Using this rate-theory based model, the current-voltage

Using this rate-theory based model, the current-voltage HIF pathway and conductance-concentration relations

were obtained. The five parameters needed were determined by fitting the data of conduction experiments of the wild-type ClC-0 and its K519C mutant. The model was then tested against available calculation and simulation data, and the energy differences between distinct chloride-occupancy states computed agreed with an independent calculation on the binding free energies solved by using the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The average ion number of conduction and the ion passing duration calculated closely resembled the values obtained from Brownian dynamics simulations. According to the model, the decrease of conductance caused by mutating residue K519 to C519 can be attributed to the effect of K519C mutation on translocation rate constants. Our study sets up a theoretical model for ion permeation and conductance in ClC-0. It provides a starting point for experimentalists to test the three-state model, and would help in understanding the conduction mechanism of ClC-0.”
“Nano-scale zero-valent iron particles (NZVI) are increasingly being used to treat sites contaminated with chlorinated solvents. This study investigated the effect of NZVI on dechlorinating microorganisms that participate in the anaerobic bioremediation of such

sites, NZVI can have a biostimulatory effect associated with water-derived cathodic H(2) production during its anaerobic corrosion (730 +/- 30 mu mol H(2)

Was produced in 166 h in abiotic controls SB525334 in vitro with 1 g/L NZVI) or an inhibitory effect upon contact with cell surfaces (assessed by transmission electron microscopy). Methanogens, which are known to compete for H(2) with dechlorinators, were significantly biostimulated 17DMAG datasheet by NZVI and methane production increased relative to NZVI-free controls from 58 +/- 5 to 275 +/- 2 mu mol. In contrast, bacteria dechlorinating TCE were inhibited by NZVI, and the first-order degradation rate coefficient decreased from 0.115 +/- 0.005 h(-1) (R(2) = 0.99) for controls to 0.053 +/- 0.003 h(-1) (R(2) = 0.98) for treatments with 1 g/L NZVI. Ethene production from TCE was initially inhibited by NZVI, but after 331 h increased to levels observed for an NZVI-free system (7.6 +/- 0.3 mu mol ethene produced in 502 h compared to 11.6 +/- 0.5 mmol in the NZVI-free system and 3.8 +/- 0.3 mu mol ethene for NZVI alone). Apparently, cathodic H(2) was utilized as electron donor by dechlorinating bacteria, which recovered following the partial oxidation and presumably passivation of the NZVI. Overall, these results suggest that reductive treatment of chlorinated solvent sites with NZVI might be enhanced by the concurrent or subsequent participation of bacteria that exploit cathodic depolarization and reductive dechlorination as metabolic niches. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moreover, PRL-3-stimulated lung metastasis of LoVo cells in a nud

Moreover, PRL-3-stimulated lung metastasis of LoVo cells in a nude mouse model was inhibited when integrin beta 1 expression was interfered with shRNA.\n\nConclusion: Our results suggest that PRL-3′s roles in motility, invasion, and metastasis in colon cancer are critically controlled by the integrin beta 1-ERK1/2-MMP2 signaling.”
“Three staphylinid species, Aleochara (Aleochara) this website coreana Bernhauer, A. (Coprochara)

verna Say and Prosthecarthron sauteri Raffray, are recorded for the first time from South Korea. Redescriptions and line drawings of diagnostic characters of all three species are provided. Ecological notes are provided for P. sauteri.”
“The Korteweg-de Vries (KdV)-type models are of significance in describing many physical situations in fluid flows (particularly for surface

and internal waves), plasma physics, and solid state physics. In fluid dynamics, for example, the shallow water wave equation is utilized as a mathematical description of regular and generalized solitary waves in shallow water. Further, higher-order dispersive (e.g., the Lax fifth-order KdV equation) and higher-dimensional [e.g., the (2 + 1)- and (3 + 1)-dimensional breaking soliton equations] generalized nonlinear models are useful in analyzing and obtaining modulation theory, existence and stability of solitary waves, bores, and shocks, as well as other integrable properties. With symbolic computation, Bell-polynomial-typed Backlund transformations (BTs) are constructed for some single-field bilinearizable nonlinear evolution equations including the shallow water wave equation, Lax fifth-order KdV equation, and (2 + 1)and (3 + 1)-dimensional breaking KPT-8602 research buy soliton equations. Bell-polynomial expressions are derived, which can be cast into the bilinear equations with one Tau-function. Key point lies in the introduction of certain auxiliary independent variable

