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Sample records for sex organ deformities

  1. Physics-based deformable organisms for medical image analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamarneh, Ghassan; McIntosh, Chris

    2005-04-01

    Previously, "Deformable organisms" were introduced as a novel paradigm for medical image analysis that uses artificial life modelling concepts. Deformable organisms were designed to complement the classical bottom-up deformable models methodologies (geometrical and physical layers), with top-down intelligent deformation control mechanisms (behavioral and cognitive layers). However, a true physical layer was absent and in order to complete medical image segmentation tasks, deformable organisms relied on pure geometry-based shape deformations guided by sensory data, prior structural knowledge, and expert-generated schedules of behaviors. In this paper we introduce the use of physics-based shape deformations within the deformable organisms framework yielding additional robustness by allowing intuitive real-time user guidance and interaction when necessary. We present the results of applying our physics-based deformable organisms, with an underlying dynamic spring-mass mesh model, to segmenting and labelling the corpus callosum in 2D midsagittal magnetic resonance images.

  2. The evolution of sex chromosomes in organisms with separate haploid sexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Immler, Simone; Otto, Sarah Perin

    2015-03-01

    The evolution of dimorphic sex chromosomes is driven largely by the evolution of reduced recombination and the subsequent accumulation of deleterious mutations. Although these processes are increasingly well understood in diploid organisms, the evolution of dimorphic sex chromosomes in haploid organisms (U/V) has been virtually unstudied theoretically. We analyze a model to investigate the evolution of linkage between fitness loci and the sex-determining region in U/V species. In a second step, we test how prone nonrecombining regions are to degeneration due to accumulation of deleterious mutations. Our modeling predicts that the decay of recombination on the sex chromosomes and the addition of strata via fusions will be just as much a part of the evolution of haploid sex chromosomes as in diploid sex chromosome systems. Reduced recombination is broadly favored, as long as there is some fitness difference between haploid males and females. The degeneration of the sex-determining region due to the accumulation of deleterious mutations is expected to be slower in haploid organisms because of the absence of masking. Nevertheless, balancing selection often drives greater differentiation between the U/V sex chromosomes than in X/Y and Z/W systems. We summarize empirical evidence for haploid sex chromosome evolution and discuss our predictions in light of these findings. © 2015 The Author(s).

  3. Reducing uncertainties in volumetric image based deformable organ registration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, J.; Yan, D.

    2003-01-01

    Applying volumetric image feedback in radiotherapy requires image based deformable organ registration. The foundation of this registration is the ability of tracking subvolume displacement in organs of interest. Subvolume displacement can be calculated by applying biomechanics model and the finite element method to human organs manifested on the multiple volumetric images. The calculation accuracy, however, is highly dependent on the determination of the corresponding organ boundary points. Lacking sufficient information for such determination, uncertainties are inevitable--thus diminishing the registration accuracy. In this paper, a method of consuming energy minimization was developed to reduce these uncertainties. Starting from an initial selection of organ boundary point correspondence on volumetric image sets, the subvolume displacement and stress distribution of the whole organ are calculated and the consumed energy due to the subvolume displacements is computed accordingly. The corresponding positions of the initially selected boundary points are then iteratively optimized to minimize the consuming energy under geometry and stress constraints. In this study, a rectal wall delineated from patient CT image was artificially deformed using a computer simulation and utilized to test the optimization. Subvolume displacements calculated based on the optimized boundary point correspondence were compared to the true displacements, and the calculation accuracy was thereby evaluated. Results demonstrate that a significant improvement on the accuracy of the deformable organ registration can be achieved by applying the consuming energy minimization in the organ deformation calculation

  4. Deformable Organic Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yeongjun; Oh, Jin Young; Kim, Taeho Roy; Gu, Xiaodan; Kim, Yeongin; Wang, Ging-Ji Nathan; Wu, Hung-Chin; Pfattner, Raphael; To, John W F; Katsumata, Toru; Son, Donghee; Kang, Jiheong; Matthews, James R; Niu, Weijun; He, Mingqian; Sinclair, Robert; Cui, Yi; Tok, Jeffery B-H; Lee, Tae-Woo; Bao, Zhenan

    2018-02-01

    Deformable electronic devices that are impervious to mechanical influence when mounted on surfaces of dynamically changing soft matters have great potential for next-generation implantable bioelectronic devices. Here, deformable field-effect transistors (FETs) composed of single organic nanowires (NWs) as the semiconductor are presented. The NWs are composed of fused thiophene diketopyrrolopyrrole based polymer semiconductor and high-molecular-weight polyethylene oxide as both the molecular binder and deformability enhancer. The obtained transistors show high field-effect mobility >8 cm 2 V -1 s -1 with poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) polymer dielectric and can easily be deformed by applied strains (both 100% tensile and compressive strains). The electrical reliability and mechanical durability of the NWs can be significantly enhanced by forming serpentine-like structures of the NWs. Remarkably, the fully deformable NW FETs withstand 3D volume changes (>1700% and reverting back to original state) of a rubber balloon with constant current output, on the surface of which it is attached. The deformable transistors can robustly operate without noticeable degradation on a mechanically dynamic soft matter surface, e.g., a pulsating balloon (pulse rate: 40 min -1 (0.67 Hz) and 40% volume expansion) that mimics a beating heart, which underscores its potential for future biomedical applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. A model to accumulate fractionated dose in a deforming organ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Di; Jaffray, D.A.; Wong, J.W.

    1999-01-01

    Purpose: Measurements of internal organ motion have demonstrated that daily organ deformation exists throughout the course of radiation treatment. However, a method of constructing the resultant dose delivered to the organ volume remains a difficult challenge. In this study, a model to quantify internal organ motion and a method to construct a cumulative dose in a deforming organ are introduced. Methods and Materials: A biomechanical model of an elastic body is used to quantify patient organ motion in the process of radiation therapy. Intertreatment displacements of volume elements in an organ of interest is calculated by applying an finite element method with boundary conditions, obtained from multiple daily computed tomography (CT) measurements. Therefore, by incorporating also the measurements of daily setup error, daily dose delivered to a deforming organ can be accumulated by tracking the position of volume elements in the organ. Furthermore, distribution of patient-specific organ motion is also predicted during the early phase of treatment delivery using the daily measurements, and the cumulative dose distribution in the organ can then be estimated. This dose distribution will be updated whenever a new measurement becomes available, and used to reoptimize the ongoing treatment. Results: An integrated process to accumulate dosage in a daily deforming organ was implemented. In this process, intertreatment organ motion and setup error were systematically quantified, and incorporated in the calculation of the cumulative dose. An example of the rectal wall motion in a prostate treatment was applied to test the model. The displacements of volume elements in the rectal wall, as well as the resultant doses, were calculated. Conclusion: This study is intended to provide a systematic framework to incorporate daily patient-specific organ motion and setup error in the reconstruction of the cumulative dose distribution in an organ of interest. The realistic dose

  6. A model to incorporate organ deformation in the evaluation of dose/volume relationship

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, D.; Jaffray, D.; Wong, J.; Brabbins, D.; Martinez, A. A.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: Measurements of internal organ motion have demonstrated that daily organ deformation exists during the course of radiation treatment. However, a model to evaluate the resultant dose delivered to a daily deformed organ remains a difficult challenge. Current methods which model such organ deformation as rigid body motion in the dose calculation for treatment planning evaluation are incorrect and misleading. In this study, a new model for treatment planning evaluation is introduced which incorporates patient specific information of daily organ deformation and setup variation. The model was also used to retrospectively analyze the actual treatment data measured using daily CT scans for 5 patients with prostate treatment. Methods and Materials: The model assumes that for each patient, the organ of interest can be measured during the first few treatment days. First, the volume of each organ is delineated from each of the daily measurements and cumulated in a 3D bit-map. A tissue occupancy distribution is then constructed with the 50% isodensity representing the mean, or effective, organ volume. During the course of treatment, each voxel in the effective organ volume is assumed to move inside a local 3D neighborhood with a specific distribution function. The neighborhood and the distribution function are deduced from the positions and shapes of the organ in the first few measurements using the biomechanics model of viscoelastic body. For each voxel, the local distribution function is then convolved with the spatial dose distribution. The latter includes also the variation in dose due to daily setup error. As a result, the cumulative dose to the voxel incorporates the effects of daily setup variation and organ deformation. A ''variation adjusted'' dose volume histogram, aDVH, for the effective organ volume can then be constructed for the purpose of treatment evaluation and optimization. Up to 20 daily CT scans and daily portal images for 5 patients with prostate

  7. SEX-DETector: A Probabilistic Approach to Study Sex Chromosomes in Non-Model Organisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muyle, Aline; Käfer, Jos; Zemp, Niklaus; Mousset, Sylvain; Picard, Franck; Marais, Gabriel AB

    2016-01-01

    We propose a probabilistic framework to infer autosomal and sex-linked genes from RNA-seq data of a cross for any sex chromosome type (XY, ZW, and UV). Sex chromosomes (especially the non-recombining and repeat-dense Y, W, U, and V) are notoriously difficult to sequence. Strategies have been developed to obtain partially assembled sex chromosome sequences. Most of them remain difficult to apply to numerous non-model organisms, either because they require a reference genome, or because they are designed for evolutionarily old systems. Sequencing a cross (parents and progeny) by RNA-seq to study the segregation of alleles and infer sex-linked genes is a cost-efficient strategy, which also provides expression level estimates. However, the lack of a proper statistical framework has limited a broader application of this approach. Tests on empirical Silene data show that our method identifies 20–35% more sex-linked genes than existing pipelines, while making reliable inferences for downstream analyses. Approximately 12 individuals are needed for optimal results based on simulations. For species with an unknown sex-determination system, the method can assess the presence and type (XY vs. ZW) of sex chromosomes through a model comparison strategy. The method is particularly well optimized for sex chromosomes of young or intermediate age, which are expected in thousands of yet unstudied lineages. Any organisms, including non-model ones for which nothing is known a priori, that can be bred in the lab, are suitable for our method. SEX-DETector and its implementation in a Galaxy workflow are made freely available. PMID:27492231

  8. Real-time deformations of organ based on structural mechanics for surgical simulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Tagaya, Masashi; Tamura, Nobuhiko; Tsumura, Norimichi; Miyake, Yoichi

    2006-03-01

    This research proposes the deformation model of organs for the development of the medical training system using Virtual Reality (VR) technology. First, the proposed model calculates the strains of coordinate axis. Secondly, the deformation is obtained by mapping the coordinate of the object to the strained coordinate. We assume the beams in the coordinate space to calculate the strain of the coordinate axis. The forces acting on the object are converted to the forces applied to the beams. The bend and the twist of the beams are calculated based on the theory of structural mechanics. The bend is derived by the finite element method. We propose two deformation methods which differ in the position of the beams in the coordinate space. One method locates the beams along the three orthogonal axes (x, y, z). Another method locates the beam in the area where the deformation is large. In addition, the strain of the coordinate axis is attenuated in proportion to the distance from the point of action to consider the attenuation of the stress which is a viscoelastic feature of the organs. The proposed model needs less computational cost compared to the conventional deformation method since our model does not need to divide the object into the elasticity element. The proposed model was implemented in the laparoscopic surgery training system, and a real-time deformation can be realized.

  9. Measurement of full-field deformation induced by a dc electrical field in organic insulator films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boudou L.

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Digital image correlation method (DIC using the correlation coefficient curve-fitting for full-field surface deformation measurements of organic insulator films is investigated in this work. First the validation of the technique was undertaken. The computer-generated speckle images and the measurement of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE of aluminium are used to evaluate the measurement accuracy of the technique. In a second part the technique is applied to measure the mechanical deformation induced by electrical field application to organic insulators. For that Poly(ethylene naphthalene 2,6-dicarboxylate (PEN thin films were subjected to DC voltage stress and DIC provides the full-field induced deformations of the test films. The obtained results show that the DIC is a practical and robust tool for better comprehension of mechanical behaviour of the organic insulator films under electrical stress.

  10. Sex Worker Political Development in Costa Rica: from Informal Solidarities to Formal Organizing

    OpenAIRE

    Koné, Mzilikazi

    2014-01-01

    While many accounts of sex workers presume they lack agency, this project studies how people framed as powerless assert positions of power through social interactions, friendships, and organizing. I examine sex workers' politics and power from the perspective of a subset of female Costa Rican sex workers. I engage specifically with sex workers who organize, in order to theorize everyday experiences of politics, including solidarity building and acts of accommodation or resistance vis-à-vis st...

  11. The prevalence of predisposing deformity in osteoarthritic hip joints

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klit, Jakob; Gosvig, Kasper; Jacobsen, Steffen

    2011-01-01

    relationship in both sexes with the clinical presentation. The study cohort which fulfilled these inclusion criteria consisted of 322 females (149 right hips and 173 left hips) and 162 males (77 right hips and 85 left hips) with osteoarthritis. We found an overall prevalence of predisposing hip deformities...... in females of 62.4% and in males of 78.9%. Minor and major deformities showed the same prevalence. Both sexes had a comparable prevalence of minor and major hip joint deformity, except for pistol grip deformity, which was more prevalent in men. We concluded that 'idiopathic osteoarthritis' is uncommon......, and that even minor predisposing deformities are associated with hip osteoarthritis....

  12. Upaya United Nations World Tourism Organization (Unwto) Menangani Sex Tourism Di Thailand (2009-2013)

    OpenAIRE

    Rani, Faisyal; Oktavia, Raesa

    2015-01-01

    This research explain about the efforts of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in dealing with sex tourism in Thailand. This research focused explaining about the role of UNWTO to fix sex tourism problem in Thailand, because sex tourism is one of the most favorite tourism in the world. UNWTO focused to protect the children because they are the biggest victim on sex tourism. This research intended to show the role of United Nations World Tourism Organization to handle the sex tou...

  13. Segmentation of deformable organs from medical images using particle swarm optimization and nonlinear shape priors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afifi, Ahmed; Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Tsumura, Norimichi

    2010-03-01

    In many medical applications, the automatic segmentation of deformable organs from medical images is indispensable and its accuracy is of a special interest. However, the automatic segmentation of these organs is a challenging task according to its complex shape. Moreover, the medical images usually have noise, clutter, or occlusion and considering the image information only often leads to meager image segmentation. In this paper, we propose a fully automated technique for the segmentation of deformable organs from medical images. In this technique, the segmentation is performed by fitting a nonlinear shape model with pre-segmented images. The kernel principle component analysis (KPCA) is utilized to capture the complex organs deformation and to construct the nonlinear shape model. The presegmentation is carried out by labeling each pixel according to its high level texture features extracted using the overcomplete wavelet packet decomposition. Furthermore, to guarantee an accurate fitting between the nonlinear model and the pre-segmented images, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is employed to adapt the model parameters for the novel images. In this paper, we demonstrate the competence of proposed technique by implementing it to the liver segmentation from computed tomography (CT) scans of different patients.

  14. Relation between the Hurst Exponent and the Efficiency of Self-organization of a Deformable System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alfyorova, E. A.; Lychagin, D. V.

    2018-04-01

    We have established the degree of self-organization of a system under plastic deformation at different scale levels. Using fractal analysis, we have determined the Hurst exponent and correlation lengths in the region of formation of a corrugated (wrinkled) structure in [111] nickel single crystals under compression. This has made it possible to single out two (micro-and meso-) levels of self-organization in the deformable system. A qualitative relation between the values of the Hurst exponent and the stages of the stress-strain curve has been established.

  15. Introducing the Jacobian-volume-histogram of deforming organs: application to parotid shrinkage evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fiorino, Claudio; Maggiulli, Eleonora; Broggi, Sara; Cattaneo, Giovanni Mauro; Calandrino, Riccardo; Liberini, Simone; Faggiano, Elena; Rizzo, Giovanna; Dell'Oca, Italo; Di Muzio, Nadia

    2011-01-01

    The Jacobian of the deformation field of elastic registration between images taken during radiotherapy is a measure of inter-fraction local deformation. The histogram of the Jacobian values (Jac) within an organ was introduced (JVH-Jacobian-volume-histogram) and first applied in quantifying parotid shrinkage. MVCTs of 32 patients previously treated with helical tomotherapy for head-neck cancers were collected. Parotid deformation was evaluated through elastic registration between MVCTs taken at the first and last fractions. Jac was calculated for each voxel of all parotids, and integral JVHs were calculated for each parotid; the correlation between the JVH and the planning dose-volume histogram (DVH) was investigated. On average, 82% (±17%) of the voxels shrinks (Jac 50% (Jac < 0.5). The best correlation between the DVH and the JVH was found between V10 and V15, and Jac < 0.4-0.6 (p < 0.01). The best constraint predicting a higher number of largely compressing voxels (Jac0.5<7.5%, median value) was V15 ≥ 75% (OR: 7.6, p = 0.002). Jac and the JVH are promising tools for scoring/modelling toxicity and for evaluating organ/contour variations with potential applications in adaptive radiotherapy.

  16. Sex Reversal and Analyses of Possible Involvement of Sex Steroids in Scallop Gonadal Development in Newly Established Organ-Culture Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otani, Ayano; Nakajima, Tadaaki; Okumura, Tomomi; Fujii, Shiro; Tomooka, Yasuhiro

    2017-04-01

    Many molluscs perform sex reversal, and sex hormones may be involved in the process. In adult scallops, Patinopecten yessoensis, gonadotropin releasing hormone and 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) are involved in male sexual maturation, however, little is known about the effects of E 2 and testosterone (T) on the gonadal differentiation in young scallops. In the present study, scallop gonadal development was analyzed to determine the sex reversal stage in Funka bay, and effects of E 2 and T were examined. In Funka bay, almost all scallops were male at month 12. Scallops equipped with ambiguous gonads were 61.1% at month 16 and disappeared at month 18. Therefore, sex reversal in Funka bay occurs at around month 16. For establishment of organ culture systems for bivalves, Manila clam gonads were cultured in 15% L-15 medium diluted with HBSS containing 10% KSR on agarose gel at 10°C, and the gonads survived for 14 days. Scallop gonads were also able to be cultured in 30% L15 medium diluted with ASW containing 10% KSR on agarose gel for seven days. At mature stage, Foxl2 and Tesk were predominantly expressed in ovary and testis, respectively. When scallop gonads at sex reversal stage were organ-cultured, sex steroid treatment decreased Tesk expression in the majority of scallop gonads at sex reversal stage. However, no obvious change in Foxl2 and Tesk expression was detected in mature gonads in response to either E 2 or T in culture, suggesting sex steroid treatment might affect gonadal development at sex reversal stage.

  17. An Allometric Analysis of Sex and Sex Chromosome Dosage Effects on Subcortical Anatomy in Humans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clasen, Liv; Giedd, Jay N.; Blumenthal, Jonathan; Lerch, Jason P.; Chakravarty, M. Mallar; Raznahan, Armin

    2016-01-01

    Structural neuroimaging of humans with typical and atypical sex-chromosome complements has established the marked influence of both Yand X-/Y-chromosome dosage on total brain volume (TBV) and identified potential cortical substrates for the psychiatric phenotypes associated with sex-chromosome aneuploidy (SCA). Here, in a cohort of 354 humans with varying karyotypes (XX, XY, XXX, XXY, XYY, XXYY, XXXXY), we investigate sex and SCA effects on subcortical size and shape; focusing on the striatum, pallidum and thalamus. We find large effect-size differences in the volume and shape of all three structures as a function of sex and SCA. We correct for TBV effects with a novel allometric method harnessing normative scaling rules for subcortical size and shape in humans, which we derive here for the first time. We show that all three subcortical volumes scale sublinearly with TBV among healthy humans, mirroring known relationships between subcortical volume and TBV among species. Traditional TBV correction methods assume linear scaling and can therefore invert or exaggerate sex and SCA effects on subcortical anatomy. Allometric analysis restricts sex-differences to: (1) greater pallidal volume (PV) in males, and (2) relative caudate head expansion and ventral striatum contraction in females. Allometric analysis of SCA reveals that supernumerary X- and Y-chromosomes both cause disproportionate reductions in PV, and coordinated deformations of striatopallidal shape. Our study provides a novel understanding of sex and sex-chromosome dosage effects on subcortical organization, using an allometric approach that can be generalized to other basic and clinical structural neuroimaging settings. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sex and sex-chromosome dosage (SCD) are known to modulate human brain size and cortical anatomy, but very little is known regarding their impact on subcortical structures that work with the cortex to subserve a range of behaviors in health and disease. Moreover

  18. Organ Surface Deformation Measurement and Analysis in Open Hepatic Surgery: Method and Preliminary Results From 12 Clinical Cases

    OpenAIRE

    Clements, Logan W.; Dumpuri, Prashanth; Chapman, William C.; Dawant, Benoit M.; Galloway, Robert L.; Miga, Michael I.

    2011-01-01

    The incidence of soft tissue deformation has been well documented in neurosurgical procedures and is known to compromise the spatial accuracy of image-guided surgery systems. Within the context of image-guided liver surgery (IGLS), no detailed method to study and analyze the observed organ shape change between preoperative imaging and the intraoperative presentation has been developed. Contrary to the studies of deformation in neurosurgical procedures, the majority of deformation in IGLS is i...

  19. Deconstructing the Erected Hierarchy: Sex and Power in Organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shakeshaft, Charol

    Two characteristics that are commonly associated with organizational behavior, power and sex, are examined. Sexual behavior within the workplace and schools is discussed as are the effects of sexual stereotypes, sexually harassing and non-harassing sexual behavior, and office romances on the organization and its members. A conclusion is that these…

  20. Left handedness and spine deformities in early adolescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milenkovic, Sanja; Kocijancic, Radojka; Belojevic, Goran

    2004-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between laterality and spine deformities in early adolescence, with special reference to sex differences. Interviews, anthropometric measurements and clinical examinations of body posture were carried out on a sample of 2546 schoolchildren, aged from 11 to 14 years, in seven elementary schools in the centre of Belgrade. Possible confounding factors (age, sex, body weight and body height) were controlled for. The overall prevalence of spine deformities (scoliosis and/or thoracic hyperkyphosis) in the investigated population was 11.8%, out of which there were 7.8% adolescents with scoliosis, 4.0% with thoracic hyperkyphosis, and 0.3% with both spine deformities. The prevalence of scoliosis was 2.7 times higher in girls compared to boys (11.7% vs. 4.3%) while the prevalence of thoracic hyperkyphosis was 1,6 higher among boys (5.0% vs. 3.2%). We found 7.6% of the schoolchildren examined to be left-handed. Left handedness was significantly related to scoliosis in girls (crude OR=1.60 and 95% confidence interval=1.01-2.54). Multivariate analysis showed that significant independent factors for scoliosis were female sex (p < 0.001), age (p=0.01) and left handedness (p=0.02). We did not find any appreciable relation between left handedness and thoracic hyperkyphosis in both sexes

  1. Sparse Representation of Deformable 3D Organs with Spherical Harmonics and Structured Dictionary

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Wang

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposed a novel algorithm to sparsely represent a deformable surface (SRDS with low dimensionality based on spherical harmonic decomposition (SHD and orthogonal subspace pursuit (OSP. The key idea in SRDS method is to identify the subspaces from a training data set in the transformed spherical harmonic domain and then cluster each deformation into the best-fit subspace for fast and accurate representation. This algorithm is also generalized into applications of organs with both interior and exterior surfaces. To test the feasibility, we first use the computer models to demonstrate that the proposed approach matches the accuracy of complex mathematical modeling techniques and then both ex vivo and in vivo experiments are conducted using 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans for verification in practical settings. All results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm features sparse representation of deformable surfaces with low dimensionality and high accuracy. Specifically, the precision evaluated as maximum error distance between the reconstructed surface and the MRI ground truth is better than 3 mm in real MRI experiments.

  2. Thermally induced processes in mixtures of aluminum with organic acids after plastic deformations under high pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhorin, V. A.; Kiselev, M. R.; Roldugin, V. I.

    2017-11-01

    DSC is used to measure the thermal effects of processes in mixtures of solid organic dibasic acids with powdered aluminum, subjected to plastic deformation under pressures in the range of 0.5-4.0 GPa using an anvil-type high-pressure setup. Analysis of thermograms obtained for the samples after plastic deformation suggests a correlation between the exothermal peaks observed around the temperatures of degradation of the acids and the thermally induced chemical reactions between products of acid degradation and freshly formed surfaces of aluminum particles. The release of heat in the mixtures begins at 30-40°C. The thermal effects in the mixtures of different acids change according to the order of acid reactivity in solutions. The extreme baric dependences of enthalpies of thermal effects are associated with the rearrangement of the electron subsystem of aluminum upon plastic deformation at high pressures.

  3. TH-CD-207A-03: A Surface Deformation Driven Respiratory Model for Organ Motion Tracking in Lung Cancer Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, H; Zhen, X; Zhou, L; Gu, X

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To propose and validate a novel real-time surface-mesh-based internal organ-external surface motion and deformation tracking method for lung cancer radiotherapy. Methods: Deformation vector fields (DVFs) which characterizes the internal and external motion are obtained by registering the internal organ and tumor contours and external surface meshes to a reference phase in the 4D CT images using a recent developed local topology preserved non-rigid point matching algorithm (TOP). A composite matrix is constructed by combing the estimated internal and external DVFs. Principle component analysis (PCA) is then applied on the composite matrix to extract principal motion characteristics and finally yield the respiratory motion model parameters which correlates the internal and external motion and deformation. The accuracy of the respiratory motion model is evaluated using a 4D NURBS-based cardiac-torso (NCAT) synthetic phantom and three lung cancer cases. The center of mass (COM) difference is used to measure the tumor motion tracking accuracy, and the Dice’s coefficient (DC), percent error (PE) and Housdourf’s distance (HD) are used to measure the agreement between the predicted and ground truth tumor shape. Results: The mean COM is 0.84±0.49mm and 0.50±0.47mm for the phantom and patient data respectively. The mean DC, PE and HD are 0.93±0.01, 0.13±0.03 and 1.24±0.34 voxels for the phantom, and 0.91±0.04, 0.17±0.07 and 3.93±2.12 voxels for the three lung cancer patients, respectively. Conclusions: We have proposed and validate a real-time surface-mesh-based organ motion and deformation tracking method with an internal-external motion modeling. The preliminary results conducted on a synthetic 4D NCAT phantom and 4D CT images from three lung cancer cases show that the proposed method is reliable and accurate in tracking both the tumor motion trajectory and deformation, which can serve as a potential tool for real-time organ motion and deformation

  4. TH-CD-207A-03: A Surface Deformation Driven Respiratory Model for Organ Motion Tracking in Lung Cancer Radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, H; Zhen, X; Zhou, L [Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong (China); Gu, X [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To propose and validate a novel real-time surface-mesh-based internal organ-external surface motion and deformation tracking method for lung cancer radiotherapy. Methods: Deformation vector fields (DVFs) which characterizes the internal and external motion are obtained by registering the internal organ and tumor contours and external surface meshes to a reference phase in the 4D CT images using a recent developed local topology preserved non-rigid point matching algorithm (TOP). A composite matrix is constructed by combing the estimated internal and external DVFs. Principle component analysis (PCA) is then applied on the composite matrix to extract principal motion characteristics and finally yield the respiratory motion model parameters which correlates the internal and external motion and deformation. The accuracy of the respiratory motion model is evaluated using a 4D NURBS-based cardiac-torso (NCAT) synthetic phantom and three lung cancer cases. The center of mass (COM) difference is used to measure the tumor motion tracking accuracy, and the Dice’s coefficient (DC), percent error (PE) and Housdourf’s distance (HD) are used to measure the agreement between the predicted and ground truth tumor shape. Results: The mean COM is 0.84±0.49mm and 0.50±0.47mm for the phantom and patient data respectively. The mean DC, PE and HD are 0.93±0.01, 0.13±0.03 and 1.24±0.34 voxels for the phantom, and 0.91±0.04, 0.17±0.07 and 3.93±2.12 voxels for the three lung cancer patients, respectively. Conclusions: We have proposed and validate a real-time surface-mesh-based organ motion and deformation tracking method with an internal-external motion modeling. The preliminary results conducted on a synthetic 4D NCAT phantom and 4D CT images from three lung cancer cases show that the proposed method is reliable and accurate in tracking both the tumor motion trajectory and deformation, which can serve as a potential tool for real-time organ motion and deformation

  5. Organ dose and effective dose with the EOS scanner in spine deformity surgery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heide Pedersen, Peter; Petersen, Asger Greval; Eiskjær, Søren Peter

    2016-01-01

    Organ dose and effective dose with the EOS scanner in spine deformity surgery. A study on anthropomorphic phantoms describing patient radiation exposure in full spine examinations. Authors: Peter Heide Pedersen, Asger Greval Petersen, Søren Peter Eiskjær. Background: Ionizing radiation potentially...... quality images while at the same time reducing radiation dose. At our institution we use the EOS for pre- and postoperative full spine examinations. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to make first time organ dose and effective dose evaluations with micro-dose settings in full spine examinations. Our...... hypothesis is that organ dose and effective doses can be reduced 5-10 times compared to standard settings, without too high image-quality trade off, resulting in a theoretical reduction of radiation induced cancer. Methods: Patient dosimetry is performed on anthropomorphic child phantoms, representing a 5...

  6. Prevalence of self-reported finger deformations and occupational risk factors among professional cooks: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagasu, Miwako; Sakai, Kazuhiro; Kogi, Kazutaka; Ito, Akiyoshi; Feskens, Edith J M; Tomita, Shigeru; Temmyo, Yoshiomi; Ueno, Mitsuo; Miyagi, Shigeji

    2011-05-26

    Previous studies have pointed out that the school lunch workers in Japan are suffering from work-related disorders including finger deformations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported finger deformations and the association with job-related risk factors. A cross-sectional questionnaire study of 5,719 subjects (response rate: 81%, 982 men and 4,737 women) was undertaken during September 2003 to February 2004. Finger deformations were found among 11.7% of the men and 35.6% of the women studied, with significant differences among sex, age and sex-age groups. For both men and women the pattern of finger deformations across the hand was similar for the right and the left hand. For women, the deformations were found in about 10% of the distal interphalangeal joints of all fingers. Based on multiple logistic regression analyses, the factors female sex, age, the number of cooked lunches per cook and cooking activities were independently associated with the prevalence of finger deformations. High prevalence odds ratios were found for those frequently carrying or using tools by hands such as delivering containers, distributing meals, preparing dishes, washing equipment, cutting and stirring foods. Among the school lunch workers studied, women had a higher prevalence of finger deformations on all joints of both hands. Various cooking tasks were associated with the prevalence of finger deformations. The results suggest that improvements in working conditions are important for preventing work-related disorders such as finger deformations.

  7. Organizing effects of sex steroids on brain aromatase activity in quail.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte A Cornil

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Preoptic/hypothalamic aromatase activity (AA is sexually differentiated in birds and mammals but the mechanisms controlling this sex difference remain unclear. We determined here (1 brain sites where AA is sexually differentiated and (2 whether this sex difference results from organizing effects of estrogens during ontogeny or activating effects of testosterone in adulthood. In the first experiment we measured AA in brain regions micropunched in adult male and female Japanese quail utilizing the novel strategy of basing the microdissections on the distribution of aromatase-immunoreactive cells. The largest sex difference was found in the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (mBST followed by the medial preoptic nucleus (POM and the tuberal hypothalamic region. A second experiment tested the effect of embryonic treatments known to sex-reverse male copulatory behavior (i.e., estradiol benzoate [EB] or the aromatase inhibitor, Vorozole on brain AA in gonadectomized adult males and females chronically treated as adults with testosterone. Embryonic EB demasculinized male copulatory behavior, while vorozole blocked demasculinization of behavior in females as previously demonstrated in birds. Interestingly, these treatments did not affect a measure of appetitive sexual behavior. In parallel, embryonic vorozole increased, while EB decreased AA in pooled POM and mBST, but the same effect was observed in both sexes. Together, these data indicate that the early action of estrogens demasculinizes AA. However, this organizational action of estrogens on AA does not explain the behavioral sex difference in copulatory behavior since AA is similar in testosterone-treated males and females that were or were not exposed to embryonic treatments with estrogens.

  8. Prevalence of self-reported finger deformations and occupational risk factors among professional cooks: a cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomita Shigeru

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies have pointed out that the school lunch workers in Japan are suffering from work-related disorders including finger deformations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported finger deformations and the association with job-related risk factors. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire study of 5,719 subjects (response rate: 81%, 982 men and 4,737 women was undertaken during September 2003 to February 2004. Results Finger deformations were found among 11.7% of the men and 35.6% of the women studied, with significant differences among sex, age and sex-age groups. For both men and women the pattern of finger deformations across the hand was similar for the right and the left hand. For women, the deformations were found in about 10% of the distal interphalangeal joints of all fingers. Based on multiple logistic regression analyses, the factors female sex, age, the number of cooked lunches per cook and cooking activities were independently associated with the prevalence of finger deformations. High prevalence odds ratios were found for those frequently carrying or using tools by hands such as delivering containers, distributing meals, preparing dishes, washing equipment, cutting and stirring foods. Conclusions Among the school lunch workers studied, women had a higher prevalence of finger deformations on all joints of both hands. Various cooking tasks were associated with the prevalence of finger deformations. The results suggest that improvements in working conditions are important for preventing work-related disorders such as finger deformations.

  9. High prevalence of morphometric vertebral deformities in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heijckmann, Anna Caroline; Huijberts, Maya S P; Schoon, Erik J; Geusens, Piet; de Vries, Jolanda; Menheere, Paul P C A; van der Veer, Eveline; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H R; Stockbrugger, Reinhold W; Dumitrescu, Bianca; Nieuwenhuijzen Kruseman, Arie C

    2008-08-01

    Earlier studies have documented that the prevalence of decreased bone mineral density (BMD) is elevated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of vertebral deformities in inflammatory bowel disease patients and their relation with BMD and bone turnover. One hundred and nine patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 72 with ulcerative colitis (UC) (age 44.5+/-14.2 years) were studied. BMD of the hip (by dual X-ray absorptiometry) was measured and a lateral single energy densitometry of the spine for assessment of vertebral deformities was performed. Serum markers of bone resorption (carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen) and formation (procollagen type I amino-terminal propeptide) were measured, and determinants of prevalent vertebral deformities were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Vertebral deformities were found in 25% of both CD and UC patients. Comparing patients with and without vertebral deformities, no significant difference was found between Z-scores and T-scores of BMD, or levels of serum carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen and serum procollagen type I amino-terminal propeptide. Using logistic regression analysis the only determinant of any morphometric vertebral deformity was sex. The presence of multiple vertebral deformities was associated with older age and glucocorticoid use. The prevalence of morphometric vertebral deformities is high in CD and UC. Male sex, but neither disease activity, bone turnover markers, clinical risk factors, nor BMD predicted their presence. The determinants for having more than one vertebral deformity were age and glucocorticoid use. This implies that in addition to screening for low BMD, morphometric assessment of vertebral deformities is warranted in CD and UC.

  10. Accelerated Deformable Registration of Repetitive MRI during Radiotherapy in Cervical Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noe, Karsten Østergaard; Tanderup, Kari; Kiritsis, Christian

    2006-01-01

    Tumour regression and organ deformations during radiotherapy (RT) of cervical cancer represent major challenges regarding accurate conformation and calculation of dose when using image-guided adaptive radiotherapy. Deformable registration algorithms are able to handle organ deformations, which can...... be useful with advanced tools such as auto segmentation of organs and dynamic adaptation of radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to accelerate and validate deformable registration in MRI-based image-guided radiotherapy of cervical cancer.    ...

  11. Synergistic Disruption of External Male Sex Organ Development by a Mixture of Four Antiandrogens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Sofie; Scholze, Martin; Dalgaard, Majken

    2009-01-01

    : Strikingly, the effect of combined exposure to the selected chemicals on malformations of external sex organs was synergistic, and the observed responses were greater than would be predicted from the toxicities of the individual chemicals. In relation to other hallmarks of disrupted male sexual development......, and a pharmaceutical, finasteride, on landmarks of male sexual development in the rat, including changes in anogenital distance, retained nipples, sex organ weights and malformations of genitalia. These chemicals were chosen because they disrupt androgen action according to differing mechanisms of action. Results...... in male offspring. Conclusions: Since unhindered androgen action is essential for human male development in foetal life, these findings are highly relevant to human risk assessment. Evaluations that ignore the possibility of combination effects may lead to considerable underestimations of risks associated...

  12. Sex differences in the brain-an interplay of sex steroid hormones and sex chromosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grgurevic, Neza; Majdic, Gregor

    2016-09-01

    Although considerable progress has been made in our understanding of brain function, many questions remain unanswered. The ultimate goal of studying the brain is to understand the connection between brain structure and function and behavioural outcomes. Since sex differences in brain morphology were first observed, subsequent studies suggest different functional organization of the male and female brains in humans. Sex and gender have been identified as being a significant factor in understanding human physiology, health and disease, and the biological differences between the sexes is not limited to the gonads and secondary sexual characteristics, but also affects the structure and, more crucially, the function of the brain and other organs. Significant variability in brain structures between individuals, in addition to between the sexes, is factor that complicates the study of sex differences in the brain. In this review, we explore the current understanding of sex differences in the brain, mostly focusing on preclinical animal studies. © 2016 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  13. MPK-1 ERK controls membrane organization in C. elegans oogenesis via a sex-determination module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arur, Swathi; Ohmachi, Mitsue; Berkseth, Matt; Nayak, Sudhir; Hansen, David; Zarkower, David; Schedl, Tim

    2011-05-17

    Tissues that generate specialized cell types in a production line must coordinate developmental mechanisms with physiological demand, although how this occurs is largely unknown. In the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite, the developmental sex-determination cascade specifies gamete sex in the distal germline, while physiological sperm signaling activates MPK-1/ERK in the proximal germline to control plasma membrane biogenesis and organization during oogenesis. We discovered repeated utilization of a self-contained negative regulatory module, consisting of NOS-3 translational repressor, FEM-CUL-2 (E3 ubiquitin ligase), and TRA-1 (Gli transcriptional repressor), which acts both in sex determination and in physiological demand control of oogenesis, coordinating these processes. In the distal germline, where MPK-1 is not activated, TRA-1 represses the male fate as NOS-3 functions in translational repression leading to inactivation of the FEM-CUL-2 ubiquitin ligase. In the proximal germline, sperm-dependent physiological MPK-1 activation results in phosphorylation-based inactivation of NOS-3, FEM-CUL-2-mediated degradation of TRA-1 and the promotion of membrane organization during oogenesis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Disestablishing Sex: The Case for Released-Time Sex Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glanzer, Perry L.

    2011-01-01

    Allowing nonschool organizations to provide sex education in a released-time format would disestablish state-funded sex education and give families a choice in the sex education that would be provided for their children. Released-time programs, as originally conceived and currently practiced, allow students to be released for a period of time…

  15. Why Sex?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Rasmus

    2006-01-01

    It is assumed that most organisms have sex because the resulting genetic recombination allows Darwinian selection to work better. It is now shown that in water fleas, recombination does lead to fewer deleterious mutations.......It is assumed that most organisms have sex because the resulting genetic recombination allows Darwinian selection to work better. It is now shown that in water fleas, recombination does lead to fewer deleterious mutations....

  16. MPK-1 ERK Controls Membrane Organization in C. elegans Oogenesis via a Sex-Determination Module

    OpenAIRE

    Arur, Swathi; Ohmachi, Mitsue; Berkseth, Matt; Nayak, Sudhir; Hansen, David; Zarkower, David; Schedl, Tim

    2011-01-01

    Tissues that generate specialized cell-types in a production line must coordinate developmental mechanisms with physiological demand, although how this occurs is largely unknown. In the C. elegans hermaphrodite, the developmental sex-determination cascade specifies gamete sex in the distal germline, while physiological sperm signaling activates MPK-1/ERK in the proximal germline to control plasma membrane biogenesis/organization during oogenesis. We discovered repeated utilization of a self-c...

  17. TH-CD-206-08: An Anthropopathic Deformable Phantom for Geometric and Dose Accumulation Accuracy Validation of Deformable Image Registration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liao, Y; Chen, H; Chen, J; Zhen, X; Zhou, L [Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong (China); Gu, X [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To design and construct a three-dimensional (3D) anthropopathic abdominal phantom for evaluating deformable image registration (DIR) accuracy on images and dose deformation in adaptive radiation therapy (ART). Method: Organ moulds, including liver, kidney, spleen, stomach, vertebra and two metastasis tumors, are 3D printed using the contours from an ovarian cancer patient. The organ moulds are molded with deformable gels that made of different mixtures of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and the softener dioctyl terephthalate. Gels with different densities are obtained by a polynomial fitting curve which describes the relation between the CT number and PVC-softener blending ratio. The rigid vertebras are constructed by moulding with white cement. The final abdominal phantom is assembled by arranging all the fabricated organs inside a hollow dummy according to their anatomies and sealed with deformable gel with averaged CT number of muscle and fat. Geometric and dosimetric landmarks are embedded inside the phantom for spatial accuracy and dose accumulation accuracy studies. Three DIR algorithms available in the open source DIR toolkit-DIRART, including the Demons, the Horn-Schunck and Lucas-Kanade method and the Level-Set Motion method, are tested using the constructed phantom. Results: Viscoelastic behavior is observed in the constructed deformable gel, which serves as an ideal material for the deformable phantom. The constructed abdominal phantom consists of highly realistic anatomy and the fabricated organs inside have close CT number to its reference patient. DIR accuracy studies conducted on the constructed phantom using three DIR approaches indicate that geometric accuracy of a DIR algorithm has achieved does not guarantee accuracy in dose accumulation. Conclusions: We have designed and constructed an anthropopathic abdominal deformable phantom with satisfactory elastic property, realistic organ density and anatomy. This physical phantom is recyclable and can

  18. SU-E-T-397: Include Organ Deformation Into Dose Calculation of Prostate Brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao, Y; Shen, D; Chen, R; Wang, A; Lian, J

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Prostate brachytherapy is an important curative treatment for patients with localized prostate cancer. In brachytherapy, rectal balloon is generally needed to adjust for unfavorable prostate position for seed placement. However, rectal balloon causes prostate deformation, which is not accounted for in dosimetric planning. Therefore, it is possible that brachytherapy dosimetry deviates significantly from initial plan when prostate returns to its non-deformed state (after procedure). The goal of this study is to develop a method to include prostate deformation into the treatment planning of brachytherapy dosimetry. Methods: We prospectively collected ultrasound images of prostate pre- and post- rectal balloon inflation from thirty five consecutive patients undergoing I-125 brachytherapy. Based on the cylinder coordinate systems, we learned the initial coordinate transformation parameters between the manual segmentations of both deformed and non-deformed prostates of each patient in training set. With the nearest-neighbor interpolation, we searched the best transformation between two coordinate systems to maximum the mutual information of deformed and non-deformed images. We then mapped the implanted seeds of five selected patients from the deformed prostate into non-deformed prostate. The seed position is marked on original pre-inflation US image and it is imported into VariSeed software for dose calculation. Results: The accuracy of image registration is 87.5% as quantified by Dice Index. The prostate coverage V100% dropped from 96.5±0.5% of prostate deformed plan to 91.9±2.6% (p<0.05) of non-deformed plan. The rectum V100% decreased from 0.44±0.26 cc to 0.10±0.18 cc (p<0.05). The dosimetry of the urethra showed mild change but not significant: V150% changed from 0.05±0.10 cc to 0.14±0.15 cc (p>0.05) and D1% changed from 212.9±37.3 Gy to 248.4±42.8 Gy (p>0.05). Conclusion: We have developed a deformable image registration method that allows

  19. Real-time simulation for intra-operative navigation in robotic surgery. Using a mass spring system for a basic study of organ deformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamura, Kazuya; Kobayashi, Yo; Fujie, Masakatsu G

    2007-01-01

    Medical technology has advanced with the introduction of robot technology, making previous medical treatments that were very difficult far more possible. However, operation of a surgical robot demands substantial training and continual practice on the part of the surgeon because it requires difficult techniques that are different from those of traditional surgical procedures. We focused on a simulation technology based on the physical characteristics of organs. In this research, we proposed the development of surgical simulation, based on a physical model, for intra-operative navigation by a surgeon. In this paper, we describe the design of our system, in particular our organ deformation calculator. The proposed simulation system consists of an organ deformation calculator and virtual slave manipulators. We obtained adequate experimental results of a target node at a nearby point of interaction, because this point ensures better accuracy for our simulation model. The next research step would be to focus on a surgical environment in which internal organ models would be integrated into a slave simulation system.

  20. Sex ratios

    OpenAIRE

    West, Stuart A; Reece, S E; Sheldon, Ben C

    2002-01-01

    Sex ratio theory attempts to explain variation at all levels (species, population, individual, brood) in the proportion of offspring that are male (the sex ratio). In many cases this work has been extremely successful, providing qualitative and even quantitative explanations of sex ratio variation. However, this is not always the situation, and one of the greatest remaining problems is explaining broad taxonomic patterns. Specifically, why do different organisms show so ...

  1. Sex determination

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The sex-determining system differs considerably among organisms. Even among insect species, the genetic system for sex-determination is highly diversified. In Drosophila melanogaster, somatic sexual differentiation is regulated by a well characterized genetic hierarchy X : A > Sxl > tra/tra2 > dsx and fru. This cascade ...

  2. Bifurcations and chaos of classical trajectories in a deformed nuclear potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carbonell, J.; Arvieu, R.

    1983-01-01

    The organization of the phase space of a classical nucleon in an axially symmetric deformed potential with the restriction Lsub(z)=0 is studied by drawing the Poincare surfaces of section. In the limit of small deformations three simple limits help to understand this organization. Moreover important bifurcations of periodic trajectories occur. At higher deformations multifurcations and chaos are observed. Chaos is developed to a larger extent in the heavier nuclei. (author)

  3. Compensation of deformations in 3D cone beam tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desbat, L.; Roux, S.; Roux, S.; Grangeat, P.

    2006-01-01

    In dynamic tomography, the measured objects or organs are no-longer supposed to be static in the scanner during the acquisition but are supposed to move or to be deformed. Our approach is the analytic deformation compensation during the reconstruction. Our work concentrates on 3-dimensional cone beam tomography. We introduce a new large class of deformations preserving the 3-dimensional cone beam geometry. We show that deformations from this class can be analytically compensated. We present numerical experiments on phantoms showing the compensation of these deformations in 3-dimensional cone beam tomography. (authors)

  4. Patient-specific non-linear finite element modelling for predicting soft organ deformation in real-time: application to non-rigid neuroimage registration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wittek, Adam; Joldes, Grand; Couton, Mathieu; Warfield, Simon K; Miller, Karol

    2010-12-01

    Long computation times of non-linear (i.e. accounting for geometric and material non-linearity) biomechanical models have been regarded as one of the key factors preventing application of such models in predicting organ deformation for image-guided surgery. This contribution presents real-time patient-specific computation of the deformation field within the brain for six cases of brain shift induced by craniotomy (i.e. surgical opening of the skull) using specialised non-linear finite element procedures implemented on a graphics processing unit (GPU). In contrast to commercial finite element codes that rely on an updated Lagrangian formulation and implicit integration in time domain for steady state solutions, our procedures utilise the total Lagrangian formulation with explicit time stepping and dynamic relaxation. We used patient-specific finite element meshes consisting of hexahedral and non-locking tetrahedral elements, together with realistic material properties for the brain tissue and appropriate contact conditions at the boundaries. The loading was defined by prescribing deformations on the brain surface under the craniotomy. Application of the computed deformation fields to register (i.e. align) the preoperative and intraoperative images indicated that the models very accurately predict the intraoperative deformations within the brain. For each case, computing the brain deformation field took less than 4 s using an NVIDIA Tesla C870 GPU, which is two orders of magnitude reduction in computation time in comparison to our previous study in which the brain deformation was predicted using a commercial finite element solver executed on a personal computer. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Radiographic Prevalence of Dysplasia, Cam, and Pincer Deformities in Elite Ballet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Joshua D; Gerrie, Brayden J; Varner, Kevin E; Lintner, David M; McCulloch, Patrick C

    2016-01-01

    The demands of hip strength and motion in ballet are high. Hip disorders, such as cam and pincer deformities or dysplasia, may affect dance performance. However, the prevalence of these radiographic findings is unknown. To determine the prevalence of radiographic cam and pincer deformities, borderline dysplasia, and dysplasia in a professional ballet company. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. An institutional review board-approved cross-sectional investigation of a professional ballet company was undertaken. Male and female adult dancers were eligible for inclusion. Four plain radiographs were obtained (standing anteroposterior pelvis, bilateral false profile, and supine Dunn 45°) and verified for adequacy. Cam and pincer deformities, dysplasia, borderline dysplasia, and osteoarthritis were defined. All plain radiographic parameters were measured and analyzed on available radiographs. Student t test, chi-square test (and Fisher exact test), and Spearman correlation analyses were performed to compare sexes, groups, and the effect of select radiographic criteria. A total of 47 dancers were analyzed (21 males, 26 females; mean age (±SD), 23.8 ± 5.4 years). Cam deformity was identified in 25.5% (24/94) of hips and 31.9% (15/47) of subjects, with a significantly greater prevalence in male dancers than females (48% hips and 57% subjects vs 8% hips and 12% subjects; P ballet company, a high prevalence of radiographic abnormalities was found, including cam and pincer deformity and dysplasia. The results also revealed several sex-related differences of these abnormalities in this unique population. The long-term implications of these findings in this group of elite athletes remain unknown, and this issue warrants future investigation. © 2015 The Author(s).

  6. The fetal programming effect of prenatal smoking on Igf1r and Igf1 methylation is organ- and sex-specific.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Karolin F; Verkaik-Schakel, Rikst Nynke; Timens, Wim; Kobzik, Lester; Plösch, Torsten; Hylkema, Machteld N

    2017-01-01

    The impact of prenatal smoke exposure (PSE) on DNA methylation has been demonstrated in blood samples from children of smoking mothers, but evidence for sex-dependent smoke-induced effects is limited. As the identified differentially methylated genes can be associated with developmental processes, and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play a critical role in prenatal tissue growth, we hypothesized that PSE induces fetal programming of Igf1r and Igf1. Using a mouse model of smoking during pregnancy, we show that PSE alters promoter methylation of Igf1r and Igf1 and deregulates their gene expression in lung and liver of fetal (E17.5) and neonatal (D3) mouse offspring. By further comparing female versus male, lung versus liver, or fetal versus neonatal time point, our results demonstrate that CpG site-specific aberrant methylation patterns sex-dependently vary per organ and time point. Moreover, PSE reduces gene expression of Igf1r and Igf1, dependent on organ, sex, and offspring's age. Our results indicate that PSE may be a source of organ-specific rather than general systemic fetal programming. This is exemplified here by gene promoter methylation and mRNA levels of Igf1r and Igf1, together with a sex- and organ-specific naturally established correlation of both parameters that is affected by prenatal smoke exposure. Moreover, the comparison of fetuses with neonates suggests a CpG site-dependent reversibility/persistence of PSE-induced differential methylation patterns.

  7. A gap in science's and the media images of people who use drugs and sex workers: research on organizations of the oppressed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dziuban, Agata; Friedman, Samuel R

    2015-03-01

    This paper discusses organizations of the oppressed, such as drug user and sex worker groups, and the images of themselves that they construct. We suggest that analysis of these organizationally-produced collective self-images -frequently overlooked in scholarly research -is crucial to understanding the complex internal dynamics of users' and sex workers' organizations and struggles they engage in when defining their collective (organizational) identities and course of action.

  8. Hallux Valgus and Lesser Toe Deformities are Highly Heritable in Adult Men and Women: the Framingham Foot Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannan, Marian T.; Menz, Hylton B.; Jordan, Joanne M.; Cupples, L. Adrienne; Cheng, Chia-Ho; Hsu, Yi-Hsiang

    2013-01-01

    Objective To estimate heritability of three common disorders affecting the forefoot: hallux valgus, lesser toe deformities and plantar forefoot soft tissue atrophy in adult Caucasian men and women. Methods Between 2002-2008, a trained examiner used a validated foot exam to document presence of hallux valgus, lesser toe deformities and plantar soft tissue atrophy in 2,446 adults from the Framingham Foot Study. Among these, 1,370 participants with available pedigree structure were included. Heritability (h2) was estimated using pedigree structures by Sequential Oligogenic Linkage Analysis Routines (SOLAR) package. Results were adjusted for age, sex and BMI. Results Mean age of participants was 66 years (range 39 to 99 years) and 57% were female. Prevalence of hallux valgus, lesser toe deformities and plantar soft tissue atrophy was 31%, 29.6% and 28.4%, respectively. Significant h2 was found for hallux valgus (0.29 ~ 0.89, depending on age and sex) and lesser toe deformity (0.49 ~ 0.90 depending on age and sex). The h2 for lesser toe deformity in men and women aged 70+ years was 0.65 (p= 9×10−7). Significant h2 was found for plantar soft tissue atrophy in men and women aged 70+ years (h2 = 0.37; p=3.8×10−3). Conclusion To our knowledge, these are the first findings of heritability of foot disorders in humans, and they confirm the widely-held view that hallux valgus and lesser toe deformities are highly heritable in European-descent Caucasian men and women, underscoring the importance of future work to identify genetic determinants of the underlying genetic susceptibility to these common foot disorders. PMID:23696165

  9. Advanced Curvature Deformable Mirrors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-01

    ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) University of Hawaii ,Institute for Astronomy,640 North A‘ohoku Place, #209 , Hilo ,HI,96720-2700 8. PERFORMING...Advanced Curvature Deformable Mirrors Christ Ftaclas1,2, Aglae Kellerer2 and Mark Chun2 Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii

  10. Insects and sex

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beukeboom, Leo

    2005-01-01

    Most organisms reproduce sexually, but the evolution of sexual reproduction is not yet well understood. Sexual reproduction leads to new variation and adaptations to the environment, but sex is also costly. Some insects reproduce without sex through parthenogenesis or paedogenesis. Almost all sexual

  11. A Bloch-Torrey Equation for Diffusion in a Deforming Media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rohmer, Damien; Gullberg, Grant T.

    2006-01-01

    Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DTMRI)technique enables the measurement of diffusion parameters and therefore, informs on the structure of the biological tissue. This technique is applied with success to the static organs such as brain. However, the diffusion measurement on the dynamically deformable organs such as the in-vivo heart is a complex problem that has however a great potential in the measurement of cardiac health. In order to understand the behavior of the Magnetic Resonance (MR)signal in a deforming media, the Bloch-Torrey equation that leads the MR behavior is expressed in general curvilinear coordinates. These coordinates enable to follow the heart geometry and deformations through time. The equation is finally discredited and presented in a numerical formulation using implicit methods, in order to get a stable scheme that can be applied to any smooth deformations. Diffusion process enables the link between the macroscopic behavior of molecules and the microscopic structure in which they evolve. The measurement of diffusion in biological tissues is therefore of major importance in understanding the complex underlying structure that cannot be studied directly. The Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging(DTMRI) technique enables the measurement of diffusion parameters and therefore provides information on the structure of the biological tissue. This technique has been applied with success to static organs such as the brain. However, diffusion measurement of dynamically deformable organs such as the in-vivo heart remains a complex problem, which holds great potential in determining cardiac health. In order to understand the behavior of the magnetic resonance (MR) signal in a deforming media, the Bloch-Torrey equation that defines the MR behavior is expressed in general curvilinear coordinates. These coordinates enable us to follow the heart geometry and deformations through time. The equation is finally discredited and presented in a

  12. A novel methodology for 3D deformable dosimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeo, U J; Taylor, M L; Dunn, L; Kron, T; Smith, R L; Franich, R D

    2012-04-01

    a result of the change in shape of the target between irradiations, even for a relatively simple deformation. Discrepancies of up to 30% of the maximum dose were evident from dose difference maps for three orthogonal planes taken through the isocenter of a stereotactic field. This paper describes the first use of a tissue-equivalent, 3D dose-integrating deformable phantom that yields integrated or redistributed dosimetric information. The proposed methodology readily yields three-dimensional (3D) dosimetric data from radiation delivery to the DEFGEL phantom in deformed and undeformed states. The impacts of deformation on dose distributions were readily seen in the isodose contours and line profiles from the three arrangements. It is demonstrated that the system is potentially capable of reproducibly emulating the physical deformation of an organ, and therefore can be used to evaluate absorbed doses to deformable targets and organs at risk in three dimensions and to validate deformation algorithms applied to dose distributions.

  13. A novel methodology for 3D deformable dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeo, U. J.; Taylor, M. L.; Dunn, L.; Kron, T.; Smith, R. L.; Franich, R. D.

    2012-01-01

    three dimensions occurring as a result of the change in shape of the target between irradiations, even for a relatively simple deformation. Discrepancies of up to 30% of the maximum dose were evident from dose difference maps for three orthogonal planes taken through the isocenter of a stereotactic field. Conclusions: This paper describes the first use of a tissue-equivalent, 3D dose-integrating deformable phantom that yields integrated or redistributed dosimetric information. The proposed methodology readily yields three-dimensional (3D) dosimetric data from radiation delivery to the DEFGEL phantom in deformed and undeformed states. The impacts of deformation on dose distributions were readily seen in the isodose contours and line profiles from the three arrangements. It is demonstrated that the system is potentially capable of reproducibly emulating the physical deformation of an organ, and therefore can be used to evaluate absorbed doses to deformable targets and organs at risk in three dimensions and to validate deformation algorithms applied to dose distributions.

  14. Intervention of D-glucose ameliorates the toxicity of streptozotocin in accessory sex organs of rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vikram, A.; Tripathi, D.N.; Ramarao, P.; Jena, G.B.

    2008-01-01

    Streptozotocin (STZ) is a naturally occurring compound isolated from Streptomyces achromogens. It is used extensively for inducing diabetes in experimental animals. Diabetes mellitus is known to have proven adverse effects on male sexual organs and their reproductive functions. The atrophy of prostate gland and other organs of the genitourinary tract were observed in experimental diabetic animals. STZ exhibits a structural resemblance to D-glucose due to the presence of sugar moiety in its structure. Pancreatic β-cells mainly contain GLUT1 and GLUT2 glucose transporters. Possibly due to structural resemblance, STZ and D-glucose, share a common recognition site for entry into the β-cells. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of D-glucose on STZ-induced toxicity in accessory sex organs of male rats. Animals were kept on overnight fasting. One group received vehicle and served as negative control, while all other groups were given STZ (45 mg/kg). Animals that received only STZ served as positive control. The effect of D-glucose was studied on STZ treated animals with different dosage of D-glucose (250, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg). Restoration of body weight, plasma glucose and plasma insulin was evident only at 1000 and 2000 mg/kg of D-glucose. The protective effect of D-glucose is evident only when it is administered simultaneously with STZ. In the present investigation, we report that simultaneous administration of D-glucose along with STZ ameliorates STZ-induced toxicity. This is evident from the restoration of accessory sex organ's weight, cellular morphology as well as insulin level

  15. Topological Organization of Functional Brain Networks in Healthy Children: Differences in Relation to Age, Sex, and Intelligence

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, Kai; Taki, Yasuyuki; Sato, Kazunori; Hashizume, Hiroshi; Sassa, Yuko; Takeuchi, Hikaru; Thyreau, Benjamin; He, Yong; Evans, Alan C.; Li, Xiaobo; Kawashima, Ryuta; Fukuda, Hiroshi

    2013-01-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated developmental changes of functional brain networks derived from functional connectivity using graph theoretical analysis, which has been rapidly translated to studies of brain network organization. However, little is known about sex- and IQ-related differences in the topological organization of functional brain networks during development. In this study, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) was used to map the functional brain networks in 51 healthy children. We then ...

  16. Making Deformable Template Models Operational

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fisker, Rune

    2000-01-01

    for estimation of the model parameters, which applies a combination of a maximum likelihood and minimum distance criterion. Another contribution is a very fast search based initialization algorithm using a filter interpretation of the likelihood model. These two methods can be applied to most deformable template......Deformable template models are a very popular and powerful tool within the field of image processing and computer vision. This thesis treats this type of models extensively with special focus on handling their common difficulties, i.e. model parameter selection, initialization and optimization....... A proper handling of the common difficulties is essential for making the models operational by a non-expert user, which is a requirement for intensifying and commercializing the use of deformable template models. The thesis is organized as a collection of the most important articles, which has been...

  17. Sex Differences in Mortality Based on United Network for Organ Sharing Status While Awaiting Heart Transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsich, Eileen M; Blackstone, Eugene H; Thuita, Lucy; McNamara, Dennis M; Rogers, Joseph G; Ishwaran, Hemant; Schold, Jesse D

    2017-06-01

    There are sex differences in mortality while awaiting heart transplantation, and the reason remains unclear. We included all adults in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients placed on the heart transplant active waitlist from 2004 to 2015. The primary end point was all-cause mortality. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were performed to evaluate survival by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) status at the time of listing. Random survival forest was used to identify sex interactions for the competing risk of death and transplantation. There were 33 069 patients (25% women) awaiting heart transplantation. This cohort included 7681 UNOS status 1A (26% women), 13 027 UNOS status 1B (25% women), and 12 361 UNOS status 2 (26% women). During a median follow-up of 4.3 months, 1351 women and 4052 men died. After adjusting for >20 risk factors, female sex was associated with a significant risk of death among UNOS status 1A (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.29) and UNOS status 1B (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.30). In contrast, female sex was significantly protective for time to death among UNOS status 2 (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.95). Sex differences in probability of transplantation were present for every UNOS status, and >20 sex interactions were identified for mortality and transplantation. When stratified by initial UNOS status, women had a higher mortality than men as UNOS status 1 and a lower mortality as UNOS status 2. With >20 sex interactions for mortality and transplantation, further evaluation is warranted to form a more equitable allocation system. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  18. Sex Differences in Patients With CAM Deformities With Femoroacetabular Impingement: 3-Dimensional Computed Tomographic Quantification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanke, Adam B; Khair, M Michael; Stanley, Robert; Walton, David; Lee, Simon; Bush-Joseph, Charles A; Espinoza Orías, Alejandro; Espinosa Orias, Alejandro A; Inoue, Nozomu; Nho, Shane J

    2015-12-01

    To determine if significant differences exist between male and female CAM deformities using quantitative 3-dimensional (3D) volume and location analysis. Retrospective analysis of preoperative computed tomographic (CT) scans for 138 femurs (69 from male patients and 69 from female patients) diagnosed with impingement from November 2009 to November 2011 was completed. Those patients who presented with hip complaints and had a history, physical examination (limited range of motion, positive impingement signs), plain radiographs (anteroposterior pelvis, 90° Dunn view, false profile view), and magnetic resonance images consistent with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and in whom a minimum of 6 months of conservative therapy (oral anti-inflammatory agents, physical therapy, and activity modification) had failed were indicated for arthroscopic surgery and had a preoperative CT scan. Scans were segmented, converted to point cloud data, and analyzed with a custom-written computer program. Analysis included mean CAM height and volume, head radius, and femoral version. Differences were analyzed using an unpaired t test with significance set at P position ± the 2:51 o'clock position to the 3:28 o'clock position ± the 1:59 o'clock position, with an average span from the 3:06 o'clock position ± the 1:29 o'clock position (male patients, the 11:23 o'clock position ± the 0:46 o'clock position to the 3:05 o'clock position ± the 1:20 o'clock position; female patients, the 11:33 o'clock position ± the 0:37 o'clock position to the 2:27 o'clock position ± the 0:45 o'clock position). There were no differences in the posterior (P = .60) or anterior (P = .14) extent of CAM deformities. However, the span on the clock face of the CAM deformities varied when comparing men with women (male patients, the 3:43 o'clock position ± the 1:29 o'clock position; female patients, the 2:54 o'clock position ± the 1:09 o'clock position; P = .02). Our data show that female CAM deformities

  19. Why sex hormones matter for neuroscience: A very short review on sex, sex hormones, and functional brain asymmetries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hausmann, Markus

    2017-01-02

    Biological sex and sex hormones are known to affect functional cerebral asymmetries (FCAs). Men are generally more lateralized than women. The effect size of this sex difference is small but robust. Some of the inconsistencies in the literature may be explained by sex-related hormonal differences. Most studies focusing on neuromodulatory properties of sex hormones on FCAs have investigated women during the menstrual cycle. Although contradictions exist, these studies have typically shown that levels of estradiol and/or progesterone correlate with the degree of FCAs, suggesting that sex differences in FCAs partially depend on hormonal state and day of testing. The results indicate that FCAs are not fixed but are hormone dependent, and as such they can dynamically change within relatively short periods throughout life. Many issues raised in this Mini-Review refer not only to FCAs but also to other aspects of functional brain organization, such as functional connectivity within and between the cerebral hemispheres. Our understanding of sex differences in brain and behavior as well as their clinical relevance will improve significantly if more studies routinely take sex and sex hormones into account. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Topological organization of functional brain networks in healthy children: differences in relation to age, sex, and intelligence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Kai; Taki, Yasuyuki; Sato, Kazunori; Hashizume, Hiroshi; Sassa, Yuko; Takeuchi, Hikaru; Thyreau, Benjamin; He, Yong; Evans, Alan C; Li, Xiaobo; Kawashima, Ryuta; Fukuda, Hiroshi

    2013-01-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated developmental changes of functional brain networks derived from functional connectivity using graph theoretical analysis, which has been rapidly translated to studies of brain network organization. However, little is known about sex- and IQ-related differences in the topological organization of functional brain networks during development. In this study, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) was used to map the functional brain networks in 51 healthy children. We then investigated the effects of age, sex, and IQ on economic small-world properties and regional nodal properties of the functional brain networks. At a global level of whole networks, we found significant age-related increases in the small-worldness and local efficiency, significant higher values of the global efficiency in boys compared with girls, and no significant IQ-related difference. Age-related increases in the regional nodal properties were found predominately in the frontal brain regions, whereas the parietal, temporal, and occipital brain regions showed age-related decreases. Significant sex-related differences in the regional nodal properties were found in various brain regions, primarily related to the default mode, language, and vision systems. Positive correlations between IQ and the regional nodal properties were found in several brain regions related to the attention system, whereas negative correlations were found in various brain regions primarily involved in the default mode, emotion, and language systems. Together, our findings of the network topology of the functional brain networks in healthy children and its relationship with age, sex, and IQ bring new insights into the understanding of brain maturation and cognitive development during childhood and adolescence.

  1. Topological organization of functional brain networks in healthy children: differences in relation to age, sex, and intelligence.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai Wu

    Full Text Available Recent studies have demonstrated developmental changes of functional brain networks derived from functional connectivity using graph theoretical analysis, which has been rapidly translated to studies of brain network organization. However, little is known about sex- and IQ-related differences in the topological organization of functional brain networks during development. In this study, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI was used to map the functional brain networks in 51 healthy children. We then investigated the effects of age, sex, and IQ on economic small-world properties and regional nodal properties of the functional brain networks. At a global level of whole networks, we found significant age-related increases in the small-worldness and local efficiency, significant higher values of the global efficiency in boys compared with girls, and no significant IQ-related difference. Age-related increases in the regional nodal properties were found predominately in the frontal brain regions, whereas the parietal, temporal, and occipital brain regions showed age-related decreases. Significant sex-related differences in the regional nodal properties were found in various brain regions, primarily related to the default mode, language, and vision systems. Positive correlations between IQ and the regional nodal properties were found in several brain regions related to the attention system, whereas negative correlations were found in various brain regions primarily involved in the default mode, emotion, and language systems. Together, our findings of the network topology of the functional brain networks in healthy children and its relationship with age, sex, and IQ bring new insights into the understanding of brain maturation and cognitive development during childhood and adolescence.

