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With the gradual normalization of the COVID-19, unmanned delivery has gradually become an important contactless distribution method around China. In this paper, we study the routing problem of unmanned vehicles considering path flexibility and the number of traffic lights in the road network to reduce the complexity of road conditions faced by unmanned vehicles as much as possible. We use Monte Carlo Tree Search algorithm to improve the Genetic Algorithm to solve this problem, first use Monte Carlo Tree Search Algorithm to compute the time-saving path between two nodes among multiple feasible paths and then transfer the paths results to Genetic Algorithm to obtain the final sequence of the unmanned vehicles fleet. And the hybrid algorithm was tested on the actual road network data around four hospitals in Beijing. The results showed that compared with normal vehicle routing problem, considering path flexibility can save the delivery time, the more complex the road network composition, the better results could be obtained by the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposal of long-lived fission products (LLFPs) produced in reactors has been paid a lot attention for sustainable and clean nuclear energy. Although a few transmutation means have been proposed to address this issue, there are still scientific and/or engineering challenges to achieve efficient transmutation of LLFPs. In this study, we propose a novel concept of advanced nuclear energy system (ANES) for transmuting LLFPs efficiently without isotopic separation. The ANES comprises intense photoneutron source (PNS) and subcritical reactor, which consist of lead–bismuth (Pb-Bi) layer, beryllium (Be) layer, and fuel, LLFPs and shield assemblies. The PNS is produced by bombarding radioactive cesium and iodine target with a laser-Compton scattering (LCS) γ-ray beam. We investigate the effect of the ANES system layout on transmutation efficiency by Monte Carlo simulations. It is found that a proper combination of the Pb-Bi layer and the Be layer can increase the utilization efficiency of the PNS by a factor of ~ 10, which helps to decrease by almost the same factor the LCS γ-beam intensity required for driving the ANES. Supposing that the ANES operates over 20 years at a normal thermal power of 500 MWt, five LLFPs including 99Tc, 129I, 107Pd, 137Cs and 79Se could be transmuted by more than 30%. Their effective half-lives thus decrease drastically from ~ 106 to less than 102 years. It is suggested that this successful implementation of the ANES paves the avenue towards practical transmutation of LLFPs without isotopic separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new compatibilizer, maleic anhydride-grafted poly(lactic acid) (PLA-g-AMS/MAH), was synthesized for microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites. PLA-g-AMS/MAH copolymer was prepared by freeradical melt grafting using α-Methylstyrene as a co-monomer and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as a free-radical initiator. The molecular structure of the prepared PLA-g-AMS/MAH was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the grafting degree (Dg) of PLA-g-AMS/MAH was studied by acid-alkali titration. The effects of the Dg of PLA-g-AMS/MAH on the rheological and mechanical properties of MCC/PLA composites were investigated. The results showed that MAH was successfully grafted onto PLA molecular chains and the Dg of PLA-g-AMS/MAH was dramatically higher than the Dg of PLA-g-MAH. At an AMS/MAH ratio of 2:1, the Dg value of the graft copolymer reached maximum. Additionally, the storage modulus, complex viscosity, equilibrium torque, and shear heat of the MCC/PLA composite melts increased with increased Dg of PLA-g-AMS/MAH. The mechanical properties of the MCC/PLA composites also were significantly improved after the addition of PLA-g-AMS/MAH copolymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the contamination, ecological and biotoxicity risk of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in mariculture area of China, the total concentrations and speciation of metals were analysed in the sediments from a typical mariculture bay in 2011 and 2013. The results show that most heavy metal concentrations in 2013 were lower than those in 2011. The residual and sulfide-bound fractions were the primary fractions of heavy metals. The pollution can be described in all the sampling sites of heavy metals (except Cd) with moderate to a very high degree by geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index (PLI). According to the risk assessment code (RAC), Cd, Ni and Pb posed a medium to very high ecological risk. The sampling sites that exhibited the biotoxicity risk in 2013 had higher biotoxicity levels than that in 2011. Based on statistical analysis and environmental investigation, four sites (S1, S2, S4 and S7) were highly affected by the environmental pollutants which primarily resulted from the combustion of gasoline and diesel fuel and the ships protective layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistence of soil moisture anomalies has an important effect on the weather and climate forecasts. Numerous observational and modeling studies have addressed the memory of soil moisture anomalies and its effects at the seasonal scale, and few studies have focused on the interannual scale. This study investigates the soil moisture memory and its effect on the surface heat and water