Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Despite extensive clinical use of thallium-201 (/sup 201/Tl) for myocardial imaging, the effect of ischemia on myocardial accumulation and release of /sup 201/Tl independent of flow has not been fully defined. Therefore, myocardial accumulation of /sup 201/Tl in response to ischemic-like myocardial injury was assessed in vitro using the cultured fetal mouse heart preparation. Cultured fetal mouse hearts (n . 311) were subjected to injury simulating ischemia by deprivation of oxygen and oxidizable substrates for periods ranging from 15 minutes to 10 hours. The extent of irreversible injury was determined by the percentage of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) lost from the hearts to the culture medium during recovery from injury. Injury was essentially reversible at 1 hour of insult. The ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Twenty-four patients were studied with both /sup 201/Tl-thallus chloride and /sup 99m/Tc-TBI scintigraphy following exercise. Comparison of the two agents in detecting segmental myocardial ischemia and scar was made in 18 patients with evidence of coronary artery disease on /sup 201/Tl-thallous chloride scintigraphy. Agreement between the two studies was observed in 77% (125 of 162) of left ventricular segments, suggesting that /sup 99m/Tc-TBI can be used as a myocardial perfusion agent. Limitations were related to early high background activity from lungs and liver. The high lung activity and early myocardial redistribution within the 1st hour contributed to the failure of /sup 99m/Tc-TBI to detect 16 segmental defects seen in the immediate post-exercise thallous chloride scan. Persistently high liver activity additionally affected accurate ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy, it is suggested that there is a reduced uptake of [sup 123]I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in the heart. We compared the difference of myocardial [sup 123]I-MIBG accumulation between 4 diabetic patients with triopathy and 6 patients without it. In all 10 patients, coronary angiography and [sup 201]Tl imaging (rest and 4 hours later) were performed. [sup 123]I-MIBG (111 MBq) was administered intravenously and its imaging was recorded on 15 minutes and 4 hours after injection. In all 4 cases with triopathy, [sup 123]I-MIBG imaging showed defect in apical and inferior region. In 2 out of 6 cases without triopathy, rapid clearance was noticed in apical and inferior region. There was no significant stenosis in right coronary artery and no defect in initial and delayed [sup 201]Tl images in all cases. We concluded that diabetic autonomic ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Subcommittee for Surveillance of Nuclear Medicine Practice has implemented a survey for actual nuclear medicine practice in Japan every 5 years. This article reports on the third survey implemented during a one-month period in June 1992. Questionnaires were sent to all 1256 facilities employing radiopharmaceuticals in routine practice, and 1162 (92.5%) answered. In vivo nuclear medicine examinations per day were performed in 6600 cases. SPECT accounted for 19.4%, as compared with 7.1% in the 1987 survey. According to organs, the frequency of examination for the cerebrospinal region was 3.2 and 2.2 times higher than that in the 1982 and 1987 surveys, respectively, whereas for the thyroid gland it was 0.6-fold and 0.7-fold that of these surveys. The proportion of bone scintigraphy was the highest (24.5%), followed by tumor scintigraphy (14.1%) and myocardial scintigraphy (11.9%). The frequency of myocardial and cerebral blood flow ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A procedure has been developed for producing a radiopharmaceutically pure ''no-carrier-added'' "2"0"1Tl. The procedure is based on irradiating enriched metallic thallium (> 96% "2"0"3Tl) targets with approx. 30 Mev protons, separating "2"0"1Pb by co-precipitation with SrSO_4 from sulphuric acid solution, and extracting "2"0"1Tl (after its in-growth) with butyl acetate from a hydrochloric solution. The average overall yield of "2"0"1Tl is approx. 92%. The radioactive concentration of the product exceeds 2 mCi/mL; radionuclide impurities-"2"0"0Tl <= 0.5%; "2"0"2Tl <= 0.1%; "2"0"3Pb <= 0.02%; inactive impurities (#mu#g/mL)-Tl < 2, Sr < 1, Fe < 0.25, Cu < 0.05; pH within the range 5-8. The product is sterile, apyrogenic, and suitable for clinical application. (author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Excitation functions, production yields and radionuclidic purities are described for "2"0"1Tl production by the "2"0"3Tl(p,3n) "2"0"1Pb #-># "2"0"1Tl and "2"0"5Tl(p,5n)"2"0"1Pb#->#"2"0"1Tl nuclear reactions. The yields (mCi g"-"1 cm"2/#mu#A-hr) of the parent "2"0"1Pb(9.4hr), as well as the radiocontaminants "2"0"0Pb(21.5hr), sup(202m)Pb(3.62 hr), "2"0"3Pb(52.1 hr) and sup(204m)Pb(1.115 hr) were measured by irradiating a stack of thin natural Tl foils with protons from the 76-in isochronous cyclotron at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory. The "2"0"1Tl thick-target yield (mCi/#mu#A hr) was calculated for different target thicknesses and corresponding incident proton energies. The excitation functions for the "2"0"3Tl(p,3n)"2"0"1Pb and "2"0"5Tl(p,5n)"2"0"1Pb reactions were measured in the 15-60-MeV energy range. (author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Positron emission tomography (PET) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) performed with PET/CT cameras allow us to obtain concurrently information on the presence and degree of alterations of myocardial perfusion and metabolism and on coronary arteries calcification. Furthermore, by gated myocardial perfusion studies, PET may provide crucial information on regional coronary blood flow reserve and endothelial dysfunction. A number of recent papers provide some insight on the potential of PET/CT in cardiology and in the assessment of various cardiovascular diseases including various types of vasculitis and metabolic diseases.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The procedure followed by the Laboratorio de Metrologia Nuclear (LMN) at the IPEN - CNEN/SP, in Sao Paulo, for modifying the NPL-CRC radionuclide sample holder in order to adapt for IPEN vials is presented. For the quality assurance of the results using the IPEN vials, the influence of variation in dimensions and volume of solution has been investigated and suitable correction factors were applied. The solutions used in the present work were "5"1Cr "9"9"mTc "1"5"3Sm, and "2"0"1Tl. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bismuth radioisotopes, produced by 50-MeV proton bombardment of a lead target in a cyclotron, are separated from the lead target material by ion-exchange chromatography on a column containing 5.0 ml of Chelex 100. After a decay period of 24 hr, the /sup 203/Pb formed in situ is eluted from the column and then separated from /sup 200/Tl and /sup 201/Tl on a second ion-exchange column containing 0.5 ml of Chelex 100. Separations are sharp and carrier-free /sup 203/Pb is obtained.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Twenty-two out of 31 patients with chronic renal failure and secondary hyperparathyroidism who underwent parathyroidectomy before operation underwent non-invasive image diagnosis of parathyroid glands by computed tomography (CT), scintigraphy with /sup 201/TlCl and /sup 99m/TcO/sup 4 +/, and/or ultrasonography. CT visualized 39 of 45 parathyroid glands (86.7%), weighing more than 500 mg. Scintigraphy with a subtraction method using a computer performed the diagnosis in 19 of 27 glands (70.4%). Ultrasonography detected 21 of 27 glands (77.8%). Image diagnosis was also useful in the postoperative follow-up study. The non-invasive image diagnosis of parathyroid glands in patients with chronic renal failure is thus valuable for 1) definite diagnosis of secondary hyperparathyroidism, 2) localization, and 3) diagnosis for effectiveness of conservative treatment.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To quantify left ventricular function derived from retrospectively ECG-gated multislice spiral CT (MSCT) data sets in comparison to MRI. Materials and Methods: In 16 patients (14 males, 2 females, mean age 56.8 #+-# 11.5 years), retrospectively ECG-gated MSCT angiography of the coronary arteries and breath-hold steady state free precession cine MRI were performed. From MSCT data-sets, 20 axial image series were reconstructed every 5% of the RR interval. Multiplanar images were reformatted in the short axis orientation from axial images. End-systolic and end-diastolic images were selected. From these images end-systolic volume (ESV), end-diastolic volume (EDV) and stroke volume (SV) as well as the ejection fraction (EF) and myocardial mass (MM) were determined using the Simpson's method and compared with MRI. Furthermore, image quality was assessed for both imaging modalities using a four point grading scale. ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In order to optimize the production of "2"0"1Tl and "6"7Ga using the (p, xn) reactions on enriched "2"0"3Tl and "6"8Zn targets we established a new set of cross section curves for the most relevant reactions. Target stacks made of up to 15 thin (50 #mu#m) natural Tl or Zn foils interleaved with brass degradation foils were irradiated with incident proton energies from 42 to 10 MeV in overlapping experiments. Yields for "2"0"0","2"0"1","2"0"2"m","2"0"3","2"0"4"mPB and "6"6","6"7","6"8Ga were computed from measured #gamma# emission rates. Where possible, cross section curves for the nuclear reactions involved were computed. Thick target yields and contamination ratios for enriched targets were derived and show good agreement with results from actual production runs. (orig.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The measurements of the K X-ray intensity ratio I(K{alpha} {sub 2}/K{alpha} {sub 1}), I(K{beta} {sub 1}/K{alpha} {sub 1}) and I(K{beta}/K{alpha}) for elements V, Mn, Zn, Tc, Ru, Cd, Xe, Ba, Cs, Hg and Rn were experimentally determined both by photon excitation, in which 59.5 keV {gamma}-rays from a {sup 241}Am and 123.6 keV {gamma}-rays from a {sup 60}Co were used, and following the radioactive decay of {sup 51}Cr, {sup 55}Fe, {sup 67}Ga, {sup 99}Tc, {sup 111}In, {sup 131}I, {sup 133}Ba, {sup 133}Xe, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 201}Tl and {sup 226}Ra. K X-rays emitted by samples were counted by a Si(Li) detector with resolution 160 eV at 5.9 keV. Obtained values were compared with the theoretical values. It was observed that present values agree with the previous theoretical and other experimental results.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundIn vitro data suggest that changes in myocardial substrate metabolism may contribute to impaired myocardial function in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM)....Full Text Available

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Objectives:Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of death in both the industrialized and developing countries globally. The economic evaluation of MI is undertaken...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

RangerMaster{trademark} is the embedded firmware for Quantrad Sensor`s integrated nuclear instrument package, the Ranger{trademark}. The Ranger{trademark}, which is both a gamma-ray and neutron detection system, was originally developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for in situ surveys at the Plutonium Facility to confirm the presence of nuclear materials. The new RangerMaster{trademark} software expands the library of isotopes and simplifies the operation of the instrument by providing an easy mode suitable for untrained operators. The expanded library of the Ranger{trademark} now includes medical isotopes {sup 99}Tc, {sup 201}Tl, {sup 111}In, {sup 67}Ga, {sup 133}Xe, {sup 103}Pa, and {sup 131}I; industrial isotopes {sup 241}Am, {sup 57}Co, {sup 133}Ba, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 40}K, {sup 60}Co, {sup 232}Th, {sup 226}Ra, and {sup 207}Bi; and nuclear materials {sup 235}U, {sup 238}U, {sup 233}U, and {sup 239}Pu. To accomplish isotopic ...

