Development of a permanent vacuum hollow prism air refractometer for use in dimensional metrology.

Refractive index measurements are required when light is used as the basis of a measurement system. In dimensional metrology, refractive index measurements are used to compensate for the change in the speed of light. This is crucial because the SI unit for the metre is defined as the speed of light in a vacuum. Air refractometers are the most accurate way to measure the speed of light in air. Many research works to date have been performed to measure the refractive index of air using refractometers. This research uses a commercial prism as the vacuum etalon instead of the tube that is used most often. This novelty and newness of our research were to focus on the design, fabrication and testing of a refractometer which uses a permanent vacuum for ease of use but that will still have the same accuracy of other refractometers currently in use. Modifications to existing designs improved the long-term stability compared to other prism refractometers and are also potentially more accurate than tube refractometers. The results achieved with this permanent vacuum refractometer are accurate to 8.4 × 10-8, which compares favourably with other refractometers on accuracy. It also has the added advantage that it does not require a vacuum pump, and with added laser path improved long term stability but still portable and robust enough to use in everyday applications.

Breast cancer cell-induced platelet activation is compounded by tamoxifen and anastrozole in vitro.

Platelet-tumour cell interaction is implicated in the initiation of breast cancer-associated thrombosis, with hormone-therapy (Tamoxifen/Anastrozole), increasing this risk. However, recent in vitro research indicates that Tamoxifen inhibits platelet activation, while the effects of Anastrozole on platelet activation are not well characterised. This study investigated platelet activation caused by Tamoxifen or Anastrozole-treated breast cancer cells in vitro. MCF7 and T47D cells were pre-treated with Tamoxifen or Anastrozole to mimic the effects of the drugs in vivo, and co-cultured with whole blood. Platelet activation was determined using flow cytometry. Platelet (CD41a+CD62P+) was determined using an interval gating strategy. Platelet morphology was visualised using scanning electron microscopy. Our results support clinical findings, showing that hormone-therapy is associated with platelet activation. Tamoxifen-treated MCF7 cells increased P-selectin expression, with ultrastructural analysis showing fully spread platelets. Conversely, Tamoxifen-treated T47D cells decreased P-selectin expression with platelets showing signs of early aggregation. Anastrozole pre-treatment decreased P-selectin expression, with treated MCF7 cells inducing platelet membrane folds and lamellipodia extension, and treated T47D cells inducing platelet aggregation and fibrin network formation indicating hypercoagulation. The findings support clinical studies. Hormone-therapy augments tumour cell-induced platelet activation, which may be linked to cell phenotype. This may have clinical implications for treatment strategies.

Band gap engineering of a MoS2 monolayer through oxygen alloying: an ab initio study.

Oxygen (O) alloying in a MoS2 monolayer appearing in different shapes: line-ordered, cluster and random have been theoretically designed, for band gap engineering in order to extend its nanotechnological applications. The thermodynamic stability, structural and electronic properties of these alloy configurations at each concentration have been comparatively studied using the density functional theory methods. Based on the formation energy analysis, the O line-ordered alloys are most stable compared to the well known random and cluster alloys at high concentration, while at low concentration they compete. The lattice constants of all the alloyed systems decrease linearly with the increase in O concentration, consistent with Vegard's law. The Mo-O bond lengths are shorter than Mo-S leading to a reduction in the band gap, based on density of state analysis. The partial charge density reconciling with the partial density of states analysis reveals that the band gap reduction is mainly contributed by the Mo 4d and O 2p orbitals as shown at the band edges of the density of states plots. Creation of stacking of MoS2 with MoO2 gives metallic character, with Mo 4d orbital crossing the Fermi level. The O alloys in a MoS2 monolayer should be considered to be an effective way to engineer the band gap for designing new nanoelectronic devices with novel performance.

Randomised comparison of three types of continuous anterior abdominal wall block after midline laparotomy for gynaecological oncology surgery.

