Proximity Induced Josephson-Quasiparticle Process in a Single Electron Transistor

We have performed the first experiments in a superconductor - normal metal - superconductor single electron transistor in which there is an extra superconducting strip partially overlapping the normal metal island in good metal-to-metal contact. Superconducting proximity effect gives rise to current peaks at voltages below the quasiparticle threshold. We interpret these peaks in terms of the Josephson-quasiparticle process and discuss their connection with the proximity induced energy gap in the normal metal island.Comment: 4 pages + 4 figure

Social and ethical criteria for prioritizing patients: a survey of students and health professionals in Portugal

O estudo quali-quantitativo explora o dilema ético da microalocação dos recursos da saúde. Objetiva identificar e comparar a opinião de dois grupos da sociedade portuguesa - estudantes e profissionais de saúde sobre a importância das características pessoais dos pacientes no momento de os priorizar e se as escolhas se explicam por referenciais bioéticos de caráter utilitaristas ou deontológicos. Os dados foram recolhidos através de um questionário aplicado a uma amostra de 180 estudantes universitários e 60 profissionais de saúde. Os respondentes perante hipotéticos cená- rios de emergência clínica tiveram de escolher de entre dois pacientes (distinguidos por idade, sexo, responsabilidade social, situação económica e laboral, comportamentos lesivos da saúde e registo criminal) quem tratar e justificar a escolha. Foram usados testes estatísticos de associação para comparar as respostas dos dois grupos e análise de conteúdo para categorizar as justificações. Os resultados sugerem a existência de diferenças nas escolhas dos dois grupos, com os profissionais de saúde a revelarem aceitar menos a utilização de critérios sociais em contexto de escassez e coexistência de critérios utilitaristas e deontológicos, com predomínio da eficiência por parte dos profissionais de saúde e da equidade por parte dos estudantesThis qualitative/quantitative study examines the ethical dilemma of microallocation of health resources. It seeks to identify and compare the opinion of two groups in Portuguese society – students and health professionals – on the importance of personal characteristics of patients at the moment of prioritizing them and if the choices can be explained by bioethical references of a utilitarian or deontological nature. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire administered to a sample of 180 students and 60 health professionals. Faced with hypothetical emergency scenarios, the respondents had to choose between two patients (distinguished by: age, gender, social responsibility, economic and employment situation, harmful health behaviors and criminal record), duly selecting who to treat and then justifying their choice. The results suggest the existence of differences in choices between the two groups, with health professionals revealing they are less prepared to accept the use of social criteria in a context of scarce resources and co-existence of utilitarian and deontological criteria, with a predominance of efficiency on the part of health professionals and equity on the part of students.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Search for intracranial aneurysm susceptibility gene(s) using Finnish families

BACKGROUND: Cerebrovascular disease is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and about one-fourth of cerebrovascular deaths are attributed to ruptured intracranial aneurysms (IA). Epidemiological evidence suggests that IAs cluster in families, and are therefore probably genetic. Identification of individuals at risk for developing IAs by genetic tests will allow concentration of diagnostic imaging on high-risk individuals. We used model-free linkage analysis based on allele sharing with a two-stage design for a genome-wide scan to identify chromosomal regions that may harbor IA loci. METHODS: We previously estimated sibling relative risk in the Finnish population at between 9 and 16, and proceeded with a genome-wide scan for loci predisposing to IA. In 85 Finnish families with two or more affected members, 48 affected sibling pairs (ASPs) were available for our genetic study. Power calculations indicated that 48 ASPs were adequate to identify chromosomal regions likely to harbor predisposing genes and that a liberal stage I lod score threshold of 0.8 provided a reasonable balance between detection of false positive regions and failure to detect real loci with moderate effect. RESULTS: Seven chromosomal regions exceeded the stage I lod score threshold of 0.8 and five exceeded 1.0. The most significant region, on chromosome 19q, had a maximum multipoint lod score (MLS) of 2.6. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence for the locations of genes predisposing to IA. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the genes and their role in the pathophysiology of IA, and to design genetic tests

Localism in Finland : The changing role and current crisis of the Finnish municipal system

Peer reviewe

Raatesalmen kunnalliskodin korjaus- ja uudelleenkäyttösuunnitelma

Työn aiheena on Kuusamon Puutteenkylällä sijaitsevan, rakennusmestari Johannes Karvosen vuonna 1926 suunnitteleman Raatesalmen kunnalliskodin päärakennuksen korjaus- ja uudelleenkäyttösuunnitelma. Työ sisältää historiaosuuden jossa on käsitelty kunnalliskodin perustamisen vaiheita ja suunnittelua, sen toiminnan aikaista historiaa sekä aikaa kunnalliskotikäytön jälkeen. Työn dokumentaatio-osuudessa kunnalliskodin päärakennuksesta on tehty tarkat mittapiirrokset, vaurio- ja säilyneisyyskartoitukset laserkeilausaineiston pohjalta, huonekohtainen säilyneisyyskartoituskortisto sekä tapettikartoitukset. Työn historia- ja dokumentaatio-osioiden perusteella kunnalliskodin päärakennuksesta on tehty arvottaminen. Suunnitelmaosuudessa on käsitelty kunnalliskotirakennuksen uuden käyttötarkoituksen vaatimat muutokset, laajennukset sekä korjaustapaehdotukset. Suunniteltu majoitus- juhla ja kokoustilojen tilaohjelma sekä muutos- ja laajennussuunnitelmat on laadittu yhteistyössä rakennuksen omistajien ja museoviranomaisten edustajien kanssa. Suunnitelmissa on pyritty säilyttämään ja kunnostamaan alkuperäinen, palauttamaan se mikä on tuhoutunut, sekä sovittamaan uusi käyttötarkoitus vanhaan rakennukseen mahdollisimman pienin muutoksin.Subject of the thesis is restoration and re-use plans for rest home designed by Johannes Karvonen at 1926 in Puuttenkylä village, Kuusamo. In history section of thesis, I will go through the stages of establishment of the rest home and it’s planning, history during the years of operation and the years after the rest home was closed down. The documentation section of thesis includes accurate measurement drawings and damage and preservation surveys based on laser scanning data. The surveys also included more detailed report of each room’s preservation and wall paper surveys. Based both on history and documentation sections, the rest home has been given an estimate of it’s cultural and historical values. The plans section of the thesis includes the space program, change and expansion plans required for the new use as a accommodation, restaurant and function room. It also contains generic proposals for the repairs and restoration work for the rest house. The plans for the re-use of the rest home have been drafted with close co-operation both with owners and representatives of local museum officials. The goal of the plans has been to repair and restore the original rest home and combine the new use with minimal impact to the buildings values