The Density of Titanium(IV) Oxide Liquid

The density of TiO2 liquid in equilibrium with air has been measured at 1875° to 1925°C using an Ir double bob Archimedean method. The melt density data have been combined with data extrapolated from the CaSiO3─TiO2 join at 1600°C. A combined fit to these density data yields the following description of the density of liquid TiO2: ρ= 3.7611 - 0.00028T(°C), in the temperature range of 1600° to 1925°C. This expansivity value is consistent with those obtained on TiO2-rich melts using a Pt-based system at lower temperature and with multicomponent oxide data. The similarity between the volume of liquid TiO2 and that of crystalline rutile implies a dominantly octahedral coordination of Ti in the liquid state

Development of Coatings for Tantalum Alloy Nozzle Vanes

A group of silicide coatings developed for the T222 tantalum-base alloy have afforded over 600 hours of protection at 1600 and 2400 F during cyclic exposure in air. These coatings were applied in two steps. A modifier alloy was applied by slurry techniques and was sintered in vacuum prior to siliciding by pack cementation in argon. Application of the modifier alloy by pack cementation was found to be much less effective. The addition of titanium and vanadium to molybdenum and tungsten yielded beneficial modifier alloys, whereas the addition of chromium showed no improvement. After siliciding, the 15Ti- 35W-15V-35Mo modifier alloy exhibited the best performance; one sample survived 1064 hours of oxidation at 2400 F. This same coating was the only coating to reproducibly provide 600 hours of protection at both 1600 and 2400 F; in the second and third of three experiments, involving oxidation of three to five specimens at each temperature in each experiment, no failures were observed in 600 hours of testing. The slurry coatings were also shown to protect the Cb752 and D43 columbium-base alloys

Preservation of Fertility after Uterine Artery Embolization: A Review of Pregnancy Following Non-Surgical Intervention for Leiomyoma

Introduction: As a prevalent disease in women of childbearing age, treatment of leiomyoma is an area with many options. Hysterectomy is a common and definitive treatment but is not appropriate in women wishing to attempt pregnancy. Myomectomy surgically removes fibroids, and is the first line treatment for women wishing to preserve the uterus. Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) is an emerging treatment option with an uncertain effect on fertility. As a less invasive procedure with good relief of symptoms and a shorter recovery period, UAE is appealing. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the current standing of UAE as a possible treatment option for women with leiomyoma wishing to preserve fertility. Methods: This literature review focuses on studies published within the last ten years which report on pregnancies after UAE in women treated for uterine fibroids. Results: Of the nine studies included, there are increased rates of spontaneous abortion, pre-term delivery, post-partum hemorrhage and abnormal placentation in a subset of the studies. These results might be due to UAE or may perhaps be explained by the advanced maternal age of the subjects, or other subfertility factors not addressed in the studies. Conclusion: The effects of UAE on subsequent pregnancy are still unclear. The paucity of large randomized controlled trials and the small number of reported cases of pregnancy (less than 200) limits the quality of the evidence. Until larger randomized trials are completed comparing myomectomy and UAE, myomectomy will continue to be the first line therapy for women who intend to become pregnant

“The impact of feminist constitutionalism on the protection of women's rights: comparative analysis of national constitutions”

openThe Topic to be developed would focus on the creation or implementation of a feminist constitution as a tool that can help solve the problem of violation of women's rights. The topic in general is feminist constitutionalism and the main questions to be solved would be: Does the problem of enforcing women's rights originate from some constitutional loophole? What would be the impact or consequences of implementing a feminist constitution in a society? What is the potential of feminist constitutions to transform legal systems and guarantee the rule of law for women? Would it be better to be explicit in the constitutional text about women's rights, i.e., to mention them textually in the Constitution and not just refer to respect for human rights in general, would this cause a positive and effective change? Is a feminist constitution really the solution to women's rights violations? My research will be developed within the following branches of law: - Constitutional Law and Gender - Comparative International Law - The Rule of Law I will sample two or three countries that have been a case of "success" in implementing a feminist constitution and on the other hand, I will sample two or three countries that have "failed" in implementing a feminist constitution, comparing their constitutions and their cases. The social problem to be solved would be to obtain a positive impact towards the respect of women's rights and avoid their violations such as femicides, discrimination, inequality between men and women, impunity by the States in crimes against women, and machismo.Throughout four chapters, this research goes into an analysis of the influence and effectiveness of the application of feminist constitutions in the promotion and protection of women's rights in different democratic settings. Chapter I, "Literature Review," lays the theoretical and contextual foundations for the research, exploring the historical and contextual background of the problem, formulating the research question and specific objectives, and delving into feminist interpretations, the concept of feminist constitutionalism and its impact on the promotion of gender equality in democratic societies. It also investigates the crucial role of constitutions in safeguarding women's rights and the challenges faced by countries in implementing constitutional policies and reforms aimed at gender equality. Chapter II, entitled "Case Studies of Feminist Constitutions," focuses on three emblematic cases: Iceland, Tunisia and Bolivia. These countries were strategically selected for their geographic, cultural and socioeconomic diversity, which allows for an enriching comparative analysis of the implementation of feminist constitutions in different contexts. Iceland represents a highly developed nation with a long tradition of promoting gender equality. Tunisia, on the other hand, is located in a region of democratic transition in North Africa, and Bolivia stands out for its rich ethnic and cultural diversity in South America. Through these case studies, we examine in detail how each country has addressed the issue of gender equality in its constitutional framework and what impact these measures have had on women's rights. Chapter III, "Analysis of the Impact of Feminist Constitutions on Women's Rights," delves into the concrete assessment of the extent to which feminist constitutions have achieved tangible improvements in women's lives in the countries studied. It considers concrete advances and achievements in areas such as political participation, equality in the workplace and education, protection against gender-based violence and the eradication of gender discrimination. Criticisms and possible limitations of these constitutions are also addressed, recognizing that their implementation may face political, social and cultural obstacles. Furthermore, it elaborates on the need for broader societal changes that support the effective implementation of feminist constitutions, as these measures constitute only one component of a broader approach to addressing gender inequality and violations of women's rights. Chapter IV, "Feminist Constitutions as a Solution to Women's Rights Violations," constitutes the culmination of the research by exploring in depth the transformative potential of feminist constitutions. It discusses how these constitutions can address the root causes of women's oppression, including the transformation of social norms and values rooted in gender inequality. It highlights their ability to promote gender-sensitive interpretation and application of the law, which is critical to ensuring equal justice. A convincing case is made for why feminist constitutions are presented as an effective solution to women's rights violations, as they not only establish a solid legal basis for gender equality, but also foster a cultural and social change necessary to eradicate gender discrimination and violence. Ultimately, this research aims to shed light on the impact and implications of feminist constitutions in different democratic contexts, providing a critical assessment of their effectiveness and offering key recommendations for other democratic countries considering adopting similar measures. The thesis seeks to contribute to the academic and policy debate around gender equality and women's rights, highlighting the fundamental role that feminist constitutions play as powerful tools in promoting a more just and equal society for all people, regardless of their gender

