durham, n. c. – the amount of exercise may be more important than intensity to improve cardiovascular health, according to a new analysis of the first randomized clinical trial evaluating the effects of exercise amount and intensity in sedentary overweight men and women. this finding of the value of moderate exercise should be encouraging news for those who mistakenly believe only intense exercise can improve health, said the researchers who conducted the trial. the trial, led by researchers at duke university medical center, found that a moderate exercise regimen, such as 12 miles of brisk walking each week, can provide significant improvements in fitness levels while reducing the risks of developing cardiovascular disease. furthermore, the researchers found that any additional increase in amount or intensity can yield even more health benefits. the results of the analysis were published in the october, 2005, issue of the journal chest. " people only need to walk up to 12 miles per week or for about 125 to 200 minutes per week to improve their heart health, " said the lead author brian duscha. " our data suggest that if you walk briskly for 12 miles per week you will significantly increase your cardiovascular fitness levels compared to baseline. if you increase either your mileage or intensity, by going up an incline or jogging, you will achieve even greater gains. " the researchers said that their findings should inspire those couch potatoes who have been hesitant to begin exercising regularly - - especially since earlier analysis of the same participants ( will insert link to inactivity study ) by the same duke team found that people who do not exercise and maintain the same diet will gain up to four pounds each year. " the participants in our study received the fitness benefits without losing any weight, " duscha said. " many people exercise to lose weight, and when that doesn ' t occur, they stop exercising. however, the truth is that you can improve cardiovascular fitness and reduce the risk of heart disease by exercising without losing weight. " to better understand the effects of differing amounts of exercise, the researchers studied 133 overweight sedentary men and women who were beginning to show signs of blood lipid levels high enough to affect their health. they were randomized into one of four groups : no exercise, low amount / moderate intensity ( equivalent of 12 miles of walking per week ), low amount / vigorous intensity ( 12 miles of jogging per week ) or high amount / vigorous intensity ( 20 miles of jogging per week ). since the trial was designed solely to better understand the role of exercise, patients were told not to alter their diet during the


/ vigorous intensity ( 12 miles of jogging per week ) or high amount / vigorous intensity ( 20 miles of jogging per week ). since the trial was designed solely to better understand the role of exercise, patients were told not to alter their diet during the course of the trial, which lasted six months for the group that did not exercise or eight - months for the exercise groups. the additional two months for the exercise group came at the beginning of trial, when participants slowly ramped up their exercise to their designated levels. the exercise was carried out on treadmills. for their analysis, the team compared two measurements of fitness – peak vo2 and time to exhaustion ( tte ) – before and after the trial. peak vo2 is a calculation that measures the maximum amount of oxygen that can be delivered by circulating blood to tissues in a given period of time while exercising. while all the exercise groups saw improvements in peak vo2 and tte after completing their exercise regimens, the researchers noticed some interesting trends. " we found that when we compared the low amount / moderate intensity group to the low amount / vigorous intensity group, we did not see a significant improvement in peak oxygen consumption, " duscha said. " however, when we increased the amount of exercise from 12 to 20 miles – at the same intensity – we did see an improvement in peak oxygen consumption. " also, although no statistically significant difference was detected between the low amount / moderate intensity group and the low amount / high intensity group, the researchers did see a trend toward both a separate and combined effect of exercise intensity and amount on increased peak vo2 levels. the duke team was led by cardiologist william kraus, m. d., who received a $ 4. 3 million grant from the national heart, lung and blood institute in 1998 to investigate the effects of exercise on sedentary overweight adults at risk for developing heart disease and / or diabetes. the results of that five - year trial, known as strride ( studies of targeted risk reduction interventions through defined exercise ), and other analyses of the data collected, began to be published in 2002. the duke team is currently enrolling patients in strride ii, in which researchers are seeking to determine the effects of weight training, alone and in combination with aerobic training, on cardiovascular health. joining duscha were duke colleagues cris slentz, ph. d., johanna johnson, daniel bensimhon, m. d., and kenneth knetzger. joseph houmard


yifu deng of qut ' s school of public health studied the interplay between genetics, smoking and the development of parkinson ' s disease with 400 people who had parkinson ' s disease and 400 people without it. dr deng looked at the genetic background of individuals in each group for the presence of the cyp2d6 gene, which had previously been suggested to metabolise the chemical compounds found in cigarette smoke, in both groups. he found that smokers with the gene who metabolised the cigarette smoke compounds quickly were less likely to be protected than those who metabolised the chemical compounds more slowly. " it seems that if the chemical compounds stay in the body longer they are more likely to have a preventative effect, " dr deng said. " it also seems that if you have the gene but you are not a smoker the gene may have no use in preventing parkinson ' s. " dr deng said it was not known how the cigarette smoke compounds protected against parkinson ' s. he warned that there were still many smokers who suffered from parkinson ' s. additionally, smoking was notorious for causing cancers. parkinson ' s disease is a common degenerative neurological disease in the elderly, affecting up to 4. 9 percent australians aged 55 and over. " our study findings aid in further understanding of the causes of parkinson ' s disease and may help identify people who are at higher risk of the disease, " he said. the study is the first to look at the genetic epidemiology of parkinson ' s disease by addressing individual genetic types in relation to cigarette smoke metabolism. dr deng ' s study may provide the potential to reveal new targets for strategies of altering parkinson ' s disease risk. media contact : niki widdowson, qut media officer, + 61 7 3864 1841 or firstname. lastname @ example. org. * * high res pic of dr deng available. last reviewed : by john m. grohol, psy. d. on 21 feb 2009 published on psychcentral. com. all rights reserved.


individual differences | methods | statistics | clinical | educational | industrial | professional items | world psychology | - main article : tomography computed tomography ( ct ), originally known as computed axial tomography ( cat or ct scan ) and body section roentgenography, ( and also known as computed axial tomography ( cat scan ) x - ray computed tomography is a medical imaging method employing tomography where digital geometry processing is used to generate a three - dimensional image of the internals of an object from a large series of two - dimensional x - ray images taken around a single axis of rotation. the word " tomography " is derived from the greek tomos ( slice ) and graphia ( describing ). ct produces a volume of data which can be manipulated, through a process known as windowing, in order to demonstrate various structures based on their ability to block the x - ray beam. although historically ( see below ) the images generated were in the axial or transverse plane ( orthogonal to the long axis of the body ), modern scanners allow this volume of data to be reformatted in various planes or even as volumetric ( 3d ) representations of structures. since its introduction in the 1970s, ct has become an important tool in medical imaging and neuroimaging to supplement x - rays and medical ultrasonography. although it is still quite expensive, it is the gold standard in the diagnosis of a large number of different disease entities. diagnosis of cerebrovascular accidents and intracranial hemorrhage is the most frequent reason for a " head ct " or " ct brain ". scanning is done with or without intravenous contrast agents. ct generally does not exclude infarct in the acute stage of a stroke, but is useful to exclude a bleed ( so anticoagulant medication can be commenced safely ). ct is also useful in the setting of trauma for evaluating facial and skull fractures. in the head / neck / mouth area, ct scanning is used for surgical planning for craniofacial and dentofacial deformities, evaluation of cysts and some tumors of the jaws / paranasal sinuses / nasal cavity / orbits, diagnosis of the causes of chronic sinusitis, and for planning of dental implant reconstruction. for evaluation of chronic interstitial processes ( emphysema, fibrosis, and so forth ), thin sections with high spatial frequency reconstructions are used. for evaluation of the mediastinum and hilar regions for lymphadenopathy


of chronic interstitial processes ( emphysema, fibrosis, and so forth ), thin sections with high spatial frequency reconstructions are used. for evaluation of the mediastinum and hilar regions for lymphadenopathy, iv contrast is administered. ct angiography of the chest ( ctpa ) is also becoming the primary method for detecting pulmonary embolism ( pe ) and aortic dissection, and requires accurately timed rapid injections of contrast and high - speed helical scanners. ct is the standard method of evaluating abnormalities seen on chest x - ray and of following findings of uncertain acute significance. with the advent of subsecond rotation combined with multi - slice ct ( up to 64 slices ), high resolution and high speed can be obtained at the same time, allowing excellent imaging of the coronary arteries. images with a high temporal resolution are formed by updating a proportion of the data set used for image reconstruction as it is scanned. in this way individual frames in a cardiac ct investigation are significantly shorter than the shortest tube rotation time. it is uncertain whether this modality will replace the invasive coronary catheterization. cardiac msct carries very real risks since it exposes the subject to the equivalent of 500 chest x rays in terms of radiation. the relationship of radiation exposure to increased risk in breast cancer has yet to be definitively explored. the positive predictive value is approximately 82 % while the negative predictive value is in the range of 93 %. sensitivity is about 81 % and the specificity is about 94 %. the real benefit in the test is the high negative predictive value. thus, when the coronary arteries are free of disease by ct, patients can then be worked up for other causes of chest symptoms. much of the software is based on data findings from caucasian study groups and as such the assumptions made may also not be totally true for all other populations. dual source ct scanners, introduced in 2005, allow higher temporal resolution so reduce motion blurring at high heart rates, and potentially requiring a shorter breath - hold time. this is particularly useful for ill patient who have difficult holding their breath, or who are unable to take heart - rate lowering medication. abdominal and pelvic ctedit ct is a sensitive method for diagnosis of abdominal diseases. it is used frequently to determine stage of cancer and to follow progress. it is also a useful test to investigate acute abdominal pain. renal / urinary stones, appendicitis, pancreati


