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Transparent oxide rolled-up microtube arrays were constructed on Si substrates by the deposition of a pre-stressed oxide layer on a patterned photoresist sacrificial layer and the subsequent removal of this sacrificial layer. These microtubes as well as their arrays can be well positioned onto a chip for further applications, while their dimensions (e.g. length, diameter and wall thickness) are controlled by tunable parameters of the fabrication process. Due to the unique tubular structure and optical transparency, such rolled-up microtubes can serve as well-defined two-dimensionally (2D) confined cell culture scaffolds. In our experiments, yeast cells exhibit different growth behaviors (i.e. their arrangement) in microtubes with varied diameters. In an extremely small microtube the yeast cell becomes highly elongated during growth but still survives. Detailed investigations on the behavior of individual yeast cells in a single microtube are carried out in situto elucidate the mechanical interaction between microtubes and the 2D confined cells. The confinement of tubular channels causes the rotation of cell pairs, which is more pronounced in smaller microtubes, leading to different cellular assemblies. Our work demonstrates good capability of rolled-up microtubes for manipulating individual and definite cells, which promises high potential in lab-on-a-chip applications, for example as a bio-analytic system for individual cells if integrated with sensor functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retrieval practice with particular items in memory may result in decreased recall of different, semantically related, items. This retrieval-induced forgetting effect has been demonstrated in studies using explicit memory tests. Anderson and Spellman (1995) have attributed retrieval-induced forgetting to inhibitory mechanisms. This hypothesis predicts similar effects in implicit memory tasks. In our first experiment, using Anderson and Spellman's original paradigm, retrieval-induced forgetting was found using an explicit memory test with independent extralist retrieval cues. In our second experiment, using the same materials, retrieval-induced forgetting was also found using an implicit memory test with independent extralist retrieval cues, but only for participants who were aware of the relationship between the study and practice phase on the one hand, and the test phase of the experiment on the other. Thus, test awareness seems to mediate retrieval-induced forgetting in implicit memory tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for the numerical solution of volume integral equations is proposed and applied to a Lippmann–Schwinger type equation in diffraction theory. The approximate solution is represented as a linear combination of the scaled and shifted Gaussian. We prove spectral convergence of the method up to some negligible saturation error. The theoretical results are confirmed by a numerical experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Early stages of ARDS are characterized by pulmonary edema caused by a inflammatory mediated leakage of the capillaryalveolar membranes. Therefore restrictive fluid management is commonly recommended. The main reason for ARDS, however, is sepsis. In sepsis, fluid restriction may be harmful because this can attenuate cardiac output while hyperdynamic circulation is needed to maintain aerobic metabolism of the non-pulmonary organs. So if ARDS is caused by sepsis we face a therapeutic dilemma, on the one hand, to reduce circulatory fluid to improve ventilation and, on the other hand to raise circulatory fluid to optimize hemodynamics. Another important treatment approach of ARDS is early mechanical ventilation with intubation. Mechanical ventilation however can induce further progression of lung injury. Besides using low-volume pressure-limited ventilation with permissive hypercapnia, non-invasive ventilation has recently been proposed as an efficient alternative to conventional mechanical ventilation in the treatment of ARDS. We present a case report of ARDS caused by urosepsis in a young patient. The positive course with fast recovery is associated, in our opinion, to the causal relationship of a non-invasive ventilation regiment and liberal fluid management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the results of a multi-year, multi-state evaluation of the effectiveness of an early childhood prevention initiative that translates resilience research into practice. Targeted to children in preschool through the early elementary grades, the intervention comprises teacher training, a year-long classroom curriculum, original materials and music, and a companion parent education program. The evaluation methodology evolved from pre-experimental to true experimental design and encompassed multiple program replications. Child outcome data indicate that the intervention is effective in both: (a) strengthening children's social-emotional competence and positive coping skills and (b) suppressing the development of antisocial, aggressive behavior. The systematic process and outcome evaluation of this prevention initiative fills a gap by providing hard evidence of the effectiveness of a developmentally appropriate, research-based intervention for young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an approach toward comprehensive discrete-continuous modeling and accurate dynamical simulation of dextrous manipulation. The resulting hybrid-state model integrates time-driven mechanical features of manipulation systems as well as their discrete-event aspects resulting from varying contact situations. It can easily be embedded into sophisticated simulation environments. A MATLAB implementation serves us as a tool for mechatronic control design for grasping systems. Results from dynamical simulations of a