10,689 research outputs found
Pulmonary artery location during microgravity activity: Potential impact for chest-mounted Doppler during space travel
Doppler, or ultrasonic, monitoring for pain manifestations of decompression sickness (the bends) is accomplished by placing a sensor on the chest over the pulmonary artery and listening for bubbles. Difficulties have arisen because the technician notes that the pulmonary artery seems to move with subject movement in a one-g field and because the sensor output is influenced by only slight degrees of sensor movement. This study used two subjects and mapped the position of the pulmonary artery in one-g, microgravity, and two-g environments using ultrasound. The results showed that the pulmonary artery is fixed in location in microgravity and not affected by subject position change. The optimal position corresponded to where the Doppler signal is best heard with the subject in a supine position in a one-g environment. The impact of this result is that a proposed multiple sensor array on the chest proposed for microgravity use may not be necessary to monitor an astronaut during extravehicular activities. Instead, a single sensor of approximately 1 inch diameter and mounted in the position described above may suffice
Verification of an altitude decompression sickness prevention protocol for Shuttle operations utilizing a 10.s psi pressure stage
Three test series involving 173-man tess were conducted to define and verify a pre-extravehicular activity (EVA) denitrogenation procedure that would provide acceptable protection against altitude decompression sickness while minimizing the required duration of oxygen (O2) prebreathe in the suit prior to EVA. The tests also addressed the safety, in terms of incidence of decompression sickness, of conducting EVA's on consecutive days rather than on alternate days. The tests were conducted in an altitude chamber, subjects were selected as representative of the astronaut population, and EVA periods were simulated by reducing the chamber pressure to suit pressure while the subjects breathed O2 with masks and worked at EVA representative work rates. A higher than anticipated incidence of both venous bubbles (55%) and symptoms (26%) was measured following all denitrogenation protocols in this test. For the most part, symptoms were very minor and stabilized, diminished, or disappeared in the six-hour tests. Instances of clear, possible, or potential systemic symptoms were encountered only after use of the unmodified 10.2 psi protocol and not after the modified 10.2 psi protocol, the 3.5-hour O2 prebreathed protocol, or the 4.0-hour O2 prebreathe protocol. The high incidence of symptoms is ascribed to the type and duration of exercise and the sensitivity of the reporting technique to minor symptoms. Repeated EVA exposures after only 17 hours did not increase symptom or bubble incidence
Electrically detected magnetic resonance of carbon dangling bonds at the Si-face 4H-SiC/SiO interface
SiC based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) have
gained a significant importance in power electronics applications. However,
electrically active defects at the SiC/SiO interface degrade the ideal
behavior of the devices. The relevant microscopic defects can be identified by
electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) or electrically detected magnetic
resonance (EDMR). This helps to decide which changes to the fabrication process
will likely lead to further increases of device performance and reliability.
EDMR measurements have shown very similar dominant hyperfine (HF) spectra in
differently processed MOSFETs although some discrepancies were observed in the
measured -factors. Here, the HF spectra measured of different SiC MOSFETs
are compared and it is argued that the same dominant defect is present in all
devices. A comparison of the data with simulated spectra of the C dangling bond
(P) center and the silicon vacancy (V) demonstrates
that the P center is a more suitable candidate to explain the
observed HF spectra.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Journal of Applied Physic
The effect of exercise on venous gas emboli and decompression sickness in human subjects at 4.3 psia
The contribution of upper body exercise to altitude decompression sickness while at 4.3 psia after 3.5 or 4.0 hours of 100% oxygen prebreathing at 14.7 psia was determined by comparing the incidence and patterns of venous gas emboli (VGE), and the incidence of Type 1 decompression sickness (DCS) in 43 exercising male subjects and 9 less active male Doppler Technicians (DT's). Each subject exercised for 4 minutes at each of 3 exercise stations while at 4.3 psia. An additional 4 minutes were spent monitoring for VGE by the DT while the subject was supine on an examination cot. In the combined 3.5 and 4.0 hour oxygen prebreathe data, 13 subjects complained of Type 1 DCS compared to 9 complaints from DT's. VGE were detected in 28 subjects compared to 14 detections from DT's. A chi-square analysis of proportions showed no statistically significantly difference in the incidence of Type 1 DCS or VGE between the two groups; however, the average time to detect VGE and to report Tyep 1 DCS symptoms were statistically different. It was concluded that 4 to 6 hours of upper body exercise at metabolic rates simulating EVA metabolic rates hastens the initial detection of VGE and the time to report Type 1 DCS symptoms as compared to DT's
