cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
The convergence of broadcasting and telecommunications: the need to shift from a vertical "silo" model to a horizontal "layered" model of regulation
Creators: name: Selvadurai, Niloufer
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: A challenge facing reformers in the field of communications law is the increasingly widening gap between converging markets and services, and regulatory frameworks that continue to govern on the basis of a rigid vertical distinction between broadcasting and telecommunications. In Australia, media and communications are governed by the two distinct and largely independent statutory regimes created by the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (Cth) and the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth). However, markets and services and the underlying technologies have converged. In such a context, continuing to apply vertical 'silo' laws serves to undermine established regulatory objectives of parity and technological neutrality. In 2011, the federal government announced a review of the effects of convergence. One of the issues identified in the review was to need to consider shifting from a silo model to a horizontal 'layered' model. The purpose of the present article is to analyse the merits of adopting a horizontal layered model (i.e. one which mirrors the horizontal layered architecture of modern electronic communications) as the basis for the design of an effective regulatory framework for electronic communications in Australia.
Respirator and face mask filtration efficiency enhancement due to unipolar ion emission
Creators: name: Feye, Christian
Publisher: name: University of Iowa
Year: 2023
Subjects: public abstract

description: The filtration capabilities of surgical face masks and respirators are crucial in preventing the transmission of airborne pathogens and particles in healthcare settings as well to the general public. Previous studies have shown that the filtration efficiency of face masks can be influenced by various factors, such as the size and composition of aerosols. However, the potential enhancement in filter efficiency through the addition of ions remains largely unexplored. The main goal of the study was to investigate whether the addition of ions to an atmosphere containing aerosols increases filter efficiency of surgical facemasks and N95 respirators. The primary objective was to demonstrate whether aerosol ionization enhancement in surgical face masks results in successfully meeting National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards for the particulate filtration efficiency of N95 respirators.
description: The experimental design involved the comparison of two ASTM-rated face masks, differing in filtration efficiency, with an N95 respirator, where the criteria of success was to investigate whether ionization enhancement increases filter capture efficiency, and a “quality factor” that combines the effect of both filter efficiency and flow resistance. Air ionization was observed with a small, portable air ionizer. An aerosol particle counter was used to collect ambient (upstream) and respirator (downstream) particulate counts in the size range of 0 to 380 nm to determine filter efficiency. A scanning mobility particle sizer was used to measure the overall capture efficiency of the masks in the fine and ultrafine range of particle size range where filter capture efficiency is typically poorest. Pressure drop was measured by using a calibrated pressure voltage reader.
description: When comparing efficiency and pressure drop by flow rate and ionizer status, each facepiece achieved a greater capture efficiency with the use of an ionizer with an increase from 79% to 94% at a low flow and from 79% to 91% at a high flow for the ASTM Level 1 face masks, and an increase from 87% to 98% for low flow and from 88% to 97% at a high flow for the ASTM Level 2 face masks . The quality factor also increased with the addition of the ionizer for each mask, according to data collected for pressure drop and penetration of each facepiece. Particle size capture efficiency testing demonstrated that particle capture efficiency increased as a result of addition of the ionizer. Increased quality of breathing as a result of increased filtration and capture efficiency from ionization demonstrates a protective method to enhance filtration of particulate aerosol for all FFR respirators and face masks.
Development of project manager selection tool based on project manager competency
Creators: name: Shao, Ming Gang
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2006
Subjects: subject: Engineering, System Science.

