The use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an important treatment option for movement disorders and other medical conditions. Today, three major manufacturers provide implantable systems for DBS. ...Although the underlying principle is basically the same for all available systems, the differences in the technical features vary considerably. This article outlines aspects regarding the technical features of DBS systems. The differences between voltage and current sources are addressed and their effect on stimulation is shown. To maintain clinical benefit and minimize side effects the stimulation field has to be adapted to the requirements of the patient. Shaping of the stimulation field can be achieved by the electrode design and polarity configuration. Furthermore, the electric signal consisting of stimulation rate, stimulation amplitude and pulse width affect the stimulation field. Interleaving stimulation is an additional concept, which permits improved treatment outcomes. Therefore, the electrode design, the polarity, the electric signal, and the concept of interleaving stimulation are presented. The investigated systems can be also categorized as rechargeable and non-rechargeable, which is briefly discussed. Options for interconnecting different system components from various manufacturers are presented. The present paper summarizes the technical features and their combination possibilities, which can have a major impact on the therapeutic effect.
We present a tomographic cosmic shear analysis of the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) combined with the VISTA Kilo-Degree Infrared Galaxy Survey. This is the first time that a full optical to near-infrared ...data set has been used for a wide-field cosmological weak lensing experiment. This unprecedented data, spanning 450 deg 2 , allows us to significantly improve the estimation of photometric redshifts, such that we are able to include robustly higher-redshift sources for the lensing measurement, and – most importantly – to solidify our knowledge of the redshift distributions of the sources. Based on a flat ΛCDM model we find S 8 ≡ σ 8 Ω m /0.3 = 0.737 +0.040 −0.036 in a blind analysis from cosmic shear alone. The tension between KiDS cosmic shear and the Planck-Legacy CMB measurements remains in this systematically more robust analysis, with S 8 differing by 2.3 σ . This result is insensitive to changes in the priors on nuisance parameters for intrinsic alignment, baryon feedback, and neutrino mass. KiDS shear measurements are calibrated with a new, more realistic set of image simulations and no significant B-modes are detected in the survey, indicating that systematic errors are under control. When calibrating our redshift distributions by assuming the 30-band COSMOS-2015 photometric redshifts are correct (following the Dark Energy Survey and the Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey), we find the tension with Planck is alleviated. The robust determination of source redshift distributions remains one of the most challenging aspects for future cosmic shear surveys.
We present cosmological parameter constraints from a tomographic weak gravitational lensing analysis of ~450 deg super( 2) of imaging data from the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS). For a flat ... cold dark ...matter (...CDM) cosmology with a prior on H sub( 0) that encompasses the most recent direct measurements, we find S sub( 8) ... = 0.745 plus or minus 0.039. This result is in good agreement with other low-redshift probes of large-scale structure, including recent cosmic shear results, along with pre-Planck cosmic microwave background constraints. A 2.3... tension in S sub( 8) and 'substantial discordance' in the full parameter space is found with respect to the Planck 2015 results. We use shear measurements for nearly 15 million galaxies, determined with a new improved 'self-calibrating' version of lensfit validated using an extensive suite of image simulations. Four-band ugri photometric redshifts are calibrated directly with deep spectroscopic surveys. The redshift calibration is confirmed using two independent techniques based on angular cross-correlations and the properties of the photometric redshift probability distributions. Our covariance matrix is determined using an analytical approach, verified numerically with large mock galaxy catalogues. We account for uncertainties in the modelling of intrinsic galaxy alignments and the impact of baryon feedback on the shape of the non-linear matter power spectrum, in addition to the small residual uncertainties in the shear and redshift calibration. The cosmology analysis was performed blind. Our high-level data products, including shear correlation functions, covariance matrices, redshift distributions, and Monte Carlo Markov chains are available at http://kids.strw.leidenuniv.nl. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)
Living hominoids are distinguished by upright torsos and versatile locomotion. It is hypothesized that these features evolved for feeding on fruit from terminal branches in forests. To investigate ...the evolutionary context of hominoid adaptive origins, we analyzed multiple paleoenvironmental proxies in conjunction with hominoid fossils from the Moroto II site in Uganda. The data indicate seasonally dry woodlands with the earliest evidence of abundant C
grasses in Africa based on a confirmed age of 21 million years ago (Ma). We demonstrate that the leaf-eating hominoid
consumed water-stressed vegetation, and postcrania from the site indicate ape-like locomotor adaptations. These findings suggest that the origin of hominoid locomotor versatility is associated with foraging on leaves in heterogeneous, open woodlands rather than forests.
Many forms of renewable energy exist in the world's oceans, with ocean wave energy showing great potential. However, the ocean environment presents many challenges for cost-effective renewable energy ...conversion, including optimal control of a wave energy converter (WEC). This paper presents a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm for control of a point absorber WEC. The algorithm and testing hardware are presented in detail, as well as simulated and laboratory test results. The results show that MPPT applied to ocean wave energy is an effective and promising control strategy.
A new habitat for hominoid emergence?The hominoid lineage underwent a major morphological change in the Miocene, acquiring strong hind legs and a more upright posture. The prevailing hypothesis ...pertaining to these changes has been that they were adaptive for foraging on fruit in the terminal branches of tropical forest trees. A pair of papers now argue that, instead, such changes may have been driven by adaptation to feeding on leaves in seasonally dry and open forests. Peppe et al. used new data from fossil mammal study sites and found that the expansion of grassy biomes dominated by grasses with the C4 photosynthetic pathway in eastern Africa likely occurred more than 10 million years earlier than prior estimates. MacLatchy et al. looked at fossils of the earliest ape in this region at this time, Morotopithecus, and found isotope evidence of the consumption of water-stressed vegetation and postcranial morphology indicative of strong hind limbs similar to modern apes. Together, these papers suggest that early hominoids emerged in a dryer and more irregular environment than was previously believed. —BEL and SNV
Unconventional superconductivity in non-centrosymmetric superconductors has attracted a considerable amount of attention. While several lanthanide-based materials have been reported previously, the ...number of actinide-based systems remains small. In this work, we present the discovery of a novel cubic complex non-centrosymmetric superconductor Th4Be33Pt16 (I4¯3d space group). This intermetallic cage compound displays superconductivity below Tc=0.90±0.04 K, as evidenced by specific heat and resistivity data. Th4Be33Pt16 is a type-II superconductor, which has an upper critical field Hc2=0.27 T and a moderate Sommerfeld coefficient γn=16.3±0.8 mJ molTh-1 K-2. A non-zero density of states at the Fermi level is evident from metallic behavior in the normal state, as well as from electronic band structure calculations. The isostructural U4Be33Pt16 compound is a paramagnet with a moderately enhanced electronic mass, as indicated by the electronic specific heat coefficient γn=200 mJ molU-1 K-2 and Kadowaki–Woods ratio A/γ2=1.1×10-5 μ Ω cm K2molU2 (mJ)-2. Both Th4Be33Pt16 and U4Be33Pt16 are crystallographically complex, each hosting 212 atoms per unit cell.
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