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The hydrogenated amorphous carbon-silicon alloys [a-SixC1-x(n):Hy] and [a-Six(n):Hy] layers were investigated in order to prove the feasibility to widen the optical band gap in emitters of the heterojunction solar cells. The alloys were fabricated by decomposition of silane (SiH4), phosphine (PH3), methane (CH4), and hydrogen (H2), using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Particularly, we focused on the incorporation of hydrogen and carbon within the resulting [a-SixC1-x(n):Hy] and [a-Six(n):Hy] films, which later form the emitter. The corresponding local vibrational modes of Si-Hx, C-H, and the corresponding network have been analyzed by μ-Raman spectroscopy. The addition of carbon degrades the photoelectronic properties in the emitter layer. This deterioration can be minimized by H dilution. The resulting optical band gap EG as well as the thickness of the emitter were determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. It was confirmed that the band gap EG can be tailored by using an appropriate gas mixture during the decomposition. Furthermore, we analyzed the I-V characteristics of the prepared heterojunction solar cells. A trade-off between the electrical defects density and the optical losses induced an improvement of the I-V characteristics with increasing carbon and hydrogen concentration in the feedstock during the deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the growth of YbFe 2 O 4 single crystals via the floating zone technique, in four different oxygen partial pressures ranging from CO:CO 2 = 1:5 to 1:2.5, for a cross comparison of stoichiometry effects. We obtained highly stoichiometric single crystals with sharp magnetic transitions as well as off-stoichiometric samples with smeared transitions. We also provide for the first time clear evidence of 3D long-range charge order correlations at room temperature in YbFe 2 O 4 through high energy X-ray diffraction, identical to the analogous LuFe 2 O 4 . The correlation length obtained for YbFe 2 O 4 in the c → direction is at least a factor of 5 larger than that observed in LuFe 2 O 4 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-pore cation channel TPC1 operates as a dimeric channel in animal and plant endomembranes. Each subunit consists of two homologous Shaker-like halves, with 12 transmembrane domains in total (S1-S6, S7-S12). In plants, TPC1 channels reside in the vacuolar membrane, and upon voltage stimulation, give rise to the well-known slow-activating SV currents., Here, we combined bioinformatics, structure modelling, site-directed mutagenesis, and in planta patch clamp studies to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of voltage-dependent channel gating in TPC1 in its native plant background., Structure-function analysis of the Arabidopsis TPC1 channel in planta confirmed that helix S10 operates as the major voltage-sensing site, with Glu450 and Glu478 identified as possible ion-pair partners for voltage-sensing Arg537. The contribution of helix S4 to voltage sensing was found to be negligible. Several conserved negative residues on the luminal site contribute to calcium binding, stabilizing the closed channel., During evolution of plant TPC1s from two separate Shaker-like domains, the voltage-sensing function in the N-terminal Shaker-unit (S1-S4) vanished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confocal microscopy is widely used to measure the surface topography of specimen with a precision in the micrometer range. The measurement uncertainty and quality of the acquired data of confocal microscopy depends on various effects, such as optical aberrations, vibrations of the measurement setup and variations in the surface reflectivity. In this article, the influence of steep edges and undercuts on measurement results is examined. Steep edges on the specimen's surface lead to a reduced detector signal which influences the measurement accuracy and undercuts cause surface regions, which cannot be captured in a measurement. The article describes a method to overcome the negative effects of steep edges and undercuts by capturing several measurements of the surface with different angles between the surface and the optical axis of the objective. An algorithm is introduced which stitches different angle measurements together without knowledge of the exact position and orientation of the rotation axis. Thus, the measurement uncertainty due to steep edges and undercuts can be avoided without expensive high-precision rotation stages and time consuming adjustment of the measurement setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser triangulation is a well-established technique in 3D surface metrology. However, scattering surfaces and reflectivity variations cause measurement uncertainties due to a reduced signal-to-noise ratio. To improve the measurement accuracy of such surfaces a new laser line detection algorithm is proposed. Within this work, the laser line segmentation and, therefore, the separation of the laser line and the noisy background in the camera images are based on the Chan–Vese model. The Chan–Vese model is adapted to reduce the computation time and increase the measurement rate, which is important in industrial applications. In this paper, complete instructions on how to apply the Chan–Vese segmentation algorithm to laser line triangulation measurements are given, including initialization and a parameter set for the segmentation process. Further, an example of laser triangulation measurement of a microstructured, highly scattering surface is presented. Closing, the proposed approach is compared with a conventional line detection