Layered Gold and Titanium Dioxide Substrates for Improved Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Sensing.

This manuscript describes a simple process for fabricating gold-based, multi-layered, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates that can be applied to a variety of different nanostructures, while still providing multi-layer enhancement factors comparable to those previously achieved only with optimized silver/silver oxide/silver substrates. In particular, gold multi-layered substrates generated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) have been fabricated and characterized in terms of their optimal performance, revealing multi-layer enhancements of 2.3-fold per spacer layer applied.

Native Oxide Transport and Removal During Atomic Layer Deposition of TiO2 Films on GaAs(100) Surfaces.

In this work, we studied the evolution and transport of the native oxides during the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of TiO2 on GaAs(100) from tetrakis dimethyl amino titanium and H2O. Arsenic oxide transport through the TiO2 film and removal during the ALD process was investigated using transmission Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Experiments were designed to decouple these processes by utilizing their temperature dependence.

Higher adherence to French dietary guidelines and chronic diseases in the prospective SU.VI.MAX cohort.

Background/objectives: Nutritional recommendations are widely disseminated, but assessment of their predictive value for risk of chronic diseases and mortality is essential for ensuring their validity. We evaluated, in a large population-based study, the association between the French Programme National Nutrition Santé (PNNS) Guideline Score (GS) (maximum score of 15 points), an a priori-based score, and the incidences of cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and overall mortality.

Subjects/methods: Subjects included in this analysis (n=5823) were participants in the Supplémentation en Vitamines et Minéraux AntioXydants study, with available data for estimating the PNNS-GS.

Obesity is associated with higher risk of intensive care unit admission and death in influenza A (H1N1) patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to assess the association between obesity and the risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death among patients hospitalized for influenza A (H1N1) viral infection. A systematic review of the Medline and Cochrane databases using 'obesity', 'hospitalization', 'influenza A viral infection', various synonyms, and reference lists of retrieved articles from January 2009 to January 2010. Studies comparing the prevalence of obesity among patients with confirmed infection for influenza A virus and who were either hospitalized or admitted to ICU/died were included.

Adherence to nutritional recommendations and subsequent cognitive performance: findings from the prospective Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals 2 (SU.VI.MAX 2) study.

Background: Few studies have investigated the long-term effect of overall nutritional recommendations on cognition.

Objective: In a French cohort of middle-aged adults, we evaluated the association between the French National Nutrition and Health Program (Program National Nutrition Santé) Guideline Score (PNNS-GS) assessed at baseline and cognitive performance evaluated 13 y later.

Design: The PNNS-GS was estimated at baseline (1994-1996) (maximum score: 15 points) in 2135 subjects in the SU.