Decoherence-based exploration of d-dimensional one-way quantum computation
We study the effects of amplitude and phase damping decoherence in
d-dimensional one-way quantum computation (QC). Our investigation shows how
information transfer and entangling gate simulations are affected for d>=2. To
understand motivations for extending the one-way model to higher dimensions, we
describe how d-dimensional qudit cluster states deteriorate under environmental
noise. In order to protect quantum information from the environment we consider
the encoding of logical qubits into physical qudits and compare entangled pairs
of linear qubit-cluster states with single qudit clusters of equal length and
total dimension. Our study shows a significant reduction in the performance of
one-way QC for d>2 in the presence of Markovian type decoherence models.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figures, RevTeX
Unified Framework for Correlations in Terms of Local Quantum Observables
We provide a unified framework for nonsignalling quantum and classical
multipartite correlations, allowing all to be written as the trace of some
local (quantum) measurements multiplied by an operator. The properties of this
operator define the corresponding set of correlations.We then show that if the
theory is such that all local quantum measurements are possible, one obtains
the correlations corresponding to the extension of Gleason's Theorem to
multipartite systems. Such correlations coincide with the quantum ones for one
and two parties, but we prove the existence of a gap for three or more parties.Comment: 4 pages, final versio
IFRS: Approaching A State Of Convergence
In this paper we will discuss the underlying differences that currently exist between IFRS and US GAAP. Our paper is presented with the belief that convergence is within reach at this point, and no longer an unfeasible event. The systematic rules-based approach and the conceptual principles-based approach are important models for this paper, and we refer to them when discussing the differences and developing our beliefs. The differences that we have chosen to discuss are ones, we feel, that could lead to comparability complications once IFRS is acceptable among US firms and International firms with US subsidiaries. Areas of concern involve items regarding financial statement presentation, revenue recognition, expense recognition, assets, and liabilities. Although there are a great deal of similarities between the US GAAP and IFRS reporting requirements, the specific items presented within this paper need to be addressed before commonly accepted accounting standards are used among encompassing countries
Star Electronics, Inc.: An Excel Based Case Using Financial Statement Analysis To Detect Fraud
The demand for forensic accounting within the corporate world is continually increasing. The services performed by forensic accountants help detect and prevent fraud within companies. This case is a study of forensic accounting that utilizes fraud methodology and detection techniques through a simulation engagement. Those who complete this case will proceed through a series of procedures that will lead to the formulation of potential fraudulent activity within the discussed company. The addressed procedures include: understanding the business, determining the areas that may be susceptible to fraud, performing analytical procedures to detect fraud, and creating a report to the board of directors as a follow up to any potential red flags found during the performed testing
Entanglement in Valence-Bond-Solid States
This article reviews the quantum entanglement in Valence-Bond-Solid (VBS)
states defined on a lattice or a graph. The subject is presented in a
self-contained and pedagogical way. The VBS state was first introduced in the
celebrated paper by I. Affleck, T. Kennedy, E. H. Lieb and H. Tasaki
(abbreviation AKLT is widely used). It became essential in condensed matter
physics and quantum information (measurement-based quantum computation). Many
publications have been devoted to the subject. Recently entanglement was
studied in the VBS state. In this review we start with the definition of a
general AKLT spin chain and the construction of VBS ground state. In order to
study entanglement, a block subsystem is introduced and described by the
density matrix. Density matrices of 1-dimensional models are diagonalized and
the entanglement entropies (the von Neumann entropy and Renyi entropy) are
calculated. In the large block limit, the entropies also approach finite
limits. Study of the spectrum of the density matrix led to the discovery that
the density matrix is proportional to a projector.Comment: Published version, 80 pages, 8 figures; references update
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