Dallas zoo hunts for escaped vulture

No Abstract. Vulture News Vol. 56 () 2007: pp.108-10

Visible and infrared photocurrent enhancement in a graphene-silicon Schottky photodetector through surface-states and electric field engineering

The design of efficient graphene-silicon (GSi) Schottky junction photodetectors requires detailed understanding of the spatial origin of the photoresponse. Scanning-photocurrent-microscopy (SPM) studies have been carried out in the visible wavelengths regions only, in which the response due to silicon is dominant. Here we present comparative SPM studies in the visible ($\lambda$ = 633nm) and infrared ($\lambda$ = 1550nm) wavelength regions for a number of GSi Schottky junction photodetector architectures, revealing the photoresponse mechanisms for silicon and graphene dominated responses, respectively, and demonstrating the influence of electrostatics on the device performance. Local electric field enhancement at the graphene edges leads to a more than ten-fold increased photoresponse compared to the bulk of the graphene-silicon junction. Intentional design and patterning of such graphene edges is demonstrated as an efficient strategy to increase the overall photoresponse of the devices. Complementary simulations and modeling illuminate observed effects and highlight the importance of considering graphene's shape and pattern and device geometry in the device design

Determinación del índice estandarizado de precipitación (SPI) en las cuencas N°128 Río La Villa y N°132 Río Santa María, variabilidad (1989-2019)

La sequía es un fenómeno meteorológico natural que independiente de los severos daños que provoca, en los últimos años se ha presentado con mayor frecuencia y en conjunto con la variabilidad climática. Además, representa un riesgo de la naturaleza que puede generar severas consecuencias devastadoras en los sectores productivos y económicos de una región, siendo capaz de alterar drásticamente el desarrollo social y las actividades humanas, así como el medio ambiente. En la presenta investigación se utilizó como sistema de determinación el índice estandarizado de precipitación (SPI) de McKee et al., utilizando 15 estaciones meteorológicas para el período de 1989-2019 en las cuencas N°128 río La Villa y N°132 río Santa María con el fin de evaluar las sequías meteorológicas y contribuir a la base sólida para la formulación de un plan estratégico y sistemas de adaptación y mitigación. La investigación se llevó a cabo en cuatro fases consecutivas. Primeramente, se realizó la recopilación de datos, luego el procesamiento de datos por medio de métodos estadísticos, seguido del cálculo y análisis del Índice Estandarizado de Precipitación (SPI) y su posterior modelación y proyección de los eventos climáticos acontecidos. Se pudo determinar que los resultados negativos de SPI en la parte alta de la cuenca N°128 río La Villa en la estación Pesé (128-010) y en la parte media de la cuenca N°132 río Santa María en la estación Calobre (132-010) coinciden en su mayoría con los años clasificados como El Niño según la Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-NOAA), indica sobre la intensidad fuerte del fenómeno: 1991, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2015 y 2019. Se pudo concluir que el año 1991-92 fueron de mayor magnitud de sequía en la región. La utilidad práctica de los resultados de este estudio considerando la corta serie empleada en el desarrollo del índice sirve como indicador para evaluar el impacto del déficit de precipitación sobre la disponibilidad en los recursos hídricos y los efectos que se producen para los diferentes sectores de ambas cuencas. Se recomendó instalar más estaciones a nivel nacional y mejorar el sistema de registro de la medición de las variables climatológicas, debido a que la información existente es escasa y muy limitada y con esto ayudar a la veracidad de la información para estudios futuros

Criminal Justice and Suicide Outcomes with Indiana's Risk-Based Gun Seizure Law

This article examines the application and effectiveness of a 2006 Indiana law designed to prevent gun violence by authorizing police officers to separate firearms from persons who present imminent or future risk of injury to self or others, or display a propensity for violent or emotionally unstable conduct. A court hearing is held to determine ongoing risk in these cases; a judge decides whether to return the seized firearms or retain them for up to five years. The study examines the frequency of criminal arrest as well as suicide outcomes for 395 gun-removal actions in Indiana. Fourteen individuals (3.5%) died from suicide, seven (1.8%) using a firearm. The study population's annualized suicide rate was about 31 times higher than that of the general adult population in Indiana, demonstrating that the law is being applied to a population genuinely at high risk. By extrapolating information on the case fatality rate for different methods of suicide, we calculated that one life was saved for every 10 gun-removal actions, similar to results of a previous study in Connecticut. Perspectives from key stakeholders are also presented along with implications for gun policy reform and implementation

Cultural Bias in Information Systems Research and Practice: Are You Coming From the Same Place I Am?

This article summarises an ICIS panel discussion held on December 2005 in Las Vegas on the influence of national (or ethnic) culture on IS research and practice. Based on the views of the panel members and the question and answer time with the wider audience, it was generally agreed that culture has a tremendously significant influence on IS research and practice. This influence is expressed in a bias in how research is conducted and published and how practice is conducted. The bias is usually in favour of the dominant cultural perspective. The effects of these biases, both positive and negative, are discussed and possible solutions discussed

Risk of Food Insecurity Reflects Health Status in Adult Relatives of PreK Children – ​ Data from the STEPS Snap-Ed Research Study​

Background: Past research shows a correlation between household food insecurity and chronic medical conditions such as diabetes in the general U.S. population as well as metabolic syndrome-related cardiometabolic markers in Hispanic/Latino youth. Furthermore, minority status, including Hispanic/Latino identity, shows an association with low food security and diabetes. The Hunger Vital Sign (HVS) is a validated screener designed to assess risk of food insecurity within households. This study analyzes associated factors related to the screener’s 2 questions, specifically targeting PreK 4-year-old children and their household relatives. The first question assesses concern about food running out before obtaining more due to financial constraints, while the second question evaluates instances when food did not last and there was insufficient money to purchase more. Methods: The participating preschools were primarily Hispanic/Latino and nested within schools and school districts. Data were collected through household questionnaires. The frequency of food insecurity (FI) risk was measured as an ordinal variable (never, sometimes, often) and dichotomized (never vs sometimes + often). Agreement between questions was assessed using the kappa coefficient. Mixed models were employed to predict the risk of children’s BMI and the risk of relatives developing chronic disease, adjusting for age and sex. Results: The study included 828 families, with 74% reporting never experiencing food insecurity, 22% sometimes, and 4% often. The agreement between the 2 survey questions was substantial (kappa 0.80, p \u3c 0.001). Probability of FI decreased as income level and education level of parents increased. No significant associations were found between FI and children’s age, BMI, height, or the ratio of children to adults in the household. However, a positive screen using the HVS correlated with hypertension and/or diabetes in the family. Conclusion: The HVS screens for food insecurity risk and is associated with health issues in adults rather than children\u27s body weight or height. Responses to the survey’s 2 questions can provide insights into the overall health status of a household, emphasizing the intricate relationship between food insecurity, malnutrition, and various health outcomes. The presented results support planning and resource allocation strategies to reduce food insecurity in the Hispanic/Latino population