Search

The MovieClassroom website allows student or faculty users to create and share Geoscience themed digital videos. Movie production can promote learning by encouraging meta-cognition and the synthesis of multiple concepts in an engaging, project-based exercise, with the ancillary benefit of producing educational media useful for peer-learning. The website was tested by students in an introductory Earth Science class (Weather and Climate) who created extra-credit movies designed to be shown to future students. Results of student self-assessments indicate that the website is easy to use and that students took exceptional pride in producing a creative product that could be shared with others. Almost all of the students' movies were scientifically accurate. The website interface and database are currently being upgraded to enable viewer ratings and to facilitate the adaptation of published movies. These changes are designed to allow quantitative assessments of student learning through movie production, and explore the reciprocal hypothesis that student produced digital movies may be an effective means of introducing geoscience concepts to social and cultural peers. The MovieClassroom is an open-source project, therefore details regarding the website design, pedagogy, applications and assessments together with forums for discussion and suggestions are all available on the project wiki.

Absorption oscillator strengths for the γ(A²Σ⁺−X²Π), δ(C²Π−X²Π), and ε(D²Σ⁺−X²Π) bands of NO, which are relevant to the study of atmospheric processes are reported. We have calculated both electronic and vibronic transition probabilities with the molecular-adapted quantum defect orbital (MQDO) method, which has proved, in previous applications, to be an adequate theoretical tool in the context of Rydberg spectra. The results appear to be in good accord with the available experimental values and, with some exceptions, conform fairly well with theoretical data derived from rather more sophisticated methods.

Awareness has increased among health-care professionals, patients and the general public of the importance of an holistic approach to cancer care. Psychosocial interventions, including complementary therapies, may help to improve the quality of life (QoL) of people with cancer by helping to reduce the distress associated with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and by facilitating improved psychological adjustment to the experience of cancer. The following article presents anecdotal findings at ARC Cancer Support Centre Dublin, Ireland, of clients' perceptions of the benefits of reflexology interventions on their QoL. Reflexology interventions were perceived to impact positively upon clients' levels of impairment and functional status, including physical and psychological function, with implications for general health perceptions. The paper discusses how these findings might form the basis of further, more rigourous evaluation of the benefits of reflexology for people with cancer at ARC Cancer Support Centre.

The oscillator strength spectral density for the partial (through different individual Rydberg series) and total photoabsorption processes which determine the photoionization of N2O from its ground state has been studied. Despite its relevance for atmospheric chemistry and astrochemistry, only a few data seem to be available in the literature. The molecular-adapted quantum defect orbital (MQDO) method has been employed in the calculations. For the different ionization channels, continuity between the bound and continuum spectral regions has been achieved in the corresponding partial differential oscillator strengths. Good agreement with experiment has been found for the total photoionization cross section.

The size-consistent self-consistent complete active space singles and doubles configuration interaction ((SC)²-CAS-SDCI) procedure has been applied to the calculation of vertical excitation energies, as well as the ionization energy, of the Rydberg radical ArH. Absorption oscillator strengths and Einstein emission coefficients for a number of electronic transitions have been obtained with the molecular adapted quantum defect orbital (MQDO) method. The adequacy of the two theoretical procedures employed in the present work is discussed.

Cell plate formation in Chara zeylanicawas compared with recent models of cytokinesis in higher plants in order to gain insight into the evolutionary origin of plant cytokinetic processes. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that while cytokinesis in C. zeylanicabears many features in common with that in higher plants, there are significant differences. Unlike that in higher plants, cytokinesis in C. zeylanicabegins with a congregation of smooth membrane tubules that are closely associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi membranes. Mitochondria and other organelles excluded by the phragmoplast in higher plants are present as well. Unlike in higher plants, phragmoplast microtubules persist throughout cytokinesis in C. zeylanica, and the cell plate generally forms across the whole cell at once, though development is patchy, due to small regions developing at different rates; the ends of the plate form last. By identifying aspects of cytokinesis that are different in C. zeylanicaand plants, our study indicates which cytokinetic features are more likely to be derived, and which are more likely to be ancestral. In addition, we demonstrated that all nodal cells of C. zeylanicaare interconnected via plasmodesmata, lending support to the idea that, while Charaspp. are generally considered to be filamentous organisms, nodal regions may be thought of as meristemlike tissues.

To present data on the spectrum of abnormal Papanicolaou (PAP) smears in adolescents and to determine factors that influence compliance with recommendations to return for repeat PAP smears or for colposcopic exanmination.

Purpose:Adjustable suture techniques have become increasingly popular over the last decade and may reduce the re-operation rate after strabismus surgery. The adjustment usually is made in the hospital or office 5 to 24 hours after surgery, when the patient has fully recovered from general anesthesia. The ability to perform suture adjustment in the operating room, immediately after completion of surgery, would be an attractive alternative with respect to patient monitoring, sterility, comfort, and timing. The purpose of this study is to compare the alignment of patients in the operating room adjusted immediately after surgery with their alignment the morning after surgery.

An integrated approach including TEM, SEM and LM was utilized to investigate adhesives produced by the marine fouling diatom Achnanthes longipes.Extracellular adhesive secretion during sequential attachment in living diatom cells was examined using video microscopy. A suite of cryotechniques including high pressure freezing (HPF), freeze-substitution (FS) and high resolution cryo-field-emission SEM (cryo-FESEM) were required for preservation and structural investigation of the hydrophilic polymers synthesized by A. longipesthat promote attachment to ship hulls, oil rigs and other submerged structures.Living cells and associated extracellular biocomposites were rapidly cryo-immoblized and observed using a Hitachi S-900 FESEM equipped with a cryo-stage. This technique allowed resolution of details of polymer organization within the pad, shaft and collar portions of the major adhesive structure termed a stalk (Fig. 1,2). This stalk has been demonstrated to consist mainly of polysaccharide cross-linked by O-linked polypeptides. In addition to permanently adhering the diatom to the substratum, the stalk elevates A. longipes,possibly enhancing the ability to successfully compete with other biofilm dwellers.

An integrated approach including TEM, SEM and LM was utilized to investigate adhesives produced by the marine fouling diatom Achnanthes longipes.Extracellular adhesive secretion during sequential attachment in living diatom cells was examined using video microscopy. A suite of cryotechniques including high pressure freezing (HPF), freeze-substitution (FS) and high resolution cryo-field-emission SEM (cryo-FESEM) were required for preservation and structural investigation of the hydrophilic polymers synthesized by A. longipesthat promote attachment to ship hulls, oil rigs and other submerged structures.Living cells and associated extracellular biocomposites were rapidly cryo-immoblized and observed using a Hitachi S-900 FESEM equipped with a cryo-stage. This technique allowed resolution of details of polymer organization within the pad, shaft and collar portions of the major adhesive structure termed a stalk (Fig. 1,2). This stalk has been demonstrated to consist mainly of polysaccharide cross-linked by O-linked polypeptides. In addition to permanently adhering the diatom to the substratum, the stalk elevates A. longipes,possibly enhancing the ability to successfully compete with other biofilm dwellers.