a sensitive method for diagnosis of abdominal diseases. it is used frequently to determine stage of cancer and to follow progress. it is also a useful test to investigate acute abdominal pain. renal / urinary stones, appendicitis, pancreatitis, diverticulitis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and bowel obstruction are conditions that are readily diagnosed and assessed with ct. ct is also the first line for detecting solid organ injury after trauma. oral and / or rectal contrast may be used depending on the indications for the scan. a dilute ( 2 % w / v ) suspension of barium sulfate is most commonly used. the concentrated barium sulfate preparations used for fluoroscopy e. g. barium enema are too dense and cause severe artifacts on ct. iodinated contrast agents may be used if barium is contraindicated ( e. g. suspicion of bowel injury ). other agents may be required to optimize the imaging of specific organs : e. g. rectally administered gas ( air or carbon dioxide ) for a colon study, or oral water for a stomach study. ct has limited application in the evaluation of the pelvis. for the female pelvis in particular, ultrasound is the imaging modality of choice. nevertheless, it may be part of abdominal scanning ( e. g. for tumors ), and has uses in assessing fractures. ct is also used in osteoporosis studies and research along side dxa scanning. both ct and dxa can be used to asses bone mineral density ( bmd ) which is used to indicate bone strength, however ct results do not correlate exactly with dxa ( the gold standard of bmd measurment ). dxa is far more expensive, and subjects patients to much higher levels of ionizing radiation, so it is used infrequently. advantages and hazards edit advantages over projection radiography ( see radiography ) edit first, ct completely eliminates the superimposition of images of structures outside the area of interest. second, because of the inherent high - contrast resolution of ct, differences between tissues that differ in physical density by less than 1 % can be distinguished. third, data from a single ct imaging procedure consisting of either multiple contiguous or one helical scan can be viewed as images in the axial, coronal, or sagittal planes, depending on the diagnostic task. this is referred to as multiplanar reformatted imaging. radiation exposure edit


either multiple contiguous or one helical scan can be viewed as images in the axial, coronal, or sagittal planes, depending on the diagnostic task. this is referred to as multiplanar reformatted imaging. radiation exposure edit ct is regarded as a moderate to high radiation diagnostic technique. while technical advances have improved radiation efficiency, there has been simultaneous pressure to obtain higher - resolution imaging and use more complex scan techniques, both of which require higher doses of radiation. the improved resolution of ct has permitted the development of new investigations, which may have advantages ; e. g. compared to conventional angiography, ct angiography avoids the invasive insertion of an arterial catheter and guidewire ; ct colonography may be as good as barium enema for detection of tumors, but may use a lower radiation dose. the greatly increased availability of ct, together with its value for an increasing number of conditions, has been responsible for a large rise in popularity. so large has been this rise that, in the most recent comprehensive survey in the uk, ct scans constituted 7 % of all radiologic examinations, but contributed 47 % of the total collective dose from medical x - ray examinations in 2000 / 2001 ( hart & wall, european journal of radiology 2004 ; 50 : 285 - 291 ). increased ct usage has led to an overall rise in the total amount of medical radiation used, despite reductions in other areas. the radiation dose for a particular study depends on multiple factors : volume scanned, patient build, number and type of scan sequences, and desired resolution and image quality. typical scan dosesedit | examination | | typical effective dose ( msv ) | | chest, abdomen and pelvis | | 9. 9 ( a ) | | cardiac ct angiogram | | 6. 7 - 13 ( b ) | | ct colongraphy ( virtual colonoscopy ) | | 3. 6 - 8. 8 | adverse reactions to contrast agents edit because ct scans rely on intravenously administered contrast agents in order to provide superior image quality, there is a low but non - negligible level of risk associated with the contrast agents themselves. certain patients may experience severe and potentially life - threatening allergic reactions to the contrast dye. the contrast agent may also induce kidney damage. the risk of this is increased with patients who have preexisting renal insufficiency, preexisting diabetes, or reduced intravascular volume. in general, if a patient has normal kidney function, then the risks of contrast nephrop


of this is increased with patients who have preexisting renal insufficiency, preexisting diabetes, or reduced intravascular volume. in general, if a patient has normal kidney function, then the risks of contrast nephropathy are negligable. patients with mild kidney impairment are usually advised to ensure full hydration for several hours before and after the injection. for moderate kidney failure, the use of iodinated contrast should be avoided ; this may mean using an alternative technique instead of ct e. g. mri. perhaps paradoxically, patients with severe renal failure requiring dialysis do not require special precautions, as their kidneys have so little function remaining that any further damage would not be noticable and the dialysis will remove the contrast agent. x - ray slice data is generated using an x - ray source that rotates around the object ; x - ray sensors are positioned on the opposite side of the circle from the x - ray source. many data scans are progressively taken as the object is gradually passed through the gantry. they are combined together by the mathematical procedure known as tomographic reconstruction. newer machines with faster computer systems and newer software strategies can process not only individual cross sections but continuously changing cross sections as the gantry, with the object to be imaged, is slowly and smoothly slid through the x - ray circle. these are called helical or spiral ct machines. their computer systems integrate the data of the moving individual slices to generate three dimensional volumetric information ( 3d - ct scan ), in turn viewable from multiple different perspectives on attached ct workstation monitors. in conventional ct machines, an x - ray tube and detector are physically rotated behind a circular shroud ( see the image above right ) ; in the electron beam tomography ( ebt ) the tube is far larger and higher power to support the high temporal resolution. the electron beam is deflected in a hollow funnel shaped vacuum chamber. xray is generated when the beam hits a stationary target. the detector is also stationary. the data stream representing the varying radiographic intensity sensed reaching the detectors on the opposite side of the circle during each sweep is then computer processed to calculate cross - sectional estimations of the radiographic density, expressed in hounsfield units. sweeps cover 360 or just over 180 degrees in conventional machines, 220 degrees in ebt. ct is used in medicine as a diagnostic tool and as a guide for interventional procedures. sometimes contrast materials such as intravenous iodinated contrast are used. this


360 or just over 180 degrees in conventional machines, 220 degrees in ebt. ct is used in medicine as a diagnostic tool and as a guide for interventional procedures. sometimes contrast materials such as intravenous iodinated contrast are used. this is useful to highlight structures such as blood vessels that otherwise would be difficult to delineate from their surroundings. using contrast material can also help to obtain functional information about tissues. pixels in an image obtained by ct scanning are displayed in terms of relative radiodensity. the pixel itself is displayed according to the mean attenuation of the tissue ( s ) that it corresponds to on a scale from - 1024 to + 3071 on the hounsfield scale. pixel is a two dimensional unit based on the matrix size and the field of view. when the ct slice thickness is also factored in, the unit is known as a voxel, which is a three dimensional unit. the phenomenon that one part of the detector can not differ between different tissues is called the partial volume effect. that means that a big amount of cartilage and a thin layer of compact bone can cause the same attenuation in a voxel as hyperdense cartilage alone. water has an attenuation of 0 hounsfield units ( hu ) while air is - 1000 hu, cancellous bone is typically + 400 hu, cranial bone can reach 2000 hu or more ( os temporale ) and can cause artefacts. the attenuation of metallic implants depends on atomic number of the element used : titanium usually has an amount of + 1000 hu, iron steel can completely extinguish the x - ray and is therefore responsible for well - known line - artefacts in computed tomogrammes. windowing is the process of using the calculated hounsfield units to make an image. the various radiodensity amplitudes are mapped to 256 shades of gray. these shades of gray can be distributed over a wide range of hu values to get an overview of structures that attenuate the beam to widely varying degrees. alternatively, these shades of gray can be distributed over a narrow range of hu values ( called a narrow window ) centered over the average hu value of a particular structure to be evaluated. in this way, subtle variations in the internal makeup of the structure can be discerned. this is a commonly used image processing technique known as contrast compression. for example, to evaluate the abdomen in order to find subtle masses in the liver, one might use liver windows. choosing 70 hu as an


of the structure can be discerned. this is a commonly used image processing technique known as contrast compression. for example, to evaluate the abdomen in order to find subtle masses in the liver, one might use liver windows. choosing 70 hu as an average hu value for liver, the shades of gray can be distributed over a narrow window or range. one could use 170 hu as the narrow window, with 85 hu above the 70 hu average value ; 85 hu below it. therefore the liver window would extend from - 15 hu to + 155 hu. all the shades of gray for the image would be distributed in this range of hounsfield values. any hu value below - 15 would be pure black, and any hu value above 155 hu would be pure white in this example. using this same logic, bone windows would use a wide window ( to evaluate everything from fat - containing medullary bone that contains the marrow, to the dense cortical bone ), and the center or level would be a value in the hundreds of hounsfield units. three dimensional ( 3d ) reconstructionedit because contemporary ct scanners offer isotropic, or near isotropic, resolution, display of images does not need to be restricted to the conventional axial images. instead, it is possible for a software program to build a volume by ' stacking ' the individual slices one on top of the other. the program may then display the volume in an alternative manner. this is the simplest method of reconstruction. a volume is built by stacking the axial slices. the software then cuts slices through the volume in a different plane ( usually orthogonal ). optionally, a special projection method ( maximum - intensity projection ( mip ) or minimum - intensity projection ( mip ) can be used to build the reconstructed slices. mpr is frequently used for examining the spine. axial images through the spine will only show one vertebral body at a time and cannot reliably show the intervertebral discs. by reformatting the volume, it becomes much easier to visualise the position of one vertebral body in relation to the others. modern software allows reconstruction in non - orthogonal ( oblique ) planes so that the optimal plane can be chosen to display an anatomical structure. this may be particularly useful for visualising the structure of the bronchi as these do not lie orthogonal to the direction of the scan. for vascular imaging, curved - plane reconstruction can be performed. this allows bends in a vessel to be ' straightened ' so that the


