The effect of thermal annealing on the properties of Al-AlOx-Al single electron tunneling transistors

The effect of thermal annealing on the properties of Al-AlOx-Al single electron tunneling transistors is reported. After treatment of the devices by annealing processes in forming gas atmosphere at different temperatures and for different times, distinct and reproducible changes of their resistance and capacitance values were found. According to the temperature regime, we observed different behaviors as regards the resistance changes, namely the tendency to decrease the resistance by annealing at T = 200 degree C, but to increase the resistance by annealing at T = 400 degree C. We attribute this behavior to changes in the aluminum oxide barriers of the tunnel junctions. The good reproducibility of these effects with respect to the changes observed allows the proper annealing treatment to be used for post-process tuning of tunnel junction parameters. Also, the influence of the annealing treatment on the noise properties of the transistors at low frequency was investigated. In no case did the noise figures in the 1/f-regime show significant changes.Comment: 6 pages, 7 eps-figure

Immunity from arrest? - An analysis of obligations for State Parties to the Rome Statute to arrest and surrender a Head of State of a state not party to the Statute in a situation referred to the ICC pursuant to a UN Security Council resolution

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was created as a compliment to domestic courts in the global fight against impunity. However, customary international law has afforded Heads of State with immunity from prosecution, even for serious international crimes. Some key challenges of international criminal law are to reconcile the competing objectives of maintaining stable international relations, and protecting the sovereignty of States, through immunity rules and ensuring that perpetrators of international crimes are held accountable. These challenges are currently under intense scrutiny. Some State Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Rome Statute) are refusing to comply with the ICC’s request to arrest Omar Hassan Al Bashir, the incumbent President of Sudan. Bashir is facing charges before the ICC due to a referral by the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) to the ICC of the situation in Darfur, Sudan. Sudan is not a party to the Statute. Therefore, State Parties argues customary international law governs the relationship between them and Sudan. According to the states, this entails that Bashir is entitled to immunity from being arrested, even when the arrest is sought by ICC. The purpose of this thesis was to discuss and analyse the concept of Head of State immunity and the obligation states have to respect such immunity. Immunity rules under customary international law has been analysed in relation to State Party obligations pursuant to the Rome Statute to disregard such immunity when the Court seeks to arrest an incumbent Head of State. The purpose included clarifying which legal regime applies with regards to the allegedly conflicting obligations for State Parties when a situation is before the ICC pursuant to a referral of a situation by the UNSC. As there is no genuine solution of norm conflict in international law, the author has opted for a legal dogmatic method combined with international legal doctrine. As such, interpretation of the relevant sources of law according to established principles has been of focus. In order to provide the most appropriate interpretation of the relevant legal regimes, the thesis includes a historical and political perspective. There is also sufficient evidence African states are not willing to cooperate with the ICC because of political concerns. The development of customary international law governing Head of State immunity entails that personal immunity before domestic courts is absolute. However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) opened up for an exception which removes personal Head of State immunity before international courts. Incumbent Heads of State has since then been arrested and prosecuted before e.g. the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Special Court of Sierra Leone. Scholars have argued that the ICJ suggested there is a new rule under customary international law which removes Head of State immunity before international jurisdiction. The author of this thesis argues that state practice has not yet constituted such exception. Instead, the author argues international courts have applied different legal regimes enabling them to prosecute and arrest incumbent Heads of States. These regimes provide for provisions which make that legal regime prevailing over customary international law. In efforts to solve the issues of non-cooperation in the Bashir case, the ICC’s three-panel Pre-trial Chamber (PTC) has issued decisions against several State Parties. In line with these decisions, the author argues that the legal effect of a UNSC resolution referring a situation to the ICC is that the Rome Statute in its entirety is applicable to that situation. By applying a teleological interpretation of the referral mechanism and Resolution 1593, Sudan should be treated analogously to a State Party under the Rome Statute. Under the Rome Statute, State Parties cannot impose personal immunity as a bar for prosecution. As such, the Rome Statute prevails over customary international law on immunities. It has been argued that removal of immunity before the ICC only applies to its jurisdiction. The author argues it applies also at the national level, when national authorities act in support of the ICC. However, the PTC has been inconsistent in its decisions, applying different legal rationales. Therefore, the legal rationale, to some extent, lacks credibility. This fact opens up for critique and leaves the legal rationale ineffective. The author of this thesis argues against this critique. However, higher authority must address these matters to provide acceptance to the legal rationale in the international community. The ICC’s Appeals Chamber has this opportunity since Jordan appealed the decision on non-cooperation against it. The credibility of the legal rationale is to some extent also dependent on political actions. The Assembly of State Parties to the ICC has called upon State Parties to comply with ICC’s arrest warrant. UNSC is the sole actor involved, which has not taken any measures to either endorse or decline the legal rationale issued by the PTC. Leaving the legal issues to the politically oriented UNSC is neither desirable nor compatible with respect for the rule of law. Therefore, Jordan’s appeal and the future judgment by the Appeals Chamber are crucial for the future practice by the ICC. Specifically, with regards to personal Head of State immunity in situations referred by the UNSC

