bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The use of modern technologies in carbon dioxide monitoring
Authors: Komínek Petr , Weyr Jan , Hirš Jiří
Published: January 2018

Indoor environment has huge influence on person’s health and overall comfort. It is of great importance that we realize how essential indoor air quality is, considering we spend on average as much as 90% of our time indoors. There are many factors that affect indoor air quality: specifically, inside air temperature, relative humidity, and odors to name the most important factors. One of the key factors indicating indoor air quality is carbon dioxide (CO2) level.

The CO2 levels, measured in prefab apartment buildings, indicates substantial indoor air quality issues. Therefore, a proper education of the occupants is of utmost importance. Also, great care should be directed towards technical and technological solutions that would ensure meeting the normative indoor environment criteria, especially indoor air CO2 levels. Thanks to the implementation of new emerging autonomous technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT), monitoring in real-time is enhanced. An area where IoT plays a major role is in the monitoring of indoor environment. IoT technology (e.g. smart meters and sensors) provide awareness of information about the quality of indoor environment. There is a huge potential for influencing behaviour of the users. Through the web application, it is possible to educate people and ensure fresh air supply.
Effects of calcium on drinking fluorosis-induced hippocampal synaptic plasticity impairment in the offspring of rats
Authors: Zigu Zhang , Xiaoyu Wang , Weiwei Nian , Qiuxia Liao , Rui Zhang , Wei Ouyang
Published: January 2018

Objective

This study investigated the effects of calcium on fluorosis-induced impairment in learning and memory of offspring rats.

Results

(1) High fluorosis significantly reduced synapse density, length of synaptic active zone, thickness of postsynaptic density, and led to abnormal changes in the structural parameter of synaptic gap width, which was significantly reduced or increased. High dietary calcium significantly reversed the abnormal changes in structural parameters, and low calcium aggravated these variations. (2) Dietary calcium resulted in nonsignificant effect on expression levels of DCX and p38.

Conclusion

The results suggested that dietary calcium significantly affected hippocampal synaptic plasticity of offspring of mothers exposed to water fluorosis, but its molecular mechanism may not be related to the expression of DCX and p38 in the brain. The findings also demonstrate the important effects of maternal exposure to water fluorosis on offspring brain functions before water improvement.
Reliability and Validity of Computerized Force Platform Measures of Balance Function in Healthy Older Adults
Authors: Harro Cathy C. , Garascia Chelsea
Published: January 2018

Background and Purpose:

Postural control declines with aging and is an independent risk factor for falls in older adults. Objective examination of balance function is warranted to direct fall prevention strategies. Force platform (FP) systems provide quantitative measures of postural control and analysis of different aspects of balance. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of FP measures in healthy older adults.

Methods:

This study enrolled 46 healthy elderly adults, mean age 67.67 (5.1) years, who had no history of falls. They were assessed on 3 standardized tests on the NeuroCom Equitest FP system: limits of stability (LOS), motor control test (MCT), and sensory organization test (SOT). The test battery was administered twice within a 10-day period for test-retest reliability; intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change based on a 95% confidence interval (MDC95) were calculated. FP measures were compared with criterion clinical balance (Mini-BESTest and Functional Gait Assessment) and gait (10-m walk and 6-minute walk) measures to examine concurrent validity using Pearson correlation coefficients. Multiple linear regression analysis examined whether age and activity level were associated with FP performance. The α level was set at P < .05.

Results:

SOT composite equilibrium scores, MCT average latency, and LOS end point excursion measures all demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.90, 0.85, and 0.77, respectively), whereas moderate to good reliability was found for SOT vestibular ratio score (ICC = 0.71). There was large variability in performance in this healthy elderly cohort, resulting in relatively large MDC95 for these measures, especially for the LOS test. Fair correlations were found between LOS end point excursion and clinical balance and gait measures (r = 0.31-0.49), and between MCT average latency and gait measures only (r =−0.32). No correlations were found between SOT measures and clinical balance and gait measures. Age was only marginally significantly (P = .055) associated with LOS end point excursion but was not associated with SOT or MCT measures, and activity level was not associated with any of the FP measures.

Conclusion:

FP measures provided reliable information on balance function in healthy older adults; however, small learning effects were evident, particularly for the SOT. The SEM and MDC95 for the LOS and SOT measures were relatively large for this healthy elderly cohort. A relationship between FP measures, which assess underlying balance mechanisms, and clinical balance and gait measures was not strongly supported in this study. Further research is needed to justify the value of adding FP measures to a test battery for balance assessment in older adults without a history of falls.
Relationship Between Tennis Serve Velocity and Select Performance Measures
Authors: Hayes Matthew J. , Spits Dirk R. , Watts David G. , Kelly Vincent G.
Published: January 2018