description: Project management is entering into every aspect of our work with high speed but a relatively low success rate. Based on research into the current project management literature, this thesis concludes that three elements - a competent project manager, right project definition and right project organization are the key factors that determine the project success. This study focuses on the first of these three factors: selection of a competent project manager. The research process uses a web formed questionnaire based on the 102 Project Management Institute competency elements designed to measure Project Manager Knowledge, Performance and Personal competency. This questionnaire was used to gather data concerning real-world experience of critical project management skills from 16 people who have professional project experiences. Based on this data, a new project management tool was developed to highlight effective project manager selection considerations and effective organizational use of project management analysis and problem solving processes. This new tool attempts to assist the combination of project manager capabilities and organizational capabilities to achieve more effective project success. As a pilot survey, 16 respondents who have project experiences using a project-management approach were invited to complete the study project management questionnaire. The responses concerning the importance of the various elements named in the questionnaire were analyzed. The analysis resulted in a profile representing the critical skills associated with project management from the view of the expert respondents. This thesis proposes this profile as a project manager selection method. It also analyzes organizational project management problems in light of the selection model proposed as a way of helping the project manager, project, and organization move toward more sustainable development. As a part of future research, the effectiveness of this tool in distinguishing between effective and less effective project managers will form the basis of potential future research.
Local-Group tests of dark-matter concordance cosmology: Towards a new paradigm for structure formation
Creators: name: Kroupa, P.
name: Famaey, B.
name: de Boer, K. S.
name: Dabringhausen, J.
name: Pawlowski, M. S.
name: Boily, C. M.
name: Jerjen, H.
name: Forbes, Duncan
name: Hensler, G.
name: Metz, M.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Predictions of the concordance cosmological model (CCM) of the structures in the environment of large spiral galaxies are compared with observed properties of Local Group galaxies. Five new, most probably irreconcilable problems are uncovered: 1) A wide variety of published CCM models consistently predict some form of relation between dark-matter-mass and luminosity for the Milky Way (MW) satellite galaxies, but none is observed. 2) The mass function of luminous sub-haloes predicted by the CCM contains too few satellites with dark matter (DM) mass ≈ 107  within their innermost 300 pc than in the case of the MW satellites. 3) The Local Group galaxies and data from extragalactic surveys indicate there is a correlation between bulge-mass and the number of luminous satellites that is not predicted by the CCM. 4) The 13 new ultra-faint MW satellites define a disc-of-satellites (DoS) that is virtually identical to the DoS previously found for the 11 classical MW satellites, implying that most of the 24 MW satellites are correlated in phase-space. 5) The occurrence of two MW-type DM halo masses hosting MW-like galaxies is unlikely in the CCM. However, the properties of the Local Group galaxies provide information leading to a solution of the above problems. The DoS and bulge-satellite correlation suggest that dissipational events forming bulges are related to the processes forming phase-space correlated satellite populations. These events are well known to occur since in galaxy encounters energy and angular momentum are expelled in the form of tidal tails, which can fragment to form populations of tidal-dwarf galaxies (TDGs) and associated star clusters. If Local Group satellite galaxies are to be interpreted as TDGs then the substructure predictions of the CCM are internally in conflict. All findings thus suggest that the CCM does not account for the Local Group observations and that therefore existing as well as new viable alternatives have to be further explored. These are discussed and natural solutions for the above problems emerge.
Demonstration of a passive integrated optics technology based on plasmons.
Creators: name: Charbonneau, Robert.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2001
Subjects: subject: Physics, Optics.

description: The theory surrounding plasmon-polariton wave propagation on infinitely wide thin metal film structures was rederived, understood and is presented. Mode dispersion curves as a function of metal thickness were obtained for various metals and wavelengths. Field distributions for various structures of interest were computed and are presented. Fresnel coefficients have been derived for an n -layer structure to simulate the expected reflectance measurements of attenuated total reflectance (ATR) experiments. ATR experiments have been performed to excite surface plasmon-polaritons on a 20 nm thick titanium (Ti)-gold (Au)-Ti film embedded in SiO2. Measurements of the sensitivity of the thin metal film infinite in width to incident polarisation were performed experimentally confirming the transverse magnetic (TM) nature of surface plasmon-polaritons. A first mask was designed to experimentally verify the optical mode confinement of a thin metal film finite in width. A second mask was designed with the knowledge acquired from the first one. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Undersampled differential phase shift on-off keying for optical camera communications
Creators: name: Liu, Niu
name: Cheng, Julian
name: Holzman, Jonathan
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2021

description: OCC (Optical Camera Communication) has been proposed in recent years as a new technique for visible light communications. This paper introduces the implementation and experimental demonstration of an OCC system. Phase uncertainty and phase slipping caused by camera sampling are the two major challenges for OCC. In this paper, we propose a novel modulation scheme called undersampled differential phase shift on–off keying to encode binary data bits without exhibiting any flicker to human eyes. The phase difference between two consecutive samples conveys one-bit information, which can be decoded by a low-frame-rate camera receiver. Error detection techniques are introduced to enhance the reliability of the system. We present the hardware and software design of the proposed system, which is implemented with a Xilinx FPGA and a Logitech commercial camera. Experimental results demonstrate that a bit-error rate of 10-⁵ can be achieved with 7.15 mW received signal power over a link distance of 15 cm.
FAST-DERMS Flexible Resource Scheduler Data folder
Creators: name: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publisher: name: The Regents of the University of California, through Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (subject to receipt of any required approvals from the U.S. Dept. of Energy)
Year: 2025

description: This record contains the data folder required to run the IEEE13 demo case of the Flexible Resource Scheduler for FAST- DERMS
Global properties of ‘ordinary’ early-type galaxies: photometry and spectroscopy of stars and globular clusters in NGC 4494
Creators: name: Foster, Caroline
name: Spitler, Lee R.
name: Romanowsky, Aaron J.
name: Forbes, Duncan
name: Pota, Vincenzo
name: Bekki, Kenji
name: Strader, Jay
name: Proctor, Robert N.
name: Arnold, Jacob A.
name: Brodie, Jean
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 510103
subject: Cosmology and extragalactic astronomy

description: We present a comprehensive analysis of the spatial, kinematic and chemical properties of stars and globular clusters (GCs) in the ‘ordinary’ elliptical galaxy NGC 4494 using data from the Keck and Subaru telescopes. We derive galaxy surface brightness and colour profiles out to large galactocentric radii. We compare the latter to metallicities derived using the near-infrared Calcium Triplet. We obtain stellar kinematics out to ∼3.5 effective radii. The latter appear flattened or elongated beyond ∼1.8 effective radii in contrast to the relatively round photometric isophotes. In fact, NGC 4494 may be a flattened galaxy, possibly even an S0, seen at an inclination of ∼45°. We publish a catalogue of 431 GC candidates brighter than i0= 24 based on the photometry, of which 109 are confirmed spectroscopically and 54 have measured spectroscopic metallicities. We also report the discovery of three spectroscopically confirmed ultra-compact dwarfs around NGC 4494 with measured metallicities of −0.4 ≲[Fe/H]& 8818;−0.3. Based on their properties, we conclude that they are simply bright GCs. The metal-poor GCs are found to be rotating with similar amplitude as the galaxy stars, while the metal-rich GCs show marginal rotation. We supplement our analysis with available literature data and results. Using model predictions of galaxy formation, and a suite of merger simulations, we find that many of the observational properties of NGC 4494 may be explained by formation in a relatively recent gas-rich major merger. Complete studies of individual galaxies incorporating a range of observational avenues and methods such as the one presented here will be an invaluable tool for constraining the fine details of galaxy formation models, especially at large galactocentric radii.
Voice stream-based lip animation for audio-video communication.
Creators: name: Bondy, Michel D.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2001
Subjects: subject: Engineering, Electronics and Electrical.

description: This thesis describes a system that uses the voice track to determine the shape of a speaker's lips for use in a model-based audio-video communication system. A parametric model (deformable template) is used to measure the shape of a speaker's lips. The system uses Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) analysis and the LPC cepstral coefficients for audio recognition. As each individual has his/her own typical lip positions while uttering various speech sounds the system is speaker dependent. A vector quantization algorithm is used to create a compact and speaker dependent cepstral coefficient to lip shape parameter mapping. This mapping is used along with the audio analysis to determine the shape of a speaker's lips from the voice stream. Animation of a parametric lip contour from the voice track provides a convenient solution to the non-trivial problem of voice-image synchronization in audio-video communication. As strong correlations can be found between the lip contour shape and the properties of the voice track it becomes possible to use the voice to directly drive the lip contour shape in the model-based video rendering/animation process. This allows the further reduction of the bit rate for audio-video storage or transmission. Parametric animation of the lip contour from the voice track signal can find obvious application to the animation of talking avatars (virtual humans). The visual information added by animating the lip contours can also increase the intelligibility of audio messages for persons with impaired hearing.
Unique sleep-stage transitions determined by obstructive sleep apnea severity, age and gender
Creators: name: Wächter, Marcel
name: Kantelhardt, Jan W.
name: Bonsignore, Maria R.
name: Bouloukaki, Izolde
name: Escourrou, Pierre
name: Fietze, Ingo
name: Grote, Ludger
name: Korzybski, Damian
name: Lombardi, Carolina
name: Marrone, Oreste
name: Paranicova, Ivana
name: Pataka, Athanasia
name: Ryan, Silke
name: Schiza, Sophia E.
name: Sliwinski, Pawel
name: Steiropoulos, Paschalis
name: Verbraecken, Johan
name: Penzel, Thomas
name: ESADA Study Group
Publisher: name: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: sleep dynamics
subject: sleep fragmentation
subject: exponential distribution
subject: sleep-disordered breathing
subject: power-law distribution
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::616 Krankheiten

description: In obstructive sleep apnea, patients’ sleep is fragmented leading to excessive daytime sleepiness and comorbidities like arterial hypertension. However, traditional metrics are not always directly correlated with daytime sleepiness and the association between traditional sleep quality metrics like sleep duration and arterial hypertension is still ambiguous. In a development cohort, we analyzed hypnograms from mild (n=213), moderate (n=235) and severe (n=277) OSA patients as well as healthy controls (n=105) from the European Sleep Apnea Database (ESADA). We assessed sleep by the analysis of two-step transitions depending on OSA severity and anthropometric factors. Two-step transition patterns were examined for an association to arterial hypertension or daytime sleepiness. We also tested cumulative distributions of wake as well as sleep states for power laws (exponent α) and exponential distributions (decay time τ) in dependency on OSA severity and potential confounders. Independent of OSA severity and potential confounders, wake state durations followed a power-law distribution, while sleep state durations were characterized by an exponential distribution. Sleep stage transitions are influenced by OSA severity, age and gender. N2→N3→wake transitions were associated with high diastolic blood pressure. We observed higher frequencies of alternating (symmetric) patterns (e.g. N2→N1→N2, N2→wake→N2) in sleepy patients both in the development cohort and in a validation cohort (n=425). In conclusion, effects of OSA severity and potential confounders on sleep architecture are small, but transition patterns still link sleep fragmentation directly to OSA-related clinical outcomes like arterial hypertension and daytime sleepiness.
Mass Density Measurement of Mineralized Tissue with Grating-Based X-Ray Phase Tomography
Creators: name: Gradl, Regine
name: Zanette, Irene
name: Ruiz-Yaniz, Maite
name: Dierolf, Martin
name: Rack, Alexander
name: Zaslansky, Paul
name: Pfeiffer, Franz
Publisher: name: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit

description: Establishing the mineral content distribution in highly mineralized tissues, such as bones and teeth, is fundamental in understanding a variety of structural questions ranging from studies of the mechanical properties to improved pathological investigations. However, non-destructive, volumetric and quantitative density measurements of mineralized samples, some of which may extend several mm in size, remain challenging. Here, we demonstrate the potential of grating-based x-ray phase tomography to gain insight into the three-dimensional mass density distribution of tooth tissues in a non- destructive way and with a sensitivity of 85 mg/cm3. Density gradients of 13 − 19% over 1 − 2 mm within typical samples are detected, and local variations in density of 0.4 g/cm3 on a length scale of 0.1 mm are revealed. This method proves to be an excellent quantitative tool for investigations of subtle differences in mineral content of mineralized tissues that can change following treatment or during ageing and healing.
title: Ozaawindib’s world
title: Ojibwe family, gender, warfare, and politics 1748-1826
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Kingsbury, Jeremy
Publisher: name: University of Iowa
Year: 2024
Subjects: Anishinaabe
Dakota
Fur Trade
Ojibwe
Two-Spirit
public abstract
Family
American History

description: Since the 1980s, scholars have reexamined fur trade documents, oral histories, and material culture to gain a better understanding of Ojibwe women’s roles in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, demonstrating that they were far from powerless victims of colonialism experiencing extreme declension (a significant decline in power and agency with interaction with the fur trade). However, scholars have missed explaining lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) positions within this era and failed to find records for the actions of Ojibwe women who did not marry colonizers. By examining Ozaawindib, a naagokwe or Two-Spirit person this dissertation re-examines and explains Anishinaabe culture to emphasize gender mobility and fluidity.
description: The key components of an Ojibwe community were individual family households. Wiishkoobag, Ozaawindib’s father, was a war chief of the Pillager band of Ojibwe. Examining Wiishkoobag and the Pillagers sheds light on Ozaawindib’s life. As the child of a war chief, Ozaawindib participated in war parties and entered into marriages with strong military allies of her community and father. Outsiders said that Wiishkoobag tried to convince Ozaawindib to live as a man but was unable to do so. If Wiishkoobag indeed harassed his son for living as a woman, he would be the exception to the rule of Ozaawindib’s experience.
description: Ozaawindib, as a naagokwe was accepted by her community. She engaged in marriages, home management roles, political negotiations and warfare. Anishinaabe people referred to Ozaawindib and other naagokwe as women in the historic literature. While Ozaawindib was an oddity to outsiders, her fellow Anishinaabeg embraced her as a woman. Ozaawindib lived as a woman, her peers called her a woman, and she thought of herself as a woman.
Gemini/GMOS imaging of globular cluster systems in five early-type galaxies★
Creators: name: Faifer, Favio R.
name: Forte, Juan C.
name: Norris, Mark A.
name: Bridges, Terry
name: Forbes, Duncan
name: Zepf, Stephen E.
name: Beasley, Michael
name: Gebhardt, Karl
name: Hanes, David A.
name: Sharples, Ray M.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 510103
subject: Cosmology and extragalactic astronomy

description: In this paper, we present deep high-quality photometry of globular cluster systems (GCSs) belonging to five early-type galaxies, covering a range of mass and environment. Photometric data were obtained with the Gemini North and Gemini South telescopes in the filter passbands g′, r′ and i′. The combination of these filters with good seeing conditions allows an excellent separation between globular cluster (GC) candidates and unresolved field objects. In fact, our previously published spectroscopic data indicate a contamination level of only ∼10 per cent in our sample of GC candidates. Bimodal GC colour distributions are found in all five galaxies. Most of the GCSs appear bimodal even in the (g′−r′) versus (r′−i′) plane. A population of resolved/marginally resolved GC and ultracompact dwarf candidates was found in all the galaxies. A search for the so-called ‘blue tilt’ in the colour–magnitude diagrams reveals that NGC 4649 clearly shows this phenomenon, although no conclusive evidence was found for the other galaxies in the sample. This ‘blue tilt’ translates into a mass–metallicity relation given by Z& 8733;M0.28 ±0.03. This dependence was found using a new empirical (g′−i′) versus [Z/H] relation, which relies on an homogeneous sample of GC colours and metallicities. In this paper, we also explore the radial trends in both colour and surface density for the blue (metal-poor) and red (metal-rich) GC subpopulations. As usual, the red GCs show a steeper radial distribution than the blue GCs. Evidence of galactocentric colour gradients is found in some of the GCSs, which is more significant for the two S0 galaxies in the sample. Red GC subpopulations show similar colours and gradients to the galaxy halo stars in their inner region. A GC mean colour–galaxy luminosity relation, consistent with [Z/H]∝L0.26 ±0.08B, is present for the red GCs. Estimates of the total GC populations and specific frequency SN values are presented for NGC 3115, 3923 and 4649.
Improving cochlear implant and tympanostomy tube surfaces via photografted zwitterionic thin films
Creators: name: Horne, Ryan Ruben
Publisher: name: University of Iowa
Year: 2024
Subjects: Anti-fibrotic materials
Foreign Body Response
Hydrogels
Mucus mobilization
Photopolymerization
Medicine
Cochlear Implants

description: For patients young and old who experience profound deafness or hearing loss, a neural prosthesis known as the cochlear implant can enable the capacity to hear. However, a cochlear implant loses effectiveness and can even harm residual hearing when it causes inflammation in the cochlea through either traumatic insertions or encapsulation in fibrotic tissue. Additionally, tympanostomy tubes can also help prevent hearing loss and infections but sometimes become colonized with bacterial biofilms or plugged with mucus, necessitating removal and replacement. Both tympanostomy tubes and cochlear implants could be greatly improved by changing the biomaterial interactions with surrounding tissue. This work examines photograftable zwitterionic hydrogel thin films to address these shortcomings. Their highly hydrophilic nature is hypothesized to yield reduced biofouling, fibrosis, shear stress, and resistance to mucus flow so long as they are sufficiently durable. To inform potential trade-offs between durability and antifouling properties, the effect of hydrogel cross-linking on these properties is assessed. Fibrinogen, fibroblast, and bacteria adhesion are determined to be reduced by at least an order of magnitude for cross-linked hydrogels where half or more of the thin film mass is zwitterionic. Of these thin films, those with 10% cross-linker or more are found to be sufficiently durable when implanted in cochlear and subcutaneous tissue. The effect of thin film coatings in fibrosis reduction is also demonstrated in vivo using model implants and human cochlear implant electrode arrays, exhibiting a fibrotic capsule thickness reduction of at least 50% regardless of surface geometry, duration of implant (up to one year), or the material coated. Additionally, coatings on these arrays are shown to reduce the force of insertion into cadaveric cochleae. Finally, resistance to mucus flow and unplugging is reduced in coated tube models. These results exhibit the potential of photograftable zwitterionic hydrogel thin films in improving medical implants like cochlear implants and tympanostomy tubes by robustly reducing biofouling, fibrosis, shear stress, and mucus stasis.
The SLUGGS Survey: kinematics for over 2500 globular clusters in 12 early-type galaxies
Creators: name: Pota, V.
name: Forbes, Duncan
name: Romanowsky, A. J.
name: Brodie, Jean
name: Spitler, L. R.
name: Strader, J.
name: Foster, C.
name: Arnold, J. A.
name: Benson, A.
name: Blom, C.
name: Hargis, J. R.
name: Rhode, K. L.
name: Usher, C.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 510103
subject: Cosmology and extragalactic astronomy

description: We present a spectrophotometric survey of 2522 extragalactic globular clusters (GCs) around 12 early-type galaxies, nine of which have not been published previously. Combining space-based and multicolour wide-field ground-based imaging, with spectra from the Keck/DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) instrument, we obtain an average of 160 GC radial velocities per galaxy, with a high-velocity precision of ∼15 km s−1 per GC. After studying the photometric properties of the GC systems, such as their spatial and colour distributions, we focus on the kinematics of metal-poor (blue) and metal-rich (red) GC subpopulations to an average distance of ∼8 effective radii from the galaxy centre. Our results show that for some systems the bimodality in GC colour is also present in GC kinematics. The kinematics of the red GC subpopulations are strongly coupled with the host galaxy stellar kinematics. The blue GC subpopulations are more dominated by random motions, especially in the outer regions, and decoupled from the red GCs. Peculiar GC kinematic profiles are seen in some galaxies: the blue GCs in NGC 821 rotate along the galaxy minor axis, whereas the GC system of the lenticular galaxy NGC 7457 appears to be strongly rotation supported in the outer region. We supplement our galaxy sample with data from the literature and carry out a number of tests to study the kinematic differences between the two GC subpopulations. We confirm that the GC kinematics are coupled with the host galaxy properties and find that the velocity kurtosis and the slope of their velocity dispersion profiles are different between the two GC subpopulations in more massive galaxies.
Multiscale modeling of the skin’s biomechanics and aging
Creators: name: Witt, Nathaniel James
Publisher: name: University of Iowa
Year: 2024
Subjects: Dermis
Fiber networks
Multiphoton microscopy
Aging
Biomechanics
Collagen

description: Skin is a complex multilayered tissue that regulates temperature and hydration, provides sensory information to the nervous system, and protects against chemical, biological, and physical assaults from the environment. It also must be distensible to accommodate body movement and tough enough to withstand physical forces that could lead to tissue damage. It is increasingly clear that the local mechanical environment within a tissue provides important cues that regulate normal tissue function. These cues are highly dependent on the local composition and organization of the extracellular matrix, as well as mechanical forces transmitted across spatial scales of the tissue. The effects of disease, aging, injury, and repair of the skin all depend heavily on how macroscopic tissue-level forces distribute down to the microscale level of cells and matrix proteins. Thus, to understand dynamic changes in skin function, including those associated with aging and injury, it is critical that one takes a multiscale perspective.
description: However, investigating the multiscale structure-function relationships of skin faces challenges due to experimental limitations and the difficulty in replicating microstructural kinematics using standard computational modeling techniques. To better understand the skin’s biomechanics, we constructed image based multiscale mechanical models (MSM) of mouse skin and represented the collagenous dermis with experimental images of dermal microstructure acquired during mechanical testing. Three models that spanned the cases of highly aligned, moderately aligned, and nearly random fiber networks were examined and compared to the data acquired from uniaxially stretched skin. We also investigated alterations in the skin with aging by simulating increased nonenzymatic crosslinking with discrete fiber networks, representing changes in collagen fiber properties and fiber-fiber connectivity (i.e., network fragmentation). Furthermore, we analyzed the influence of increased collagen fragmentation on the mechanical behavior and failure properties of skin using notched multiscale models loaded in tension. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the dermal microstructure with changes in alignment and age dependent alterations with nonenzymatic crosslinking.
title: The ProCaSP study
title: quality of life outcomes of prostate cancer patients after radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy in a cohort study
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Eisemann, Nora
name: Nolte, Sandra
name: Schnoor, Maike
name: Katalinic, Alexander
name: Rohde, Volker
name: Waldmann, Annika
Publisher: name: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit

description: Background This study describes and compares health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of prostate cancer patients who received either radical prostatectomy (nerve-sparing, nsRP, or non-nerve-sparing, nnsRP) or radiotherapy (external RT, brachytherapy, or both combined) for treatment of localised prostate cancer. Methods The prospective, multicenter cohort study included 529 patients. Questionnaires included the IIEF, QLQ-C30, and PORPUS-P. Data were collected before (baseline), three, six, twelve, and twenty-four months after treatment. Differences between groups’ baseline characteristics were assessed; changes over time were analysed with generalised estimating equations (GEE). Missing values were treated with multiple imputation. Further, scores at baseline and end of follow-up were compared to German reference data. Results The typical time trend was a decrease of average HRQOL three months after treatment followed by (partial) recovery. RP patients experienced considerable impairment in sexual functioning. The covariate-adjusted GEE identified a significant - but not clinically relevant - treatment effect for diarrhoea (b = 7.0 for RT, p = 0.006) and PORPUS-P (b = 2.3 for nsRP, b = 2.2 for RT, p = 0.045) compared to the reference nnsRP. Most of the HRQOL scores were comparable to German norm values. Conclusions Findings from previous research were reproduced in a specific setting of a patient cohort in the German health care system. According to the principle of evidence-based medicine, this strengthens the messages regarding treatment in prostate cancer and its impacts on patients’ health-related quality of life. After adjustment for baseline HRQOL and other covariates, RT patients reported increased symptoms of diarrhoea, and nnsRP patients decreased prostate-specific HRQOL. RP patients experienced considerable impairment in sexual functioning. These differences should be taken into account by physicians when choosing the best therapy for a patient.
THE DENSEST GALAXY
Creators: name: Strader, Jay
name: Seth, Anil C.
name: Forbes, Duncan
name: Fabbiano, Giuseppina
name: Romanowsky, Aaron J.
name: Brodie, Jean
name: Conroy, Charlie
name: Caldwell, Nelson
name: Pota, Vincenzo
name: Usher, Christopher
name: Arnold, Jacob A.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 510103
subject: Cosmology and extragalactic astronomy

description: We report the discovery of a remarkable ultra-compact dwarf galaxy around the massive Virgo elliptical galaxy NGC 4649 (M60), which we term M60-UCD1. With a dynamical mass of 2.0 x 10^8 M_sun but a half-light radius of only ~ 24 pc, M60-UCD1 is more massive than any ultra-compact dwarfs of comparable size, and is arguably the densest galaxy known in the local universe. It has a two-component structure well-fit by a sum of Sersic functions, with an elliptical, compact (r_h=14 pc; n ~ 3.3) inner component and a round, exponential, extended (r_h=49 pc) outer component. Chandra data reveal a variable central X-ray source with L_X ~ 10^38 erg/s that could be an active galactic nucleus associated with a massive black hole or a low-mass X-ray binary. Analysis of optical spectroscopy shows the object to be old (~> 10 Gyr) and of solar metallicity, with elevated [Mg/Fe] and strongly enhanced [N/Fe] that indicates light element self-enrichment; such self-enrichment may be generically present in dense stellar systems. The velocity dispersion (~ 70 km/s) and resulting dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M/L_V=4.9 +/- 0.7) are consistent with---but slightly higher than---expectations for an old, metal-rich stellar population with a Kroupa initial mass function. The presence of a massive black hole or a mild increase in low-mass stars or stellar remnants is therefore also consistent with this M/L_V. The stellar density of the galaxy is so high that no dynamical signature of dark matter is expected. However, the properties of M60-UCD1 suggest an origin in the tidal stripping of a nucleated galaxy with M_B ~ -18 to -19.
Peak nasal inspiratory flow as outcome for provocation studies in allergen exposure chambers: a GA²LEN study
Creators: name: Boelke, Georg
name: Berger, Uwe
name: Bergmann, Karl-Christian
name: Bindslev-Jensen, Carsten
name: Bousquet, Jean
name: Gildemeister, Julia
name: Jutel, Marek
name: Pfaar, Oliver
name: Sehlinger, Torsten
name: Zuberbier, Torsten
Publisher: name: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Allergen exposure chamber (AEC)
subject: Allergy trial
subject: GA²LEN chamber
subject: Peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF)
subject: Provocation study
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit
subject: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::616 Krankheiten

description: Background: The GA²LEN chamber has been developed as a novel mobile allergen exposure chamber (AEC) allowing standardized multicenter trials in allergy. Hitherto, subjective nasal symptom scores have been the most often used outcome parameter, but in standardized modern trials objective parameters are preferred. Despite its practicability, the objective parameter peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) has been rarely used for allergy trials in the setting of allergen exposure chambers. This study aims to evaluate PNIF as an outcome parameter for provocation studies in AECs. Methods: In a randomized controlled blinded setting subjects suffering from allergic rhinitis were exposed to grass pollen, birch pollen, house dust mite and/or placebo in the GA²LEN chamber. Different allergen concentrations were used to evaluate symptom severities. Patients had to perform PNIF before and every 30 min during a challenge using a portable PNIF meter. Results: 86 subjects participated in 203 challenges, altogether. House dust mite provocations caused the greatest reduction in PNIF values, followed by grass pollen and birch pollen. Provocations with every allergen or pollen concentration led to a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in PNIF compared to baseline. Furthermore, positive correlations were obtained between PNIF and peak expiratory flow, height and weight, and inverse correlations between PNIF and total nasal symptom score, nasal congestion score and visual analog scale of overall subjective symptoms. Conclusion: PNIF is a helpful and feasible tool for conducting provocation trials with allergens, especially grass pollen and house dust mite, in an AEC.
Facies analysis of Lower Permian cyclic carbonates, west-central Ellesmere Island, Canadian Arctic.
Creators: name: Morin, Jean.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1992
Subjects: subject: Geology.

description: At least 36 decametre-scale, largely symmetric high-frequency cycles spanning approximately 15 Ma make up the carbonate-dominated succession of Lower Permian sequence 3 of the Sverdrup Basin in Fosheim and Hamilton peninsulas. These cycles record a rift pulse caracterized by the uplift, passive subsidence, collapse and passive subsidence of the Fosheim-Hamilton subbasin and show that during the rifting phase of the Sverdrup Basin deposition of conformity-bounded sequences was tectonically rather than eustatically controlled. The active rifting-phase of the Sverdrup Basin comprises four unconformity-bounded sequences that range in age from Visean to Kungurian. The third-sequence in Fosheim and Hamilton peninsulas area, west central Ellesmere Island comprises six formations. The Canyon Fiord Formation is composed of lithofacies ranging from basin margin fluvial to marine siliciclastics. The Belcher Channel, Antoinette, Tanquary and Nansen formations are made up of inner- to midshelf carbonates that encompass the Mount Bayley Formation, a thick evaporite succession deposited within the Fosheim-Hamilton subbasin. Petrographic analysis of the carbonate-dominated facies in sequence 3 has delimited nineteen platformal facies representing lagoonal, barrier and shoal, reefal and non-reefal mid-shelf depositional environments. These facies are organized into high-frequency depositional cycles that record the interplay between eustasy, tectonism and sediment supply. In order to facilitate their regional analysis, cycles were grouped into five idealized cycles. From proximal to distal, these cycles include: Sandstone-Grainstone; Grainstone-Palaeoaplysinid; Packstone-Phylloid; Wackestone; and Anhydrite cycles. These high-frequency cycles are grouped into a Pre-, Syn- and Post-evaporite cyclic assemblages, each of which possess an unique stacking pattern. The Pre-evaporite Assemblage comprises 9 cycles characterized by relatively similar thickness and composition. High-frequency cyclicity within this assemblage was controlled by glacio-eustatic oscillations with only local tectonic influence. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
The SLUGGS survey: globular cluster stellar population trends from weak absorption lines in stacked spectra
Creators: name: Usher, C.
name: Forbes, Duncan
name: Brodie, Jean
name: Romanowsky, A. J.
name: Strader, J.
name: Conroy, C.
name: Foster, C.
name: Pastorello, N.
name: Pota, V.
name: Arnold, J. A.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 510103
subject: Cosmology and extragalactic astronomy

