Suitable test structures for submicron ion beam analysis

For the precise determination of the sizes of submicron beam spots test structures with an excellent edge definition are required. For this purpose a semiconductor heterostructure consisting of an 1.62 μm GaInP epi-layer grown on (0 0 1) GaAs has been made, which provides atomically sharp edges for beam spot size measurements. Since the sample has been thinned down by standard transmission electron microscope (TEM) preparation techniques, it can be used for both PIXE and STIM. The sample has been investigated with a TEM and the ion nanoprobe LIPSION. A one-dimensional beam profile in the low current mode was determined by a STIM measurement using 2 MeV protons and yielded a FWHM of (41±4) nm, which is the smallest value reported so far for high energy nuclear micro- and nanoprobes. Furthermore we present nickel nanowhiskers produced at the GSI Darmstadt by electrochemical preparation of etched ion track membranes that have been used to obtain two-dimensional images of the shapes of submicron beam spots. For these measurements a scan over a single nickel nanowhisker having a diameter of 220 nm and a height of about 6 μm was performed.     

Quality management in service ecosystems

Service-oriented architectures and Web services mature and have become more widely accepted and used by industry. This growing adoption increased the demands for new ways of using Web service technology. Users start re-combining and mediating other providers’ services in ways that have not been anticipated by their original provider. Within organisations and cross-organisational communities, discoverable services are organised in repositories providing convenient access to adaptable end-to-end business processes. This idea is captured in the term Service Ecosystem. This paper addresses the question of how quality management can be performed in such service ecosystems. Service quality management is a key challenge when services are composed of a dynamic set of heterogeneous sub-services from different service providers. This paper contributes to this important area by developing a reference model of quality management in service ecosystems. We illustrate the application of the reference model in an exploratory case study. With this case study, we show how the reference model helps to derive requirements for the implementation and support of quality management in an exemplary service ecosystem in public administration.     

Development of active matrix LCD for use in high‐resolution adaptive headlights

Conventional adaptive driving beam headlamps are limited in achieving still higher quantities of switchable pixels by the number of LEDs and movable elements needed. In this paper, it is shown that by integrating an active matrix liquid crystal display module, it is possible to realize fully adaptive high‐resolution headlights without mechanical elements and a finite number of LED with 30 k switchable pixels.     

Reticulated Porous Foam Ceramics with Different Surface Chemistries

The aim of this study was to discuss the influence of different filter surface chemistries on the properties of foam filters. For reliable results, it is essential to ensure comparable structural properties (cell size and strut thickness) for all different surface chemistries (Al₂O₃, MgAl₂O₄, 3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂, SiO₂, and TiO₂) possess the same structural properties (cell size and strut thickness). Filters made of 100% of the investigated materials and alumina skeletons coated with the investigated materials were prepared. The coated alumina samples were sintered in one and two steps. The processing route with two sintering steps resulted in improved mechanical properties and comparable shrinkage and strut thickness. The 100% bulk foams possessed different pore sizes due to the differences of the material shrinkage. In this study, a comparison of the experimental investigated properties of the ceramic foam filters and the theoretically calculated values for foam materials derived from the bulk material properties is established.     

High Iron and Iron Household Protein Contents in Perineuronal Net-Ensheathed Neurons Ensure Energy Metabolism with Safe Iron Handling

A subpopulation of neurons is less vulnerable against iron-induced oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. A key feature of these neurons is a special extracellular matrix composition that forms a perineuronal net (PN). The PN has a high affinity to iron, which suggests an adapted iron sequestration and metabolism of the ensheathed neurons. Highly active, fast-firing neurons—which are often ensheathed by a PN—have a particular high metabolic demand, and therefore may have a higher need in iron. We hypothesize that PN-ensheathed neurons have a higher intracellular iron concentration and increased levels of iron proteins. Thus, analyses of cellular and regional iron and the iron proteins transferrin (Tf), Tf receptor 1 (TfR), ferritin H/L (FtH/FtL), metal transport protein 1 (MTP1 aka ferroportin), and divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) were performed on Wistar rats in the parietal cortex (PC), subiculum (SUB), red nucleus (RN), and substantia nigra (SNpr/SNpc). Neurons with a PN (PN⁺) have higher iron concentrations than neurons without a PN: PC 0.69 mM vs. 0.51 mM, SUB 0.84 mM vs. 0.69 mM, SN 0.71 mM vs. 0.63 mM (SNpr)/0.45 mM (SNpc). Intracellular Tf, TfR and MTP1 contents of PN⁺ neurons were consistently increased. The iron concentration of the PN itself is not increased. We also determined the percentage of PN⁺ neurons: PC 4%, SUB 5%, SNpr 45%, RN 86%. We conclude that PN⁺ neurons constitute a subpopulation of resilient pacemaker neurons characterized by a bustling iron metabolism and outstanding iron handling capabilities. These properties could contribute to the low vulnerability of PN⁺ neurons against iron-induced oxidative stress and degeneration.     

Design and Fabrication of Transparent and Gas‐Tight Optical Windows in Low‐Temperature Co‐Fired Ceramics

Low‐temperature co‐fired ceramics (LTCC) enable the fabrication of microfluidic elements such as channels and embedded cavities in electrical devices. Hence, LTCC facilitate the realization of complex and integrated microfluidic devices. Examples can be applied in many areas like reaction chambers for synthesis of chemical compounds. However, for many applications it is necessary to have an optically transparent interface to the surroundings. The integration of optical windows in LTCC opens up a wide field of new and innovative applications such as the observation of chemiluminescent reactions. These chemical reactions emit electromagnetic radiation and thus offer a method for noninvasive detection. Thin glasses (≤500 μm) were bonded by thermocompression onto a LTCC substrate. As the bonding agent, a glass frit paste was used. Borosilicate glasses, fused silica as well as silicon were successfully bonded onto LTCC. To join materials with a large coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch (i.e., fused silica and LTCC), it is necessary to limit the heat input to the bond interface. Therefore, a heating structure was integrated into the LTCC substrate beneath the bond interface. This bonding process provides a gas‐tight optical port with a high bond strength.     

Chemische Synthese der Oligonucleotide dpG-A-T-A-T-C,dpG-A-T-C-T-T-T-T und dpT-T-T-C-A-T-C-A-T

Chemical Synthesis of the Oligonucleotides dpG-A-T-A-T-C, dpG-A-T-C-T-T-T-T and dpT-T-T-C-A-T-C-A-T For studies of some sequence dependent structural factors the oligonucleotides dpG-A-T-A-T-C, dpG-A-T-C-T-T-T-T and dpT-T-T-C-A-T-C-A-T were required. Their chemical synthesis is reported according to the diester method.