Si Nanowires (NWs) were studied by Raman microspectroscopy. The Raman spectrum of the NWs reveals important thermal effects, which broaden and shift the one phonon Raman bands. The low thermal conductivity of the NWs and the low thermal dissipation are responsible for the temperature enhancement in the NW under the excitation with the laser beam. We have modeled, using finite element methods, t...

Dollar spot is the most economically important disease of amenity turfgrasses in the United States, yet little is known about the source of primary inoculum for this disease. With the exception of a few isolates from the United Kingdom, Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, the causal agent of dollar spot, does not produce spores. Consequently, it was assumed that overwintering of this organism in soil, tha...

Spatial resolution and gain control are important sensory-system functions that frequently involve lateral inhibition, which can increase spatial tuning of a neuron by effectively reducing the area of its receptive-field center. In the vertebrate retina, lateral inhibition can modulate the direct pathway for light-evoked signals (photoreceptors to bipolar cells to ganglion cells) both via horiz...

Background: Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from fermented olives has been extensively studied with the aim of its use in starter cultures for olive or other production fermentations, but little is known about its antimicrobial resistance and its probiotic effects. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity using different strains of L. plantarum isolated fr...

The automotive industry must meet the requirements for increased safety (product liability), stricter regulations regarding environmental protection, as well as the demands of car drivers for more luxury features. Costly recall actions, ever increasing demands on the quality management and the changing legal framework with a simultaneously harsher competition force the industry towards a more e...

The purpose of these studies was to measure changes in the diameter of arterioles as large-artery pressure was varied. Changes in diameter were measured with a flying spot microscope in blood vessels of the mesentery of anesthetized cats. Arterial pressure was reduced in a single step and held at a constant level until the change in the diameter was complete. In experiments on 34 arterioles, 10...

OBJECTIVE To compare the detection of microcalcifications on mammograms of an anthropomorphic breast phantom acquired by a direct digital flat-panel detector mammography system (FPM) versus a stereotactic breast biopsy system utilizing CCD (charge-coupled device) technology with either a 1024 or 512 acquisition matrix (1024 CCD and 512 CCD). MATERIALS AND METHODS Randomly distributed silica b...