method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene and other two-dimensional materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, have rapidly established themselves as intriguing building blocks for optoelectronic applications, with a strong focus on various photodetection platforms. The versatility of these material systems enables their application in areas including ultrafast and ultrasensitive detection of light in the ultraviolet, visible, infrared and terahertz frequency ranges. These detectors can be integrated with other photonic components based on the same material, as well as with silicon photonic and electronic technologies. Here, we provide an overview and evaluation of state-of-the-art photodetectors based on graphene, other two-dimensional materials, and hybrid systems based on the combination of different two-dimensional crystals or of two-dimensional crystals and other (nano)materials, such as plasmonic nanoparticles, semiconductors, quantum dots, or their integration with (silicon) waveguides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) has a key role in normal embryonic development, adult tissue homeostasis and many pathological processes, in particular tumour formation. Aberrant EGFR activation occurs in many cancer types, and inhibition of this receptor is a promising anti-tumour strategy. Besides overexpression of the wild-type receptor, mutated oncogenic EGFR variants are often associated with malignant transformation. In human non-small-cell lung cancers, kinase mutants of the EGFR are rather common. Human glioblastoma often express the truncated EGFRvIII version as well as other dimerized and permanently activated mutants of the receptor, which are considered as tumour drivers. Similarly, the mutated and dimerized EGFR variant Xiphophorus melanoma receptor kinase (Xmrk) is causative for the development of malignant pigment cell tumours in medaka and Xiphophorus melanoma models. It is generally believed that oncogenic receptors that are active due to dimerizing mutations are ligand independent. Here, we show that different EGFR variants from fish and human efficiently induce autocrine loops by inducing EGFR ligands such as amphiregulin and HB-EGF. Importantly, the pre-dimerized oncogenic EGFR versions Xmrk from Xiphophorus and human EGFRC600F, though already active in absence of ligands, respond to ligand stimulation with enhanced oncogenic signalling. In summary, our data show that autocrine or paracrine loops are still acting on pre-dimerized oncogenic EGFRs and contribute to their pro-tumorigenic signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel, minimally invasive, transabdominal embryo collection method (transabdominal method) was developed as an alternative to a standard abdominal incision for embryo collection in the common marmoset. The abdominal incision method was used for 304 flushes using 36 female animals, whereas the transabdominal method was used for 488 flushes using 48 females; successful embryo collection rates were 48.0% and 48.4% (P > 0.05), respectively. These techniques were successfully duplicated at another institute (German Primate Center, DPZ). At that institution, successful embryo collection rates were 88.9% and 77.8% for the abdominal incision and transabdominal methods, respectively (P > 0.05), whereas the average numbers of preimplantation embryos obtained per flush were (mean ± SD) 1.91 ± 0.35 and 1.71 ± 0.14 (P > 0.05). The transabdominal method reduced animal stress, did not require incisional wound healing, and enabled successive embryo recoveries to be done much sooner. More embryos in early developmental stages (zygotes/morulae) were recovered using the transabdominal method (76.1%) than the abdominal incision method (52.6%, P < 0.01). In contrast, recovery of arrested or abnormal embryos was not significantly different between these two methods (9.8% and 8.3%). To verify developmental ability of embryos recovered by the transabdominal method, transfer of 28 normal embryos to 14 surrogate mothers yielded a nidation rate of 57%. Five females sustained term pregnancies and eight neonates were born. This novel transabdominal method will facilitate progress in marmoset developmental biology and embryology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present the refinement of the crystal structure of charge-ordered LuFe204, based on single-crystal x-ray diffraction data. The arrangement of the different Fe-valence states, determined with bond-valence-sum analysis, corresponds to a stacking of charged Fe bilayers, in contrast with the polar bilayers previously suggested. This arrangement is supported by an analysis of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra, which also evidences a strong charge-spin coupling. The nonpolar bilayers are inconsistent with charge order based ferroelectricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-finite element (μFE) analysis has recently been introduced for the detailed quantification of the mechanical interaction between bone and implant. The technique has been validated at an apparent level. The aim of this study was to address the accuracy of μFE analysis at the trabecular level. Experimental displacement fields were obtained by deformable image registration, also known as strain mapping (SM), of dynamic hip screws implanted in three human femoral heads. In addition, displacement fields were calculated using μFE analysis. On a voxel-by-voxel basis, the coefficients of determination (R2) between experimental and μFE-calculated displacements ranged from 0.67 to 0.92. Linear regression of the mean displacements over nine volumes of interest yielded R2 between 0.81 and 0.84. The lowest R2 values were found in