useful for visualising the structure of the bronchi as these do not lie orthogonal to the direction of the scan. for vascular imaging, curved - plane reconstruction can be performed. this allows bends in a vessel to be ' straightened ' so that the entire length can be visualised on one image, or a short series of images. once a vessel has been ' straightened ' in this way, quantitative measurements of length and cross sectional area can be made, so that surgery or interventional treatment can be planned. mip reconstructions enhance areas of high radiodensity, and so are useful for angiographic studies. mip reconstructions tend to enhance air spaces so are useful for assessing lung structure. 3d rendering techniquesedit surface rendering : a threshold value of radiodensity is chosen by the operator ( e. g. a level that corresponds to bone ). a threshold level is set, using edge detection image processing algorithms. from this, a 3 - dimensional model can be constructed and displayed on screen. multiple models can be constructed from various different thresholds, allowing different colors to represent each anatomical component such as bone, muscle, and cartilage. however, the interior structure of each element is not visible in this mode of operation. volume rendering : surface rendering is limited in that it will only display surfaces which meet a threshold density, and will only display the surface that is closest to the imaginary viewer. in volume rendering, transparency and colors are used to allow a better representation of the volume to be shown in a single image - e. g. the bones of the pelvis could be displayed as semi - transparent, so that even at an oblique angle, one part of the image does not conceal another. where different structures have similar radiodensity, it can become impossible to separate them simply by adjusting volume rendering parameters. the solution is called segmentation, a manual or automatic procedure that can remove the unwanted structures from the image. some slices of a cranial ct scan are shown below. the bones are whiter than the surrounding area. ( whiter means higher radiodensity. ) note the blood vessels ( arrowed ) showing brightly due to the injection of an iodine - based constrast agent. a volume rendering of this volume clearly shows the high density bones. after using a segmentation tool to remove the bone, the previously concealed vessels can now be demonstrated. the first commercially viable ct system was invented by godfrey newbold hounsfield in hayes, england at thorn emi central research laboratories using x - rays. houn


a segmentation tool to remove the bone, the previously concealed vessels can now be demonstrated. the first commercially viable ct system was invented by godfrey newbold hounsfield in hayes, england at thorn emi central research laboratories using x - rays. hounsfield conceived his idea in 1967, and it was publicly announced in 1972. it is claimed that the ct scanner was " the greatest legacy " of the beatles ; the massive profits from their record sales enabled emi to fund scientific research. allan mcleod cormack of tufts university independently invented a similar process at the university of cape town / groote schuur hospital and they shared a nobel prize in medicine in 1979. the original 1971 prototype took 160 parallel readings through 180 angles, each 1° apart, with each scan taking a little over five minutes. the images from these scans took 2. 5 hours to be processed by algebraic reconstruction techniques on a large computer. the first production x - ray ct machine ( called the emi - scanner ) was limited to making tomographic sections of the brain, but acquired the image data in about 4 minutes ( scanning two adjacent slices ) and the computation time ( using a data general nova minicomputer ) was about 7 minutes per picture. this scanner required the use of a water - filled perspex tank with a pre - shaped rubber " head - cap " at the front, which enclosed the patient ' s head. the water - tank was used to reduce the dynamic range of the radiation reaching the detectors ( between scanning outside the head compared with scanning through the bone of the skull ). the images were relatively low resolution, being composed of a matrix of only 80 x 80 pixels. the first emi - scanner was installed in atkinson morley ' s hospital in wimbledon, england, and the first patient brain - scan was made with it in 1972. in the us, the machine sold for about $ 390, 000, with the first installations being at the lahey clinic, then massachusetts general hospital, and george washington university in 1973. the first ct system that could make images of any part of the body, and did not require the " water tank " was the acta scanner designed by robert s. ledley, dds at georgetown university. ct technology generationsedit - first generation : these ct scanners used a pencil - thin beam of radiation directed at one or two detectors. the images were acquired by a " translate - rotate " method in which the x - ray source and the detector in a fixed relative position move across the patient followed by a rotation of


a pencil - thin beam of radiation directed at one or two detectors. the images were acquired by a " translate - rotate " method in which the x - ray source and the detector in a fixed relative position move across the patient followed by a rotation of the x - ray source / detector combination ( gantry ) by one degree. in the emi - scanner, a pair of images was acquired in about 4 minutes with the gantry rotating a total of 180 degrees. three detectors were used ( one of these being an x - ray source reference ), each detector comprising a sodium iodide scintillator and a photomultiplier tube. some patients had unpleasant experiences within these early scanners, due to the loud sounds and vibrations from the equipment. - second generation : this design increased the number of detectors and changed the shape of the radiation beam. the x - ray source changed from the pencil - thin beam to a fan shaped beam. the " translate - rotate " method was still used but there was a significant decrease in scanning time. rotation was increased from one degree to thirty degrees. - third generation : ct scanners made a dramatic change in the speed at which images could be obtained. in the third generation a fan shaped beam of x - rays is directed to an array of detectors that are fixed in position relative to the x - ray source. this eliminated the time consuming translation stage allowing scan time to be reduced, initially, to 10 seconds per slice. this advance dramatically improved the practicality of ct. scan times became short enough to image the lungs or the abdomen ; previous generations had been limited to the head, or to limbs. patients have reported more pleasant experiences with the third and fourth generation ct scanners because of greatly reduced noise and vibration compared to earlier models. - fourth generation : this design was introduced, roughly simultaneously with 3rd generation, and gave approximately equal performance. instead of a row of detectors which moved with the x - ray source, 4th generation scanners used a stationary 360 degree ring of detectors. the fan shaped x - ray beam rotated around the patient directed at detectors in a non - fixed relationship. bulky, expensive and fragile photomultiplier tubes gradually gave way to improved detectors. a xenon gas ionization chamber detector array was developed for third generation scanners, which provided greater resolution and sensitivity. eventually, both of these technologies were replaced with solid - state detectors : rectangular, solid - state photodiodes, coated with a fluorescent rare earth phosphor. solid state detectors were smaller,


scanners, which provided greater resolution and sensitivity. eventually, both of these technologies were replaced with solid - state detectors : rectangular, solid - state photodiodes, coated with a fluorescent rare earth phosphor. solid state detectors were smaller, more sensitive and more stable, and were suitable for 3rd and 4th generation designs. on an early 4th generation scanner, 600 photomultiplier tubes, ½ in. ( 12 mm ) in diameter, could fit in the detector ring. three photodiode units could replace one photomultiplier tube. this change resulted in increasing both the acquisition speed, and image resolution. the method of scanning was still slow, because the x - ray tube and control components interfaced by cable, limiting the scan frame rotation. initially, 4th generation scanners carried a significant advantage - the detectors could be automatically calibrated on every scan. the fixed geometry of 3rd generation scanners was especially sensitive to detector mis - calibration ( causing ring artifacts ). additionally, because the detectors were subject to movement and vibration, their calibration could drift significantly. all modern medical scanners are of 3rd generation design. modern solid - state detectors are sufficiently stable that calibration for each image is no longer required. the 4th generation scanners ' inefficient use of detectors made them considerably more expensive than 3rd generation scanners. further, they were more sensitive to artifacts because the non - fixed relationship to the x - ray source made it impossible to reject scattered radiation. another limiting factor in image acquisition was the x - ray tube. the need for long, high intensity exposures and very stable output placed enormous demands on both the tube and generator ( power supply ). very high performance rotating anode tubes were developed to keep up with demand for faster imaging, as were the regulated 150 kv switched mode power supplies to drive them. modern systems have power ratings up to 100 kw. slip - ring technology replaced the spooled cable technology of older ct scanners, allowing the x - ray tube and detectors to spin continuously. when combined with the ability to move the patient continuously through the scanner this refinement is called helical ct or, more commonly, spiral ct. multi - detector - row ct systems further accelerated scans, by allowing several images to be acquired simultaneously. modern scanners are available with up to 64 detector rows / output channels ( depends upon the technology used by the manufacturer ). it is possible to complete a scan of the chest in a few seconds. an examination that required


images to be acquired simultaneously. modern scanners are available with up to 64 detector rows / output channels ( depends upon the technology used by the manufacturer ). it is possible to complete a scan of the chest in a few seconds. an examination that required 10 separate breath - holds of 10 seconds each can now be completed in a single 10 second breath - hold. multi - detector ct can also provide isotropic resolution, permitting cross - sectional images to be reconstructed in arbitrary planes ; an ability similar to mri. more anatomical volume coverage in less time is one of the key features of the latest generation md ct scanners. it is however more important to achieve better spatial resolution than only volume coverage for better reconstructed images. latest generation md ct scanners with flying x - ray tube focal spot in z - axis direction shows better image resolution. a different approach was used for a particular type of dedicated cardiac ct technique called electron - beam ct ( also known as ultrafast ct, and occasionally fifth generation ct ). with temporal resolution of approximately 50 ms, these scanners could freeze cardiac and pulmonary motion providing high quality images. only one manufacturer offered these scanners ( imatron, later ge healthcare ), and few of these scanners were ever installed, primarily due to the very high cost of the equipment and their single - purpose design. rapid development of mdct has significantly reduced the advantage of ebct over conventional systems. contemporary mdct systems have temporal resolution approaching that of ebct, but at lower cost and with much higher flexibility. because of this, mdct is usually the preferred choice for new installations. improved computer technology and reconstruction algorithms have permitted faster and more accurate reconstruction. on early scanners reconstruction could take several minutes per image, a modern scanner can reconstruct a 1000 image study in under 30 seconds. refinements to the algorithms have reduced artifacts. dual source ct uses 2 x - ray sources and 2 detector arrays offset at 90 degrees. this reduces the time to acquire each image to about 0. 1 seconds, making it possible to obtain high quality images of the heart without the need for heart rate lowering drugs such as beta blockers. a dual - source multi - detector row scanner can complete an entire cardiac study within a single 10 second breath hold. volumetric ct is an extension of multi - detector ct, currently at research stage. current mdct scanners sample a 4 cm wide volume in one rotation. volumetric ct aims to increase the scan width to 10 - 20 cm, with current prototypes using 256 detector - rows


