This study evaluated the healing property, on colonic anastomoses, of a new compound termed RGTA11 (standing for “regenerating agent,” a dextran derivative with heparin-like properties). Colonic anastomoses were performed in 183 adult rats after dipping both ends of the colon in solutions containing RGTA11. The anastomoses were made end-to-end on a single plan, 8 sutures. Heal-ing was evaluated mechanically by the bursting pressure in 108 animals and histological analysis in 75. Results indicated that after 48 h RGTA11-treated animals presented a twofold increased resistance to anastomoses breakage ( P <0.01) over nontreated (saline buffer) animals. After 96 h and until day 7 there was no longer a difference be-tween study and control animals. Although this difference in breakage was not readily observed at histological level, results suggest that RGTA11 could be used to aid colonic anastomosis healing. RGTA11 is of potential clinical interest in this regard since complications that are known to occur postoperatively result from early leakage.

Cerium-doped TiO2 thin films have been prepared by reactive RF sputtering. At low Ce concentration, X-ray diffraction indicates that the films have the anatase structure. Ce concentrations higher than 1.2 at.% result in an amorphization of the film which remains stable up to 873 K. The TiO2 electrical properties have been stabilized and improved by cerium doping, resulting in a lower conductivity (10-9 Ω-1m-1), a higher electrical breakdown strength (2 ×107 V/m), and a high value of the permittivity (45±5). The implementation of amorphous TiO2:Ce thin films as insulator layers in ZnS:Mn alternating current thin film electroluminescent devices (ACTFELD) results in a significant drop in the threshold operating voltage and a notable increase in the device brightness compared with ACTFELD containing Y2O3 or BaTa2O6 insulator layers. Rapid thermal annealing further improves the performance of the electroluminescent device.

A new tissue repair agent, RGTA11, is described for its ability to enhance colonic anastomosis repair and resistance to leakage. RGTA11 is a dextran derivative containing 110% carboxymethyl groups, 2.6% carboxymethyl benzylamide groups, and 36.6% carboxymethyl benzylamide sulfonate groups. RGTA11 was deemed efficient to protect the heparin-binding growth factors FGF2 against trypsin digestion. By this property RGTA11 mimicked heparin or heparan sulfate. We have also found that RGTA11 protected TGF beta 1 against trypsin digestion while heparin did not. RGTA11 was then tested in an in vivo wound-healing model of colonic anastomosis. Our results indicate that after 48 h, RGTA11- or RGTA11/FGF-2-treated animals presented a resistance of the anastomosis to leakage which was increased twofold (p < 0.05) over untreated controls. After 96 h and until day 7 there was no more difference with control animals. Our results suggest that RGTA11 presents potential clinical interest by preventing earlier leakage of colonic anastomosis.

The electrical properties of titanium dioxide thin films have been stabilised by cerium doping. These films have a high permittivity between 35 to 45 and withstand 650°C. Multilayer TiO2:Ce/CeO2 insulators have been fabricated. The breakdown voltage is increased by a factor 10 with a modest decrease in the permittivity (30 - 35 instead of 35 - 45). Electroluminescent devices (ELDs) with a classical ZnS:Mn phosphor have been prepared using TiO2:Ce as the first insulator and a TiO2:Ce/CeO2 multilayer as the second insulator. Compared with a standard ELD based on Y2O3 insulators, devices with the new insulators show a significant decrease of the threshold voltage along with a notable increase of the brightness. An important increase is also achieved in the total device efficiency which is maintained over a large range of brightness and transferred charge. Consequences of rapid thermal annealing and conventional thermal treatments on device performance have also been investigated.

In order to enhance the contrast of thin-film electroluminescent devices, special textured glasses are considered. The performances and the resolution of the pixel are preserved and the specular reflectance of the Al rear electrode is lowered to a value of 3%.

Thin film electroluminescent (EL) devices have been prepared by reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The excitation efficiency η exc and the radiative efficiency η rad have been studied by analyzing the light response of the devices under short-pulse excitations. The influence of the preparation conditions on these partial efficiencies has been examined systematically. Partial efficiency measurements not only provide a method to characterize the quality of the active layer, but also permit us to obtain enlightening information on the electro-optical properties of the EL devices prepared by sputtering.

Electroluminescence and cathodoluminescence experiments have been carried out on the TaTa2O5ZnS : LnF3Au films whose electroluminescent layer is formed by the coevaporation of ZnS and LnF3. Trivalent europium is use as a probe for the rare earth point symmetry and a nephelanxetic effect is observed for almost all the rare earths. It is concluded that the ionic bond between the rare earth and fluorine ions is significantly modified by embedding the molecule LnF3 in the ZnS lattice.

This paper addresses the challenges faced by utilities and/or integration companies during deployment and engineering phases of automation and integration projects, with regards to complying with the new cyber-security requirements set out by NERC. This paper will focus on approaches to these new challenges to ensure the project stays within schedule and budget, from the point of view of substation requirements, management and of the different SCADA systems.

The security requirements of distribution automation are quite different than those at the transmission and generation levels of the power network. To automate the distribution network, a utility has to deploy a large number of geographically dispersed simple devices that use a variety of communication technologies including wireless and dialup. Typical field devices have limited computational capacity, and communications are often established on demand, using low bandwidth connections. Maintenance is provided by a large number of field technicians for which access and permissions must be managed. In this paper, we will discuss how a major utility is handling the security requirements of its distribution automation system. We will discuss some of the strategies and solutions that are being considered in order to ensure the secure operation of the distribution automation system. The use of DNP3 Secure Authentication will be presented as a means to ensure the security of control operations, while supporting the continued use of legacy devices. We will also discuss solutions to manage device passwords, and the use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and X.509 certificates as a means of authenticating users and assigning permissions.