Search

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to identify the incidence and potential risk factors for delirium after myocardial infarction (MI). BACKGROUND Delirium is a common complication on intensive care units. Data on incidence and especially on predictors of delirium in patients after acute MI are rare. METHODS In this retrospective study, all patients hospitalized for MI treated with coronary angiography in an university hospital in 2018 were included and analyzed. Onset of delirium within the first 5 days after MI was attributed to the MI and was defined by a Nursing Delirium screening scale (NuDesc) ≥2. This score is taken as part of daily care in every patient on intensive care unit three times a day by especially trained nurses. RESULTS A total of 624 patients with MI (age 68.5 ± 13.2 years, ST-elevation MI 41.6%, hospital mortality 3.2%) were included in the study. Delirium was detected in 10.9% of all patients. In the subgroup of patients with a stay on the intensive care unit (ICU) for more than 24 hr (n = 229), delirium was detected in 29.7%. Hospital and ICU stay were significantly longer in patients with delirium (p

Abortion in cattle causes significant economic losses for cattle farmers worldwide. The diversity of abortifacients makes abortion diagnostics a complex and challenging discipline that additionally is restrained by time and economy. Microbial culture has traditionally been an important method for the identification of bacterial and mycotic abortifacients. However, it comes with the inherent bias of favoring the easy-to-culture species, e.g., those that do not require cell culture, pre-enrichment, a variety of selective growth media, or different oxygen levels for in vitro growth. Molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing have been established as alternatives to traditional microbial culturing methods in several diagnostic fields including abortion diagnostics. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), a bridging microscopy technique that combines molecular accuracy with culture independence, and spatial resolution of the pathogen-lesion relation, is also gaining influence in several diagnostic fields. In this study, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing, and FISH were applied separately and in combination in order to (i) identify potentially abortifacient bacteria without the bias of culturability, (ii) increase the diagnostic rate using combined molecular methods, (iii) investigate the presence of the difficult-to-culture zoonotic agents Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia spp., and Leptospira spp. in bovine abortions in Denmark. Tissues from 162 aborted or stillborn bovine fetuses and placentas submitted for routine diagnostics were screened for pathogenic bacteria using 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. Lesion association of fungal elements, as well as of selection of bacterial abortifacients, was assessed using specific FISH assays. The presence of Chlamydia spp. and chlamydia-like organisms was assessed using qPCR. The study focused on bacterial and fungal abortifacients, because Danish cattle is free from most viral abortifacients. The 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing–guided FISH approach was suitable for enhancing abortion diagnostics, i.e., the diagnostic rate for cases with tissue lesions (n = 115) was increased from 46 to 53% when compared to routine diagnostic methods. Identification of Bacillus licheniformis, Escherichia coli, and Trueperella pyogenes accounted for the majority of additional cases with an established etiology. No evidence for emerging or epizootic bacterial pathogens was found. The difficult-to-culture abortifacients were either not detected or not identified as abortifacients.

In arc welding, particulate and gaseous as well as electromagnetic emission are generated. Users are mostly aware of the particulate fumes and therefore their risks are questioned and discussed. Gaseous emissions like NO, NO2, and O3 were either little noticed or the extent of their toxic effect were not fully recognized in the past. However, the awareness of their hazardous potential led to a decrease of the threshold limits. A fundamental understanding is needed to be able to avoid the formation of these gaseous emissions effectively. In this article, the radiation behavior for TIG-arcs and the interaction with the ozone formation is systematically investigated for different process gas components. Furthermore, the role of metal vapor in a TIG arc is clarified and the impact on the ozone formation is studied by using molten and none molten anodes. The results of the investigation show that a helium concentration of more than 80% has a significant influence on the characteristic arc radiation and as a result on the ozone formation.

The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, with the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) onboard, has been following and observing comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko since summer 2014. Prior to this period, and due to a technical failure also during this period, optimization and calibration campaigns have been conducted on ground with the Reflectron-type Time Of Flight (RTOF) mass spectrometer as a preparatory work for the analysis of data recorded during the science phase of the mission. In this work, we show the evolution of the performance of RTOF, and demonstrate and quantify the sensitivity and functionality of RTOF onboard Rosetta. We also present a fragmentation and sensitivity database for the most abundant molecules observed around the comet such as H2O, CO, CO2, as well as the noble gases.

Context. The ESA Rosetta mission investigated the environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P) from August 2014 to September 2016. One of the experiments on board the spacecraft, the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) included a COmet Pressure Sensor (COPS) and two mass spectrometers to analyze the composition of neutrals and ions, the Reflectron-type Time-Of-Flight mass spectrometer (RTOF), and the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS). Aims. RTOF species detections cover the whole mission. This allows us to study the seasonal evolution of the main volatiles (H2O, CO2, and CO) and their spatial distributions. Methods. We studied the RTOF dataset during the two-year long comet escort phase focusing on the study of H2O, CO2, and CO. We also present the detection by RTOF of O2, the fourth main volatile recorded in the coma of 67P. This work includes the calibration of spectra and the analysis of the signature of the four volatiles. We present the analysis of the dynamics of the main volatiles and visualize the distribution by projecting our results onto the surface of the nucleus. The temporal and spatial heterogeneities of H2O, CO2, and CO are studied over the two years of mission, but the O2 is only studied over a two-month period. Results. The global outgassing evolution follows the expected asymmetry with respect to perihelion. The CO/CO2 ratio is not constant through the mission, even though both species appear to originate from the same regions of the nucleus. The outgassing of CO2 and CO was more pronounced in the southern than in the northern hemisphere, except for the time from August to October 2014. We provide a new and independent estimate of the relative abundance of O2. Conclusions. We show evidence of a change in molecular ratios throughout the mission. We observe a clear north-south dichotomy in the coma composition, suggesting a composition dichotomy between the outgassing layers of the two hemispheres. Our work indicates that CO2 and CO are located on the surface of the southern hemisphere as a result of the strong erosion during the previous perihelion. We also report a cyclic occurrence of CO and CO2 detections in the northern hemisphere. We discuss two scenarios: devolatilization of transported wet dust grains from south to north, and different stratigraphy for the upper layers of the cometary nucleus between the two hemispheres.

