1,752 research outputs found
Long Range Anticorrelations and Non-Gaussian Behavior of a Leaky Faucet
We find that intervals between successive drops from a leaky faucet display
scale-invariant, long-range anticorrelations characterized by the same
exponents of heart beat-to-beat intervals of healthy subjects. This behavior is
also confirmed by numerical simulations on lattice and it is faucet-width- and
flow-rate-independent. The histogram for the drop intervals is also well
described by a L\'evy distribution with the same index for both histograms of
healthy and diseased subjects. This additional result corroborates the evidence
for similarities between leaky faucets and healthy hearts underlying dynamics.Comment: Self-extracting uuencoded postscript file. Phys.Rev.E (Rap.Comm.).
Related papers can be found at http://www.if.uff.br/~tjpp/tjppe.htm
Physics of Psychophysics: Stevens and Weber-Fechner laws are transfer functions of excitable media
Sensory arrays made of coupled excitable elements can improve both their
input sensitivity and dynamic range due to collective non-linear wave
properties. This mechanism is studied in a neural network of electrically
coupled (e.g. via gap junctions) elements subject to a Poisson signal process.
The network response interpolates between a Weber-Fechner logarithmic law and a
Stevens power law depending on the relative refractory period of the cell.
Therefore, these non-linear transformations of the input level could be
performed in the sensory periphery simply due to a basic property: the transfer
function of excitable media.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Mechanisms Predisposing Penile Fracture And Long-term Outcomes On Erectile And Voiding Functions
Purpose. To determine the mechanisms predisposing penile fracture as well as the rate of long-term penile deformity and erectile and voiding functions. Methods. All fractures were repaired on an emergency basis via subcoronal incision and absorbable suture with simultaneous repair of eventual urethral lesion. Patients' status before fracture and voiding and erectile functions at long term were assessed by periodic follow-up and phone call. Detailed history included cause, symptoms, and single-question self-report of erectile and voiding functions. Results. Among the 44 suspicious cases, 42 (95.4%) were confirmed, mean age was 34.5 years (range: 18-60), mean follow-up 59.3 months (range 9-155). Half presented the classical triad of audible crack, detumescence, and pain. Heterosexual intercourse was the most common cause (28 patients, 66.7%), followed by penile manipulation (6 patients, 14.3%), and homosexual intercourse (4 patients, 9.5%). "Woman on top" was the most common heterosexual position (n = 14, 50%), followed by "doggy style" (n = 8, 28.6%). Four patients (9.5%) maintained the cause unclear. Six (14.3%) patients had urethral injury and two (4.8%) had erectile dysfunction, treated by penile prosthesis and PDE-5i. No patient showed urethral fistula, voiding deterioration, penile nodule/curve or pain. Conclusions. "Woman on top" was the potentially riskiest sexual position (50%). Immediate surgical treatment warrants long-term very low morbidity. © 2014 Leonardo O. Reis et al.Kamdar, C., Mooppan, U.M.M., Kim, H., Gulmi, F.A., Penile fracture: Preoperative evaluation and surgical technique for optimal patient outcome (2008) BJU International, 102 (11), pp. 1640-1644. , 2-s2.0-56649083856 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2008.07902.xKramer, A.C., Penile fracture seems more likely during sex under stressful situations (2011) Journal of Sexual Medicine, 8 (12), pp. 3414-3417. , 2-s2.0-82955237445 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02461.xSawh, S.L., O'Leary, M.P., Ferreira, M.D., Berry, A.M., Maharaj, D., Fractured penis: A review (2008) International Journal of Impotence Research, 20 (4), pp. 366-369. , 2-s2.0-48249147767 10.1038/ijir.2008.12Amit, A., Arun, K., Bharat, B., Navin, R., Sameer, T., Shankar, D.U., Penile fracture and associated urethral injury: Experience at a tertiary care hospital (2013) Canadian Urological Association Journal, 7, pp. E168-E170Moslemi, M.K., Evaluation of epidemiology, concomitant urethral disruption and seasonal variation of penile fracture: A report of 86 cases (2013) Canadian Urological Association Journal, 7, pp. E572-E575Hatzichristodoulou, G., Dorstewitz, A., Gschwend, J.E., Herkommer, K., Zantl, N., Surgical management of penile fracture and long-term outcome on erectile function and voiding (2013) The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 10, pp. 1424-1430Nomura, J.T., Sierzenski, P.R., Ultrasound diagnosis of penile fracture (2010) Journal of Emergency Medicine, 38 (3), pp. 362-365. , 2-s2.0-77949914168 10.1016/j.jemermed.2008.03.010Ash, A., Miller, J., Preston, D., Point-of-care ultrasound used to exclude penile fracture (2012) Critical Ultrasound Journal, 417Beysel, M., Tekin, A., Gürdal, M., Yücebaş, E., Dengör, F., Evaluation and treatment of penile fractures: Accuracy of clinical diagnosis and the value of corpus cavernosography (2002) Urology, 60 (3), pp. 492-496. , 2-s2.0-0036753673 10.1016/S0090-4295(02)01813-7Gamal, W.M., Osman, M.M., Hammady, A., Aldahshoury, M.Z., Hussein, M.M., Saleem, M., Penile fracture:;ong-term results of surgical and conservative management (2011) Journal of Trauma, 71 (2), pp. 491-493. , 2-s2.0-80051783736 10.1097/TA.0b013e318209311
A Combination Of The -α3.7 And -medii Alleles Causing Hemoglobin H Disease In A Brazilian Patient
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)39180832014/00984-3, FAPESP, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP
The small x gluon and b\bar{b} production at the LHC
We study open b\bar{b} production at large rapidity at the LHC in an attempt
to pin down the gluon distribution at very low x. For the LHC energy of 7 TeV,