Science.gov (United States)

The NCRP Wound Model, which describes the retention of selected radionuclides at the site of a contaminated wound and their uptake into the transfer compartment, has been combined with the ICRP element-specific systemic models for those radionuclides to derive dose coefficients for intakes via contaminated wounds. These coefficients can be used to generate derived regulatory guidance (i.e., the activity in a wound that would result in an effective dose of 20 or 50 mSv, or in some cases, a organ-equivalent dose of 500 mSv) and clinical decision guidance (i.e., activity levels that would indicate the need for consideration of medical intervention to remove activity from the wound site, administration of decorporation therapy or both). Data are provided for 38 radionuclides commonly encountered in various activities such as nuclear weapons, fuel fabrication or recycling, waste disposal, medicine, research, and nuclear power. These include 3H, 14C, 32P, 35S, 59Fe, 57,58,60Co, 85,89,90Sr, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The importance of cellular dosimetry in both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine is becoming increasingly recognized. Experimental range-energy relations for electrons and alpha particles, along with derived geometric reduction factors, are used to calculate cellular absorbed fractions for these radiations. The resulting absorbed fractions are employed to calculate cellular S-values for several radionuclides. Cellular absorbed fractions for monoenergetic electron sources with energies ranging from 0.1 keV to 1 MeV, distributed uniformly in the source region, are calculated for several target {l_arrow} source combinations including cell{l_arrow}cell, cell{l_arrow}cell surface, nucleus{l_arrow}nucleus, nucleus {l_arrow}cytoplasm and nucleus {l_arrow}cell surface. Similar data are also provided for monoenergetic alpha particle sources with energies ranging from 3 to 10 MeV. S-values are also conveniently tabulated for {sup 32}P, {sup 35}S, {sup 86}Rb, {sup 89}Sr, {sup 90}Y, {sup ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

... AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE biological localization cardiovascular diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The procedure of charge-coupled devices (CCD) are investigated by using MOS capacitors for enhancing their ionizing radiation tolerance. Authors have found that the gate oxidation temperature, thickness of SiO_2 gate insulator and high temperature processes after gate oxidation are crucial for determining the radiation tolerance of the devices, and proposed to decrease the thickness of gate insulator, perform gate oxidation at 1000 deg C by means of dry oxidation and minimize the number of high temperature procedure steps after gate oxidation. All stated above is a necessary preparation for priducing radiation hardened charge-coupled devices.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Over 30 months 9292 consecutive patients admitted to nine coronary care units with suspected myocardial infarction were considered for admission to a randomised double blind study comparing the effect...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveTo investigate and to quantify the relationship between hospital costs and health outcomes for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Veterans Health Administration...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Health standards for truck drivers are higher than those for the general motoring public, particularly concerning the need to restrict driving following recovery from a myocardial infarction. An analysis...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A 48-hour course of intravenous unfractionated heparin (UFH) is the standard of treatment in conjunction with fibrin-specific thrombolysis in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In recent trials,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The incidence of arrhythmias after acute myocardial infarction of the inferior wall varies with the affected segment and increases when there is right ventricular involvement. This paper provides a...Full Text Available

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The myocardial infarct induced by isoproterenol in spontaneously hypertensive rats accumulates higher activities of /sup 99/sup(m)Tc-PM tetracycline compared with the cardiac infarct in normotensive rats caused by the same method. The isoproterenol model of the myocardial necrosis was induced in intact rats without opening the thorax and is a convenient method for experimental radioisotope studies.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Ion-channels can be activated (gated) by a variety of stimuli including chemicals, voltage, mechanical force or temperature. Whereas molecular mechanisms of ion-channel gating by chemicals and...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The formation kinetics of Pd_2Si for fully silicided (FUSI) gate formation and the work function tuning of a Pd_2Si FUSI gate by impurity predoping were investigated. It has been found that the morphology and phase of a formed FUSI layer depend not only on the silicidation annealing temperature but also on the heating ramp-up rate and the presence of impurities. Fast ramp-up annealing was necessary to avoid defect formation, such as voids in the silicide film at the oxide interface, and to obtain a homogeneous silicide film containing only Pd_2Si phase. The most severe effect on the silicidation reaction, that is the increase in defect formation, was brought about by As predoping. The work function of the Pd_2Si FUSI gate was modulated by impurity pileup at the Pd_2Si/SiO_2 interface, as in the case of the NiSi FUSI gate. However, the work function shifted in the opposite direction to that of the NiSi ...

Science.gov (United States)

... This is achieved by the use of a unique logic circuit employing a plurality of flip-flop devices, multivibrators and AND gates. ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background: Mechanisms underlying the association between myocardial bridge (MB)-stenting and in-stent restenosis (ISR) are still unclear. Objective: To assess the impact of MB on ISR using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Methods: In the Harmonizing Outcomes with Revascularization and Stents in Acute Myocardial Infarction (HORIZONS-AMI) trial, 100 left anterior descending artery (LAD) culprit lesions (79 treated with paclitaxel-eluting stents [PES] and 21 treated with bare metal stents) were imaged with serial IVUS immediately postprocedure and at 13 months. Results: At baseline the LAD stent extended into the MB segment beyond the culprit lesion in seven patients (MB-stent group). In the remaining 93 patients the LAD stent was implanted only in the culprit lesion without extending into t...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

OBJECTIVES:To investigate the effect of opioid receptor blockade on the myocardial protection conferred by chronic exercise and to compare exercise training with different strategies...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Microcrystalline-Si thin-film transistors (?C-Si TFTs) formed by using the source/drain contact electrode of self-aligned palladium silicide have been investigated. Both the self-aligned palladium silicided scheme and the previous top-gate staggered structure employ two-mask process steps for fabricating ?C-Si TFTs. However, the self-aligned palladium silicided scheme would cause better device characteristics than the top-gate staggered structure, primarily due to more carrier tunneling. For a gate length of 2 ?m, as compared to the top-gate staggered scheme, this silicided scheme can result in a 40% improvement of on-state current. In addition, as the gate length is reduced to 1 ?m, considerable short-channel effect is caused for both the device schemes.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundLimited information has been published regarding how specific processes for event adjudication can affect event rates in trials. We reviewed nonfatal myocardial infarctions...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AimsTo evaluate the associations of myocardial infarction (MI) and major bleeding with 1-year mortality. Both MI and major bleeding predict 1-year mortality in patients presenting...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this paper, we report the systematic investigation on the melt characteristics of silicon during laser thermal processing (LTP) of amorphous silicon (a-Si) gates on ultrathin gate oxides. LTP is used to reduce the gate depletion effect in advanced semiconductor devices. The influence of implantation-induced damage and chemical inhomogeneities on the melt behavior of ion-implanted a-Si is studied using in situ time-resolved reflectance (TRR) measurements and ex situ secondary ion mass spectrometry. The results from TRR measurements indicate the presence of a buried melt for a-Si implanted with B"+ at a subamorphizing dose. In contrast, such a melt behavior is not observed during LTP of undoped a-Si and a-Si implanted with As"+ at an amorphizing dose. We attribute the marked difference in the melt characteristics to the competitive effects between compositional inhomogeneities and the extent of amorphization in the a-Si ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The aim of this paper is to investigate the total ionizing dose (TID) radiation effects on MOS capacitor with nitride/oxide stack gate. The stack gate MOS capacitors are fabricated with 20 nm oxide, 40 nm nitride or 110 nm nitride respectively. Through the analysis of CV curve of the irradiation capacitors, it is found that the degradation of the CV curve is due to a significant increase of interface traps and somewhat smaller oxide charge. It is also shown that the thicker of the nitride, more interface traps and oxide charge will be occurred. (authors)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We have fabricated nanometer-spaced electrodes on electron-transparent silicon nitride membranes. A thin Cr/Au layer is evaporated on the backside of the membrane which serves as a gate electrode. Using these devices, we have performed three-terminal electron transport measurements on gold nano-particles at liquid helium temperature. Coulomb Blockade features have been observed and the capacitance to the gate has been extracted. After transport measurements, the Cr/Au back gate is removed and the devices are inspected with a transmission-electron microscope (TEM). TEM inspection reveals the presence of a few nano-particles in the nanogap, which is in agreement with the transport measurements. In addition, the nano-particle size as observed by TEM coincides with the one estimated from the gate capacitance value.

Science.gov (United States)

... lasers, model switched optical memory elements ... Optical RS flip flop, Acousto-optic switches. ... FLOP CIRCUITS, OPTICAL SWITCHING, NOR GATES ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The performance of scanning driver circuits fabricated with self-aligned aluminum gate polysilicon thin-film transistors (TFT's) is demonstrated. After the gate electrode patterning, the fabrication process temperature is kept below 400degC to enable the use of aluminum gate electrodes. The low-temperature crystallization phenomenon, which occurs when protons are implanted simultaneously with boron or phosphorus dopants, is employed to eliminate the 600degC activation-annealing process. A maximum clock frequency of about 2.0 MHz is achieved when the driver operating voltage is 24 V and the TFT channel length is 12 [mu]m. (author).

Science.gov (United States)

... .13 Teaching the Materials Science, Engineering, and Field Aspects of Concrete ... Gate Arrays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Materials Science Concepts for Introductory Courses in ...

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background and aimModification of low-density lipoprotein due to oxidative stress is essential in the development of coronary atherosclerosis. Data of specific carotenoids except b-carotene on cardioprotective effects in humans are limited. Methods and resultsThis study examined the associations between plasma concentrations of specific carotenoids and incidence of acute myocardial infarction. The study included 280 incident cases of acute myocardial infarction and 560 matched controls nested within the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a prospective cohort of 63,257 Chinese men and women aged 45-74 years old enrolled in 1993-1998 in Singapore. Retinol and carotenoids in prediagnostic plasma were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. High levels of plasma b-cryptoxanthin a...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death specially among elderly. Coronary angiography is the best diagnostic method in the patients, but is unfortunately an invasive procedure with its inherent risks. Myocardial perfusion scan is a noninvasive and sensitive method for evaluation of Coronary artery disease and is suggested by many investigators in recent years. In this study, 64 patients who had a Tc99m-MIBI SPECT myocardial perfusion study at our department, underwent coronary angiography within 4 months. Correlation of the methods revealed that SPECT Tc99m -MIBI had a high sensitivity and specificity in our hand, which is comparable with international findings.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an extremely uncommon cause of myocardial infarction, occurring predominantly in women during or after pregnancy. The exact aetiology...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The noninvasive assessment of cardiac function is of first importance for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Among all medical scanners only a few enables radiologists to evaluate the local cardiac...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM) confers high vascular risk and is a growing national epidemic. We assessed clinical characteristics and prevalence of diagnosed DM among patients...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Aneurysms of saphenous vein grafts are rare but can result in complications such as myocardial infarction or death. Percutaneous treatment has included a variety of approaches, including covered stents....Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

