Practical applications of small-angle neutron scattering.

Recent improvements in beam-line accessibility and technology have led to small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) becoming more frequently applied to materials problems. SANS has been used to study the assembly, dispersion, alignment and mixing of nanoscale condensed matter, as well as to characterise the internal structure of organic thin films, porous structures and inclusions within steel. Using time-resolved SANS, growth mechanisms in materials systems and soft matter phase transitions can also be explored. This review is intended for newcomers to SANS as well as experts. Therefore, the basic knowledge required for its use is first summarised. After this introduction, various examples are given of the types of soft and hard matter that have been studied by SANS. The information that can be extracted from the data is highlighted, alongside the methods used to obtain it. In addition to presenting the findings, explanations are provided on how the SANS measurements were optimised, such as the use of contrast variation to highlight specific parts of a structure. Emphasis is placed on the use of complementary techniques to improve data quality (e.g. using other scattering methods) and the accuracy of data analysis (e.g. using microscopy to separately determine shape and size). This is done with a view to providing guidance on how best to design and analyse future SANS measurements on materials not listed below

Does one plus one equal two? The influence of sequential single-leg cycling on cardiovascular disease risk

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Regular exercise training can positively influence risk factors for CVD; however, the optimal training modality is unknown. Single-leg cycling allows greater leg blood flow and muscle-specific oxygen consumption resulting in higher localised intensity, when compared with double-leg cycling, and therefore could provide superior benefits to CVD risk factor profile. Within this thesis, three studies were conducted to examine the haemodynamic responses to sequential single-leg cycling (i.e. both legs exercised independently within a single session) and the chronic impact of this modality on common risk factors for CVD. Study One (Chapter Four) investigated the haemodynamic responses of the active and inactive legs during sequential single-leg (12 (six with one leg followed by six with the other leg) 1-min single-leg maximal effort intervals interspersed with one minute of passive recovery) and double-leg cycling (six 1-min double-leg maximal effort intervals interspersed with one minute of passive recovery) in a young healthy population. Study Two (Chapter Five) examined the acute central and peripheral haemodynamic responses of healthy middle-aged adults to sequential single-leg (20 (ten with each leg) 30-second single-leg intervals at a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of 15-17 interspersed with 60 seconds passive recovery) and double-leg (ten 30-second double-leg intervals at a RPE of 15-17 interspersed with 60 seconds passive recovery) interval cycling. Study Three (Chapter Six) assessed the effects of eight weeks of cycle training, using moderate intensity double-leg continuous cycling (MCTDL; cycled continuously for 40 minutes at an RPE 11-13 using double-leg cycling), high intensity double-leg interval cycling (HITDL; twenty 30-second double-leg intervals at a RPE 15-17 separated by 60 seconds of passive recovery) or high intensity sequential single-leg interval cycling (HITSL: forty (twenty with each leg) 30-second single-leg intervals at a RPE of 15-17 interspersed with 60 seconds passive recovery), on CVD risk factors in healthy middle-aged adults. In a young healthy population (Chapter Four), mean arterial pressure was higher during the initial compared with second set of single-leg intervals (108 ± 10 mmHg vs. 101 ± 10 mmHg; p<0.05). Furthermore, the pattern of change in muscle blood volume from the initial to second set of intervals was different (p<0.05) when the leg was active in the initial (-52.3 ± 111.6%) compared with second set (65.1 ± 152.9%). Differences in mean arterial pressure and blood volume distribution during sequential single-leg cycling indicates the presence of a leg order effect. Consistent with previous single-leg cycling studies in young healthy adults, the power output produced per leg was higher (p<0.01) during single-leg (176 ± 52 W) compared with double-leg (145 ± 38 W) interval cycling which confirms the higher localised intensity associated with this modality. In contrast to findings in younger adults in Chapter Four, power output normalised to the active muscle mass was lower during single-leg compared with double-leg cycling (single-leg: 8.92 ± 1.74 W∙kg-1 and double-leg: 10.41 ± 3.22 W∙kg-1; p<0.05) in a healthy middle-aged population (Chapter Five). This was despite the greater normalised cardiac output (single-leg: 1407 ± 334 mL∙kg-1∙min-1 and double-leg: 850 ± 222 mL∙kg-1∙min-1; p<0.01) indicating surplus blood was available to the smaller active muscle mass. The dissociation between blood availability and power output is consistent with an ageing model characterised by a decrease in local oxygen delivery and distribution capability. However, in Chapter Six, when examined as an average of the entire eight-week intervention, the participants were able to maintain a higher normalised power output during HITSL compared with HITDL and MCTDL. These data indicate that older adults are likely to respond in a similar manner to younger cohorts; however, it may take multiple exercise sessions before differences in per leg power output are observed. From the data within this thesis, it is not possible to determine the exact number of exercise sessions required to familiarise older adults to this novel modality. The findings presented in Chapter Six indicate that irrespective of modality, participants experienced improvements in fitness (22.3 ± 6.4 mL∙kg-1∙min-1 vs 24.9 ± 7.6 mL∙kg-1∙min-1; p<0.01), and reductions in waist-to-hip ratio (0.84 ± 0.09 vs 0.83 ± 0.09; p<0.01), resting blood pressure (systolic: 129 ± 11 mmHg vs 124 ± 12 mmHg; p<0.01-, diastolic: 79 ± 8 mmHg vs 76 ± 8 mmHg; p<0.02), total cholesterol (5.87 ± 1.17 mmol∙L-1 vs 5.55 ± 0.98 mmol∙L-1; p<0.01) and LDL cholesterol (3.70 ± 1.04 mmol∙L-1 vs 3.44 ± 0.84 mmol∙L-1; p<0.01) after the eight-week intervention. Additionally, the proportion of individuals in each condition who experienced clinically relevant changes in aerobic capacity, LDL cholesterol and blood pressure (i.e. those risk factors with published clinically relevant change scores) were assessed. During the double-leg cycling conditions (HITDL and MCTDL), more individuals demonstrated changes in aerobic capacity above the clinically relevant change score (i.e. changes associated with reductions in CVD morbidity and mortality) when compared with single-leg cycling. High intensity cycling (HITSL and HITDL) demonstrated a greater influence on LDL cholesterol when compared to moderate intensity cycling. Reductions in arterial blood pressure beyond clinically relevant change scores were more prevalent following HITSL compared with the double-leg cycling conditions (HITDL and MCTDL). In conclusion, the findings presented in this thesis provide evidence for the therapeutic use of sequential single-leg cycling in healthy populations. Importantly, when using sequential single-leg cycling as a training modality, active leg order should be alternated in each training session due to potential alterations in acute cardiovascular and metabolic responses. Further, short-term exercise training of moderate or high intensity and using double-leg or single-leg cycling can positively influence risk factors for CVD. However, based on the proportion of individuals surpassing the clinically relevant change scores for select CVD risk factors, practitioners should focus their selection of exercise modality for the specific goals of the exercise intervention

