bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Timing of paraglacial rock‐slope failures and denudation signatures in the Cantabrian Mountains (North Iberian Peninsula)
Authors: Rodríguez‐Rodríguez Laura , González‐Lemos Saúl , Ballesteros Daniel , Valenzuela Pablo , Domínguez‐Cuesta María José , Llana‐Fúnez Sergio , Jiménez‐Sánchez Montserrat
Published: May 2018

Glacial erosion of hillslopes and stress changes induced by the transition from glacial to nonglacial conditions exert a strong influence on slope instability and are considered among the scope of paraglacial geomorphology. Failure mechanisms and coupling between paraglacial rock‐slope failures (RSFs) and fluvial erosion are difficult to define. Here we show a preliminary spatio‐temporal framework of paraglacial RSFs in a small catchment of the central Cantabrian Mountains, the San Isidro valley, with a dense concentration of RSFs. Preliminary radiocarbon dates obtained from two floodplain sequences deposited upstream from RSFs indicate that their sedimentation started as consequence of valley impoundment by RSFs after glacier retreat (after approximately 16.1 ka), consistent with the deglaciation pattern of nearby valleys. RSFs continued during the Holocene. Glacier erosion, debuttressing, and stress‐release conditions played an important role in slope destabilization as preparatory factors in all cases and probably triggered the oldest events. However, the long prefailure endurance (approximately 12 ka) between RSFs points to other factors such as rainfall and fluvial down‐cutting of hillslopes as triggers for Holocene events. Postglacial fluvial incision rates of 2.2–2.5 mm a−1 were estimated along gullies carved into bedrock areas nonaffected by RSFs. These values are one order of magnitude higher than previous rates based on other geomorphological proxies (~ 0.2 mm a−1), suggesting accelerated fluvial incision following the last deglaciation. Local RSFs contributed to increase in fluvial incision rates by a factor of three. This study provides a quantitative perspective of postglacial land degradation relevant for understanding postorogenic landscape evolution.
Identification of novel mutations causing pediatric cataract in Bhutan, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka
Authors: Javadiyan Shari , Lucas Sionne E. M. , Wangmo Dechen , Ngy Meng , Edussuriya Kapila , Craig Jamie E. , Rudkin Adam , Casson Robert , Selva Dinesh , Sharma Shiwani , Lower Karen M. , Meucke James , Burdon Kathryn P.
Published: May 2018

Background

Pediatric cataract is an important cause of blindness and visual impairment in children. A large proportion of pediatric cataracts are inherited, and many genes have been described for this heterogeneous Mendelian disease. Surveys of schools for the blind in Bhutan, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka have identified many children with this condition and we aimed to identify the genetic causes of inherited cataract in these populations.

Methods

We screened, in parallel, 51 causative genes for inherited cataracts in 33 probands by Ampliseq enrichment and sequencing on an Ion Torrent PGM. Rare novel protein coding variants were assessed for segregation in family members, where possible, by Sanger sequencing.

Results

We identified 24 rare (frequency <1% in public databases) or novel protein coding variants in 12 probands and confirmed segregation of variants with disease in the extended family where possible. Of these, six are predicted to be the cause of disease in the patient, with four other variants also highly likely to be pathogenic.

Conclusion

This study found that 20%–30% of patients in these countries have a mutation in a known cataract causing gene, which is considerably lower than the 60%–70% reported in Caucasian cohorts. This suggests that additional cataract genes remain to be discovered in this cohort of Asian pediatric cataract patients.
A nonlinear problem for the Laplace equation with a degenerating Robin condition
Authors: Musolino Paolo , Mishuris Gennady
Published: May 2018

We investigate the behavior of the solutions of a mixed problem for the Laplace equation in a domain Ω. On a part of the boundary∂Ω, we consider a Neumann condition, whereas in another part, we consider a nonlinear Robin condition, which depends on a positive parameterδin such a way that forδ = 0 it degenerates into a Neumann condition. Forδsmall and positive, we prove that the boundary value problem has a solutionu(δ,·). We describe what happens tou(δ,·) asδ→0 by means of representation formulas in terms of real analytic maps. Then, we confine ourselves to the linear case, and we compute explicitly the power series expansion of the solution.
Isodose feature‐preserving voxelization (IFPV) for radiation therapy treatment planning
Authors: Liu Hongcheng , Xing Lei
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Inverse planning involves iterative optimization of a large number of parameters and is known to be a labor‐intensive procedure. To reduce the scale of computation and improve characterization of isodose plan, this paper presents an isodose feature‐preserving voxelization (IFPV) framework for radiation therapy applications and demonstrates an implementation of inverse planning in the IFPV domain.

Methods

A dose distribution in IFPV scheme is characterized by partitioning the voxels into subgroups according to their geometric and dosimetric values. Computationally, the isodose feature‐preserving (IFP) clustering combines the conventional voxels that are spatially and dosimetrically close into physically meaningful clusters. A K‐means algorithm and support vector machine (SVM) runs sequentially to group the voxels into IFP clusters. The former generates initial clusters according to the geometric and dosimetric information of the voxels and SVM is invoked to improve the connectivity of the IFP clusters. To illustrate the utility of the formalism, an inverse planning framework in the IFPV domain is implemented, and the resultant plans of three prostate IMRT and one head‐and‐neck cases are compared quantitatively with that obtained using conventional inverse planning technique.

