Low-Cost Microfabrication for MEMS Switches and Varactors

This paper presents a low-cost micro-fabrication technique for manufacturing RF MEMS switches and varactors without intensive cleanroom environments. The fabrication process entails only laser micro-structuring technique, noncleanroom micro-lithography, standard wet-bench and hot-film emboss of SU-8 and ADEX polymers. MEMS movable structures were fabricated out of 14-μm-thick Aluminum foils and suspended above coplanar-waveguide transmission lines, which were implemented on top Duroid substrates, via 5-μm-thick SU-8 dielectric anchors. Both MEMS structures and Duroid substrate were integrated using micro-patterned polymers, developed by using dry-film ADEX and SU-8 polymers, for a composite assembly. An average fabrication yield of higher than 60% was achieved, calculated from ten fabrication attempts. The RF measurement results show that the RF MEMS devices fabricated by using the novel micro-fabrication process have good figure-of-merits, at much lower overall fabrication costs, as compared to the devices fabricated by conventional cleanroom process, enabling it as a very good micro-fabrication process for cost-effective rapid prototyping of MEMS

Radiographic bone loss in a Scottish non-smoking Type 1 Diabetes mellitus population; a Bitewing Radiographic Study.

BACKGROUND: The dental complications of uncontrolled diabetes include reduced salivary flow rate, candidiasis and periodontal manifestations. A recent meta-analysis concluded that diabetes patients have a significantly higher severity, but not extent, of destructive periodontal disease than non-diabetes people. The authors reported that most type-1 diabetes studies using dental radiographic data have not controlled for confounding factors such as smoking. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare radiographic alveolar bone loss between type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and non-diabetes (NDM) participants in a Scottish non-smoking population. METHODS: Digital bitewing radiographs for 174 Scottish adult never or ex-smoker (> 5 years) participants (108 T1DM, 66 NDS), recruited from outpatient clinics throughout Greater Glasgow and Clyde, were included in the analysis. A single blinded, trained and calibrated examiner recorded the radiographic bone loss seen on bitewing radiographs using the digital screen caliper. The bone loss was measured as the distance between the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and the deepest radiographic alveolar bone margin interproximally of each tooth. RESULTS: T1DM participants had more radiographic alveolar bone loss throughout the all teeth measured (median:1.27 mm vs 1.06 mm, P < 0.001) and more than a two fold increase in the risk of having sites with ≥2 mm periodontal destruction (OR = 2.297, 95%CI 1.058-4.986, P = 0.036) compared with non-diabetes subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Patients suffering from type 1 diabetes are at higher risk of periodontitis even when controlling for multiple possible confounding factors and this difference can be detected on routine dental radiographs at an early stage. These data confirm radiographically the previously reported association between T1DM and periodontal bone loss. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

A massive proto-cluster of galaxies at a redshift of z {\approx} 5.3

Massive clusters of galaxies have been found as early as 3.9 Billion years (z=1.62) after the Big Bang containing stars that formed at even earlier epochs. Cosmological simulations using the current cold dark matter paradigm predict these systems should descend from "proto-clusters" - early over-densities of massive galaxies that merge hierarchically to form a cluster. These proto-cluster regions themselves are built-up hierarchically and so are expected to contain extremely massive galaxies which can be observed as luminous quasars and starbursts. However, observational evidence for this scenario is sparse due to the fact that high-redshift proto-clusters are rare and difficult to observe. Here we report a proto-cluster region 1 billion years (z=5.3) after the Big Bang. This cluster of massive galaxies extends over >13 Mega-parsecs, contains a luminous quasar as well as a system rich in molecular gas. These massive galaxies place a lower limit of >4x10^11 solar masses of dark and luminous matter in this region consistent with that expected from cosmological simulations for the earliest galaxy clusters.Comment: Accepted to Nature, 16 Pages, 6 figure

Investigation of Implantable Antennas for Exploratory Neuroscience Studies

In this paper we present a thorough and rigorous characterisation of the dielectric properties of rat skin tissue, including statistical processing. This data is used for a proof of concept study of the design, fabrication, and measurement of lightweight, flexible, and conformable microstrip patch antennas, to later enable improved chronic neuroscience research studies

Stem cell differentiation increases membrane-actin adhesion regulating cell blebability, migration and mechanics