regions of very small displacements. In conclusion, we found that peri-implant bone displacements calculated with μFE analysis correlated well with displacements obtained from experimental SM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, microinjection moulding represents an established special variant among the different replication techniques strongly promoted by the growing market demand for microcomponents. Spearheading progress towards more sophisticated technologies, micro powder injection moulding offers a large scale fabrication process for metal/ceramic microparts. Minimal details in the range of 10 μm and replication accuracy down to ±0·3% (in special cases, ±0·1%) can be reached. With a twofold aim of reducing mounting costs and enabling the production of highly integrated devices two-component microinjection moulding is under development. Interesting examples are immovable or movable ceramic shaft wheel components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes projects using ultra cold matter in the field of coupled quantum systems including atomic matter, quantum information processing and precision measurements in Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Projects include quantum registers for neutral atoms, superconducting atom-chips, and guided and free-space matter-wave interferometry. It is believed that quantum processors and portable sensors based on integrated devices may become a reality in the near future.

Abstract: Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) became in the recent decades a very popular and attractive material in structural engineering because of its good mechanical performance. The most important advantages are hindrance of macrocracks’ development, delay in microcracks’ propagation to macroscopic level and the improved ductility after microcracks’ formation. SFRC is also tough and demonstrates high residual strengths after appearing of the first crack. This paper deals with a role of steel fibres having different configuration in combination with steel bar reinforcement. It reports on results of an experimental research program that was focused on the influence of steel fibre types and amounts on flexural tensile strength, fracture behaviour and workability of steel bar reinforced high-strength concrete beams. In the frame of the research different bar reinforcements (2∅6mm and 2∅12mm) and three types of fibres’ configurations (two straight with end hooks with different ultimate tensile strength and one corrugated) were used. Three different fibre contents were applied. Experiments show that for all selected fibre contents a more ductile behaviour and higher load levels in the post-cracking range were obtained. The study forms a basis for selection of suitable fibre types and contents for their most efficient combination with regular steel bar reinforcement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The micropowder injection molding process (microPIM) offers a large-scale fabrication technology for metal/ceramic microstructures. Current R + D efforts focus on increasing the degree of complexity of the 3D microparts molded rendering it necessary to implement novel tools and demolding methods. The increase in the degree of complexity was demonstrated by a dispenser screw. Progress included the adaptation of the untwisting technique known from plastic injection molding to PIM green compacts. This allowed for a burr-free demolding in spite of the backcuts of the screw design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 31, 634–639 Background Endoscopic balloon dilation has been shown to be an alternative to surgery in the treatment of Crohn’s symptomatic strictures. Aim To analyse the impact of the type of the strictures – de novo or anastomotic – their location and their length on the outcome of endoscopic balloon dilation. Methods Between December 1999 and June 2008, 55 patients underwent 93 balloon dilations for 74 symptomatic strictures. One stricture was located in the duodenum, 39 strictures were in the terminal ileum, 17 at the ileocoecal anastomosis after a preceding resection and 17 in the colon. Results Endoscopic treatment was successful in 76% of the patients during an observation period of 44 (1–103) months. Of the patients, 24% required surgery. All patients who underwent surgery had de novo strictures in the terminal ileum. These strictures were significantly longer compared with the ileal strictures that responded to endoscopic treatment [7.5 (1–25) cm vs. 2.5 (1–25) cm; P = 0.006]. Conclusions The long-term success of endoscopic balloon dilation depends on the type of the strictures, their location and their length. Failure of endoscopic treatment was observed only in long-segment strictures in the terminal ileum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is a devastating foliar disease of soybean that may cause significant yield losses if not managed by well-timed fungicide applications. To determine the effect of fungicide timing on soybean rust severity and soybean yield, field trials were completed in Paraguay (four locations), the United States (two locations), and Zimbabwe (one location) from 2005 to 2006. Treatments at each location included applications of tebuconazole, pyraclostrobin, or a combination of azoxystrobin + propiconazole, and in some locations pyraclostrobin + tebuconazole at the following soybean growth stages (US): (i) GS RI (beginning flowering), (ii) US R3 (beginning pod), (iii) US R5 (beginning seed), (iv) GS RI + R3, (v) GS R3 + R5, and (vi) GS RI + R3 + R5. Soybean yields front plots treated with fungicides were 16 to 114% greater than yields from no fungicide control plots in four locations in Paraguay, 