Apollo communications system. Task E-59B - MSFTP-2 bit synchronizer performance analysis

Mathematical model for predicting performance degradation of MSFTP-2 bit synchronizer used in MSF

Progress toward phidianidine analogues containing a 1,2,3-triazole ring

Phidianidines are a class of compound that has been extracted from the sea mollusk Phidianis militaris. These compounds have been shown to exhibit a variety of useful properties such as antihistamine effects, anti-cancer activity, agonism of the µ-opioid receptor and neuroprotection. The biological activities are thought to be caused by the 1,2,4- oxadiazole ring found within the molecule. The goal of this project is to synthesize analogues of phidianidine that contain a 1,2,3-triazole instead of the 1,2,4 oxadiazole ring using a method that will allow for other regions of the molecule to be changed. This will help to elucidate the role of the 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring in biological activity as well as probe if the 1,2,3-triazole analogue can provide significant improvement to any activities

Temperature effects on export production in the open ocean

A pelagic food web model was formulated with the goal of developing a quantitative understanding of the relationship between total production, export production, and environmental variables in marine ecosystems. The model assumes that primary production is partitioned through both large and small phytoplankton and that the food web adjusts to changes in the rate of allochthonous nutrient inputs in a way that maximizes stability, i.e., the ability of the system to return to steady state following a perturbation. The results of the modeling exercise indicate that ef ratios, defined as new production/total production = export production/total production, are relatively insensitive to total production rates at temperatures greater than ∼25°C and lie in the range 0.1‐0.2. At moderate to high total production rates, ef ratios are insensitive to total production and negatively correlated with temperature. The maximum ef ratios are ∼0.67 at high rates of production and temperatures of 0°−10°C. At temperatures less than ∼20°C, there is a transition from low ef ratios to relatively high ef ratios as total production increases from low to moderate values. This transition accounts for the hyperbolic relationship often presumed to exist between ef ratios and total production. At low rates of production the model predicts a negative correlation between production and ef ratios, a result consistent with data collected at station ALOHA (22°45′N, 158°W) in the North Pacific subtropical gyre. The predictions of the model are in excellent agreement with results reported from the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) and from other field work. In these studies, there is virtually no correlation between total production and ef ratios, but temperature alone accounts for 86% of the variance in the ef ratios. Model predictions of the absolute and relative abundance of autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms are in excellent agreement with data reported from field studies. Combining the ef ratio model with estimates of ocean temperature and photosynthetic rates derived from satellite data indicates that export production on a global scale is ∼20% of net photosynthesis. The results of the model have important implications for the impact of climate change on export production, particularly with respect to temperature effects

Hazards of tube thoracostomy in patients on a ventilator

A patient with post-pneumonia empyema complicated by type-2 respiratory failure required mechanical ventilation as part of his therapy. A pneumothorax was noted on his chest radiograph. This was treated with an intercostal chest drain (ICD). Unfortunately, he was still hypoxic, his subcutaneous emphysema was worsening and the ICD was bubbling. A computed tomography (CT) scan of chest demonstrated that the ICD has penetrated the right upper lobe parenchyma. A new ICD was inserted and the previous one was removed. Although both hypoxia and subcutaneous emphysema improved, the patient chronically remained on mechanical ventilation

To be or not to be an auctioneer: Some thoughts on the legal nature of online eBay auctions and the protection of consumers

This paper discusses the legal classification of online “eBay” auctions. The discussion has key implications on the scope of consumer protection law as sale by auctions are, for example, excluded from the scope of the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000. The paper uncovers that online “eBay” auctions cannot always be considered as traditional auctions and that eBay, as an intermediary, is not to be considered as an auctioneer. This creates difficulties associated with a distributive application of consumer protection laws such as the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000. Another set of difficulties is associated with a lenient legal regime applicable to the liability of eBay under the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 . The paper concludes that there is an urgent need to clarify the legal classification of online auctions and to rethink the liability of online auction sites to better protect consumers

A critique of narrative reviews of the evidence-base for ECT in depression

© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)There has been recent debate regarding the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy in the treatment of depression. This has been based on narrative reviews that contradict existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. In this special article, we highlight the mistakes that occur when interpreting evidence using narrative reviews, as opposed to conventional systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio