431 research outputs found
The Entelechial Thinker in Space: âWorlds within Worldsâ in Durrell, Flaubert, and Carroll
This thesis argues that the interior space of each individual mind has infinite potentiality to do or create x new reality in oneâs life via possible worlds. I use Lawrence Durrellâs short story âZeroâ (1939), Gustave Flaubertâs âUn coeur simpleâ (1877), and Lewis Carrollâs Aliceâs Adventures in Wonderland (1865) as literary representations of how readers outside of the literary text share an unbreakable bond with universal space. I discuss the infinite potentiality of the finite being, and the experiential data in the process of entelechy, or epistemological maturation of the mind. I bring Leibnizâs theory of the continuum of infinitesimals and Henri Bergsonâs metaphysics of duration and consciousness into the argument to advance the premise that the only limiting factor on the mindâs ability to shape its own actual world environment via possible-world ideation is the mind itself
Assertion and mood: A cognitive account.
This thesis seeks to provide a cognitive account of the speech act of assertion and its relationship to the indicative mood. It starts by critically reviewing the literature on assertion and the uses to which it has been put in linguistic and philosophical research. Through this review, key issues relating to assertion and mood are identified. These are then addressed in subsequent chapters. The second chapter lays the ground for a cognitive account of assertion and the indicative. It outlines the theoretical framework employed (Sperber & Wilson's Relevance Theory) and considers to what extent this is challenged by claims discussed in the previous chapter regarding the primacy of assertion over a conception of belief. Then, two distinct types of mental representation are identified according to whether or not they aim at consistency. This distinction is crucial to the third chapter, in which a new relevance-theoretic account of the indicative mood is developed and the conditions under which it can result in assertoric effects are identified. This follows a discussion of previous relevance-theoretic approaches to mood, in which it is argued that the approach adopted of matching moods to world-types cannot adequately explain the lack of assertoric potential of non-indicatives. The new approach rests on the claim that indicatives are unique in presenting the proposition expressed as potentially relevant in its own right in a context. Assertoric effects result when this potential is exploited so that the proposition expressed is presented as relevant in its own right to an individual. The final chapter throws the analysis of the indicative into relief by proposing an account of the Spanish subjunctive predicated on the claim that this form is incapable of presenting the proposition expressed as relevant in its own right
FPGA based data acquisition system for COMPASS experiment
This paper discusses the present data acquisition system (DAQ) of the COMPASS
experiment at CERN and presents development of a new DAQ. The new DAQ must
preserve present data format and be able to communicate with FPGA cards. Parts
of the new DAQ are based on state machines and they are implemented in C++ with
usage of the QT framework, the DIM library, and the IPBus technology. Prototype
of the system is prepared and communication through DIM between parts was
tested. An implementation of the IPBus technology was prepared and tested. The
new DAQ proved to be able to fulfill requirements.Comment: 8 pages, CHEP 201
Accessory thyroid gland at carotid bifurcation presenting as a carotid body tumor: case report and review of the literature
AbstractPatients with carotid body tumors referred to vascular surgeons usually undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as part of the workup. We present a case report of a 39-year-old woman with a presumed carotid body tumor, as was expected from clinical and MRI findings. At surgery, the ectopic thyroid tissue was suspected, and resection was performed. Histologic examination showed normal thyroid tissue with no sign of malignancy. Postoperative thyroid analysis showed a normally located, properly functioning thyroid gland. Ectopic thyroid glands are generally found in the midline, as a result of abnormal median migration. Their presence lateral to the midline with a proper functioning thyroid gland in its normal position is extremely rare. Although several submandibular thyroid glands have been reported, a close relation with the carotid arteries was described only once. When MRI scans of a presumed carotid body tumor show tumor characteristics that are not fully specific for a carotid body tumor, the possibility of ectopic thyroid tissue should be entertained, which can be the patient's only properly functioning thyroid tissue. In such cases, additional assessment, including thyroid tests, should be considered before surgery
Nerve-preserving aortoiliac reconstruction surgery: Anatomical study and surgical approach
AbstractObjective: Dysfunctional ejaculation and, to a lesser extent, dysfunctional erection caused by disruption of efferent sympathetic pathways is a common complication after aortoiliac reconstruction surgery. The aim was to give an anatomic motivation for a nerve-preserving approach on the basis of right-sided unilateral disruption of lumbar splanchnic nerves. Methods: Anatomic and microscopic analysis of preaortic and para-aortic retroperitoneal regions in human cadavers was performed. Anatomic analysis was conducted of two aortoiliac reconstruction operations performed on human cadavers; one was performed according to a single-blind procedure, the second with a modified procedure. Results: The lumbar splanchnic nerves supplying the superior hypogastric plexus from the right side were found to be less voluminous than the left-sided ones. The superior hypogastric plexus was found slightly shifted to the left of the midsagittal plane across the abdominal aorta and its bifurcation. Microscopic analysis revealed a thin fascia between the aorta and the subperitoneal tissue compartment. This fascia was used as a plain of dissection to mobilize the preaortic nerve-plexuses without damage from the aortic wall. Analysis of the specimens operated on showed a significant difference in nerve disruption. The standard procedure caused total disruption of the superior hypogastric plexus and extensive disruption of the inferior mesenteric plexus. The modified procedure only caused right-sided unilateral disruption of lumbar splanchnic nerves. Conclusion: The autonomic nerves supplying the bladder neck, the vas deferens, and the prostate are closely related to the abdominal aorta and its bifurcation. Right-sided unilateral disruption of lumbar splanchnic nerves without further damage to nervous structures would ensure at least one functional sympathetic pathway remaining after aortoiliac reconstruction surgery. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:983-9.
