bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced High Temperature Performance of PD-SOI MOSFETs in Analog Circuits Using Reverse Body Biasing
Authors: Schmidt Alexander , Kappert Holger , Kokozinski Rainer
Published: October 2015

Analog circuits realized in a PD-SOI (partially-depleted silicon-on-insulator) CMOS technology for a wide temperature range up to 400°C are significantly affected by the transistor characteristics at high temperatures. As leakage currents increase with temperature, the analog device performance, for example, intrinsic gain and bandwidth, tend to decrease. Both effects influence the precision of analog circuits and lead to malfunction of the circuitry at high temperatures. Enhancement of the MOSFET device performance and improved design techniques are required to handle these issues. In this paper, we demonstrate that RBB (reverse body biasing) is a useful method to improve the analog performance of PD-SOI transistors and also to push the limit of analog circuit design in SOI technology beyond 300°C. It allows beneficial FD (fully depleted) device characteristics in a 1.0 μm PD-SOI CMOS technology by manipulating the depletion condition of the silicon film. Due to reduced leakage currents, operation in the moderate inversion region of the SOI transistor device up to 400°C is feasible. The method is verified by experimental results of transistors with an H-shaped gate (HGATE), an analog switch, current mirrors, a two-stage operational amplifier, and a bandgap voltage reference. The normalized leakage current of HGATE devices at high temperatures can be reduced by more than one order of magnitude. Thereby, the gm/Id factor is improved significantly especially in the moderate inversion region, which has been inaccessible due to leakage currents. As a result, the intrinsic gain of HGATE transistors is improved. As the method has also been applied to essential analog circuits, it has been found that RBB significantly reduces the errors related to leakage currents and enables the operation of analog circuits in PD-SOI technology up to 400°C.
Effectiveness of Barrier Layer Metallizations in Long Term High Temperature Endurance Tests on Wire Bond Interconnections
Authors: Riches S. T. , Johnston C. , Lui A.
Published: October 2015

Silicon on insulator (SOI) device technology has been shown to be capable of functioning satisfactorily at operating temperatures of >200°C, with device lifetimes of 5 y at 225°C being declared. One of the key areas governing the lifetime of the packaged electronic devices is the reliability of the wire bond interconnection between the device and the package or substrate connection. Extended temperature storage testing at 250°C of packaged SOI devices has highlighted end of life failure modes associated with wire bond connections.

SOI devices are normally supplied with an aluminum based bond pad metallization, which are not suitable for direct connection of Au wire at operating temperatures of >125°C, due to the formation of Au-Al intermetallics. It is possible to postprocess silicon wafers to deposit barrier and connection materials to create a monometallic Au-Au joint at the surface. For long term endurance at temperatures >200°C, the effectiveness of the barrier layer in preventing diffusion of the aluminum bond pad metallization to interact with the Au is a critical factor.

This paper presents results of studies carried out on two postprocess metallization systems Au/TiW and Au/Pd/Ni deposited onto aluminum bond pads, which have been Au wire bonded and exposed to 250°C temperature storage for up to 13,000 h. The results have shown that the barrier layers are not effective in preventing diffusion of the aluminum bond pad metallization to create Au-Al based intermetallics. The results are compared with Al-1%Si wire bonding to the aluminum bond pad, where the second wedge bond is attached to a Au/Ni plated metallization, where the degradation appears to be less severe. Recommendations for designing stable wire bond interconnection systems for extended high temperature operation will be presented.
Ultra Low Weight Spacer for PCB to PCB Interconnections
Authors: Petricca Luca , Ohlckers Per , Mellem Geir Morten
Published: October 2015

Nowadays, in many applications, limited space and weight budgets are two important variables that the designer should handle. Many fields such as aerospace or portable electronics require extremely small interconnection solutions, which go behind standard cables and connectors. To overcome this problem, we present the design, fabrication, and testing of an ultra-low-weight spacer for PCB to PCB interconnections. The novelty of this work is that this paper presents an easy and reliable solution capable of creating strong electrical and mechanical bonding at the same time. The extremely limited weight of the spacer (74 mg) and the relatively small dimension (5 mm × 5 mm) make this system a possible solution for applications requiring minimal space and weight.
Reliability of SiC Digital Telemetry Circuits on AlN Substrate
Authors: Ghandi Reza , Chen Cheng-Po , Yin Liang , Saia Rich , Johnson Tammy , Sandvik Peter , Fang Kun , Johnson R. Wayne
Published: October 2015

In this work, two silicon carbide based integrated circuits (frequency counter and timing generator) have been designed, fabricated, and tested for functionality at 300°C and prove to operate continuously for more than 1,000 h. Further, the boards were subjected to random vibration at 20G RMS and also mechanical shock at 215G in a 300°C environment and remained operational after 8 h of vibration and 1,000 shocks. These boards are the building blocks of a digital telemetry module for the purpose of sensing and transmitting pressure measurements from a geothermal well at temperatures up to 300°C. The frequency counter consists of one 4-bit counter, one 4-bit shift register, and one buffer. The timing generator contains an 8-bit counter, a D-flip-flop, and some dedicated logic gates to generate timing pulses for the two channel frequency counter. These dice were flip-chip bonded to patterned gold thin-film aluminum nitride substrate circuit boards.
Heat Sink Induced Thermomechanical Joint Strain in QFN Devices
Authors: McVicker Gerard , Khanna Vijay , Sri-Jayantha M.
Published: October 2015