  2. A novel deformation mechanism for superplastic deformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muto, H.; Sakai, M. (Toyohashi Univ. of Technology (Japan). Dept. of Materials Science)

    1999-01-01

    Uniaxial compressive creep tests with strain value up to -0.1 for a [beta]-spodumene glass ceramic are conducted at 1060 C. From the observation of microstructural changes between before and after the creep deformations, it is shown that the grain-boundary sliding takes place via cooperative movement of groups of grains rather than individual grains under the large-scale-deformation. The deformation process and the surface technique used in this work are not only applicable to explain the deformation and flow of two-phase ceramics but also the superplastic deformation. (orig.) 12 refs.

  3. Sex matters: The effects of biological sex on adipose tissue biology and energy metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teresa G. Valencak

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Adipose tissue is a complex and multi-faceted organ. It responds dynamically to internal and external stimuli, depending on the developmental stage and activity of the organism. The most common functional subunits of adipose tissue, white and brown adipocytes, regulate and respond to endocrine processes, which then determine metabolic rate as well as adipose tissue functions. While the molecular aspects of white and brown adipose biology have become clearer in the recent past, much less is known about sex-specific differences in regulation and deposition of adipose tissue, and the specific role of the so-called pink adipocytes during lactation in females. This review summarises the current understanding of adipose tissue dynamics with a focus on sex-specific differences in adipose tissue energy metabolism and endocrine functions, focussing on mammalian model organisms as well as human-derived data. In females, pink adipocytes trans-differentiate during pregnancy from subcutaneous white adipocytes and are responsible for milk-secretion in mammary glands. Overlooking biological sex variation may ultimately hamper clinical treatments of many aspects of metabolic disorders. Keywords: Body fatness, Adipose tissue, Sex-specific differences, Adipokines, Adipocytes, Obesity, Energy metabolism

  4. Experimental deformation of polyphase rock analogues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bons, P.D.

    1993-01-01

    This thesis presents an investigation into the mechanical properties of ductile polyphase materials, which were studied by a number of different techniques. The first approach was to do creep tests and transparent deformation cell experiments with two-phase composites of organic crystalline

  5. [Mobile genetic elements in plant sex evolution].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerashchenkov, G A; Rozhnova, N A

    2010-11-01

    The most significant theories of the appearance and maintenance of sex are presented. However, in the overwhelming majority of existing theories, the problem of sex, which is the central problem of evolutionary biology, is considered primarily through the prism of reproductive features of living organisms, whereas the issue of molecular driving forces of sexual reproduction id restricted to the possible role of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in the appearance of sexual reproduction. The structural and functional significance of MGEs in the genomic organization of plants is illustrated. It is shown that MGEs could act as important molecular drivers of sex evolution in plants. The involvement of MGEs in the formation of sex chromosomes and possible participation in seeds-without-sex reproduction (apomixis) is discussed. Thus, the hypothesis on the active MGE participation in sex evolution is in good agreement with the modern views on pathways and directions of sex evolution in plants.

  6. The Promise of Single-Sex Classes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stotsky, Sandra

    2012-01-01

    Despite the enthusiasm and the absence of definitive research on the pros and cons of single-sex classes, a 2011 article in Science, titled "The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Schooling," by a new organization called American Council for CoEducational Schooling (ACCES) came out with the astonishing conclusion that single-sex education is…

  7. Sex-related differences in outcomes after hallux valgus surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Gi Won; Kim, Hak Jun; Kim, Tae Wan; Lee, Ji Wun; Park, Sung Bum; Kim, Jin Kak

    2015-03-01

    With differences between the sexes in foot bone anatomy and ligamentous laxity, there is the possibility that the results of hallux valgus surgery may also differ between the sexes. We aimed to compare the results of hallux valgus surgery between the sexes. The authors retrospectively reviewed 60 males (66 feet) and 70 females (82 feet) who underwent distal or proximal chevron osteotomy for the treatment of hallux valgus deformity between June 2005 and December 2011. We compared the clinical and radiologic outcomes between the sexes. There were no statistically significant differences in demographics between the sexes. The mean American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society score, visual analogue scale for pain, and patient satisfaction at the last follow-up did not differ significantly between the sexes. The mean preoperative hallux valgus angle (HVA) and inter-metatarsal angle (IMA) were not significantly different between the sexes. At the last follow-up, the mean HVA was significantly greater in females (p=0.003) than in males; mean IMA was not significantly different between the sexes. The mean correction of HVA in males was significantly greater than that in females (p=0.014). There were no significant differences between the sexes regarding clinical outcomes after distal and proximal chevron osteotomy. However, male patients achieved greater correction of HVA than female patients. There is a possibility that sexual dimorphism of the foot may affect postoperative HVA.

  8. Sex-related differences in foot shape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krauss, I; Grau, S; Mauch, M; Maiwald, C; Horstmann, T

    2008-11-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate sex-related differences in foot morphology. In total, 847 subjects were scanned using a 3-D-footscanner. Three different analysis methods were used: (1) comparisons were made for absolute foot measures within 250-270 mm foot length (FL); (2) and for averaged measures (% FL) across all sizes; (3) the feet were then classified using a cluster analysis. Within 250-270 mm FL, male feet were wider and higher (mean differences (MD) 1.3-5.9 mm). No relevant sex-related differences could be found in the comparison of averaged measures (MD 0.3-0.6% FL). Foot types were categorised into voluminous, flat-pointed and slender. Shorter feet were more often voluminous, longer feet were more likely to be narrow and flat. However, the definition of 'short' and 'long' was sex-related; thus, allometry of foot measures was different. For shoe design, measures should be derived for each size and sex separately. Different foot types should be considered to account for the variety in foot shape. Improper footwear can cause foot pain and deformity. Therefore, knowledge of sex-related differences in foot measures is important to assist proper shoe fit in both men and women. The present study supplements the field of knowledge within this context with recommendations for the manufacturing of shoes.

  9. A two-dimensional deformable phantom for quantitatively verifying deformation algorithms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kirby, Neil; Chuang, Cynthia; Pouliot, Jean [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-1708 (United States)

    2011-08-15

    Purpose: The incorporation of deformable image registration into the treatment planning process is rapidly advancing. For this reason, the methods used to verify the underlying deformation algorithms must evolve equally fast. This manuscript proposes a two-dimensional deformable phantom, which can objectively verify the accuracy of deformation algorithms, as the next step for improving these techniques. Methods: The phantom represents a single plane of the anatomy for a head and neck patient. Inflation of a balloon catheter inside the phantom simulates tumor growth. CT and camera images of the phantom are acquired before and after its deformation. Nonradiopaque markers reside on the surface of the deformable anatomy and are visible through an acrylic plate, which enables an optical camera to measure their positions; thus, establishing the ground-truth deformation. This measured deformation is directly compared to the predictions of deformation algorithms, using several similarity metrics. The ratio of the number of points with more than a 3 mm deformation error over the number that are deformed by more than 3 mm is used for an error metric to evaluate algorithm accuracy. Results: An optical method of characterizing deformation has been successfully demonstrated. For the tests of this method, the balloon catheter deforms 32 out of the 54 surface markers by more than 3 mm. Different deformation errors result from the different similarity metrics. The most accurate deformation predictions had an error of 75%. Conclusions: The results presented here demonstrate the utility of the phantom for objectively verifying deformation algorithms and determining which is the most accurate. They also indicate that the phantom would benefit from more electron density heterogeneity. The reduction of the deformable anatomy to a two-dimensional system allows for the use of nonradiopaque markers, which do not influence deformation algorithms. This is the fundamental advantage of this

  10. An Efficient Virtual Trachea Deformation Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cui Tong

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we present a virtual tactile model with the physically based skeleton to simulate force and deformation between a rigid tool and the soft organ. When the virtual trachea is handled, a skeleton model suitable for interactive environments is established, which consists of ligament layers, cartilage rings and muscular bars. In this skeleton, the contact force goes through the ligament layer, and produces the load effects of the joints , which are connecting the ligament layer and cartilage rings. Due to the nonlinear shape deformation inside the local neighbourhood of a contact region, the RBF method is applied to modify the result of linear global shape deformation by adding the nonlinear effect inside. Users are able to handle the virtual trachea, and the results from the examples with the mechanical properties of the human trachea are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.

  11. [The frequency of sex chromatine occurring in cell nuclei of internal organs determined by the smear method (author's transl)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michailow, R

    1975-09-05

    The frequency of sex chromatine occurring in cell nuclei of twelve organs from 25 male and female corpses was determined using the smear method. It was found to be about 60% in the case of female, and about 6% in the case of male corpses.

  12. SU-F-J-86: Method to Include Tissue Dose Response Effect in Deformable Image Registration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, J; Liang, J; Chen, S; Qin, A; Yan, D [Beaumont Health Systeml, Royal Oak, MI (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Organ changes shape and size during radiation treatment due to both mechanical stress and radiation dose response. However, the dose response induced deformation has not been considered in conventional deformable image registration (DIR). A novel DIR approach is proposed to include both tissue elasticity and radiation dose induced organ deformation. Methods: Assuming that organ sub-volume shrinkage was proportional to the radiation dose induced cell killing/absorption, the dose induced organ volume change was simulated applying virtual temperature on each sub-volume. Hence, both stress and heterogeneity temperature induced organ deformation. Thermal stress finite element method with organ surface boundary condition was used to solve deformation. Initial boundary correspondence on organ surface was created from conventional DIR. Boundary condition was updated by an iterative optimization scheme to minimize elastic deformation energy. The registration was validated on a numerical phantom. Treatment dose was constructed applying both the conventional DIR and the proposed method using daily CBCT image obtained from HN treatment. Results: Phantom study showed 2.7% maximal discrepancy with respect to the actual displacement. Compared with conventional DIR, subvolume displacement difference in a right parotid had the mean±SD (Min, Max) to be 1.1±0.9(−0.4∼4.8), −0.1±0.9(−2.9∼2.4) and −0.1±0.9(−3.4∼1.9)mm in RL/PA/SI directions respectively. Mean parotid dose and V30 constructed including the dose response induced shrinkage were 6.3% and 12.0% higher than those from the conventional DIR. Conclusion: Heterogeneous dose distribution in normal organ causes non-uniform sub-volume shrinkage. Sub-volume in high dose region has a larger shrinkage than the one in low dose region, therefore causing more sub-volumes to move into the high dose area during the treatment course. This leads to an unfavorable dose-volume relationship for the normal organ

  13. The prevalence of cam-type deformity of the hip joint: a survey of 4151 subjects of the Copenhagen Osteoarthritis Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gosvig, K.K.; Jacobsen, S.; Sonne-Holm, S.

    2008-01-01

    . The relationships between cam malformation and self-reported hip pain were evaluated, and the relative importance of known risk factors for cam malformation estimated. RESULTS: We found a pronounced sex-related difference in cam-deformity distribution. The overall prevalence of cam deformity was approximately 17......BACKGROUND: Cam deformity is a preosteoarthritic malformation causing premature hip-joint degeneration. While the pathogenetic pathway from deformity to osteoarthrosis (OA) has been well established, almost nothing is known of the malformation's epidemiology. PURPOSE: To determine the distribution......% in men and 4% in women. The distribution of cam deformity was unaltered in subjects with normal joint-space width or other features of hip-joint degeneration. We found no significant association with self-reported hip pain, nor did we find any relative importance of possible risk factors for hip...

  14. The influence of sex steroids on pineal enzymes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daya, S.

    1982-01-01

    The influence of the gonadal sex steroids namely, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone on the two major enzymes responsible for the synthesis of melatonin in the pineal gland was investigated. These enzymes are Serotonin-N-acetyltransferase (SNAT) and Hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (H10MT). Testosterone was found to be the only sex steroid capable of influencing SNAT activity whereas all three of the sex steroids were found to influence H10MT activity in a biphasic dose-dependent manner. The influence of these sex steroids on radiolabelled serotonin metabolism by pineals in organ culture was also investigated. Ovariectomy, castration and the sex steroids were all found to alter the pattern of the radiolabelled serotonin metabolism by these pineal glands in organ culture

  15. Sex differences in brain organization: implications for human communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanske-Petitpierre, V; Chen, A C

    1985-12-01

    This article reviews current knowledge in two major research domains: sex differences in neuropsychophysiology, and in human communication. An attempt was made to integrate knowledge from several areas of brain research with human communication and to clarify how such a cooperative effort may be beneficial to both fields of study. By combining findings from the area of brain research, a communication paradigm was developed which contends that brain-related sex differences may reside largely in the area of communication of emotion.

  16. Bifurcations and chaos of classical trajectories in a deformed nuclear potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carbonell, J.; Arvieu, R.

    1982-10-01

    The purpose is to describe the general organization of the trajectories of a nucleon in a deformed potential both in phase space and in configuration space. This question gives rise to a very complex problem in a deformed potential. There one is in the frame of the theory of nonintegrable systems. Many very important mathematical theorems (like K.A.M. theorem) are needed as well as any results of bifurcation theory and also of numerical experiments. This work belongs entirely to classical mechanics. The main problems to be treated are: the organization of phase space, the connection with simple known limiting cases and bifurcation theory, and the occurrence of chaotic trajectories in a nuclear field. These problems must be solved as functions of the size, the deformation of the potential and the excitation energy of the particle

  17. Bifurcations and chaos of classical trajectories in a deformed nuclear potential

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carbonell, J; Arvieu, R

    1982-10-01

    The purpose is to describe the general organization of the trajectories of a nucleon in a deformed potential both in phase space and in configuration space. This question gives rise to a very complex problem in a deformed potential. There one is in the frame of the theory of nonintegrable systems. Many very important mathematical theorems (like K.A.M. theorem) are needed as well as any results of bifurcation theory and also of numerical experiments. This work belongs entirely to classical mechanics. The main problems to be treated are: the organization of phase space, the connection with simple known limiting cases and bifurcation theory, and the occurrence of chaotic trajectories in a nuclear field. These problems must be solved as functions of the size, the deformation of the potential and the excitation energy of the particle.

  18. Cancer screening in Portugal: sex differences in prevalence, awareness of organized programmes and perception of benefits and adverse effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Ana Rute; Silva, Susana; Moura-Ferreira, Pedro; Villaverde-Cabral, Manuel; Santos, Osvaldo; Carmo, Isabel do; Barros, Henrique; Lunet, Nuno

    2017-04-01

    Cancer screening has contributed to downward trends in cancer mortality, but is also associated with adverse effects, which highlights the importance of promoting the participation based on informed decisions. We aimed to describe the use of cancer screening (either in organized programmes or as opportunistic screening), awareness of organized programmes and perception of its potential benefits and adverse effects, depicting possible sex differences. We evaluated 1624 Portuguese-speaking dwellers, aged between 16 and 79 years, through face-to-face interviews. To quantify sex differences, adjusted prevalence ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals were computed using Poisson regression. Among eligible age groups, the lifetime prevalence of screening for breast and cervical cancers was 89.8 and 71.9%, respectively. The prevalence was 23.7% for colorectal cancer and no significant sex differences were observed. Prostate cancer screening was reported by 63.8% of men. Over half of the participants referred that cancers such as prostate, skin, lung and stomach should be screened for, in addition to those for which organized programmes are recommended. Reassurance by negative results was identified as the main potential benefit of screening by nearly one-third of men and women. Anxiety while waiting for results was the most mentioned potential adverse effect (60.4%); men refer less often this and financial costs, although statistical significance of these results was borderline. This study provides a benchmark to plan and monitor the effects of awareness-raising interventions, as well as for international comparisons across countries with different cancer prevention and control structures. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Simulating Deformations of MR Brain Images for Validation of Atlas-based Segmentation and Registration Algorithms

    OpenAIRE

    Xue, Zhong; Shen, Dinggang; Karacali, Bilge; Stern, Joshua; Rottenberg, David; Davatzikos, Christos

    2006-01-01

    Simulated deformations and images can act as the gold standard for evaluating various template-based image segmentation and registration algorithms. Traditional deformable simulation methods, such as the use of analytic deformation fields or the displacement of landmarks followed by some form of interpolation, are often unable to construct rich (complex) and/or realistic deformations of anatomical organs. This paper presents new methods aiming to automatically simulate realistic inter- and in...

  20. Sex: a sensitive issue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1997-01-01

    Health care workers and educators may need to improve their skills in discussing sensitive issues in order to elicit and understand what influences people's attitudes toward sex. While the health worker may be bent upon preventing HIV infection, advising on family planning, or teaching youth about sexual relationships, his or her audience may have other priorities. A good counselor/teacher must learn what people's concerns are and discuss sexual health within that context. It can be difficult talking about sex because sex is a private concern and many people are embarrassed discussing it. Even sex partners often find it difficult to talk to each other about sex. Appropriate communication techniques vary depending upon the situation. It depends upon whether one is addressing people on an individual basis or in groups, which people are being addressed, which organization one is representing, and what one's role is. Good communication is a two-way sharing of information. The different stages of life, common beliefs and myths, culture and religion, relationships between men and women, reasons for having sex, and sex practices are discussed.

  1. A Bloch-Torrey Equation for Diffusion in a Deforming Media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rohmer, Damien; Gullberg, Grant T.

    2006-12-29

    Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DTMRI)technique enables the measurement of diffusion parameters and therefore,informs on the structure of the biological tissue. This technique isapplied with success to the static organs such as brain. However, thediffusion measurement on the dynamically deformable organs such as thein-vivo heart is a complex problem that has however a great potential inthe measurement of cardiac health. In order to understand the behavior ofthe Magnetic Resonance (MR)signal in a deforming media, the Bloch-Torreyequation that leads the MR behavior is expressed in general curvilinearcoordinates. These coordinates enable to follow the heart geometry anddeformations through time. The equation is finally discretized andpresented in a numerical formulation using implicit methods, in order toget a stable scheme that can be applied to any smooth deformations.Diffusion process enables the link between the macroscopic behavior ofmolecules and themicroscopic structure in which they evolve. Themeasurement of diffusion in biological tissues is therefore of majorimportance in understanding the complex underlying structure that cannotbe studied directly. The Diffusion Tensor Magnetic ResonanceImaging(DTMRI) technique enables the measurement of diffusion parametersand therefore provides information on the structure of the biologicaltissue. This technique has been applied with success to static organssuch as the brain. However, diffusion measurement of dynamicallydeformable organs such as the in-vivo heart remains a complex problem,which holds great potential in determining cardiac health. In order tounderstand the behavior of the magnetic resonance (MR) signal in adeforming media, the Bloch-Torrey equation that defines the MR behavioris expressed in general curvilinear coordinates. These coordinates enableus to follow the heart geometry and deformations through time. Theequation is finally discretized and presented in a numerical formulationusing

  2. Invited review: sex ratio and rheumatic disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockshin, M D

    2001-11-01

    Human illnesses affect men and women differently. In some cases (diseases of sex organs, diseases resulting from X or Y chromosome mutations), reasons for sex discrepancy are obvious, but in other cases no reason is apparent. Explanations for sex discrepancy of illness occur at different biological levels: molecular (e.g., imprinting, X-inactivation), cellular (sex-specific receptor activity), organ (endocrine influences), whole organism (size, age), and environmental-behavioral, including intrauterine influences. Autoimmunity represents a prototypical class of illness that has high female-to-male (F/M) ratios. Although the F/M ratios in autoimmune diseases are usually attributed to the influence of estrogenic hormones, evidence demonstrates that the attributed ratios are imprecise and that definitions and classifications of autoimmune diseases vary, rendering at least part of the counting imprecise. In addition, many studies on sex discrepancy of human disease fail to distinguish between disease incidence and disease severity. In April 2001, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences published Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter? (Wizemann T and Pardue M-L, editors). This minireview summarizes the section of that report that concerns autoimmune and infectious disease. Some thyroid, rheumatic, and hepatic autoimmune diseases have high F/M ratios, whereas others have low. Those that have high ratios occur primarily in young adulthood. Gonadal hormones, if they play a role, likely do so through a threshold or permissive mechanism. Examples of sex differences that could be caused by environmental exposure, X inactivation, imprinting, X or Y chromosome genetic modulators, and intrauterine influences are presented as alternate, theoretical, and largely unexplored explanations for sex differences of incidence. The epidemiology of autoimmune diseases (young, female) suggests that an explanation for sex discrepancy of

  3. Need for Studies of Sex Discrimination in Public Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1972

    This paper was designed to aid organizations seeking to eliminate sex discrimination in the public schools. Major emphasis was placed on the need for studies of sex discrimination. Six areas of investigation should include: 1) one sex schools; 2) one sex or practically one sex courses in co-ed schools; 3) physical education, sports and other extra…

  4. Anthropometric measurements and vertebral deformities. European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study (EVOS) Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnell, O; O'Neill, T; Felsenberg, D; Kanis, J; Cooper, C; Silman, A J

    1997-08-15

    To investigate the association between anthropometric indices and morphometrically determined vertebral deformity, the authors carried out a cross-sectional study using data from the European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study (EVOS), a population-based study of vertebral osteoporosis in 36 European centers from 19 countries. A total of 16,047 EVOS subjects were included in this analysis, of whom 1,973 subjects (915 males, 1,058 females) (12.3%) aged 50 years or over had one or more vertebral deformities ("cases"). The cases were compared with the 14,074 subjects (6,539 males, 7,535 females) with morphometrically normal spines ("controls"). Data were collected on self-reported height at age 25 years and minimum weight after age 25 years, as well as on current measured height and weight. Body mass index (BMI) and height and weight change were calculated from these data. The relations between these variables and vertebral deformity were examined separately by sex with logistic regression adjusting for age, smoking, and physical activity. In females, there was a significant trend of decreasing risk with increasing quintile of current weight, current BMI, and weight gain since age 25 years. In males, subjects in the lightest quintile for these measures were at increased risk but there was no evidence of a trend. An ecologic analysis by country revealed a negative correlation between mean BMI and the prevalence of deformity in females but not in males. The authors conclude that low body weight is associated with presence of vertebral deformity.

  5. Impact of Type of Sport, Gender and Age on Red Blood Cell Deformability of Elite Athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomschi, Fabian; Bloch, Wilhelm; Grau, Marijke

    2018-01-01

    Our objective was to detect possible differences in red blood cell (RBC) deformability of elite athletes performing different types of sports and being of different age and gender.182 athletes were included in this cross-sectional study. RBC deformability was measured using the laser-assisted optical rotational cell-analyzer. Maximal elongation index (EI  max ) and shear stress at half-maximum deformation (SS  1/2 ) were calculated. The ratio SS  1/2  /EI  max  (EI  Ratio ) was calculated with low values representing high RBC deformation. Hematocrit (Hct) and mean cellular volume (MCV) were determined in venous blood. Overall RBC deformability did not differ between male and female athletes but, when separated by age of the subjects, RBC deformability increased with age in male but not in female athletes. RBC deformability was lower in Combat sports compared other sport groups. Hct was higher in male compared to female athletes while no difference was observed for MCV. MCV and Hct increased with increasing age. A negative correlation was found between the EI  Ratio  and MCV and between EI  Ratio  and Hct. RBC deformability is influenced by age and endurance rate of the sport which suggests that the RBC system may adapt to changing conditions such as adolescence with the onset effects of sex hormones or physical exercise. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  6. Deformation-specific and deformation-invariant visual object recognition: pose vs identity recognition of people and deforming objects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tristan J Webb

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available When we see a human sitting down, standing up, or walking, we can recognise one of these poses independently of the individual, or we can recognise the individual person, independently of the pose. The same issues arise for deforming objects. For example, if we see a flag deformed by the wind, either blowing out or hanging languidly, we can usually recognise the flag, independently of its deformation; or we can recognise the deformation independently of the identity of the flag. We hypothesize that these types of recognition can be implemented by the primate visual system using temporo-spatial continuity as objects transform as a learning principle. In particular, we hypothesize that pose or deformation can be learned under conditions in which large numbers of different people are successively seen in the same pose, or objects in the same deformation. We also hypothesize that person-specific representations that are independent of pose, and object-specific representations that are independent of deformation and view, could be built, when individual people or objects are observed successively transforming from one pose or deformation and view to another. These hypotheses were tested in a simulation of the ventral visual system, VisNet, that uses temporal continuity, implemented in a synaptic learning rule with a short-term memory trace of previous neuronal activity, to learn invariant representations. It was found that depending on the statistics of the visual input, either pose-specific or deformation-specific representations could be built that were invariant with respect to individual and view; or that identity-specific representations could be built that were invariant with respect to pose or deformation and view. We propose that this is how pose-specific and pose-invariant, and deformation-specific and deformation-invariant, perceptual representations are built in the brain.

  7. Multiplex Competition, Collaboration, and Funding Networks Among Health and Social Organizations: Toward Organization-based HIV Interventions for Young Men Who Have Sex With Men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimoto, Kayo; Wang, Peng; Kuhns, Lisa M; Ross, Michael W; Williams, Mark L; Garofalo, Robert; Klovdahl, Alden S; Laumann, Edward O; Schneider, John A

    2017-02-01

    Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) have the highest rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the United States. Decades into the HIV epidemic, the relationships that YMSM-serving health and social organizations have with one another has not been studied in depth. The aim of this study was to examine the competition, collaboration, and funding source structures of multiplex organization networks and the mechanisms that promote fruitful relationships among these organizations. The study data collection method was a survey of health and social organizations from 2013-2014 in 2 cities, Chicago, IL and Houston, TX. Study participants were representatives from 138 health and social organizations. Responses to survey questions were used to reconstruct competition, collaboration, and combined competition-collaboration networks. While taking into consideration the collaborative relationships among organizations, we provide statistical evidence that organizations of similar type, similar social media use patterns, comparable patterns of funding, and similar network contexts tended to compete with one another. This competition was less likely to be accompanied by any sort of collaboration if the organizations shared common funding sources. Competition that excludes potential collaboration may be detrimental to mobilizing the collective efforts that serve local YMSM communities. System-level interventions may provide promising approaches to scaling-up HIV prevention and treatment efforts so as to encourage organizations to form partnerships with otherwise competing providers.

  8. A stochastic large deformation model for computational anatomy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arnaudon, Alexis; Holm, Darryl D.; Pai, Akshay Sadananda Uppinakudru

    2017-01-01

    In the study of shapes of human organs using computational anatomy, variations are found to arise from inter-subject anatomical differences, disease-specific effects, and measurement noise. This paper introduces a stochastic model for incorporating random variations into the Large Deformation...

  9. Deformation behavior of human dentin in liquid nitrogen: a diametral compression test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaytsev, Dmitry; Panfilov, Peter

    2014-09-01

    Contribution of the collagen fibers into the plasticity of human dentin is considered. Mechanical testing of dentin at low temperature allows excluding the plastic response of its organic matrix. Therefore, deformation and fracture behavior of the dentin samples under diametral compression at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature are compared. At 77K dentin behaves like almost brittle material: it is deformed exclusively in the elastic regime and it fails due to growth of the sole crack. On the contrary, dentin demonstrates the ductile response at 300K. There are both elastic and plastic contributions in the deformation of dentin samples. Multiple cracking and crack tip blunting precede the failure of samples. Organic phase plays an important role in fracture of dentin: plasticity of the collagen fibers could inhibit the crack growth. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Sex Venue-Based Network Analysis to Identify HIV Prevention Dissemination Targets for Men Who Have Sex with Men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Rupa R; Luke, Douglas A; Proctor, Enola K; Powderly, William G; Chan, Philip A; Mayer, Kenneth H; Harrison, Laura C; Dhand, Amar

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to identify sex venue-based networks among men who have sex with men (MSM) to inform HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) dissemination efforts. Using a cross-sectional design, we interviewed MSM about the venues where their recent sexual partners were found. Venues were organized into network matrices grouped by condom use and race. We examined network structure, central venues, and network subgroups. Among 49 participants, the median age was 27 years, 49% were Black and 86% reported condomless anal sex (ncAS). Analysis revealed a map of 54 virtual and physical venues with an overlap in the ncAS and with condom anal sex (cAS) venues. In the ncAS network, virtual and physical locations were more interconnected. The ncAS venues reported by Blacks were more diffusely organized than those reported by Whites. The network structures of sex venues for at-risk MSM differed by race. Network information can enhance HIV prevention dissemination efforts among subpopulations, including PrEP implementation.

  11. Tunable deformation modes shape contractility in active biopolymer networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stam, Samantha; Banerjee, Shiladitya; Weirich, Kim; Freedman, Simon; Dinner, Aaron; Gardel, Margaret

    Biological polymer-based materials remodel under active, molecular motor-driven forces to perform diverse physiological roles, such as force transmission and spatial self-organization. Critical to understanding these biomaterials is elucidating the role of microscopic polymer deformations, such as stretching, bending, buckling, and relative sliding, on material remodeling. Here, we report that the shape of motor-driven deformations can be used to identify microscopic deformation modes and determine how they propagate to longer length scales. In cross-linked actin networks with sufficiently low densities of the motor protein myosin II, microscopic network deformations are predominantly uniaxial, or dominated by sliding. However, longer-wavelength modes are mostly biaxial, or dominated by bending and buckling, indicating that deformations with uniaxial shapes do not propagate across length scales significantly larger than that of individual polymers. As the density of myosin II is increased, biaxial modes dominate on all length scales we examine due to buildup of sufficient stress to produce smaller-wavelength buckling. In contrast, when we construct networks from unipolar, rigid actin bundles, we observe uniaxial, sliding-based contractions on 1 to 100 μm length scales. Our results demonstrate the biopolymer mechanics can be used to tune deformation modes which, in turn, control shape changes in active materials.

  12. Plastic deformation of solids viewed as a self-excited wave process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zuev, L.B.; Danilov, V.I.

    1998-01-01

    A self-excited wave model of plastic flow in crystalline solids is proposed. Experimental data on plastic flow in single crystals and polycrystalline solids involving different mechanisms have been correlated. The main types of strain localization in the materials investigated have been established and correlated with the respective stages of plastic flow curves. The best observing conditions have been defined for the major types of autowaves emerging by plastic deformation. The synergetic concepts of self-organization are shown to apply to description of plastic deformation. Suggested is a self-excited wave model of plastic flow in materials with different mechanisms of deformation. (orig.)

  13. An On-Chip RBC Deformability Checker Significantly Improves Velocity-Deformation Correlation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chia-Hung Dylan Tsai

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available An on-chip deformability checker is proposed to improve the velocity–deformation correlation for red blood cell (RBC evaluation. RBC deformability has been found related to human diseases, and can be evaluated based on RBC velocity through a microfluidic constriction as in conventional approaches. The correlation between transit velocity and amount of deformation provides statistical information of RBC deformability. However, such correlations are usually only moderate, or even weak, in practical evaluations due to limited range of RBC deformation. To solve this issue, we implemented three constrictions of different width in the proposed checker, so that three different deformation regions can be applied to RBCs. By considering cell responses from the three regions as a whole, we practically extend the range of cell deformation in the evaluation, and could resolve the issue about the limited range of RBC deformation. RBCs from five volunteer subjects were tested using the proposed checker. The results show that the correlation between cell deformation and transit velocity is significantly improved by the proposed deformability checker. The absolute values of the correlation coefficients are increased from an average of 0.54 to 0.92. The effects of cell size, shape and orientation to the evaluation are discussed according to the experimental results. The proposed checker is expected to be useful for RBC evaluation in medical practices.

  14. Multiplex competition, collaboration, and funding networks among health and social organizations: Towards organization-based HIV interventions for young men who have sex with men

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimoto, Kayo; Wang, Peng; Kuhns, Lisa; Ross, Michael W; Williams, Mark L.; Garofalo, Robert; Klovdahl, Alden S.; Laumann, Edward O.; Schneider, John A.

    2016-01-01

    Background Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) have the highest rates of HIV infection in the United States. Decades into the HIV epidemic, the relationships that YMSM-serving health and social organizations have with one another has not been studied in depth. Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the competition, collaboration and funding source structures of multiplex organization networks and the mechanisms that promote fruitful relationships among these organizations. Research Design The study data collection method was a survey of health and social organizations from 2013–2014 in two cities, Chicago IL, and Houston TX. Subjects Study participants were representatives from 138 health and social organizations. Measures Responses to survey questions were used to reconstruct competition, collaboration and combined competition-collaboration networks. Results While taking into consideration the collaborative relationships among organizations, we provide solid statistical evidence that organizations of similar type, similar social media use patterns, comparable patterns of funding, and similar network contexts tended to compete with one another. This competition was less likely to be accompanied by any sort of collaboration if the organizations shared common funding sources. Conclusions Competition that excludes potential collaboration may be detrimental to mobilizing the collective efforts that serve local YMSM communities. System-level interventions may provide promising approaches to scaling-up HIV prevention and treatment efforts so as to encourage organizations to form partnerships with otherwise competing providers. PMID:27676400

  15. Molecular pathology of vertebral deformities in hyperthermic Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    OpenAIRE

    Ytteborg, Elisabeth; Baeverfjord, Grete; Torgersen, Jacob; Hjelde, Kirsti; Takle, Harald

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Background Hyperthermia has been shown in a number of organisms to induce developmental defects as a result of changes in cell proliferation, differentiation and gene expression. In spite of this, salmon aquaculture commonly uses high water temperature to speed up developmental rate in intensive production systems, resulting in an increased frequency of skeletal deformities. In order to study the molecular pathology of vertebral deformities, Atlantic salmon was subjected to hyperther...

  16. Unilateral and bilateral cryptorchidism and its effect on the testicular morphology, histology, accessory sex organs, and sperm count in laboratory mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soumita Dutta

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Experimental unilateral cryptorchidism (ULC and bilateral cryptorchidism (BLC are excellent methods to study undescended testis in relation to spermatogenesis against a temperature gradient. Objectives: In case of ULC, it is possible to compare the testicular functions between normal condition and cryptorchidism in the same animal, whereas BLC shows the necessity of testicular androgens for proper maintenance of reproductive structures and functions. Materials and Methods: In the present study, experimental ULC and BLC was done on same-aged adult mature male mice and kept for 15 days and 30 days, respectively, to observe the changes due to the induced cryptorchidism on the different reproductive organs, viz., the testis and accessory sex organs along with epididymal sperm count. Reproductive tissues were collected from individual animals and histopathological studies of testis were done to investigate different cytological changes. Results: The size of the testes and accessory sex organs were found to be significantly reduced in BLC mice, whereas only testicular weight reduction was observed in ULC mice. Histopathological studies showed degenerative changes throughout the seminiferous tubules. Conclusion: Thus, the present investigation showed compensatory androgen production in ULC mice, whereas absence of androgen mediated reproductive functions in BLC animals.

  17. q-deformed Weinberg-Salam model and q-deformed Maxwell equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alavi, S.A.; Sarbishaei, M.; Mokhtari, A.

    2000-01-01

    We study the q-deformation of the gauge part of the Weinberg-Salam model and show that the q-deformed theory involves new interactions. We then obtain q-deformed Maxwell equations from which magnetic monopoles appear naturally. (author)

  18. Effect of sexed-semen use on Holstein conception rate, calf sex, dystocia, and stillbirth in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Most artificial-insemination organizations in the United States now market sex-sorted semen. For 10.8 million US Holstein breedings with conventional semen since January 2006 and 122,705 sexed-semen breedings, data were available from all breedings for conception rate, 12 and 9% of breedings for cal...

  19. Research in rock deformation: Report of the Second Rock Deformation Colloquium, 1989 AGU Spring Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Harry

    In response to the considerable interest expressed at the first Rock Deformation Colloquium held at the Fall 1988 AGU meeting in San Francisco, a second dinner meeting was held on Monday evening, May 8, 1989, at the Omni Hotel in Baltimore. The principal business items were a report by Steve Kirby (U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif.) concerning the meeting the previous day of the rock deformation steering committee and an after dinner presentation by Steve Freiman of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md., entitled “The Environmental Effects on Subcritical Crack Growth.” Kirby reported that a technical committee for rock deformation has been established within the Tectonophysics Section of AGU; the steering committee will attempt to establish constructive working relations with allied societies and disciplines, such as ceramics, metallurgy, materials science, structural geology, and surface science. Brian Evans of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Terry Tullis of Brown University in Providence, R.I., and Harry Green of the University of California at Davis agreed to be a subcommittee to propose a name for the technical committee, for discussion at the next steering committee meeting to be held before the 1989 Fall AGU meeting. Green also agreed to investigate the possibility of convening a special session at the Fall Meeting on the nature and mechanism of deep-focus earthquakes. (The session is Deep Slab Deformation and Faulting, T21B and T22A, organized by Harry and Ken Creager of the University of Washington, Seattle; it will be all day on Tuesday, December 5.)

  20. Sex-determination systems and their evolution: Mammals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colorado Garzon, Fredy A; Matta Camacho, Nubia E; Sanchez, Antonio

    2012-01-01

    Sex-determination methods are very diverse as they have become an enduring research field, understanding the causes of gonadal development and elucidating the main factors involved in sex-determination of offspring required relating information from far-ranging areas such as cytology, embryology, morphology, molecular biology and even ecology and evolution. This article presents an overview of sex-determination in placental mammals, encompassing several levels of biological organization. The importance of the underlying molecular tools in the context of sex-determination assays and their implications in conservation genetics is also discussed.

  1. Deformation twinning in a creep-deformed nanolaminate structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsiung, Luke L

    2010-01-01

    The underlying mechanism of deformation twinning occurring in a TiAl-(γ)/Ti 3 Al-(α 2 ) nanolaminate creep deformed at elevated temperatures has been studied. Since the multiplication and propagation of lattice dislocations in both γ and α 2 thin lamellae are very limited, the total flow of lattice dislocations becomes insufficient to accommodate the accumulated creep strains. Consequently, the movement of interfacial dislocations along the laminate interfaces, i.e., interface sliding, becomes an alternative deformation mode of the nanolaminate structure. Pile-ups of interfacial dislocations occur when interfacial ledges and impinged lattice dislocations act as obstacles to impede the movement of interfacial dislocations. Deformation twinning can accordingly take place to relieve a stress concentration resulting from the pile-up of interfacial dislocations. An interface-controlled twinning mechanism driven by the pile-up and dissociation of interfacial dislocations is accordingly proposed.

  2. Deformation twinning in a creep-deformed nanolaminate structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsiung, Luke L.

    2010-10-01

    The underlying mechanism of deformation twinning occurring in a TiAl-(γ)/Ti3Al-(α2) nanolaminate creep deformed at elevated temperatures has been studied. Since the multiplication and propagation of lattice dislocations in both γ and α2 thin lamellae are very limited, the total flow of lattice dislocations becomes insufficient to accommodate the accumulated creep strains. Consequently, the movement of interfacial dislocations along the laminate interfaces, i.e., interface sliding, becomes an alternative deformation mode of the nanolaminate structure. Pile-ups of interfacial dislocations occur when interfacial ledges and impinged lattice dislocations act as obstacles to impede the movement of interfacial dislocations. Deformation twinning can accordingly take place to relieve a stress concentration resulting from the pile-up of interfacial dislocations. An interface-controlled twinning mechanism driven by the pile-up and dissociation of interfacial dislocations is accordingly proposed.

  3. Disentangling the benefits of sex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roze, Denis

    2012-01-01

    Understanding the evolutionary advantage of sexual reproduction remains one of the most fundamental questions in evolutionary biology. Most of the current hypotheses rely on the fact that sex increases genetic variation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of natural selection; an important body of theoretical work has defined the conditions under which sex can be favoured through this effect. Over the last decade, experimental evolution in model organisms has provided evidence that sex indeed allows faster rates of adaptation. A new study on facultatively sexual rotifers shows that increased rates of sex can be favoured during adaptation to new environmental conditions and explores the cause of this effect. The results provide support for the idea that the benefits of increasing genetic variation may compensate for the short-term costs of sexual reproduction.

  4. Sex mosaics in a male dimorphic ant Cardiocondyla kagutsuchi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshizawa, Juri; Mimori, Kohei; Yamauchi, Katsusuke; Tsuchida, Koji

    2009-01-01

    Gynandromorphy, or the development of organisms with a combination of male and female morphological features, is common in Hymenoptera. The underlying mechanism is likely associated with the sex-determination system, and studying this phenomenon should lead to a deeper understanding of both embryonic development and sex determination. The reproductive capabilities of gynandromorphs (hereafter, sex mosaics) remain unclear. We studied gynandromorphy in the Malaysian ant Cardiocondyla kagutsuchi, which has sex mosaics of queens (gynandromorphs; mosaic of queens and winged male) and workers (ergatandromorphs; mosaic of worker and wingless ergatoid male). These sex mosaics were classified into seven morphological categories. Most individuals had more male than female body areas. Behavioral observations revealed that sex mosaics behave more in accordance with the “sex” of their brain than that of the reproductive organs (gaster). Relative DNA quantities showed that both female and male regions contained haploid and diploid nuclei, irrespective of their phenotypic appearance, indicating that external appearance did not reflect internal tissues. Nearly one third of the adults were sex mosaics and they were not infected with Wolbachia. Our results suggest that the production of sex mosaics in this species does not pose a substantial cost to colonies and that the underlying causes are therefore not strongly selected against.

  5. Fast free-form deformable registration via calculus of variations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Weiguo; Chen Mingli; Olivera, Gustavo H; Ruchala, Kenneth J; Mackie, Thomas R

    2004-01-01

    In this paper, we present a fully automatic, fast and accurate deformable registration technique. This technique deals with free-form deformation. It minimizes an energy functional that combines both similarity and smoothness measures. By using calculus of variations, the minimization problem was represented as a set of nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs). A Gauss-Seidel finite difference scheme is used to iteratively solve the PDE. The registration is refined by a multi-resolution approach. The whole process is fully automatic. It takes less than 3 min to register two three-dimensional (3D) image sets of size 256 x 256 x 61 using a single 933 MHz personal computer. Extensive experiments are presented. These experiments include simulations, phantom studies and clinical image studies. Experimental results show that our model and algorithm are suited for registration of temporal images of a deformable body. The registration of inspiration and expiration phases of the lung images shows that the method is able to deal with large deformations. When applied to the daily CT images of a prostate patient, the results show that registration based on iterative refinement of displacement field is appropriate to describe the local deformations in the prostate and the rectum. Similarity measures improved significantly after the registration. The target application of this paper is for radiotherapy treatment planning and evaluation that incorporates internal organ deformation throughout the course of radiation therapy. The registration method could also be equally applied in diagnostic radiology

  6. An analysis of the implementation of PEPFAR's anti-prostitution pledge and its implications for successful HIV prevention among organizations working with sex workers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ditmore, Melissa Hope; Allman, Dan

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Since 2003, US government funding to address the HIV and AIDS pandemic has been subject to an anti-prostitution clause. Simultaneously, the efficacy of some HIV prevention efforts for sex work in areas receiving US government funding has diminished. This article seeks to explain why. Methods This analysis utilizes a case story approach to build a narrative of defining features of organizations in receipt of funding from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other US funding sources. For this analysis, multiple cases were compiled within a single narrative. This helps show restrictions imposed by the anti-prostitution clause, any lack of clarity of guidelines for implementation and ways some agencies, decision-making personnel, and staff on the ground contend with these restrictions. Results Responses to PEPFAR's anti-prostitution clause vary widely and have varied over time. Organizational responses have included ending services for sex workers, gradual phase-out of services, cessation of seeking US government HIV funds and increasing isolation of sex workers. Guidance issued in 2010 did not clarify what was permitted. Implementation and enforcement has been dependent in part on the interpretations of this policy by individuals, including US government representatives and organizational staff. Conclusions Different interpretations of the anti-prostitution clause have led to variations in programming, affecting the effectiveness of work with sex workers. The case story approach proved ideal for working with information like this that is highly sensitive and vulnerable to breach of anonymity because the method limits the potential to betray confidences and sources, and limits the potential to jeopardize funding and thereby jeopardize programming. This method enabled us to use specific examples without jeopardizing the organizations and individuals involved while demonstrating unintended consequences of PEPFAR's anti

  7. Validation of the deformable image registration system elastix in the head and neck region

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukauskaite, R.; Brink, C.; Hansen, C. R.

    2015-01-01

    evaluates the accuracy of the open source deformable registration tool elastix when used for registration of different organ structures on planning CT and relapse CT scans of head and neck patients. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients treated with definitive IMRT for oral cavity, oropharynx...... cord, mandible, right/left parotid and submandibular glands, thyroid gland and vertebrae C3-5) on planning CT (pCT), relapse CT (rCT) and re-delineated again on the planning CT (reCT). The contouring on the relapse CT was mapped to the planning CT using elastix (http://elastix.isi.uu.nl/). Spatial...... delineation. Significant correlations within single organs were not found. Conclusions: Deformable registration of head and neck CT images using elastix resulted in a combined delineation and deformation uncertainty of approximately twice the uncertainty related to the manual delineation performed on one CT...

  8. Mondini deformity in a case of Turner syndrome. A radiological finding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodet Agustí, Eduard; Galido Ortego, Xavier; Ghani Martínez, Fares; García González, Begoña; Borràs Perera, Montserrat; Seara Gil, Angel

    2012-01-01

    Turner syndrome (TS) is the human being's most frequent sex chromosome abnormality. Progressive sensorineural hearing loss is documented in more than 50% of the women affected by this syndrome. Although Mondini defect is the cochlear congenital malformation most frequently identified in other polymalformative syndromes, it has rarely been reported in TS. We describe the case of a 32-year-old woman with TS who presented progressive sensorineural hearing loss. The computed tomography of the ears showed bilateral Mondini deformity. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  9. Localization in Naturally Deformed Systems - the Default State?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clancy White, Joseph

    2017-04-01

    Based on the extensive literature on localized rock deformation, conventional wisdom would interpret it to be a special behaviour within an anticipated background of otherwise uniform deformation. The latter notwithstanding, the rock record is so rife with transient (cyclic), heterogeneous deformation, notably shear localization, as to characterize localization as the anticipated 'normal' behaviour. The corollary is that steady, homogeneous deformation is significantly less common, and if achieved must reflect some special set of conditions that are not representative of the general case. An issue central to natural deformation is then not the existance of localized strain, but rather how the extant deformation processes scale across tectonic phenomena and in turn organize to enable a coherent(?) descripion of Earth deformation. Deformation is fundamentally quantized, discrete (diffusion, glide, crack propagation) and reliant on the defect state of rock-forming minerals. The strain energy distribution that drives thermo-mechanical responses is in the first instance established at the grain-scale where the non-linear interaction of defect-mediated micromechanical processes introduces heterogeneous behaviour described by various gradient theories, and evidenced by the defect microstructures of deformed rocks. Hence, the potential for non-uniform response is embedded within even quasi-uniform, monomineralic materials, seen, for example, in the spatially discrete evolution of dynamic recrystallization. What passes as homogeneous or uniform deformation at various scales is the aggregation of responses at some characteristic dimension at which heterogeneity is not registered or measured. Nevertheless, the aggregate response and associated normalized parameters (strain, strain rate) do not correspond to any condition actually experienced by the deforming material. The more common types of macroscopic heterogeneity promoting localization comprise mechanically contrasting

  10. SU-F-T-516: Effects of Inter-Fraction Organ Displacement/deformation On the Delivered Doses to the Heart, Esophagus, and Lungs in Patients Receiving Thoracic Radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hammers, J; Matney, J; Kaidar-Person, O; Zagar, T; Marks, L; Das, S; Mavroidis, P [University North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To quantitatively assess the effects of inter-fraction changes in organ shape and location on the delivered dose distribution to the organs at risk (OAR) in lung cancer patients. Methods: This study analyzes treatment data of 10 patients, who were treated to 60Gy in 30 fractions. In each fraction a cone beam CT (CBCT) was acquired. Each CBCT was registered with the planning CT using deformable registration tools within MIM Software. The daily setup shifts were used to translate the planned dose distribution on the deformed planning CT. The structures of lungs, esophagus and heart were re-delineated by a physician on each CBCT. The doses delivered to each OAR, reflecting changes in the position and shape variations, were recomputed. Resultant daily dose volume histograms (DVHs) for OARs were computed and compared to those from the planning CT. Results: Based on the findings of two patients and 24 CBCTs analyzed so far, higher doses are delivered to the lungs and esophagus compared to the treatment plan. The dose differences per fraction between the delivered doses and those in the treatment plan are: for patient 1, lung mean dose = 5.3±1.3cGy and esophagus mean dose = 3.4±3.5cGy. For patient 2, lung mean dose = 12.0±3.9cGy and esophagus mean dose = 34.2±7.5cGy. Regarding the maximum dose to heart, the results varied (−18.9±22.0cGy for patient1 and 53.0±62.2cGy for patient2). Conclusion: The dosimetric effects of inter-fractional anatomical variations could be estimated using deformable image registration and manual organ segmentation for each CBCT. A considerable dose distribution variation between fractions was observed for the OARs. These changes are currently not taken into account while treating the patients and these may explain cases with severe side effects even when the treatment plan looks satisfactory. These results suggest the need for automated daily dose tracking and accumulation.

  11. Is nucleon deformed?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbas, Afsar

    1992-01-01

    The surprising answer to this question Is nucleon deformed? is : Yes. The evidence comes from a study of the quark model of the single nucleon and when it is found in a nucleus. It turns out that many of the long standing problems of the Naive Quark Model are taken care of if the nucleon is assumed to be deformed. Only one value of the parameter P D ∼1/4 (which specifies deformation) fits g A (the axial vector coupling constant) for all the semileptonic decay of baryons, the F/D ratio, the pion-nucleon-delta coupling constant fsub(πNΔ), the double delta coupling constant 1 fsub(πΔΔ), the Ml transition moment μΔN and g 1 p the spin structure function of proton 2 . All this gives strong hint that both neutron and proton are deformed. It is important to look for further signatures of this deformation. When this deformed nucleon finds itself in a nuclear medium its deformation decreases. So much that in a heavy nucleus the nucleons are actually spherical. We look into the Gamow-Teller strengths, magnetic moments and magnetic transition strengths in nuclei to study this property. (author). 15 refs

  12. Different Rols of Modified Organoclay in Deformation Mechanism Control of Polymeric Matrices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babak Akbari

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The effect of organically modified clay on the structure and deformation mechanism of polymeric matrices was investigated. For this purpose, the role of organoclay in deformation control of polymeric matrices, with different deformation mechanisms, has been studied methodically in order to determine a relationship between the structure and deformation mechanisms. In this respect polypropylene and polystyrene composites systems were designed using montmorillonite through melt intercalation technique using a twin, co-rotating extruder with starve feeding system. Also an epoxy was employed to design a nanocomposite system prepared by in-situ polymerization technique. The structure and deformation mechanism of nanocomposites were investigated using appropriate techniques. X-Ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to explore the structure of various systems while, the reflection and transmission optical microscopy were used in order to study their corresponding deformation mechanisms. The bulk polymer was also studied for its deformation mechanism by reflection optical microscopy and the notch tip of the samples were examined by transmission optical microscopy. The results of experiments showed that organoclays acted as initiator sites for shear yielding mechanism as the dominant deformation mechanism in epoxies. It may be noted that, these particles may act as initiator sites for crazing, the dominant deformation mechanism of polystyrene, and alter the mechanism from local to massive. In polypropylene systems, which may exhibit both shear yielding and crazing organoclays can facilitate or postpone both mechanisms in different conditions, related to PP morphology and other conditions.

  13. Development of deformable moving lung phantom to simulate respiratory motion in radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jina [Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Youngkyu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 137-701, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Hunjoo [Department of Radiation Oncology, Inchoen St. Mary' s Hospital College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Incheon 403-720 (Korea, Republic of); Ji, Sanghoon [Field Robot R& D Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Ansan 426-910 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sungkwang [Department of Radiation Oncology, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan 614-735 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jinyoung [Department of Radiation Oncology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan 612-896 (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Hongseok [Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 137-701, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Youngnam, E-mail: ynkang33@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 137-701, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-07-01

    Radiation treatment requires high accuracy to protect healthy organs and destroy the tumor. However, tumors located near the diaphragm constantly move during treatment. Respiration-gated radiotherapy has significant potential for the improvement of the irradiation of tumor sites affected by respiratory motion, such as lung and liver tumors. To measure and minimize the effects of respiratory motion, a realistic deformable phantom is required for use as a gold standard. The purpose of this study was to develop and study the characteristics of a deformable moving lung (DML) phantom, such as simulation, tissue equivalence, and rate of deformation. The rate of change of the lung volume, target deformation, and respiratory signals were measured in this study; they were accurately measured using a realistic deformable phantom. The measured volume difference was 31%, which closely corresponds to the average difference in human respiration, and the target movement was − 30 to + 32 mm. The measured signals accurately described human respiratory signals. This DML phantom would be useful for the estimation of deformable image registration and in respiration-gated radiotherapy. This study shows that the developed DML phantom can exactly simulate the patient's respiratory signal and it acts as a deformable 4-dimensional simulation of a patient's lung with sufficient volume change.

  14. Development of deformable moving lung phantom to simulate respiratory motion in radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jina; Lee, Youngkyu; Shin, Hunjoo; Ji, Sanghoon; Park, Sungkwang; Kim, Jinyoung; Jang, Hongseok; Kang, Youngnam

    2016-01-01

    Radiation treatment requires high accuracy to protect healthy organs and destroy the tumor. However, tumors located near the diaphragm constantly move during treatment. Respiration-gated radiotherapy has significant potential for the improvement of the irradiation of tumor sites affected by respiratory motion, such as lung and liver tumors. To measure and minimize the effects of respiratory motion, a realistic deformable phantom is required for use as a gold standard. The purpose of this study was to develop and study the characteristics of a deformable moving lung (DML) phantom, such as simulation, tissue equivalence, and rate of deformation. The rate of change of the lung volume, target deformation, and respiratory signals were measured in this study; they were accurately measured using a realistic deformable phantom. The measured volume difference was 31%, which closely corresponds to the average difference in human respiration, and the target movement was − 30 to + 32 mm. The measured signals accurately described human respiratory signals. This DML phantom would be useful for the estimation of deformable image registration and in respiration-gated radiotherapy. This study shows that the developed DML phantom can exactly simulate the patient's respiratory signal and it acts as a deformable 4-dimensional simulation of a patient's lung with sufficient volume change.

  15. Coordination of Cellular Dynamics Contributes to Tooth Epithelium Deformations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morita, Ritsuko; Kihira, Miho; Nakatsu, Yousuke; Nomoto, Yohei; Ogawa, Miho; Ohashi, Kazumasa; Mizuno, Kensaku; Tachikawa, Tetsuhiko; Ishimoto, Yukitaka; Morishita, Yoshihiro; Tsuji, Takashi

    2016-01-01

    The morphologies of ectodermal organs are shaped by appropriate combinations of several deformation modes, such as invagination and anisotropic tissue elongation. However, how multicellular dynamics are coordinated during deformation processes remains to be elucidated. Here, we developed a four-dimensional (4D) analysis system for tracking cell movement and division at a single-cell resolution in developing tooth epithelium. The expression patterns of a Fucci probe clarified the region- and stage-specific cell cycle patterns within the tooth germ, which were in good agreement with the pattern of the volume growth rate estimated from tissue-level deformation analysis. Cellular motility was higher in the regions with higher growth rates, while the mitotic orientation was significantly biased along the direction of tissue elongation in the epithelium. Further, these spatio-temporal patterns of cellular dynamics and tissue-level deformation were highly correlated with that of the activity of cofilin, which is an actin depolymerization factor, suggesting that the coordination of cellular dynamics via actin remodeling plays an important role in tooth epithelial morphogenesis. Our system enhances the understanding of how cellular behaviors are coordinated during ectodermal organogenesis, which cannot be observed from histological analyses. PMID:27588418

  16. Cytocompatibility evaluation and surface characterization of TiNi deformed by high-pressure torsion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Awang Shri, Dayangku Noorfazidah, E-mail: AWANGSHRI.Dayangku@nims.go.jp [Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Structural Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Tsuchiya, Koichi [Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Structural Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Yamamoto, Akiko [Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Material Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki 1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan)

    2014-10-01

    Effect of high-pressure torsion (HPT) deformation on biocompatibility and surface chemistry of TiNi was systematically investigated. Ti–50 mol% Ni was subjected to HPT straining for different numbers of turns, N = 0.25, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 at a rotation speed of 1 rpm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy observations after 7 days of cell culture revealed the changes in the surface oxide composition, enrichment of Ti and detection of nitrogen derived from organic molecules in the culture medium. Plating efficiency of L929 cells was slightly increased by HPT deformation though no significant difference was observed. Albumin adsorption was higher in HPT-deformed samples, while vitronectin adsorption was peaked at N = 1. HPT deformation was also found to effectively suppress the Ni ion release from the TiNi samples into the cell culture medium even after the low degree of deformation at N = 0.25. - Highlights: • Nanostructured Ti–50 mol%Ni alloy was produced using high-pressure torsion. • HPT deformation improved L929 growth on TiNi samples. • Changes in surface chemistry were observed in HPT deformed samples. • Protein adsorption behavior was influenced by the surface chemistry. • Ni ion release was suppressed in HPT deformed samples.

  17. Deformity, Erosion, Lesion, and Tumor Occurrence, Fluctuating Asymmetry, and Population Parameters for Bluntnose Minnow (Pimephales notatus) as Indicators of Recovering Water Quality in a Great Lakes Area of Concern, USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Thomas P; Burskey, Jacob L

    2016-02-01

    The Grand Calumet River is an industrial river and a Great Lakes Area of Concern in southwestern Lake Michigan, USA. Recovery end points require well-formulated designs to assess the use of occurrence of internal and external anomalies, fluctuating asymmetry, and population indicators to determine recovery from the water-quality Beneficial Use Impairments of fish tumors and deformities. A paired-watershed approach using three reaches within the study area was sampled weekly and separated into near- and far-field reaches, whereas the Little Calumet River, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, served as a control. Field-collected Pimephales notatus were inspected for occurrence of deformities, erosion, lesion, and tumor (DELT) anomalies, measured for body symmetry, and dissected to ascertain sex and the condition of internal organs. Morphometric measurements (p ≤ 0.000), internal organ conditions (p = 0.001), and sex ratios of the fish (p = 0.001) were significantly different between the control and P. notatus test populations. The near-field individuals had the highest incidence of DELT occurrence (70 %) followed by the far-field reaches at Roxana Marsh (45 %) and Kennedy Avenue (41.9 %). Morphometric analysis showed significant differences between body size and shape and age class structure between populations. No test-reach individual lived to reach age >2 years. Gonads and livers from Grand Calumet individuals were found to be blackened, ruptured, and decreased in thickness. None of the fish from test study reaches displayed sexual structure in a 1:1 ratio. High sediment-contaminant concentrations for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metals in the Grand Calumet River correlated (r (2) = 0.998) with decreased population fitness and decreased individual reproductive health.

  18. Interactive deformation registration of endorectal prostate MRI using ITK thin plate splines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, M Rex; Krishnan, Karthik

    2009-03-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging with an endorectal coil allows high-resolution imaging of prostate cancer and the surrounding normal organs. These anatomic details can be used to direct radiotherapy. However, organ deformation introduced by the endorectal coil makes it difficult to register magnetic resonance images for treatment planning. In this study, plug-ins for the volume visualization software VolView were implemented on the basis of algorithms from the National Library of Medicine's Insight Segmentation and Registration Toolkit (ITK). Magnetic resonance images of a phantom simulating human pelvic structures were obtained with and without the endorectal coil balloon inflated. The prostate not deformed by the endorectal balloon was registered to the deformed prostate using an ITK thin plate spline (TPS). This plug-in allows the use of crop planes to limit the deformable registration in the region of interest around the prostate. These crop planes restricted the support of the TPS to the area around the prostate, where most of the deformation occurred. The region outside the crop planes was anchored by grid points. The TPS was more accurate in registering the local deformation of the prostate compared with a TPS variant, the elastic body spline. The TPS was also applied to register an in vivo T(2)-weighted endorectal magnetic resonance image. The intraprostatic tumor was accurately registered. This could potentially guide the boosting of intraprostatic targets. The source and target landmarks were placed graphically. This TPS plug-in allows the registration to be undone. The landmarks could be added, removed, and adjusted in real time and in three dimensions between repeated registrations. This interactive TPS plug-in allows a user to obtain a high level of accuracy satisfactory to a specific application efficiently. Because it is open-source software, the imaging community will be able to validate and improve the algorithm.

  19. Using technology, choosing sex. The campaign against sex determination and the question of choice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-01-01

    Women's groups and people's science and health groups formed the Forum Against Sex Determination and Sex Pre-Selection in November 1985 in Bombay, India, to prevent sex determination and sex preselection tests. The Forum considered sex determination and sex preselection to be an abuse of science and technology against people, especially women. Between 1901 and 1991, the sex ratio fell from 972 females/1000 males to 929/1000. The Forum saw the issue of sex determination and sex preselection as a link to oppression of and discrimination against females in all sectors of society. It also believed this to be a human rights issue. The Forum lobbied for a law regulating diagnostic techniques without banning them, since determining chromosomal abnormalities is important. The State of Maharashtra passed such a law in June 1988. It had some provisions which were counter-productive, however. For example, women undergoing a sex determination test must pay a fine of Rs 5 if found guilty of planning to terminate a pregnancy of a female fetus. Yet, neither the husband nor parents-in-law are liable, even though they often pressure women to undergo sex determination tests. The Forum's efforts and enactment of the law in Maharashtra have prompted other state governments and the central government to propose similar legislation. These state governments include Goa, Gujarat, and Orissa. The central government has met with organizations and individuals lobbying against misuse of diagnostic tests to obtain their counsel. The Forum does not feel comfortable with state control, however, since it tends to consider government to be against the people. Yet, the Forum did want the state to protect women's interests. It has raised important questions about technology, particularly concerning criteria to determine desirable and appropriate technologies.

  20. Sex Differences in Human and Animal Toxicology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gochfeld, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Sex, the states of being female or male, potentially interacts with all xenobiotic exposures, both inadvertent and deliberate, and influences their toxicokinetics (TK), toxicodynamics, and outcomes. Sex differences occur in behavior, exposure, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and genetics, accounting for female-male differences in responses to environmental chemicals, diet, and pharmaceuticals, including adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Often viewed as an annoying confounder, researchers have studied only one sex, adjusted for sex, or ignored it. Occupational epidemiology, the basis for understanding many toxic effects in humans, usually excluded women. Likewise, Food and Drug Administration rules excluded women of childbearing age from drug studies for many years. Aside from sex-specific organs, sex differences and sex × age interactions occur for a wide range of disease states as well as hormone-influenced conditions and drug distribution. Women have more ADRs than men; the classic sex hormone paradigm (gonadectomy and replacement) reveals significant interaction of sex and TK including absorption, distribution, metabolisms, and elimination. Studies should be designed to detect sex differences, describe the mechanisms, and interpret these in a broad social, clinical, and evolutionary context with phenomena that do not differ. Sex matters, but how much of a difference is needed to matter remains challenging.

  1. Plastic deformation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sitter, de L.U.

    1937-01-01

    § 1. Plastic deformation of solid matter under high confining pressures has been insufficiently studied. Jeffreys 1) devotes a few paragraphs to deformation of solid matter as a preface to his chapter on the isostasy problem. He distinguishes two properties of solid matter with regard to its

  2. Deformation compensation in dynamic tomography; Compensation de deformations en tomographie dynamique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Desbat, L. [Universite Joseph Fourier, UMR CNRS 5525, 38 - Grenoble (France); Roux, S. [Universite Joseph Fourier, TIMC-IMAG, In3S, Faculte de Medecine, 38 - Grenoble (France)]|[CEA Grenoble, Lab. d' Electronique et de Technologie de l' Informatique (LETI), 38 (France); Grangeat, P. [CEA Grenoble, Lab. d' Electronique et de Technologie de l' Informatique (LETI), 38 (France)

    2005-07-01

    This work is a contribution to the compensation of motion in tomography. New classes of deformation are proposed, that compensates analytically by an algorithm of a F.B.P. type reconstruction. This work makes a generalisation of the known results for affine deformations, in parallel geometry and fan-beam, to deformation classes of infinite dimension able to include strong non linearities. (N.C.)

  3. Documenting human rights violations against sex workers in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukera, MaryFrances

    2007-12-01

    The human rights of sex workers are an increasing concern for prominent women's rights organizations such as the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA). As FIDA-Kenya's MaryFrances Lukera writes, documenting human rights abuses against sex workers is critical to responding to Kenya's HIV epidemic.

  4. Integration of breathing in radiotherapy: contribution of the image deformable registration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boldea, Vlad

    2006-01-01

    As taking organ movements and deformations into account in radiotherapy for the treatment of lung cancer is a challenge as it allows the delivered dose to be increased while better sparing surrounding sane tissues, this research thesis addresses non-rigid (or deformable) registration iconic methods applied to thorax X ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) 3D acquisitions. The objective is to extract the information regarding lung and tumour movement and deformation. The author thus reports the development of deformable registration framework with several methods of regularisation of vector fields. Three main studies have been performed and are reported. In the first one, deformable registration allowed the breathe blockage reproducibility to be controlled. Experiments performed on ten patients showed that this blockage is efficient (displacement less than 5 mm), except for three of them with functional anomalies. In a second study, 4D X-ray CT acquisitions (3D X-ray CT images acquired at different moments of the normal breathing cycle) have been analysed to extract and follow thorax movements and deformations in order to take them into account in free breathing and to perform 4D dynamic dosimetric studies. A first 4D X-ray CT image model has been developed from 3D X-ray CT images acquired in breathe blockage at the end of expiration and at the end on inhalation [fr

  5. Statistical modeling of interfractional tissue deformation and its application in radiation therapy planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vile, Douglas J.

