The use of electrical stimulation is being demonstrated effective for the treatment of human motor disorders. The miniaturization of implantable stimulators demands the development of programmable ...systems in order to control the amount of injected charge for a given therapy. It requires the generation of biphasic pulses with different current amplitudes. The DAC is an important module in this system. DAC linearity is a key aspect, since current amplitudes must be accurately controlled by a digital input code. This work describes the development of a current-steering 8-bit segmented DAC followed by a power output stage for a bipolar stimulator capable to generate current levels from - 255 \mu \mathrm{A} to + 255 \mu \mathrm{A} with resolution of 1 \mu \mathrm{A} in 180 nm process technology. Post-layout results demonstrated a maximum DNL and INL of 0.1685 and 1.71 LSBs, respectively.
Extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF) may be performed with a standalone interbody cage, or with the addition of unilateral or bilateral pedicle screws; however, decisions regarding supplemental ...fixation are predominantly based on clinical indicators. This study examines the impact of posterior supplemental fixation on facet micromotions, cage loads and load-patterns at adjacent levels in a L4-L5 XLIF at early and late fusion stages. CT data from an asymptomatic subject were segmented into anatomical regions and digitally stitched into a surface mesh of the lumbosacral spine (L1-S1). The interbody cage and posterior instrumentation (unilateral and bilateral) were inserted at L4-L5. The volumetric mesh was imported into finite element software for pre-processing, running nonlinear static solves and post-processing. Loads and micromotions at the index-level facets reduced commensurately with the extent of posterior fixation accompanying the XLIF, while load-pattern changes observed at adjacent facets may be anatomically dependent. In flexion at partial fusion, compressive stress on the cage reduced by 54% and 72% in unilateral and bilateral models respectively; in extension the reductions were 58% and 75% compared to standalone XLIF. A similar pattern was observed at full fusion. Unilateral fixation provided similar stability compared to bilateral, however there was a reduction in cage stress-risers with the bilateral instrumentation. No changes were found at adjacent discs. Posterior supplemental fixation alters biomechanics at the index and adjacent levels in a manner that warrants consideration alongside clinical information. Unilateral instrumentation is a more efficient option where the stability requirements and subsidence risk are not excessive.
To develop a simple, valid, reliable questionnaire to assess the severity of symptoms and their impact on the quality of life in women with urogenital prolapse. Women recruited from gynaecology ...outpatient clinics were asked to complete a prolapse quality of life questionnaire (P-QOL) before their hospital visit. At the time of the visit, they were examined supine using the International Continence Society (ICS) prolapse score (POP-Q). A second P-QOL was posted and completed by patients 2 weeks later. The validity was assessed by measuring levels of missing data, comparing symptom scores between affected and asymptomatic women and comparing symptom scores with objective prolapse stages. The internal reliability was assessed by measuring the Cronbach alpha coefficient; 155 symptomatic and 80 asymptomatic women were studied. Severity according to P-QOL strongly correlated with the vaginal examination findings (p < 0.01, rho > 0.5). The total scores for each P-QOL domain were significantly different between symptomatic and asymptomatic women (p < 0.001). All items achieved a Cronbach alpha greater than 0.80 showing good inter-rater reliability. The test-retest reliability confirmed a highly significant correlation between the total scores for each domain. A P-QOL questionnaire for English-speaking patients has been developed which is reliable and valid.
► We measured the emissivity of metal wire-grids at 150GHz using a custom setup. ► This is a few %, larger than the emissivity of typical mirrors at 150GHz. ► This dominates the background in ...room-temperature interferometers and polarimeters.
We have measured, using a custom setup, the emissivity of metallic wire-grids, suitable for polarimeters and interferometers at mm and far infrared wavelengths. We find that the effective emissivity of these devices is of the order of a few %, depending on fabrication technology and aging. We discuss their use in astronomical instruments, with special attention to Martin–Puplett Interferometers in low-background applications, like astronomical observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background.