in the Bell-polynomial expression. With one auxiliary independent variable, the Bell-polynomial-typed BTs are then constructed according to the coupled two-field conditions between the primary and replica fields with both the fields satisfying the Bell-polynomial-expression equations. Auxiliary-independent-variable-involved Bell-polynomial-typed BTs are changed into their bilinear forms. Aforementioned equations turn out to be integrable in the sense FK228 nmr of possessing the Bell-polynomial-typed BTs. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The chain of events between a patient first suffering symptoms of acute ischaemic stroke and receiving treatment in an acute stroke unit contains the potential for many delays. Identifying and minimizing these delays can make the difference between life and death, serious debilitation and complete recovery.”
“OBJECTIVE: To explore medical home attributes of community health centers (CHCs) that provide care to low-income children nationwide compared to other providers for the poor.

Tumors were located in the distal femur (n = 16) and the proximal

Tumors were located in the distal femur (n = 16) and the proximal tibia (n = 11). Sports participation as well as the UCLA Activity Score and the modified Weighted Activity Score were assessed retrospectively. Moreover, postoperative complications were evaluated. Before the diagnosis of osteosarcoma and 1, 3, and 5 years and at the latest followup, respectively, after their reconstructions, 24 (89%), nine (33%), 20 (74%), and 24 patients (89%) were able to perform sports activities. There was a reduction in high-impact activities. Those patients with followup longer than 5 years had no changes in sports activity

at their latest followup. Patients who had higher levels of sports activity levels before surgery generally Dorsomorphin concentration had higher levels of activity at last followup (UCLA Activity Score: r = 0.62, p smaller than 0.0005; modified Weighted Activity ERK inhibitor libraries Score r = 0.49, p smaller than 0.01). Fourteen patients (51%) underwent revision surgery.

With the numbers available, complications had no effect on sports activity. No sports activity-related complications were found. Some long-term survivors of osteosarcoma can achieve high levels of sports activity. Preoperative activity levels seem to influence the postoperative activity levels. This information is important to give realistic expectations for long-term survivors of osteosarcoma of the knee. Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.”
“Recent evidence has proven the relevance of epigenetic changes in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the major adult liver malignancy. Moreover, HCC onset and progression correlate with the deregulation

of several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), exhibiting great biological significance. As discussed in this review, many of these transcripts are able to specifically act as tumor suppressors AG-881 datasheet or oncogenes by means of their role as molecular platforms. Indeed, these lncRNAs are able to bind and recruit epigenetic modifiers on specific genomic loci, ultimately resulting in regulation of the gene expression relevant in cancer development. The evidence presented in this review highlights that lncRNAs-mediated epigenetic regulation should be taken into account for potential targeted therapeutic approaches.”
“Background. The purpose of this work was to study clinical and histopathological tumor characteristics of patients treated for synchronous or metachronous skeletal osteosarcoma at The Norwegian Radium Hospital from January 1, 1980 to January 1, 2008. Patients and methods. The hospital sarcoma database and patient records were reviewed to identify cases with synchronous or metachronous skeletal osteosarcoma.


“Interaction of cationic phenosafranin (PSF), anionic 8-an


“Interaction of cationic phenosafranin (PSF), anionic 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) and nonionic nile red (NR) have been studied with the zwitterionic phospholipid, egg yolk L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine (EYPC). The study reveals discernible binding interactions of the three fluorescent probes with selleck chemicals llc the EYPC lipid vesicle. Once the binding of the probes with the lipid is established, the effect of cyclic oligosaccharide, beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), on these lipid bound probes has been investigated. Different fluorometric techniques

suggest that addition of beta-CD to the probe-lipid complexes leads to the release of the probes from the lipid medium through the formation of probe-beta-CD inclusion complexes. A competitive binding of the probes between beta-cyclodextrin and the lipid is ascribed to be responsible for the effect. This provides an easy avenue Natural Product Library price for the removal of the probe molecules from the lipid environment. Extension of this work with drug molecules in cell membranes is expected to give rise to a strategy for the removal of adsorbed drugs from the cell membranes by the use of non-toxic beta-cyclodextrin. (C)

