The Dissociative Nature of Sexual Addiction the Role of Traumatic Emotions

AbstractThe term addiction applies to a morbid form characterized by substance abuse, an object or a behaviour; it defines a dysfunctional mental state characterized by a feeling of irrepressible desire and uncontrollable need to be repeated in a compulsive manner; it is an invasive condition marked by the phenomena of craving in a frame of uncontrollable habit that causes clinically significant distress. The authors propose a new interpretation of sexual addiction as a dissociative mechanism to regulate not-modulated emotions that were not mentalized (traumatic emotions) in early relationships with primary caregivers. To start from this theoretical model, this article suggests a treatment of sex addiction focused on the identifying and regulation of traumatic emotions implicated in sexual compulsion

Constrained Node Placement and Assignment in Mobile Backbone Networks

This paper describes new algorithms for mobile backbone network optimization. In this hierarchical communication framework, mobile backbone nodes (MBNs) are deployed to provide communication support for regular nodes (RNs). While previous work has assumed that MBNs are unconstrained in position, this work models constraints in MBN location. This paper develops an exact technique for maximizing the number of RNs that achieve a threshold throughput level, as well as a polynomial-time approximation algorithm for this problem. The approximation algorithm carries a performance guarantee of 12, and we demonstrate that this guarantee is tight in some problem instances

Influence of climate change and variability on Coffea arabica in the East African highlands

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Agroclimatology) at the University of Witwatersrand, 2017.Plant development is inherently linked to meteorological variability. The phenology, distribution and production of crops and wild relatives has already altered in response to climate change. Recent years have produced the warmest mean annual global temperatures since 1880, with 2016 setting the highest record thus far. Such profound changes have sparked investigations into the impact of temperature and rainfall on crop development, particularly those with profound economic importance such as coffee (C. arabica). The crop is a fundamental source of income for smallholder farming communities and governments throughout the tropical highlands. However, the impact of climate change on C. arabica has yet to be quantified using empirical data in East Africa, leaving uncertainty in the cultivable future of the crop. Therefore, the objective of this thesis is to investigate the influence of climate change and variability on C. arabica yields and phenology in East Africa. Using a spatio-temporal approach, trends and relationships between coffee performance and meteorological variables were analysed at different scales and time periods ranging from the macroclimatic national scale (49 year), to the meso- and microclimatic farm level (3 year) scale, and finally to the microclimatic canopy and leaf level (hourly) scales. Data from all three climatic continua reveal for the first time that temperatures, and particularly rapidly advancing night time temperatures, are having a substantial negative impact on C. arabica yields. Forecasting models based on these biophysical relationships indicate that by the year 2050, smallholder farmers would on average harvest approximately 50% of the yield they are achieving today. Warming night time temperatures are also responsible for advancing ripening and harvest phenology. As a result, bean filling and development time is reduced, thereby potentially resulting in lower quality coffee. Trends in precipitation do not appear to have any substantial impact on C. arabica yields or harvest phenology, however, it is proposed that rainfall would act synergistically with temperatures to influence plant development and other phenological phases such as flowering. Finally, thermography is introduced as a novel complementary technique to rapidly analyse the suitability of different agroecological systems on coffee physiology at the leaf level. High temporal resolution (hourly) data, illustrate the success of the method in variable meteorological and environmental conditions. The findings contribute to advancing the protocol for use at the canopy and plantation level on coffee, so that appropriate microenvironment designs and adaptation mechanisms be put in place to accommodate climatic change. Avoiding increments in night time temperatures is key to maintaining or improving yields and fruiting development. Farming at higher altitudes and novel agroforestry systems may assist in achieving lower night time temperatures. Importantly, data reveal that careful analysis of various cropping systems, particularly at lower altitudes, is critical for providing suitable microenvironments for the crop.XL201

Three Scanning Techniques for Deep Space Network Antennas to Estimate Spacecraft Position

NASA Interplanetary Network Progress Report 42-147, July-September 2001, pp. 1-17, November 15, 2001

Polymer-based systems for controlled release and targeting of drugs

The current need to find new advanced approaches to carry biologically active substances (conventional organic drugs, peptides, proteins (such as antibodies), and nucleic acid-based drugs (NABDs such as siRNA and miRNA)) in the body fluids, to realize targeted therapies and even personalized ones, goes hand in hand with research on the performance of new materials to better realize appropriate drug vectors [...]

