bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparison of ketamine + midazolam to propofol for procedural sedation for lumbar puncture in pediatric oncology by nonanesthesiologists—a randomized comparative trial
Authors: Chayapathi Varsha , Kalra Manas , Bakshi Anita S. , Mahajan Amita
Published: May 2018

Background

Both ketamine–midazolam and propofol are frequently used in pediatric oncology units for procedural sedation. However, there are no prospective, randomized comparative trials (RCT) comparing the two groups when the procedure is performed by nonanesthesiologists.

Objective

To compare ketamine + midazolam (group A) and propofol (group B) as sedative agents for intrathecal chemotherapy with regard to efficacy, side effects, time to induction, time to recovery, and smoothness of recovery.

Methods

A partially‐blinded RCT was conducted between August 2015 and March 2017 after gaining institutional ethics committee approval. Children aged 1–12 years requiring intravenous sedation for intrathecal chemotherapy were included. Patients were allocated to two treatment arms using computer‐generated randomization tables, after obtaining written consent. The initial doses used were: ketamine 2 mg/kg, midazolam 0.2 mg/kg, and propofol 2.5 mg/kg, as per standard recommendations. The patient, parents, and person analyzing the data were blinded. Time to sedation, dose required, depth of sedation, vital parameters, time and smoothness of recovery, and emergence phenomena were documented.

Results

We enrolled 152 patients (76 each in group A and B). Nine patients had a failure of sedation (all in group B). Mean time to sedation and recovery was shorter in group B (P < 0.001). Transient drop in saturation was more frequent in group B, without statistical significance (P = 0.174). Mean depth of sedation was greater in group A (P < 0.001). Emergence symptoms were more frequently experienced in group A (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Ketamine–midazolam combination is safer and more effective. Propofol is faster in onset and recovery, and has smoother emergence with poor efficacy at recommended initial doses.
Challenges of securing Internet of Things devices: A survey
Authors: Samaila Musa G. , Neto Miguel , Fernandes Diogo A. B. , Freire Mário M. , Inácio Pedro R. M.
Published: May 2018

The current vision of the Internet of Things (IoT) is to ensure that everything from everywhere is connected to the Internet at all times using Internet Protocol (IP). This idea has the potential of making homes, cities, electric grids, among others, safer, more efficient, and easier to manage. Nevertheless, a number of obstacles still remain to fully realize the IoT vision, with security and privacy among the most critical. Ensuring security and privacy in the IoT is particularly complicated, especially for the resource‐constrained devices due to finite energy supply and low computing power. These factors are typically at odds with most of the existing security protocols and schemes proposed for the IoT because of the intensive computational nature of the cryptographic algorithms involved. This paper performs an extensive comparison of previous surveys on the subject, and shows its novelty with respect to the previous work. It describes 9 application domains and presents, in detail, security requirements, system models, threat models along with protocols and technologies for those 9 application areas. The survey also performs an exhaustive examination of some existing mechanisms and approaches proposed in the literature for ensuring security and privacy of IoT devices. Finally, it outlines some open research issues associated with IoT security.
Re: 24‐segment sphericity index: a new technique to evaluate fetal cardiac diastolic shape. G. R. DeVore, B. Klas, G. Satou and M. Sklansky. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2018; 51: 650–658.
Authors: Maskatia S. A.
Published: May 2018

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2018; 51: 650–658
In this issue of Weather
Authors: Galvin Jim
Published: May 2018

We begin this month's issue of Weather with an examination of the products becoming available from high‐resolution mesoscale models, able to resolve significant clouds. In ‘Simulated satellite imagery at sub‐kilometre resolution by the Hong Kong Observatory’ on p. 139, KK Hon shows the increasing value of the new AVM model as an aid to forecasters at a busy airport. Its performance at short range is demonstrated as significant and the similarity of its simulated clouds to those observed by satellite is impressive.

The River Nile gave birth to the Ancient Egyptian culture, closely linked through Greece and Rome to that of much of the Old World. However, its plentiful water
supply – peaking in summer, unlike most other desert rivers – was a great mystery to the Ancient Egyptians and the Classical thinkers, as explained by Ian Strangeways in ‘The Nile River: an enigma’ on p. 145. It is only in the past 170 years or so that we have come to understand this river, as its whole course has been plotted through northeastern Africa.

During the 19th Century, many European countries founded societies of people interested in the weather and the development of meteorological science. However, it is only in the past three decades that any significant links between these societies have become established, even though National Meteorological Services in Europe – and their predecessors – have been exchanging weather data for more than 150 years.
A detailed description of the development of these links begins on p. 149 in ‘Associating weather societies across Europe, Part 1’ by René Morin and Jon Wieringa.

Since radiosondes have been able to sound the stratosphere, a notable change of winds from westerly to easterly on an approximate 2‐year time scale has been notable. But how can we investigate stratospheric winds in earlier times? On p. 154, ‘Exploring the “prehistory” of the equatorial stratosphere with observations following major volcanic eruptions’ by Kevin Hamilton and T Sakazaki provides some answers by using accounts of red skies in the tropical zone formed due to the effects of volcanic aerosols.

‘The application of a single‐model ensemble system to the seasonal prediction of winter temperatures for Islamabad and Lahore using coupled general circulation models’ by Bushra Khalid, Cholaw Bueh, Shumaila Javeed, Shaukat Ali, Qaiser Sultana and Ayesha Khalid is on p. 159. Although the resolution of global models provides some challenges, the value of using perturbations of the analyses of these models can be seen in data produced for site‐specific forecasts.
Correction to: Secondary B-cell lymphoma associated with the Epstein-Barr virus in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients
Authors: Morscio Julie , Bittoun Emilie , Volders Nathalie , Lurquin Eveline , Wlodarska Iwona , Gheysens Olivier , Vandenberghe Peter , Verhoef Gregor , Demaerel Philippe , Dierickx Daan , Sagaert Xavier , Janssens Ann , Tousseyn Thomas
Published: May 2018

The article Secondary B-cell lymphoma associated with the Epstein-Barr virus in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.
Latent profiles of family background, personality and mental health factors and their association with behavioural addictions and substance use disorders in young Swiss men
Authors: Marmet Simon , Studer Joseph , Rougemont-Bücking Ansgar , Gmel Gerhard
Published: May 2018

Background:

Recent theories suggest that behavioural addictions and substance use disorders may be the result of the same underlying vulnerability. The present study investigates profiles of family background, personality and mental health factors and their associations with seven behavioural addictions (to the internet, gaming, smartphones, internet sex, gambling, exercise and work) and three substance use disorder scales (for alcohol, cannabis and tobacco).

Methods:

The sample consisted of 5287 young Swiss men (mean age = 25.42) from the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF). A latent profile analysis was performed on family background, personality and mental health factors. The derived profiles were compared with regards to means and prevalence rates of the behavioural addiction and substance use disorder scales.

Results:

Seven latent profiles were identified, ranging from profiles with a positive family background, favourable personality patterns and low values on mental health scales to profiles with a negative family background, unfavourable personality pattern and high values on mental health scales. Addiction scale means, corresponding prevalence rates and the number of concurrent addictions were highest in profiles with high values on mental health scales and a personality pattern dominated by neuroticism. Overall, behavioural addictions and substance use disorders showed similar patterns across latent profiles.

Conclusion:

Patterns of family background, personality and mental health factors were associated with different levels of vulnerability to addictions. Behavioural addictions and substance use disorders may thus be the result of the same underlying vulnerabilities.
Baseline results from the European non-interventional Antipsychotic Long acTing injection in schizOphrenia (ALTO) study
Authors: Llorca Pierre-Michel , Bobes Julio , Fleischhacker W. Wolfgang , Heres Stephan , Moore Nicholas , Bent-Ennakhil Nawal , Sapin Christophe , Loze Jean-Yves , Nylander Anna-Greta , Patel Maxine X.
Published: May 2018

Background:

The Antipsychotic Long-acTing injection in schizOphrenia (ALTO) study was a non-interventional study across several European countries examining prescription of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients receiving and physicians prescribing LAIs. ALTO was also the first large-scale study in Europe to report on the use of both first- or second-generation antipsychotic (FGA- or SGA-) LAIs.

Methods:

Patients with schizophrenia receiving a FGA- or SGA-LAI were enrolled between June 2013 and July 2014 and categorized as incident or prevalent users. Assessments included measures of disease severity, functioning, insight, well-being, attitudes towards antipsychotics, and quality of life.

Results:

For the 572 patients, disease severity was generally mild-to-moderate and the majority were unemployed and/or socially withdrawn. 331/572 were prevalent LAI antipsychotic users; of whom 209 were prescribed FGA-LAI. Paliperidone was the most commonly prescribed SGA-LAI (56% of incident users, 21% of prevalent users). 337/572 (58.9%) were considered at risk of non-adherence. Prevalent LAI users had a tendency towards better insight levels (PANSS G12 item). Incident FGA-LAI users had more severe disease, poorer global functioning, lower quality of life, higher rates of non-adherence, and were more likely to have physician-reported lack of insight.

Conclusions:

These results indicate a lower pattern of FGA-LAI usage, reserved by prescribers for seemingly more difficult-to-treat patients and those least likely to adhere to oral medication.
Industrial Manifest Destiny: American Firearms Manufacturing and Antebellum Expansion
Authors: Regele Lindsay Schakenbach
Published: May 2018

The years surrounding the origins of the term “Manifest Destiny” were a transitional period in the history of industrialization. Historians have done much to analyze the impact of major technological shifts on business structure and management, and to connect eastern markets and westward expansion. They have paid less attention, however, to the relationship among continental geopolitics, industrial development, and frontier warfare. This article uses War Department papers, congressional reports, and manufacturers’ records to examine how the arms industry developed in response to military conflict on the frontier. As public and private manufacturers altered production methods, product features, and their relationships to one another, they contributed to the industrial developments of the mid-nineteenth century.
American Jubilee Choirs, Industrial Capitalism, and Black South Africa
Authors: CHRISMAN LAURA
Published: May 2018

