V-Al-C-N hard coatings with high carbon content were deposited by reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering using an experimental combinatorial approach, deposition from a segmented sputter target. The composition-dependent coexisting phases within the coating were analysed using the complementary methods of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption n...

A quantum-cascade laser operating at a wavelength of 8.1 micrometers was used for high-sensitivity absorption spectroscopy of methane (CH4). The laser frequency was continuously scanned with current over more than 3 cm-1, and absorption spectra of the CH4 nu 4 P branch were recorded. The measured laser linewidth was 50 MHz. A CH4 concentration of 15.6 parts in 10(6) ( ppm) in 50 Torr of air was...

AIM To assess the influence of low frequency magnetic fields on the contents of calcium, magnesium and fluoride in saliva. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Sixty two patients were subjected to magnetic stimulation with low frequency magnetic fields of mean induction 3 microT at the first intervention and 4 microT at the following fourteen ones. Saliva was sampled before magnetic stimulation and after the...

Near infrared diffuse optical spectroscopy and diffuse optical imaging are promising methods that eventually may enhance or replace existing technologies for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. These techniques are based on highly sensitive, quantitative measurements of optical and functional contrast between healthy and diseased tissue. In this study, we examine whether changes in breast ph...

An elegant study by Mironov et al. used experimental data from paced activation in pig hearts to formulate practical resolution limits in optical mapping of cardiac excitation (4). In the examined conditions, little to no content was found >130Hz in the temporal domain and <3mm in space, thereby justifying the use of aggressive filters to improve signal-to-noise ratio with minimal overall disto...