extension of multi - detector ct, currently at research stage. current mdct scanners sample a 4 cm wide volume in one rotation. volumetric ct aims to increase the scan width to 10 - 20 cm, with current prototypes using 256 detector - rows. potential applications include cardiac imaging ( a complete 3d dataset could be acquired in the time between 2 successive beats ) and 3d cine - angiography. in recent years, tomography has also been introduced on the micrometer level and is named microtomography. but these machines are currently only fit for smaller objects or animals, and cannot yet be used on humans. - cardiology diagnostic tests and procedures - computed tomography laser mammography ( ctlm ) - medical ultrasonography - magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) - positron emission tomography ( pet ) - single photon emission computed tomography ( spect ) - electron - beam computed tomography ( ebct ) - digitally reconstructed radiograph - synchrotron x - ray tomographic microscopy references & bibliographyedit - ctisus comprehensive ct site by dr. elliot fishman of johns hopkins university - multislice ct angiogram from angioplasty. org - radiologyinfo - the radiology information resource for patients : computed tomography - example ct scan | this page uses creative commons licensed content from wikipedia ( view authors ). |


¡ cuidate! means “ take care of yourself. ” it is the theme of this culturally - based program designed to reduce hiv sexual risk among latino youth. ¡ cuidate! helps youth develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to reduce their risk of stds, hiv / aids, and unplanned pregnancy. the program emphasizes risk reduction strategies such as sexual abstinence and correct condom use through interactive activities. in oregon, ¡ cuidate! will include a comprehensive contraceptive learning session in addition to the program ' s emphasis on risk reduction strategies. for more information on the ¡ cuidate! program, select media offers the ¡ cuidate curriculum and training materials. ¡ cuidate! is an evidence based curriculum. youth in the ¡ cuidate! program reported having significantly : - fewer incidents of sexual intercourse, - fewer sex partners, - fewer days of unprotected intercourse, and - for youth who are sexually active, an increase in consistent condom use. in oregon youth have the opportunity to participate in the ¡ cuidate! evaluation. participation in the evaluation is voluntary and is not required to participate in the ¡ cuidate! program. to find out if ¡ cuidate! is offered in your area in oregon, please contact lindsay weaver at : firstname. lastname @ example. org


- 46, 595 hits help me publish my book! archive of posts june 2013 m t w t f s s « mar 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 green lady - ellen radical botany pages - british columbia native plants - cascadian bioregion - conifers in the cascadian bioregion - flower physiology - fungi and mushrooms - geology of cascadia - native plants and wildlife survival - northern california native plants - oregon native plants - plant identification schemes - plant roots - washington native plants - what is a native plant? tags2012 native plant education botany lessons british columbia cascades cascadia bioregion cascadian bioregion cascadian bioregion healing plants chanterelles coast range mountians connection to nature cooking wild mushrooms environmental preservation ethnobotany food foraging tools gmo plant protection missoula floods mistletoe native plant education native plant foraging native plant identification native plant pollinators native plant preservation native plants native plant seed native plant seed genetics naturalists northern california northern california native plants oregon oregon grape oregon native plants plant cell physiology plant cell structure plant evolution plant identification plant wisdom postaweek2011 recipe ring - of - fire terence mckenna washington washington native plants what is a native plant? yule greens error : twitter did not respond. please wait a few minutes and refresh this page.


published a paper ( pdf ) comparing performance of four programming languages, c + +, its own language go, java and scala. a team at google created a " simple and compact " benchmark that didn ' t take advantage of language - specific features. an algorithm was implemented using each language ' s " idiomatic container classes, looping constructs, and memory / object allocation schemes. " google has however, the paper notes : " while the benchmark itself is simple and compact, it employs many language features, in particular, higher - level data structures ( lists, maps, lists and arrays of sets and lists ), a few algorithms ( union / find, dfs / deep recursion, and loop recognition based on tarjan ), iterations over collection types, some object oriented features, and interesting memory allocation patterns. " above : run - time measurements, including a few optimizations. after benchmark tests were published within google various employees took a stab at optimizing the code for specific languages. - c + + provides the best performance by far, but it requires the most extensive language - specific tuning. - scala provides the most concise notation and optimization of code complexity. - the algorithm was simplest to implement in java, but garbage collection settings make both java and scala difficult to benchmark accurately. - go offers concise notion and very fast compile time, but is still immature. the phrase " lies, damn lies and benchmarks " is by now a cliche. suffice it to say, benchmarks never tell the full story, and there are many factors to consider when choosing a programming language. that said, you may find parts of this paper enlightening, especially with regards to scala performance.


the lotus symbol in buddhism the lotus ( sanskrit and tibetan padma ) is one of the eight auspicious symbols and one of the most poignant representations of buddhist teaching. the roots of a lotus are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the heavily scented flower lies pristinely above the water, basking in the sunlight. this pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. though there are other water plants that bloom above the water, it is only the lotus which, owing to the strength of its stem, regularly rises eight to twelve inches above the surface. according to the lalitavistara, " the spirit of the best of men is spotless, like the lotus in the muddy water which does not adhere to it. " according to another scholar, " in esoteric buddhism, the heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus : when the virtues of the buddha develop therein, the lotus blossoms ; that is why the buddha sits on a lotus bloom. " the lotus is one of buddhism ' s best recognized motifs and appears in all kinds of buddhist art across all buddhist cultures. scrolling lotuses often embellish buddhist textiles, ceramics and architecture. every important buddhist deity is associated in some manner with the lotus, either being seated upon a lotus in full bloom or holding one in their hands. in some images of standing buddhas, each foot rests on a separate lotus. the lotus does not grow in tibet and so tibetan art has only stylized versions of it, yet it appears frequently with tibetan deities and among the eight auspicious symbols. the color of the lotus has an important bearing on the symbology associated with it : - white lotus ( skt. pundarika ; tib. pad ma dkar po ) : this represents the state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity ( bodhi ). it is associated with the white tara and proclaims her perfect nature, a quality which is reinforced by the color of her body. - pink lotus ( skt. padma ; tib. pad ma dmar po ) : this the supreme lotus, generally reserved for the highest deity. thus naturally it is associated with the great buddha himself. - red lotus ( skt. kamala ; tib : pad ma chu skyes ) : this signifies the original nature and purity of the heart ( hrdya ). it is the lotus of love, compassion, passion and all


one good reason to wear shower shoes is to decrease your risk of getting warts. warts are skin infections caused by the human papilloma virus family. the virus is spread by skin - to - skin contact and close physical contact in places like public showers and pools. you might have heard of hpv in the context of genital warts. only certain members of the hpv family cause genital warts and cervical problems. there are more than 100 specific types of hpv, and most cause harmless but unsightly warts on the body. there are four types of warts : • common warts usually occur on fingers, hands, knees and elbows. they might appear as a small hard bump, darker than other skin, with a rough top like cauliflower with black or brown - red dots inside. • plantar warts found on the bottom ( plantar ) surface of your foot, plantar warts might look like callouses, but they grow larger than normal until it eventually feels like you ' re walking on a small rock. it usually looks like a common wart but appears on the bottom of the foot. • filiform warts finger - like in shape, flesh - colored and found on the nose, eyelids or around the mouth, these warts are often seen on the end of witches ' noses in disney movies. • flat warts are pinhead - sized, flat - topped, smoother, pink, tan or yellow in color. flat warts might appear in clusters, usually on arms, hands or knees. how can you avoid getting warts? first, don ' t kiss any toads. just kidding. to decrease the risk of contracting hpv, wear flip - flops in the shower or at public pools. keeping your feet clean and dry also helps because the virus lives in moist environments. ragged cuticles from dry skin, nail - biting or small cuts might also provide a means for the virus to enter the body. how long does it take before you get warts if you have been exposed to the virus? depending on the health of your immune system ( the body ' s internal mechanism for fighting disease ), you might or might not develop warts after exposure to hpv. if you are susceptible, warts grow slowly, often taking weeks or months to grow to a noticeable size. most of us have been exposed to a variety of hpv viruses in childhood. sometimes the stress of college life might suppress the immune system ' s ability to keep the


warts grow slowly, often taking weeks or months to grow to a noticeable size. most of us have been exposed to a variety of hpv viruses in childhood. sometimes the stress of college life might suppress the immune system ' s ability to keep the virus under control. if the immune system is compromised, it might allow a wart to develop many years after initial exposure. so now you know this strange, rough bump that appeared is a wart and not a cancerous or life - threatening growth. even then, it is still irritating and not cosmetically appealing. about 25 percent of warts will go away on their own in 12 to 24 months, most in two to three years. if you are impatient or uncomfortable, there are number of ways to treat warts. over - the - counter treatments with salicylic acid ( compound w, etc. ), when used properly, can be effective. soaking the wart in warm water for 10 minutes before and using a pumice or nail file to remove the excess rough skin will allow topical medication to soak into the wart. a small amount of duct tape applied directly over and around the wart is effective for some individuals, according to a report from the journal of american medical association. cryotherapy ( freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen ) is a common treatment. it generally takes two to four treatments every one to three weeks. treatments might cause some discomfort but are not usually painful. some dermatologists use laser therapy. in other instances, the wart might be cut out. this is a more drastic treatment and can leave a scar. some warts are resistant to treatment. at this time, there is no treatment that kills the virus that causes plantar warts.