Focusing on the Virginia Jubilee Singers, an African American singing ensemble that toured South Africa in the late nineteenth century, this article reveals how the transnational reach of commercialized black music informed debates about race, modernity, and black nationalism in South Africa. The South African performances of the Jubilee Singers enlivened debates concerning race, labor and the place of black South Africans in a rapidly industrializing South Africa. A visit from the first generation of global black American superstars fueled both white and black concerns about the racial political economy. The sonic actions of the Jubilee Singers were therefore a springboard for black South African claims for recognition as modern, educated and educable subjects, capable of, and entitled to, the full apparatus, and insignia, of liberal self-determination. Although black South Africans welcomed the Jubilee Singers enthusiastically, the article cautions against reading their positive reception as evidence that black Africans had no agenda of their own and looked to African Americans as their leaders in a joint struggle.
“The Negro's Peculiar Work”: Jim Crow and Black Discourses on US Empire, Race, and the African Question, 1877–1900
Authors: JONES JEANNETTE EILEEN
Published: May 2018

In 1887, T. Thomas Fortune published an editorial, “The Negro's Peculiar Work,” in the black newspaper theNew York Freeman, wherein he reflected on a recent keynote speech delivered by Reverend J. C. Price on 3 January in Columbia, South Carolina, to commemorate Emancipation Day. Price, a member of the Zion Wesley Institute of the AME Zion Church, hailed from North Carolina and his denomination considered him to be “the most popular and eloquent Negro of the present generation.” On the occasion meant to reflect on the meaning of the Emancipation Proclamation (which went into effect on 1 January 1863) for present-day African Americans, Price turned his gaze away from the US towards Africa. In his speech “The American Negro, His Future, and His Peculiar Work” Price declared that African Americans had a duty to redeem Africans and help them take back their continent from the Europeans who had partitioned it in 1884–85. He railed,

The whites found gold, diamonds, and other riches in Africa. Why should not the Negro? Africa is their country. They should claim it: they should go to Africa, civilize those Negroes, raise them morally, and by education show them how to obtain wealth which is in their own country, and take the grand continent as their own.

Price's “Black Man's Burden” projected American blacks as agents of capitalism, civilization, and Christianity in Africa. Moreover, Price suggested that African American suffering under slavery, failed Reconstruction, and Jim Crow placed them in a unique position to combat imperialism. He was not alone in seeing parallels between the conditions of “Negroes” on both sides of the Atlantic. Many African Americans, Afro-Canadians, and West Indians saw imperialism in Africa as operating according to Jim Crow logic: white Europeans would subordinate and segregate Africans, while economically exploiting their labor to bring wealth to Europe.
Element Partition in a Kaolinitic Clay
Authors: McLaughlin R. J. W.
Published: May 2018

The major and minor elements for Pugu D, a rock containing a well-crystallised but disordered form of kaolinite are presented, The concentrations in the various fractions are discussed and reasons adduced for element behaviour. Relationships between element distribution and Sedimentation conditions are considered.
Modern regularization methods for inverse problems
Authors: Benning Martin , Burger Martin
Published: May 2018

Regularization methods are a key tool in the solution of inverse problems. They are used to introduce prior knowledge and allow a robust approximation of ill-posed (pseudo-) inverses. In the last two decades interest has shifted from linear to nonlinear regularization methods, even for linear inverse problems. The aim of this paper is to provide a reasonably comprehensive overview of this shift towards modern nonlinear regularization methods, including their analysis, applications and issues for future research.

In particular we will discuss variational methods and techniques derived from them, since they have attracted much recent interest and link to other fields, such as image processing and compressed sensing. We further point to developments related to statistical inverse problems, multiscale decompositions and learning theory.
Microscopy Used to Discover New, Cool Mineral!
Authors: Carmichael Stephen W
Published: May 2018

It is relatively infrequent these days for a novel mineral to be discovered in the natural environment (in this context, this implies on the Earth). On the rare events of such a discovery, the new mineral is typically found in milligram quantities. In an article by Ronald Peterson, William Nelson, Bruce Madu, and Herbert Shervell, they describe the discovery of kilograms of a mineral that had only been synthesized previously, but never before detected in the natural environment. As if that were not impressive enough, they went looking for this mineral because they thought it had been observed on Mars!
Effective Cell Identification and Segmentation in Fluorescence Microscopy with New Fluorescent Whole Cell Stains
Authors: Hong Suk J , Ghosh Richik N
Published: May 2018