Cooking with Couples: A Grounded Theory Study on the Relational Aspects Found in the Cooking Interactions of Couples

Cooking is a universal activity which all humans can relate to on some level. Historically, cooking has continued to connect people across cultures and time, simultaneously providing nutritive sustenance as well as socio- and psychological benefits. Medical and mental health practitioners only in recent years have utilized cooking in a therapeutic process, and most of those cooking activities available tend to focus on cooking from an occupational and nutrition-education stance. A gap in the literature pertaining to cooking and its therapeutic applications exists around the relational nature underlying the cooking process, especially as it pertains to couples. While marriage and family therapists have used a number of creative experiential modalities in therapy for years, such as art and music therapy, cooking has been especially underutilized in comparison, despite its therapeutic and relational applicability. Therefore, this study was conducted to offer a foundation for understanding how the interactions in a kitchen can highlight relational elements between people. Eight couples (16 participants) who have lived together for at least two years and who cook together often were interviewed in their homes. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was used for this study, and subsequent to data analysis, a three-part theory describing the relational components of couple’s cooking interactions emerged, called The Couple’s Cooking Triad. The theory is made up of Relationship Skills, Emotional Connections, and Languaging. Results from this study, organizing the complex interactions of couples in a kitchen, indicate further use by marriage and family therapists in an experiential therapeutic capacity

Introduction

This article introduces the subject of Volume XXVII, Issue I: an account of a From the Ground Up: Local Lessons for National Reform, a national conference on campaign finance reform held on November 9, 1998, sponsored by the New York City Campaign Finance Board and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. It offers a brief introduction to the New York City Campaign Finance Program, including the content of several amendments since its first introduction in 1988. While the conference discussed federal campaign finance reform, the focus was on how such reform might be informed by local experiments. The introduction explains that the conference is intended to assist public evaluation of federal campaign finance reform legislation by examining experience and data available from local initiatives

One State or Two in Israel/Palestine: The Stress on Gender and Citizenship

As is the case with any of the three great Abrahamic religions, there is considerable ambiguity regarding the status and role of women both within doctrinal interpretations, and between religious and other cultural traditions in the community. These ambiguities are reflected in political practice and condition women\u27s aspirations regarding what is possible for them to achieve. Nowhere is it more true that understandings of religious imperatives permeate politics and work to make other lines of division all the more intractable than in Israel/Palestine. The proclivity to violence between the two peoples not only victimizes women, but foreshortens attention to their specific political needs and the general issue of women\u27s rights in the region

