INFORMATIVE POSSIBILITIES OF SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY TO DETERMINE PREMORTAL CHARACTER AND DURATION OF SKIN WOUNDS

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An investigation on vibration-based damage detection in circular plates

This study aims at the development of vibration-based health monitoring (VHM) methodology for thin circular plates. The possibility of using the first several natural frequencies of a circular plate for damage detection purposes is investigated first. The study then suggests a damage detection method, which considers a vibrating plate as a dynamic system and uses its time domain response represented in a new phase (state) space to extract damage sensitive characteristics. The paper introduces the idea of using large amplitude vibrations and nonlinear time series analysis for damage detection purposes. The suggested damage detection approach explores the possibility to use certain characteristics of the distribution of phase space points on the attractor of the system. It studies the histograms of this distribution and attempts to extract damage sensitive features. Three damage features are suggested and they are shown to detect damage at a rather low level using a finite element model of the plate. The method suggested is rather generic and permits development and application to more complex structures and real data

PROSTAGLANDINS AS AN INFORMATION MEANS CONCERNING THE VITAL CHARACTER AND DURATION OF SKIN INJURIES

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A Posteriori Error Estimates for Nonconforming Approximations of Evolutionary Convection-Diffusion Problems

We derive computable upper bounds for the difference between an exact solution of the evolutionary convection-diffusion problem and an approximation of this solution. The estimates are obtained by certain transformations of the integral identity that defines the generalized solution. These estimates depend on neither special properties of the exact solution nor its approximation, and involve only global constants coming from embedding inequalities. The estimates are first derived for functions in the corresponding energy space, and then possible extensions to classes of piecewise continuous approximations are discussed.Comment: 10 page

Charge transfer mechanism and Tc(x) dependence in Y0.8(Ca)0.2Ba2Cu3O6+x

We propose a model for charge transfer mechanism in Y0.8(Ca)0.2Ba2Cu3O6+x to count hole doping of CuO2 planes and x dependence of critical transition temperature T_c. It is assumed the total number of doped holes in the planes is sum of holes that are introduced through two separate channels: substitution of Y3+ by Ca2+ and from CuO chains that are longer than a minimal (critical) length l_min needed for charge transfer to take place. The T_c(x) dependence is obtained by combining calculated x dependence of doping, p(x), and universal T_c versus p relation. Although calculated T_c(x) dependences for l_min=3 and l_min=4 both remarkably correlate to the experimental T_c(x), we argue that the value l_min=4 gives a reasonable overall agreement.Comment: Four pages of text, 2 figures, corrected typing error in abstract: Y2+ and Ca3+ replaced by Y3+ and Ca2+. Thw word "each" added in page 3, line 4. Accepted in Superconductor Science and Technology, on 07.Apr.2008, after having been considerably revise

Facial soft tissue thicknesses in Bulgarian adults: relation to sex, body mass index and bilateral asymmetry

Background: The aim of the study is to measure the facial soft tissue thicknesses (STTs) in Bulgarians, to evaluate the relation of the STTs to the nutritional status, sex and bilateral asymmetry, and to examine the correlations between the separate STTs as well as between the STTs and body weight, height, and body mass index (BMI). In the present study, the facial STTs were measured on computed tomography scans of the head of Bulgarian adults. Materials and methods: The STTs were measured at 7 midline and 9 bilateral landmarks. The measurements were performed in the free software InVesalius in the axial and sagittal planes. The mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values, median and coefficient of variation were reported for the STT at each landmark according to the sex and BMI category. The BMI, sex and bilateral differences were assessed for statistical significance. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to assess the strength and direction of the relationships between the STTs and body height, weight and BMI, as well as between separate STTs. Results and Conclusions: The facial soft tissues in Bulgarian adults changed in accordance with the nutritional status of the individual and in both sexes all STTs augmented with the increasing BMI. For both normal and overweight BMI categories, males had more soft tissue at the majority of facial points than females, as the only exceptions were observed in the cheek zone, where STTs were thicker in females. Significant bilateral differences were observed in either sex and BMI category. Stronger correlations were established for the STTs in the jaw region and between the cheek and jaw soft tissues. Besides, the correlations between the homologous bilateral landmarks were among the strongest ones

