6,411 research outputs found
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Generation of Micro Mechanical Devices Using Stereo Lithography
A high resolution machining setup for creating three-dimensional precision components from a
UV-curable photo-resin has been developed. By using frequency-converted diode-pumped solid
state lasers, functional micro-mechanical devices are directly fabricated in a successive layer-bylayer fashion. Within this paper, the direct generation of micro assemblies having
moving components without further assembly of parts will be presented. The micro system
design is based on user-defined 3D-CAD data and will completively be built up within the
fabrication cycle. By using specially developed μSL materials with suitable properties for micromechanical parts, the development from Rapid Prototyping towards Rapid Production of small
series is intended.Mechanical Engineerin
Factorial Moments of Continuous Order
The normalized factorial moments are continued to noninteger values of
the order , satisfying the condition that the statistical fluctuations
remain filtered out. That is, for Poisson distribution for all .
The continuation procedure is designed with phenomenology and data analysis in
mind. Examples are given to show how can be obtained for positive and
negative values of . With being continuous, multifractal analysis is
made possible for multiplicity distributions that arise from self-similar
dynamics. A step-by-step procedure of the method is summarized in the
conclusion.Comment: 15 pages + 9 figures (figures available upon request), Late
Efficacy of antifungal agents against fungal spores: an in vitro study using microplate laser nephelometry and an artificially infected 3D skin model
Dermal fungal infections seem to have increased over recent years. There is further a shift from anthropophilic dermatophytes to a growing prevalence of zoophilic species and the emergence of resistant strains. New antifungals are needed to combat these fungi and their resting spores. This study aimed to investigate the sporicidal effects of sertaconazole nitrate using microplate laser nephelometry against the microconidia of Trichophyton , chlamydospores of Epidermophyton , blastospores of Candida , and conidia of the mold Scopulariopsis brevicaulis . The results obtained were compared with those from ciclopirox olamine and terbinafine. The sporicidal activity was further determined using infected three‐dimensional full skin models to determine the antifungal effects in the presence of human cells. Sertaconazole nitrate inhibited the growth of dermatophytes, molds, and yeasts. Ciclopirox olamine also had good antifungal activity, although higher concentrations were needed compared to sertaconazole nitrate. Terbinafine was highly effective against most dermatophytes, but higher concentrations were required to kill the resistant strain Trichophyton indotineae . Sertaconazole nitrate, ciclopirox olamine, and terbinafine had no negative effects on full skin models. Sertaconazole nitrate reduced the growth of fungal and yeast spores over 72 h. Ciclopirox olamine and terbinafine also inhibited the growth of dermatophytes and molds but had significantly lower effects on the yeast. Sertaconazole nitrate might have advantages over the commonly used antifungals ciclopirox olamine and terbinafine in combating resting spores, which persist in the tissues, and thus in the therapy of recurring dermatomycoses
Analyses of multiplicity distributions with \eta_c and Bose-Einstein correlations at LHC by means of generalized Glauber-Lachs formula
Using the negative binomial distribution (NBD) and the generalized
Glauber-Lachs (GGL) formula, we analyze the data on charged multiplicity
distributions with pseudo-rapidity cutoffs \eta_c at 0.9, 2.36, and 7 TeV by
ALICE Collaboration and at 0.2, 0.54, and 0.9 TeV by UA5 Collaboration. We
confirm that the KNO scaling holds among the multiplicity distributions with
\eta_c = 0.5 at \sqrt{s} = 0.2\sim2.36 TeV and estimate the energy dependence
of a parameter 1/k in NBD and parameters 1/k and \gamma (the ratio of the
average value of the coherent hadrons to that of the chaotic hadrons) in the
GGL formula. Using empirical formulae for the parameters 1/k and \gamma in the
GGL formula, we predict the multiplicity distributions with \eta_c = 0.5 at 7
and 14 TeV. Data on the 2nd order Bose-Einstein correlations (BEC) at 0.9 TeV
by ALICE Collaboration and 0.9 and 2.36 TeV by CMS Collaboration are also
analyzed based on the GGL formula. Prediction for the 3rd order BEC at 0.9 and
2.36 TeV are presented. Moreover, the information entropy is discussed
Bounds for Bose-Einstein Correlation Functions
Bounds for the correlation functions of identical bosons are discussed for
the general case of a Gaussian density matrix. In particular, for a purely
chaotic system the two-particle correlation function must always be greater
than one. On the other hand, in the presence of a coherent component the
correlation function may take values below unity. The experimental situation is
briefly discussed.Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX, DMR-THEP-93-5/
A Color Mutation Model of Soft Interaction in High Energy Hadronic Collisions
A comprehensive model, called ECOMB, is proposed to describe multiparticle
production by soft interaction. It incorporates the eikonal formalism, parton
model, color mutation, branching and recombination. The physics is conceptually
opposite to the dynamics that underlies the fragmentation of a string. The
partons are present initially in a hadronic collision; they form a single,
large, color-neutral cluster until color mutation of the quarks leads to a
fission of the cluster into two color-neutral subclusters. The mutation and
branching processes continue until only pairs are left in each small
cluster. The model contains self-similar dynamics and exhibits scaling behavior
in the factorial moments. It can satisfactorily reproduce the intermittency
data that no other model has been able to fit.Comment: 24 pages including 11 figures in revtex epsf styl
Early Miocene tectono-sedimentary shift in the eastern North Alpine Foreland Basin and its relation to changes in tectonic style in the Eastern Alps
A striking difference along the Alpine Orogen is the style of collisional tectonics during the Oligo-Miocene, with the onset of escape tectonics in the Eastern Alps (Fig. 1A). The indentation of the Adriatic Plate into the Eastern Alpine Orogen resulted in the formation of conjugate dextral and sinistral strike-slip faults in the vicinity of the Tauern Window. Moreover, major changes occurred in the foreland of the Eastern and Southern Alps in the Early Miocene, with the cessation of the northern Alpine front propagation and the onset of thrusting along the Southern Alpine Front. In this study, we present new results from structural, stratigraphic and subsidence analyses of the eastern North Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB; Fig. 1B) as part of the “Mountain Building in 4 Dimensions” project, German branch of the European AlpArray initiative, which aims at better understanding the deep crustal-mantle structures of the Alpine Orogen and their relation to surface processes.