Properties of Energetic Ions in the Solar Atmosphere from {\gamma} -Ray and Neutron Observations

Gamma-rays and neutrons are the only sources of information on energetic ions present during solar flares and on properties of these ions when they interact in the solar atmosphere. The production of {\gamma}-rays and neutrons results from convolution of the nuclear cross-sections with the ion distribution functions in the atmosphere. The observed {\gamma}-ray and neutron fluxes thus provide useful diagnostics for the properties of energetic ions, yielding strong constraints on acceleration mechanisms as well as properties of the interaction sites. The problem of ion transport between the accelerating and interaction sites must also be addressed to infer as much information as possible on the properties of the primary ion accelerator. In the last couple of decades, both theoretical and observational developments have led to substantial progress in understanding the origin of solar {\gamma}-rays and neutrons. This chapter reviews recent developments in the study of solar {\gamma}-rays and of solar neutrons at the time of the RHESSI era. The unprecedented quality of the RHESSI data reveals {\gamma}-ray line shapes for the first time and provides {\gamma}-ray images. Our previous understanding of the properties of energetic ions based on measurements from the former solar cycles is also summarized. The new results-obtained owing both to the gain in spectral resolution (both with RHESSI and with the non solar-dedicated INTEGRAL/SPI instrument) and to the pioneering imaging technique in the {\gamma}-ray domain-are presented in the context of this previous knowledge. Still open questions are emphasized in the last section of the chapter and future perspectives on this field are briefly discussed.Comment: This is a chapter in a monograph on the physics of solar flares, inspired by RHESSI observations. The individual articles are to appear in Space Science Reviews (2011

VIGILANCE OF NESTING WHOOPING CRANES IN JUNEAU COUNTY, WISCONSIN

Vigilance plays an important role in the detection of possible threats and reducing the risk of predation, including during the incubation period. We examined the visual vigilance of incubating whooping cranes (Grus americana) in Juneau County, Wisconsin, during the 2019 nesting season. We deployed 9 trail cameras and tagged crane presence and behavior in 32,801 photos which were used in our analysis. We assessed individual nest and environmental variables and their effects on vigilant behavior of incubating cranes using linear mixed-models. Vigilant behavior was defined by a posture in which the crane’s head was up, neck was erect, and bill was horizontal to the ground. Nesting whooping cranes were less vigilant during the night (x̄ = 14.3 ± 1.4% [SE]) than during the day (25.0 ± 0.7%), and cranes were less vigilant during precipitation events. Cranes nesting closer to closed forest were 11-12% less vigilant than those nesting at medium or far distances from forest. Lastly, cranes nesting in medium-sized wetlands were 4-5% more vigilant than cranes in small or large wetlands. Further research to determine if levels of vigilance affect nest success could help increase productivity for this population

Burn wound classification model using spatial frequency-domain imaging and machine learning.

Accurate assessment of burn severity is critical for wound care and the course of treatment. Delays in classification translate to delays in burn management, increasing the risk of scarring and infection. To this end, numerous imaging techniques have been used to examine tissue properties to infer burn severity. Spatial frequency-domain imaging (SFDI) has also been used to characterize burns based on the relationships between histologic observations and changes in tissue properties. Recently, machine learning has been used to classify burns by combining optical features from multispectral or hyperspectral imaging. Rather than employ models of light propagation to deduce tissue optical properties, we investigated the feasibility of using SFDI reflectance data at multiple spatial frequencies, with a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, to predict severity in a porcine model of graded burns. Calibrated reflectance images were collected using SFDI at eight wavelengths (471 to 851&nbsp;nm) and five spatial frequencies (0 to 0.2  mm  -  1). Three models were built from subsets of this initial dataset. The first subset included data taken at all wavelengths with the planar (0  mm  -  1) spatial frequency, the second comprised data at all wavelengths and spatial frequencies, and the third used all collected data at values relative to unburned tissue. These data subsets were used to train and test cubic SVM models, and compared against burn status 28 days after injury. Model accuracy was established through leave-one-out cross-validation testing. The model based on images obtained at all wavelengths and spatial frequencies predicted burn severity at 24&nbsp;h with 92.5% accuracy. The model composed of all values relative to unburned skin was 94.4% accurate. By comparison, the model that employed only planar illumination was 88.8% accurate. This investigation suggests that the combination of SFDI with machine learning has potential for accurately predicting burn severity