Characterization of arsenic-rich waste slurries generated during gallium arsenide wafer lapping and polishing

The toxicology of gallium arsenide is well established; it is classified by the state of California as a known carcinogen. Consequently, environmental aspects of GaAs wafer manufacture are coming under greater scrutiny, with the cost of waste disposal becoming an economic issue for fabs operating under this jurisdiction. It is estimated that 85% of a GaAs boule is lost during manufacturing and device packaging, which usually ends up land filled as hazardous waste. This percentage is likely to increase as final wafer thickness is reduced to improve thermal dissipation. GaAs wafer backthinning and polishing generates waste slurries that are contaminated by arsenic and must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Although GaAs is largely insoluble in H2O, it is readily oxidized to soluble oxides and hydroxides, especially during chemo-mechanical polishing. Further, the valency state of the arsenic species determines the toxicity of effluent. Waste slurries from three sources were studied by ICP-MS and ICP-OES analysis to determine the amount of arsenic in the supernate and the form of the arsenic species. This data was related to mechanical lapping processes, such as the size distribution of particles in the slurry, and to the oxidation chemistry of the polishing processes. The analytical results provide guidance as to the most effective strategy to minimize the environmental impact of slurries produced during wafer thinning and polishing

Numerical study of axisymmetric vortex breakdowns

Axisymmetric flow of rotating stream analyzed to determine conditions allowing isolated vortex breakdown to develo

Overweight, physical activity and high blood pressure in children: a review of the literature

Obesity is a growing problem in developed countries and is likely a major cause of the increased prevalence of high blood pressure in children. The aim of this review is to provide clinicians and clinical scientists with an overview of the current state of the literature describing the negative influence of obesity on blood pressure and it’s determinants in children. In short, we discuss the array of vascular abnormalities seen in overweight children and adolescents, including endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffening and insulin resistance. We also discuss the potential role of an increased activation of the sympathetic nervous system in the development of high blood pressure and vascular dysfunction associated with obesity. As there is little consensus regarding the methods to prevent or treat high blood pressure in children, we also provide a summary of the evidence supporting relationship between physical activity and blood pressure in children and adolescents. After reviewing a number of physical activity intervention studies performed in children, it appears as though 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic-based physical activity 3–5 days/week is required to improve vascular function and reduce blood pressure in obese children. Future studies should focus on describing the influence of physical activity on blood pressure control in overweight children

Formality and informality in the summative assessment of motor vehicle apprentices: a case study

This article explores the interaction of formal and informal attributes of competence‐based assessment. Specifically, it presents evidence from a small qualitative case study of summative assessment practices for competence‐based qualifications within apprenticeships in the motor industry in England. The data are analysed through applying an adaptation of a framework for exploring the interplay of formality and informality in learning. This analysis reveals informal mentoring as a significant element which influences not only the process of assessment, but also its outcomes. We offer different possible interpretations of the data and their analysis, and conclude that, whichever interpretation is adopted, there appears to be a need for greater capacity‐building for assessors at a local level. This could acknowledge a more holistic role for assessors; recognise the importance of assessors’ informal practices in the formal retention and achievement of apprentices; and enhance awareness of inequalities that may be reinforced by both informal and formal attributes of assessment practices

Polarization, directional distribution, and off-specular peak phenomena in light reflected from roughened surfaces

Surface roughness and incident angle effect on angular distribution, polarization, and specular peak of reflected thermal radiatio

From band insulator to Mott insulator in one dimension

We derive the phase diagram for the one-dimensional model of a ferroelectric perovskite recently introduced by Egami, Ishihara and Tachiki [Science, {\bf 261}, 1307 (1993)]. We show that the interplay between covalency, ionicity and strong correlations results in a spontaneously dimerized phase which separates the weak-coupling band insulator from the strong-coupling Mott insulator. The transition from the band insulator to the dimerized phase is identified as an Ising critical point. The charge gap vanishes at this single point with the optical conductivity diverging as $\sigma(\omega)\sim \omega^{-3/4}$. The spin excitations are gapless above the second transition to the Mott insulator phase.Comment: 4 pages LaTex (RevTex) and 1 postscript figure included by eps

The role of micrornas in the development of hospital acquired infection in polytrauma patients

Introduction Traumatic injury is associated with immunosuppression and an increased risk of developing nosocomial infections. However, the immune regulatory mechanisms involved remain unclear. Objectives 1) To describe genome-wide alterations in micro RNA (miRNA) expression following severe trauma. 2) To explore the potential role of miRNAs in mediating the post-traumatic immunosuppressive phenotype and their potential role in enhancing the risk of nosocomial infections. Methods Patients requiring ICU care following traumatic injury were recruited. Whole blood was collected within 2 hours of injury and 24 hours later. Total RNA (containing miRNAs) was isolated utilising PAX Gene and RNA extraction kits (Qiagen). miRNA-sequencing was performed with the Illumina HiSeq2500, and sequences were aligned to the human GRCh37 reference genome. Data analysis was carried out using the DESEQ2 package in R, and miRNAs were considered significantly altered with an adjusted p value of < 0.05. Functional enrichment analysis was performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) on all miRNAs reaching an adjusted p value of < 0.1. mRNA targets of interest were identified using miRBase and TargetScan (http://www.mirbase.org, http://www.targetscan.org). Results 49 patients were recruited and 25 patients developed nosocomial infections. Expression of 139 miRNAs was significantly altered between 2 hours and 24 hours following injury, with miR-146b, a key inhibitor of pro-inflammatory pathways[1], upregulated to the greatest degree. Figure 1 presents miRNAs that differ between those patients who developed nosocomial infections and those who did not. miR-144-5p was significantly different between the two groups at both time points. a large percentage of mRNA targets for miR-144 are involved the Cell-mediated Immune Response (Figure 2), including the B-cell receptor complex, p38MAPK, GATA3, IgG, BCL6 and the T-cell receptor. in addition, we have previously shown that the miR-374 family of miRNAs is linked to increased IL-10 expression in trauma patients[2]. IPA highlights Cancer, Haematological Disease, Immunological and Inflammatory Disease and Organismal Injury and Abnormalities as important pathways altered between infected and non-infected patients. Conclusions These data provide a miRNA signature of severely injured trauma patients who develop hospital acquired infection compared to those who do not, and identify the miR-144 and miR-374b families as being of particular interest for future studies of trauma-induced immune dysfunction

