Nomarski imaging interferometry to measure the displacement field of MEMS

We propose to use a Nomarski imaging interferometer to measure the out-of-plane displacement field of MEMS. It is shown that the measured optical phase arises both from height and slope gradients. Using four integrating buckets a more efficient approach to unwrap the measured phase is presented, thus making the method well suited for highly curved objects. Slope and height effects are then decoupled by expanding the displacement field on a functions basis, and the inverse transformation is applied to get a displacement field from a measure of the optical phase map change with a mechanical loading. A measurement reproducibility of about 10 pm is achieved, and typical results are shown on a microcantilever under thermal actuation, thereby proving the ability of such a set-up to provide a reliable full-field kinematic measurement without surface modification

Communication interventions in adult and pediatric oncology: A scoping review and analysis of behavioral targets

BackgroundImproving communication requires that clinicians and patients change their behaviors. Interventions might be more successful if they incorporate principles from behavioral change theories. We aimed to determine which behavioral domains are targeted by communication interventions in oncology.MethodsSystematic search of literature indexed in Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Clinicaltrials.gov (2000-October 2018) for intervention studies targeting communication behaviors of clinicians and/or patients in oncology. Two authors extracted the following information: population, number of participants, country, number of sites, intervention target, type and context, study design. All included studies were coded based on which behavioral domains were targeted, as defined by Theoretical Domains Framework.FindingsEighty-eight studies met inclusion criteria. Interventions varied widely in which behavioral domains were engaged. Knowledge and skills were engaged most frequently (85%, 75/88 and 73%, 64/88, respectively). Fewer than 5% of studies engaged social influences (3%, 3/88) or environmental context/resources (5%, 4/88). No studies engaged reinforcement. Overall, 7/12 behavioral domains were engaged by fewer than 30% of included studies. We identified methodological concerns in many studies. These 88 studies reported 188 different outcome measures, of which 156 measures were reported by individual studies.ConclusionsMost communication interventions target few behavioral domains. Increased engagement of behavioral domains in future studies could support communication needs in feasible, specific, and sustainable ways. This study is limited by only including interventions that directly facilitated communication interactions, which excluded stand-alone educational interventions and decision-aids. Also, we applied stringent coding criteria to allow for reproducible, consistent coding, potentially leading to underrepresentation of behavioral domains

Comparison of two approaches to forced convection in crystal growth of II-VI compounds by THM

Hg1 - xCdxTe and Cd1 - xZnxTe single crystals were grown by the tracwelling heater method (THM), applying two different techniques of artificially stirring the solution zone. Accelerated crucible rotation (ACRT) was used in a vertical growth arrangement and compared a technique with constant rotation around the horizontal axis of the ampoule. The dominant hydrodynamic mechanisms of noth methods are discribed by the rotating disc model and are suggested to be almost identical with respect to the growth conditions at the interface. Convective flow is effectively enhanced adhacent to the growing crystal, where the matter transport is regarded as the rate-limiting step of solution growth. Inclusion density analysis by IR microscopy was used to characterise the crystals of Cd1 - xZnxTe grown at different rates. It was shown that forced convection allows an increase in the crystal growth rate from a few mm day-1 with ACRT or horizontally rotating THM

Growth of Hg1−xCdxTe single crystals by travelling heater method under accelerated crucible rotation conditions

The accelerated crucible rotation technique (ACRT) has been applied to the THM growth of Hg1−xCdxTe crystals to grow the crystals at a higher rate. These higher growth rates, which should be achieved by extending the regions of conventional stirring towards the interfaces, have been used in an attempt to explain the results in terms of simple constitutional supercooling arguments. Some different ACRT cycles which fulfil simple hydrodynamic and geometric criteria have been studied. The grown crystals were investigated with respect to their metallurgical homogeneity and their structural perfection. These properties have not been degraded by increasing the growth rate from 1.5 to 8.5 mm per day

Nano-particle characterization by using Exposure Time Dependent Spectrum and scattering in the near field methods: how to get fast dynamics with low-speed CCD camera

Light scattering detection in the near field, a rapidly expanding family of scattering techniques, has recently proved to be an appropriate procedure for performing dynamic measurements. Here we report an innovative algorithm, based on the evaluation of the Exposure Time Dependent Spectrum (ETDS), which makes it possible to measure the fast dynamics of a colloidal suspension with the aid of a simple near field scattering apparatus and a CCD camera. Our algorithm consists in acquiring static spectra in the near field at different exposure times, so that the measured decay times are limited only by the exposure time of the camera and not by its frame rate. The experimental set-up is based on a modified microscope, where the light scattered in the near field is collected by a commercial objective, but (unlike in standard microscopes) the light source is a He-Ne laser which increases the instrument sensitivity. The apparatus and the algorithm have been validated by considering model systems of standard spherical nano-particle

Influence of the Tunnel Shape on Shotcrete Lining Stresses

Tunnel excavation is frequently carried out in rock masses by the drill and blast method and the final shape of the tunnel boundary can be irregular due to overbreaks. In order to investigate the effects of overbreaks a study of the effect of tunnel boundary irregularity has been carried out. This is done developing a computational tool able to take into account fuzzy variables (i.e., thickness of the beams of the bedded spring approach used for the model). The obtained results show that irregularity effects should be considered when a shotcrete lining is used as the final tunnel lining (for the case where the tunneling procedure does not permit a smooth surface to be obtained). This is crucial to obtain a durable linin

Which service interfaces fit the model web?