Zabieg ablacji prądem o wysokiej częstotliwości u dziecka z zespołem Wolffa-Parkinsona-White’a oraz wrodzonym skorygowanym przełożeniem wielkich pni tętniczych

W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono przypadek kliniczny 5-letniego chłopca chorującego na zespół Wolffa-Parkinsona-White’a, który dotychczas przeszedł trzy paliatywne operacje kardiochirurgiczne z powodu wrodzonego skorygowanego przełożenia wielkich pni tętniczych, otworu w przegrodzie międzykomorowej oraz niepełnej atrezji pnia płucnego. Wykonano ablację prądem o wysokiej częstotliwości drogi dodatkowej zlokalizowanej w poprzek pierścienia systemowej zastawki przedsionkowo-komorowej. Zabieg przebiegał bez powikłań i zakończył się sukcesem. Czas wykonania zabiegu przyspieszono ze względu na zaplanowany kolejny kardiochirurgiczny zabieg paliatywny, który wykluczyłby dożylny dostęp do jam mięśnia sercowego. Opis tego przypadku podnosi ważną kwestię precyzyjnego określenia czasu wykonania zabiegu ablacyjnego u takich chorych oraz ukazuje fakt, że zabieg kardiochirurgiczny sam w sobie może ułatwić zabieg ablacyjny. (Folia Cardiologica Excerpta 2008; 3: 50-54

Controlling the half-metallicity of Heusler/Si(1 1 1) interfaces by a monolayer of Si–Co–Si

By using first-principles calculations we show that the spin-polarization reverses its sign at atomically abrupt interfaces between the half-metallic Co₂ (Fe,Mn)(Al,Si) and Si(1 1 1). This unfavourable spin-electronic configuration at the Fermi-level can be completely removed by introducing a Si–Co–Si monolayer at the interface. In addition, this interfacial monolayer shifts the Fermi-level from the valence band edge close to the conduction band edge of Si. We show that such a layer is energetically favourable to exist at the interface. This was further confirmed by direct observations of CoSi₂ nano-islands at the interface, by employing atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy

Polar Spinel-Perovskite Interfaces: an atomistic study of Fe3O4(111)/SrTiO3(111) structure and functionality

Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy combined with ab initio electronic calculations are used to determine the structure and properties of the Fe3O4(111)/SrTiO3(111) polar interface. The interfacial structure and chemical composition are shown to be atomically sharp and of an octahedral Fe/SrO3 nature. Band alignment across the interface pins the Fermi level in the vicinity of the conduction band of SrTiO3. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate very high spin-polarization of Fe3O4 in the interface vicinity which suggests that this system may be an excellent candidate for spintronic applications

Erk1/2 MAP kinases are required for epidermal G2/M progression

Erk1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are often hyperactivated in human cancers, where they affect multiple processes, including proliferation. However, the effects of Erk1/2 loss in normal epithelial tissue, the setting of most extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)–associated neoplasms, are unknown. In epidermis, loss of Erk1 or Erk2 individually has no effect, whereas simultaneous Erk1/2 depletion inhibits cell division, demonstrating that these MAPKs are necessary for normal tissue self-renewal. Growth inhibition caused by Erk1/2 loss is rescued by reintroducing Erk2, but not by activating Erk effectors that promote G1 cell cycle progression. Unlike fibroblasts, in which Erk1/2 loss decreases cyclin D1 expression and induces G1/S arrest, Erk1/2 loss in epithelial cells reduces cyclin B1 and c-Fos expression and induces G2/M arrest while disrupting a gene regulatory network centered on cyclin B1–Cdc2. Thus, the cell cycle stages at which Erk1/2 activity is required vary by cell type, with Erk1/2 functioning in epithelial cells to enable progression through G2/M