Automatic signal range selector for metering devices Patent

Voltage range selection apparatus for sensing and applying voltages to electronic instruments without loading signal sourc

Seasonal temperature acclimatization in a semi-fossorial mammal and the role of burrows as thermal refuges.

Small mammals in habitats with strong seasonal variation in the thermal environment often exhibit physiological and behavioral adaptations for coping with thermal extremes and reducing thermoregulatory costs. Burrows are especially important for providing thermal refuge when above-ground temperatures require high regulatory costs (e.g., water or energy) or exceed the physiological tolerances of an organism. Our objective was to explore the role of burrows as thermal refuges for a small endotherm, the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), during the summer and winter by quantifying energetic costs associated with resting above and below ground. We used indirect calorimetry to determine the relationship between energy expenditure and ambient temperature over a range of temperatures that pygmy rabbits experience in their natural habitat. We also measured the temperature of above- and below-ground rest sites used by pygmy rabbits in eastern Idaho, USA, during summer and winter and estimated the seasonal thermoregulatory costs of resting in the two microsites. Although pygmy rabbits demonstrated seasonal physiological acclimatization, the burrow was an important thermal refuge, especially in winter. Thermoregulatory costs were lower inside the burrow than in above-ground rest sites for more than 50% of the winter season. In contrast, thermal heterogeneity provided by above-ground rest sites during summer reduced the role of burrows as a thermal refuge during all but the hottest periods of the afternoon. Our findings contribute to an understanding of the ecology of small mammals in seasonal environments and demonstrate the importance of burrows as thermal refuge for pygmy rabbits

Study of Space Station propulsion system resupply and repair Final report

Resupply and repair capabilities for orbital space station bipropellant propulsion syste

Possibilities for Measurement and Compensation of Stray DC Electric Fields Acting on Drag-Free Test Masses

DC electric fields can combine with test mass charging and thermal dielectric voltage noise to create significant force noise acting on the drag-free test masses in the LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) gravitational wave mission. This paper proposes a simple technique to measure and compensate average stray DC potentials at the mV level, yielding substantial reduction in this source of force noise. We discuss the attainable resolution for both flight and ground based experiments.Comment: To be published in Advances in Space Research, COSPAR 2002 conference proceedings (6 pages, 3 figures

Subarachnoid haemorrhage due to intracranial vertebral artery dissection presenting with atypical cauda equina syndrome features: case report

BACKGROUND: Failing to recognise the signs and symptoms of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) causes diagnostic delay and may result in poorer outcomes. We report a rare case of SAH secondary to a vertebral artery dissection (VAD) that initially presented with cauda equina-like features, followed by symptoms more typical of SAH. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old man developed severe lower back pain after sudden movement. Over the next 5 days he developed paraesthesiaes in the feet, progressing to the torso gradually, and reported constipation and reduced sensation when passing urine. On day six he developed left facial palsy, and later gradual-onset headache and intermittent confusion. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed diffuse subarachnoid FLAIR hyperintensity, concerning for blood, including a focus of cortical/subcortical high signal in the left superior parietal lobule, which was confirmed by computed tomography. Digital subtraction angiography demonstrated a left VAD with a fusiform aneurysm. CONCLUSION: We present a very rare case of intracranial VAD with SAH initially presenting with spinal symptoms. The majority of subsequent clinical features were consistent with a parietal focus of cortical subarachnoid blood, as observed on neuroimaging