Frequency, intensity, and field fluctuations in laser oscillators

The basic differential equation governing laser noise is derived from classical and quantum mechanical considerations. Its linearized Van Der Pol form is used to derive the frequency, field, and intensity fluctuation spectra

A comparison of superconductor and manganin technology for electronic links used in space mission applications

The electronic link connecting cryogenically cooled radiation detectors to data acquisition and signal processing electronics at higher temperatures contributes significantly to the total heat load on spacecraft cooling systems that use combined mechanical and cryogenic liquid cooling. Using high transition temperature superconductors for this link has been proposed to increase the lifetime of space missions. Herein, several YBCO (YBa2Cu3O7) superconductor-substrate combinations were examined and total heat loads were compared to manganin wire technology in current use. Using numerical solutions to the heat-flow equations, it is shown that replacing manganin technology with YBCO thick film technology can extend a 7-year mission by up to 1 year

Deceptive Affectionate Messages: Mate Retention Deployed Under the Threat of Partner Infidelity

Deceptive affectionate messages (DAMs) have been proposed to act as relational maintenance techniques and, as such, might be part of a greater repertoire of mate retention behaviors. We analyzed data from 1,993 Mechanical Turk participants to examine the relations between DAMs and mate retention, and whether these relations were mediated by the perceived risk of partner infidelity. In line with predictions, frequency of DAMs positively predicted general mate retention and cost-inflicting mate retention through the perceived risk of partner infidelity. In line with our nondirectional prediction, we also found that frequency of DAMs negatively predicted benefit-provisioning mate retention behaviors. In an exploratory mediation analysis of DAMs on benefit-provisioning mate retention via perceived partner infidelity, we surprisingly found that DAMs negatively predicted benefit-provisioning behavior due to the perceived risk of partner infidelity, suggesting that DAMs—but not benefit-provisioning mate retention—are deployed under the threat of partner infidelity. Overall, these findings suggest that DAMs might belong to a greater repertoire of mate retention (especially cost-inflicting) behaviors to thwart the possibility of partner infidelity

Technology utilization in a non-urban region - A measurement of the impact of the Technology Use Studies Center Final report

Technology utilization in agricultural areas and measurement of impact of technology use studies cente

High fidelity imaging and high performance computing in nonlinear EIT

We show that nonlinear EIT provides images with well defined characteristics when smoothness of the image is used as a constraint in the reconstruction process. We use the gradient of the logarithm of resistivity as an effective measure of image smoothness, which has the advantage that resistivity and conductivity are treated with equal weight. We suggest that a measure of the fidelity of the image to the object requires the explicit definition and application of such a constraint. The algorithm is applied to the simulation of intra-ventricular haemorrhaging (IVH) in a simple head model. The results indicate that a 5% increase in the blood content of the ventricles would be easily detectable with the noise performance of contemporary instrumentation. The possible implementation of the algorithm in real time via high performance computing is discussed

Parenting and Adjustment in Schizophrenia

Objective: Patients with schizophrenia who became parents and those who remained childless were compared on premorbid characteristics and current clinical and social adjustment. Methods: Subjects were 400 men and women with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID). Assessments measured concurrent substance abuse and antisocial behavior, positive and negative symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, functional status using the Global Assessment of Functioning scale, family support, and treatment compliance. A total of 158 patients were parents (47 men and 111 women), and 242 were childless (153 men and 89 women). Results: Compared with childless subjects, parents were more likely to have had better premorbid social adjustment, to have ever been married or involved in a conjugal relationship, and to have become ill at a later age. More than two-thirds of parents entered parenthood before the onset of schizophrenia. More women than men were parents, and parents were more likely to be members of ethnic minority groups. No differences were found in current clinical and social adjustment of parents and childless subjects. Conclusions: Parenthood was associated with better premorbid social adjustment, but it conferred no advantage in the long-term course of schizophrenia. Patients who experience a later onset of schizophrenia or have better premorbid social skills may be more likely to undertake marriage and parenthood, but they will then also be more likely to need special support for the parenting role once the illness begins and takes its typical course

The role of nicotinic cholinergic neurotransmission in delusional thinking

Delusions are a difficult-to-treat and intellectually fascinating aspect of many psychiatric illnesses. Although scientific progress on this complex topic has been challenging, some recent advances focus on dysfunction in neural circuits, specifically in those involving dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission. Here we review the role of cholinergic neurotransmission in delusions, with a focus on nicotinic receptors, which are known to play a part in some illnesses where these symptoms appear, including delirium, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, Parkinson, Huntington, and Alzheimer diseases. Beginning with what we know about the emergence of delusions in these illnesses, we advance a hypothesis of cholinergic disturbance in the dorsal striatum where nicotinic receptors are operative. Striosomes are proposed to play a central role in the formation of delusions. This hypothesis is consistent with our current knowledge about the mechanism of action of cholinergic drugs and with our abstract models of basic cognitive mechanisms at the molecular and circuit levels. We conclude by pointing out the need for further research both at the clinical and translational levels.Fil: Caton, Michael. No especifíca;Fil: Ochoa, Enrique L. M.. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Barrantes, Francisco Jose. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; Argentin

The Use of Social Media and People with Intellectual Disability: a systematic review and thematic analysis

Background In this paper we present a systematic review of the evidence on the use of social media by people with intellectual disability. Method Ten primary studies published in the English language between January 2000 and June 2014 were identified from electronic database searches (CINAHL, PsychInfo, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus), correspondence with experts, and citation tracking. Results Nine themes were identified through thematic analysis of the texts: “safety and safeguarding,” “social identity,” “level of usage,” “support,” “relationships,” “happiness and enjoyment,” “communication and literacy skills,” “cyber-language and cyber-etiquette,” and “accessibility/design”. Conclusion Examination of these themes revealed that some people with intellectual disability are having positive experiences using social media in terms of friendships, development of social identity and self-esteem, and enjoyment. However, barriers that stop people with intellectual disability from successfully accessing social media were identified as being safeguarding concerns, difficulties caused by literacy and communication skills, cyber-language, cyber-etiquette, and accessibility (including lack of appropriate equipment)

The epitope regions of H1-subtype influenza A, with application to vaccine efficacy

The recent emergence of H1N1 (swine flu) illustrates the ability of the influenza virus to create antigens new to the human immune system, even within a given hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subtype. This new H1N1 strain is sufficiently distinct, for example, from the A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus strain of influenza in the 2008/09 Northern hemisphere vaccine that protection is not expected to be substantial. The human immune system responds primarily to the five epitope regions of the hemagglutinin protein. By determining the fraction of amino acids that differ between a vaccine strain and a viral challenge strain in the dominant epitope regions, a measure of antigenic distance that correlates with epidemiological studies of H3 influenza A vaccine efficacy in humans with R2 = 0.81 is derived. This measure of antigenic distance is called pepitope. The relation between vaccine efficacy and pepitope is given by E = 0.47 – 2.47 × pepitope. We here identify the epitope regions of H1 hemagglutinin, so that vaccine efficacy may be reliably estimated for H1N1 influenza A