Results

The IFPV generates models with significant dimensionality reduction without compromising the spatial resolution seen in traditional downsampling schemes. The implementation of inverse planning in IFPV domain is demonstrated. In addition to the improved computational efficiency, it is found that, for the cases studied here, the IFPV‐domain inverse planning yields better treatment plans than that of DVH‐based planning, primarily because of more effective use of both geometric and dose information of the system during plan optimization.

Conclusions

The proposed IFPV provides a low parametric representation of isodose plan without compromising the essential characteristics of the plan, thus providing a practically valuable framework for various applications in radiation therapy.
Direct estimation of 17O MR images (DIESIS) for quantification of oxygen metabolism in the human brain with partial volume correction
Authors: Kurzhunov Dmitry , Borowiak Robert , Reisert Marco , Özen Ali Caglar , Bock Michael
Published: May 2018

Purpose

To provide a data post‐processing method that corrects for partial volume effects (PVE) and fast

decay in dynamic 17O MRI for the mapping of cerebral metabolic rates of oxygen consumption (CMRO2).

Methods

CMRO2 is altered in neurodegenerative diseases and tumors and can be measured after 17O gas inhalation using dynamic 17O MRI. CMRO2 quantification is difficult because of PVE. To correct for PVE, a direct estimation of the MR images (DIESIS) method is proposed and used in 4 dynamic 17O MRI data sets of a healthy volunteer acquired on a 3T MRI system. With DIESIS, 17O MR signal time curves in selected regions were directly estimated based on parcellation of a coregistered 1H MPRAGE image.

Results

Profile likelihood analysis of the DIESIS method showed identifiability of CMRO2. In white matter (WM), DIESES reduced CMRO2 from 0.97 ± 0.25 µmol/gtissue/min with Kaiser‐Bessel gridding reconstruction to 0.85 ± 0.21 µmol/gtissue/min, whereas in gray matter (GM) it increases from 1.3 ± 0.31 µmol/gtissue/min to 1.86 ± 0.36 µmol/gtissue/min; both values are closer to the literature values from the 15O‐PET studies.

Conclusion

DIESIS provided an increased separation of CMRO2 values in GM and WM brain regions and corrected for partial volume effects in 17O‐MRI inhalation experiments. DIESIS could also be applied to more heterogeneous tissues such as glioblastomas if subregions of the tumor can be represented as additional parcels.
Accelerated 3D‐GRASE imaging improves quantitative multiple post labeling delay arterial spin labeling
Authors: Boland Markus , Stirnberg Rüdiger , Pracht Eberhard D. , Kramme Johanna , Viviani Roberto , Stingl Julia , Stöcker Tony
Published: May 2018

Purpose

To investigate the impact of accelerated, single‐shot 3D‐GRASE acquisition on quantitative arterial spin labeling (ASL) with multiple and single post‐labeling delay (PLD) in terms of perfusion‐weighted SNR per unit scan time (TSNRPW) and quantification accuracy.

Methods

Five subjects were scanned on a 3T MRI scanner using the pseudo‐continuous arterial spin labeling (PCASL) technique with a 3D‐GRASE imaging sequence capable of parallel imaging acceleration. A 3‐inversion pulse background suppression was simulated and implemented in the sequence. Three time‐matched single PLD measurements, a segmented one without acceleration, 1 with conventional GRAPPA, and 1 with CAIPIRINHA sampling, were used to compare TSNRPW. Three time‐matched multiple PLD measurements with the identical imaging parameters were additionally evaluated (no acceleration vs. CAIPIRINHA sampling vs. CAIPIRINHA sampling with doubled number of PLDs). Cerebral blood flow and arterial transit time fit uncertainties were compared and used as a quality measure.

Results

The single PLD measurements show an 11% TSNRPW increase using CAIPIRINHA sampling instead of GRAPPA sampling, while the non‐accelerated scan exhibits 35% higher TSNRPW compared to the GRAPPA scan. However, taking advantage of the increased number of averages for multiple PLD acquisitions, a 14%/16% (gray matter) and 34%/36% (white matter) reduction of CBF fit uncertainty is observed with CAIPIRINHA sampling (6 PLDs/12 PLDs) compared to no acceleration.

Conclusion

Accelerated single‐shot 3D‐GRASE with PCASL allows for smaller quantification uncertainties than time‐matched segmented acquisitions. Corresponding single‐shot acquisitions with acceptable blurring and no intra‐volume motion render state‐of‐the‐art ASL methods in a clinically feasible time possible.
Effect of head motion on MRI B0 field distribution
Authors: Liu Jiaen , de Zwart Jacco A. , van Gelderen Peter , Murphy‐Boesch Joseph , Duyn Jeff H.
Published: May 2018

Purpose

To identify and characterize the sources of B0 field changes due to head motion, to reduce motion sensitivity in human brain MRI.

Methods

B0 fields were measured in 5 healthy human volunteers at various head poses. After measurement of the total field, the field originating from the subject was calculated by subtracting the external field generated by the magnet and shims. A subject‐specific susceptibility model was created to quantify the contribution of the head and torso. The spatial complexity of the field changes was analyzed using spherical harmonic expansion.

