Surface roughness reduction and diffraction efficiency optimisation for e-beam written phase masks

We report the control of surface relief grating parameters and roughness for phase masks produced using e-beam lithography (EBL) and reactive ion etching (RIE). The relationships between processing conditions, grating parameters, surface roughness and the diffraction efficiency of the zeroth and the two first order transmitted beams are discussed.

Apodised fibre Bragg grating design subject to length constraints

We investigate apodisation profiles of fibre Bragg gratings to determine key factors in filter design, using a novel apodisation technique. This highlights some practical fabrication limitations and provides important information concerning trade-offs between sidelobe suppression and bandwidth

Surface roughness reduction and diffraction efficiency optimisation for e-beam written phase masks

We report the control of surface relief grating parameters and roughness for phase masks produced using e-beam lithography (EBL) and reactive ion etching (RIE). The relationships between processing conditions, grating parameters, surface roughness and the diffraction efficiency of the zeroth and the two first order transmitted beams are discussed.

Apodised fibre Bragg grating design subject to length constraints

We investigate apodisation profiles of fibre Bragg gratings to determine key factors in filter design, using a novel apodisation technique. This highlights some practical fabrication limitations and provides important information concerning trade-offs between sidelobe suppression and bandwidth

Systematic screening of compressed ODT excipients:cellulosic versus non-cellulosic

The successful development of compressed ODTs utilises low compression forces to create a porous structure whereby excipients are added to enhance wicking/swelling action or provide strength to the fragile tablet framework. In this work, a systematic investigation comparing materials from two different categories was employed to understand their functionality in binary mixture tablets of the most commonly used diluent mannitol. Cellulose based excipients such as HPC (SSL-SFP), L-HPC (NBD-022) and MCC (Avicel PH-102) were compared with non-cellulosic materials such as PEO (POLYOX WSR N-10) and Crospovidone (XL-10). Pure excipient properties were studied using Heckel Plot, compressibility profile, SEM and XRPD, whereas the prepared binary mixture compacts were studied for hardness, disintegration time and friability. Results from our investigation provide insight into differences encountered in product performance of ODT upon inclusion of additional materials. For example, non-cellulosic excipients Polyox and Crospovidone showed higher plasticity (Py values 588 and 450MPa) in pure form but not in binary mixtures of mannitol. Cellulosic excipients, nonetheless, offer faster disintegration (<30 sec) specifically L-HPC and MCC tablets. Disintegration time for tablets with fully substituted-HPC was prolonged (200-500 sec) upon increasing concentration between 1-10% due to gelation/matrix formation. It can be concluded that despite the reasonably good plasticity of both cellulosic and non-cellulosic excipients in pure form, the mechanical strength in binary mixtures is negatively impacted by the fragmentation/fracture effect of mannitol. © 2014 Bentham Science Publishers.

Systematic screening of compressed ODT excipients : cellulosic versus non-cellulosic

The successful development of c ompressed ODTs utilises low compression force s to create a porous structure whereby excipients are added to enhance wicking/swelling action or p rovide strength to the fragile tablet framework. In this work, a systematic investigation comparing materials from two different categories was employed to understand their functionality in binary mixture tablets of the most commonly used diluent mannitol. Cellulose based excipients such as HPC (SSL-SFP), L-HPC (NBD -022) and MCC (Avicel PH -102 ) were compared with non -cellulosic materials such as PEO (POLYOX WSR N -10) and Crospovidone (XL -10). P ure excipient properties were studied using Heckel Plot, compre ssibility profile, SEM and XR PD, w hereas the prepared binary mixture compacts were studied for hardness, disintegration time and friability. Results from our investigation provide insight into differences encountered in product performance of ODT upon inclusion of additional materials. For example, non -cellulosic excipients Polyox and Crospovidone showed higher plasticity (Py values 588 and 450 MPa) in pure form but not in binary mixtures of mannitol . Cellulosic excipients, nonetheless, offer faster disintegration (

A pragmatic approach for engineering porous mannitol and mechanistic evaluation of particle performance

The importance of mannitol has increased recently as an emerging diluent for orodispersible dosage forms. The study aims to prepare spray dried mannitol retaining high porosity and mechanical strength for the development of orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs). Aqueous feed of d-mannitol (10% w/v) comprising ammonium bicarbonate, NH4HCO3 (5% w/v) as pore former was spray dried at inlet temperature of 110-170°C. Compacts were prepared at 151MPa and characterized for porosity, hardness and disintegration time. Particle morphology and drying mechanisms were studied using thermal (HSM, DSC and TGA) and polymorphic (XRD) methods. Tablet porosity increased from 0.20±0.002 for pure mannitol to 0.53±0.03 using fabricated porous mannitol. Disintegration time dropped by 50-77% from 135±5.29s for pure mannitol to 75.33±2.52-31.67±1.53s for mannitol 110-170°C. Hardness increased by 150% at 110°C (258.67±28.89N) and 30% at 150°C (152.70±10.58N) compared to pure mannitol tablets (104.17±1.70N). Increasing inlet temperature resulted in reducing tablet hardness due to generation of 'micro-sponge'-like particles exhibiting significant elastic recovery. Impact of mannitol polymorphism on plasticity/elasticity cannot be ruled out as a mixture of α and β polymorphs formed upon spray drying.

