Stress and microstructure evolution in thick sputtered films

Materials synthesized by deposition techniques are often plagued by high levels of residual stress. While the origin and control of this stress in thin (sub-micron) films has been an active area of research, it is not clear how the results extrapolate with thickness. In the present work, in situ residual stress measurements are performed during the sputter deposition of beryllium, spanning the transition from thin to thick. Variables including sputtering gas pressure and substrate biasing are shown to strongly affect both the average and instantaneous stress levels measured during film growth. Detailed microstructural characterization is performed to assess the grain structure, surface morphology, and crystallographic growth texture of representative specimens. The microstructure is correlated with theoretical models of stress generation to interpret experimental measurements. A stress map is also constructed, generalizing the effects of processing and material parameters on stress state.     

Is tumor cell specificity distinct from tumor selectivity in vivo?A quantitative NIR molecular imaging analysis of nanoliposome targeting

The significance and ability for receptor targeted nanoliposomes(tNLs)to bind to their molecular targets in solid tumors in vivo has been questioned,particularly as the efficiency of their tumor accumulation and selectivity is not always predictive of their efficacy or molecular specificity.This study presents,for the first time,in situ near-infrared(NIR)molecular imaging-based quantitation of the in vivo specificity of tNLs for their target receptors,as opposed to tumor selectivity,which includes influences of enhanced tumor permeability and retention.Results show that neither tumor delivery nor selectivity(tumor-to-normal ratio)of cetuximab and IRDye conjugated tNLs correlate with epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)expression in U251,U87,and 9L tumors,and in fact underrepresent their imaging-derived molecular specificity by up to 94.2%.Conversely,their in vivo specificity,which we quantify as the concentration of tNL-reported tumor EGFR provided by NIR molecular imaging,correlates positively with EGFR expression levels in vitro and ex vivo(Pearson’s r=0.92 and 0.96,respectively).This study provides a unique opportunity to address the problematic disconnect between tNL synthesis and in vivo specificity.The findings encourage their continued adoption as platforms for precision medicine,and facilitates intelligent synthesis and patient customization in order to improve safety profiles and therapeutic outcomes.     

The prevalence of herpes family virus DNA in the conjunctiva of patients positive and negative for human immunodeficiency virus using the polymerase chain reaction

OBJECTIVE: To help understand the pathogenesis of herpes family virus ocular infection among patients positive for HIV, the authors compared the rates of detection of herpes family virus DNA from the conjunctiva of patients who are positive and negative for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: The conjunctival scrapings of 30 patients positive for HIV and 30 patients negative for HIV were examined. INTERVENTION: PCR was used to assay for the presence of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA (n = 240 samples). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The rate of detection of virus DNA in the two groups, controlling for age, gender, and race, was measured. RESULTS: HSV and VZV DNA were not detected in any of the HIV-positive or HIV-negative samples. CMV DNA was detected in 20% (6 of 30) of patients positive for HIV and was undetected in control subjects negative for HIV (P = 0.01). EBV DNA was detected in 40% (12 of 30) of patients positive for HIV and in 47% (14 of 30) of control subjects negative for HIV (P = 0.58). CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in the frequency of detection of HSV, VZV, or EBV DNA from the conjunctiva of patients positive or negative for HIV. Only CMV DNA was detected at a significantly higher rate in the conjunctiva of patients positive for HIV compared with control subjects negative for HIV. These different rates of peripheral virus shedding may be one possible explanation for the different rates of clinical infection among the herpes family viruses among patients positive for HIV.     

Virtual Circuit Laboratory*

We present the rationale, implementation and performance features of a virtual lab environment for an electronic circuits course. The primary purpose of the tool is to aid the student in learning debugging techniques by providing an environment that emulates some of the failure modes of a real lab. The tool is implemented as a Java application. Index Terms—Introductory circuits, technology‐enhanced learning environments, and virtual laboratories.