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder in order to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/K. S. is funded by an EPSRC PhD studentship. S.T. is funded by an EU Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship (GENOMICDIFF)

The Uncertainty Principle in the Presence of Quantum Memory

The uncertainty principle, originally formulated by Heisenberg, dramatically illustrates the difference between classical and quantum mechanics. The principle bounds the uncertainties about the outcomes of two incompatible measurements, such as position and momentum, on a particle. It implies that one cannot predict the outcomes for both possible choices of measurement to arbitrary precision, even if information about the preparation of the particle is available in a classical memory. However, if the particle is prepared entangled with a quantum memory, a device which is likely to soon be available, it is possible to predict the outcomes for both measurement choices precisely. In this work we strengthen the uncertainty principle to incorporate this case, providing a lower bound on the uncertainties which depends on the amount of entanglement between the particle and the quantum memory. We detail the application of our result to witnessing entanglement and to quantum key distribution.Comment: 5 pages plus 12 of supplementary information. Updated to match the journal versio

Spontaneous intracranial arterial dissection in the young: diagnosis by CT angiography

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous carotid artery dissections have been rarely reported in children. Diagnosis has traditionally been confirmed by catheter arteriography. More recently diagnosis has been made by magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography; however the sensitivity of these techniques has yet to be determined. The authors are unaware of reports of carotid dissection confirmed by dynamic computed tomography (computerized tomographic arteriography) in the young. CASE PRESENTATION: We recently evaluated a fourteen year-old male following the development of transient neurologic symptoms. There was no antecedent illness or trauma. Dynamic computed tomography revealed an intracranial dissection involving the supraclinoid segment of the left internal carotid artery (confirmed by catheter arteriography). Studies for vasculitis, pro-thrombotic states, and defects of collagen were negative. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous carotid artery dissection is a potential cause of transient neurological symptoms and ischemic stroke in the pediatric population. Dynamic computed tomography appears to be a reliable diagnostic tool which can lead to early diagnosis

Early star-forming galaxies and the reionization of the Universe

Star forming galaxies represent a valuable tracer of cosmic history. Recent observational progress with Hubble Space Telescope has led to the discovery and study of the earliest-known galaxies corresponding to a period when the Universe was only ~800 million years old. Intense ultraviolet radiation from these early galaxies probably induced a major event in cosmic history: the reionization of intergalactic hydrogen. New techniques are being developed to understand the properties of these most distant galaxies and determine their influence on the evolution of the universe.Comment: Review article appearing in Nature. This posting reflects a submitted version of the review formatted by the authors, in accordance with Nature publication policies. For the official, published version of the review, please see http://www.nature.com/nature/archive/index.htm

A firearm bullet lodged into the thoracic spinal canal without vertebral bone destruction: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Firearm injuries account for 13% to 17% of all spinal cord injuries, and are generally caused during warfare or assault with intent to kill. Spinal cord injuries caused by firearms are usually observed in patients aged 15 to 34 years old, and are especially common among men.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 28-year-old Iraqi man who was referred to our radiology department with lower limb paraplegia secondary to a gunshot wound. We performed 64-slice computerized tomography with two-dimensional and three-dimensional reconstruction of the thoracolumbar spine. On the two-dimensional and three-dimensional reconstructed axial images of the thoracolumbar spine, an intra-canalicular bullet nucleus was found at the mid-spinal cord at the T8 level, with no evidence of vertebral bone destruction.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To the best of our knowledge, there is only one previous report in the literature describing a case of a bullet nucleus lodged into the inferior epidural spinal canal without destruction of the vertebral bone. With the rise of violence worldwide the incidence of gunshot injuries continues to increase, and, thus, it is essential for radiologists to have a clear understanding of gunshot injuries and the findings on radiographic images.</p

Cocrystal structure of a class-I preQ1 riboswitch reveals a pseudoknot recognizing an essential hypermodified nucleobase

Riboswitches are mRNA domains that bind metabolites and modulate gene expression in cis. We report cocrystal structures of a remarkably compact riboswitch (34 nucleotides suffice for ligand recognition) from Bacillus subtilis selective for the essential nucleobase preQ1 (7-aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine). These reveal a previously unrecognized pseudoknot fold, and suggest a conserved gene-regulatory mechanism whereby ligand binding promotes sequestration of an RNA segment that otherwise assembles into a transcriptional anti-terminator