Simple renal cysts in the adult. Anatomical study. Aetio-pathogenic considerations, based upon 57 cases (author''s transl)

Investigations into the configuration of the radiation induced strand breaks in the low dose range are presented. DNA sections containing the radiation induced strand breaks were separated from the undamaged sections in order to increase the concentration of lesions. The configuration of 3'terminals in damaged DNA from gamma-irradiated thymocytes was analysed studying the priming ability for the DNA polymerase I. The experiments show that soon after irradiation with a dose of 10 krad DNA strand breaks carry 3'OH end groups as well as damaged 3'terminals not susceptible to Dna polymerase I. The fraction of damaged terminals increases with dose. We conclude that also after low doses an exonucleolytic action is required in cells for removing damaged 3'terminals before repair DNA synthesis can take place.     

Chemical polishing of CdZnTe substrates fabricated from crystals grown by the vertical-gradient freezing method

Chemical polishing is a process of crucial importance in the manufacture of epiready substrates for molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of high-quality HgCdTe layers. With the aim of fabrication of (211) CdZnTe substrates, we focused on the fundamental research of polishing processes with respect to reducing subsurface damage. Wafers of the orientation (211) were prepared from the as-grown crystals by a process flow including oriented slicing, several steps of mechanical polishing, and finally chemical polishing. In the prechemical polishing process, several free and bound abrasives were applied to reach the surface roughness close to 1 nm. The surface polishing treatment included testing of the surface quality after each polishing step. We used an interferometer profiler, which yields detailed surface maps. Within chemical polishing processing, we have looked for an optimum composition of etchant based on the bromine-methanol/ethylene glycol solution and adequate polishing pad. We studied the substrate surface quality dependence on the rotation speed of the plate, sample loading weights, and duration of polishing. Correlation between the final surface roughness and layer thickness removed was established. The chemical polishing with a very low concentration of Br-methanol/ethylene glycol solution was found to yield very good CdZnTe surfaces with a perfect flatness.     

A detailed study of monolithic contacts and electrical losses in a large‐area thin‐film module

A study of the electrical losses of thin‐film modules is presented. Using the electrical circuit simulator PSpice, the influence of the distributed series resistance of the top and the bottom contact of the active area and the influence of the monolithic contact area on the module performance was revealed and demonstrated. A large impact of the distributed series resistance of transparent conducting oxide layer on the module performance was analysed. Study of the monolithic contact area shows a crucial impact of the back‐contact separation cut on the module performance. All other regions that form the monolithic contact contribute significantly to the width of the dead area region in a module. An application of the CIGS‐based study of the monolithic contact on an a‐Si/μc‐Si module is presented. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Galvanomagnetic properties of CdTe below and above the melting point

Temperature dependence of conductivity and Hall coefficient R_H is measured by DC and AC methods at temperatures between 600–1180°C. Two experimental approaches are used.¹ Galvanomagnetic measurements at defined temperature and Cd or Te pressure are performed in solid samples in the whole field of stability of solid in the pressure-temperature (P-T) diagram.² Galvanomagnetic measurements define temperature both in solid and in liquid phase. The typical semiconducting character of and 1/|eR_H|, when both parameters increase with temperature, is observed also in the liquid. The negative sign of R_H is observed above 600°C within the whole region of stability of solid, both at Cd and at Te saturation, and R_H<0 both in solid and liquid. 1/|eR_H| reaches 5 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ at 1180°C and the corresponding Hall mobility is 20 cm²/Vs. Three slopes characterize the temperature dependence of a 0.7 eV in the solid CdTe below the melting point 1092°C and 4.6 eV in the liquid phase at 1092°C<T<1160°C. Above 1160°C, conductivity increases moderately with the slope 0.8 eV. The experimental data for solid CdTe are evaluated by a theoretical model, including electrons from both the central minimum (-point) and four satellite minima (L-point) of the Brillouin zone. Theab initio results fit our experimental data after small modifications very well.     

Collaboration structures in Slovenian scientific communities

We combine two seemingly distinct perspectives regarding the modeling of network dynamics. One perspective is found in the work of physicists and mathematicians who formally introduced the small world model and the mechanism of preferential attachment. The other perspective is sociological and focuses on the process of cumulative advantage and considers the agency of individual actors in a network. We test hypotheses, based on work drawn from these perspectives, regarding the structure and dynamics of scientific collaboration networks. The data we use are for four scientific disciplines in the Slovene system of science. The results deal with the overall topology of these networks and specific processes that generate them. The two perspectives can be joined to mutual benefit. Within this combined approach, the presence of small-world structures was confirmed. However preferential attachment is far more complex than advocates of a single autonomous mechanism claim.     

Comparison of two micromechanical models for predicting elasto-plastic response of wood–plastic composites

The mechanical response of wood- and cellulose-filled polymers and its comparison to analytical models is studied in this article. To model the elasto-plastic response of the wood–plastic composite (WPC), two explicit semi-analytical micromechanical methods were used: Mori–Tanaka Method (MTM) and Generalised Method of Cells (GMC). For experimental purpose, several test specimens composed of matrix polypropylene (PP) or polystyrene (PS) and filled with wood or cellulose short fibres of different length to width aspect ratio and various volume fractions were injection moulded. Tensile testing was then used to gain experimental data, which were then compared to the calculated prediction of proposed micromechanical models to test their applicability. The comparison of results show that both methods can accurately predict the response of the composite in the elastic area; however Mori–Tanaka Method can achieve better results when forecasting plastic deformations of wood–plastic composites.     

Improvement of fungicidal properties and copper fixation of copper-ethanolamine wood preservatives using octanoic acid and boron compounds

Copper ethanolamine preservatives are one of the most important solutions for wood preservation. As copper itself can not ensure sufficient protection against wood destroying organisms we combine it with other co-biocides like quaternary ammonium compounds, azoles and/or boron. Influence of different boron compounds and octanoic acid on copper fixation as well as performance of spruce wood impregnated with different copper/ethanolamine/boron based aqueous solutions is described in this paper. Copper fixation was determined according to the modified ENV 1250 (1994) standard method, while performance against Antrodia vaillantii, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Trametes versicolor was tested according to the mini block procedure. The results showed that addition of boron increases copper leaching, but on the contrary improves performance against wood decay fungi. On the other hand, addition of octanoic acid improves copper fixation, and slightly decreases resistance against copper tolerant fungi.     

Method for forming two-dimensional paracrystals of biological filaments on lipid monolayers

A method is described for electron microscopic observation of two-dimensional paracrystals on unsupported lipid monolayers. The method uses a hydrophobic holey C-coated grid placed on a monolayer made positively charged by the inclusion of stearylamine (SA) and has been used to align scallop thin filaments and reconstituted actin/tropomyosin filaments to form paracrystals. The use of unsupported monolayers allows the paracrystals to be viewed in either negative stain or with cryoelectron microscopy. Those paracrystals in frozen hydrated specimens have better order than those with negative stain. It was found that varying the lipid composition between the less fluid distearolyphosphotidylcholine/SA and the more fluid egg yolk phosphotidylcholine/SA alters the size and order of the paracrystals, the more fluid system having smaller, more ordered paracrystalline domains. The advantage of the technique for studying actin/thin filaments is the ability to form large two-dimensional paracrystals under physiological conditions of [Mg²⁺] and pH.