235 research outputs found
Nanotransfer Printing of Organic and Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film Transistors on Plastic Substrates
A printing process for high-resolution transfer of all components for organic
electronic devices on plastic substrates has been developed and demonstrated
for pentacene (Pn), poly (3-hexylthiophene) and carbon nanotube (CNT) thin-film
transistors (TFTs). The nanotransfer printing process allows fabrication of an
entire device without exposing any component to incompatible processes and with
reduced need for special chemical preparation of transfer or device substrates.
Devices on plastic substrates include a Pn TFT with a saturation, field-effect
mobility of 0.09 cm^2 (Vs)^-1 and on/off ratio approximately 10^4 and a CNT TFT
which exhibits ambipolar behavior and no hysteresis.Comment: to appear in Applied Physics Letter
Investigations of the Two-Detector Covariance Method for the Measurement of Coupled Reactor Kinetics Parameters
The use of medicaments in the management of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: a community-based cohort study
Aim: To investigate patient outcomes from either pulpotomy or pulpectomy for the management of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, with and without application of antibiotic/corticosteroid pastes in urgent primary dental care settings in the United Kingdom. Methodology: All patients receiving intervention for symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in three different primary care settings were invited to participate. Pre-operatively, data regarding patients’ numerical ratings scale (NRS), pain score (0-10), analgesic use, oral-health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14) and need for time away from work were collected. For seven days post operatively, participants recorded their NRS pain score, global rating of change score, medication use and their ability to work. Analysis used a mixed-effects model with post-hoc Tukey’s multiple comparisons test for continuous data and chi-squared or Fisher\ub4s exact test for categorical data. To test the effect of the corticosteroid/antibiotic paste, pulpectomy and pulpotomy groups were combined following Mantel-Haenszel stratified analysis or a weighted average of the difference between pulpotomy and pulpectomy with and without the use of corticosteroid/antibiotic paste. A binary composite score was constructed using pre- and post-operative data, whereby overall treatment success was defined as: i. patients did not return for treatment due to pain by day seven; ii. at day three there was a 33% (or 2-points) reduction in NRS pain score; iii. there was a change score of +3 in global rating; iv. the patient was no-longer using analgesia and able to return to work. Results Eighty-five participants were recruited, with 83 completing follow-up. Overall treatment success was 57%, with 25% of participants returning for more treatment due to inadequate pain relief. Overall treatment success did not differ between the two groups (p=0.645), although patients self-reported greater improvement with an antibiotic/corticosteroid dressing for global rating of change (p=0.015). Conclusions: This study identified limited evidence of improved outcomes using antibiotic/corticosteroid dressings in the management of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in the emergency setting. Further clinical research is needed to understand if these medications are beneficial in affording pain relief, above that of simple excision of irreversibly inflamed pulp tissue. Funding This study was funded by the European Society of Endodontology Young Investigator Grant (2020). Conflict of interest None to declare
Follicular regulatory T cells control humoral autoimmunity via NFAT2-regulated CXCR5 expression
Maturation of high-affinity B lymphocytes is precisely controlled during the germinal center reaction. This is dependent on CD4(+)CXCR5(+) follicular helper T cells (TFH) and inhibited by CD4(+)CXCR5(+)Foxp3(+) follicular regulatory T cells (TFR). Because NFAT2 was found to be highly expressed and activated in follicular T cells, we addressed its function herein. Unexpectedly, ablation of NFAT2 in T cells caused an augmented GC reaction upon immunization. Consistently, however, TFR cells were clearly reduced in the follicular T cell population due to impaired homing to B cell follicles. This was TFR-intrinsic because only in these cells NFAT2 was essential to up-regulate CXCR5. The physiological relevance for humoral (auto-)immunity was corroborated by exacerbated lupuslike disease in the presence of NFAT2-deficient TFR cells
Differenzdichte: Ein In-Line-Messgeraet zur Bestimmung der Urankonzentration in organischen Phasen
Broad-band properties of the hard X-ray cataclysmic variables IGR J00234+6141 and 1RXS J213344.1+510725
A significant number of cataclysmic variables were detected as hard X-ray
sources in the INTEGRAL survey, most of them of the magnetic intermediate polar
type. We present a detailed X-ray broad-band study of two new sources, IGR
J00234+6141 and 1RXS J213344.1+510725, that allow us to classify them as secure
members of the intermediate polar class. Timing and spectral analysis of IGR
J00234+6141 are based on a XMM-Newton observation and INTEGRAL publicly
available data. For 1RXS J213344.1+510725 we use XMM-Newton and Suzaku
observations at different epochs, as well as INTEGRAL publicly available data.
We determine a spin period of 561.64 +/- 0.56 s for the white dwarf in IGR
J00234+6141. The X-ray pulses are observed up to about 2 keV. From XMM-Newton
and Suzaku observations of 1RXS J213344.1+510725, we find a rotational period
of 570.862 +/- 0.034 s. The observations span three epochs where the pulsation
is observed to change at different energies both in amplitude and shape. In
both objects, the spectral analysis spanned over a wide energy range, from 0.3
to 100 keV, shows the presence of multiple emission components absorbed by
dense material. The X-ray spectrum of IGR J00234+6141 is consistent with a
multi-temperature plasma with a maximum temperature of about 50 keV. In 1RXS
J213344.1+510725, multiple optically thin components are inferred, as well as
an optically thick (blackbody) soft X-ray emission with a temperature of about
100 eV. This latter adds 1RXS J213344.1+510725 to the growing group of soft
X-ray intermediate polars. (abridged)Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in A&
The significance of the time interval between antecedent pregnancy and diagnosis of high-risk gestational trophoblastic tumours
It is thought that the time interval between the antecedent pregnancy and diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic tumours (GTTs) may influence the outcome of these patients. In this study, we investigate the significance of this time interval. Multivariate analysis was used to investigate if the time interval was of prognostic significance from our cohort of 241 high-risk patients with GTT. Subsequent cutpoint analysis was used to determine an optimal cutpoint for the interval covariate. The outcome of these patients was plotted according to the Kaplan–Meier method. The time interval was of prognostic significance on multivariate analysis. A period of greater than 2.8 years after pregnancy was found to be of most significance. The 5-year overall survival was 62.0% (95% CI: 47–76%) for greater than 2.8 years vs 94% (95% CI: 91–97%) for less than 2.8 years (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed the presence of liver metastasis and the number of metastasis was also of prognostic importance. The interval between antecedent pregnancy and diagnosis in high-risk GTT is of prognostic significance. This gives some insight into the pathogenesis of the disease
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