at next-to-leading order (NLO), there is a large factorization scale
uncertainty. We show that the uncertainty can be greatly reduced if events are
selected in which the transverse momenta of the two B-mesons balance each other
to some accuracy, that is |\vec p_{1T}+\vec p_{2T}| < k_0. This will fix the
scale \mu_F \simeq k_0, and will allow the LHCb experiment, in particular, to
study the x-behaviour of gluon distribution down to x ~ 10^{-5}, at rather low
scales, \mu ~ 2 GeV. We evaluate the expected cross sections using, for
illustrative purposes, various recent sets of Parton Distribution Functions.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure
A framework for digital sunken relief generation based on 3D geometric models
Sunken relief is a special art form of sculpture whereby the depicted shapes are sunk into a given surface. This is traditionally created by laboriously carving materials such as stone. Sunken reliefs often utilize the engraved lines or strokes to strengthen the impressions of a 3D presence and to highlight the features which otherwise are unrevealed. In other types of reliefs, smooth surfaces and their shadows convey such information in a coherent manner. Existing methods for relief generation are focused on forming a smooth surface with a shallow depth which provides the presence of 3D figures. Such methods unfortunately do not help the art form of sunken reliefs as they omit the presence of feature lines. We propose a framework to produce sunken reliefs from a known 3D geometry, which transforms the 3D objects into three layers of input to incorporate the contour lines seamlessly with the smooth surfaces. The three input layers take the advantages of the geometric information and the visual cues to assist the relief generation. This framework alters existing techniques in line drawings and relief generation, and then combines them organically for this particular purpose
Alpha-decay branching ratios of near-threshold states in 19Ne and the astrophysical rate of 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne
The 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne reaction is one of two routes for breakout from the
hot CNO cycles into the rp process in accreting neutron stars. Its
astrophysical rate depends critically on the decay properties of excited states
in 19Ne lying just above the 15O + alpha threshold. We have measured the
alpha-decay branching ratios for these states using the p(21Ne,t)19Ne reaction
at 43 MeV/u. Combining our measurements with previous determinations of the
radiative widths of these states, we conclude that no significant breakout from
the hot CNO cycle into the rp process in novae is possible via
15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne, assuming current models accurately represent their
temperature and density conditions
Integrating Economic Costs And Biological Traits Into Global Conservation Priorities For Carnivores
Background: Prioritization schemes usually highlight species-rich areas, where many species are at imminent risk of extinction. To be ecologically relevant these schemes should also include species biological traits into area-setting methods. Furthermore, in a world of limited funds for conservation, conservation action is constrained by land acquisition costs. Hence, including economic costs into conservation priorities can substantially improve their conservation cost-effectiveness. Methodology/Principal Findings: We examined four global conservation scenarios for carnivores based on the joint mapping of economic costs and species biological traits. These scenarios identify the most cost-effective priority sets of ecoregions, indicating best investment opportunities for safeguarding every carnivore species, and also establish priority sets that can maximize species representation in areas harboring highly vulnerable species. We compared these results with a scenario that minimizes the total number of ecoregions required for conserving all species, irrespective of other factors. We found that cost-effective conservation investments should focus on 41 ecoregions highlighted in the scenario that consider simultaneously both ecoregion vulnerability and economic costs of land acquisition. Ecoregions included in priority sets under these criteria should yield best returns of investments since they harbor species with high extinction risk and have lower mean land cost. Conclusions/Significance: Our study highlights ecoregions of particular importance for the conservation of the world's carnivores defining global conservation priorities in analyses that encompass socioeconomic and life-history factors. We consider the identification of a comprehensive priority-set of areas as a first step towards an in-situ biodiversity maintenance strategy. © 2009 Loyola et al.48Margules, C.R., Pressey, R.L., Systematic conservation planning (2000) Nature, 405, pp. 243-253Margules, C.R., Sarkar, S., (2007) Systematic conservation planning, , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 278 pCowling, R.M., Pressey, R.L., Rouget, M., Lombard, A.T., A conservation plan for a global biodiversity hotspot - the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa (2003) Biol Conserv, 112, pp. 191-216Smith, R.J., Goodman, P.S., Matthews, W.S., Systematic conservation planning: A review of perceived limitations and an illustration of the benefits, using a case study from Maputaland, South Africa (2006) Oryx, 40, pp. 400-410Loyola, R.D., Kubota, U., Lewinsohn, T.M., Endemic vertebrates are the most effective surrogates for identifying conservation priorities among Brazilian ecoregions (2007) Divers Distrib, 13, pp. 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The design and evaluation of travelling gun irrigation systems: enrolador software
Technical Paperinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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