Measurement of the complex permittivity of low-loss planarmicrowave substrates using aperture-coupled microstrip resonators

This paper describes a technique for the determination of the complex permittivity of low-loss dielectric substrates at microwave frequencies. The technique utilizes an aperture-coupled microstrip resonator fed using a microstrip line in a two layer configuration. The ends of the resonator are shorted in order to avoid radiation. The technique can also be used for the measurement of the complex permittivity of other electronic materials such as thin and thick film materials at microwave frequencies. Nonresonant modes and conductor losses are taken into account in the analysis to improve the accuracy of the results. Analysis procedure as well as experimental results are presented     

Prevention and treatment of posthemorrhagic disorders in surgical treatment of scoliosis

The measures of the blood loss prophylaxis and compensation, occurred at the time of 4350 surgical interventions on vertebral column conduction in 2697 patients with scoliosis, are analyzed. While performing osteoplastic fixation of vertebral column the blood loss have constituted 1200-2600 ml. The lowering of the blood loss down to 200-120 ml while conducting of complex correcting interventions was permitted by application of the governed hypotension together with general anesthesia.     

Main-Chain Nematic Side-Chain Smectic Composite Liquid Crystalline Elastomers

A composite liquid crystalline elastomer is designed, combining main-chain and side-chain mesogenic polymers in the network, and resulting in micro-phase separated regions of nematic and smectic ordering in the macroscopically homogeneous elastomer. A range of different fractions of the components is explored, from fully nematic main-chain system, across to fully smectic side-chain elastomer. Thermal phase transitions of both phases coexisting in the material are detected by calorimetry, and the nematic/smectic structure investigated by X-ray scattering. The tensile stress–strain data reveal the key effect of such a multi-phase composite, where the nematic fraction adds ductility while the smectic fraction increases the modulus and mechanical stiffness. Varying the composition, the authors are able to optimize the mechanical properties of this material type.     

Optimal sensor locations for nonparametric identification of viscoelastic materials

The problem of optimal sensor locations in nonparametric identification of viscoelastic materials is considered. Sensor locations have previously been assigned in an ad hoc manner, resulting in a sub-optimal experiment design with a comparatively high variance of the estimates. Different scalar criteria of the covariance matrix, connected to A- and D-optimal experiment design, are considered and evaluated. The results indicate that the accuracy of the estimates can be greatly improved by the use of optimally placed sensors. The theoretical study has been verified by experiments. The presented results can be used to design experiments with improved accuracy of the estimates.     

High-resolution imaging of dielectric profiles by using a time-domain ultra wideband radar sensor

This paper describes the development of an imaging instrument that capitalizes on high-resolution phenomenon in inverse scattering using a time-domain ultra wideband (UWB) sensor. The image reconstruction algorithm that accounts for the band-limited view of the UWB data is based upon the TM-mode wave equation, the Born approximation, and the adjoint method for computing the Fréchet derivatives. The computation of the sensitivity function requires the forward propagation of the UWB wavefield, as well as the reverse propagation of the residual wavefield. The electromagnetic and adjoint fields are calculated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, implementing the first and second orders Mur’s absorbing boundaries. The overall performance of the instrumentation system is demonstrated using computer simulations and experimental measurements. Results indicate that the equipment can reconstruct fairly complicated dielectric profiles at near millimeter resolution even with the presence of large amount of noise.     

Dye sensitization of antimony-doped CdS photoelectrochemical solar cell

Sb-doped CdS single crystal was used as a photoanode to fabricate a photoelectrochemical solar (PECS) cell. The three organic dyes; eosin, thymol blue and rhodamin 6G were used as sensitizers in (PECS) cell. In the absence of the dye, the results showed that with Sb-doped CdS single crystal electrode, a higher power conversion efficiency 9.27% has been achieved compared to 5.7–7.4% for pure crystal. Application of the dye in PECS cell increases the efficiency to about 13%. The efficiency reaches its maximum value when the dye concentration is (2.5×10⁻⁵)M, sufficient to cover the surface of the semiconductor electrode with a continuous monolayer of the dye. Exceeding this value resulted in a gradual decrease of the efficiency from its maximum value. Mott–Schottky plots gave a doping density of 3.14×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ and a space charge width of 4.95×10⁻⁶ cm for the sample used. A flat-band potential equal to −0.84 V, independent of both frequency and pH, was also predicted. Cyclic voltammetry (c.v.) measurements showed an anodic current peak at 0.4 V vs. SCE. The disappearance of this peak after excess addition of the reducing agent Na₂S, indicates that this peak is due to the PEC corrosion of the semiconductor electrode.     

The Non-Erythropoietic EPO Analogue Cibinetide Inhibits Osteoclastogenesis In Vitro and Increases Bone Mineral Density in Mice

The two erythropoietin (EPO) receptor forms mediate different cellular responses to erythropoietin. While hematopoiesis is mediated via the homodimeric EPO receptor (EPOR), tissue protection is conferred via a heteromer composed of EPOR and CD131. In the skeletal system, EPO stimulates osteoclast precursors and induces bone loss. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still elusive. Here, we evaluated the role of the heteromeric complex in bone metabolism in vivo and in vitro by using Cibinetide (CIB), a non-erythropoietic EPO analogue that exclusively binds the heteromeric receptor. CIB is administered either alone or in combination with EPO. One month of CIB treatment significantly increased the cortical (~5.8%) and trabecular (~5.2%) bone mineral density in C57BL/6J WT female mice. Similarly, administration of CIB for five consecutive days to female mice that concurrently received EPO on days one and four, reduced the number of osteoclast progenitors, defined by flow cytometry as Lin⁻CD11b⁻Ly6C^hi CD115⁺, by 42.8% compared to treatment with EPO alone. In addition, CIB alone or in combination with EPO inhibited osteoclastogenesis in vitro. Our findings introduce CIB either as a stand-alone treatment, or in combination with EPO, as an appealing candidate for the treatment of the bone loss that accompanies EPO treatment.     

Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica can be differentiated by distinct patterns of HLA class II association

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) exhibit identical HLA class II associations. METHODS: A case-control association study was performed on a population sample from Lugo, in Northwestern Spain. DNA samples were available for 128 patients and 145 ethnically matched controls. Within the patient group 26 exhibited both PMR and GCA, 75 PMR alone, and 27 GCA alone. HLA-DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 phenotypes were defined by molecular based techniques. RESULTS: HLA-DRB 1*0401 was associated with GCA regardless of PMR status, although this only reached statistical significance in the total GCA group. This was also seen for DRB 1*0101, *0102, although the association was less strong. Patients with PMR without GCA were not associated with DRB1*0401 or *0101, *0102, but exhibited a significant association with DRB1*13, *14. Nonsignificant increases in DQA1 and DQB1 phenotype frequencies appeared to reflect known patterns of linkage disequilibrium with the HLA-DRB1 alleles associated with GCA and PMR groups. An association was observed between the presence of the RA DRB1 shared epitope (SE) and GCA but not with PMR in the absence of GCA. This association was primarily accounted for by the presence of a single copy of the SE, and homozygosity for the SE did not confer additional risk. A high frequency of SE-bearing DRB1 alleles was observed in patients with GCA with jaw claudication or visual manifestations, although the sample size of these subgroups was small. CONCLUSION: PMR and GCA in a Northwestern Spanish population have distinct HLA class II associations. HLA is unlikely to account for the observed high level of overlap in these patients, and other etiological factors may be involved.