199 research outputs found
Selective etching of PDMS: etching as a negative tone resist
In this work authors present for the first time how to apply the
additive-free, cured PDMS as a negative tone resist material, demonstrate the
creation of PDMS microstructures and test the solvent resistivity of the
created microstructures. The PDMS layers were 45 um and 100 um thick, the
irradiations were done with a focused proton microbeam with various fluences.
After irradiation, the samples were etched with sulfuric acid that removed the
unirradiated PDMS completely but left those structures intact that received
high enough fluences. The etching rate of the unirradiated PDMS was also
determined. Those structures that received at least 7.5*10^15 ion*cm-2 fluence
did not show any signs of degradation even after 19 hours of etching. As a
demonstration, 45 um and 100 um tall, high aspect ratio, good quality,
undistorted microstructures were created with smooth and vertical sidewalls.
The created microstructures were immersed into numerous solvents and some acids
to test their compatibility. It was found that the unirradiated PDMS cannot,
while the irradiated PDMS microstructures can resist to chloroform, n-hexane,
toluene and sulfuric acid. Hydrogen fluoride etches both the unirradiated and
the irradiated PDMS.Comment: full pape
Ion beam analysis of microcrystalline quartz artifacts from the Reed Mound Site, Delaware County, Oklahoma
Ion beam analysis (IBA) has been a powerful, non-destructive tool for archaeological research worldwide for over four decades, yet its full potential is seldom realized in North American archaeology. Herein the potential of particle induced X-ray emission spectrometry (PIXE) as a tool for future Ozarks chert provenance studies is evaluated based on its ability to facilitate (1) discrimination of Ozarks chert materials from different geological formations and (2) identification of discrete groups of artifacts from the same geological formation. In addition, PIXE was also used to evaluate the elemental heterogeneity of Ozarks chert materials. Thirty chert (microcrystalline quartz) artifacts were visually sorted and classified according to macroscopic features characteristic of certain chert resources from particular Ozarks geological formations. The elemental concentrations obtained from PIXE analysis underwent multivariate statistical analyses in order to gain insight from the data. The results indicate that PIXE could be a useful tool for assigning Ozarks chert materials to their respective geological formations, and possibly for determining regional or sub-regional provenance
Exposure to inhomogeneous static magnetic field beneficially affects allergic inflammation in a murine model
Previous observations suggest that static magnetic field (SMF)-exposure acts on living organisms partly through reactive oxygen species (ROS) reactions. In this study, we aimed to define the impact of SMF-exposure on ragweed pollen extract (RWPE)-induced allergic inflammation closely associated with oxidative stress. Inhomogeneous SMF was generated with an apparatus validated previously providing a peak-to-peak magnetic induction of the dominant SMF component 389 mT by 39 T m(−1) lateral gradient in the in vivo and in vitro experiments, and 192 mT by 19 T m(−1) in the human study at the 3 mm target distance. Effects of SMF-exposure were studied in a murine model of allergic inflammation and also in human provoked skin allergy. We found that even a single 30-min exposure of mice to SMF immediately following intranasal RWPE challenge significantly lowered the increase in the total antioxidant capacity of the airways and decreased allergic inflammation. Repeated (on 3 consecutive days) or prolonged (60 min) exposure to SMF after RWPE challenge decreased the severity of allergic responses more efficiently than a single 30-min treatment. SMF-exposure did not alter ROS production by RWPE under cell-free conditions, while diminished RWPE-induced increase in the ROS levels in A549 epithelial cells. Results of the human skin prick tests indicated that SMF-exposure had no significant direct effect on provoked mast cell degranulation. The observed beneficial effects of SMF are likely owing to the mobilization of cellular ROS-eliminating mechanisms rather than direct modulation of ROS production by pollen NAD(P)H oxidases
Invariant Lagrangians, mechanical connections and the Lagrange-Poincare equations
We deal with Lagrangian systems that are invariant under the action of a
symmetry group. The mechanical connection is a principal connection that is
associated to Lagrangians which have a kinetic energy function that is defined
by a Riemannian metric. In this paper we extend this notion to arbitrary
Lagrangians. We then derive the reduced Lagrange-Poincare equations in a new
fashion and we show how solutions of the Euler-Lagrange equations can be
reconstructed with the help of the mechanical connection. Illustrative examples
confirm the theory.Comment: 22 pages, to appear in J. Phys. A: Math. Theor., D2HFest special
issu
Isometries, submetries and distance coordinates on Finsler manifolds
This paper considers fundamental issues related to Finslerian iso-
metries, submetries, distance and geodesics. It is shown that at each
point of a Finsler manifold there is a distance coordinate system. Us-
ing distance coordinates, a simple proof is given for the Finslerian
version of the Myers-Steenrod theorem and for the differentiability of
Finslerian submetries
Veliparib in Combination With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for First-Line Treatment of Advanced Squamous Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized, Multicenter Phase III Study
PURPOSE
Squamous non–small-cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC) is genetically complex with evidence of DNA damage. This phase III study investigated the efficacy and safety of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor veliparib in combination with conventional chemotherapy for advanced sqNSCLC (NCT02106546).