Effective analgesia after midline laparotomy surgery is essential for enhanced recovery programs. We compared three types of continuous abdominal wall block for analgesia after midline laparotomy for gynaecological oncology surgery. We conducted a single-centre, double-blind randomised controlled trial. Ninety-four patients were randomised into three groups to receive two days of programmed intermittent boluses of ropivacaine (18 ml 0.5% ropivacaine every four hours) via either a transversus abdominis plane (TAP) catheter, posterior rectus sheath (PRS) catheter, or a subcutaneous (SC) catheter. All groups received patient-controlled analgesia with morphine, and regular paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. Measured outcomes included analgesic and antiemetic usage and visual analog scores for pain, nausea, vomiting, and satisfaction. Eighty-eight patients were analysed (29 SC, 29 PRS and 30 TAP). No differences in the primary outcome were found (median milligrams morphine usage on day two SC 28, PRS 25, TAP 21, P=0.371). There were differences in secondary outcomes. Compared with the SC group, the TAP group required less morphine in recovery (0 mg versus 6 mg, P=0.01) and reported less severe pain on day one (visual analog scores 36.3 mm versus SC 55 mm, P=0.04). The TAP group used fewer doses of tropisetron on day one compared with the PRS group (8 versus 21, P=0.016). Programmed intermittent boluses of ropivacaine delivered via PRS, TAP and SC catheters can be provided safely to patients undergoing midline laparotomy surgery. Initially TAP catheters appear superior, reducing early opioid and antiemetic requirements and severe pain, but these advantages are lost by day two.

First-principles studies of chromium line-ordered alloys in a molybdenum disulfide monolayer.

Density functional theory calculations have been performed to study the thermodynamic stability, structural and electronic properties of various chromium (Cr) line-ordered alloy configurations in a molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) hexagonal monolayer for band gap engineering. Only the molybdenum (Mo) sites were substituted at each concentration in this study. For comparison purposes, different Cr line-ordered alloy and random alloy configurations were studied and the most thermodynamically stable ones at each concentration were identified. The configurations formed by the nearest neighbor pair of Cr atoms are energetically most favorable. The line-ordered alloys are constantly lower in formation energy than the random alloys at each concentration. An increase in Cr concentration reduces the lattice constant of the MoS2 system following the Vegard's law. From density of states analysis, we found that the MoS2 band gap is tunable by both the Cr line-ordered alloys and random alloys with the same magnitudes. The reduction of the band gap is mainly due to the hybridization of the Cr 3d and Mo 4d orbitals at the vicinity of the band edges. The band gap engineering and magnitudes (1.65 eV to 0.86 eV) suggest that the Cr alloys in a MoS2 monolayer are good candidates for nanotechnology devices.

Robust air refractometer for accurate compensation of the refractive index of air in everyday use.

The definition of the meter is based on the speed of light in a vacuum; however, most dimensional measurements, when performed using laser interferometry, are performed in air. A velocity of light compensation needs to be applied to the velocity of the laser light for accurate measurements of the speed of light to be approximated in a vacuum. Most practices use a weather-station method, whereby the ambient conditions are measured. Thereafter, the modified Edlén's equation is used, and corrections are calculated for the wavelength of the laser. The theoretical calculation is, however, only accurate to 3*10-8 without taking into account the accuracy of the sensors. Thus, this work focuses on investigations into the velocity of light compensations, both to improve upon the accuracy of the Edlén equation method in everyday use, and to verify the accuracy of the current weather-station systems in use through comparison with the refractometer. A refractometer that allows for velocity of light compensation measurements was developed, tested, and verified. The system was designed to be simple and cost-effective for use in everyday dimensional measurements, but with high accuracy. Achieved results show that although simple in design, the refractometer is accurate to at least 1*10-8, which meets our initial condition for design.

Defect charge states in Si doped hexagonal boron-nitride monolayer.

We perform ab initio density functional theory calculations to investigate the energetics, electronic and magnetic properties of isolated stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric substitutional Si complexes in a hexagonal boron-nitride monolayer. The Si impurity atoms substituting the boron atom sites SiB giving non-stoichiometric complexes are found to be the most energetically favourable, and are half-metallic and order ferromagnetically in the neutral charge state. We find that the magnetic moments and magnetization energies increase monotonically when Si defects form a cluster. Partial density of states and standard Mulliken population analysis indicate that the half-metallic character and magnetic moments mainly arise from the Si 3p impurity states. The stoichiometric Si complexes are energetically unfavorable and non-magnetic. When charging the energetically favourable non-stoichiometric Si complexes, we find that the formation energies strongly depend on the impurity charge states and Fermi level position. We also find that the magnetic moments and orderings are tunable by charge state modulation q = -2, -1, 0, +1, +2. The induced half-metallic character is lost (retained) when charging isolated (clustered) Si defect(s). This underlines the potential of a Si doped hexagonal boron-nitride monolayer for novel spin-based applications.