Hayes, MJ, Spits, DR, Watts, DG, and Kelly, VG. Relationship between tennis serve velocity and select performance measures. J Strength Cond Res 35(1): 190–197, 2021—The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship between tennis serve speed and isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) kinetic variables: countermovement jump (CMJ) height, shoulder internal and external rotation strength, and anthropometric measures in elite adolescent tennis players. Twenty-one elite junior tennis players from the Tennis Australia National Academy were recruited for this study (male, n = 12 and female, n = 9). Correlations between the performance variables and peak tennis serve speed were calculated using a Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. A significant positive correlation was found between peak serve speed and body height (r = 0.80, p < 0.01), IMTP peak force (r = 0.87, p < 0.01), CMJ height (r = 0.77, p ≤ 0.01), and impulse at 300 ms (r = 0.71, p ≤ 0.01). A significant, strong correlation was found between peak serve speed and impulse at 100 ms (r = 0.58, p ≤ 0.01), impulse at 200 ms (r = 0.64, p ≤ 0.01), internal rotation <90° (r = 0.63, p ≤ 0.01), and external rotation <90° (r = 0.63, p ≤ 0.01). Because of the significant positive correlations between IMTP variables, CMJ height and peak serve speed, strength and conditioning coaches with access to a force plate should consider using the IMTP to athletically profile athletes in regards to their strength, power, and injury risk.
Diversity and Connectivity of Layer 5 Somatostatin-Expressing Interneurons in the Mouse Barrel Cortex
Authors: Nigro Maximiliano José , Hashikawa-Yamasaki Yoshiko , Rudy Bernardo
Published: January 2018

Inhibitory interneurons represent 10–15% of the neurons in the somatosensory cortex, and their activity powerfully shapes sensory processing. Three major groups of GABAergic interneurons have been defined according to developmental, molecular, morphological, electrophysiological, and synaptic features. Dendritic-targeting somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SST-INs) have been shown to display diverse morphological, electrophysiological, and molecular properties and activity patternsin vivo. However, the correlation between these properties and SST-IN subtype is unclear. In this study, we aimed to correlate the morphological diversity of layer 5 (L5) SST-INs with their electrophysiological and molecular diversity in mice of either sex. Our morphological analysis demonstrated the existence of three subtypes of L5 SST-INs with distinct electrophysiological properties: T-shaped Martinotti cells innervate L1, and are low-threshold spiking; fanning-out Martinotti cells innervate L2/3 and the lower half of L1, and show adapting firing patterns; non-Martinotti cells innervate L4, and show a quasi-fast spiking firing pattern. We estimated the proportion of each subtype in L5 and found that T-shaped Martinotti, fanning-out Martinotti, and Non-Martinotti cells represent ∼10, ∼50, and ∼40% of L5 SST-INs, respectively. Last, we examined the connectivity between the three SST-IN subtypes and L5 pyramidal cells (PCs). We found that L5 T-shaped Martinotti cells inhibit the L1 apical tuft of nearby PCs; L5 fanning-out Martinotti cells also inhibit nearby PCs but they target the dendrite mainly in L2/3. On the other hand, non-Martinotti cells inhibit the dendrites of L4 neurons while avoiding L5 PCs. Our data suggest that morphologically distinct SST-INs gate different excitatory inputs in the barrel cortex.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMorphologically diverse layer 5 SST-INs show different patterns of activity in behaving animals. However, little is known about the abundance and connectivity of each morphological type and the correlation between morphological subtype and spiking properties. We demonstrate a correlation between the morphological and electrophysiological diversity of layer 5 SST-INs. Based on these findings we built a classifier to infer the abundance of each morphological subtype. Last, using paired recordings combined with morphological analysis, we investigated the connectivity of each morphological subtype. Our data suggest that, by targeting different cell types and cellular compartments, morphologically diverse SST-INs might gate different excitatory inputs in the mouse barrel cortex.
Transcriptional Regulator ZEB2 Is Essential for Bergmann Glia Development
Authors: He Li , Yu Kun , Lu Fanghui , Wang Jiajia , Wu Laiman N. , Zhao Chuntao , Li Qianmei , Zhou Xianyao , Liu Hanmin , Mu Dezhi , Xin Mei , Qiu Mengsheng , Lu Q. Richard
Published: January 2018

Bergmann glia facilitate granule neuron migration during development and maintain the cerebellar organization and functional integrity. At present, molecular control of Bergmann glia specification from cerebellar radial glia is not fully understood. In this report, we show that ZEB2 (aka, SIP1 or ZFHX1B), a Mowat–Wilson syndrome-associated transcriptional regulator, is highly expressed in Bergmann glia, but hardly detectable in astrocytes in the cerebellum. The mice lackingZeb2in cerebellar radial glia exhibit severe deficits in Bergmann glia specification, and develop cerebellar cortical lamination dysgenesis and locomotion defects. In developingZeb2-mutant cerebella, inward migration of granule neuron progenitors is compromised, the proliferation of glial precursors is reduced, and radial glia fail to differentiate into Bergmann glia in the Purkinje cell layer. In contrast,Zeb2ablation in granule neuron precursors or oligodendrocyte progenitors does not affect Bergmann glia formation, despite myelination deficits caused byZeb2mutation in the oligodendrocyte lineage. Transcriptome profiling identified that ZEB2 regulates a set of Bergmann glia-related genes and FGF, NOTCH, and TGFβ/BMP signaling pathway components. Our data reveal that ZEB2 acts as an integral regulator of Bergmann glia formation ensuring maintenance of cerebellar integrity, suggesting that ZEB2 dysfunction in Bergmann gliogenesis might contribute to motor deficits in Mowat–Wilson syndrome.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTBergmann glia are essential for proper cerebellar organization and functional circuitry, however, the molecular mechanisms that control the specification of Bergmann glia remain elusive. Here, we show that transcriptional factor ZEB2 is highly expressed in mature Bergmann glia, but not in cerebellar astrocytes. The mice lackingZeb2in cerebellar radial glia, but not oligodendrocyte progenitors or granular neuron progenitors, exhibit severe defects in Bergmann glia formation. The orderly radial scaffolding formed by Bergmann glial fibers critical for cerebellar lamination was not established inZeb2mutants, displaying motor behavior deficits. This finding demonstrates a previously unrecognized critical role for ZEB2 in Bergmann glia specification, and points to an important contribution of ZEB2 dysfunction to cerebellar motor disorders in Mowat–Wilson syndrome.
Gut-brain signaling in energy homeostasis: the unexpected role of microbiota-derived succinate
Authors: de Vadder Filipe , Mithieux Gilles
Published: January 2018

