Branching ratio measurements of the 7.12-MeV state in 16O

Knowledge of the gamma-ray branching ratios of the 7.12-MeV state of 16O is important for the extrapolation of the 12C(a,g)16O cross section to astrophysical energies. Ground state transitions provide most of the 12C(a,g)16O total cross section while cascade transitions have contributions of the order of 10-20%. Determining the 7.12-MeV branching ratio will result in a better extrapolation of the cascade and E2 ground state cross section to low energies. We report here on measurements on the branching ratio of the 7.12-MeV level in 16O.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Contribution to the Eigth International Symposium on Nuclei in the Cosmo

Effects of substrate and ambient gas on epitaxial growth indium oxide thin films

Indium oxide thin films were grown by pulsed electron beam deposition method at 500 °C on c-cut sapphire and (0 0 1) oriented LaAlO3 single crystal substrates in oxygen or argon gas. The effects of ambient gas and substrate symmetry on the growth of indium oxide thin films were studied. Stoichiometric In2O3 films are formed in oxygen, while oxygen deficient In2O2.5 films are grown in argon, with In metallic nanoclusters embedded in a In2O3 matrix (nanocomposite films). In both cases, epitaxial In2O3 films having the bixbyite phase were grown with various orientation relationships, depending upon the substrate symmetry and gas ambient (oxygen or argon). Domain matching epitaxy was used to describe the precise in-plane epitaxial film-substrate relationships. The differences in film texture were correlated to the differences in growth conditions, while the differences in the film properties were correlated to the film oxygen composition

The military coup in Mali, 22 March 2012, reflections on the demise of democracy and the importance of civil-military relations

The coup in Bamako, on 22 March 2012 both gave lie to the apparent stability of Mali as a democratic country and resulted in the taking of power of an assortment of armed combatants in the North of the country, which resulted in armed intervention by France. This article is about the coup itself that created the power vacuum allowing the insurrection to grow and ultimately take power in the North. The authors have developed a framework for analyzing civil-military relations they believe is more useful than other available frameworks in understanding the role of the military in politics

Are the electromagnetic fields a danger to the public health?

Electromagnetic fields of all frequencies represent one of the most common and fastest growing environmental influences, about which anxiety and speculation are spreading. All populations are now exposed to varying degrees of EMF and the levels will continue to increase as technology advances. As part of its activity to protect public health and in response to public concern, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations and scientists all over the world established increased politics and studies for analyzing the effects of EMF in the people’s lives. The International EMF Project in 1996 established, according to the scientific evidence of possible health effects of EMF in the frequency range from 0 to 300 GHz

Regulatory B Cells in Experimental Mouse Models of Arthritis

Regulatory B cells (Breg) have been shown to have a role in the suppression of a wide variety of immune responses, yet they are deficient or defective in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. For the study of autoimmune inflammation, experimental models of arthritis have acted as a valuable tool in understanding the development of Bregs and their role in maintaining immune homeostasis. In this chapter, we will focus on the study of transitional-2 marginal zone precursor (T2-MZP) Bregs in the context of two experimental arthritis models: antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). We will specifically focus on how to induce arthritis, as well as on methods for the isolation and functional study of Bregs both in vitro and in vivo

Integrated approach of the citizen’s role in relation to the public services

The paper achieves an integrated, interdisciplinary approach of the citizens’ roles related to public service providers. The contemporary public service development awards multiple roles to the citizen, interacting with the activities of design, decision-making, production, delivery or assessment, specific for various stages of the life cycle of the public services. Such an approach substantiates the public marketing strategies and it integrates aspects concerning service delivery in the private secto

Application of J Integral for the Fracture Assessment of Welded Polymeric Components

For many demanding applications of engineering plastics, fracture behaviour under various loading conditions is of prime practical importance. It is well known that fracture properties of plastics are significantly affected by the loading rate, temperature and both local and global stress states. The limitations associated with conventional fracture test methods may, at least in principle, be overcome by the use of appropriate fracture mechanical approaches, which properly account for the temperature and rate dependence of the mechanical behaviour of plastics and should provide geometry-independent fracture toughness values. To provide an additional contribution to this application, fracture tests were performed on both 15- and 20-mm-thick bulk-extruded sheets of a polypropylene random copolymer (PP(RC)) and on four different configurations of their welded joints. The fully ductile fracture range was determined by rate-dependent tests on single CT specimens, and fracture toughness values were derived at the peak loads (JFmax and CTODFmax). Fracture toughness values were determined for stable crack extension based on the J-Δa and/or CTOD-Δa R-curves using single and multiple specimens in terms of various definitions of the crack initiation (J0.2, J0.2BL or δ0.2) toughness values. As expected, both methods revealed distinct differences between the bulk materials and the welded joints. These differences were found to depend on the loading rate, the weld configuration and on the data reduction method (J integral or CTOD)

Giant hernia patient, particular aspects in treatment and surgical approach - case presentation

Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie „Victor Babeș”, Clinica I Chirurgie, Spitalul Clinic Judeţean de Urgenţă „Pius Brinzeu”, Timișoara, România, Al XIII-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” și al III-lea Congres al Societății de Endoscopie, Chirurgie miniminvazivă și Ultrasonografie ”V.M.Guțu” din Republica MoldovaIntroducere: Herniile abdominale gigante sunt patologii mai rar întalnite în zilele noastre, dar pot ridica probleme deosebite în terapie. Scopul: Prezentarea unui caz particular al unui pacient cu hernie de linie albă abdominală voluminoasă. Material şi metode: Pacient obez, cunoscut cu hipertensiune arterială, insuficiență venoasă cronică, ce prezintă hernie de linie albă abdominală gigantă cu dimensiunile aproximative 30/35/15cm, cu leziuni locale cutanate tegumentare de decubit, afirmativ debutată în urmă cu peste 10 ani, se interenază în clinica noastră pentru tratament electiv. La tentativa de cură chirurgicală a defectului parietal prin procedeu anatomic, se constată o scădere bruscă a saturației de oxigen (sub 90%), impunandu-se repararea herniei cu material protetic. S-a practicat cura chirurgicală cu plasă de substituție din polipropilenă, reanatomizare. Rezultate: Evoluția post operatorie a fost favorabilă, pacientul fiind externat în ziua 8 postoperator. Procedeele chirurgicale certificate în literatura de specialitate trebuiesc adaptate particularității cazurilor. Concluzii: Managementul pacienților cu hernii ventrale voluminoase este complex, atât din punct de vedere operator, cat și medical, și necesită în multe cazuri colaborare interdisciplinară, controlul afecțiunilor asociate și schimbarea stilului de viață fiind aspecte fundamentale ce influențează evoluția cazului.Introduction: Giant abdominal hernias are rare nowadays, but in those cases, treatment could be difficult. Aim: Presentation of a particular case of giant ventral hernia. Material and methods: Obese, hypertensive patient, with chronic venous insufficiency, presents giant ventral hernia associated with local skin lesions (approximate dimensions 30/35/15 centimeters), with over ten years of evolution. At the attempt of anatomically procedure hernia repair, oxygen saturation decrease occurs (<90%), so we performed substitution mesh hernia repair, anatomically closure. Results: Favorable postoperative evolution. The patient was discharged after 8 post-operative days surgically cured. Surgical procedures and technique had to be adapted to each particular case. Conclusions: Patients with giant ventral hernias treatment is complex, from surgical and medical view. Interdisciplinary medical team could be required. Related diseases and weight control are important aspects for a good outcome

2.5 V 35 dBm IIP3 75 MHz sixth-order active RC filter

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