FLUKA is a general purpose Monte Carlo code able to describe the transport and interaction of any particle and nucleus type in complex geometries over an energy range extending from thermal neutrons ...to ultrarelativistic hadron collisions. It has many different applications in accelerator design, detector studies, dosimetry, radiation protection, medical physics, and space research. In 2019, CERN and INFN, as FLUKA copyright holders, together decided to end their formal collaboration framework, allowing them henceforth to pursue different pathways aimed at meeting the evolving requirements of the FLUKA user community, and at ensuring the long term sustainability of the code. To this end, CERN set up the FLUKA.CERN Collaboration
1
. This paper illustrates the physics processes that have been newly released or are currently implemented in the code distributed by the FLUKA.CERN Collaboration
2
under new licensing conditions that are meant to further facilitate access to the code, as well as intercomparisons. The description of coherent effects experienced by high energy hadron beams in crystal devices, relevant to promising beam manipulation techniques, and the charged particle tracking in vacuum regions subject to an electric field, overcoming a former lack, have already been made available to the users. Other features, namely the different kinds of low energy deuteron interactions as well as the synchrotron radiation emission in the course of charged particle transport in vacuum regions subject to magnetic fields, are currently undergoing systematic testing and benchmarking prior to release. FLUKA is widely used to evaluate radiobiological effects, with the powerful support of the Flair graphical interface, whose new generation (Available at
http://flair.cern
) offers now additional capabilities, e.g., advanced 3D visualization with photorealistic rendering and support for industry-standard volume visualization of medical phantoms. FLUKA has also been playing an extensive role in the characterization of radiation environments in which electronics operate. In parallel, it has been used to evaluate the response of electronics to a variety of conditions not included in radiation testing guidelines and standards for space and accelerators, and not accessible through conventional ground level testing. Instructive results have been obtained from Single Event Effects (SEE) simulations and benchmarks, when possible, for various radiation types and energies. The code has reached a high level of maturity, from which the FLUKA.CERN Collaboration is planning a substantial evolution of its present architecture. Moving towards a modern programming language allows to overcome fundamental constraints that limited development options. Our long term goal, in addition to improving and extending its physics performances with even more rigorous scientific oversight, is to modernize its structure to integrate independent contributions more easily and to formalize quality assurance through state-of-the-art software deployment techniques. This includes a continuous integration pipeline to automatically validate the codebase as well as automatic processing and analysis of a tailored physics-case test suite. With regard to the aforementioned objectives, several paths are currently envisaged, like finding synergies with Geant4, both at the core structure and interface level, this way offering the user the possibility to run with the same input different Monte Carlo codes and crosscheck the results.
ABSTRACT Common bean has great importance in the Brazilian economy and castor bean is still emerging in Midwestern Brazil, but with great potential of exploitation by farmers due to the prevailing ...climatic conditions and flat topography. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of common bean cultivars and castor bean hybrids in intercropping and monocropping under the edaphoclimatic conditions of the Cerrado region. The randomized block design was used in 4 x 2 + 6 factorial scheme, with three replicates. Treatments were composed of four cultivars of common beans (BRS Pérola, BRS Esteio, BRSMG Realce and BRS Pitanga) intercropped with two castor bean hybrids (Tamar and Ag Ima), plus the respective crops in monocropping. In common bean cultivars, plant height was influenced in the intercropping with castor bean hybrids; however, agronomic characteristics of the castor bean hybrids were not influenced by common bean cultivars. The intercropping between common bean cultivars (BRS Esteio, BRSMG Realce and BRS Pitanga) and castor bean hybrids (Tamar and Ag Ima) was classified as viable by the area equivalence index, since this index presented values greater than 1.0 for the intercropping between these cultivars. This fact indicates that it would take more than one hectare in monocropping to produce the same amount than one hectare in intercropping.
