Turning people into couch potatoes is not the cure for sports concussion

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A Brief Introduction to Aims and Methods for Image Processing of Electron Micrographs of Biological Specimens

A common problem with electron micrographs of biological objects is that fine details are usually faint and, moreover, tend to be obscured by background noise from stain and support film. Filtering is a useful way to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and is particularly important when trying to detect small changes (conformational or due to labelling) or when examining frozen hydrated objects, where the statistical definition of the image has been reduced because of the low-dose conditions needed to prevent radiation damage. Filtering can also be used to address the superposition effects that result from the large depth of focus of electron microscopes and is particularly effective when dealing with the Moiré patterns produced by overlapping regular layers as found, for example, in helices or tubes. The alteration of the image by the non-uniform phase contrast transfer function of the microscope can also be compensated for by using image processing in conjunction with electron diffraction. Finally, the essentially two-dimensional nature of the information can be extended to three-dimensions by combining views from different orientations. Fourier-based methods are particularly effective when dealing with regular objects, such as crystals, helices and shell structures such as icosahedral viruses

A compatible recording-tabulation technique applied to a statistical study of atmospheric temperature fluctuations

A method has been presented for detecting, recording and automatically analyzing turbulent temperature fluctuations in the atmosphere. The method is used to present, in tabulated form, the data necessary for the computations of the means, standard deviations and correlation coefficient for two electrical signals representing the temperature fluctuations at two detectors. The recording system increases the versatility of the analysis system by acting as a memory so that the original raw data are not lost for re-examination and analysis;The errors and limitations of the instrumental aspects of this investigation have been analyzed and discussed;From the experimental results of this investigation the following conclusions have been drawn. The intensity of thermal turbulence has a dependence upon atmospheric stability. The intensity of the thermal fluctuations is greater during periods of instability than during periods of stability. The intensity of the thermal fluctuations decreases with height during periods of instability and increases with height during periods of stability. The vertical scale of thermal turbulence increases with decreasing stability. The rate at which the vertical scale of thermal turbulence increases with height is greater during periods of instability than during periods of stability

Nationalism and national identity in Scottish politics

Scotland has long been a nation within a wider state, but only within the last four decades has a political party dedicated to the establishment of a Scottish state emerged as an electoral force. Yet, since that time the political landscape within the United Kingdom has changed rapidly. While some see devolution as a step towards the separation of Scotland from the United Kingdom, others argue it is a strengthening of that relationship. This thesis argues that only by acknowledging the ethnic and mass influences on the nature of Scottish national identity will an understanding of Scottish nationalism be possible. After considering the theoretical arguments surrounding nationalism, and specifically Scottish nationalism, the work shifts to an empirical analysis of Scotland. To examine the nature of Scottish nationalism and national identity, this research considers the manifestos of the political parties over the past thirty-five years, examining how they have employed a sense of Scotland the nation, and Scottishness. This consideration is then linked to an analysis of mass perceptions of national belonging and identity, which are themselves contrasted with elite perceptions, gleaned through interviews conducted amongst MPs and MSPs. The results indicate the need to recognise that ethnic aspects of Scottish national identity are more significant than the foremost theoretical considerations of nationalism and national identity allow. Furthermore, this case study illustrates that the impact that mass perceptions have on national identity also requires greater recognition within the field

Closing The Door: A Roll Call Analysis of Immigration Voting in the 99th and 104th Congresses

The research focus of this study is the voting behavior of the elected members of the United States House of Representatives on the issue of national immigration. This work specifically focuses on selected immigration roll call votes taken during the 99th and 104th Congresses. An examination of the voting behavior of the 435 elected representatives from each year will be examined by considering eight hypotheses that question the immigration voting behavior of various sub groups within congress. During the 1980s and 1990s Congress took several major legislative actions in regards to the issue of national immigration. It was hypothesized that not only the tone, but the voting manner of the United States House of Representatives, has become more restrictive on immigration issues during that period. In examining the results of the hypothesis a clear distinction between the voting behavior of the House in 1986, and the voting behavior of the House in 1996 became apparent. Also, the Republican party has clearly become more supportive of greater immigration controls, whereas their Democrat counterparts have remained constant in their support for less restrictive immigration policies. In a final analysis of the two Houses a pattern of polarization in immigration voting was evident, with the majority of movement being towards the more restrictive end of the scale. In conclusion it was found that support for more restrictive immigration policies has grown between the 99th Congress and the 104th Congress, and that this support has not been confined solely to the Republican party. It was also found that immigration has become a more divisive issue, both within the two parties and within the House overall. A more conservative viewpoint on immigration is now the norm in the United States House of Representatives

Closing The Door: A Roll Call Analysis of Immigration Voting in the 99th and 104th Congresses

The research focus of this study is the voting behavior of the elected members of the United States House of Representatives on the issue of national immigration. This work specifically focuses on selected immigration roll call votes taken during the 99th and 104th Congresses. An examination of the voting behavior of the 435 elected representatives from each year will be examined by considering eight hypotheses that question the immigration voting behavior of various sub groups within congress. During the 1980s and 1990s Congress took several major legislative actions in regards to the issue of national immigration. It was hypothesized that not only the tone, but the voting manner of the United States House of Representatives, has become more restrictive on immigration issues during that period. In examining the results of the hypothesis a clear distinction between the voting behavior of the House in 1986, and the voting behavior of the House in 1996 became apparent. Also, the Republican party has clearly become more supportive of greater immigration controls, whereas their Democrat counterparts have remained constant in their support for less restrictive immigration policies. In a final analysis of the two Houses a pattern of polarization in immigration voting was evident, with the majority of movement being towards the more restrictive end of the scale. In conclusion it was found that support for more restrictive immigration policies has grown between the 99th Congress and the 104th Congress, and that this support has not been confined solely to the Republican party. It was also found that immigration has become a more divisive issue, both within the two parties and within the House overall. A more conservative viewpoint on immigration is now the norm in the United States House of Representatives