Review: Dirk Michel (2009. Politisierung und Biographie. Politische Einstellungen deutscher Zionisten und Holocaustüberlebender [Political Socialization and Biography: German Zionists and Holocaust Survivors and Their Political Attitudes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanne Bressan

2012-07-01

Full Text Available How do extraordinary experiences, especially during childhood and adolescence, affect political attitudes? Most studies focusing on political movements only implicitly address the connection between biographical experiences and political attitudes. Moreover, a detailed understanding of these impacts often remains merely hypothetical. Biographical studies increasingly address the relationship between politics and biography through empirical and hermeneutic approaches. For his doctoral thesis, Dirk MICHEL conducts autobiographical narrative interviews with 20 Jewish Israelis. Based on their extraordinary biographical experiences, MICHEL categorized the interviewees into two groups—the "German Zionists" and the "German Holocaust survivors." He then conducts semi-structured interviews with each of the participants with the aim of analyzing their political attitudes. However, the conceptual categorization of the interviewees, the empirical investigation of the research question and the subsequent analysis all challenge the underpinning theoretical and methodological concepts of the study. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1203165

Preserve America News

Science.gov (United States)

Hillary Clinton, and Mrs. Laura Bush on stage at the Sewall-Belmont House. Mrs. Bush was joined by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and Senators Hillary Clinton (NY) and Pete Domenici (NM), who Save America's Treasures established by the Clinton Administration. Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Senator

Role of the electron blocking layer in the graded-index separate confinement heterostructure nitride laser diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Bojarska, Agata; Goss, Jakub; Stanczyk, Szymon; Makarowa, Irina; Schiavon, Dario; Czernecki, Robert; Suski, Tadeusz; Perlin, Piotr

2018-04-01

In this work, we investigate the role of the electron blocking layer (EBL) in laser diodes based on a graded index separate confinement heterostructure. We compare two sets of devices with very different EBL aluminum composition (3% and 12%) and design (graded and superlattice). The results of electro-optical characterization of these laser diodes reveal surprisingly modest role of electron blocking layer composition in determination of the threshold current and the differential efficiency values. However, EBL structure influences the operating voltage, which is decreased for devices with lower EBL and superlattice EBL. We observe also the differences in the thermal stability of devices - characteristic temperature is lower for lasers with 3% Al in EBL.

Structuring of turbulence and its impact on basic features of Ekman boundary layers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Esau

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The turbulent Ekman boundary layer (EBL has been studied in a large number of theoretical, laboratory and modeling works since F. Nansen's observations during the Norwegian Polar Expedition 1893–1896. Nevertheless, the proposed analytical models, analysis of the EBL instabilities, and turbulence-resolving numerical simulations are not fully consistent. In particular, the role of turbulence self-organization into longitudinal roll vortices in the EBL and its dependence on the meridional component of the Coriolis force remain unclear. A new set of large-eddy simulations (LES are presented in this study. LES were performed for eight different latitudes (from 1° N to 90° N in the domain spanning 144 km in the meridional direction. Geostrophic winds from the west and from the east were used to drive the development of EBL turbulence. The emergence and growth of longitudinal rolls in the EBL was simulated. The simulated rolls are in good agreement with EBL stability analysis given in Dubos et al. (2008. The destruction of rolls in the westerly flow at low latitude was observed in simulations, which agrees well with the action of secondary instability on the rolls in the EBL. This study quantifies the effect of the meridional component of the Coriolis force and the effect of rolls in the EBL on the internal EBL parameters such as friction velocity, cross-isobaric angle, parameters of the EBL depth and resistance laws. A large impact of the roll development or destruction is found. The depth of the EBL in the westerly flow is about five times less than it is in the easterly flow at low latitudes. The EBL parameters, which depend on the depth, also exhibit large difference in these two types of the EBL. Thus, this study supports the need to include the horizontal component of the Coriolis force into theoretical constructions and parameterizations of the boundary layer in models.

Effective exciton blocking by the hole-transporting material 5,10,15-tribenzyl-5H-diindolo[3,2-a:3′,2′-c]-carbazole (TBDI) in the tetraphenyldibenzoperiflanthene (DBP) based organic photovoltaic cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Jing; Yang, Fang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, P.O. Box 143, 149 Yanchang Rd., Shanghai 200072 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Display and System Applications, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University, P.O. Box 143, 149 Yanchang Rd., Shanghai 200072 (China); Zheng, Yanqiong, E-mail: zhengyanqiong@shu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Advanced Display and System Applications, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University, P.O. Box 143, 149 Yanchang Rd., Shanghai 200072 (China); Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Flat Panel Display, Shanghai University, P.O. Box 143, 149 Yanchang Rd., Shanghai 200072 (China); Wei, Bin [Key Laboratory of Advanced Display and System Applications, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University, P.O. Box 143, 149 Yanchang Rd., Shanghai 200072 (China); Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Flat Panel Display, Shanghai University, P.O. Box 143, 149 Yanchang Rd., Shanghai 200072 (China); Zhang, Xiaowen [Guangxi Key Laboratory of Information Materials, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, 1 Jinji Road, Guilin 541004 (China); Zhang, Jianhua; Wang, Zixing [Key Laboratory of Advanced Display and System Applications, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University, P.O. Box 143, 149 Yanchang Rd., Shanghai 200072 (China); Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Flat Panel Display, Shanghai University, P.O. Box 143, 149 Yanchang Rd., Shanghai 200072 (China); Pu, Wenhong; Yang, Changzhu [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074 (China)

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: The hole-transporting materials of TBDI, NPB and TAPC were used as exciton blocking layer (EBL) in DBP based PHJs for successfully blocking the misdirected electrons. PHJ cell with TBDI showed an improvement of 36% in η{sub PCE} relative to the reference cell without any EBL, owing to enhanced optical electric field, stronger prevention of exciton quenching, and a smoother TBDI/DBP surface. - Highlights: • TBDI, NPB, and TAPC as exciton blocking layers (EBLs) all successfully improved the performance of DBP PHJs. • A highest η{sub PCE} improvement of 36% is obtained by TBDI EBL among the three EBLs. • Optical electric fields for the wavelength of 610 nm are significantly enhanced via inserting 10-nm EBLs. • PL spectra indicated stronger prevention of exciton quenching by TBDI. • AFM images suggested smoother donor/acceptor interface with TBDI EBL. - Abstract: To explore the novel application of the hole-transporting material (HTM) as exciton blocking layer (EBL) in small molecule organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, we introduce a recently reported HTM, 5,10,15-tribenzyl-5H-diindolo[3,2-a:3′,2′-c]-carbazole (TBDI), and the other two traditional HTMs, N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis(1-naphthyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine (NPB) and 1,1′-bis(di-4-tolylaminophenyl) cyclohexane (TAPC), to serve as EBLs in the tetraphenyldibenzoperiflanthene (DBP) based planar heterojunction cells. Due to the large band gap of these materials, the EBLs successfully block the misdirected electrons. The optimized devices including the EBLs of TBDI, NPB and TAPC achieve power conversion efficiency (η{sub PCE}) of 1.70%, 1.33%, and 1.33%, respectively, whereas the control device without any EBL shows a η{sub PCE} of only 1.25%. The optical simulation indicates that the maximum optical electric fields for the PHJs including 10-nm EBLs at the wavelength of 610 nm are significantly enhanced relative to that for the 20-nm DBP based control device. By impedance

Incidence of Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma in Three Regions of Mozambique

Science.gov (United States)

O'Callaghan-Gordo, Cristina; Casabonne, Delphine; Carrilho, Carla; Ferro, Josefo; Lorenzoni, Cesaltina; Zaqueu, Clesio; Nhabomba, Augusto; Aguilar, Ruth; Bassat, Quique; de Sanjosé, Sílvia; Dobaño, Carlota; Kogevinas, Manolis

2016-01-01

Data on the burden and incidence of endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) across Mozambique are scarce. We retrospectively retrieved information on eBL cases from reports of the three main hospitals of Mozambique: Maputo Central Hospital (MCH), Beira Central Hospital (BCH), and Nampula Central Hospital (NCH) between 2004 and 2014. For 2015, we prospectively collected information of new eBL cases attending these hospitals. A total of 512 eBL cases were reported between 2004 and 2015: 153 eBL cases were reported in MCH, 195 in BCH, and 164 in NCH. Mean age of cases was 6.9 years (standard deviation = 2.8); 63% (319/504) of cases were males. For 2015, the estimated incidence rate of eBL was 2.0, 1.7, and 3.9 per 106 person-year at risk in MCH, BCH, and NCH, respectively. Incidence was higher in NCH (northern Mozambique), where intensity of malaria transmission is higher. Data presented show that eBL is a common pediatric malignancy in Mozambique, as observed in neighboring countries. PMID:27799648

Book Review: Is Fair Value Fair? Financial Reporting from an International Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thinggaard, Frank

2005-01-01

This is a review of Henk Langendijk, Dirk Swagerman and Willem Verhoog (Eds) "Is Fair Value Fair? Financial Reporting from an International Perspective," Chichester: John Wiley, 2003, ISBN 0 470 85028 0.......This is a review of Henk Langendijk, Dirk Swagerman and Willem Verhoog (Eds) "Is Fair Value Fair? Financial Reporting from an International Perspective," Chichester: John Wiley, 2003, ISBN 0 470 85028 0....

The Imprint of the Extragalactic Background Light in the Gamma-Ray Spectra of Blazars

Science.gov (United States)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.; Schady, P.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bellazzini, R; Blandford, R. D.;

Increased luminance of MEH-PPV and PFO based PLEDs by using salmon DNA as an electron blocking layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madhwal, Devinder; Rait, S.S.; Verma, A.; Kumar, Amit; Bhatnagar, P.K.; Mathur, P.C.; Onoda, M.

2010-01-01

The effect of salmon DNA-CTMA as an electron blocking layer (EBL) has been examined on the performance of MEH-PPV and PFO-based light emitting diodes. Though the turn-on voltage increases with incorporation of EBL, a significant increase in luminance and luminous efficiency for both the devices is observed. The EBL improves the device performance by blocking electrons at the EBL-polymer interface, thereby increasing the recombination probability of electrons and holes. The luminance of the MEH-PPV based Bio-LED increases to 100 cd/m 2 from 30 cd/m 2 while a corresponding increase for the PFO based LED is to 160 cd/m 2 from 80 cd/m 2 with and without EBL, respectively.

Studer Group® ' s evidence-based leadership initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuller, Kristin A; Kash, Bita A; Gamm, Larry D

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the implementation of an organizational change initiative--Studer Group®'s Evidence-Based Leadership (EBL)--in two large, US health systems by comparing and contrasting the factors associated with successful implementation and sustainability of the EBL initiative. This comparative case study assesses the responses to two pairs of open-ended questions during in-depth qualitative interviews of leaders and managers at both health systems. Qualitative content analysis was employed to identify major themes. Three themes associated with success and sustainability of EBL emerged at both health systems: leadership; culture; and organizational processes. The theme most frequently identified for both success and sustainability of EBL was culture. In contrast, there was a significant decline in salience of the leadership theme as attention shifts from success in implementation of EBL to sustaining EBL long term. Within the culture theme, accountability, and buy-in were most often cited by interviewees as success factors, while sense of accountability, buy-in, and communication were the most reported factors for sustainability. Cultural factors, such as accountability, staff support, and communication are driving forces of success and sustainability of EBL across both health systems. Leadership, a critical factor in several stages of implementation, appears to be less salient as among factors identified as important to longer term sustainability of EBL.

Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare; More, Simon J.; Bøtner, Anette

2017-01-01

Enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) has been assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on the eligibility of EBL to be listed, Article 9 for the categorisation of EBL according to disease prevention...

Presence of European bat lyssavirus RNas in apparently healthy Rousettus aegyptiacus bats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wellenberg, G.J.; Audry, L.; Ronsholt, L.; Poel, van der W.H.M.; Bruschke, C.J.M.; Bourhy, H.

2002-01-01

Apparently healthy Rousettus aegyptiacus bats were randomly chosen from a Dutch colony naturally infected with European bat lyssavirus subgenotype 1a (EBL1a). These bats were euthanised three months after the first evidence of an EBL1a infection in the colony. EBL1a genomic and antigenomic RNAs of

Universe opacity and EBL

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vavryčuk, Václav

2017-01-01

Roč. 465, č. 2 (2017), s. 1532-1542 ISSN 0035-8711 Institutional support: RVO:67985530 Keywords : cosmic background radiation * dust, extinction * early Universe * galaxies: high redshift * galaxies: ISM * intergalactic medium Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics OBOR OECD: Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science) Impact factor: 4.961, year: 2016

Influence of 24-epibrassinolide on seedling growth and distribution of mineral elements in two maize hybrids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waisi Hadi K.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, influence of wide range of 24-epibrassinolide (24-EBL on early growth potential of two maize hybrids (ZP 434 and ZP 704 was examined. Paper concerns germination, seedling biomass, important chlorophylls content, and redistribution of elements (heavy metals and microelements, in a seedlings of the maize hybrids, as influenced by different 24-EBL concentrations. It was found that hybrids react differently to exogenously applied hormone. The biggest differences between two examined maize hybrids considering the germination level were reached with the lowest values at 86% for ZP 704 and 72% for ZP 434, gained at the highest applied concentration of 24-EBL. Seedlings of hybrid ZP 434 reacted positively moderately in the case of shoot length and biomass under the influence of 24-EBL, but seedlings of hybrid ZP 704 had lower values of these parameters under the influence of the phytohormone. Chlorophyll a/b ratios showed that photosynthetic apparatus of seedlings of the hybrids is not active in this stage of development. It was established that 24-EBL affects seedling growth and re-allocation of naturally present mineral elements in early growth stages and that could be one of the reason for poorer growth of ZP 704 treated with various concentrations of 24-EBL, comparing to control. When applied in lower concentrations, 24-EBL is blocking toxic elements such as chromium and nickel to relocate to vital parts of plant, what was case in hybrid ZP704. In case of ZP 434, lower concentrations of 24-EBL are affecting re-allocation of Cu and Cr and these findings suggest that maize hybrid seedlings treated with lower concentrations of 24-EBL could survive and be successful in polluted areas. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR31080

Validation of a New Method to Automatically Select Cases With Intraoperative Red Blood Cell Transfusion for Audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Dexter, Franklin; Epstein, Richard H; Ledolter, Johannes; Dasovich, Susan M; Herman, Jay H; Maga, Joni M; Schwenk, Eric S

2018-05-01

Hospitals review allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusions for appropriateness. Audit criteria have been published that apply to 5 common procedures. We expanded on this work to study the management decision of selecting which cases involving transfusion of at least 1 RBC unit to audit (review) among all surgical procedures, including those previously studied. This retrospective, observational study included 400,000 cases among 1891 different procedures over an 11-year period. There were 12,616 cases with RBC transfusion. We studied the proportions of cases that would be audited based on criteria of nadir hemoglobin (Hb) greater than the hospital's selected transfusion threshold, or absent Hb or missing estimated blood loss (EBL) among procedures with median EBL 50%) that would be audited and most cases (>50%) with transfusion were among procedures with median EBL 9 g/dL, the procedure's median EBL was 9 g/dL and median EBL for the procedure ≥500 mL. An automated process to select cases for audit of intraoperative transfusion of RBC needs to consider the median EBL of the procedure, whether the nadir Hb is below the hospital's Hb transfusion threshold for surgical cases, and the absence of either a Hb or entry of the EBL for the case. This conclusion applies to all surgical cases and procedures.

The Extragalactic Background Light and the Gamma-ray Opacity of the Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Dwek, Eli; Krennrich, Frank

2012-01-01

The extragalactic background light (EBL) is one of the fundamental observational quantities in cosmology. All energy releases from resolved and unresolved extragalactic sources, and the light from any truly diffuse background, excluding the cosmic microwave background (CMB), contribute to its intensity and spectral energy distribution. It therefore plays a crucial role in cosmological tests for the formation and evolution of stellar objects and galaxies, and for setting limits on exotic energy releases in the universe. The EBL also plays an important role in the propagation of very high energy gamma-rays which are attenuated en route to Earth by pair producing gamma-gamma interactions with the EBL and CMB. The EBL affects the spectrum of the sources, predominantly blazars, in the approx 10 GeV to 10 TeV energy regime. Knowledge of the EBL intensity and spectrum will allow the determination of the intrinsic blazar spectrum in a crucial energy regime that can be used to test particle acceleration mechanisms and VHE gamma-ray production models. Conversely, knowledge of the intrinsic gamma-ray spectrum and the detection of blazars at increasingly higher redshifts will set strong limits on the EBL and its evolution. This paper reviews the latest developments in the determination of the EBL and its impact on the current understanding of the origin and production mechanisms of gamma-rays in blazars, and on energy releases in the universe. The review concludes with a summary and future directions in Cherenkov Telescope Array techniques and in infrared ground-based and space observatories that will greatly improve our knowledge of the EBL and the origin and production of very high energy gamma-rays.

Detection of the cosmic γ-ray horizon from multiwavelength observations of blazars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dominguez, A. [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States); Finke, J. D. [U.S. Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States); Prada, F. [Campus of International Excellence UAM_CSIC, Madrid (Spain); Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain); Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, Granada (Spain); Primack, J. R. [Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States); Kitaura, F. S. [Leibniz-Institut fuer Astrophysik, Potsdam (Germany); Siana, B. [Univ. Of California, Riverside, CA (United States); Paneque, D. [Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States). Kavli Inst. sor Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology; Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Munich (Germany)

2013-05-24

The first statistically significant detection of the cosmic γ-ray horizon (CGRH) that is independent of any extragalactic background light (EBL) model is presented. The CGRH is a fundamental quantity in cosmology. It gives an estimate of the opacity of the Universe to very high energy (VHE) γ-ray photons due to photon-photon pair production with the EBL. The only estimations of the CGRH to date are predictions from EBL models and lower limits from γ-ray observations of cosmological blazars and γ-ray bursts. Here, we present homogeneous synchrotron/synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) models of the spectral energy distributions of 15 blazars based on (almost) simultaneous observations from radio up to the highest energy γ-rays taken with the Fermi satellite. These synchrotron/SSC models predict the unattenuated VHE fluxes, which are compared with the observations by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The comparison provides an estimate of the optical depth of the EBL, which allows a derivation of the CGRH through a maximum likelihood analysis that is EBL-model independent. We find that the observed CGRH is compatible with the current knowledge of the EBL.

Repair of an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography-Related Large Duodenal Perforation Using Double Endoscopic Band Ligation and Endoclipping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keunmo Kim

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Endoscopic closure techniques have been introduced for the repair of duodenal wall perforations that occur during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP. We report a case of successful repair of a large duodenal wall perforation by using double endoscopic band ligation (EBL and an endoclip. Lateral duodenal wall perforation occurred during ERCP in a 93-year-old woman with acute calculous cholangitis. We switched to a forward endoscope that had a transparent band apparatus. A 2.0-cm oval-shaped perforation was found at the lateral duodenal wall. We repaired the perforation by sequentially performing double EBL and endoclipping. The first EBL was performed at the proximal edge of the perforation orifice, and two-thirds of the perforation were repaired. The second EBL, which also included the contents covered under the first EBL, repaired the defect almost completely. Finally, to account for the possible presence of a residual perforation, an endoclip was applied at the distal end of the perforation. The detection and closure of the perforation were completed within 10 minutes. We suggest that double EBL is an effective method for closure.

24-Epibrassinolide ameliorates the adverse effect of salt stress (NaCl on pepper (Capsicum annuum L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibn Maaouia-Houimli Samira

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The present study investigates the role of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL in inducing plant tolerance to salinity. Seedlings of pepper (Capsicum annuum L. were grown in the presence of 70 mM NaCl and were sprayed with 10-6 M EBL at 7 days after transplantation and were sampled at 28 day. The plants exposed to NaCl exhibited a significant decline in relative growth rate, net CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, transpiration and water use efficiency. However, the follow up treatment with EBL significantly improved the above parameters. EBL treated plants had greater relative growth rate compared to untreated plants when exposed to salt stress. Application of EBL increased photosynthesis by increasing stomatal conductance in both control and salt stressed plants and may have contributed to the enhanced growth. The water use efficiency was improved because CO2 assimilation is more important than the transpiration.

Tailoring of polarization in electron blocking layer for electron confinement and hole injection in ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Yu-Hsuan; Pilkuhn, Manfred H.; Fu, Yi-Keng; Chu, Mu-Tao; Huang, Shyh-Jer; Su, Yan-Kuin; Wang, Kang L.

2014-01-01

The influence of the AlGaN electron blocking layer (EBL) with graded aluminum composition on electron confinement and hole injection in AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are investigated. The light output power of LED with graded AlGaN EBL was markedly improved, comparing to LED with conventional EBL. In experimental results, a high increment of 86.7% can be obtained in light output power. Simulation analysis shows that via proper modification of the barrier profile from the last barrier of the active region to EBL, not only the elimination of electron overflow to p-type layer can be achieved but also the hole injection into the active region can be enhanced, compared to a conventional LED structure. The dominant factor to the performance improvement is shown to be the modulation of polarization field by the graded Al composition in EBL

Tailoring of polarization in electron blocking layer for electron confinement and hole injection in ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Yu-Hsuan; Pilkuhn, Manfred H. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Microelectronics and Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Fu, Yi-Keng; Chu, Mu-Tao [Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan (China); Huang, Shyh-Jer, E-mail: yksu@mail.ncku.edu.tw, E-mail: totaljer48@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Microelectronics and Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States); Su, Yan-Kuin, E-mail: yksu@mail.ncku.edu.tw, E-mail: totaljer48@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Microelectronics and Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Department of Electronic Engineering, Kun-Shan University, Tainan 71003, Taiwan (China); Wang, Kang L. [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)

2014-03-21

The influence of the AlGaN electron blocking layer (EBL) with graded aluminum composition on electron confinement and hole injection in AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are investigated. The light output power of LED with graded AlGaN EBL was markedly improved, comparing to LED with conventional EBL. In experimental results, a high increment of 86.7% can be obtained in light output power. Simulation analysis shows that via proper modification of the barrier profile from the last barrier of the active region to EBL, not only the elimination of electron overflow to p-type layer can be achieved but also the hole injection into the active region can be enhanced, compared to a conventional LED structure. The dominant factor to the performance improvement is shown to be the modulation of polarization field by the graded Al composition in EBL.

Distinct Viral and Mutational Spectrum of Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Abate

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL is primarily found in children in equatorial regions and represents the first historical example of a virus-associated human malignancy. Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV infection and MYC translocations are hallmarks of the disease, it is unclear whether other factors may contribute to its development. We performed RNA-Seq on 20 eBL cases from Uganda and showed that the mutational and viral landscape of eBL is more complex than previously reported. First, we found the presence of other herpesviridae family members in 8 cases (40%, in particular human herpesvirus 5 and human herpesvirus 8 and confirmed their presence by immunohistochemistry in the adjacent non-neoplastic tissue. Second, we identified a distinct latency program in EBV involving lytic genes in association with TCF3 activity. Third, by comparing the eBL mutational landscape with published data on sporadic Burkitt lymphoma (sBL, we detected lower frequencies of mutations in MYC, ID3, TCF3 and TP53, and a higher frequency of mutation in ARID1A in eBL samples. Recurrent mutations in two genes not previously associated with eBL were identified in 20% of tumors: RHOA and cyclin F (CCNF. We also observed that polyviral samples showed lower numbers of somatic mutations in common altered genes in comparison to sBL specimens, suggesting dual mechanisms of transformation, mutation versus virus driven in sBL and eBL respectively.

Distinct Viral and Mutational Spectrum of Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Abate, Francesco; Ambrosio, Maria Raffaella; Mundo, Lucia; Laginestra, Maria Antonella; Fuligni, Fabio; Rossi, Maura; Zairis, Sakellarios; Gazaneo, Sara; De Falco, Giulia; Lazzi, Stefano; Bellan, Cristiana; Rocca, Bruno Jim; Amato, Teresa; Marasco, Elena; Etebari, Maryam; Ogwang, Martin; Calbi, Valeria; Ndede, Isaac; Patel, Kirtika; Chumba, David; Piccaluga, Pier Paolo; Pileri, Stefano; Leoncini, Lorenzo; Rabadan, Raul

2015-10-01

Endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) is primarily found in children in equatorial regions and represents the first historical example of a virus-associated human malignancy. Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and MYC translocations are hallmarks of the disease, it is unclear whether other factors may contribute to its development. We performed RNA-Seq on 20 eBL cases from Uganda and showed that the mutational and viral landscape of eBL is more complex than previously reported. First, we found the presence of other herpesviridae family members in 8 cases (40%), in particular human herpesvirus 5 and human herpesvirus 8 and confirmed their presence by immunohistochemistry in the adjacent non-neoplastic tissue. Second, we identified a distinct latency program in EBV involving lytic genes in association with TCF3 activity. Third, by comparing the eBL mutational landscape with published data on sporadic Burkitt lymphoma (sBL), we detected lower frequencies of mutations in MYC, ID3, TCF3 and TP53, and a higher frequency of mutation in ARID1A in eBL samples. Recurrent mutations in two genes not previously associated with eBL were identified in 20% of tumors: RHOA and cyclin F (CCNF). We also observed that polyviral samples showed lower numbers of somatic mutations in common altered genes in comparison to sBL specimens, suggesting dual mechanisms of transformation, mutation versus virus driven in sBL and eBL respectively.

Evaluating the Causal Link Between Malaria Infection and Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma in Northern Uganda: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Legason, Ismail D; Pfeiffer, Ruth M; Udquim, Krizia-Ivana; Bergen, Andrew W; Gouveia, Mateus H; Kirimunda, Samuel; Otim, Isaac; Karlins, Eric; Kerchan, Patrick; Nabalende, Hadijah; Bayanjargal, Ariunaa; Emmanuel, Benjamin; Kagwa, Paul; Talisuna, Ambrose O; Bhatia, Kishor; Yeager, Meredith; Biggar, Robert J; Ayers, Leona W; Reynolds, Steven J; Goedert, James J; Ogwang, Martin D; Fraumeni, Joseph F; Prokunina-Olsson, Ludmila; Mbulaiteye, Sam M

2017-11-01

Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria infection is suspected to cause endemic Burkitt Lymphoma (eBL), but the evidence remains unsettled. An inverse relationship between sickle cell trait (SCT) and eBL, which supports that between malaria and eBL, has been reported before, but in small studies with low power. We investigated this hypothesis in children in a population-based study in northern Uganda using Mendelian Randomization. Malaria-related polymorphisms (SCT, IL10, IL1A, CD36, SEMA3C, and IFNAR1) were genotyped in 202 eBL cases and 624 controls enrolled during 2010-2015. We modeled associations between genotypes and eBL or malaria using logistic regression. SCT was associated with decreased risk of eBL (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0·37, 95% CI 0·21-0·66; p=0·0003). Decreased risk of eBL was associated with IL10 rs1800896-CT (OR 0·73, 95% CI 0·50-1·07) and -CC genotypes (OR 0·53, 95% CI 0·29-0·95, p trend =0·019); IL1A rs2856838-AG (OR 0·56, 95% CI 0·39-0·81) and -AA genotype (OR 0·50, 95% CI 0·28-1·01, p trend =0·0016); and SEMA3C rs4461841-CT or -CC genotypes (OR 0·57, 95% CI 0·35-0·93, p=0·0193). SCT and IL10 rs1800896, IL1A rs2856838, but not SEMA3C rs4461841, polymorphisms were associated with decreased risk of malaria in the controls. Our results support a causal effect of malaria infection on eBL. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Evaluating the Causal Link Between Malaria Infection and Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma in Northern Uganda: A Mendelian Randomization Study

OpenAIRE

Ismail D. Legason; Ruth M. Pfeiffer; Krizia-Ivana Udquim; Andrew W. Bergen; Mateus H. Gouveia; Samuel Kirimunda; Isaac Otim; Eric Karlins; Patrick Kerchan; Hadijah Nabalende; Ariunaa Bayanjargal; Benjamin Emmanuel; Paul Kagwa; Ambrose O. Talisuna; Kishor Bhatia

2017-01-01

Background: Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria infection is suspected to cause endemic Burkitt Lymphoma (eBL), but the evidence remains unsettled. An inverse relationship between sickle cell trait (SCT) and eBL, which supports that between malaria and eBL, has been reported before, but in small studies with low power. We investigated this hypothesis in children in a population-based study in northern Uganda using Mendelian Randomization. Methods: Malaria-related polymorphisms (SCT, IL10, I...

Evidence-based librarianship: what might we expect in the years ahead?

Science.gov (United States)

Eldredge, Jonathan D

2002-06-01

To predict the possible accomplishments of the Evidence-Based Librarianship (EBL) movement by the years 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020. Predictive. The author draws upon recent events, relevant historical events and anecdotal accounts to detect evidence of predictable trends. The author develops a set of probable predictions for the development of EBL. Although incomplete evidence exists, some trends still seem discernible. By 2020, EBL will have become indistinguishable from mainstream health sciences librarianship/informatics practices.

High Levels of IL-10 and CD4+CD25hi+ Treg Cells in Endemic Burkitt's Lymphoma Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Futagbi, Godfred; Gyan, Ben; Nunoo, Harriet; Tetteh, John K A; Welbeck, Jennifer E; Renner, Lorna Awo; Ofori, Michael; Dodoo, Daniel; Edoh, Dominic A; Akanmori, Bartholomew D

2015-08-04

The interplay between Epstein-Barr virus infection, malaria, and endemic Burkitt's Lymphoma is not well understood. Reports show diminished EBV-specific Th1 responses in children living in malaria endemic areas and deficiency of EBNA1-specific IFN-γ T cell responses in children with endemic Burkitt's Lymphoma (eBL). This study, therefore, examined some factors involved in the loss of EBNA-1-specific T cell responses in eBL. T-cell subset frequencies, activation, and IFN-γ- or IL-4-specific responses were analyzed by flow-cytometry. Plasma cytokine levels were measured by ELISA. CD4+ and CD8+ cells in age- and sex-matched healthy controls ( n = 3) expressed more IFN-γ in response to all immunostimulants than in pediatric endemic BL (eBL) patients ( n = 4). In healthy controls, IFN-γ expression was higher than IL-4 expression, whereas in eBL patients the expression of IL-4 by CD4+ cells to EBNA-1 was slightly higher than IFN-γ. Moreover, the blood levels of TNF-α was significantly lower ( p = 0.004) while IL-10 was significantly higher ( p = 0.038), in eBL patients ( n = 21) compared to controls ( n = 16). Additionally, the frequency of CD4+CD25hi+ T cells was higher in both age-matched acute uncomplicated malaria ( n = 26) and eBL ( n = 14) patients compared to healthy controls ( n = 19; p = 0.000 and p = 0.027, respectively). The data suggest that reduced Th1 response in eBL might be due to increased levels of IL-10 and T reg cells.

ORNL Evaluation of Electrabel Safety Cases for Doel 3 / Tihange 2: Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bass, Bennett Richard [ORNL; Dickson, Terry L [ORNL; Gorti, Sarma B [ORNL; Klasky, Hilda B [ORNL; Nanstad, Randy K [ORNL; Sokolov, Mikhail A [ORNL; Williams, Paul T [ORNL; Server, W. L. [ATI Consulting, Pinehurst, NC

2015-11-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) performed a detailed technical review of the 2015 Electrabel (EBL) Safety Cases prepared for the Belgium reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) at Doel 3 and Tihange 2 (D3/T2). The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) in Belgium commissioned ORNL to provide a thorough assessment of the existing safety margins against cracking of the RPVs due to the presence of almost laminar flaws found in each RPV. Initial efforts focused on surveying relevant literature that provided necessary background knowledge on the issues related to the quasilaminar flaws observed in D3/T2 reactors. Next, ORNL proceeded to develop an independent quantitative assessment of the entire flaw population in the two Belgian reactors according to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, Appendix G, Fracture Toughness Criteria for Protection Against Failure, New York (1992 and 2004). That screening assessment of all EBL-characterized flaws in D3/T2 used ORNL tools, methodologies, and the ASME Code Case N-848, Alternative Characterization Rules for QuasiLaminar Flaws . Results and conclusions from the ORNL flaw acceptance assessments of D3/T2 were compared with those from the 2015 EBL Safety Cases. Specific findings of the ORNL evaluation of that part of the EBL structural integrity assessment focusing on stability of the flaw population subjected to primary design transients include the following: ORNL s analysis results were similar to those of EBL in that very few characterized flaws were found not compliant with the ASME (1992) acceptance criterion. ORNL s application of the more recent ASME Section XI (2004) produced only four noncompliant flaws, all due to LOCAs. The finding of a greater number of non-compliant flaws in the EBL screening assessment is due principally to a significantly more restrictive (conservative) criterion for flaw size acceptance used by EBL. ORNL s screening assessment results

Diagonally Implicit Runge-Kutta Methods for Ordinary Differential Equations. A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Christopher A.; Carpenter, Mark H.

2016-01-01

A review of diagonally implicit Runge-Kutta (DIRK) methods applied to rst-order ordinary di erential equations (ODEs) is undertaken. The goal of this review is to summarize the characteristics, assess the potential, and then design several nearly optimal, general purpose, DIRK-type methods. Over 20 important aspects of DIRKtype methods are reviewed. A design study is then conducted on DIRK-type methods having from two to seven implicit stages. From this, 15 schemes are selected for general purpose application. Testing of the 15 chosen methods is done on three singular perturbation problems. Based on the review of method characteristics, these methods focus on having a stage order of two, sti accuracy, L-stability, high quality embedded and dense-output methods, small magnitudes of the algebraic stability matrix eigenvalues, small values of aii, and small or vanishing values of the internal stability function for large eigenvalues of the Jacobian. Among the 15 new methods, ESDIRK4(3)6L[2]SA is recommended as a good default method for solving sti problems at moderate error tolerances.

High Levels of IL-10 and CD4+CD25hi+ Treg Cells in Endemic Burkitt’s Lymphoma Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Godfred Futagbi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background: The interplay between Epstein-Barr virus infection, malaria, and endemic Burkitt’s Lymphoma is not well understood. Reports show diminished EBV-specific Th1 responses in children living in malaria endemic areas and deficiency of EBNA1-specific IFN-γ T cell responses in children with endemic Burkitt’s Lymphoma (eBL. This study, therefore, examined some factors involved in the loss of EBNA-1-specific T cell responses in eBL. Methods: T-cell subset frequencies, activation, and IFN-γ- or IL-4-specific responses were analyzed by flow-cytometry. Plasma cytokine levels were measured by ELISA. Results: CD4+ and CD8+ cells in age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 3 expressed more IFN-γ in response to all immunostimulants than in pediatric endemic BL (eBL patients (n = 4. In healthy controls, IFN-γ expression was higher than IL-4 expression, whereas in eBL patients the expression of IL-4 by CD4+ cells to EBNA-1 was slightly higher than IFN-γ. Moreover, the blood levels of TNF-α was significantly lower (p = 0.004 while IL-10 was significantly higher (p = 0.038, in eBL patients (n = 21 compared to controls (n = 16. Additionally, the frequency of CD4+CD25hi+ T cells was higher in both age-matched acute uncomplicated malaria (n = 26 and eBL (n = 14 patients compared to healthy controls (n = 19; p = 0.000 and p = 0.027, respectively. Conclusion: The data suggest that reduced Th1 response in eBL might be due to increased levels of IL-10 and T reg cells.

High Levels of IL-10 and CD4+CD25hi+ Treg Cells in Endemic Burkitt’s Lymphoma Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Futagbi, Godfred; Gyan, Ben; Nunoo, Harriet; Tetteh, John K.A.; Welbeck, Jennifer E.; Renner, Lorna Awo; Ofori, Michael; Dodoo, Daniel; Edoh, Dominic A.; Akanmori, Bartholomew D.

2015-01-01

Background: The interplay between Epstein-Barr virus infection, malaria, and endemic Burkitt’s Lymphoma is not well understood. Reports show diminished EBV-specific Th1 responses in children living in malaria endemic areas and deficiency of EBNA1-specific IFN-γ T cell responses in children with endemic Burkitt’s Lymphoma (eBL). This study, therefore, examined some factors involved in the loss of EBNA-1-specific T cell responses in eBL. Methods: T-cell subset frequencies, activation, and IFN-γ- or IL-4-specific responses were analyzed by flow-cytometry. Plasma cytokine levels were measured by ELISA. Results: CD4+ and CD8+ cells in age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 3) expressed more IFN-γ in response to all immunostimulants than in pediatric endemic BL (eBL) patients (n = 4). In healthy controls, IFN-γ expression was higher than IL-4 expression, whereas in eBL patients the expression of IL-4 by CD4+ cells to EBNA-1 was slightly higher than IFN-γ. Moreover, the blood levels of TNF-α was significantly lower (p = 0.004) while IL-10 was significantly higher (p = 0.038), in eBL patients (n = 21) compared to controls (n = 16). Additionally, the frequency of CD4+CD25hi+ T cells was higher in both age-matched acute uncomplicated malaria (n = 26) and eBL (n = 14) patients compared to healthy controls (n = 19; p = 0.000 and p = 0.027, respectively). Conclusion: The data suggest that reduced Th1 response in eBL might be due to increased levels of IL-10 and T reg cells. PMID:28536409

Assessment of the Combined Effect of Epstein–Barr Virus and Plasmodium falciparum Infections on Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma Using a Multiplex Serological Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruth Aguilar

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Epstein–Barr virus (EBV is a necessary cause of endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL, while the role of Plasmodium falciparum in eBL remains uncertain. This study aimed to generate new hypotheses on the interplay between both infections in the development of eBL by investigating the IgG and IgM profiles against several EBV and P. falciparum antigens. Serum samples collected in a childhood study in Malawi (2005–2006 from 442 HIV-seronegative children (271 eBL cases and 171 controls between 1.4 and 15 years old were tested by quantitative suspension array technology against a newly developed multiplex panel combining 4 EBV antigens [Z Epstein–Barr replication activator protein (ZEBRA, early antigen-diffuse component (EA-D, EBV nuclear antigen 1, and viral capsid antigen p18 subunit (VCA-p18] and 15 P. falciparum antigens selected for their immunogenicity, role in malaria pathogenesis, and presence in different parasite stages. Principal component analyses, multivariate logistic models, and elastic-net regressions were used. As expected, elevated levels of EBV IgG (especially against the lytic antigens ZEBRA, EA-D, and VCA-p18 were strongly associated with eBL [high vs low tertile odds ratio (OR = 8.67, 95% confidence interval (CI = 4.81–15.64]. Higher IgG responses to the merozoite surface protein 3 were observed in children with eBL compared with controls (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.02–1.64, showing an additive interaction with EBV IgGs (OR = 10.6, 95% CI = 5.1–22.2, P = 0.05. Using elastic-net regression models, eBL serological profile was further characterized by lower IgM levels against P. falciparum preerythrocytic-stage antigen CelTOS and EBV lytic antigen VCA-p18 compared with controls. In a secondary analysis, abdominal Burkitt lymphoma had lower IgM to EBV and higher IgG to EA-D levels than cases with head involvement. Overall, this exploratory study confirmed the strong role of EBV in eBL and identified

Explanation-based learning in infancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Baillargeon, Renée; DeJong, Gerald F

2017-10-01

In explanation-based learning (EBL), domain knowledge is leveraged in order to learn general rules from few examples. An explanation is constructed for initial exemplars and is then generalized into a candidate rule that uses only the relevant features specified in the explanation; if the rule proves accurate for a few additional exemplars, it is adopted. EBL is thus highly efficient because it combines both analytic and empirical evidence. EBL has been proposed as one of the mechanisms that help infants acquire and revise their physical rules. To evaluate this proposal, 11- and 12-month-olds (n = 260) were taught to replace their current support rule (that an object is stable when half or more of its bottom surface is supported) with a more sophisticated rule (that an object is stable when half or more of the entire object is supported). Infants saw teaching events in which asymmetrical objects were placed on a base, followed by static test displays involving a novel asymmetrical object and a novel base. When the teaching events were designed to facilitate EBL, infants learned the new rule with as few as two (12-month-olds) or three (11-month-olds) exemplars. When the teaching events were designed to impede EBL, however, infants failed to learn the rule. Together, these results demonstrate that even infants, with their limited knowledge about the world, benefit from the knowledge-based approach of EBL.

Differential expression analysis of boron transporters and some stress-related genes in response to 24-epibrassinolide and boron by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surgun Yonca

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Plant steroidal hormones, brassinosteroids (BRs, promote plant developmental processes and enhance tolerance to several abiotic stresses including high boron (B stress. To examine the possible role of BR in high B-induced stress at the transcriptional level, we investigated the response of B transporter genes (BOR1-4, high B-induced genes (MATE, Hsp-like, BR-induced genes (Hsp70-4, Hsp90-1 and other stress-related genes (LTI/COR78, LEA4-5 upon exogenous treatments of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL on Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh exposed to high concentrations of boric acid (BA using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. BA treatments led to down regulation of BOR1 and BOR3 genes in leaf and root tissues and higher concentration of EBL further decreased expression of these genes in roots. The expression of high B-induced genes was observed to be upregulated by 1 μM EBL treatment under high B stress in both tissues of the seedlings. The upregulation of BR-induced genes were clearly evident in root tissues co-treated with 1 μM EBL and BA as compared to BA alone. Higher concentration of EBL was found to be more effective in increasing expression of LTI/COR78 gene in root and LEA4-5 gene in shoot tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first report how exogenous application of EBL modulates high B stress responses at molecular level in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Do People With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Benefit From Making Errors? A Randomized Controlled Trial of Error-Based and Errorless Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Ownsworth, Tamara; Fleming, Jennifer; Tate, Robyn; Beadle, Elizabeth; Griffin, Janelle; Kendall, Melissa; Schmidt, Julia; Lane-Brown, Amanda; Chevignard, Mathilde; Shum, David H K

2017-12-01

Errorless learning (ELL) and error-based learning (EBL) are commonly used approaches to rehabilitation for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, it is unknown whether making errors is beneficial in the learning process to promote skills generalization after severe TBI. To compare the efficacy of ELL and EBL for improving skills generalization, self-awareness, behavioral competency, and psychosocial functioning after severe TBI. A total of 54 adults (79% male; mean age = 38.0 years, SD = 13.4) with severe TBI were randomly allocated to ELL or EBL and received 8 × 1.5-hour therapy sessions that involved meal preparation and other goal-directed activities. The primary outcome was total errors on the Cooking Task (near-transfer). Secondary outcome measures included the Zoo Map Test (far-transfer), Awareness Questionnaire, Patient Competency Rating Scale, Sydney Psychosocial Reintegration Scale, and Care and Needs Scale. Controlling for baseline performance and years of education, participants in the EBL group made significantly fewer errors at postintervention (mean = 36.25; 95% CI = 32.5-40.0) than ELL participants (mean = 42.57; 95% CI = 38.8-46.3). EBL participants also demonstrated greater self-awareness and behavioral competency at postintervention than ELL participants ( P .05), or at the 6-month follow-up assessment. EBL was found to be more effective than ELL for enhancing skills generalization on a task related to training and improving self-awareness and behavioral competency.

The future of focused electron beam-induced processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagen, C.W.

2014-01-01

A perspective is sketched for the field of focused electron beam-induced processing (FEBIP). The FEBIP lithography technique is compared to the very successful resist-based electron beam lithography (EBL) technique. The advantages of FEBIP over EBL are identified, the main advantage being its high spatial resolution. This will enable FEBIP to become an important lithography technique for the fabrication of devices with critical dimension in the range between 1 and 20 nm and serve as a complementary technique to EBL. It will be discussed what needs to be done to achieve this and what the potential applications are. (orig.)

On the AlxGa1-xN/AlyGa1-yN/AlxGa1-xN (x>y) p-electron blocking layer to improve the hole injection for AlGaN based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Chunshuang; Tian, Kangkai; Fang, Mengqian; Zhang, Yonghui; Li, Luping; Bi, Wengang; Zhang, Zi-Hui

2018-01-01

This work proposes the [0001] oriented AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diode (LED) possessing a specifically designed p-electron blocking layer (p-EBL) to achieve the high internal quantum efficiency. Both electrons and holes can be efficiently injected into the active region by adopting the Al0.60Ga0.40N/Al0.50Ga0.50N/Al0.60Ga0.40N structured p-EBL, in which a p-Al0.50Ga0.50N layer is embedded into the p-EBL. Moreover, the impact of different thicknesses for the p-Al0.50Ga0.50N insertion layer on the hole and electron injections has also been investigated. Compared with the DUV LED with the bulk p-Al0.60Ga0.40N as the EBL, the proposed LED architectures improve the light output power if the thickness of the p-Al0.50Ga0.50N insertion layer is properly designed.

Improving the performance of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes using electron blocking layer with a heart-shaped graded Al composition

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, M. R.; Park, T. H.; Lee, T. H.; Lee, B. R.; Kim, T. G.

2018-04-01

We propose a design for highly efficient AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) using a heart-shaped graded Al composition electron-blocking layer (EBL). This novel structure reduced downward band bending at the interface between the last quantum barrier and the EBL and flattened the electrostatic field in the interlayer between the barriers of the multi-quantum barrier EBL. Consequently, electron leakage was significantly suppressed and hole injection efficiency was found to have improved. The parameter values of simulation were extracted from the experimental data of the reference DUV LEDs. Using the SimuLED, we compared the electrical and optical properties of three structures with different Al compositions in the active region and the EBL. The internal quantum efficiency of the proposed structure was shown to exceed those of the reference DUV LEDs by a factor of 1.9. Additionally, the output power at 20 mA was found to increase by a factor of 2.1.

Endemic Burkitt lymphoma is associated with strength and diversity of Plasmodium falciparum malaria stage-specific antigen antibody response.

Science.gov (United States)

Aka, Peter; Vila, Maria Candida; Jariwala, Amar; Nkrumah, Francis; Emmanuel, Benjamin; Yagi, Masanori; Palacpac, Nirianne Marie Q; Periago, Maria V; Neequaye, Janet; Kiruthu, Christine; Tougan, Takahiro; Levine, Paul H; Biggar, Robert J; Pfeiffer, Ruth M; Bhatia, Kishor; Horii, Toshihiro; Bethony, Jeffrey M; Mbulaiteye, Sam M

2013-08-01

Endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) is linked to Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) infection geographically, but evidence from individual-level studies is limited. We investigated this issue among 354 childhood eBL cases and 384 age-, sex-, and location-matched controls enrolled in Ghana from 1965 to 1994. Immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3) antibodies to antigens diagnostic of recent infection Pf histidine-rich protein-II (HRP-II) and 6NANP, Pf-vaccine candidates SE36 and 42-kDa region of the 3D7 Pf merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1), and tetanus toxoid were measured by indirect enzyme-linked immunoassay. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for association with eBL were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. After adjustments, eBL was positively associated with HRP-IIIgG3 seropositivity (adjusted OR: 1.60; 95% CI 1.08-2.36) and inversely associated with SE36IgG1 seropositivity (adjusted OR: 0.37; 95% CI 0.21-0.64) and with tetanus toxoidIgG3 levels equal or higher than the mean (adjusted OR: 0.46; 95% CI 0.32-0.66). Anti-MSP-1IgG3 and anti-6NANPIgG3 were indeterminate. eBL risk was potentially 21 times higher (95% CI 5.8-74) in HRP-IIIgG3-seropositive and SE36IgG1-seronegative responders compared with HRP-IIIgG3-seronegative and SE36IgG1-seropositive responders. Our results suggest that recent malaria may be associated with risk of eBL but long-term infection may be protective.

Comparison of error-based and errorless learning for people with severe traumatic brain injury: study protocol for a randomized control trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Ownsworth, Tamara; Fleming, Jennifer; Tate, Robyn; Shum, David H K; Griffin, Janelle; Schmidt, Julia; Lane-Brown, Amanda; Kendall, Melissa; Chevignard, Mathilde

2013-11-05

Poor skills generalization poses a major barrier to successful outcomes of rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Error-based learning (EBL) is a relatively new intervention approach that aims to promote skills generalization by teaching people internal self-regulation skills, or how to anticipate, monitor and correct their own errors. This paper describes the protocol of a study that aims to compare the efficacy of EBL and errorless learning (ELL) for improving error self-regulation, behavioral competency, awareness of deficits and long-term outcomes after TBI. This randomized, controlled trial (RCT) has two arms (EBL and ELL); each arm entails 8 × 2 h training sessions conducted within the participants' homes. The first four sessions involve a meal preparation activity, and the final four sessions incorporate a multitasking errand activity. Based on a sample size estimate, 135 participants with severe TBI will be randomized into either the EBL or ELL condition. The primary outcome measure assesses error self-regulation skills on a task related to but distinct from training. Secondary outcomes include measures of self-monitoring and self-regulation, behavioral competency, awareness of deficits, role participation and supportive care needs. Assessments will be conducted at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 6-months post-intervention. This study seeks to determine the efficacy and long-term impact of EBL for training internal self-regulation strategies following severe TBI. In doing so, the study will advance theoretical understanding of the role of errors in task learning and skills generalization. EBL has the potential to reduce the length and costs of rehabilitation and lifestyle support because the techniques could enhance generalization success and lifelong application of strategies after TBI. ACTRN12613000585729.

High breakdown voltage in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs using AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN quantum-well electron-blocking layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ya-Ju; Yao, Yung-Chi; Huang, Chun-Ying; Lin, Tai-Yuan; Cheng, Li-Lien; Liu, Ching-Yun; Wang, Mei-Tan; Hwang, Jung-Min

2014-01-01

In this paper, we numerically study an enhancement of breakdown voltage in AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) by using the AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN quantum-well (QW) electron-blocking layer (EBL) structure. This concept is based on the superior confinement of two-dimensional electron gases (2-DEGs) provided by the QW EBL, resulting in a significant improvement of breakdown voltage and a remarkable suppression of spilling electrons. The electron mobility of 2-DEG is hence enhanced as well. The dependence of thickness and composition of QW EBL on the device breakdown is also evaluated and discussed.

Gut hormones, early dumping and resting energy expenditure in patients with good and poor weight loss response after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dirksen, C; Jørgensen, N B; Bojsen-Møller, K N

2013-01-01

Objective:To identify factors contributing to the variation in weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).Design:Cross-sectional study of patients with good (excess body mass index lost (EBL) >60%) and poor weight loss response (EBL 12 months after RYGB and a lean control group matched for...

Accuracy of postpartum haemorrhage data in the 2011 Victorian Perinatal Data Collection: Results of a validation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Flood, Margaret; Pollock, Wendy; McDonald, Susan J; Davey, Mary-Ann

2018-04-01

The postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) rate in Victoria in 2009 for women having their first birth, based on information reported to the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection (VPDC), was 23.6% (primiparas). Prior to 2009 PPH was collected via a tick box item on the perinatal form. Estimated blood loss (EBL) volume is now collected and it is from this item the PPH rate is calculated. Periodic assessment of data accuracy is essential to inform clinicians and others who rely on these data of their quality and limitations. This paper describes the results of a state-wide validation study of the accuracy of EBL volume and EBL-related data items reported to VPDC. PPH data from a random sample of 1% of births in Victoria in 2011 were extracted from source medical records and compared with information submitted to the VPDC. Accuracy was determined, together with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for dichotomous items. Accuracy of reporting for EBL ≥ 500 mL was 97.2% and for EBL ≥ 1500 mL was 99.7%. Sensitivity for EBL ≥ 500 mL was 89.0% (CI 83.1-93.0) and for EBL ≥ 1500 mL was 71.4% (CI 35.9-91.8). Blood product transfusion, peripartum hysterectomy and procedures to control bleeding were all accurately reported in >99% of cases. Most PPH-related data items in the 2011 VPDC may be considered reliable. Our results suggest EBL ≥ 1500 mL is likely to be under-reported. Changes to policies and practices of recording blood loss could further increase accuracy of reporting. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Bronchoscopic findings and bleeding control predict survival in patients with solid malignancies presenting with mild hemoptysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Grosu, Horiana B; Casal, Roberto F; Morice, Rodolfo C; Nogueras-González, Graciela M; Eapen, Georgie A; Ost, David; Sarkiss, Mona G; Jimenez, Carlos A

2013-08-01

Regardless of its volume, hemoptysis is a concerning symptom. Mild hemoptysis and its significance in patients with solid malignancies has not been studied. We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with solid malignancies who presented for evaluation of mild hemoptysis. In this population, we studied the impact of bronchoscopic findings and endobronchial therapies on overall survival and bleeding recurrence. Patients were categorized into four groups on the basis of the presence or absence of active bleeding and endobronchial disease at the time of initial bronchoscopy: active bleeding with endobronchial lesion (AB/EBL), active bleeding without endobronchial lesion (AB/no-EBL), absence of active bleeding but with endobronchial lesion (no-AB/EBL), and absence of active bleeding and endobronchial lesion (no-AB/no-EBL). Ninety-five of the 112 patients with solid malignancies and mild hemoptysis underwent bronchoscopies. There was a significantly lower median survival time for patients with bronchoscopic findings of active bleeding and endobronchial lesion compared with patients with no active bleeding and/or no endobronchial lesion (3.48 mo; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.14-6.05). On a multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with improved survival were higher hemoglobin values (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.91) and cessation of hemoptysis without recurrence at 48 hours (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22-0.84). Variables independently associated with worse survival were disease stage (HR, 10.8; 95% CI, 2.53-46.08) and AB/EBL (HR, 3.20; 95% CI, 1.74-5.89). In patients with solid malignancies presenting with mild hemoptysis, bronchoscopic findings of AB/EBL are associated with decreased survival. Hemoptysis control without recurrence at 48 hours after endobronchial intervention may improve survival.

Abstracts of papers and poster sessions of the 3rd International Evidence Based

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Presentation types. Research Papers are full length papers (not to exceed 10 pages that critically discuss completed work demonstrating the application of research in practice. Discussion papers critically exploring issues in the application of evidence based practice to inform professional practice were also welcome. Accepted Research Papers are published on the conference website at: http://conferences.alia.org.au/ebl2005/ Hot Topics are shorter papers (1000 words that critically outline research‐in‐progress. Hot Topics provide an opportunity to discuss, and receive constructive feedback on an ongoing research project. Practical papers that identify and facilitate professional dialogue on key issues within EBL were also welcome. Accepted Hot Topics are published on the conference website at: http://conferences.alia.org.au/ebl2005/ Posters will allow for the presentation of new developments in evidence based practice and work in progress. Posters offer an excellent opportunity for new conference presenters. Accepted Posters abstracts are available on the conference website at: http://conferences.alia.org.au/ebl2005/

FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE CONSTRAINTS ON THE GAMMA-RAY OPACITY OF THE UNIVERSE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R. D.; Bloom, E. D.; Borgland, A. W.; Bouvier, A.; Atwood, W. B.; Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Baring, M. G.; Bastieri, D.; Baughman, B. M.; Bhat, P. N.; Bonamente, E.

2010-01-01

The extragalactic background light (EBL) includes photons with wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared, which are effective at attenuating gamma rays with energy above ∼10 GeV during propagation from sources at cosmological distances. This results in a redshift- and energy-dependent attenuation of the γ-ray flux of extragalactic sources such as blazars and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The Large Area Telescope on board Fermi detects a sample of γ-ray blazars with redshift up to z ∼ 3, and GRBs with redshift up to z ∼ 4.3. Using photons above 10 GeV collected by Fermi over more than one year of observations for these sources, we investigate the effect of γ-ray flux attenuation by the EBL. We place upper limits on the γ-ray opacity of the universe at various energies and redshifts and compare this with predictions from well-known EBL models. We find that an EBL intensity in the optical-ultraviolet wavelengths as great as predicted by the 'baseline' model of Stecker et al. can be ruled out with high confidence.

IN MEMORIAM DOCTOR DIRK FOK VAN SLOOTEN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DIRK FOK VAN SLOOTEN

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In the midst of his work Van Slooten has been suddenly called awayat the relatively early age of 61. It was known that his heart was not toogood, but it was expected that living a quiet life he would be able to finishhis life's work, the monograph of the Malaysian Dipterocarpaceae, towhich he had been able since 1951 to devote all his time and concentrationundisturbed by other duties. The striving towards the completion of thiswork on the most important family of Malaysian forest trees alwaysoccupied his mind and had been to a large extent the main object of his life.Van Slooten's ambition was to produce careful work, meticulous inall details. This made him a slow worker, but at the same time one of thetrustworthy kind. This trend towards perfectionism expressed itselfequally in the preliminaries and routine work towards his objective.Through his method of working progress was steady but unfortunatelyrelatively slow. Other factors beyond his control added to this result.Besides delays due to World War II, Van Slooten performed many otherofficial duties in the same earnest way in which he carried out hisresearch work. Any spontaneity and opportunism he had in his characterwas suppressed through his orderliness. Only in exceptional and veryurgent circumstances would he make decisions a l'improviste. It is ofcourse questionable whether one can deduce a man's character from hispublished writings. Whether this thesis be accepted as a generality or not,it is certain that it held for Van Slooten. His care for details, for straight-forwardness, for trying to find the truth in his work found a remarkableparallel in his office work, and his private life. He wanted things to beclean and orderly. Even on excursions, which he made surprisingly seldom,his clothes were as speckless as they could possibly be in the circumstances.

Postsovkhoz / Margus Kiis

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kiis, Margus

2004-01-01

Mõtte- ja keskkonnakunsti talgud aastail 2001-2003 Moostes. Kommenteerivad üritustest osavõtjad Dirk Lange, Maja Linke, Natalie Waldbaum, Jaakko Himanen, Jere Ruotsalainen, Jorge Tarazona, Slobodanka Stevceska ja Denis Saraginovski

Dynamic measurements and simulations of airborne picolitre-droplet coalescence in holographic optical tweezers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bzdek, Bryan R.; Reid, Jonathan P.; Collard, Liam; Sprittles, James E.; Hudson, Andrew J.

2016-01-01

We report studies of the coalescence of pairs of picolitre aerosol droplets manipulated with holographic optical tweezers, probing the shape relaxation dynamics following coalescence by simultaneously monitoring the intensity of elastic backscattered light (EBL) from the trapping laser beam (time resolution on the order of 100 ns) while recording high frame rate camera images (time resolution <10 μs). The goals of this work are to: resolve the dynamics of droplet coalescence in holographic optical traps; assign the origin of key features in the time-dependent EBL intensity; and validate the use of the EBL alone to precisely determine droplet surface tension and viscosity. For low viscosity droplets, two sequential processes are evident: binary coalescence first results from the overlap of the optical traps on the time scale of microseconds followed by the recapture of the composite droplet in an optical trap on the time scale of milliseconds. As droplet viscosity increases, the relaxation in droplet shape eventually occurs on the same time scale as recapture, resulting in a convoluted evolution of the EBL intensity that inhibits quantitative determination of the relaxation time scale. Droplet coalescence was simulated using a computational framework to validate both experimental approaches. The results indicate that time-dependent monitoring of droplet shape from the EBL intensity allows for robust determination of properties such as surface tension and viscosity. Finally, the potential of high frame rate imaging to examine the coalescence of dissimilar viscosity droplets is discussed.

Optical and electronic proprieties of thin films based on (Z-5-(4-chlorobenzylidene-3-(2-ethoxyphenyl-2 thioxothiazolidin-4-one, (CBBTZ and possible application as exciton-blocking layer in heterojunction organic solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morsli M.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In this work, organic thin film solar cells with structures based on CuPc/C60 bulk heterojunctions, have been fabricated and characterized. The effect of introducing an exciton blocking layer (EBL between the active layer and the metal layer in the solar cell was investigated. For that (Z-5-(4-chlorobenzylidene-3-(2-ethoxyphenyl-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one, that we called (CBBTZ has been synthesized, characterized and probed as EBL. It was shown that optimized structures containing EBLs resulted in an improvement in solar cell conversion efficiencies. The energy levels corresponding to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO of the CBBTZ have been determined from the first oxidation and reduction potential respectively, using cyclic voltametric (CV measurements. From CV curves, CBBTZ in dichloromethane showed a one electron reversible reduction and oxidation waves. The values of its HOMO and LUMO have been estimated to be 6.42 eV and 3.42 eV respectively. Such values show that CBBTZ could be probed as EBL in organic solar cells based on the ED/EA couple copper phthalocyanine(CuPc/fullerene (C60. The photovoltaic solar cells have been obtained by sequential deposition under vacuum of the different films where their thicknesses were measured in situ by a quartz monitor. When obtained, the averaged efficiency of the cells using the CBBTZ is higher than that achieved without EBL layer.

Dynamic measurements and simulations of airborne picolitre-droplet coalescence in holographic optical tweezers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bzdek, Bryan R.; Reid, Jonathan P., E-mail: j.p.reid@bristol.ac.uk [School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS (United Kingdom); Collard, Liam [Department of Mathematics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Sprittles, James E. [Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Hudson, Andrew J. [Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom)

2016-08-07

We report studies of the coalescence of pairs of picolitre aerosol droplets manipulated with holographic optical tweezers, probing the shape relaxation dynamics following coalescence by simultaneously monitoring the intensity of elastic backscattered light (EBL) from the trapping laser beam (time resolution on the order of 100 ns) while recording high frame rate camera images (time resolution <10 μs). The goals of this work are to: resolve the dynamics of droplet coalescence in holographic optical traps; assign the origin of key features in the time-dependent EBL intensity; and validate the use of the EBL alone to precisely determine droplet surface tension and viscosity. For low viscosity droplets, two sequential processes are evident: binary coalescence first results from the overlap of the optical traps on the time scale of microseconds followed by the recapture of the composite droplet in an optical trap on the time scale of milliseconds. As droplet viscosity increases, the relaxation in droplet shape eventually occurs on the same time scale as recapture, resulting in a convoluted evolution of the EBL intensity that inhibits quantitative determination of the relaxation time scale. Droplet coalescence was simulated using a computational framework to validate both experimental approaches. The results indicate that time-dependent monitoring of droplet shape from the EBL intensity allows for robust determination of properties such as surface tension and viscosity. Finally, the potential of high frame rate imaging to examine the coalescence of dissimilar viscosity droplets is discussed.

Analysis of growth, yield potential and horticultural performance of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PTC Lab

2013-04-03

Apr 3, 2013 ... Lakadong. Key words: Turmeric, micropropagation, field performance, tissue culture. ... MATERIALS AND METHODS ... the changes in leaf morphology and colour. ... intervening callus phase (Dirk et al. ,1996; Smith, 1988;.

Monte Carlo simulation for low-energy electron lithography%低能电子光刻的蒙特卡罗模拟

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张增明; 肖沛; 陈套; 孙霞; 丁泽军

2006-01-01

@@ Electron beam lithography(EBL)has been playing an important role in the fabrication of large-scale integrated semiconductor devices because of its high resolution.Although high-energy electrons are widely employed in the present EBL system,high-energy electrons can penetrate through the resist layer,lose most of their energies in the substrate and,thus,cause damage to the underlying substrate.

Nearly Efficiency-Droop-Free AlGaN-Based Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes with a Specifically Designed Superlattice p-Type Electron Blocking Layer for High Mg Doping Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zi-Hui; Huang Chen, Sung-Wen; Chu, Chunshuang; Tian, Kangkai; Fang, Mengqian; Zhang, Yonghui; Bi, Wengang; Kuo, Hao-Chung

2018-04-01

This work reports a nearly efficiency-droop-free AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diode (DUV LED) emitting in the peak wavelength of 270 nm. The DUV LED utilizes a specifically designed superlattice p-type electron blocking layer (p-EBL). The superlattice p-EBL enables a high hole concentration in the p-EBL which correspondingly increases the hole injection efficiency into the multiple quantum wells (MQWs). The enhanced hole concentration within the MQW region can more efficiently recombine with electrons in the way of favoring the radiative recombination, leading to a reduced electron leakage current level. As a result, the external quantum efficiency for the proposed DUV LED structure is increased by 100% and the nearly efficiency-droop-free DUV LED structure is obtained experimentally.

A simple electron-beam lithography system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mølhave, Kristian; Madsen, Dorte Nørgaard; Bøggild, Peter

2005-01-01

A large number of applications of electron-beam lithography (EBL) systems in nanotechnology have been demonstrated in recent years. In this paper we present a simple and general-purpose EBL system constructed by insertion of an electrostatic deflector plate system at the electron-beam exit...... of the column of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The system can easily be mounted on most standard SEM systems. The tested setup allows an area of up to about 50 x 50 pm to be scanned, if the upper limit for acceptable reduction of the SEM resolution is set to 10 run. We demonstrate how the EBL system can...... be used to write three-dimensional nanostructures by electron-beam deposition. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....

Hamburg kui hiiglaslik ehitustander

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2003-01-01

6. novembrist Eesti Arhitektuurimuuseumis Rotermanni soolalaos näitus "arcHH - Architektur made in Hamburg", mis esitleb Hamburgi arhitektide viimase viie aasta loomingut. Näituse koostaja Dirk Meyhöfer, arhitekt Michael Karassowitch

An Energy Balanced and Lifetime Extended Routing Protocol for Underwater Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Wang, Shilian; Zhang, Eryang; Lu, Luxi

2018-05-17

Energy limitation is an adverse problem in designing routing protocols for underwater sensor networks (UWSNs). To prolong the network lifetime with limited battery power, an energy balanced and efficient routing protocol, called energy balanced and lifetime extended routing protocol (EBLE), is proposed in this paper. The proposed EBLE not only balances traffic loads according to the residual energy, but also optimizes data transmissions by selecting low-cost paths. Two phases are operated in the EBLE data transmission process: (1) candidate forwarding set selection phase and (2) data transmission phase. In candidate forwarding set selection phase, nodes update candidate forwarding nodes by broadcasting the position and residual energy level information. The cost value of available nodes is calculated and stored in each sensor node. Then in data transmission phase, high residual energy and relatively low-cost paths are selected based on the cost function and residual energy level information. We also introduce detailed analysis of optimal energy consumption in UWSNs. Numerical simulation results on a variety of node distributions and data load distributions prove that EBLE outperforms other routing protocols (BTM, BEAR and direct transmission) in terms of network lifetime and energy efficiency.

75 FR 8182 - Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Diabetes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-23

...., William J. Cobb, Jr., Wallace E. Conover, Daniel C. Druffel, Gregory J. Godley, Troy A. Gortmaker, Charles.... Schlieckau, Richard L. Sulzberger, Clayton F. Tapscott, Dirk VanStralen and Henry L. Waskow, from the ITDM...

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: vascular determinates for operative complications and tumor recurrence.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Kenny H; Gao, Dexiang; Fernandez, Patrick G; Kingdom, Todd T; Kumpe, David A

2014-03-01

Operative complications and tumor recurrence in juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) are measurable and meaningful outcomes. This study aimed to assess the association of these two outcomes to various clinical indices and in particular, vascular determinates. Retrospective cohort study. An 18-year retrospective chart review of an academic tertiary center was undertaken. Data from clinical notes, imaging studies, and arteriograms were analyzed. Thirty-seven male (mean age, 14.4 years) patients were included in the study. Tumor stages included: IA (three), IB (three), IIA (14), IIB (three), IIC (five), IIIA (five), and IIIB (four). Four complications (cerebrospinal fluid leak, cerebral vascular accident, and two transient ocular defects) occurred. Eight recurrences occurred within 24 months following surgery. Complications were associated with estimated intraoperative blood loss (EBL) (P = .045). Tumor recurrence was associated with feeding vessels from the contralateral internal carotid artery (ICA) (P = .017). EBL was significantly associated with surgical technique used. EBL, tumor stage, and tumor vascular supply were significantly associated with each other. Vascular factors were associated with JNA complication and tumor recurrence. EBL might affect complications, and contralateral ICA as a feeding vessel might affect recurrence. EBL was influenced by procedure choice and was interrelated to size and vascular supply of the tumor. This study bolsters the need to decrease intraoperative blood loss by preoperative embolization and use of endoscopic removal techniques. Furthermore, when branches of the ICA are found to be feeding vessels, greater surgical attention for a dry surgical field is encouraged. © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Lead exposures in U.S. Children, 2008: implications for prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Ronnie; Brown, Mary Jean; Kashtock, Michael E; Jacobs, David E; Whelan, Elizabeth A; Rodman, Joanne; Schock, Michael R; Padilla, Alma; Sinks, Thomas

2008-10-01

We reviewed the sources of lead in the environments of U.S. children, contributions to children's blood lead levels, source elimination and control efforts, and existing federal authorities. Our context is the U.S. public health goal to eliminate pediatric elevated blood lead levels (EBLs) by 2010. National, state, and local exposure assessments over the past half century have identified risk factors for EBLs among U.S. children, including age, race, income, age and location of housing, parental occupation, and season. Recent national policies have greatly reduced lead exposure among U.S. children, but even very low exposure levels compromise children's later intellectual development and lifetime achievement. No threshold for these effects has been demonstrated. Although lead paint and dust may still account for up to 70% of EBLs in U.S. children, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that >or=30% of current EBLs do not have an immediate lead paint source, and numerous studies indicate that lead exposures result from multiple sources. EBLs and even deaths have been associated with inadequately controlled sources including ethnic remedies and goods, consumer products, and food-related items such as ceramics. Lead in public drinking water and in older urban centers remain exposure sources in many areas. Achieving the 2010 goal requires maintaining current efforts, especially programs addressing lead paint, while developing interventions that prevent exposure before children are poisoned. It also requires active collaboration across all levels of government to identify and control all potential sources of lead exposure, as well as primary prevention.

A preliminary oncologic outcome and postoperative complications in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical cystectomy: Initial experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoru Muto

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC was originally intended to replace open radical cystectomy (ORC as a minimally invasive surgery for patients with invasive bladder cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the advantages of robotic surgery, comparing perioperative and oncologic outcomes between RARC and ORC. Materials and Methods: Between June 2012 and August 2016, 49 bladder cancer patients were given a radical cystectomy, 21 robotically and 28 by open procedure. We compared the clinical variables between the RARC and ORC groups. Results: In the RARC group, the median estimated blood loss (EBL during cystectomy, total EBL, operative time during cystectomy, and total operative time were 0 mL, 457.5 mL, 199 minutes, and 561 minutes, respectively. EBL during cystectomy (p<0.001, total EBL (p<0.001, and operative time during cystectomy (p=0.003 in the RARC group were significantly lower compared with the ORC group. Time to resumption of a regular diet (p<0.001 and length of stay (p=0.017 were also significantly shorter compared with the ORC group. However, total operative time in the RARC group (median, 561 minutes was significantly longer compared with the ORC group (median, 492.5 minutes; p=0.015. Conclusions: This Japanese study presented evidence that RARC yields benefits in terms of BL and time to regular diet, while consuming greater total operative time. RARC may be a minimally invasive surgical alternative to ORC with less EBL and shorter length of stay.

