Thermo-optic design for microwave and millimeter-wave electromagnetic power microsensors

Rendina et al. recently proposed the original configuration of an electromagnetic power sensor for microwaves and millimeter waves that is based on an optically interrogated all-silicon chip [Electron. Lett. 35, 1748 (1999)]. Here we theoretically analyze and discuss in detail the performances of such a new class of nonperturbing and wideband probe in terms of sensitivity, resolution, intrinsic detectivity, linearity, and response time. Good agreement between theory and experiments is demonstrated. In particular, minimum resolutions of approximately 1 mW/cm2 are obtained at frequencies beyond 10 GHz. The dependence of response on the geometrical and electromagnetic parameters of the sensing element is analyzed, and on this basis the possibility of achieving optimized configurations is discussed.     

Pigmented uveal tumours in a transgenic mouse model

Lectins are sensitive probes which bind carbohydrate structures specifically. In this study, we modified the lectin staining procedure for sensitive detection of carbohydrate structures in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of normal and heterologous serum-induced fibrotic livers. The liver sections were heated in hot distilled water at 100 degrees C for 10 min (thermo-treatment: TT), and then stained with 24 different lectins. In comparison with the results from sections without TT (nonTT), enhanced and/or alternated staining patterns of 19 lectins were demonstrated in sections with TT, and enhanced staining of Vicia villosa agglutinin seen in Kupffer cells was noted. Interestingly, no positive staining was seen with Dolichos biflorus agglutinin, peanut agglutinin or soybean agglutinin (SBA), which recognize O-linked carbohydrate chains, in Kupffer cells of non-TT sections, but strong positive staining was demonstrated in those of TT sections. SBA-positive staining in the cytoplasm of some scattered hepatocytes located in the periportal and perifibrous zones and central zone of pseudolobules was demonstrated only in the fibrotic liver sections with TT. Such findings indicate the heterogeneity of hepatocytes in the liver with fibrosis. Formalin fixation causes masking of lectin binding sites, especially O-linked carbohydrate chains, and TT may recover such masking reactions. TT improved the staining reactions for many lectins in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver sections, and new staining patterns appear after TT. Modified TT staining procedures may be useful for the diagnosis and prognosis of liver fibrosis.     

Thermodynamic investigation and optimization of the Y-Pb alloy system

The Y- Pb alloy system has been studied by different techniques. The molar heat capacity of the solid compounds has been measured in the 373 to 773 K temperature range by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The chemical potential of the α Y in the YPb ₃ compound has been determined by emf measurements in the 600 to 750 K temperature range. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) of a few Y- Pb samples has also been carried out. These results together with literature data have been used to obtain a thermodynamic optimization of the system.     

Thallium-201 as a positive indicator for lung neoplasms: preliminary experiments

Thallium-201 was given to 71 patients with various pulmonary diseases. Positive uptake was noted in primary malignant neoplasms and also in 6 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma. No uptake was seen in pulmonary diseases other than active tuberculosis. A disadvantage is the high myocardial accumulation of this radionuclide which impairs proper visualization of paracardiac neoplasms.     

Formation of neutral molecules of potential stellar interest by neutralisation of negative ions in a mass spectrometer. The application of experiment and molecular modelling in concert

This paper is a modified version of a lecture which describes the synthesis, structure and reactivity of some neutral molecules of stellar significance. The neutrals are formed in the collision cell of a mass spectrometer following vertical Franck-Condon one electron oxidation of anions of known bond connectivity. Neutrals are characterised by conversion to positive ions and by extensive theoretical studies at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. Four systems are considered in detail, viz (i) the formation of linear C(4) and its conversion to the rhombus C(4), (ii) linear C(5) and the atom scrambling of this system when energised, (iii) the stable cumulene oxide CCCCCO, and (iv) the elusive species O(2)C-CO. This paper is not intended to be a review of interstellar chemistry: examples are selected from our own work in this area.     

Personality theories facilitate integrating the five principles and deducing hypotheses for testing.

Comments on the original article "A New Big Five: Fundamental Principles for an Integrative Science of Personality," by Dan P. McAdams and Jennifer L. Pals (see record 2006-03947-002). In presenting their view of personality science, McAdams and Pals (April 2006) elaborated the importance of five principles for building an integrated science of personality. These principles are stances on evolution and human nature, dispositional signatures, characteristic adaptations, life narratives, and the differential role of culture. Their main emphasis involved differentiating these principles and indicating that they are all relevant to understanding personality. The discussion by McAdams and Pals certainly illuminates the various aspects of personality, but it also cries out for some greater, more systematic integration of the five principles into particular kinds of personality. It is not yet possible, in their approach, to identify different types of personality orientation and to evaluate the relative effectiveness of these orientations. As presented, their approach may be considered a start but hardly a finish. Here, the current author suggests that the metatheory of personality theories that he has proposed (Maddi, 1969/1996) could accelerate the needed integration of the five proposed principles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Performance analysis of parallel Schwarz preconditioners in the LES of turbulent channel flows

We present a comparative study of parallel Schwarz preconditioners in the solution of linear systems arising in a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) procedure for turbulent plane channel flows. This procedure applies a time-splitting technique to suitably filtered Navier–Stokes equations, in order to decouple the continuity and momentum equations, and uses a semi-implicit scheme for time integration and finite volumes for space discretisation. This approach requires the solution of four sparse linear systems at each time step, accounting for a large part of the overall simulation; hence the linear system solvers are a crucial component in the whole procedure. Several preconditioners are applied in the simulation of a reference test case for the LES community, using discretisation grids of different sizes, with the aim of analysing the effects of different algorithmic choices defining the preconditioners, and identifying the most effective ones for the selected problem. The preconditioners, coupled with the GMRES method, are run within SParC-LES, a recently developed LES code based on the PSBLAS and MLD2P4 libraries for parallel sparse matrix computations and preconditioning.     

Spatio-temporal hotspots and application on a disease analysis case via GIS

Hotspot analysis is a spatial analysis that uses cluster techniques for determining areas with elevated concentrations of localized events. We use the consolidated Extended Fuzzy C-Means algorithm to determine the hotspot areas on the map as circles, moreover the advantages of this technique are the linear computational complexity, the robustness to noise and outliers, the automatic determination of the optimal number C of clusters (in the classical FCM algorithm C is chosen a priori). Furthermore it prevents the problem of shifting the clusters with low density area of data points in areas with higher density of such points. We apply this method to study the spatio-temporal variations of the hotspot areas by testing this process on a specific disease problem, precisely we have clusterized 5,000 point-events correspondent to cases of brain cancer detected in the state of New Mexico from 1973 to 1991. We also show that the same results are obtained by using the Extended Gustafson–Kessel algorithm which gives elliptical clusters. We have implemented both algorithms in a Geographic Information System environment. Thus we establish the areas which seem not interested from the incidence of the disease and those areas in which the phenomenon appears to be temporarily attenuated either increased or constant or quite disappeared.