In-situ measurements of oxygen, carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases from Ochsenkopf tall tower in Germany

We present 2.5 years (from June 2006 to December 2008) of in-situ measurements of CO2, O2, CH4, CO, N2O and SF6 mixing ratios sampled from 23, 90 and 163m above ground on the Ochsenkopf tower in the Fichtelgebirge range, Germany (50?0104900 N, 11?4803000 E, 1022ma.s.l.). In addition to the in-situ measurements, flask samples are taken at Ochsenkopf at approximately weekly intervals and are subsequently analysed for the mixing ratios of the same species, as well as H2, and the stable isotopes, ?13C, ?18O in CO2. The in-situ measurements of CO2 and O2 from 23m show substantial diurnal variations that are modulated by biospheric fluxes, combustion of fossil fuels, and by diurnal changes in the planetary boundary layer height. Measurements from 163m exhibit only very weak diurnal variability, as this height (1185ma.s.l.) is generally above the nocturnal boundary layer. CH4, CO, N2O and SF6 show little diurnal variation even at 23m owing to the absence of any significant diurnal change in the fluxes and the absence of any strong local sources or sinks. From the in-situ record, the seasonal cycles of the gas species have been characterized and the multi-annual trends determined. Because the record is short, the calculation of the trend is sensitive to inter-annual variations in the amplitudes of the seasonal cycles. However, for CH4 a significant change in the growth-rate was detected for 2006.5–2008.5 as compared with the global mean from 1999 to 2006 and is consistent with other recent observations of a renewed increasing global growth rate in CH4 since the beginning of 2007

Self-assembly of a binary mixture of particles and diblock copolymers

Using theoretical models, we undertake the first investigation into the synergy and rich phase behavior that emerges when binary particle mixtures are blended with microphase-separating copolymers. We isolate an example of spontaneous hierarchical self-assembly in such hybrid materials, where the system exhibits both nanoscopic ordering of the particles and macroscopic phase transformation in the copolymer matrix. Furthermore, the self-assembly is driven by entropic effects involving all the different components. The results reveal that entropy can be exploited to create highly ordered nanocomposites with potentially unique electronic and photonic properties. © 2003 The Royal Society of Chemistry

Entropically Driven Formation of Hierarchically Ordered Nanocomposites

Using theoretical models, we undertake the first investigation into the rich behavior that emerges when binary particle mixtures are blended with microphase-separating copolymers. We isolate an example of coupled self-assembly in such materials, where the system undergoes a nanoscale ordering of the particles along with a phase transformation in the copolymer matrix. Furthermore, the self-assembly is driven by entropic effects involving all the different components. The results reveal that entropy can be exploited to create highly ordered nanocomposites with potentially unique electronic and photonic properties. © 2002 The American Physical Society

Binary hard sphere mixtures in block copolymer melts

We perform a self-consistent-field/density-functional-theory hybrid analysis for a system of diblock copolymers mixed with polydisperse, hard, spherical particles of various chemical species. We apply this theory to study the equilibrium morphologies of two different binary sphere/diblock melts. First, we examine the case where the particles have two different sizes, but both types are preferentially wetted by one of the copolymer blocks. We find that the single-particle distributions for the two species do not track one another and that the particles show a degree of entropically generated separation based on size, due to confinement within the diblock matrix. Second, we study the case where the particles are all the same size, but are of two different chemical species. We find that, as expected, the particle distributions reveal a degree of enthalpically driven separation, due to the spheres’ preferential affinities for different blocks of the copolymer. © 2002 The American Physical Society

Identification of hydroxyapatite spherules provides new insight into subretinal pigment epithelial deposit formation in the aging eye.

Accumulation of protein- and lipid-containing deposits external to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is common in the aging eye, and has long been viewed as the hallmark of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The cause for the accumulation and retention of molecules in the sub-RPE space, however, remains an enigma. Here, we present fluorescence microscopy and X-ray diffraction evidence for the formation of small (0.5-20 μm in diameter), hollow, hydroxyapatite (HAP) spherules in Bruch's membrane in human eyes. These spherules are distinct in form, placement, and staining from the well-known calcification of the elastin layer of the aging Bruch's membrane. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) imaging confirmed the presence of calcium phosphate in the spherules and identified cholesterol enrichment in their core. Using HAP-selective fluorescent dyes, we show that all types of sub-RPE deposits in the macula, as well as in the periphery, contain numerous HAP spherules. Immunohistochemical labeling for proteins characteristic of sub-RPE deposits, such as complement factor H, vitronectin, and amyloid beta, revealed that HAP spherules were coated with these proteins. HAP spherules were also found outside the sub-RPE deposits, ready to bind proteins at the RPE/choroid interface. Based on these results, we propose a novel mechanism for the growth, and possibly even the formation, of sub-RPE deposits, namely, that the deposit growth and formation begin with the deposition of insoluble HAP shells around naturally occurring, cholesterol-containing extracellular lipid droplets at the RPE/choroid interface; proteins and lipids then attach to these shells, initiating or supporting the growth of sub-RPE deposits