Educating Parents on the Accelerated Reading Program

The Accelerated Reader Program was developed by Paul, VanderZee, Rue and Swanson at the Institute for Academic Excellence. The intention was to provide a computer-based reading program that would be recreational for students and that would provide information to teachers about the students. The majority of the research conducted to date targets the use of the program within the classroom. Results of the program only mention the participation of parents in the program as merely being informed of its existence. Parents are not necessarily included as active players in the daily routines. In fact, it is the lack of research found on the relationship between parent participation and student reading success and reading motivation that fueled the direction of this research. Thus, it created the perfect scenario to investigate the possible connection between parental involvement practices and the success of the Accelerated Reader Program.

Performance in Private Clubs: Criteria Utilized by Managers

As the first step toward developing performance benchmarks for non profit private clubs, the authors identify the criteria that club managers use to evaluate club performance. Responses from 254 club managers across the US. indicate that all 16 performance criteria included in the survey were utilized to some extent, but the top three were membership satisfaction, quality of services offered, and quality of staff.

O ator na rua: uma expressividade caótica

Ce travail a recherché sur le processus de préparation corporel\vocal\énergique de l’acteur pour la rue. Notre quête principale c’est comprendre les processus qui l'acteur se déplace afin de développer une énergie à la scène dans la rue. C'est cette énergie qui est mis en place et se rapporte à le passant\spectateur? Qui attire l'attention de passant\spectateur? Serai l'histoire? Le code vestimentaire ou être une expressivité dynamisée? Serai une énergie présente dans le corps de l'acteur qui se relacione avec les passants? Comme l'acteur se rapporte à l'espace urbain? Pour tenter de répondre à ces questions, nous allons utilisé certains principes de la physique moderne, tels comme: la Théorie Quantique et le Principe d'Incertitude, autan la Théorie du Chaos. Le théâtre jouée dans les rues, surtout par le biais de longs prolongements de construction scénique, cependant, lorsque présentée au public, est prise par les autres causalités, car étant situé sur la rue, l'acteur devient assujettie à cet espace et ne peut pas nier la possibilité des faits qui peuvent se produire. Selon la physique quantique l'énergie se propage dans un espace vide, la quantité d'énergie physique étant échangé dans la rue, ce qui entraîne le moment magique où les corps des acteurs, des échanges constants avec les spectateurs, en permettant le saut quantique: le spectacle théâtral de la rue.

Les fêtes d'Hébée, ou, Les talents liriques: ballet

mis en musique par M. Rameau, et réprésenté pour la premiere fois, par l'Académie royale de musique, au mois de may 1739.

Imaginer l’Amérique : Québec à travers les vues d’optique des graveurs allemands Habermann et Leizelt

Publiées dans la Collection des prospects durant la guerre d’Indépendance américaine, les vues d’optique Vuë de la Place capitale dans la Ville basse a Quebec, Vuë de la haute ville a Quebeck, Vuë de la basse Ville a Quebec vers le fleuve St-Laurent, Vuë de la rue des recolets de Quebeck et Vuë de Quebeck gravées par les Allemands Franz Xaver Habermann (1721-1796) et Balthasar Frederich Leizelt (1755-1812) entretiennent des liens ténus avec la configuration réelle de la ville de Québec qu’elles représentent. L’escamotage du paradigme documentaire dans ces images est l’enjeu principal de ce mémoire. Il permet de mettre l’accent sur les contraintes formelles découlant du dispositif optique de lecture utilisé ainsi que sur les modèles culturels concernant la perception du territoire urbain américain ayant prévalu lors de la création et de la réception des cinq vues d’optique à l’étude. L’analyse de la vision fictionnelle du paysage donnera également des indices sur les orientations idéologiques et l’imaginaire du lieu, perçu comme un ailleurs lointain, par un ensemble politique qui n’exerce pas de domination directe sur la colonie installée sur le bord du fleuve Saint-Laurent.

Anatomy and variability of "Cuvierichelys parisiensis", a geoemydid turtle that crosses the Eocene-Oligocene boundary in Belgium

Abundant material of turtles from the early Oligocene site of Boutersem-TGV (Boutersem, Belgium), is presented here. No information on the turtles found there was so far available. All the turtle specimens presented here are attributable to a single freshwater taxon that is identified as a member of Geoemydidae, Cuvierichelys. It is the first representative of the ‘Palaeochelys s. l.–Mauremys’ group recognized in the Belgian Paleogene record. This material, which allows to know all the elements of both the carapace and the plastron of the taxon, cannot be attributed to the only species of the genus Cuvierichelys so far identified in the Oligocene, the Spanish form Cuvierichelys iberica. The taxon from Boutersem is recognized as Cuvierichelys parisiensis. Thus, both the paleobiogeographic and the biostratigraphic distributions of Cuvierichelys parisiensis are extended, its presence being confirmed for the first time outside the French Eocene record. The validity of some European forms is refuted, and several characters previously proposed as different between Cuvierichelys iberica and Cuvierichelys parisiensis are recognized as subjected to intraspecific variability.