A Survey of Electron Probe Microanalysis Using Soft Radiations: Difficulties and Presentation of a New Computer Program for Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometry

This paper aims to demonstrate that on-line peak integral technique with wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) provides accurate results with intensity measurement counting times as short as one or two minutes, owing to the high counting rates obtained with multilayer analyzers. A great advantage of a new computer program using this technique (available on SUN/UNIX work-stations operating Cameca SX-50 microprobes) consists in the original way that peak overlaps are treated. For each analytical point, overlapping counts emerging from an element B (B counts) are removed on-line from the measured raw counts in order to obtain the net counts corresponding to the element to be analyzed (element A). B counts are first measured on a proper standard containing B but not A. The effects of chemical bonding on the shape and the shift of peaks is clearly seen in the analysis of fluorine in topaz and lithium fluoride. Self-absorption effects, which usually distort the high energy side of L-series soft radiations, are generally inconsistent with the direct measurements of peak area fork-ratio determination. A method based on the conventional area/peak factor concept is proposed for this purpose

Spectral Decomposition of Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Spectra: Implications for Quantitative Analysis in the Electron Probe Microanalyzer

The line shapes of Kα, Lα,β and Mα X-ray peaks of pure elements were analyzed by means of commercial wavelength dispersive spectrometers (WDS) attached to an electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). A pseudo-Voigt function, i.e., a linear combination of Gaussian and Lorentzian distributions, was used as a fitting profile for the X-ray peaks, with Gaussian offsets incorporated in the short wavelength (high energy) side to describe the observed asymmetry. The asymmetry of X-ray peaks resulting from both instrumental distortions and satellite bands may lead to discrepancies in quantitative analysis with the EPMA as a function of the procedure used for deriving X-ray intensities from WDS spectra, e.g., peak height, peak area, or peak decomposition. These effects have been illustrated by analyzing gold-copper metallic alloys and minerals containing gold at trace levels

Effects of continuous milking during a field trial on productivity, milk protein yield and health in dairy cows

The objective of this field study with an automatic milking system was to evaluate the effects of omitting the dry period on health and productivity during the subsequent lactation in dairy cows. A total of 98 German Simmental cows of six Southern German farms were assigned randomly to two experimental groups: The first group was dried-off 56 days before calving (D for dried-off, n=49), and the second group was milked continuously during this period until calving (CM for continuous milking, n=49). From the latter a third group emerged, including cows that dried-off themselves spontaneously (DS for dried-off spontaneously, n=14). Blood serum values of glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and IGF-1 showed most pronounced fluctuations in D cows. Over the entire study period, the concentrations of BHBA and NEFA were markedly lower in the CM and DS groups. Furthermore, IGF-1 concentration was lowest for D cows and also decrease in back fat thickness was more pronounced. Mean concentration of milk protein was markedly higher in CM and DS cows (3.70% and 3.71%) compared with D cows (3.38%). Owing to the lower 305-day milk yield (−15.6%) and the lower total milk yield (−3.1%), the total amount of produced protein in the subsequent lactation was 2.5% (6.8 kg) lower, although the additional protein amount in CM cows from week −8 to calving was 35.7 kg. The greatest benefit resulted from positive effects on fertility and the lower incidence of diseases: CM cows had their first oestrus 1 week earlier compared with D cows, they also conceived earlier and showed a significantly lower risk of developing hypocalcaemia, ketosis and puerperal disorders. The present study showed that the costs of medical treatment and milk losses were twice as high in D cows, compared with CM and DS cows, and thus the reduced costs because of the more stable health outweighed the financial losses of milk yield by +18.49 € per cow and lactation

Cathodoluminescence Applied to the Microcharacterization of Mineral Materials: A Present Status in Experimentation and Interpretation

Experimentation and interpretation of cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy and spectroscopy applied to the microcharacterization of material minerals are reviewed. The origins of the intrinsic (host lattice) and extrinsic (impurities) luminescence emissions in crystals are briefly discussed. Merits and limitations of the available techniques are illustrated. CL emission changes as a function of the incident electron dose are illustrated for the case of natural quartz and sphalerite (ZnS) crystals. These effects are discussed in terms of the development of bulk charging, production of heat, diffusion of impurities, and creation of lattice defects induced by the incident ionizing particles. Although CL emission is mostly extrinsic in origin there is no general rule for identifying the nature of impurities from the CL emission spectra of minerals. However there is potential for using CL spectroscopy for trace element analysis as presented for the case of minerals containing rare-earth luminescent ions. The CL emission is a signature of the crystal-chemistry properties of minerals and hence contains potential genetic information. Some of the applications of CL emissions in the geosciences are summarized

Gestational breast cancer in New South Wales: A population-based linkage study of incidence, management, and outcomes.