The influence of filter surface chemistry on the filtration efficiency of cast aluminum alloys was evaluated for four different filter coating compositions (Al2O3—alumina, MgAl2O4—spinel, 3Al2O3·2SiO2—mullite, and TiO2—rutile). The tests were conducted on a laboratory scale with a filtration pilot plant, which facilitates long-term filtration tests (40 to 76 minutes). This test set-up allows the simultaneous use of two LiMCAs (before and after the filter) for the determination of the efficiency of inclusion removal. The four tested filter surface chemistries exhibited good thermal stability and mechanical robustness after 750 kg of molten aluminum had been cast. All four filter types exhibited a mean filtration efficiency of at least 80 pct. However, differences were also observed. The highest filtration efficiencies were obtained with alumina- and spinel-coated filter surfaces (>90 pct), and the complete removal of the largest inclusions (>90 µm) was observed. The efficiency was slightly lower with mullite- and rutile-coated filter surfaces, in particular for large inclusions. These observations are discussed in relation to the properties of the filters, in particular in terms of, for example, the surface roughness.

In this paper, the suitability of different constructional concepts of gas trailing shields concerning the reduction of heat-tints is discussed. The evaluation of these concepts as well as the description of the main contamination mechanisms of gas trailing shields with atmospheric gases are performed for tungsten inert gas welding of stainless steel by a purposeful coupling of experimental as well as numerical methods. Furthermore, advantages and disadvantages of these design concepts are investigated regarding their constructional complexity, robustness against varying process parameters, and its feasible working distances. Finally, a modular concept is presented which allows the usage of the same constructional concept for a variety of different welding tasks.

In this proof-of-concept study, we introduce and demonstrate MXene as a novel type of intercalation electrode for desalination via capacitive deionization (CDI). Traditional CDI cells employ nanoporous carbon electrodes with significant pore volume to achieve a large desalination capacity via ion electrosorption. By contrast, MXene stores charge by ion intercalation between the sheets of its two-dimensional nanolamellar structure. By this virtue, it behaves as an ideal pseudocapacitor, that is, showing capacitive electric response while intercalating both anions and cations. We synthesized Ti3C2-MXene by the conventional process of etching ternary titanium aluminum carbide i.e., the MAX phase (Ti3AlC2) with hydrofluoric acid. The MXene material was cast directly onto the porous separator of the CDI cell without added binder, and exhibited very stable performance over 30 CDI cycles with an average salt adsorption capacity of 13 ± 2 mg g−1.

The wet storage building of the nuclear power plant Gosgen/Daniken, a 3002 MWth pressurized water reactor, is the first building for the long term wet storage of spent nuclear fuel in Switzerland. Due to the Swiss moratorium against the export of spent nuclear fuel in 2006 and the non-availability of a nuclear repository it was necessary to store the spent fuel locally at the nuclear power plant site. The prolongation of this moratorium in 2016 does not allow reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in the next years. As a direct conclusion from this moratorium it was decided to build a wet storage pool at Gosgen/Daniken which entered operation in 2008 with a capacity of 504 fuel assemblies. In a second stage of completion another 504 fuel assemblies can be stored in the pool. Two cooling towers will be available for the passive cooling of the wet storage pool with a maximum cooling capacity of 1.5 MW after the second stage of completion. In this wet storage pool only spent nuclear fuel elements will be stored, which have been stored before more than four years in an at reactor spent fuel pool. This means that the nuclear heat of a single 15x15 rod nuclear fuel assembly (FA) used in the NPP Gosgen is at 1.6 kW maximum, when it is stored in the wet storage pool. The present work describes postulated severe accidents with total loss of cooling in the wet storage pool (WSP) of the Gosgen/Daniken nuclear power plant. The accident progression in a spent fuel pool and even more in a wet storage pool is very slow due to the low nuclear decay heat. Therefore the investigation of such kind of accident was not assumed to be of high importance for a long time. The overall accepted assumption of an energy recovery after at least 24 h would not lead to boiling of a spent fuel pool due to the low decay heat. The severe accident in Fukushima Daiichi (2011.03.11) following the great Eastern earthquake and the related tsunami has shown that the power recovery can be delayed much longer, e.g. for more than a week. This long time of loss of cooling could endanger a spent fuel pool especially if the whole core is unloaded into the pool like in Fukushima Daiichi unit 4. Main goal of the work is to achieve information about the timing of postulated severe accidents in the wet storage pool and to define time frames for accident management measures to prevent fuel damage and fission product release. In every of the calculations more than three weeks passes before fuel uncovery would lead to fission product release.

The number of electric and hybrid electric vehicles (EVs and HEVs) as an alternative to internal combustion engines (ICE) has been rapidly growing for the last five years. When the electric cars or their traction batteries reach their end of life (EOL), an efficient recycling (from a material as well as an energetic point of view) is important to ensure sustainability and to close the materials cycle. Combining mechanical processes like crushing, screening and sorting, valuable metals such as copper, steel and aluminium can be recovered. Key to this is a sufficient liberation of components by crushing and grinding. This study focuses on safety issues of mechanical processing and on the correlation between the material composition and the required specific mechanical energy input necessary to break the Li-ion battery cell apart. Investigations on the crushing behaviour of the single components (anode-, cathode- and separator foils as well as housing materials) and entire Li-ion battery cells were done. Measured specific mechanical stress energies for the crushing of complete battery cells are compared to calculated ones. Inputs to the calculation are the measured specific stress energies of the single components comminution. As a result, the comminution can be adjusted and optimized in order to keep up with the rapid development of Li-ion batteries. With respect to the recyclability of Li-Ion battery cells, recommendations for a design appropriate for recycling are made.

