AlxGa−xAs/GaAs heterostructure characterization by wet chemical etching

Selective wet chemical etching of the Al_xGa_1−xAs/GaAs system has been applied to heterostructure characterization. Samples of LPE grown AlGaAs/GaAs laser double-heterostructures and separate confinement heterostructures as well as antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides heterostructures were treated with “I2 solution” (I₂:KI:H₂O) and hydrochloric acid. These compounds selectively etch the ternary Al_xGa_1−xAs layers, but with different “threshold composition” x_th values (the x value is that above which the etching rate of a given compound increases sharply). Selectively etched samples have been examined by SEM. The experimental dependence of etching rate on the x value for I2 solution has been derived. From this dependence, the x composition of any ternary layer can be estimated simply. Observations were made of the “microscopic” properties of the heterostructure, such as the smoothness of the interfaces and the uniformity of layers. All imperfections resulting from the growth process, such as interface perturbations or compositional nonuniformity of layers, are clearly seen. An additional advantage of this etching technique is its simplicity. It allows quick examination of grown heterostructure for the selection of wafers for further processing.     

Enzymatic modification of selected functional properties of myofibril preparation obtained from mechanically recovered poultry meat

The effect of addition of 3 g/L of commercially available transglutaminase preparation to protein extracts obtained from mechanically recovered poultry meat was studied. The content of free thiol groups (–SH), thermal drip and gel texture were determined. After pre-incubation at 7–8 °C for 1, 3, 5 and 24 h, the samples were subjected to one-step heating at 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C and two-step heating at 50/80, 55/80 and 60/80 °C. The addition of preparation and the extension of pre-incubation time led to decrease of free -SH groups content. After heating, the number of thiol groups decreased, the texture was improved, but thermal drip from gels increased. The amount of –SH groups in gel extracts subjected to one-step heating decreased with simultaneous increase of mechanical strength of gels. Protein gels subjected to two-step heating exhibited higher firmness than gels subjected to one-step heating. Thus, the 3 g/L addition of transglutaminase preparation in combination with one-step thermal processing at 70 °C and pre-incubation for 3 h contributed to improvement of texture properties of model gels and low thermal drip.     

Two-dimensional manikins of children - models for design

The paper discusses anthropometric research for design for children and youth. Two-dimensional dimensional manikins are one of the forms of presenting anthropometric data. Manikins of children aged 1-6 are the object of the paper. The set consists of eight plexiglass models scaled 1:5. The models were prepared with regard to 5th and 95th percentile values and two views - i e, side view when the figure is in the sagittal plane, and top view when the figure is in the transverse plane. the models are used in design and ergonomics assessment of products including equipment and furnishings earmarked for children.     

Role of Macrophages and RhoA Pathway in Atherosclerosis

The development, progression, or stabilization of the atherosclerotic plaque depends on the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory macrophages. The influx of the macrophages and the regulation of macrophage phenotype, inflammatory or anti-inflammatory, are controlled by the small GTPase RhoA and its downstream effectors. Therefore, macrophages and the components of the RhoA pathway are attractive targets for anti-atherosclerotic therapies, which would inhibit macrophage influx and inflammatory phenotype, maintain an anti-inflammatory environment, and promote tissue remodeling and repair. Here, we discuss the recent findings on the role of macrophages and RhoA pathway in the atherosclerotic plaque formation and resolution and the novel therapeutic approaches.     

Role of HMOX1 Promoter Genetic Variants in Chemoresistance and Chemotherapy Induced Neutropenia in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Whilst the survival rates of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have increased remarkably over the last decades, the therapy resistance and toxicity are still the major causes of treatment failure. It was shown that overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) promotes proliferation and chemoresistance of cancer cells. In humans, the HO-1 gene (HMOX1) expression is modulated by two polymorphisms in the promoter region: (GT)n-length polymorphism and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) A(−413)T, with short GT repeat sequences and 413-A variants linked to an increased HO-1 inducibility. We found that the short alleles are significantly more frequent in ALL patients in comparison to the control group, and that their presence may be associated with a higher risk of treatment failure, reflecting the role of HO-1 in chemoresistance. We also observed that the presence of short alleles may predispose to develop chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. In case of SNP, the 413-T variant co-segregated with short or long alleles, while 413-A almost selectively co-segregated with long alleles, hence it is not possible to determine if SNPs are actually of phenotypic significance. Our results suggest that HO-1 can be a potential target to overcome the treatment failure in ALL patients.     

