Assembling An End: The Aesthetic Categories of Finitude

Aesthetic category theory and assemblage theory are both underutilized in the context of media studies. This dissertation argues that the application of these methods to media objects can generate productive ways of understanding how those media objects address human finitude. Developing three aesthetic categories of human finitude (bleakness, post-apocalypse, and annihilation), this dissertation then outlines those categories in their material and historical contexts. These categories are argued through in a linear manner, and they progressively are characterized by a change from stasis to movement, and this argument takes them to their limit within annihilation, arguing that the only way to move beyond the limit point of human finitude would be the utter destruction of aesthetics itself

The Nonhuman Lives of Videogames

Videogames are not subjects to be operated on, but rather bodies that humans live both with and inside of. In order to reconcile human existence with this nonhuman life, this thesis looks to evaluate the exact relationships developed between humans and assemblages in order to understand how humans are disciplined to return to games time and time again. The recognition of the nonhuman life of videogames necessitates a rethinking of the word “life,” as well as a reformulation of ethics around the new sets of obligations humans have toward videogames if we begin to recognize them as alive

Cybernetic irony:racial humour from mecha-Hitler to nuclear Gandhi

This chapter investigates relations between race and humour in digital games. Registering these complexities, we then focus on irony with particular focus on ‘Nuclear Gandhi’: the widespread gamer meme that an overflow error in Civilization caused Gandhi to appear as a hyper-aggressive character which, ironically, clashed with the historical record from which the game drew design and aesthetic legitimacy. However, Civilization eminence Sid Meier has recently stated that this is false: the humorous Nuclear Gandhi is in fact a complex entanglement of technical, social, and cultural factors. Drawing on Bhabha’s discussion of ‘sly civility’, we theorise Nuclear Gandhi as ‘cybernetic irony’ in which the collective element of humour is mediated by techno-racial claims to objectivity

Geometric description for the anatomy of the mitral valve: A review

The mitral valve is a complex anatomical structure whose physiological functioning relies on the biomechanical properties and structural integrity of its components. Their compromise can lead to mitral valve dysfunction, associated with morbidity and mortality. Therefore, a review on the morphometry of the mitral valve is crucial, more specifically on the importance of valve dimensions and shape for its function. This review initially provides a brief background on the anatomy and physiology of the mitral valve, followed by an analysis of the morphological information available. A characterisation of mathematical descriptions of several parts of the valve is performed and the impact of different dimensions and shape changes in disease is then outlined. Finally, a section regarding future directions and recommendations for the use of morphometric information in clinical analysis of the mitral valve is presented

A finite strain nonlinear human mitral valve model with fluid structure interaction

A simulated human mitral valve under a physiological pressure loading is developed using a hybrid finite element immersed boundary method, which incorporates experimentally based constitutive laws in a three-dimensional fluid-structure interaction framework. A transversely isotropic material constitutive model is used for characterizing the mechanical behaviour of the mitral valve tissue based on recent mechanical tests of healthy human mitral leaflets. Our results show good agreement, in terms of the flow rate and the closing and opening configurations, with the measurements from the magnetic resonance images. The stresses in the anterior leaflet are found to be higher than those in the posterior leaflet, and concentrated around the annulus trigons and free edges of the valve leaflets. Those areas are located where the leaflet has the highest curvature. Effects of the chordae tendineae in the material model are studied and the results show that these chordae play an important role in providing a secondary orifice for the flow when valve opens. Although there are some discrepancies to be overcome in future works, our simulations show that the developed computational model is promising in mimicking the in vivo mitral valve dynamics and providing important information that are not obtainable by in vivo measurements. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Study and applications of retrodirective and self-adaptive electromagnetic wave controls to a Mars probe Quarterly report, 1 Oct. - 31 Dec. 1965

Design feasibility and applications of adaptive antenna circuits for deep space communication - antenna concepts, environmental effects, and phase lock loops and adaptive circuitr

Study and applications of retrodirective and self adaptive electromagnetic-wave phase controls to a Mars probe

Computer analyses of retrodirective, and self adaptive antenna phase control techniques for Mars prob

Incidence of proteinuria in type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Pima Indians

Incidence of proteinuria in type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Pima Indians. Little is known of the natural history of nephropathy in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, yet type 2 diabetes is a major cause of end-stage renal disease in the United States. The incidence rate of heavy proteinuria was determined in Pima Indians participating in a longitudinal population study of diabetes and its complications. Heavy proteinuria was defined by a urine protein (g/liter) to urine creatinine (g/liter) ratio ≥ 1.0 (≥ 113mg protein/mmol creatinine), a level which corresponds to a urine protein excretion rate of about 1 g/day. The incidence rates of proteinuria in diabetic Pimas were 4, 12, 37, and 106 cases/1,000 person-years at risk in the periods 0 to 5, 5 to 10, 10 to 15, and 15 to 20 years after the diagnosis of diabetes. The cumulative incidence rates were 2%, 8%, 23%, and 50% at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years, respectively. The duration of diabetes, severity of diabetes as determined by the degree of hyperglycemia and type of treatment, and blood pressure were risk factors for proteinuria. The presence of heavy proteinuria was strongly associated with the development of renal insufficiency, defined by serum creatinine ≥ 2.0 mg/dl (≥ 177 µmol/liter). The incidence of proteinuria in type 2 diabetes in Pima Indians was as high as that reported in type 1 diabetes in other populations and represents a frequent, serious complication of the disease

Spectral imaging and archival data in analyzing the Madonna of the Rabbit painting by Manet and Titian

A concise insight into the outputs provided by the latest prototype of visible-near infrared (VIS-NIR) multispectral scanner (National Research Council-National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Italy) is presented. The analytical data acquired on an oil painting Madonna of the Rabbit by É. Manet are described. In this work, the VIS-NIR was complemented with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping for the chemical and spatial characterization of several pigments. The spatially registered VIS-NIR data facilitated their processing by spectral correlation mapping (SCM) and artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm respectively for pigment mapping and improved visibility of pentimenti and of underdrawing style. The data provided several key elements for the comparison with a homonymous original work by Titian studied within the ARCHive LABoratory (ARCHLAB) transnational access project