Results

Minor head pose changes can cause substantial and spatially complex field changes in the brain. For rotations and translations of approximately 5 º and 5 mm, respectively, at 7 T, the field change that is associated with the subject's magnetization generates a standard deviation (SD) of about 10 Hz over the brain. The stationary torso contributes to this subject‐associated field change significantly with a SD of about 5 Hz. The subject‐associated change leads to image‐corrupting phase errors in multi‐shot ‐weighted acquisitions.

Conclusion

The B0 field changes arising from head motion are problematic for multishot ‐weighted imaging. Characterization of the underlying sources provides new insights into mitigation strategies, which may benefit from individualized predictive field models in addition to real‐time field monitoring and correction strategies.
Investigation of porous structure polymeric materials based on 1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone
Authors: Maciejewska Malgorzata , Zaleski Radoslaw , Gorgol Marek
Published: May 2018

Highly cross‐linked porous copolymers of 1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone with divinylbenzene were obtained in the form of microspheres by the free‐radical cross‐linking copolymerization. The porous structure of the copolymers was created by the use of adequate diluents and stabilizers. The main parameters of the porous structure were determined by nitrogen adsorption/desorption method and positronium annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. It was shown that the determined parameters strongly depend on the chosen approach.
Study on the coil–globule transition and dynamics of polymer chain confined in slit
Authors: Luo Meng‐Bo , Tian Ran‐Ran , Yang Xiao , Huang Jian‐Hua , Mamat Mamatrishat
Published: May 2018

The coil–globule transition and dynamics of a lattice self‐avoiding bond fluctuation polymer chain confined in slit are studied by Monte Carlo simulations. The coil–globule transition temperature of polymer chain is increased at intermediate slit height H (H ∼ RG0 with RG0 the radius of gyration of polymer in dilute solution) due to the squeeze of the polymer in the repulsive slit, but it is decreased by surface attraction as the polymer is extended along the surface. We have compared the difference between the rotational relaxation time τR for the reorientation of end‐to‐end vector and the relaxation time τ for the polymer diffusing over a distance of the size of polymer. We find that τR is clearly distinct from τ as they have different scaling exponents in their slit height‐dependent behaviors
and
for the polymer in the extended coil state, that is, αR > α. And both exponents increase with an increase in the intrapolymer attraction and surface attraction. However, these scaling relations are destroyed by strong surface attraction when the polymer is adsorbed on surfaces. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018, 56, 1053–1062
Child symptoms, parent behaviors, and family strain in long‐term survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Huang I‐Chan , Brinkman Tara M. , Mullins Larry , Pui Ching‐Hon , Robison Leslie L. , Hudson Melissa M. , Krull Kevin R.
Published: May 2018

Objective

How family environment and parental factors affect health status and symptoms in childhood cancer survivors is understudied. We examined the influence of family cohesion, parent distress, and overprotection on child symptom burden and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and family strain in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Methods

Parents of 213 children treated with chemotherapy only completed a survey when survivors were at least 5‐year postdiagnosis. Family Environment Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory‐18, Parent Protection Scale, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and Impact on Family were used to assess family cohesion, parental distress, overprotection, child symptom burden and HRQOL, and family strain, respectively. Path analysis was conducted to quantify effects of family cohesion on family strain through parental distress, overprotection, child symptoms, and HRQOL.

Results

Lower family cohesion (β = 0.06, 95% CI, 0.01‐0.13), higher parental distress (β = 0.35, 95% CI, 0.20‐0.45), and overprotection (β = 0.17, 95% CI, 0.01‐0.32) were associated with more child symptom burden. More symptom burden were associated with poorer child HRQOL (β = 0.66, 95% CI, 0.57‐0.75), which in turn was associated with more family strain (β = 0.11, 95% CI, 0.01‐0.22). Lower maternal education was associated with overprotection (β = −0.23, 95% CI, −0.33 to −0.12), more child symptoms (β = −0.30, 95% CI, −0.41 to −0.16), poorer child HRQOL (β = −0.36, 95% CI, −0.46 to −0.21), and more family strain (β = −0.15, 95% CI, −0.23 to −0.08).

Conclusions

Family and parental factors contributed to health outcomes of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors. Interventions to enhance family cohesion, decrease parental distress and overprotection, and ameliorate child symptoms may improve family functioning.
Micromechanical Investigation of Debonding Processes in Composite Solid Propellants
Authors: Li Gaochun , Wang Yufeng , Jiang Aiming , Yang Ming , Li JinFei
Published: May 2018

The micromechanical damage of a composite solid propellant was observed by in situ scanning electron microscopy. Based on the damage characteristics, a cohesive interfacial element was adopted to model the debonding processes along the particles and the binder interface. The effects of interfacial strength and microcracks in the binder on the debonding process of propellant were also examined. The results show that interfacial debonding is the propellant's main failure mode under tension. Finite element method analyses with a cohesive interfacial element could predict the heterogeneous strain and stress fields as well as the processes of the particles separated from the binder. Interfacial strength plays a significant role in macroscopic behaviors of the propellant. Microcracks in the binder significantly influence the debonding process. The numerical simulation results reasonably reflect the corresponding experimental results. These results provide the basis for the prediction of mechanical properties and the optimal design of the composite solid propellant.
X‐ray crystal structures of the type IVb secretion system DotB ATPases
Authors: Prevost Marie S. , Waksman Gabriel
Published: May 2018

