TANOS (TaN, Al2O3, Si3N4, SiO2, Si) Charge-trap Flash Devices

Goal: To demonstrate charge-trapping in a TANOS Stack at RIT Gate stack film depositions determined by experimentation, testing C-V structures fabricated and tested by patterning gate stack with GCA C-V Mask. NMOS charge-trap flash devices currently being fabricated with modified version of AdvCMOS150 Process w/ TANO gate stack

Evaluation of the DigiBete App, a Self-Management App for Type 1 Diabetes: Experiences of Young People, Families and Healthcare Professionals

Abstract: Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM) is a public health issue for children, young people, and families (CYPF) requiring innovative interventions. The DigiBete app is a self-management and educa-tional app to help CYPF and healthcare professionals (HCPs) manage T1DM and features edu-cational advice and resources such as, guidance, quizzes, and educational and instructional videos on how to manage T1DM. To assess the impact and implementation of the app, the service level evaluation deployed a mixed-methods design. App data was captured via the DigiBete platform and an online survey with a non-probability sample of HCPs (N=178) and CYPF (N=1,165) = 1,343. Overall, 55.7% (n=512/919) of app users were female and 4,855 videos had been viewed across the participating areas, with an average of 1,213 videos per site (range 776-1,679) and 4.4 videos per app user. The most popular videos were how to give a glucagon injection and ‘My Sick Day Rules’ showing what to do when CYPF were unwell due to T1DM. Interviews (n=63) were undertaken with 38 CYPF and 25 HCPs. The findings indicate that CYPF and HCPs found the app an essential tool in the management of T1DM. CYPF. HCPs felt the app provided a val-uable educational resource in a central location and was invaluable in an emergency or unknown situation. The app was a trusted and bona-fide source of information that could be accessed at any time. HCPs validated DigiBete in helping CYPF to manage their T1DM. At the same time, the app saved services time and money and helped CYPF take back some of the control for managing their diabetes

Ionic liquids for energy, materials, and medicine.

As highlighted by the recent ChemComm web themed issue on ionic liquids, this field continues to develop beyond the concept of interesting new solvents for application in the greening of the chemical industry. Here some current research trends in the field will be discussed which show that ionic liquids research is still aimed squarely at solving major societal issues by taking advantage of new fundamental understanding of the nature of these salts in their low temperature liquid state. This article discusses current research trends in applications of ionic liquids to energy, materials, and medicines to provide some insight into the directions, motivations, challenges, and successes being achieved with ionic liquids today

Spin-crossover, mesomorphic and thermoelectrical properties of cobalt(II) complexes with alkylated N3-Schiff bases

Three new cobalt(ii) complexes, [Co(L12)2](BF4)2 (1), [Co(L14)2](BF4)2·H2O (2) and [Co(L16)2](BF4)2·H2O (3), where L12-16 are N3-Schiff bases appended with linear C12-16 carbon chains at the nitrogen atoms, were obtained in good yields by facile one-pot reactions. The single crystal X-ray structure of complex 1 shows a tetragonally compressed CoN6 coordination geometry. The melting temperatures of 1-3 were lower than 373 K, while their decomposition temperatures were above 473 K. All complexes have high-spin Co(ii) centres at 300 K and exhibit a columnar mesophase above 383 K. Complexes 1 and 3 showed normal thermal spin-crossover behaviour with weak hysteresis loops at about 320 K. Hence, these complexes showed uncoupled phase transitions (class iiia). The values for the Seebeck coefficient (Se) of the cobalt redox couples formed from 1 and 2 were 1.89 ± 0.02 mV K-1 and 1.92 ± 0.08 mV K-1, respectively, identifying them as potential thermoelectrochemical materials

Aseptic meningitis in Germany associated with echovirus type 13

BACKGROUND: Echoviruses are the commonest cause of aseptic meningitis. Echovirus type 13 which has not been isolated in Germany over a long period of time was the predominant enterovirus serotype associated with different local outbreaks of aseptic meningitis in Germany in 2000. METHODS: Virus isolation was performed from cerebrospinal fluid and stools. In order to study the genetic relationship of echovirus type 13 isolates, sequence analysis of a part of VP1 (~300 nt) was carried out. Isolates from different geographic regions were compared to each other as well as to elder viruses (prototype strain from 1953, four isolates from 1965–1986). RESULTS: Overall, 55 isolates of echovirus type 13 were obtained from different parts of Germany. It was shown that the new isolated strains have a very high degree of homology on the nucleotide level (> 98%)) but differ significantly from the old strains (76–85%). CONCLUSIONS: a) Rare enterovirus serotypes can cause serious illness. b) The molecular drift has also been shown for other enterovirus serotypes

The use of carboxymethylcellulose gel to increase non-viral gene transfer in mouse airways

We have assessed whether viscoelastic gels known to inhibit mucociliary clearance can increase lipid-mediated gene transfer. Methylcellulose or carboxymethylcellulose (0.25 to 1.5%) were mixed with complexes of the cationic lipid GL67A and plasmids encoding luciferase and perfused onto the nasal epithelium of mice. Survival after perfusion with 1% CMC or1% MC was 90 and 100%, respectively. In contrast 1.5% CMC was uniformly lethal likely due to the viscous solution blocking the airways. Perfusion with 0.5% CMC containing lipid/DNA complexes reproducibly increased gene expression by approximately 3-fold (n= 16, p<0.05). Given this benefit, likely related to increased duration of contact, we also assessed the effect of prolonging contact time of the liposome/DNA complexes by delivering our standard 80 μg DNA dose over either approximately 22 or 60 min of perfusion. This independently increased gene transfer by 6-fold (n=8, p<0.05) and could be further enhanced by the addition of 0.5% CMC, leading to an overall 25-fold enhancement (n=8, p<0.001) in gene expression. As a result of these interventions CFTR transgene mRNA transgene levels were increased several logs above background. Interestingly, this did not lead to correction of the ion transport defects in the nasal epithelium of cystic fibrosis mice nor for immunohistochemical quantification of CFTR expression. To assess if 0.5% CMC also increased gene transfer in the mouse lung, we used whole body nebulisation chambers. CMC was nebulised for 1 hr immediately before, or simultaneously with GL67A/pCIKLux. The former did not increase gene transfer, whereas co-administration significantly increased gene transfer by 4-fold (p<0.0001, n=18). This study suggests that contact time of non-viral gene transfer agents is a key factor for gene delivery, and suggests two methods which may be translatable for use in man