    In radiation therapy, interfraction organ motion introduces a level of geometric uncertainty into the planning process. Plans, which are typically based upon a single instance of anatomy, must be robust against daily anatomical variations. For this problem, a model of the magnitude, direction, and likelihood of deformation is useful. In this thesis, principal component analysis (PCA) is used to statistically model the 3D organ motion for 19 prostate cancer patients, each with 8-13 fractional computed tomography (CT) images. Deformable image registration and the resultant displacement vector fields (DVFs) are used to quantify the interfraction systematic and random motion. By applying the PCA technique to the random DVFs, principal modes of random tissue deformation were determined for each patient, and a method for sampling synthetic random DVFs was developed. The PCA model was then extended to describe the principal modes of systematic and random organ motion for the population of patients. A leave-one-out study tested both the systematic and random motion model's ability to represent PCA training set DVFs. The random and systematic DVF PCA models allowed the reconstruction of these data with absolute mean errors between 0.5-0.9 mm and 1-2 mm, respectively. To the best of the author's knowledge, this study is the first successful effort to build a fully 3D statistical PCA model of systematic tissue deformation in a population of patients. By sampling synthetic systematic and random errors, organ occupancy maps were created for bony and prostate-centroid patient setup processes. By thresholding these maps, PCA-based planning target volume (PTV) was created and tested against conventional margin recipes (van Herk for bony alignment and 5 mm fixed [3 mm posterior] margin for centroid alignment) in a virtual clinical trial for low-risk prostate cancer. Deformably accumulated delivered dose served as a surrogate for clinical outcome. For the bony landmark setup

  6. q-Deformed KP Hierarchy and q-Deformed Constrained KP Hierarchy

    OpenAIRE

    He, Jingsong; Li, Yinghua; Cheng, Yi

    2006-01-01

    Using the determinant representation of gauge transformation operator, we have shown that the general form of $au$ function of the $q$-KP hierarchy is a $q$-deformed generalized Wronskian, which includes the $q$-deformed Wronskian as a special case. On the basis of these, we study the $q$-deformed constrained KP ($q$-cKP) hierarchy, i.e. $l$-constraints of $q$-KP hierarchy. Similar to the ordinary constrained KP (cKP) hierarchy, a large class of solutions of $q$-cKP hierarchy can be represent...

  7. Genetic regulation of sex differences in songbirds and lizards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wade, Juli

    2016-01-01

    Sex differences in the morphology of neural and peripheral structures related to reproduction often parallel the frequency of particular behaviours displayed by males and females. In a variety of model organisms, these sex differences are organized in development by gonadal steroids, which also act in adulthood to modulate behavioural expression and in some cases to generate parallel anatomical changes on a seasonal basis. Data collected from diverse species, however, suggest that changes in hormone availability are not sufficient to explain sex and seasonal differences in structure and function. This paper pulls together some of this literature from songbirds and lizards and considers the information in the broader context of taking a comparative approach to investigating genetic mechanisms associated with behavioural neuroendocrinology. PMID:26833833

  8. [Elucidation of key genes in sex determination in genetics teaching].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Meng; He, Zhumei

    2014-06-01

    Sex is an important and complex feature of organisms, which is controlled by the genetic and environmental factors. The genetic factors, i.e., genes, are vital in sex determination. However, not all the related genes play the same roles, and some key genes play a vital role in the sex determination and differentiation. With the development of the modern genetics, a great progress on the key genes has been made in sex determination. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of sex determination and the strategy of how to study the key genes in sex determination. It will help us to understand the mechanism of sex determination better in the teaching of genetics.

  9. SU-E-J-195: Quantification of Rotations and Deformations in Head and Heck Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J; Liu, C; Kumarasiri, A; Gordon, J; Siddiqui, F; Chetty, I J; Chetvertkov, M

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To quantify the magnitude of patient rotations and deformations over the course of head and neck radiotherapy. Methods: 45 CBCT images acquired weekly were selected retrospectively from 5 head and neck cancer patients. CBCT images were registered to the corresponding planning CT images using translation, rigid-body, and cubic B-spline deformable transformations. Elastix ( elastix.isi.uu.nl ), an open-source public domain registration algorithm, was used for all registrations with mutual information as similarity metric and gradient descent as optimization. Four-level multiresolution approach was employed with 2 cm B-spline grid spacing at the finest resolution. Registration qualities were visually verified. Rotational occurrences were quantified from the rigid-body registrations. The magnitude of deformations in planning target volumes (PTV) and organs were quantified from the deformation vector fields with rigid registrations as baseline. Results: The measured rotations (mean±std) were 1.0±1.0 deg, - 0.3±1.0 deg, and 0.1±0.8 deg in the sagittal, coronal, and axial plains respectively. The estimated magnitudes of deformations (mean±std) were 3.4±2.1 mm for PTVs, 2.9±1.2 mm for parotid glands, 2.8±1.2 mm for mandible, and 2.2±1.1 mm for spinal cord. The overall deformation in the body contour was 4.3±4.3 mm. The organ spatial deviation due to rotation was small and approximately 8.4% of that from deformations. Results varied among patients. Conclusion: Rotations occurred about 1.0 deg (1SD) in the H'N area. Daily geometric deviation of target volumes was considerable and mainly from tissue deformation than rotations. Proper safety margin is necessary for adequate target coverage. Online plan adaptation may mitigate the daily differences between the plan and actual patient poses. Partially supported by a grant from Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA

  10. SU-E-J-195: Quantification of Rotations and Deformations in Head and Heck Radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, J; Liu, C; Kumarasiri, A; Gordon, J; Siddiqui, F; Chetty, I J [Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Chetvertkov, M [Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: To quantify the magnitude of patient rotations and deformations over the course of head and neck radiotherapy. Methods: 45 CBCT images acquired weekly were selected retrospectively from 5 head and neck cancer patients. CBCT images were registered to the corresponding planning CT images using translation, rigid-body, and cubic B-spline deformable transformations. Elastix ( elastix.isi.uu.nl ), an open-source public domain registration algorithm, was used for all registrations with mutual information as similarity metric and gradient descent as optimization. Four-level multiresolution approach was employed with 2 cm B-spline grid spacing at the finest resolution. Registration qualities were visually verified. Rotational occurrences were quantified from the rigid-body registrations. The magnitude of deformations in planning target volumes (PTV) and organs were quantified from the deformation vector fields with rigid registrations as baseline. Results: The measured rotations (mean±std) were 1.0±1.0 deg, - 0.3±1.0 deg, and 0.1±0.8 deg in the sagittal, coronal, and axial plains respectively. The estimated magnitudes of deformations (mean±std) were 3.4±2.1 mm for PTVs, 2.9±1.2 mm for parotid glands, 2.8±1.2 mm for mandible, and 2.2±1.1 mm for spinal cord. The overall deformation in the body contour was 4.3±4.3 mm. The organ spatial deviation due to rotation was small and approximately 8.4% of that from deformations. Results varied among patients. Conclusion: Rotations occurred about 1.0 deg (1SD) in the H'N area. Daily geometric deviation of target volumes was considerable and mainly from tissue deformation than rotations. Proper safety margin is necessary for adequate target coverage. Online plan adaptation may mitigate the daily differences between the plan and actual patient poses. Partially supported by a grant from Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA.

  11. Study of a bio-mechanical model of the movements and deformations of the pelvic organs and integration in the process of radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azad, M.

    2011-01-01

    One of the goals of optimizing treatment planning of prostate cancer radiation therapy is to maintain the margins added to the clinical target volume (CTV) as small as possible to reduce the volumes of normal tissue irradiated. Several methods have been proposed to define these margins: 1) Methods based on the observation of movements obtained by different imaging systems, 2) The predictive methods of the movement of organs, from a model representing the motions of pelvis organs, a calculation of a margin can be made. We have developed and optimized a finite element bio-mechanical model of the prostate, bladder and rectum. This model describes the movement and deformation of the pelvic organs during the filling of certain organs such as the bladder and rectum. An evaluation of this model to predict the movement of the prostate during the various sessions of radiotherapy is shown using a series of CBCT images (Cone Beam Computerized Tomography). (author)

  12. Competition between deformability and charge transport in semiconducting polymers for flexible and stretchable electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Printz, Adam D.; Lipomi, Darren J.

    2016-01-01

    The primary goal of the field concerned with organic semiconductors is to produce devices with performance approaching that of silicon electronics, but with the deformability—flexibility and stretchability—of conventional plastics. However, an inherent competition between deformability and charge transport has long been observed in these materials, and achieving the extreme (or even moderate) deformability implied by the word “plastic” concurrently with high charge transport may be elusive. This competition arises because the properties needed for high carrier mobilities—e.g., rigid chains in π-conjugated polymers and high degrees of crystallinity in the solid state—are antithetical to deformability. On the device scale, this competition can lead to low-performance yet mechanically robust devices, or high-performance devices that fail catastrophically (e.g., cracking, cohesive failure, and delamination) under strain. There are, however, some observations that contradict the notion of the mutual exclusivity of electronic and mechanical performances. These observations suggest that this problem may not be a fundamental trade-off, but rather an inconvenience that may be negotiated by a logical selection of materials and processing conditions. For example, the selection of the poly(3-alkylthiophene) with a critical side-chain length—poly(3-heptylthiophene) (n = 7)—marries the high deformability of poly(3-octylthiophene) (n = 8) with the high electronic performance (as manifested in photovoltaic efficiency) of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (n = 6). This review explores the relationship between deformability and charge transport in organic semiconductors. The principal conclusions are that reducing the competition between these two parameters is in fact possible, with two demonstrated routes being: (1) incorporation of softer, insulating material into a stiffer, semiconducting material and (2) increasing disorder in a highly ordered film, but not

  13. Competition between deformability and charge transport in semiconducting polymers for flexible and stretchable electronics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Printz, Adam D.; Lipomi, Darren J., E-mail: dlipomi@ucsd.edu [Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0448, La Jolla, California 92093-0448 (United States)

    2016-06-15

    The primary goal of the field concerned with organic semiconductors is to produce devices with performance approaching that of silicon electronics, but with the deformability—flexibility and stretchability—of conventional plastics. However, an inherent competition between deformability and charge transport has long been observed in these materials, and achieving the extreme (or even moderate) deformability implied by the word “plastic” concurrently with high charge transport may be elusive. This competition arises because the properties needed for high carrier mobilities—e.g., rigid chains in π-conjugated polymers and high degrees of crystallinity in the solid state—are antithetical to deformability. On the device scale, this competition can lead to low-performance yet mechanically robust devices, or high-performance devices that fail catastrophically (e.g., cracking, cohesive failure, and delamination) under strain. There are, however, some observations that contradict the notion of the mutual exclusivity of electronic and mechanical performances. These observations suggest that this problem may not be a fundamental trade-off, but rather an inconvenience that may be negotiated by a logical selection of materials and processing conditions. For example, the selection of the poly(3-alkylthiophene) with a critical side-chain length—poly(3-heptylthiophene) (n = 7)—marries the high deformability of poly(3-octylthiophene) (n = 8) with the high electronic performance (as manifested in photovoltaic efficiency) of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (n = 6). This review explores the relationship between deformability and charge transport in organic semiconductors. The principal conclusions are that reducing the competition between these two parameters is in fact possible, with two demonstrated routes being: (1) incorporation of softer, insulating material into a stiffer, semiconducting material and (2) increasing disorder in a highly ordered film, but not

  14. The behavioural consequences of sex reversal in dragons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hong; Holleley, Clare E.; Elphick, Melanie; Georges, Arthur

    2016-01-01

    Sex differences in morphology, physiology, and behaviour are caused by sex-linked genes, as well as by circulating sex-steroid levels. Thus, a shift from genotypic to environmental sex determination may create an organism that exhibits a mixture of male-like and female-like traits. We studied a lizard species (Central Bearded Dragon, Pogona vitticeps), in which the high-temperature incubation of eggs transforms genetically male individuals into functional females. Although they are reproductively female, sex-reversed dragons (individuals with ZZ genotype reversed to female phenotype) resemble genetic males rather than females in morphology (relative tail length), general behaviour (boldness and activity level), and thermoregulatory tactics. Indeed, sex-reversed ‘females’ are more male-like in some behavioural traits than are genetic males. This novel phenotype may impose strong selection on the frequency of sex reversal within natural populations, facilitating rapid shifts in sex-determining systems. A single period of high incubation temperatures (generating thermally induced sex reversal) can produce functionally female individuals with male-like (or novel) traits that enhance individual fitness, allowing the new temperature-dependent sex-determining system to rapidly replace the previous genetically based one.

  15. Sex steroids and neurogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heberden, Christine

    2017-10-01

    The brain has long been known as a dimorphic organ and as a target of sex steroids. It is also a site for their synthesis. Sex steroids in numerous ways can modify cerebral physiology, and along with many processes adult neurogenesis is also modulated by sex steroids. This review will focus on the effects of the main steroids, estrogens, androgens and progestogens, and unveil some aspects of their partly disclosed mechanisms of actions. Gonadal steroids act on different steps of neurogenesis: cell proliferation seems to be increased by estrogens only, while androgens and progestogens favor neuronal renewal by increasing cell survival; differentiation is a common target. Aging is characterized by a cognitive deficiency, paralleled by a decrease in the rate of neuronal renewal and in the levels of circulating gonadal hormones. Therefore, the effects of gonadal hormones on the aging brain are important to consider. The review will also be expanded to related molecules which are agonists to the nuclear receptors. Sex steroids can modify adult neuronal renewal and the extensive knowledge of their actions on neurogenesis is essential, as it can be a leading pathway to therapeutic perspectives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Deformations of superconformal theories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Córdova, Clay [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Dumitrescu, Thomas T. [Department of Physics, Harvard University,17 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Intriligator, Kenneth [Department of Physics, University of California,9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

    2016-11-22

    We classify possible supersymmetry-preserving relevant, marginal, and irrelevant deformations of unitary superconformal theories in d≥3 dimensions. Our method only relies on symmetries and unitarity. Hence, the results are model independent and do not require a Lagrangian description. Two unifying themes emerge: first, many theories admit deformations that reside in multiplets together with conserved currents. Such deformations can lead to modifications of the supersymmetry algebra by central and non-central charges. Second, many theories with a sufficient amount of supersymmetry do not admit relevant or marginal deformations, and some admit neither. The classification is complicated by the fact that short superconformal multiplets display a rich variety of sporadic phenomena, including supersymmetric deformations that reside in the middle of a multiplet. We illustrate our results with examples in diverse dimensions. In particular, we explain how the classification of irrelevant supersymmetric deformations can be used to derive known and new constraints on moduli-space effective actions.

  17. q-Deformed Kink solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima, A.F. de

    2003-01-01

    The q-deformed kink of the λφ 4 -model is obtained via the normalisable ground state eigenfunction of a fluctuation operator associated with the q-deformed hyperbolic functions. The kink mass, the bosonic zero-mode and the q-deformed potential in 1+1 dimensions are found. (author)

  18. The maintenance of sex: Ronald Fisher meets the Red Queen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, David; Mason, Chris

    2013-08-21

    Sex in higher diploids carries a two-fold cost of males that should reduce its fitness relative to cloning, and result in its extinction. Instead, sex is widespread and clonal species face early obsolescence. One possible reason is that sex is an adaptation that allows organisms to respond more effectively to endless changes in their environment. The purpose of this study was to model mutation and selection in a diploid organism in an evolving environment and ascertain their support for sex. We used a computational approach to model finite populations where a haploid environment subjects a diploid host to endlessly evolving change. Evolution in both populations is primarily through adoption of novel advantageous mutations within a large allele space. Sex outcompetes cloning by two complementary mechanisms. First, sexual diploids adopt advantageous homozygous mutations more rapidly than clonal ones under conditions of lag load (the gap between the actual adaptation of the diploid population and its theoretical optimum). This rate advantage can offset the higher fecundity of cloning. Second, a relative advantage to sex emerges where populations are significantly polymorphic, because clonal polymorphism runs the risk of clonal interference caused by selection on numerous lines of similar adaptation. This interference extends allele lifetime and reduces the rate of adaptation. Sex abolishes the interference, making selection faster and elevating population fitness. Differences in adaptation between sexual and clonal populations increase markedly with the number of loci under selection, the rate of mutation in the host, and a rapidly evolving environment. Clonal interference in these circumstances leads to conditions where the greater fecundity of clones is unable to offset their poor adaptation. Sexual and clonal populations then either co-exist, or sex emerges as the more stable evolutionary strategy. Sex can out-compete clones in a rapidly evolving environment, such

  19. Adaptive value of sex in microbial pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michod, Richard E; Bernstein, Harris; Nedelcu, Aurora M

    2008-05-01

    Explaining the adaptive value of sex is one of the great outstanding problems in biology. The challenge comes from the difficulty in identifying the benefits provided by sex, which must outweigh the substantial costs of sex. Here, we consider the adaptive value of sex in viruses, bacteria and fungi, and particularly the information available on the adaptive role of sex in pathogenic microorganisms. Our general theme is that the varied aspects of sex in pathogens illustrate the varied issues surrounding the evolution of sex generally. These include, the benefits of sex (in the short- and long-term), as well as the costs of sex (both to the host and to the pathogen). For the benefits of sex (that is, its adaptive value), we consider three hypotheses: (i) sex provides for effective and efficient recombinational repair of DNA damages, (ii) sex provides DNA for food, and (iii) sex produces variation and reduces genetic associations among alleles under selection. Although the evolution of sex in microbial pathogens illustrates these general issues, our paper is not a general review of theories for the evolution of sex in all organisms. Rather, we focus on the adaptive value of sex in microbial pathogens and conclude that in terms of short-term benefits, the DNA repair hypothesis has the most support and is the most generally applicable hypothesis in this group. In particular, recombinational repair of DNA damages may substantially benefit pathogens when challenged by the oxidative defenses of the host. However, in the long-term, sex may help get rid of mutations, increase the rate of adaptation of the population, and, in pathogens, may infrequently create new infective strains. An additional general issue about sex illustrated by pathogens is that some of the most interesting consequences of sex are not necessarily the reasons for which sex evolved. For example, antibiotic resistance may be transferred by bacterial sex, but this transfer is probably not the reason sex

  20. Experimental deformation of a mafic rock - interplay between fracturing, reaction and viscous deformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marti, Sina; Stünitz, Holger; Heilbronner, Renée; Plümper, Oliver; Drury, Martyn

    2016-04-01

    Deformation experiments were performed on natural Maryland Diabase (˜ 55% Plg, 42% Px, 3% accessories, 0.18 wt.-% H2O added) in a Griggs-type deformation apparatus in order to explore the brittle-viscous transition and the interplay between deformation and mineral reactions. Shear experiments at strain rates of ˜ 2e-5 /s are performed, at T=600, 700 and 800°C and confining pressures Pc=1.0 and 1.5 GPa. Deformation localizes in all experiments. Below 700°C, the microstructure is dominated by brittle deformation with a foliation formed by cataclastic flow and high strain accommodated along 3-5 major ultracataclasite shear bands. At 700°C, the bulk of the material still exhibits abundant microfractures, however, deformation localizes into an anastomosing network of shear bands (SB) formed from a fine-grained (<< 1 μm) mixture of newly formed Plg and Amph. These reaction products occur almost exclusively along syn-kinematic structures such as fractures and SB. Experiments at 800°C show extensive mineral reactions, with the main reaction products Amph+Plg (+Zo). Deformation is localized in broad C' and C SB formed by a fine-grained (0.1 - 0.8 μm) mixture of Plg+Amph (+Zo). The onset of mineral reactions in the 700°C experiments shows that reaction kinetics and diffusional mass transport are fast enough to keep up with the short experimental timescales. While in the 700°C experiments brittle processes kinematically contribute to deformation, fracturing is largely absent at 800°C. Diffusive mass transfer dominates. The very small grain size within SB favours a grain size sensitive deformation mechanism. Due to the presence of water (and relatively high supported stresses), dissolution-precipitation creep is interpreted to be the dominant strain accommodating mechanism. From the change of Amph coronas around Px clasts with strain, we can determine that Amph is re-dissolved at high stress sites while growing in low stress sites, showing the ability of Amph to

  1. Deformation of second and third quantization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faizal, Mir

    2015-03-01

    In this paper, we will deform the second and third quantized theories by deforming the canonical commutation relations in such a way that they become consistent with the generalized uncertainty principle. Thus, we will first deform the second quantized commutator and obtain a deformed version of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. Then we will further deform the third quantized theory by deforming the third quantized canonical commutation relation. This way we will obtain a deformed version of the third quantized theory for the multiverse.

  2. HIV, sex work, and civil society in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufman, Joan

    2011-12-01

    Harm reduction programs for sex workers have been hampered by the prioritization of law enforcement over AIDS prevention. For example, the April 2010 "strike-hard" campaign against prostitution in Beijing, during which bars, nightclubs, saunas, and karaoke bars were raided, created an atmosphere that critically impeded human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outreach activities for sex workers. In China, criminalization has limited the growth of a coherent and cohesive set of nongovernmental organization (NGO) actors working with sex workers to prevent HIV infection. Compared with other risk groups for HIV sexual transmission, such as men who have sex with men, the NGO community for sex workers is fragmented and poorly coordinated with government efforts, and basic rights for sex workers are often violated. This article examines civil society groups working on AIDS prevention and care for female sex workers in China and reviews constraints to their operations. China's HIV prevention programs for sex workers are compared with sex worker HIV prevention in other Asian states where more well-developed NGOs exist and criminalization has been better balanced with harm reduction approaches, and recommendations are offered on improving China's policies and programs.

  3. Avian sex, sex chromosomes, and dosage compensation in the age of genomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graves, Jennifer A Marshall

    2014-04-01

    Comparisons of the sex chromosome systems in birds and mammals are widening our view and deepening our understanding of vertebrate sex chromosome organization, function, and evolution. Birds have a very conserved ZW system of sex determination in which males have two copies of a large, gene-rich Z chromosome, and females have a single Z and a female-specific W chromosome. The avian ZW system is quite the reverse of the well-studied mammalian XY chromosome system, and evolved independently from different autosomal blocs. Despite the different gene content of mammal and bird sex chromosomes, there are many parallels. Genes on the bird Z and the mammal X have both undergone selection for male-advantage functions, and there has been amplification of male-advantage genes and accumulation of LINEs. The bird W and mammal Y have both undergone extensive degradation, but some birds retain early stages and some mammals terminal stages of the process, suggesting that the process is more advanced in mammals. Different sex-determining genes, DMRT1 and SRY, define the ZW and XY systems, but DMRT1 is involved in downstream events in mammals. Birds show strong cell autonomous specification of somatic sex differences in ZZ and ZW tissue, but there is growing evidence for direct X chromosome effects on sexual phenotype in mammals. Dosage compensation in birds appears to be phenotypically and molecularly quite different from X inactivation, being partial and gene-specific, but both systems use tools from the same molecular toolbox and there are some signs that galliform birds represent an early stage in the evolution of a coordinated system.

  4. Deformations of the Almheiri-Polchinski model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kyono, Hideki; Okumura, Suguru; Yoshida, Kentaroh [Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)

    2017-03-31

    We study deformations of the Almheiri-Polchinski (AP) model by employing the Yang-Baxter deformation technique. The general deformed AdS{sub 2} metric becomes a solution of a deformed AP model. In particular, the dilaton potential is deformed from a simple quadratic form to a hyperbolic function-type potential similarly to integrable deformations. A specific solution is a deformed black hole solution. Because the deformation makes the spacetime structure around the boundary change drastically and a new naked singularity appears, the holographic interpretation is far from trivial. The Hawking temperature is the same as the undeformed case but the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy is modified due to the deformation. This entropy can also be reproduced by evaluating the renormalized stress tensor with an appropriate counter-term on the regularized screen close to the singularity.

  5. Sex, drugs, and HIV: rapid assessment of HIV risk behaviors among street-based drug using sex workers in Durban, South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Needle, Richard; Kroeger, Karen; Belani, Hrishikesh; Achrekar, Angeli; Parry, Charles D; Dewing, Sarah

    2008-11-01

    South Africa is experiencing significant changes in patterns of illicit drug use, including increasing injection and non-injection drug use, and the use of drugs by persons engaged in sex work, both of which could further expand the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2005, a rapid ethnographic assessment was conducted in Durban, South Africa, to learn more about patterns of drug use and HIV risk behaviors among drug-using, street-based sex workers. Field teams recruited 52 current injection and non-injection drug users for key informant interviews and focus groups, and they conducted mapping and observation in identified high-risk neighborhoods. Key informants were offered free, voluntary counseling and HIV rapid testing. The results of the assessment indicate that in this population, drugs play an organizing role in patterns of daily activities, with sex work closely linked to the buying, selling, and using of drugs. Participants reported using multiple drugs including crack cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy and Mandrax, and their choices were based on their expectations about the functional role and behavioral and pharmacological properties of the drugs. The organization of sex work and patterns of drug use differ by gender, with males exercising more control over daily routines and drug and sexual transactions than females. Activities of female sex workers are subject to considerable control by individual pimps, many of whom also function as landlords and drug dealers. A strong hold over the overlapping economies of drugs and sex work by a few individuals extends to control of the physical and social settings in which sex is exchanged and drugs are sold and used as well as the terms under which sex work is carried out. The potential for accelerated HIV spread is considerable given the evidence of overlapping drug-using and sexual risk behaviors and the mixing patterns across drug and sexual risk networks.

  6. DEFORMATION FIELD OF COMPETENCE IN INNOVATIVE PROJECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Сергей Дмитриевич БУШУЕВ

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The use of a competence-based approach in the programs of innovative development organizations is considered. An analysis of the latest achievements in the world and Ukraine in the field of application of the competency approach in the programs of organizational development is done. The principles of Bloom's taxonomy to generate fields of competence and expertise are given. The principle of the curvature of field of competencies in innovative projects and programs is formulated. Application of the model taking into account the deformation of the competencies of the field allows to increase the accuracy of the model and to determine the trajectory of development of competence of project managers, teams, and organizations. An example of an organization competency assessment based on IPMA Delta model is given. The successful implementation of innovative projects and programs provided by the creative use of competency approach. This approach can be used as a common language of communication, which brings together the organization and employees, tasks and performers. Thus the development of the organization and development of personnel takes place at the same time.

  7. SU-E-J-106: The Use of Deformable Image Registration with Cone-Beam CT for a Better Evaluation of Cumulative Dose to Organs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fillion, O; Gingras, L; Archambault, L [Universite Laval, Quebec, Quebec (Canada); Centre de recherche du CHU de Quebec, Quebec, Quebec (Canada); Centre de recherche sur le cancer, Quebec, Quebec (Canada)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: The knowledge of dose accumulation in the patient tissues in radiotherapy helps in determining the treatment outcomes. This project aims at providing a workflow to map cumulative doses that takes into account interfraction organ motion without the need for manual re-contouring. Methods: Five prostate cancer patients were studied. Each patient had a planning CT (pCT) and 5 to 13 CBCT scans. On each series, a physician contoured the prostate, rectum, bladder, seminal vesicles and the intestine. First, a deformable image registration (DIR) of the pCTs onto the daily CBCTs yielded registered CTs (rCT) . This rCT combined the accurate CT numbers of the pCT with the daily anatomy of the CBCT. Second, the original plans (220 cGy per fraction for 25 fractions) were copied on the rCT for dose re-calculation. Third, the DIR software Elastix was used to find the inverse transform from the rCT to the pCT. This transformation was then applied to the rCT dose grid to map the dose voxels back to their pCT location. Finally, the sum of these deformed dose grids for each patient was applied on the pCT to calculate the actual dose delivered to organs. Results: The discrepancy between the planned D98 and D2 and these indices re-calculated on the rCT, are, on average, of −1 ± 1 cGy and 1 ± 2 cGy per fraction, respectively. For fractions with large anatomical motion, the D98 discrepancy on the re-calculated dose grid mapped onto the pCT can raise to −17 ± 4 cGy. The obtained cumulative dose distributions illustrate the same behavior. Conclusion: This approach allowed the evaluation of cumulative doses to organs with the help of uncontoured daily CBCT scans. With this workflow, the easy evaluation of doses delivered for EBRT treatments could ultimately lead to a better follow-up of prostate cancer patients.

  8. SU-E-J-106: The Use of Deformable Image Registration with Cone-Beam CT for a Better Evaluation of Cumulative Dose to Organs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fillion, O; Gingras, L; Archambault, L

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The knowledge of dose accumulation in the patient tissues in radiotherapy helps in determining the treatment outcomes. This project aims at providing a workflow to map cumulative doses that takes into account interfraction organ motion without the need for manual re-contouring. Methods: Five prostate cancer patients were studied. Each patient had a planning CT (pCT) and 5 to 13 CBCT scans. On each series, a physician contoured the prostate, rectum, bladder, seminal vesicles and the intestine. First, a deformable image registration (DIR) of the pCTs onto the daily CBCTs yielded registered CTs (rCT) . This rCT combined the accurate CT numbers of the pCT with the daily anatomy of the CBCT. Second, the original plans (220 cGy per fraction for 25 fractions) were copied on the rCT for dose re-calculation. Third, the DIR software Elastix was used to find the inverse transform from the rCT to the pCT. This transformation was then applied to the rCT dose grid to map the dose voxels back to their pCT location. Finally, the sum of these deformed dose grids for each patient was applied on the pCT to calculate the actual dose delivered to organs. Results: The discrepancy between the planned D98 and D2 and these indices re-calculated on the rCT, are, on average, of −1 ± 1 cGy and 1 ± 2 cGy per fraction, respectively. For fractions with large anatomical motion, the D98 discrepancy on the re-calculated dose grid mapped onto the pCT can raise to −17 ± 4 cGy. The obtained cumulative dose distributions illustrate the same behavior. Conclusion: This approach allowed the evaluation of cumulative doses to organs with the help of uncontoured daily CBCT scans. With this workflow, the easy evaluation of doses delivered for EBRT treatments could ultimately lead to a better follow-up of prostate cancer patients

  9. Sex Differences in Insular Cortex Gyri Responses to the Valsalva Maneuver

    OpenAIRE

    Macey, Paul M.; Rieken, Nicholas S.; Kumar, Rajesh; Ogren, Jennifer A.; Middlekauff, Holly R.; Wu, Paula; Woo, Mary A.; Harper, Ronald M.

    2016-01-01

    Sex differences in autonomic regulation may underlie cardiovascular disease variations between females and males. One key autonomic brain region is the insular cortex, which typically consists of five main gyri in each hemisphere, and shows a topographical organization of autonomic function across those gyri. The present study aims to identify possible sex differences in organization of autonomic function in the insula. We studied brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) responses t...

  10. q-deformed Minkowski space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogievetsky, O.; Pillin, M.; Schmidke, W.B.; Wess, J.; Zumino, B.

    1993-01-01

    In this lecture I discuss the algebraic structure of a q-deformed four-vector space. It serves as a good example of quantizing Minkowski space. To give a physical interpretation of such a quantized Minkowski space we construct the Hilbert space representation and find that the relevant time and space operators have a discrete spectrum. Thus the q-deformed Minkowski space has a lattice structure. Nevertheless this lattice structure is compatible with the operation of q-deformed Lorentz transformations. The generators of the q-deformed Lorentz group can be represented as linear operators in the same Hilbert space. (orig.)

  11. Investigation of an outbreak of craniofacial deformity in yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) chicks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buckle, K N; Young, M J; Alley, M R

    2014-09-01

    To investigate an outbreak of severe craniofacial deformity in yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes, hōiho) chicks at a single breeding site on the Otago Peninsula in the South Island of New Zealand. Morbidity and mortality of yellow-eyed penguins breeding on the coastal regions of Otago was monitored from November 2008 to March 2009. Dead chicks and unhatched eggs were recovered and examined. Between October and December 2008 32 eggs were recorded at 17 nests in the Okia Reserve. Eleven chicks survived to about 90 days of age, of which eight were found to have moderate to severe craniofacial deformity. The six most severe chicks were subject to euthanasia and examined in detail at necropsy, and the remaining two affected chicks were released to the wild after a period of care in a rehabilitation centre. Post-mortem samples were analysed for inorganic and organic toxins. The six deformed chicks all had severe shortening of the mandible and maxilla by 20-50 mm. The rostral and caudal regions of the skull were approximately 40 and 80% of normal length, respectively. Other, more variable lesions included cross bill deformity, malformed bill keratin, microphthalmia with misshapen scleral ossicles and oral soft tissue excess thought to be secondary to bony malformations. During the same year, mild sporadic bill deformities were also reported in 10 unrelated chicks from >167 chicks at other breeding sites on the southern Otago coast. Concentrations of organic toxins and heavy metals in body tissues from affected chicks were apparently similar to those in unaffected chicks on other beaches. No cause of this outbreak of craniofacial deformity could be established although the high prevalence at a single site suggests that it was due to an unidentified local teratogen.

  12. Rotary deformity in degenerative spondylolisthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Sung Gwon; Kim, Jeong; Kho, Hyen Sim; Yun, Sung Su; Oh, Jae Hee; Byen, Ju Nam; Kim, Young Chul

    1994-01-01

    We studied to determine whether the degenerative spondylolisthesis has rotary deformity in addition to forward displacement. We have made analysis of difference of rotary deformity between the 31 study groups of symptomatic degenerative spondylolisthesis and 31 control groups without any symptom, statistically. We also reviewed CT findings in 15 study groups. The mean rotary deformity in study groups was 6.1 degree(the standard deviation is 5.20), and the mean rotary deformity in control groups was 2.52 degree(the standard deviation is 2.16)(p < 0.01). The rotary deformity can be accompanied with degenerative spondylolisthesis. We may consider the rotary deformity as a cause of symptomatic degenerative spondylolisthesis in case that any other cause is not detected

  13. Juvenile Sex Offending Through a Developmental Life Course Criminology Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lussier, Patrick

    2017-02-01

    Current American policies and responses to juvenile sex offending have been criticized for being based on myths, misconceptions, and unsubstantiated claims. In spite of the criticism, no organizing framework has been proposed to guide policy development with respect to the prevention of juvenile sex offending. This article proposes a developmental life course (DLC) criminology perspective to investigate the origins, development, and termination of sex offending among youth. It also provides a review of the current state of knowledge regarding various parameters characterizing the development of sex offending (e.g., prevalence, age of onset, frequency, persistence, continuity in adulthood, and versatility). The review highlights some heterogeneity across these developmental parameters suggesting the presence of different sex offending patterns among youth. In fact, it is proposed that, based on the current knowledge, such heterogeneity can be accounted for by a dual taxonomy of adolescents involved in sexual offenses: (a) the adolescent-limited and (b) the high-rate/slow-desister. The DLC criminology approach and the dual taxonomy are proposed as organizing frameworks to conduct prospective longitudinal research to better understand the origins and development of sex offending and to guide policy development and responses to at-risk youth and those who have committed sexual offenses.

  14. Extremely deformable structures

    CERN Document Server

    2015-01-01

    Recently, a new research stimulus has derived from the observation that soft structures, such as biological systems, but also rubber and gel, may work in a post critical regime, where elastic elements are subject to extreme deformations, though still exhibiting excellent mechanical performances. This is the realm of ‘extreme mechanics’, to which this book is addressed. The possibility of exploiting highly deformable structures opens new and unexpected technological possibilities. In particular, the challenge is the design of deformable and bi-stable mechanisms which can reach superior mechanical performances and can have a strong impact on several high-tech applications, including stretchable electronics, nanotube serpentines, deployable structures for aerospace engineering, cable deployment in the ocean, but also sensors and flexible actuators and vibration absorbers. Readers are introduced to a variety of interrelated topics involving the mechanics of extremely deformable structures, with emphasis on ...

  15. Deforming tachyon kinks and tachyon potentials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Afonso, Victor I.; Bazeia, Dionisio; Brito, Francisco A.

    2006-01-01

    In this paper we investigate deformation of tachyon potentials and tachyon kink solutions. We consider the deformation of a DBI type action with gauge and tachyon fields living on D1-brane and D3-brane world-volume. We deform tachyon potentials to get other consistent tachyon potentials by using properly a deformation function depending on the gauge field components. Resolutions of singular tachyon kinks via deformation and applications of deformed tachyon potentials to scalar cosmology scenario are discussed

  16. The Simulation and Correction to the Brain Deformation Based on the Linear Elastic Model in IGS

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    MU Xiao-lan; SONG Zhi-jian

    2004-01-01

    @@ The brain deformation is a vital factor affecting the precision of the IGS and it becomes a hotspot to simulate and correct the brain deformation recently.The research organizations, which firstly resolved the brain deformation with the physical models, have the Image Processing and Analysis department of Yale University, Biomedical Modeling Lab of Vanderbilt University and so on. The former uses the linear elastic model; the latter uses the consolidation model.The linear elastic model only needs to drive the model using the surface displacement of exposed brain cortex,which is more convenient to be measured in the clinic.

  17. Analysis of regional deformation and strain accumulation data adjacent to the San Andreas fault

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turcotte, Donald L.

    1991-01-01

    A new approach to the understanding of crustal deformation was developed under this grant. This approach combined aspects of fractals, chaos, and self-organized criticality to provide a comprehensive theory for deformation on distributed faults. It is hypothesized that crustal deformation is an example of comminution: Deformation takes place on a fractal distribution of faults resulting in a fractal distribution of seismicity. Our primary effort under this grant was devoted to developing an understanding of distributed deformation in the continental crust. An initial effort was carried out on the fractal clustering of earthquakes in time. It was shown that earthquakes do not obey random Poisson statistics, but can be approximated in many cases by coupled, scale-invariant fractal statistics. We applied our approach to the statistics of earthquakes in the New Hebrides region of the southwest Pacific because of the very high level of seismicity there. This work was written up and published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. This approach was also applied to the statistics of the seismicity on the San Andreas fault system.

  18. q-deformed Brownian motion

    CERN Document Server

    Man'ko, V I

    1993-01-01

    Brownian motion may be embedded in the Fock space of bosonic free field in one dimension.Extending this correspondence to a family of creation and annihilation operators satisfying a q-deformed algebra, the notion of q-deformation is carried from the algebra to the domain of stochastic processes.The properties of q-deformed Brownian motion, in particular its non-Gaussian nature and cumulant structure,are established.

  19. Quantitative sexing (Q-Sexing) and relative quantitative sexing (RQ ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    samer

    Key words: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), quantitative sexing, Siberian tiger. INTRODUCTION. Animal molecular sexing .... 43:3-12. Ellegren H (1996). First gene on the avian W chromosome (CHD) provides a tag for universal sexing of non-ratite birds. Proc.

  20. Deformable Hollow Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica Nanocapsules for Significantly Improved Cellular Uptake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teng, Zhaogang; Wang, Chunyan; Tang, Yuxia; Li, Wei; Bao, Lei; Zhang, Xuehua; Su, Xiaodan; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Junjie; Wang, Shouju; Zhao, Dongyuan; Lu, Guangming

    2018-01-31

    Mesoporous solids have been widely used in various biomedical areas such as drug delivery and tumor therapy. Although deformability has been recognized as a prime important characteristic influencing cellular uptake, the synthesis of deformable mesoporous solids is still a great challenge. Herein, deformable thioether-, benzene-, and ethane-bridged hollow periodic mesoporous organosilica (HPMO) nanocapsules have successfully been synthesized for the first time by a preferential etching approach. The prepared HPMO nanocapsules possess uniform diameters (240-310 nm), high surface areas (up to 878 m 2 ·g -1 ), well-defined mesopores (2.6-3.2 nm), and large pore volumes (0.33-0.75 m 3 ·g -1 ). Most importantly, the HPMO nanocapsules simultaneously have large hollow cavities (164-270 nm), thin shell thicknesses (20-38 nm), and abundant organic moiety in the shells, which endow a lower Young's modulus (E Y ) of 3.95 MPa than that of solid PMO nanoparticles (251 MPa). The HPMOs with low E Y are intrinsically flexible and deformable in the solution, which has been well-characterized by liquid cell electron microscopy. More interestingly, it is found that the deformable HPMOs can easily enter into human breast cancer MCF-7 cells via a spherical-to-oval morphology change, resulting in a 26-fold enhancement in cellular uptake (43.1% cells internalized with nanocapsules versus 1.65% cells with solid counterparts). The deformable HPMO nanocapsules were further loaded with anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX), which shows high killing effects for MCF-7 cells, demonstrating the promise for biomedical applications.

  1. In-situ studies of bulk deformation structures: Static properties under load and dynamics during deformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Bo

    2006-01-01

    The main goal of the study presented in this thesis was to perform in-situ investigations on deformation structures in plastically deformed polycrystalline copper at low degrees of tensile deformation (model system for cell forming pure fcc metals. Anovel synchrotron...... grains in polycrystalline samples during tensile deformation. We have shown that the resulting 3D reciprocal space maps from tensile deformed copper comprise a pronounced structure, consisting of bright sharp peaks superimposed on a cloud of enhanced intensity. Based on the integrated intensity......, the width of the peaks, and spatial scanning experiments it is concluded that the individual peaks arise from individual dislocation-free regions (the subgrains) in the dislocation structure. The cloud is attributed to the dislocation rich walls. Samples deformed to 2% tensile strain were investigated under...

  2. Effect of alloy deformation on the average spacing parameters of non-deforming particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fisher, J.; Gurland, J.

    1980-02-01

    It is shown on the basis of stereological definitions and a few simple experiments that the commonly used average dispersion parameters, area fraction (A/sub A/)/sub β/, areal particle density N/sub Aβ/ and mean free path lambda/sub α/, remain invariant during plastic deformation in the case of non-deforming equiaxed particles. Directional effects on the spacing parameters N/sub Aβ/ and lambda/sub α/ arise during uniaxial deformation by rotation and preferred orientation of nonequiaxed particles. Particle arrangement in stringered or layered structures and the effect of deformation on nearest neighbor distances of particles and voids are briefly discussed in relation to strength and fracture theories

  3. Sex differences in angiotensin II- induced hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Xue

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Sex differences in the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease have been described in humans and in animal models. In this paper we will review some of our studies which have as their emphasis the examination of the role of sex differences and sex steroids in modulating the central actions of angiotensin II (ANG II via interactions with free radicals and nitric oxide, generating pathways within brain circumventricular organs and in central sympathomodulatory systems. Our studies indicate that low-dose infusions of ANG II result in hypertension in wild-type male mice but not in intact wild-type females. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that ANG II-induced hypertension in males is blocked by central infusions of the androgen receptor antagonist, flutamide, and by central infusions of the superoxide dismutase mimetic, tempol. We have also found that, in comparison to females, males show greater levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species in circumventricular organ neurons following long-term ANG II infusions. In female mice, ovariectomy, central blockade of estrogen receptors or total knockout of estrogen a receptors augments the pressor effects of ANG II. Finally, in females but not in males, central blockade of nitric oxide synthase increases the pressor effects of ANG II. Taken together, these results suggest that sex differences and estrogen and testosterone play important roles in the development of ANG II-induced hypertension.

  4. Sputum, sex and scanty smears: new case definition may reduce sex disparities in smear-positive tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsay, A; Bonnet, M; Gagnidze, L; Githui, W; Varaine, F; Guérin, P J

    2009-05-01

    Urban clinic, Nairobi. To evaluate the impact of specimen quality and different smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) case (SPC) definitions on SPC detection by sex. Prospective study among TB suspects. A total of 695 patients were recruited: 644 produced > or =1 specimen for microscopy. The male/female sex ratio was 0.8. There were no significant differences in numbers of men and women submitting three specimens (274/314 vs. 339/380, P = 0.43). Significantly more men than women produced a set of three 'good' quality specimens (175/274 vs. 182/339, P = 0.01). Lowering thresholds for definitions to include scanty smears resulted in increases in SPC detection in both sexes; the increase was significantly higher for women. The revised World Health Organization (WHO) case definition was associated with the highest detection rates in women. When analysis was restricted only to patients submitting 'good' quality specimen sets, the difference in detection between sexes was on the threshold for significance (P = 0.05). Higher SPC notification rates in men are commonly reported by TB control programmes. The revised WHO SPC definition may reduce sex disparities in notification. This should be considered when evaluating other interventions aimed at reducing these. Further study is required on the effects of the human immuno-deficiency virus and instructed specimen collection on sex-specific impact of new SPC definition.

  5. Cosmetic and Functional Nasal Deformities

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... nasal complaints. Nasal deformity can be categorized as “cosmetic” or “functional.” Cosmetic deformity of the nose results in a less ... taste , nose bleeds and/or recurrent sinusitis . A cosmetic or functional nasal deformity may occur secondary to ...

  6. Roles of sex and ethnicity in procurement coordinator--family communication during the organ donation discussion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baughn, Daniel; Auerbach, Stephen M; Siminoff, Laura A

    2010-09-01

    Interpersonal relations with health care providers influence families' decisions to consent to solid-organ donation. However, previous research has been based on retrospective interviews with donation-eligible families and has not directly examined the interpersonal interactions between families and organ procurement coordinators. To increase understanding of the interpersonal interaction between procurement coordinators and families during the organ donation discussion, with special attention to the influence of the sex and race of the procurement coordinator and the race of the potential donor's family. A descriptive study in which standardized patients portrayed family members interacting with actual procurement coordinators in simulated donation request scenarios. Thirty-three videotaped interactions between standardized patients and 17 procurement coordinators involving 2 different scenarios depicting deceased donation were evaluated. Video recordings were rated by independent coders. Coders completed the Impact Message Inventory-Form C, the Participatory Style of Physician Scale, and the Siminoff Communication and Content and Affect Program-Global Observer Ratings scale. African American procurement coordinators, particularly African American women, were rated as more controlling and work-oriented than white procurement coordinators. Male procurement coordinators were more affiliative with the white family than the African American family, whereas female procurement coordinators were slightly less affiliative with the white family. African American procurement coordinators expressed more positive affect when interacting with the African American family than the white family, whereas the opposite was true for white procurement coordinators. Research is needed to cross-validate these exploratory findings and further examine cultural mistrust between procurement coordinators and families of ethnic minorities, especially given the negative attitudes of many

  7. THE AGE OF FREE WILL AND HUMAN VALUES : Sex Tourisms Evolution and Its Impact

    OpenAIRE

    Ahmed, Mahfuz; Baghdasaryan, Kristina

    2015-01-01

    This thesis discussed about sex tourism which refers to how sex tourism works and its history. Human trafficking and sex trafficking was discussed as well as sex tourism which is involved directly to tourism industry was explained. The main goal of this thesis was to raise awareness of sex tourism violations. This thesis is about sex tourism and discussed the definition of rules and regulations from different international organizations and international newspapers and magazines as well a...

  8. Digit Ratio (2D:4D): A Biomarker for Prenatal Sex Steroids and Adult Sex Steroids in Challenge Situations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning, John; Kilduff, Liam; Cook, Christian; Crewther, Blair; Fink, Bernhard

    2014-01-01

    Digit ratio (2D:4D) denotes the relative length of the second and fourth digits. This ratio is considered to be a biomarker of the balance between fetal testosterone (T) and estrogen (E) in a narrow window of early ontogeny. Evidence for this assertion is derived from direct and indirect measures of prenatal hormonal exposure (in experimental animals, via amniotic fluid samples and in the study of sex-typical traits) in relation to 2D:4D. In contrast, the relationships between 2D:4D and levels of sex steroids in adults are less clear, as many correlational studies of 2D:4D and adult sex steroids have concluded that this association is statistically non-significant. Here, we suggest that in order to understand the link between 2D:4D and sex hormones, one must consider both fetal organizing and adult activating effects of T and E. In particular, we hypothesize that 2D:4D correlates with organizing effects on the endocrine system that moderate activating effects in adulthood. We argue that this is particularly evident in "challenging" conditions such as aggressive and sexual encounters, in which individuals show increased levels of T. We discuss this refinement of the 2D:4D paradigm in relation to the links between 2D:4D and sports performance, and aggression.

  9. Deformation-induced crystallographic-preferred orientation of hcp-iron: An experimental study using a deformation-DIA apparatus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishihara, Yu; Ohuchi, Tomohiro; Kawazoe, Takaaki; Seto, Yusuke; Maruyama, Genta; Higo, Yuji; Funakoshi, Ken-ichi; Tange, Yoshinori; Irifune, Tetsuo

    2018-05-01

    Shear and uniaxial deformation experiments on hexagonal close-packed iron (hcp-Fe) was conducted using a deformation-DIA apparatus at a pressure of 13-17 GPa and a temperature of 723 K to determine its deformation-induced crystallographic-preferred orientation (CPO). Development of the CPO in the deforming sample is determined in-situ based on two-dimensional X-ray diffraction using monochromatic synchrotron X-rays. In the shear deformation geometry, the and axes gradually align to be sub-parallel to the shear plane normal and shear direction, respectively, from the initial random texture. In the uniaxial compression and tensile geometry, the and axes, respectively, gradually align along the direction of the uniaxial deformation axis. These results suggest that basal slip (0001) is the dominant slip system in hcp-Fe under the studied deformation conditions. The P-wave anisotropy for a shear deformed sample was calculated using elastic constants at the inner core condition by recent ab-initio calculations. Strength of the calculated anisotropy was comparable to or higher than axisymmetric anisotropy in Earth's inner core.

  10. The Influence of Sex Information on Gender Word Processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casado, Alba; Palma, Alfonso; Paolieri, Daniela

    2018-06-01

    Three different tasks (word repetition, lexical decision, and gender decision) were designed to explore the impact of the sex clues (sex of the speaker, sex of the addressee) and the type of gender (semantic, arbitrary) on the processing of isolated Spanish gendered words. The findings showed that the grammatical gender feature was accessed when no mandatory attentional focus was required. In addition, the results indicated that the participants organize information according to their own sex role, which provides more salience to the words that match in grammatical gender with their own sex role representation, even when the gender assignment is arbitrary. Finally, the sex of the speaker biased the lexical access and the grammatical gender selection, serving as a semantic prime when the two dimensions have a congruent relationship. Furthermore, the masculine form serves as the generic gender representing both male and female figures.

  11. Neutron halo in deformed nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Shangui; Meng Jie; Ring, P.; Zhao Enguang

    2010-01-01

    Halo phenomena in deformed nuclei are investigated within a deformed relativistic Hartree Bogoliubov (DRHB) theory. These weakly bound quantum systems present interesting examples for the study of the interdependence between the deformation of the core and the particles in the halo. Contributions of the halo, deformation effects, and large spatial extensions of these systems are described in a fully self-consistent way by the DRHB equations in a spherical Woods-Saxon basis with the proper asymptotic behavior at a large distance from the nuclear center. Magnesium and neon isotopes are studied and detailed results are presented for the deformed neutron-rich and weakly bound nucleus 44 Mg. The core of this nucleus is prolate, but the halo has a slightly oblate shape. This indicates a decoupling of the halo orbitals from the deformation of the core. The generic conditions for the occurrence of this decoupling effects are discussed.

  12. Mechanics of deformable bodies

    CERN Document Server

    Sommerfeld, Arnold Johannes Wilhelm

    1950-01-01

    Mechanics of Deformable Bodies: Lectures on Theoretical Physics, Volume II covers topics on the mechanics of deformable bodies. The book discusses the kinematics, statics, and dynamics of deformable bodies; the vortex theory; as well as the theory of waves. The text also describes the flow with given boundaries. Supplementary notes on selected hydrodynamic problems and supplements to the theory of elasticity are provided. Physicists, mathematicians, and students taking related courses will find the book useful.

  13. Quantum deformed magnon kinematics

    OpenAIRE

    Gómez, César; Hernández Redondo, Rafael

    2007-01-01

    The dispersion relation for planar N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills is identified with the Casimir of a quantum deformed two-dimensional kinematical symmetry, E_q(1,1). The quantum deformed symmetry algebra is generated by the momentum, energy and boost, with deformation parameter q=e^{2\\pi i/\\lambda}. Representing the boost as the infinitesimal generator for translations on the rapidity space leads to an elliptic uniformization with crossing transformations implemented through translations by t...

  14. Thorax deformity, joint hypermobility and anxiety disorder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gulsun, M.; Dumlu, K.; Erbas, M.; Yilmaz, Mehmet B.; Pinar, M.; Tonbul, M.; Celik, C.; Ozdemir, B.

    2007-01-01

    Objective was to evaluate the association between thorax deformities, panic disorder and joint hypermobility. The study includes 52 males diagnosed with thorax deformity, and 40 healthy male controls without thorax deformity, in Tatvan Bitlis and Isparta, Turkey. The study was carried out from 2004 to 2006. The teleradiographic and thoracic lateral images of the subjects were evaluated to obtain the Beighton scores; subjects psychiatric conditions were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-1), and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) was applied in order to determine the anxiety levels. Both the subjects and controls were compared in sociodemographic, anxiety levels and joint mobility levels. In addition, males with joint hypermobility and thorax deformity were compared to the group with thorax deformity without joint hypermobility. A significant difference in HAM-A scores was found between the groups with thorax deformity and without. In addition, 21 subjects with thorax deformity met the joint hypermobility criteria in the group with thorax deformity and 7 subjects without thorax deformity met the joint hypermobility criteria in the group without thorax deformity, according to Beighton scoring. The Beighton score of subjects with thorax deformity were significantly different from those of the group without deformity. Additionally, anxiety scores of the males with thorax deformity and joint hypermobility were found higher than males with thorax deformity without joint hypermobility. Anxiety disorders, particularly panic disorder, have a significantly higher distribution in males subjects with thorax deformity compared to the healthy control group. In addition, the anxiety level of males with thorax deformity and joint hypermobility is higher than males with thorax deformity without joint hypermobility. (author)

  15. Deformed configurations, band structures and spectroscopic ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2014-03-20

    Mar 20, 2014 ... The deformed configurations and rotational band structures in =50 Ge and Se nuclei are studied by deformed Hartree–Fock with quadrupole constraint and angular momentum projection. Apart from the `almost' spherical HF solution, a well-deformed configuration occurs at low excitation. A deformed ...

  16. 2008 Gordon Research Conference on Rock Deformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hirth, James G.; Gray, Nancy Ryan

    2009-09-21

    The GRC on Rock Deformation highlights the latest research in brittle and ductile rock mechanics from experimental, field and theoretical perspectives. The conference promotes a multi-disciplinary forum for assessing our understanding of rock strength and related physical properties in the Earth. The theme for the 2008 conference is 'Real-time Rheology'. Using ever-improving geophysical techniques, our ability to constrain the rheological behavior during earthquakes and post-seismic creep has improved significantly. Such data are used to investigate the frictional behavior of faults, processes responsible for strain localization, the viscosity of the lower crust, and viscous coupling between the crust and mantle. Seismological data also provide information on the rheology of the lower crust and mantle through analysis of seismic attenuation and anisotropy. Geologists are improving our understanding of rheology by combining novel analyses of microstructures in naturally deformed rocks with petrologic data. This conference will bring together experts and students in these research areas with experimentalists and theoreticians studying the same processes. We will discuss and assess where agreement exists on rheological constraints derived at different length/time scales using different techniques - and where new insight is required. To encompass the elements of these topics, speakers and discussion leaders with backgrounds in geodesy, experimental rock deformation, structural geology, earthquake seismology, geodynamics, glaciology, materials science, and mineral physics will be invited to the conference. Thematic sessions will be organized on the dynamics of earthquake rupture, the rheology of the lower crust and coupling with the upper mantle, the measurement and interpretation of seismic attenuation and anisotropy, the dynamics of ice sheets and the coupling of reactive porous flow and brittle deformation for understanding geothermal and chemical

  17. Diffeomorphic Statistical Deformation Models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Michael Sass; Hansen, Mads/Fogtman; Larsen, Rasmus

    2007-01-01

    In this paper we present a new method for constructing diffeomorphic statistical deformation models in arbitrary dimensional images with a nonlinear generative model and a linear parameter space. Our deformation model is a modified version of the diffeomorphic model introduced by Cootes et al....... The modifications ensure that no boundary restriction has to be enforced on the parameter space to prevent folds or tears in the deformation field. For straightforward statistical analysis, principal component analysis and sparse methods, we assume that the parameters for a class of deformations lie on a linear...... with ground truth in form of manual expert annotations, and compared to Cootes's model. We anticipate applications in unconstrained diffeomorphic synthesis of images, e.g. for tracking, segmentation, registration or classification purposes....

  18. Deformation mechanisms in the San Andreas Fault zone - a comparison between natural and experimentally deformed microstructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Diggelen, Esther; Holdsworth, Robert; de Bresser, Hans; Spiers, Chris

    2010-05-01

    The San Andreas Fault (SAF) in California marks the boundary between the Pacific plate and the North American plate. The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) is located 9 km northwest of the town of Parkfield, CA and provide an extensive set of samples through the SAF. The SAFOD drill hole encountered different lithologies, including arkosic sediments from the Salinian block (Pacific plate) and claystones and siltstones from the Great Valley block (North American plate). Fault deformation in the area is mainly by a combination of micro-earthquakes and fault creep. Deformation of the borehole casing indicated that the SAFOD drill hole cross cuts two actively deforming strands of the SAF. In order to determine the deformation mechanisms in the actively creeping fault segments, we have studied thin sections obtained from SAFOD phase 3 core material using optical and electron microscopy, and we have compared these natural SAFOD microstructures with microstructures developed in simulated fault gouges deformed in laboratory shear experiments. The phase 3 core material is divided in three different core intervals consisting of different lithologies. Core interval 1 consists of mildly deformed Salinian rocks that show evidence of cataclasis, pressure solution and reaction of feldspar to form phyllosilicates, all common processes in upper crustal rocks. Most of Core interval 3 (Great Valley) is also only mildly deformed and very similar to Core interval 1. Bedding and some sedimentary features are still visible, together with limited evidence for cataclasis and pressure solution, and reaction of feldspar to form phyllosilicates. However, in between the relatively undeformed rocks, Core interval 3 encountered a zone of foliated fault gouge, consisting mostly of phyllosilicates. This zone is correlated with one of the zones of localized deformation of the borehole casing, i.e. with an actively deforming strand of the SAF. The fault gouge zone shows a strong, chaotic

  19. Editorial: Introduction to the Special Issue ;Slope Tectonics: Inherited Structures, Morphology of Deformation and Catastrophic Failure;

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hermanns, R. L.; Oppikofer, T.; Jaboyedoff, M.; Clague, J. J.; Scarascia-Mugnozza, G.

    2017-07-01

    The "Conference on Slope Tectonics" has become an international scientific meeting point to present and discuss a variety of topics related to slope deformation and the deposits of related failures. The first conference took place on February 15-16, 2008 at University of Lausanne (Switzerland). It was followed by a second conference on September 6-10, 2011, in Austria (organized by the Geological Survey of Austria) and a third on September 8-12, 2014, in Norway (organized by the Geological Survey of Norway). The two later events included field trips. It has become a tradition that selected papers from these conference are published - papers from the first conference were published by the Geological Society as Special Publication 351 (Jaboyedoff, 2011), and those from the second conference were published in a special issue of Tectonophysics (Baron and Jaboyedoff, 2013). This special issue of Geomorphology is a collection of papers presented at the Norwegian Conference on Slope Tectonics. This collection of papers focuses on the role of tectonics in gravitationally induced rock-slope instabilities. The slopes either deform over long periods as deep-seated gravitational slope deformation (DSGSD) or more rapidly as rockslides or rock avalanches. The reconstruction of slope deformation is an integral part of the studies captured in this special issue.

  20. Gender Identity and Sex Role of Patients Operated on for Bladder Exstrophy-Epispadias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taskinen, Seppo; Suominen, Janne S; Mattila, Aino K

    2016-08-01

    We evaluated whether genital deformity has an impact on gender identity and sex role in patients operated on for bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex. A total of 62 adolescents and adults operated on for bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex were mailed questionnaires evaluating gender identity (Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults) and sex role (Bem Sex Role Inventory). Of the patients 33 responded and the results were compared with 99 gender matched controls. On the gender identity questionnaire female patients had median scores similar to those of their gender matched controls (4.93 vs 4.89, p = 0.412) but in males the score was lower compared to controls (4.87 vs 4.96, p = 0.023), indicating somewhat more conflicted gender identity. However, no patient had gender dysphoria. Female sex role index was higher in female patients vs controls (5.9 vs 5.3, p = 0.003) but was comparable between male patients and controls (5.2 vs 5.0, p = 0.459). Masculine sex role indices were comparable between female patients and controls as well as between male patients and controls. Of 32 patients 17 were considered to have androgynous sex role, as were 24 of 97 controls (p = 0.004). The exact diagnosis (bladder exstrophy or epispadias) or dissatisfaction with appearance of the genitals had no impact on gender identity or on sex role indices. Male patients had lower gender identity scores compared to controls and female sex role was enhanced among female patients. Androgynous sex role was more common in patients vs controls. Gender dysphoria was not noted in any patient. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. On sexual behavior and sex-role reversal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuiling, Gerard A

    2005-09-01

    Sex is not about reproduction; sex is about (re-)combination of DNA. Sex, not reproduction, always involves physical contact between two individuals; to achieve this, strategies of sexual behavior evolved. Sexual behavior, therefore, did not evolve as part of a reproductive strategy, but evolved to enable exchange of genetic material. In multicellular organisms the situation is more complicated than in unicellular organisms, as it is impossible for each cell within a multicellular body to have sex with another cell. Hence, evolution selected a system in which the possibility to have sex was limited to only one cell-line: the germ cells. As a result, sex adopted the character of fertilization, and sex and reproduction became inseparably linked. Still, in some species, including humans, sexual behavior still exhibits features of its evolutionary past: in humans (like in bonobo's) most sexual activity and many sexual behavioral patterns have nothing to do with reproduction (masturbation, homosexual behavior, for example); in humans, sexual behavior also became associated with other strategic objectives, such as intensifying the pair bond, expression of love or power. Different genders - male and female - evolved, and each gender evolved typical gender-related sexual and reproductive strategies as well. In most multicellular species, these strategies became inextricably mixed, and sexual behavior increasingly more - and in most species even exclusively - 'served' the interests of reproduction: sexual behavior became more or less synonymous with reproductive behavior. In most species, the 'mix' of sexual and reproductive strategies evolved into typical gender-related patterns of behavior, that is, in typical 'sex-roles'. Often, males are bigger and more 'beautiful' (= more intensely ornamented) than females; males compete with each other for access to females; males court females, while females choose males ('female choice'). However, ecological circumstances may cause

  2. Deformable Image Registration of Liver With Consideration of Lung Sliding Motion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie, Yaoqin; Chao, Ming; Xiong, Guanglei

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: A feature based deformable registration model with sliding transformation was developed in the upper abdominal region for liver cancer. Methods: A two-step thin-plate spline (bi-TPS) algorithm was implemented to deformably register the liver organ. The first TPS registration was performed to exclusively quantify the sliding displacement component. A manual segmentation of the thoracic and abdominal cavity was performed as a priori knowledge. Tissue feature points were automatically identified inside the segmented contour on the images. The scale invariant feature transform method was utilized to match feature points that served as landmarks for the subsequent TPS registration to derive the sliding displacement vector field. To a good approximation, only motion along superior/inferior (SI) direction of voxels on each slice was averaged to obtain the sliding displacement for each slice. A second TPS transformation, as the last step, was carried out to obtain the local deformation field. Manual identification of bifurcation on liver, together with the manual segmentation of liver organ, was employed as a ''ground truth'' for assessing the algorithm's performance. Results: The proposed two-step TPS was assessed with six liver patients. The average error of liver bifurcation between manual identification and calculation for these patients was less than 1.8 mm. The residual errors between manual contour and propagated contour of liver organ using the algorithm fell in the range between 2.1 and 2.8 mm. An index of Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) between manual contour and calculated contour for liver tumor was 93.6% compared with 71.2% from the conventional TPS calculation. Conclusions: A high accuracy (∼2 mm) of the two-step feature based TPS registration algorithm was achievable for registering the liver organ. The discontinuous motion in the upper abdominal region was properly taken into consideration. Clinical implementation of the algorithm will find

  3. Interfacial Bubble Deformations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seymour, Brian; Shabane, Parvis; Cypull, Olivia; Cheng, Shengfeng; Feitosa, Klebert

    Soap bubbles floating at an air-water experience deformations as a result of surface tension and hydrostatic forces. In this experiment, we investigate the nature of such deformations by taking cross-sectional images of bubbles of different volumes. The results show that as their volume increases, bubbles transition from spherical to hemispherical shape. The deformation of the interface also changes with bubble volume with the capillary rise converging to the capillary length as volume increases. The profile of the top and bottom of the bubble and the capillary rise are completely determined by the volume and pressure differences. James Madison University Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4VA Consortium, Research Corporation for Advancement of Science.

  4. Deformation behaviour of turbine foundations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koch, W.; Klitzing, R.; Pietzonka, R.; Wehr, J.

    1979-01-01

    The effects of foundation deformation on alignment in turbine generator sets have gained significance with the transition to modern units at the limit of design possibilities. It is therefore necessary to obtain clarification about the remaining operational variations of turbine foundations. Static measurement programmes, which cover both deformation processes as well as individual conditions of deformation are described in the paper. In order to explain the deformations measured structural engineering model calculations are being undertaken which indicate the effect of limiting factors. (orig.) [de

  5. A Sex Work Research Symposium: Examining Positionality in Documenting Sex Work and Sex Workers’ Rights

    OpenAIRE

    Megan Lowthers; Magdalena Sabat; Elya M. Durisin; Kamala Kempadoo

    2017-01-01

    Historically, academic literature on sex work has documented the changing debates, policies, and cultural discourse surrounding the sex industry, and their impact on the rights of sex workers worldwide. As sex work scholars look to the future of sex workers’ rights, however, we are also in a critical moment of self-reflection on how sex work scholarship engages with sex worker communities, produces knowledge surrounding sex work, and represents the lived experiences of sex workers’ rights, or...

  6. Late-Paleozoic-Mesozoic deformational and deformation related metamorphic structures of Kuznetsk-Altai region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zinoviev, Sergei

    2014-05-01

    Kuznetsk-Altai region is a part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The nature and formation mechanisms of the observed structure of Kuznetsk-Altai region are interpreted by the author as the consequence of convergence of Tuva-Mongolian and Junggar lithospheric block structures and energy of collision interaction between the blocks of crust in Late-Paleozoic-Mesozoic period. Tectonic zoning of Kuznetsk-Altai region is based on the principle of adequate description of geological medium (without methods of 'primary' state recovery). The initial indication of this convergence is the crust thickening in the zone of collision. On the surface the mechanisms of lateral compression form a regional elevation; with this elevation growth the 'mountain roots' start growing. With an approach of blocks an interblock elevation is divided into various fragments, and these fragments interact in the manner of collision. The physical expression of collision mechanisms are periodic pulses of seismic activity. The main tectonic consequence of the block convergence and collision of interblock units is formation of an ensemble of regional structures of the deformation type on the basis of previous 'pre-collision' geological substratum [Chikov et al., 2012]. This ensemble includes: 1) allochthonous and autochthonous blocks of weakly deformed substratum; 2) folded (folded-thrust) systems; 3) dynamic metamorphism zones of regional shears and main faults. Characteristic of the main structures includes: the position of sedimentary, magmatic and PT-metamorphic rocks, the degree of rock dynamometamorphism and variety rock body deformation, as well as the styles and concentrations of mechanic deformations. 1) block terranes have weakly elongated or isometric shape in plane, and they are the systems of block structures of pre-collision substratum separated by the younger zones of interblock deformations. They stand out among the main deformation systems, and the smallest are included into the

  7. Deformation microstructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, N.; Huang, X.; Hughes, D.A.

    2004-01-01

    Microstructural characterization and modeling has shown that a variety of metals deformed by different thermomechanical processes follows a general path of grain subdivision, by dislocation boundaries and high angle boundaries. This subdivision has been observed to very small structural scales...... of the order of 10 nm, produced by deformation under large sliding loads. Limits to the evolution of microstructural parameters during monotonic loading have been investigated based on a characterization by transmission electron microscopy. Such limits have been observed at an equivalent strain of about 10...