Human infections by the intracellular bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila result in a severe form of pneumonia, the Legionnaire's disease. L. pneumophila utilizes a Type IVb secretion (T4bS) system termed “dot/icm” to secrete protein effectors to the host cytoplasm. The dot/icm system is powered at least in part by a functionally critical AAA+ ATPase, a protein called DotB, thought to belong to the VirB11 family of proteins. Here we present the crystal structure of DotB at 3.19 Å resolution, in its hexameric form. We observe that DotB is in fact a structural intermediate between VirB11 and PilT family proteins, with a PAS‐like N‐terminal domain coupled to a RecA‐like C‐terminal domain. It also shares critical structural elements only found in PilT. The structure also reveals two conformers, termed α and β, with an αβαβαβ configuration. The existence of α and β conformers in this class of proteins was confirmed by solving the structure of DotB from another bacterial pathogen, Yersinia, where, intriguingly, we observed an ααβααβ configuration. The two conformers co‐exist regardless of the nucleotide‐bound states of the proteins. Our investigation therefore reveals that these ATPases can adopt a wider range of conformational states than was known before, shedding new light on the extraordinary spectrum of conformations these ATPases can access to carry out their function. Overall, the structure of DotB provides a template for further rational drug design to develop more specific antibiotics to tackle Legionnaire's disease.

PDB Code(s): Will; be; provided
Predator performance: inferring predator switching behaviors based on nutritional indices in a coccinellid–psylla–aphid system
Authors: Jalali M Amin , Mehrnejad M Reza , Ellsworth Peter C , Ranjbar Fateme , Ziaaddini Mahdi
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND

Knowledge of the nutritional ecology of predatory coccinellids is important for the selection of efficient biocontrol agents. We examined five species common in pistachio orchards and determined their nutritional indices
when fed on the key psylla pest of the system, Agonoscena pistaciae, in contrast to an alternative prey common on herbaceous plants in orchards, Aphis gossypii.

RESULTS

Feeding experiments revealed that Oenopia conglobata contaminata and Adalia bipunctata may be more efficient as biocontrol agents for A. pistaciae than for A. gossypii, as A. bipunctata had a high efficiency of conversion of ingested food and a high relative growth rate and O. conglobata contaminata had a high consumption index on psylla prey. In contrast, the nutritional indices of Coccinella undecimpunctata aegyptica, Hippodamia variegata and Exochomus nigripennis suggest that A. gossypii was a more suitable host food.

CONCLUSION

Where both the psyllids and the aphids occur in pistachio orchards, especially under conditions of unlimited access to A. gossypii, C. undecimpunctata aegyptica, H. variegata and E. nigripennis may prefer to move from psylla‐infested leaves of pistachio trees and travel to and stay on weeds to feed on A. gossypii. The value of using nutritional ecology as a means of understanding and predicting biocontrol outcomes and selecting better candidates for mass rearing is discussed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Experimental and Numerical Analyzes of a Sensor Based on Interdigitated Electrodes for Studying Microbiological Alterations
Authors: Jildeh Zaid B. , Oberländer Jan , Kirchner Patrick , Keusgen Michael , Wagner Patrick H. , Schöning Michael J.
Published: May 2018

In this work, a cell‐based biosensor to evaluate the sterilization efficacy of hydrogen peroxide vapor sterilization processes is characterized. The transducer of the biosensor is based on interdigitated gold electrodes fabricated on an inert glass substrate. Impedance spectroscopy is applied to evaluate the sensor behavior and the alteration of test microorganisms due to the sterilization process. These alterations are related to changes in relative permittivity and electrical conductivity of the bacterial spores. Sensor measurements are conducted with and without bacterial spores (Bacillus atrophaeus), as well as after an industrial sterilization protocol. Equivalent two‐dimensional numerical models based on finite element method of the periodic finger structures of the interdigitated gold electrodes are designed and validated using COMSOL® Multiphysics software by the application of known dielectric properties. The validated models are used to compute the electrical properties at different sensor states (blank, loaded with spores, and after sterilization). As a final result, we will derive and tabulate the frequency‐dependent electrical parameters of the spore layer using a novel model that combines experimental data with numerical optimization techniques.
Fabrication of SiC‐Treated P(VDF‐HFP)‐(BFO‐SO3H) Composite Films for High Performance Energy Storage Device (HPESD) Applications
Authors: Mishra Mukesh K. , Moharana Srikanta , Mahaling Ram N.
Published: May 2018

In this work, −SO3H functionalized BiFeO3(BFO‐SO3H) is prepared and its utility toward the development of polymer‐(BFO‐SO3H) composites is explored in line with silicon carbide (SiC) as third phase conductive filler, which can be used in the field of high performance electrical storage device (HPESD). Surface functionalization plays a vital role to reduce the agglomeration and improve their surface area for better adhesion with the polymer matrix (polyvinylidene fluoride hexafluoro propylene; P(VDF‐HFP)). SiC directly influences the conducting networks of BFO‐SO3H favoring high electrical properties of the composites. Similarly, the high remanent polarizations of the SiC‐treated composites indicate their enhanced ferroelectric behavior as compared to that of untreated one. Thus the SiC‐treated polymer‐ceramic composites will be more advantageous for HPESD applications than that of untreated one.
Mitigating Light and Elevated Temperature Induced Degradation in Multicrystalline Silicon Wafers and PERC Solar Cells Using Phosphorus Diffusion Gettering
Authors: Chakraborty Sagnik , Huang Ying , Wilson Marshall , Aberle Armin G. , Li Joel B.
Published: May 2018

