Ion exchange determines iodine-131 concentration in aqueous samples

Inorganic radioiodide in aqueous media is analyzed by separating the radioactive iodine-131 as the iodide ion on a silver chloride column. The activity in the final precipitate may be determined by beta or gamma counting

Direct determination of lead-210 by liquid-scintillation counting

Soft betas, the internal conversion electrons, and unconverted gamma rays from lead-210 are efficiently detected in a liquid scintillation counting system with efficiency of 97 percent. The counter is interfaced with a multichannel pulse height analyzer. The spectra obtained is stored on paper tape and plotted on an x-y plotter

Bounded Model Checking of State-Space Digital Systems: The Impact of Finite Word-Length Effects on the Implementation of Fixed-Point Digital Controllers Based on State-Space Modeling

The extensive use of digital controllers demands a growing effort to prevent design errors that appear due to finite-word length (FWL) effects. However, there is still a gap, regarding verification tools and methodologies to check implementation aspects of control systems. Thus, the present paper describes an approach, which employs bounded model checking (BMC) techniques, to verify fixed-point digital controllers represented by state-space equations. The experimental results demonstrate the sensitivity of such systems to FWL effects and the effectiveness of the proposed approach to detect them. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first contribution tackling formal verification through BMC of fixed-point state-space digital controllers.Comment: International Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering 201

The potential therapeutic effects of creatine supplementation on body composition and muscle function in cancer

Low muscle mass in individuals with cancer has a profound impact on quality of life and independence and is associated with greater treatment toxicity and poorer prognosis. Exercise interventions are regularly being investigated as a means to ameliorate treatment-related adverse effects, and nutritional/supplementation strategies to augment adaptations to exercise are highly valuable. Creatine (Cr) is a naturally-occurring substance in the human body that plays a critical role in energy provision during muscle contraction. Given the beneficial effects of Cr supplementation on lean body mass, strength, and physical function in a variety of clinical populations, there is therapeutic potential in individuals with cancer at heightened risk for muscle loss. Here, we provide an overview of Cr physiology, summarize the evidence on the use of Cr supplementation in various aging/clinical populations, explore mechanisms of action, and provide perspectives on the potential therapeutic role of Cr in the exercise oncology setting

LEC GaAs for integrated circuit applications

Recent developments in liquid encapsulated Czochralski techniques for the growth of semiinsulating GaAs for integrated circuit applications have resulted in significant improvements in the quality and quantity of GaAs material suitable for device processing. The emergence of high performance GaAs integrated circuit technologies has accelerated the demand for high quality, large diameter semiinsulating GaAs substrates. The new device technologies, including digital integrated circuits, monolithic microwave integrated circuits and charge coupled devices have largely adopted direct ion implantation for the formation of doped layers. Ion implantation lends itself to good uniformity and reproducibility, high yield and low cost; however, this technique also places stringent demands on the quality of the semiinsulating GaAs substrates. Although significant progress was made in developing a viable planar ion implantation technology, the variability and poor quality of GaAs substrates have hindered progress in process development

DEVELOPING SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS IN PERSONS WITH SPINA BIFIDA THROUGH mHealth APPLICATIONS: DESIGN AND CLINICAL EFFICACY

The medical complexity of spina bifida results in equally complex self-care regimes that many persons with spina bifida (SB) struggle to effectively manage and maintain. Lack of consistent follow-through of self-care routines and health care recommendations, often results in the development of secondary conditions, impacting morbidity and mortality in this population. This dissertation provides a description of the development and initial clinical testing of an innovative mHealth system to help support adults with SB and improve self-management skills. The clinical needs and functional abilities of the SB population were integrated into a mHealh system called iMHere (Interactive Mobile Health and rehabilitation). The iMHere system consists of software including a suite of smartphone apps specifically designed for persons with SB, a clinician portal, and a communication system connecting the two. The three primary phases of this study are 1) development, 2) usability testing and 3) clinical application. Due to the nature of development, feedback and improvements to the system continued throughout a year-long randomized control trial (N=26), conducted to determine the clinical efficacy of the system. Usability testing for this project was intensive and occurred in a step-wise manner. Detailed data was collected to revise and improve upon the design and functionality of the smartphone apps. Results for the first six months of the clinical study are also shared comparing self-management outcomes for the intervention group using the iMHere system versus the control group receiving traditional care through the UPMC Adult SB clinic. Significance was found in looking at time x group (p = .006). In particular, improvement in self-management skills as assessed by the AMIS-II are noted in the intervention group participants from three months to six months. A moderate effect size of 0.46 was found in the association of group and time as calculated with change scores. Limitations of the clinical study are discussed at length as well as potential future research opportunities including expanding usage of the iMHere system to other populations with chronic conditions and application of the intervention during the transition years (14-21 years)

