Existing narratives of the effects of partisan polarization in Congress on foreign policy issues are too simplistic

Contemporary politics in America have become riven by the high level of partisan polarization between the Republican and Democratic parties. But has this polarization had an impact on foreign policy? In new research that analysis votes in the U.S. House of Representatives over the past 40 years, Steven Hurst and Andrew Wroe find that while the House was polarized on foreign policy issues after the 1970s, this largely disappeared by the early 2000s, only to reappear more recently. With this in mind, they argue that more sophisticated models are needed to capture the effects of partisan polarization on foreign policy

Emplacement of sandstone intrusions during contractional tectonics

Acknowledgments We acknowledge the support of sponsoring companies of Phase 3 of the Sand Injection Research Group (SIRG). We are very grateful to John Waldron and Jessica Ross for the constructive reviews of the manuscript. We also wish to thank and acknowledge the continuing help and access provided by the Bureau of Land Management.Peer reviewedPostprin

Seepage rate of hydrothermally generated petroleum in East African Rift lakes : an example from Lake Tanganyika

Acknowledgements We thank Michael King and CGG | NPA Satellite Mapping for providing us with the GOSD dataset of Tanzania and the permission to publish the SAR images of Cape Kalumba oil seeps. Funding This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Peer reviewedPostprin

Grain and pore microtexture in sandstone sill and depositional sandstone reservoirs : preliminary insights

We would like to express our gratitude to Dr Mehmet Kartal and Professor Dubravka Pokrajac for their help in micro-CT scanning and the use of Avizo software. We would like to thank Dr Giuseppe Palladino for the help in rock sample collection. We also very grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions and the editors for their hard work, the feedback from them has led to considerable improvements in this manuscript.Peer reviewedPostprintPostprin

Heavy-Mineral Assemblages In Sandstone Intrusions : Panoche Giant Injection Complex, California, U.S.A.

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Using Spreadsheet-Based Simulation To Evaluate The Fairness of The USGA Golf Handicap Index

Using spreadsheet-based simulation, the USGA Handicap Index was shown to be an unfair statistic in one-on-one and team competition in two common types of scoring: stroke and match play. Experiments were developed in which players of different abilities (based on central tendency and variation) competed against each other over many trials. The results showed that in some situations, based on identifiable differences in abilities, some players won/lost a disproportionate (unfair) number of times. The causes of unfairness are different in one-on-one and team play. Alternative procedures were proposed that proved to reduce the unfairness of the index

Dynamic Light Structures: The Aesthetic and Performative Qualities of Solid Light Scenography for Performance and Installation

This practice as research thesis centres on the use of light projected through theatrical haze as a method of creating tangible, volumetric objects within a performance or installation space. The practice seeks to define light as a physical object, not simply an illuminating force but as a material in its own right, and in doing so examines the relationships built between that physically perceived light and the performer, the installation participant, the audience and the choreographer. The term Dynamic Light Structure has been coined here as a way to identify light perceived as a solid object, and to describe a sense of movement, reconfiguration and agency. Although the use of theatrical haze for performance lighting design is an accepted and ubiquitous technique used in the pursuit of conditioning a stage space, the resultant volumetric forms that appear when light is introduced to that conditioned space have not been examined in terms other than those relating to design methodology. This thesis moves beyond discourse that explores light as a design tool by placing the Dynamic Light Structure at the heart of the performance and installation experience. The research establishes the relationships that are built between Dynamic Light Structures and audience members, installation visitors and choreographers. In examining participant reception and practitioner process, the research defines how Dynamic Light Structures are perceived as autonomous stage objects in dialogue with a live performer, as manipulable objects used to redefine an environment and as process tools that can shape the trajectory of performance making

Medical-grade footwear: : the impact of fit and comfort

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License CC BY 4.0, (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.BACKGROUND: Pressure-related skin lesions on the digits are a significant cause of discomfort. Most foot pain related to ill-fitting shoes occurs in the forefoot and digital areas. Pain has been associated with poor shoe fit, reduced toe box volume, as well as contour and shape of the shoe Off-the-shelf medical-grade footwear is designed as an intervention for chronic lesions on the digits. These shoes are designed with a flexible neoprene fabric upper that is thought to reduce pressure on the forefoot and reduce discomfort associated with ill-fitting shoes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an off-the-shelf, medical-grade shoe on dorsal digital pressure and perceived comfort when compared to participant's own preferred shoe. METHODS: Thirty participants (18 females, 12 males) scored their perceived comfort whilst wearing each footwear style using a visual analog comfort scale. Dorsal digital and interdigital pressures were measured in using the WalkinSense® in-shoe pressure system. Sensors were placed on predetermined anatomical landmarks on the digits. Participants were randomly assigned the test shoe and their own shoe. Once wearing the shoe, the participants walked across a 6 m walkway and pressure data from each sensor was collected and processed to obtain peak pressure, time to peak pressure and contact time. RESULTS: Participants scored the test shoe with higher comfort points than their own footwear. Overall peak pressure, pressure time integral and contact time decreased, whilst the time taken to reach peak pressure increased across all anatomical landmarks whilst wearing the test shoe. Statistically significant changes were observed for all of the measured variables relating to pressure on the medial border of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. CONCLUSION: The test shoe provided greater comfort and reduced the amount of pressure on the forefoot. The medical-grade footwear therefore, is a viable alternative to custom made prescription footwear and is more suitable than a regular everyday shoe when treating digital lesions associated with pressure.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio