Orthostasis test in the practice of the cardiologist

The orthostasis test makes it possible to evaluate neurohumoral regulation and reaction of the circulatory system and to detect changes in the function of a number of internal organs (especially the kidney). Simultaneous recording of the ECG in an orthostatic position despite nonspecificity, makes it possible to detect hidden damage (organic or metabolic) or increased sensitivity of the myocardium to stressor sympathetico-adrenal effects, stability of therapeutic effect, and the action mechanism of a number of drugs

The near wall effect of synthetic jets in a boundary layer

Copyright @ 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.An experimental investigation to analyse the qualitative near wall effect of synthetic jets in a laminar boundary layer has been undertaken for the purpose of identifying the types of vortical structures likely to have delayed separation on a 2D circular cylinder model described in this paper. In the first instance, dye visualisation of the synthetic jet was facilitated in conjunction with a stereoscopic imaging system to provide a unique quasi three-dimensional identification of the vortical structures. Secondly, the impact of synthetic jet structures along the wall was analysed using a thermochromic liquid crystal-based convective heat transfer sensing system in which, liquid crystals change colour in response to the thermal footprints of a passing flow structure. Of the different vortical structures produced as a result of varying actuator operating and freestream conditions, the footprints of hairpin vortices and stretched vortex rings revealed a marked similarity with the oil flow pattern of a vortex pair interacting with the separation line on the cylinder hence suggesting that either of these structures was responsible in delaying separation. Conditions were established for the formation of the different synthetic jet structures in non-dimensional parameter space

Analysis of structure-phase states in-a-bulk hardened and a head-hardened rails

A layer-by-layer analysis along the central axis and over the fillet of rails for low-temperature service, rails with enhanced wear resistance and contact fatigue resistance, and for senior-grade rails, bulk oil hardened and DT 350 rails head-hardened under different conditions has been carried out by modern material science methods. Quantitative variables have been established and a comparison of structure-phase states, defective substructure and internal stress fields has been made

Point-by-point inscription of apodized fiber Bragg gratings

We demonstrate apodized fiber Bragg gratings inscribed with a point-by-point technique. We tailor the grating phase and coupling amplitude through precise control over the longitudinal and transverse position of each laser-inscribed modification. This method of apodization is facilitated by the highly-localized, high-contrast modifications generated by focussed IR femtosecond laser inscription. Our technique provides a simple method for the design and implementation of point-by-point fiber Bragg gratings with complex apodization profiles.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, article in revie

Optimal measurement of visual motion across spatial and temporal scales

Sensory systems use limited resources to mediate the perception of a great variety of objects and events. Here a normative framework is presented for exploring how the problem of efficient allocation of resources can be solved in visual perception. Starting with a basic property of every measurement, captured by Gabor's uncertainty relation about the location and frequency content of signals, prescriptions are developed for optimal allocation of sensors for reliable perception of visual motion. This study reveals that a large-scale characteristic of human vision (the spatiotemporal contrast sensitivity function) is similar to the optimal prescription, and it suggests that some previously puzzling phenomena of visual sensitivity, adaptation, and perceptual organization have simple principled explanations.Comment: 28 pages, 10 figures, 2 appendices; in press in Favorskaya MN and Jain LC (Eds), Computer Vision in Advanced Control Systems using Conventional and Intelligent Paradigms, Intelligent Systems Reference Library, Springer-Verlag, Berli

The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Infrared Experiment: A Millimeter-wave Receiver for Cluster Cosmology

Measurements of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (S-Z) effect towards distant clusters of galaxies can be used to determine the Hubble constant and the radial component of cluster peculiar velocities. Determination of the cluster peculiar velocity requires the separation of the two components of the S-Z effect, which are due to the thermal and bulk velocities of the intracluster plasma. The two components can be separated practically only at millimeter (mm) wavelengths. Measurements of the S-Z effect at mm wavelengths are subject to minimal astrophysical confusion and, therefore, provide an important test of results obtained at longer wavelengths. We describe the instrument used to make the first significant detections of the S-Z effect at millimeter wavelengths. This instrument employs new filter, detector, and readout technologies to produce sensitive measurements of differential sky brightness stable on long time scales. These advances allow drift scan observations which achieve high sensitivity while minimizing common sources of systematic error.Comment: 19 pages, 15 postscript figures, LaTeX(aaspptwo.sty), ApJ(in press

Three-dimensional femtosecond laser nanolithography of crystals

Nanostructuring hard optical crystals has so far been exclusively feasible at their surface, as stress induced crack formation and propagation has rendered high precision volume processes ineffective. We show that the inner chemical etching reactivity of a crystal can be enhanced at the nanoscale by more than five orders of magnitude by means of direct laser writing. The process allows to produce cm-scale arbitrary three-dimensional nanostructures with 100 nm feature sizes inside large crystals in absence of brittle fracture. To showcase the unique potential of the technique, we fabricate photonic structures such as sub-wavelength diffraction gratings and nanostructured optical waveguides capable of sustaining sub-wavelength propagating modes inside yttrium aluminum garnet crystals. This technique could enable the transfer of concepts from nanophotonics to the fields of solid state lasers and crystal optics.Comment: Submitted Manuscript and Supplementary Informatio

Connectivity precedes function in the development of the visual word form area

What determines the cortical location at which a given functionally specific region will arise in development? We tested the hypothesis that functionally specific regions develop in their characteristic locations because of pre-existing differences in the extrinsic connectivity of that region to the rest of the brain. We exploited the visual word form area (VWFA) as a test case, scanning children with diffusion and functional imaging at age 5, before they learned to read, and at age 8, after they learned to read. We found the VWFA developed functionally in this interval and that its location in a particular child at age 8 could be predicted from that child's connectivity fingerprints (but not functional responses) at age 5. These results suggest that early connectivity instructs the functional development of the VWFA, possibly reflecting a general mechanism of cortical development.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant F32HD079169)Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.) (Grant F32HD079169)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01HD067312)Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.) (Grant R01HD067312