Optical Study of Ultrathin TiO2 Films for Photovoltaic and Gas Sensing Applications

TiO2 ultrathin films of thickness below 20 nm were deposited by reactive RF magnetron sputtering. The optical properties of TiO2 films were investigated by various optical techniques including UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopic ellipsometry. The Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) was used to determine thickness and surface roughness of the deposited films. The correlation between preparation conditions of ultrathin TiO2 films and their physical properties has been studied. The analysis of optical data revealed the parameters of deposited films and intrinsic properties of TiO2 material before and after annealing. We found that deposited layers were predominantly amorphous with high porosity at the top sample, and absence of porosity at the bottom of TiO2 layer. Annealing considerably improves structural order of the studied samples and the film transforms to the polycrystalline anatase phase. Also we evaluated the energy bandgap (about 3.1 eV – 3.2 eV) which increases after annealing (above 3.3 eV) and it is  close to the bandgap of anatase. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.20.2.6328</p

Histological and immunohistochemical practical studies of canine cutaneous tumors

A total of one hundred and fifty-three canine cutaneous tumors were examined and analyzed using the standard haematoxylin-eosin staining method. Additionally, tumors were examined immunohistochemically (41.4%) with antibodies LP34, AE1/AE3, V9 and histochemically (24.8%) with toluidine blue. Epithelial and melanocytic tumors of the skin accounted for 52.3% and mesenchymal tumours constituted 47.7%. All epidermal and follicular tumors demonstrated positive immunostaining for “LP34” antibodies. Fibromas and fibrosarcomas, which were immunohistochemically positive for antibodies “V9”, demonstrated negative immunostaining for antibodies “LP34”. As many as 47.4% of all round cell tumors showed positive staining with toluidine blue. Antibodies “LP34” are helpful for the differential diagnosis of epithelial cells of tumors in canine skin, skin adnexal and subcutaneous tissues. Antibodies “AE1/AE3” could be helpful for detecting metastatic glandular epithelial cells in the skin. Moreover, antibodies “V9” could be a useful tool to diagnose the cutaneous tumors consisting of fibrous tissue cells. Staining round cell tumors with toluidine blue may give valuable information on regarding mast cell tumors.</jats:p

Pre-school service quality management in parents how consumers needs

Ikimokyklinio ir priešmokyklinio amžiaus vaikų ugdymas yra sudedamoji ir pirminė švietimo sistemos grandis, glaudžiai susijusi su Lietuvos ekonominio bei socialinio vystymosi tendencijomis. Siekiant ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigos teikiamų paslaugų kokybės, būtina mokėti įsivertinti įstaigos veiklą, tobulinti ir efektyviai valdyti kokybės užtikrinimo procesus, atsižvelgiant į tėvų kaip vartotojų poreikius. Iškyla svarbios nuostatos: apsisprendimas siekti paslaugų kokybės, dėmesio sutelkimas į vartotojų lūkesčių tenkinimą ir visų darbuotojų bendras pastangas rūpintis kokybe. Nors daug dėmesio skiriama ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų veiklos kokybei gerinti, tačiau kol kas nėra objektyvių, tyrimais pagrįstų pavyzdžių, leidžiančių nustatyti, kokia ugdymo paslaugų kokybė yra kiekvienoje įstaigoje ir ar ji atitinka vartotojų poreikius. Tuo tikslu 2009m. lapkričio- gruodžio mėn., buvo organizuotas tyrimas kurio tikslas- išanalizuoti, kaip tėvai ir pedagogai vertina švietimo paslaugų svarbą bei kokybę ikimokyklinėse ugdymo įstaigose. Vykdant tyrimą, buvo vadovautasi atsitiktinės atrankos būdu, todėl anketas pildė skirtingų Alytaus miesto bendro tipo lopšelių- darželių (3 įstaigų) tėvai (179) ir pedagogai (56). Tyrimas atskleidė ikimokyklinio ugdymo sistemos probleminius aspektus, tobulintinas sritis, kurios nepakankamai tenkina vaikų ir jų tėvų poreikius. Tyrimo rezultatai leidžia teigti, kad būtina glaudesnė tėvų ir pedagogų tarpusavio sąveika, dialogas, nes be grįžtamosios informacijos neįmanoma tikslinga vienakryptė ir abipusė veikla, tikslingas bendravimas vaiko labui.Pre-school and primary age children, education is an integral part of the education system and primary link in the chain is closely connected with the Lithuanian economic and social trends. In order to pre-primary provision of quality services, it is necessary to pay self-assessment activities of an institution to develop and effectively manage the quality assurance processes, according to the parents as consumers. There is a significant provisions: determination to achieve the quality of services, focusing on consumers' expectations and the joint efforts of all staff to take care of quality. While much attention is paid to pre-school educational institutions to improve the quality and performance, but there is no objective, survey-based models for determining how the quality of education services in each office and whether it meets the needs of users. With this in mind, a survey was carried out in 2009, to analyze how parents and teachers evaluate the importance of education and quality of pre-school educational institutions. The survey relied on random selection of interviewees, which is why the questionnaires were filled out by parents (179) and teachers (56) of standard kindergartents and day- care centers ( 3 institutions) of various residential districts of the city of Alytus. Comparative analysis of the survey data revealed shortcomings and problematic aspects of the reformed pre-school system, which currently fails to satisfy the needs of children and their parents. The survey confirmed the necessity of closer interaction and dialogue between parents and teachers. For the absence of feedback precludes the implementation of goal- directed activity and cooperation for the benefit of children.Švietimo akademijaVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Aspects of self-rated health, physical activity and its determinant factors of the mothers raising children at home