Search for weakly interacting sub-eV particles with the OSQAR laser-based experiment: results and perspectives
Recent theoretical and experimental studies highlight the possibility of new
fundamental particle physics beyond the Standard Model that can be probed by
sub-eV energy experiments. The OSQAR photon regeneration experiment looks for
"Light Shining through a Wall" (LSW) from the quantum oscillation of optical
photons into "Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles" (WISPs), like axion or
axion-like particles (ALPs), in a 9 T transverse magnetic field over the
unprecedented length of m. No excess of events has been
detected over the background. The di-photon couplings of possible new light
scalar and pseudo-scalar particles can be constrained in the massless limit to
be less than GeV. These results are very close to the
most stringent laboratory constraints obtained for the coupling of ALPs to two
photons. Plans for further improving the sensitivity of the OSQAR experiment
are presented.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
Rendering an Account: An Open-State Archive in Postgraduate Supervision
The paper begins with a brief account of the transformation of research degree studies under the pressures of global capitalism and neo-liberal governmentality. A parallel transformation is occurring in the conduct of research through the use of information and communication technologies. Yet the potential of ICTs to shape practices of surveillance or to produce new student-supervisor relations and enhance the processes of developing the dissertation has received almost no critical attention. As doctoral supervisor and student, we then describe the features and uses of a web-based open state archive of the student's work-in-progress, developed by the student and accessible to his supervisor. Our intention was to encourage more open conversations between data and theorising, student and supervisor, and ultimately between the student and professional community. However, we recognise that relations of accountability, as these have developed within a contemporary "audit revolution" (Power, 1994, 1997) in universities, create particular "lines of visibility" (Munro, 1996). Thus while the open-state archive may help to redefine in less managerial terms notions of quality, transparency, flexibility and accountability, it might also make possible greater supervisory surveillance. How should we think about the panoptical potential of this archive? We argue that the diverse kinds of interactional patterns and pedagogical intervention it encourages help to create shifting subjectivities. Moreover, the archive itself is multiple, in bringing together an array of diverse materials that can be read in various ways, by following multiple paths. It therefore constitutes a collage, which we identify as a mode of cognition and of accounting distinct from but related to argument and narrative. As a more "open" text (Iser, 1978) it has an indeterminacy which may render it less open to abuse for the technologies of managerial accountability
The Communication Library DIALOG for iFDAQ of the COMPASS Experiment
Modern experiments in high energy physics impose
great demands on the reliability, the efficiency, and the data rate
of Data Acquisition Systems (DAQ). This contribution focuses on
the development and deployment of the new communication library
DIALOG for the intelligent, FPGA-based Data Acquisition System
(iFDAQ) of the COMPASS experiment at CERN. The iFDAQ
utilizing a hardware event builder is designed to be able to readout
data at the maximum rate of the experiment. The DIALOG library is a
communication system both for distributed and mixed environments,
it provides a network transparent inter-process communication layer.
Using the high-performance and modern C++ framework Qt and its
Qt Network API, the DIALOG library presents an alternative to
the previously used DIM library. The DIALOG library was fully
incorporated to all processes in the iFDAQ during the run 2016.
From the software point of view, it might be considered as a
significant improvement of iFDAQ in comparison with the previous
run. To extend the possibilities of debugging, the online monitoring
of communication among processes via DIALOG GUI is a desirable
feature. In the paper, we present the DIALOG library from several
insights and discuss it in a detailed way. Moreover, the efficiency
measurement and comparison with the DIM library with respect to
the iFDAQ requirements is provided
Accurate detection of copy number aberrations in FFPE samples using the mFAST-SeqS approach
Background: Shallow whole genome sequencing (Shallow-seq) is used to determine the copy number aberrations (CNA) in tissue samples and circulating tumor DNA. However, costs of NGS and challenges of small biopsies ask for an alternative to the untargeted NGS approaches. The mFAST-SeqS approach, relying on LINE-1 repeat amplification, showed a good correlation with Shallow-seq to detect CNA in blood samples. In the present study, we evaluated whether mFAST-SeqS is suitable to assess CNA in small formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens, using vulva and anal HPV-related lesions. Methods: Seventy-two FFPE samples, including 36 control samples (19 vulva;17 anal) for threshold setting and 36 samples (24 vulva; 12 anal) for clinical evaluation, were analyzed by mFAST-SeqS. CNA in vulva and anal lesions were determined by calculating genome-wide and chromosome arm-specific z-scores in comparison with the respective control samples. Sixteen samples were also analyzed with the conventional Shallow-seq approach. Results: Genome-wide z-scores increased with the severity of disease, with highest values being found in cancers. In vulva samples median and inter quartile ranges [IQR] were 1[0â2] in normal tissues (n = 4), 3[1â7] in premalignant lesions (n = 9) and 21[13â48] in cancers (n = 10). In anal samples, median [IQR] were 0[0â1] in normal tissues (n = 4), 14[6â38] in premalignant lesions (n = 4) and 18[9â31] in cancers (n = 4). At threshold 4, all controls were CNA negative, while 8/13 premalignant lesions and 12/14 cancers were CNA positive. CNA captured by mFAST-SeqS were mostly also found by Shallow-seq. Conclusion: mFAST-SeqS is easy to perform, requires less DNA and less sequencing reads reducing costs, thereby providing a good alternative for Shallow-seq to determine CNA in small FFPE samples.</p
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