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients age ≥ 18 years with untreated, advanced sqNSCLC were randomly assigned 1:1 to carboplatin and paclitaxel with veliparib 120 mg twice daily (twice a day) or placebo twice a day for up to six cycles. The primary end point was overall survival (OS) in the veliparib arm versus the control arm in current smokers, based on phase II findings. Archival tumor samples were provided for biomarker analysis using a 52-gene expression histology classifier (LP52).
RESULTS
Overall, 970 patients were randomly assigned to carboplatin and paclitaxel plus either veliparib (n = 486) or placebo (n = 484); 57% were current smokers. There was no significant OS benefit with veliparib in current smokers, with median OS 11.9 versus 11.1 months (hazard ratio [HR], 0.905; 95% CI, 0.744 to 1.101; P = .266). In the overall population, OS favored veliparib; median OS was 12.2 versus 11.2 months (HR, 0.853; 95% CI, 0.747 to 0.974), with no difference in progression-free survival (median 5.6 months per arm). In patients with biomarker-evaluable tumor samples (n = 360), OS favored veliparib in the LP52-positive population (median 14.0 v 9.6 months; HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.89), but favored placebo in the LP52-negative population (median 11.0 v 14.4 months; HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.86). No new safety signals were observed in the experimental arm.
CONCLUSION
In current smokers with advanced sqNSCLC, there was no therapeutic benefit of adding veliparib to first-line chemotherapy. The LP52 signature may identify a subgroup of patients likely to derive benefit from veliparib with chemotherapy
Veliparib in Combination With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for First-Line Treatment of Advanced Squamous Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized, Multicenter Phase III Study
Prospects for at CERN in NA62
The NA62 experiment will begin taking data in 2015. Its primary purpose is a
10% measurement of the branching ratio of the ultrarare kaon decay , using the decay in flight of kaons in an unseparated
beam with momentum 75 GeV/c.The detector and analysis technique are described
here.Comment: 8 pages for proceedings of 50 Years of CP
A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Varenicline for Smoking Cessation Allowing Flexible Quit Dates
Introduction: Current smoking cessation guidelines recommend setting a quit date prior to starting pharmacotherapy. However, providing flexibility in the date of quitting may be more acceptable to some smokers. The objective of this study was to compare varenicline 1 mg twice daily (b.i.d.) with placebo in subjects using a flexible quit date paradigm after starting medication. Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled international study, smokers of ≥10 cigarettes/day, aged 18-75 years, and who were motivated to quit were randomized (3:1) to receive varenicline 1 mg b.i.d. or placebo for 12 weeks. Subjects were followed up through Week 24. Subjects were instructed to quit between Days 8 and 35 after starting medication. The primary endpoint was carbon monoxide-confirmed continuous abstinence during Weeks 9-12, and a key secondary endpoint was continuous abstinence during Weeks 9-24. Results: Overall, 493 subjects were randomized to varenicline and 166 to placebo. Continuous abstinence was higher for varenicline than for placebo subjects at the end of treatment (Weeks 9-12: 53.1% vs. 19.3%; odds ratio [OR] 5.9; 95% CI, 3.7-9.4; p < .0001) and through 24 weeks follow-up (Weeks 9-24: 34.7% vs. 12.7%; OR 4.4; 95% CI, 2.6-7.5; p < .0001). Serious adverse events occurred in 1.2% varenicline (none were psychiatric) and 0.6% placebo subjects. Fewer varenicline than placebo subjects reported depression-related adverse events (2.3% vs. 6.7%, respectively). Conclusions: Varenicline 1 mg b.i.d. using a flexible quit date paradigm had similar efficacy and safety compared with previous fixed quit date studies. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
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