Frequency modulation demodulator threshold extension device

Threshold extension device for improving operating performance of frequency modulatioin demodulators by eliminating click-type noise impulse

Electronic device increases threshold sensitivity and removes noise from FM communications receiver

Threshold extension device connected between demodulator output and filter output minimizes clicking noise. Device consists of click-eliminating signal transfer channel with follow-and-hold circuit and detector for sensing click impulses. Final output consists of signal plus low level noise without high amplitude impulses

Horse breeding arithmetic : 2 + 2 = 1

"On the average, two mares taken to the stallion for one service each and returned home for the remainder of the season will give birth to one foal--if you are lucky. The national average foal rate for mates bred is approximately 50 percent."--First page.Wayne E. Loch and John W. Massey (Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture)Revised 6/89/5

Role of angiography following aneurysm surgery

Journal ArticleThe postoperative angiograms in 66 patients who underwent craniotomy for clipping of 78 cerebral aneurysms were reviewed. Indications for urgent postoperative angiography included neurological deficit or repeat subarachnoid hemorrhage. Routine postoperative angiograms were carried out in the remaining patients. Postoperative angiograms were reviewed to determine the incidence of unexpected findings such as unclipped aneurysms, residual aneurysms, and unforeseen major vessel occlusions. Logistic regression analysis was used to test if the following were factors that predicted an unexpected finding on postoperative angiography: aneurysm site or size; the intraoperative impression that residual aneurysm was left or a major vessel was occluded; intraoperative aneurysm rupture; opening or needle aspiration of the aneurysm after clipping; or development of a new neurological deficit after surgery. Kappa values were calculated to assess the agreement between some of these clinical factors and unexpected angiographic findings. Unexpected residual aneurysms were seen in three (4%) of the 78 occlusions. In addition, three aneurysms were completely unclipped (4%); these three patients were returned to the operating room and had their aneurysms successfully obliterated. There were nine unexpected major vessel occlusions (12%); six of these resulted in disabling stroke and two patients died. Of six major arteries considered to be occluded intraoperatively and shown to be occluded by postoperative angiography, two were associated with cerebral infarction. Logistic regression analysis showed that a new postoperative neurological deficit predicted an unforeseen vessel occlusion on postoperative angiography. Factors could not be identified that predicted unexpected residual aneurysm or unclipped aneurysm. The inability to predict accurately the presence of residual or unclipped aneurysm suggests that all patients should undergo postoperative angiography. Since a new postoperative neurological deficit is one factor predicting unexpected arterial occlusion, intraoperative angiography may be necessary to help reduce the incidence of stroke after aneurysm surgery. With study of more patients or of factors not examined in this series, it may be possible to select cases more accurately for intraoperative or postoperative angiography

Tissue-specific cytokine release from human extra-placental membranes stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in a two-compartment tissue culture system

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The extra-placental gestational membranes secrete cytokines in response to bacteria and other infectious agents, with potentially adverse consequences for pregnancy. The present study used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a prototype endotoxin to investigate the pattern of stimulated cytokine release from the amniotic and choriodecidual sides of full-thickness human gestational membranes in a two-compartment tissue culture system.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Gestational membranes were collected from healthy non-laboring caesarean deliveries at term. Full-thickness membranes from each placenta were cut into pieces, mounted on Transwell frames, and placed in culture wells to create a two-compartment culture with the gestational membranes serving as the barrier between compartments. The LPS (100 ng/ml) was added to the amniotic, choriodecidual or both chambers of the culture, and cytokines were assayed in the medium of the amniotic and choriodecidual chambers after 8 h of LPS exposure. Cytokine concentrations were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance for effects of treatment and side specificity of cytokine release from the membranes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>LPS exposure on the choriodecidual side of the membranes significantly increased TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-8 in the choriodecidual compartment, whereas TNF-alpha was the only cytokine observed to increase in the amniotic compartment. When LPS treatment was to the amniotic side of the membranes, there were significant increases in TNF-alpha and IL-6 in the amniotic compartment as well as increased concentrations of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 in the choriodecidual compartment; however, there were no statistically significant differences for IL-10 in either compartment. No statistically significant differences were observed for IL-1beta, TGF-beta or IL-4 concentrations in response to LPS, regardless of the exposure modality.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The amnion and choriodecidua exhibited distinct patterns of response to LPS with evidence of inflammatory signaling across the layers of the gestational membranes. These results suggest a complicated network of signaling within the gestational membranes, in which cytokine- and tissue-specific responses to inflammatory stimulation may have important implications for maintaining pregnancy in the challenge of microbial invasion of the uterine compartment.</p

Plasma analysis of Inductively Coupled Impulse Sputtering of Cu, Ti and Ni

Inductively coupled impulse sputtering (ICIS) is a new development in the field of highly ionised pulsed PVD processes. For ICIS the plasma is generated by an internal inductive coil, replacing the need for a magnetron. To understand the plasma properties, measurements of the current and voltage waveforms at the cathode were conducted. The IEDFs were measured by energy resolved MS and plasma chemistry was analysed by OES and then compared to a model. The target was operated in pulsed DC mode and the coil was energised by pulsed RF power, with a duty cycle of 7.5 %. At a constant pressure (14 Pa) the set peak RF power was varied from 1000-4000 W. The DC voltage to the target was kept constant at 1900 V. OES measurements have shown a monotonic increase in intensity with increasing power. Excitation and ionisation processes were single step for ICIS of Ti and Ni and multi-step for Cu. The latter exhibited an unexpectedly steep rise in ionisation efficiency with power. The IEDFs measured by MS show the material- and time- dependant plasma potential in the range of 10-30 eV, ideal for increased surface mobility without inducing lattice defects. A lower intensity peak, of high energetic ions, is visible at 170 eV during the pulse

A national discipline-specific professional development program for lecturers and tutors in the mathematical sciences

Imagine learning to swim by being thrown in the deep end of the pool..

Search for the Higgs boson decays H -> ee and H -> eμ in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Searches for the Higgs boson decays H -> ee and H -> e mu are performed using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at root s = 13 TeV at the LHC. No significant signals are observed, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation. For a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, the observed (expected) upper limit at the 95% confidence level on the branching fraction B(H -> ee) is 3.6 x 10(-4) (3.5 x 10(-4)) and on B(H -> e mu) is 6.2 x 10(-5) (5.9 x 10(-5)). These results represent improvements by factors of about five and six on the previous best limits on B(H -> ee) and B(H -> e mu) respectively. (C) 2019 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Calorimeter Clustering Algorithms: Description and Performance

This note describes the performance of the calorimeter clustering algorithms used for ATLAS, and which provide inputs for particle identification. ATLAS uses two principal algorithms. The first is the ``sliding-window'' algorithm, which clusters calorimeter cells within fixed-size rectangles; results from this are used for electron, photon, and tau lepton identification. The second is the ``topological'' algorithm, which clusters together neighboring cells, as long as the signal in the cells is significant compared to noise. The results of this second algorithm are further used for jet and missing transverse energy reconstruction. This note first summarizes the steps of the calorimeter reconstruction software. A detailed description of the two clustering algorithms is then given. A last section summarizes their performance. The results presented in this note are obtained with the ATLAS athena software releases 12 and 13