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Crocodile skinks are very interesting animals that are not only fascinating to observe, but somewhat unfamiliar to most reptile enthusiasts. They also exhibit a number of unusual behaviors that aren't often seen in popular pet species and they can be maintained in relatively small habitats. But while crocodile skinks often make rewarding pets, it is important to learn as much as you can about their biology, way of life and the habitats from which they hail to ensure they thrive in your hands. Inside, you will find all of the information you need to care for a pet crocodile skink and ensure he enjoys a long and healthy life. By incorporating the lessons presented here and doing your best to remain observant of your new pet, success should be within your reach.

"Friends Like These, the next adventure supplement for the Star Wars: Age of Rebellion roleplaying game, takes your team of Rebels to Xorrn, a planet under threat of imminent Imperial attack. Once you arrive, you have 48 hours to organize the defenses and recruit military support from nearby systems. But from the moment you first arrive on Xorrn, you’ll discover that in this area of the galaxy, it's impossible to know who your real friends are, and that strategy and morals don’t always go hand in hand. In this battle, even the cleanest military victory might come at a terrible price." -- Publisher website

Abstract: Approximately 250,000 HIV seropositive persons in the United States are unaware they are infected. One reason individuals are unaware of their HIV serostatus is because they fail to return (FTR) for HIV test results. This study models predictors of FTR, and includes avoidance, which is measured via the Coping Strategies Indicator (CSI). Data collection was carried out in HIV/AIDS prevention and testing in Long Beach, California, at the Center for Behavioral Research and Services. Bivariate and chi square analyses revealed living on the streets, recently receiving condoms, and recent drug use as strong predictors of FTR. Avoidance was also found to predict FTR. Logistic regression modeling further analyzed combined factors of FTR.

The one man she wants is her sister’s ex . . . Off-limits lovers are taken to the next level in this scandalous follow-up to Cat Schield’s Taken by Storm. Gideon Johns inspired singer Jessie Humphrey to write her first hit about unrequited love. Now on the cusp of breakout success, the A-list performer can write her own ticket. When a star-studded event in Napa Valley brings Jessie face-to-face with her former crush, sparks fly. But the handsome-as-ever real estate billionaire is still her sister’s ex. Still a no-go. Still impossible to resist. Is she setting herself up for more heartache, or for her wildest fantasy to come true? Because little Jessie Humphrey is all grown up. And Gideon wouldn’t dare deny this beautiful woman her forbidden kiss . . . no matter what the consequences. “Reese Ryan has written another enjoyable character driven romance and I’ll be looking for the next on her release list!” —Harlequin Junkie From Harlequin Desire: Luxury, scandal, passion—welcome to the lives of the American elite. Don’t miss a single story in the Dynasties: Secrets of the A-list series! Book 1—Tempted by Scandal by Karen Booth Book 2—Taken by Storm by Cat Schield Book 3—Seduced by Second Chances by Reese Ryan Book 4—Redeemed by Passion by Joss Wood

Closed loop visual feedback control of the hand is essential for accurate reaching movements. Without visual signals of either the hand or target position, reaches are inaccurate and imprecise; therefore the brain uses a relative positional signal to control movements online. Previous studies suggest that movements are planned and represented in a polar coordinate system and that the dimensions, direction and extent are independently specified and processed. We were interested to find out whether there was behavioral evidence for the independent control of hand direction and extent as a movement unfolded. We asked subjects to make a reaching movement in a virtual reality environment in which we singularly removed the visual presentation of direction and extent information of the moving hand. Results from this experiment suggest that people control the direction and extent of hand position independently during the course of a movement. With that in mind, we reasoned that if these two dimensions were controlled independently then human responses to actual visuomotor perturbations would reflect that processing. Therefore we asked subjects to perform point to point reaching movements with a visuomotor displacement and recorded their hand positions. The trajectories were then compared to model predictions of visuomotor control to determine what type of coordinate system and control architecture most closely mimicked human behavior. We chose 2 model systems, the Next State Planner (NSP) which could be implemented in different coordinate systems, and the Stiff-Viscous (SV) model which implements control by generating corrective feedback torques. We used systems engineering metrics to evaluate human and model responses. Results from this study suggest that feedback responses of humans to visuomotor perturbation are most closely modeled by a controller than compares spatial locations of the hand and target in a polar coordinate system. Our final investigation into the numerical underpinnings of this type of control system demonstrates that using a polar coordinate system to represent movement space naturally optimizes feedback control of point to point reaches. Taken together our works suggests that the brain has evolved to represent this particular movement space in polar-like coordinates in part to efficiently enact closed loop control of the hand.

Famed Sci-Fi novel cover artist Alan Brooks and writer Burton, Ryan bring Ray Harryhausen's vision of the 1950s cult classic "Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers" to comic book format! Like every planetary invasion, there are two sides of the story. Told from the perspective of the aliens, see why the Sons of Aberann decide to wage war against Earth, and what type of culture spawned their warmongering ways. See them race on their Screamers in the wastelands of their planet while dodging the beastly Dustspeeds! Witness psychedelic alien fortune telling! And see what fate befalls those who cross the Warlord of Aberann!

Almost all of us own a smart phone and almost all of us spend more time than needed using it. Many of us are addicted to our smartphones and social media. I made this diary/journal to place a focus on my screen time and to consciously try to reduce it, in an attempt to improve my life. It worked. Remaining aware of our screen time is difficult, we are not always conscious of the time we are wasting, especially when we are glued to a screen. I started logging my screen time and was able to significantly reduce my reliance on my phone for entertainment, I also felt better. I wanted to share this with people, so I made this journal. It encourages you to document your screen time and measure how much time you save. There is a section on each daily entry to reflect on any thoughts, this is the most important part. I found writing down how I would spend my saved time helped me to use it more wisely and gave me further motivation to reduce my screen time. I hope it works for you.

Do parents contribute to birth weight disparities in status attainment? This study uses a nationally representative sample of 8,550 children and 1,450 twins from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort to investigate whether, as recent studies have suggested, parents favor healthier children. Children with poor health are found to receive fewer parental investments, including breast-feeding and quality parent-child interaction, but results from between- and within-family regression models, using low birth weight as a proxy for child health, find no evidence that parents compensate for or reinforce child health endowments. Instead, birth-weight disparities in parental investment are linked with observable family, maternal, and child sociodemographic characteristics. Our results shed new light on the broad spectrum of disadvantage faced by children with poor health, and raise doubts about the utility of human capital models to explain birth weight disparities in parental investment.

Students of literary theory have been well provided for by the publication of various Readers in literary theory. However, the relation between theory and critical practice still presents a problem to the general reader. This book brings together essays by major critics which apply theory to practice in an accessible way. This will help a general literary readership gain a better understanding of the various types of theoretical criticism, see theory being applied to practice powerfully and persuasively, and encourage students to use theory in their own critical writing.