H.B. 835: Ohio\u27s Response to the Domestic Violence Dilemma

Domestic violence is most often manifested by repeated, deliberate and severe beatings of family or household members. Victims frequently suffer broken bones, concussions, miscarriages or other physical injuries. The abused family or household members are also subjected to serious psychological and emotional injuries. Even though domestic violence impacts most clearly upon the victims, the assailants, too, are not without injury, often suffering from some type of mental illness, alcohol or drug abuse problem. The traditional view is that domestic violence does not exist, or if it exists, it must be dealt with privately. Today this view inappropriately deals with the grave problem of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a silent crisis which exists in every social, economic and ethnic class in our society. Although domestic violence is generally regarded as a social problem, it is also a crime which often goes undetected because it is either unreported or improperly recorded. In order to provide the appearance of a peaceful family life, a family or household member may be hesitant to report an attack or threat of force to authorities. Emotional and social pressures further compel a victim of domestic abuse to stay within the home and not seek outside assistance. Central agencies are unavailable in many jurisdictions to catalog incidents of abuse or alleged abuse. Absent a uniform police reporting procedure and a central collection agency, it is virtually impossible to accurately determine the extent of domestic abuse. H.B. 835 responds to many of the problems associated with domestic violence

Aspect sensitivity measurements of polar mesosphere summer echoes using coherent radar imaging

International audienceThe Esrange VHF radar (ESRAD), located in northern Sweden (67.88° N, 21.10° E), has been used to investigate polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE). During July and August of 1998, coherent radar imaging (CRI) was used to study the dynamic evolution of PMSE with high temporal and spatial resolution. A CRI analysis provides an estimate of the angular brightness distribution within the radar's probing volume. The brightness distribution is directly related to the radar reflectivity. Consequently, these data are used to investigate the aspect sensitivity of PMSE. In addition to the CRI analysis, the full correlation analysis (FCA) is used to derive estimates of the prevailing three-dimensional wind associated with the observed PMSE. It is shown that regions within the PMSE with enhanced aspect sensitivity have a correspondingly high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Although this relationship has been investigated in the past, the present study allows for an estimation of the aspect sensitivity independent of the assumed scattering models and avoids the complications of comparing echo strengths from vertical and off-vertical beams over large horizontal separations, as in the Doppler Beam Swinging (DBS) method. Regions of enhanced aspect sensitivity were additionally shown to correlate with the wave-perturbation induced downward motions of air parcels embedded in the PMSE

Considerations for temperature sensor placement on rotary-wing unmanned aircraft systems

Integrating sensors with a rotary-wing unmanned aircraft system (rwUAS) can introduce several sources of biases and uncertainties if not properly accounted for. To maximize the potential for rwUAS to provide reliable observations, it is imperative to have an understanding of their strengths and limitations under varying environmental conditions. This study focuses on the quality of measurements relative to sensor locations on board rwUAS. Typically, thermistors require aspiration and proper siting free of heat sources to make representative measurements of the atmosphere. In an effort to characterize ideal locations for sensor placement, a series of experiments were conducted in the homogeneous environment of an indoor chamber with a pedestal-mounted rwUAS. A suite of thermistors along with a wind probe were mounted inside of a solar shield, which was affixed to a linear actuator arm. The actuator arm was configured such that the sensors within the solar shield would travel underneath the platform into and out of the propeller wash. The actuator arm was displaced horizontally underneath the platform while the motors were throttled to 50&thinsp;%, yielding a time series of temperature and wind speed that could be compared to temperatures being collected in the ambient environment. Results indicate that temperatures may be biased in the order of 0.5–1.0&thinsp;°C and vary appreciably without aspiration, sensors placed close to the tips of the rotors may experience biases due to frictional and compressional heating as a result of turbulent fluctuations, and sensors in proximity to motors may experience biases approaching 1&thinsp;°C. From these trials, it has been determined that sensor placement underneath a propeller on an rwUAS a distance of one quarter the length of the propeller from the tip is most likely to be minimally impacted from influences of turbulence and motor, compressional, and frictional heating while still maintaining adequate airflow. When opting to use rotor wash as a means for sensor aspiration, the user must be cognizant of these potential sources of platform-induced heating when determining sensor location.</p

Heart Development, Coronary Vascularization and Ventricular Maturation in a Giant Danio (Devario malabaricus)

Giant danios (genus Devario), like zebrafish, are teleosts belonging to the danioninae subfamily of cyprinids. Adult giant danios are used in a variety of investigations aimed at understanding cellular and physiological processes, including heart regeneration. Despite their importance, little is known about development and growth in giant danios, or their cardiac and coronary vessels development. To address this scarcity of knowledge, we performed a systematic study of a giant danio (Devario malabaricus), focusing on its cardiac development, from the segmentation period to ten months post-fertilization. Using light and scanning electron microscopy, we documented that its cardiovascular development and maturation proceed along well defined dynamic and conserved morphogenic patterns. The overall size and cardiovascular expansion of this species was significantly impacted by environmental parameters such as rearing densities. The coronary vasculature began to emerge in the late larval stage. More importantly, we documented two possible loci of initiation of the coronary vasculature in this species, and compared the emergence of the coronaries to that of zebrafish and gourami. This is the first comprehensive study of the cardiac growth in a Devario species, and our findings serve as an important reference for further investigations of cardiac biology using this species

First 230 GHz VLBI Fringes on 3C 279 using the APEX Telescope

We report about a 230 GHz very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) fringe finder observation of blazar 3C 279 with the APEX telescope in Chile, the phased submillimeter array (SMA), and the SMT of the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO). We installed VLBI equipment and measured the APEX station position to 1 cm accuracy (1 sigma). We then observed 3C 279 on 2012 May 7 in a 5 hour 230 GHz VLBI track with baseline lengths of 2800 M$\lambda$ to 7200 M$\lambda$ and a finest fringe spacing of 28.6 micro-arcseconds. Fringes were detected on all baselines with SNRs of 12 to 55 in 420 s. The correlated flux density on the longest baseline was ~0.3 Jy/beam, out of a total flux density of 19.8 Jy. Visibility data suggest an emission region <38 uas in size, and at least two components, possibly polarized. We find a lower limit of the brightness temperature of the inner jet region of about 10^10 K. Lastly, we find an upper limit of 20% on the linear polarization fraction at a fringe spacing of ~38 uas. With APEX the angular resolution of 230 GHz VLBI improves to 28.6 uas. This allows one to resolve the last-photon ring around the Galactic Center black hole event horizon, expected to be 40 uas in diameter, and probe radio jet launching at unprecedented resolution, down to a few gravitational radii in galaxies like M 87. To probe the structure in the inner parsecs of 3C 279 in detail, follow-up observations with APEX and five other mm-VLBI stations have been conducted (March 2013) and are being analyzed.Comment: accepted for publication in A&

The value of mastectomy flap fixation in reducing fluid drainage and seroma formation in breast cancer patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prolonged and excessive drainage of serous fluid and seroma formation constitute the most common complications after mastectomy for breast carcinoma. Seroma formation delays wound healing, increases susceptibility to infection, skin flap necrosis, persistent pain and prolongs convalescence. For this, several techniques have been investigated to improve primary healing and minimize seroma formation.</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>Between June 2009 and July 2010 forty patients with breast carcinoma, scheduled for modified radical mastectomy, were randomly divided into 2 groups, the study group (20) and the control group (20). In the study group; the mastectomy flaps were fixed to the underlying muscles in raws, at various parts of the flap and at the wound edge using fine absorbable sutures. In the control group; the wound was closed in the conventional method at the edges. Closed suction drains were used in both groups. Patients, tumor characteristics and operative related factors were recorded. The amount and color of drained fluid were recorded daily. The drains were removed when the amount become less than 50 cc. The total amount and duration of drained fluid and the formation of seroma were recorded and the results were compared between the two groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the flap fixation group, the drain was removed in significantly shorter time compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Also, the total amount of fluid drained was significantly lower in the flap fixation group (p < 0.001). The flap fixation group showed a significantly lower frequency of seroma formation compared to the control group, both clinically (p = 0.028) and ultrasonographically (p = 0.047).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The mastectomy flap fixation technique is a valuable procedure that significantly decreases the incidence of seroma formation, and reduces the duration and amount of drained fluid. However, it should be tried on a much wider scale to prove its validity.</p

Intercomparison of Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Measurements for Atmospheric Science During the LAPSE-RATE Campaign

Small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) are rapidly transforming atmospheric research. With the advancement of the development and application of these systems, improving knowledge of best practices for accurate measurement is critical for achieving scientific goals. We present results from an intercomparison of atmospheric measurement data from the Lower Atmospheric Process Studies at Elevation—a Remotely piloted Aircraft Team Experiment (LAPSE-RATE) field campaign. We evaluate a total of 38 individual sUAS with 23 unique sensor and platform configurations using a meteorological tower for reference measurements. We assess precision, bias, and time response of sUAS measurements of temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed, and wind direction. Most sUAS measurements show broad agreement with the reference, particularly temperature and wind speed, with mean value differences of 1.6 ± 2.6 °C and 0.22 ± 0.59 m/s for all sUAS, respectively. sUAS platform and sensor configurations were found to contribute significantly to measurement accuracy. Sensor configurations, which included proper aspiration and radiation shielding of sensors, were found to provide the most accurate thermodynamic measurements (temperature and relative humidity), whereas sonic anemometers on multirotor platforms provided the most accurate wind measurements (horizontal speed and direction). We contribute both a characterization and assessment of sUAS for measuring atmospheric parameters, and identify important challenges and opportunities for improving scientific measurements with sUAS

Environmental effects on flying migrants revealed by radar

Migratory animals are affected by various factors during their journeys, and the study of animal movement by radars has been instrumental in revealing key influences of the environment on flying migrants. Radars enable the simultaneous tracking of many individuals of almost all sizes within the radar range during day and night, and under low visibility conditions. We review how atmospheric conditions, geographic features and human development affect the behavior of migrating insects and birds as recorded by radars. We focus on flight initiation and termination, as well as in-flight behaviour that includes changes in animal flight direction, speed and altitude. We have identified several similarities and differences in the behavioral responses of aerial migrants including an overlooked similarity in the use of thermal updrafts by very small (e.g. aphids) and very large (e.g. vultures) migrants. We propose that many aerial migrants modulate their migratory flights in relation to the interaction between atmospheric conditions and geographic features. For example, aerial migrants that encounter crosswind may terminate their flight or continue their migration and may also drift or compensate for lateral displacement depending on their position (over land, near the coast or over sea). We propose several promising directions for future research, including the development and application of algorithms for tracking insects, bats and large aggregations of animals using weather radars. Additionally, an important contribution will be the spatial expansion of aeroecological radar studies to Africa, most of Asia and South America where no such studies have been undertaken. Quantifying the role of migrants in ecosystems and specifically estimating the number of departing birds from stopover sites using low-elevation radar scans is important for quantifying migrant– habitat relationships. This information, together with estimates of population demographics and migrant abundance, can help resolve the long-term dynamics of migrant populations facing large-scale environmental changes