365 research outputs found
Nanotrench for nano and microparticle electrical interconnects
We present a simple and versatile patterning procedure for the reliable and reproducible fabrication of high aspect ratio (10 4 ) electrical interconnects that have separation distances down to 20 nm and lengths of several hundreds of microns. The process uses standard optical lithography techniques and allows parallel processing of many junctions, making it easily scalable and industrially relevant. We demonstrate the suitability of these nanotrenches as electrical interconnects for addressing micro and nanoparticles by realizing several circuits with integrated species. Furthermore, low impedance metal-metal low contacts are shown to be obtained when trapping a single metal-coated microsphere in the gap, emphasizing the intrinsic good electrical conductivity of the interconnects, even though a wet process is used. Highly resistive magnetite-based nanoparticles networks also demonstrate the advantage of the high aspect ratio of the nanotrenches for providing access to electrical properties of highly resistive materials, with leakage current levels below 1 pA. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd
Berenstein-Zelevinsky triangles, elementary couplings and fusion rules
We present a general scheme for describing su(N)_k fusion rules in terms of
elementary couplings, using Berenstein-Zelevinsky triangles. A fusion coupling
is characterized by its corresponding tensor product coupling (i.e. its
Berenstein-Zelevinsky triangle) and the threshold level at which it first
appears. We show that a closed expression for this threshold level is encoded
in the Berenstein-Zelevinsky triangle and an explicit method to calculate it is
presented. In this way a complete solution of su(4)_k fusion rules is obtained.Comment: 14 page
Leptin-induced lipolysis opposes the tonic inhibition of endogenous adenosine in white adipocytes
The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the signaling pathway used
by leptin to stimulate lipolysis. The lipolytic rate of white adipocytes from
sex- and age-matched lean (+/+) and fa/fa rats was determined in the absence or
presence of leptin together with a number of agents acting at different levels of
the signaling cascade. Leptin did not modify FSK-, dbcAMP-, and IBMX-stimulated
lipolysis. Lipolysis can also be maximally stimulated by lowering media adenosine
levels with adenosine deaminase (ADA), i.e., in the ligand-free state. Although
ADA produced near maximal lipolysis in adipocytes of lean animals, only half of
the maximal lipolytic rate (50.9+/-3.2%) was achieved in fat cells from fa/fa
rats (P=0.0034). In adipocytes from lean animals preincubated with ADA, leptin
caused a concentration-related stimulation of lipolysis (P=0.0001). However,
leptin had no effect on the lipolytic activity of adipocytes in the ligand-free
state from fa/fa rats. The adenosine A1 receptor agonist CPA effectively
inhibited basal lipolysis in both lean and obese adipocytes (P=0.0001 and
P=0.0090, respectively). Leptin had no effect on the lipolytic rate of adipocytes
isolated from fa/fa rats and preincubated with CPA. When adipocytes were
incubated with the A1 receptor antagonist DPCPX, a significant increase in
glycerol release was observed in fa/fa fat cells (P=0.009), whereas cells
isolated from lean rats showed no differences to ADA-stimulated lipolysis. After
pretreatment with PTX, which inactivates receptor-mediated Gi function,
adipocytes of obese rats became as responsive to the stimulatory actions of ISO
as cells from lean rats (P=0.0090 vs. ISO in fa/fa rats; P=0.2416 vs. lean rats,
respectively). PTX treatment of lean cells, however, did not alter their response
to this lipolytic agent. It can be concluded that the lipolytic effect of leptin
is located at the adenylate cyclase/Gi proteins level and that leptin-induced
lipolysis opposes the tonic inhibition of endogenous adenosine in white
adipocytes
PV-0323: Prospective evaluation of markerless tumour tracking using 4D3D registration and dual energy imaging
The Simons Observatory: Cryogenic Half Wave Plate Rotation Mechanism for the Small Aperture Telescopes
We present the requirements, design and evaluation of the cryogenic
continuously rotating half-wave plate (CHWP) for the Simons Observatory (SO).
SO is a cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization experiment at Parque
Astron\'{o}mico Atacama in northern Chile that covers a wide range of angular
scales using both small (0.42 m) and large (6 m) aperture telescopes. In
particular, the small aperture telescopes (SATs) focus on large angular scales
for primordial B-mode polarization. To this end, the SATs employ a CHWP to
modulate the polarization of the incident light at 8~Hz, suppressing
atmospheric noise and mitigating systematic uncertainties that would
otherwise arise due to the differential response of detectors sensitive to
orthogonal polarizations. The CHWP consists of a 505 mm diameter achromatic
sapphire HWP and a cryogenic rotation mechanism, both of which are cooled down
to 50 K to reduce detector thermal loading. Under normal operation the
HWP is suspended by a superconducting magnetic bearing and rotates with a
constant 2 Hz frequency, controlled by an electromagnetic synchronous motor.
The rotation angle is detected through an angular encoder with a noise level of
0.07. During a cooldown, the rotor is held in
place by a grip-and-release mechanism that serves as both an alignment device
and a thermal path. In this paper we provide an overview of the SO SAT CHWP:
its requirements, hardware design, and laboratory performance.Comment: 19 pages, 21 figures, submitted to RS
Running GAGs: myxoid matrix in tumor pathology revisited: Whatâs in it for the pathologist?
