Search

Hoarding disorder often results in debilitating functional impairment and may also compromise health-related quality of life (QoL). This study investigated the association between hoarding behavior and QoL relative to six highly impairing medical and psychiatric disorders in a sample of 20,722 participants enrolled in the internet-based Brain Health Registry. Nearly 1 in 8 participants (12.2%) endorsed clinically relevant hoarding symptoms (CHS). In separate multivariable linear regression models, hoarding was more strongly associated with mental QoL than diabetes (Standardizedβ = -0.21, 95% CI: [-0.22, -0.20] vs. -0.01 [-0.02, 0.0]), heart disease (-0.22 [-0.23, -0.20] vs. 0.00 [-0.02, 0.01]), chronic pain (-0.18 [-0.19, -0.16] vs. -0.12 [-0.13, -0.10]), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; -0.20 [-0.22, -0.19] vs. -0.07 [-0.09, -0.06]), and substance use disorder (SUD; -0.21 [-0.23, -0.20] vs. -0.04 [-0.05, -0.03]). Similarly, CHS was more strongly negatively associated with physical QoL than diabetes (-0.11 [-0.10, -0.12] vs. -0.08 [-0.06, -0.09]), major depressive disorder (-0.09 [-0.10, -0.08] vs. -0.05 [-0.06, 0.03]), PTSD (-0.11 [-0.12, -0.10] vs. -0.08 [-0.09, -0.07]), and SUD (-0.12 [-0.13, -0.09] vs. -0.01 [-0.02, 0.00]). Higher hoarding severity was associated with reductions in both mental (Standardizedβ = -0.28, ΔR

Background Hoarding disorder (HD) is a chronic psychiatric condition of increasing public health concern. Recent investigation suggests a positive association between hoarding severity and insomnia symptoms. However, these findings have yet to be replicated and the prevalence and type of sleep impairment experienced by individuals with clinically relevant hoarding symptoms (CHS) are not known. Methods This analysis of 20,473 members of the internet-based Brain Health Registry uses multivariate logistic regression modeling and structural equation modeling to evaluate the relationship between hoarding symptoms, sleep impairment, adverse health, and cognitive functioning. Results More than 12% of study participants endorsed CHR or subclinical hoarding symptoms (SCHS). After adjustment for demographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbidity, individuals with CHS reported increased odds of sleep impairment in nearly all domains. The odds of poor sleep quality (aOR: 2.07, 95% CI:[1.83, 2.34]), sleep disturbances (aOR: 2.15, 95% CI:[1.91, 2.43]), and daytime dysfunction (aOR: 5.84, 95% CI:[5.12, 6.65]) were 2 to 5-fold higher for individuals with CHS compared to those without. For all measures, the proportion of individuals reporting sleep impairment increased with hoarding severity. In our structural equation model, sleep impairment acted as a partial mediator on the indirect pathways from hoarding to subjective cognitive complaints and poorer quality of life. Conclusions Identification of sleep problems among those with hoarding symptoms is a critical component of hoarding assessment. Additional research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying the observed relationships, including neurobiological underpinnings, and to examine the role of sleep management in treatment for hoarding behaviors.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate a wearable device (the lens awareness logger, LAL) to record subjective lens awareness during contact lens wear. Methods: The LAL is a compact electronic event-logging device incorporating a tactile switch and belt-clip. Forty contact lens wearers (20 symptomatic and 20 asymptomatic) took part in a clinical evaluation of the LAL device. Subjects were instructed to wear their habitual soft contact lenses for 2 days (> 8 hours wear) and use the LAL device. Subjects activated the LAL device immediately prior to lens application and deactivated it following lens removal. If a subject became aware of their contact lenses at any point throughout the wear period they were instructed to depress the button on the LAL device. Results: The mean number of lens awareness events per hour was 1.3, although there was substantial variation between subjects (standard deviation 1.4). The distribution of lens awareness events throughout the contact lens wearing period showed significantly elevated awareness following lens application and prior to lens removal (p

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc. (CCR), in collaboration with Fermilab and Communications and Power Industries, LLC (CPI), developed a 100-kW peak, 10-kW average, 1300-MHz, magnetron-based, RF system with amplitude and phase control for driving accelerators. Phase locking was achieved using an approach originated at Fermilab that uses phase modulation of the locking signal to control the amplitude and phase into a superconducting cavity on a fast time scale. Experimental results, including demonstration of phase locking and amplitude control, are reported.