RESUMO O feijão-comum apresenta grande importância na economia brasileira e a cultura da mamona ainda é emergente no Centro-Oeste, porém com grande potencial de exploração pelos agricultores em razão das condições climáticas prevalecentes e topografia plana. Desta forma, objetivou-se neste trabalho avaliar as características agronômicas de cultivares de feijão-comum e híbridos de mamona oriundos de consórcio e monocultivo nas condições edafoclimáticas da região do Cerrado. Empregou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 4 x 2 + 6, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por quatro cultivares de feijão-comum (BRS Pérola, BRS Esteio, BRSMG Realce e BRS Pitanga) consorciadas com duas cultivares híbridas de mamona (Tamar e Ag Ima), acrescidos das respectivas cultivares em monocultivo. As cultivares de feijão-comum tiveram a altura de planta influenciada no consórcio com os híbridos de mamona, no entanto, os híbridos de mamona não tiveram suas características agronômicas influenciadas pelas cultivares de feijão-comum. O consórcio entre as cultivares de feijão-comum Esteio, Realce e Pérola e os híbridos de mamona Tamar e Ag Ima foi classificado como viável pelo índice de equivalência de área uma vez que este índice apresentou valores superiores a 1,0 para o consórcio entre estas cultivares, demonstrando que seria necessário mais de um hectare em monocultivo para produzir a mesma quantidade que um hectare em consórcio.
The rapids-dwelling suckermouth catfish genus Pseudolithoxus was previously only known from the Guiana-Shield-draining Orinoco and Casiquiare river systems of Colombia and Venezuela, but new records ...have expanded this range considerably further into the Amazon basin of Brazil, and include occurrences from rivers draining the northern Brazilian Shield. These highly disjunct records are now placed in an evolutionary and phylogeographic context using a dated species tree constructed from mitochondrial (Cytb) and nuclear (RAG1) gene sequence data. Due to mito-nuclear discordance, we also delimit the putative species using statistical coalescent models and a range of additional metrics. We infer that at least two species of Pseudolithoxus are present in the Amazon basin: P. nicoi, previously only recorded from the río Casiquiare, but now also reported from the upper rio Negro, and a new species, which we describe herein from south-draining Guiana Shield and north-draining Brazilian Shield. Our data reject a simple model of Miocene vicariance in the group following uplift of the Uaupés Arch separating the Orinoco and Amazon systems, and instead suggest more complex dispersal scenarios through palaeo-connections in the Pliocene and also via the contemporary rio Negro and rio Madeira in the late Pleistocene.
www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:46A6BEC1-1A1B-4244-80-A6-FD9CF8DA0384
.
A large number of health economic evaluation (HEE) studies have been published in developed countries. However, Brazilian HEE literature in oncology has not been studied.
To investigate whether the ...scientific literature has provided a set of HEE in oncology capable of supporting decision making in the Brazilian context.
A systematic review was conducted to identify and characterize studies in this field. We searched multiple databases selecting partial and full HEE studies in oncology (1998-2013).
Fifty-five articles were reviewed, of these, 33 (60%) were full health economic evaluations. Type of cancers most frequently studied were: breast (38.2%), cervical (14.6%), lung (10.9%) and colorectal (9.1%). Procedures (47.3%) were the technologies most frequently evaluated. In terms of the intended purposes of the technologies, most (63.6%) were treatments. The majority of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) reported have been below the cost-effectiveness threshold suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO).
There has been an increase in the number of HEEs related to cancer in Brazil. These studies may support decision-making processes regarding the coverage of and reimbursement of healthcare technologies for cancer treatment in Brazil.
We have observed a significant enhancement in the energy deposition by 25–
100
GeV
photons in a
1
cm
thick tungsten crystal oriented along its
⟨
111
⟩
lattice axes. At
100
GeV
, this enhancement, ...with respect to the value observed without axial alignment, is more than twofold. This effect, together with the measured huge increase in secondary particle generation is ascribed to the acceleration of the electromagnetic shower development by the strong axial electric field. The experimental results have been critically compared with a newly developed Monte Carlo adapted for use with crystals of multi-
X
0
thickness. The results presented in this paper may prove to be of significant interest for the development of high-performance photon absorbers and highly compact electromagnetic calorimeters and beam dumps for use at the energy and intensity frontiers.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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