  8. Bacterial sex in dental plaque.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsen, Ingar; Tribble, Gena D; Fiehn, Nils-Erik; Wang, Bing-Yan

    2013-01-01

    Genes are transferred between bacteria in dental plaque by transduction, conjugation, and transformation. Membrane vesicles can also provide a mechanism for horizontal gene transfer. DNA transfer is considered bacterial sex, but the transfer is not parallel to processes that we associate with sex in higher organisms. Several examples of bacterial gene transfer in the oral cavity are given in this review. How frequently this occurs in dental plaque is not clear, but evidence suggests that it affects a number of the major genera present. It has been estimated that new sequences in genomes established through horizontal gene transfer can constitute up to 30% of bacterial genomes. Gene transfer can be both inter- and intrageneric, and it can also affect transient organisms. The transferred DNA can be integrated or recombined in the recipient's chromosome or remain as an extrachromosomal inheritable element. This can make dental plaque a reservoir for antimicrobial resistance genes. The ability to transfer DNA is important for bacteria, making them better adapted to the harsh environment of the human mouth, and promoting their survival, virulence, and pathogenicity.

  9. Bacterial sex in dental plaque

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingar Olsen

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Genes are transferred between bacteria in dental plaque by transduction, conjugation, and transformation. Membrane vesicles can also provide a mechanism for horizontal gene transfer. DNA transfer is considered bacterial sex, but the transfer is not parallel to processes that we associate with sex in higher organisms. Several examples of bacterial gene transfer in the oral cavity are given in this review. How frequently this occurs in dental plaque is not clear, but evidence suggests that it affects a number of the major genera present. It has been estimated that new sequences in genomes established through horizontal gene transfer can constitute up to 30% of bacterial genomes. Gene transfer can be both inter- and intrageneric, and it can also affect transient organisms. The transferred DNA can be integrated or recombined in the recipient's chromosome or remain as an extrachromosomal inheritable element. This can make dental plaque a reservoir for antimicrobial resistance genes. The ability to transfer DNA is important for bacteria, making them better adapted to the harsh environment of the human mouth, and promoting their survival, virulence, and pathogenicity.

  10. Exact reconstruction in 2D dynamic CT: compensation of time-dependent affine deformations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roux, Sebastien; Desbat, Laurent; Koenig, Anne; Grangeat, Pierre

    2004-01-01

    This work is dedicated to the reduction of reconstruction artefacts due to motion occurring during the acquisition of computerized tomographic projections. This problem has to be solved when imaging moving organs such as the lungs or the heart. The proposed method belongs to the class of motion compensation algorithms, where the model of motion is included in the reconstruction formula. We address two fundamental questions. First what conditions on the deformation are required for the reconstruction of the object from projections acquired sequentially during the deformation, and second how do we reconstruct the object from those projections. Here we answer these questions in the particular case of 2D general time-dependent affine deformations, assuming the motion parameters are known. We treat the problem of admissibility conditions on the deformation in the parallel-beam and fan-beam cases. Then we propose exact reconstruction methods based on rebinning or sequential FBP formulae for each of these geometries and present reconstructed images obtained with the fan-beam algorithm on simulated data

  11. q-Deformed nonlinear maps

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Pramana – Journal of Physics; Volume 64; Issue 3 ... Keywords. Nonlinear dynamics; logistic map; -deformation; Tsallis statistics. ... As a specific example, a -deformation procedure is applied to the logistic map. Compared ...

  12. HIV Prevention and Sex Behaviors as Organizing Mechanisms in a Facebook Group Affiliation Network Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Lindsay E; Fujimoto, Kayo; Schneider, John A

    2018-03-13

    Online social networking sites (SNS)-the Internet-based platforms that enable connection and communication between users-are increasingly salient social environments for young adults and, consequently, offer tremendous opportunity for HIV behavioral research and intervention among vulnerable populations like young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Drawing from a cohort of 525 young Black MSM (YBMSM) living in Chicago, IL, USA April 2014-May 2015, we conducted social network analysis, estimating an exponential random graph model (ERGM) to model YBMSM's group affiliations on Facebook in relation to their sex behaviors and HIV prevention traits. A group's privacy setting-public, closed, or secret-was also modeled as a potential moderator of that relationship. Findings reveal that HIV positive individuals were more likely to affiliate with Facebook groups, while those who engaged in group sex were less likely to do so. When it came to the privacy of groups, we learned that HIV positive individuals tended not to belong to groups with greater privacy (e.g., closed and secret groups), while individuals who engaged in group sex and those who engaged in regular HIV testing were more likely to belong to those groups. Results also showed that individuals who engaged in condomless sex showed significant signs of clustering around the same set of groups. HIV positive individuals, on the other hand, were significantly less likely to demonstrate clustering. Implications for interventions and future research are discussed.

  13. Environmental sex determination in the branchiopod crustacean Daphnia magna: deep conservation of a Doublesex gene in the sex-determining pathway.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasuhiko Kato

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Sex-determining mechanisms are diverse among animal lineages and can be broadly divided into two major categories: genetic and environmental. In contrast to genetic sex determination (GSD, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying environmental sex determination (ESD. The Doublesex (Dsx genes play an important role in controlling sexual dimorphism in genetic sex-determining organisms such as nematodes, insects, and vertebrates. Here we report the identification of two Dsx genes from Daphnia magna, a freshwater branchiopod crustacean that parthenogenetically produces males in response to environmental cues. One of these genes, designated DapmaDsx1, is responsible for the male trait development when expressed during environmental sex determination. The domain organization of DapmaDsx1 was similar to that of Dsx from insects, which are thought to be the sister group of branchiopod crustaceans. Intriguingly, the molecular basis for sexually dimorphic expression of DapmaDsx1 is different from that of insects. Rather than being regulated sex-specifically at the level of pre-mRNA splicing in the coding region, DapmaDsx1 exhibits sexually dimorphic differences in the abundance of its transcripts. During embryogenesis, expression of DapmaDsx1 was increased only in males and its transcripts were primarily detected in male-specific structures. Knock-down of DapmaDsx1 in male embryos resulted in the production of female traits including ovarian maturation, whereas ectopic expression of DapmaDsx1 in female embryos resulted in the development of male-like phenotypes. Expression patterns of another D. magna Dsx gene, DapmaDsx2, were similar to those of DapmaDsx1, but silencing and overexpression of this gene did not induce any clear phenotypic changes. These results establish DapmaDsx1 as a key regulator of the male phenotype. Our findings reveal how ESD is implemented by selective expression of a fundamental genetic component that is

  14. Deformation twinning: Influence of strain rate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gray, G.T. III

    1993-11-01

    Twins in most crystal structures, including advanced materials such as intermetallics, form more readily as the temperature of deformation is decreased or the rate of deformation is increased. Both parameters lead to the suppression of thermally-activated dislocation processes which can result in stresses high enough to nucleate and grow deformation twins. Under high-strain rate or shock-loading/impact conditions deformation twinning is observed to be promoted even in high stacking fault energy FCC metals and alloys, composites, and ordered intermetallics which normally do not readily deform via twinning. Under such conditions and in particular under the extreme loading rates typical of shock wave deformation the competition between slip and deformation twinning can be examined in detail. In this paper, examples of deformation twinning in the intermetallics TiAl, Ti-48Al-lV and Ni{sub 3}A as well in the cermet Al-B{sub 4}C as a function of strain rate will be presented. Discussion includes: (1) the microstructural and experimental variables influencing twin formation in these systems and twinning topics related to high-strain-rate loading, (2) the high velocity of twin formation, and (3) the influence of deformation twinning on the constitutive response of advanced materials.

  15. Deformation of Man Made Objects

    KAUST Repository

    Ibrahim, Mohamed

    2012-07-01

    We introduce a framework for 3D object deformation with primary focus on man-made objects. Our framework enables a user to deform a model while preserving its defining characteristics. Moreover, our framework enables a user to set constraints on a model to keep its most significant features intact after the deformation process. Our framework supports a semi-automatic constraint setting environment, where some constraints could be automatically set by the framework while others are left for the user to specify. Our framework has several advantages over some state of the art deformation techniques in that it enables a user to add new features to the deformed model while keeping its general look similar to the input model. In addition, our framework enables the rotation and extrusion of different parts of a model.

  16. Helping Behavior: Effects of Sex and Sex-Typing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basow, Susan A.; Crawley, Donna M.

    1982-01-01

    Male and female experimenters requested adult shoppers (N=178) to fill out a questionnaire. Refusal data showed shoppers helping other-sex more than same-sex experimenters. Other results showed a significant three-way interaction among helper and helpee sex and sex-typing and situation sex-typing and that helper sex-typing did not have significant…

  17. Glaciotectonic deformation and reinterpretation of the Worth Point stratigraphic sequence: Banks Island, NT, Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, Jessica M.; England, John H.; Evans, David J. A.

    2014-05-01

    Hill-hole pairs, comprising an ice-pushed hill and associated source depression, cluster in a belt along the west coast of Banks Island, NT. Ongoing coastal erosion at Worth Point, southwest Banks Island, has exposed a section (6 km long and ˜30 m high) through an ice-pushed hill that was transported ˜ 2 km from a corresponding source depression to the southeast. The exposed stratigraphic sequence is polydeformed and comprises folded and faulted rafts of Early Cretaceous and Late Tertiary bedrock, a prominent organic raft, Quaternary glacial sediments, and buried glacial ice. Three distinct structural domains can be identified within the stratigraphic sequence that represent proximal to distal deformation in an ice-marginal setting. Complex thrust sequences, interfering fold-sets, brecciated bedrock and widespread shear structures superimposed on this ice-marginally deformed sequence record subsequent deformation in a subglacial shear zone. Analysis of cross-cutting relationships within the stratigraphic sequence combined with OSL dating indicate that the Worth Point hill-hole pair was deformed during two separate glaciotectonic events. Firstly, ice sheet advance constructed the hill-hole pair and glaciotectonized the strata ice-marginally, producing a proximal to distal deformation sequence. A glacioisostatically forced marine transgression resulted in extensive reworking of the strata and the deposition of a glaciomarine diamict. A readvance during this initial stage redeformed the strata in a subglacial shear zone, overprinting complex deformation structures and depositing a glaciotectonite ˜20 m thick. Outwash channels that incise the subglacially deformed strata record a deglacial marine regression, whereas aggradation of glaciofluvial sand and gravel infilling the channels record a subsequent marine transgression. Secondly, a later, largely non-erosive ice margin overrode Worth Point, deforming only the most surficial units in the section and depositing a

  18. Image-based dose planning of intracavitary brachytherapy: registration of serial-imaging studies using deformable anatomic templates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christensen, Gary E.; Carlson, Blake; Chao, K.S. Clifford; Yin Pen; Grigsby, Perry W.; Nguyen, Kim; Dempsey, James F; Lerma, Fritz A.; Bae, Kyongtae T.; Vannier, Michael W.; Williamson, Jeffrey F.

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: To demonstrate that high-dimensional voxel-to-voxel transformations, derived from continuum mechanics models of the underlying pelvic tissues, can be used to register computed tomography (CT) serial examinations into a single anatomic frame of reference for cumulative dose calculations. Methods and Materials: Three patients with locally advanced cervix cancer were treated with CT-compatible intracavitary (ICT) applicators. Each patient underwent five volumetric CT examinations: before initiating treatment, and immediately before and after the first and second ICT insertions, respectively. Each serial examination was rigidly registered to the patient's first ICT examination by aligning the bony anatomy. Detailed nonrigid alignment for organs (or targets) of interest was subsequently achieved by deforming the CT exams as a viscous-fluid, described by the Navier-Stokes equation, until the coincidence with the corresponding targets on CT image was maximized. In cases where ICT insertion induced very large and topologically complex rearrangements of pelvic organs, e.g., extreme uterine canal reorientation following tandem insertion, a viscous-fluid-landmark transformation was used to produce an initial registration. Results: For all three patients, reasonable registrations for organs (or targets) of interest were achieved. Fluid-landmark initialization was required in 4 of the 11 registrations. Relative to the best rigid bony landmark alignment, the viscous-fluid registration resulted in average soft-tissue displacements from 2.8 to 28.1 mm, and improved organ coincidence from the range of 5.2% to 72.2% to the range of 90.6% to 100%. Compared to the viscous-fluid transformation, global registration of bony anatomy mismatched 5% or more of the contoured organ volumes by 15-25 mm. Conclusion: Pelvic soft-tissue structures undergo large deformations and displacements during the external-beam and multiple-ICT course of radiation therapy for locally advanced cervix

  19. q-deformations of noncompact Lie (super-) algebras: The examples of q-deformed Lorentz, Weyl, Poincare' and (super-) conformal algebras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobrev, V.K.

    1992-01-01

    We review and explain a canonical procedure for the q-deformation of the real forms G of complex Lie (super-) algebras associated with (generalized) Cartan matrices. Our procedure gives different q-deformations for the non-conjugate Cartan subalgebras of G. We give several in detail the q-deformed Lorentz and conformal (super-) algebras. The q-deformed conformal algebra contains as a subalgebra a q-deformed Poincare algebra and as Hopf subalgebras two conjugate 11-generator q-deformed Weyl algebras. The q-deformed Lorentz algebra in Hopf subalgebra of both Weyl algebras. (author). 24 refs

  20. Safe sex

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... sex; Sexually transmitted - safe sex; GC - safe sex; Gonorrhea - safe sex; Herpes - safe sex; HIV - safe sex; ... contact. STIs include: Chlamydia Genital herpes Genital warts Gonorrhea Hepatitis HIV HPV Syphilis STIs are also called ...

  1. Cochlear implantation outcomes in children with common cavity deformity; a retrospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Li; Qiu, Jianxin; Qin, Feifei; Zhong, Mei; Shah, Gyanendra

    2017-09-01

    A common cavity deformity (CCD) is a deformed inner ear in which the cochlea and vestibule are confluent forming a common rudimentary cystic cavity that results in profound hearing loss. There are few studies paying attention to common cavity. Our group is engrossed in observing the improvement of auditory and verbal abilities in children who have received cochlear implantation (CI), and comparing these targets between children with common cavity and normal inner ear structure. A retrospective study was conducted in 12 patients with profound hearing loss that were divided into a common cavity group and a control group, six in each group matched in sex, age and time of implantation, based on inner ear structure. Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) and speech intelligibility rating (SIR) scores and aided hearing thresholds were collected and compared between the two groups. All patients wore CI for more than 1 year at the Cochlear Center of Anhui Medical University from 2011 to 2015. Postoperative CAP and SIR scores were higher than before operation in both groups (p good as in those without CCD, CI provides benefits in auditory perception and communication skills in these children.

  2. Graphic Representation of Organs and Organ Systems: Psychological View and Developmental Patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartoszeck, Amauri Betini; Machado, Danielle Zagonel; Amann-Gainotti, Merete

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this exploratory study is to characterize by means of drawings if the developmental patterns in the graphic representation of organ and organ systems progresses related to age of participants. Secondly, whether there is an integration of sex organs into the internal body image. The drawings representing the inside of the body in…

  3. On infinitesimal conformai deformations of surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Юлия Степановна Федченко

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available A new form of basic equations for conformai deformations is found. The equations involve tensor fields of displacement vector only. Conditions for trivial deformations as well as infinitesimal conformai deformations are studied.

  4. Why sex and gender matter in implementation research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cara Tannenbaum

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There has been a recent swell in activity by health research funding organizations and science journal editors to increase uptake of sex and gender considerations in study design, conduct and reporting in order to ensure that research results apply to everyone. However, examination of the implementation research literature reveals that attention to sex and gender has not yet infiltrated research methods in this field. Discussion The rationale for routinely considering sex and gender in implementation research is multifold. Sex and gender are important in decision-making, communication, stakeholder engagement and preferences for the uptake of interventions. Gender roles, gender identity, gender relations, and institutionalized gender influence the way in which an implementation strategy works, for whom, under what circumstances and why. There is emerging evidence that programme theories may operate differently within and across sexes, genders and other intersectional characteristics under various circumstances. Furthermore, without proper study, implementation strategies may inadvertently exploit or ignore, rather than transform thinking about sex and gender-related factors. Techniques are described for measuring and analyzing sex and gender in implementation research using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Summary The present paper describes the application of methods for integrating sex and gender in implementation research. Consistently asking critical questions about sex and gender will likely lead to the discovery of positive outcomes, as well as unintended consequences. The result has potential to strengthen both the practice and science of implementation, improve health outcomes and reduce gender inequities.

  5. Why sex and gender matter in implementation research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tannenbaum, Cara; Greaves, Lorraine; Graham, Ian D

    2016-10-27

    There has been a recent swell in activity by health research funding organizations and science journal editors to increase uptake of sex and gender considerations in study design, conduct and reporting in order to ensure that research results apply to everyone. However, examination of the implementation research literature reveals that attention to sex and gender has not yet infiltrated research methods in this field. The rationale for routinely considering sex and gender in implementation research is multifold. Sex and gender are important in decision-making, communication, stakeholder engagement and preferences for the uptake of interventions. Gender roles, gender identity, gender relations, and institutionalized gender influence the way in which an implementation strategy works, for whom, under what circumstances and why. There is emerging evidence that programme theories may operate differently within and across sexes, genders and other intersectional characteristics under various circumstances. Furthermore, without proper study, implementation strategies may inadvertently exploit or ignore, rather than transform thinking about sex and gender-related factors. Techniques are described for measuring and analyzing sex and gender in implementation research using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The present paper describes the application of methods for integrating sex and gender in implementation research. Consistently asking critical questions about sex and gender will likely lead to the discovery of positive outcomes, as well as unintended consequences. The result has potential to strengthen both the practice and science of implementation, improve health outcomes and reduce gender inequities.

  6. Surrogate-driven deformable motion model for organ motion tracking in particle radiation therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fassi, Aurora; Seregni, Matteo; Riboldi, Marco; Cerveri, Pietro; Sarrut, David; Battista Ivaldi, Giovanni; Tabarelli de Fatis, Paola; Liotta, Marco; Baroni, Guido

    2015-02-01

    The aim of this study is the development and experimental testing of a tumor tracking method for particle radiation therapy, providing the daily respiratory dynamics of the patient’s thoraco-abdominal anatomy as a function of an external surface surrogate combined with an a priori motion model. The proposed tracking approach is based on a patient-specific breathing motion model, estimated from the four-dimensional (4D) planning computed tomography (CT) through deformable image registration. The model is adapted to the interfraction baseline variations in the patient’s anatomical configuration. The driving amplitude and phase parameters are obtained intrafractionally from a respiratory surrogate signal derived from the external surface displacement. The developed technique was assessed on a dataset of seven lung cancer patients, who underwent two repeated 4D CT scans. The first 4D CT was used to build the respiratory motion model, which was tested on the second scan. The geometric accuracy in localizing lung lesions, mediated over all breathing phases, ranged between 0.6 and 1.7 mm across all patients. Errors in tracking the surrounding organs at risk, such as lungs, trachea and esophagus, were lower than 1.3 mm on average. The median absolute variation in water equivalent path length (WEL) within the target volume did not exceed 1.9 mm-WEL for simulated particle beams. A significant improvement was achieved compared with error compensation based on standard rigid alignment. The present work can be regarded as a feasibility study for the potential extension of tumor tracking techniques in particle treatments. Differently from current tracking methods applied in conventional radiotherapy, the proposed approach allows for the dynamic localization of all anatomical structures scanned in the planning CT, thus providing complete information on density and WEL variations required for particle beam range adaptation.

  7. Intracrystalline deformation of calcite

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bresser, J.H.P. de

    1991-01-01

    It is well established from observations on natural calcite tectonites that intracrystalline plastic mechanisms are important during the deformation of calcite rocks in nature. In this thesis, new data are presented on fundamental aspects of deformation behaviour of calcite under conditions where

  8. Impact of TBT on the vitellogenesis and sex hormones in freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Revathi, Peranandam; Iyapparaj, Palanisamy; Vasanthi, Lourduraj Arockia; Munuswamy, Natesan; Krishnan, Muthukalingan

    2013-01-01

    Tributyltin (TBT) is a ubiquitous persistent xenobiotic that can be found in freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystem. TBT is a strong endocrine disrupting compound (EDC) that can cause toxic threat to aquatic organisms. Imposex, sexual deformities and endocrine dysfunctions are the causes of TBT to most of the aquatic organisms. Effect of TBT on the vitellogenesis and sex hormonal changes in Macrobrachium rosenbergii has never been reported. Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to find out the impact of TBT on histological changes in the different reproductive tissues, sex hormonal alterations and level of biomarkers like vitellogenin and vitellin in M. rosenbergii. The present investigation documents the possible impact of tributyltin (TBT) on the vitellogenesis in freshwater female prawn M. rosenbergii. TBT at 10 ng/l, 100 ng/l and 1000 ng/l concentrations were exposed individually to prawns for a period of three months. At higher concentration of 1000 ng/l, the ovarian development was arrested and ovary remained at spent stage. At lower concentration of TBT (10 ng/l), the development proceeded up to early vitellogenic stage. At intermediate concentration of 100 ng/l TBT, the ovary remained at pre vitellogenic stage and thereafter no development was noticed. Histological results indicated the normal ovarian development with vitellogenic oocytes, filled with yolk globules in control prawn. On the other hand, the TBT treated groups showed reduction in yolk globules, fusion of developing oocytes and abundance of immature oocytes. Immunofluorescence staining denoted the remarkable reduction in vitellin content in ovary of TBT treated prawn. Hence, TBT had conspicuously inhibited the vitellogenesis by causing hormonal imbalance in M. rosenbergii. TBT had notably inhibited the vitellogenesis due to hormonal imbalance. This endocrine dysfunction ultimately impaired the oogenesis in the freshwater female prawn M. rosenbergii.

  9. Deformable paper origami optoelectronic devices

    KAUST Repository

    He, Jr-Hau

    2017-01-19

    Deformable optoelectronic devices are provided, including photodetectors, photodiodes, and photovoltaic cells. The devices can be made on a variety of paper substrates, and can include a plurality of fold segments in the paper substrate creating a deformable pattern. Thin electrode layers and semiconductor nanowire layers can be attached to the substrate, creating the optoelectronic device. The devices can be highly deformable, e.g. capable of undergoing strains of 500% or more, bending angles of 25° or more, and/or twist angles of 270° or more. Methods of making the deformable optoelectronic devices and methods of using, e.g. as a photodetector, are also provided.

  10. Stochastic deformation of a thermodynamic symplectic structure

    OpenAIRE

    Kazinski, P. O.

    2008-01-01

    A stochastic deformation of a thermodynamic symplectic structure is studied. The stochastic deformation procedure is analogous to the deformation of an algebra of observables like deformation quantization, but for an imaginary deformation parameter (the Planck constant). Gauge symmetries of thermodynamics and corresponding stochastic mechanics, which describes fluctuations of a thermodynamic system, are revealed and gauge fields are introduced. A physical interpretation to the gauge transform...

  11. Deformation aspects of time dependent fracture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, C.Y.; Turner, A.P.L.; Diercks, D.R.; Laird, C.; Langdon, T.G.; Nix, W.D.; Swindeman, R.; Wolfer, W.G.; Woodford, D.A.

    1979-01-01

    For all metallic materials, particularly at elevated temperatures, deformation plays an important role in fracture. On the macro-continuum level, the inelastic deformation behavior of the material determines how stress is distributed in the body and thus determines the driving force for fracture. At the micro-continuum level, inelastic deformation alters the elastic stress singularity at the crack tip and so determines the local environment in which crack advance takes place. At the microscopic and mechanistic level, there are many possibilities for the mechanisms of deformation to be related to those for crack initiation and growth. At elevated temperatures, inelastic deformation in metallic systems is time dependent so that the distribution of stress in a body will vary with time, affecting conditions for crack initiation and propagation. Creep deformation can reduce the tendency for fracture by relaxing the stresses at geometric stress concentrations. It can also, under suitable constraints, cause a concentration of stresses at specific loading points as a result of relaxation elsewhere in the body. A combination of deformation and unequal heating, as in welding, can generate large residual stress which cannot be predicted from the external loads on the body. Acceleration of deformation by raising the temperature can be an effective way to relieve such residual stresses

  12. Regucalcin expression in bovine tissues and its regulation by sex steroid hormones in accessory sex glands.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Starvaggi Cucuzza

    Full Text Available Regucalcin (RGN is a mammalian Ca2+-binding protein that plays an important role in intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Recently, RGN has been identified as a target gene for sex steroid hormones in the prostate glands and testis of rats and humans, but no studies have focused on RGN expression in bovine tissues. Thus, in the present study, we examined RGN mRNA and protein expression in the different tissues and organs of veal calves and beef cattle. Moreover, we investigated whether RGN expression is controlled through sex steroid hormones in bovine target tissues, namely the bulbo-urethral and prostate glands and the testis. Sex steroid hormones are still illegally used in bovine husbandry to increase muscle mass. The screening of the regulation and function of anabolic sex steroids via modified gene expression levels in various tissues represents a new approach for the detection of illicit drug treatments. Herein, we used quantitative PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses to demonstrate RGN mRNA and protein expression in bovine tissues. In addition, estrogen administration down-regulated RGN gene expression in the accessory sex glands of veal calves and beef cattle, while androgen treatment reduced RGN gene expression only in the testis. The confirmation of the regulation of RGN gene expression through sex steroid hormones might facilitate the potential detection of hormone abuse in bovine husbandry. Particularly, the specific response in the testis suggests that this tissue is ideal for the detection of illicit androgen administration in veal calves and beef cattle.

  13. Chromosome Banding in Amphibia. XXXVI. Multimorphic Sex Chromosomes and an Enigmatic Sex Determination in Eleutherodactylus johnstonei (Anura, Eleutherodactylidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, Michael; Steinlein, Claus

    2018-01-01

    A detailed cytogenetic study on the leaf litter frog Eleutherodactylus johnstonei from 14 different Caribbean islands and the mainlands of Venezuela and Guyana revealed the existence of multimorphic XY♂/XX♀ sex chromosomes 14. Their male sex determination and development depends either on the presence of 2 telocentric chromosomes 14 (XtYt), or on 1 submetacentric chromosome 14 (Xsm) plus 1 telocentric chromosome 14 (Yt), or on the presence of 2 submetacentric chromosomes 14 (XsmYsm). The female sex determination and development requires either the presence of 2 telocentric chromosomes 14 (XtXt) or 2 submetacentric chromosomes 14 (XsmXsm). In all individuals analyzed, the sex chromosomes 14 carry a prominent nucleolus organizer region in their long arms. An explanation is given for the origin of the (XtYt)♂, (XsmYt)♂, (XsmYsm)♂, (XtXt)♀, and (XsmXsm)♀ in the different populations of E. johnstonei. Furthermore, the present study gives detailed data on the chromosome banding patterns, in situ hybridization experiments, and the genome size of E. johnstonei. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  14. Dealing with the Margins of Law: Adult Sex Workers' Resistance in Everyday Life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marisa Natalia Fassi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This article looks at the way sex workers in Córdoba, Argentina, have dealt with legal marginalization, focusing on their understandings and associated practices of resistance. Sex workers position in law shows the group is on the margins of law, which means that their activity is not considered to be legal but is not illegal either. Since 2000 a group of sex workers started to organize to stop the constant detentions and humiliations by police officers. The organization called AMMAR (Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices Argentinas implied a major shift from an oppression of consciousness to a consciousness of oppression, modifying in this process the terms of their resistance from mere tactics of survival to a struggle for redefinition of their position in law and society. This article firstly explores the idea of margins of law, consciousness, power and resistance, and also describes the regulation of sex work in the city of Córdoba; secondly, it refers to sex workers experiences, perceptions and practices of resistance before the organization in relation to the police, the Judiciary, as well as with other institutions, and relates this experiences with their practices of resistance in that period; thirdly, it explains the process of organization and the way it has influenced their reflective awareness and practices of resistance, it describes as well the heterogeneity of understandings regarding law. Lastly, the Conclusion revisits the outcomes and literature to propose final reflections about dealing with the margins of law in everyday life.

  15. Quantifying the Erlenmeyer flask deformity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, A; Rajan, P S; Deegan, P; Cox, T M; Bearcroft, P

    2012-01-01

    Objective Erlenmeyer flask deformity is a common radiological finding in patients with Gaucher′s disease; however, no definition of this deformity exists and the reported prevalence of the deformity varies widely. To devise an easily applied definition of this deformity, we investigated a cohort of knee radiographs in which there was consensus between three experienced radiologists as to the presence or absence of Erlenmeyer flask morphology. Methods Using the presence or absence of Erlenmeyer flask morphology as a benchmark, we measured the diameter of the femur at the level of the physeal scar and serially at defined intervals along the metadiaphysis. Results A measured ratio in excess of 0.57 between the diameter of the femoral shaft 4 cm from the physis to the diameter of the physeal baseline itself on a frontal radiograph of the knee predicted the Erlenmeyer flask deformity with 95.6% sensitivity and 100% specificity in our series of 43 independently diagnosed adults with Gaucher′s disease. Application of this method to the distal femur detected the Erlenmeyer flask deformity reproducibly and was simple to carry out. Conclusion Unlike diagnostic assignments based on subjective review, our simple procedure for identifying the modelling deformity is based on robust quantitative measurement: it should facilitate comparative studies between different groups of patients, and may allow more rigorous exploration of the pathogenesis of the complex osseous manifestations of Gaucher′s disease to be undertaken. PMID:22010032

  16. Microstructure evolution and deformation mechanism change in 0.98C-8.3Mn-0.04N steel during compressive deformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, T.S.; Hou, R.J.; Lv, B.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, F.C.

    2007-01-01

    The microstructure evolution and the deformation mechanism change in 0.98C-8.3Mn-0.04N steel during compressive deformation at room temperature have been studied as a function of the reduction in the range of 20-60%. Experimental results show that with the reduction increasing the microstructure of the deformed sample changes from dislocation substructures into the dominant twins plus dislocations. This suggests that the plastic deformation mechanism changes from the dislocation slip to the dominant deformation twinning. The minimum reduction for deformation twins starting is estimated to be at between 30 and 40%. With the reduction further increases to more than 40%, the deformation twinning is operative and the thickness of deformation twins gradually decreases to nanoscale and shear bands occur. These high-density twins can be curved by the formation of shear bands. In addition, both transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction examinations confirm the inexistence of deformation-induced martensites in these deformed samples

  17. Plastic deformation of indium nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Gyuhyon; Kim, Ju-Young; Burek, Michael J.; Greer, Julia R.; Tsui, Ting Y.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Indium nanopillars display two different deformation mechanisms. → ∼80% exhibited low flow stresses near that of bulk indium. → Low strength nanopillars have strain rate sensitivity similar to bulk indium. → ∼20% of compressed indium nanopillars deformed at nearly theoretical strengths. → Low-strength samples do not exhibit strength size effects. - Abstract: Mechanical properties and morphology of cylindrical indium nanopillars, fabricated by electron beam lithography and electroplating, are characterized in uniaxial compression. Time-dependent deformation and influence of size on nanoscale indium mechanical properties were investigated. The results show two fundamentally different deformation mechanisms which govern plasticity in these indium nanostructures. We observed that the majority of indium nanopillars deform at engineering stresses near the bulk values (Type I), with a small fraction sustaining flow stresses approaching the theoretical limit for indium (Type II). The results also show the strain rate sensitivity and flow stresses in Type I indium nanopillars are similar to bulk indium with no apparent size effects.

  18. Interactive Character Deformation Using Simplified Elastic Models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luo, Z.

    2016-01-01

    This thesis describes the results of our research into realistic skin and model deformation methods aimed at the field of character deformation and animation. The main contributions lie in the properties of our deformation scheme. Our approach preserves the volume of the deformed object while

  19. Nonlinear Deformable-body Dynamics

    CERN Document Server

    Luo, Albert C J

    2010-01-01

    "Nonlinear Deformable-body Dynamics" mainly consists in a mathematical treatise of approximate theories for thin deformable bodies, including cables, beams, rods, webs, membranes, plates, and shells. The intent of the book is to stimulate more research in the area of nonlinear deformable-body dynamics not only because of the unsolved theoretical puzzles it presents but also because of its wide spectrum of applications. For instance, the theories for soft webs and rod-reinforced soft structures can be applied to biomechanics for DNA and living tissues, and the nonlinear theory of deformable bodies, based on the Kirchhoff assumptions, is a special case discussed. This book can serve as a reference work for researchers and a textbook for senior and postgraduate students in physics, mathematics, engineering and biophysics. Dr. Albert C.J. Luo is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL, USA. Professor Luo is an internationally recognized scientist in the field of non...

  20. Multi-scale analysis of deformation behavior at SCC crack tip (2). (Contract research)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Miwa, Yukio; Tsukada, Takashi; Hayakawa, Masao; Nagashima, Nobuo

    2007-03-01

    This report describes a result of the research conducted by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the National Institute for Materials Science under contract with Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES) that was concerned with a multi-scale analysis of plastic deformation behavior at the crack tip of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). The research was carried out to evaluate the validity of the SCC growth data acquired in the intergranular SCC (IGSCC) project based on a mechanistic understanding of SCC. For the purpose, in this research, analyses of the plastic deformation behavior and microstructure around the crack tip were performed in a nano-order scale. The hardness measured in nano, meso and macro scales was employed as a common index of the strength, and the essential data necessary to understand the SCC propagation behavior were acquired and analyzed that are mainly a size of plastic deformation region and a microstructural information in the region, e.g. data of crystallografy, microscopic deformation and dislocations at the inside of grains and grain boundaries. In this year, we analyzed the state of plastic deformation region at the crack tip of IGSCC under various conditions and investigated relationship between crack growth behavior and stress intensity factor. Especially, we investigated in detail about two different hardened specimens used in the SCC growth tests in the IGSCC project. (J.P.N.)

  1. Sex education in Cyprus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patsalides, N

    1991-05-01

    The objective of educating people on family planning and sexuality issues has been carried forth by the Family Planning Association of Cyprus (FPAC) since 1971. The promotion of sex education in schools has generated respect for their expertise. Sex education has reached the agenda of the General Assembly of Parliament only to be postponed due to the April 1991 end of term dismissal. A newly elected Parliament are not expected to act immediately. The Ministry of Education Committee on Health Education has been actively counseled since 1974, and most recently in their examination of the possibilities of school sex education and training of high school teachers. The Ministry of Education has authority over primary and secondary education, which is compulsory up to 3 years of secondary education. The approach of FPAC has been to work with parents first in education lectures at various well publicized locations. The agenda was to inform about FPAC, explain the purpose and meaning of sex education, and show the Merry-Go-Round educational film followed by a question and answer session. Eventually, presentations involved children with parent observation. In 1977, authorization from the Ministry of Education gave official approval to FPAC, but not on school premises. FPAC went directly to headmasters and gained support in primary schools to organize sessions on school premises, which successfully involved many primary schools even in the much needed rural areas. Home Economics and Child Care, offered in the 5th and 6th grades was the only vehicle for gaining permission to enter secondary schools. In Larnaca, secondary school headmasters at the 3rd and 6th grade levels permitted invitations which requested parental permission. Lecture topics on human reproduction, sex roles, and disease and contraception were also provided in a follow-up letter. Higher education levels were involved through youth clubs and evening lectures. In 1988, FPAC urged the Director General of the

  2. Sex selection and restricting abortion and sex determination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zilberberg, Julie

    2007-11-01

    Sex selection in India and China is fostered by a limiting social structure that disallows women from performing the roles that men perform, and relegates women to a lower status level. Individual parents and individual families benefit concretely from having a son born into the family, while society, and girls and women as a group, are harmed by the widespread practice of sex selection. Sex selection reinforces oppression of women and girls. Sex selection is best addressed by ameliorating the situations of women and girls, increasing their autonomy, and elevating their status in society. One might argue that restricting or prohibiting abortion, prohibiting sex selection, and prohibiting sex determination would eliminate sex selective abortion. But this decreases women's autonomy rather than increases it. Such practices will turn underground. Sex selective infanticide, and slower death by long term neglect, could increase. If abortion is restricted, the burden is placed on women seeking abortions to show that they have a legally acceptable or legitimate reason for a desired abortion, and this seriously limits women's autonomy. Instead of restricting abortion, banning sex selection, and sex determination, it is better to address the practice of sex selection by elevating the status of women and empowering women so that giving birth to a girl is a real and positive option, instead of a detriment to the parents and family as it is currently. But, if a ban on sex selective abortion or a ban on sex determination is indeed instituted, then wider social change promoting women's status in society should be instituted simultaneously.

  3. Developing a Virtual Rock Deformation Laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, W.; Ougier-simonin, A.; Lisabeth, H. P.; Banker, J. S.

    2012-12-01

    Experimental rock physics plays an important role in advancing earthquake research. Despite its importance in geophysics, reservoir engineering, waste deposits and energy resources, most geology departments in U.S. universities don't have rock deformation facilities. A virtual deformation laboratory can serve as an efficient tool to help geology students naturally and internationally learn about rock deformation. Working with computer science engineers, we built a virtual deformation laboratory that aims at fostering user interaction to facilitate classroom and outreach teaching and learning. The virtual lab is built to center around a triaxial deformation apparatus in which laboratory measurements of mechanical and transport properties such as stress, axial and radial strains, acoustic emission activities, wave velocities, and permeability are demonstrated. A student user can create her avatar to enter the virtual lab. In the virtual lab, the avatar can browse and choose among various rock samples, determine the testing conditions (pressure, temperature, strain rate, loading paths), then operate the virtual deformation machine to observe how deformation changes physical properties of rocks. Actual experimental results on the mechanical, frictional, sonic, acoustic and transport properties of different rocks at different conditions are compiled. The data acquisition system in the virtual lab is linked to the complied experimental data. Structural and microstructural images of deformed rocks are up-loaded and linked to different deformation tests. The integration of the microstructural image and the deformation data allows the student to visualize how forces reshape the structure of the rock and change the physical properties. The virtual lab is built using the Game Engine. The geological background, outstanding questions related to the geological environment, and physical and mechanical concepts associated with the problem will be illustrated on the web portal. In

  4. Conditions to minimize soft single biomolecule deformation when imaging with atomic force microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godon, Christian; Teulon, Jean-Marie; Odorico, Michael; Basset, Christian; Meillan, Matthieu; Vellutini, Luc; Chen, Shu-Wen W; Pellequer, Jean-Luc

    2017-03-01

    A recurrent interrogation when imaging soft biomolecules using atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the putative deformation of molecules leading to a bias in recording true topographical surfaces. Deformation of biomolecules comes from three sources: sample instability, adsorption to the imaging substrate, and crushing under tip pressure. To disentangle these causes, we measured the maximum height of a well-known biomolecule, the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), under eight different experimental conditions positing that the maximum height value is a specific indicator of sample deformations. Six basic AFM experimental factors were tested: imaging in air (AIR) versus in liquid (LIQ), imaging with flat minerals (MICA) versus flat organic surfaces (self-assembled monolayers, SAM), and imaging forces with oscillating tapping mode (TAP) versus PeakForce tapping (PFT). The results show that the most critical parameter in accurately measuring the height of TMV in air is the substrate. In a liquid environment, regardless of the substrate, the most critical parameter is the imaging mode. Most importantly, the expected TMV height values were obtained with both imaging with the PeakForce tapping mode either in liquid or in air at the condition of using self-assembled monolayers as substrate. This study unambiguously explains previous poor results of imaging biomolecules on mica in air and suggests alternative methodologies for depositing soft biomolecules on well organized self-assembled monolayers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Sex reassignment surgery in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chokrungvaranont, Prayuth; Tiewtranon, Preecha

    2004-11-01

    Many years ago Thai society considered transsexualism (Gender identity disorder or Gender dysphoria) which is commonly known as Kathoey (a word originally used to denote hermaphrodites), Sao Prapet Song or Tut (as in 'Tootsie') were low class citizens, dirty dressing and had to hide in a dark corner selling their services as prostitutes. This made us unwilling to do sex reassignment surgery for this group of people because the idea of eradicating normal sexual organs for the purpose that was not accepted by the society. Consequently the authors have experience in cases where these people wandered seeking doctors who had no competency nor enough experience to do the surgery. The authors could not inhibit the desire of these people who usually suffer from gender identity disorder from strongly wishing to change their genital sex to the sex they want. The outcome of the surgery was not satisfactory for the patients. There were complications and sequelae which caused the authors to correct them later which might be more difficult than doing the original surgery. In addition there were more studies about the etiology and affect of the disorder on these people that changed the social point of view. The women who wanted to be a him and men who would like to be a her should be considered as patients who need to be cured to set the harmony about their genetic sex and the desire to be the opposite sex and also to be regarded by others as a member of that other sex. The treatments of transsexualism usually begin with conventional psychiatric and endocrinological treatment to adjust the mind to the body. For those who failed conservative treatment in adjusting the mind to the body then sex reassignment surgery will be the only way to transform their body to their mind and give the best result in properly selected patients. Preecha Tiewtranon, the pioneer in sex reassignment surgery in Thailand, did his transsexualism case in 1975 together with Dr. Prakob Thongpeaw. Sex

  6. Study of deformation evolution during failure of rock specimens using laser-based vibration measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smolin, I. Yu.; Kulkov, A. S.; Makarov, P. V.; Tunda, V. A.; Krasnoveikin, V. A.; Eremin, M. O.; Bakeev, R. A.

    2017-12-01

    The aim of the paper is to analyze experimental data on the dynamic response of the marble specimen in uniaxial compression. To make it we use the methods of mathematical statistics. The lateral surface velocity evolution obtained by the laser Doppler vibrometer represents the data for analysis. The registered data were regarded as a time series that reflects deformation evolution of the specimen loaded up to failure. The revealed changes in statistical parameters were considered as precursors of failure. It is shown that before failure the deformation response is autocorrelated and reflects the states of dynamic chaos and self-organized criticality.

  7. Automatic Generation of Facial Expression Using Triangular Geometric Deformation

    OpenAIRE

    Jia-Shing Sheu; Tsu-Shien Hsieh; Ho-Nien Shou

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents an image deformation algorithm and constructs an automatic facial expression generation system to generate new facial expressions in neutral state. After the users input the face image in a neutral state into the system, the system separates the possible facial areas and the image background by skin color segmentation. It then uses the morphological operation to remove noise and to capture the organs of facial expression, such as the eyes, mouth, eyebrow, and nose. The fea...

  8. The Spherical Deformation Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hobolth, Asgar

    2003-01-01

    Miller et al. (1994) describe a model for representing spatial objects with no obvious landmarks. Each object is represented by a global translation and a normal deformation of a sphere. The normal deformation is defined via the orthonormal spherical-harmonic basis. In this paper we analyse the s...

  9. Same-Sex and Different-Sex Cohabiting Couple Relationship Stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning, Wendy D; Brown, Susan L; Stykes, J Bart

    2016-08-01

    Relationship stability is a key indicator of well-being, but most U.S.-based research has been limited to different-sex couples. The 2008 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) provides an untapped data resource to analyze relationship stability of same-sex cohabiting, different-sex cohabiting, and different-sex married couples (n = 5,701). The advantages of the SIPP data include the recent, nationally representative, and longitudinal data collection; a large sample of same-sex cohabitors; respondent and partner socioeconomic characteristics; and identification of a state-level indicator of a policy stating that marriage is between one man and one woman (i.e., DOMA). We tested competing hypotheses about the stability of same-sex versus different-sex cohabiting couples that were guided by incomplete institutionalization, minority stress, relationship investments, and couple homogamy perspectives (predicting that same-sex couples would be less stable) as well as economic resources (predicting that same-sex couples would be more stable). In fact, neither expectation was supported: results indicated that same-sex cohabiting couples typically experience levels of stability that are similar to those of different-sex cohabiting couples. We also found evidence of contextual effects: living in a state with a constitutional ban against same-sex marriage was significantly associated with higher levels of instability for same- and different-sex cohabiting couples. The level of stability in both same-sex and different-sex cohabiting couples is not on par with that of different-sex married couples. The findings contribute to a growing literature on health and well-being of same-sex couples and provide a broader understanding of family life.

  10. Passive sorting of capsules by deformability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haener, Edgar; Juel, Anne

    We study passive sorting according to deformability of liquid-filled ovalbumin-alginate capsules. We present results for two sorting geometries: a straight channel with a half-cylindrical obstruction and a pinched flow fractioning device (PFF) adapted for use with capsules. In the half-cylinder device, the capsules deform as they encounter the obstruction, and travel around the half-cylinder. The distance from the capsule's centre of mass to the surface of the half-cylinder depends on deformability, and separation between capsules of different deformability is amplified by diverging streamlines in the channel expansion downstream of the obstruction. We show experimentally that capsules can be sorted according to deformability with their downstream position depending on capillary number only, and we establish the sensitivity of the device to experimental variability. In the PFF device, particles are compressed against a wall using a strong pinching flow. We show that capsule deformation increases with the intensity of the pinching flow, but that the downstream capsule position is not set by deformation in the device. However, when using the PFF device like a T-Junction, we achieve improved sorting resolution compared to the half-cylinder device.

  11. Ocean acidification but not warming alters sex determination in the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Laura M; O'Connor, Wayne A; Byrne, Maria; Dove, Michael; Coleman, Ross A; Pörtner, Hans-O; Scanes, Elliot; Virtue, Patti; Gibbs, Mitchell; Ross, Pauline M

    2018-02-14

    Whether sex determination of marine organisms can be altered by ocean acidification and warming during this century remains a significant, unanswered question. Here, we show that exposure of the protandric hermaphrodite oyster, Saccostrea glomerata to ocean acidification, but not warming, alters sex determination resulting in changes in sex ratios. After just one reproductive cycle there were 16% more females than males. The rate of gametogenesis, gonad area, fecundity, shell length, extracellular pH and survival decreased in response to ocean acidification. Warming as a sole stressor slightly increased the rate of gametogenesis, gonad area and fecundity, but this increase was masked by the impact of ocean acidification at a level predicted for this century. Alterations to sex determination, sex ratios and reproductive capacity will have flow on effects to reduce larval supply and population size of oysters and potentially other marine organisms. © 2018 The Author(s).

  12. Perceptual transparency from image deformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawabe, Takahiro; Maruya, Kazushi; Nishida, Shin'ya

    2015-08-18

    Human vision has a remarkable ability to perceive two layers at the same retinal locations, a transparent layer in front of a background surface. Critical image cues to perceptual transparency, studied extensively in the past, are changes in luminance or color that could be caused by light absorptions and reflections by the front layer, but such image changes may not be clearly visible when the front layer consists of a pure transparent material such as water. Our daily experiences with transparent materials of this kind suggest that an alternative potential cue of visual transparency is image deformations of a background pattern caused by light refraction. Although previous studies have indicated that these image deformations, at least static ones, play little role in perceptual transparency, here we show that dynamic image deformations of the background pattern, which could be produced by light refraction on a moving liquid's surface, can produce a vivid impression of a transparent liquid layer without the aid of any other visual cues as to the presence of a transparent layer. Furthermore, a transparent liquid layer perceptually emerges even from a randomly generated dynamic image deformation as long as it is similar to real liquid deformations in its spatiotemporal frequency profile. Our findings indicate that the brain can perceptually infer the presence of "invisible" transparent liquids by analyzing the spatiotemporal structure of dynamic image deformation, for which it uses a relatively simple computation that does not require high-level knowledge about the detailed physics of liquid deformation.

  13. Sex work on the rise. International news.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1996-01-01

    The AIDS epidemic has brought to the fore many social injustices; for instance, inappropriate laws. The groups of people most at risk of HIV/AIDS are women, young people, and sex workers. More appropriate laws are needed to protect their rights. In many instances sex workers are prosecuted for selling their services, but their clients are not prosecuted for seeking these services. Most people become sex workers so they can feed, clothe, and supply the basic needs for themselves and their families. Many sex workers are abandoned wives, mothers with no means of support, and poverty stricken people. A Health Ministry commission in Sweden proposed that prostitutes, clients, and pimps be prosecuted and be liable to imprisonment. Authorities in Scotland, where prostitution is illegal, have granted licenses to more than 20 clubs in Edinburgh in which sex is for sale. In the UK, the Royal College of Nursing called for a measure to decriminalize prostitution and to introduce licensed, regulated brothels. The legalization of sex clubs and brothels will occur soon in the Netherlands. In Poland, 30,000-50,000 youth, 33% of whom are underage, sell sex during holidays. Organizations are beginning to work only with male prostitutes in Belgium. In the countries of the former Soviet Union and China, prostitution is becoming more and more common. Some young girls in these countries practice currency prostitution. In almost all Asian countries except Thailand condom use is low; yet prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases are very common. Some people participate in the corrupt trade in women from Nepal to supply the sex market in Bombay, India. Sex tourism is still common in cities of Eastern Europe and the former USSR and in areas where tourism is increasing. There are more than 1 million prostitutes aged under 16 in eight Asian countries, with 400,000 in India. Sweden and the UK have taken steps to prosecute natives who have sex with children abroad. Philippine authorities

  14. Sex workers talk about sex work: six contradictory characteristics of legalised sex work in Melbourne, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Begum, Sufia; Hocking, Jane S; Groves, Jan; Fairley, Christopher K; Keogh, Louise A

    2013-01-01

    Despite research suggesting that legal sex work is safe and that emotional risks and social stigma are of greater concern than health risks, much research on sex work has focused on health risks. Given the legalisation of sex work in Victoria, Australia, it is timely to look beyond health. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of 14 female sex workers on their experience of legal sex work, both positive and negative, and the social acceptability of their profession. Thematic analysis was used to identify the key ways that sex workers described sex work. Women saw legal sex work as safer than illegal sex work, but still not socially acceptable. However, they also described six contradictory elements of sex work, which was seen as: financially rewarding and entrapping; empowering and demeaning; increasing some opportunities while reducing others; flexible and demanding; offering both intimacy and competition; and leading to a 'double life'. While legalisation has improved the safety of sex work, stigma and discrimination persist.

  15. Associative and Lie deformations of Poisson algebras

    OpenAIRE

    Remm, Elisabeth

    2011-01-01

    Considering a Poisson algebra as a non associative algebra satisfying the Markl-Remm identity, we study deformations of Poisson algebras as deformations of this non associative algebra. This gives a natural interpretation of deformations which preserves the underlying associative structure and we study deformations which preserve the underlying Lie algebra.

  16. Large scale gene expression meta-analysis reveals tissue-specific, sex-biased gene expression in humans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin Mayne

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The severity and prevalence of many diseases are known to differ between the sexes. Organ specific sex-biased gene expression may underpin these and other sexually dimorphic traits. To further our understanding of sex differences in transcriptional regulation, we performed meta-analyses of sex biased gene expression in multiple human tissues. We analysed 22 publicly available human gene expression microarray data sets including over 2500 samples from 15 different tissues and 9 different organs. Briefly, by using an inverse-variance method we determined the effect size difference of gene expression between males and females. We found the greatest sex differences in gene expression in the brain, specifically in the anterior cingulate cortex, (1818 genes, followed by the heart (375 genes, kidney (224 genes, colon (218 genes and thyroid (163 genes. More interestingly, we found different parts of the brain with varying numbers and identity of sex-biased genes, indicating that specific cortical regions may influence sexually dimorphic traits. The majority of sex-biased genes in other tissues such as the bladder, liver, lungs and pancreas were on the sex chromosomes or involved in sex hormone production. On average in each tissue, 32% of autosomal genes that were expressed in a sex-biased fashion contained androgen or estrogen hormone response elements. Interestingly, across all tissues, we found approximately two-thirds of autosomal genes that were sex-biased were not under direct influence of sex hormones. To our knowledge this is the largest analysis of sex-biased gene expression in human tissues to date. We identified many sex-biased genes that were not under the direct influence of sex chromosome genes or sex hormones. These may provide targets for future development of sex-specific treatments for diseases.

  17. Deformation Models Tracking, Animation and Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Torres, Arnau; Gómez, Javier

    2013-01-01

    The computational modelling of deformations has been actively studied for the last thirty years. This is mainly due to its large range of applications that include computer animation, medical imaging, shape estimation, face deformation as well as other parts of the human body, and object tracking. In addition, these advances have been supported by the evolution of computer processing capabilities, enabling realism in a more sophisticated way. This book encompasses relevant works of expert researchers in the field of deformation models and their applications.  The book is divided into two main parts. The first part presents recent object deformation techniques from the point of view of computer graphics and computer animation. The second part of this book presents six works that study deformations from a computer vision point of view with a common characteristic: deformations are applied in real world applications. The primary audience for this work are researchers from different multidisciplinary fields, s...

  18. Using RNA-seq to determine patterns of sex-bias in gene expression in the brain of the sex-role reversed Gulf Pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beal, Andria P; Martin, F Douglas; Hale, Matthew C

    2018-02-01

    Sex-bias in gene expression is a widespread mechanism for controlling the development of phenotypes that differ between males and females. Most studies on sex-bias in gene expression have focused on species that exhibit traditional sex-roles (male-male competition and female parental care). By contrast the Syngnathid fishes (sea horses, pipefish, and sea dragons) are a group of organisms where many species exhibit male brooding and sex-role reversal (female-female competition for mates and paternal parental care), and little is known about how patterns of sex-bias in gene expression vary in species with sex-role reversal. Here we utilize RNA-seq technology to investigate patterns of sex-bias in gene expression in the brain tissue of the Gulf Pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli) a species that exhibits sex-role reversal. Gene expression analysis identified 73 sex-biased genes, 26 genes upregulated in females and 47 genes upregulated in males. Gene ontology analysis found 52 terms enriched for the sex-biased genes in a wide range of pathways suggesting that multiple functions and processes differ between the sexes. We focused on two areas of interest: sex steroids/hormones and circadian rhythms, both of which exhibited sex-bias in gene expression, and are known to influence sexual development in other species. Lastly, the work presented herein contributes to a growing body of genome data available for the Syngnathids, increasing our knowledge on patterns of gene expression in these unusual fishes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Soft tissue deformation using a Hierarchical Finite Element Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faraci, Alessandro; Bello, Fernando; Darzi, Ara

    2004-01-01

    Simulating soft tissue deformation in real-time has become increasingly important in order to provide a realistic virtual environment for training surgical skills. Several methods have been proposed with the aim of rendering in real-time the mechanical and physiological behaviour of human organs, one of the most popular being Finite Element Method (FEM). In this paper we present a new approach to the solution of the FEM problem introducing the concept of parent and child mesh within the development of a hierarchical FEM. The online selection of the child mesh is presented with the purpose to adapt the mesh hierarchy in real-time. This permits further refinement of the child mesh increasing the detail of the deformation without slowing down the simulation and giving the possibility of integrating force feedback. The results presented demonstrate the application of our proposed framework using a desktop virtual reality (VR) system that incorporates stereo vision with integrated haptics co-location via a desktop Phantom force feedback device.

  20. The evolution of sex ratios and sex-determining systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Uller, Tobias; Pen, Ido; Wapstra, Erik; Beukeboom, Leo W.; Komdeur, Jan

    Sex determination is a fundamental process governed by diverse mechanisms. Sex ratio selection is commonly implicated in the evolution of sex-determining systems, although formal models are rare. Here, we argue that, although sex ratio selection can induce shifts in sex determination, genomic

  1. Sex- and age-related variation in metal content of penguin feathers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Squadrone, Stefania; Abete, Maria Cesarina; Brizio, Paola; Monaco, Gabriella; Colussi, Silvia; Biolatti, Cristina; Modesto, Paola; Acutis, Pier Luigi; Pessani, Daniela; Favaro, Livio

    2016-03-01

    The presence of xenobiotics, such as metals, in ecosystems is concerning due to their durability and they pose a threat to the health and life of organisms. Moreover, mercury can biomagnify in many marine food chains and, therefore, organisms at higher trophic levels can be adversely impacted. Although feathers have been used extensively as a bio-monitoring tool, only a few studies have addressed the effect of both age and sex on metal accumulation. In this study, the concentrations of trace elements were determined in the feathers of all members of a captive colony of African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) housed in a zoological facility in Italy. Tests were performed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to detect aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, selenium, tin, vanadium, and zinc. Mercury was detected by a direct mercury analyzer. Sexing was performed by a molecular approach based on analyzing the chromo-helicase-DNA-binding1 gene, located on the sex chromosomes. Sex- and age-related differences were studied in order to investigate the different patterns of metal bioaccumulation between male and female individuals and between adults and juveniles. Juvenile females had significantly higher arsenic levels than males, while selenium levels increased significantly with age in both sexes. Penguins kept in controlled environments-given that diet and habitat are under strict control-represent a unique opportunity to determine if and how metal bioaccumulation is related to sex and age.

  2. Thermodynamic analysis of elastic-plastic deformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lubarda, V.

    1981-01-01

    The complete set of constitutive equations which fully describes the behaviour of material in elastic-plastic deformation is derived on the basis of thermodynamic analysis of the deformation process. The analysis is done after the matrix decomposition of the deformation gradient is introduced into the structure of thermodynamics with internal state variables. The free energy function, is decomposed. Derive the expressions for the stress response, entropy and heat flux, and establish the evolution equation. Finally, we establish the thermodynamic restrictions of the deformation process. (Author) [pt

  3. SPINAL DEFORMITIES AFTER SELECTIVE DORSAL RHIZOTOMY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PATRICIO PABLO MANZONE

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR used for spasticity treatment could worsen or develop spinal deformities. Our goal is to describe spinal deformities seen in patients with cerebral palsy (CP after being treated by SDR. Methods: Retrospective study of patients operated on (SDR between January/1999 and June/2012. Inclusion criteria: spinal Rx before SDR surgery, spinography, and assessment at follow-up. We evaluated several factors emphasizing level and type of SDR approach, spinal deformity and its treatment, final Risser, and follow-up duration. Results: We found 7 patients (6 males: mean age at SDR 7.56 years (4.08-11.16. Mean follow-up: 6.64 years (2.16-13, final age: 14.32 years (7.5-19. No patient had previous deformity. GMFCS: 2 patients level IV, 2 level III, 3 level II. Initial walking status: 2 community walkers, 2 household walkers, 2 functional walkers, 1 not ambulant, at the follow-up, 3 patients improved, and 4 kept their status. We found 4 TL/L laminotomies, 2 L/LS laminectomies, and 1 thoracic laminectomy. Six spinal deformities were observed: 2 sagittal, 3 mixed, and 1 scoliosis. There was no association among the type of deformity, final gait status, topographic type, GMFCS, age, or SDR approach. Three patients had surgery indication for spinal deformity at skeletal maturity, while those patients with smaller deformities were still immature (Risser 0 to 2/3 although with progressive curves. Conclusions: After SDR, patients should be periodically evaluated until they reach Risser 5. The development of a deformity does not compromise functional results but adds morbidity because it may require surgical treatment.

  4. High HIV prevalence and the internet as a source of HIV-related service information at a community-based organization in Peru: a cross-sectional study of men who have sex with men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Passaro, R Colby; Haley, Connie A; Sanchez, Hugo; Vermund, Sten H; Kipp, Aaron M

    2016-08-24

    The HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Peru (12.4 %) is 30 times higher than in the general adult population (0.4 %). It is critical for community-based organizations to understand how to provide HIV services to MSM while maximizing limited resources. This study describes the HIV prevalence and risk profiles of MSM seeking HIV services at a community-based organization in Lima, Peru. It then compares HIV prevalence between those who found out about the HIV services through different sources. A cross-sectional study of MSM seeking HIV services at Epicentro Salud in Lima, Peru for the first time between April 2012 and October 2013. We compared HIV prevalence among MSM who found out about Epicentro via online sources of information (N = 419), those using in-person sources (friends, partners) (N = 907), and sex workers (N = 140) using multivariable logistic regression models. HIV prevalence was 18.3 % overall: 23.2 % among MSM using online sources, 19.3 % among sex workers, and 15.9 % among MSM using in-person sources. However, when compared to the in-person group, sexual risk behaviors were not statistically higher among MSM using online sources. For the sex worker group, some behaviors were more common, while others were less. After adjusting for confounders, the odds of having HIV was higher for the online group (Odds Ratio = 1.61; 95 % Confidence Interval: 1.19-2.18), but not for the sex worker group (OR = 1.12; 95 % CI: 0.68-1.86), compared to the in-person group. Internet-based promotion appears to successfully reach MSM at high risk of HIV in Peru. Outreach via this medium can facilitate HIV diagnosis, which is the critical first step in getting infected individuals into HIV care. For community-based organizations working in resource-limited settings, this may be an effective strategy for engaging a subset of high-risk persons in HIV care.

  5. High HIV prevalence and the internet as a source of HIV-related service information at a community-based organization in Peru: a cross-sectional study of men who have sex with men

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Colby Passaro

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM in Peru (12.4 % is 30 times higher than in the general adult population (0.4 %. It is critical for community-based organizations to understand how to provide HIV services to MSM while maximizing limited resources. This study describes the HIV prevalence and risk profiles of MSM seeking HIV services at a community-based organization in Lima, Peru. It then compares HIV prevalence between those who found out about the HIV services through different sources. Methods A cross-sectional study of MSM seeking HIV services at Epicentro Salud in Lima, Peru for the first time between April 2012 and October 2013. We compared HIV prevalence among MSM who found out about Epicentro via online sources of information (N = 419, those using in-person sources (friends, partners (N = 907, and sex workers (N = 140 using multivariable logistic regression models. Results HIV prevalence was 18.3 % overall: 23.2 % among MSM using online sources, 19.3 % among sex workers, and 15.9 % among MSM using in-person sources. However, when compared to the in-person group, sexual risk behaviors were not statistically higher among MSM using online sources. For the sex worker group, some behaviors were more common, while others were less. After adjusting for confounders, the odds of having HIV was higher for the online group (Odds Ratio = 1.61; 95 % Confidence Interval: 1.19–2.18, but not for the sex worker group (OR = 1.12; 95 % CI: 0.68–1.86, compared to the in-person group. Conclusion Internet-based promotion appears to successfully reach MSM at high risk of HIV in Peru. Outreach via this medium can facilitate HIV diagnosis, which is the critical first step in getting infected individuals into HIV care. For community-based organizations working in resource-limited settings, this may be an effective strategy for engaging a subset of high-risk persons in HIV care.

  6. Nd-Fe-B-Cu hot deformation processing: a comparison of deformation modes, microstructural development and magnetic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferrante, M.; Sinka, V.; Assis, O.B.G.; Oliveira, I. de; Freitas, E. de

    1996-01-01

    Due to its relative simplicity and low cost the hot deformation of Nd-Fe-B ingots is rapidly reaching the status of a valid alternative to sintering. Among the possible deformation modes, pressing, rolling and forging are perhaps the most successful. This paper describes the research programme undertaken so far, by discussing the relationship between deformation mode, microstructure and magnetic properties of magnets produced by hot deformation mode, microstructure and magnetic properties of magnets produced by hot deformation of a number of Nd-fe-B-Cu alloys. Microstructural observation showed that both pressed and forged samples are characterized by a heterogeneous microstructure and from magnetic measurements it was concluded that magnetic properties differ when taken in the center or in the periphery of the sample. On the other hand roller magnets were homogeneous both in terms of microstructure and magnetic properties, and interpretations of the mechanisms of texture development and of microstructural development of hot deformed magnets is put forward. (author)

  7. Volcanic deformation in the Andes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riddick, S.; Fournier, T.; Pritchard, M.

    2009-05-01

    We present the results from an InSAR survey of volcanic activity in South America. We use data from the Japanese Space Agency's ALOS L-band radar satellite from 2006-2009. The L-band instrument provides better coherence in densely vegetated regions, compared to the shorter wave length C-band data. The survey reveals volcano related deformation in regions, north, central and southern, of the Andes volcanic arc. Since observations are limited to the austral summer, comprehensive coverage of all volcanoes is not possible. Yet, our combined observations reveal volcanic/hydrothermal deformation at Lonquimay, Llaima, Laguna del Maule, and Chaitén volcanoes, extend deformation measurements at Copahue, and illustrate temporal complexity to the previously described deformation at Cerro Hudson and Cordón Caulle. No precursory deformation is apparent before the large Chaitén eruption (VEI_5) of 2 May 2008, (at least before 16 April) suggesting rapid magma movement from depth at this long dormant volcano. Subsidence at Ticsani Volcano occurred coincident with an earthquake swarm in the same region.

  8. Static response of deformable microchannels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christov, Ivan C.; Sidhore, Tanmay C.

    2017-11-01

    Microfluidic channels manufactured from PDMS are a key component of lab-on-a-chip devices. Experimentally, rectangular microchannels are found to deform into a non-rectangular cross-section due to fluid-structure interactions. Deformation affects the flow profile, which results in a nonlinear relationship between the volumetric flow rate and the pressure drop. We develop a framework, within the lubrication approximation (l >> w >> h), to self-consistently derive flow rate-pressure drop relations. Emphasis is placed on handling different types of elastic response: from pure plate-bending, to half-space deformation, to membrane stretching. The ``simplest'' model (Stokes flow in a 3D rectangular channel capped with a linearly elastic Kirchhoff-Love plate) agrees well with recent experiments. We also simulate the static response of such microfluidic channels under laminar flow conditions using ANSYSWorkbench. Simulations are calibrated using experimental flow rate-pressure drop data from the literature. The simulations provide highly resolved deformation profiles, which are difficult to measure experimentally. By comparing simulations, experiments and our theoretical models, we show good agreement in many flow/deformation regimes, without any fitting parameters.

