Role of Metal Contacts in High-Performance Phototransistors Based on WSe 2 Monolayers

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Wenjing; Chiu, Ming-Hui; Chen, Chang-Hsiao; Chen, Wei; Li, Lain-Jong; Wee, Andrew Thye Shen

2014-01-01

Phototransistors based on monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) have high photosensitivity due to their direct band gap transition. However, there is a lack of understanding of the effect of metal contacts on the performance of atomically thin TMD phototransistors. Here, we fabricate phototransistors based on large-area chemical vapor deposition (CVD) tungsten diselenide (WSe2) monolayers contacted with the metals of different work function values. We found that the low Schottky-contact WSe2 phototransistors exhibit a very high photo gain (105) and specific detectivity (1014Jones), values higher than commercial Si- and InGaAs-based photodetectors; however, the response speed is longer than 5 s in ambient air. In contrast, the high Schottky-contact phototransistors display a fast response time shorter than 23 ms, but the photo gain and specific detectivity decrease by several orders of magnitude. Moreover, the fast response speed of the high Schottky-contact devices is maintained for a few months in ambient air. This study demonstrates that the contact plays an important role in TMD phototransistors, and barrier height tuning is critical for optimizing the photoresponse and photoresponsivity. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Role of Metal Contacts in High-Performance Phototransistors Based on WSe 2 Monolayers

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Wenjing

2014-08-26

Phototransistors based on monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) have high photosensitivity due to their direct band gap transition. However, there is a lack of understanding of the effect of metal contacts on the performance of atomically thin TMD phototransistors. Here, we fabricate phototransistors based on large-area chemical vapor deposition (CVD) tungsten diselenide (WSe2) monolayers contacted with the metals of different work function values. We found that the low Schottky-contact WSe2 phototransistors exhibit a very high photo gain (105) and specific detectivity (1014Jones), values higher than commercial Si- and InGaAs-based photodetectors; however, the response speed is longer than 5 s in ambient air. In contrast, the high Schottky-contact phototransistors display a fast response time shorter than 23 ms, but the photo gain and specific detectivity decrease by several orders of magnitude. Moreover, the fast response speed of the high Schottky-contact devices is maintained for a few months in ambient air. This study demonstrates that the contact plays an important role in TMD phototransistors, and barrier height tuning is critical for optimizing the photoresponse and photoresponsivity. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Industrial Exhibition “11th Germany at CERN“

CERN Multimedia

FP Department

2010-01-01

Administration Building (Bldg. 60/61) Tuesday 25 January: 11a.m. - 5.30 p.m. Wednesday 26 January: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), together with CERN, will hold the Industrial Exhibition “11th Germany at CERN”. Some 30 German companies will present their latest products/technologies related to the field of particle physics and their services to the scientists and buyers of CERN, establish contacts and find out about future purchasing opportunities. On 25 January, Dr. B. Vierkorn-Rudolph of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and CERN Director-General, Prof. R. D. Heuer, will open the exhibition, followed by a tour of the stands. The main subjects are: electrical engineering, electronics, informatics, mechanical engineering, vacuum & low temperature technologies, instrumentation and safety. CERN staff wishing to obtain information concerning the programme, the exhibitors and their profiles or to get in contact with exhibitors are r...

Industrial Exhibition “11th Germany at CERN“

CERN Multimedia

FP Department

2011-01-01

Administration Building (Bldg. 60/61) Tuesday 25 January: 11a.m. - 5.30 p.m. Wednesday 26 January: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), together with CERN, will hold the Industrial Exhibition “11th Germany at CERN”. Some 30 German companies will present their latest products/technologies related to the field of particle physics and their services to the scientists and buyers of CERN, establish contacts and find out about future purchasing opportunities. On 25 January, Dr. B. Vierkorn-Rudolph of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and CERN Director-General, Prof. R. D. Heuer, will open the exhibition, followed by a tour of the stands. The main subjects are: electrical engineering, electronics, informatics, mechanical engineering, vacuum & low temperature technologies, instrumentation and safety. CERN staff wishing to obtain information concerning the programme, the exhibitors and their profiles or to get in contact with exhibitors are ...

The role of titanium aluminide in n-gallium nitride ohmic contact technology

Science.gov (United States)

Pelto, Christopher M.

Ohmic contacts are essential to the realization of efficient and affordable nitride-based electronic and optoelectronic devices. Currently, the most successful ohmic contact schemes to n-GaN are based on the Al/Ti bilayer structure, although the mechanism responsible for the low resistance in these contacts is not sufficiently understood. In this work, the intermetallic TiAl3 has been employed both as a model ohmic contact system to help understand the essential features of the Al/Ti standard contact, as well as a thermally stable oxidation cap for the bilayer structure. A quaternary isotherm of the Al-Ti-Ga-N system was calculated at 600°C, which showed that a sufficient phase topology was present to apply the exchange mechanism to the TiAl 3/GaN couple. The exchange mechanism rationalized the selection of the TiAl3 intermetallic by predicting that an Al-rich AlGaN layer will form at the metal/semiconductor interface. As part of the investigation of these novel contact systems, a thorough characterization was undertaken on both a standard Al/Ti and Au/Ni/Al/Ti contact to n-GaN in which the essential processing parameters and metallurgical properties were identified. The TiAl 3 contact was found to exhibit inferior electrical behavior compared to the Al/Ti bilayer, requiring significantly higher annealing temperatures to achieve comparable specific contact resistance. It is conjectured that this is due to the early formation of a TiN layer at the metal/semiconductor interface of the bilayer contact, even though both contacts are suspected to form the Al-rich nitride layer at higher temperature. As an oxidation cap, the TiAl3 metallization was found to provide much improved performance characteristics compared to the four-layer Au/Al/Ni/Ti standard. The TiAl 3/Al/Ti contact proved to achieve optimal performance at a much lower temperature than the standard, and furthermore showed complete insensitivity to the oxidation content of the annealing ambient. Reaction

Bacterial adhesion to conventional hydrogel and new silicone-hydrogel contact lens materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Kodjikian, Laurent; Casoli-Bergeron, Emmanuelle; Malet, Florence; Janin-Manificat, Hélène; Freney, Jean; Burillon, Carole; Colin, Joseph; Steghens, Jean-Paul

2008-02-01

As bacterial adhesion to contact lenses may contribute to the pathogenesis of keratitis, the aim of our study was to investigate in vitro adhesion of clinically relevant bacteria to conventional hydrogel (standard HEMA) and silicone-hydrogel contact lenses using a bioluminescent ATP assay. Four types of unworn contact lenses (Etafilcon A, Galyfilcon A, Balafilcon A, Lotrafilcon B) were incubated with Staphylococcus epidermidis (two different strains) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa suspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Lenses were placed with the posterior surface facing up and were incubated in the bacterial suspension for 4 hours at 37 degrees C. Bacterial binding was then measured and studied by bioluminescent ATP assay. Six replicate experiments were performed for each lens and strain. Adhesion of all species of bacteria to standard HEMA contact lenses (Etafilcon A) was found to be significantly lower than that of three types of silicone-hydrogel contact lenses, whereas Lotrafilcon B material showed the highest level of bacterial binding. Differences between species in the overall level of adhesion to the different types of contact lenses were observed. Adhesion of P. aeruginosa was typically at least 20 times greater than that observed with both S. epidermidis strains. Conventional hydrogel contact lenses exhibit significantly lower bacterial adhesion in vitro than silicone-hydrogel ones. This could be due to the greater hydrophobicity but also to the higher oxygen transmissibility of silicone-hydrogel lenses.

Evaluation of anti-tuberculosis antibodies in healthy contact and non-contacts persons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, N; Bukhari, M.H; Muneer, M; Tayyab, M; Chaudhry, N.A.

2006-01-01

This study was conducted to see the presence of the antimycobacterial antibodies in healthy household contacts of tuberculosis patients and healthy normal subjects who have never been in contact with tuberculosis patients. A total of 200 subjects, 120 with history of household contact and 80 without such history were included in the study. Routine Haematological investigations were performed and all the sera of 200 subjects were tested who 19M, 19G and IgA anti tuberculosis antibodies using ELISA technique. There was no difference in the average age of the household contacts and non-contacts. The complaints of pyrexia, night sweats and loss of weight was more in house hold contacts as compared to non-contacts. The awareness about BCG vaccination was equal among the household contacts and non-contacts. The combined serological positivity of the household contacts was 65.8% and the combined serological positivity for non-contacts was 34.1%. There was no statistically significant difference in the presence of 19M among household contacts as compared to non-contacts. However both IgG and 19A were present in significantly higher number of household contacts as compared to non contacts. This study concludes that the persons living in the house with a patient suffering from active pulmonary tuberculosis (household contact) have more chances of being infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis as compared to the healthy non-contacts. (author)

Specificity in Sociality: Mice and Prairie Voles Exhibit Different Patterns of Peer Affiliation

Science.gov (United States)

Beery, Annaliese K.; Christensen, Jennifer D; Lee, Nicole S.; Blandino, Katrina L.

2018-01-01

Social behavior is often described as a unified concept, but highly social (group-living) species exhibit distinct social structures and may make different social decisions. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are socially monogamous rodents that often reside in extended family groups, and exhibit robust preferences for familiar social partners (same- and opposite-sex) during extended choice tests, although short-term preferences are not known. Mice (Mus musculus) are gregarious and colonial, but in brief laboratory tests of social preference they typically prefer social novelty. This preference for novel vs. familiar peers may represent a species-specific difference in social decision-making between mice and prairie voles. However, the tests used to measure preferences in each species differ markedly in duration and degree of contact, such that the behaviors cannot be directly compared. We assessed whether social preferences for novelty or familiarity differed between mice and prairie voles of both sexes when assessed with matching protocols: the sociability/social preference test (SPT) typically used in mice (short, no direct contact), and the partner preference test (PPT) used in voles (long, direct contact). A subset of voles also underwent a PPT using barriers (long, no direct contact). In the short SPT, behavior did not differ between species. In the longer test, pronounced partner preferences emerged in prairie voles, but mice exhibited no social preferences and rarely huddled. No sex differences were evident in either test. Direct physical contact was required for partner preferences in huddling time in voles, but preference for the partner chamber was evident with or without contact. Both prairie voles and mice are social, but they exhibit important differences in the specificity and extent of their social behavior. While mice are often used to study social approach and other behaviors, voles are a more suitable species for the study of selective social

Specificity in Sociality: Mice and Prairie Voles Exhibit Different Patterns of Peer Affiliation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annaliese K. Beery

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Social behavior is often described as a unified concept, but highly social (group-living species exhibit distinct social structures and may make different social decisions. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster are socially monogamous rodents that often reside in extended family groups, and exhibit robust preferences for familiar social partners (same- and opposite-sex during extended choice tests, although short-term preferences are not known. Mice (Mus musculus are gregarious and colonial, but in brief laboratory tests of social preference they typically prefer social novelty. This preference for novel vs. familiar peers may represent a species-specific difference in social decision-making between mice and prairie voles. However, the tests used to measure preferences in each species differ markedly in duration and degree of contact, such that the behaviors cannot be directly compared. We assessed whether social preferences for novelty or familiarity differed between mice and prairie voles of both sexes when assessed with matching protocols: the sociability/social preference test (SPT typically used in mice (short, no direct contact, and the partner preference test (PPT used in voles (long, direct contact. A subset of voles also underwent a PPT using barriers (long, no direct contact. In the short SPT, behavior did not differ between species. In the longer test, pronounced partner preferences emerged in prairie voles, but mice exhibited no social preferences and rarely huddled. No sex differences were evident in either test. Direct physical contact was required for partner preferences in huddling time in voles, but preference for the partner chamber was evident with or without contact. Both prairie voles and mice are social, but they exhibit important differences in the specificity and extent of their social behavior. While mice are often used to study social approach and other behaviors, voles are a more suitable species for the study of

Moment-angle manifolds, intersection of quadrics and higher dimensional contact manifolds

OpenAIRE

Barreto, Yadira; Verjovsky, Alberto

2013-01-01

We construct new examples of contact manifolds in arbitrarily large dimensions. These manifolds which we call quasi moment-angle manifolds, are closely related to the classical moment-angle manifolds.

Treatment of coke-oven wastewater with the powdered activated carbon-contact stabilization activated sludge process. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suidan, M.T.; Deady, M.A.; Gee, C.S.

1983-11-01

The objective of the study was to determine optimum parameters for the operation of an innovative process train used in the treatment of coke-over wastewater. The treatment process train consisted of a contact-stabilization activated sludge system with powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition, followed by activated sludge nitrification, followed by denitrification in an anoxic filter. The control and operating parameters evaluated during the study were: (a) the average mixed-liquor PAC concentration maintained in the contact-stabilization system, (b) the solids retention time practiced in the contact-stabilization system, and (c) the hydraulic detention time maintained in the contact aeration tank. Three identical treatement process trains were constructed and employed in this study. The coke-oven wastewater used for this investigation was fed to the treatment units at 30% strength. The first part of the study was devoted to determining the interactions between the mixed liquor PAC concentration and the solids retention time in the contact-stabilization tanks. Results showed that optimum overall system performance is attainable when the highest sludge age (30 day) and highest mixed liquor PAC concentration were practiced. During the second phase of the study, all three systems were operated at a 30 day solids retention time while different detention times of 1, 2/3 and 1/3 day were evaluated in the contact tank. PAC addition rates were maintained at the former levels and, consequently, reduced contact times entailed higher mixed liquor carbon concentrations. Once again, the system receiving the highest PAC addition rate of PAC exhibited the best overall performance. This system exhibited no deterioration in process performance as a result of decreased contact detention time. 72 references, 41 figures, 24 tables.

Lanthanide-doped NaGdF4 core-shell nanoparticles for non-contact self-referencing temperature sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Shuhong; Chen, Weibo; Tan, Dezhi; Zhou, Jiajia; Guo, Qiangbing; Jiang, Wei; Xu, Cheng; Liu, Xiaofeng; Qiu, Jianrong

2014-06-07

We report that non-contact self-referencing temperature sensors can be realized with the use of core-shell nanostructures. These lanthanide-based nanothermometers (NaGdF4:Yb(3+)/Tm(3+)@Tb(3+)/Eu(3+)) exhibit higher sensitivity in a wide range from 125 to 300 K based on two emissions of Tb(3+) at 545 nm and Eu(3+) at 615 nm under near-infrared laser excitation.

The importance of contact quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Bakel, Marian; Gerritsen, Marinel; van Oudenhoven, Jan Pieter

Establishing contact between expatriates and a local host has been found to reap benefits with regard to Interaction Adjustment, Host National Social Support, Open-mindedness, and Social Initiative. This longitudinal study examines the role of the quality of contact for these four aspects....... Expatriates in the Netherlands were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 33) of which 21 developed high-quality contact with their host, and a control group (n = 32) without host. The results show that contact quality plays an important role and suggest that the higher the quality of the contact......, the more benefit the expatriate experienced. Moreover, expatriates with low-quality contact did not experience a detrimental effect....

Frequency shift and hysteresis suppression in contact-mode AFM using contact stiffness modulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belhaq M.

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper the frequency response shift and hysteresis suppression of contact-mode atomic force microscopy is investigated using parametric modulation of the contact stiffness. Based on the Hertzian contact theory, a lumped single degree of freedom oscillator is considered for modeling the cantilever dynamics contact-mode atomic force microscopy. We use the technique of direct partition of motion and the method of multiple scales to obtain, respectively, the slow dynamic and the corresponding slow flow of the system. As results, this study shows that the amplitude of the contact stiffness modulation has a significant effect on the frequency response. Specifically, increasing the amplitude of the stiffness modulation suppresses hysteresis, decreases the peak amplitude and produces shifts towards higher and lower frequencies.

Contact and symplectic topology

CERN Document Server

Colin, Vincent; Stipsicz, András

2014-01-01

Symplectic and contact geometry naturally emerged from the mathematical description of classical physics. The discovery of new rigidity phenomena and properties satisfied by these geometric structures launched a new research field worldwide. The intense activity of many European research groups in this field is reflected by the ESF Research Networking Programme "Contact And Symplectic Topology" (CAST). The lectures of the Summer School in Nantes (June 2011) and of the CAST Summer School in Budapest (July 2012) provide a nice panorama of many aspects of the present status of contact and symplectic topology. The notes of the minicourses offer a gentle introduction to topics which have developed in an amazing speed in the recent past. These topics include 3-dimensional and higher dimensional contact topology, Fukaya categories, asymptotically holomorphic methods in contact topology, bordered Floer homology, embedded contact homology, and flexibility results for Stein manifolds.

Contact resistance and stability study for Au, Ti, Hf and Ni contacts on thin-film Mg2Si

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Bo

2016-12-28

We present a detailed study of post-deposition annealing effects on contact resistance of Au, Ti, Hf and Ni electrodes on Mg2Si thin films. Thin-film Mg2Si and metal contacts were deposited using magnetron sputtering. Various post-annealing temperatures were studied to determine the thermal stability of each contact metal. The specific contact resistivity (SCR) was determined using the Cross Bridge Kelvin Resistor (CBKR) method. Ni contacts exhibits the best thermal stability, maintaining stability up to 400 °C, with a SCR of approximately 10−2 Ω-cm2 after annealing. The increased SCR after high temperature annealing is correlated with the formation of a Mg-Si-Ni mixture identified by cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) characterization, X-ray diffraction characterization (XRD) and other elemental analyses. The formation of this Mg-Si-Ni mixture is attributed to Ni diffusion and its reaction with the Mg2Si film.

Lifetime limitations of ohmic, contacting RF MEMS switches with Au, Pt and Ir contact materials due to accumulation of ‘friction polymer’ on the contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czaplewski, David A; Nordquist, Christopher D; Dyck, Christopher W; Patrizi, Gary A; Kraus, Garth M; Cowan, William D

2012-01-01

We present lifetime limitations and failure analysis of many packaged RF MEMS ohmic contacting switches with Au–Au, Au–Ir, and Au–Pt contact materials operating with 100 µN of contact force per contact in hermetically sealed glass wall packages. All metals were tested using the same switch design in a controlled environment to provide a comparison between the performance of the different materials and their corresponding failure mechanisms. The switch lifetimes of the different contact materials varied from several hundred cycles to 200 million cycles with different mechanisms causing failures for different contact materials. Switches with Au–Au contacts failed due to adhesion when thoroughly cleaned while switches with dissimilar metal contacts (Au–Ir and Au–Pt) operated without adhesion failures but failed due to carbon accumulation on the contacts even in a clean, packaged environment as a result of the catalytic behavior of the contact materials. Switch lifetimes correlated inversely with catalytic behavior of the contact metals. The data suggests the path to increase switch lifetime is to use favorable catalytic materials as contacts, design switches with higher contact forces to break through any residual contamination, and use cleaner, probably smaller, packages. (paper)

Attention to eye contact in the West and East: autonomic responses and evaluative ratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Akechi, Hironori; Senju, Atsushi; Uibo, Helen; Kikuchi, Yukiko; Hasegawa, Toshikazu; Hietanen, Jari K

2013-01-01

Eye contact has a fundamental role in human social interaction. The special appearance of the human eye (i.e., white sclera contrasted with a coloured iris) implies the importance of detecting another person's face through eye contact. Empirical studies have demonstrated that faces making eye contact are detected quickly and processed preferentially (i.e., the eye contact effect). Such sensitivity to eye contact seems to be innate and universal among humans; however, several studies suggest that cultural norms affect eye contact behaviours. For example, Japanese individuals exhibit less eye contact than do individuals from Western European or North American cultures. However, how culture modulates eye contact behaviour is unclear. The present study investigated cultural differences in autonomic correlates of attentional orienting (i.e., heart rate) and looking time. Additionally, we examined evaluative ratings of eye contact with another real person, displaying an emotionally neutral expression, between participants from Western European (Finnish) and East Asian (Japanese) cultures. Our results showed that eye contact elicited stronger heart rate deceleration responses (i.e., attentional orienting), shorter looking times, and higher ratings of subjective feelings of arousal as compared to averted gaze in both cultures. Instead, cultural differences in the eye contact effect were observed in various evaluative responses regarding the stimulus faces (e.g., facial emotion, approachability etc.). The rating results suggest that individuals from an East Asian culture perceive another's face as being angrier, unapproachable, and unpleasant when making eye contact as compared to individuals from a Western European culture. The rating results also revealed that gaze direction (direct vs. averted) could influence perceptions about another person's facial affect and disposition. These results suggest that cultural differences in eye contact behaviour emerge from differential

Attention to eye contact in the West and East: autonomic responses and evaluative ratings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hironori Akechi

Full Text Available Eye contact has a fundamental role in human social interaction. The special appearance of the human eye (i.e., white sclera contrasted with a coloured iris implies the importance of detecting another person's face through eye contact. Empirical studies have demonstrated that faces making eye contact are detected quickly and processed preferentially (i.e., the eye contact effect. Such sensitivity to eye contact seems to be innate and universal among humans; however, several studies suggest that cultural norms affect eye contact behaviours. For example, Japanese individuals exhibit less eye contact than do individuals from Western European or North American cultures. However, how culture modulates eye contact behaviour is unclear. The present study investigated cultural differences in autonomic correlates of attentional orienting (i.e., heart rate and looking time. Additionally, we examined evaluative ratings of eye contact with another real person, displaying an emotionally neutral expression, between participants from Western European (Finnish and East Asian (Japanese cultures. Our results showed that eye contact elicited stronger heart rate deceleration responses (i.e., attentional orienting, shorter looking times, and higher ratings of subjective feelings of arousal as compared to averted gaze in both cultures. Instead, cultural differences in the eye contact effect were observed in various evaluative responses regarding the stimulus faces (e.g., facial emotion, approachability etc.. The rating results suggest that individuals from an East Asian culture perceive another's face as being angrier, unapproachable, and unpleasant when making eye contact as compared to individuals from a Western European culture. The rating results also revealed that gaze direction (direct vs. averted could influence perceptions about another person's facial affect and disposition. These results suggest that cultural differences in eye contact behaviour emerge from

Soybean seeds expressing feedback-insensitive cystathionine γ-synthase exhibit a higher content of methionine.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Shikui; Hou, Wensheng; Godo, Itamar; Wu, Cunxiang; Yu, Yang; Matityahu, Ifat; Hacham, Yael; Sun, Shi; Han, Tianfu; Amir, Rachel

2013-04-01

Soybean seeds provide an excellent source of protein for human and livestock nutrition. However, their nutritional quality is hampered by a low concentration of the essential sulfur amino acid, methionine (Met). In order to study factors that regulate Met synthesis in soybean seeds, this study used the Met-insensitive form of Arabidopsis cystathionine γ-synthase (AtD-CGS), which is the first committed enzyme of Met biosynthesis. This gene was expressed under the control of a seed-specific promoter, legumin B4, and used to transform the soybean cultivar Zigongdongdou (ZD). In three transgenic lines that exhibited the highest expression level of AtD-CGS, the level of soluble Met increased significantly in developing green seeds (3.8-7-fold). These seeds also showed high levels of other amino acids. This phenomenon was more prominent in two transgenic lines, ZD24 and ZD91. The total Met content, which including Met incorporated into proteins, significantly increased in the mature dry seeds of these two transgenic lines by 1.8- and 2.3-fold, respectively. This elevation was accompanied by a higher content of other protein-incorporated amino acids, which led to significantly higher total protein content in the seeds of these two lines. However, in a third transgenic line, ZD01, the level of total Met and the level of other amino acids did not increase significantly in the mature dry seeds. This line also showed no significant change in protein levels. This suggests a positive connection between high Met content and the synthesis of other amino acids that enable the synthesis of more seed proteins.

Amino acid empirical contact energy definitions for fold recognition in the space of contact maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fogolari Federico

2003-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Contradicting evidence has been presented in the literature concerning the effectiveness of empirical contact energies for fold recognition. Empirical contact energies are calculated on the basis of information available from selected protein structures, with respect to a defined reference state, according to the quasi-chemical approximation. Protein-solvent interactions are estimated from residue solvent accessibility. Results In the approach presented here, contact energies are derived from the potential of mean force theory, several definitions of contact are examined and their performance in fold recognition is evaluated on sets of decoy structures. The best definition of contact is tested, on a more realistic scenario, on all predictions including sidechains accepted in the CASP4 experiment. In 30 out of 35 cases the native structure is correctly recognized and best predictions are usually found among the 10 lowest energy predictions. Conclusion The definition of contact based on van der Waals radii of alpha carbon and side chain heavy atoms is seen to perform better than other definitions involving only alpha carbons, only beta carbons, all heavy atoms or only backbone atoms. An important prerequisite for the applicability of the approach is that the protein structure under study should not exhibit anomalous solvent accessibility, compared to soluble proteins whose structure is deposited in the Protein Data Bank. The combined evaluation of a solvent accessibility parameter and contact energy allows for an effective gross screening of predictive models.

Low Voltage Electrowetting on Ferroelectric PVDF-HFP Insulator with Highly Tunable Contact Angle Range.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawane, Yogesh B; Ogale, Satishchandra B; Banpurkar, Arun G

2016-09-14

We demonstrate a consistent electrowetting response on ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) insulator covered with a thin Teflon AF layer. This bilayer exhibits a factor of 3 enhancement in the contact angle modulation compared to that of conventional single-layered Teflon AF dielectric. On the basis of the proposed model the enhancement is attributed to the high value of effective dielectric constant (εeff ≈ 6) of the bilayer. Furthermore, the bilayer dielectric exhibits a hysteresis-free contact angle modulation over many AC voltage cycles. But the contact angle modulation for DC voltage shows a hysteresis because of the field-induced residual polarization in the ferroelectric layer. Finally, we show that a thin bilayer exhibits contact angle modulation of Δθ (U) ≈ 60° at merely 15 V amplitude of AC voltage indicating a potential dielectric for practical low voltage electrowetting applications. A proof of concept confirms electrowetting based rapid mixing of a fluorescent dye in aqueous glycerol solution for 15 V AC signal.

Contact stiffness and damping of liquid films in dynamic atomic force microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Rong-Guang; Leng, Yongsheng

2016-01-01

The mechanical properties and dissipation behaviors of nanometers confined liquid films have been long-standing interests in surface force measurements. The correlation between the contact stiffness and damping of the nanoconfined film is still not well understood. We establish a novel computational framework through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for the first time to study small-amplitude dynamic atomic force microscopy (dynamic AFM) in a simple nonpolar liquid. Through introducing a tip driven dynamics to mimic the mechanical oscillations of the dynamic AFM tip-cantilever assembly, we find that the contact stiffness and damping of the confined film exhibit distinct oscillations within 6-7 monolayer distances, and they are generally out-of-phase. For the solid-like film with integer monolayer thickness, further compression of the film before layering transition leads to higher stiffness and lower damping, while much lower stiffness and higher damping occur at non-integer monolayer distances. These two alternating mechanisms dominate the mechanical properties and dissipation behaviors of simple liquid films under cyclic elastic compression and inelastic squeeze-out. Our MD simulations provide a direct picture of correlations between the structural property, mechanical stiffness, and dissipation behavior of the nanoconfined film.

Contact stiffness and damping of liquid films in dynamic atomic force microscope

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Rong-Guang; Leng, Yongsheng, E-mail: leng@gwu.edu [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 (United States)

2016-04-21

The mechanical properties and dissipation behaviors of nanometers confined liquid films have been long-standing interests in surface force measurements. The correlation between the contact stiffness and damping of the nanoconfined film is still not well understood. We establish a novel computational framework through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for the first time to study small-amplitude dynamic atomic force microscopy (dynamic AFM) in a simple nonpolar liquid. Through introducing a tip driven dynamics to mimic the mechanical oscillations of the dynamic AFM tip-cantilever assembly, we find that the contact stiffness and damping of the confined film exhibit distinct oscillations within 6-7 monolayer distances, and they are generally out-of-phase. For the solid-like film with integer monolayer thickness, further compression of the film before layering transition leads to higher stiffness and lower damping, while much lower stiffness and higher damping occur at non-integer monolayer distances. These two alternating mechanisms dominate the mechanical properties and dissipation behaviors of simple liquid films under cyclic elastic compression and inelastic squeeze-out. Our MD simulations provide a direct picture of correlations between the structural property, mechanical stiffness, and dissipation behavior of the nanoconfined film.

Port contact systems for irreversible thermodynamical systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eberard, D.; Maschke, B.M.; Schaft, A.J. van der

2005-01-01

In this paper we propose a definition of control contact systems, generalizing input-output Hamiltonian systems, to cope with models arising from irreversible Thermodynamics. We exhibit a particular subclass of these systems, called conservative, that leaves invariant some Legendre submanifold (the

Contact and contagion: Probability of transmission given contact varies with demographic state in bighorn sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Manlove, Kezia R; Cassirer, E Frances; Plowright, Raina K; Cross, Paul C; Hudson, Peter J

2017-07-01

Understanding both contact and probability of transmission given contact are key to managing wildlife disease. However, wildlife disease research tends to focus on contact heterogeneity, in part because the probability of transmission given contact is notoriously difficult to measure. Here, we present a first step towards empirically investigating the probability of transmission given contact in free-ranging wildlife. We used measured contact networks to test whether bighorn sheep demographic states vary systematically in infectiousness or susceptibility to Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, an agent responsible for bighorn sheep pneumonia. We built covariates using contact network metrics, demographic information and infection status, and used logistic regression to relate those covariates to lamb survival. The covariate set contained degree, a classic network metric describing node centrality, but also included covariates breaking the network metrics into subsets that differentiated between contacts with yearlings, ewes with lambs, and ewes without lambs, and animals with and without active infections. Yearlings, ewes with lambs, and ewes without lambs showed similar group membership patterns, but direct interactions involving touch occurred at a rate two orders of magnitude higher between lambs and reproductive ewes than between any classes of adults or yearlings, and one order of magnitude higher than direct interactions between multiple lambs. Although yearlings and non-reproductive bighorn ewes regularly carried M. ovipneumoniae, our models suggest that a contact with an infected reproductive ewe had approximately five times the odds of producing a lamb mortality event of an identical contact with an infected dry ewe or yearling. Consequently, management actions targeting infected animals might lead to unnecessary removal of young animals that carry pathogens but rarely transmit. This analysis demonstrates a simple logistic regression approach for testing a priori

Pigeons exhibit higher accuracy for chosen memory tests than for forced memory tests in duration matching-to-sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Allison; Santi, Angelo

2011-03-01

Following training to match 2- and 8-sec durations of feederlight to red and green comparisons with a 0-sec baseline delay, pigeons were allowed to choose to take a memory test or to escape the memory test. The effects of sample omission, increases in retention interval, and variation in trial spacing on selection of the escape option and accuracy were studied. During initial testing, escaping the test did not increase as the task became more difficult, and there was no difference in accuracy between chosen and forced memory tests. However, with extended training, accuracy for chosen tests was significantly greater than for forced tests. In addition, two pigeons exhibited higher accuracy on chosen tests than on forced tests at the short retention interval and greater escape rates at the long retention interval. These results have not been obtained in previous studies with pigeons when the choice to take the test or to escape the test is given before test stimuli are presented. It appears that task-specific methodological factors may determine whether a particular species will exhibit the two behavioral effects that were initially proposed as potentially indicative of metacognition.

Ocular surface displacement with and without contact lenses during non-contact tonometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Rimayanti, Ulfah; Kiuchi, Yoshiaki; Uemura, Shohei; Takenaka, Joji; Mochizuki, Hideki; Kaneko, Makoto

2014-01-01

To evaluate the displacement of the central ocular surface during non-contact tonometry with and without soft contact lenses and determine the factors associated with the displacement of the central ocular surface and intraocular pressure (IOP) reading changes caused by wearing soft contact lenses (CLs). One eye each in 21 subjects was studied. The cornea was photographed using a high-speed camera at 5,000 frames/sec during non-contact tonometry without contact lenses (NCL), with -5.0 diopters (D), -0.5 D and +5.0 D CL. The displacement of the ocular surface and the factors affecting displacement at the IOP reading and maximum displacement time were investigated. The IOP readings while wearing +5 D CL were significantly higher than those obtained while wearing -5 D CL. The ocular surface displacement between +5 D CL and other groups were significantly different. A significant positive correlation was found between the ocular surface displacement of subjects at the IOP reading time and the IOP obtained with the non-contact tonometer. A significant negative correlation was found between the ocular surface curvature and the IOP obtained using the non-contact tonometer. The radius of curvature of the ocular surface affected the displacement during the IOP reading and maximum displacement time. Our results indicate that soft contact lens use changes the ocular surface behavior and IOP readings during non-contact tonometry. The radius of curvature of the eye affects the ocular surface displacement and IOP readings in this situation.

High-resolution measurements of face-to-face contact patterns in a primary school.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliette Stehlé

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Little quantitative information is available on the mixing patterns of children in school environments. Describing and understanding contacts between children at school would help quantify the transmission opportunities of respiratory infections and identify situations within schools where the risk of transmission is higher. We report on measurements carried out in a French school (6-12 years children, where we collected data on the time-resolved face-to-face proximity of children and teachers using a proximity-sensing infrastructure based on radio frequency identification devices. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Data on face-to-face interactions were collected on Thursday, October 1(st and Friday, October 2(nd 2009. We recorded 77,602 contact events between 242 individuals (232 children and 10 teachers. In this setting, each child has on average 323 contacts per day with 47 other children, leading to an average daily interaction time of 176 minutes. Most contacts are brief, but long contacts are also observed. Contacts occur mostly within each class, and each child spends on average three times more time in contact with classmates than with children of other classes. We describe the temporal evolution of the contact network and the trajectories followed by the children in the school, which constrain the contact patterns. We determine an exposure matrix aimed at informing mathematical models. This matrix exhibits a class and age structure which is very different from the homogeneous mixing hypothesis. CONCLUSIONS: We report on important properties of the contact patterns between school children that are relevant for modeling the propagation of diseases and for evaluating control measures. We discuss public health implications related to the management of schools in case of epidemics and pandemics. Our results can help define a prioritization of control measures based on preventive measures, case isolation, classes and school closures, that

Contact mechanics: contact area and interfacial separation from small contact to full contact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C; Persson, B N J

2008-01-01

We present a molecular dynamics study of the contact between a rigid solid with a randomly rough surface and an elastic block with a flat surface. The numerical calculations mainly focus on the contact area and the interfacial separation from small contact (low load) to full contact (high load). For a small load the contact area varies linearly with the load and the interfacial separation depends logarithmically on the load. For a high load the contact area approaches the nominal contact area (i.e. complete contact), and the interfacial separation approaches zero. The numerical results have been compared with analytical theory and experimental results. They are in good agreement with each other. The present findings may be very important for soft solids, e.g. rubber, or for very smooth surfaces, where complete contact can be reached at moderately high loads without plastic deformation of the solids

Social Dominance Orientation, Dispositional Empathy, and Need for Cognitive Closure Moderate the Impact of Empathy-Skills Training, but Not Patient Contact, on Medical Students' Negative Attitudes toward Higher-Weight Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Meadows, Angela; Higgs, Suzanne; Burke, Sara E; Dovidio, John F; van Ryn, Michelle; Phelan, Sean M

2017-01-01

Anti-fat bias in healthcare providers and medical students has serious implications for quality of care of higher-weight patients. Studies of interventions aimed at reducing anti-fat attitudes in medical students have generally been disappointing, with little enduring effect. It is possible that some students may be more receptive to prejudice-reducing influences than others, due to underlying differences in their personal characteristics. It is also possible that attitudes toward patients, specifically, may differ from anti-fat attitudes in general, and prejudice-reduction effectiveness on patient-specific attitudes has not yet been evaluated. The present study explored the effect on general and patient-specific anti-fat attitudes of (1) contact with higher-weight individuals prior to and during medical school; and (2) training designed to increase medical students' empathy toward patients by encouraging them to take the patient's perspective during clinical encounters. The moderating role of individual difference factors on effectiveness of contact and student-reported hours of empathy training on patient-specific attitudes was assessed. A total of 3,576 students enrolled across 49 US medical schools completed an online survey at the start of their first year of medical school and at the end of their fourth year. Favorable contact experience with higher-weight patients predicted improved attitudes toward heavier patients after 4 years of medical school, and appeared sufficient to partially offset the effects of dislike of higher-weight individuals at baseline. The impact of favorable contact on general anti-fat attitudes was less strong, highlighting the importance of using target-specific outcome measures. The positive effects of favorable contact on attitudes toward higher-weight patients did not differ based on students' baseline levels of social dominance orientation, dispositional empathy, or need for cognitive closure. In contrast, the effectiveness of

Promoting intergroup contact by changing beliefs: group malleability, intergroup anxiety, and contact motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Halperin, Eran; Crisp, Richard J; Husnu, Shenel; Trzesniewski, Kali H; Dweck, Carol S; Gross, James J

2012-12-01

Intergroup contact plays a crucial role in moderating long-term conflicts. Unfortunately, the motivation to make contact with outgroup members is usually very low in such conflicts. We hypothesized that one limiting factor is the belief that groups cannot change, which leads to increased intergroup anxiety and decreased contact motivation. To test this hypothesis, we experimentally manipulated beliefs about group malleability in the context of the conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and then assessed intergroup anxiety and motivation to engage in intergroup contact. Turkish Cypriots who were led to believe that groups can change (with no mention of the specific groups involved) reported lower levels of intergroup anxiety and higher motivation to interact and communicate with Greek Cypriots in the future, compared with those who were led to believe that groups cannot change. This effect of group malleability manipulation on contact motivation was mediated by intergroup anxiety. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Lettuce contact allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulsen, Evy; Andersen, Klaus E

2016-02-01

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and its varieties are important vegetable crops worldwide. They are also well-known, rarely reported, causes of contact allergy. As lettuce allergens and extracts are not commercially available, the allergy may be underdiagnosed. The aims of this article are to present new data on lettuce contact allergy and review the literature. Lettuce is weakly allergenic, and occupational cases are mainly reported. Using aimed patch testing in Compositae-allergic patients, two recent Danish studies showed prevalence rates of positive lettuce reactions of 11% and 22%. The majority of cases are non-occupational, and may partly be caused by cross-reactivity. The sesquiterpene lactone mix seems to be a poor screening agent for lettuce contact allergy, as the prevalence of positive reactions is significantly higher in non-occupationally sensitized patients. Because of the easy degradability of lettuce allergens, it is recommended to patch test with freshly cut lettuce stem and supplement this with Compositae mix. As contact urticaria and protein contact dermatitis may present as dermatitis, it is important to perform prick-to-prick tests, and possibly scratch patch tests as well. Any person who is occupationally exposed to lettuce for longer periods, especially atopics, amateur gardeners, and persons keeping lettuce-eating pets, is potentially at risk of developing lettuce contact allergy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ocular surface displacement with and without contact lenses during non-contact tonometry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulfah Rimayanti

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To evaluate the displacement of the central ocular surface during non-contact tonometry with and without soft contact lenses and determine the factors associated with the displacement of the central ocular surface and intraocular pressure (IOP reading changes caused by wearing soft contact lenses (CLs. METHODS: One eye each in 21 subjects was studied. The cornea was photographed using a high-speed camera at 5,000 frames/sec during non-contact tonometry without contact lenses (NCL, with -5.0 diopters (D, -0.5 D and +5.0 D CL. The displacement of the ocular surface and the factors affecting displacement at the IOP reading and maximum displacement time were investigated. RESULTS: The IOP readings while wearing +5 D CL were significantly higher than those obtained while wearing -5 D CL. The ocular surface displacement between +5 D CL and other groups were significantly different. A significant positive correlation was found between the ocular surface displacement of subjects at the IOP reading time and the IOP obtained with the non-contact tonometer. A significant negative correlation was found between the ocular surface curvature and the IOP obtained using the non-contact tonometer. The radius of curvature of the ocular surface affected the displacement during the IOP reading and maximum displacement time. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that soft contact lens use changes the ocular surface behavior and IOP readings during non-contact tonometry. The radius of curvature of the eye affects the ocular surface displacement and IOP readings in this situation.

Contact Binaries on Their Way Towards Merging

Science.gov (United States)

Gazeas, K.

2015-07-01

Contact binaries are the most frequently observed type of eclipsing star system. They are small, cool, low-mass binaries belonging to a relatively old stellar population. They follow certain empirical relationships that closely connect a number of physical parameters with each other, largely because of constraints coming from the Roche geometry. As a result, contact binaries provide an excellent test of stellar evolution, specifically for stellar merger scenarios. Observing campaigns by many authors have led to the cataloging of thousands of contact binaries and enabled statistical studies of many of their properties. A large number of contact binaries have been found to exhibit extraordinary behavior, requiring follow-up observations to study their peculiarities in detail. For example, a doubly-eclipsing quadruple system consisting of a contact binary and a detached binary is a highly constrained system offering an excellent laboratory to test evolutionary theories for binaries. A new observing project was initiated at the University of Athens in 2012 in order to investigate the possible lower limit for the orbital period of binary systems before coalescence, prior to merging.

Ethnic Diversity, Inter-group Attitudes and Countervailing Pathways of Positive and Negative Inter-group Contact: An Analysis Across Workplaces and Neighbourhoods.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurence, James; Schmid, Katharina; Hewstone, Miles

2018-01-01

This study advances the current literature investigating the relationship between contextual out-group exposure, inter-group attitudes and the role of inter-group contact. Firstly, it introduces the concept of contact-valence into this relationship; that is, whether contact is experienced positively or negatively. Secondly, it presents a comparative analysis of how processes of out-group exposure and frequency of (valenced) contact affect prejudice across both neighbourhoods and workplaces. Applying path analysis modelling to a nationally-representative sample of white British individuals in England, we demonstrate, across both contexts, that increasing out-group exposure is associated with higher rates of both positively- and negatively-valenced contact. This results in exposure exhibiting both positive and negative indirect associations with prejudice via more frequent inter-group mixing. These countervailing contact-pathways help explain how out-group exposure is associated with inter-group attitudes. In neighbourhoods, increasing numbers of individuals experiencing positive-contact suppress an otherwise negative effect of neighbourhood diversity (driven partly by increasing numbers of individuals reporting negative contact). Across workplaces the effect differs such that increasing numbers of individuals experiencing negative-contact suppress an otherwise positive effect of workplace diversity (driven largely by increasing numbers of individuals experiencing positive contact).

Contact toxicities of anuran skin alkaloids against the fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta)

Science.gov (United States)

Weldon, Paul J.; Cardoza, Yasmin J.; Vander Meer, Robert K.; Hoffmann, W. Clint; Daly, John W.; Spande, Thomas F.

2013-02-01

Nearly 500 alkaloids, representing over 20 structural classes, have been identified from the skin of neotropical poison frogs (Dendrobatidae). These cutaneous compounds, which are derived from arthropod prey of the frogs, generally are believed to deter predators. We tested the red imported fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta) for toxicosis following contact with 20 alkaloids (12 structural classes) identified from dendrobatids or other anurans. Individual ants forced to contact the dried residues of 13 compounds exhibited convulsions and/or reduced ambulation. We estimated the cutaneous concentrations of several compounds based on their reported recoveries from skin extracts of free-ranging frogs and our measurements of the skin surface areas of museum specimens. Pumiliotoxin 251D exhibited contact toxicity below its estimated cutaneous concentration in the Ecuadorian frog, Epipedobates anthonyi, an observation consistent with the hypothesized role of this compound in anuran chemical defense. Our results and those of a previous study of mosquitoes indicate that some anuran skin compounds function defensively as contact toxins against arthropods, permeating their exoskeleton.

Design, simulation and fabrication of a novel contact-enhanced MEMS inertial switch with a movable contact point

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Haogang; Ding Guifu; Yang Zhuoqing; Su Zhijuan; Zhou Jiansheng; Wang Hong

2008-01-01

A novel inertial switch based on a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) was designed, which consists of three main parts: a proof mass as the movable electrode, a cross beam as the stationary electrode and a movable contact point to prolong the contact time. A MATLAB/Simulink model, which had been verified by comparison with ANSYS transient simulation, was built to simulate the dynamic response, based on which the contact-enhancing mechanism was confirmed and the dependence of threshold acceleration on the proof mass thickness was studied. The simulated dynamic responses under various accelerations exhibit satisfactory device behaviors: the switch-on time is prolonged under transient acceleration; the switch-on state is more continuous than the conventional design under long lasting acceleration. The inertial micro-switch was fabricated by multilayer electroplating technology and then tested by a drop hammer experiment. The test results indicate that the contact effect was improved significantly and a steady switch-on time of over 50 µs was observed under half-sine wave acceleration with 1 ms duration, in agreement with the dynamic simulation

A review of micro-contact physics, materials, and failure mechanisms in direct-contact RF MEMS switches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, A; Adams, G G; McGruer, N E

2016-01-01

Direct contact, ohmic MEMS switches for RF applications have several advantages over other conventional switching devices. Advantages include lower insertion loss, higher isolation, and better switching figure-of-merit (cut-off frequency). The most important aspect of a direct-contact RF MEMS switch is the metal microcontact which can dictate the lifetime and reliability of the switch. Therefore, an understanding of contact reliability is essential for developing robust MEMS switches. This paper discusses and reviews the most important work done over the past couple of decades toward understanding ohmic micro-contacts. We initially discuss the contact mechanics and multi-physics models for studying Hertzian and multi-asperity contacts. We follow this with a discussion on models and experiments for studying adhesion. We then discuss experimental setups and the development of contact test stations by various groups for accelerated testing of microcontacts, as well as for analysis of contact reliability issues. Subsequently, we analyze a number of material transfer mechanisms in microcontacts under hot and cold switching conditions. We finally review the material properties that can help determine the selection of contact materials. A trade-off between contact resistance and high reliability is almost always necessary during selection of contact material; this paper discusses how the choice of materials can help address such trade-offs. (paper)

Ultra-low contact resistance in graphene devices at the Dirac point

Science.gov (United States)

Anzi, Luca; Mansouri, Aida; Pedrinazzi, Paolo; Guerriero, Erica; Fiocco, Marco; Pesquera, Amaia; Centeno, Alba; Zurutuza, Amaia; Behnam, Ashkan; Carrion, Enrique A.; Pop, Eric; Sordan, Roman

2018-04-01

Contact resistance is one of the main factors limiting performance of short-channel graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs), preventing their use in low-voltage applications. Here we investigated the contact resistance between graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and different metals, and found that etching holes in graphene below the contacts consistently reduced the contact resistance, down to 23 Ω \\cdot μ m with Au contacts. This low contact resistance was obtained at the Dirac point of graphene, in contrast to previous studies where the lowest contact resistance was obtained at the highest carrier density in graphene (here 200 Ω \\cdot μ m was obtained under such conditions). The ‘holey’ Au contacts were implemented in GFETs which exhibited an average transconductance of 940 S m-1 at a drain bias of only 0.8 V and gate length of 500 nm, which out-perform GFETs with conventional Au contacts.

Contact damage and fracture micromechanisms of multilayered TiN/CrN coatings at micro- and nano-length scales

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roa, J.J.; Jiménez-Piqué, E.; Martínez, R.; Ramírez, G.; Tarragó, J.M.

2014-01-01

In this study, systematic nanomechanical and micromechanical studies have been conducted in three multilayer TiN/CrN systems with different bilayer periods (8, 19 and 25 nm). Additionally, experimental work has been performed on corresponding TiN and CrN single layers, for comparison purposes. The investigation includes the use of different indenter tip geometries as well as contact loading conditions (i.e. indentation/scratch) such to induce different stress field and damage scenarios within the films. The surface and subsurface damage under the different indentation imprints and scratch tracks have been observed by atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam. Multilayer TiN/CrN coated systems are found to exhibit higher adhesion strength (under sliding contact load) and cracking resistance (under spherical indentation) than those coated with reference TiN and CrN monolayers. The main reason behind these findings is the effective development of microstructurally-driven deformation and cracking resistant micromechanisms: rotation of columnar grains (and associated distortion of bilayer period) and crack deflection of interlayer thickness length scale, respectively. - Highlights: • Nanomechanical and micromechanical study in TiN/CrN systems • TiN/CrN coated systems exhibit higher adhesion strength and cracking resistance. • Main deformation and cracking micromechanisms: columnar grain rotation and crack deflection

Contact damage and fracture micromechanisms of multilayered TiN/CrN coatings at micro- and nano-length scales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roa, J.J., E-mail: joan.josep.roa@upc.edu [CIEFMA — Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Eng. Metallúrgica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avda. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, C. Pasqual i Vila 15, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Jiménez-Piqué, E. [CIEFMA — Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Eng. Metallúrgica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avda. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, C. Pasqual i Vila 15, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Martínez, R. [Centro de Ingeniería Avanzada de Superfícies, Asociación de la Industria Navarra — AIN, Crta. Pamplona, 1, Edificio AIN, 31191 Cordovilla (Spain); Ramírez, G. [CIEFMA — Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Eng. Metallúrgica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avda. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, Avda. Bases de Manresa 1, 08243 Manresa (Spain); Tarragó, J.M. [CIEFMA — Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Eng. Metallúrgica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Avda. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); CRnE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, C. Pasqual i Vila 15, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); and others

2014-11-28

In this study, systematic nanomechanical and micromechanical studies have been conducted in three multilayer TiN/CrN systems with different bilayer periods (8, 19 and 25 nm). Additionally, experimental work has been performed on corresponding TiN and CrN single layers, for comparison purposes. The investigation includes the use of different indenter tip geometries as well as contact loading conditions (i.e. indentation/scratch) such to induce different stress field and damage scenarios within the films. The surface and subsurface damage under the different indentation imprints and scratch tracks have been observed by atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam. Multilayer TiN/CrN coated systems are found to exhibit higher adhesion strength (under sliding contact load) and cracking resistance (under spherical indentation) than those coated with reference TiN and CrN monolayers. The main reason behind these findings is the effective development of microstructurally-driven deformation and cracking resistant micromechanisms: rotation of columnar grains (and associated distortion of bilayer period) and crack deflection of interlayer thickness length scale, respectively. - Highlights: • Nanomechanical and micromechanical study in TiN/CrN systems • TiN/CrN coated systems exhibit higher adhesion strength and cracking resistance. • Main deformation and cracking micromechanisms: columnar grain rotation and crack deflection.

Low resistivity contacts to YBa2Cu3O(7-x) superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Hsi, Chi-Shiung; Haertling, Gene H.

1991-01-01

Silver, gold, platinum, and palladium metals were investigated as electroding materials for the YBa2Cu3O(7-x) superconductors. Painting, embedding, and melting techniques were used to apply the electrodes. Contact resistivities were determined by: (1) type of electrode; (2) firing conditions; and (3) application method. Electrodes fired for long times exhibited lower contact resistivities than those fired for short times. Low-resistivity contacts were found for silver and gold electrodes. Silver, which made good ohmic contact to the YBa2Cu3O(7-x) superconductor with low contact resistivities was found to be the best electroding material among the materials evaluated in this investigation.

Association between atopic dermatitis and contact sensitization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamann, Carsten R; Hamann, Dathan; Egeberg, Alexander

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) have an altered prevalence or risk for contact sensitization. Increased exposure to chemicals in topical products together with impaired skin barrier function suggest a higher risk, whereas the immune profile suggests a lower...... contact dermatitis is suspected....... risk. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between AD and contact sensitization. METHODS: The PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for articles that reported on contact sensitization in individuals with and without AD. RESULTS...

Airborne non-contact and contact broadband ultrasounds for frequency attenuation profile estimation of cementitious materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Gosálbez, J; Wright, W M D; Jiang, W; Carrión, A; Genovés, V; Bosch, I

2018-08-01

In this paper, the study of frequency-dependent ultrasonic attenuation in strongly heterogeneous cementitious materials is addressed. To accurately determine the attenuation over a wide frequency range, it is necessary to have suitable excitation techniques. We have analysed two kinds of ultrasound techniques: contact ultrasound and airborne non-contact ultrasound. The mathematical formulation for frequency-dependent attenuation has been established and it has been revealed that each technique may achieve similar results but requires specific different calibration processes. In particular, the airborne non-contact technique suffers high attenuation due to energy losses at the air-material interfaces. Thus, its bandwidth is limited to low frequencies but it does not require physical contact between transducer and specimen. In contrast, the classical contact technique can manage higher frequencies but the measurement depends on the pressure between the transducer and the specimen. Cement specimens have been tested with both techniques and frequency attenuation dependence has been estimated. Similar results were achieved at overlapping bandwidth and it has been demonstrated that the airborne non-contact ultrasound technique could be a viable alternative to the classical contact technique. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concerns about Appearing Prejudiced Get Under the Skin: Stress Responses to Interracial Contact in the Moment and across Time.

Science.gov (United States)

Trawalter, Sophie; Adam, Emma K; Chase-Lansdale, P Lindsay; Richeson, Jennifer A

2012-05-01

Many White Americans are concerned about appearing prejudiced. How these concerns affect responses during actual interracial interactions, however, remains understudied. The present work examines stress responses to interracial contact-both in the moment, during interracial interactions (Study 1), and over time as individuals have repeated interracial contact (Study 2). Results of Study 1 revealed that concerns about appearing prejudiced were associated with heightened stress responses during interracial encounters (Study 1). White participants concerned about appearing prejudiced exhibited significant increases in cortisol "stress hormone" levels as well as increases in anxious behavior during interracial but not same-race contact. Participants relatively unconcerned about appearing prejudiced did not exhibit these stress responses. Study 2 examined stress responses to interracial contact over an entire academic year. Results revealed that White participants exhibited shifts in cortisol diurnal rhythms on days after interracial contact. Moreover, participants' cortisol rhythms across the academic year, from fall to spring, were related to their concerns about appearing prejudiced and their interracial contact experiences. Taken together, these data offer the first evidence that chronic concerns about appearing prejudiced are related to short- and longer-term stress responses to interracial contact. Implications for life in diverse spaces are discussed.

HARDINESS, WORLD ASSUMPTIONS, MOTIVATION OF ATHLETES OF CONTACT AND NOT CONTACT KINDS OF SPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Vladimirovna Molchanova

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Investigation of personal psychological specificity of athletes of contact (freestyle wrestling and not contact (archery kinds of sport were carried out. Pronounced deviation in hardiness, world assumptions, motives for sport doing were obtained. In particularly, archery athletes possess higher values of hardiness and positively view the world, than wrestlers, while possess less motives for sport doing as “successful for life quality and skills” and “physical perfection”. Thus for athletes not contact kinds of sports rather coping in permanent stressed conditions are predicted. The obtained results are practically important for counseling work of sport psychologists and moreover they could be a basement for training teach programs and challenge stress overcoming programs.

Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Water Contact Angle of PVD Hard Coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yu-Sen; Cho, Ting-Pin

2013-08-07

Various PVD (physical vapor deposition) hard coatings including nitrides and metal-doped diamond-like carbons (Me-DLC) were applied in plastic injection and die-casting molds to improve wear resistance and reduce sticking. In this study, nitrides hcp-AlN (hexagonal close-packed AlN), Cr₂N, (CrAl)₂N) and Me-DLC (Si-DLC and Cr-DLC) coatings were prepared using a closed field unbalanced magnetron reactive sputtering system. The coatings were annealed in air for 2 h at various temperatures, after which the anti-sticking properties were assessed using water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The as-deposited hcp-AlN, Cr₂N and (CrAl)₂N coatings exhibit hydrophobic behavior and exhibit respective WCAs of 119°, 106° and 101°. The as-deposited Si-DLC and Cr-DLC coatings exhibit hydrophilic behavior and exhibit respective WCAs of 74° and 88°. The annealed Cr₂N and (CrAl)₂N coatings exhibit hydrophobic behavior with higher WCAs, while the annealed hcp-AlN, Si-DLC and Cr-DLC coatings are hydrophilic. The increased WCA of the annealed Cr₂N and (CrAl)₂N coatings is related to their crystal structure and increased roughness. The decreased WCA of the annealed hcp-AlN, Si-DLC and Cr-DLC coatings is related to their crystal structures and has little correlation with roughness.

Contact fatigue of human enamel: Experiments, mechanisms and modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, S S; An, B B; Yahyazadehfar, M; Zhang, D; Arola, D D

2016-07-01

Cyclic contact between natural tooth structure and engineered ceramics is increasingly common. Fatigue of the enamel due to cyclic contact is rarely considered. The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate the fatigue behavior of human enamel by cyclic contact, and to assess the extent of damage over clinically relevant conditions. Cyclic contact experiments were conducted using the crowns of caries-free molars obtained from young donors. The cuspal locations were polished flat and subjected to cyclic contact with a spherical indenter of alumina at 2Hz. The progression of damage was monitored through the evolution in contact displacement, changes in the contact hysteresis and characteristics of the fracture pattern. The contact fatigue life diagram exhibited a decrease in cycles to failure with increasing cyclic load magnitude. Two distinct trends were identified, which corresponded to the development and propagation of a combination of cylindrical and radial cracks. Under contact loads of less than 400N, enamel rod decussation resisted the growth of subsurface cracks. However, at greater loads the damage progressed rapidly and accelerated fatigue failure. Overall, cyclic contact between ceramic appliances and natural tooth structure causes fatigue of the enamel. The extent of damage is dependent on the magnitude of cyclic stress and the ability of the decussation to arrest the fatigue damage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Forefoot strikers exhibit lower running-induced knee loading than rearfoot strikers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulmala, Juha-Pekka; Avela, Janne; Pasanen, Kati; Parkkari, Jari

2013-12-01

Knee pain and Achilles tendinopathies are the most common complaints among runners. The differences in the running mechanics may play an important role in the pathogenesis of lower limb overuse injuries. However, the effect of a runner's foot strike pattern on the ankle and especially on the knee loading is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine whether runners using a forefoot strike pattern exhibit a different lower limb loading profile than runners who use rearfoot strike pattern. Nineteen female athletes with a natural forefoot strike (FFS) pattern and pair-matched women with rearfoot strike (RFS) pattern (n = 19) underwent 3-D running analysis at 4 m·s⁻¹. Joint angles and moments, patellofemoral contact force and stresses, and Achilles tendon forces were analyzed and compared between groups. FFS demonstrated lower patellofemoral contact force and stress compared with heel strikers (4.3 ± 1.2 vs 5.1 ± 1.1 body weight, P = 0.029, and 11.1 ± 2.9 vs 13.0 ± 2.8 MPa, P = 0.04). In addition, knee frontal plane moment was lower in the FFS compared with heel strikers (1.49 ± 0.51 vs 1.97 ± 0.66 N·m·kg⁻¹, P =0.015). At the ankle level, FFS showed higher plantarflexor moment (3.12 ± 0.40 vs 2.54 ± 0.37 N·m·kg⁻¹; P = 0.001) and Achilles tendon force (6.3 ± 0.8 vs 5.1 ± 1.3 body weight; P = 0.002) compared with RFS. To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows differences in patellofemoral loading and knee frontal plane moment between FFS and RFS. FFS exhibit both lower patellofemoral stress and knee frontal plane moment than RFS, which may reduce the risk of running-related knee injuries. On the other hand, parallel increase in ankle plantarflexor and Achilles tendon loading may increase risk for ankle and foot injuries.

Effect of rapid thermal annealing on the Mo back contact properties for Cu_2ZnSnSe_4 solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Placidi, Marcel; Espindola-Rodriguez, Moises; Lopez-Marino, Simon; Sanchez, Yudania; Giraldo, Sergio; Acebo, Laura; Neuschitzer, Markus; Alcobé, Xavier; Pérez-Rodríguez, Alejandro; Saucedo, Edgardo

2016-01-01

The effect of a rapid thermal process (RTP) on the molybdenum (Mo) back contact for Cu_2ZnSnSe_4 (CZTSe) solar cells is here investigated. It is shown that the annealing of the Mo layer during 5 min at 550 °C, not only improves the crystalline quality of the back contact (avoiding the absorber decomposition at this region because Mo becomes more resistant to the selenization), but also helps achieving higher crystalline quality of the absorber with bigger grains, reducing the current leakage through the heterojunction. We demonstrate that this is related to the relaxation of the compressive stress of the CZTSe absorber, when synthesized on the RTP annealed substrates. CZTSe solar cells prepared on annealed Mo films exhibited higher short circuit current densities and higher open circuit voltages, resulting in 10% and 33% higher fill factors and efficiencies. - Highlights: • An RTP annealing applied for the first time on Mo for CZTSe solar cells. • Clear improvement of the efficiency from 5.7 to 7.6% with RTP treatment. • Discussion of this improvement with adequate material/device characterizations. • Stress-induced defects responsible of the electrical leakage are revealed.

Non-conformal contact mechanical characteristic analysis on spherical components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhen-zhi, G.; Bin, H.; Zheng-ming, G.; Feng-mei, Y.; Jin, Q [The 2. Artillery Engineering Univ., Xi' an (China)

2017-03-15

Non-conformal spherical-contact mechanical problems is a three-dimensional coordination or similar to the coordination spherical contact. Due to the complexity of the problem of spherical-contact and difficulties of solving higher-order partial differential equations, problems of three-dimensional coordination or similar to the coordination spherical-contact is still no exact analytical method for solving. It is based on three-dimensional taper model is proposed a model based on the contour surface of the spherical contact and concluded of the formula of the contact pressure and constructed of finite element model by contact pressure distribution under the non-conformal spherical. The results shows spherical contact model can reflect non-conformal spherical-contacting mechanical problems more than taper-contacting model, and apply for the actual project.

Effect of 3D fractal dimension on contact area and asperity interactions in elastoplastic contact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdeljalil Jourani

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Few models are devoted to investigate the effect of 3D fractal dimension Ds on contact area and asperity interactions. These models used statistical approaches or two-dimensional deterministic simulations without considering the asperity interactions and elastic–plastic transition regime. In this study, a complete 3D deterministic model is adopted to simulate the contact between fractal surfaces which are generated using a modified two-variable Weierstrass–Mandelbrot function. This model incorporates the asperity interactions and considers the different deformation modes of surface asperities which range from entirely elastic through elastic-plastic to entirely plastic contact. The simulations reveal that the elastoplastic model is more appropriate to calculate the contact area ratio and pressure field. It is also shown that the influence of the asperity interactions cannot be neglected, especially at lower fractal dimension Ds and higher load.

Wettability and Contact Time on a Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yunhong; Peng, Jian; Li, Xiujuan; Huang, Jubin; Qiu, Rongxian; Zhang, Zhihui; Ren, Luquan

2017-01-01

Inspired by the array microstructure of natural superhydrophobic surfaces (lotus leaf and cicada wing), an array microstructure was successfully constructed by high speed wire electrical discharge machining (HS-WEDM) on the surfaces of a 7075 aluminum alloy without any chemical treatment. The artificial surfaces had a high apparent contact angle of 153° ± 1° with a contact angle hysteresis less than 5° and showed a good superhydrophobic property. Wettability, contact time, and the corresponding superhydrophobic mechanism of artificial superhydrophobic surface were investigated. The results indicated that the micro-scale array microstructure was an important factor for the superhydrophobic surface, while different array microstructures exhibited different effects on the wettability and contact time of the artificial superhydrophobic surface. The length (L), interval (S), and height (H) of the array microstructure are the main influential factors on the wettability and contact time. The order of importance of these factors is H > S > L for increasing the apparent contact angle and reducing the contact time. The method, using HS-WEDM to fabricate superhydrophobic surface, is simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly and can easily control the wettability and contact time on the artificial surfaces by changing the array microstructure. PMID:28772613

Three-dimensional finite analysis of acetabular contact pressure and contact area during normal walking.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guangye; Huang, Wenjun; Song, Qi; Liang, Jinfeng

2017-11-01

This study aims to analyze the contact areas and pressure distributions between the femoral head and mortar during normal walking using a three-dimensional finite element model (3D-FEM). Computed tomography (CT) scanning technology and a computer image processing system were used to establish the 3D-FEM. The acetabular mortar model was used to simulate the pressures during 32 consecutive normal walking phases and the contact areas at different phases were calculated. The distribution of the pressure peak values during the 32 consecutive normal walking phases was bimodal, which reached the peak (4.2 Mpa) at the initial phase where the contact area was significantly higher than that at the stepping phase. The sites that always kept contact were concentrated on the acetabular top and leaned inwards, while the anterior and posterior acetabular horns had no pressure concentration. The pressure distributions of acetabular cartilage at different phases were significantly different, the zone of increased pressure at the support phase distributed at the acetabular top area, while that at the stepping phase distributed in the inside of acetabular cartilage. The zones of increased contact pressure and the distributions of acetabular contact areas had important significance towards clinical researches, and could indicate the inductive factors of acetabular osteoarthritis. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

Reef Sharks Exhibit Site-Fidelity and Higher Relative Abundance in Marine Reserves on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Mark E.; Babcock, Elizabeth A.; Pikitch, Ellen K.; Abercrombie, Debra L.; Lamb, Norlan F.; Chapman, Demian D.

2012-01-01

Carcharhinid sharks can make up a large fraction of the top predators inhabiting tropical marine ecosystems and have declined in many regions due to intense fishing pressure. There is some support for the hypothesis that carcharhinid species that complete their life-cycle within coral reef ecosystems, hereafter referred to as “reef sharks”, are more abundant inside no-take marine reserves due to a reduction in fishing pressure (i.e., they benefit from marine reserves). Key predictions of this hypothesis are that (a) individual reef sharks exhibit high site-fidelity to these protected areas and (b) their relative abundance will generally be higher in these areas compared to fished reefs. To test this hypothesis for the first time in Caribbean coral reef ecosystems we combined acoustic monitoring and baited remote underwater video (BRUV) surveys to measure reef shark site-fidelity and relative abundance, respectively. We focused on the Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi), the most common reef shark in the Western Atlantic, at Glover's Reef Marine Reserve (GRMR), Belize. Acoustically tagged sharks (N = 34) were detected throughout the year at this location and exhibited strong site-fidelity. Shark presence or absence on 200 BRUVs deployed at GRMR and three other sites (another reserve site and two fished reefs) showed that the factor “marine reserve” had a significant positive effect on reef shark presence. We rejected environmental factors or site-environment interactions as predominant drivers of this pattern. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that marine reserves can benefit reef shark populations and we suggest new hypotheses to determine the underlying mechanism(s) involved: reduced fishing mortality or enhanced prey availability. PMID:22412965

Liquid-bridge stability and breakup on surfaces with contact-angle hysteresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Akbari, Amir; Hill, Reghan J

2016-08-10

We study the stability and breakup of liquid bridges with a free contact line on surfaces with contact-angle hysteresis (CAH) under zero-gravity conditions. Non-ideal surfaces exhibit CAH because of surface imperfections, by which the constraints on three-phase contact lines are influenced. Given that interfacial instabilities are constraint-sensitive, understanding how CAH affects the stability and breakup of liquid bridges is crucial for predicting the drop size in contact-drop dispensing. Unlike ideal surfaces on which contact lines are always free irrespective of surface wettability, contact lines may undergo transitions from pinned to free and vice versa during drop deposition on non-ideal surfaces. Here, we experimentally and theoretically examine how stability and breakup are affected by CAH, highlighting cases where stability is lost during a transition from a pinned-pinned (more constrained) to pinned-free (less constrained) interface-rather than a critical state. This provides a practical means of expediting or delaying stability loss. We also demonstrate how the dynamic contact angle can control the contact-line radius following stability loss.

ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trisna Yuliharti Tersinanda

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Allergic contact dermatitis is an immunologic reaction that tends to involve the surrounding skin and may even spread beyond affected sites. This skin disease is one of the more frequent, and costly dermatologic problems. Recent data from United Kingdom and United States suggest that the percentage of occupational contact dermatitis due to allergy may be much higher, thus raising the economic impact of occupational allergic contact dermatitis. There is not enough data about the epidemiology of allergic contact dermatitis in Indonesia, however based on research that include beautician in Denpasar, about 27,6 percent had side effect of cosmetics, which is 25,4 percent of it manifested as allergic contact dermatitis. Diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis is based on anamnesis, physical examination, patch test, and this disease should be distinguished from other eczematous skin disease. The management is prevention of allergen exposure, symptomatic treatment, and physicochemical barrier /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

Pair housing for female longtailed and rhesus macaques in the laboratory: behavior in protected contact versus full contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Kate C; Crockett, Carolyn M; Lee, Grace H; Oettinger, Brooke C; Schoof, Valérie; Thom, Jinhee P

2012-01-01

Pair housing for caged macaques in the laboratory generally allows unrestricted tactile contact but, less commonly, may involve limited contact via grooming-contact bars or perforated panels. The purpose of using this protected contact housing, which prevents entry into pair-mates' cages, typically is to accommodate research and management requirements. The study used behavioral data collected on 12 pairs of female longtailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) at the Washington National Primate Research Center and 7 pairs of female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) housed at the Tulane National Primate Research Center to assess the relative benefits of protected versus full protected contact. The study collected data in stable pairs housed first in protected contact followed by full contact. Species combined, the study found the presence of the panel was associated with lower levels of social grooming and higher levels of self-grooming, abnormal behavior, and tension-related behavior. Within species, only the protected- versus full-contact contrasts for abnormal and tension were statistically significant-and only for rhesus macaques. Results suggest that for female rhesus macaques, potential disadvantages or inconveniences of full contact should be balanced against the improved behavioral profile in comparison to protected contact. The use of protected contact among female longtailed macaques does not appear to require the same cost-benefit analysis. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Design and application of ion-implanted polySi passivating contacts for interdigitated back contact c-Si solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Guangtao; Ingenito, Andrea; Hameren, Nienke van; Isabella, Olindo; Zeman, Miro

2016-01-01

Ion-implanted passivating contacts based on poly-crystalline silicon (polySi) are enabled by tunneling oxide, optimized, and used to fabricate interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cells. Both n-type (phosphorous doped) and p-type (boron doped) passivating contacts are fabricated by ion-implantation of intrinsic polySi layers deposited via low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and subsequently annealed. The impact of doping profile on the passivation quality of the polySi doped contacts is studied for both polarities. It was found that an excellent surface passivation could be obtained by confining as much as possible the implanted-and-activated dopants within the polySi layers. The doping profile in the polySi was controlled by modifying the polySi thickness, the energy and dose of ion-implantation, and the temperature and time of annealing. An implied open-circuit voltage of 721 mV for n-type and 692 mV for p-type passivating contacts was achieved. Besides the high passivating quality, the developed passivating contacts exhibit reasonable high conductivity (R sh n-type  = 95 Ω/□ and R sh p-type  = 120 Ω/□). An efficiency of 19.2% (V oc  = 673 mV, J sc  = 38.0 mA/cm 2 , FF = 75.2%, and pseudo-FF = 83.2%) was achieved on a front-textured IBC solar cell with polySi passivating contacts as both back surface field and emitter. By improving the front-side passivation, a V OC of 696 mV was also measured

Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Water Contact Angle of PVD Hard Coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yu-Sen; Cho, Ting-Pin

2013-01-01

Various PVD (physical vapor deposition) hard coatings including nitrides and metal-doped diamond-like carbons (Me-DLC) were applied in plastic injection and die-casting molds to improve wear resistance and reduce sticking. In this study, nitrides hcp-AlN (hexagonal close-packed AlN), Cr2N, (CrAl)2N) and Me-DLC (Si-DLC and Cr-DLC) coatings were prepared using a closed field unbalanced magnetron reactive sputtering system. The coatings were annealed in air for 2 h at various temperatures, after which the anti-sticking properties were assessed using water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The as-deposited hcp-AlN, Cr2N and (CrAl)2N coatings exhibit hydrophobic behavior and exhibit respective WCAs of 119°, 106° and 101°. The as-deposited Si-DLC and Cr-DLC coatings exhibit hydrophilic behavior and exhibit respective WCAs of 74° and 88°. The annealed Cr2N and (CrAl)2N coatings exhibit hydrophobic behavior with higher WCAs, while the annealed hcp-AlN, Si-DLC and Cr-DLC coatings are hydrophilic. The increased WCA of the annealed Cr2N and (CrAl)2N coatings is related to their crystal structure and increased roughness. The decreased WCA of the annealed hcp-AlN, Si-DLC and Cr-DLC coatings is related to their crystal structures and has little correlation with roughness. PMID:28811440

Effect of rapid thermal annealing on the Mo back contact properties for Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Placidi, Marcel, E-mail: mplacidi@irec.cat [Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Jardins de les Dones de Negre 1, pl.2, 08930 St Adrià del Besòs, Barcelona (Spain); Espindola-Rodriguez, Moises; Lopez-Marino, Simon; Sanchez, Yudania; Giraldo, Sergio; Acebo, Laura; Neuschitzer, Markus [Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Jardins de les Dones de Negre 1, pl.2, 08930 St Adrià del Besòs, Barcelona (Spain); Alcobé, Xavier [Centres Científics i Tecnològics (CCiTUB), Lluis Solé i Sabarís 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Pérez-Rodríguez, Alejandro [Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Jardins de les Dones de Negre 1, pl.2, 08930 St Adrià del Besòs, Barcelona (Spain); IN2UB, Departament d’Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Saucedo, Edgardo [Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Jardins de les Dones de Negre 1, pl.2, 08930 St Adrià del Besòs, Barcelona (Spain)

2016-08-05

The effect of a rapid thermal process (RTP) on the molybdenum (Mo) back contact for Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} (CZTSe) solar cells is here investigated. It is shown that the annealing of the Mo layer during 5 min at 550 °C, not only improves the crystalline quality of the back contact (avoiding the absorber decomposition at this region because Mo becomes more resistant to the selenization), but also helps achieving higher crystalline quality of the absorber with bigger grains, reducing the current leakage through the heterojunction. We demonstrate that this is related to the relaxation of the compressive stress of the CZTSe absorber, when synthesized on the RTP annealed substrates. CZTSe solar cells prepared on annealed Mo films exhibited higher short circuit current densities and higher open circuit voltages, resulting in 10% and 33% higher fill factors and efficiencies. - Highlights: • An RTP annealing applied for the first time on Mo for CZTSe solar cells. • Clear improvement of the efficiency from 5.7 to 7.6% with RTP treatment. • Discussion of this improvement with adequate material/device characterizations. • Stress-induced defects responsible of the electrical leakage are revealed.

Bone char quality and defluoridation capacity in contact precipitation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albertus, J.; Bregnhøj, Henrik; Kongpun, M.

2002-01-01

are added as in the contact precipitation process. The results show that the columns are able to remove up to 700 bedvolumes, before the concentration of fluoride in the effluent water breaks through, above 1.5 mg/L. Operational removal capacities observed are 7 and 9 mg/L, depending on contact time...... and the dosage of chemicals. It is discussed that longer contact time and higher dosage of calcium and phosphate may result in longer operation periods in the contact precipitation columns....

Nonlinear dynamics of contact interaction of a size-dependent plate supported by a size-dependent beam

Science.gov (United States)

Awrejcewicz, J.; Krysko, V. A.; Yakovleva, T. V.; Pavlov, S. P.; Krysko, V. A.

2018-05-01

A mathematical model of complex vibrations exhibited by contact dynamics of size-dependent beam-plate constructions was derived by taking the account of constraints between these structural members. The governing equations were yielded by variational principles based on the moment theory of elasticity. The centre of the investigated plate was supported by a beam. The plate and the beam satisfied the Kirchhoff/Euler-Bernoulli hypotheses. The derived partial differential equations (PDEs) were reduced to the Cauchy problems by the Faedo-Galerkin method in higher approximations, whereas the Cauchy problem was solved using a few Runge-Kutta methods. Reliability of results was validated by comparing the solutions obtained by qualitatively different methods. Complex vibrations were investigated with the help of methods of nonlinear dynamics such as vibration signals, phase portraits, Fourier power spectra, wavelet analysis, and estimation of the largest Lyapunov exponents based on the Rosenstein, Kantz, and Wolf methods. The effect of size-dependent parameters of the beam and plate on their contact interaction was investigated. It was detected and illustrated that the first contact between the size-dependent structural members implies chaotic vibrations. In addition, problems of chaotic synchronization between a nanoplate and a nanobeam were addressed.

Is there a relationship between hypoxia, contact resistance, and intercellular communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dertinger, H.; Guichard, M.; Malaise, E.P.

1983-01-01

This investigation addresses the shape of radiation survival curves of cells cultures as multicell spheroids. It is shown that spheroids of cells capable of intercellular communication by gap-junctions display survival curves lacking a radioresistant fraction of hypoxic cells. Compared to the corresponding monolayers, these spheriod survival curves exhibit a uniform increase in radioresistance due to the ''contact effect''. In contrast, biphasic survival curves indicative of hypoxic cells are obtained with non-communicating spheroids, however, without indication of a contact effect. Evidence is presented that this relationship between intercellular communication, hypoxia, and contact effect may possibly also hold for survival curves of solid tumors. (orig.)

On contact modelling in isogeometric analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, R. P. R.; Adetoro, O. B.

2017-11-01

IsoGeometric Analysis (IGA) has proved to be a reliable numerical tool for the simulation of structural behaviour and fluid mechanics. The main reasons for this popularity are essentially due to: (i) the possibility of using higher order polynomials for the basis functions; (ii) the high convergence rates possible to achieve; (iii) the possibility to operate directly on CAD geometry without the need to resort to a mesh of elements. The major drawback of IGA is the non-interpolatory characteristic of the basis functions, which adds a difficulty in handling essential boundary conditions and makes it particularly challenging for contact analysis. In this work, the IGA is expanded to include frictionless contact procedures for sheet metal forming analyses. Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) are going to be used for the modelling of rigid tools as well as for the modelling of the deformable blank sheet. The contact methods developed are based on a two-step contact search scheme, where during the first step a global search algorithm is used for the allocation of contact knots into potential contact faces and a second (local) contact search scheme where point inversion techniques are used for the calculation of the contact penetration gap. For completeness, elastoplastic procedures are also included for a proper description of the entire IGA of sheet metal forming processes.

Factors influencing bacterial adhesion to contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Debarun; Cole, Nerida; Willcox, Mark

2012-01-01

The process of any contact lens related keratitis generally starts with the adhesion of opportunistic pathogens to contact lens surface. This article focuses on identifying the factors which have been reported to affect bacterial adhesion to contact lenses. Adhesion to lenses differs between various genera/species/strains of bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is the predominant causative organism, adheres in the highest numbers to both hydrogel and silicone hydrogel lenses in vitro. The adhesion of this strain reaches maximum numbers within 1h in most in vitro studies and a biofilm has generally formed within 24 h of cells adhering to the lens surface. Physical and chemical properties of contact lens material affect bacterial adhesion. The water content of hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA)-based lenses and their iconicity affect the ability of bacteria to adhere. The higher hydrophobicity of silicone hydrogel lenses compared to HEMA-based lenses has been implicated in the higher numbers of bacteria that can adhere to their surfaces. Lens wear has different effects on bacterial adhesion, partly due to differences between wearers, responses of bacterial strains and the ability of certain tear film proteins when bound to a lens surface to kill certain types of bacteria.

Occupational contact urticaria and protein contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Doutre, Marie-Sylvie

2005-01-01

Irritant dermatitis and eczema are the most prevalent occupational skin diseases. Less common are immediate contact reactions such as contact urticaria and protein contact dermatitis. Occupational contact urticaria can be subdivided into two categories, immunological and non immunological. However, some agents can induce these two types of reactions. Contact urticaria to natural rubber latex is particularly frequent among health care personnel, but contact urticaria to a wide variety of other substances occurs in many other occupations. Among those at risk are cooks, bakers, butchers, restaurant personnel, veterinarians, hairdressers, florists, gardeners, and forestry workers. Protein contact dermatitis in some of these occupations is caused principally by proteins of animal or plant origin, especially among individuals with a history of atopic dermatitis. Diagnosis requires careful interrogation, clinical examination and skin tests (open tests and prick tests with immediate lecture) to identify a particular contact allergen.

Public relations work through exhibitions. Getting in touch with the target groups. A case study by 'Informationskreis Kernenergie'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knapp, Sabine

1993-01-01

This presentation discusses the public relations work through exhibitions and fairs. Fairs and exhibitions provide an ideal opportunity to contact the target groups directly: political and economic opinion-makers; media representatives; insiders; young people and schoolchildren; interested public. During exhibitions the interested visitors are also supplied with extensive information material, mostly free of charge. An example the photo atlas 'Nuclear Energy in Germany' which we offered in an English edition as well and is attached to this presentation

Performance evaluation of delefilcon a water gradient daily disposable contact lenses in first-time contact lens wearers.

Science.gov (United States)

Marx, Sebastian; Lauenborg, Bo; Kern, Jami R

2018-02-06

To evaluate the tolerability of and subject and investigator satisfaction with delefilcon A (DAILIES TOTAL1 ® ) daily disposable contact lenses in first-time contact lens wearers. This European multicenter, open-label, single-arm, two-week trial enrolled first-time contact lens wearers and fitted them with delefilcon A contact lenses. Assessments were made at dispensing and at Weeks 1 and 2. Subject-reported outcomes included comfort, quality of vision, convenience, and intent to purchase, which were ranked by agreement responses. Investigator-reported outcomes included slit-lamp biomicroscopy findings and lens fit satisfaction. Ninety-two subjects were included in the per protocol dataset. Mean scores at Weeks 1 and 2 for subject-reported quality of vision and ocular comfort were significantly higher with delefilcon A contact lenses than with the subjects' habitual spectacles during the day, at the end of the day, and overall (all p ≤ 0.02). Ninety-one percent of subjects reported that their study lenses were more comfortable than expected, 98% agreed that they were convenient to use, and 92% were interested in purchasing the lenses (all p disposable contact lenses. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

In Vivo Measurement of Glenohumeral Joint Contact Patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bey MichaelJ

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to describe a technique for measuring in-vivo glenohumeral joint contact patterns during dynamic activities and to demonstrate application of this technique. The experimental technique calculated joint contact patterns by combining CT-based 3D bone models with joint motion data that were accurately measured from biplane x-ray images. Joint contact patterns were calculated for the repaired and contralateral shoulders of 20 patients who had undergone rotator cuff repair. Significant differences in joint contact patterns were detected due to abduction angle and shoulder condition (i.e., repaired versus contralateral. Abduction angle had a significant effect on the superior/inferior contact center position, with the average joint contact center of the repaired shoulder 12.1% higher on the glenoid than the contralateral shoulder. This technique provides clinically relevant information by calculating in-vivo joint contact patterns during dynamic conditions and overcomes many limitations associated with conventional techniques for quantifying joint mechanics.

Contact engineering for nano-scale CMOS

KAUST Repository

Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2012-09-10

High performance computation with longer battery lifetime is an essential component in our today\\'s digital electronics oriented life. To achieve these goals, field effect transistors based complementary metal oxide semiconductor play the key role. One of the critical requirements of transistor structure and fabrication is efficient contact engineering. To catch up with high performance information processing, transistors are going through continuous scaling process. However, it also imposes new challenges to integrate good contact materials in a small area. This can be counterproductive as smaller area results in higher contact resistance thus reduced performance for the transistor itself. At the same time, discovery of new one or two-dimensional materials like nanowire, nanotube, or atomic crystal structure materials, introduces new set of challenges and opportunities. In this paper, we are reviewing them in a synchronized fashion: fundamentals of contact engineering, evolution into non-planar field effect transistors, opportunities and challenges with one and two-dimensional materials and a new opportunity of contact engineering from device architecture perspective. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

In vitro evaluation of the contact angle formed between AH Plus, Hybrid Root Seal and mineral trioxide aggregate Plus sealer with dentin and gutta-percha.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikhil, Vineeta; Jaiswal, Shikha; Bajpai, Gauravi

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was evaluation and comparison of the contact angle of new root canal sealers - Hybrid Root Seal, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Plus, and the conventional AH Plus sealer with dentin and gutta-percha. Two groups (Group D - dentin and Group G - gutta-percha) of 18 samples each were further randomly divided into 3 subgroups based on the type of sealer used, that is, AH Plus, Hybrid Root Seal, and MTA Plus. Contact angle measurement device (Phoenix 300) was used to measure the contact angle of the sealers on both dentin and gutta-percha. The results thus obtained were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Student's t -test. MTA Plus recorded significantly higher values of contact angle on both the substrates, that is, dentin and gutta-percha when compared to AH Plus and Hybrid root canal sealer. The lowest value of contact angle in gutta-percha and dentin was shown by Hybrid root canal sealer and AH Plus, respectively. Both AH Plus and Hybrid Root Seal exhibited lower contact angle values, and hence, better wettability on both dentin and gutta-percha as compared to MTA Plus.

Experimental Study on the Interaction Between Contacting Barrier Materials for Containment of Radioactive Wastes

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, W. H.; Chang, H. C.

2017-12-01

The disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes requires use of multi-barriers for isolation of the wastes from the biosphere. Typically, the engineered barriers are composed of a concrete vault, buffer and backfill materials. Zhishin clay and Black Hill bentonite were used as raw clay material in making buffer and backfill materials in this study. These clays were compacted to make buffer material, or mixed with Taitung area argillite to produce backfill material for potential application as barriers for the disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes. The interaction between concrete barrier and the buffer/backfill material is simulated by an accelerated migration test to investigate the effect of contacting concrete on the expected functions of buffer/backfill material. The results show buffer material close to the contact with concrete exhibits significant change in the ratio of calcium/sodium exchange capacity, due to the move of calcium ions released from the concrete. The shorter the distance from the contacting interface, the ratio of the calcium/sodium concentration in buffer/backfill materials increases. The longer the distance from the interface, the effect of the contact on alteration in clays become less significant. Also, some decreases in swelling capacity in the buffer/backfill material near the concrete-backfill interface are noted. Finally, a comparison is made between Zhisin clay and Balck Hill bentonite on the interaction between concrete and the two clays. Black Hill bentonite was found to be influenced more by the interaction, because of the higher content of montmorillonite. On the other hand, being a mixture of clay and sand, backfill material is less affected by the decalsification of concrete at the contact than buffer material.

Silver antimony Ohmic contacts to moderately doped n-type germanium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dumas, D. C. S.; Gallacher, K.; Millar, R.; Paul, D. J., E-mail: Douglas.Paul@glasgow.ac.uk [School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Rankine Building, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LT (United Kingdom); MacLaren, I. [SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Kelvin Building, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Myronov, M.; Leadley, D. R. [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2014-04-21

A self doping contact consisting of a silver/antimony alloy that produces an Ohmic contact to moderately doped n-type germanium (doped to a factor of four above the metal-insulator transition) has been investigated. An evaporation of a mixed alloy of Ag/Sb (99%/1%) onto n-Ge (N{sub D}=1×10{sup 18} cm{sup −3}) annealed at 400 °C produces an Ohmic contact with a measured specific contact resistivity of (1.1±0.2)×10{sup −5} Ω-cm{sup 2}. It is proposed that the Ohmic behaviour arises from an increased doping concentration at the Ge surface due to the preferential evaporation of Sb confirmed by transmission electron microscope analysis. It is suggested that the doping concentration has increased to a level where field emission will be the dominate conduction mechanism. This was deduced from the low temperature electrical characterisation of the contact, which exhibits Ohmic behaviour down to a temperature of 6.5 K.

The Influence of Wheel/Rail Contact Conditions on the Microstructure and Hardness of Railway Wheels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Molyneux-Berry

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The susceptibility of railway wheels to wear and rolling contact fatigue damage is influenced by the properties of the wheel material. These are influenced by the steel composition, wheel manufacturing process, and thermal and mechanical loading during operation. The in-service properties therefore vary with depth below the surface and with position across the wheel tread. This paper discusses the stress history at the wheel/rail contact (derived from dynamic simulations and observed variations in hardness and microstructure. It is shown that the hardness of an “in-service” wheel rim varies significantly, with three distinct effects. The underlying hardness trend with depth can be related to microstructural changes during manufacturing (proeutectoid ferrite fraction and pearlite lamellae spacing. The near-surface layer exhibits plastic flow and microstructural shear, especially in regions which experience high tangential forces when curving, with consequentially higher hardness values. Between 1 mm and 7 mm depth, the wheel/rail contacts cause stresses exceeding the material yield stress, leading to work hardening, without a macroscopic change in microstructure. These changes in material properties through the depth of the wheel rim would tend to increase the likelihood of crack initiation on wheels toward the end of their life. This correlates with observations from several train fleets.

Effect of occlusal contact stability on the jaw closing point during tapping movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishigawa, Keisuke; Suzuki, Yoshitake; Ishikawa, Teruaki; Bando, Eiichi

2012-04-01

We studied the relationship between tapping point reproducibility and stability of occlusal contacts at maximum intercuspation. Tapping movements of 12 adult volunteers who had dentition with natural teeth were recorded, and distances between the tapping point (TP) and the intercuspal position (ICP) at the incisal point were calculated. Occlusal contacts at the ICP of individual subjects were also evaluated with black-colored silicone impression material. The correlation between TP-ICP distance and occlusal contact stability was studied. TP-ICP distance exhibited negative correlations with the total number of teeth showing occlusal contact at the ICP. Standard deviations of TP-ICP distance also negatively correlated with the extension of occlusal contact area over dentition. This finding indicates that occlusal contacts at the ICP affect the kinematic behavior of tapping movements. The results of this study also suggest that jaw movement data may provide useful clinical information for the evaluation of occlusal contact at ICP. Copyright © 2011 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contacts between poultry farms, their spatial dimension and their relevance for avian influenza preparedness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lena Fiebig

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Ongoing economic losses by and exposure of humans to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI in poultry flocks across Asia and parts of Africa and Europe motivate also outbreak-free countries such as Switzerland to invest in preparedness planning. Country-specific population data on between-farm contacts are required to anticipate probable patterns of pathogen spread. Information is scarce; in particular on how strongly small, non-commercial poultry farms are involved in between-farm contacts. We aimed to identify between-farm contacts of interest for HPAI spread at both commercial and non-commercial farms in a non-outbreak situation: whether or not commercial and non-commercial farms were involved in poultry and person movements and shared resources by company integration. Focus was on poultry movements for the purpose of purchase, sale and poultry show visits, their spatial dimension, their frequencies and the farm types they connected. Of the total 49,437 recorded poultry farms in Switzerland, 95% had less than 500 birds. The farm number resulted in densities of up to 8 poultry farms per km2 and a median number of 47 neighbour farms within a 3 km radius around the farms. Person movements and shared resources were identified in 78% of the surveyed farms (93% among commercials, 67% among non-commercials. Poultry trading movements over extensive spatial ranges were stated at 65% (79% among commercials, 55% among non-commercials. Movement frequencies depended on farm specialization and were higher for commercial than for non-commercial farms except for poultry show visits. Estimates however for the entire population revealed 3.5 times higher chances of a poultry purchase, and 14.6 times higher chances of exhibiting birds at poultry shows occurring in a given time by a farm smaller than 500 birds (non-commercial farm than by a larger (commercial farm. These findings indicate that both commercial and non-commercial farms are involved in

Investigations of niobium carbide contact for carbon-nanotube-based devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, L; Chor, E F; Wu, Y; Guo, Z

2010-01-01

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) field effect transistors (FETs) with Nb contacts have been fabricated and upon annealing in vacuum at 700 deg. C for 1 h, niobium carbide (Nb 2 C) is formed at the Nb/SWCNT interface. The Nb 2 C/SWCNT contacts demonstrate a very small Schottky barrier height of ∼ 18 meV (decreased by > 80% relative to that of pristine Nb/SWCNT contact of ∼ 98 meV) to p-type transport. This is attributed to the higher work function of Nb 2 C (∼5.2 eV) than Nb (∼4.3 eV) and better bonding between Nb 2 C and SWCNTs. The performance of Nb 2 C-contacted SWCNT FETs is as follows: the p-channel ON current is as high as 0.5 μA at V DS = 0.1 V, the I ON /I OFF ratio is up to ∼ 10 5 and the subthreshold slope is ∼ 550 mV/dec, which is as good as that of titanium carbide (TiC-) and Pd-contacted SWCNT FETs. Compared with TiC, Nb 2 C contacts yield more unipolar p-type SWCNT FETs, as a result of the Nb 2 Cs higher work function. More importantly, Nb 2 C contacts can form near-ohmic contacts to both large-(≥1.6 nm) and small-diameter (∼1 nm) SWCNTs, while Pd can only form near-ohmic contacts for large-diameter SWCNTs. Moreover, the Nb 2 C contacts demonstrate good stability in air.

Immersive Exhibitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Achiam, Marianne

2015-01-01

The immersive exhibition is a specialized exhibition genre in museums, which creates the illusion of time and place by representing key characteristics of a reference world and by integrating the visitor in this three-dimensionally reconstructed world (Mortensen 2010). A successful representation...... of the reference world depends on three criteria: whether the exhibition is staged as a coherent whole with all the displayed objects supporting the representation, whether the visitor is integrated as a component of the exhibition, and whether the content and message of the exhibition become dramatized...

Determination of the nano-scaled contact area of staphylococcal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Spengler, Christian; Thewes, Nicolas; Jung, Philipp; Bischoff, Markus; Jacobs, Karin

2017-07-20

Bacterial adhesion is a crucial step during the development of infections as well as the formation of biofilms. Hence, fundamental research of bacterial adhesion mechanisms is of utmost importance. So far, less is known about the size of the contact area between bacterial cells and a surface. This gap will be filled by this study using a single-cell force spectroscopy-based method to investigate the contact area between a single bacterial cell of Staphylococcus aureus and a solid substrate. The technique relies on the strong influence of the hydrophobic interaction on bacterial adhesion: by incrementally crossing a very sharp hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface while performing force-distance curves with a single bacterial probe, the bacterial contact area can be determined. Assuming circular contact areas, their radii - determined in our experiments - are in the range from tens of nanometers to a few hundred nanometers. The contact area can be slightly enlarged by a larger load force, yet does not resemble a Hertzian contact, rather, the enlargement is a property of the individual bacterial cell. Additionally, Staphylococcus carnosus has been probed, which is less adherent than S. aureus, yet both bacteria exhibit a similar contact area size. This corroborates the notion that the adhesive strength of bacteria is not a matter of contact area, but rather a matter of which and how many molecules of the bacterial species' cell wall form the contact. Moreover, our method of determining the contact area can be applied to other microorganisms and the results might also be useful for studies using nanoparticles covered with soft, macromolecular coatings.

Molecular dynamics study of contact mechanics: contact area and interfacial separation from small to full contact

OpenAIRE

Yang, C.; Persson, B. N. J.

2007-01-01

We report a molecular dynamics study of the contact between a rigid solid with a randomly rough surface and an elastic block with a flat surface. We study the contact area and the interfacial separation from small contact (low load) to full contact (high load). For small load the contact area varies linearly with the load and the interfacial separation depends logarithmically on the load. For high load the contact area approaches to the nominal contact area (i.e., complete contact), and the i...

Friction and Wear of Nanoadditive-Based Biolubricants in Steel-Steel Sliding Contacts: A Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Rajeev Nayan; Harsha, A. P.

2018-02-01

The present work deals with the study of tribo-pair interaction in lubricated sliding contacts. By considering the environmental issues, the sunflower oil was extracted from the sunflower seeds and used as a base lubricant. The two types of the nanoadditives, i.e., CuO and CeO2, varying concentrations from 0.10 to 0.50% w/v were used to formulate the nanolubricants. The compatibility/synergism of the nanoadditives was examined from antifriction and antiwear behavior study with four-ball tester. Also, sunflower oil was modified by the chemical method to improve its fatty acid structure. A comparative tribological and compatibility study was also done in modified oil at similar concentration levels with both types of nanoparticles. The tribological test result exhibits 0.10% w/v concentration of the nanoadditive as optimum due to lowest wear scar and coefficient of friction. Higher concentration of the nanoparticles impaired the base oil performance. Different analytical tools were used to characterize the oil modification and worn surfaces. Moreover, the role of subsurface of the contacting material with the tribological performance has been reported.

Optimal contact definition for reconstruction of Contact Maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stehr Henning

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Contact maps have been extensively used as a simplified representation of protein structures. They capture most important features of a protein's fold, being preferred by a number of researchers for the description and study of protein structures. Inspired by the model's simplicity many groups have dedicated a considerable amount of effort towards contact prediction as a proxy for protein structure prediction. However a contact map's biological interest is subject to the availability of reliable methods for the 3-dimensional reconstruction of the structure. Results We use an implementation of the well-known distance geometry protocol to build realistic protein 3-dimensional models from contact maps, performing an extensive exploration of many of the parameters involved in the reconstruction process. We try to address the questions: a to what accuracy does a contact map represent its corresponding 3D structure, b what is the best contact map representation with regard to reconstructability and c what is the effect of partial or inaccurate contact information on the 3D structure recovery. Our results suggest that contact maps derived from the application of a distance cutoff of 9 to 11Å around the Cβ atoms constitute the most accurate representation of the 3D structure. The reconstruction process does not provide a single solution to the problem but rather an ensemble of conformations that are within 2Å RMSD of the crystal structure and with lower values for the pairwise average ensemble RMSD. Interestingly it is still possible to recover a structure with partial contact information, although wrong contacts can lead to dramatic loss in reconstruction fidelity. Conclusions Thus contact maps represent a valid approximation to the structures with an accuracy comparable to that of experimental methods. The optimal contact definitions constitute key guidelines for methods based on contact maps such as structure prediction through

Contact angle and local wetting at contact line.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ri; Shan, Yanguang

2012-11-06

This theoretical study was motivated by recent experiments and theoretical work that had suggested the dependence of the static contact angle on the local wetting at the triple-phase contact line. We revisit this topic because the static contact angle as a local wetting parameter is still not widely understood and clearly known. To further clarify the relationship of the static contact angle with wetting, two approaches are applied to derive a general equation for the static contact angle of a droplet on a composite surface composed of heterogeneous components. A global approach based on the free surface energy of a thermodynamic system containing the droplet and solid surface shows the static contact angle as a function of local surface chemistry and local wetting state at the contact line. A local approach, in which only local forces acting on the contact line are considered, results in the same equation. The fact that the local approach agrees with the global approach further demonstrates the static contact angle as a local wetting parameter. Additionally, the study also suggests that the wetting described by the Wenzel and Cassie equations is also the local wetting of the contact line rather than the global wetting of the droplet.

[Sport injuries in full contact and semi-contact karate].

Science.gov (United States)

Greier, K; Riechelmann, H; Ziemska, J

2014-03-01

Karate enjoys great popularity both in professional and recreational sports and can be classified into full, half and low contact styles. The aim of this study was the analysis of sports injuries in Kyokushinkai (full contact) and traditional Karate (semi-contact). In a retrospective study design, 215 active amateur karateka (114 full contact, 101 semi-contact) were interviewed by means of a standardised questionnaire regarding typical sport injuries during the last 36 months. Injuries were categorised into severity grade I (not requiring medical treatment), grade II (single medical treatment), grade III (several outpatient medical treatments) and grade IV (requiring hospitalisation). In total, 217 injuries were reported in detail. 125 injuries (58%) occurred in full contact and 92 (42%) in semi-contact karate. The time related injury rate of full contact karateka was 1.9/1000 h compared to 1.3/1000 h of semi-contact karateka (p injuries were musculoskeletal contusions (33% full contact, 20% semi-contact), followed by articular sprains with 19% and 16%. The lower extremity was affected twice as often in full contact (40%) as in semi-contact (20%) karate. Training injuries were reported by 80% of the full contact and 77% of the semi-contact karateka. Most injuries, both in training and competition, occurred in kumite. 75% of the reported injuries of full contact and 70% of semi-contact karateka were classified as low grade (I or II). The high rate of injuries during training and kumite (sparring) points to specific prevention goals. The emphasis should be put on proprioceptive training and consistent warm-up. In the actual competition the referees play a vital role regarding prevention. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Pentacene ohmic contact on the transparent conductive oxide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, Jian-An; Zeng, Jian-Jhou; Wu, Kuo-Chen; Lin, Yow-Jon

2010-01-01

Low-resistance ohmic contacts are essential to improve the performance of pentacene-based electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this study, we reported ohmic contact formation at the indium tin oxide (ITO)/pentacene and indium cerium oxide (ICO)/pentacene interfaces. According to the observed results from current-voltage and Kelvin probe measurements, we found that the lower contact resistivity of the ICO/pentacene sample than the ITO/pentacene sample may be attributed to the higher surface work function of ICO than ITO.

A comparison of pectoral fin contact between two different wild dolphin populations

Science.gov (United States)

Dudzinski, K.M.; Gregg, J.D.; Ribic, C.A.; Kuczaj, S.A.

2009-01-01

Contact behaviour involving the pectoral fin has been documented in a number of dolphin species, and various explanations about its function have been offered. Pectoral fin contact can take a variety of forms, and involves a number of body parts and movements, likely differing depending upon social or ecological context. For this study, we compare the pectoral fin contact behaviour of two species of wild dolphins: Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) from around Mikura Island, Japan, and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) from The Bahamas. The two study populations exhibit surprising similarity in the ways in which pectoral fin contacts are used, despite differences in species and environmental conditions at the two sites. Differences in contact rates for calves between the two sites suggest that calf-focused aggression from adult dolphins is more prevalent at Mikura than in The Bahamas. Our results suggest that pectoral fin contact behaviour seems to be driven primarily by social pressures, and may be similar in function to allogrooming described in primates. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V.

Towards nanometer-spaced silicon contacts to proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Schukfeh, Muhammed I.; Sepunaru, Lior; Behr, Pascal; Li, Wenjie; Pecht, Israel; Sheves, Mordechai; Cahen, David; Tornow, Marc

2016-03-01

A vertical nanogap device (VND) structure comprising all-silicon contacts as electrodes for the investigation of electronic transport processes in bioelectronic systems is reported. Devices were fabricated from silicon-on-insulator substrates whose buried oxide (SiO2) layer of a few nanometers in thickness is embedded within two highly doped single crystalline silicon layers. Individual VNDs were fabricated by standard photolithography and a combination of anisotropic and selective wet etching techniques, resulting in p+ silicon contacts, vertically separated by 4 or 8 nm, depending on the chosen buried oxide thickness. The buried oxide was selectively recess-etched with buffered hydrofluoric acid, exposing a nanogap. For verification of the devices’ electrical functionality, gold nanoparticles were successfully trapped onto the nanogap electrodes’ edges using AC dielectrophoresis. Subsequently, the suitability of the VND structures for transport measurements on proteins was investigated by functionalizing the devices with cytochrome c protein from solution, thereby providing non-destructive, permanent semiconducting contacts to the proteins. Current-voltage measurements performed after protein deposition exhibited an increase in the junctions’ conductance of up to several orders of magnitude relative to that measured prior to cytochrome c immobilization. This increase in conductance was lost upon heating the functionalized device to above the protein’s denaturation temperature (80 °C). Thus, the VND junctions allow conductance measurements which reflect the averaged electronic transport through a large number of protein molecules, contacted in parallel with permanent contacts and, for the first time, in a symmetrical Si-protein-Si configuration.

Towards nanometer-spaced silicon contacts to proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schukfeh, Muhammed I; Behr, Pascal; Tornow, Marc; Sepunaru, Lior; Li, Wenjie; Pecht, Israel; Sheves, Mordechai; Cahen, David

2016-01-01

A vertical nanogap device (VND) structure comprising all-silicon contacts as electrodes for the investigation of electronic transport processes in bioelectronic systems is reported. Devices were fabricated from silicon-on-insulator substrates whose buried oxide (SiO_2) layer of a few nanometers in thickness is embedded within two highly doped single crystalline silicon layers. Individual VNDs were fabricated by standard photolithography and a combination of anisotropic and selective wet etching techniques, resulting in p"+ silicon contacts, vertically separated by 4 or 8 nm, depending on the chosen buried oxide thickness. The buried oxide was selectively recess-etched with buffered hydrofluoric acid, exposing a nanogap. For verification of the devices’ electrical functionality, gold nanoparticles were successfully trapped onto the nanogap electrodes’ edges using AC dielectrophoresis. Subsequently, the suitability of the VND structures for transport measurements on proteins was investigated by functionalizing the devices with cytochrome c protein from solution, thereby providing non-destructive, permanent semiconducting contacts to the proteins. Current–voltage measurements performed after protein deposition exhibited an increase in the junctions’ conductance of up to several orders of magnitude relative to that measured prior to cytochrome c immobilization. This increase in conductance was lost upon heating the functionalized device to above the protein’s denaturation temperature (80 °C). Thus, the VND junctions allow conductance measurements which reflect the averaged electronic transport through a large number of protein molecules, contacted in parallel with permanent contacts and, for the first time, in a symmetrical Si–protein–Si configuration. (paper)

Exhibit Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Marianne Foss

Science museums define the objectives of their exhibitions in terms of visitor learning outcomes. Yet, exhibit designers lack theoretical and empirical research findings on which to base the creation of such educational environments. Here, this shortcoming is addressed through the development...... of tools and processes to guide the design of educational science exhibits. The guiding paradigm for this development is design-based research, which is characterised by an iterative cycle of design, enactment, and analysis. In the design phase, an educational intervention is planned and carried out based...... on the generation of theoretical ideas for exhibit design is offered in a fourth and parallel research undertaking, namely the application of the notion of cultural border-crossing to a hypothetical case of exhibit design....