four-fingered hand grasping and manipulating an object demonstrate the efficiency and high accuracy of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The current establishment of stretchable electronics to form a seamless link between soft or even living materials and the digital world is at the forefront of multidisciplinary research efforts, bridging physics, engineering and materials science. Magnetic functionalities can provide a sense of displacement, orientation or proximity to this novel formulation of electronics. This work reviews the recent development of stretchable magnetic field sensorics relying on the combination of metallic thin films revealing a giant magnetoresistance effect with elastomeric materials. Stretchability of the magnetic nanomembranes is achieved by specific morphologic features (e.g. wrinkles or microcracks), which accommodate the applied tensile deformation while maintaining the electrical and magnetic integrity of the sensor device. The entire development, from the demonstration of the world’s first elastically stretchable magnetic sensor to the realization of a technology platform for robust, ready-to-use elastic magnetosensorics is described. Soft giant magnetoresistive elements exhibiting the same sensing performance as on conventional rigid supports, but with fully strain invariant properties up to 270% stretching have been demonstrated. With their unique mechanical properties, these sensor elements readily conform to ubiquitous objects of arbitrary shapes including the human skin. Stretchable magnetoelectronic sensors can equip soft and epidermal electronic systems with navigation, orientation, motion tracking and touchless control capabilities. A variety of novel technologies, like electronic skins, smart textiles, soft robotics and actuators, active medical implants and soft consumer electronics will benefit from these new magnetic functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetooptical (MO) response of Ru/Py/Ta thin film stacks with 4, 8, and 17 nm thick Ni81Fe19 permalloy (Py) films on a SiO2/Si and a ZnO substrate was measured by vector magnetooptical generalized ellipsometry. The MO response from VMOGE was modelled using a 4  ×  4 Mueller matrix algorithm. The wavelength-dependent, substrate-independent and thickness-independent complex MO coupling constant (Q) of Py in the Ru/Py/Ta thin film stacks was extracted by fitting Mueller matrix difference spectra in the spectral range from 300 nm to 1000 nm. Although the composition-dependent saturation magnetization of NixFe1−x alloys (x  =  0.0…1.0), e.g. of Ni81Fe19, is predictable from the two saturation magnetization end points, the MO coupling constant of NixFe1−x is not predictable from the two Q end points. However, in a small alloy range (0.0  <  x  <  0.2 and 0.8  <  x  <  1.0) the composition-dependent Q of NixFe1−x can be interpolated from a sufficiently high number of analyzed NixFe1−x alloys. The available complex MO coupling constants of six different NixFe1−x (x  =  1.0 to 0.0) alloys were used to interpolate MO response of binary NixFe1−x alloys in the range from x  =  0.0 to x  =  1.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We derive and analyze an efficient model for reinjection of spatially filtered optical feedback from an external resonator to a broad area, edge emitting semiconductor laser diode (DL). Spatial filtering is achieved by a chirped photonic crystal, with variable periodicity along the optical axis and negligible resonant backscattering. The optimal chirp is obtained from a genetic algorithm, which yields solutions that are robust against perturbations. Exemplary numerical simulations of the composite system with our optoelectronic solver indicate that spatially filtered reinjection can enhance lower-order transversal optical modes in the DL and, consequently, improve the spatial beam quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entanglement between particles is a crucial resource in quantum information processing, an important example of which is the exploitation of entangled photons in quantum communication protocols. Among the different available sources of entangled photons, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) excel owing to their deterministic emission properties, potential for electrical injections, and direct compatibility with semiconductor manufacturing techniques. Despite the great promises, QD-based sources are far from being ideal. In particular, such sources present several critical issues, which require the overcoming of challenges pertaining to spectral tunability, entanglement fidelity, photon indistinguishability and brightness. In this article, we will discuss the potential solutions to these problems and review the recent progress in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated optical devices composed of waveguides and microdisks emitting blue light were fabricated from ZnSe/(Zn,Mg)Se quantum well structures. Here we study the optical properties and photon guiding characteristics of such devices. The structures were fabricated by multi-step electron beam lithography and subsequent wet chemical etching. The transfer characteristic of photons through the waveguide was analyzed via spatial-resolved μ-photoluminescence spectroscopy. Spatial excitation of the microdisk revealed substantial overcoupling of photons from the microdisk into the waveguide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct time independent configurations describing a small elastic body moving in a circular orbit in the Schwarzschild spacetime. These configurations are relativistic versions of Newtonian solutions constructed by us previously. In the process we simplify and sharpen previous results of ours concerning elastic bodies in rigid rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistively switching oxides are promising materials