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This paper presents a theoretical study of an adaptive microwave phase shifter based on a nanomechanical resonator. The phase shifter can be tuned to provide an arbitrary phase rotation in the range between –90° and 90° by adjusting the bias voltage applied to the resonator. An analytical model is developed to reveal the underlying mechanism of the phase shifter. It is also analytically demonstrated that the operating frequency can be selected by adjusting the bias voltage. In addition, it is found that the bandwidth is tunable via the quality factor for the cantilever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical and optical properties of a stacked graphene p–n junction were investigated. N-type and p-type graphene films epitaxially grown on a SiC substrate were directly bonded to each other in a face-to-face manner. The current–voltage characteristics of the graphene junction diode exhibited an Ohmic behavior below 20 V. The conductance increased in the bias range above 20 V and had a peak around 65 V. The emission spectrum and temperature of the graphene p–n junction were measured using Fourier-transform far-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and infrared bolometer array. An electrically induced blackbody-like radiation with a peak wavelength of 10.2 μm was observed. Although the temperature change estimated using the bolometer results was 66 K at a power of 1.2 W, the peak wavelength of the FTIR spectrum was constant. An electrically induced blackbody-like far-infrared emission diode with a defined peak wavelength was successfully realized using the stacked graphene p–n junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of BJS Open is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We report here the results of two-dimensional electron gas based micro-Hall magnetometry measurements and micromagnetic simulations of dipolar coupled nanomagnets of Ni80Fe20 arranged in a double square ring-like geometry. We observe that although magnetic force microscopy images exhibit single domain like magnetic states for the nanostructures, their reversal processes may undergo complex behavior. The details of such reversal behavior are observed as specific features in micro-Hall magnetometry data, which are comparable with the micromagnetic simulation data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the influence of naturally grown 2-5 nm thin surface layer of antiferromagnetic (AFM) Cr2O3 on the half metallic ferromagnet CrO2 by measuring the magnetic behavior of a single micro-crystal. The temperature variation of the magnetic stray fields of the micro-crystal measured by micro-Hall magnetometry shows an anomalous increase below ∼60 K. We find clear evidence that this behavior is due to the influence of the AFM surface layer. The average amplitude of the Barkahausen jumps exhibits a similar temperature dependence indicating that the AFM surface layer plays a role in defining the potential landscape seen by the domain configuration in the ferromagnetic grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in stacking fault energy with annealing at 1173 K were identified in Czochralski-grown silicon crystals heavily doped with n- or p-type dopant atoms. In n-type crystals, the energy decreased with increasing annealing time. The higher the concentration of dopant atoms, the larger the degree of the decrease. On the other hand, the energy was unchanged during annealing in p-type and nondoped crystals. These results imply that n-type dopant atoms segregate nearby a stacking fault, via their thermal migration, under an electronic interaction leading to a reduction in the stacking fault energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical properties of wurtzite ZnO bulk single crystals in which an arbitrary number (typically 109–1010 cm-2) of fresh dislocations were introduced intentionally by the plastic deformation at elevated temperatures (923–1073 K) were examined. Deformed specimens showed excitonic light emission with photon energies of 3.100 and 3.345 eV, as well as their LO phonon replicas at 11 K. The light intensities increased with increasing dislocation density. The activation energy for a thermal quenching of the 3.100 or 3.345 eV emission band, which corresponds to the depth of the localized energy level associated with the emission band, was estimated to be 0.3±0.1 or 0.05±0.01 eV, respectively. The origin of the energy levels was proposed as point defect complexes involving dislocations. The introduction of the dislocations at the elevated temperatures above 923 K did not influence the intensities of the emission bands except the dislocation-related emission bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical strength of bulk single crystal wurtzite ZnO was investigated at elevated temperatures by means of compressive deformation. The yield stress of ZnO in the temperature range of 650–850 °C was found to be around 10–20 MPa, i.e., extremely lower than that of GaN, a typical wide band-gap semiconductor. On the basis of the observed temperature dependence of yield stress, the activation energy for dislocation motion at elevated temperatures in ZnO is deduced to be 0.7–1.2 eV, which follows the relation of activation energy for