A blade server system (BSS) utilizes voltage regulator modules (VRMs), in the form of quad flat no-lead (QFN) devices, to provide power distribution to various components on the system board. Depending on the power requirements of the circuit, these VRMs can be mounted as single devices or banked together. In addition, the power density of the VRM can be high enough to warrant heat dissipation through the use of a heat sink. Typically, at field conditions (FCs), the BSS are powered on and off up to four times per day, with their ambient temperature cycling between 25°C and 80°C. This cyclical temperature gradient drives inelastic strain in the solder joints due to the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the QFN and the circuit card. In addition, the heat sink, coupled with the QFN and the circuit card, can induce additional inelastic solder joint strain, resulting in early solder joint fatigue failure. To understand the effect of the heat sink mounting, a FEM (finite element model) of four QFNs mounted to a BSS circuit card was developed. The model was exercised to calculate the maximum strain energy in a critical joint due to cyclic strain, and the results were compared for a QFN with and without a heat sink. It was determined that the presence of the heat sink did contribute to higher strain energy and therefore could lead to earlier joint failure. Although the presence of the heat sink is required, careful design of the mounting should be employed to provide lateral slip, essentially decoupling the heat sink from the QFN joint strain. Details of the modeling and results, along with DIC (digital image correlation) measurements of heat sink lateral slip, are presented.
Effects of Copper Pattern Density and Orientation on the Modulus of BGA Substrates
Authors: Carpenter Burton , Yeung Betty , Yuan Yuan
Published: October 2015

Substrate material properties directly impact package mechanical performance. The component materials of a BGA substrate are the fiberglass-reinforced epoxy, copper, and solder-mask. Even when the material properties (modulus and CTE) of each component are known, the behavior of the final substrate is not easily determined because factors such as copper density and pattern have significant effects. For example, the modulus in the direction parallel to the copper traces will be different from the modulus in the direction perpendicular to the traces. Package mechanical simulations typically do not mesh the details of the copper patterns, but rather average within each layer, thus neglecting the orientation effects. Therefore FEM (finite element model) simulations may yield inaccurate stress and warpage results.

In this study the effect of copper pattern density and orientation on substrate modulus was examined. Eight different test patterns were designed, each with a single simple pattern. These were fabricated into two metal layer substrates. Flexural modulus measurements from −65°C to 260°C were made using two types of instruments: DMA and Instron. Because the geometries were simple, FEM simulations were able to mesh the copper pattern details exactly. The exact FEM simulations matched the empirical data better than simulations using traditional layer averaging methods.

The copper pattern effect was significant. The substrate modulus was lower in the direction perpendicular to the traces than in the direction parallel to the traces by 15% at room temperature and 35% at 260°C. The substrate modulus parallel to the copper traces increased linearly with copper pattern density as predicted by theoretical mixture rules. However, the substrate modulus in the direction perpendicular to the traces was not predicted theoretically. Therefore, more sophisticated averaging techniques are needed.
Void Formation and Bond Strength Investigated for Wafer-Level Cu-Sn Solid-Liquid Interdiffusion (SLID) Bonding
Authors: Vardøy Astrid-Sofie B. , van de Wiel H. J. , Martinsen Stian , Hayes Greg R. , Fischer Hartmut R. , Aasmundtveit Knut E. , Lapadatu Adriana , Taklo Maaike M. V.
Published: October 2015

Hermetic wafer-level Cu-Sn solid-liquid interdiffusion (SLID) bonding was investigated to explore the sensitivity of selected process parameters with regard to voiding and possible reduction of strength. Little or no variation was observed in the void density as a result of modifying the plated Sn thickness, the storage time between plating and bonding, the bonding tool pressure, or the thermal budget during bonding. All shear tested samples showed excellent shear strength, with an average value within 110–164 MPa. Some statistically significant differences in shear strength were found due to the variations of the process parameters. However, the differences were too small to be critical for the application. Analysis of fracture surfaces showed that the shear strengths in the lower range corresponded to fracture between the adhesion layer (TiW) and the silicon cap, while shear strengths in the higher range corresponded to fracture in the Cu3Sn formed during the bonding. The results indicate that the investigated bonding process is robust with regard to the studied process parameters.
Performance and Perspectives of Zero-Level MEMS Chip Packages with Vertical Interconnects
Authors: Cherman Vladimir O. , Pham Nga P. , Slabbekoorn John , Faes Alessandro , Margesin Benno , Tilmans Harrie A.C.
Published: October 2015