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that various subjective ocular and task-related parameters associated with wearing a face mask would be better in neophyte contact lens (CL) wear compared to habitual spectacle (Sp) wear. Methods: Thirty participants were randomised to continue in Sp (n = 15) or wear somofilcon A daily disposable CL (n = 15) (‘group’). A surgical face mask (Type II R) was worn for at least one hour per day on four or more days per week. After two weeks, participants completed the Quality of Life Impact of Refractive Correction Questionnaire (QIRC), a two-part face mask usability questionnaire and graded ocular-related symptoms using 0–100 visual analogue scales. Results: There was no difference between groups for overall QIRC score but some individual question scores reflected better quality of life in the CL: ‘outdoor activities’, ‘keep fit’ and ‘able to do things’ (all p < 0.05). Differences in favour of the CL were seen for the following in the face mask usability questionnaire: ‘breathing’, ‘heat’, ‘comfort on ears’, ‘overall comfort’, ‘walking’, ‘driving’, ‘reading’, ‘computer use’, ‘exercising’ and ‘socialising’ (all p < 0.05). Significant differences were also seen for the 0–100 VAS symptoms probing vision quality in favour of the CL: glare, distance and near vision, fogging, restricted field of view and peripheral blur. Conclusion: This work supports anecdotal reports that CL are a better vision correction option than Sp when used in conjunction with a face mask. Participants reported a range of benefits to the CL/face mask combination for vision-related symptoms, breathing and heat-related symptoms and a number of day-to-day activities including walking, driving and exercising. All of the benefits relating to the CL are likely to result in improved adherence to face mask use. Overall, the findings of this work suggest that where possible, CL should be the preferred vision correction option for people using face masks.

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc., in collaboration with the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, is developing a high efficiency, 1.3 GHz, 100 kW klystron for driving accelerators. The goal for the efficiency is at least 85%. Designs for the RF circuit, electron gun and collector are presented.

Contact lenses in the future will likely have functions other than correction of refractive error. Lenses designed to control the development of myopia are already commercially available. Contact lenses as drug delivery devices and powered through advancements in nanotechnology will open up further opportunities for unique uses of contact lenses. This review examines the use, or potential use, of contact lenses aside from their role to correct refractive error. Contact lenses can be used to detect systemic and ocular surface diseases, treat and manage various ocular conditions and as devices that can correct presbyopia, control the development of myopia or be used for augmented vision. There is also discussion of new developments in contact lens packaging and storage cases. The use of contact lenses as devices to detect systemic disease has mostly focussed on detecting changes to glucose levels in tears for monitoring diabetic control. Glucose can be detected using changes in colour, fluorescence or generation of electric signals by embedded sensors such as boronic acid, concanavalin A or glucose oxidase. Contact lenses that have gained regulatory approval can measure changes in intraocular pressure to monitor glaucoma by measuring small changes in corneal shape. Challenges include integrating sensors into contact lenses and detecting the signals generated. Various techniques are used to optimise uptake and release of the drugs to the ocular surface to treat diseases such as dry eye, glaucoma, infection and allergy. Contact lenses that either mechanically or electronically change their shape are being investigated for the management of presbyopia. Contact lenses that slow the development of myopia are based upon incorporating concentric rings of plus power, peripheral optical zone(s) with add power or non-monotonic variations in power. Various forms of these lenses have shown a reduction in myopia in clinical trials and are available in various markets.

Human communication has a long and complex history, revolutionizing itself over time as societies have become more advanced. The roots of telemedicine stem from three notable inventions – the telegraph, the telephone, and the television. As these technologies improved the scope of communication expanded rapidly.

Beam Optics Analyzer (BOA) is a finite element, particle-in-cell, charged particle code. We will present its recent advances including methodologies and numerical results to simulate a gridded magnetron, study surface coating by investigating backscattered electron penetration depth, and use permanent magnets to focus doubly converged electron beams.