Elevated CDCP1 predicts poor patient outcome and mediates ovarian clear cell carcinoma by promoting tumor spheroid formation, cell migration and chemoresistance.

Hematogenous metastases are rarely present at diagnosis of ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCC). Instead dissemination of these tumors is characteristically via direct extension of the primary tumor into nearby organs and the spread of exfoliated tumor cells throughout the peritoneum, initially via the peritoneal fluid, and later via ascites that accumulates as a result of disruption of the lymphatic system. The molecular mechanisms orchestrating these processes are uncertain. In particular, the signaling pathways used by malignant cells to survive the stresses of anchorage-free growth in peritoneal fluid and ascites, and to colonize remote sites, are poorly defined. We demonstrate that the transmembrane glycoprotein CUB-domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) has important and inhibitable roles in these processes. In vitro assays indicate that CDCP1 mediates formation and survival of OCC spheroids, as well as cell migration and chemoresistance. Disruption of CDCP1 via silencing and antibody-mediated inhibition markedly reduce the ability of TOV21G OCC cells to form intraperitoneal tumors and induce accumulation of ascites in mice. Mechanistically our data suggest that CDCP1 effects are mediated via a novel mechanism of protein kinase B (Akt) activation. Immunohistochemical analysis also suggested that CDCP1 is functionally important in OCC, with its expression elevated in 90% of 198 OCC tumors and increased CDCP1 expression correlating with poor patient disease-free and overall survival. This analysis also showed that CDCP1 is largely restricted to the surface of malignant cells where it is accessible to therapeutic antibodies. Importantly, antibody-mediated blockade of CDCP1 in vivo significantly increased the anti-tumor efficacy of carboplatin, the chemotherapy most commonly used to treat OCC. In summary, our data indicate that CDCP1 is important in the progression of OCC and that targeting pathways mediated by this protein may be useful for the management of OCC, potentially in combination with chemotherapies and agents targeting the Akt pathway.

Consideration for safe and effective gynaecological laparoscopy in the obese patient.

BACKGROUND: The number of obese and morbidly obese patients within the developed world is dramatically increasing within the last 20 years. Apart from demographical changes, obese patients are especially prone to have oestrogen-dependent morbidities and neoplasias, of which laparoscopic treatment should be the standard of care. The increasing number of patients with BMI >40 is concerning, making it necessary to summarise considerations for safe and effective Gynaecological Laparoscopic Surgery. CONSIDERATIONS: The sequel to successful laparoscopic surgery in obese patients comprises an interdisciplinary appreciation of laparoscopy. Preoperatively, anaesthetics and medical review are suggested to optimise treatment of comorbidities (i.e. infections and blood sugar levels). Positioning of the patient should consider anti-slip options and pannus fixation to ease laparoscopic access and decrease pressure to the chest. There is no standard port placement in obese patients and landmarks have to be the bony structures of the pelvis and ribs. Retraction of the bowel is essential and mobilisation of the sigmoid with fan retractors or endoloops can accomplish adequate vision. 30° scopes can be considered for vision "around the obstacle". An experienced assistant with anticipation of surgical steps is favourable for successful surgery completion. Intra-operatively, good surgical techniques are essential. Vessel sealing systems reduce the need for instrument changes and may be helpful in following visualised tissue planes. A transvaginal vault closure may be advantageous compared to laparoscopic closure and Endostiches may be preferred to close the fascia of large trocar sites under vision.

EGF inhibits constitutive internalization and palmitoylation-dependent degradation of membrane-spanning procancer CDCP1 promoting its availability on the cell surface.