In the context of the obesity epidemic, dietary fibers that are found essentially in fruit and vegetables attract more and more attention, since they exert numerous metabolic benefits resulting in the moderation of body weight. Short-chain fatty acids, such as propionate and butyrate, produced through their fermentation by the intestinal microbiota, have long been thought to be the mediators of these benefits. In fact, propionate and butyrate were recently shown to activate intestinal gluconeogenesis, a function exerting metabolic benefits via its capacity of signaling to the brain by gastrointestinal nerves. Recently, succinate, the precursor of propionate in the bacterial metabolism, has also been shown to exert signaling properties, including the activation of intestinal gluconeogenesis.
Construction of Designer Selectable Marker Deletions with a CRISPR-Cas9 Toolbox in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and New Design of Common Entry Vectors
Authors: Zhao Yu , Boeke Jef D
Published: January 2018

Vectors encoding selectable markers have been widely used in yeast to maintain or express exogenous DNA fragments. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, several engineered markers have been reported and widely used, such as ura4+ and ScLEU2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which complement ura4 and leu1 mutations, respectively. These two auxotrophic markers share no homology with the S. pombe genome; however, most others can recombine with the genome due to sequence homology shared between the genomic and plasmid-borne copies of the markers. Here, we describe a CRISPR-Cas9 toolbox that can be used to quickly introduce “designer” auxotrophic marker deletions into host strains, including leu1-Δ0, his3-Δ0, and lys9-Δ0. Together with ura4-D18, this brings the total number of available designer deletion auxotrophic markers to four. The toolbox consists of a Cas9-gRNA expression vector and a donor DNA plasmid pair for each designer deletion. Using this toolbox, a set of auxotrophic S. pombe strains was constructed. Further, we reorganized essential components in the commonly used pREP series of plasmids and assembled the corresponding auxotrophic marker gene onto these plasmids. This toolbox for producing designer deletions, together with the newly developed strains and plasmids, will benefit the whole yeast community.
Assessing the Risk of Leaflet Motion Abnormality Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Authors: Testa Luca ,   Department of Cardiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Latib Azeem ,   San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
Published: January 2018

Leaflet motion abnormalities are a relatively new entity in the field of transcatheter aortic valve implantation and are associated with a range of different conditions, the extreme being prosthetic valve dysfunction with high gradients or central regurgitation and possibly early thrombotic degeneration. Another extreme condition is the incidental finding of leaflet thickening, but with normal transvalvular gradients. Transthoracic echocardiography is a useful screening tool for the detection of symptomatic thrombosis, but it has limited use in the detection of subclinical thrombosis and/or motion abnormalities alone. We, hereby, discuss the evidence for the potential screening process and subsequent management of those conditions associated with the leaflet motion abnormalities.
Material Properties of GaN in the Context of Electron Devices
Authors: Morkoç H. , Cingolani R. , Lambrecht W. , Gil B. , Jiang H.-X , Lin J. , Pavlidis D. , Shenai K.
Published: January 2018

Wide bandgap nitride semiconductors have recently attracted a great level of attention owing to their direct bandgaps in the visible to ultraviolet regions of the spectrum as emitters and detectors. However, this material system with its favorable heterojunctions and transport properties began to produce very respectable power levels in microwave amplifiers. If and when the breakdown fields achieved experimentally approaches the predicted values, this material system may also be very attractive for switching power devices. In addition to the premature breakdown, a number of scientific challenges remain including a clear experimental investigation of polarization effects. In this paper, transport properties as pertained to electronic devices and potential switching devices, and polarization effects will be treated.
Contact Issues of GaN Technology
Authors: Qiao D. , Yu L.S. , Lau S. S. , Sullivan G. J. , Ruvimov S. , Liliental-Weber Z.
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we discuss the issue of fabricating reliable and reproducible ohmic contacts on AlGaN HFET structures. During the course of our investigation of fabricating contacts to HFETs, we found that the contact properties could vary significantly from one sample to another, even though they were nominally the same. This problem was prominently manifested in the ohmic contact behavior. The origin of this problem was traced back to the variation of the HFET structure during growth. In this paper, we report an attempt to fabricate reproducible ohmic contacts of these structures.
Pyroelectric and Piezoelectric Properties of GaN-Based Materials
Authors: Gaska R. , Shur M. S. , Bykhovski A. D.
Published: January 2018

We review pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties of GaN-based materials. Pyroelectric effects in GaN have been studied in two different regimes: (i) uniform sample heating regime and (ii) under applied temperature gradient along the sample. The modeling results show that the pyroelectric coefficient, Pv, in GaN (for c-axis along the contacts) can reach 7×105 V/m-K (compared to Pv = 5×105 V/m-K for the best-known high temperature pyroelectric/piezoelectric material LiTaO3). This points to a high potential of GaN-based sensors for high temperature pyroelectronics. Piezoelectric effects strongly affect the performance of electronic and light-emitting devices based on III-N materials. Piezoelectrically induced charge in heterostructures can be as large as 3 to 4×1013 cm−2. Hence, strong lattice polarization effects provide unique possibilities for utilizing GaN-based materials in high temperature piezoelectronics and for their applications in pyroelectric detectors.
Mechanisms of Optical Gain in Cubic GaN and InGaN
Authors: Holst J. , Hoffmann A. , Broser I. , Frey T. , Schöttker B. , As D.J. , Schikora D. , Lischka K.
Published: January 2018