This paper presents the performance of a MEMS zero-level chip cap package implemented with through-the-cap vertical interconnects. The interconnect as well as the hermetic bond and sealing are established using flip-chip thermo-compression bonding by creating a copper-tin to gold metallic (solder) joint. The hermeticity of the packages is assessed via electrical measurements of encapsulated MEMS resonators and the RF performance of 3D interconnects is evaluated via microwave measurements of integrated coplanar waveguides. Design guidelines imposed by concurrent requirements of the flip-chip assembly process and the RF performance are discussed. The developed technology for the MEMS cap uses CMOS-compatible materials and the CMOS fabrication process.
Stacked Ceramic Capacitors for High Temperatures (≥200°C)
Authors: Bultitude John , Jones Lonnie , McConnell John , Gurav Abhijit
Published: October 2015

High-temperature applications (200°C or above) in electronics for downhole drilling are driving the development of capacitors with ever more reliable performance. Deeper wells with increased temperatures and pressures have resulted in exposure to harsher conditions for longer times for the electronics used in the extraction tools and deep-well control instrumentation. The capacitor solutions currently available for 200°C operation are reviewed by value and rated voltage. Some key reliability factors attributed to the various technologies are identified. The recent development of stacks made by using multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) of Class-I C0G type dielectric material with base-metal electrodes of nickel are outlined with respect to their performance benefits at temperatures of 200°C and higher. Due to its linear dielectric nature, this material exhibits highly stable capacitance as a function of temperature and voltage. The development of higher voltages and larger case-size capacitors using this technology is discussed together with their incorporation into stacked ceramic capacitors by soldering on lead frames. Stacks of MLCCs allow capacitance to be maximized within the volume available. However, the solder interconnects must be evaluated to assess the long-term reliability of the stacks at higher temperatures, particularly with respect to maintaining mechanical and electrical integrity following exposure to high shear forces. The development of a custom high-temperature shear test to evaluate the performance of different solder interconnects at temperatures from 200–260°C is described. Evaluations of two different high melting point, Pb-based solders are presented. The high- and low-temperature shear test data acquired for these solders are analyzed in terms of the strain and strain energy when force is applied. Changes in performance after exposure to temperatures 200°C or above are assessed. The results are interpreted with respect to the values required to survive high g-forces and the performance of the different solder compositions. Performance considerations for high shear strength interconnects at 200°C and higher are discussed.
Impact of Bath Stability on Electroplated Cu for TSVs in a Controlled Environment
Authors: Nguyen Anh , Fealey Kevin , Reilly Peter , Pattanaik Gyanaranjan , Gracias Alison , Wafula Fred , Flynn Michael , Enloe Jack
Published: October 2015

This study addresses the impact of bath stability on electroplated copper for through-silicon via (TSV) in a controlled manufacturing environment. Microstructure, impurities, and other properties of the copper produced were characterized using an array of techniques, including electron backscatter diffraction analysis, focused ion beam–secondary electron microscope, and time of flight–secondary ion mass spectrometry. Chemical analyses of the plating baths throughout their lives indicates that the process can be controlled. Overall, a manufacturing process was demonstrated that can create high-quality, TSV Cu fill interconnects for 3-D IC over the life of the bath. The process has enabled further development work at State University of New York Polytechnic Institute for downstream processes such as chemical mechanical planarization and Cu-Cu bonding.
How ready are our health systems to implement prevention of mother to child transmission Option B+?
Authors: Nkomo Palesa , Davies Natasha , Sherman Gayle , Bhardwaj Sanjana , Ramokolo Vundli , Ngandu Nobubelo K. , Noveve Nobuntu , Ramraj Trisha , Magasana Vuyolwethu , Singh Yages , Nsibande Duduzile , Goga Ameena E.
Published: October 2015

In January 2015, the South African National Department of Health released new consolidated guidelines for the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) PMTCT Option B+. Implementing these guidelines should make it possible to eliminate mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV and improve long-term maternal and infant outcomes. The present article summarises the key recommendations of the 2015 guidelines and highlights current gaps that hinder optimal implementation; these include late antenatal booking (as a result of poor staff attitudes towards ‘early bookers’ and foreigners, unsuitable clinic hours, lack of transport to facilities, quota systems being applied to antenatal clients and clinic staff shortages); poor compliance with rapid HIV testing protocols; weak referral systems with inadequate follow-up; inadequate numbers of laboratory staff to handle HIV-related monitoring procedures and return of results to the correct facility; and inadequate supply chain management, leading to interrupted supplies of antiretroviral drugs. Additionally, recommendations are proposed on how to address these gaps. There is a need to evaluate the implementation of the 2015 guidelines and proactively communicate with ground-level implementers to identify operational bottlenecks, test solutions to these bottlenecks, and develop realistic implementation plans.
Is anxiety more common in school students with newly diagnosed specific learning disabilities? A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Authors: Thakkar AN , Karande S , Bala N , Sant H , Gogtay NJ , Sholapurwala R
Published: October 2015

Background and Objectives:

School students with specific learning disabilities (SpLDs) experience chronic academic underachievement and resultant stress. The present study aimed to determine if school students with newly diagnosed SpLD were more likely to have anxiety than their regular peers.

Materials and Methods:

The study cases (aged 8-15 years) were recruited from our institute's learning disability clinic. The matched controls were recruited from four schools in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Anxiety was measured using the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS)-child self-report version questionnaire. Median SCAS scores and the proportion of students with an SCAS score in the "clinical anxiety" range were compared between the groups.