2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Yamak A, Temsah R, Maharsy W, Caron S, Paradis P, Aries A, Nemer M. Cyclin D-2 rescues size and function of GATA4 haplo-insufficient hearts. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 303: H1057-H1066, 2012. First published August 24, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00250.2012.-Transcription factor GATA4 is a key regulator of cardiomyocyte growth, and differentiation

and 50% reduction in GATA4 levels results in hypoplastic hearts. Search for GATA4 targets/effectors revealed cyclin D-2 (CD2), a member of the D-type cyclins (D-1, D-2, and D-3) that play a vital role in cell growth and differentiation as a direct transcriptional target and a mediator of GATA4 growth in postnatal cardiomyocytes. GATA4 associates with the CD2 promoter in cardiomyocytes and is sufficient to induce endogenous CD2 transcription and to dose-dependently activate the CD2 promoter in heterologous cells. FDA approved drug high throughput screening Cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of CD2 results in enhanced postnatal cardiac growth because of increased cardiomyocyte proliferation. When these transgenic mice are crossed with Gata4 heterozygote mice, they rescue the hypoplastic cardiac phenotype of Gata4(+/-) mice and enhance cardiomyocyte survival and heart function. The data uncover a role for CD2 in the postnatal heart as an effector of GATA4 in myocyte growth and survival. The finding that postnatal upregulation of a cell-cycle gene in GATA4 haplo-insufficient hearts may be protective opens new avenues for maintaining or restoring cardiac function in GATA4-dependent cardiac disease.

The hypothesis of enhanced reaction at leaf surfaces caused by en

The hypothesis of enhanced reaction at leaf surfaces caused by enhanced surface concentrations of alpha-pinene was therefore rejected. Comparison of surface decomposition reactions on different surfaces as reported in the literature with the results obtained here demonstrates that the loss of ozone at the earth’s surface by decomposition

to molecular oxygen (i.e. without oxidative MG-132 mechanism reaction with a substrate) can account for measured ‘non-stomatal’ deposition velocities of a few mm s(-1). In order to quantify such removal, the effective molecular surface area of the vegetation/soil canopy must be known. Such knowledge, combined with the observed temperature-dependence, provides necessary input to global-scale models of O(3) removal from the troposphere at the earth’s surface. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Aim: To evaluate

serum Lonafarnib level of proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 as a biochemical marker of local infections in patients with clinical symptoms of preterm deliveries.\n\nMethods: We studied 74 pregnant women at 24-36 gestational weeks (GW) with preterm delivery. Serum interleukin-8 was measured.\n\nResults: The mean value of interleukin-8 in the study group (n=36) was 19.13 pg/mL vs. 5.02 pg/mL in the controls (n=38).\n\nConclusions: The results indicate that serum level of interleukin-8 might be used as non-invasive marker of infections in pregnancy, as well as a marker of preterm deliveries.”
“The purpose of this reported work is the analysis of nickel-based thermal barrier coatings prepared by thermionic vacuum arc method using the micro X-ray fluorescence AR-13324 (micro-XRF) technique. Atomic concentration calibration

and comparison between theoretical and real distribution of the alloys composition in the obtained layers with thermal barrier properties are presented. 3D mapping of nickel, rhenium, and chromium surface relative concentrations was performed on a 240 mm x 90 mm substrate plate.”
“Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been reported as risk factors for lung cancer in never smokers. We investigate the interaction of EGFR SNPs and HRT for lung adenocarcinoma risk in never-smoking women. This study included 532 never-smoking female lung adenocarcinoma patients and 532 controls, with EGFR SNPs retrieved from a genome-wide association study. The associations of EGFR SNPs with the lung adenocarcinoma risk were estimated by multivariate-adjusted logistic regression. The Haploview program was used to select tagged EGFR SNPs interacted with HRT and construct haplotype blocks. The Benjamini and Hochberg method was used to reduce the multiple testing effects. Among 84 EGFR SNPs retrieved, 11 tagging EGFR SNPs showed an interaction with HRT and lung adenocarcinoma risk, which were mostly located near the tyrosine kinase domain. Eight of the tagged SNPs were in two haplotype blocks.