The epitaxial growth of zinc-blende (cubic) GaN and InGaN on GaAs with a common cleavage plane and readily high-quality, low-cost wafers may be considered as an alternative approach for the future realization of cleaved laser cavities. To obtain detailed information about the potential of cubic GaN and InGaN for device applications we performed optical gain spectroscopy accompanied by time-integrated and time-dependent photoluminescence measurements at 2 K and 300 K. From intensity-dependent gain measurements, the identification of the gain processes was possible. For moderate excitation levels, the biexciton decay is likely to be responsible for a gain structure at 3.265 eV in cubic GaN [10]. For the highest pump intensities, the electron- hole-plasma is the dominant gain process, providing gain values up to 200 cm −1. Furthermore cubic GaN samples with different cavity lengths from 250 to 600 µm were cleaved to investigate the influence of the sample geometry on the gain mechanisms. In these samples increased gain values up to 150 cm −1 as well as lower threshold excitation densities were observed, indicating the potential of cubic GaN for device applications. The results of GaN will be compared with intensity-dependent gain measurements on InGaN samples, grown on GaAs with varying In-content. The observed gain mechanisms in cubic InGaN will be discussed in detail.
Spectroscopic Studies in InGaN Quantum Wells
Authors: Chichibu S. F. , Sota T. , Wada K. , DenBaars S. P. , Nakamura S.
Published: January 2018

Fundamental electronic modulations in strained wurtzite III-nitride, in particular InxGa1−xN, quantum wells (QWs) were treated to explore the reason why practical InGaN devices emit bright luminescences in spite of the large threading dislocation (TD) density. The emission mechanisms were shown to vary depending on the well thickness L and InN molar fraction x. The electric field across the QW plane, F, which is a sum of the fields due to spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization and the pn junction field, causes the redshift of the ground state resonance energy through the quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE). The absorption spectrum is modulated by QCSE, quantum-confined Franz-Keldysh effect (QCFK), and Franz-Keldysh (FK) effect from the barrires when, for the first approximation, potential drop across the well (FL) exceeds the valence band discontinuity, EV. Under large FL, holes are confined in the triangular potential well formed at one side of the well. This produces apparent Stokes-like shift in addition to the in-plane net Stokes shift on the absorption spectrum. The QCFK and FK further modulate the electronic structure of the wells with L greater than the three dimensional (3D) free exciton (FE) Bohr radius, aB. When FL exceeds EC, both electron (e) and hole (h) confined levels drop into the triangular potential wells at opposite sides of the wells, which reduces the wavefunction overlap. Doping of Si in the barriers partially screens the F resulting in a smaller Stokes-like shift, shorter recombination decay time, and higher emission efficiency. Finally, the use of InGaN was found to overcome the field-induced oscillator strength lowering due to the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization. Effective in-plane localization of the QW excitons (confined excitons, or quantized excitons) in quantum disk (Q-disk) size potential minima, which are produced by nonrandom alloy potential fluctuation enhanced by the large bowing parameter and F, produces confined e-h pairs whose wavefunctions are still overlapped when L<aB. Their Coulomb interaction is more pronounced for FL<EV.
Defect States in SiC/GaN- and SiC/AlGaN/GaN- Heterostructures Characterized by Admittance and Photocurrent Spectroscopy
Authors: Witte H. , Krtschil A. , Lisker M. , Christen J. , Scholz F. , Off J.
Published: January 2018

Deep defect levels in n-type GaN/AlN/6H-SiC- and GaN/AlGaN/6H-SiC- heterostructures grown by Metallorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy were analyzed by Thermal and Optical Admittance and Photocurrent Spectroscopy. The various thermal and optical transitions in the spectra originating from both the Schottky contact as well as the GaN/SiC- and AlGaN/GaN-heterojunctions were separated. This was achieved by variation of the modulation frequency, the use of different contact arrangements and by comparison with reference spectra from GaN/Sapphir samples and SiC substrates. In the GaN/AlGaN/SiC structures a bias voltage dependent peak shift was found which is correlated to an interface related defect distribution. In additionally to, SiC related defects, defect-band-transitions involving defects with transition energies at 2.2eV, 1.85eV, EG-(470±40) meV and EG-(65-95) meV were found for the GaN layer.
Microstructure of GaN Grown on (111) Si by MOCVD
Authors: Follstaedt D. M. , Han J. , Provencio P. , Fleming J. G.
Published: January 2018

Gallium nitride was grown on (111) Si by MOCVD by depositing an AlN buffer at 1080°C followed by GaN at 1060°C. The 2.2 μm layer cracked along {1-100} planes upon cooling to room temperature, but remained adherent. We were nonetheless able to examine the material between cracks with TEM. The character and arrangement of dislocations are much like those of GaN grown on Al2O3: ∼2/3 pure edge and ∼1/3 mixed (edge + screw), arranged in boundaries around domains of GaN that are slightly misoriented with respect to neighboring material. The 30 nm AlN buffer is continuous, indicating that AlN wets the Si, in contrast to GaN on Al2O3.
Characteristic Temperature Estimation for GaN-Based Lasers
Authors: Honda T. , Kawanishi H. , Sakaguchi T. , Koyama F. , Iga K.
Published: January 2018

