NOVEL METHODS FOR DEPOSITION OF BORON CARBIDE FILMS

By combining pentaborane (B5H9) and decarborane (B10H14) with methane in a plasma reactor, a variety of boron-carbides can be made over a wide range of compositions. The resulting thin films have uniform composition and appear to be polycrystalline

New Rotation Periods in the Pleiades: Interpreting Activity Indicators

We present results of photometric monitoring campaigns of G, K and M dwarfs in the Pleiades carried out in 1994, 1995 and 1996. We have determined rotation periods for 18 stars in this cluster. In this paper, we examine the validity of using observables such as X-ray activity and amplitude of photometric variations as indicators of angular momentum loss. We report the discovery of cool, slow rotators with high amplitudes of variation. This contradicts previous conclusions about the use of amplitudes as an alternate diagnostic of the saturation of angular momentum loss. We show that the X-ray data can be used as observational indicators of mass-dependent saturation in the angular momentum loss proposed on theoretical grounds

Nonverbal Synchrony: An Indicator of Clinical Communication Quality in Racially-Concordant and Racially-Discordant Oncology Interactions

Objectives The aim of this cross-sectional study was to apply a novel software to measure and compare levels of nonverbal synchrony, as a potential indicator of communication quality, in video recordings of racially-concordant and racially-discordant oncology interactions. Predictions include that the levels of nonverbal synchrony will be greater during racially-concordant interactions than racially-discordant interactions, and that levels of nonverbal synchrony will be associated with traditional measures of communication quality in both racially-concordant and racially-discordant interactions. Design This is a secondary observational analysis of video-recorded oncology treatment discussions collected from 2 previous studies. Setting Two National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and another large urban cancer center. Participants Participants from Study 1 include 161 White patients with cancer and 11 White medical oncologists. Participants from Study 2 include 66 Black/African-American patients with cancer and 17 non-Black medical oncologists. In both studies inclusion criteria for patients was a recent cancer diagnosis; in Study 2 inclusion criteria was identifying as Black/African American. Main outcome measures Nonverbal synchrony and communication quality. Results Greater levels of nonverbal synchrony were observed in racially-discordant interactions than in racially-concordant interactions. Levels of nonverbal synchrony were associated with indicators of communication quality, and these associations were more consistently found in racially-discordant interactions. Conclusion This study advances clinical communication and disparities research by successfully applying a novel approach capturing the unconscious nature of communication, and revealing differences in communication in racially-discordant and racially-concordant oncology interactions. This study highlights the need for further exploration of nonverbal aspects relevant to patient-physician interactions

Intersections between Body Image, Sexual Identity, and Sexual Well-Being among Gender-Diverse Youth

Body image, sexual identity, sexual well-being, and gender identity interact in complex ways in youths’ lives. While separate concepts, they inherently intertwine as each affects the other socially, emotionally, developmentally, and physically. Gender-diverse youth must navigate the development of their gender and sexual identities in a social environment that often stigmatizes them while also confronting gender dysphoria that can harm their body image. Disruptions in the development of gender and sexual identities and negative body image can lead to reduced levels of sexual well-being, which can negatively impact gender-diverse youths’ overall well-being. This chapter reviews literature regarding body image, sexual and gender identity development, and sexual well-being among gender-diverse youth, with a focus on how the four aspects of gender-diverse youths’ lives intersect. It concludes with recommendations for social work practice, education, and research so that social workers can be better attuned to gender-diverse youths’ complex gender-, sexuality-, and body image-based needs

The physiological consequences of crib-biting in horses in response to an ACTH challenge test

Stereotypies are repetitive and relatively invariant patterns of behavior, which are observed in a wide range of species in captivity. Stereotypic behavior occurs when environmental demands produce a physiological response that, if sustained for an extended period, exceeds the natural physiological regulatory capacity of the organism, particularly in situations that include unpredictability and uncontrollability. One hypothesis is that stereotypic behavior functions to cope with stressful environments, but the existing evidence is contradictory. To address the coping hypothesis of stereotypies, we triggered physiological reactions in 22 horses affected by stereotypic behavior (crib-biters) and 21 non-crib-biters (controls), using an ACTH challenge test. Following administration of an ACTH injection, we measured saliva cortisol every 30 min and heart rate (HR) continuously for a period of 3 h. We did not find any differences in HR or HR variability between the two groups, but crib-biters had significantly higher cortisol responses than controls (mean ± SD: CB, 5.84 ± 2.62 ng/ml, C, 4.76 ± 3.04 ng/ml). Moreover, crib-biters that did not perform the stereotypic behavior during the 3- h test period (Group B) had significantly higher cortisol levels than controls, which was not the case of crib-biters showing stereotypic behavior (Group A) (A, 5.58 ± 2.69 ng/ml; B, 6.44 ± 2.38 ng/ml). Our results suggest that crib-biting is a coping strategy that helps stereotypic individuals to reduce cortisol levels caused by stressful situations. We conclude that preventing stereotypic horses from crib-biting could be an inappropriate strategy to control this abnormal behavior, as it prevents individuals from coping with situations that they perceive as stressful.PostprintPeer reviewe

