Role of surface microgeometries on electron escape probability and secondary electron yield of metal surfaces

The influence of microgeometries on the Secondary Electron Yield (SEY) of surfaces is investigated. Laser written structures of different aspect ratio (height to width) on a copper surface tuned the SEY of the surface and reduced its value to less than unity. The aspect ratio of microstructures was methodically controlled by varying the laser parameters. The results obtained corroborate a recent theoretical model of SEY reduction as a function of the aspect ratio of microstructures. Nanostructures - which are formed inside the microstructures during the interaction with the laser beam - provided further reduction in SEY comparable to that obtained in the simulation of structures which were coated with an absorptive layer suppressing secondary electron emission

Espacio biológico: invasión, preservación y protocolos de acción en periodoncia y odontología restauradora

El concepto de “espacio biológico” ha sido ampliamente descrito por periodoncistas y odontólogos generales. Se denomina “espacio biológico” a la unión dentogingival que está constituida por el epitelio de unión y el tejido conectivo de inserción de la encía. Cuando se habla de “espacio biológico” no sólo se debe pensar en la longitud de la inserción gingival, sino que se debe relacionar con el grosor de la encía, el biotipo periodontal y la profundidad del surco gingival, puesto que todos estos parámetros se integran, y deben ser tomados en cuenta para comprender de manera exacta la morfología del tejido gingival supracrestal. La variabilidad de dimensiones de los componentes epitelial y conectivo que existe entre individuos, e incluso dentro del mismo individuo, es otro factor que debe ser considerado. El mantenimiento de una relación correcta de los tejidos periodontales con los márgenes de las restauraciones depende, además de la óptima adaptación de la restauración, también de la ausencia de invasión del espacio biológico, que es ocupado por los tejidos blandos presentes en la unión dentogingival. Estas invasiones llevan a complicaciones como la inflamación gingival, pérdida de hueso alveolar y recesiones gingivales. Esta revisión discute el concepto de “espacio biológico”, su relación con la salud periodontal, la odontología restauradora y su importancia en el mantenimiento de una restauración a largo plaz

Understanding Individual Differences for Tailored Smoking Cessation Apps

Finding ways to help people quit smoking is a high priority in health behavior change research. Recent HCI studies involving technologies using specific quitting techniques such as social support and SMS messaging to help people quit have reported some success. Early studies using computer generated print material report significant success of tailored versus non-tailored material, however, there is limited understanding on what aspects of digitally delivered quitting assistance should be tailored and how. To address this, we have conducted an empirical investigation with smokers to identify perceived importance of different types of help when quitting and the potential role of technology in providing such help. We found that people are highly individual in their approach to quitting and the kind of help they regard as relevant to their situation. Our contribution is a collection of empirically derived themes for tailoring smoking cessation apps to individual quitting needs. Author Keywords Smoking cessation; tailoring; individual differences; healt

Propiedades Psicométricas del Inventario de Crecimiento Postraumático en Población Ecuatoriana

In the study of human behavior concerning the ex-position to highly stressful events, psychology has taken a leap forward, studying not only the negative effects of such events, but also the knowledge a person may gain from them, which is known as posttraumatic growth. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) in a sample of 450 adult survivors of the earthquake that took place on the Ecuadorian coast in 2016. The PTGI showed high internal consistency (α = .95). The confirmatory factor analysis dis-played an appropriate adjustment for a bifactor structure consisting of three specific factors and one general factor. Furthermore, the PTGI showed a factorial invariance when comparing men and women. We could conclude that the PTGI is a reliable and internally valid instrument for the study of posttraumatic growth in Ecuadorian population.Dentro del estudio del comportamiento humano ante la exposición a un evento altamente estresante, la psicología ha dado un salto al estudiar no sólo sus efectos negativos sino también el aprendizaje que la persona puede extraer de dichas vivencias, lo que se denomina crecimiento postraumático. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las propiedades psicométricas del Inventario de Crecimiento Postraumático (PTGI) en una muestra de 450 adultos sobrevivientes al terremoto ocurrido en el año 2016 en las costas de Ecuador. El PTGI reveló una alta consistencia interna (α = .95). El análisis factorial confirmatorio mostró un ajuste apropiado para una estructura bifactor de tres factores específicos y un factor general. El PTGI además mostró invarianza factorial al comparar hombres y mujeres. Se concluye que el PTGI es un instrumento confiable y con validez interna para investigar el crecimiento postraumático en población ecuatoriana

National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank: A standard based biospecimen and clinical data resource to enhance translational research

Background: Advances in translational research have led to the need for well characterized biospecimens for research. The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank is an initiative which collects annotated datasets relevant to human mesothelioma to develop an enterprising biospecimen resource to fulfill researchers' need. Methods: The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank architecture is based on three major components: (a) common data elements (based on College of American Pathologists protocol and National North American Association of Central Cancer Registries standards), (b) clinical and epidemiologic data annotation, and (c) data query tools. These tools work interoperably to standardize the entire process of annotation. The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank tool is based upon the caTISSUE Clinical Annotation Engine, developed by the University of Pittsburgh in cooperation with the Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid™ (caBIG™, see http://cabig.nci.nih.gov). This application provides a web-based system for annotating, importing and searching mesothelioma cases. The underlying information model is constructed utilizing Unified Modeling Language class diagrams, hierarchical relationships and Enterprise Architect software. Result: The database provides researchers real-time access to richly annotated specimens and integral information related to mesothelioma. The data disclosed is tightly regulated depending upon users' authorization and depending on the participating institute that is amenable to the local Institutional Review Board and regulation committee reviews. Conclusion: The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank currently has over 600 annotated cases available for researchers that include paraffin embedded tissues, tissue microarrays, serum and genomic DNA. The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank is a virtual biospecimen registry with robust translational biomedical informatics support to facilitate basic science, clinical, and translational research. Furthermore, it protects patient privacy by disclosing only de-identified datasets to assure that biospecimens can be made accessible to researchers. © 2008 Amin et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Projeto de drenagem superficial.

Informação física; Crítérios de dimensionamento; Estruturas hidraúlicas.bitstream/item/143299/1/ID-51087.pd

Application of a magnetic suspension balance to the oxidation study of the zirconium based alloys under high pressurewater vapour

International audienceThe fuel claddings in the Pressurised Water Reactor are corroded in water at high temperature and high pressure. The technical device ableto follow continuously the corrosion rate in conditions close to this medium does not yet exist. That is the reason why a high pressure thermogravimetric installation based on magnetic suspension has been designed to study in situ the oxidation kinetics of the zirconium based alloys under water vapour until 50 bars of pressure at 415°C. The accuracy of measurements is about 5•10–5 g under 2 bars, and 10–4 g under 50 bars. The reproducibility of measurements was verified and the deviation regarding post test weighing at room temperature is around 5•10–5 g what is clearly satisfying. Finally, the results presented in this work allow validating the high pressure thermogravimetric measurements obtained with this magnetic suspension device

Acumulación celular y efecto anti-Leishmania de la protoporfirina IX exógena y endógena después del tratamiento fotodinámico

Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX (ALA-PpIX) constitutes an interesting alternative for cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment.Objective: To evaluate the production of PpIXbased on the administration of ALA and MAL and the effect of ALA-PDTat cellular level on non-infected and infected THP-1 cells using Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis or Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum (syn Leishmania chagasi) parasites.Materials and methods: Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) production and mitochondrial colocalization were evaluated by confocal microscopy. Cell toxicities were evaluated after treatment with the compounds, followed by light irradiation (597-752 nm) at 2.5 J/cm2 fluency using a colorimetric MTT assay for THP-1 cells and a standard microscopic analysis of parasites. Results were expressed as compound concentration activity against 50% of cells or parasites (CC50 or IC50).Results: ALA or MAL induced an endogenous PpIX with a red fluorescence localized mainly in the mitochondria inside human cells. ALA and MAL-PDT induced a similar range of toxicities on THP-1 cells (CC50 0.16±0.01mM and 0.33±0.019 mM, respectively) without any apparent inhibition of intracellular parasites in the infected cells as compared to untreated controls. Exogenous PpIX-PDT was toxic to THP-1 cells (CC50 0.00032±0.00002 mM), L. (L.) infantum (IC50 0.003±0.0001 mM) and L. (V.)panamensis (IC50 0.024±0.0001 mM) promastigotes.Conclusions: Despite the effectiveness of exogenous PpIX on promastigotes and the production of PpIX by human infected cells, treatment with ALA or MAL before irradiation was unable to completely destroy L. (L.) infantum or L. (V.) panamensis intracellular amastigotes.Introducción. El tratamiento fotodinámico con ácido 5-aminolevulínico como inductor de la protoporfirina IX (ALA-PpIX) constituye una alternativa interesante en el tratamiento de la leishmaniasis cutánea.Objetivo. Evaluar la producción de protoporfirina IX (PpIX) a partir de la administración de ALA o MAL y el efecto de la PDT con ALA a nivel celular en células THP-1 no infectadas e infectadas con Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis o Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum (syn. Leishmania chagasi).Materiales y métodos. La producción de protoporfirina IX y su ‘colocalización’ mitocondrial se evaluaron mediante microscopía ‘confocal’. Se evaluó la toxicidad celular después del tratamiento con los compuestos y la aplicación de irradiación de luz (597-752 nm) en una fluencia de 2,5 J/cm2 mediante el empleo de la prueba colorimétrica con metil-tiazol-tetrazolio (MTT) en las células, y de métodos microscópicos estándar en los parásitos. Los resultados se expresaron como la concentración del compuesto activo en el 50 % de las células o parásitos (CC50 o CI50).Resultados.El ácido aminolevulínico o el metil-5-aminolevulinato indujeron la protoporfirina IX endógena en células humanas, y se observó fluorescencia de color rojo en las mitocondrias. La actividad del ácido aminolevulínico y del metil-5-aminolevulinato utilizados con terapia fotodinámica fue similar en las células THP-1 (CC50 0,16±0,01 mM y 0,33±0,019 mM, respectivamente) y, aparentemente, no inhibió los parásitos en las células infectadas, en comparación con los controles. El tratamiento exógeno con protoporfirina IX y terapia fotodinámica fue tóxico para las células THP-1 (CC50 0,00032 ±0,00002 mM) y para los promastigotes de L. (L.) infantum (IC50 0,003±0,0001 mM) y L. (V.) panamensis (CI50 0,024±0,0001 mM).Conclusiones. A pesar de la ‘fotoactividad’ del tratamiento con protoporfirina IX en promastigotes y de su producción después del tratamiento con ácido aminolevulínico y metil-5-aminolevulinato en las células infectadas con Leishmania, no se observó daño en los amastigotes presentes en las células de L. (L.) infantum o L. (V.) panamensis

557. Identification of differentially expressed transcription factors in Brangus skin infested with Rhipicephalus australis

Tick resistance is a desirable trait in beef cattle to minimise the incidence of cattle tick outbreaks and production loss in tropical and subtropical regions. Identification of genetic determinants of this trait will be beneficial for improved breeding programs. Using RNA-Sequencing, this study investigated gene expression data from skin of tick-infested Brangus cattle with high (n=5) and low (n=6) resistance. There were 229 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs; FDR<0.05), of which 212 were target genes for 1,866 transcription factors expressed in skin. Regulatory impact factor analysis showed 158 significant TFs (P<0.05) of which GRHL3, and DTX1 were also DEGs in the experiment. Biological pathway enrichment showed the significant TFs and DEGs feature in pathways such as response to infection, transcriptional regulation, and Notch signalling. These results highlight the application of bioinformatic approaches in the identification of key transcriptional factor that are potential drivers of differential expression of host resistance trait in cattle. Thus, these candidate genes could be further explored in gene selection programs to breed for tick resistance in crossbred cattle