The relationships between early trauma, dissociation, and alexithymia in alcohol addiction

Objective Addiction is often considered a dissociative behavior that is related to alexithymia and developmental trauma. The study aims were to explore the relationships between early trauma, alexithymia, and dissociation. Methods A total of 117 (males=60; females=57) alcohol-addicted individuals and 117 healthy individuals (males=60; females=57) were administered a series of self-report questionnaires that assess traumatic experiences, alexithymia, and pathological dissociation. Results Correlation analyses indicated significant correlations between alexithymia, dissociation, and trauma and a significant difference between the target and control groups, with higher alexithymia and dissociation scores in the target group. Conclusion These findings suggest that trauma, alexithymia, and dissociation are predictors of alcohol addiction

Throughput Optimization in Mobile Backbone Networks

This paper describes new algorithms for throughput optimization in a mobile backbone network. This hierarchical communication framework combines mobile backbone nodes, which have superior mobility and communication capability, with regular nodes, which are constrained in mobility and communication capability. An important quantity of interest in mobile backbone networks is the number of regular nodes that can be successfully assigned to mobile backbone nodes at a given throughput level. This paper develops a novel technique for maximizing this quantity in networks of fixed regular nodes using mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). The MILP-based algorithm provides a significant reduction in computation time compared to existing methods and is computationally tractable for problems of moderate size. An approximation algorithm is also developed that is appropriate for large-scale problems. This paper presents a theoretical performance guarantee for the approximation algorithm and also demonstrates its empirical performance. Finally, the mobile backbone network problem is extended to include mobile regular nodes, and exact and approximate solution algorithms are presented for this extension.United States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR grant FA9550- 04-1-0458)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (grant CCR-0325401)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (grant CNS-091598)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Graduate Fellowship

Optimizing source and receiver placement in multistatic sonar

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.Multistatic sonar networks consisting of non-collocated sources and receivers are a promising development in sonar systems, but they present distinct mathematical challenges compared to the monostatic case in which each source is collocated with a receiver. This paper is the first to consider the optimal placement of both sources and receivers to monitor a given set of target locations. Prior publications have only considered optimal placement of one type of sensor, given a fixed placement of the other type. We first develop two integer linear programs capable of optimally placing both sources and receivers within a discrete set of locations. Although these models are capable of placing both sources and receivers to any degree of optimality desired by the user, their computation times may be unacceptably long for some applications. To address this issue, we then develop a two-step heuristic process, Adapt-LOC, that quickly selects positions for both sources and receivers, but with no guarantee of optimality. Based on this, we also create an iterative approach, Iter-LOC, which leads to a locally optimal placement of both sources and receivers, at the cost of larger computation times relative to Adapt-LOC. Finally, we perform computational experiments demonstrating that the newly developed algorithms constitute a powerful portfolio of tools, enabling the user to slect an appropriate level of solution quality, given the available time to perform computations. Our experiments include three real-world case studies.Dr. Craparo is funded by the Office of Naval Research

Optimizing source and receiver placement in multistatic sonar networks to monitor fixed targets

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2018.02.006Multistatic sonar networks consisting of non-collocated sources and receivers are a promising develop ment in sonar systems, but they present distinct mathematical challenges compared to the monostatic case in which each source is collocated with a receiver. This paper is the first to consider the optimal placement of both sources and receivers to monitor a given set of target locations. Prior publications have only considered optimal placement of one type of sensor, given a fixed placement of the other type. We first develop two integer linear programs capable of optimally placing both sources and receivers within a discrete set of locations. Although these models are capable of placing both sources and receivers to any degree of optimality desired by the user, their computation times may be unacceptably long for some applications. To address this issue, we then develop a two-step heuristic process, Adapt-LOC, that quickly selects positions for both sources and receivers, but with no guarantee of optimality. Based on this, we also create an iterative approach, Iter-LOC, which leads to a locally optimal placement of both sources and receivers, at the cost of larger computation times relative to Adapt-LOC. Finally, we perform compu tational experiments demonstrating that the newly developed algorithms constitute a powerful portfolio of tools, enabling the user to slect an appropriate level of solution quality, given the available time to perform computations. Our experiments include three real-world case studies.Office of Naval Research