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We demonstrate range-resolved detection of atomic hydrogen in methane/oxygen flames based on 2-photon excited backward lasing using 205-nm femtosecond laser pulses. Range resolution is achieved by temporally resolving the backward emission with a streak camera.
A highly sensitive flow-injection capacitive immunosensor was developed for detection of the mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN). Different strategies for immobilization of an anti-ZEN antibody on the surface of a gold electrode, i.e. polytyramine or self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) and lipoic acid (LA), were used and their performances were compared. The LA- and 3-MPA-
Recently, vehicle sharing emerged as a new type of mobility service. In particular, if these systems happen to be free-floating, their operating area is typically located within the city and vehicles could be picked-up and parked in any permitted spot, and not only at predetermined stations. This specific feature enables everyone to pick-up and drop-off a rented vehicle close to his demand points,
The thymus is the primary lymphoid organ where naïve T cells are generated; however, with the exception of age, the parameters that govern its function in healthy humans remain unknown. We characterized the variability of thymic function among 1000 age- and sex-stratified healthy adults of the Milieu Intérieur cohort, using quantification of T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) in peripheral b
Background: Besides the incidence of esophageal atresia (EA) being higher in males, no other gender-specific differences in EA have been reported. The aim of this study was to search for gender-specific differences in EA.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary center for pediatric surgery. The medical charts of infants born with EA were reviewed. 20 girls were identified, and 20
Objectives: Our objectives were to determine first whether albumin prevents heparin-binding protein-induced increased endothelial cell permeability and renal cell inflammation and second, whether a plasma heparin-binding protein-to-albumin ratio predicts risk of acute kidney injury, fluid balance, and plasma cytokine levels in septic shock. Design: In vitro human endothelial and renal cell model a
In this study, a fundamental approach to the choice of turbocharger turbine for a pulse-charged heavy-duty diesel engine is presented. A standard six-cylinder engine build with a production exhaust manifold and a Twin-scroll turbocharger is used as a baseline case. The engine exhaust configuration is redesigned and evaluated in engine simulations for a pulse-charged concept consisting of a paralle
Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic and neglected infectious disease of human and veterinary concern that is caused by pathogenic Leptospira species. After entrance in the host, pathogenic leptospires evade the host natural defense mechanisms in order to propagate and disseminate to multiple organs. Myeloperoxidase is an enzyme stored in neutrophils azurophilic granules, and is released upon ne
Aims: We tested the association between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and divorce; estimated the genetic and environmental influences on divorce; estimated how much genetic and environmental influences accounted for covariance between AUD and divorce; and estimated latent genetic and environmental correlations between AUD and divorce. We tested sex differences in these effects. Design: We identified
We describe the dynamical evolution of a unique type of dark star cluster model in which the majority of the cluster mass at Hubble time is dominated by an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). We analysed results from about 2000 star cluster models (Survey Database I) simulated using the Monte Carlo code MOnte Carlo Cluster simulAtor and identified these dark star cluster models. Taking one of the
Abdominal muscular contractions may have a protective influence against the development of indirect inguinal hernia. A portion of the transversus abdominus muscles acts on the internal inguinal rings and produces a closure mechanism during voluntary abdominal muscular activity. It follows, therefore, that injury or inactivation of this mechanism may be an etiologic factor in the development of ind
It is increasingly common for academic work to be described as a ‘publication game’. For some, the idea of academic game-playing serves as a convenient metaphor for explaining concrete phenomenon such as professional advancement or instrumental careerism in the context of national research assessments such as the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) in the UK. However, we suggest that academ
To remain competitive in the field of manufacturing today, companies must constantly improve the automation loops within their production plants. This can be done by augmenting the automation applications with "smart services" such as supervisory-control applications or machine-learning inference algorithms. The downside is that these smart services are often hosted in a cloud infrastructure and t
Aim: To test the hypothesis that a brief window of time immediately after delivery may be a particularly sensitive period for olfactory learning by human neonates. Methods: Fifty-five vaginally delivered newborns were exposed to an odorant for 30 min beginning 4-37 min after birth (Early exposure) or 12-h post-partum (Late exposure). Several days later, newborns' head orientation responses to the
Distributed solar photovoltaic systems are considered an important renewable energy source for meeting renewable energy targets and mitigating climate change. In several markets, emerging firms have established new business models to offer residential customers solar panel systems. In California, the third-party ownership business model has been successfully established during the last decade, and
In networked control systems it is desirable to have efficient wireless communication (saving energy and bandwidth) while still ensuring good control performance. By abandoning periodic sampling, communication can be made more efficient by sampling and updating the control signal only "when required" based on the system’s behaviour. This is the concept of event-based control. In this work we consi
There is currently a lack of representative, systematic and harmonised greenhouse gas (GHG) observations covering the variety of natural and human-altered biomes that occur in Africa. This impedes the long-term assessment of the drivers of climate change, in addition to their impacts and feedback loops at the continental scale, but also limits our understanding of the contribution of the African c
Recent years have proven the benefits of electrifying the road bound vehicle fleet. With new components entering, the general understanding as well as the components as such needs to be improved. Focus in the thesis is on the design of an electric machine based on specifications of requirements for a commercial heavy vehicle such as a truck or a bus. One strict requirement is that the machine has