as the cedar grove school which finally became known as seton high school. the mother house is now at the college of mount st. joseph. william rosecrans ’ brother, sylvester horton rosecrans ( 1827 - 1878 ), was ordained a priest in rome, italy on june 5, 1853 and taught theology at the old mount st. mary ’ s seminary on grand avenue. he was appointed titular bishop of pompeiopolis and first auxiliary bishop of cincinnati on march 25, 1863. it is during this period that he is believed to have lived on lehman road. on october 31, 1878, bishop rosecrans was appointed the first bishop of the then new diocese with its center in columbus and was buried in that city. mrs. hoffman bought the building in 1955 and during remodeling she entered the attic and discovered a small trove of civil war mementos hidden under the floorboards. according to a 1959 newspaper clip, confirmed with her family, she found papers dealing with the court martial proceedings of awol soldiers, as well as several medical certificates. one allowed a soldier to stay in the shade for 30 days because of an aversion to sunlight. another excused a man from bathing. also recovered was a receipt showing that the army paid 6 ½ cents each for 600 bars of soap, and 18 cents each for 350 candles. * the above information was researched at the price hill historical society, 3640 warsaw avenue, 513 - 251 - 2888 begin _ of _ the _ skype _ highlighting 513 - 251 - 2888 | price hill will | price hill history | return to rosecrans, part 3, civilian inventor, engineer


posted on february 16, 2012 by safe start center as with all good campaigns, the goal is to get information to the public in the hopes that information will lead to action. with the issue of teen dating violence, campaigns and programs vary from national campaigns spotlighting the issue to local programs offering services to teens and their parents. for the rest of the week, we ’ re going to highlight programs that have taken on the mission to shed light on teen dating violence and provide help to those touched by it. first up, probably one of the most visible when discussing teen dating violence : liz claiborne inc. ’ s love is not abuse. filed under : prevention, public awareness, teen dating violence | tagged : love is not abuse, teen dating violence, teen dating violence awareness and prevention month | leave a comment » posted on february 9, 2012 by safe start center what do girls face? when you look at these posters what kinds of words or thoughts are going through your mind when you read about their situations on each red flag – sadness, fear, humiliation, jealousy, violence, pride, defiance, anger? all girls could be experiencing violence ; these pictures from the red flag campaign show what kinds of situations they might be facing. maybe they are being put down by a partner, pressured into sex, or even the one hurting their partner. these girls show that anybody could be the victim – or even perpetrator – of emotional abuse, verbal manipulation, or physical violence. it ’ s important to understand this in order to get the overall picture of where girls fit into the issue of teen dating violence ( tdv ). so where do they fit? “ approximately one in three adolescent girls in the united states is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner – a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth. ” – futures without violence filed under : prevention, public awareness, teen dating violence | tagged : abuse, cycle of violence, girls, love is respect, prevention, red flag campaign, teen dating violence, teen dating violence awareness and prevention month, violence | 1 comment » posted on february 7, 2012 by safe start center teen dating violence ( tdv ) we opened the month in support of teen dating violence awareness and prevention month, and this week we ’ d like to talk more about how teen dating violence affects girls and boys. because “ among adolescents aged 12 to 21, almost 3 in 10 have experienced violence in opposite - sex relationships, ” and according to womenshealth. gov


learning japanese is terribly rewarding. if you would like to find out any language then you ought to be ready to place in an exceedingly ton of your time, patience and determination. it is vital that you just do not build stupid mistakes when you are learning japanese. several beginners can hinder their learning expertise by not taking the correct approach. don ’ t learn an excessive amount of too quick it does not matter if you ’ re learning japanese from self - study materials or if you have got a private tutor to guide you ; if you learn an excessive amount of too quick then you will soon become overwhelmed with info, notwithstanding you do not comprehend it. if you progress on before you are prepared, then your mind will realize it laborious to method what you are learning, this may hinder your grammar and speech patterns. japanese has 3 totally different alphabet systems. talk to alternative speakers if you would like to become fluent in another language then you need to break that nervous barrier that we tend to all have when talking for the primary time. you may build mistakes, and occasionally you may feel silly, you simply have to be compelled to rise on top of it and keep pushing forward. stop worrying concerning building your vocabulary it ’ s far additional necessary that you just learn the way to place a sentence along than by learning a bank of words that you will likely never use. such a lot of folks attempt to learn as many words as potential, but once you initial begin learning japanese the stress ought to be on building sentences and learning straightforward phrases. knowing 1000 ′ s of words will not mean you will be able to have interaction in conversation. japanese grammar and speech patterns are terribly totally different to english, therefore if you think that you will be able to merely piece along a sentence from words in your memory bank, then reassess. the internet has created it terribly simple for folks to start out learning japanese.


type of culminating activity doctor of education in curriculum and instruction curriculum, instruction, and foundational studies jennifer snow, ph. d. critics of the american education system point to student boredom, lack of personalized and relevant instruction, and a deficit of 21st century skills as challenges to producing productive citizens of a modern, digital society ( barab et al., 2009 ; eccles & wingfield, 2002 ; ketelhut, 2007 ; u. s. department of education office of educational technology, 2010 ). digital learning, including game - based approaches, offers opportunities to bring about meaningful, engaging, individualized learning ( barab & dede, 2007 ; gee, 2005 ; squire, 2003 ). quest - based learning is an instructional design theory of game - based learning that focuses on student activity choice within the curriculum, which offers promising pedagogical possibilities in the area. this study expands upon current research of video game characteristics and variables of attractiveness in learner choice. identifying these attractive characteristics in game - based educational design can increase engagement ( barab et al., 2009 ), educational effectiveness ( sullivan & mateas, 2009 ), and impact instructional design decisions. quests were coded and tagged to identify features and attributes. an educational quest taxonomy was developed building on merrill ’ s knowled ge object ( redeker, 2003 ; wiley, 2000 ) classification and expanded to include current digital tools and thinking. electronically collected decision data from a quest - based learning management system was analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis and data mining techniques. educational quests were differentiated by a number of data points and identified as more or less attractive using an initial interest score and a completion score. user rating was also considered for descriptive purposes. data mining and text mining highlighted the specific characteristics of attractive quests including clusters of characteristics identified as most attractive as well as their significance. suggestions for future attractive quest - based learning design are suggested. ( keywords : quests, quest - based learning, game - based learning, 3d gamelab, play styles, learner preferences, rewards, badges, gamification, mmorpgs, virtual environments, informal learning. ) haskell, charles christopher, " design variables of attraction in quest - based learning " ( 2012 ). boise state university theses and dissertations. paper 285.


herschel space observatory launch date : may 14, 2009 mission project home page - http : / / herschel. jpl. nasa. gov / herschel ' s infrared image of the andromeda galaxy shows rings of dust that trace gaseous reservoirs where new stars are forming and xmm - newton ' s x - ray image shows stars approaching the ends of their lives. both infrared and x - ray images convey information impossible to collect from the ground because these wavelengths are absorbed by earth ' s atmosphere. credits : esa / herschel / pacs / spire / j. fritz, u. gent / xmm - newton / epic / w. pietsch, mpe the herschel space observatory is a space - based telescope that is studying the light of the universe in the far - infrared and submillimeter portions of the spectrum. it is revealing new information about the earliest, most distant stars and galaxies, as well as those closer to home in space and time. it is also taking a unique look at our own solar system. herschel is the fourth cornerstone mission in the european space agency ’ s horizon 2000 program. ten countries, including the united states, participated in its design and implementation. launched on may 14, 2009, the mission will operate until the cryostat runs out of helium during the first half of 2013. the mission will operate until the cryostat runs out of helium, perhaps four years after launch. originally called “ first, ” for “ far infrared and submillimeter telescope, ” the spacecraft was renamed for britain ’ s sir william herschel, who discovered in 1800 that the spectrum extends beyond visible light into the region we today call “ infrared. ” herschel ’ s namesake will give scientists their most complete look so far at the large portion of the universe that radiates in far - infrared and submillimeter wavelengths. with a primary mirror 3. 5 meters ( approximately 11. 5 feet ) in diameter, herschel is the largest infrared telescope sent into space as of its launch date. using detectors cooled to temperatures very close to absolute zero ( 0 degree kelvin ), the three instruments called hifi, spire, and pacs, which enables herschel to be the first spacecraft to observe in the full 60 - 670 micron range. the far - infrared and submillimeter wavelengths at which herschel observes are considerably longer than the familiar rainbow of colors that the human eye can perceive. yet, this is a critically important portion of the spectrum to scientists because it is the frequency range at which


far - infrared and submillimeter wavelengths at which herschel observes are considerably longer than the familiar rainbow of colors that the human eye can perceive. yet, this is a critically important portion of the spectrum to scientists because it is the frequency range at which a large part of the universe radiates. much of the universe consists of gas and dust that is far too cold to radiate in visible light or at shorter wavelengths such as x - rays. however, even at temperatures well below the most frigid spot on earth, they do radiate at far - infrared and submillimeter wavelengths. stars and other cosmic objects that are hot enough to shine at optical wavelengths are often hidden behind vast dust clouds that absorb the visible light and re - radiate it in the far - infrared and submillimeter range. last updated : october 26, 2012 - esa herschel website - http : / / www. esa. int / specials / herschel / index. html - more about herschel - http : / / www. nasa. gov / mission _ pages / herschel / index. html - science @ esa - iso / herschel video - http : / / astronomy2009. esa. int / science - e / www / object / index. cfm? fobjectid = 44698 & fattributeid = 885


one winter morning about two years ago, marine mammal scientist anton van helden was driving hell - for - leather up to the far north of new zealand. a thirteen - and - a - half hour haul would take him to the beach where the first pygmy killer whale to strand itself in new zealand was lying, and he wasn ’ t going to miss the chance to collect the skeleton and perhaps tissue samples for the museum of new zealand, where he worked. partway through the drive, he got a call. two beaked whales had been found dead at a place called opape beach. “ they sounded for all the world like gray ’ s beaked whales, ” he recalls, a species that washes up relatively frequently on new zealand ’ s shores, which sometimes see several hundred whale beachings per year thanks in part to the nation ’ s long coastline. “ maybe you can bury them, ” he said to the conservation department employee at the other end of the line, “ and we ’ ll have a look later, just to be sure. ” van helden gave the matter little thought until a few months had passed and his phone rang one morning before he had even gotten out of bed. it was rochelle constantine, a marine biologist at the university of auckland, and her graduate student kirsten thompson, who had conducted routine dna analyses on the beached whales. “ i hope you ’ re sitting down, ” constantine said. those animals stranded in december were not gray ’ s. they were instead a pair of spade - toothed beaked whales. it was a name to make a certain kind of scientist weak in the knees : the most elusive species of whale in the world, known only from several bone fragments washed up over the course of 140 years. it had never been seen in the flesh before. van helden looked up at the ceiling and swore. ( listen : beluga whale mimics human sound ) there are a lot of reasons to care about seeing the remains of so elusive a species — beyond simply the thrill of the chase and the brass - ring quality of an actual discovery. humans have made a hash of the oceans — depleting fish stocks, slaughtering dolphins and whales, pouring pollutants into coastal waters. part of the reason we are so cavalier is that so much of the ocean is invisible to us on a day - to - day basis ; if you don ’ t know what ’ s there, you don ’ t know what you ’ re destroying. the spade - toothed beak whale,


is that so much of the ocean is invisible to us on a day - to - day basis ; if you don ’ t know what ’ s there, you don ’ t know what you ’ re destroying. the spade - toothed beak whale, which was written up in the new issue of current biology, is a lesson both in the diversity of the fragile oceans and the painstaking sleuthing that is required to study it. after van helden received his early - morning call, he and his colleagues got to work. they gathered all the information they could about the beached pair, including measurements and a set of photographs taken at the scene of the beaching. they worked with the whakatohea iwi, the maori tribe in the area where the whales had been found, and the new zealand department of conservation, to get the skeletons exhumed, and van helden produced a detailed anatomical illustration of the animal, which also appears in current biology. the pair on the beach were an adult female, measuring just over 17 ft. ( 5. 3 m ), and a juvenile male, 11. 5 ft. ( 3. 5 m ) from beak to tail fin. they lack the species ’ signature protruding teeth, which occur only in adult males. the shape and coloration of both specimens are subtly different from other beaked whales — subtle enough, in fact, that they would be easy to confuse with the more commonly seen gray ’ s. ( video : dolphins chased by killer whale ) what allowed the team to make a firm identification was the genetic information collected from the three bones that until now have been our only evidence of the spade - toothed ’ s existence. the first sign of the animal was a lower jaw found on new zealand ’ s chatham islands in 1872, bearing two jutting, triangular teeth. later on, two skulls without lower jaws, one found in 1950 in new zealand, the other found all the way across the pacific on robinson crusoe island in 1986, were proven by dna analysis to be from the same distinct species. but while scientists made educated guesses about what an intact spade - toothed would look like, extrapolating from its relatives could take them only so far. that ’ s why this find had the team so excited. “ it was the first time ever that anybody had ever had even a hint of what these things looked like, ” van helden says. the new discovery is a big step forward for scientists interested in beaked whales, but there is still much to learn about


was the first time ever that anybody had ever had even a hint of what these things looked like, ” van helden says. the new discovery is a big step forward for scientists interested in beaked whales, but there is still much to learn about both this species and its close relatives. thompson is working on a project that uses genetic information from beached beaked whales to glean insight into the elusive creatures ’ familial relationships. and seeing the animal alive in the wild remains a tantalizing goal of many scientists. scott baker, a marine biologist at oregon state university and a co - author of the paper who has studied whales and dolphins for 30 years, saw his first live, open - ocean beaked whale just last month, in samoa. the sighting lasted about 4 seconds before the animal dove — too brief to tell if it was a spade - toothed. “ their environment is very remote, ” he says. “ it ’ s deep water, and they ’ re submerged for maybe 96 % of their lives. ” it ’ s one of the sad ironies of the marine biologist ’ s work that the only way to get a more lingering look at animals like these is when they wash up on beaches — like ornithologists studying birds that are invisible until they slam into a window. “ here we have an animal which is over 5 meters long, the size of a big car, that has to come to the surface to breathe, and yet no one has ever seen one alive, ” says van helden. “ it typifies how little we know about the ocean. ” the new find sheds at least a tiny bit of light on that often dark world, reminding us of an environment we have the power to destroy — and the responsibility to preserve.


several workers were evacuated on sunday morning at the fukushima nuclear plant after the level of radioactivity exceeded 10 million times the normal. the water used to cool the reactor number two was found extremely high amounts of particles of radioactive iodine. measured in samples from the water, found in the basement of the turbine hall located behind the reactor is milisievert 1, 000 per hour, said a spokesman for tokyo electric power company ( tepco ). “ this figure is ten million times greater than the radioactivity found in water in a reactor generally in good condition, ” he explained. according to him, the fuel in the reactor core has probably suffered damage during an onset of fusion, occurred immediately after an earthquake followed by tsunami on 11 march. the intervention teams began to use fresh water to cool reactors. this is because sea water that used to accelerate corrosion and could now pose a threat. the government in tokyo has announced that the efforts of japanese workers at fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant, to cool the reactors suffered a new blow on friday after a senior official said the reactor vessel 3 was damaged. hidehiko nishiyama, deputy director of the japanese agency for nuclear and industrial safety, explained that the possibility exists that radiation emanated from the reactor fuel – a mixture of uranium and plutonium – to be released


from january 1 – 14, a reddit user named vidzilla posted daily images of a zombie pandemic as depicted through screen shots of popular internet services. the lessons we can learn from the “ day ” series creative gestalt are an excellent example of why technologists, educators, and the general public should fight for positive rights to fair use. like many internet memes, each of the images from the “ day ” series is a combination of popular and folk culture, a mashup of objects from media industries with new material from the author. many of the individual parts of the “ day ” series ’ images are trademarked and / or subject to copyright, and thus despite the long - standing convention of fair use, the alarming upswing of attempts at regulatory control of content ( sopa, pipa, acta, tpp ) could end up crushing this form of creativity. these digital objects that made up the “ day ” series comprised a 14 day amateur take on the alternative reality game ( arg ) genre. args are interactive narratives revealed by clues delivered across multiple media formats. they are often used in viral marketing campaigns. when the “ day ” series began, some redditors wondered if the posts were viral marketing for the upcoming world war z film. vidzilla claimed to have been influenced by prior args, but emphatically denied that the “ day ” posts were part of a marketing campaign. rather, vidzilla explained, the “ day ” series was an opportunistic creation. after positive responses to an initial post to reddit about text - messaging being the start of a zombie pandemic, vidzilla spontaneously decided to develop a story by by depicting zombie - themed posts in various social media. the inclusion of clues to easter eggs ( hidden extra images, audio, and video ) in the images boosted the popularity of the later posts. reddit users moved from mere upvoting and general discussion of the posts ’ contents to swapping the passwords for audio and video files, debating the meaning of the ambiguous sounds and images, and developing their own responses to the story. on january 15 vidzilla ended the series and thanked the reddit community. the social media patchwork and emergency management the “ day ” series began and ended with fictious sms messages and covered virtually every form of online media in between. each image was a note - perfect slice of the pandemic from the personal to institutional. for example, these first two images


“ day ” series began and ended with fictious sms messages and covered virtually every form of online media in between. each image was a note - perfect slice of the pandemic from the personal to institutional. for example, these first two images from day 3 show a tweet from the world health organization and a personal facebook post with two responses. these images are great story - telling because it avoids exposition. it shows rather than tells. the juxtaposition of images leads readers to relate the bruise to the viral emergency, the particular to the general. the real - world issue, though, is how long it would take people – from emergency management professionals to the general public – to form such a link in the case of a real crisis. online crisis management conferences and research papers are already looking into ways of searching for and managing reasonably discrete crisis markers, twitter hashtags for example. however, as the “ day ” series ably demonstrates, the likely picture of an emerging crisis will be an uneven patchwork of very different objects. the “ day ” series shows them as an easily connected narrative in hindsight, but harder to connect emergently unless there are ways to predict the very complex set of possible markers. the field of online crisis management will need deep knowledge of how possible markers of a crisis can be found or predicted in the ways people fit their communication to media formats. that is not an easy task and it is complicated by the ways in which online culture is decidedly less restrained than offline culture. consider, for example, the very interesting point about how a particular chatroulette image was made. the image as uploaded by vidzilla shows a person with zombie - like appearance in the top frame and an asian woman looking shocked in the bottom frame. one way of monitoring for an emerging crisis might be to use automatic video - recognition software to search for patterns in public video feeds. unfortunately, crises can take a very large number of forms, too large, perhaps, to teach a computer to recognise. so we need something more visually stable and likely. one thing that is more stable in a crisis is the way in which people respond to crises, such as looking shocked. people can only looked shocked in a certain number of ways, so ‘ looking shocked ’ is much easier to find. if real - time video feeds showed many people being shocked at once, this could trigger an alert for a human to look at the feeds or for other information. however, as one reddit user pointed out, the particular image of shock