Latest developments on EUV reticle and pellicle research and technology at TNO

Science.gov (United States)

Verberk, Rogier; Koster, Norbert; te Sligte, Edwin; Staring, Wilbert

2017-06-01

At TNO an extensive EUV optics life time program has been running for over 15 years together with our partners ASML and Carl Zeiss. This has contributed to the upcoming introduction of EUV High Volume Manufacturing (HVM). To further help the industry with the introduction of EUV, TNO has worked on extending their facilities with a number of reticle and pellicle research infrastructure facilities. In this paper we will show some of the facilities that are available at TNO and shortly introduce their capabilities. Recently we have opened our EBL2 facility, which is an EUV Beam Line (EBL2) meant for studying the effects of high power EUV illumination on optics, reticles and pellicles up to the power roadmap of 500 W at intermediate Focus (IF). This facility is open to users from all over the world and is beneficial for the industry in helping developing alternative capping layers and contamination control strategies for optics lifetime, new absorber materials, pellicles and resists. The EBL2 system has seen first light in December 2016 and is now in the final stage of acceptance testing and qualification. It is expected that the system will be fully operational in the third quarter of 2017, and available for users. It is possible to transfer reticles to and from the EBL2 by means of the reticle handler using the dual pod interface. This secures backside cleanliness to NXE standards and thus enables wafer printing on a NXE tool in a later stage after the exposures and inspection at EBL2. Besides EBL2, a high performance and ultra-clean reticle handler is available at TNO. This handler incorporates our particle scanner Rapid Nano 4 for front side inspection of reticle blanks with a detection limit down to 20 nm particles. Attached to the handler is also an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) inspection tool for back-side reticle or pellicle inspection with a resolution down to 1 micron.

Organic ice resists

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tiddi, William; Elsukova, Anna; Le, Hoa Thanh

2017-01-01

Electron-beam lithography (EBL) is the backbone technology for patterning nanostructures and manufacturing nanodevices. It involves processing and handling synthetic resins in several steps, each requiring optimization and dedicated instrumentation in cleanroom environments. Here, we show...... that simple organic molecules, e.g. alcohols, condensed to form thin-films at low temperature demonstrate resist-like capabilities for EBL applications and beyond. The entire lithographic process takes place in a single instrument, and avoids exposing chemicals to the user and the need of cleanrooms. Unlike...... EBL that requires large samples with optically flat surfaces, we patterned on fragile membranes only 5-nm-thin, and 2 x 2 mm2 diamond samples. We created patterns on the nm to sub-mm scale, as well as three-dimensional structures by stacking layers of frozen organic molecules. Finally, using plasma...

Monitoring White-backed Vultures Gyps africanus in the North West ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Campbell Murn

Stellaland), South Africa. Dirk, Karen and Stefan van Stuyvenberg. Stellaland Raptor Project. e-mail: stuyvies@telkomsa.net. Introduction. We became involved with the ringing of birds in 2002 and started to ring raptors actively since 2003.

Külalisesinejate sõnavõtud

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

1999-01-01

Ettekandjad: Elisabeth Arnold, Dirk van der Maelen, FranciscoTorres, JiriMashtalka, Demetrios Syllouris, Karoly Lotz, Uwe Gehlen, Michael Sahlin, Tony Gregory, Roma Dovydeniene, Janusz Lewandowski, Ekkehard Pabsch, Jelko Kacir, Jean-Jacques Subrenat, Savas Tsitouridis, Alfred E. Kellermann

Filmische Biographiearbeit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Baetge

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Rezension zu: Medebach, Dirk H. 2011. Filmische Biographiearbeit im Bereich Demenz: eine soziologische Studie über Interaktion, Medien, Biographie und Identität in der stationären Pflege. Demenz, Bd. 2. Berlin: Lit-Verl.

Band ligation of gastric antral vascular ectasia is a safe and effective endoscopic treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Keohane, John; Berro, Wael; Harewood, Gavin C; Murray, Frank E; Patchett, Stephen E

2013-07-01

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) or 'watermelon stomach' is a rare and often misdiagnosed cause of occult upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Treatment includes conservative measures such as transfusion and endoscopic therapy. A recent report suggests that endoscopic band ligation (EBL) offers an effective alternative treatment. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate our experiences with this novel technique, and to compare argon plasma coagulation (APC) with EBL in terms of safety and efficacy. A retrospective analysis of all endoscopies with a diagnosis of GAVE was carried out between 2004 and 2010. Case records were examined for information pertaining to the number of procedures carried out, mean blood transfusions, mean hemoglobin, and complications. A total of 23 cases of GAVE were treated. The mean age was 73.9 (55-89) years. Female to male ratio was 17:6 and mean follow up was 26 months. Eight patients were treated with EBL with a mean number of treatments of 2.5 (1-5). This resulted in a statistically significant improvement in the endoscopic appearance and a trend towards fewer transfusions. Of the eight patients treated with EBL, six (75%) patients had previously failed APC treatment despite having a mean of 4.7 sessions. Band ligation was not associated with any short- or medium-term complications. The 15 patients who had APC alone had a mean of four (1-11) treatments. Only seven (46.7%) of these patients had any endoscopic improvement with a mean of four sessions. EBL represents a safe and effective treatment for GAVE. © 2012 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy © 2012 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

Elliptical broken line method for calculating capillary density in nailfold capillaroscopy: Proposal and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Karbalaie, Abdolamir; Abtahi, Farhad; Fatemi, Alimohammad; Etehadtavakol, Mahnaz; Emrani, Zahra; Erlandsson, Björn-Erik

2017-09-01

Nailfold capillaroscopy is a practical method for identifying and obtaining morphological changes in capillaries which might reveal relevant information about diseases and health. Capillaroscopy is harmless, and seems simple and repeatable. However, there is lack of established guidelines and instructions for acquisition as well as the interpretation of the obtained images; which might lead to various ambiguities. In addition, assessment and interpretation of the acquired images are very subjective. In an attempt to overcome some of these problems, in this study a new modified technique for assessment of nailfold capillary density is introduced. The new method is named elliptic broken line (EBL) which is an extension of the two previously known methods by defining clear criteria for finding the apex of capillaries in different scenarios by using a fitted elliptic. A graphical user interface (GUI) is developed for pre-processing, manual assessment of capillary apexes and automatic correction of selected apexes based on 90° rule. Intra- and inter-observer reliability of EBL and corrected EBL is evaluated in this study. Four independent observers familiar with capillaroscopy performed the assessment for 200 nailfold videocapillaroscopy images, form healthy subject and systemic lupus erythematosus patients, in two different sessions. The results show elevation from moderate (ICC=0.691) and good (ICC=0.753) agreements to good (ICC=0.750) and good (ICC=0.801) for intra- and inter-observer reliability after automatic correction of EBL. This clearly shows the potential of this method to improve the reliability and repeatability of assessment which motivates us for further development of automatic tool for EBL method. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early age at time of primary Epstein-Barr virus infection results in poorly controlled viral infection in infants from Western Kenya: clues to the etiology of endemic Burkitt lymphoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Piriou, Erwan; Asito, Amolo S; Sumba, Peter O; Fiore, Nancy; Middeldorp, Jaap M; Moormann, Ann M; Ploutz-Snyder, Robert; Rochford, Rosemary

2012-03-15

Infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early in life and repeated malaria exposure have been proposed as risk factors for endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL). Infants were enrolled from 2 rural sites in Kenya: the Kisumu District, where malaria transmission is holoendemic and risk for eBL is high, and the Nandi District, where malaria transmission is limited and the risk for eBL is low. Blood samples were taken from infants through 2 years of age to measure EBV viral load, EBV antibodies, and malaria parasitemia. We observed a significantly younger age at time of primary EBV infection in children from Kisumu compared with children from Nandi (mean age, 7.28 months [±0.33 SEM] in Kisumu vs 8.39 months [±0.26 SEM] in Nandi), with 35.3% of children in Kisumu infected before 6 months of age. To analyze how different predictors affected EBV viral load over time, we performed multilevel mixed modeling. This modeling revealed that residence in Kisumu and younger age at first EBV infection were significant predictors for having a higher EBV viral load throughout the period of observation. Children from a region at high risk for eBL were infected very early in life with EBV, resulting in higher viral loads throughout infancy.

Probing the Diffuse Optical-IR Background with TeV Blazars Detected with the MAGIC Telescopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prandini, Elisa [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “G. Galilei”, University of Padova, Padua (Italy); Domínguez, Alberto [Departamento de Física Atómica, Universidad Complutense, Madrid (Spain); Fallah Ramazani, Vandad [Tuorla observatory, University of Turku, Turku (Finland); Hassan, Tarek [IFAE, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Bellaterra (Spain); Mazin, Daniel [Max Planck Institute for Physics, Munich (Germany); Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Moralejo, Abelardo [IFAE, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Bellaterra (Spain); Nievas Rosillo, Mireia [Departamento de Física Atómica, Universidad Complutense, Madrid (Spain); Vanzo, Gaia; Vazquez Acosta, Monica, E-mail: prandini@pd.infn.it [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Tenerife (Spain); Departamento de Astrofisica, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)

2017-11-22

Blazars are radio loud quasars whose jet points toward the observer. The observed emission is mostly non-thermal, dominated by the jet emission, and in some cases extends up to the very high energy gamma rays (VHE; E > 100 GeV). To date, more than 60 blazars have been detected at VHE mainly with ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) such as MAGIC, H.E.S.S., and VERITAS. Energetic photons from a blazar may interact with the diffuse optical and IR background (the extragalactic background light, EBL) leaving an imprint on the blazar energy spectrum. This effect can be used to constrain the EBL, with basic assumptions on the intrinsic energy spectrum. Current generation of IACTs is providing valuable measurements of the EBL density and energy spectrum from optical to infrared frequencies. In this contribution, we present the latest results obtained with the data taken with the MAGIC telescopes: using 32 spectra from 12 blazars, the scale factor of the optical density predicted by the EBL model from Domínguez et al. (2011) is constrained to be 0.95 (+0.11, −0.12){sub stat} (+0.16, −0.07){sub sys}, where a value of 1 means the perfect match with the model.

Different regions of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus are involved in chromosomal translocations in distinct pathogenic forms of Burkitt lymphoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neri, A.; Barriga, F.; Knowles, D.M.; Magrath, I.T.; Dalla-Favera, R.

1988-04-01

The authors show that endemic (eBL), sporadic (sBL), and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated (AIDS-BL) forms of Burkitt lymphoma (BL) carrying t(8; 14) chromosomal translocations display different breakpoints within the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus (IGH) on chromosome 14. In sBL (7 out of 11) and AIDS-BL (5 out of 6), the breakpoints occurred within or near the IGH ..mu.. switch (S/sub mu/) region on chromosome 14 and within the c-myc locus (MYC) on chromosome 8. In most eBL (13 out of 16) the breakpoints were mapped within or 5' to the IGH joining J/sub H/ region on chromosome 14 and outside the MYC locus on chromosome 8. Cloning and sequencing of the (8; 14) chromosomal junctions from two eBL cell lines and one eBL biopsy sample show that the recombination do not involve IGH-specific recombination signals on chromosome 14 or homologous sequences on chromosome 8, suggesting that these events are not likely to be mediated by the same mechanisms or enzymes as in IGH rearrangements. In general, these data have implications for the timing of occurrence of chromosomal translocations during B-cell differentiation in different BL types.

Probing the Diffuse Optical-IR Background with TeV Blazars Detected with the MAGIC Telescopes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisa Prandini

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Blazars are radio loud quasars whose jet points toward the observer. The observed emission is mostly non-thermal, dominated by the jet emission, and in some cases extends up to the very high energy gamma rays (VHE; E > 100 GeV. To date, more than 60 blazars have been detected at VHE mainly with ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs such as MAGIC, H.E.S.S., and VERITAS. Energetic photons from a blazar may interact with the diffuse optical and IR background (the extragalactic background light, EBL leaving an imprint on the blazar energy spectrum. This effect can be used to constrain the EBL, with basic assumptions on the intrinsic energy spectrum. Current generation of IACTs is providing valuable measurements of the EBL density and energy spectrum from optical to infrared frequencies. In this contribution, we present the latest results obtained with the data taken with the MAGIC telescopes: using 32 spectra from 12 blazars, the scale factor of the optical density predicted by the EBL model from Domínguez et al. (2011 is constrained to be 0.95 (+0.11, −0.12stat (+0.16, −0.07sys, where a value of 1 means the perfect match with the model.

Time-Efficient High-Resolution Large-Area Nano-Patterning of Silicon Dioxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Lin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A nano-patterning approach on silicon dioxide (SiO2 material, which could be used for the selective growth of III-V nanowires in photovoltaic applications, is demonstrated. In this process, a silicon (Si stamp with nanopillar structures was first fabricated using electron-beam lithography (EBL followed by a dry etching process. Afterwards, the Si stamp was employed in nanoimprint lithography (NIL assisted with a dry etching process to produce nanoholes on the SiO2 layer. The demonstrated approach has advantages such as a high resolution in nanoscale by EBL and good reproducibility by NIL. In addition, high time efficiency can be realized by one-spot electron-beam exposure in the EBL process combined with NIL for mass production. Furthermore, the one-spot exposure enables the scalability of the nanostructures for different application requirements by tuning only the exposure dose. The size variation of the nanostructures resulting from exposure parameters in EBL, the pattern transfer during nanoimprint in NIL, and subsequent etching processes of SiO2 were also studied quantitatively. By this method, a hexagonal arranged hole array in SiO2 with a hole diameter ranging from 45 to 75 nm and a pitch of 600 nm was demonstrated on a four-inch wafer.

Determination of iron and copper contents in certain indigenous varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhtar, M.S.; Abbas, N.; Shaheen, A.

2004-01-01

Forty seven wheat varieties were tested for their iron and copper contents. The iron and copper contents were found to differ significantly (P 0.05) with respect to iron and copper contents. The variety named Dirk was found to possess the highest iron contents, while the variety Pasban-90 showed the highest copper contents. The varieties Dirk, Sariab, Tandojam-83, Punjab-88, Sarsabz, Punjab-81, Sandal and Sind-81 contained significantly higher iron contents as compared to other wheat varieties. The varieties, which contained the highest concentrations of copper, were Pasban-90, Chenab-79, Faisalabad-85, Lyp-73, Sind-81, Anmol-91, C-271, Rohtas-90 and Chakwal-86. However, the differences in copper contents among all these wheat varieties were non-significant (P>0.05). These varieties can therefore, be recommended to be included for future breeding and commercial exploitation. (author)

Plasmodium falciparum field isolates from South America use an atypical red blood cell invasion pathway associated with invasion ligand polymorphisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lopez-Perez, Mary; Villasis, Elizabeth; Machado, Ricardo L D

2012-01-01

Studies of Plasmodium falciparum invasion pathways in field isolates have been limited. Red blood cell (RBC) invasion is a complex process involving two invasion protein families; Erythrocyte Binding-Like (EBL) and the Reticulocyte Binding-Like (PfRh) proteins, which are polymorphic and not fully...... characterized in field isolates. To determine the various P. falciparum invasion pathways used by parasite isolates from South America, we studied the invasion phenotypes in three regions: Colombia, Peru and Brazil. Additionally, polymorphisms in three members of the EBL (EBA-181, EBA-175 and EBL-1) and five...... pathways and the ligand polymorphisms differed substantially among the Colombian and Brazilian isolates while the Peruvian isolates represent an amalgam of those present in the Colombian and Brazilian field isolates. The NrTrCr invasion profile was associated with the presence of the PfRh2a pepC variant...

Ralicon anodes for image photon counting fabricated by electron beam lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burton, W.M.

1982-01-01

The Anger wedge and strip anode event location system developed for microchannel plate image photon detectors at the Space Sciences Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley, has been extended in the present work by the use of electron beam lithography (EBL). This method of fabrication can be used to produce optical patterns for the subsequent manufacture of anodes by conventional photo-etching methods and has also enabled anodes to be produced directly by EBL microfabrication techniques. Computer-aided design methods have been used to develop several types of RALICON (Readout Anodes of Lithographic Construction) for use in photon counting microchannel plate imaging detectors. These anodes are suitable for linear, two dimensional or radial position measurements and they incorporate novel design features made possible by the EBL fabrication technique which significantly extend their application relative to published wedge-strip anode designs. (author)

Een geschiedenis van vleesloos eten

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dagevos, H.

2009-01-01

Recensie van de populaire editie van het proefschrift van Dirk-Jan Verdonk: Het dierloze gerecht: een vegetarische geschiedenis in Nederland. Hierin wordt de geschiedenis van het vegetarisme vanaf de tweede helft van de 19e eeuw tot nu beschreven

Process Development for Reactive-Ion Etching of Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) Utilizing a Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) Etch Mask

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

Nichols, Matthew L Chin, Sina Najmaei, Eugene Zakar, and Madan Dubey Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate, ARL Approved for public...EBL; Vistec EBPG5000+) with an exposure dose of 850 μC/cm2 and development in 25 mL of isopropyl alcohol (IPA): 10 mL methyl isobutyl ketone for...deposition EBL electron beam lithography IPA isopropyl alcohol MoS2 molybdenum disulfide O2 oxygen PMMA poly(methyl methacrylate) RIE reactive

M-A-G-I-C viis marsruuti, viis pilku meie Euroopale

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2006-01-01

10. juunil Eesti Rahvusraamatukogus etendunud teatrivõrgustiku Magic Net (organisatsioon, mis ühendab 14 Euroopa teatrit) ühislavastusest "Peidetud lood" (Projekti juht Dirk Neldner). Arvustavad teatrikriitikud Rait Avestik, Madis Kolk, Ivar Põllu, Andres Keil ja üliõpilane Uku Uusberg

Keskklassi meistrivõistlused / Wolfgang König, Dirk Branke

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

König, Wolfgang

2012-01-01

Suur test. Mõõtu võtavad 15 pereautot: Audi A4 2.0 TDI, BMW 318d, Mercedes-Benz C 200 CDI, Škoda Superb 2.0 TDI, VW Passat 2.0 TDI, Citroën C5 HDi 140, Hyundai i40 1.7 CRDi, Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi, Kia Optima 1.7 CRDi, Mazda 6 2.2 MZR-CD, Opel Insignia 2.0 CDTI, Renault Laguna dCi 150, Peugeot 508 HDi 140, Volvo S60 D3, Seat Exeo 2.0 TDI

Selective activation of TCR-γδ+ cells in endemic Burkitt's lymphoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hviid Lars

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The overlap in geographical distribution of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and endemic Burkitt's lymphoma (eBL – an aggressive Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-associated B-cell tumour occurring almost exclusively in the tropics – strongly suggests a link between the two diseases. It is suspected that the polyclonal B-cell activation in P. falciparum malaria may precipitate a breakdown in homeostatic T-cell control of EBV-immortalized B-cell proliferation. Previous studies have suggested that a particular T-cell subset, characterized by expression of Vδ1+ γδ T-cell receptors, is important for maintaining B-cell homeostasis, both in P. falciparum- exposed populations and in individuals subject to polyclonal B-cell activation of other aetiology. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to characterize lymphocyte phenotypes and to investigate possible differences in T-cell subset composition and activation status in P. falciparum-exposed Ghanaian children with and without eBL. Methods Venous blood samples in heparin from 21 eBL patients (mean age: 7.0 years; range: 3–11 years, referred to the Burkitt's Tumour Centre at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra and 15 healthy, age and sex matched children, were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-, phycoerythrin (PE-, R-phycoerythrin (RPE- and RPE-Cy5-conjugated antibodies (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, CD69, CD95, HLA-DR, TCR-γδ, Vδ1, Vδ3, Vγ9 and B-cells and acquired on a flow cytometer. Results A reduction in the proportion of CD3+ cells in eBL patients, due mainly to perturbations among TCR-γδ+ cells was observed. In contrast, the proportions of CD4+ or CD8+ cells were relatively unaffected, as were the mean numbers of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Conclusion Selective changes in numbers and activation status of TCR-γδ+ cells occurs in Ghanaian children with eBL, a pattern which is similar to P. falciparum-induced changes. The data supports the hypothesis of

Democracy, globalization and ethnic violence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bezemer, D.J.; Jong-A-Pin, R.

Bezemer, Dirk, and Jong-A-Pin, Richard Democracy, globalization and ethnic violence Do democratization and globalization processes combine to increase the incidence of violence in developing and emerging economies? The present paper examines this hypothesis by a study of internal violence in

Regional Integration, Trade and Private Sector Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Dr. Dirk Hansohm. Institution. Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit. Pays d' institution. Namibia. Site internet. http://www.nepru.org.na. Extrants. Rapports. Regional integration, trade and private sector development : final report. Contenus connexes. L'Initiative des conseils subventionnaires de la recherche scientifique ...

The Research and Education of Evidence Based Library and Information Practice; A Narrative Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vahideh Zareh Gavgani

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Evidence based librarianship (EBL was defined as “use of best available evidence from qualitative and quantitative research results and rational experience and decisions acquired from the daily practice of library”. However there are controversies about if the nature of EBL deals with library services or professional practice and if it needs a formal education or informal continuing education is enough? To shed light on this ambiguity, the aim of this study was to find out the state-of-the-art of education of EBL in the world. Material and Methods: The study utilized library and documentation methods to investigate the academic education of EBL through review of the available literature and websites. Results: The findings of the study revealed that evidence based librarianship does have formal curriculum for academic education in post graduate levels (post master and master. It also revealed that “Evidence Based Approach” (EBA and “Evidence Based Medicine” (EBM were also similar courses that are offered in Master and PhD levels. Conclusion: Based on the history and revolution of EBA, it is time to develop formal curriculum and field of study for Evidence Based Information Practice. This study suggests establishment of the academic field of Evidence Based and Information Science to overcome the problems and limitations that library science faces in practice.

Developing evidence-based librarianship: practical steps for implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Crumley, Ellen; Koufogiannakis, Denise

2002-06-01

Evidence-based librarianship (EBL) is a relatively new concept for librarians. This paper lays out a practical framework for the implementation of EBL. A new way of thinking about research in librarianship is introduced using the well-built question process and the assignment of librarian research questions to one of six domains specific to librarianship. As a profession, librarianship tends to reflect more qualitative, social sciences/humanities in its research methods and study types which tend to be less rigorous and more prone to bias. Randomised controlled trials (RCT) do not have to be placed at the top of an evidence 'hierarchy' for librarianship. Instead, a more encompassing model reflecting librarianship as a whole and the kind of research likely to be done by librarians is proposed. 'Evidence' from a number of disciplines including health sciences, business and education can be utilized by librarians and applied to their practice. However, access to and availability of librarianship literature needs to be further studied. While using other disciplines (e.g. EBHC) as a model for EBL has been explored in the literature, the authors develop models unique to librarianship. While research has always been a minor focus in the profession, moving research into practice is becoming more important and librarians need to consider the issues surrounding research in order to move EBL forward.

Using knowledge management practices to develop a state-of-the-art digital library.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Annette M; Giuse, Nunzia Bettinsoli; Koonce, Taneya Y; Kou, Qinghua; Giuse, Dario A

2004-01-01

Diffusing knowledge management practices within an organization encourages and facilitates reuse of the institution's knowledge commodity. Following knowledge management practices, the Eskind Biomedical Library (EBL) has created a Digital Library that uses a holistic approach for integration of information and skills to best represent both explicit and tacit knowledge inherent in libraries. EBL's Digital Library exemplifies a clear attempt to organize institutional knowledge in the field of librarianship, in an effort to positively impact clinical, research, and educational processes in the medical center.

Evaluating enzootic bovine leukemia virus infection by means of molecular probe compared with the results of serological tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reichert, M.; Grundbock, J.; Rulka, J.; Kozaczynska, B.; Stec, J.

1994-01-01

The present studies were aimed at determining the relation between the finding obtained by means of serological tests and the specific molecular probe. Serological tests were performed according to the methods recommended by the Polish Ministry of Agriculture; ELISA was run with ''Bioveta'' and ''Rhone Merieux'' kits and the AGID test was performed with EBL antigen made in our laboratory. The molecular probe was prepared from the previously cloned provirus DNA of EBL virus. The EBL provirus was detected in 28 samples taken from 44 randomly selected cows in three herds on which a leukemia eradication programme was in process. Three sera out of 28 positive reacting animals were negative in AGID test and only one serum in ELISA. The results indicate that the use of a specific molecular probe has some advantages in the diagnosis of latent virus infections. Besides, it can be applied in the studies on the pathogenesis of enzootic bovine leukemia. (author). 13 refs, 1 fig., 1 tab

GAMMA-RAYS FROM THE QUASAR PKS 1441+25: STORY OF AN ESCAPE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abeysekara, A. U. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Archambault, S. [Physics Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada); Archer, A.; Buckley, J. H.; Bugaev, V. [Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130 (United States); Aune, T. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Barnacka, A. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Benbow, W.; Cerruti, M. [Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Amado, AZ 85645 (United States); Bird, R. [School of Physics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 (Ireland); Biteau, J. [Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Cardenzana, J. V. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Chen, X. [Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm (Germany); Christiansen, J. L. [Physics Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 94307 (United States); Ciupik, L. [Astronomy Department, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 (United States); Connolly, M. P. [School of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway (Ireland); Coppi, P. [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8101 (United States); Cui, W. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Dickinson, H. J.; Dumm, J., E-mail: matteo.cerruti@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: caajohns@ucsc.edu, E-mail: jbiteau@ucsc.edu, E-mail: biteau@ipno.in2p3.fr, E-mail: mcerruti@lpnhe.in2p3.fr, E-mail: mark.lang@nuigalway.ie [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Collaboration: VERITAS; SPOL; ASAS-SN; OVRO; NuSTAR; CRTS; and others

2015-12-20

Outbursts from gamma-ray quasars provide insights on the relativistic jets of active galactic nuclei and constraints on the diffuse radiation fields that fill the universe. The detection of significant emission above 100 GeV from a distant quasar would show that some of the radiated gamma-rays escape pair-production interactions with low-energy photons, be it the extragalactic background light (EBL), or the radiation near the supermassive black hole lying at the jet’s base. VERITAS detected gamma-ray emission up to ∼200 GeV from PKS 1441+25 (z = 0.939) during 2015 April, a period of high activity across all wavelengths. This observation of PKS 1441+25 suggests that the emission region is located thousands of Schwarzschild radii away from the black hole. The gamma-ray detection also sets a stringent upper limit on the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared EBL intensity, suggesting that galaxy surveys have resolved most, if not all, of the sources of the EBL at these wavelengths.

Diagnosing and treating Enquiry Based Learning fatigue in Graduate Entry Nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Stacey, Gemma; Wilson, Claire; Reddy, Helen; Palmer, Chris; Henderson, James; Little, Hannah; Bull, Heather

2018-01-01

The use of student directed study approaches such as Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) in the design and implementation of Graduate Entry Nursing Circular is well established. The rational relates to the maximisation of graduate attributes such as motivation to learn, the ability to identify, search and assimilate relevant literature and the desire to take ownership of the direction and pace of learning. Existing alongside this however, is the observation that students remain under confident in the application of knowledge to a clinical context and frustrated with learning approaches which do not appear directly related to improving their competence in this area. We suggest the result of this is a gradual disengagement and dissatisfaction the learning forum amongst students and faculty, which we have defined as EBL fatigue. The symptoms and consequences of EBL fatigue amongst students and faculty are discussed alongside strategies which we suggest may act as preventative measures in reducing the risk of a local epidemic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlation of adjusted blood requirement index with treatment intervention and outcome in patients presenting with acute variceal bleeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaberi, B.F.; Riaz, M.F.; Sultan, B.A.; Gobindram, P.

2007-01-01

To determine the correlation of ABRI with treatment intervention and outcome as discharged or expired in patients of acute variceal bleed. Records of all the patients admitted in Medical Unit-IV, Civil Hospital Karachi with acute variceal bleeding during January 2004 to October 2006 were retrieved. Use of vasoactive agents (Terlipressin/Octreotide), endoscopic band ligation (EBL) and outcome (Discharged/Expired) were noted. ABRI was calculated by the following formula. ABRI= Blood Units Transfused/((Final Hematocrit-Initial Hematocrit)+0.01) Mean ABRI were compared by student's 't' test according to vasoactive therapy, EBL and outcome. Correlation of ABRI with the same variables was also studied by plotting Receiver Operative Curves (ROC). Seventy six patients fulfilling inclusion criteria were selected. No statistically significant difference was observed in the mean ABRI scores when compared according to vasoactive drug administration, EBL and outcome. Significant correlation with mortality was seen on ROC plot with significantly larger area under the curve. (author)

Understanding the experiences of a group of Yemeni students in an ESL science class

Science.gov (United States)

Fradi, Gihan

American classrooms are experiencing an influx of diverse language speaking students while for science educators the study of EBL students' learning in science classrooms is a relatively new field (Lee & Buxton, 2010). At the same time there is a growing emphasis on the importance of science practices (NGSS). This poses significant challenges for science educators who are enacting science curriculum that supports all students' learning. Supporting EBL students' academic achievement is significant because literacy is important for students' access to economic and social benefits that come with science literacy (Atwater, 1996). The purpose of this study was to examine the socio-linguistic challenges that a specific group of EBL students (Yemeni) faced and the extent to which such challenges affected their academic performance in science. These challenges are related to linguistic and cultural interactions, which can lead to conflicts between student and school, thereby interfering with the effectiveness of their education. This study also examined these students' and their science teacher's perspectives on strategies that can be used to facilitate their language acquisition during science class and help them become active participants in the school and classroom communities. The study used a qualitative interpretive research methodology and involved four Arab-American EBL students (two males and two females) from Yemen, who had been in the US for different periods of time. The amount of time these students had been in the US was important to examine differences in their acculturation and challenges they faced. Similarly, the use of female and male student participants was important to understand the impact of gender in the lived experiences of these students. The results of the study indicated that all the participants struggled with linguistic, social, and cultural aspects of their life in an American high school. These in turn led to a sense of being different

Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine - Vol 17, No 1 (2016)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Andrew Revell, Paul Khabo, Lotty Ledwaba, Sean Emery, Dechao Wang, Robin Wood, Carl Morrow, Hugo Tempelman, Raph L Hamers, Peter Reiss, Ard van Sighem, Anton Pozniak, Julio Montaner, H Clifford Lane, Brendan Larder ... Nnamdi O. Ndubuka, Hyun J. Lim, Dirk M. van der Wal, Valerie J. Ehlers.

Collective labour law after Viking, Laval, Rüffert, and Commission v. Luxembourg

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Peijpe, T.

2009-01-01

The judgments of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the International Transport Workers’ Federation and Finnish Seamen’s Union v Viking Line ABP and OÜ Viking Line Eesti (hereinafter ‘Viking’), Laval un Partneri Ltd v Svenska Byggnadsarbetareförbundet and Others (hereinafter ‘Laval’), Dirk

The opacity of the universe for high and very high energy γ-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, Manuel

2013-08-01

The flux of high energy (HE, energy 100 MeV or similar 100 GeV) γ-rays originating from cosmological sources is attenuated due to pair production in interactions with photons at ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths of the extragalactic background light (EBL). The main components contributing to the EBL photon density are the starlight integrated over cosmic time and the starlight reprocessed by dust in galaxies. Consequently, the EBL is an integral measure of the cosmic star formation history. Depending on the source distance, the Universe should be opaque to γ-rays above a certain energy. Nevertheless, the number of detected γ-ray sources has increased continuously in recent years. VHE emitting objects beyond redshifts of z>0.5 have been detected with imaging air Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), while HE γ-rays from active galactic nuclei (AGN) above redshifts z>or similar 3 have been observed with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi satellite. In this work, a large sample of VHE γ-ray spectra will be combined with data of the Fermi-LAT to derive upper limits on the EBL photon density at z = 0. Generic EBL realizations are used to correct AGN spectra for absorption, which are subsequently tested against model assumptions. The evolution of the EBL with redshift is accounted for, and a possible formation of electromagnetic cascades is considered. As a result, the EBL density is constrained over almost three orders of magnitude in wavelength, between 0.4 μm and 100 μm. At optical wavelengths, an EBL intensity above 24 nW m -2 sr -1 is ruled out, and between 8 μm and 31 μm it is limited to be below 5 nW m -2 sr -1 . In the infrared, the constraints are within a factor ∝ 2 of lower limits derived from galaxy number counts. Additionally,the behavior of VHE spectra in the transition from the optical depth regimes τ γγ γγ ≥2 is investigated. The absorption-corrected spectra consistently show an upturn at high optical depths, significant at the

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Heat stress response in plants: a complex game with chaperones and more than twenty heat stress transcription factors · Sanjeev Kumar Baniwal Kapil Bharti Kwan Yu Chan Markus Fauth Arnab Ganguli Sachin Kotak Shravan Kumar Mishra Lutz Nover Markus Port Klaus-Dieter Scharf Joanna Tripp Christian Weber Dirk ...

Supporting emergency management through process-aware information systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hagebölling, D.; Leoni, de M.; Ardagna, D.; Mecella, M.; Yang, J.

2009-01-01

This short paper aims at summarising the invited talk given by Dirk Hagebölling in the PM4HDPS workshop and the subsequent discussion with participants. The talk concerned the current situation of systems for emergency management and their drawbacks. Moreover, it dealt also with the expectation for

Antarctica: Chile’s Claim,

Science.gov (United States)

1987-01-01

India in this petition. More recently, Prime Minister Indira Ghandi asserted that in relation with Antarctica, her country is nei- ther expansionist...West Germany 68 Ghandi , Indira, 69 D’Urville, Dumont, 7 Gherritsz, Dirk, 6 Gold deposits, 28, 29. 88 Gonzalez, Ariel. 95 East Germany, 23, 72

Time-Efficient High-Resolution Large-Area Nano-Patterning of Silicon Dioxide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lin, Li; Ou, Yiyu; Aagesen, Martin

2017-01-01

A nano-patterning approach on silicon dioxide (SiO2) material, which could be used for the selective growth of III-V nanowires in photovoltaic applications, is demonstrated. In this process, a silicon (Si) stamp with nanopillar structures was first fabricated using electron-beam lithography (EBL....... In addition, high time efficiency can be realized by one-spot electron-beam exposure in the EBL process combined with NIL for mass production. Furthermore, the one-spot exposure enables the scalability of the nanostructures for different application requirements by tuning only the exposure dose. The size...

Evaluation of preoperative embolization of meningioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Tae; Suh, Dae Chul; Lee, Ho Kyu; Choi, Choong Gon; Lee, Myung Jun; Ji, Eun Kyung; Shin, Byung Suck; Kim, Chang Jin; Kim, Jong Uk; Whang, C. Jin

1998-01-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of preoperative embolization of intrancranial meningioma.Materials and Methods : We retrospectively reviewed intrancranial meningioma patients (n=37) who underwent preoperative embolization. They were categorized into two groups, skull base lesions (n=22) and non-skull base lesions (n=15), according to tumor location. In addition, embolization results were classified by comparison between pre- and post-embolization angiography as complete (residual tumor staining 10 or 30%). In each group, estimated blood loss (EBL) was estimated by amount of intraoperative transfusion with pre- and post-operative hemoglobin level. Tumor resectability was evaluated by follow-up computed tomography. New symptoms occurring within 24 hours of embolization were considered to be those associated with embolization ; symptoms improved by conservative treatment were regarded as mild, while those resulting in new deficits were considered severe. Results : In the group with skull base lesions (n=22), complete embolization with the criteria of residual tumor staining of less than 30% was performed in 14 patients(EBL=1770ml;complete surgical removal in nine patients and incomplete removal four). Incomplete embolization was performed in eight patients (EBL=3210ml; complete and incomplete removal each in four patients). In the group with non-skull base lesions, complete embolization with the criteria of residual tumor staining of less than 10% was performed in five patients (EBL=970ml) and incomplete embolization in ten (EBL=2260ml). Complete tumor removal was possible in this group regardless of the completeness of preoperative tumor embolization. In a case of intraventricular meningioma (3%), intratumoral hemorrhage occurred on the day following embolization. Other mild post-embolization complications occurred in three cases (8%). Conclusion : Preoperative embolization can be an effective and safe procedure for meningioma and may reduce intraoperative blood

SPHEREx: Understanding the Origin and Evolution of Galaxies Through the Extragalactic Background Light

Science.gov (United States)

Zemcov, Michael; SPHEREx Science Team

2018-01-01

The near IR extragalactic background light (EBL) encodes the integrated light production over cosmic history, so traces the total emission from all galaxies along the line of sight up to the ancient first-light objects responsible for the epoch of reionization (EOR). The EBL can be constrained through measurements of anisotropies, taking advantage of the fact that extragalactic populations produce fluctuations with distinct spatial and spectral characteristics from local foregrounds. In particular, EBL anisotropies trace the underlying clustering of faint emission sources, such as stars, galaxies and accreting black holes present during the EOR, dwarf galaxies, and intra-halo light (IHL), all of which are components not readily detected in point source surveys. The fluctuation amplitude observed independently by a number of recent measurements exceeds that expected from the large-scale clustering of known galaxy populations, indicating the presence of a large integrated brightness from these faint and diffuse components. Improved large-area measurements covering the entire near-IR are required to constrain the possible models for the history of emission from stars back to the EOR.SPHEREx brings new capabilities to EBL fluctuation measurements, employing 96 spectral channels covering 0.75 to 5 microns with spectral resolving power R = 41 to 135 that enable SPHEREx to carry out a multi-frequency separation of the integrated light from galaxies, IHL, and EOR components using the rich auto- and cross-correlation information available from two 45 square degree surveys of the ecliptic poles. SPHEREx is an ideal intensity mapping machine, and has the sensitivity to disentangle the history of light production associated with EBL fluctuations. SPHEREx will search for an EOR component its to minimum required level through component separation and spectral fitting techniques optimized for the near-IR. In addition to broad-band intensity mapping that enhances and extends the

Tshuzhoi Tanel Padar / Dmitri Babitshenko

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Babitshenko, Dmitri

2007-01-01

Saksamaalt pärit, Eesti ülikoolides filmiteooria ja -ajaloo loenguid pidav ja filmi "Ring tee" valmimist režissöörina juhtinud Dirk Hoyeri mängufilm esilinastub 27. apr. kinos "Sõprus". Praeguseks on film ümber nimetatud "Võõraks", ühes peaosadest astub üles muusik Tanel Padar

30. III tutvustab Mooste külalisstuudio Tallinna Kunstihoone galeriis...

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2005-01-01

Tutvustatakse resideerimisprogrammi võimalusi ning keskkonnakunsti sümpoosioni "PostsovkhoZ". Ürituse kava (John Grzinichi lühifilm MoKSist", Dirk Lange näituse "ööTöö" avamine, ajakirja Palaster esitlus, Marcus Öhrnilt oma projekti, video ja performance'i tutvustus, Kurt Korthalsi, John Grzinichi kontsert jne.)

Mõtlemine algab kujustamisest / Igor Garšnek

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Garšnek, Igor, 1958-

2010-01-01

2. detsembril toimunud kontserdist "The Music of the Image", kus esinesid Brüsseli Filharmoonikud, Lewis Morison, Gaelle Mechaly, Juanjo Mosalini ja Gabriel Yared Dirk Brosse dirigeerimisel ning 6. detsembril Estonia kontserdisaalis toimunud "Suurest filmimuusika kontserdist", kus esinesid Peterburi sümfooniaorkester Cinema ja Žanna Dombrovskaja Igor Ponomarenko juhatusel

On implementation of the EU – Ukraine / Dirk Hartman

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Hartman, Dirk

2014-01-01

Euroopa Liidu ja selle liikmesriikide ning Ukraina vahelise assotsieerimislepingu rakendamisest (poliitiline dialoog; õigus, vabadus ja turvalisus; majanduslik koostöö; kaubandus; tuumaenergia ja taastuvad energiaallikad)

Ex-situ activation of magnesium acceptors in InGaN/LED-structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kusch, Gunnar; Frentrup, Martin; Stellmach, Joachim; Kolbe, Tim; Wernicke, Tim; Pristovsek, Markus; Kneissl, Michael [Technische Universitaet Berlin, Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Hardenbergstr. 36, 10623 Berlin (Germany)

2011-07-01

One of the main problems limiting the output power of group-III-nitride compound light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LD) is the p-doping of nitrides with magnesium (Mg). During metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) growth of (Al)GaN:Mg magnesium acceptors are passivated by hydrogen (H). By thermal annealing under nitrogen atmosphere the Mg-H bond can be cracked, thus activating the Mg acceptor. We have investigated ex-situ Mg-activation of the p-GaN layer and p-AlGaN electron blocking layer (EBL) in LEDs grown by MOVPE. Especially the activation of the AlGaN EBL is crucial. Simulations show, that a high doping level is required for effective electron blocking and a high injection efficiency. Additionally the acceptor activation energy is expected to increase with increasing Al-content, reducing the free hole concentration in the EBL. Electroluminescence spectroscopy (EL) was performed to determine the influence of the activation on the external quantum efficiency of the LED structure. Furthermore we used CV measurements to determine the Mg-acceptor concentration.

Integration of plant viruses in electron beam lithography nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, Jose M; Bittner, Alexander M; Ondarçuhu, Thierry

2013-01-01

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is the textbook example of a virus, and also of a self-assembling nanoscale structure. This tubular RNA/protein architecture has also found applications as biotemplate for the synthesis of nanomaterials such as wires, as tubes, or as nanoparticle assemblies. Although TMV is, being a biological structure, quite resilient to environmental conditions (temperature, chemicals), it cannot be processed in electron beam lithography (eBL) fabrication, which is the most important and most versatile method of nanoscale structuring. Here we present adjusted eBL-compatible processes that allow the incorporation of TMV in nanostructures made of positive and negative tone eBL resists. The key steps are covering TMV by polymer resists, which are only heated to 50 °C, and development (selective dissolution) in carefully selected organic solvents. We demonstrate the post-lithography biochemical functionality of TMV by selective immunocoating of the viral particles, and the use of immobilized TMV as direct immunosensor. Our modified eBL process should be applicable to incorporate a wide range of sensitive materials in nanofabrication schemes. (paper)

Miscellaneous news

NARCIS (Netherlands)

NN,

1995-01-01

Dr. Ruurd (“Ru”) Dirk Hoogland, born 24 July 1924 in Leeuwarden (The Netherlands), died still rather unexpectedly on 18 November 1994 in a hospital in the neighbourhood of Paris, just 8 days after an operation. The later years of his life were overshadowed by a serious illness. Ru did not accept

Nanomanipulation of 2 inch wafer fabrication of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays by nanoimprint lithography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bu, Ian Y. Y.; Eichhorn, Volkmar; Carlson, Kenneth

2011-01-01

Carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays are typically defined by electron beam lithography (EBL), and hence limited to small areas due to the low throughput. To obtain wafer‐scale fabrication we propose large area thermal nanoimprint lithography (NIL). A 2‐inch stamp master is defined using EBL for subsequent......, efficient production of wafer‐scale/larger arrays of CNTs has been achieved. The CNTs have been deposited by wafer‐scale plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) of C2H2/NH3. Substrates containing such nanotubes have been used to automate nanorobotic manipulation sequences of individual CNTs...

Improvements of phosphorescent white OLEDs performance for lighting application.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jonghee; Chu, Hye Yong; Lee, Jeong-Ik; Song, Ki-Im; Lee, Su Jin

2008-10-01

We developed white OLED device with high power efficiency, in which blue and orange phosphorescent emitters were used. By introduction of multi-functional interlayer which has partial doping of orange dopant inside EBL, we report WOLEDs with peak external efficiencies up to (14.1% EQE, 31.3 Im/W) without light out-coupling technique. At 1000 cd/m2, the performance achieved was 11.9% EQE, 18.7 Im/W with CIE = (0.39, 0.44). We also found that WOLED performances are related with doping ratio of the orange dopant that was inserted inside EBL.

Say goodbye to coffee stains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eral, Burak; van den Ende, Henricus T.M.; Mugele, Friedrich Gunther

2012-01-01

Discussing ideas over a mug of coffee or tea is the lifeblood of science, but have you ever thought about the stains that can be inadvertently left behind? H Burak Eral, Dirk van den Ende and Frieder Mugele explain how these stains, which can be a major annoyance in some biology techniques, can be

Niigugim Qalgadangis (Atkan Food).

Science.gov (United States)

Dirks, Moses; Dirks, Lydia

A history of food gathering and food preparation techniques of Alaska natives on Atka Island in the Aleutians are presented in Western Aleut and English with illustrations by J. Leslie Boffa and Mike Dirks. Directions are given for preparing: various plants, including wild rice; salted, dried, or smoked fish; baked flour; fried dough; boiled…

77 FR 65690 - Change in Bank Control Notices; Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-30

... FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Change in Bank Control Notices; Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding Companies; Correction This notice corrects a notice (FR Doc. 2012-26297) published on page 65190 of the issue for Thursday, October 25, 2012. Under the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas heading, the entry for Bryon Dirk Bagenstos,...

The opacity of the universe for high and very high energy {gamma}-rays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Manuel

2013-08-15

The flux of high energy (HE, energy 100 MeVor similar 100 GeV) {gamma}-rays originating from cosmological sources is attenuated due to pair production in interactions with photons at ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths of the extragalactic background light (EBL). The main components contributing to the EBL photon density are the starlight integrated over cosmic time and the starlight reprocessed by dust in galaxies. Consequently, the EBL is an integral measure of the cosmic star formation history. Depending on the source distance, the Universe should be opaque to {gamma}-rays above a certain energy. Nevertheless, the number of detected {gamma}-ray sources has increased continuously in recent years. VHE emitting objects beyond redshifts of z>0.5 have been detected with imaging air Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), while HE {gamma}-rays from active galactic nuclei (AGN) above redshifts z>or similar 3 have been observed with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi satellite. In this work, a large sample of VHE {gamma}-ray spectra will be combined with data of the Fermi-LAT to derive upper limits on the EBL photon density at z = 0. Generic EBL realizations are used to correct AGN spectra for absorption, which are subsequently tested against model assumptions. The evolution of the EBL with redshift is accounted for, and a possible formation of electromagnetic cascades is considered. As a result, the EBL density is constrained over almost three orders of magnitude in wavelength, between 0.4 {mu}m and 100 {mu}m. At optical wavelengths, an EBL intensity above 24 nW m{sup -2}sr{sup -1} is ruled out, and between 8 {mu}m and 31 {mu}m it is limited to be below 5 nW m{sup -2}sr{sup -1}. In the infrared, the constraints are within a factor {proportional_to} 2 of lower limits derived from galaxy number counts. Additionally,the behavior of VHE spectra in the transition from the optical depth regimes {tau

Teaching with Purpose: An Interview with Thomas E. Ludwig

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, Timothy D.; Ludwig, David J.

2010-01-01

Thomas E. Ludwig is the John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology at Hope College, where he joined the faculty in 1977 after receiving his PhD in development and aging from Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on developmental issues in cognitive neuropsychology. He is also the author or coauthor of more than a dozen sets of…

Use of Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy and Embolization Before Limb Salvage Surgery for Osteosarcoma of the Lower Extremity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Huojun; Yang Jijin; Lu Jianping; Lai Chaojen; Sheng Jin; Li Yuxiao; Hao Qiang; Zhang Shunmin; Gupta, Sanjay

2009-01-01

We report our experience with the use of intra-arterial chemotherapy and embolization before limb salvage surgery in patients with osteosarcoma of the lower extremity. We evaluated the effect of this procedure on the degree of tumor necrosis and on the amount of blood loss during surgery. We reviewed the medical records of all patients who received intra-arterial chemotherapy and embolization before undergoing limb salvage surgery for osteosarcoma of the lower extremity at our institution between January 2003 and April 2008. Patient demographic, tumor characteristics, treatment details, postembolization complications, and surgical and pathological findings were recorded for each patient. We evaluated the operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), and volume of blood transfusion during surgery and in the postoperative period in all patients in the study group. The same parameters were recorded for 65 other patients with lower extremity osteosarcoma who underwent limb salvage operation at our institution without undergoing preoperative intervention. The study included 47 patients (25 males and 22 females). Angiography showed that the tumors were hypervascular. Intra-arterial chemotherapy and embolization were performed successfully, resulting in a substantial reduction or complete disappearance of tumor stain in all patients. No major complications were encountered. At the time of surgery, performed 3-7 days after embolization, a fibrous edematous band around the tumor was observed in 43 of the 47 patients, facilitating surgery. The goal of limb salvage was achieved successfully in all cases. Percentage tumor necrosis induced by treatment ranged from 70.2% to 94.2% (average, 82.9%). EBL during surgery, EBL from drains in the postoperative period, total EBL, and transfusion volumes were significantly lower in the 47 study patients compared to the 65 patients who underwent surgery without preoperative treatment with intra-arterial chemotherapy and embolization. The

Evidence of Two Lyssavirus Phylogroups with Distinct Pathogenicity and Immunogenicity

Science.gov (United States)

Badrane, Hassan; Bahloul, Chokri; Perrin, Pierre; Tordo, Noël

2001-01-01

The genetic diversity of representative members of the Lyssavirus genus (rabies and rabies-related viruses) was evaluated using the gene encoding the transmembrane glycoprotein involved in the virus-host interaction, immunogenicity, and pathogenicity. Phylogenetic analysis distinguished seven genotypes, which could be divided into two major phylogroups having the highest bootstrap values. Phylogroup I comprises the worldwide genotype 1 (classic Rabies virus), the European bat lyssavirus (EBL) genotypes 5 (EBL1) and 6 (EBL2), the African genotype 4 (Duvenhage virus), and the Australian bat lyssavirus genotype 7. Phylogroup II comprises the divergent African genotypes 2 (Lagos bat virus) and 3 (Mokola virus). We studied immunogenic and pathogenic properties to investigate the biological significance of this phylogenetic grouping. Viruses from phylogroup I (Rabies virus and EBL1) were found to be pathogenic for mice when injected by the intracerebral or the intramuscular route, whereas viruses from phylogroup II (Mokola and Lagos bat viruses) were only pathogenic by the intracerebral route. We showed that the glycoprotein R333 residue essential for virulence was naturally replaced by a D333 in the phylogroup II viruses, likely resulting in their attenuated pathogenicity. Moreover, cross-neutralization distinguished the same phylogroups. Within each phylogroup, the amino acid sequence of the glycoprotein ectodomain was at least 74% identical, and antiglycoprotein virus-neutralizing antibodies displayed cross-neutralization. Between phylogroups, the identity was less than 64.5% and the cross-neutralization was absent, explaining why the classical rabies vaccines (phylogroup I) cannot protect against lyssaviruses from phylogroup II. Our tree-axial analysis divided lyssaviruses into two phylogroups that more closely reflect their biological characteristics than previous serotypes and genotypes. PMID:11238853

The impact of days off between cases on perioperative outcomes for robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearce, Shane M; Pariser, Joseph J; Patel, Sanjay G; Anderson, Blake B; Eggener, Scott E; Zagaja, Gregory P

2016-02-01

To examine the effect of days off between cases on perioperative outcomes for robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). We analyzed a single-surgeon series of 2036 RALP cases between 2003 and 2014. Days between cases (DBC) was calculated as the number of days elapsed since the surgeon's previous RALP with the second start cases assigned 0 DBC. Surgeon experience was assessed by dividing sequential case experience into cases 0-99, cases 100-249, cases 250-999, and cases 1000+ based on previously reported learning curve data for RALP. Outcomes included estimated blood loss (EBL), operative time (OT), and positive surgical margins (PSMs). Multiple linear regression was used to assess the impact of the DBC and surgeon experience on EBL, OT, and PSM, while controlling for patient characteristics, surgical technique, and pathologic variables. Overall median DBC was 1 day (0-3) and declined with increasing surgeon case experience. Multiple linear regression demonstrated that each additional DBC was independently associated with increased EBL [β = 3.7, 95% CI (1.3-6.2), p < 0.01] and OT [β = 2.3 (1.4-3.2), p < 0.01], but was not associated with rate of PSM [β = 0.004 (-0.003-0.010), p = 0.2]. Increased experience was also associated with reductions in EBL and OT (p < 0.01). Surgeon experience of 1000+ cases was associated with a 10% reduction in PSM rate (p = 0.03) compared to cases 0-99. In a large single-surgeon RALP series, DBC was associated with increased blood loss and operative time, but not associated with positive surgical margins, when controlling for surgeon experience.

Who is at risk of death from nephrectomy? An analysis of thirty-day mortality after 21 380 nephrectomies in 3 years of the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) National Nephrectomy Audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernando, Archie; Fowler, Sarah; Van Hemelrijck, Mieke; O'Brien, Tim

2017-09-01

To ascertain contemporary overall and differential thirty-day mortality (TDM) rates after all types of nephrectomy in the UK, and to identify potential new risk factors for death. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the 110 deaths that occurred within 30 days of surgery out of the total of 21 380 nephrectomies performed, and calculated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for TDM based on peri-operative characteristics. The overall TDM rate was 110/21380 (0.5%). The TDM rates after radical, partial, simple nephrectomy and nephro-ureterectomy were 0.6% (63/11057), 0.1% (4/3931), 0.4% (11/2819) and 0.9% (28/3091), respectively. TDM increased with age, stage, estimated blood loss (EBL), operating time and performance status. EBL of 1-2 L was associated with a greater risk of TDM than EBL of 2-5 L (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.03-2.24). Conversion from minimally invasive surgery was associated with higher risk than non-conversion (OR 2.53; 95% CI 1.14-4.51. Curative surgery was safer than cytoreductive surgery (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.18-0.54). There was an association between surgical volume and TDM. This study provides contemporary insights into the true risks of all types of nephrectomy. The TDM rate after nephrectomy in the UK appears acceptably low at 0.5%. Established risk factors were confirmed and the following novel risk factors were identified: modest EBL (1-2 L) and conversion from minimally invasive surgery. © 2017 The Authors BJU International © 2017 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

BioGlue iceball stabilization to minimize the risk of hemorrhage during laparoscopic renal cryoablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mues, Adam C; Graversen, Joseph A; Truesdale, Matthew D; Casazza, Cristin; Landman, Jaime

2011-08-01

To evaluate the application of a BioGlue adhesive shell to minimize iceball fracture. Iceball fracture and hemorrhage is common with laparoscopic cryoablation (LCA) of larger (>4 cm) renal tumors. Twenty large iceballs were created in porcine kidneys using 3 cryoablation probes in a nonsurvival study. Each kidney underwent an upper and lower pole ablation. One pole in each kidney was covered with 5 mL of BioGlue and the opposite pole served as a control. A double freeze-thaw cycle was performed (10 minutes freeze and 5 minutes active thaw) in both renal poles simultaneously. The probes were removed and the sites were monitored for 20 minutes under direct vision. Fracture length (mm), severity of fracture depth, severity of bleeding (absent, mild, moderate, severe), and estimated blood loss (EBL) (mL) were recorded. In the control group, the mean fracture length was 1.9 mm (range, 0-3 mm). Blood loss was absent in 10%, mild in 60%, and moderate in 30% of ablations. The mean EBL was 20.5 mL (range, 0-50 mL). For the BioGlue ablations, there were no parenchymal fractures. Blood loss was mild in 30% and absent in 70% of sites with an average EBL of 5 mL (range, 0-20). Two bleeding sites occurred as a result of subcapsular hematomas caused by initial probe placement. BioGlue application minimized the frequency and magnitude of renal fracture. EBL was lower with BioGlue application and most sites demonstrated no postablation bleeding. Further clinical study of the BioGlue shell should be performed to confirm these results. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved light emission from n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction with HfO{sub 2} as an electron blocking layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Zhao; Li, Borui [Key Lab of Artificial Micro- and Nano- structures of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Electronic Science and Technology, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Mo, Xiaoming [School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004 (China); Zhou, Kai [Key Lab of Artificial Micro- and Nano- structures of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Electronic Science and Technology, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Li, Songzhan [School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073 (China); Song, Zengcai; Lei, Hongwei; Wen, Jian; Zhu, Ziqiang [Key Lab of Artificial Micro- and Nano- structures of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Electronic Science and Technology, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Fang, Guojia, E-mail: gjfang@whu.edu.cn [Key Lab of Artificial Micro- and Nano- structures of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Electronic Science and Technology, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China)

2017-04-15

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on ZnO were fabricated on a p-Si substrate by using a pulsed laser deposition system. Significant electroluminescence (EL) improvement was demonstrated with the insertion of an HfO{sub 2} electron blocking layer (EBL) in n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunctions. Distinct near-band-edge emission at around 392 nm accompanying by a broadly strong visible emission was achieved when a proper thickness of HfO{sub 2} EBL was used. Current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements confirmed that a proper thickness of the HfO{sub 2} EBL can effectively balance the injection of electrons and holes, resulting in an increase of radiative recombination in the ZnO active layer and thus enhancing the EL performance of the devices. Five independent emissions corresponding to five different transition processes were proposed to clarify the EL origination of the n-ZnO/HfO{sub 2}/p-Si heterojunction LEDs by Gaussian deconvolutions. It is hoped that results in this work should be helpful for the development of ZnO-based LEDs that can integrate ZnO with the Si planar technology.

On opportunity for emergency cesarean hysterectomy and pregnancy outcomes of patients with placenta accreta.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Xiang; Kong, Yan; Yan, Jin; Hu, Jin-Ju; Wang, Fang-Fang; Zhang, Lei

2017-09-01

Effective diagnosis and clinical management of placenta accreta (PA) in China are not clear. The purpose of the study was to analyze the risk factors and diagnosis of PA, maternal and neonatal outcomes in patients with PA. It was a retrospective study of cases with PA, confirmed by histologically and/or clinically suspected during 3 years in 2 tertiary referral hospitals. The incidence rate of patients with PA, who had history of artificial abortion, cesarean section (CS), and placenta previa (PP) was 94%, 70%, and 72%, respectively. In 29 patients of scheduled CS group, 12 cases were performed with cesarean hysterectomy. Mean estimated blood loss (EBL) was 1.5 L, and 17 babies were admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In the 18 cases of emergency CS group, 6 cases were performed cesarean hysterectomy. Mean EBL was 2.4 L, and 16 babies were admitted to NICU. The difference of mean EBL, cases of fetal admitted to intensive care unit in 2 groups was significant difference (P emergency CS. Emergency peripartum hysterectomy is a feasible method under the circumstances of heave, fast bleeding, and the failure of conservative surgery.

Kas koostöö on vajadus või kohustus?

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2008-01-01

15. nov. 2007 toimus Tallinnas turismi aastakonverents "Kas koostöö on vajadus või kohustus?". Ülevaade Maailma Turismiorganisatsiooni riski- ja kriisijuhtimise osakonna juhataja Dirk Glaesseri, Footprint Traveli juhi Jason Barry, MTÜ Maaturism juhatuse esimehe Varri Väli, Kaleva Travel Eesti tegevdirektori Merike Halliku, Riigikogu liikme Urmas Klaase, Eesti Kaubandus-Tööstuskoja teenuste direktori Merike Kompus van der Hoeveni ettekannetest

Transferts intergénérationnels, vieillissement de la population et ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Agent(e) responsable du CRDI. Rodriguez, Mr. Edgard. Financement total. CAD$ 531,100. Pays. Brésil, Amérique du Sud, Chili, Costa Rica, Amérique Nord et Centrale, Mexique, Uruguay. Chargé(e) de projet. Jaspers, Dirk. Chargé(e) de projet. Saad, Paulo. Institution. Commission économique pour l'Amérique latine et les ...

Genomewide association study to detect QTL for twinning rate in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Mohsen Gholizadeh, Ghodrat Rahimi-Mianji, Ardeshir Nejati-Javaremi, Dirk Jan De Koning and Elisabeth Jonas. J. Genet. 93, 489–493. Chromosome. 02468. − log. 10. (p. ) 1. 2. 3. 4 5 6 7. 9. 11 13 15 17 19. 22 25 27. Figure 1. Manhattan plot of the results from the genomewide association analysis for twinning during the ...

Closed-looped in situ nano processing on a culturing cell using an inverted electron beam lithography system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshino, Takayuki; Mabuchi, Kunihiko

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► An electron beam lithography (EBL) was used as an in situ nano processing for a living cell. ► A synchronized optics was containing an inverted EBL and an optical microscope. ► This system visualized real-time images of the EB-induced nano processing. ► We demonstrated the nano processing for a culturing cell with 200–300 nm resolution. ► Our system would be able to provide high resolution display of virtual environments. -- Abstract: The beam profile of an electron beam (EB) can be focused onto less than a nanometer spot and scanned over a wide field with extremely high speed sweeping. Thus, EB is employed for nano scale lithography in applied physics research studies and in fabrication of semiconductors. We applied a scanning EB as a control system for a living cell membrane which is representative of large scale complex systems containing nanometer size components. First, we designed the opposed co-axial dual optics containing inverted electron beam lithography (I-EBL) system and a fluorescent optical microscope. This system could provide in situ nano processing for a culturing living cell on a 100-nm-thick SiN nanomembrane, which was placed between the I-EBL and the fluorescent optical microscope. Then we demonstrated the EB-induced chemical direct nano processing for a culturing cell with hundreds of nanometer resolution and visualized real-time images of the scanning spot of the EB-induced luminescent emission and chemical processing using a high sensitive camera mounted on the optical microscope. We concluded that our closed-loop in situ nano processing would be able to provide a nanometer resolution display of virtual molecule environments to study functional changes of bio-molecule systems

Extragalactic background light from hierarchical galaxy formation. Gamma-ray attenuation up to the epoch of cosmic reionization and the first stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inoue, Yoshiyuki [Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Kavli Inst. for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology; Inoue, Susumu [Max Planck Inst. for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg (Germany); Univ. of Tokyo (Japan). Inst. for Cosmic Ray Research; Kobayashi, Masakazu A. R. [Ehime Univ., Matsuyama (Japan). Research Center for Space and Cosmic Evolution; Makiya, Ryu [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Astronomy; Niino, Yuu [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka (Tokyo). Optical and Infrared Astronomy Division; Totani, Tomonori [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Astronomy

2013-04-26

Here, we present a new model of the extragalactic background light (EBL) and corresponding γγ opacity for intergalactic gamma-ray absorption from z = 0 up to z = 10, based on a semi-analytical model of hierarchical galaxy formation that reproduces key observed properties of galaxies at various redshifts. Including the potential contribution from Population III stars and following the cosmic reionization history in a simplified way, the model is also broadly consistent with available data concerning reionization, particularly the Thomson scattering optical depth constraints from Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). In comparison with previous EBL studies up to z ~ 3-5, our predicted γγ opacity is in general agreement for observed gamma-ray energy below 400/(1 + z) GeV, whereas it is a factor of ~2 lower above this energy because of a correspondingly lower cosmic star formation rate, even though the observed ultraviolet (UV) luminosity is well reproduced by virtue of our improved treatment of dust obscuration and direct estimation of star formation rate. Moreover, the horizon energy at which the gamma-ray opacity is unity does not evolve strongly beyond z ~ 4 and approaches ~20 GeV. The contribution of Population III stars is a minor fraction of the EBL at z = 0, and is also difficult to distinguish through gamma-ray absorption in high-z objects, even at the highest levels allowed by the WMAP constraints. Nevertheless, the attenuation due to Population II stars should be observable in high-z gamma-ray sources by telescopes such as Fermi or the Cherenkov Telescope Array and provide a valuable probe of the evolving EBL in the rest-frame UV. Our detailed results of our model are publicly available in numerical form at http://www.slac.stanford.edu/~yinoue/Download.html.

Extragalactic Background Light expected from photon-photon absorption on spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei at distances from z=0.018 to z=1.375

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinitsyna, V Y; Sinitsyna, V G

2013-01-01

Extragalactic background radiation blocks the propagation of TeV gamma-ray over large distances by producing e + e − pairs. As a result, primary spectrum of gamma-source is changed, depending on spectrum of background light. So, hard spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei with high red shifts allow the determination of a EBL spectrum. The redshifts of SHALON TeV gamma-ray sources range from 0.018 to 1.375 those spectra are resolved at the energies from 800 GeV to about 50 TeV. Spectral energy distribution of EBL constrained from observations of Mkn421, Mkn501, Mkn180, OJ287, 3c454.3 and 1739+522 together with models and measurements are presented.

Embedded top-coat for reducing the effect out of band radiation in EUV lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Ke; Siauw, Meiliana; Valade, David; Jasieniak, Marek; Voelcker, Nico; Trefonas, Peter; Thackeray, Jim; Blakey, Idriss; Whittaker, Andrew

2017-03-01

Out of band (OOB) radiation from the EUV source has significant implications for the performance of EUVL photoresists. Here we introduce a surface-active polymer additive, capable of partitioning to the top of the resist film during casting and annealing, to protect the underlying photoresist from OOB radiation. Copolymers were prepared using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and rendered surface active by chain extension with a block of fluoro-monomer. Films were prepared from the EUV resist with added surface-active Embedded Barrier Layer (EBL), and characterized using measurements of contact angles and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Finally, the lithographic performance of the resist containing the EBL was evaluated using Electron Beam Lithography exposure

Enhancing Carrier Injection Using Graded Superlattice Electron Blocking Layer for UVB Light-Emitting Diodes

KAUST Repository

Janjua, Bilal

2014-12-01

We have studied enhanced carrier injection by having an electron blocking layer (EBL) based on a graded superlattice (SL) design. Here, we examine, using a selfconsistent 6 × 6 k.p method, the energy band alignment diagrams under equilibrium and forward bias conditions while also considering carrier distribution and recombination rates (Shockley-Read-Hall, Auger, and radiative recombination rates). The graded SL is based on AlxGa1-xN (larger bandgap) Al0:5Ga0:5N (smaller bandgap) SL, where x is changed from 0.8 to 0.56 in steps of 0.06. Graded SL was found to be effective in reducing electron leakage and enhancing hole injection into the active region. Due to our band engineering scheme for EBL, four orders-of-magnitude enhancement were observed in the direct recombination rate, as compared with the conventional bulk EBL consisting of Al0:8Ga0:2N. An increase in the spatial overlap of carrier wavefunction was obtained due to polarization-induced band bending in the active region. An efficient single quantum-well ultraviolet-B light-emitting diode was designed, which emits at 280 nm. This is the effective wavelength for water disinfection application, among others.

Comparing robotic, laparoscopic and open cystectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Fonseka

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing outcomes between Open Radical Cystectomy (ORC, Laparoscopic Radical Cystectomy (LRC and Robot-assisted Radical Cystectomy (RARC. RARC is to be compared to LRC and ORC and LRC compared to ORC. Material and methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted, collating studies comparing RARC, LRC and ORC. Surgical and oncological outcome data were extracted and a meta-analysis was performed. Results: Twenty-four studies were selected with total of 2,104 cases analyzed. RARC had a longer operative time (OPT compared to LRC with no statistical difference between length of stay (LOS and estimated blood loss (EBL. RARC had a significantly shorter LOS, reduced EBL, lower complication rate and longer OPT compared to ORC. There were no significant differences regarding lymph node yield (LNY and positive surgical margins (PSM. LRC had a reduced EBL, shorter LOS and increased OPT compared to ORC. There was no significant difference regarding LNY. Conclusion: RARC is comparable to LRC with better surgical results than ORC. LRC has better surgical outcomes than ORC. With the unique technological features of the robotic surgical system and increasing trend of intra-corporeal reconstruction it is likely that RARC will become the surgical option of choice.

Expression analysis of cell wall assembly and remodelling-related genes in Arabidopsis roots subjected to boron stress and brassinosteroid at different developmental stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rabia İşkil

2018-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Plant cell walls are affected by many biotic and abiotic stress conditions. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of 24-Epibrassinolide (EBL on some cell wall-related genes in root tissue of five- and ten-week-old Arabidopsis thaliana plants exposed to boron (B deficiency (0 µM or toxicity (3000 µM at the transcriptional level. Expressions of the genes that encode cellulose synthase (CESA1, CESA4, CESA6 and CESA8, cellulose synthase-like (CSLB5, expansin (EXPA5, EXPA8 and EXPA14 and cell wall protein (SEB1 decreased under conditions of B deficiency and toxicity. EBL treatments, in general, led the expressions of these genes to reduce significantly. Expressions of xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase genes (XTH21 and XTH23 changed only under conditions of B toxicity. Boron stress and/or EBL treatments caused different responses in expression of pectin methylesterase (PME2 and PME41 genes. As a result of B stress, the expression levels of investigated genes changed more in roots of five-week-old plants than in roots of ten-week-old plants. Results of the present study include new findings that support the ability of BRs to increase molecular aspects of tolerance to stress in plants.

Resolving the host galaxy of a distant blazar with LBT/LUCI 1 + ARGOS

Science.gov (United States)

Farina, E. P.; Georgiev, I. Y.; Decarli, R.; Terzić, T.; Busoni, L.; Gässler, W.; Mazzoni, T.; Borelli, J.; Rosensteiner, M.; Ziegleder, J.; Bonaglia, M.; Rabien, S.; Buschkamp, P.; Orban de Xivry, G.; Rahmer, G.; Kulas, M.; Peter, D.