We have estimated the characteristic temperature T0 of GaN-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. The density matrix theory including intraband relaxation broadening has been taken into account. The estimated T0 is about 300 K, which suggests a good temperature characteristic in GaN-based lasers.
Electrical Characterization of Defects Introduced In n-GaN During High Energy Proton and He-Ion Irradiation
Authors: Goodman S. A. , Auret F. D. , Koschnick F. K. , Spaeth J.-M. , Beaumont B. , Gibart P.
Published: January 2018

We report on the electrical properties of defects as determined by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) introduced in epitaxially grown n-GaN by 2.0 MeV protons and 5.4 MeV He-ions. After He-ion bombardment three electron traps ER3 (Ec − 0.196 eV), ER4 (Ec − 0.78 eV), and ER5 (Ec − 0.95 eV) were introduced uniformly in the region profiled by DLTS with introduction rates of 3270 ± 200, 1510 ± 300, and 3030 ± 500 cm−1 respectively. Capture cross section measurements revealed that the electron capture kinetics of ER5 is similar to that of a line defect. A defect with similar electronic properties as ER3 is observed after 2.0 MeV proton irradiation. The emission rate of ER3 depends on the electric field strength in the space-charge region. This emission rate is modelled according to the Poole-Frenkel distortion of a square well with a radius of 20 ± 2 Å or alternatively, a Gaussian well with a characteristic width of 6.0 ± 1 Å. Hence, we conclude that ER1 is a point defect which appears to have an acceptor like character. Two additional electron traps, ER1 (Ec −0.13 eV) and ER2 (Ec − 0.16eV) with introduction rates of 30 ± 10 and 600 ± 100 cm−1 not thusfar observed after electron or He-ion bombardment were observed after proton irradiation.
Photoluminescence of FS-GaN Treated in Alcoholic Sulfide Solutions
Authors: Zhilyaev Y.V. , Kompan M.E. , Konenkova E.V. , Raevskii S.D.
Published: January 2018

Results are presented on the photoluminescence of n-GaN (T=300 K) after surface treatment with sulfide (Na2S and (NH4)2S) solutions in water or isopropyl alcohol.

It has been shown that the intensity of the n-GaN photoluminescence band is enhanced as a result of the surface treatment with alcoholic sulfide solutions, this enhancement being greater for a strongly basic Na2S solution than for a weakly basic (NH4)2S solution.
Control of the Polarity and Surface Morphology of GaN Films Deposited on C-Plane Sapphire
Authors: Sumiya M. , Ohnishi T. , Tanaka M. , Ohtomo A. , Kawasaki M. , Yoshimoto M. , Koinuma H. , Ohtsuka K. , Fuke S.
Published: January 2018

Control of the polarity of GaN films deposited by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition was achieved by substrate nitridation and subsequent annealing of a buffer layer. The surface morphology and optical properties of 1.2μm GaN films were influenced by the different growth mode due to the polar direction. Coaxial impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy revealed that the polarity composition of a buffer layer on nitrided sapphire varied by annealing in a H2 atmosphere. It was considered that the systematic variation of the surface morphology was caused by the polarity composition of the buffer layer.
Theory of the gain characteristics of InGaN/AlGaN QD Lasers
Authors: Andreev A.D. , O’Reilly E.P.
Published: January 2018

We present a theoretical analysis of the gain characteristics of InGaN/AlGaN quantum dot (QD) lasers. We calculate the elastic strain distribution caused by the lattice mismatch between the QD and the barrier using an original method which takes into account the hexagonal symmetry of the structure’s elastic properties. The method is based on an analytical derivation of the Fourier transform of the strain tensor. The proposed approach is combined with a plane-wave expansion method to calculate the carrier spectrum and wave functions. The many-body gain of a laser containing a periodic array of QDs is calculated using the Padé approximation. We show that band gap reduction and the Coulomb enhancement of the interband transition probability can significantly modify the gain spectrum in InGaN/AlGaN QD lasers.
Study of Thin films Polarity of Group III Nitrides
Authors: Dovidenko K. , Oktyabrsky S. , Narayan J. , Razeghi M.
Published: January 2018

Thin films of GaN grown by MOCVD on (0001) sapphire were studied by transmission electron microscopy in order to correlate the observed extended defects with crystal polarity of the films. We propose relatively simple and unambiguous method of polarity determination for wurtzite group III nitrides based on the dependence of the intensity of diffracted beams upon thickness of the specimen. Due to the dynamic scattering by polar structure, the convergent beam electron diffraction patterns lose inversion symmetry and become in fact fingerprints of the structure carrying information about crystal polarity. In this study, we have used the thinnest regions of the specimens (<15 nm) and multiple diffraction spots in high-symmetry orientation for polarity determination. The films were found to have Ga-polar surfaces, either being unipolar, or containing thin (10-30 nm in diameter) columnar inversion domains (IDs) of N-polarity. The occurrence of IDs was correlated with specific types of dislocation distribution in the films.
Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching of III-Nitrides in Cl2/Xe, Cl2/Ar and Cl2/He
Authors: Cho Hyun , Hahn Y.B. , Hays D.C. , Jung K.B. , Donovan S.M. , Abernathy C.R. , Pearton S.J. , Shul R.J.
Published: January 2018