12 to 55% greater in two locations in the United States, and 31% greater in Zimbabwe. In all locations, rust severity measured over time as area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was negatively correlated (r = -0.3, P < 0.0001) to yield. The effectiveness of any given treatment (timing of application and product applied) was often dependent on when rust was first detected and the intensity of its development. For example, when soybean rust was first observed before US R3 (two locations in Paraguay), the plants in plots treated with a fungicide at US RI had the lowest AUPDC values and highest yields. When soybean rust was first observed after US R3, plants treated with a fungicide at US R3 and/or OS R5 had the lowest AUDPC values and highest yields with a few exceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OCT4 is considered a main regulator of embryonic stem cell pluripotency and self renewal capacity. It was shown that relevant OCT4 expression only occurs in cells of embryonic pluripotent nature. However, several recent publications claimed to have demonstrated OCT4 expression in human somatic tumor cells, human adult stem or progenitor cells and differentiated cells.We analysed 42 human tumor cell lines from 13 entities and human bone marrowderived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). To validate OCT4 expression we used germ cell tumor (GCT) cell lines, derived xenografts and GCT samples. Analysis by RT-PCR, western blotting, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry was performed. With exception of typical embryonal carcinoma cells, we did not observe reliable OCT4 expression in somatic tumor cell lines and MSC. We suggest that a high level of expression of the OCT4 protein together with its nuclear localization still remains a reliable and definitive feature of cells with embryonic pluripotent nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glyphosate is commonly used in a variety of weed control scenarios and plants respond biochemically by continuing to attempt to push carbon through the shikimate pathway. The result is an accumulation of shikimate in sensitive plants in the days immediately after application. This research determined shikimate accumulation dynamics in nine problematic plant species from 0 to 6 days after treatment (DAT). Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Trifolium repens and Conyza canadensis showed rising concentrations through 6 DAT to >4000 mg L−1. Chenopodium album, Xanthium strumarium and Urochloa platyphylla showed concentrations levelling off to a constant of about 2000 mg L−1. Ambrosia trifida, Amaranthus palmeri and Polygonum pensylvanicum generally showed lower levels of shikimate accumulation and concentrations were decreasing after 3 DAT. No apparent relationships were evident between shikimate accumulation pattern and plant growth rate or speed of glyphosate activity. There also appeared to be no pattern in the shikimate accumulation trends that would allow for an informed decision as to which of these species would be most likely to develop glyphosate resistance. Shikimate concentrations were in agreement between field and glasshouse conditions for C. canadensis, but did not agree with those from A. palmeri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effectiveness of soils with different texture and depth to treat fecal bacteria eluted from a house-hold septic effluent. The assessments were accomplished by leaching undisturbed soil monoliths of 30, 45, and 60cm thickness and 25cm in diameter, representing the four different textural groups and hydraulic loadings recommended by the Kentucky Health Department, with domestic wastewater effluent collected regularly from a house-hold septic system. Eluent concentrations were monitored daily over a 15 day period for fecal coliform and fecal streptococci concentrations. The results of the study indicate an alarming frequency of failure to comply with United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) criteria for depth to groundwater, when using a 30 cm vertical separation distance between the bottom of the drain-field and a limiting soil interface. The treatment performance was especially poor in coarse-textured soils. Although biomat development over time is expected to improve treatment, the high influent levels of fecal bacteria pose great concerns for surface and groundwater contamination. Fine-textured soils generally provided better treatment efficiency and more consistent compliance with EPA standards. Treatment efficiency and compliance usually improved with increasing soil depth, with the 60cm thickness providing the most consistent performance and compliance with maximum discharge limit (MDL) requirements. The findings of this study document a general inadequacy of the 30 cm vertical separation distance to provide effective treatment of septic effluents in Kentucky soils, particularly in coarse-textured soils. Considering that increasing the soil depth thickness may be impractical in many marginal soils, complementary or alternative treatment technologies should be adopted to improve treatment efficiency and prevent further deterioration of the quality of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare head to head the diagnostic accuracy of B type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the amino terminal fragment of its precursor hormone (NT-proBNP) for congestive heart failure (CHF) in an emergency selling. Methods: 251 consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with dyspnoea as a chief complaint were prospectively studied. Patients with acute coronary syndromes were excluded. The diagnosis of CHF was based on the Framingham