2018-05-01

BL Lac objects emitting in the very high energy (VHE) regime are unique tools to peer into the properties of the extragalactic background light (EBL). However, due to the typical absence of features in their spectra, the determination of their redshifts has proven challenging. In this work, we exploit the superb spatial resolution delivered by the new Advanced Rayleigh guided Ground layer adaptive Optics System (ARGOS) at the Large Binocular Telescope to detect the host galaxy of HESS J1943+213, a VHE emitting BL Lac shining through the Galaxy. Deep H-band imaging collected during the ARGOS commissioning allowed us to separate the contribution of the nuclear emission and to unveil the properties of the host galaxy with unprecedented detail. The host galaxy is well fitted by a Sérsic profile with index of n ˜ 2 and total magnitude of HHost ˜ 16.15 mag. Under the assumption that BL Lac host galaxies are standard candles, we infer a redshift of z ˜ 0.21. In the framework of the current model for the EBL, this value is in agreement with the observed dimming of the VHE spectrum due to the annihilation of energetic photons on the EBL

Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion with Rigid Interspinous Process Fixation: A Learning Curve Analysis of a Surgeon Team's First 74 Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, Patrick; Welch, Arthur; Tharpe, Jason; Moore, Camille; Ferry, Chris

2017-05-30

Studies have shown that a significant learning curve may be associated with adopting minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF) with bilateral pedicle screw fixation (BPSF). Accordingly, several hybrid TLIF techniques have been proposed as surrogates to the accepted BPSF technique, asserting that less/fewer fixation(s) or less disruptive fixation may decrease the learning curve while still maintaining the minimally disruptive benefits. TLIF with interspinous process fixation (ISPF) is one such surrogate procedure. However, despite perceived ease of adaptability given the favorable proximity of the spinous processes, no evidence exists demonstrating whether or not the technique may possess its own inherent learning curve. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an intraoperative learning curve for one- and two-level TLIF + ISPF may exist for a single lead surgeon. Seventy-four consecutive patients who received one- or two-Level TLIF with rigid ISPF by a single lead surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. It was the first TLIF + ISPF case series for the lead surgeon. Intraoperative blood loss (EBL), hospitalization length-of-stay (LOS), fluoroscopy time, and postoperative complications were collected. EBL, LOS, and fluoroscopy time were modeled as a function of case number using multiple linear regression methods. A change point was included in each model to allow the trajectory of the outcomes to change during the duration of the case series. These change points were determined using profile likelihood methods. Models were fit using the maximum likelihood estimates for the change points. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and the number of treated levels were included as covariates. EBL, LOS, and fluoroscopy time did not significantly differ by age, sex, or BMI (p ≥ 0.12). Only EBL differed significantly by the number of levels (p = 0.026). The case number was not a significant predictor of EBL, LOS, or fluoroscopy time (p ≥ 0

A rapid and sensitive diagnosis of bovine leukaemia virus infection using the nested shuttle polymerase chain reaction Diagnóstico rápido e sensível da infecção com o vírus da Leucemia Bovina através de Shuttle Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ester T. González

1999-04-01

Full Text Available Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV is the causative agent of enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL. In Argentina, where a program to eradicate EBL has been introduced, sensitive and reliable diagnosis has attained high priority. Although the importance of the agar gel immunodiffusion test remains unchanged for routine work, an additional diagnostic technique is necessary to confirm cases of sera with equivocal results or of calves carrying maternal antibodies.Utilizing a nested shuttle polymerase chain reaction, the proviral DNA was detected from cows experimentally infected with as little as 5 ml of whole blood from BLV seropositive cows that were nonetheless normal in haematological terms. It proved to be a very sensitive technique, since it rapidly revealed the presence of the provirus, frequently at 2 weeks postinoculation and using a two-round procedure of nested PCR taking only 3 hours. Additionally, the primers used flanked a portion of the viral genome often employed to differentiate BLV type applying BamHI digestion. It is concluded that this method might offer a highly promising diagnostic tool for BLV infection.O Vírus da leucemia bovina (BLV é o agente causal da Leucose Enzoótica Bovina (EBL. Na Argentina, iniciou-se um programa de erradicação da EBL. Neste estágio, é prioritário possuir uma ferramenta de diagnóstico confiável. Embora seja indiscutível a importância do teste de agar gel imunodifusão, empregado rotineiramente no diagnóstico serológico da EBL, faz-se necessária uma técnica de diagnóstico adicional capaz de confirmar os resultados duvidosos. Foi possivel detectar ADN proviral aplicando Nested-PCR em novilhos experimentalmente infectados com pequenas doses de sangue total (5ml obtidas de um bovino BLV soropositivo. Esta técnica, cujo procedimento leva 3 horas, demonstrou ser muito sensível, uma vez que foi capaz de detectar a presença do provirus duas semanas após a inoculação. Os primers utilizados são os que

Airborne Multi-Spectral Minefield Survey

Science.gov (United States)

2005-05-01

Swedish Defence Research Agency), GEOSPACE (Austria), GTD ( Ingenieria de Sistemas y Software Industrial, Spain), IMEC (Ineruniversity MicroElectronic...RTO-MP-SET-092 18 - 1 UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED Airborne Multi-Spectral Minefield Survey Dirk-Jan de Lange, Eric den...actions is the severe lack of baseline information. To respond to this in a rapid way, cost-efficient data acquisition methods are a key issue. de

Probing the very-high-energy gamma-ray spectral curvature in the blazar PG 1553+113 with the MAGIC telescopes

CERN Document Server

Aleksić, J.; Antonelli, L A; Antoranz, P; Babic, A; Bangale, P; Barrio, J A; González, J Becerra; Bednarek, W; Bernardini, E; Biasuzzi, B; Biland, A; Blanch, O; Bonnefoy, S; Bonnoli, G; Borracci, F; Bretz, T; Carmona, E; Carosi, A; Colin, P; Colombo, E; Contreras, J.L; Cortina, J; Covino, S; Da Vela, P; Dazzi, F; De Angelis, A; De Caneva, G; De Lotto, B; Wilhelmi, E de Oña; Mendez, C Delgado; Prester, D Dominis; Dorner, D; Doro, M; Einecke, S; Eisenacher, D; Elsaesser, D; Fidalgo, D; Fonseca, M.V; Font, L; Frantzen, K; Fruck, C; Galindo, D; López, R J García; Garczarczyk, M; Terrats, D Garrido; Gaug, M; Godinović, N; Muñoz, A González; Gozzini, S R; Hadasch, D; Hanabata, Y; Hayashida, M; Herrera, J; Hose, J; Hrupec, D; Idec, W; Kadenius, V; Kellermann, H; Knoetig, M L; Kodani, K; Konno, Y; Krause, J; Kubo, H; Kushida, J; La Barbera, A; Lelas, D; Lewandowska, N; Lindfors, E; Lombardi, S; Longo, F; López, M; López-Coto, R; López-Oramas, A; Lorenz, E; Lozano, I; Makariev, M; Mallot, K; Maneva, G; Mannheim, K; Maraschi, L; Marcote, B; Mariotti, M; Martínez, M; Mazin, D; Menzel, U; Miranda, J M; Mirzoyan, R; Moralejo, A; Munar-Adrover, P; Nakajima, D; Neustroev, V; Niedzwiecki, A; Nilsson, K; Nishijima, K; Noda, K; Orito, R; Overkemping, A; Paiano, S; Palatiello, M; Paneque, D; Paoletti, R; Paredes, J M; Paredes-Fortuny, X; Persic, M; Poutanen, J; Moroni, P G Prada; Prandini, E; Puljak, I; Reinthal, R; Rhode, W; Ribó, M; Rico, J; Garcia, J Rodriguez; Rügamer, S; Saito, T; Saito, K; Satalecka, K; Scalzotto, V; Scapin, V; Schultz, C; Schweizer, T; Sillanpää, A; Sitarek, J; Snidaric, I; Sobczynska, D; Spanier, F; Stamerra, A; Steinbring, T; Storz, J; Strzys, M; Takalo, L; Takami, H; Tavecchio, F; Temnikov, P; Terzić, T; Tescaro, D; Teshima, M; Thaele, J; Tibolla, O; Torres, D F; Toyama, T; Treves, A; Vogler, P; Will, M; Zanin, R; D'Ammando, F; Lähteenmäki, A; Tornikoski, M; Hovatta, T; Readhead, A C S; Max-Moerbeck, W; Richards, J.L

2015-01-01

PG 1553+113 is a very-high-energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma-ray emitter classified as a BL Lac object. Its redshift is constrained by intergalactic absorption lines in the range 0.40.2). The observed curvature is compatible with the extragalactic background light (EBL) imprint predicted by the current generation of EBL models assuming a redshift z~0.4. New constraints on the redshift were derived from the VHE spectrum. These constraints are compatible with previous limits and suggest that the source is most likely located around the optical lower limit, z=0.4. Finally, we find that the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model gives a satisfactory description of the observed multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution during the flare.

Effects of post exposure bake temperature and exposure time on SU-8 nanopattern obtained by electron beam lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Yasui, Manabu; Kazawa, Elito; Kaneko, Satoru; Takahashi, Ryo; Kurouchi, Masahito; Ozawa, Takeshi; Arai, Masahiro

2014-11-01

SU-8 is a photoresist imaged using UV rays. However, we investigated the characteristics of an SU-8 nanopattern obtained by electron beam lithography (EBL). In particular, we studied the relationship between post-exposure bake (PEB) temperature and exposure time on an SU-8 nanopattern with a focus on phase transition temperature. SU-8 residue was formed by increasing both PEB temperature and exposure time. To prevent the formation of this, Monte Carlo simulation was performed; the results of such simulation showed that decreasing the thickness of SU-8 can reduce the amount of residue from the SU-8 nanopattern. We confirmed that decreasing the thickness of SU-8 can also prevent the formation of residue from the SU-8 nanopattern with EBL.

On the intrinsic spectrum of PKS 2155-304 from H.E.S.S. 2003 data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costamante, L.; Benbow, W.; Horns, D.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.

2005-01-01

In 2003, PKS 2155-304 has been significantly detected by H.E.S.S. at Very High Energies (VHE), with an average spectrum of Γ = 3.3. Due to absorption by the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL), the intrinsic spectrum is heavily modified both in shape and intensity. To correct for this effect, and locate the Inverse Compton (IC) peak of the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED), we used three EBL models (representatives of three different flux levels for the stellar peak component). The resulting TeV spectrum has a peak around 1 TeV for stellar peak fluxes above the Primack (2001) calculation, while the spectrum is steeper than Γ = 2 (thus locating the IC peak 19 (for historical SED fluxes and 2 hours variability timescale)

Processed fly ash for workability: stretching to its limits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joshi, M. [Dirk India Pvt Ltd., Nashik (India)

2003-07-01

The paper describes use of fly ash produced by the British Multinational Company called Dirk, in a fire grade, Pozzocreta 63 to improve the workability of concrete used to reline tunnels for the disposal of sewage from Mumbai City, 4 km into the Arabian Sea. It mainly involved rehabilitation of 5.5 km of tunnels from Sion to Banda, 30 m below ground level. 5 figs., 3 tabs.

Direct and indirect effects of paliperidone extended-release tablets on negative symptoms of schizophrenia

OpenAIRE

Bossie, Cynthia

2008-01-01

Ibrahim Turkoz, Cynthia A Bossie, Bryan Dirks, Carla M CanusoOrtho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Titusville, NJ, USAAbstract: Direct and indirect effects of the new psychotropic paliperidone extended-release (paliperidone ER) tablets on negative symptom improvement in schizophrenia were investigated using path analysis. A post hoc analysis of pooled data from three 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of paliperidone ER in patients experiencing acute exacerbation was con...

The Impact of Anti-Immigration Parties on Mainstream Parties' Immigration Positions in the Netherlands, Flanders and the UK 1987-2010: Divided electorates, left-right politics and the pull towards restrictionism

OpenAIRE

DAVIS, Amber

2012-01-01

Defence date: 20 April 2012; Examining Board: Professor Rainer Bauböck, EUI, for Professor Peter Mair (†), EUI (supervisor); Professor Virginie Guiraudon, National Center for Scientific Research, Paris; Professor Meindert Fennema, Universiteit van Amsterdam; Professor Dirk Jacobs, Université Libre de Bruxelles The rise of anti-immigration parties across Western Europe has put enormous pressure on mainstream parties to adapt their competitive strategies. This thesis tests the hypothesis tha...

Clinical Evaluation of an Adhesive Sealant for Controlling Dental Caries in Naval Personnel: One-Year Results

Science.gov (United States)

1974-08-20

safeguards were employed in that a voltage monitoring strip chart recorder was employed during sealant placement to ensure continuous delivery of...adequate voltage to the ultraviolet light source (Nuva- Lite)* used for sealant polymerization. Also, a new air compressor** with suitable...ment effect in young Naval personnel. 2. The very low occlusal attack rate for untreated control teeth 3. Dirks, O. B., Houwink, B. and Kwant , G. W

Device Fabrication and Probing of Discrete Carbon Nanostructures

KAUST Repository

Batra, Nitin M

2015-01-01

Device fabrication on multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using electrical beam lithography (EBL), electron beam induced deposition (EBID), ion beam induced deposition (IBID) methods was carried out, followed by device electrical characterization

TeV GAMMA RAYS: OBSERVATIONS VERSUS EXPECTATIONS & THEORY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Krennrich

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The scope of this paper is to discuss two important questions relevant for TeV γ-ray astronomy; the pursuit to reveal the origin of cosmic rays in our galaxy, and the opacity of the universe in γ-rays. The origin of cosmic rays stipulated the field of TeV astronomy in the first place, and led to the development of the atmospheric Cherenkov technique; significant progress has been made in the last decade through the detection of several supernova remnants, the primary suspects for harboring the acceleration sites of cosmic rays. TeV γ-rays propagate mostly unhindered through the galactic plane, making them excellent probes of processes in SNRs and other galactic sources. Key results related to the SNR origin of cosmic rays are discussed. TeV γ-ray spectra from extragalactic sources experience significant absorption when traversing cosmological distances. The opacity of the universe to γ-rays above 10 GeV progressively increases with energy and redshift; the reason lies in their pair production with ambient soft photons from the extragalactic background light (EBL. While this limits the γ-ray horizon, it offers the opportunity to gain information about cosmology, i.e. the EBL intensity, physical conditions in intergalactic space, and potentially new interaction processes. Results and implications pertaining to the EBL are given.

The randomised controlled trial design: unrecognized opportunities for health sciences librarianship.

Science.gov (United States)

Eldredge, Jonathan D

2003-06-01

to describe the essential components of the Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) and its major variations; to describe less conventional applications of the RCT design found in the health sciences literature with potential relevance to health sciences librarianship; to discuss the limited number of RCTs within health sciences librarianship. narrative review supported to a limited extent with PubMed and Library Literature database searches consistent with specific search parameters. In addition, more systematic methods, including handsearching of specific journals, to identify health sciences librarianship RCTs. While many RCTs within the health sciences follow more conventional patterns, some RCTs assume certain unique features. Selected examples illustrate the adaptations of this experimental design to answering questions of possible relevance to health sciences librarians. The author offers several strategies for controlling bias in library and informatics applications of the RCT and acknowledges the potential of the electronic era in providing many opportunities to utilize the blinding aspects of RCTs. RCTs within health sciences librarianship inhabit a limited number of subject domains such as education. This limited scope offers both advantages and disadvantages for making Evidence-Based Librarianship (EBL) a reality. The RCT design offers the potential to answer far more EBL questions than have been addressed by the design to date. Librarians need only extend their horizons through use of the versatile RCT design into new subject domains to facilitate making EBL a reality.

Selection of ligand peptides with the ability to detect antibodies in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

enoh

2012-04-05

Apr 5, 2012 ... diagnosis of enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), contributing directly to disease control. ...... test for the diagnosis of equine infectious anemia using a .... Plasma Samples from Recently Infected and Long-Term Inapparent.

Plasmodium falciparum field isolates from South America use an atypical red blood cell invasion pathway associated with invasion ligand polymorphisms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary Lopez-Perez

Full Text Available Studies of Plasmodium falciparum invasion pathways in field isolates have been limited. Red blood cell (RBC invasion is a complex process involving two invasion protein families; Erythrocyte Binding-Like (EBL and the Reticulocyte Binding-Like (PfRh proteins, which are polymorphic and not fully characterized in field isolates. To determine the various P. falciparum invasion pathways used by parasite isolates from South America, we studied the invasion phenotypes in three regions: Colombia, Peru and Brazil. Additionally, polymorphisms in three members of the EBL (EBA-181, EBA-175 and EBL-1 and five members of the PfRh (PfRh1, PfRh2a, PfRh2b, PfRh4, PfRh5 families were determined. We found that most P. falciparum field isolates from Colombia and Peru invade RBCs through an atypical invasion pathway phenotypically characterized as resistant to all enzyme treatments (NrTrCr. Moreover, the invasion pathways and the ligand polymorphisms differed substantially among the Colombian and Brazilian isolates while the Peruvian isolates represent an amalgam of those present in the Colombian and Brazilian field isolates. The NrTrCr invasion profile was associated with the presence of the PfRh2a pepC variant, the PfRh5 variant 1 and EBA-181 RVNKN variant. The ebl and Pfrh expression levels in a field isolate displaying the NrTrCr profile also pointed to PfRh2a, PfRh5 and EBA-181 as being possibly the major players in this invasion pathway. Notably, our studies demonstrate the uniqueness of the Peruvian P. falciparum field isolates in terms of their invasion profiles and ligand polymorphisms, and present a unique opportunity for studying the ability of P. falciparum parasites to expand their invasion repertoire after being reintroduced to human populations. The present study is directly relevant to asexual blood stage vaccine design focused on invasion pathway proteins, suggesting that regional invasion variants and global geographical variation are likely to

The Elusiveness of Welfare-State Specificity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tahl Kaminer

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Review of Architecture and the Welfare State, edited by Mark Swenarton, Tom Avermaete and Dirk van den Heuvel (Oxon and New York: Routledge, 2015.Incomprehensibly, the relation of architecture to society is, on the one hand, a trivial fact, and, on the other, a perplexing assumption. Trivial, because the evidence of the tight relationship is ubiquitous, screaming its existence from the tops of skyscrapers, from the basements of gloomy panopticon prisons, and from the doorsteps of Levittown houses. Perplexing, because, despite of such an abundance of evidence, the actual form of such a relationship remains contested and, mostly, obscure. This review article will interrogate the relation of architecture to society via the recently published anthology Architecture and the Welfare State, edited by Mark Swenarton, Tom Avermaete and Dirk van den Heuvel. The anthology postulates that a rigorous correlation can be established between architectural design and the welfare state. The review article, in turn, posits two questions to the anthology: what is specific about the welfare state which differentiates it from other societies of the era, and how is a rigorous correlation of a specific form of architecture to the welfare state established, beyond limited notions such as zeitgeist? 

Extragalactic Background Light expected from photon-photon absorption on spectra of distant Active Galactic Nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinitsyna, V. G.; Sinitsyna, V. Y.

2013-01-01

Extragalactic background radiation blocks the propagation of TeV gamma-ray over large distances by producing e + e - pairs. As a result, primary spectrum of gamma-source is changed, depending on spectrum of background light. So, hard spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei with high red shifts allow the determination of a EBL spectrum. The redshifts of SHALON TeV gamma-ray sources range from 0.018 to 1.375 those spectra are resolved at the energies from 800 GeV to 30 TeV. Spectral energy distribution of EBL constrained from observations of Mkn421 (z=0.031), Mkn501 (z=0.034), Mkn180 (z=0.046), OJ287 (z=0.306), 3c454.3 (z=0.859) and 1739+5220(z=1.375) together with models and measurements are presented. (authors)

24-Epibrassinolide Restores the Synthesis of Proteins and Amino Acids in Brassica juncea L. Leaves Under Imidacloprid Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharma Anket

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Pesticides are applied to protect crops from a variety of insect pests but their application cause toxicity to plants that results, among others, in reduction of protein as well as amino acid contents. The present study is aimed at observing the effect of seed pre-soaking with 24-epibrassinolide (EBL on the protein and amino acid content in the leaves of Brassica juncea L. grown in soil that is amended with pesticide im-idacloprid (IMI. Soil amendment with IMI resulted in a decrease in the contents in leaves of total proteins and 21 amino acids studied. Seed soaking with 100 nM of EBL resulted in the recovery of total protein as well as amino acid contents in leaves, when compared with plants grown in only IMI amended soils.

Fabrication of 3D SiO x structures using patterned PMMA sacrificial layer

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiqin; Xiang, Quan; Zheng, Mengjie; Bi, Kaixi; Chen, Yiqin; Chen, Keqiu; Duan, Huigao

2018-02-01

Three-dimensional (3D) nanofabrication based on electron-beam lithography (EBL) has drawn wide attention for various applications with its high patterning resolution and design flexibility. In this work, we present a bilayer EBL process to obtain 3D freestanding SiO x structures via the release of the bottom sacrificial layer. This new kind of bilayer process enables us to define various 3D freestanding SiO x structures with high resolution and low edge roughness. As a proof of concept for applications, metal-coated freestanding SiO x microplates with an underlying air gap were fabricated to form asymmetric Fabry-Perot resonators, which can be utilized for colorimetric refractive index sensing and thus also have application potential for biochemical detection, anti-counterfeiting and smart active nano-optical devices.

Venemaa on meie enda loodud oht / Noam Chomsky ; interv. Dirk Hoyer

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Chomsky, Noam, 1928-

2008-01-01

Ühendriikide tuntud arvamusliider sõna- ja ajakirjandusvabadusest USA-s, suhtumisest Iraagi sõtta, avalikkussuhete tööstuse ja parteide juhtkondade toodete müügist presidendivalimiste kampaania käigus, tervishoiusüsteemi katastroofilisest olukorrast USA-s, valikust presidendikandidaatide Barack Obama ja John McCaini vahel, kosmose militariseerimisest, suhtumisest 11. septembrisse, Venemaast Balti julgeoleku ohuna, NATOst julgeoleku garanteerijana, energiaressurssidest kui hirmutamisvahenditest

Stemcell Information: SKIP001188 [SKIP Stemcell Database[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available tem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Arthur and Sonia Laba...tt Brain Tumor Research Center and Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick...Kids) Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Center and Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children...ter and Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Peter B. Dirks Peter

Scalable Biomarker Discovery for Diverse High-Dimensional Phenotypes

Science.gov (United States)

2015-11-23

William D. Shannon, Richard R. Sharp, Thomas J. Sharpton, Narmada Shenoy, Nihar U. Sheth, Gina A. Simone, Indresh Singh, Chris S. Smillie, Jack D... William D. Shannon, Richard R. Sharp, Thomas J. Sharpton, Narmada Shenoy, Nihar U. Sheth, Gina A. Simone, Indresh Singh, Christopher S. Smillie, Jack D...Susanne J. Szabo, Jeff Porter, Harri Lähdesmäki, Curtis Huttenhower, Dirk Gevers, Thomas W. Cullen , Mikael Knip, on behalf of the DIABIMMUNE Study Group

A Spatial and Temporal Characterization of the Background Neutron Environment at the Navy and Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-01

Naval Academy Annapolis, MD Abstract This project utilized neutron detection near the Naval Academy football stadium in order to map and quantify...Introduction The Navy and Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is the U.S. Naval Academy’s football venue in Annapolis, Maryland, with a seating capacity of...Ziegler and H. Puchner, SER - History , Trends and Challenges A Guide for Designing with Memory ICs, San Jose: Cypress, 2004. [7] J.D. Dirk et al

Impact of galactic and intergalactic dust on the stellar EBL

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vavryčuk, Václav

2016-01-01

Roč. 361, č. 6 (2016), 198/1-198/8 ISSN 0004-640X Institutional support: RVO:67985530 Keywords : cosmic background radiation * interstellar dust * light extinction * universe opacity Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 1.622, year: 2016

Elektronová litografie pro nanotechnologie

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Výborný, Zdeněk

2005-01-01

Roč. 50, 11-12 (2005), s. 313-318 ISSN 0447-6441 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : lithography * photolithography * electron beam lithography * EBL * nanolithography * nanotechnology * SEM Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism

A hole accelerator for InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zi-Hui; Liu, Wei; Tan, Swee Tiam; Ji, Yun; Wang, Liancheng; Zhu, Binbin; Zhang, Yiping; Lu, Shunpeng; Zhang, Xueliang; Hasanov, Namig; Sun, Xiao Wei; Demir, Hilmi Volkan

2014-10-01

The quantum efficiency of InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has been significantly limited by the insufficient hole injection, and this is caused by the inefficient p-type doping and the low hole mobility. The low hole mobility makes the holes less energetic, which hinders the hole injection into the multiple quantum wells (MQWs) especially when a p-type AlGaN electron blocking layer (EBL) is adopted. In this work, we report a hole accelerator to accelerate the holes so that the holes can obtain adequate kinetic energy, travel across the p-type EBL, and then enter the MQWs more efficiently and smoothly. In addition to the numerical study, the effectiveness of the hole accelerator is experimentally shown through achieving improved optical output power and reduced efficiency droop for the proposed InGaN/GaN LED.

Graphene antidot lattice transport measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mackenzie, David; Cagliani, Alberto; Gammelgaard, Lene

2017-01-01

We investigate graphene devices patterned with a narrow band of holes perpendicular to the current flow, a few-row graphene antidot lattice (FR-GAL). Theoretical reports suggest that a FR-GAL can have a bandgap with a relatively small reduction of the transmission compared to what is typical...... for antidot arrays devices. Graphene devices were fabricated using 100 keV electron beam lithography (EBL) for nanopatterning as well as for defining electrical contacts. Patterns with hole diameter and neck widths of order 30 nm were produced, which is the highest reported pattern density of antidot lattices...... in graphene reported defined by EBL. Electrical measurements showed that devices with one and five rows exhibited field effect mobility of ∼100 cm2/Vs, while a larger number of rows, around 40, led to a significant reduction of field effect mobility (

Polystyrene negative resist for high-resolution electron beam lithography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma Siqi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract We studied the exposure behavior of low molecular weight polystyrene as a negative tone electron beam lithography (EBL resist, with the goal of finding the ultimate achievable resolution. It demonstrated fairly well-defined patterning of a 20-nm period line array and a 15-nm period dot array, which are the densest patterns ever achieved using organic EBL resists. Such dense patterns can be achieved both at 20 and 5 keV beam energies using different developers. In addition to its ultra-high resolution capability, polystyrene is a simple and low-cost resist with easy process control and practically unlimited shelf life. It is also considerably more resistant to dry etching than PMMA. With a low sensitivity, it would find applications where negative resist is desired and throughput is not a major concern.

Wikipedia : sama täpne kui päris teatmeteos / Aivar Õepa

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Õepa, Aivar, 1967-

2005-01-01

2001. aastal asutatud Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) on vabatahtlike tööl põhinev interneti-teatmeteos. Wikipediat ja Encyclopedia Britannicat võrrelnud teadlased leidsid, et veebientsüklopeedia ei jää täpsuses EB-le alla

Review of Interorganizational Trust Models

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-01

mais les résultats de la recherche se sont avérés relativement maigres. Bien que nous ayons trouvé de nombreux modèles de confiance...rooted in common values, including a common concept of moral obligation. This type of trust typically takes a long time to develop, and is the type of...Perspectives on relationship repair and implications (Dirks et al., 2009, p. 72) Attributional theories propose that one party uses information about a

Proceedings of the Frontiers of Retrovirology Conference 2016

OpenAIRE

Zurnic, Irena; H?tter, Sylvia; Lehmann, Ute; Stanke, Nicole; Reh, Juliane; Kern, Tobias; Lindel, Fabian; Gerresheim, Gesche; Hamann, Martin; M?llers, Erik; Lesbats, Paul; Cherepanov, Peter; Serrao, Erik; Engelman, Alan; Lindemann, Dirk

2016-01-01

Table of contents Oral presentations Session 1: Entry & uncoating O1 Host cell polo-like kinases (PLKs) promote early prototype foamy virus (PFV) replication Irena Zurnic, Sylvia H?tter, Ute Lehmann, Nicole Stanke, Juliane Reh, Tobias Kern, Fabian Lindel, Gesche Gerresheim, Martin Hamann, Erik M?llers, Paul Lesbats, Peter Cherepanov, Erik Serrao, Alan Engelman, Dirk Lindemann O2 A novel entry/uncoating assay reveals the presence of at least two species of viral capsids during synchronized HIV...

Proceedings of the Frontiers of Retrovirology Conference 2016

OpenAIRE

Zurnic, Irena; Hütter, Sylvia; Lehmann, Ute; Stanke, Nicole; Reh, Juliane; Kern, Tobias; Lindel, Fabian; Gerresheim, Gesche; Hamann, Martin; Müllers, Erik; Lesbats, Paul; Cherepanov, Peter; Serrao, Erik; Engelman, Alan; Lindemann, Dirk

2016-01-01

Table of contents Oral presentations Session 1: Entry & uncoating O1 Host cell polo-like kinases (PLKs) promote early prototype foamy virus (PFV) replication Irena Zurnic, Sylvia Hütter, Ute Lehmann, Nicole Stanke, Juliane Reh, Tobias Kern, Fabian Lindel, Gesche Gerresheim, Martin Hamann, Erik Müllers, Paul Lesbats, Peter Cherepanov, Erik Serrao, Alan Engelman, Dirk Lindemann O2 A novel entry/uncoating assay reveals the presence of at least two species of viral capsids during synchronized HIV...

Electron scattering. Lectures given at Argonne National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walecka, J.D.

1984-01-01

This report is an almost verbatim copy of lectures on Electron Scattering given at Argonne National Laboratory in the Fall of 1982 by John Dirk Walecka. Professor Walecka was an Argonne Fellow in the Physics Division from October 1982 to January 1983. Broad headings include general considerations, coincidence cross section (e,e'x), quantum electrodynamics and radiative corrections, unification of electroweak interactions, relativistic models of nuclear structure, electroproduction of pions and nucleon resonances, and deep inelastic (e,e')

Clinical and pathological features of papillary renal cell carcinoma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

M.M. Gargouri

2016-08-21

Aug 21, 2016 ... slides was made in doubtful cases to clarify the histological subtype. Results: PRCC was ... In1997,. Delahunt and Eble [2] described type-1 and type-2 subtypes of .... diabetes mellitus, obesity and smoking [7,8]. End-stage ...

Anti-Plasmodium falciparum invasion ligand antibodies in a low malaria transmission region, Loreto, Peru

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villasis, Elizabeth; Lopez-Perez, Mary; Torres, Katherine

2012-01-01

Background: Erythrocyte invasion by Plasmodium falciparum is a complex process that involves two families; Erythrocyte Binding-Like (EBL) and the Reticulocyte Binding-Like (PfRh) proteins. Antibodies that inhibit merozoite attachment and invasion are believed to be important in mediating naturall...

Editorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lindsay Glynn

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Evidence based librarianship: we hear about it, we read about it, some of us practice it, some of us aren’t quite sure what it’s allabout. Information about EBL is relatively prolific of late and can be found in numerous journals, websites and books. It is indexed in databases and article indices across the disciplinary board – MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycInfo, DOIS, LISTA, etc. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice is the first journal whose primary focus is on EBL: what it is, how it affects the decisions we make, how we look at and perform research, and how it allows us to make more informed decisions based on the best available evidence. EBLIP, not unlike the practice of EBL, is international in scope and unlimited in its application and utility. Getting EBLIP off the ground has been a fascinating and rewarding experience, and I have several key people to thank for making the process seamless and satisfying. EBLIP is the brainchild of Su Cleyle, of MemorialUniversity of Newfoundland and Denise Koufogiannakis, of the University of Alberta. Su and Denise got the ball rolling early in 2005 while researching EBL on sabbatical and quickly pulled together an enthusiastic team of editors. As original Editor‐in‐Chief, Su’s vision, drive and unbeatable organization resulted in EBLIP becoming a reality more quickly and completely than we could have imagined. As Associate Editor (Evidence Summaries, Denise has begun to compile and disseminate a significant and highly useful collection of critically appraised synopses of research articles. The Evidence Summaries section allows EBLIP to reach well beyond publishing research and adds a component that our field has, until now, been lacking. In addition to her tireless work in this area, I thank Denise for keeping the momentum going throughout the entire start‐up process. EBLIP is published by University of Alberta Learning Services using OJS (Open Journal Systems. We are very

Parasitosis intestinal en monos capuchinos cariblancos Cebus capucinus (Primates: Cebidae de un área protegida en la provincia de Limón, noreste de Costa Rica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Misael Chinchilla

2010-12-01

Full Text Available La deforestación de bosques tropicales está amenazando la biodiversidad de las especies de primates y su estado de salud, dependiente de un lugar ecológicamente equilibrado. Con el fin de evaluar esta relación, se analizó la presencia de parásitos en los intestinos de esta especie. El estudio se realizó en la Estación Biológica La Suerte (EBLS, Limón, Costa Rica. El grupo de monos capuchinos cariblancos (Cebus capucinus fue observado entre marzo y diciembre de 2006. Se recolectaron 75 muestras de heces a las que se les identificó las plantas ingeridas, y se procesaron en el laboratorio para evaluar la prevalencia de parásitos. Moraceae fue la familia de plantas más reportada. Strongyloides spp. y acantocéfalos fueron los más comunes. La distribución positiva de las mismas fue similar independientemente del sexo y la edad. Microsporidios se reportaron mayoritariamente en heces asociadas con la familia Piperaceae. Fue encontrada una baja existencia de éstos parásitos en muestras asociadas con Myrtaceae en cuyo género Psidium, se han reportado compuestos activos antiparasitarios. La aparición de parásitos fue relativamente mayor en la EBLS, comparado con muestras de otras regiones más secas de Costa Rica. Por lo tanto, esa expresión parasitaria puede deberse al hecho de ser la EBLS una selva lluviosa, además de estar rodeada por zonas con actividades antrópicas. Se sugiere incrementar las investigaciones de parasitología de campo en primates neotropicales con el fin de entender plenamente las relaciones parásitos-hospederos, para en un largo plazo poder comprender los ecosistemas donde conviven, y en consecuencia, preservar la diversidad biológica.Intestinal parasites in white-faced capuchin monkeys Cebus capucinus Primates: Cebidae inhabiting a protected area in the Limón province of Northeastern Costa Rica. Deforestation of tropical forests is threatening monkey biodiversity and their health status, dependent of an

Rapid identification of genes controlling virulence and immunity in malaria parasites

KAUST Repository

Abkallo, Hussein M.

2017-07-13

Identifying the genetic determinants of phenotypes that impact disease severity is of fundamental importance for the design of new interventions against malaria. Here we present a rapid genome-wide approach capable of identifying multiple genetic drivers of medically relevant phenotypes within malaria parasites via a single experiment at single gene or allele resolution. In a proof of principle study, we found that a previously undescribed single nucleotide polymorphism in the binding domain of the erythrocyte binding like protein (EBL) conferred a dramatic change in red blood cell invasion in mutant rodent malaria parasites Plasmodium yoelii. In the same experiment, we implicated merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) and other polymorphic proteins, as the major targets of strain-specific immunity. Using allelic replacement, we provide functional validation of the substitution in the EBL gene controlling the growth rate in the blood stages of the parasites.

Axion-like particle imprint in cosmological very-high-energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Domínguez, A.; Sánchez-Conde, M.A.; Prada, F.

2011-01-01

Discoveries of very high energy (VHE) photons from distant blazars suggest that, after correction by extragalactic background light (EBL) absorption, there is a flatness or even a turn-up in their spectra at the highest energies that cannot be easily explained by the standard framework. Here, it is shown that a possible solution to this problem is achieved by assuming the existence of axion-like particles (ALPs) with masses ∼ 1 neV. The ALP scenario is tested making use of observations of the highest redshift blazars known in the VHE energy regime, namely 3C 279, 3C 66A, PKS 1222+216 and PG 1553+113. In all cases, better fits to the observed spectra are found when including ALPs rather than considering EBL only. Interestingly, quite similar critical energies for photon/ALP conversions are also derived, independently of the source considered

Nonlinear Frequency Conversion in III-V Semiconductor Photonic Crystals

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-01

benefited early in my PhD from the assistance of Dirk Englund and Vanessa Sih. Subsequently, I was fortunate to collab- orate with newer members of the...to defense practice talks. I would also like to acknowledge Seth Lloyd, Vicky Wen, Jason Pelc, Qiang Zhang, Peter McMahon, Liz Edwards , Stephanie...2006. [67] Z. Yang, P. Chak, A. D. Bristow, H. M. van Driel, R. Iyer, J. S. Aitchison, A. L. Smirl, and J. E. Sipe, “Enhanced second-harmonic

Igal pool ja mitte kuskil / Piibe Piirma

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Piirma, Piibe

2006-01-01

Võrgu- ehk netikunsti ajaloost ja arengust. Korea kunstniku Nam June Paiki, Vene kunstnike Aleksei Shulgini ja Olja Ljalina, hollandi fotograafi Joan Heemskerk'i, belgia kunstniku Dirk Paesmans'i, sloveeni kunstnike Vuk Cosic'i ja Marko Pelijhan'i, kanada kunstniku Robert Adrian X-i, saksa kunstnike Wolfgang Staehle, Rena Tangens'i ja Cornelia Sollfranki tegevusest. Šveitsi kunstirühmituse "Etoy" performance'ist "Toywar". Lühidalt eesti võrgukunstist, Mare Tralla ja Tiia Johannsoni tegevusest. Repliigid Heie Treierilt ja Raivo Kelomehelt

Comparison of polymethylmethacrylate versus expandable cage in anterior vertebral column reconstruction after posterior extracavitary corpectomy in lumbar and thoraco-lumbar metastatic spine tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Eleraky, Mohammed; Papanastassiou, Ioannis; Tran, Nam D; Dakwar, Elias; Vrionis, Frank D

2011-08-01

Single-stage posterior corpectomy for the management of spinal tumors has been well described. Anterior column reconstruction has been accomplished using polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or expandable cages (EC). The aim of this retrospective study was to compare PMMA versus ECs in anterior vertebral column reconstruction after posterior corpectomy for tumors in the lumbar and thoracolumbar spine. Between 2006 and 2009 we identified 32 patients that underwent a single-stage posterior extracavitary tumor resection and anterior reconstruction, 16 with PMMA and 16 with EC. There were no baseline differences in regards to age (mean: 58.2 years) or performance status. Differences between groups in terms of survival, estimated blood loss (EBL), kyphosis reduction (decrease in Cobb's angle), pain, functional outcomes, and performance status were evaluated. Mean overall survival and EBL were 17 months and 1165 ml, respectively. No differences were noted between the study groups in regards to survival (p = 0.5) or EBL (p = 0.8). There was a trend for better Kyphosis reduction in favor of the EC group (10.04 vs. 5.45, p = 0.16). No difference in performance status or VAS improvements was observed (p > 0.05). Seven patients had complications that led to reoperation (5 infections). PMMA or ECs are viable options for reconstruction of the anterior vertebral column following tumor resection and corpectomy. Both approaches allow for correction of the kyphotic deformity, and stabilization of the anterior vertebral column with similar functional and performance status outcomes in the lumbar and thoracolumbar area.

Redshift determination of the BL Lac object 3C 66A by the detection of its host galaxy cluster at z = 0.340

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Zafra, Juanita; Cellone, Sergio A.; Buzzoni, Alberto; Andruchow, Ileana; Portilla, José G.

2018-03-01

The BL Lac object 3C 66A is one of the most luminous extragalactic sources at TeV γ-rays (very high energy, i.e. E > 100 GeV). Since TeV γ-ray radiation is absorbed by the extragalactic background light (EBL), it is crucial to know the redshift of the source in order to reconstruct its original spectral energy distribution, as well as to constrain EBL models. However, the optical spectrum of this BL Lac is almost featureless, so a direct measurement of z is very difficult; in fact, the published redshift value for this source (z = 0.444) has been strongly questioned. Based on EBL absorption arguments, several constraints to its redshift, in the range 0.096 GMOS-N multi-object spectroscopy. We found spectroscopic evidence of two galaxy groups along the blazar's line of sight: one at z ≃ 0.020 and the second one at z ≃ 0.340. The first one is consistent with a known foreground structure, while the second group presented here has six spectroscopically confirmed members. Their location along a red sequence in the colour-magnitude diagram allows us to identify 34 additional candidate members of the more distant group. The blazar's spectrum shows broad absorption features that we identify as arising in the intergalactic medium, thus allowing us to tentatively set a redshift lower limit at z_3C66A ≳ 0.33. As a consequence, we propose that 3C 66A is hosted in a galaxy that belongs to a cluster at z = 0.340.

What does an enquiry-based approach offer undergraduate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. Physiotherapy students in their final year at Stellenbosch University (SU) complete a module that follows an enquiry-based learning (EBL) approach. This module exposes them to higher-order problem solving and was developed to facilitate independent self-directed learning and improved higher-order ...

Both Islam and Christianity Invite to Tolerance: A Commentary on Dirk Baier.

Science.gov (United States)

Salamati, Payman; Naji, Zohrehsadat; Koutlaki, Sofia A; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa

2015-12-01

Baier recently published an interesting original article in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. He compared violent behavior (VB) between Christians and Muslims and concluded that religiosity was not a protecting factor against violence and that Muslim religiosity associated positively with increased VB. We appreciate the author's enormous efforts on researching such an issue of relevance to today's world. However, in our view, the article has methodological weaknesses in terms of participants, instruments, and statistical analyses, which we examine in detail. Therefore, Baier's results should be interpreted more cautiously. Although interpersonal violence may sometimes be observable among Muslims, we do not attribute these to Islam's teachings. In our opinion, both Islam and Christianity invite to tolerance, peace, and friendship. So, the comparison of such differences and the drawing of conclusions that may reflect negatively on specific religious groups need better defined research, taking into consideration other basic variables in different communities. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Electrostatic Instability for Realistic Pair Distributions in Blazar/EBL Cascades

Science.gov (United States)

Vafin, S.; Rafighi, I.; Pohl, M.; Niemiec, J.

2018-04-01

This work revisits the electrostatic instability for blazar-induced pair beams propagating through the intergalactic medium (IGM) using linear analysis and PIC simulations. We study the impact of the realistic distribution function of pairs resulting from the interaction of high-energy gamma-rays with the extragalactic background light. We present analytical and numerical calculations of the linear growth rate of the instability for the arbitrary orientation of wave vectors. Our results explicitly demonstrate that the finite angular spread of the beam dramatically affects the growth rate of the waves, leading to the fastest growth for wave vectors quasi-parallel to the beam direction and a growth rate at oblique directions that is only a factor of 2–4 smaller compared to the maximum. To study the nonlinear beam relaxation, we performed PIC simulations that take into account a realistic wide-energy distribution of beam particles. The parameters of the simulated beam-plasma system provide an adequate physical picture that can be extrapolated to realistic blazar-induced pairs. In our simulations, the beam looses only 1% of its energy, and we analytically estimate that the beam would lose its total energy over about 100 simulation times. An analytical scaling is then used to extrapolate the parameters of realistic blazar-induced pair beams. We find that they can dissipate their energy slightly faster by the electrostatic instability than through inverse-Compton scattering. The uncertainties arising from, e.g., details of the primary gamma-ray spectrum are too large to make firm statements for individual blazars, and an analysis based on their specific properties is required.

Enhancing Carrier Injection Using Graded Superlattice Electron Blocking Layer for UVB Light-Emitting Diodes

KAUST Repository

Janjua, Bilal; Ng, Tien Khee; Alyamani, Ahmed Y.; El-Desouki, Munir M.; Ooi, Boon S.

2014-01-01

is changed from 0.8 to 0.56 in steps of 0.06. Graded SL was found to be effective in reducing electron leakage and enhancing hole injection into the active region. Due to our band engineering scheme for EBL, four orders-of-magnitude enhancement were observed

Nonlinear mechanics a supplement to theoretical mechanics of particles and continua

CERN Document Server

Fetter, Alexander L

2006-01-01

In their prior Dover book, Theoretical Mechanics of Particles and Continua, Alexander L. Fetter and John Dirk Walecka provided a lucid and self-contained account of classical mechanics, together with appropriate mathematical methods. This supplement-an update of that volume-offers a bridge to contemporary mechanics.The original book's focus on continuum mechanics-with chapters on sound waves in fluids, surface waves on fluids, heat conduction, and viscous fluids-forms the basis for this supplement's discussion of nonlinear continuous systems. Topics include linearized stability analysis; a det

From scientifically based research to evidence based learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosa Cera

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This essay is a reflection on the peculiarities of the scientifically based research and on the distinctive elements of the EBL (evidence based learning, methodology used in the study on the “Relationship between Metacognition, Self-efficacy and Self-regulation in Learning”. The EBL method, based on the standardization of data, explains how the students’ learning experience can be considered as a set of “data” and can be used to explain how and when the research results can be considered generalizable and transferable to other learning situations. The reflections present in this study have also allowed us to illustrate the impact that its results have had on the micro and macro level of reality. They helped to fill in the gaps concerning the learning/teaching processes, contributed to the enrichment of the scientific literature on this subject and allowed to establish standards through rigorous techniques such as systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

Role of Ca ions in the induction of heat-resistance of wheat coleoptiles by brassinosteroids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. E. Kolupaev

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The involvement of Ca2+ into the signal transduction of exogenous brassinosteroids (BS (24-epibrassinolide – 24-EBL and 24-epicastasterone – 24 ECS causing the increase of heat resistance of the cells of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. coleoptiles was investigated using calcium chelator EGTA and inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C – neomycin. Twenty-four-hour treatment of coleoptile segments with 10 nM solutions of 24-EBL and 24-ECS led to a transient increase in the generation of superoxide anion radical by cell surface and the subsequent activation of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Pretreatment of coleoptiles with EGTA and neomycin depressed to a considerable extent these effects and leveled the increase in heat resistance of wheat coleoptiles that were caused by BS. Possible mechanisms of involvement of calcium signaling into the formation of reactive oxygen species in plant cells and induction of heat resistance of plant cells by the action of exogenous BS have been discussed.

Is simple nephrectomy truly simple? Comparison with the radical alternative.

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, S S; O'Brien, M Frank; Kunni, I M; Phelan, E; Conroy, R; Thornhill, J A; Grainger, R

2011-03-01

The Oxford English dictionary defines the term "simple" as "easily done" and "uncomplicated". We tested the validity of this terminology in relation to open nephrectomy surgery. Retrospective review of 215 patients undergoing open, simple (n = 89) or radical (n = 126) nephrectomy in a single university-affiliated institution between 1998 and 2002. Operative time (OT), estimated blood loss (EBL), operative complications (OC) and length of stay in hospital (LOS) were analysed. Statistical analysis employed Fisher's exact test and Stata Release 8.2. Simple nephrectomy was associated with shorter OT (mean 126 vs. 144 min; p = 0.002), reduced EBL (mean 729 vs. 859 cc; p = 0.472), lower OC (9 vs. 17%; 0.087), and more brief LOS (mean 6 vs. 8 days; p < 0.001). All parameters suggest favourable outcome for the simple nephrectomy group, supporting the use of this terminology. This implies "simple" nephrectomies are truly easier to perform with less complication than their radical counterpart.

75 FR 57798 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Experimental...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-22

... investigating a variety of promotional offers, recruiting a wider range of the target audience from malls and... Message's Regulatory Focus and Product Type on Persuasion,'' Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 18... Effective?,'' Journal of Marketing Research, 34(4), 473-484, 1997. \\4\\ Wolk, A. and C. Ebling, ``Multi...

Evidence for functional interaction between brassinosteroids and cadmium response in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Villiers, Florent; Jourdain, Agnès; Bastien, Olivier; Leonhardt, Nathalie; Fujioka, Shozo; Tichtincky, Gabrielle; Parcy, François; Bourguignon, Jacques; Hugouvieux, Véronique

2012-02-01

Plant hormones, in addition to regulating growth and development, are involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses. To investigate whether a hormone signalling pathway plays a role in the plant response to the heavy metal cadmium (Cd), gene expression data in response to eight hormone treatments were retrieved from the Genevestigator Arabidopsis thaliana database and compared with published microarray analysis performed on plants challenged with Cd. Across more than 3000 Cd-regulated genes, statistical approaches and cluster analyses highlighted that gene expression in response to Cd and brassinosteroids (BR) showed a significant similarity. Of note, over 75% of the genes showing consistent (e.g. opposite) regulation upon BR and Brz (BR biosynthesis inhibitor) exposure exhibited a BR-like response upon Cd exposure. This phenomenon was confirmed by qPCR analysis of the expression level of 10 BR-regulated genes in roots of Cd-treated wild-type (WT) plants. Although no change in BR content was observed in response to Cd in our experimental conditions, adding epibrassinolide (eBL, a synthetic brassinosteroid) to WT plants significantly enhanced Cd-induced root growth inhibition, highlighting a synergistic response between eBL and the metal. This effect was specific to this hormone treatment. On the other hand, dwarf1 seedlings, showing a reduced BR level, exhibited decreased root growth inhibition in response to Cd compared with WT, reversed by the addition of eBL. Similar results were obtained on Brz-treated WT plants. These results argue in favour of an interaction between Cd and BR signalling that modulates plant sensitivity, and opens new perspectives to understand the plant response to Cd.

The nuclear era. From the nuclear fission to the disposal; Das nukleare Zeitalter. Von der Kernspaltung bis zur Entsorgung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eidemueller, Dirk

2012-07-01

Nuclear energy is a controverse theme - and the debate between proponents and opponents is often very emotional. by this not only the sober scientific facts but also socially significant points can easily lose sight. These information gaps Dirk Eidemueller will close with his book. He explains the foundations of the atomic force and the risks, which are connected with this: In the uranium mining, in the proliferation of nuclear weapons, but particularly in the operation of nuclear power plants and the disposal of atomic waste, which will us still keep busy for generations.

Thermal-induced changes on the properties of spin-coated P3HT:C60 thin films for solar cell applications

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Motaung, DE

2009-09-01

Full Text Available on the properties of spin- coated P3HT:C60 thin films for solar cell applications David E. Motaung1, 2, Gerald F. Malgas1,*, Christopher J. Arendse1, Sipho E. Mavundla1, 3 Clive J. Oliphant 1, 2 and Dirk Knoesen2 1National Centre for Nano...-structured Materials, Council for Scientific Industrial Research, P. O. Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa 2Deparment of Physics, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa 3Deparment of Chemistry, University of the Western...

eBooks Corp partners with the home of the world wide web

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

eBooks Corporation announced that it is collaborating with leading international university and research libraries, including CERN, to develop an eBook lending platform. eBook Library or "EBL" is scheduled for release in select sites in September 2003 and will be officially launched in January 2004 (1/2 Ppage).

New developments in percutaneous stone surgery

African Journals Online (AJOL)

S. Derisavifard

2016-08-01

Aug 1, 2016 ... Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. ... score can be used to estimate operative time, estimated blood loss. (EBL) ... mechanical heart valves, and therapy for atrial fibrillation [11,12]. ... to reduce the risk of sepsis. .... flow of irrigation providing excellent visualization and a large visual.

An Analysis of English Business Letters from the Perspective of Interpersonal Function

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Bo

2012-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to find out the features of English business letters. Halliday's systemic functional linguistics is used as the theoretical framework, mainly, interpersonal fucntion. The English business letter (EBL) is an important written text used for international business communication and it has its own features of text.…

Electron Beam Lithography of HSQ and PMMA Resists and Importance of their Properties to Link the Nano World to the Micro World

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaleli, B.; Aarnink, Antonius A.I.; Smits, Sander M.; Hueting, Raymond Josephus Engelbart; Wolters, Robertus A.M.; Schmitz, Jurriaan

2010-01-01

In this work we investigated the properties of HSQ and PMMA resists focusing on contrast and line width for ebeam lithography (EBL) application. HSQ was found to be a good candidate to have desired line widths but the contrast we obtained was less than it was for PMMA. Since the fluorine based

Regstellende aksie, aliënasie en die nie-aangewese groep / Dirk Johannes Hermann

OpenAIRE

Hermann, Dirk Johannes

2006-01-01

Affirmative action is a central concept in South African politics and the workplace. The Employment Equity Act divides society into a designated group (blacks, women and people with disabilities) and a non-designated group (white men and white women). In this study, the influence of affirmative action on alienation of the non-designated group was investigated. Guidelines were also developed for employers in order to lead the non-designated group from a state of alienation to th...

Formal Nutritional Education Improves Weight Loss in Bariatric Patients Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangieri, Christopher Wesley; Strode, Matthew A

2016-12-01

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an increasingly performed procedure in the bariatric surgery armamentarium. This study evaluates our experience with LSG at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC) during the time period of 2008-2010. We found that the inclusion of formal nutritional education significantly increased our weight loss results following LSG. This is a retrospective review from our LSG caseload from 2008 to 2010. During that time, we performed 159 LSG. In our review, we performed comparative data of all operative years during 2008-2010 for up to 3 years postoperatively. Our main focus was in regard to weight loss as measured by percentage of excess body weight loss (%EWL), percentage of total weight loss (%TWL), and percentage of excess BMI loss (%EBL). We also evaluated the effect of LSG on diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) postoperatively. We found an improvement in our %EWL, %TWL, and %EBL rates in our LSG cases following the inclusion of formal nutritional education. There was a mean increase in %EWL of 15 %, %TWL of 7 %, and %EBL of 21 %, which were statistically significant, that was present at all postoperative years of follow-up. We determined the only variable that changed in our bariatric program starting in 2010 was the inclusion of formal nutritional education. We also found a statistically significant improvement in resolution of HTN with the inclusion of formal nutritional education. The addition of formal nutritional education can enhance weight loss following bariatric surgery. We have shown a significant improvement in weight loss results following LSG with the implementation of formal nutritional education; this is the only study to our knowledge evaluating formal nutritional education and LSG.

Renal mass anatomic characteristics and perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: a critical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsivian, Matvey; Ulusoy, Said; Abern, Michael; Wandel, Ayelet; Sidi, A Ami; Tsivian, Alexander

2012-10-01

Anatomic parameters determining renal mass complexity have been used in a number of proposed scoring systems despite lack of a critical analysis of their independent contributions. We sought to assess the independent contribution of anatomic parameters on perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN). Preoperative imaging studies were reviewed for 147 consecutive patients undergoing LPN for a single renal mass. Renal mass anatomy was recorded: Size, growth pattern (endo-/meso-/exophytic), centrality (central/hilar/peripheral), anterior/posterior, lateral/medial, polar location. Multivariable models were used to determine associations of anatomic parameters with warm ischemia time (WIT), operative time (OT), estimated blood loss (EBL), intra- and postoperative complications, as well as renal function. All models were adjusted for the learning curve and relevant confounders. Median (range) tumor size was 3.3 cm (1.5-11 cm); 52% were central and 14% hilar. While 44% were exophytic, 23% and 33% were mesophytic and endophytic, respectively. Anatomic parameters did not uniformly predict perioperative outcomes. WIT was associated with tumor size (P=0.068), centrality (central, P=0.016; hilar, P=0.073), and endophytic growth pattern (P=0.017). OT was only associated with tumor size (Panatomic parameter predicted EBL. Tumor centrality increased the odds of overall and intraoperative complications, without reaching statistical significance. Postoperative renal function was not associated with any of the anatomic parameters considered after adjustment for baseline function and WIT. Learning curve, considered as a confounder, was independently associated with reduced WIT and OT as well as reduced odds of intraoperative complications. This study provides a detailed analysis of the independent impact of renal mass anatomic parameters on perioperative outcomes. Our findings suggest diverse independent contributions of the anatomic parameters to the

Short- and mid-term outcomes of sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity: the experience of the Spanish National Registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Santos, Raquel; Masdevall, Carlos; Baltasar, Aniceto; Martínez-Blázquez, Candido; García Ruiz de Gordejuela, Amador; Ponsi, Enric; Sánchez-Pernaute, Andres; Vesperinas, Gregorio; Del Castillo, Daniel; Bombuy, Ernest; Durán-Escribano, Carlos; Ortega, Luis; Ruiz de Adana, Juan Carlos; Baltar, Javier; Maruri, Ignacio; García-Blázquez, Emilio; Torres, Antonio

2009-09-01

Reports on laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) communicate very good short-term results on very high-risk morbid obese patients. However, mid- and long-term results are still unknown. A National Registry has been created in Spain to achieve information on the outcomes of this bariatric procedure. Data were obtained from 17 centers and collected in a database. Technical issues, preoperative comorbid conditions, hospital stay, early and late complications, and short- and mid-term weight loss were analyzed. Five hundred forty patients were included; 76% were women. Mean BMI was 48.1 +/- 10. Mean age was 44.1 +/- 11.8. Morbidity rate was 5.2% and mortality rate 0.36%. Complications presented more frequently in superobese patients (OR, 2.8 (1.18-6.65)), male (OR, 2.98 (1.26-7.0)), and patients >55 years old (OR, 2.8 (1.14-6.8)). Staple-line reinforcement was related to a lower complication rate (3.7 vs 8.8%; p = 0.039). Mean hospital stay was 4.8 +/- 8.2 days. Mean follow-up was 16.5 +/- 10.6 months (1-73). Mean percent excess BMI loss (EBL) at 3 months was 38.8 +/- 22, 55.6 +/- 8 at 6 months, 68.1 +/- 28 at 12 months, and 72.4 +/- 31 at 24 months. %EBL was superior in patients with lower initial BMI and lower age. Bougie caliber was an inverse predictive factor of %EBL at 12 and 24 months (RR, 23.3 (11.4-35.2)). DM is remitted in 81% of the patients and HTA improved in 63.2% of them. A second-stage surgery was performed in 18 patients (3.2%). LSG provides good short- and mid-term results with a low morbid-mortality rate. Better results are obtained in younger patients with lowest BMI. Staple-line reinforcement and a thinner bougie are recommended to improve outcome.

Adding SPICE to a Library Internet Site: A Recipe to Enhance Usability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingrid Tonnison

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Objective - To produce a highly- usable intranet site, use the project to explore the practical application of evidence-based librarianship (EBL, and refine the library's project management methodology. Methods - Evidence was gathered via a literature review, an online survey, scenario-based usability testing, and the completion of a usability checlist. Usability issues were then addressed, guided by the Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines. Results - After a preliminary revision, the site achieved a usability index of 79% after application of the "Raward Library Usability Analysis Tool". Finding the information and supporting user tasks were identified as areas of weakness. Usability testing and cleint feedback supported these findings. After these issues were addressed by a major site redeveloment, the usability index increased to 98%. Conclusions - Raward's checklist is an easy and effective tool for measuring and identifying usability issues. Its value was enhanced by scenario-based usability testing, which yielded rich, client specific information. The application of EBL and project management princples ehnanced the outcomes of the project, and the professional development of the project team.

Fabrication of superconducting MgB2 nanostructures by an electron beam lithography-based technique

Science.gov (United States)

Portesi, C.; Borini, S.; Amato, G.; Monticone, E.

2006-03-01

In this work, we present the results obtained in fabrication and characterization of magnesium diboride nanowires realized by an electron beam lithography (EBL)-based method. For fabricating MgB2 thin films, an all in situ technique has been used, based on the coevaporation of B and Mg by means of an e-gun and a resistive heater, respectively. Since the high temperatures required for the fabrication of good quality MgB2 thin films do not allow the nanostructuring approach based on the lift-off technique, we structured the samples combining EBL, optical lithography, and Ar milling. In this way, reproducible nanowires 1 μm long have been obtained. To illustrate the impact of the MgB2 film processing on its superconducting properties, we measured the temperature dependence of the resistance on a nanowire and compared it to the original magnesium diboride film. The electrical properties of the films are not degraded as a consequence of the nanostructuring process, so that superconducting nanodevices may be obtained by this method.

Polycarbonate-based ordered arrays of electrochemical nanoelectrodes obtained by e-beam lithography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moretto, L M; De Leo, M; Ugo, P [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy); Tormen, M; Carpentiero, A, E-mail: ugo@unive.it [CNR-IOM, TASC Laboratory, Basovizza S S 14 km 163.5, 34149 Trieste (Italy)

2011-05-06

Ordered arrays of nanoelectrodes for electrochemical use are prepared by electron beam lithography (EBL) using polycarbonate as a novel e-beam resist. The nanoelectrodes are fabricated by patterning arrays of holes in a thin film of polycarbonate spin-coated on a gold layer on Si/Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} substrate. Experimental parameters for the successful use of polycarbonate as high resolution EBL resist are optimized. The holes can be filled partially or completely by electrochemical deposition of gold. This enables the preparation of arrays of nanoelectrodes with different recession degree and geometrical characteristics. The polycarbonate is kept on-site and used as the insulator that separates the nanoelectrodes. The obtained nanoelectrode arrays (NEAs) exhibit steady state current controlled by pure radial diffusion in cyclic voltammetry for scan rates up to approximately 50 mV s{sup -1}. Electrochemical results showed satisfactory agreement between experimental voltammograms and suitable theoretical models. Finally, the peculiarities of NEAs versus ensembles of nanoelectrodes, obtained by membrane template synthesis, are critically evaluated.

Intraoperative frozen pathology during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: can ALEXIS™ trocar make it easy and fast?

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Gilberto Laurino; Musi, Gennaro; Mazzoleni, Federica; Matei, Deliu Victor; Brescia, Antonio; Detti, Serena; de Cobelli, Ottavio

2013-10-01

To describe the first series of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) using the ALEXIS™ trocar device when removal of the specimen is necessary for intraoperative frozen-section pathology. Consecutive RALP using the ALEXIS were prospectively catalogue. Perioperative data, including preoperative oncologic diagnosis, operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), size of incision for umbilical trocar, complications related to trocar, and length of hospital stay, were analyzed. One hundred twenty-eight patients were analyzed. The mean operative time was 216 minutes, mean time to trocar placement was 4 minutes, and mean EBL was 172 mL. The incision size for a trocar was 2-3 cm in 117 patients and 1 incisional hernia was observed. The mean hospital stay was 3 days and mean follow-up was 4 months. The ALEXIS trocar provides an easy and fast intraoperative removal of the specimen for frozen pathology during RALP, even for large prostates. Safe and cosmetic results with a low intraoperative complication rate are acquired with the wound retractor.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection of biomolecules using EBL fabricated nanostructured substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Robert F; Gutierrez-Rivera, Luis; Dew, Steven K; Stepanova, Maria

2015-03-20

Fabrication and characterization of conjugate nano-biological systems interfacing metallic nanostructures on solid supports with immobilized biomolecules is reported. The entire sequence of relevant experimental steps is described, involving the fabrication of nanostructured substrates using electron beam lithography, immobilization of biomolecules on the substrates, and their characterization utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Three different designs of nano-biological systems are employed, including protein A, glucose binding protein, and a dopamine binding DNA aptamer. In the latter two cases, the binding of respective ligands, D-glucose and dopamine, is also included. The three kinds of biomolecules are immobilized on nanostructured substrates by different methods, and the results of SERS imaging are reported. The capabilities of SERS to detect vibrational modes from surface-immobilized proteins, as well as to capture the protein-ligand and aptamer-ligand binding are demonstrated. The results also illustrate the influence of the surface nanostructure geometry, biomolecules immobilization strategy, Raman activity of the molecules and presence or absence of the ligand binding on the SERS spectra acquired.

Single-spot e-beam lithography for defining large arrays of nano-holes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højlund-Nielsen, Emil; Greibe, Tine; Mortensen, N. Asger

2014-01-01

V prototype EBL system for speed and pattern fidelity to a minimum writing time of around 30 min/cm2 for 200 nm periods in 2D lattices. The machine time and feasibility of the method are assessed in terms of the trade-off between high current and large writing field. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....

Swallows Rugby Football Club, South Africa: The story of a century ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper aims to deconstruct and isolate a century-long story of the Swallows RFC from a multifarious Xhosa and black peoplees rugby history and locate it in the epicentre of research in the country. This Club was established in 1911 at the East Bank Location (EBL) of East London, in the present day Eastern Cape ...

Works of Game

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharp, John

and games has clouded for both artists and gamemakers. Contemporary art has drawn on the tool set of videogames, but has not considered them a cultural form with its own conceptual, formal, and experiential affordances. For their part, game developers and players focus on the innate properties of games...... and offers case studies for each. “Game Art,” which includes such artists as Julian Oliver, Cory Arcangel, and JODI (Joan Heemskerk and Dirk Paesmans) treats videogames as a form of popular culture from which can be borrowed subject matter, tools, and processes. “Artgames,” created by gamemakers including...

Efficient charge carrier injection into sub-250 nm AlGaN multiple quantum well light emitting diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mehnke, Frank, E-mail: mehnke@physik.tu-berlin.de; Kuhn, Christian; Guttmann, Martin; Reich, Christoph; Kolbe, Tim; Rass, Jens; Wernicke, Tim [Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Festkörperphysik, Hardenbergstr. 36, EW 6-1, 10623 Berlin (Germany); Kueller, Viola; Knauer, Arne; Lapeyrade, Mickael; Einfeldt, Sven; Weyers, Markus [Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Kneissl, Michael [Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Festkörperphysik, Hardenbergstr. 36, EW 6-1, 10623 Berlin (Germany); Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

2014-08-04

The design and Mg-doping profile of AlN/Al{sub 0.7}Ga{sub 0.3}N electron blocking heterostructures (EBH) for AlGaN multiple quantum well (MQW) light emitting diodes (LEDs) emitting below 250 nm was investigated. By inserting an AlN electron blocking layer (EBL) into the EBH, we were able to increase the quantum well emission power and significantly reduce long wavelength parasitic luminescence. Furthermore, electron leakage was suppressed by optimizing the thickness of the AlN EBL while still maintaining sufficient hole injection. Ultraviolet (UV)-C LEDs with very low parasitic luminescence (7% of total emission power) and external quantum efficiencies of 0.19% at 246 nm have been realized. This concept was applied to AlGaN MQW LEDs emitting between 235 nm and 263 nm with external quantum efficiencies ranging from 0.002% to 0.93%. After processing, we were able to demonstrate an UV-C LED emitting at 234 nm with 14.5 μW integrated optical output power and an external quantum efficiency of 0.012% at 18.2 A/cm{sup 2}.

Search for Magnetically Broadened Cascade Emission from Blazars with VERITAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Archambault, S.; Griffin, S. [Physics Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada); Archer, A.; Bugaev, V. [Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130 (United States); Benbow, W.; Cerruti, M. [Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Amado, AZ 85645 (United States); Buchovecky, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Connolly, M. P. [School of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway (Ireland); Cui, W.; Finley, J. P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Falcone, A. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Lab, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Alonso, M. Fernández [Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE, CONICET-UBA), CC 67—Suc. 28, (C1428ZAA) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Fleischhack, H.; Hütten, M. [DESY, Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany); Fortson, L. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Furniss, A. [Department of Physics, California State University—East Bay, Hayward, CA 94542 (United States); Hervet, O.; Johnson, C. A. [Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Holder, J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 (United States); Humensky, T. B., E-mail: elisa.pueschel@ucd.ie, E-mail: weisgarber@physics.wisc.edu [Physics Department, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States); and others

2017-02-01

We present a search for magnetically broadened gamma-ray emission around active galactic nuclei (AGNs), using VERITAS observations of seven hard-spectrum blazars. A cascade process occurs when multi-TeV gamma-rays from an AGN interact with extragalactic background light (EBL) photons to produce electron–positron pairs, which then interact with cosmic microwave background photons via inverse-Compton scattering to produce gamma-rays. Due to the deflection of the electron–positron pairs, a non-zero intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) would potentially produce detectable effects on the angular distribution of the cascade emission. In particular, an angular broadening compared to the unscattered emission could occur. Through non-detection of angularly broadened emission from 1ES 1218+304, the source with the largest predicted cascade fraction, we exclude a range of IGMF strengths around 10{sup −14} G at the 95% confidence level. The extent of the exclusion range varies with the assumptions made about the intrinsic spectrum of 1ES 1218+304 and the EBL model used in the simulation of the cascade process. All of the sources are used to set limits on the flux due to extended emission.

Efficient charge carrier injection into sub-250 nm AlGaN multiple quantum well light emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehnke, Frank; Kuhn, Christian; Guttmann, Martin; Reich, Christoph; Kolbe, Tim; Rass, Jens; Wernicke, Tim; Kueller, Viola; Knauer, Arne; Lapeyrade, Mickael; Einfeldt, Sven; Weyers, Markus; Kneissl, Michael

2014-01-01

The design and Mg-doping profile of AlN/Al 0.7 Ga 0.3 N electron blocking heterostructures (EBH) for AlGaN multiple quantum well (MQW) light emitting diodes (LEDs) emitting below 250 nm was investigated. By inserting an AlN electron blocking layer (EBL) into the EBH, we were able to increase the quantum well emission power and significantly reduce long wavelength parasitic luminescence. Furthermore, electron leakage was suppressed by optimizing the thickness of the AlN EBL while still maintaining sufficient hole injection. Ultraviolet (UV)-C LEDs with very low parasitic luminescence (7% of total emission power) and external quantum efficiencies of 0.19% at 246 nm have been realized. This concept was applied to AlGaN MQW LEDs emitting between 235 nm and 263 nm with external quantum efficiencies ranging from 0.002% to 0.93%. After processing, we were able to demonstrate an UV-C LED emitting at 234 nm with 14.5 μW integrated optical output power and an external quantum efficiency of 0.012% at 18.2 A/cm 2

On the hole accelerator for III-nitride light-emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zi-Hui; Zhang, Yonghui; Bi, Wengang; Geng, Chong; Xu, Shu; Demir, Hilmi Volkan; Sun, Xiao Wei

2016-01-01

In this work, we systematically conduct parametric studies revealing the sensitivity of the hole injection on the hole accelerator (a hole accelerator is made of the polarization mismatched p-electron blocking layer (EBL)/p-GaN/p-Al x Ga 1−x N heterojunction) with different designs, including the AlN composition in the p-Al x Ga 1−x N layer, and the thickness for the p-GaN layer and the p-Al x Ga 1−x N layer. According to our findings, the energy that the holes obtain does not monotonically increase as the AlN incorporation in the p-Al x Ga 1−x N layer increases. Meanwhile, with p-GaN layer or p-Al x Ga 1−x N layer thickening, the energy that the holes gain increases and then reaches a saturation level. Thus, the hole injection efficiency and the device efficiency are very sensitive to the p-EBL/p-GaN/p-Al x Ga 1−x N design, and the hole accelerator can effectively increase the hole injection if properly designed.

Leptospira Species in Feral Cats and Black Rats from Western Australia and Christmas Island.

Science.gov (United States)

Dybing, Narelle A; Jacobson, Caroline; Irwin, Peter; Algar, David; Adams, Peter J

2017-05-01

Leptospirosis is a neglected, re-emerging bacterial disease with both zoonotic and conservation implications. Rats and livestock are considered the usual sources of human infection, but all mammalian species are capable of carrying Leptospira spp. and transmitting pathogenic leptospires in their urine, and uncertainty remains about the ecology and transmission dynamics of Leptospira in different regions. In light of a recent case of human leptospirosis on tropical Christmas Island, this study aimed to investigate the role of introduced animals (feral cats and black rats) as carriers of pathogenic Leptospira spp. on Christmas Island and to compare this with two different climatic regions of Western Australia (one island and one mainland). Kidney samples were collected from black rats (n = 68) and feral cats (n = 59) from Christmas Island, as well as feral cats from Dirk Hartog Island (n = 23) and southwest Western Australia (n = 59). Molecular (PCR) screening detected pathogenic leptospires in 42.4% (95% confidence interval 29.6-55.9) of cats and 2.9% (0.4-10.2) of rats from Christmas Island. Sequencing of cat- and rat-positive samples from Christmas Island showed 100% similarity for Leptospira interrogans. Pathogenic leptospires were not detected in cats from Dirk Hartog Island or southwest Western Australia. These findings were consistent with previous reports of higher Leptospira spp. prevalence in tropical regions compared with arid and temperate regions. Despite the abundance of black rats on Christmas Island, feral cats appear to be the more important reservoir species for the persistence of pathogenic L. interrogans on the island. This research highlights the importance of disease surveillance and feral animal management to effectively control potential disease transmission.