High-content screening (HCS) and other quantitative cellular imaging assay methods that use fluorescence microscopy require effective fluorescent labeling and identification of the target cell(s). Fluorescent probes that stain cells as the primary objects are used to identify and count individual cells, as well as to define the region(s) of each cell to which target-specific image analysis is applied. For this purpose, the primary object can be a major component of the cell, such as the nucleus or a large organelle, or the whole cell itself. When the whole cell is the primary object, a high-quality cell stain is needed to delineate the intact cell from bordering cells without also interfering in target-specific detection and analysis. Thermo Scientific Cellomics ® Whole Cell Stains (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Rockford, Ill.), available in blue, green, orange and red, provides image staining and the ability to quantify the whole cell volume in HCS and fluorescence microscopy assays.
An Introduction to 3D Microscopy Techniques
Authors: MacNeil Megan , McMillan Duncan
Published: May 2018

In the earliest years of microscopy, it was well understood that visualization of the finest details was often limited by the ‘intrusion’ of light from out-of-focus planes. For many decades the only solution to this dilemma was to limit microscopic studies to very thin samples or to physically squash or slice thicker samples. More recently, biomedical research has driven the need for microscopes that can resolve very fine detail in 3 dimensions within intact, and often living, specimens. The use of fluorescence labeling further exacerbates the problem of out-of-focus light because signal is generated throughout the volume of the sample. The following article describes the most prevalent techniques for 3D imaging and important optical considerations for achieving highest image quality.
Nanoelectromechanics of Inorganic and Biological Systems: From Structural Imaging to Local Functionalities
Authors: Rodriguez Brian J , Kalinin Sergei V , Jesse Stephen , Thompson G , Vertegel A , Hohlbauch Sophia , Proksch Roger
Published: May 2018

Coupling between electrical and mechanical phenomena is extremely common in inorganic materials, and nearly ubiquitous in biological systems, underpinning phenomena and devices ranging from SONAR to cardiac activity and hearing. This paper briefly summarizes the Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) approach, referred to as Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM), for probing electromechanical coupling on the nanometer scales, and delineates some existing and emerging applications to probe local structure and functionality in inorganic ferroelectrics, calcified and connective tissues, and complex biosystems based on electromechanical detection.
Lab-Tek Chamber Slide for TEM Prep: A Simple, Rapid, and Reliable Protocol for In Situ Embedding Monolayer Cell Cultures in Epoxy and LR White Resin
Authors: Ning Gang
Published: May 2018

Preparation for TEM of resin-embedded monolayer cell cultures usually requires scraping cells from the culture substrate before or after primary fixation, which disturbs the monolayer and often results in mechanical trauma to the cells. After harvest, the cells are centrifuged and processed as a pellet in a microcentrifuge tube through a prolonged procedure of post-fixation, dehydration, infiltration, and finally embedding to ensure a “well done” sample block for subsequent sectioning, staining, and observing under a transmission electron microscope. Other disadvantages to this method include the loss of cellular orientation and information on cellular interaction, as well as difficulty in collecting a large quantity of cells to form a sizable pellet for processing, which is of special importance when samples are differentiated cells and neurons cultured in low density. In an alternative method, cells can be seeded on either glass or plastic cover slips or Petri dishes, and then processed and embedded directly as a monolayer.
Simplification and Variation in TEM Focus Techniques
Authors: Chapman Steve
Published: May 2018

In order to understand the focusing action of a TEM objective lens, a simple imaging system (figure 1) is best considered. This system consists of an objective lens and a single projector. In operation, the projector is adjusted as required within the total imaging system to achieve a magnification, M2, on the screen. This results in a focal length of F1, with the lens seeking to find an image in the position M1. If the objective lens does not place the image at M1 the result on the screen is an out of focus condition. The objective lens may have produced an image short of M1, overfocus, or beyond M1, underfocus.
Wide Field and Deep Focus imaging in Photomicrography Optical and Software-Based Techniques
Authors: Piper Jörg
Published: May 2018

In photomicrography, two fundamental problems often arise in practice: The higher the magnification and the higher the thickness or three dimensional extension of the specimen, the lower is the depth of focus which can result in parts of the specimen being indistinct. The larger the area of the specimen, the lower is the resolution in images showing the specimen in a total view. Additional problems will occur, when the lowest magnification of the respective microscope is not low enough for inclusion of the specimen’s total size so that only parts of the specimen will be visible in photo micrographic images. Table 1 presents the focal depth and lateral resolution of microscopic objectives with regard to their magnification and numerical aperture (modified from [4] and [7]).
Identifying Foreign Material Contamination in Food and Food Ingredients
Authors: Jeor V L St , Lape A , Muroski A R , McGuire C , Kruger JS , Elmore D L
Published: May 2018

Between the Biological and Materials sciences resides the food industry, where both biological and materials methods and techniques are employed for both production and analysis. Often referred to as “Black Specs,” one of the biggest concerns for the food industry is contamination of the food, or its additives and ingredients, with foreign material (FM). Many of our customers seek assistance in solving their FM issues, which may require multiple instrumentation, several methods, and considerable open communication with the customer before a satisfactory result can be achieved. An additional level of difficulty is often present when we learn that the FM is so small we can barely detect it with the unaided eye. Particularly difficult is what might be referred to as “chemical contamination.” We present here in example (and in the upcoming Microscopy and Microanalysis meeting in Albuquerque this August), several of the methods employed in assisting our customers with FM issues.
Development of TV-rate CCD Cameras for in-situ Electron Microscopy
Authors: Tsung Lancy , Mollon Bill , Pan Ming , Jia Yan , Mooney Paul , Mao Chengye
Published: May 2018

