise, facilities, and equipment? a. If so, what action must be taken to revise and/or update curricula and programs in the CPT department? b. If not, what additional resources, facilities and/or equipment will be necessary to meet future requirements? The methodology utilized was systemically related to the research questions posed, the results of which were the operational framework for the curriculum model derived. The review of the literature and personal interviews were conducted to determine what others have done to resolve computer education problems. The review of the literature pointed to other studies utilizing the case study approach. Case records were established on three other regional colleges to analyze the characteristics of their CPT curriculum. A cross-case analysis was conducted on the case records to determine the commonality and differences in their offerings. This cross-case analysis was significant in reviewing similarities and differences in recently revised CPT courses. Elements of existing microcomputer applications programs and data findings from the survey questionnaire that were compatible with O-C Tech\u27s CPT framework were adapted for use in the model derived for this project. The model included two prerequisite courses, four core, and five elective courses. The model also has a common course numbering system that facilitates a clearer understanding of course sequence. The proposed microcomputer applications model was presented to the Academic Review Committee, consisting of a cross-section of college representatives, who reviewed the proposal and made appropriate comments. These comments, as well as the data findings from this study were used to formulate the following conclusions and recommendations. It was concluded that serious fragmentation does exist among the technical institutions with regard to uniform CPT articulation at both the two- and four-year colleges. It was also concluded that there is a need for a curriculum model to address this fragmentation, as well as address the perceived training needs of clients at the O-C Tech CPT Resource center. The following recommendations were formulated for O-C Tech as a result of this study: 1. Adopt the Microcomputer Applications Certificate curriculum in this study, including its common course numbering, and mandate its use. 2. Appoint a Task Force on Articulation, comprised of key personnel from selected two- and four-year colleges, to conduct further studies on the problem of articulation among institutions. 3. Continue studies similar to this one to assess the business applications software currently being used by small business owners. 4. Collect follow-up data from the clients who attend the CPT training classes to evaluate the effectiveness of the new applications curriculum. 5. Continue with procedures found in this study to follow-up on what sister institutions are doing to revise their courses to qualify them for transfer to another college. 6. Conduct future studies among regional small businesses to ascertain computer training needs. 7. Repeat this study in five years to determine if there is (a) a continued trend of two-year college to follow the Data Processing Management Curriculum guidelines, and (b) a trend of sister institutions to utilize system-wide guidelines on course development

Mourning Sun

The original idea for this work came from a period of self-reflection, specifically during this past summer where life as we knew it shifted dramatically. I have had a passion for the arts, in all forms, for as long as I can remember, all as a direct impact that my grandfather had on me. Charlie had always loved art, specifically dance and theater, and was a constant supporter of the arts. At a young age, he began taking me to the New York City Ballet to see The Nutcracker, and seeing how I fell in love with dance, he made it his mission to provide me with as much inspiration and access to the arts, as possible. He took me to see shows whenever he had the chance, up until the day that he died. This constant support and access is what drove me to pursue a career in the arts and has shaped me into the person that I am today. After his death, I truly realized how much of an impact that he made on me and how I feel as though I took his life for granted. I’ve realized that this is one of my major flaws, and I want to spend more time reflecting and suspending in the substance of each moment. I want to start appreciating what I have when I have it, instead of turning a blind eye to the treasures that fill each day. I keep a card on my desk that reads “Gratitude in advance is the most powerful creative force in the universe� and this principle is what I wanted the focus of this piece to be about. I felt as though it would be selfish to not create a piece that also reflects the dramatic change in life that has happened this year. Life can change so quickly and so we need to be grateful for what we have while we have it and truly appreciate this beautiful life

Childbirth and the development of post-traumatic stress symptoms: an examination of prevalence and possible contributing factors