Data from next generation sequencing indicate the complexity of the birch virome in the urban landscape of Berlin. It is well known that plant viruses are widespread and contribute to the decline of birch trees. A mixed infection by Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV), Apple mosaic virus (ApMV) and two newly discovered viruses from the genus Badna- and Carlavirus were investigated in southern Berlin (Steglitz-Zehlendorf) in 2015 and 2016. To gain a more detailed view on epidemiology of this viral complex in birch, the study was enlarged in 2017 including eight districts all over Berlin. Birch trees with symptoms like defoliation and degeneration were selected for determination of viral pathogens by molecular biological methods. Within the complex occurring symptoms in birch trees, new types of symptoms have been identified. Different combinations of plant viruses in single and mixed infection were detected by Reverse Transcription- Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR.) CLRV and Badnavirus combinations have shown to be distinct and widely distributed. Heterogeneity is also known from the symptomatology of virus containing birch leaves. As the correlation of symptoms and viral infection is not shown yet for the mixed infections, it is unknown if the complexity of the virome is the cause of the variability of symptoms. Epidemiology and pathogenicity of the newly discovered viruses as well as species specificity, life cycle, mode of transmission, host plant range and phylogeny are totally unknown and have to be investigated within the next years.

There is extensive evidence for the effectiveness of supported employment among people with severe mental illness. However, less research has been conducted to evaluate the effects of sustained competitive employment on nonvocational outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sustained competitive work on quality of life and psychiatric hospitalizations.As part of a randomized controlled trial, a mediation analysis was used to compare the direct and indirect effects of supported employment versus a traditional vocational program on sustained competitive employment, days of psychiatric hospitalization, and quality of life among 85 participants over five years.The five-year follow-up indicated that the effects of supported employment on reduced days of hospitalization and increased quality of life were fully mediated by the program's effects on increasing sustained competitive employment.The rehabilitative and therapeutic dimensions of functional health conditions are interrelated in the long term. The achievement of sustained competitive employment may be a key factor in improving social and psychiatric outcomes for people with severe and persistent mental disorders.

Context.The ESA Rosetta mission has been investigating the environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) since August 2014. Among the experiments on board the spacecraft, the ROSINA experiment (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis) includes two mass spectrometers to analyse the composition of neutrals and ions and a COmet Pressure Sensor (COPS) to monitor the density and velocity of neutrals in the coma.Aims.We study heterogeneities in the coma during three periods starting in October 2014 (summer in the northern hemisphere) and ending in February 2016 (end of winter in the northern hemisphere). We provide a detailed description of the main volatiles dynamics (H2O, CO2, CO) and their abundance ratios.Methods.We analysed and compared the data of the Reflectron-type Time-Of-Flight (RTOF) mass spectrometer with data from both the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS) and COPS during the comet escort phase. This comparison has demonstrated that the observations performed with each ROSINA sensor are indeed consistent. Furthermore, we used a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) model to compare modelled densitites with in situ detections.Results.Our analysis shows how the active regions of the main volatiles evolve with the seasons with a variability mostly driven by the illumination conditions; this is the case except for an unexpected dichotomy suggesting the presence of a dust layer containing water deposited in the northern hemisphere during previous perihelions hiding the presence of CO2. The influence of various parameters is investigated in detail: distance to the comet, heliocentric distance, longitude and latitude of sub-satellite point, local time, and phase angle.

Comets contributed to Earth's atmosphere Models of xenon's origin in Earth's atmosphere require an additional, unknown source that has been a mystery for several decades. Marty et al. measured isotopic ratios of xenon released from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and found that they match the heretofore unknown source. The xenon appears to have been trapped in ice within the comet since before the solar system formed. Comets contributed about a quarter of the xenon on Earth, which constrains the amount of other materials (such as water) delivered to our planet by comets. Science , this issue p. 1069

In this paper, we report on measurements of bremsstrahlung in laser ion acceleration experiments from ultra-thin, polymer-based target foils. The influence of laser polarization on the generated $$\gamma$$ radiation, the maximum achievable proton energy and the total proton number is investigated. A clear benefit in terms of $$\gamma$$ radiation reduction by the use of circular polarized light can be observed. At the same time, the total number of accelerated protons was increased.

In this paper, we propose and theoretically investigate an ultrafast, compact, and energy efficient all-optical switch (AOS) design based on a saturable absorbing cavity. The conceptual basis of the switch design is the material absorption saturation phenomenon. The optical cavity is used to enhance the light-matter interaction locally. As a result, the device dimension is substantially reduced. Numerical studies were carried out analytically using the temporal-coupled mode theory. Cavity structural parameters and material properties related to the switch design are discussed. The figure of merit of the switch performance in terms of the insertion loss, extinction ratio, and operating energy consumption are analyzed. Finally, as a specific practical application of the developed AOS, ultrahigh-speed optical time division multiplexing operations are demonstrated.

The influence of the filter surface chemistry of alumina skeletons on the filtration effect was tested with five different oxide coating materials (Al2O3, spinel, mullite, TiO2, and SiO2). All prepared filters were casted successfully under industrial conditions. The casted aluminum samples showed no contamination caused by the filters. The evaluation of the casted filters by means of SEM and EDX showed that the amount of inclusions in the area of the run in is larger than in the middle and the run out of the filter. The most non-metallic inclusions were found in the casted filters Al2O3+Al2O3 and Al2O3+spinel. The wetting experiments yielded for all tested materials a non-wetting behavior whereby Al2O3 and spinel showed higher wetting angle than mullite, TiO2, and SiO2.