  9. Sexing the Brain: The Science and Pseudoscience of Sex Differences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lesley J. Rogers

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available A recent upsurge in unitary biological explanations for gender differences in behavior (i.e. that they are “hard-wired” in the genetic code, put forward not only in books written for a general audience but also in scientific papers, makes it important to examine the fallacies of these ideas. Such genetic and hormonal explanations of human behavior, formulated with little consideration of the influences of experience, and often without taking experience into account at all, are part of a new wave of genetic explanations for a broad range of human behavior, as explained in the paper. These ideas are far from new; moreover, they are pseudoscientific and are used for political influence under the guise of science. They are a conservative social force that maintains social and educational inequalities between women and men. This paper explains that causal explanations of differences between the sexes are of two completely different types: unitary (genetic determinist versus interactive explanations. The false reasoning used to support genetic determinist explanations of sex differences in behavior is discussed. To illustrate what biology really tells us about gender differentiation, the paper discusses the interactive roles of genetic, hormonal and environmental influences on the development of gender differences. These interactions are illustrated using two model biological systems (e.g. the intertwined influences of genes, sex hormones and experience on the development of sex differences in behavior in rats, and sex differences in neuronal connections in chickens. There is plenty of scientific evidence to show the complex interactive, and ever changing, influences of experience and genes that take place as an organism develops and throughout its life. Malleability of brain and behavior can be shown clearly using animal models, and the processes involved apply also to the development of brain and behavior in humans. We diminish our understanding

  10. Versal deformation of the Lie algebra L_2

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Post, Gerhard F.; Fialowski, Alice

    2001-01-01

    We investigate deformations of the infinite-dimensional vector-field Lie algebra spanned by the fields ei = zi + 1d/dz, where i ≥ 2. The goal is to describe the base of a “versal” deformation; such a versal deformation induces all the other nonequivalent deformations and solves the deformation

  11. Genetic architecture and the evolution of sex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohaus, Rolf; Burch, Christina L; Azevedo, Ricardo B R

    2010-01-01

    Theoretical investigations of the advantages of sex have tended to treat the genetic architecture of organisms as static and have not considered that genetic architecture might coevolve with reproductive mode. As a result, some potential advantages of sex may have been missed. Using a gene network model, we recently showed that recombination imposes selection for robustness to mutation and that negative epistasis can evolve as a by-product of this selection. These results motivated a detailed exploration of the mutational deterministic hypothesis, a hypothesis in which the advantage of sex depends critically on epistasis. We found that sexual populations do evolve higher mean fitness and lower genetic load than asexual populations at equilibrium, and, under moderate stabilizing selection and large population size, these equilibrium sexual populations resist invasion by asexuals. However, we found no evidence that these long- and short-term advantages to sex were explained by the negative epistasis that evolved in our experiments. The long-term advantage of sex was that sexual populations evolved a lower deleterious mutation rate, but this property was not sufficient to account for the ability of sexual populations to resist invasion by asexuals. The ability to resist asexual invasion was acquired simultaneously with an increase in recombinational robustness that minimized the cost of sex. These observations provide the first direct evidence that sexual reproduction does indeed select for conditions that favor its own maintenance. Furthermore, our results highlight the importance of considering a dynamic view of the genetic architecture to understand the evolution of sex and recombination.

  12. Sex determination in honeybees: two separate mechanisms induce and maintain the female pathway

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gempe, Tanja; Hasselmann, Martin; Schiøtt, Morten

    2009-01-01

    Organisms have evolved a bewildering diversity of mechanisms to generate the two sexes. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) employs an interesting system in which sex is determined by heterozygosity at a single locus (the Sex Determination Locus) harbouring the complementary sex determiner (csd) gene....... Bees heterozygous at Sex Determination Locus are females, whereas bees homozygous or hemizygous are males. Little is known, however, about the regulation that links sex determination to sexual differentiation. To investigate the control of sexual development in honeybees, we analyzed the functions...... and the regulatory interactions of genes involved in the sex determination pathway. We show that heterozygous csd is only required to induce the female pathway, while the feminizer (fem) gene maintains this decision throughout development. By RNAi induced knockdown we show that the fem gene is essential for entire...

  13. Radiation-induced bystander effects in vivo are sex specific

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koturbash, Igor; Kutanzi, Kristy; Hendrickson, Karl; Rodriguez-Juarez, Rocio; Kogosov, Dmitry; Kovalchuk, Olga

    2008-01-01

    Ionizing radiation (IR) effects span beyond the area of direct exposure and can be observed in neighboring and distant naive cells and organs. This phenomenon is termed a 'bystander effect'. IR effects in directly exposed tissue in vivo are epigenetically mediated and distinct in males and females. Yet, IR-induced bystander effects have never been explored in a sex-specificity domain. We used an in vivo mouse model, whereby the bystander effects are studied in spleen of male and female animals subjected to head exposure when the rest of the body is protected by a medical-grade lead shield. We analyzed the induction of DNA damage and alterations in global DNA methylation. Molecular parameters were correlated with cellular proliferation and apoptosis levels. The changes observed in bystander organs are compared to the changes in unexposed animals and animals exposed to predicted and measured scatter doses. We have found the selective induction of DNA damage levels, global DNA methylation, cell proliferation and apoptosis in exposed and bystander spleen tissue of male and female mice. Sex differences were significantly diminished in animals subjected to a surgical removal of gonads. These data constitute the first evidence of sex differences in radiation-induced bystander effects in mouse spleen in vivo. We show the role of sex hormones in spleen bystander responses and discuss implications of the observed changes

  14. Radiation-induced bystander effects in vivo are sex specific

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koturbash, Igor; Kutanzi, Kristy; Hendrickson, Karl; Rodriguez-Juarez, Rocio; Kogosov, Dmitry [Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4 (Canada); Kovalchuk, Olga [Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4 (Canada)], E-mail: olga.kovalchuk@uleth.ca

    2008-07-03

    Ionizing radiation (IR) effects span beyond the area of direct exposure and can be observed in neighboring and distant naive cells and organs. This phenomenon is termed a 'bystander effect'. IR effects in directly exposed tissue in vivo are epigenetically mediated and distinct in males and females. Yet, IR-induced bystander effects have never been explored in a sex-specificity domain. We used an in vivo mouse model, whereby the bystander effects are studied in spleen of male and female animals subjected to head exposure when the rest of the body is protected by a medical-grade lead shield. We analyzed the induction of DNA damage and alterations in global DNA methylation. Molecular parameters were correlated with cellular proliferation and apoptosis levels. The changes observed in bystander organs are compared to the changes in unexposed animals and animals exposed to predicted and measured scatter doses. We have found the selective induction of DNA damage levels, global DNA methylation, cell proliferation and apoptosis in exposed and bystander spleen tissue of male and female mice. Sex differences were significantly diminished in animals subjected to a surgical removal of gonads. These data constitute the first evidence of sex differences in radiation-induced bystander effects in mouse spleen in vivo. We show the role of sex hormones in spleen bystander responses and discuss implications of the observed changes.

  15. Radiation-induced bystander effects in vivo are sex specific.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koturbash, Igor; Kutanzi, Kristy; Hendrickson, Karl; Rodriguez-Juarez, Rocio; Kogosov, Dmitry; Kovalchuk, Olga

    2008-07-03

    Ionizing radiation (IR) effects span beyond the area of direct exposure and can be observed in neighboring and distant naïve cells and organs. This phenomenon is termed a 'bystander effect'. IR effects in directly exposed tissue in vivo are epigenetically mediated and distinct in males and females. Yet, IR-induced bystander effects have never been explored in a sex-specificity domain. We used an in vivo mouse model, whereby the bystander effects are studied in spleen of male and female animals subjected to head exposure when the rest of the body is protected by a medical-grade lead shield. We analyzed the induction of DNA damage and alterations in global DNA methylation. Molecular parameters were correlated with cellular proliferation and apoptosis levels. The changes observed in bystander organs are compared to the changes in unexposed animals and animals exposed to predicted and measured scatter doses. We have found the selective induction of DNA damage levels, global DNA methylation, cell proliferation and apoptosis in exposed and bystander spleen tissue of male and female mice. Sex differences were significantly diminished in animals subjected to a surgical removal of gonads. These data constitute the first evidence of sex differences in radiation-induced bystander effects in mouse spleen in vivo. We show the role of sex hormones in spleen bystander responses and discuss implications of the observed changes.

  16. Quantification and validation of soft tissue deformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mosbech, Thomas Hammershaimb; Ersbøll, Bjarne Kjær; Christensen, Lars Bager

    2009-01-01

    We present a model for soft tissue deformation derived empirically from 10 pig carcases. The carcasses are subjected to deformation from a known single source of pressure located at the skin surface, and the deformation is quantified by means of steel markers injected into the tissue. The steel...... markers are easy to distinguish from the surrounding soft tissue in 3D computed tomography images. By tracking corresponding markers using methods from point-based registration, we are able to accurately quantify the magnitude and propagation of the induced deformation. The deformation is parameterised...

  17. M theory on deformed superspace

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faizal, Mir

    2011-11-01

    In this paper we will analyze a noncommutative deformation of the Aharony-Bergman-Jafferis-Maldacena (ABJM) theory in N=1 superspace formalism. We will then analyze the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) and anti-BRST symmetries for this deformed ABJM theory, and its linear as well as nonlinear gauges. We will show that the sum of the gauge fixing term and the ghost term for this deformed ABJM theory can be expressed as a combination of the total BRST and the total anti-BRST variation, in Landau and nonlinear gauges. We will show that in Landau and Curci-Ferrari gauges deformed ABJM theory is invariant under an additional set of symmetry transformations. We will also discuss the effect that the addition of a bare mass term has on this theory.

  18. Can Sex Differences in Science Be Tied to the Long Reach of Prenatal Hormones? Brain Organization Theory, Digit Ratio (2D/4D), and Sex Differences in Preferences and Cognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valla, Jeffrey; Ceci, Stephen J

    2011-03-01

    Brain organization theory posits a cascade of physiological and behavioral changes initiated and shaped by prenatal hormones. Recently, this theory has been associated with outcomes including gendered toy preference, 2D/4D digit ratio, personality characteristics, sexual orientation, and cognitive profile (spatial, verbal, and mathematical abilities). We examine the evidence for this claim, focusing on 2D/4D and its putative role as a biomarker for organizational features that influence cognitive abilities/interests predisposing males toward mathematically and spatially intensive careers. Although massive support exists for early brain organization theory overall, there are myriad inconsistencies, alternative explanations, and outright contradictions that must be addressed while still taking the entire theory into account. Like a fractal within the larger theory, the 2D/4D hypothesis mirrors this overall support on a smaller scale while likewise suffering from inconsistencies (positive, negative, and sex-dependent correlations), alternative explanations (2D/4D related to spatial preferences rather than abilities per se), and contradictions (feminine 2D/4D in men associated with higher spatial ability). Using the debate over brain organization theory as the theoretical stage, we focus on 2D/4D evidence as an increasingly important player on this stage, a demonstrative case in point of the evidential complexities of the broader debate, and an increasingly important topic in its own right.

  19. Sex-driven vulnerability in stress and drug abuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berry, Alessandra; Raggi, Carla; Borgi, Marta; Cirulli, Francesca

    2016-01-01

    A growing body of literature shows that a link exists between substance abuse and stress and that the crosstalk of sex hormones with the neuroendocrine system might differently prime vulnerability to drug addiction in male and female subjects. Thus, understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of addiction and the identification of sex-driven determinants in vulnerability to drug abuse may help to better devise and/or implement strategic (pharmacological, behavioural, social) interventions to prevent or face the issue of addiction. Differences between sexes can be found at all stages of life (in both the animal model and human studies) and may account for genetic, epigenetic and environmental/hormonal factors that in turn affect the functionality of the whole organism leading also to a sex-driven differential vulnerability or resilience to non-communicable pathologies. These include the onset and precipitation of stress-related psychiatric disorders as well as "substance-related and addictive disorders" (as defined in the DSM-V). This paper reviews the scientific literature highlighting significant differences in male and female subjects in stress and neuroendocrine function and the implications for sex-dependent differential vulnerability to drug addiction.

  20. Measurement of Dam Deformations: Case Study of Obruk Dam (Turkey)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulal, V. Engin; Alkan, R. Metin; Alkan, M. Nurullah; İlci, Veli; Ozulu, I. Murat; Tombus, F. Engin; Kose, Zafer; Aladogan, Kayhan; Sahin, Murat; Yavasoglu, Hakan; Oku, Guldane

    2016-04-01

    In the literature, there is information regarding the first deformation and displacement measurements in dams that were conducted in 1920s Switzerland. Todays, deformation measurements in the dams have gained very different functions with improvements in both measurement equipment and evaluation of measurements. Deformation measurements and analysis are among the main topics studied by scientists who take interest in the engineering measurement sciences. The Working group of Deformation Measurements and Analysis, which was established under the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), carries out its studies and activities with regard to this subject. At the end of the 1970s, the subject of the determination of fixed points in the deformation monitoring network was one of the main subjects extensively studied. Many theories arose from this inquiry, as different institutes came to differing conclusions. In 1978, a special commission with representatives of universities has been established within the FIG 6.1 working group; this commission worked on the issue of determining a general approach to geometric deformation analysis. The results gleaned from the commission were discussed at symposiums organized by the FIG. In accordance with these studies, scientists interested in the subject have begun to work on models that investigate cause and effect relations between the effects that cause deformation and deformation. As of the scientist who interest with the issue focused on different deformation methods, another special commission was established within the FIG engineering measurements commission in order to classify deformation models and study terminology. After studying this material for a long time, the official commission report was published in 2001. In this prepared report, studies have been carried out by considering the FIG Engineering Surveying Commission's report entitled, 'MODELS AND TERMINOLOGY FOR THE ANALYSIS OF GEODETIC MONITORING OBSERVATIONS

  1. Microstructure of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy deformed by indentation-flattening compound deformation technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Minghao; Wang, Zhongtang; Yu, Xiaolin

    2018-03-01

    Characteristic of indentation-flattening compound deformation technology (IFCDT) is discussed, and the parameters of IFCDT are defined. Performance of magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet deformed by IFCDT is researched. The effect of IFCDT coefficient, temperature and reduction ratio on the microstructure of magnesium alloy sheet is analyzed. The research results show that the volume fraction of the twin crystal decreases gradually and the average grain size increases with increasing of coefficient of IFCDT. With increase of the reduction ratio, the volume fraction of the twin crystal gradually increases, and the average grain size also increases. With increase of deformation temperature, the volume fraction of the twin crystal decreases gradually, and the twin crystal grain size increases.

  2. Origami-enabled deformable silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Rui; Huang, Hai; Liang, Hanshuang; Liang, Mengbing [School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States); Tu, Hongen; Xu, Yong [Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University, 5050 Anthony Wayne Dr., Detroit, Michigan 48202 (United States); Song, Zeming; Jiang, Hanqing, E-mail: hanqing.jiang@asu.edu [School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States); Yu, Hongyu, E-mail: hongyu.yu@asu.edu [School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States); School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States)

    2014-02-24

    Deformable electronics have found various applications and elastomeric materials have been widely used to reach flexibility and stretchability. In this Letter, we report an alternative approach to enable deformability through origami. In this approach, the deformability is achieved through folding and unfolding at the creases while the functional devices do not experience strain. We have demonstrated an example of origami-enabled silicon solar cells and showed that this solar cell can reach up to 644% areal compactness while maintaining reasonable good performance upon cyclic folding/unfolding. This approach opens an alternative direction of producing flexible, stretchable, and deformable electronics.

  3. Origami-enabled deformable silicon solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Rui; Huang, Hai; Liang, Hanshuang; Liang, Mengbing; Tu, Hongen; Xu, Yong; Song, Zeming; Jiang, Hanqing; Yu, Hongyu

    2014-01-01

    Deformable electronics have found various applications and elastomeric materials have been widely used to reach flexibility and stretchability. In this Letter, we report an alternative approach to enable deformability through origami. In this approach, the deformability is achieved through folding and unfolding at the creases while the functional devices do not experience strain. We have demonstrated an example of origami-enabled silicon solar cells and showed that this solar cell can reach up to 644% areal compactness while maintaining reasonable good performance upon cyclic folding/unfolding. This approach opens an alternative direction of producing flexible, stretchable, and deformable electronics

  4. Microstructural evolution during tensile deformation of polypropylenes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dasari, A.; Rohrmann, J.; Misra, R.D.K.

    2003-01-01

    Tensile deformation processes occurring at varying strain rates in high and low crystallinity polypropylenes and ethylene-propylene di-block copolymers have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy. This is examined for both long and short chain polymeric materials. The deformation processes in different polymeric materials show striking dissimilarities in spite of the common propylene matrix. Additionally, the deformation behavior of long and their respective short chain polymers was different. Deformation mechanisms include crazing/tearing, wedging, ductile ploughing, fibrillation, and brittle fracture. The different modes of deformation are depicted in the form of strain rate-strain diagrams. At a constant strain rate, the strain to fracture follows the sequence: high crystallinity polypropylenes< low crystallinity polypropylenes< ethylene-propylene di-block copolymers, indicative of the trend in resistance to plastic deformation

  5. Monoamines stimulate sex reversal in the saddleback wrasse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Earl T; Norris, David O; Gordon Grau, E; Summers, Cliff H

    2003-02-15

    Monoamine neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin) play an important role in reproduction and sexual behavior throughout the vertebrates. They are the first endogenous chemical signals in the regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. In teleosts with behavioral sex determination, much is known about behavioral cues that induce sex reversal. The cues are social, processed via the visual system and depend on the ratio of females to males in the population. The mechanisms by which these external behavioral cues are converted to an internal chemical regulatory process are largely unknown. The protogynous Hawaiian saddleback wrasse, Thalassoma duperrey, was used to investigate the biological pathway mediating the conversion of a social cue into neuroendocrine events regulating sex reversal. Because monoamines play an important role in the regulation of the HPG axis, they were selected as likely candidates for such a conversion. To determine if monoamines could affect sex reversal, drugs affecting monoamines were used in an attempt to either induce sex reversal under non-permissive conditions, or prevent sex reversal under permissive conditions. Increasing norepinephrine or blocking dopamine or serotonin lead to sex reversal in experimental animals under non-permissive conditions. Increasing serotonin blocked sex reversal under permissive conditions, while blocking dopamine or norepinephrine retarded the process. The results presented here demonstrate that monoamines contribute significantly to the control sex reversal. Norepinephrine stimulates initiation and completion of gonadal sex of reversal as well as color change perhaps directly via its effects on the HPG axis. Dopamine exercises inhibitory action on the initiation of sex reversal while 5-HT inhibits both initiation and completion of sex reversal. The serotonergic system appears to be an integral part of the pathway mediating the conversion of a social cue into a

  6. Sex education sources and attitudes toward sexual precautions across a decade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guthrie, Mandy L; Bates, Larry W

    2003-04-01

    75 college students responded to Moore and Barling's AIDS questionnaire. Coopersmith's Self-esteem Inventory, and a background survey regarding sex education and sexual and religious activity. The most commonly reported sources of sex education were peers, parents, and high school courses, respectively. Ratings of the most important of 10 potential sources of sex education included peers, high school courses, and religious institutions, respectively. None of these were significantly correlated with future condom use. Virgins reported more open communication with parents about sex. Sexual experience was positively related to more confusion about sexual precautions but negatively related to foreclosed attitudes toward such precautions. Some types of religious involvement (church attendance and campus religious organization membership) were related to foreclosed attitudes. Data in attitudinal and sex education were compared with data collected in 1991. Although students more frequently reported having received sex education in 2000, their attitudes toward utilizing sexual precautions have become somewhat more diffused.

  7. Effect of deformation ratios on grain alignment and magnetic properties of hot pressing/hot deformation Nd-Fe-B magnets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Zhaohui; Li, Mengyu; Wang, Junming; Jing, Zheng; Yue, Ming; Zhu, Minggang; Li, Wei

    2018-05-01

    The magnetic properties, microstructure and orientation degrees of hot pressing magnet and hot deformation Nd-Fe-B magnets with different deformation ratios have been investigated in this paper. The remanence (Br) and maximum magnetic energy product ((BH)max) were enhanced gradually with the deformation ratio increasing from 0% to 70%, whereas the coercivity (HCj) decreased. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of fractured surfaces parallel to the pressure direction during hot deformation show that the grains tend to extend perpendicularly to the c-axes of Nd2Fe14B grains under the pressure, and the aspect ratios of the grains increase with the increase of deformation ratio. Besides, the compression stress induces the long axis of grains to rotate and the angle (θ) between c-axis and pressure direction decreases. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal that orientation degree improves with the increase of deformation ratio, agreeing well with the SEM results. The hot deformation magnet with a deformation ratio of 70% has the best Br and (BH)max, and the magnetic properties are as followed: Br=1.40 T, HCj=10.73 kOe, (BH)max=42.30 MGOe.

  8. Anisotropic Ripple Deformation in Phosphorene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kou, Liangzhi; Ma, Yandong; Smith, Sean C; Chen, Changfeng

    2015-05-07

    Two-dimensional materials tend to become crumpled according to the Mermin-Wagner theorem, and the resulting ripple deformation may significantly influence electronic properties as observed in graphene and MoS2. Here, we unveil by first-principles calculations a new, highly anisotropic ripple pattern in phosphorene, a monolayer black phosphorus, where compression-induced ripple deformation occurs only along the zigzag direction in the strain range up to 10%, but not the armchair direction. This direction-selective ripple deformation mode in phosphorene stems from its puckered structure with coupled hinge-like bonding configurations and the resulting anisotropic Poisson ratio. We also construct an analytical model using classical elasticity theory for ripple deformation in phosphorene under arbitrary strain. The present results offer new insights into the mechanisms governing the structural and electronic properties of phosphorene crucial to its device applications.

  9. Is sex an indicator of prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cancelliere, Carol; Donovan, James; David Cassidy, J.

    2016-01-01

    . Most studies did not find a sex difference for postconcussion symptoms in children and adults. No sex difference was found for risk of dementia and primary brain tumor, return to work, or posttraumatic stress syndrome. Conclusions Sex is not a well-studied prognostic indicator for recovery after MTBI......Objective to determine sex differences in the recovery and prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) in adults and children. Data Sources We analyzed all scientifically admissible primary studies in the World Health Organization (WHO) (n=120) and International Collaboration on Mild...... Traumatic Brain Injury Prognosis (ICoMP) (n=101) systematic reviews regarding prognosis of MTBI for sex-stratified findings. They searched MEDLINE and other databases from 1980 through 2000 (WHO) and 2001 through 2012 (ICoMP) for published, peer-reviewed reports in English and other languages. Study...

  10. Atomic-scale investigation of interface-facilitated deformation twinning in severely deformed Ag-Cu nanolamellar composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    An, X. H.; Cao, Y.; Liao, X. Z.; Zhu, S. M.; Nie, J. F.; Kawasaki, M.; Ringer, S. P.; Langdon, T. G.; Zhu, Y. T.

    2015-01-01

    We report an atomic-scale investigation of interface-facilitated deformation twinning behaviour in Ag-Cu nanolamellar composites. Profuse twinning activities in Ag supply partial dislocations to directly transmit across the Ag-Cu lamellar interface that promotes deformation twinning in the neighbouring Cu lamellae although the interface is severely deformed. The trans-interface twin bands change the local structure at the interface. Our analysis suggests that the orientation relationship and interfacial structure between neighbouring Ag-Cu lamellae play a crucial role in such special interface-facilitated twinning behaviour

  11. Activation of Actuating Hydrogels with WS2 Nanosheets for Biomimetic Cellular Structures and Steerable Prompt Deformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zong, Lu; Li, Xiankai; Han, Xiangsheng; Lv, Lili; Li, Mingjie; You, Jun; Wu, Xiaochen; Li, Chaoxu

    2017-09-20

    Macroscopic soft actuation is intrinsic to living organisms in nature, including slow deformation (e.g., contraction, bending, twisting, and curling) of plants motivated by microscopic swelling and shrinking of cells, and rapid motion of animals (e.g., deformation of jellyfish) motivated by cooperative nanoscale movement of motor proteins. These actuation behaviors, with an exceptional combination of tunable speed and programmable deformation direction, inspire us to design artificial soft actuators for broad applications in artificial muscles, nanofabrication, chemical valves, microlenses, soft robotics, etc. However, so far artificial soft actuators have been typically produced on the basis of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM), whose deformation is motived by volumetric shrinkage and swelling in analogue to plant cells, and exhibits sluggish actuation kinetics. In this study, alginate-exfoliated WS 2 nanosheets were incorporated into ice-template-polymerized PNiPAM hydrogels with the cellular microstructures which mimic plant cells, yet the prompt steerable actuation of animals. Because of the nanosheet-reinforced pore walls formed in situ in freezing polymerization and reasonable hierarchical water channels, this cellular hybrid hydrogel achieves super deformation speed (on the order of magnitude of 10° s), controllable deformation direction, and high near-infrared light responsiveness, offering an unprecedented platform of artificial muscles for various soft robotics and devices (e.g., rotator, microvalve, aquatic swimmer, and water-lifting filter).

  12. Deformation of wrought uranium: Experiments and modeling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCabe, R.J., E-mail: rmccabe@lanl.gov [Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Capolungo, L. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)] [UMI 2958 Georgia Tech - CNRS, 57070 Metz (France); Marshall, P.E.; Cady, C.M.; Tome, C.N. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

    2010-09-15

    The room temperature deformation behavior of wrought polycrystalline uranium is studied using a combination of experimental techniques and polycrystal modeling. Electron backscatter diffraction is used to analyze the primary deformation twinning modes for wrought alpha-uranium. The {l_brace}1 3 0{r_brace}<3 1 0> twinning mode is found to be the most prominent twinning mode, with minor contributions from the '{l_brace}1 7 2{r_brace}'<3 1 2> and {l_brace}1 1 2{r_brace}'<3 7 2>' twin modes. Because of the large number of deformation modes, each with limited deformation systems, a polycrystalline model is employed to identify and quantify the activity of each mode. Model predictions of the deformation behavior and texture development agree reasonably well with experimental measures and provide reliable information about deformation systems.

  13. Nonlinear continuum mechanics and large inelastic deformations

    CERN Document Server

    Dimitrienko, Yuriy I

    2010-01-01

    This book provides a rigorous axiomatic approach to continuum mechanics under large deformation. In addition to the classical nonlinear continuum mechanics - kinematics, fundamental laws, the theory of functions having jump discontinuities across singular surfaces, etc. - the book presents the theory of co-rotational derivatives, dynamic deformation compatibility equations, and the principles of material indifference and symmetry, all in systematized form. The focus of the book is a new approach to the formulation of the constitutive equations for elastic and inelastic continua under large deformation. This new approach is based on using energetic and quasi-energetic couples of stress and deformation tensors. This approach leads to a unified treatment of large, anisotropic elastic, viscoelastic, and plastic deformations. The author analyses classical problems, including some involving nonlinear wave propagation, using different models for continua under large deformation, and shows how different models lead t...

  14. Barriers in the energy of deformed nuclei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Yu. Denisov

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Interaction energy between two nuclei considering to their deformations is studied. Coulomb and nuclear in-teraction energies, as well as the deformation energies of both nuclei, are taken into account at evaluation of the interaction energy. It is shown that the barrier related to the interaction energy of two nuclei depends on the de-formations and the height of the minimal barrier is evaluated. It is obtained that the heavier nucleus-nucleus sys-tems have large deformation values at the lowest barrier. The difference between the barrier between spherical nuclei and the lowest barrier between deformed nuclei increases with the mass and the charge of the interacting nuclei.

  15. Parameter determination of hereditary models of deformation of composite materials based on identification method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kayumov, R. A.; Muhamedova, I. Z.; Tazyukov, B. F.; Shakirzjanov, F. R.

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, based on the analysis of some experimental data, a study and selection of hereditary models of deformation of reinforced polymeric composite materials, such as organic plastic, carbon plastic and a matrix of film-fabric composite, was pursued. On the basis of an analysis of a series of experiments it has been established that organo-plastic samples behave like viscoelastic bodies. It is shown that for sufficiently large load levels, the behavior of the material in question should be described by the relations of the nonlinear theory of heredity. An attempt to describe the process of deformation by means of linear relations of the theory of heredity leads to large discrepancies between the experimental and calculated deformation values. The use of the theory of accumulation of micro-damages leads to much better description of the experimental results. With the help of the hierarchical approach, a good approximation of the experimental values was successful only in the first three sections of loading.

  16. Molecular pathology of vertebral deformities in hyperthermic Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hjelde Kirsti

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hyperthermia has been shown in a number of organisms to induce developmental defects as a result of changes in cell proliferation, differentiation and gene expression. In spite of this, salmon aquaculture commonly uses high water temperature to speed up developmental rate in intensive production systems, resulting in an increased frequency of skeletal deformities. In order to study the molecular pathology of vertebral deformities, Atlantic salmon was subjected to hyperthermic conditions from fertilization until after the juvenile stage. Results Fish exposed to the high temperature regime showed a markedly higher growth rate and a significant higher percentage of deformities in the spinal column than fish reared at low temperatures. By analyzing phenotypically normal spinal columns from the two temperature regimes, we found that the increased risk of developing vertebral deformities was linked to an altered gene transcription. In particular, down-regulation of extracellular matrix (ECM genes such as col1a1, osteocalcin, osteonectin and decorin, indicated that maturation and mineralization of osteoblasts were restrained. Moreover, histological staining and in situ hybridization visualized areas with distorted chondrocytes and an increased population of hypertrophic cells. These findings were further confirmed by an up-regulation of mef2c and col10a, genes involved in chondrocyte hypertrophy. Conclusion The presented data strongly indicates that temperature induced fast growth is severely affecting gene transcription in osteoblasts and chondrocytes; hence change in the vertebral tissue structure and composition. A disrupted bone and cartilage production was detected, which most likely is involved in the higher rate of deformities developed in the high intensive group. Our results are of basic interest for bone metabolism and contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms involved in development of temperature induced

  17. Prevalence of malformations of the hip joint and their relationship to sex, groin pain, and risk of osteoarthritis: a population-based survey

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gosvig, Kasper Kjaerulf; Jacobsen, Steffen; Sonne-Holm, Stig

    2010-01-01

    ratio, 2.2). Acetabular dysplasia and the subject's sex were not found to be significant risk factors for the development of hip osteoarthritis (p = 0.053 and p = 0.063, respectively). The prevalence of hip osteoarthritis was 9.5% in men and 11.2% in women. The prevalence of concomitant malformations...... of Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark. The inclusion criteria for this study were met by 1332 men and 2288 women. On the basis of radiographic criteria, the hips were categorized as being without malformations or as having an abnormality consisting of a deep acetabular socket, a pistol grip deformity......, or a combination of a deep acetabular socket and a pistol grip deformity. Hip osteoarthritis was defined radiographically as a minimum joint-space width of 0.13). A deep acetabular socket was a significant risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis (risk ratio, 2.4), as was a pistol grip deformity (risk...

  18. Deformations of Geometric Structures in Topological Sigma Models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bytsenko, A. A.

    2010-01-01

    We study a Lie algebra of formal vector fields W n with it application to the perturbative deformed holomorphic symplectic structure in the A-model, and a Calabi-Yau manifold with boundaries in the B-model. We show that equivalent classes of deformations are described by a Hochschild cohomology of the DG-algebra A = (A,Q), Q = ∂-bar+∂ deform, which is defined to be the cohomology of (-1) n Q+d Hoch . Here ∂-bar is the initial non-deformed BRST operator while ∂ deform is the deformed part whose algebra is a Lie algebra of linear vector fields gl n .

  19. Technical Note: The impact of deformable image registration methods on dose warping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, An; Liang, Jian; Han, Xiao; O'Connell, Nicolette; Yan, Di

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical-relevant discrepancy between doses warped by pure image based deformable image registration (IM-DIR) and by biomechanical model based DIR (BM-DIR) on intensity-homogeneous organs. Ten patients (5Head&Neck, 5Prostate) were included. A research DIR tool (ADMRIE_v1.12) was utilized for IM-DIR. After IM-DIR, BM-DIR was carried out for organs (parotids, bladder, and rectum) which often encompass sharp dose gradient. Briefly, high-quality tetrahedron meshes were generated and deformable vector fields (DVF) from IM-DIR were interpolated to the surface nodes of the volume meshes as boundary condition. Then, a FEM solver (ABAQUS_v6.14) was used to simulate the displacement of internal nodes, which were then interpolated to image-voxel grids to get the more physically plausible DVF. Both geometrical and subsequent dose warping discrepancies were quantified between the two DIR methods. Target registration discrepancy(TRD) was evaluated to show the geometry difference. The re-calculated doses on second CT were warped to the pre-treatment CT via two DIR. Clinical-relevant dose parameters and γ passing rate were compared between two types of warped dose. The correlation was evaluated between parotid shrinkage and TRD/dose discrepancy. The parotid shrunk to 75.7% ± 9% of its pre-treatment volume and the percentage of volume with TRD>1.5 mm) was 6.5% ± 4.7%. The normalized mean-dose difference (NMDD) of IM-DIR and BM-DIR was -0.8% ± 1.5%, with range (-4.7% to 1.5%). 2 mm/2% passing rate was 99.0% ± 1.4%. A moderate correlation was found between parotid shrinkage and TRD and NMDD. The bladder had a NMDD of -9.9% ± 9.7%, with BM-DIR warped dose systematically higher. Only minor deviation was observed for rectum NMDD (0.5% ± 1.1%). Impact of DIR method on treatment dose warping is patient and organ-specific. Generally, intensity-homogeneous organs, which undergo larger deformation/shrinkage during

  20. Deformation limits of polymer coated metal sheets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Den Bosch, M.J.W.J.P.; Schreurs, P.J.G; Geers, M.G.D.

    2005-01-01

    Polymer coated metals are increasingly used by the packaging and automotive industry. During industrial deformation processes (drawing, roll-forming, bending etc.) the polymer-metal laminate is highly deformed at high deformation rates. These forming conditions can affect the mechanical integrity

  1. Same sex marriage and the perceived assault on opposite sex marriage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinno, Alexis; Whitney, Chelsea

    2013-01-01

    Marriage benefits both individuals and societies, and is a fundamental determinant of health. Until recently same sex couples have been excluded from legally recognized marriage in the United States. Recent debate around legalization of same sex marriage has highlighted for anti-same sex marriage advocates and policy makers a concern that allowing same sex couples to marry will lead to a decrease in opposite sex marriages. Our objective is to model state trends in opposite sex marriage rates by implementation of same sex marriages and other same sex unions. Marriage data were obtained for all fifty states plus the District of Columbia from 1989 through 2009. As these marriage rates are non-stationary, a generalized error correction model was used to estimate long run and short run effects of same sex marriages and strong and weak same sex unions on rates of opposite sex marriage. We found that there were no significant long-run or short run effects of same sex marriages or of strong or weak same sex unions on rates of opposite sex marriage. A deleterious effect on rates of opposite sex marriage has been argued to be a motivating factor for both the withholding and the elimination of existing rights of same sex couples to marry by policy makers-including presiding justices of current litigation over the rights of same sex couples to legally marry. Such claims do not appear credible in the face of the existing evidence, and we conclude that rates of opposite sex marriages are not affected by legalization of same sex civil unions or same sex marriages.

  2. Same Sex Marriage and the Perceived Assault on Opposite Sex Marriage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinno, Alexis; Whitney, Chelsea

    2013-01-01

    Background Marriage benefits both individuals and societies, and is a fundamental determinant of health. Until recently same sex couples have been excluded from legally recognized marriage in the United States. Recent debate around legalization of same sex marriage has highlighted for anti-same sex marriage advocates and policy makers a concern that allowing same sex couples to marry will lead to a decrease in opposite sex marriages. Our objective is to model state trends in opposite sex marriage rates by implementation of same sex marriages and other same sex unions. Methods and Findings Marriage data were obtained for all fifty states plus the District of Columbia from 1989 through 2009. As these marriage rates are non-stationary, a generalized error correction model was used to estimate long run and short run effects of same sex marriages and strong and weak same sex unions on rates of opposite sex marriage. We found that there were no significant long-run or short run effects of same sex marriages or of strong or weak same sex unions on rates of opposite sex marriage. Conclusion A deleterious effect on rates of opposite sex marriage has been argued to be a motivating factor for both the withholding and the elimination of existing rights of same sex couples to marry by policy makers–including presiding justices of current litigation over the rights of same sex couples to legally marry. Such claims do not appear credible in the face of the existing evidence, and we conclude that rates of opposite sex marriages are not affected by legalization of same sex civil unions or same sex marriages. PMID:23776536

  3. Dealing with difficult deformations: Construction of a knowledge-based deformation atlas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorup, Signe Strann; Darvann, T.A.; Hermann, N.V.

    2010-01-01

    from pre- to post-surgery using thin-plate spline warping. The registration results are convincing and represent a first move towards an automatic registration method for dealing with difficult deformations due to this type of surgery. New or breakthrough work to be presented: The method provides...... was needed. We have previously demonstrated that non-rigid registration using B-splines is able to provide automated determination of point correspondences in populations of infants without cleft lip. However, this type of registration fails when applied to the task of determining the complex deformation...

  4. From labyrinthine aplasia to otocyst deformity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giesemann, Anja Maria; Goetz, Friedrich; Neuburger, Jürgen; Lenarz, Thomas; Lanfermann, Heinrich

    2010-02-01

    Inner ear malformations (IEMs) are rare and it is unusual to encounter the rarest of them, namely labyrinthine aplasia (LA) and otocyst deformity. They do, however, provide useful pointers as to the early embryonic development of the ear. LA is characterised as a complete absence of inner ear structures. While some common findings do emerge, a clear definition of the otocyst deformity does not exist. It is often confused with the common cavity first described by Edward Cock. Our purpose was to radiologically characterise LA and otocyst deformity. Retrospective analysis of CT and MRI data from four patients with LA or otocyst deformity. Middle and inner ear findings were categorised by two neuroradiologists. The bony carotid canal was found to be absent in all patients. Posterior located cystic structures were found in association with LA and otocyst deformity. In the most severe cases, only soft tissue was present at the medial border of the middle ear cavity. The individuals with otocyst deformity also had hypoplasia of the petrous apex bone. These cases demonstrate gradual changes in the two most severe IEMs. Clarification of terms was necessary and, based on these findings, we propose defining otocyst deformity as a cystic structure in place of the inner ear, with the cochlea, IAC and carotid canal absent. This condition needs to be differentiated from the common cavity described by Edward Cook. A clear definition of inner ear malformations is essential if outcomes following cochlear implantation are to be compared.

  5. From labyrinthine aplasia to otocyst deformity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giesemann, Anja Maria; Goetz, Friedrich; Lanfermann, Heinrich; Neuburger, Juergen; Lenarz, Thomas

    2010-01-01

    Inner ear malformations (IEMs) are rare and it is unusual to encounter the rarest of them, namely labyrinthine aplasia (LA) and otocyst deformity. They do, however, provide useful pointers as to the early embryonic development of the ear. LA is characterised as a complete absence of inner ear structures. While some common findings do emerge, a clear definition of the otocyst deformity does not exist. It is often confused with the common cavity first described by Edward Cock. Our purpose was to radiologically characterise LA and otocyst deformity. Retrospective analysis of CT and MRI data from four patients with LA or otocyst deformity. Middle and inner ear findings were categorised by two neuroradiologists. The bony carotid canal was found to be absent in all patients. Posterior located cystic structures were found in association with LA and otocyst deformity. In the most severe cases, only soft tissue was present at the medial border of the middle ear cavity. The individuals with otocyst deformity also had hypoplasia of the petrous apex bone. These cases demonstrate gradual changes in the two most severe IEMs. Clarification of terms was necessary and, based on these findings, we propose defining otocyst deformity as a cystic structure in place of the inner ear, with the cochlea, IAC and carotid canal absent. This condition needs to be differentiated from the common cavity described by Edward Cook. A clear definition of inner ear malformations is essential if outcomes following cochlear implantation are to be compared. (orig.)

  6. The level of detail required in a deformable phantom to accurately perform quality assurance of deformable image registration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saenz, Daniel L.; Kim, Hojin; Chen, Josephine; Stathakis, Sotirios; Kirby, Neil

    2016-09-01

    The primary purpose of the study was to determine how detailed deformable image registration (DIR) phantoms need to adequately simulate human anatomy and accurately assess the quality of DIR algorithms. In particular, how many distinct tissues are required in a phantom to simulate complex human anatomy? Pelvis and head-and-neck patient CT images were used for this study as virtual phantoms. Two data sets from each site were analyzed. The virtual phantoms were warped to create two pairs consisting of undeformed and deformed images. Otsu’s method was employed to create additional segmented image pairs of n distinct soft tissue CT number ranges (fat, muscle, etc). A realistic noise image was added to each image. Deformations were applied in MIM Software (MIM) and Velocity deformable multi-pass (DMP) and compared with the known warping. Images with more simulated tissue levels exhibit more contrast, enabling more accurate results. Deformation error (magnitude of the vector difference between known and predicted deformation) was used as a metric to evaluate how many CT number gray levels are needed for a phantom to serve as a realistic patient proxy. Stabilization of the mean deformation error was reached by three soft tissue levels for Velocity DMP and MIM, though MIM exhibited a persisting difference in accuracy between the discrete images and the unprocessed image pair. A minimum detail of three levels allows a realistic patient proxy for use with Velocity and MIM deformation algorithms.

  7. Deformations of symplectic Lie algebroids, deformations of holomorphic symplectic structures, and index theorems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nest, Ryszard; Tsygan, Boris

    2001-01-01

    Recently Kontsevich solved the classification problem for deformation quantizations of all Poisson structures on a manifold. In this paper we study those Poisson structures for which the explicit methods of Fedosov can be applied, namely the Poisson structures coming from symplectic Lie algebroids......, as well as holomorphic symplectic structures. For deformations of these structures we prove the classification theorems and a general a general index theorem....

  8. Sex Chromosome Translocations in the Evolution of Reproductive Isolation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tracey, Martin L.

    1972-01-01

    Haldane's rule states that in organisms with differentiated sex chromosomes, hybrid sterility or inviability is generally expressed more frequently in the heterogametic sex. This observation has been variously explained as due to either genic or chromosomal imbalance. The fixation probabilities and mean times to fixation of sex-chromosome translocations of the type necessary to explain Haldane's rule on the basis of chromosomal imbalance have been estimated in small populations of Drosophila melanogaster. The fixation probability of an X chromosome carrying the long arm of the Y(X·YL) is approximately 30% greater than expected under the assumption of no selection. No fitness differences associated with the attached YL segment were detected. The fixation probability of a deficient Y chromosome is 300% greater than expected when the X chromosome contains the deleted portion of the Y. It is suggested that sex-chromosome translocations may play a role in the establishment of reproductive isolation. PMID:4630586

  9. Frequency of foot deformity in preschool girls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mihajlović Ilona

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. In order to determine the moment of creation of postural disorders, regardless of the causes of this problem, it is necessary to examine the moment of entry of children into a new environment, ie. in kindergarten or school. There is a weak evidence about the age period when foot deformity occurs, and the type of these deformities. The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between the occurrence of foot deformities and age characteristics of girls. Methods. The research was conducted in preschools 'Radosno detinjstvo' in the region of Novi Sad, using the method of random selection, on the sample of 272 girls, 4-7 years of age, classified into four strata according to the year of birth. To determine the foot deformities measurement technique using computerized digitized pedografy (CDP was applied. Results. In preschool population girls pes transversoplanus and calcanei valga deformities occurred in a very high percentage (over 90%. Disturbed longitudinal instep ie flat feet also appeared in a high percentage, but we noted the improvement of this deformity according to increasing age. Namely, there was a statistically significant correlation between the age and this deformity. As a child grows older, the deformity is lower. Conclusion. This study confirmed that the formation of foot arches probably does not end at the age of 3-4 years but lasts until school age.

  10. Versal deformation of the Lie algebra $L_2$

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fialowski, A.; Post, Gerhard F.

    1999-01-01

    We investigate deformations of the infinite dimensional vector field Lie algebra spanned by the fields $e_i = z^{i+1}d/dz$, where $i \\ge 2 $. The goal is to describe the base of a ``versal'' deformation; such a versal deformation induces all the other nonequivalent deformations and solves the

  11. Cardiac fluid dynamics meets deformation imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dal Ferro, Matteo; Stolfo, Davide; De Paris, Valerio; Lesizza, Pierluigi; Korcova, Renata; Collia, Dario; Tonti, Giovanni; Sinagra, Gianfranco; Pedrizzetti, Gianni

    2018-02-20

    Cardiac function is about creating and sustaining blood in motion. This is achieved through a proper sequence of myocardial deformation whose final goal is that of creating flow. Deformation imaging provided valuable contributions to understanding cardiac mechanics; more recently, several studies evidenced the existence of an intimate relationship between cardiac function and intra-ventricular fluid dynamics. This paper summarizes the recent advances in cardiac flow evaluations, highlighting its relationship with heart wall mechanics assessed through the newest techniques of deformation imaging and finally providing an opinion of the most promising clinical perspectives of this emerging field. It will be shown how fluid dynamics can integrate volumetric and deformation assessments to provide a further level of knowledge of cardiac mechanics.

  12. Wind sock deformity in rectal atresia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hosseini, Seyed M V; Ghahramani, Farhad; Shamsaeefar, Alireza; Razmi, Tannaz; Zarenezhad, Mohammad

    2009-01-01

    Rectal atresia is a rare anorectal deformity. It usually presents with neonatal obstruction and it is often a complete membrane or severe stenosis. Windsock deformity has not been reported in rectal atresia especially, having been missed for 2 years. A 2-year-old girl reported only a severe constipation despite having a 1.5-cm anal canal in rectal examination with scanty discharge. She underwent loop colostomy and loopogram, which showed a wind sock deformity of rectum with mega colon. The patient underwent abdominoperineal pull-through with good result and follow-up. This is the first case of the wind sock deformity in rectal atresia being reported after 2 years of age. (author)

  13. Sex-based harassment in employment: new insights into gender and context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kabat-Farr, Dana; Cortina, Lilia M

    2014-02-01

    Legal definitions of sex-based harassment have evolved over the decades; it is important that social science perspectives on this phenomenon evolve as well. This study seeks to refine our understanding of conditions in which sex-based harassment thrives, with empirical evidence from three organizations. Previous research has suggested that underrepresentation of one's gender in the employment context increases risk for sex-based harassment. This work has focused mainly on sexual-advance forms of harassment, mainly in the lives of women. Less is known about the gender harassment of women, or about any kind of harassment of men. Extending this scholarship, we analyzed survey data from women and men working in three diverse domains: academia (N = 847), the court system (N = 1,158), and the military (N = 19,960). Across all samples, the underrepresentation of women in a workgroup related to increased odds of women experiencing gender harassment, but not sexual-advance harassment. For men, the opposite pattern emerged: underrepresentation did not increase men's risk for either type of harassment, instead relating to decreased odds of harassment in some contexts. We interpret these results in light of theories of tokenism, gender stereotyping, and sex role spillover in organizations. Our findings support the recommendation that, to reduce harassment (whether it be illegal or legal, gender- or sexuality-based, targeted at women or men), organizations should strive for gender balance in every job at every level. For male-dominated contexts, this implies a need to recruit, retain, and integrate more women throughout the organizational hierarchy.

  14. Incarcerated Dutch Juvenile Sex Offenders Compared with Non-Sex Offenders

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wijk, Anton Ph.; Vreugdenhil, Coby; van Horn, Joan; Vermeiren, Robert; Doreleijers, Theo A. H.

    2007-01-01

    There is some debate about whether or not sex offenders are similar to non-sex offenders with regard to family background (parental characteristics), personality, and psychopathology. The central aim of this study focused on the comparison of juvenile sex offenders and non-sex offenders. The sample consisted of incarcerated juvenile male sex (n =…

  15. Mobility, Latino Migrants, and the Geography of Sex Work: Using Ethnography in Public Health Assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sangaramoorthy, Thurka; Kroeger, Karen

    2013-01-01

    Recent studies have documented frequent use of female sex workers among Latino migrant men in the southeastern United States, yet little is known about the context in which sex work takes place, or the women who provide these services. As anthropologists working in applied public health, we use rapid ethnographic assessment as a technical assistance tool to document local understandings of the organization and typology of sex work and patterns of mobility among sex workers and their Latino migrant clients. By incorporating ethnographic methods in traditional public health needs assessments, we were able to highlight the diversity of migrant experiences and better understand the health needs of mobile populations more broadly. We discuss the findings in terms of their practical implications for HIV/STD prevention and call on public health to incorporate the concept of mobility as an organizing principle for the delivery of health care services.

  16. Sex Differences in Serotonin 1 Receptor Binding in Rat Brain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischette, Christine T.; Biegon, Anat; McEwen, Bruce S.

    1983-10-01

    Male and female rats exhibit sex differences in binding by serotonin 1 receptors in discrete areas of the brain, some of which have been implicated in the control of ovulation and of gonadotropin release. The sex-specific changes in binding, which occur in response to the same hormonal (estrogenic) stimulus, are due to changes in the number of binding sites. Castration alone also affects the number of binding sites in certain areas. The results lead to the conclusion that peripheral hormones modulate binding by serotonin 1 receptors. The status of the serotonin receptor system may affect the reproductive capacity of an organism and may be related to sex-linked emotional disturbances in humans.

  17. Bilateral cleft lip nasal deformity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh Arun

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Bilateral cleft lip nose deformity is a multi-factorial and complex deformity which tends to aggravate with growth of the child, if not attended surgically. The goals of primary bilateral cleft lip nose surgery are, closure of the nasal floor and sill, lengthening of the columella, repositioning of the alar base, achieving nasal tip projection, repositioning of the lower lateral cartilages, and reorienting the nares from horizontal to oblique position. The multiplicity of procedures in the literature for correction of this deformity alludes to the fact that no single procedure is entirely effective. The timing for surgical intervention and its extent varies considerably. Early surgery on cartilage may adversely affect growth and development; at the same time, allowing the cartilage to grow in an abnormal position and contributing to aggravation of deformity. Some surgeons advocate correction of deformity at an early age. However, others like the cartilages to grow and mature before going in for surgery. With peer pressure also becoming an important consideration during the teens, the current trend is towards early intervention. There is no unanimity in the extent of nasal dissection to be done at the time of primary lip repair. While many perform limited nasal dissection for the fear of growth retardation, others opt for full cartilage correction at the time of primary surgery itself. The value of naso-alveolar moulding (NAM too is not universally accepted and has now more opponents than proponents. Also most centres in the developing world have neither the personnel nor the facilities for the same. The secondary cleft nasal deformity is variable and is affected by the extent of the original abnormality, any prior surgeries performed and alteration due to nasal growth. This article reviews the currently popular methods for correction of nasal deformity associated with bilateral cleft lip, it′s management both at the time of cleft lip repair

  18. Four dimensional X-ray imaging of deformation modes in organic-rich Green River Shale retorted under uniaxial compression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobchenko, M.; Pluymakers, A.; Cordonnier, B.; Tairova, A.; Renard, F.

    2017-12-01

    Time-lapse imaging of fracture network development in organic-rich shales at elevated temperatures while kerogen is retorted allows characterizing the development of microfractures and the onset of primary migration. When the solid organic matter is transformed to hydrocarbons with lower molecular weight, the local pore-pressure increases and drives the propagation of hydro-fractures sub-parallel to the shale lamination. On the scale of samples of several mm size, these fractures can be described as mode I opening, where fracture walls dilate in the direction of minimal compression. However, so far experiments coupled to microtomography in situ imaging have been performed on samples where no load was imposed. Here, an external load was applied perpendicular to the sample laminations and we show that this stress state slows down, but does not stop, the propagation of fracture along bedding. Conversely, microfractures also propagate sub-perpendicular to the shale lamination, creating a percolating network in three dimensions. To monitor this process we have used a uniaxial compaction rig combined with in-situ heating from 50 to 500 deg C, while capturing three-dimensional X-ray microtomography scans at a voxel resolution of 2.2 μm; Data were acquired at beamline ID19 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. In total ten time-resolved experiments were performed at different vertical loading conditions, with and without lateral passive confinement and different heating rates. At high external load the sample fails by symmetric bulging, while at lower external load the reaction-induced fracture network develops with the presence of microfractures both sub-parallel and sub-perpendicular to the bedding direction. In addition, the variation of experimental conditions allows the decoupling of the effects of the hydrocarbon decomposition reaction on the deformation process from the influence of thermal stress heating on the weakening and failure mode of immature

  19. Usage of the Terms Prostitution, Sex Work, Transactional Sex, and Survival Sex: Their Utility in HIV Prevention Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMillan, Karen; Worth, Heather; Rawstorne, Patrick

    2018-07-01

    This article considers the terms prostitution, sex work, transactional sex, and survival sex, the logic of their deployment and utility to research concerned with people who are paid for sex, and HIV. The various names for paid sex in HIV research are invested in strategically differentiated positionings of people who receive payment and emphasize varying degrees of choice. The terminologies that seek to distinguish a range of economically motivated paid sex practices from sex work are characterized by an emphasis on the local and the particular, efforts to evade the stigma attached to the labels sex worker and prostitute, and an analytic prioritizing of culture. This works to bestow cultural legitimacy on some locally specific forms of paid sex and positions those practices as artifacts of culture rather than economy. This article contends that, in HIV research in particular, it is necessary to be cognizant of ways the deployment of alternative paid sex categories relocates and reinscribes stigma elsewhere. While local identity categories may be appropriate for program implementation, a global category is necessary for planning and funding purposes and offers a purview beyond that of isolated local phenomena. We argue that "sex work" is the most useful global term for use in research into economically motivated paid sex and HIV, primarily because it positions paid sex as a matter of labor, not culture or morality.

  20. Autogenous Deformation of Concrete

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Autogenous deformation of concrete can be defined as the free deformation of sealed concrete at a constant temperature. A number of observed problems with early age cracking of high-performance concretes can be attributed to this phenomenon. During the last 10 years , this has led to an increased...... focus on autogenous deformation both within concrete practice and concrete research. Since 1996 the interest has been significant enough to hold international, yearly conferences entirely devoted to this subject. The papers in this publication were presented at two consecutive half-day sessions...... at the American Concrete Institute’s Fall Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, October 29, 2002. All papers have been reviewed according to ACI rules. This publication, as well as the sessions, was sponsored by ACI committee 236, Material Science of Concrete. The 12 presentations from 8 different countries indicate...

  1. Shell effects in the nuclear deformation energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ross, C.K.

    1973-01-01

    A new approach to shell effects in the Strutinsky method for calculating nuclear deformation energy is evaluated and the suggestion of non-conservation of angular momentum in the same method is resolved. Shell effects on the deformation energy in rotational bands of deformed nuclei are discussed. (B.F.G.)

  2. Infinitesimal deformations of a formal symplectic groupoid

    OpenAIRE

    Karabegov, Alexander

    2010-01-01

    Given a formal symplectic groupoid $G$ over a Poisson manifold $(M, \\pi_0)$, we define a new object, an infinitesimal deformation of $G$, which can be thought of as a formal symplectic groupoid over the manifold $M$ equipped with an infinitesimal deformation $\\pi_0 + \\epsilon \\pi_1$ of the Poisson bivector field $\\pi_0$. The source and target mappings of a deformation of $G$ are deformations of the source and target mappings of $G$. To any pair of natural star products $(\\ast, \\tilde\\ast)$ ha...

  3. Evaluation of whole-body MR to CT deformable image registration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akbarzadeh, A; Gutierrez, D; Baskin, A; Ay, M R; Ahmadian, A; Riahi Alam, N; Lövblad, K O; Zaidi, H

    2013-07-08

    Multimodality image registration plays a crucial role in various clinical and research applications. The aim of this study is to present an optimized MR to CT whole-body deformable image registration algorithm and its validation using clinical studies. A 3D intermodality registration technique based on B-spline transformation was performed using optimized parameters of the elastix package based on the Insight Toolkit (ITK) framework. Twenty-eight (17 male and 11 female) clinical studies were used in this work. The registration was evaluated using anatomical landmarks and segmented organs. In addition to 16 anatomical landmarks, three key organs (brain, lungs, and kidneys) and the entire body volume were segmented for evaluation. Several parameters--such as the Euclidean distance between anatomical landmarks, target overlap, Dice and Jaccard coefficients, false positives and false negatives, volume similarity, distance error, and Hausdorff distance--were calculated to quantify the quality of the registration algorithm. Dice coefficients for the majority of patients (> 75%) were in the 0.8-1 range for the whole body, brain, and lungs, which satisfies the criteria to achieve excellent alignment. On the other hand, for kidneys, Dice coefficients for volumes of 25% of the patients meet excellent volume agreement requirement, while the majority of patients satisfy good agreement criteria (> 0.6). For all patients, the distance error was in 0-10 mm range for all segmented organs. In summary, we optimized and evaluated the accuracy of an MR to CT deformable registration algorithm. The registered images constitute a useful 3D whole-body MR-CT atlas suitable for the development and evaluation of novel MR-guided attenuation correction procedures on hybrid PET-MR systems.

  4. Demons registration for in vivo and deformable laser scanning confocal endomicroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiew, Wei Ming; Lin, Feng; Seah, Hock Soon

    2017-09-01

    A critical effect found in noninvasive in vivo endomicroscopic imaging modalities is image distortions due to sporadic movement exhibited by living organisms. In three-dimensional confocal imaging, this effect results in a dataset that is tilted across deeper slices. Apart from that, the sequential flow of the imaging-processing pipeline restricts real-time adjustments due to the unavailability of information obtainable only from subsequent stages. To solve these problems, we propose an approach to render Demons-registered datasets as they are being captured, focusing on the coupling between registration and visualization. To improve the acquisition process, we also propose a real-time visual analytics tool, which complements the imaging pipeline and the Demons registration pipeline with useful visual indicators to provide real-time feedback for immediate adjustments. We highlight the problem of deformation within the visualization pipeline for object-ordered and image-ordered rendering. Visualizations of critical information including registration forces and partial renderings of the captured data are also presented in the analytics system. We demonstrate the advantages of the algorithmic design through experimental results with both synthetically deformed datasets and actual in vivo, time-lapse tissue datasets expressing natural deformations. Remarkably, this algorithm design is for embedded implementation in intelligent biomedical imaging instrumentation with customizable circuitry.

  5. The Spherical Deformation Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hobolth, Asgar

    2003-01-01

    Miller et al. (1994) describe a model for representing spatial objects with no obvious landmarks. Each object is represented by a global translation and a normal deformation of a sphere. The normal deformation is defined via the orthonormal spherical-harmonic basis. In this paper we analyse the s...... a single central section of the object. We use maximum-likelihood-based inference for this purpose and demonstrate the suggested methods on real data....

  6. A q-deformed Lorentz algebra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidke, W.B.; Wess, J.; Muenchen Univ.; Zumino, B.; Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA

    1991-01-01

    We derive a q-deformed version of the Lorentz algebra by deformating the algebra SL(2, C). The method is based on linear representations of the algebra on the complex quantum spinor space. We find that the generators usually identified with SL q (2, C) generate SU q (2) only. Four additional generators are added which generate Lorentz boosts. The full algebra of all seven generators and their coproduct is presented. We show that in the limit q→1 the generators are those of the classical Lorentz algebra plus an additional U(1). Thus we have a deformation of SL(2, C)xU(1). (orig.)

  7. Strategies and Challenges in Preventing Violence Against Canadian Indoor Sex Workers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guta, Adrian

    2018-01-01

    Objectives. To examine indoor sex workers’ strategies in preventing workplace violence and influential socio-structural conditions. Methods. Data included qualitative interviews with 85 sex workers in British Columbia, Canada, from 2014 through 2016. For analyses, we used interpretive thematic techniques informed by World Health Organization position statements on violence. Results. Robbery, nonpayment, financial exploitation, and privacy violations were frequent types of violence perpetrated by clients, landlords, and neighbors. We identified 2 themes that depicted how sex workers prevented violence and mitigated its effects: (1) navigating physical spaces and (2) navigating client relationships. Conclusions. Sex workers’ diverse strategies to prevent violence and mitigate its effects are creative and effective in many circumstances. These are limited, however, by the absence of legal and public health regulations governing occupational health and safety and stigma associated with sex work. Public Health Implications. Occupational health and safety regulatory policies that set conditions for clients’ substance and condom use within commercial sex transactions are required. Revisions to the current legal regulations governing prostitution are critical to support optimal work environments that reduce the likelihood of violence. These revisions must recognize sex work as a form of labor versus victimization. PMID:29346001

  8. Q-deformed algebras and many-body physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Galetti, D; Lunardi, J T; Pimentel, B M [Instituto de Fisica Teorica (IFT), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Lima, C L [Sao Paulo Univ., SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica

    1995-11-01

    A review is presented of some applications of q-deformed algebras to many-body systems. The rotational and pairing nuclear problems will be discussed in the context of q-deformed algebras, before presenting a more microscopically based application of q-deformed concepts to many-fermion systems. (author). 30 refs., 5 figs.

  9. Exactly marginal deformations from exceptional generalised geometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ashmore, Anthony [Merton College, University of Oxford,Merton Street, Oxford, OX1 4JD (United Kingdom); Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford,Andrew Wiles Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG (United Kingdom); Gabella, Maxime [Institute for Advanced Study,Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Graña, Mariana [Institut de Physique Théorique, CEA/Saclay,91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Petrini, Michela [Sorbonne Université, UPMC Paris 05, UMR 7589, LPTHE,75005 Paris (France); Waldram, Daniel [Department of Physics, Imperial College London,Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

    2017-01-27

    We apply exceptional generalised geometry to the study of exactly marginal deformations of N=1 SCFTs that are dual to generic AdS{sub 5} flux backgrounds in type IIB or eleven-dimensional supergravity. In the gauge theory, marginal deformations are parametrised by the space of chiral primary operators of conformal dimension three, while exactly marginal deformations correspond to quotienting this space by the complexified global symmetry group. We show how the supergravity analysis gives a geometric interpretation of the gauge theory results. The marginal deformations arise from deformations of generalised structures that solve moment maps for the generalised diffeomorphism group and have the correct charge under the generalised Reeb vector, generating the R-symmetry. If this is the only symmetry of the background, all marginal deformations are exactly marginal. If the background possesses extra isometries, there are obstructions that come from fixed points of the moment maps. The exactly marginal deformations are then given by a further quotient by these extra isometries. Our analysis holds for any N=2 AdS{sub 5} flux background. Focussing on the particular case of type IIB Sasaki-Einstein backgrounds we recover the result that marginal deformations correspond to perturbing the solution by three-form flux at first order. In various explicit examples, we show that our expression for the three-form flux matches those in the literature and the obstruction conditions match the one-loop beta functions of the dual SCFT.

  10. Infant sex-specific placental cadmium and DNA methylation associations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohanty, April F., E-mail: april.mohanty@va.gov [Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, University of Washington, 1730 Minor Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 (United States); Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Farin, Fred M., E-mail: freddy@u.washington.edu [Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way N.E., Suite #100, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States); Bammler, Theo K., E-mail: tbammler@u.washington.edu [Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way N.E., Suite #100, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States); MacDonald, James W., E-mail: jmacdon@uw.edu [Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way N.E., Suite #100, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States); Afsharinejad, Zahra, E-mail: zafshari@u.washington.edu [Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way N.E., Suite #100, Seattle, WA 98105 (United States); Burbacher, Thomas M., E-mail: tmb@uw.edu [Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Box: 357234, 1705 N.E. Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Siscovick, David S., E-mail: dsiscovick@nyam.org [Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, University of Washington, 1730 Minor Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 (United States); Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); and others

    2015-04-15

    Background: Recent evidence suggests that maternal cadmium (Cd) burden and fetal growth associations may vary by fetal sex. However, mechanisms contributing to these differences are unknown. Objectives: Among 24 maternal-infant pairs, we investigated infant sex-specific associations between placental Cd and placental genome-wide DNA methylation. Methods: We used ANOVA models to examine sex-stratified associations of placental Cd (dichotomized into high/low Cd using sex-specific Cd median cutoffs) with DNA methylation at each cytosine-phosphate-guanine site or region. Statistical significance was defined using a false discovery rate cutoff (<0.10). Results: Medians of placental Cd among females and males were 5 and 2 ng/g, respectively. Among females, three sites (near ADP-ribosylation factor-like 9 (ARL9), siah E3 ubiquitin protein ligase family member 3 (SIAH3), and heparin sulfate (glucosamine) 3-O-sulfotransferase 4 (HS3ST4) and one region on chromosome 7 (including carnitine O-octanoyltransferase (CROT) and TP5S target 1 (TP53TG1)) were hypomethylated in high Cd placentas. Among males, high placental Cd was associated with methylation of three sites, two (hypomethylated) near MDS1 and EVI1 complex locus (MECOM) and one (hypermethylated) near spalt-like transcription factor 1 (SALL1), and two regions (both hypomethylated, one on chromosome 3 including MECOM and another on chromosome 8 including rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) 10 (ARHGEF10). Differentially methylated sites were at or close to transcription start sites of genes involved in cell damage response (SIAH3, HS3ST4, TP53TG1) in females and cell differentiation, angiogenesis and organ development (MECOM, SALL1) in males. Conclusions: Our preliminary study supports infant sex-specific placental Cd-DNA methylation associations, possibly accounting for previously reported differences in Cd-fetal growth associations across fetal sex. Larger studies are needed to replicate and extend these

  11. Infant sex-specific placental cadmium and DNA methylation associations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohanty, April F.; Farin, Fred M.; Bammler, Theo K.; MacDonald, James W.; Afsharinejad, Zahra; Burbacher, Thomas M.; Siscovick, David S.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Recent evidence suggests that maternal cadmium (Cd) burden and fetal growth associations may vary by fetal sex. However, mechanisms contributing to these differences are unknown. Objectives: Among 24 maternal-infant pairs, we investigated infant sex-specific associations between placental Cd and placental genome-wide DNA methylation. Methods: We used ANOVA models to examine sex-stratified associations of placental Cd (dichotomized into high/low Cd using sex-specific Cd median cutoffs) with DNA methylation at each cytosine-phosphate-guanine site or region. Statistical significance was defined using a false discovery rate cutoff (<0.10). Results: Medians of placental Cd among females and males were 5 and 2 ng/g, respectively. Among females, three sites (near ADP-ribosylation factor-like 9 (ARL9), siah E3 ubiquitin protein ligase family member 3 (SIAH3), and heparin sulfate (glucosamine) 3-O-sulfotransferase 4 (HS3ST4) and one region on chromosome 7 (including carnitine O-octanoyltransferase (CROT) and TP5S target 1 (TP53TG1)) were hypomethylated in high Cd placentas. Among males, high placental Cd was associated with methylation of three sites, two (hypomethylated) near MDS1 and EVI1 complex locus (MECOM) and one (hypermethylated) near spalt-like transcription factor 1 (SALL1), and two regions (both hypomethylated, one on chromosome 3 including MECOM and another on chromosome 8 including rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) 10 (ARHGEF10). Differentially methylated sites were at or close to transcription start sites of genes involved in cell damage response (SIAH3, HS3ST4, TP53TG1) in females and cell differentiation, angiogenesis and organ development (MECOM, SALL1) in males. Conclusions: Our preliminary study supports infant sex-specific placental Cd-DNA methylation associations, possibly accounting for previously reported differences in Cd-fetal growth associations across fetal sex. Larger studies are needed to replicate and extend these

  12. Deformed configurations, band structures and spectroscopic ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2014-03-20

    Mar 20, 2014 ... Our study gives insight into possible deformed structures at spherical shell closure. ... Considerable experimental and theoretical efforts ... True deformation effects can be seen only by considering configuration mixing.

  13. Two-component feedback loops and deformed mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tourigny, David S.

    2015-01-01

    It is shown that a general two-component feedback loop can be viewed as a deformed Hamiltonian system. Some of the implications of using ideas from theoretical physics to study biological processes are discussed. - Highlights: • Two-component molecular feedback loops are viewed as q-deformed Hamiltonian systems. • Deformations are reversed using Jackson derivatives to take advantage of working in the Hamiltonian limit. • New results are derived for the particular examples considered. • General deformations are suggested to be associated with a broader class of biological processes

  14. A Theoretical Analysis of Sex Differences In Same-Sex Friendships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barth, Robert J.; Kinder, Bill N.