The object of the study: mothered and children-home raising women and the relationships between their self-rated health, physical activity and its determinant factors. The aim of the study: to assess self-rated health, physical activity and its determinant factors of the mothers raising children at home. Hypothesis: physical activity of the mothers raising children at home is not sufficient for various restricting factors and psychological aspects which have significance on subjectively felt restrictions on being physically active. Objectives: 1. To determine the physical activity of the mothers raising children at home. 2. To assess the relations between the physical activity, psychological state and self-rated health of the mothers raising children at home. 3. To distinguish the most important factors which influence the physical activity of the mothers raising children at home. Sample of the study and organization. Instantaneous questionnaire survey was performed in January-February, 2013. In total, 311 mothered and children home-raising women were surveyed, the age of whom was from 19 to 42 years. The mean age of the sample was 28.3 ± 4 years. Conclusions: 1. 74 per cent constituted the number of insufficiently physically active mothers raising children at home. The mean of MET sum of casual day of the mothers was 42.4 ± 8.1 MET/d., it did not reach the sufficient level of physical activity. 2. The odds of health disorders of the mothers having higher education was 67 per cent lower than those having a secondary or even lower education (p=0.039). Anxiety and mood disorders were also significantly related to poorer sense of well-being: determined anxiety increased the possibility of somatic health disorders almost 5 times (p<0.0001), and anxiety and depression together – even 6 times (p<0.0001). Insufficient leisure-time physical activity increased the odds of health disorders almost twice (p=0.036). 3. The possibility of insufficient physical activity of the women living in the city was 2.3 times higher in comparison to those living out of town (odds ratio=2.27; 95% PI=1.16-4.45; p=0.017). Women, whose children were older – 1.4 ± 1.7 years, were exercising during the last 12 months, and those growing younger children, average age 1.0 ± 0.6 years, did not exercise at all (p<0.01). 70.8 per cent of insufficiently active mothers were prevented of being more physically active by the lack of time (p<0.05), 76.4 per cent – lack of motivation (p<0.05). Two and more health disorders increased the possibility of insufficient physical activity of the mothers 3.5 time, in comparison to those, who did not feel any disorders (p=0.004). 28.5% of insufficiently physically active mothers would be encouraged to be physically active, if that was harmonized with their commitments (p<0.05), 42.6 per cent of physically inactive surveyed ones would be more active, if they had more will (p<0.01)