Within the last decade, laser-ion acceleration has become a field of broad interest. The possibility to generate short proton- or heavy ion bunches with an energy of a few tens of MeV by table-top laser systems could open new opportunities for medical or technical applications. Nevertheless, today's laser-acceleration schemes lead mainly to a temperature-like energy distribution of the accelerated ions, a big disadvantage compared to mono-energetic beams from conventional accelerators. Recent results 111 of laser-ion acceleration using radiation-pressure appear promising to overcome this drawback. In this paper, we demonstrate the influence of a second counter-propagating laser pulse interacting with a nm-thick target, creating a well defined pre-plasma. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)

Laser-accelerated electron pulses have been used to irradiate human tumors grown on mice’s ears during radiobiological experiments. These experiments have been carried out with the JETI laser system at the Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics in Jena, Germany. To treat a total of more than 50 mice, a stable and reliable operation of the laser-electron accelerator with a dose rate exceeding 1 Gy/min was necessary. To achieve this, a sufficient number of electrons at energies in excess of 5 MeV had to be generated. The irradiation time for a single mouse was a few minutes. Furthermore, the particle pulses’ parameters needed to remain achievable for a time period of several weeks. Due to the online detection of the radiation dose, the unavoidable shot-to-shot fluctuations, currently still typical for laser-based particle accelerators, could be compensated. The results demonstrate that particle pulses generated with laser-based accelerators have the potential to be a future alternative for conventional particle accelerators used for the irradiation of tumors.

So-called “small impingement tests” were performed with alumina ceramic foam filters and melt of the aluminum alloy AlSi7Mg (A356). A second set of samples was produced using the “spark plasma sintering” (SPS). After solidification, the resulting interface formation between metal melt and ceramic was compared to evaluate differences between the impingement test that is very close to industrial metal melt filtration conditions and the powder metallurgical SPS process without convection of the liquid metal. The melt generation and interface formation during SPS was characterized by high heating rates of up to 1500 K min−1, holding times of 1 min up to 60 min and fast cooling. Using energy and wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, indications for spinel (MgAl2O4) were found at the original interface between AlSi7Mg melt and the alumina filter. Thermodynamic calculations were conducted and spinel formation was confirmed. It was demonstrated that SPS could serve as a fast and reliable tool to facilitate the reactions that occur at metal melt/ceramic interfaces during filtration.

We report on the development of new materials for laser-ion acceleration applicable for the advanced mechanism of radiation-pressure-acceleration. These targets are ultra-thin with thicknesses of just a few nm. For several years, diamond-like carbon foils in this thickness range can be produced. An alternative material containing more than one ion-species has the potential to further improve the acceleration mechanism. The fabrication and characterization of self-supporting polymer-based targets will be described in this paper. Furthermore, we show the significant influence on a radiation-pressure induced acceleration process by experimental data.

We report on the production and characterization of polymer-based ultra-thin (sub 10 nm) foils suited for experiments on laser-ion acceleration in the regime of radiation pressure acceleration. Beside the remarkable mechanical stability compared with commonly used diamond-like-carbon foils, a very homogeneous layer thickness and a small surface roughness have been achieved. We describe the technical issues of the production process as well as detailed studies of the mechanical stability and surface roughness tests. The capability of producing uniform targets of large area is essential for advanced laser-ion acceleration projects which are dealing with high repetition rate and extended measurement series, but might also be useful for other applications which require ultra-thin and freestanding substrates of high quality. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1355-1360

International audience; This Viewpoint clarifies the correlation between capacitance and pore size in electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs, also known assupercapacitors or ultracapacitors), which is of high practical importance for the design of advanced carbon electrode materials. Two extreme cases are obvious: excessively large pores, accompanied by large pore volumes and limited specific surface area, will lead to a lowenergy storage capacity, whereas very small pores will limit the ion access due to steric effects, in addition to imposing obstacles to ion transport

The quality requirements of aluminium products are constantly increasing. It is critical that ingots and billets have the least amount of inclusions in the as-cast product. Filtration is therefore applied to all critical products, ceramic foam filtration (CFF) being the most frequently used technique. In an attempt to increase inclusion capture by CFF the influence of the filter surface chemistry on the filtration efficiency of aluminium alloys has been evaluated. Lab scale filters have been produced with coatings of different chemical composition. The filters have been characterized prior to usage and lab scale casts have been made on a pilot unit in conjunction with two LiMCA for inclusion removal efficiency determination. The paper will present the results from the characterization done and the observations will be discussed.

Significant outcomes • Consistent with earlier research findings, supported employment (SE) proved more effective than traditional vocational rehabilitation (TVR) programmes. • 58.7% of the SE group were ever competitively employed as opposed to 25.9% of the TVR group. • In the second year, SE group participants were competitively employed for 24.5 weeks as compared with 10.2 in the TVR group. • At the end of the study, 45.7% of the SE group were still competitively employed as compared with 16.7% of the TVR group.

Optimization of mass spectrometers using the adaptive particle swarm algorithm (APSA) is described along with implementations for ion optical simulations and various time-of-flight (TOF) instruments. The need for in situ self optimization is addressed through discussion of the reflectron TOF mass spectrometer (RTOF) on the European Space Agency mission Rosetta. In addition, a tool for optimization of laboratory mass spectrometers is presented and tested on two different instruments. After the application of APSA optimization, a substantial increase in performance for mass spectrometers that have manually been tuned for several weeks or months is demonstrated.

