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Avalanche photodetectors (APDs) are key components in optical communication systems due to their increased photocurrent gain and short response time as compared to conventional photodetectors. A detector design where the multiplication region is implemented in a large band gap material is desired to avoid detrimental Zener tunneling leakage currents, a concern otherwise in smaller band gap materia
This paper provides a descriptive analysis of the level of and change in cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and body weight in Nordic countries and compares them with non-Nordic OECD countries. Our results show that the average prevalence of daily smokers is significantly lower for Nordic countries compared to non-Nordic countries. Four out of five Nordic countries are below the non-
There is an increasing body of evidence that the intensity in which alcohol is drunk is of greater concern than the frequency or overall quantity consumed. This paper provides an extensive analysis of the demand for alcohol as measured by total quantity, frequency, and intensity. A unique large sample of cross-sectional data from Sweden 2004–2011 allows reduced-form alcohol demand equations to be
Background: The health care costs of kidney transplantation and dialysis are generally unknown. This study estimates the Swedish health care costs of kidney transplantation and dialysis over 10 years from a health care perspective.Method: A before–after design was used, in which the patients served as their own controls. Health care costs the year before transplantation were assumed to continue in
The effects of different lipolytic enzymes on the structure of lipid liquid crystalline nano-particles (LCNP) have been investigated by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and synchrotron small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD). Here we used highly structured cubic micellar (Fd3m) nanoparticles of 50/50 (wt%/wt%) soy phosphatidyl choline (SPC)/glycerol dioleate (GDO) as substrate. T
A novel approach to the synthesis of Mn-doped InSb nanowires is demonstrated in this work. We first report on the preparation of InSb nanowires without high temperature treatment. Indium nanowires are grown by glance angle deposition and then coated with a layer of Sb. Single crystalline InSb nanowires are obtained by annealing In/Sb nanostructures at 200 °C. Triple-layer In/Mn/Sb nanostructures a
OBJECTIVES: To identify germ line variants contributing to the development of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), an asymptomatic premalignant precursor for multiple myeloma (MM).METHODS: We conducted the first genomewide association study (GWAS) on MGUS on 243 German cases with a replication on 294 Czech cases. Identified loci were further analyzed in 1508 German MM patient
Objective: Prospectively monitor how treatment of acutely ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) affects biomarkers of inflammation and proteolytic degradation over 5 years. Design: We studied 119 subjects with acute ACL injury from the randomized controlled knee anterior cruciate ligament, non-surgical versus surgical treatment (KANON)-trial (Clinical trial ISRCTN 84752559) who had synovial fl
Signatures of Majorana-fermion bound states in one-dimensional topological-insulator (TI) nanowires with proximity-effect-induced superconductivity are studied. The phase diagram and energy spectra are calculated for single-TI nanowires, and it is shown that the nanowires can be in the topologically invariant phases of winding numbers W=0,±1, and ±2, corresponding to the cases with zero, one, and
Nanowires hold great promise as tools for probing and interacting with various molecular and biological systems. Their unique geometrical properties (typically <100 nm in diameter and a few micrometers in length) enable minimally invasive interactions with living cells, so that electrical signals or forces can be monitored. All such experiments require in situ high-resolution imaging to provide co
Semiconductor nanowires show a great deal of promise for applications in a widerange of important fields, including photovoltaics, biomedicine, and informationtechnology. Developing these exciting applications is strongly dependent onunderstanding the fundamental properties of nanowires, such as their opticalresonances and absorption spectra. In this thesis we explore optical absorption spectra of
Gallium nitride based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are presently fundamentally transforming the lighting industry, but limitations in the materials and fabrication methods of LEDs introduce substantial challenges to their future development. Among the remaining key bottlenecks of GaN LEDs are the resistive losses and current crowding that strongly increase the heat generation at high powers. In th
The effect of the buffer formulation in terms of buffer identity and ionic strength on the interaction between chicken egg lysozyme and carboxyl-modified polystyrene nanoparticles has been systematically studied. The time evolution of the fluorescence of a reporter molecule shows that lysozyme interacts with the nanoparticles in all the studied conditions. The interaction results in changes in pro
Background: Short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) bronchodilators help alleviate symptoms in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and may be a useful marker of symptom severity. This analysis investigated whether SABA use impacts treatment differences between maintenance dual- and mono-bronchodilators in patients with COPD. Methods: The Early MAXimisation of bronchodilation for improving COPD sta
Individual differences in cognitive performance increase with advancing age, reflecting marked cognitive changes in some individuals along with little or no change in others. Genetic and lifestyle factors are assumed to influence cognitive performance in ageing by affecting the magnitude and extent of age-related brain changes (i.e., brain maintenance or atrophy), as well as the ability to recruit
As Covid-19 affects millions of people worldwide, the global health care will encounter an increasing burden of the aftermaths of the disease. Evidence shows that up to a fifth of the patients develop fibrotic tissue in the lung. The SARS outbreak in the early 2000 resulted in chronic pulmonary fibrosis in a subset (around 4%) of the patients, and correlated to reduced lung function and forced exp
Background and objectives: Progressing climate change is accompanied by a worldwide increase in the intensity, frequency, and duration of heat wave events. Research has shown that heat waves are an emerging public health problem, as they have a significant impact on mortality. As studies exploring this relationship are scarce for Latvia, this study aims to investigate the short-term associations b
Objective As part of European League against Rheumatism (EULAR)/European Musculoskeletal Conditions Surveillance and Information Network, 20 user-focused standards of care (SoCs) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) addressing 16 domains of care were developed. This study aimed to explore gaps in implementation of these SoCs across Europe. Methods Two cross-sectional surveys on the importance, level of a