Validation of computerized diagnostic information in a clinical database from a national equine clinic network

BACKGROUND: Computerized diagnostic information offers potential for epidemiological research; however data accuracy must be addressed. The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the completeness and correctness of diagnostic information in a computerized equine clinical database compared to corresponding hand written veterinary clinical records, used as gold standard, and to assess factors related to correctness. Further, the aim was to investigate completeness (epidemiologic sensitivity), correctness (positive predictive value), specificity and prevalence for diagnoses for four body systems and correctness for affected limb information for four joint diseases. METHODS: A random sample of 450 visits over the year 2002 (nvisits=49,591) was taken from 18 nation wide clinics headed under one company. Computerized information for the visits selected and copies of the corresponding veterinary clinical records were retrieved. Completeness and correctness were determined using semi-subjective criteria. Logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with correctness for diagnosis. RESULTS: Three hundred and ninety six visits had veterinary clinical notes that were retrievable. The overall completeness and correctness were 91% and 92%, respectively; both values considered high. Descriptive analyses showed significantly higher degree of correctness for first visits compared to follow up visits and for cases with a diagnostic code recorded in the veterinary records compared to those with no code noted. The correctness was similar regardless of usage category (leisure/sport horse, racing trotter and racing thoroughbred) or gender.For the four body systems selected (joints, skin and hooves, respiratory, skeletal) the completeness varied between 71% (respiration) and 91% (joints) and the correctness ranged from 87% (skin and hooves) to 96% (respiration), whereas the specificity was >95% for all systems. Logistic regression showed that correctness was associated with type of visit, whether an explicit diagnostic code was present in the veterinary clinical record, and body system. Correctness for information on affected limb was 95% and varied with joint. CONCLUSION: Based on the overall high level of correctness and completeness the database was considered useful for research purposes. For the body systems investigated the highest level of completeness and correctness was seen for joints and respiration, respectively

CpG-free plasmids confer reduced inflammation and sustained pulmonary gene expression.

Pulmonary delivery of plasmid DNA (pDNA)/cationic liposome complexes is associated with an acute unmethylated CG dinucleotide (CpG)-mediated inflammatory response and brief duration of transgene expression. We demonstrate that retention of even a single CpG in pDNA is sufficient to elicit an inflammatory response, whereas CpG-free pDNA vectors do not. Using a CpG-free pDNA expression vector, we achieved sustained (≥56 d) in vivo transgene expression in the absence of lung inflammation

Genes Suggest Ancestral Colour Polymorphisms Are Shared across Morphologically Cryptic Species in Arctic Bumblebees

email Suzanne orcd idCopyright: © 2015 Williams et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Glial Progenitor-Like Phenotype in Low-Grade Glioma and Enhanced CD133-Expression and Neuronal Lineage Differentiation Potential in High-Grade Glioma

Background: While neurosphere-as well as xenograft tumor-initiating cells have been identified in gliomas, the resemblance between glioma cells and neural stem/progenitor cells as well as the prognostic value of stem/progenitor cell marker expression in glioma are poorly clarified. Methodology/Principal Findings: Viable glioma cells were characterized for surface marker expression along the glial genesis hierarchy. Six low-grade and 17 high-grade glioma specimens were flow-cytometrically analyzed for markers characteristics of stem cells (CD133); glial progenitors (PDGFR alpha, A2B5, O4, and CD44); and late oligodendrocyte progenitors (O1). In parallel, the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was immunohistochemically analyzed in fixed tissue specimens. Irrespective of the grade and morphological diagnosis of gliomas, glioma cells concomitantly expressed PDGFRa, A2B5, O4, CD44 and GFAP. In contrast, O1 was weakly expressed in all low-grade and the majority of high-grade glioma specimens analyzed. Co-expression of neuronal markers was observed in all high-grade, but not low-grade, glioma specimens analyzed. The rare CD133 expressing cells in low-grade glioma specimens typically co-expressed vessel endothelial marker CD31. In contrast, distinct CD133 expression profiles in up to 90% of CD45-negative glioma cells were observed in 12 of the 17 high-grade glioma specimens and the majority of these CD133 expressing cells were CD31 negative. The CD133 expression correlates inversely with length of patient survival. Surprisingly, cytogenetic analysis showed that gliomas contained normal and abnormal cell karyotypes with hitherto indistinguishable phenotype. Conclusions/Significance: This study constitutes an important step towards clarification of lineage commitment and differentiation blockage of glioma cells. Our data suggest that glioma cells may resemble expansion of glial lineage progenitor cells with compromised differentiation capacity downstream of A2B5 and O4 expression. The concurrent expression of neuronal markers demonstrates that high-grade glioma cells are endowed with multi-lineage differentiation potential in vivo. Importantly, enhanced CD133 expression marks a poor prognosis in gliomas