New rotation periods in the Pleiades: Interpreting activity indicators

We present results of photometric monitoring campaigns of G, K and M dwarfs in the Pleiades carried out in 1994, 1995 and 1996. We have determined rotation periods for 18 stars in this cluster. In this paper, we examine the validity of using observables such as X-ray activity and amplitude of photometric variations as indicators of angular momentum loss. We report the discovery of cool, slow rotators with high amplitudes of variation. This contradicts previous conclusions about the use of amplitudes as an alternate diagnostic of the saturation of angular momentum loss. We show that the X-ray data can be used as observational indicators of mass-dependent saturation in the angular momentum loss proposed on theoretical grounds.Comment: 24 pages, LaTex (AASTeX); includes 8 postscript figures and 4 Latex tables. To appear in ApJ, Feb. 1, 1998. Postscript version of preprint can be obtained from http://casa.colorado.edu/~anitak/pubs.htm

The effect of starspots on eclipse timings of binary stars

We investigate the effects that starspots have on the light curves of eclipsing binaries and in particular how they may affect the accurate measurement of eclipse timings. Concentrating on systems containing a low-mass main-sequence star and a white dwarf, we find that if starspots exhibit the Wilson depression they can alter the times of primary eclipse ingress and egress by several seconds for typical binary parameters and starspot depressions. In addition, we find that the effect on the eclipse ingress/egress times becomes more profound for lower orbital inclinations. We show how it is possible, in principle, to determine estimates of both the binary inclination and depth of the Wilson depression from light curve analysis The effect of depressed starspots on the O-C diagrams of eclipsing systems is also investigated. It is found that the presence of starspots will introduce a `jitter' in the O-C residuals and can cause spurious orbital period changes to be observed. Despite this, we show that the period can still be accurately determined even for heavily spotted systems.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Reaching a Consensus: Terminology and Concepts Used in Coordination and Decision-Making Research

Research on coordination and decision-making in humans and nonhuman primates has increased considerably throughout the last decade. However, terminology has been used inconsistently, hampering the broader integration of results from different studies. In this short article, we provide a glossary containing the central terms of coordination and decision-making research. The glossary is based on previous definitions that have been critically revised and annotated by the participants of the symposium “Where next? Coordination and decision-making in primate groups” at the XXIIIth Congress of the International Primatological Society (IPS) in Kyoto, Japan. We discuss a number of conceptual and methodological issues and highlight consequences for their implementation. In summary, we recommend that future studies on coordination and decision-making in animal groups do not use the terms “combined decision” and “democratic/despotic decision-making.” This will avoid ambiguity as well as anthropocentric connotations. Further, we demonstrate the importance of 1) taxon-specific definitions of coordination parameters (initiation, leadership, followership, termination), 2) differentiation between coordination research on individual-level process and group-level outcome, 3) analyses of collective action processes including initiation and termination, and 4) operationalization of successful group movements in the field to collect meaningful and comparable data across different species

Cyclotron Modeling Phase-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy of Polars III: AM Herculis and ST Leo Minoris

We present phase-resolved low resolution infrared spectra of AM Her and ST LMi, two low-field polars that we observed with SPEX on the IRTF. Optical/NIR lightcurves are also published to help constrain the viewing geometry and brightness of the objects at the time they were observed. Currently, only limited IR spectra have been published for these objects, and none with the phase-coverage presented here. In both cases, the resulting spectra are dominated by emission from the secondary star in the NIR. However, the emission regions are also self-eclipsed, allowing us to isolate the cyclotron emission through subtraction of the dim-phase spectrum. We use a ``Constant Lambda'' prescription to model the changing cyclotron features seen in the resulting data. For AM Her, we find a best fit model of: B = 13.6 MG, kT = 4.0 keV, and logLambda = 5.0. The cyclotron derived accretion geometry is consistent with an orbital inclination of 50 degrees and a magnetic co-latitude of 85 degrees. For ST LMi, B = 12.1 MG, kT = 3.3 keV, and logLambda = 5.7 with an orbital inclination of 55 degrees and a magnetic co-latitude of 128 degrees.Comment: 12 Pages, 9 figures. To Appear in 2008 August 1 issue of Ap