dislocation motion versus band-gap energy known in a variety of semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether application of permanent silicone-based resilient denture liner (SR) to mandibular complete dentures significantly improves patients' masticatory ability compared to conventional heat-activated acrylic resin (AR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight edentulous patients were randomly placed into 1 of 2 crossover groups (AR-SR/SR-AR) by using a random permuted block within strata method. The AR-SR group received AR denture treatments followed by SR denture treatments. The SR-AR group received treatments in the reverse sequence. The outcomes were classified by matiscatory performance, mandibular movement, electromyographic activity, and maximum occlusal force. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in any of the baseline characteristic measurements between groups. SR denture wearers exhibited significantly higher masticatory performance than AR denture wearers. SR denture wearers exhibited a longer early-stage occluding period than AR denture wearers. There were no differences in electromyographic activity between the AR and SR groups. There were no significant differences in maximum occlusal force between the AR and SR groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the application of SR to mandibular complete dentures resulted in significant improvements to the patients' masticatory ability compared to AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical and structural properties of AlInGaN quaternary single and multiple quantum-well structures have been investigated by means of photoluminescence and x-ray diffraction. This comparative study of single quantum-well (SQW) and multiple quantum-well (MQW) structures was carried out in terms of the exciton localization effect and the strain relaxation. A detailed analysis indicated that 13% strain relaxation occurs in the MQW compared to the SQW, which is assumed to be fully strained. Furthermore, the AlInGaN SQW structure showed a stronger localization effect than the MQW. Both these effects result in enhanced emission efficiency for the SQW structure, indicating that it is better suited as the active region for ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs). Finally, the UV-LEDs with an emission wavelength of about 350 nm based on such SQW and MQW active regions were grown. The output power of the SQW UV-LEDs is around 2.3 times higher than that of MQW UV-LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resonant tunneling through single InAs quantum dots embedded in an n-GaAs/i-Al[sub 0.38]Ga[sub 0.62]As/n-GaAs diode has been studied by using microscopic electrophotoluminescence spectroscopy. Many sharp luminescence lines which originated from single quantum dots were observed by injecting resonant electrons from the emitter to the dots. Bias dependence of a single luminescence line was investigated. The peak intensity showed triangular dependence which was similar to the current–voltage characteristics of electron resonant tunneling from three dimension to zero dimension. When the bias voltage was increased, the peak energy slightly shifted to a lower energy indicating the existence of Stark effect, and the linewidth slightly increased. The higher the luminescence energy was, the broader the linewidth was. This result agrees with the calculated resonant level width. The lifetime of resonant states was estimated to be 2.4–27 ps for luminescence linewidth of 250–22 μeV. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the photodesorption of molecular oxygen from a stepped platinum surface. Importance of surface hot-atoms in the desorption of coadsorbed species; Discussion of dynamic behavior of hot-atoms; Production of additional, less tightly bound oxygen adatoms.

Though seawater movement is among the important factors that maintain healthy conditions on coral reefs, little is known about the effects of seawater turbulence on the growth of coral primary polyps. We cultured aposymbiotic primary polyps of Acropora digitifera with and without seawater turbulence and investigated how seawater turbulence affected the physical characteristics of the polyp skeleton. Results showed that seawater turbulence increased the amount of skeletal carbonate and directly influenced calcification of coral hosts. Three-dimensional morphological measurements by X-ray micro-computed tomography revealed that seawater turbulence increased the thickness of the skeletal branches of polyps. Greater thickness of the skeletal branches and increased horizontal growth may significantly enhance survival of primary coral polyps during early life stages before the establishment of algal symbioses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: Lactate is produced in and released from skeletal muscle cells. Lactate receptor, G‐protein‐coupled receptor 81 (GPR81), is expressed in skeletal muscle cells. However, a physiological role of extracellular lactate on skeletal muscle is not fully clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate extracellular lactate‐associated morphological changes and intracellular signals in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. Methods: Mouse myoblast C2C12 cells were differentiated