Velocity-selective direct frequency-comb spectroscopy of atomic vapors

We present an experimental and theoretical investigation of two-photon direct frequency-comb spectroscopy performed through velocity-selective excitation. In particular, we explore the effect of repetition rate on the $\textrm{5S}_{1/2}\rightarrow \textrm{5D}_{3/2, 5/2}$ two-photon transitions excited in a rubidium atomic vapor cell. The transitions occur via step-wise excitation through the $\textrm{5P}_{1/2, 3/2}$ states by use of the direct output of an optical frequency comb. Experiments were performed with two different frequency combs, one with a repetition rate of $\approx 925$ MHz and one with a repetition rate of $\approx 250$ MHz. The experimental spectra are compared to each other and to a theoretical model.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Photovoltaic retinal prosthesis : implant fabrication and performance

The objective of this work is to develop and test a photovoltaic retinal prosthesis for restoring sight to patients blinded by degenerative retinal diseases. A silicon photodiode array for subretinal stimulation has been fabricated by a silicon-integrated-circuit/MEMS process. Each pixel in the two-dimensional array contains three series-connected photodiodes, which photovoltaically convert pulsed near-infrared light into bi-phasic current to stimulate nearby retinal neurons without wired power connections. The device thickness is chosen to be 30 µm to absorb a significant portion of light while still being thin enough for subretinal implantation. Active and return electrodes confine current near each pixel and are sputter coated with iridium oxide to enhance charge injection levels and provide a stable neural interface. Pixels are separated by 5 µm wide trenches to electrically isolate them and to allow nutrient diffusion through the device. Three sizes of pixels (280, 140 and 70 µm) with active electrodes of 80, 40 and 20 µm diameter were fabricated. The turn-on voltages of the one-diode, two-series-connected diode and three-series-connected diode structures are approximately 0.6, 1.2 and 1.8 V, respectively. The measured photo-responsivity per diode at 880 nm wavelength is ~0.36 A W−1, at zero voltage bias and scales with the exposed silicon area. For all three pixel sizes, the reverse-bias dark current is sufficiently low (<100 pA) for our application. Pixels of all three sizes reliably elicit retinal responses at safe near-infrared light irradiances, with good acceptance of the photodiode array in the subretinal space. The fabricated device delivers efficient retinal stimulation at safe near-infrared light irradiances without any wired power connections, which greatly simplifies the implantation procedure. Presence of the return electrodes in each pixel helps to localize the current, and thereby improves resolution

Heat transfer enhancement strategies in a swirl flow channel heat sink based on hydrodynamic receptivity

Doctor en Ciencias de la Ingeniería, Mención FluidodinámicaEl disipador de calor de canal con flujo espiral ha demostrado ser una alternativa prometedora para el manejo térmico de aplicaciones de alto flujo de calor, como electrónica y fotovoltaica concentrada. Temperaturas indeseadas son perjudiciales para el despempeño, la seguridad y la vida útil de estos dispositivos, por lo cual la investigación de tecnologías de enfriamiento de alto flujo de calor es una de las áreas de transferencia de calor con mayor actividad en la actualidad. En este trabajo se identifican estrategias eficientes para el aumento de la transferencia de calor en el disipador de calor de canal con flujo espiral estudiando la respuesta de las perturbaciones de temperatura frente a un forzamiento de momentum. Se presentan simulaciones numéricas de los campos de velocidad y temperatura estacionarios en el dispositivo para investigar el efecto de los parámetros de diseño en el desempeño termohidráulico. La rotación del fluido induce una componente de flujo cruzado, y se encuentra que esto aumenta considerablemente la transferencia de calor convectiva debido a movimiento del fluido hacia la superficie de intercambio térmico. En este estudio, se usa el marco de la teoría de estabilidad no modal para estudiar la estabilidad y receptividad del flujo estacionario en el canal de flujo espiral. Para este propósito, se formula un problema de perturbaciones lineales con un forzamiento armónico usando las aproximaciones de flujo local y paralelo. Al contrario del flujo de Poiseuille plano, se encuentra que el crecimiento transiente de las perturbaciones es pequeño, y por lo tanto, no juega un rol en el mecanismo de transición. La transición se le atribuye a la inestabilidad de flujo cruzado que ocurre por el cambio en la forma del perfil de velocidad debido a los efectos rotacionales. Se lleva a cabo un experimento de visualización de flujo y se encuentra una concordancia cualitativa entre los patrones de difusión observados y el número de Reynolds crítico predicho. La mayor amplificación en la respuesta de temperatura frente al forzamiento de momentum es presentada por vórtices y trazas longitudinales, seguidas por ondas viajeras radiales, y luego por ondas viajeras longitudinales. Se lleva a cabo un experimento para medir el desempeño del disipador de calor usando un flujo pulsante con frecuencias de forzamiento dentro del rango sugerido por el análisis de receptividad. Para obtener la misma temperatura de pared que en el caso sin pulsaciones, se observa una reducción de la potencia de bombeo de hasta un 26.6%, y usando la misma potencia de bombeo se obtiene un aumento del Nusselt de hasta un 10.3%. Este enfoque para identificar estrategias para el aumento de la transferencia de calor basado en física se puede extender a otras técnicas, por ejemplo, para seleccionar la longitud de onda en una superficie ondulada, la periodicidad de elementos de rugosidad, o la frequencia de vibraciones acústicas

The RECORD manual: Benchmarking innovative research organisations in European accession countries

No abstract available

Gene Expression Profiling in Down Syndrome Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Identifies Distinct Profiles Associated with CRLF2 Expression Status

Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a 10 to 20-fold increased risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and they have experienced poorer outcomes on recent major protocols worldwide. The cytogenetic abnormalities which are generally common in childhood ALL and contribute to risk-based treatment assignment are markedly less frequent in children with DS-ALL. Recently, activating mutations in Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) have been identified in approximately 20% of DS-ALL, and interstitial deletions involving cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2) in approximately 50% of DS-ALL. Global gene expression profiling may provide insights into the biologic consequences of these molecular lesions. We performed microarray analysis of RNA from diagnostic bone marrow samples in 23 DS-ALL and 26 non-DS ALL cases using the Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 array. CRLF2 expression was high in 10 of the 23 DS-ALL cases, 3 of which also bore JAK2 mutations, and in a single non-DS ALL case. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis demonstrated clustering of non-DS ALL cases belonging to known cytogenetic subgroups such as E2A-PBX1, MLL rearrangement, and high hyperdiploidy. In contrast, neither DS-ALL cases overall nor the JAK2-mutated or high CRLF2 expressing cases formed a cohesive cluster. Supervised analysis identified 43 genes that were differentially expressed between CRLF2 high versus low cases with a false discovery rate <10%. Several of the most highly differentially expressed genes were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. These included three genes with high expression in CRLF2-high cases: chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 17 (CCL17) (p=0.01), V-yes-1 Yamaguchi sarcoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (YES1) (p=0.007), and Iroquois homeobox 2 (IRX2) (p=0.008); and one gene with expression inversely correlated with CRLF2 expression: dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) (p=0.0015). Our findings suggest that DS-ALL does not form a single distinct biologic subgroup, but nearly half of DS-ALL cases are defined by high CRLF2 expression, a substantial enrichment for this lesion compared to its prevalence in non-DS ALL. Identification of downstream pathways may identify opportunities for targeted intervention, including interactions with other cytokines and activation of the JAK-STAT pathwa

Regional Innovation and Research Policy Outlook: Policy Practices in Eight European Regions

This publication is part of a project called 'Practical Regional Research and Innovation policy in Action. The Efficient Tools for Regional Catching-up in New Member States'