The influence of air on the magneto-vibratory separation of binary granular mixtures

The application of an inhomogeneous magnetic field to a binary granular mixture composed of diamagnetic or paramagnetic particles exposes the two species to different effective forces of gravity. Vertical vibration may then cause the mixture to separate through the action of this differential gravity. Here we consider the influence of a background fluid, such as air, on this magneto-vibratory separation. We show that air-driven tilting and granular convection greatly influence the separation dynamics. We identify the magnetic and vibratory conditions for mixed, partially separated and very well separated states. Each corresponds to a distinct pattern of granular convection, the transition from one state to another being abrupt as the experimental conditions are altered. Magneto-vibratory separation may enhance air-driven separation, may cause inverted separation, or may be adjusted to counteract the air-driven separation and maintain the mixed state. We use computer simulations to give insight into these separation processes. We show that many of the phenomena are associated with the gaps which open up between separated regions over those fractions of the vibration cycle in which the convective motion takes place. It is these gaps which enable the abrupt transition between separated states and which prevent the convection within the separated regions from causing mixing.     

Nomophobia: Dependency on virtual environments or social phobia?

Background

The increasing use of new technologies and virtual communication involving personal computers (PCs), tablets and mobile phones are causing changes in individuals’ daily habits and behavior. We report the case of an individual with social phobia who developed a dependency on communication through virtual environments (i.e., nomophobia), and used a PC as a form of relating to the outside world to reduce stress and to avoid direct social relations. Nomophobia refers to the discomfort or anxiety caused by the non-availability of a mobile phone, PC or any another virtual communication device. Social phobia is described as an anxiety disorder of chronic evolution.

Objective

To study nomophobia as a manifest behavior that might serve as an indication of a possible anxiety disorder.

Methodology

The treatment consisted of the use of medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and the application of evaluation tools (interviews, scales, inventories and questionnaires).

Results

The individual responded satisfactorily to medication and CBT treatment, which reduced his time using the PC and increased his exposure to real-life situations.

Conclusion

Nomophobic behavior produces changes in daily habits and can reveal other aspects to be investigated, such as the presence of comorbid mental disorders.     

Personalising speech-to-speech translation: Unsupervised cross-lingual speaker adaptation for HMM-based speech synthesis

In this paper we present results of unsupervised cross-lingual speaker adaptation applied to text-to-speech synthesis. The application of our research is the personalisation of speech-to-speech translation in which we employ a HMM statistical framework for both speech recognition and synthesis. This framework provides a logical mechanism to adapt synthesised speech output to the voice of the user by way of speech recognition. In this work we present results of several different unsupervised and cross-lingual adaptation approaches as well as an end-to-end speaker adaptive speech-to-speech translation system. Our experiments show that we can successfully apply speaker adaptation in both unsupervised and cross-lingual scenarios and our proposed algorithms seem to generalise well for several language pairs. We also discuss important future directions including the need for better evaluation metrics.     

Design of globally stable controllers for a class of chaotic systems

A simple method to design chaos suppressors for a class of chaotic systems that can be decomposed into a linear subsystem and a nonlinear subsystem whose states can be decoupled is presented. The method yields a constant state feedback controller and global stability of the controlled system. The proposed methodology is demonstrated on three well-known chaotic systems, the third-order Chua circuit, the fourth-order hyperchaotic Chua circuit and the hyperchaotic Ro¨ssler oscillator.     

Use of electrophoretic karyotyping and DNA-DNA hybridization in yeast identification

The behavioral disturbances of 16 nursing home patients with a history of sundowning behaviour and dementia were treated with light therapy instead of psychopharmacological medication. After the withdrawal of the before established medication a very individual, heterogenous deterioration of the symptoms was noted. A significant improvement of the behaviour was not found by light therapy in any patient. The problems in practical handling and possible consequences of further investigation are discussed.     