for 5 days to form myotubes. Sodium lactate (lactate) or GPR81 agonist, 3,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,5‐DHBA), was administered to the differentiation medium. Results: Lactate administration increased the diameter of C2C12 myotubes in a dose‐dependent manner. Administration of 3,5‐DHBA also increased myotube diameter. Not only lactate but also 3,5‐DHBA upregulated the phosphorylation level of mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2), p42/44 extracellular signal‐regulated kinase‐1/2 (ERK1/2) and p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (p90RSK). MEK inhibitor U0126 depressed the phosphorylation of ERK‐p90RSK and increase in myotube diameter induced by lactate. On the other hand, both lactate and 3,5‐DHBA failed to induce significant responses in the phosphorylation level of Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin, p70 S6 kinase and protein degradation‐related signals. Conclusion: These observations suggest that lactate‐associated increase in the diameter of C2C12 myotubes is induced via activation of GRP81‐mediated MEK/ERK pathway. Extracellular lactate might have a positive effect on skeletal muscle size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Hybrid power source three-level inverter is proposed as a main circuit system with energy storage device for increasing regenerative power. This paper proposes a charge and discharge control method to utilize the regenerated energy. The proposed method is verified by experimental tests with a scaled-down model and numerical simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Microscopy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

(Ga, Mn)As films with high nominal Mn concentration (00.1, which turn to polycrystalline features when x>0.3. X-ray diffraction shows the formation of MnAs together with the growth of (Ga, Mn)As. The lattice constant of the layers suggests that (Ga, Mn)As with high Mn composition as high as 17% can be grown by LT-MBE. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spin-dependent scattering in ferromagnet/nonmagnet/ferromagnet (Ga,Mn)As/(Al,Ga)As/(Ga,Mn)As trilayer structures was studied. An increase of sheet resistance was observed when the magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As layers were aligned anti-parallel, which was realized by the different coercivity of the two (Ga,Mn)As layers with different compositions. This is the first demonstration of spin-dependent scattering in magnetic multilayer structures made of semiconductor-materials alone. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For implementation of the mesopic photometry system in CIE 191:2010 to outdoor lighting, two simplified methods to measure the mesopic luminance are proposed. One of the methods, named the Adaptation Spectral Power Distribution) method, assumes that the spectral power distributions (SPDs) of reflected light at test points on the road surface are the same as that of the adaptation field. Another method, named the Source SPD method, assumes that the reflected light SPDs are equal to the SPD of the light source. Error simulations with a real road surface spectral reflectance dataset show that the error distributes over an 8% range due to the variation of the road surface spectral reflectance in the worst case. Although the bias due to the road surface spectral reflectances causes a large error with the Source SPD method, a proposed correction can reduce the error sufficiently. Error simulations also show that the Source SPD method is not so sensitive for lighting scenes that include multiple light source types. It has been shown that the SPD methods can measure the mesopic quantities without scotopic/photopic luminance meters having both V(λ) and V(λ) detectors when both the adaptation field and test points consist of road surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In CIE 191:2010, the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage recommends a mesopic photometry system based on peripheral visual tasks. For implementation of the system, the visual adaptation field needs to be defined, taking into account the surrounding luminance effect on the state of adaptation. A series of vision experiments in the mesopic range has been conducted to measure the surrounding luminance effect with respect to the angle between a peripheral task point and a point source. The results show that the surrounding luminance effect at a peripheral task point decreases with increasing angle at a larger slope than existing models, such as the Stiles-Holladay equation, the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage general disability glare formula and the Stiles-Crawford equation. A new model for the surrounding luminance effect is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although most patients with AS consult cardiologists, some patients may present to dermatologists, so dermatologists need to be familiar with the condition and able to make a diagnosis.4 Dermatologists should consider AS in the differential diagnosis for patients with purpura of the fingers, monitor the patient following appropriate examination and avoid performing invasive tests, such as skin biopsy or angiography, unless necessary. Dermatologists should consider Achenbach syndrome in the differential diagnosis for patients with purpura on the fingers. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2016; 42: 439 - 43. 4 Ada F, Kasimzade F. Analysis of 24 patients with Achenbach's syndrome. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: We propose a new business-process analysis approach, Time Process Study (TPS), which comprises process analysis and time and motion studies (TMS). TPS offsets weaknesses of TMS; the cost of field studies and the difficulties in applying them to tasks whose time span differs from those of usual tasks.Methods: In TPS, the job procedures are first displayed using a unified modeling language (UML). Next, time and manpower for each procedure are studied through interviews and TMS, and the information is appended to the UML diagram. We applied TPS in the case of a hospital-based cancer registry (HCR) of a university hospital to clarify the work procedure and the time required, and investigated TPS's availability.Results: Meetings for the study were held once a month from July to September in 2008, and one inquirer committed a total of eight hours to the hospital survey. TPS revealed that HCR consisted of three tasks and 14 functions. The registration required 123 hours/month/person, the quality control required 6.5 hours/ 6 months/person and filing data into the population-based cancer registry required 0.5 hours/6 months/person. Of the total tasks involved in registration, 116.5 hours/month/person were undertaken by a registration worker, which shows the necessity of employing one full-time staff.Conclusion: With TPS, it is straightforward to share the concept among the study-team because the job procedure is first displayed using UML. Therefore, it requires a few workload to conduct TMS and interview. The obtained results were adopted for the review of staff assignment of HCR by Japanese government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The effects of heat shock transcription factor 1 ( HSF1) deficiency on the fibre type composition and the expression level of nuclear factor of activated T cells ( NFAT) family members ( NFATc1, NFATc2, NFATc3 and NFATc4), phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3 α (p- GSK3 α) and p- GSK3 β, micro RNA-208b (miR-208b), miR-499 and slow myosin heavy chain (My HC) m RNAs (Myh7 and Myh7b) of antigravitational soleus muscle in response to unloading with or without reloading were investigated. Methods HSF1-null and wild-type mice were subjected to continuous 2-week hindlimb suspension followed by 2- or 4-week ambulation recovery. Results In wild-type mice, the relative population of slow type I fibres, the expression level of NFATc2, p- GSK3 ( α and β), miR-208b, miR-499 and slow My HC m RNAs (Myh7 and Myh7b) were all decreased with hindlimb suspension, but recovered after it. Significant interactions between train and time (the relative population of slow type I fibres; P = 0.01, the expression level of NFATc2; P = 0.001, p- GSK β; P = 0.009, miR-208b; P = 0.002, miR-499; P = 0.04) suggested that these responses were suppressed in HSF1-null mice. Conclusion HSF1 may be a molecule in the regulation of the expression of slow My HC as well as miR-208b, miR-499, NFATc2 and p- GSK3 ( α and β) in mouse soleus muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Effects of heat shock transcription factor 1 ( HSF1) deficiency on heat stress-associated increase in slow soleus muscle mass of mice were investigated. Methods Both HSF1-null and wild-type mice were randomly assigned to control and heat-stressed groups. Mice in heat-stressed group were exposed to heat stress (41 °C for 60 min) in an incubator without anaesthesia. Results Significant increase in wet and dry weights, and protein content of soleus muscle in wild-type mice was observed seven days after the application of the heat stress. However, heat stress had no impact on soleus muscle mass in HSF1-null mice. Neither type of mice exhibited much effect of heat stress on HSF mRNA expression ( HSF1, HSF2 and HSF4). On the other hand, heat stress upregulated heat shock proteins ( HSPs) at the mRNA ( HSP72) and protein ( HSP72 and HSP110) levels in wild-type mice, but not in HSF1-null mice. The population of Pax7-positive nuclei relative to total myonuclei of soleus muscle in wild-type mice was significantly increased by heat stress, but not in HSF1-null mice. Furthermore, the absence of HSF1 gene suppressed heat stress-associated phosphorylation of Akt and p70 S6 kinase (p-p70S6K) in soleus muscle. Conclusion Heat stress-associated increase in skeletal muscle mass may be induced by HSF1 and/or HSF1-mediated stress response that activates muscle satellite cells and Akt/p70S6K signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Towards the realisation of reliable communication systems using simple nanoscale transceivers, this Letter presents a method for the non‐coherent detection of digitally phase‐modulated signals. Without the synchronisation of the phases of the transmitted and received carrier signals, data transmission cannot be reliably achieved. To address this issue, the proposed method is developed using a nanoscale receiver that receives the binary phase‐modulated signal through the mechanical vibration of a carbon nanotube cantilever. The present analysis