Coexistence of bicuspid aortic valve, aberrant right subclavian artery and common origin of carotid arteries

Background: Prevalence of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and right aberrant sub-clavian artery (ASA) separately is relatively common in general population, and much higher in some disorders. Surprisingly, coexistence of both valve and vessel anomalies has only been reported in single cases. Materials and methods: From 2008 to 2016, in a single, high-volume tertiary cardiac centre, patients who underwent chest computed tomography (CT) for various reasons, were retrospectively screened for the presence of right ASA. Results: Seventy-two patients with either right or left ASA were identified by CT. Among them 7 cases of BAV and right ASA coexistence were identified. Additionally, 1 case with coexisting common origin of carotid arteries (COCA) was visualised in this subgroup. Conclusions: Although coexistence of ASA and BAV has not been reported in paediatric population, it has been diagnosed in very few adults as well as in our series. Additional presence of COCA in this group seems to be very rare. From practical point of view, heart cannulation via the radial artery and subsequent ASA may be challenging. Similarly, COCA presence may have surgical implications during corrective procedures

Effect of rapid thermal annealing on short period {CdO/ZnO}m SLs grown on m-Al2O3

Here, we report on the characterization of {CdO/ZnO}m superlattice structures (SLs) grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The properties of as-grown and annealed SLs deposited on m-oriented sapphire were investigated by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in cathodoluminescence (CL) and energy dispersive X-ray modes. The deformation of the crystallographic structure of SLs was observed after rapid thermal annealing at 900{\deg}C in oxygen flow due to migration and segregation of Cd atoms. SIMS measurements revealed that the distributions of cadmium in the annealed samples depend on the thicknesses of the CdO and ZnO sublayers in the as grown superlattice structures. Depth-resolved CL measurements showed that shifting of the near band edge emission peaks is closely related to the Cd profiles measured with SIMS.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

BaWO4:Ce Single Crystals Codoped with Na Ions

Single crystals of BaWO4, BaWO4:0.5at.%Ce; BaWO4:1at.%Ce; BaWO4:0.5at.%Ce,1at.%Na; and BaWO4:1at.%Ce,2at.%Na were grown from an inductively heated iridium crucible by the Czochralski method on a Malvern MSR4 puller. They were investigated using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy at helium temperatures. One isolated center of high (D2d or S4) symmetry was found and two or more other centers of lower symmetry were identified, depending on crystal doping. From the fitting using the EPR-NMR program, the following parameters of g-matrix for the high symmetry center were found: gx = 1.505, gy = 1.505, and gz = 2.731. The linewidth vs. temperature revealed an increasing exponential tendency with increasing temperature. It showed one phonon at the lower temperatures and a Raman + Orbach effect at the higher temperatures. Radioluminescence and pulse height spectra showed rather poor scintillation properties, without any contribution from cerium emission

Determination of the map of efficiency of the J-PET detector with the GATE package

A novel PET detector consisting of strips of polymer scintillators is being developed by the J-PET Collaboration. The map of efficiency and the map of geometrical acceptance of the 2-strip J-PET scanner are presented. Map of efficiency was determined using the Monte Carlo simulation software GATE based on GEANT4. Both maps were compared using method based on the chi2 test.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, proceeding from conference Symposium on Positron Emission Tomography: http://koza.if.uj.edu.pl/pet-symposium-2013

Kulikovskiyia gen. nov. (Bacillariophyceae) from the lateritic rock pools of the Western Ghats, India and from Hainan Province, China

A new triundulate naviculoid diatom genus is described from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India and Hainan Province, China. The new taxon, Kulikovskiyia gen. nov. has robust conical spines along its margin and at the apices and the external valve face has longitudinally‐oriented siliceous slat system extending the length of the valve. The external distal raphe ends bifurcate and terminates on the valve face. There appear to be superficial similarities between this Asian genus and species and Playaensis, a genus comprised of two species found only in the western USA. The systematic position of Kulikovskiyia is discussed, and other than noting its similarities to other biraphid naviculoid diatoms due to symmetry features and the position of the raphe, we are uncertain about its systematic placement at finer levels of classification.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153713/1/pre12400_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153713/2/pre12400.pd

Time resolution of the plastic scintillator strips with matrix photomultiplier readout for J-PET tomograph

Recent tests of a single module of the Jagiellonian Positron Emission Tomography system (J-PET) consisting of 30 cm long plastic scintillator strips have proven its applicability for the detection of annihilation quanta (0.511 MeV) with a coincidence resolving time (CRT) of 0.266 ns. The achieved resolution is almost by a factor of two better with respect to the current TOF-PET detectors and it can still be improved since, as it is shown in this article, the intrinsic limit of time resolution for the determination of time of the interaction of 0.511 MeV gamma quanta in plastic scintillators is much lower. As the major point of the article, a method allowing to record timestamps of several photons, at two ends of the scintillator strip, by means of matrix of silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) is introduced. As a result of simulations, conducted with the number of SiPM varying from 4 to 42, it is shown that the improvement of timing resolution saturates with the growing number of photomultipliers, and that the 2 x 5 configuration at two ends allowing to read twenty timestamps, constitutes an optimal solution. The conducted simulations accounted for the emission time distribution, photon transport and absorption inside the scintillator, as well as quantum efficiency and transit time spread of photosensors, and were checked based on the experimental results. Application of the 2 x 5 matrix of SiPM allows for achieving the coincidence resolving time in positron emission tomography of $\approx$ 0.170 ns for 15 cm axial field-of-view (AFOV) and $\approx$ 0.365 ns for 100 cm AFOV. The results open perspectives for construction of a cost-effective TOF-PET scanner with significantly better TOF resolution and larger AFOV with respect to the current TOF-PET modalities.Comment: To be published in Phys. Med. Biol. (26 pages, 17 figures