300 research outputs found
Education Reform for the Digital Era
Will the digital-learning movement repeat the mistakes of the charter-school movement? How much more successful might today's charter universe look if yesterday's proponents had focused on the policies and practices needed to ensure its quality, freedom, and resources over the long term? What mistakes might have been avoided? Damaging scandals forestalled? Missed opportunities seized
Octupole strength in the neutron-rich calcium isotopes
Low-lying excited states of the neutron-rich calcium isotopes Ca
have been studied via -ray spectroscopy following inverse-kinematics
proton scattering on a liquid hydrogen target using the GRETINA -ray
tracking array. The energies and strengths of the octupole states in these
isotopes are remarkably constant, indicating that these states are dominated by
proton excitations.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure
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Effects of diesel exhaust on the microbiota within a tuffaceous tunnel system
The abundance and distribution of microbiota that may be impacted by diesel and diesel exhaust were investigated from three depths into the walls and invert (floor) of U12n tunnel at Rainier Mesa, Nevada Test Site, a potential geological analog of Yucca Mountain. Enumerations included total cell counts, and numbers of aerobic heterotrophic, sulfate-reducing, nitrate-reducing, and diesel-degrading bacteria. Additionally, the disappearance of total petroleum hydrocarbons was determined in microcosms containing subsurface materials that were amended with diesel fuel. Results revealed that microbes capable of utilizing diesel and diesel combustion products were present in the subsurface in both the walls and the invert of the tunnel. The abundance of specific bacterial types in the tunnel invert, a perturbed environment, was greater than that observed in the tunnel wall. Few trends of microbial distribution either into the tunnel wall or the invert were noted with the exception of aerobic heterotrophic abundance which increased with depth into the wall and decreased with depth into the invert. No correlation between microbiota and a specific introduced chemical species have yet been determined. The potential for microbial contamination of the tunnel wall during sampling was determined to be negligible by the use of fluorescently labeled latex spheres (1{mu}m in dia.) as tracers. Results indicate that additional investigations might be needed to examine the microbiota and their possible impacts on the geology and geochemistry of the subsurface, both indigenous microbiota and those microorganisms that will likely be introduced by anthropogenic activity associated with the construction of a high-level waste repository
SPECT/CT imaging of the lumbar spine in chronic low back pain: a case report
Mechanical low back pain is a common indication for Nuclear Medicine imaging. Whole-body bone scan is a very sensitive but poorly specific study for the detection of metabolic bone abnormalities. The accurate localisation of metabolically active bone disease is often difficult in 2D imaging but single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) allows accurate diagnosis and anatomic localisation of osteoblastic and osteolytic lesions in 3D imaging. We present a clinical case of a patient referred for evaluation of chronic lower back pain with no history of trauma, spinal surgery, or cancer. Planar whole-body scan showed heterogeneous tracer uptake in the lumbar spine with intense localisation to the right lateral aspect of L3. Integrated SPECT/CT of the lumbar spine detected active bone metabolism in the right L3/L4 facet joint in the presence of minimal signs of degenerative osteoarthrosis on CT images, while a segment demonstrating more gross degenerative changes was more quiescent with only mild tracer uptake. The usefulness of integrated SPECT/CT for anatomical and functional assessment of back pain opens promising opportunities both for multi-disciplinary clinical assessment and treatment for manual therapists and for research into the effectiveness of manual therapies
New Results from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search Experiment
Using improved Ge and Si detectors, better neutron shielding, and increased
counting time, the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment has obtained
stricter limits on the cross section of weakly interacting massive particles
(WIMPs) elastically scattering from nuclei. Increased discrimination against
electromagnetic backgrounds and reduction of neutron flux confirm
WIMP-candidate events previously detected by CDMS were consistent with neutrons
and give limits on spin-independent WIMP interactions which are >2X lower than
previous CDMS results for high WIMP mass, and which exclude new parameter space
for WIMPs with mass between 8-20 GeV/c^2.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Current understanding of the relationship between cervical manipulation and stroke: what does it mean for the chiropractic profession?
The understanding of the relationship between cervical manipulative therapy (CMT) and vertebral artery dissection and stroke (VADS) has evolved considerably over the years. In the beginning the relationship was seen as simple cause-effect, in which CMT was seen to cause VADS in certain susceptible individuals. This was perceived as extremely rare by chiropractic physicians, but as far more common by neurologists and others. Recent evidence has clarified the relationship considerably, and suggests that the relationship is not causal, but that patients with VADS often have initial symptoms which cause them to seek care from a chiropractic physician and have a stroke some time after, independent of the chiropractic visit
Failure of adaptive self-organized criticality during epileptic seizure attacks
Critical dynamics are assumed to be an attractive mode for normal brain
functioning as information processing and computational capabilities are found
to be optimized there. Recent experimental observations of neuronal activity
patterns following power-law distributions, a hallmark of systems at a critical
state, have led to the hypothesis that human brain dynamics could be poised at
a phase transition between ordered and disordered activity. A so far unresolved
question concerns the medical significance of critical brain activity and how
it relates to pathological conditions. Using data from invasive
electroencephalogram recordings from humans we show that during epileptic
seizure attacks neuronal activity patterns deviate from the normally observed
power-law distribution characterizing critical dynamics. The comparison of
these observations to results from a computational model exhibiting
self-organized criticality (SOC) based on adaptive networks allows further
insights into the underlying dynamics. Together these results suggest that
brain dynamics deviates from criticality during seizures caused by the failure
of adaptive SOC.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Historical influence on the practice of chiropractic radiology: part II - thematic analysis on the opinions of diplomates of the American Chiropractic College of Radiology about the future
Background: Over the past 20 years, various authors have addressed the question of the future of chiropractic. Most were positive about the future, with some advocating evidence-based practice and integration with mainstream healthcare, some advocating continued separation with an emphasis on subluxation-based care or the traditional/historical paradigm of chiropractic, and some calling for tolerance and unity. No papers were found specifically inquiring about the future of chiropractic radiology.
Methods: The study population consisted of all current members of the American Chiropractic College of Radiology (ACCR), estimated at 190 people, known as chiropractic radiologists or Diplomates of the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology (DACBRs). An internet-based, anonymous survey using SurveyMonkey was implemented, supplemented by hard copies distributed at a conference. The main point of interest for this paper is the final item of the overall questionnaire. This item inquired about the future of chiropractic radiology. Thematic analysis was used on the responses, coded in both constructionist and inductive ways to extract both a general outlook and more specific themes. The inductive themes were also assigned secondarily to a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis.
Results: The overall response rate to the survey was 38% (73/190); within the group of respondents, 71 of 73 (98%) answered the item that is the subject of this paper. Opinions on the outlook for chiropractic radiology in the future were more negative than positive, with 14 respondents giving a positive outlook, 26 negative, and 14 non-committal. 28 respondents advocated integration with the wider healthcare community, 11 recommended emphasising separateness or a focus on working within chiropractic, and 15 did not express an opinion on this issue. Ten strengths were noted, 11 weaknesses, 57 opportunities, and 30 threats.
Conclusions: The increasing necessity of demonstrating evidence for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in healthcare makes it likely that chiropractic radiologists and the wider chiropractic profession will need to take a more active position on evidence-based practice. Re-evaluation of guidelines and legislation as well as enforcement policies and practices will be necessary. The consequences of failing to do so may include increased marginalisation and reduced viability as a profession
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