Transient, laminar, free-convection heat and mass transfer in closed, partially filled, liquid containers technical report no. 1

Two-dimensional, laminar, transient, natural- convection heat and mass transfer in closed, partially filled liquid container

Rare Λb→Λℓ+ℓ−\Lambda_{b}\to \Lambda\ell^{+}\ell^{-} decay in the two-Higgs doublet model of type-III

The rare exclusive dileptonic $\Lambda_{b}\to \Lambda\ell^{+}\ell^{-}$ $(\ell =\mu, \tau)$ decays are investigated in the general two-Higgs-doublet model of type III. A significant enhancement to the branching ratios, differential branching ratios, leptons forward-backward asymmetry, and the $\Lambda$ baryon polarizations over the standard model is obtained. Measurements of these quantities will be useful for establishing the two-Higgs doublet model.Comment: 33 pages, 5 figure

Visual estimation of joint angles at the elbow

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of visual estimation of elbow joint angles. A total of 116observers (93 doctors and 23 physiotherapists) were shown 21 digital images of two arms in predeWned degrees of elbow Xexion on two separate occasions. They estimated the angle of Xexion to the nearest 5°. Only 70.8% of estimates were within +5°, although intra-observer agreement was good among all groups tested (ICC range 0.963-0.983). Orthopaedic consultants and registrars were equivalent and statistically better at estimating the angles compared to senior house officers and physiotherapists (P < 0.001). Compared to the angles of 85 and 90°, all other angles were signifcantly less likely to be estimated to within +5° (P < 0.001). In conclusion, visual estimation of joint angles at the elbow may not be desirable in cases where accurate serial assessment is required for clinical decision making. The use of a goniometer by an agreed standardized protocol is advised

Transient natural convection flows in closed containers technical report no. 2

Measurements and calculations of natural flow convection and thermal stratification in closed container

Gulf state assistance to conflict-affected environments

Donors from particular Gulf states emerged as significant sponsors of mid-conflict and post-conflict humanitarian interventions during the Bosnian conflict of the mid-1990s and have grown increasingly visible, particularly during the past decade. This paper addresses the objectives underlying Gulf states’ contributions in conflict-affected environments, the tangible forms which Gulf assistance takes and the impact it has had both on war-torn contexts and on global conventions related to donorship. The authors conclude that Gulf state aid has been motivated by religiously rooted principles of charitable giving which have frequently been moulded according to, in particular, the national political objectives of donor countries. However, rather than being a solely strategic undertaking, Gulf state donorship also reflects principled positions related to human security, cultural integrity and state sovereignty. This study shows that there is a possibility of strengthening these ‘emerging’ donors’ activities while also applying their values and, at times, innovative practices to the so-called ‘traditional’ donors of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

Roles of estrogen receptor-alpha in mediating life span: the hypothalamic deregulation hypothesis.

In several species caloric restriction (CR) extends life span. In this paper we integrate data from studies on CR and other sources to articulate the hypothalamic deregulation hypothesis by which estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-α) signaling in the hypothalamus and limbic system affects life span under the stress of CR in mammals. ER-α is one of two principal estrogen-binding receptors differentially expressed in the amygdala, hippocampus, and several key hypothalamic nuclei: the arcuate nucleus (ARN), preoptic area (POA), ventromedial nucleus (VMN), antero ventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), paraventricular nucleus (PVN), supraoptic nucleus (SON), and suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Estradiol signaling via ER-α is essential in basal level functioning of reproductive cycle, sexually receptive behaviors, physiological stress responses, as well as sleep cycle, and other nonsexual behaviors. When an organism is placed under long-term CR, which introduces an external stress to this ER-α signaling, the reduction of ER-α expression is attenuated over time in the hypothalamus. This review paper seeks to characterize the downstream effects of ER-α in the hypothalamus and limbic system that affect normal endocrine functioning

Rule Extraction from Support Vector Machines: Measuring the Explanation Capability Using the Area under the ROC Curve

Recently, the area of rule extraction from support vector machines (SVMs) has been explored. One important indication of the success of a rule extraction method is the performance of extracted rules as compared to the original SVM. In this paper, we describe the use of the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) to assess the quality of rules extracted from an SVM. In particular, we directly compare AUC to the more commonly used measures of accuracy and fidelity and show that AUC is both a more reliable and meaningful measure to use