Ever since Virchow introduced the entity myxoma, abundant myxoid extracellular matrix (ECM) has been recognized in various reactive and neoplastic lesions. Nowadays, the term âmyxoidâ is commonly used in daily pathological practice. But what do todayâs pathologists mean by it, and what does the myxoid ECM tell the pathologist? What is known about the exact composition and function of the myxoid ECM 150Â years after Virchow? Here, we give an overview of the composition and constituents of the myxoid ECM as known so far and demonstrate the heterogeneity of the myxoid ECM among different tumors. We discuss the possible role of the predominant constituents of the myxoid ECM and attempt to relate them to differences in clinical behavior. Finally, we will speculate on the potential relevance of this knowledge in daily pathological practice
Dietary iodine exposure and brain structures and cognition in older people. Exploratory analysis in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936
Background:
Iodine deficiency is one of the three key micronutrient deficiencies highlighted as major public health issues by the World Health Organisation. Iodine deficiency is known to cause brain structural alterations likely to affect cognition. However, it is not known whether or how different (lifelong) levels of exposure to dietary iodine influences brain health and cognitive functions.
Methods:
From 1091 participants initially enrolled in The Lothian Birth Cohort Study 1936, we obtained whole diet data from 882. Three years later, from 866 participants (mean age 72 yrs, SD ±0.8), we obtained cognitive information and ventricular, hippocampal and normal and abnormal tissue volumes from brain structural magnetic resonance imaging scans (n=700). We studied the brain structure and cognitive abilities of iodine-rich food avoiders/low consumers versus those with a high intake in iodine-rich foods (namely dairy and fish).
Results:
We identified individuals (n=189) with contrasting diets, i) belonging to the lowest quintiles for dairy and fish consumption, ii) milk avoiders, iii) belonging to the middle quintiles for dairy and fish consumption, and iv) belonging to the middle quintiles for dairy and fish consumption. Iodine intake was secured mostly though the diet (n=10 supplement users) and was sufficient for most (75.1%, median 193 ÎŒg/day). In individuals from these groups, brain lateral ventricular volume was positively associated with fat, energy and protein intake. The associations between iodine intake and brain ventricular volume and between consumption of fish products (including fish cakes and fish-containing pasties) and white matter hyperintensities (p=0.03) the latest being compounded by sodium, proteins and saturated fats, disappeared after type 1 error correction.
Conclusion:
In this large Scottish older cohort, the proportion of individuals reporting extreme (low vs. high)/medium iodine consumption is small. In these individuals, low iodine-rich food intake was associated with increased brain volume shrinkage, raising an important hypothesis worth being explored for designing appropriate guidelines
Poor nutritional status of schoolchildren in urban and peri-urban areas of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malnutrition is still highly prevalent in developing countries. Schoolchildren may also be at high nutritional risk, not only under-five children. However, their nutritional status is poorly documented, particularly in urban areas. The paucity of information hinders the development of relevant nutrition programs for schoolchildren. The aim of this study carried out in Ouagadougou was to assess the nutritional status of schoolchildren attending public and private schools.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was carried out to provide baseline data for the implementation and evaluation of the Nutrition Friendly School Initiative of WHO. Six intervention schools and six matched control schools were selected and a sample of 649 schoolchildren (48% boys) aged 7-14 years old from 8 public and 4 private schools were studied. Anthropometric and haemoglobin measurements, along with thyroid palpation, were performed. Serum retinol was measured in a random sub-sample of children (N = 173). WHO criteria were used to assess nutritional status. Chi square and independent t-test were used for proportions and mean comparisons between groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean age of the children (48% boys) was 11.5 ± 1.2 years. Micronutrient malnutrition was highly prevalent, with 38.7% low serum retinol and 40.4% anaemia. The prevalence of stunting was 8.8% and that of thinness, 13.7%. The prevalence of anaemia (p = 0.001) and vitamin A deficiency (p < 0.001) was significantly higher in public than private schools. Goitre was not detected. Overweight/obesity was low (2.3%) and affected significantly more children in private schools (p = 0.009) and younger children (7-9 y) (p < 0.05). Thinness and stunting were significantly higher in peri-urban compared to urban schools (p < 0.05 and p = 0.004 respectively). Almost 15% of the children presented at least two nutritional deficiencies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study shows that malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are also widely prevalent in schoolchildren in cities, and it underlines the need for nutrition interventions to target them.</p
WAO consensus on DEfinition of Food Allergy SEverity (DEFASE).
BACKGROUND: While several scoring systems for the severity of anaphylactic reactions have been developed, there is a lack of consensus on definition and categorisation of severity of food allergy disease as a whole. AIM: To develop an international consensus on the severity of food allergy (DEfinition of Food Allergy Severity, DEFASE) scoring system, to be used globally. METHODS PHASE 1: We conducted a mixed-method systematic review (SR) of 11 databases for published and unpublished literature on severity of food allergy management and set up a panel of international experts. PHASE 2: Based on our findings in Phase 1, we drafted statements for a two-round modified electronic Delphi (e-Delphi) survey. A purposefully selected multidisciplinary international expert panel on food allergy (n = 60) was identified and sent a structured questionnaire, including a set of statements on different domains of food allergy severity related to symptoms, health-related quality of life, and economic impact. Participants were asked to score their agreement on each statement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree". Median scores and percentage agreements were calculated. Consensus was defined a priori as being achieved if 70% or more of panel members rated a statement as "strongly agree" to "agree" after the second round. Based on feedback, 2 additional online voting rounds were conducted. RESULTS: We received responses from 92% of Delphi panel members in round 1 and 85% in round 2. Consensus was achieved on the overall score and in all of the 5 specific key domains as essential components of the DEFASE score. CONCLUSIONS: The DEFASE score is the first comprehensive grading of food allergy severity that considers not only the severity of a single reaction, but the whole disease spectrum. An international consensus has been achieved regarding a scoring system for food allergy disease. It offers an evaluation grid, which may help to rate the severity of food allergy. Phase 3 will involve validating the scoring system in research settings, and implementing it in clinical practice
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