Prior to the reformulation of diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual -Forth Edition (DSM-IV), it was widely believed that in order to qualify for a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) one had to experience a trauma that was outside the range of normal human experience. However, a growing body of research informed a shift in criteria to include subjective factors in the diagnosis ofthe disorder. Therefore, it was not the event itself that predicted the development ofPTSD, rather a person's reaction to it. Following this shift in thinking it became accepted that women could develop PTSD following childbirth.The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms in women one month and three months after giving birth in a NHS hospital in Scotland. In addition a number of potential predictive variables were considered in relation to the development ofPTSD symptoms. They included the number of obstetric interventions experienced by women; locus of control; number of perinatal life events experienced; baby's admission to the Special Care Baby Unit; and co-morbid anxiety and depression in the postpartum period.Sixty-one mothers completed measures assessing PTSD symptomatology and predictive variables one month following delivery. Fifty-two mothers responded three months following delivery.Results revealed that 14.8% of women experienced symptoms suggestive of post¬ traumatic stress disorder one month after giving birth. This figure fell to 9.6% three 1 months after birth. The number of obstetric interventions experienced, locus of control or life events which occurred prior to labour and delivery were not related to the development of symptoms. Events which occurred during labour and delivery significantly differentiated women with more PTSD symptoms at one month but not at three months post-delivery. Events which occurred after delivery significantly differentiated women with PTSD symptoms from those without PTSD symptoms at one month and three months postpartum. Mothers whose infants were admitted to the special care baby unit had more symptoms ofPTSD than those whose infants were not, at one month, but not three months, following delivery. Finally, women who had higher scores for PTSD had significantly higher anxiety and depression scores at one month post-delivery. Only anxiety scores remained significant at three months postdeliveryThe results are discussed in relation to previous research in the area of postpartum PTSD and the limitations of the study and implications for future research are considere

Stochastic Rainfall-runoff Model with Explicit Soil Moisture Dynamics

Stream runoff is perhaps the most poorly represented process in ecohydrological stochastic soil moisture models. Here we present a rainfall-runoff model with a new stochastic description of runoff linked to soil moisture dynamics. We describe the rainfall-runoff system as the joint probability density function (PDF) of rainfall, soil moisture and runoff forced by random, instantaneous jumps of rainfall. We develop a master equation for the soil moisture PDF that accounts explicitly for a general state-dependent rainfall-runoff transformation. This framework is then used to derive the joint rainfall-runoff and soil moisture-runoff PDFs. Runoff is initiated by a soil moisture threshold and a linear progressive partitioning of rainfall based on the soil moisture status. We explore the dependence of the PDFs on the rainfall occurrence PDF (homogeneous or state-dependent Poisson process) and the rainfall magnitude PDF (exponential or mixed-exponential distribution). We calibrate the model to 63 years of rainfall and runoff data from the Upper Little Tennessee watershed (USA) and show how the new model can reproduce the measured runoff PDF

A search for OH 6 GHz maser emission towards supernova remnants

OH masers at 1720 MHz have proven to be excellent indicators of interactions between supernova remnants and molecular clouds. OH excitation calculations suggest that the 6049 MHz OH maser line is excited for higher column densities than for the 1720 MHz line. Previous observations and modelling of 1612, 1665 and 1667 MHz OH absorption and 1720 MHz OH masers indicated that the column densities in some supernova remnants, ~1e17 cm^-2, may be high enough for 6049 MHz OH masers to exist. It is therefore a potentially valuable indicator of remnant-cloud interaction. We present excitation calculations predicting the formation of 6049 MHz OH masers and results of a survey using the Parkes Methanol Multibeam receiver for 6049, 6035 and 6030 MHz OH masers towards 35 supernova remnants, a star-forming region and 4 fields in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Two new sites of 6035 and 6030 MHz OH maser emission associated with star-forming regions have been discovered, but no 6049 MHz masers were detected to a brightness temperature limit of ~0.3-0.6 K, even though modelling of the OH excitation suggests that maser emission should have been detected. Our upper-limits indicate that the OH column density for a typical remnant is less than 1e16.4 cm^-2, which conflicts with observed and modelled column densities. One possible explanation is that 6049 MHz OH masers may be more sensitive to velocity coherence than 1720 MHz OH masers under some conditions.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, mn2e.cls. Submitted to MNRAS Apr 2008. Accepted for publication in MNRAS 2008 July 15. Minor changes in the accepted version. LaTex2

The Effect of Participating in Continuing Optometric Education: a Pilot Study

Purpose: To determine whether participation in two different post graduate optometry workshops resulted in a change in practice for the participants, in their subsequent practice. Methods: 38 optometrists, who had attended a continuing professional development (CPD) workshop on punctal plugs and lacrimal syringing, were surveyed by email and telephone, between four and thirteen months post workshop, to ascertain if they had made a change to their practice. A second group of 32 optometrists, who had attended a continuing education and training (CET) workshop on binocular vision, were surveyed by email, telephone and postal mail between six and nine months post workshop, to ascertain if their practice had changed. Results: After the CPD workshop, 29% (11 out of 38) practitioners had inserted punctal plugs and 11% (4 out of 38) had syringed post-workshop. After the CET workshop 37.5% (12 out of 32) had made a significant change to their practice. Conclusions: In common with other healthcare professionals, attendance at post graduate education events does not appear to effect a change in practice for most optometrists. The effectiveness of a workshop cannot, however, be judged entirely on whether or not those attending it subsequently make changes to their practice