    1988-01-01

    Investigates sex differences in same-sex friendships of 312 undergraduate students in terms of the intersection and social penetration model of relationship development, and Bem's theory of sex role orientation. Finds significant sex-related differences in depth, duration, and involvement. (FMW)

  15. How important are sex differences in cannabinoid action?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fattore, Liana; Fratta, Walter

    2010-06-01

    In humans as in animals, males and females are dissimilar in their genetic and hormonally driven behaviour; they process information differently, perceive experience and emotions in different ways, display diverse attitudes, language and social skills, and show sex-related differences in the brain anatomy and organization. Drug addiction is a widespread relapsing illness that affects both men and women. Sex-dependent differences have been frequently observed in the biological and behavioural effects of substances of abuse, including cannabis. Beside sex differences observed in the cannabinoid-induced effects related to cannabis abuse and dependence, cannabinoids have been shown to exert sex-dependent effects also in other physiological and behavioural aspects, such as food intake and energy balance (more evident in males), or anxiety and depression (more evident in females). Research has just begun to identify factors which could provide a neurobiological basis for gender-based differences in cannabinoid effects, among which, gonadal hormones seem to play a crucial role. Yet, cannabinoid pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic may also be important, as sex differences in cannabinoid effects might be due, at least in part, to differences in muscle mass and fat tissue distribution between males and females. Here, we will review both clinical and laboratory-based research evidence revealing important sex-related differences in cannabinoid effects, and put forward some suggestions for future studies to fill the gap in our knowledge of gender-specific bias in cannabinoid pharmacology.

  16. Evidence mounts for sex-selective abortion in Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westley, S B

    1995-01-01

    In Korea, China, and Taiwan--countries where son preference persists--the availability of prenatal screening techniques and induced abortion has produced an imbalance in the naturally occurring sex ratios of 104-107 male births for every 100 female births. Policy responses to sex-selective abortion were the focus of a 1994 International Symposium on Sex Preference for Children in the Rapidly Changing Demographic Dynamics in Asia sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund and the Government of the Republic of Korea. Modern technology (i.e., amniocentesis, ultrasound, and chorionic villi sampling) enables couples to control both family size and sex selection. According to data from the 1990 Korean Census, 80,000 female fetuses were aborted from 1986-90 as a result of son preference. In the late 1980s, the Governments of Korea, China, and India imposed bans on the use of medical technology for prenatal sex determination, but many observers maintain that regulations have served only to make the procedures clandestine and more expensive. To remedy the problems underlying sex-selective abortion, the Symposium recommended the following government actions: 1) implement policies and programs to diminish gender discrimination; 2) establish guidelines for the monitoring and regulation of prenatal testing; 3) utilize mass and folk media, interpersonal channels, and school curricula to promote gender equality; 4) strengthen the ethics curriculum of medical schools to address son preference; and 5) increase the capability of statistical and research organizations to collect gender-disaggregated data.

  17. Sex Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sex therapy Overview Sex therapy is a type of psychotherapy — a general term for treating mental health problems by talking with a mental health professional. Through sex therapy, you can address concerns about sexual function, ...

  18. Plastic Deformation of Pressured Metallic Glass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun Cheng

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Although pressured metallic glass (MG has been reported in the literature; there are few studies focusing on pressure effects on the structure; dynamics and its plastic deformation. In this paper; we report on and characterize; via molecular dynamics simulation, the structure and dynamics heterogeneity of pressured MGs, and explore a causal link between local structures and plastic deformation mechanism of pressured glass. The results exhibit that the dynamical heterogeneity of metallic liquid is more pronounced at high pressure, while the MGs were less fragile after the release of external pressure, reflected by the non-Gaussian parameter (NGP. High pressure glass shows better plastic deformation; and the local strain zone distributed more uniformly than of in normal glass. Further research indicates that although the number of icosahedrons in pressured glass was much larger than that in normal glass, while the interpenetrating connections of icosahedra (ICOI exhibited spatial correlations were rather poor; In addition, the number of ‘fast’ atoms indexed by the atoms’ moving distance is larger than that in normal glass; leading to the sharp decreasing in number of icosahedrons during deformation. An uniform distribution of ‘fast’ atoms also contributed to better plastic deformation ability in the pressured glass. These findings may suggest a link between the deformation and destruction of icosahedra with short-range order.

  19. Deformation mechanisms in cyclic creep and fatigue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laird, C.

    1979-01-01

    Service conditions in which static and cyclic loading occur in conjunction are numerous. It is argued that an understanding of cyclic creep and cyclic deformation are necessary both for design and for understanding creep-fatigue fracture. Accordingly a brief, and selective, review of cyclic creep and cyclic deformation at both low and high strain amplitudes is provided. Cyclic loading in conjunction with static loading can lead to creep retardation if cyclic hardening occurs, or creep acceleration if softening occurs. Low strain amplitude cyclic deformation is understood in terms of dislocation loop patch and persistent slip band behavior, high strain deformation in terms of dislocation cell-shuttling models. While interesting advances in these fields have been made in the last few years, the deformation mechanisms are generally poorly understood

  20. How deformation enhances mobility in a polymer glass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacks, Daniel

    2013-03-01

    Recent experiments show that deformation of a polymer glass can lead to orders-of-magnitude enhancement in the atomic level dynamics. To determine why this change in dynamics occurs, we carry out molecular dynamics simulations and energy landscape analyses. The simulations address the coarse-grained polystyrene model of Kremer and co-workers, and the dynamics, as quantified by the van Hove function, are examined as the glass undergoes shear deformation. In agreement with experiment, the simulations find that deformation enhances the atomic mobility. The enhanced mobility is shown to arise from two mechanisms: First, active deformation continually reduces barriers for hopping events, and the importance of this mechanism is modulated by the rate of thermally activated transitions between adjacent energy minima. Second, deformation moves the system to higher-energy regions of the energy landscape, characterized by lower barriers. Both mechanisms enhance the dynamics during deformation, and the second mechanism is also relevant after deformation has ceased.

  1. Sex Reversal in Amphibians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flament, Stéphane

    2016-01-01

    Amphibians have been widely used to study developmental biology due to the fact that embryo development takes place independently of the maternal organism and that observations and experimental approaches are easy. Some amphibians like Xenopus became model organisms in this field. In the first part of this article, the differentiation of the gonads in amphibians and the mechanisms governing this process are reviewed. In the second part, the state of the art about sex reversal, which can be induced by steroid hormones in general and by temperature in some species, is presented. Also information about pollutants found in the environment that could interfere with the development of the amphibian reproductive apparatus or with their reproductive physiology is given. Such compounds could play a part in the amphibian decline, since in the wild, many amphibians are endangered species. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  2. Sex Determination, Sex Chromosomes, and Karyotype Evolution in Insects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackmon, Heath; Ross, Laura; Bachtrog, Doris

    2017-01-01

    Insects harbor a tremendous diversity of sex determining mechanisms both within and between groups. For example, in some orders such as Hymenoptera, all members are haplodiploid, whereas Diptera contain species with homomorphic as well as male and female heterogametic sex chromosome systems or paternal genome elimination. We have established a large database on karyotypes and sex chromosomes in insects, containing information on over 13000 species covering 29 orders of insects. This database constitutes a unique starting point to report phylogenetic patterns on the distribution of sex determination mechanisms, sex chromosomes, and karyotypes among insects and allows us to test general theories on the evolutionary dynamics of karyotypes, sex chromosomes, and sex determination systems in a comparative framework. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that male heterogamety is the ancestral mode of sex determination in insects, and transitions to female heterogamety are extremely rare. Many insect orders harbor species with complex sex chromosomes, and gains and losses of the sex-limited chromosome are frequent in some groups. Haplodiploidy originated several times within insects, and parthenogenesis is rare but evolves frequently. Providing a single source to electronically access data previously distributed among more than 500 articles and books will not only accelerate analyses of the assembled data, but also provide a unique resource to guide research on which taxa are likely to be informative to address specific questions, for example, for genome sequencing projects or large-scale comparative studies. © The American Genetic Association 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. An experimental study of deformation mechanism and microstructure evolution during hot deformation of Ti–6Al–2Zr–1Mo–1V alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, D.; Zhu, J.C.; Lai, Z.H.; Liu, Y.; Yang, X.W.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Isothermal tensile deformations were carried on Ti–6Al–2Zr–1Mo–1V titanium alloy. ► Deformation activations were calculated based on kinetics rate equations. ► Deformation mechanisms are dislocation creep and self-diffusion at 800 and 850 °C. ► Microstructure globularization mechanisms varied with deformation temperature. ► Recrystallization mechanism changed from CDRX to DDRX as temperature increasing. - Abstract: Isothermal tensile tests have been performed to study the deformation mechanisms and microstructure evolution of Ti–6Al–2Zr–1Mo–1V titanium alloy in the temperature range 750–850 °C and strain rate range 0.001–0.1 s −1 . The deformation activations have been calculated based on kinetics rate equation to investigate the hot deformation mechanism. Microstructures of deformed samples have been analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to evaluate the influences of hot deformation parameters on the microstructure evolution and recrystallization mechanism. The results indicate that deformation mechanisms vary with deformation conditions: at medium (800 °C) and high (850 °C) temperature, the deformation is mainly controlled by the mechanisms of dislocation creep and self-diffusion, respectively. The microstructure globularization mechanisms also depend on deformation temperature: in the temperature range from 750 to 800 °C, the high angle grain boundaries are mainly formed via dislocation accumulation or subgrain boundaries sliding and subgrains rotation; while at high temperature of 850 °C, recrystallization is the dominant mechanism. Especially, the evolution of the recrystallization mechanism with the deformation temperature is first observed and investigated in TA15 titanium alloy

  4. Mechanisms of deformation and of recrystallization of imperfect uranium monocrystals; Les mecanismes de deformation et de recristallisation des monocristaux imparfaits d'uranium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Calais, D [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1960-04-15

    The various means by which plastic deformations by slip, twinning or kinking are produced by tension of imperfect {alpha} uranium single crystals prepared by a {beta} {yields} {alpha} phase change, have been studied by X-rays and micrographic examination. Depending on the crystallographic orientation with respect to the direction of the applied tension, and depending on the magnitude of the change in length, the crystals are deformed either preferentially according to a single mechanism, for example twinning, or simultaneously according to two or three mechanisms. The results of a subsequent annealing of the deformed single in the {alpha} phase are studied with respect to the deformation mechanisms. In the case of a deformation due primarily to (010) [100], (011) [100] or (110) [001] sliding, there occurs recrystallization by crystal growth selectivity. If the deformation occurs via deformation bands, there is recrystallization by 'oriented nucleation'. The crystals deformed preponderantly by twinning give on recrystallization perfect crystals having optimum dimensions and having orientational characteristics closely related to those of the original crystal. Finally are discussed some criteria relating to the geometry and the dynamics with a view to explaining the occurrence of such and such a deformation mechanism of a single crystal with a given orientation. This study, in conclusion, must help to define the best conditions (crystalline orientation and process of deformation) which will promote the growth of large, perfect, single crystals. (author) [French] Les divers modes de deformation plastique, glissement, maclage et pliage, que provoque la traction de monocristaux d'uranium {alpha} imparfaits prepares par changement de phase {beta} {yields} {alpha} ont ete etudies par rayons X et par examen micrographique. Suivant l'orientation cristallographique par rapport a la direction de l'axe de traction et suivant l'importance de l'allongement, les monocristaux se

  5. Austenite strengthening and softening during hot deformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tushinskij, L.I.; Vlasov, V.S.; Kazimirova, I.E.; Tokarev, A.O.

    1981-01-01

    Processes of formation of austenite structure of 20 and 12Kh18N10T steels during hot deformation and postdeformation isothermal holdings have been investigated by the methods of analysis of curves of hot deformation, high-temperature metallography and light microscopy. Deformation has been exercised by extention in vacuum with average 4x10 -2 s -1 rate. Deformation temperatures of steel 20 are 930 and 1000 deg C, of steel 12Kh18N10T - 1100 deg C. It is stated that dynamic recrystallization takes place in both investigated steels during hot deformation. In the carbonic steel it is developed by shifting sections of high-angular boundaries, flow stress in this case remains constant. Recrystallization is developed by subgrain coalescence in austenite steel, that brings about preservation of increased defect density in recrystallized volumes. As a result strengthening of steel is continued up to fracture during the increase of the deformation degree. Postdeformation weakening of 12Kh18N10T steel is slowed down as compared with weakening of carbonic steel [ru

  6. 3D geodetic monitoring slope deformations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weiss Gabriel

    1996-06-01

    Full Text Available For plenty of slope failures that can be found in Slovakia is necessary and very important their geodetic monitoring (because of their activity, reactivisations, checks. The paper gives new methodologies for these works, using 3D terrestrial survey technologies for measurements in convenient deformation networks. The design of an optimal type of deformation model for various kinds of landslides and their exact processing with an efficient testing procedure to determine the kinematics of the slope deformations are presented too.

  7. Deformation effects in the cluster radioactivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Misicu, S.; Protopopescu, D.

    1998-01-01

    We investigate the influence of the deformation on the decay rates of the cluster emission process 224 Ra → 210 Pb + 14 C. The interaction between the daughter and the cluster is given by a double folding potential, containing a nuclear repulsive core, with account of the quadrupole and hexadecupole deformed densities of both fragments. Upon comparison with the experimental value of the decay rate, the results obtained point out the importance of such deformations especially for the daughter nucleus

  8. Khakasses under the conditions of globalization: mental deformations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larisa V. Anzhiganova

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The article analyzes the deformations in the mentality of the Khakas, a Turkic-speaking ethnos of South Siberia. The authors understand mentality as an internally consistent mode of a people’s existence for the sake of survival of the ethnos as a whole by means of organizing knowledge into an ethnic worldview; through the creation of a stable hierarchy of ethnically articulated needs, interests and values; through a system of auto- and heterostereotypes; and by developing sustainable forms of behavior in various situations. Due to both external and internal impact, the mentality, a historically stable phenomenon, can suffer deformations. We understand these as a change in the basic elements of the mentality (needs, interests, values leading to reversible or irreversible transformations for the people. To document the mental deformations among the Khakass, the article compares traditional ethnic values with modern ones. The comparison makes use of two studies of values: an interdisciplinary study of the traditional outlook of the ethnos conducted in mid-1990s, an a sociological survey held in 2015. The analysis revealed that the hierarchy of basic traditional values, such as "native land", "Khakass people", "family" preserves its importance for ethnic actors as a resource for the preservation and development of the ethnos even under the conditions of globalization. However, the sociological survey recorded a change in the configuration of the entire value system among the Khakass people. “Family" as a value moves upfront, which follows the general historical pattern: an ethnos in a state of crisis returns to the basic, time-tested social institutions (family, clan. The latter are called upon to preserve the ethnos as a biopsychosocial community.

  9. Conformal deformation of Riemann space and torsion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pyzh, V.M.

    1981-01-01

    Method for investigating conformal deformations of Riemann spaces using torsion tensor, which permits to reduce the second ' order equations for Killing vectors to the system of the first order equations, is presented. The method is illustrated using conformal deformations of dimer sphere as an example. A possibility of its use when studying more complex deformations is discussed [ru

  10. Quantification of abdominal aortic deformation after EVAR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demirci, Stefanie; Manstad-Hulaas, Frode; Navab, Nassir

    2009-02-01

    Quantification of abdominal aortic deformation is an important requirement for the evaluation of endovascular stenting procedures and the further refinement of stent graft design. During endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) treatment, the aortic shape is subject to severe deformation that is imposed by medical instruments such as guide wires, catheters, and, the stent graft. This deformation can affect the flow characteristics and morphology of the aorta which have been shown to be elicitors for stent graft failures and be reason for reappearance of aneurysms. We present a method for quantifying the deformation of an aneurysmatic aorta imposed by an inserted stent graft device. The outline of the procedure includes initial rigid alignment of the two abdominal scans, segmentation of abdominal vessel trees, and automatic reduction of their centerline structures to one specified region of interest around the aorta. This is accomplished by preprocessing and remodeling of the pre- and postoperative aortic shapes before performing a non-rigid registration. We further narrow the resulting displacement fields to only include local non-rigid deformation and therefore, eliminate all remaining global rigid transformations. Finally, deformations for specified locations can be calculated from the resulting displacement fields. In order to evaluate our method, experiments for the extraction of aortic deformation fields are conducted on 15 patient datasets from endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) treatment. A visual assessment of the registration results and evaluation of the usage of deformation quantification were performed by two vascular surgeons and one interventional radiologist who are all experts in EVAR procedures.

  11. Interactive Effects of Culture and Sex Hormones on Sex Role Orientation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Belinda ePletzer

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Sex role orientation, i.e. a person’s masculinity or femininity, influences cognitive and emotional performance, like biological sex. While it is now widely accepted that sex differences are modulated by the hormonal status of female participants (menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptive use, the question, whether hormonal status and sex hormones also modulate participants sex role orientation has hardly been addressed previously. The present study assessed sex role orientation and hormonal status as well as sex hormone levels in three samples of participants from two different cultures (Northern American, Middle European. Menstrual cycle phase did not affect participant’s masculinity or femininity, but had a significant impact on reference group. While women in their follicular phase (low levels of female sex hormones determined their masculinity and femininity in reference to men, women in their luteal phase (high levels of female sex hormones determined their masculinity and femininity in reference to women. Hormonal contraceptive users rated themselves as significantly more feminine and less masculine than naturally cycling women. Furthermore, the impact of biological sex on the factorial structure of sex role orientation as well as the relationship of estrogen to masculinity/femininity was modulated by culture. We conclude that culture and sex hormones interactively affect sex role orientation and hormonal status of participants should be controlled for when assessing masculinity and/or femininity.

  12. Sex differences in the pathways to major depression: a study of opposite-sex twin pairs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendler, Kenneth S; Gardner, Charles O

    2014-04-01

    The authors sought to clarify the nature of sex differences in the etiologic pathways to major depression. Retrospective and prospective assessments of 20 developmentally organized risk factors and the occurrence of past-year major depression were conducted at two waves of personal interviews at least 12 months apart in 1,057 opposite-sex dizygotic twin pairs from a population-based register. Analyses were conducted by structural modeling, examining within-pair differences. Sixty percent of all paths in the best-fit model exhibited sex differences. Eleven of the 20 risk factors differed across sexes in their impact on liability to major depression. Five had a greater impact in women: parental warmth, neuroticism, divorce, social support, and marital satisfaction. Six had a greater impact in men: childhood sexual abuse, conduct disorder, drug abuse, prior history of major depression, and distal and dependent proximal stressful life events. The life event categories responsible for the stronger effect in males were financial, occupational, and legal in nature. In a co-twin control design, which matches sisters and brothers on genetic and familial-environmental background, personality and failures in interpersonal relationships played a stronger etiologic role in major depression for women than for men. Externalizing psychopathology, prior depression, and specific "instrumental" classes of acute stressors were more important in the etiologic pathway to major depression for men. The results are consistent with previously proposed typologies of major depression that suggest two subtypes that differ in prevalence in women (deficiencies in caring relationships and interpersonal loss) and men (failures to achieve expected goals, with lowered self-worth).

  13. Sex Headaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sex headaches Overview Sex headaches are brought on by sexual activity — especially an orgasm. You may notice a dull ache in your head ... severe headache just before or during orgasm. Most sex headaches are nothing to worry about. But some ...

  14. Different Phases of Earthquake Cycle Reflected in GPS Measured Crustal Deformations along the Andes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khazaradze, G.; Klotz, J.

    2001-12-01

    The South American Geodynamic Activities (SAGA) project was initiated in 1993 by the GeoForschungsZentrum together with host organizations in Argentina and Chile with the main objective of studying the kinematics and dynamics of present-day deformation processes along the central and southern Andes. Currently the SAGA network consists of 230 geodetic markers spanning more than 2000 km long distance from Peru/Chile border in the north to Cape Horn in the south. The majority of the observed crustal deformation field is relatively homogenous: roughly parallel to the plate convergence direction and decreasing in magnitude away from the deformation front. This pattern is characteristic for the \\textit{inter-seismic} phase of earthquake deformation cycle and can be explained by the elastic strain accumulation due to locking of the thrust interface between the subducting Nazca and the overriding South America plates. However, in addition to the dominant inter-seismic signal, close examination of the observed velocity field also reveals significant spatial and temporal variations, contrary to the commonly used assumption of constant deformation rates. This variation is especially pronounced for the measurements in the vicinity of the 1995 Mw8.0 Antofagasta earthquake (22{° }S-26{° }S). Here, after capturing up to 1 meters of \\textit{co-seismic} displacements associated with this event, the analysis of data obtained during the three following field campaigns (1996-1999), reveals highly time dependent deformation pattern. This can be explained by the decreasing importance of \\textit{post-seismic} effects of the Antofagasta event relative to the increasing dominance of the inter-seismic phase of subduction. Perhaps, even more interesting time dependent observations have been detected in the southern part the SAGA network (38{° }S-43{° }S).Here, after 35 years of the occurrence of the 1960 Mw9.5 Chile earthquake, we still see the continuing post-seismic effects of this

  15. Phonon operators in deformed nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soloviev, V.G.

    1981-01-01

    For the description of the excited states in deformed nuclei new phonon operators are introduced, which depend on the sign of the angular momentum projection onto the symmetry axis of a deformed nucleus. In the calculations with new phonons the Pauli principle is correctly taken into account in the two-phonon components of the wave functions. There is a difference in comparison with the calculation with phonons independent of the sign of the angular momentum projection. The new phonons should be used in deformed nuclei if the Pauli principle is consistently taken into account and in the calculations with the excited state wave functions having the components with more than one phonon operator [ru

  16. Variation in offspring sex ratio of a long-lived sexually dimorphic raptor, the eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todd E. Katzner; Daniel S. Jackson; Jamie Ivy; Evgeny A. Bragin; Andrew Dewoody

    2014-01-01

    Sex ratio theory attempts to explain observed variation in offspring sex ratio at both the population and the brood levels. In the context of low-fecundity organisms producing high-investment offspring, the drivers of adaptive variation in sex ratio are incompletely understood. For raptors that display reverse sexual dimorphism (RSD), preferential allocation of...

  17. Highly deformable bones: unusual deformation mechanisms of seahorse armor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Michael M; Novitskaya, Ekaterina; Castro-Ceseña, Ana Bertha; Meyers, Marc A; McKittrick, Joanna

    2013-06-01

    Multifunctional materials and devices found in nature serve as inspiration for advanced synthetic materials, structures and robotics. Here, we elucidate the architecture and unusual deformation mechanisms of seahorse tails that provide prehension as well as protection against predators. The seahorse tail is composed of subdermal bony plates arranged in articulating ring-like segments that overlap for controlled ventral bending and twisting. The bony plates are highly deformable materials designed to slide past one another and buckle when compressed. This complex plate and segment motion, along with the unique hardness distribution and structural hierarchy of each plate, provide seahorses with joint flexibility while shielding them against impact and crushing. Mimicking seahorse armor may lead to novel bio-inspired technologies, such as flexible armor, fracture-resistant structures or prehensile robotics. Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Fraktalnist deformational relief polycrystalline aluminum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    М.В. Карускевич

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available  The possibility of the fractal geometry method application for the analisys of surface deformation structures under cyclic loading is presented.It is shown, that deformation relief of the alclad aluminium alloyes meets the criteria of the fractality. For the fractal demention estimation the method of  “box-counting”can be applied.

  19. Clustering and triaxial deformations of 40Ca

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taniguchi, Yasutaka; Kimura, Masaaki; Kanada-En'yo, Yoshiko; Horiuchi, Hisashi

    2007-01-01

    We have studied the positive-parity states of 40 Ca using antisymmetrized molecular dynamics (AMD) and the generator coordinate method (GCM). Imposing two different kinds of constraints on the variational calculation, we have found various kinds of 40 Ca structures such as a deformed-shell structure, as well as α- 36 Ar and 12 C- 28 Si cluster structures. After the GCM calculation, we obtained a normal-deformed band and a superdeformed band together with their side bands associated with triaxial deformation. The calculated B(E2) values agreed well with empirical data. It was also found that the normal-deformed and superdeformed bands have non-negligible α- 36 Ar cluster and 12 C- 28 Si cluster components, respectively. This leads to the presence of an α- 36 Ar higher nodal band occurring above the normal-deformed band

  20. Strong crystal size effect on deformation twinning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yu, Qian; Shan, Zhi-Wei; Li, Ju

    2010-01-01

    plasticity. Accompanying the transition in deformation mechanism, the maximum flow stress of the submicrometre-sized pillars was observed to saturate at a value close to titanium’s ideal strength9, 10. We develop a ‘stimulated slip’ model to explain the strong size dependence of deformation twinning......Deformation twinning1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in crystals is a highly coherent inelastic shearing process that controls the mechanical behaviour of many materials, but its origin and spatio-temporal features are shrouded in mystery. Using micro-compression and in situ nano-compression experiments, here we...... find that the stress required for deformation twinning increases drastically with decreasing sample size of a titanium alloy single crystal7, 8, until the sample size is reduced to one micrometre, below which the deformation twinning is entirely replaced by less correlated, ordinary dislocation...

  1. TH-CD-206-09: Learning-Based MRI-CT Prostate Registration Using Spare Patch-Deformation Dictionary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, X; Jani, A; Rossi, P; Mao, H; Curran, W; Liu, T

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To enable MRI-guided prostate radiotherapy, MRI-CT deformable registration is required to map the MRI-defined tumor and key organ contours onto the CT images. Due to the intrinsic differences in grey-level intensity characteristics between MRI and CT images, the integration of MRI into CT-based radiotherapy is very challenging. We are developing a learning-based registration approach to address this technical challenge. Methods: We propose to estimate the deformation between MRI and CT images in a patch-wise fashion by using the sparse representation technique. Specifically, we assume that two image patches should follow the same deformation if their patch-wise appearance patterns are similar. We first extract a set of key points in the new CT image. Then, for each key point, we adaptively construct a coupled dictionary from the training MRI-CT images, where each coupled element includes both appearance and deformation of the same image patch. After calculating the sparse coefficients in representing the patch appearance of each key point based on the constructed dictionary, we can predict the deformation for this point by applying the same sparse coefficients to the respective deformations in the dictionary. Results: This registration technique was validated with 10 prostate-cancer patients’ data and its performance was compared with the commonly used free-form-deformation-based registration. Several landmarks in both images were identified to evaluate the accuracy of our approach. Overall, the averaged target registration error of the intensity-based registration and the proposed method was 3.8±0.4 mm and 1.9±0.3 mm, respectively. Conclusion: We have developed a novel prostate MR-CT registration approach based on patch-deformation dictionary, demonstrated its clinical feasibility, and validated its accuracy. This technique will either reduce or compensate for the effect of patient-specific treatment variation measured during the course of

  2. TH-CD-206-09: Learning-Based MRI-CT Prostate Registration Using Spare Patch-Deformation Dictionary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, X; Jani, A; Rossi, P; Mao, H; Curran, W; Liu, T [Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To enable MRI-guided prostate radiotherapy, MRI-CT deformable registration is required to map the MRI-defined tumor and key organ contours onto the CT images. Due to the intrinsic differences in grey-level intensity characteristics between MRI and CT images, the integration of MRI into CT-based radiotherapy is very challenging. We are developing a learning-based registration approach to address this technical challenge. Methods: We propose to estimate the deformation between MRI and CT images in a patch-wise fashion by using the sparse representation technique. Specifically, we assume that two image patches should follow the same deformation if their patch-wise appearance patterns are similar. We first extract a set of key points in the new CT image. Then, for each key point, we adaptively construct a coupled dictionary from the training MRI-CT images, where each coupled element includes both appearance and deformation of the same image patch. After calculating the sparse coefficients in representing the patch appearance of each key point based on the constructed dictionary, we can predict the deformation for this point by applying the same sparse coefficients to the respective deformations in the dictionary. Results: This registration technique was validated with 10 prostate-cancer patients’ data and its performance was compared with the commonly used free-form-deformation-based registration. Several landmarks in both images were identified to evaluate the accuracy of our approach. Overall, the averaged target registration error of the intensity-based registration and the proposed method was 3.8±0.4 mm and 1.9±0.3 mm, respectively. Conclusion: We have developed a novel prostate MR-CT registration approach based on patch-deformation dictionary, demonstrated its clinical feasibility, and validated its accuracy. This technique will either reduce or compensate for the effect of patient-specific treatment variation measured during the course of

  3. Dynamic tensile behaviour and deformational mechanism of C5191 phosphor bronze under high strain rates deformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Dao-chun [College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Taizhou Vocational & Technical College, Taizhou 318000 (China); Chen, Ming-he, E-mail: meemhchen@nuaa.edu.cn [College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); Wang, Lei; Cheng, Hu [College of Mechanical Engineering, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000 (China)

    2016-01-01

    High speed stamping process is used to high strength and high electrical conductivity phosphor bronze with extremely high strain rates more than 10{sup 3} s{sup −1}. This study on the dynamic tensile behaviour and deformational mechanism is to optimise the high speed stamping processes and improve geometrical precision in finished products. Thus, the tensile properties and deformation behaviour of C5191 phosphor bronze under quasi-static tensile condition at a strain rate of 0.001 s{sup −1} by electronic universal testing machine, and dynamic tensile condition at strain rate of 500, 1000 and 1500 s{sup −1} by split Hopkinson tensile bar (SHTB) apparatus were studied. The effects of strain rate and the deformation mechanism were investigated by means of SEM and TEM. The results showed that the yield strength and tensile strength of C5191 phosphor bronze under high strain rates deformation increased by 32.77% and 11.07% respectively compared with quasi-static condition, the strain hardening index increases from 0.075 to 0.251, and the strength of the material strain rates sensitivity index change from 0.005 to 0.022, which presented a clear sensitive to strain rates. Therefore, it is claimed that the dominant deformation mechanism was changed by the dislocation motion under different strain rates, and the ability of plastic deformation of C5191 phosphor bronze increased due to the number of movable dislocations increased significantly, started multi-line slip, and the soft effect of adiabatic temperature rise at the strain rate ranging from 500 to 1500 s{sup −1}.

  4. Investigating the Influence of Biological Sex on the Behavioral and Neural Basis of Face Recognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherf, K Suzanne; Elbich, Daniel B; Motta-Mena, Natalie V

    2017-01-01

    There is interest in understanding the influence of biological factors, like sex, on the organization of brain function. We investigated the influence of biological sex on the behavioral and neural basis of face recognition in healthy, young adults. In behavior, there were no sex differences on the male Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT)+ or the female CFMT+ (that we created) and no own-gender bias (OGB) in either group. We evaluated the functional topography of ventral stream organization by measuring the magnitude and functional neural size of 16 individually defined face-, two object-, and two place-related regions bilaterally. There were no sex differences in any of these measures of neural function in any of the regions of interest (ROIs) or in group level comparisons. These findings reveal that men and women have similar category-selective topographic organization in the ventral visual pathway. Next, in a separate task, we measured activation within the 16 face-processing ROIs specifically during recognition of target male and female faces. There were no sex differences in the magnitude of the neural responses in any face-processing region. Furthermore, there was no OGB in the neural responses of either the male or female participants. Our findings suggest that face recognition behavior, including the OGB, is not inherently sexually dimorphic. Face recognition is an essential skill for navigating human social interactions, which is reflected equally in the behavior and neural architecture of men and women.

  5. Investigating the Influence of Biological Sex on the Behavioral and Neural Basis of Face Recognition

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Abstract There is interest in understanding the influence of biological factors, like sex, on the organization of brain function. We investigated the influence of biological sex on the behavioral and neural basis of face recognition in healthy, young adults. In behavior, there were no sex differences on the male Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT)+ or the female CFMT+ (that we created) and no own-gender bias (OGB) in either group. We evaluated the functional topography of ventral stream organization by measuring the magnitude and functional neural size of 16 individually defined face-, two object-, and two place-related regions bilaterally. There were no sex differences in any of these measures of neural function in any of the regions of interest (ROIs) or in group level comparisons. These findings reveal that men and women have similar category-selective topographic organization in the ventral visual pathway. Next, in a separate task, we measured activation within the 16 face-processing ROIs specifically during recognition of target male and female faces. There were no sex differences in the magnitude of the neural responses in any face-processing region. Furthermore, there was no OGB in the neural responses of either the male or female participants. Our findings suggest that face recognition behavior, including the OGB, is not inherently sexually dimorphic. Face recognition is an essential skill for navigating human social interactions, which is reflected equally in the behavior and neural architecture of men and women. PMID:28497111

  6. Differential Calculus on h-Deformed Spaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herlemont, Basile; Ogievetsky, Oleg

    2017-10-01

    We construct the rings of generalized differential operators on the h-deformed vector space of gl-type. In contrast to the q-deformed vector space, where the ring of differential operators is unique up to an isomorphism, the general ring of h-deformed differential operators {Diff}_{h},σ(n) is labeled by a rational function σ in n variables, satisfying an over-determined system of finite-difference equations. We obtain the general solution of the system and describe some properties of the rings {Diff}_{h},σ(n).

  7. Deformation relaxation in heavy-ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, L.; Gan, Z.G.; Zhang, Z.Y.; Zhang, H.F.; Li, J.Q.

    2014-01-01

    In deeply inelastic heavy-ion collisions, the quadrupole deformations of both fragments are taken as stochastic independent dynamical variables governed by the Fokker–Planck equation (FPE) under the corresponding driving potential. The mean values, variances and covariance of the fragments are analytically expressed by solving the FPE in head on collisions. The characteristics and mechanism of the deformation are discussed. It is found that both the internal structures and interactions of the colliding partners are critical for the deformation relaxation in deeply inelastic collisions.

  8. Magnetic Barkhausen emission in lightly deformed AISI 1070 steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Capo Sanchez, J., E-mail: jcapo@cnt.uo.edu.cu [Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad de Oriente, Av. Patricio Lumumba s/n, 90500 Santiago de Cuba (Cuba); Campos, M.F. de [EEIMVR-Universidade Federal Fluminense, Av. dos Trabalhadores 420, Vila Santa Cecilia, 27255-125 Volta Redonda, RJ (Brazil); Padovese, L.R. [Departamento de Engenharia Mecanica, Escola Politecnica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2231, 05508-900 Sao Paulo (Brazil)

    2012-01-15

    The Magnetic Barkhausen Noise (MBN) technique can evaluate both micro- and macro-residual stresses, and provides indication about the relevance of contribution of these different stress components. MBN measurements were performed in AISI 1070 steel sheet samples, where different strains were applied. The Barkhausen emission is also analyzed when two different sheets, deformed and non-deformed, are evaluated together. This study is useful to understand the effect of a deformed region near the surface on MBN. The low permeability of the deformed region affects MBN, and if the deformed region is below the surface the magnetic Barkhausen signal increases. - Highlights: > Evaluated residual stresses by the magnetic Barkhausen technique. > Indication about the relevance of micro-and macro-stress components. > Magnetic Barkhausen measurements were carried out in AISI 1070 steel sheet samples. > Two different sheets, deformed and non-deformed, are evaluated together. > Magnetic Barkhausen signal increases when deformed region is below the surface.

  9. Risk of epilepsy in opposite-sex and same-sex twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mao, Yanyan; Ahrenfeldt, Linda Juel; Christensen, Kaare

    2018-01-01

    Background: There is a complex interaction between female and male sex hormones and the risk of epilepsy. Whether prenatal exposure to higher levels of sex hormones affects the development of epilepsy in childhood or later in life is not well known. The sex hormone environment of fetuses may...... be affected by the sex of the co-twin. We estimated the risk of epilepsy for twins with an opposite-sex (OS) co-twin compared with twins with a same-sex (SS) co-twin. Methods: From the Danish Twin Registry, we identified OS female twins (n = 11,078), SS female twins (n = 19,186), OS male twins (n = 11...

  10. Deformation properties of lead isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tolokonnikov, S. V.; Borzov, I. N.; Lutostansky, Yu. S.; Saperstein, E. E.

    2016-01-01

    The deformation properties of a long lead isotopic chain up to the neutron drip line are analyzed on the basis of the energy density functional (EDF) in the FaNDF 0 Fayans form. The question of whether the ground state of neutron-deficient lead isotopes can have a stable deformation is studied in detail. The prediction of this deformation is contained in the results obtained on the basis of the HFB-17 and HFB-27 Skyrme EDF versions and reported on Internet. The present analysis reveals that this is at odds with experimental data on charge radii and magnetic moments of odd lead isotopes. The Fayans EDF version predicts a spherical ground state for all light lead isotopes, but some of them (for example, 180 Pb and 184 Pb) prove to be very soft—that is, close to the point of a phase transition to a deformed state. Also, the results obtained in our present study are compared with the predictions of some other Skyrme EDF versions, including SKM*, SLy4, SLy6, and UNE1. By and large, their predictions are closer to the results arising upon the application of the Fayans functional. For example, the SLy4 functional predicts, in just the same way as the FaNDF 0 functional, a spherical shape for all nuclei of this region. The remaining three Skyrme EDF versions lead to a deformation of some light lead isotopes, but their number is substantially smaller than that in the case of the HFB-17 and HFB-27 functionals. Moreover, the respective deformation energy is substantially lower, which gives grounds to hope for the restoration of a spherical shape upon going beyond the mean-field approximation, which we use here. Also, the deformation properties of neutron-rich lead isotopes are studied up to the neutron drip line. Here, the results obtained with the FaNDF 0 functional are compared with the predictions of the HFB-17, HFB-27, SKM*, and SLy4 Skyrme EDF versions. All of the EDF versions considered here predict the existence of a region where neutron-rich lead isotopes undergo

  11. Same Sex Marriage and the Perceived Assault on Opposite Sex Marriage

    OpenAIRE

    Dinno, Alexis; Whitney, Chelsea

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Marriage benefits both individuals and societies, and is a fundamental determinant of health. Until recently same sex couples have been excluded from legally recognized marriage in the United States. Recent debate around legalization of same sex marriage has highlighted for anti-same sex marriage advocates and policy makers a concern that allowing same sex couples to marry will lead to a decrease in opposite sex marriages. Our objective is to model state trends in opposite sex mar...

  12. The Stability of Same-Sex Cohabitation, Different-Sex Cohabitation, and Marriage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Charles Q.

    2012-01-01

    This study contributes to the emerging demographic literature on same-sex couples by comparing the level and correlates of union stability among 4 types of couples: (a) male same-sex cohabitation, (b) female same-sex cohabitation, (c) different-sex cohabitation, and (d) different-sex marriage. The author analyzed data from 2 British birth cohort…

  13. Sex and leadership styles: a meta-analysis of research published in the 1990s.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Engen, Marloes L; Willemsen, Tineke M

    2004-02-01

    Empirical research on sex differences in leadership styles, published between 1987 and 2000 in peer-reviewed journals, is reviewed by means of a meta-analysis. The leadership styles examined are interpersonal, task-oriented, democratic versus autocratic, and transformational and transactional leadership. Analysis showed that evidence for sex differences in leadership behavior is mixed, demonstrating that women tend to use more democratic and transformational leadership styles than men do, whereas no sex differences are found on the other leadership styles. Sex differences in leadership styles are contingent upon the context in which male and female leaders work, as both the type of organization in which the leader works and the setting of the study turn out to be moderators of sex differences in leadership styles.

  14. Channeling of protons through radial deformed carbon nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borka Jovanović, V., E-mail: vborka@vinca.rs [Atomic Physics Laboratory (040), Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11001 Belgrade (Serbia); Borka, D. [Atomic Physics Laboratory (040), Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11001 Belgrade (Serbia); Galijaš, S.M.D. [Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 368, 11001 Belgrade (Serbia)

    2017-05-18

    Highlights: • For the first time we presented theoretically obtained distributions of channeled protons with radially deformed SWNT. • Our findings indicate that influence of the radial deformation is very strong and it should not be omitted in simulations. • We show that the spatial and angular distributions depend strongly of level of radial deformation of nanotube. • Our obtained results can be compared with measured distributions to reveal the presence of various types of defects in SWNT. - Abstract: In this paper we have presented a theoretical investigation of the channeling of 1 GeV protons with the radial deformed (10, 0) single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). We have calculated channeling potential within the deformed nanotubes. For the first time we presented theoretically obtained spatial and angular distributions of channeled protons with radially deformed SWNT. We used a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation technique. We show that the spatial and angular distributions depend strongly of level of radial deformation of nanotube. These results may be useful for nanotube characterization and production and guiding of nanosized ion beams.

  15. The science of sex and gender in human health: online courses to create a foundation for sex and gender accountability in biomedical research and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plank-Bazinet, Jennifer L; Sampson, Annie; Miller, Leah R; Fadiran, Emmanuel O; Kallgren, Deborah; Agarwal, Rajeev K; Barfield, Whitney; Brooks, Claudette E; Begg, Lisa; Mistretta, Amy C; Scott, Pamela E; Clayton, Janine Austin; Cornelison, Terri L

    2016-01-01

    Sex and gender differences play a significant role in the course and outcome of conditions that affect specific organ systems in the human body. Research on differences in the effects of medical intervention has helped scientists develop a number of sex- and gender-specific guidelines on the treatment and management of these conditions. An online series of courses, "The Science of Sex and Gender in Human Health," developed by the National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women's Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health, examines sex and gender differences and their implications. Thus far, three online courses have been generated. The first course offers an overview of the scientific and biological basis for sex- and gender-related differences. The second course is focused on disease-specific sex and gender differences in health and behavior and their implications. Finally, the third course covers the influence of sex and gender on disease manifestation, treatment, and outcome. Data were obtained using website analytics and post-course surveys. To date, over 1000 individuals have completed at least one course. Additionally, 600 users have received continuing education credit for completing a course in the series. Finally, the majority of respondents to the online course survey have indicated that the courses considerably enhanced their professional effectiveness. "The Science of Sex and Gender in Human Health" online courses are freely available sources of information that provide healthcare providers and researchers with the resources to successfully account for sex and gender in their medical practice and research programs.

  16. Sex during Pregnancy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Sex During Pregnancy KidsHealth / For Parents / Sex During Pregnancy ... satisfying and safe sexual relationship during pregnancy. Is Sex During Pregnancy Safe? Sex is considered safe during ...

  17. Localization of deformations within the amygdala in individuals with psychopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yaling; Raine, Adrian; Narr, Katherine L; Colletti, Patrick; Toga, Arthur W

    2009-09-01

    Despite the repeated findings of impaired fear conditioning and affective recognition in psychopathic individuals, there has been a paucity of brain imaging research on the amygdala and no evidence suggesting which regions within the amygdala may be structurally compromised in individuals with psychopathy. To detect global and regional anatomical abnormalities in the amygdala in individuals with psychopathy. Cross-sectional design using structural magnetic resonance imaging. Participants were recruited from high-risk communities (temporary employment agencies) in the Los Angeles, California, area and underwent imaging at a hospital research facility at the University of Southern California. Twenty-seven psychopathic individuals as defined by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised and 32 normal controls matched on age, sex, and ethnicity. Amygdala volumes were examined using traditional volumetric analyses and surface-based mesh modeling methods were used to localize regional surface deformations. Individuals with psychopathy showed significant bilateral volume reductions in the amygdala compared with controls (left, 17.1%; right, 18.9%). Surface deformations were localized in regions in the approximate vicinity of the basolateral, lateral, cortical, and central nuclei of the amygdala. Significant correlations were found between reduced amygdala volumes and increased total and facet psychopathy scores, with correlations strongest for the affective and interpersonal facets of psychopathy. Results provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, of focal amygdala abnormalities in psychopathic individuals and corroborate findings from previous lesion studies. Findings support prior hypotheses of amygdala deficits in individuals with psychopathy and indicate that amygdala abnormalities contribute to emotional and behavioral symptoms of psychopathy.

  18. Auditory characteristics of individuals with temporomandibular dysfunctions and dentofacial deformities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiane Totta

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there is any relationship between otological as well as vestibular symptoms, audiological findings and type of temporomandibular disorder (articular, muscular and mixed; and to check the distribution of the temporomandibular disorders (TMD dysfunction degree in the research population. METHODS: A retrospective study involving 30 patients of both sexes, aged between 18 and 49 years old, diagnosed with TMD and dentofacial deformities, who were subject to clinical evaluation (muscle palpation, auscultation of temporomandibular joint during mandibular motion and measurement of jaw movement, audiological testing (pure tone audiometry and immittance testing and two questionnaires, one on otological and vestibular symptoms and the other on TMD anamnesis. Based on both the anamnesis questionnaire and the clinical assessment, the subjects were divided according to the type and degree of TMD dysfunction (mild, moderate and severe, and compared regarding the occurrence of auditory signs and symptoms, vestibular symptoms and audiological findings according to TMD type. RESULTS: The anamnesis questionnaire demonstrated higher prevalence (83.33% of severe TMD. Subjects with mixed TMD had more complaints about hypoacusis than those with muscular TMD (p < 0.05. The results showed no change in either audiological and immittance testing for all assessed individuals. CONCLUSION: Otological symptoms are present in subjects with TMD and dentofacial deformities, regardless of the classification of TMD (articular, muscular or mixed. Those with mixed TMD may have higher incidence of complaints about hypoacusis than subjects with muscular TMD. Further studies are needed to investigate the relationship between otological symptoms and the different types of TMD.

  19. 2D vector-cyclic deformable templates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schultz, Nette; Conradsen, Knut

    1998-01-01

    In this paper the theory of deformable templates is a vector cycle in 2D is described. The deformable template model originated in (Grenander, 1983) and was further investigated in (Grenander et al., 1991). A template vector distribution is induced by parameter distribution from transformation...... matrices applied to the vector cycle. An approximation in the parameter distribution is introduced. The main advantage by using the deformable template model is the ability to simulate a wide range of objects trained by e.g. their biological variations, and thereby improve restoration, segmentation...... and probabillity measurement. The case study concerns estimation of meat percent in pork carcasses. Given two cross-sectional images - one at the front and one near the ham of the carcass - the areas of lean and fat and a muscle in the lean area are measured automatically by the deformable templates....

  20. Isothermal deformation of gamma titanium aluminide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srinivasan, R.; Singh, J.P.; Tuval, E.; Weiss, I.

    1996-01-01

    Gamma titanium aluminide has received considerable attention in recent years from the automotive industry as a potential material for making rotating and reciprocating components to produce a quieter and more efficient engine. The objectives of this study were to identify processing routes for the manufacture of automobile valves from gamma titanium aluminide. The issues considered were microstructure and composition of the material, and processing parameters such as deformation rates, temperatures, and total deformation. This paper examines isothermal deformation of gamma titanium aluminide in order to develop a processing window for this type of material

  1. RNAi analysis of Deformed, proboscipedia and Sex combs reduced in the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus: novel roles for Hox genes in the hemipteran head.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, C L; Kaufman, T C

    2000-09-01

    Insects have evolved a large variety of specialized feeding strategies, with a corresponding variability in mouthpart morphology. We have, however, little understanding of the developmental mechanisms that underlie this diversity. Until recently it was difficult to perform any analysis of gene function outside of the genetic model insects Drosophila melanogaster and Tribolium castaneum. In this paper, we report the use of dsRNA-mediated interference (RNAi) to dissect gene function in the development of the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus, which has specialized suctorial mouthparts. The Hox genes Deformed (Dfd), proboscipedia (pb) and Sex combs reduced (Scr) have previously been shown to be expressed in the gnathal appendages of this species. Strikingly, the milkweed bug was found to have an unusual expression pattern of pb. Here, by analyzing single and combination RNAi depletions, we find that Dfd, pb and Scr are used in the milkweed bug to specify the identity of the mouthparts. The exact roles of the genes, however, are different from what is known in the two genetic model insects. The maxillary appendages in the bug are determined by the activities of the genes Dfd and Scr, rather than Dfd and pb as in the fly and beetle. The mandibular appendages are specified by Dfd, but their unique morphology in Oncopeltus suggests that Dfd's target genes are different. As in flies and beetles, the labium is specified by the combined activities of pb and Scr, but again, the function of pb appears to be different. Additionally, the regulatory control of pb by the other two genes seems to be different in the bug than in either of the other species. These novelties in Hox function, expression pattern and regulatory relationships may have been important for the evolution of the unique Hemipteran head.

  2. Non-invasive imaging of zebrafish with spinal deformities using optical coherence tomography: a preliminary study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernstein, Liane; Beaudette, Kathy; Patten, Kessen; Beaulieu-Ouellet, Émilie; Strupler, Mathias; Moldovan, Florina; Boudoux, Caroline

    2013-03-01

    A zebrafish model has recently been introduced to study various genetic mutations that could lead to spinal deformities such as scoliosis. However, current imaging techniques make it difficult to perform longitudinal studies of this condition in zebrafish, especially in the early stages of development. The goal of this project is to determine whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a viable non-invasive method to image zebrafish exhibiting spinal deformities. Images of both live and fixed malformed zebrafish (5 to 21 days postfertilization) as well as wild-type fish (5 to 29 days postfertilization) were acquired non-invasively using a commercial SD-OCT system, with a laser source centered at 930nm (λ=100nm), permitting axial and lateral resolutions of 7 and 8μm respectively. Using two-dimensional images and three-dimensional reconstructions, it was possible to identify the malformed notochord as well as deformities in other major organs at different stages of formation. Visualization of the notochord was facilitated with the development of a segmentation algorithm. OCT images were compared to HE histological sections and images obtained by calcein staining. Because of the possibility of performing longitudinal studies on a same fish and reducing image processing time as compared with staining techniques and histology, the use of OCT could facilitate phenotypic characterization in studying genetic factors leading to spinal deformities in zebrafish and could eventually contribute to the identification of the genetic causes of spinal deformities such as scoliosis.

  3. Geodetic deformation monitoring at Pendidikan Diponegoro Dam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuwono, Bambang Darmo; Awaluddin, Moehammad; Yusuf, M. A.; Fadillah, Rizki

    2017-07-01

    Deformation monitoring is one indicator to assess the feasibility of Dam. In order to get the correct result of the deformation, it is necessary to determine appropriate deformation monitoring network and the observation data should be analyse and evaluated carefully. Measurement and analysis of deformation requires relatively accurate data and the precision is high enough, one of the observation method that used is GPS (Global Positioning System). The research was conducted at Pendidikan Undip Dams is Dam which is located in Tembang. Diponegoro Dam was built in 2013 and a volume of 50.86 m3 of water, inundation normal width of up to 13,500 m2. The main purpose of these building is not only for drainage but also for education and micro hydro power plant etc. The main goal of this reasearch was to monitor and analyze the deformation at Pendidikan Undip Dam and to determaine whether GPS measurement could meet accuracy requirement for dam deformation measurements. Measurements were made 2 times over 2 years, 2015 and 2016 using dual frequency GPS receivers with static methods and processed by Scientific Software GAMIT 10.6

  4. Re-Irradiation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Clinical Applicability of Deformable Image Registration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Dong Soo; Woo, Joong Yeol; Kim, Jun Won; Seong, Jinsil

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate whether the deformable image registration (DIR) method is clinically applicable to the safe delivery of re-irradiation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Between August 2010 and March 2012, 12 eligible HCC patients received re-irradiation using helical tomotherapy. The median total prescribed radiation doses at first irradiation and re-irradiation were 50 Gy (range, 36-60 Gy) and 50 Gy (range, 36-58.42 Gy), respectively. Most re-irradiation therapies (11 of 12) were administered to previously irradiated or marginal areas. Dose summation results were reproduced using DIR by rigid and deformable registration methods, and doses of organs-at-risk (OARs) were evaluated. Treatment outcomes were also assessed. Thirty-six dose summation indices were obtained for three OARs (bowel, duodenum, and stomach doses in each patient). There was no statistical difference between the two different types of DIR methods (rigid and deformable) in terms of calculated summation ΣD (0.1 cc, 1 cc, 2 cc, and max) in each OAR. The median total mean remaining liver doses (M(RLD)) in rigid- and deformable-type registration were not statistically different for all cohorts (p=0.248), although a large difference in M(RLD) was observed when there was a significant difference in spatial liver volume change between radiation intervals. One duodenal ulcer perforation developed 20 months after re-irradiation. Although current dose summation algorithms and uncertainties do not warrant accurate dosimetric results, OARs-based DIR dose summation can be usefully utilized in the re-irradiation of HCC. Appropriate cohort selection, watchful interpretation, and selective use of DIR methods are crucial to enhance the radio-therapeutic ratio.

  5. An electromechanical based deformable model for soft tissue simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Yongmin; Shirinzadeh, Bijan; Smith, Julian; Gu, Chengfan

    2009-11-01

    Soft tissue deformation is of great importance to surgery simulation. Although a significant amount of research efforts have been dedicated to simulating the behaviours of soft tissues, modelling of soft tissue deformation is still a challenging problem. This paper presents a new deformable model for simulation of soft tissue deformation from the electromechanical viewpoint of soft tissues. Soft tissue deformation is formulated as a reaction-diffusion process coupled with a mechanical load. The mechanical load applied to a soft tissue to cause a deformation is incorporated into the reaction-diffusion system, and consequently distributed among mass points of the soft tissue. Reaction-diffusion of mechanical load and non-rigid mechanics of motion are combined to govern the simulation dynamics of soft tissue deformation. An improved reaction-diffusion model is developed to describe the distribution of the mechanical load in soft tissues. A three-layer artificial cellular neural network is constructed to solve the reaction-diffusion model for real-time simulation of soft tissue deformation. A gradient based method is established to derive internal forces from the distribution of the mechanical load. Integration with a haptic device has also been achieved to simulate soft tissue deformation with haptic feedback. The proposed methodology does not only predict the typical behaviours of living tissues, but it also accepts both local and large-range deformations. It also accommodates isotropic, anisotropic and inhomogeneous deformations by simple modification of diffusion coefficients.

  6. Joining by plastic deformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mori, Ken-ichiro; Bay, Niels; Fratini, Livan

    2013-01-01

    As the scale and complexity of products such as aircraft and cars increase, demand for new functional processes to join mechanical parts grows. The use of plastic deformation for joining parts potentially offers improved accuracy, reliability and environmental safety as well as creating opportuni......As the scale and complexity of products such as aircraft and cars increase, demand for new functional processes to join mechanical parts grows. The use of plastic deformation for joining parts potentially offers improved accuracy, reliability and environmental safety as well as creating...

  7. On deformations of linear differential systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gontsov, R.R.; Poberezhnyi, V.A.; Helminck, G.F.

    2011-01-01

    This article concerns deformations of meromorphic linear differential systems. Problems relating to their existence and classification are reviewed, and the global and local behaviour of solutions to deformation equations in a neighbourhood of their singular set is analysed. Certain classical

  8. Mechanisms of strain accommodation in plastically-deformed zircon under simple shear deformation conditions during amphibolite-facies metamorphism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovaleva, Elizaveta; Klötzli, Urs; Wheeler, John; Habler, Gerlinde

    2018-02-01

    This study documents the strain accommodation mechanisms in zircon under amphibolite-facies metamorphic conditions in simple shear. Microstructural data from undeformed, fractured and crystal-plastically deformed zircon crystals are described in the context of the host shear zone, and evaluated in the light of zircon elastic anisotropy. Our work challenges the existing model of zircon evolution and shows previously undescribed rheological characteristics for this important accessory mineral. Crystal-plastically deformed zircon grains have axis oriented parallel to the foliation plane, with the majority of deformed grains having axis parallel to the lineation. Zircon accommodates strain by a network of stepped low-angle boundaries, formed by switching between tilt dislocations with the slip systems {010} and {110} and rotation axis [001], twist dislocations with the rotation axis [001], and tilt dislocations with the slip system {001} and rotation axis [010]. The slip system {110} is newly described for zircon. Most misorientation axes in plastically-deformed zircon grains are parallel to the XY plane of the sample and have [001] crystallographic direction. Such behaviour of strained zircon lattice is caused by elastic anisotropy that has a direct geometric control on the rheology, deformation mechanisms and dominant slip systems in zircon. Young's modulus and P wave velocity have highest values parallel to zircon [001] axis, indicating that zircon is elastically strong along this direction. Poisson ratio and Shear modulus demonstrate that zircon is also most resistant to shearing along [001]. Thus, [001] axis is the most common rotation axis in zircon. The described zircon behaviour is important to take into account during structural and geochronological investigations of (poly)metamorphic terrains. Geometry of dislocations in zircon may help reconstructing the geometry of the host shear zone(s), large-scale stresses in the crust, and, possibly, the timing of

  9. A multi-institution evaluation of deformable image registration algorithms for automatic organ delineation in adaptive head and neck radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardcastle, Nicholas; Kumar, Prashant; Oechsner, Markus; Richter, Anne; Song, Shiyu; Myers, Michael; Polat, Bülent; Bzdusek, Karl; Tomé, Wolfgang A; Cannon, Donald M; Brouwer, Charlotte L; Wittendorp, Paul WH; Dogan, Nesrin; Guckenberger, Matthias; Allaire, Stéphane; Mallya, Yogish

    2012-01-01

    Adaptive Radiotherapy aims to identify anatomical deviations during a radiotherapy course and modify the treatment plan to maintain treatment objectives. This requires regions of interest (ROIs) to be defined using the most recent imaging data. This study investigates the clinical utility of using deformable image registration (DIR) to automatically propagate ROIs. Target (GTV) and organ-at-risk (OAR) ROIs were non-rigidly propagated from a planning CT scan to a per-treatment CT scan for 22 patients. Propagated ROIs were quantitatively compared with expert physician-drawn ROIs on the per-treatment scan using Dice scores and mean slicewise Hausdorff distances, and center of mass distances for GTVs. The propagated ROIs were qualitatively examined by experts and scored based on their clinical utility. Good agreement between the DIR-propagated ROIs and expert-drawn ROIs was observed based on the metrics used. 94% of all ROIs generated using DIR were scored as being clinically useful, requiring minimal or no edits. However, 27% (12/44) of the GTVs required major edits. DIR was successfully used on 22 patients to propagate target and OAR structures for ART with good anatomical agreement for OARs. It is recommended that propagated target structures be thoroughly reviewed by the treating physician

  10. Sex Ratio Elasticity Influences the Selection of Sex Ratio Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yaqiang; Wang, Ruiwu; Li, Yaotang; (Sam) Ma, Zhanshan

    2016-12-01

    There are three sex ratio strategies (SRS) in nature—male-biased sex ratio, female-biased sex ratio and, equal sex ratio. It was R. A. Fisher who first explained why most species in nature display a sex ratio of ½. Consequent SRS theories such as Hamilton’s local mate competition (LMC) and Clark’s local resource competition (LRC) separately explained the observed deviations from the seemingly universal 1:1 ratio. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is not yet a unified theory that accounts for the mechanisms of the three SRS. Here, we introduce the price elasticity theory in economics to define sex ratio elasticity (SRE), and present an analytical model that derives three SRSs based on the following assumption: simultaneously existing competitions for both resources A and resources B influence the level of SRE in both sexes differently. Consequently, it is the difference (between two sexes) in the level of their sex ratio elasticity that leads to three different SRS. Our analytical results demonstrate that the elasticity-based model not only reveals a highly plausible mechanism that explains the evolution of SRS in nature, but also offers a novel framework for unifying two major classical theories (i.e., LMC & LRC) in the field of SRS research.

  11. Theory of reversal nonisothermal elastic-plastic deformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shorr, B.F.

    1979-01-01

    Considered is approximated theory of nonisothermal elastic-plastic deformation at arbitrary laws of loading, permitting to describe nonisothermal isotropic and anisotropic strengthening of the material, Bauschinger effect and different tempo of plastic deformation development over different directions of loading depending on the deformation prehistory. The comparison of the theory with the experimental data showed good coincidence and sufficient simplicity permits to use it in technical calcualtions

  12. Evaluation of whole‐body MR to CT deformable image registration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akbarzadeh, A.; Gutierrez, D.; Baskin, A.; Ay, M.R.; Ahmadian, A.; Alam, N. Riahi; Lövblad, KO

    2013-01-01

    Multimodality image registration plays a crucial role in various clinical and research applications. The aim of this study is to present an optimized MR to CT whole‐body deformable image registration algorithm and its validation using clinical studies. A 3D intermodality registration technique based on B‐spline transformation was performed using optimized parameters of the elastix package based on the Insight Toolkit (ITK) framework. Twenty‐eight (17 male and 11 female) clinical studies were used in this work. The registration was evaluated using anatomical landmarks and segmented organs. In addition to 16 anatomical landmarks, three key organs (brain, lungs, and kidneys) and the entire body volume were segmented for evaluation. Several parameters — such as the Euclidean distance between anatomical landmarks, target overlap, Dice and Jaccard coefficients, false positives and false negatives, volume similarity, distance error, and Hausdorff distance — were calculated to quantify the quality of the registration algorithm. Dice coefficients for the majority of patients (>75%) were in the 0.8–1 range for the whole body, brain, and lungs, which satisfies the criteria to achieve excellent alignment. On the other hand, for kidneys, Dice coefficients for volumes of 25% of the patients meet excellent volume agreement requirement, while the majority of patients satisfy good agreement criteria (>0.6). For all patients, the distance error was in 0–10 mm range for all segmented organs. In summary, we optimized and evaluated the accuracy of an MR to CT deformable registration algorithm. The registered images constitute a useful 3D whole‐body MR‐CT atlas suitable for the development and evaluation of novel MR‐guided attenuation correction procedures on hybrid PET‐MR systems. PACS number: 07.05.Pj PMID:23835382

  13. Evaluation of the Physiological Challenges in Extreme Environments: Implications for Enhanced Training, Operational Performance and Sex-Specific Responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    Operational Performance and Sex -Specific Responses PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Brent C. Ruby CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: The University of Montana Missoula...Implications for Enhanced Training, Operational Performance and Sex -Specific Responses 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT...Evaluation of the physiological challenges in extreme environments: Implications for enhanced training, operational performance and sex -specific

  14. Three-Dimensional Photography for Quantitative Assessment of Penile Volume-Loss Deformities in Peyronie's Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margolin, Ezra J; Mlynarczyk, Carrie M; Mulhall, John P; Stember, Doron S; Stahl, Peter J

    2017-06-01

    penile parameters, 3D photography can empower researchers to better study volume-loss deformities in PD and enable clinicians to offer improved clinical assessment, communication, and documentation. This is the first study to apply 3D photography to the assessment of PD and to accurately measure the novel parameters of EPV and percent EPVL. This proof-of-concept study is limited by the lack of data in human subjects, which could present additional challenges in obtaining reliable measurements. EPV and percent EPVL are novel metrics that can be quickly, accurately, and reliably measured using computational analysis of 3D photographs and can be useful in describing non-curvature volume-loss deformities resulting from PD. Margolin EJ, Mlynarczyk CM, Muhall JP, et al. Three-Dimensional Photography for Quantitative Assessment of Penile Volume-Loss Deformities in Peyronie's Disease. J Sex Med 2017;14:829-833. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. A Bed-Deformation Experiment Beneath Engabreen, Norway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iverson, N. R.; Hooyer, T. S.; Fischer, U. H.; Cohen, D.; Jackson, M.; Moore, P. L.; Lappegard, G.; Kohler, J.

    2001-12-01

    Although deformation of sediment beneath ice masses may contribute to their motion and may sometimes enable fast glacier flow, both the kinematics and mechanics of deformation are controversial. This controversy stems, in part, from subglacial measurements that are difficult to interpret. Measurements have been made either beneath ice margins or remotely through boreholes with interpretive limitations caused by uncertain instrument position and performance, uncertain sediment thickness and bed geometry, and unknown disturbance of the bed and stress state by drilling. We have used a different approach made possible by the Svartisen Subglacial Laboratory, which enables human access to the bed of Engabreen, Norway, beneath 230 m of temperate ice. A trough (2 m x 1.5 m x 0.4 m deep) was blasted in the rock bed and filled with sediment (75 percent sand and gravel, 20 percent silt, 5 percent clay). Instruments were placed in the sediment to record shear deformation (tiltmeters), dilation and contraction, total normal stress, and pore-water pressure. Pore pressure was manipulated by feeding water to the base of the sediment with a high-pressure pump, operated in a rock tunnel 4 m below the bed surface. After irregular deformation during closure of ice on the sediment, shear deformation and volume change stopped, and total normal stress became constant at 2.2 MPa. Subsequent pump tests, which lasted several hours, induced pore-water pressures greater than 70 percent of the total normal stress and resulted in shear deformation over most of the sediment thickness with attendant dilation. Ice separated from the sediment when effective normal stress was lowest, arresting shear deformation. Displacement profiles during pump tests were similar to those observed by Boulton and co-workers at Breidamerkurjökull, Iceland, with rates of shear strain increasing upward toward the glacier sole. Such deformation does not require viscous deformation resistance and is expected in a

  16. Molecular dynamics simulation of deformation twin in rocksalt vanadium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, Tao; Peng, Xianghe; Zhao, Yinbo; Li, Tengfei; Li, Qibin; Wang, Zhongchang

    2016-01-01

    We perform molecular dynamics simulation of nano-indentation with a cylindrical indenter to investigate the formation mechanism of deformation twin in vanadium nitride (VN) with a rocksalt structure. We find that the deformation twins occur during the loading stage, and subsequently conduct a systematic analysis of nucleation, propagation and thickening of a deformation twin. We find that the nucleation of a partial dislocation and its propagation to form a stacking fault are premise of deformation twin formation. The sequential nucleation and propagation of partial dislocation on adjacent parallel {111} planes are found to cause the thickening of the deformation twin. Moreover, the deformation twins can exist in VN at room temperature. - Highlights: • MD simulations of indentation are performed to study the deformation twin in VN. • The deformation twins can occur in VN during the loading stage. • The nucleation, propagation and thickening of a deformation twin are analyzed. • The deformation twins can exist in VN at room temperature.

  17. Stage- and sex-specific heat tolerance in the yellow dung fly Scathophaga stercoraria

    OpenAIRE

    Blanckenhorn Wolf U.; Gautier Roland; Nick Marcel; Puniamoorthy Nalini; Schäfer Martin A.

    2014-01-01

    Thermal tolerance varies at all hierarchical levels of biological organization: among species populations individuals and even within individuals. Age or developmental stage and sex specific thermal effects have received relatively little attention in the literature despite being crucial for understanding thermal adaptation in nature and responses to global warming. We document stage and sex specific heat tolerance in the yellow dung fly Scathophaga stercoraria (Diptera: Scathophagidae) a...

  18. Adolescents' reported consequences of having oral sex versus vaginal sex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, Sonya S; Halpern-Felsher, Bonnie L

    2007-02-01

    The present study examined whether adolescents' initial consequences of sexual activity differ according to type of sexual activity and gender. Surveys were administered to 618 adolescents recruited from 2 public high schools in the autumn of ninth grade (2002) and at 6-month intervals until the spring of tenth grade (2004). Analyses were limited to the 275 adolescents (44%) who reported engaging in oral sex and/or vaginal sex at any assessment. Participants were 14 years of age at study entry, 56% female, and of diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. In comparison with adolescents who engaged in oral sex and/or vaginal sex, adolescents who engaged only in oral sex were less likely to report experiencing a pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection, feeling guilty or used, having their relationship become worse, and getting into trouble with their parents as a result of sex. Adolescents who engaged only in oral sex were also less likely to report experiencing pleasure, feeling good about themselves, and having their relationship become better as a result of sex. Boys were more likely than girls to report feeling good about themselves, experiencing popularity, and experiencing a pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection as a result of sex, whereas girls were more likely than boys to report feeling bad about themselves and feeling used. Adolescents experience a range of social and emotional consequences after having sex. Our findings have implications for clinical practice and public health campaigns targeted toward youth.