The non-contact tonometer. Its value and limitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, M B

1980-01-01

A review of the literature and a comparative study against Goldmann applanation tonometers suggest that the non-contact tonometer is reliable for measuring intraocular pressures within the normal range. In addition, the non-contact tonometer eliminates the need for corneal contact and topical anesthesia, thereby avoiding the potential problems of corneal abrasion, spread of infection, and drug reactions. The instrument can be used reliably by paramedical personnel and has particular value in mass screening and possibly in studies of topical antiglaucoma drugs. The non-contact tonometer is less reliable in patients with elevated intraocular pressure, since comparative studies against the Goldmann applanation tonometers have shown poorer correlations in the higher pressure ranges. The instrument is also limited by an abnormal cornea or poor fixation, which may interfere with accurate pressure measurements. Furthermore, the non-contact tonometer is less portable than many tonometers and more expensive than most.

Water droplet spreading and recoiling upon contact with thick-compact maltodextrin agglomerates.

Science.gov (United States)

Meraz-Torres, Lesvia Sofía; Quintanilla-Carvajal, María Ximena; Téllez-Medina, Darío I; Hernández-Sánchez, Humberto; Alamilla-Beltrán, Liliana; Gutiérrez-López, Gustavo F

2011-11-01

The food and pharmaceutical industries handle a number of compounds in the form of agglomerates which must be put into contact with water for rehydration purposes. In this work, liquid-solid interaction between water and maltodextrin thick-compact agglomerates was studied at different constituent particle sizes for two compression forces (75 and 225 MPa). Rapid droplet spreading was observed which was similar in radius to the expected one for ideal, flat surfaces. Contact angle determinations reported oscillations of this parameter throughout the experiments, being indicative of droplet recoiling on top of the agglomerate. Recoiling was more frequent in samples obtained at 225 MPa for agglomerate formation. Agglomerates obtained at 75 MPa exhibited more penetration of the water. Competition between dissolution of maltodextrin and penetration of the water was, probably, the main mechanism involved in droplet recoiling. Micrographs of the wetting marks were characterized by means of image analysis and the measurements suggested more symmetry of the wetting mark at higher compression force. Differences found in the evaluated parameters for agglomerates were mainly due to compaction force used. No significant effect of particle size in recoiling, penetration of water into the agglomerate, surface texture and symmetry was observed. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Contact lenses purchased over the internet place individuals potentially at risk for harmful eye care practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Joshua; Zidile, Chaya

2008-01-01

Individuals are increasingly purchasing contact lenses over the Internet. No studies exist regarding Internet purchase of contact lenses and eye care health practices. One hundred fifty-one college students were surveyed regarding contact lenses purchase category (doctor's office, store, Internet). Pearson chi-square analyses compared purchase category with responses regarding U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations for purchasing contact lenses online. Analysis of variance compared contact lenses purchase category with the Time Pressure Scale (TPS). Also, correlation analyses compared the TPS with Internet eye-health statements. Contact lens purchase categories included doctor's office (43.0%), store (55.0%), and Internet (22.5%), with individuals purchasing at multiple venues. With regard to the FDA recommendations, those who purchased contact lenses at a doctor's office more often adhered to the recommendations, whereas those who purchased contact lenses at a store or the Internet did so less often. Those who purchased contact lenses over the Internet had significantly higher TPS scores. In addition, higher TPS scores were significantly correlated with various statements regarding the Internet. Those who purchase contact lenses via the Internet or store do not follow a number of FDA contact lenses recommendations. Also, those with higher TPS scores trust possible non-evidence-based contact lenses Internet information. Implications with regard to the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act are discussed.

Modeling Epidemics Spreading on Social Contact Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhaoyang; Wang, Honggang; Wang, Chonggang; Fang, Hua

2015-09-01

Social contact networks and the way people interact with each other are the key factors that impact on epidemics spreading. However, it is challenging to model the behavior of epidemics based on social contact networks due to their high dynamics. Traditional models such as susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model ignore the crowding or protection effect and thus has some unrealistic assumption. In this paper, we consider the crowding or protection effect and develop a novel model called improved SIR model. Then, we use both deterministic and stochastic models to characterize the dynamics of epidemics on social contact networks. The results from both simulations and real data set conclude that the epidemics are more likely to outbreak on social contact networks with higher average degree. We also present some potential immunization strategies, such as random set immunization, dominating set immunization, and high degree set immunization to further prove the conclusion.

A longitudinal exploration of pain tolerance and participation in contact sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Claire; Sheffield, David; Baird, Andrew

2017-07-01

Athletes who choose to engage in contact sports do so with the knowledge that participation will bring pain in the form of contact with others, injury, and from exertion. Whilst athletes who play contact sports have been shown to have higher pain tolerance than those who do not, it is unclear whether this is a result of habituation over time, or as a result of individual differences at the outset. The aim was to compare pain responses over an athletic season in athletes who participated in contact sport and those who disengaged from it. One hundred and two new contact athletes completed measures of cold and ischaemic pain tolerance, perceived pain intensity, pain bothersomeness, pain coping styles and attendance at the start, middle (4 months) and end (8 months) of their season. The athletes were drawn from martial arts, rugby and American football. Cluster analysis placed 47 athletes into a participating category and 55 into a non-participating cluster. Participating athletes had higher ischaemic pain tolerance at the start (r=0.27, p=0.05), middle (r=0.41, pdirect coping, catastrophized less about injury pain and also found contact pain to be less bothersome physically and psychologically compared to non-participating athletes. Participating athletes were more tolerant of ischaemic pain at the end of the season compared to the start (r=0.28, p=0.04). Conversely non-participating athletes became significantly less tolerant to both pain stimuli by the end of the season (cold pressor; r=0.54, psports become less pain tolerant of experimental pain, possibly a result of catastrophizing. The results suggest that athletes who commit to contact sports find pain less bothersome over time, possibly as a result of experience and learning to cope with pain. Athletes who continue to participate in contact sports have a higher pain tolerance, report less bothersomeness and have higher direct coping than those who drop out. In addition, tolerance to ischaemic pain increased

Fragrance contact allergy in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Firooz, A; Nassiri-Kashani, M; Khatami, A; Gorouhi, F; Babakoohi, S; Montaser-Kouhsari, L; Davari, P; Dowlati, Y

2010-12-01

Fragrances are considered as one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis. About 1-4% of the general population suffer from fragrance contact allergy (FCA). To determine the frequency of FCA and its clinical relevance in a sample of Iranian patients with history of contact and/or atopic dermatitis from January 2004 to December 2008. Standardized patch testing with 28-allergen screening series recommended by the German Contact Dermatitis Research Group and European Standard Series was used at six dermatological clinics in Iran. Fragrance allergens comprised of fragrance mix I (FM I), Myroxylon pereirae (MP; balsam of Peru), Lyral, turpentine and FM II. Fragrance contact allergy was detected in 7.2% of the patients. The frequency of positive reactions to FM I, MP and FM II were 3.7% (41/1105), 2.8% (32/1135) and 1.1% (3/267) respectively. 82.4% of the reactions to fragrance allergens were clinically relevant. The most common involved areas were hands (68.4%) and face (35.4%). Fragrance allergy predominantly affected women aged more than 40 years (P=0.008). Positive reaction to more than two allergens was significantly higher in FCA patients compared with other contact dermatitis patients (P<0.0001), and FM I, nickel and MP were the most frequent allergens in these patients. Despite less frequency of FCA in comparison with some European countries, its clinical relevance in Iranian patients seems to be high. It mostly affects the hands and the face predominantly in women aged more than 40 years. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Technology Exhibition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1979-09-15

Linked to the 25th Anniversary celebrations, an exhibition of some of CERN's technological achievements was opened on 22 June. Set up in a new 600 m{sup 2} Exhibition Hall on the CERN site, the exhibition is divided into eight technology areas — magnets, vacuum, computers and data handling, survey and alignment, radiation protection, beam monitoring and handling, detectors, and workshop techniques.

Behavior of bone cells in contact with magnesium implant material.

Science.gov (United States)

Burmester, Anna; Willumeit-Römer, Regine; Feyerabend, Frank

2017-01-01

Magnesium-based implants exhibit several advantages, such as biodegradability and possible osteoinductive properties. Whether the degradation may induce cell type-specific changes in metabolism still remains unclear. To examine the osteoinductivity mechanisms, the reaction of bone-derived cells (MG63, U2OS, SaoS2, and primary human osteoblasts (OB)) to magnesium (Mg) was determined. Mg-based extracts were used to mimic more realistic Mg degradation conditions. Moreover, the influence of cells having direct contact with the degrading Mg metal was investigated. In exposure to extracts and in direct contact, the cells decreased pH and osmolality due to metabolic activity. Proliferating cells showed no significant reaction to extracts, whereas differentiating cells were negatively influenced. In contrast to extract exposure, where cell size increased, in direct contact to magnesium, cell size was stable or even decreased. The amount of focal adhesions decreased over time on all materials. Genes involved in bone formation were significantly upregulated, especially for primary human osteoblasts. Some osteoinductive indicators were observed for OB: (i) an increased cell count after extract addition indicated a higher proliferation potential; (ii) increased cell sizes after extract supplementation in combination with augmented adhesion behavior of these cells suggest an early switch to differentiation; and (iii) bone-inducing gene expression patterns were determined for all analyzed conditions. The results from the cell lines were inhomogeneous and showed no specific stimulus of Mg. The comparison of the different cell types showed that primary cells of the investigated tissue should be used as an in vitro model if Mg is analyzed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 165-179, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of surface roughness and bacterial adhesion between cosmetic contact lenses and conventional contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Yong Woo; Cho, Young Joo; Lee, Chul Hee; Hong, Soon Ho; Chung, Dong Yong; Kim, Eung Kweon; Lee, Hyung Keun

2015-01-01

To compare physical characteristics of cosmetic contact lenses (Cos-CLs) and conventional contact lenses (Con-CLs) that might affect susceptibility to bacterial adhesion on the contact lens (CL) surface. Surface characteristics of Cos-CLs and Con-CLs made from the same material by the same manufacturer were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy. To determine the extent and rate of bacterial adhesion, Cos-CL and Con-CL were immersed in serum-free Roswell Park Memorial Institute media containing Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Additionally, the rate of removal of adherent bacteria was evaluated using hand rubbing or immersion in multipurpose disinfecting solutions (MPDS). The mean surface roughness (root mean square and peak-to-valley value) measured by AFM was significantly higher for Cos-CL than for Con-CL. At each time point, significantly more S. aureus and P. aeruginosa adhered to Cos-CL than to Con-CL, which correlated with the surface roughness of CL. In Cos-CL, bacteria were mainly found on the tinted surface rather than on the noncolored or convex areas. Pseudomonas aeruginosa attached earlier than S. aureus to all types of CL. However, P. aeruginosa was more easily removed from the surface of CL than S. aureus by hand rubbing or MPDS soaking. Increased surface roughness is an important physical factor for bacterial adhesion in Cos-CL, which may explain why rates of bacterial keratitis rates are higher in Cos-CL users in CL physical characteristics.

An elastic-plastic contact model for line contact structures

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Haibin; Zhao, Yingtao; He, Zhifeng; Zhang, Ruinan; Ma, Shaopeng

2018-06-01

Although numerical simulation tools are now very powerful, the development of analytical models is very important for the prediction of the mechanical behaviour of line contact structures for deeply understanding contact problems and engineering applications. For the line contact structures widely used in the engineering field, few analytical models are available for predicting the mechanical behaviour when the structures deform plastically, as the classic Hertz's theory would be invalid. Thus, the present study proposed an elastic-plastic model for line contact structures based on the understanding of the yield mechanism. A mathematical expression describing the global relationship between load history and contact width evolution of line contact structures was obtained. The proposed model was verified through an actual line contact test and a corresponding numerical simulation. The results confirmed that this model can be used to accurately predict the elastic-plastic mechanical behaviour of a line contact structure.

Determinants of the abilities to jump higher and shorten the contact time in a running 1-legged vertical jump in basketball.

Science.gov (United States)

Miura, Ken; Yamamoto, Masayoshi; Tamaki, Hiroyuki; Zushi, Koji

2010-01-01

This study was conducted to obtain useful information for developing training techniques for the running 1-legged vertical jump in basketball (lay-up shot jump). The ability to perform the lay-up shot jump and various basic jumps was measured by testing 19 male basketball players. The basic jumps consisted of the 1-legged repeated rebound jump, the 2-legged repeated rebound jump, and the countermovement jump. Jumping height, contact time, and jumping index (jumping height/contact time) were measured and calculated using a contact mat/computer system that recorded the contact and air times. The jumping index indicates power. No significant correlation existed between the jumping height and contact time of the lay-up shot jump, the 2 components of the lay-up shot jump index. As a result, jumping height and contact time were found to be mutually independent abilities. The relationships in contact time between the lay-up shot jump to the 1-legged repeated rebound jump and the 2-legged repeated rebound jump were correlated on the same significance levels (p jumping height existed between the 1-legged repeated rebound jump and the lay-up shot jump (p jumping height between the lay-up shot jump and both the 2-legged repeated rebound jump and countermovement jump. The lay-up shot index correlated more strongly to the 1-legged repeated rebound jump index (p jump index (p jump is effective in improving both contact time and jumping height in the lay-up shot jump.

Equilibrium contact angle or the most-stable contact angle?

Science.gov (United States)

Montes Ruiz-Cabello, F J; Rodríguez-Valverde, M A; Cabrerizo-Vílchez, M A

2014-04-01

It is well-established that the equilibrium contact angle in a thermodynamic framework is an "unattainable" contact angle. Instead, the most-stable contact angle obtained from mechanical stimuli of the system is indeed experimentally accessible. Monitoring the susceptibility of a sessile drop to a mechanical stimulus enables to identify the most stable drop configuration within the practical range of contact angle hysteresis. Two different stimuli may be used with sessile drops: mechanical vibration and tilting. The most stable drop against vibration should reveal the changeless contact angle but against the gravity force, it should reveal the highest resistance to slide down. After the corresponding mechanical stimulus, once the excited drop configuration is examined, the focus will be on the contact angle of the initial drop configuration. This methodology needs to map significantly the static drop configurations with different stable contact angles. The most-stable contact angle, together with the advancing and receding contact angles, completes the description of physically realizable configurations of a solid-liquid system. Since the most-stable contact angle is energetically significant, it may be used in the Wenzel, Cassie or Cassie-Baxter equations accordingly or for the surface energy evaluation. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Explanation of the barrier heights of graphene Schottky contacts by the MIGS-and-electronegativity concept

Science.gov (United States)

Mönch, Winfried

2016-09-01

Graphene-semiconductor contacts exhibit rectifying properties and, in this respect, they behave in exactly the same way as a "conventional" metal-semiconductor or Schottky contacts. It will be demonstrated that, as often assumed, the Schottky-Mott rule does not describe the reported barrier heights of graphene-semiconductor contacts. With "conventional" Schottky contacts, the same conclusion was reached already in 1940. The physical reason is that the Schottky-Mott rule considers no interaction between the metal and the semiconductor. The barrier heights of "conventional" Schottky contacts were explained by the continuum of metal-induced gap states (MIGSs), where the differences of the metal and semiconductor electronegativities describe the size and the sign of the intrinsic electric-dipoles at the interfaces. It is demonstrated that the MIGS-and-electronegativity concept unambiguously also explains the experimentally observed barrier heights of graphene Schottky contacts. This conclusion includes also the barrier heights reported for MoS2 Schottky contacts with "conventional" metals as well as with graphene.

Combined effects of fretting and pollutant particles on the contact resistance of the electrical connectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhigang Kong

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Usually, when electrical connectors operate in vibration environments, fretting will be produced at the contact interfaces. In addition, serious environmental pollution particles will affect contact resistance of the connectors. The fretting will worsen the reliability of connectors with the pollutant particles. The combined effects of fretting and quartz particles on the contact resistance of the gold plating connectors are studied with a fretting test system. The results show that the frequencies have obvious effect on the contact resistance. The higher the frequency, the higher the contact resistance is. The quartz particles cause serious wear of gold plating, which make the nickel and copper layer exposed quickly to increase the contact resistance. Especially in high humidity environments, water supply certain adhesion function and make quartz particles easy to insert or cover the contact surfaces, and even cause opening resistance.

Dynamic contact angle cycling homogenizes heterogeneous surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Belibel, R; Barbaud, C; Mora, L

2016-12-01

In order to reduce restenosis, the necessity to develop the appropriate coating material of metallic stent is a challenge for biomedicine and scientific research over the past decade. Therefore, biodegradable copolymers of poly((R,S)-3,3 dimethylmalic acid) (PDMMLA) were prepared in order to develop a new coating exhibiting different custom groups in its side chain and being able to carry a drug. This material will be in direct contact with cells and blood. It consists of carboxylic acid and hexylic groups used for hydrophilic and hydrophobic character, respectively. The study of this material wettability and dynamic surface properties is of importance due to the influence of the chemistry and the potential motility of these chemical groups on cell adhesion and polymer kinetic hydrolysis. Cassie theory was used for the theoretical correction of contact angles of these chemical heterogeneous surfaces coatings. Dynamic Surface Analysis was used as practical homogenizer of chemical heterogeneous surfaces by cycling during many cycles in water. In this work, we confirmed that, unlike receding contact angle, advancing contact angle is influenced by the difference of only 10% of acidic groups (%A) in side-chain of polymers. It linearly decreases with increasing acidity percentage. Hysteresis (H) is also a sensitive parameter which is discussed in this paper. Finally, we conclude that cycling provides real information, thus avoiding theoretical Cassie correction. H(10)is the most sensible parameter to %A. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contact Patterns in a High School: A Comparison between Data Collected Using Wearable Sensors, Contact Diaries and Friendship Surveys.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rossana Mastrandrea

Full Text Available Given their importance in shaping social networks and determining how information or transmissible diseases propagate in a population, interactions between individuals are the subject of many data collection efforts. To this aim, different methods are commonly used, ranging from diaries and surveys to decentralised infrastructures based on wearable sensors. These methods have each advantages and limitations but are rarely compared in a given setting. Moreover, as surveys targeting friendship relations might suffer less from memory biases than contact diaries, it is interesting to explore how actual contact patterns occurring in day-to-day life compare with friendship relations and with online social links. Here we make progresses in these directions by leveraging data collected in a French high school and concerning (i face-to-face contacts measured by two concurrent methods, namely wearable sensors and contact diaries, (ii self-reported friendship surveys, and (iii online social links. We compare the resulting data sets and find that most short contacts are not reported in diaries while long contacts have a large reporting probability, and that the durations of contacts tend to be overestimated in the diaries. Moreover, measured contacts corresponding to reported friendship can have durations of any length but all long contacts do correspond to a reported friendship. On the contrary, online links that are not also reported in the friendship survey correspond to short face-to-face contacts, highlighting the difference of nature between reported friendships and online links. Diaries and surveys suffer moreover from a low sampling rate, as many students did not fill them, showing that the sensor-based platform had a higher acceptability. We also show that, despite the biases of diaries and surveys, the overall structure of the contact network, as quantified by the mixing patterns between classes, is correctly captured by both networks of self

Contact Patterns in a High School: A Comparison between Data Collected Using Wearable Sensors, Contact Diaries and Friendship Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Mastrandrea, Rossana; Fournet, Julie; Barrat, Alain

2015-01-01

Given their importance in shaping social networks and determining how information or transmissible diseases propagate in a population, interactions between individuals are the subject of many data collection efforts. To this aim, different methods are commonly used, ranging from diaries and surveys to decentralised infrastructures based on wearable sensors. These methods have each advantages and limitations but are rarely compared in a given setting. Moreover, as surveys targeting friendship relations might suffer less from memory biases than contact diaries, it is interesting to explore how actual contact patterns occurring in day-to-day life compare with friendship relations and with online social links. Here we make progresses in these directions by leveraging data collected in a French high school and concerning (i) face-to-face contacts measured by two concurrent methods, namely wearable sensors and contact diaries, (ii) self-reported friendship surveys, and (iii) online social links. We compare the resulting data sets and find that most short contacts are not reported in diaries while long contacts have a large reporting probability, and that the durations of contacts tend to be overestimated in the diaries. Moreover, measured contacts corresponding to reported friendship can have durations of any length but all long contacts do correspond to a reported friendship. On the contrary, online links that are not also reported in the friendship survey correspond to short face-to-face contacts, highlighting the difference of nature between reported friendships and online links. Diaries and surveys suffer moreover from a low sampling rate, as many students did not fill them, showing that the sensor-based platform had a higher acceptability. We also show that, despite the biases of diaries and surveys, the overall structure of the contact network, as quantified by the mixing patterns between classes, is correctly captured by both networks of self-reported contacts and

Technology development: imperatives for higher education | Broere ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There is a major drive in South Africa to reshape the higher educational landscape, but traditional higher education at public contact institutions is certainly not geared to make an optimal contribution to this development in its present form. The question can be asked whether South Africa's higher education institutions (HEIs) ...

An effect-directed strategy for characterizing emerging chemicals in food contact materials made from paper and board

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenmai, Anna Kjerstine; Bengtström, Linda; Taxvig, Camilla

2017-01-01

Food contact materials (FCM) are any type of item intended to come into contact with foods and thus represent a potential source for human exposure to chemicals. Regarding FCMs made of paper and board, information pertaining to their chemical constituents and the potential impacts on human health...... FCMs exhibited activities in at least one assay. As proof-of-principle, FCM samples obtained from a sandwich wrapper and a pizza box were carried through a complete step-by-step multi-tiered approach. The pizza box exhibited ER activity, likely caused by the presence of bisphenol A, dibutyl phthalate......, and benzylbutyl phthalate. The sandwich wrapper exhibited AR antagonism, likely caused by abietic acid and dehydroabietic acid. Migration studies confirmed that the active chemicals can transfer from FCMs to food simulants. In conclusion, we report an effect-directed strategy that can identify hazards posed...

The relationship between contact and attitudes: Reducing prejudice toward individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Keith, Jessica M; Bennetto, Loisa; Rogge, Ronald D

2015-12-01

Increases in intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) diagnoses coupled with higher rates of inclusion in school and community settings, has created more opportunities for exposure and integration between those with IDD and the mainstream population. Previous research has found that increased contact can lead to more positive attitudes toward those with IDD. The current study further investigated this impact of contact on attitudes by examining the influence of the quality and quantity of contact on both explicit and implicit levels of prejudice, while also considering potential mediation via intergroup anxiety and implicit attitudes. Based on past research and theory, we predicted that contact (especially quality contact) would have a strong relationship with explicit and implicit positive attitudes toward individuals with IDD. In the present study, 550 people completed a survey and short task that measured their level of contact with individuals with IDD across their lifetime, their current attitudes toward these individuals, and other constructs that are thought to influence this relationship. Multiple regression analyses suggested consistent links between higher quality of contact and lower levels of prejudice toward individuals with IDD at both the explicit and implicit levels. After controlling for quality of contact, higher quantity of contact was either not significantly associated with our measures of prejudice or was, importantly, associated with higher levels of prejudice. Additional analyses support intergroup anxiety and implicit positive attitudes as significant mediators in the associations between quality of contact and the various dimensions of explicit prejudice. Thus, it would seem that it is the quality of interpersonal interactions that is most strongly related to positive attitudes toward individuals with IDD, making it crucial to take care when developing inclusion opportunities in community settings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd

Effect of air confinement on thermal contact resistance in nanoscale heat transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Pratap, Dheeraj; Islam, Rakibul; Al-Alam, Patricia; Randrianalisoa, Jaona; Trannoy, Nathalie

2018-03-01

Here, we report a detailed analysis of thermal contact resistance (R c) of nano-size contact formed between a Wollaston wire thermal probe and the used samples (fused silica and titanium) as a function of air pressure (from 1 Pa to 105 Pa). Moreover, we suggest an analytical model using experimental data to extract R c. We found that for both samples, the thermal contact resistance decreases with increasing air pressure. We also showed that R c strongly depends on the thermal conductivity of materials keeping other parameters the same, such as roughness of the probe and samples, as well as the contact force. We provide a physical explanation of the R c trend with pressure and thermal conductivity of the materials: R c is ascribed to the heat transfer through solid-solid (probe-sample) contact and confined air at nanoscale cavities, due to the rough nature of the materials in contact. The contribution of confined air on heat transfer through the probe sample contact is significant at atmospheric pressure but decreases as the pressure decreases. In vacuum, only the solid-solid contact contributes to R c. In addition, theoretical calculations using the well-known acoustic and diffuse mismatch models showed a high thermal conductivity material that exhibits high heat transmission and consequently low R c, supporting our findings.

Performative exhibition and its different modes of experience

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwarzbart, Judith

The avant-gardes of the late 60s and 70s challenged many conventions associated with the (classical) modernist art exhibition such as: a static timeless display of autonomous objects, the spectator as a disembodied visual receptor, and the personal experience emphasizing the individual and never...... the social. The avant-gardes have not, however, let to the disappearance of a modernist exhibition format but to a proliferation of formats including some that are more performative in its character, which means: more dynamic, developing over time, with a higher degree of bodily and discursive exchange, and...

12th Industrial Exhibition “Germany at CERN“: 28 and 29 January 2014

CERN Multimedia

2013-01-01

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) together with CERN, will hold the 12th Industrial Exhibition “Germany at CERN”. More than 50 German companies will present their latest products and services, often specifically developed for CERN, to the scientists and buyers of CERN, establishing contacts and providing information about future purchasing opportunities.   Heated tent adjacent to Restaurant 1 Tuesday 28 January 2014 from 11 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Wednesday 29 January 2014 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On 28 January, MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher, Director for Provision for the Future - Basic and Sustainability Research within the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and CERN Director-General Professor Rolf D. Heuer will open the exhibition. This will be followed by a tour of the exhibition. Individual meetings between the company representatives and CERN staff can be organised either in the booths in the tent adjacent to Restaurant 1 or in conference...

Reducing contact resistance in graphene devices through contact area patterning.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Joshua T; Franklin, Aaron D; Farmer, Damon B; Dimitrakopoulos, Christos D

2013-04-23

Performance of graphene electronics is limited by contact resistance associated with the metal-graphene (M-G) interface, where unique transport challenges arise as carriers are injected from a 3D metal into a 2D-graphene sheet. In this work, enhanced carrier injection is experimentally achieved in graphene devices by forming cuts in the graphene within the contact regions. These cuts are oriented normal to the channel and facilitate bonding between the contact metal and carbon atoms at the graphene cut edges, reproducibly maximizing "edge-contacted" injection. Despite the reduction in M-G contact area caused by these cuts, we find that a 32% reduction in contact resistance results in Cu-contacted, two-terminal devices, while a 22% reduction is achieved for top-gated graphene transistors with Pd contacts as compared to conventionally fabricated devices. The crucial role of contact annealing to facilitate this improvement is also elucidated. This simple approach provides a reliable and reproducible means of lowering contact resistance in graphene devices to bolster performance. Importantly, this enhancement requires no additional processing steps.

The psychology of diaspora experiences: intergroup contact, perceived discrimination, and the ethnic identity of Koreans in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Richard M; Noh, Chi-Young; Yoo, Hyung Chol; Doh, Hyun-Sim

2007-04-01

The moderating role of intergroup contact on the relationship between perceived discrimination and ethnic identity was examined in a diaspora community of Koreans living in China. It was hypothesized that Koreans with higher intergroup contact would have a lower ethnic identity under higher discrimination, whereas Koreans with lower intergroup contact would have a higher ethnic identity. Across two separate college samples, Koreans who were more willing to interact with Han Chinese had a lower ethnic identity when discrimination was higher, but this finding was not replicated within one college setting. These findings challenge the linear rejection-identification model and suggest displaced people may minimize ingroup-outgroup differences, depending on their willingness to seek intergroup contact. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

Cross-Cultural Contact in Counseling Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz-Lazaro, Carlos M.; Cohen, B. Beth

2001-01-01

Reports on the importance of cross-cultural contact in the development of multicultural counseling competencies (MCCs). Results reveal that the greater the prior cross-cultural life experience, the higher were students' MCCs measured at the beginning of a multicultural counseling course. MCCs measured at the end of the course were significantly…

Prioritized Contact Transport Stream

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Walter Lee, Jr. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A detection process, contact recognition process, classification process, and identification process are applied to raw sensor data to produce an identified contact record set containing one or more identified contact records. A prioritization process is applied to the identified contact record set to assign a contact priority to each contact record in the identified contact record set. Data are removed from the contact records in the identified contact record set based on the contact priorities assigned to those contact records. A first contact stream is produced from the resulting contact records. The first contact stream is streamed in a contact transport stream. The contact transport stream may include and stream additional contact streams. The contact transport stream may be varied dynamically over time based on parameters such as available bandwidth, contact priority, presence/absence of contacts, system state, and configuration parameters.

Wettability properties of PTFE/ZnO nanorods thin film exhibiting UV-resilient superhydrophobicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayat, A.; Ebrahimi, M.; Nourmohammadi, A.; Moshfegh, A.Z.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Thin layer of Teflon was deposited on ZnO nanorods using RF sputtering technique. • Water contact angle was measured from 3° for ZnO to 160° for the PTFE/ZnO. • Very low contact angle hysteresis of ∼2° and sliding angle of ∼1° was measured. • Excellent stability under UV illumination was observed for the PTFE/ZnO sample. • We have proposed a model to describe wettability property supporting our data. - Abstract: In this research, initially anodization process was used to fabricate ZnO nanorods on Zn substrate and then RF sputtering technique was applied to grow a thin layer of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon) on the coated ZnO nanorods for producing a superhydrophobic surface. According to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, ZnO nanorods were formed with average diameter and length of about ∼180 nm and 14 μm, respectively. Superhydrophilic property of ZnO nanorods and superhydrophobic property of PTFE/ZnO nanorods was investigated by water contact angle (WCA) measurements. It was found that the contact angle varied with the PTFE deposition time. The highest contact angle measurement was obtained at 160° for the PTFE (60 min coating)/ZnO as optimum sample which indicates its superhydrophobic property. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) determined surface chemical composition and F/C ratio of about 1.27 for this sample. A change of water contact angle from 3° to 160° indicates transition from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic state. Very low contact angle hysteresis (CAH) of ∼2° and sliding angle (SA) of ∼1° as well as unchanged contact angle under UV illumination was observed for the synthesized optimum PTFE/ZnO sample exhibits an excellent superhydrophobic property. Based on our data analysis, the ZnO nanorods and the PTFE/ZnO nanorods obey Wenzel and Cassie–Baxter model, respectively

American Contact Dermatitis Society Contact Allergy Management Program: An Epidemiologic Tool to Determine Relative Prevalence of Contact Allergens.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheman, Andrew; Severson, David

2016-01-01

Data on the prevalence of contact allergy in North America are currently reported by groups of academic contact allergy specialists at select academic centers. Sampling of data from numerous centers across North America, including practices performing more limited patch testing, would provide a broader perspective of contact allergen prevalence in North America. The American Contact Dermatitis Society Contact Allergy Management Program is an ideal tool for collection of epidemiologic data regarding contact allergy prevalence in North America. The aim of the study was to identify the relative prevalence of contact allergy to common contact allergens in North America. Mapping of Contact Allergy Management Program (CAMP) data was performed to allow analysis of how frequently searches were performed for various contact allergens. The number of searches performed for specific allergens provides a measure of the relative prevalence of contact allergy to these allergens. The top 35 allergens for the period from November 18, 2012 to November 18, 2013 are reported. Although these data are useful, specific recommendations for minor alterations to CAMP are discussed, which will allow future CAMP data to be stratified and more powerful. With minor modifications, CAMP can provide a quantum leap in the reporting of contact allergy epidemiologic data in North America.

N-cadherin+ HSCs in fetal liver exhibit higher long-term bone marrow reconstitution activity than N-cadherin− HSCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toyama, Hirofumi; Arai, Fumio; Hosokawa, Kentaro; Ikushima, Yoshiko Matsumoto; Suda, Toshio

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► High N-cad expression was detected in E12.5 mouse FL LT-HSCs (EPCR + LSK cells). ► Immunohistochemically, N-cad + HSCs co-localized with sinusoidal ECs (Lyve-1 + cells) in E12.5 FL, but these gradually detached in E15.5 and E18.5 FL. ► N-cad + LSK cells in E12.5 FL exhibited higher LTR activity versus N-cad − LSK cells, which decreased in E15.5 and E18.5. ► N-cad expression may confer high LTR activity to HSCs by facilitating interactions with the perisinusoidal niche in FL. -- Abstract: Adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are maintained in a microenvironment known as the stem cell niche. The regulation of HSCs in fetal liver (FL) and their niche, however, remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the role of N-cadherin (N-cad) in the maintenance of HSCs during FL hematopoiesis. By using anti-N-cad antibodies (Abs) produced by our laboratory, we detected high N-cad expression in embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) mouse FL HSCs, but not in E15.5 and E18.5 FL. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that N-cad + c-Kit + and N-cad + endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) + HSCs co-localized with Lyve-1 + sinusoidal endothelial cells (ECs) in E12.5 FL and that some of these cells also expressed N-cad. However, N-cad + HSCs were also observed to detach from the perisinusoidal niche at E15.5 and E18.5, concomitant with a down-regulation of N-cad and an up-regulation of E-cadherin (E-cad) in hepatic cells. Moreover, EPCR + long-term (LT)-HSCs were enriched in the N-cad + Lin − Sca-1 + c-Kit + (LSK) fraction in E12.5 FL, but not in E15.5 or E18.5 FL. In a long-term reconstitution (LTR) activity assay, higher engraftment associated with N-cad + LSK cells versus N-cad − LSK cells in E12.5 FL when transplanted into lethally irradiated recipient mice. However, the higher engraftment of N-cad + LSK cells decreased subsequently in E15.5 and E18.5 FL. It is possible that N-cad expression conferred higher LTR activity to HSCs by facilitating

Customer loyalty among daily disposable contact lens wearers.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Neelam I; Naroo, Shehzad A; Eperjesi, Frank; Rumney, Nicholas J

2015-02-01

Optometric practices offer contact lenses as cash sale items or as part of monthly payment plans. With the contact lens market becoming increasingly competitive, patients are opting to purchase lenses from supermarkets and Internet suppliers. Monthly payment plans are often implemented to improve loyalty. This study aimed to compare behavioural loyalty between monthly payment plan members and non-members. BBR Optometry Ltd offers a monthly payment plan (Eyelife™) to their contact lens wearers. A retrospective audit of 38 Eyelife™ members (mean±SD: 42.7±15.0 years) and 30 non-members (mean±SD: 40.8±16.7 years) was conducted. Revenue and profits generated, service uptake and product sales between the two groups were compared over a fixed period of 18 months. Eyelife™ members generated significantly higher professional fee revenue (Ployalty among contact lens wearers, particularly service uptake and volume of lens purchases. Additionally the greater professional fees generated, render monthly payment plans an attractive business model and practice builder. Copyright © 2014 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ocular physiology and comfort in neophyte subjects fitted with daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Philip B; Chamberlain, Paul; Moody, Kurt; Maldonado-Codina, Carole

2013-06-01

To evaluate the performance of a silicone hydrogel daily disposable lens in neophyte subjects over 12 months. Seventy four subjects with no previous contact lens experience were randomised to wear narafilcon A (1 DAY ACUVUE(®) TruEye™) lenses (LW group) or to wear no contact lenses (NLW group) for 12 months. Biomicroscopy (performed by a masked investigator), visual acuity and subjective response scores were recorded at an initial visit and six follow-up visits, in addition to lens fit and surface evaluation for the LW group. Comfort was recorded with SMS messaging. Fifteen of the LW group discontinued before the end of the study, compared with six of the NLW group. Measured visual acuity was about half a line better for the NLW group as these subjects were provided with their full sphero-cylindrical over-refraction, compared to the LW group in their best spherical corrected contact lenses; subjective scores for vision were similar for the two groups. Bulbar conjunctival hyperaemia, limbal hyperaemia, corneal staining, conjunctival staining and papillary conjunctivitis were clinically equivalent for the two groups whereas conjunctival staining was higher in the LW group. Comfort scores assessed by SMS were equivalent for the LW and NLW groups; there was a measurable improvement in comfort during the first month of wear for the LW group. This work has demonstrated that modern soft lenses (narafilcon A daily disposable silicone hydrogel lenses) offer an excellent, comfortable form of vision correction, and are able to exhibit minimal alterations to ocular physiology. Copyright © 2012 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language Contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelde, Peter Hans

1995-01-01

Examines the phenomenon of language contact and recent trends in linguistic contact research, which focuses on language use, language users, and language spheres. Also discusses the role of linguistic and cultural conflicts in language contact situations. (13 references) (MDM)

Adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis to silicone-hydrogel contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Henriques, Mariana; Sousa, Cláudia; Lira, Madalena; Elisabete, M; Oliveira, Real; Oliveira, Rosário; Azeredo, Joana

2005-06-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the adhesion capabilities of the most important etiologic agents of microbial ocular infection to the recently available silicone-hydrogel lenses with those to a conventional hydrogel lens. In vitro static adhesion assays of Pseudomonas aeruginosa 10,145, Staphylococcus epidermidis 9142 (biofilm-positive), and 12,228 (biofilm-negative) to two extended-wear silicone-hydrogel lenses (balafilcon A and lotrafilcon A), a daily wear silicone-hydrogel lens (galyfilcon A) and a conventional hydrogel (etafilcon A) were performed. To interpret the adhesion results, lens surface relative hydrophobicity was assessed by water contact angle measurements. P. aeruginosa and S. epidermidis 9142 exhibited greater adhesion capabilities to the extended wear silicone-hydrogel lenses than to the daily wear silicone- and conventional hydrogel lenses (p adhesion extent of these strains to galyfilcon A and etafilcon A. The biofilm negative strain of S. epidermidis adhered in larger extents to the silicone-hydrogel lenses than to the conventional hydrogel (p contact angle measurements revealed that the extended wear silicone-hydrogel lenses are hydrophobic, whereas the daily wear silicone- and conventional hydrogel lenses are hydrophilic. As a result of their hydrophobicity, the extended wear silicone-hydrogel lenses (lotrafilcon A and balafilcon A) may carry higher risk of microbial contamination than both the hydrophilic daily wear silicone-hydrogel lens, galyfilcon A and the conventional hydrogel lens, etafilcon A.

Hand hygiene compliance in patients under contact precautions and in the general hospital population.

Science.gov (United States)

Almaguer-Leyva, Martín; Mendoza-Flores, Lidia; Medina-Torres, Ana Gabriela; Salinas-Caballero, Ana Gabriela; Vidaña-Amaro, Jose Antonio; Garza-Gonzalez, Elvira; Camacho-Ortiz, Adrián

2013-11-01

Hand hygiene (HH) is the single most important intervention for preventing hospital-acquired infections. Contact precautions are a series of actions that infection control units take to reduce the transmission of nosocomial pathogens. We conducted an observational study of HH compliance. Observations were stratified as opportunities in patients under contact precautions and in the general hospital population. Trained infection control personnel performed all direct evaluations. A total of 3,270 opportunities were recorded. HH compliance was statistically higher in patients on contact precautions than in the overall population (70.3% vs 60.4%; P = .0001). Critical care areas had higher HH compliance when patients were isolated by contact precautions. Medical wards were statistically lower in HH when patients were under contact precautions. Respiratory technicians had the highest HH compliance in both overall performance and in patients under contact precautions. Medical students had a lower HH compliance in both evaluations (P Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct Measurement of Static and Dynamic Contact Angles Using a Random Micromodel Considering Geological CO2 Sequestration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Jafari

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The pore-level two-phase fluids flow mechanism needs to be understood for geological CO2 sequestration as a solution to mitigate anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide. Capillary pressure at the interface of water–CO2 influences CO2 injectability, capacity, and safety of the storage system. Wettability usually measured by contact angle is always a major uncertainty source among important parameters affecting capillary pressure. The contact angle is mostly determined on a flat surface as a representative of the rock surface. However, a simple and precise method for determining in situ contact angle at pore-scale is needed to simulate fluids flow in porous media. Recent progresses in X-ray tomography technique has provided a robust way to measure in situ contact angle of rocks. However, slow imaging and complicated image processing make it impossible to measure dynamic contact angle. In the present paper, a series of static and dynamic contact angles as well as contact angles on flat surface were measured inside a micromodel with random pattern of channels under high pressure condition. Our results showed a wide range of pore-scale contact angles, implying complexity of the pore-scale contact angle even in a highly smooth and chemically homogenous glass micromodel. Receding contact angle (RCA showed more reproducibility compared to advancing contact angle (ACA and static contact angle (SCA for repeating tests and during both drainage and imbibition. With decreasing pore size, RCA was increased. The hysteresis of the dynamic contact angle (ACA–RCA was higher at pressure of one megapascal in comparison with that at eight megapascals. The CO2 bubble had higher mobility at higher depths due to lower hysteresis which is unfavorable. CO2 bubbles resting on the flat surface of the micromodel channel showed a wide range of contact angles. They were much higher than reported contact angle values observed with sessile drop or captive bubble tests on a

Drop evaporation on superhydrophobic PTFE surfaces driven by contact line dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, S M M; Dias, J F; Canut, B

2015-02-15

In the present study, we experimentally study the evaporation modes and kinetics of sessile drops of water on highly hydrophobic surfaces (contact angle ∼160°), heated to temperatures ranging between 40° and 70 °C. These surfaces were initially constructed by means of controlled tailoring of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) substrates. The evaporation of droplets was observed to occur in three distinct phases, which were the same for the different substrate temperatures. The drops started to evaporate in the constant contact radius (CCR) mode, then switched to a more complex mode characterized by a set of stick-slip events accompanied by a decrease in contact angle, and finally shifted to a mixed mode in which the contact radius and contact angle decreased simultaneously until the drops had completely evaporated. It is shown that in the case of superhydrophobic surfaces, the energy barriers (per unit length) associated with the stick-slip motion of a drop ranges in the nJ m(-1) scale. Furthermore, analysis of the evaporation rates, determined from experimental data show that, even in the CCR mode, a linear relationship between V(2/3) and the evaporation time is verified. The values of the evaporation rate constants are found to be higher in the pinned contact line regime (the CCR mode) than in the moving contact line regime. This behavior is attributed to the drop's higher surface to volume ratio in the CCR mode. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oxygen, water, and sodium chloride transport in soft contact lenses materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Gavara, Rafael; Compañ, Vicente

2017-11-01

Oxygen permeability, diffusion coefficient of the sodium ions and water flux and permeability in different conventional hydrogel (Hy) and silicone-hydrogel (Si-Hy) contact lenses have been measured experimentally. The results showed that oxygen permeability and transmissibility requirements of the lens have been addressed through the use of siloxane containing hydrogels. In general, oxygen and sodium chloride permeability values increased with the water content of the lens but there was a percolation phenomenon from a given value of water uptake mainly in the Si-Hy lenses which appeared to be related with the differences between free water and bound water contents. The increase of ion permeability with water content did not follow a unique trend indicating a possible dependence of the chemical structure of the polymer and character ionic and non-ionic of the lens. Indeed, the salt permeability values for silicone hydrogel contact lenses were one order of magnitude below those of conventional hydrogel contact lenses, which can be explained by a diffusion of sodium ions occurring only through the hydrophilic channels. The increase of the ionic permeability in Si-Hy materials may be due to the confinement of ions in nanoscale water channels involving possible decreased degrees of freedom for diffusion of both water and ions. In general, ionic lenses presented values of ionic permeability and diffusivity higher than most non-ionic lenses. The tortuosity of the ionic lenses is lower than the non-ionic Si-Hy lenses. Frequency 55 and PureVision exhibited the highest water permeability and flux values and, these parameters were greater for ionic Si-Hy lenses than for ionic conventional hydrogel lenses. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 2218-2231, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Molecular Dynamics Analyses on Microscopic Contact Angle - Effect of Wall Atom Configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahiro Ito; Yosuke Hirata; Yutaka Kukita

2006-01-01

Boiling or condensing phenomena of liquid on the solid surface is greatly affected by the wetting condition of the liquid to the solid. Although the contact angle is one of the most important parameter to represent the wetting condition, the behavior of the contact angle is not understood well, especially in the dynamic condition. In this study we made molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the microscopic contact angle behavior under several conditions on the numerical density of the wall atoms. In the analyses, when the number density of the wall is lower, the changing rate of the dynamics contact angles for the variation of ΔV was higher than those for the case where the wall density is higher. This is mainly due to the crystallization of the fluid near the wall and subsequent decrease in the slip between the fluid and the wall. The analyses also show that the static contact angle decreases with increase in the number density of the wall. This was mainly induced by the increase in the number density of the wall itself. (authors)

Isogeometric frictionless contact analysis with the third medium method

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, R.; Nguyen-Thanh, N.; Wriggers, P.; De Lorenzis, L.

2018-01-01

This paper presents an isogeometric formulation for frictionless contact between deformable bodies, based on the recently proposed concept of the third medium. This concept relies on continuum formulations not only for the contacting bodies but also for a fictitious intermediate medium in which the bodies can move and interact. Key to the formulation is a suitable definition of the constitutive behavior of the third medium. In this work, based on a number of numerical tests, the role of the material parameters of the third medium is systematically assessed. We also assess the rate of spatial convergence for higher-order discretizations, stemming from the regularization of the non-smooth contact problem inherent to the third medium approach. Finally, problems with self contact are considered and turn out to be an attractive application of the method.

Comparative measurement of intraocular pressure by Icare tonometry and Airpuff tonometry in healthy subjects and patients wearing therapeutic soft contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Anton, Alexandra; Neuburger, Matthias; Böhringer, Daniel; Jordan, Jens F

2013-07-01

The aim of the present study was to compare the measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) through a therapeutic soft contact lens with the "native" measurement. We additionally investigate whether a rebound tonometer (RT) or non-contact tonometer (NCT) is more suitable to measure IOP through a bandage contact lens. The IOP was determined using each of the two methods, three times successively with (lens measurement) and without (native measurement) a soft contact lens. The Icare tonometer (Icare® TA01i, Icare Finland Oy, 23 subjects) and the Airpuff tonometer (Nidek NT 53OP, Nidek CO., LTD, Hiroishi Gamagori, Aichi, Japan, 16 subjects) were used. We compared the mean values (validity parameter) and standard deviation (precision parameter) of the three individual measurements in each case using the paired t-test. In addition, we conducted a power analysis to estimate the maximum error in the measurement caused by the contact lens (power level set to 0.8). With the Airpuff tonometer we detected no statistically significant between the lens and the native measurement (15.6 ± 2.6 vs. 15.3 ± 2.6 mmHg; p = 0.42). The power analysis revealed that the maximum error caused by the contact lens was 1.2 mmHg. The Icare tonometry, however, trended toward higher values in the contact lens measurements (17.5 ± 4.3 vs. 16.4 ± 3.5 mmHg in the native measurements; p = 0.05). Interestingly, this difference exhibited a statistically significant correlation with the corneal thickness (0.03 mmHg per μm corneal thickness; p = 0.04). The use of NCT and RT for IOP measurement over a soft contact lens is feasible. The accuracy appears to be sufficient for the most common clinical applications.

Influence of the degree of thermal contact in fin and tube heat exchanger

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Singh, Shobhana; Sørensen, Kim; Condra, Thomas Joseph

2016-01-01

Present work aims to investigate the significance of thermal contact area between fins and tubes in a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger type selected for the study is a liquid-gas fin and tube heat exchanger. Four different cases namely I, II, III, and IV, based on a variable degree of thermal...... contact between fins and tubes are investigated. Case-I with 100% thermal contact area between the fin and tube is set as a reference to cases-II, III, and IV with a thermal contact area of approximately 70%, 50%, and 35%, respectively. Three-dimensional (3D) steady-state numerical models based on finite...... and to compare the performance of heat exchanger design in different cases. Comparative analysis indicates a significant influence of the degree of the thermal contact area between fin and tube on the overall performance. Case-I is found to have higher overall heat transfer coefficient of 47.332 W/(m2 K), higher...

Titanium contacts to graphene: process-induced variability in electronic and thermal transport

Science.gov (United States)

Freedy, Keren M.; Giri, Ashutosh; Foley, Brian M.; Barone, Matthew R.; Hopkins, Patrick E.; McDonnell, Stephen

2018-04-01

Contact resistance (R C) is a major limiting factor in the performance of graphene devices. R C is sensitive to the quality of the interface and the composition of the contact, which are affected by the graphene transfer process and contact deposition conditions. In this work, a linear correlation is observed between the composition of Ti contacts, characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the Ti/graphene contact resistance measured by the transfer length method. We find that contact composition is tunable via deposition rate and base pressure. Reactor base pressure is found to effect the resultant contact resistance. The effect of contact deposition conditions on thermal transport measured by time-domain thermoreflectance is also reported. Interfaces with higher oxide composition appear to result in a lower thermal boundary conductance. Possible origins of this thermal boundary conductance change with oxide composition are discussed.

Non-Contact Laser Based Ultrasound Evaluation of Canned Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, David

2005-03-01

Laser-Based Ultrasound detection was used to measure the velocity of compression waves transmitted through canned foods. Condensed broth, canned pasta, and non-condensed soup were evaluated in these experiments. Homodyne adaptive optics resulted in measurements that were more accurate than the traditional heterodyne method, as well as yielding a 10 dB gain in signal to noise. A-Scans measured the velocity of ultrasound sent through the center of the can and were able to distinguish the quantity of food stuff in its path, as well as distinguish between meat and potato. B-Scans investigated the heterogeneity of the sample’s contents. The evaluation of canned foods was completely non-contact and would be suitable for continuous monitoring in production. These results were verified by conducting the same experiments with a contact piezo transducer. Although the contact method yields a higher signal to noise ratio than the non-contact method, Laser-Based Ultrasound was able to detect surface waves the contact transducer could not.

Improved contact metallization for high efficiency EFG polycrystalline silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dube, C.E.; Gonsiorawski, R.C.