The Restriction of Civil Liberties during Times of Crisis: The Evolution of America\u27s Response to National Military Threats

This treatise explores the nature and significance of the threat posed to civil liberties during times of major national military crisis and evaluates changes in the nature of wartime repression over the course of American history. It tests the thesis that the evolution in Americans’ response to such crises has not been a simple progression toward increasing restraint on the part of federal, state, and local policymakers, as is sometimes assumed. Rather, major twentieth and twenty-first century developments related to the nature of threats to American national security and government capabilities to covertly repress dissent have interacted with evolutionary changes in the nature of wartime repression in reinforcing and conflicting ways. Because of those changes, modern crises will last longer, the restriction of civil liberties during wartime will increasingly be accomplished through covert forms of repression, and, therefore, the durability of wartime restrictions will be greater. In sum, during future crises, Americans’ civil liberties will be restricted for longer periods, with the return to normalcy after those crises becoming increasingly difficult. To test this thesis, this treatise uses the past major national military crises in American history as case studies. They include the Quasi-War with France at the end of the 18th century, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. The concluding chapter connects the “War on Terror” to these arguments. Overall, the case study analysis in Chapters I through V combined with the overarching assessment of historical changes in the nature of wartime repression and the durability of wartime restrictions in Chapter VI prove the validity of this thesis

Robust Aeroelastic Control of Very Flexible Wings using Intrinsic Models

This paper explores the robust control of large exible wings when their dynamics are written in terms of intrinsic variables, that is, velocities and stress resultants. Assuming 2-D strip theory for the aerodynamics, the resulting nonlinear aeroelastic equations of motion are written in modal coordinates. It is seen that a system which experiences large displacements can nonetheless be accurately described by a system with only weak nonlinear couplings in this description of the wing dynamics. As result, a linear robust controller acting on a control surface is able to effectively provide gust load alleviation and flutter suppression even when the wing structure undergoes large deformations. This is numerically demonstrated on various representative test cases. © 2013 by Yinan Wang, Andrew Wynn and Rafael Palacios

Exercise intervention and sexual function in advanced prostate cancer: a randomised controlled trial.

ObjectivesTreatments for prostate cancer such as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), surgery and radiation therapy can adversely affect sexual, urinary and bowel function. Preliminary research has demonstrated the efficacy of exercise to preserve sexual function in men with localised prostate cancer receiving ADT, though this has yet to be investigated in a metastatic setting. We examined the effects of a 12-week exercise programme comprising resistance, aerobic and flexibility training on sexual health and function in men with advanced prostate cancer.MethodsPatients with prostate cancer (70.0±8.4 year; body mass index 28.7±4.0 kg/m2) with bone metastases (rib/thoracic spine, 66.7%; lumbar spine, 43.9%; pelvis, 75.4%; femur, 40.4%; humerus, 24.6%; other sites, 70.2%) were randomly assigned to supervised exercise 3 days/week (n=28) or usual care (n=29). Sexual health and function were assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function, the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite and the EORTC-PR25 at baseline and 12 weeks.ResultsPatients attended 89% of planned sessions and there were no adverse events. After adjusting for baseline values, there was no significant difference between groups for any measure of sexual function and activity (p>0.05). Additionally, there was no significant difference between groups for urinary and bowel function assessed by the EORTC-PR25 (p>0.05).ConclusionsA short-term programme of supervised exercise does not appear to enhance indices of sexual health and function in men with advanced prostate cancer. Limitations of the intervention included the conservative modular exercise programme, which deliberately avoided loading bone metastatic sites.Trial registration numberACTRN12611001158954