| 1. |
- Darakchieva, Vanya, 1971-, et al.
(author)
-
Anisotropic strain and phonon deformation potentials in GaN
- 2007
-
In: Physical Review B. Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. - 1098-0121 .- 1550-235X. ; 75:19, s. 195217-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report optical phonon frequency studies in anisotropically strained c -plane- and a -plane-oriented GaN films by generalized infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry and Raman scattering spectroscopy. The anisotropic strain in the films is obtained from high-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements. Experimental evidence for splitting of the GaN E1 (TO), E1 (LO), and E2 phonons under anisotropic strain in the basal plane is presented, and their phonon deformation potentials c E1 (TO), c E1 (LO), and c E2 are determined. A distinct correlation between anisotropic strain and the A1 (TO) and E1 (LO) frequencies of a -plane GaN films reveals the a A1 (TO), b A1 (TO), a E1 (LO), and b E1 (LO) phonon deformation potentials. The a A1 (TO) and b A1 (TO) are found to be in very good agreement with previous results from Raman experiments. Our a A1 (TO) and a E1 (LO) phonon deformation potentials agree well with recently reported theoretical estimations, while b A1 (TO) and b E1 (LO) are found to be significantly larger than the theoretical values. A discussion of the observed differences is presented. © 2007 The American Physical Society.
|
|
| 2. |
- Scholz, Hanne, et al.
(author)
-
The synthetic liver X receptor agonist GW3965 reduces tissue factor production and inflammatory responses in human islets in vitro
- 2009
-
In: Diabetologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0012-186X .- 1432-0428. ; 52:7, s. 1352-62
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Optimising islet culture conditions may be one strategy for reducing islet loss prior to, and immediately after, islet transplantation. Liver X receptor (LXR) agonism has previously been shown to increase insulin release from pancreatic islets and reduce inflammation in leucocytes. Our aim was to investigate whether the synthetic LXR agonist GW3965 could modulate the inflammatory status of human pancreatic islets. METHODS: Levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and tissue factor in isolated human islets were determined by TaqMan low density array and/or real-time quantitative RT-PCR (mRNA levels) and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (protein levels). Islet viability was measured using intracellular ATP content, ADP/ATP ratio, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity (XTT assay) and insulin secretion in a dynamic glucose-challenge model. Apoptosis was determined by EIA measurement of histone-DNA complexes present in cytoplasm and by assaying caspase-3/-7 activity. RESULTS: Treatment of LPS-stimulated human islets with the synthetic LXR agonist GW3965 (1 micromol/l) for 24 h reduced mRNA and protein levels of selected pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-8, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and tissue factor). Moreover, GW3965 had no adverse effect on insulin secretion, islet viability or apoptosis. No excess of lipid accumulation could be detected with the dosage and exposure time used. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: LXR activation suppresses inflammation in human islets in vitro without adverse effects on islet viability. Short-term moderate activation of LXR prior to islet transplantation may represent a possible strategy for improving post-transplant islet survival.
|
|
| 3. |
- Verdorfer, I., et al.
(author)
-
Chromosomal imbalances, 11q21 rearrangement and MECT1-MAML2 fusion transcript in mucoepidermoid carcinomas of the salivary gland.
- 2009
-
In: Oncology reports. - 1021-335X. ; 22:2, s. 305-11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study was to determine genetic alterations in mucoepidermoid carcinomas of the salivary gland in association with clinical and histopathological parameters. Nineteen formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumors were analysed by using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on interphase nuclei and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of MECT1-MAML2 fusion transcript. The CGH analysis showed an overrepresentation of chromosome X and losses of entire chromosomes or regions on chromosome 1, 2, and 15 as the most frequent copy number changes. In 37% of the analysed tumors a MAML2-rearrangement by interphase FISH was detected, whereas 58% of the samples showed expression of MECT1-MAML2 fusion transcript. We conclude that the presence of MAML2-rearrangement as well as of MECT1-MAML2 fusion transcript may reflect a more favourable prognosis and may be a useful marker for clinical prediction of the biological behavior of these tumors as previously reported.
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
- Kruse, S.A., et al.
(author)
-
Socioeconomic indicators as a complement to life cycle assessment : An application to salmon production systems
- 2009
-
In: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0948-3349 .- 1614-7502. ; 14:1, s. 42234-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background, aim, and scope: There is a growing recognition on the part of industry, policymakers, and consumers that sustainable industry practices are needed to maintain environmental and social well being. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an internationally standardized analytical framework that has traditionally focused on evaluation of the environmental impacts of processes or products using a cradle-to-grave approach. Yet, sustainability, defined generally, requires that assessments consider not only environmental but also social and economic impacts-the other two pillars of sustainability. Even though the LCA methodology has the potential to include both social and economic indicators, and SETAC guidelines recommend the inclusion of such impact categories in all detailed LCAs, no established set of metrics exists to describe the relationship between socioeconomic indicators (SEIs) and a specific product or process; nor is there a common understanding on how such metrics might be developed. This article presents the methods for and development of a suite of socioeconomic indicators that complement the LCA methodology and provides a comprehensive approach for assessing the cradle-to-grave sustainability of a product or process. Methods: A combined top-down and bottom-up approach serves as the basis for development of the set of socioeconomic indicators presented here. Generally recognized societal values, industry specific issues, and financial constraints associated with collection of data necessary for measurement of the indicators are all factors considered in this approach. In our categorization, socioeconomic indicators fall into two types: additive indicators and descriptive indicators. Results: Indicators are categorized based on fundamental methodological differences and then used to describe the socioeconomic impacts associated with salmon production. Additive indicators (e.g., production costs and value added) and descriptive indicators (e.g., fair wage and contribution to personal income) are both discussed. Discussion: There is a need to further develop and refine methods to assess the results of socioeconomic indicators using a life cycle perspective. It would be most interesting to conduct additional case studies that focus on such methodological development, particularly trade-offs between stakeholder groups and pillars of sustainability. Additional areas of discussion are (1) the need for data to populate socioeconomic indicators and (2) defining system boundaries for socioeconomic indicators. Conclusions: This article presents a set of socioeconomic indicators designed to serve as a complement for the LCA framework, thus, increasing the framework's effectiveness as a measure of the overall sustainability of a product or process. Development of socioeconomic indicators as a complement to LCA is still in its early stages, however, and further research is required. Recommendations and perspectives: The SEIs presented here are discussed theoretically within the context of salmon food production systems, but a test of the practicability and validity of the indicators (i.e., a practical application) is also necessary. The practical application of the topic will be presented in a forthcoming paper. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
|
|