Reducing light and elevated temperature induced degradation (LeTID) is important for the industrial success of PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) solar cells fabricated on high‐performance multicrystalline silicon (multi‐Si) wafers. Although there has been a lot of progress in understanding the degradation kinetics, the defect(s) responsible for LeTID in multi‐Si wafers at elevated temperatures (≈80 °C, 1 Sun) has yet to be identified. In this study, the authors look at the possibility of using phosphorus diffusion gettering (PDG) for reducing LeTID in multi‐Si wafers and solar cells. By measuring light induced defect concentrations in multi‐Si wafers before and after LeTID, the authors observe that PDG can substantially reduce the average defect concentration. Trace element analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry reveals that multi‐Si wafers from the edge of the ingot contain a high concentration of Cu, Ni and Ti in grains that degrade more than neighboring grains. To explore PDG for reducing LeTID in multi‐Si PERC solar cells, the authors fabricate cells with two different emitter profiles. Etching back a heavily diffused emitter to obtain a high sheet resistance is observed to improve the LeTID performance of the solar cells, an effect that is very likely related to a reduced impurity concentration within the wafer.
A Chinese route to sustainability: Postsocialist transitions and the construction of ecological civilization
Authors: Liu Chen , Chen Lily , Vanderbeck Robert M. , Valentine Gill , Zhang Mei , Diprose Kristina , McQuaid Katie
Published: May 2018

This article explores the concept of sustainability in a postsocialist context through an analysis of official discourses relating to sustainability in more than 700 articles published in the Chinese‐language newspaper People's Daily in 2015. The Chinese conception of sustainability, which emerges as a top‐down model built upon traditional ideologies and Chinese socialist legacies, inclusive of economic growth, environmental sustainability, social justice and quality of life. This Chinese official discourse of sustainability places less emphasis on individuals' rights and more on the state's interests, and is encompassed in the Chinese concept of the “ecological civilization.” This article argues that if we are to build a full picture of the internationalized idea of sustainability we need to adopt a more international approach to thinking about the issue, drawing upon the sustainability‐related discourses constructed from different national contexts using local languages and rhetoric.
Ultrahigh sensitivity SIMS analysis of oxygen in silicon
Authors: Jakiela R. , Barcz A. , Sarnecki J. , Celler G.K.
Published: May 2018

We report on the detection of very low oxygen concentration in silicon by a secondary‐ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) method. Using a magnetic IMS 6F Cameca SIMS spectrometer and applying a very high primary Cs+ ion flux, prolonged presputtering, extensive vacuum chamber baking, titanium sublimation pump, and an LN trap, we have reached a detection limit of ~2 × 1015 O atoms/cm3 in chemical vapor deposition epitaxial Si films. This value appears to be at least 10 times lower than in any published or unpublished source known to the authors, including the reference sensitivities listed by the instrument manufacturer. Most likely, the key improvement that has allowed us to drive the detection limit to 1015 at/cm3 is the use of an ion pump in the analysis chamber. The working pressure in our analysis chamber is ~10−10 Thorr, ie, 1 decade lower than that the commercially equipped with a turbo pump. This paper demonstrates optimized analytical conditions for the oxygen measurements in Si, as a function of depth: (i) Very shallow profiles are practically impossible to measure accurately because of native oxide at the surface. (ii) Shallow‐to‐medium range profiles, up to ~20 μm, are the most amenable to SIMS measurements. (iii) Medium‐to‐deep (~20‐50 μm) range is required to follow interdiffusion and segregation in epitaxial layers when the oxygen‐free layer is grown on a CZ Si substrate. (iv) Extremely deep profiles, up to full thickness of the wafer, definitely necessitate beveling.
Effects of gold‐induced crystallization process on the structural and electrical properties of germanium thin films
Authors: Kabacelik Ismail , Kulakci Mustafa , Turan Rasit , Unal Nuri
Published: May 2018

Gold‐induced (Au‐) crystallization of amorphous germanium (α‐Ge) thin films was investigated by depositing Ge on aluminum‐doped zinc oxide and glass substrates through electron beam evaporation at room temperature. The influence of the postannealing temperatures on the structural properties of the Ge thin films was investigated by employing Raman spectra, X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The Raman and X‐ray diffraction results indicated that the Au‐induced crystallization of the Ge films yielded crystallization at temperature as low as 300°C for 1 hour. The amount of crystallization fraction and the film quality were improved with increasing the postannealing temperatures. The scanning electron microscopy images show that Au clusters are found on the front surface of the Ge films after the films were annealed at 500°C for 1 hour. This suggests that Au atoms move toward the surface of Ge film during annealing. The effects of annealing temperatures on the electrical conductivity of Ge films were investigated through current‐voltage measurements. The room temperature conductivity was estimated as 0.54 and 0.73 Scm−1 for annealed samples grown on aluminum‐doped zinc oxide and glass substrates, respectively. These findings could be very useful to realize inexpensive Ge‐based electronic and photovoltaic applications.
Subsurface investigation of the surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane by 172‐nm vacuum ultraviolet irradiation using ToF‐SIMS and VUV spectrometry
Authors: Hashimoto Yuki , Matsuzawa Satoshi , Yamamoto Takatoki
Published: May 2018