  19. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of sex in labour-law relations

    OpenAIRE

    Jandová, Darina

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of my thesis is to provide a comprehensive view on the issue of discrimination based on sex in labour-law relations. The aim of my thesis is to investigate why discrimination is still present in society despite all the effort made by the international organisations, legislators and non-governmental organizations. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to analyse the current position of women in society, the causes of why discrimination based on sex is emerging and to find o...

  20. Coalition building by drug user and sex worker community-based organizations in Vietnam can lead to improved interactions with government agencies: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Leah T; Grau, Lauretta E; Nguyen, Huong H; Khuat, Oanh Hai T; Heimer, Robert

    2015-10-16

    Drug users and female sex workers are among the groups most vulnerable to HIV infection in Vietnam. To address the HIV epidemic within these communities, former drug users and sex workers established the first community-based organizations (CBOs) in 2009. The study provides a focused assessment of CBOs' expanding efforts to advocate for their members that identifies existing collaborations with Vietnamese government programs. This assessment explores the barriers to and facilitators of expansion in order to propose recommendations to improve the working relationship between CBOs and government programs. Thirty-two individuals from drug user and sex worker CBOs (n = 24) and relevant government programs (n = 8) participated in face-to-face interviews in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Phong. Coded interview transcripts were analyzed qualitatively concerning the purpose of CBOs, the interactions between CBOs and government programs, and the perceived barriers, facilitators, and feasibility of future CBO-government program collaborations. Services provided by the CBOs were considered to improve members' quality of life. The formation of coalitions among CBOs increased efficiency in meeting members' specific service needs, in addition to internal capacity building. Government field staff interacted with CBOs by providing CBOs with technical and legal support. CBOs and methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinics collaborated to help the clinics meet patient enrollment quotas and facilitate entry into treatment for CBO members. Barriers to CBO-government program collaboration included perceived conflicting missions on how to address drug use and sex work in the community, limited CBO-government program communication, CBO mistrust of the MMT system, and lack of legal status for CBOs. To reduce these barriers, we recommend (1) introduction of CBO consultative services at government healthcare centers, (2) enlistment of CBO outreach to ensure full access to the

  1. Deformation associated with continental normal faults

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resor, Phillip G.

    Deformation associated with normal fault earthquakes and geologic structures provide insights into the seismic cycle as it unfolds over time scales from seconds to millions of years. Improved understanding of normal faulting will lead to more accurate seismic hazard assessments and prediction of associated structures. High-precision aftershock locations for the 1995 Kozani-Grevena earthquake (Mw 6.5), Greece image a segmented master fault and antithetic faults. This three-dimensional fault geometry is typical of normal fault systems mapped from outcrop or interpreted from reflection seismic data and illustrates the importance of incorporating three-dimensional fault geometry in mechanical models. Subsurface fault slip associated with the Kozani-Grevena and 1999 Hector Mine (Mw 7.1) earthquakes is modeled using a new method for slip inversion on three-dimensional fault surfaces. Incorporation of three-dimensional fault geometry improves the fit to the geodetic data while honoring aftershock distributions and surface ruptures. GPS Surveying of deformed bedding surfaces associated with normal faulting in the western Grand Canyon reveals patterns of deformation that are similar to those observed by interferometric satellite radar interferometry (InSAR) for the Kozani Grevena earthquake with a prominent down-warp in the hanging wall and a lesser up-warp in the footwall. However, deformation associated with the Kozani-Grevena earthquake extends ˜20 km from the fault surface trace, while the folds in the western Grand Canyon only extend 500 m into the footwall and 1500 m into the hanging wall. A comparison of mechanical and kinematic models illustrates advantages of mechanical models in exploring normal faulting processes including incorporation of both deformation and causative forces, and the opportunity to incorporate more complex fault geometry and constitutive properties. Elastic models with antithetic or synthetic faults or joints in association with a master

  2. Cretaceous park of sex determination: sex chromosomes are conserved across iguanas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rovatsos, Michail; Pokorná, Martina; Altmanová, Marie; Kratochvíl, Lukáš

    2014-03-01

    Many poikilothermic vertebrate lineages, especially among amphibians and fishes, possess a rapid turnover of sex chromosomes, while in endotherms there is a notable stability of sex chromosomes. Reptiles in general exhibit variability in sex-determining systems; as typical poikilotherms, they might be expected to have a rapid turnover of sex chromosomes. However, molecular data which would enable the testing of the stability of sex chromosomes are lacking in most lineages. Here, we provide molecular evidence that sex chromosomes are highly conserved across iguanas, one of the most species-rich clade of reptiles. We demonstrate that members of the New World families Iguanidae, Tropiduridae, Leiocephalidae, Phrynosomatidae, Dactyloidae and Crotaphytidae, as well as of the family Opluridae which is restricted to Madagascar, all share homologous sex chromosomes. As our sampling represents the majority of the phylogenetic diversity of iguanas, the origin of iguana sex chromosomes can be traced back in history to the basal splitting of this group which occurred during the Cretaceous period. Iguanas thus show a stability of sex chromosomes comparable to mammals and birds and represent the group with the oldest sex chromosomes currently known among amniotic poikilothermic vertebrates.

  3. Mechanical Properties of Organic Semiconductors for Stretchable, Highly Flexible, and Mechanically Robust Electronics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Root, Samuel E; Savagatrup, Suchol; Printz, Adam D; Rodriquez, Daniel; Lipomi, Darren J

    2017-05-10

    Mechanical deformability underpins many of the advantages of organic semiconductors. The mechanical properties of these materials are, however, diverse, and the molecular characteristics that permit charge transport can render the materials stiff and brittle. This review is a comprehensive description of the molecular and morphological parameters that govern the mechanical properties of organic semiconductors. Particular attention is paid to ways in which mechanical deformability and electronic performance can coexist. The review begins with a discussion of flexible and stretchable devices of all types, and in particular the unique characteristics of organic semiconductors. It then discusses the mechanical properties most relevant to deformable devices. In particular, it describes how low modulus, good adhesion, and absolute extensibility prior to fracture enable robust performance, along with mechanical "imperceptibility" if worn on the skin. A description of techniques of metrology precedes a discussion of the mechanical properties of three classes of organic semiconductors: π-conjugated polymers, small molecules, and composites. The discussion of each class of materials focuses on molecular structure and how this structure (and postdeposition processing) influences the solid-state packing structure and thus the mechanical properties. The review concludes with applications of organic semiconductor devices in which every component is intrinsically stretchable or highly flexible.

  4. Microfluidic assay of the deformability of primitive erythroblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Sitong; Huang, Yu-Shan; Kingsley, Paul D; Cyr, Kathryn H; Palis, James; Wan, Jiandi

    2017-09-01

    Primitive erythroblasts (precursors of red blood cells) enter vascular circulation during the embryonic period and mature while circulating. As a result, primitive erythroblasts constantly experience significant hemodynamic shear stress. Shear-induced deformation of primitive erythroblasts however, is poorly studied. In this work, we examined the deformability of primitive erythroblasts at physiologically relevant flow conditions in microfluidic channels and identified the regulatory roles of the maturation stage of primitive erythroblasts and cytoskeletal protein 4.1 R in shear-induced cell deformation. The results showed that the maturation stage affected the deformability of primitive erythroblasts significantly and that primitive erythroblasts at later maturational stages exhibited a better deformability due to a matured cytoskeletal structure in the cell membrane.

  5. Atlas-based deformable image registration for MRI-guided prostate radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dowling, J.; Fripp, J.; Salvado, O.; Lambert, J.; Denham, J.W.; Capp, A.; Grer, P.B.; Parker, J.

    2010-01-01

    Full text: To develop atlas-based deformable image registration methods to automatically segment organs and map electron densities to pelvic MRI scans for MRI-guided radiation therapy. Methods An MRT pelvic atlas and corresponding CT atlas were developed based on whole pelvic T 2 MRI scans and CT scans for 39 patients. Expert manual segmentations on both MRI and CT scans were obtained. The atlas was deformably registered to the individual patient MRI scans for automatic prostate, rectum, bladder and bone segmentation. These were compared to the manual segmentations using the Dice overlap coefficient. The same deformation vectors were then applied to the CT-atlas to produce pseudo-CT scans that correspond to the patient MRI scan anatomy but are populated with Hounsfield units. The original patient plan was recalculated on the pseudo-CT and compared to the original CT plan and bulk density plans on the MRI scans. Results Dice coefficient results were high (>0.8) for bone and prostate but lower (<0.7) for bladder and rectum which exhibit greater changes in shape and volume. Doses calculated on pseudo-CT scans were within 3% of original patient plans. Two sources of discrepancy were found; MR anatomy differences from CT due to patient setup differences at the MR scanner. and Hounsfield unit differences for bone in the pseudo-CT from original CT. Patient setup will be adressed with a

  6. Infinitesimal Deformations of a Formal Symplectic Groupoid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karabegov, Alexander

    2011-09-01

    Given a formal symplectic groupoid G over a Poisson manifold ( M, π 0), we define a new object, an infinitesimal deformation of G, which can be thought of as a formal symplectic groupoid over the manifold M equipped with an infinitesimal deformation {π_0 + \\varepsilon π_1} of the Poisson bivector field π 0. To any pair of natural star products {(ast,tildeast)} having the same formal symplectic groupoid G we relate an infinitesimal deformation of G. We call it the deformation groupoid of the pair {(ast,tildeast)} . To each star product with separation of variables {ast} on a Kähler-Poisson manifold M we relate another star product with separation of variables {hatast} on M. We build an algorithm for calculating the principal symbols of the components of the logarithm of the formal Berezin transform of a star product with separation of variables {ast} . This algorithm is based upon the deformation groupoid of the pair {(ast,hatast)}.

  7. Stent Design Affects Femoropopliteal Artery Deformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacTaggart, Jason; Poulson, William; Seas, Andreas; Deegan, Paul; Lomneth, Carol; Desyatova, Anastasia; Maleckis, Kaspars; Kamenskiy, Alexey

    2018-03-23

    Poor durability of femoropopliteal artery (FPA) stenting is multifactorial, and severe FPA deformations occurring with limb flexion are likely involved. Different stent designs result in dissimilar stent-artery interactions, but the degree of these effects in the FPA is insufficiently understood. To determine how different stent designs affect limb flexion-induced FPA deformations. Retrievable markers were deployed into n = 28 FPAs of lightly embalmed human cadavers. Bodies were perfused and CT images were acquired with limbs in the standing, walking, sitting, and gardening postures. Image analysis allowed measurement of baseline FPA foreshortening, bending, and twisting associated with each posture. Markers were retrieved and 7 different stents were deployed across the adductor hiatus in the same limbs. Markers were then redeployed in the stented FPAs, and limbs were reimaged. Baseline and stented FPA deformations were compared to determine the influence of each stent design. Proximal to the stent, Innova, Supera, and SmartFlex exacerbated foreshortening, SmartFlex exacerbated twisting, and SmartControl restricted bending of the FPA. Within the stent, all devices except Viabahn restricted foreshortening; Supera, SmartControl, and AbsolutePro restricted twisting; SmartFlex and Innova exacerbated twisting; and Supera and Viabahn restricted bending. Distal to the stents, all devices except AbsolutePro and Innova exacerbated foreshortening, and Viabahn, Supera, Zilver, and SmartControl exacerbated twisting. All stents except Supera were pinched in flexed limb postures. Peripheral self-expanding stents significantly affect limb flexion-induced FPA deformations, but in different ways. Although certain designs seem to accommodate some deformation modes, no device was able to match all FPA deformations.

  8. Performance of 12 DIR algorithms in low-contrast regions for mass and density conserving deformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeo, U. J.; Supple, J. R.; Franich, R. D.; Taylor, M. L.; Smith, R.; Kron, T.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Deformable image registration (DIR) has become a key tool for adaptive radiotherapy to account for inter- and intrafraction organ deformation. Of contemporary interest, the application to deformable dose accumulation requires accurate deformation even in low contrast regions where dose gradients may exist within near-uniform tissues. One expects high-contrast features to generally be deformed more accurately by DIR algorithms. The authors systematically assess the accuracy of 12 DIR algorithms and quantitatively examine, in particular, low-contrast regions, where accuracy has not previously been established.Methods: This work investigates DIR algorithms in three dimensions using deformable gel (DEFGEL) [U. J. Yeo, M. L. Taylor, L. Dunn, R. L. Smith, T. Kron, and R. D. Franich, “A novel methodology for 3D deformable dosimetry,” Med. Phys. 39, 2203–2213 (2012)], for application to mass- and density-conserving deformations. CT images of DEFGEL phantoms with 16 fiducial markers (FMs) implanted were acquired in deformed and undeformed states for three different representative deformation geometries. Nonrigid image registration was performed using 12 common algorithms in the public domain. The optimum parameter setup was identified for each algorithm and each was tested for deformation accuracy in three scenarios: (I) original images of the DEFGEL with 16 FMs; (II) images with eight of the FMs mathematically erased; and (III) images with all FMs mathematically erased. The deformation vector fields obtained for scenarios II and III were then applied to the original images containing all 16 FMs. The locations of the FMs estimated by the algorithms were compared to actual locations determined by CT imaging. The accuracy of the algorithms was assessed by evaluation of three-dimensional vectors between true marker locations and predicted marker locations.Results: The mean magnitude of 16 error vectors per sample ranged from 0.3 to 3.7, 1.0 to 6.3, and 1.3 to 7

  9. Analysis on Wetting Deformation Properties of Silty Clay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinrong Liu

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Changes in water level that cause deformation and stability problems often occur in foundation pit engineering. Water damage is one of the main problems that will lead to disasters in foundation pit engineering. Research findings with regard to properties of wetting deformation due to water damage can be applied not only in foundation pit engineering, slope engineering, hydraulic engineering, and mining engineering but also in related issues in the field of theoretical research and practice. In this study, the characteristics of silty clay deformation after wetting are examined from the perspective of the effect of wetting on the side wall of foundation pit, and wetting experiments on silty clay of a selected area’s stratum located in Chongqing Municipality are conducted under different confining pressures and stress levels through a multi-function triaxial apparatus. Then, laws of silty clay wetting deformation are obtained, and the relationship between wetting stress level and wetting deformation amount is also figured out. The study reveals that the maximum values of wetting deformation under different confining pressures have appear at a particular stress level; therefore, the related measures should be taken to avoid this deformation in the process of construction.

  10. A q-deformed nonlinear map

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaganathan, Ramaswamy; Sinha, Sudeshna

    2005-01-01

    A scheme of q-deformation of nonlinear maps is introduced. As a specific example, a q-deformation procedure related to the Tsallis q-exponential function is applied to the logistic map. Compared to the canonical logistic map, the resulting family of q-logistic maps is shown to have a wider spectrum of interesting behaviours, including the co-existence of attractors-a phenomenon rare in one-dimensional maps

  11. Recrystallization of deformed copper - kinetics and microstructural evolution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lin, Fengxiang

    The objective of this study is to investigate the recrystallization kinetics and microstructural evolution in copper deformed to high strains, including copper deformed by cold-rolling and copper deformed by dynamic plastic deformation (DPD). Various characterization techniques were used, including...... electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), Vickers hardness test, 3D X-ray diffraction (3DXRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For the cold-rolled samples, a series of initial parameters was investigated for their effects on the recrystallization kinetics and textures, including initial grain...

  12. Ultrastructural Alterations in Lepocinclis acus (Euglenophyta Induced by Medium with High Organic Matter Content

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Visitación T. Conforti

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Ultrastructural changes induced by exposure to excess of organic matter were studied in Lepocinclis acus (ex Euglena acus. The cells isolated from the Matanza River, Buenos Aires, Argentina, were grown in soil water medium (SWM. When transferred to medium enriched with Bacteriological Peptone OXOID®, marked body deformation and a significant shortening and widening of the cells was observed. These changes were unexpected in a species with quite rigid cells, a condition previously shown in studies of the pellicle fine structure. Transmission electron microscopy observations suggest that cellular deformation might be facilitated by an increase in strip number, whereas in the original strips normal ultrastructure was maintained. An increase in number and volume of paramylon grains and vacuoles, as well as the presence of membrane whorls in vacuoles was observed. The fine structure of organisms grown in medium with and without organic matter enrichment was compared, and the systematic and ecological importance of morphological changes triggered by cell deformation was discussed.

  13. The deformation record of olivine in mylonitic peridotites from the Finero Complex, Ivrea Zone: Separate deformation cycles during exhumation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matysiak, Agnes K.; Trepmann, Claudia A.

    2015-12-01

    Mylonitic peridotites from the Finero complex are investigated to detect characteristic olivine microfabrics that can resolve separate deformation cycles at different metamorphic conditions. The heterogeneous olivine microstructures are characterized by deformed porphyroclasts surrounded by varying amounts of recrystallized grains. A well-developed but only locally preserved foam structure is present in recrystallized grain aggregates. This indicates an early stage of dynamic recrystallization and subsequent recovery and recrystallization at quasi-static stress conditions, where the strain energy was reduced such that a reduction in surface energy controlled grain boundary migration. Ultramylonites record a renewed stage of localized deformation and recrystallization by a second generation of recrystallized grains that do not show a foam structure. This second generation of recrystallized grains as well as sutured grain and kink band boundaries of porphyroclasts indicate that these microstructures developed during a stage of localized deformation after development of the foam structure. The heterogeneity of the microfabrics is interpreted to represent several (at least two) cycles of localized deformation separated by a marked hiatus with quasi-static recrystallization and recovery and eventually grain growth. The second deformation cycle did not only result in reactivation of preexisting shear zones but instead also locally affected the host rock that was not deformed in the first stage. Such stress cycles can result from sudden increases in differential stress imposed by seismic events, i.e., high stress-loading rates, during exhumation of the Finero complex.

  14. Child sex tourism: extending the borders of sexual offender legislation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, William J; Holt, Ben W; Rabun, John S; Phillips, Gary; Scott, Charles L

    2011-01-01

    Child sex tourism, the act of traveling to engage in sexual acts with minors, plagues developing nations worldwide. Several laws have been passed internationally in recent years designed to curtail this practice. Government entities and human rights organizations have driven these efforts. United States citizens represent a significant proportion of participants in child sex tourism. The PROTECT Act of 2003 prohibits United States citizens from participating in sexual acts with minors while traveling, and establishes extraterritorial jurisdiction. The case of Michael Lewis Clark, the first United States citizen convicted under this legislation, is highlighted. Child sex tourism poses unique issues to courts that will require ongoing clarification as challenges arise. This article discusses potential future challenges, describes strategies to address this problem, and relates this issue to psychiatry. Mental health providers may have the role of evaluating both the victims and perpetrators of child sex tourism. The authors propose a classification system for offenses and an initial list of topics to discuss with victims. The authors also describe the proper mechanism for reporting United States citizens suspected of participating in child sex tourism. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Stress and sex: does cortisol mediate sex change in fish?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goikoetxea, Alexander; Todd, Erica V; Gemmell, Neil J

    2017-12-01

    Cortisol is the main glucocorticoid (GC) in fish and the hormone most directly associated with stress. Recent research suggests that this hormone may act as a key factor linking social environmental stimuli and the onset of sex change by initiating a shift in steroidogenesis from estrogens to androgens. For many teleost fish, sex change occurs as a usual part of the life cycle. Changing sex is known to enhance the lifetime reproductive success of these fish and the modifications involved (behavioral, gonadal and morphological) are well studied. However, the exact mechanism behind the transduction of the environmental signals into the molecular cascade that underlies this singular process remains largely unknown. We here synthesize current knowledge regarding the role of cortisol in teleost sex change with a focus on two well-described transformations: temperature-induced masculinization and socially regulated sex change. Three non-mutually exclusive pathways are considered when describing the potential role of cortisol in mediating teleost sex change: cross-talk between GC and androgen pathways, inhibition of aromatase expression and upregulation of amh (the gene encoding anti-Müllerian hormone). We anticipate that understanding the role of cortisol in the initial stages of sex change will further improve our understanding of sex determination and differentiation across vertebrates, and may lead to new tools to control fish sex ratios in aquaculture. © 2017 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

  16. Deformations of spacetime and internal symmetries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gresnigt Niels G.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Algebraic deformations provide a systematic approach to generalizing the symmetries of a physical theory through the introduction of new fundamental constants. The applications of deformations of Lie algebras and Hopf algebras to both spacetime and internal symmetries are discussed. As a specific example we demonstrate how deforming the classical flavor group S U(3 to the quantum group S Uq(3 ≡ U q (su(3 (a Hopf algebra and taking into account electromagnetic mass splitting within isospin multiplets leads to new and exceptionally accurate baryon mass sum rules that agree perfectly with experimental data.

  17. Red blood cell-deformability measurement: review of techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musielak, M

    2009-01-01

    Cell-deformability characterization involves general measurement of highly complex relationships between cell biology and physical forces to which the cell is subjected. The review takes account of the modern technical solutions simulating the action of the force applied to the red blood cell in macro- and microcirculation. Diffraction ektacytometers and rheoscopes measure the mean deformability value for the total red blood cell population investigated and the deformation distribution index of individual cells, respectively. Deformation assays of a whole single cell are possible by means of optical tweezers. The single cell-measuring setups for micropipette aspiration and atomic force microscopy allow conducting a selective investigation of deformation parameters (e.g., cytoplasm viscosity, viscoelastic membrane properties). The distinction between instrument sensitivity to various RBC-rheological features as well as the influence of temperature on measurement are discussed. The reports quoted confront fascinating possibilities of the techniques with their medical applications since the RBC-deformability has the key position in the etiology of a wide range of conditions.

  18. Sex identification of Nigerian indigenous chicks using Auto-sexing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Sexing has been a challenging task in Nigerian indigenous chickens due to the monomorphism of chicks which makes it impossible to distinguish the male from the female until eight weeks. . Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the sex of Nigerian indigenous chicks using the common auto-sexing methods.

  19. Endoplasmic reticulum stress in the brain subfornical organ contributes to sex differences in angiotensin-dependent hypertension in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, S-Y; Fan, J; Shen, Y; He, J-J; Peng, W

    2016-05-01

    Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the brain subfornical organ (SFO), a key cardiovascular regulatory centre, has been implicated in angiotensin (ANG) II-induced hypertension in males; however, the contribution of ER stress to ANG II-induced hypertension in females is unknown. Female hormones have been shown to prevent ER stress in the periphery. We tested the hypothesis that females are less susceptible to ANG II-induced SFO ER stress than males, leading to sex differences in hypertension. Male, intact and ovariectomized (OVX) female rats received a continuous 2-week subcutaneous infusion of ANG II or saline. Additional male, intact and OVX female rats received intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of ER stress inducer tunicamycin. ANG II, but not saline, increased blood pressure (BP) in both males and females, but intact females exhibited smaller increase in BP and less depressor response to ganglionic blockade compared with males or OVX females. Molecular studies revealed that ANG II elevated expression of ER stress biomarkers and Fra-like activity in the SFO in both males and females; however, elevations in these parameters were less in intact females than in males or OVX females. Moreover, ICV tunicamycin induced smaller elevation in BP and less increase in expression of ER stress biomarkers in the SFO in intact females compared with males or OVX females. The results suggest that differences in ANG II-induced brain ER stress between males and females contribute to sex differences in ANG II-mediated hypertension and that oestrogen protects females against ANG II-induced brain ER stress. © 2015 Scandinavian Physiological Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. κ-deformed Dirac oscillator in an external magnetic field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chargui, Y.; Dhahbi, A.; Cherif, B.

    2018-04-01

    We study the solutions of the (2 + 1)-dimensional κ-deformed Dirac oscillator in the presence of a constant transverse magnetic field. We demonstrate how the deformation parameter affects the energy eigenvalues of the system and the corresponding eigenfunctions. Our findings suggest that this system could be used to detect experimentally the effect of the deformation. We also show that the hidden supersymmetry of the non-deformed system reduces to a hidden pseudo-supersymmetry having the same algebraic structure as a result of the κ-deformation.

  1. Phonon operators for deformed nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solov'ev, V.G.

    1982-01-01

    The mathematical formalism with the phonon operators independent of the signature of the angular momentum projection turns out to be inadequate for describing excited states of deformed nuclei. New phonon operators are introduced which depend on the signature of the angular momentum projection on the symmetry axis of a deformed nucleus. It is shown that the calculations with the new phonons take correctly into account the Pauli principle in two-phonon components of wave functions. The results obtained differ from those given by the phonons independent of the signature of the angular momentum projection. The new phonons must be used in deformed nuclei at taking systematically the Pauli principle into account and in calculations involving wave functions of excited states having components with more than one-phonon operator

  2. Deformations of vector-scalar models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnich, Glenn; Boulanger, Nicolas; Henneaux, Marc; Julia, Bernard; Lekeu, Victor; Ranjbar, Arash

    2018-02-01

    Abelian vector fields non-minimally coupled to uncharged scalar fields arise in many contexts. We investigate here through algebraic methods their consistent deformations ("gaugings"), i.e., the deformations that preserve the number (but not necessarily the form or the algebra) of the gauge symmetries. Infinitesimal consistent deformations are given by the BRST cohomology classes at ghost number zero. We parametrize explicitly these classes in terms of various types of global symmetries and corresponding Noether currents through the characteristic cohomology related to antifields and equations of motion. The analysis applies to all ghost numbers and not just ghost number zero. We also provide a systematic discussion of the linear and quadratic constraints on these parameters that follow from higher-order consistency. Our work is relevant to the gaugings of extended supergravities.

  3. Deformation properties of lead isotopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tolokonnikov, S. V.; Borzov, I. N.; Lutostansky, Yu. S.; Saperstein, E. E., E-mail: saper43-7@mail.ru [National Research Center Kurchatov Institute (Russian Federation)

    2016-01-15

    The deformation properties of a long lead isotopic chain up to the neutron drip line are analyzed on the basis of the energy density functional (EDF) in the FaNDF{sup 0} Fayans form. The question of whether the ground state of neutron-deficient lead isotopes can have a stable deformation is studied in detail. The prediction of this deformation is contained in the results obtained on the basis of the HFB-17 and HFB-27 Skyrme EDF versions and reported on Internet. The present analysis reveals that this is at odds with experimental data on charge radii and magnetic moments of odd lead isotopes. The Fayans EDF version predicts a spherical ground state for all light lead isotopes, but some of them (for example, {sup 180}Pb and {sup 184}Pb) prove to be very soft—that is, close to the point of a phase transition to a deformed state. Also, the results obtained in our present study are compared with the predictions of some other Skyrme EDF versions, including SKM*, SLy4, SLy6, and UNE1. By and large, their predictions are closer to the results arising upon the application of the Fayans functional. For example, the SLy4 functional predicts, in just the same way as the FaNDF{sup 0} functional, a spherical shape for all nuclei of this region. The remaining three Skyrme EDF versions lead to a deformation of some light lead isotopes, but their number is substantially smaller than that in the case of the HFB-17 and HFB-27 functionals. Moreover, the respective deformation energy is substantially lower, which gives grounds to hope for the restoration of a spherical shape upon going beyond the mean-field approximation, which we use here. Also, the deformation properties of neutron-rich lead isotopes are studied up to the neutron drip line. Here, the results obtained with the FaNDF{sup 0} functional are compared with the predictions of the HFB-17, HFB-27, SKM*, and SLy4 Skyrme EDF versions. All of the EDF versions considered here predict the existence of a region where neutron

  4. Sex determination strategies in 2012: towards a common regulatory model?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Sex determination is a complicated process involving large-scale modifications in gene expression affecting virtually every tissue in the body. Although the evolutionary origin of sex remains controversial, there is little doubt that it has developed as a process of optimizing metabolic control, as well as developmental and reproductive functions within a given setting of limited resources and environmental pressure. Evidence from various model organisms supports the view that sex determination may occur as a result of direct environmental induction or genetic regulation. The first process has been well documented in reptiles and fish, while the second is the classic case for avian species and mammals. Both of the latter have developed a variety of sex-specific/sex-related genes, which ultimately form a complete chromosome pair (sex chromosomes/gonosomes). Interestingly, combinations of environmental and genetic mechanisms have been described among different classes of animals, thus rendering the possibility of a unidirectional continuous evolutionary process from the one type of mechanism to the other unlikely. On the other hand, common elements appear throughout the animal kingdom, with regard to a) conserved key genes and b) a central role of sex steroid control as a prerequisite for ultimately normal sex differentiation. Studies in invertebrates also indicate a role of epigenetic chromatin modification, particularly with regard to alternative splicing options. This review summarizes current evidence from research in this hot field and signifies the need for further study of both normal hormonal regulators of sexual phenotype and patterns of environmental disruption. PMID:22357269

  5. Using Approximate Bayesian Computation to infer sex ratios from acoustic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehnen, Lisa; Schorcht, Wigbert; Karst, Inken; Biedermann, Martin; Kerth, Gerald; Puechmaille, Sebastien J

    2018-01-01

    Population sex ratios are of high ecological relevance, but are challenging to determine in species lacking conspicuous external cues indicating their sex. Acoustic sexing is an option if vocalizations differ between sexes, but is precluded by overlapping distributions of the values of male and female vocalizations in many species. A method allowing the inference of sex ratios despite such an overlap will therefore greatly increase the information extractable from acoustic data. To meet this demand, we developed a novel approach using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) to infer the sex ratio of populations from acoustic data. Additionally, parameters characterizing the male and female distribution of acoustic values (mean and standard deviation) are inferred. This information is then used to probabilistically assign a sex to a single acoustic signal. We furthermore develop a simpler means of sex ratio estimation based on the exclusion of calls from the overlap zone. Applying our methods to simulated data demonstrates that sex ratio and acoustic parameter characteristics of males and females are reliably inferred by the ABC approach. Applying both the ABC and the exclusion method to empirical datasets (echolocation calls recorded in colonies of lesser horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus hipposideros) provides similar sex ratios as molecular sexing. Our methods aim to facilitate evidence-based conservation, and to benefit scientists investigating ecological or conservation questions related to sex- or group specific behaviour across a wide range of organisms emitting acoustic signals. The developed methodology is non-invasive, low-cost and time-efficient, thus allowing the study of many sites and individuals. We provide an R-script for the easy application of the method and discuss potential future extensions and fields of applications. The script can be easily adapted to account for numerous biological systems by adjusting the type and number of groups to be

  6. Multiscale pore networks and their effect on deformation and transport property alteration associated with hydraulic fracturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daigle, Hugh; Hayman, Nicholas; Jiang, Han; Tian, Xiao; Jiang, Chunbi

    2017-04-01

    Multiple lines of evidence indicate that, during a hydraulic fracture stimulation, the permeability of the unfractured matrix far from the main, induced tensile fracture increases by one to two orders of magnitude. This permeability enhancement is associated with pervasive shear failure in a large region surrounding the main induced fracture. We have performed low-pressure gas sorption, mercury intrusion, and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements along with high-resolution scanning electron microscope imaging on several preserved and unpreserved shale samples from North American basins before and after inducing failure in confined compressive strength tests. We have observed that the pore structure in intact samples exhibits multiscale behavior, with sub-micron-scale pores in organic matter connected in isolated, micron-scale clusters which themselves are connected to each other through a network of microcracks. The organic-hosted pore networks are poorly connected due to a significant number of dead-end pores within the organic matter. Following shear failure, we often observe an increase in pore volume in the sub-micron range, which appears to be related to the formation of microcracks that propagate along grain boundaries and other planes of mechanical strength contrast. This is consistent with other experimental and field evidence. In some cases these microcracks cross or terminate in organic matter, intersecting the organic-hosted pores. The induced microcrack networks typically have low connectivity and do not appreciably increase the connectivity of the overall pore network. However, in other cases the shear deformation results in an overall pore volume decrease; samples which exhibit this behavior tend to have more clay minerals. Our interpretation of these phenomena is as follows. As organic matter is converted to hydrocarbons, organic-hosted pores develop, and the hydrocarbons contained in these pores are overpressured. The disconnected nature of these

  7. Nuclear organization in human sperm: preliminary evidence for altered sex chromosome centromere position in infertile males.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finch, K A; Fonseka, K G L; Abogrein, A; Ioannou, D; Handyside, A H; Thornhill, A R; Hickson, N; Griffin, D K

    2008-06-01

    Many genetic defects with a chromosomal basis affect male reproduction via a range of different mechanisms. Chromosome position is a well-known marker of nuclear organization, and alterations in standard patterns can lead to disease phenotypes such as cancer, laminopathies and epilepsy. It has been demonstrated that normal mammalian sperm adopt a pattern with the centromeres aligning towards the nuclear centre. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that altered chromosome position in the sperm head is associated with male infertility. The average nuclear positions of fluorescence in-situ hybridization signals for three centromeric probes (for chromosomes X, Y and 18) were compared in normoozoospermic men and in men with compromised semen parameters. In controls, the centromeres of chromosomes X, Y and 18 all occupied a central nuclear location. In infertile men the sex chromosomes appeared more likely to be distributed in a pattern not distinguishable from a random model. Our findings cast doubt on the reliability of centromeric probes for aneuploidy screening. The analysis of chromosome position in sperm heads should be further investigated for the screening of infertile men.

  8. Improving anatomical mapping of complexly deformed anatomy for external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy dose accumulation in cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vásquez Osorio, Eliana M.; Kolkman-Deurloo, Inger-Karine K.; Schuring-Pereira, Monica; Zolnay, András; Heijmen, Ben J. M.; Hoogeman, Mischa S.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: In the treatment of cervical cancer, large anatomical deformations, caused by, e.g., tumor shrinkage, bladder and rectum filling changes, organ sliding, and the presence of the brachytherapy (BT) applicator, prohibit the accumulation of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and BT dose distributions. This work proposes a structure-wise registration with vector field integration (SW+VF) to map the largely deformed anatomies between EBRT and BT, paving the way for 3D dose accumulation between EBRT and BT. Methods: T2w-MRIs acquired before EBRT and as a part of the MRI-guided BT procedure for 12 cervical cancer patients, along with the manual delineations of the bladder, cervix-uterus, and rectum-sigmoid, were used for this study. A rigid transformation was used to align the bony anatomy in the MRIs. The proposed SW+VF method starts by automatically segmenting features in the area surrounding the delineated organs. Then, each organ and feature pair is registered independently using a feature-based nonrigid registration algorithm developed in-house. Additionally, a background transformation is calculated to account for areas far from all organs and features. In order to obtain one transformation that can be used for dose accumulation, the organ-based, feature-based, and the background transformations are combined into one vector field using a weighted sum, where the contribution of each transformation can be directly controlled by its extent of influence (scope size). The optimal scope sizes for organ-based and feature-based transformations were found by an exhaustive analysis. The anatomical correctness of the mapping was independently validated by measuring the residual distances after transformation for delineated structures inside the cervix-uterus (inner anatomical correctness), and for anatomical landmarks outside the organs in the surrounding region (outer anatomical correctness). The results of the proposed method were compared with the results of the

  9. Improving anatomical mapping of complexly deformed anatomy for external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy dose accumulation in cervical cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vásquez Osorio, Eliana M., E-mail: e.vasquezosorio@erasmusmc.nl; Kolkman-Deurloo, Inger-Karine K.; Schuring-Pereira, Monica; Zolnay, András; Heijmen, Ben J. M.; Hoogeman, Mischa S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam 3075 (Netherlands)

    2015-01-15

    Purpose: In the treatment of cervical cancer, large anatomical deformations, caused by, e.g., tumor shrinkage, bladder and rectum filling changes, organ sliding, and the presence of the brachytherapy (BT) applicator, prohibit the accumulation of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and BT dose distributions. This work proposes a structure-wise registration with vector field integration (SW+VF) to map the largely deformed anatomies between EBRT and BT, paving the way for 3D dose accumulation between EBRT and BT. Methods: T2w-MRIs acquired before EBRT and as a part of the MRI-guided BT procedure for 12 cervical cancer patients, along with the manual delineations of the bladder, cervix-uterus, and rectum-sigmoid, were used for this study. A rigid transformation was used to align the bony anatomy in the MRIs. The proposed SW+VF method starts by automatically segmenting features in the area surrounding the delineated organs. Then, each organ and feature pair is registered independently using a feature-based nonrigid registration algorithm developed in-house. Additionally, a background transformation is calculated to account for areas far from all organs and features. In order to obtain one transformation that can be used for dose accumulation, the organ-based, feature-based, and the background transformations are combined into one vector field using a weighted sum, where the contribution of each transformation can be directly controlled by its extent of influence (scope size). The optimal scope sizes for organ-based and feature-based transformations were found by an exhaustive analysis. The anatomical correctness of the mapping was independently validated by measuring the residual distances after transformation for delineated structures inside the cervix-uterus (inner anatomical correctness), and for anatomical landmarks outside the organs in the surrounding region (outer anatomical correctness). The results of the proposed method were compared with the results of the

  10. q-deformed conformal superalgebra and its Hopf subalgebras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobrev, V.K.; Lukierski, J.; Sobczyk, J.; Tolstoy, V.N.

    1992-07-01

    We present in detail a Hopf superalgebra U q (su(2,2/2)) which is a q-deformation of the conformal superalgebra su(2,2/1). The superalgebra U q (su(2,2/1)) contains as a subalgebra a q-deformed super-Poincare algebra and as Hopf subalgebras two conjugate 16-generator q-deformed super-Weyl algebras, which are q-deformation of parabolic subalgebras of su(2,2/1). We use several (anti-) involutions, including the standard Cartan involution and a *-antiinvolution under which the super-Weyl algebras are *-subalgebras of U q (su(2,2/1)). The q-deformed Lorentz algebra is Hopf subalgebra of both Weyl algebras and is preserved by all (anti-) involutions considered. (author). 26 refs

  11. Jaynes-Cummings model and the deformed-oscillator algebra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crnugelj, J.; Martinis, M.; Mikuta-Martinis, V.

    1994-01-01

    We study the time evolution of the deformed Jaynes-Cummings model (DJCM). It is shown that the standard JCM and its recent non-linear generalizations involving the intensity-dependent coupling and/or the multiphoton coupling are only particular cases of the DJCM. The time evolution of the mean phonon number and the population inversion are evaluated. A special case of the q-deformed JCM is analyzed explicitly. The long time quasi-periodic revival effects of the q-deformed JCM are observed for q∼1 and an initially large mean photon number. For other values of the deformation parameter q we observe chaotic-like behaviour of the population inversion. Photons are assumed to be initially in the deformed coherent state. ((orig.))

  12. Dynamic deformation theory of spherical and deformed light and heavy nuclei with A = 12-240

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Krishna.

    1979-01-01

    Deformation dependent wave functions are calculated for different types of even-even nuclei (spherical, transitional, deformed; light, medium, heavy) without any fitting parameters. These wave functions are employed for the energies, B(E2)'s, quadrupole and magnetic moments of selected nuclei with A = 12-240 (with special emphasis on 56 Fe, 154 Gd), and for neutron cross sections of 148 Sm, 152 Sm

  13. Canny edge-based deformable image registration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kearney, Vasant; Huang, Yihui; Mao, Weihua; Yuan, Baohong; Tang, Liping

    2017-02-07

    This work focuses on developing a 2D Canny edge-based deformable image registration (Canny DIR) algorithm to register in vivo white light images taken at various time points. This method uses a sparse interpolation deformation algorithm to sparsely register regions of the image with strong edge information. A stability criterion is enforced which removes regions of edges that do not deform in a smooth uniform manner. Using a synthetic mouse surface ground truth model, the accuracy of the Canny DIR algorithm was evaluated under axial rotation in the presence of deformation. The accuracy was also tested using fluorescent dye injections, which were then used for gamma analysis to establish a second ground truth. The results indicate that the Canny DIR algorithm performs better than rigid registration, intensity corrected Demons, and distinctive features for all evaluation matrices and ground truth scenarios. In conclusion Canny DIR performs well in the presence of the unique lighting and shading variations associated with white-light-based image registration.

  14. Localized deformation of zirconium-liner tube

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagase, Fumihisa; Uchida, Masaaki

    1988-03-01

    Zirconium-liner tube has come to be used in BWR. Zirconium liner mitigates the localized stress produced by the pellet-cladding interaction (PCI). In this study, simulating the ridging, stresses were applied to the inner surfaces of zirconium-liner tubes and Zircaloy-2 tubes, and, to investigate the mechanism and the extent of the effect, the behavior of zirconium liner was examined. As the result of examination, stress was concentrated especially at the edge of the deformed region, where zirconium liner was highly deformed. Even after high stress was applied, the deformation of Zircaloy part was small, since almost the concentrated stress was mitigated by the deformation of zirconium liner. In addition, stress and strain distributions in the cross section of specimen were calculated with a computer code FEMAXI-III. The results also showed that zirconium liner mitigated the localized stress in Zircaloy, although the affected zone was restricted to the region near the boundary between zirconium liner and Zircaloy. (author)

  15. Nuclear masses, deformations and shell effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirsch, Jorge G; Barbero, César A; Mariano, Alejandro E

    2011-01-01

    We show that the Liquid Drop Model is best suited to describe the masses of prolate deformed nuclei than of spherical nuclei. To this end three Liquid Drop Mass formulas are employed to describe nuclear masses of eight sets of nuclei with similar quadrupole deformations. It is shown that they are able to fit the measured masses of prolate deformed nuclei with an RMS smaller than 750 keV, while for the spherical nuclei the RMS is, in the three cases, larger than 2000 keV. The RMS of the best fit of the masses of semi-magic nuclei is also larger than 2000 keV. The parameters of the three models are studied, showing that the surface symmetry term is the one which varies the most from one group of nuclei to another. In one model, isospin dependent terms are also found to exhibit strong changes. The inclusion of shell effects allows for better fits, which continue to be better in the prolate deformed nuclei region.

  16. Three-dimensional deformation of orthodontic brackets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melenka, Garrett W; Nobes, David S; Major, Paul W

    2013-01-01

    Braces are used by orthodontists to correct the misalignment of teeth in the mouth. Archwire rotation is a particular procedure used to correct tooth inclination. Wire rotation can result in deformation to the orthodontic brackets, and an orthodontic torque simulator has been designed to examine this wire–bracket interaction. An optical technique has been employed to measure the deformation due to size and geometric constraints of the orthodontic brackets. Images of orthodontic brackets are collected using a stereo microscope and two charge-coupled device cameras, and deformation of orthodontic brackets is measured using a three-dimensional digital image correlation technique. The three-dimensional deformation of orthodontic brackets will be evaluated. The repeatability of the three-dimensional digital image correlation measurement method was evaluated by performing 30 archwire rotation tests using the same bracket and archwire. Finally, five Damon 3MX and five In-Ovation R self-ligating brackets will be compared using this technique to demonstrate the effect of archwire rotation on bracket design. PMID:23762201

  17. Three-dimensional deformation of orthodontic brackets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melenka, Garrett W; Nobes, David S; Major, Paul W; Carey, Jason P

    2013-01-01

    Braces are used by orthodontists to correct the misalignment of teeth in the mouth. Archwire rotation is a particular procedure used to correct tooth inclination. Wire rotation can result in deformation to the orthodontic brackets, and an orthodontic torque simulator has been designed to examine this wire-bracket interaction. An optical technique has been employed to measure the deformation due to size and geometric constraints of the orthodontic brackets. Images of orthodontic brackets are collected using a stereo microscope and two charge-coupled device cameras, and deformation of orthodontic brackets is measured using a three-dimensional digital image correlation technique. The three-dimensional deformation of orthodontic brackets will be evaluated. The repeatability of the three-dimensional digital image correlation measurement method was evaluated by performing 30 archwire rotation tests using the same bracket and archwire. Finally, five Damon 3MX and five In-Ovation R self-ligating brackets will be compared using this technique to demonstrate the effect of archwire rotation on bracket design.

  18. Understanding Sex for Sale

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    This book Understanding Sex for Sale: Meanings and Moralities of Sexual Commerce is dedicated to the exploration of the ways in which sex prostitution, sex work or sex for sale are taken for granted by particularly looking at how the relation between sex and money is interpreted and enacted....... This interdisciplinary book aims to understand how prostitution, sex work or sex for sale are defined, delineated, contested and understood in different places and times. The book offers contributions from a number of scholars who, based on their on their own research, discuss on going theoretical issues and analytical...... challenges Some chapters focuses on how prostitution, sex work or sex for sale have been regulated by the authorities and what understandings this regulation builds on. Other chapters investigate the experiences of the sex workers and sex buyers asking how these actors adjust to or resist the categorisation...

  19. Sex differences in normal age trajectories of functional brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheinost, Dustin; Finn, Emily S; Tokoglu, Fuyuze; Shen, Xilin; Papademetris, Xenophon; Hampson, Michelle; Constable, R Todd

    2015-04-01

    Resting-state functional magnetic resonance image (rs-fMRI) is increasingly used to study functional brain networks. Nevertheless, variability in these networks due to factors such as sex and aging is not fully understood. This study explored sex differences in normal age trajectories of resting-state networks (RSNs) using a novel voxel-wise measure of functional connectivity, the intrinsic connectivity distribution (ICD). Males and females showed differential patterns of changing connectivity in large-scale RSNs during normal aging from early adulthood to late middle-age. In some networks, such as the default-mode network, males and females both showed decreases in connectivity with age, albeit at different rates. In other networks, such as the fronto-parietal network, males and females showed divergent connectivity trajectories with age. Main effects of sex and age were found in many of the same regions showing sex-related differences in aging. Finally, these sex differences in aging trajectories were robust to choice of preprocessing strategy, such as global signal regression. Our findings resolve some discrepancies in the literature, especially with respect to the trajectory of connectivity in the default mode, which can be explained by our observed interactions between sex and aging. Overall, results indicate that RSNs show different aging trajectories for males and females. Characterizing effects of sex and age on RSNs are critical first steps in understanding the functional organization of the human brain. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Effect of plastic deformation on the niobium thermal expansion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savitskij, E.M.; Bychkova, M.I.; Kanikovskij, V.B.

    1978-01-01

    Using dilatometric method the effect of plastic deformation on change of thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of niobium of different purity was studied. It was shown that deformation affected the TEC in different ways. At first the deformation degree rising causes linear decrease of the TEC and then linear increase. Carbon intensifies the TEC decrease of deformed niobium. The linear correlation was established between the TEC and the value of macroscopic stresses in plastic deformed niobium. The expression indicating the metal TEC change under loading was defined for case of strain hardening

  1. Inelastic deformations of fault and shear zones in granitic rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilder, D.G.

    1986-02-01

    Deformations during heating and cooling of three drifts in granitic rock were influenced by the presence of faults and shear zones. Thermal deformations were significantly larger in sheared and faulted zones than where the rock was jointed, but neither sheared nor faulted. Furthermore, thermal deformations in faulted or sheared rock were not significantly recovered during subsequent cooling, thus a permanent deformation remained. This inelastic response is in contrast with elastic behavior identified in unfaulted and unsheared rock segments. A companion paper indicates that deformations in unsheared or unfaulted rock were effectively modeled as an elastic response. We conclude that permanent deformations occurred in fractures with crushed minerals and fracture filling or gouge materials. Potential mechanisms for this permanent deformation are asperity readjustments during thermal deformations, micro-shearing, asperity crushing and crushing of the secondary fracture filling minerals. Additionally, modulus differences in sheared or faulted rock as compared to more intact rock would result in greater deformations in response to the same thermal loads

  2. {kappa}-deformed realization of D=4 conformal algebra

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klimek, M. [Technical Univ. of Czestochowa, Inst. of Mathematics and Computer Science, Czestochowa (Poland); Lukierski, J. [Universite de Geneve, Department de Physique Theorique, Geneve (Switzerland)

    1995-07-01

    We describe the generators of {kappa}-conformal transformations, leaving invariant the {kappa}-deformed d`Alembert equation. In such a way one obtains the conformal extension of-shell spin spin zero realization of {kappa}-deformed Poincare algebra. Finally the algebraic structure of {kappa}-deformed conformal algebra is discussed. (author). 23 refs.

  3. Measuring stigma affecting sex workers (SW) and men who have sex with men (MSM): A systematic review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzgerald-Husek, Alanna; Van Wert, Michael J.; Ewing, Whitney F.; Holland, Claire E.; Katterl, Rachel; Rosman, Lori; Baral, Stefan D.

    2017-01-01

    Background Stigma involves discrediting a person or group based on a perceived attribute, behaviour or reputation associated with them. Sex workers (SW) and men who have sex with men (MSM) are key populations who are often at increased risk for the acquisition and transmission of HIV and who are affected by stigma that can negatively impact their health and well-being. Although stigma was included as an indicator in the US National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan and there have been consultations focused on adding a stigma indicator within PEPFAR and the Global Fund in relation to potentiating HIV risks among key populations, there remains limited consensus on the appropriate measurement of SW- or MSM-associated stigma. Consequently, this systematic review summarizes studies using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods approaches to measure stigma affecting sex workers and men who have sex with men. Methods and findings This systematic review included English, French, and Spanish peer-reviewed research of any study design measuring SW- or MSM-associated stigma. Articles were published from January 1, 2004 to March 26, 2014 in PsycINFO, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, Global Health, and World Health Organization Global Health Library Regional Indexes. Of the 541 articles reviewed, the majority measured stigma toward MSM (over 97%), were conducted in North America, used quantitative methods, and focused on internalized stigma. Conclusions With the inclusion of addressing stigma in several domestic and international HIV strategies, there is a need to ensure the use of validated metrics for stigma. The field to date has completed limited measurement of stigma affecting sex workers, and limited measurement of stigma affecting MSM outside of higher income settings. Moving forward requires a concerted effort integrating validated metrics of stigma into health-related surveys and programs for key populations. PMID:29190642

  4. Measuring stigma affecting sex workers (SW and men who have sex with men (MSM: A systematic review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alanna Fitzgerald-Husek

    Full Text Available Stigma involves discrediting a person or group based on a perceived attribute, behaviour or reputation associated with them. Sex workers (SW and men who have sex with men (MSM are key populations who are often at increased risk for the acquisition and transmission of HIV and who are affected by stigma that can negatively impact their health and well-being. Although stigma was included as an indicator in the US National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan and there have been consultations focused on adding a stigma indicator within PEPFAR and the Global Fund in relation to potentiating HIV risks among key populations, there remains limited consensus on the appropriate measurement of SW- or MSM-associated stigma. Consequently, this systematic review summarizes studies using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods approaches to measure stigma affecting sex workers and men who have sex with men.This systematic review included English, French, and Spanish peer-reviewed research of any study design measuring SW- or MSM-associated stigma. Articles were published from January 1, 2004 to March 26, 2014 in PsycINFO, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, Global Health, and World Health Organization Global Health Library Regional Indexes. Of the 541 articles reviewed, the majority measured stigma toward MSM (over 97%, were conducted in North America, used quantitative methods, and focused on internalized stigma.With the inclusion of addressing stigma in several domestic and international HIV strategies, there is a need to ensure the use of validated metrics for stigma. The field to date has completed limited measurement of stigma affecting sex workers, and limited measurement of stigma affecting MSM outside of higher income settings. Moving forward requires a concerted effort integrating validated metrics of stigma into health-related surveys and programs for key populations.

  5. The influences of deformation velocity and temperature on localized deformation of zircaloy-4 in tensile tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boratto, F.J.M.

    1973-01-01

    A new parameter to describe the necking stability in zircaloy-4 during tensile tests is introduced. The parameter is defined as: s = ∂Ln (dσ/dε)/∂Ln ((1/L)dL/dt) for constant temperature, deformation and history. Measures of stress strain rate sensitivity n, reduction of the area at fracture, and deformation profiles of tensile fracture, are done. A complete description of the curve of non-uniform deformation variation with the temperature, is presented. The results are compared with existing data for pure commercially titanium. The influence of strain rate and history on s and n parameters, in the temperature range from 100-700 0 C). (author) [pt

  6. Sex ratio in two species of Pegoscapus wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) that develop in figs: can wasps do mathematics, or play sex ratio games?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramírez-Benavides, William; Monge-Nájera, Julián; Chavarría, Juan B

    2009-09-01

    The fig pollinating wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) have obligate arrhenotoky and a breeding structure that fits local mate competition (LMC). It has been traditionally assumed that LMC organisms adjust the sex ratio by laying a greater proportion of male eggs when there is superparasitism (several foundresses in a host). We tested the assumption with two wasp species, Pegoscapus silvestrii, pollinator of Ficus pertusa and Pegoscapus tonduzi, pollinator of Ficus eximia (= F citrifolia), in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Total number of wasps and seeds were recorded in individual isolated naturally colonized syconia. There was a constant additive effect between the number of foundresses and the number of males produced in the brood of a syconium, while the number of females decreased. Both wasp species seem to have precise sex ratios and probably lay the male eggs first in the sequence, independently of superparasitism and clutch size: consequently, they have a non-random sex allocation. Each syconium of Ficus pertusa and of F. eximia colonized by one foundress had similar mean numbers of females, males, and seeds. The two species of wasps studied do not seem to adjust the sex ratio when there is superparasitism. Pollinating fig wasp behavior is better explained by those models not assuming that females do mathematical calculations according to other females' sex ratios, size, number of foundresses, genetic constitution, clutch size or environmental conditions inside the syconium. Our results are in agreement with the constant male number hypothesis, not with sex ratio games.

  7. Cyclic Plastic Deformation and Welding Simulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ten Horn, C.H.L.J.

    2003-01-01

    One of the concerns of a fitness for purpose analysis is the quantification of the relevant material properties. It is known from experiments that the mechanical properties of a material can change due to a monotonic plastic deformation or a cyclic plastic deformation. For a fitness for purpose

  8. Deformed metals - structure, recrystallisation and strength

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Niels; Juul Jensen, Dorte

    2011-01-01

    It is shown how new discoveries and advanced experimental techniques in the last 25 years have led to paradigm shifts in the analysis of deformation and annealing structures of metals and in the way the strength of deformed samples is related to structural parameters. This is described in three...

  9. An experimental study of plastic deformation of materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Tine

    The thesis falls in three parts, focusing on different aspects of plastic deformation of metals. Part I investigates the dislocation structures induced by hot deformation and compares these with the structures after cold deformation. In particular, it is shown that the dislocation structures...... after cold deformation by calorimetry and by analysis of the dislocation structure. The stored energy measured by calorimetry is found to be larger than that determined from the dislocation structure by a factor between 1.9 and 2.7, and this factor decreases with the plastic strain. Part III aimed...

  10. Quantum deformations of conformal algebras with mass-like deformation parameters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frydryszak, Andrzej; Lukierski, Jerzy; Mozrzymas, Marek; Minnaert, Pierre

    1998-01-01

    We recall the mathematical apparatus necessary for the quantum deformation of Lie algebras, namely the notions of coboundary Lie algebras, classical r-matrices, classical Yang-Baxter equations (CYBE), Froebenius algebras and parabolic subalgebras. Then we construct the quantum deformation of D=1, D=2 and D=3 conformal algebras, showing that this quantization introduce fundamental mass parameters. Finally we consider with more details the quantization of D=4 conformal algebra. We build three classes of sl(4,C) classical r-matrices, satisfying CYBE and depending respectively on 8, 10 and 12 generators of parabolic subalgebras. We show that only the 8-dimensional r-matrices allow to impose the D=4 conformal o(4,2)≅su(2,2) reality conditions. Weyl reflections and Dynkin diagram automorphisms for o(4,2) define the class of admissible bases for given classical r-matrices

  11. Granular deformation mechanisms in semi-solid alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gourlay, C.M.; Dahle, A.K.; Nagira, T.; Nakatsuka, N.; Nogita, K.; Uesugi, K.; Yasuda, H.

    2011-01-01

    Deformation mechanisms in equiaxed, partially solid Al-15 wt.% Cu are studied in situ by coupling shear-cell experiments with synchrotron X-ray radiography. Direct evidence is presented for granular deformation mechanisms in both globular and equiaxed-dendritic samples at solid fractions shortly after crystal impingement. It is demonstrated that dilatancy, arching and jamming occur at the crystal scale, and that these can cause stick-slip flow due to periodic dilation and compaction at low displacement rate. Granular deformation is found to be similar in globular and equiaxed-dendritic samples if length is scaled by the crystal size and packing is considered to occur among crystal envelopes. Rheological differences between the morphologies are discussed in terms of the competition between crystal rearrangement and crystal deformation.

  12. On Deformations and Contractions of Lie Algebras

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc de Montigny

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available In this contributed presentation, we discuss and compare the mutually opposite procedures of deformations and contractions of Lie algebras. We suggest that with appropriate combinations of both procedures one may construct new Lie algebras. We first discuss low-dimensional Lie algebras and illustrate thereby that whereas for every contraction there exists a reverse deformation, the converse is not true in general. Also we note that some Lie algebras belonging to parameterized families are singled out by the irreversibility of deformations and contractions. After reminding that global deformations of the Witt, Virasoro, and affine Kac-Moody algebras allow one to retrieve Lie algebras of Krichever-Novikov type, we contract the latter to find new infinite dimensional Lie algebras.

  13. Pollybeak Deformity in Middle Eastern Rhinoplasty: Prevention and Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussein, Wael K A; Foda, Hossam M T

    2016-08-01

    The pollybeak deformity is one of the commonest causes of revision rhinoplasty. The Middle Eastern nose has certain criteria that predispose to the development of pollybeak deformity. The aim of this study is to detect the factors contributing to the development of pollybeak deformity in the Middle Eastern nose and methods used to prevent as well as to treat such deformity. Out of the 1,160 revision patients included in this study, 720 (62%) patients had a pollybeak deformity. The commonest contributing factors included underprojected tip with poor support in 490 (68%) patients, excessive supratip scarring in 259 (36%) patients, overresected bony dorsum in 202 (28%) patients, and high anterior septal angle in 173 (24%) patients. The methods used by the authors to treat the pollybeak deformity are described, along with the local steroid injection protocol used to guard against the recurrence of pollybeak deformity. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  14. InSAR observation of seasonal ground surface deformation in permafrost area near Batagay, Siberia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanagiya, K.; Furuya, M.

    2017-12-01

    Thawing of permafrost can lead to ground deformation. Ground deformation has been studied as a serious problem in the Arctic Ocean coastal area such as Russia for a long time, because the deformation causes damage to architectures at these areas. However, there have been no quantitative observation data, and the spatial and temporal distributions have hardly been investigated. On the other hand, by the recently global warming influence, the importance of organic carbon stored in permafrost is pointed out. Although the release of methane gas is confirmed in some thermokarst lakes, it is very difficult to observe the permafrost in a wide area by field study. Instead, it is technically possible to monitor the subsidence and uplift of the ground over the permafrost area, which could potentially make a significant contribution to the monitoring thawing process of permafrost. In this study, we attempted to detect ground deformation signal in permafrost area by remote sensing using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR). Using the data of two SAR satellites ALOS and ALOS2 launched by JAXA, we observed recent ground deformation from 2007 to 2016. Particularly recent observations of ALOS2 from 2014 to 2016 discovered distant displacements towards the LOS direction in the northeast region from the town of Batagay,Siberia. The diameter of the displacements area covers about 7.7 km. In this study, we considered that this signal is likely to be due to permafrost thawing, we also investigated the seasonal characteristics and looked back ALOS data of this area. In addition, since the high latitude area, observation results include noise due to the ionosphere, so we tried to remove the noise.

  15. Deformation Microstructure in Beta-Titanium After Deformation at Low Temperatures

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Humphreys, F. J; Bate, P. S; Brough, I

    2005-01-01

    .... The contractor shall use a beta Ti alloy that is stable and single-phase at room temperature. The contractor shall evaluate the microstructure of the material after deformation at room temperature and at temperatures up to ̃400C...

  16. Evaluation of deformable image registration for contour propagation between CT and cone-beam CT images in adaptive head and neck radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, X; Zhang, Y Y; Shi, Y H; Zhou, L H; Zhen, X

    2016-04-29

    Deformable image registration (DIR) is a critical technic in adaptive radiotherapy (ART) to propagate contours between planning computerized tomography (CT) images and treatment CT/Cone-beam CT (CBCT) image to account for organ deformation for treatment re-planning. To validate the ability and accuracy of DIR algorithms in organ at risk (OAR) contours mapping, seven intensity-based DIR strategies are tested on the planning CT and weekly CBCT images from six Head & Neck cancer patients who underwent a 6 ∼ 7 weeks intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Three similarity metrics, i.e. the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), the percentage error (PE) and the Hausdorff distance (HD), are employed to measure the agreement between the propagated contours and the physician delineated ground truths. It is found that the performance of all the evaluated DIR algorithms declines as the treatment proceeds. No statistically significant performance difference is observed between different DIR algorithms (p> 0.05), except for the double force demons (DFD) which yields the worst result in terms of DSC and PE. For the metric HD, all the DIR algorithms behaved unsatisfactorily with no statistically significant performance difference (p= 0.273). These findings suggested that special care should be taken when utilizing the intensity-based DIR algorithms involved in this study to deform OAR contours between CT and CBCT, especially for those organs with low contrast.

  17. Enhancing the Ethical Conduct of HIV Research with Migrant Sex Workers: Human Rights, Policy, and Social Contextual Influences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldenberg, Shira M; Brouwer, Kimberly C; Jimenez, Teresita Rocha; Miranda, Sonia Morales; Mindt, Monica Rivera

    2016-01-01

    Migrant sex workers are often highly marginalized and disproportionately experience health and social inequities, including high prevalence of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and human rights violations. In recent years, research involving migrant sex workers has increased, yet many knowledge gaps remain regarding how best to protect research participant rights and welfare. Our objective was to identify key challenges and opportunities related to the responsible conduct of HIV research with migrant sex workers. Focus groups and interviews conducted with 33 female sex workers ≥18 years old at the Guatemala-Mexico border from June 2013-February 2014 were analyzed. Participants were recruited through community outreach by a local HIV prevention organization to sex work establishments such as bars, hotels, street corners, and truck stops. Key themes influencing research engagement for migrant sex workers included researcher mistrust and fear related to research participation, rooted in the social isolation frequently faced by recent migrants; intersecting concerns related to immigration status, fear of criminalization, and compliance with sex work regulations; and perceived benefits and risks of HIV/STI testing for migrants (e.g., immigration implications, stigma) represent potential barriers and opportunities for the responsible conduct of research involving migrant sex workers. Results highlight the intersection between the human rights vulnerabilities of migrant sex workers and barriers to research participation, including social isolation of migrants and policy/legal barriers related to immigration and sex work. Findings illustrate the need for researchers to develop population-tailored procedures to address fears related to immigration and criminalization, and to reinforce positive and non-stigmatizing relationships with migrant sex workers. Community-led efforts to reduce stigma and foster community organization and supports for migrant sex workers are

  18. Enhancing the Ethical Conduct of HIV Research with Migrant Sex Workers: Human Rights, Policy, and Social Contextual Influences.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shira M Goldenberg

    Full Text Available Migrant sex workers are often highly marginalized and disproportionately experience health and social inequities, including high prevalence of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and human rights violations. In recent years, research involving migrant sex workers has increased, yet many knowledge gaps remain regarding how best to protect research participant rights and welfare. Our objective was to identify key challenges and opportunities related to the responsible conduct of HIV research with migrant sex workers.Focus groups and interviews conducted with 33 female sex workers ≥18 years old at the Guatemala-Mexico border from June 2013-February 2014 were analyzed. Participants were recruited through community outreach by a local HIV prevention organization to sex work establishments such as bars, hotels, street corners, and truck stops.Key themes influencing research engagement for migrant sex workers included researcher mistrust and fear related to research participation, rooted in the social isolation frequently faced by recent migrants; intersecting concerns related to immigration status, fear of criminalization, and compliance with sex work regulations; and perceived benefits and risks of HIV/STI testing for migrants (e.g., immigration implications, stigma represent potential barriers and opportunities for the responsible conduct of research involving migrant sex workers.Results highlight the intersection between the human rights vulnerabilities of migrant sex workers and barriers to research participation, including social isolation of migrants and policy/legal barriers related to immigration and sex work. Findings illustrate the need for researchers to develop population-tailored procedures to address fears related to immigration and criminalization, and to reinforce positive and non-stigmatizing relationships with migrant sex workers. Community-led efforts to reduce stigma and foster community organization and supports for migrant

  19. Toxicity classification and evaluation of four pharmaceuticals classes: antibiotics, antineoplastics, cardiovascular, and sex hormones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanderson, Hans; Brain, Richard A.; Johnson, David J.; Wilson, Christian J.; Solomon, Keith R.

    2004-01-01

    Four different classes of environmental concern are quantitatively and qualitatively assessed for environmental hazards; antibiotics (n = 226), antineoplastics (n = 81), cardiovascular (n = 272), and sex hormones (n 92). These along with an ECOSAR scan of all pharmaceuticals (n = 2848) were then classified according to the OECD aquatic toxicity classification system. The predicted species susceptibility is: daphnid > fish > algae, and the predicted rank order of relative toxicity: sex hormones > cardiovascular antibiotics > antineoplastics (Table 1). Generally, a relatively large proportion (1/3) of all pharmaceuticals are potentially very toxic to aquatic organisms (Table 2). The qualitative risk assessment ranking relative to probability and potential severity for human and environmental health effects is: antibiotics > sex hormones > cardiovascular > antineoplastics. (Q)SARs and pharmacodynamic information should be used to prioritize and steer experimental risk assessments of pharmaceuticals, and potentially, also be used in new drug discovery optimizing efficacy and in minimising environmental hazards of new products. Nuclear receptors are relatively well conserved in evolution. Currently, antibacterial resistance represents the most significant human health hazard, and potentially the largest non-target organism hazard is sex hormones acting as endocrine modulators in wildlife. Data for the individual compounds are accessible via http://www.uoguelph.ca/~hsander/

  20. Female street sex workers in Hong Kong: moving beyond sexual health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, William C W; Holroyd, Eleanor A; Gray, Ann; Ling, Davina C

    2006-05-01

    For many years, the sex industry in Hong Kong has appeared to be an integral and ever-expanding component of the city's sociocultural and economic structure. Accordingly, the physical and psychological health of sex workers is becoming an increasing concern for the workers themselves, the public, and government policy. A cross-sectional survey on the quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life [WHOQOL]) of female sex workers (FSWs) in Hong Kong was used to investigate the physical and psychological well-being of street FSWs, and the results were compared with those of non-sex-working Hong Kong women after adjusting for age, educational level, marital status, and health status. The 89 FSWs surveyed scored significantly lower on QOL--WHOQOL-BREF (HK)--measures compared with the non-sex-working women. One common aspect among these sex workers was their negative view of themselves and of life. Many sex workers were at risk of being abused while at work, and many women worked without legal protection. Most of the women surveyed engaged in sex work to support their families. Because their income was often insufficient, some of their needs, especially those concerning health, were often neglected. The low WHOQOL-BREF (HK) scores in FSWs indicate feelings of helplessness and entrapment, which may well result in detrimental effects on sex workers' health, self-esteem, and confidence when asserting their basic rights, such as access to healthcare and safety. The conclusion highlights the vulnerability of this population to apparent weaknesses in Hong Kong's current healthcare system.