to find. if real - time video feeds showed many people being shocked at once, this could trigger an alert for a human to look at the feeds or for other information. however, as one reddit user pointed out, the particular image of shock in the found footage used to create the chatroulette zombie image was likely drawn from a reaction to nudity in the real chatroulette. the chance for false positives based on just ‘ shocked looks ’, then, and perhaps the range of other discrete reactions, is unfortunately very high. i concede that this scenario is somewhat far - fetched. it is, nonetheless, illustrative of the complexity of sorting markers of a crisis out given the extreme nature of a large amount of the communication exchanged daily online. fiction, in this case, has unwittingly presented an interesting challenge to social media emergency management. the future of education as a communication technology educator, to me one of the most interesting aspects of “ day ” was just how much vidzilla and the responding redditors needed to know about social media to produce and engage with the story. vidzilla ’ s posts succeed because they clearly display generic conventions of form and content of each internet medium. from a media education standoint, such distinctions are the basis of understanding media choices and how culture is ( re ) produced online. indeed, despite the complexity of the scenario discussed above, vidzilla ’ s “ day ” series did, in fact, demonstrate a range of quite plausible crisis markers from which future models could be extrapolated. although vidzilla skipped the intermediate steps of literature reviews and methodology, and had no intention of conducting any analysis of the recognisablity of the markers, the positive response of redditors indicates that vidzilla was on the right track. vidzilla ’ s demonstration of applied media understandings goes beyond the crisis markers. many of the images reproduce famous and current internet trends and memes. vidzilla produced applied media research that many media educators would be proud to see from a student. the “ day ” series posts also mimiced typical reddit posts. reddit bills itself as “ the front page of the internet ” because it is perhaps the most mainstream aggregation of the latest internet trends and world news. vidzilla ’ s knew what redditors would expect to see posted during an emergent crisis. finally, vidzilla ’ s decision to make some of the story materials available via image hosting and


latest internet trends and world news. vidzilla ’ s knew what redditors would expect to see posted during an emergent crisis. finally, vidzilla ’ s decision to make some of the story materials available via image hosting and media download sites also demonstrates an understanding of the increasingly broad capabilities of online infrastructure. these three sets of knowledge are very useful for anyone interested in the many communication and design - oriented research and professional fields that now rely on the internet : public relations, marketing, advertising, fashion, design, and cool - hunting etc. on the other side of the coin, the redditors who followed the “ day ” series, responded to the clues, and engaged with the story also demonstrated understandings of the knowledge sets above. the chronicle of higher education has been investigating the increasing popularity of online badges as compared to traditional certifications. similarly, vinod khosla has recently argued that gamification of educational materials should lead to a crucial reversal of educational practice : from the time - fixed and learning - variable education to the time - variable and learning - fixed. fight for positive internet education and positive fair use rights vidzilla and the redditors did all of this because they thought it was fun. they might not be able to articulate what they learned, and that will be the crucial step for educators to pass on to students, but they showed the two most crucial components of learning : motivation and creativity. laurence lessig has long argued that overly restrictive copyright regimes wither creativity, taking us from a read / write culture to a read only culture. clay shirky ended his ted talk on january 18 with a similar point. unless internet users stand not only against sopa / pipa, but what comes next, he argued, the internet will end up with promoting a consumption - only culture. this fight, however, needs to be more than a push to stop restrictive legislation. internet users the world over should be lobbying for more positive fair use and sharing rights. we ’ ve succeeded once, let ’ s go further. we need a new international convention – berne 2. 0, if you will – that provides at least as many positive rights for the sharing and fair use of any existing creative object. the creative commons project is clearly the first step in this process, but it preserves the existing notion of copyright. we need more. and that brings us, again, to education. not only do internet users themselves need to better understand the regulatory framework in which they operate, but, it seems


by dr. john c. rao rediscovery is the best word to characterize the experience of a great number of committed catholics of the 1800 ' s. throughout the post - french revolutionary catholic world, thinkers and activists of impressive caliber demonstrated a desire to learn, develop and put into practice themes and customs which had been buried by decades and even centuries of jansenist, naturalist, and simple parochial neglect. depending upon energy, taste, and imagination, this drive led them back to the fathers of the church, to the medieval scholastics, and to a mystical, devotional, and liturgical life rich in lessons for both the catholic community and individuals. the centers of re - discoverygerman, italian, and french, for the most partwere lay / clerical circles of believers, religious confraternities, orders restored after the devastation of the revolution, university faculties, and groups gathering round those journals and newspapers that seemed to spring up everywhere in the course of the nineteenth century. it was out of this movement of rediscovery that the approach of what some have called the " roman school " was formed. although it is impossible in a single article to name all of this " school ' s " founders and proponents, one can at least orient himself historically and geographically by referring to those segments of the scholarly and popular press of the years from the 1830 ' s to the 1870 ' s which were actively engaged in popularizing it. anyone wishing to grasp the character of the roman school at its origins should examine the pages of der katholik, the historisch - politische blntter, and archiv frr katholisches kirchenrecht in the german world ; la civilto cattolica in italy ; l ' univers / le monde in france ; and the dublin review in the united kingdom. five themes may be said to have provided the " curriculum " of the roman school, the most basic of which was an insistence upon the impossibility of understanding anything " natural " without reference both to nature ' s future supernatural destiny as well as the supernatural life surging through it now as a consequence of the incarnation. the work of the editors of la civilto cattolica and of cardinal louis pie ( 1815 - 1880 ), bishop of poitiers, is extremely informative in this regard. try as modern man might, pie argued at lourdes in 1876, he could never escape the fact that he lived in a world created and redeemed at the behest of a supernatural will


m÷hler of the university of trbingen, whose works giovanni perrone ( 1794 - 1876 ), professor at the gregorian in rome from 1824 - 1863, made known to many of his influential students : carlo passaglia ( 1812 - 1887 ), clemens schrader ( 1820 - 1875 ), and johannes baptist franzelin ( 1816 - 1886 ). perrone was also a channel of m÷hler ' s ecclesiology to the jesuit editors of la civilto cattolica : luigi taparelli d ' azeglio ( 1793 - 1862 ), matteo liberatore ( 1810 - 1892 ), and carlo maria curci ( 1809 - 1891 ). year after year, these jesuits churned out articles dealing with the consequences of the concepts of natural - supernatural interaction and of the church as christ - continued for all aspects of life. " official " acceptance of the entire argument took many decades. pius x ' s adoption of the motto " to transform all things in christ " and the encyclical letter of pope pius xii on the subject of the mystical body in 1943 clearly illustrated its ultimate impact. a second theme intimately connected with the doctrine of the interaction of nature and the supernatural was that of a spirituality emphasizing the friendship offered man by god, and the ascent to the divine to which every individual was invited. on a theoretical level, such a theme entailed emphasis upon the concept of individual divinization in christ. this, again, was a favorite topic of the editors of the civilto, who persistently argued that membership in the church meant participation in the life of the god - man, and hence in every conceivable perfection, human freedom and human personality thereby being raised to heights undreamed of by any rationalist. on a popular level, the theme of friendship and closeness to god, attained through humble union with the god - man, brought with it a victory for the anti - jansenist moral theology of alphonsus liguori ( 1696 - 1787 ), which recognized the importance of human labor in the upward path. brunone lanteri ( 1759 - 1830 ), inspirer of the lay / clerical amicizie cattoliche in italy, cardinal thomas marie gousset ( 1792 - 1866 ), archbishop of rheims, in his justification de la thuologie du bienheureux a. m. de liguori of 1832, in france, and the redemptorists everywhere all waged vigorous combat for the victory of li


of rheims, in his justification de la thuologie du bienheureux a. m. de liguori of 1832, in france, and the redemptorists everywhere all waged vigorous combat for the victory of liguorian thought. its triumphant march was accompanied by a revivification and expansion of a variety of devotions providing flesh and blood manifestations of spiritual realities loathed by jansenist and enlightened catholics of the previous era. nothing illustrated the divinization of a part of nature through incorporation into the life of a divine person better than devotion to the sacred heart of jesus. this devotion, hated by the jansenists perhaps more than any other, enjoyed enormous popularity wherever the roman school gained influence. one can follow its recovery, from strength to strength, in the fortunes of the apostolate of prayer, begun in 1844, in the pages of the sacred heart messenger ( 1861 ), in the ceremony of the consecration of the world to the sacred heart in 1875, and in leo xiii ' s encyclical letter, annum sacrum, of may 25, 1899. a very un - jansenist devotion to the saints was similarly encouraged by the roman school, with the exaltation of marian practices heading the list. the cults of the sacred heart of mary, of mary as mediatrix, of the miraculous medal, of our lady of la salette ( 1846 ) and of lourdes ( 1858 ), along with leo xiii ' s fifteen encyclicals on the rosary and the publication of the previously ignored works of louis grignion de montfort ( 1673 - 1716 ), all testify to the importance marian devotion attained in the course of the century. finally, the practice of going on pilgrimage to traditional holy places was fervently revived after having been a special target for abuse in the 1700 ' s. restoration of the pilgrimage to revere the holy coat of trier in 1844, which attracted hundreds of thousands of participants, and the use of the very modern tool of the railroad to reach pilgrimage sites, especially impressed contemporaries as unexpected but unquestionable signs of changing times. perhaps most importantand anti - jansenistof all was the renewed nineteenth - century interest in the eucharist as the prime means of uniting natural man with a supernatural god. eucharistic emphasis led to the call for an earlier introduction to and more frequent reception of the sacrament. la trrs sainte communion of gaston de sugur ( 1820 - 1881 )


