432 research outputs found

    Lattice sites of ion-implanted Li in diamond

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    Published in: Appl. Phys. Lett. 66 (1995) 2733-2735 citations recorded in [Science Citation Index] Abstract: Radioactive Li ions were implanted into natural IIa diamonds at temperatures between 100 K and 900 K. Emission channelling patterns of a-particles emitted in the nuclear decay of 8Li (t1/2 = 838 ms) were measured and, from a comparison with calculated emission channelling and blocking effects from Monte Carlo simulations, the lattice sites taken up by the Li ions were quantitatively determined. A fraction of 40(5)% of the implanted Li ions were found to be located on tetrahedral interstitial lattice sites, and 17(5)% on substitutional sites. The fractions of implanted Li on the two lattice sites showed no change with temperature, indicating that Li diffusion does not take place within the time window of our measurements.

    Amorphization of ZnSe by ion implantation at low temperatures

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    Radioactive Cd and Se ions were implanted into high-resistivity ZnSe single crystals around 60 K and 300 K. Their lattice sites were determined by measuring the channelling and blocking effects of the emitted conversion electrons or positrons directly after implantation and after annealing at different temperatures up to 600 K. Implantation doses were in the range of 3×1012\times 10^{12} - 3×1013\times10^{13}/cm2^2. The experimental results of this emission channelling technique yield a high substitutional fraction of the implanted ions directly after implantation at room temperature. At 60 K the substitutional fraction of implanted ions is highly sensitive to the ion dose. Above a critical dose of around 1.4×1013\times10^{13} Cd/cm2^2 or 2.1×1013\times10^{13} Se/cm2^2 the substitutional fraction completely disappears indicating an amorphous surrounding of the probe atom. Damage recovery was observed below room temperature and at an annealing temperature around 500 K. A quantitative analysis of measured channelling yields will be given by comparison with calculated electron channelling profiles based on the dynamical theory of electron diffraction

    α\alpha-emission channeling investigations of the lattice location of Li in Ge

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    The α\alpha-emission channeling and blocking technique is a direct method for lattice site determination of radioactive atoms in single crystals. Position-sensitive detection of emitted α\alpha -particles provides an efficient means of carrying out such experiments at very low doses (1010^{10}-1011^{11} implanted probe atoms per spectrum). Comparison of the experimental data to Monte Carlo simulations of complete two-dimensional channeling patterns (e.g. ±2°C around , and axes, which also includes all relevant planar directions) allows for straight-forward identification and rather accurate quantitative determination of occupied lattice sites, while at the same time the energy spectrum of emitted a particles gives information on the probe atom depth distribution. We illustrate this for the case of ion implanted 8^8Li (t_=0.8 s) in Ge, where we identify mainly tetrahedral Li at room temperature, and bond-centered Li at slightly elevated temperature

    The impact of the severity of sepsis on the risk of hypoglycaemia and glycaemic variability

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    Introduction The purpose of this study was to assess the relation between glycaemic control and the severity of sepsis in a cohort of patients treated with intensive insulin therapy (IIT). Methods In a prospective, observational study, all patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) (n = 191) with sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock were treated with IIT (target blood glucose (BG) level 80 to 140 mg/dl instead of strict normoglycaemia). BG values were analysed by calculating mean values, rate of BG values within different ranges, rate of patients experiencing BG values within different levels and standard deviation (SD) of BG values as an index of glycaemic variability. Results The number of patients with hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia was highly dependent on the severity of sepsis (critical hypoglycaemia 140 mg/dl: sepsis: 76.6%, severe sepsis: 88.0%, septic shock: 100%, p = 0.0006; > 179 mg/dl: sepsis: 55.3%, severe sepsis: 73.5%, septic shock: 88.5%, p = 0.0005; > 240 mg/dl: sepsis: 17.0%, severe sepsis: 48.2%, septic shock: 45.9%, p = 0.0011). Multivariate analyses showed a significant association of SD levels with critical hypoglycaemia especially for patients in septic shock (p = 0.0197). In addition, SD levels above 20 mg/dl were associated with a significantly higher mortality rate relative to those with SD levels below 20 mg/dl (24% versus 2.5%, p = 0.0195). Conclusions Patients with severe sepsis and septic shock who were given IIT had a high risk of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Among these patients even with a higher target BG level, IIT mandates an increased awareness of the occurrence of critical hypoglycaemia, which is related to the severity of the septic episode

    Towards Responsible Quantum Technology: Safeguarding, Engaging and Advancing Quantum R&D

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    The expected societal impact of quantum technologies (QT) urges us to proceed and innovate responsibly. This article proposes a conceptual framework for Responsible QT that seeks to integrate considerations about ethical, legal, social, and policy implications (ELSPI) into quantum R&D, while responding to the Responsible Research and Innovation dimensions of anticipation, inclusion, reflection and responsiveness. After examining what makes QT unique, we argue that quantum innovation should be guided by a methodological framework for Responsible QT, aimed at jointly safeguarding against risks by proactively addressing them, engaging stakeholders in the innovation process, and continue advancing QT (‘SEA’). We further suggest operationalizing the SEA-framework by establishing quantum-specific guiding principles. The impact of quantum computing on information security is used as a case study to illustrate (1) the need for a framework that guides Responsible QT, and (2) the usefulness of the SEA-framework for QT generally. Additionally, we examine how our proposed SEA-framework for responsible innovation can inform the emergent regulatory landscape affecting QT, and provide an outlook of how regulatory interventions for QT as base-layer technology could be designed, contextualized, and tailored to their exceptional nature in order to reduce the risk of unintended counterproductive effects of policy interventions.Laying the groundwork for a responsible quantum ecosystem, the research community and other stakeholders are called upon to further develop the recommended guiding principles, and discuss their operationalization into best practices and real-world applications. Our proposed framework should be considered a starting point for these much needed, highly interdisciplinary efforts