PMID:11835026

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Pericardial fat necrosis is an infrequent cause of acute chest pain and this can mimic acute myocardial infarction and acute pericarditis. We describe here a patient with the magnetic resonance imaging...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A 57-year-old man with a history of coronary artery disease and placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator presented at our emergency room with an anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Objectives. Ninety-one fetuses with dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (DCM, HCM) and myocarditis were studied. Results. Group 1 “DCM”...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The association of dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) with cardiovascular diseases has been examined in several populations with varying results. We tested the hypothesis that...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A mild stress such as brief ischemic episodes may protect the heart from a successive and more prolonged myocardial ischemia (ischemic preconditioning). This phenomenon is considered a typical “hormetic...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myocardial time-activity curves can be described by two or more parameters. To establish the optimal curve fitting method 33 myocardial time-activity curves were analyzed with different curve fitting methods: monoexponential, biexponential and monoexponential plus constant. A background correction was not applied. Biexponential curve fitting resulted in redundancy of parameters. Optimal curve fitting was obtained with monoexponential plus constant. The constant represents the background activity together with the stores radiolabelled lipids and the half-time value represents the wash-out of radioiodide from the myocardium. A strong relation was found between the constant and the half-time value: small errors in the determination of the constant (background activity) resulted in considerable errors of the half-time value. It is concluded that optimal analysis of a myocardial time-activity curve can be performed with a ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Biased above threshold (VT), pulsed photocurrent (u) measurements on windowed silicon Pd gate MOS capacitors are shifted (DV) negatively by H2/N2, whereas Au gates shift positively under NO2/air. Below VT, the shifts are reversed by adjustments of interface state population. Minor temperature increases may coax the device from inversion to depletion, inducing sign reversal of the chemical response.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The influence of MeV electrons irradiation on the gate oxide layers of hydrogenated polysilicon thin film transistors (TFTs) was investigated by measuring gate leakage currents and threshold voltages. The experimental data revealed a decrease of oxide trap density and increase of positive oxide charge. Improvement in the interface roughness and in the oxide quality near the bottom interface was observed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Correlation between mechanical stress and hydrogen effects on radiation damage in polycide-gate MOS capacitors was investigated as a function of gate-oxide thickness. The compressive stress magnitude was altered by varying the silicide (TiSi/sub 2/ or WSi/sub 2/) thickness in the polycide-gate electrode, and hydrogen introduction into gate-SiO/sub 2/ film was carried out by diffusion from plasma-deposited silicon-nitride passivation film (SiN-Cap). In a MOS capacitor without passivation film (No-Cap sample), it was found that compressive stress on gate-SiO/sub 2/ reduces both positive charge build-up (..delta..Qot) and interface-trap generation (..delta..Dit). Radiation induced shift, ..delta..Qot exhibits a smaller stress effect as compared with ..delta..Dit. As gate-SiO/sub 2/ thickness decreases, the stress effect on ..delta..Qot increases, while this effect ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A 60-year-old male was bitten by a venomous snake (Vipera ammodytes) and gradually developed signs of an allergic reaction including generalized itching, generalized rash, and chest discomfort. This was followed by severe retrosternal pain with electrocardiographic evidence of an inferior myocardial ischemia progressing to acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac enzymes and troponin, serum tryptase, and histamine were elevated. Coronary arteriography showed normal coronary arteries. This is a characteristic type I variant of Kounis syndrome, which is the concurrence of acute coronary syndromes with conditions associated with mast cell activation including allergic or hypersensitivity reactions as well as anaphylactic or anaphylactoid reactions. This is the first report to show that viper bite...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this work we present the electrical characterization of non self-aligned p-channel thin film transistors fabricated by using laser doping technique for source/drain contact formation and gate oxide deposited at room temperature by Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition. These techniques are suitable for a very low temperature process for TFT fabrication. The output characteristics show a current increase at high drain voltage ('kink' effect) rather moderate, if compared to self aligned polysilicon TFTs, probably due to the gradual doping profile induced by laser doping process. After bias stress at low gate voltage and high drain voltage condition a strong reduction of kink current has been observed in the output characteristics at high drain voltage, whereas minor changes has been observed in the transfer characteristics. This behaviour is similar to what observed in n-channel ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this paper, molecular quantum computation is numerically studied with the quantum search algorithm (Grover's algorithm) by means of optimal control simulation. Qubits are implemented in the vibronic states of I_2, while gate operations are realized by optimally designed laser pulses. The methodological aspects of the simulation are discussed in detail. We show that the algorithm for solving a gate pulse-design problem has the same mathematical form as a state-to-state control problem in the density matrix formalism, which provides monotonically convergent algorithms as an alternative to the Krotov method. The sequential irradiation of separately designed gate pulses leads to the population distribution predicted by Grover's algorithm. The computational accuracy is reduced by the imperfect quality of the pulse design and by the electronic decoherence processes that are modeled by the non-Markovian master equation. ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The influence of high energy electron (23 MeV) irradiation on the electrical characteristics of p-channel polysilicon thin film transistors (PSTFTs) was studied. The channel 220 nm thick LPCVD (low pressure chemical vapor deposition) deposited polysilicon layer was phosphorus doped by ion implantation. A 45 nm thick, thermally grown, SiO_2 layer served as gate dielectric. A self-alignment technology for boron doping of the source and drain regions was used. 200 nm thick polysilicon film was deposited as a gate electrode. The obtained p-channel PSTFTs were irradiated with different high energy electron doses. Leakage currents through the gate oxide and transfer characteristics of the transistors were measured. A software model describing the field enhancement and the non-uniform current distribution at textured polysilicon/oxide interface was developed. In order to assess the irradiation-stimulated changes of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: Cardiomyopathy is one of the major complications of {beta} thalassaemia major as a result of transfusion iron overload. The aim of our study is to evaluate with MR if there is any difference of iron deposition signal intensity (SI) or distribution between non-cardiopatic and cardiopatic thalassaemic patients in order to establish if there is a relationship between cardiopathy and iron deposition. Materials and methods: We studied 20 patients affected by {beta} thalassaemia major, of whom 10 cardiopatic and 10 non-cardiopatic, and 10 healthy volunteers as control group. Serum ferritin and left ventricular ejection fraction were calculated in thalassaemic patients. All patients were examinated using a 1.5 MR unit with ECG-gated GE cine-MR T2*-weighted, SE T1-weighted and GE T2*-weighted sequences. In all cases, using an adequate ROI, the myocardial and skeletal muscle signal intensity (SI), the myocardial/skeletal ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Tensile and flexural properties of single-gated (SG) and double-gated (DG) injection moulded blend of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polycarbonate (PC) and its composites containing 15, 20 and 30?wt.% short glass fibres were investigated. In the DG mouldings, a weldline was formed by direct impingement of two opposing melt fronts (i.e. cold weld). It was found that tensile modulus was not affected by the weldline but flexural modulus decreased in the presence of weldline. For both specimen types, modulus increased linearly with volume fraction of fibres (? f), according to the rule-of-mixtures for moduli. The weldline integrity (WIF) factor for flexural modulus decreased linearly with increasing ? f. Results showed that tensile and flexural strengths for SG mouldings increase with in...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Peptide toxins with high affinity, divergent pharmacological functions, and isoform-specific selectivity are powerful tools for investigating the structure-function relationships of voltage-gated...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Antagonists for kainate receptors (KARs), a family of glutamate-gated ion channels, are efficacious in a number of animal models of neuropathologies, including epilepsy, migraine pain, and anxiety....Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this paper, we present the results of Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition gate-oxide (SiO_2) integrity on ELC (excimer-laser-crystallized), MILC (metal-induced lateral-crystallized) and SPC (solid-phase-crystallized) polysilicon films. We observed that gate oxide strength of poly-Si TFT strongly depends on the crystallization method for the active silicon layer. In the case of ELC films, asperities on the silicon surface reduce the SiO_2 breakdown field significantly. The metallic contaminants in MILC films are responsible for a deleterious impact on gate oxide integrity. Among the three cases, the SiO_2 breakdown field was the highest for the SPC silicon films. The breakdown fields at the 50 % failure points in Weibull plots for the ELC, MILC and SPC cases were 5.1 MV/cm, 6.2 MV/cm, and 8.1 MV/cm, respectively. We conclude that the roughness and metallic contamination of the poly-Si films are the main factors that ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We study the integration of multisensory and central input at the level of an identified fly motoneuron, the ventral cervical nerve motoneuron (VCNM) cell, which controls head movements of the animal....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundCompared to outbred Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, inbred Brown Norway (BN) rats exhibit less prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI) at long prepulse intervals,...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Total dose irradiation effects on a VDMOS developed at Institute of Microelectronics, CAS were investigated, particularly the electric parameter changes under different bias conditions. It was found that the breakdown voltage degradation by the irradiation depended mainly on the drain bias, whereas the threshold voltage degradation depended mainly on the gate bias. Thus, an innovative and effective method to domestic VDMOS total dose ionization characterization is that threshold voltage radiation hardening characterization should be tested on gate bias condition, and the breakdown voltage radiation hardening characterization, be tested on the drain bias. (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trapped ions are a near ideal system to study quantum information processing due to the high degree of control over the ion's external confinement and internal degrees of freedom. We demonstrate the key steps necessary for trapped ion quantum computing and focus on phonon-mediated entangling gates. We highlight several key algorithms implemented over the last decade with these gates and give a detailed description of Grover's quantum database search implemented with two trapped ion qubits.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

By means of neutron activation analysis, injured and adjacent uninjured human heart tissue from 12 autopsy cases with myocardial infarction are investigated with respect to the concentration of 23 trace elements. The bulk elements K, Na and P are also determined. A recently developed ion-exchange technique, combined with subsequent y-spectrometry, is used. The following trace elements are determined: Ag, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, La, Mo, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Zn and W. In the injured tissue compared to the uninjured, calculation on a wet weight basis showed a decrease in Co, Cs, K, Mo, P, Rb and Zn, and an increase in Br, Ca, Ce, La, Na, Sb and Sm. The differences in Ca, La, Mo, P and Zn are dependent on the age of the myocardial infarction, and the regression lines for these elements are given. The concentration of the trace elements in uninjured tissue from infarcted hearts is compared to the concentration of these ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background Limited data is available for investigating the long-term safety and effects of intracoronary progenitor cell therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Objective To assess the clinical course, NT-proBNP and MRI data as objective markers of cardiac function of the TOPCARE-AMI patients at 5-year follow-up. Design The TOPCARE-AMI trial was the first randomized study investigating the effects of intracoronary infusion of circulating (CPC) or bone marrow-derived progenitor cells (BMC) in 59 patients with successfully reperfused AMI. Results Five-year follow-up data were completed in 55 patients, 3 patients were lost to follow-up. None of the patients showed any signs of intramyocardial calcification or tumors at 5?years. One patient died during the initial hospitali...