The role of additive noble gases He, Ar and Xe to Cl2-based Inductively Coupled Plasmas for etching of GaN, AlN and InN were examined. The etch rates were a strong function of chlorine concentration, rf chuck power and ICP source power. The highest etch rates for InN were obtained with Cl2/Xe, while the highest rates for AlN and GaN were obtained with Cl2/He. Efficient breaking of the III-nitrogen bond is crucial for attaining high etch rates. The InN etching was dominated by physical sputtering, in contrast to GaN and AlN. In the latter cases, the etch rates were limited by initial breaking of the III-nitrogen bond. Maximum selectivities of ∼ 80 for InN to GaN and InN to AlN were obtained.
Normal and Inverted Algan/Gan Based Piezoelectric Field Effect Transistors Grown by Plasma Induced Molecular Beam Epitaxy
Authors: Murphy M. J. , Foutz B. E. , Chu K. , Wu H. , Yeo W. , Schaff W. J. , Ambacher O. , Eastman L. F. , Eustis T. J. , Dimitrov R. , Stutzmann M. , Rieger W.
Published: January 2018

High quality Ga-face and N-face AlGaN/GaN based heterostructures have been grown by plasma induced molecular beam epitaxy. By using Ga-face material we are able to fabricate conventional heterojunction field effect transistors. Because the N-face material confines electrons at a different heterojunction, the resulting transistors are called inverted. The Ga-face structures use a high temperature AlN nucleation layer to establish the polarity. Structures from these materials, relying only on polarization induced interface charge effects to create the two-dimensional electron gases, are used to confirm the polarity of the material as well as test the electrical properties of the layers. The resulting sheet concentrations of the two dimensional electron gases agree very well with the piezoelectric theory for this materials system. Hall mobilities of the two-dimensional gases for the N-face structures are as high as 1150 cm2/Vs and 3440 cm2/Vs for 300 K and 77 K respectively, while the Ga–face structures yield room temperature mobilities of 1190 cm2/Vs. Both structures were then fabricated into transistors and characterized. The inverted transistors, which were fabricated from the N-face material, yielded a maximum transconductance of 130 mS/mm and a current density of 905 mA/mm. Microwave measurements gave an ft of 7 GHz and an fmax of 12 GHz for a gate length of 1 µm. The normal transistors, fabricated from the Ga-face material, produced a maximum transconductance of 247 mS/mm and a current density of 938 mA/mm. Microwave measurements gave an ft of 50 GHz and an fmax of 97 GHz for a gate length of 0.25 µm. This shows that using plasma induced molecular beam epitaxy N-face and Ga(Al)-face AlGaN/GaN heterostructures can be grown with structural and electrical properties very suitable for high power field effect transistors.
Improvement of Crystalline Quality of Group III Nitrides on Sapphire Using Low Temperature Interlayers
Authors: Amano H. , Iwaya M. , Hayashi N. , Kashima T. , Katsuragawa M. , Takeuchi T. , Wetzel C. , Akasaki I.
Published: January 2018

In organometallic vapor phase epitaxial growth of group III nitrides on sapphire, insertion of a low temperature interlayer is found to improve crystalline quality of AlxGa1−xN layer with x from 0 to 1. Here the effects of the low temperature deposited GaN or AlN interlayers on the structural quality of group III nitrides is discussed.
Doping of AlGaN Alloys
Authors: Van de Walle Chris G. , Stampfl C. , Neugebauer J. , McCluskey M. D. , Johnson N. M.
Published: January 2018

Nitride-based device structures for electronic and optoelectronic applications usually incor-porate layers of AlxGa1−xN, and n- and p-type doping of these alloys is typically required. Experimental results indicate that doping efficiencies in AlxGa1−xN are lower than in GaN. We address the cause of these doping difficulties, based on results from first-principles density-functional-pseudopotential calculations. For n-type doping we will discuss doping with oxygen, the most common unintentional donor, and with silicon. For oxygen, a DX transition occurs which converts the shallow donor into a negatively charged deep level. We present experimental evidence that oxygen is a DX center in AlxGa1−xN for x>∼0.3. For p-type doping, we find that compensation by nitrogen vacancies becomes increasingly important as the Al content is in-creased. We also find that the ionization energy of the Mg acceptor increases with alloy composition x. To address the limitations on p-type doping we have performed a comprehensive investigation of alternative acceptor impurities; none of the candidates exhibits characteristics that surpass those of Mg in all respects.
Luminescence from Erbium-Doped Gallium Nitride Thin Films
Authors: Zavada J. M. , Thaik Myo , Hömmerich U. , MacKenzie J. D. , Abernathy C. R. , Ren F. , Shen H. , Pamulapati J. , Jiang+ H. , Lin+ J. , Wilson R.G.
Published: January 2018