1990-01-01

Improvements in the performance of polycrystalline silicon solar cells based on a novel, laser patterned contact process are described. Small lots of cells having an average conversion efficiency of 14 + %, with several cells approaching 15%, are reported for cells of 45 cm 2 area. The high efficiency contact design is based on YAG laser patterning of the silicon nitride anti-reflection coating. The Cu metallization is done using light-induced plating, with the cell providing the driving voltage for the plating process. The Cu electrodeposits into the laser defined windows in the AR coating for reduced contact area, following which the Cu bridges on top of the Ar coating to form a continuous finger pattern. The higher cell conversion efficiency is attributed to reduced shadow loss, higher junction quality, and reduced metal-semiconductor interfacial area

Influence of the cylindrical gear pairs parameters to the transverse contact ratio

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Predrag S. Dobratić

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In the field of transmission and power transformation from the power engine to the working machine, gear pairs, are mostly used in mechanical engineering due to their compactness of the structure, high reliability and capacity. One way of improving the performance characteristics of gear pairs, and thus the gear transmitters, is to increase the number of simultaneously meshed pairs of teeth, or increasing the transverse contact ratio. To this end, this paper analyzes in detail the partial and simultaneous influence of the number of teeth and tooth profile shapes, moving through shifting coefficient and pressure angle, to the number of simultaneously meshed pairs of teeth. The obtained results allow us to define the optimum parameters of cylindrical gear pairs, in terms of the size of the transverse contact ratio. Introduction The kinematic indicator of the existence of the transmitting continuity of a rotary movement is the total contact ratio. In order to achieve the transmitting continuity of a rotary movement, the total contact ratio must be higher than one. Based on the total contact ratio, the information on the number of simultaneously meshed pairs of the teeth which rotate during the contact period is obtained. For example, if the  – one and two pairs of teeth alternately take turn, and if the  – two and three pairs of teeth alternately take turn, etc. It should be noted that the  is a necessary but not sufficient condition for achieving multiple meshes. The next condition to meet is the compatibility between the accuracy of teeth production, the teeth rigidity and the intensity of the total load of the teeth pair. The influence of the addendum coefficient on the transverse contact ratio is shown in the paper (Li, 2008. It is shown that changes in the addendum coefficient in conjunction with the corresponding values of the shifting coefficient and gear ratio can achieve the transverse contact ratio value higher than four. The paper

Numerical Modeling of Electrical Contact Conductance of Rough Bodies

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M. V. Murashov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Since the beginning of the 20th century to the present time, efforts have been made to develop a model of the electrical contact conductance. The development of micro- and nanotechnologies make contact conductance problem more essential. To conduct borrowing from a welldeveloped thermal contact conductance models on the basis of thermal and electrical conductivity analogy is often not possible due to a number of fundamental differences. While some 3Dmodels of rough bodies deformation have been developed in one way or another, a 3D-model of the electrical conductance through rough bodies contact is still not. A spatial model of electrical contact of rough bodies is proposed, allows one to calculate the electrical contact conductance as a function of the contact pressure. Representative elements of the bodies are parallelepipeds with deterministic roughness on the contacting surfaces. First the non-linear elastic-plastic deformation of rough surface under external pressure is solved using the finite element software ANSYS. Then the solution of electrostatic problem goes on the same finite element mesh. Aluminum AD1 is used as the material of the contacting bodies with properties that account for cold work hardening of the surface. The numerical model is built within the continuum mechanics and nanoscale effects are not taken into account. The electrical contact conductance was calculated on the basis of the concept of electrical resistance of the model as the sum of the electrical resistances of the contacting bodies and the contact itself. It was assumed that there is no air in the gap between the bodies. The dependence of the electrical contact conductance on the contact pressure is calculated as well as voltage and current density distributions in the contact bodies. It is determined that the multi-asperity contact mode, adequate to real roughness, is achieved at pressures higher than 3MPa, while results within the single contact spot are

Tribofilms Forming in Oil-Lubricated Contacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthias Scherge

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The subject of the present paper is the characterization of third bodies of run-in systems. By means of continuous friction and wear measurement, lubricated steel-steel and steel-aluminum contacts were evaluated. Microstructure, chemical composition and response of the materials to shear were analyzed by XPS/AES and focused ion beam technique. After a proper running-in, both systems developed a third body. The third body differs significantly from the base materials. In addition to adapted microstructure and near-surface chemistry, the third body exhibited a substructure characterized by a near-surface zone that accommodates shear and a second, deeper region that ensures strengthening.

Exhibition

CERN Document Server

Staff Association

2017-01-01

A Look of Hope Islam Mahmoud Sweity From 19 to 30 June 2017 CERN Meyrin, Main Building Islam Mahmoud Sweity Islam Mahmoud Sweity was born in 1997 at Beit Awwa, Palestine. She is currently following a course to get an Art diploma of Painting at the college of Fine Arts at An-Najah National University under the supervision of Esmat Al As'aad. Her portraits, landscapes and still life paintings are full of life and shining colours. Charged of emotional empathy they catch the attention of the viewer and are reminding us that life is beautiful and worth living in spite of all difficulties we have to go through. She participated in many exhibitions and has exposed her drawings in 2015 at CERN and in France in the framework of the exhibition "The Origin“, and in 2017 in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Palestina and Jordan. In this exhibition the oil paintings made in the past year will be presented. For more information : staff.association@cern.ch | T&eacu...

Contact Lens Care

Science.gov (United States)

... Consumers Consumer Information by Audience For Women Contact Lens Care Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing ... www.fda.gov/medwatch Learn More about Contact Lens Care Other Tips on Contact Lenses Decorative Contact ...

Contact enhancement of locomotion in spreading cell colonies

Science.gov (United States)

D'Alessandro, Joseph; Solon, Alexandre P.; Hayakawa, Yoshinori; Anjard, Christophe; Detcheverry, François; Rieu, Jean-Paul; Rivière, Charlotte

2017-10-01

The dispersal of cells from an initially constrained location is a crucial aspect of many physiological phenomena, ranging from morphogenesis to tumour spreading. In such processes, cell-cell interactions may deeply alter the motion of single cells, and in turn the collective dynamics. While contact phenomena like contact inhibition of locomotion are known to come into play at high densities, here we focus on the little explored case of non-cohesive cells at moderate densities. We fully characterize the spreading of micropatterned colonies of Dictyostelium discoideum cells from the complete set of individual trajectories. From data analysis and simulation of an elementary model, we demonstrate that contact interactions act to speed up the early population spreading by promoting individual cells to a state of higher persistence, which constitutes an as-yet unreported contact enhancement of locomotion. Our findings also suggest that the current modelling paradigm of memoryless active particles may need to be extended to account for the history-dependent internal state of motile cells.

Prevalence of non-contact and contact childhood sexual abuse: An Internet-based sample of men who have sex with men in China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenjian Xu

Full Text Available The prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA is high among Western men who have sex with men (MSM, and CSA is associated with certain socio-demographic variables and with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV status. Little is known about CSA among Chinese MSM; therefore, we explored the prevalence and frequency of non-contact (e.g., sexual invitations, exhibitionism and contact (e.g., intercourse, genital contact forms of CSA in an Internet-based sample of MSM in China. We also examined the associations between the participants' socio-demographic characteristics and HIV status, and their histories of CSA.We surveyed MSM from 30 Chinese provinces in 2014-2015; 1,030 (mean age = 25.15 years, SD = 6.32 and 1,020 (mean age = 25.05 years, SD = 5.95 respondents were eligible for inclusion in the non-contact and contact CSA groups, respectively.Prevalence of non-contact and contact CSA was 36.2% and 29.8%, respectively; 20.4% and 15.0% had experienced non-contact and contact CSA ≥ 3 times, respectively. Most respondents were young adults, well educated, single, had never "come out," and self-identified as gay or bisexual men. Univariate analyses showed that respondents who had experienced contact CSA were more likely to be HIV-positive than those who had never experienced contact CSA. Multivariate analyses showed that non-contact CSA was associated with less education, being in a relationship with a woman or a man, and having "come out." Contact CSA was associated with less education, higher income, and being in a relationship with a man. Respondents who had experienced non-contact CSA ≥ 3 times were more likely to be less educated, "out," and to be in a relationship with a woman or a man. Respondents who had experienced contact CSA ≥ 3 times were more likely to be less educated and to be in a relationship with a man.It is necessary to pay closer attention to CSA among MSM and other sexual minorities in China.

Physical distance, genetic relationship, age, and leprosy classification are independent risk factors for leprosy in contacts of patients with leprosy.

Science.gov (United States)

Moet, F Johannes; Pahan, David; Schuring, Ron P; Oskam, Linda; Richardus, Jan H

2006-02-01

Close contacts of patients with leprosy have a higher risk of developing leprosy. Several risk factors have been identified, including genetic relationship and physical distance. Their independent contributions to the risk of developing leprosy, however, have never been sufficiently quantified. Logistic-regression analysis was performed on intake data from a prospective cohort study of 1037 patients newly diagnosed as having leprosy and their 21,870 contacts. Higher age showed an increased risk, with a bimodal distribution. Contacts of patients with paucibacillary (PB) leprosy with 2-5 lesions (PB2-5) and those with multibacillary (MB) leprosy had a higher risk than did contacts of patients with single-lesion PB leprosy. The core household group had a higher risk than other contacts living under the same roof and next-door neighbors, who again had a higher risk than neighbors of neighbors. A close genetic relationship indicated an increased risk when blood-related children, parents, and siblings were pooled together. Age of the contact, the disease classification of the index patient, and physical and genetic distance were independently associated with the risk of a contact acquiring leprosy. Contact surveys in leprosy should be not only focused on household contacts but also extended to neighbors and consanguineous relatives, especially when the patient has PB2-5 or MB leprosy.

Artificial pupil versus contralateral balanced contact lens fit for presbyopia correction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santiago García-Lázaro

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To assess and compare the effects of contact lens-based artificial pupil design and contralateral balanced multifocal contact lens combination (CBMCLC on visual performance. Methods: This randomized crossover study conducted at the University of Valencia, Spain included 38 presbyopic patients using an artificial pupil contact lens in the nondominant eye and a CBMCLC. After a month of lens wear, the binocular distance visual acuity (BDVA, binocular near visual acuity (BNVA, defocus curve, binocular distance, and near contrast sensitivity and near stereoacuity (NSA were measured under photopic conditions (85 cd/m2. Moreover, BDVA and binocular distance contrast sensitivity were examined under mesopic conditions (5 cd/m2. Results: Visual acuity at an intermediate distance and near vision was better with the CBMCLC than with the artificial pupil (p<0.05. Statistically significant differences were found in contrast sensitivity between the two types of correction for distance (under mesopic conditions and for near vision, with the CBMCLC exhibiting better results in both cases (p<0.05. The mean NSA values obtained for the artificial pupil contact lens were significantly worse than those for the CBMCLC (p=0.001. Conclusion: The CBMCLC provided greater visual performance in terms of intermediate and near vision compared with the artificial pupil contact lens.

Investigation into Contact Resistance And Damage of Metal Contacts Used in RF-MEMS Switches

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

mechanically cycled by a piezo - electric transducer (PZT). The resistance through the simulated switch was measured using a four-wire measurement technique...determined that the microwave performance of a closed relay can be modeled as a simple resistor to a first order equivalent [106,108]. The relay resistance is...Therefore, a piezo device capable of precise higher frequency motion was chosen to provide cyclic contact motion. This device needed to be physically small

Contact interactions of closed superstrings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greensite, J.

1987-07-01

It is shown that closed light-cone superstring field theory, which is presently formulated with only cubic interaction terms, does not have a stable ground state, and that the global supersymmetry algebra is violated at second order in the coupling. Local contact interactions, of quartic (and possibly higher) order in the string fields, must be added to the light-cone Hamiltonian to restore supersymmetry and vacuum stability. (orig.)

Apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis on liquid infused surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Semprebon, Ciro; McHale, Glen; Kusumaatmaja, Halim

2016-12-21

We theoretically investigate the apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis of a droplet placed on a liquid infused surface. We show that the apparent contact angle is not uniquely defined by material parameters, but also has a dependence on the relative size between the droplet and its surrounding wetting ridge formed by the infusing liquid. We derive a closed form expression for the contact angle in the limit of vanishing wetting ridge, and compute the correction for small but finite ridge, which corresponds to an effective line tension term. We also predict contact angle hysteresis on liquid infused surfaces generated by the pinning of the contact lines by the surface corrugations. Our analytical expressions for both the apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis can be interpreted as 'weighted sums' between the contact angles of the infusing liquid relative to the droplet and surrounding gas phases, where the weighting coefficients are given by ratios of the fluid surface tensions.

Evaluation of metal–nanowire electrical contacts by measuring contact end resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hongsik; Beresford, Roderic; Xu, Jimmy; Ha, Ryong; Choi, Heon-Jin; Shin, Hyunjung

2012-01-01

It is known, but often unappreciated, that the performance of nanowire (NW)-based electrical devices can be significantly affected by electrical contacts between electrodes and NWs, sometimes to the extent that it is really the contacts that determine the performance. To correctly understand and design NW device operation, it is thus important to carefully measure the contact resistance and evaluate the contact parameters, specific contact resistance and transfer length. A four-terminal pattern or a transmission line model (TLM) pattern has been widely used to measure contact resistance of NW devices and the TLM has been typically used to extract contact parameters of NW devices. However, the conventional method assumes that the electrical properties of semiconducting NW regions covered by a metal are not changed after electrode formation. In this study, we report that the conventional methods for contact evaluation can give rise to considerable errors because of an altered property of the NW under the electrodes. We demonstrate that more correct contact resistance can be measured from the TLM pattern rather than the four-terminal pattern and correct contact parameters including the effects of changed NW properties under electrodes can be evaluated by using the contact end resistance measurement method. (paper)

Exhibiting Epistemic Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tybjerg, Karin

2017-01-01

of exhibiting epistemic objects that utilize their knowledge-generating potential and allow them to continue to stimulate curiosity and generate knowledge in the exhibition. The epistemic potential of the objects can then be made to work together with the function of the exhibition as a knowledge-generating set...

Contact Modelling in Isogeometric Analysis: Application to Sheet Metal Forming Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Rui P. R.; Adetoro, O. B.; Adan, D.

2016-08-01

Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) has been growing in popularity in the past few years essentially due to the extra flexibility it introduces with the use of higher degrees in the basis functions leading to higher convergence rates. IGA also offers the capability of easily reproducing discontinuous displacement and/or strain fields by just manipulating the multiplicity of the knot parametric coordinates. Another advantage of IGA is that it uses the Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) basis functions, that are very common in CAD solid modelling, and consequently it makes easier the transition from CAD models to numerical analysis. In this work it is explored the contact analysis in IGA for both implicit and explicit time integration schemes. Special focus will be given on contact search and contact detection techniques under NURBS patches for both the rigid tools and the deformed sheet blank.

Relationship between running speed and initial foot contact patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Breine, Bastiaan; Malcolm, Philippe; Frederick, Edward C; De Clercq, Dirk

2014-08-01

This study assessed initial foot contact patterns (IFCP) in a large group of distance runners and the effect of speed on the IFCP. We determined the strike index to classify the runners in IFCP groups, at four speeds (3.2, 4.1, 5.1, and 6.2 m·s), by measuring center of pressure (COP) with a 2-m plantar pressure plate. Such a system allows a direct localization of the COP on the plantar footprint and has a low threshold value (2.7 N·cm), resulting in more accurate COP data at low ground reaction forces than when obtained from force plate. The IFCP distribution evolves from mostly initial rearfoot contact (IRFC) (82%) at 3.2 m·s to more anterior foot contacts with an approximately equal distribution of IRFC (46%) and initial midfoot or forefoot contact (54%) at 6.2 m·s. Approximately 44% of the IRFC runners showed atypical COP patterns with a fast anterior displacement of the COP along the lateral shoe margin. Apart from the different COP patterns, these atypical IRFC were also characterized by a significantly higher instantaneous vertical loading rate than the typical IRFC patterns. The IFCP distribution changes were due to intraindividual alterations in IFCP at higher speeds. That is, 45% of the runners made one or even two "transitions" toward a more anterior IFCP (and 3% shows some other type of transition between initial foot contact styles as speed increases). However, 52% of the runners remained with the same IFCP.

Longitudinal intergroup contact effects on prejudice using self- and observer-reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhont, Kristof; Van Hiel, Alain; De Bolle, Marleen; Roets, Arne

2012-06-01

Longitudinal effects of intergroup contact on prejudice were investigated in a sample of 65 young adults (Sample 1) and a sample of their close friends (Sample 2, N= 172), adopting a full cross-lagged panel design. We first validated the self-report measure of intergroup contact from Sample 1 with observer ratings from Sample 2 by demonstrating that self-reports and observer ratings of contact were highly correlated. Moreover, we obtained significant cross-lagged effects of intergroup contact on prejudice with both contact measures, thereby providing a second validation for the use of self-reports of intergroup contact. Finally, by the use of latent change modelling, we demonstrated that, although no overall significant change in contact and prejudice over time was found, there was meaningful variation in absolute change in the individual levels of intergroup contact and prejudice. In particular, some individuals showed increases while others showed decreases in contact or prejudice across time. Moreover, higher levels of intergroup contact at Time 1 were followed by larger subsequent decreases in prejudice between Time 1 and Time 2, and changes in contact were significantly and negatively related to changes in prejudice. Methodological implications of the findings are discussed. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

Contextualizing Intergroup Contact: Do Political Party Cues Enhance Contact Effects?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sønderskov, Kim Mannemar; Thomsen, Jens Peter Frølund

2015-01-01

This article examines intergroup contact effects in different political contexts. We expand on previous efforts of social psychologists by incorporating the messages of political parties as a contextual trigger of group membership awareness in contact situations. We argue that the focus among...... political parties on us-them categorizations heightens the awareness of group memberships. This focus in turn enhances the positive intergroup contact effect by stimulating majority members to perceive contacted persons as prototypical outgroup members. A multilevel analysis of 22 countries and almost 37......,000 individuals confirms that the ability of intergroup contact to reduce antiforeigner sentiment increases when political parties focus intensively on immigration issues and cultural differences. Specifically, both workplace contact and interethnic friendship become more effective in reducing antiforeigner...

Polymer-interaction driven diffusionof eyeshadow in soft contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavazzi, Silvia; Rossi, Alessandra; Picarazzi, Sara; Ascagni, Miriam; Farris, Stefano; Borghesi, Alessandro

2017-10-01

Soft contact lenses used for the correction of ametropia are often made of hydrogel and silicone-hydrogel materials. Since they are placed directly on the surface of the eye and they are hydrated by tears, eye cosmetics can compromise the lens performance and, even worse, can be transported from an external environment to the ocular surface through the contact lens. The diffusion of the dye component of a purple eyeshadow in soft contact lenses of different materials is here evaluated. Diffusivity is found to be typically higher in silicone-hydrogels than in hydrogels. In hydrogels, diffusivity is greater in the case of lower oxygen transmissibility. Despite differences between materials, absorbed mass of dye is much larger (10-100 times) than the expected mass by simple hydration and swelling of the contact lens. The most contaminated materials are also resistant to cleaning solutions. The results indicate that, notwithstanding the complexity of contact lens networks, diffusion of dye is found to follow Fick's law and it is driven by polymer-dye interaction, which governs lens hydration and swelling. Copyright © 2017 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring contact area in a sliding human finger-pad contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, X; Carré, M J; Zhang, Q; Lu, Z; Matcher, S J; Lewis, R

2018-02-01

The work outlined in this paper was aimed at achieving further understanding of skin frictional behaviour by investigating the contact area between human finger-pads and flat surfaces. Both the static and the dynamic contact areas (in macro- and micro-scales) were measured using various techniques, including ink printing, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC). In the studies of the static measurements using ink printing, the experimental results showed that the apparent and the real contact area increased with load following a piecewise linear correlation function for a finger-pad in contact with paper sheets. Comparisons indicated that the OCT method is a reliable and effective method to investigate the real contact area of a finger-pad and allow micro-scale analysis. The apparent contact area (from the DIC measurements) was found to reduce with time in the transition from the static phase to the dynamic phase while the real area of contact (from OCT) increased. The results from this study enable the interaction between finger-pads and contact object surface to be better analysed, and hence improve the understanding of skin friction. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reducing the cost of back-contact module technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bennett, I.J.; Eerenstein, W.; Rosca, V. [ECN Solar Energy, P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands)

2013-07-01

Back-contact modules made using a conductive back-sheet foil have a number of advantages over standard H-pattern modules including a higher power output, compatibility with very thin cells and high throughput, high yield manufacturing. For a conductive back-sheet based module the most cost critical components are the conductive back-sheet and the conductive adhesives used to make the contact between the cells and the conductive back-sheet. In this paper a number of methods for reducing the module materials cost will be presented. Climate chamber testing of low cost foils without isolation coating and without silver contacts demonstrated that this type of foil is reliable in damp-heat, reaching 2000 hours at 85%RH and 85{sup o}C with a loss in fill-factor of less than 2%.

Electric contact arcing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuthrell, R.E.

1976-01-01

Electrical contacts must function properly in many types of components used in nuclear weapon systems. Design, application, and testing of these components require detailed knowledge of chemical and physical phenomena associated with stockpile storage, stockpile testing, and operation. In the past, investigation of these phenomena has led to significant discoveries on the effects of surface contaminants, friction and wear, and the mechanics of closure on contact performance. A recent investigation of contact arcing phenomena which revealed that, preceding contact closure, arcs may occur at voltages lower than had been previously known is described. This discovery is important, since arcing may damage contacts, and repetitive testing of contacts performed as part of a quality assurance program might produce cumulative damage that would yield misleading life-test data and could prevent proper operation of the contacts at some time in the future. This damage can be avoided by determining the conditions under which arcing occurs, and ensuring that these conditions are avoided in contact testing

Intraocular pressure readings obtained through soft contact lenses using four types of tonometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Takenaka, Joji; Kunihara, Eriko; Rimayanti, Ulfah; Tanaka, Junko; Kaneko, Makoto; Kiuchi, Yoshiaki

2015-01-01

To compare the reliability and accuracy of intraocular pressure (IOP) measured while wearing soft contact lenses (SCLs) using a non-contact tonometer (NCT), Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT), iCare rebound tonometer (RBT) and the Tono-Pen XL. Twenty-six healthy subjects were examined. The IOP was measured using NCT, GAT, RBT, and the Tono-Pen XL, while the subjects wore SCLs -5.00 D, -0.50 D and +5.00 D. Bland-Altman plots and a regression analysis were used to compare the IOPs obtained with those instruments and the IOPs of the naked eyes measured using GAT (the standard IOPs in this study). The IOPs obtained by the Tono-Pen XL while the subjects were wearing -5.00 D, -0.50 D, and +5.00 D SCLs were significantly higher than those of the naked eyes obtained using GAT. RBT showed that the IOPs were similar to the GAT standard IOPs under all conditions. The IOPs measured with NCT and GAT while the subjects were wearing -5.00 D and -0.50 D SCLs were similar to the GAT standard IOPs. The IOPs obtained with RBT and NCT while the subjects were wearing -5.00 D and -0.50 D SCLs exhibited a good correlation with the standard IOPs. The NCT and RBT are best when measuring IOP through hydrogel SCLs.

Hyaluronan Immobilized Polyurethane as a Blood Contacting Material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feirong Gong

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid, HA was immobilized onto the surface of amino-functionalized polyurethane films with the goal of obtaining a novel kind of biomaterial which had the potential in blood-contacting applications. The amino-functionalized polyurethane was prepared by synthesized acidic polyurethane whose pendant carboxyl groups were treated with an excess amount of 1,3-diaminopropane in the presence of N,N-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR, Raman spectroscopy (RS, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and water contact angle measurement were used to confirm the surface changes at each step of treatment, both in morphologies and chemical compositions. APTT and PT results showed that HA immobilization could prolong the blood coagulation time, thus HA-immobilized polyurethane (PU-HA exhibited improved blood compatibility. Cytotoxicity analysis showed that the PU-HA films synthesized in this study were cytocompatible and could support human vein endothelial cells (HUVECs adhesion and proliferation.

Gigantic Enhancement in Sensitivity Using Schottky Contacted Nanowire Nanosensor

KAUST Repository

Wei, Te-Yu; Yeh, Ping-Hung; Lu, Shih-Yuan; Wang, Zhong Lin

2009-01-01

A new single nanowire based nanosensor is demonstrated for illustrating its ultrahigh sensitivity for gas sensing. The device is composed of a single ZnO nanowire mounted on Pt electrodes with one end in Ohmic contact and the other end in Schottky contact. The Schottky contact functions as a "gate" that controls the current flowing through the entire system. By tuning the Schottky barrier height through the responsive variation of the surface chemisorbed gases and the amplification role played by the nanowire to Schottky barrier effect, an ultrahigh sensitivity of 32 000% was achieved using the Schottky contacted device operated in reverse bias mode at 275 °C for detection of 400 ppm CO, which is 4 orders of magnitude higher than that obtained using an Ohmic contact device under the same conditions. In addition, the response time and reset time have been shortened by a factor of 7. The methodology and principle illustrated in the paper present a new sensing mechanism that can be readily and extensively applied to other gas sensing systems. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Gigantic Enhancement in Sensitivity Using Schottky Contacted Nanowire Nanosensor

KAUST Repository

Wei, Te-Yu

2009-12-09

A new single nanowire based nanosensor is demonstrated for illustrating its ultrahigh sensitivity for gas sensing. The device is composed of a single ZnO nanowire mounted on Pt electrodes with one end in Ohmic contact and the other end in Schottky contact. The Schottky contact functions as a "gate" that controls the current flowing through the entire system. By tuning the Schottky barrier height through the responsive variation of the surface chemisorbed gases and the amplification role played by the nanowire to Schottky barrier effect, an ultrahigh sensitivity of 32 000% was achieved using the Schottky contacted device operated in reverse bias mode at 275 °C for detection of 400 ppm CO, which is 4 orders of magnitude higher than that obtained using an Ohmic contact device under the same conditions. In addition, the response time and reset time have been shortened by a factor of 7. The methodology and principle illustrated in the paper present a new sensing mechanism that can be readily and extensively applied to other gas sensing systems. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

The rose petal effect and the role of advancing water contact angles for drop confinement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mandsberg, Nikolaj Kofoed; Taboryski, Rafael J.

2017-01-01

We studied the role of advancing water contact angles on superhydrophobic surfaces that exhibited strong pinning effects as known in nature from rose petals. Textured surfaces were engineered in silicon by lithographical techniques. The textures were comprised of hexagonal microstructures...

Multi-Material Front Contact for 19% Thin Film Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joop van Deelen

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The trade-off between transmittance and conductivity of the front contact material poses a bottleneck for thin film solar panels. Normally, the front contact material is a metal oxide and the optimal cell configuration and panel efficiency were determined for various band gap materials, representing Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS, CdTe and high band gap perovskites. Supplementing the metal oxide with a metallic copper grid improves the performance of the front contact and aims to increase the efficiency. Various front contact designs with and without a metallic finger grid were calculated with a variation of the transparent conductive oxide (TCO sheet resistance, scribing area, cell length, and finger dimensions. In addition, the contact resistance and illumination power were also assessed and the optimal thin film solar panel design was determined. Adding a metallic finger grid on a TCO gives a higher solar cell efficiency and this also enables longer cell lengths. However, contact resistance between the metal and the TCO material can reduce the efficiency benefit somewhat.

Tantalum Nitride Electron-Selective Contact for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Yang, Xinbo

2018-04-19

Minimizing carrier recombination at contact regions by using carrier‐selective contact materials, instead of heavily doping the silicon, has attracted considerable attention for high‐efficiency, low‐cost crystalline silicon (c‐Si) solar cells. A novel electron‐selective, passivating contact for c‐Si solar cells is presented. Tantalum nitride (TaN x ) thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition are demonstrated to provide excellent electron‐transporting and hole‐blocking properties to the silicon surface, due to their small conduction band offset and large valence band offset. Thin TaNx interlayers provide moderate passivation of the silicon surfaces while simultaneously allowing a low contact resistivity to n‐type silicon. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 20% is demonstrated with c‐Si solar cells featuring a simple full‐area electron‐selective TaNx contact, which significantly improves the fill factor and the open circuit voltage (Voc) and hence provides the higher PCE. The work opens up the possibility of using metal nitrides, instead of metal oxides, as carrier‐selective contacts or electron transport layers for photovoltaic devices.

Shigella Infections in Household Contacts of Pediatric Shigellosis Patients in Rural Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

George, Christine Marie; Ahmed, Shahnawaz; Talukder, Kaisar A; Azmi, Ishrat J; Perin, Jamie; Sack, R Bradley; Sack, David A; Stine, O Colin; Oldja, Lauren; Shahnaij, Mohammad; Chakraborty, Subhra; Parvin, Tahmina; Bhuyian, Sazzadul Islam; Bouwer, Edward; Zhang, Xiaotong; Hasan, Trisheeta N; Luna, Sharmin J; Akter, Fatema; Faruque, Abu S G

2015-11-01

To examine rates of Shigella infections in household contacts of pediatric shigellosis patients, we followed contacts and controls prospectively for 1 week after the index patient obtained care. Household contacts of patients were 44 times more likely to develop a Shigella infection than were control contacts (odds ratio 44.7, 95% CI 5.5-361.6); 29 (94%) household contacts of shigellosis patients were infected with the same species and serotype as the index patient's. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that 14 (88%) of 16 with infected contacts had strains that were indistinguishable from or closely related to the index patient's strain. Latrine area fly counts were higher in patient households compared with control households, and 2 patient household water samples were positive for Shigella. We show high susceptibility of household contacts of shigellosis patients to Shigella infections and found environmental risk factors to be targeted in future interventions.

A birth cohort analysis of dental contact among elderly Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolinsky, F D; Arnold, C L

1989-01-01

We applied standard cohort and multiple regression techniques to data on the dental utilization rates of 129,191 elderly individuals taken from the 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1980, and 1981 Health Interview Surveys. The results indicate that the marked variation in dental contact rates is a reflection of cohort succession, and not a function of aging per se. Older cohorts having lower dental contact rates are being replaced by younger cohorts having higher dental contact rates. The dental contact rates of the individual birth cohorts themselves are quite stable over time. The results also indicate that economic barriers (especially liquid assets) have become more important than ever before, especially for the oldest-old. These findings have important implications for public policy about the oral health and health care of elderly Americans. PMID:2783297

Rate and State Friction Relation for Nanoscale Contacts: Thermally Activated Prandtl-Tomlinson Model with Chemical Aging

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Kaiwen; Goldsby, David L.; Carpick, Robert W.

2018-05-01

Rate and state friction (RSF) laws are widely used empirical relationships that describe macroscale to microscale frictional behavior. They entail a linear combination of the direct effect (the increase of friction with sliding velocity due to the reduced influence of thermal excitations) and the evolution effect (the change in friction with changes in contact "state," such as the real contact area or the degree of interfacial chemical bonds). Recent atomic force microscope (AFM) experiments and simulations found that nanoscale single-asperity amorphous silica-silica contacts exhibit logarithmic aging (increasing friction with time) over several decades of contact time, due to the formation of interfacial chemical bonds. Here we establish a physically based RSF relation for such contacts by combining the thermally activated Prandtl-Tomlinson (PTT) model with an evolution effect based on the physics of chemical aging. This thermally activated Prandtl-Tomlinson model with chemical aging (PTTCA), like the PTT model, uses the loading point velocity for describing the direct effect, not the tip velocity (as in conventional RSF laws). Also, in the PTTCA model, the combination of the evolution and direct effects may be nonlinear. We present AFM data consistent with the PTTCA model whereby in aging tests, for a given hold time, static friction increases with the logarithm of the loading point velocity. Kinetic friction also increases with the logarithm of the loading point velocity at sufficiently high velocities, but at a different increasing rate. The discrepancy between the rates of increase of static and kinetic friction with velocity arises from the fact that appreciable aging during static contact changes the energy landscape. Our approach extends the PTT model, originally used for crystalline substrates, to amorphous materials. It also establishes how conventional RSF laws can be modified for nanoscale single-asperity contacts to provide a physically based friction

Contact research strategy for emerging molybdenum disulfide and other two-dimensional field-effect transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuchen Du

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Layered two-dimensional (2D semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs have been widely isolated, synthesized, and characterized recently. Numerous 2D materials are identified as the potential candidates as channel materials for future thin film technology due to their high mobility and the exhibiting bandgaps. While many TMD filed-effect transistors (FETs have been widely demonstrated along with a significant progress to clearly understand the device physics, large contact resistance at metal/semiconductor interface still remain a challenge. From 2D device research point of view, how to minimize the Schottky barrier effects on contacts thus reduce the contact resistance of metals on 2D materials is very critical for the further development of the field. Here, we present a review of contact research on molybdenum disulfide and other TMD FETs from the fundamental understanding of metal-semiconductor interfaces on 2D materials. A clear contact research strategy on 2D semiconducting materials is developed for future high-performance 2D FETs with aggressively scaled dimensions.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meltem Önder

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Allergic contact dermatitis is the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction to exogenous agents. Allergic contact dermatitis may clinically present acutely after allergen exposure and initial sensitization in a previously sensitized individual. Acute phase is characterized by erythematous, scaly plaques. In severe cases vesiculation and bullae in exposed areas are very characteristic. Repeated or continuous exposure of sensitized individual with allergen result in chronic dermatitis. Lichenification, erythematous plaques, hyperkeratosis and fissuring may develop in chronic patients. Allergic contact dermatitis is very common dermatologic problem in dermatology daily practice. A diagnosis of contact dermatitis requires the careful consideration of patient history, physical examination and patch testing. The knowledge of the clinical features of the skin reactions to various contactans is important to make a correct diagnosis of contact dermatitis. It can be seen in every age, in children textile product, accessories and touch products are common allergens, while in adults allergic contact dermatitis may be related with topical medicaments. The contact pattern of contact dermatitis depends on fashion and local traditions as well. The localization of allergic reaction should be evaluated and patients’ occupation and hobbies should be asked. The purpose of this review is to introduce to our collaques up dated allergic contact dermatitis literatures both in Turkey and in the World.

Inefficacy of marketed contact lens disinfection solutions against keratitis-causing Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakhundi, Sahreena; Khan, Naveed Ahmed; Siddiqui, Ruqaiyyah

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to assess the anti-amoebic effects of marketed contact lens disinfecting solutions. Using amoebistatic, amoebicidal, and cysticidal assays, nine different contact lens solutions were tested including: ReNu MultiPlus, DuraPlus, Ultimate Plus, OptiFree Replenish, OptiFree Express, Kontex Clean, Kontex Normal, Kontex Multisol extra+, Kontex Soak. In vitro growth inhibition (amoebistatic) assays were performed by incubating Acanthamoeba castellanii with aforementioned contact lens disinfection solutions as per manufacturer's instructions in the growth medium for up to 48h at 30°C. To determine amoebicidal and cysticidal effects, amoebae were incubated with contact lens solutions in phosphate buffered saline for 24h and viability was determined by haemocytometer counting as well as re-inoculating them in the growth medium. For controls, solutions were tested against bacterial corneal pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as amoebae were incubated with the solvent alone. Of the nine contact lens solutions tested, none of them showed potent amoebicidal effects. Only DuraPlus and OptiFree Replenish exhibited trophozoite lysis of 85.3% and 73.7% respectively. In contrast, all contact lens disinfection solutions except Kontex Clean, Kontex Normal, Kontex Multisol extra+, tested showed amoebistatic effects. Importantly, none of the contact lens disinfection solutions exhibited cysticidal effects using qualitative assays, i.e., cysts treated with aforementioned solutions re-emerged as viable amoebae upon inoculation in the growth medium. However, more than 3-log reduction was observed when ReNu MultiPlus, DuraPlus and OptiFree Express were tested against P. aeruginosa which is in accordance with the ISO Stand-Alone Primary acceptance criteria. These findings are of great concern for contact lens users. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intraocular pressure readings obtained through soft contact lenses using four types of tonometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takenaka J

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Joji Takenaka,1 Eriko Kunihara,1 Ulfah Rimayanti,2 Junko Tanaka,3 Makoto Kaneko,4 Yoshiaki Kiuchi1 1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; 2Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UIN Alauddin Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia; 3Department of Epidemiology, Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; 4Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan Purpose: To compare the reliability and accuracy of intraocular pressure (IOP measured while wearing soft contact lenses (SCLs using a non-contact tonometer (NCT, Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT, iCare rebound tonometer (RBT and the Tono-Pen XL.Methods: Twenty-six healthy subjects were examined. The IOP was measured using NCT, GAT, RBT, and the Tono-Pen XL, while the subjects wore SCLs -5.00 D, -0.50 D and +5.00 D. Bland–Altman plots and a regression analysis were used to compare the IOPs obtained with those instruments and the IOPs of the naked eyes measured using GAT (the standard IOPs in this study.Results: The IOPs obtained by the Tono-Pen XL while the subjects were wearing -5.00 D, -0.50 D, and +5.00 D SCLs were significantly higher than those of the naked eyes obtained using GAT. RBT showed that the IOPs were similar to the GAT standard IOPs under all conditions. The IOPs measured with NCT and GAT while the subjects were wearing -5.00 D and -0.50 D SCLs were similar to the GAT standard IOPs. The IOPs obtained with RBT and NCT while the subjects were wearing -5.00 D and -0.50 D SCLs exhibited a good correlation with the standard IOPs.Conclusion: The NCT and RBT are best when measuring IOP through hydrogel SCLs. Keywords: soft contact lens, intraocular pressure, rebound tonometer, non-contact tonometer

Influence of occlusal contact area on cusp defection and stress distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Anna Karina Figueiredo; Xavier, Thaty Aparecida; Paes-Junior, Tarcisio José Arruda; Andreatta-Filho, Oswaldo Daniel; Borges, Alexandre Luiz Souto

2014-11-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of occlusal contact area for loading on the cuspal defection and stress distribution in a first premolar restored with a high elastic modulus restorative material. The Rhinoceros 4.0 software was used for modeling the three-dimensional geometries of dental and periodontal structures and the inlay restoration. Thus, two different models, intact and restored teeth with three occlusal contact areas, 0.1, 0.5 and 0.75 mm(2), on enamel at the occlusal surface of buccal and lingual cusps. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed with the program ANSYS (Workbench 13.0), which generated a mesh with tetrahedral elements with greater refinement in the regions of interest, and was constrained at the bases of cortical and trabecular bone in all axis and loaded with 100 N normal to each contact area. To analysis of maximum principal stress, the smaller occlusal contact area showed greater compressive stress in region of load application for both the intact and inlay restored tooth. However, tensile stresses at the occlusal isthmus were similar for all three tested occlusal contact areas (60 MPa). To displacement of the cusps was higher for teeth with inlay (0.46-0.48 mm). For intact teeth, the smaller contact area showed greater displacement (0.10 mm). For teeth with inlays, the displacement of the cusps were similar in all types of occlusal area. Cuspal displacement was higher in the restored tooth when compared to the intact tooth, but there were no significant variations even with changes in the occlusal contact area. RELEVANCE CLINICAL: Occlusal contacts have a great influence on the positioning of teeth being able to maintain the position and stability of the mandible. Axial loads would be able to generate more uniform stress at the root presenting a greater concentration of load application in the point and the occlusal surface. Thus, is necessary to analyze the relationship between these occlusal contacts as dental

Static or breakloose friction for lubricated contacts: the role of surface roughness and dewetting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenz, B; Persson, B N J; Krick, B A; Sawyer, W G; Rodriguez, N; Mangiagalli, P

2013-01-01

We present experimental data for the static or breakloose friction for lubricated elastomer contacts, as a function of the time of stationary contact. Due to fluid squeeze-out from the asperity contact regions, the breakloose friction force increases continuously with the time of stationary contact. We consider three different cases: (a) PDMS rubber balls against flat smooth glass surfaces, (b) PDMS cylinder ribs against different substrates (glass, smooth and rough PMMA and an inert polymer) and (c) application to syringes. Due to differences in the surface roughness and contact pressures the three systems exhibit very different time dependences of the breakloose friction. In case (a) for rough surfaces the dry contact area A is a small fraction of the nominal contact area A 0 , and the fluid squeeze-out is fast. In case (b) the dry contact area is close to the nominal contact area, A/A 0 ≈ 1, and fluid squeeze-out is very slow due to percolation of the contact area. In this case, remarkably, different fluids with very different viscosities, ranging from 0.005 Pa s (water–glycerol mixture) to 1.48 Pa s (glycerol), give very similar breakloose friction forces as a function of the time of stationary contact. In case (c) the contact pressure and the surface roughness are larger than in case (b), and the squeeze-out is very slow so that even after a very long time the area of real contact is below the percolation threshold. For all cases (a)–(c), the increase in the breakloose friction is mainly due to the increase in the area of real contact with increasing time, because of the fluid squeeze-out and dewetting. (paper)

Static or breakloose friction for lubricated contacts: the role of surface roughness and dewetting.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, B; Krick, B A; Rodriguez, N; Sawyer, W G; Mangiagalli, P; Persson, B N J

2013-11-06

We present experimental data for the static or breakloose friction for lubricated elastomer contacts, as a function of the time of stationary contact. Due to fluid squeeze-out from the asperity contact regions, the breakloose friction force increases continuously with the time of stationary contact. We consider three different cases: (a) PDMS rubber balls against flat smooth glass surfaces, (b) PDMS cylinder ribs against different substrates (glass, smooth and rough PMMA and an inert polymer) and (c) application to syringes. Due to differences in the surface roughness and contact pressures the three systems exhibit very different time dependences of the breakloose friction. In case (a) for rough surfaces the dry contact area A is a small fraction of the nominal contact area A0, and the fluid squeeze-out is fast. In case (b) the dry contact area is close to the nominal contact area, A/A0 ≈ 1, and fluid squeeze-out is very slow due to percolation of the contact area. In this case, remarkably, different fluids with very different viscosities, ranging from 0.005 Pa s (water–glycerol mixture) to 1.48 Pa s (glycerol), give very similar breakloose friction forces as a function of the time of stationary contact. In case (c) the contact pressure and the surface roughness are larger than in case (b), and the squeeze-out is very slow so that even after a very long time the area of real contact is below the percolation threshold. For all cases (a)–(c), the increase in the breakloose friction is mainly due to the increase in the area of real contact with increasing time, because of the fluid squeeze-out and dewetting.

Experimental investigation on the electrical contact behavior of rolling contact connector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Junxing; Yang, Fei, E-mail: yfei2007@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Luo, Kaiyu; Zhu, Mingliang; Wu, Yi; Rong, Mingzhe [State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China)

2015-12-15

Rolling contact connector (RCC) is a new technology utilized in high performance electric power transfer systems with one or more rotating interfaces, such as radars, satellites, wind generators, and medical computed tomography machines. Rolling contact components are used in the RCC instead of traditional sliding contacts to transfer electrical power and/or signal. Since the requirement of the power transmission is increasing in these years, the rolling electrical contact characteristics become more and more important for the long-life design of RCC. In this paper, a typical form of RCC is presented. A series of experimental work are carried out to investigate the rolling electrical contact characteristics during its lifetime. The influence of a variety of factors on the electrical contact degradation behavior of RCC is analyzed under both vacuum and air environment. Based on the surface morphology and elemental composition changes in the contact zone, which are assessed by field emission scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope, the mechanism of rolling electrical contact degradation is discussed.

Council Chamber exhibition

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2010-01-01

To complete the revamp of CERN’s Council Chamber, a new exhibition is being installed just in time for the June Council meetings.   Panels will showcase highlights of CERN’s history, using some of the content prepared for the exhibitions marking 50 years of the PS, which were displayed in the main building last November. The previous photo exhibition in the Council Chamber stopped at the 1970s. To avoid the new panels becoming quickly out of date, photos are grouped together around specific infrastructures, rather than following a classic time-line. “We have put the focus on the accelerators – the world-class facilities that CERN has been offering researchers over the years, from the well-known large colliders to the lesser-known smaller facilities,” says Emma Sanders, who worked on the content. The new exhibition will be featured in a future issue of the Bulletin with photos and an interview with Fabienne Marcastel, designer of the exhibit...

Dancing in the 'Contact Zone'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monica Wulff

2006-09-01

Full Text Available In October 2002 I performed and exhibited Troppo Obscura: A Peepshow of Historical Perversity at the Performance Space as part of the multicultural Arts festival, Carnivale, in Sydney, Australia. Troppo Obscura is a multimedia installation that explores some aspects of the complex relationships between the West and Asia. The work looks at a large range of possibilities, from the colonial gaze through to personal relationships forged through artistic endeavor. This paper—the first of two extended mediations on the topic—focuses on one such personal relationship addressed in the installation, namely that between traditional master mask dancer Ibu Sawitri from Cirebon on the West coast of Java, Indonesia and myself, a Sydney based contemporary dancer and performance artist. Between 1992 and 1999, the year Ibu Sawitri passed away, I spent many long-term visits learning dance and living in Ibu Sawitri’s house in Losari. This essay focuses on Ibu Sawitri’s family and dance background and how she, the younger generation of dancers, the dance context, and the dance itself, have been transformed over time as a result of rapidly changing socio-historical conditions. In the second half of this paper I move the discussion to the broader issues of cross-cultural encounters in what Pratt terms the ‘contact zone’ (1992. This includes looking at dance as an embodied practice and its function in the ‘contact zone’ as well as dealing with Spivak’s debates about the subaltern voice in reference to my telling of Ibu Sawitri’s story, both in the installation and in text. A closer analysis of the dynamics of my dance with Ibu Sawitri in the ‘contact zone’ is addressed here.

Development of method for experimental determination of wheel–rail contact forces and contact point position by using instrumented wheelset

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bižić, Milan B; Petrović, Dragan Z; Tomić, Miloš C; Djinović, Zoran V

2017-01-01

This paper presents the development of a unique method for experimental determination of wheel–rail contact forces and contact point position by using the instrumented wheelset (IWS). Solutions of key problems in the development of IWS are proposed, such as the determination of optimal locations, layout, number and way of connecting strain gauges as well as the development of an inverse identification algorithm (IIA). The base for the solution of these problems is the wheel model and results of FEM calculations, while IIA is based on the method of blind source separation using independent component analysis. In the first phase, the developed method was tested on a wheel model and a high accuracy was obtained (deviations of parameters obtained with IIA and really applied parameters in the model are less than 2%). In the second phase, experimental tests on the real object or IWS were carried out. The signal-to-noise ratio was identified as the main influential parameter on the measurement accuracy. Тhе obtained results have shown that the developed method enables measurement of vertical and lateral wheel–rail contact forces Q and Y and their ratio Y / Q with estimated errors of less than 10%, while the estimated measurement error of contact point position is less than 15%. At flange contact and higher values of ratio Y / Q or Y force, the measurement errors are reduced, which is extremely important for the reliability and quality of experimental tests of safety against derailment of railway vehicles according to the standards UIC 518 and EN 14363. The obtained results have shown that the proposed method can be successfully applied in solving the problem of high accuracy measurement of wheel–rail contact forces and contact point position using IWS. (paper)

Higher Education, Academic Communities, and the Intellectual Virtues

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Ward E.

2012-01-01

Because higher education brings members of academic communities in direct contact with students, the reflective higher education student is in an excellent position for developing two important intellectual virtues: confidence and humility. However, academic communities differ as to whether their members reach consensus, and their teaching…

Influence of contact height on the performance of vertically aligned carbon nanotube field-effect transistors

KAUST Repository

Li, Jingqi; Cheng, Yingchun; Guo, Zaibing; Wang, Zhihong; Zhu, Zhiyong; Zhang, Qing; Chan-Park, Chanpark; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Zhang, Xixiang

2013-01-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) have been experimentally demonstrated (J. Li et al., Carbon, 2012, 50, 4628-4632). The source and drain contact heights in vertical CNTFETs could be much higher than in flat CNTFETs if the fabrication process is not optimized. To understand the impact of contact height on transistor performance, we use a semi-classical method to calculate the characteristics of CNTFETs with different contact heights. The results show that the drain current decreases with increasing contact height and saturates at a value governed by the thickness of the oxide. The current reduction caused by the increased contact height becomes more significant when the gate oxide is thicker. The higher the drain voltage, the larger the current reduction. It becomes even worse when the band gap of the carbon nanotube is larger. The current can differ by a factor of more than five between the CNTEFTs with low and high contact heights when the oxide thickness is 50 nm. In addition, the influence of the contact height is limited by the channel length. The contact height plays a minor role when the channel length is less than 100 nm. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Does it pay to have a network contact? Social network ties, workplace racial context, and pay outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kmec, Julie A; Trimble, Lindsey B

2009-06-01

This article investigates how social network use to find work affects pay. Analyses using the Multi-City Study of Urban Inequality consider the extent to which a network contact's influence level affects a job applicant's pay, whether this effect differs for white, black, and Latino contacts, and how workplace racial context moderates this relationship. Three main findings emerge. First, having an influential contact--one with hiring authority--compared to having no contact yields higher pay. Second, white and minority contact influence on pay differs: among minority contacts, being an outsider (i.e., someone not employed by the firm to which the applicant applies) is associated with higher pay, but being an employee of the firm--an insider--is not. Third, regardless of workplace racial context, black and Latino contacts' influence is most beneficial when their race/ethnicity is not known to the hiring agent. We offer a new interpretation of the mixed findings with regard to the relationship between social network use and pay.

CONTACT RESISTANCE MODELING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. V. LOSKUTOV

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To determine the contribution of the real contact spots distribution in the total conductivity of the conductors contact. Methodology. The electrical contact resistance research was carried out on models. The experimental part of this work was done on paper with a graphite layer with membranes (the first type and conductive liquids with discrete partitions (the second type. Findings. It is shown that the contact electrical resistance is mainly determined by the real area of metal contact. The experimental dependence of the electrical resistance of the second type model on the distance between the electrodes and the potential distribution along the sample surface for the first type model were obtained. The theoretical model based on the principle of electric field superposition was considered. The dependences obtained experimentally and calculated by using the theoretical model are in good agreement. Originality. The regularity of the electrical contact resistance formation on a large number of membranes was researched for the first time. A new model of discrete electrical contact based on the liquid as the conducting environment with nuclear membrane partitions was developed. The conclusions of the additivity of contact and bulk electrical resistance were done. Practical value. Based on these researches, a new experimental method of kinetic macroidentation that as a parameter of the metal surface layer deformation uses the real contact area was developed. This method allows to determine the value of average contact stresses, yield point, change of the stress on the depth of deformation depending on the surface treatment.

Aluminum–Titanium Alloy Back Contact Reducing Production Cost of Silicon Thin-Film Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin-Yu Wu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this study, metal films are fabricated by using an in-line reactive direct current magnetron sputtering system. The aluminum–titanium (AlTi back contacts are prepared by changing the pressure from 10 mTorr to 25 mTorr. The optical, electrical and structural properties of the metal back contacts are investigated. The solar cells with the AlTi had lower contact resistance than those with the silver (Ag back contact, resulting in a higher fill factor. The AlTi contact can achieve a solar cell conversion efficiency as high as that obtained from the Ag contact. These findings encourage the potential adoption of AlTi films as an alternative back contact to silver for silicon thin-film solar cells.

Friction and universal contact area law for randomly rough viscoelastic contacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Scaraggi, M; Persson, B N J

2015-03-18

We present accurate numerical results for the friction force and the contact area for a viscoelastic solid (rubber) in sliding contact with hard, randomly rough substrates. The rough surfaces are self-affine fractal with roughness over several decades in length scales. We calculate the contribution to the friction from the pulsating deformations induced by the substrate asperities. We also calculate how the area of real contact, A(v, p), depends on the sliding speed v and on the nominal contact pressure p, and we show how the contact area for any sliding speed can be obtained from a universal master curve A(p). The numerical results are found to be in good agreement with the predictions of an analytical contact mechanics theory.

Current knowledge on biomarkers for contact sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koppes, Sjors A.; Engebretsen, Kristiane A.; Agner, Tove

2017-01-01

Contact sensitization is common and affects up to 20% of the general population. The clinical manifestation of contact sensitization is allergic contact dermatitis. This is a clinical expression that is sometimes difficult to distinguish from other types of dermatitis, for example irritant...... and atopic dermatitis. Several studies have examined the pathogenesis and severity of allergic contact dermatitis by measuring the absence or presence of various biomarkers. In this review, we provide a non-systematic overview of biomarkers that have been studied in allergic contact dermatitis. These include...... genetic variations and mutations, inflammatory mediators, alarmins, proteases, immunoproteomics, lipids, natural moisturizing factors, tight junctions, and antimicrobial peptides. We conclude that, despite the enormous amount of data, convincing specific biomarkers for allergic contact dermatitis are yet...

Coordinate transformation in the model of long Josephson contacts: geometrically equivalent contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semerdzhieva, E.G.; Boyadzhiev, T.L.; ); Shukrinov, Yu.M.; Physical Technical Institute Dushanbe, 734063

2005-01-01

The transition from model of long Josephson variable-width contact to the contact model with coordinate-dependent Josephson current amplitude is realized by transforming the coordinates. This sets up a correspondence between Josephson contacts of variable width and quasi-one-dimensional contacts of variable thickness barrier layer. It is shown, that for contacts of exponentially varying width the barrier layer of the corresponding quasi-one-dimensional contact contains the distributed resistive inhomogeneity which is an attractor to magnetic flux vortices. With numerical experiments, a 'critical current-magnetic field' dependence for a resistive microinhomogeneity Josephson contact was plotted, and its comparison with the critical curve for a contact of exponentially varying width was made. Thus, this demonstrates that the distributed inhomogeneity may be replaced by a local one at the JC end what technologically, may offer definite advantages

Simulation Results: Optimization of Contact Ratio for Interdigitated Back-Contact Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinay Budhraja

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the fabrication of interdigitated back contact (IBC solar cells, it is very important to choose the right size of contact to achieve the maximum efficiency. Line contacts and point contacts are the two possibilities, which are being chosen for IBC structure. It is expected that the point contacts would give better results because of the reduced recombination rate. In this work, we are simulating the effect of contact size on the performance of IBC solar cells. Simulations were done in three dimension using Quokka, which numerically solves the charge carrier transport. Our simulation results show that around 10% of contact ratio is able to achieve optimum cell efficiency.

