Monolithic integration of metamorphic pin DIODES and HFETs for heterointegrated MMICs

This paper presents for the first time the monolithic integration of In0.53Ga0.47As PIN diodes and In0.53Ga0.47As/In0.52Al0.48As HFETs on one GaAs substrate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first approach that these metamorphic devices are heterointegrated on a single GaAs wafer. Special attention was paid to the surface roughness of the layers which was monitored with an atomic force microscope during the processing. Taking advantage of this combined technology, metamorphic PIN diodes and HFETs were processed simultaneously and used to realize different mm-wave circuits on this wafer. The HFETs with a gate-length of 0.12 µm demonstrate an extrinsic transconductance of 772mS/mm and cut-off frequencies of fT = 137GHz and fmax = 212GHz. The fabricated SPDT (single-pole double-throw) switch has an insertion loss smaller than 2.5dB and an isolation larger than –21dB from 39GHz to 79GHz and the single-stage amplifier exhibits a gain of 6.5dB at 54GHz

Retrograde Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Through Ipsilateral Collateral Channels : A Multicenter Registry

Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the procedural aspects and outcomes of retrograde chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) through ipsilateral collateral channels (ILCs). Background Retrograde CTO PCI via ILCs is rarely performed, usually when no other retrograde options exist, and available evidence derives mostly from case reports. Methods A large retrospective multinational registry was compiled, including all consecutive patients undergoing retrograde CTO PCI through ILCs at 6 centers between September 2011 and October 2016. Success rates, as well as procedural complications and in-hospital outcomes, were studied. Results A total of 126 patients (17% of all retrograde CTO PCIs) were included. The mean age was 65.7 ± 11.2 years, and the mean J-CTO (Multicenter CTO Registry in Japan) score was 2.36 ± 1.13. The target vessel was the circumflex coronary artery in 42%, the left anterior descending coronary artery in 39%, and the right coronary artery in 19%. The ILCs used were epicardial in 76% and septal in 24%. ILC anatomy was very heterogeneous. One guiding catheter was used in 80%, whereas the ping-pong technique was used in 20%. A retrograde wire could be advanced to the distal cap in 81%. Technical and procedural success rates were 87% and 82%, respectively. ILC perforation with need for intervention was observed in 5.6% and tamponade due to ILC perforation in 2.4%. One patient (0.8%) died. Conclusions Retrograde CTO PCI through ILCs is a challenging intervention that can be performed in difficult occlusions with high success rates and reasonable rates of complications by experienced operators

Übergang in eine Green Economy: Systemische Hemmnisse und praktische Lösungsansätze - Analysen, Thesen, Workshop-Ergebnisse

Es besteht breiter Konsens, dass der Übergang in eine Green Economy wichtige Chancen zur Verbindung von Ökonomie und Ökologie bietet. Fragen bestehen jedoch noch zu den konkreten Pfaden und insbesondere zu den Hemmnisse auf dem Weg dorthin. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht daher als Bestandteil des Forschungsvorhabens „Übergang in eine Green Economy“ die zu erwartenden systemischen Hemmnisse und legt dabei einen Schwerpunkt auf konkrete Ansätze zur ihrer Überwindung. Dazu versammelt die Studie Beiträge wichtiger Expertinnen und Experten aus Wissenschaft, Wirtschaft, Politik und Zivilgesellschaft, die im Rahmen eines Fach-Workshops vorgetragen und diskutiert wurden

Promoting stigma coping and empowerment in patients with schizophrenia and depression: results of a cluster-RCT

There is a need for interventions supporting patients with mental health conditions in coping with stigma and discrimination. A psycho-educational group therapy module to promote stigma coping and empowerment (STEM) was developed and tested for efficacy in patients with schizophrenia or depression. 30 clinical centers participated in a cluster-randomized clinical trial, representing a broad spectrum of mental health care settings: in-patient (acute treatment, rehabilitation), out-patient, and day-hospitals. As randomized, patients in the intervention group clusters/centers received an illness-specific eight sessions standard psychoeducational group therapy plus three specific sessions on stigma coping and empowerment ('STEM'). In the control group clusters the same standard psychoeducational group therapy was extended to 11 sessions followed by one booster session in both conditions. In total,N = 462 patients were included in the analysis (N = 117 with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, ICD-10 F2x;N = 345 with depression, ICD-10 F31.3-F31.5, F32-F34, and F43.2). Clinical and stigma-related measures were assessed before and directly after treatment, as well as after 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months (M12). Primary outcome was improvement in quality of life (QoL) assessed with the WHO-QOL-BREF between pre-assessment and M12 analyzed by mixed models and adjusted for pre-treatment differences. Overall, QoL and secondary outcome measures (symptoms, functioning, compliance, internalized stigma, self-esteem, empowerment) improved significantly, but there was no significant difference between intervention and control group. The short STEM module has proven its practicability as an add-on in different settings in routine mental health care. The overall increase in empowerment in both, schizophrenia and depression, indicates patients' treatment benefit. However, factors contributing to improvement need to be explored. The study has been registered in the following trial registers. ClinicalTrials.gov:Registration number: NCT01655368. DRKS:Registration number: DRKS00004217

Considerations and consequences of allowing DNA sequence data as types of fungal taxa

Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), allowing DNA sequences alone (of any region and extent) to serve as types of taxon names for voucherless fungi (mainly putative taxa from environmental DNA sequences), have been submitted to be voted on at the 11th International Mycological Congress (Puerto Rico, July 2018). We consider various genetic processes affecting the distribution of alleles among taxa and find that alleles may not consistently and uniquely represent the species within which they are contained. Should the proposals be accepted, the meaning of nomenclatural types would change in a fundamental way from physical objects as sources of data to the data themselves. Such changes are conducive to irreproducible science, the potential typification on artefactual data, and massive creation of names with low information content, ultimately causing nomenclatural instability and unnecessary work for future researchers that would stall future explorations of fungal diversity. We conclude that the acceptance of DNA sequences alone as types of names of taxa, under the terms used in the current proposals, is unnecessary and would not solve the problem of naming putative taxa known only from DNA sequences in a scientifically defensible way. As an alternative, we highlight the use of formulas for naming putative taxa (candidate taxa) that do not require any modification of the ICN.Peer reviewe