We have all heard the quote “A picture is worth a thousand words” when describing how much information can really be represented by a single image. Many of you may have written and published pages of results all based sometimes on a single piece of important data such as an electron micrograph. Of course, if one image is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, how much would 30 or more be worth? With the advent of better performing electronics and development of newer CCD (charge couple device) technology, it is now possible to extend the famous saying and complete it with “but a movie tells the whole story”. By extending the single acquired image into a series of fast-acquired frames, movie creation is possible. This capability allows us to record dynamic events in many different applications, leading towards sharing the sequence of images and telling a more complete story that cannot be done with one image alone. A brief background on how this technique is used in electron microscopy follows.
Automated Image Acquisition of Polymer Blend Morphology in an SEM
Authors: Todd Clifford S , Blackson John , Bar Georg , Garcia-Meitin Eddy , Reuschle David , Janus Michael , Darus Mark , Nickles Annabel
Published: May 2018

Modern semi-crystalline polymers based on olefin chemistry are receiving a lot of attention due to their low cost of manufacture and the ability to tailor properties by controlling polymer morphology. A common technique to visualize polymer morphology is transmission electron microscopy (TEM), with the use of appropriate contrast-enhancing heavy metal stains. One of the difficulties in obtaining a TEM image is the need to prepare an ultra-thin section. Alternative approaches that do not rely on sectioning, such as AFM and SEM imaging of a prepared block face, have shown some promise for gross morphology characterization (μm-scale) but in most cases lacked the detail that can be observed by TEM.
Functional Collaborative Remote Microscopy: Inter-Continental Atomic Resolution Imaging
Authors: Perkins J M , Blom D A , McComb D W , Allard L F
Published: May 2018

In recent years the development of remote microscopy, specifically in electron microscopes, has begun to emerge as a useful research tool rather than simply an educational or teaching aid. Scientists have long been able to work collaboratively at a distance; however, it is often in terms of receiving data or sending some instructions where there may be a delay in receipt of the information. When defining remote control it is important to note that electron microscopy requires instantaneous control and receipt of the feedback (in most cases via images on a screen). Without realtime control it is impossible to conduct high resolution imaging and analysis work. In terms of electron microscopy, there are several reasons for conducting experiments remotely: With sub-Ångström aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopes, the environment within which the microscope itself sits is of utmost importance.
Why is it Difficult to Simulate EBSD Patterns Accurately?
Authors: Eades Alwyn , Deal Andrew
Published: May 2018

Electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) has become a technique of great importance in scanning electron microscopy. The diffraction patterns obtained by this method are of value in identifying phases and in determining the orientation of samples. The technique was initially developed about thirty years ago and has enjoyed widespread use in the last decade or so. It is therefore something of a surprise that there do not exist computer programs that simulate the patterns well. In fairness, we must make it clear that a number of programs exist and others are being implemented, which represent important steps towards the simulation of EBSD patterns. However, as we hope these notes will make clear, a satisfactory simulation will be very difficult and we are not aware of any existing or forthcoming program that does a job that can be guaranteed to give accurate values for the intensities in the experimental patterns.
Signature Analysis Applied to EDS Microanalysis
Authors: Colby JW , Ward D C
Published: May 2018

Most spectroscopies (FTIR, XRD, RAMAN, MS, etc.), were developed in order to identify materials. This is accomplished by capturing the spectral “signature” of an unknown and matching it to those of a comprehensive database of reference materials. Development of these spectroscopies has included efforts to embellish the associated database. EDS evolved as a resource to provide qual/quant, and development has been to improve the accuracy of quantation. Until recently, EDS was not considered a spectroscopy to provide identification of materials.
Cryo-Fracture or Freeze-Fracture, a Method to Expose Internal Tissue Surfaces and Cell Surfaces for Viewing in the Scanning Electron Microscope
Authors: Taylor Jeannette
Published: May 2018

Cryo-fracture, in conjunction with critical point drying is a method used to prepare biological samples in order to expose, for viewing via scanning electron microscopy, those naturally occurring surfaces which might otherwise remain obscure. For example, the Bowman’s capsule and tubules of a kidney, tiny blood vessels on any organ, inter-cellular spaces in liver or alveoli in the lungs. Also, some surfaces, not normally exposed at all such as the membrane surface of a nuclear envelope, mitochondria or chloroplasts or the cytoplasm of a cell, can be brought to light with this method. Herein is a review of the development of cryo-fracture and how it is currently used at our facility.
SEM Remote Control with a 3D Option
Authors: Mighela F , Perra C , Pintus R , Podda S , Vanzi M
Published: May 2018

