Flexible and stretchable power sources for wearable electronics.

Flexible and stretchable power sources represent a key technology for the realization of wearable electronics. Developing flexible and stretchable batteries with mechanical endurance that is on par with commercial standards and offer compliance while retaining safety remains a significant challenge. We present a unique approach that demonstrates mechanically robust, intrinsically safe silver-zinc batteries. This approach uses current collectors with enhanced mechanical design, such as helical springs and serpentines, as a structural support and backbone for all battery components. We show wire-shaped batteries based on helical band springs that are resilient to fatigue and retain electrochemical performance over 17,000 flexure cycles at a 0.5-cm bending radius. Serpentine-shaped batteries can be stretched with tunable degree and directionality while maintaining their specific capacity. Finally, the batteries are integrated, as a wearable device, with a photovoltaic module that enables recharging of the batteries

Emerging new practices in technology to support independent community access for people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities

This is the published version, also available here: http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/NRE-2011-0654.The concept of community access is a multidimensional term, which may involve issues related to physical access, knowledge and information, power and control, relationships and communications, advocacy, participation and quality of life [21]. This paper discusses historical and emerging practices and interventions related to physical access to community and community based information for individuals with cognitive disabilities such as intellectual disability, autism or traumatic brain injury. While much societal attention has been paid to features of independent community access for populations such as individuals with hearing, vision or physical disabilities, less attention has focused on independent community access for people with intellectual and other significant cognitive disabilities. Attitudes and actions by families and professional service communities are often mixed for some individuals in this population. The somewhat limited research base in these areas is explored, including a case study review and results from several promising feasibility studies. The paper concludes with comments concerning future prospects and recommendations for improving independent community access for persons with significant cognitiv

Precision Charmonium Spectroscopy From Lattice QCD

We present results for Charmonium spectroscopy using Non-Relativistic QCD (NRQCD). For the NRQCD action the leading order spin-dependent and next to leading order spin-independent interactions have been included with tadpole-improved coefficients. We use multi-exponential fits to multiple correlation functions to extract ground and excited $S$ states. Splittings between the lowest $S$, $P$ and $D$ states are given and we have accurate values for the $S$ state hyperfine splitting and the $\chi_c$ fine structure. Agreement with experiment is good - the remaining systematic errors are discussed.Comment: 23 pages uuencoded latex file. Contains figures in late

Self-directed career preference selection for individuals with intellectual disabilities: Using computer technology to enhance self-determination

This is the published version. Copyright 2003 IOS Press.Objectives: To conduct a preliminary study investigating the application of a self-directed video and audio software program to assist individuals with intellectual disabilities to express their vocational job preferences. A working software prototype, called WorkSight, was developed and field tested. Study design: The effectiveness of theWorkSight approach was assessed by comparing it to currently used career assessment tools via ratings by educators and agency professionals. WorkSight was also tested in terms of its efficacy to match the job preferences that were predicted by the same educators and agency professionals. A total of 25 adults with intellectual disabilities participated in this study. Results: Adults with intellectual disabilities were able to use the computer-based job preference assessment to determine career and job priorities. Conclusions: The use of technology providing multimedia-based work information has promise to enable persons with intellectual disabilities to express preferences and to improve job placement and matching activities

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist in a Rabbit Model of Ascending Infection in Pregnancy

Objective: To determinewhether treatment with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1-ra) would affect amniotic fluid concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and prostaglandins or clinical or microbiological outcomes in a model of ascending bacterial infection in pregnancy. Methods: Timed pregnant New Zealand white rabbits at 70% of gestation underwent endoscopic inoculation of the cervices with 10(6)–10(6) cfu Escherichia coli . Animals were randomly assigned in a blinded manner to a 5-h intravenous infusion of human IL1-ra (10 mg/kg) or placebo beginning 1 – 2 h after inoculation. Blood was drawn fromthe does for assay of serum IL1-ra concentration before inoculation, at mid-infusion, after the infusion ended and at necropsy. At necropsy, temperature and cultures were taken, and aspirated amniotic fluid was pooled for assays of TNF-α, prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and IL1-ra. Results: Serum IL1-ra concentrations rose to a mean of 2 mg/ml at mid-infusion and fell markedly after the infusion to concentrations barely detectable at necropsy. Between the two groups, there were no significant differences in the rates of fever or positive cultures or in amniotic fluid concentrations of PGE(2) or TNF-α.One unique finding was the demonstration that administration of human IL1-ra to the does resulted inmeasurable concentrationsof human IL1-ra in the amniotic fluid. Conclusions: Treatment with an intravenous infusion of human IL1-ra after cervical inoculation with E. coli did not affect clinical or microbiological outcomes or amniotic fluid concentrations of TNF-α or PGE(2). This experiment provides the first demonstration of passageof human IL1-ra from the maternal bloodstreamto the amniotic fluid