Saving and gaining energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lauritzen, T.

2008-01-01

In this interview with Dirk U. Hindrichs from the Schueco International KG company, differences between ecological and economical points of view in general are discussed, as is the world's energy consumption and the visions held by the Schueco company in this respect. The importance of building facades, windows and photovoltaics for his business is discussed, as are solar thermal systems for the production of heat and cold. Further, energy-efficiency and examples of buildings realised internationally are discussed and co-operation with important players in the climate protection area is noted. Hindrichs' opinion, that pro-active actions must be taken by entrepreneurs, is noted.

Minimally invasive versus open sacroiliac joint fusion: are they similarly safe and effective?

Science.gov (United States)

Ledonio, Charles G T; Polly, David W; Swiontkowski, Marc F

2014-06-01

The sacroiliac joint has been implicated as a source of chronic low back pain in 15% to 30% of patients. When nonsurgical approaches fail, sacroiliac joint fusion may be recommended. Advances in intraoperative image guidance have assisted minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques using ingrowth-coated fusion rods; however, how these techniques perform relative to open anterior fusion of the sacroiliac joint using plates and screws is not known. We compared estimated blood loss (EBL), surgical time, length of hospital stay (LOS), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) between patients undergoing MIS and open sacroiliac joint fusion. We retrospectively studied 63 patients (open: 36; MIS: 27) who underwent sacroiliac joint fusion with minimum 1-year followup at our institution from 2006 to 2011. Of those, 10 in the open group had incomplete records. All patients had sacroiliac joint dysfunction confirmed by image-guided intraarticular anesthetic sacroiliac joint injection and had failed nonoperative treatment. Patients were matched via propensity score, adjusting for age, sex, BMI, history of spine fusion, and preoperative ODI scores, leaving 22 in each group. Nine patients were not matched. We reviewed patient medical records to obtain EBL, length of surgery, LOS, and pre- and postoperative ODI scores. Mean followup was 13 months (range, 11-33 months) in the open group and 15 months (range, 12-26 months) in the MIS group. Patients in the open group had a higher mean EBL (681 mL versus 41 mL, p sacroiliac fusion group. With the numbers available, ODI scores were similar between groups, though the study size was relatively small and it is possible that the study was underpowered on this end point. Because the implants used for these procedures make assessment of fusion challenging with available imaging techniques, we do not know how many patients' sacroiliac joints successfully fused, so longer followup and critical evaluation of outcomes scores over time are called

Transcranial motor evoked potential waveform changes in corrective fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Kazuyoshi; Imagama, Shiro; Ito, Zenya; Ando, Kei; Hida, Tetsuro; Ito, Kenyu; Tsushima, Mikito; Ishikawa, Yoshimoto; Matsumoto, Akiyuki; Nishida, Yoshihiro; Ishiguro, Naoki

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE Corrective surgery for spinal deformities can lead to neurological complications. Several reports have described spinal cord monitoring in surgery for spinal deformity, but only a few have included patients younger than 20 years with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The goal of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of cases with intraoperative transcranial motor evoked potential (Tc-MEP) waveform deterioration during posterior corrective fusion for AIS. METHODS A prospective database was reviewed, comprising 68 patients with AIS who were treated with posterior corrective fusion in a prospective database. A total of 864 muscles in the lower extremities were chosen for monitoring, and acceptable baseline responses were obtained from 819 muscles (95%). Intraoperative Tc-MEP waveform deterioration was defined as a decrease in intraoperative amplitude of ≥ 70% of the control waveform. Age, Cobb angle, flexibility, operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), intraoperative body temperature, blood pressure, number of levels fused, and correction rate were examined in patients with and without waveform deterioration. RESULTS The patients (3 males and 65 females) had an average age of 14.4 years (range 11-19 years). The mean Cobb angles before and after surgery were 52.9° and 11.9°, respectively, giving a correction rate of 77.4%. Fourteen patients (20%) exhibited an intraoperative waveform change, and these occurred during incision (14%), after screw fixation (7%), during the rotation maneuver (64%), during placement of the second rod after the rotation maneuver (7%), and after intervertebral compression (7%). Most waveform changes recovered after decreased correction or rest. No patient had a motor deficit postoperatively. In multivariate analysis, EBL (OR 1.001, p = 0.085) and number of levels fused (OR 1.535, p = 0.045) were associated with waveform deterioration. CONCLUSIONS Waveform deterioration commonly occurred during rotation maneuvers

RESOLVING THE COSMIC FAR-INFRARED BACKGROUND AT 450 AND 850 μm WITH SCUBA-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Chian-Chou; Cowie, Lennox L.; Barger, Amy J.; Casey, Caitlin M.; Lee, Nicholas; Sanders, David B.; Williams, Jonathan P.; Wang, Wei-Hao

2013-01-01

We use the SCUBA-2 submillimeter camera mounted on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope to obtain extremely deep number counts at 450 and 850 μm. We combine data on two cluster lensing fields, A1689 and A370, and three blank fields, CDF-N, CDF-S, and COSMOS, to measure the counts over a wide flux range at each wavelength. We use statistical fits to broken power law representations to determine the number counts. This allows us to probe to the deepest possible level in the data. At both wavelengths our results agree well with the literature in the flux range over which they have been measured, with the exception of the 850 μm counts in CDF-S, where we do not observe the counts deficit found by previous single-dish observations. At 450 μm, we detect significant counts down to ∼1 mJy, an unprecedented depth at this wavelength. By integrating the number counts above this flux limit, we measure 113.9 +49.7 -28.4 Jy deg –2 of the 450 μm extragalactic background light (EBL). The majority of this contribution is from sources with S 450 μ m between 1-10 mJy, and these sources are likely to be the ones that are analogous to the local luminous infrared galaxies. At 850 μm, we measure 37.3 +21.1 -12.9 Jy deg –2 of the EBL. Because of the large systematic uncertainties on the COBE measurements, the percentage of the EBL we resolve could range from 48%-153% (44%-178%) at 450 (850) μm. Based on high-resolution Submillimeter Array observations of around half of the 4 σ 850 μm sample in CDF-N, we find that 12.5 +12.1 -6.8 % of the sources are blends of multiple fainter sources. This is a low multiple fraction, and we find no significant difference between our original SCUBA-2 850 μm counts and the multiplicity-corrected counts

Resolving the Cosmic Far-infrared Background at 450 and 850 μm with SCUBA-2

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chian-Chou; Cowie, Lennox L.; Barger, Amy J.; Casey, Caitlin. M.; Lee, Nicholas; Sanders, David B.; Wang, Wei-Hao; Williams, Jonathan P.

2013-10-01

We use the SCUBA-2 submillimeter camera mounted on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope to obtain extremely deep number counts at 450 and 850 μm. We combine data on two cluster lensing fields, A1689 and A370, and three blank fields, CDF-N, CDF-S, and COSMOS, to measure the counts over a wide flux range at each wavelength. We use statistical fits to broken power law representations to determine the number counts. This allows us to probe to the deepest possible level in the data. At both wavelengths our results agree well with the literature in the flux range over which they have been measured, with the exception of the 850 μm counts in CDF-S, where we do not observe the counts deficit found by previous single-dish observations. At 450 μm, we detect significant counts down to ~1 mJy, an unprecedented depth at this wavelength. By integrating the number counts above this flux limit, we measure 113.9^{+49.7}_{-28.4} Jy deg-2 of the 450 μm extragalactic background light (EBL). The majority of this contribution is from sources with S 450 μm between 1-10 mJy, and these sources are likely to be the ones that are analogous to the local luminous infrared galaxies. At 850 μm, we measure 37.3^{+21.1}_{-12.9} Jy deg-2 of the EBL. Because of the large systematic uncertainties on the COBE measurements, the percentage of the EBL we resolve could range from 48%-153% (44%-178%) at 450 (850) μm. Based on high-resolution Submillimeter Array observations of around half of the 4 σ 850 μm sample in CDF-N, we find that 12.5^{ +12.1}_{ -6.8}% of the sources are blends of multiple fainter sources. This is a low multiple fraction, and we find no significant difference between our original SCUBA-2 850 μm counts and the multiplicity-corrected counts.

Bat in our environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirjana Stantič-Pavlinič

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Background: All around the world exist more than thousand species of bats. In spite of some advantageous characteristics, mostly recognised in several insectivorous species, bats can transmit different kinds of microorganisms – the causes of infectious diseases. Microbial agents, recognised in connection with bats are: lyssavirus, Nipah virus, Hystoplasma capsulatum fungus, etc. In Europe there live about 28 species of bats. The most cases of European bat lyssaviruses (EBL1 and EBL2 were demonstrated in the Eptesicus serotinus species placed in Slovenia as well. We are presenting available data on rabies prevention. The rate of post-exposure treatment against rabies after the bite of bats in Slovenia is below 1% and is comparable with the remainder of Europe.Conclusions: In most European countries, including Slovenia, the bats are included in the lists of animal species protected by the law. In spite of that, the programs of investigations of bats, including the recognition and prevention of diseases transmitted by bats are implemented. We believe that such program should be prepared in Slovenia as well. We propose for that purposes the establishment of co-operation between the medical institutions, veterinarians, cave explorers associations, societies for bat protections and other interested institutions.

Characteristics of Recent Tsunamis

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeney, A. D.; Eble, M. C.; Mungov, G.

2017-12-01

How long do tsunamis impact a coast? How often is the largest tsunami wave the first to arrive? How do measurements in the far field differ from those made close to the source? Extending the study of Eblé et al. (2015) who showed the prevalence of a leading negative phase, we assimilate and summarize characteristics of known tsunami events recorded on bottom pressure and coastal water level stations throughout the world oceans to answer these and other questions. An extensive repository of data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) archive for tsunami-ready U.S. tide gauge stations, housing more than 200 sites going back 10 years are utilized as are some of the more 3000 marigrams (analog or paper tide gauge records) for tsunami events. The focus of our study is on five tsunamis generated by earthquakes: 2010 Chile (Maule), 2011 East Japan (Tohoku), 2012 Haida Gwaii, 2014 Chile (Iquique), and 2015 Central Chile and one meteorologically generated tsunami on June 2013 along the U.S. East Coast and Caribbean. Reference: Eblé, M., Mungov, G. & Rabinovich, A. On the Leading Negative Phase of Major 2010-2014 Tsunamis. Pure Appl. Geophys. (2015) 172: 3493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-015-1127-5

GLAST and AGN Science

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, Luis C.

2006-04-01

The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board GLAST (Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope) is an instrument under construction to study the gamma-ray sky in the energy range 20 MeV to >300 GeV with special interest in the previously unexplored region between a few GeV and a few hundred GeV. Among the high energy gamma-ray sources in the sky, the Blazar-class of AGNs are distinguished because of their brightness and very short term variability. GLAST's improved sensitivity with respect to previous missions will increase the number of known AGN gamma-ray sources from about 100 to thousands, with redshifts up to z>4. Science returns with GLAST include: examination of the blazar sequence model, test of leptonic and hadronic models for particle acceleration, physics of relativistic jets, and evolution of Blazar AGNs population with cosmic time. Special consideration will be given to the possibility of using the large size of the GLAST Blazar catalog to distinguish intrinsic spectra of AGNs from the redshift dependent effects of attenuation by the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL). A measured attenuation as a function of AGN redshift would constitute and effective and unique probe to the optical-UV EBL.

Hepatitis C virus-associated thrombocytopenia in pregnancy: impact upon multidisciplinary care provision.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Monteith, Cathy

2014-01-01

Abstract Objective: Recent studies have implicated hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia. In pregnancy-associated immune thrombocytopenia, multidisciplinary management is required due to a potential for bleeding complications. We performed a retrospective review of HCV-infected pregnant women and age-matched controls who were not infected with HCV. Methods: One hundred and six women with a HCV viral load were identified from 2009 to 2011. Results: Thrombocytopenia was identified in 10.3% of HCV-infected pregnant women and 1.6% of age-matched controls (P<0.001). Mean platelet count during pregnancy was 120±23×109\\/L in HCV-infected women and at delivery was significantly lower in HCV-infected women than in controls (P=0.01). Despite the significant difference in platelet counts, there was no significant difference in estimated blood loss (EBL) at delivery. Regional anaesthesia was performed in 73% of thrombocytopenic HCV-infected women and no complications were recorded. There were no fetal bleeding complications. Conclusion: In the first study to date to investigate the impact of HCV on maternal platelet count we demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of thrombocytopenia and a significantly lower platelet count in HCV-infected pregnant women compared with controls. Interestingly, thrombocytopenia had no detectable impact on EBL at delivery.

Generalizing the order and the parameters of macro-operators by explanation-based learning - Extension of Explanation-Based Learning on Partial Order

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Huihua

1992-01-01

The traditional generalization methods such as FIKE's macro-operator learning and Explanation-Based Learning (EBL) deal with totally ordered plans. They generalize only the plan operators and the conditions under which the generalized plan can be applied in its initial total order, but not the partial order among operators in which the generalized plan can be successfully executed. In this paper, we extend the notion of the EBL on the partial order of plans. A new method is presented for learning, from a totally or partially ordered plan, partially ordered macro-operators (generalized plans) each of which requires a set of the weakest conditions for its reuse. It is also valuable for generalizing partially ordered plans. The operators are generalized in the FIKE's triangle table. We introduce the domain axioms to generate the constraints for the consistency of generalized states. After completing the triangle table with the information concerning the operator destructions (interactions), we obtain the global explanation of the partial order on the operators. Then, we represent all the necessary ordering relations by a directed graph. The exploitation of this graph permits to explicate the dependence between the partial orders and the constraints among the parameters of generalized operators, and allows all the solutions to be obtained. (author) [fr

A window on stochastic processes and gamma-ray cosmology through spectral and temporal studies of AGN observed with H.E.S.S

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biteau, J.

2013-01-01

Fifty years after the discovery that quasars are extragalactic sources, their bright cores (AGN) and the jets that some of them exhibit still have plenty of secrets to share, particularly through observations in the gamma-ray band. Above 100 GeV, Cherenkov telescopes such as H.E.S.S. have detected 50 AGN, mostly blazars, objects whose jets are pointed toward the observer. The detection of two faint ones, 1ES 1312-423 and SHBL J001355.9-185406, is described in this thesis. Their multiwavelength spectra are reproduced with a synchrotron self-Compton model. The γ rays emitted by blazars are partly absorbed by the extragalactic background light (EBL), the second most intense cosmological background, which carries the integrated history of star formation. The first detection of this absorption above 100 GeV is performed, enabling the measurement of the EBL peak-amplitude in the optical band at the 20% level. In addition to these spectral studies, the fast flux-variations of blazars are investigated using the outbursts of PKS 2155-304 seen by H.E.S.S.. The observation of a skewed flux distribution and of an R.M.S.-flux correlation are interpreted within a kinematic model, where the emission is a realization of a stochastic process. (author)

Caesarean Section at Full Dilatation and Risk of Major Obstetric Haemorrhage

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O’Dwyer, V

2018-03-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the risk factors for caesarean section (CS) at full dilatation and to assess the risk and management of haemorrhage. The study took place in a tertiary referral maternity hospital. Women who had a CS at full dilatation were included. Clinical and demographic details were recorded. There were 199 cases. The average age was 30.3 years and average BMI was 25.8kg\\/m2. There were 79.9 % (159) primigravidas and 20.1% (40) multigravidas. The average gestation at delivery was 39.4 weeks. Labour was induced in 46.9 % (92) and spontaneous in 53.8% (107). Oxytocin was used in 67.8 % (135). An instrumental delivery was attempted in 46.7 % (93). The rate of malposition was 46.5 % (92). The average birthweight was 3,629g and 9 babies weighed ≥4.5kg. The average estimated blood loss (EBL) was 665mls and 34 had EBL>1L. Most had an oxytocin infusion (141). Other uterotonic agents were used in 70 women. Seven women had blood transfusions. The highest rate of CS at full dilatation was in primigravidas due to malposition. There was a low rate of major obstetric haemorrhage.

China, Russia and Central Asia: The energy dilemma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergsager, Henrik

2012-07-01

How China will satisfy its rising energy demand will have impact on the availability and market price of energy resources such as oil and gas, but also on foreign policy. Of special interest is the role of rising neighboring countries and region; Russia and Central Asia countries, who can supply China by way of pipelines. In this paper important factors influencing Chinese energy decision-making are discussed, with a particular focus on energy investments abroad. The state capitalism framework is used to explain the long-term policies of Chinese energy investments as well as discuss the importance of State-Owned Enterprises and National Oil Companies to the Chinese economy. On this background the energy relations between Russia, China and other Central Asia states is discussed. The main focus is on the influence Chinese Energy Based Loan (EBL) agreements have on the Chinese presence both economically and politically in the region. The objective is to present the current situation and outlook for Sino-Russian-Central Asian energy relations as well as the economic implications a closer Chinese presence could have for the region. China's EBLs with Central Asian countries illustrate the preferred Chinese approach in expanding trade relations and should be considered as important examples for future bilateral agreements.(Author)

Notice: PSPB articles by authors with retracted articles at PSPB or other journals: Stapel, Smeesters, and Sanna.

Science.gov (United States)

Funder, David

2014-01-01

Numerous articles by the social psychologists Diederick Stapel, Dirk Smeesters, and Lawrence Sanna have been retracted in several different journals. The present notice reports the results of an investigation into papers authored or coauthored by these individuals, and published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, that have not been retracted. The status of these papers range from data confirmed as legitimate by coauthors to, in many cases, being unknown as to their legitimacy. Given the lack of information in the latter cases, there is insufficient basis to recommend retraction at this time. Researchers using the results of these papers in their own work are advised to take the information reported in this notice into account.

Burocratización y racionalización en Max Weber a la luz de las interpretaciones actuales de su obra

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexis Emanuel Gros

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Este trabajo se propone presentar de forma sucinta y sistemática la teoría de la burocracia de Max Weber y problematizar el rol que esta juega en sus reflexiones sobre el proceso de racionalización occidental (okzidentale Rationalisierung. Para ello, se analizan textos centrales del autor como Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, Politik als Beruf y Die protestantische Ethik und der "Geist“ des Kapitalismus, entre otros. La exposición se guía en las más recientes interpretaciones germanoparlantes de la obra weberiana, a saber: las de Dirk Kaesler, Hans-Peter Müller, Uwe Barrelmeyer y Volker Kruse; y Harmut Rosa, David Strecker y Andreas Kottmann.

Development of a novel active muzzle brake for an artillery weapon system / Dirk Johannes Downing

OpenAIRE

Downing, Dirk Johannes

2002-01-01

A conventional muzzle brake is a baffle device located at some distance in front of the muzzle exit of a gun. The purpose of a muzzle brake is to alleviate the force on the weapon platform by diverting a portion of the muzzle gas resulting in a forward impulse being exerted on the recoiling parts of the weapon. A very efficient muzzle brake unfortunately gives rise to an excessive overpressure in the crew environment due to the deflection of the emerging shock waves. The novel ...

Tariff formulation and equalization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svartsund, Trond

2003-01-01

The primary goal of the transmission tariff is to provide for socioeconomic use of the transmission grid. The present tariff structure is basically right. The responsibility for the formulation of the tariff resides with the local grid owner. This must take place in agreement with the current regulations which are passed by the authorities. The formulation must be adaptable to the local requirements. EBL (Norwegian Electricity Industry Association) is content with the current regulations

Improving the taxation regime for electric power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fjermeros, Morten; Ilstad, Kristine

2003-01-01

In Norway, the present taxation regime for electric power is very complex. The power companies are currently charged with ordinary tax on profits, tax on economic rent, tax on natural resources and land tax. In addition there are the rules about licence fees, yield of power due to concession conditions, and reversion. The Norwegian Electricity Industry Association (EBL), assisted by a firm of lawyers, has proposed an improvement over the current taxation regime

A step in the right direction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fjermeros, Morten; Ilstad, Kristine

2003-01-01

In Norway, the budget proposition for 2004 proposes a number of changes in the rules for tax on electric power, and central assessment of taxes for the power producers. On several central points the proposals are in agreement with proposals in the EBL (Norwegian Electricity Industry Association) report on improvements of the power tax system. Later the government will consider coordination of economic rent on company level. The authors discuss the changes and their implications

Biomarkers in the Detection of Prostate Cancer in African Americans

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-01

Eds. L Cheng, D. Zhang, Eble J), Springer Science+ Business Media. 2013;483-497. K. Bledsoe MJ, Grizzle WE. Use of Human Tissue in Research: The...Alternatively, one can use the bootstrap method to test for model instability (38-39). Clinical events: A clinical event is defined as the least...problems, and suggested solutions. Caner Treat Rep 1985;69:1071-1077. 38. Efron B. Bootstrap methods: Another look at the jackknife. Ann. Statist

Multi Criteria Decision Support for Conceptual Integral Design of Flex(eble)(en)ergy Infrastructure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zeiler, W.; Savanovic, P.; Houten, van M.A.; Boxem, G.; Ehrgott, M; Naujoks, B; Stewart, T.J.; Wallenius, J

2009-01-01

The use of sustainable energy will soon be the major guiding principle for building and spatial planning practice. This asks for new sustainable energy infrastructures which need new design approaches. Design tools for the energy infrastructure of the built environment in the conceptual phase of

Experimental and theoretical study on chemically semi-amplified resist AR-P 6200

Science.gov (United States)

Kostic, I.; Vutova, K.; Andok, R.; Barak, V.; Bencurova, A.; Ritomsky, R.; Tanaka, T.

2018-03-01

Experimental and simulation results are presented and discussed on electron-beam lithography (EBL) nano-structuring using the positive chemically semi-amplified electron-beam resist AR-P 6200 (CSAR 62), which provides high sensitivity and allows achievement of high resolutions (sub-100 nm). The influence of the e-beam lithography process parameters, namely, exposure dose, development process conditions, and proximity effects on the obtained developed images was studied for the case of 40-keV electron energy.

Addressing the efficiency roll-off in a fluorescent OLED by facile electron transport layer doping and carrier confinement

Science.gov (United States)

Soman, Anjaly; M, Manuraj; Unni, K. N. Narayanan

2018-05-01

Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) often face the issue of decreasing power efficiency with increasing brightness. Loss of charge carrier balance is one of the factors contributing to the efficiency roll-off. We demonstrate that by using a combination of doped electron transport layer (ETL) and a specially chosen electron blocking layer (EBL) having high hole mobility, this efficiency roll-off can be effectively suppressed. A tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq3) based OLED has been fabricated with 2,3,6,7-Tetrahydro-1,1,7,7,-tetramethyl-1H, 5H,11H-10-(2-benzothiazolyl) quinolizino-[9,9a, 1n gh]coumarin (C545T) as the emissive dopant. Bulk doping of the ETL with lithium fluoride (LiF) was optimized to increase the luminous intensity as well as the current efficiency. An EBL with high hole mobility introduced between the EML and the hole transport layer (HTL) improved the performance drastically, and the device brightness at 9 V got improved by a factor of 2.5 compared to that of the control device. While increasing the brightness from 100 cd/m2 to 1000 cd/m2, the power efficiency drop was 47% for the control device whereas only a drop of 15% was observed for the modified device. The possible mechanisms for the enhanced performance are discussed.

4P-NPD ultra-thin films as efficient exciton blocking layers in DBP/C70 based organic solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Bhushan R.; Liu, Yiming; Qamar, Talha; Rubahn, Horst-Günter; Madsen, Morten

2017-09-01

Exciton blocking effects from ultra-thin layers of N,N‧-di-1-naphthalenyl-N,N‧-diphenyl [1,1‧:4‧,1″:4″,1‴-quaterphenyl]-4,4‴-diamine (4P-NPD) were investigated in small molecule-based inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) using tetraphenyldibenzoperiflanthene as the electron donor material and fullerene (C70) as the electron acceptor material. The short-circuit current density (J SC) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the optimized OSCs with 0.7 nm thick 4P-NPD were approximately 16% and 24% higher, respectively, compared to reference devices without exciton blocking layers (EBLs). Drift diffusion-based device modeling was conducted to model the full current density-voltage (JV) characteristics and external quantum efficiency spectrum of the OSCs, and photoluminescence measurements were conducted to investigate the exciton blocking effects with increasing thicknesses of the 4P-NPD layer. Importantly, coupled optical and electrical modeling studies of the device behaviors and exciton generation rates and densities in the active layer for different 4P-NPD layer thicknesses were conducted, in order to gain a complete understanding of the observed increase in PCE for 4P-NPD layer thicknesses up to 1 nm, and the observed decrease in PCE for layer thicknesses beyond 1 nm. This work demonstrates a route for guiding the integration of EBLs in OSC devices.

AXION DECAY AND ANISOTROPY OF NEAR-IR EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gong, Yan; Chen, Xuelei [National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100012 (China); Cooray, Asantha; Mitchell-Wynne, Ketron [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Zemcov, Michael [Center for Detectors, School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Smidt, Joseph [Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

2016-07-10

The extragalactic background light (EBL) is composed of the cumulative radiation from all galaxies and active galactic nuclei over cosmic history. In addition to point sources, the EBL also contains information from diffuse sources of radiation. The angular power spectra of the near-infrared intensities could contain additional signals, and a complete understanding of the nature of the infrared (IR) background is still lacking in the literature. Here we explore the constraints that can be placed on particle decays, especially candidate dark matter (DM) models involving axions that trace DM halos of galaxies. Axions with a mass around a few electronvolts will decay via two photons with wavelengths in the near-IR band and will leave a signature in the IR background intensity power spectrum. Using recent power spectra measurements from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment, we find that the 0.6–1.6 μ m power spectra can be explained by axions with masses around 4 eV. The total axion abundance Ω{sub a} ≃ 0.05, and it is comparable to the baryon density of the universe. The suggested mean axion mass and abundance are not ruled out by existing cosmological observations. Interestingly, the axion model with a mass distribution is preferred by the data, which cannot be explained by the standard quantum chromodynamics theory and needs further discussion.

Toward optimized light utilization in nanowire arrays using scalable nanosphere lithography and selected area growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Madaria, Anuj R; Yao, Maoqing; Chi, Chunyung; Huang, Ningfeng; Lin, Chenxi; Li, Ruijuan; Povinelli, Michelle L; Dapkus, P Daniel; Zhou, Chongwu

2012-06-13

Vertically aligned, catalyst-free semiconducting nanowires hold great potential for photovoltaic applications, in which achieving scalable synthesis and optimized optical absorption simultaneously is critical. Here, we report combining nanosphere lithography (NSL) and selected area metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (SA-MOCVD) for the first time for scalable synthesis of vertically aligned gallium arsenide nanowire arrays, and surprisingly, we show that such nanowire arrays with patterning defects due to NSL can be as good as highly ordered nanowire arrays in terms of optical absorption and reflection. Wafer-scale patterning for nanowire synthesis was done using a polystyrene nanosphere template as a mask. Nanowires grown from substrates patterned by NSL show similar structural features to those patterned using electron beam lithography (EBL). Reflection of photons from the NSL-patterned nanowire array was used as a measure of the effect of defects present in the structure. Experimentally, we show that GaAs nanowires as short as 130 nm show reflection of <10% over the visible range of the solar spectrum. Our results indicate that a highly ordered nanowire structure is not necessary: despite the "defects" present in NSL-patterned nanowire arrays, their optical performance is similar to "defect-free" structures patterned by more costly, time-consuming EBL methods. Our scalable approach for synthesis of vertical semiconducting nanowires can have application in high-throughput and low-cost optoelectronic devices, including solar cells.

Recurrent Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections in Kenyan children diminish T-cell immunity to Epstein Barr virus lytic but not latent antigens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cynthia J Snider

Full Text Available Plasmodium falciparum malaria (Pf-malaria and Epstein Barr Virus (EBV infections coexist in children at risk for endemic Burkitt's lymphoma (eBL; yet studies have only glimpsed the cumulative effect of Pf-malaria on EBV-specific immunity. Using pooled EBV lytic and latent CD8+ T-cell epitope-peptides, IFN-γ ELISPOT responses were surveyed three times among children (10 months to 15 years in Kenya from 2002-2004. Prevalence ratios (PR and 95% confidence intervals (CI were estimated in association with Pf-malaria exposure, defined at the district-level (Kisumu: holoendemic; Nandi: hypoendemic and the individual-level. We observed a 46% decrease in positive EBV lytic antigen IFN-γ responses among 5-9 year olds residing in Kisumu compared to Nandi (PR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.30-0.99. Individual-level analysis in Kisumu revealed further impairment of EBV lytic antigen responses among 5-9 year olds consistently infected with Pf-malaria compared to those never infected. There were no observed district- or individual-level differences between Pf-malaria exposure and EBV latent antigen IFN-γ response. The gradual decrease of EBV lytic antigen but not latent antigen IFN-γ responses after primary infection suggests a specific loss in immunological control over the lytic cycle in children residing in malaria holoendemic areas, further refining our understanding of eBL etiology.

Peaminister : Euroopa Liiduga ühinemise otsustab rahvas / Mart Laar ; interv. Dirk Koch, tõlk. Margus Enno

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Laar, Mart, 1960-

2000-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Järva Teataja 17. okt. lk. 2. Eesti peaminister vastab Der Spiegeli küsimustele, mis puudutavad Eesti ühinemisläbirääkimisi EL-iga, Eesti rahva osast ühinemisotsuse langetamisel, Eesti soovist saada NATO liikmeks. Avaldatud lühendatult. Autor: Isamaaliit

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Glucose Oxidase from Aspergillus niger EBL-A and Penicillium notatum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Anjum Zia

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This work aimed to study the production and purification of glucose oxidase by Aspergillus niger and Penicillium notatum using corn steep liquor as the substrate and evaluate its antimicrobial activity for use in pharmaceutical and food industries. The enzyme was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation (60-85%, DEAE-cellulose ion exchange and Sephadex G-200 size exclusion chromatography. The crude enzyme extracts of A. niger and P. notatum showed 2.32 and 5.53 U mg-1 specific activities, respectively, which after desalting was 15.52 and 12.05 U mg-1, and after ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography was 29.09 - 62 and 25.72 - 59.37 U mg-1 for A. niger and P. notatum, respectively. The antimicrobial activity was determined by disc diffusion method against selected microbial strains where glucose oxidase from A. niger showed anti-bacterial activity, while no fungicidal effects were shown by both A. niger and P. notatum glucose oxidases.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Glucose Oxidase from Aspergillus niger EBL-A and Penicillium notatum

OpenAIRE

Zia, Muhammad Anjum; Riaz, Ayesha; Rasul, Samreen; Abbas, Rao Zahid

2013-01-01

This work aimed to study the production and purification of glucose oxidase by Aspergillus niger and Penicillium notatum using corn steep liquor as the substrate and evaluate its antimicrobial activity for use in pharmaceutical and food industries. The enzyme was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation (60-85%), DEAE-cellulose ion exchange and Sephadex G-200 size exclusion chromatography. The crude enzyme extracts of A. niger and P. notatum showed 2.32 and 5.53 U mg-1 specific activities, ...

TEOLOGIA PÚBLICA NO BRASIL: UM PRIMEIRO BALANÇO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudolf von Sinner

2012-01-01

Full Text Available À luz de desafios atuais presentes no espaço público brasileiro, a discussão sobre a presença de crucifixos em tribunais gaúchos e a atuação de políticos evangélicos no Congresso, o artigo propõe-se fazer um primeiro balanço da reflexão sobre uma teologia pública no Brasil. Assim, procura responder à pergunta “o que é teologia pública?” não de forma definitória, inequívoca, uniformizante. Antes, mostra uma variedade de origens do termo e de oportunidades, bem como de perigos contidos neste conceito. Num primeiro passo, o artigo apresenta quatro linhas de abordagem presentes na emergente discussão brasileira. Em seguida, recorrendo ao sul-africano Dirk Smit, mostra a diversidade de origens e usos do conceito em várias partes do mundo. Por fim, procura evidenciar a pertinência e o potencial de uma teologia pública no Brasil – com ousadia e humildade. ABSTRACT: In view of actual challenges present in the Brazilian public space, the discussion on the presence of crosses in courthouses in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as on the activities of evangelical Congressmen, this article ventures into a first balance of reflection on a public theology in Brazil. It seeks to respond to the question “what is public theology?” not with a clear and uniform definition. Rather, it shows a variety of origins and opportunities, as well as dangers contained in the concept. In a first step, the article presents four lines of thought present in the emerging Brazilian discussion. Then, with reference to the South African theologian Dirk Smit, it shows the diversity of origins and uses of the concept in different parts of the world. Finally, it seeks to show the pertinence and the potential of a public theology in Brazil – both with boldness and humility.

Growth of high-aspect ratio horizontally-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Soman, Pranav; Darnell, Max; Feldman, Marc D; Chen, Shaochen

2011-08-01

A method of fabricating horizontally-aligned zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanowire (NW) arrays with full control over the width and length is demonstrated. SEM images reveal the hexagonal structure typical of zinc oxide NWs. Arrays of high-aspect ratio horizontal ZnO NWs are fabricated by making use of the lateral overgrowth from dot patterns created by electron beam lithography (EBL). An array of patterned wires are lifted off and transferred to a flexible PDMS substrate with possible applications in several key nanotechnology areas.

Bibliografía

OpenAIRE

2015-01-01

Abram, Matthias1992. Lengua, cultura e identidad. El proyecto EBl 1985-1990. Quito: Proyecto EBI/Abya Yala. Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua1995 Diccionario Quechua-Español-Quechua. Qheswa-Español-Qheswa Simi Taqe. Cuzco: Municipalidad del Cuzco. Adelaar, Willem1977. Tarma Quechua. Grammar, Texts, Dictionary. Lisse: Peter de Ridder Press.1986 “La relación quechua-aru: perspectivas para la separación del léxico”. Revista Andina 4 (2): 379426.1999. “Unprotected Languages: The Silent Death of...

Plasmonic colour laser printing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Xiaolong; Vannahme, Christoph; Højlund-Nielsen, Emil

2016-01-01

-beam lithography (EBL) or focused ion beam (FIB), both expensive and not scalable processes that are not suitable for post-processing customization. Here we show a method of colour printing on nanoimprinted plasmonic metasurfaces using laser post-writing. Laser pulses induce transient local heat generation...... that leads to melting and reshaping of the imprinted nanostructures. Depending on the laser pulse energy density, different surface morphologies that support different plasmonic resonances leading to different colour appearances can be created. Using this technique we can print all primary colours...

E-book usage on a global scale: patterns, trends and opportunities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Levine-Clark

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This study examines worldwide usage of over 600,000 e-books from EBL and ebrary. Using multiple modes of analysis, the study shows that there are variations in usage by geographic region as well as by subject. The study examines usage in relation to availability of titles, different types of usage per session, usage of the top ten percent of titles, and intensive and extensive use. These patterns can be used for benchmarking and as a model for local e-book studies.

Treating Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia – When Argon Therapy Is Not Enough

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisca Dias de Castro

2016-09-01

Even though APC is the current treatment of choice for GAVE recurrence-free survival at one year is achieved in less than 50% of the patients and failed therapy has been described in up to 14% of the patients. EBL has been reported to be a relatively easy technique for GAVE therapy and has been shown to be safe and effective with lower complication rates in comparison with APC. This technique may in the future be used as the initial endoscopic treatment to eradicate GAVE.

Belgium customizes care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, M.

1992-01-01

Since endorsing Responsible Care on May 6, 1991, the Federation des Industries Chimiques de Belgique (FIC; Brussels) has obtained commitments from 580 of its 730 member companies, and it expects to have the rest signed up by the end of this year. 'But there will probably always be some small companies that will not commit,' says Dirk Clotman, public relations advisor at FIC. FIC has no plans to make compliance mandatory for existing members - although since March 1992 all new members are required to adopt Responsible Care. Clotman notes, however, that FIC's members range from basic chemical producers, plastics processors, and rubber transformers to distributors and wholesalers. This widens our problems because Responsible Care is very different for a wholesaler and a basic chemical producer. It slows down the process, he says

R & D PROJECTS ARTICULATING SCIENTIFIC SYSTEM WITH ENTREPRENEUR SECTOR, AN ANALYSIS FROM THE DISTANCE COGNITIVA APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvarez, Francisco José

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to study the interaction between universities and nearby firms from the research and development projects executed from the School of Engineering of the National University of Mar del Plata, analyzing the characteristics of companies linked contractually. The working hypothesis proposes to explain, through the concept of "cognitive distance" (Boschma, 2005; Dirk Fornahl et al., 2011, the competitive advantage presented by medium and large companies from mature sectors and small companies from technological sectors, to engage with the scientific and technological institutions. The results indicate that the company is contractually associated with the School of Engineering have demanded further developments of technological innovation, and reduced demand for services. While the origin of the application responds to a pattern adjusted to the proposed hypothesis.

Are the anatomy textbooks wrong? A clinical patho-anatomic study of foveal vessels in the round ligament of the hip.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrington, John W; Sodhi, Nipun; Ali, Muzaffar; Khlopas, Anton; Sultan, Assem A; Kee, James R; Holmes, Kristopher A; Hariri, Omar; Newman, Jared M; Mont, Michael A

2017-12-01

The foveal vessels of the ligamentum teres are an anterior branch of the posterior division of the obturator artery, providing blood to the capitis of the femoral head. However, the basic anatomic description of foveal vasculature in the ligamentum teres of the hip is widely variable, with some studies reporting that the vessels are not patent in roughly one third of all adults. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the status of foveal vessels in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients. Specifically, we evaluated: (I) if the foveal vessels were intact; and we (II) correlated foveal vessel status with (i) patient demographics, including gender and age; as well as (ii) perioperative data, such as operative time and blood loss. The macroscopic status of the foveal vessels in the ligamentum teres femoris was documented in 266 patients at the time of primary unilateral THA performed between August 2015 and April 2017. The vessels were considered to be intact if active bleeding was directly visible from the acetabular stump of the severed ligamentum teres femoris. Demographics including age, gender, and preoperative diagnosis were collected. The perioperative outcome variables included estimated blood loss (EBL) and operative time. Foveal vessel status defined as intact or not intact, was also correlated with patient demographics and perioperative data. A student's t -test was used to compare the continuous variables and a chi square test was used for categorical variables. The foveal vessels were intact in 161 patients (61%) and not intact in 105 patients (39%). The mean age for patients with intact foveal vessels was found to be 64 years (range, 18 to 94 years) vs. 65 years (range, 29 to 94 years) (P>0.05) for not intact. No correlation was found between preoperative diagnosis, gender, operative time, and EBL and foveal vessel status. The results of this clinical patho-anatomic study of the foveal vessels in the ligamentum teres femoris of the hip

[A Paired Case Controlled Study Comparing the Short-term Outcomes of Da Vinci RATS and VATS Approach for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Feng; Xu, Shiguang; Xu, Wei; Ding, Renquan; Liu, Bo; Meng, Hao; Kang, Yunteng; Meng, Xiangrui; Lin, Jie; Wang, Shumin

2018-03-20

Da Vinci Surgical System is one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, which represents the development direction of the precise minimally invasive surgical techniques, the aim of this study was to comparing the short-term outcomes between da Vinci robot-assisted lobectomy and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer. 45 pairs of non-small cell lung cancer patients underwent pulmonary lobectomy with da Vinci Robotic assisted thoracoscopic (RATS) and VATS approach during the same period from January 2014 to January 2017. The operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), total number and total groups of dissected lymph nodes, postoperative duration of drainage, the first day volume of drainage, total volume of drainage were compared. No perioperative death and convertion to thoracotomy occured in both groups. There were significant difference between RATS group and VATS group in EBL [(50.30±32.33) mL vs (208.60±132.63) mL], the first day volume of drainage [(275.00±145.42) mL vs (347.60±125.80) mL], the dissected total number [(22.67±9.67) vs (15.51±5.41)] and total team [(6.31±1.43) vs (4.91±1.04)] of lymph node. There were no significant difference in other outcomes. RATS is safe and effective and took better short-outcomes than VATS in non-small cell lung cancer.

Electron beam and mechanical lithographies as enabling factors for organic-based device fabrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Visconti, P.; Pisignano, D.; Della Torre, A.; Persano, L.; Maruccio, G.; Biasco, A.; Cingolani, R.; Rinaldi, R.

2005-01-01

Organic-based photonics and molecular electronics are attracting an increasing interest in modern science. The realization of high-resolution master structures by electron beam lithography (EBL) and their transfer to different organic functional materials by mechanical lithographies allow to fully exploit the wide flexibility of molecular systems for opto- and nanoelectronic devices. Planar nanojunctions, consisting of two metallic electrodes separated by an insulating medium, permit to test the molecular conduction properties. Since the typical size of a biomolecule is of the order of a few nanometer, hybrid molecular electronic (HME) devices need metallic electrodes separated by a nanometer-scale channel. Conversely, photonic applications often require 100 nm to 1 μm features on large areas. In this work, we report on the fabrication of both large-area periodic master structures with resolution down to 200 nm, and planar metallic electrodes with sub-10 nm separation obtained by EBL followed by metal electroplating deposition. The fabricated 3-terminal bio-nanodevices show a transistor-like behaviour with a maximum voltage gain of 0.76. Moreover, we developed a number of mechanical patterning methods, including soft hot embossing, rapid prototyping, sub-micrometer fluidics, high- and room-temperature nanoimprinting, to fabricate planar nanostructures on both biomolecular and organic materials. These allowed us a high-fidelity pattern transfer up to 100-nm scale resolution, without reducing the emission yields of light-emitting organics, thus opening the way to the one-step realization of organic-based confined optoelectronic devices

THE COSMIC INFRARED BACKGROUND EXPERIMENT (CIBER): THE WIDE-FIELD IMAGERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bock, J.; Battle, J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Sullivan, I. [Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Arai, T.; Matsumoto, T.; Matsuura, S.; Tsumura, K. [Department of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan); Cooray, A.; Mitchell-Wynne, K.; Smidt, J. [Center for Cosmology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Hristov, V.; Lam, A. C.; Levenson, L. R.; Mason, P. [Department of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Keating, B.; Renbarger, T. [Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093 (United States); Kim, M. G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, D. H. [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Nam, U. W. [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Suzuki, K. [Instrument Development Group of Technical Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602 (Japan); and others

2013-08-15

We have developed and characterized an imaging instrument to measure the spatial properties of the diffuse near-infrared extragalactic background light (EBL) in a search for fluctuations from z > 6 galaxies during the epoch of reionization. The instrument is part of the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER), designed to observe the EBL above Earth's atmosphere during a suborbital sounding rocket flight. The imaging instrument incorporates a 2 Degree-Sign Multiplication-Sign 2 Degree-Sign field of view to measure fluctuations over the predicted peak of the spatial power spectrum at 10 arcmin, and 7'' Multiplication-Sign 7'' pixels, to remove lower redshift galaxies to a depth sufficient to reduce the low-redshift galaxy clustering foreground below instrumental sensitivity. The imaging instrument employs two cameras with {Delta}{lambda}/{lambda} {approx} 0.5 bandpasses centered at 1.1 {mu}m and 1.6 {mu}m to spectrally discriminate reionization extragalactic background fluctuations from local foreground fluctuations. CIBER operates at wavelengths where the electromagnetic spectrum of the reionization extragalactic background is thought to peak, and complements fluctuation measurements by AKARI and Spitzer at longer wavelengths. We have characterized the instrument in the laboratory, including measurements of the sensitivity, flat-field response, stray light performance, and noise properties. Several modifications were made to the instrument following a first flight in 2009 February. The instrument performed to specifications in three subsequent flights, and the scientific data are now being analyzed.

Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for hilar tumors: perioperative outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Eyraud, Rémi; Long, Jean-Alexandre; Snow-Lisy, Devon; Autorino, Riccardo; Hillyer, Shahab; Klink, Joseph; Rizkala, Emad; Stein, Robert J; Kaouk, Jihad H; Haber, Georges-Pascal

2013-06-01

To compare perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for hilar vs nonhilar tumors. The study retrospectively reviewed 364 patients with available computed tomography scans undergoing RAPN. Demographic data and perioperative outcomes results were compared between the hilar (group 1, n = 70) and nonhilar tumors (group 2, n = 294). Multivariate analysis was used to identify predictors of warm ischemia time (WIT), estimated blood loss (EBL), major perioperative complications, and postoperative renal function. There were no differences with respect to demographic variables. Hilar tumors had higher RENAL (radius, exophytic/endophytic properties of the tumor, nearness of tumor deepest portion to the collecting system or sinus, anterior/posterior descriptor and the location relative to polar lines) scores (P hilar tumors were associated with greater operative time (210 vs 180 minutes, P hilar vs nonhilar patients on postoperative day 3 (70.12 vs 74.71 mL/min/1.73 m(2), P = .31) or at last follow-up (72.62 vs 75.78 mL/min/1.73 m(2), P = .40), respectively. Multivariate analysis found hilar location was independently associated with increased WIT without significant changes in EBL, major complications, or postoperative renal function. RAPN represents a safe and effective procedure for hilar tumors. Hilar location for patients undergoing RAPN in a high-volume institution seems not be associated with an increased risk of transfusions, major complications, or decline of early postoperative renal function. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Orchestrated structure evolution: accelerating direct-write nanomanufacturing by combining top-down patterning with bottom-up growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kitayaporn, Sathana; Baneyx, Francois; Schwartz, Daniel T [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1750 (United States); Hoo, Ji Hao; Boehringer, Karl F, E-mail: dts@uw.edu [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1750 (United States)

2010-05-14

Direct-write nanomanufacturing with scanning beams and probes is flexible and can produce high quality products, but it is normally slow and expensive to raster point-by-point over a pattern. We demonstrate the use of an accelerated direct-write nanomanufacturing method called 'orchestrated structure evolution' (OSE), where a direct-write tool patterns a small number of growth 'seeds' that subsequently grow into the final thin film pattern. Through control of seed size and spacing, it is possible to vary the ratio of 'top-down' to 'bottom-up' character of the patterning processes, ranging from conventional top-down raster patterning to nearly pure bottom-up space-filling via seed growth. Electron beam lithography (EBL) and copper electrodeposition were used to demonstrate trade-offs between process time and product quality over nano- to microlength scales. OSE can reduce process times for high-cost EBL patterning by orders of magnitude, at the expense of longer (but inexpensive) copper electrodeposition processing times. We quantify the degradation of pattern quality that accompanies fast OSE patterning by measuring deviations from the desired patterned area and perimeter. We also show that the density of OSE-induced grain boundaries depends upon the seed separation and size. As the seed size is reduced, the uniformity of an OSE film becomes more dependent on details of seed nucleation processes than normally seen for conventionally patterned films.

A Molecular Beam Deposition of DNA Nanometer Films

Science.gov (United States)

2007-01-01

device structure consists of ITO/PEDOT:PSS (50 nm)/NPB (30 nm)/ Alq3 (40 nm)/BCP (20 nm)/ Alq3 (10 nm)/Li:Al, while the Bi- OLED has an additional DNA...layer; DNA- CTMA is an electron blocking layer (EBL); NPB is used as hole transport layer; Alq3 is used for both the electron transport layer and the...N,N’-bis(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N’- bis(phenyl)benzidine)], Alq3 [tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum] and BCP [2,9- Dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10

Overshoot effects of electron on efficiency droop in InGaN/GaN MQW light-emitting diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Yang; Liu, Zhiqiang, E-mail: lzq@semi.ac.cn, E-mail: spring@semi.ac.cn; Yi, Xiaoyan, E-mail: lzq@semi.ac.cn, E-mail: spring@semi.ac.cn; Guo, Yao; Wu, Shaoteng; Yuan, Guodong; Wang, JunXi; Wang, Guohong; Li, Jinmin [R& D Center for Semiconductor Lighting, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China); State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting, Beijing 100083 (China); Beijing Engineering Research Center for the 3rd Generation Semiconductor Materials and Application, Beijing 100083 (China)

2016-04-15

To evaluate electron leakage in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) light emitting diodes (LEDs), analytic models of ballistic and quasi-ballistic transport are developed. With this model, the impact of critical variables effecting electron leakage, including the electron blocking layer (EBL), structure of multiple quantum wells (MQWs), polarization field, and temperature are explored. The simulated results based on this model shed light on previously reported experimental observations and provide basic criteria for suppressing electron leakage, advancing the design of InGaN/GaN LEDs.

Electric vehicles from the point of view of an energy utility; Elektrofahrzeuge aus Sicht eines Energieversorgers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corpataux, M.

2008-07-01

This presentation made at the Swiss 2008 research conference on traffic by Marcel Corpataux from the Elektra Baselland utility (EBL) takes a look at the utility's activities in the renewable energies sector and the need for balancing energy supply and demand. Various methods on the demand side are briefly looked at and the use of 'vehicle-to-grid' concepts that use hybrid vehicles as storage facilities for electrical power are commented on. The chances offered to electricity utilities by using hybrid vehicles as buffer storage for electrical power are discussed.

The customer is always right? Assessing the value of patron-driven acquisition at the University of Huddersfield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Stone

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A small-scale patron-driven acquisition (PDA study at the University of Huddersfield is discussed in this article. The authors briefly describe the background to PDA at Huddersfield before discussing data from the 2014 PDA pilot with the e-book supplier Ebook Library (EBL. The pilot produced two sets of data, usage reports using COUNTER statistics and a short questionnaire designed by the Library. These results led to a major alteration to the collection management and development policy, where PDA is now embedded into the Library book fund.

Shape control in wafer-based aperiodic 3D nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hyeon-Ho; Mark, Andrew G; Gibbs, John G; Fischer, Peer; Reindl, Thomas; Waizmann, Ulrike; Weis, Jürgen

2014-01-01

Controlled local fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures is important to explore and enhance the function of single nanodevices, but is experimentally challenging. We present a scheme based on e-beam lithography (EBL) written seeds, and glancing angle deposition (GLAD) grown structures to create nanoscale objects with defined shapes but in aperiodic arrangements. By using a continuous sacrificial corral surrounding the features of interest we grow isolated 3D nanostructures that have complex cross-sections and sidewall morphology that are surrounded by zones of clean substrate. (papers)

Universe opacity and CMB

Science.gov (United States)

Vavryčuk, Václav

2018-04-01

A cosmological model, in which the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a thermal radiation of intergalactic dust instead of a relic radiation of the Big Bang, is revived and revisited. The model suggests that a virtually transparent local Universe becomes considerably opaque at redshifts z > 2 - 3. Such opacity is hardly to be detected in the Type Ia supernova data, but confirmed using quasar data. The opacity steeply increases with redshift because of a high proper density of intergalactic dust in the previous epochs. The temperature of intergalactic dust increases as (1 + z) and exactly compensates the change of wavelengths due to redshift, so that the dust radiation looks apparently like the radiation of the blackbody with a single temperature. The predicted dust temperature is TD = 2.776 K, which differs from the CMB temperature by 1.9% only, and the predicted ratio between the total CMB and EBL intensities is 13.4 which is close to 12.5 obtained from observations. The CMB temperature fluctuations are caused by EBL fluctuations produced by galaxy clusters and voids in the Universe. The polarization anomalies of the CMB correlated with temperature anisotropies are caused by the polarized thermal emission of needle-shaped conducting dust grains aligned by large-scale magnetic fields around clusters and voids. A strong decline of the luminosity density for z > 4 is interpreted as the result of high opacity of the Universe rather than of a decline of the global stellar mass density at high redshifts.

Enhancing carrier injection in the active region of a 280nm emission wavelength LED using graded hole and electron blocking layers

KAUST Repository

Janjua, Bilal; Ng, Tien Khee; Alyamani, Ahmed Y.; El-Desouki, Munir M.; Ooi, Boon S.

2014-01-01

A theoretical investigation of AlGaN UV-LED with band engineering of hole and electron blocking layers (HBL and EBL, respectively) was conducted with an aim to improve injection efficiency and reduce efficiency droop in the UV LEDs. The analysis is based on energy band diagrams, carrier distribution and recombination rates (Shockley-Reed-Hall, Auger, and radiative recombination rates) in the quantum well, under equilibrium and forward bias conditions. Electron blocking layer is based on AlaGa1-aN / Al b → cGa1-b → 1-cN / AldGa 1-dN, where a < d < b < c. A graded layer sandwiched between large bandgap AlGaN materials was found to be effective in simultaneously blocking electrons and providing polarization field enhanced carrier injection. The graded interlayer reduces polarization induced band bending and mitigates the related drawback of impediment of holes injection. Similarly on the n-side, the Alx → yGa1-x → 1-yN / AlzGa 1-zN (x < z < y) barrier acts as a hole blocking layer. The reduced carrier leakage and enhanced carrier density in the active region results in significant improvement in radiative recombination rate compared to a structure with the conventional rectangular EBL layers. The improvement in device performance comes from meticulously designing the hole and electron blocking layers to increase carrier injection efficiency. The quantum well based UV-LED was designed to emit at 280nm, which is an effective wavelength for water disinfection application.

Enhancing carrier injection in the active region of a 280nm emission wavelength LED using graded hole and electron blocking layers

KAUST Repository

Janjua, Bilal

2014-02-27

A theoretical investigation of AlGaN UV-LED with band engineering of hole and electron blocking layers (HBL and EBL, respectively) was conducted with an aim to improve injection efficiency and reduce efficiency droop in the UV LEDs. The analysis is based on energy band diagrams, carrier distribution and recombination rates (Shockley-Reed-Hall, Auger, and radiative recombination rates) in the quantum well, under equilibrium and forward bias conditions. Electron blocking layer is based on AlaGa1-aN / Al b → cGa1-b → 1-cN / AldGa 1-dN, where a < d < b < c. A graded layer sandwiched between large bandgap AlGaN materials was found to be effective in simultaneously blocking electrons and providing polarization field enhanced carrier injection. The graded interlayer reduces polarization induced band bending and mitigates the related drawback of impediment of holes injection. Similarly on the n-side, the Alx → yGa1-x → 1-yN / AlzGa 1-zN (x < z < y) barrier acts as a hole blocking layer. The reduced carrier leakage and enhanced carrier density in the active region results in significant improvement in radiative recombination rate compared to a structure with the conventional rectangular EBL layers. The improvement in device performance comes from meticulously designing the hole and electron blocking layers to increase carrier injection efficiency. The quantum well based UV-LED was designed to emit at 280nm, which is an effective wavelength for water disinfection application.

Anaesthetic management and perioperative outcomes of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: A retrospective analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalpana P Balakrishnan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC is becoming the standard treatment option for peritoneal carcinomatosis but is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to retrospectively analyse and evaluate intra-operative factors associated with morbidity and mortality of CRS and HIPEC. Methods: Intra-operative data were collected for cases done over 1 year (24 cases and analysed for the primary outcome of post-operative ventilation >24 h, and secondary outcome of length of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU stay >5 days. Statistical analysis was carried out in STATA 11 software. Results: Higher peritoneal carcinoma index (PCI, (P = 0.0047, longer duration of surgery (P = 0.0016, higher delta temperatures (P = 0.0119, increased estimated blood loss (EBL (P = 0.0054, high intraoperative fluid requirement (P = 0.0038, lower mean arterial pressure (MAP (P = 0.0021 and higher blood products requirement were associated with >24 h ventilation. These factors were also associated with longer ICU stay. All these factors associated with >24 h ventilation and prolonged ICU stay are related to the PCI which is an indicator of the extent of surgery. Conclusion: Higher PCI, longer duration of surgery, higher delta temperatures, increased EBL, high intraoperative fluid requirement, lower mean arterial pressure and higher blood products requirement were associated with >24 h postoperative ventilation as well as ICU stay >5 days. All these factors are related to the PCI, which is a major predictor of post-operative morbidity.

Robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a meta-analysis of four randomized controlled trials

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Robotic-assisted laparoscopy is popularly performed for colorectal disease. The objective of this meta-analysis was to compare the safety and efficacy of robotic-assisted colorectal surgery (RCS) and laparoscopic colorectal surgery (LCS) for colorectal disease based on randomized controlled trial studies. Methods Literature searches of electronic databases (Pubmed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) were performed to identify randomized controlled trial studies that compared the clinical or oncologic outcomes of RCS and LCS. This meta-analysis was performed using the Review Manager (RevMan) software (version 5.2) that is provided by the Cochrane Collaboration. The data used were mean differences and odds ratios for continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively. Fixed-effects or random-effects models were adopted according to heterogeneity. Results Four randomized controlled trial studies were identified for this meta-analysis. In total, 110 patients underwent RCS, and 116 patients underwent LCS. The results revealed that estimated blood losses (EBLs), conversion rates and times to the recovery of bowel function were significantly reduced following RCS compared with LCS. There were no significant differences in complication rates, lengths of hospital stays, proximal margins, distal margins or harvested lymph nodes between the two techniques. Conclusions RCS is a promising technique and is a safe and effective alternative to LCS for colorectal surgery. The advantages of RCS include reduced EBLs, lower conversion rates and shorter times to the recovery of bowel function. Further studies are required to define the financial effects of RCS and the effects of RCS on long-term oncologic outcomes. PMID:24767102

DWDM laser arrays fabricated using thermal nanoimprint lithography on Indium Phosphide substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smistrup, K.; Nørregaard, J.; Mironov, A.

2013-01-01

by including a lambda quarter shift at the center of the grating. The need for phase shifts and multiple wavelengths eliminates some lithography methods such as holography. Typically, these lasers are produced by e-beam lithography (EBL). We present a production method based on thermal nanoimprint lithography...... during the imprint process and the narrow temperature window for imprint and separation (80°C and 55°C) ensures minimal issues with thermal mismatch between the InP substrate and the Si stamp. The imprinted InP wafers were processed in NeoPhotonics standard process line to create working lasers...

Surgical treatment of scoliosis in Marfan syndrome: outcomes and complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Jun; Xu, Leilei; Liu, Zhen; Zhu, Feng; Qian, Bangping; Sun, Xu; Zhu, Zezhang; Qiu, Yong; Jiang, Qing

2016-10-01

To investigate surgical outcomes and complications of scoliosis associated with Marfan syndrome. Inclusion criteria were patients who were 10-20 years of age, had a diagnosis of Marfan syndrome by the Ghent nosology, had scoliosis and had undergone spinal fusion, and had at least 2 years of postoperative follow-up. The medical records of all patients were reviewed for age at the time of surgery, surgical procedures performed, instrumentation type, estimated blood loss (EBL) during surgery, operation time and complications related to surgery. Health-related quality-of-life measures (obtained with the SRS-22 Questionnaire before operation and at the last clinical follow-up) were also recorded. Patients were analyzed as two different groups, Group 1 and Group 2, according to the different approaches employed. Patients receiving combined anterior and posterior surgery were assigned to Group 1 and those who received posterior-only surgery to Group 2. Group 1 consisted of 30 patients (14 males, 16 females) with a mean age at surgery of 16.8 years (range: 10-20 years). Complications in Group 1 included two cases of instrumentation loosening with one removed, one case of instrumentation breakage and one case of chylothorax and hemothorax during video assisted thoracoscopic release. 66 patients (28 males, 38 females) with a mean age at surgery of years 16.4 years (range: 10-20 years) were included in Group 2. Complications in Group 2 included six cases of cerebro-spinal fluid leak, one case of deep wound infection secondary to cerebro-spinal fluid leak, one case of leg weakness and one case of pleural rupture cause by misplacement of pedicle screw. There is no difference of age at surgery, preoperative Cobb angles, and SRS-22 total scores (3.0 vs. 3.1) between the two groups (P > 0.05). Group 1 yielded larger correction rate than Group 2 for both thoracic (62.5 % vs. 56.2 %) and lumbar scoliosis (68.3 % vs. 62.7 %). Loss of correction was similar between the two

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Book Review Editor, Barbara Hogenboom

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The Economic History of the Caribbean since the Napoleonic Wars, by Victor Bulmer-Thomas (2012; reviewed by Gert OostindieSubjects or Citizens: British Caribbean Workers in Cuba, 1900-1960, by Robert Whitney and Graciela Chailloux Laffita (2013; reviewed by Rose Mary AllenDebating Civil-Military Relations in Latin America, editado por David Mares y Rafael Martínez (2014; reseñado por Raul Benitez-ManautComparative Public Policy in Latin America, editado por Jordi Díez y Susan Franceschet (2012; reseñado por Gonzalo DelamazaEntre el desarrollo y el buen vivir. Recursos naturales y conflictos en los territorios indígenas, editado por José Aylwin, Salvador Martí i Puig, Claire Wright y Nancy Yañez (2013; reviewed by Almut Schilling-VacaflorDignity for the Voiceless. Willem Assies’s Anthropological Work in Context, editado por Ton Salman, Salvador Martí i Puig, y Gemma van der Haar (2014; reseñado por Ricardo Calla OrtegaDemocracy in ‘Two Mexicos’; Political Institutions in Oaxaca and Nuevo León, by Guadelupe Correa-Cabrera (2013; reviewed by Jos BartmanWhere the River Ends, by Shaylih Muehlmann (2013; reviewed by Maria L. Cruz-TorresKnowing History in Mexico. An ethnography of Citizenship, by Trevor Stack (2012; reviewed by Raymond BuveFor God and Revolution. Priest, Peasant, and Agrarian Socialism in the Mexican Huasteca, por Mark Saad Saka( 2013; reseñado por Antonio Escobar OhmstedeWorking Women, Entrepreneurs, and the Mexican Revolution: the Coffee Culture of Córdoba, Veracruz, by Heather Fowler-Salamini (2013; reviewed by Robert F. AlegreWar by Other Means. Aftermath in Post-Genocide Guatemala, edited by Carlota McAlister and Diana Nelson (2013; reviewed by Dirk KruijtLucha revolucionaria. Perú, 1958-1967, por Jan Lust (2013; reseñado por Dirk KruijtWomen in War. The Micro-Processes of Mobilization in El Salvador, by Jocelyn Viterna (2013; reviewed by Ralph SprenkelsZero Hunger: Political Culture and Antipoverty Policy in

Jona se “opstanding uit die dood”: Perspektiewe op die “opstandings-geloof” vanuit die Ou Testament Dirk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dirk J. Human

2004-10-01

The Jonah novelette tends to be one of the First Testament’s primary witnesses on the resurrection faith. This faith portrays the omnipotent power of God over all other threatening powers of death and chaos, be they human or divine. Only God can raise the dead from death. Jonah’s resurrection from death illustrates how Yahweh alone is responsible for this endeavour. This article focuses on Jonah’s prayer (2:3-10. It argues that the reader is persuaded to see Jonah’s flight from Yahweh and his commission ultimately leading to his ending up behind the bars of death (2:7b. Embedded in fictitious and mythological descriptions is Yahweh who delivered Jonah from the pit of death, namely Sheol (2:7c. Resurrection faith narratives in the Second Testament confirm these perspectives in the First Testament.

THE HAWAII SCUBA-2 LENSING CLUSTER SURVEY: NUMBER COUNTS AND SUBMILLIMETER FLUX RATIOS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsu, Li-Yen; Cowie, Lennox L.; Barger, Amy J. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Chen, Chian-Chou [Center for Extragalactic Astronomy, Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Wang, Wei-Hao [Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

2016-09-20

We present deep number counts at 450 and 850 μ m using the SCUBA-2 camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. We combine data for six lensing cluster fields and three blank fields to measure the counts over a wide flux range at each wavelength. Thanks to the lensing magnification, our measurements extend to fluxes fainter than 1 mJy and 0.2 mJy at 450 μ m and 850 μ m, respectively. Our combined data highly constrain the faint end of the number counts. Integrating our counts shows that the majority of the extragalactic background light (EBL) at each wavelength is contributed by faint sources with L {sub IR} < 10{sup 12} L {sub ⊙}, corresponding to luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) or normal galaxies. By comparing our result with the 500 μ m stacking of K -selected sources from the literature, we conclude that the K -selected LIRGs and normal galaxies still cannot fully account for the EBL that originates from sources with L {sub IR} < 10{sup 12} L {sub ⊙}. This suggests that many faint submillimeter galaxies may not be included in the UV star formation history. We also explore the submillimeter flux ratio between the two bands for our 450 μ m and 850 μ m selected sources. At 850 μ m, we find a clear relation between the flux ratio and the observed flux. This relation can be explained by a redshift evolution, where galaxies at higher redshifts have higher luminosities and star formation rates. In contrast, at 450 μ m, we do not see a clear relation between the flux ratio and the observed flux.

Design and Fabrication of the Second-Generation KID-Based Light Detectors of CALDER

Science.gov (United States)

Colantoni, I.; Cardani, L.; Casali, N.; Cruciani, A.; Bellini, F.; Castellano, M. G.; Cosmelli, C.; D'Addabbo, A.; Di Domizio, S.; Martinez, M.; Tomei, C.; Vignati, M.

2018-04-01

The goal of the cryogenic wide-area light detectors with excellent resolution project is the development of light detectors with large active area and noise energy resolution smaller than 20 eV RMS using phonon-mediated kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). The detectors are developed to improve the background suppression in large-mass bolometric experiments such as CUORE, via the double readout of the light and the heat released by particles interacting in the bolometers. In this work we present the fabrication process, starting from the silicon wafer arriving to the single chip. In the first part of the project, we designed and fabricated KID detectors using aluminum. Detectors are designed by means of state-of-the-art software for electromagnetic analysis (SONNET). The Al thin films (40 nm) are evaporated on high-quality, high-resistivity (> 10 kΩ cm) Si(100) substrates using an electron beam evaporator in a HV chamber. Detectors are patterned in direct-write mode, using electron beam lithography (EBL), positive tone resist poly-methyl methacrylate and lift-off process. Finally, the chip is diced into 20 × 20 mm2 chips and assembled in a holder OFHC (oxygen-free high conductivity) copper using PTFE support. To increase the energy resolution of our detectors, we are changing the superconductor to sub-stoichiometric TiN (TiN x ) deposited by means of DC magnetron sputtering. We are optimizing its deposition by means of DC magnetron reactive sputtering. For this kind of material, the fabrication process is subtractive and consists of EBL patterning through negative tone resist AR-N 7700 and deep reactive ion etching. Critical temperature of TiN x samples was measured in a dedicated cryostat.

Sub-30 nm patterning of molecular resists based on crosslinking through tip based oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzoni, Matteo; Wagner, Daniel; Neuber, Christian; Schmidt, Hans-Werner; Perez-Murano, Francesc

2018-06-01

Oxidation Scanning Probe Lithography (o-SPL) is an established method employed for device patterning at the nanometer scale. It represents a feasible and inexpensive alternative to standard lithographic techniques such as electron beam lithography (EBL) and nanoimprint lithography (NIL). In this work we applied non-contact o-SPL to an engineered class of molecular resists in order to obtain crosslinking by electrochemical driven oxidation. By patterning and developing various resist formulas we were able to obtain a reliable negative tone resist behavior based on local oxidation. Under optimal conditions, directly written patterns can routinely reach sub-30 nm lateral resolution, while the final developed features result wider, approaching 50 nm width.

Fast‐writing E‐beam for defining large arrays of nano‐holes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højlund-Nielsen, Emil; Clausen, Jeppe Sandvik; Christiansen, Alexander Bruun

2013-01-01

Efficient nanoscale patterning of large areas is required for sub-wavelength optics. For example, 200 nm periodic structures are often too small to be made with standard UV- and DUV-equipment. Still, the final product must be made at an economic cost. Here we use a fast-writing strategy described...... in [1], where electron beam lithography (EBL) with a focused Gaussian beam is used to define shapes directly. The serial technique is optimized for speed and pattern fidelity to a maximum writing speed of around 30 min/cm2 for 200 nm periods in 2D lattices. The overall costs in terms of machine time...

Staff members with 25 years' service at CERN in 2003

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

The following staff members with 25 years' service in 2003 were invited by the Director-General to a reception in their honour on 20 November 2003: ALLIOD Patrick/ATGESCHONKE Gunther/AB AYMON Marcel/HRGLASER Maurice/EP BAUDET Serge/TISHUGOT Bernard/AB BENOIT-JEANNIN Brigitte/SPLJOUVE Christian/AT BERRY Peter/HRJULLIARD André/ST BIERI Catherine/STLAFAGE Patrice/ST BLANC Didier/STLAJUST Danièle/DSU BLANC Michel/ITLEGRAND Dominique/AT BOCH Guy/ITLONG Serge/EST BONZANO Roberto/STLYONNET André/EP BURCKHART Doris/EPMALOD-DOGNIN Jean-Pierre/ST BURNS Alan/ABMAURY Stephan/AC BURTIN Gérard/ABMILES John/AT CARENA Wisla/EPMONET René/EST CASTEL André/ESTMULLER André/TIS CLIFF Frank/HRPERREAL Pierre/AT CUCCURU Giovanni/ATPETERSEN Jørgen/EP DAMIANI Michel/ABPETIT Patrick/EP DELUCINGE Evelyne/ATPIERRE Patrice/AB DHOTE Patrick/SPLROUX Jacques/EP FLUCKIGER François/ITSAMYN Dirk/EP FORESTE Antonio/ESTSAVIOZ Jean Jacques/AB FRAIS...

Nexus network journal patterns in architecture

CERN Document Server

2007-01-01

This issue is dedicated to various kinds of patterns in architecture. Buthayna Eilouti and Amer Al-Jokhadar address patterns in shape grammars in the ground plans of Mamluk madrasas, religious schools. Giulio Magli goes back further in history, to the age of Greek colonies in Italy before they were conquered by the Romans, to examine patterns in urban design. In Traditional Patterns in Pyrgi of Chios: Mathematics and Community Charoula Stathopoulou examines the geometric patterns that decorate the buildings of the town of Pyrgi, on the Greek island of Chios. Curve Fitting is a study of ways to construct a function so that its graph most closely approximates the pattern given by a set of points. Dirk Huylebrouck’s paper examines how a pattern of points extracted from an arch might be associated to a precise mathematical curve. James Harris looks at the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright and Piet Mondrian to extract the rules of their pattern generation and propose possible applications.

Theoretical nuclear and subnuclear physics

CERN Document Server

Walecka, John Dirk

1995-01-01

This comprehensive text expertly details the numerous theoretical techniques central to the discipline of nuclear physics. It is based on lecture notes from a three-lecture series given at CEBAF (the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility), where John Dirk Walecka at the time was Scientific Director: "Graduate Quantum Mechanics", "Advanced Quantum Mechanics and Field Theory" and "Special Topics in Nuclear Physics". The primary goal of this text is pedagogical; providing a clear, logical, in-depth, and unifying treatment of many diverse aspects of modern nuclear theory ranging from the non-relativistic many-body problem to the standard model of the strong, electromagnetic, and weak interactions. Four key topics are emphasised in this text: basic nuclear structure, the relativistic nuclear many-body problem, strong-coupling QCD, and electroweak interactions with nuclei. The text is designed to provide graduate students with a basic level of understanding of modern nuclear physics so that they in turn can...

