104 research outputs found
Creating a self-induced dark spontaneous-force optical trap for neutral atoms
This communication describes the observation of a new type of dark
spontaneous-force optical trap (dark SPOT) obtained without the use of a mask
blocking the central part of the repumper laser beam. We observe that loading a
magneto-optical trap (MOT) from a continuous and intense flux of slowed atoms
and by appropriately tuning the frequency of the repumper laser is possible to
achieve basically the same effect of the dark SPOT, using a simpler apparatus.
This work characterizes the new system through measurements of absorption and
fluorescence imaging of the atomic cloud and presents a very simple model to
explain the main features of our observations. We believe that this new
approach may simplify the current experiments to produce quantum degenerated
gases.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, Submitted to Optics Communications (30/10/2003),
accepted for publication (Feb/2004
Failing boys and moral panics: perspectives on the underachievement debate
The paper re-examines the underachievement debate from the perspective of the ‘discourse of derision’ that surrounds much writing in this area. It considers the contradictions and inconsistencies which underpin much of the discourse – from a reinterpretation of examination scores, to the conflation of the concepts of ‘under’ and ‘low’ achievement and finally to the lack of consensus on a means of defining and measuring the term underachievement. In doing so, this paper suggests a more innovative approach for understanding, re-evaluating and perhaps rejecting the notion of underachievement
School dropout, problem behaviour and poor academic achievement : a longitudinal view of portuguese male offenders
This study examines school drop outs from the perspective of male adults
themselves through interviews with offenders currently serving sentences. Participants
were 10 Portuguese male inmates, between the ages of 19 and 46 years of age,
incarcerated in two prison facilities of the Azores. Qualitative and interpretative methods
were carried out using a semi-structured in-depth individual interview that was audiorecorded
and conducted on the basis of a list of topics. Interview transcripts and thematic
analysis were used in data treatment and analysis. The findings primarily indicate that
poor academic achievement and emotional and behavioural difficulties of participants
played a particular role in early school drop out. The trajectories these individuals
followed within the education system presented problem behaviour, learning disabilities,
and/or foster care interventions. While school drop out circumstances were apparently
various, analysis showed that they were underpinned by three distinct sets of conditions
generally not addressed by the education system. The analysis of the triggering factors
and the maintenance dynamics of school drop outs indicated three distinct types:
retention/absenteeism, life turning points and positive resolution. Implications for
secondary prevention and screening practices are discussed.FCT (SFRH/ BD/ 44245/ 2008)CIEC - unidade de investigação 317 da FC
Reforming Watershed Restoration: Science in Need of Application and Applications in Need of Science
Comprehensive analysis of epigenetic clocks reveals associations between disproportionate biological ageing and hippocampal volume
The concept of age acceleration, the difference between biological age and chronological age, is of growing interest, particularly with respect to age-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Whilst studies have reported associations with AD risk and related phenotypes, there remains a lack of consensus on these associations. Here we aimed to comprehensively investigate the relationship between five recognised measures of age acceleration, based on DNA methylation patterns (DNAm age), and cross-sectional and longitudinal cognition and AD-related neuroimaging phenotypes (volumetric MRI and Amyloid-β PET) in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Significant associations were observed between age acceleration using the Hannum epigenetic clock and cross-sectional hippocampal volume in AIBL and replicated in ADNI. In AIBL, several other findings were observed cross-sectionally, including a significant association between hippocampal volume and the Hannum and Phenoage epigenetic clocks. Further, significant associations were also observed between hippocampal volume and the Zhang and Phenoage epigenetic clocks within Amyloid-β positive individuals. However, these were not validated within the ADNI cohort. No associations between age acceleration and other Alzheimer’s disease-related phenotypes, including measures of cognition or brain Amyloid-β burden, were observed, and there was no association with longitudinal change in any phenotype. This study presents a link between age acceleration, as determined using DNA methylation, and hippocampal volume that was statistically significant across two highly characterised cohorts. The results presented in this study contribute to a growing literature that supports the role of epigenetic modifications in ageing and AD-related phenotypes
Planting coconuts in Indian villages: ethnoecological aspects and evaluation of a "sustainable development" project
Space as a Tool for Astrobiology: Review and Recommendations for Experimentations in Earth Orbit and Beyond
Impact of temperature transients on the measured transmission properties of optical fibres
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