T-helper cell polarisation following severe polytrauma

Introduction Severe polytrauma induces an immunosuppressive response and is associated with a very high incidence of nosocomial infections. Previous studies have inferred that this detrimental immune response results from polarisation of the T helper (Th) response towards an anti-inflammatory, TH2 dominated, response at the expense of a bactericidal, Th1 response [1]. Objectives 1) To define alterations in TH cell subsets following severe blunt polytrauma. Methods Patients presenting to the emergency department within 2 hours of severe polytrauma were eligible if intubated either at the scene or in ED. Isolated head injuries and those not expected to survive 24 hours were excluded. EDTA anti-coagulated blood was drawn at 0hr (within 2 hours of injury), at 24 and 72hrs. Samples were immediately lysed, washed, stained and analysed using a standardised human 8-colour TH 1, 2 & 17 panel [2] on an LSR II flow cytometer. A paired white cell count differential was obtained at each sampling point. Patients were followed until discharge or death. Data were analysed using non-parametric statistics, with results presented as median and IQR. Results 15 consecutive severe polytrauma patients requiring Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission were recruited. Demographic and clinical data are outlined in Figure 1. Twelve (80%) lymphocytosis (3.3x109/L, 2.5 - 4.4x109/L) (Figyre 2A). At 72 hours leukocytes had fallen (P < 0.01, figure 2A) such that 6 (54%) of those surviving were lymphopenic (0.9x109/L, 0.6 - 1.2x109/L). Circulating CD4+ (P = 0.01; Figure 2B) and CD4+CD25+ (P < 0.05) lymphocytes increased over 72 hours. When expressed as a percentage of total circulating lymphocytes no significant change in the proportions of the TH 1, 2 & 17 subpopulations was detected (Figure 2C-E). Conclusions Severe polytrauma patients swiftly become lymphopenic. Although a failure to normalise this during the ICU stay correlates with higher mortality [3] our study of TH cell subtypes demonstrates no evidence of a switch to a detrimental anti-inflammatory TH2 subtype at the expense of the potentially protective bactericidal TH1 subtype

Epigenetic regulatory pathways involving microRNAs may modulate the host immune response following major trauma

BACKGROUND Posttraumatic nosocomial pneumonia is a common complication resulting in significant morbidity. Trauma-induced immunocompromise is associated with an enhanced susceptibility to pneumonia. In this study, we explore the hypothesis that posttranscriptional epigenetic regulation of gene expression may be an important factor in determining this immune phenotype. We describe the pattern of production of microRNAss (miRs) and their association with nosocomial pneumonia following severe trauma. METHODS A convenience sample of 30 ventilated polytrauma patients (UKCRN ID: 5637) and 16 healthy controls were recruited. Messenger RNA and protein levels of key cytokines were quantified within 2 hours of the injury and at 24 hours. Three miRs per cytokine were then selected based on miRBase target prediction scores and quantified using polymerase chain reaction. Nosocomial pneumonia was defined using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definitions. RESULTS Median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 29, and 47% of the patients developed nosocomial pneumonia. miR-125a and miR-202 decreased by 34% and 77%, respectively, immediately following injury, whereas their target, IL-10, increased messenger RNA levels 3-fold and protein levels 180 fold. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-12 gene expression decreased by 68% and 43%, respectively, following injury, and this was mirrored by a 10-fold increase in miR-181, an miR predicted to target TNF-α transcripts. Lower levels of miR-125a and miR-374b were associated with the later acquisition of hospital-acquired pneumonia. CONCLUSION Alteration in the expression of miRs with highly predicted complementarity to IL-10 and TNF-α may be an important mechanism regulating the posttraumatic immunosuppressive phenotype in intensive care unit patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Retrospective observational study, level III

In-situ epitaxial growth of superconducting La-based bilayer cuprate thin films

We investigate the epitaxial growth of bilayer cuprate La2CaCu2O6+\delta using pure ozone as an oxidant, and find that even the crystal with parent composition without cation substitution can show metallic behavior with the aid of epitaxial strain effect. The hole concentration is controlled simply by excess-oxygen doping, and the films grown under the optimum conditions exhibit superconductivity below 30 K. This is the first result on the superconductivity of bilayer La2CaCu2O6+\delta induced purely by the excess oxygen.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, To appear in Phys. Rev. B, Rapid Communication