ATLAS Solenoid Integration

CERN Multimedia

Ruber, R

Last month the central solenoid was installed in the barrel cryostat, which it shares with the liquid argon calorimeter. Figure 1: Some members of the solenoid and liquid argon teams proudly pose in front of the barrel cryosat, complete with detector and magnet. Some two years ago the central solenoid arrived at CERN after being manufactured and tested in Japan. It was kept in storage until last October when it was finally moved to the barrel cryostat integration area. Here a position survey of the solenoid (with respect to the cryostat's inner warm vessel) was performed. Figure 2: The alignment survey by Dirk Mergelkuhl and Aude Wiart. (EST-SU) At the start of the New Year the solenoid was moved to the cryostat insertion stand. Figure 3: The solenoid on the insertion stand, with Akira Yamamoto the solenoid designer and project leader. Figure 4: Taka Kondo, ATLAS Japan spokesperson, and Shoichi Mizumaki, Toshiba project engineer for the ATLAS solenoid, celebrate the insertion. Aft...

Utilization of auxiliary means for the enhancement of the efficiency and stability of the biogas process; Einsatz von Hilfsmitteln zur Steigerung der Effizienz und Stabilitaet des Biogasprozesses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

Within the Guelzow expert discussions at 29th September 2010 in Guelzow (Federal Republic of Germany) the following lectures were held: (1) State of the promotional work of the FNR on the subject auxiliary means - open questions (Petra Schuesseler); (2) Utilization of auxiliary means in the biogas production - Survey and experiences from laboratory and practice (Konrad Koch); (3) ORGA - test: Development of a test procedure for the practical evaluation of the fermentation biology of NaWaRo biogas plants (Nils Engler); (3) Investigations for the utilization of minerals in biogas plants - Significance of minerals for anaerobic microorganisms and causes for concentration differences in biogas fermentation plants (Andreas Lemmer); (4) Quantification of the efficiency of mineral biogas additives at the fermentation of renewable raw materials and their verification in the practice (Dirk Wagner); (5) Optimization of processes by means of enzymes in biogas plants (Monika Heiermann); (6) Utilization of microorganisms for the enhancement of the gas yield (Doris Schmack); (7) Results of the discussion and summary (Petra Schuesseler).

The Arabidopsis P4-ATPase ALA3 requires a ß-subunit to function in phospholipid translocation and secretory vesicle formation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lopez Marques, Rosa Laura

The Arabidopsis P4-ATPase ALA3 requires a ß-subunit to function in phospholipid translocation and secretory vesicle formation   Lisbeth R. Poulsen1, Rosa L. López-Marqués1, Stephen C. McDowell2, Juha Okkeri3, Dirk Licht3, Alexander Schulz1, Thomas Pomorski3,  Jeffrey F. Harper2, and Michael G....... Palmgren1 1Centre for Membrane Pumps in Cells and Disease - PUMPKIN, Danish National Research Foundation, Department of Plant Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark 2Biochemistry Department MS200, University of Nevada Reno, NV 89557, USA 3Humboldt-University Berlin, Faculty...... and in inducing membrane curvature, which is a requirement for vesicle formation. We show that Aminophospholipid ATPase3 (ALA3), a member of the P4-ATPase subfamily in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, localizes to the Golgi apparatus and that genetic lesions of ALA3 result in impaired growth of roots and shoots...

Perfect symmetry between arts and science

CERN Multimedia

Joannah Caborn Wengler

2012-01-01

“Symmetry,” a film about science, truth and identity, is the first arts project to receive the endorsement of the CERN Cultural Advisory Board, following a rigorous peer review process. It unites six artists from different artistic and cultural backgrounds - between their nationalities and current places of residence they cover six countries and three continents. The team visited CERN recently to get an impression of the Organization and to prepare for filming during the shutdown in 2013.   Lukas Timulak dancing the part of the CERN researcher. (Copyright Tim Georgeson, 2012). You can see it in their eyes: the sense of amazement as they shake their heads and try to put into words what they have seen and heard today. “All those cables and coils, it’s so complicated,” says Claron McFadden, the soprano opera singer on the team. “And it was so noisy at LHCb, and even noisier in the computer room,” adds Dirk Haubrich, the comp...

Defining Dogma: Quantifying Crystalloid Hemodilution in a Prospective Randomized Control Trial with Blood Donation as a Model for Hemorrhage.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Samuel Wade; Christmas, A Britton; Fischer, Peter E; Holway, Haley; Seymour, Rachel; Huntington, Ciara R; Heniford, B Todd; Sing, Ronald F

2018-06-04

The concept of hemodilution after blood loss and crystalloid infusion is a surgical maxim that remains unproven in humans. We sought to quantify the effect of hemodilution after crystalloid administration in voluntary blood donors as a model for acute hemorrhage. A prospective, randomized control trial was conducted in conjunction with community blood drives. Donors were randomized to receive no IV fluid(noIVF), two liters normal saline(NS), or two liters lactated ringers(LR) after blood donation. Blood samples were taken before donation of 500 mL of blood, immediately after donation, and following IV fluid administration. Hemoglobin(Hgb) was measured at each time point. Hgb between time points were compared between groups using standard statistical tests and the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Statistical significance was set at p≤0.0167. Of 165 patients consented, 157 patients completed the study. Average pre-donation Hgb was 14.3 g/dL. There was no difference in the mean Hgb levels after blood donation between the three groups(p>0.05). Compared to the control group, there was a significant drop in Hgb in the crystalloid infused groups from the post-donation level to post-resuscitation(13.2 vs 12.1 vs 12.2 g/dL, pdonation Hgb - hemorrhage Hgb drop - equilibration hemoglobin drop - resuscitation Hgb drop)=MeanPre-donation Hgb - [(EBL/TBV)*l] - [(EBL/TBV)*h] - [(VR/TBV)*r], l = 5.111g/dL = blood loss coefficient, h=6.722 g/dL=equilibration coefficient, r= 2.617g/dL= resuscitation coefficient. This study proves the concept of hemodilution and derived a mathematical relationship between blood loss and resuscitation. This data may help to estimate response of hemoglobin levels to blood loss and fluid resuscitation in clinical practice. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

THE PAIR BEAM PRODUCTION SPECTRUM FROM PHOTON-PHOTON ANNIHILATION IN COSMIC VOIDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlickeiser, R.; Ibscher, D. [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Lehrstuhl IV: Weltraum- und Astrophysik, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany); Elyiv, A. [Institut d' Astrophysique et de Geophysique, Universite de Liege, B-4000 Liege (Belgium); Miniati, F., E-mail: rsch@tp4.rub.de, E-mail: ibscher@tp4.rub.de, E-mail: elyiv@astro.ulg.ac.be, E-mail: fm@phys.ethz.ch [Physics Department, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, ETH-Zuerich, CH-8093 Zuerich (Switzerland)

2012-10-20

Highly beamed relativistic e {sup {+-}}-pair energy distributions result in double photon collisions of the beamed gamma rays from TeV blazars at cosmological distances with the isotropically distributed extragalactic background light (EBL) in the intergalactic medium. The typical energies k {sub 0} {approx_equal} 10{sup -7} in units of m{sub e}c {sup 2} of the EBL are more than 10 orders of magnitude smaller than the observed gamma-ray energies k {sub 1} {>=} 10{sup 7}. Using the limit k {sub 0} << k {sub 1}, we demonstrate that the angular distribution of the generated pairs in the lab frame is highly beamed in the direction of the initial gamma-ray photons. For the astrophysically important case of power-law distributions of the emitted gamma-ray beam up to the maximum energy M interacting with Wien-type N(k {sub 0}){proportional_to}k{sup q} {sub 0}exp (- k {sub 0}/{Theta}) soft photon distributions with total number density N {sub 0}, we calculate analytical approximations for the electron production spectrum. For distant objects with luminosity distances d{sub L} >> r {sub 0} = ({sigma} {sub T} N {sub 0}){sup -1} = 0.49N {sup -1} {sub 0} Mpc (with Thomson cross section {sigma} {sub T}), the implied large values of the optical depth {tau}{sub 0} = d{sub L} /r {sub 0} indicate that the electron production spectra differ at energies inside and outside the interval [({Theta}ln {tau}{sub 0}){sup -1}, {tau}{sub 0}/{Theta}], given the maximum gamma-ray energy M >> {Theta}{sup -1}. In the case M >> {Theta}{sup -1}, the production spectrum is strongly peaked near E {approx_equal} {Theta}{sup -1}, being exponentially reduced at small energies and decreasing with the steep power law {proportional_to}E {sup -1-p} up to the maximum energy E = M - (1/2).

Self-regulation strategies of white young adult male students who grew up with emotionally absent fathers / Dirk Wouter Jacobus Ackermann

OpenAIRE

Ackermann, Dirk Wouter Jacobus

2014-01-01

Young men who grew up with emotionally absent fathers seem to find it difficult to attain equilibrium through dedication to both personal and relational concerns, probably because they tend to have low self-esteem, struggle to establish intimate relationships and may be at greater risk of engaging in antisocial or violent behaviour. The aim of this study was to explore the self-regulation strategies that white young adult male students employ to deal with the emotions and cognitions related t...

DWDM DFB LD fabricated by nanoimprint process

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wen; Wang, Lei; Zhou, Ning; Zhang, Yiwen; Qiu, Fei; Xu, Zhimou

2011-02-01

DFB LDs are key components in DWDM optical network. Now they are very expensive because the feedback grating period has to be controlled with very high accuracy and EBL is currently the most popular solution. We propose a high throughput, low cost NIL process based on a large stamp fabricated by SFIL and soft stamp pattern transfer method. DFB chips on 30mm*30mm area were manufactured with both good uniformity and performance. 13 ITU channels from 1540nm to 1560nm of 200GHz space are made. Our results show NIL has high potential to become another popular technology for DFB LD production, this cost effective and high efficiency manufacture solution may yield a significant impact to the future optical communication industry development.

Integrating nanotubes into microsystems with electron beam lithography and in situ catalytically activated growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerde, Kjetil; Fornés-Mora, Marc; Kjelstrup-Hansen, Jakob

2006-01-01

Integration of freestanding wire-like structures such as multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into microsystems has many potential applications. Devices such as AFM tips or improved electrodes for conductivity measurements are obvious candidates. Catalytically activated growth opens up the possi......Integration of freestanding wire-like structures such as multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into microsystems has many potential applications. Devices such as AFM tips or improved electrodes for conductivity measurements are obvious candidates. Catalytically activated growth opens up...... the possibility of waferscale fabrication of such devices. We combine conventional microfabrication techniques with state of the art electron beam lithography (EBL) to precisely position catalyst nanoparticles with sub 100 nm diameter into the microsystems. In particular, we have explored two main approaches...

The final story on the ALA3/ALIS1 complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lopez Marques, Rosa Laura

The final story on the ALA3/ALIS1 complex. Lisbeth R. Poulsena, Rosa L. López-Marquésa, Alexander Schultza, Stephen C. McDowellb, Juha Okkeric, Dirk Lichtc, Thomas Pomorskic,  Jeffrey F. Harperb, and Michael G. Palmgrena,1 aCentre for Membrane Pumps in Cells and Disease - PUMPKIN, Danish National......).              Through a database search we have previously identified five Cdc50p/Lem3p homologues in Arabidopsis (ALIS1-5 for ALA Interacting Subunit)..We investigated the capacity of ALA3, alone and in combination with expressed ALIS proteins, to functionally complement a battery of yeast mutants carrying deletions...... in endogenous P4-ATPases. Our results indicated that ALIS1 functions as a true ß-subunit for the Arabidopsis putative flippase ALA3, being required for ATP-dependent phospholipid transport and for genetic complementation of the yeast P4-ATPase gene Drs2, which is involved in vesicle budding from the late Golgi...

Intraoperative utilization of dexamethasone/bupivacaine/gentamicin solution in laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy and pain management.

Science.gov (United States)

Fulcher, Paul H; Granese, Marsha; Chun, Yoon; Welch, Christine A; Seybold, Dara J; Randall, Gary; DePond, R Todd

2014-01-01

Adequately controlling pain is a key component of postoperative care after a hysterectomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of two intraperitoneal (IP) administered solutions during Laparoscopic Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy (LAVH), on the amount of postoperative self-administered morphine. In this prospective, randomized, double blinded study, twenty women undergoing LAVH randomly distributed to two treatment groups: (1) 100 ml dexamethasone/ bupivacaine/ gentamicin (DMG) solution: 60 cc injected vaginally at cuff and 40 cc placed topically via laparoscopy over intra-peritoneal postoperative surfaces (IP) and 5 ml bupivacaine or 5 ml saline injected at the laparoscopic incision sites, (2) 100 ml saline solution: 60 cc injected vaginally at cuff and 40 cc placed topically via laparoscopy over intra-peritoneal postoperative surfaces (IP) and 5 ml bupivacaine or 5 ml saline injected at the laparoscopic incision sites. The amount of morphine utilized by the patients was documented from their patient controlled anesthesia (PCA) pump. Patient parameters recorded included perceived pain score, height, weight, age, race, reason for surgery, pre-surgery medications, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) classification, length of the surgery and estimated blood loss (EBL). Age, EBL, length of surgery, and ASA classification were not significantly different between the groups. The postoperative amount of morphine utilized was higher at 4 (p=.02) and 16 hours (p = .04) and tended to be higher at 8, 12 hours (p=.06), and 24 hours (p=.09) in the saline IP group. Overall the saline IP group (n=10) used (median; range) 21.5; 8-82 mg of morphine while the DMG IP group (n=10) used 10.5; 1-23 mg. No participants reported a postoperative infection. This study demonstrates that intraoperative utilization of DMG solution during LAVH enables patients clinically to have less perceived pain and subsequently tend to utilize about half the amount of morphine

H.G. Stoker (1999–1993 as Christelike filosoof: ’n Historiese legende en ikoon, of nog steeds ’n kontemporêre mentor?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barend J. van der Walt

2013-03-01

Full Text Available ’n Tradisie, wat ’n filosofiese tradisie insluit, kan alleen lewend bly as die verhaal daarvan aan die jonger geslag oorvertel word. Daarom bied hierdie inleidende en oorsigtelike artikel aan die leser iets oor die unieke filosofie van die Suid-Afrikaanse denker, Henk Stoker. Ter inleiding behandel dit die moontlike redes waarom sy denke in Suid-Afrika en elders vandag relatief onbekend is en minder invloedryk was in vergelyking met dié van die twee ander vaders van ’n reformatoriese filosofie, naamlik Dirk H.Th. Vollenhoven en veral Herman Dooyeweerd. Daarna word aandag geskenk aan die Suid-Afrikaanse milieu waarbinne sy filosofie gebore is. Die moontlike interne en eksterne teologiese en filosofiese invloede van veral Herman Bavinck (1854–1921 en Max Scheler (1874–1928 word behandel. Vervolgens word op enkele van Stoker se oorspronklikste bydraes tot die Christelik-filosofiese tradisie gewys. ’n Vlugtige blik word op die wedersydse kritiek tussen Stoker, Dooyeweerd en sekere leerlinge van Dooyeweerd gewerp. Ten slotte kan daar, in die lig van hierdie onderlinge verskille, sekere wanopvattings reggestel word, byvoorbeeld dat ’n Reformatoriese filosofie ’n statiese en geslote sisteem is. H.G. Stoker (1899–1993 as Christian philosopher: historical legend and icon, or still a contemporary mentor? Tradition which includes a philosophical tradition, can only been kept alive when its story is told to younger generations. This is the motivation behind this introductory overview of the unique philosophy of the South African philosopher, Henk Stoker. In comparison with the two other founders of a reformational philosophy, Dirk H.Th. Vollenhoven (1892–1978 and especially Herman Dooyeweerd (1994–1977, Stoker’s ideas are in South Africa, as well as abroad, less well-known among reformed people. The introductory part of this article, therefore, investigates the possible reasons for the relatively small impact of his thinking. The

Enhancing Collaborative Learning through Group Intelligence Software

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Yin Leng; Macaulay, Linda A.

Employers increasingly demand not only academic excellence from graduates but also excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively in teams. This paper discusses the role of Group Intelligence software in helping to develop these higher order skills in the context of an enquiry based learning (EBL) project. The software supports teams in generating ideas, categorizing, prioritizing, voting and multi-criteria decision making and automatically generates a report of each team session. Students worked in a Group Intelligence lab designed to support both face to face and computer-mediated communication and employers provided feedback at two key points in the year long team project. Evaluation of the effectiveness of Group Intelligence software in collaborative learning was based on five key concepts of creativity, participation, productivity, engagement and understanding.

Studies of optical emission in the high intensity pumping regime of top-down ZnO nanostructures and thin films grown on c-sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Divay, L.; Kostcheev, S.; McMurtry, S.; Lerondel, G. [Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d' Instrumentation Optique, ICD CNRS (FRE2848), Universite de Technologie de Troyes, Troyes (France); Rogers, D.J.; Teherani, F.H. [Nanovation SARL, Versailles, 91400 Orsay (France); Lusson, A. [GEMaC, CNRS - Universite de Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines,Meudon (France)

2008-07-01

We report on the emission of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin films obtained by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) under high intensity excitation. In order to clarify the origin of the emission bands, we compared results for high quality thin films (75 nm) before and after 'top-down' nanopatterning. A nanopattering technique was developed for this purpose. The technique combined Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) and lift-off techniques and Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching (ICP RIE). The emission spectra of the two types of samples were found to have a difference in their fine structure that was attributed, in part, to the existence of guided emission in the thin films and exciton weak confinement effects in the nanostructures. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Study of extragalactic sources with H.E.S.S

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giebels, Berrie

2007-01-01

The field of Very High Energy (VHE) γ-ray emitting extragalactic sources has considerably evolved since the new generation of atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes (ACT) of improved sensitivity, such as H.E.S.S. array and the MAGIC ACT, have started operating. This has led to a wealth of new clues about emission mechanisms at high energy through the discovery of new sources, more accurate spectra and temporal studies of sources known previously, and simultaneous multi-wavelength (MWL) campaigns since broad band variability is a key phenomenon to the underlying physical mechanisms at play. The fact that some of these new sources are located at redshifts close to z ∼ 0.2 makes them powerful probes of the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) through the attenuation of γ-rays above 100 GeV

Design for manufacturability with advanced lithography

CERN Document Server

Yu, Bei

2016-01-01

This book introduces readers to the most advanced research results on Design for Manufacturability (DFM) with multiple patterning lithography (MPL) and electron beam lithography (EBL).  The authors describe in detail a set of algorithms/methodologies to resolve issues in modern design for manufacturability problems with advanced lithography.  Unlike books that discuss DFM from the product level, or physical manufacturing level, this book describes DFM solutions from a circuit design level, such that most of the critical problems can be formulated and solved through combinatorial algorithms. Enables readers to tackle the challenge of layout decompositions for different patterning techniques; Presents a coherent framework, including standard cell compliance and detailed placement, to enable Triple Patterning Lithography (TPL) friendly design; Includes coverage of the design for manufacturability with E-Beam lithography.

THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF THE RECOMBINANT ANTIGENS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF BOVINE LEUKEMIA PRODUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shapovalova OV

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Nowadays the problem of bovine leukemia (EBL effective diagnosis in countries where EBL is registered and the disease-free areas remains actual. The main diagnostic tests are immunodiffusion reaction (AGID and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, which allow the identification of infected animals by the presence of antibodies to bovine leukemia virus (BLV both in serum and in milk samples. The effectiveness of these methods depends on the quality of diagnostic test systems used and determines by the cultural and recombinant virus antigens specificity. EBL recombinant antigens have certain advantages as they are more active and cheap. Purpose of the work. The analysis of theoretical and practical approaches in the bovine leukemia virus recombinant antigens development and its diagnostic potential evaluation. The article contains data from the literature on the recombinant antigens of bovine leukemia virus construction and use. Analysis of the literature showed that the recombinant proteins are widely used in the serological diagnosis of bovine leukemia. Numerous protocols of BLV gp51 and p24 immunodominant antigens preparation has been developed in heterologous systems (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, E. coli, vaccinia virus, baculovirus. In order to obtain recombinant antigens, the BLV provirus genome regions isolated from FLK-BLV cell culture, lymphocytes or tumor cells from naturally infected cattle are typically used. For the recombinant antigens labeled by hexahistidine or Srept II purification one-step immobilized-metal affinity chromatography IMAC and highly selective Strep-Tactin affinity chromatography methods are carried out. The end products activity and specificity are studied in the immunoblotting, ELISA and AGID diagnostic reactions. The ukrainian scientists’ publications are devoted to the clone E. coli HB101-2 transformed by the recombinant plasmid containing fully functional BLV env and gag genes nucleotide

ShinyKGode: an Interactive Application for ODE Parameter Inference Using Gradient Matching.

Science.gov (United States)

Wandy, Joe; Niu, Mu; Giurghita, Diana; Daly, Rónán; Rogers, Simon; Husmeier, Dirk

2018-02-27

Mathematical modelling based on ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is widely used to describe the dynamics of biological systems, particularly in systems and pathway biology. Often the kinetic parameters of these ODE systems are unknown and have to be inferred from the data. Approximate parameter inference methods based on gradient matching (which do not require performing computationally expensive numerical integration of the ODEs) have been getting popular in recent years, but many implementations are difficult to run without expert knowledge. Here we introduce ShinyKGode, an interactive web application to perform fast parameter inference on ODEs using gradient matching. ShinyKGode can be used to infer ODE parameters on simulated and observed data using gradient matching. Users can easily load their own models in Systems Biology Markup Language format, and a set of pre-defined ODE benchmark models are provided in the application. Inferred parameters are visualised alongside diagnostic plots to assess convergence. The R package for ShinyKGode can be installed through the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN). Installation instructions, as well as tutorial videos and source code are available at https://joewandy.github.io/shinyKGode. dirk.husmeier@glasgow.ac.uk. None.

Conference on 'How to finance wind energy?'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metzler, Vincent; Weiler, Sibylle; Mous, Dirk; Hodges, Charlie; Talagrand, Romain; Soerensen, Hans Chr.; Feddersen, Hans; Dosdall, Bjoern; Jourdain, Pierre; Duval, Jocelyn

2010-01-01

The French-German office for Renewable energies (OFAEnR) organised a conference on wind energy financing. In the framework of this French-German exchange of experience, more than 150 participants exchanged views on the existing financing solutions for wind energy projects in France, Germany, UK and Denmark. This document brings together the available presentations (slides) made during this event: 1 - How to go on with wind energy projects financing? What evolution of the senior wind energy debt? (Vincent Metzler); 2 - Financing of wind energy projects - Legal aspects (Sibylle Weiler); 3 - Current and future trends in offshore wind financing in Germany (Dirk Mous); 4 - Financing offshore wind: a UK perspective (Charlie Hodges); 5 - Financing the UK Offshore Wind Sector - Transverse analysis of French and European Offshore Wind energy financing (Romain Talagrand); 6 - Cooperative ownership of Danish Wind Turbines (Hans Chr. Soerensen); 7 - Development and financing of a citizen's wind farm - Buergerwindpark (Hans Feddersen); 8 - Citizens' wind farms in Germany - as seen by a project developer (Bjoern Dosdall); 9 - Wind turbines in Vilaine region - A cooperative and pedagogical wind farm: a unique experience in France (Pierre Jourdain); 10 - Status of French participative models (Jocelyn Duval)

Optical sensor based on a single CdS nanobelt.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lei; Yang, Shuming; Han, Feng; Wang, Liangjun; Zhang, Xiaotong; Jiang, Zhuangde; Pan, Anlian

2014-04-23

In this paper, an optical sensor based on a cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanobelt has been developed. The CdS nanobelt was synthesized by the vapor phase transportation (VPT) method. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) results revealed that the nanobelt had a hexagonal wurtzite structure of CdS and presented good crystal quality. A single nanobelt Schottky contact optical sensor was fabricated by the electron beam lithography (EBL) technique, and the device current-voltage results showed back-to-back Schottky diode characteristics. The photosensitivity, dark current and the decay time of the sensor were 4 × 10⁴, 31 ms and 0.2 pA, respectively. The high photosensitivity and the short decay time were because of the exponential dependence of photocurrent on the number of the surface charges and the configuration of the back to back Schottky junctions.

Cryotop vitrification for in vitro produced bovine and buffalo (Bubalus bubalis embryos at different stages of development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Gasparrini

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility to vitrify in vitro produced (IVP buffalo and bovine embryos at different stages of development by an advanced version of the “minimal volume approaches”: the Cryotop method. In both experiments, the embryos were vitrified at the tight morula (TM, early blastocyst (eBl, blastocyst (Bl, expanded blastocyst (xBl and, only for buffalo, at the hatched blastocyst (hBl stage. After warming, the embryos were cultured in vitro for 24 hours. Stage of development affected the freezability of IVP embryos of both species with the highest embryo survival rates at advanced stages (xBl=76% and hBl=75% for buffalos and xBl=75% for bovine. These results suggest that Cryotop vitrification is an efficient method for buffalo and bovine IVP embryo cryopreservation.

An evaluation of an enquiry based learning strategy for the science of imaging technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naylor, Sarah, E-mail: Sarah.Naylor@shu.ac.uk [Diagnostic Imaging, Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Campus, Sheffield (United Kingdom)

2011-11-15

Diagnostic radiography is a science based health course. Due to the variation in science background of the students at entry level the imaging science modules can be problematic. Enquiry based learning (EBL) was introduced as teaching strategy in an imaging science module in order to promote learner autonomy and enhance the student experience. The module was evaluated using a questionnaire containing both open and closed questions. The impact of working as a team was a strong theme emerging from the evaluation of the project, with the majority of students viewing teamwork as beneficial to their learning. It was identified that they gained support from the team, and this assisted their learning. The enhancement of transferable skills and the promotion of learner autonomy were achieved. Areas for further investigation are the utilisation of peer assessment and a science event for the summative assessment.

An evaluation of an enquiry based learning strategy for the science of imaging technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naylor, Sarah

2011-01-01

Diagnostic radiography is a science based health course. Due to the variation in science background of the students at entry level the imaging science modules can be problematic. Enquiry based learning (EBL) was introduced as teaching strategy in an imaging science module in order to promote learner autonomy and enhance the student experience. The module was evaluated using a questionnaire containing both open and closed questions. The impact of working as a team was a strong theme emerging from the evaluation of the project, with the majority of students viewing teamwork as beneficial to their learning. It was identified that they gained support from the team, and this assisted their learning. The enhancement of transferable skills and the promotion of learner autonomy were achieved. Areas for further investigation are the utilisation of peer assessment and a science event for the summative assessment.

Enhancement of device performance of organic solar cells by an interfacial perylene derivative layer

KAUST Repository

Kim, Inho

2010-05-26

We report that device performance of organic solar cells consisting of zinc phthalocyanine and fullerene (C60) can be enhanced by insertion of a perylene derivative interfacial layer between fullerene and bathocuproine (BCP) exciton blocking layer (EBL). The morphology of the BCP is influenced by the underlying N,N′-dihexyl-perylene-3,4,9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PTCDI-C6), which promotes migration of the cathode metal into the BCP layer. Insertion of a PTCDI-C6 layer between fullerene and BCP layers enhances the power conversion efficiency to 2.5%, an improvement of 32% over devices without PTCDI-C6 layer. The enhancement in device performance by insertion of PTCDI-C6 is attributed to a reduction in series resistance due to promoted metal migration into BCP and optimized optical interference effects in multilayered devices. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Review: Dirk Tänzler, Hubert Knobloch & Hans-Georg Soeffner (Eds. (2006. Neue Perspektiven der Wissenssoziologie [New Perspectives on the Sociology of Knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Torsten Junge

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The 14 articles in this collection present theories, questions and research areas in German sociology of knowledge. The contributions analyze the construction of reality with regard to knowledge. As a science of "the real," sociology of knowledge gains access to other disciplines such as ethnology, systems theory, communication studies or cognitive science. The collection emphasizes a critical approach to the possibilities and capacities of sociology of knowledge as such. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0901278

A LABOCA SURVEY OF THE EXTENDED CHANDRA DEEP FIELD SOUTH-SUBMILLIMETER PROPERTIES OF NEAR-INFRARED SELECTED GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greve, T. R.; Walter, F.; Bell, E. F.; Dannerbauer, H.; Rix, H.-W.; Schinnerer, E.; Weiss, A.; Kovacs, A.; Smail, I.; Coppin, K. E. K.; Alexander, D.; Zheng, X. Z.; Knudsen, K. K.; Bertoldi, F.; De Breuck, C.; Dickinson, M.; Gawiser, E.; Lutz, D.; Brandt, N.; Chapman, S. C.

2010-01-01

Using the 330 hr ESO-MPG 870 μm survey of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDF-S) obtained with the Large Apex BOlometer CAmera (LABOCA) on the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), we have carried out a stacking analysis at submillimeter (submm) wavelengths of a sample of 8266 near-infra-red (near-IR) selected (K vega ≤ 20) galaxies, including 893 BzK galaxies, 1253 extremely red objects (EROs), and 737 distant red galaxies (DRGs), selected from the Multi-wavelength Survey by Yale-Chile (MUSYC). We measure average 870 μm fluxes of 0.22 ± 0.01 mJy (22.0σ), 0.48 ± 0.04 mJy (12.0σ), 0.39 ± 0.03 mJy (13.0σ), and 0.43 ± 0.04 mJy (10.8σ) for the K vega ≤ 20, BzK, ERO, and DRG samples, respectively. For the BzK, ERO, and DRG sub-samples, which overlap to some degree and are likely to be at z ≅ 1-2, this implies an average far-IR luminosity of ∼(1-5) x 10 11 L sun and star formation rate (SFR) of ∼20-90 M sun . Splitting the BzK galaxies into star-forming (sBzK) and passive (pBzK) galaxies, the former is significantly detected (0.50 ± 0.04 mJy, 12.5σ) while the latter is only marginally detected (0.34 ± 0.10 mJy, 3.4σ), thus confirming that the sBzK and pBzK criteria to some extent select obscured, star-forming, and truly passive galaxies, respectively. The K vega ≤ 20 galaxies are found to contribute 7.27 ± 0.34 Jy deg -2 (16.5% ± 5.7%) to the 870 μm extragalactic background light (EBL). sBzK and pBzK galaxies contribute 1.49 ± 0.22 Jy deg -2 (3.4% ± 1.3%) and 0.20 ± 0.14 Jy deg -2 (0.5% ± 0.3%) to the EBL. We present the first delineation of the average submm signal from the K vega ≤ 20 selected galaxies and their contribution to the submm EBL as a function of (photometric) redshift, and find a decline in the average submm signal (and therefore IR luminosity and SFR) by a factor ∼2-3 from z ∼ 2 to z ∼ 0. This is in line with a cosmic star formation history in which the star formation activity in galaxies increases

Combining lived experience with the facilitation of enquiry-based learning: a 'trigger' for transformative learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Stacey, G; Oxley, R; Aubeeluck, A

2015-09-01

What is known on the subject The values underpinning recovery-orientated practice are recited in the literature and influential in the content of mental health nurse education internationally. However, scepticism exists regarding the degree to which students' assimilate the principles of recovery into their practice due to the troublesome and challenging nature of learning at a transformational level, also known as threshold concept learning. Evaluation suggests that this combination of educational approaches positively influences students' prior understandings, beliefs and values in relation to the prospect for people with significant mental health problems to recover. The components of threshold concepts are useful as a deductive framework for the evaluation of educational initiatives which attempt to initiate transformative learning. While this forum clearly holds significant potential for student development, support and preparation is needed for both the student and the facilitator in order to enable the possibility of learning which influences attitudes, beliefs and practice. The aim of this paper is to discuss the potential for combining lived experience of mental distress with the facilitation of enquiry-based learning (EBL) to act as a trigger for transformative learning in the context of promoting the understanding of mental health 'recovery' in nurse education.The values underpinning recovery-orientated practice are recited in the literature and influential in mental health nurse education internationally. However, scepticism exists regarding the degree to which students assimilate into their practice. An open-ended was distributed to a cohort of pre-registration nursing students receiving the co-facilitated EBL (n = 112). Data demonstrated how the specific attributes of this educational approach were identified by students as impacting positively on ill-informed preconceptions, understanding of complex theory and their future practice. Results were

Minimally invasive scoliosis surgery assisted by O-arm navigation for Lenke Type 5C adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a comparison with standard open approach spinal instrumentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Weiguo; Sun, Weixiang; Xu, Leilei; Sun, Xu; Liu, Zhen; Qiu, Yong; Zhu, Zezhang

2017-04-01

OBJECTIVE Recently, minimally invasive scoliosis surgery (MISS) was introduced for the correction of adult scoliosis. Multiple benefits including a good deformity correction rate and fewer complications have been demonstrated. However, few studies have reported on the use of MISS for the management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome of posterior MISS assisted by O-arm navigation for the correction of Lenke Type 5C AIS. METHODS The authors searched a database for all patients with AIS who had been treated with either MISS or PSF between November 2012 and January 2014. Levels of fusion, density of implants, operation time, and estimated blood loss (EBL) were recorded. Coronal and sagittal parameters were evaluated before surgery, immediately after surgery, and at the last follow-up. The accuracy of pedicle screw placement was assessed according to postoperative axial CT images in both groups. The 22-item Scoliosis Research Society questionnaire (SRS-22) results and complications were collected during follow-up. RESULTS The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 45 patients with Lenke Type 5C AIS, 15 who underwent posterior MISS under O-arm navigation and 30 who underwent posterior spinal fusion (PSF). The 2 treatment groups were matched in terms of baseline characteristics. Comparison of radiographic parameters revealed no obvious difference between the 2 groups immediately after surgery or at the final follow-up; however, the MISS patients had significantly less EBL (p self-image using the SRS-22 showed significantly higher scores in the MISS group (p = 0.013 and 0.046, respectively) than in the PSF group. Postoperative CT showed high accuracy in pedicle placement in both groups. No deep wound infection, pseudarthrosis, additional surgery, implant failure, or neurological complications were recorded in either group. CONCLUSIONS Minimally invasive scoliosis surgery is an effective and safe

Strain relaxation of germanium-tin (GeSn) fins

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Yuye; Huang, Yi-Chiau; Lee, Kwang Hong; Bao, Shuyu; Wang, Wei; Lei, Dian; Masudy-Panah, Saeid; Dong, Yuan; Wu, Ying; Xu, Shengqiang; Tan, Chuan Seng; Gong, Xiao; Yeo, Yee-Chia

2018-02-01

Strain relaxation of biaxially strained Ge1-xSnx layer when it is patterned into Ge1-xSnx fin structures is studied. Ge1-xSnx-on-insulator (GeSnOI) substrate was realized using a direct wafer bonding (DWB) technique and Ge1-xSnx fin structures were formed by electron beam lithography (EBL) patterning and dry etching. The strain in the Ge1-xSnx fins having fin widths (WFin) ranging from 1 μm down to 80 nm was characterized using micro-Raman spectroscopy. Raman measurements show that the strain relaxation increases with decreasing WFin. Finite element (FE) simulation shows that the strain component in the transverse direction relaxes with decreasing WFin, while the strain component along the fin direction remains unchanged. For various Ge1-xSnx fin widths, transverse strain relaxation was further extracted using micro-Raman spectroscopy, which is consistent with the simulation results.

Optical Sensor Based on a Single CdS Nanobelt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Li

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an optical sensor based on a cadmium sulfide (CdS nanobelt has been developed. The CdS nanobelt was synthesized by the vapor phase transportation (VPT method. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM results revealed that the nanobelt had a hexagonal wurtzite structure of CdS and presented good crystal quality. A single nanobelt Schottky contact optical sensor was fabricated by the electron beam lithography (EBL technique, and the device current-voltage results showed back-to-back Schottky diode characteristics. The photosensitivity, dark current and the decay time of the sensor were 4 × 104, 31 ms and 0.2 pA, respectively. The high photosensitivity and the short decay time were because of the exponential dependence of photocurrent on the number of the surface charges and the configuration of the back to back Schottky junctions.

Design and fabrication of structural color by local surface plasmonic meta-molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Ya-Qi; Shao Jin-Hai; Lu Bing-Rui; Zhang Si-Chao; Chen Yi-Fang; Zhang Ya-Feng; Sun Yan; Qu Xin-Ping

2015-01-01

In this paper, we propose a new form of nanostructures with Al film deposited on a patterned dielectric material for generating structural color, which is induced by local surface plasmonic resonant (LSPR) absorption in sub-wavelength-indented hole/ring arrays. Unlike other reported results obtained by using focus ion beam (FIB) to create metallic nanostructures, the nano-sized hole/ring arrays in Al film in this work are replicated by high resolution electron beam lithography (EBL) combined with self-aligned metallization. Clear structural color is observed and systematically studied by numerical simulations as well as optical characterizations. The central color is strongly related to the geometric size, which provides us with good opportunities to dye the colorless Al surface by controlling the hole/ring dimensions (both diameter and radius), and to open up broad applications in display, jewelry decoration, green production of packing papers, security code, and counterfeits prevention. (paper)

Toward a scalable flexible-order model for 3D nonlinear water waves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engsig-Karup, Allan Peter; Ducrozet, Guillaume; Bingham, Harry B.

For marine and coastal applications, current work are directed toward the development of a scalable numerical 3D model for fully nonlinear potential water waves over arbitrary depths. The model is high-order accurate, robust and efficient for large-scale problems, and support will be included...... for flexibility in the description of structures by the use of curvilinear boundary-fitted meshes. The mathematical equations for potential waves in the physical domain is transformed through $\\sigma$-mapping(s) to a time-invariant boundary-fitted domain which then becomes a basis for an efficient solution...... strategy on a time-invariant mesh. The 3D numerical model is based on a finite difference method as in the original works \\cite{LiFleming1997,BinghamZhang2007}. Full details and other aspects of an improved 3D solution can be found in \\cite{EBL08}. The new and improved approach for three...

Fabrication of carbon quantum dots with nano-defined position and pattern in one step via sugar-electron-beam writing.

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Yuyan; Li, Zhiyun; Peng, Lun; Zhang, Weidong; Chen, Gaojian

2017-12-14

Quantum dots (QDs) are promising materials in nanophotonics, biological imaging, and even quantum computing. Precise positioning and patterning of QDs is a prerequisite for realizing their actual applications. Contrary to the traditional two discrete steps of fabricating and positioning QDs, herein, a novel sugar-electron-beam writing (SEW) method is reported for producing QDs via electron-beam lithography (EBL) that uses a carefully chosen synthetic resist, poly(2-(methacrylamido)glucopyranose) (PMAG). Carbon QDs (CQDs) could be fabricated in situ through electron beam exposure, and the nanoscale position and luminescence intensity of the produced CQDs could be precisely controlled without the assistance of any other fluorescent matter. We have demonstrated that upon combining an electron beam with a glycopolymer, in situ production of CQDs occurs at the electron beam spot center with nanoscale precision at any place and with any patterns, an advancement that we believe will stimulate innovations in future applications.

Towards low-dimensional hole systems in Be-doped GaAs nanowires

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ullah, A. R.; Gluschke, J. G.; Jeppesen, Peter Krogstrup

2017-01-01

-gates produced using GaAs nanowires with three different Be-doping densities and various AuBe contact processing recipes. We show that contact annealing only brings small improvements for the moderately doped devices under conditions of lower anneal temperature and short anneal time. We only obtain good......GaAs was central to the development of quantum devices but is rarely used for nanowire-based quantum devices with InAs, InSb and SiGe instead taking the leading role. p-type GaAs nanowires offer a path to studying strongly confined 0D and 1D hole systems with strong spin–orbit effects, motivating...... our development of nanowire transistors featuring Be-doped p-type GaAs nanowires, AuBe alloy contacts and patterned local gate electrodes towards making nanowire-based quantum hole devices. We report on nanowire transistors with traditional substrate back-gates and EBL-defined metal/oxide top...

What's the use?: analysing student citations to provide new insights into e-book usage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antony Groves

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This article reports on a small-scale user-focused piece of research carried out at the University of Sussex. In an attempt to better understand the impact of e-books on student outputs, citation analysis was performed on coursework to identify the e-books that had been used. Of the students surveyed, 11.6% cited an e-book in their work and, for this particular group, EBL was found to be the most popular collection. However, cross reference with the Library discovery tool and Google revealed that e-books available from the web were cited more than those from library collections. Interviews uncovered a spectrum of usage, leading to the conclusion that a comprehensive e-book strategy is required that makes students aware of their benefits, equips them with the skills needed for effective use and increases the number of e-books available.

Atividade antibacteriana de Cereus jamacaru DC, Cactaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline Davet

Full Text Available A procura por novos agentes antimicrobianos a partir de plantas vem sendo intensificada e não existem estudos direcionados à avaliação da atividade antimicrobiana de C. jamacaru frente a microrganismos prejudiciais ao homem. Em vista disso, avaliou-se o efeito antimicrobiano do extrato bruto etanólico do lenho (EBLE e do córtex (EBCO desta espécie frente a colônias puras de oito microrganismos patogênicos. Neste estudo foram utilizados os métodos difusão em ágar (meio sólido e CIM (concentração inibitória mínima. Os resultados obtidos neste ensaio preliminar mostraram que EBCO apresentou atividade antimicrobiana mais pronunciada que EBCE e que os microrganismos cujo crescimento foi mais influenciado por EBCO foram Streptococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa e Escherichia coli.

Morphological and physico-biochemical characterization of various tomato cultivars in a simplified soilless media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahboob Ahmad Khan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate nine commercial cultivars of tomato, in order to identify the most suitable cultivar in terms of morphological (plant height, fruit size, fruit weight and total yield and physico-biochemical (color, firmness, total soluble solid, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugar, reducing and non-reducing sugar, β-carotene and lycopene attributes. Plants were cultured hydroponically in the greenhouse. Results revealed that the morphological attributes of Beefsteak Group (BG of tomatoes was significantly better than that of Cherry Group (CG. In addition, CG has higher concentration of biochemical attributes, mainly β-carotene, sugars, total soluble solids (TSS and ascorbic acid contents. Within CG, cv. Aria was found to be the best for higher sugar contents, β-carotene and ascorbic acid contents; while, TSS was higher in the cv. Claree. Similarly in BG, cv. Sahel had the highest value of lycopene, β-carotene, TSS; whereas, lowest sugar contents were found in cv. Dirk. As far as firmness is concerned, cv. Naram (BG was found to be more firm, than cv. Aria (CG. The highest total yield was recorded for cv. Vernal; in BG and in cv. Claree for CG, depicting that BG had significantly higher total yield, compared with CG.

On calculating the probability of a set of orthologous sequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junfeng Liu

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Junfeng Liu1,2, Liang Chen3, Hongyu Zhao4, Dirk F Moore1,2, Yong Lin1,2, Weichung Joe Shih1,21Biometrics Division, The Cancer, Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; 2Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA; 3Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 4Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USAAbstract: Probabilistic DNA sequence models have been intensively applied to genome research. Within the evolutionary biology framework, this article investigates the feasibility for rigorously estimating the probability of a set of orthologous DNA sequences which evolve from a common progenitor. We propose Monte Carlo integration algorithms to sample the unknown ancestral and/or root sequences a posteriori conditional on a reference sequence and apply pairwise Needleman–Wunsch alignment between the sampled and nonreference species sequences to estimate the probability. We test our algorithms on both simulated and real sequences and compare calculated probabilities from Monte Carlo integration to those induced by single multiple alignment.Keywords: evolution, Jukes–Cantor model, Monte Carlo integration, Needleman–Wunsch alignment, orthologous

Design and fabrication of structural color by local surface plasmonic meta-molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Ya-Qi; Shao, Jin-Hai; Zhang, Ya-Feng; Lu, Bing-Rui; Zhang, Si-Chao; Sun, Yan; Qu, Xin-Ping; Chen, Yi-Fang

2015-08-01

In this paper, we propose a new form of nanostructures with Al film deposited on a patterned dielectric material for generating structural color, which is induced by local surface plasmonic resonant (LSPR) absorption in sub-wavelength-indented hole/ring arrays. Unlike other reported results obtained by using focus ion beam (FIB) to create metallic nanostructures, the nano-sized hole/ring arrays in Al film in this work are replicated by high resolution electron beam lithography (EBL) combined with self-aligned metallization. Clear structural color is observed and systematically studied by numerical simulations as well as optical characterizations. The central color is strongly related to the geometric size, which provides us with good opportunities to dye the colorless Al surface by controlling the hole/ring dimensions (both diameter and radius), and to open up broad applications in display, jewelry decoration, green production of packing papers, security code, and counterfeits prevention. Project partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61205148).

A case study: planning a statewide information resource for health professionals: an evidence-based approach

Science.gov (United States)

Chew, Katherine; Watson, Linda; Parker, Mary

2009-01-01

Question: What is the best approach for implementing a statewide electronic health library (eHL) to serve all health professionals in Minnesota? Setting: The research took place at the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Libraries. Methods: In January 2008, the authors began planning a statewide eHL for health professionals following the five-step process for evidence-based librarianship: formulating the question, finding the best evidence, appraising the evidence, assessing costs and benefits, and evaluating the effectiveness of resulting actions. Main Results: The authors identified best practices for developing a statewide eHL for health professionals relating to audience or population served, information resources, technology and access, funding model, and implementation and sustainability. They were compared to the mission of the eHL project to drive strategic directions by developing recommendations. Conclusion: EBL can guide the planning process for a statewide eHL, but findings must be tailored to the local environment to address information needs and ensure long-term sustainability. PMID:19851487

Hypotensive anesthesia: Comparing the effects of different drug combinations on mean arterial pressure, estimated blood loss, and surgery time in orthognathic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, James; Portnof, Jason E; Kalayeh, Mona; Hardigan, Patrick

2016-07-01

Sevoflurane, an inhalational hypotensive anesthetic agent with a vasodilatory property, has been commonly used as a single agent to induce hypotension and effectively decrease blood loss in orthognathic surgery. However, it is common for patients to receive other hypotensive anesthetic agents in combination with sevoflurane. The purpose of our retrospective cohort study is to investigate whether administering an additional hypotensive agent has greater effect at reducing mean arterial pressure (MAP), estimated blood loss (EBL) and surgery time during orthognathic surgery. 57 subjects, aged 0-89 of both genders, who underwent orthognathic surgery were investigated in this study. Each patient's anesthesia records were reviewed to record the following variables of interest: EBL, duration of surgery, and MAP reduction in %. 41 subjects were placed in Group I and they received sevoflurane alone. 16 subjects were placed in Group II and they received sevoflurane plus a "supportive" agent. These "supportive" agents were esmolol, labetalol, metoprolol, nicardipine, and dexmedetomidine. The significant differences between two groups were assessed by using ANCOVA and p surgery time. Subjects in Group II experienced a greater reduction in MAP during surgery than subjects in Group I, 27.30% and 20.44%, respectively (p = 0.027). There was no significant difference for sex (p = 0.417) or age group (p = 0.113) in estimated blood loss, however. The mean surgery time in Group I was 1.93, 2.77, and 4.54 h with respect to LeFort, BSSO/IVRO, and double jaw surgery. Patients in Group II had a mean surgery time of 1.73, 2.07, and 5.64 h with respect to LeFort, BSSO/IVRO, and double jaw surgery. No statistically significant difference was demonstrated in surgery time between Group I vs. Group II (p > 0.05). Subjects in Group II experienced, on average, more blood loss than subjects in Group I, 355.50 ml and 238.90 ml, respectively. The use of multi-drug combination may offer

Een weinig spectaculair Darwinjaar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bert Theunissen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available An Unspectacular Darwin YearThe publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species did not provoke heated debate in the Netherlands. Of the few responses that did emerge, the majority were moderate in tone. It was only in 1868, when the German materialist Carl Vogt gave a series of lectures in Rotterdam, that the issue of human evolution in relation to Christian belief gave rise to a short outburst of polemics. And the Dutch situation has not changed since then: the theory of evolution is hardly ever discussed publicly, unless religious issues are at stake. The year 2009 is no exception: the works published on the occasion of the Darwin commemorations sparked no polemics. A number of these works are reviewed here. Two historical PhD theses, by Janneke van der Heide and Bart Leeuwenburgh, add valuable detail to our picture of the Dutch reception of Darwin’s works and confirm that, by and large, quiet appropriation was the customary response. Dirk Van Hulle’s book, based on textual analysis of Darwin’s manuscripts and books, provides an original insight into Darwin’s romantic inspiration. Several popular works, by Chris Buskes et al., Marc van Roosmalen and Job Slok, aim to explain Darwin’s career and ideas to a wider audience; Buskes et al. do the best job.

15. dialogue on waste management MV. Current developments in waste and resources economics. Proceedings; 15. Dialog Abfallwirtschaft MV. Aktuelle Entwicklungen in der Abfall und Ressourcenwirtschaft. Tagungsband

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelles, Michael (ed.)

2012-07-01

Within the 15th dialogue on waste management MV at the University of Rostock (Rostock, Federal Republic of Germany) at 13th June, 2012, the following lectures were held: (1) 20 Years GAA - 20 years of successful work (Hartwig Roessler); (2) Acquisition and evaluation of waste management data in Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania - A basis for planning for strategies according to Cycle and Waste Management Act KrWG (Helmut Kietzmann); (3) Demographic change in Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania - Implications for the waste management (Matthias Leuchter); (4) The HPWM project (Jan Marquardt); (5) Consequences of the modified legal and regulatory situation for the operation of refuse-fuelled power stations (Kurt Wengenroth); (6) Foodstuffs in the waste - Analysis and mitigation proposals (Jakob Barabosz); (7) Disposal of electric and electronic equipment as well as manufacturer responsibility (Vera Susanne Rotter); (8) Advanced waste management concepts in developing countries - foundable? Realizable? Sustainable? (Wolfgang Pfaff-Simoneit); (9) Further development of the mechanical-biological waste treatment (Stephan Schuett); (10) Airjet-pipecleaner - the automatic cleaning facility for ventilation nozzles (Armin Seidel); (11) Exploitation of reusable materials from bottom ash (Dirk Bludau); (12) Is the thermal treatment suitable for the utilization of glass-fibre reinforced plastics wastes? (Karl-Heinz Plepla); (13) Recyclability of bioplastics(An-Sophie Kitzler); (14) Development of process-oriented quality inspections for the near private collection of refuse and recyclable material (Nico Schulte).

Platelet concentrates: reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted bacterial infections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Korte D

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Dirk de Korte,1 Jan H Marcelis2 1Department of Product and Process Development, Sanquin Blood Bank, Amsterdam, 2Department of Microbiology, St Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, the Netherlands Abstract: The introduction of a combination of interventions during collection of whole-blood or platelet concentrates has been successful in lowering the degree of bacterial contamination in the final product, the platelet concentrate, by 50%–75%. These interventions were improved donor questionnaires, best-practice skin disinfection, and diversion of first blood volume. These interventions have reduced the number of bacteria present in the platelet concentrates. In combination with screening for bacterial contamination of platelet concentrates with a culture method, the degree of transfusion-transmitted bacterial infection has been reduced significantly. Due to the very low initial bacteria counts upon collection of the products, the need for improved sensitivity of early screenings tests or highly selective point-of-issue tests remains. The latter should be rapid and easy to perform. An alternative approach might be the implementation of pathogen-inactivation methods for cellular blood products to reduce the amount of pathogens. However, these methods are costly, and so far not proved to be cost-effective, especially in countries with an already-low incidence of transfusion-transmitted infections by viruses, parasites, or bacteria. Keywords: blood products, bacterial contamination, screening, point of issue, pathogen inactivation

‘Er is geen recht voor ons...’

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Adams

2016-02-01

Full Text Available ‘There is no justice for us...’: Van Hogendorp’s abolitionist play Kraspoekol (1800 as a trial against slavery Theatre plays in which social abuses are criticised often display striking parallels to the civic court. Both in trials and theatre performances the complaining party is positioned against someone who defends the accused person or issue, each propagating different viewpoints towards a case, whereupon a judge has to decide on the matter. In the early modern era, plays served as experimental sites to conduct (fictional cases. When the theatre curtain comes down, the audience is incited to express its opinion on the case that was staged. The case that takes central stage in this article is the accusation of Dutch colonial slavery in Dirk van Hogendorp’s antislavery drama Kraspoekol, of de slaaverny (1800. This play was highly controversial and its performance in The Hague caused great tumult. Drawing on studies of early modern and contemporary theatre, this contribution will examine the interlace of Kraspoekol and legal practice by looking at accusations (by slaves and abolitionist characters and defences (by slave master Kraspoekol. The article addresses how the combination of showing and phrasing injustice might encourage Kraspoekol’s audience to ascribe itself the role by the judge and to condemn not only the wrongful treatment of the characters of Kraspoekol, but the entire slavery institution.

Climate change and ecological restructuring of industrial society; Klimawandel und oekologischer Umbau der Industriegesellschaft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

Within the European Conference at 22nd/23rd September, 2010 at the Thuringian state chancellery Erfurt (Federal Republic of Germany) the following lectures were held: (1) The climatic change and the global development (Dirk Messner); (2) Reconstruction of the industrial society: How can Vorarlberg achieve the aim of the EU up to 2020 (Bertram Schedler); (3) The part of renewable energy sources in Germany: Establishment of an infrastructure with low CO{sub 2} emissions in the energy supply and facility management (Ursula Heinen); (4) Securing the energy supply under the aegis of the shortages of petroleum, natural gas and coal: The role of renewable energy resources and solar energy in the solar state of Thuringia (Matthias Machnig); (5) ''Desert Energy'' for Europe: From the vision to reality (Thorsten Marquardt); (6) Solar primary industry under the Bitterfelder Bogen from the view of the modern ''solar site with future'' (Hilmar Tiefel); (7) CO{sub 2} reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energies: European research politics for a better energy supply (Reinhard Wecker); (8) Panel discussion on the improvement of the efficiency / price reduction and compensation for electricity fed into the grid: How do owners of companies and buildings motivate to more commitment for solar energy? (Harry Lehmann, Ami Elazari, Dieter D. Genske).

Achieving Uniform Carriers Distribution in MBE Grown Compositionally Graded InGaN Multiple-Quantum-Well LEDs

KAUST Repository

Mishra, Pawan; Janjua, Bilal; Ng, Tien Khee; Shen, Chao; Salhi, Abdelmajid; Alyamani, Ahmed; El-Desouki, Munir; Ooi, Boon S.

2015-01-01

We investigated the design and growth of compositionally-graded InGaN multiple quantum wells (MQW) based light-emitting diode (LED) without an electron-blocking layer (EBL). Numerical investigation showed uniform carrier distribution in the active region, and higher radiative recombination rate for the optimized graded-MQW design, i.e. In0→xGa1→(1-x)N / InxGa(1-x)N / Inx→0Ga(1-x)→1N, as compared to the conventional stepped-MQW-LED. The composition-grading schemes, such as linear, parabolic, and Fermi-function profiles were numerically investigated for comparison. The stepped- and graded-MQW-LED were then grown using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) through surface-stoichiometry optimization based on reflection high-energy electron-diffraction (RHEED) in-situ observations. Stepped- and graded-MQW-LED showed efficiency roll over at 160 A/cm2 and 275 A/cm2, respectively. The extended threshold current density roll-over (droop) in graded-MQW-LED is due to the improvement in carrier uniformity and radiative recombination rate, consistent with the numerical simulation.

Design, fabrication and characterization of Computer Generated Holograms for anti-counterfeiting applications using OAM beams as light decoders.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruffato, Gianluca; Rossi, Roberto; Massari, Michele; Mafakheri, Erfan; Capaldo, Pietro; Romanato, Filippo

2017-12-21

In this paper, we present the design, fabrication and optical characterization of computer-generated holograms (CGH) encoding information for light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). Through the use of a numerical code, based on an iterative Fourier transform algorithm, a phase-only diffractive optical element (PO-DOE) specifically designed for OAM illumination has been computed, fabricated and tested. In order to shape the incident beam into a helicoidal phase profile and generate light carrying phase singularities, a method based on transmission through high-order spiral phase plates (SPPs) has been used. The phase pattern of the designed holographic DOEs has been fabricated using high-resolution Electron-Beam Lithography (EBL) over glass substrates coated with a positive photoresist layer (polymethylmethacrylate). To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first attempt, in a comprehensive work, to design, fabricate and characterize computer-generated holograms encoding information for structured light carrying OAM and phase singularities. These optical devices appear promising as high-security optical elements for anti-counterfeiting applications.

Nanostructured diffractive optical devices for soft X-ray microscopes

CERN Document Server

Hambach, D; Schneider, G

2001-01-01

The new transmission X-ray microscope (TXM) installed at the BESSY II electron storage ring uses an off-axis transmission zone plate (OTZ) as diffractive and focusing element of the condenser-monochromator setup. A high resolution micro-zone plate (MZP) forms a magnified image on a CCD-detector. Both, the OTZ with an active area of up to 24 mm sup 2 and the MZP with zone widths as small as 25 nm are generated by a process including electron beam lithography (EBL), dry etching and subsequent electroplating of nickel on top of silicon membrane substrates with about 100-150 nm thickness. The combination of a larger zone width and the usage of nickel zone structures allows to increase the diffraction efficiency of the condenser element at least by a factor of 3 compared to the earlier used KZP7 condenser zone plate in the TXM at BESSY I. Groove diffraction efficiencies of 21.6% and 14.7% were measured for MZP objectives with 40 and 25 nm outermost zone width, respectively.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a surface-localized adhesion protein in Mycoplasma bovis Hubei-1 strain.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaohui Zou

Full Text Available Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis is an important pathogen that causes various bovine diseases, such as mastitis in cows and pneumonia in calves. The surface proteins are generally thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of this organism. We screened the entire genome of M. bovis Hubei-1 and discovered a gene named vpmaX that encodes the 25 kDa variable surface lipoprotein A (VpmaX. Sequence analysis revealed that VpmaX contains several repetitive units and a typical bacterial lipoprotein signal sequence. The vpmaX gene was cloned and expressed in E. coli to obtain recombinant VpmaX (rVpmaX. Western blot analysis using a rabbit antibody against rVpmaX demonstrated that VpmaX is a membrane protein. Immunostaining visualized via confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that rVpmaX was able to adhere to embryonic bovine lung cells (EBL, and this was also confirmed by a sandwich ELISA. In summary, a surface-localized adhesion protein was identified in M. bovis Hubei-1.

InAlAs/InGaAs Pseudomorphic High Eelectron Mobility Transistors Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy on the InP Substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Jie; Guo Tian-Yi; Zhang Hai-Ying; Xu Jing-Bo; Fu Xiao-Jun; Yang Hao; Niu Jie-Bin

2010-01-01

A novel PMMA/PMGI/ZEP520 trilayer resist electron beam lithograph (EBL) technology is successfully developed and used to fabricate the 150 nm gate-length In 0.7 Ga 0.3 As/In 0.52 Al 0.48 As Pseudomorphic HEMT on an InP substrate, of which the material structure is successfully designed and optimized. A perfect profile of T-gate is successfully obtained. These fabricated devices demonstrate excellent dc and rf characteristics: the transconductance G m , maximum saturation drain-to-source current I DSS , threshold voltage V T , maximum current gain frequency f T derived from h 21 , maximum frequency of oscillation derived from maximum available power gain/maximum stable gain and from unilateral power-gain of metamorphic InGaAs/InAlAs high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are 470 mS/mm, 560 mA/mm, −1.0 V, 76 GHz, 135 GHz and 436 GHz, respectively. The excellent high frequency performances promise the possibility of metamorphic HEMTs for millimeter-wave applications. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Achieving Uniform Carriers Distribution in MBE Grown Compositionally Graded InGaN Multiple-Quantum-Well LEDs

KAUST Repository

Mishra, Pawan

2015-05-06

We investigated the design and growth of compositionally-graded InGaN multiple quantum wells (MQW) based light-emitting diode (LED) without an electron-blocking layer (EBL). Numerical investigation showed uniform carrier distribution in the active region, and higher radiative recombination rate for the optimized graded-MQW design, i.e. In0→xGa1→(1-x)N / InxGa(1-x)N / Inx→0Ga(1-x)→1N, as compared to the conventional stepped-MQW-LED. The composition-grading schemes, such as linear, parabolic, and Fermi-function profiles were numerically investigated for comparison. The stepped- and graded-MQW-LED were then grown using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) through surface-stoichiometry optimization based on reflection high-energy electron-diffraction (RHEED) in-situ observations. Stepped- and graded-MQW-LED showed efficiency roll over at 160 A/cm2 and 275 A/cm2, respectively. The extended threshold current density roll-over (droop) in graded-MQW-LED is due to the improvement in carrier uniformity and radiative recombination rate, consistent with the numerical simulation.

SERS detection of biomolecules using lithographed nanoparticles towards a reproducible SERS biosensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David, Catalina; Guillot, Nicolas; Chapelle, Marc Lamy de la [Laboratoire CSPBAT (FRE 3043), UFR SMBH, Universite Paris XIII, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, F-93017 Bobigny (France); Shen, Hong; Toury, Timothee, E-mail: marc.lamydelachapelle@univ-paris13.fr [ICD-LNIO-UMR, CNRS 6279, Universite de technologie de Troyes, 12 rue Marie Curie, F-10010 Troyes (France)

2010-11-26

In this paper we highlight the accurate spectral detection of bovine serum albumin and ribonuclease-A using a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate based on gold nanocylinders obtained by electron-beam lithography (EBL). The nanocylinders have diameters from 100 to 180 nm with a gap of 200 nm. We demonstrate that optimizing the size and the shape of the lithographed gold nanocylinders, we can obtain SERS spectra of proteins at low concentration. This SERS study enabled us to estimate high enhancement factors (10{sup 5} for BSA and 10{sup 7} for RNase-A) of important bands in the protein Raman spectrum measured for 1 mM concentration. We demonstrate that, to reach the highest enhancement, it is necessary to optimize the SERS signal and that the main parameter of optimization is the LSPR position. The LSPR have to be suitably located between the laser excitation wavelength, which is 632.8 nm, and the position of the considered Raman band. Our study underlines the efficiency of gold nanocylinder arrays in the spectral detection of proteins.

Research for energy optimized building. Status seminar; Forschung fuer Energieoptimiertes Bauen. Statusseminar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-07-01

Within the meeting of the Project Management Juelich (Juelich, Federal Republic of Germany) and the Bavarian Centre for Applied Energy Research (Wuerzburg, Federal Republic of Germany) between 30th June and 2nd July, 2009, in Wuerzburg the following lectures were held: (1) Optically switchable layers with tungsten oxide (Andreas Georg); (2) Functional coatings for application on outer surfaces of glazings (Hansjoerg Weis); (3) Functional coatings and application (Thomas Hofmann); (4) Thermal insulation in the 21st century: Vacuum-insulation panel and vacuum-isolation glasses (Ulrich Heinemann, Helmut Weinlaeder, Hans-Peter Ebert); (5) Textile composites using thermal insulation composites as an example (Alexandra Saur, Jan Beringer, Andreas Holm, Klaus Sedlbauer); (6) Design of membranes for the enhancement of the energy efficiency in buildings (Jochen Manara et al.); (7) Design of membranes for the energetic sanitation of buildings (Werner Lang et al.); (8) Total energetic analysis of complex HLK systems for buildings (Wolfgang Richter); (9) Review on hybrid aeration systems (Dirk Mueller et al.); (10) IEA SHC-Task 38 (Operating Agent) - Energy efficient cooling and dehumidification (ECOS) (Hans-Martin Henning, Alexander Morgenstern, Constanze Bongs); (11) Air quality controlled aeration of building (Jens Knissel, Marc Grossklos); (12) Development of a solar driven refrigerating absorber / heat pump with a ice storage (Thomas Brendel, Marco Zetzsche, Hans Mueller-Steinhagen); (13) Heat pumps field test 'WP efficiency' - interim results (Marek Miara); (14) ECBCS Annex 49 Low Exergy Systems for High-Performance Buildings and Communities (Dietrich Schmidt, Marlen Schurig); (15) Aquifer storage for the heat supply and cold supply of buildings (Sefan Kranz et al.); (16) Evaluation and optimization of operation of systems for the seasonal heat storage and cold storage in the foundations of office buildings (Herdis Kipry, Franziska Bockelmann, M. Norbert Fisch

PREFACE: XVII International Scientific Conference ''RESHETNEV READINGS''

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

The International Scientific Conference ''RESHETNEV READINGS'' is dedicated to the memory of Mikhail Reshetnev, an outstanding scientist, chief-constructor of space-rocket systems and communication satellites. The current volume represents selected proceedings of the main conference materials which were published by XVII International Scientific Conference ''RESHETNEV READINGS'' held on November 12 - 14, 2013. Plenary sessions, round tables and forums will be attended by famous scientists, developers and designers representing the space technology sector, as well as professionals and experts in the IT industry. A number of outstanding academic figures expressed their interest in an event of such a level including Jaures Alferov, Vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Academician of RAS, Nobel laureate, Dirk Bochar, General Secretary of the European Federation of National Engineering Associates (FEANI), Prof. Yuri Gulyaev, Academician of RAS, Member of the Presidium of RAS, President of the International Union of Scientific and Engineering Associations, Director of the Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics of RAS, as well as rectors of the largest universities in Russia, chief executives of well-known research enterprises and representatives of big businesses. We would like to thank our main sponsors such as JSC ''Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems'', JSC ''Krasnoyarsk Engineering Plant'', Central Design Bureau ''Geophysics'', Krasnoyarsk Region Authorities. These enterprises and companies are leading ones in the aerospace branch. It is a great pleasure to cooperate and train specialists for them.

Design and development of a decision aid to enhance shared decision making by patients with an asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dirk T Ubbink

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Dirk T Ubbink1,2, Anouk M Knops1, Sjaak Molenaar1, Astrid Goossens11Department of Quality Assurance and Process Innovation and 2Department of Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsObjective: To design, develop, and evaluate an evidence-based decision aid (DA for patients with an asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA to inform them about the pros and cons of their treatment options (ie, surgery or watchful observation and to help them make a shared decision.Methods: A multidisciplinary team defined criteria for the desired DA as to design, medical content and functionality, particularly for elderly users. Development was according to the international standard (IPDAS. Fifteen patients with an AAA, who were either treated or not yet treated, evaluated the tool.Results: A DA was developed to offer information about the disease, the risks and benefits of surgical treatment and watchful observation, and the individual possibilities and threats based on the patient’s aneurysm diameter and risk profile. The DA was improved and judged favorably by physicians and patients.Conclusion: This evidence-based DA for AAA patients, developed according to IPDAS criteria, is likely to be a simple, user-friendly tool to offer patients evidence-based information about the pros and cons of treatment options for AAA, to improve patients’ understanding of the disease and treatment options, and may support decision making based on individual values.Keywords: decision support techniques, research design, program development, abdominal aortic aneurysm, decision making

Early detection and efficient therapy of cardiac angiosarcoma due to routine transesophageal echocardiography after cerebrovascular stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dirk Vogelgesang

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Dirk Vogelgesang1, Johannes B Dahm2, Holm Großmann3, Andre Hippe4, Astrid Hummel5, Christian Lotze6, Silke Vogelgesang71Practice of Cardiology, Greifswald, 2Practice of Cardiology, Goettingen, 3Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Herzzentrum Karlsburg, 4Department of Neurology, 5Department of Cardiology, 6Department of Haematology and Oncology, 7Department of Pathology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyAbstract: Primary malignant cardiac tumors (cardiac angiosarcomas are exceedingly rare. Since there are initially nonspecific or missing symptoms, these tumors are usually diagnosed only in an advanced, often incurable stage, after the large tumor mass elicits hemodynamic obstructive symptoms. A 59-year-old female presented with symptoms of cerebral ischemia. A computed tomography (CT scan showed changes suggestive of stroke. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed an inhomogeneous, medium-echogenic, floating mass at the roof of the left atrium near the mouth of the right upper pulmonary vein, indicative of a thrombus. At surgery, a solitary tumor was completely enucleated. Histologically, cardiac angiosarcoma was diagnosed. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and was free of symptoms and recurrence of disease at 14 months follow-up. Due to the fortuitous appearance of clinical signs indicative of stroke, cardiac angiosarcoma was diagnosed and effectively treated at an early, nonmetastatic, and therefore potentially curable stage. Although cardiac angiosarcoma is a rare disease, it should be taken into consideration as a potential cause of cerebral embolic disease.Keywords: cardiac angiosarcoma, stroke, embolism

Fabrication of a Horizontal and a Vertical Large Surface Area Nanogap Electrochemical Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jules L. Hammond

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Nanogap sensors have a wide range of applications as they can provide accurate direct detection of biomolecules through impedimetric or amperometric signals. Signal response from nanogap sensors is dependent on both the electrode spacing and surface area. However, creating large surface area nanogap sensors presents several challenges during fabrication. We show two different approaches to achieve both horizontal and vertical coplanar nanogap geometries. In the first method we use electron-beam lithography (EBL to pattern an 11 mm long serpentine nanogap (215 nm between two electrodes. For the second method we use inductively-coupled plasma (ICP reactive ion etching (RIE to create a channel in a silicon substrate, optically pattern a buried 1.0 mm × 1.5 mm electrode before anodically bonding a second identical electrode, patterned on glass, directly above. The devices have a wide range of applicability in different sensing techniques with the large area nanogaps presenting advantages over other devices of the same family. As a case study we explore the detection of peptide nucleic acid (PNA−DNA binding events using dielectric spectroscopy with the horizontal coplanar device.

Vertebral Column Resection for Rigid Spinal Deformity.

Science.gov (United States)

Saifi, Comron; Laratta, Joseph L; Petridis, Petros; Shillingford, Jamal N; Lehman, Ronald A; Lenke, Lawrence G

2017-05-01

Broad narrative review. To review the evolution, operative technique, outcomes, and complications associated with posterior vertebral column resection. A literature review of posterior vertebral column resection was performed. The authors' surgical technique is outlined in detail. The authors' experience and the literature regarding vertebral column resection are discussed at length. Treatment of severe, rigid coronal and/or sagittal malalignment with posterior vertebral column resection results in approximately 50-70% correction depending on the type of deformity. Surgical site infection rates range from 2.9% to 9.7%. Transient and permanent neurologic injury rates range from 0% to 13.8% and 0% to 6.3%, respectively. Although there are significant variations in EBL throughout the literature, it can be minimized by utilizing tranexamic acid intraoperatively. The ability to correct a rigid deformity in the spine relies on osteotomies. Each osteotomy is associated with a particular magnitude of correction at a single level. Posterior vertebral column resection is the most powerful posterior osteotomy method providing a successful correction of fixed complex deformities. Despite meticulous surgical technique and precision, this robust osteotomy technique can be associated with significant morbidity even in the most experienced hands.