score for CHF plus echocardiographic evidence of systolic or diastolic dysfunction. Blood concentrations of BNP and NT-proBNP were measured by two commercially available assays (Abbolt and Roche methods). The diagnostic accuracies of BNP and NT- proBNP were assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: Areas under the curve for BNP and NT-proBNP in patients with dyspnoea caused by CHF (n = 137) and in patients with dyspnoea attributable to other reasons (n = 114) did not differ significantly (area under the curve 0.916 v 0.903, p = 0.277, statistical power 94%). Cut off concentrations with the highest diagnostic accuracy were 295 ng/l for BNP (sensitivity 80%, specificity 86%, diagnostic accuracy 83%) and 825 ng/l for NT-proBNP (sensitivity 87%, specificity 81 %, diagnostic accuracy 84%). Evaluation of discordant false classifications at these cut off concentrations showed no advantage for either BNP nor NT-proBNP in the biochemical diagnosis of CHF (17 misclassifications by BNP and 14 by NT-proBNP, p = 0.720). In the population studied, age, sex, and renal function had no impact on the diagnostic utility of both tests when compared by logistic regression models. Conclusions: BNP and NT-proBNP may be equally useful as an aid in the diagnosis of CHF in short of breath patients presenting to the emergency department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stainless steel 316L MIM components can be made from either prealloyed powders or from master alloys blended with carbonyl iron powder. In this study these two techniques were compared using prealloyed and master alloyed gas atomised powders of - 16 μm and - 22 μm sizes. Four different compounds were prepared, characterised and injection moulded into tensile bars. The bars were compared for green strength, green defects, sintered strength and microstructure. The green components are stronger when carbonyl iron powder is used with the gas atomised master alloy. This material also seems to be less susceptible to moulding defects. The sintering strength of the material produced using the pre-alloyed powder was higher than the master alloyed prepared material. Little difference in mechanical properties existed between the materials fabricated from gas atomised prealloyed - 16 μm and the - 22 μm powders. Also, the viscosity of the mixtures was higher for the - 16 μm material and the master alloy mixtures than for the –22 μm gas atomised prealloyed powders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection of a spatial interpolation methods will impact the quality of site-specific soil fertility maps. The objective of this study was to describe and predict the relative performance of inverse distance weighted (IDW) and ordinary kriging. Soil samples were collected on 30.5-m grids for fields in five Kentucky counties and analyzed for pH, buffer pH, P, K, Ca, and Mg. From these data sets, 61-m grid subsets were extracted. Data were interpolated with IDW and kriging procedures. Prediction efficiency (PE) was determined using an independent dataset (PEvalidation) and with cross-validation (PEcross-validation). Multiple stepwise regression was used to develop models that described the relative performance of ordinary kriging and IDW with statistical properties of the data. At the 30.5-m grid scale, the performance of ordinary kriging relative to IDW improved as the range of spatial correlation increased and fit of the semivariogram model improved. However, at the 61.0-m grid scale, the performance of ordinary kriging relative to IDW diminished as the degree of spatial structure increased and the fit of the semivariogram model improved. Alone, PEcross-validation lidation poorly describes the performance of PEvalidation across locations, soil properties, and sampling intervals (r² = 0.18). However, in combination with the range of spatial correlation, substantial variability at the 30.5-m grid scale was described for variables with sample semivariograms that reached plateaus (R² = 0.61). In some situations, better decisions will be made regarding the use of these methods by considering the range of spatial correlation and cross-validation statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of site-specific fertility management (SSFM) systems depends on the quality of soil property maps used to develop variable-rate fertilizer recommendations. Map quality assessment, however, may be too expensive for routine site-specific soil sampling. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the quality of soil property maps created with ordinary kriging for five fields in Kentucky, and (ii) to develop a model describing the relationship between map quality and statistical properties of data. Five fields across Kentucky were sampled on 30.5-m grids and samples were analyzed for pH, buffer pH (bpH), P, K, Ca, and Mg. For each field, four 61.0 and nine 91.5-m data subsets were extracted from the 30.5-m grid. Semivariograms could only be adequately modeled for the 30.5- and 61.0-m grid datasets. Therefore, only these data sets were interpolated with ordinary kriging. Map quality was evaluated with an independent data set. Multiple stepwise regression was used to model map quality using data from several Kentucky fields and from a previously published Michigan study. Prediction efficiency (PE) was a function of the relative structural variability, range of spatial correlation, and grid increment (R² = 0.82). The range of spatial correlation was the major factor controlling map quality within the range of variation studied. This model may potentially be a useful tool for the development of sampling designs for site-specific management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are