Apparent-contact-angle model at partial wetting and evaporation: impact of surface forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Janeček, V; Nikolayev, V S

2013-01-01

This theoretical and numerical study deals with evaporation of a fluid wedge in contact with its pure vapor. The model describes a regime where the continuous wetting film is absent and the actual line of the triple gas-liquid-solid contact appears. A constant temperature higher than the saturation temperature is imposed at the solid substrate. The fluid flow is solved in the lubrication approximation. The introduction of the surface forces in the case of the partial wetting is discussed. The apparent contact angle (the gas-liquid interface slope far from the contact line) is studied numerically as a function of the substrate superheating, contact line velocity, and parameters related to the solid-fluid interaction (Young and microscopic contact angles, Hamaker constant, etc.). The dependence of the apparent contact angle on the substrate temperature is in agreement with existing approaches. For water, the apparent contact angle may be 20° larger than the Young contact angle for 1 K superheating. The effect of the surface forces on the apparent contact angle is found to be weak.

Formation of a contact binary star system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullen, E.F.F.

1974-01-01

The process of forming a contact binary star system is investigated in the light of current knowledge of the W Ursae Majoris type eclipsing binaries and the current rotational braking theories for contracting stars. A preliminary stage of mass transfer is proposed and studied through the use of a computer program which calculates evolutionary model sequences. The detailed development of both stars is followed in these calculations, and findings regarding the internal structure of the star which is receiving the mass are presented. Relaxation of the mass-gaining star is also studied; for these stars of low mass and essentially zero age, the star eventually settles to a state very similar to a zero-age main sequence star of the new mass. A contact system was formed through these calculations; it exhibits the general properties of a W Ursae Majoris system. The initial masses selected for the calculation were 1.29 M/sub solar mass/ and 0.56 M/sub solar mass/. An initial mass transfer rate of about 10 -10 solar masses per year gradually increased to about 10 -8 solar masses per year. After about 2.5 x 10 7 years, the less massive star filled its Roche lobe and an initial contact system was obtained. The final masses were 1.01359 M/sub solar mass/ and 0.83641 M/sub solar mass/. The internal structure of the secondary component is considerably different from that of a main sequence star of the same mass

The avian egg exhibits general allometric invariances in mechanical design.

Science.gov (United States)

Juang, Jia-Yang; Chen, Pin-Yi; Yang, Da-Chang; Wu, Shang-Ping; Yen, An; Hsieh, Hsin-I

2017-10-27

The avian egg exhibits extraordinary diversity in size, shape and color, and has a key role in avian adaptive radiations. Despite extensive work, our understanding of the underlying principles that guide the "design" of the egg as a load-bearing structure remains incomplete, especially over broad taxonomic scales. Here we define a dimensionless number C, a function of egg weight, stiffness and dimensions, to quantify how stiff an egg is with respect to its weight after removing geometry-induced rigidity. We analyze eggs of 463 bird species in 36 orders across five orders of magnitude in body mass, and find that C number is nearly invariant for most species, including tiny hummingbirds and giant elephant birds. This invariance or "design guideline" dictates that evolutionary changes in shell thickness and Young's modulus, both contributing to shell stiffness, are constrained by changes in egg weight. Our analysis illuminates unique reproductive strategies of brood parasites, kiwis, and megapodes, and quantifies the loss of safety margin for contact incubation due to artificial selection and environmental toxins. Our approach provides a mechanistic framework for a better understanding of the mechanical design of the avian egg, and may provide clues to the evolutionary origin of contact incubation of amniote eggs.

First contact diagnosis and management of contact lens-related complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Fagan, Xavier J; Jhanji, Vishal; Constantinou, Marios; Amirul Islam, F M; Taylor, Hugh R; Vajpayee, Rasik B

2012-08-01

To describe the spectrum of contact lens-related problems in cases presenting to a tertiary referral eye hospital. A retrospective case record analysis of 111 eyes of 97 consecutive patients was undertaken over a period of five months at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Contact lens-related complications (CLRC) were classified into microbial keratitis, sterile corneal infiltrates, corneal epitheliopathy and contact lens-related red eye (CLARE). Main parameters examined were nature of the first contact, clinical diagnosis, and management pattern. Forty-two percent of the initial presentations were to health care practitioners (HCPs) other than ophthalmologists. Mean duration from the onset of symptoms to presentation was 6.3 ± 10.9 days. Forty-nine percent (n = 54) of patients had an associated risk factor, most commonly overnight use of contact lenses (n = 14, 13 %). Most common diagnosis at presentation was corneal epitheliopathy (68 %) followed by sterile infiltrates (10 %), CLARE (8 %) and microbial keratitis (6 %). No significant differences were found in the pattern of treatment modalities administered by ophthalmologists and other HCPs. HCPs other than ophthalmologists are the first contact for contact lens-related problems in a significant proportion of patients. These HCPs manage the majority of CLRC by direct treatment or immediate referral.

EXHIBITION: Accelerated Particles

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

An exhibition of plastic arts and two evenings of performances by sound and visual artists as part of CERN's 50th anniversary celebrations. Fifty candles for CERN, an international laboratory renowned for fundamental research, is a cause for celebration. Since March this year, Geneva and neighbouring parts of France have been the venues for a wealth of small and large-scale events, which will continue until November. Given CERN's location in the commune of Meyrin, the ForuMeyrin is hosting exhibitions of plastic arts and performances entitled: Accelerated Particles. Several works will be exhibited and performed in two 'salons'. Salon des matières: An exhibition of plastic arts From Tues 12 October to Wed 3 November 2004 Tuesdays to Fridays: 16:00 to 19:00 Saturdays: 14:00 to 18:00 Exhibition open late on performance nights, entrance free Salon des particules: Musical and visual performances Tues 12 and Mon 25 October from 20:00 to 23:00 Preview evening for both events: Tues 12 October from 18:...

A Laboratory Assessment of Factors That Affect Bacterial Adhesion to Contact Lenses

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Debarun; Willcox, Mark DP

2013-01-01

Adhesion of pathogenic microbes, particularly bacteria, to contact lenses is implicated in contact lens related microbial adverse events. Various in vitro conditions such as type of bacteria, the size of initial inoculum, contact lens material, nutritional content of media, and incubation period can influence bacterial adhesion to contact lenses and the current study investigated the effect of these conditions on bacterial adhesion to contact lenses. There was no significant difference in numbers of bacteria that adhered to hydrogel etafilcon A or silicone hydrogel senofilcon A contact lenses. Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhered in higher numbers compared to Staphylococcus aureus. Within a genera/species, adhesion of different bacterial strains did not differ appreciably. The size of initial inoculum, nutritional content of media, and incubation period played significant roles in bacterial adhesion to lenses. A set of in vitro assay conditions to help standardize adhesion between studies have been recommended. PMID:24833224

A Laboratory Assessment of Factors That Affect Bacterial Adhesion to Contact Lenses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debarun Dutta

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Adhesion of pathogenic microbes, particularly bacteria, to contact lenses is implicated in contact lens related microbial adverse events. Various in vitro conditions such as type of bacteria, the size of initial inoculum, contact lens material, nutritional content of media, and incubation period can influence bacterial adhesion to contact lenses and the current study investigated the effect of these conditions on bacterial adhesion to contact lenses. There was no significant difference in numbers of bacteria that adhered to hydrogel etafilcon A or silicone hydrogel senofilcon A contact lenses. Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhered in higher numbers compared to Staphylococcus aureus. Within a genera/species, adhesion of different bacterial strains did not differ appreciably. The size of initial inoculum, nutritional content of media, and incubation period played significant roles in bacterial adhesion to lenses. A set of in vitro assay conditions to help standardize adhesion between studies have been recommended.

Toll/Interleukin-1 receptor member ST2 exhibits higher soluble levels in type 2 diabetes, especially when accompanied with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fousteris Evangelos

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Soluble ST2, a member of the of the Toll/IL-1 superfamily, is a novel biomarker with exceptional predictive value in heart failure and myocardial infarction- related mortality as well as in acute dyspneic states. Soluble ST2 is considered a decoy receptor of IL 33 that blocks the protective effects of the cytokine in atherosclerosis and cardiac remodeling. In the present study we investigated the differences in the levels of soluble ST2, BNP and hs-CRP between healthy controls and patients with type 2 diabetes with and without left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. A secondary aim was to investigate correlations between sST2 and other biomarkers of type 2 diabetes, such as HbA1c. Methods 158 volunteers were recruited and underwent a complete Doppler-echocardiographic evaluation of both systolic & diastolic cardiac function. All subjects with ejection fraction Results Patients with type 2 diabetes with (p Conclusions Patients with type 2 diabetes exhibit higher sST2 levels compared to healthy controls. The presence of LVDD in patients with type 2 diabetes is associated with even higher sST2 levels. A significant correlation between glycemic control and sST2 levels was also revealed.

Schottky contacts to polar and nonpolar n-type GaN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hogyoung [Hanbat National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Phark, Soohyon [Max-Planck-Institut fur Mikrostrukturphysik, Halle (Germany); Song, Keunman [Korea Advanced Nano Fab Center, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dongwook [Ewha Woman' s University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-01-15

Using the current-voltage measurements, we observed the barrier heights of c-plane GaN in Pt and Au Schottky contacts to be higher than those of a-plane GaN. However, the barrier height of c-plane GaN was lower than that of a-plane GaN in the Ti Schottky contacts. The N/Ga ratio calculated by integrating the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of Ga 3d and N 1s core levels showed that c-plane GaN induced more Ga vacancies near the interface than a-plane GaN in the Ti Schottky contacts, reducing the effective barrier height through an enhancement of the tunneling probability.

An in-fiber Bragg grating sensor for contact force and stress measurements in articular joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dennison, Christopher R; Wild, Peter M; Wilson, David R; Gilbart, Michael K

2010-01-01

We present an in-fiber Bragg grating-based sensor (240 µm diameter) for contact force/stress measurements in articular joints. The contact force sensor and another Bragg grating-based pressure sensor (400 µm diameter) are used to conduct the first simultaneous measurements of contact force/stress and fluid pressure in intact cadaveric human hips. The contact force/stress sensor addresses limitations associated with stress-sensitive films, the current standard tools for contact measurements in joints, including cartilage modulus-dependent sensitivity of films and the necessity to remove biomechanically relevant anatomy to implant the films. Because stress-sensitive films require removal of anatomy, it has been impossible to validate the mechanical rationale underlying preventive or corrective surgeries, which repair these anatomies, by conducting simultaneous stress and pressure measurements in intact hips. Methods are presented to insert the Bragg grating-based sensors into the joint, while relevant anatomy is left largely intact. Sensor performance is predicted using numerical models and the predicted sensitivity is verified through experimental calibrations. Contact force/stress and pressure measurements in cadaveric joints exhibited repeatability. With further validation, the Bragg grating-based sensors could be used to study the currently unknown relationships between contact forces and pressures in both healthy and degenerated joints

Comparing contact and immersion freezing from continuous flow diffusion chambers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Nagare

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Ice nucleating particles (INPs in the atmosphere are responsible for glaciating cloud droplets between 237 and 273 K. Different mechanisms of heterogeneous ice nucleation can compete under mixed-phase cloud conditions. Contact freezing is considered relevant because higher ice nucleation temperatures than for immersion freezing for the same INPs were observed. It has limitations because its efficiency depends on the number of collisions between cloud droplets and INPs. To date, direct comparisons of contact and immersion freezing with the same INP, for similar residence times and concentrations, are lacking. This study compares immersion and contact freezing efficiencies of three different INPs. The contact freezing data were obtained with the ETH CoLlision Ice Nucleation CHamber (CLINCH using 80 µm diameter droplets, which can interact with INPs for residence times of 2 and 4 s in the chamber. The contact freezing efficiency was calculated by estimating the number of collisions between droplets and particles. Theoretical formulations of collision efficiencies gave too high freezing efficiencies for all investigated INPs, namely AgI particles with 200 nm electrical mobility diameter, 400 and 800 nm diameter Arizona Test Dust (ATD and kaolinite particles. Comparison of freezing efficiencies by contact and immersion freezing is therefore limited by the accuracy of collision efficiencies. The concentration of particles was 1000 cm−3 for ATD and kaolinite and 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000 cm−3 for AgI. For concentrations  <  5000 cm−3, the droplets collect only one particle on average during their time in the chamber. For ATD and kaolinite particles, contact freezing efficiencies at 2 s residence time were smaller than at 4 s, which is in disagreement with a collisional contact freezing process but in accordance with immersion freezing or adhesion freezing. With “adhesion freezing”, we refer to a contact nucleation

Influence of skin peeling procedure in allergic contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jung Eun; Park, Hyun Jeong; Cho, Baik Kee; Lee, Jun Young

2008-03-01

The prevalence of allergic contact dermatitis in patients who have previously undergone skin peeling has been rarely studied. We compared the frequency of positive patch test (PT) reactions in a patient group with a history of peeling, to that of a control group with no history of peeling. The Korean standard series and cosmetic series were performed on a total of 262 patients. 62 patients had previously undergone peeling and 200 patients did not. The frequency of positive PT reactions on Korean standard series was significantly higher in the peeling group compared with that of the control group (P peeling group was higher than that of the control group, but lacked statistical significance. The frequency (%) of positive PT reactions on cosmetic series in the high-frequency peel group was higher than that of the low-frequency group, but lacked statistical significance. It appears peeling may not generally affect the development of contact sensitization. Further work is required focusing on the large-scale prospective studies by performing a PT before and after peeling.

Contact isotopic- and contact ion-exchange between two adsorbents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunzl, K.; Mohan, R.; Haimerl, M.

1975-01-01

The kinetics of contact ion exchange processes between an ion exchange membrane and resin ion exchange beads, stirred in pure water, was investigated. A general criterion was derived, which indicates whether diffusion of the ions between the intermingling electric double layers or the collision frequency between the two adsorbents is the rate dermining step. Since the latter process proved to be rate controlling under our experimental conditions, the corresponding rate equations were derived under various initial and boundary conditions. Experimentally, the kinetics of contact isotopic exchange of Cs + - and Na + -ions as well as of the reverse contact ion exchange process of Cs + -versus Na + -ions were investigated by using Na 22 and Cs 137 radioisotopes. The experiments reveal in quantitative accord with the theory that the rate of collision controlled contact ion exchange processes depends mainly on the 'exchange coefficient', the separation factor and the collision frequency. While the latter two quantities were determined independently by separate experiments, the 'exchange coefficient' was evaluated from a contact isotopic exchange experiment. (orig.) [de

ComplexContact: a web server for inter-protein contact prediction using deep learning

KAUST Repository

Zeng, Hong; Wang, Sheng; Zhou, Tianming; Zhao, Feifeng; Li, Xiufeng; Wu, Qing; Xu, Jinbo

2018-01-01

ComplexContact (http://raptorx2.uchicago.edu/ComplexContact/) is a web server for sequence-based interfacial residue-residue contact prediction of a putative protein complex. Interfacial residue-residue contacts are critical for understanding how proteins form complex and interact at residue level. When receiving a pair of protein sequences, ComplexContact first searches for their sequence homologs and builds two paired multiple sequence alignments (MSA), then it applies co-evolution analysis and a CASP-winning deep learning (DL) method to predict interfacial contacts from paired MSAs and visualizes the prediction as an image. The DL method was originally developed for intra-protein contact prediction and performed the best in CASP12. Our large-scale experimental test further shows that ComplexContact greatly outperforms pure co-evolution methods for inter-protein contact prediction, regardless of the species.

ComplexContact: a web server for inter-protein contact prediction using deep learning

KAUST Repository

Zeng, Hong

2018-05-20

ComplexContact (http://raptorx2.uchicago.edu/ComplexContact/) is a web server for sequence-based interfacial residue-residue contact prediction of a putative protein complex. Interfacial residue-residue contacts are critical for understanding how proteins form complex and interact at residue level. When receiving a pair of protein sequences, ComplexContact first searches for their sequence homologs and builds two paired multiple sequence alignments (MSA), then it applies co-evolution analysis and a CASP-winning deep learning (DL) method to predict interfacial contacts from paired MSAs and visualizes the prediction as an image. The DL method was originally developed for intra-protein contact prediction and performed the best in CASP12. Our large-scale experimental test further shows that ComplexContact greatly outperforms pure co-evolution methods for inter-protein contact prediction, regardless of the species.

ComplexContact: a web server for inter-protein contact prediction using deep learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Hong; Wang, Sheng; Zhou, Tianming; Zhao, Feifeng; Li, Xiufeng; Wu, Qing; Xu, Jinbo

2018-05-22

ComplexContact (http://raptorx2.uchicago.edu/ComplexContact/) is a web server for sequence-based interfacial residue-residue contact prediction of a putative protein complex. Interfacial residue-residue contacts are critical for understanding how proteins form complex and interact at residue level. When receiving a pair of protein sequences, ComplexContact first searches for their sequence homologs and builds two paired multiple sequence alignments (MSA), then it applies co-evolution analysis and a CASP-winning deep learning (DL) method to predict interfacial contacts from paired MSAs and visualizes the prediction as an image. The DL method was originally developed for intra-protein contact prediction and performed the best in CASP12. Our large-scale experimental test further shows that ComplexContact greatly outperforms pure co-evolution methods for inter-protein contact prediction, regardless of the species.

Current knowledge on biomarkers for contact sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Koppes, Sjors A; Engebretsen, Kristiane A; Agner, Tove; Angelova-Fischer, Irena; Berents, Teresa; Brandner, Johanna; Brans, Richard; Clausen, Maja-Lisa; Hummler, Edith; Jakasa, Ivone; Jurakić-Tončic, Ružica; John, Swen M; Khnykin, Denis; Molin, Sonja; Holm, Jan O; Suomela, Sari; Thierse, Hermann-Josef; Kezic, Sanja; Martin, Stefan F; Thyssen, Jacob P

2017-07-01

Contact sensitization is common and affects up to 20% of the general population. The clinical manifestation of contact sensitization is allergic contact dermatitis. This is a clinical expression that is sometimes difficult to distinguish from other types of dermatitis, for example irritant and atopic dermatitis. Several studies have examined the pathogenesis and severity of allergic contact dermatitis by measuring the absence or presence of various biomarkers. In this review, we provide a non-systematic overview of biomarkers that have been studied in allergic contact dermatitis. These include genetic variations and mutations, inflammatory mediators, alarmins, proteases, immunoproteomics, lipids, natural moisturizing factors, tight junctions, and antimicrobial peptides. We conclude that, despite the enormous amount of data, convincing specific biomarkers for allergic contact dermatitis are yet to be described. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quaternionic contact Einstein structures and the quaternionic contact Yamabe problem

CERN Document Server

Ivanov, Stefan; Vassilev, Dimiter

2014-01-01

A partial solution of the quaternionic contact Yamabe problem on the quaternionic sphere is given. It is shown that the torsion of the Biquard connection vanishes exactly when the trace-free part of the horizontal Ricci tensor of the Biquard connection is zero and this occurs precisely on 3-Sasakian manifolds. All conformal transformations sending the standard flat torsion-free quaternionic contact structure on the quaternionic Heisenberg group to a quaternionic contact structure with vanishing torsion of the Biquard connection are explicitly described. A "3-Hamiltonian form" of infinitesimal conformal automorphisms of quaternionic contact structures is presented.

Contact Dermatitis in Pediatrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelletier, Janice L; Perez, Caroline; Jacob, Sharon E

2016-08-01

Contact dermatitis is an umbrella term that describes the skin's reaction to contacted noxious or allergenic substances. The two main categories of contact dermatitis are irritant type and allergic type. This review discusses the signs, symptoms, causes, and complications of contact dermatitis. It addresses the testing, treatment, and prevention of contact dermatitis. Proper management of contact dermatitis includes avoidance measures for susceptible children. Implementation of a nickel directive (regulating the use of nickel in jewelry and other products that come into contact with the skin) could further reduce exposure to the most common allergens in the pediatric population. [Pediatr Ann. 2016;45(8):e287-e292.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Influence of source and drain contacts on the properties of indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors based on amorphous carbon nanofilm as barrier layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Dongxiang; Xu, Hua; Zhao, Mingjie; Li, Min; Xu, Miao; Zou, Jianhua; Tao, Hong; Wang, Lei; Peng, Junbiao

2015-02-18

Amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin film transistors (α-IGZO TFTs) with damage-free back channel wet-etch (BCE) process were achieved by introducing a carbon nanofilm as a barrier layer. We investigate the effects of different source-and-drain (S/D) materials on TFT performance. We find the TFT with Ti/C S/D electrodes exhibits a superior performance with higher output current, lower threshold voltage, and higher effective electron mobility compared to that of Mo/C S/D electrodes. Transmittance electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are employed to analysis the interfacial interaction between S/D metal/C/α-IGZO layers. The results indicate that the better performance of TFTs with Ti/C electrodes should be attributed to the formations of Ti-C and Ti-O at the Ti/C-contact regions, which lead to a lower contact resistance, whereas Mo film is relatively stable and does not react easily with C nanofilm, resulting in a nonohmic contact behavior between Mo/C and α-IGZO layer. However, both kinds of α-IGZO TFTs show good stability under thermal bias stress, indicating that the inserted C nanofilms could avoid the impact on the α-IGZO channel regions during S/D electrodes formation. Finally, we successfully fabricated a high-definition active-matrix organic lighting emitting diode prototype driven by α-IGZO TFTs with Ti/C electrodes in a pilot line.

Projecting social contact matrices in 152 countries using contact surveys and demographic data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiesha Prem

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Heterogeneities in contact networks have a major effect in determining whether a pathogen can become epidemic or persist at endemic levels. Epidemic models that determine which interventions can successfully prevent an outbreak need to account for social structure and mixing patterns. Contact patterns vary across age and locations (e.g. home, work, and school, and including them as predictors in transmission dynamic models of pathogens that spread socially will improve the models' realism. Data from population-based contact diaries in eight European countries from the POLYMOD study were projected to 144 other countries using a Bayesian hierarchical model that estimated the proclivity of age-and-location-specific contact patterns for the countries, using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. Household level data from the Demographic and Health Surveys for nine lower-income countries and socio-demographic factors from several on-line databases for 152 countries were used to quantify similarity of countries to estimate contact patterns in the home, work, school and other locations for countries for which no contact data are available, accounting for demographic structure, household structure where known, and a variety of metrics including workforce participation and school enrolment. Contacts are highly assortative with age across all countries considered, but pronounced regional differences in the age-specific contacts at home were noticeable, with more inter-generational contacts in Asian countries than in other settings. Moreover, there were variations in contact patterns by location, with work-place contacts being least assortative. These variations led to differences in the effect of social distancing measures in an age structured epidemic model. Contacts have an important role in transmission dynamic models that use contact rates to characterize the spread of contact-transmissible diseases. This study provides estimates of mixing patterns for

Projecting social contact matrices in 152 countries using contact surveys and demographic data.

Science.gov (United States)

Prem, Kiesha; Cook, Alex R; Jit, Mark

2017-09-01

Heterogeneities in contact networks have a major effect in determining whether a pathogen can become epidemic or persist at endemic levels. Epidemic models that determine which interventions can successfully prevent an outbreak need to account for social structure and mixing patterns. Contact patterns vary across age and locations (e.g. home, work, and school), and including them as predictors in transmission dynamic models of pathogens that spread socially will improve the models' realism. Data from population-based contact diaries in eight European countries from the POLYMOD study were projected to 144 other countries using a Bayesian hierarchical model that estimated the proclivity of age-and-location-specific contact patterns for the countries, using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. Household level data from the Demographic and Health Surveys for nine lower-income countries and socio-demographic factors from several on-line databases for 152 countries were used to quantify similarity of countries to estimate contact patterns in the home, work, school and other locations for countries for which no contact data are available, accounting for demographic structure, household structure where known, and a variety of metrics including workforce participation and school enrolment. Contacts are highly assortative with age across all countries considered, but pronounced regional differences in the age-specific contacts at home were noticeable, with more inter-generational contacts in Asian countries than in other settings. Moreover, there were variations in contact patterns by location, with work-place contacts being least assortative. These variations led to differences in the effect of social distancing measures in an age structured epidemic model. Contacts have an important role in transmission dynamic models that use contact rates to characterize the spread of contact-transmissible diseases. This study provides estimates of mixing patterns for societies for which

Tibiofemoral joint contact area and pressure after single- and double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Morimoto, Yusuke; Ferretti, Mario; Ekdahl, Max; Smolinski, Patrick; Fu, Freddie H

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the tibiofemoral contact area and pressure after single-bundle (SB) and double-bundle (DB) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction by use of 2 femoral and 2 tibial tunnels in intact cadaveric knees. Tibiofemoral contact area and mean and maximum pressures were measured by pressure-sensitive film (Fujifilm, Valhalla, NY) inserted between the tibia and femur. The knee was subjected to a 1,000-N axial load by use of a uniaxial testing machine at 0 degrees , 15 degrees , 30 degrees , and 45 degrees of flexion. Three conditions were evaluated: (1) intact ACL, (2) SB ACL reconstruction (n = 10 knees), and (3) DB ACL reconstruction (n = 9 knees). When compared with the intact knee, DB ACL reconstruction showed no significant difference in tibiofemoral contact area and mean and maximum pressures. SB ACL reconstruction had a significantly smaller contact area on the lateral and medial tibiofemoral joints at 30 degrees and 15 degrees of flexion. SB ACL reconstruction also had significantly higher mean pressures at 15 degrees of flexion on the medial tibiofemoral joint and at 0 degrees and 15 degrees of flexion on the lateral tibiofemoral joint, as well as significantly higher maximum pressures at 15 degrees of flexion on the lateral tibiofemoral joint. SB ACL reconstruction resulted in a significantly smaller tibiofemoral contact area and higher pressures. DB ACL more closely restores the normal contact area and pressure mainly at low flexion angles. Our findings suggest that the changes in the contact area and pressures after SB ACL reconstruction may be one of the causes of osteoarthritis on long-term follow-up. DB ACL reconstruction may reduce the incidence of osteoarthritis by closely restoring contact area and pressure.

Contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis in adolescents: prevalence measures and associations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mørtz, Charlotte G; Lauritsen, Jens Martin; Bindslev-Jensen, Carsten

2002-01-01

The aims of this cross-sectional study were to establish the prevalence measures of contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis in 8th grade schoolchildren (aged 12-16 years) in Odense, Denmark, and to examine the associations with atopic dermatitis, inhalant allergy and hand eczema. Contact...... allergy to a standard series allergen was found in 15.2% of schoolchildren. The point prevalence of allergic contact dermatitis was 0.7% and the lifetime prevalence 7.2%, predominantly in girls. The most common contact allergens were nickel (8.6%) and fragrance mix (1.8%). Nickel allergy was clinically...... relevant in 69% and fragrance allergy in 29% of cases. A significant association was found between contact allergy and hand eczema while no association was found between contact allergy and atopic dermatitis or inhalant allergy. In the future this cohort of schoolchildren will be followed with regard...

Current knowledge on biomarkers for contact sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koppes, Sjors A.; Engebretsen, Kristiane A.; Agner, Tove; Angelova-Fischer, Irena; Berents, Teresa; Brandner, Johanna; Brans, Richard; Clausen, Maja-Lisa; Hummler, Edith; Jakasa, Ivone; Jurakić-Tončic, Ružica; John, Swen M.; Khnykin, Denis; Molin, Sonja; Holm, Jan O.; Suomela, Sari; Thierse, Hermann-Josef; Kezic, Sanja; Martin, Stefan F.; Thyssen, Jacob P.

2017-01-01

Contact sensitization is common and affects up to 20% of the general population. The clinical manifestation of contact sensitization is allergic contact dermatitis. This is a clinical expression that is sometimes difficult to distinguish from other types of dermatitis, for example irritant and

Britain exhibition at CERN

CERN Multimedia

Bertin; CERN PhotoLab

1969-01-01

The United Kingdom inaugurated the Industrial Exhibitions in 1968, and it wasn't till 1971 that other countries staged exhibitions at CERN. This photo was taken in 1969, at the second British exhibition, where 16 companies were present.

Relationship between the real contact area and contact force in pre-sliding regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Baojiang; Yan Shaoze

2017-01-01

The pre-sliding regime is typically neglected in the dynamic modelling of mechanical systems. However, the change in contact state caused by static friction may decrease positional accuracy and control precision. To investigate the relationship between contact status and contact force in pre-sliding friction, an optical experimental method is presented in this paper. With this method, the real contact state at the interface of a transparent material can be observed based on the total reflection principle of light by using an image processing technique. A novel setup, which includes a pair of rectangular trapezoidal blocks, is proposed to solve the challenging issue of accurately applying different tangential and normal forces to the contact interface. The improved Otsu’s method is used for measurement. Through an experimental study performed on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the quantity of contact asperities is proven to be the dominant factor that affects the real contact area. The relationship between the real contact area and the contact force in the pre-sliding regime is studied, and the distribution of static friction at the contact interface is qualitatively discussed. New phenomena in which the real contact area expands along with increasing static friction are identified. The aforementioned relationship is approximately linear at the contact interface under a constant normal pressure, and the distribution of friction stress decreases from the leading edge to the trailing edge. (paper)

Role of long- and short-range hydrophobic, hydrophilic and charged residues contact network in protein’s structural organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sengupta Dhriti

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The three-dimensional structure of a protein can be described as a graph where nodes represent residues and the strength of non-covalent interactions between them are edges. These protein contact networks can be separated into long and short-range interactions networks depending on the positions of amino acids in primary structure. Long-range interactions play a distinct role in determining the tertiary structure of a protein while short-range interactions could largely contribute to the secondary structure formations. In addition, physico chemical properties and the linear arrangement of amino acids of the primary structure of a protein determines its three dimensional structure. Here, we present an extensive analysis of protein contact subnetworks based on the London van der Waals interactions of amino acids at different length scales. We further subdivided those networks in hydrophobic, hydrophilic and charged residues networks and have tried to correlate their influence in the overall topology and organization of a protein. Results The largest connected component (LCC of long (LRN-, short (SRN- and all-range (ARN networks within proteins exhibit a transition behaviour when plotted against different interaction strengths of edges among amino acid nodes. While short-range networks having chain like structures exhibit highly cooperative transition; long- and all-range networks, which are more similar to each other, have non-chain like structures and show less cooperativity. Further, the hydrophobic residues subnetworks in long- and all-range networks have similar transition behaviours with all residues all-range networks, but the hydrophilic and charged residues networks don’t. While the nature of transitions of LCC’s sizes is same in SRNs for thermophiles and mesophiles, there exists a clear difference in LRNs. The presence of larger size of interconnected long-range interactions in thermophiles than mesophiles, even at

Contact force and mechanical loss of multistage cable under tension and bending

Science.gov (United States)

Ru, Yanyun; Yong, Huadong; Zhou, Youhe

2016-10-01

A theoretical model for calculating the stress and strain states of cabling structures with different loadings has been developed in this paper. We solve the problem for the first- and second-stage cable with tensile or bending strain. The contact and friction forces between the strands are presented by two-dimensional contact model. Several theoretical models have been proposed to verify the results when the triplet subjected to the tensile strain, including contact force, contact stresses, and mechanical loss. It is found that loadings will affect the friction force and the mechanical loss of the triplet. The results show that the contact force and mechanical loss are dependent on the twist pitch. A shorter twist pitch can lead to higher contact force, while the trend of mechanical loss with twist pitch is complicated. The mechanical loss may be reduced by adjusting the twist pitch reasonably. The present model provides a simple analysis method to investigate the mechanical behaviors in multistage-structures under different loads.

Contact Lens Risks

Science.gov (United States)

... There is a risk of eye infection from bacteria in swimming pool water, hot tubs, lakes and the ocean Replace your contact lens storage case every 3 months or as directed by your eye care professional. Other Risks of Contact Lenses Other risks of contact lenses include pink eye ( ...

Noneczematous Contact Dermatitis

Science.gov (United States)

Foti, Caterina; Vestita, Michelangelo; Angelini, Gianni

2013-01-01

Irritant or allergic contact dermatitis usually presents as an eczematous process, clinically characterized by erythematoedematovesicous lesions with intense itching in the acute phase. Such manifestations become erythematous-scaly as the condition progresses to the subacute phase and papular-hyperkeratotic in the chronic phase. Not infrequently, however, contact dermatitis presents with noneczematous features. The reasons underlying this clinical polymorphism lie in the different noxae and contact modalities, as well as in the individual susceptibility and the various targeted cutaneous structures. The most represented forms of non-eczematous contact dermatitis include the erythema multiforme-like, the purpuric, the lichenoid, and the pigmented kinds. These clinical entities must obviously be discerned from the corresponding “pure” dermatitis, which are not associated with contact with exogenous agents. PMID:24109520

Whites but Not Blacks Gain Life Expectancy from Social Contacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shervin Assari

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background. Recent research suggests that the health gain from economic resources and psychological assets may be systematically larger for Whites than Blacks. Aim. This study aimed to assess whether the life expectancy gain associated with social contacts over a long follow up differs for Blacks and Whites. Methods. Data came from the Americans’ Changing Lives (ACL Study, 1986–2011. The sample was a nationally representative sample of American adults 25 and older, who were followed for up to 25 years (n = 3361. Outcome was all-cause mortality. The main predictor was social contacts defined as number of regular visits with friends, relatives, and neighbors. Baseline demographics (age and gender, socioeconomic status (education, income, and employment, health behaviors (smoking and drinking, and health (chronic medical conditions, obesity, and depressive symptoms were controlled. Race was the focal moderator. Cox proportional hazard models were used in the pooled sample and based on race. Results. More social contacts predicted higher life expectancy in the pooled sample. A significant interaction was found between race and social contacts, suggesting that the protective effect of more social contacts is smaller for Blacks than Whites. In stratified models, more social contacts predicted an increased life expectancy for Whites but not Blacks. Conclusion. Social contacts increase life expectancy for White but not Black Americans. This study introduces social contacts as another social resource that differentially affects health of Whites and Blacks.

Top contact organic field effect transistors fabricated using a photolithographic process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hong; Peng Ying-Quan; Ji Zhuo-Yu; Shang Li-Wei; Liu Xing-Hua; Liu Ming

2011-01-01

This paper proposes an effective method of fabricating top contact organic field effect transistors by using a photolithographic process. The semiconductor layer is protected by a passivation layer. Through photolithographic and etching processes, parts of the passivation layer are etched off to form source/drain electrode patterns. Combined with conventional evaporation and lift-off techniques, organic field effect transistors with a top contact are fabricated successfully, whose properties are comparable to those prepared with the shadow mask method and one order of magnitude higher than the bottom contact devices fabricated by using a photolithographic process. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Apparent Contact Angle and Contact Angle Hysteresis on Liquid Infused Surfaces

OpenAIRE

Semprebon, Ciro; McHale, Glen; Kusumaatmaja, Halim

2016-01-01

We theoretically investigate the apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis of a droplet placed on a liquid infused surface. We show that the apparent contact angle is not uniquely defined by material parameters, but also has a strong dependence on the relative size between the droplet and its surrounding wetting ridge formed by the infusing liquid. We derive a closed form expression for the contact angle in the limit of vanishing wetting ridge, and compute the correction for small b...

Digital collections and exhibits

CERN Document Server

Denzer, Juan

2015-01-01

Today's libraries are taking advantage of cutting-edge technologies such as flat panel displays using touch, sound, and hands-free motions to design amazing exhibits using everything from simple computer hardware to advanced technologies such as the Microsoft Kinect. Libraries of all types are striving to add new interactive experiences for their patrons through exciting digital exhibits, both online and off. Digital Collections and Exhibits takes away the mystery of designing stunning digital exhibits to spotlight library trea

A new solution method for wheel/rail rolling contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jian; Song, Hua; Fu, Lihua; Wang, Meng; Li, Wei

2016-01-01

To solve the problem of wheel/rail rolling contact of nonlinear steady-state curving, a three-dimensional transient finite element (FE) model is developed by the explicit software ANSYS/LS-DYNA. To improve the solving speed and efficiency, an explicit-explicit order solution method is put forward based on analysis of the features of implicit and explicit algorithm. The solution method was first applied to calculate the pre-loading of wheel/rail rolling contact with explicit algorithm, and then the results became the initial conditions in solving the dynamic process of wheel/rail rolling contact with explicit algorithm as well. Simultaneously, the common implicit-explicit order solution method is used to solve the FE model. Results show that the explicit-explicit order solution method has faster operation speed and higher efficiency than the implicit-explicit order solution method while the solution accuracy is almost the same. Hence, the explicit-explicit order solution method is more suitable for the wheel/rail rolling contact model with large scale and high nonlinearity.

Patterned Liquid Metal Contacts for Printed Carbon Nanotube Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Joseph B; Mondal, Kunal; Neumann, Taylor V; Cardenas, Jorge A; Wang, Justin; Parekh, Dishit P; Lin, Yiliang; Ballentine, Peter; Dickey, Michael D; Franklin, Aaron D

2018-05-14

Flexible and stretchable electronics are poised to enable many applications that cannot be realized with traditional, rigid devices. One of the most promising options for low-cost stretchable transistors are printed carbon nanotubes (CNTs). However, a major limiting factor in stretchable CNT devices is the lack of a stable and versatile contact material that forms both the interconnects and contact electrodes. In this work, we introduce the use of eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) liquid metal for electrical contacts to printed CNT channels. We analyze thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated using two different liquid metal deposition techniques-vacuum-filling polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel structures and direct-writing liquid metals on the CNTs. The highest performing CNT-TFT was realized using vacuum-filled microchannel deposition with an in situ annealing temperature of 150 °C. This device exhibited an on/off ratio of more than 10 4 and on-currents as high as 150 μA/mm-metrics that are on par with other printed CNT-TFTs. Additionally, we observed that at room temperature the contact resistances of the vacuum-filled microchannel structures were 50% lower than those of the direct-write structures, likely due to the poor adhesion between the materials observed during the direct-writing process. The insights gained in this study show that stretchable electronics can be realized using low-cost and solely solution processing techniques. Furthermore, we demonstrate methods that can be used to electrically characterize semiconducting materials as transistors without requiring elevated temperatures or cleanroom processes.

Contact with turf algae alters the coral microbiome: contact versus systemic impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Pratte, Zoe A.; Longo, Guilherme O.; Burns, Andrew S.; Hay, Mark E.; Stewart, Frank J.

2018-03-01

Coral reefs are degrading to algae-dominated reefs worldwide, with alterations of coral microbiomes commonly co-occurring with reef demise. The severe thermal anomaly during the 2016 El Niño event in the South Pacific killed many corals and stressed others. We examined the microbiome of turf algae and of the coral Porites sp. in contact with turf during this thermal event to investigate algal turf effects on the coral microbiome during a period of environmental stress. The microbial composition of turf did not differ between coral-contacted and non-contacted turfs. However, microbiomes of corals in direct contact with turf were similar to those of the turf microbiome, but differed significantly from coral portions 5 cm from the point of turf/coral contact and from portions of the coral that looked most healthy, regardless of location. Although the majority of significant differences occurred in coral samples at the point of contact, a small subset of microbial taxa was enriched in coral tissues taken 5 cm from turf contact compared to all other sample types, including samples from areas of the coral that appeared most healthy. These results suggest that the coral microbiome is susceptible to colonization by microbes from turf, but not vice versa. Results also suggest that algal contact elicits a subtle shift in the coral microbiome just beyond the contact site. The combination of turf microbiome stability and coral microbiome vulnerability at areas of contact may contribute to the continued decline in coral cover and increase in algal cover associated with coral-algae phase shifts.

Tuning back contact property via artificial interface dipoles in Si/organic hybrid solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Dan [Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Department of Physics and Institute of Solid-state electronics physical, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211 (China); Sheng, Jiang, E-mail: shengjiang@nimte.ac.cn; Wu, Sudong; Zhu, Juye; Chen, Shaojie; Gao, Pingqi; Ye, Jichun, E-mail: jichun.ye@nimte.ac.cn [Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China)

2016-07-25

Back contact property plays a key role in the charge collection efficiency of c-Si/poly(3,4-ethylthiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) hybrid solar cells (Si-HSCs), as an alternative for the high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaic devices. In this letter, we utilize the water soluble poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) to modify the Al/Si interface to be an Ohmic contact via interface dipole tuning, decreasing the work function of the Al film. This Ohmic contact improves the electron collection efficiency of the rear electrode, increasing the short circuit current density (J{sub sc}). Furthermore, the interface dipoles make the band bending downward to increase the total barrier height of built-in electric field of the solar cell, enhancing the open circuit voltage (V{sub oc}). The PEO solar cell exhibits an excellent performance, 12.29% power conversion efficiency, a 25.28% increase from the reference solar cell without a PEO interlayer. The simple and water soluble method as a promising alternative is used to develop the interfacial contact quality of the rear electrode for the high photovoltaic performance of Si-HSCs.

Patients with multiple contact allergies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carlsen, Berit Christina; Andersen, Klaus Ejner; Menné, Torkil

2008-01-01

Patients with multiple contact allergies, also referred to as polysensitized, are more frequent than predicted from prevalence of single sensitivities. The understanding of why some people develop multiple contact allergies, and characterization of patients with multiple contact allergies...... of developing multiple contact allergies. Evidence of allergen clusters among polysensitized individuals is also reviewed. The literature supports the idea that patients with multiple contact allergies constitute a special entity within the field of contact allergy. There is no generally accepted definition...... of patients with multiple contact allergies. We suggest that contact allergy to 3 or more allergens are defined as multiple contact allergies....

Contact system activation and high thrombin generation in hyperthyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Namhee; Gu, Ja-Yoon; Yoo, Hyun Ju; Han, Se Eun; Kim, Young Il; Nam-Goong, Il Sung; Kim, Eun Sook; Kim, Hyun Kyung

2017-05-01

Hyperthyroidism is associated with increased thrombotic risk. As contact system activation through formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) has emerged as an important trigger of thrombosis, we hypothesized that the contact system is activated along with active NET formation in hyperthyroidism and that their markers correlate with disease severity. In 61 patients with hyperthyroidism and 40 normal controls, the levels of coagulation factors (fibrinogen, and factor VII, VIII, IX, XI and XII), D-dimer, thrombin generation assay (TGA) markers, NET formation markers (histone-DNA complex, double-stranded DNA and neutrophil elastase) and contact system markers (activated factor XII (XIIa), high-molecular-weight kininogen (HMWK), prekallikrein and bradykinin) were measured. Patients with hyperthyroidism showed higher levels of fibrinogen (median (interquartile range), 315 (280-344) vs 262 (223-300), P  = 0.001), D-dimer (103.8 (64.8-151.5) vs 50.7 (37.4-76.0), P  hyperthyroidism's contribution to coagulation and contact system activation. Free T4 was significantly correlated with factors VIII and IX, D-dimer, double-stranded DNA and bradykinin. This study demonstrated that contact system activation and abundant NET formation occurred in the high thrombin generation state in hyperthyroidism and were correlated with free T4 level. © 2017 European Society of Endocrinology.

Processing and properties of silver-metal oxide electrical contact materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadežda M. Talijan

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The presented study gives a brief overview of the experimental results of investigations of different production technologies of silver-metal oxide electrical contact materials in relation: processing method - properties. The two most common routes of production, i.e. internal oxidation/ingot metallurgy and powder metallurgy are demonstrated on the example of Ag-CdO and Ag-ZnO materials. For illustration of alternative processing routes that provide higher dispersion of metal-oxide particles in silver matrix more environmentally friendly Ag-SnO2 contact materials are used. Processing of electrical contact materials by mechanical mixing of starting powders in high energy ball mill is presented. The obtained experimental results of application of different methods of introduction of SnO2 nanoparticles in the silver matrix such as conventional powder metallurgy mixing and template method are given and discussed in terms of their influence on microstructure and physical properties (density, hardness and electrical conductivity of the prepared Ag-SnO2 electrical contact materials.

Formation Process and Properties of Ohmic Contacts Containing Molybdenum to AlGaN/GaN Heterostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciech Macherzynski

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Properties of wide bandgap semiconductors as chemical inertness to harsh conditions and possibility of working at high temperature ensure possible applications in the field as military, aerospace, automotive, engine monitoring, flame detection and solar UV detection. Requirements for ohmic contacts in semiconductor devices are determined by the proposed application. These contacts to AlGaN/GaN heterostructure for application as high temperature, high frequency and high power devices have to exhibit good surface morphology and low contact resistance. The latter is a crucial factor in limiting the development of high performance AlGaN/GaN devices. Lowering of the resistance is assured by rapid thermal annealing process. The paper present studies of Ti/Al/Mo/Au ohmic contacst annealed at temperature range from 825°C to 885°C in N2 atmosphere. The electrical parameters of examined samples as a function of the annealing process condition have been studied. Initially the annealing temperature increase caused lowering of the contacts resistance. The lowest value was noticed for the temperature of annealing equal to 885°C. Further increase of annealing temperature led to deterioration of contact resistance of investigated ohmic contacts.

Intergroup Contact and Peacebuilding: Promoting Youth Civic Engagement in Northern Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shelley McKeown

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Focusing on the post-accord generation in Northern Ireland, this study aimed to examine the role of intergroup contact in promoting support for peacebuilding and youth civic engagement. The sample comprised 466 youth (aged 14-15; 51% Catholic, 49% Protestant who were born after the 1998 Good Friday/Belfast Agreement and therefore represent a ‘post-accord’ generation. Recruited through their schools, youth completed scales on intergroup contact (quality and quantity, support for peacebuilding, and civic engagement. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling and bootstrapped mediation in MPlus. Results found that support for peacebuilding partially mediated the association between higher quality and higher quantity contact and greater civic engagement (volunteering and political participation. Findings demonstrate that youth who are living with the legacy of protracted intergroup conflict can support peacebuilding and engage in constructive behaviours such as civic engagement. By recognising the peacebuilding potential of youth, especially in a post-accord generation, the findings may inform how to promote youth civic engagement and social reconstruction after conflict.

The significance of allergic contact urticaria to milk in children with cow's milk allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schichter-Konfino, Vered; Almog, Meital; Bamberger, Ellen; Berkowitz, Drora; Kessel, Aharon

2015-05-01

Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is the most common food allergy in infancy. Food allergy is generally triggered through ingestion, but can also be triggered through skin contact. We investigated the incidence and the clinical significance of cow's milk protein (CMP)-induced contact urticaria in individuals with CMA with and without atopic dermatitis (AD). A total of 157 children of whom 133 were diagnosed with CMA were participated. The study was based on observational data gathered in the course of patient care, including a skin prick test and a 'finger test', in which cow's milk is applied on the cheek by a physician's finger to detect contact urticaria. Eighty nine of 133 patients (66.9%) had IgE-mediated CMA. Forty of these 89 (44.9%) tested positive in the finger test. Family atopy was higher in those with positive contact urticaria [21/40 (52.5%) vs. 14/49 (28.5%), p = 0.029]. Patients with positive vs. negative CMP contact urticaria had higher incidence of multiple food allergies [20 of 40 (50%) vs. 7/49 (14.3%), p milk allergy and healthy control group did not have contact urticaria to CMP. CMP contact urticaria exists only in patients with IgE-mediated CMA. A 'finger test' to CMP should be part of the evaluation of CMA patients, and positivity suggests the potential for multiple food allergies, especially to sesame and egg. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

CIGS cells with metallized front contact: Longer cells and higher efficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deelen, J. van; Frijters, C.

2017-01-01

We have investigated the benefit of a patterned metallization on top of a transparent conductive oxide in CIGS thin-film solar panels. It was found that cells with a grid have a higher efficiency compared to cells with only a TCO. This was observed for all cell lengths used. Furthermore, metallic

Corneal cell adhesion to contact lens hydrogel materials enhanced via tear film protein deposition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire M Elkins

Full Text Available Tear film protein deposition on contact lens hydrogels has been well characterized from the perspective of bacterial adhesion and viability. However, the effect of protein deposition on lens interactions with the corneal epithelium remains largely unexplored. The current study employs a live cell rheometer to quantify human corneal epithelial cell adhesion to soft contact lenses fouled with the tear film protein lysozyme. PureVision balafilcon A and AirOptix lotrafilcon B lenses were soaked for five days in either phosphate buffered saline (PBS, borate buffered saline (BBS, or Sensitive Eyes Plus Saline Solution (Sensitive Eyes, either pure or in the presence of lysozyme. Treated contact lenses were then contacted to a live monolayer of corneal epithelial cells for two hours, after which the contact lens was sheared laterally. The apparent cell monolayer relaxation modulus was then used to quantify the extent of cell adhesion to the contact lens surface. For both lens types, lysozyme increased corneal cell adhesion to the contact lens, with the apparent cell monolayer relaxation modulus increasing up to an order of magnitude in the presence of protein. The magnitude of this increase depended on the identity of the soaking solution: lenses soaked in borate-buffered solutions (BBS, Sensitive Eyes exhibited a much greater increase in cell attachment upon protein addition than those soaked in PBS. Significantly, all measurements were conducted while subjecting the cells to moderate surface pressures and shear rates, similar to those experienced by corneal cells in vivo.

Experimental and numerical investigation of contact-area-limited doping for top-contact pentacene thin-film transistors with Schottky contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, Kei; Wada, Yasuo; Toyabe, Toru

2015-10-28

Effects of contact-area-limited doping for pentacene thin-film transistors with a bottom-gate, top-contact configuration were investigated. The increase in the drain current and the effective field-effect mobility was achieved by preparing hole-doped layers underneath the gold contact electrodes by coevaporation of pentacene and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ), confirmed by using a thin-film organic transistor advanced simulator (TOTAS) incorporating Schottky contact with a thermionic field emission (TFE) model. Although the simulated electrical characteristics fit the experimental results well only in the linear regime of the transistor operation, the barrier height for hole injection and the gate-voltage-dependent hole mobility in the pentacene transistors were evaluated with the aid of the device simulation. This experimental data analysis with the simulation indicates that the highly-doped semiconducting layers prepared in the contact regions can enhance the charge carrier injection into the active semiconductor layer and concurrent trap filling in the transistor channel, caused by the mitigation of a Schottky energy barrier. This study suggests that both the contact-area-limited doping and the device simulation dealing with Schottky contact are indispensable in designing and developing high-performance organic thin-film transistors.

An approximate JKR solution for a general contact, including rough contacts

Science.gov (United States)

Ciavarella, M.

2018-05-01

In the present note, we suggest a simple closed form approximate solution to the adhesive contact problem under the so-called JKR regime. The derivation is based on generalizing the original JKR energetic derivation assuming calculation of the strain energy in adhesiveless contact, and unloading at constant contact area. The underlying assumption is that the contact area distributions are the same as under adhesiveless conditions (for an appropriately increased normal load), so that in general the stress intensity factors will not be exactly equal at all contact edges. The solution is simply that the indentation is δ =δ1 -√{ 2 wA‧ /P″ } where w is surface energy, δ1 is the adhesiveless indentation, A‧ is the first derivative of contact area and P‧‧ the second derivative of the load with respect to δ1. The solution only requires macroscopic quantities, and not very elaborate local distributions, and is exact in many configurations like axisymmetric contacts, but also sinusoidal waves contact and correctly predicts some features of an ideal asperity model used as a test case and not as a real description of a rough contact problem. The solution permits therefore an estimate of the full solution for elastic rough solids with Gaussian multiple scales of roughness, which so far was lacking, using known adhesiveless simple results. The result turns out to depend only on rms amplitude and slopes of the surface, and as in the fractal limit, slopes would grow without limit, tends to the adhesiveless result - although in this limit the JKR model is inappropriate. The solution would also go to adhesiveless result for large rms amplitude of roughness hrms, irrespective of the small scale details, and in agreement with common sense, well known experiments and previous models by the author.

HTSC-Josephson step contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrmann, K.

1994-03-01

In this work the properties of josephson step contacts are investigated. After a short introduction into Josephson step contacts the structure, properties and the Josphson contacts of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x high-T c superconductors is presented. The fabrication of HTSC step contacts and the microstructure is discussed. The electric properties of these contacts are measured together with the Josephson emission and the magnetic field dependence. The temperature dependence of the stationary transport properties is given. (WL)

"10th Germany at CERN" Industrial Exhibition and the first "Innovation Forum at CERN"

CERN Multimedia

FI Department

2008-01-01

On January 29-30, 2008 On 29 and 30 January 2008, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will join forces with CERN in organizing the "10th Germany at CERN" Industrial Exhibition and the first "Innovation Forum at CERN". The Industrial Exhibition provides the opportunity for some 30 German companies to present their products and services to the scientists and buyers of CERN, establish contacts and gather information on future purchasing opportunities. The main subjects will be the following: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronics, civil engineering and buildings, data processing, radiation protection and vacuum and low temperature technology. The first ever "Innovation Forum at CERN" - open to all CERN Member States – will bring together under one roof researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs to understand and discuss CERN’s applied technology. They will learn about the know-how accumulated through the LHC, the five detectors ...