Results:

SCAS scores were significantly higher in 8-11-year-old learning-disabled male and female students (P < 0.0001 for both groups) and 12-15-year-old female students (P = 0.004), as compared with matched controls. A significantly higher number of learning-disabled students were found to have "clinical anxiety" [24.64% vs 4.35%, crude odds ratio (OR) = 7.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.91-17.78, P = 0.0001], as compared with the controls regardless of gender, age group, presence of comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or associated medical conditions. A significantly higher proportion of 8-11-year-old learning-disabled students, especially males, were found to have "clinical anxiety" as compared with 12-15-year-old learning-disabled students (crude OR = 4.38, 95% CI 1.94-9.92, P = 0.0004). Gender, presence of comorbid ADHD or associated medical conditions, and type of school attended or curriculum did not impact the prevalence of "clinical anxiety" in learning-disabled students.

Interpretation and Conclusions:

Students with newly diagnosed SpLD have greater odds of being "clinically anxious" relative to their regular peers. We recommend screening for anxiety in children with SpLD immediately after diagnosis so that their optimum rehabilitation can be facilitated.
Análisis iconográfico del mito de Lilith en la publicidad
Authors: Martínez-Oña María del Mar , Muñoz-Muñoz Ana María
Published: October 2015

La cultura occidental, mantiene un imaginario femenino condicionado por la creación androcéntrica, que encasilla a las mujeres bajo diversos estereotipos conceptuales de maldad o bondad, entre ellos, aquel que ejemplifica la maldad en sí, el mito de Lilith. Metodología: A partir de una lectura y posterior análisis iconográfico se identifican y clasifican las diferentes iconografías, nueve en total, que presentan este mito. Tras este primer análisis se cuantifica en qué sectores comerciales aparece el antiguo mito y cómo se representa. Resultados y conclusiones: Siendo los sectores comerciales de perfumes, audiovisual y moda los que más utilizan la imagen de Lilith. La iconografía más usada es la de mujer objeto en un 38%, seguida de mujer mimetizada con la serpiente 21%, mujer amante del reptil en un 12% y mujer como sinónimo de muerte en un 8%.
Нелокальные задачи для уравнений Власова-Пуассона в бесконечном цилиндре
Authors: Skubachevskii Alexander Leonidovich
Published: October 2015