The "epidemic" of breast cancer in the U.S.--determining the factors

Breast cancer incidence rates in the United States rose by 24% between 1973 and 1991. Mortality during this period, however, remained stable. Both the 5-year relative survival rate and the rates of in situ and stage I breast cancers have been increasing, while the incidence of later-stage cancers has been decreasing. Increased mammography screening may explain the documented jump in breast cancer incidence rates during the mid-1980s. Differences in the distribution of breast cancer risk factors may account, in part, for the temporal trends in breast cancer incidence. In particular, breast cancer risk factors may vary by birth cohort, including age at menarche, age at first birth, physical activity, obesity, diet, alcohol intake, estrogen therapy, and exposure to environmental organochlorines. After decades of epidemiologic research, a preventive approach to breast cancer that focuses on the physiologic effects of the sex steroid hormones, and their potential interactions with family history, is being carefully formulated.     

Mediating and Moderated Effects of Adolescent Behavioral Undercontrol and Parenting in the Prediction of Drug Use Disorders in Emerging Adulthood.

This study tested whether the effects of parental alcoholism on drug use disorders in emerging adulthood were mediated by behavioral undercontrol and parenting in adolescence and whether parenting buffered the relation between undercontrol and drug use disorders. Participants were 175 children of alcoholics and 190 matched control participants from an ongoing longitudinal study (L. Chassin, F. Rogosch, & M. Barrera, 1991). Results showed that undercontrol and parental discipline mediated 58% of the effect of parental alcoholism on drug use disorders. The relation between behavioral undercontrol and drug use disorders was further moderated by parental support. This effect was "protective but reactive" (S. S. Luthar, D. Cicchetti, & B. Becker, 2000); at high levels of behavioral undercontrol the protective effect of parental support was lost. Highly undercontrolled adolescents may have such a strong diathesis for drug use disorders that buffers may not have the same effect as in those with better control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Polyvinylidene fluoride monofilament sutures: can they be used safely for long-term anastomoses in the thoracic aorta?

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) represents an attractive alternative to polypropylene as a monofilament vascular suture because of its satisfactory physicochemical properties, it ease of handling, and its good biocompatibility. However, the polymer's ability to remain mechanically and chemically stable when exposed to a mild hydrolytic environment over the long term has yet to be demonstrated. One in vitro study involved the comparison of the long-term relative resistance of PVDF and polypropylene sutures to hydrolysis for a period of 9 years. The PVDF suture showed major molecular rearrangements from the original ratio of three crystalline structures to the single beta crystalline phase. The observation of some surface oxidation and water inhibition did not significantly modify the tensile strength of the PVDF suture, which retained 92.5% of its original value. In contrast, the polypropylene sample did not undergo any recrystallization but was associated with more oxidation byproducts and more water molecules near the surface, which contributed to a 46.6% loss in initial tensile strength. An in vivo study confirmed that PVDF sutures are biocompatible and are able to maintain satisfactory biostability when used to anastomose thoracic aortic allografts for a period of 6 months in the dog. The cellular reaction of fresh allografts as well as the control autografts to PVDF sutures was minimal. In other allografts that had been preserved in a supplemented medium for 1 week prior to implantation, the PVDF sutures healed satisfactorily with the formation of neocollagen and few macrophages surrounding the monofilament. No evidence of instability at the allograft-host artery junction was observed, confirming that the PVDF sutures were able to ensure a secure anastomosis in the thoracic aorta. PVDF sutures have demonstrated superior long-term biostability in vitro and minimal tissue response in vivo. These are two essential requirements when evaluating the use of a suture for vascular surgery in general and thoracic aortic surgery in particular.     

The effect of multiple yeasts co-inoculations on Sauvignon Blanc wine aroma composition,sensory properties and consumer preference

Consumer acceptance testing has been only recently applied in wine research, to assess wine sensory attributes that affect hedonic liking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Saccharomyces yeast co-inoculations on wine volatile composition and sensory profiles, and to determine if differences were sufficient enough to affect consumer acceptance. Fermentations were conducted using two- and three-yeast co-inoculations, and single strains. Yeast inocula differed substantially in volatile thiols and other flavour compounds, and in their sensory properties. Wines from four yeast inocula which showed large sensory differences were subjected to consumer testing by 120 consumers, with differences in overall liking found. Four clusters of consumers were identified, with one group strongly preferring the two-yeast co-inoculated wine with an intermediate sensory profile, while another group favoured the wine made using the three-yeast co-inoculation. This study has demonstrated that the yeast inoculum used to conduct fermentation affects consumer acceptance.