DETECCIÓN SEROLÓGICA DEL BLV EN MUESTRAS DE LECHE EN UNA POBLACIÓN DE VACAS HOLSTEIN, ANTIOQUIA.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CRISTINA ÚSUGA MONROY

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The Bovine Leukosis Virus (BLV is the etiological agent of the Enzootic Bovine Leukemia (EBL, this disease is infectious, chronic and specifically cattle, presenting a low percentage of patients with clinical manifestations. Between 30-70% of infected animals can develop persistent lymphocytosis (LP and between 0,1-10% of cattle over three years of infection suffers some form of lymphosarcoma (LS. The aim of this work was serologically detection of BLV in milk samples from Holstein cows in three dairy herds in the department of Antioquia. Were taken 133 milk samples from Holstein cows three dairy herds located in the municipality of Medellin and Belmira, was conducted an indirect ELISA against gp51 envelope protein of the virus. The ELISA test showed a seroprevalence of 79,69% (106/133 for all samples tested. The herd was the largest herd seroprevalence 1 (82,86%, followed by the herd 2 (80% and finally the herd 3 (77,08%. The presence of the BLV has increased in recent years in Antioquia, so fast and efficient diagnosis through reliable methodologies allow control over the spread of the disease in dairy herds.

Transport comparison of multiwall carbon nanotubes by contacting outer shell and all shells.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Qiang; Cui, A-Juan; Zhang, Yi-Guang; Lu, Chao; Jin, Ai-Zi; Yang, Hai-Fang; Gu, Chang-Zhi

2010-11-01

Carbon nanotubes, particularly multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can serve as interconnects in nanoelectronic devices and integrated circuits because of their extremely large current-carrying capacity. Many experimental results about the transport properties of individual MWCNTs by contacting outer shell or all shells have been reported. In this work, a compatible method with integrated circuit manufacturing process was presented to compare the transport property of an individual multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) by contacting outer shell only and all shells successively. First of the Ti/Au electrodes contacting outer shell only were fabricated onto the nanotube through the sequence of electron beam lithography (EBL) patterning, metal deposition and lift-off process. After the characterization of its transport property, focused ion beam (FIB) was used to drill holes through the same nanotube at the as-deposited electrodes. Then new contact to the holes and electrodes were made by ion-induced deposition of tungsten from W(CO)6 precursor gas. The transport results indicated that the new contact to all shells can clear up the intershell resistance and the electrical conductance of the tube can be improved about 8 times compared to that of by contacting outer shell only.

Non-indicated use of prophylactic antibiotics in gynaecological surgery at an academic tertiary medical centre.

Science.gov (United States)

Kremer, Kevin M; Foster, Raymond T; Drobnis, Erma Z; Hyde, Kassie J; Brennaman, Lisa M

2018-02-06

Surgical site infections (SSI) are the most common surgical complication. Perioperative antibiotics can reduce SSI when used properly. Despite guidelines from The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, non-indicated antibiotic use is widespread which exposes women to unnecessary risks. This study represents a quality improvement analysis assessing surgeon compliance with established guidelines regarding antibiotic use in gynaecological surgery. This is a single centre, retrospective study examining gynaecological procedures over two years. Cases were identified using Current Procedure Terminology codes. Perioperative antibiotics were used contrary to published guidelines in 199 of 1046 cases. Three variables were independently associated with inappropriate administration of perioperative antibiotics: entrance into abdominal cavity, higher EBL, and longer procedures. Impact statement Overuse of antibiotics has unintended consequences including allergic sequelae, extended length of hospital stay, increased healthcare costs, and the formation of antibiotic-resistant organisms. Antibiotic stewardship programmes have been shown to reduce the number of resistant pathogens, decrease incidence of Clostridium difficile colitis, and decrease length of hospital stay without increasing infection rates. Further outcomes-based research is needed regarding the use of antibiotic stewardship programmes in gynaecological surgery.

Device Fabrication and Probing of Discrete Carbon Nanostructures

KAUST Repository

Batra, Nitin M

2015-05-06

Device fabrication on multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using electrical beam lithography (EBL), electron beam induced deposition (EBID), ion beam induced deposition (IBID) methods was carried out, followed by device electrical characterization using a conventional probe station. A four-probe configuration was utilized to measure accurately the electrical resistivity of MWCNTs with similar results obtained from devices fabricated by different methods. In order to reduce the contact resistance of the beam deposited platinum electrodes, single step vacuum thermal annealing was performed. Microscopy and spectroscopy were carried out on the beam deposited electrodes to follow the structural and chemical changes occurring during the vacuum thermal annealing. For the first time, a core-shell type structure was identified on EBID Pt and IBID Pt annealed electrodes and analogous free standing nanorods previously exposed to high temperature. We believe this observation has important implications for transport properties studies of carbon materials. Apart from that, contamination of carbon nanostructure, originating from the device fabrication methods, was also studied. Finally, based on the observations of faster processing time together with higher yield and flexibility for device preparation, we investigated EBID to fabricate devices for other discrete carbon nanostructures.

Fabrication of digital rainbow holograms and 3-D imaging using SEM based e-beam lithography.

Science.gov (United States)

Firsov, An; Firsov, A; Loechel, B; Erko, A; Svintsov, A; Zaitsev, S

2014-11-17

Here we present an approach for creating full-color digital rainbow holograms based on mixing three basic colors. Much like in a color TV with three luminescent points per single screen pixel, each color pixel of initial image is presented by three (R, G, B) distinct diffractive gratings in a hologram structure. Change of either duty cycle or area of the gratings are used to provide proper R, G, B intensities. Special algorithms allow one to design rather complicated 3D images (that might even be replacing each other with hologram rotation). The software developed ("RainBow") provides stability of colorization of rotated image by means of equalizing of angular blur from gratings responsible for R, G, B basic colors. The approach based on R, G, B color synthesis allows one to fabricate gray-tone rainbow hologram containing white color what is hardly possible in traditional dot-matrix technology. Budgetary electron beam lithography based on SEM column was used to fabricate practical examples of digital rainbow hologram. The results of fabrication of large rainbow holograms from design to imprinting are presented. Advantages of the EBL in comparison to traditional optical (dot-matrix) technology is considered.

Directed self-assembly of nanogold using a chemically modified nanopatterned surface

Science.gov (United States)

Nidetz, Robert; Kim, Jinsang

2012-02-01

Electron-beam lithography (EBL) was used to define an aminosilane nanopatterned surface in order to electrostatically self-assemble gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The chemically modified nanopatterned surfaces were immersed into a Au NP solution to allow the Au NPs to self-assemble. Equilibrium self-assembly was achieved in only 20 min. The number of Au NPs that self-assembled on an aminosilane dot was controlled by manipulating the diameters of both the Au NPs and the dots. Adding salt to the Au NP solution enabled the Au NPs to self-assemble in greater numbers on the same sized dot. However, the preparation of the Au NP solution containing salt was sensitive to spikes in the salt concentration. These spikes led to aggregation of the Au NPs and non-specific deposition of Au NPs on the substrate. The Au NP patterned surfaces were immersed in a sodium hydroxide solution in order to lift-off the patterned Au NPs, but no lift-off was observed without adequate physical agitation. The van der Waals forces are too strong to allow for lift-off despite the absence of electrostatic forces.

Directed self-assembly of nanogold using a chemically modified nanopatterned surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nidetz, Robert; Kim, Jinsang

2012-01-01

Electron-beam lithography (EBL) was used to define an aminosilane nanopatterned surface in order to electrostatically self-assemble gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The chemically modified nanopatterned surfaces were immersed into a Au NP solution to allow the Au NPs to self-assemble. Equilibrium self-assembly was achieved in only 20 min. The number of Au NPs that self-assembled on an aminosilane dot was controlled by manipulating the diameters of both the Au NPs and the dots. Adding salt to the Au NP solution enabled the Au NPs to self-assemble in greater numbers on the same sized dot. However, the preparation of the Au NP solution containing salt was sensitive to spikes in the salt concentration. These spikes led to aggregation of the Au NPs and non-specific deposition of Au NPs on the substrate. The Au NP patterned surfaces were immersed in a sodium hydroxide solution in order to lift-off the patterned Au NPs, but no lift-off was observed without adequate physical agitation. The van der Waals forces are too strong to allow for lift-off despite the absence of electrostatic forces. (paper)

Plasmodium falciparum Adhesins Play an Essential Role in Signalling and Activation of Invasion into Human Erythrocytes.

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Wai-Hong Tham

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The most severe form of malaria in humans is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The invasive form of malaria parasites is termed a merozoite and it employs an array of parasite proteins that bind to the host cell to mediate invasion. In Plasmodium falciparum, the erythrocyte binding-like (EBL and reticulocyte binding-like (Rh protein families are responsible for binding to specific erythrocyte receptors for invasion and mediating signalling events that initiate active entry of the malaria parasite. Here we have addressed the role of the cytoplasmic tails of these proteins in activating merozoite invasion after receptor engagement. We show that the cytoplasmic domains of these type 1 membrane proteins are phosphorylated in vitro. Depletion of PfCK2, a kinase implicated to phosphorylate these cytoplasmic tails, blocks P. falciparum invasion of red blood cells. We identify the crucial residues within the PfRh4 cytoplasmic domain that are required for successful parasite invasion. Live cell imaging of merozoites from these transgenic mutants show they attach but do not penetrate erythrocytes implying the PfRh4 cytoplasmic tail conveys signals important for the successful completion of the invasion process.

Selective Binding, Self-Assembly and Nanopatterning of the Creutz-Taube Ion on Surfaces

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Qingling Hang

2009-02-01

Full Text Available The surface attachment properties of the Creutz-Taube ion, i.e., [(NH35Ru(pyrazineRu(NH35]5+, on both hydrophilic and hydrophobic types of surfaces were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. The results indicated that the Creutz-Taube ions only bound to hydrophilic surfaces, such as SiO2 and –OH terminated organic SAMs on gold substrates. No attachment of the ions on hydrophobic surfaces such as –CH3 terminated organic SAMs and poly(methylmethacrylate (PMMA thin films covered gold or SiO2 substrates was observed. Further ellipsometric, atomic force microscopy (AFM and time-dependent XPS studies suggested that the attached cations could form an inorganic analog of the self-assembled monolayer on SiO2 substrate with a “lying-down” orientation. The strong electrostatic interaction between the highly charged cations and the anionic SiO2 surface was believed to account for these observations. Based on its selective binding property, patterning of wide (~200 nm and narrow (~35 nm lines of the Creutz-Taube ions on SiO2 surface were demonstrated through PMMA electron resist masks written by electron beam lithography (EBL.

SVM Classifier - a comprehensive java interface for support vector machine classification of microarray data.

Science.gov (United States)

Pirooznia, Mehdi; Deng, Youping

2006-12-12

Graphical user interface (GUI) software promotes novelty by allowing users to extend the functionality. SVM Classifier is a cross-platform graphical application that handles very large datasets well. The purpose of this study is to create a GUI application that allows SVM users to perform SVM training, classification and prediction. The GUI provides user-friendly access to state-of-the-art SVM methods embodied in the LIBSVM implementation of Support Vector Machine. We implemented the java interface using standard swing libraries. We used a sample data from a breast cancer study for testing classification accuracy. We achieved 100% accuracy in classification among the BRCA1-BRCA2 samples with RBF kernel of SVM. We have developed a java GUI application that allows SVM users to perform SVM training, classification and prediction. We have demonstrated that support vector machines can accurately classify genes into functional categories based upon expression data from DNA microarray hybridization experiments. Among the different kernel functions that we examined, the SVM that uses a radial basis kernel function provides the best performance. The SVM Classifier is available at http://mfgn.usm.edu/ebl/svm/.

Sub-10-nm suspended nano-web formation by direct laser writing

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sihao; Yu, Ye; Liu, Hailong; Lim, Kevin T. P.; Madurai Srinivasan, Bharathi; Zhang, Yong Wei; Yang, Joel K. W.

2018-06-01

A diffraction-limited three-dimensional (3D) direct laser writing (DLW) system based on two-photon polymerization can routinely pattern structures at the 100 nm length scale. Several schemes have been developed to improve the patterning resolution of 3D DLW but often require customized resist formulations or multi-wavelength exposures. Here, we introduce a scheme to produce suspended nano-webs with feature sizes below 10 nm in IP-Dip resist using sub-threshold exposure conditions in a commercial DLW system. The narrowest suspended lines (nano-webs) measured 7 nm in width. Larger ∼20 nm nano-webs were patterned with ∼80% yield at increased laser powers. In addition, closely spaced nano-gaps with a center-to-center distance of 33 nm were produced by patterning vertically displaced suspended lines followed by metal deposition and liftoff. We provide hypotheses and present preliminary results for a mechanism involving the initiation of a percolative path and a strain-induced narrowing in the nano-web formation. Our approach allows selective features to be patterned with dimensions comparable to the sub-10 nm patterning capability of electron-beam lithography (EBL).

Organophosphonate functionalized silicon nanowires for DNA hybridization studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pedone, Daniel; Cattani Scholz, Anna; Birner, Stefan; Abstreiter, Gerhard [WSI, TU Muenchen (Germany); Dubey, Manish; Schwartz, Jeffrey [Princeton University, NJ (United States); Tornow, Marc [IHT, TU Braunschweig (Germany)

2007-07-01

Semiconductor nanowire field effect devices have great appeal for label-free sensing applications due to their sensitivity to surface potential changes that may originate from charged adsorbates. In addition to requiring high sensitivity, suitable passivation and functionalization of the semiconductor surface is obligatory. We have fabricated both freely suspended and oxide-supported silicon nanowires from Silicon-on-Insulator substrates using standard nanopatterning methods (EBL, RIE) and sacrificial oxide layer etching. Subsequent to nanofabrication, the devices were first coated with an hydroxyalkylphosphonate monolayer and then bound via bifunctional linker groups to single stranded DNA or PNA oligonucleotides, respectively. We investigated DNA hybridization on such functionalized nanowires using a difference resistance setup, where subtracting the reference signal from a second wire could be used to exclude most non-specific effects. A net change in surface potential on the order of a few mV could be detected upon addition of the complementary DNA strand. This surface potential change corresponds to the hybridization of about 10{sup 10}cm{sup -2} probe strands according to our model calculations that takes into account the entire hybrid system in electrolyte solution.

Liquid interfacial water and brines in the upper surface of Mars

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Moehlmann, Diedrich

2013-04-01

Liquid interfacial water and brines in the upper surface of Mars Diedrich T.F. Möhlmann DLR Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstr. 2, D - 12489 Berlin, Germany dirk.moehlmann@dlr.de Interfacial water films and numerous brines are known to remain liquid at temperatures far below 0° C. The physical processes behind are described in some detail. Deliquescence, i.e. the liquefaction of hygroscopic salts at the threshold of a specific "Deliquescence Relative Humidity", is shown to be that process, which on present Mars supports the formation of stable interfacial water and bulk liquids in form of temporary brines on and in a salty upper surface of present Mars in a diurnally temporary and repetitive process. Temperature and relative humidity are the governing conditions for deliquescence (and the counterpart "efflorescence") to evolve. The current thermo-dynamical conditions on Mars support these processes to evolve on present Mars. The deliquescence-driven presence of liquid brines in the soil of the upper surface of Mars can expected to be followed by physical and chemical processes like "surface cementation", down-slope flows, and physical and chemical weathering processes. A remarkable and possibly also biologically relevant evolution towards internally interfacial water bearing structures of dendritic capillaries is related to their freezing - thawing driven formation. The internal walls of these network-pores or -tubes can be covered by films of interfacial water, providing that way possibly habitable crack-systems in soil and rock. These evolutionary processes of networks, driven by their tip-growth, can expected to be ongoing also at present.

XVII International Scientific Conference ''RESHETNEV READINGS''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

The International Scientific Conference 'RESHETNEV READINGS' is dedicated to the memory of Mikhail Reshetnev, an outstanding scientist, chief-constructor of space-rocket systems and communication satellites. The current volume represents selected proceedings of the main conference materials which were published by XVII International Scientific Conference 'RESHETNEV READINGS' held on November 12 – 14, 2013. Plenary sessions, round tables and forums will be attended by famous scientists, developers and designers representing the space technology sector, as well as professionals and experts in the IT industry. A number of outstanding academic figures expressed their interest in an event of such a level including Jaures Alferov, Vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Academician of RAS, Nobel laureate, Dirk Bochar, General Secretary of the European Federation of National Engineering Associates (FEANI), Prof. Yuri Gulyaev, Academician of RAS, Member of the Presidium of RAS, President of the International Union of Scientific and Engineering Associations, Director of the Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics of RAS, as well as rectors of the largest universities in Russia, chief executives of well-known research enterprises and representatives of big businesses. We would like to thank our main sponsors such as JSC ''Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems'', JSC ''Krasnoyarsk Engineering Plant'', Central Design Bureau ''Geophysics'', Krasnoyarsk Region Authorities. These enterprises and companies are leading ones in the aerospace branch. It is a great pleasure to cooperate and train specialists for them. (preface)

In vitro pharmacological characterization of a novel TRPA1 antagonist and proof of mechanism in a human dental pulp model

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Nyman E

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Eva Nyman,1,* Bo Franzén,1,* Andreas Nolting,1 Göran Klement,1 Gang Liu,1 Maria Nilsson,1 Annika Rosén,2 Charlotta Björk,3 Dirk Weigelt,4 Patrik Wollberg,1 Paul Karila,1 Patrick Raboisson11Neuroscience, Innovative Medicines CNS/Pain, AstraZeneca R&D, Södertälje, Sweden; 2Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Karolinska Institute/Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden; 3Clinical TA NS Early Development, 4Medicinal Chemistry, Innovative Medicines CNS/Pain, AstraZeneca R&D, Södertälje, Sweden*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: AZ465 is a novel selective transient receptor potential cation channel, member A1 (TRPA1 antagonist identified during a focused drug discovery effort. In vitro, AZ465 fully inhibits activation by zinc, O-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS, or cinnamaldehyde of the human TRPA1 channel heterologously expressed in human embryonic kidney cells. Our data using patch-clamp recordings and mouse/human TRPA1 chimeras suggest that AZ465 binds reversibly in the pore region of the human TRPA1 channel. Finally, in an ex vivo model measuring TRPA1 agonist-stimulated release of neuropeptides from human dental pulp biopsies, AZD465 was able to block 50%–60% of CS-induced calcitonin gene-related peptide release, confirming that AZ465 inhibits the native human TRPA1 channel in neuronal tissue.Keywords: pain, pharmacology, antagonist, chimeric proteins, dental pulp, inflammation, neuropeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide, CGRP

Thermodynamics of Minerals Stable Near the Earth's Surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navrotsky, Alexandra

2003-01-01

OAK B262 Research and Education Activities We are working on developing calorimetric techniques for sulfide minerals. We have completed calorimetric studies of (Na, K, H3O) jarosites, of Na and K jarosite -alunite solid solutions, and of Cr6+ - containing jarosites. We are now working on phases containing As and Pb. These studies are important to issues of heavy metal pollution in the environment. A number of postdocs, graduate students, and undergrads have participated in the research. We have active collaboration with Dirk Baron, faculty at California State University, Bakersfield. In a collaboration with Peter Burns, Notre Dame University, we are working on thermochemistry of U6+ minerals. Navrotsky has participated in a number of national workshops that are helping to define the interfaces between nanotechnology and earth/environmental science. Major Findings Our first finding on uranyl minerals shows that studtite, a phase containing structural peroxide ion, is thermodynamically unstable in the absence of a source of aqueous peroxide ion but is thermodynamically stable in contact with a solution containing peroxide concentrations expected for the radiolysis of water in contact with spent nuclear fuel. This work is in press in Science. We have a consistent thermodynamic data set for the (Na, K, H3O) (Al, Fe) jarosite, alunite minerals and for Cr6+ substituting for S6+ in jarosite. The latter phases represent one of the few solid sinks for trapping toxic Cr6+ in groundwater. Contributions within Discipline Better understanding of thermodynamic driving for and constraints on geochemical and environmental processes

Lithographic technologies that haven't (yet) made it: lessons learned (Plenary Paper)

Science.gov (United States)

Pease, R. Fabian

2005-05-01

Since the introduction of the integrated circuit we have been inventing ways to extend the feature resolution beyond the optical limit. Using a focused electron beam linewidths of less than 100nm were demonstrated in 1960 and a mere three years later we achieved a 10nm feature. In the 1970's and 80's several semiconductor manufacturers undertook programs to introduce electron beam lithography (EBL) and X-ray lithography (XRL) based primarily on the rationale that both had superior resolution. Those programs consumed many millions of dollars and yielded, and continue to yield, very imaginative systems but have failed to displace deep ultraviolet lithography (DUVL) despite its inferior resolution. One lesson learned is an old one: to displace an established technology the new must be 10x better than the old. Thus it is irrational that even today a form of XRL employing 13nm X-rays is still being pursued despite showing performance inferior to that of DUVL. What constitutes 'better' depends on the application and thus there are niche markets for forms of lithography other than DUVL. But for mainstream semiconductor chip manufacturing there is no prospect within the next decade of displacing optical lithography which can be stretched even to 10nm features by applying novel techniques coupled with massive computation.

Orthognathic Surgery Patients (Maxillary Impaction and Setback plus Mandibular Advancement plus Genioplasty) Need More Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Admission after Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Eftekharian, Hamidreza; Zamiri, Barbad; Ahzan, Shamseddin; Talebi, Mohamad; Zarei, Kamal

2015-01-01

Statement of the Problem: Due to shortage of ICU beds in hospitals, knowing what kind of orthognathic surgery patients more need ICU care after surgery would be important for surgeons and hospitals to prevent unnecessary ICU bed reservation. Purpose: The aim of the present study was to determine what kinds of orthognathic surgery patients would benefit more from ICU care after surgery. Materials and Method: 210 patients who were admitted to Chamran Hospital, Shiraz, for bimaxillary orthognathic surgery (2008-2013) were reviewed based on whether they had been admitted to ICU or maxillofacial surgery ward. Operation time, sex, intraoperative Estimated Blood Loss (EBL), postoperative complications, ICU admission, and unwanted complications resulting from staying in ICU were assessed. Results: Of 210 patients undergoing bimaxillary orthognathic surgery, 59 patients (28.1%) were postoperatively admitted to the ICU and 151 in the maxillofacial ward (71.9%). There was not statistically significant difference in age and sex between the two groups (p> 0.05). The groups were significantly different in terms of operation time (pOrthognathic surgery patients (maxillary impaction and setback plus mandibular advancement plus genioplasty) due to more intraoperative bleeding and postoperative nausea and pain would benefit from ICU admission after surgery. PMID:26106634

Polarization-selective infrared bandpass filter based on a two-layer subwavelength metallic grating

Science.gov (United States)

Hohne, Andrew J.; Moon, Benjamin; Baumbauer, Carol L.; Gray, Tristan; Dilts, James; Shaw, Joseph A.; Dickensheets, David L.; Nakagawa, Wataru

2017-08-01

We present the design, fabrication, and characterization of a polarization-selective infrared bandpass filter based on a two-layer subwavelength metallic grating for use in polarimetric imaging. Gold nanowires were deposited via physical vapor deposition (PVD) onto a silicon surface relief grating that was patterned using electron beam lithography (EBL) and fabricated using standard silicon processing techniques. Optical characterization with a broad-spectrum tungsten halogen light source and a grating spectrometer showed normalized peak TM transmission of 53% with a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 122 nm, which was consistent with rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) simulations. Simulation results suggested that device operation relied on suppression of the TM transmission caused by surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation at the gold-silicon interface and an increase in TM transmission caused by a Fabry-Perot (FP) resonance in the cavity between the gratings. TE rejection occurred at the initial air/gold interface. We also present simulation results of an improved design based on a two-dielectric grating where two different SPP resonances allowed us to improve the shape of the passband by suppressing the side lobes. This newer design resulted in improved side-band performance and increased peak TM transmission.

Simulation and optimization of deep violet InGaN double quantum well laser

Science.gov (United States)

Alahyarizadeh, Gh.; Ghazai, A. J.; Rahmani, R.; Mahmodi, H.; Hassan, Z.

2012-03-01

The performance characteristics of a deep violet InGaN double quantum well laser diode (LD) such as threshold current ( Ith), external differential quantum efficiency (DQE) and output power have been investigated using the Integrated System Engineering Technical Computer Aided Design (ISE-TCAD) software. As well as its operating parameters such as internal quantum efficiency ( ηi), internal loss ( αi) and transparency threshold current density ( J0) have been studied. Since, we are interested to investigate the mentioned characteristics and parameters independent of well and barrier thickness, therefore to reach a desired output wavelength, the indium mole fraction of wells and barriers has been varied consequently. The indium mole fractions of well and barrier layers have been considered 0.08 and 0.0, respectively. Some important parameters such as Al mole fraction of the electronic blocking layer (EBL) and cavity length which affect performance characteristics were also investigated. The optimum values of the Al mole fraction and cavity length in this study are 0.15 and 400 μm, respectively. The lowest threshold current, the highest DQE and output power which obtained at the emission wavelength of 391.5 nm are 43.199 mA, 44.99% and 10.334 mW, respectively.

Didelphys Uterus: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

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Shadi Rezai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Mullerian duct anomalies (MDAs are congenital defects of the female genital system that arise from abnormal embryological development of the Mullerian ducts. A didelphys uterus, also known as a “double uterus,” is one of the least common amongst MDAs. This report discusses a case of didelphys uterus that successfully conceived, carried her pregnancy to term, and delivered vaginally without any significant complications. Case. Patient is a 29-year-old G2P0010 from Bangladesh, initially came a year prior in her first pregnancy, with spontaneous abortion (SAB. Pelvic Sonogram at that time showed a diagnosis of bicornuate versus didelphys uterus. There were no renal anomalies on subsequent abdominal CT scan. Patient presented with the second pregnancy and had uncomplicated prenatal care and did not have signs of preterm labor; fetus showed appropriate growth and the pregnancy was carried in the left uterus. Patient presented at 38 4/7 wks with Premature Rupture of Membrane and underwent induction of labor with Cytotec. Antibiotics were started for chorioamnionitis. Patient had a vaginal delivery with left mediolateral episiotomy and complete tear of vaginal septum. Third stage of labor was complicated with retained placenta, which was removed manually in the operating room with total EBL of 600 cc.

A voyage to Terra Australis: human-mediated dispersal of cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, K; Algar, D; Searle, J B; Pfenninger, M; Schwenk, K

2015-12-04

Cats have been transported as human commensals worldwide giving rise to many feral populations. In Australia, feral cats have caused decline and extinction of native mammals, but their time of introduction and origin is unclear. Here, we investigate hypotheses of cat arrival pre- or post-European settlement, and the potential for admixture between cats of different invasion events. We analyse the genetic structure and diversity of feral cats from six locations on mainland Australia, seven Australian islands and samples from Southeast Asia and Europe using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA data. Our results based on phylogeographic model selection are consistent with a European origin of cats in Australia. We find genetic distinctiveness of Australian mainland samples compared with Dirk Hartog Island, Flinders Island, Tasman Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island samples, and genetic similarities between some of the island populations. Historical records suggest that introduction of cats to these islands occurred at the time of European exploration and/or in connection with the pearling, whaling and sealing trades early in the 19th century. On-going influx of domestic cats into the feral cat population is apparently causing the Australian mainland populations to be genetically differentiated from those island populations, which likely are remnants of the historically introduced cat genotypes. A mainly European origin of feral cats in Australia, with possible secondary introductions from Asia following the initial establishment of cats in Australia is reasonable. The islands surrounding Australia may represent founding populations and are of particular interest. The results of the study provide an important timeframe for the impact of feral cats on native species in Australia.

Experimental and numerical investigations of Si-based photonic crystals with ordered Ge quantum dots emitters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jannesari, R.

2014-01-01

In recent years quasi-two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals, also known as photonic crystal slabs, have been the subject of extensive research. The present work is based on photonic crystals where a hexagonal 2D lattice of air holes is etched through a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) slab. Light is guided in the horizontal plane using photonic band-gap properties, and index guiding provides the optical confinement in the third dimension. This work discusses photonic crystal slabs with Ge quantum dots (QDs) as internal sources. Ge quantum dots have luminescence around 1500nm, which is well suited for optical fiber communication in a way that is fully compatible with standard silicon technology. QD emission can be controlled by epitaxial growth on a pre-patterned SOI substrate. In this way the position of the QDs is controlled, as well as their homogeneity and spectral emission range. During this thesis, photonic crystal fabrication techniques together with techniques for the alignment of the photonic crystal holes with the QDs positions were developed. The employed techniques involve electron beam lithography (EBL) and inductively-coupled-plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE). Perfect ordering of the QDs position was achieved by employing these techniques for pit patterning and the subsequent growth of Ge dots using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A second EBL step was then used for photonic crystal writing, which needed to be aligned with respect to the pit pattern with a precision of about ± 30nm. Micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy was used for the optical characterization of the photonic crystal. The emission from ordered quantum dots in different symmetry positions within a unit cell of photonic crystal was theoretically and experimentally investigated and compared with randomly distributed ones. Besides, different geometrical parameters of photonic crystals were studied. The theoretical investigations were mainly based on the rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA

Nanostructured materials for multifunctional applications under NSF-CREST research at Norfolk State University

Science.gov (United States)

Pradhan, A. K.; Mundle, R.; Zhang, K.; Holloway, T.; Amponsah, O.; Biswal, D.; Konda, R.; White, C.; Dondapati, H.; Santiago, K.; Birdsong, T.; Arslan, M.; Peeples, B.; Shaw, D.; Smak, J.; Samataray, C.; Bahoura, M.

2012-04-01

O nanolayers were also grown by atomic layer deposition techniques. These nanolayers of ZnO demonstrate remarkable optical and electrical properties. These nanolayers were patterned by the Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) technique. A major goal of nanotechnology is to couple the self-assembly of molecular nanostructures with conventional lithography, using either or both bottom-up and top-down fabrication methods, that would enable us to register individual molecular nanostructures onto the functional devices. However, combining the nanofabrication technique with high resolution Electron Beam Lithography, we can achieve 3D bimolecular or/and DNA origami that will be able to identify nucleic acid sequences, antigen targets, and other molecules, as for a perfect nano-biosensor. We have explored some of the nanopatterning using EBL in order to fabricate biomolecule sensing on a single chip with sub nm pitch. The applications are not limited for the bioactivity, but for enhancing immunoreactions, cell culture dishes, and tissue engineering applications.

Comparison of robotic and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for small renal tumours

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulmuttalip Simsek

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate a single surgeon oncological and functional outcomes of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN compared to robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN for pT1a renal tumours. Materials and methods: Between 2006 and 2016, a retrospective review of 42 patients who underwent LPN (n = 20 or RPN (n = 22 by same surgeon was performed. Patients were matched for gender, age, body mass index (BMI, American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA score, tumour side, RENAL and PADUA scores, peri-operative and post-operative outcomes. Results: There was no significant differences between the two groups with respect to patient gender, age, BMI, ASA score, tumours side, RENAL and PADUA scores. Mean operative time for RPN was 176 vs. 227 minutes for LPN (p = 0.001. Warm ischemia time was similar in both groups (p = 0.58. Estimated blood loss (EBL was higher in the LPN. There was no significant difference with preoperative and postoperative creatinine and percent change in eGFR levels. Only one case in LPN had positive surgical margin. Conclusions: RPN is a developing procedure, and technically feasible and safe for small-size renal tumours. Moreover RPN is a comparable and alternative operation to LPN, providing equivalent oncological and functional outcomes, as well as saving more healthy marginal tissue and easier and faster suturing.

The role of plasma instabilities in the propagation of gamma-rays from distant Blazars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saveliev, A.; Evoli, C.; Sigl, G. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

2013-11-15

The observation in the GeV band of distant blazars has been recently used to put constraints on the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) and Extragalactic Magnetic Fields (EGMF). To support such claims one has to assume that the leptonic component of the electromagnetic cascade initiated by blazar gamma-rays is deflected away by strong enough EGMF, suppressing the signal in the Fermi window. Apart from magnetic fields, the development of such a cascade might be affected by plasma instabilities due to interactions with the ionized component of the Intergalactic Medium (IGM). In this paper we model the electromagnetic cascade through a Monte Carlo simulation in which both effects are taken into account separately, and we derive constraints on these scenarios from the combined Fermi-HESS data set. In the specific case of 1ES 0229+200 observations, we show that both explanations of the GeV flux suppression are compatible with the available data, specifically by assuming a magnetic field of B >or similar 10{sup -16} G or an IGM temperature of T

Gender as a risk factor for adverse intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of elective pancreatectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazmudar, Aditya; Vitello, Dominic; Chapman, Mackenzie; Tomlinson, James S; Bentrem, David J

2017-02-01

Patient selection remains paramount when developing and adopting quality-based assessment and reimbursement models, and enhanced recovery protocols. Gender is a patient characteristic known before surgery which can inform risk stratification. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of gender on intraoperative blood transfusions, operative time, length of hospital stay, estimated blood loss (EBL) as well as postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs), and mortality. Patients undergoing elective pancreatectomy from 2005 to 2013 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) and Northwestern institutional databases. Multivariable analyses were conducted to identify the association between gender and these outcomes. Analyses demonstrated that male gender was independently associated with blood transfusion (OR 1.23), operative time >6 hr (OR 1.76), length of stay greater than 11 days (OR 1.17), and all-type SSIs (OR 1.17), especially superficial SSIs (OR 1.15) and organ space SSIs (OR 1.18). Analysis of the institutional cohort found that male gender was independently associated with increased odds of EBL > 1 L for Whipple procedures (OR 2.85). Male gender is a significant predictor of increased operative time, length of stay, transfusions, EBL > 1L, as well as postoperative organ space surgical site infections in these patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2017;115:131-136. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Discovery of Very High Energy Gamma Rays from PKS 1424+240 and Multiwavelength Constraints on its Redshift

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acciari, V.A.; /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Aliu, E.; /Delaware U., Bartol Inst.; Arlen, T.; /UCLA; Aune, T.; /UC, Santa Cruz; Bautista, M.; /McGill U.; Beilicke, M. /Washington U., St. Louis; Benbow, W.; /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Bottcher, M.; /Ohio U.; Boltuch, D.; /Delaware U., Bartol Inst.; Bradbury, S.M.; /Leeds U.; Buckley, J.H.; /Washington U., St. Louis; Bugaev, V.; /Washington U., St. Louis; Byrum, K.; /Argonne; Cannon, A.; /University Coll., Dublin; Cesarini, A.; /Natl. U. of Ireland, Galway; Chow, Y.C.; /UCLA; Ciupik, L.; /Roosevelt U., Chicago; Cogan, P.; /McGill U.; Cui, W.; /Purdue U.; Duke, C.; /Grinnell Coll.; Falcone, A.; /Penn State U. /Purdue U. /Utah U. /Roosevelt U., Chicago /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys. /Purdue U. /Natl. U. of Ireland, Galway /Utah U. /University Coll., Dublin /McGill U. /Roosevelt U., Chicago /McGill U. /Delaware U., Bartol Inst. /Utah U. /Chicago U., EFI /Iowa State U. /Roosevelt U., Chicago /DePauw U. /Utah U. /Pittsburg State U. /Washington U., St. Louis /Iowa State U. /Natl. U. of Ireland, Galway /Utah U. /McGill U. /Washington U., St. Louis /McGill U. /McGill U. /Purdue U. /Anderson U. /Galway-Mayo Inst. of Tech. /Iowa State U. /UCLA; /more authors..

2012-04-05

We report the first detection of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission above 140GeV from PKS 1424+240, a BL Lac object with an unknown redshift. The photon spectrum above 140GeV measured by VERITAS is well described by a power law with a photon index of 3.8 {+-}0.5{sub stat} {+-} 0.3{sub syst} and a flux normalization at 200 GeV of (5.1 {+-} 0.9{sub stat} {+-} 0.5{sub syst}) x 10{sup -11} TeV{sup -1} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}, where stat and syst denote the statistical and systematical uncertainty, respectively. The VHE flux is steady over the observation period between MJD 54881 and 55003 (2009 February 19 to June 21). Flux variability is also not observed in contemporaneous high energy observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). Contemporaneous X-ray and optical data were also obtained from the Swift XRT and MDM observatory, respectively. The broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) is well described by a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model favoring a redshift of less than 0.1. Using the photon index measured with Fermi in combination with recent extragalactic background light (EBL) absorption models it can be concluded from the VERITAS data that the redshift of PKS 1424+240 is less than 0.66.

Ordered Arrays of SiGe Islands from Low-Energy PECVD

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Chrastina D

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract SiGe islands have been proposed for applications in the fields of microelectronics, optoelectronics and thermoelectrics. Although most of the works in literature are based on MBE, one of the possible advantages of low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (LEPECVD is a wider range of deposition rates, which in turn results in the possibility of growing islands with a high Ge concentration. We will show that LEPECVD can be effectively used for the controlled growth of ordered arrays of SiGe islands. In order to control the nucleation of the islands, patterned Si (001 substrates were obtained by e-beam lithography (EBL and dry etching. We realized periodic circular pits with diameters ranging from 80 to 300 nm and depths from 65 to 75 nm. Subsequently, thin films (0.8–3.2 nm of pure Ge were deposited by LEPECVD, resulting in regular and uniform arrays of Ge-rich islands. LEPECVD allowed the use of a wide range of growth rates (0.01–0.1 nm s−1 and substrates temperatures (600–750°C, so that the Ge content of the islands could be varied. Island morphology was characterized by AFM, while μ-Raman was used to analyze the Ge content inside the islands and the composition differences between islands on patterned and unpatterned areas of the substrate.

The Impact of Training Residents on the Outcome of Robotic-Assisted Sacrocolpopexy

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Mohamed A. Bedaiwy

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the surgical outcomes of robotic-assisted sacrocolpopexy (RASCP before and after the incorporation of hands-on training for urology and gynecology residents. Study Design. Forty-one patients underwent RASCP between December 2008 and March 2010 with one surgeon. RASCP was performed in the context of surgical repair of complex pelvic organ prolapse and/or stress urinary incontinence. The first 20 cases (group I were performed exclusively by the attending surgeon. In the last 21 cases (group II, the urology resident performed a 50% or more of the RASCP while the gynecology resident performed the supracervical hysterectomy. The primary outcome measure was vaginal vault support at 24 weeks postoperatively based on pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q. Results. Mean ± SD operative time for the entire surgery including RASCP was 282.3±51.3 min and median EBL was 83.1±50.4 mL. Patient demographics and stage of disease did not differ between groups. Procedure time, PACU time, blood loss, and intraoperative complications were similar between groups. Follow-up POP-Q evaluations demonstrated significant correction of all points on vaginal examination for both groups (P<0.001. Conclusions. Incorporation of resident training during RASCP allows teaching of robotic surgery techniques in an effective manner without prolonging operative time or affecting the overall surgical outcome.

The impact of the multidisciplinary team in the management of individuals with diabetic foot ulcers: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Buggy, A; Moore, Z

2017-06-02

To assess the impact of the multidisciplinary team in the management of the diabetic foot compared with those who did not receive multidisciplinary care. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using the following databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library. The following search terms were used: diabetic foot, multidisciplinary team, patient care team, multidisciplinary care team. Data were extracted using a bespoke data extraction tool and quality appraisal of the studies was undertaken using the EBL Critical Appraisal checklist. Data analysis was undertaken using RevMan with results presented as odds ratio for dichotomous data, or mean difference for continuous data, all with the associated 95% confidence intervals. The search identified 19 eligible studies. Severity of amputation, death rates and length of hospital stay of clients receiving multidisciplinary team care were improved when compared with those who did not receive multidisciplinary team care. Ulcer healing and quality of life showed an improvement but not all studies explored these outcomes. Only 7 of the 19 articles appraised were found to be of acceptable quality, questioning the generalisability of the results. From the currently available evidence a positive impact of the multidisciplinary team on diabetic foot outcomes can be seen, but due to the lack of high-quality evidence and substantial heterogeneity in the studies, these results should be interpreted with caution.

Cohort studies in health sciences librarianship.

Science.gov (United States)

Eldredge, Jonathan

2002-10-01

What are the key characteristics of the cohort study design and its varied applications, and how can this research design be utilized in health sciences librarianship? The health, social, behavioral, biological, library, earth, and management sciences literatures were used as sources. All fields except for health sciences librarianship were scanned topically for either well-known or diverse applications of the cohort design. The health sciences library literature available to the author principally for the years 1990 to 2000, supplemented by papers or posters presented at annual meetings of the Medical Library Association. A narrative review for the health, social, behavioral, biological, earth, and management sciences literatures and a systematic review for health sciences librarianship literature for the years 1990 to 2000, with three exceptions, were conducted. The author conducted principally a manual search of the health sciences librarianship literature for the years 1990 to 2000 as part of this systematic review. The cohort design has been applied to answer a wide array of theoretical or practical research questions in the health, social, behavioral, biological, and management sciences. Health sciences librarianship also offers several major applications of the cohort design. The cohort design has great potential for answering research questions in the field of health sciences librarianship, particularly evidence-based librarianship (EBL), although that potential has not been fully explored.

The Diary of Kosa Pan (Thai Ambassador to France. June-July 1686, translated into English by Visudh Busayakul, introduced and annotated by Dirk Van der Cruysse, and edited by Michael Smithies

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Frédéric Maurel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available As the title suggests, this account from Kosa Pan’s journal describes the first visit to France in 1686 by a full Siamese embassy. The author of this journal, Okphra Wisut Sunthorn, alias Kosa Pan, was the ratchathut (first ambassador of that embassy, and later (1688 became phra khlang (minister in charge of the royal stores, ports, and relations with foreigners under King Phetracha, after the death of King Narai (July 1688. Besides this first ambassador, the embassy was composed of the u...

Biosurfactants and surfactants interacting with membranes and proteins: Same but different?

Science.gov (United States)

Otzen, Daniel E

2017-04-01

Biosurfactants (BS) are surface-active molecules produced by microorganisms. For several decades they have attracted interest as promising alternatives to current petroleum-based surfactants. Aside from their green profile, they have remarkably low critical micelle concentrations, reduce the air/water surface tension to very low levels and are excellent emulsifiers, all of which make them comparable or superior to their synthetic counterparts. These remarkable physical properties derive from their more complex chemical structures in which hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions are not as clearly separated as chemical surfactants but have a more mosaic distribution of polarity as well as branched or circular structures. This allows the lipopeptide surfactin to adopt spherical structures to facilitate dense packing at interfaces. They are also more complex. Glycolipid BS, e.g. rhamnolipids (RL) and sophorolipids, are produced biologically as mixtures which vary in the size and saturation of the hydrophobic region as well as modifications in the hydrophilic headgroup, such as the number of sugar groups and different levels of acetylation, leading to variable surface-active properties. Their amphiphilicity allows RL to insert easily into membranes at sub-cmc concentrations to modulate membrane structure and extract lipopolysaccharides, leading to extensive biofilm remodeling in vivo, sometimes in collaboration with hydrophobic RL precursors. Thanks to their mosaicity, even anionic BS like RL only bind weakly to proteins and show much lower denaturing potency, even supporting membrane protein refolding. Nevertheless, they can promote protein degradation by proteases e.g. by neutralizing positive charges, which together with their biofilm-combating properties makes them very promising detergent surfactants. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Lipid order/lipid defects and lipid-control of protein activity edited by Dirk Schneider. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B

Fostering science literacy, environmental stewardship, and collaboration: Assessing a garden-based approach to teaching life science

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher-Maltese, Carley B.

Recently, schools nationwide have expressed a renewed interest in school gardens (California School Garden Network, 2010), viewing them as innovative educational tools. Most of the scant studies on these settings investigate the health/nutritional impacts, environmental attitudes, or emotional dispositions of students. However, few studies examine the science learning potential of a school garden from an informal learning perspective. Those studies that do examine learning emphasize individual learning of traditional school content (math, science, etc.) (Blaire, 2009; Dirks & Orvis, 2005; Klemmer, Waliczek & Zajicek, 2005a & b; Smith & Mostenbocker, 2005). My study sought to demonstrate the value of school garden learning through a focus on measures of learning typically associated with traditional learning environments, as well as informal learning environments. Grounded in situated, experiential, and contextual model of learning theories, the purpose of this case study was to examine the impacts of a school garden program at a K-3 elementary school. Results from pre/post tests, pre/post surveys, interviews, recorded student conversations, and student work reveal a number of affordances, including science learning, cross-curricular lessons in an authentic setting, a sense of school community, and positive shifts in attitude toward nature and working collaboratively with other students. I also analyzed this garden-based unit as a type curriculum reform in one school in an effort to explore issues of implementing effective practices in schools. Facilitators and barriers to implementing a garden-based science curriculum at a K-3 elementary school are discussed. Participants reported a number of implementation processes necessary for success: leadership, vision, and material, human, and social resources. However, in spite of facilitators, teachers reported barriers to implementing the garden-based curriculum, specifically lack of time and content knowledge.

High prevalence of COPD in atherosclerosis patients

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Tuleta I

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Izabela Tuleta, Tarik Farrag, Laura Busse, Carmen Pizarro, Christian Schaefer, Simon Pingel, Georg Nickenig, Dirk Skowasch, Nadjib Schahab Department of Internal Medicine II – Cardiology, Pulmonology and Angiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany Abstract: Atherosclerosis and COPD are both systemic inflammatory diseases that may influence each other. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of COPD in patients with cerebral and/or peripheral artery disease and to assess factors associated with the presence of COPD. Following the diagnosis of cerebral and/or peripheral artery disease by means of duplex sonography, 166 consecutive patients underwent body plethysmography with capillary blood gas analysis. Thereafter, blood tests with determination of different parameters such as lipid profile, inflammatory and coagulation markers were conducted in remaining 136 patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria of the study. Thirty-six out of 136 patients suffered from COPD, mostly in early stages of the disease. Residual volume indicating emphysema was increased (162.9%±55.9% vs 124.5%±37.0%, p<0.05 and diffusion capacity was decreased (55.1%±19.5% vs 75.3%±18.6%, p<0.05 in COPD patients vs non-COPD group. In capillary blood gas analysis, COPD patients had lower partial pressure of oxygen (70.9±11.5 vs 75.2±11.0 mmHg, p<0.05 and higher partial pressure of carbon dioxide (36.8±7.5 vs 34.4±4.4 mmHg, p<0.05 compared with non-COPD individuals. Presence of COPD was associated with predominance of diabetes mellitus, interleukin-8-related systemic neutrophilic inflammation and anemia. In conclusion, COPD is highly prevalent in patients with atherosclerotic artery disease. Keywords: cerebral artery disease, peripheral artery disease, lung function, capillary blood gas, diabetes mellitus, inflammation, interleukin-8, anemia

PCR em tempo real para diagnóstico da leucose enzoótica bovina Enzootic bovine leukosis real time PCR

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Natanael Lamas Dias

2012-08-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar a validação de uma reação em cadeia da polimerase em tempo real com o sistema Plexor® (qPCR para o diagnóstico da Leucose Enzoótica Bovina (LEB, por meio da comparação com testes de diagnóstico recomendados pela Organização Mundial de Saúde Animal (OIE. A qPCR foi comparada com duas outras técnicas: a PCR nested (nPCR e a imunodifusão em gel de ágar (IDGA. Das 82 amostras analisadas pela qPCR e nPCR, 79 apresentaram resultados concordantes, sendo a concordância, classificada pelo Índice Kappa, como alta. Entre as PCRs e a IDGA, o número de resultados concordantes foi de 71 e 69, respectivamente, para qPCR e nPCR, sendo a concordância classificada como considerável. A qPCR apresentou altos valores de sensibilidade e especificidade. Os valores preditivos da qPCR observados demonstraram a alta capacidade de classificação dos casos positivos e negativos. A qPCR não foi capaz de detectar três amostras positivas e tem custo ligeiramente superior que a nPCR. Entretanto, a qPCR é uma técnica mais rápida, menos susceptível a contaminações, tem alta sensibilidade, não utiliza e não gera resíduos carcinogênicos. Concluímos que a qPCR pode substituir a nPCR recomendada pela OIE no diagnóstico de rotina em áreas em que a LEB é endêmica, como no Brasil.The goal of this research was to validate a Plexor® real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR for Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL diagnosis by comparison with methods recommend by the World Animal Health Organization (OIE. The qPCR was compared with two other techniques: the nested PCR (nPCR and to the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID. Of 82 qPCR and nPCR analysed samples, 79 presented concordant results, being the concordance classified by Kappa Index as high. Between the PCRs and AGID, the number of concordant results was 71 and 69, out of 82, to qPCR and nPCR, respectively, being the concordance classified as considerable, in both

Network connection of distributed electricity production - a preliminary study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pleym, Anngjerd; Mogstad, Olve

2002-01-01

It will be necessary to lower the barriers for utilisation of distributed energy sources in order to increase the use of such sources in Norway. A relatively extensive R and D activity would be required for reaching this goal. Available Norwegian and international guidelines and technical requirements with respect to network connection of the distributed energy sources are studied with the aim of exposing needs for further R and D initiatives. A limited monitor is also carried out among the Norwegian network businesses with distributed units in their networks. The results show that the main focus in the R and D activities has drifted away from establishing guidelines for technical requirements for network coupling. Some verification work remains in investigating the usefulness of the existing international and the specific commercial network guidelines. For the network industry the main focus must be on the two following areas: 1) How will large concentrations of distributed production units connected to the same network influence the voltage quality and the delivery reliability in the networks. 2) How can the network businesses employ the distributed production units in their networks. A Nordic project (Finland, Sweden, Norway) which will study these problems is being established. Large national scientific institutions will be involved. The executive committee will consist of representatives from Finenergy, Elforsk and EBL Kompetanse and other financing institutions and industries. A Finnish business Merinova, is to be appointed to the project leadership

Search for Gamma-Ray Bursts with the ARGO-YBJ Detector in Shower Mode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartoli, B.; Catalanotti, S.; Piazzoli, B. D’Ettorre; Girolamo, T. Di [Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Universitá di Napoli “Federico II,” Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, via Cinthia, I-80126 Napoli (Italy); Bernardini, P.; D’Amone, A.; Mitri, I. De [Dipartimento Matematica e Fisica “Ennio De Giorgi,” Universitá del Salento, via per Arnesano, I-73100 Lecce (Italy); Bi, X. J.; Cao, Z.; Chen, S. Z.; Feng, Zhaoyang; Gao, W.; Gou, Q. B. [Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 918, 100049 Beijing (China); Chen, T. L.; Danzengluobu [Tibet University, 850000 Lhasa, Xizang (China); Cui, S. W. [Hebei Normal University, 050024 Shijiazhuang Hebei (China); Dai, B. Z. [Yunnan University, 2 North Cuihu Road, 650091 Kunming, Yunnan (China); Sciascio, G. Di [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Feng, C. F. [Shandong University, 250100 Jinan, Shandong (China); Feng, Zhenyong, E-mail: chensz@ihep.ac.cn, E-mail: zhouxx@swjtu.edu.cn [Southwest Jiaotong University, 610031 Chengdu, Sichuan (China); Collaboration: ARGO-YBJ Collaboration; and others

2017-06-10

The ARGO-YBJ detector, located at the Yangbajing Cosmic Ray Laboratory (4300 m a. s. l., Tibet, China), was a “full coverage” (central carpet with an active area of ∼93%) air shower array dedicated to gamma-ray astronomy and cosmic-ray studies. The wide field of view (∼2 sr) and high duty cycle (>86%), made ARGO-YBJ suitable to search for short and unexpected gamma-ray emissions like gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Between 2007 November 6 and 2013 February 7, 156 satellite-triggered GRBs (24 of them with known redshift) occurred within the ARGO-YBJ field of view (zenith angle θ ≤ 45°). A search for possible emission associated with these GRBs has been made in the two energy ranges 10–100 GeV and 10–1000 GeV. No significant excess has been found in time coincidence with the satellite detections nor in a set of different time windows inside the interval of one hour after the bursts. Taking into account the EBL absorption, upper limits to the energy fluence at a 99% confidence level have been evaluated, with values ranging from ∼10{sup −5} erg cm{sup −2} to ∼10{sup −1} erg cm{sup −2}. The Fermi -GBM burst GRB 090902B, with a high-energy photon of 33.4 GeV detected by Fermi -LAT, is discussed in detail.

Subwavelength Gold Grating as Polarizers Integrated with InP-Based InGaAs Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rui; Li, Tao; Shao, Xiumei; Li, Xue; Huang, Xiaqi; Shao, Jinhai; Chen, Yifang; Gong, Haimei

2015-07-08

There are currently growing needs for polarimetric imaging in infrared wavelengths for broad applications in bioscience, communications and agriculture, etc. Subwavelength metallic gratings are capable of separating transverse magnetic (TM) mode from transverse electric (TE) mode to form polarized light, offering a reliable approach for the detection in polarization way. This work aims to design and fabricate subwavelength gold gratings as polarizers for InP-based InGaAs sensors in 1.0-1.6 μm. The polarization capability of gold gratings on InP substrate with pitches in the range of 200-1200 nm (fixed duty cycle of 0.5) has been systematically studied by both theoretical modeling with a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulator and spectral measurements. Gratings with 200 nm lines/space in 100-nm-thick gold have been fabricated by electron beam lithography (EBL). It was found that subwavelength gold gratings directly integrated on InP cannot be applied as good polarizers, because of the existence of SPP modes in the detection wavelengths. An effective solution has been found by sandwiching the Au/InP bilayer using a 200 nm SiO2 layer, leading to significant improvement in both TM transmission and extinction ratio. At 1.35 μm, the improvement factors are 8 and 10, respectively. Therefore, it is concluded that the Au/SiO2/InP trilayer should be a promising candidate of near-infrared polarizers for the InP-based InGaAs sensors.

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Redactie KITLV

2004-07-01

, and modernity in Dominican history. Stanford CA: Stanford University Press, 2003. x + 384 pp. -Eric Paul Roorda, Bernardo Vega, Almoina, Galíndez y otros crímenes de Trujillo en el extranjero. Santo Domingo: Fundación Cultural Dominicana, 2001. 147 pp.''Diario de una misión en Washington. Santo Domingo: Fundación Cultural Dominicana, 2002. 526 pp. -Gerben Nooteboom, Aspha Bijnaar, Kasmoni: Een spaartraditie in Suriname en Nederland. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Bert Bakker, 2002. 378 pp. -Dirk H.A. Kolff, Chan E.S. Choenni ,Hindostanen: Van Brits-Indische emigranten via Suriname tot burgers van Nederland. The Hague: Communicatiebureau Sampreshan, 2003. 224 pp., Kanta Sh. Adhin (eds -Dirk H.A. Kolff, Sandew Hira, Het dagboek van Munshi Rahman Khan. The Hague: Amrit/Paramaribo: NSHI, 2003. x + 370 pp. -William H. Fisher, Neil L. Whitehead, Dark Shamans: Kanaimà and the poetics of violent death. Durham NC: Duke University Press, 2002. 309 pp. -David Scott, A.J. Simoes da Silva, The luxury of nationalist despair: George Lamming's fiction as decolonizing project. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2000. 217 pp. -Lyn Innes, Maria Cristina Fumagalli, The flight of the vernacular. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2001. xvi + 303 pp. -Maria Cristina Fumagalli, Tobias Döring, Caribbean-English passages: Intertextuality in a postcolonial tradition. London: Routledge, 2002. xii + 236 pp. -A. James Arnold, Celia Britton, Race and the unconscious: Freudianism in French Caribbean thought. Oxford: Legenda, 2002. 115 pp. -Nicole Roberts, Dorothy E. Mosby, Place, language, and identity in Afro-Costa Rican literature. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2003. xiii + 248 pp. -Stephen Steumpfle, Philip W. Scher, Carnival and the formation of a Caribbean transnation. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2003. xvi + 215 pp. -Peter Manuel, Frances R. Aparicho ,Musical migrations: transnationalism and cultural hybridity in Latin/o America, Volume 1. With Maria Elena Cepeda. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. 216

The relationship of older age and perioperative outcomes following thoracolumbar three-column osteotomy for adult spinal deformity: an analysis of 300 consecutive cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Darryl; Osorio, Joseph A; Deviren, Vedat; Ames, Christopher P

2018-04-06

OBJECTIVE Three-column osteotomies are increasingly being used in the elderly population to correct rigid spinal deformities. There is hesitation, however, in performing the technique in older patients because of the high risk for blood loss, longer operative times, and complications. This study assesses whether age alone is an independent risk factor for complications and length of stay. METHODS All patients with thoracolumbar adult spinal deformity (ASD) who underwent 3-column osteotomy (vertebral column resection or pedicle subtraction osteotomy) performed by the senior author from 2006 to 2016 were identified. Demographics, clinical baseline, and surgical details were collected. Outcomes of interest included perioperative complication, ICU stay, and hospital stay. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the association of age with outcomes of interest. RESULTS A total of 300 patients were included, and 38.3% were male. The mean age was 63.7 years: 10.3% of patients were younger than 50 years, 36.0% were 50-64 years, 45.7% were 65-79 years, and 8.0% were 80 years or older. The overall mean EBL was 1999 ml. The overall perioperative complication rate was 24.7%: 18.0% had a medical complication and 7.0% had a surgical complication. There were no perioperative or 30-day deaths. Age was associated with overall complications (p = 0.002) and medical-specific complications (p column osteotomy for ASD. Comorbidities and other unknown variables that come with age are likely what put these patients at higher risk for complications. Older age, however, is independently associated with longer ICU and hospital stays.

Inhibitor of DNA synthesis is present in normal chicken serum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklin, R.A.; Davila, D.R.; Westly, H.J.; Kelley, K.W.

1986-01-01

The authors have found that heat-inactivated serum (57 0 C for 1 hour) from normal chickens reduces the proliferation of mitogen-stimulated chicken and murine splenocytes as well as some transformed mammalian lymphoblastoid cell lines. Greater than a 50% reduction in 3 H-thymidine incorporation was observed when concanavalin A (Con A)-activated chicken splenocytes that were cultured in the presence of 10% autologous or heterologous serum were compared to mitogen-stimulated cells cultured in the absence of serum. Normal chicken serum (10%) also caused greater than 95% suppression of 3 H-thymidine incorporation by bovine (EBL-1 and BL-3) and gibbon ape (MLA 144) transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines. The only cell line tested that was not inhibited by chicken serum was an IL-2-dependent, murine cell line. Chicken serum also inhibited both 3 H-thymidine incorporation and IL-2 synthesis by Con A-activated murine splenocytes. Suppression was caused by actions other than cytotoxicity because viability of chicken splenocytes was unaffected by increasing levels of chicken serum. Furthermore, dialyzed serum retained its activity, which suggested that thymidine in the serum was not inhibiting uptake of radiolabeled thymidine. Suppressive activity was not due to adrenal glucocorticoids circulating in plasma because neither physiologic nor pharmacologic doses of corticosterone had inhibitory effects on mitogen-stimulated chicken splenocytes. These data demonstrate that an endogenous factor that is found in normal chicken serum inhibits proliferation of T-cells from chickens and mice as well as some transformed mammalian lymphoblastoid cell lines

Total vaginectomy and urethral lengthening at time of neourethral prelamination in transgender men.

Science.gov (United States)

Medina, Carlos A; Fein, Lydia A; Salgado, Christopher J

2017-11-29

For transgender men (TGM), gender-affirmation surgery (GAS) is often the final stage of their gender transition. GAS involves creating a neophallus, typically using tissue remote from the genital region, such as radial forearm free-flap phalloplasty. Essential to this process is vaginectomy. Complexity of vaginal fascial attachments, atrophy due to testosterone use, and need to preserve integrity of the vaginal epithelium for tissue rearrangement add to the intricacy of the procedure during GAS. We designed the technique presented here to minimize complications and contribute to overall success of the phalloplasty procedure. After obtaining approval from the Institutional Review Board, our transgender (TG) database at the University of Miami Hospital was reviewed to identify cases with vaginectomy and urethral elongation performed at the time of radial forearm free-flap phalloplasty prelamination. Surgical technique for posterior vaginectomy and anterior vaginal wall-flap harvest with subsequent urethral lengthening is detailed. Six patients underwent total vaginectomy and urethral elongation at the time of radial forearm free-flap phalloplasty prelamination. Mean estimated blood loss (EBL) was 290 ± 199.4 ml for the vaginectomy and urethral elongation, and no one required transfusion. There were no intraoperative complications (cystotomy, ureteral obstruction, enterotomy, proctotomy, or neurological injury). One patient had a urologic complication (urethral stricture) in the neobulbar urethra. Total vaginectomy and urethral lengthening procedures at the time of GAS are relatively safe procedures, and using the described technique provides excellent tissue for urethral prelamination and a low complication rate in both the short and long term.

Electrodeposition of gold templated by patterned thiol monolayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

She, Zhe [EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, KY16 9ST (United Kingdom); Di Falco, Andrea [SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Hähner, Georg [EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, KY16 9ST (United Kingdom); Buck, Manfred, E-mail: mb45@st-andrews.ac.uk [EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, KY16 9ST (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • First demonstration of electrodeposition/lift-off of gold using thiol monolayers. • Microelectrode structures with large length to width ratio were generated. • Performance of two different patterning techniques was investigated. • Conditions for achieving good contrast in the electrodeposition were established. - Abstract: The electrochemical deposition of Au onto Au substrates modified by self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) was studied by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Patterned SAMs exhibiting electrochemical contrast were prepared by two different methods. One used microcontact printing (μCP) to generate a binary SAM of ω-(4′-methyl-biphenyl-4-yl)-propane thiol (CH{sub 3}-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}-(CH{sub 2}){sub 3}-SH, MBP3) and octadecane thiol (CH{sub 3}(CH{sub 2}){sub 17}SH, ODT). Templated by the SAM, a gold microelectrode structure was electrodeposited featuring a line 15 μm wide and 3 mm long. After transfer to an epoxy substrate the structure proved to be electrically conductive across the full length. The other patterning method applied electron beam lithography (EBL) where electrochemical contrast was achieved by crosslinking molecules in a single component SAM of MBP3. An electron dose above 250 mC/cm{sup 2} results in a high deposition contrast. The choice of parameters for the deposition/lift-off process is found to be more critical for Au compared to Cu studied previously. The origin of the differences and implications for nanoscale patterning are discussed.

Gallbladder Nonvisualization in Cholecystectomy: A Factor for Conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Slack, Daniel R; Grisby, Shaunda; Dike, Uzoamaka Kimberly; Kohli, Harjeet

2018-01-01

Many risk factors have been identified in minimally invasive cholecystectomies that lead to higher complications and conversion rates. No study that we encountered looked at nonvisualization of the gallbladder (GB) during surgery as a risk factor. We hypothesized that nonvisualization was associated with an increased risk of complications and could be an early intraoperative identifier of a higher risk procedure. Recognizing this could allow surgeons to be aware of potential risks and to be more likely to convert to open for the safety of the patient. We looked at minimally invasive cholecystectomies performed at our institution from January 2015 through April 2016 and had the performing resident fill out a survey after the surgery. Outcomes were conversion rates, intraoperative complications, and blood loss and were analyzed via Pearson χ 2 test or Mann-Whitney U test. The primary outcome showed a conversion rate of 37% in nonvisualized GBs versus 0% in visualized ( P = .001). Secondary outcomes showed significant differences in GB perforations (74% vs 13%, P = .001), omental vessel bleeding (16% vs. 0%, P = .005), and EBL (46 mL vs 29 mL, P = .001). Intraoperative nonvisualization of the GB after adequate positioning caused significantly increased risk of intraoperative complications and conversion. This knowledge could be useful during intraoperative assessment, to decide whether a case should be continued as a minimally invasive procedure or converted early to help reduce risk to the patient. Further randomized controlled studies should be performed to further demonstrate the value of this assessment.

Signs for early diagnosis of heart failure in primary health care

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Devroey D

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Dirk Devroey1,2, Viviane Van Casteren11Scientific Institute of Public Health, Unit of Epidemiology, Brussels, Belgium; 2Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB, Department of Family Medicine, Brussels, BelgiumObjective: The current guidelines for the diagnosis of heart failure (HF are based on studies of hospital-based patients. The aim of this study is to describe the symptoms, clinical signs, and diagnostic procedures confirming the diagnosis of HF in primary health care.Materials/subjects and methods: Data were prospectively collected during a 2-year period by a nationwide network of sentinel practices. All adult patients without known HF, for which the diagnosis of HF was clinically suspected for the first time, were registered. When diagnosed, HF was confirmed after 1 month.Results: 754 patients with a suspicion of HF were recorded. The diagnosis of HF was confirmed for 74% of the patients. The average age of the patients with confirmed HF was 77.7 years, and for those without HF 75.6 years (P = 0.018. From a logistic regression, breathlessness on exercise (P < 0.001, limitations of physical activity (P = 0.003, and orthopnea (P = 0.040 were the symptoms most associated with HF. The clinical signs most associated with HF, were pulmonary rales (P < 0.001, peripheral edema (P < 0.001, and raised jugular venous pressure (P = 0.039. An electrocardiogram was performed in 75% of the cases, blood analyses in 68%, echocardiogram in 63%, chest X-ray in 61%, and determination of natriuretic peptides in 11% of the cases.Conclusion: Many clinical signs may occur in patients with HF. However, the occurrence of peripheral edema, breathlessness on exercise, or pulmonary rales, are highly suggestive for HF when diagnosed in primary health care, as is the case in hospital-admitted patients. The diagnosis of HF was often left unconfirmed by an echocardiogram and/or an electrocardiogram.Keywords: heart failure, primary health care, diagnostic clinical signs

The Impact of Discovering Life beyond Earth

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Dick, Steven J.

2016-01-01

Introduction: astrobiology and society Steven J. Dick; Part I. Motivations and Approaches. How Do We Frame the Problems of Discovery and Impact?: Introduction; 1. Current approaches to finding life beyond earth, and what happens if we do Seth Shostak; 2. The philosophy of astrobiology: the Copernican and Darwinian presuppositions Iris Fry; 3. History, discovery, analogy: three approaches to the impact of discovering life beyond earth Steven J. Dick; 4. Silent impact: why the discovery of extraterrestrial life should be silent Clément Vidal; Part II. Transcending Anthropocentrism. How Do We Move beyond our Own Preconceptions of Life, Intelligence and Culture?: Introduction; 5. The landscape of life Dirk Schulze-Makuch; 6. The landscape of intelligence Lori Marino; 7. Universal biology: assessing universality from a single example Carlos Mariscal; 8. Equating culture, civilization, and moral development in imagining extraterrestrial intelligence: anthropocentric assumptions? John Traphagan; 9. Communicating with the other: infinity, geometry, and universal math and science Douglas Vakoch; Part III. Philosophical, Theological, and Moral Impact. How Do We Comprehend the Cultural Challenges Raised by Discovery?: Introduction; 10. Life, intelligence and the pursuit of value in cosmic evolution Mark Lupisella; 11. 'Klaatu barada nikto' - or, do they really think like us? Michael Ruse; 12. Alien minds Susan Schneider; 13. The moral subject of astrobiology: guideposts for exploring our ethical and political responsibilities towards extraterrestrial life Elspeth Wilson and Carol Cleland; 14. Astrobiology and theology Robin Lovin; 15. Would you baptize an extraterrestrial? Guy Consolmagno, SJ; Part IV. Practical Considerations: How Should Society Prepare for Discovery - and Non-Discovery?: Introduction; 16. Is there anything new about astrobiology and society? Jane Maienschein; 17. Evaluating preparedness for the discovery of extraterrestrial life: considering potential

Severely Burdened Individuals Do Not Need to Be Excluded From Internet-Based and Mobile-Based Stress Management: Effect Modifiers of Treatment Outcomes From Three Randomized Controlled Trials.