OCT was also used to confirm good stent apposition “
“A bree

OCT was also used to confirm good stent apposition.”
“A breed known for its versatility, the American Quarter Horse (QH), is increasingly bred for performance in specific disciplines. The impact of selective breeding on the diversity and structure of the QH Selisistat breed was evaluated using pedigree analysis and genome-wide SNP data from horses representing 6 performance groups (halter, western

pleasure, reining, working cow, cutting, and racing). Genotype data (36 037 single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) from 36 Thoroughbreds were also evaluated with those from the 132 performing QHs to evaluate the Thoroughbreds influence on QH diversity. Results showed significant population structure among all QH performance groups excepting the comparison between the cutting and working cow horses; divergence was greatest between the

cutting and racing QHs, the latter of which had a large contribution of Thoroughbred ancestry. Significant coancestry and the potential for inbreeding exist within performance groups, especially when considering the elite performers. Relatedness within performance groups is increasing with popular sires contributing disproportionate levels of variation to each discipline. Expected heterozygosity, inbreeding, F-ST, cluster, and haplotype analyses suggest these QHs can be broadly classified into 3 categories: stock, racing, and pleasure/halter. Prexasertib cost Although the QH breed as a whole contains substantial genetic diversity, current breeding practices Selleckchem MI-503 have resulted in this variation being sequestered into subpopulations.”
“We described here a method

to stabilize Pd(0) on the surface of hollow magnetic mesoporous spheres (HMMS), with Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded in the mesoporous shell. The catalyst was characterized by TEM, XRD and VSM. It was found that the catalyst showed a high activity for the one-pot direct reductive amination of aldehydes with nitroarenes in the presence of molecular hydrogen in ethanol, even at room temperature. Besides, the catalyst could be recovered in a facile manner from the reaction mixture and recycled six times without loss in activity. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent and disabling psychiatric illness often accompanied of cognitive dysfunction which may persist even when patients achieve clinical remission. Currently, cognitive deficits emerge as a potential target because they compromise the functional outcome of depressed patients. The aim of this study was to review data for several potential pharmacological treatments targeting cognition in MOD, resulting from monotherapy or adjunctive treatment. An extensive and systematic Pubmed/Medline search of the published literature until March 2014 was conducted using a variety of search term to find relevant articles. Bibliographies of retrieved papers were further examined for publications of interest. Searches were limited to articles available in English language.

(C) 2012 Elsevier GmbH All rights reserved “
“PurposeTo

(C) 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.”
“Purpose\n\nTo compare the safety and efficacy of corticorelin acetate (CrA) and placebo in patients with malignant brain tumors requiring chronic administration of dexamethasone (DEX) to control the signs and symptoms of peritumoral brain edema (PBE).\n\nPatients and Methods\n\nProspective, randomized, double-blind study of 200 patients

with PBE on a stable dose of DEX. Initially, DEX dose was decreased by 50% over a 2-week period and then held at this level for 3 weeks. The primary end point was the proportion of patients who responded to treatment-patients who achieved a >= 50% DEX reduction from baseline and achieved stable or improved neurologic PXD101 clinical trial examination score and Karnofsky performance score at week 2, and then continued to respond at week 5.\n\nResults\n\nOne hundred patients received subcutaneous injections of 1 mg twice per MLN4924 concentration day of CrA and 100 patients received placebo for the duration of the study period. Although results did not attain statistical significance (at the P < .05 level), a clinically important difference in the proportion of responders between the CrA group (57.0%) and the placebo group (46.0%; P = .12) was observed. In addition, the maximum percent reduction in DEX dose achieved

during the double-blind 12-week study was significantly greater in the CrA group (62.7%) than in placebo group (51.4%; P < .001). Patients receiving CrA demonstrated an improvement in myopathy and were less likely to