for use in electronic applications such as nonvolatile memories, logic gates, and artificial synapses. This work presents the bipolar resistive switching (BRS) in YMnO3/Nb:SrTiO3 pn-heterojunctions. A thermally driven electroforming process is required prior to the observed BRS. Results indicate that the BRS in YMnO3/Nb:SrTiO3 originates from the combined effects of charge trapping and detrapping processes along with the electro-migration of charged point defects in the depletion layer of the pn-heterojunction. It is shown that the built-in voltage of the pn-heterojunctions can be tuned by the oxygen partial pressure during growth of the YMnO3 thin film and impacts the working parameters of the resistively switching cell. This study provides a guideline for material engineering of bipolar resistive switches based on pn-heterojunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extending planar two-dimensional structures into the three-dimensional space has become a general trend in multiple disciplines, including electronics, photonics, plasmonics and magnetics. This approach provides means to modify conventional or to launch novel functionalities by tailoring the geometry of an object, e.g. its local curvature. In a generic electronic system, curvature results in the appearance of scalar and vector geometric potentials inducing anisotropic and chiral effects. In the specific case of magnetism, even in the simplest case of a curved anisotropic Heisenberg magnet, the curvilinear geometry manifests two exchange-driven interactions, namely effective anisotropy and antisymmetric exchange, i.e. Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya-like interaction. As a consequence, a family of novel curvature-driven effects emerges, which includes magnetochiral effects and topologically induced magnetization patterning, resulting in theoretically predicted unlimited domain wall velocities, chirality symmetry breaking and Cherenkov-like effects for magnons. The broad range of altered physical properties makes these curved architectures appealing in view of fundamental research on e.g. skyrmionic systems, magnonic crystals or exotic spin configurations. In addition to these rich physics, the application potential of three-dimensionally shaped objects is currently being explored as magnetic field sensorics for magnetofluidic applications, spin-wave filters, advanced magneto-encephalography devices for diagnosis of epilepsy or for energy-efficient racetrack memory devices. These recent developments ranging from theoretical predictions over fabrication of three-dimensionally curved magnetic thin films, hollow cylinders or wires, to their characterization using integral means as well as the development of advanced tomography approaches are in the focus of this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral energy distributions for 132 classical and type II Cepheids were searched for evidence of excess flux above the photospheric level in the mid-infrared. Eight of them were found to have unambiguously strong excess emission while a further 13 showed evidence of weak emission. The presence of emission appears to be unrelated to either the pulsational amplitude or the effective temperature while strong emission is limited to stars with periods longer than 11 days, with a single exception. For the stars with strong emission we attempted to fit the energy distribution with a stellar wind model. No acceptable fit could be found for silicate grains. With graphite or iron grains we could only obtain an acceptable fit if the maximum dust temperature was significantly lower than the condensation temperature. We conclude that the excess emission is not evidence of mass loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A titanium dioxide (TiO2) interconnected porous structure has been fabricated by means of atomic layer deposition of TiO2 onto a reticular sponge template. The obtained freestanding TiO2 with large surface area can be easily taken out of the water to solve a complex separation procedure. A compact and conformal nanocoating was evidenced by morphologic characterization. A phase transition, as well as production of oxygen vacancies with increasing annealing temperature, was detected by x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The photocatalytic experimental results demonstrated that the powder with appropriate annealing treatment possessed excellent photocatalytic ability due to the co-action of high surface area, oxygen vacancies and the optimal crystal structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the optical properties of ordered Ge quantum dots (QDs) by means of micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). These were grown on pit-patterned Si(001) substrates with a wide range of pit-periods and thus inter QD-distances (425–3400 nm). By exploiting almost arbitrary inter-QD distances achievable in this way we are able to choose the number of QDs that contribute to the PL emission in a range between 70 and less than three QDs. This well-defined system allows us to clarify, by PL-investigation, several points which are important for the understanding of the formation and optical properties of ordered QDs. We directly trace and quantify the amount of Ge transferred from the surrounding wetting layer (WL) to the QDs in the pits. Moreover, by exploiting different pit-shapes, we reveal the role of strain-induced activation energy barriers that have to be overcome for charge carriers generated outside the dots. These need to diffuse between the energy minimum of the WL in and between the pits, and the one in the QDs. In addition, we demonstrate that the WL in the pits is already severely intermixed with Si before upright QDs nucleate, which further enhances intermixing of ordered QDs as compared to QDs grown on planar substrates. Furthermore, we quantitatively determine the