currently no data on whether high total serum homocysteine (tHcy) is predictive for cerebrovascular events in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether high tHcy levels were related to the evidence of non-fatal stroke in PAD. Evidence of non-fatal atherothrombotic stroke events was verified in 450 consecutive male patients, admitted for inpatient treatment of symptomatic PAD. The extent of carotid stenosis was evaluated by colour duplex Doppler measurement and fasting tHcy was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Within the population of 450 PAD patients a documented history of ischaemic stroke was evident in 50 subjects. The median tHcy values were significantly higher in PAD patients with stroke (18.6 μmol/l) than in PAD patients without stroke (15.1 μmol/l, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that tHcy was an independent and significant predictor ( P =0.001) with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.37 for an increment of 5 μmol/l. In this multivariate model, diabetes mellitus (OR=2.34, P =0.011) and carotid stenosis ≥50% (OR=2.59, P =0.005) were also independently related to clinical cerebrovascular disease in PAD. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates an association of tHcy and evidence of non-fatal atherothrombotic stroke in patients with symptomatic PAD. This could be important, as a reduction of elevated tHcy concentrations by vitamin supplement might decrease the high frequency of cerebrovascular complications in PAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalamin (B12) and folate deficiency is related to both increased erythrocyte mean cellular volume (MCV) and raised serum total homocysteine (tHcy) values. Furthermore, there are indications that B12 and folate serum values do not represent the tissue status of the two vitamins exactly. Therefore, a direct relationship between MCV and tHcy, if demonstrated, could support the hypothesis that tHcy is a better indicator for the cited vitamin status than the serum levels of B12 and folate. We studied MCV, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), serum B12, folate and tHcy values in 200 hospitalized patients. There was a significant correlation of MCV with GGT (r = 0.266, P < 0.001) and with tHcy (r = 0.248, P < 0.001), but not with serum B12 and folate. Stepwise multiple linear regression with MCV as dependent and GGT, B12, folate and tHcy as independent variables, respectively, revealed significant associations of MCV with GGT (B = 2.18, 95% CI 0.95-3.42, P = 0.001) and tHcy (B = 3.33, 95% CI 1.26-5.39, P = 0.002). By removing tHcy from this model, serum B12 became a significant predictor of MCV (B = -1.70, 95% CI -3.25 to -0.15, P = 0.032). Serum folate was not significantly associated with MCV in multivariate analysis. In conclusion, the present study confirms indications that serum B12 and folate values lack clinical sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing vitamin deficiency states by showing MCV was better associated to tHcy, than to B12 or folate serum levels. This observation demonstrates that tHcy may be useful in diagnosing patients with B12 and/or folate deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High total serum homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations are associated with an increased risk of carotid artery disease in the general population. Since patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) have a threefold risk of cerebrovascular morbidity compared to individuals free of PAD, and since the total neurological event rate is associated with a &ges;50% lumen reduction in extracranial carotid arteries, it was tested whether tHcy is a predictor of internal carotid artery stenosis in patients with symptomatic PAD. A total of 443 consecutive male PAD patients without previous carotid surgery/stenting were studied. In all, 100 patients with PAD had an internal carotid artery stenosis &ges;50%. Of the remaining 343 patients, 100 individuals matched for age (±2 years) and diabetes served as controls. The extent of carotid stenosis was evaluated with color duplex measurement; tHcy was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Cases displayed a significantly higher median fasting tHcy level (17.0 μmol/l) than controls (13.7 μmol/l, p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that tHcy (p = 0.036) was an independent predictor of internal carotid artery stenosis ≥50% in PAD patients, representing an odds ratio of 1.32 (95% CI, 1.02–1.72) for an increment of 5 μmol/l. In the present study, high tHcy was an independent risk factor for an internal carotid artery stenosis ≥50% in patients with PAD. Since PAD patients suffer a threefold risk of stroke compared to healthy individuals, a simple vitamin substitution in PAD patients may reduce the occurrence of internal carotid artery stenosis and therefore diminish the relatively high rate of cerebrovascular events in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A histoanatomic study of the rotator cuff interval was done in 13 cadaveric specimens to investigate the relation of its ligamentous structures to the long head of the biceps tendon, with a special focus on revealing a stabilizing function. After macroscopic evaluation, the lateral half of the rotator cuff interval capsule was cut into three sections: medial, middle, and lateral. These sections were embedded in methacrylate, and then serial sections were made and stained for polarized light microscopy. The superior glenohumeral ligament was seen to form a fold having the macroscopic appearance of a U-shaped anterior suspension sling for the long head of the biceps tendon. Microscopic evaluation