Substrate-type planar 2-D photonic crystal (PhC) waveguides suffer from large experimental propagation losses compared to membrane-type PhC waveguides. Numerical simulations can give insight into the quantitative contribution to the propagation losses originating from fabrication imperfections and nonideal designs of the waveguide or the vertical layer structure. Many numerical studies have been performed in the past addressing only a part of the question. All of them lack the general overview, which is essential to identify the main source for the large propagation losses. Since those studies are performed with various numerical methods on many different PhC waveguide designs, a general overview cannot be reliably assembled from the literature. Therefore, we (re-)performed a comprehensive set of numerical experiments with the 3-D finite-difference time-domain method to investigate the influences of imperfections, such as the finite etch depth, a conical hole shape, the finite number of lateral layers of holes, the asymmetric vertical layer structure, lattice disorder, and variations of the hole radius. A major result of this paper is a list of requirements to be met by the process technology for the fabrication of a W1 PhC waveguide in the low-index contrast system (InP/InGaAsP/InP). Furthermore, we were able to identify the angled sidewalls to be responsible for the main fabrication-related propagation loss contribution. Finally, we show the potential of new, alternative low-loss waveguide designs for the weak index contrast system and emphasize the importance of using realistic hole shapes in this search process.

In order to facilitate the monitoring of toxic algae, a multiprobe chip and a semi-automated rRNA biosensor for the detection of toxic algae in the field were developed. The biosensor consisted of a multiprobe chip with an array of 16 gold electrodes for the detection of upto 14 target species. The multiprobe chip was placed inside an automated hybridization chamber, which was in turn placed inside a portable waterproof case with reservoirs for different reagents. A peristaltic pump transferred the reagents across the flow cell (hybridization chamber) containing the multiprobe chip. For use of the device by laypersons, a lysis protocol was successfully developed so that manual rRNA isolation was no longer required. Only water sample filtration has to be done manually. The stand-alone system was evaluated using total rRNA isolated from Alexandrium minutum . The device processed automatically the main steps of the analysis and completed the electrochemical detection of toxic algae in less than 2 h in comparison to other routine monitoring methods that need at least up to one day for analysis.

We present a plasma mirror configuration that improves the temporal pulse contrast of femtosecond terawatt laser pulses by a factor of thousand using a single antireflection coated glass target. The device provides ultra-high contrast for experiments with a maximum repetition rate of 10 Hz. A third-order cross-correlator has been used to measure the temporal pulse contrast for several different plasma mirror targets. It is shown that the ASE can be suppressed to a level of 10−11. A comparison between a triggered and an untriggered plasma mirror reveals differences in the intensity distribution of the focused beam. The triggered plasma mirror produces a slightly larger focus due to the expansion of the triggered plasma mirror at −3 ps before the main pulse. We propose a cost-effective AR-coated and a blank glass target to reduce the costs of the consumable target material. High-harmonic radiation on solid surfaces has been generated with different plasma mirror targets to demonstrate the high laser contrast.

Focused ion beam was used to fabricate 2mm-long, [email protected] and [email protected] multimode trench waveguides in InP/InGaAsP. An automated stitching method was developed to fabricate mm-long structures using alignment marks. The waveguides were sputtered or etched using I"2 at room temperature and 150^oC stage temperature. The propagation losses induced by the different fabrication techniques were measured and ranged between 50 and 82dB/cm. A damaged layer with implanted Ga and the sidewall roughness are identified to be the most important causes for the losses. FIB is shown to be a single-step fabrication technique for rapid-prototyping of photonic structures in InP/InGaAsP.

Investigations of energy transfer of high intensity (I = 5 × 1019 W/cm2), ultrashort (

Investigations of bioaerosols collected from turkey, chicken and duck houses, as well as from a duck slaughterhouse, each in triplicate, revealed that 4-18% of 16S rRNA gene sequences in investigated 16S rRNA gene clone libraries were closely related to Jeotgalicoccus spp. J. halotolerans- and J. psychrophilus-related sequences were obtained in all investigated bioaerosol samples and formed a distinct group with sequences of both species type strains, which were collectively entitled Jeot-cluster-I. For a quantification of Jeot-cluster-I bacteria, a group specific PCR primer combination targeting the 16S rRNA genes was developed. Estimated concentrations by quantitative real-time PCR analyses revealed cell numbers between 10(4) and 10(6)Jeotgalicoccus cellsm(-3) air in turkey, duck, and chicken houses, respectively. These results indicated the remarkable proportion (1-39%) of total cell counts and the hitherto unknown wide distribution of Jeotgalicoccus spp. in the poultry rearing industry.

Haemotropic mycoplasmas (or haemoplasmas) are the causative agents of infectious anaemia in many mammalian species. They were previously known as Haemobartonella and Eperythrozoon species. The development of sensitive, specific PCR assays has expanded our knowledge of these agents and PCR is the method of choice to diagnose and differentiate haemoplasma infections. In felids, Mycoplasma haemofelis, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' have been described. They vary strongly in their pathogenic potential and co-factors may influence the disease severity. In dogs, Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' are known; clinical signs are mainly found in immunocompromised dogs. Transmission of haemoplasmas may occur via infected blood (aggressive interaction, transfusion) or blood-sucking arthropods. Infections can be treated with Doxycycline, although it is disputable whether the infection is completely eliminated. Feline haemoplasmas must be expected in cats all over Europe, while canine haemoplasmas are mainly encountered in dogs in Mediterranean countries but should also be considered in Swiss dogs with a travel history.

