Growth and characterization of benzil single crystals using nanotranslation by the modified vertical Bridgman technique

Benzil single crystals have been grown by the modified vertical Bridgman technique using the double wall ampoule with nanotranslation for the first time. The characterization studies of benzil crystals grown by both single and double wall ampoules were analyzed. The grown benzil crystal was confirmed by single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction analyses. Fourier transform infrared analysis confirms the functional groups of the grown benzil. High resolution X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the crystalline perfection of the grown crystals. The UV-Vis-NIR studies show that the grown benzil crystals cutoff wavelength is around 434 nm. The green emission of the grown benzil was identified by photoluminescence studies. The thermal property of the grown benzil was studied by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses. The dielectric measurements of benzil crystals were carried out with different frequencies and temperatures and the results indicate an increase in dielectric and conductivity parameters with the increase of temperature at all frequencies. The second harmonic conversion efficiency of the grown benzil was determined

engineering human renal epithelial cells for transplantation in regenerative medicine

Abstract Cellular transplantation may treat several human diseases by replacing damaged cells and/or providing a local source of trophic factors promoting regeneration. We utilized human renal epithelial cells (hRECs) isolated from cadaveric donors as a cell model. For efficacious implementation of hRECs for treatment of kidney diseases, we evaluated a novel encapsulation strategy for immunoisolation of hRECs and lentiviral transduction of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) as model gene for genetic engineering of hRECs to secrete desired trophic factors. In specific, we determined whether encapsulation through conformal coating and/or GFP transduction of hRECs allowed preservation of cell viability and of their trophic factor secretion. To that end, we optimized cultures of hRECs and showed that aggregation in three-dimensional spheroids significantly preserved cell viability, proliferation, and trophic factor secretion. We also showed that both wild type and GFP-engineered hRECs could be efficiently encapsulated within conformal hydrogel coatings through our fluid dynamic platform and that this resulted in further improvement of cell viability and trophic factors secretion. Our findings may lay the groundwork for future therapeutics based on transplantation of genetically engineered human primary cells for treatment of diseases affecting kidneys and potentially other tissues

Radiation shielding for superconducting RF cavity test facility at A0

The results of Monte Carlo radiation shielding study performed with the MARS15 code for the vertical test facility at the A0 north cave enclosure at Fermilab are presented and discussed. The vertical test facility at the A0 north cave is planned to be used for testing 1.3 GHz single-cell superconducting RF cavities with accelerating length of 0.115 m. The operations will be focused on high accelerating gradients--up to 50 MV/m. In such a case the facility can be a strong radiation source [1]. When performing a radiation shielding design for the facility one has to take into account gammas generated due to interactions of accelerated electrons with cavity walls and surroundings (for example, range of 3.7-MeV electrons in niobium is approximately 3.1 mm while the thickness of the niobium walls of such RF cavities is about 2.8 mm). The electrons are usually the result of contamination in the cavity. The radiation shielding study was performed with the MARS15 Monte Carlo code [2]. A realistic model of the source term has been used that describes spatial, energy and angular distributions of the field-emitted electrons inside the RF cavities. The results of the calculations are normalized using the existing experimental data on measured dose rate in the vicinity of such RF cavities

Trust, control and knowledge transfer in small business networks

The ability to transfer knowledge effectively in the networks of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) is paramount for supporting firm competitiveness. Our research is the first one that explores the joint effect of trust and control mechanisms on knowledge transfer in the case of networks of SMEs. We use a multiple case study approach based on six Italian networks of SMEs. We analyse the joint impact of different ethical based trustworthiness factors—namely benevolence and integrity—and the levers of control (LOCs)—namely, belief, boundary, diagnostic and interactive LOCs—on knowledge transfer between SMEs in networks. We find that trust substitutes for the implementation of boundary, diagnostic, and belief tools, while it works jointly with interactive tools in order to support knowledge transfer. These insights not only provide a rich foundation for follow-up research, but also inform SME managers about how to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of knowledge transfer with their network partners