fluxes under different atmospheric conditions on seasonal and interannual scales using the Community Land Model Version 4.5 driven by the observations at the Tongyu site. The results indicate that the soil moisture anomalies can persist for more than 1 year. It was found that the decay rate of soil moisture anomalies depends mainly on initial soil moisture anomalies, followed by atmospheric condition in this study. Under the same atmospheric condition, the wet anomalies of soil moisture decay faster than dry anomalies of soil moisture. With the same initial soil moisture anomalies, soil moisture memory is usually shorter under the wet atmospheric condition. Moreover, the soil moisture anomalies have an obvious exponential decrease over the years. The anomalies of the surface heat fluxes have significant interannual attenuation trend and seasonal variations, and they are closely related to the anomalies of surface temperature, which are mainly affected by the anomalies of soil specific heat capacity. This study provides a scientific support for understanding the persistence of soil moisture anomalies, and it may be useful for the research on the seasonal and interannual variability of climate. Key Points: The anomaly of soil moisture can persist for more than 1 yearThe decay rate of soil moisture anomalies depends mainly on initial soil moisture anomalies, followed by atmospheric conditions in this studySoil moisture anomalies have an obvious exponential decrease over the years [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Inherited traits of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) may have link to the heritability of the airway anatomy. The aim of this study was to investigate heritability of the airway anatomy by comparing skeletal and soft tissue features of Korean monozygotic twins (MZ) and dizygotic twins (DZ). In total, 72 participants (mean age, 41.5 ± 5.9 years; 40 males, 32 females) including 48 MZ (24 pairs) and 24 DZ (12 pairs) with same sex were participated. The craniofacial, craniovertebral, hyoideal and pharyngeal parameters were measured using lateral cephalograms. The genetic analysis was performed using Falconer's method. High heritability was detected in the hyoid position and inclination of the cervical column. The velopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal dimensions showed higher heritability compared to those of the nasopharynx and oropharynx. The body mass index (BMI) had interactions with the nasopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal dimensions and length of the tongue and soft palate. The mandibular growth had correlations with the nasopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal dimensions. The vertical skeletal relationships appeared to have interaction with the nasopharyngeal, velopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal dimensions, as well as length of the tongue and soft palate. A forwarded inclination of the cervical columns was seen in connections with BMI and the nasopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal dimensions. The airway structures and head postures seemed to be under strong genetic controls. The airway dimensions had associations with BMI, head postures and skeletal structures which showed high heritability. Forwarded head postures would be physiological adaptations of compromised airway adequacy by increased BMI and retrognathia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Laser-driven relativistic electrons can be focused onto a high-Z convertor for generating high-brightness γ-rays, which in turn can be used to induce photonuclear reactions. In this work, photo-transmutation of long-lived radionuclide 135Cs induced by laser–plasma–interaction-driven electron source is demonstrated using Geant4 simulation (Agostinelli et al., 2003 Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A506, 250). High-energy electron generation, bremsstrahlung, as well as photonuclear reaction are observed at four different laser intensities: 1020, 5 × 1020, 1021, and 5 × 1021 W/cm2. The transmutation efficiency depends on the laser intensity and target size. An optimum laser intensity, namely 1021 W/cm2, was found, with the corresponding photonuclear reaction yield reaching 108 J−1 of the laser energy. Laser-generated electrons can therefore be a promising tool for transmutation reactions. Potential application in nuclear waste management is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: Low bone mineral density (BMD) leads to an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. Total testosterone and free testosterone were positively associated with BMD, which was significantly influenced by the additive genetic effects. Introduction: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate an association between testosterone and BMD and the influence of genetic factors on the association. Methods: Study subjects were 1070 Korean men including 144 pairs of monozygotic twins and their family members. Levels of serum total testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay. Calculated free testosterone (cFT) was then determined using Vermeulen's method. BMDs of the whole body and specific regions were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results: Linear mixed regression analyses showed that total testosterone and cFT were positively associated with BMD at most regions, after considering intra-familial relationship and covariates including fat mass, lean mass, and