| 1. |
- Thomas, HS, et al.
(author)
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- 2019
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 5. |
- Akkoyun, S., et al.
(author)
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AGATA - Advanced GAmma Tracking Array
- 2012
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In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 0167-5087 .- 1872-9576. ; 668, s. 26-58
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) is a European project to develop and operate the next generation γ-ray spectrometer. AGATA is based on the technique of γ-ray energy tracking in electrically segmented high-purity germanium crystals. This technique requires the accurate determination of the energy, time and position of every interaction as a γ ray deposits its energy within the detector volume. Reconstruction of the full interaction path results in a detector with very high efficiency and excellent spectral response. The realisation of γ-ray tracking and AGATA is a result of many technical advances. These include the development of encapsulated highly segmented germanium detectors assembled in a triple cluster detector cryostat, an electronics system with fast digital sampling and a data acquisition system to process the data at a high rate. The full characterisation of the crystals was measured and compared with detector- response simulations. This enabled pulse-shape analysis algorithms, to extract energy, time and position, to be employed. In addition, tracking algorithms for event reconstruction were developed. The first phase of AGATA is now complete and operational in its first physics campaign. In the future AGATA will be moved between laboratories in Europe and operated in a series of campaigns to take advantage of the different beams and facilities available to maximise its science output. The paper reviews all the achievements made in the AGATA project including all the necessary infrastructure to operate and support the spectrometer. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al.
(author)
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Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
- 2016
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In: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally.Methods: Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression.Results: This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed.Conclusions: Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas.
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| 7. |
- Adolfsson, J., et al.
(author)
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SAMPA Chip : The New 32 Channels ASIC for the ALICE TPC and MCH Upgrades
- 2017
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 12:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents the test results of the second prototype of SAMPA, the ASIC designed for the upgrade of read-out front end electronics of the ALICE Time Projection Chamber (TPC) and Muon Chamber (MCH). SAMPA is made in a 130 nm CMOS technology with 1.25 V nominal voltage supply and provides 32 channels, with selectable input polarity, and three possible combinations of shaping time and sensitivity. Each channel consists of a Charge Sensitive Amplifier, a semi-Gaussian shaper and a 10-bit ADC; a Digital Signal Processor provides digital filtering and compression capability. In the second prototype run both full chip and single test blocks were fabricated, allowing block characterization and full system behaviour studies. Experimental results are here presented showing agreement with requirements for both the blocks and the full chip.
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| 10. |
- Salamania, Janella, 1992-, et al.
(author)
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Elucidating dislocation core structures in titanium nitride through high-resolution imaging and atomistic simulations
- 2022
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In: Materials & design. - : Elsevier. - 0264-1275 .- 1873-4197. ; 224
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although titanium nitride (TiN) is among the most extensively studied and thoroughly characterizedthin-film ceramic materials, detailed knowledge of relevant dislocation core structures is lacking. Byhigh-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) of epitaxial single crystal (001)-oriented TiN films, we identify different dislocation types and their core structures. These include, besidesthe expected primary a/2{110}h110i dislocation, Shockley partial dislocations a/6{111}h112i and sessileLomer edge dislocations a/2{100}h011i. Density-functional theory and classical interatomic potentialsimulations complement STEM observations by recovering the atomic structure of the different disloca-tion types, estimating Peierls stresses, and providing insights on the chemical bonding nature at the core.The generated models of the dislocation cores suggest locally enhanced metal–metal bonding, weakenedTi-N bonds, and N vacancy-pinning that effectively reduces the mobilities of {110}h110i and {111}h112idislocations. Our findings underscore that the presence of different dislocation types and their effects onchemical bonding should be considered in the design and interpretations of nanoscale and macroscopicproperties of TiN.
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| 11. |
- Tun, SBB, et al.