Рассматриваются уравнения Власова-Пуассона с внешним магнитным полем в бесконечном цилиндре для двухкомпонентной высокотемпературной плазмы с начальными условиями для плотностей распределения заряженных частиц и нелокальным краевым условием для потенциала электрического поля. Для достаточно малых начальных плотностей распределения доказаны существование и единственность классического решения с носителями плотностей распределения заряженных частиц, лежащими в некотором внутреннем цилиндре.
Cold Smoke: smoke-induced density currents cause unexpected smoke transport near large wildfires
Authors: Lareau N. P. , Clements C. B.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. The first observations of smoke-induced density currents originating from large wildfires are presented. Using a novel mobile Doppler lidar and additional in situ measurements, we document a deep (~ 2 km) smoke-filled density current that propagates more than 25 km at speeds up to 4.5 m s−1 near a large forest fire in northern California. Based on these observations we show that the dynamics governing the spread of the smoke layer result from differential solar heating between the smoke-filled and smoke-free portions of the atmospheric boundary layer. A calculation of the theoretical density current speed agrees well with the observed propagation speed. Additional lidar and photographic documentation of other smoke-filled density currents demonstrate that these previously unknown phenomena are relatively common near large wildfires and can cause severe and unexpected smoke inundation of populated areas.
Long-range transport of black carbon to the Pacific Ocean and its dependence on aging timescale
Authors: Zhang J. , Liu J. , Tao S. , Ban-Weiss G. A.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Improving the ability of global models to predict concentrations of black carbon (BC) over the Pacific Ocean is essential to evaluate the impact of BC on marine climate. In this study, we tag BC tracers from 13 source regions around the globe in a global chemical transport model, Model for Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers, version 4 (MOZART-4). Numerous sensitivity simulations are carried out varying the aging timescale of BC emitted from each source region. The aging timescale for each source region is optimized by minimizing errors in vertical profiles of BC mass mixing ratios between simulations and HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO). For most HIPPO deployments, in the Northern Hemisphere, optimized aging timescales are less than half a day for BC emitted from tropical and midlatitude source regions and about 1 week for BC emitted from high-latitude regions in all seasons except summer. We find that East Asian emissions contribute most to the BC loading over the North Pacific, while South American, African and Australian emissions dominate BC loadings over the South Pacific. Dominant source regions contributing to BC loadings in other parts of the globe are also assessed. The lifetime of BC originating from East Asia (i.e., the world's largest BC emitter) is found to be only 2.2 days, much shorter than the global average lifetime of 4.9 days, making the contribution from East Asia to the global BC burden only 36 % of that from the second largest emitter, Africa. Thus, evaluating only relative emission rates without accounting for differences in aging timescales and deposition rates is not predictive of the contribution of a given source region to climate impacts. Our simulations indicate that the lifetime of BC increases nearly linearly with aging timescale for all source regions. When the aging rate is fast, the lifetime of BC is largely determined by factors that control local deposition rates (e.g., precipitation). The sensitivity of lifetime to aging timescale depends strongly on the initial hygroscopicity of freshly emitted BC. Our findings suggest that the aging timescale of BC varies significantly by region and season and can strongly influence the contribution of source regions to BC burdens around the globe. Therefore, improving parameterizations of the aging process for BC is important for enhancing the predictive skill of global models. Future observations that investigate the evolution of the hygroscopicity of BC as it ages from different source regions to the remote atmosphere are urgently needed.
Evaluation of two Vaisala RS92 radiosonde solar radiative dry bias correction algorithms
Authors: Dzambo A. M. , Turner D. D. , Mlawer E. J.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Solar heating of the relative humidity (RH) probe on Vaisala RS92 radiosondes results in a large dry bias in the upper troposphere. Two different algorithms (Miloshevich et al., 2009, MILO hereafter; and Wang et al., 2013, WANG hereafter) have been designed to account for this solar radiative dry bias (SRDB). These corrections are markedly different with MILO adding up to 40 % more moisture to the original radiosonde profile than WANG; however, the impact of the two algorithms varies with height. The accuracy of these two algorithms is evaluated using three different approaches: a comparison of precipitable water vapor (PWV), downwelling radiative closure with a surface-based microwave radiometer at a high-altitude site (5.3 km MSL), and upwelling radiative closure with the space-based Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). The PWV computed from the uncorrected and corrected RH data is compared against PWV retrieved from ground-based microwave radiometers at tropical, mid-latitude, and arctic sites. Although MILO generally adds more moisture to the original radiosonde profile in the upper troposphere compared to WANG, both corrections yield similar changes to the PWV, and the corrected data agree well with the ground-based retrievals. The two closure activities – done for clear-sky scenes – use the radiative transfer models MonoRTM and LBLRTM to compute radiance from the radiosonde profiles to compare against spectral observations. Both WANG- and MILO-corrected RH are statistically better than original RH in all cases except for the driest 30 % of cases in the downwelling experiment, where both algorithms add too much water vapor to the original profile. In the upwelling experiment, the RH correction applied by the WANG vs. MILO algorithm is statistically different above 10 km for the driest 30 % of cases and above 8 km for the moistest 30 % of cases, suggesting that the MILO correction performs better than the WANG in clear-sky scenes. The cause of this statistical significance is likely explained by the fact the WANG correction also accounts for cloud cover – a condition not accounted for in the radiance closure experiments.
Spatial distributions of earthquake-induced landslides and hillslope preconditioning in the northwest South Island, New Zealand
Authors: Parker R. N. , Hancox G. T. , Petley D. N. , Massey C. I. , Densmore A. L. , Rosser N. J.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Current models to explain regional-scale landslide events are not able to account for the possible effects of the legacy of previous earthquakes, which have triggered landslides in the past and are known to drive damage accumulation in brittle hillslope materials. This paper tests the hypothesis that spatial distributions of earthquake-induced landslides are determined by both the conditions at the time of the triggering earthquake (time-independent factors) and the legacy of past events (time-dependent factors). To explore this, we under\\-take an analysis of failures triggered by the 1929 Buller and 1968 Inangahua earthquakes, in the northwest South Island of New Zealand. The spatial extents of landslides triggered by these events were in part coincident. Spatial distributions of earthquake-triggered landslides are determined by a combination of earthquake and local characteristics, which influence the dynamic response of hillslopes. To identify the influence of a legacy from past events, we first use logistic regression to control for the effects of time-independent variables. Through this analysis we find that seismic ground motion, hillslope gradient, lithology, and the effects of topographic amplification caused by ridge- and slope-scale topography exhibit a consistent influence on the spatial distribution of landslides in both earthquakes. We then assess whether variability unexplained by these variables may be attributed to the legacy of past events. Our results suggest that hillslopes in regions that experienced strong ground motions in 1929 were more likely to fail in 1968 than would be expected on the basis of time-independent factors alone. This effect is consistent with our hypothesis that unfailed hillslopes in the 1929 earthquake were weakened by damage accumulated during this earthquake and its associated aftershock sequence, which influenced the behaviour of the landscape in the 1968 earthquake. While our results are tentative, they suggest that the damage legacy of large earthquakes may persist in parts of the landscape for much longer than observed sub-decadal periods of post-seismic landslide activity and sediment evacuation. Consequently, a lack of knowledge of the damage state of hillslopes in a landscape potentially represents an important source of uncertainty when assessing landslide susceptibility. Constraining the damage history of hillslopes, through analysis of historical events, therefore provides a potential means of reducing this uncertainty.
Multidecadal change in streamflow associated with anthropogenic disturbances in the tropical Andes
Authors: Molina A. , Vanacker V. , Brisson E. , Mora D. , Balthazar V.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Andean headwater catchments are an important source of freshwater for downstream water users. However, few long-term studies exist on the relative importance of climate change and direct anthropogenic perturbations on flow regimes in these catchments. In this paper, we assess change in streamflow based on long time series of hydrometeorological data (1974–2008) and land cover reconstructions (1963–2009) in the Pangor catchment (282 km2) located in the tropical Andes. Three main land cover change trajectories can be distinguished during the period 1963–2009: (1) expansion of agricultural land by an area equal to 14 % of the catchment area (or 39 km2) in 46 years' time, (2) deforestation of native forests by 11 % (or −31 km2) corresponding to a mean rate of 67 ha yr−1, and (3) afforestation with exotic species in recent years by about 5 % (or 15 km2). Over the time period 1963–2009, about 50 % of the 64 km2 of native forests was cleared and converted to agricultural land. Given the strong temporal variability of precipitation and streamflow data related to El Niño–Southern Oscillation, we use empirical mode decomposition techniques to detrend the time series. The long-term increasing trend in rainfall is remarkably different from the observed changes in streamflow, which exhibit a decreasing trend. Hence, observed changes in streamflow are not the result of long-term change in precipitation but very likely result from anthropogenic disturbances associated with land cover change.
The WACMOS-ET project – Part 1: Tower-scale evaluation of four remote sensing-based evapotranspiration algorithms
Authors: Michel D. , Jiménez C. , Miralles D. G. , Jung M. , Hirschi M. , Ershadi A. , Martens B. , McCabe M. F. , Fisher J. B. , Mu Q. , Seneviratne S. I. , Wood E. F. , Fernández-Prieto D.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. The WACMOS-ET project has compiled a forcing data set covering the period 2005–2007 that aims to maximize the exploitation of European Earth Observations data sets for evapotranspiration (ET) estimation. The data set was used to run 4 established ET algorithms: the Priestley–Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory model (PT-JPL), the Penman–Monteith algorithm from the MODIS evaporation product (PM-MOD), the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) and the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM). In addition, in-situ meteorological data from 24 FLUXNET towers was used to force the models, with results from both forcing sets compared to tower-based flux observations. Model performance was assessed across several time scales using both sub-daily and daily forcings. The PT-JPL model and GLEAM provide the best performance for both satellite- and tower-based forcing as well as for the considered temporal resolutions. Simulations using the PM-MOD were mostly underestimated, while the SEBS performance was characterized by a systematic overestimation. In general, all four algorithms produce the best results in wet and moderately wet climate regimes. In dry regimes, the correlation and the absolute agreement to the reference tower ET observations were consistently lower. While ET derived with in situ forcing data agrees best with the tower measurements (R2 = 0.67), the agreement of the satellite-based ET estimates is only marginally lower (R2 = 0.58). Results also show similar model performance at daily and sub-daily (3-hourly) resolutions. Overall, our validation experiments against in situ measurements indicate that there is no single best-performing algorithm across all biome and forcing types. An extension of the evaluation to a larger selection of 85 towers (model inputs re-sampled to a common grid to facilitate global estimates) confirmed the original findings.
Aspirations and Expectations of Immigrant and Ethnic Minority Students in Spain
Authors: Prieto-Flores Òscar , Feu Jordi
Published: October 2015