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Weisel, Kiona Krueger; Lehr, Dirk; Heber, Elena; Zarski, Anna-Carlotta; Berking, Matthias; Riper, Heleen; Ebert, David Daniel

2018-06-19

Although internet-based and mobile-based stress management interventions (iSMIs) may be a promising strategy to reach employees suffering from high chronic stress, it remains unknown whether participants with high symptom severity of depression or anxiety also benefit from iSMIs or should be excluded. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of iSMIs in subgroups with high symptom severity and to test whether baseline symptom severity moderates treatment outcome. Data from three randomized controlled trials (N=791) were pooled to identify effect modifiers and to evaluate efficacy in subgroups with different levels of initial symptom severity. The outcomes perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale, PSS), depression severity (Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale, CES-D), and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS) symptom severity were assessed at baseline, 7-week postassessment, and 6-month follow-up. Potential moderators were tested in predicting differences in the change of outcome in multiple moderation analyses. Simple slope analyses evaluated efficacy of the iSMI comparing the intervention group with the waitlist control group in subgroups with low, moderate, and severe initial symptomology based on means and SDs of the study population. In addition, subgroups with clinical values of depression (CES-D≥16) and anxiety (HADS≥8) at baseline were explored, and response rates (RRs; 50% symptom reduction) and symptom-free (SF) status (CES-Dhttps://www.drks.de/DRKS00005112 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6zmIZwvdA); 2) German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00005384; https://www.drks.de/ DRKS00005384 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6zmIerdtr); and 3) German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00004749; https://www.drks.de/DRKS00004749 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6zmIjDQPx). ©Kiona Krueger Weisel, Dirk Lehr, Elena Heber, Anna-Carlotta Zarski, Matthias Berking, Heleen Riper, David Daniel Ebert

The effect of e-learning on the quality of orthodontic appliances

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Schorn-Borgmann S

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Stephanie Schorn-Borgmann,1 Carsten Lippold,2 Dirk Wiechmann,3 Thomas Stamm2 1Private Practice, Nordkirchen, Germany; 2Department of Orthodontics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; 3Department of Orthodontics, University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany Purpose: The effect of e-learning on practical skills in medicine has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Today’s multimedia learning environment and access to e-books provide students with more knowledge than ever before. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of online demonstrations concerning the quality of orthodontic appliances manufactured by undergraduate dental students. Materials and methods: The study design was a parallel-group randomized clinical trial. Fifty-four participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: 1 conventional lectures, 2 conventional lectures plus written online material, and 3 access to resources of groups one and two plus access to online video material. Three orthodontic appliances (Schwarz Plate, U-Bow Activator, and Fränkel Regulator were manufactured during the course and scored by two independent raters blinded to the participants. A 15-point scale index was used to evaluate the outcome quality of the appliances. Results: In general, no significant differences were found between the groups. Concerning the appliances, the Schwarz Plate obtained the highest scores, whereas the Fränkel Regulator had the lowest scores; however, these results were independent of the groups. Females showed better outcome scores than males in groups two and three, but the difference was insignificant. Age of the participants also had no significant effect. Conclusion: The offer that students could use additional time and course-independent e-learning resources did not increase the outcome quality of the orthodontic appliances. The advantages of e-learning observed in the theoretical fields of medicine were not achieved in the educational

Robotic versus laparoscopic resection of liver tumours

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Berber, Eren; Akyildiz, Hizir Yakup; Aucejo, Federico; Gunasekaran, Ganesh; Chalikonda, Sricharan; Fung, John

2010-01-01

Background There are scant data in the literature regarding the role of robotic liver surgery. The aim of the present study was to develop techniques for robotic liver tumour resection and to draw a comparison with laparoscopic resection. Methods Over a 1-year period, nine patients underwent robotic resection of peripherally located malignant lesions measuring <5 cm. These patients were compared prospectively with 23 patients who underwent laparoscopic resection of similar tumours at the same institution. Statistical analyses were performed using Student's t-test, χ2-test and Kaplan–Meier survival. All data are expressed as mean ± SEM. Results The groups were similar with regards to age, gender and tumour type (P = NS). Tumour size was similar in both groups (robotic −3.2 ± 1.3 cm vs. laparoscopic −2.9 ± 1.3 cm, P = 0.6). Skin-to-skin operative time was 259 ± 28 min in the robotic vs. 234 ± 17 min in the laparoscopic group (P = 0.4). There was no difference between the two groups regarding estimated blood loss (EBL) and resection margin status. Conversion to an open operation was only necessary in one patient in the robotic group. Complications were observed in one patient in the robotic and four patients in the laparoscopic groups. The patients were followed up for a mean of 14 months and disease-free survival (DFS) was equivalent in both groups (P = 0.6). Conclusion The results of this initial study suggest that, for selected liver lesions, a robotic approach provides similar peri-operative outcomes compared with laparoscopic liver resection (LLR). PMID:20887327

Bovine leukaemia virus genotypes 5 and 6 are circulating in cattle from the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

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Gregory, Lilian; Carrillo Gaeta, Natália; Araújo, Jansen; Matsumiya Thomazelli, Luciano; Harakawa, Ricardo; Ikuno, Alice A; Hiromi Okuda, Liria; de Stefano, Eliana; Pituco, Edviges Maristela

2017-12-01

Enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) is a silent disease caused by a retrovirus [bovine leukaemia virus (BLV)]. BLV is classified into almost 10 genotypes that are distributed in several countries. The present research aimed to describe two BLV gp51 env sequences of strains detected in the state of São Paulo, Brazil and perform a phylogenetic analysis to compare them to other BLV gp51 env sequences of strains around the world. Two bovines from different herds were admitted to the Bovine and Small Ruminant Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil. In both, lymphosarcoma was detected and the presence of BLV was confirmed by nested PCR. The neighbour-joining algorithm distance method was used to genotype the BLV sequences by phylogenetic reconstruction, and the maximum likelihood method was used for the phylogenetic reconstruction. The phylogeny estimates were calculated by performing 1000 bootstrap replicates. Analysis of the partial envelope glycoprotein (env) gene sequences from two isolates (25 and 31) revealed two different genotypes of BLV. Isolate 25 clustered with ten genotype 6 isolates from Brazil, Argentina, Thailand and Paraguay. On the other hand, isolate 31 clustered with two genotype 5 isolates (one was also from São Paulo and one was from Costa Rica). The detected genotypes corroborate the results of previous studies conducted in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The prediction of amino acids showed substitutions, particularly between positions 136 and 150 in 11 out of 13 sequences analysed, including sequences from GenBank. BLV is still important in Brazil and this research should be continued.

Venous thromboembolism prevention in gynecologic cancer surgery: a systematic review.

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Einstein, M Heather; Pritts, Elizabeth A; Hartenbach, Ellen M

2007-06-01

Advanced age, pelvic surgery, and the presence of malignancy place gynecologic oncology patients at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). This study was designed to systematically analyze the world's literature on VTE in these patients and determine the optimal prophylaxis regimen. Computerized searches of Pubmed, Ovid, DARE, ACP Journal Club, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry 1966-2005 were performed, as well as EMBASE 1980-2005. Major conferences and target references were hand-searched. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating VTE prophylaxis with heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), and sequential compression devices (SCD). The search yielded 278 articles; 11 met inclusion criteria. Data were abstracted by one author and analyzed with the Mantel-Haenszel method. The analysis of heparin-versus-control revealed a significant decrease in DVT in patients receiving heparin (RR=0.58, 95% CI 0.35-0.95). There were no significant differences in EBL or transfusions between the two groups. In the 320 patients in the heparin vs. LMWH studies, there was no significant difference in DVT (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.38-2.17), although power analysis demonstrated insufficient numbers to show a difference. No patient in either group required re-exploration for bleeding. All gynecologic cancer patients should receive VTE prophylaxis. Although heparin, LMWH, and SCD have been shown to be safe and effective, due to the paucity of data in the gynecologic oncology literature, no one prevention modality can be considered superior at this time. Adequately powered RCTs are urgently needed to determine the optimal regimen in these high-risk patients.

Structural control of ultra-fine CoPt nanodot arrays via electrodeposition process

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Wodarz, Siggi [Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); Hasegawa, Takashi; Ishio, Shunji [Department of Materials Science, Akita University, Akita City 010-8502 (Japan); Homma, Takayuki, E-mail: t.homma@waseda.jp [Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan)

2017-05-15

CoPt nanodot arrays were fabricated by combining electrodeposition and electron beam lithography (EBL) for the use of bit-patterned media (BPM). To achieve precise control of deposition uniformity and coercivity of the CoPt nanodot arrays, their crystal structure and magnetic properties were controlled by controlling the diffusion state of metal ions from the initial deposition stage with the application of bath agitation. Following bath agitation, the composition gradient of the CoPt alloy with thickness was mitigated to have a near-ideal alloy composition of Co:Pt =80:20, which induces epitaxial-like growth from Ru substrate, thus resulting in the improvement of the crystal orientation of the hcp (002) structure from its initial deposition stages. Furthermore, the cross-sectional transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis of the nanodots deposited with bath agitation showed CoPt growth along its c-axis oriented in the perpendicular direction, having uniform lattice fringes on the hcp (002) plane from the Ru underlayer interface, which is a significant factor to induce perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Magnetic characterization of the CoPt nanodot arrays showed increase in the perpendicular coercivity and squareness of the hysteresis loops from 2.0 kOe and 0.64 (without agitation) to 4.0 kOe and 0.87 with bath agitation. Based on the detailed characterization of nanodot arrays, the precise crystal structure control of the nanodot arrays with ultra-high recording density by electrochemical process was successfully demonstrated. - Highlights: • Ultra-fine CoPt nanodot arrays were fabricated by electrodeposition. • Crystallinity of hcp (002) was improved with uniform composition formation. • Uniform formation of hcp lattices leads to an increase in the coercivity.

Chimeric Lyssavirus Glycoproteins with Increased Immunological Potential

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Jallet, Corinne; Jacob, Yves; Bahloul, Chokri; Drings, Astrid; Desmezieres, Emmanuel; Tordo, Noël; Perrin, Pierre

1999-01-01

The rabies virus glycoprotein molecule (G) can be divided into two parts separated by a flexible hinge: the NH2 half (site II part) containing antigenic site II up to the linear region (amino acids [aa] 253 to 275 encompassing epitope VI [aa 264]) and the COOH half (site III part) containing antigenic site III and the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains. The structural and immunological roles of each part were investigated by cell transfection and mouse DNA-based immunization with homogeneous and chimeric G genes formed by fusion of the site II part of one genotype (GT) with the site III part of the same or another GT. Various site II-site III combinations between G genes of PV (Pasteur virus strain) rabies (GT1), Mokola (GT3), and EBL1 (European bat lyssavirus 1 [GT5]) viruses were tested. Plasmids pGPV-PV, pGMok-Mok, pGMok-PV, and pGEBL1-PV induced transient expression of correctly transported and folded antigens in neuroblastoma cells and virus-neutralizing antibodies against parental viruses in mice, whereas, pG-PVIII (site III part only) and pGPV-Mok did not. The site III part of PV (GT1) was a strong inducer of T helper cells and was very effective at presenting the site II part of various GTs. Both parts are required for correct folding and transport of chimeric G proteins which have a strong potential value for immunological studies and development of multivalent vaccines. Chimeric plasmid pGEBL1-PV broadens the spectrum of protection against European lyssavirus genotypes (GT1, GT5, and GT6). PMID:9847325

From Nano Structure to Systems: Fabrication and Characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uda Hashim

2011-01-01

Currently, the interest in nano technology research has been grown rapidly. With the latest technology, it is possible to arrange atoms into structures that are only a few nanometers in size. Dimension for nano structure is between 0.1 and 100nm where the actual size of 1nm is equal to 10-9 m or just about a few atoms thick. In other word, a nano structure is an object which it size is about four atom diameters or 1/50000 of a human hair. Due to the connecting of a patterned silicon substrate with biomolecules and the small size and large surface-to-volume ratio, it opens much new possibility for assembling nano structures.The ultimate goal is to fabricate devices that have every atom in the right place. Such technology would give the opportunity to minimize the size of a device and to reduce the material, energy and time necessary to perform its task. Potential applications include electrical circuits, mechanical devices and medical instruments. There are two most important nano structures that are extensively studied and researched in various organizations which are nano wire and nano gap. Nano wires is a new class of nano structure that have attracted attention and great research interest in the last few years because of their potential applications in nano technology such as nano electronic, nano mechanical and biomedical engineering. Fabrication of Nano wires is one of the great challenges today. Conventional lithography methods are not capable to produce Nano wires and even with advance nano lithography sizes below 100 nm may not easily be achieved. Nano wire can be produced in two approaches, which are top down and bottom-up method. Very small nano wires which can be produced by using top-down nano fabrication methods are Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) based Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) method, and Spacer Patterning Lithography (SPL) method. The top-down nano fabrication method based on EBL was the design of the Nano wires Pattern Design (NPD). The

Experimental impact testing and analysis of composite fan cases

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Vander Klok, Andrew Joe

) diameter single stage gas gun was developed. A thermodynamic based relationship between the required gas pressure and targeted velocity was proposed. The predicted velocity was within +/-7%. Quantitative measurements of force and displacement were attempted. The transmitted impact force was measured with load cells. The out-of-plane deformation was measured with a projection grating profilometry method. The composite panels and fan cases used in this work were made of S2-glass plain weave fabrics with API SC-15 toughened epoxy resin using the vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) method. Using the gas gun, the impact behavior of the composite was investigated at velocities ranging from 984ft/s to 1502ft/s (300m/s to 458m/s) following a draft ASTM testing standard. To compare the ballistic protection capability of different materials, a new parameter EBL, the projectile kinetic energy at the target ballistic limit normalized by the contact area of the projectile, was proposed. S2-glass/epoxy composite is ranked very high in EBL per areal weight. Finally, a testing method for replicating spin pit testing with a gas gun test was developed. Major differences between the two tests are the initial conditions of the blade upon contact with the target. In spin testing, the released blade has two velocity components, rotational and translational whereas in gas gun testing, the projectile has only the translational velocity. To account for the influence of the rotational velocity, three projectile designs were experimentally investigated. The results show that to generate similar damage modes in gas gun testing, it is critical to ensure the deformation of the projectile before testing is similar to that of a released blade. With the pre-bent blade, the gas gun experiment was able to replicate the damage modes of the fan case in FBO test on flat composite panels.

LA PSICOLOGIA PARAGUAYA REPRESENTADA EN LA PSICOLOGIA DE JAMES O. WHITTAKER Y SANDRA J. WHITTAKER

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José E. García

2014-01-01

Full Text Available En 1987 los psicólogos estadounidenses James O. Whittaker y Sandra J. Whittaker publicaron la cuarta edición de su famoso libro Psicología. Este fue uno de los textos de introducción más conocidos y utilizados en América Latina y a través de él muchos miles de estudiantes aprendieron sus primeros conceptos sobre la psicología. Esta edición estaba preparada especialmente para su utilización con los alumnos de habla castellana e introducía numerosos tópicos relacionados a la psicología latinoamericana. Además incluía menciones específicas a algunos psicólogos de la región y sus contribuciones a la psicología. Uno de ellos era José de Jesús Aguirre, psicólogo y sacerdote jesuita y uno de los pioneros de la psicología profesional en el Paraguay. Aguirre aplicó la teoría del filósofo holandés Gerard Heymans y su colaborador el psiquiatra Enno Dirk Wiersma con las modificaciones que unos años más tarde introdujo el psicólogo francés René Le Senne. El propósito de la investigación era el análisis de los rasgos tipológicos característicos en la población paraguaya. Con ello, Aguirre iniciaba el estudio científico de la personalidad en el Paraguay. Este artículo estudia la importancia que corresponde asignar a la investigación de Aguirre como parte del texto introductorio de Whittaker y Whittaker. Se analizan los fundamentos teóricos de la tipología de Heymans-Wiersma-Le Senne y las adaptaciones realizadas por Aguirre, además de su aplicación a una muestra superior a las setecientas personas. Esta provenía de diversos niveles educativos, tanto secundarios como universitarios. En la parte concluyente se analiza la relevancia de Aguirre y su trabajo en el contexto de la psicología paraguaya y latinoamericana.

Lung perfusion and emphysema distribution affect the outcome of endobronchial valve therapy

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Thomsen C

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Christian Thomsen,1 Dorothea Theilig,2 Dominik Herzog,1 Alexander Poellinger,2 Felix Doellinger,2 Nils Schreiter,3 Vera Schreiter,2 Dirk Schürmann,1 Bettina Temmesfeld-Wollbrueck,1 Stefan Hippenstiel,1 Norbert Suttorp,1 Ralf-Harto Hubner1 1Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, 2Institute of Radiology, 3Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany Abstract: The exclusion of collateral ventilation (CV and other factors affect the clinical success of endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR. However, despite its benefits, the outcome of ELVR remains difficult to predict. We investigated whether clinical success could be predicted by emphysema distribution assessed by computed tomography scan and baseline perfusion assessed by perfusion scintigraphy. Data from 57 patients with no CV in the target lobe (TL were retrospectively analyzed after ELVR with valves. Pulmonary function tests (PFT, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ, and 6-minute walk tests (6MWT were performed on patients at baseline. The sample was grouped into high and low levels at the median of TL perfusion, ipsilateral nontarget lobe (INL perfusion, and heterogeneity index (HI. These groups were analyzed for association with changes in outcome parameters from baseline to 3 months follow-up. Compared to baseline, patients showed significant improvements in PFT, SGRQ, and 6MWT (all P≤0.001. TL perfusion was not associated with changes in the outcome. High INL perfusion was significantly associated with increases in 6MWT (P=0.014, and high HI was associated with increases in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1, (P=0.012. Likewise, there were significant correlations for INL perfusion and improvement of 6MWT (r=0.35, P=0.03 and for HI and improvement in FEV1 (r=0.45, P=0.001. This study reveals new attributes that associate with positive outcomes for patient selection prior to ELVR

Book Reviews

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Peter Pels

1995-04-01

. Dirks, Colonialism and culture. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1992, xiv + 402 pp. - Anton Ploeg, Roger M. Keesing, Custom and confrontation; The Kwaio struggle for cultural autonomy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992, x + 254 pp. - M.C. Ricklefs, Vincent J.H. Houben, Kraton and Kumpeni: Surakarta and Yogyakarta 1830-1870. Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 164. Leiden: KITLV Press, vii + 396 pp.

Aphakia correction with retropupillary fixated iris-claw lens (Artisan – long-term results

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Schallenberg M

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Maurice Schallenberg,1,2 Dirk Dekowski,1 Angela Hahn,1 Thomas Laube,1,3 Klaus-Peter Steuhl,1 Daniel Meller11Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; 2HELIOS Klinikum Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany; 3Zentrum für Augenheilkunde PD Dr Laube, Düsseldorf, GermanyPurpose: To evaluate the technique, safety, and efficacy of the retropupillary implantation of iris-claw intraocular lenses in a long-term follow-up study.Patients and methods: This retrospective study included 31 eyes of 31 patients who underwent an Artisan aphakic intraocular lens implantation between January 2006 and February 2011 at the University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany and at the Zentrum für Augenheilkunde PD Dr Laube, Düsseldorf, Germany. Preoperative data collected included demographics, etiology of aphakia, previous surgeries, preoperative eye pathology, intraocular pressure, clinical signs of endothelial cell loss, and best corrected visual acuity. Operative data and postoperative outcomes included the best corrected visual acuity, lens position, intraocular pressure, pigment dispersion, clinical signs of endothelial cell loss, development of macular edema, and other complications.Results: Thirty-one patients were included. The mean follow-up was 25.2 months (range: 4–48 months. The mean best corrected visual acuity postoperatively was 0.64 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR and varied from 0 logMAR to 3 logMAR. Some patients had a low visual acuity preoperatively because of preoperative eye pathologies. In 22 patients the visual acuity improved, in two patients the visual acuity remained unchanged, and seven patients showed a decreased visual acuity. Complications were peaked pupils (n=10 and retinal detachment in one case. Four patients showed an iris atrophy and high intraocular pressure was observed only in one patient. Subluxation of the intraocular lens, endothelial cell loss, and

[Influence of Attachment Style on the Outcome of Bariatric Surgery - A Pilot Study].

Science.gov (United States)

Appel, Johanna Elisabeth; Ift, Franziska; Kißler, Hermann; Kloos, Christof; Lehmann, Thomas; Strauß, Bernhard; Wick, Katharina

2016-12-01

Background: Bariatric surgery can lower body weight and comorbidities. Different factors might influence the outcome of this treatment. This pilot study examines whether patients' attachment style can influence surgical outcome. Methods: The sample consisted of 32 patients (f=24; m=8; BMI preoperative=47,8 kg/m 2 ±5,2; age=53±9,84) who underwent a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. The following variables were assessed pre- and postoperatively via questionnaires: quality of life (BAROS), self esteem (SES), depression, anxiety, psychological distress (SCL-90R), feelings of hunger, cognitive control, irritated eating behaviour (FEV) and weight related variables (BMI, EWL%, EBL%, TBL). Attachment style was determined postoperatively using the BPQE. Results: None of the participating patients suffered from a binge eating disorder. There was no significant difference of the BMI at any time between the 12 securely attached (SA) patients and the 19 insecurely attachted (IA) patients. Compared to the SA patients IA patients preoperatively showed lower outcomes in variables concerning eating behaviour and mental health. Comparing the 2 groups postoperatively the IA patients achieved lower levels in variables concerning mental health than SA patients and did not reach the preoperative values of the SA patients. Both groups benefited from surgery related to weight loss, mental health and eating behaviour. There was no difference found in the development from pre- to postoperative between SA and IA patients. Discussion & Conclusion: Patients profit by a bariatric intervention independent of their attachment style. By evaluating the attachment style, it could be possible to individually optimize pre- and postoperative patients support in order to gain more effective surgery results. Follow up studies extended to multi-site assessment are required. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: initial experience in Brazil and a review of the literature

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Carlo Camargo Passerotti

2012-02-01

Full Text Available CONTEXT AND PURPOSE: Partial nephrectomy has become the standard of care for renal tumors less than 4 cm in diameter. Controversy still exists, however, regarding the best surgical approach, especially when minimally invasive techniques are taken into account. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RALPN has emerged as a promising technique that helps surgeons achieve the standards of open partial nephrectomy care while offering a minimally invasive approach. The objective of the present study was to describe our initial experience with robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and extensively review the pertinent literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 2009 and February 2010, eight consecutive selected patients with contrast enhancing renal masses observed by CT were submitted to RALPN in a private institution. In addition, we collected information on the patients' demographics, preoperative tumor characteristics and detailed operative, postoperative and pathological data. In addition, a PubMed search was performed to provide an extensive review of the robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy literature. RESULTS: Seven patients had RALPN on the left or right sides with no intraoperative complications. One patient was electively converted to a robotic-assisted radical nephrectomy. The operative time ranged from 120 to 300 min, estimated blood loss (EBL ranged from 75 to 400 mL and, in five cases, the warm ischemia time (WIT ranged from 18 to 32 min. Two patients did not require any clamping. Overall, no transfusions were necessary, and there were no intraoperative complications or adverse postoperative clinical events. All margins were negative, and all patients were disease-free at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is a feasible and safe approach to small renal cortical masses.Further prospective studies are needed to compare open partial nephrectomy with

Validation of a 20-year forecast of US childhood lead poisoning: Updated prospects for 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobs, David E.; Nevin, Rick

2006-01-01

We forecast childhood lead poisoning and residential lead paint hazard prevalence for 1990-2010, based on a previously unvalidated model that combines national blood lead data with three different housing data sets. The housing data sets, which describe trends in housing demolition, rehabilitation, window replacement, and lead paint, are the American Housing Survey, the Residential Energy Consumption Survey, and the National Lead Paint Survey. Blood lead data are principally from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. New data now make it possible to validate the midpoint of the forecast time period. For the year 2000, the model predicted 23.3 million pre-1960 housing units with lead paint hazards, compared to an empirical HUD estimate of 20.6 million units. Further, the model predicted 498,000 children with elevated blood lead levels (EBL) in 2000, compared to a CDC empirical estimate of 434,000. The model predictions were well within 95% confidence intervals of empirical estimates for both residential lead paint hazard and blood lead outcome measures. The model shows that window replacement explains a large part of the dramatic reduction in lead poisoning that occurred from 1990 to 2000. Here, the construction of the model is described and updated through 2010 using new data. Further declines in childhood lead poisoning are achievable, but the goal of eliminating children's blood lead levels ≥10 μg/dL by 2010 is unlikely to be achieved without additional action. A window replacement policy will yield multiple benefits of lead poisoning prevention, increased home energy efficiency, decreased power plant emissions, improved housing affordability, and other previously unrecognized benefits. Finally, combining housing and health data could be applied to forecasting other housing-related diseases and injuries

Redshift measurement of Fermi blazars for the Cherenkov telescope array

Science.gov (United States)

Pita, S.; Goldoni, P.; Boisson, C.; Cotter, G.; Lefaucheur, J.; Lenain, J.-P.; Lindfors, E.; Williams, D. A.

2017-01-01

Blazars are active galactic nuclei, and the most numerous High Energy (HE) and Very High Energy (VHE) γ-ray emitters. Their optical emission is often dominated by non-thermal, and, in the case of BL Lacs, featureless continuum radiation. This makes the determination of their redshift extremely difficult. Indeed, as of today only about 50% of γ-ray blazars have a measured spectroscopic redshift. The knowledge of redshift is fundamental because it allows the precise modeling of the VHE emission and also of its interaction with the extragalactic background light (EBL). The beginning of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) operations in the near future will allow the detection of several hundreds of new blazars. Using the Fermi catalogue of sources above 50 GeV (2FHL), we performed simulations which indicate that a significant fraction of the 2FHL blazars detectable by CTA will not have a measured redshift. As a matter of fact, the organization of observing campaigns to measure the redshift of these blazars has been recognized as a necessary support for the AGN Key Science Project of CTA. We are planning such an observing campaign. In order to optimize our chances of success, we will perform preliminary deep imaging observations aimed at detecting or setting upper limits to the host galaxy. We will then take spectra of the candidates with the brightest host galaxies. Taking advantage of the recent success of an X-shooter GTO observing campaign, these observations will be different with respect to previous ones due to the use of higher resolution spectrographs and of 8 meter class telescopes. We are starting to submit proposals for these observations. In this paper we briefly describe how candidates are selected and the corresponding observation program.

Nanofabrication of magnetic scanned-probe microscope sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chong, B.K.

2001-10-01

This thesis presents the development of novel magnetic sensor combined with Atomic Force Microscope probe (AFM) using conventional semiconductor processing techniques and Electron Beam Lithography (EBL). The fabrication of these magnetic sensors was performed on a common micromachined silicon substrate using a generic batch fabrication technique. Sub-micron Hall bar for Scanning Hall probe Microscopy (SHPM) and electromagnetic force coil magnet for Scanning Electromagnetic Force Microscopy (eMFM) were designed and constructed at the apex of Silicon attractive mode cantilever probes. The process demonstrates good control over sensor parameters. Results indicated controllability of Hall bar junction sizes (spatial resolution) to below 100nm and Coil diameter sizes to below 500nm with minimum sizes down to 50nm and 270nm respectively. The process has shown its flexibility to accommodate different material systems. The same technology was used to fabricate multiple devices such as double Hall bars on a tip as well as a small electro-magnet coil probe co-defined with the Hall probe to form a magnetic imaging / modification probe. A conventional Non-Contact mode AFM employing heterodyne interferometry and in-house built electronics was modified for SHPM and eMFM. These probes had been scanned over a commercial computer hard disk. These microscopes showed the capability of resolving magnetic bits and topographic information independently and simultaneously. All scanning experiments were carried out under ambient conditions. The experiments required no extra preparation to be done to the specimen before imaging and measurements were carried out under ambient conditions. These probes offer the prospect of direct magnetic field measurement, non- invasiveness, very close proximity, possible local manipulation, better control over the tip- specimen interaction distance and topographic imaging. It is hoped that these magnetic microscope probes will be of great interest and

Performing concurrent operations in academic vascular neurosurgery does not affect patient outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zygourakis, Corinna C; Lee, Janelle; Barba, Julio; Lobo, Errol; Lawton, Michael T

2017-11-01

OBJECTIVE Concurrent surgeries, also known as "running two rooms" or simultaneous/overlapping operations, have recently come under intense scrutiny. The goal of this study was to evaluate the operative time and outcomes of concurrent versus nonconcurrent vascular neurosurgical procedures. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed 1219 procedures performed by 1 vascular neurosurgeon from 2012 to 2015 at the University of California, San Francisco. Data were collected on patient age, sex, severity of illness, risk of mortality, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status, procedure type, admission type, insurance, transfer source, procedure time, presence of resident or fellow in operating room (OR), number of co-surgeons, estimated blood loss (EBL), concurrent vs nonconcurrent case, severe sepsis, acute respiratory failure, postoperative stroke causing neurological deficit, unplanned return to OR, 30-day mortality, and 30-day unplanned readmission. For aneurysm clipping cases, data were also obtained on intraoperative aneurysm rupture and postoperative residual aneurysm. Chi-square and t-tests were performed to compare concurrent versus nonconcurrent cases, and then mixed-effects models were created to adjust for different procedure types, patient demographics, and clinical indicators between the 2 groups. RESULTS There was a significant difference in procedure type for concurrent (n = 828) versus nonconcurrent (n = 391) cases. Concurrent cases were more likely to be routine/elective admissions (53% vs 35%, p returns to the OR (3.3% vs 6.9%; all p return to the OR and 30-day mortality were significantly lower in concurrent cases (odds ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.31-0.98, p = 0.0431, and odds ratio 0.81, p fashion. After adjusting for patient demographics, procedure type, and clinical indicators, concurrent cases had longer procedure times, but equivalent patient outcomes, as compared with nonconcurrent vascular neurosurgical procedures.

A survey of Internet based products and services for the commerce with electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morch, Andrei Z.

2002-01-01

The increase within the energy and effect consumption in Norway, parallel with a small development of new power production has resulted in an increased focus on the end user flexibility. An efficient utilisation of the end user flexibility assumes that the market mechanisms are adapted/developed so that the user has economical incentives for reducing the consumption in periods with energy and effect shortage. Furthermore the technological solutions within the information and communication technology (ICT) open new possibilities for acquiring energy and effect reducing potentials at the end users. The Internet is an universal communication channel which opens new possibilities for communication between the power market and the end users. The unique properties of the internet particularly the easy access and low costs for upgrading and maintenance, makes a considerable potential for the use of new products and services which will increase the flexibility in the use of energy and effect. The report presents a survey of existing products and services which are offered on the Internet in the power sector. The report emphasises particularly on a comparison of these solutions regarding purpose, functionality, user friendliness and limitations of these products. The appendix includes a glossary of works and expressions which is related to the ICT. This report is published as a part of a sub project ''Internet based services for customers with current communication'' in a research project. ''Consumer flexibility and efficient use of ICT''. The project is financed by the Norges Forskningsraad, EBL Kompetanse AS and others and is carried out at the SINTEF Energiforskning AS. This project has been started from results and experiences from earlier projects as ''End user market'' and ''Information and communication systems for the energy sector''

From powerful research platform for industrial EUV photoresist development, to world record resolution by photolithography: EUV interference lithography at the Paul Scherrer Institute

Science.gov (United States)

Buitrago, Elizabeth; Fallica, Roberto; Fan, Daniel; Karim, Waiz; Vockenhuber, Michaela; van Bokhoven, Jeroen A.; Ekinci, Yasin

2016-09-01

Extreme ultraviolet interference lithography (EUV-IL, λ = 13.5 nm) has been shown to be a powerful technique not only for academic, but also for industrial research and development of EUV materials due to its relative simplicity yet record high-resolution patterning capabilities. With EUV-IL, it is possible to pattern high-resolution periodic images to create highly ordered nanostructures that are difficult or time consuming to pattern by electron beam lithography (EBL) yet interesting for a wide range of applications such as catalysis, electronic and photonic devices, and fundamental materials analysis, among others. Here, we will show state-of the-art research performed using the EUV-IL tool at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) synchrotron facility in the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). For example, using a grating period doubling method, a diffraction mask capable of patterning a world record in photolithography of 6 nm half-pitch (HP), was produced. In addition to the description of the method, we will give a few examples of applications of the technique. Well-ordered arrays of suspended silicon nanowires down to 6.5 nm linewidths have been fabricated and are to be studied as field effect transistors (FETs) or biosensors, for instance. EUV achromatic Talbot lithography (ATL), another interference scheme that utilizes a single grating, was shown to yield well-defined nanoparticles over large-areas with high uniformity presenting great opportunities in the field of nanocatalysis. EUV-IL is in addition, playing a key role in the future introduction of EUV lithography into high volume manufacturing (HVM) of semiconductor devices for the 7 and 5 nm logic node (16 nm and 13 nm HP, respectively) and beyond while the availability of commercial EUV-tools is still very much limited for research.

Fabrication of two-dimensional visible wavelength nanoscale plasmonic structures using hydrogen silsesquioxane based resist

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kyle Z.; Gadde, Akshitha; Kadiyala, Anand; Dawson, Jeremy M.

2016-03-01

In recent years, the global market for biosensors has continued to increase in combination with their expanding use in areas such as biodefense/detection, home diagnostics, biometric identification, etc. A constant necessity for inexpensive, portable bio-sensing methods, while still remaining simple to understand and operate, is the motivation behind novel concepts and designs. Labeled visible spectrum bio-sensing systems provide instant feedback that is both simple and easy to work with, but are limited by the light intensity thresholds required by the imaging systems. In comparison, label-free bio-sensing systems and other detection modalities like electrochemical, frequency resonance, thermal change, etc., can require additional technical processing steps to convey the final result, increasing the system's complexity and possibly the time required for analysis. Further decrease in the detection limit can be achieved through the addition of plasmonic structures into labeled bio-sensing systems. Nano-structures that operate in the visible spectrum have feature sizes typically in the order of the operating wavelength, calling for high aspect ratio nanoscale fabrication capabilities. In order to achieve these dimensions, electron beam lithography (EBL) is used due to its accurate feature production. Hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) based electron beam resist is chosen for one of its benefits, which is after exposure to oxygen plasma, the patterned resist cures into silicon dioxide (SiO2). These cured features in conjunction with nanoscale gold particles help in producing a high electric field through dipole generation. In this work, a detailed process flow of the fabrication of square lattice of plasmonic structures comprising of gold coated silicon dioxide pillars designed to operate at 560 nm wavelength and produce an intensity increase of roughly 100 percent will be presented.

The effect of surgeon experience on outcomes of surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cahill, Patrick J; Pahys, Joshua M; Asghar, Jahangir; Yaszay, Burt; Marks, Michelle C; Bastrom, Tracey P; Lonner, Baron S; Shah, Suken A; Shufflebarger, Harry L; Newton, Peter O; Betz, Randal R; Samdani, Amer F

2014-08-20

Single-surgeon series investigating the learning curve involved in surgery for spinal deformity may be confounded by changes in technology and techniques. Our objective with this multicenter, prospective study was to present a cross-sectional analysis of the impact of surgeon experience on surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. All posterior-only surgical procedures for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis performed in the 2007 to 2008 academic year, with a minimum of two years of patient follow-up, were included. Two groups were created on the basis of surgeon experience: a young surgeons' group, which included patients of surgeons with less than five years of experience, and an experienced surgeons' group, which included patients of surgeons with five or more years of experience. Nine surgeons (four young and five experienced) operated on a total of one hundred and sixty-five patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The surgeons' experience ranged from less than one year to thirty-six years in practice. The two groups had similar preoperative curve-magnitude measurements, SRS-22 (Scoliosis Research Society-22) scores, and distribution by Lenke curve type. There were significant operative and postoperative differences. The young surgeons fused an average of 1.2 levels more than the experienced surgeons (p = 0.045). The mean intraoperative estimated blood loss (EBL) of the young surgeons' group was more than twice that of the experienced surgeons' group (2042 mL compared with 1013 mL; p self-image (p = 0.008), and function (p adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were significantly and positively correlated with surgeon experience. Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Copyright © 2014 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christien Klaufus, Book Review Editor

2016-10-01

Full Text Available American Crossings: Border Politics in the Western Hemisphere, edited by Maiah Jaskoski, Arturo C. Sotomayor & Harold A. Trinkunas, 2015; reviewed by Olivier Thomas Kramsch The Remittance Landscape: Spaces of Migration in Rural Mexico and Urban USA, by Sarah Lynn Lopez, 2015; reviewed by Christien Klaufus Latin America’s Emerging Middle Classes; Economic Perspectives, editado por Jeff Dayton-Johnson, 2015; reseñado por Ludolfo Paramio Cities, Business and the Politics of Urban Violence in Latin America, by Eduardo Moncada,2016; reviewed by Gerard Martin Who Counts? The Mathematics of Death and Life after Genocide, by Diane Nelson, 2015; reviewed by Finn Stepputat Owners of the Sidewalk: Security and Survival in the Informal City, by Daniel Goldstein, 2015; reviewed by Griet Steel Beyond Tradition, Beyond Invention: Cosmic Technologies and Creativity in Contemporary Afro-Cuban Religions, edited by Diana Espírito Santo and Anastasios Panagiotopoulos, 2015; reviewed by Ken Chitwood Cuba and the U.S. Empire. A Chronological History, by Jane Franklin, 2016; reviewed by Edgar Göll Haydée Santamaría, Cuban Revolutionary: She Led by Transgression, by Margaret Randall, 2015; Vilma Espín Guillois: el fuego de la libertad, by Yolanda Ferrer Gómez and Carolina Aguilar Ayerra, 2015; reviewed by Dirk Kruijt Revolutionary Ideology and Political Destiny in Mexico, 1928-1934: Lázaro Cárdenas and Adalberto Tejeda, by Eitan Ginzberg, 2015; reviewed by Heather Fowler-Salamini Political Landscapes: Forest, Conservation and Community in Mexico, by Christopher R. Boyer, 2015; reviewed by Mariel Aguilar-Støen A Sentimental Education for the Working Man. The Mexico City Penny Press, 1900-1910, por Robert M. Buffington, 2015; reseñado por Lucas Poy Pesos and Politics: Business, Elites, Foreigners and Government in Mexico, 1854-1940, by Mark Wasserman, 2015; reviewed by Benedicte Bull State Theory and Andean Politics: New Approaches to the Study

GSI DARMSTADT: 25 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

Full text: On May 12, Hans J. Specht, Scientific Director of the Geseilschaft fur Schwerionenforschung (GSI), welcomed an audience of more than 500 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Darmstadt heavy ion research Laboratory. Warm greetings and best wishes from Jürgen Ruttgers, Federal Minister for Education, Science, Research and Technology were presented by Hartmut Grubei, Chairman of the GSI Board. The Hessian Minister for Science and Art, Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt, pointed out that the promotion of various fields of research cannot be judged only by the expected return for everyday life. Joachim Treusch, the Chairman of the Association of National Research Centres, went further by stating that basic research, driven by curiosity and not aiming at short term applications, is a necessity. Darmstadt Mayor Peter Benz expressed his pride in having such a prestigious Laboratory in the city and looked forward to a new element named after it. CERN Director General Chris Llewellyn Smith underlined the growing importance of international and inter-regional scientific collaboration and paid tribute to the role of German physicists in general and GSI in particular in CERN's work. GSI is a major partner in the international lead ion programme at CERN which came into operation last year, a scientific and technological success which provides a useful role model for future international partnerships. After pointing to interesting parallels between the two Laboratories - both basing new projects on existing facilities, and both serving large user communities - he thanked GSI for its valuable contributions to CERN. Highlights from the 25 years of GSI were summarized in a talk by Dirk Schwalm, Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. Among other points he presented the unique accelerator facility and the discovery of the five heaviest elements. He stated that many dreams from the founding period of GSI had become a reality, and

Intrauterine levonorgestrel delivery with frameless fibrous delivery system: review of clinical experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wildemeersch D

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Dirk Wildemeersch,1 Amaury Andrade,2 Norman D Goldstuck,3 Thomas Hasskamp,4 Geert Jackers5 1Gynecological Outpatient Clinic and IUD Training Center, Ghent, Belgium; 2Centro de Biologia da Reprodução, Universidade Federal Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, Western Cape, South Africa; 4Klinik für Operativen Gynäkologie, GynMünster, Münster, Germany; 5Applied Controlled Release, Technology Park, Ghent (Zwijnaarde, Belgium Abstract: The concept of using a frameless intrauterine device (IUD instead of the conventional plastic framed IUD is not new. Frameless copper IUDs have been available since the late 1990s. They rely on an anchoring system to retain in the uterine cavity. The clinical experience with these IUDs suggests that frameless IUDs fit better as they are thin and, therefore, do not disturb or irritate the uterus. High tolerance and continuation rates have been achieved as complaints of pain are virtually nonexistent and the impact on menstrual blood loss is minimal. Conventional levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine systems (LNG-IUSs are very popular as they significantly reduce menstrual bleeding and provide highly effective contraception. However, continuation of use remains problematic, particularly in young users. Total or partial expulsion and displacement of the LNG-IUS also occur too often due to spatial incompatibility within a small uterine cavity, as strong uterine contractions originate, attempting to get rid of the bothersome IUD/IUS. If not expelled, embedment ensues, often leading to chronic pain and early removal of the IUD/IUS. Several studies conducted recently have requested attention to the relationship between the LNG-IUS and the endometrial cavity. Some authors have proposed to measure the cavity width prior to inserting an IUD, as many uterine cavities are much smaller than the

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Book Review Editor, Christien Klaufus

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Rebel Mexico: Student Unrest and Authoritarian Political Culture During the Long Sixties, by Jaime M. Pensado, 2013, and Specters of Revolution: Peasant Guerrillas in the Cold War Mexican Countryside, by Alexander Aviña, 2014; reviewed by Wil G. PanstersWe are the face of Oaxaca: Testimony and Social Movements, by Lynn Stephen, 2013; reviewed by Jaime HoogestegerMaya Exodus: Indigenous struggle for citizenship in Chiapas, by Heidi Moksnes, 2012; reviewed by Gemma van der HaarLand and Freedom: The MST, the Zapatistas and Peasant Alternatives to Neoliberalism, by Leandro Vergara-Camus, 2014; reviewed by Jonathan DeVoreIndigenous Movements and Building the Plurinational State in Bolivia: Organisation and Identity in the Trajectory of the CSUTCB and CONAMAQ, by Radosław Powęska, 2013; reviewed by Ton SalmanMovimientos estudiantiles en la historia de América Latina IV, coordinado por Renate Marsiske, 2015; reseñado por Andrés Donoso RomoEl corazón de los libros, Alzate y Bartolache: Lectores y escritores novohispanos (S. XVIII, by Mauricio Sánchez Menchero, 2012; reviewed by Helge WendtAurality: Listening and Knowledge in Nineteenth-Century Colombia, por Ana María Ochoa Gautier, 2014; reseñado por Mercedes López RodríguezThe Vanguard of the Atlantic World: Creating Modernity, Nation, and Democracy in Nineteenth-Century Latin America, by James E. Sanders, 2014; reviewed by Michiel BaudMexico’s Once and Future Revolution: Social Upheaval and the Challenge of Rule since the Late Nineteenth Century, by Gilbert M. Joseph and Jürgen Buchenau, 2013; reviewed by Dirk KruijtThe Great Depression in Latin America, coordinado por Paulo Drinot and Alan Knight, 2014; reseñado por Juan Carlos KorolEnhancing Democracy. Public Policies and Citizen Participation in Chile, by Gonzalo Delamaza, 2014; reviewed by Camila Jara IbarraCritical Interventions in Caribbean Politics and Theory, by Brian Meeks, 2014; reviewed by Hebe VerrestBlack Power in the

14th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference (HTPP 14)

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-01

are convinced that this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series will be interesting for our community. Finally, we would like to thank the conference chairmen, the members of the steering committee, the international scientific committee, the local organizing committee, the organizing secretariat and the financial support from the conference sponsors that allowed the success of HTPP-2016. The Editors of the HTPP-2016 Proceedings Dr. Dirk Uhrlandt, head of the ISC Prof. Philippe Teulet Prof. Jochen Schein Neubiberg, 6th of March 2017

Proteins involved in invasion of human red blood cells by malaria parasites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewa Jaśkiewicz

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Malaria is a disease caused by parasites of Plasmodium species. It is responsible for around 1-2 million deaths annually, mainly children under the age of 5. It occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical areas.Malaria is caused by five Plasmodium species:[i] P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. vivax, P. knowlesi[/i] and [i]P. ovale[/i]. Mosquitoes spread the disease by biting humans. The malaria parasite has two stages of development: the human stage and the mosquito stage. The first stage occurs in the human body and is divided into two phases: the liver phase and the blood phase.The invasion of erythrocytes by [i]Plasmodium[/i] merozoites is a multistep process of specific protein interactions between the parasite and red blood cell. The first step is the reversible merozoite attachment to the erythrocyte followed by its apical reorientation, then formation of an irreversible “tight” junction and finally entry into the red cell in a parasitophorous vacuole.The blood phase is supported by a number of proteins produced by the parasite. The merozoite surface GPI-anchored proteins (MSP-1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 10 assist in the process of recognition of susceptible erythrocytes, apical membrane antigen (AMA-1 may be directly responsible for apical reorientation of the merozoite and apical proteins which function in tight junction formation. These ligands are members of two families: Duffy binding-like (DBL and reticulocyte binding-like (RBL proteins. In [i]Plasmodium[/i] [i]falciparum[/i] the DBL family includes: EBA-175, EBA-140 (BAEBL, EBA-181 (JESEBL, EBA-165 (PEBL and EBL-1 ligands.To date, no effective antimalarial vaccine has been developed, but there are several studies for this purpose. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the molecular basis of host cells invasion by parasites. Major efforts are focused on developing a multiantigenic and multiepitope vaccine preventing all steps of [i]Plasmodium[/i] invasion.

SERS substrates for in-situ biosensing (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Venugopalan, Priyamvada; Quilis, Nestor; Jakub, Dostalek; Wolfgang, Knoll

2017-06-01

Abstract: Recent years have seen a rapid progress in the field of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) which is attributed to the thriving field of plasmonics [1]. SERS is a susceptible technique that can address basic scientific questions and technological problems. In both cases, it is highly dependent upon the plasmonic substrate, where excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance enhances the vibrational scattering signal of the analyte molecules adsorbed on to the surface [2]. In this work, using finite difference time domain (FDTD) method we investigate the optical properties of plasmonic nanostructures with tuned plasmonic resonances as a function of dielectric environment and geometric parameters. An optimized geometry will be discussed based on the plasmonic resonant position and the SERS intensity. These SERS substrates will be employed for the detection of changes in conformation caused by interactions between an aptamer and analyte molecules. This will be done by using a microfluidic channel designed within the configuration of the lab-on-a-chip concept based on the intensity changes of the SERS signal. More efficient and reproducible results are obtained for such a quantitative measurement of analytes at low concentration levels. We will also demonstrate that the plasmonic substrates fabricated by top down approach such as e-beam lithography (EBL) and laser interference lithography (LIL) are highly reproducible, robust and can result in high electric field enhancement. Our results demonstrate the potential to use SERS substrates for highly sensitive detection schemes opening up the window for a wide range of applications including biomedical diagnostics, forensic investigation etc. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), project NANOBIOSENSOR (I 2647). References: [1] J. N. Anker, W. P. Hall, O. Lyandres, N. C. Shah, J. Zhao and R. P. V. Duyne., " Biosensing with plasmonic nanosensors," Nature

Laparoendoscopic single site surgery in urology: A single centre experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arvind P Ganpule

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective : To analyze our experience of 87 cases with single port surgery, which is also known as laparoendoscopic single site surgery (LESS. Materials and Methods: Case records of all LESS procedures performed between December 2007 and June 2010 were analysed. The procedures performed were donor nephrectomy (n=45, simple nephrectomy (n=27, radical nephrectomy (n=5, pyeloplasty (n=9, and ureteroneocystostomy (n=1. Parameters analysed were operating room (OR time, estimated blood loss (EBL, visual analogue score (VAS, and complications in all patients undergoing LESS procedure and additionally, warm ischaemia time (WIT and graft outcome in patients undergoing LESS donor nephrectomy. In reconstructive procedures, the functional assessment was performed with a diuretic renogram at 6 months. Results: In LESS donor nephrectomy, the mean WIT was 6.9 ± 1.9 min. Mean serum creatinine in recipients at 1 month was 0.96 ± 0.21 mg%. We encountered one instance each of renal artery injury, renal vein injury, large bowel injury, minor cortical laceration at the upper pole and two instances of diaphragmatic injury. In LESS simple nephrectomy, the average OR time was 148.7 ± 52.2 min and hospital stay was 3.7 ± 1.2 days. There was one instance of large bowel injury during specimen retrieval. In LESS radical nephrectomy, the average OR time was 202.5 ± 35.7 min and average hospital stay was 4.2 ± 1.3 days. 6 patients of LESS pyeloplasty completed follow up with a diuretic renogram showing a good drainage. LESS ureteroneocystostomy could also be performed successfully without any complications. Conclusion: LESS surgery can be accomplished safely in nephrectomy and reconstructive procedures such as pyeloplasty and ureteroneocystostomy with equivalent outcomes as standard laparoscopy and with added benefits of cosmesis and quicker convalescence. LESS donor nephrectomy is a technically feasible procedure; current status of procedure needs to be proved with

Evaluation of perioperative complications and outcomes of robot-assisted radical nephroureterectomy and bladder cuff excision in a tertiary center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng-Che Tai

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: For patients with localized upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC, radical nephroureterectomy with ipsilateral bladder cuff excision (RNU + BCE is the standard treatment. In recent years, robot-assisted RNU with BCE (RaRNU + BCE has been another choice of surgical intervention. This article was aimed to analyze the efficacy and perioperative outcomes regarding RaRNU + BCE through a single institutional experience. Patients and Methods: From March 2012 to November 2015, a total of 54 patients with UTUC were treated with RaRNU + BCE at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. We collected demographic data, histopathological reports, perioperative complications, and oncologic outcomes. Results: A total of 54 patients were included in our study. The mean age was 71.9 ± 9.9 (range 48–88 and the mean body mass index was 23.5 ± 2.9 (range: 16.4–30.8. The mean operating time was 314 min (RaRNU: 133.9 ± 41.4 min and RaBCE: 72.9 ± 25.7 min. The mean first docking time was 26.8 ± 7.7 min and the mean second docking time was 16.5 ± 6.7 min. The mean EBL was 87.7 ml. Pathological stage distribution was 22.2%, 27.8%, 13.0%, 31.5%, and 5.6% in pTa, pT1, pT2, pT3, and pT4, respectively. Complications occurred in 7 cases (13%, with 4 Grade I and 3 Grade II by Clavien-Dindo classification. Positive tumor involvement at bladder cuff was noted in three patients, and the bladder recurrence rate was 29.6%. Local recurrence, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis were all noted for two patients, respectively. The cancer-specific and overall survival rate was 98.1% and 96.3%. Conclusions: Our experience showed that RaRNU + BCE is a technically feasible and safe procedure for selected patients with UTUC.

Cost-effectiveness analysis in minimally invasive spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Khouja, Lutfi T; Baron, Eli M; Johnson, J Patrick; Kim, Terrence T; Drazin, Doniel

2014-06-01

Medical care has been evolving with the increased influence of a value-based health care system. As a result, more emphasis is being placed on ensuring cost-effectiveness and utility in the services provided to patients. This study looks at this development in respect to minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) costs. A literature review using PubMed, the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) Registry, and the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) was performed. Papers were included in the study if they reported costs associated with minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS). If there was no mention of cost, CEA, cost-utility analysis (CUA), quality-adjusted life year (QALY), quality, or outcomes mentioned, then the article was excluded. Fourteen studies reporting costs associated with MISS in 12,425 patients (3675 undergoing minimally invasive procedures and 8750 undergoing open procedures) were identified through PubMed, the CEA Registry, and NHS EED. The percent cost difference between minimally invasive and open approaches ranged from 2.54% to 33.68%-all indicating cost saving with a minimally invasive surgical approach. Average length of stay (LOS) for minimally invasive surgery ranged from 0.93 days to 5.1 days compared with 1.53 days to 12 days for an open approach. All studies reporting EBL reported lower volume loss in an MISS approach (range 10-392.5 ml) than in an open approach (range 55-535.5 ml). There are currently an insufficient number of studies published reporting the costs of MISS. Of the studies published, none have followed a standardized method of reporting and analyzing cost data. Preliminary findings analyzing the 14 studies showed both cost saving and better outcomes in MISS compared with an open approach. However, more Level I CEA/CUA studies including cost/QALY evaluations with specifics of the techniques utilized need to be reported in a standardized manner to make more accurate conclusions on the cost effectiveness of

True NOTES TME resection with splenic flexure release, high ligation of IMA, and side-to-end hand-sewn coloanal anastomosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Marks, John H; Lopez-Acevedo, Nicolas; Krishnan, Barath; Johnson, Matthew N; Montenegro, Grace A; Marks, Gerald J

2016-10-01

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) represents the ultimate expression of minimally invasive surgery. We have developed and present here an initial feasibility and safety study of transanal total mesorectal excision (TME) with splenic flexure release, high ligation of the IMA and IMV, and side-to-end coloanal anastomosis with temporary diverting ileostomy for rectal cancer. A program of full NOTES TME resection with release of the splenic flexure, high ligation of the IMA/IMV, with side-to-end coloanal anastomosis was performed transanally from December 2013 to July 2014. Demographics, preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data were prospectively obtained. Operative components were broken into TME, colonic mobilization, splenic flexure release, IMA/IMV transection, transanal extraction of specimen, and coloanal anastomosis for analysis of performance completion. There were 3 women and 1 man on whom we operated. Mean age was 56 (46-65). Mean BMI was 26 (23.8-30.2). The operation was completed entirely transanally in 2 patients. Transanal component completion of the operation was as follows: TME in 3/4; colonic mobilization in 4/4; splenic flexure release in 3/4; IMA/IMV transection in 3/4; transanal specimen extraction in 4/4; coloanal anastomosis in 4/4. Abdominal time for completion of component parts was: splenic flexure release 4:53 (min:s), IMA/IMV 19:43, completion of TME 13:41. Mean EBL was 194 cc (25-500). Aside from stoma site, there were no abdominal incisions. There were no mortalities. Mesorectum was intact in all 4 patients and with negative circumferential and distal margins. This experience supports the feasibility and safety of a true NOTES TME. The critical anatomic views demonstrated on video affirm the potential of this approach for distal rectal cancer. Colorectal surgery represents the most logical application for NOTES. While highly promising, a great deal of work remains to develop the technique and applicability

Final Technical Report - Period of Performance: 09/01/97 to 05/14/15

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Long, Lance Eric

2016-01-01

Prior to 1997, the PI had studied the unusual upper critical magnetic field phase boundaries of several novel or exotic types of superconductors, including charge density wave materials such as NbSe_2, organic superconductors such as K-(ET)_2Cu[N(CN)_2]Br, high-temperature oxide superconductors such as (Ba,K)BiO_3 and the cuprates, heavy fermion superconductors such as U_6Fe, UBe_1_3, URu_2Si_2 and UPt_3, and re-entrant Kondo alloys such as (La,Ce)Al_2 and ferromagnetic superconductors such as ErRh_4B_4. Most of these materials exhibited marked positive or negative curvature of H_C_2(T) which could not be explained by traditional pair-breaking models. It became clear that many of these materials had very short coherence lengths that made quantized vortices highly mobile (depinned) near the phase boundary, and the fundamental, equilibrium H_C_2(T) difficult to measure using finite field or current drives. These problems made the underlying physics obscure, and led to erroneous interpretations of experimental data in terms of models of exotic superconducting pairing mechanisms. Around 1995, these issues led the PI to take advantage of modern electron beam lithography techniques for patterning superconducting and ferromagnetic thin films on the nanoscale. Primarily due to strong magnetic shape anisotropy effects, EBL patterning has led to enhanced control of the spatial distribution and dynamics of topological defects such as domain walls and magnetic vortices, which can create serious energy dissipation and other limitations for modern devices. Moreover, finite size and interface effects also strongly alter phase transition temperatures and phase boundaries of superconducting and magnetic films, as well as introduce barriers to equilibration, enhanced fluctuations and alter magnetic relaxation. Geometrical frustration and spin ice behavior can also be systematically controlled in patterned film media. Film patterning thus provides an excellent tool for conducting

Reaction selectivity studies on nanolithographically-fabricated platinum model catalyst arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grunes, Jeffrey Benjamin [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2004-05-01

In an effort to understand the molecular ingredients of catalytic activity and selectivity toward the end of tuning a catalyst for 100% selectivity, advanced nanolithography techniques were developed and utilized to fabricate well-ordered two-dimensional model catalyst arrays of metal nanostructures on an oxide support for the investigation of reaction selectivity. In-situ and ex-situ surface science techniques were coupled with catalytic reaction data to characterize the molecular structure of the catalyst systems and gain insight into hydrocarbon conversion in heterogeneous catalysis. Through systematic variation of catalyst parameters (size, spacing, structure, and oxide support) and catalytic reaction conditions (hydrocarbon chain length, temperature, pressures, and gas composition), the data presented in this dissertation demonstrate the ability to direct a reaction by rationally adjusting, through precise control, the design of the catalyst system. Electron beam lithography (EBL) was employed to create platinum nanoparticles on an alumina (Al₂O₃) support. The Pt nanoparticle spacing (100-150-nm interparticle distance) was varied in these samples, and they were characterized using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), both before and after reactions. The TEM studies showed the 28-nm Pt nanoparticles with 100 and 150-nm interparticle spacing on alumina to be polycrystalline in nature, with crystalline sizes of 3-5 nm. The nanoparticle crystallites increased significantly after heat treatment. The nanoparticles were still mostly polycrystalline in nature, with 2-3 domains. The 28-nm Pt nanoparticles deposited on alumina were removed by the AFM tip in contact mode with a normal force of approximately 30 nN. After heat treatment at 500 C in vacuum for 3 hours, the AFM tip, even at 4000 nN, could not remove the platinum

Impact of marital status in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Pruthi, Raj S; Lentz, Aaron C; Sand, Matthew; Kouba, Erik; Wallen, Eric M

2009-08-01

Married (vs. unmarried) individuals have improved health status and longer life expectancies in a variety of benign and malignant disease states, including prostate, breast, head/neck, and lung cancers. We sought to evaluate a cohort of patients undergoing cystectomy for bladder cancer to evaluate the impact of marital status on demographic, peri-operative, and pathological outcomes in order to better understand the factors which may contribute to the survival differences observed. Two-hundred and two patients underwent radical cystectomy and urinary diversion for bladder cancer. Patients were categorized based on marital status as either married or unmarried (widowed, divorced, never married). Correlations were made to demographic factors (age, race, gender, BMI, tobacco use, alcohol use), perioperative factors (pre-op renal function (creatinine), hematocrit, EBL, hospital stay, choice of diversion), and pathological outcomes (organ-confined status, LN positivity). Of the 202 patients, 74% were married. Married individuals (vs. unmarried) were more often male (84 vs. 62%) and had a higher BMI (28.1 vs. 25.9). Married persons had a significantly lower pre-op creatinine (1.1 vs. 1.4) and higher hematocrit (39 vs. 34). Hospital stay was shorter in married patients by a mean of 1.6 days. Regarding operative pathology, married patients had a higher rate of organ-confined disease (59 vs. 47%) (P = 0.05, 0.08 on multivariate) and trended towards a lower rate of LN positivity (15 vs. 21%; P = 0.10, 0.12 multivariate). In patients undergoing cystectomy for bladder cancer, married individuals appear to have improved pre-operative laboratory variables, shorter hospitalization, and improved pathological outcomes versus unmarried patients in our case series. These findings may support the evidence (observed in other tumor types and other disease states) that married persons present earlier than unmarried individuals, and this may help explain the improved survival outcomes

Use of frameless intrauterine devices and systems in young nulliparous and adolescent women: results of a multicenter study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wildemeersch D

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Dirk Wildemeersch,1 Sohela Jandi,2 Ansgar Pett,2 Kilian Nolte,3 Thomas Hasskamp,4 Marc Vrijens5 1Gynecological Outpatient Clinic and IUD Training Center, Ghent, Belgium; 2Gynecological Outpatient Clinic, Berlin, 3Gynecological Outpatient Clinic, Uetze, 4GynMünster, Münster, Germany; 5Gynecological Outpatient Clinic, Ghent, Belgium Background: The purpose of this study was to provide additional data on the experience with frameless copper and levonorgestrel (LNG intrauterine devices (IUDs in nulliparous and adolescent women. Methods: Nulliparous and adolescent women, 25 years of age or younger, using the frameless copper IUD or the frameless LNG-releasing intrauterine system (IUS, were selected from previous studies and a current multicenter post-marketing study with the frameless copper IUD. The small copper-releasing GyneFix® 200 IUD consists of four copper cylinders, each 5 mm long and only 2.2 mm wide. The frameless FibroPlant® LNG-IUS consists of a fibrous delivery system releasing the hormone levonorgestrel (LNG-IUS. The main features of these intrauterine contraceptives are that they are frameless, flexible, and anchored to the fundus of the uterus. Results: One hundred and fifty-four nulliparous and adolescent women participated in the combined study. One pregnancy occurred with the GyneFix 200 IUD after unnoticed early expulsion of the device (cumulative pregnancy rate 1.1 at one year. Two further expulsions were reported, one with the GyneFix 200 IUD and the other with the FibroPlant LNG-IUS. The cumulative expulsion rate at one year was 1.1 with the copper IUD and 2.2 with the LNG-IUS. The total discontinuation rate at one year was low (3.3 and 4.3 with the copper IUD and LNG-IUS, respectively and resulted in a high rate of continuation of use at one year (96.7 with the copper IUD and 95.7 with the LNG-IUS, respectively. Continuation rates for both frameless copper IUD and frameless LNG-IUS remained high at 3 years (>90%. There

Spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grundler, Dirk

2003-01-01

2000 pp. 31-36). But the ability to exploit the spin degree of freedom in semiconductors promises new logic devices with enhanced functionality, higher speeds and reduced power consumption. Crucially, these devices could be fabricated with many of the tools already used in the electronics industry, thereby speeding up their development. The challenge for manufacturers is to combine the technology in the semiconductor industry with the completely different techniques used in the magnetic-recording industry to produce devices on the nano metre scale. In the April issue of Physics World, Dirk Grundler of the University of Hamburg describes how the recent developments in spin transport and spin injection may herald a new era of semiconductor Spintronics that could potentially transform the microelectronics industry. (U.K.)

Effectiveness of an Internet- and App-Based Intervention for College Students With Elevated Stress: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrer, Mathias; Adam, Sophia Helen; Fleischmann, Rebecca Jessica; Baumeister, Harald; Auerbach, Randy; Bruffaerts, Ronny; Cuijpers, Pim; Kessler, Ronald C; Berking, Matthias; Lehr, Dirk; Ebert, David Daniel

2018-04-23

depression. Internet- and mobile-based interventions could be an effective and cost-effective approach to reduce consequences of college-related stress and might potentially attract students with clinically relevant depression who would not otherwise seek help. German Clinical Trial Register DRKS00010212; http://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do? navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00010212 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6w55Ewhjd). ©Mathias Harrer, Sophia Helen Adam, Rebecca Jessica Fleischmann, Harald Baumeister, Randy Auerbach, Ronny Bruffaerts, Pim Cuijpers, Ronald C Kessler, Matthias Berking, Dirk Lehr, David Daniel Ebert. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 23.04.2018.

Preventing Depression in Adults With Subthreshold Depression: Health-Economic Evaluation Alongside a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial of a Web-Based Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Buntrock, Claudia; Berking, Matthias; Smit, Filip; Lehr, Dirk; Nobis, Stephanie; Riper, Heleen; Cuijpers, Pim; Ebert, David

2017-01-04

D and adds that this not only restores health in people with sD, but additionally reduces the risk of developing a MDD. Offering the intervention has an acceptable likelihood of being more cost-effective than enhanced usual care and could therefore reach community members on a wider scale. German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00004709; http://www.drks.de/DRKS00004709 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6kAZVUxy9). ©Claudia Buntrock, Matthias Berking, Filip Smit, Dirk Lehr, Stephanie Nobis, Heleen Riper, Pim Cuijpers, David Ebert. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 04.01.2017.

Rossendorf Beamline at ESRF (ROBL-CRG). Bi-annual report 2009/2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheinost, Andreas C.; Baehtz, Carsten

2011-01-01

The Rossendorf Beamline (ROBL) - located at BM20 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France - is in operation since 1998. This 7th report covers the period from January 2009 to December 2010. In these two years, 67 peer- reviewed papers have been published based on experiments done at the beamline, more than in any biannual period before. Six highlight reports have been selected for this report to demonstrate the scientific strength and diversity of the experiments performed on the two end-stations of the beamline, dedicated to Radiochemistry (RCH) and Materials Research (MRH). The beamtime was more heavily overbooked than ever before, with an acceptance rate of only 25% experiments. We would like to thank our external proposal review members, Prof. Andre Maes (KU Leuven, Belgium), Prof. Laurent Charlet (UJF Grenoble, France), Dr. Andreas Leinweber (MPI Metallforschung, Stuttgart, Germany), Prof. David Rafaja (TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany), Prof. Dirk Meyer (TU Dresden, Germany), who evaluated the inhouse proposals in a thorough manner, thereby ensuring that beamtime was distributed according to scientific merit. The period was not only characterized by very successful science, but also by intense work on the optics upgrade. In spring 2009, a workshop was held at ROBL, assembling beamline experts from German, Spanish and Swiss synchrotrons, to evaluate the best setup for the new optics. These suggestions was used to prepare the call for tender published in July 2009. From the tender acceptance in November 2009 on, a series of design review meetings and factory acceptance tests followed. Already in July 2010, the first piece of equipment was delivered, the new double-crystal, double-multilayer monochromator. The disassembly of the old optics components started end of July, 2011, followed by the installation of the new components. As of December 2011, the new optics have seen the first test beam and thorough hot commissioning will

Rossendorf Beamline at ESRF (ROBL-CRG). Bi-annual report 2009/2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scheinost, Andreas C; Baehtz, Carsten [eds.