(author)
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Islet Transplantation to the Anterior Chamber of the Eye-A Future Treatment Option for Insulin-Deficient Type-2 Diabetics? A Case Report from a Nonhuman Type-2 Diabetic Primate
- 2020
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In: Cell transplantation. - : SAGE Publications. - 1555-3892 .- 0963-6897. ; 29, s. 963689720913256-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Replacement of the insulin-secreting beta cells through transplantation of pancreatic islets to the liver is a promising treatment for type-1 diabetes. However, low oxygen tension, shear stress, and the induction of inflammation lead to significant islet dysfunction and loss. The anterior chamber of the eye (ACE) has gained considerable interest and represents an alternative therapeutic islet transplantation site because of its accessibility, high oxygen tension, and immune-privileged milieu. We have previously demonstrated the feasibility of intraocular islet transplant in mouse and nonhuman primate models of type-1 diabetes and are now assessing its efficacy on glucose homeostasis in a nonhuman primate model of type-2 diabetes. We transplanted allogeneic donor islets (1,500 islet equivalents/kg) into the anterior chamber of one eye in a cynomolgus monkey with high-fat-diet-induced type-2 diabetes. Repeated examinations of the anterior and posterior segments of both eyes were done to monitor the engrafted islets and assess the overall ocular health. Fasting blood glucose level, blood biochemistry, and other metabolic parameters were routinely evaluated to determine the function of the islet graft and diabetes status. The transplanted islets were rapidly engrafted onto the iris and became vascularized 1 month after transplantation. We did not detect changes in intraocular pressure, cataract formation, ophthalmitis, or retinal vessel deformation. A significant lower fasting blood glucose level was observed while the graft was in place, and the transplantation reverts the progression of diabetes. The metabolic markers, hemoglobin A1C and fructosamine, demonstrated improvement following islet transplantation. As a conclusion, intraocular islet transplantation in one eye of a cynomolgus monkey with type-2 diabetes improved its overall plasma glucose homeostasis, as evidenced by short-term measures and long-term metabolic markers. These results further support the future application of the ACE as an alternative site for clinical islet transplants in the context of type-2 diabetes.
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| 12. |
- Broering Chaar, Ana Beatriz, 1990-, et al.
(author)
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The Effect of Cathodic Arc Guiding Magnetic Field on the Growth of (Ti0.36Al0.64)N Coatings
- 2019
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In: Coatings. - : MDPI. - 2079-6412. ; 9:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We use a modified cathodic arc deposition technique, including an electromagnetic coil that introduces a magnetic field in the vicinity of the source, to study its influence on the growth of (Ti0.36Al0.64)N coatings. By increasing the strength of the magnetic field produced by the coil, the cathode arc spots are steered toward the edge of the cathode, and the electrons are guided to an annular anode surrounding the cathode. As a result, the plasma density between the cathode and substrate decreased, which was observed as a lateral spread of the plasma plume, and a reduction of the deposition rate. Optical emission spectroscopy shows reduced intensities of all recorded plasma species when the magnetic field is increased due to a lower number of collisions resulting in excitation. We note a charge-to-mass ratio decrease of 12% when the magnetic field is increased, which is likely caused by a reduced degree of gas phase ionization, mainly through a decrease in N2 ionization. (Ti0.36Al0.64)N coatings grown at different plasma densities show considerable variations in grain size and phase composition. Two growth modes were identified, resulting in coatings with (i) a fine-grained glassy cubic and wurtzite phase mixture when deposited with a weak magnetic field, and (ii) a coarse-grained columnar cubic phase with a strong magnetic field. The latter conditions result in lower energy flux to the coating’s growth front, which suppresses surface diffusion and favors the formation of c-(Ti,Al)N solid solutions over phase segregated c-TiN and w-AlN.
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| 13. |
- Capobianco, Ivan, et al.
(author)
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Development and internal validation of the Comprehensive ALPPS Preoperative Risk Assessment (CAPRA) score : is the patient suitable for Associating Liver Partition and Portal vein ligation for Staged hepatectomy (ALPPS)?