The expectations held by secondary school teachers play a key role in university access of immigrant and ethnic minority students. Even so, the majority of scientific research conducted in Spain has paid little attention to this, as well as giving little consideration to the exclusive and inclusive dynamics that can occur in secondary schools. When speaking about the educational success of these students, in general, we usually only look at elements relating to the capacities of these young people, endogenous to their own culture or to their socioeconomic environment. Although this last element is important, this study emphasizes the situation of access of these groups in a Spanish university and its area of influence and how the expectations of teachers and of their immediate surroundings are important in shaping the aspirations and expectations of minority students. We also highlight the elements that can contribute to overcoming low educational expectations and facilitate access to the university.
Schaduwgebieden van Europese regulering
Authors: Senden L.A.J.
Published: October 2015

Schaduwgebieden van Europese regulering

In deze bijdrage worden drie trends geschetst op het terrein van Europese regulering die nogal ongrijpbaar zijn, omdat ze zich aftekenen in de schaduw van de formele normenhiërarchie die het Verdrag van Lissabon heeft geïntroduceerd. Dit zijn ‘zachte’ bestuurlijke regelgeving door de Commissie, ten tweede bestuurlijke regelgeving door netwerken en verschillende Europese agentschappen en ten derde de ‘infiltratie’ van private regulering in het Unierecht. Deze trends hebben als gevolg dat Europese normstelling een steeds diffuser karakter krijgt, zowel in termen van feitelijke herkomst en ‘auteurschap’ als in termen van juridische aard en status. Lidstaten en nationale autoriteiten worden hiermee geconfronteerd, maar staan niet helemaal aan de zijlijn van deze ontwikkelingen, althans niet wanneer bevoegdheden op grond van wetgevingshandelingen waarbij de Raad is betrokken (wat doorgaans het geval is), aan de Commissie en agentschappen worden toegekend. De trends roepen wel vragen op ten aanzien van de betrokkenheid van nationale autoriteiten bij de opstelling ervan, alsook van stakeholders.
Wetgeving en andere normenstelsels: zes aanwijzingen aan de Nederlandse wetgever
Authors: Smits J.M.
Published: October 2015

