I\u27ll Buy The Ring : And Change Your Name To Mine

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The Inverse Born Approximation: Exact Determination of Shape of Convex Voids

The Inverse Born Approximation (IBA) to the elastic wave inverse scattering problem is known to give highly accurate results for the shape of complex voids. In this paper we present an argument demonstrating that the IBA is, in fact, exact for determining the size, shape and orientation of a wide class of these scatterers given infinite bandwidth and unlimited aperture information. Essentially, our argument demonstrates how the IBA algorithm picks out the singular contribution to the impulse response function and correctly relates it to the shape of the scatterer. Some specific examples will be used to illustrate the more intuitive aspects of the discussion

Topography and mental distress: self-care in the life spaces of home

This article develops a topological approach derived from Kurt Lewin to analyse the psychological life space/s produced in a mental health service user’s home. Drawing on arguments that space plays an important part in the organisation and management of mental distress, photographs of a service user’s home are analysed as topological spaces. The article argues that topological theory can contribute to community health psychology through framing psychological distress as spatially distributed, meaning individual bodies, environments and action are conceptualised as equally contributing to the organisation and management of health-related experience and activity

Glycaemia as a sign of the viability of the foetuses in the last days of gestation in dairy goats with pregnancy toxaemia

Pregnancy toxaemia is one of the most common diseases affecting small ruminants in the last month of gestation. Nearly 80% of the foetal growth occurs in the last 6 weeks of gestation. Fat goats and goats carrying twins and triplets are at greater risk. Pregnancy toxaemia is characterized by metabolic acidosis, hypoglycaemia and ketonaemia and a very high mortality rate. In our study five does with pregnancy toxaemia showed a marked hyperglycaemia (12.4 ± 5.4 mmol/L). Although our findings are based on a small population sample (10 goats), we nonetheless postulate that hyperglycaemia could be explained by the death of the foetuses. Caesarian surgery was performed on four of the five does with hyperglycaemia (HG does). In the fifth, kidding was induced. In this group, two does had two dead foetuses, two had three dead foetuses and one does had four foetuses, only one of which was alive. Caesarian surgery was performed on all five does with hypoglycaemia (LG does). Four does of the LG group had three foetuses and one had two foetuses, all alive. The HG doe had lower rectal temperatures, lower sodium and higher urea nitrogen (BUN) in the blood when compared with the LG does. As the condition of affected does may deteriorate quickly, the results of the present study suggest that in the last days of pregnancy goats with pregnancy toxaemia and concurrent hypoglycaemia should be considered for caesarian surgery

An investigation of supervector regression for forensic voice comparison on small data

International audienceThe present paper deals with an observer design for a nonlinear lateral vehicle model. The nonlinear model is represented by an exact Takagi-Sugeno (TS) model via the sector nonlinearity transformation. A proportional multiple integral observer (PMIO) based on the TS model is designed to estimate simultaneously the state vector and the unknown input (road curvature). The convergence conditions of the estimation error are expressed under LMI formulation using the Lyapunov theory which guaranties bounded error. Simulations are carried out and experimental results are provided to illustrate the proposed observer

Cultivation of Human Corneal Endothelial Cells Isolated from Paired Donor Corneas

Consistent expansion of human corneal endothelial cells (hCECs) is critical in the development of tissue engineered endothelial constructs. However, a wide range of complex culture media, developed from different basal media have been reported in the propagation of hCECs, some with more success than others. These results are further confounded by donor-to-donor variability. The aim of this study is to evaluate four culture media in the isolation and propagation of hCECs isolated from a series of paired donor corneas in order to negate donor variability

Abstract Reasoning and Friendship in High Functioning Preadolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

To investigate the relationship between cognitive and social functioning, 20 Israeli individuals with HFASD aged 8–12 and 22 age, maternal education, and receptive vocabulary–matched preadolescents with typical development (TYP) came to the lab with a close friend. Measures of abstract reasoning, friendship quality, and dyadic interaction during a play session were obtained. As hypothesized, individuals with HFASD were significantly impaired in abstract reasoning, and there were significant group differences in friend and observer reports of friendship quality. There also was consistency in reports between friends. Two factors—“relationship appearance” and “relationship quality” described positive aspects of the relationships. Disability status and age related to relationship appearance. Proband abstract reasoning was related to relationship quality

Role of structural dynamics at the receptor G protein interface for signal transduction

GPCRs catalyze GDP/GTP exchange in the α-subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins (Gαßγ) through displacement of the Gα C-terminal α5 helix, which directly connects the interface of the active receptor (R*) to the nucleotide binding pocket of G. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and kinetic analysis of R* catalysed G protein activation have suggested that displacement of α5 starts from an intermediate GDP bound complex (R*•GGDP). To elucidate the structural basis of receptor-catalysed displacement of α5, we modelled the structure of R*•GGDP. A flexible docking protocol yielded an intermediate R*•GGDP complex, with a similar overall arrangement as in the X-ray structure of the nucleotide free complex (R*•Gempty), however with the α5 C-terminus (GαCT) forming different polar contacts with R*. Starting molecular dynamics simulations of GαCT bound to R* in the intermediate position, we observe a screw-like motion, which restores the specific interactions of α5 with R* in R*•Gempty. The observed rotation of α5 by 60° is in line with experimental data. Reformation of hydrogen bonds, water expulsion and formation of hydrophobic interactions are driving forces of the α5 displacement. We conclude that the identified interactions between R* and G protein define a structural framework in which the α5 displacement promotes direct transmission of the signal from R* to the GDP binding pocket

Little evidence for an epidemic of myopia in Australian primary school children over the last 30 years

BACKGROUND: Recently reported prevalences of myopia in primary school children vary greatly in different regions of the world. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of refractive errors in an unselected urban population of young primary school children in eastern Sydney, Australia, between 1998 and 2004, for comparison with our previously published data gathered using the same protocols and other Australian studies over the last 30 years. METHODS: Right eye refractive data from non-cycloplegic retinoscopy was analysed for 1,936 children aged 4 to 12 years who underwent a full eye examination whilst on a vision science excursion to the Vision Education Centre Clinic at the University of New South Wales. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalents equal to or less than -0.50 D, and hyperopia as spherical equivalents greater than +0.50 D. RESULTS: The mean spherical equivalent decreased significantly (p < 0.0001) with age from +0.73 ± 0.1D (SE) at age 4 to +0.21 ± 0.11D at age 12 years. The proportion of children across all ages with myopia of -0.50D or more was 8.4%, ranging from 2.3% of 4 year olds to 14.7% of 12 year olds. Hyperopia greater than +0.50D was present in 38.4%. A 3-way ANOVA for cohort, age and gender of both the current and our previous data showed a significant main effect for age (p < 0.0001) but not for cohort (p = 0.134) or gender (p = 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: Comparison of our new data with our early 1990s data and that from studies of over 8,000 Australian non-clinical rural and urban children in the 1970's and 1980's provided no evidence for the rapidly increasing prevalence of myopia described elsewhere in the world. In fact, the prevalence of myopia in Australian children continues to be significantly lower than that reported in Asia and North America despite changing demographics. This raises the issue of whether these results are a reflection of Australia's stable educational system and lifestyle over the last 30 years