revealed an important role of the fasciculus obliquus in the roof of this sling. Fibers of the supraspinatus tendon join the posterosuperior part of the sling. The subscapularis tendon is not involved in this suspensory mechanism. As a result of these observations, we determined that the superior glenohumeral ligament and the fasciculus obliquus are the most important ligamentous reinforcements of a stabilizing sling for the long head of the biceps tendon in the rotator cuff interval. Their histologic appearance indicates they function to protect the long head of the biceps against anterior shearing stress. A lesion of this sling might lead to anterior instability of the biceps tendon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While macroscopic powder injection moulding is drawing the attention of mass manufacturing and winning plaudits for its high process and economic efficiency, its micro variant still faces challenges… [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An epitaxial CoSi2 process is presented, which allows the self-aligned formation of bitlines with only a few tens of nanometer width for Twin Flash memory cells in the 63 nm generation. The bitlines show a good thermal stability and low resistance for widths down to 35 nm, where polycrystalline CoSi2 is known to exhibit a strong narrow linewidth effect. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed a cube-on-cube epitaxy with only a few twins depending on the annealing conditions. The low bitline resistance results in a linear drain voltage dependence of the programing characteristics and a suppression of secondary electron injection during programing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 15N chemical shift tensor is shown to be extremely sensitive to lattice structure and a powerful metric for monitoring density functional theory refinements of crystal structures. These refinements include lattice effects and are applied here to five crystal structures. All structures improve based on a better agreement between experimental and calculated 15N tensors, with an average improvement of 47.0 ppm. Structural improvement is further indicated by a decrease in forces on the atoms by 2-3 orders of magnitude and a greater similarity in atom positions to neutron diffraction structures. These refinements change bond lengths by more than the diffraction errors including adjustments to X-Y and X-H bonds (X, Y = C, N, and O) of 0.028 ±} 0.002 Å and 0.144 ±} 0.036 Å, respectively. The acquisition of 15N tensors at natural abundance is challenging and this limitation is overcome by improved 1H decoupling in the FIREMAT method. This decoupling dramatically narrows linewidths, improves signal-to-noise by up to 317%, and significantly improves the accuracy of measured tensors. A total of 39 tensors are measured with shifts distributed over a range of more than 400 ppm. Overall, experimental 15N tensors are at least 5 times more sensitive to crystal structure than 13C tensors due to nitrogen's greater polarizability and larger range of chemical shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Czochralski silicon wafers were implanted with H+ ions at a dose of 1×1016 cm-2 followed by hydrogen plasma treatments at different temperatures. The minimum hydrogen implantation dose required for silicon surface exfoliation of 3×1016 H+/cm2 without further hydrogen incorporation was reduced to one-third by subsequent plasma hydrogenation. The corresponding local vibrational modes of hydrogen molecules, vacancy-hydrogen complexes, and Si–H bonds on surfaces have been analyzed by micro-Raman scattering spectroscopy to investigate blistering and platelet formation. The surface profile has been studied by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The plasma treated samples were annealed to investigate the mechanism and applicability of the induced exfoliation. <111>-platelet formation occurred below plasma hydrogenation temperatures of 350 °C. At temperatures above 450 °C, <100>-platelet nucleation induced blistering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pt3Ni octahedral nanoparticles supported on carbon black are prepared from solutions of Pt(acac)2 and Ni(acac)2 in DMF and benzoic acid as structure directing agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil surveys provide information about the location of eroded areas across landscapes, but not at a scale that may be necessary for land use planning, precision agriculture, and conservation management. The objective of this paper was to determine whether site-specific information and logistic regression could be used to improve the spatial resolution of soil surveys. This study was conducted on fragipan soils developed from loess in a western Kentucky agricultural field. Information about the presence and severity of erosion was obtained from a highly detailed first-order soil survey and less detailed second-order county soil surveys. Digital terrain attributes (slope, length-slope factor, wetness), reflectance (visible, red-NIR, and NIR), soil electrical conductivity, and direct contact electrical conductivity were used as regressor variables. Binary variables were assigned a value of one if they were located in eroded map phases and if slope values were greater than or equal to two percent. For all other cases they were assigned values of 0. Stepwise multiple logistic regression was used to develop models that were used to map probability that substantial soil erosion had occurred in the past. The resulting probability maps were remarkably similar for both survey orders indicating that this approach was robust to soil map unit inclusions and classification errors. Erosion probability