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Oat Beta-Glucans in a Crohn’s Disease Model: Time- and Molar Mass-Dependent Effects

Background: The incidence of Crohn’s disease (CD) is increasing worldwide, and it has currently become a serious public health issue in society. The treatment of CD continues throughout a patient’s lifetime, and therefore, it is necessary to develop new, effective treatment methods, including dietotherapy. The present study aimed to determine the effects of consumption of oat beta-glucans with different molar mass on colon inflammation (colitis) in the early stages of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced CD in an animal model. Methods: Sprague–Dawley rats (control and TNBS-induced CD) were divided into three dietary groups and fed for 3 days (reflecting acute inflammation) or 7 days (reflecting remission) with a feed containing 1% low (βGl) or high (βGh) molar mass oat beta-glucan or a feed without this polysaccharide. The level of colon inflammatory markers and the expression of cytokines and their receptor genes were measured by ELISA and RT-PCR methods, respectively. Results: Acute inflammation or remission (3 or 7 days after TNBS administration, respectively) stages of experimentally induced CD were characterized by an increase in the level of inflammatory markers (IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α, CRP, MPO, COX, and PGE2) and the disruption of some cytokine signaling pathways as well as macro- and microscopic changes of colon tissue. The consumption of oat beta-glucans reduced the level of inflammatory markers and recovered the signaling pathways and histological changes, with stronger effects of βGl after 7 days of colitis. Conclusions: Dietary oat beta-glucans can reduce colitis at the molecular and organ level and accelerate CD remission.     

Efficient and Generic Algorithm for Rigorous Integration Forward in Time of dPDEs: Part I

We propose an efficient and generic algorithm for rigorous integration forward in time of partial differential equations written in the Fourier basis. By rigorous integration we mean a procedure which operates on sets and return sets which are guaranteed to contain the exact solution. The presented algorithm generates, in an efficient way, normalized derivatives which are used by the Lohner algorithm to produce a rigorous bound. The algorithm has been successfully tested on several partial differential equations (PDEs) including the Burgers equation, the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation, and the Swift-Hohenberg equation. The problem of rigorous integration in time of partial differential equations is a problem of large computational complexity and efficient algorithms are required to deal with PDEs on higher dimensional domains, like the Navier-Stokes equation. Technicalities regarding the various optimization techniques implemented in the software used in this paper will be reported elsewhere.     

Device-Independent Architecture for ubiquitous applications

The part of the Internet of Things composed of devices that directly interact with users has grown considerably in the past years. With new smartphones, tablets and other Internet-enabled devices that appear on the market, this trend is still increasing. However, existing application development processes and tools, designed for single device applications, do not allow developers to fully and efficiently address this opportunity. Applications are developed for a particular type of devices or a particular programming platform. This limits the number of potential users and makes it difficult to seamlessly use an application on multiple devices owned by users. To take full advantage of the Internet of Things, applications should be able to run on any device—they should be ubiquitous. In this paper, we present a concept of Device-Independent Architecture, which provides separation of applications from devices and facilitates development of device-independent applications. Additionally, the separation introduced by the Device-Independent Architecture enables implementation of multi-device scenarios where a single application employs multiple devices at the same time. The experiment described in the paper proves that such device-independent applications indeed may be used on any suitable device—they have a chance to become ubiquitous.     

INSIGMA: an intelligent transportation system for urban mobility enhancement

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) aim to improve safety, mobility and environmental performance of road transport. The INSIGMA project provides a fresh look at the possible innovations in this field, by enhancing the functionality and accuracy of ITS in urban environments. This paper describes the architecture, sensors, processing algorithms, output modules and advantages of the developed system. A comparison of existing ITS systems has been provided as background. Special attention has been given to performance and privacy issues, as the system includes social aspects such as location monitoring.