  1. Exploring dynamics of anal sex among female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, Saroj; Krishna, Rama; Prabhakar, Parimi; Panyam, Swarup; Anand, Pankaj

    2012-01-01

    The anal sex among heterosexual couples is on the rise as reported in many scientific studies. Considering that unprotected anal sex has higher risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission than the vaginal sex, we undertook a study to understand the anal sex practices among Female Sex Workers (FSW). The study was conducted among FSW attending 11 randomly selected sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics in Bill and Melinda Gates supported targeted interventions in Andhra Pradesh. A structured questionnaire was administered to the 555 FSW attending these clinics by project clinic counselors. Informed consent was obtained from all the study participants. Engaging in anal sex was self reported by 22% of sex workers, though demand from clients was reported to be much higher (40%). The reasons for anal sex practices included more money (61%), clout/influence of the client (45%), risk of losing client (27%), and forced sex (1.2%). Factors associated with anal sex were higher number of clients, higher duration of sex work, higher income, and older age group. Associated risks perceived by FSW were bleeding and injury to anal canal (98%) while only 28% associated it with higher HIV transmission risk. Reported Condom and lubricant use was about 88% and 39% respectively. The study shows that there is frequent anal sex, inconsistent condom and infrequent lubricant usage, economic and physical coercion, and low awareness of STI/HIV transmission risk among FSW, which have serious implications for HIV prevention programmes. There is a need to focus on anal sex education and use of lubricants along with condoms during anal sex in FSW-targeted interventions in AP.

  2. Registration of deformed multimodality medical images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moshfeghi, M.; Naidich, D.

    1989-01-01

    The registration and combination of images from different modalities have several potential applications, such as functional and anatomic studies, 3D radiation treatment planning, surgical planning, and retrospective studies. Image registration algorithms should correct for any local deformations caused by respiration, heart beat, imaging device distortions, and so forth. This paper reports on an elastic matching technique for registering deformed multimodality images. Correspondences between contours in the two images are used to stretch the deformed image toward its goal image. This process is repeated a number of times, with decreasing image stiffness. As the iterations continue, the stretched image better approximates its goal image

  3. Foam rheology at large deformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Géminard, J.-C.; Pastenes, J. C.; Melo, F.

    2018-04-01

    Large deformations are prone to cause irreversible changes in materials structure, generally leading to either material hardening or softening. Aqueous foam is a metastable disordered structure of densely packed gas bubbles. We report on the mechanical response of a foam layer subjected to quasistatic periodic shear at large amplitude. We observe that, upon increasing shear, the shear stress follows a universal curve that is nearly exponential and tends to an asymptotic stress value interpreted as the critical yield stress at which the foam structure is completely remodeled. Relevant trends of the foam mechanical response to cycling are mathematically reproduced through a simple law accounting for the amount of plastic deformation upon increasing stress. This view provides a natural interpretation to stress hardening in foams, demonstrating that plastic effects are present in this material even for minute deformation.

  4. Deformation and shell effects in nuclear mass formulas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbero, César; Hirsch, Jorge G.; Mariano, Alejandro E.

    2012-01-01

    We analyze the ability of three different Liquid Drop Mass (LDM) formulas to describe nuclear masses for nuclei in various deformation regions. Separating the 2149 measured nuclear species into eight sets with similar quadrupole deformations, we show that the masses of prolate deformed nuclei are better described than those of spherical ones. In fact, the prolate deformed nuclei are fitted with an RMS smaller than 750 keV, while for spherical and semi-magic species the RMS is always larger than 2000 keV. These results are found to be independent of pairing. It is also shown that the macroscopic sector of the Duflo–Zuker (DZ) mass model reproduces shell effects, while most of the deformation dependence is lost and the RMS is larger than in any LDM. Adding to the LDM the microscopically motivated DZ master terms introduces the shell effects, allowing for a significant reduction in the RMS of the fit but still exhibiting a better description of prolate deformed nuclei. The inclusion of shell effects following the Interacting Boson Model's ideas produces similar results.

  5. Deformation and shell effects in nuclear mass formulas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barbero, Cesar [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, C.C. 67, 1900 La Plata (Argentina); Instituto de Fisica La Plata, CONICET, 1900 La Plata (Argentina); Hirsch, Jorge G., E-mail: hirsch@nucleares.unam.mx [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 04510 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Mariano, Alejandro E. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, C.C. 67, 1900 La Plata (Argentina); Instituto de Fisica La Plata, CONICET, 1900 La Plata (Argentina)

    2012-01-15

    We analyze the ability of three different Liquid Drop Mass (LDM) formulas to describe nuclear masses for nuclei in various deformation regions. Separating the 2149 measured nuclear species into eight sets with similar quadrupole deformations, we show that the masses of prolate deformed nuclei are better described than those of spherical ones. In fact, the prolate deformed nuclei are fitted with an RMS smaller than 750 keV, while for spherical and semi-magic species the RMS is always larger than 2000 keV. These results are found to be independent of pairing. It is also shown that the macroscopic sector of the Duflo-Zuker (DZ) mass model reproduces shell effects, while most of the deformation dependence is lost and the RMS is larger than in any LDM. Adding to the LDM the microscopically motivated DZ master terms introduces the shell effects, allowing for a significant reduction in the RMS of the fit but still exhibiting a better description of prolate deformed nuclei. The inclusion of shell effects following the Interacting Boson Model's ideas produces similar results.

  6. Contact networks structured by sex underpin sex-specific epidemiology of infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silk, Matthew J; Weber, Nicola L; Steward, Lucy C; Hodgson, David J; Boots, Mike; Croft, Darren P; Delahay, Richard J; McDonald, Robbie A

    2018-02-01

    Contact networks are fundamental to the transmission of infection and host sex often affects the acquisition and progression of infection. However, the epidemiological impacts of sex-related variation in animal contact networks have rarely been investigated. We test the hypothesis that sex-biases in infection are related to variation in multilayer contact networks structured by sex in a population of European badgers Meles meles naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis. Our key results are that male-male and between-sex networks are structured at broader spatial scales than female-female networks and that in male-male and between-sex contact networks, but not female-female networks, there is a significant relationship between infection and contacts with individuals in other groups. These sex differences in social behaviour may underpin male-biased acquisition of infection and may result in males being responsible for more between-group transmission. This highlights the importance of sex-related variation in host behaviour when managing animal diseases. © 2017 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Why we should consider sex (and study sex differences) in addiction research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchis-Segura, Carla; Becker, Jill B

    2016-09-01

    Among mammals, every cell has a biological sex, and the sex of an individual pervades its body and brain. In this review, we describe the processes through which mammals become phenotypically male or female by organizational and activational influences of genes and hormones throughout development. We emphasized that the molecular and cellular changes triggered by sex chromosomes and steroid hormones may generate sex differences in overt physiological functions and behavior, but they may alternatively promote end-point convergences between males and females. Clinical and pre-clinical evidences suggest that sex and gender differences modulate drug consumption as well as of the transition towards drug-promoted pathological states such as dependence and addiction. Additionally, sex differences in drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics will also influence dependence and addiction as well as side effects of drugs. These effects will further interact with socially gendered factors to result in sex differences in the access to, engagement in and efficacy of any therapeutic attempt. Finally, we maintain that 'sex sameness' is as important as 'sex differences' when building a complete understanding of biology for both males and females and provide a framework with which to classify and guide investigation into the mechanisms mediating sex differences and sex sameness. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  8. Exponentiation and deformations of Lie-admissible algebras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myung, H.C.

    1982-01-01

    The exponential function is defined for a finite-dimensional real power-associative algebra with unit element. The application of the exponential function is focused on the power-associative (p,q)-mutation of a real or complex associative algebra. Explicit formulas are computed for the (p,q)-mutation of the real envelope of the spin 1 algebra and the Lie algebra so(3) of the rotation group, in light of earlier investigations of the spin 1/2. A slight variant of the mutated exponential is interpreted as a continuous function of the Lie algebra into some isotope of the corresponding linear Lie group. The second part of this paper is concerned with the representation and deformation of a Lie-admissible algebra. The second cohomology group of a Lie-admissible algebra is introduced as a generalization of those of associative and Lie algebras in the Hochschild and Chevalley-Eilenberg theory. Some elementary theory of algebraic deformation of Lie-admissible algebras is discussed in view of generalization of that of associative and Lie algebras. Lie-admissible deformations are also suggested by the representation of Lie-admissible algebras. Some explicit examples of Lie-admissible deformation are given in terms of the (p,q)-mutation of associative deformation of an associative algebra. Finally, we discuss Lie-admissible deformations of order one

  9. Improved image registration by sparse patch-based deformation estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Minjeong; Wu, Guorong; Wang, Qian; Lee, Seong-Whan; Shen, Dinggang

    2015-01-15

    Despite intensive efforts for decades, deformable image registration is still a challenging problem due to the potential large anatomical differences across individual images, which limits the registration performance. Fortunately, this issue could be alleviated if a good initial deformation can be provided for the two images under registration, which are often termed as the moving subject and the fixed template, respectively. In this work, we present a novel patch-based initial deformation prediction framework for improving the performance of existing registration algorithms. Our main idea is to estimate the initial deformation between subject and template in a patch-wise fashion by using the sparse representation technique. We argue that two image patches should follow the same deformation toward the template image if their patch-wise appearance patterns are similar. To this end, our framework consists of two stages, i.e., the training stage and the application stage. In the training stage, we register all training images to the pre-selected template, such that the deformation of each training image with respect to the template is known. In the application stage, we apply the following four steps to efficiently calculate the initial deformation field for the new test subject: (1) We pick a small number of key points in the distinctive regions of the test subject; (2) for each key point, we extract a local patch and form a coupled appearance-deformation dictionary from training images where each dictionary atom consists of the image intensity patch as well as their respective local deformations; (3) a small set of training image patches in the coupled dictionary are selected to represent the image patch of each subject key point by sparse representation. Then, we can predict the initial deformation for each subject key point by propagating the pre-estimated deformations on the selected training patches with the same sparse representation coefficients; and (4) we

  10. How to be a dioecious fig: Chemical mimicry between sexes matters only when both sexes flower synchronously

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hossaert-McKey, M.; Proffit, M.; Soler, C. C. L.; Chen, C.; Bessière, J.-M.; Schatz, B.; Borges, R. M.

    2016-01-01

    In nursery pollination mutualisms, which are usually obligate interactions, olfactory attraction of pollinators by floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is the main step in guaranteeing partner encounter. However, mechanisms ensuring the evolutionary stability of dioecious fig–pollinator mutualisms, in which female fig trees engage in pollination by deceit resulting in zero reproductive success of pollinators that visit them, are poorly understood. In dioecious figs, individuals of each sex should be selected to produce odours that their pollinating wasps cannot distinguish, especially since pollinators have usually only one choice of a nursery during their lifetime. To test the hypothesis of intersexual chemical mimicry, VOCs emitted by pollen-receptive figs of seven dioecious species were compared using headspace collection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. First, fig-flower scents varied significantly among species, allowing host-species recognition. Second, in species in which male and female figs are synchronous, intersexual VOC variation was not significant. However, in species where figs of both sexes flower asynchronously, intersexual variation of VOCs was detectable. Finally, with one exception, there was no sexual dimorphism in scent quantity. We show that there are two ways to use scent to be a dioecious fig based on differences in flowering synchrony between the sexes. PMID:26888579

  11. Discrete kinematic modeling of the 3-D deformation of sedimentary basins; Modelisation cinematique discrete de la deformation 3D des bassins sedimentaires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cornu, T.

    2001-01-01

    The present work deals with three-dimensional deformation of sedimentary basins. The main goal of the work was to propose new ways to study tectonic deformation and to insert it into basin-modeling environment for hydrocarbon migration applications. To handle the complexity of the deformation, the model uses kinematic laws, a discrete approach, and the construction of a code that allows the greatest diversity in the deformation mechanisms we can take into account. The 3-D-volume deformation is obtained through the calculation of the behavior of the neutral surface of each basin layer. The main idea is to deform the neutral surface of each layer with the help of geometrical laws and to use the result to rebuild the volume deformation of the basin. The constitutive algorithm includes three characteristic features. The first one deals with the mathematical operator we use to describe the flexural-slip mechanism which is a combination of the translation of the neutral surface nodes and the rotation of the vertical edges attached to these nodes. This performs the reversibility that was required for the basin modeling. The second one is about. the use of a discrete approach, which gives a better description of the global deformation and offers to locally control volume evolutions. The knowledge of volume variations can become a powerful tool in structural geology analysis and the perfect complement for a field study. The last one concerns the modularity of the developed code. Indeed, the proposed model uses three main mechanisms of deformation. But the architecture of the code allows the insertion of new mechanisms or a better interaction between them. The model has been validated first with 2-D cases, then with 3-D natural cases. They give good results from a qualitative point of view. They also show the capacity of the model to provide a deformation path that is geologically acceptable, and its ability to control the volume variations of the basin through the

  12. Sex-linked dominant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inheritance - sex-linked dominant; Genetics - sex-linked dominant; X-linked dominant; Y-linked dominant ... can be either an autosomal chromosome or a sex chromosome. It also depends on whether the trait ...

  13. The minimally invasive spinal deformity surgery algorithm: a reproducible rational framework for decision making in minimally invasive spinal deformity surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mummaneni, Praveen V; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Lenke, Lawrence G; Park, Paul; Wang, Michael Y; La Marca, Frank; Smith, Justin S; Mundis, Gregory M; Okonkwo, David O; Moal, Bertrand; Fessler, Richard G; Anand, Neel; Uribe, Juan S; Kanter, Adam S; Akbarnia, Behrooz; Fu, Kai-Ming G

    2014-05-01

    Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is an alternative to open deformity surgery for the treatment of patients with adult spinal deformity. However, at this time MIS techniques are not as versatile as open deformity techniques, and MIS techniques have been reported to result in suboptimal sagittal plane correction or pseudarthrosis when used for severe deformities. The minimally invasive spinal deformity surgery (MISDEF) algorithm was created to provide a framework for rational decision making for surgeons who are considering MIS versus open spine surgery. A team of experienced spinal deformity surgeons developed the MISDEF algorithm that incorporates a patient's preoperative radiographic parameters and leads to one of 3 general plans ranging from MIS direct or indirect decompression to open deformity surgery with osteotomies. The authors surveyed fellowship-trained spine surgeons experienced with spinal deformity surgery to validate the algorithm using a set of 20 cases to establish interobserver reliability. They then resurveyed the same surgeons 2 months later with the same cases presented in a different sequence to establish intraobserver reliability. Responses were collected and tabulated. Fleiss' analysis was performed using MATLAB software. Over a 3-month period, 11 surgeons completed the surveys. Responses for MISDEF algorithm case review demonstrated an interobserver kappa of 0.58 for the first round of surveys and an interobserver kappa of 0.69 for the second round of surveys, consistent with substantial agreement. In at least 10 cases there was perfect agreement between the reviewing surgeons. The mean intraobserver kappa for the 2 surveys was 0.86 ± 0.15 (± SD) and ranged from 0.62 to 1. The use of the MISDEF algorithm provides consistent and straightforward guidance for surgeons who are considering either an MIS or an open approach for the treatment of patients with adult spinal deformity. The MISDEF algorithm was found to have substantial inter- and

  14. Relationship between Postural Deformities and Frontal Function in Parkinson's Disease

    OpenAIRE

    Ninomiya, Satoko; Morita, Akihiko; Teramoto, Hiroko; Akimoto, Takayoshi; Shiota, Hiroshi; Kamei, Satoshi

    2015-01-01

    Postural deformities and executive dysfunction (ED) are common symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD); however, the relationship between postural deformities and ED in patients with PD remains unclear. This study assessed the relationship between postural deformities and ED in patients with PD. Sixty-five patients with sporadic PD were assessed for the severity of postural deformities and executive function. The severity of postural deformities was scored using the United Parkinson's Disease Ra...

  15. The roles of Dmrt (Double sex/Male-abnormal-3 Related Transcription factor) genes in sex determination and differentiation mechanisms: Ubiquity and diversity across the animal kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picard, Marion Anne-Lise; Cosseau, Céline; Mouahid, Gabriel; Duval, David; Grunau, Christoph; Toulza, Ève; Allienne, Jean-François; Boissier, Jérôme

    2015-07-01

    The Dmrt (Double sex/Male-abnormal-3 Related Transcription factor) genes have been intensively studied because they represent major transcription factors in the pathways governing sex determination and differentiation. These genes have been identified in animal groups ranging from cnidarians to mammals, and some of the genes functionally studied. Here, we propose to analyze (i) the presence/absence of various Dmrt gene groups in the different taxa across the animal kingdom; (ii) the relative expression levels of the Dmrt genes in each sex; (iii) the specific spatial (by organ) and temporal (by developmental stage) variations in gene expression. This review considers non-mammalian animals at all levels of study (i.e. no particular importance is given to animal models), and using all types of sexual strategy (hermaphroditic or gonochoric) and means of sex determination (i.e. genetic or environmental). To conclude this global comparison, we offer an analysis of the DM domains conserved among the different DMRT proteins, and propose a general sex-specific pattern for each member of the Dmrt gene family. Copyright © 2015 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. Multi-trace deformations in AdS/CFT. Exploring the vacuum structure of the deformed CFT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Papadimitriou, I. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)]|[Center for Mathematical Physics, Hamburg (Germany)

    2007-03-15

    We present a general and systematic treatment of multi-trace deformations in the AdS/CFT correspondence in the large N limit, pointing out and clarifying subtleties relating to the formulation of the boundary value problem on a conformal boundary. We then apply this method to study multi-trace deformations in the presence of a scalar VEV, which requires the coupling to gravity to be taken into account. We show that supergravity solutions subject to 'mixed' boundary conditions are in one-to-one correspondence with critical points of the holographic effective action of the dual theory in the presence of a multi-trace deformation, and we find a number of new exact analytic solutions involving a minimally or conformally coupled scalar field satisfying 'mixed' boundary conditions. These include the generalization to any dimension of the instanton solution recently found in hep-th/0611315. Finally, we provide a systematic method for computing the holographic effective action in the presence of a multi-trace deformation in a derivative expansion away from the conformal vacuum using Hamilton-Jacobi theory. Requiring that this effective action exists and is bounded from below reproduces recent results on the stability of the AdS vacuum in the presence of 'mixed' boundary conditions. (orig.)

  17. Multi-trace deformations in AdS/CFT. Exploring the vacuum structure of the deformed CFT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papadimitriou, I.

    2007-03-01

    We present a general and systematic treatment of multi-trace deformations in the AdS/CFT correspondence in the large N limit, pointing out and clarifying subtleties relating to the formulation of the boundary value problem on a conformal boundary. We then apply this method to study multi-trace deformations in the presence of a scalar VEV, which requires the coupling to gravity to be taken into account. We show that supergravity solutions subject to 'mixed' boundary conditions are in one-to-one correspondence with critical points of the holographic effective action of the dual theory in the presence of a multi-trace deformation, and we find a number of new exact analytic solutions involving a minimally or conformally coupled scalar field satisfying 'mixed' boundary conditions. These include the generalization to any dimension of the instanton solution recently found in hep-th/0611315. Finally, we provide a systematic method for computing the holographic effective action in the presence of a multi-trace deformation in a derivative expansion away from the conformal vacuum using Hamilton-Jacobi theory. Requiring that this effective action exists and is bounded from below reproduces recent results on the stability of the AdS vacuum in the presence of 'mixed' boundary conditions. (orig.)

  18. Population and sex differences in Drosophila melanogaster brain gene expression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catalán Ana

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Changes in gene regulation are thought to be crucial for the adaptation of organisms to their environment. Transcriptome analyses can be used to identify candidate genes for ecological adaptation, but can be complicated by variation in gene expression between tissues, sexes, or individuals. Here we use high-throughput RNA sequencing of a single Drosophila melanogaster tissue to detect brain-specific differences in gene expression between the sexes and between two populations, one from the ancestral species range in sub-Saharan Africa and one from the recently colonized species range in Europe. Results Relatively few genes (Cyp6g1 and CHKov1. Conclusions Analysis of the brain transcriptome revealed many genes differing in expression between populations that were not detected in previous studies using whole flies. There was little evidence for sex-specific regulatory adaptation in the brain, as most expression differences between populations were observed in both males and females. The enrichment of genes with sexually dimorphic expression on the X chromosome is consistent with dosage compensation mechanisms affecting sex-biased expression in somatic tissues.

  19. Elevated temperature cyclic deformation of stainless-steel and interaction effects with other modes of deformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, A.P.L.

    1976-01-01

    Since pertinent information concerning the deformation history of a material is stored in its current structure, an attempt has been made to determine the number of state variables necessary to uniquely describe the material's present condition. An experimental program has been carried out to determine the number of state variables which is required to describe the tensile test, cyclic, and creep behavior of 304 stainless steel at elevated temperature. Tests have been conducted at 300 0 C and 560 0 C which correspond to homologous temperatures of 1 / 3 and 1 / 2 , respectively. The experiments consisted of subjecting samples to deformation histories during which the mode of deformation was changed so that two material responses could be measured for the same state of the material. Results strongly suggest that at least two state variables are necessary

  20. The effect of lipocortin 1 on neutrophil deformability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. M. Drost

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available Lipocortn 1 (Lc1 is an anti-inflammatory protein, which, given systemically, inhibits polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN emigration from the circulation to sites of inflammation; delivery of Lc1 to the inflamed site is ineffective. We have examined the effect of Lc1 on changes in PMN deformability, and observed a consistent improvement in the deformability of unstimulated PMN; N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP-activated cell deformability was unaltered. A Lc1-induced increase in cell deformability may reduce PMN sequestration so contributing to the anti-migratory effects of systemic Lc1 previously demonstrated in vivo.

  1. Structure of deformed metals. Struktura deformirovannykh metallov

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bernshtein, M L

    1977-01-01

    A teaching aid for students at metallurgical and machine-building institutions of higher learning. It can also be used by engineering-technical personnel and scientists. A presentation is made of physical concepts on the mechanism of plastic deformation and its effect on fine structure, structure and properties of metals and alloys. An examination is made of the processes of recovery, polygonization and recrystallization during the heating of cold-deformed metals. The influence of thermal deformation is described to account for the interaction between admixture atoms and dislocations, phase and structural transformations. An examination is made of the phenomenon of superplasticity. Special attention is given to the process of hot deformation. An analysis is made of phenomena at the basis of hardening steel as a result of thermo-mechanical processing, including controlled rolling.

  2. Deformation mechanisms of nanotwinned Al

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Xinghang [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

    2016-11-10

    The objective of this project is to investigate the role of different types of layer interfaces on the formation of high density stacking fault (SF) in Al in Al/fcc multilayers, and understand the corresponding deformation mechanisms of the films. Stacking faults or twins can be intentionally introduced (via growth) into certain fcc metals with low stacking fault energy (such as Cu, Ag and 330 stainless steels) to achieve high strength, high ductility, superior thermal stability and good electrical conductivity. However it is still a major challenge to synthesize these types of defects into metals with high stacking fault energy, such as Al. Although deformation twins have been observed in some nanocrystalline Al powders by low temperature, high strain rate cryomilling or in Al at the edge of crack tip or indentation (with the assistance of high stress intensity factor), these deformation techniques typically introduce twins sporadically and the control of deformation twin density in Al is still not feasible. This project is designed to test the following hypotheses: (1) Certain type of layer interfaces may assist the formation of SF in Al, (2) Al with high density SF may have deformation mechanisms drastically different from those of coarse-grained Al and nanotwinned Cu. To test these hypotheses, we have performed the following tasks: (i) Investigate the influence of layer interfaces, stresses and deposition parameters on the formation and density of SF in Al. (ii) Understand the role of SF on the deformation behavior of Al. In situ nanoindentation experiments will be performed to probe deformation mechanisms in Al. The major findings related to the formation mechanism of twins and mechanical behavior of nanotwinned metals include the followings: 1) Our studies show that nanotwins can be introduced into metals with high stacking fault energy, in drastic contrast to the general anticipation. 2) We show two strategies that can effectively introduce growth twins in

  3. Deformation mechanisms of nanotwinned Al

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xinghang

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this project is to investigate the role of different types of layer interfaces on the formation of high density stacking fault (SF) in Al in Al/fcc multilayers, and understand the corresponding deformation mechanisms of the films. Stacking faults or twins can be intentionally introduced (via growth) into certain fcc metals with low stacking fault energy (such as Cu, Ag and 330 stainless steels) to achieve high strength, high ductility, superior thermal stability and good electrical conductivity. However it is still a major challenge to synthesize these types of defects into metals with high stacking fault energy, such as Al. Although deformation twins have been observed in some nanocrystalline Al powders by low temperature, high strain rate cryomilling or in Al at the edge of crack tip or indentation (with the assistance of high stress intensity factor), these deformation techniques typically introduce twins sporadically and the control of deformation twin density in Al is still not feasible. This project is designed to test the following hypotheses: (1) Certain type of layer interfaces may assist the formation of SF in Al, (2) Al with high density SF may have deformation mechanisms drastically different from those of coarse-grained Al and nanotwinned Cu. To test these hypotheses, we have performed the following tasks: (i) Investigate the influence of layer interfaces, stresses and deposition parameters on the formation and density of SF in Al. (ii) Understand the role of SF on the deformation behavior of Al. In situ nanoindentation experiments will be performed to probe deformation mechanisms in Al. The major findings related to the formation mechanism of twins and mechanical behavior of nanotwinned metals include the followings: 1) Our studies show that nanotwins can be introduced into metals with high stacking fault energy, in drastic contrast to the general anticipation. 2) We show two strategies that can effectively introduce growth twins in

  4. Effects of lornoxicam and intravenous ibuprofen on erythrocyte deformability and hepatic and renal blood flow in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arpacı, Hande; Çomu, Faruk Metin; Küçük, Ayşegül; Kösem, Bahadır; Kartal, Seyfi; Şıvgın, Volkan; Turgut, Hüseyin Cihad; Aydın, Muhammed Enes; Koç, Derya Sebile; Arslan, Mustafa

    2016-01-01

    Change in blood supply is held responsible for anesthesia-related abnormal tissue and organ perfusion. Decreased erythrocyte deformability and increased aggregation may be detected after surgery performed under general anesthesia. It was shown that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs decrease erythrocyte deformability. Lornoxicam and/or intravenous (iv) ibuprofen are commonly preferred analgesic agents for postoperative pain management. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of lornoxicam (2 mg/kg, iv) and ibuprofen (30 mg/kg, iv) on erythrocyte deformability, as well as hepatic and renal blood flows, in male rats. Eighteen male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups as follows: iv lornoxicam-treated group (Group L), iv ibuprofen-treated group (Group İ), and control group (Group C). Drug administration was carried out by the iv route in all groups except Group C. Hepatic and renal blood flows were studied by laser Doppler, and euthanasia was performed via intra-abdominal blood uptake. Erythrocyte deformability was measured using a constant-flow filtrometry system. Lornoxicam and ibuprofen increased the relative resistance, which is an indicator of erythrocyte deformability, of rats (P=0.016). Comparison of the results from Group L and Group I revealed no statistically significant differences (P=0.694), although the erythrocyte deformability levels in Group L and Group I were statistically higher than the results observed in Group C (P=0.018 and P=0.008, respectively). Hepatic and renal blood flows were significantly lower than the same in Group C. We believe that lornoxicam and ibuprofen may lead to functional disorders related to renal and liver tissue perfusion secondary to both decreased blood flow and erythrocyte deformability. Further studies regarding these issues are thought to be essential.

  5. Sex differences in the neural mechanisms mediating addiction: a new synthesis and hypothesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Becker Jill B

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this review we propose that there are sex differences in how men and women enter onto the path that can lead to addiction. Males are more likely than females to engage in risky behaviors that include experimenting with drugs of abuse, and in susceptible individuals, they are drawn into the spiral that can eventually lead to addiction. Women and girls are more likely to begin taking drugs as self-medication to reduce stress or alleviate depression. For this reason women enter into the downward spiral further along the path to addiction, and so transition to addiction more rapidly. We propose that this sex difference is due, at least in part, to sex differences in the organization of the neural systems responsible for motivation and addiction. Additionally, we suggest that sex differences in these systems and their functioning are accentuated with addiction. In the current review we discuss historical, cultural, social and biological bases for sex differences in addiction with an emphasis on sex differences in the neurotransmitter systems that are implicated.

  6. α-clustering and triaxial deformations in 40Ca

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taniguchi, Yasutaka; Kimura, Masaaki; Kanada-En'yo, Yoshiko; Horiuchi, Hisashi

    2007-01-01

    We have studied the positive-parity states of 40 Ca using antisymmetrized molecular dynamics (AMD) and the generator coordinate method (GCM). Imposing two different kinds of constraints on the variational calculation, we have found various kinds of 40 Ca structures such as a deformed-shell structure, as well as α- 36 Ar and 12 C- 28 Si cluster structures. After the GCM calculation, we obtained a normal-deformed band and a superdeformed band together with their side bands associated with triaxial deformation. The calculated B(E2) values agreed well with empirical data. It was also found that the normal-deformed and superdeformed bands contain α- 36 Ar and 12 C- 28 Si cluster structure components, respectively. This leads to the presence of an α- 36 Ar higher-nodal band occurring above the normal-deformed band

  7. Stylopsal: The First Identified Female-produced Sex Pheromone of Strepsiptera

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Cvačka, Josef; Jiroš, Pavel; Kalinová, Blanka; Straka, J.; Černá, K.; Šebesta, Petr; Tomčala, Aleš; Vašíčková, Soňa; Jahn, Ullrich; Šobotník, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 38, č. 12 (2012), s. 1483-1491 ISSN 0098-0331 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP506/10/1466 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : strepsiptera * stylops * sex pheromone * aldehyde * trimethyldodecanal * fat body Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.462, year: 2012

  8. Electron form factors of deformable nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tartakovskii, V.K.; Isupov, V.Yu.

    1988-01-01

    Using the smallness of the deformation parameter of the nucleus, we obtain simple explicit expressions for the form factors of electroexcitation of the low-lying rotation-vibration states of light, deformable, even-even nuclei. The expressions satisfactorily describe the experimental data on the excitation of collective nuclear states by the inelastic scattering of fast electrons

  9. Deformation compatibility control for engineering structures methods and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Zhu, Hanhua; Chen, Mengchong; Deng, Jianliang

    2017-01-01

    This book presents essential methods of deformation compatibility control, and explicitly addresses the implied conditions on the methods’ deformation compatibility. Consequently, these conditions can be considered in engineering structure design, while the conditions on stable equilibrium can be taken into account in the design method. Thus, the designed deformation and the actual deformation of the respective structure are approximately identical, guaranteeing both the flexibility of the construction material in force transmission and the equilibrium of force in the structure. Though equilibrium theory in engineering structures has been extensively studied, there has been comparatively little research on compatibility. In the limited researches available, the topics are primarily the theories and assumptions on the deformation compatibility, while few systematic works focus on the mechanical theoretical principles and methods of deformation compatibility control. As such, the flexibility of the constructi...

  10. Bridge continuous deformation measurement technology based on fiber optic gyro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gan, Weibing; Hu, Wenbin; Liu, Fang; Tang, Jianguang; Li, Sheng; Yang, Yan

    2016-03-01

    Bridge is an important part of modern transportation systems and deformation is a key index for bridge's safety evaluation. To achieve the long span bridge curve measurement rapidly and timely and accurately locate the bridge maximum deformation, the continuous deformation measurement system (CDMS) based on inertial platform is presented and validated in this paper. Firstly, based on various bridge deformation measurement methods, the method of deformation measurement based on the fiber optic gyro (FOG) is introduced. Secondly, the basic measurement principle based on FOG is presented and the continuous curve trajectory is derived by the formula. Then the measurement accuracy is analyzed in theory and the relevant factors are presented to ensure the measurement accuracy. Finally, the deformation measurement experiments are conducted on a bridge across the Yangtze River. Experimental results show that the presented deformation measurement method is feasible, practical, and reliable; the system can accurately and quickly locate the maximum deformation and has extensive and broad application prospects.

  11. Alpha- and Omega-Deformations from fluxes in M-Theory

    CERN Document Server

    Lambert, Neil; Reffert, Susanne

    2014-01-01

    We discuss an SL(2,R) family of deformed N=2 four-dimensional gauge theories which we derive from a flux background in M-theory. In addition to the Omega-deformation this family includes a new deformation, which we call the Alpha-deformation, which can be viewed as an S-dual to the Omega-deformation. We study these gauge theories in two ways: by constructing a non-Abelian (but UV-complete) Lagrangian, and by their strong coupling lift to M-theory where their low-energy dynamics can be determined by examining the equation of motion of a single M5-brane wrapped on a Riemann surface.

  12. Doing gender in sex and sex research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanwesenbeeck, Ine

    2009-12-01

    Gender is central to sexuality, and vice versa, but there are a number of difficulties with the treatment of gender in sex research. Apparently, it is hard to find a balance between two conflicting needs. First, obviously, it is necessary to make distinctions between women and men, for political as well as research-technical and theoretical reasons. A second requirement, at odds with the first one, is the necessity to understand gender and its relation to sexuality and the body as much more complex than simplistically referring to two sets of individuals. This is all the more necessary when one realizes the possible drawbacks of exaggerating the differences between the sexes (in particular when they are biologically explained), because of stereotyping, stigmatizing, and expectancy confirmatory processes. This essay identifies and discusses 10 difficulties in the treatment of gender in sex research, reflects on their origins, and reviews theory and evidence with the aim to (1) consider the relative strength of gender/sex as an explanatory variable compared to other factors and processes explaining differences between men and women on a number of sexual aspects, (2) inform an understanding of gender and its relation to sexuality as an ongoing, open-ended, multi-determined, situated, interactional process, with the body as a third player, and (3) argue in favor of a nuanced, well-balanced treatment of gender in sex research.

  13. Large shear deformation of particle gels studied by Brownian Dynamics simulations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rzepiela, A.A.; Opheusden, van J.H.J.; Vliet, van T.

    2002-01-01

    This paper focuses on shear deformation of particle gels. Two different methods of shear deformation are discussed, namely affine and non-affine deformation, the second being novel in simulation studies of gels. Non-affine deformation resulted in a slower increase of the stress at small deformation.

  14. Treatment of hallux valgus deformity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraissler, Lukas; Konrads, Christian; Hoberg, Maik; Rudert, Maximilian; Walcher, Matthias

    2016-08-01

    Hallux valgus deformity is a very common pathological condition which commonly produces painful disability. It is characterised as a combined deformity with a malpositioning of the first metatarsophalangeal joint caused by a lateral deviation of the great toe and a medial deviation of the first metatarsal bone.Taking the patient's history and a thorough physical examination are important steps. Anteroposterior and lateral weight-bearing radiographs of the entire foot are crucial for adequate assessment in the treatment of hallux valgus.Non-operative treatment of the hallux valgus cannot correct the deformity. However, insoles and physiotherapy in combination with good footwear can help to control the symptoms.There are many operative techniques for hallux valgus correction. The decision on which surgical technique is used depends on the degree of deformity, the extent of degenerative changes of the first metatarsophalangeal joint and the shape and size of the metatarsal bone and phalangeal deviation. The role of stability of the first tarsometatarsal joint is controversial.Surgical techniques include the modified McBride procedure, distal metatarsal osteotomies, metatarsal shaft osteotomies, the Akin osteotomy, proximal metatarsal osteotomies, the modified Lapidus fusion and the hallux joint fusion. Recently, minimally invasive percutaneous techniques have gained importance and are currently being evaluated more scientifically.Hallux valgus correction is followed by corrective dressings of the great toe post-operatively. Depending on the procedure, partial or full weight-bearing in a post-operative shoe or cast immobilisation is advised. Post-operative radiographs are taken in regular intervals until osseous healing is achieved. Cite this article: Fraissler L, Konrads C, Hoberg M, Rudert M, Walcher M. Treatment of hallux valgus deformity. EFORT Open Rev 2016;1:295-302. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.1.000005.

  15. Texture and deformation mechanism of yttrium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamesku, R.A.; Grebenkin, S.V.; Stepanenko, A.V.

    1992-01-01

    X-ray pole figure analysis was applied to study texture and deformation mechanism in pure and commercial polycrystalline yttrium on cold working. It was found that in cast yttrium the texture manifected itself weakly enough both for pure and commercial metal. Analysis of the data obtained made it possible to assert that cold deformation of pure yttrium in the initial stage occurred mainly by slip the role of which decreased at strains higher than 36%. The texture of heavily deformed commercial yttrium contained two components, these were an 'ideal' basic orientation and an axial one with the angle of inclination about 20 deg. Twinning mechanism was revealed to be also possible in commercial yttrium

  16. The thermal and mechanical deformation study of up-stream pumping mechanical seal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, H L; Xu, C; Zuo, M Z; Wu, Q B

    2015-01-01

    Taking the viscosity-temperature relationship of the fluid film into consideration, a 3-D numerical model was established by ANSYS software which can simulate the heat transfer between the upstream pumping mechanical seal stationary and rotational rings and the fluid film between them as well as simulate the thermal deformation, structure deformation and the coupling deformation of them. According to the calculation result, thermal deformation causes the seal face expansion and the maximum thermal deformation appears at the inside of the seal ring. Pressure results in a mechanical deformation, the maximum deformation occurs at the top of the spiral groove and the overall trend is inward the mating face, opposite to the thermal deformation. The coupling deformation indicate that the thermal deformation can be partly counteracted by pressure deformation. Using this model, the relationship between deformation and shaft speed and the sealing liquid pressure was studied. It's found that the shaft speed will both enhance the thermal and structure deformation and the fluid pressure will enhance the structure deformation but has little to do with the thermal deformation. By changing the sealing material, it's found that material with low thermal expansion coefficient and low elastic modulus will suffer less thermal-pressure deformation

  17. The thermal and mechanical deformation study of up-stream pumping mechanical seal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, H. L.; Xu, C.; Zuo, M. Z.; Wu, Q. B.

    2015-01-01

    Taking the viscosity-temperature relationship of the fluid film into consideration, a 3-D numerical model was established by ANSYS software which can simulate the heat transfer between the upstream pumping mechanical seal stationary and rotational rings and the fluid film between them as well as simulate the thermal deformation, structure deformation and the coupling deformation of them. According to the calculation result, thermal deformation causes the seal face expansion and the maximum thermal deformation appears at the inside of the seal ring. Pressure results in a mechanical deformation, the maximum deformation occurs at the top of the spiral groove and the overall trend is inward the mating face, opposite to the thermal deformation. The coupling deformation indicate that the thermal deformation can be partly counteracted by pressure deformation. Using this model, the relationship between deformation and shaft speed and the sealing liquid pressure was studied. It's found that the shaft speed will both enhance the thermal and structure deformation and the fluid pressure will enhance the structure deformation but has little to do with the thermal deformation. By changing the sealing material, it's found that material with low thermal expansion coefficient and low elastic modulus will suffer less thermal-pressure deformation.

  18. Multiple sex partner

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    intercourse, about 60% reported having a single sexual partner and 40% reported having multiple ... masturbation, start having sex at a younger age, have sex with married people and/or .... sex were considered unacceptable by 89 vs.

  19. Organization and activation of sexual and agonistic behavior in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhen, T; Crews, D

    2000-04-01

    Gonadal sex is determined by the temperature experienced during incubation in the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Furthermore, both factors, incubation temperature and gonadal sex, influence adult sexual and agonistic behavior in this species. Yet it is unclear whether such differences in behavior are irreversibly organized during development or are mediated by differences in hormone levels in adulthood. To address this question, we gonadectomized adult females and males generated from a female-biased (30 degrees C) and a male-biased (32.5 degrees C) incubation temperature and treated them with equivalent levels of various sex steroids. We found that 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) activated sexual receptivity in females but not males, suggesting an organized sex difference in behavioral sensitivity to E(2). There were also organized and activated sex differences in attractivity to stimulus males. Although females were more attractive than males when treated with E(2), both sexes were equally unattractive when treated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or testosterone (T). Likewise, sex differences in aggressive and submissive behavior were organized and activated. Attacks on stimulus males were activated by T in males but not in females. In contrast, hormones did not influence flight behavior in males but did affect female submissiveness. Overall, males also evoked more attacks by stimulus males than did females. Nevertheless, females and males treated with androgens evoked more attacks than animals of the same sex that were treated with cholesterol or E(2). Incubation temperature had some weak effects on certain behaviors and no effect on others. This suggests that temperature effects in gonadally intact geckos may be due primarily to differences in circulating levels of hormones in adulthood. We conclude that gonadal sex has both organizational and activational effects on various behaviors in the leopard gecko. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

  20. Dynamic skin deformation simulation using musculoskeletal model and soft tissue dynamics

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Akihiko Murai; Q. Youn Hong; Katsu Yamane; Jessica K. Hodgins

    2017-01-01

    Deformation of skin and muscle is essential for bringing an animated character to life. This deformation is difficult to animate in a realistic fashion using traditional techniques because of the subtlety of the skin deformations that must move appropriately for the character design. In this paper, we present an algorithm that generates natural, dynamic, and detailed skin deformation (movement and jiggle) from joint angle data sequences. The algorithm has two steps: identification of parameters for a quasi-static muscle deformation model, and simulation of skin deformation. In the identification step, we identify the model parameters using a musculoskeletal model and a short sequence of skin deformation data captured via a dense marker set. The simulation step first uses the quasi-static muscle deformation model to obtain the quasi-static muscle shape at each frame of the given motion sequence (slow jump). Dynamic skin deformation is then computed by simulating the passive muscle and soft tissue dynamics modeled as a mass–spring–damper system. Having obtained the model parameters, we can simulate dynamic skin deformations for subjects with similar body types from new motion data. We demonstrate our method by creating skin deformations for muscle co-contraction and external impacts from four different behaviors captured as skeletal motion capture data. Experimental results show that the simulated skin deformations are quantitatively and qualitatively similar to measured actual skin deformations.

  1. Dynamic skin deformation simulation using musculoskeletal model and soft tissue dynamics

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Akihiko Murai; Q.Youn Hong; Katsu Yamane; Jessica K.Hodgins

    2017-01-01

    Deformation of skin and muscle is essential for bringing an animated character to life. This deformation is difficult to animate in a realistic fashion using traditional techniques because of the subtlety of the skin deformations that must move appropriately for the character design. In this paper, we present an algorithm that generates natural, dynamic, and detailed skin deformation(movement and jiggle) from joint angle data sequences. The algorithm has two steps: identification of parameters for a quasi-static muscle deformation model, and simulation of skin deformation. In the identification step, we identify the model parameters using a musculoskeletal model and a short sequence of skin deformation data captured via a dense marker set. The simulation step first uses the quasi-static muscle deformation model to obtain the quasi-static muscle shape at each frame of the given motion sequence(slow jump). Dynamic skin deformation is then computed by simulating the passive muscle and soft tissue dynamics modeled as a mass–spring–damper system. Having obtained the model parameters, we can simulate dynamic skin deformations for subjects with similar body types from new motion data. We demonstrate our method by creating skin deformations for muscle co-contraction and external impacts from four different behaviors captured as skeletal motion capture data. Experimental results show that the simulated skin deformations are quantitatively and qualitatively similar to measured actual skin deformations.

  2. The sex and sex determination in Pyropia haitanensis (Bangiales, Rhodophyta).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuan; Yan, Xing-hong; Aruga, Yusho

    2013-01-01

    Pyropia haitanensis has a biphasic life cycle with macroscopic gametophytic blade (n) and microscopic filamentous conchocelis (2n) phase. Its gametophytic blades have long been believed to be mainly dioecious. However, when crossing the red mutant (R, ♀) with the wild type (W, ♂), the parental colors were segregated in F1 blades, of which 96.1% were linearly sectored with 2-4 color sectors. When color sectors were excised from the color-sectored blades and cultured singly, 99.7% of the color sectors appeared to be unisexual with an equal sex ratio. Although the sex of color sector did not genetically link with its color, the boundaries of both sex and color sectors coincided precisely. About 87.9% of the examined color-sectored blades were monoecious and the percentage increased with the number of color sectors of a blade. The gametophytic blades from each conchocelis strain produced by parthenogenesis of the excised color sectors were unisexual and unicolor, showing the same sex and color as their original sectors. These results indicate that most of the sexually reproduced Py. haitanensis blades are monoecious, and their sex is controlled by segregation of a pair of alleles during meiosis of conchospore, forming a sex-sectored tetrad. During the subsequent development of blades, one or two lower cell(s) of the tetrad contribute mainly to rhizoid formation, and rarely show their sexual phenotype, leading to reduced frequency of full sex phenotype of the meiotic blades. Moreover, the aberrant segregations of sex genes or color genes in a few of F1 blades were probably due to gene conversions, but there was no sex transfer in Py. haitanensis.

  3. Commercial sex venues, syphilis and methamphetamine use among female sex workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Dianming; Liao, Meizhen; Jiang, Zhenxia; Zhang, Xijiang; Mao, Wenwen; Zhang, Ning; Tao, Xiaorun; Huang, Tao; Bi, Zhenqiang; Aliyu, Muktar; Wu, Pingsheng; Jiang, Baofa; Jia, Yujiang

    2011-06-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with methamphetamine (MA) use, syphilis, and unprotected sex among female sex workers from different type of venues in Qingdao City, Shandong Province of China. Three consecutive cross-sectional surveys provided information on demographics, sexual and drug use behaviors, and HIV-related services. Of 1187 participants, 3.0% were infected with syphilis; 30.2% ever used MA; 58.3% ever had unprotected commercial sex in the past month. The prevalence rates of syphilis and MA use were 2.5% and 33.0% for participants recruited from saunas, night clubs, bars or hotels; 2.7% and 28.3% for hair/beauty salon-based participants; and 4.5% and 15.8% for street-based participants. Street-based MA users were more likely to be single, non-Shandong residents, have first lifetime sex act at younger age, and recruited in 2008 (vs. 2006). Saunas, night clubs, bars, or hotels-based MA users were more likely to be younger, sex debut at younger age, have longer duration of sex work, have unprotected commercial sex, and be syphilis-infected. Hair/beauty salon-based MA users were more likely to be non-Shandong residents, younger, and to have unprotected commercial sex. Syphilis among the sauna-, night club-, bar-, or hotel-based participants was associated with MA use and ever receipt of HIV testing. Syphilis among the hair/beauty salon-based participants was associated with longer duration of sex work. MA users who frequent commercial sex venues are engaging in high-risk behaviors and are at risk for syphilis/other sexually transmitted diseases. Better-targeted intervention efforts to curtail the epidemics of MA use and HIV/syphilis should therefore take cognizance of the role of commercial sex venues as focal points of MA use and syphilis/sexually transmitted disease transmission.

  4. Deformation at Lava Lake Volcanoes: Lessons from Karthala

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biggs, J.; Rust, A.; Owens, C.

    2014-12-01

    To remain hot, permanent lava lakes require a continuous connection to a magma reservoir. Depending on the state of the conduit, changes in magma pressure could result in changes in the lake level (hydraulic head) or be accommodated elastically leading to surface deformation. Observing deformation is therefore key to understanding the plumbing system associated with lava lakes. However, the majority of the world's lava lakes lie in difficult socio-economic or remote locations meaning that there are few ground-based observations, and it is often necessary to rely on satellite imagery. Karthala volcano experienced a sequence of eruptions in April 2005, Nov 2005, May 2006 and Jan 2007. The first 3 took place at the Choungou Chahale crater, which typically contains either a water or lava lake; the last formed a new pit crater to the north. Satellite thermal imagery (Hirn et al, 2008) does not show an anomaly during the first eruption, which had a phreatomagmatic component, but large thermal anomalies, associated with an ephemeral lava lake were detected during the Nov 2005 and May 2006 eruptions. The final eruption produced a smaller anomaly attributed to a minor lava flow. Here we present InSAR observations from 2004-2010. We find no significant deformation associated with the first three eruptions, but the January 2007 eruption was associated with ~25 cm of deformation near the volcano's summit, characteristic of a dyke intrusion aligned with the northern rift zone. We also observe an unusual pattern deformation along the coast which may be attributed to rapid settling of soft sediment or recent volcanic deposits triggered by seismic activity. We propose that the first eruption cleared the reservoir-summit connection and interacted with the water in Choungou Chahale. The following eruptions formed a lava lake, but without causing deformation. By the final eruption, the conduit had become blocked and magma intruded along the rift zone causing deformation but no

  5. Relationship between Postural Deformities and Frontal Function in Parkinson’s Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satoko Ninomiya

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Postural deformities and executive dysfunction (ED are common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD; however, the relationship between postural deformities and ED in patients with PD remains unclear. This study assessed the relationship between postural deformities and ED in patients with PD. Sixty-five patients with sporadic PD were assessed for the severity of postural deformities and executive function. The severity of postural deformities was scored using the United Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale item 28 score: no postural deformity (0, mild postural deformities (1, or severe postural deformities (2–4. Executive function was assessed using the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS and an age-controlled standardized BADS score <70 was defined as ED. Age-controlled standardized BADS scores were compared across the three groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Relationship between ED and the severity of postural deformities was assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Age-controlled standardized BADS score significantly differed among the three groups P=0.005. ED was significantly related to the severity of postural deformities P=0.0005. The severity of postural deformities was associated with a lower age-controlled standardized BADS score and ED, and these findings suggest that postural deformities were associated with frontal dysfunction in patients with PD.

  6. Equilibrium Droplets on Deformable Substrates: Equilibrium Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koursari, Nektaria; Ahmed, Gulraiz; Starov, Victor M

    2018-05-15

    Equilibrium conditions of droplets on deformable substrates are investigated, and it is proven using Jacobi's sufficient condition that the obtained solutions really provide equilibrium profiles of both the droplet and the deformed support. At the equilibrium, the excess free energy of the system should have a minimum value, which means that both necessary and sufficient conditions of the minimum should be fulfilled. Only in this case, the obtained profiles provide the minimum of the excess free energy. The necessary condition of the equilibrium means that the first variation of the excess free energy should vanish, and the second variation should be positive. Unfortunately, the mentioned two conditions are not the proof that the obtained profiles correspond to the minimum of the excess free energy and they could not be. It is necessary to check whether the sufficient condition of the equilibrium (Jacobi's condition) is satisfied. To the best of our knowledge Jacobi's condition has never been verified for any already published equilibrium profiles of both the droplet and the deformable substrate. A simple model of the equilibrium droplet on the deformable substrate is considered, and it is shown that the deduced profiles of the equilibrium droplet and deformable substrate satisfy the Jacobi's condition, that is, really provide the minimum to the excess free energy of the system. To simplify calculations, a simplified linear disjoining/conjoining pressure isotherm is adopted for the calculations. It is shown that both necessary and sufficient conditions for equilibrium are satisfied. For the first time, validity of the Jacobi's condition is verified. The latter proves that the developed model really provides (i) the minimum of the excess free energy of the system droplet/deformable substrate and (ii) equilibrium profiles of both the droplet and the deformable substrate.

  7. SU-F-P-54: Guidelines to Check Image Registration QA of a Clinical Deformation Registration Software: A Single Institution Preliminary Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gill, G; Souri, S; Rea, A; Chen, Y; Antone, J; Qian, X; Riegel, A; Taylor, P; Marrero, M; Diaz, F; Cao, Y; Jamshidi, A; Klein, E [Northwell Health, Lake Success, NY (United States); Barley, S; Sorell, V; Karangelis, G [Oncology Systems Limited, Longbow Close, Shrewsbury SY1 3GZ (United Kingdom); Button, T [Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, NY (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: The objective of this study is to verify and analyze the accuracy of a clinical deformable image registration (DIR) software. Methods: To test clinical DIR software qualitatively and quantitatively, we focused on lung radiotherapy and analyzed a single (Lung) patient CT scan. Artificial anatomical changes were applied to account for daily variations during the course of treatment including the planning target volume (PTV) and organs at risk (OAR). The primary CT (pCT) and the structure set (pST) was deformed with commercial tool (ImSimQA-Oncology Systems Limited) and after artificial deformation (dCT and dST) sent to another commercial tool (VelocityAI-Varian Medical Systems). In Velocity, the deformed CT and structures (dCT and dST) were inversely deformed back to original primary CT (dbpCT and dbpST). We compared the dbpST and pST structure sets using similarity metrics. Furthermore, a binary deformation field vector (BDF) was created and sent to ImSimQA software for comparison with known “ground truth” deformation vector fields (DVF). Results: An image similarity comparison was made by using “ground truth” DVF and “deformed output” BDF with an output of normalized “cross correlation (CC)” and “mutual information (MI)” in ImSimQA software. Results for the lung case were MI=0.66 and CC=0.99. The artificial structure deformation in both pST and dbpST was analyzed using DICE coefficient, mean distance to conformity (MDC) and deformation field error volume histogram (DFEVH) by comparing them before and after inverse deformation. We have noticed inadequate structure match for CTV, ITV and PTV due to close proximity of heart and overall affected by lung expansion. Conclusion: We have seen similarity between pCT and dbpCT but not so well between pST and dbpST, because of inadequate structure deformation in clinical DIR system. This system based quality assurance test will prepare us for adopting the guidelines of upcoming AAPM task group 132

  8. SU-F-P-54: Guidelines to Check Image Registration QA of a Clinical Deformation Registration Software: A Single Institution Preliminary Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gill, G; Souri, S; Rea, A; Chen, Y; Antone, J; Qian, X; Riegel, A; Taylor, P; Marrero, M; Diaz, F; Cao, Y; Jamshidi, A; Klein, E; Barley, S; Sorell, V; Karangelis, G; Button, T

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The objective of this study is to verify and analyze the accuracy of a clinical deformable image registration (DIR) software. Methods: To test clinical DIR software qualitatively and quantitatively, we focused on lung radiotherapy and analyzed a single (Lung) patient CT scan. Artificial anatomical changes were applied to account for daily variations during the course of treatment including the planning target volume (PTV) and organs at risk (OAR). The primary CT (pCT) and the structure set (pST) was deformed with commercial tool (ImSimQA-Oncology Systems Limited) and after artificial deformation (dCT and dST) sent to another commercial tool (VelocityAI-Varian Medical Systems). In Velocity, the deformed CT and structures (dCT and dST) were inversely deformed back to original primary CT (dbpCT and dbpST). We compared the dbpST and pST structure sets using similarity metrics. Furthermore, a binary deformation field vector (BDF) was created and sent to ImSimQA software for comparison with known “ground truth” deformation vector fields (DVF). Results: An image similarity comparison was made by using “ground truth” DVF and “deformed output” BDF with an output of normalized “cross correlation (CC)” and “mutual information (MI)” in ImSimQA software. Results for the lung case were MI=0.66 and CC=0.99. The artificial structure deformation in both pST and dbpST was analyzed using DICE coefficient, mean distance to conformity (MDC) and deformation field error volume histogram (DFEVH) by comparing them before and after inverse deformation. We have noticed inadequate structure match for CTV, ITV and PTV due to close proximity of heart and overall affected by lung expansion. Conclusion: We have seen similarity between pCT and dbpCT but not so well between pST and dbpST, because of inadequate structure deformation in clinical DIR system. This system based quality assurance test will prepare us for adopting the guidelines of upcoming AAPM task group 132

  9. Evaluation method for the deformation of channel box

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadaoka, Noriyuki; Kumahora, Hiroki; Miki, Kazuyoshi.

    1990-01-01

    In a BWR type nuclear reactor, a channel box undergoes creep deformation due to the effects of a pressure difference between inside and outside of the channel box and a reactor water temperature, which is accelerated by the irradiation of radiation rays and the extent of which depends on the loading position. Then, there are provided a step of determining the extent of the deformation of the channel box in a burning period in the past, a step of setting the loading position for the channel box in the reactor core, a step of forecasting the extent of the deformation of the channel box based on the data of reactor core characteristics, the date of the physical properties of the materials and the shape of the channel box, the data of the loading pattern of fuel assemblies and the extent of deformation, and a step of estimating whether the forecast deforming extent is within an allowable range or not. As a result, the deforming extent for each of the channel boxes can be forecast and, accordingly, the interference with the control rods can be estimated accurately. (N.H.)

  10. ANALYSIS OF DEFORMABILITY OF ANISOTROPIC AGRILLITE CLAYSTONES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ponomaryov Andrey Budimirovicn

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In the paper, the results of deformability study of agrillite claystones are used for determination of the Jointed rock model parameters. The number of stamp, pressuremeter and compressive tests allowed to research anisotropic deformability of argillite claystone in vertical and horizontal direction. The following problems were solved during the study: 1 the in-place and laboratory experiments to calculate the anisotropy coefficient were done for anisotropic agrillite claystones with both natural moisture and total water saturation; 2 the deformation parameters were determined and the numerical simulation of the stress-strain state of claystone in field tests was carried out with the use of Plaxis 2D software application; 3 the comparative analysis was done for calculated claystone deformation and the values obtained during the in-place tests. The authors proved that agrillite claystones shows two times less deformation under loading in the horizontal direction than vertically. The ratio is obtained to determine the parameters for numerical simulation of the Jointed Rock model used as a practical tool for analysis of stress-strain behavior of anisotropic soils. The authors provided a recommended practice for consideration of specific properties of argillite claystones when carrying out foundation works.

  11. Dynamics of viscoplastic deformation in amorphous solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Falk, M.L.; Langer, J.S.

    1998-01-01

    We propose a dynamical theory of low-temperature shear deformation in amorphous solids. Our analysis is based on molecular-dynamics simulations of a two-dimensional, two-component noncrystalline system. These numerical simulations reveal behavior typical of metallic glasses and other viscoplastic materials, specifically, reversible elastic deformation at small applied stresses, irreversible plastic deformation at larger stresses, a stress threshold above which unbounded plastic flow occurs, and a strong dependence of the state of the system on the history of past deformations. Microscopic observations suggest that a dynamically complete description of the macroscopic state of this deforming body requires specifying, in addition to stress and strain, certain average features of a population of two-state shear transformation zones. Our introduction of these state variables into the constitutive equations for this system is an extension of earlier models of creep in metallic glasses. In the treatment presented here, we specialize to temperatures far below the glass transition and postulate that irreversible motions are governed by local entropic fluctuations in the volumes of the transformation zones. In most respects, our theory is in good quantitative agreement with the rich variety of phenomena seen in the simulations. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

  12. Identifying domestic and international sex-trafficking victims during human service provision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macy, Rebecca J; Graham, Laurie M

    2012-04-01

    Children, youth, and adults of both genders are sex trafficked into and throughout the United States every day. Regrettably, little attention has been given to how human service providers might identify the sex-trafficking victims they are likely to encounter. To address this knowledge gap, the authors review 20 documents with the aim of detecting and synthesizing service identification recommendations in the scientific literature, government reports, and documents produced by organizations working with sex-trafficking victims. The review shows consensus regarding identification recommendations, including (a) trafficking indicators, (b) victim interaction strategies, (c) immediate response strategies, and (d) child-specific information. The review also shows consensus regarding screening questions that are important for service providers to use in identifying sex-trafficking victims. These questions relate to the victims' safety, employment, living environment, and travel and immigration status in addition to specific questions used with children and youth. The review results offer human service providers a preliminary set of screening strategies and questions that can be used to identify sex-trafficking victims in the context of human services. Building on the review findings, the authors offer policy and research recommendations.

  13. Core Characteristics Deterioration due to Plastic Deformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaido, Chikara; Arai, Satoshi

    This paper discusses the effect of plastic deformation at core manufacturing on the characteristics of cores where non-oriented electrical steel sheets are used as core material. Exciting field and iron loss increase proportionally to plastic deformation in the case of rPeddy currents increase because plastic deformations of crystalline grains are distributed and then the flux distribution is induced. In the case of rP>20, the deterioration tend to saturate, and the increases in magnetic field and iron loss are 1000 to 1500A/m and 2 to 4W/kg. They are related to grain size, and high grade with larger grain may have lager field increase and smaller iron loss increase. Anomalous eddy current losses scarcely increase in this region. In actual motors, the plastic deformation affects iron loss increase although exciting current increases a little.

  14. Coupling q-Deformed Dark Energy to Dark Matter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emre Dil

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose a novel coupled dark energy model which is assumed to occur as a q-deformed scalar field and investigate whether it will provide an expanding universe phase. We consider the q-deformed dark energy as coupled to dark matter inhomogeneities. We perform the phase-space analysis of the model by numerical methods and find the late-time accelerated attractor solutions. The attractor solutions imply that the coupled q-deformed dark energy model is consistent with the conventional dark energy models satisfying an acceleration phase of universe. At the end, we compare the cosmological parameters of deformed and standard dark energy models and interpret the implications.

  15. Deformed baryons: constituent quark model vs. bag model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iwamura, Y.; Nogami, Y.

    1985-01-01

    Recently Bhaduri et al. developed a nonrelativistic constituent quark model for deformed baryons. In that model the quarks move in a deformable mean field, and the deformation parameters are determined by minimizing the quark energy subject to the constraint of volume conservation. This constraint is an ad hoc assumption. It is shown that, starting with a bag model, a model similar to that of Bhaduri et al. can be constructed. The deformation parameters are determined by the pressure balance on the bag surface. There is, however, a distinct difference between the two models with respect to the state dependence of the ''volume''. Implications of this difference are discussed

  16. Order and chaos in nuclear and metal cluster deformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radu, S.

    1995-08-01

    The vast amount of nuclear and metal cluster data indicates that shell structure and deformation are two simultaneous properties. A conflicting situation is therefore encountered as the shell structure, a firm expression of order, is apparently not compatible with the non-integrable nature of the models incorporating deformation. The main issue covered in this thesis is the intricate connection between deformation and chaotic behaviour in deformation models pertinent to nuclear structure and metal cluster physics. It is shown that, at least in some cases, it is possible to reconcile the occurrence of shell structure with non-integrability. The coupling of an axially deformed harmonic oscillator to an axially symmetric octupole term renders the problem non-integrable. The chaotic character of the motion is strongly dependent on the type of deformation, in that a prolate shape shows virtually no chaos, while in an oblate case the motion exhibits fully developed chaos when the octupole term is switched on. Whereas the problem is non-integrable, the quantum mechanical spectrum nevertheless shows some shell structure in the prolate case for particular, yet fairly large octupole strengths; for spherical or oblate deformation the shell structure disappears. This result is explained in terms of classical periodic orbits which are found by employing the 'removal of resonances method'. Particular emphasis is put on the effect of the hexadecapole deformation which is important in fission processes. The combined effect of octupole and hexadecapole deformation leads to important conclusions for the experimental work as a high degree of ambiguity is signaled for the interpretation of data. The ambiguity results from the discovery of a mutual cancellation of the octupole and hexadecapole deformation in prolate superdeformed systems. The phenomenological Nilsson model is treated in a similar way. It is argued that while in nuclei it produces good results for the low-lying levels

  17. About deformation and rigidity in relativity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coll, Bartolome

    2007-01-01

    The notion of deformation involves that of rigidity. In relativity, starting from Born's early definition of rigidity, some other ones have been proposed, offering more or less interesting aspects but also accompanied of undesired or even pathological properties. In order to clarify the origin of these difficulties presented by the notion of rigidity in relativity, we analyze with some detail significant aspects of the unambiguous classical, Newtonian, notion. In particular, the relative character of its kinetic definition is pointed out, allowing to predict and to understand the limitations imposed by Herglotz-Noether theorem. Also, its equivalent dynamic definition is obtained and, in contrast, its absolute character is shown. But in spite of this absolute character, the dynamic definition is shown to be not extensible to relativity. The metric deformation of Minkowski space by the presence of a gravitational field is interpreted as a universal deformation, and it is shown that, under natural conditions, only a simple deformation law is possible, relating locally, but in an one-to-one way, gravitational fields and gauge classes of two-forms. We argue that fields of unit vectors associated to the internal gauge class of two-forms of every space-time (and, in particular, of Minkowski space-time) are the relativistic analogues of the classical accelerated observers, i.e. of the classical rigid motions. Some other consequences of the universal law of gravitational deformation are commented

  18. Organ doses as a function of body weight for environmental gamma rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Kimiaki; Petoussi, N.; Zankl, M.; Veit, R.; Jacob, P.; Drexler, G.

    1991-01-01

    The organ doses for γ rays from typical environmental sources were determined with Monte Carlo calculations using anthropomorphic phantoms having different body sizes. It has been suggested that body weight is the predominant factor influencing organ doses for environmental γ rays, regardless of sex and age. A weight function expressing organ doses for environmental γ rays was introduced. This function fitted well with the organ doses calculated using the different phantoms. The function coefficients were determined mathematically with the least squares method. On the assumption that this function was applicable to organ doses for human bodies with diverse characteristics, the variances in organ doses due to race, sex, age and difference in body weight of adults were investigated. The variations of organ doses due to race and sex were not significant. Differences in body weight were found to alter organ doses by a maximum of 10% for γ rays over 100 keV, and 20% for low-energy γ rays. The doses for organs located deep inside a body, such as ovaries, differed between a newborn baby and an adult by a maximum factor of 2 to 3. For γ rays over 100 keV, the variation was within a factor of 2 for all organs. The organ doses for adolescents more than 12 years agreed within 15% with those of the average adult. (author)

  19. Deformed supersymmetric mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, E.; Sidorov, S.

    2013-01-01

    Motivated by a recent interest in curved rigid supersymmetries, we construct a new type of N = 4, d = 1 supersymmetric systems by employing superfields defined on the cosets of the supergroup SU(2|1). The relevant worldline supersymmetry is a deformation of the standard N = 4, d = 1 supersymmetry by a mass parameter m. As instructive examples we consider at the classical and quantum levels the models associated with the supermultiplets (1,4,3) and (2,4,2) and find out interesting interrelations with some previous works on nonstandard d = 1 supersymmetry. In particular, the d = 1 systems with 'weak supersymmetry' are naturally reproduced within our SU(2|1) superfield approach as a subclass of the (1,4,3) models. A generalization to the N = 8, d = 1 case implies the supergroup SU(2|2) as a candidate deformed worldline supersymmetry

  20. Complex structure-induced deformations of σ-models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bykov, Dmitri [Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut,Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm (Germany); Steklov Mathematical Institute of Russ. Acad. Sci.,Gubkina str. 8, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2017-03-24

    We describe a deformation of the principal chiral model (with an even-dimensional target space G) by a B-field proportional to the Kähler form on the target space. The equations of motion of the deformed model admit a zero-curvature representation. As a simplest example, we consider the case of G=S{sup 1}×S{sup 3}. We also apply a variant of the construction to a deformation of the AdS{sub 3}×S{sup 3}×S{sup 1} (super-)σ-model.