We investigate the mechanism of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface modification by 172‐nm vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light. Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and optical spectrometry are used to measure the chemical composition and VUV transmittance of the PDMS before and after surface modification, respectively. For modified samples of bulk PDMS, the VUV transmittance and the depth of the modified region increased with increasing VUV dose. This can be explained by the following self‐reinforcing cycle of (1) modification of PDMS by VUV light to a more silica‐like composition, (2) improvement of the VUV light transparency, and (3) deeper modification. For thin‐film samples of PDMS formed on sapphire substrates, the transmittance at 172 nm also increased with increasing VUV dose and exceeded that of sapphire in the region from 172 to 300 nm. Finally, thin‐film samples of PDMS formed on silicon substrates, which function as a VUV reflector, were also investigated. For these samples, the secondary ion depth profiles for several chemical species in the PDMS were oscillatory, probably due to the interference of the incident and reflected VUV light. These results strongly suggest that the photon energy of the VUV light plays an important role in modifying PDMS.
The Extracellular Zn2+ Concentration Surrounding Excited Neurons Is High Enough to Bind Amyloid‐β Revealed by a Nanowire Transistor
Authors: Anand Ankur , Chi Chih‐Hung , Banerjee Subhasree , Chou Ming‐Yi , Tseng Fan‐Gang , Pan Chien‐Yuan , Chen Yit‐Tsong
Published: May 2018

The Zn2+ stored in the secretory vesicles of glutamatergic neurons is coreleased with glutamate upon stimulation, resulting in the elevation of extracellular Zn2+ concentration (). This elevation of regulates the neurotransmission and facilitates the fibrilization of amyloid‐β (Aβ). However, the exact surrounding neurons under (patho)physiological conditions is not clear and the connection between and the Aβ fibrilization remains obscure. Here, a silicon nanowire field‐effect transistor (SiNW‐FET) with the Zn2+‐sensitive fluorophore, FluoZin‐3 (FZ‐3), to quantify the in real time is modified. This FZ‐3/SiNW‐FET device has a dissociation constant of ≈12 × 10−9m against Zn2+. By placing a coverslip seeded with cultured embryonic cortical neurons atop an FZ‐3/SiNW‐FET, the elevated to ≈110 × 10−9m upon stimulation with α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA). Blockers against the AMPA receptor or exocytosis greatly suppress this elevation, indicating that the Zn2+ stored in the synaptic vesicles is the major source responsible for this elevation of . In addition, a SiNW‐FET modified with Aβ could bind Zn2+ with a dissociation constant of ≈633 × 10−9m and respond to the Zn2+ released from AMPA‐stimulated neurons. Therefore, the can reach a level high enough to bind Aβ and the Zn2+ homeostasis can be a therapeutic strategy to prevent neurodegeneration.
Direct Evidence of Lithium Ion Migration in Resistive Switching of Lithium Cobalt Oxide Nanobatteries
Authors: Nguyen Van Son , Mai Van Huy , Auban Senzier Pascale , Pasquier Claude , Wang Kang , Rozenberg Marcelo J. , Brun Nathalie , March Katia , Jomard François , Giapintzakis John , Mihailescu Cristian N. , Kyriakides Evripides , Nukala Pavan , Maroutian Thomas , Agnus Guillaume , Lecoeur Philippe , Matzen Silvia , Aubert Pascal , Franger Sylvain , Salot Raphaël , Albouy Pierre‐Antoine , Alamarguy David , Dkhil Brahim , Chrétien Pascal , Schneegans Olivier
Published: May 2018

Lithium cobalt oxide nanobatteries offer exciting prospects in the field of nonvolatile memories and neuromorphic circuits. However, the precise underlying resistive switching (RS) mechanism remains a matter of debate in two‐terminal cells. Herein, intriguing results, obtained by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) 3D imaging, clearly demonstrate that the RS mechanism corresponds to lithium migration toward the outside of the LixCoO2 layer. These observations are very well correlated with the observed insulator‐to‐metal transition of the oxide. Besides, smaller device area experimentally yields much faster switching kinetics, which is qualitatively well accounted for by a simple numerical simulation. Write/erase endurance is also highly improved with downscaling – much further than the present cycling life of usual lithium‐ion batteries. Hence very attractive possibilities can be envisaged for this class of materials in nanoelectronics.
Recognizing persons in television programs using region‐based image features
Authors: Kawai Yoshihiko , Mochizuki Takahiro , Sano Masanori
Published: May 2018

Technology that can search efficiently for a desired scene is essential for the management of large‐scale TV program archives. A particularly common scenario of this sort is searching TV programs for scenes containing a specific person. There have been many previous studies on recognizing people in video footages. However, the recognition accuracy of their techniques drops significantly when people in the video appear under different lighting conditions, look in different directions, or have different facial expressions. In this paper, we propose a robust technique for recognizing persons in video, especially in television programs. Unlike the feature‐point‐based approach of the previous techniques, our method uses a new region‐based approach inspired by general object recognition. Since it does not require facial feature points to be detected, it improves the robustness of the recognition to image fluctuations that are often found in television programs. In experiments, we verified the effectiveness of our method by using it to conduct searches on approximately 150 TV drama episodes. We also demonstrated the superiority of our method in comparative tests with conventional methods. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Murder and the Law, 1752–1832
Authors: Tarlow Sarah , Battell Lowman Emma
Published: May 2018