Our results show a first phase of onset of foreland sedimentation in the eastern NAFB between c. 33-28 Ma, followed by a strong tectonic-driven subsidence between c. 28-25 Ma ending by a phase of erosion and the formation of a basin-wide Northern Slope Unconformity (NSU; Fig. 1C & 1D). During this time period, the rift-related Mesozoic normal faults of the European platform were reactivated and are capped by the NSU (Fig. 1D). We interpret this phase as an increase in the flexure of the subducting European Plate under the growing Alpine Orogen. Between 25-19 Ma, the eastern NAFB remained in a deep-marine, underfilled state with a gently increase in subsidence. A major shift took place around 19-17 Ma with strong tectonic-driven uplift, ranging from 200 m (absolute minimum) to 1200 m depending on uncertainties on paleo-water depths, and rapid sedimentary infill of the basin (Fig. 1C & 1D). We discuss the possible causes for this major tectono-sedimentary shift in the eastern NAFB in relation to contemporaneous changes in collisional tectonics within the Eastern and Southern Alps, and with a potential Early Miocene slab break-off event beneath the Eastern Alps
90-yttrium-ibritumomab tiuxetan as first-line treatment for follicular lymphoma: updated efficacy and safety results at an extended median follow-up of 9.6 years
Radioimmunotherapy with 90-yttrium-ibritumomab tiuxetan (90Y-IT) as first-line treatment in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) demonstrated promising results with a complete remission (CR) rate of 56% and a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 26 months, when initially analyzed after a median follow-up of 30.6 months. The aim of this long-term follow-up was to investigate whether clinical benefits were maintained and new safety signals appeared. Fifty-nine patients, aged ≥ 50 years, with FL grade 1 to 3A in stages II to IV were treated with 90Y-IT as first-line therapy. If CR without evidence of minimal residual disease (MRD), partial response or stable disease was achieved 6 months after treatment, patients were observed without further treatment. Patients with CR but persisting MRD received consolidation therapy with rituximab. The primary endpoint was the clinical response rate. Secondary endpoints were time to progression, safety, and tolerability. After a median follow-up of 9.6 years, median PFS was 3.6 years, and 8-year PFS was 38.3%. Median overall survival (OS) was not reached during the extended follow-up, and 8-year OS amounted to 69.2%. Age 65 years and above or disease progression within 24 months of treatment were significantly associated with shorter OS. An important finding was the lack of new safety signals. In particular, no increase in secondary malignancies or transformation into aggressive lymphoma was observed compared to trials with a similar follow-up. In summary, 90Y-IT as first-line treatment demonstrates a favorable safety profile and long-term clinical activity in a substantial fraction of FL patients in need of therapy
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Elevated Brain Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Availability in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Positron Emission Tomography Study
Endocannabinoids and their attending cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) have been implicated in animal models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, their specific role has not been studied in people with PTSD. Herein, we present an in vivo imaging study using positron emission tomography (PET) and the CB1-selective radioligand [11C]OMAR in individuals with PTSD, and healthy controls with lifetime histories of trauma (trauma controls [TC]) and those without such histories (healthy controls [HC]). Untreated individuals with PTSD (N=25) with non-combat trauma histories, and TC (N=12) and HC (N=23) participated in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging scan and a resting PET scan with the CB1 receptor antagonist radiotracer [11C]OMAR, which measures volume of distribution (VT) linearly related to CB1 receptor availability. Peripheral levels of anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), oleoylethanolamide (OEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and cortisol were also assessed. In the PTSD group, relative to the HC and TC groups, we found elevated brain-wide [11C]OMAR VT values (F(2,53)=7.96, p=.001; 19.5% and 14.5% higher, respectively) which were most pronounced in women (F(1,53)=5.52, p=.023). Anandamide concentrations were reduced in the PTSD relative to the TC (53.1% lower) and HC (58.2% lower) groups. Cortisol levels were lower in the PTSD and TC groups relative to the HC group. Three biomarkers examined collectively—OMAR VT, anandamide, and cortisol—correctly classified nearly 85% of PTSD cases. These results suggest that abnormal CB1 receptor-mediated anandamide signaling is implicated in the etiology of PTSD, and provide a promising neurobiological model to develop novel, evidence-based pharmacotherapies for this disorder
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A Search for Dark Higgs Bosons
Recent astrophysical and terrestrial experiments have motivated the proposal
of a dark sector with GeV-scale gauge boson force carriers and new Higgs
bosons. We present a search for a dark Higgs boson using 516 fb-1 of data
collected with the BABAR detector. We do not observe a significant signal and
we set 90% confidence level upper limits on the product of the Standard
Model-dark sector mixing angle and the dark sector coupling constant.Comment: 7 pages, 5 postscript figures, published version with improved plots
for b/w printin
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