Many cancers are dependent on inappropriate activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and drugs targeting this receptor can improve patient survival, although benefits are generally short-lived. We reveal a novel mechanism linking EGFR and the membrane-spanning, cancer-promoting protein CDCP1 (CUB domain-containing protein 1). Under basal conditions, cell surface CDCP1 constitutively internalizes and undergoes palmitoylation-dependent degradation by a mechanism in which it is palmitoylated in at least one of its four cytoplasmic cysteines. This mechanism is functional in vivo as CDCP1 is elevated and palmitoylated in high-grade serous ovarian tumors. Interestingly, activation of the EGFR system with EGF inhibits proteasome-mediated, palmitoylation-dependent degradation of CDCP1, promoting recycling of CDCP1 to the cell surface where it is available to mediate its procancer effects. We also show that mechanisms inducing relocalization of CDCP1 to the cell surface, including disruption of its palmitoylation and EGF treatment, promote cell migration. Our data provide the first evidence that the EGFR system can function to increase the lifespan of a protein and also promote its recycling to the cell surface. This information may be useful for understanding mechanisms of resistance to EGFR therapies and assist in the design of treatments for EGFR-dependent cancers.

An insight into JAK-STAT signalling in dermatology.

Many emerging studies have implicated the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) cytokine signalling mechanism in disease pathogenesis. This signalling pathway is involved in haematopoiesis and immune development. Mutations in genes regulating JAK-STAT signalling can cause common inflammatory disorders and myeloproliferative disorders. JAK and STAT inhibitors are new management tools for disorders such as myelofibrosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Evidence suggests that the cytokine components of the JAK-STAT pathways play a crucial role in common skin disorders, including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. We present an overview for the clinical dermatologist of the significance of these signalling pathways in various skin disorders, and introduce the potential application of JAK and STAT inhibition as a new therapeutic tool in dermatology.

Mechanical properties of hydrogenated bilayer graphene.

Using first principle methods, we study the mechanical properties of monolayer and bilayer graphene with 50% and 100% coverage of hydrogen. We employ the vdW-DF, vdW-DF-C09x, and vdW-DF2-C09x van der Waals functionals for the exchange correlation interactions that give significantly improved interlayer spacings and energies. We also use the PBE form for the generalized gradient corrected exchange correlation functional for comparison. We present a consistent theoretical framework for the in-plane layer modulus and the out-of-plane interlayer modulus and we calculate, for the first time, these properties for these systems. This gives a measure of the change of the strength properties when monolayer and bilayer graphene are hydrogenated. Moreover, comparing the relative performance of these functionals in describing hydrogenated bilayered graphenes, we also benchmark these functionals in how they calculate the properties of graphite.

First principles LDA + U and GGA + U study of protactinium and protactinium oxides: dependence on the effective U parameter.

The electronic structure and properties of protactinium and its oxides (PaO and PaO2) have been studied within the framework of the local density approximation (LDA), the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation [GGA(PBE)], LDA + U and GGA(PBE) + U implementations of density functional theory. The dependence of selected observables of these materials on the effective U parameter has been investigated in detail. The examined properties include lattice constants, bulk moduli, the effect of charge density distributions, the hybridization of the 5f orbital and the energy of formation for PaO and PaO2. The LDA gives better agreement with experiment for the bulk modulus than the GGA for Pa but the GGA gives better structural properties. We found that PaO is metallic and PaO2 is a Mott-Hubbard insulator. This is consistent with observations for the other actinide oxides. We discover that GGA and LDA incorrectly give metallic behavior for PaO2. The GGA(PBE) + U calculated indirect band gap of 3.48 eV reported for PaO2 is a prediction and should stimulate further studies of this material.

Defect complexes in carbon and boron nitride nanotubes.

The effect of defect complexes on the stability, structural and electronic properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes and boron nitride nanotubes is investigated using the ab initio pseudopotential density functional method implemented in the Castep code. We found more substantial atomic relaxations in the zig-zag carbon nanotube than the armchair one. We find that the B(C)B(c) defect introduced in both zig-zag and armchair carbon nanotubes results in a semimetallic system. Similarly to the carbon nanotubes, the relaxation energies in the zig-zag boron nitride nanotubes are lower than in the armchair system. We find that creating a C(B)B(N) in the boron nitride nanotube, changes the system to metallic. The zig-zag configuration is energetically more stable than the armchair one in both the boron-rich and nitrogen-rich environments. The interaction between the carbon impurity and the antisite was investigated: we find that C(B)B(N) is preferable in the B-rich environment, and C(N)N(B) is preferable in the N-rich environment. We determine that in both zig-zag and armchair systems, B(N)N(B) is stable with the heats of formation of -5.77 eV and -8.69 eV, respectively.