Feature-specific reaction times reveal a semanticisation of memories over time and with repeated remembering

Memories are thought to undergo an episodic-to-semantic transformation in the course of their consolidation. We here test if repeated recall induces a similar semanticisation, and if the resulting qualitative changes in memories can be measured using simple feature-specific reaction time probes. Participants studied associations between verbs and object images, and then repeatedly recalled the objects when cued with the verb, immediately and after a two-day delay. Reaction times during immediate recall demonstrate that conceptual features are accessed faster than perceptual features. Consistent with a semanticisation process, this perceptual-conceptual gap significantly increases across the delay. A significantly smaller perceptual-conceptual gap is found in the delayed recall data of a control group who repeatedly studied the verb-object pairings on the first day, instead of actively recalling them. Our findings suggest that wake recall and offline consolidation interact to transform memories over time, strengthening meaningful semantic information over perceptual detail

Perceived time and temporal structure: neural entrainment to isochronous stimulation increases duration estimates

Distortions of perceived duration can give crucial insights into the mechanisms that underlie the processing and representation of stimulus timing. One factor that affects duration estimates is the temporal structure of stimuli that fill an interval. For example, regular filling (isochronous interval) leads to an overestimation of perceived duration as compared to irregular filling (anisochronous interval). In the present article, we use electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the neural basis of this subjective lengthening of perceived duration with isochrony. In a two-interval forced choice task, participants judged which of two intervals lasts longer – one always being isochronous, the other one anisochronous. Response proportions confirm the subjective overestimation of isochronous intervals. At the neural level, isochronous sequences are associated with enhanced pairwise phase consistency (PPC) at the stimulation frequency, reflecting the brain's entrainment to the regular stimulation. The PPC over the entrainment channels is further enhanced for isochronous intervals that are reported to be longer, and the magnitude of this PCC effect correlates with the amount of perceptual bias. Neural entrainment has been proposed as a mechanism of attentional selection, enabling increased neural responsiveness toward stimuli that arrive at an expected point in time. The present results support the proposed relationship between neural response magnitudes and temporal estimates: An increase in neural responsiveness leads to a more pronounced representation of the individual stimuli filling the interval and in turn to a subjective increase in duration

An optimal oscillatory phase for pattern reactivation during memory retrieval

Computational models and in vivo studies in rodents suggest that the hippocampal system oscillates between states that are optimal for encoding and states that are optimal for retrieval. Here, we show that in humans, neural signatures of memory reactivation are modulated by the phase of a theta oscillation. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded while participants were cued to recall previously learned word-object associations, and time-resolved pattern classifiers were trained to detect neural reactivation of the target objects. Classifier fidelity rhythmically fluctuated at 7 or 8 Hz and was modulated by theta phase across the entire recall period. The phase of optimal classification was shifted approximately 180° between encoding and retrieval. Inspired by animal work, we then computed “classifier-locked averages” to analyze how ongoing theta oscillations behaved around the time points at which the classifier indicated memory retrieval. We found strong theta (7 or 8 Hz) phase consistency approximately 300 ms before the time points of maximal neural memory reactivation. Our findings provide important evidence that the neural signatures of memory retrieval fluctuate and are time locked to the phase of an ongoing theta oscillation

Cytogenetic Studies in the Genus Cymbidium

The orchids known today make up one of the largest Angiospermous families in the world. Recent estimates place the number of genera at about 450 which estimates between 10,000 and 15,000 species (some authorities go as high as 20,000). They are without doubt one of the most highly specialized groups of green plants. Botanically the flowers are of more than passing interest for they deviate so distinctly from the norm of the Monocots. They are the possessors of a number of unique structures that are found in no other family of flowering plants