2011-07-01

The Rossendorf Beamline (ROBL) - located at BM20 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France - is in operation since 1998. This 7th report covers the period from January 2009 to December 2010. In these two years, 67 peer- reviewed papers have been published based on experiments done at the beamline, more than in any biannual period before. Six highlight reports have been selected for this report to demonstrate the scientific strength and diversity of the experiments performed on the two end-stations of the beamline, dedicated to Radiochemistry (RCH) and Materials Research (MRH). The beamtime was more heavily overbooked than ever before, with an acceptance rate of only 25% experiments. We would like to thank our external proposal review members, Prof. Andre Maes (KU Leuven, Belgium), Prof. Laurent Charlet (UJF Grenoble, France), Dr. Andreas Leinweber (MPI Metallforschung, Stuttgart, Germany), Prof. David Rafaja (TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany), Prof. Dirk Meyer (TU Dresden, Germany), who evaluated the inhouse proposals in a thorough manner, thereby ensuring that beamtime was distributed according to scientific merit. The period was not only characterized by very successful science, but also by intense work on the optics upgrade. In spring 2009, a workshop was held at ROBL, assembling beamline experts from German, Spanish and Swiss synchrotrons, to evaluate the best setup for the new optics. These suggestions was used to prepare the call for tender published in July 2009. From the tender acceptance in November 2009 on, a series of design review meetings and factory acceptance tests followed. Already in July 2010, the first piece of equipment was delivered, the new double-crystal, double-multilayer monochromator. The disassembly of the old optics components started end of July, 2011, followed by the installation of the new components. As of December 2011, the new optics have seen the first test beam and thorough hot commissioning will

β-D-Glucoside utilization by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC: possible involvement in the control of cytotoxicity towards bovine lung cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bischof Daniela F

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides small-colony type (SC is among the most serious threats for livestock producers in Africa. Glycerol metabolism-associated H2O2 production seems to play a crucial role in virulence of this mycoplasma. A wide number of attenuated strains of M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC are currently used in Africa as live vaccines. Glycerol metabolism is not affected in these vaccine strains and therefore it does not seem to be the determinant of their attenuation. A non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP in the bgl gene coding for the 6-phospho-β-glucosidase (Bgl has been described recently. The SNP differentiates virulent African strains isolated from outbreaks with severe CBPP, which express the Bgl isoform Val204, from strains to be considered less virulent isolated from CBPP outbreaks with low mortality and vaccine strains, which express the Bgl isoform Ala204. Results Strains of M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC considered virulent and possessing the Bgl isoform Val204, but not strains with the Bgl isoform Ala204, do trigger elevated levels of damage to embryonic bovine lung (EBL cells upon incubation with the disaccharides (i.e., β-D-glucosides sucrose and lactose. However, strains expressing the Bgl isoform Val204 show a lower hydrolysing activity on the chromogenic substrate p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (pNPbG when compared to strains that possess the Bgl isoform Ala204. Defective activity of Bgl in M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC does not lead to H2O2 production. Rather, the viability during addition of β-D-glucosides in medium-free buffers is higher for strains harbouring the Bgl isoform Val204 than for those with the isoform Ala204. Conclusion Our results indicate that the studied SNP in the bgl gene is one possible cause of the difference in bacterial virulence among strains of M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC. Bgl does not act as

Propagation of resist heating mask error to wafer level

Science.gov (United States)

Babin, S. V.; Karklin, Linard

2006-10-01

As technology is approaching 45 nm and below the IC industry is experiencing a severe product yield hit due to rapidly shrinking process windows and unavoidable manufacturing process variations. Current EDA tools are unable by their nature to deliver optimized and process-centered designs that call for 'post design' localized layout optimization DFM tools. To evaluate the impact of different manufacturing process variations on final product it is important to trace and evaluate all errors through design to manufacturing flow. Photo mask is one of the critical parts of this flow, and special attention should be paid to photo mask manufacturing process and especially to mask tight CD control. Electron beam lithography (EBL) is a major technique which is used for fabrication of high-end photo masks. During the writing process, resist heating is one of the sources for mask CD variations. Electron energy is released in the mask body mainly as heat, leading to significant temperature fluctuations in local areas. The temperature fluctuations cause changes in resist sensitivity, which in turn leads to CD variations. These CD variations depend on mask writing speed, order of exposure, pattern density and its distribution. Recent measurements revealed up to 45 nm CD variation on the mask when using ZEP resist. The resist heating problem with CAR resists is significantly smaller compared to other types of resists. This is partially due to higher resist sensitivity and the lower exposure dose required. However, there is no data yet showing CD errors on the wafer induced by CAR resist heating on the mask. This effect can be amplified by high MEEF values and should be carefully evaluated at 45nm and below technology nodes where tight CD control is required. In this paper, we simulated CD variation on the mask due to resist heating; then a mask pattern with the heating error was transferred onto the wafer. So, a CD error on the wafer was evaluated subject to only one term of the

Final Technical Report Grant No. DE-FG02-97ER45653 Lance E. De Long, Principal Investigator, University of Kentucky Period of Performance: 09/01/97 to 05/14/15

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Long, Lance Eric [Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)

2016-11-24

Prior to 1997, the PI had studied the unusual upper critical magnetic field phase boundaries of several novel or exotic types of superconductors, including charge density wave materials such as NbSe₂, organic superconductors such as κ-(ET)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Br, high-temperature oxide superconductors such as (Ba,K)BiO₃ and the cuprates, heavy fermion superconductors such as U₆Fe, UBe₁₃, URu₂Si₂ and UPt₃, and re-entrant Kondo alloys such as (La,Ce)Al₂ and ferromagnetic superconductors such as ErRh₄B₄. Most of these materials exhibited marked positive or negative curvature of H_C2(T) which could not be explained by traditional pair-breaking models. It became clear that many of these materials had very short coherence lengths that made quantized vortices highly mobile (depinned) near the phase boundary, and the fundamental, equilibrium H_C2(T) difficult to measure using finite field or current drives. These problems made the underlying physics obscure, and led to erroneous interpretations of experimental data in terms of models of exotic superconducting pairing mechanisms. Around 1995, these issues led the PI to take advantage of modern electron beam lithography techniques for patterning superconducting and ferromagnetic thin films on the nanoscale. Primarily due to strong magnetic shape anisotropy effects, EBL patterning has led to enhanced control of the spatial distribution and dynamics of topological defects such as domain walls and magnetic vortices, which can create serious energy dissipation and other limitations for modern devices. Moreover, finite size and interface effects also strongly alter phase transition temperatures and phase boundaries of superconducting and magnetic films, as well as introduce barriers to equilibration, enhanced fluctuations and alter magnetic relaxation. Geometrical frustration and spin ice

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Redactie KITLV

1992-01-01

the Spanish by Phillip Berryman. Maryknoll NY: Orbis, 1988. xii + 151 pp. -Fernando Picó, John M. Kirk, Between God and the party: religion and politics in revolutionary Cuba. Tampa FL: University of South Florida Press, 1989. xxi + 231 pp. -Andrés Serbin, Carmen Gautier Mayoral ,Puerto Rico en la economía política del Caribe, Río Piedras PR; Ediciones Huracán, 1990. 204 pp., Angel I. Rivera Ortiz, Idsa E. Alegría Ortega (eds -Andrés Serbin, Carmen Gautier Mayoral ,Puerto Rico en las relaciones internacionales del Caribe, Río Piedras PR: Ediciones Huracán, 1990. 195 pp., Angel I. Rivera Ortiz, Idsa E. Alegría Ortega (eds -Jay R. Mandle, Jorge Heine, A revolution aborted : the lessons of Grenada, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1990. x + 351 pp. -Douglas Midgett, Rhoda Reddock, Elma Francois: the NWCSA and the workers' struggle for change in the Caribbean in the 1930's, London: New Beacon Books, 1988. vii + 60 pp. -Douglas Midgett, Susan Craig, Smiles and blood: the ruling class response to the workers' rebellion of 1937 in Trinidad and Tobago, London: New Beacon Books, 1988. vii + 70 pp. -Ken Post, Carlene J. Edie, Democracy by default: dependency and clientelism in Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers, and Boulder CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1991. xiv + 170 pp. -Ken Post, Trevor Munroe, Jamaican politics: a Marxist perspective in transition, Kingston, Jamaica: Heinemann Publishers (Caribbean and Boulder CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1991. 322 pp. -Wendell Bell, Darrell E. Levi, Michael Manley: the making of a leader, Athens GA: University of Georgia Press, 1990, 349 pp. -Wim Hoogbergen, Mavis C. Campbell, The Maroons of Jamaica, 1655-1796: a history of resistance, collaboration and betrayal, Granby MA Bergin & Garvey, 1988. vi + 296 pp. -Kenneth M. Bilby, Rebekah Michele Mulvaney, Rastafari and reggae: a dictionary and sourcebook, Westport CT: Greenwood, 1990. xvi + 253 pp. -Robert Dirks, Jerome S. Handler ,Searching for a slave

Development and characterization of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with a cisplatin-bearing polymer coating for targeted drug delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Unterweger H

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Harald Unterweger,1 Rainer Tietze,1 Christina Janko,1 Jan Zaloga,1 Stefan Lyer,1 Stephan Dürr,1 Nicola Taccardi,2 Ourania-Menti Goudouri,3 Alexander Hoppe,3 Dietmar Eberbeck,4 Dirk W Schubert,5 Aldo R Boccaccini,3 Christoph Alexiou1 1ENT Department, Section of Experimental Oncology and Nanomedicine (SEON, Else Kroener-Fresenius-Stiftung-Professorship, University Hospital Erlangen, 2Chair of Chemical Engineering I (Reaction Engineering, 3Institute of Biomaterials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, 4Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Berlin, 5Institute of Polymer Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany Abstract: A highly selective and efficient cancer therapy can be achieved using magnetically directed superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs bearing a sufficient amount of the therapeutic agent. In this project, SPIONs with a dextran and cisplatin-bearing hyaluronic acid coating were successfully synthesized as a novel cisplatin drug delivery system. Transmission electron microscopy images as well as X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the individual magnetite particles were around 4.5 nm in size and monocrystalline. The small crystallite sizes led to the superparamagnetic behavior of the particles, which was exemplified in their magnetization curves, acquired using superconducting quantum interference device measurements. Hyaluronic acid was bound to the initially dextran-coated SPIONs by esterification. The resulting amide bond linkage was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The additional polymer layer increased the vehicle size from 22 nm to 56 nm, with a hyaluronic acid to dextran to magnetite weight ratio of 51:29:20. A maximum payload of 330 µg cisplatin/mL nanoparticle suspension was achieved, thus the particle size was further increased to around 77 nm with a zeta

The anchor of the frameless intrauterine device does not migrate over time: an analysis in over 300 women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wildemeersch D

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Dirk Wildemeersch,1 Ansgar Pett,2 Sohela Jandi,2 Kilian Nolte,3 Wolfgang Albrecht4 1Gynecological Outpatient Clinic and IUD Training Centre, Ghent, Belgium; 2Gynecological Outpatient Clinic, Berlin, Germany; 3Gynecological Outpatient Clinic, Uetze, Germany; 4Gynecological Outpatient Clinic, Feldkirchen, Austria Objective: To evaluate the correct position of the anchor at insertion and follow-up and assess if migration of the anchor occurs over time. Materials and methods: This was an insertion-related, prospective, postmarketing study in 309 women. Following insertion, women were followed up at 4–6 weeks, 6 months, and yearly thereafter. The position of the visualized anchor in the fundus of the uterus was evaluated using ultrasound by measuring its distance from the serosal surface of the uterus (SA-distance. Results: A total of 309 parous (n=115 and nulliparous (n=194 women were fitted with the frameless GyneFix 200 or the GyneFix 330 intrauterine device for contraception. The mean SA-distance in 306 parous and nulliparous women was 6.0 mm (range 2.0–24.0 mm at insertion in the parous group and 5.4 mm (range 1.3–11.0 mm in the nulliparous group. At the first follow-up in 281 women, the SA-distance was 6.0 mm (range 2.0–12.0 mm in the parous group and 5.5 mm (range 1.1–11.0 mm in the nulliparous group. The SA-distance was not significantly different. One patient had an exceptionally large SA-distance of 24 mm, probably due to insertion in the posterior wall. No follow-up could be done in this patient. In 77 women, the SA-distance was measured up to 42 months. The mean SA-distance at insertion in the parous group was 5.2 mm (range 3.0–8.5 mm and 4.8 mm (range 1.3–7.0 mm in the nulliparous group. At the last follow-up up to 36 months or longer, the SA-distance was 5.1 mm (range 3.0–8.5 mm in the parous group and 4.9 mm (range 1.3–7.0 mm in the nulliparous group. The SA-distance was not significantly different. The visualized

Biogas in agriculture. Status and prospects. Proceedings; Biogas in der Landwirtschaft. Stand und Perspektiven. Tagungsband

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

Within the congress of the Agency for Renewable Resources (Guelzow, Federal Republic of Germany) and the Association for Technology and Structures in Agriculture (Darmstadt, Federal Republic of Germany) at 20th-21st September, 2011 in Goettingen (Federal Republic of Germany) the following lectures and posters were presented: (1) Perspectives of using biogas as a part of the German power supply (Stefan Rauh); (2) Development of biogas in Europe (Marc Fleureck); (3) Biology of methanogenic archaea and its significance for the microbial process control in biogas plants (Helmut Koenig); (4) Efficiency and behaviour of enzymes in the biogas process (Monika Heiermann); (5) Trace elements in NaWaRo biogas plants for balancing substrate limited deficiency symptoms and stabilizing the fermentation process (Hans Oechsner); (6) EEG - Actual developments for biogas (Ulrich Keymer); (7) Utilization of thermal energy from cogeneration in the practice - Experiences from the view of an environmental expert (Michael Hub); (8) Innovations in the legal aspects of the production and utilization of biogas (Hartwig von Bredow); (9) Damages and deficiencies at biogas plants (Waldemar Gruber); (10) Learning from accidents, damages and their causes as well as their correctives in the operation of biogas plants - Reports from the practice (Wolfgang Horst Stachowitz); (11) Causes and avoidance of container damages by means of biocorrosion (Jan Kuever); (12) Anaerobic degradation of cellulosic substrates - Bionic implementation of the forestomach sysem of a ruminant (Dirk Weichgrebe); (13) Fermentation of renewable raw materials in the up flow procedure (Jan Mumme); (14) Two-phase pressure fermentation for feeding into natural gas grids (Andreas Lemmer); (15) Requirements and potential of sugar beets for fermentation (Christa Hoffmann); (16) Innovation in the area of power beets (Andreas von Felde); (17) Optimization of manuring with fermentation residues in order to reduce the nitrogen

Dose study of the multikinase inhibitor, LY2457546, in patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia to assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wacheck V

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Volker Wacheck1, Michael Lahn2, Gemma Dickinson3, Wolfgang Füreder4, Renata Meyer4, Susanne Herndlhofer4, Thorsten Füreder1, Georg Dorfner5, Sada Pillay2, Valérie André6, Timothy P Burkholder7, Jacqueline K Akunda8, Leann Flye-Blakemore9, Dirk Van Bockstaele9, Richard F Schlenk10, Wolfgang R Sperr4, Peter Valent4,111Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel, Vienna, Austria; 2Early Oncology Clinical Investigation, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 3Department of Pharmacokinetics, Eli Lilly and Company, Erl Wood Research Centre, Windlesham, Surrey, UK; 4Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel, Vienna, Austria; 5Eli Lilly GesmbH, Medical Department, Vienna, Austria; 6Department of Statistics, Eli Lilly and Company, Erl Wood Research Centre, Surrey, UK; 7Discovery Chemistry Research and Technology, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 8Nonclinical Toxicology, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 9Flow Cytometry and Cell Analysis, Esoterix Clinical Trials Services, Mechelen, Belgium; 10Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Ulm, Germany; 11Ludwig Boltzmann Cluster Oncology, Vienna, AustriaBackground: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML is a life-threatening malignancy with limited treatment options in chemotherapy-refractory patients. A first-in-human dose study was designed to investigate a safe and biologically effective dose range for LY2457546, a novel multikinase inhibitor, in patients with relapsed AML.Methods: In this nonrandomized, open-label, dose escalation Phase I study, LY2457546 was administered orally once a day. Safety, pharmacokinetics, changes in phosphorylation of target kinases in AML blasts, and risk of drug–drug interactions (DDI were assessed.Results: Five patients were treated at the starting and predicted minimal biologically effective dose of 50 mg

Acceptance of a reusable self-injection device for recombinant human growth hormone: final data from a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional, international, multicenter, observational study in pediatric patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schnabel D

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Dirk Schnabel,1 Carl-Joachim Partsch,2 Muriel Houang,3 Sarah Ehtisham,4 Helen Johnstone,5 Markus Zabransky,6 Wieland Kiess7 1Pediatric Endocrinology, Center for Chronic Sick Children, Otto-Heubner-Centrum für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Charite, University Medicine, Berlin, Germany; 2Endokrinologikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; 3Explorations Fonctionnelles Endocriniennes, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Paris, France; 4Mediclinic City Hospital, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 5The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK; 6Sandoz International GmbH, Holzkirchen, 7Department of Women and Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University Hospitals, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany Background: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to assess attitudes toward a reusable self-injection system (SurePal™ among pediatric patients with growth disturbances who were prescribed treatment with Omnitrope® within routine clinical practice.Methods: This was a multicenter, observational study, incorporated into the noninterventional PAtients TReated with Omnitrope® (PATRO Children study. Included subjects, or their caregivers, completed a questionnaire on the following five main areas: attractiveness of SurePal™, training received, using the device, the low drug wastage system, and experience versus other devices used previously (pretreated patients. Responses were based on a 5-point scale, with 2 being the best possible outcome and −2 the worst possible outcome.Results: In total, 550 patients were included in this study (338 from France, 169 from Germany, and 43 from the UK. The mean age ± standard deviation of participants was 10.8±3.5 years; the majority (57% were male and growth hormone treatment naïve (88%. Almost half (49.8% of children prepared their SurePal™ for injection themselves and 45.5% performed injections themselves. As patients progressed into their teens, the majority

Efficacy of tranexamic acid in reducing allogeneic blood products in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Sui, Wen-yuan; Ye, Fang; Yang, Jun-lin

2016-04-27

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery usually require prolonged operative times with extensive soft tissue dissection and significant perioperative blood loss, and allogeneic blood products are frequently needed. Methods to reduce the requirement for transfusion would have a beneficial effect on these patients. Although many previous studies have revealed the efficacy of tranexamic acid (TXA) in spinal surgery, there is still a lack of agreement concerning the reduction of both blood loss and transfusion requirements of large dose tranexamic acid (TXA) in surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The objective of this study was to elevate the efficacy and safety of a large dose tranexamic acid (TXA) in reducing transfusion requirements of allogeneic blood products in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery using a retrospective study designed with historical control group. One hundred thirty seven consecutive AIS patients who underwent surgery treatment with posterior spinal pedicle systems from August 2011 to March 2015 in our scoliosis center were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups, the TXA group and the historical recruited no TXA group (NTXA). Preoperative demographics, radiographic parameters, operative parameters, estimated blood loss (EBL), total irrigation fluid, number of patients requiring blood transfusion, mean drop of Hb (Pre-op Hb-Post-op Hb), haematocrit pre and post-surgery, mean volume of blood transfusion, hospitalization time, and adverse effect were recorded and compared. All the patients were successfully treated with satisfied clinical and radiographic outcomes. There were 71 patients in the TXA group and 66 patients in the NTXA group. The preoperative demographics were homogeneity between two groups (P > 0.05). There were no significant difference in average operative time between two groups (209 min vs 215 min, p >0.05). Number of patients in the TXA group showed a significant decrease in

Measurement of pH, exudate composition and temperature in wound healing: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Power, G; Moore, Z; O'Connor, T

2017-07-02

To assess the potential of measurements of pH, exudate composition and temperature in wounds to predict healing outcomes and to identify the methods that are employed to measure them. A systematic review based on the outcomes of a search strategy of quantitative primary research published in the English language was conducted. Inclusion criteria limited studies to those involving in vivo and human participants with an existing or intentionally provoked wound, defined as 'a break in the epithelial integrity of the skin', and excluded in vitro and animal studies. Data synthesis and analysis was performed using structured narrative summaries of each included study arranged by concept, pH, exudate composition and temperature. The Evidence Based Literature (EBL) Critical Appraisal Checklist was implemented to appraise the quality of the included studies. A total of 23 studies, three for pH (mean quality score 54.48%), 12 for exudate composition (mean quality score 46.54%) and eight for temperature (mean quality score 36.66%), were assessed as eligible for inclusion in this review. Findings suggest that reduced pH levels in wounds, from alkaline towards acidic, are associated with improvements in wound condition. Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP), neutrophil elastase (NE) and albumin, in descending order, were the most frequently measured analytes in wounds. MMP-9 emerged as the analyte which offers the most potential as a biomarker of wound healing, with elevated levels observed in acute or non-healing wounds and decreasing levels in wounds progressing in healing. Combined measures of different exudate components, such as MMP/TIMP ratios, also appeared to offer substantial potential to indicate wound healing. Finally, temperature measurements are highest in non-healing, worsening or acute wounds and decrease as wounds progress towards healing. Methods used to measure pH, exudate composition and

Analysis of embryo morphokinetics, multinucleation and cleavage anomalies using continuous time-lapse monitoring in blastocyst transfer cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Nina; Ploskonka, Stephanie; Goodman, Linnea R; Austin, Cynthia; Goldberg, Jeffrey; Falcone, Tommaso

2014-06-20

Time-lapse imaging combined with embryo morphokinetics may offer a non-invasive means for improving embryo selection. Data from clinics worldwide are necessary to compare and ultimately develop embryo classifications models using kinetic data. The primary objective of this study was to determine if there were kinetic differences between embryos with limited potential and those more often associated with in vitro blastocyst formation and/or implantation. We also wanted to compare putative kinetic markers for embryo selection as proposed by other laboratories to what we were observing in our own laboratory setting. Kinetic data and cycle outcomes were retrospectively analyzed in patients age 39 and younger with 7 or more zygotes cultured in the Embryoscope. Timing of specific events from the point of insemination were determined using time-lapse (TL) imaging. The following kinetic markers were assessed: time to syngamy (tPNf), t2, time to two cells (c), 3c (t3), 4c ( t4), 5c (t5), 8c (t8), morula (tMor), start of blastulation (tSB); tBL, blastocyst (tBL); expanded blastocyst (tEBL). Durations of the second (cc2) and third (cc3) cell cycles, the t5-t2 interval as well as time to complete synchronous divisions s1, s2 and s3 were calculated. Incidence and impact on development of nuclear and cleavage anomalies were also assessed. A total of 648 embryos transferred on day 5 were analyzed. The clinical pregnancy and implantation rate were 72% and 50%, respectively. Morphokinetic data showed that tPNf, t2,t4, t8, s1, s2,s3 and cc2 were significantly different in embryos forming blastocysts (ET or frozen) versus those with limited potential either failing to blastulate or else forming poor quality blastocysts ,ultimately discarded. Comparison of embryo kinetics in cycles with all embryos implanting (KID+) versus no implantation (KID-) suggested that markers of embryo competence to implant may be different from ability to form a blastocyst. The incidence of multinucleation

Inleiding: 'History of computing'. Geschiedschrijving over computers en computergebruik in Nederland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrienne van den Boogaard

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Along with the international trends in history of computing, Dutch contributions over the past twenty years moved away from a focus on machinery to the broader scope of use of computers, appropriation of computing technologies in various traditions, labour relations and professionalisation issues, and, lately, software.It is only natural that an emerging field like computer science sets out to write its genealogy and canonise the important steps in its intellectual endeavour. It is fair to say that a historiography diverging from such “home” interest, started in 1987 with the work of Eda Kranakis – then active in The Netherlands – commissioned by the national bureau for technology assessment, and Gerard Alberts, turning a commemorative volume of the Mathematical Center into a history of the same institute. History of computing in The Netherlands made a major leap in the spring of 1994 when Dirk de Wit, Jan van den Ende and Ellen van Oost defended their dissertations, on the roads towards adoption of computing technology in banking, in science and engineering, and on the gender aspect in computing. Here, history of computing had already moved from machines to the use of computers. The three authors joined Gerard Alberts and Onno de Wit in preparing a volume on the rise of IT in The Netherlands, the sequel of which in now in preparation in a team lead by Adrienne van den Bogaard.Dutch research reflected the international attention for professionalisation issues (Ensmenger, Haigh very early on in the dissertation by Ruud van Dael, Something to do with computers (2001 revealing how occupations dealing with computers typically escape the pattern of closure by professionalisation as expected by the, thus outdated, sociology of professions. History of computing not only takes use and users into consideration, but finally, as one may say, confronts the technological side of putting the machine to use, software, head on. The groundbreaking works

A Medical Student-Delivered Smoking Prevention Program, Education Against Tobacco, for Secondary Schools in Germany: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Brinker, Titus Josef; Owczarek, Andreas Dawid; Seeger, Werner; Groneberg, David Alexander; Brieske, Christian Martin; Jansen, Philipp; Klode, Joachim; Stoffels, Ingo; Schadendorf, Dirk; Izar, Benjamin; Fries, Fabian Norbert; Hofmann, Felix Johannes

2017-06-06

]=68). Notable differences were observed between the groups for the female gender (4.2% to 9.5% for control vs 4.0% to 5.2% for intervention; NNT=24 for females vs NNT=207 for males), low educational background (7.3% to 12% for control vs 6.1% to 8.7% for intervention; NNT=30), and migrational background (students who claimed that at least one parent was not born in Germany) at the 12-month follow-up. The intervention appears to prevent smoking onset (NNT=63) but does not appear to initiate quitting. The intervention appears to prevent smoking, especially in females and students with a low educational background. ©Titus Josef Brinker, Andreas Dawid Owczarek, Werner Seeger, David Alexander Groneberg, Christian Martin Brieske, Philipp Jansen, Joachim Klode, Ingo Stoffels, Dirk Schadendorf, Benjamin Izar, Fabian Norbert Fries, Felix Johannes Hofmann. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 06.06.2017.

Photoaging Mobile Apps in School-Based Melanoma Prevention: Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brinker, Titus Josef; Brieske, Christian Martin; Schaefer, Christoph Matthias; Buslaff, Fabian; Gatzka, Martina; Petri, Maximilian Philip; Sondermann, Wiebke; Schadendorf, Dirk; Stoffels, Ingo; Klode, Joachim

2017-09-08

(n=74, 71.8% agreement in skin types 1-2 vs n=50, 53.8% agreement in skin types 3-6) and increased use of sun protection (n=70, 68.0% agreement in skin types 1-2 vs n=52, 55.3% agreement in skin types 3-6), and also positively correlated with higher age. We present a novel way of integrating photoaging in school-based melanoma prevention that affects the students' peer group, considers the predictors of UV exposure in accordance with the theory of planned behavior, and is particularly effective in changing behavioral predictors in fair-skinned adolescents (Fitzpatrick skin types 1-2). Further research is required to evaluate the intervention's prospective effects on adolescents of various cultural backgrounds. ©Titus Josef Brinker, Christian Martin Brieske, Christoph Matthias Schaefer, Fabian Buslaff, Martina Gatzka, Maximilian Philip Petri, Wiebke Sondermann, Dirk Schadendorf, Ingo Stoffels, Joachim Klode. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 08.09.2017.

[Introduction].

Science.gov (United States)

Gerard, Adrienne; van den Bogaard, Alberts

2008-01-01

Along with the international trends in history of computing, Dutch contributions over the past twenty years moved away from a focus on machinery to the broader scope of use of computers, appropriation of computing technologies in various traditions, labour relations and professionalisation issues, and, lately, software. It is only natural that an emerging field like computer science sets out to write its genealogy and canonise the important steps in its intellectual endeavour. It is fair to say that a historiography diverging from such "home" interest, started in 1987 with the work of Eda Kranakis--then active in The Netherlands--commissioned by the national bureau for technology assessment, and Gerard Alberts, turning a commemorative volume of the Mathematical Center into a history of the same institute. History of computing in The Netherlands made a major leap in the spring of 1994 when Dirk de Wit, Jan van den Ende and Ellen van Oost defended their dissertations, on the roads towards adoption of computing technology in banking, in science and engineering, and on the gender aspect in computing. Here, history of computing had already moved from machines to the use of computers. The three authors joined Gerard Alberts and Onno de Wit in preparing a volume on the rise of IT in The Netherlands, the sequel of which in now in preparation in a team lead by Adrienne van den Bogaard. Dutch research reflected the international attention for professionalisation issues (Ensmenger, Haigh) very early on in the dissertation by Ruud van Dael, Something to do with computers (2001) revealing how occupations dealing with computers typically escape the pattern of closure by professionalisation as expected by the, thus outdated, sociology of professions. History of computing not only takes use and users into consideration, but finally, as one may say, confronts the technological side of putting the machine to use, software, head on. The groundbreaking works of the 2000 Paderborn

Moving On (Editorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lindsay Glynn

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Well, here we are with another full volume published. I have watched this journal grow from an idea to a sustainable, reputable journal with readers and contributors from all over the world. It has grown from a small editorial group to a collection of peer reviewers, Evidence Summary writers, copyeditors, etc., that is eighty-four strong (and counting. I have wavered between wondering whether promoting evidence based librarianship is akin to flogging a dead horse to feeling secure in knowing that we are making a difference. Being involved with this journal has made me look at what I do in a different light and I now approach decisions and change with what I refer to as “structured flexibility”. Following the EBL framework is the structured part, and when it works, it works well. But we all know that there is not always an answer in the literature nor is there a guarantee that implemented evidence based change will work similarly in different environments. That’s where the flexibility comes in.Three years as Editor-in-Chief has been a challenging, enjoyable, time-consuming, and fascinating learning experience. It has provided me with numerous opportunities in terms of speaking engagements, workshop offerings, and valuable discussion and discourse. It has also provided me with research and project ideas that I have had to place on the back burner until a time when I have enough hours in the day. Recognizing that adding additional hours to the day is, well, impossible, I have decided to stepdown from my editorial role to pursue other activities. This was a bittersweet decision, but a necessary one. I am pleased to announce that Denise Koufogiannakis will be taking on the role of Editor-in-Chief for the next term. Denise, as many of you know, has also been involved with this journal since its inception and, after a brief period of reduced involvement, has eagerly stepped up to the plate. This journal would not be what it is today without

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harry A. Poeze

1988-04-01

, Beiträge zur Südasien-Forschung, Südasien-Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Band 8S, Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1984. 236 pp. - Wolfgang Marschall, Pietro Scarduelli, L’isola degli antenati di pietra; Strutture sociali e simboliche dei Nias dell’Indonesia, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1986. IX + 232 pp., 22 pl., 28 figs. - Nigel Phillips, C. Skinner, The battle for Junk Ceylon; The syair Sultan Maulana, Dordrecht: Foris, 1985. viii + 325 pp. - Harry A. Poeze, Mavis Rose, Indonesia free; A political biography of Mohammad Hatta. Ithaca, New York: Cornell Modern Indonesia Project, viii + 245 pp. - D.J. Prentice, Elisabeth Tooker, Naming systems: The 1980 proceedings of the American Ethnological society, The American Ethnological society, 1984. vii + 107 pp., Harold C. Conklin (eds. - Patricia D. Rueb, Christine Dobbin, Islamic revivalism in a changing peasant economy; Central Sumatra, 1784-1847, London/Malmö; Scandinavian Institute of Asian studies, Monograph series no. 47, 1987, 300 pages, illustrated. - P.C. Verton, Ank Klomp, Politics on Bonaire; An anthropological study. Assen/Maastricht: Van Gorcum, 1986.' [Translated by Dirk H. van der Elst] - Leontine E. Visser, Elisabeth Traube, Cosmology and social life; Ritual exchange among the Mambai of East Timor, Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1986. xxiii + 298 pp., figs., photos, index.

Differences in serum zinc levels in acutely ill and remitted adolescents and young adults with bulimia nervosa in comparison with healthy controls – a cross-sectional pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zepf FD

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Florian D Zepf,1,2 Pradeep Rao,1,3 Kevin Runions,3,4 Richard M Stewart,1 Julia K Moore,1,5 Janice WY Wong,1,4 Maike Linden,1,2,6 Idil Sungurtekin,7 Franziska Glass,8 Linda Gut,8 Dirk Peetz,9,10 Gudrun Hintereder,11 Michael Schaab,12 Fritz Poustka,8 Lars Wöckel8,13 1Centre and Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Western Australia, 2Specialised Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS, Department of Health in Western Australia, 3Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Department of Health in Western Australia, 4Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 5Paediatric Consultation-Liaison Program, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Department of Health in Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia; 6Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, 7Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, 8Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, 9Institute of Laboratory Medicine, HELIOS Klinikum Berlin-Buch, Berlin, 10Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, 11Department of Laboratory Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, 12Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; 13Center of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clienia Littenheid AG, Littenheid, Switzerland Background: Research has implicated that changes in zinc (Zn metabolism may be associated with the biological underpinnings of eating disorders, in particular anorexia nervosa. However, to date research on the role of Zn in patients with bulimia nervosa (BN is scarce.Objective: We aimed to explore serum Zn

Learning Opportunities (Editorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Koufogiannakis

2009-12-01

Tennessee, where she is a Master’s student in Information Science. She anticipates completing her program in December 2010. Welcome Andrea!In this issue, we have three interesting articles covering a variety of topics; learning outcomes of educational games, a library website usability study, and insights into Iranian medical librarians’ attitudes and perceptions of evidence based practice. We also have evidence summaries on topics as diverse as professional development, information literacy, and web usability. And don’t forget to checkout the popular EBL101 column by Virginia Wilson, which always attracts a high number of downloads. With all this content there should be a learning opportunity for every reader. Enjoy!

Quantum Dots

Science.gov (United States)

Tartakovskii, Alexander

2012-07-01

Part I. Nanostructure Design and Structural Properties of Epitaxially Grown Quantum Dots and Nanowires: 1. Growth of III/V semiconductor quantum dots C. Schneider, S. Hofling and A. Forchel; 2. Single semiconductor quantum dots in nanowires: growth, optics, and devices M. E. Reimer, N. Akopian, M. Barkelid, G. Bulgarini, R. Heeres, M. Hocevar, B. J. Witek, E. Bakkers and V. Zwiller; 3. Atomic scale analysis of self-assembled quantum dots by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy and atom probe tomography J. G. Keizer and P. M. Koenraad; Part II. Manipulation of Individual Quantum States in Quantum Dots Using Optical Techniques: 4. Studies of the hole spin in self-assembled quantum dots using optical techniques B. D. Gerardot and R. J. Warburton; 5. Resonance fluorescence from a single quantum dot A. N. Vamivakas, C. Matthiesen, Y. Zhao, C.-Y. Lu and M. Atature; 6. Coherent control of quantum dot excitons using ultra-fast optical techniques A. J. Ramsay and A. M. Fox; 7. Optical probing of holes in quantum dot molecules: structure, symmetry, and spin M. F. Doty and J. I. Climente; Part III. Optical Properties of Quantum Dots in Photonic Cavities and Plasmon-Coupled Dots: 8. Deterministic light-matter coupling using single quantum dots P. Senellart; 9. Quantum dots in photonic crystal cavities A. Faraon, D. Englund, I. Fushman, A. Majumdar and J. Vukovic; 10. Photon statistics in quantum dot micropillar emission M. Asmann and M. Bayer; 11. Nanoplasmonics with colloidal quantum dots V. Temnov and U. Woggon; Part IV. Quantum Dot Nano-Laboratory: Magnetic Ions and Nuclear Spins in a Dot: 12. Dynamics and optical control of an individual Mn spin in a quantum dot L. Besombes, C. Le Gall, H. Boukari and H. Mariette; 13. Optical spectroscopy of InAs/GaAs quantum dots doped with a single Mn atom O. Krebs and A. Lemaitre; 14. Nuclear spin effects in quantum dot optics B. Urbaszek, B. Eble, T. Amand and X. Marie; Part V. Electron Transport in Quantum Dots Fabricated by

Food niche overlap among neotropical frugivorous bats in Costa Rica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge E Lopez

2007-03-01

, Dermanura sp., Glossophaga commissarisi. Estas especies, con excepción de Dermanura sp., mostraron una dieta dominada por uno o dos táxones de plantas. Esto sugiere un patrón de repartición de recursos a nivel genérico, donde Carollia consumió principalmente plantas del genero Piper, Artibeus consumió Ficus y Cecropia y Glossophaga consumió Vismia. El análisis de conglomerados reveló que existe un mayor solapamiento de nicho trófico entre especies congenéricas que entre especies no congenéricas. Los resultados sugieren que, si el alimento es un factor limitante, algún otro mecanismo -que no es la selección trófica-debe reducir la interferencia o competencia interespecífica por alimentos entre las especies congénericas de murciélagos frugívoros en la EBLS.

Rostock bioenergy forum. Future technologies for bioenergy. Proceedings; 4. Rostocker Bioenergieforum. Zukunftstechnologien fuer Bioenergie. Tagungsband

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

diesel engines (Beate Richter); (19) The EU-Interreg project Baltic biogas bus (Petra Seidenberg); (20) Rearrangement of the local traffic on biogas within the scope of REK 'Natuerlich Ruegen' - Full power (Sarah Gehrig); (21) Biogas in Poland - actual condition and perspective of development (Krzystof Biernat); (22) Impact of regional factors on the universal validity of ecologically assessed evaluations of biogas (Daniela Dressler); (23) Comparison of solid/wet fermentation within the scope of biogas measurement program II (Britt Schumacher); (24) Sweet clover - an ecologically and economically attractive supplement to silage maize? (Ines Bull); (25) Near-IR spectroscopy for the evaluation of plant biomass for the use in biogas generation (Andrea Kraeft); (26) Investigation of internal power requirement of biogas plants using the research biogas plant Unterer Lindenhof as an example (Falk Baumgartner); (27) Research biogas plant Gut Huelsenberg (Dirk Banemann); (28) Investigation of the acid pattern and other important parameter in the fermenter during start up (Andreas Gurgel); (28) Significance of process engineering parameters for the yield of biogas and potential of residual gas (Gerd Reinhold); (29) Online investigation in NaWaRo biogas plants by eans of NIRS (Andreas Stockl); (30) Utilization of residues from pig farming for production of bioenergy in Cuba (Mathias Schlegel); (31) Ensiling of sugar beets as a substrate for biogas generation (Friedrich Weissbach); (32) Liquid fuels from biomass (Andreas Busch); (33) Digestion of lignocellulose for biogas generation (Dominik da Rocha); (34) Distribution of macronutrients and micronutrients after partly processing of fermentation residues by means of separation (Adam Feher); (35) How much energy is in the organics of municipal wastes from rural areas? (Andrea Schuech).

Jets from Young Stars in Cygnus-X

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-03-01

How do you spot very young, newly formed stars? One giveaway is the presence of jets and outflows that interact with the stars environments. In a new study, scientists have now discovered an unprecedented number of these outflows in a nearby star-forming region of our galaxy.Young Stars Hard at WorkCO map of the Cygnus-X region of the galactic plane, with the grid showing the UWISH2 coverage and the black triangles showing the positions of the detected outflows. [Makin Froebrich 2018]The birth and evolution of young stars is a dynamic, energetic process. As new stars form, material falls inward from the accretion disks surrounding young stellar objects, or YSOs. This material can power collimated streams of gas and dust that flow out along the stars rotation axes, plowing through the surrounding material. Where the outflows collide with the outside environment, shocks form that can be spotted in near-infrared hydrogen emission.Though weve learned a lot about these outflows, there remain a number of open questions. What factors govern their properties, such as their lengths, luminosities, and orientations? What is the origin of the emission features we see within the jets, known as knots? What roles do the driving sources and the environments play in the behavior and appearance of the jets?A selection of previously unknown outflows discovered as a result of this survey. Click for a closer look. [Makin Froebrich 2018]To answer these questions, we need to build a large, unbiased statistical sample of YSOs from across the galactic plane. Now, a large infrared survey known as the UKIRT Widefield Infrared Survey for H2 (UWISH2) is working toward that goal.Jackpot in Cygnus-XIn a recent publication, Sally Makin and Dirk Froebrich (University of Kent, UK), present results from UWISH2s latest release: a survey segment targeting a 42-square-degree region in the galactic plane known as the Cygnus-X star-forming region.The teams search for shock-excited emission in Cygnus

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Redactie KITLV

2008-12-01

Melaka and Enyan anak Usen, Iban art; Sexual selection and severed heads: weaving, sculpture, tattooing and other arts of the Iban of Borneo (Viktor T. King John Roosa; Pretext for mass murder; The September 30th Movement and Suharto’s coup d’état in Indonesia (Gerry van Klinken Vladimir Braginsky; The heritage of traditional Malay literature; A historical survey of genres, writings and literary views (Dick van der Meij Joel Robbins, Holly Wardlow (eds; The making of global and local modernities in Melanesia; Humiliation, transformation and the nature of cultural change (Toon van Meijl Kwee Hui Kian; The political economy of Java’s northeast coast c. 1740-1800; Elite synergy (Luc Nagtegaal Charles A. Coppel (ed.; Violent conflicts in Indonesia; Analysis, representation, resolution (Gerben Nooteboom Tom Therik; Wehali: the female land; Traditions of a Timorese ritual centre (Dianne van Oosterhout Patricio N. Abinales, Donna J. Amoroso; State and society in the Philippines (Portia L. Reyes Han ten Brummelhuis; King of the waters; Homan van der Heide and the origin of modern irrigation in Siam (Jeroen Rikkerink Hotze Lont; Juggling money; Financial self-help organizations and social security in Yogyakarta (Dirk Steinwand Henk Maier; We are playing relatives; A survey of Malay writing (Maya Sutedja-Liem Hjorleifur Jonsson; Mien relations; Mountain people and state control in Thailand (Nicholas Tapp Lee Hock Guan (ed.; Civil society in Southeast Asia (Bryan S. Turner Jan Mrázek; Phenomenology of a puppet theatre; Contemplations on the art of Javanese wayang kulit (Sarah Weiss Janet Steele; Wars within; The story of Tempo, an independent magazine in Soeharto’s Indonesia (Robert Wessing REVIEW ESSAY Sean Turnell; Burma today Kyaw Yin Hlaing, Robert Taylor, Tin Maung Maung Than (eds; Myanmar; Beyond politics to societal imperatives Monique Skidmore (ed.; Burma at the turn of the 21st century Mya Than; Myanmar in ASEAN

Estudio coste-efectividad sobre la medición del gradiente de presión venosa hepática en la profilaxis secundaria de la hemorragia digestiva varicosa A cost-effectiveness study of hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement in the secondary prevention of variceal bleeding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Amorós

2008-07-01

favorable comparado con la no realización del mismo.Objective: variceal rebleeding is common following a first episode of hemorrhage in cirrhotic patients. The objective of this study was to determine the cost-effectiveness of monitoring hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG to guide secondary prophylaxis. Methods: we created a Markov decision model to calculate cost-effectiveness for two strategies: Group 1: HVPG monitoring to decide treatment -when portal pressure was reduced by at least 20 percent or HVPG was less than 12 mmHg after beta-blocker administration, patients received beta-blockers; when portal pressure did not meet these criteria therapy was endoscopic band ligation. Group 2: in this group there was no monitoring of HVPG. Patients with large varices received treatment with beta-blockers combined with EBL; patients with small varices received beta-blockers plus isosorbide mononitrate. Results: there was no recurrent variceal bleeding in group 1 for good responders, and for 17% of poor responders. In group 2 a 25% rebleeding rate was detected in patients with small varices and 13% for those with big varices. Overall cost in group 1 was 14,100.49 euros, and 14,677.16 in group 2. Conclusions: HVPG measurement is cost-effective for the secondary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding.

Showing Value (Editorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Koufogiannakis

2009-06-01

librarians on student achievement. Todd notes, “If we do not show value, we will not have a future. Evidence-based practice is not about the survival of school librarians, it’s about the survival of our students” (40. In this issue we feature school libraries and their connection to evidence based practice. Former Editor-in-Chief, Lindsay Glynn, began putting the wheels in motion for this feature almost a year ago. She invited Carol Gordon and Ross Todd to act as guest editors of the section, drawing upon their contacts and previous work in this field. The result is an issue with five feature articles exploring different aspects of the connection between school libraries and evidence based practice, from the theoretical to the practical. In addition, there is a thought-provoking Commentary by David Loertscher, asking whether we need the evolutionary model of evidence based practice, or something more revolutionary!In addition to the Feature section, we have a well-rounded issue with articles on the topics of library human resources, and the development of a scholars’ portal. As well, there are a record 10 evidence summaries and our educational EBL101 column. I hope there is something for everyone in this issue of EBLIP – enjoy, and see you soon in Stockholm!

PREFACE: 13th International Conference on Muon Spin Rotation, Relaxation and Resonance

Science.gov (United States)

2014-12-01

submitted 227 contributions, which were intensively discussed during day and evening sessions. The scientific program was centered around invited talks from speakers outside the μSR community, who presented lectures on topics where μSR is giving or expected to give significant contributions. The invited speakers, covering various fields of interest, included Radu Coldea (Oxford, Quantum Magnetism), Claude- Henri Delmas (Bordeaux, Electro- and Solid State Chemistry), Dirk Johrendt (Munich, Iron Based Materials), Marc-Henri Julien (Grenoble, Cuprate Superconductors), Manfred Fiebig (Zürich, Multiferroics), Allan MacDonald (Austin, Topological Electronic States), Hidenori Takagi (Stuttgart and Tokyo, Transition Metal Oxides), and Jean-Marc Triscone (Geneva, Oxide Heterostructures). In addition to an overview about status and progress of the existing facilities in Europe, Canada and Japan, future projects and new ideas for μSR facilities in South Korea, China and the USA were presented. A special evening session was held to discuss about muon site and muon states calculations by DFT and other techniques. Several talks and posters can be found on the conference web page www.psi.ch/muSR2014. In a ceremony at the beginning of the conference, Roberto De Renzi from the University of Parma was awarded the 2014 Yamazaki Prize for muon science by the International Society for Muon Spin Spectroscopy (ISMS) for his sustained and exceptional contributions to the development of the muon spin relaxation technique to investigate magnetism and superconductivity and for promoting synergies between μSR and NMR. In the closing session Rob Kie (UBC Vancouver and TRIUMF) very effectively summarized the five days of meeting, while giving an enlightening personal impression. In the same session five best poster prizes were awarded and ISMS gave two prizes to young researchers presenting outstanding work at the conference. The conference organizers also on behalf of the entire μSR community are

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann Kumar

1999-10-01

and community development in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Southeast Asia Program, 1997, 329 pp. [Southeast Asia Program Series 16.] - M.J.C. Schouten, Monika Schlicher, Portugal in Ost-Timor; Eine kritische Untersuchung zur portugiesischen Kolonialgeschichte in Ost-Timor, 1850 bis 1912. Hamburg: Abera-Verlag, 1996, 347 pp. - Karel Steenbrink, Leo Dubbeldam, Values and value education. The Hague: Centre for the Study of Education in Developing Countries (CESO, 1995, 183 pp. [CESO Paperback 25.] - Pamela J. Stewart, Michael Houseman, Naven or the other self; A relational approach to ritual action. Leiden: Brill, 1998, xvi + 325 pp., Carlo Severi (eds. - Han F. Vermeulen, Pieter ter Keurs, The language of things; Studies in ethnocommunication; In honour of Professor Adrian A. Gerbrands. Leiden: Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, 1990, 208 pp. [Mededelingen van het Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde 25.], Dirk Smidt (eds.

PREFACE: International Conference on Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics (CHEP 2012)

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, Michael; Düllmann, Dirk; Rind, Ofer; Wong, Tony

2012-12-01

Collaborative Tools. We would like to thank Brookhaven Science Associates, New York University, Blue Nest Events, the International Advisory Committee, the Program Committee and the Local Organizing Committee members for all their support and assistance. We also would like to acknowledge the support provided by the following sponsors: ACEOLE, Data Direct Networks, Dell, the European Middleware Initiative and Nexsan. Special thanks to the Program Committee members for their careful choice of conference contributions and enormous effort in reviewing and editing the conference proceedings. The next CHEP conference will be held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on 14-18 October 2013. Conference Chair Michael Ernst (BNL) Program Committee Daniele Bonacorsi, University of Bologna, Italy Simone Campana, CERN, Switzerland Philippe Canal, Fermilab, United States Sylvain Chapeland, CERN, Switzerland Dirk Düllmann, CERN, Switzerland Johannes Elmsheuser, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany Maria Girone, CERN, Switzerland Steven Goldfarb, University of Michigan, United States Oliver Gutsche, Fermilab, United States Benedikt Hegner, CERN, Switzerland Andreas Heiss, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Peter Hristov, CERN, Switzerland Tony Johnson, SLAC, United States David Lange, LLNL, United States Adam Lyon, Fermilab, United States Remigius Mommsen, Fermilab, United States Axel Naumann, CERN, Switzerland Niko Neufeld, CERN, Switzerland Rolf Seuster, TRIUMF, Canada Local Organizing Committee Maureen Anderson, John De Stefano, Mariette Faulkner, Ognian Novakov, Ofer Rind, Tony Wong (BNL) Kyle Cranmer (NYU) International Advisory Committee Mohammad Al-Turany, GSI, Germany Lothar Bauerdick, Fermilab, United States Ian Bird, CERN, Switzerland Dominique Boutigny, IN2P3, France Federico Carminati, CERN, Switzerland Marco Cattaneo, CERN, Switzerland Gang Chen, Institute of High Energy Physics, China Peter Clarke, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom Sridhara Dasu, University of

FOREWORD: The 70th birthday of Professor Stig Stenholm The 70th birthday of Professor Stig Stenholm

Science.gov (United States)

Suominen, Kalle-Antti

2010-09-01

It is not easy to assess, or even to describe correctly a long and distinguished career that started about the time when I was born. In 1964 Stig Stenholm got both an engineering degree at the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT), and an MSc degree (in Mathematics) at the University of Helsinki. The two degrees demonstrate Stig's ability to understand both complex mathematics and experimental physics. Statistical physics or rather, quantum liquids, was the field in which Stig got his DPhil at Oxford in 1967, under the guidance of Dirk ter Haar. It is interesting that together they worked on studying fermions in a bosonic background [1]; at the time this meant, of course, 3He atoms as impurities in 4He liquid, but nowadays one would immediately connect such systems to the physics of cold atomic gases. The postdoctoral period in 1967-1968 at Yale University brought Stig in contact with Willis Lamb and laser physics [2]. Back in Finland, Stig's career in the 1970s was dominated by theoretical studies of gas lasers, especially pressure and collision effects on spectral lines and saturation spectroscopy, together with his first PhD student, Rainer Salomaa. A professorship at the University of Helsinki came in 1974, and in 1980 an important era started as Stig became the scientific director of the Research Institute for Theoretical Physics (TFT). At that time he also developed the semiclassical theory of laser cooling especially with Juha Javanainen. The laser spectroscopy work led to a textbook in 1984 [3], and the semiclassical laser cooling theory was summarized in a review article in 1986 [4]. These were not, of course, his only interests, as he also worked on free-electron lasers, ring-laser gyroscopes, multiphoton processes and quantum amplifiers. In an article written in 1990 in honour of Olli Lounasmaa [5], the founder of the famous Low Temperature Laboratory at HUT, Stig mentions that one of his most memorable achievements was acting as a bridge between the

Pareceristas da RBHCS no Triênio 2015-2017

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Editores RBHCS

2017-12-01

Jonas Moreira Vargas (UFPel José Carlos da Silva Cardozo (FURG Karina Barra Gomes (UENF Lania Stefanoni Ferreira (Centro Universitário da FEI Leandro Karnal (Unicamp Leny Caselli Anzai (UFMT Luciana Mendes Gandelman (UFRRJ Luciana Rodrigues Penna (UFRGS Luciano Costa Gomes (UFRGS Luís Antonio Groppo (UNIFAL Luís Augusto Ebling Farinatti (UFSM Luisa Tombini Wittmann (UDESC Luiz Estevam de Oliveira Fernandes (UFOP Luiz Fernando Dias Duarte (Museu Nacional/ UFRJ Luiz Fernando Medeiros Rodrigues (UNISINOS Lyndon de Araújo Santos (UFMA Maíra Bonafé Sei (UEL Maísa Faleiros da Cunha (Unicamp Marcelo Henrique Nogueira Diana (IFC Marcelo Vianna (IFRS Marco Trentini (Universidad de Bologna - Itália Marcos Antonio Witt (UNISINOS Marcus Peixoto (UFRJ Maria Aparecida Bergamaschi (UFRGS Maria Cristina Bohn Martins (UNISINOS Maria de Nazaré Sarges (UFPA Maria Gabriela Silva Martins da Cunha Marinho (UFABC Mário Martins Viana Júnior (UFC Marlise Regina Meyrer (UPF Marta Regina Cioccari (UFRJ Mauro Dillmann (UFPEL Melina Piglia (Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata - Argentina Micheli Verginia Ghiggi (UFMS Moacir de Freitas Junior (UFU Mônica da Silva Ribeiro (UFRRJ Mônica Ribeiro de Oliveira (UFJF Natália de Lacerda Gil (UFRGS Nathalia Monseff Junqueira (UFMS Nilson Gomes Vieira Filho (UFAM Patrice Schuch (UFRGS Patricia Dario El-Moor Hadjab (UNB Paulo Eduardo Teixeira (UNESP-Marília Paulo Henrique Martinez (UNESP Paulo Roberto Rodrigues Soares (UFRGS Pedro Eduardo Mesquita de Monteiro Marinho (Museu de Astronomia e Ciências Afins/UNIRIO Petrônio José Domingues (UFS Pompilio Locks Filho (UDESC Rauer Ribeiro Rodrigues (UFMS Rodrigo Stumpf González (UFRGS Roswithia Weber (FEEVALE Thiago Barcelos Soliva (UFRJ

Looking at Things in New Ways (Editorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Koufogiannakis

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Welcome to the first issue of our 5th volume of Evidence Based Library and Information Practice. And what an issue it is! We are very pleased to showcase the keynote addresses from the 5th International Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP5 conference that took place in Stockholm, Sweden in July 2009. Andrew Booth, who was Chair of the International Program Committee for the conference, kindly agreed to take on a guest editorial role in gathering these keynote presentations together. I believe it is the first time the EBLIP community has been able to have the keynote papers from an EBLIP conference gathered in this way. Reading these commentaries will give you a true sense of the themes and questions that were woven throughout the conference and will give you lots to think about. For a fuller description and to put this Feature section in context, please be sure to read Andrew’s editorial at the beginning of the section.As we begin our fifth year of publication, submissions of original research articles continue to grow. In this issue we have five original articles on topics ranging from information literacy instruction to cataloguing of e‐books. Two articles look at using communities of practice in the support of evidence based practice; clearly this is an area of emerging research within EBLIP that readers will benefit from learning more about. One of these articles, by Urquhart, Brice, Cooper, Spink, and Thomas, won the Best Oral Presentation award at the EBLIP5 conference.In addition to the original research articles, we also have seven evidence summaries, covering topics such as unionization, information seeking behaviour, and the LIS blogosphere. The EBL101 column tackles critical appraisal, a daunting task that will not seem quite so scary once you’ve read the column! As well, in the Commentary section, Jessie McGowan and colleagues have contributed a checklist for the peer review of electronic search strategies

The importance of ports in the transport chain : challenges and opportunities / Dirk K. Behrendt = Значение портов в логистической цепочке : задачи и возможности / Дирк Берендт

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Behrendt, Dirk K.

2003-01-01

Ettekanne 3.-4. detsembrini 2003 Tallinnas toimunud rahvusvahelisel konverents-näitusel "Logistics and transport in international trade" teeb ülevaate Euroopa, sh Läänemere sadamate ülesannetest, teenustest, konkurentsivõitlusest ning integreeritusest teiste transpordiliikidega

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Redactie KITLV

2003-10-01

; Historical transformations in early modern Makassar. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2002, xiii + 257 pp. -Gerard Termorshuizen, Olf Praamstra, Een feministe in de tropen; De Indische jaren van Mina Kruseman. Leiden: KITlV Uitgeverij, 2003, 111 p. [Boekerij 'Oost en West'.] -Jaap Timmer, Dirk A.M. Smidt, Kamoro art; Tradition and innovation in a New Guinea culture; With an essay on Kamoro life and ritual by Jan Pouwer. Amsterdam: KIT Publishers/Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, 2003, 157 pp. -Sikko Visscher, Amy L. Freedman, Political participation and ethnic minorities; Chinese overseas in Malaysia, Indonesia and the United States. London: Routledge, 2000, xvi + 231 pp. -Reed L. Wadley, Mary Somers Heidhues, Golddiggers, farmers, and traders in the 'Chinese districts' of West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Ithaca, NY: Southeast Asia program, Cornell University, 2003, 309 pp. -Edwin Wieringa, Jan Parmentier ,Peper, Plancius en porselein; De reis van het schip Swarte Leeuw naar Atjeh en Bantam, 1601-1603. Zutphen: Walburg Pers, 2003, 237 pp. [Werken van de Linschoten-Vereeniging 101.], Karel Davids, John Everaert (eds -Edwin Wieringa, Leonard Blussé ,Kennis en Compagnie; De Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie en de moderne wetenschap. Amsterdam: Balans, 2002, 191 pp., Ilonka Ooms (eds -Edwin Wieringa, Femme S. Gaastra, De geschiedenis van de VOC. Zutphen; Wal_burg Pers, 2002, 192 pp.

Comparison of E-Book Acquisitions Strategies Across Disciplines Finds Differences in Cost and Usage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Costello

2017-03-01

found demand driven acquisitions to be a cost-effective strategy for e-books, particularly when cost per use is considered (Downey, Zhang, Urbano, & Klinger, 2014; Herrera, 2012. The findings also agree with studies that have found a good cost per use, but low percentage of use in package acquisitions (Lannon & McKinnon, 2013; Sprague & Hunter, 2008. Further research examining data from multiple institutions could help to determine whether low percentage of use in subscription collections is a discovery issue for individual libraries or a selection and packaging issue for publishers. The authors also found it difficult to justify firm ordering as a cost-effective strategy for e-book content. Though there have been strong critiques of using methods like cost per use and percentage of use to evaluate the value of firm ordered books (Fry, 2015 there is little evidence to support this strategy in the e-book environment, where turnaround time for purchases is generally much shorter. The authors identify the difficulty in drawing a line between firm orders and demand driven orders. Firm orders often represent demand from faculty members and students through traditional channels. The changes to the subject University’s acquisitions methods seem practical and in line with the findings they reported. The study presented a relatively small sample size, especially for materials that were purchased via firm order and demand driven acquisitions. Materials acquired in packages represented 13,027 out of 15,006 monographs in the study. Generalizability is a problem common to most, if not all of the single site acquisitions studies of this kind. More acquisitions research from consortiums and conglomerate data, like Michael Levine-Clark’s work with combined EBL and Ebrary data (Levine-Clark, 2015 will contribute more significantly to our understanding of the way disciplines and acquisitions strategies impact use. The findings from the subject University are strongly in line with

BOOK REVIEW: Geheimnisvolles Universum - Europas Astronomen entschleiern das Weltall

Science.gov (United States)

Duerbeck, H. W.; Lorenzen, D. H.

2002-12-01

The 25th birthday of ESO, in 1987, was celebrated by the publication of an illustrated popular book, "Exploring the Southern Sky" (Springer-Verlag 1987), which also saw editions in Danish, English, French, German, and Spanish. Written and illustrated by the ESO staff members Svend Laustsen, Claus Madsen and Richard M. West, its many pictures were mainly taken with the ESO 3.6m and Schmidt telescopes. The structure of the book - perhaps at that time somewhat unusual - started with things far away (Universe and galaxies), zoomed in to the Milky Way, and finally reached the Solar System (with a concluding chapter dealing with the La Silla observatory). Now, with the 4 units of the Very Large Telescope in full operation, and on the occasion of ESO's 40th birthday, another jubilee book has appeared: "Geheimnisvolles Universum: Europas Astronomen entschleiern das Weltall", written by the science journalist Dirk H. Lorenzen, of Hamburg, Germany, and prefaced by Catherine Cesarsky, Director General of ESO. Presumably, this book will also soon become available in more languages spoken in ESO member countries. Thus it may be worthwhile to review the first edition, although some readers may like to wait for more easily accessible editions. Before going into details, let me first mention that I find this a very impressing book, great to look at and refreshing to read. With ESO seen through the eyes of a visitor, things gain a perspective that is quite different from that of the previous book, and at least as attractive. It comes as no surprise that the book starts with a visit of ESO's showcase, the Paranal Observatory, and the writer not only notes down his own impressions, but also cites statements of some of the many people that keep Paranal going - technicians and staff astronomers. This mixture of texts provides a good impression of the operations at a large observatory for the general reader. The two more 'astronomical' parts that follow deal with star and planet

Obituary: E. Dorrit Hoffleit, 1907-2007

Science.gov (United States)

Trimble, Virginia

2007-12-01

late 1948 saw her back at Harvard (though with a consultant's appointment at Aberdeen for another ten years), salary cut back by a factor two, but with tenure as an astronomer, a bigger office, and an enormous pile of plates from the Blömfontein station to be measured for spectroscopic parallaxes. She undertook that and a wide range of other projects, with full support from above as long as Shapley was director. It must mean something that the next director, Donald H. Menzel, who eventually precipitated Hoffleit's departure from Harvard, had also been born in a Florence (Colorado, rather than Alabama), but what really mattered was that he wanted to move Harvard in the direction of his own field of astrophysics and saw no good reason to maintain extensive plate files or people who extracted data from them. Dorrit went job hunting, and, when the dust had finally settled, she was ensconced in two positions that she would occupy officially for the next twenty years (and unofficially long beyond that). It was in those two contexts that most of us came to know her. Hoffleit became, half-and-half, both director of the Maria Mitchell Observatory from 1957 to 1978 and a research astronomer at Yale (1956 to official 1975 retirement) under its long-term director Dirk Brouwer, where her primary task was to be preparation of astrometric catalogs. The Observatory directorship first. Maria Mitchell (MMO) was (and is) a small, private observatory on Nantucket Island (Massachusetts) founded as a memorial to the first woman astronomer in the USA by her family and friends. The primary instrument was a 7.5" refractor used (1912-1995) primarily for photographic monitoring of variable stars. Hoffleit proposed to work on some hundreds of her Harvard discoveries, employing for the first time during each summer a small group of undergraduate women to acquire additional plates, measure them, determine periods, and so forth, the results eventually to be published, often in the Journal of the

EDITORIAL: Focus on Mechanical Systems at the Quantum Limit FOCUS ON MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AT THE QUANTUM LIMIT

Science.gov (United States)

Aspelmeyer, Markus; Schwab, Keith

2008-09-01

progress was reported almost on a monthly basis and new groups entered the field. We intend to keep submission to this Focus Issue open for some time and invite everyone to share their latest results with us. And finally, a note to our fellow colleagues: keep up the good work! We would like to call the next Focus Issue 'Mechanical Systems IN the Quantum Regime'. Focus on Mechanical Systems at the Quantum Limit Contents Parametric coupling between macroscopic quantum resonators L Tian, M S Allman and R W Simmonds Quantum noise in a nanomechanical Duffing resonator E Babourina-Brooks, A Doherty and G J Milburn Creating and verifying a quantum superposition in a micro-optomechanical system Dustin Kleckner, Igor Pikovski, Evan Jeffrey, Luuk Ament, Eric Eliel, Jeroen van den Brink and Dirk Bouwmeester Ground-state cooling of a nanomechanical resonator via a Cooper-pair box qubit Konstanze Jaehne, Klemens Hammerer and Margareta Wallquist Dissipation in circuit quantum electrodynamics: lasing and cooling of a low-frequency oscillator Julian Hauss, Arkady Fedorov, Stephan André, Valentina Brosco, Carsten Hutter, Robin Kothari, Sunil Yeshwanth, Alexander Shnirman and Gerd Schön Route to ponderomotive entanglement of light via optically trapped mirrors Christopher Wipf, Thomas Corbitt, Yanbei Chen and Nergis Mavalvala Nanomechanical-resonator-assisted induced transparency in a Cooper-pair box system Xiao-Zhong Yuan, Hsi-Sheng Goan, Chien-Hung Lin, Ka-Di Zhu and Yi-Wen Jiang High-sensitivity monitoring of micromechanical vibration using optical whispering gallery mode resonators A Schliesser, G Anetsberger, R Rivière, O Arcizet and T J Kippenberg Optomechanical to mechanical entanglement transformation Giovanni Vacanti, Mauro Paternostro, G Massimo Palma and Vlatko Vedral The optomechanical instability in the quantum regime Max Ludwig, Björn Kubala and Florian Marquardt Quantum limits of photothermal and radiation pressure cooling of a movable mirror M Pinard and A Dantan

Organic petrography:An approach for identification of maceral groups in Gheshlagh coal area, Eastern Alborz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tahereh Rabani

2016-07-01

megaspore size in the S2 and K5 coal seams is very noticeable. The content of mineral matter of these coal seams varied from 5 to 24.9 vol%. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the Eastern Alborz company employees for providing access to mines of the Gheshlagh area and sampling. We appreciate reviews for their constructive suggestions. References Hower, J.C., O'Keefe, J.M.K., Watt, M.A., Pratt, T.J., Eble, C.F., Stucker, J.D., Richardson, A.R. and Kostova, I.J., 2009. Notes on the origin of inertinite macerals in coals: Observations on the importance of fungi in the origin of macrinite. International Journal of Coal Geology, 80(2: 135–143. Hower, J.C. and Wagner, N.J., 2012. Notes on the methods of the combined maceral/ microlithotype determination in coal. International Journal of Coal Geology, 95(47-53: 47–53. International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology (ICCP, 1998. The new vitrinite classification (ICCP System 1994. Fuel, 77(5: 349–358. International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology (ICCP, 2001. The new inertinite classification (ICCP System 1994. Fuel, 80(4: 459–471. ISO 7404–3, 2009. Methods for the petrographic analysis of bituminous coal and anthracite- Part 3: method of determining maceral group composition. Geneva, 7 pp, http://www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=42831 Parkash, S., 1985. Petrographic studies of coals from Alberta plains, coal research department, Alberta research. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 47 pp. Scott, A.C. and Glasspool, I.J., 2007. Observations and experiments on the origin and formation of inertinite group macerals. International Journal of Coal Geology, 70(1-3: 55–66. Stach, E., Mackowsky, M.T., Teichmuller, M., Taylor, G.H., Chandra, D. and Teichmuller, R. 1982. Stach's Textbook of Coal Petrology. Gebruder Borntraeger, Berlin-Stuttgart, 535 pp. Stopes, M.C., 1935. On the petrology of banded bituminous coals. Fuel, 14: 4–13. Suwarna, N. and Hermanto, B., 2007

Book Reviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Redactie KITLV

1995-07-01

Siewah, The lotus and the dagger: The Capildeo speeches (1957-1994. Port of Spain: Chakra Publishing House, 1994. 811 pp. -Donald R. Hill, Forty years of steel: An annotated discography of steel band and Pan recordings, 1951-1991. Jeffrey Thomas (comp.. Westport CT: Greenwood, 1992. xxxii + 307 pp. -Jill A. Leonard, André Lucrèce, Société et modernité: Essai d'interprétation de la société martiniquaise. Case Pilote, Martinique: Editions de l'Autre Mer, 1994. 188 pp. -Dirk H. van der Elst, Ben Scholtens ,Gaama Duumi, Buta Gaama: Overlijden en opvolging van Aboikoni, grootopperhoofd van de Saramaka bosnegers. Stanley Dieko. Paramaribo: Afdeling Cultuurstudies/Minov; Amsterdam: Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen, 1992. 204 pp., Gloria Wekker, Lady van Putten (eds -Rosemarijn Hoefte, Chandra van Binnendijk ,Sranan: Cultuur in Suriname. Amsterdam: Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen/Rotterdam: Museum voor Volkenkunde, 1992. 159 pp., Paul Faber (eds -Harold Munneke, A.J.A. Quintus Bosz, Grepen uit de Surinaamse rechtshistorie. Paramaribo: Vaco, 1993. 176 pp. -Harold Munneke, Irvin Kanhai ,Strijd om grond in Suriname: Verkenning van het probleem van de grondenrechten van Indianen en Bosnegers. Paramaribo, 1993, 200 pp., Joyce Nelson (eds -Ronald Donk, J. Hartog, De geschiedenis van twee landen: De Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba. Zaltbommel: Europese Bibliotheek, 1993. 183 pp. -Aart G. Broek, J.J. Oversteegen, In het schuim van grauwe wolken: Het leven van Cola Debrot tot 1948. Amsterdam: Muelenhoff, 1994. 556 pp.''Gemunt op wederkeer: Het leven van Cola Debrot vanaf 1948. Amsterdam: Muelenhoff, 1994. 397 pp.

What is Evidence? (editorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Koufogiannakis

2011-06-01

that have stood the test of time and still hold relevance for today. Our EBL101 column is similar in that it synthesizes small aspects of evidence based practice or research that help educate the reader about particular elements of evidence based practice. Finally, we publish Commentaries and the Using Evidence in Practice section, which provide practitioner insights and reflections about their work at a local level. These are useful in helping readers apply similar strategies to their own practice, or imbue them with ideas from which their own evaluation of their practice can occur. Commentaries also allow new ideas to take shape, or critiques of particular aspects of evidence based practice, to reach readers, allowing for continued discussion and debate.Pulling together the published evidence with local evidence and insights is not an easy task. I think it resides in each individual professional who wishes to do their best work while including research evidence to support that work. Talking about being evidence based and making explicit some of the factors that do not make this process an easy one, is one of the first steps to enabling the process to become more meaningful and allow individual practitioners to have ownership of it in their own way.

EDITORIAL: Focus on Iron-Based Superconductors FOCUS ON IRON-BASED SUPERCONDUCTORS

Science.gov (United States)

Hosono, Hideo; Ren, Zhi-An

2009-02-01

Tegel, Inga Schellenberg, Falko M Schappacher, Rainer Pöttgen, Joachim Deisenhofer, Axel Günther, Florian Schrettle, Alois Loidl and Dirk Johrendt The superconductor KxSr1-xFe2As2: normal state and superconducting properties B Lv, M Gooch, B Lorenz, F Chen, A M Guloy and C W Chu Effect of 3d transition metal doping on the superconductivity in quaternary fluoroarsenide CaFeAsF Satoru Matsuishi, Yasunori Inoue, Takatoshi Nomura, Youichi Kamihara, Masahiro Hirano and Hideo Hosono Influence of the rare-earth element on the effects of the structural and magnetic phase transitions in CeFeAsO, PrFeAsO and NdFeAsO Michael A McGuire, Raphaël P Hermann, Athena S Sefat, Brian C Sales, Rongying Jin, David Mandrus, Fernande Grandjean and Gary J Long Heat capacity measurements on FeAs-based compounds: a thermodynamic probe of electronic and magnetic states P J Baker, S R Giblin, F L Pratt, R H Liu, G Wu, X H Chen, M J Pitcher, D R Parker, S J Clarke and S J Blundell Spin fluctuations, interband coupling and unconventional pairing in iron-based superconductors Zi-Jian Yao, Jian-Xin Li and Z D Wang Superconductivity induced by Ni doping in BaFe2As2 single crystals L J Li, Y K Luo, Q B Wang, H Chen, Z Ren, Q Tao, Y K Li, X Lin, M He, Z W Zhu, G H Cao and Z A Xu Metamagnetic transition in EuFe2As2 single crystals Shuai Jiang, Yongkang Luo, Zhi Ren, Zengwei Zhu, Cao Wang, Xiangfan Xu, Qian Tao, Guanghan Cao and Zhu'an Xu Pressure dependence of the thermoelectric power of the iron-based high-Tc superconductor SmFeAsO0.85 N Kang, P Auban-Senzier, C R Pasquier, Z A Ren, J Yang, G C Che and Z X Zhao Superconductivity in some heavy rare-earth iron arsenide REFeAsO1-δ (RE = Ho, Y, Dy and Tb) compounds Jie Yang, Xiao-Li Shen, Wei Lu, Wei Yi, Zheng-Cai Li, Zhi-An Ren, Guang-Can Che, Xiao-Li Dong, Li-Ling Sun, Fang Zhou and Zhong-Xian Zhao The delicate electronic and magnetic structure of the LaFePnO system (Pn = pnicogen) S Lebègue, Z P Yin and W E Pickett

Obituary: Brian Marsden (1937-2010)

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Gareth; Marsden, Cynthia

2011-12-01

had brought to the MPC in 2000. Dr. Marsden served as an associate director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (the combination of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory) for 15.75 years from the beginning of 1987 (the longest tenure for any of the Center's associate directors). He was chair of the Division of Dynamical Astronomy of the American Astronomical Society during 1976-1978 and president of the IAU commissions that oversaw the operation of the minor Planet Center (1976-1979) and the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (2000-2003). He continued to serve subsequently on the two solar-system nomenclature committees of the IAU, being the perennial secretary of the one that decides on names for asteroids. He also continued to publish a "Catalogue of Cometary Orbits," the first of these having appeared in 1972 and its successors roughly at intervals of two years. Among the various awards he received from the U.S., the U.K. and a handful of other European countries, the ones he particularly appreciated were the 1995 Dirk Brouwer Award (named for his mentor at Yale) of the AAS Division on Dynamical Astronomy and the 1989 Van Biesbroeck Award (named for an old friend and observer of comets and double stars), then presented by the University of Arizona, now by the AAS, for service to astronomy. Dr. Marsden married Nancy Lou Zissell, of Trumbull, Connecticut, on 1964 December 26, and fathered Cynthia (who is married to Gareth Williams, still MPC associate director), of Arlington, Massachusetts; and Jonathan, of San Mateo, California. There are three Californian grandchildren, Nikhilas, Nathaniel and Neena. A sister, Sylvia Custerson, continues to reside in Cambridge, England. From material written by Brian Marsden, edited by Gareth Williams, Cynthia Marsden, and HAD. First posted by the Minor Planet Center on 18 November 2010 as Minor Planet Electronic Circular 2010-W10.

Rechtsgeschichte – Geschichte der Evolution eines sozialen Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Theres Fögen

2002-01-01

Full Text Available 1. Historiography is about the observation of changes. Even in a history of the moment, there has to be a before and an after. There is no history without event, without the difference perceived and described as "time". Legal history has to do with changes in the law. The law of some arbitrarily chosen point in time is examined and judged on the basis of what is new, what has changed, and what has remained the same. That has to be recognized and described before looking at the reasons why it has changed, and why it has changed in this particular way rather than in some other way. 2. Historians predominantly use "development" as the paradigm for explaining changes. "Development" means both continuity and change, upholding tradition and breaking with it, structure and event. The paradox of simultaneous identity and alterity is familiar not only to historians, but is the basis of observation of all biological and social phenomena. In the field of natural sciences, the theory of evolution has long been applied to this issue. In the meantime, however, it has also been tested increasingly as means of observing social phenomena. 3. Sociologists (among them Niklas Luhmann, Dirk Baecker, Rudolf Stichweh have paved the way for social sciences based on a theory of evolution. This approach has also found its way into the field of law, especially -- surely no coincidence -- modern business law (Gunther Teubner and Marc Amstutz. Economists have also realised that the market can be described in terms of evolutionary theory (Thorsten Hens, H.H. Nau. Even literary criticism has begun to apply evolutionary theory (Hans-Ulrich Mohr, Gerhard Plumpe. Given the spread of this approach, hopes have been expressed that a universal theory "conceived as a consistent theory of evolution" (Wolfgang Frühwald might alleviate the lack of communication between the natural sciences and the arts. 4. In historiography, on the other hand, including legal history, evolutionary

PREFACE: Nanoscale science and technology

Science.gov (United States)

Bellucci, Stefano

2008-11-01

the lattice gets distorted, and also about some kinds of doped carbon nanotubes, where a crossover from Luttinger liquid to W = 0 superconductivity is likely. An investigation of the Cooper-pair propagation and the Josephson effect in graphene under conditions in which the distance L between superconducting electrodes is much larger than the width W of the contacts was presented by J Gonzalez. In the case of undoped graphene, he showed that supercurrents may exist with a spatial decay proportional to W2/L3, reminiscent of the behavior of the critical current in disordered normal metals. One can observe that there is in general a crossover temperature T* ~ vF/kBL that marks the onset of the strong decay of the supercurrent, and that corresponds to the scale above which the Cooper pairs are disrupted by thermal effects during their propagation. It was also shown that the spatial decay of the critical current changes upon doping into a 1/L2 behavior, opening the possibility to observe a supercurrent over length scales above 1 μm at suitable doping levels. The DC Josephson effect has been observed in submicron quasi-ballistic In0.75Ga0.25As nanostructures inserted between superconducting Nb leads. F Carillo reported his findings of IcRn values among the highest measured on hybrid super/semi/super devices (400 μV). A theory based on quasiclassical equations for diffusive systems can both qualitatively and quantitatively account for the observed ICRN values and IC(T) curves. In ring shaped In0.75Ga0.25As nanostructure Josephson current modulates with a contrast up to 65%. Superconducting MgB2 nanostructures have been studied with EBL-based techniques by Eugenio Monticone. He reported on the fabrication and characterization of MgB2 nanostructures on different substrates, such as silicon nitride and sapphire. Magnesium diboride films are fabricated by all in situ methods consisting in the co-evaporation of B and Mg followed by in situ annealing at higher temperature