Wetgeving en andere normenstelsels: zes aanwijzingen aan de Nederlandse wetgever

Het doel van deze bijdrage is om na te gaan hoe de nationale wetgever heeft te reageren op de toename van rechtens relevante normenstelsels. Er worden zes vragen verkend waar de nationale wetgever praktisch mee heeft te rekenen. De voorzichtige conclusie is dat de wetgever zich tot nu toe onvoldoende realiseert wat het betekent om in een meergelaagd rechtssysteem te functioneren. Het zou goed zijn indien door politici en wetgevingsjuristen een fundamenteler discussie wordt gevoerd over onder meer de ‘wie doet wat’-vraag, de kenbaarheid en coherentie van het recht, de implementatie van EU-recht, verwijzing naar private regulering en de positionering van Nederland op de internationale ‘rechtsmarkt’. Eén ding moet daarbij vooropstaan: een meergelaagde rechtsorde is geen bedreiging voor de nationale wetgever, maar biedt vooral een kans om opnieuw invulling te geven aan de eisen die in een rechtsstaat aan regelgeving moeten worden gesteld.
Ook een nieuwe zaaksbehandeling door de bezwaarschriftencommissie?
Authors: Waasdorp Jim
Published: October 2015

Application of a new case procedure by the review committee? Discussing a more informal and socially effective approach at the hearing during the objection proceedings

The Dutch administrative procedure needs to become more informal and socially effective. This has to be accomplished by implementing the projects ‘In pleasant contact with the authorities’ (Prettig contact met de overheid) aimed at government institutions and a ‘New case procedure’ (Nieuwe zaaksbehandeling) aimed at the administrative courts. Both projects expressly provide more space to deal with a case from more than just a legal perspective. As of yet, the review committee does not make use of a standard procedure. It has been criticised in literature for limiting its assessment of a case to aspects of lawfulness, rather than embracing notions of justice and fairness in its procedure. In this article the author discusses the application by the review committee of guidelines derived from the aforementioned projects in order to make the hearing during the objections proceedings more informal and socially effective.
Growing coral larger and faster: micro-colony-fusion as a strategy for accelerating coral cover
Authors: Forsman Zac H. , Page Christopher A. , Toonen Robert J. , Vaughan David
Published: October 2015

Fusion is an important life history strategy for clonal organisms to increase access to shared resources, to compete for space, and to recover from disturbance. For reef building corals, fragmentation and colony fusion are key components of resilience to disturbance. Observations of small fragments spreading tissue and fusing over artificial substrates prompted experiments aimed at further characterizing Atlantic and Pacific corals under various conditions. Small (∼1–3 cm2) fragments from the same colony spaced regularly over ceramic tiles resulted in spreading at rapid rates (e.g., tens of square centimeters per month) followed by isogenic fusion. Using this strategy, we demonstrate growth, in terms of area encrusted and covered by living tissue, ofOrbicella faveolata,Pseudodiploria clivosa, andPorites lobataas high as 63, 48, and 23 cm2per month respectively. We found a relationship between starting and ending size of fragments, with larger fragments growing at a faster rate.Porites lobatashowed significant tank effects on rates of tissue spreading indicating sensitivity to biotic and abiotic factors. The tendency of small coral fragments to encrust and fuse over a variety of surfaces can be exploited for a variety of applications such as coral cultivation, assays for coral growth, and reef restoration.
miRMOD: a tool for identification and analysis of 5′ and 3′ miRNA modifications in Next Generation Sequencing small RNA data
Authors: Kaushik Abhinav , Saraf Shradha , Mukherjee Sunil K. , Gupta Dinesh
Published: October 2015

In the past decade, the microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged to be important regulators of gene expression across various species. Several studies have confirmed different types of post-transcriptional modifications at terminal ends of miRNAs. The reports indicate that miRNA modifications are conserved and functionally significant as it may affect miRNA stability and ability to bind mRNA targets, hence affecting target gene repression. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of the small RNA (sRNA) provides an efficient and reliable method to explore miRNA modifications. The need for dedicated software, especially for users with little knowledge of computers, to determine and analyze miRNA modifications in sRNA NGS data, motivated us to develop miRMOD. miRMOD is a user-friendly, Microsoft Windows and Graphical User Interface (GUI) based tool for identification and analysis of 5′ and 3′ miRNA modifications (non-templated nucleotide additions and trimming) in sRNA NGS data. In addition to identification of miRNA modifications, the tool also predicts and compares the targets of query and modified miRNAs. In order to compare binding affinities for the same target, miRMOD utilizes minimum free energies of the miRNA:target and modified-miRNA:target interactions. Comparisons of the binding energies may guide experimental exploration of miRNA post-transcriptional modifications. The tool is available as a stand-alone package to overcome large data transfer problems commonly faced in web-based high-throughput (HT) sequencing data analysis tools. miRMOD package is freely available athttp://bioinfo.icgeb.res.in/miRMOD.
Role of Cultural Beliefs, Religion, and Spirituality in Mental Health and/or Service Utilization among Immigrants in Canada: A Scoping Review
Authors: Chaze Ferzana , Thomson Mary Susan , George Usha , Guruge Sepali
Published: October 2015