- 2022
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In: Hepatobiliary surgery and nutrition. - Hong Kong : AME Publishing Company. - 2304-3881 .- 2304-389X. ; 11:1, s. 52-66
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Preoperative patient selection in associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) is not always reliable with currently available scores, particularly in patients with primary liver tumor. This study aims to (I) to determine whether comorbidities and patients characteristics are a risk factor in ALPPS and (II) to create a score predicting 90-day mortality preoperatively. Methods: Thirteen high-volume centers participated in this retrospective multicentric study. A risk analysis based on patient characteristics, underlying disease and procedure type was performed to identify risk factors and model the CAPRA score. A nonparametric receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to estimate the predictive ability of our score against the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), the age-adjusted CCI (aCCI), the ALPPS risk score before Stage 1 (ALPPS-RS I) and Stage 2 (ALPPS-RS2). The model was internally validated applying bootstrapping. Results: A total of 451 patients were included. Mortality was 14.4%. The CAPRA score is calculated based on the following formula: (0.1*age) - (2*BSA) +1 (in the presence of primary liver tumor) +1 (in the presence of severe cardiovascular disease) +2 (in the presence of moderate or severe diabetes) +2 (in the presence of renal disease) +2 (if classic ALPPS is planned). The predictive ability was 0.837 for the CAPRA score, 0.443 for CCI, 0.519 for aCCI, 0.693 for ALPPS-RS I and 0.807 for ALPPS-RS2. After 1,000 cycles of bootstrapping the C statistic was 0.793. The accuracy plot revealed a cut-off for optimal prediction of postoperative mortality of 4.70. Conclusions: Comorbidities play an important role in ALPPS and should be carefully considered when planning the procedure. By assessing the patients preoperative condition in relation to ALPPS, the CAPRA score has a very good ability to predict postoperative mortality.
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| 14. |
- Nguyen Dang, Tri, et al.
(author)
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A Contract-Theory-Based Incentive Mechanism for UAV-Enabled VR-Based Services in 5G and Beyond
- 2023
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In: IEEE Internet of Things Journal. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 2327-4662. ; 10:18, s. 16465-16479
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The proliferation of novel infotainment services, such as virtual reality (VR)-based services, has fundamentally changed the existing mobile networks. These bandwidth-hungry services expanded at a tremendously rapid pace, thus, generating a burden of data traffic in the mobile networks. To cope with this issue, one can use multiaccess edge computing (MEC) to bring the resource to the edge. By doing so, we can release the burden of the core network by taking the communication, computation, and caching resources nearby the end users (UEs). Nevertheless, due to the vast adoption of VR-enabled devices, MEC resources might be insufficient in peak times or dense settings. To overcome these challenges, we propose a system model where the service provider (SP) might rent unmanned area vehicles (UAVs) from UAV SPs (USPs) to serve as micro-base stations (UBSs) that expand the service area and improve the spectrum efficiency. In which, UAV can precached certain sets of VR-based contents and serve UEs via air-to-ground (A2G) communication. Furthermore, future intelligent devices are capable of 5G and B5G communication interfaces, and thus, they can communicate with UAVs via A2G links. By doing so, we can significantly reduce a considerable amount of data traffic in mobile networks. In order to successfully enable such kinds of services, an attractive incentive mechanism is required. Therefore, we propose a contract theory-based incentive mechanism for UAV-assisted MEC in VR-based infotainment services, in which the MEC offers an amount reward to a UAV for serving as a UBS in a specific location for certain time slots. We then derive an optimal contract-based scheme with individual rationality and incentive compatibility conditions. The numerical findings show that our proposed approach outperforms the linear pricing (LP) technique and is close to the optimal solution in terms of social welfare. Additionally, our proposed scheme significantly enhanced the fairness of utility for UAVs in asymmetric information problems.
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| 15. |
- Salamania, Janella, et al.