Remote control of a scientific instrument is a topic gaining more and more attention between instrument users and operators. The project presented in this article reports results obtained from two distinct research efforts. The main outcome from the first research was the realization of an application to remote-control a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), while the main outcome from the second research was the implementation of a procedure to reconstruct 3D surfaces.
Coloring Pictures for Electron Microscopists or Elements of Digital Image Manipulation for Students
Authors: Dusevich VM , Purk JH , Eick JD
Published: May 2018

Coloring pictures is an educational exercise, which is fun, and helps develop important skills. Coloring SEM micrographs is especially suitable for electron microscopists. Color micrographs are not just great looking on a lab wall; they inspire both microscopists and students to exercise digital picture manipulation. Many microscopists enjoyed looking at the beautiful color micrographs by D. Scharf, but were frustrated to learn they needed a very particular scanning electron microscope equipped with multiple secondary electron detectors in order to color their own pictures. Fortunately, there are other ways to color SEM micrographs. Most SEMs are equipped with at least two detectors, for secondary and backscattered electrons.
Atom-Probe Tomography – Different Analysis Tools for Three-Dimensional Atomic-Resolution Data
Authors: Ulfig Robert M , Larson David J , Reinhard David A , Kelly Thomas F
Published: May 2018

Like no other microscopy technique, atom-probe tomography (APT) requires detailed data analysis algorithms specific to the knowledge desired, as the data are both complex due to their three-dimensional nature and can only be collected in a digital format. With recent increases in speed and field of view available in contemporary instruments like the Imago Scientific Instruments LEAP™ microscopes, these challenges and significant benefits are exacerbated. In practice, ‘data collection’ in APT, as understood in complementary techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM) or transmission electron microscopy (TEM), does not even begin until after the atom-probe experiment is over and the microscopist leaves the laboratory. The sample is prepared into the appropriate needle-shaped geometry, field evaporated atom by atom, and the ‘experiment’ part of the specimen analysis is over as soon as the ions are detected and stored in a digital file.
Characterization of Surface and Sub- Surface Defects on Devices using Complimentary Techniques
Authors: Smentkowski Vincent S , Ostrowski Sara G , Denault Lauraine , Woychik Charles G
Published: May 2018

Being able to differentiate surface from bulk defects on devices requires the use of complimentary characterization tools. In this article, we show how light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry provides complimentary information about the surface and sub-surface composition, topography, and microstructure of a semiconductor device.

To create a gamma-ray spectroscopy detector, electrical contacts consisting of a blanket coated cathode and a pixilated anode can be deposited directly on opposite faces of a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) crystal. The contact metallization must adhere to the surfaces, and the streets between adjacent anode pads must be free of residual metal and contaminants to avoid excessive interpixel leakage currents. The analysis reported below was used to validate the structure and composition of the contact metal stack and to characterize the streets of the anode pad array.
Ultrafast Confocal Raman Imaging
Authors: Fischer Harald , Dieing Thomas , Hollricher Olaf
Published: May 2018

A thorough knowledge of structural and chemical properties is essential in the fields of nanotechnology, materials research, and life science, leading to a growing demand for characterization methods for heterogeneous systems on the nanometer scale. However, certain properties are difficult to study with conventional characterization techniques due to either limited resolution or the inability to differentiate materials chemically without inflicting damage or using invasive techniques such as staining. Confocal Raman Imaging can effectively overcome these fundamental obstacles. In Confocal Raman Imaging, the acquisition time for one Raman spectrum is a crucial value, as it determines the acquisition time of the image, which typically consists of tens of thousands of Raman spectra. This article describes how the use of a spectroscopic Electron Multiplying-CCD (EMCCD) as the detector can significantly reduce the acquisition time to a few milliseconds per spectrum, as well as tremendously improve sensitivity.
Breaking the Resolution Barrier in the Scanning Electron Microscope
Authors: Vanderlinde William
Published: May 2018

Everyone always wants better resolution from his or her microscopes. With semiconductor manufacturers now shipping product with sub-100 nm gates, measuring features and defects has become a challenge, even for the scanning electron microscope (SEM). For metrology below 100 nm, some manufacturers have begun routinely using TEM (transmission electron microscopy) which is tedious and expensive. As a microscopist, I find this quite disappointing since, in principle, the SEM should be capable of providing more than enough resolution well below 100 nm. Why is it that SEMs with 1 nm spot size can’t provide adequate resolution for 100 nm gates? It turns out that at very high magnification, SEM resolution is limited by how the electron beam interacts with the sample rather than simply the spot size of the beam.
Improving Image Quality and Reducing Drift Problems via Automated Data Acquisition and Averaging in a Cs-Corrected TEM
Authors: Voelkl E , Jiang B , Dai ZR , Bradley JP
Published: May 2018

Image acquisition with a CCD camera is a single-press-button activity: after selecting exposure time and adjusting illumination, a button is pressed and the acquired image is perceived as the final, unmodified proof of what was seen in the microscope. Thus it is generally assumed that the image processing steps of e.g., “darkcurrent correction” and “gain normalization” do not alter the information content of the image, but rather eliminate unwanted artifacts.
Single Cell Force Measurements and Cell Adhesion
Authors: Mueller Torsten , Neumann Tanja
Published: May 2018

