Dynamics and structure of an aging binary colloidal glass

We study aging in a colloidal suspension consisting of micron-sized particles in a liquid. This system is made glassy by increasing the particle concentration. We observe samples composed of particles of two sizes, with a size ratio of 1:2.1 and a volume fraction ratio 1:6, using fast laser scanning confocal microscopy. This technique yields real-time, three-dimensional movies deep inside the colloidal glass. Specifically, we look at how the size, motion and structural organization of the particles relate to the overall aging of the glass. Particles move in spatially heterogeneous cooperative groups. These mobile regions tend to be richer in small particles, and these small particles facilitate the motion of nearby particles of both sizes.Comment: 7 pages; submitted to Phys. Rev. E. Revised with 1 new figure, improved tex

Firing Back on Lead Shot

California condors and golden eagles are just two of 130 species suffering the effects of lead ammunition. An HSUS-backed bill in California would force hunters to get the lead out

Exploring the third delay: an audit evaluating obstetric triage at Mulago National Referral Hospital

BACKGROUND: Mulago National Referral Hospital has the largest maternity unit in sub-Saharan Africa. It is situated in Uganda, where the maternal mortality ratio is 310 per 100,000 live births. In 2010 a ‘Traffic Light System’ was set up to rapidly triage the vast number of patients who present to the hospital every day. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the obstetric department’s triage system at Mulago Hospital with regard to time spent in admissions and to identify urgent cases and factors adversely affecting the system. METHODS: A prospective audit of the obstetric admissions department was carried out at the Mulago Hospital. Data were obtained from tagged patient journeys using two data collection tools and compiled using Microsoft Excel. StatsDirect was used to compose graphs to illustrate the results. RESULTS: Informal triage was occurring 46 % of the time at the first checkpoint in a woman’s journey, but the ‘Traffic Light System’ was not being used and many of the patient’s vital signs were not being recorded. CONCLUSIONS: It is hypothesised that the ‘Traffic Light System’ is not being used due to its focus on examination finding and diagnosis, implying that it is not suitable for an early stage in the patient’s journey. Replacing it with a simple algorithm to categorise women into the urgency with which they need to be seen could rectify this

Unveiling Eureka Math: A Critical Peek Behind the Curricular Curtain

While contemporary mathematics education literature argues that curricular resources, such as textbooks, play a significant role guiding mathematics teachers in what and how they teach, it also shows that these resources often do not do what they say they will do, nor adhere to the standards they claim to further. When it comes to the most utilized mathematics curricular resource in the United States, Eureka Math, there is a lack of scholarly literature investigating these types of claims made by the publisher. This study aimed to explore how the Eureka Math curricular resources are positioned within the context of the Common Core State Standards of Mathematical Practice (CCSS-MP) and mathematics education more broadly and, subsequently, how the content of the resources then positions it in relation to the constructivist-aligned practices of the CCSS-MP. Through a descriptive case study design, I first engaged in a critical discourse analysis of two webpages of the Eureka Math website to provide both a description and an interpretation of the text and images, followed by an explanation of a macro-level context of mathematical crisis that was revealed through the relevant literature. I then conducted a content analysis of tasks provided in a module of the Eureka Math curriculum using an adapted framework focused on three characteristics deemed essential for high-quality context-based tasks: type of context, type of information, and type of cognitive demand. Findings from the critical discourse analysis revealed that Eureka Math’s online platform functions to convince consumers that their products provide a superior level of rigor, real-world problem solving, and conceptual understanding through its implementation. The content analysis showed that overall, few tasks (25%) throughout the module were context-based tasks, with very few (4%) being high-quality in the type of information provided, even fewer (3%) in the type of cognitive demand required, and none (0%) in the type of context featured. While this study focuses on the Eureka Math curriculum specifically, it aims to also inform broader discussions of mathematics curriculum and, more broadly, conversations about curriculum decision-making in all content areas