(author)
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Influence of nitrogen vacancies on the decomposition route and age hardening of wurtzite Ti1−xAlxNy thin films
- 2023
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In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : A V S AMER INST PHYSICS. - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 41:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The wurtzite phase of TiAlN has been known to form in industrial grade coatings with high Al content; yet, a significant knowledge gap exists regarding its behavior at high temperatures and the impact of defects on its properties. Specifically, its response to high temperatures and the implications of defects on its characteristics are poorly understood. Here, the high-temperature decomposition of nitrogen-deficient epitaxial wurtzite Ti1-xAlxNy (x = 0.79-0.98, y = 0.82-0.86) films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering was investigated using x-ray diffractometry and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. The results show that wurtzite Ti(1-x)Al(x)Ny decomposes by forming intermediary MAX phases, which then segregate into pure c-TiN and w-AlN phases after high-temperature annealing and intermetallic TiAl nanoprecipitates. The semicoherent interfaces between the wurtzite phase and the precipitates cause age hardening of approximately 4-6 GPa, which remains even after annealing at 1200 degrees C. These findings provide insight into how nitrogen vacancies can influence the decomposition and mechanical properties of wurtzite TiAlN.
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| 16. |
- Syed, Muhammad Bilal, et al.
(author)
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Effect of varying N(2)pressure on DC arc plasma properties and microstructure of TiAlN coatings
- 2020
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In: Plasma sources science & technology. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 0963-0252 .- 1361-6595. ; 29:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Detailed knowledge of correlations between direct current (DC) cathodic arc deposition process parameters, plasma properties, and the microstructure of deposited coatings are essential for a comprehensive understanding of the DC cathodic arc deposition process. In this study we have probed the plasma, generated by DC arc on a Ti-50 at.% Al cathode in a N(2)ambience, at the growth front of the TiAlN coating. Several consequences of an increasing N(2)pressure are observed, including a decreased electron temperature, an increased electron density, and a loss of energetic ions. As a result, the preferred growth texture switches from 220 to 111. It is also observed that neutrals in the plasma can significantly contribute to the growth of TiAlN coatings.
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| 17. |
- Tun, SBB, et al.
(author)
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Local Dexamethasone Administration Delays Allogeneic Islet Graft Rejection in the Anterior Chamber of the Eye of Non-Human Primates
- 2022
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In: Cell transplantation. - : SAGE Publications. - 1555-3892 .- 0963-6897. ; 31, s. 9636897221098038-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pancreatic islet transplantation into the anterior chamber of the eye (ACE) has been shown to improve glycemic control and metabolic parameters of diabetes in both murine and primate models. This novel transplantation site also allows the delivery of therapeutic agents, such as immunosuppressive drugs, locally to prevent islet graft rejection and circumvent unwanted systemic side effects. Local intravitreal administration of micronized dexamethasone implant was performed prior to allogeneic islet transplantation into the ACEs of non-human primates. Two study groups were observed namely allogeneic graft without immunosuppression (n = 4 eyes) and allogeneic graft with local immunosuppression (n = 8 eyes). Survival of islet grafts and dexamethasone concentration in the ACE were assessed in parallel for 24 weeks. Allogeneic islet grafts with local dexamethasone treatment showed significantly better survival than those with no immunosuppression (median survival time- 15 weeks vs 3 weeks, log-rank test p<0.0001). Around 73% of the grafts still survived at week 10 with a single local dexamethasone implant, where the control group showed no graft survival. Dexamethasone treated islet grafts revealed a good functional response to high glucose stimulation despite there was a transient suppression of insulin secretion from week 8 to 12. Our findings show a significant improvement of allografts survival in the ACE with local dexamethasone treatment. These results highlight the feasibility of local administration of pharmacological compounds in the ACE to improve islet graft survival and function. By eliminating the need for systemic immunosuppression, these findings may impact clinical islet transplantation in the treatment of diabetes, and the ACE may serve as a novel therapeutic islet transplantation site with high potential for local pharmacological intervention.
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