description: As part of the SAGES Legacy Unifying Globulars and GalaxieS (SLUGGS) survey, we stack 1137 Keck DEIMOS (Deep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) spectra of globular clusters from 10 galaxies to study their stellar populations in detail. The stacked spectra have median signal-to-noise ratios of ∼90 Å−1. Besides the calcium triplet, we study weaker sodium, magnesium, titanium and iron lines as well as the Hα and higher order Paschen hydrogen lines. In general, the stacked spectra are consistent with old ages and a Milky Way-like initial mass function. However, we see different metal line index strengths at fixed colour and magnitude, and differences in the calcium triplet–colour relation from galaxy to galaxy. We interpret this as strong evidence for variations in the globular cluster colour–metallicity relation between galaxies. Two possible explanations for the colour–metallicity relation variations are that the average ages of globular clusters vary from galaxy to galaxy or that the average abundances of light elements (i.e. He, C, N and O) differ between galaxies. Stacking spectra by magnitude, we see that the colours become redder and metal line indices stronger with brighter magnitudes. These trends are consistent with the previously reported ‘blue tilts’ being mass–metallicity relations.
Design and analysis of congestion control for high-speed networks.
Creators: name: Zhang, Hongyi.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2001
Subjects: subject: Engineering, Electronics and Electrical.

description: In this thesis, we first use the fluid flow modeling technique to build an end-to-end model and a hop-by-hop model for the high-speed networks respectively. We then use the control theory to design distributed rate-based traffic controllers to flow-regulate the best-effort service (e.g., ABR) traffic and guaranteed service traffic through a high-speed switch. The controllers are distributed among the source nodes and have a very simple structure. Their local controller at each source node is open-loop stable and only requires the knowledge of the queue length at the bottleneck switch. We say that the network is open-loop stable if the feedback loop breaks. Based on the simulation results obtained from OPNET and MATLAB, we finally show that the controllers are fair and can stabilize the network with long variable delays. Our controllers overcome the oscillation problem which exists in most of current existing rate-based controllers.
THE G2+G2t COMPLEX AS A FAST AND MASSIVE OUTFLOW?
Creators: name: Ballone, A.
name: Schartmann, Marc
name: Burkert, A.
name: Gillessen, S.
name: Plewa, P. M.
name: Genzel, R.
name: Pfuhl, O.
name: Eisenhauer, F.
name: Ott, T.
name: George, E. M.
name: Habibi, M.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Observations of the gas component of the cloud G2 in the Galactic Center have revealed its connection to a tail (G2t) lying on the same orbit. More recent studies indicate a connection between G2 and G1, another cloud detected on the blueshifted side of G2's orbit, suggesting a scenario in which G2 is a denser clump in a stream of gas. In this Letter, we show that a simulation of an outflow by a central source (possibly a T Tauri star) moving on G2's orbit and interacting with a hot atmosphere surrounding SgrA* can have G2 and G2t as a byproduct. G2 would be the bow shock formed in the head of the source, while G2t might be the result of the stripping of the rest of the shocked material by the ram pressure of the surrounding hot gas and of its successive accumulation in the trailing region. Mock position-velocity (PV) diagrams for the Br gamma emission for this simulation can indeed reproduce the correct position and velocity of G2t, as well as the more tenuous material in between. Though some tension between the observations and the simulated model remains, we argue that this might be due to issues in the construction of observed PV diagrams and/or to a poor treatment of some physical processes-like hydrodynamic mixing-in our simulation.
The development, implementation, and evaluation of an LGTBQ ally training for mental health professionals
Creators: name: Sandoval, Jacob A.
Publisher: name: University of Iowa
Year: 2023
Subjects: Ally Training
LGBTQ
Program Evaluation
public abstract
Curriculum Development
Mental Health

description: Little research has been conducted to examine the impact of ally trainings used to increase LGBTQ cultural competency levels among professionals. This dissertation seeks to add to the existing literature by detailing the process of creating an ally training, from conception to presentation. Afterward, reflections will be shared about the creation process and the experience of presentation before discussing next steps. These next steps are acted upon in the following article, wherein a program evaluation is conducted by presenting this training to mental health professionals to examine the difference between their pre and post training LGBTQ cultural competency levels (n = 18). This evaluation used measurements of clinical preparedness, attitudes, and knowledge regarding LGBTQ topics and issues. Paired-samples t-tests revealed a significant increase in mean scores for each construct between pre and post training. Pearson’s correlations reveal significant positive correlations for clinical preparedness, attitudes, and knowledge between pre and post training. Notably, the difference observed in knowledge for pre to post training was significantly correlated with the difference in attitudes. Results and implications are discussed as well as plans for future research.