amount of Ge transferred by surface diffusion through the border region between planar and patterned substrate. This is important for the growth of ordered islands on patterned fields of finite size. We highlight that the Ge WL-facets in the pits act as PL emission centres, similar to upright QDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By repeating oxidation and subsequent wet chemical etching, we produced ultra-thin silicon nanomembranes down to 10 nm based on silicon-on-insulator structures in a controllable way. The electrical property of such silicon nanomembranes is highly influenced by their contacts with metal electrodes, in which Schottky barriers (SBs) can be tuned by light illumination due to the surface doping. Thermionic emission theory of carriers is applied to estimate the SB at the interface between metal electrodes and Si nanomembranes. Our work reveals that the Schottky contacts with Si nanomembranes can be influenced by external stimuli (like light luminescence or surface state) more heavily compared to those in the thicker ones, which implies that such ultra-thin-film devices could be of potential use in optical detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove existence of solutions for an elastic body interacting with itself through its Newtonian gravitational field. Our construction works for configurations near one given by a self-gravitating ball of perfect fluid. We use an implicit function argument. In so doing we have to revisit some classical work in the astrophysical literature concerning linear stability of perfect fluid stars. The results presented here extend previous work by the authors, which was restricted to the astrophysically insignificant situation of configurations near one of vanishing stress. In particular, ‘mountains on neutron stars’, which are made possible by the presence of an elastic crust in neutron stars, can be treated using the techniques developed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoscale transistors employing an individual semiconducting carbon nanotube as the channel hold great potential for logic circuits with large integration densities that can be manufactured on glass or plastic substrates. Carbon nanotubes are usually produced as a mixture of semiconducting and metallic nanotubes. Since only semiconducting nanotubes yield transistors, the metallic nanotubes are typically not utilized. However, integrated circuits often require not only transistors, but also resistive load devices. Here we show that many of the metallic carbon nanotubes that are deposited on the substrate along with the semiconducting nanotubes can be conveniently utilized as load resistors with favorable characteristics for the design of integrated circuits. We also demonstrate the fabrication of arrays of transistors and resistors, each based on an individual semiconducting or metallic carbon nanotube, and their integration on glass substrates into logic circuits with switching frequencies of up to 500 kHz using a custom-designed metal interconnect layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an overview on approaches currently employed to fabricate advanced quantum dot configurations by epitaxial growth. Widely investigated self-assembled quantum dots, i.e. In(Ga)As/GaAs and (Si)Ge/Si, are first introduced. Different quantum dot structures can be derived from In(Ga)As quantum dots by combining them with in situ etching, by layer stacking or by using them as stressors. Other fabrication methods include droplet epitaxy and multilayer deposition on hole patterned substrates.The combination of bottom-up and top-down methods results in absolute position control of self-assembled quantum dots. We review these 'seeded quantum dot crystals' in detail. Finally, we discuss a promising approach to realize quantum dot crystals with controlled spatial and optical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferromagnetic microtubes are fabricated by the deterministic release of thin magnetic films from a photoresist sacrificial layer. Crucial steps towards the fabrication of well positioned and uniform single rolled-up tubes are presented, where the final and main approach consists of releasing angled deposited magnetic films by dissolving an underlying patterned photoresist layer. Microtubes from soft magnetic Ni80Fe20 films and Co/Pt multilayer stacks with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are obtained with predefined lengths and diameters down to 1.5 um. The nonlinear rotational dynamics of the tubes in viscous fluids is investigated. Sensitivities to viscosity variations for tubes with different lengths are observed and suggest their potential application as single sensing probes in a wide range of viscosities. Moreover, the variation in the characteristic critical frequency of the rotational motion for chains of magnetically coupled microtubes agrees with the expected changes in the theoretical shape factor of cylindrical particles. Evidence of tube remagnetization during the rotation opens the way to investigate properties such as the switching fields of individual tubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent of the depletion region at an n-ZnSe/GaAs heterointerface in MBE grown epilayers has been investigated by thickness-dependent Hall measurements. Exceptionally large depletion widths of up to 110 nm have been found on the ZnSe side. The depletion cannot be caused by charge transfer or interface states alone, but is attributed to compensation due to large scale atomic interdiffusion across the heterointerface. A II-VI buffer layer structure is demonstrated to shield the effects of the depletion from sensitive device layers grown on top, and to prevent parallel conduction by lateral and vertical transport through the substrate and the lower-lying buffer layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]