This short review describes the relevance of cell adhesion in cell biology. Starting with a short overview of the force range of adhesion related biological events and the current biophysical techniques for investigating these events, it will conclude with a description of the use of single cell force spectroscopy for quantifying mechanical properties such as stiffness, surface tension, and bond disruption forces.
The McCrone Atlas of Microscopic Particles: The Modern Dynamic Particle Reference Resource
Authors: Wiley David A
Published: May 2018

Microscopists have been identifying particulate matter since the seventeenth century. Reference sets of study slides, identification keys, and even atlases of specific groups of microscopic substances were prepared throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During the latter half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, these types of resources grew in volume, but none of them attempted to be a comprehensive source.

In 1967, Dr. Walter C. McCrone and his colleagues changed the practice of microscopy with the publication of The Particle Atlas, Edition I. This single volume first edition, a photomicrographic atlas, illustrated and described 404 substances based on analyses using the polarized light microscope.
A cryoSEM Method for Preservation and Visualization of Calcified Shark Cartilage (And Other Stubborn Heterogeneous Skeletal Tissues)
Authors: Dean Mason N , Gorb Stanislav N , Summers Adam P
Published: May 2018

Biological materials interest biologists and engineers for their complex interactions among constituents and unique mechanical properties. While the heterogeneous tissue structure and its material properties are responsible for intriguing biomechanics, they pose challenges for sectioning, particularly in regions with stark tissue boundaries. Microscopists level this playing field when sectioning samples by embedding them in paraffin or plastic; but for scanning electron microscopy, natural morphology must be preserved without sacrificing the sample’s surface contours. Here we outline a simple preparation method for visualizing in cryoSEM the calcified cartilage of sharks and rays (elasmobranch fishes), a layered biocomposite that has traditionally been considered difficult to prepare for microscopy.
Nannobacteria, Organic Matter, and Precipitation in Hot Springs, Viterbo, Italy: Distinctions and Relevance
Authors: Kirkland B L , Lynch F L , Folk R L , Lawrence AM , Corley ME
Published: May 2018

Tiny (50-200 nm) spheroids were first discovered by Folk through SEM work on the hot springs of Viterbo Italy. He termed these small, spherical structures “nannobacteria,” and proposed that they may be important agents in precipitation of CaCO3, as needle-like crystals of the mineral aragonite, and as bundles of such needle-like crystals (termed “fuzzy dumbbells”), or as elongated crystals of the mineral calcite.

During the past 15 years, nanometer-scale spheroids have been discovered in the geological, medical, and astronomical worlds. There can be no doubt as to their existence, but their significance and origin remain a subject of continuing controversy. Even the spelling (“nanno-“), which has been the standard in biology, geology, and paleontology going back to the 19th century, has been questioned. Whether or not they are truly bacteria or any form of life has been a subject of heated debate.
The Ghost of the IEL: A Halloween Photoshop Exercise
Authors: Bradford Emily , Shull Gary , Miller Marian
Published: May 2018

Image of an intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) from a CLIC5 mutant mouse small intestine. The CLIC (Chloride Intracellular Channel) family of proteins is expressed in a wide variety of cell types, and several isoforms are known to cycle between soluble and membranebound forms. As well as being widely expressed, the CLICs are involved in diverse functions, including tubulogenesis, immune cell activation, apoptosis and calcium handling. CLIC5 has been shown to associate with cytoskeletal proteins in placental microvilli and inner ear cells, and is required for proper maintenence of hair cell steriocilia. It has also been localized to the cytosol of human intestinal epithelial cells, though its function there remains unclear. The study in which this particular “IEL” was found, involved a search to see what function CLIC5 played in the modulation of tubulovesicles and microvillar apical membranes in the process of acid secretion. In particular, the relative amounts and structural characteristics of these two membrane types was quantified in parietal cells.
A Simple, Inexpensive Method Of Sample Preparation For Infrared Microscopy
Authors: Feltovich Kathy , Goldfinger Gerry
Published: May 2018

The use of infrared microspectroscopy for examining polymer systems has been well known for some time. Fibers, inclusions in polymers and multilayered films have been examined by this technique. One limitation of the technique is the difficulty of sample preparation. A variety of methods have been proposed to prepare the sample including excising an inclusion, microtoming and the use of diamond cells to squeeze the sample into an appropriate thickness. Spectra-Tech purveys a diamond Micro Plane to prepare thin sections of polymers as well as an ATR objective to avoid the necessity of preparing thin sections. Ing Shaw et al. have proposed the use of a fiber microtome to prepare samples and claims that this technique is faster and easier than conventional microtoming.
The Thermophysical Properties of the Bagnold Dunes, Mars: Ground‐Truthing Orbital Data
Authors: Edwards Christopher S. , Piqueux Sylvain , Hamilton Victoria E. , Fergason Robin L. , Herkenhoff Ken E. , Vasavada Ashwin R. , Bennett Kristen A. , Sacks Leah , Lewis Kevin , Smith Michael D.
Published: May 2018