This paper presents an indoor localization system based on a frequency modulated continuous wave radar in the industrial-scientific-medical band at 5.8 GHz. An integrated active pulsed reflector behaves as a backscatter by regenerating the incoming phase with phase coherent startup at a constant frequency. The base station (BS) determines the distance to this reflector with a round-trip time-of-flight measurement. The active pulsed reflector is built around a switchable and tunable oscillator. The circuit has been fully integrated in a 0.18-?m CMOS technology. Outdoor measurements revealed a positioning accuracy of 15 cm, while in a harsh multipath environment with omnidirectional antennas a positioning accuracy of 32.88 cm was measured. The localization system is capable of detecting multiple reflectors at the same time, and no synchronization between BSs is needed.

This paper presents a novel on-chip wideband balanced-to-unbalanced (balun) transition circuit based on a complementary current inversion method. The proposed circuit features an easily controllable wide bandpass characteristic and is intended to be used as an output stage to filter ill-defined spectra of time-domain ultra-wideband pulses to fit regulation masks. We investigated the circuit in an active topology driven by differential pairs. A mathematical analysis is presented, as well as the implementation of an integrated circuit realized with IBM BiCMOS 0.18-mum technology.

Future optical transmission systems and signal processing circuits will require optical pulse sources capable of producing subpicosecond (sub-ps) pulses with low timing jitter at repetition rates of tens of gigahertz. In this paper, we present the theory, design, and measurements of a novel InP-based hybrid mode-locked laser diode (MLLD) structure with an ultrafast monolithically integrated, reverse-biased, uni-traveling-carrier (UTC) absorber. The necessity of an ultrafast absorber to obtain sub-ps pulses is analyzed and explained with our advanced time-domain rate-equation model. The realized MLLD demonstrated clean sub-ps pulses of 900 fs at 42-GHz repetition rate and the potential in an optimized device to reach values around 600 fs.

Recombinant engineering using Red recombinase-based approaches offers efficient and rapid approaches to deletion and modification of genes. Here we describe a novel application of Red recombinant engineering that enables direct manipulation of chromosomal loci by electroporation with short synthetic DNA molecules. We demonstrate the use of this approach for the generation of scarless in-frame deletions in chromosomal genes of Salmonella enterica . Furthermore, we describe rapid site-directed mutagenesis within bacterial chromosomes without any requirement for cloning and mutating genes in vitro or for reintroducing mutant alleles into the chromosome. This approach can be expected to facilitate mutational analysis in S. enterica and in other bacterial species able to support Red-mediated recombination.

In this paper, we report on the generation of incoherent synchrotron radiation in the visible spectral range which is produced by laser-accelerated electrons with 55-75-MeV energy as they propagate through an undulator. Simultaneous detection of electron and photon spectra allows for precise comparison between experimental results and undulator theory. First- and second-order undulator radiation was detected. The agreement between experiment and theory and the exclusion of other effects proves that the observed radiation is generated in the undulator. Beyond that, this experiment introduces laser-accelerated electrons into the radio-frequency accelerator domain of synchrotron light sources. This marks a noticeable step toward a new, compact, and brilliant short-wavelength light source.

Ultrashort light pulses are powerful tools for time-resolved studies of molecular and atomic dynamics1. They arise in the visible and infrared range from femtosecond lasers2, and at shorter wavelengths, in the ultraviolet and X-ray range, from synchrotron sources3 and free-electron lasers4. Recent progress in laser wakefield accelerators has resulted in electron beams with energies from tens of mega-electron volts (refs 5,6,7) to more than 1 GeV within a few centimetres8, with pulse durations predicted to be several femtoseconds9. The enormous progress in improving beam quality and stability5,6,7,8,10 makes them serious candidates for driving the next generation of ultracompact light sources11. Here, we demonstrate the first successful combination of a laser-plasma wakefield accelerator, producing 55–75 MeV electron bunches, with an undulator to generate visible synchrotron radiation. By demonstrating the wavelength scaling with energy, and narrow-bandwidth spectra, we show the potential for ultracompact and versatile laser-based radiation sources from the infrared to X-ray energies.

The Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) will answer important questions posed by the mission's main objectives. After Giotto, this will be the first time the volatile part of a comet will be analyzed in situ. This is a very important investigation, as comets, in contrast to meteorites, have maintained most of the volatiles of the solar nebula. To accomplish the very demanding objectives through all the different phases of the comet's activity, ROSINA has unprecedented capabilities including very wide mass range (1 to >300 amu), very high mass resolution (m/Δ m > 3000, i.e. the ability to resolve CO from N2 and 13C from 12CH), very wide dynamic range and high sensitivity, as well as the ability to determine cometary gas velocities, and temperature. ROSINA consists of two mass spectrometers for neutrals and primary ions with complementary capabilities and a pressure sensor. To ensure that absolute gas densities can be determined, each mass spectrometer carries a reservoir of a calibrated gas mixture allowing in-flight calibration. Furthermore, identical flight-spares of all three sensors will serve for detailed analysis of all relevant parameters, in particular the sensitivities for complex organic molecules and their fragmentation patterns in our electron bombardment ion sources.

ROSINA/DFMS shows that comets of type 67P/CG likely did not significantly contribute to Earth’s volatile budget., Comets have been considered to be representative of icy planetesimals that may have contributed a significant fraction of the volatile inventory of the terrestrial planets. For example, comets must have brought some water to Earth. However, the magnitude of their contribution is still debated. We report the detection of argon and its relation to the water abundance in the Jupiter family comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by in situ measurement of the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) mass spectrometer aboard the Rosetta spacecraft. Despite the very low intensity of the signal, argon is clearly identified by the exact determination of the mass of the isotope 36Ar and by the 36Ar/38Ar ratio. Because of time variability and spatial heterogeneity of the coma, only a range of the relative abundance of argon to water can be given. Nevertheless, this range confirms that comets of the type 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko cannot be the major source of Earth’s major volatiles.

