A new dynamic property of human consciousness

As pointed out by William James, "the consciousness is a dynamic process, not a thing" , during which short term integration is succeeded by another differentiated neural state through the continual interplay between the environment, the body, and the brain itself. Thus, the dynamic structure underlying successive states of the brain is important for understanding human consciousness as a process. In order to investigate the dynamic property of human consciousness, we developed a new method to reconstruct a state space from electroencephalogram(EEG), in which a trajectory, reflecting states of consciousness, is constructed based on the global information integration of the brain. EEGs were obtained from 14 subjects received an intravenous bolus of propopol. Here we show that the degree of human consciousness is directly associated with the information integration capacity of gamma wave, which is significantly higher in the conscious state than in the unconscious state. And we found a new time evolutional property of human consciousness. The conscious state showed a lower dimensional dynamic process which changed to a random-like process after loss of consciousness. This characteristic dynamic property, appeared only in the gamma band, might be used as an indicator to distinguish the conscious and unconscious states and also considered as an important fact for the human consciousness model

Propofol Induction Reduces the Capacity for Neural Information Integration: Implications for the Mechanism of Consciousness and General Anesthesia

The cognitive unbinding paradigm suggests that the synthesis of cognitive information is attenuated by general anesthesia. Here, we investigated the functional organization of brain activities in the conscious and anesthetized states, based on characteristic functional segregation and integration of electroencephalography (EEG). EEG recordings were obtained from 14 subjects undergoing induction of general anesthesia with propofol. We quantified changes in mean information integration capacity in each band of the EEG. After induction with propofol, mean information integration capacity was reduced most prominently in the gamma band of the EEG (p=0.0001). Furthermore, we demonstrate that loss of consciousness is reflected by the breakdown of the spatiotemporal organization of gamma waves. Induction of general anesthesia with propofol reduces the capacity for information integration in the brain. These data directly support the information integration theory of consciousness and the cognitive unbinding paradigm of general anesthesia

Fabrication of Gd containing duplex stainless steel sheet for neutron absorbing structural materials

A duplex stainless steel sheet with 1 wt.% gadolinium was fabricated for a neutron absorbing material with high strength, excellent corrosion resistance, and low cost as well as high neutron absorption capability. The microstructure of the as-cast specimen has typical duplex phases including 31% ferrite and 69% austenite. Main alloy elements like chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and gadolinium (Gd) are relatively uniformly distributed in the matrix. Gadolinium rich precipitates were present in the grains and at the grain boundaries. The solution treatment at 1070 ??C for 50 minutes followed by the hot-rolling above 950 ??C after keeping the sheet at 1200 ??C for 1.5 hours are important points of the optimum condition to produce a 6 mm-thick plate without cracking.close0

Hysteroscopic Resection of the Vaginal Septum in Uterus Didelphys with Obstructed Hemivagina: A Case Report

Uterus didelphys with obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis is a rare congenital anomaly. Excision of the obstructed vaginal septum is the treatment of choice for symptom relief and the preservation of reproductive capability. A 14-yr-old girl complained of persistent vaginal spotting following each menstruation. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging revealed a uterus didelphys with left hematocolpos and ipsilateral renal agenesis. Instead of conventional transvaginal excision of the vaginal septum, we used hysteroscopic excision under transabdominal ultrasonographic guidance to preserve the integrity of the hymen. The postoperative course was uneventful, and clinical symptoms were completely resolved after this intervention. Resectoscopic excision of the vaginal septum was found to be easy, safe, effective, and appropriate for young women as it preserved hymen integrity. We believe that this is the first Korean report on the use of a hysteroscopy for vaginal septum resection in a patient with uterus didelphys with obstructed hemivagina

Effect of Flow Blockage on the Coolability during Reflood in a 2 ×

During the reflood phase of a large-break loss-of-coolant accident (LBLOCA) in a pressurized-water reactor (PWR), the fuel rods can be ballooned or rearranged owing to an increase in the temperature and internal pressure of the fuel rods. In this study, an experimental study was performed to understand the thermal behavior and effect of the ballooned region on the coolability using a 2 × 2 rod bundle test facility. The electrically heated rod bundle was used and the ballooning shape of the rods was simulated by superimposing hollow sleeves, which have a 90% blockage ratio. Forced reflood tests were performed to examine the transient two-phase heat transfer behavior for different reflood rates and rod powers. The droplet behaviors were also investigated by measuring the velocity and size of droplets near the blockage region. The results showed that the heat transfer was enhanced in the downstream of the blockage region, owing to the reduced flow area of the subchannel, intensification of turbulence, and deposition of the droplet

Determination of an Applicable FRAX Model in Korean Women

We investigated which of the three FRAX fracture risk assessment tool models is most applicable to Korean women. For 306 postmenopausal women (mean age, 77 yr) with a hip fracture, fracture probabilities were calculated using FRAX models from Japan, Turkey and China. Data on bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck were available for 103 patients. Significant differences existed among the models, independent of the inclusion of BMD in the calculation of fracture probabilities. The probabilities of both major osteoporotic fractures and hip fractures were significantly higher in the Japanese model than in the Turkish or Chinese models. In all of the models, the probabilities of a major osteoporotic fracture, but not of a hip fracture, decreased significantly if calculated without BMD values. By applying the Japanese model, the ten-year probabilities for major osteoporotic and hip fractures increased significantly with age. Our results suggest that the Japanese FRAX model might be the most appropriate for Korean women

Attitude Control Strategy for HAUSAT-2 with Pitch Bias Momentum System

The HAUSAT-2 is a 25kg class micro/nanosatellite which is being developed by graduate students at the Space System Research Laboratory(SSRL). This paper addresses a newly proposed strategy for detumbling the HAUSAT-2 and starting up a momentum wheel, and also studies performance validation and application ranges of such method through simulation. B-dot logic is generally used for controlling the initial tip-off rate. However, it has the disadvantage of taking a relatively long time to control the initial tip-off rate. To solve this problem, this paper suggests a new detumbling control method to be able to adapt to micro/nanosatellite with the pitch bias momentum system, and has shown simulation results. Proposed detumbling method was able to control the angular rate within 20 minutes which is a significant reduction compared to conventional methods. In addition, the momentum wheel initial start-up must be done under stable conditions, and conventional pitch spin-stabilized initial wheel start-up method is commonly used. The performance of the method is compared and verified through simulation. The overall result shows much faster control time compared to the conventional methods, and achievement of the nominal wheel speed and 3-axes stabilization while maintaining stability