Ab initio studies of vacancies in (8,0) and (8,8) Single-walled carbon and boron nitride nanotubes.

A systematic study of vacancies in single-walled carbon nanotubes and boron nitride nanotubes was carried out. First principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory using the CASTEP code are used to optimize fully the geometries of the systems. The generalized gradient approximation is used for the exchange-correlation functional. We find that the pristine single-walled carbon nanotubes have lower heats of formation compared with the boron nitride nanotubes, consistent with other findings. The zig-zag (8,0) carbon nnaotube has a slightly lower (-3.32 eV) heat of formation compared to the armchair (8,8) configuration (-3.25 eV). Comparison of the heats of formation of the vacancy systems is made and we draw conclusions about the relative stability of these defects. The heats of formation and atomic relaxations of the vacancies are explained as resulting from the tendency of the affected ions to recover the lost electronic coordination. For the boron nitride nanotube, we find that the vacancies on the nitrogen and boron site, namely V(N), and V(B), are respectively the more stable vacancies in the B- and N-rich environments. The electronic structure of the single vacancies also depends on the nanotube chirality.

First principles molecular dynamics study of nitrogen vacancy complexes in boronitrene.

We present the results of first principles molecular dynamics simulations of nitrogen vacancy complexes in monolayer hexagonal boron nitride. The threshold for local structure reconstruction is found to be sensitive to the presence of a substitutional carbon impurity. We show that activated nitrogen dynamics triggers the annihilation of defects in the layer through formation of Stone-Wales-type structures. The lowest energy state of nitrogen vacancy complexes is negatively charged and spin polarized. Using the divacancy complex, we show that their formation induces spontaneous magnetic moments, which is tunable by electron or hole injection. The Fermi level s-resonant defect state is identified as a unique signature of the ground state of the divacancy complex. Due to their ability to enhance structural cohesion, only the divacancy and the nitrogen vacancy carbon-antisite complexes are able to suppress the Fermi level resonant defect state to open a gap between the conduction and valence bands.

Vacancy complexes in carbon and boron nitride nanotubes.

The effect of divacancies on the stability, structural and electronic properties of carbon and boron nitride nanotubes is studied using the ab initio density functional method. V(B)B(N) is more stable in the boron-rich and less stable in the nitrogen-rich growth conditions, and V(N)N(B) is more stable in the nitrogen-rich than in the boron-rich conditions. We find that stoichiometric defects V(B)V(N), V(B)C(N) and V(N)C(B) are stable in both the boron and nitrogen rich environments. The relaxation energy in the V(C)V(C) is lower in the armchair than in the zig-zag and the opposite trend is seen for V(C)B(C) and V(C)N(C). The divacancy is found to be particularly effective in changing the band gap of the semiconducting nanotubes due to the appearance of additional energy levels within the band gap region. For the zig-zag systems, we observe a drastic reduction of the band gap in V(B)B(N), V(N)N(B) and V(N)C(B) and a complete removal of the band gap in V(B)V(N) and V(B)C(N), negating the semiconducting behaviour of the nanotube.

First principles studies of extrinsic and intrinsic defects in boron nitride nanotubes.

Spin polarized density functional theory has been used to investigate the structural stability and electronic properties of extrinsic and intrinsic defects in boron nitride nanotubes. Carbon substitutional defects under nitrogen rich and boron-rich growth conditions have the lowest heats of formation compared to boron and nitrogen antisites. Creating a defect reduces the band gap of the nanotube in both armchair and zig-zag geometries. We show that the substitutional carbon atom affects the electronic properties of the nanotube in such a way that it transforms from insulator to a semiconductor or metal. Antisites are stable in the reverse atmosphere and have the main characteristic that among all defects they have the highest heats of formations in both the zig-zag and armchair nanotubes.