BackgroundThe incidence of gestational breast cancer (GBC) is increasing in high-income countries. Our study aimed to examine the epidemiology, management and outcomes of women with GBC in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.MethodsA retrospective cohort study using linked data from three NSW datasets. The study group comprised women giving birth with a first-time diagnosis of GBC while the comparison group comprised women giving birth without any type of cancer. Outcome measures included incidence of GBC, maternal morbidities, obstetric management, neonatal mortality, and preterm birth.ResultsBetween 1994 and 2013, 122 women with GBC gave birth in NSW (crude incidence 6.8/ 100,000, 95%CI: 5.6-8.0). Women aged ≥35 years had higher odds of GBC (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 6.09, 95%CI 4.02-9.2) than younger women. Women with GBC were more likely to give birth by labour induction or pre-labour CS compared to women with no cancer (AOR 4.8, 95%CI: 2.96-7.79). Among women who gave birth by labour induction or pre-labour CS, the preterm birth rate was higher for women with GBC than for women with no cancer (52% vs 7%; AOR 17.5, 95%CI: 11.3-27.3). However, among women with GBC, preterm birth rate did not differ significantly by timing of diagnosis or cancer stage. Babies born to women with GBC were more likely to be preterm (AOR 12.93, 95%CI 8.97-18.64), low birthweight (AOR 8.88, 95%CI 5.87-13.43) or admitted to higher care (AOR 3.99, 95%CI 2.76-5.76) than babies born to women with no cancer.ConclusionWomen aged ≥35 years are at increased risk of GBC. There is a high rate of preterm birth among women with GBC, which is not associated with timing of diagnosis or cancer stage. Most births followed induction of labour or pre-labour CS, with no major short term neonatal morbidity

Diseño y puesta en funcionamiento de un SIG como herramienta para el estudio del turismo y su planificación en las regiones del archipiélago de Las Canarreos y Cienfuegos-Trinidad-Topes de Collantes, Cuba

Today, geographic information systems are being used as a platform for managing hugh volumes of information related to the decision making process withing different fields. Given the great variety of touristic resources that Cuba has, different systems have been generated at the Faculty of Geography of the University of Havana, oriented to tourism plainning and study. In this article, two of those results are presented involving different territories: Los Canarreos Archipielago and Cienfuegos -Trinidad - Topes de Collantes region.En la época actual, los Sistemas de Información Geográfica están siendo cada vez más utilizados como plataforma para el manejo de grandes volúmenes de información relacionados con la toma de decisiones en diferentes ramas. Dada la gran variedad de recursos turísticos con que Cuba cuenta y dado el incremento de la actividad en el país, se han generado por la Facultad de Geografía de la Universidad de La Habana diferentes sistemas orientados al estudio y la planificación del turismo. En el presente trabajo se presentan dos de estos resultados vinculados con territorios específicos: El Archipiélago de los Canarreos y la región Cienfuegos-Trinidad-Topes de Collaiites

Most Lung and Colon Cancer Susceptibility Genes Are Pair-Wise Linked in Mice, Humans and Rats

Genetic predisposition controlled by susceptibility quantitative trait loci (QTLs) contributes to a large proportion of common cancers. Studies of genetics of cancer susceptibility, however, did not address systematically the relationship between susceptibility to cancers in different organs. We present five sets of data on genetic architecture of colon and lung cancer susceptibility in mice, humans and rats. They collectively show that the majority of genes for colon and lung cancer susceptibility are linked pair-wise and are likely identical or related. Four CcS/Dem recombinant congenic strains, each differing from strain BALB/cHeA by a different small random subset of ±12.5% of genes received from strain STS/A, suggestively show either extreme susceptibility or extreme resistance for both colon and lung tumors, which is unlikely if the two tumors were controlled by independent susceptibility genes. Indeed, susceptibility to lung cancer (Sluc) loci underlying the extreme susceptibility or resistance of such CcS/Dem strains, mapped in 226 (CcS-10×CcS-19)F2 mice, co-localize with susceptibility to colon cancer (Scc) loci. Analysis of additional Sluc loci that were mapped in OcB/Dem strains and Scc loci in CcS/Dem strains, respectively, shows their widespread pair-wise co-localization (P = 0.0036). Finally, the majority of published human and rat colon cancer susceptibility genes map to chromosomal regions homologous to mouse Sluc loci. 12/12 mouse Scc loci, 9/11 human and 5/7 rat colon cancer susceptibility loci are close to a Sluc locus or its homologous site, forming 21 clusters of lung and colon cancer susceptibility genes from one, two or three species. Our data shows that cancer susceptibility QTLs can have much broader biological effects than presently appreciated. It also demonstrates the power of mouse genetics to predict human susceptibility genes. Comparison of molecular mechanisms of susceptibility genes that are organ-specific and those with trans-organ effects can provide a new dimension in understanding individual cancer susceptibility