Immunosuppressive effect of radiotherapy on patients with lung cancer

The immunoglobulins A, E, G and M of 25 patients with lung cancer were determined (by radial immunodiffusion) before, during and after radiotherapy. No significant change in any immunoglobulin were noticed overall. In the group with a poor prognosis (survival less than 12 months; 15 patients), there was a significant decrease of IgA and IgM one month after the irradiation. In the group of patients with pulmonary infection (14 patients), the level of IgA, IgG and IgM were lower than in the group without infection throughout the examination period. Cellular immunity measured by the PPD skin test, showed no significant differences between the groups by survival.     

Bonded thick film SOI with pre-etched cavities

We have studied direct bonding and thinning of pre-etched silicon wafers. Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates with pre-etched cavities provide freedom to MEMS design and enable manufacturing of advanced sensor structures (sensor structures that would be difficult or impossible with conventional substrates). Cavities with different shapes and sizes were etched on to the handle wafers. The etched handle wafers were bonded to unpatterned cap wafers in air or in vacuum. The bonding quality was evaluated with scanning acoustic microscopy and with HF-etching test. After bonding, the cap wafers were thinned down with grinding and polishing. The thickness variation of silicon diaphragm over the cavities was evaluated with cross-sectional SEM. The deflection of the Si film was measured with surface profilometry. To decrease the deflection and the thickness variation of the film, different support structures were placed inside the cavities.The bonding experiments carried out with patterned wafers showed that vacuum bonding results in slightly higher bonding energy than bonding in air. With large cavity fraction (80% of total wafer area), the air bonded samples had large void on the bonded interface. With smaller cavity fractions or with vacuum bonded samples, no such voids were found. Thinning studies showed that the thickness variation of the silicon diaphragm increases with increasing cavity dimensions and with decreasing SOI layer thickness. Thickness variation can be reduced with support structures under the Si membrane.     

Hexaferrite/polyethylene composite coatings prepared with flame spraying

Composite coatings from different volume ratios of hexaferrite (BaFe₁₂O₁₉ or SrFe₁₂O₁₉) and polyethylene were prepared, for the first time, with flame spraying. The hexaferrite phase retained its crystal structure and microstructure during the process, while the polyethylene melted and resolidified. The coatings showed magnetic hysteresis loops with high coercivities. The measured electromagnetic behaviour proved that the studied composite coatings would be suitable for electromagnetic wave absorbers in the U-band.     

Highly Selective SAM–Nanowire Hybrid NO2 Sensor: Insight into Charge Transfer Dynamics and Alignment of Frontier Molecular Orbitals

Organic–inorganic hybrid gas sensors can offer outstanding performance in terms of selectivity and sensitivity towards single gas species. The enormous variety of organic functionalities enables novel flexibility of active sensor surfaces compared to commonly used pure inorganic materials, but goes along with an increase of system complexity that usually hinders a predictable sensor design. In this work, an ultra‐selective NO₂ sensor is realized based on self‐assembled monolayer (SAM)‐modified semiconductor nanowires (NWs). The crucial chemical and electronic parameters for an effective interaction between the sensor and different gas species are identified using density functional theory simulations. The theoretical findings are consistent with the experimentally observed extraordinary selectivity and sensitivity of the amine‐terminated SnO₂ NW towards NO₂. The energetic position of the SAM–gas frontier orbitals with respect to the NW Fermi level is the key to ensure or impede an efficient charge transfer between the NW and the gas. As this condition strongly depends on the gas species and the sensor system, these insights into the charge transfer mechanisms can have a substantial impact on the development of highly selective hybrid gas sensors.     

The hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis and testicular function in male patients after treatment for haematological malignancies

In this study including 26 patients with dyslipoproteinemia classified IIa, we evaluated biochemical and clinical safety of Nomegestrol acetate (Lutenyl) used for its antigonadotrophin property. It was administered alone, during 3 cycles at the dose of 5 mg/d for 21 days by cycle and then it was associated (at the same sequence and dose), without any wash out, for the next 6 cycles, with a 17 beta estradiol patch (Estraderm TTS 50), 50 micrograms/d from the 11th to the 21st day of each cycle. Nomegestrol acetate, alone, had no significant effect on glycemia, antithrombin III, triglycerides, total cholesterol, apoprotein A1, and LpA1 values compared to those at baseline but apoprotein B and Lp (a) values tended to decrease slightly. Serum progesterone levels were collapsed, and FSH values were low. Weight and blood pressure remained constant. Adding 17 beta estradiol enabled to significantly decrease and normalize the apoprotein B values after the first 3 cycles compared to the baseline values, then these values remained constant during the next 3 cycles. There was no effect on the other parameters (except for a significant increase in plasmatic estradiol values) on the antigonadotrophin property of Nomegestrol acetate, nor on weight and blood pressure which remained constant. Moreover, we observed an important decrease in the rate of amenorrheic cycles compared to those with Nomegestrol acetate alone.     

An Experimental and Computational Study on the Melting Behaviour of AOD and Chromium Converter Slags

The campaigns of the AOD and chromium converters are often limited by the strong wear of the refractory materials in certain areas (usually tuyere zone). Slag protection (in which the slag is left to solidify at the converter walls after the tapping of the metal) has been considered to be an option in prolonging the campaigns of the converters. In order to study the possibilities of the slag protection, the purpose of this work was to determine the melting behaviour of the AOD and chromium converter slags; i. e. the solidus and liquidus temperatures and the composition of solid phases as a function of temperature in different slag compositions. Examination was executed using both computational (FactSage software) and experimental (optical dilatometer/SEM) methods. It was noticed that when burned dolomite was added into the slags, the increased MgO‐contents had a strong influence on the melting behaviour. Even small changes (a few percent) in the MgO‐content had a very strong influence (a few hundred degrees centigrade) on the solidus and liquidus temperatures. Solid phases that are formed during the solidification are also different in slags with and without burned dolomite addition.     

Few-layer graphene synthesis on a dielectric substrate

We report on few-layer graphene synthesis on fused silica, with the help of pre-deposited copper films with thickness of few hundred nanometers, by using chemical vapor deposition technique. Depending on the copper film thickness, the deposited graphene samples on copper/silica interface were either micron sized graphene flakes or uniform graphene films of a sub-millimeter width. The quality of graphene grown beneath the pre-deposited copper film was found to be comparable with that of graphene grown on bulk copper. The developed technique opens new route towards the space-selective CVD graphene growth on dielectric substrates.     

Evaluation of reaching the targets of the water framework directive in the gulf of Finland

This paper describes the development of the EU Water Framework Directive central water quality elements from 1970 to 2010 in the Gulf of Finland, a eutrophied sub-basin of the Baltic Sea. The likelihood of accomplishing the management objectives simultaneously is assessed using Bayesian networks. The objectives of good ecological status in winter-time total nitrogen and phosphorus, summer-time chlorophyll-a and summer-time Secchi depth have not been met yet. In addition, the results indicate that it is unlikely for them to be achieved in the near future, despite the decreasing trend in nutrient concentrations over the past few years. It was demonstrated that neither phosphorus nor nitrogen alone controls summertime plankton growth. Reaching good ecological status in nutrients does not necessarily lead to good ecological status of chlorophyll-a, even though a dependency between the parameters does exist. In addition, secchi-depth status is strongly related to chlorophyll-a status in three of the four study-areas.     

Plasma-chemical reduction of iron oxide photoanodes for efficient solar hydrogen production

We demonstrate the effect of hydrogen plasma treatment on hematite films as a simple and effective strategy for modifying the existing substrate to improve significantly the band edge positions and photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. Plasma treated hematite films were consist of mixed phases (Fe₃O₄:α-Fe₂O₃) which was confirmed by XPS and Raman analysis, treated films also showed higher absorption cross-section and were found to be a promising photoelectrode material. The treated samples showed enhance photocurrent densities with maximum of 3.5 mA/cm² at 1.8 V/RHE and the photocurrent onset potentials were shifted from 1.68 V_RHE (untreated) to 1.28 V_RHE (treated). Hydrogen plasma treatment under non-equilibrium conditions induced a valence dynamics among Fe centers in the sub-surface region that was sustained by the incorporation of hydrogen in the hematite lattice as supported by the density functional theory calculations.     

Behavior of HVOF WC-10Co4Cr Coatings with Different Carbide Size in Fine and Coarse Particle Abrasion

A modified ASTM G 65 rubber wheel test was employed in wet and dry conditions using 220 nm titania particles and 368 μm sand particles, respectively. Both tests were conducted on WC-CoCr coatings produced with two powders with different carbide grain sizes (conventional and sub-micron) to address the effect of carbide size and abrasive medium characteristics on the wear performance. The same spot before and after the wet abrasion wear testing was analyzed in detail using SEM to visualize wear mechanisms. It was shown that the wear mechanism depends on the relative size of the carbide and abrasive particles. Wear mechanisms in dry sand abrasion were studied by analyzing the single scratches formed by individual abrasive particles. Interaction of surface open porosity with moving abrasive particles causes formation of single scratches. By tailoring the carbide size, the wear performance can be improved.