Search results for " Enhancement"

Light trapping by plasmonic nanoparticles

2020

Abstract Metallic nanoparticles sustaining localized surface plasmon resonances are of great interest for enhancing light trapping in thin film photovoltaics. In this chapter, we explore the correlation between the structural and optical properties of self-assembled silver nanostructures fabricated by a solid-state dewetting process on various substrates relevant for silicon photovoltaics and later integrated into plasmonic back reflectors. Our study allows us to optimize the performance of nanostructures by identifying the fabrication conditions in which desirable circular and uniformly spaced nanoparticles are obtained. Second, we introduce a novel optoelectronic spectroscopic method that…

Superresolved imaging of remote moving targets.

2006

We present a superresolving approach that allows one to exceed the diffraction limit and recover highly resolved contours of moving targets from a sequence of low-resolution images. The presented approach is suitable for remote sensing applications. The resolution decoding algorithm that is used to recover the high-resolution features of the target can be run partially via optical means and that way can be used to reduce the required computational complexity.

Context-dependent minimisation of prediction errors involves temporal-frontal activation

2020

According to the predictive coding model of perception, the brain constantly generates predictions of the upcoming sensory inputs. Perception is realised through a hierarchical generative model which aims at minimising the discrepancy between predictions and the incoming sensory inputs (i.e., prediction errors). Notably, prediction errors are weighted depending on precision of prior information. However, it remains unclear whether and how the brain monitors prior precision when minimising prediction errors in different contexts. The current study used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to address this question. We presented participants with repetition of two non-predicted probes embedded in cont…

Numerical simulation of nanofluids for improved cooling efficiency in a 3D copper microchannel heat sink (MCHS)

2017

ABSTRACTIn this paper, laminar nanofluid flow in 3D copper microchannel heat sink (MCHS) with rectangular cross section, and a constant heat flux, has been treated numerically using the computational fluid dynamics software (FLUENT). Results for the temperature and velocity distributions in the investigated MCHS are presented. In addition, experimental and numerical values are compared in terms of friction factors, convective heat transfer coefficients, wall temperature and pressure drops, for various particle volume concentrations and Reynolds numbers. The numerical results show that enhancing the heat flux has a very weak effect on the heat transfer coefficient for pure water, but an appr…

A new technique for real-time analysis of caspase-3 dependent neuronal cell death

2007

Several markers are available to identify cells undergoing programmed cell death, but so far they are only applicable on fixed material. Therefore, no information on the kinetics of apoptosis can be obtained, although apoptosis is a dynamic cell process. Here, we describe a new technique that allows the real-time observation of the onset of apoptosis in primary neurons. Neurons are transfected with a plasmid that codes for a fluorescent protein localized in the soma. Upon activation of caspase-3, which represents the point-of-no-return in the apoptosis process, the fusion protein is cleaved and as a consequence translocates into the nucleus. The onset of apoptosis is thus visualized by tran…

Conformation and concerted dynamics of the integrin-binding site and the C-terminal region of echistatin revealed by homonuclear NMR

2005

Copyright © by Portland Press. The final version of record is available at http://www.biochemj.org/bj/default.htm

Value of echocardiography in patient follow-up after surgically corrected type A aortic dissection.

2001

Background To identify patients (pts) at risk of late complications, follow-up after surgery for type A aortic dissection is essential. We assessed the value of echocardiography to monitor patients after surgery for type A aortic dissection. Methods 80 out of 108 pts operated between 1989 and 1999 for type A aortic dissection survived surgery. 62 pts with at least one TEE, CT or MRI examinations during follow-up were included in this study. All pts had transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), 53 transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), 51 had CT, and 39 had MRI. Results At the first follow-up, 12 of 48 pts with aortic valve sparing surgery presented with aortic insufficiency >I degrees detected…

Nanocomplexes for gene therapy of respiratory diseases: Targeting and overcoming the mucus barrier

2015

Gene therapy, i.e. the delivery and expression of therapeutic genes, holds great promise for congenital and acquired respiratory diseases. Non-viral vectors are less toxic and immunogenic than viral vectors, although they are characterized by lower efficiency. However, they have to overcome many barriers, including inflammatory and immune mediators and cells. The respiratory and airway epithelial cells, the main target of these vectors, are coated with a layer of mucus, which hampers the effective reaching of gene therapy vectors carrying either plasmid DNA or small interfering RNA. This barrier is thicker in many lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis. This review summarizes the most impor…

Atypical liver hemangiomas: contrast enhancement patterns with SH U 508A and pulse inversion ultrasound

2003

Effects of heavy barbell hip thrust vs back squat on subsequent sprint performance in rugby players

2020

The objective of this research was to compare the effect of Post-Activation Performance Enhancement (PAPE) exerted on the back squat (BS) versus the barbell hip thrust (HT) on the sprint performance (5- and 10-m). 17 male amateur rugby players participated in the study (age 22.14 ± 2.52 years; body mass 81.06 ± 9.6 kg; height 1.78 ± 0.05 m). All participants performed a dynamic maximum strength test (3RM) in BS and HT at maximum speed. Two randomized sessions were performed inducing PAPE using BS or HT trough three series with three repetitions at 85% 1RM eight minutes before the sprint tests. An ANOVA of repeated measurement, found no differences in the time for 5-m (F = 0.398, P = 0.537, …