"10th Germany at CERN" Industrial Exhibition and the first "Innovation Forum at CERN"

CERN Multimedia

FI Department

2008-01-01

29-30 January 2008 On 29 and 30 January 2008, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will join forces with CERN in organizing the "10th Germany at CERN" Industrial Exhibition and the first "Innovation Forum at CERN". The Industrial Exhibition will provide the opportunity for some 30 German companies to present their products and services to the scientists and buyers of CERN, establish contacts and gather information on future purchasing opportunities. The main subjects will be the following: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronics, civil engineering and buildings, data processing, radiation protection and vacuum and low temperature technology. The first ever "Innovation Forum at CERN" - open to all CERN Member States - will bring together under one roof researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs to understand and discuss CERN’s applied technology. They will learn about the know-how accumulated through the LHC, the five detectors ...

Role of Ag-alloy in the thermal stability of Ag-based ohmic contact to GaN(0 0 0 1) surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, Zhihua; Qin, Zhenzhen; Zhao, Qian; Chen, Lanli

2015-01-01

First-principles calculations are performed to study Ag and Ag-alloy adsorption stability on GaN(0 0 0 1) surface. We find Ag only contact to GaN surface is unstable under high temperature. While Ag-alloy adsorption exhibits better adsorption stability and electronic properties than that of the Ag only contact,due to the enhanced interaction between Ag-alloy and GaN(0 0 0 1) surface. The Ag-alloy, particularly AgNi, is proposed to be used as very promising ohmic contact to GaN for practical applications

Drop rebound after impact: the role of the receding contact angle.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonini, C; Villa, F; Bernagozzi, I; Amirfazli, A; Marengo, M

2013-12-31

Data from the literature suggest that the rebound of a drop from a surface can be achieved when the wettability is low, i.e., when contact angles, measured at the triple line (solid-liquid-air), are high. However, no clear criterion exists to predict when a drop will rebound from a surface and which is the key wetting parameter to govern drop rebound (e.g., the "equilibrium" contact angle, θeq, the advancing and the receding contact angles, θA and θR, respectively, the contact angle hysteresis, Δθ, or any combination of these parameters). To clarify the conditions for drop rebound, we conducted experimental tests on different dry solid surfaces with variable wettability, from hydrophobic to superhydrophobic surfaces, with advancing contact angles 108° contact angles 89° contact angle is the key wetting parameter that influences drop rebound, along with surface hydrophobicity: for the investigated impact conditions (drop diameter 2.4 contact angles higher than 100°. Also, the drop rebound time decreased by increasing the receding contact angle. It was also shown that in general care must be taken when using statically defined wetting parameters (such as advancing and receding contact angles) to predict the dynamic behavior of a liquid on a solid surface because the dynamics of the phenomenon may affect surface wetting close to the impact point (e.g., as a result of the transition from the Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel state in the case of the so-called superhydrophobic surfaces) and thus affect the drop rebound.

Discrimination? - Exhibition of posters

OpenAIRE

Jakimovska, Jana

2017-01-01

Participation in the exhibition with the students form the Art Academy. The exhibition consisted of 15 posters tackling the subjects of hate speech and discrimination. The exhibition happened thanks to the invitation of the Faculty of Law at UGD, and it was a part of a larger event of launching books on the aforementioned subjects.

Is dermatitis palmaris sicca an irritant contact dermatitis?

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fu-Juan; Liu, Zhen; Zhou, Ying; Chen, Yong-Hua; Fan, Yi-Ming

2013-01-01

Dermatitis palmaris sicca (DPS) is a common dry-fissured palmar dermatitis in Asian women. It may be an irritant contact dermatitis, but the immunophenotype of the cells in its infiltrate is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of inflammatory cells in the pathogenesis of DPS. Patch testing was done in 68 patients with DPS, 87 subjects with hand eczema, and 31 healthy subjects. Immunophenotyping of cutaneous inflammatory cells was performed in 8 patients with DPS, 10 subjects with hand eczema, and 8 healthy individuals. Positive patch rates were higher in patients with DPS and those with hand eczema compared with healthy controls, but strong positive (++ or +++) reactions in DPS were fewer compared with hand eczema. Density of CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD68 cells in skin lesions of DPS and hand eczema was significantly higher than that in normal skin. Sparse CD20 cells were present only in hand eczema. Compared with hand eczema, the number of CD3, CD8, CD68, and dermal CD1a cells decreased, but epidermal CD1a cells and CD4/CD8 ratio increased in DPS. The absolute lack of CD20 cells and relative scarcity of dermal CD8 and CD1a cells in skin lesions might be insufficient to induce contact hypersensitivity, so DPS may be an irritant but not allergic contact dermatitis.

Models of epidemics: when contact repetition and clustering should be included

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scholz Roland W

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The spread of infectious disease is determined by biological factors, e.g. the duration of the infectious period, and social factors, e.g. the arrangement of potentially contagious contacts. Repetitiveness and clustering of contacts are known to be relevant factors influencing the transmission of droplet or contact transmitted diseases. However, we do not yet completely know under what conditions repetitiveness and clustering should be included for realistically modelling disease spread. Methods We compare two different types of individual-based models: One assumes random mixing without repetition of contacts, whereas the other assumes that the same contacts repeat day-by-day. The latter exists in two variants, with and without clustering. We systematically test and compare how the total size of an outbreak differs between these model types depending on the key parameters transmission probability, number of contacts per day, duration of the infectious period, different levels of clustering and varying proportions of repetitive contacts. Results The simulation runs under different parameter constellations provide the following results: The difference between both model types is highest for low numbers of contacts per day and low transmission probabilities. The number of contacts and the transmission probability have a higher influence on this difference than the duration of the infectious period. Even when only minor parts of the daily contacts are repetitive and clustered can there be relevant differences compared to a purely random mixing model. Conclusion We show that random mixing models provide acceptable estimates of the total outbreak size if the number of contacts per day is high or if the per-contact transmission probability is high, as seen in typical childhood diseases such as measles. In the case of very short infectious periods, for instance, as in Norovirus, models assuming repeating contacts will also behave

Increased risk of stroke in contact dermatitis patients

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Wei-Lun; Hsu, Min-Hsien; Lin, Cheng-Li; Chan, Po-Chi; Chang, Ko-Shih; Lee, Ching-Hsiao; Hsu, Chung-Yi; Tsai, Min-Tein; Yeh, Chung-Hsin; Sung, Fung-Chang

2017-01-01

Abstract Dermatologic diseases are not traditional risk factors of stroke, but recent studies show atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and bullous skin disease may increase the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. No previous studies have focused on the association between contact dermatitis and stroke. We established a cohort comprised of 48,169 contact dermatitis patients newly diagnosed in 2000–2003 and 96,338 randomly selected subjects without the disorder, frequency matched by sex, age, and diagnosis year, as the comparison cohort. None of them had a history of stroke. Stroke incidence was assessed by the end of 2011 for both cohorts. The incidence stroke was 1.1-fold higher in the contact dermatitis cohort than in the comparison cohort (5.93 vs 5.37 per 1000 person-years, P contact dermatitis cohort increased with age, from 1.14 (95% CI, 1.03–1.27) for 65 to 74 years; to 1.27 (95% CI, 1.15–1.42) for 75 years and older. The aHR of stroke were 1.16 (95% CI, 1.07–1.27) and 1.09 (95% CI, 1.00–1.18) for men and women, respectively. This study suggests that patients with contact dermatitis were at a modestly increased risk of stroke, significant for ischemic stroke but not for hemorrhagic stroke. Comorbidity, particularly hypertension, increased the hazard of stroke further. PMID:28272195

Surface modification of fluorosilicone acrylate RGP contact lens via low-temperature argon plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Shiheng; Wang Yingjun; Ren Li; Zhao Lianna; Kuang Tongchun; Chen Hao; Qu Jia

2008-01-01

A fluorosilicone acrylate rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens was modified via argon plasma to improve surface hydrophilicity and resistance to protein deposition. The influence of plasma treatment on surface chemical structure, hydrophilicity and morphology of RGP lens was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), contact angle measurements and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. The contact angle results showed that the hydrophilicity of the contact lens was improved after plasma treatment. XPS results indicated that the incorporation of oxygen-containing groups on surface and the transformation of silicone into hydrophilic silicate after plasma treatment are the main reasons for the surface hydrophilicity improvement. SEM results showed that argon plasma with higher power could lead to surface etching

Characterization of Catalase from Psychrotolerant Psychrobacter piscatorii T-3 Exhibiting High Catalase Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Kimoto, Hideyuki; Yoshimune, Kazuaki; Matsuyma, Hidetoshi; Yumoto, Isao

2012-01-01

A psychrotolerant bacterium, strain T-3 (identified as Psychrobacter piscatorii), that exhibited an extraordinarily high catalase activity was isolated from the drain pool of a plant that uses H2O2 as a bleaching agent. Its cell extract exhibited a catalase activity (19,700 U·mg protein−1) that was higher than that of Micrococcus luteus used for industrial catalase production. Catalase was approximately 10% of the total proteins in the cell extract of the strain. The catalase (PktA) was purified homogeneously by only two purification steps, anion exchange and hydrophobic chromatographies. The purified catalase exhibited higher catalytic efficiency and higher sensitivity of activity at high temperatures than M. luteus catalase. The deduced amino acid sequence showed the highest homology with catalase of Psycrobacter cryohalolentis, a psychrotolelant bacterium obtained from Siberian permafrost. These findings suggest that the characteristics of the PktA molecule reflected the taxonomic relationship of the isolate as well as the environmental conditions (low temperatures and high concentrations of H2O2) under which the bacterium survives. Strain T-3 efficiently produces a catalase (PktA) at a higher rate than Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans, which produces a very strong activity of catalase (EktA) at a moderate rate, in order to adapt to high concentration of H2O2. PMID:22408420

Effect of implanted doses of N+-ions on the contact resistance of copper contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubravec, B.; Kovac, P.; Lipka, F.; Padysak, M.

1997-01-01

The paper deals with the effect of implanted doses of N + ions on the contact resistance. Dependencies of the contact resistance versus contact force R c =f(F c ) and microhardness of implanted surfaces were measured for three implanted profiles. The influence of the aggressive environs on the contact resistance of implanted contact is given too

EXHIBITION: Accelerated Particles

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

http://www.cern.ch/cern50/ An exhibition of plastic arts and two evenings of performances by sound and visual artists as part of CERN's fiftieth anniversary celebrations. The fiftieth anniversary of a world famous organization like CERN, an international laboratory specializing in fundamental research, is a cause for celebration. Since March this year, Geneva and neighbouring parts of France have been the venues for a wealth of small and large-scale events, which will continue until November. Given CERN's location in the commune of Meyrin, the ForuMeyrin is hosting two "salons" consisting of an exhibition of plastic arts and evenings of music and visual arts performances with the collective title of "Accelerated Particles". Several works will be exhibited and performed. Salon des matières: An exhibition of plastic arts Until Wednesday 3 November 2004. Tuesdays to Fridays: 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. Saturdays: 2.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. Doors open late on the evening of the performances. Salon des ...

Exhibiting the Human/Exhibiting the Cyborg: “Who Am I?”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sophia C. Vackimes

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The role of the museum in shaping our relationship to science and technology, particularly cyborgization, is illuminated by a close examination of the Who Am I permanent exhibition in the Wellcome Wing of the Science Museum of London. This innovative exhibition raises real questions both about the human-technology-science relationship but also about museography. In the context of the history and current practices of museums engaging contemporary technological developments the evidence suggest that even as the Who am I? exhibit did break somewhat from previous approaches, especially the didactic presentation of the socially useful, it has not changed the feld as a whole.

Challenges of Women Participation in Continuing Higher Education

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Engr E. Egbochukwu

providing close and continuing contact between the students and teacher. Thus ... in seeking further higher education is seen as a means of ensuring career ..... counselling theories such as Behaviour Modification Theory, Rationale. Emotional ...

Electrical contacts principles and applications

CERN Document Server

Slade, Paul G

2013-01-01

Covering the theory, application, and testing of contact materials, Electrical Contacts: Principles and Applications, Second Edition introduces a thorough discussion on making electric contact and contact interface conduction; presents a general outline of, and measurement techniques for, important corrosion mechanisms; considers the results of contact wear when plug-in connections are made and broken; investigates the effect of thin noble metal plating on electronic connections; and relates crucial considerations for making high- and low-power contact joints. It examines contact use in switch

Application of an imaging system to a museum exhibition for developing interactive exhibitions

Science.gov (United States)

Miyata, Kimiyoshi; Inoue, Yuka; Takiguchi, Takahiro; Tsumura, Norimichi; Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Miyake, Yoichi

2009-10-01

In the National Museum of Japanese History, 215,759 artifacts are stored and used for research and exhibitions. In museums, due to the limitation of space in the galleries, a guidance system is required to satisfy visitors' needs and to enhance their understanding of the artifacts. We introduce one exhibition using imaging technology to improve visitors' understanding of a kimono (traditional Japanese clothing) exhibition. In the imaging technology introduced, one data projector, one display with touch panel interface, and magnifiers were used as exhibition tools together with a real kimono. The validity of this exhibition method was confirmed by results from a visitors' interview survey. Second, to further develop the interactive guidance system, an augmented reality system that consisted of cooperation between the projector and a digital video camera was also examined. A white paper board in the observer's hand was used as a projection screen and also as an interface to control the images projected on the board. The basic performance of the proposed system was confirmed; however continuous development was necessary for applying the system to actual exhibitions.

Hydrogen extraction from liquid lithium-lead alloy by gas-liquid contact method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Bo; Weng Kuiping; Hou Jianping; Yang Guangling; Zeng Jun

2013-01-01

Hydrogen extraction experiment from liquid lithium-lead alloy by gas-liquid contact method has been carried out in own liquid lithium-lead bubbler (LLLB). Experimental results show that, He is more suitable than Ar as carrier gas in the filler tower. The higher temperature the tower is, the greater hydrogen content the tower exports. Influence of carrier gas flow rate on the hydrogen content in the export is jagged, no obvious rule. Although the difference between experimental results and literature data, but it is feasible that hydrogen isotopes extraction experiment from liquid lithium-lead by gas-liquid contact method, and the higher extraction efficiency increases with the growth of the residence time of the alloy in tower. (authors)

Call Home? Mobile Phones and Contacts with Mother in 24 Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Gubernskaya, Zoya; Treas, Judith

2016-10-01

This paper explores how the diffusion of mobile phones is associated with communication between adult children and their mothers. The paper analyzes 2001 International Social Survey Program (ISSP) data from 24 countries (N = 12,313) combined with the country-level data on the prevalence of mobile phones. Net of individual-level predictors and country wealth, adult children who resided in countries with high prevalence of mobile phones contacted their mothers more frequently. High prevalence of mobile phones was also associated with larger differences in maternal contact by gender and smaller differences by education. These findings suggest that any impact of new communication technology on intergenerational relations is complex. Although mobile phones point to higher levels of at-a-distance contact with mothers and narrower socio-economic disparities related to access and affordability of communication technology, they are also linked to wider contact disparities following gendered cultural expectations.

Exhibition; Image display agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Normazlin Ismail

2008-01-01

This article touches on the role of Malaysian Nuclear Agency as nuclear research institutions to promote, develop and encourage the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in its agricultural, medical, manufacturing, industrial, health and environment for the development of the country running successfully. Maturity of Malaysian Nuclear Agency in dealing with nuclear technology that are very competitive and globalization cannot be denied. On this basis Malaysian Nuclear Agency was given the responsibility to strengthen the nuclear technology in Malaysia. One way is through an exhibition featuring the research, discoveries and new technology products of the nuclear technology. Through this exhibition is to promote the nuclear technology and introduce the image of the agency in the public eye. This article also states a number of exhibits entered by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency and achievements during the last exhibition. Authors hope that the exhibition can be intensified further in the future.

Imaging contrast and tip-sample interaction of non-contact amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy with Q -control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Shuai; Guo, Dan; Luo, Jianbin

2017-01-01

Active quality factor ( Q ) exhibits many promising properties in dynamic atomic force microscopy. Energy dissipation and image contrasts are investigated in the non-contact amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy (AM-AFM) with an active Q -control circuit in the ambient air environment. Dissipated power and virial were calculated to compare the highly nonlinear interaction of tip-sample and image contrasts with different Q gain values. Greater free amplitudes and lower effective Q values show better contrasts for the same setpoint ratio. Active quality factor also can be employed to change tip-sample interaction force in non-contact regime. It is meaningful that non-destructive and better contrast images can be realized in non-contact AM-AFM by applying an active Q -control to the dynamic system. (paper)

Direct observation of contact and channel resistance in pentacene four-terminal thin-film transistor patterned by laser ablation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagi, Iwao; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Aoyagi, Yoshinobu

2004-01-01

We established a dry-etching patterning process for the channel formation of pentacene thin-film transistor, and fabricated a four-terminal device equipped with a gate electrode. The four-terminal device enabled us to divide two-terminal source-drain resistance into two components of contact resistance and pentacene channel resistance. We obtained direct evidence of a gate-voltagedependent contact resistance change: the gate-induced charge significantly reduced the contact resistance and increased source-drain current. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of the device clearly indicated that the contact resistance was much higher than the channel resistance and was dominated in the two-terminal total resistance of the device below 120 K. An observed activation energy of 80 meV for contact resistance was higher than that of 42 meV for pentacene channel resistance

Negative intergroup contact is more influential, but positive intergroup contact is more common: Assessing contact prominence and contact prevalence in five Central European countries

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Graf, Sylvie; Paolini, S.; Rubin, M.

2014-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 96 (2014), 536–547 ISSN 0046-2772 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-25656S Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : intergroup contact * negative contact * outgroup attitudes Subject RIV: AN - Psychology Impact factor: 1.712, year: 2014

N-cadherin{sup +} HSCs in fetal liver exhibit higher long-term bone marrow reconstitution activity than N-cadherin{sup -} HSCs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toyama, Hirofumi; Arai, Fumio; Hosokawa, Kentaro; Ikushima, Yoshiko Matsumoto [Department of Cell Differentiation, The Sakaguchi Laboratory of Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinano-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan); Suda, Toshio, E-mail: sudato@z3.keio.jp [Department of Cell Differentiation, The Sakaguchi Laboratory of Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinano-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan)

2012-11-23

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High N-cad expression was detected in E12.5 mouse FL LT-HSCs (EPCR{sup +} LSK cells). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Immunohistochemically, N-cad{sup +} HSCs co-localized with sinusoidal ECs (Lyve-1{sup +} cells) in E12.5 FL, but these gradually detached in E15.5 and E18.5 FL. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer N-cad{sup +} LSK cells in E12.5 FL exhibited higher LTR activity versus N-cad{sup -} LSK cells, which decreased in E15.5 and E18.5. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer N-cad expression may confer high LTR activity to HSCs by facilitating interactions with the perisinusoidal niche in FL. -- Abstract: Adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are maintained in a microenvironment known as the stem cell niche. The regulation of HSCs in fetal liver (FL) and their niche, however, remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the role of N-cadherin (N-cad) in the maintenance of HSCs during FL hematopoiesis. By using anti-N-cad antibodies (Abs) produced by our laboratory, we detected high N-cad expression in embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) mouse FL HSCs, but not in E15.5 and E18.5 FL. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that N-cad{sup +}c-Kit{sup +} and N-cad{sup +} endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR){sup +} HSCs co-localized with Lyve-1{sup +} sinusoidal endothelial cells (ECs) in E12.5 FL and that some of these cells also expressed N-cad. However, N-cad{sup +} HSCs were also observed to detach from the perisinusoidal niche at E15.5 and E18.5, concomitant with a down-regulation of N-cad and an up-regulation of E-cadherin (E-cad) in hepatic cells. Moreover, EPCR{sup +} long-term (LT)-HSCs were enriched in the N-cad{sup +}Lin{sup -}Sca-1{sup +}c-Kit{sup +} (LSK) fraction in E12.5 FL, but not in E15.5 or E18.5 FL. In a long-term reconstitution (LTR) activity assay, higher engraftment associated with N-cad{sup +} LSK cells versus N-cad{sup -} LSK cells in E12.5 FL when transplanted into lethally irradiated recipient mice. However, the

Contact Angle Goniometer

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Description:The FTA32 goniometer provides video-based contact angle and surface tension measurement. Contact angles are measured by fitting a mathematical expression...

The steady-state tangential contact problem for a falling drop type of contact area on corrugated rail by simplified theory of rolling contact

Science.gov (United States)

Piotrowski, Jerzy

1991-10-01

Investigation of contact mechanical nonlinearities of a mathematical model of corrugation revealed that the typical shape of contact patch resembles a falling drop of water. A contact patch of that shape was approximated with a figure composed of two parts of ellipses with different eccentricities. The contact pressure distribution was assumed as a smoothing ensemble of two paraboloidal distributions. The description of a general case of double half elliptical contact area was given but a special case of double half elliptical contact is more interesting as it possesses some Hertzian properties. It was shown how three geometrical parameters of double half elliptical contact can be chosen when actual, non-Hertzian contact is known. A linear theory was written which indicates that the lateral vibrations of the rail may be excited only due to shape variation on corrugation even if any other cause for these vibrations does not exist. For nonlinear theory a computer program, based on FASTSIM algorithm by Kalker, was written. The aim is to calculate the creep forces and frictional power density distribution over the contact area. Also, a graphic program visualizing the solution was written. Numerical results are not provided; unattended and unsolved problems relevant for this type of contact are listed.

78 FR 14549 - National Contact Center; Information Collection; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation Survey

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-06

...] National Contact Center; Information Collection; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation Survey AGENCY... National Contact Center customer evaluation surveys. In this request, the previously approved surveys have... several months. These temporary surveys will allow the National Contact Center to compare its customer...

Effects of thin heavily Mg-doped GaN capping layer on ohmic contact formation of p-type GaN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, L L; Zhao, D G; Jiang, D S; Chen, P; Le, L C; Li, L; Liu, Z S; Zhang, S M; Zhu, J J; Wang, H; Zhang, B S; Yang, H

2013-01-01

The growth condition of thin heavily Mg-doped GaN capping layer and its effect on ohmic contact formation of p-type GaN were investigated. It is confirmed that the excessive Mg doping can effectively enhance the Ni/Au contact to p-GaN after annealing at 550 °C. When the flow rate ratio between Mg and Ga gas sources is 6.4% and the layer width is 25 nm, the capping layer grown at 850 °C exhibits the best ohmic contact properties with respect to the specific contact resistivity (ρ c ). This temperature is much lower than the conventional growth temperature of Mg-doped GaN, suggesting that the deep-level-defect induced band may play an important role in the conduction of capping layer. (paper)

Bimetallic nanoparticles for surface modification and lubrication of MEMS switch contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patton, Steven T; Hu Jianjun; Slocik, Joseph M; Campbell, Angela; Naik, Rajesh R; Voevodin, Andrey A

2008-01-01

Reliability continues to be a critical issue in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches. Failure mechanisms include high contact resistance (R), high adhesion, melting/shorting, and contact erosion. Little previous work has addressed the lubrication of MEMS switches. In this study, bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized using a biotemplated approach and deposited on Au MEMS switch contacts as a nanoparticle-based lubricant. Bimetallic nanoparticles are comprised of a metallic core (∼10 nm diameter gold nanoparticle) with smaller metallic nanoparticles (∼2-3 nm diameter Pd nanoparticles) populating the core surface. Adhesion and resistance (R) were measured during hot switching experiments at low (10 μA) and high (1 mA) current. The Au/Pd NP coated contacts led to reduced adhesion as compared to pure Au contacts with a compromise of slightly higher R. For switches held in the closed position at low current, R gradually decreased over tens of seconds due to increased van der Waals force and growth of the real area of contact with temporal effects being dominant over load effects. Contact behavior transitioned from 'Pd-like' to 'Au-like' during low current cycling experiments. Melting at high current resulted in rapid formation of large real contact area, low and stable R, and minimal effect of load on R. Durability at high current was excellent with no failure through 10 6 hot switching cycles. Improvement at high current is due to controlled nanoscale surface roughness that spreads current through multiple nanocontacts, which restricts the size of melting regions and causes termination of nanowire growth (prevents shorting) during contact opening. Based on these results, bimetallic NPs show excellent potential as surface modifiers/lubricants for MEMS switch contacts

A contact angle hysteresis model based on the fractal structure of contact line.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shuai; Ma, Ming

2017-11-01

Contact angle is one of the most popular concept used in fields such as wetting, transport and microfludics. In practice, different contact angles such as equilibrium, receding and advancing contact angles are observed due to hysteresis. The connection among these contact angles is important in revealing the chemical and physical properties of surfaces related to wetting. Inspired by the fractal structure of contact line, we propose a single parameter model depicting the connection of the three angles. This parameter is decided by the fractal structure of the contact line. The results of this model agree with experimental observations. In certain cases, it can be reduced to other existing models. It also provides a new point of view in understanding the physical nature of the contact angle hysteresis. Interestingly, some counter-intuitive phenomena, such as the binary receding angles, are indicated in this model, which are waited to be validated by experiments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanical Contact Experiments and Simulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Chris Valentin; Martins, P; Zhang, W.

2011-01-01

Mechanical contact is studied under dynamic development by means of a combined numerical and experimental investigation. The experiments are designed to allow dynamical development of non-planar contact areas with significant expansion in all three directions as the load is increased. Different....... The overall investigation serves for testing and validating the numerical implementation of the mechanical contact, which is one of the main contributions to a system intended for 3D simulation of resistance welding. Correct modelling of contact between parts to be welded, as well as contact with electrodes......, is crucial for satisfactory modelling of the resistance welding process. The resistance heating at the contact interfaces depends on both contact area and pressure, and as the contact areas develop dynamically, the presented tests are relevant for assessing the validity and accuracy of the mechanical contact...

Microbial adherence to cosmetic contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Ka Yin; Cho, Pauline; Boost, Maureen

2014-08-01

To investigate whether cosmetic contact lenses (CCL) with surface pigments affect microbial adherence. Fifteen brands of CCL were purchased from optical, non-optical retail outlets, and via the Internet. A standardized rub-off test was performed on each CCL (five lenses per brand) to confirm the location of the pigments. The rub-off test comprised gentle rubbing on the surfaces of each CCL with wetted cotton buds for a maximum of 20 rubs per surface. A new set of CCL (five lenses per brand) were incubated in Pseudomonas aeruginosa overnight. Viable counts of adhered bacteria were determined by the number of colony-forming units (CFU) on agar media on each lens. The adherence of P. aeruginosa as well as Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens to three brands of CCL (A-C) (five lenses per brand) were also compared to their adherences on their clear counterparts. Only two of the 15 brands of CCL tested (brands B and C) had pigments that did not detach with the rub-off test. The remaining 13 brands of CCL all failed the rub-off test and these lenses showed higher P. aeruginosa adherence (8.7 × 10(5)-1.9 × 10(6) CFU/lens). Brands B and C lenses showed at least six times less bacterial adhesion than the other 13 brands. Compared to their clear counterparts, bacterial adherence to brands B and C lenses did not differ significantly, whereas brand A lenses showed significantly higher adherence. Surface pigments on CCL resulted in significantly higher bacterial adherence. Copyright © 2013 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... One Use Facts About Colored Contacts and Halloween Safety Colored Contact Lens Facts Over-the-Counter Costume ... Costume Contact Lenses Can Ruin Vision Eye Makeup Safety In fact, it is illegal to sell colored ...

Co-Occurring Atomic Contacts for the Characterization of Protein Binding Hot Spots

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qian; Ren, Jing; Song, Jiangning; Li, Jinyan

2015-01-01

A binding hot spot is a small area at a protein-protein interface that can make significant contribution to binding free energy. This work investigates the substantial contribution made by some special co-occurring atomic contacts at a binding hot spot. A co-occurring atomic contact is a pair of atomic contacts that are close to each other with no more than three covalent-bond steps. We found that two kinds of co-occurring atomic contacts can play an important part in the accurate prediction of binding hot spot residues. One is the co-occurrence of two nearby hydrogen bonds. For example, mutations of any residue in a hydrogen bond network consisting of multiple co-occurring hydrogen bonds could disrupt the interaction considerably. The other kind of co-occurring atomic contact is the co-occurrence of a hydrophobic carbon contact and a contact between a hydrophobic carbon atom and a π ring. In fact, this co-occurrence signifies the collective effect of hydrophobic contacts. We also found that the B-factor measurements of several specific groups of amino acids are useful for the prediction of hot spots. Taking the B-factor, individual atomic contacts and the co-occurring contacts as features, we developed a new prediction method and thoroughly assessed its performance via cross-validation and independent dataset test. The results show that our method achieves higher prediction performance than well-known methods such as Robetta, FoldX and Hotpoint. We conclude that these contact descriptors, in particular the novel co-occurring atomic contacts, can be used to facilitate accurate and interpretable characterization of protein binding hot spots. PMID:26675422

Estimating the Contact Endurance of the AISI 321 Stainless Steel Under Contact Gigacycle Fatigue Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Savrai, R. A.; Makarov, A. V.; Osintseva, A. L.; Malygina, I. Yu.

2018-02-01

Mechanical testing of the AISI 321 corrosion resistant austenitic steel for contact gigacycle fatigue has been conducted with the application of a new method of contact fatigue testing with ultrasonic frequency of loading according to a pulsing impact "plane-to-plane" contact scheme. It has been found that the contact endurance (the ability to resist the fatigue spalling) of the AISI 321 steel under contact gigacycle fatigue loading is determined by its plasticity margin and the possibility of additional hardening under contact loading. It is demonstrated that the appearance of localized deep and long areas of spalling on a material surface can serve as a qualitative characteristic for the loss of the fatigue strength of the AISI 321 steel under impact contact fatigue loading. The value of surface microhardness measured within contact spots and the maximum depth of contact damages in the peripheral zone of contact spots can serve as quantitative criteria for that purpose.

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... One Use Facts About Colored Contacts and Halloween Safety Colored Contact Lens Facts Over-the-Counter Costume ... use of colored contact lenses , from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Are the colored lenses ...

Structural, Functional, and Metabolic Brain Markers Differentiate Collision versus Contact and Non-Contact Athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Churchill, Nathan W; Hutchison, Michael G; Di Battista, Alex P; Graham, Simon J; Schweizer, Tom A

2017-01-01

There is growing concern about how participation in contact sports affects the brain. Retrospective evidence suggests that contact sports are associated with long-term negative health outcomes. However, much of the research to date has focused on former athletes with significant health problems. Less is known about the health of current athletes in contact and collision sports who have not reported significant medical issues. In this cross-sectional study, advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to evaluate multiple aspects of brain physiology in three groups of athletes participating in non-contact sports ( N  = 20), contact sports ( N  = 22), and collision sports ( N  = 23). Diffusion tensor imaging was used to assess white matter microstructure based on measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD); resting-state functional MRI was used to evaluate global functional connectivity; single-voxel spectroscopy was used to compare ratios of neural metabolites, including N -acetyl aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline, and myo-inositol. Multivariate analysis revealed structural, functional, and metabolic measures that reliably differentiated between sport groups. The collision group had significantly elevated FA and reduced MD in white matter, compared to both contact and non-contact groups. In contrast, the collision group showed significant reductions in functional connectivity and the NAA/Cr metabolite ratio, relative to only the non-contact group, while the contact group overlapped with both non-contact and collision groups. For brain regions associated with contact sport participation, athletes with a history of concussion also showed greater alterations in FA and functional connectivity, indicating a potential cumulative effect of both contact exposure and concussion history on brain physiology. These findings indicate persistent differences in brain physiology for athletes participating in contact and collision sports

Evaluation of contact sensitivity to topical drugs in patients with contact dermatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bilge Bülbül Şen

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background and Design: Topical drugs are an important group of contact allergens. The present study aimed to evaluate contact sensitivity to topical drugs in patients with contact dermatitis. Materials and Methods: Between 2003 and 2008, 129 patients were followed up at the Department of Dermatology at Ankara University School of Medicine with clinically suspected contact sensitivity to topical drugs. In this study, the patch test reactions to the European Standard Battery and topical drugs used by the patients and medicament patch test results were evaluated. Results: Positive patch test reaction to one or more allergens was found in 80 (62.0% of 129 patients included in the study. Sixty-one of the 80 patients (61/129, 47.3% had positive patch test reaction to medicaments. Medicament sensitivity was detected in 37.9% (49/129 of subjects. Nitrofurazone was found to be the most common allergen (18.6%. Discussion: The present study showed that topical drugs are a frequent cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Therefore, the probability of contact sensitivity to topical drugs should also be considered in patients with the clinical diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis and, suspected cases should be evaluated further with patch testing in order to find the responsible allergens.

Effect of contact and no-contact small-sided games on elite handball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Dello Iacono, Antonio; Martone, Domenico; Zagatto, Alessandro Moura; Meckel, Yoav; Sindiani, Mahmood; Milic, Mirjana; Padulo, Johnny

2018-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of contact (C-SSG) and no-contact (NC-SSG) handball small-sided games (SSGs) on motion patterns and physiological responses of elite handball players. Twelve male handball players performed 10 C-SSG and 10 NC-SSG while being monitored through the heart rate (HR) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) as physiological responses and time-motion activities profile using video-match analysis. Both game conditions resulted in similar HR responses (P > 0.05), but the NC-SSG led to a higher RPE scores. The time-motion activity analysis featured NC-SSG with a greater amount of walking (855.6 ± 25.1 vs. 690.6 ± 35.2 m) and backward movements (187.5 ± 12.3 vs. 142.5 ± 8.7 m) combined with fast running (232.3 ± 8.5 vs. 159.7 ± 5.7 m) and sprinting (79.5 ± 4.7 vs. 39.7 ± 3.7 m) activities (P handball can effectively represent specifically oriented exercises, according to the sport-task and the performance demands.

Improving consensus contact prediction via server correlation reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xin; Bu, Dongbo; Xu, Jinbo; Li, Ming

2009-05-06

Protein inter-residue contacts play a crucial role in the determination and prediction of protein structures. Previous studies on contact prediction indicate that although template-based consensus methods outperform sequence-based methods on targets with typical templates, such consensus methods perform poorly on new fold targets. However, we find out that even for new fold targets, the models generated by threading programs can contain many true contacts. The challenge is how to identify them. In this paper, we develop an integer linear programming model for consensus contact prediction. In contrast to the simple majority voting method assuming that all the individual servers are equally important and independent, the newly developed method evaluates their correlation by using maximum likelihood estimation and extracts independent latent servers from them by using principal component analysis. An integer linear programming method is then applied to assign a weight to each latent server to maximize the difference between true contacts and false ones. The proposed method is tested on the CASP7 data set. If the top L/5 predicted contacts are evaluated where L is the protein size, the average accuracy is 73%, which is much higher than that of any previously reported study. Moreover, if only the 15 new fold CASP7 targets are considered, our method achieves an average accuracy of 37%, which is much better than that of the majority voting method, SVM-LOMETS, SVM-SEQ, and SAM-T06. These methods demonstrate an average accuracy of 13.0%, 10.8%, 25.8% and 21.2%, respectively. Reducing server correlation and optimally combining independent latent servers show a significant improvement over the traditional consensus methods. This approach can hopefully provide a powerful tool for protein structure refinement and prediction use.

Improving consensus contact prediction via server correlation reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Jinbo

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein inter-residue contacts play a crucial role in the determination and prediction of protein structures. Previous studies on contact prediction indicate that although template-based consensus methods outperform sequence-based methods on targets with typical templates, such consensus methods perform poorly on new fold targets. However, we find out that even for new fold targets, the models generated by threading programs can contain many true contacts. The challenge is how to identify them. Results In this paper, we develop an integer linear programming model for consensus contact prediction. In contrast to the simple majority voting method assuming that all the individual servers are equally important and independent, the newly developed method evaluates their correlation by using maximum likelihood estimation and extracts independent latent servers from them by using principal component analysis. An integer linear programming method is then applied to assign a weight to each latent server to maximize the difference between true contacts and false ones. The proposed method is tested on the CASP7 data set. If the top L/5 predicted contacts are evaluated where L is the protein size, the average accuracy is 73%, which is much higher than that of any previously reported study. Moreover, if only the 15 new fold CASP7 targets are considered, our method achieves an average accuracy of 37%, which is much better than that of the majority voting method, SVM-LOMETS, SVM-SEQ, and SAM-T06. These methods demonstrate an average accuracy of 13.0%, 10.8%, 25.8% and 21.2%, respectively. Conclusion Reducing server correlation and optimally combining independent latent servers show a significant improvement over the traditional consensus methods. This approach can hopefully provide a powerful tool for protein structure refinement and prediction use.

Is there a link between blastomere contact surfaces of day 3 embryos and live birth rate?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paternot Goedele

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cell-cell communication and adhesion are essential for the compaction process of early stage embryos. The aim of this study was to develop a non-invasive objective calculation system of embryo compaction in order to test the hypothesis that embryos with a larger mean contact surface result in a higher live birth rate compared to embryos with a lower mean contact surface. Methods Multilevel images of 474 embryos transferred on day 3 were evaluated by the Cellify software. This software calculates the contact surfaces between the blastomeres. The primary outcome of this study was live birth. An ideal range of contact surface was determined and the positive and negative predictive value, the sensitivity, the specificity and the area under the curve for this new characteristic were calculated. Results In total, 115 (24% transferred embryos resulted in a live birth. Selection of an embryo for transfer on its mean contact surface could predict live birth with a high sensitivity (80% and high negative predicting value (83% but with a low positive predictive value (27%, a low specificity (31% and low area under the ROC curve (0.56. The mean contact surface of embryos cultured in a single medium was significantly higher compared to the mean contact surface of embryos cultured in a sequential medium (p = 0.0003. Conclusions Neither the mean contact surface nor the number of contact surfaces of a day 3 embryo had an additional value in the prediction of live birth. The type of culture medium, however, had an impact on the contact surface of an embryo. Embryos cultured in a single medium had a significant larger contact surface compared to embryos cultured in the sequential medium.

Prescribing prophylactic antibiotics to users of therapeutic contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Colomé-Campos, J; Quevedo-Junyent, L; Godoy-Barreda, N; Martínez-Salcedo, I; Romero-Aroca, P

2013-03-01

To describe the benefits and optimum use of prophylactic antibiotics in users of therapeutic contact lenses (TCL). A microbiological study was carried out on samples from 33 patients who continuously wore TCL. The resistance to antibiotics of bacteria isolated in our health region was also reviewed. An assessment was also made on whether there were microorganisms of a higher pathogenic potential in TCL than conventional contact lenses, as reported in the literature. No bacteria were isolated from 17 (52%) of the 33 lenses studied. From the 16 (48%) remaining lenses, coagulase negative Staphylococci were isolated from 10 (62%), Propionibacterium acnes from 4 (25%), and Corynebacterium from 2 (13%). The high number of negative cultures and the presence of saprophytic bacteria indicate that prophylactic antibiotic treatment is not precise. The most frequent pathogenic bacteria found in contact lenses are strongly resistant to the current commercially available antibiotics. Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Dermatitis, contact (image)

Science.gov (United States)

This picture shows a skin inflammation (dermatitis) caused by contact with a material that causes an allergic reaction in this person. Contact dermatitis is a relatively common condition, and can be caused ...

Influence of contact conditions on vibration induced wear of metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmann, P.J.; Schettler, T.; Wieling, N.; Steininger, D.A.

1990-01-01

Unfavourable design characteristics of nuclear power plant steam generators and heat exchangers in general may result in vibration induced tube wear. A systematic investigation was performed on the contact conditions which may appear between heat exchanger tubes and tube support structure and the influence of different parameters e.g., normal contact force, on the resulting steady state wear rates. It is concluded that not only are contact forces and sliding distances important in the wear process but also the type of relative motion has a decisive influence on the resulting wear rates. For a certain 'work rate', the wear rate caused by repeated impact motions between tube and tube support structure may be an order of magnitude higher than that caused by only sliding motion. This is the result of different operating wear mechanisms which are discussed in this paper. (orig.)

[News on occupational contact dermatitis].

Science.gov (United States)

Crépy, Marie-Noëlle; Bensefa-Colas, Lynda

2014-03-01

Contact dermatitis--irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis and protein contact dermatitis--are the most common occupational skin diseases, most often localized to the hands. Contact urticaria is rarer The main occupational irritants are wet work, detergents and disinfectants, cutting oils, and solvents. The main occupational allergens are rubber additives, metals (chromium, nickel, cobalt), plastics (epoxy resins, acrylic), biocides and plants. Diagnosis is based on clinical examination, medical history and allergy testing. For a number of irritating or sensitizing agents, irritant or allergic dermatitis can be notified as occupational diseases. The two main prevention measures are reducing skin contact with irritants and complete avoidance of skin contact with offending allergens.

Ultralow contact angle hysteresis and no-aging effects in superhydrophobic tangled nanofiber structures generated by controlling the pore size of a 99.5% aluminum foil

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sangmin; Hwang, Woonbong

2009-03-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces designed to improve hydrophobicity have high advancing contact angles corresponding to the Cassie state, but these surfaces also exhibit high contact angle hysteresis. We report here a simple and inexpensive method for fabricating superhydrophobic tangled nanofiber structures with ultralow contact angle hysteresis and no-aging degradation, based on a widening process. The resulting nanostructures are suitable for diverse applications including microfluidic devices for biological studies and industrial self-cleaning products for automobiles, ships and houses.

Contact mechanical characteristics of Nb3Sn strands under transverse electromagnetic loads in the CICC cross-section

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Jiyue; Luo Wei; Zhou Youhe; Zheng Xiaojing

2012-01-01

This paper presents a new code for the two-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) and relevant simulations to quantitatively characterize the contact force behavior of the Nb 3 Sn strands in the ITER CICC cross-section under a transverse electromagnetic load. In order to obtain the essential parameters in the contact force model employed in the DEM, a simulation of the experiments conducted by Nijhuis et al (2004 IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 14 1489–94) is first performed, where the load–displacement curve predicted by the code is in good agreement with the measurements. After that, the contact force chain between strands and its distribution is quantitatively analyzed by the code. It is found that the contact force distribution among strands is heterogeneous and strongly anisotropic. In other words, the force chain distribution, which determines the behavior of the assembly of strands with discrete media, and the distribution of area average magnitude of the contact force are obviously inhomogeneous. To describe this inhomogeneity, here, the probability density function (PDF) is used in the statistical analysis. The numerical results show that the PDFs of the magnitudes of the resultant contact force, normal contact force, and tangential contact force all decay with an exponential law, and that PDFs of the directions of the contact forces are all anisotropic and exhibit about six periodic changes in which the peak values in the direction parallel to the applied electromagnetic load are appreciably larger than the other peaks. (paper)

Mixed Lubricated Line Contacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Faraon, I.C.

2005-01-01

The present work deals with friction in mixed lubricated line contacts. Components in systems are becoming smaller and due to, for instance power transmitted, partial contact may occur. In industrial applications, friction between the moving contacting surfaces cannot be avoided, therefore it is

New Cosmetic Contact Allergens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

An Goossens

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Allergic and photo-allergic contact dermatitis, and immunologic contact urticaria are potential immune-mediated adverse effects from cosmetics. Fragrance components and preservatives are certainly the most frequently observed allergens; however, all ingredients must be considered when investigating for contact allergy.

Contact and Repellent Activities of the Essential Oil from Juniperus formosana against Two Stored Product Insects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shanshan Guo

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The chemical composition of the essential oil from Juniperus formosana leaves and its contact and repellent activities against Tribolium castaneum and Liposcelis bostrychophila adults were investigated. The essential oil of J. formosana leaves was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. A total of 28 components were identified and the main compounds in the essential oil were α-pinene (21.66%, 4-terpineol (11.25%, limonene (11.00% and β-phellandrene (6.63%. The constituents α-pinene, 4-terpineol and d-limonene were isolated from the essential oil. It was found that the essential oil exhibited contact activity against T. castaneum and L. bostrychophila adults (LD50 = 29.14 μg/adult and 81.50 µg/cm2, respectively. The compound 4-terpineol exhibited the strongest contact activity (LD50 = 7.65 μg/adult. In addition, data showed that at 78.63 nL/cm2, the essential oil and the three isolated compounds strongly repelled T. castaneum adults. The compounds α-pinene and d-limonene reached the same level (Class V of repellency as DEET (p = 0.396 and 0.664 against L. bostrychophila at 63.17 nL/cm2 after 2 h treatment. The results indicate that the essential oil and the isolated compounds have potential to be developed into natural insecticides and repellents to control insects in stored products.

Formaldehyde-releasers: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy. Contact allergy to formaldehyde and inventory of formaldehyde-releasers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Groot, Anton C; Flyvholm, Mari-Ann; Lensen, Gerda

2009-01-01

in the literature as formaldehyde-releasers, data are inadequate to consider them as such beyond doubt. Several (nomenclature) mistakes and outdated information are discussed. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde allergy are reviewed: applications, exposure scenarios, legislation, patch testing problems, frequency....... The frequency of contact allergy to formaldehyde is consistently higher in the USA (8-9%) than in Europe (2-3%). Patch testing with formaldehyde is problematic; the currently used 1% solution may result in both false-positive and false-negative (up to 40%) reactions. Determining the relevance of patch test...

Biomarkers of neuropathic pain in skin nerve degeneration neuropathy: contact heat-evoked potentials as a physiological signature.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shao-Wei; Wang, Yi-Chia; Hsieh, Paul-Chen; Tseng, Ming-Tsung; Chiang, Ming-Chang; Chu, Chih-Pang; Feng, Fang-Ping; Lin, Yea-Huey; Hsieh, Sung-Tsang; Chao, Chi-Chao

2017-03-01

Contact heat-evoked potentials (CHEPs) have become an established method of assessing small-fiber sensory nerves; however, their potential as a physiological signature of neuropathic pain symptoms has not been fully explored. To investigate the diagnostic efficacy in examining small-fiber sensory nerve degeneration, the relationship with skin innervations, and clinical correlates with sensory symptoms, we recruited 188 patients (115 men) with length-dependent sensory symptoms and reduced intraepidermal nerve fiber (IENF) density at the distal leg to perform CHEP, quantitative sensory testing, and nerve conduction study. Fifty-seven age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled for comparison of CHEP and skin innervation. Among patients with neuropathy, 144 patients had neuropathic pain and 64 cases had evoked pain. Compared with quantitative sensory testing and nerve conduction study parameters, CHEP amplitudes showed the highest sensitivity for diagnosing small-fiber sensory nerve degeneration and exhibited the strongest correlation with IENF density in multiple linear regression. Contact heat-evoked potential amplitudes were strongly correlated with the degree of skin innervation in both patients with neuropathy and controls, and the slope of the regression line between CHEP amplitude and IENF density was higher in patients with neuropathy than in controls. Patients with evoked pain had higher CHEP amplitude than those without evoked pain, independent of IENF density. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that CHEP had better performance in diagnosing small-fiber sensory nerve degeneration than thermal thresholds. Furthermore, CHEPs showed superior classification accuracy with respect to evoked pain. In conclusion, CHEP is a sensitive tool to evaluate pathophysiology of small-fiber sensory nerve and serves as a physiological signature of neuropathic pain symptoms.

Follicular contact dermatitis revisited: A review emphasizing neomycin-associated follicular contact dermatitis

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Philip R

2014-01-01

Follicular contact dermatitis clinically presents as individual papules that include a central hair follicle. Pathologic features involve the follicle and the surrounding dermis: spongiosis and vesicle formation of the follicular epithelium associated with perifollicular and perivascular lymphocytic inflammation. Using the PubMed database, an extensive literature search was performed on follicular contact dermatitis and neomycin. Relevant papers were reviewed and the clinical and pathologic features, the associated chemicals (including a more detailed description of neomycin), the hypothesized pathogenesis, and the management of follicular contact dermatitis were described. Several agents-either as allergens or irritants-have been reported to elicit follicular contact dermatitis. Several hypotheses have been suggested for the selective involvement of the follicles in follicular contact dermatitis: patient allergenicity, characteristics of the agent, vehicle containing the agent, application of the agent, and external factors. The differential diagnosis of follicular contact dermatitis includes not only recurrent infundibulofolliculitis, but also drug eruption, mite infestation, viral infection, and dermatoses that affect hair follicles. The primary therapeutic intervention for follicular contact dermatitis is withdrawal of the causative agent; treatment with a topical corticosteroid preparation may also promote resolution of the dermatitis. In conclusion, follicular contact dermatitis may be secondary to allergens or irritants; topical antibiotics, including neomycin, may cause this condition. Several factors may account for the selective involvement of the hair follicle in this condition. Treatment of the dermatitis requires withdrawal of the associated topical agent; in addition, topical corticosteroids may be helpful to promote resolution of lesions. PMID:25516854

Household knowledge, attitudes and practices related to pet contact and associated zoonoses in Ontario, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stull Jason W

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many human infections are transmitted through contact with animals (zoonoses, including household pets. Although pet ownership is common in most countries and non-pet owners may have frequent contact with pets, there is limited knowledge of the public’s pet contact practices and awareness of zoonotic disease risks from pets. The objective of this study was to characterize the general public’s knowledge, attitudes and risks related to pet ownership and animal contact in southern Ontario, Canada. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to individuals at two multi-physician clinics in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada during 2010. A single adult from each household was invited to participate in the study. Results Seventy five percent (641/853 of individuals approached completed the questionnaire. Pet ownership and contact were common; 64% of participants had a pet in their household and 37% of non-pet owning households had a member with at least weekly animal contact outside the home. Pet ownership was high (55% for households with individuals at higher risk for infections (i.e., Conclusions These results suggest that there is a need for accessible zoonotic disease information for both pet and non-owning households, with additional efforts made by veterinary, human and public health personnel. Immediate educational efforts directed toward households with individuals at higher risk to infections are especially needed.

Determination of Pesticide Dermal Transfer to Operators & Agricultural Workers through Contact with Sprayed Hard Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsakirakis, Angelos N; Kasiotis, Konstantinos M; Anastasiadou, Pelagia; Charistou, Agathi N; Gerritsen-Ebben, Rianda; Glass, C Richard; Machera, Kyriaki

2018-05-20

In the present study, the dermal transfer rate of pesticides to agricultural workers occurring via contact with sprayed hard surfaces was investigated. Cotton gloves were used as dosimeters to collect residues from hard surfaces contaminated by pesticides in greenhouses. Dosimeters, either dry or moistened, were in contact with wood, metal and plastic surfaces previously sprayed. The experimental approach applied mimicked the typical hand contact. Moistened cotton gloves were used to simulate hand moisture from dew/condensation or rainfall. The effect of total duration of contact on the final hand exposure via transfer was investigated. The higher duration contact tested (50-sec) resulted in the higher transfer rates for metal and plastic surfaces; no such effect was noted in case of the wood surface. The pesticide amount transferred from the metal and plastic surfaces to wet gloves was greater than the one transferred to dry gloves. Such trend was not observed for the wood surface. Transfer rates varied from 0.46-77.62% and 0.17-16.90% for wet and dry samples, respectively. The current study has generated new data to quantify the proportion of pesticide deposits dislodged from three different non-crop surfaces when in contact with dry or wet gloves. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Contact materials for nanoelectronics

KAUST Repository

Alshareef, Husam N.

2011-02-01

In this article, we review current research activities in contact material development for electronic and nanoelectronic devices. A fundamental issue in contact materials research is to understand and control interfacial reactions and phenomena that modify the expected device performance. These reactions have become more challenging and more difficult to control as new materials have been introduced and as device sizes have entered the deep nanoscale. To provide an overview of this field of inquiry, this issue of MRS Bulletin includes articles on gate and contact materials for Si-based devices, junction contact materials for Si-based devices, and contact materials for alternate channel substrates (Ge and III-V), nanodevices. © 2011 Materials Research Society.

Contact Lens-Related Eye Infections

Science.gov (United States)

... Español Eye Health / Eye Health A-Z Contact Lens-Related Eye Infections Sections Contact Lens-Related Eye ... Six Steps to Avoid Contact Lens Infections Contact Lens-Related Eye Infections Leer en Español: Infecciones relacionadas ...

A Study of the Kepler K2 Variable EPIC 211957146 Exhibiting a Variable O’ Connell Effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sriram, K.; Malu, S.; Rao, P. Vivekananda; Choi, C. S.