Scaling of the B and D meson spectrum in lattice QCD

We give results for the $B$ and the $D$ meson spectrum using NRQCD on the lattice in the quenched approximation. The masses of radially and orbitally excited states are calculated as well as $S$-wave hyperfine and $P$-wave fine structure. Radially excited $P$-states are observed for the first time. Radial and orbital excitation energies match well to experiment, as does the strange-non-strange $S$-wave splitting. We compare the light and heavy quark mass dependence of various splittings to experiment. Our $B$-results cover a range in lattice spacings of more than a factor of two. Our $D$-results are from a single lattice spacing and we compare them to numbers in the literature from finer lattices using other methods. We see no significant dependence of physical results on the lattice spacing. PACS: 11.15.Ha 12.38.Gc 14.40.Lb 14.40.NdComment: 78 pages, 29 tables, 30 figures Revised version. Minor corrections to spelling and wordin

Clean Positive Operator Valued Measures

In quantum mechanics the statistics of the outcomes of a measuring apparatus is described by a positive operator valued measure (POVM). A quantum channel transforms POVM's into POVM's, generally irreversibly, thus loosing some of the information retrieved from the measurement. This poses the problem of which POVM's are "undisturbed", namely they are not irreversibly connected to another POVM. We will call such POVM clean. In a sense, the clean POVM's would be "perfect", since they would not have any additional "extrinsical" noise. Quite unexpectedly, it turns out that such cleanness property is largely unrelated to the convex structure of POVM's, and there are clean POVM's that are not extremal and vice-versa. In this paper we solve the cleannes classification problem for number n of outcomes n<=d (d dimension of the Hilbert space), and we provide a a set of either necessary or sufficient conditions for n>d, along with an iff condition for the case of informationally complete POVM's for n=d^2.Comment: Minor changes. amsart 21 pages. Accepted for publication on J. Math. Phy

The Extinction and Distance of Maffei 1

We have obtained low- and high-resolution spectra of the core of the highly-reddened elliptical galaxy Maffei 1. From these data, we have obtained the first measurement of the Mg2 index, and have measured the velocity dispersion and radial velocity with improved accuracy. To evaluate the extinction, a correlation between the Mg2 index and effective V-I colour has been established for elliptical galaxies. Using a new method for correcting for effective wavelength shifts, we find A_V = 4.67 +/- 0.19 mag, which is lower by 0.4 mag than previously thought. To establish the distance, the Fundamental Plane for elliptical galaxies has been constructed in I. The velocity dispersion of Maffei 1, measured to be 186.8 +/- 7.4 km/s, in combination with modern wide-field photometry in I, leads to a distance of 2.92 +/- 0.37 Mpc. The Dn-sigma relation, which is independently calibrated, gives 3.08 +/- 0.85 Mpc and 3.23 +/- 0.67 Mpc from photometry in B and K`, respectively. The weighted mean of the three estimates is 3.01 +/- 0.30 Mpc. The distance and luminosity make Maffei 1 the nearest giant elliptical galaxy. The radial velocity of Maffei 1 is +66.4 +/- 5.0 km/s, significantly higher than the accepted value of -10 km/s. The Hubble distance corresponding to the mean velocity of Maffei 1, Maffei 2 and IC342 is 3.5 Mpc. Thus, it is unlikely that Maffei 1 has had any influence on Local Group dynamics

Heavy-light Mesons and Baryons with b quarks

We present lattice results for the spectrum of mesons containing one heavy quark and of baryons containing one or two heavy quarks. The calculation is done in the quenched approximation using the NRQCD formalism for the heavy quark. We analyze the dependence of the mass splittings on both the heavy and the light quark masses. Meson P-state fine structure and baryon hyperfine splittings are resolved for the first time. We fix the b quark mass using both M_B and M_{\Lambda_b}, and our best estimate is m_b^\MSbar(m_b^\MSbar) = 4.35(10)({}^{-3}_{+2})(10) GeV. The spectrum, obtained by interpolation to m_b, is compared with the experimental data.Comment: 34 pages, LaTeX, 13 postscript figures, version as publish in Phys. Rev.

Technology use by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to support employment activities: A single-subject design meta analysis

This is the published version. Copyright 2006 IOS PressObjectives: Technology has the potential to improve employment and rehabilitation related outcomes for persons with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of technology use on employment-related outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Study design: A comprehensive search of the literature pertaining to technology use by people with intellectual disabilities was conducted, and a single-subject design meta analysis was conducted for a subset of those studies, which focused on employment and rehabilitation related outcomes. Results: The use of technology to promote outcomes in this area was shown to be generally effective, in particular when universal design features were addressed. Conclusions: Technology has the potential to enable people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve more positive employment and rehabilitation outcomes. It is important to focus on universal design features important to persons with cognitive disabilities, and there is a need for more research in this area