The application of computer-aided design techniques to site layout and planning

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A UK indicator of education for sustainable development

Report references UK Government publication 'Securing the Future'.Report on workshops consulting members of the education community on their preferred approach to the indicator announced in the UK strategy for sustainable development, 'Securing the Future'.Publisher PD

Connecting theory and practice in education for sustainability: Progress and paradox

No Abstract

Educació per a la sostenibilitat : el paper de la geografia escolar en l'educació ambiental

La généralisation des problbmes écologiques a l'échelle planétaire a encouragé la demande d'une éducation environnementale qui contribue i relever ces défis et a atteindre un développement soutenable. La géographie scolaire, a cause de sa tradition et de ses intérets, jouit d'un énorme potentiel pour mener a terme cet objectif. Or, ce potentiel ne peut se développer qu'en partant d'une théorie et d'une pratique appropiées; elles doivent comporter les Clements nécessaires pour établir le développement soutenable dans un cadre de démocratie et de justice. Cet article explore ces questions dans le contexte de l'education environnementale en Grande Bretagne.The generalization of environmental problems at world scale has aroused increasing calls for environmental education which could play a part in resolving such problems and aiding the transition to sustainable development. Thanks to its traditional role as the major vehicle whereby young people learn of the relationship between different societies and the natural world, school geography offers enormous potential to realize this objective provided appropiate theory and practice are applied. A critica1 and emancipatory environmental education and school geography could, therefore, play a role in the overall struggle to establish sustainability with demo cracy and justice. The article explores these topics in the context of recent developments in environrnental and geographical education in Britain.La generalización de los problemas ecológicos a escala planetaria ha estimulado la demanda de una educación ambiental que contribuya a la solución de estos retos y ayude a conseguir un desarrollo sostenible. Por tradición y por intereses docentes, la geografia escolar disfruta de un potencial enorme para llevar a cabo este objetivo. Sin embargo, este potencial solo puede desarrollarse a partir de una teoria y una práctica adecuadas, que incluyan los elementos necesarios para establecer el desarrollo sostenible con democracia y justicia. El articulo explora estos temas en el contexto de la educación ambiental en Gran Bretaña.La generalització dels problemes ecològics a escala planetaria ha esperonat la demanda d'una educació ambiental aue contribueixi a la solució d'aquests reptes i ajudi a assolir un desenvolupament sostenible. Per tradició i per interessos docents, la geografia escolar gaudeix d'un potencial enorme per dur a cap aquesta fita. Tanmateix, aquest potencial nomes es pot desenvolupar a partir d'una teoria i una practica adequades, que incloguin els elements necessaris per establir el desenvolupament sostenible amb democràcia i justícia. L'article explora aquests temes en el context de l'educació ambiental a la Gran Bretanya

The acceptability of iterative reconstruction algorithms in head CT: An assessment of sinogram affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) vs. filtered back projection (FBP) using phantoms

Computed tomography (CT) is the primary imaging investigation for many neurologic conditions with a proportion of patients incurring cumulative doses. Iterative reconstruction (IR) allows dose optimization, but head CT presents unique image quality complexities and may lead to strong reader preferences. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the relationships between image quality metrics, image texture, and applied radiation dose within the context of IR head CT protocol optimization in the simulated patient setting. A secondary objective was to determine the influence of optimized protocols on diagnostic confidence using a custom phantom. METHODS AND SETTING: A three-phase phantom study was performed to characterize reconstruction methods at the local reference standard and a range of exposures. CT numbers and pixel noise were quantified supplemented by noise uniformity, noise power spectrum, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), high- and low-contrast resolution. Reviewers scored optimized protocol images based on established reporting criteria. RESULTS: Increasing strengths of IR resulted in lower pixel noise, lower noise variance, and increased CNR. At the reference standard, the image noise was reduced by 1.5 standard deviation and CNR increased by 2.0. Image quality was maintained at </=24% relative dose reduction. With the exception of image sharpness, there were no significant differences between grading for IR and filtered back projection reconstructions. CONCLUSIONS: IR has the potential to influence pixel noise, CNR, and noise variance (image texture); however, systematically optimized IR protocols can maintain the image quality of filtered back projection. This work has guided local application and acceptance of lower dose head CT protocols.N/

Economies of space and the school geography curriculum

This paper is about the images of economic space that are found in school curricula. It suggests the importance for educators of evaluating these representations in terms of the messages they contain about how social processes operate. The paper uses school geography texts in Britain since the 1970s to illustrate the different ways in which economic space has been represented to students, before exploring some alternative resources that could be used to provide a wider range of representations of economic space. The paper highlights the continued importance of understanding the politics of school knowledge

The Swift Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope

The UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT) is one of three instruments flying aboard the Swift Gamma-ray Observatory. It is designed to capture the early (approximately 1 minute) UV and optical photons from the afterglow of gamma-ray bursts in the 170-600 nm band as well as long term observations of these afterglows. This is accomplished through the use of UV and optical broadband filters and grisms. The UVOT has a modified Ritchey-Chretien design with micro-channel plate intensified charged-coupled device detectors that record the arrival time of individual photons and provide sub-arcsecond positioning of sources. We discuss some of the science to be pursued by the UVOT and the overall design of the instrument.Comment: 55 Pages, 28 Figures, To be published in Space Science Review

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707