Microlens array production in a microtechnological dry etch and reflow process for display applications

The fabrication of arrays consisting of densely ordered circular convex microlenses with diameters of 126 μm made of quartz glass in a photoresist reflow and dry etch structure transition process is demonstrated. The rectangular lens arrays with dimensions of 6 mm x 9 mm were designed for focussing collimated light on the pixel center regions of a translucent interference display, which also was produced in microtechnological process steps. The lenses focus light on pixel centers and thus serve for increasing display brightness and contrast since incoming collimated light is partially blocked by opaque metallic ring contacts at the display pixel edges. The focal lengths of the lenses lie between 0.46 mm and 2.53 mm and were adjusted by varying ratio of the selective dry etch rate of photoresist and quartz glass. Due to volume shrinking and edge line pinning of the photoresist structures the lenses curvatures emerge hyperbolic, leading to improved focussing performance

Facial Reconstruction: Anthropometric Studies Regarding the Morphology of the Nose for Romanian Adult Population I: Nose Width

Craniofacial reconstruction often represents a final step in medico-legal identification and is dependent on facial tissue thickness measurements and feature shape estimation. This study’s aim is to create a reliable and readily reproductible method of predicting the maximum nose width (MNW) based on the maximum nasal aperture width (MAW) for a Romanian adult population. A sample of 55 computer tomography (CT) scans consisting of Romanian adult subjects was selected from the database of a neurosurgery hospital. The craniometrics measured consisted of a first measure of MAW and second one of the MNW using 3D systems Freeform Modelling Plus Software. Correlation analysis indicated a moderate link between the MAW and the MNW. Regression analysis showed that MAW and sex form a statistically significant regression pattern (R2 = 0.340, SEE (Standard Error of Estimate) = 3.801). The preliminary results obtained provide reliable predictions of MNW for facial reconstruction based on MAW measured on the skull

Filamentary structure in chemical tracer distributions near the subtropical jet following a wave breaking event

This paper presents a set of observations and analyses of trace gas cross sections in the extratropical upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS). The spatially highly resolved (&approx;0.5 km vertically and 12.5 km horizontally) cross sections of ozone (O₃), nitric acid (HNO₃), and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), retrieved from the measurements of the CRISTA-NF infrared limb sounder flown on the Russian M55-Geophysica, revealed intricate layer structures in the region of the subtropical tropopause break. The chemical structure in this region shows an intertwined stratosphere and troposphere. The observed filaments in all discussed trace gases are of a spatial scale of less than 0.8 km vertically and about 200 km horizontally across the jet stream. Backward trajectory calculations confirm that the observed filaments are the result of a breaking Rossby wave in the preceding days. An analysis of the trace gas relationships between PAN and O₃ identifies four distinct groups of air mass: polluted subtropical tropospheric air, clean tropical upper-tropospheric air, the lowermost stratospheric air, and air from the deep stratosphere. The tracer relationships further allow the identification of tropospheric, stratospheric, and the transitional air mass made of a mixture of UT and LS air. Mapping of these air mass types onto the geo-spatial location in the cross sections reveals a highly structured extratropical transition layer (ExTL). Finally, the ratio between the measured reactive nitrogen species (HNO₃ + PAN + ClONO₂) and O₃ is analysed to estimate the influence of tropospheric pollution on the extratropical UTLS. <br><br> In combination, these diagnostics provide the first example of a multi-species two-dimensional picture of the inhomogeneous distribution of chemical species within the UTLS region. Since Rossby wave breaking occurs frequently in the region of the tropopause break, these observed fine-scale filaments are likely ubiquitous in the region. The implications of the layered structure for chemistry and radiation need to be examined, and the representation of this structure in chemistry-climate models is discussed

Sensorimotor Experience Influences Recovery of Forelimb Abilities but Not Tissue Loss after Focal Cortical Compression in Adult Rats

Sensorimotor activity has been shown to play a key role in functional outcome after extensive brain damage. This study was aimed at assessing the influence of sensorimotor experience through subject-environment interactions on the time course of both lesion and gliosis volumes as well as on the recovery of forelimb sensorimotor abilities following focal cortical injury. The lesion consisted of a cortical compression targeting the forepaw representational area within the primary somatosensory cortex of adult rats. After the cortical lesion, rats were randomly subjected to various postlesion conditions: unilateral C5–C6 dorsal root transection depriving the contralateral cortex from forepaw somatosensory inputs, standard housing or an enriched environment promoting sensorimotor experience and social interactions. Behavioral tests were used to assess forelimb placement during locomotion, forelimb-use asymmetry, and forepaw tactile sensitivity. For each group, the time course of tissue loss was described and the gliosis volume over the first postoperative month was evaluated using an unbiased stereological method. Consistent with previous studies, recovery of behavioral abilities was found to depend on post-injury experience. Indeed, increased sensorimotor activity initiated early in an enriched environment induced a rapid and more complete behavioral recovery compared with standard housing. In contrast, severe deprivation of peripheral sensory inputs led to a delayed and only partial sensorimotor recovery. The dorsal rhizotomy was found to increase the perilesional gliosis in comparison to standard or enriched environments. These findings provide further evidence that early sensory experience has a beneficial influence on the onset and time course of functional recovery after focal brain injury

The rise of the non-state ‘place-based’ economic development strategy

This article was published in the journal, Local Economy and the definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269094214533650This article explores an alternative model of local and regional economic development, specifically the rise of the non-state ‘place-based’ economic development strategy. Illustrated through a case study of the Peel Group’s Atlantic Gateway Strategy in NorthWest England, the article showcases the near-future potential for a growth in alternative place-based economic development strategies designed, orchestrated and implemented by non-state actors. In an era where both state and society find themselves increasingly reliant on non-state actors – in particular major private investment groups – to deliver the future jobs, growth and regeneration of major urban regions, this article highlights a series of important concerns that the rise of non-state spatial strategies pose for place-based economic development interventions