We present few-femtosecond shadowgraphic snapshots taken during the non-linear evolution of the plasma wave in a laser wakefield accelerator with transverse synchronized few-cycle probe pulses. These snapshots can be directly associated with the electron density distribution within the plasma wave and give quantitative information about its size and shape. Our results show that self-injection of electrons into the first plasma wave period is induced by a lengthening of the first plasma period. Three dimensional particle in cell simulations support our observations., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

Background Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a recognized human enteropathogen. Thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) and TDH-related hemolysin (TRH) as well as the type III secretion system 2 (T3SS2) are considered as major virulence factors. As tdh positive strains are not detected in coastal waters of Germany, we focused on the characterization of trh positive strains, which were isolated from mussels, seawater and patients in Germany. Results Ten trh harbouring V. parahaemolyticus strains from Germany were compared to twenty-one trh positive strains from other countries. The complete trh sequences revealed clustering into three different types: trh1 and trh2 genes and a pseudogene psi trh. All German isolates possessed alleles of the trh2 gene. MLST analysis indicated a close relationship to Norwegian isolates suggesting that these strains belong to the autochthonous microflora of Northern Europe seawaters. Strains carrying the pseudogene psi trh were negative for T3SS2 beta effector vopC. Transcription of trh and vopC genes was analyzed under different growth conditions. Trh2 gene expression was not altered by bile while trh1 genes were inducible. VopC could be induced by urea in trh2 bearing strains. Most trh1 carrying strains were hemolytic against sheep erythrocytes while all trh2 positive strains did not show any hemolytic activity. TRH variants were synthesized in a prokaryotic cell-free system and their hemolytic activity was analyzed. TRH1 was active against sheep erythrocytes while TRH2 variants were not active at all. Conclusion Our study reveals a high diversity among trh positive V. parahaemolyticus strains. The function of TRH2 hemolysins and the role of the pseudogene psi trh as pathogenicity factors are questionable. To assess the pathogenic potential of V. parahaemolyticus strains a differentiation of trh variants and the detection of T3SS2 beta components like vopC would improve the V. parahaemolyticus diagnostics and could lead to a refinement of the risk assessment in food analyses and clinical diagnostics.

International audience; Comets contain the best-preserved material from the very beginning of our planetary system. Their nuclei and comae composition reveal clues about physical and chemical conditions during the early Solar system when comets formed. ROSINA/DFMS (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis / Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer) onboard the Rosetta spacecraft has measured the coma composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) with excellent time resolution and compositional detail. Measurements were made over many comet rotation periods and a wide range of latitudes. These measurements show large fluctuations in composition in a heterogeneous coma that has diurnal and possibly seasonal variations in the major outgassing species: H2O, CO, and CO2. These results indicate a complex coma-nucleus relationship where seasonal variations may be driven by temperature differences near the comet surface.

Several rigid linear bisphenanthrolines with and without bulky groups at the bisimine sites were synthesized. For three representatives, the solid-state structures were elucidated. Their potential for self-assembled monolayers was explored by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at the solid–liquid interface, and the resulting architectures were found to be promising candidates for templating metal-ion nanopatterns. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)

Mit dem Ziel, die ambulanten Behandlungskonzepte fur Versicherte mit chronischen Ruckenschmerzen weiterzuentwickeln, initiierte die AOK Baden-Wurttemberg eine Studie zur ambulanten Rehabilitation bei Patienten mit chronischen Ruckenschmerzen (START). Das Modellvorhaben wurde vom Hochrhein-Institut in Bad Sackingen wissenschaftlich begleitet. Die Studie vergleicht die Wirksamkeit der Erweiterten Ambulanten Physiotherapie (EAP), der Ambulanten Rehabilitation (AR) und der Medizinischen Trainingstherapie (MTT) bei Patienten mit chronischen Ruckenschmerzen. In sieben verschiedenen Regionen in Baden-Wurttemberg wurde jeweils eine der drei Interventionsformen angeboten. In die Studie aufgenommen wurden insgesamt 1274 Patientinnen und Patienten. Die Patienten der AOK Baden-Wurttemberg, die in den drei Versorgungsangeboten behandelt wurden, wiesen gravierende Einschrankungen in der korperlichen Dimension des Gesundheitszustandes und in der Funktionsfahigkeit in Alltag und Beruf auf und berichteten haufig zusatzlich uber erhebliche psychosoziale Belastungen. Die drei Interventionen fuhrten zu einer signifikanten und relevanten Abnahme der Schmerzintensitat und zu einer Verbesserung der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualitat. Zwischen den einzelnen Versorgungsmodellen bestanden keine signifikanten Unterschiede in der Wirksamkeit. Die Patienten sind mit den durchgefuhrten Leistungen gleichermasen hoch zufrieden. Die Gesamtdauer der Therapie war in der MTT mit etwa 15 Wochen deutlich langer als in der AR und in der EAP (etwa funf bzw. acht Wochen). Im Unterschied zur AR und z. T. auch zur EAP kann die Therapie bei der MTT berufsbegleitend durchgefuhrt werden. Ein sofortiger Therapiebeginn innerhalb von einer Woche war in der MTT mit 59 % deutlich haufiger moglich als in der AR (10 %) und in der EAP (23 %). Bei der Bewertung der Ergebnisse mussen einige Einschrankungen berucksichtigt werden. Trotzdem lassen sich unseres Erachtens aus den Studienergebnissen folgende Schlussfolgerungen ableiten: Die MTT ist bei Patienten mit Ruckenschmerzen ein sinnvolles Therapiekonzept, das sich durch einen raschen Beginn und - im Vergleich zu den anderen untersuchten Angeboten - niedrigere Therapiekosten auszeichnet. Sie konnte einen sinnvollen Therapiebaustein auch in neuen Versorgungsformen wie der integrierten Versorgung darstellen. Patienten mit gravierenden psychosozialen Belastungen sollten einer interdisziplinaren Therapie zugewiesen werden, wie sie von ambulanten und stationaren Rehabilitationseinrichtungen angeboten wird. Fur eine effektive differenzielle Zuweisung zu den verschiedenen Angeboten ist die Durchfuhrung eines standardisierten Reha-Assessments eine wichtige Voraussetzung. The AOK Baden-Wurttemberg health insurance fund initiated a study on the outpatient rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain, aimed at improving the treatment concept for its insurees with chronic low back pain (START). This model project was scientifically guided by the Hochrhein-Institute in Bad Sackingen. The paper compares the effectiveness of Enhanced Outpatient Physiotherapy (Erweiterte Ambulante Physiotherapie, EAP), Outpatient Rehabilitation (Ambulante Rehabilitation, AR) and Medical Training Therapy (Medizinische Trainingstherapie, MTT) in patients with low back pain. In seven regions in Baden-Wurttemberg, one of these three intervention forms was provided to the patients. A total of 1274 patients were included in the study. The AOK Baden-Wurttemberg patients receiving treatment in one of the three intervention forms were seriously restricted in both the physical dimension of their health status and in their physical mobility in everyday life and at the workplace. Besides, they frequently reported considerable psychosocial strain. The three interventions led to significant and relevant decreases in pain intensity and to an improved health-related quality of life. There were no significant differences between the various treatments in terms of effectiveness. The patients shared an equally high satisfaction with the treatment received. In MTT, the total therapy length of 15 weeks was by far longer than in AR and EAP (about 5 and 8 weeks). Unlike AR and, in parts, EAP, patients may continue to work while participating in MTT. Therefore an immediate therapy start within a week was more likely possible in MTT (59 %) than in AR (10 %) or EAP (23 %). In evaluating the results a number of restrictions have to be considered. Nevertheless, based on our research findings, the following can be concluded: MTT is a suitable therapy concept in patients with low back pain characterized by a rapid start and - compared to the other two concepts - by lower therapy costs. MTT might represent a meaningful therapy element also in new forms of provision such as integrated services. Patients showing severe psychosocial strain should be assigned to an interdisciplinary therapy as it is provided by inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation facilities. For effective differential assignment to the various programmes, realization of a standardized rehab assessment is an important precondition.

