Dielectric function of InGaAs in the visible

Measurements are reported of the dielectric function of thermodynamically stable In(x)Ga(1-x)As in the composition range 0.3 equal to or less than X = to or less than 0.7. The optically thick samples of InGaAs were made by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) in the range 0.4 = to or less than X = to or less than 0.7 and by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) for X = 0.3. The MBE made samples, usually 1 micron thick, were grown on semi-insulating InP and included a strain release structure. The MOCVD sample was grown on GaAs and was 2 microns thick. The dielectric functions were measured by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry in the range 1.55 to 4.4 eV. The data was analyzed assuming an optically thick InGaAs material with an oxide layer on top. The thickness of this layer was estimated by comparing the results for the InP lattice matched material, i.e., X = 0.53, with results published in the literature. The top oxide layer mathematically for X = 0.3 and X = 0.53 was removed to get the dielectric function of the bare InGaAs. In addition, the dielectric function of GaAs in vacuum, after a protective arsenic layer was removed. The dielectric functions for X = 0, 0.3, and 0.53 together with the X = 1 result from the literature to evaluate an algorithm for calculating the dielectric function of InGaAs for an arbitrary value of X(0 = to or less than X = to or less than 1) were used. Results of the dielectric function calculated using the algorithm were compared with experimental data

Study of InGaAs based MODFET structures using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry

Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to estimate the thicknesses of all layers within the optical penetration depth of InGaAs based MODFET structures. Strained and unstrained InGaAs channels were made by MBE on InP substrates and by MOCVD on GaAs substrates. In most cases, ellipsometrically determined thicknesses were within 10 percent of the growth calibration results. The MBE made InGaAs strained layers showed large strain effects, indicating a probable shift in the critical points of their dielectric function toward the InP lattice matched concentration

P17-26. Effective design of T-cell driven vaccines applied to the GAIA HIV vaccine: advances in vaccine design based on current preclinical success

Poster Presentatio

Eosinophilic Enterocolitis Diagnosed by Means of Upper Endoscopy and Colonoscopy with Random Biopsies Treated with Budenoside: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Intense infiltration of gastrointestinal and colonic mucosa with eosinophils or acidophilic gastroenteritis (EG) is a relatively uncommon picture for a pathologist endoscopist especially outside the pediatric age group and is highly suggestive of an ongoing chronic inflammatory process. Existing literature projected a hypothetical association with allergy but the exact pathophysiology is still unknown. Association with malabsorption, protein losing enteropathy, and refractory ulcers with gastrointestinal bleeding makes the clinical presentation more complicated. We present a unique case of diarrhea and abdominal pain in the clinical presentation with associated peripheral eosinophilia, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The patient's symptoms abated after initiation of budesonide

Data Management Guide: Integrated Baseline System (IBS). Version 2.1

The Integrated Baseline System (IBS) is an emergency management planning and analysis tool that is being developed under the direction of the US Army Nuclear and Chemical Agency (USANCA). The IBS Data Management Guide provides the background, as well as the operations and procedures needed to generate and maintain a site-specific map database. Data and system managers use this guide to manage the data files and database that support the administrative, user-environment, database management, and operational capabilities of the IBS. This document provides a description of the data files and structures necessary for running the IBS software and using the site map database

The potential of magnetic hyperthermia for triggering the differentiation of cancer cells

Magnetic hyperthermia is a potential technique for cancer therapy that exploits heat generated by magnetic nanoparticles to kill cancerous cells. Many studies have shown that magnetic hyperthermia is effective at killing cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, however little attention has been paid to the cellular functioning of the surviving cells. We report here new evidence demonstrating the onset of thermally triggered differentiation in osteosarcoma cancer cells that survive magnetic hyperthermia treatment. This raises the possibility that in addition to causing cell death, magnetic hyperthermia could induce surviving cancer cells to form more mature cell types and thereby inhibit their capacity to self-renew. Such processes could prove to be as important as cell death when considering magnetic hyperthermia for treating cancer

Evaluation of Endothelial Cells Differentiated from Amniotic Fluid-Derived Stem Cells

Amniotic fluid holds great promise as a stem cell source, especially in neonatal applications where autologous cells can be isolated and used. This study examined chemical-mediated differentiation of amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (AFSC) into endothelial cells and verified the function of AFSC-derived endothelial cells (AFSC-EC). AFSC were isolated from amniotic fluid obtained from second trimester amnioreduction as part of therapeutic intervention from pregnancies affected with twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Undifferentiated AFSC were of normal karyotype with a subpopulation of cells positive for the embryonic stem cell marker SSEA4, hematopoietic stem cell marker c-kit, and mesenchymal stem cell markers CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD105. Additionally, these cells were negative for the endothelial marker CD31 and hematopoietic differentiation marker CD45. AFSC were cultured in endothelial growth media with concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) ranging from 1 to 100 ng/mL. After 2 weeks, AFSC-EC expressed von Willebrand factor, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, CD31, VE-cadherin, and VEGF receptor 2. Additionally, the percentage of cells expressing CD31 was positively correlated with VEGF concentration up to 50 ng/mL, with no increase at higher concentrations. AFSC-EC showed a decrease in stem cells markers c-kit and SSEA4 and were morphologically similar to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In functional assays, AFSC-EC formed networks and metabolized acetylated low-density lipoprotein, also characteristic of HUVEC. Nitrate levels for AFSC-EC, an indirect measure of nitric oxide synthesis, were significantly higher than undifferentiated controls and significantly lower than HUVEC. These results indicate that AFSC can differentiate into functional endothelial-like cells and may have the potential to provide vascularization for constructs used in regenerative medicine strategies

Cardiovascular-renal axis disorders in the domestic dog and cat: a veterinary consensus statement

OBJECTIVES There is a growing understanding of the complexity of interplay between renal and cardiovascular systems in both health and disease. The medical profession has adopted the term "cardiorenal syndrome" (CRS) to describe the pathophysiological relationship between the kidney and heart in disease. CRS has yet to be formally defined and described by the veterinary profession and its existence and importance in dogs and cats warrant investigation. The CRS Consensus Group, comprising nine veterinary cardiologists and seven nephrologists from Europe and North America, sought to achieve consensus around the definition, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of dogs and cats with "cardiovascular-renal disorders" (CvRD). To this end, the Delphi formal methodology for defining/building consensus and defining guidelines was utilised. METHODS Following a literature review, 13 candidate statements regarding CvRD in dogs and cats were tested for consensus, using a modified Delphi method. As a new area of interest, well-designed studies, specific to CRS/CvRD, are lacking, particularly in dogs and cats. Hence, while scientific justification of all the recommendations was sought and used when available, recommendations were largely reliant on theory, expert opinion, small clinical studies and extrapolation from data derived from other species. RESULTS Of the 13 statements, 11 achieved consensus and 2 did not. The modified Delphi approach worked well to achieve consensus in an objective manner and to develop initial guidelines for CvRD. DISCUSSION The resultant manuscript describes consensus statements for the definition, classification, diagnosis and management strategies for veterinary patients with CvRD, with an emphasis on the pathological interplay between the two organ systems. By formulating consensus statements regarding CvRD in veterinary medicine, the authors hope to stimulate interest in and advancement of the understanding and management of CvRD in dogs and cats. The use of a formalised method for consensus and guideline development should be considered for other topics in veterinary medicine