High-Frequency InAIAs/InGaAs Metal-Insulator-Doped Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MIDFETs) for Telecommunications

Contains an introduction and reports on experiments and device results.Joint Services Electronics Program Contract DAAL03-89-C-0001Charles S. Draper Laboratory Contract DL-H-40418

High-Frequency InAIAs/InGaAs Metal-Insulator-Doped Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MIDFETs) for Telecommunications

Contains an introduction, reports on two research projects and a list of publications and conference papers.Charles S. Draper Laboratory Contract DL-H-418488Joint Services Electronics Program Contract DAAL03-89-C-000

Physics of InAIAs/InGaAs Heterostructure Field-Effect Transistors

Contains an introduction, reports on two research projects and a list of publications and conference papers.Charles S. Draper Laboratories Contract DL-H-441694Joint Services Electronics Program Contract DAAL03-92-C-0001Texas Instruments Agreement dated 08/14/9

High-Frequency InAIAs/InGaAs Metal-Insulator-Doped Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MIDFETs) for Telecommunications

Contains an introduction, reports on two research projects and a list of publications.Charles S. Draper Laboratories Contract DL-H-441694Fujitsu LaboratoriesJoint Services Electronics Program Contract DAAL03-92-C-0001Texas Instrument

High-Frequency InAIAs/InGaAs Metal-Insulator-Doped Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MIDFETs) for Telecommunications

Contains an introduction and a report on one research project.Charles S. Draper Laboratories, Inc. Contract DL-H-418488Fujitsu LaboratoriesJoint Services Electronics Program Contract DAAL03-89-C-0001Joint Services Electronics Program Contract DAAL03-92-C-0001Texas Instrument

Hepatocellular carcinoma risk-stratification based on ASGR1 in circulating epithelial cells for cancer interception

Purpose: Lack of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma impedes stratifying patients based on their risk of developing cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of circulating epithelial cells (CECs) based on asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1) and miR-122-5p expression as potential diagnostic and prognostic tools in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis (LC). Methods: Peripheral blood samples were extracted from LC and HCC patients at different disease stages. CECs were isolated using positive immunomagnetic selection. Genetic and phenotypic characterization was validated by double immunocytochemistry for cytokeratin (CK) and ASGR1 or by in situ hybridization with miR-122-5p and CECs were visualized by confocal microscopy. Results: The presence of CECs increased HCC risk by 2.58-fold, however, this was only significant for patients with previous LC (p = 0.028) and not for those without prior LC (p = 0.23). Furthermore, the number of CECs lacking ASGR1 expression correlated significantly with HCC incidence and absence of miR-122-5p expression (p = 0.014; r = 0.23). Finally, overall survival was significantly greater for patients at earlier cancer stages (p = 0.018), but this difference was only maintained in the group with the presence of CECs (p = 0.021) whereas progression-free survival was influenced by the absence of ASGR1 expression. Conclusion: Identification and characterization of CECs by ASGR1 and/or miR- 122-5p expression may be used as a risk-stratification tool in LC patients, as it was shown to be an independent prognostic and risk-stratification marker in LC and early disease stage HCC patients

Characterization of coagulase-negative staphylococcal isolates from blood with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides and therapeutic options

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are a major cause of nosocomial blood stream infection, especially in critically ill and haematology patients. CoNS are usually multidrug-resistant and glycopeptide antibiotics have been to date considered the drugs of choice for treatment. The aim of this study was to characterize CoNS with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides causing blood stream infection (BSI) in critically ill and haematology patients at the University Hospital Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy, in 2007.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Hospital microbiology records for transplant haematology and ICU were reviewed to identify CoNS with elevated MICs for glycopeptides, and isolates were matched to clinical records to determine whether the isolates caused a BSI. The isolates were tested for susceptibility to new drugs daptomicin and tigecycline and the genetic relationship was assessed using f-AFLP.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of a total of 17,418 blood cultures, 1,609 were positive for CoNS and of these, 87 (5.4%) displayed reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides. Clinical review revealed that in 13 cases (7 in haematology and 6 in ICU), CoNS with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides were responsible for a BSI. <it>Staphylococcus epidermidis </it>was the causative organism in 11 instances and <it>Staphylococcus haemolyticus </it>in 2. The incidence of oxacillin resistance was high (77%), although all isolates remained susceptible to linezolid, daptomycin and tigecycline. Fingerprinting of CoNS identified one clonal relationship between two isolates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Multi-resistant CoNS with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides, although still relatively infrequent in our hospital, are emerging pathogens of clinical concern. Surveillance by antibiotyping with attention to multi-resistant profile, and warning to clinicians, is necessary.</p