Science.gov (United States)

The clinical manifestation of wounds of the heart is determined by the mode, site and size of the injury as well as the structure of the pericardial and myocardial lesion. Diagnosis can be confirmed by ECG and echocardiography. Only 20% of the patients with penetrating wounds of the heart live for more than 30 minutes. Pericardio-centesis should be used only to gain time for a safe sternotomy, cardiac decompression and suture of the wound of the heart. An aggressive surgical approach is mandatory. Cardiopulmonary bypass is necessary only to correct of concomitant lesions. PMID:1983618

Science.gov (United States)

We study the daily incidence of myocardial infarction deaths in Mexico for 4 years (1996-99) with a total of 129 917 cases in all the country, collected at the General Directorate of Epidemiology (National Ministry of Health). We divided the cases by sex and age and perform two kinds of analysis. First, we did an spectral analysis using the Maximum Entropy Method, considering the complete period, and minimum and maximum epochs of solar activity. The results show that the most persistent periodicity at higher frequencies in the myocardial infarction death occurrence is that of seven days. Considering the solar cycle phases, we found that during solar minimum times some frequencies are not detectable compared with solar maximum epochs, particularly that of seven days. Biological rhythms close to seven days, the circaseptans, are in general thought to be only the result of the social organization of life. However, this cannot be the only ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To report the detection of con-compacted ventricular myocardium (NVCM) with MRI compared to echocardiography in 8 patients. Material and methods: Non-compaction of the ventricular myocardium is a congenital disorder characterized by an altered structure of the myocardial wall resulting from an intrauterine arrest in endomyocardial embryogenesis. The morphological findings consist of a prominent meshwork of multiple myocardial trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses, communicating with the left ventricular cavity. 8 consecutive patients (mean age 7.3 years) with clinical and echocardiographic signs of NCVM were examined by MRI (1.5 T, Vision, Siemens) in short axis and 2- and 4-chamber views, using T_1-weighted TSE and Cine-GRE in 6 patients and true FISP sequences in 2 patients. MRI and echocardiography were evaluated for visibility, signs of NCVM and involvement of myocardial wall segments. Thickness was ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundWe investigated whether p42/p44 extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and/or phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI3K)-Akt play a crucial role in cardioprotection...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The response of MOS capacitors to low- and medium-energy x-ray irradiation is investigated as a function of gate material (TaSi or Al), oxide thickness, and electric field. Measured device response is compared with predictions based on discrete ordinates and Monte Carlo code simulations of dose enhancement effects, coupled with recent estimates of electron-hole recombination in MOS oxides. In comparisons of 10-keV x-ray and Co-60 irradiations of Al-gate MOS capacitors at an oxide electric field of 1 MV/cm, it is found that predictions and experiments agree to within better than 20 percent for oxide thicknesses ranging from 35 to 1060 nm. For capacitors having TaSi/Al gates, predictions and experiments agree to within better than 30 percent at 1 MV/cm, with the largest differences occurring for 35-nm gate oxides. At other electric fields, the disagreement between experiment and prediction increases ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Organic electronic devices using a pentacene have improved importantly in the last several years. We fabricated pentacene organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) with dielectric SiO{sub 2} and ferroelectric Pb(Zr{sub 0.3},Ti{sub 0.7})O{sub 3} (PZT) gate insulators. The organic devices using SiO{sub 2} and PZT films had the field-effect mobility of approximately 0.1 and 0.004 cm{sup 2}/V s, respectively. The drain current in the transfer curve of pentacene/PZT transistors showed a hysteresis behavior originated in a ferroelectric polarization switching. In order to investigate the polarization effect of PZT gate dielectrics in a logic circuit, the simple voltage inverter using SiO{sub 2} and PZT films was fabricated and measured by an output-input measurement. The gain of inverter at the poling-down state was approximately 7.2 and it was three times larger than the value measured at the poling-up state.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Time-resolved characterizations of electron beams using optical transition radiation (OTR) as a prompt conversion mechanism have recently been extended on the Los Alamos Free-electron Laser (FEL) facility 40-MeV linac. Two key timescales for rf-linac driven FELs are the micropulse (10 ps) and the macropulse (5 {mu}s to 1 ms). In the past we have used gated, intensified cameras to select a single or few micropulses (25 to 400 ns gate width) out of the pulse train to evaluate submacropulse effects. Recently, we have obtained some of the first measurements of micropulse bunch length (7 to 10 ps) and submacropulse spatial position and profile using OTR and a Hamamatsu streak camera. Additionally, micropulse elongation effects and head-to-tail transverse kicks are reported as a function of charge.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The influence of hydrogen ion implantation into the channel polysilicon of polysilicon thin film transistors on gate oxide conductivity has been investigated. Data for effective tunnelling barriers at the gate oxide/channel polysilicon interface are presented. A value of 1.2eV for samples with boron doped channel polysilicon is calculated. For hydrogenated boron doped samples tunnelling barriers higher than 2.1 eV are obtained. The tunnelling barriers for phosphorus doped samples are impurity concentration dependent and decrease with increasing phosphorus concentration in the range 3 x 10{sup 17} to 3 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}. (Author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This invention pertains to a light weight underground pipe or cable installing device adapted for use in a narrow and deep operating trench. More particularly this underground pipe installing device employs a pair of laterally movable gates positioned adjacent the bottom of the operating trench where the earth is more solid to securely clamp the device in the operating trench to enable it to withstand the forces exerted as the actuating rod is forced through the earth from the so-called operating trench to the target trench. To accommodate the laterally movable gates positioned adjacent the bottom of the narrow pipe installing device, a pair of top operated double-acting rod clamping jaws, operated by a hydraulic cylinder positioned above the actuating rod are employed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Time-resolved characterizations of electron beams using optical transition radiation (OTR) as a prompt conversion mechanism have recently been extended on the Los Alamos Free-electron Laser (FEL) facility 40-MeV linac. Two key timescales for rf-linac driven FELs are the micropulse (10 ps) and the macropulse (5 [mu]s to 1 ms). In the past we have used gated, intensified cameras to select a single or few micropulses (25 to 400 ns gate width) out of the pulse train to evaluate submacropulse effects. Recently, we have obtained some of the first measurements of micropulse bunch length (7 to 10 ps) and submacropulse spatialposition and profile using OTR and a Hamamatsu streak camera. Additionally, micropulse elongation effects and head-to-tail transverse kick effects are reported as a function of charge.

Science.gov (United States)

A 5 GHz GaAs monolithic astable multivibrator-type voltage-controlled oscillator has been developed. The monolithic oscillator uses 2 micron long self-aligned TiW-silicide gate MESFETs as well as GaAs Schottky diodes for capacitance. Good agreement between the experiment and calculations for oscillation frequency characteristics versus control voltage is obtained by assuming donor density in the FET active layer to be a Gaussian distribution. This oscillator is useful for monolithic front ends and phase-locked oscillators used in microwave signal processing. X-band oscillation frequency can be obtained with 1 micron long gate FET and low loss resonance inductors.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We compared the values of the myocardial thickness and the left ventricle diameters measured with MRI and echocardiography. The ejection fraction was compared in MRI and ventriculography. 34 patients with different heart dysfunctions were examined with MRI (FISP 2D sequence). 26 of them were also studied by echocardiography and 20 by biplane cine-ventriculography. The enddiastolic thicknesses of the left ventricular postero-lateral wall and of the septum interventriculare were measured on short axis images. An ellipsoidal modell was used for volume calculation and ejection fraction. Correlation of MRI values of thickness and ejection fraction with echocardiographi and angiographi showed r>0,8. As known for 1.56 T Imagers, the myocardial thickness in MRI was underestimated compared to echocardiography (1.4 mm#+-#1.7). The ejection fraction was underevaluated compared to ventriculography (4.5%#+-#10.1). MRI (1.0 T) accurately measures ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardiac disease research relies increasingly on small animal models and non-invasive imaging methods such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MRI) using gadolinium-based contrast agents appear to be a visualizing infracted myocardium with high spatial resolution. Polar map (or bull's-eye image) was used to determination of the myocardial infarction area. Polar map is a comprehensive interpretation of the left ventricle. The infarct size was computed as the fraction of the total polar map areas. The threshold was computed as the percentage of mean intensity of the normal region. In other study, 50% predefined threshold value in varying range (30?70%) was most commonly use. However, predefined threshold value isn't acceptance in all case. The purpose of this study was to investigate methodological approach for automatic measurement of rat myocardial infarct ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Spider venoms provide a highly valuable source of peptide toxins that act on a wide diversity of membrane-bound receptors and ion channels. In this work, we report isolation, biochemical analysis, and...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An investigation of the Ll x-#gamma# angular correlations following the decay of "2"0"7Bi is done by using a Si(Li) semiconductor counter as L x-ray detector. Coincidence measurements at five different angles were made between the 570-keV #gamma# ray (gated in the movable counter) and the Ll x spectrum (displayed in a multichannel analyzer).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quantum computers hold the promise of solving certain computational tasks much more efficiently than classical computers. We review recent experimental advances towards a quantum computer with trapped ions. In particular, various implementations of qubits, quantum gates and some key experiments are discussed. Furthermore, we review some implementations of quantum algorithms such as a deterministic teleportation of quantum information and an error correction scheme.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Airway ciliated cells express an ATP-gated P2X receptor channel of unknown subunit composition (P2X_cilia) which is modulated by Na⁺ and by long exposures to ATP. P2X_cilia...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

During protein synthesis, aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) and release factors 1 and 2 (RF1 and RF2) have to bind at the catalytic center of the ribosome on the 50S subunit where they take part in peptide bond...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An apparatus for sensing chemicals over extended range of concentrations. In particular, first and second sensors each having separate, but overlapping ranges for sensing concentrations of hydrogen are provided. Preferably, the first sensor is a MOS solid state device wherein the metal electrode or gate is a nickel alloy. The second sensor is a chemiresistor comprising a nickel alloy.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Several recently introduced 'new' techniques in computed tomography - iterative reconstruction, gated cardiac CT, multiple-source, and dual-energy CT - actually date back to the early days of CT. We review the historic origins and evolution of these techniques, which may provide some insight into the latest innovations in commercial CT systems. (orig.)

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Extracellular ATP has been proposed as a paracrine signal in rodent islets, but it is unclear what role ATP plays in human islets. We now show the presence of an ATP signaling pathway that enhances...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We propose a novel scheme for scalable solid state quantum computing, where superconducting microwave transmission line resonators (cavities) are arranged in a two-dimensional grid on the surface of a chip, coupling to superconducting qubits (charge or flux) at the intersections. We analyze how tasks of quantum information processing can be implemented in such a topology, including efficient two-qubit gates between any two qubits on the grid and elements of fault-tolerant computation.

