Method of directing a laser beam with very high accuracy

System will collimate and direct an argon laser beam with high angular tracking accuracy at objects on the moons surface. It can be adapted to missile and satellite tracking

Method and apparatus for aligning a laser beam projector Patent

Laser beam projector for continuous, precise alignment between target, laser generator, and astronomical telescope during trackin

Transfer and Production of the English System of Articles: Replicating Crompton

The teachability of the English language\u27s system of articles has been researched many times over. It is widely known that for English language learners whose language does not have a system of articles, or is [-article], acquiring this system can be difficult, even problematic. Likewise, it is well-documented that even learners whose language is [+article] might encounter problems of their own while acquiring this system. My study has in part attempted to replicate Crompton\u27s 2011 study of native speakers of Arabic and the effects of transfer from their LI while producing English\u27s system of articles. To facilitate his research, Crompton posed four questions. The first question asked how common were errors made in production of English\u27s system of articles were. His second question asked which type of error was the most frequent. His final question asked if transfer was responsible for these errors. His research found aspects of generic reference were especially problematic for his study\u27s participants. My study set out to expound upon Crompton\u27s work, but instead of using participants who were native speakers of Arabic, my study used native speakers of Croatian and German. There were four groups in all who participated. The first two groups were comprised of native speakers of Croatian. The first group was comprised of 72 first-year university students majoring in English. The second group was comprised of 49 graduate-level students who were completing their Master\u27s degrees in English and Linguistics. The second and third groups I studied were comprised of native speakers of German who had been evaluated by the German Ministry of Defense\u27s Federal Office of Languages as being intermediate and upper-intermediate level in proficiency of English as a foreign language. Twenty-eight participants in total took part in the second part of this study, with 14 in each group. To enhance my research, this study investigated a fourth question: Were there signs of transfer recovery by the Croatian Advanced Group and by the German Upper Intermediate Group? Errors in production of English\u27s system of errors were reported and tallied. Furthermore, my study echoed Crompton\u27s findings of generic reference being problematic for non-native speakers of English. Finally, my study suggested there was evidence of transfer recovery the Croatian Advanced Group and the German Upper-Intermediate Group

Adolescent Obesity Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND: Adolescents, aged 12-19 years, represent the fastest growing segment of the population affected by the obesity (overweight) epidemic. A simultaneous and equally important trend in the United States (U.S.) is the increasing prevalence of children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Although type 2 DM is an obesity-related disease in adults, a causal relationship between adolescent overweight and pediatric type 2 DM is suspected but not established. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this review is to systematically explore the association between overweight and type 2 DM in adolescents, and consider the magnitude of any identified association. The principal question is: Within the U.S. adolescent population aged 12-19 years old, is overweight- defined as Body Mass Index (BMl) -for-age 2: 95th percentile (with 85th to lt;95th percentile considered at risk for overweight)- associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus during adolescence? METHODS: Search Strategy- I obtained studies through systematic electronic database searches ofMedline via PubMed and the Cochrane library, supplemented by a manual search of selected journals and bibliographies. Selection criteriaOriginal research articles published in English, involving the U.S. adolescent population, and addressing overweight and/or type 2 DM were eligible for inclusion. Data collection analysis: The primary author independently reviewed relevant studies and extracted evidence into tabular format for analysis. MAIN RESULTS: Eight studies were relevant to the key question (or its pre-defined subcomponent) and rated as fair or good quality. Study designs were prospective longitudinal, cross-sectional, and retrospective cohort, and sample sizes ranged from 36 to 1,242. Outcome measures included BMl, type 2 DM, impaired glucose tolerance, and hyperinsulinism. All studies had flaws, including small sample size, general methodological inconsistencies, and compromised internal validity. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the body of evidence identified for this review concentrates on an association between overweight and metabolic disturbances related to type 2 DM, rather than on type 2 DM specifically. Insufficient evidence is available to reliably conclude on a causal association between overweight status and development of type 2 DM in adolescence. The magnitude of results identified by this review is strong enough to suggest such an association; however, there is a need for research defining true metabolic precursors of adolescent-onset type 2 DM.Master of Public Healt

