Examination of Acid-Fast Bacilli in Sputum Using Modified Light Microscope with Homemade Light Emitting Diode Additional Attachment

Typical clinical symptoms and chest X-ray is a marker of Tuberculosis (TB) sufferers. However, the diagnosis of TB in adults should be supported by microscopic examination. Currently, Bacilli microscopic examination of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in sputum by Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) coloring is the most widely used. However, for reasons of convenience, especially for laboratories with a considerable amount of smear samples, and due to higher sensitivity compared with ZN staining, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of auramine-O-staining (fluorochrome  staining), which is visualized by light emitting diode (LED) fluorescence microscopy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of modified light microscope with homemade LED additional attachment for examination of AFB in sputum using auramine-O-staining method. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of 2 kinds of AFB in sputum methods: ZN and fluorochrome, using culture on Lowenstein-Jensen media as the gold standard. The results showed auramine-O-staining gives more proportion of positive findings (81%) compared to the ZN method (70%). These results demonstrated that the sensitivity of auramine-O-staining was higher than ZN, however it gives more potential false positive results than ZN. The sensitivity of auramine-O-staining in detecting AFB in sputum was 100% while the specificity was 88%

The Trialectics of Knowledge, Space and Identity in Ancient Civilizations and in the Study of Antiquity

Topoi research group B-4 Space – Identity – Locality focuses its research on the interconnections between knowledge, space and identities. A multiplicity of sources – texts, images, architecture and objects – are analyzed both in their historical context and for their historiographic value. Following a brief description of the projects, key concepts of knowledge, space and identity are outlined as they relate to our specific research themes. We use ‘trialectics’ to emphasize that knowledge, space and identity constitute and influence each other. Concrete configurations of this constantly changing interplay of factors are illustrated by two case studies – the ritual compositions from Kizzuwatna (present southern Turkey) and the coin hoard of Krepost (present Bulgaria)

A high-resolution bathymetry map for the Marguerite Bay and adjacent west Antarctic Peninsula shelf for the Southern Ocean GLOBEC Program

One objective of the U.S. Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (SO GLOBEC) program is to gain a better understanding of the sea floor bathymetry in the program study area. Much of Marguerite Bay and the adjacent shelf west of the Antarctic Peninsula were poorly charted when the SO GLOBEC program started in 2000. Before the first SO GLOBEC cruise, an improved local area version (ETOPO8.2A) was created from the Smith and Sandwell (1997) topo_8.2.img 2-minute digital gridded bathymetry for the study area. The first SO GLOBEC mooring cruise on the R/V Lawrence M. Gould (March 2001) showed that the 2-minute spatial resolution of ETOPO8.2A did not resolve many of the canyons and abrupt changes in topography that characterize Marguerite Bay and the inner- to mid-shelf region. It also was not particularly accurate in the more uniform terrain regions. We then decided to collect as much multibeam bathymetry data as possible during the SO GLOBEC broad-scale survey cruises on the R/VIB Nathaniel B. Palmer and combine these data with all other available multibeam and trackline bathymetry data to construct a digital bathymetry database and map for the study area. The resulting database has high-resolution data over much of the shelf and parts of Marguerite Bay gridded at 2 seconds in latitude and 6 seconds in longitude spacing between 65° to 71° S and 65° to 78° W. This technical report describes the steps taken to assemble and construct this database and how to access the data via the Internet.Funding was provided by the Office of Naval Research under Contract No. N00014-99-1-0213

Receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) deficiency protects against MPTP toxicity

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Competition of fusion and quasi-fission in the reactions leading to production of the superheavy elements

The mechanism of fusion hindrance, an effect observed in the reactions of cold, warm and hot fusion leading to production of the superheavy elements, is investigated. A systematics of transfermium production cross sections is used to determine fusion probabilities. Mechanism of fusion hindrance is described as a competition of fusion and quasi-fission. Available evaporation residue cross sections in the superheavy region are reproduced satisfactorily. Analysis of the measured capture cross sections is performed and a sudden disappearance of the capture cross sections is observed at low fusion probabilities. A dependence of the fusion hindrance on the asymmetry of the projectile-target system is investigated using the available data. The most promising pathways for further experiments are suggested.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, talk presented at 7th International School-Seminar on Heavy-Ion Physics, May 27 - June 1, 2002, Dubna, Russi

