Excimer lasers - a novel tool for material fine and microprocessing of glasses

Over the last 15 years, the laser has evolved to become a key technology because of quality, flexibility and cost effectiveness that it can provide. There is scarcely another technology which is more suited for material fme and microprocessing. Industrial laser applications include cutting, drilling, welding, soldering, marking, trimming, coating, alloying, annealing, hardening, lithography, etc. Each year thousands of laser Systems for material processing are installed worldwide. Also into glass industry the laser has found access. Standard laser applications in this field are: cutting quartz tubes; scribing quartz tubes and plates; scribing (drinking) glasses with subsequent thermal blast-off of the upper part; sealing glass casings containing electronic circuits (transponders); marking quartz glasses, bulbs and flasks, dyed or coated drinking glasses, cups, etc.; marking, cutting and drilling diamonds. Despite these examples the number of actual laser applicaüons in the glass industry is limited, and behind each of these applications there are only a few producing Systems. The manufacturers of lasers for material processing do not even accomplish 1 % of their turnover with the glass industry Reasons for the minor role of the laser in this industry can be found in the features of CO₂ and N d : YAG lasers, which are the lasers mainly applied up to now

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Mitralklappenrekonstruktion bei Klappenprolaps des anterioren Segels mittels Sehnenfadenersatz : Erhebung prä- und postoperativer Daten und Vergleich postoperativer Ergebnisse

Die Mitralklappenrekonstruktion ist die Therapie der Wahl bei struktureller Mitralklappeninsuffizienz. Liegt ein Prolaps des posterioren Segels (PL) vor, so können durch die Rekonstruktion exzellente Langzeitergebnisse erzielt werden. Beruht die Mitralklappeninsuffizienz hingegen auf einem Prolaps des anterioren Mitralsegels (AL) oder liegt gar ein Prolaps beider Segel (BL) vor, so finden sich häufig schlechtere Ergebnisse. Bei 203 Patienten (Alter: 61,26 ± 14,7 Jahre; Geschlecht: männlich n=144 / weiblich n=59) erfolgte eine Mitralklappenrekonstruktion des AL mittels künstlichem Sehnenfadenersatz (5-0 Polytetrafluorethylen-Fäden). Betrachtet wurde ein Patientenkollektiv von isoliertem Prolaps des AL (n=86) oder beider Segel (n=117). Die postoperative Untersuchung erfolgte im Mittel nach 72 ± 43 Monaten. Der Grad der Herzinsuffizienz konnte durch die Operation von einer NYHA-Klasse 2,61 ± 0,73 auf einen postoperativen Wert von 1,44 ± 0,72 gesenkt werden (p<0,001). Der Grad der Mitralinsuffizienz konnte im Gesamtkollektiv von 3,23 ± 0,47 auf 1,22 ± 0,9 gesenkt werden (p<0,001). Der linksventrikuläre Durchmesser verkleinerte sich enddiastolisch von 58,34 ± 7,51 mm auf 54,16 ± 7,08 mm (p<0,001) und endsystolisch von 39,88 ± 8,35 mm auf 37,01 ± 7,74 mm (p<0,001). Die Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit nach 10 Jahren betrug 85 % für das Gesamtkollektiv (72 % für die AL-Gruppe bzw. 89 % für die BL-Gruppe, p=0,06). Die Freiheit von Re-Operation betrug 94 % nach 10 Jahren (AL: 92 %; BL: 96 %, p=0,12). Die Mitralklappenrekonstruktion bei Prolaps des vorderen Segels oder beider Segel mittels Sehnenfadenersatz führt zu stabilen Langzeitergebnissen mit einem Reverse Remodeling des linken Ventrikels.Mitral valve repair is the treatment of choice for structural mitral regurgitation. If mitral valve repair is performed for prolapse of the posterior mitral leaflet (PL), excellent long-term results may be achieved. Mitral valve repair for prolapse of the anterior mitral leaflet (AL) or bileaflet prolapse (BL) is frequently associated with inferior results. A patient cohort of 203 patients (age: 61,26 ± 14,7 years; gender: male n=144 / female n=59) underwent mitral valve repair for AL-prolapse using artificial chordae (5-0 polytetrafluorethylene-sutures). Mitral regurgitation was due to AL-prolapse (n = 86) or bileaflet prolapse (n = 117). Mean follow-up was 72 ± 43 months. Functional capacity was improved (NYHA 2,61 ± 0,73 to 1,44 ± 0,72, p<0,001). Mitral regurgitation was improved (3,23 ± 0,47 to 1,22 ± 0,9, p<0,001), while left ventricular diameters decreased (enddiastolic left ventricular diamter 58,34 ± 7,51 mm to 54,16 ± 7,08 mm, p<0,001; endsystolic left ventricular diamter 39,88 ± 8,35 mm to 37,01 ± 7,74 mm p<0,001). Survival after 10 years was 85 % (AL: 72 % BL: 89 %, p=0,06). Freedom from reoperation was 94 % after 10 years (AL: 92 %; BL: 96 %, p=0,12). Mitral valve repair for AL- or BL-prolapse using artificial chordae leads to stable long-term-results and reverse remodeling of the left ventricle