High power, high efficiency RF sources are required at frequencies below 700 MHz for ion and proton accelerators. These sources are also used for high energy accelerators, such as the Advanced Photon Source, which is seeking 350 MHz RF sources producing more than 200 kW of continuous power. The program is developing multiple beam triodes capable of providing this RF power at efficiencies exceeding 80%. The sources would be extremely compact and low cost. Both the triodes and the associated RF cavities are being developed.

Purpose This work set out to investigate if there was an association between subjective comfort and both subjective and measured vision during the use of contemporary daily disposable soft toric contact lenses. Methods Thirty-eight habitual soft contact lens wearers wore each of three daily disposable toric lenses for one week in a prospective, crossover, randomised, single-masked study. The following clinical measures were recorded at dispensing and follow-up visits: biomicroscopy scores, lens fitting (including rotation and rotational stability), high and low contrast visual acuity, subjective vision quality and subjective ocular surface comfort. Subjective scores were collected using 0–10 numerical grading scales. Comfort scores were analysed using a linear regression model with age, sex, visit, phase of crossover (‘phase’), lens type, lens rotation, lens rotational stability, visual acuity, cylinder power and subjective vision quality as factors of interest and then refined using backward stepwise regression. Results Thirty six participants (31.1 ± 13.5 years) completed the study. Comfort scores were found to be associated with subjective vision quality (F = 127.0 ; p < 0.0001), phase (F = 7.2; p = 0.001) and lens type (F = 4.9; p = 0.009). Greater comfort scores were observed with greater subjective vision quality scores. Visual acuity was not statistically significant in the model. Conclusion This work suggests that symptoms of ocular discomfort may be more intense if there is also perceived visual compromise in daily disposable soft toric lenses. There was a stronger positive correlation between comfort and subjective vision quality compared with comfort and measured visual acuity.

A growing body of work from upper Paleozoic records along the western margin of Laurentia has shown that the margin was subjected to ongoing deformation from at least Late Devonian through early Permian (Cisuralian) time. However, the geographic extent of this deformation and its effect on basin subsidence along the western Laurentian margin remains poorly constrained. Here, we present geologic mapping, detailed sedimentologic analysis, detrital zircon U-Pb data, and fusulinid and conodont biostratigraphy from a section of virtually unstudied lower Permian to Permian-Triassic sedimentary rocks currently exposed in the Monitor Range of central Nevada. These data suggest (1) coarse-grained sedimentation adjacent to uplifted topography from earliest Permian through earliest Triassic time, (2) early-middle Permian sedimentation that started as deposition of proximal limestone boulders and cobbles and transitioned to a system dominated by far-traveled aeolian sand, and (3) that strata preserved in the Monitor Range record possible wedgetop sedimentation associated with the Permian-Triassic Sonoma Orogeny.

PURPOSE Development and validation of a non-invasive imaging system to capture spontaneous blinking and characterise blink dynamics using a custom image analysis algorithm. METHODS A pilot study investigated the influence of illumination type on blink dynamics. Spontaneous blinking was recorded in eight subjects using a high-speed camera under two illumination conditions: white light and infrared. Custom semi-automated software assessed palpebral aperture height (PAH), blink rate, blink speed, blink completeness and blink duration. The main clinical study compared two different image analysis techniques. Spontaneous blinking was recorded in 20 subjects using a high-speed infrared camera. Blink speed and duration were determined using two techniques: manual tracking and semi-automated tracking. Agreement between the two techniques was assessed using Bland-Altman analysis. Coefficients of repeatability (COR) were calculated for the semi-automated technique. RESULTS There were significant differences between white light and infrared illumination for PAH (p

PurposeTo investigate ocular discomfort during contact lens wear using a wrist-mounted electronic ‘lens awareness logger’ (LAL).MethodsThirty symptomatic contact lens wearers wore study contact lenses for three days. On the first two days, two lens types which are known to differ in end-of-day comfort (lens A: senofilcon A and lens B: balafilcon A), were worn as a matching pair (randomised order). On day three, a pair of lens B was worn. On each day, the participant used a LAL. On day one and two, the participant pressed a button on the LAL whenever they became aware of their lenses due to discomfort. On day three, the participant used a multiple click protocol (1 = mild awareness to 3 = severe awareness) to report discomfort.ResultsLAL events were similar on days one and two (17.3 vs. 15.8 events per day). There were significantly more LAL events for lens B (21.6 events per day) in comparison with lens A (11.6 events per day) (p = 0.006). The LAL event profile highlighted peaks in awareness following lens application and towards the end of the wearing cycle. Comparison of the LAL event profile for the two lens types showed significant differences in lens awareness, particularly in the first half of the wearing cycle. LAL events on day 3, showed a uniform distribution of single and double clicks through the day, but a marked peak in triple clicks in the last two hours of lens wear.ConclusionThe LAL was able to differentiate between the study lenses and demonstrated differences in their LAL event profiles. Lens awareness associated with discomfort appeared to increase not only in frequency, but also in intensity towards the end of the wearing cycle. The ability of the LAL to track lens awareness suggests it is likely to be a useful tool in furthering understanding of ocular discomfort.

Purpose: Fluorescein-labelled wheat germ agglutinin (F-WGA) acts as a marker for ocular surface mucins. This clinical study sought to investigate whether the degree of F-WGA fluorescence observed at the ocular surface differed between symptomatic contact lens wearers, asymptomatic contact lens wearers and non-contact lens wearers, using a novel imaging system. Methods: Twenty-five participants (10 symptomatic contact lens wearers, 10 asymptomatic contact lens wearers and 5 non-contact lens wearers) attended a single study visit. Photographs of the cornea, bulbar and tarsal conjunctiva were captured following application of F-WGA solution. Results: The imaging system captured high-resolution images of F-WGA fluorescence at the ocular surface. The degree of fluorescence differed between the ocular surface regions (p

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc., in collaboration with Fermilab and Communications & Power Industries, LLC, is developing a phase locked, 100 kW peak, 10 kW average 1.3 GHz magnetron-based RF system for driving accelerators. Phase locking will be achieved using a novel approach originated at Fermilab [1] that includes control, on a fast time scale, of both the amplitude and phase of the power coupled into an superconducting accelerator cavity. Development of the magnetron is the first step in demonstrating the method in a system including the magnetron, vector electronics and a superconducting cavity.

This paper will present the continuation of the work begun last year to model ultrafast electron microscopes. A special feature of this type of microscopes is that only a single shot of electron bunch at extremely high spatial and temporal resolution is needed. A numerical technique using a virtual moving mesh to encapsulate the bunch was developed and implemented in Beam Optics Analyzer. The Poisson electric field due to space charge is solved only for the moving mesh; thus, can be at very high fidelity but requires much less computational resources. The method is found to be very efficient and accurate. The transverse emittance with thermal effects grows to less than 0.09 πμ.

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc., in collaboration with the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, is developing a high efficiency, 1.3 GHz, 100 kW klystron for driving accelerators. The goal for the efficiency is at least 85%. Designs for the RF circuit, electron gun and collector are presented.

A method is presented for optimizing the design of klystron circuits. This automates the selection of cavity positions, resonant frequencies, quality factors, $R/Q$ , and other circuit parameters to maximize the efficiency with required gain. The method is based on deterministic sampling methods. In this paper, we describe the procedure and give several examples for both narrow-band and wideband klystrons, using the klystron codes AJDISK and TESLA.

Signor Irvingetti was Henry Irving, whose real name was John Henry Brodribb, a Cornishman by upbringing, who was then at precisely the same point in his career as J. L. Toole had been on his first visit to Edinburgh. From the early 1880s, when Irving's reputation outstripped that of his champion and of every other actor in Britain, Toole referred publicly to him as 'our Leader', whom 'every right-minded actor is proud of'. Theatre workers in the nineteenth century customarily called their boss 'Governor', and so did Irving's; but only at the Lyceum did the workers begin to call their governor 'chief'. Irving tracked his course in the newspapers to Dublin and all the way back to London for the winter season – where his idol resumed his place as the star of the Lyceum Theatre. Irving stayed on in Edinburgh until 1859, and modelled his parting speech of thanks on Toole's.

This program is investigating techniques to suppress arcs and spurious electron emission from high voltage electrodes in electron guns caused by barium contamination. Specifically, this research is addressing arcing issues with klystrons following extensive operation in a stand-by mode where the high voltage is removed and the heater power is maintained at nominal levels. Issues occur when this operation is maintained for weeks or months for a defense radar system. The klystron is required to operate properly when high voltage is reapplied to address potential threat situations. In many cases, arcing from the focus electrode immediately takes the system off-line, creating a critical situation.

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc. (CCR) introduced controlled porosity reservoir (CPR) cathodes in 20051 and provided experimental results and design information in 20102. Despite the encouraging experimental results, implementation into actual RF sources has been slow to occur. In 2013, CCR built an X-Band multiple beam klystron (MBK) using 16 CPR cathodes operating at 31 A/cm2. Unfortunately, the klystron never operated at high power due to an internal grid failure.

Assembly is almost complete for a magnetron-based, RF system that provides both amplitude and phase control of the power for driving accelerators. The system leverages the inherent high efficiency of magnetrons with advanced electronics to control the RF output in real time for accelerator systems using phase synchronized sources and feedback control. The system is based on experimental research at Fermilab that successfully demonstrated the technology1.

The design of a 10 MW, 1.3-GHz annular beam klystron for accelerator applications has been analyzed in detail and optimized. Concerns about the diocotron instability were addressed by simulations, which showed the growth to be negligible. The calculated efficiency is 66%.

Ever since sodium fluorescein (‘fluorescein’ [FL]) was first used to investigate the ocular surface over a century ago, the term ‘staining’ has been taken to mean the presence of ocular surface fluorescence [1]. This term has not been necessarily taken to infer any particular mechanism of causation, and indeed, can be attributed to a variety of possible aetiologies [2]. In recent times, there has been considerable interest in a form of ocular surface fluorescence seen in association with the use of certain combinations of soft contact lenses and multipurpose solutions. The first clinical account of this phenomenon was reported by Jones et al. [3], which was followed by a more formal investigation by the same author in 2002 [4]. Jones et al described this appearance as a ‘classic solution-based toxicity reaction’. Subsequently, this appearance has come to be known as ‘solution-induced corneal staining’ or more recently by the acronym ‘SICS’ [5]. The term SICS is potentially problematic in that from a cell biology point of view, there is an inference that ‘staining’ means the entry of a dye into corneal epithelial cells. Morgan and Maldonado-Codina [2] noted there was no foundation of solid scientific literature underpinning our understanding of the true basic causative mechanisms of this phenomenon; since that time, further work has been published in this field [6] and [7] but questions still remain about the precise aetiology of this phenomenon...

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc., in collaboration with Fermilab and Communications & Power Industries, LLC, is developing a phase-locked, 100 kW peak, 10 kW average power magnetron-based RF system for driving accelerators. Phase locking will be achieved using an approach originating at Fermilab that includes control of both amplitude and phase on a fast time scale.

Many electron guns with thermionic emission must take into account the effects of the spread in the particle velocities emitted from the cathode. Via Liouville's theorem, this distribution function is a constant of the particle motion. Therefore, if proper distribution of particle positions and velocities at the emitter can be prescribed then accurate nonlaminar, space-charge flows throughout the particle domain can be achieved. It has been verified experimentally this distribution of particles emitted from any point on the cathode is Gaussian. A good approximation of this phase-space-density distribution is the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution that we can integrate to obtain the cumulative distributions of various quantities particularly the root mean square and the tangential mean of the emitter velocity. They can be linearized and used with the Monte Carlo method to provide the particle velocities at a given position on the cathode for specified numbers of launch angles and energies. This direct approach has worked well and accurately simulated the thermal-velocity effects in many cases in Beam Optics Analyzer (BOA). However, one weakness of this Direct Monte Carlo method is the use of the mean velocity tangential to the cathode. It helps to simplify the linearized equations but generates symmetric launch angles with respect to the normal. It requires at least three launch angles to satisfy the required statistics, and many more to produce compatible results to experiments.