Intense non-neutral beam propagation in a periodic solenoidal field using a macroscopic fluid model with zero thermal emittance

A macroscopic fluid model is developed to describe the nonlinear dynamics and collective processes in an intense high-current beam propagating in the z-direction through a periodic focusing solenoidal field B{sub z}(z + S) = B{sub z}(z), where S is the axial periodicity length. The analysis assumes that space-charge effects dominate the effects of thermal beam emittance, Kr{sub b}{sup 2} {much_gt} {epsilon}{sub th}{sup 2}, and is based on the macroscopic moment-Maxwell equations, truncated by neglecting the pressure tensor and higher-order moments. Assuming a thin beam with r{sub b} {much_lt} S, azimuthally symmetric beam equilibria with {partial_derivative}/{partial_derivative}t = 0 = {partial_derivative}/{partial_derivative}{theta} are investigated. To illustrate the considerable flexibility of the macroscopic formalism, assuming (nearly) uniform axial flow velocity V{sub b} over the beam cross section, beam equilibrium properties are calculated for two examples: (a) uniform radial density profile over the interval 0 {le} r < r{sub b}(z), and (b) an infinitesimally thin annular beam centered at r = r{sub b}(z). The analysis generally allows for the azimuthal flow velocity V{sub {theta}b}(r,z) to differ from the Larmor frequency, and the model is used to calculate the (leading-order) correction {delta}V{sub zb}(r,z) to the axial flow velocity for the step-function density profile in case (a) above

Short monolithic dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode DBR phosphate fiber laser

We propose and demonstrate a 5-cm-long monolithic dual-wavelength single-longitudinal mode distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) all-phosphate fiber laser. Strong UV-induced fiber Bragg gratings are directly written in highly Er/Yb codoped phosphate fiber. The separation between gratings is selected as 1 cm to only excite two longitudinal modes in the DBR cavity. By exploiting the spatial hole burning effect and the polarization hole burning effect, stable narrow-linewidth dual-wavelength lasing emission with 38 pm wavelength spacing and a total emitted power of 2.8 mW is obtained from this DBR fiber laser. A microwave signal at 4.58 GHz is generated by the heterodyne detection of the dual-wavelength laser

Photosensitivity and thermal stability of UV-induced fiber Bragg gratings in phosphate glass fibers

The photosensitivity of highly Er/Yb doped and undoped phosphate glass fibers is characterized under irradiation with intense pulsed 193 nm light from an ArF excimer laser through a phase mask. The ultraviolet photosensitivity of the active fibers is shown to be roughly half that of the passive fibers. We also demonstrate that the strong growth of the fiber Bragg grating reflectivity observed upon heating at temperatures between 100 - 250 degrees C is directly related to the UV irradiation time, but not to the size of the index modulation of the seed grating or even to the fiber type (Er/Yb doped or undoped). The conditions to reliably obtain final index modulations amplitudes between 5 and 10 x 10(-5) are given

Ru on N‐doped Carbon for the Selective Hydrogenolysis of Sugars and Sugar Alcohols

Glycols are accessible via metal‐catalyzed hydrogenolysis of sugar alcohols such as xylitol obtained from hemicellulose. Ru‐based catalysts are highly active but also catalyze side‐reactions such as decarbonylation and deoxygenation. To achieve high selectivity, these reactions need to be suppressed. In our study, we introduce heteroatom doped carbon materials as catalyst supports providing high selectivity. Heteroatom doping with nitrogen and oxygen was achieved by treating activated carbon with HNO₃, NH₃ and H₂ or carbonization of organic precursors. For all N‐doped materials a high glycol selectivity of ∼ 80 % for sorbitol and xylitol and 44 % for xylose and glucose was reached. XPS analysis confirms the presence of different nitrogen species at the carbon surface and varying ligand effects for oxygen and nitrogen. Oxygen has an electron withdrawing effect on ruthenium and leads to a decreased activity. Nitrogen has weaker electron withdrawing properties, resulting in an enhanced selectivity