FISH1D 2.2 User’s Manual

FISH1D is a computer program that solves the one-dimensional Poisson equation for electrostatic Fields in Semiconductor Heterostructures. The program will print or plot the electrostatic potential, electric field, electron and hole densities, dopant density, ionized dopant density, and other quantities of interest versus position at an applied bias voltage (assuming zero current). A capacitance or sheet carrier concentration versus voltage analysis may also be performed. While FISH1D was originally written for the ternary Alx Ga1 _xAs, it has been modified to simulate CdxHg1^xTe, ZnSe, GexSi1^ , and Si as well, and the program can be readily modified to analyze other semiconductors through the addition of new material subroutines or using the most recent option, the MATDEF card. This card enables the user to enter new material definitions by layers in the input deck without having to recompile, an advantage of FISHlD 2.1 over FISH1D 2.0. Simulations of bipolar transistors under bias are now possible in FISH1D 2.2, which has an upgraded BIAS card. The primary purpose of this document is explain how to use FISH1D; for a more thorough discussion of the numerical implementation of FISH1D, the user is directed to the references. A theoretical basis for FISH1D is provided in Appendix I of this manual

Tomography and state reconstruction with superconducting single-photon detectors

We perform quantum state reconstruction of coherent and thermal states with a detector which has an enhanced multiphoton response. The detector is based on superconducting nanowires, where the bias current sets the dependence of the click probability on the photon number; this bias current is used as tuning parameter in the state reconstruction. The nonlinear response makes our nanowire-based detector superior to the linear detectors that are conventionally used for quantum state reconstruction.Comment: revision of intro compared to V

Angular redistribution of near-infrared emission from quantum dots in 3D photonic crystals

We study the angle-resolved spontaneous emission of near-infrared light sources in 3D photonic crystals over a wavelength range from 1200 to 1550 nm. To this end PbSe quantum dots are used as light sources inside titania inverse opal photonic crystals. Strong deviations from the Lambertian emission profile are observed. An attenuation of 60 % is observed in the angle dependent radiant flux emitted from the samples due to photonic stop bands. At angles that correspond to the edges of the stop band the emitted flux is increased by up to 34 %. This increase is explained by the redistribution of Bragg-diffracted light over the available escape angles. The results are quantitatively explained by an expanded escape-function model. This model is based on diffusion theory and adapted to photonic crystals using band structure calculations. Our results are the first angular redistributions and escape functions measured at near-infrared, including telecom, wavelengths. In addition, this is the first time for this model to be applied to describe emission from samples that are optically thick for the excitation light and relatively thin for the photoluminesence light.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures (current format = single column, double spaced

Heavy Ion Testing at the Galactic Cosmic Ray Energy Peak

A 1 GeV/u Fe-56 ion beam allows for true 90deg tilt irradiations of various microelectronic components and reveals relevant upset trends for an abundant element at the GCR flux energy peak

Event Texture Search for Phase Transitions in Pb+Pb Collisions

NA44 uses a 512 channel Si pad array covering $1.5 <\eta < 3.3$ to study charged hadron production in 158 A GeV Pb+Pb collisions at the CERN SPS. We apply a multiresolution analysis, based on a Discrete Wavelet Transformation, to probe the texture of particle distributions event-by-event, allowing simultaneous localization of features in space and scale. Scanning a broad range of multiplicities, we search for signals of clustering and of critical behavior in the power spectra of local density fluctuations. The data are compared with detailed simulations of detector response, using heavy ion event generators, and with a reference sample created via event mixing. An upper limit is set on the probability and magnitude of dynamical fluctuations

Schistosoma mansoni infection alters the host pre-vaccination environment resulting in blunted Hepatitis B vaccination immune responses

Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms of the Schistosoma spp., and is increasingly recognized to alter the immune system, and the potential to respond to vaccines. The impact of endemic infections on protective immunity is critical to inform vaccination strategies globally. We assessed the influence of Schistosoma mansoni worm burden on multiple host vaccine-related immune parameters in a Ugandan fishing cohort (n = 75) given three doses of a Hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine at baseline and multiple timepoints post-vaccination. We observed distinct differences in immune responses in instances of higher worm burden, compared to low worm burden or non-infected. Concentrations of pre-vaccination serum schistosome-specific circulating anodic antigen (CAA), linked to worm burden, showed a significant bimodal distribution associated with HepB titers, which was lower in individuals with higher CAA values at month 7 post-vaccination (M7). Comparative chemokine/cytokine responses revealed significant upregulation of CCL19, CXCL9 and CCL17 known to be involved in T cell activation and recruitment, in higher CAA individuals, and CCL17 correlated negatively with HepB titers at month 12 post-vaccination. We show that HepB-specific CD4(+) T cell memory responses correlated positively with HepB titers at M7. We further established that those participants with high CAA had significantly lower frequencies of circulating T follicular helper (cTfh) subpopulations pre- and post-vaccination, but higher regulatory T cells (Tregs) post-vaccination, suggesting changes in the immune microenvironment in high CAA could favor Treg recruitment and activation. Additionally, we found that changes in the levels of innate-related cytokines/chemokines CXCL10, IL-1 & beta;, and CCL26, involved in driving T helper responses, were associated with increasing CAA concentration. This study provides further insight on pre-vaccination host responses to Schistosoma worm burden which will support our understanding of vaccine responses altered by pathogenic host immune mechanisms and memory function and explain abrogated vaccine responses in communities with endemic infections.Author summarySchistosomiasis drives host immune responses for optimal pathogen survival, potentially altering host responses to vaccine-related antigen. Chronic schistosomiasis and co-infection with hepatotropic viruses are common in countries where schistosomiasis is endemic. We explored the impact of Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) worm burden on Hepatitis B (HepB) vaccination of individuals from a fishing community in Uganda. We demonstrate that higher schistosome-specific antigen (circulating anodic antigen, CAA) concentration pre-vaccination, is associated with lower HepB antibody titers post-vaccination at month 7. We show higher pre-vaccination levels of CCL17 in instances of high CAA that negatively associate with HepB antibody titers month 12 post-vaccination and coincided with lower frequencies of circulating T follicular helper cell populations (cTfh), proliferating antibody secreting cells (ASCs), and higher frequencies of regulatory T cells (Tregs). We also show that monocyte function is important in HepB vaccine responses, and high CAA is associated with alterations in the early innate cytokine/chemokine microenvironment. Our findings suggest that in individuals with high CAA and likely high worm burden, schistosomiasis can create an environment that is polarized against optimal host immune responses to the vaccine, which puts many endemic communities at risk for infection against HepB and other diseases that are preventable by vaccines.Cancer Signaling networks and Molecular Therapeutic

Enhanced coupling of plasmons in hole arrays with periodic dielectric antennas

We compare the angle-dependent transmission spectra of a metal hole array with dielectric pillars in each hole with that of a conventional metal hole array. The pillars enhance the optical transmission as well as the interaction between surface plasmon modes. This results in an observed splitting ⌬ / as large as 6%, at normal incidence, for the modes on the pillar side of the array. © 2008 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 240.6680, 290.0290, 230.5298. Metal films perforated with an array of subwavelength holes have intrigued researchers since the discovery that these arrays show extraordinary transmission In this Letter we study the p-polarized transmission spectra of metal films perforated with a square lattice of subwavelength holes. We compare the transmission of an array with a dielectric pillar in each of the holes with that of a conventional hole array. Transmission spectra of conventional hole arrays have been studied previously The metal hole arrays in the experiment were made using an imprinting technique. An array of pillars was defined by electron-beam lithography and was used to create a rubber stamp. A replica of the array was created by pressing the stamp into a layer of liquid sol-gel glass. This second array is then coated with a layer of gold. The gold was selectively removed from the pillars by making use of the fact that the gold layer deposited on the side of the pillars is thinner than the layer on the substrate. The result is a metal hole array with an ϳ650 nm long glass pillar sticking out of each hole as shown i

Development of a Generic Microfluidic Device for Simultaneous Detection of Antibodies and Nucleic Acids in Oral Fluids

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