    A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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    Physiological and quantitative CT-scan characterization of COVID-19 and typical ARDS : a matched cohort study

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    Purpose: To investigate whether COVID-19-ARDS differs from all-cause ARDS. Methods: Thirty-two consecutive, mechanically ventilated COVID-19-ARDS patients were compared to two historical ARDS sub-populations 1:1 matched for PaO2/FiO2 or for compliance of the respiratory system. Gas exchange, hemodynamics and respiratory mechanics were recorded at 5 and 15 cmH2O PEEP. CT scan variables were measured at 5 cmH2O PEEP. Results: Anthropometric characteristics were similar in COVID-19-ARDS, PaO2/FiO2-matched-ARDS and Compliance-matched-ARDS. The PaO2/FiO2-matched-ARDS and COVID-19-ARDS populations (both with PaO2/FiO2 106 ± 59 mmHg) had different respiratory system compliances (Crs) (39 ± 11 vs 49.9 ± 15.4 ml/cmH2O, p = 0.03). The Compliance-matched-ARDS and COVID-19-ARDS had similar Crs (50.1 ± 15.7 and 49.9 ± 15.4 ml/cmH2O, respectively) but significantly lower PaO2/FiO2 for the same Crs (160 ± 62 vs 106.5 ± 59.6 mmHg, p < 0.001). The three populations had similar lung weights but COVID-19-ARDS had significantly higher lung gas volume (PaO2/FiO2-matched-ARDS 930 ± 644 ml, COVID-19-ARDS 1670 ± 791 ml and Compliance-matched-ARDS 1301 ± 627 ml, p < 0.05). The venous admixture was significantly related to the non-aerated tissue in PaO2/FiO2-matched-ARDS and Compliance-matched-ARDS (p < 0.001) but unrelated in COVID-19-ARDS (p = 0.75), suggesting that hypoxemia was not only due to the extent of non-aerated tissue. Increasing PEEP from 5 to 15 cmH2O improved oxygenation in all groups. However, while lung mechanics and dead space improved in PaO2/FiO2-matched-ARDS, suggesting recruitment as primary mechanism, they remained unmodified or worsened in COVID-19-ARDS and Compliance-matched-ARDS, suggesting lower recruitment potential and/or blood flow redistribution. Conclusions: COVID-19-ARDS is a subset of ARDS characterized overall by higher compliance and lung gas volume for a given PaO2/FiO2, at least when considered within the timeframe of our study

    Correction to: Role of total lung stress on the progression of early COVID‐19 pneumonia

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    The original version of this article unfortunately contained mistakes in Table 2 (wrong confidence interval data of “PEEP” and groups’ size). Please find the corrected table below. The authors apologize for the mistake

    Role of total lung stress on the progression of early COVID-19 pneumonia

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    Purpose: We investigated if the stress applied to the lung during non-invasive respiratory support may contribute to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) progression. Methods: Single-center, prospective, cohort study of 140 consecutive COVID-19 pneumonia patients treated in high-dependency unit with continuous positive airway pressure (n = 131) or non-invasive ventilation (n = 9). We measured quantitative lung computed tomography, esophageal pressure swings and total lung stress. Results: Patients were divided in five subgroups based on their baseline PaO2/FiO2 (day 1): non-CARDS (median PaO2/FiO2 361 mmHg, IQR [323–379]), mild (224 mmHg [211–249]), mild-moderate (173 mmHg [164–185]), moderate-severe (126 mmHg [114–138]) and severe (88 mmHg [86–99], p < 0.001). Each subgroup had similar median lung weight: 1215 g [1083–1294], 1153 [888–1321], 968 [858–1253], 1060 [869–1269], and 1127 [937–1193] (p = 0.37). They also had similar non-aerated tissue fraction: 10.4% [5.9–13.7], 9.6 [7.1–15.8], 9.4 [5.8–16.7], 8.4 [6.7–12.3] and 9.4 [5.9–13.8], respectively (p = 0.85). Treatment failure of CPAP/NIV occurred in 34 patients (24.3%). Only three variables, at day one, distinguished patients with negative outcome: PaO2/FiO2 ratio (OR 0.99 [0.98–0.99], p = 0.02), esophageal pressure swing (OR 1.13 [1.01–1.27], p = 0.032) and total stress (OR 1.17 [1.06–1.31], p = 0.004). When these three variables were evaluated together in a multivariate logistic regression analysis, only the total stress was independently associated with negative outcome (OR 1.16 [1.01–1.33], p = 0.032). Conclusions: In early COVID-19 pneumonia, hypoxemia is not linked to computed tomography (CT) pathoanatomy, differently from typical ARDS. High lung stress was independently associated with the failure of non-invasive respiratory support
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