Measurement-based quantum control of mechanical motion

Controlling a quantum system based on the observation of its dynamics is inevitably complicated by the backaction of the measurement process. Efficient measurements, however, maximize the amount of information gained per disturbance incurred. Real-time feedback then enables both canceling the measurement's backaction and controlling the evolution of the quantum state. While such measurement-based quantum control has been demonstrated in the clean settings of cavity and circuit quantum electrodynamics, its application to motional degrees of freedom has remained elusive. Here we show measurement-based quantum control of the motion of a millimetre-sized membrane resonator. An optomechanical transducer resolves the zero-point motion of the soft-clamped resonator in a fraction of its millisecond coherence time, with an overall measurement efficiency close to unity. We use this position record to feedback-cool a resonator mode to its quantum ground state (residual thermal occupation n = 0.29 +- 0.03), 9 dB below the quantum backaction limit of sideband cooling, and six orders of magnitude below the equilibrium occupation of its thermal environment. This realizes a long-standing goal in the field, and adds position and momentum to the degrees of freedom amenable to measurement-based quantum control, with potential applications in quantum information processing and gravitational wave detectors.Comment: New version with corrected detection efficiency as determined with a NIST-calibrated photodiode, added references and revised structure. Main conclusions are identical. 41 pages, 18 figure

A parametric level-set method for partially discrete tomography

This paper introduces a parametric level-set method for tomographic reconstruction of partially discrete images. Such images consist of a continuously varying background and an anomaly with a constant (known) grey-value. We represent the geometry of the anomaly using a level-set function, which we represent using radial basis functions. We pose the reconstruction problem as a bi-level optimization problem in terms of the background and coefficients for the level-set function. To constrain the background reconstruction we impose smoothness through Tikhonov regularization. The bi-level optimization problem is solved in an alternating fashion; in each iteration we first reconstruct the background and consequently update the level-set function. We test our method on numerical phantoms and show that we can successfully reconstruct the geometry of the anomaly, even from limited data. On these phantoms, our method outperforms Total Variation reconstruction, DART and P-DART.Comment: Paper submitted to 20th International Conference on Discrete Geometry for Computer Imager

Sexuality and Affection among Elderly German Men and Women in Long-Term Relationships: Results of a Prospective Population-Based Study

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.The study was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (AZ 314-1722-102/16; AZ 301-1720-295/2), the Ministry for Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg, and the University of Rostock (FORUN 989020; 889048)

Results of the randomized phase IIB ADMIRE trial of FCR with or without mitoxantrone in previously untreated CLL

ADMIRE was a multi-center, randomized-controlled, open, phase IIB superiority trial in previously untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Conventional frontline therapy in fit patients is fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR). Initial evidence from non-randomized Phase II trials suggested that the addition of mitoxantrone to FCR (FCM-R) improved remission rates. 215 patients were recruited to assess the primary endpoint of complete remission (CR) rates according to IWCLL criteria. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), overall response rate, minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity and safety. At final analysis, CR rates were 69.8% FCR vs 69.3% FCM-R [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 0.97; 95%CI: (0.53-1.79), P=0.932]. MRD-negativity rates were 59.3% FCR vs 50.5% FCM-R [adjusted OR: 0.70; 95% CI: (0.39-1.26), P=0.231]. During treatment, 60.0% (n=129) of participants received G-CSF as secondary prophylaxis for neutropenia, a lower proportion on FCR compared with FCM-R (56.1 vs 63.9%). The toxicity of both regimens was acceptable. There are no significant differences between the treatment groups for PFS and OS. The trial demonstrated that the addition of mitoxantrone to FCR did not increase the depth of response. Oral FCR was well tolerated and resulted in impressive responses in terms of CR rates and MRD negativity compared to historical series with intravenous chemotherapy

Efimov physics beyond three particles

Efimov physics originally refers to a system of three particles. Here we review recent theoretical progress seeking for manifestations of Efimov physics in systems composed of more than three particles. Clusters of more than three bosons are tied to each Efimov trimer, but no independent Efimov physics exists there beyond three bosons. The case of a few heavy fermions interacting with a lighter atom is also considered, where the mass ratio of the constituent particles plays a significant role. Following Efimov's study of the (2+1) system, the (3+1) system was shown to have its own critical mass ratio to become Efimovian. We show that the (4+1) system becomes Efimovian at a mass ratio which is smaller than its sub-systems thresholds, giving a pure five-body Efimov effect. The (5+1) and (6+1) systems are also discussed, and we show the absence of 6- and 7-body Efimov physics there