Science.gov (United States)

Surface scientists argue about the fundamental nature of Schottky barriers, or more precisely what determines the location of the Fermi level at semiconductor surfaces and interfaces. Electrical and materials engineers worry about how to make Schottky barrier diodes and gates to field effect transistors and the control of barrier heights. There is some interesting middle ground in which the location of the surface and interface Fermi level can, for example, determine semiconductor doping characteristics during crystal growth. The authors will discuss several interesting and well known examples of doping characteristics which are still somewhat mysterious. Specifically, they address the following question: (1) why is Ge doped GaAs p type when grown from Ga melts but n type when grown from Au melts (2) why is low resistivity p type ZnSe, AlAs, and AlGaInP hard to make, and more importantly, how can the problem be fixed. In addition they describe how this concept ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We present device results from polysilicon thin film transistors (TFTs) fabricated at a maximum temperature of 100&hthinsp;{degree}C on polyester substrates. Critical to our success has been the development of a processing cluster tool containing chambers dedicated to laser crystallization, dopant deposition, and gate oxidation. Our TFT fabrication process integrates multiple steps in this tool, and uses the laser to crystallize deposited amorphous silicon as well as create heavily doped TFT source/drain regions. By combining laser crystallization and doping, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition SiO{sub 2} layer for the gate dielectric, and postfabrication annealing at 150&hthinsp;{degree}C, we have succeeded in fabricating TFTs with I{sub ON}/I{sub OFF} ratios {gt}5{times}10{sup 5} and electron mobilities {gt}40 cm{sup 2}/V&hthinsp;s on polyester substrates. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Vacuum Society.}

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The effects of gate and drain bias stresses on thin film transistors fabricated in polysilicon films crystallized using the advanced sequential lateral solidification excimer laser annealing (SLS ELA) process, which yields very elongated polysilicon grains and allows the fabrication of TFTs without grain boundary barriers to current flow, are investigated as a function of the active layer thickness and of the TFT orientation relative to the grains. The application of hot carrier stress, with a condition of V_G_S = V_D_S/2, was determined to induce threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and transconductance degradation for TFTs in thicker polysilicon films and the associated stress-induced increase in the active layer trap density was evaluated. However, this device degradation was drastically reduced for TFTs fabricated in ultra-thin films. Furthermore, the application of the same stress condition to TFTs oriented vertically to the elongated grains resulted in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The theoretical hardness against total dose of the six-transistor SRAM cell is investigated in detail. An explicit analytical expression of the maximum tolerable threshold voltage shift is derived for two cross-coupled inverters. A numerical method is used to explore the hardness of the read and write operations. Both N- and P-channel access transistors designs are considered and their respective advantages are compared. The study points out that the radiation hardness mainly relies on the technology. Results obtained with the very robust Gate-All-Around process are finally presented.

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

We propose to encode a register of quantum bits in different collective electron spin wave excitations in a solid medium. Coupling to spins is enabled by locating them in the vicinity of a superconducting transmission line cavity, and making use of their strong collective coupling to the quantized radiation field. The transformation between different spin waves is achieved by applying gradient magnetic fields across the sample, while a Cooper pair box, resonant with the cavity field, may be used to carry out one- and two-qubit gate operations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Significantly improved immunity to hot-hole damage of the SiO[sub 2]/Si structure is achieved by a shallow fluorine implantation into the poly-Si gate of MOS capacitors followed by a drive-in process. Compared to the nonfluorinated control, the fluorinated samples exhibit a dramatic reduction of both hole trapping probability and interface-trap generation under avalanche hole injection conditions. The degree of such an improvement increases monotonically as a function of the F implantation dose (up to 10[sup 16]/cm[sup 2]). Significant decrease of the hole detrapping rate is also observed in fluorinated samples. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor {alpha}7 subunit is a member of a family of ligand-gated ion channels, and is the only subunit know to bind {alpha}-bungarotoxin in mammalian brain. {alpha}-Bungarotoxin binding sites are known to be more abundant in the hippocampus of mouse strains that are particularly sensitive to nicotine-induced seizures. The {alpha}7 receptor is highly permeable to calcium, which could suggest a role in synaptic plasticity in the nervous system. Auditory gating deficiency, an abnormal response to a second auditory stimulus, is characteristic of schizophrenia. Mouse strains that exhibit a similar gating deficit have reduced hippocampal expression of the {alpha}7 subunit. We have cloned and sequenced the full length cDNA for the mouse {alpha}7 gene (Acra-7) and characterized its gene structure. The murine {alpha}7 shares amino acid identity of 99% and 93% with the rat and human {alpha}7 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The standard protocol in multislice spiral CT (MSCT) angiography for coronary arteries with fixed tube current-time settings leads to an overexposure and thus to an unnecessary high radiation dose in patients with lower weight when compared to heavier patients. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of reducing the radiation dose by adapting the tube current-time settings individually. Fifty patients underwent retrospectively ECG-gated MSCT of the heart. In 25 patients (group A{sub 1}) a standard protocol with constant tube current-time settings was used (4 x 1-mm collimation, 120 kV, 400 mAs{sub eff}). Subsequently, artificial image noise was added to the data of these patients simulating a directive for weight-adapted tube current-time settings (group A{sub 2}). In the other 25 patients (group B) an alternative protocol with individually weight-adapted tube current-time settings was applied. The data of all groups were evaluated by a regression ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Optional multiple long-axial gated blood pool SPECT images were prepared for the purpose of stereoscopic and quantitative imaging of left ventricular wall motion (LVWM). Sixteen patients with ischemic heart disease and 8 healthy subjects were imaged in 32 views in the 360 degrees position after iv injection of 740 MBq of Tc-99m-labeled human serum albumin D. The R-R interval was divided into 16. After preparing conventional oblique images, long-axial images were prepared. Shortening rate of left ventricular wall was calculated in 5 segments of the apex and base of the left ventricle. An average shortening rate in each segment was graded with a score from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 40% or more. In the normal group, shortening rate in each segment, except for the base of the septal region, exceeded 40%. In the group of ischemic heart disease, radial shortening was capable of visualizing the degree and extent of the whole LVWM abnormality. LVWM abnormality seen on ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Hsp20, referred to as HspB6, is constitutively expressed in various tissues. Specifically, HspB6 is most highly expressed in different types of muscle including vascular, airway, colonic, bladder, and uterine smooth muscle; cardiac muscle; and skeletal muscle. It can be phosphorylated at Ser-16 by both cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA/PKG). Recently, Hsp20 and its phosphorylation have been implicated in multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes including smooth muscle relaxation, platelet aggregation, exercise training, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and Alzheimer's disease. In the heart, key advances have been made in elucidating the significance of Hsp20 in contractile function and cardioprotection over the last decade. This mini-rev...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It is well established that cytochrome P450 2J (CYP2J) enzymes are expressed preferentially in the heart, and that ebastine is a substrate for CYP2J, but it is not known whether ebastine is metabolized in myocardium. Therefore, we investigated its pharmacokinetics in the rat isolated perfused heart. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Rat isolated hearts were perfused in the recirculating mode with ebastine for 130-min. The concentrations of ebastine and its metabolites, hydroxyebastine and carebastine, were measured using liquid chromatography with a tandem mass spectrometry. The data were analysed by a compartmental model. The time course of negative inotropic response was linked to ebastine concentration to determine the concentration-effect relationship. KEY RESULTS Ebastine w...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

It is uncertain if downregulation of ?-adrenoceptor signaling pathway is promoted by an enhanced adrenergic tone at an early stage of cardiac disease, or it develops secondary to detrimental local myocardial changes in advanced heart failure. We examined the integrity of ?-adrenoceptor signaling pathway upon chronic infusion of isoproterenol, a ?-adrenoceptor agonist, at a dose producing no structural left ventricular (LV) remodeling and systolic dysfunction. Subcutaneous isoproterenol infusion (400??g?kg?1?h?1 over 16?days) to guinea pigs using osmotic minipumps produced no change in cardiac weights, LV internal dimensions, myocyte cross-sectional area, extent of interstitial fibrosis, and basal contractile function. Isolated, perfused heart preparations from isoproterenol-treated guinea ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

AbstractBackground Few published data are available on the benefits of aspirin use in patients with unstable angina (UA). Hypothesis Aspirin use carries a mortality benefit in a population-based cohort of patients presenting with UA. Methods All residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota presenting to local emergency departments with acute chest pain from January 1985 through December 1992 having symptoms consistent with UA were identified through medical records. A total of 1628 patients were identified with UA and were stratified by aspirin use in-hospital and at discharge. Cardiovascular mortality and nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke were assessed over a median of 7.5 years follow-up and all-cause mortality data over a median of 16.7 years. The mean age of patients with UA was 65 y...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

All patients with von Willebrand?s disease (vWD) who showed an arterial or venous thrombosis and were reported in the literature have been evaluated. 11 patients had arterial thrombosis while 19 had venous thrombosis for a total of 30 cases. 9 out the 11 cases with arterial thrombosis had myocardial infarction. Two had cerebral thrombosis. Associated risk factors for arterial thrombosis were available only for three patients who showed, respectively, smoking and dyslipidemia (2 cases) and smoking and intravenous desmopressin infusion (1 case). The majority of patients with venous thrombosis showed DVT with or without PE. Four patients presented with apparently isolated PE. In two instances thrombosis occurred in unusual sites (central retinal vein and portal vein, respectively). Several as...

Science.gov (United States)

The effect of exercise training prior to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on left ventricular (LV) remodeling is poorly understood. This study investigated the protective effect of 3 weeks of swimming exercise training prior to AMI on cardiac morphology and function. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 35) were randomly assigned to 3 groups: swimming training (n = 14, 90 min, 5 days/wk, 3 wk), sedentary (n =14), and controls (n = 7, no exercise, no MI). At the end of the training/sedentary period, rats were subjected to AMI (ExMI and SedMI) induced by surgical ligation of the left coronary artery. Thereafter, the rats remained sedentary for a 4-wk recovery period. Trans-thoracic echocardiography was performed in each group at the end of the exercise/sedentary period (pre-AMI), 24 hr after AMI, and following recovery (4 wk after AMI). No differences were observed in LV dimensions and function pre-AMI among the 3 groups; however, LV-end systolic diameter (LVESD) and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Introduction: Previous studies have published the correlation between myocardial perfusion SPECT (MP) during cold pressor test (CPT) and intracoronary acetylcholine and its usefulness as independent marker of endothelial dysfunction (ED). Objective: To analyze the incidence of positivization of MP exercise studies in the follow up of asymptomatic patients with moderate cardiovascular risk (CV) and ED detected by PF. Material and Methods: Of 301 patients of the PARADIGMA Registry (normal exercise MP SPECT and clinical probability < 20% of events at 10 years [moderate risk by Framingham index]) 55 had positive PF (+) (18.3%). Prospectively and consecutively, 15 asymptomatic patients with PF (+), and a control group (CG) of 15 patients with negative PF, with paired sex, age and coronary risk factors (CRF), that accomplished a 12 #+-# 2 months follow up, and that underwent a new exercise and resting MP SPECT were analyzed. An MP extension score was used in a model ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The spectrum of training aids used in the nuclear industry runs the gamut from the very basic (i.e., valve training aids - gate, globe, check) to the highly complex (i.e., nuclear full scope simulator). Designing and purchasing the best training aids take much time, detailed investigation, and good understanding of plant operations. The training aid that has given the New York Power Authority the best results has been the motor operator valve (MOV) trainer. Some of the items that make the MOV trainer a good choice are: (1) large number of MOVs in the plant, (2) importance of MOVs to safe plant operation, (3) detailed MOV procedures used by the plant, (4) history of MOV problems, and (5) ability to demonstrate important concepts and operation - hammer blow effect, torque and limit switch adjustment and functions, and actual sequence of operation of the limitorque valve operator.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