2017-01-01

We present the multi-band photometric and spectroscopic study of an over-contact binary system, EPIC 211957146. The light curves exhibit a variable O’ Connell effect, confirmed from our observational data and the Kepler K2 data. The best photometric solution incorporating a dark spot over the primary component unveils that the system has a low-mass ratio ( q  ∼ 0.17) and a high inclination ( i  ∼ 85°). To confirm the solution and constrain the uncertainty, Monte-Carlo simulations are performed and the results are reported. Based on the O–C diagram analysis, we see that the variable shows a period increase at the rate of dP / dt  ∼ 1.06 × 10 −6 days yr −1 , which is higher than the theoretically predicted value. Presence of a third body having a period of ∼16.23 years is evident from the O–C diagram. No filled-in effect is observed in the H α line, while the effect is vividly present in the Na line. From the Kepler K2 data, we found that the primary and secondary minima exhibit an anti-correlated O–C variation followed by an erratic behavior. This is possibly caused by the longitudinal motion of the spot, and hence, we set a lower limit of ∼40 days for the spot modulation. We also observe a possibly associated photometric difference in the primary depth by comparing our light curves with Kepler K2 normalized light curves. This system has a low-mass ratio and a high fill-out factor, and, theoretically, such a physical configuration would lead to a merger.

Are diverse societies less cohesive? Testing contact and mediated contact theories.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, Sarah; Lee, Eunro; Klik, Kathleen A; Markus, Andrew; Hewstone, Miles; Reynolds, Katherine J

2018-01-01

Previous research has demonstrated that there is a negative relationship between ethnic diversity in a local community and social cohesion. Often the way social cohesion is assessed, though, varies across studies and only some aspects of the construct are included (e.g., trust). The current research explores the relationship between diversity and social cohesion across a number of indicators of social cohesion including neighbourhood social capital, safety, belonging, generalized trust, and volunteering. Furthermore, social psychological theories concerning the role of positive contact and its impact on feelings of threat are investigated. Using a sample of 1070 third generation 'majority' Australians and structural equation modelling (SEM), findings suggest ethnic diversity is related to positive intergroup contact, and that contact showed beneficial impacts for some indicators of social cohesion both directly and indirectly through reducing perceived threat. When interethnic contact and perceived threat are included in the model there is no direct negative effect between diversity and social cohesion. The theoretical implications of these findings are outlined including the importance of facilitating opportunities for positive contact in diverse communities.

Bimetallic nanoparticles for surface modification and lubrication of MEMS switch contacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patton, Steven T; Hu Jianjun [University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, OH 45469-0168 (United States); Slocik, Joseph M; Campbell, Angela; Naik, Rajesh R; Voevodin, Andrey A [Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7750 (United States)], E-mail: steve.patton@wpafb.af.mil, E-mail: rajesh.naik@wpafb.af.mil

2008-10-08

Reliability continues to be a critical issue in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches. Failure mechanisms include high contact resistance (R), high adhesion, melting/shorting, and contact erosion. Little previous work has addressed the lubrication of MEMS switches. In this study, bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized using a biotemplated approach and deposited on Au MEMS switch contacts as a nanoparticle-based lubricant. Bimetallic nanoparticles are comprised of a metallic core ({approx}10 nm diameter gold nanoparticle) with smaller metallic nanoparticles ({approx}2-3 nm diameter Pd nanoparticles) populating the core surface. Adhesion and resistance (R) were measured during hot switching experiments at low (10 {mu}A) and high (1 mA) current. The Au/Pd NP coated contacts led to reduced adhesion as compared to pure Au contacts with a compromise of slightly higher R. For switches held in the closed position at low current, R gradually decreased over tens of seconds due to increased van der Waals force and growth of the real area of contact with temporal effects being dominant over load effects. Contact behavior transitioned from 'Pd-like' to 'Au-like' during low current cycling experiments. Melting at high current resulted in rapid formation of large real contact area, low and stable R, and minimal effect of load on R. Durability at high current was excellent with no failure through 10{sup 6} hot switching cycles. Improvement at high current is due to controlled nanoscale surface roughness that spreads current through multiple nanocontacts, which restricts the size of melting regions and causes termination of nanowire growth (prevents shorting) during contact opening. Based on these results, bimetallic NPs show excellent potential as surface modifiers/lubricants for MEMS switch contacts.

Focusing on Contact Lens Safety

Science.gov (United States)

... their practices. Decorative contacts (also called “costume,” colored,” “fashion,” or “plano” contacts). The FDA has often warned ... Lenses Decorative Contact Lenses Hydrogen Peroxide Solution Related Consumer Updates 'Colored' and Decorative Contact Lenses: A Prescription ...

High reflectivity Ohmic contacts to n-GaN utilizing vacuum annealed aluminum

KAUST Repository

Yonkee, Benjamin P.; Young, Erin; DenBaars, Steven P; Speck, James S; Nakamura, Shuji

2017-01-01

Ohmic contacts to both c-plane and (202 ̅1 ̅) n-GaN are demonstrated using a pure aluminum layer which was vacuum annealed to prevent oxidation. Specific contact resistivities of 4.4 × 10-7 and 2.3 × 10-5 Ωcm2 were obtained without annealing for c-plane and (202 ̅1 ̅ ) samples respectively. A reflectivity of over 85% at 450 nm was measured for both samples. After a 300 °C anneal specific contact resistivities of 1.5 × 10-7 and 1.8 × 10-7 Ωcm2 were obtained for c-plane and (202 ̅1 ̅ ) samples respectively and the reflectivities remained higher than 80%.

High reflectivity Ohmic contacts to n-GaN utilizing vacuum annealed aluminum

KAUST Repository

Yonkee, Benjamin P.

2017-10-31

Ohmic contacts to both c-plane and (202 ̅1 ̅) n-GaN are demonstrated using a pure aluminum layer which was vacuum annealed to prevent oxidation. Specific contact resistivities of 4.4 × 10-7 and 2.3 × 10-5 Ωcm2 were obtained without annealing for c-plane and (202 ̅1 ̅ ) samples respectively. A reflectivity of over 85% at 450 nm was measured for both samples. After a 300 °C anneal specific contact resistivities of 1.5 × 10-7 and 1.8 × 10-7 Ωcm2 were obtained for c-plane and (202 ̅1 ̅ ) samples respectively and the reflectivities remained higher than 80%.

Contact-impact algorithms on parallel computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong Zhihua; Nilsson, Larsgunnar

1994-01-01

Contact-impact algorithms on parallel computers are discussed within the context of explicit finite element analysis. The algorithms concerned include a contact searching algorithm and an algorithm for contact force calculations. The contact searching algorithm is based on the territory concept of the general HITA algorithm. However, no distinction is made between different contact bodies, or between different contact surfaces. All contact segments from contact boundaries are taken as a single set. Hierarchy territories and contact territories are expanded. A three-dimensional bucket sort algorithm is used to sort contact nodes. The defence node algorithm is used in the calculation of contact forces. Both the contact searching algorithm and the defence node algorithm are implemented on the connection machine CM-200. The performance of the algorithms is examined under different circumstances, and numerical results are presented. ((orig.))

Direct measurement of graphene contact resistivity to pre-deposited metal in buried contact test structure

KAUST Repository

Qaisi, Ramy M.; Smith, Casey; Ghoneim, Mohamed T.; Yu, Qingkai; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2013-01-01

We demonstrate a buried contact based novel test structure for direct contact resistivity measurement of graphene-metal interfaces. We also observe excellent contact resistivity 1 μO-cm2 without any additional surface modification suggesting that the intrinsic Au-graphene contact is sufficient for achieving devices with low contact resistance. The chemical mechanical polishing less test structure and data described herein highlights an ideal methodology for systematic screening and engineering of graphene-metal contact resistivity to enable low power high speed carbon electronics. © 2013 IEEE.

Direct measurement of graphene contact resistivity to pre-deposited metal in buried contact test structure

KAUST Repository

Qaisi, Ramy M.

2013-08-01

We demonstrate a buried contact based novel test structure for direct contact resistivity measurement of graphene-metal interfaces. We also observe excellent contact resistivity 1 μO-cm2 without any additional surface modification suggesting that the intrinsic Au-graphene contact is sufficient for achieving devices with low contact resistance. The chemical mechanical polishing less test structure and data described herein highlights an ideal methodology for systematic screening and engineering of graphene-metal contact resistivity to enable low power high speed carbon electronics. © 2013 IEEE.

Contact behavior modelling and its size effect on proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Diankai; Peng, Linfa; Yi, Peiyun; Lai, Xinmin; Janßen, Holger; Lehnert, Werner

2017-10-01

Contact behavior between the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and bipolar plate (BPP) is of significant importance for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Most current studies on contact behavior utilize experiments and finite element modelling and focus on fuel cells with graphite BPPs, which lead to high costs and huge computational requirements. The objective of this work is to build a more effective analytical method for contact behavior in fuel cells and investigate the size effect resulting from configuration alteration of channel and rib (channel/rib). Firstly, a mathematical description of channel/rib geometry is outlined in accordance with the fabrication of metallic BPP. Based on the interface deformation characteristic and Winkler surface model, contact pressure between BPP and GDL is then calculated to predict contact resistance and GDL porosity as evaluative parameters of contact behavior. Then, experiments on BPP fabrication and contact resistance measurement are conducted to validate the model. The measured results demonstrate an obvious dependence on channel/rib size. Feasibility of the model used in graphite fuel cells is also discussed. Finally, size factor is proposed for evaluating the rule of size effect. Significant increase occurs in contact resistance and porosity for higher size factor, in which channel/rib width decrease.

Goldmann applanation tonometry over daily disposable contact lens: accuracy and safety of procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeri, Fabrizio; Lupelli, Luigi; Formichella, Paolo; Masci, Carlo; Fletcher, Robert

2007-09-01

To study accuracy and safety, related to sensation (discomfort) and trauma, when using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) on eyes wearing daily disposable soft contact lenses. The intra-ocular pressure (IOP) of 136 normal eyes of 68 subjects was measured by Goldmann tonometer. Measurements were made in one eye with a contact lens (hilafilcon A) without anaesthetic drops and then without the contact lens using one drop of 0.4% oxybuprocaine hydrochloride. Each contact lens used was identical as to back optic zone, back vertex power. Standard Goldmann procedure only was used for the fellow eye of each subject. Subjective sensation (discomfort) responses to both procedures were studied in a subgroup (66 eyes) using a scale of discomfort, from 1 (no sensation) to 5 (highest sensation). Epithelial staining after tonometry was evaluated for this subgroup. No significant differences were found for the IOP with and without contact lens (tcontact lens insertion, tonometry on contact lens and application of topical anaesthetic). Corneal epithelial staining following the standard tonometry procedure was significantly higher than following the procedure with a contact lens (pcontact lens is accurate, compared to the standard procedure and within the IOP's normal range studied here. Also using a contact lens results in less trauma whilst discomfort is similar.

Hydrogenation of passivated contacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nemeth, William; Yuan, Hao-Chih; LaSalvia, Vincenzo; Stradins, Pauls; Page, Matthew R.

2018-03-06

Methods of hydrogenation of passivated contacts using materials having hydrogen impurities are provided. An example method includes applying, to a passivated contact, a layer of a material, the material containing hydrogen impurities. The method further includes subsequently annealing the material and subsequently removing the material from the passivated contact.

Effects of retained austenite and hydrogen on the rolling contact fatigue behaviours of carbide-free bainitic steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Chunlei; Dan, Rui [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Zhang, Fucheng, E-mail: zfc@ysu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Lv, Bo [School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Yan, Zhigang; Shan, Jun; Long, Xiaoyan [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China)

2014-01-31

The effects of retained austenite and hydrogen on the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) behaviours of a new carbide-free bainitic steel (CFBS) were studied by means of the RCF testing, electrolytic hydrogen charging, transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the new carbide-free bainitic steels (CFBSs) exhibited very good RCF performance under the high contact stress of 1.7 GPa, and pitting and spalling were the main mode of the RCF failure. The RCF performance of the new CFBS was improved by the retained austenite content increasing, while obviously decreased by hydrogen.

Graphene in ohmic contact for both n-GaN and p-GaN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhong, Haijian; Liu, Zhenghui; Shi, Lin; Xu, Gengzhao; Fan, Yingmin; Huang, Zengli [Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, CAS, Suzhou 215123 (China); Wang, Jianfeng; Ren, Guoqiang; Xu, Ke, E-mail: kxu2006@sinano.ac.cn [Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, CAS, Suzhou 215123 (China); Suzhou Nanowin Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Suzhou 215123 (China)

2014-05-26

The wrinkles of single layer graphene contacted with either n-GaN or p-GaN were found both forming ohmic contacts investigated by conductive atomic force microscopy. The local I–V results show that some of the graphene wrinkles act as high-conductive channels and exhibiting ohmic behaviors compared with the flat regions with Schottky characteristics. We have studied the effects of the graphene wrinkles using density-functional-theory calculations. It is found that the standing and folded wrinkles with zigzag or armchair directions have a tendency to decrease or increase the local work function, respectively, pushing the local Fermi level towards n- or p-type GaN and thus improving the transport properties. These results can benefit recent topical researches and applications for graphene as electrode material integrated in various semiconductor devices.

Mathematical Modeling of Contact Problems of Elasticity Theory with Continuous Unilateral Contact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. V. Stankevich

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The work [1] presents the formulation and numerical solution of the problem concerning the unilateral discrete contact interaction of an elastic body and a rigid half-space. However, many parts and components of engineering structures have a pronounced continuous contact within a given surface [2, 3]. In this paper we consider a special case of this option of contact interaction when, the elastic body of finite size, subjected to external forces, is based on a rigid half-space. Contact occurs through a dedicated contact surface, which in general can change their sizes.Developed to solve this problem, a numerical algorithm is a further adaptation and development of the approaches described in [1]. The paper shows results of solving the model problem of the elasticity theory with and without taking friction into account. In the latter case, were additionally obtained numerical data characterizing the convergence of the solution.

Tomato contact dermatitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paulsen, Evy; Christensen, Lars P; Andersen, Klaus Ejner

2012-01-01

The tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) is an important crop worldwide. Whereas immediate-type reactions to tomato fruits are well known, contact dermatitis caused by tomatoes or tomato plants is rarely reported. The aims of this study were to present new data on contact sensitization to tomato...... plants and review the literature on contact dermatitis caused by both plants and fruits. An ether extract of tomato plants made as the original oleoresin plant extracts, was used in aimed patch testing, and between 2005 and 2011. 8 of 93 patients (9%) tested positive to the oleoresin extracts....... This prevalence is in accordance with the older literature that reports tomato plants as occasional sensitizers. The same applies to tomato fruits, which, in addition, may cause protein contact dermatitis. The allergens of the plant are unknown, but both heat-stable and heat-labile constituents seem...

Effect of Contact Pressure on the Resistance Contact Value and Temperature Changes in Copper Busbar Connection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agus Risdiyanto

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper discussed the influence of tightness or contacts pressure on copper busbar joints to determine changes in the value of the initial contact resistance and the maximum temperature at the joint due to high current load. The test sample was copper busbar 3 x 30 mm with configuration of bolted overlapping joint. Increasing contact pressure at the joint was measured to find out its effect on the value of contact resistance. The applied pressure was 6 to 36 MPa. Procedure of contact resistance measurement refer to the ASTM B539 standard using four-wire method. The sample subsequently loaded with the current of 350 A for 60 minutes and the maximum temperature at the joint was measured. The result showed that increasing contact pressure at the busbar joint will reduce the contact resistance and maximum temperature. The increase of contact pressure from 6 to 30 MPa causes decreasing contact resistance from 16 μΩ to 11 μΩ. Further increasing of contact pressure more than 30 MPa did not affect the contact resistance significantly. The lowest temperatur of busbar joint of 54°C was reached at a contact pressure of 36 Mpa.

Contacts to semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tove, P.A.

1975-08-01

Contacts to semiconductors play an important role in most semiconductor devices. These devices range from microelectronics to power components, from high-sensitivity light or radiation detectors to light-emitting of microwave-generating components. Silicon is the dominating material but compound semiconductors are increasing in importance. The following survey is an attempt to classify contact properties and the physical mechanisms involved, as well as fabrication methods and methods of investigation. The main interest is in metal-semiconductor type contacts where a few basic concepts are dealt with in some detail. (Auth.)

Nonlinear dynamic modeling of rotor system supported by angular contact ball bearings

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hong; Han, Qinkai; Zhou, Daning

2017-02-01

In current bearing dynamic models, the displacement coordinate relations are usually utilized to approximately obtain the contact deformations between the rolling element and raceways, and then the nonlinear restoring forces of the rolling bearing could be calculated accordingly. Although the calculation efficiency is relatively higher, the accuracy is lower as the contact deformations should be solved through iterative analysis. Thus, an improved nonlinear dynamic model is presented in this paper. Considering the preload condition, surface waviness, Hertz contact and elastohydrodynamic lubrication, load distribution analysis is solved iteratively to more accurately obtain the contact deformations and angles between the rolling balls and raceways. The bearing restoring forces are then obtained through iteratively solving the load distribution equations at every time step. Dynamic tests upon a typical rotor system supported by two angular contact ball bearings are conducted to verify the model. Through comparisons, the differences between the nonlinear dynamic model and current models are also pointed out. The effects of axial preload, rotor eccentricity and inner/outer waviness amplitudes on the dynamic response are discussed in detail.

Survey of Occupational Allergic Contact Dermatitis and Patch Test among Clothing Employees in Beijing.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yu-Xin; Gao, Bing-Ai; Cheng, Hai-Yan; Li, Lin-Feng

2017-01-01

Occupational population-based epidemiological data relating to occupational contact allergies in the Chinese clothing industry are limited. To investigate the prevalence of occupational allergic contact dermatitis (OACD) and to identify the causative allergens among clothing employees in China, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 529 clothing employees at 12 clothing factories in Beijing. All employees were subjected to an interview using self-administered questionnaire and skin examination, and those who were diagnosed with occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) were patch tested. In the present survey, we found that the overall 1-year prevalence of OACD among the clothing employees was 8.5%. The 1-year prevalence of OACD among workers (10.8%) was significantly higher than that among managers (3.2%). The lesions were primarily on the hands and wrists in workers, but the face and neck in managers. The major allergens were nickel sulfate and cobalt dichloride in workers and colophony and p -tert-butylphenol formaldehyde resin in managers. In conclusion, workers are at a higher risk of OACD compared with managers in the Chinese clothing industry. In addition to hand dermatitis in workers, airborne contact dermatitis on the face and neck should be also addressed in managers.

Contact sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis in patients with eczematous lesions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perpetua U Ibekwe

2018-01-01

Conclusions: Most ACD patients showed contact sensitization to leather products, metal, and perfume use. This knowledge is important when considering preventive measures. However, further studies are needed to provide more insight into contact allergy in Nigeria.

Fabricating customized hydrogel contact lens

Science.gov (United States)

Childs, Andre; Li, Hao; Lewittes, Daniella M.; Dong, Biqin; Liu, Wenzhong; Shu, Xiao; Sun, Cheng; Zhang, Hao F.

2016-10-01

Contact lenses are increasingly used in laboratories for in vivo animal retinal imaging and pre-clinical studies. The lens shapes often need modification to optimally fit corneas of individual test subjects. However, the choices from commercially available contact lenses are rather limited. Here, we report a flexible method to fabricate customized hydrogel contact lenses. We showed that the fabricated hydrogel is highly transparent, with refractive indices ranging from 1.42 to 1.45 in the spectra range from 400 nm to 800 nm. The Young’s modulus (1.47 MPa) and hydrophobicity (with a sessile drop contact angle of 40.5°) have also been characterized experimentally. Retinal imaging using optical coherence tomography in rats wearing our customized contact lenses has the quality comparable to the control case without the contact lens. Our method could significantly reduce the cost and the lead time for fabricating soft contact lenses with customized shapes, and benefit the laboratorial-used contact lenses in pre-clinical studies.

Transmission of vibration through gloves: effects of contact area.

Science.gov (United States)

Md Rezali, Khairil Anas; Griffin, Michael J

2017-01-01

For three samples of material (12.5, 25.0 and 37.5 mm diameter) from each of three gloves, the dynamic stiffnesses and the vibration transmissibilities of the materials (to both the palm of the hand and the thenar eminence) were measured at frequencies from 10 to 300 Hz. Additional measurements showed the apparent masses of the hand at the palm and the thenar eminence were independent of contact area at frequencies less than about 40 Hz, but increased with increasing area at higher frequencies. The stiffness and damping of the glove materials increased with increasing area. These changes caused material transmissibilities to the hand to increase with increasing area. It is concluded that the size of the area of contact has a large influence on the transmission of vibration through a glove to the hand. The area of contact should be well-defined and controlled when evaluating the transmission of vibration through gloves. Practitioner Summary: The transmission of vibration through gloves depends on both the dynamic stiffness of glove material and the dynamic response of the hand. Both of these depend on the size of the contact area between a glove material and the hand, which should be taken into account when assessing glove transmissibility.

The World of Virtual Exhibitions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irena Eiselt

2013-09-01

Full Text Available EXTENDED ABSTRACTSpecial collections of the National and University Library (NUK hide a lot of items of precious value. The Slovenian cultural heritage is stored on paper or on other media as a part of the library’s Manuscripts, Incunabula and Rare Books Collection, Old Prints Collection, Maps and Pictorial Collection, Music Collection, Ephemera Collection, Serials Collection, and Slovenian Diaspora Publications Collection. Only a small part of the treasures is temporary revealed to the public on special exhibitions. The idea of virtual exhibitions of library treasures was born in 2005. The library aimed to exhibit precious items of special collections of high historical or artistic value. In 2008 the first two virtual exhibitions were created in-house offering access to the rich collections of old postcards of Ljubljana at the beginning of 20th century kept in the Maps and Pictorial Collection of NUK. They were soon followed by other virtual exhibitions. At the beginning they were organised in the same way as physical exhibitions, afterwards different programs were used for creation of special effects (for ex. 3D wall. About two years ago it was decided that the creation of virtual exhibitions will be simplified. Files of digitised and borndigital library materials in jpg format are imported to MS PowerPoint 2010. Each jpg file is now formatted by adding a frame, a description … to the slides which are saved as jpg files. The last step is the import of jpg files into Cooliris application used for NUK web exhibitions. In the paper the virtual exhibition design and creation, the technical point of view and criteria for the selection of exhibition content are explained following the example of the virtual exhibitions the Old Postcards of Ljubljana, Photo Ateliers in Slovenia, a collection of photographs Four Seasons by Fran Krašovec and photos of Post-Earthquake Ljubljana in 1895.

78 FR 30303 - National Contact Center; Submission for OMB Review; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-22

...] National Contact Center; Submission for OMB Review; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation Survey... regarding the National Contact Center customer evaluation surveys. In this request, the previously approved... customer service levels to those of private industry contact centers. A notice was published in the Federal...

The effect of octylglucoside and sodium cholate in Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion to soft contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Lívia; Rodrigues, Diana; Lira, Madalena; Oliveira, Rosario; Real Oliveira, M Elisabete C D; Vilar, Eva Yebra-Pimentel; Azeredo, Joana

2007-05-01

In this study, the effect of the natural surfactants octylglucoside and sodium cholate in inhibiting Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion to conventional and silicone-hydrogel contact lenses (CL) was assessed. Hydrophobicity was also evaluated to conditioned and nonconditioned CL. The inhibiting effect of the tested surfactants was determined through "in vitro" adhesion studies to conditioned and nonconditioned CL followed by image acquisition and cell enumeration. Hydrophobicity was evaluated through contact angle measurements using the advancing type technique on air. Sodium cholate exhibits a very low capability to inhibit microbial adhesion. Conversely, octylglucoside effectively inhibited microbial adhesion in both types of lenses. This surfactant exhibited an even greater performance than a multipurpose lens care solution used as control. Octylglucoside was the only tested surfactant able to lower the hydrophobicity of all CL, which can explain its high performance. The results obtained in this study point out the potential of octylglucoside as a conditioning agent to prevent microbial colonization.

Thermal stability of TaN Schottky contacts on n-GaN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayes, J.R.; Kim, D-W.; Meidia, H.; Mahajan, S

2003-02-07

The thermal stability and electrical characteristics of tantalum-nitrogen alloy Schottky contacts on n-GaN were investigated. Non-stoichiometric {delta}-phase (40 atomic percent nitrogen) tantalum nitride contacts exhibited good electrical properties up to an annealing temperature of 600 deg. C. However, they degrade rapidly above this temperature due to outward diffusion of Ga and presumably nitrogen into the {delta}-phase tantalum nitride. It is surmised that excess Ta reacts with N at the GaN surface, freeing Ga which then diffuses into the TaN layer. Stoichiometric TaN Schottky contacts were stable at temperatures as high as 800 deg. C and had far superior electrical performance. This stems from the thermodynamic stability of the stoichiometric TaN/GaN interface. {delta}-phase TaN had I-V and C-V barrier heights of 0.55 eV and 0.8 eV respectively. On the other hand, TaN had an I-V barrier height near 0.7 eV and a C-V barrier height near 1.2 eV. The ideality factors for both {delta}-phase TaN and TaN were above 1.8 at all annealing temperatures, suggesting tunneling contributes significantly to current transport.

Mobility overestimation due to gated contacts in organic field-effect transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Bittle, Emily G.; Basham, James I.; Jackson, Thomas N.; Jurchescu, Oana D.; Gundlach, David J.

2016-01-01

Parameters used to describe the electrical properties of organic field-effect transistors, such as mobility and threshold voltage, are commonly extracted from measured current–voltage characteristics and interpreted by using the classical metal oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor model. However, in recent reports of devices with ultra-high mobility (>40 cm2 V−1 s−1), the device characteristics deviate from this idealized model and show an abrupt turn-on in the drain current when measured as a function of gate voltage. In order to investigate this phenomenon, here we report on single crystal rubrene transistors intentionally fabricated to exhibit an abrupt turn-on. We disentangle the channel properties from the contact resistance by using impedance spectroscopy and show that the current in such devices is governed by a gate bias dependence of the contact resistance. As a result, extracted mobility values from d.c. current–voltage characterization are overestimated by one order of magnitude or more. PMID:26961271

Exhibition at the AAA library

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2013-01-01

Sonnesgade 11 The exhibition at the AAA library presents selected work produced by students prior to the exhibition of installations in project and praxis constructing an archive at Sonnesgade 11. The exhibition at Sonnesgade 11 was the culmination of collaboration with SLETH architects and studio...

GAS-FOVEAL CONTACT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alberti, Mark; la Cour, Morten

2018-01-01

PURPOSE: To compare gas-foveal contact in face-down positioning (FDP) and nonsupine positioning (NSP), to analyze causes of gas-foveal separation and to determine how gas-foveal contact affects clinical outcome after idiopathic macular hole repair. METHODS: Single center, randomized controlled...... study. Participants with an idiopathic macular hole were allocated to either FDP or NSP. Primary outcome was gas-foveal contact, calculated by analyzing positioning in relation to intraocular gas fill. Positioning was measured with an electronic device recording positioning for 72 hours postoperatively....... RESULTS: Positioning data were available for 33/35 in the FDP group and 35/37 in the NSP group, thus results are based on 68 analyzed participants. Median gas-foveal contact was 99.82% (range 73.6-100.0) in the FDP group and 99.57% (range 85.3-100.0) in the NSP group (P = 0.22). In a statistical model...

Contact Line Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Kreiss, Gunilla; Holmgren, Hanna; Kronbichler, Martin; Ge, Anthony; Brant, Luca

2017-11-01

The conventional no-slip boundary condition leads to a non-integrable stress singularity at a moving contact line. This makes numerical simulations of two-phase flow challenging, especially when capillarity of the contact point is essential for the dynamics of the flow. We will describe a modeling methodology, which is suitable for numerical simulations, and present results from numerical computations. The methodology is based on combining a relation between the apparent contact angle and the contact line velocity, with the similarity solution for Stokes flow at a planar interface. The relation between angle and velocity can be determined by theoretical arguments, or from simulations using a more detailed model. In our approach we have used results from phase field simulations in a small domain, but using a molecular dynamics model should also be possible. In both cases more physics is included and the stress singularity is removed.

Measurement accuracy of a stressed contact lens during its relaxation period

Science.gov (United States)

Compertore, David C.; Ignatovich, Filipp V.

2018-02-01

We examine the dioptric power and transmitted wavefront of a contact lens as it releases its handling stresses. Handling stresses are introduced as part of the contact lens loading process and are common across all contact lens measurement procedures and systems. The latest advances in vision correction require tighter quality control during the manufacturing of the contact lenses. The optical power of contact lenses is one of the critical characteristics for users. Power measurements are conducted in the hydrated state, where the lens is resting inside a solution-filled glass cuvette. In a typical approach, the contact lens must be subject to long settling times prior to any measurements. Alternatively, multiple measurements must be averaged. Apart from potential operator dependency of such approach, it is extremely time-consuming, and therefore it precludes higher rates of testing. Comprehensive knowledge about the settling process can be obtained by monitoring multiple parameters of the lens simultaneously. We have developed a system that combines co-aligned a Shack-Hartmann transmitted wavefront sensor and a time-domain low coherence interferometer to measure several optical and physical parameters (power, cylinder power, aberrations, center thickness, sagittal depth, and diameter) simultaneously. We monitor these parameters during the stress relaxation period and show correlations that can be used by manufacturers to devise methods for improved quality control procedures.

Peripheral refraction with dominant design multifocal contact lenses in young myopes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Lopes-Ferreira

2013-04-01

Conclusion: It is possible to induce significant changes in the pattern of relative peripheral refraction in the myopic direction with commercially available dominant design multifocal contact lenses. The higher add (+3.00 D induced an significantly higher effect than the +2.00 D add lens, although an increase of 1 D in add power does not correspond to the same amount of increase in RPRE.

CD1d knockout mice exhibit aggravated contact hypersensitivity responses due to reduced interleukin-10 production predominantly by regulatory B cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fjelbye, Jonas; Antvorskov, Julie C; Buschard, Karsten

2015-01-01

.05) and peritoneal cavity (80.8% decrease; P challenge, which suggests an important regulatory and protective role of CD1d-dependent NKT cells in CHS in our model, at least in part via regulation of IL-10 producing B(regs) ....... knockout (CD1d KO) and wild-type (Wt) mice after contact allergen exposure. For induction of CHS, C57BL/6 CD1d KO mice (n = 6) and C57BL/6 Wt mice (n = 6) were sensitised with 1% (w/v) dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) or vehicle for three consecutive days and subsequently challenged with a single dose of 0...

Upcycling CERN Exhibitions

CERN Multimedia

Katarina Anthony

2015-01-01

Summer is coming - and with it, a new Microcosm exhibition showcasing CERN (see here). But while the new exhibit is preparing to enchant visitors, many have been asking about the site's former content. Will it simply be out with the old and in with the new? Not as such!   The plasma ball from Microcosm is now on display at the LHCb site. As Microcosm's new content is moving in, its old content is moving up. From LHCb to IdeaSquare, former Microcosm displays and objects are being installed across the CERN site. "Microcosm featured many elements that were well suited to life outside of the exhibition," says Emma Sanders, Microcosm project leader in the EDU group. "We didn't want this popular content to go to waste, and so set out to find them new homes across CERN." The LHCb experiment has received a number of Microcosm favourites, including the Rutherford experiment, the cosmic ray display and the Thomson experiment. "We&...

Globe exhibit wins international acclaim

CERN Multimedia

Katarina Anthony

2011-01-01

The Globe’s “Universe of Particles” exhibition has recently received four prestigious awards for its avant-garde design. This external praise is great encouragement for the CERN exhibitions currently on the drawing board.   The Universe of Particles exhibition has won 4 awards for its avant-garde design. Back in 2008, the design company Atelier Brückner was presented with a challenge: to design the layout of a new permanent exhibition for CERN, one that would epitomize both the Organization and its research. The brief was concise but complex: the exhibit had to be symbolic of the Organization, use modern technology, engage and immerse visitors, and, preferably, use touch-screen technology. With the help of IArt, an interactive technology firm, and based on the content provided by CERN’s Education Group, Atelier Brückner developed the “Universe of Particles” exhibit as it is today. Its principal concept centred on the s...

Mathematical Modeling of Contact Problems of Elasticity Theory with Unilateral Discrete Contact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. V. Stankevich

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Development and operation of modern machinery and latest technology require reliable estimates of the strength characteristics of the critical elements of structures and technological equipment under the impact of high-intensity thermomechanical loading, accompanied, as a rule, by complex contact interaction. Mathematical modeling of stress-strain state of such parts and components in the contact area, based on adequate mathematical models, modern numerical methods and efficient algorithms that implement the direct determination of displacement fields, strains and stresses, is the main tool that allows fast acquisition of data required for the calculations of strength and durability. The paper considers an algorithm for constructing the numerical solution of the contact problem of elasticity theory in relation to the body, which has an obvious one-sided discrete contact interaction with an elastic half-space. The proposed algorithm is specially designed to have a correction of the tangential forces at discrete contact points, allowing us to achieve sufficiently accurate implementation of the adopted law of friction. The algorithm is embedded in a general finite element technology, with which the application code is generated. Numerical study of discrete unilateral contact interaction of an elastic plate and a rigid half-space showed a high efficiency of the developed algorithm and the application code that implements it.

Non-contact ultrasound techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khazali Mohd Zin

2001-01-01

Non-contact ultrasound plays significant role in material characterisation and inspection. Unlike conventional ultrasonic techniques, non-contact ultrasonic is mostly applicable to areas where the former has its weaknesses and limitations. It is interesting to note that the non-contact ultrasonic technique has an important significant application in industry. The technique is signified by the fact that the object to be inspected is further away from the ultrasonic source, no couplant is needed and inconsistent pressure between the transducer and the specimen can be eliminated. The paper discusses some of the non-contact ultrasound technique and its applications. (Author)

Colors and contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonamonte, Domenico; Foti, Caterina; Romita, Paolo; Vestita, Michelangelo; Angelini, Gianni

2014-01-01

The diagnosis of skin diseases relies on several clinical signs, among which color is of paramount importance. In this review, we consider certain clinical presentations of both eczematous and noneczematous contact dermatitis in which color plays a peculiar role orientating toward the right diagnosis. The conditions that will be discussed include specific clinical-morphologic subtypes of eczematous contact dermatitis, primary melanocytic, and nonmelanocytic contact hyperchromia, black dermographism, contact chemical leukoderma, and others. Based on the physical, chemical, and biologic factors underlying a healthy skin color, the various skin shades drawing a disease picture are thoroughly debated, stressing their etiopathogenic origins and histopathologic aspects.

Mast Cells Limit the Exacerbation of Chronic Allergic Contact Dermatitis in Response to Repeated Allergen Exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Gimenez-Rivera, Vladimir-Andrey; Siebenhaar, Frank; Zimmermann, Carolin; Siiskonen, Hanna; Metz, Martin; Maurer, Marcus

2016-12-01

Allergic contact dermatitis is a chronic T cell-driven inflammatory skin disease that is caused by repeated exposure to contact allergens. Based on murine studies of acute contact hypersensitivity, mast cells (MCs) are believed to play a role in its pathogenesis. The role of MCs in chronic allergic contact dermatitis has not been investigated, in part because of the lack of murine models for chronic contact hypersensitivity. We developed and used a chronic contact hypersensitivity model in wild-type and MC-deficient mice and assessed skin inflammatory responses to identify and characterize the role of MCs in chronic allergic contact dermatitis. Ear swelling chronic contact hypersensitivity responses increased markedly, up to 4-fold, in MC-deficient Kit W-sh/W-sh (Sash) and MCPT5-Cre + iDTR + mice compared with wild-type mice. Local engraftment with MCs protected Sash mice from exacerbated ear swelling after repeated oxazolone challenge. Chronic contact hypersensitivity skin of Sash mice exhibited elevated levels of IFN-γ, IL-17α, and IL-23, as well as increased accumulation of Ag-specific IFN-γ-producing CD8 + tissue-resident memory T (T RM ) cells. The CD8 + T cell mitogen IL-15, which was increased in oxazolone-challenged skin of Sash mice during the accumulation of cutaneous T RM cells, was efficiently degraded by MCs in vitro. MCs protect from the exacerbated allergic skin inflammation induced by repeated allergen challenge, at least in part, via effects on CD8 + T RM cells. MCs may notably influence the course of chronic allergic contact dermatitis. A better understanding of their role and the underlying mechanisms may lead to better approaches for the treatment of this common, disabling, and costly condition. Copyright © 2016 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Elastomers in Combined Rolling-Sliding Contact; Wear and its Underlying Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, Kyle Gene

Elastomeric materials, specifically rubbers, being both of a practical and scientific importance, have been the subjects of vast amounts of research spanning well over two centuries. There is currently a large effort by tire manufacturers to design new rubber compounds with lower rolling resistance, higher sliding friction, and reduced or predictable wear. At present, these efforts are primarily based on a few empirical rules and very costly trial and error testing; only a basic understanding of the mechanisms involved in the wear of elastomeric materials exists despite rigorous study. In general, the only well controlled experiments have been for simple loading and sliding schemes. The aim of this work is to characterize the tribological properties of a carbon black filled natural rubber sample. This work explores (1) its behavior in unidirectional sliding, (2) contact mechanics, (3) traction properties in combined rolling and sliding, (4) frictional heating response, and (5) wear. It was found that the friction coefficient of this material was dependent upon sliding velocity, contact pressure, and surface roughness. The high friction coefficients also lead to a bifurcation of the contact area into two different pressure regimes at sliding velocities greater than 10 mm/s . The traction response of this material in combined rolling and sliding exhibited similar behavior, being a function of the contact pressure, but not rolling velocity. The wear of this material was found to be linearly dependent upon the global slip condition and occurred preferentially on the sample. Investigations of the worn surface revealed that the most likely mechanism of wear is the degradation of surface material in a confined layer a few micrometers thick. A simple spring-mass model was developed to offer an explanation of localized wear. It was found that the coupling of system elements in the normal direction helped to shift the load from wearing elements to non-wearing ones. The

Inbred decorated crickets exhibit higher measures of macroparasitic immunity than outbred individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gershman, S N; Barnett, C A; Pettinger, A M; Weddle, C B; Hunt, J; Sakaluk, S K

2010-09-01

Inbreeding is assumed to have negative effects on fitness, including the reduced ability to withstand immune challenges. We examined the immunological consequences of inbreeding in decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus, by comparing lytic activity, phenoloxidase (PO) activity, and encapsulation ability of crickets from eight inbred lines with that of crickets from the outbred founder population. Surprisingly, crickets from inbred lines had a greater encapsulation ability compared with crickets from the outbred population. We suggest that because inbred crickets have reduced reproductive effort, they may, therefore, have the option of devoting more resources to this form of immunity than outbred individuals. We also found that both inbred and outbred females had higher immunity than males in PO activity and implant darkness. This result supports the hypothesis that females should devote more effort to somatic maintenance and immunity than males. PO activity and implant darkness were heritable in both males and females, but lytic activity was only heritable in females. Males and females differed in the heritability of, and genetic correlations among, immune traits, suggesting that differences in selective pressures on males and females may have resulted in a sexual conflict over optimal immune trait values.

Contact Angle and Adhesion Dynamics and Hysteresis on Molecularly Smooth Chemically Homogeneous Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Szu-Ying; Kaufman, Yair; Schrader, Alex M; Seo, Dongjin; Lee, Dong Woog; Page, Steven H; Koenig, Peter H; Isaacs, Sandra; Gizaw, Yonas; Israelachvili, Jacob N

2017-09-26

Measuring truly equilibrium adhesion energies or contact angles to obtain the thermodynamic values is experimentally difficult because it requires loading/unloading or advancing/receding boundaries to be measured at rates that can be slower than 1 nm/s. We have measured advancing-receding contact angles and loading-unloading adhesion energies for various systems and geometries involving molecularly smooth and chemically homogeneous surfaces moving at different but steady velocities in both directions, ±V, focusing on the thermodynamic limit of ±V → 0. We have used the Bell Theory (1978) to derive expressions for the dynamic (velocity-dependent) adhesion energies and contact angles suitable for both (i) dynamic adhesion measurements using the classic Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR, 1971) theory of "contact mechanics" and (ii) dynamic contact angle hysteresis measurements of both rolling droplets and syringe-controlled (sessile) droplets on various surfaces. We present our results for systems that exhibited both steady and varying velocities from V ≈ 10 mm/s to 1 nm/s, where in all cases but one, the advancing (V > 0) and receding (V contact angles converged toward the same theoretical (thermodynamic) values as V → 0. Our equations for the dynamic contact angles are similar to the classic equations of Blake & Haynes (1969) and fitted the experimental adhesion data equally well over the range of velocities studied, although with somewhat different fitting parameters for the characteristic molecular length/dimension or area and characteristic bond formation/rupture lifetime or velocity. Our theoretical and experimental methods and results unify previous kinetic theories of adhesion and contact angle hysteresis and offer new experimental methods for testing kinetic models in the thermodynamic, quasi-static, limit. Our analyses are limited to kinetic effects only, and we conclude that hydrodynamic, i.e., viscous, and inertial effects do not play a role at the

FreeContact: fast and free software for protein contact prediction from residue co-evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaján, László; Hopf, Thomas A; Kalaš, Matúš; Marks, Debora S; Rost, Burkhard

2014-03-26

20 years of improved technology and growing sequences now renders residue-residue contact constraints in large protein families through correlated mutations accurate enough to drive de novo predictions of protein three-dimensional structure. The method EVfold broke new ground using mean-field Direct Coupling Analysis (EVfold-mfDCA); the method PSICOV applied a related concept by estimating a sparse inverse covariance matrix. Both methods (EVfold-mfDCA and PSICOV) are publicly available, but both require too much CPU time for interactive applications. On top, EVfold-mfDCA depends on proprietary software. Here, we present FreeContact, a fast, open source implementation of EVfold-mfDCA and PSICOV. On a test set of 140 proteins, FreeContact was almost eight times faster than PSICOV without decreasing prediction performance. The EVfold-mfDCA implementation of FreeContact was over 220 times faster than PSICOV with negligible performance decrease. EVfold-mfDCA was unavailable for testing due to its dependency on proprietary software. FreeContact is implemented as the free C++ library "libfreecontact", complete with command line tool "freecontact", as well as Perl and Python modules. All components are available as Debian packages. FreeContact supports the BioXSD format for interoperability. FreeContact provides the opportunity to compute reliable contact predictions in any environment (desktop or cloud).

PREFACE: Non-contact AFM Non-contact AFM

Science.gov (United States)

Giessibl, Franz J.; Morita, Seizo

2012-02-01

This special issue is focussed on high resolution non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM). Non-contact atomic force microscopy was established approximately 15 years ago as a tool to image conducting and insulating surfaces with atomic resolution. Since 1998, an annual international conference has taken place, and although the proceedings of these conferences are a useful source of information, several key developments warrant devoting a special issue to this subject. In the theoretic field, the possibility of supplementing established techniques such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and Kelvin probe microscopy with atomically resolved force micrsoscopy poses many challenges in the calculation of contrast and contrast reversal. The surface science of insulators, self-assembled monolayers and adsorbates on insulators is a fruitful field for the application of non-contact AFM: several articles in this issue are devoted to these subjects. Atomic imaging and manipulation have been pioneered using STM, but because AFM allows the measurement of forces, AFM has had a profound impact in this field as well. Three-dimensional force spectroscopy has allowed many important insights into surface science. In this issue a combined 3D tunneling and force microscopy is introduced. Non-contact AFM typically uses frequency modulation to measure force gradients and was initially used mainly in a vacuum. As can be seen in this issue, frequency modulation is now also used in ambient conditions, allowing better spatial and force resolution. We thank all of the contributors for their time and efforts in making this special issue possible. We are also very grateful to the staff of IOP Publishing for handling the administrative aspects and for steering the refereeing process. Non-contact AFM contents Relation between the chemical force and the tunnelling current in atomic point contacts: a simple model Pavel Jelínek, Martin Ondrácek and Fernando Flores Theoretical simulation of

Lettuce contact allergy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paulsen, Evy; Andersen, Klaus E

2016-01-01

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and its varieties are important vegetable crops worldwide. They are also well-known, rarely reported, causes of contact allergy. As lettuce allergens and extracts are not commercially available, the allergy may be underdiagnosed. The aims of this article are to present...... person who is occupationally exposed to lettuce for longer periods, especially atopics, amateur gardeners, and persons keeping lettuce-eating pets, is potentially at risk of developing lettuce contact allergy.......Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and its varieties are important vegetable crops worldwide. They are also well-known, rarely reported, causes of contact allergy. As lettuce allergens and extracts are not commercially available, the allergy may be underdiagnosed. The aims of this article are to present...... new data on lettuce contact allergy and review the literature. Lettuce is weakly allergenic, and occupational cases are mainly reported. Using aimed patch testing in Compositae-allergic patients, two recent Danish studies showed prevalence rates of positive lettuce reactions of 11% and 22...

Host Students' Perspectives of Intercultural Contact in an Irish University

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, Ciaran

2009-01-01

Given the increasing numbers of international students in Ireland and the lack of attention afforded to host culture students in existing research on intercultural relations in higher education, a grounded theory study was conducted in an Irish university exploring host (Irish) students' perspectives on intercultural contact. The study focused on…

Multi-centre evaluation of two daily disposable contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Jon; Young, Graeme; Hunt, Chris; Henderson, Terri

2007-05-01

To evaluate the clinical performance of two daily disposable contact lenses: 1-DAY ACUVUE (1DA) (etafilcon A, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care) and FOCUS DAILIES with AquaComfort (FD) (nelfilcon A, CIBA Vision, Inc.), which contains a quickly released moisture enhancing agent, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). This was a 1-week, daily wear, subject-masked, bilateral, parallel group study with subjects randomly assigned to one of two daily disposable soft contact lenses. Subjects were existing soft contact lens wearers in the age range 18-39 years with a spherical refraction between -0.50 and -6.00 D. Subjects were assessed at baseline and after 1 week. Assessments included both subjective (symptoms, wearing time, vision) and objective (lens fit and ocular health) outcomes. Twenty clinical sites enrolled 282 subjects (74% female) of whom 276 (98%) successfully completed the study. Significantly more 1DA wearers reported higher mean comfort scores than with FD (3.95 versus 3.41, respectively, Pdisposable lenses highlight that, although both lenses may be considered as clinically acceptable, these lenses should not be regarded as interchangeable.

Investigations into the thermal non-equilibrium of W UMa-type contact binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Xiao; Liu, Liang; Qian, Sheng-Bang

2018-05-01

Traditionally, some physical details (e.g., magnetic braking, energy transfer, angular momentum loss, etc.) have to be taken into consideration during investigations into the evolution of contact binaries. However, the real evolutionary processes which usually contain several of these physical mechanisms are very complicated as a result of strong interaction between components. To avoid dealing with these factors, a linear relationship is applied to the temperatures of components. It is found that the higher the mass ratio (M 2/M 1) of a contact system, the weaker the deviation from thermal equilibrium. On this basis, a variation trend of fill-out factor (f) changing with mass ratio can be inferred, which is consistent with observations. Moreover, if we stick to this point of view, it should be natural that the number of semi-detached binaries in the predicted broken-contact phase of relaxation oscillations is less than the number in the contact phase.

The effects of indirect intergroup contact on willingness to engage in direct contact with former adversary

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Voca, S.; Graf, Sylvie

2018-01-01

Roč. 12, č. 1 (2018), s. 47-57 ISSN 2309-3455 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-14387S Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : positive intergroup contact * negative intergroup contact * extended intergroup contact * mass-mediated intergroup contact * willingness to engage in intergroup contact * empathy * outgroup trust Subject RIV: AN - Psychology OBOR OECD: Psychology (including human - machine relations)

Effect of contact deformation on contact electrification: a first-principles calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yuanyue; Shao, Tianmin

2013-01-01

The effect of contact deformation on contact electrification of metallic materials was studied by the first-principles method. The results of charge population and the densities of states of the deformed contact models demonstrated that the magnitude of the transferred charge increased with deformation. The mechanism of the effect of deformation was investigated by studying the electronic properties of the deformed surface slabs. The results showed that crystal deformation led to a change in the electrostatic potential of the metal, where the number of nearly free electrons and unoccupied orbitals for charge transfer increased, and their energy barrier decreased. (paper)

Transfer characteristics and contact resistance in Ni- and Ti-contacted graphene-based field-effect transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Bartolomeo, A; Giubileo, F; Iemmo, L; Romeo, F; Santandrea, S; Gambardella, U

2013-01-01

We produced graphene-based field-effect transistors by contacting mono- and bi-layer graphene by sputtering Ni or Ti as metal electrodes. We performed electrical characterization of the devices by measuring their transfer and output characteristics. We clearly observed the presence of a double-dip feature in the conductance curve for Ni-contacted transistors, and we explain it in terms of charge transfer and graphene doping under the metal contacts. We also studied the contact resistance between the graphene and the metal electrodes with larger values of ∼30 kΩμm 2 recorded for Ti contacts. Importantly, we prove that the contact resistance is modulated by the back-gate voltage. (paper)

Sciences & Nature: Contact

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Principal Contact. Ehouan Etienne Ehile Professor University of Abobo-Adjamé 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02. Phone: (+225) 2030 4201. Fax: (+225) 2030 4203. Email: eh_ehile@yahoo.fr. Support Contact. Irie Zoro Bi Email: banhiakalou@yahoo.fr. ISSN: 1812-0741. AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL.

Head-disk interface nanotribology for Tbit/inch2 recording densities: near-contact and contact recording

Science.gov (United States)

Vakis, Antonis I.; Polycarpou, Andreas A.

2010-06-01

In the effort to achieve Tbit/inch2 recording densities, thermal fly-height control (TFC) nanotechnology was developed to effectively reduce the clearance (which is of the order of a few nanometres) at the head-disk interface (HDI) of hard-disk drives. In this work, we present a model of the HDI that can predict the dynamic flying and nanotribological contacting behaviour, allowing for accurate predictions and characterization of the operating regime as a function of TFC actuation. A geometric model for TFC is presented and an improved definition of contact at the interface is developed in the presence of nanoscale topographical roughness and dynamic microwaviness. A new methodology is proposed for the calculation of the nominal area of contact, which affects both near- and at-contact behaviour, while the stiffening of the air bearing force with TFC actuation is also accounted for. Slider behaviour is analysed by quantifying the approach, jump-to-contact, lubricant and solid contact regimes of operation and identifying the critical and optimum TFC actuations. The feasibility of near-contact, light molecularly thin lubricant contact versus solid contact recording is explored under the effect of the interfacial forces and stresses present at the HDI. The clearance and the state of vibrations are analysed and design guidelines are proposed for improved performance.

Head-disk interface nanotribology for Tbit/inch2 recording densities: near-contact and contact recording

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vakis, Antonis I; Polycarpou, Andreas A

2010-01-01

In the effort to achieve Tbit/inch 2 recording densities, thermal fly-height control (TFC) nanotechnology was developed to effectively reduce the clearance (which is of the order of a few nanometres) at the head-disk interface (HDI) of hard-disk drives. In this work, we present a model of the HDI that can predict the dynamic flying and nanotribological contacting behaviour, allowing for accurate predictions and characterization of the operating regime as a function of TFC actuation. A geometric model for TFC is presented and an improved definition of contact at the interface is developed in the presence of nanoscale topographical roughness and dynamic microwaviness. A new methodology is proposed for the calculation of the nominal area of contact, which affects both near- and at-contact behaviour, while the stiffening of the air bearing force with TFC actuation is also accounted for. Slider behaviour is analysed by quantifying the approach, jump-to-contact, lubricant and solid contact regimes of operation and identifying the critical and optimum TFC actuations. The feasibility of near-contact, light molecularly thin lubricant contact versus solid contact recording is explored under the effect of the interfacial forces and stresses present at the HDI. The clearance and the state of vibrations are analysed and design guidelines are proposed for improved performance.

