A millimeter-wave inflatable frequency-agile elastomeric antenna

This letter reports a millimeter-wave frequency agile microstrip antenna printed on an ultrasoft elastomeric PDMS substrate. The microstrip patch antenna is supported by a PDMS membrane suspended over an air cavity. The distance H between the patch and the ground plane, and thus the resonant frequency of the antenna, are tuned using pneumatic actuation, taking advantage of the extreme softness of the PDMS membrane. A continuous frequency shift varying from 55.35 to 51 GHz ( ≈8%) has been obtained for a tuning range of H between 200µm and 575µm. In all configurations, the antenna remains matched and its radiation characteristics are very satisfactory

A millimeter-wave microstrip antenna array on ultra-flexible micromachined polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer

The use of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), an ultra flexible polymer, as a substrate for the realization of reconfigurable microwave devices in the 60-GHz band is presented. As bulk PDMS is demonstrated to be lossy at millimeter waves, membrane-supported devices are considered. A new reliable and robust technological process has been developped to micromachine membrane-supported transmission lines and microstrip antenna arrays. It is shown that transmission lines printed on 20-µm thick membranes exhibit similar performances as bulk substrates commonly used at millimeter-wave frequencies. A microstrip antenna array has been also designed and fabricated to demonstrate the feasibility of directive antennas supported by large membranes. Promising applications for mechanical beam-steering, beam forming and frequency tunable antennas are expected

Elucidating Antiproliferative Mechanisms of Grapeseed, Guava, and Juniper Berry Extracts

Plant extracts are an untapped source of medicinal potential. Even today they are used as standalone treatments and applied alongside conventional therapies. The focus of our laboratory is to identify plant extracts exhibiting antiproliferative activity in vitro, to determine which chemicals are responsible for this activity, and to elucidate mechanism(s) by which growth is slowed/inhibited by plant extracts. Specifically, we exposed five cell lines/strains to twenty-two plant extracts and measured cell proliferation. Extracts from Vinca, Juniper Berry, Guava, Grapeseed, and Yew slowed the growth of all five lines/strains in a dose dependent fashion. We are working to understand the mechanism of antiproliferation by measuring induction of apoptosis, effects on microtubule assembly, and wound healing

Differences in Characteristics and Outcome of Patients with Penetrating Injuries in the USA and the Netherlands: A Multi-institutional Comparison

Introduction: The incidence and nature of penetrating injuries differ between countries. The aim of this study was to analyze characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with penetrating injuries treated at urban Level-1 trauma centers in the USA (USTC) and the Netherlands (NLTC). Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 1331 adult patients (470 from five NLTC and 861 from three USTC) with truncal penetrating injuries admitted between July 2011 and December 2014 were included. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Outcome comparisons were adjusted for differences in population characteristics in multivariable analyses. Results: In USTC, gunshot wound injuries (36.1 vs. 17.4%, p < 0.001) and assaults were more frequent (91.2 vs. 77.7%, p < 0.001). ISS was higher in USTC, but the Revised Trauma Score (RTS) was comparable. In-hospital mortality was similar (5.0 vs. 3.6% in NLTC, p = 0.25). The adjusted odds ratio for mortality in USTC compared to NLTC was 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.35–2.54). Hospital stay length of stay was shorter in USTC (difference 0.17 days, 95% CI −0.29 to −0.05, p = 0.005), ICU admission rate was comparable (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.71–1.31, p = 0.80), and ICU length of stay was longer in USTC (difference of 0.39 days, 95% CI 0.18–0.60, p < 0.0001). More USTC patients were discharged to home (86.9 vs. 80.6%, p < 0.001). Readmission rates were similar (5.6 vs. 3.8%, p = 0.17). Conclusion: Despite the higher incidence of penetrating trauma, particularly firearm-related injuries, and higher hospital volumes in the USTC compared to the NLTC, the in-hospital mortality was similar. In this study, outcome of care was not significantly influenced by differences in incidence of firearm-related injuries

Studies of Hadronic Event Structure in e+e- Annihilation from 30 GeV to 209 GeV with the L3 Detector

In this Report, QCD results obtained from a study of hadronic event structure in high energy e^+e^- interactions with the L3 detector are presented. The operation of the LEP collider at many different collision energies from 91 GeV to 209 GeV offers a unique opportunity to test QCD by measuring the energy dependence of different observables. The main results concern the measurement of the strong coupling constant, \alpha_s, from hadronic event shapes and the study of effects of soft gluon coherence through charged particle multiplicity and momentum distributions.Comment: To appear in Physics Report

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field