reveals that this receiver has an interesting characteristic: the two decision statistics available in the receiver have a phase difference of π/2, which means that at least one of the statistics is fairly reliable regardless of the synchronisation error. Through the selection of the more reliable of the two statistics, the proposed method achieves low error in the estimation of the transmitted data even without carrier phase synchronisation. This Letter presents the derivation of the proposed rule for selecting the statistic and numerical results that demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. This Letter is expected to contribute to the realisation of future communication applications using nanoscale transceivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CIE 191:2010 recommends a mesopic photometry system in which the luminous efficiency function is determined from the adaptation luminance. However, it cannot be practically implemented because the adaptation field used to determine the adaptation luminance is not defined. Surrounding luminance effect is a key factor in defining the adaptation field. Vision experiments have been conducted to measure the surrounding luminance effect on peripheral adaptation state with a point source at various intensities placed at different positions. The results reveal that the effect can be described as veiling luminance and that the magnitude of the effect is larger than that of the foveal veiling luminance. A model for the peripheral veiling luminance proposed by Stiles and Crawford in 1937 shows the best prediction for the surrounding luminance effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collective representation within global models of aerosol, cloud, precipitation, and their radiative properties remains unsatisfactory. They constitute the largest source of uncertainty in predictions of climatic change and hamper the ability of numerical weather prediction models to forecast high-impact weather events. The joint European Space Agency (ESA)-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Earth Clouds, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) satellite mission, scheduled for launch in 2018, will help to resolve these weaknesses by providing global profiles of cloud, aerosol, precipitation, and associated radiative properties inferred from a combination of measurements made by its collocated active and passive sensors. EarthCARE will improve our understanding of cloud and aerosol processes by extending the invaluable dataset acquired by the A-Train satellites CloudSat, Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations ( CALIPSO), and Aqua. Specifically, EarthCARE's cloud profiling radar, with 7 dB more sensitivity than CloudSat, will detect more thin clouds and its Doppler capability will provide novel information on convection, precipitating ice particle, and raindrop fall speeds. EarthCARE's 355-nm high-spectral-resolution lidar will measure directly and accurately cloud and aerosol extinction and optical depth. Combining this with backscatter and polarization information should lead to an unprecedented ability to identify aerosol type. The multispectral imager will provide a context for, and the ability to construct, the cloud and aerosol distribution in 3D domains around the narrow 2D retrieved cross section. The consistency of the retrievals will be assessed to within a target of ±10 W m-2 on the (10 km)2 scale by comparing the multiview broadband radiometer observations to the top-of-atmosphere fluxes estimated by 3D radiative transfer models acting on retrieved 3D domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the influence of the combinations of b-values on computed diffusion-weighted images (cDWIs) for prostate cancer (PCa) detection at b = 2000s mm-2. Methods: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWIs) for 31 patients with PCa (65.2 ±7.1 years) were obtained pre-operatively at different b-values (0,100, 500,1000 and 2000smm-2) on a 3-T MRI. cDWIs at b = 2000 were generated by using six b-value combinations: 0-100 s mm-2 (cDWI0-100); 0-500 s mm-2 (cDWI0-500); 100-500s mm-2 (cDWI100-500);0-1000s mm2 (cDWI-0-1000); 100-1000smm-2 (cDWI100-500)1 and 500-1000 s mm2 (cDWI500-1000). These cDWIs and measured DWIs with b = 2000 s mm-2 (mDWI2000) were evaluated in this setting. To assess image quality for each DWI, contrast ratios (CRs) of cancerous and non-cancerous lesions were evaluated. To compare the detectability of PCa for each DWI, receiver operating characteristic analysis was used. Results: CRs of all cDWIs were significantly higher than those of mDWI2000 (p<0.05). Areas under the curve of cDWI0-0-100 (0.62) and cDWI0-500 (0.65) were significantly smaller (P < 0.05) than those of others (cDWI100-500 0.72; cDWI0-1000, 0.73; cDWI100-1000. 0.71; cDWI500-1000. 0.74; mDWI2000. 0.72). Conclusion: The combinations of b-values influenced imago quality and diagnostic ability of cDWIs for PCa detection. The combinations of b ≥ 100 and b ≥ 500 s mm-2, as well as b = 0 and b = 1000s mm-2, were optimal in this study. Advances in knowledge: For generating the useful cDWI for PCa detection, radiologists should take care of the combination of b-values when including low b-values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]