The continuous decrease of the supply voltage to 1 V and below in CMOS makes the design of laser drivers a challenging task. Hence, a detailed comparison of three basic driver architectures, namely, common source (CS), CS with source degeneration, and source follower (SF) is presented using transistor models including short channel effects. Based on this comparison, two power-optimized driver topologies are implemented in a 90-nm silicon-on-insulator CMOS technology. The SF driver features a bandwidth of 18 GHz on a 50-/spl Omega/ load. The required chip area is only 140 /spl mu/m/spl times/140 /spl mu/m, which is very beneficial for high-density short-distance optical interconnects. This allows a data rate of 12.5 Gb/s at a bit error ratio of less than 10/sup -12/ to be achieved even with a 10-Gb/s oxide confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The power consumption is 27 mW. The drivers were optimized for maximal eye opening by applying a fast and accurate VCSEL model.

We discuss recent progress and the exciting potential of scanning probe microscopy methods for the characterization and control of photonic crystals. We demonstrate that scanning near-field optical microscopy can be used to characterize the performance of photonic crystal device components on the sub-wavelength scale. In addition, we propose scanning probe techniques for realizing local, low-loss tuning of photonic crystal resonances, based on the frequency shifts that high-index nanoscopic probes can induce. Finally, we discuss prospects for on-demand spontaneous emission control. We demonstrate theoretically that photonic crystal membranes induce large variations in spontaneous emission rate over length scales of 50 nm that can be probed by single light sources, or nanoscopic ensembles of light sources attached to the end of a scanning probe.

Static and dynamic measurements are performed with GaAs oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), using multimode fibers with a core diameter of 50 and 62.5 /spl mu/m and different numerical apertures (NAs). They show that a small NA can have a severe impact on the eye opening and thus also on the bit-error rate. The measurements are analyzed with a spatiotemporal two-dimensional (2-D) multimode VCSEL model. The required parameter extraction for the model is verified with small- and large-signal measurements. The analysis shows that the change of the eye opening can be explained by the interaction between the mode- and the current-injection profile, carrier diffusion, and intermodal gain compression (IGC). IGC increases differences in the modal power distribution caused by the interaction between the mode profiles and the current-injection profile. Carrier diffusion is able to compensate these increased differences of the modal power distribution. Its impact, however, on dynamic changes caused by IGC is moderate.

Phebus-FP is a multi-national collaborative programme comprising four integral and one debris bed melting and fission product release experiments. The integral experiments simulate the heat-up, degradation and fission product release and transport, thermal hydraulic response, aerosol behaviour and iodine chemistry in the containment. The total programme, including interpretation effort, runs from 1993 to ca. 2007. The experiments demonstrated new characteristics of core degradation, fission product and iodine chemistry and accident integral behaviour. PSI has participated extensively through planning support, interpretation of data from the experiments and analyses of the results to establish confidence in the models being used for plant application. A significant part of the PSI effort was performed to interpret the significance of silver iodide as an effective retention agent under typical reactor conditions. The conclusions are of an interim nature, since the data reduction and interpretation are not yet complete. The significance of the Phebus results for plant safety will be fully realised only after successful benchmarking of the computer codes against Phebus, and application to plant sequences. Such work remains in progress within the Phebus project and in various national programmes.