BIOSOPE cruise achieved an oceanographic transect from the Marquise Islands to the Peru-Chili upwelling (PCU) via the centre of the South Pacific Gyre (SPG). Water samples from 6 depths in the euphotic zone were collected at 20 stations. The concentrations of suspended calcite particles, coccolithophores cells and detached coccoliths 5 were estimated together with size and weight using an autom...

We present a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate based on graphene oxide/silver nanoparticles/copper film covered silicon pyramid arrays (GO/AgNPs/PCu@Si) by a low-cost and simple method. The GO/AgNPs/PCu@Si substrate presents high sensitivity, good homogeneity and well stability with R6G molecules as a probe. The detected concentration of Rhodamine 6 G (R6G) is as low as 1...

Computing utilities based on virtual machines (VMs) migrating among distributed computing resources are becoming increasingly practical and emerging as a viable infrastructure for outsourcing computer services. Here, we present a large scale distributed computing architecture named public public computing utility (PCU), where nondedicated public resources are augmented with privately owned dedi...

The surface of foils and vascular grafts made from a thermoplastic polycarbonate urethanes (PCU) (Chronoflex AR) were chemically modified using gas plasma treatment, binding of hydrogels-(1) polyethylene glycol bisdiamine and carboxymethyl dextran (PEG-DEX) and (2) polyethyleneimine (PEI)-and immobilization of human antithrombin III (AT). Their biological impact was tested in vitro under static...

BACKGROUND Current heart valve prostheses are constructed mimicking the native aortic valve. Special hemodynamic characteristics of the mitral valve such as a nonaxial central inflow with creation of a left ventricular vortex have so far not been taken into account. A new polycarbonaturethane (PCU) bileaflet heart valve prosthesis with special design for the mitral position is introduced, and r...

Loss of sagittal alignment and balance in adult spinal deformity can cause severe pain, disability and progressive neurological deficit. When conservative treatment has failed, spinal fusion using rigid instrumentation is currently the salvage treatment to stop further curve progression. However, fusion surgery is associated with high revision rates due to instrumentation failure and proximal j...

BACKGROUND The aims of this study were to clarify end-of-life cancer care preferences and associations with good-death concepts. METHODS The general population was sampled using a stratified random sampling method (N = 2548; response rate = 51%) and bereaved families from 12 certified palliative care units ('PCU-bereaved families') were surveyed (N = 513; response rate = 70%). The respondents...

Human neuro-imaging studies have often reported co-activation of the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) during internal operation of visuospatial information, referred to here as "visuospatial mental operation". However, the functions assigned to the PMd and PPC during these tasks are still unclear. Here, we examined the significance of these two areas for a vi...

In an effort to develop better orthopedic implants, osteoblast (bone-forming cells) adhesion was determined on microscale patterns (30 microm lines) of carbon nanofibers placed on polymer substrates. Patterns of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) on a model polymer (polycarbonate urethane [PCU]) were developed using an imprinting method that placed CNFs in selected regions. Results showed the selective a...