Advanced code-division multiplexers for superconducting detector arrays

Multiplexers based on the modulation of superconducting quantum interference devices are now regularly used in multi-kilopixel arrays of superconducting detectors for astrophysics, cosmology, and materials analysis. Over the next decade, much larger arrays will be needed. These larger arrays require new modulation techniques and compact multiplexer elements that fit within each pixel. We present a new in-focal-plane code-division multiplexer that provides multiplexing elements with the required scalability. This code-division multiplexer uses compact lithographic modulation elements that simultaneously multiplex both signal outputs and superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) detector bias voltages. It eliminates the shunt resistor used to voltage bias TES detectors, greatly reduces power dissipation, allows different dc bias voltages for each TES, and makes all elements sufficiently compact to fit inside the detector pixel area. These in-focal-plane code-division multiplexers can be combined with multi-gigahertz readout based on superconducting microresonators to scale to even larger arrays.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, presented at the 14th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detectors, Heidelberg University, August 1-5, 2011, proceedings to be published in the Journal of Low Temperature Physic

Imagens sociais de famílias com filhos em acolhimento e em contexto familiar: um estudo entre Brasil e Portugal

A literatura indica que as famílias de crianças e jovens em acolhimento institucional podem ser estigmatizadas socialmente, gerando um impacto negativo no seu bem-estar, na construção da sua identidade e no sucesso da intervenção familiar. No entanto, poucos estudos investigam empiricamente esta imagem social. Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a imagem social das famílias de crianças e jovens em diferentes contextos em Portugal e no Brasil. Uma amostra de 378 participantes (176 portugueses e 202 brasileiros) foi solicitada a indicar cinco atributos de famílias de crianças e jovens em acolhimento institucional e outros cinco atributos de famílias de crianças e jovens em contexto familiar, de estatutos socioeconômicos baixo e médio. Os dados indicam que em ambos os países existe um predomínio de atributos negativos associados às famílias de crianças e jovens em acolhimento institucional e de estatuto socioeconômico baixo, e um predomínio de atributos positivos associados às famílias em contexto familiar de estatuto socioeconômico médio. Destaca-se a necessidade de intervenções, especialmente com profissionais que atuam junto a essa população, para conscientização sobre essas imagens sociais.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Morpho-molecular ex vivo detection and grading of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer using forward imaging probe based multimodal optical coherence tomography and Raman spectroscopy

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer affects millions of people worldwide, resulting in significant discomfort to the patient and potential death. Today, cystoscopy is the gold standard for bladder cancer assessment, using white light endoscopy to detect tumor suspected lesion areas, followed by resection of these areas and subsequent histopathological evaluation. Not only does the pathological examination take days, but due to the invasive nature, the performed biopsy can result in significant harm to the patient. Nowadays, optical modalities, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Raman spectroscopy (RS), have proven to detect cancer in real time and can provide more detailed clinical information of a lesion, e.g. its penetration depth (stage) and the differentiation of the cells (grade). In this paper, we present an ex vivo study performed with a combined piezoelectric tube-based OCT-probe and fiber optic RS-probe imaging system that allows large field-of-view imaging of bladder biopsies, using both modalities and co-registered visualization, detection and grading of cancerous bladder lesions. In the present study, 119 examined biopsies were characterized, showing that fiber-optic based OCT provides a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 69% for the detection of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, while RS, on the other hand, provides a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 61% for the grading of low- and high-grade tissues. Moreover, the study shows that a piezoelectric tube-based OCT probe can have significant endurance, suitable for future long-lasting in vivo applications. These results also indicate that combined OCT and RS fiber probe-based characterization offers an exciting possibility for label-free and morpho-chemical optical biopsies for bladder cancer diagnostics. © 2020 The Royal Society of Chemistry

Mechanical Dissipation in Silicon Flexures

The thermo-mechanical properties of silicon make it of significant interest as a possible material for mirror substrates and suspension elements for future long-baseline gravitational wave detectors. The mechanical dissipation in 92um thick single-crystal silicon cantilevers has been observed over the temperature range 85 K to 300 K, with dissipation approaching levels down to phi = 4.4E-7.Comment: 7 pages. Accepted by Phys Lett A, submitted for publication on 28 October 200

Linker-extended native cyanovirin-N facilitates PEGylation and potently inhibits HIV-1 by targeting the glycan ligand

Cyanovirin-N (CVN) potently inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, but both cytotoxicity and immunogenicity have hindered the translation of this protein into a viable therapeutic. A molecular docking analysis suggested that up to 12 residues were involved in the interaction of the reverse parallel CVN dimer with the oligosaccharide targets, among which Leu-1 was the most prominent hot spot residue. This finding provided a possible explanation for the lack of anti-HIV-1 activity observed with N-terminal PEGylated CVN. Therefore, linker-CVN (LCVN) was designed as a CVN derivative with a flexible and hydrophilic linker (Gly4Ser)3 at the N-terminus. The N-terminal α-amine of LCVN was PEGylated to create 10 K PEG-aldehyde (ALD)-LCVN. LCVN and 10 K PEG-ALD-LCVN retained the specificity and affinity of CVN for high mannose N-glycans. Moreover, LCVN exhibited significant anti-HIV-1 activity with attenuated cytotoxicity in the HaCaT keratinocyte cell line and MT-4 T lymphocyte cell lines. 10 K PEG-ALD-LCVN also efficiently inactivated HIV-1 with remarkably decreased cytotoxicity and pronounced cell-to-cell fusion inhibitory activity in vitro. The linker-extended CVN and the mono-PEGylated derivative were determined to be promising candidates for the development of an anti-HIV-1 agent. This derivatization approach provided a model for the PEGylation of biologic candidates without introducing point mutations. © 2014 Chen et al