A population-based study of childhood sexual contact in China: prevalence and long-term consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Ye; Parish, William L; Laumann, Edward O

2008-07-01

This study provides national estimates of the prevalence of childhood sexual contact and its association with sexual well-being and psychological distress among adults in China. A national stratified probability sample of 1,519 women and 1,475 men aged 20-64 years in urban China completed a computer-administered survey in 1999-2000. The data from this survey on both adult-to-child and peer-to-peer sexual contact before age 14 were subjected to descriptive and multivariate analyses that were adjusted for both sampling weights and sampling design. The overall prevalence of reported childhood sexual contact was 4.2%, with prevalence higher among men (5.1%) than among women (3.3%) and higher among those aged 20-29 years (8.3%). Childhood sexual contact was associated with multiplex consequences, including hyper-sexuality (high levels of masturbation, thoughts about sex, varieties of sexual practices, partner turnover), adult sexual victimization (unwanted sex, unwanted sexual acts, sexual harassment), sexual difficulties (genitor-urinary symptoms, sexually transmitted infections, sexual dysfunctions), and psychological distress. Psychological distress was largely mediated by adult sexual victimization, sexual difficulties, and hyper-sexuality. Despite the relatively modest prevalence of childhood sexual contact among Chinese adults, the association with multiplex adult outcomes suggests that much as in the West early sexual contact is a significant issue. The findings underscore the importance of public education about childhood sexual contact and abuse in China. The findings suggest a need for public health campaigns that tackle the stigma associated with being abused and encourage victims to report abusive behavior to proper sources. The findings are also consistent with new efforts to alleviate the negative long-term impact of childhood sexual abuse.

Do swimming goggles limit microbial contamination of contact lenses?

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yvonne T; Tran, Jess; Truong, Michelle; Harmis, Najat; Zhu, Hua; Stapleton, Fiona

2011-04-01

Wearing goggles over contact lenses while swimming is often recommended by eye care professionals. Limited data are available to assess this recommendation. The purpose of this study was to examine whether wearing goggles while swimming limits bacterial colonization on contact lenses and whether the type of lens worn affects contamination rates. Twenty-three subjects underwent two swimming sessions at an ocean (salt water) pool (Maroubra beach Rock Pool, Sydney, Australia). Silicone hydrogel (Ciba Focus Night and Day) or hydrogel lenses (Ciba Focus Daily) were inserted into subjects' eyes before 30 min of swimming sessions, and subjects used modified goggles to mimic goggled and non-goggled conditions. At the end of each session, lenses were collected for microbial investigation. Viable bacterial colonies were classified as gram positive and gram negative and enumerated. The level of bacterial colonization on contact lenses between goggled and non-goggled conditions and between the two lens materials were compared. The range of colony forming units recovered from goggled lenses were 0 to 930 compared with 0 to 1210 on non-goggled lenses. The majority of subjects (16/23) had more microorganisms in the non-goggled condition than when wearing goggles (p = 0.03). Gram negative organisms were found in three non-goggled lenses. No significant difference was shown in the number of bacteria isolated from silicone hydrogel and hydrogel lenses (p > 0.6) irrespective of wearing goggles. Water samples had consistently higher numbers of bacterial counts than those adhered to the lenses; however, no association was found between the number of bacteria in the water sample and those found on the contact lenses. Consistently, fewer bacterial colonies were found on the goggled contact lens, thus suggesting goggles offer some protection against bacterial colonization of contact lenses while swimming. These data would support the recommendation encouraging lens wearers to use goggles

Elastic contact mechanics: percolation of the contact area and fluid squeeze-out.

Science.gov (United States)

Persson, B N J; Prodanov, N; Krick, B A; Rodriguez, N; Mulakaluri, N; Sawyer, W G; Mangiagalli, P

2012-01-01

The dynamics of fluid flow at the interface between elastic solids with rough surfaces depends sensitively on the area of real contact, in particular close to the percolation threshold, where an irregular network of narrow flow channels prevails. In this paper, numerical simulation and experimental results for the contact between elastic solids with isotropic and anisotropic surface roughness are compared with the predictions of a theory based on the Persson contact mechanics theory and the Bruggeman effective medium theory. The theory predictions are in good agreement with the experimental and numerical simulation results and the (small) deviation can be understood as a finite-size effect. The fluid squeeze-out at the interface between elastic solids with randomly rough surfaces is studied. We present results for such high contact pressures that the area of real contact percolates, giving rise to sealed-off domains with pressurized fluid at the interface. The theoretical predictions are compared to experimental data for a simple model system (a rubber block squeezed against a flat glass plate), and for prefilled syringes, where the rubber plunger stopper is lubricated by a high-viscosity silicon oil to ensure functionality of the delivery device. For the latter system we compare the breakloose (or static) friction, as a function of the time of stationary contact, to the theory prediction.

Characterization of Catalase from Psychrotolerant Psychrobacter piscatorii T-3 Exhibiting High Catalase Activity

OpenAIRE

Kimoto, Hideyuki; Yoshimune, Kazuaki; Matsuyma, Hidetoshi; Yumoto, Isao

2012-01-01

A psychrotolerant bacterium, strain T-3 (identified as Psychrobacter piscatorii), that exhibited an extraordinarily high catalase activity was isolated from the drain pool of a plant that uses H2O2 as a bleaching agent. Its cell extract exhibited a catalase activity (19,700 U·mg protein−1) that was higher than that of Micrococcus luteus used for industrial catalase production. Catalase was approximately 10% of the total proteins in the cell extract of the strain. The catalase (PktA) was purif...

Contact engineering for efficient charge injection in organic transistors with low-cost metal electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Panigrahi, D.; Kumar, S.; Dhar, A.

2017-10-01

Controlling charge injection at the metal-semiconductor interface is very crucial for organic electronic devices in general as it can significantly influence the overall device performance. Herein, we report a facile, yet efficient contact modification approach, to enhance the hole injection efficiency through the incorporation of a high vacuum deposited TPD [N,N'-Bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N'-diphenylbenzidine] interlayer between the electrodes and the active semiconducting layer. The device performance parameters such as mobility and on/off ratio improved significantly after the inclusion of the TPD buffer layer, and more interestingly, the devices with cost effective Ag and Cu electrodes were able to exhibit a superior device performance than the typically used Au source-drain devices. We have also observed that this contact modification technique can be even more effective than commonly used metal oxide interface modifying layers. Our investigations demonstrate the efficacy of the TPD interlayer in effectively reducing the interfacial contact resistance through the modification of pentacene energy levels, which consequently results in the substantial improvement in the device performances.

Contact sensitization to cosmetic series of allergens in a general population in Beijing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jian; Li, Lin-Feng

2014-03-01

Cosmetic allergic contact dermatitis (CACD) due to common cosmetic allergens in standard series has been extensively studied; however, the prevalence of contact allergy to other cosmetic allergens other than those in standard series is largely unknown. In this study, the frequency of contact sensitization to a European cosmetic series of allergens (Chemotechnique Diagnostics, Vellinge, Sweden) in healthy university student volunteers were detected in Beijing. Of 201 students studied, fifty-eight exhibited positive results, and 9 of them reported had cosmetics related dermatitis previously. The total positivity rate was not correlated to gender. The leading allergens were thimerosal (19.4%), shellac (3.0%), cocamidopropyl betaine (2.0%), hexamethylenetetramine (1.5%), dodecyl gallate (1.5%), hexahydro-1,3,5-tris-(2-hydroxyethyl)triazine (1.0%) and methyldibromo glutaronitrile (1.0%). The positivity rate of thimerosal patch test in men (9.8%) was lower than that of women (23.6%, P cosmetic allergens in men and women (P > 0.05, Chi square test). These results suggested that some cosmetic-related contact allergies may be missed by just testing patients with the European standard series or T.R.U.E. test system only, we recommend shellac, cocamidopropyl betaine, hexamethylenetetramine and dodecyl gallate as the additionally candidates for patch testing in patients with suspected CACD. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The contact drag of towed demersal fishing gear components

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, F. G.; Summerbell, K.; Ivanović, A.

2018-01-01

The contact demersal towed fishing gears make with the seabed can lead to penetration of the substrate, lateral displacement of the sediment and a pressure field transmitted through the sediment. It will also contribute to the overall drag of the fishing gear. Consequently, there can be environmental effects such as habitat alteration and benthic mortality, and impacts to the fuel efficiency of the fishing operation which will affect emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and greenhouse gases such as CO2. Here we present the results of experimental trials that measure the contact drag of a range of elements that represent some of the components of towed demersal gears that are in contact with the seabed. We show that the contact drag of the gear components depends on their weight, geometry, the type of sediment on which they are towed and whether they are rolling or not. As expected, the contact drag of each gear component increases as its weight increases and the drag of fixed elements is greater than that of the rolling ones. The dependence on aspect ratio is more complex and the drag (per unit area) of narrow cylinders is less than that of wider ones when they roll on the finer sediment or are fixed (not permitted to roll) on the coarser sediment. When they roll on the coarse sediment there is no dependence on aspect ratio. Our results also suggest that fixed components may penetrate the seabed to a lesser depth when they are towed at higher speeds but when they roll there is no such relationship.

Contact Us | DOepatents

Science.gov (United States)

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Variable contact gap single-molecule conductance determination for a series of conjugated molecular bridges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haiss, W.; Wang, Christian; Jitchati, R.

2008-01-01

It is now becoming clear that the characteristics of the whole junction are important in determining the conductance of single molecules bound between two metal contacts. This paper shows through measurements on a series of seven conjugated molecular bridges that contact separation is an importan...... that conductance increases rather dramatically at higher tilt angle away from the normal for conformationally rigid molecular wires and that this increase in conductance arises from increased electronic coupling between the molecular bridge and the gold contacts.......It is now becoming clear that the characteristics of the whole junction are important in determining the conductance of single molecules bound between two metal contacts. This paper shows through measurements on a series of seven conjugated molecular bridges that contact separation is an important......-distance curves and knowledge of the terminal to terminal length of the molecular wire. The contact gap separation dependence is interpreted as arising from tilting of these molecules in the junction and this model is underpinned by ab initio transport computations. In this respect we make the general observation...

Measurement of metal/carbon nanotube contact resistance by adjusting contact length using laser ablation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lan Chun; Srisungsitthisunti, Pornsak; Amama, Placidus B; Fisher, Timothy S; Xu Xianfan; Reifenberger, Ronald G [Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States)], E-mail: lan0@physics.purdue.edu

2008-03-26

A technique of measuring contact resistance between an individual nanotube and a deposited metallic film is described. Using laser ablation to sequentially shorten the contact length between a nanotube and the evaporated metallic film, the linear resistivity of the nanotube as well as the specific contact resistivity between the nanotube and metallic film can be determined. This technique can be generally used to measure the specific contact resistance that develops between a metallic film and a variety of different nanowires and nanotubes.

Hand hygiene prior to contact lens handling is problematical.

Science.gov (United States)

McMonnies, Charles W

2012-04-01

To establish guidelines for contact lens wearers' hand hygiene practices which achieve a balance between minimising risk of infection and reasonable expectations on the ability of patients to follow them. Evidence has been obtained from publications via PubMed, Advanced Medline Search, Cochrane Reviews, Google Scholar and using the key words hand hygiene, washing and contact lens. Guidelines for effective hand washing and the bother involved vary according to the level of hygiene required. High levels of non-compliance with hand hygiene practices, even among healthcare workers, gives an indication of how important the level of bother involved when following guidelines can be in contributing to non-compliance. Better patient education to improve hand washing techniques as well as patient attitudes toward hand hygiene are needed to reduce high non-compliance levels. Better hand hygiene techniques and higher frequency of their application give the prospect of reduced risk of infection and of any discomfort that arises from increased lens and ocular bioburden. In order that adoption rates might be maximised, the guidelines which have been distilled from this review attempt to strike a balance between technique redundancy and the associated higher levels of hygiene achieved and the possibility that the perception of too much bother involved could reduce participation rates. The guidelines have been expanded by the inclusion of suggested explanatory information in the expectation that helping patients to understand why the recommendations are made will have the effect of increasing their adoption. Copyright © 2011 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-vitro analysis of the microbicidal activity of 6 contact lens care solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hildebrandt Claudia

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Contact lens-related infections are often associated with inadequate contact lens hygiene, and therefore, contact lens care products should be able to sufficiently minimise the amount of pathogens that are responsible for these infections. In 2001, the EN ISO 14729 was introduced to ensure adequate disinfection efficacy of contact lens care solutions, but this norm has recently been criticised. Methods In this study, six frequently used contact lens care solutions were retested according to the Stand Alone Test of the EN ISO 14729 (2001. The Stand Alone Test is a quantitative suspension test. In addition, the products were tested in a modified setting adding an organic load. The load was a mixture of human blood serum, lysozyme, and mucine, which resembles tear fluid. Results The criteria of the Stand Alone Test recommended in EN ISO 14729 were only met by Aosept Plus. This 3% hydrogen-peroxide-based contact lens care solution attained a reduction factor of > 5 log units for bacteria and > 4 for fungi in all cases. Two further contact lens care solutions, Blue Vision and Optifree Replenish, met the criteria of a reduction factor of > 3 log units for bacteria and > 1 log unit for fungi, but only in the presence of artificial tear fluid. The three remaining products did not exhibit adequate disinfecting efficacy, at least against one of the tested microorganisms. Conclusions Through the observation that the artificial tear fluid used in this study influences the disinfecting efficacy of contact lens care solutions, especially that of multi-purpose solutions, in a different way than does albumin, mucine, or even the organic load suggested in EN ISO 14729, it becomes obvious that the test conditions in the EN ISO 14729 should be revised in order to create more realistic conditions, e.g., by using a more realistic artificial tear fluid. Furthermore, we suggest adapting the EN ISO 14729 to the European test hierarchy for chemical

Tungsten silicide contacts to polycrystalline silicon and silicon-germanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasan, G.; Bain, M.F.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Baine, P.; Armstrong, B.M.; Gamble, H.S.; McNeill, D.W.

2004-01-01

Silicon-germanium alloy layers will be employed in the source-drain engineering of future MOS transistors. The use of this technology offers advantages in reducing series resistance and decreasing junction depth resulting in reduction in punch-through and SCE problems. The contact resistance of metal or metal silicides to the raised source-drain material is a serious issue at sub-micron dimensions and must be minimised. In this work, tungsten silicide produced by chemical vapour deposition has been investigated as a contact metallization scheme to both boron and phosphorus doped polycrystalline Si 1- x Ge x , with 0 ≤x ≤ 0.3. Cross bridge Kelvin resistor (CKBR) structures were fabricated incorporating CVD WSi 2 and polycrystalline SiGe. Tungsten silicide contacts to control polysilicon CKBR structures have been shown to be of high quality with specific contact resistance ρ c values 3 x 10 -7 ohm cm 2 and 6 x 10 -7 ohm cm 2 obtained to boron and phosphorus implanted samples respectively. The SiGe CKBR structures show that the inclusion of Ge yields a reduction in ρ c for both dopant types. The boron doped SiGe exhibits a reduction in ρ c from 3 x 10 -7 to 5 x 10 -8 ohm cm 2 as Ge fraction is increased from 0 to 0.3. The reduction in ρ c has been shown to be due to (i) the lowering of the tungsten silicide Schottky barrier height to p-type SiGe resulting from the energy band gap reduction, and (ii) increased activation of the implanted boron with increased Ge fraction. The phosphorus implanted samples show less sensitivity of ρ c to Ge fraction with a lowest value in this work of 3 x 10 -7 ohm cm 2 for a Ge fraction of 0.3. The reduction in specific contact resistance to the phosphorus implanted samples has been shown to be due to increased dopant activation alone

Contact sensitization to common haptens is associated with atopic dermatitis: new insight

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thyssen, J P; Linneberg, A; Engkilde, K

2012-01-01

and questioned about AD Results: The variable "contact sensitization to common chemicals, but not nickel and thimerosal", was significantly associated with atopic dermatitis (OR=2.53; CI95%=1.59-4.04). The higher prevalence of contact sensitization was mainly driven by fragrance chemicals. In a sub......-analysis in non-pierced women, a positive association was also found for nickel sensitization. Nickel and thimerosal sensitization may introduce bias in data analysis since these allergies often develop following skin piercing where the skin compartments are bypassed. Discussion: We suspect that individuals...

Introduction to contact mechanics

CERN Document Server

Fischer-Cripps, Anthony C

2000-01-01

Contact mechanics deals with the elastic or plastic contact between two solid objects, and is thus intimately connected with such topics as fracture, hardness, and elasticity.This text, intended for advanced undergraduates, begins with an introduction to the mechanical properties of materials, general fracture mechanics, and fractures in brittle solids.This is followed by a detailed discussion of stresses and the nature of elastic and elastic-plastic contact.

Solar cell with back side contacts

Science.gov (United States)

Nielson, Gregory N; Okandan, Murat; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Resnick, Paul J; Wanlass, Mark Woodbury; Clews, Peggy J

2013-12-24

A III-V solar cell is described herein that includes all back side contacts. Additionally, the positive and negative electrical contacts contact compoud semiconductor layers of the solar cell other than the absorbing layer of the solar cell. That is, the positive and negative electrical contacts contact passivating layers of the solar cell.

Applicability of contact angle techniques used in the analysis of contact lenses, part 1: comparative methodologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Darren; Carnell, Sarah Maria; Eden, Russell John

2013-05-01

Contact angle, as a representative measure of surface wettability, is often employed to interpret contact lens surface properties. The literature is often contradictory and can lead to confusion. This literature review is part of a series regarding the analysis of hydrogel contact lenses using contact angle techniques. Here we present an overview of contact angle terminology, methodology, and analysis. Having discussed this background material, subsequent parts of the series will discuss the analysis of contact lens contact angles and evaluate differences in published laboratory results. The concepts of contact angle, wettability and wetting are presented as an introduction. Contact angle hysteresis is outlined and highlights the advantages in using dynamic analytical techniques over static methods. The surface free energy of a material illustrates how contact angle analysis is capable of providing supplementary surface characterization. Although single values are able to distinguish individual material differences, surface free energy and dynamic methods provide an improved understanding of material behavior. The frequently used sessile drop, captive bubble, and Wilhelmy plate techniques are discussed. Their use as both dynamic and static methods, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each technique, is explained. No single contact angle technique fully characterizes the wettability of a material surface, and the application of complimenting methods allows increased characterization. At present, there is not an ISO standard method designed for soft materials. It is important that each contact angle technique has a standard protocol, as small protocol differences between laboratories often contribute to a variety of published data that are not easily comparable.

Occupational issues of allergic contact dermatitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Klaus E

2003-01-01

Occupational contact dermatitis is often of multifactorial origin, and it is difficult to determine the relative significance of the various contributing factors. Contact allergies are relevant in 20-50% of recognised occupational contact dermatitis cases. The reported frequency in different...... of the reported contact allergies is often uncertain. Many occupational contact dermatitis patients with documented contact allergies develop chronic eczema, in spite of work changes and attempted allergen avoidance. Recognition/non-recognition of a notified case may be based on circumstantial evidence, because......-effect relationships to be established with increased certainty. For prevention of allergic contact dermatitis it was a major step forward, with mandatory ingredient labelling of cosmetic products. However, improved labelling of the presence of contact allergens in household and industrial products is needed...

A Study of the Kepler K2 Variable EPIC 211957146 Exhibiting a Variable O’ Connell Effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sriram, K.; Malu, S.; Rao, P. Vivekananda [Department of Astronomy, Osmania University, Hyderabad 500007 (India); Choi, C. S., E-mail: astrosriram@yahoo.co.in [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon 34055 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-05-01

We present the multi-band photometric and spectroscopic study of an over-contact binary system, EPIC 211957146. The light curves exhibit a variable O’ Connell effect, confirmed from our observational data and the Kepler K2 data. The best photometric solution incorporating a dark spot over the primary component unveils that the system has a low-mass ratio ( q  ∼ 0.17) and a high inclination ( i  ∼ 85°). To confirm the solution and constrain the uncertainty, Monte-Carlo simulations are performed and the results are reported. Based on the O–C diagram analysis, we see that the variable shows a period increase at the rate of dP / dt  ∼ 1.06 × 10{sup −6} days yr{sup −1}, which is higher than the theoretically predicted value. Presence of a third body having a period of ∼16.23 years is evident from the O–C diagram. No filled-in effect is observed in the H α line, while the effect is vividly present in the Na line. From the Kepler K2 data, we found that the primary and secondary minima exhibit an anti-correlated O–C variation followed by an erratic behavior. This is possibly caused by the longitudinal motion of the spot, and hence, we set a lower limit of ∼40 days for the spot modulation. We also observe a possibly associated photometric difference in the primary depth by comparing our light curves with Kepler K2 normalized light curves. This system has a low-mass ratio and a high fill-out factor, and, theoretically, such a physical configuration would lead to a merger.

The Role of Selection Effects in the Contact Hypothesis: Results from a U.S. National Survey on Sexual Prejudice.

Science.gov (United States)

Loehr, Annalise; Doan, Long; Miller, Lisa R

2015-11-01

Empirical research has documented that contact with lesbians and gays is associated with more positive feelings toward and greater support for legal rights for them, but we know less about whether these effects extend to informal aspects of same-sex relationships, such as reactions to public displays of affection. Furthermore, many studies have assumed that contact influences levels of sexual prejudice; however, the possibility of selection effects, in which less sexually prejudiced people have contact, and more sexually prejudiced people do not, raises some doubts about this assumption. We used original data from a nationally representative sample of heterosexuals to determine whether those reporting contact with a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender friend or relative exhibited less sexual prejudice toward lesbian and gay couples than those without contact. This study examined the effect of contact on attitudes toward formal rights and a relatively unexplored dimension, informal privileges. We estimated the effect of having contact using traditional (ordinary least squares regression) methods before accounting for selection effects using propensity score matching. After accounting for selection effects, we found no significant differences between the attitudes of those who had contact and those who did not, for either formal or informal measures. Thus, selection effects appeared to play a pivotal role in confounding the link between contact and sexual prejudice, and future studies should exercise caution in interpreting results that do not account for such selection effects.

Greenhouse Earth: A Traveling Exhibition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booth, W.H.; Caesar, S.

1992-09-01

The Franklin Institute Science Museum provided an exhibit entitled the Greenhouse Earth: A Traveling Exhibition. This 3500 square-foot exhibit on global climate change was developed in collaboration with the Association of Science-Technology Centers. The exhibit opened at The Franklin Institute on February 14, 1992, welcoming 291,000 visitors over its three-month stay. During its three-year tour, Greenhouse Earth will travel to ten US cities, reaching two million visitors. Greenhouse Earth aims to deepen public understanding of the scientific issues of global warming and the conservation measures that can be taken to slow its effects. The exhibit features hands-on exhibitry, interactive computer programs and videos, a theater production, a ''demonstration cart,'' guided tours, and lectures. supplemental educational programs at the Institute included a teachers preview, a symposium on climate change, and a ''satellite field trip.'' The development of Greenhouse Earth included front-end and formative evaluation procedures. Evaluation includes interviews with visitors, prototypes, and summative surveys for participating museums. During its stay in Philadelphia, Greenhouse Earth was covered by the local and national press, with reviews in print and broadcast media. Greenhouse Earth is the first large-scale museum exhibit to address global climate change

Time domain contact model for tyre/road interaction including nonlinear contact stiffness due to small-scale roughness

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, P. B. U.; Kropp, W.

2008-11-01

Rolling resistance, traction, wear, excitation of vibrations, and noise generation are all attributes to consider in optimisation of the interaction between automotive tyres and wearing courses of roads. The key to understand and describe the interaction is to include a wide range of length scales in the description of the contact geometry. This means including scales on the order of micrometres that have been neglected in previous tyre/road interaction models. A time domain contact model for the tyre/road interaction that includes interfacial details is presented. The contact geometry is discretised into multiple elements forming pairs of matching points. The dynamic response of the tyre is calculated by convolving the contact forces with pre-calculated Green's functions. The smaller-length scales are included by using constitutive interfacial relations, i.e. by using nonlinear contact springs, for each pair of contact elements. The method is presented for normal (out-of-plane) contact and a method for assessing the stiffness of the nonlinear springs based on detailed geometry and elastic data of the tread is suggested. The governing equations of the nonlinear contact problem are solved with the Newton-Raphson iterative scheme. Relations between force, indentation, and contact stiffness are calculated for a single tread block in contact with a road surface. The calculated results have the same character as results from measurements found in literature. Comparison to traditional contact formulations shows that the effect of the small-scale roughness is large; the contact stiffness is only up to half of the stiffness that would result if contact is made over the whole element directly to the bulk of the tread. It is concluded that the suggested contact formulation is a suitable model to include more details of the contact interface. Further, the presented result for the tread block in contact with the road is a suitable input for a global tyre/road interaction model

The ABC (Analysing Biomolecular Contacts-database

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter Peter

2007-03-01

Full Text Available As protein-protein interactions are one of the basic mechanisms in most cellular processes, it is desirable to understand the molecular details of protein-protein contacts and ultimately be able to predict which proteins interact. Interface areas on a protein surface that are involved in protein interactions exhibit certain characteristics. Therefore, several attempts were made to distinguish protein interactions from each other and to categorize them. One way of classification are the groups of transient and permanent interactions. Previously two of the authors analysed several properties for transient complexes such as the amino acid and secondary structure element composition and pairing preferences. Certainly, interfaces can be characterized by many more possible attributes and this is a subject of intense ongoing research. Although several freely available online databases exist that illuminate various aspects of protein-protein interactions, we decided to construct a new database collecting all desired interface features allowing for facile selection of subsets of complexes. As database-server we applied MySQL and the program logic was written in JAVA. Furthermore several class extensions and tools such as JMOL were included to visualize the interfaces and JfreeChart for the representation of diagrams and statistics. The contact data is automatically generated from standard PDB files by a tcl/tk-script running through the molecular visualization package VMD. Currently the database contains 536 interfaces extracted from 479 PDB files and it can be queried by various types of parameters. Here, we describe the database design and demonstrate its usefulness with a number of selected features.

Contact Allergy in Danish Healthcare Workers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwensen, Jakob F; Menné, Torkil; Sommerlund, Mette

2016-01-01

Contact dermatitis in healthcare workers is a pan-European problem. We conducted a retrospective observational study of the patch-test results of 1402 healthcare workers and 1402 matched controls with contact dermatitis who were treated at 3 hospitals departments in Denmark between 2007 and 2014....... The primary objective was to determine whether healthcare work was associated with contact allergy to thiuram mix. Unadjusted univariate analyses revealed that healthcare work was significantly associated with occupational contact dermatitis and hand dermatitis. Contact allergy to thiuram mix was more common...... in healthcare workers was significantly associated with having occupational contact dermatitis, hand dermatitis and older age. In conclusion, we report here a potential problem of contact allergy to thiurams in healthcare workers with contact dermatitis. Legislative authorities may in the future focus...

Development of a high hertz-stress contact for conventional batch production using a unique scribing technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhuiyan, M M I; Alamgir, T; Bhuiyan, M; Kajihara, M

2013-01-01

Gradually the electronic devices are getting more compact dimension with respect to the width and thickness. As a result, the contacts are becoming thinner and which leads the contact to be loose and unstable contact. In comercial stamping methode, connector tip diameter should be more than 300μm due to its size limitation. Consequently, the connector contact resistance is becoming higher due to weak contact force. To overcome this problem there were few more basic research using MEMS and Electro Fine Forming (EFF) technology to make high Hertz-Stress Contact (5μm) due to the limitation in the commercial stamping process and the result was in satisfactory level. However, since the MEMS and EFF fabrication is costly therefore, a new method is introduced in this paper using the commercial Phosphor Bronze stamping method to reduce the production cost. Moreover, scribing method is used to make tip on the contact. Accordingly, more compact fine pitch contact is successfully fabricated and tested with 5μm High Hertz Stress without using the MEMS and EFF technology. Hence the manufactured contact resistance becomes less than 20mΩ ±5mΩ

Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase-Lpd (Rv0462)-specific T cell recall responses are higher in healthy household contacts of TB: a novel immunodominant antigen from M. tuberculosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Devasundaram, Santhi; Raja, Alamelu

2017-07-01

The partial effectiveness against pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), displayed by the existing tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), highlights the need for novel vaccines to replace or improve BCG. In TB immunology, antigen-specific cellular immune response is frequently considered indispensable. Latency-associated antigens are intriguing as targets for TB vaccine development. The mycobacterial protein, dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (Lpd; Rv0462), the third enzyme of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex, facilitates Mycobacterium tuberculosis to resist host reactive nitrogen intermediates. Multicolor flow cytometry analysis of whole-blood cultures showed higher Lpd-specific Th1 recall response (IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2; P = 0.0006) and memory CD4 + and CD8 + T cells (CCR7 + CD45RA - and CCR7 - CD45RA - ) in healthy household contacts (HHC) of TB ( P < 0.0001), which is comparable with or higher than the standard antigens, ESAT-6 and CFP-10. The frequency of Lpd-specific multifunctional T cells was higher in HHC compared with PTB patients. However, there is no significant statistical correlation. Regulatory T cell (T reg ) analysis of HHCs and active TB patients demonstrated very low Lpd-specific CD4 + T regs relative to ESAT-6 and CFP-10. Our study demonstrates that the Lpd antigen induces a strong cellular immune response in healthy mycobacteria-infected individuals. In consideration of this population having demonstrated immunologic protection against active TB disease development, our data are encouraging about the possible use of Lpd as a target for further TB subunit vaccine development. © Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... the United States. All contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. Retailers that sell contacts without a ...

Exhibition

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2016-01-01

Encounters Hanne Blitz From February 1st to 12th 2016 CERN Meyrin, Main Building What is our reaction to a first encounter with a tourist attraction? Contemporary Dutch painter Hanne Blitz captures visitors' responses to art and architecture, sweeping vistas and symbolic memorials. Encounters, a series of oil paintings curated specially for this CERN exhibition, depicts tourists visiting cultural highlights around the world. A thought-provoking journey not to be missed, and a tip of the hat to CERN's large Hadron Collider.

Fragrance allergic contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Judy; Zug, Kathryn A

2014-01-01

Fragrances are a common cause of allergic contact dermatitis in Europe and in North America. They can affect individuals at any age and elicit a spectrum of reactions from contact urticaria to systemic contact dermatitis. Growing recognition of the widespread use of fragrances in modern society has fueled attempts to prevent sensitization through improved allergen identification, labeling, and consumer education. This review provides an overview and update on fragrance allergy. Part 1 discusses the epidemiology and evaluation of suspected fragrance allergy. Part 2 reviews screening methods, emerging fragrance allergens, and management of patients with fragrance contact allergy. This review concludes by examining recent legislation on fragrances and suggesting potential additions to screening series to help prevent and detect fragrance allergy.

Impact of semiconductor/metal interfaces on contact resistance and operating speed of organic thin film transistors

KAUST Repository

Wondmagegn, Wudyalew T.

2010-09-24

The contact resistance of field effect transistors based on pentacene and parylene has been investigated by experimental and numerical analysis. The device simulation was performed using finite element two-dimensional drift-diffusion simulation taking into account field-dependent mobility, interface/bulk trap states and fixed charge density at the organic/insulator interface. The width-normalized contact resistance extracted from simulation which included an interface dipole layer between the gold source/drain electrodes and pentacene was 91 kΩcm. However, contact resistance extracted from the simulation, without consideration of interface dipole was 52.4 kΩcm, which is about half of the experimentally extracted 108 kΩcm. This indicates that interface dipoles are critical effects which degrade performances of organic field effect transistors by increasing the contact resistance. Using numerical calculations and circuit simulations, we have predicted a 1 MHz switching frequency for a 1 μm channel length transistor without dipole interface between gold and pentacene. The transistor with dipole interface is predicted, via the same methods, to exhibit an operating frequency of less than 0.5 MHz. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media LLC.

Impact of semiconductor/metal interfaces on contact resistance and operating speed of organic thin film transistors

KAUST Repository

Wondmagegn, Wudyalew T.; Satyala, Nikhil T.; Pieper, Ron J.; Quevedo-Ló pez, Manuel Angel Quevedo; Gowrisanker, Srinivas; Alshareef, Husam N.; Stiegler, Harvey J.; Gnade, Bruce E.

2010-01-01

The contact resistance of field effect transistors based on pentacene and parylene has been investigated by experimental and numerical analysis. The device simulation was performed using finite element two-dimensional drift-diffusion simulation taking into account field-dependent mobility, interface/bulk trap states and fixed charge density at the organic/insulator interface. The width-normalized contact resistance extracted from simulation which included an interface dipole layer between the gold source/drain electrodes and pentacene was 91 kΩcm. However, contact resistance extracted from the simulation, without consideration of interface dipole was 52.4 kΩcm, which is about half of the experimentally extracted 108 kΩcm. This indicates that interface dipoles are critical effects which degrade performances of organic field effect transistors by increasing the contact resistance. Using numerical calculations and circuit simulations, we have predicted a 1 MHz switching frequency for a 1 μm channel length transistor without dipole interface between gold and pentacene. The transistor with dipole interface is predicted, via the same methods, to exhibit an operating frequency of less than 0.5 MHz. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media LLC.

Employee experience of workplace supervisor contact and support during long-term sickness absence.

Science.gov (United States)

Buys, Nicholas J; Selander, John; Sun, Jing

2017-12-07

Workplace support is an important factor in promoting successful return to work. The purpose of this article is to examine relationships between supervisor contact, perceived workplace support and demographic variables among employees on long-term sickness absence. Data were collected from 204 public employees at a municipality in Sweden who had been on long term sickness absence (60 days or more) using a 23 question survey instrument that collected information on demographic variables, supervisor contact and perceived workplace support. Most injured employees (97%) reported having contact with their supervisors during their sickness absence, with a majority (56%) reporting high levels of support, including early (58.6%) and multiple (70.7%) contacts. Most were pleased with amount of contact (68.9%) and the majority had discussed workplace accommodations (68.1%). Employees who self-initiated contact, felt the amount of contact was appropriate, had a personal meeting with their supervisors and discussed workplace adjustments reported experiencing higher levels of support from supervisors. Employees on long-term sickness absence appreciate contact from their supervisors and this is associated with perceived workplace support. However, the amount and employee experience of this contact is important. It needs to be perceived by employees as supportive, which includes a focus on strategies (e.g., work adjustment) to facilitate a return to work. Supervisor training is required in this area to support the return to work process. Implications for Rehabilitation Contact and support from workplace supervisors is important to workers on long-term sickness absence. Employees appreciate frequent contact from supervisors during long-terms sickness absence. Employees appreciate a personal meeting with supervisors and the opportunity to discuss issues related to return to work such as work adjustment. Employers should provide training to supervisors on how to communicate and

A Facile All-Solution-Processed Surface with High Water Contact Angle and High Water Adhesive Force.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mei; Hu, Wei; Liang, Xiao; Zou, Cheng; Li, Fasheng; Zhang, Lanying; Chen, Feiwu; Yang, Huai

2017-07-12

A series of sticky superhydrophobicity surfaces with high water contact angle and high water adhesive force is facilely prepared via an all-solution-processed method based on polymerization-induced phase separation between liquid crystals (LCs) and epoxy resin, which produces layers of epoxy microspheres (EMSs) with nanofolds on the surface of a substrate. The morphologies and size distributions of EMSs are confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Results reveal that the obtained EMS coated-surface exhibits high apparent contact angle of 152.0° and high water adhesive force up to 117.6 μN. By varying the composition of the sample or preparing conditions, the sizes of the produced EMSs can be artificially regulated and, thus, control the wetting properties and water adhesive behaviors. Also, the sticky superhydrophobic surface exhibits excellent chemical stability, as well as long-term durability. Water droplet transportation experiments further prove that the as-made surface can be effectively used as a mechanical hand for water transportation applications. Based on this, it is believed that the simple method proposed in this paper will pave a new way for producing a sticky superhydrophobic surface and obtain a wide range of use.

Surfactant modified clays’ consistency limits and contact angles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Akbulut

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed at preparing a surfactant modified clay (SMC and researching the effect of surfactants on clays' contact angles and consistency limits; clay was thus modified by surfactants formodifying their engineering properties. Seven surfactants (trimethylglycine, hydroxyethylcellulose  octyl phenol ethoxylate, linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, sodium lauryl ether sulfate, cetyl trimethylammonium chloride and quaternised ethoxylated fatty amine were used as surfactants in this study. The experimental results indicated that SMC consistency limits (liquid and plastic limits changedsignificantly compared to those of natural clay. Plasticity index and liquid limit (PI-LL values representing soil class approached the A-line when zwitterion, nonionic, and anionic surfactant percentageincreased. However, cationic SMC became transformed from CH (high plasticity clay to MH (high plasticity silt class soils, according to the unified soil classification system (USCS. Clay modifiedwith cationic and anionic surfactants gave higher and lower contact angles than natural clay, respectively.

Space time manifolds and contact structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. L. Duggal

1990-01-01

Full Text Available A new class of contact manifolds (carring a global non-vanishing timelike vector field is introduced to establish a relation between spacetime manifolds and contact structures. We show that odd dimensional strongly causal (in particular, globally hyperbolic spacetimes can carry a regular contact structure. As examples, we present a causal spacetime with a non regular contact structure and a physical model [Gödel Universe] of Homogeneous contact manifold. Finally, we construct a model of 4-dimensional spacetime of general relativity as a contact CR-submanifold.

Higher-order Jordan Osserman pseudo-Riemannian manifolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilkey, Peter B; Ivanova, Raina; Zhang Tan

2002-01-01

We study the higher-order Jacobi operator in pseudo-Riemannian geometry. We exhibit a family of manifolds so that this operator has constant Jordan normal form on the Grassmannian of subspaces of signature (r, s) for certain values of (r, s). These pseudo-Riemannian manifolds are new and non-trivial examples of higher-order Osserman manifolds

Higher-order Jordan Osserman pseudo-Riemannian manifolds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilkey, Peter B [Mathematics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 (United States); Ivanova, Raina [Mathematics Department, University of Hawaii - Hilo, 200 W Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Zhang Tan [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Murray State University, Murray, KY 42071 (United States)

2002-09-07

We study the higher-order Jacobi operator in pseudo-Riemannian geometry. We exhibit a family of manifolds so that this operator has constant Jordan normal form on the Grassmannian of subspaces of signature (r, s) for certain values of (r, s). These pseudo-Riemannian manifolds are new and non-trivial examples of higher-order Osserman manifolds.

Annealing-induced interfacial reactions and the effects on the electrical properties of Ga doped ZnO/CuxS contacts to p-GaN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Wen; Wu, Xingyang; Song, Peng; Zhang, Jianhua

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The electrical properties of GZO/CuS x contacts to p-GaN annealed at different temperatures in air have been studied. • Ohmic contacts were formed by annealing the contacts at 500 and 600 °C in air. • The oxygen in air was found to be essential for the formation of ohmic contact. • The possible formation mechanism of the ohmic contacts was illustrated. - Abstract: Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) contacts to p-GaN were investigated by using Cu x S interlayers under different annealing temperatures. It is shown that the GZO/Cu x S contacts annealed at 300 and 400 °C for 3 min in air exhibited non-ohmic characteristics. However, annealing the contacts at 500 and 600 °C in air resulted in linear current–voltage characteristics. The lowest specific contact resistivity of 1.66 × 10 −2 Ω cm 2 was obtained for the contact annealed at 500 °C. To account for the formation mechanism of the ohmic contact, AES and XPS were used to analyze the interfacial properties of the GZO/Cu x S/p-GaN and Cu x S/p-GaN interfaces, respectively. The possible reasons were discussed in detail, suggesting that the interfacial reactions and atomic diffusions are thought to be responsible for forming such a low contact resistance

Nature Contacts: Employee Wellness in Healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Trau, Deborah; Keenan, Kimberly A; Goforth, Meggan; Large, Vernon

2016-04-01

This study was designed to ascertain the amount of outdoor, indoor, and indirect nature contact exposures hospital employees have in a workweek. Hospital employees have been found particularly vulnerable to work-related stress. Increasing the nature contact exposure for hospital employees can reduce perceived stress; stress-related health behaviors; and stress-related health outcomes from outdoor, indoor, and indirect exposures to nature. Staff on the fourth floor postsurgical unit of a large hospital (N = 42) were ask to participate in an employee questionnaire "nature contact questionnaire". This 16-item nature environment questionnaire measures the amount and types of nature contact exposures employees have during a workweek. Majority of employees reported few, if any, nature contact exposures, specifically in the area of outdoor nature contacts with limited indoor and indirect contacts. These results indicated that employees on the fourth floor postsurgical floor have limited ability to reduce stress through nature contact exposures which could impact their perceived levels of work stress and stress-related behaviors and health outcomes. Nature contact exposures are both a relatively easy and an inexpensive way to improve employee stress. These findings indicate limitations to employees' exposure to nature contacts. Healthcare environments would benefit from a concerted effort to provide increased outdoor, indoor, and indirect nature contact exposures for employees. © The Author(s) 2015.

Intergroup Contact is Related to Evaluations of Interracial Peer Exclusion in African American Students.

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Ruck, Martin D; Park, Henry; Crystal, David S; Killen, Melanie

2015-06-01

There are few published studies on the influence of intergroup contact on ethnic minority public school students' evaluations of interracial exclusion. In this study, African American children and adolescents (N = 158, 4th, 7th, and 10th grade; 67.1%) were individually interviewed regarding peer exclusion for scenarios depicting cross-race peer exclusion in various contexts. The level of positive intergroup contact, attribution of motives for exclusion, wrongfulness ratings, reasoning about exclusion, estimations of the frequency of exclusion, and awareness of the use of stereotypes to justify racial exclusion were assessed. Intergroup contact was significantly related to attributions of racial motives, higher ratings of wrongfulness, greater use of moral reasoning, and higher estimations of the frequency of exclusion. In addition to context effects, with increasing grade participants were more likely to refer to the historical and social circumstances contributing to the manifestation of racial stereotypes used to justify exclusion. The findings are discussed in terms of the existing research on intergroup relations and evaluations of social exclusion.

Contact Hamiltonian mechanics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bravetti, Alessandro, E-mail: alessandro.bravetti@iimas.unam.mx [Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A. P. 70543, México, DF 04510 (Mexico); Cruz, Hans, E-mail: hans@ciencias.unam.mx [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A. P. 70543, México, DF 04510 (Mexico); Tapias, Diego, E-mail: diego.tapias@nucleares.unam.mx [Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70543, México, DF 04510 (Mexico)

2017-01-15

In this work we introduce contact Hamiltonian mechanics, an extension of symplectic Hamiltonian mechanics, and show that it is a natural candidate for a geometric description of non-dissipative and dissipative systems. For this purpose we review in detail the major features of standard symplectic Hamiltonian dynamics and show that all of them can be generalized to the contact case.

Contact materials for nanoelectronics

KAUST Repository

Alshareef, Husam N.; Quevedo-Ló pez, Manuel Angel Quevedo; Majhi, Prashant

2011-01-01

In this article, we review current research activities in contact material development for electronic and nanoelectronic devices. A fundamental issue in contact materials research is to understand and control interfacial reactions and phenomena

The Mathematical and Computer Aided Analysis of the Contact Stress of the Surface With 4th Order

Science.gov (United States)

Huran, Liu

Inspired from some gears with heavy power transmission in practical usage after serious plastic deformation in metallurgical industry, we believe that there must existed some kind of gear profile which is most suitable in both the contact and bending fatigue strength. From careful analysis and deep going investigation, we think that it is the profile of equal conjugate curvature with high order of contact, and analyzed the forming principle of this kind of profile. Based on the second curve and comparative analysis of fourth order curves, combined with Chebyshev polynomial terms of higher order contact with tooth contact stress formula derived. Note high exposure in the case of two extreme points of stress and extreme positions and the derived extreme contact stress formula. Finally, a pair of conjugate gear tooth profile curvature provides specific contact stress calculation.

Rough Surface Contact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T Nguyen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the contact of general rough curved surfaces having nearly identical geometries, assuming the contact at each differential area obeys the model proposed by Greenwood and Williamson. In order to account for the most general gross geometry, principles of differential geometry of surface are applied. This method while requires more rigorous mathematical manipulations, the fact that it preserves the original surface geometries thus makes the modeling procedure much more intuitive. For subsequent use, differential geometry of axis-symmetric surface is considered instead of general surface (although this “general case” can be done as well in Chapter 3.1. The final formulas for contact area, load, and frictional torque are derived in Chapter 3.2.

Establishing an upper bound on contact resistivity of ohmic contacts to n-GaN nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchard, Paul; Bertness, Kris A; Harvey, Todd; Sanford, Norman

2014-01-01

Contact resistivity ρ c is an important figure of merit in evaluating and improving the performance of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Due to the small size, unique morphology, and uncertain transport properties of semiconductor nanowires (NWs), measuring ρ c of contacts to NWs can be particularly challenging. In this work, Si-doped n-GaN NWs were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Four-contact structures with 20 nm Ti/200 nm Al contacts were fabricated on individual NWs by photolithography, and the contacts were annealed to achieve ohmic behavior. Two-point resistances R 23  and four-point collinear resistances R 23collinear  were measured between the middle two contacts on each NW. These resistances were then modeled by taking into account the non-uniform distribution of current flow along the length of each contact. Contrary to the assumption that the resistance difference R 23 −R 23collinear  is equal to the total contact resistance R c , the distributed-current-flow contact model shows that R 23 −R 23collinear  ≪ R c when ρ c is sufficiently small. Indeed, the measured R 23 −R 23collinear  was so small in these devices that it was within the measurement uncertainty, meaning that it was not possible to directly calculate ρ c from these data. However, it was possible to calculate an upper bound on ρ c for each device based on the largest possible value of R 23 −R 23collinear . In addition, we took into account the large uncertainties in the NW transport properties by numerically maximizing ρ c with respect to the uncertainty range of each measured and assumed parameter in the contact model. The resulting upper limits on ρ c ranged from 4.2 × 10 −6  to 7.6 × 10 −6  Ω cm 2 , indicating that 20 nm Ti/200 nm Al is a good choice of ohmic contact for moderately-doped n-GaN NWs. The measurement and numerical analysis demonstrated here offer a general approach to modeling ohmic contact resistivity via NW four

Fiddler's neck: Chin rest-associated irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis in a violin player.

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Caero, Jennifer E; Cohen, Philip R

2012-09-15

Fiddler's neck refers to an irritant contact dermatitis on the submandibular neck of violin and viola players and an allergic contact dermatitis to nickel from the bracket attaching the violin to the chin rest on the violinist's supraclavicular neck. A 26-year-old woman developed submandibular and supraclavicular left neck lesions corresponding to the locations of the chin rest and bracket that was attached to her violin that held it against her neck when she played. Substitution of a composite chin rest, which did not contain nickel, and the short-term application of a low potency topical corticosteroid cream, resulted in complete resolution of the allergic contact dermatitis supraclavicular neck lesion. The irritant contact dermatitis submandibular neck lesion persisted. In conclusion, violin players are predisposed to developing irritant contact dermatitis or allergic contact dermatitis from the chin rest. We respectfully suggest that the submandibular neck lesions from contact with the chin rest be referred to as 'fiddler's neck - type 1,' whereas the supraclavicular neck lesions resulting from contact of the bracket holding the chin rest in place be called 'fiddler's neck - type 2.' A composite chin rest should be considered in patients with a preceding history of allergic contact dermatitis to nickel.

Effects of Evaporation/Condensation on Spreading and Contact Angle of a Volatile Liquid Drop

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Nengli; Chao, David F.; Singh, Bhim S. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Effects of evaporation/condensation on spreading and contact angle were experimentally studied. A sessile drop of R-113 was tested at different vapor environments to determine the effects of evaporation/condensation on the evolution of contact diameter and contact angle of the drop. Condensation on the drop surface occurs at both the saturated and a nonsaturated vapor environments and promotes the spreading. When the drop is placed in the saturated vapor environment it tends to completely wetting and spreads rapidly. In a nonsaturated vapor environment, the evolution of the sessile drop is divided three stages: condensation-spreading stage, evaporation-retracting stage and rapid contracting stage. In the first stage the drop behaves as in the saturated environment. In the evaporation -retracting stage, the competition between spreading and evaporation of the drop determines the evolution characteristics of the contact diameter and the contact angle. A lower evaporation rate struggles against the spreading power to turn the drop from spreading to retracting with a continuous increase of the contact angle. The drop placed in open air has a much higher evaporation rate. The strong evaporation suppresses the spreading and accelerates the retraction of the drop with a linear decrease of the contact diameter. The contraction of the evaporating drops is gradually accelerated when the contact diameter decreases to 3 min and less till drying up, though the evaporation rate is gradually slowing down.

Compliance and hygiene behaviour among soft contact lens wearers in the Maldives.

Science.gov (United States)

Gyawali, Rajendra; Nestha Mohamed, Fathimath; Bist, Jeewanand; Kandel, Himal; Marasini, Sanjay; Khadka, Jyoti

2014-01-01

Significant levels of non-compliance and poor hygiene among contact lens wearers have been reported previously from different parts of the world. This survey aimed at identifying the scope of hygiene and non-compliant behaviour of soft contact lens wearers in the Maldives. Established soft lens wearers attending two eye clinics in Male' city, were interviewed in office or via telephone. A set of interviewer-administered questions was used to access the subjective response on compliance and hygiene behaviour (hand and lens case hygiene, water exposure, adherence to lens replacement schedule, dozing and overnight wear, awareness of aftercare visits and reuse of disinfecting solution). Participants were also asked to rate themselves as a contact lens user based on their perceived compliance and hygiene practices. Out of 107 participants, 79 (74.8 per cent) were interviewed in the office and the rest via telephone. The majority of lens wearers were female, office workers and students, with a mean age of 20.64 ± 4.4 years. Mean duration of lens wear was 28.04 ± 8.36 months. Most of them were using spherical lenses (86.9 per cent) on a daily wear basis (96.3 per cent). Major reported forms of non-compliance were poor hand hygiene (60.7 per cent), lack of aftercare awareness (39.3 per cent), water exposure (35.5 per cent) and over-use of lenses (24.3 per cent). While females were more likely to overuse their lenses than males (p hygienic behaviour. A significant number of Maldivian contact lens wearers exhibited poor levels of hygiene and compliance with contact lenses and lens care systems. An effective educational reinforcement strategy needs to be developed to modify lens wearers' non-compliance. © 2013 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2013 Optometrists Association Australia.

Modeling the rubbing contact in honeycomb seals

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Tim; Welzenbach, Sarah; Meier, Felix; Werner, Ewald; kyzy, Sonun Ulan; Munz, Oliver

2018-03-01

Metallic honeycomb labyrinth seals are commonly used as sealing systems in gas turbine engines. Because of their capability to withstand high thermo-mechanical loads and oxidation, polycrystalline nickel-based superalloys, such as Hastelloy X and Haynes 214, are used as sealing material. In addition, these materials must exhibit a tolerance against rubbing between the rotating part and the stationary seal component. The tolerance of the sealing material against rubbing preserves the integrity of the rotating part. In this article, the rubbing behavior at the rotor-stator interface is considered numerically. A simulation model is incorporated into the commercial finite element code ABAQUS/explicit and is utilized to simulate a simplified rubbing process. A user-defined interaction routine between the contact surfaces accounts for the thermal and mechanical interfacial behavior. Furthermore, an elasto-plastic constitutive material law captures the extreme temperature conditions and the damage behavior of the alloys. To validate the model, representative quantities of the rubbing process are determined and compared with experimental data from the literature. The simulation results correctly reproduce the observations made on a test rig with a reference stainless steel material (AISI 304). A parametric study using the nickel-based superalloys reveals a clear dependency of the rubbing behavior on the sliding and incursion velocity. Compared to each other, the two superalloys studied exhibit a different rubbing behavior.

[Contact allergy to henna tattoos].

Science.gov (United States)

Steinkjer, Bjarte; Stangeland, Katarina Zak; Mikkelsen, Carsten Sauer

2011-03-18

Tattoos with henna colours have become very popular and the prevalence of contact allergy seems to increase. This is a short review article based on our own clinical experience and literature identified through a search in PubMed with the words "henna", "paraphenylendiamin" and "allergic contact dermatitis." A case report is included. It is well documented that many experience skin reactions after henna tattoos. The cause is almost always contact allergy to the azo compound paraphenylendiamin, which is added to speed up the process and make the colour darker. Most people, including children, get henna tattoos during vacations in Asia or the Mediterranean. Established contact allergy is permanent. Many hair-colour products contain paraphenylendiamin, and persons with contact allergy against the product may develop a very strong contact allergic eczema by use of such substances. Acute reactions are treated with local cortisone products, or with systemic steroids. Cross reaction to substances with a similar chemical structure may occur. Tattoos with paraphenylendiamin-containing henna colours should be avoided.