Industrial GaInP/GaAs Power HBT MMIC Process

UMS has developed an industrial power HBT process especially dedicated to power MMICs in the 10GHz frequency range. The process has been qualified and meets the very demanding specifications required for X-Band high power amplifiers. Aside from the obvious RF performances, this includes the demonstration of the necessary stability and reproducibility of the process, associated with state-of-art reliability. It is important to note that the later has been achieved without affecting the high frequency capability of the devices, and demonstrated directly on high power transistors. Thanks to its intrinsic qualities this process can naturally also be used for other applications, like low phase noise voltage controlled oscillators, and power amplifiers at lower frequencies (for mobile phones for instance)

Separating ventricular activity in thoracic EIT using 4D image-based FEM simulations

One challenge in central hemodynamic monitoring based on electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is to robustly detect ventricular signal components and the corresponding EIT image region without external monitoring information. Current stimulation and voltage measurement of EIT were simulated with finite element porcine torso models in presence of a multitude ofthoracic blood volume shifts. The simulated measurement data was examined for linear dependence on changes in stroke volume. Based onthe results the EIT measurement information regardingstroke volume changesis sparse

Innovations for Improving Courtroom Communications and Views from Appellate Courts

Symposium: Improving Communications In the Courtroo

Innovations for Improving Courtroom Communications and Views from Appellate Courts

Symposium: Improving Communications In the Courtroo

Minimal selective concentrations of tetracycline in complex aquatic bacterial biofilms

Selection pressure generated by antibiotics released into the environment could enrich for antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic resistant bacteria, thereby increasing the risk for transmission to humans and animals. Tetracyclines comprise an antibiotic class of great importance to both human and animal health. Accordingly, residues of tetracycline are commonly detected in aquatic environments. To assess if tetracycline pollution in aquatic environments promotes development of resistance, we determined minimal selective concentrations (MSCs) in biofilms of complex aquatic bacterial communities using both phenotypic and genotypic assays. Tetracycline significantly increased the relative abundance of resistant bacteria at 10 μg/L, while specific tet genes (tetA and tetG) increased significantly at the lowest concentration tested (1 μg/L). Taxonomic composition of the biofilm communities was altered with increasing tetracycline concentrations. Metagenomic analysis revealed a concurrent increase of several tet genes and a range of other genes providing resistance to different classes of antibiotics (e.g. cmlA, floR, sul1, and mphA), indicating potential for co-selection. Consequently, MSCs for the tet genes of ≤ 1 μg/L suggests that current exposure levels in e.g. sewage treatment plants could be sufficient to promote resistance. The methodology used here to assess MSCs could be applied in risk assessment of other antibiotics as well