The legislative framework for the key period of our research is set by the period during which the Murder Act was in force. Its passage and provisions are considered here, as are the alternative ways of strengthening the death penalty which were not in the end written into law. The numbers affected by the Murder Act were nowhere very high, but there was considerable geographical and chronological variation in the frequency with which the provisions of the Act were enacted in full: broadly being more aggressively implemented in the London area and the east of the country than in the west and north. In the nineteenth century the popularity of hanging in chains in particular declined to almost nothing. The effects of the Murder Act are hard to assess. By the early 1830s the savagery of its provisions, and its failure to provide anything like the number of cadavers necessary for scientific work had made it sufficiently unpopular that it was repealed and replaced with legislations that arguably substituted poverty for criminality to meet the demands of anatomists.
Anatomisation and Dissection
Authors: Tarlow Sarah , Battell Lowman Emma
Published: May 2018

The bodies of most of those executed under the Murder Act were sent for anatomical dissection by men of science. This blurred the line between scientific needs and judicial arrangements, and many medical men were unhappy about their co-option to the work of the executioner. This was especially so since short-drop hanging, the most commonly practised type of execution, often failed to kill criminals, so that their deaths often occurred on the dissection table rather than the scaffold. Procedures for the anatomisation and dissection of dead bodies varied geographically and took account of the multiple constituencies who wanted or needed access to them.
Folk Beliefs and Popular Tales
Authors: Tarlow Sarah , Battell Lowman Emma
Published: May 2018

Despite their relatively small number, the bodies of executed criminals exercised an impressive hold over the imaginations of writers, artists and storytellers. This chapter considers the range of artistic and creative afterlives of criminal bodies. Some criminals and their ends were remembered in anonymous folk ballads or ghoulish stories; others featured in works of published literature or art. The theatre of execution that was so significant in the late medieval and early modern periods remains a popular subject of artistic reinterpretation, as a brief discussion of the film Braveheart confirms.
Conclusions: Ethics, Bullet Points and Other Ways of Telling
Authors: Tarlow Sarah , Battell Lowman Emma
Published: May 2018

The bodies of the dead are often contentious sites for contemporary ethical decision making. A number of those ethical anxieties either have their roots in the deep past, or can usefully be examined in light of the history of how dead bodies have changed in meaning and value. The case of the soldiers ‘shot at dawn’ during the First World War for cowardice or desertion illuminates the way that both criminality and the meaning of a dead body can change after death. Finally this chapter draws out some of the main conclusions of the project, and reviews some of the possible interpretive frameworks within which the history of the criminal corpse during the period of the Murder Act might be understood.
Neutrino-electron scattering: general constraints on Z′ and dark photon models
Authors: Lindner Manfred , Queiroz Farinaldo S. , Rodejohann Werner , Xu Xun-Jie
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We study the framework of U(1)
X
models with kinetic mixing and/or mass mixing terms. We give general and exact analytic formulas of fermion gauge interactions and the cross sections of neutrino-electron scattering in such models. Then we derive limits on a variety of U(1)
X
models that induce new physics contributions to neutrino-electron scattering, taking into account interference between the new physics and Standard Model contributions. Data from TEXONO, CHARM-II and GEMMA are analyzed and shown to be complementary to each other to provide the most restrictive bounds on masses of the new vector bosons. In particular, we demonstrate the validity of our results to dark photon-like as well as light Z

′
models.
Improved Prognosis and Low Failure Rate with Anticoagulation as First‐Line Therapy in Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Salim S. , Zarrouk M. , Elf J. , Gottsäter A. , Ekberg O. , Acosta S.
Published: May 2018

Background

Monotherapy with anticoagulation has been considered as first‐line therapy in patients with mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT). The aim of this study was to evaluate outcome, prognostic factors, and failure rate of anticoagulation as monotherapy, and to identify when bowel resection was needed.

Methods

Retrospective study of consecutive patients with MVT diagnosed between 2000 and 2015.

Results

The overall incidence rate of MVT was 1.3/100,000 person‐years. Among 120 patients, seven died due to autopsy‐verified MVT without bowel resection and 15 underwent immediate bowel resection without prior anticoagulation therapy. The remaining 98 patients received anticoagulation monotherapy, whereof 83 (85%) were treated successfully. Fifteen patients failed on anticoagulation monotherapy, of whom seven underwent bowel resection and eight endovascular therapy. Endovascular therapy was followed by bowel resection in three patients. Two late bowel resections were performed due to intestinal stricture. The 30‐day mortality rate was 19.0% in the former (2000–2007) and 3.2% in the latter (2008–2015) part of the study period (p = 0.006). Age ≥75 years (OR 12.4, 95% CI [2.5–60.3]), management during the former as opposed to the latter time period (OR 8.4, 95% CI [1.3–54.7]), and renal insufficiency at admission (OR 8.0, 95% CI [1.2–51.6]) were independently associated with increased mortality in multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

Short‐term prognosis in patients with MVT has improved. Contemporary data show that monotherapy with anticoagulation is an effective first choice in MVT patients.
Reduction by Pelvic External Fixator Followed by Innominate and Derotational Femoral Osteotomies for Late Presenting Bilateral Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
Authors: Mikhail Teplenky , Waleed Mekki
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Bilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip is a challenging situation, closed and open reduction with or without pelvic and femoral osteotomies are all proposed.