This paper uses Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework for conducting scoping reviews to examine 25 years of Canadian literature to understand the importance of cultural beliefs, religion, and spirituality in the context of immigrant mental health and/or service utilization. A review of 24 selected articles revealed 4 broad areas relative to the role of religion, spirituality, and culture in these contexts. Based on the findings the authors suggest that in increasingly diverse societies like Canada there is an urgent need for mental health professionals to take into account in their practice their service users’ cultural, religious, and spiritual beliefs.
Drug‐Free “Triboelectric Immunotherapy” Activating Immunity for Osteomyelitis Treatment and Recurrence Prevention
Authors: Yuan Ying , Li Haimei , Song Yuchen , Zhang Dong , Wang Zheng , Yi Xinzeyu , Qi Baiwen , Zhang Xianzheng , Jiang Peng , Yu Aixi
Published: August 2024

Treatment of osteomyelitis is clinically challenging with low therapeutic efficacy and high risk of recurrence owing to the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Existing therapies are limited by drug concentration and single regulatory effect on the immune network, and emphasize the role of anti‐inflammatory effects in reducing osteoclast rather than the role of proinflammatory effects in accelerating infection clearance, which is not conducive to complete bacteria elimination and recurrence prevention. Herein, a direct‐current triboelectric nanogenerator (DC‐TENG) is established to perform antibacterial effects and modulate immunological properties of infectious microenvironments of osteomyelitis through electrical stimulation, namely triboelectric immunotherapy. Seeing from the results, the triboelectric immunotherapy successfully activates polarization to proinflammatory (M1) macrophages in vitro, accompanied by satisfying direct antibacterial effects. The antibacterial and osteogenic abilities of triboelectric immunotherapy are verified in rat cranial osteomyelitis models. The effects on the polarization and differentiation of immune‐related cells in vivo are investigated by establishing in situ tibial osteomyelitis models and immunosurveillance models in C57 mice respectively, indicating the ability of activating immunity and producing immunological memory for in situ infection and secondary recurrence, thus accelerating healing and preventing relapse. This study provides an efficient, long‐acting, multifunctional, and wearable triboelectric immunotherapy strategy for drug‐free osteomyelitis treatment systems.
Porous Magnetic Soft Grippers for Fast and Gentle Grasping of Delicate Living Objects
Authors: Li Xingxiang , Fan Dinggang , Sun Yuxuan , Xu Liwen , Li Dongxiao , Sun Boxi , Nong Shutong , Li Weihua , Zhang Shiwu , Hu Bing , Li Mujun
Published: August 2024

Magnetic soft grippers have attracted intensive interest due to their untethered controllability, rapid response, and biological safety. However, manipulating living objects requires a simultaneous increase in shape adaptability and gripping force, which are typically mutually exclusive. Increasing the magnetic particle content enhances the magnetic strength but also increases the elastic modulus, leading to low adaptability and high impact force. Here, a porous magnetic soft gripper (PMSG) is developed by integrating a porous structure into a magnetic silicone elastomer. The design of porous hard magnetic composite is characterized by high magnetization, low modulus, and rough surface. It offers the PMSG good compliance, high gripping force, and low impact force at fast gripping. The PMSG is capable of performing a variety of tasks, including the fast and gentle grasping of delicate living objects. The study provides insight into the design of novel magnetic grippers and may offer a promising outlook for biomedical or scientific applications in the manipulation of delicate organisms.
Solvation Regulation Reinforces Anion‐Derived Inorganic‐Rich Interphase for High‐Performance Quasi‐Solid‐State Li Metal Batteries
Authors: Xu Pan , Gao Yu‐Chen , Huang Yu‐Xin , Shuang Zong‐Yao , Kong Wei‐Jing , Huang Xue‐Yan , Huang Wen‐Ze , Yao Nan , Chen Xiang , Yuan Hong , Zhao Chen‐Zi , Huang Jia‐Qi , Zhang Qiang
Published: August 2024

Solid‐state polymer lithium metal batteries are an important strategy for achieving high safety and high energy density. However, the issue of Li dendrites and inherent inferior interface greatly restricts practical application. Herein, this study introduces tris(2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl)phosphate solvent with moderate solvation ability, which can not only complex with Li+ to promote the in‐situ ring‐opening polymerization of 1,3‐dioxolane (DOL), but also build solvated structure models to explore the effect of different solvation structures in the polymer electrolyte. Thereinto, it is dominated by the contact ion pair solvated structure with pDOL chain segments forming less lithium bonds, exhibiting faster kinetic process and constructing a robust anion‐derived inorganic‐rich interphase, which significantly improves the utilization rate of active Li and the high‐voltage resistance of pDOL. As a result, it exhibits stable cycling at ultra‐high areal capacity of 20 mAh cm−2 in half cells, and an ultra‐long lifetime of over 2000 h in symmetric cells can be realized. Furthermore, matched with LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2 cathode, the capacity retention after 60 cycles is as high as 96.8% at N/P value of 3.33. Remarkably, 0.7 Ah Li||LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2 pouch cell with an energy density of 461 Wh kg−1 can be stably cycled for five cycles at 100% depth of discharge.