Navigating the Transatlantic threshold: James Fenimore Cooper and the revolutionary Atlantic

This study aims to investigate the invention of the American sea novel by James Fenimore Cooper in the early nineteenth century and how this relates to the socio/political tensions within transatlatic relationships. The thesis focuses upon Fenimore Cooper's first three sea romances, The Pilot (1826), The Red Rover (1827) and the Water Witch (1830). By discussing how far these novels resonate with the conventions of the historical romance and how far they attempt to establish a sense of nautical realism, this thesis illuminates Cooper as an author less aligned from his usualy portrayal as a literary republican and more of a moderate federalist

Diving under the influence: issues in researching personality and inert gas narcosis

Background: This paper considers the relationship between measures of personality and mood states, and susceptibility to inert gas narcosis. It briefly reviews the topics of inert gas narcosis affecting personality, and personality affecting the susceptibility to inert gas narcosis. There appears to be is a theoretical argument for a possible relationship between measures of personality, mood states, and susceptibility to narcosis. Practically, such a relationship may speak to issues in selection, training and preparation, risk assessments, and even accident investigation in the diving and/or hyperbaric environment. Materials and methods: Twenty one divers completed measures of personality and mood states, and were then compressed to 709 kPa (equivalent to 60 msw) in a dry compression chamber, where they completed a task measuring speed of information processing, and a scale measuring subjective narcosis. Results and Conclusions: The main finding was the absence of any significant correlations between measures of personality traits and mood, and susceptibility to inert gas narcosis. Although the study found no evidence of any major relationship, it is presented as a case study to highlight some of the issues and pitfalls involved in such research. The lessons learned — including the careful defining and describing of concepts, and choosing of samples and measurements — are used to discuss some of the methodological and conceptual issues and future directions for researchers to consider.

The exclusive B_s -> phi mu+ mu- process in a constituent quark model

We consider the exclusive B_s -> phi mu+ mu- process in the standard model using a constituent quark loop model approach together with a simple parameterization of the quark dynamics. The model allows to compute the decay form factors and therefore can give predictions for the decay rates, the invariant mass spectra and the asymmetries. This process is suppressed in the standard model but can be enhanced if new physics beyond the standard model is present, such as flavor-violating supersymmetric models. It constitutes therefore an interesting precision test of the standard model at forthcoming experiments.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables, LaTeX; minor changes to the introduction, table III and figure 3. Few references adde

Prenatal Diagnosis of Oculocutaneous Albinism by Electron Microscopy of Fetal Skin

Oculocutaneous albinism was diagnosed prenatally by electron microscopic examination of fetal skin samples taken during fetoscopy at 20 weeks of gestation. Melanosome development in hair bulb melanocytes progressed no further than stage II, indicating a lack of melanin synthesis. In 4 age-matched control fetuses, numerous stage IV melanosomes, signifying active melanin synthesis, were identified. The diagnosis was confirmed after the pregnancy was terminated at 22 weeks. Examination of the fetal eye showed absence of pigment in the retinal epithelium and uvea at a stage when ocular melanogenesis would normally be active. This study shows that oculocutaneous albinism can be detected in the second trimester using similar techniques to those employed in the prenatal diagnosis of epidermolysis bullosa and ichthyosis

Navigating the Transatlantic threshold: James Fenimore Cooper and the revolutionary Atlantic

This study aims to investigate the invention of the American sea novel by James Fenimore Cooper in the early nineteenth century and how this relates to the socio/political tensions within transatlatic relationships. The thesis focuses upon Fenimore Cooper's first three sea romances, The Pilot (1826), The Red Rover (1827) and the Water Witch (1830). By discussing how far these novels resonate with the conventions of the historical romance and how far they attempt to establish a sense of nautical realism, this thesis illuminates Cooper as an author less aligned from his usualy portrayal as a literary republican and more of a moderate federalist

Thermally induced switching field distribution of individual single nanomagnets in a large assembly

The Anomalous Hall Effect (AHE) can be used to measure the magnetization reversal of individual nanomagnets, under varying field angle and wide temperature range [1]. By passing a current through the magnetic elements, and measuring the voltage generated perpendicular to the current direction, one can determine the component of magnetisation perpendicular to the film plane. This extremely sensitive method can be used to observe reversal of magnetic elements with diameters below 10 nm or individual elements inside large assemblies