We compare the thermophysical properties and particle sizes derived from the Mars Science Laboratory rover's Ground Temperature Sensor of the Bagnold dunes, specifically Namib dune, to those derived orbitally from Thermal Emission Imaging System, ultimately linking these measurements to ground truth particle sizes determined from Mars Hand Lens Imager images. In general, we find that all three datasets report consistent particle sizes for the Bagnold dunes (~110–350 μm and are within measurement and model uncertainties), indicating that particle sizes of homogeneous materials inferred from temperature measurements and thermophysical models are reliable. Furthermore, we examine the effects of two physical characteristics that could influence the modeled thermal inertia and particle sizes, including (1) fine‐scale (centimeter to meter scale) ripples and (2) thin layering of indurated/armored materials. To first order, we find that small‐scale ripples and thin (approximately centimeter scale) layers do not significantly affect the determination of bulk thermal inertia from orbital thermal data using a single nighttime temperature. Modeling of a layer of coarse or indurated material reveals that a thin layer (< ~5 mm; similar to what was observed by the Curiosity rover) would not significantly change the observed thermal properties of the surface and would be dominated by the properties of the underlying material. Thermal inertia and particle sizes of relatively homogeneous materials derived from nighttime orbital data should be considered as reliable, as long as there are no significant subpixel anisothermality effects (e.g., lateral mixing of multiple thermophysically distinct materials).
Peer Review’s Psychological Potholes
Authors: Helffrich George
Published: May 2018

How can we steer the review process onto smoother pavement and get more and better reviews with less ire? Stop treating review submission like a credit card application!
Deeper, Precipitating PBLs Associated With Optically Thin Veil Clouds in the Sc‐Cu Transition
Authors: O Kuan‐Ting , Wood Robert , Tseng Hsiu‐Hui
Published: May 2018

Variability and vertical structure of optically thin veil clouds over the stratocumulus to cumulus transition (SCT) are investigated using spaceborne satellite observations. Optically thin veil clouds, defined as the low clouds with cloud base >1 km that do not fully attenuate Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) lidar signal, comprise ∼30% of the low clouds over the SCT. It is found that optically thin veil clouds are geometrically thin with cloud thickness ∼200 m and commonly reside in the upper boundary layer with average cloud base >1.5 km. Satellite observations reveal pronounced relationships between optically thin veil clouds, strong precipitation, deep planetary boundary layer (PBL) height, and low‐cloud droplet number concentration. The results are in agreement with the hypothesis that the low optical thickness of veil clouds over the SCT is contingent on the low‐cloud droplet number concentration caused by strong precipitation scavenging occurring in active cumulus, a process of which efficiency is strongly dependent on maximum condensate amount in updrafts and thus is highly constrained by planetary boundary layer height.
Exploiting Soil Moisture, Precipitation, and Streamflow Observations to Evaluate Soil Moisture/Runoff Coupling in Land Surface Models
Authors: Crow W. T. , Chen F. , Reichle R. H. , Xia Y. , Liu Q.
Published: May 2018

Accurate partitioning of precipitation into infiltration and runoff is a fundamental objective of land surface models tasked with characterizing the surface water and energy balance. Temporal variability in this partitioning is due, in part, to changes in prestorm soil moisture, which determine soil infiltration capacity and unsaturated storage. Utilizing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Soil Moisture Active Passive Level‐4 soil moisture product in combination with streamflow and precipitation observations, we demonstrate that land surface models (LSMs) generally underestimate the strength of the positive rank correlation between prestorm soil moisture and event runoff coefficients (i.e., the fraction of rainfall accumulation volume converted into stormflow runoff during a storm event). Underestimation is largest for LSMs employing an infiltration‐excess approach for stormflow runoff generation. More accurate coupling strength is found in LSMs that explicitly represent subsurface stormflow or saturation‐excess runoff generation processes.
Topographic Steering of Enhanced Ice Flow at the Bottleneck Between East and West Antarctica
Authors: Winter Kate , Ross Neil , Ferraccioli Fausto , Jordan Tom A. , Corr Hugh F. J. , Forsberg René , Matsuoka Kenichi , Olesen Arne V. , Casal Tania G.
Published: May 2018

Hypothesized drawdown of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet through the “bottleneck” zone between East and West Antarctica would have significant impacts for a large proportion of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Earth observation satellite orbits and a sparseness of radio echo sounding data have restricted investigations of basal boundary controls on ice flow in this region until now. New airborne radio echo sounding surveys reveal complex topography of high relief beneath the southernmost Weddell/Ross ice divide, with three subglacial troughs connecting interior Antarctica to the Foundation and Patuxent Ice Streams and Siple Coast ice streams. These troughs route enhanced ice flow through the interior of Antarctica but limit potential drawdown of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet through the bottleneck zone. In a thinning or retreating scenario, these topographically controlled corridors of enhanced flow could however drive ice divide migration and increase mass discharge from interior West Antarctica to the Southern Ocean.