Ponència presentada a The Fourth International Conference on Advanced Geographic Information Systems, Applications, and Services, GEOProcessing 2012, celebrat a València del 30 de gener al 4 de febrer de 2012The Model Web has been proposed as a concept for integrating scientific models in an interoperable and collaborative manner. However, four years after the initial idea was formulated, there is still no stable long term solution. Multiple authors propose Web Service based approaches to model publication and chaining, but current implementations are highly case specific and lack flexibility. This paper discusses the Web Service interfaces, which are required for supporting integrated environmental modeling in a sustainable manner. We explore ways to expose environmental models and their components using Web Service interfaces. Our discussions present work in progress for establishing the Web Services technological grounds for simp lifying information publication and exchange within the Model We b. As a main outcome, this contribution identifies challenges in respect to the required geo- processing and relates them to currently available Web Service standards

FDG-PET imaging, EEG and sleep phenotypes as translational biomarkers for research in Alzheimer's disease

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

eHabitat, a multi-purpose Web Processing Service for ecological modeling

The number of interoperable research infrastructures has increased significantly with the growing awareness of the efforts made by the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). One of the Societal Benefit Areas (SBA) that is benefiting most from GEOSS is biodiversity, given the costs of monitoring the environment and managing complex information, from space observations to species records including their genetic characteristics. But GEOSS goes beyond simple data sharing to encourage the publishing and combination of models, an approach which can ease the handling of complex multi-disciplinary questions. It is the purpose of this paper to illustrate these concepts by presenting eHabitat, a basic Web Processing Service (WPS) for computing the likelihood of finding ecosystems with equal properties to those specified by a user. When chained with other services providing data on climate change, eHabitat can be used for ecological forecasting and becomes a useful tool for decision-makers assessing different strategies when selecting new areas to protect. eHabitat can use virtually any kind of thematic data that can be considered as useful when defining ecosystems and their future persistence under different climatic or development scenarios. The paper will present the architecture and illustrate the concepts through case studies which forecast the impact of climate change on protected areas or on the ecological niche of an African bird

3T MRI investigation of cardiac left ventricular structure and function in a UK population:The tayside screening for the prevention of cardiac events (TASCFORCE) study

Contract grant sponsor: Souter Charitable Trust, and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland; Contract grant sponsor: Wellcome Trust; contract grant number: WT 085664 (Clinical Research Fellowship to J.W-McC.)Purpose : To scan a volunteer population using 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI of the left ventricular (LV) structure and function in healthy volunteers has been reported extensively at 1.5T. Materials and Methods : A population of 1528 volunteers was scanned. A standardized approach was taken to acquire steady-state free precession (SSFP) LV data in the short-axis plane, and images were quantified using commercial software. Six observers undertook the segmentation analysis. Results : Mean values (±standard deviation, SD) were: ejection fraction (EF) = 69 ± 6%, end diastolic volume index (EDVI) = 71 ± 13 ml/m2 , end systolic volume index (ESVI) = 22 ± 7 ml/m2 , stroke volume index (SVI) = 49 ± 8 ml/m2 , and LV mass index (LVMI) = 55 ± 12 g/m2 . The mean EF was slightly larger for females (69%) than for males (68%), but all other variables were smaller for females (EDVI 68v77 ml/m2 , ESVI 21v25 ml/m2 , SVI 46v52 ml/m2 , LVMI 49v64 g/m2, all P < 0.05). The mean LV volume data mostly decreased with each age decade (EDVI males: -2.9 ± 1.3 ml/m2 , females: -3.1 ± 0.8 ml/m2 ; ESVI males: -1.3 ± 0.7 ml/m2 , females: -1.7 ± 0.5 ml/m2 ; SVI males: -1.7 ± 0.9 ml/m2 , females: -1.4 ± 0.6 ml/m2 ; LVMI males: -1.6 ± 1.1 g/m2 , females: -0.2 ± 0.6 g/m2 but the mean EF was virtually stable in males (0.6 ± 0.6%) and rose slightly in females (1.2 ± 0.5%) with age. Conclusion : LV reference ranges are provided in this population-based MR study at 3.0T. The variables are similar to those described at 1.5T, including variations with age and gender. These data may help to support future population-based MR research studies that involve the use of 3.0T MRI scanners.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe