Felületi Ultragyors Plazmon Dinamika = Ultrafast Surface Plasmon Dynamics

We investigated surface plasmon (SP) waves in the junction of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The SP waves were generated on a thin Au film and their near-field was locally probed by the tip of the STM. The temporal structure of the observed tunneling current signal revealed information on the physical mechanisms which regulate the interaction of the electric fields in play. We estimated the magnitude of the local electric field enhancement on surface nanostructures by taking advantage of the nonlinearity of the tunneling junction. The mapping of the plasmon field to the surface topography delivers experimental evidence for the localization of SP waves in narrow gaps of a few nanometers width and/or at grain boundaries. The results gained can directly be utilized e.g., in the development of nanoscale geometries for high-energy electron sources where electrons are accelerated in the electric field of surface plasmons

Performance and Usability Analysis of Varying Web Service Architectures

We tested the performance of four web application architectures, namely CGI, PHP, Java servlets, and Apache Axis SOAP. All four architectures implemented a series of typical web application tasks. Our findings indicated that PHP produced the smallest delay, while the SOAP implementation produces the largest

Learning from the Jordan Compact

Analysis of the implementation of the Jordan Compact offers three key lessons: governmental approval is important but not sufficient, the incorporation of critical voices is crucial, and meeting numeric targets is not the same as achieving underlying goals

Assessing the value of CAN-gene mutations using MALDI-TOF MS

Purpose: To identify cancer-linked genes, Sjöblom et al. and Wood et al. performed a genome-wide mutation screening in human breast and colorectal cancers. 140 CAN-genes were found in breast cancer, which in turn contained overall 334 mutations. These mutations could prove useful for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Methods: We used a MALDI-TOF MS 40-plex assay for testing 40 loci within 21 high-ranking breast cancer CAN-genes. To confirm mutations, we performed single-plex assays and sequencing. Results: In general, the mutation rate of the analyzed loci in our sample cohort was very low. No mutation from the 40 loci analyzed could be found in the 6 cell lines. In tissue samples, a single breast cancer tissue sample showed heterozygosity at locus c.5834G>A within the ZFYVE26 gene (Zinc finger FYVE domain-containing gene 26). Conclusions: Sjöblom et al./Wood et al. already showed that the vast majority of CAN-genes are mutated at very low frequency. Due to the fact that we only found one mutation in our cohort, we therefore assume that at the selected loci, mutations might be low-frequency events and therefore, more rarely detectable. However, further evaluation of the CAN-gene mutations in larger cohorts should be the aim of further studie

Projects of Improvement, Continuities of Neglect: Re-Fragmenting the Periphery in Southern Rural Jordan

This paper analyzes projects of improvement and continuities of neglect found in two peripheral regions in the rural south of Jordan. These areas have been framed as poverty pockets and singled out for special attention. Yet, despite the multitude of improvement projects targeting them since 1990, they have remained on the periphery. I argue that this has resulted from certain dynamics found within current strategies of intervention. These put people in their place as "locals" and render their concerns inferior to "national" or "global" interests. Accordingly, the transformations witnessed are best described as a socio-spatial re-fragmentation of governing strategies

Safety Concept and Partial Factors for Military Assessment of Existing Concrete Bridges

Military traffic often utilizes bridges designed and maintained by civilian authorities. These bridges are located not only in home and allied countries, but also in foreign theatres of operation. The use of civilian bridges by military vehicles is in the NATO countries regulated and governed by STANAG 2021. This standard, however, does not fully deliver the essential aspects such as defined safety concept or specified values for partial factors that are important for a safe and reliable crossing of military vehicles over existing bridges. This work is aimed at investigating the military loads and developing a suitable safety concept that can be utilized during the military assessment of concrete bridges. A number of factors must be taken into account, including target reliability index and probabilistic models related to dynamic amplification factor, static load due to military vehicle and applied load effect model. The calculated partial factors for semi-probabilistic safety concept are significantly dependent on the selected crossing condition. The results show that the military partial factors for assessment of existing bridges can be generally considered lower than those factors listed in modern structural codes for bridge engineering

Methylation profile of TP53 regulatory pathway and mtDNA alterations in breast cancer patients lacking TP53 mutations

The present study investigated promoter hypermethylation of TP53 regulatory pathways providing a potential link between epigenetic changes and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) alterations in breast cancer patients lacking a TP53 mutation. The possibility of using the cancer-specific alterations in serum samples as a blood-based test was also explored. Triple-matched samples (cancerous tissues, matched adjacent normal tissues and serum samples) from breast cancer patients were screened for TP53 mutations, and the promoter methylation profile of P14ARF, MDM2, TP53 and PTEN genes was analyzed as well as mtDNA alterations, including D-loop mutations and mtDNA content. In the studied cohort, no mutation was found in TP53 (DNA-binding domain). Comparison of P14ARF and PTEN methylation patterns showed significant hypermethylation levels in tumor tissues (P < 0.05 and <0.01, respectively) whereas the TP53 tumor suppressor gene was not hypermethylated (P < 0.511). The proportion of PTEN methylation was significantly higher in serum than in the normal tissues and it has a significant correlation to tumor tissues (P < 0.05). mtDNA analysis revealed 36.36% somatic and 90.91% germline mutations in the D-loop region and also significant mtDNA depletion in tumor tissues (P < 0.01). In addition, the mtDNA content in matched serum was significantly lower than in the normal tissues (P < 0.05). These data can provide an insight into the management of a therapeutic approach based on the reversal of epigenetic silencing of the crucial genes involved in regulatory pathways of the tumor suppressor TP53. Additionally, release of significant aberrant methylated PTEN in matched serum samples might represent a promising biomarker for breast cance