SummaryBackground Intracellular transport via processive kinesin, dynein, and myosin molecular motors plays an important role in maintaining cell structure and function. In many cases, cargoes move distances longer than expected for single motors; there is significant evidence that this increased travel is in part due to multiple motors working together to move the cargoes. Although we understand single motors experimentally and theoretically, our understanding of multiple motors working together is less developed. Results We theoretically investigate how multiple kinesin motors function. Our model includes stochastic fluctuations of each motor as it proceeds through its enzymatic cycle. Motors dynamically influence each other and function in the presence of thermal noise and viscosity. We...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The results of experiments received on the plasma focus (PF) device with energy stored equal 4 kJ are represented. Photos of the current plasma sheath (CPS), pre-pinch, sphere-like plasma formations are produced with help of the electron-optical converter contained a gated micro-channel plate (MCP) and the CCD-camera imaging system in the visible region. The redial velocity of the CPS is about 107 cm/s. Neon plasma electron density measured with help of the interferograms in the visible region and the spectra in the soft X-ray region is equals to 3?1018 cm-3. Electron temperature is equal to about 200 eV. Discharge integral photos were obtained with help of the soft X-ray pinhole camera. Pictures with 2 ?s resolution of the plasma luminescence above PF anode region were made by CCD-camera.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boiling jet impingement cooling is currently being explored to cool power electronics components. In hybrid vehicles, inverters are used for DC-AC conversion. These inverters involve a number of insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), which are used as on/off switches. The heat dissipated in these transistors can result in heat fluxes of up to 200 W/cm{sup 2}, which makes the thermal management problem quite important. In this paper, turbulent jet impingement involving nucleate boiling is explored numerically. The framework for these computations is the CFD code FLUENT. For nucleate boiling, the Eulerian multiphase model is used. The numerical results for boiling water and R113 jets (submerged) are validated against existing experimental data in the literature. Some representative IGBT package simulations that use R134a as the cooling fluid are also presented. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The energy level schemes of {sup 152}Gd and {sup 152}Sm have been established on the basis of single gamma-spectra, and gamma-gamma coincidence measurements. Ge(Li) detectors were used to study the gamma spectra produced in the EC/beta{sup +} and beta{sup -} decays of {sup 152}Eu to {sup 152}Sm and {sup 152}Gd, respectively. Thirteen new transitions are reported and data from eleven coincidence gates enabled five new levels to be suggested. Relative intensities and log ft values were calculated and spin/parities deduced. Comparisons are made with new predictions of the Interacting Boson Model. (orig.).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) can fully use the frequency band and transmit data at high speeds. The ADSP-TS101 is a high performance digital signal processor (DSP) with good properties that include parallel processing and a high speed. Aimed at the real-time processing requirement of the OFDM algorithm, an underwater acoustic communication system with real-time processing capability is carried out. The system is mainly composed of multiple ADSP-TS101s, a multi-channel synchronous sample module and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) chip. The multiprocessor structure is made up of a cluster/data flow associated multiprocessing parallel processing structure as the operation kernel, and a multi-channel synchronous sample module is designed to realize no phase warp amo...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Aim: This study was performed: 1) to assess the relationship between blood flow velocity in the internal carotid artery (CBFICA) and pial artery pulsation (cc-TQ) and 2) to evaluate flow-induced changes in pial artery compliance. Methods: Experiments were performed on 10 crossbred male rabbits. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), CBFICA, the systolic-diastolic blood volume fraction in the brain circulation (CBFSDF) and cc-TQ were recorded after glucagon and acetazolamide administration. cc-TQ was measured with near-infrared transillumination back scattering sounding (NIR-T/BSS), LVEF and CBFSDF with gated scintigraphy and BP and CBFICA with electromagnetic pressure and flow transducers, respectively. Doses of drugs were chosen to exert a haemodyna...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The effects of irradiation from a focused ion beam (FIB) system on MOS transistors are reported systematically for the first time. Three MOS transistor technologies, with 0.5, 1, and 3 {mu}m minimum feature sizes and with gate oxide thicknesses ranging from 11 to 50 nm, were analyzed. Significant shifts in transistor parameters (such as threshold voltage, transconductance, and mobility) were observed following irradiation with a 30 keV Ga{sup +} focused ion beam with ion doses varying by over 5 orders of magnitude. The apparent damage mechanism (which involved the creation of interface traps, oxide trapped charge, or both) and extent of damage were different for each of the three technologies investigated.

Science.gov (United States)

A voice activated garage door opener was designed for a handicapped person to open a garage door without assistance. This design uses speech recognition of one word. The activating word that was chosen is "up". The frequency spectrum of "up" was captured on a soundboard and is the basis of this design. Filters are used to pick out three frequency bands in this spectrum. The output signals from these filters are then compared to three threshold voltages using voltage comparators. If the output signals from the filters are above the threshold voltages, the comparators go high. Monostable multivibrators are used on the output of the comparators to lengthen the high pulses. When all of the pulses from the monostable multivibrators are high at the same time, an AND gate output goes high. This high pulse activates the door opener. PMID:8329601

Science.gov (United States)

One of the goals of the DARPA Virtual Soldier Project is to aid the field medic in the triage of a casualty. In Phase I, we are currently collecting 12 baseline experimental physiological variables and a cardiac gated Computed Tomography (CT) imagery for use in an prototyping a futuristic electronic medical record, the "Holomer". We are using physiological models and Kalman filtering to aid in diagnosis and predict outcomes in relation to cardiac injury. The physiological modeling introduces another few hundred variables. Reducing the complexity of the above into easy-to-read text to aid in the triage by the field medic is the challenge with multiple display solutions. A description of the possible techniques follows. PMID:15718701

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this work, we investigated self-heating related instability in polysilicon thin film transistors (poly-Si TFTs) fabricated on polyimide (PI) substrates. Indeed, when Joule heating becomes relevant, the temperature of the active layer can substantially rise, since the devices are fabricated on thermally insulating substrates. As a result, electrical instability is triggered and attributed to the generation of interface states, due to the Si-H bond breaking, and charge trapping into the gate insulator. In addition, by using 3-dimensional numerical simulations, coupling the thermodynamic and transport models, we analyzed the temperature distribution of the device under operating conditions and found that self-heating is more severe for devices fabricated on plastic substrates.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Adaptive radiation therapy for liver cancer has the potential to reduce normal tissue complications and enable dose escalation, allowing the potential for tumor control in this challenging site. Using adaptive techniques to tailor treatment margins to reflect patient-specific breathing motions and image-guidance techniques can reduce the high dose delivered to surrounding normal tissues while ensuring that the prescription dose is delivered to the tumor. Several treatment planning and delivery techniques have been developed for use in the liver, including a margin to encompass the full breathing motion, mean position techniques, which evaluate the probability of tumor location during breathing, breath hold, gating, and tracking. Patient selection, clinical workflow, and quality assurance m...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The work examines twenty-two patients with coronary artery disease, previous myocardial infarction and LV dysfunction, using the technetium-99m ({sup 99m}Tc) tetrofosmin (SPECT) associated with nitrate administration in the detection of hypoperfused but still viable myocardium. The method allows the detection of this disease. [Italian] Il lavoro analizza i risultati degli esami condotti su 22 pazienti con cardiopatia ischemica cronica e ridotta funzione ventricolare sinistra sottoposti a tomografia computerizzata con emissione di fotone singolo (SPECT) cardiaca con tecnezio-99m ({sup 99m}Tc) tetrofosmina associata alla somministrazione di nitrati nella differenziazione tra tessuto miocardico ipoperfuso ma ancora vitale e tessuto miocardico necrotico. La metodologia usata consente di identificare la presenza di tessuto miocardico vitale in territori vascolari severamente ipoperfusi.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background: The outcome of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated with cardiogenic shock is poor. The aim of this study was to analyse, whether upfront abciximab administration could improve the outcomes of cardiogenic shock. Methods: This multicentre open trial randomized 80 patients with AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock expected to undergo primary PCI into group A (routine upfront-pre-procedural-abciximab bolus followed by 12-h abciximab infusion) and group B (standard therapy). The study primary objective was 30-day combined outcome (death/reinfarction/stroke/new severe renal failure). Results: PCI was technically successful in 90% (A) versus 87.5% (B) patients. Abciximab was used in 100% (A) versus 35% (B). The primary endpoint occurred in 17 group A patients (42.5%) and 11 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: To report the detection of con-compacted ventricular myocardium (NVCM) with MRI compared to echocardiography in 8 patients. Material and methods: Non-compaction of the ventricular myocardium is a congenital disorder characterized by an altered structure of the myocardial wall resulting from an intrauterine arrest in endomyocardial embryogenesis. The morphological findings consist of a prominent meshwork of multiple myocardial trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses, communicating with the left ventricular cavity. 8 consecutive patients (mean age 7.3 years) with clinical and echocardiographic signs of NCVM were examined by MRI (1.5 T, Vision, Siemens) in short axis and 2- and 4-chamber views, using T{sub 1}-weighted TSE and Cine-GRE in 6 patients and true FISP sequences in 2 patients. MRI and echocardiography were evaluated for visibility, signs of NCVM and involvement of myocardial wall segments. Thickness ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This presentation described the geology of the Kootenay, Gething, Gates, Brazeau and Coalspur Formations in the potential gas-bearing coal zones of the Alberta Foothills/Mountains. The future potential of this region for coalbed methane (CBM) exploitation was discussed, based on available data from drilling activity and the results of a recent coal desorption and adsorption study in the Val d'Or seam of the Coalspur formation. The gas content of the 5 coal zones was evaluated and compared with previous CBM exploration in the area. For evaluation purposes, the coal zones were divided into shallow and deep coal zones. The potential gas content of the shallow coal zones is approximately 31 Tcf of CBM. This is considered an inferred, initial, in-place, CBM resource estimate based on limited data. The gas content of deep zones is approximately 99 Tcf of in-place CBM gas. As such, the total ultimate CBM resource is estimated at 130 Tcf. Although these coal zones ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Accurate modeling of system response and scatter distribution is crucial for image reconstruction in emission tomography. Monte Carlo simulations are very well suited to calculate these quantities. However, Monte Carlo simulations are also slow and many simulated counts are needed to provide a sufficiently exact estimate of the detection probabilities. In order to overcome these problems, we propose to split the simulation into two parts, the detection system and the object to be imaged (the patient). A so-called 'virtual boundary' that separates these two parts is introduced. Within the patient, particles are simulated conventionally. Whenever a photon reaches the virtual boundary, its detection probability is calculated analytically by evaluating a multi-dimensional B-spline that depends on the photon position, direction and energy. The unknown B-spline knot values that define this B-spline are fixed by a prior 'pre-' simulation that needs to be run once for each scanner type. After ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Si nanocrystal floating gate MOS capacitors were formed on p-Si (100) wafers by thermal plasma jet (TPJ) annealing of SiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub x} /SiO{sub 2}/Si(100) stacked structure. The chemical composition of SiO{sub x} layer was controlled by changing the SiH{sub 4}, He, and O{sub 2} gas flow ratio during plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The MOS capacitors showed clear hysteresis in capacitance-voltage (CV) characteristics after TPJ annealing. The hysteresis width shows maximum value when initial composition x =1.7, which shows the maximum photoluminescence (PL) intensity. The maximum hysteresis width of 6.8 V was observed with gate voltage swept between 20 and -20 V in x = 1.7 sample. The result means 7.4 x 10{sup 12} cm{sup -2} carriers are injected to or emitted from Si nanocrystals. The duration of 1 V shift in flatband voltage was {proportional_to}0.1 ms with 20 V pulse, and charged carriers were stably maintained for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A procedure and software have been developed to transform the area distribution of the residual surface heights available from the measurement with the Micromap interferometric microscope into a two-dimensional (2D) power spectral density (PSD) distribution of the surface height. The procedure incorporates correction of one of the spectral distortions of the PSD measurement. The distortion appears as a shape difference between the tangential and sagittal PSD spectra deduced from the 2D PSD distribution for an isotropic surface. A detailed investigation of the origin of the anisotropy was performed, and a mathematical model was developed and used to correct the distortion. The correction employs a modulation transfer function (MTF) of the detector deduced analytically based on an experimentally confirmed assumption about the origin of the anisotropy due to the asymmetry of the read-out process of the instrument's CCD camera. The correction function has only one free parameter, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A transient stability program was developed for the Taiwan Power Company, which has a high proportion of nuclear generation in its power system. This program offers a new territory to investigate nuclear plant effects on the power system transient stability. This program also provides a high speed tool for the Taipower system operational planning. A generalized procedure of synchronous machine modeling for a large-scale stability study is presented. The merits and weaknesses of machine modeling can be comprehended through each item of this procedure. Three types of nonlinear synchronous machine modeling implemented into this stability program are derived by following this procedure. A robust subroutine was derived to perform the fourth order Runge-Kutta integration method, making the software programming neat and systematical. For simulating the nuclear plant influence on the system, this program implemented an additional four functions: load-limit operation simulated by a low-value ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Before the implementation Water Framework directive, it was usual to forget that a good environment protection of the receiving waters needs a correct and coordinated operation of the subsystems of the water cycle, specially sewerage system, WWTP and receiving waters. This explains that most of the countries have focused their efforts in the treatment of dry weather flows forgetting the management of wet weather flows. Actually the idea that a sewerage system or a WWTP can not be planned or managed independently without considering the effects on the receiving waters is commonly accepted because not only each one of these systems must work correctly but also it is required a minimum impact in the receiving waters of the sewerage and WWTP overflows in dry and wet weather. All these links will affect the management strategy of the sewerage system (storm water detection tanks, gates, pumping stations, etc)., the interceptor, the WWTP and the receiving waters. Only an ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A permeable reactive mixture has been developed using low cost, readily available materials that is capable of providing effective, long-term phosphorous treatment in areas impacted by on-land wastewater disposal. The reactive mixture creates a geochemical environment suitable for P-attenuation by both adsorption and precipitation reactions. Potential benefits include significant reductions in phosphorous loading to receiving groundwater and surface water systems, and the accumulation of P-mass in a finite and accessible volume of material. The mixture may be applied as a component within surface treatment systems or in subsurface applications such as horizontal or vertical permeable reactive walls. The mixture averaged > 90% treatment efficiency over 3.6 years of continuous-flow laboratory column experiments. The mixture was further evaluated at the pilot-scale to treat municipal wastewater, and the field-scale to treat a well-characterized septic system plume using an in situ ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We discuss strictly efficient models for measurement-based quantum computing using physical continuous variables, such as field modes of light. Such measurement-based quantum computing (MBQC) provides a promising paradigm for quantum computation as it does not require performing unitary gates during the computation, but rather appropriate readout. Here, we introduce novel schemes for which the resource state can be reasonably and efficiently prepared, and which notably do not require having infinite squeezing or mean energy available. What is more, error correction techniques are implementable, as the logical information is stored in finite-dimensional objects grasping correlations of the quantum states. Using the ideas of computational tensor networks we discuss how to sequentially prepare suitable physical resource states with cavity QED or with non-linear optics and how to efficiently implement a computational universal set of quantum operations with feasible ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The expression C/sub FB/ = C/sub ox/ x ({element of}/sub si//L/sub D/)/(C/sub ox/ + ({Epsilon}/sub si//L/sub D/)) (where L/sub D/ is the Debye length), commonly used for the flat-band capacitance of the MOS structure, is invalid in the temperature range below 100 {Kappa}. Consequently, significant error may be encountered when the flat-band capacitance method is used to extract the flat-band voltage V/sub FB/, which is of considerable interest for both the modeling and characterization of MOS devices. To extend this method to low-temperature CMOS applications one has to use a more general model that can be obtained by applying Fermi-Dirac statistics and taking into account the impurity freezeout effect. The authors show that when the temperature dependence of V/sub FB/ is extracted using this approach, the experimental data for n/sup +/ polysilicon gate MOS capacitors are in a good agreement with a simple model.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

