Prognostic awareness, will to live and health care expectation in patients with terminal cancer

2005-2006 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Dimension reduction based on canonical correlation

Dimension reduction is helpful and often necessary in exploring nonlinear or nonparametric regression structures with a large number of predictors. We consider using the canonical variables from the design space whose correlations with a spline basis in the response space are significant. The method can be viewed as a variant of sliced inverse regression (SIR) with simple slicing replaced by B-spline basis functions. The asymptotic distribution theory we develop extends to weakly dependent stationary sequences and enables us to consider asymptotic tests that are useful in determining the number of significant dimensions for modeling. We compare several tests for dimensionality and make specific recommendations for dimension selection based on our theoretical and empirical studies. These tests apply to any form of SIR. The methodology and some of the practical issues are illustrated through a tuition study of American colleges.published_or_final_versio

Temperature-vacuum swing adsorption for direct air capture by using low-grade heat

Direct air capture (DAC) is a promising carbon mitigation technology and will likely be part of extensive carbon removal portfolio. Adsorptive DAC is an appropriate option for carbon capture to utilize low-grade heat because of its desirable regeneration temperature and adaptability to be integrated with renewables. Building indoor environment with CO2 concentrations above 1000 ppm provides another suitable scenario for DAC. Herein, DAC using temperature-vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA) is presented and analyzed by integrating various low-grade heat sources in buildings. An amine-functionalized metal organic framework is selected for process simulation, and the performance is compared with those using other sorbents. It indicates that amine-functionalized material has advantages in CO2 productivity and purity. A techno-economic analysis is carried out to explore the benefit of the proposed DAC in buildings. The results show that regeneration by heat pumps at 373 K is the most competitive solution and has 176.7 $·tCO2−1 of the levelized cost of DAC (LCOD). Compared with conventional energy supply, solutions with low-grade heat utilization in buildings could achieve lower carbon intensity and increase by 5.2–25.0% in net LCOD. These results will provide practical guidelines for DAC application with lower energy penalties and costs

Different origins of visible luminescence in ZnO nanostructures fabricated by the chemical and evaporation methods

Zinc oxide nanostructures were fabricated using chemical and thermal evaporation methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy were used to study the properties of fabricated nanostructures. The nanostructures fabricated by evaporationg methods exhibited green PL from surface centers. The results show that the luminescence in the visible region has different peak positions in samples prepared by chemical and evaporation methods.published_or_final_versio

Stabilizing forces acting on ZnO polar surfaces: STM, LEED, and DFT

published_or_final_versio

Liver cancer immunoassay with magnetic nanoparticles and MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction sensors

This journal issue is proceedings of the 56th 56th Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic MaterialsSession DV - Sensors 2 (Poster Session): no. DV-07We have demonstrated the detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) labeled with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) using MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensors. AFP is an important hepatic tumor biomarker and the detection of AFP has significant applications for clinical diagnostics and immunoassay for early-stage liver cancer indications. In this work, MgO-based MTJ sensors and 20-nm iron-oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were used for detecting AFP antigens by a sandwich-assay configuration. The MTJ sensors with a sensing area of 4 × 2 μm 2 possess tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of 122 and sensitivity of 0.95/Oe at room temperature. The target AFP antigens of three concentrations were successfully detected, and the experimental data indicate that the resistance variations of the MTJ sensor increased with the AFP concentration ratios proportionally. These results demonstrate that MgO-based MTJ sensors together with MNPs are a promising biosensing platform for liver cancer immunoassay. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versionThe 56th Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, Scottsdale, AZ., 30 October-3 November 2011. In Journal of Applied Physics, 2012, v. 111 n. 7, article no. 07E50

A comparison of repaired, remanufactured and new compressors used in Western Australian small- and medium-sized enterprises in terms of global warming

Repaired compressors are compared with remanufactured and new compressors in terms of economic andenvironmental benefits. A detailed life cycle assessment has been carried out for compressors under threemanufacturing strategies: repaired, remanufactured and new equipment. The life cycle assessment of the globalwarming potential of repaired compressors varies from 4.38 to 119 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e),depending on the type of components replaced. While greenhouse gas emissions from the remanufacturedcompressors (110 to 168 kg CO2-e) are relatively higher than those from the repaired ones (4.4 to 119 kg CO2-e), anew compressor has been found to produce a larger amount of greenhouse gas emissions (1,590 kg CO2-e)compared to both repaired and remanufactured compressors. Repairing failed compressors has been found to offerend users both dollar and carbon savings in contrast to remanufactured and new compressors. The research alsofound that extended lifetime is more important than the manufacturing processes in terms of greenhouse gasemissions. Since a remanufactured compressor offers a longer life than a repaired compressor, the replacement ofthe latter with the former can avoid 33% to 66% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a newcompressor production with a lifetime of 15 to 25 years

Physical and Electrical Performance of Vapor–Solid Grown ZnO Straight Nanowires

Physical and electrical properties of wurtzitic ZnO straight nanowires grown via a vapor–solid mechanism were investigated. Raman spectrum shows four first-order phonon frequencies and a second-order Raman frequency of the ZnO nanowires. Electrical and photoconductive performance of individual ZnO straight nanowire devices was studied. The results indicate that the nanowires reported here are n-type semi-conductors and UV light sensitive, and a desirable candidate for fabricating UV light nanosensors and other applications

Expression Pattern of Kv11 (Ether à-go-go-Related Gene; erg) K+ Channels in the Mouse Retina

In response to light, most retinal neurons exhibit gradual changes in membrane potential. Therefore K+ channels that mediate threshold currents are well-suited for the fine-tuning of signal transduction. In the present study we demonstrate the expression of the different Kv11 (ether-à-go-go related gene; erg) channel subunits in the human and mouse retina by RT PCR and quantitative PCR, respectively. Immunofluorescence analysis with cryosections of mouse retinae revealed the following local distribution of the three Kv11 subunits: Kv11.1 (m-erg1) displayed the most abundant expression with the strongest immunoreactivity in rod bipolar cells. In addition, immunoreactivity was found in the inner part of the outer plexiform layer (OPL), in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and in the inner segments of photoreceptors. Immunoreactivity for Kv11.2 (m-erg2) was observed in the outer part of the OPL and throughout the IPL. Double-labeling for vGluT1 or synaptophysin indicated a mainly presynaptic localization of Kv11.2. While no significant staining for Kv11.3 (m-erg3) was detected in the neuronal retina, strong Kv11.3 immunoreactivity was present in the apical membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium. The different expression levels were confirmed by real-time PCR showing almost equal levels of Kv11.1 and Kv11.2, while Kv11.3 mRNA expression was significantly lower. The two main splice variants of Kv11.1, isoforms a and b were detected in comparable levels suggesting a possible formation of cGMP/cGK-sensitive Kv11.1 channels in photoreceptors and rod bipolar cells. Taken together, the immunohistological results revealed different expression patterns of the three Kv11 channels in the mouse retina supposing distinct physiological roles