develop signs of Cushing syndrome.\n\nConclusion\n\nCrA enables a reduction in steroid requirement Buparlisib mw for patients with PBE and is associated with a reduction in the incidence and severity of common steroid adverse effects, including myopathy. J Clin Oncol 31:1182-1187. (C) 2013 by American Society of Clinical Oncology”
“A novel microcoil fabrication method was developed. In the past research, copper microcoils were fabricated by wet-etching copper pipes with helical resist patterns formed using laser-scan lithography. However, etched coil widths often locally fluctuated owing to the influence of the surface and backsurface conditions of the pipes, and it was difficult to consistently fabricate microcoils with homogeneous widths. For this reason, in the new method, microcoils are fabricated by nickel electroplating instead of etching. After forming helical patterns on a fine stainless-steel wire with a diameter of 80 mu m, nickel was electroplated in the spaces of resist patterns. Because the adhesion of nickel to the stainless-steel wire was not very strong, helically electroplated nickel was tore off from the core wire, and the microcoil was fabricated when the wire was pulled and lengthened. Next, helical pattern widths and nickel coil widths were evaluated.

(C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd All rights reserved “
“Multid

(C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) denotes bacillary resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampicin. Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB is MDR-TB with additional bacillary resistance to any fluoroquinolone and at least one second-line injectable drugs. Rooted in inadequate TB treatment and compounded by a vicious circle of diagnostic delay and improper treatment, MDR-TB/XDR-TB has become a global epidemic that is fuelled by poverty, human BIBF 1120 immunodeficiency

virus (HIV) and neglect of airborne infection control. The majority of MDR-TB cases in some settings with high prevalence of MDR-TB are due to transmission of drug-resistant bacillary strains to previously untreated patients. Global efforts in controlling MDR-TB/XDR-TB buy Galardin can no longer focus solely on high-risk patients. It is difficult and costly to treat MDR-TB/XDRTB. Without timely implementation of preventive and management strategies, difficult MDR-TB/XDR-TB can cripple global TB control efforts. Preventive strategies include prompt diagnosis with adequate TB treatment using the directly observed therapy, short-course (DOTS) strategy and drug-resistance programmes, airborne infection control, preventive treatment of TB/HIV, and optimal use of antiretroviral

therapy. Management strategies for established cases of difficult MDR-TB/XDR-TB rely on harnessing existing drugs (notably newer generation fluoroquinolones, high-dose isoniazid, linezolid and pyrazinamide with in vitro activity) in the best combinations VX-770 in vitro and dosing schedules, together with adjunctive surgery in carefully selected cases. Immunotherapy may also have a role in the future. New diagnostics, drugs and vaccines are required to meet

the challenge, but science alone is insufficient. Difficult MDR-TB/XDR-TB cannot be tackled without achieving high cure rates with quality DOTS and beyond, and concurrently addressing poverty and HIV.”
“Biologically tolerant plasmas (BTPs) are plasmas with gas temperatures less than 40 degrees C that are generated near atmospheric pressures and in non-toxic gases such as air or helium. BTPs have recently garnered great interest as a therapeutic for cancer. Here, we review and discuss conventional cancer treatments, some of the plasma devices that are currently used and the influence of BTPs on cancer cells such as melanomas, carcinomas, and leukemia. The active agents of BTPs have been investigated and reveal the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as O, O-2(-), O-3, and OH as well as reactive nitrogen species (RNS) such as NO and NO2. ROS and RNS exhibit oxidative properties and trigger signaling pathways in biological cells. In cancer cells, different doses and plasma induce signaling pathways including apoptosis.”
“Objective: To present long-term survival data from the Victorian Radical Prostatectomy Register (VRPR), 1995-2000, and analyse the effect of rural residence on survival.