Experimental models of pediatric brain tumors. Establishment, immunophenotyping and clinical implications.

Brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. Current treatment protocols fail in 25% of patients and are associated with significant long-term adverse effects in survivors. Experimental models of these tumors are scarce and will be crucial for the development of more efficient treatment strategies, including molecular targeting and immunotherapy. In this thesis, I describe the establishment and characterization of novel in vitro and in vivo models of pediatric brain tumors. I initially define a standardized protocol for establishment of patient-derived cell cultures, based on the concept of serum-free monolayer culturing. In addition, I describe the generation of an orthotopic xenograft model of a high-risk Group 3 medulloblastoma (MB-LU-181) by cerebellar inoculation of low-passage tumor cells. The newly established experimental models were phenotyped alongside patient samples, with emphasis on inflammatory mediators that could serve as future targets for therapeutic intervention. Tumor markers, cytokine signatures and components of the COX-2/mPGES-1/PGE2 pathway were generally preserved following propagation of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo, demonstrating the biological faithfulness of the models. CD24 was identified as a clinically and experimentally useful immunomarker for medulloblastoma cells, but additional detailed studies are needed to determine the prerequisites for targeted treatment. PTGS2 (COX-2) and VEGFA were overexpressed in Group 3 medulloblastoma compared to other medulloblastoma subgroups; COX-2 was further evaluated as a therapeutic target in an immunocompetent high-grade glioma model, where simultaneous administration of COX-2 inhibitors and GM-CSF based immunotherapy cured >60% of tumor-bearing mice. I finally performed a systemic immune characterization of children with brain tumors. Multiplex analysis of preoperative plasma samples identified patient groups with distinct cytokine profiles, which could have important implications for the development and clinical implementation of immunotherapies. In brief, this thesis presents novel experimental models that recapitulate the phenotype of pediatric brain tumors and will serve as tools for future studies of tumor biology and preclinical drug evaluation. The results also implicate a role for immune intervention and monitoring in the treatment of children with brain tumors

The art of bouncing back : Patient perspective on cancer rehabilitation

Momentary contentment theory is a grounded theory explaining how to find safety and balance in life despite an awareness of life´s unpredictability. The theory is based on communion with others, proactivity and acceptance. It explains cognitive and emotional ways of finding a sense of safety and enjoyment despite illness and accidents. Three concepts are central to Momentary contentment theory: doing safety, destiny readiness and middle consciousness.In this thesis, I look at the lives of cancer patients through an explanatory model from Momentary contentment theory. I also examine whether Momentary contentment theory can help find a way to feeling safe in a cancer context. 20 narrative unstructured interviews were conducted with 19 cancer patients and 17 relatives. Methodologically I have used design thinking and classic grounded theory in an abductive process. I have used my own experiences as a relative and as a patient and used the intuition and empathy that has been built up through those experiences as inspiration.Patients struggle to be believed before a diagnosis. Then they have to deal with physical symptoms and fear of death during treatment. For those who survive, a life remains with the late effects of cancer and its treatments as well as living with the worry of relapse. Relatives struggle to keep their everyday lives going, where in several cases they take on different roles in their attempts to create a safety net to protect the patient against both the various effects of the disease and the mistakes of healthcare.Through activity, an acceptance of life's unpredictability and by focusing on everyday life, one can create increased security and contentment in the moment. The "moment" is seen as clusters of moments, defined as longer or shorter periods of time. By referring to the moment as a subjective experience, which does not follow the timetable and which differs between different situations for different people, life and one's own demands can be better adapted to illness. Momentary contentment theory can serve as an alternative approach to cancer rehabilitation, it explains and illustrates how activity, participation and acceptance can be means of learning to adapt to new living conditions. A way to bounce back during the fluctuations of a life with cancer illness