Pumpkin Fungicide and Cultivar Evaluation, 2017

This is a compilation of 18 research trial reports from four land-grant universities in the Midwestern United States. Crops include cantaloupe, pickling cucumber, pepper, potato, pumpkin, summer squash and zucchini, sweet corn, tomato, and watermelon. Somecrops were evaluated in high tunnels or hoophouses. Most trials evaluated different cultivars or varieties. One report addressed plant spacing for sweet corn and one addressed soil block for production of tomato seedlings. A list of vegetable seed sources and a list of other online sources of vegetable trial reports are also included

Bell Pepper Cultivar Evaluation, Central Kentucky, 2018

This is a compilation of 20 research trial reports from four land-grant universities in the Midwestern United States. Crops include cantaloupe, pickling cucumber, pepper, potato, pumpkin, summer squash and zucchini, sweet corn, tomato, and watermelon. Somecrops were evaluated in high tunnels or hoophouses. Most trials evaluated different cultivars or varieties. One report addressed plant spacing for sweet corn and one addressed soil block for production of tomato seedlings. A list of vegetable seed sources and a list of other online sources of vegetable trial reports are also included

Cis-Acting Polymorphisms Affect Complex Traits through Modifications of MicroRNA Regulation Pathways

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have become an effective tool to map genes and regions contributing to multifactorial human diseases and traits. A comparably small number of variants identified by GWAS are known to have a direct effect on protein structure whereas the majority of variants is thought to exert their moderate influences on the phenotype through regulatory changes in mRNA expression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as powerful posttranscriptional regulators of mRNAs. Binding to their target sites, which are mostly located within the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of mRNA transcripts, they modulate mRNA expression and stability. Until today almost all human mRNA transcripts are known to harbor at least one miRNA target site with an average of over 20 miRNA target sites per transcript. Among 5,101 GWAS-identified sentinel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that correspond to 18,884 SNPs in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the sentinels () we identified a significant overrepresentation of SNPs that affect the 3′-UTR of genes (OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 2.12–2.57, ). This effect was even stronger considering all SNPs in one LD bin a single signal (OR = 4.27, 95% CI = 3.84–4.74, ). Based on crosslinking immunoprecipitation data we identified four mechanisms affecting miRNA regulation by 3′-UTR mutations: (i) deletion or (ii) creation of miRNA recognition elements within validated RNA-induced silencing complex binding sites, (iii) alteration of 3′-UTR splicing leading to a loss of binding sites, and (iv) change of binding affinity due to modifications of 3′-UTR folding. We annotated 53 SNPs of a total of 288 trait-associated 3′-UTR SNPs as mediating at least one of these mechanisms. Using a qualitative systems biology approach, we demonstrate how our findings can be used to support biological interpretation of GWAS results as well as to provide new experimentally testable hypotheses