Characterization and control of unconfined lateral diffusion under stencil masks

A quantitative study of the spreading behavior of electron-beam-evaporated Al, Au, Cr, Ge, Pt, and Ti on oxidized Si substrates has been performed using translated stencil masks. At least two mechanisms are needed to account for the lateral spreading of the deposited materials: The deposition edge moves by a Fickian diffusion with a diffusion coefficient of 6.7nm2/s6.7nm2∕s at 45°C45°C which is approximately independent of the deposited material. Once under the stencil mask, the deposited material spreads 0.1–2μm0.1–2μm (at 45°C45°C for under 2h2h), in a thin layer as a result of surface diffusion. The evaporation in N2N2 or O2O2 at 50μTorr50μTorr significantly suppresses the spreading with Ti showing the greatest reduction of (7–8)×

An idiographic statistical approach to clinical hypothesis testing for routine psychotherapy: A case study.

In order to develop more targeted, efficient, and effective psychotherapeutic interventions, calls have been made in the literature for greater use of idiographic hypothesis testing. Idiographic analyses can provide useful information regarding mechanisms of change within individuals over time during treatment. However, it remains unclear how clinicians might utilize idiographic statistical analyses during routine treatment to test clinical hypotheses, and in turn, guide treatment. We present an idiographic statistical framework for clinical hypothesis testing with routine treatment data that enables clinicians to examine a) whether the client's symptoms and hypothesized mechanisms change over time, b) whether trajectories of change reflect the timing of interventions, c) whether mechanisms predict subsequent symptoms, and d) whether relationships exist between multiple mechanisms, symptoms, or other treatment-related constructs over time. We demonstrate the utility of the approach for clinical hypothesis testing by applying it to routine treatment data collected from a 56 year-old male who presented with a combination of anger problems, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. We discuss how results from analyses can inform the case-formulation and guide clinical decision-making. We aim to make these methods more accessible by providing an online platform where clinicians can enter client data, test their clinical hypotheses using idiographic analyses, and utilize the results to disseminate their findings

Dual-Wavelength Imaging of Tumor Progression by Activatable and Targeting Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probes in a Bioluminescent Breast Cancer Model

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) has shown its appeal as a sensitive technique for in vivo whole body optical imaging. However, the development of injectable tumor-specific near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) probes makes fluorescence imaging (FLI) a promising alternative to BLI in situations where BLI cannot be used or is unwanted (e.g., spontaneous transgenic tumor models, or syngeneic mice to study immune effects)

Anomalies in the review process and interpretation of the evidence in the NICE guideline for chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a disabling long-term condition of unknown cause. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a guideline in 2021 that highlighted the seriousness of the condition, but also recommended that graded exercise therapy (GET) should not be used and cognitive-behavioural therapy should only be used to manage symptoms and reduce distress, not to aid recovery. This U-turn in recommendations from the previous 2007 guideline is controversial.We suggest that the controversy stems from anomalies in both processing and interpretation of the evidence by the NICE committee. The committee: (1) created a new definition of CFS/ME, which 'downgraded' the certainty of trial evidence; (2) omitted data from standard trial end points used to assess efficacy; (3) discounted trial data when assessing treatment harm in favour of lower quality surveys and qualitative studies; (4) minimised the importance of fatigue as an outcome; (5) did not use accepted practices to synthesise trial evidence adequately using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations trial evidence); (6) interpreted GET as mandating fixed increments of change when trials defined it as collaborative, negotiated and symptom dependent; (7) deviated from NICE recommendations of rehabilitation for related conditions, such as chronic primary pain and (8) recommended an energy management approach in the absence of supportive research evidence.We conclude that the dissonance between this and the previous guideline was the result of deviating from usual scientific standards of the NICE process. The consequences of this are that patients may be denied helpful treatments and therefore risk persistent ill health and disability

The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning

This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.Comment: 5th version as accepted to PASP; 31 pages, 18 figures; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/acb29

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

Live Cell in Vitro and in Vivo Imaging Applications: Accelerating Drug Discovery

Dynamic regulation of specific molecular processes and cellular phenotypes in live cell systems reveal unique insights into cell fate and drug pharmacology that are not gained from traditional fixed endpoint assays. Recent advances in microscopic imaging platform technology combined with the development of novel optical biosensors and sophisticated image analysis solutions have increased the scope of live cell imaging applications in drug discovery. We highlight recent literature examples where live cell imaging has uncovered novel insight into biological mechanism or drug mode-of-action. We survey distinct types of optical biosensors and associated analytical methods for monitoring molecular dynamics, in vitro and in vivo. We describe the recent expansion of live cell imaging into automated target validation and drug screening activities through the development of dedicated brightfield and fluorescence kinetic imaging platforms. We provide specific examples of how temporal profiling of phenotypic response signatures using such kinetic imaging platforms can increase the value of in vitro high-content screening. Finally, we offer a prospective view of how further application and development of live cell imaging technology and reagents can accelerate preclinical lead optimization cycles and enhance the in vitro to in vivo translation of drug candidates