Cybersieves

This Article offers a process-based method to assess Internet censorship that is compatible with different value sets about what content should be blocked. Whereas China\u27s Internet censorship receives considerable attention, censorship in the United States and other democratic countries is largely ignored. The Internet is increasingly fragmented by nations\u27 different value judgments about what content is unacceptable. Countries differ not in their intent to censor material-from political dissent in Iran to copyrighted songs in America-but in the content they target, how precisely they block it, and how involved their citizens are in these choices. Previous scholars have analyzed Internet censorship from values-based perspectives, sporadically addressing key principles such as openness, transparency, narrowness, and accountability. This Article is the first to unite these principles into a coherent methodology. Drawing upon scholarship in deliberative democracy, health policy, labor standards, and cyberlaw, this Article applies this new framework to contentious debates about sales of censorship technology by Western companies, public law regulation of these transactions, and third-party analysis of Internet censorship

Spine imaging after lumbar disc replacement: pitfalls and current recommendations

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most lumbar artificial discs are still composed of stainless steel alloys, which prevents adequate postoperative diagnostic imaging of the operated region when using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thus patients with postoperative radicular symptoms or claudication after stainless steel implants often require alternative diagnostic procedures.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Possible complications of lumbar total disc replacement (TDR) are reviewed from the available literature and imaging recommendations given with regard to implant type. Two illustrative cases are presented in figures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Access-related complications, infections, implant wear, loosening or fracture, polyethylene inlay dislodgement, facet joint hypertrophy, central stenosis, and ankylosis of the operated segment can be visualised both in titanium and stainless steel implants, but require different imaging modalities due to magnetic artifacts in MRI.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Alternative radiographic procedures should be considered when evaluating patients following TDR. Postoperative complications following lumbar TDR including spinal stenosis causing radiculopathy and implant loosening can be visualised by myelography and radionucleotide techniques as an adjunct to plain film radiographs. Even in the presence of massive stainless steel TDR implants lumbar radicular stenosis and implant loosening can be visualised if myelography and radionuclide techniques are applied.</p

Assessing biorefineries

Biomass, a product of the solar energy influx and the synthesis of carbon dioxide and water, has been used since the dawn of humanity, always as a source of food and as a source of energy and materials since the invention of controlled fire and simple tools some hundred thousand years ago. The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture has over the last five millennia led to a rapid increase of world population and a human dominance over the Earth’s land surface and biota

Kinin B1 receptor homo-oligomerization is required for receptor trafficking to the cell surface.

The kinin B1 receptor (B1R) is a G protein-coupled receptor with pro-inflammatory activity that is latent in healthy tissues but induced by tissue insult. Here, we investigated if B1R homo-oligomerization is a possible mechanism regulating the presentation of this receptor at the level of maturation and trafficking to the cell surface. To this end, we used HEK293 cells stably expressing N-terminal FLAG and HA epitope-tagged wild-type human B1R and an N-terminal receptor fragment, B1stop135, which terminates at the C-terminal end of the third transmembrane domain and has previously been shown to oligomerize with B1R. Receptors were monitored by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation, receptor function by agonist binding and agonist-promoted phosphoinositide hydrolysis, and receptor trafficking by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. When expressed alone, B1R is core N-glycosylated and forms oligomers localized intracellularly and on the cell surface. B1stop135 also exists as core N-glycosylated oligomers but is localized exclusively intracellularly. When co-expressed, B1stop135 prevents specifically B1R homo-oligomerization by forming nonfunctional B1R-B1stop135 hetero-oligomers, retains B1R intracellularly at least in part in the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER), increases calnexin binding to the receptor, and increases receptor degradation. We conclude that B1R homo-oligomerization is necessary for B1R maturation and trafficking to the cell surface. Modulating this mechanism may be a novel therapeutic avenue in inflammatory disease