Optimization of the resource planning and control process to increase low productivity in an audiovisual content production company in Metropolitan Lima

El presente proyecto de suficiencia profesional tiene como objetivo mostrar la propuesta de solución que permitió incrementar la baja productividad de una empresa generadora de contenidos audiovisuales a partir del uso de herramientas de ingeniería industrial. Con dicho propósito, a lo largo del documento se evaluó las características del sector y las herramientas a utilizadas, tales como son el análisis de recursos críticos para identificar los recursos sobre utilizados y generar una propuesta que permita optimizar los procesos de producción y postproducción. Para mantener la propuesta de solución en el tiempo, se implementó la planificación de producción y el uso de indicadores operacionales que permitan la toma de decisiones. Asimismo, se diseñó la propuesta de solución a partir de las herramientas antes mencionadas con las cuales se obtenga una reducción en costos operacionales y se recupere la inversión realizada.The objective of this professional proficiency project is to propose a solution that allows increasing the low productivity of a company that generates audiovisual content using industrial engineering tools. With this purpose, throughout the document the characteristics of the sector and the possible tools to be used will be evaluated, such as the analysis of critical resources to identify overused resources and generate a proposal that allows optimizing the production and editing processes. and post-production. To maintain the solution proposal over time, work will be done on the implementation of production planning and the use of operational indicators that allow decision making. Likewise, the solution proposal will be designed based on the tools with which an improvement in operational costs is obtained and the investment made is recovered.Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesiona

Diabetes Mellitus and Infertility: Different Pathophysiological Effects in Type 1 and Type 2 on Sperm Function

Although the prevalence of sub-infertility in diabetic patients in childbearing age is known, the mechanisms by which diabetes mellitus (DM) causes male infertility are not completely explained. This detrimental effect is achieved with a variety of mechanisms that include pre-testicular, testicular, and post-testicular pathogenetic moments and can be different in type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) patients because of type of diabetes, duration of disease, and glycemic metabolic compensation. Aim of this study was to evaluate whether diabetic disease can be considered a risk factor for infertility considering the etiopathogenetic differences between DM1 and DM2 on sperm function. We enrolled 38 DM1 patients and 55 DM2 patients with idiopathic infertility history &gt;12 months, and 100 healthy fertile subjects. The following outcomes were evaluated in optical microscopy and flow cytometry: sperm function (by conventional and biofunctional sperm parameters) and signs of urogenital infection/inflammation (by sperm leukocyte concentrations and indices of oxidative stress). Moreover, an andrological evaluation (by didymo-epididymal ultrasound evaluation, serum total testosterone, LH, and FSH measurements) was performed in DM1 and DM2 patients compared to controls. Diabetic patients showed a higher risk of becoming infertile and the pathophysiological mechanisms of damage were different in DM1 and DM2. Conventional sperm parameters of diabetic patients are worse than controls (p &lt; 0.05). The DM2 caused an inflammatory condition with increased oxidative stress resulting in decreased sperm vitality and increased sperm DNA fragmentation. DM1 altered epididymal voiding causing low ejaculate volume and mitochondrial damage resulting in decreased sperm motility. These findings and evidences support the contention that DM could be regarded as cause of male infertility suggesting that the prevention of diabetic disease in DM2 and the follow-up of seminal parameters in DM1 could prevent fertility decline in these categories of patients