maps created using the second order soil survey matched in many cases with the boundaries of the first order survey. Our results demonstrated that precision agriculture technologies and logistic regression analysis could potentially be used to improve the value and utility of existing second order soil surveys. Soil and water conservation, management, and planning will be more effective and economical if these methods can be adapted for soils in other regions of the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how do B type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations compare with amino terminal proBNP concentrations for detecting congestive heart failure (CHF) in emergency department (ED). The study was conducted in 251 ED patients who had shortness of breath as the most prominent symptom. Patients with acute coronary syndromes were excluded. 55% of patients had dyspnoea caused by CHF. In emergency department patients with dyspnoea, BNP and amino terminal proBNP concentrations had similar diagnostic accuracy for detecting congestive heart failure.

The article investigates the role of immune-mediated pathways in invasive pancreatic cancer. It reveals that invasive pancreatic carcinomas show relatively low levels in expression of genes associated with immune activation and regulation. The finding indicates insufficient antitumor immune responses against the tumor.

An animal's trajectory is a fundamental object of interest in movement ecology, as it directly informs a range of topics from resource selection to energy expenditure and behavioral states. Optimally inferring the mostly unobserved movement path and its dynamics from a limited sample of telemetry observations is a key unsolved problem, however. The field of geostatistics has focused significant attention on a mathematically analogous problem that has a statistically optimal solution coined after its inventor, Krige. Kriging revolutionized geostatistics and is now the gold standard for interpolating between a limited number of autocorrelated spatial point observations. Here we translate Kriging for use with animal movement data. Our Kriging formalism encompasses previous methods to estimate animal's trajectories-the Brownian bridge and continuous-time correlated random walk library-as special cases, informs users as to when these previous methods are appropriate, and provides a more general method when they are not. We demonstrate the capabilities of Kriging on a case study with Mongolian gazelles where, compared to the Brownian bridge, Kriging with a more optimal model was 10% more precise in interpolating locations and 500% more precise in estimating occurrence areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryopreservation is a technique that has been extensively used for storage of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in regenerative medicine. Therefore, improving current cryopreservation procedures in terms of increasing cell viability and functionality is important. In this study, we optimized the cryopreservation protocol of MSCs derived from the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus (cj), which can be used as a non-human primate model in various pathological and transplantation studies and have a great potential for regenerative medicine. We have investigated the effect of the active control of the nucleation temperature using induced nucleation at a broad range of temperatures and two different dimethylsulfoxide concentrations (Me 2 SO, 5% (v/v) and 10%, (v/v)) to evaluate the overall effect on the viability, metabolic activity and recovery of cells after thawing. Survival rate and metabolic activity displayed an optimum when ice formation was induced at −10 °C. Cryomicroscopy studies indicated differences in ice crystal morphologies as well as differences in intracellular ice formation with different nucleation temperatures. High subzero nucleation temperatures resulted in larger extracellular ice crystals and cellular dehydration, whereas low subzero nucleation temperatures resulted in smaller ice crystals and intracellular ice formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatially nonuniform runoff reduces the water quality performance of constant-width filter strips. A geographic information system (GIS)-based tool was developed and tested that employs terrain analysis to account for spatially nonuniform runoff and produce more effective filter strip designs. The computer program, AgBufferBuilder, runs with ArcGIS versions 10.0 and 10.1 (Esri, Redlands, California) and uses digital elevation models to identify detailed spatial patterns of overland runoff to field margins. The tool then sizes filter dimensions according to those patterns using buffer area ratio relationships. The resulting design is larger along segments where more runoff flows and smaller along segments where runoff is less and delivers a constant level of trapping efficiency around the field margin for sediment and sediment-bound pollutants. The tool also can estimate trapping efficiency of existing filter strips or hypothetical configurations. In a validation test, estimates of sediment trapping efficiency using the tool's assessment function compared closely to measurements taken on large field plots in central Iowa. Using AgBufferBuilder, designs developed for a sample of fields in the midwestern United States were estimated to trap nearly double the sediment, on average, during a design storm than constant-width configurations having equivalent total filter area. AgBufferBuilder can be used to bolster environmental performance of filter strips where runoff is spatially nonuniform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]