As a result, the M1-M2 polarization balance was increased in FH a

As a result, the M1-M2 polarization balance was increased in FH and, more markedly in NFH. M1 MoMas and the M1-M2 polarization ratio were directly correlated to pre-treatment LDL cholesterol levels and strongly associated with the presence of atherosclerotic plaques. In conclusion, we show for the first time that human hypercholesterolemia is associated with a pro-inflammatory imbalance of circulating monocytic cells, which can predispose to the development of atherosclerosis. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Key message Comparative proteome analysis revealed the proteins that are differentially

expressed during the processes of tetraploid black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) Copanlisib cost adventitious root formation, which are involved in carbohydrate binding, energy and metabolism, and stress response. Abstract The tetraploid black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is an important fast-growing tree used in afforestation and is also a protein-rich feed for poultry. Currently, the primary approach for tetraploid black locust reproduction is through cutting propagation. To identify the specific proteins in the rooting process, including the formation of adventitious root primordium (ARP) and

Combretastatin A4 inhibitor the elongation of adventitious root (EAR), a comparative proteomic analysis of the ARP and EAR of tetraploid black locust was performed to identify ACY-1215 in vivo related proteins that may be involved in regulating

ARP formation and the process of EAR. High-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by colloidal Coomassie staining and mass spectrometric (MS) analysis was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in ARP and EAR. A total of 84 protein spots showed significant expression changes by 2-DE and were successfully identified by MALDI TOF/TOF MS/MS. Of these, 29 proteins were differentially expressed during the ARP phase, and the remaining 55 proteins did so in the EAR phase. The majority of identified proteins were classified into functional categories, including carbohydrate binding, energy and metabolism, protein degradation/folding and import, cellular cytoskeleton, hormonerelated and oxidation reactions, stress response, cell proliferation, and transcription regulation. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was performed for selected proteins and showed that not all of the protein expression levels were consistent with the mRNA levels. This study provides the basis for further functional studies of differentially expressed proteins, which will contribute to the understanding of the biochemical processes in adventitious root primordium formation and the elongation of adventitious root.

The microtubule depolymerase mitotic centromere-associated kinesi

The microtubule depolymerase mitotic centromere-associated kinesin (MCAK) is a key regulator of mitotic spindle assembly and dynamics. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying its depolymerase activity during the cell cycle remain elusive. Here, we showed that PLK1 is a novel regulator of MCAK in mammalian cells. MCAK interacts with PLK1 in vitro and in vivo. The neck and motor domain of MCAK associates with the kinase domain of PLK1. MCAK is a novel substrate of PLK1, and the phosphorylation stimulates its microtubule depolymerization activity of MCAK in vivo. Overexpression of a polo-like kinase 1 phosphomimetic mutant MCAK causes a dramatic increase

in misaligned chromosomes and in multipolar spindles in mitotic cells, whereas overexpression of a nonphosphorylatable MCAK mutant results in aberrant anaphase with sister chromatid bridges, suggesting that precise regulation

of the MCAK activity BLZ945 in vivo by PLK1 phosphorylation is critical for proper microtubule dynamics and essential for the faithful chromosome segregation. We reasoned that dynamic regulation of MCAK phosphorylation by PLK1 is required to orchestrate faithful cell division, whereas the high levels of PLK1 and MCAK activities seen in cancer Navitoclax mouse cells may account for a mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of genomic instability.”
“The purpose of this study is to consider the effect of polydispersity in triblock copolymer on its order-to-disorder phase transition and morphology, by supplementing continuous description of polymer indices carried out using random phase approximation by a discrete sampling of the polydispersity performed at the mesoscale level. Both methods confirm that the increase in polydispersity involves a greater stability of the ordered state, in agreement with published data on the effect of polydispersity on diblock copolymers. The morphology simulations reveal that longer blocks are phase segregated and shorter blocks are more or less uniformly distributed Silmitasertib concentration throughout the polymer. It is proposed that avoiding very short polymer chains will increase the degree of phase segregation, thus improve the mechanical and conductive properties

of proton exchange membrane more efficiently.”
“We demonstrate 260 GHz (lambda = 1.15 mm) near field imaging using a conical Teflon probe whose tip protrudes through an aperture in a tapered aluminum holder. The imaging system is based on a quasioptical millimeter wave vector network analyzer. We present a variety of different imaging examples of dielectrics and metals, in both reflection and transmission modes, as well as an analysis of interesting diffraction and scattering effects observed in some of the images. The probe has an approximate tip diameter of 0.17 mm and an aperture size of about 1 mm. We observe horizontal resolution ranging from 0.2-0.5 mm depending on the sample being imaged. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.