Methods

We investigated the feasibility of closed ilizarov reduction combined with Salter and femoral osteotomy to provide stable concentric hips.

Results

We retrospectively reviewed 19 patients (38 hips). Tonnis Criteria, acetabular index and Center-edge angle were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. Acetabular index changed significantly (P<0,001), 80% were excellent or good according to Mckay, 25% were Ia and 69% were IIa Severin's criteria with at least three years follow-up.

Conclusion

The midterm overall results are favorable for application of this technique.
Performance of the French version of the 4AT for screening the elderly for delirium in the emergency department
Authors: Gagné Anne-Julie , Voyer Philippe , Boucher Valérie , Nadeau Alexandra , Carmichael Pierre-Hugues , Pelletier Mathieu , Gouin Emilie , Berthelot Simon , Daoust Raoul , Wilchesky Machelle , Richard Hélène , Pelletier Isabelle , Ballard Stephanie , Laguë Antoine , Émond Marcel
Published: May 2018

CLINICIAN’S CAPSULE

What is known about the topic?

Delirium is frequent in older inpatients but often goes undetected. A short tool, the 4 A’s Test (4AT), was created and validated for the detection of delirium.

What did this study ask?

This study compared the performance of the French version of the 4AT (4AT-F) with the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) for the screening of delirium.

What did this study find?

The 4AT-F was a fast and reliable screening tool for delirium in the emergency department (ED).

Why does this study matter to clinicians?

Because of its quick administration time, it allows for systematic screening of patients at risk of delirium and cognitive impairment.
Numerical study of turbulent separation bubbles with varying pressure gradient and Reynolds number
Authors: Coleman G. N. , Rumsey C. L. , Spalart P. R.
Published: May 2018

A family of cases each containing a small separation bubble is treated by direct numerical simulation (DNS), varying two parameters: the severity of the pressure gradients, generated by suction and blowing across the opposite boundary, and the Reynolds number. Each flow contains a well-developed entry region with essentially zero pressure gradient, and all are adjusted to have the same value for the momentum thickness, extrapolated from the entry region to the centre of the separation bubble. Combined with fully defined boundary conditions this will make comparisons with other simulations and turbulence models rigorous; we present results for a set of eight Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes turbulence models. Even though the largest Reynolds number is approximately 5.5 times higher than in a similar DNS study we presented in 1997, the models have difficulties matching the DNS skin friction very closely even in the zero pressure gradient, which complicates their assessment. In the rest of the domain, the separation location per se is not particularly difficult to predict, and the most definite disagreement between DNS and models is near reattachment. Curiously, the better models tend to cluster together in their predictions of pressure and skin friction even when they deviate from the DNS, although their eddy-viscosity levels are widely different in the outer region near the bubble (or they do not rely on an eddy viscosity). Stratford’s square-root law is satisfied by the velocity profiles, both at separation and reattachment. The Reynolds-number range covers a factor of two, with the Reynolds number based on the extrapolated momentum thickness equal to approximately 1500 and 3000. This allows tentative estimates of the improvements that even higher values will bring to the model comparisons. The solutions are used to assess models through pressure, skin friction and other measures; the flow fields are also used to produce effective eddy-viscosity targets for the models, thus guiding turbulence-modelling work in each region of the flow.
Thermocapillary migration of droplets under molecular and gravitational forces
Authors: Mac Intyre J. R. , Gomba J. M. , Perazzo Carlos Alberto , Correa P. G. , Sellier M.
Published: May 2018

We study the thermocapillary migration of two-dimensional droplets of partially wetting liquids on a non-uniformly heated surface. The effect of a non-zero contact angle is imposed through a disjoining–conjoining pressure term. The numerical results for two different molecular interactions are compared: on the one hand, London–van der Waals and ionic–electrostatics molecular interactions that account for polar liquids; on the other hand, long- and short-range molecular forces that model molecular interactions of non-polar fluids. In addition, the effect of gravity on the velocity of the drop is analysed. We find that for small contact angles, the long-time dynamics is independent of the molecular potential, and the footprint of the droplet increases with the square root of time. For intermediate contact angles we observe that polar droplets are more likely to break up into smaller volumes than non-polar ones. A linear stability analysis allows us to predict the number of droplets after breakup occurs. In this regime, the effect of gravity is stabilizing: it reduces the growth rates of the unstable modes and increases the shortest unstable wavelength. When breakup is not observed, the droplet moves steadily with a profile that consists in a capillary ridge followed by a film of constant thickness, for which we find power law dependencies with the cross-sectional area of the droplet, the contact angle and the temperature gradients. For large contact angles, non-polar liquids move faster than polar ones, and the velocity is proportional to the Marangoni stress. We find power law dependencies for the velocity for the different regimes of flow. The numerical results allow us to shed light on experimental facts such as the origin of the elongation of droplets and the existence of saturation velocity.