Speleothem U-series constraints on scarp retreat rates and landscape evolution: an example from the Severn valley and Cotswold Hills gull-caves, UK

Modelling landscape evolution requires quantitative estimates of erosional processes. Dating erosional landscape features such as escarpments is usually difficult because of the lack of datable deposits. Some escarpments and valley margins are associated with the formation of mass-movement caves, sometimes known as ‘gull’ or ‘crevice’ caves, which are typically restricted to within 0.5 km of the valley margin or scarp edge. As in other caves, these mass-movement cavities may host speleothems. As gull-caves develop only after valley incision, uranium-series dating of speleothems within them can provide a minimum age for the timing of valley excavation and scarp formation. Here we present data from several gull-caves in the Cotswold Hills, which form the eastern flank of the Severn valley in southern England. U-series ages from these gull-caves yield estimates for both the minimum age of the Cotswold escarpment and the maximum scarp retreat rate. This is combined with data from geological modelling to propose a model for the evolution of the Severn valley and the Cotswold Hills. The data suggest that the location of the escarpment and regional topography is determined not by valley widening and scarp retreat, but by the in situ generation of relief by differential erosion

Are torso asymmetry and torso displacements in a computer brace model associated with initial in-brace correction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?

Background: Lack of initial in-brace correction is strongly predictive for brace treatment failure in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. Computer-aided design (CAD) technology could be useful in quantifying the trunk in 3D and brace characteristics in order to further investigate the effect of brace modifications on initial in-brace correction and subsequently long-term brace treatment success. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify parameters obtained from 3D surface scans which influence the initial in-brace correction (IBC) in a Boston brace in patients with AIS.Methods: Twenty-fiveAIS patients receiving a CAD-based Boston brace were included in this pilot study consisting of 11 patients with Lenke classification type 1 and 14 with type 5 curves. The degree of torso asymmetry and segmental peak positive and negative torso displacements were analyzed with the use of patients’ 3D surface scans and brace models for potential correlations with IBC. Results: The mean IBC of the major curve on AP view was 15.9% (SD = 9.1%) for the Lenke type 1 curves, and 20.1% (SD = 13.9%) for the type 5 curves. The degree of torso asymmetry was weakly correlated with patient’s pre-brace major curve Cobb angle and negligible correlated with major curve IBC. Mostly weak or negligible correlations were observed between IBC and the twelve segmental peak displacements for both Lenke type 1 and 5 curves.Conclusion: Based on the results of this pilot study, the degree of torso asymmetry and segmental peak torso displacements in the brace model alone are not clearly associated with IBC.</p

Are torso asymmetry and torso displacements in a computer brace model associated with initial in-brace correction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?

Background: Lack of initial in-brace correction is strongly predictive for brace treatment failure in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. Computer-aided design (CAD) technology could be useful in quantifying the trunk in 3D and brace characteristics in order to further investigate the effect of brace modifications on initial in-brace correction and subsequently long-term brace treatment success. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify parameters obtained from 3D surface scans which influence the initial in-brace correction (IBC) in a Boston brace in patients with AIS.Methods: Twenty-fiveAIS patients receiving a CAD-based Boston brace were included in this pilot study consisting of 11 patients with Lenke classification type 1 and 14 with type 5 curves. The degree of torso asymmetry and segmental peak positive and negative torso displacements were analyzed with the use of patients’ 3D surface scans and brace models for potential correlations with IBC. Results: The mean IBC of the major curve on AP view was 15.9% (SD = 9.1%) for the Lenke type 1 curves, and 20.1% (SD = 13.9%) for the type 5 curves. The degree of torso asymmetry was weakly correlated with patient’s pre-brace major curve Cobb angle and negligible correlated with major curve IBC. Mostly weak or negligible correlations were observed between IBC and the twelve segmental peak displacements for both Lenke type 1 and 5 curves.Conclusion: Based on the results of this pilot study, the degree of torso asymmetry and segmental peak torso displacements in the brace model alone are not clearly associated with IBC.</p