High-performance polysilicon thin-film transistors (TFT`s) are fabricated using an excimer laser to recrystallize the undoped channel and dope the source-drain regions. Using a technique the authors call grain engineering they are able to control grain microstructure using laser parameters. Resulting polysilicon films are obtained with average grain sizes of {approximately}4--9 {micro}m in sub-100 nm thick polysilicon films without substrate heating during the laser recrystallization process. Using a simple four-mask self-aligned aluminum top-gate structure, they fabricate TFT`s in these films. By combining the grain-engineered channel polysilicon regions with laser-doped source-drain regions, TFT`s are fabricated with electron mobilities up to 260 cm{sup 2}/Vs and on/off current ratios greater than 10{sup 7} To their knowledge, these devices represent the highest performance laser-processed TFT`s reported to date fabricated without substrate heating or ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper overviews the general features of computer program 'HEC-5, Simulation of Flood Control and Conservation Systems', with emphasis on the capabilities of the most recent release of HEC-5, Version 7.2, dated March 1991. HEC-5 can simulate the essential features and operation goals and constraints of simple or complex systems with simulation intervals ranging from minutes to one month. Single event flood analysis and period of record conservation analysis may be accomplished with the model. Flood control analysis includes balanced system operation for downstream damage centers with consideration of forecasted local flows and hydrologic routing. In addition, induced surcharge operation based on spillway gate regulation schedules can be simulated. Hydropower analysis may include run-of-river, peaking, and pumped storage plants as well as system power operation. Water supply simulation can include reservoir and downstream flow requirements in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Focused-ion beam (FIB) milling provides rapid fabrication of individual cylindrical submicrometer channels with reproducible dimensions (#+-#5% diameters) through 8-#mu#m thick poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) films. PMMA films are spincast on sacrificial Si carriers and sputter-coated with Au before the 30-kV gallium FIB milling process. By adding a trace amount of poly(ethyleneoxide) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) to the PMMA solution before casting, the films can be released for subsequent mounting in microfluidic devices to create hybrid microfluidic-nanofluidic multilevel architectures. In situ FIB sectioning demonstrates the smooth cylindrical surface within the pore. Placing a milled film in contact with an aqueous fluorescein solution fills the channel by capillary action, as verified by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Confocal fluorescence of dyed films reveals that the pores span the thickness of the PMMA film. Small arrays of channels with a defined number and density and ...

Science.gov (United States)

Inductively coupled fluorocarbon (CF4/Ar and C4F8/Ar) plasmas were used to etch HfO2, which is a promising high-dielectric-constant material for the gate of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. The etch rates of HfO2 in CF4/Ar plasmas exceeded those in C4F8/Ar plasmas. The tendency for etch rates to become higher in fluorine-rich (high F/C ratio) conditions indicates that HfO2 can be chemically etched by fluorine-containing species. In C4F8/Ar plasmas with a high Ar dilution ratio, the etch rate of HfO2 increased with increasing bias power. The etch rate of Si, however, decreasd with bias power, suggesting that the deposition of carbon-containing species increased with increasing the power and inhibited the etching of Si. The HfO2/Si selectivity monotonically increased with increasing power, then became more than 5 at the highest tested bias power. The carbon-containing species to inhibit etching of Si play an important role in enhancing the HfO2/Si ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An Ethernet based embedded system has been developed to upgrade the Beam Viewer and Beam Position Monitor (BPM) systems within the free-electron laser (FEL) project at Jefferson Lab. The embedded microcontroller was mounted on the front-end I/O cards with software packages such as Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) and Real Time Executive for Multiprocessor System (RTEMS) running as an Input/Output Controller (IOC). By cross compiling with the EPICS, the RTEMS kernel, IOC device supports, and databases all of these can be downloaded into the microcontroller. The first version of the BPM electronics based on the embedded controller was built and is currently running in our FEL system. The new version of BPM that will use a Single Board IOC (SBIOC), which integrates with an Field Programming Gate Array (FPGA) and a ColdFire embedded microcontroller, is presently under development. The new system has the features of a low cost IOC, an open ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An aerial radiological survey of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and surrounding area in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was conducted during the period March 30 to April 14,1992. The purpose of the survey was to measure and document the terrestrial radiological environment of the Oak Ridge Reservation for use in environmental management programs and emergency response planning. The aerial survey was flown at an altitude of 150 feet (46 meters) along a series of parallel lines 250 feet (76 meters) apart and included X-10 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), K-25 (former Gaseous Diffusion Plant), Y-12 (Weapons Production Plant), the Freels Bend Area and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the East Fork Poplar Creek (100-year floodplain extending from K-25 to Y-12), Elza Gate (former uranium ore storage site located in the city of Oak Ridge), Parcel A, the Clinch River (river banks extending from Melton Hill Dam to the city of Kingston), and the CSX Railroad Tracks ...

Science.gov (United States)

The possibilities for therapy in the field of severe cardiac insufficiency have been extended in recent years by the introduction of novel agents endowed with a positive inotropic action. These substances may be arranged in two large classes: sympathomimetic agents and "non sympathomimetic--non digitalis-like" inotropic agents. The stimulant action of noradrenaline, adrenaline and isoproterenol on beta-adrenergic myocardial receptors has been clearly demonstrated but the usefulness of these medicines is limited by their positive chronotropic and arrhythmogenic actions. Dopamine and dobutamine have proved to be very useful in the treatment of patients in intensive care units. However, the exclusively intravenous route of administration limits their importance to the medium or long term. Several compounds, which are active by the oral route, have been the subject of therapeutic trials for the short or medium term. The problems posed by their use result, in the first ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

During the past year, further studies on mAChR were conducted. These studies included verification of the difference in pituitary distribution based on ligand charge. The pituitary localization of TRB. A neutral mAChR ligand, was verified. The lack of QNB blockade of TRB uptake was tested by blockage with scopolamine, another mAChR antagonist and by testing the effect in a different strain of rat. Neither scopolamine or change of rat strain had any effect. We concluded that TRB uptake in pituitary is not a receptor-mediated process. Further studies were conducted with an additional quaternized mAChR ligand: MQNB. Pituitary localization of MQNB, like MTRB, could be blocked by pretreatment with QNB. We have tentatively concluded that permanent charge on a mAChR antagonist changes the mechanism of uptake in the pituitary. Time course studies and the effects of DES on myocardial uptake are reported. A brief report on preliminary results of evaluation of quaternized ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) was used to analyze in vivo antagonist binding to human myocardial muscarinic cholinergic receptor. The methiodide salt of the muscarinic antagonist, quinuclidinyl benzilate (MQNB), was labeled with the positron emitter, Carbon-11, and injected intravenously to 8 normal subjects. /sup 11/C-MQNB concentration was determined in vivo in the ventricular septum from 40 cross-sectional images acquired at the same transverse level over a period of 70 minutes. In 4 subjects, various amounts of unlabeled atropine were rapidly injected at 20 minutes to study whether atropine competitively inhibited MQNB. The kinetics of binding of /sup 11/C-MQNB were not the same in vivo and in vitro. The apparent dissociation rate of /sup 11/C-MQNB in vivo was much slower (by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude) than that observed in vitro with /sup 3/H-QNB. After atropine injection, /sup 11/C-MQNB dissociated from its binding sites at a rate that apparently ...