The III-V nitride semiconductors appear to be excellent host materials for optical device applications involving thin films doped with rare earth atoms. In particular, GaN epilayers doped with Er ions have shown a highly reduced thermal quenching of the Er luminescence intensity from cryogenic to elevated temperatures. The remarkable thermal stability of the light emission may be due to the large energy bandgap of the material, as well as to the optical inactivity of material defects in the GaN film. In this paper we present recent developments concerning the luminescence characteristics of Er-doped GaN thins films. We have used two methods for doping GaN films with Er ions, ion implantation and in-situ incorporation during gas source metal-organic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE). Bandedge (at ∼ 0.34 µm) and infrared (at ∼ 1.54 µm) photoluminescence (PL) spectra have been measured for both types of Er-doped GaN films. Considerably different emission spectra have been observed depending upon the incorporation method and the heat treatment procedure. In situ Er-doped GaN layers have been processed into hybrid light emitting devices and emission spectra at 1.54 µm have been measured.
RBS Lattice Site Location and Damage Recovery Studies in GaN
Authors: Alves E. , DaSilva M.F. , Soares J.C. , Bartels J. , Vianden R. , Abernathy C.R. , Pearton S.J.
Published: January 2018

Erbium was implanted with 160 keV at doses between 5×1014 and 5×1015 at/cm2 into (0001) epitaxial GaN on sapphire and annealed at various temperatures between 600° and 1000° C. The RBS/Channeling technique was used to analyze the damage recovery during different annealing steps and to determine the lattice location of the implanted Er. For a sample implanted with 5×1014 and annealed for 30 min at 600° C a complete overlap of the Er and Ga angular scans across the <0001> axis was observed, indicating that 100% of Er occupies substitutional sites. Measurements along the <10 1> channel show that Er is located on Ga sites. The damage recovery was slightly better for the samples co-implanted with the same dose of Oxygen in an overlapping profile (E=25 keV). However, a complete recovery of the damage caused by the implantation was not achieved. Samples implanted with higher Er and O doses (5×1015 at/cm2 ) and at the same energies as above were annealed at 600° for 30 min and at 900°, 1000° C for 120 s using a proximity cap. The higher dose caused an almost complete amorphisation of the surface layer. After annealing indications of epitaxial regrowth were observed, however, the substitutional fraction remains substantially lower and the damage recovery is less complete.
Defect Luminescence in Heavily Mg Doped GaN
Authors: Reshchikov M. A. , Yi G.-C. , Wessels B. W.
Published: January 2018

Behavior of the photoluminescence band at about 2.8 eV in heavily Mg doped GaN has been studied at different temperatures and excitation intensities. The 2.8 eV band is attributed to donor-acceptor transitions involving a Mg acceptor. The large blue shift of the band with increasing excitation intensity is explained by variation in the contribution of close and distant pairs to the luminescence. The red shift of the band with increasing temperature under high excitation intensity conditions results from thermal release of carriers from close pairs. The thermal activation energy of the deep donor, about 0.4 eV, is determined from the quenching of the 2.8 eV luminescence band at high temperatures.
¿Reforma silenciosa del Estado?: proceso político de la ley de Participación Público-Privada en Uruguay
Authors: Fuentes Guillermo
Published: January 2018

Resumen La aprobación de la ley de Participación Público-Privada en Uruguay, en el año 2011, puede ser vista como un indicador de un cambio de paradigma en relación al vínculo entre Estado y mercado, a pesar de que la misma no ha sido enmarcada como un eje importante de “Reforma del Estado”. Tomando como ejemplo el proceso político que dio forma a la ley en el caso uruguayo, se evidencia la inexistencia de consensos políticos, y la ausencia o escasez de debate al interior del Frente Amplio en relación a estos temas. Por lo tanto, las marchas y contramarchas producto del ciclo político-electoral, pero sobre todo por la dificultad de construir acuerdos sobre el instrumento, determinan que los cambios en los liderazgos sectoriales y de gobierno le impriman inevitablemente rasgos de gradualidad y pragmatismo que afectarán necesariamente el impacto de los cambios, y dificultan la adopción de estrategias de desarrollo sistémicas.
Infection of the muscle tissue of the filter-feeding cichlid, Chaetobranchopsis orbicularis Steindachner, 1875, by Kudoa orbicularis (Myxozoa: Multivalvulidae) on Marajó Island in the Brazilian Amazon region
Authors: Sindeaux-Neto J.L. , Velasco M. , Santos P. , Matos P. , Matos E.
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT This study describes aspects of infections caused by the myxosporidian Kudoa orbicularis in filter-feeding cichlids, Chaetobranchopsis orbicularis, caught in the Arari River in the municipality of Cachoeira do Arari, on Marajó Island, Pará, Brazil. The parasite forms pseudocysts scattered throughout the striated epaxial and hypaxial muscles. Samples embedded in paraffin were analyzed histologically using hematoxylin-eosin, Gömöri, Ziehl-Neelsen, and Giemsa staining. Necropsy of the C. orbicularis specimens revealed that 100% (50/50) were infected with K. orbicularis. The specimens presented grossly abnormal muscle texture, resulting in extensive inconsistencies and weakness. Progressive softening of the muscles was observed during necropsy, indicating the rapid enzymatic autolysis of the tissue. The parasite found in the muscle tissue of C. orbicularis was identified as K. orbicularis, with clinical signs of disease being observed in the fish. The necropsy revealed extensive damage to the host organism, with well-established fibrocystic infections in the muscle fibers, associated with post mortem myoliquefaction.
Nitric oxide and immune response in infection control of Caseous Lymphadenitis
Authors: Oliveira Neto M.G. , Santos H.A. , Fraga R.E. , Pacheco A.S. , Sampaio G.P. , Moura-Costa L.F. , Meyer R. , Silva M. Costa , Trindade S.C. , Vale V.L.C.
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate aspects of host immune response using an experimental infection model of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (CP) in C57/Black6 wild-type and knockout for nitric oxide (KO-NO) mice. 28 mice were evaluated: 4 wild-type controls; 10 wild-type infected with CP; 4 KO-NO controls; 10 KO-NO infected with CP. Infection procedures were carried out by intraperitoneal inoculation using 107. Infected C57/Black6 KO-NO mice began to die after the 5° day post-inoculation, up until the 14º day. Neutrophils were found in increased numbers in the infiltrate of KO-NO murine peritoneal cavities. Examination of splenic tissue revealed an accumulation of lymphocytes, predominantly CD8 T-cells, in experimental animal groups. KO-NO animals were found to have a predominance of granulomas 7 days post-inoculation, primarily in the lymph nodes. In addition, greater amounts of bacteria were recovered from the mesenteric lymph nodes of KO-NO mice. There was no statistically significant difference in the levels of total IgG and its subclasses 14 days post-inoculation between KO-NO and wild groups. The results suggest the importance of nitric oxide in the process of controlling CP infection, as KO-NO animals were observed to be markedly more affected by infection with this bacterium.
Qualidade da carne de ovinos terminados em confinamento com dietas com silagens de diferentes cultivares de sorgo
Authors: Gois G.C. , Santos E.M. , Sousa W.H. , Ramos J.P.F. , Azevedo P.S. , Oliveira J.S. , Pereira G.A. , Perazzo A.F.
Published: January 2018

RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar a influência de dietas contendo silagem de diferentes cultivares de sorgo sobre as características físicas e químicas na carne de ovinos sem padrão racial definido, com idade entre cinco e sete meses e peso vivo médio de 17,7±3,7kg, alimentados com dietas contendo silagem de diferentes cultivares de sorgo. O experimento foi conduzido na Estação Experimental Pendência, pertencente à Empresa Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária - Emepa, tendo um período experimental de 42 dias. Utilizou-se um delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com cinco tratamentos (silagem de sorgo BRS 610, BRS 655, BRS 800, BRS 810 e Ponta Negra) e sete repetições. Ao atingirem o peso de abate de 26,24kg, os animais foram encaminhados ao abate. Procedeu-se à análise do pH, da cor, da perda de peso por cocção, da força de cisalhamento, bem como à determinação de umidade, proteínas, cinzas e lipídeos totais no músculo Longissimus dorsi. As dietas não influenciaram os parâmetros de pH (5,64), cor (L*23,13, a* 18,00, b*15,78), perdas de peso por cocção (34,43%), umidade (72,53%), proteína (24,08%), cinzas (1,09%) e lipídeos (2,99%). A força de cisalhamento diferiu entre as dietas, com a silagem do cultivar BRS 655 propiciando uma carne mais macia (2,10kgf/cm2). As silagens de sorgo utilizadas na confecção das dietas de cordeiros em confinamento não interferem nas características de qualidade da carne de ovinos sem padrão racial definido. Dietas contendo silagem de sorgo granífero BRS 655 proporcionaram uma carne mais macia.
Efeito da adição do ácido linoleico conjugado no cultivo in vitro de embriões F1 Holandês x Zebu na sobrevivência pós-vitrificação
Authors: Leite A.C. , Andrade V.B. , Silva E.B.M. , Borges A.M.
Published: January 2018

RESUMO Avaliou-se o efeito da adição do ácido linoleico conjugado (CLA) ao meio de cultivo in vitro na viabilidade pós-vitrificação de embriões F1 Holandês x Zebu. Foram utilizados três meios de cultivo: controle (n=340 oócitos): meio SOF e soro fetal bovino (SFB), sem o CLA; SFB+CLA (n=359 oócitos): meio SOF, SFB e CLA; CLA (n=339 oócitos): meio SOF e CLA, sem o SFB. Todos os blastocistos produzidos foram submetidos à vitrificação, pelo método de Open Pulled Straw. Quinze blastocistos de cada tratamento foram fixados para quantificação lipídica por coloração com Sudan Black B. Para avaliar a viabilidade embrionária, foi observada a capacidade de reexpansão e eclosão pós-aquecimento dos embriões (controle=27; SFB+CLA=30; CLA=17). Foram realizadas transferências em um ou dois embriões por receptora para avaliação da sobrevivência in vivo: T1 [receptoras que receberam um blastocisto (n=17 embriões, sendo controle=5, SFB+CLA=6 e CLA=6)]; T2 [receptoras que receberam dois blastocistos, (n= 54 embriões, sendo controle=18, SFB+CLA=14 e CLA=22)]. Não houve diferença nas taxas de clivagem (62,1%; 74,0%; 74,0% para controle; SFB+CLA; CLA, respectivamente), produção de blastocistos em relação aos clivados (59,7%; 47,7%; 38,3% para controle; SFB+CLA; CLA, respectivamente) e produção de blastocistos em relação ao total de oócitos (37,1%; 35,4%; 28,3% para controle; SFB+CLA; CLA, respectivamente) (P>0,05). Houve diminuição de gotículas lipídicas nos embriões cultivados em meio suplementado com CLA em relação aos embriões cultivados na presença do SFB e na ausência do CLA (P<0,05). A taxa de reexpansão foi maior no grupo controle (70,4%) em relação ao CLA (47,1%) e menor no grupo SFB+CLA (43,3%) (P<0,05). O CLA foi eficaz em reduzir a deposição de lipídeos intracitoplasmáticos nas células embrionárias, porém não houve diferença de viabilidade após a desvitrificação dos embriões.