as the prime means of uniting natural man with a supernatural god. eucharistic emphasis led to the call for an earlier introduction to and more frequent reception of the sacrament. la trrs sainte communion of gaston de sugur ( 1820 - 1881 ) was one of the many significant works encouraging such practices. proponents of the roman school were also active supporters of public adoration of the eucharist, both perpetual and nocturnal adoration spreading everywhere with papal approval in the years after 1850. eucharistic congresses, involving processions, adoration, and theological conferences, also began in the 1870 ' s through the work of marie tamisier ( 1834 - 1910 ), gaston de sugur and others. these gradually became international affairs, the eucharistic congress of jerusalem in 1893 foreshadowing the the world - wide significance they would attain in the 1900 ' s. liturgical revival inevitably accompanied that of eucharistic devotion. conviction of the powerful role that the liturgy was meant to play in the life of the whole christian community and in that of each of its individual members became a major theme for benedictine spirituality, its starting point being the work of dom guuranger and his annue liturgique ( 1841 ). a liturgical movement grew from its original center in solesmes ( 1838 ) to the associated abbeys of beuron ( 1862 ), in germany, under marius wolter ( 1825 - 1890 ), and maredsous ( 1872 ), in belgium, with its great liturgist, gerard van caloen ( 1853 - 1932 ). it was at maredsous that the first influential missel des fidrles was published in 1871, fourteen years after the last papal condemnation of such a translation of the mass into the vernacular, and twenty - six before prohibition was quietly dropped in 1897. eucharistic and liturgical revival were given powerful support through pius x ' s endorsement of early and frequent reception of the sacrament by a laity which knew, prayed, and sang the mass together. neo - scholasticism was a third element in the roman school ' s approach. a return to the teaching of the scholastics had been advocated since the first half of the century, when men like taparelli d ' azeglio became convinced that only a grounding in a well - organized body of christian thought would provide the catholic student with a means accurately to digest and judge the complexity of the modern anti - religious intellect. similar concerns motivated bishop wilhelm emmanuel von ketteler ( 1811 - 1877 ) of mainz,


in a well - organized body of christian thought would provide the catholic student with a means accurately to digest and judge the complexity of the modern anti - religious intellect. similar concerns motivated bishop wilhelm emmanuel von ketteler ( 1811 - 1877 ) of mainz, who was also certain that modern social problems could be efficiently addressed in a more catholic manner if tackled logically with scholastic rigor. italy and germany thus became major centers for reviving scholastic studies, which, far from being merely neglected in catholic circles during the course of the previous century, had often positively been prohibited. neo - scholastics such as joseph kleutgen ( 1811 - 1883 ), author of die theologie / philosophie der vorzeit verteidigt, became extremely active by the time of the first vatican council. although the neo - scholastic renaissance involved study of many of the different thinkers of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, most of those engaged in it became convinced of the superiority of st. thomas and of the commentaries on st. thomas produced in the sixteenth century by cardinal cajetan ( 1469 - 1534 ). leo xiii, through his encyclical letter aeterni patris of august 4th, 1879, and his patronage of the leonine edition of the works of the angelic doctor ( 1882 ), gave to thomistic studies pride of place in the catholic world. journal after journal, and catholic center after catholic center, including the great catholic university of louvain in belgium, began to dedicate itself to intellectual work in this tradition, the accademia romana di san tommaso, established 1880, providing the model for much of their labor. a fourth theme, and the one justifying the designation of the school as a whole as " roman ", was an emphasis upon the role of the papacy in every aspect of church life, and a concomitant movement towards administrative centralization. this was inspired by theological considerations, admiration for the sufferings of pius vi and pius vii at the hands of the republican and napoleonic governments, concern for efficacious action in a world of ever more centralized, revolutionary, anti - catholic political and social forces, and frustration with the inadequacies of local ecclesiastical authorities. stirred by joseph de maistre ( 1754 - 1821 ), fulicitu de lamennais ( 1788 - 1854 ) and the mennaisiens in general, a neo - ultramontanist movement began, aided also by protestant converts to catholicism and a host of priests angry for one reason


1821 ), fulicitu de lamennais ( 1788 - 1854 ) and the mennaisiens in general, a neo - ultramontanist movement began, aided also by protestant converts to catholicism and a host of priests angry for one reason or another at their local ordinaries. neo - ultramontanism ' s enlistment of the papacy in its plans dates from 1831 onwards, though it really had to await the reign of pius ix ( 1846 - 1878 ) before arrival at the center of the papal stage. the first vatican council and the proclamation of the dogma of papal infallibility demonstrated its victorious progress most dramatically. vatican one also pointed the way to an extensive editing of canon law in a neo - ultramontanist sense, completed in 1917, emphasizing an ever - greater centralization of catholic activities under the holy see. finally, the roman school was charged with a sense of mission. it was convinced that it had a message for the world that could complete and exalt all of nature, a message whose neglect could only result in both supernatural and natural disaster. catholic dogma had a supernatural and natural telos which could only be fulfilled if christ were made the king of society at large and of individuals personally. an early witness to this conviction can be seen in the mennaisien olympe philippe gerbet ' s ( 1798 - 1864 ) book, considurations sur le dogme gunurateur de la foi catholique ( 1829 ). later ones appear in the writings of juan donoso cortes ( 1809 - 1853 ) and of the editors of la civilto cattolica. the sense of urgency and drama felt by all of them is well depicted in one major article of that roman jesuit journal : o dio re colla liberto, o l ' uomo re colla forza. ( " either god as king with liberty, or man as king through force " ). catholics had to transform the world in christ, or the world would be handed over to the perverted free will of libertine tyrants to destroy as they pleased, and sooner rather than later. two consequences flowed from this fifth of the roman school ' s themes. one was that, given the political and social activity connected with transforming the world in christ, the laity, the natural militants in secular society, had to be looked to as the church ' s chief agents in ordinary daily catholic action. the call to arms of the laity was a nineteenth century mobilization, and the proponents of


in christ, the laity, the natural militants in secular society, had to be looked to as the church ' s chief agents in ordinary daily catholic action. the call to arms of the laity was a nineteenth century mobilization, and the proponents of the roman school were very much the recruiting sergeants. a second consequence was the great care and suspicion with which modern man and modern civilization had to be approached, given their rejection of the reality of the supernatural as an active and positive element in natural life. modernity, to the roman school, meant a desire to barricade oneself in nature alonenaturalism ; and naturalism meant the destruction of the human personality and all of the perfections offered to civilization by god. romanists could thus enthusiastically defend proposition number 80 of the syllabus of errors, which enunciated the impossibility of a reconciliation of the roman pontiff with " liberalism, progress, and modern civilization ". such a reconciliation meant the embrace of slavery to self - deluding will and technologically - advanced barbarism. a laity armed with knowledge and grace was therefore called to a joint offensive - defensive action. many romanists allowed it wide scope for tactical experimentation in pursuit of victory, while urging retreat into catholic fortresses should success be denied. there were, indeed, flaws in the approach of the roman school which its friends ignore or deny at their own peril. in fact, in so far as these flaws were ignored or denied, they grew to undermine the very foundations of the school itself. let us briefly pause, therefore, to glance at some of them, and in a way that parallels the main themes outlined above. a conviction of the reality of the interaction of the natural and the supernatural may have encouraged many proponents of the roman school dangerously to over rely on supra - rational explanations for historical events. hence, to take but a single example, the sense that " war in heaven ", with apocalyptic overtones, was guiding the course of nineteenth - century human history, seems to have been one of the factors contributing to french catholic inaction and resignation to the passage of anticlerical legislation during the early years of the third republic, from 1877 through the 1880 ' s. history, to some romanists, seemed to belong to god alone, and god was therefore seen to be the physician for history ' s problems, either directly or through the medium of a providential personality, such as a sacred monarch. human organization to head off disaster could be construed almost as an


god alone, and god was therefore seen to be the physician for history ' s problems, either directly or through the medium of a providential personality, such as a sacred monarch. human organization to head off disaster could be construed almost as an insult to salvific supernatural forces. but no discernable miracles were forthcoming, and a catholic defeat which perhaps need not have taken place ensued. france was not the only land where some believers ' response to defeat involved retreat into a ghetto to await a retribution which they thought would surely fall upon the enemy from on high. thankfully, numerous french catholic luminaries, such as albert de mun ( 1841 - 1914 ), rejected this pious defeatism, and helped to prepare the way for the activism of the following century. the assistance of many more men would have been required to turn the tide in his own day. it may also be argued that the roman school was so concerned for illustrating the interaction of the supernatural and the natural in the church institutionally that a number of its most prominent spokesmen gradually ignored the consequences of the incarnation for the individual believer. while it is true that the reality of the divine element in the visible, hierarchical structure of the church is in itself so awesome as to take away the breath of the reverent believer, it is equally true that a complete understanding of the divine role of this hierarchical institution requires meditation on the transformation in christ of each of its constituent members. romanists certainly did not begin by neglecting individual " divinization ", as consultation of the articles of la civilto cattolica clearly indicates. nevertheless, such meditations as those of its jesuit editors may have lessened as the nineteenth century moved into the twentieth. but this is hard to say. only further study of romanist journals of the time periodwhich is sadly lackingwould be able to tell for certain. again, it does appear to be true to say that the rediscovery of an incarnational piety eventually took precedence over the rediscovery of other aspects of the catholic past, thus placing the need for a scriptural, patristic, and general revival of knowledge of the theological and historical sources of the faith in still greater relief. contemporary apparitions came to resonate more in the minds of some individuals than the words of the gospel or that of councils and popes. ironically, the piety which is thus exalted is actually weakened, in the long run, if it is emphasized at the expense of familiarity with the