Automation of environmental ELISAs

ELISAs for pesticides and herbicides in environmental and agricultural samples are becoming very important in screening applications [1-3]. Traditional chromatographic methods are expensive and results need long turnaround times, making them incompatible with rapid on-site decision making. ELISA methods have been shown to meet or exceed the performance of gas chromatography—they offer rapid low-cost analysis, thereby increasing the frequency of sampling and enhancing data quality. Automated ELISA workstations allow the full benefit of these kits to be realized. Sample preparation, reagent pipetting, incubation, and photometric evaluation can be performed without user intervention. Reliability is increased through the elimination of operator error, better accuracy and precision, and often higher speed. Much larger batch sizes are possible and these systems can provide sample tracking with report generation for documentation requirements. In this paper the manual procedures and ELISA methods are compared and some critical aspects of automating these ELISA kits are discussed

Native Nephrectomy with Renal Transplantation Decreases Hypertension Medication Requirements in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Purpose We assessed hypertensive control after native nephrectomy and renal transplantation in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Materials and Methods Blood pressure control was studied retrospectively in 118 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease who underwent renal transplantation between 2003 and 2013. Overall 54 patients underwent transplantation alone (group 1) and 64 underwent transplantation with concurrent ipsilateral nephrectomy (group 2). Of these 64 patients 32 underwent ipsilateral nephrectomy only (group 2a) and 32 underwent eventual delayed contralateral native nephrectomy (group 2b). The number of antihypertensive drugs and defined daily dose of each antihypertensive was recorded at transplantation and up to 36-month followup. Results Comparing preoperative to postoperative medications at 12, 24 and 36-month followup, transplantation with concurrent ipsilateral nephrectomy had a greater decrease in quantity (−1.2 vs −0.5 medications, p=0.008; −1.1 vs −0.3, p=0.007 and −1.2 vs −0.4, p=0.03, respectively) and defined daily dose of antihypertensive drug (−3.3 vs −1.0, p=0.0008; −2.9 vs −1.0, p=0.006 and −2.7 vs −0.6, p=0.007, respectively) than transplantation alone at each point. Native nephrectomy continued to be a predictor of hypertensive requirements on multivariable analysis (p <0.0001). The mean decrease in number of medications in group 2b from after ipsilateral nephrectomy to 12 months after contralateral nephrectomy was −0.6 (p=0.0005) and the mean decrease in defined daily dose was −0.6 (p=0.009). Conclusions In patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease undergoing renal transplantation, concurrent ipsilateral native nephrectomy is associated with a significant decrease in the quantity and defined daily dose of antihypertensive drugs needed for hypertension control. Delayed contralateral native nephrectomy is associated with improved control of blood pressure to an even greater degree

Ultra-large grain polycrystalline semiconductors through top-down aluminum induced crystallization (TAIC)

A seed layer structure is annealed. It comprises a crystallization catalyst material on a seed semiconductor over a substrate. It contains an amorphous portion. Annealing of the seed layer structure converts the amorphous portion into a crystalline portion. The crystalline portion is connected to the substrate by subsurface crystal legs. The crystallization catalyst material formed underneath the crystalline portion by annealing is removed from the underneath of the crystalline portion

Options for Breast Cancer Prevention in High-Risk Patients

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed non-skin cancer in women, and one in eight women will develop breast cancer within their Iifetimes. Unfortunately, the strongest risk factors for breast cancer (i.e. age, family history, hormonal factors) are not easily modified. There is some evidence that chemopreventative drugs may be able to prevent breast cancer in high-risk patients. Tamoxifen and raloxifene have been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women but may be associated with several serious adverse events. Clinical trials are currently in progress to determine if aromatase inhibitors are a viable alternative for breast cancer prevention, as they may be considered effective in the early treatment of breast cancer. For patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy may be an option. This article discusses the risks and benefits of available treatment options for breast cancer prevention in high-risk patients