Science.gov (United States)

Cardiac contractile function is dependent on the integrity and function of the sarcolemmal membrane. Swimming exercise training is known to increase cardiac contractile performance. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether a swimming exercise program would alter sarcolemmal enzyme activity, ion flux, and composition in rat hearts. After approximately 11 wk of exercise training, cardiac myosin and actomyosin Ca2+-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) activity was significantly higher in exercised rat hearts than in sedentary control rat hearts. Glycogen content was increased in plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles from exercised animals as was succinic dehydrogenase activity in gastrocnemius muscle of exercised rats in comparison to sedentary rat preparations. Sarcolemmal vesicles were isolated from hearts of exercise-trained and control rats. Sarcolemmal Na+-K+-ATPase and K+-p-nitrophenylphosphatase activities, Na+-Ca2+ exchange, and passive Ca2+ binding did not differ between ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A burgeoning interest in technetium coordination chemistry has been spurred by its widespread use in nuclear medicine. Recent focus has been on the design and preparation of new technetium complexes, the lipophilicity, polarity, and overall charge of which can be readily altered by simple substitutions in the molecular framework of the ligand in order to optimize the biodistribution and target specific organs. Examples are cationic (Cardiolite) and neutral (Ceretec) technetium complexes, used as myocardial and brain imaging agents, respectively. The authors have been pursuing a continuing study of tris(3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonato)gallium and -indium complexes that are water soluble, are hydrolytically stable, and are of varying lipophilicity and neutral charge. Studies of in vivo in rabbits and mice have revealed that several of these cationic complexes may be useful as morphologic kidney imaging agents, with ["9"9"mTc(pap)_3]"+ showing elevated levels in the kidneys ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are widely used in cardiac diagnostics. Both techniques have been carefully evaluated and are equivalent for the assessment of regional and global wall motion as well as the evaluation of ejection fraction and cardiac volumes, though MRI is herein currently seen as gold standard. For evaluation of myocardial perfusion, extensive data exist for nuclear imaging, that, next to high diagnostic accuracy for evaluation of coronary artery disease, show incremental prognostic information and allow for independent risk stratification. Because of rapid technical advance, myocardial perfusion imaging has also become feasible with cardiac MRI. Results of recent studies are promising, but the data are few compared to perfusion scintigraphy. For viability assessment in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, positron emission tomography (PET) with FDG is currently seen as gold standard. However, single ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pipeline automated ultrasonic testing (AUT) uses fully automated equipment that travels around a pipe on a welding band in a linear scan to allow array pulses to provide ultrasound information on weld zones. Pipeline AUT is also used for zone discrimination as well as with special calibration blocks, dual gate output displays, and rapid defect sizing. AUT allows for the inspection of welds soon after completion, and can save construction costs by process control when combined with engineering critical assessment (ECA) to minimize rejection rates. Ultrasonic phased arrays (UPA) use an array of elements that are all individually wired, pulsed, and time-shifted. Elements are pulsed in groups of approximately 16 elements at a time for pipeline welds. Phased arrays can be used to combine electronic scanning, sectorial scanning and precision focusing to give a practical combination of displays. Optimum angles can be selected for welds and other components, and the ...

Science.gov (United States)

Twenty-two landrace-derived inbred lines from the Spanish Barley Core Collection (SBCC) were found to display high levels of resistance to a panel of 27 isolates of the fungus Blumeria graminis that exhibit a wide variety of virulences. Among these lines, SBCC145 showed high overall resistance and a distinctive spectrum of resistance compared with the other lines. Against this background, the main goal of the present work was to investigate the genetic basis underlying such resistance using a doubled haploid population derived from a cross between SBCC145 and the elite spring cultivar Beatrix. The population was genotyped with the 1,536-SNP Illumina GoldenGate Oligonucleotide Pool Assay (Barley OPA-1 or BOPA1 for short), whereas phenotypic analysis was performed using two B. graminis isolates. A major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for resistance to both isolates was identified on the long arm of chromosome 6H (6HL) and accounted for ca. 60% of the phenotypic ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: For planning the therapeutic strategies and estimating the prognosis in esophageal cancer, N-staging is very important. To date, MRI still is of minor importance as imaging modality of the mediastinum despite promising developments in the past, like ECG-gating or 'averaging' sequences, e.g. LOTA (Long-term averaging), which facilitate mediastinal and thoracic MR-imaging. In a prospective approach, the value of MRI based N-staging was examined with respect to LOTA-sequences. Material and Methods: Within from weeks prior to esophagectomy, standardized MRI of the esophagus was performed in 15 patients (10 squamous-cell-carcinomas and 5 adenocarcinomas) using a 1.5 T whole body scanner. Imaging quality was classified based on depiction of aortic wall or tracheal wall layers. Criteria for malignant infiltration were a diameter of more than 15 mm or a round appearance of a lymph node together with GD-DTPA enhancement. All data were blinded and separately read by ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rock fracture characterization documents a total of 1496 fractures in unit 2 of the Tshirege Member of the Bandelier Tuff along 6013 feet of Los Alamos Canyon`s north wall adjacent to Operational Unit 1098. Geologically termed joints, these fractures likely owe their primary origin to brittle failure during the cooling contraction of the tuff after its emplacement nearly 1 million years ago. Subsequent tectonic movement along the Pajarito Fault system has modified fracture strikes, dips, apertures, and linear density. From a background linear density of approximately 20 fractures per 100-foot interval along the canyon wall, fracture density increases to values in excess of 50 fractures per 100-foot interval in a zone at and immediately east of the Omega West reactor building TA-2-1. This increase in fracture density is coincident with the mapped trace of the Guaje Mountain Fault (GMFZ) that apparently bifurcates with a branch running through the canyon at Building TA-2-1 and another ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to optimize the performance of molecular organic electronic devices it is important to study the intermolecular density of states and charge transport mechanisms in the environment of crystalline organic material. Using this approach in Field Effect Transistors (FETs) we show that material purification improves carrier mobility and decreases density of the deep localized electronic state. We also report a general exponential energy dependence of the density of localized states in a vicinity of the mobility edge (Fermi energies up to approx7 times higher than the thermal energy (kT)) in a variety of the extensively purified molecular organic crystal FETs. This observation and the low activation energy of the order of approxkT suggest that molecular structural misplacements of the sizes that are comparable with thermal molecular modes rather than impurity deep traps play a role in formation of these shallow states. We find that the charge carrier mobility in the FET ...

Science.gov (United States)

The subjective experience of one's environment is constructed by interactions among sensory, cognitive, and affective processes. For centuries, meditation has been thought to influence such processes by enabling a nonevaluative representation of sensory events. To better understand how meditation influences the sensory experience, we used arterial spin labeling functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the neural mechanisms by which mindfulness meditation influences pain in healthy human participants. After 4 d of mindfulness meditation training, meditating in the presence of noxious stimulation significantly reduced pain unpleasantness by 57% and pain intensity ratings by 40% when compared to rest. A two-factor repeated-measures ANOVA was used to identify interactions between meditation and pain-related brain activation. Meditation reduced pain-related activation of the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify brain regions ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this report is described the work effort performed to provide NETL with VE-Suite based Virtual Engineering software and enhanced equipment models to support NETL's Advanced Process Engineering Co-simulation (APECS) framework for advanced power generation systems. Enhancements to the software framework facilitated an important link between APECS and the virtual engineering capabilities provided by VE-Suite (e.g., equipment and process visualization, information assimilation). Model enhancements focused on improving predictions for the performance of entrained flow coal gasifiers and important auxiliary equipment (e.g., Air Separation Units) used in coal gasification systems. In addition, a Reduced Order Model generation tool and software to provide a coupling between APECS/AspenPlus and the GE GateCycle simulation system were developed. CAPE-Open model interfaces were employed where needed. The improved simulation capability is demonstrated on selected ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report summarizes the project implementation and monitoring of all habitat activities that occurred over Fiscal Year 2002 (FY 02). Some of the objectives in the corresponding statement of work for this contract were not completed within FY 02. A description of the progress during FY 02 and reasoning for deviation from the original tasks and timeline are given. OBJECTIVE 1--Provide coordination of all activities, administrative oversight and assist in project implementation and monitoring activities. Administration oversight and coordination of the habitat statement of work, budget, subcontracts and personnel was provided. OBJECTIVE 2--Develop, coordinate, and implement the Hood River Fish Habitat Protection, Restoration, and Monitoring Plan. The Hood River Fish Habitat Protection, Restoration, and Monitoring Plan was completed in 2000 (Coccoli et al., 2000). This document is utilized for many purposes including: drafting the Watershed Action Plan, ranking projects for funding, and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Objective: To determine the optimal contrast injection protocol for 64-MDCT coronary angiography. Materials and methods: One hundred and fifty consecutive patients scheduled to undergo retrospectively electrocardiographically gated 64-MDCT. Each 30 patients were assigned to use a different contrast protocol: group 1: uniphasic protocol (contrast injection without saline flush); group 2: biphasic protocol (contrast injection with saline flush); group 3A, 3B and 3C: triphasic protocol (contrast media + different saline diluted contrast media + saline flush). Image quality scores and artifacts were compared and evaluated on both transaxial and three-dimensional coronary artery images among each contrast protocol. Results: Among the triphasic protocol groups, group 3A (30%:70% contrast media-saline mixture was used in second phase) used the least contrast media and had the least frequency of streak artifacts, but there were no significant differences in coronary artery ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

High-spin states in the mirror pair nuclei {sup 49}Cr and {sup 49}Mn and their cross-conjugate partners, the mirror pair {sup 47}V and {sup 47}Cr have been investigated using experimental {gamma}-ray spectroscopic techniques. The combination of high-efficiency EUROBALL cluster Germanium detectors and clean exit-channel gating afforded by a 31-element silicon ball used in conjunction with a 15-detector neutron wall allowed a revision and extension to the energy level schemes of all four nuclei up to J{sup {pi}}=31{sup -}/2. The difference in excitation energy between states of equivalent spin in the parent nucleus and its analogue partner have thus been established for both mirror pairs up to the f{sub 7/2}-shell band terminating state for the first time. This difference is assumed to be due almost entirely to the Coulomb effect and is therefore called the Coulomb energy difference (CED). The variation in the CED with spin has been interpreted as reflecting the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Recently, the public has become aware of keywords like ''Quantum computer'' or ''Quantum cryptography''. Regarding their potential application in solid state based quantum information processing and their overall benefit in fundamental research quantum dots have gained more and more public interest. In this context, quantum dots are often referred to as ''artificial atoms'', a term subsuming their physical properties quite nicely and emphasizing the huge potential for further investigations. The basic mechanism to be considered is the theoretical model of a two-level system. A quantum dot itself represents this kind of system quite nicely, provided that only the presence or absence of a single exciton in the ground state of that structure is regarded. This concept can also be expanded to the presence of two excitons (bi-exciton). Transitions between the relevant levels can be ...