SHBG. SHBG had an inverse association with BMD at the pelvis but not with the BMD at other regions after adjusting for all covariates and cFT. Co-twin control analysis in monozygotic twins found no association between pairwise difference of testosterone and pairwise difference of BMD. Bivariate variance component analysis showed that both total testosterone and cFT had a significant positive additive genetic correlation with BMD at rib, spine, and arm, whereas SHBG had no significant genetic correlation with BMD. Inverse environmental correlations were seen between total testosterone and BMDs at the lumbar spine and arm. Conclusions: This Korean twin and family study showed that both total testosterone and free testosterone were positively associated with BMD and that genetic effects were significant on the association between testosterone and BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By surveying extensive epidemiological behavioural and sexual risk factors in a Korean twin cohort, risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection were investigated in South Korea. A total of 912 vaginal specimens were collected from the Healthy Twin Study, consisting of twins and their families. A range of epidemiological, behavioural, and sexual activity characteristics were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analyses of family and twin relationships, adjusted to elucidate the risk factors for HPV infection. Of the various epidemiological characteristics, the possibility of extramarital affairs [odds ratio (OR) 2·48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·02–6·02] significantly increased the prevalence of HPV infection. Our multivariate regression analysis indicated that oral contraceptive use (OR 40·64, 95% CI 0·99–1670·7) and history of sexually transmitted disease (OR 2·56, 95% CI 0·93–7·10) were strongly associated with an increase in HPV infection. On the other hand, more frequent vaginal douching (OR 0·32, 95% CI 0·13–0·77) significantly decreased the prevalence of HPV infection. Our results suggested that HPV infection is associated with both biological and behavioural factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Bone mineral density (BMD), a representative marker of osteoporosis risk, is found to be highly heritable in this Korean study, which is very consistent with the findings in Western populations. This finding strongly supports that genetic factors are significant determinants of osteoporosis risk along with individual biological and behavioral factors. Introduction: Although genetic factors are known to contribute significantly to variations in BMD in Western populations, such an association has not been fully evaluated in an Asian population. This study was conducted to determine the role of genetic factors on BMD in Korean population. Methods: The study participants were 2,728 men and women consisting of 497 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs, 119 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, and 1,496 first-degree relatives from the Healthy Twin Study. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Quantitative genetic analysis based on a variance decomposition model was performed. Results: Age and the measured covariates accounted for 17~61% of the variation in BMD, depending on the sites of measurement. After accounting for the covariate effects, the heritability of BMD at the whole body, thoracic and lumbar spine, whole ribs, whole pelvis, whole arms, and whole legs were 0.76, 0.72, 0.73, 0.71, 0.51, and 0.75, respectively. The pair-wise correlation of BMD was the highest within MZ twin pairs, followed by DZ twin pairs, sibling pairs, and parents-child pairs. Cross-trait correlation analysis revealed a positive genetic correlation between BMDs at different sites, ranging from 0.80 (arm and leg BMD) to 0.50 (pelvis and arm BMD). Conclusions: The high heritability of BMD in this Korean population similar to those found in Western populations and the significant common genetic basis between BMDs at different sites strongly supports a significant role of genetic determinants on the risk of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives:Increased adiposity, shorter stature, shorter leg length and carotid intima-media thickening are associated with cardiovascular (CV) disease. This study aimed to evaluate the sex-specific phenotypic and genetic associations between adiposity and anthropometric measures and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT).Subjects/Methods:We measured IMT at common carotid artery (CCA-IMT), carotid bifurcation and internal carotid artery (ICA-IMT) using B-mode ultrasound, and adiposity and anthropometric measures, including body mass index (BMI), height, leg length, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio and percentage of body fat; we also assessed conventional CV risk factors among 706 Korean adults from the Healthy Twin Study. The associations were analyzed using quantitative genetic and linear mixed analyses.Results:In linear mixed analyses, BMI and WC had independent associations with the IMT at CCA-IMT and ICA-IMT and CCA-IMT, respectively, after adjusting for age and conventional CV risk factors in men. By comparison, in women, adiposity and anthropometric measures were associated with carotid IMT only before adjusting for the covariates. In men, there were significant genetic correlations between BMI and CCA-IMT (ρG=0.32±0.11), BMI and ICA-IMT (ρG=0.35±0.11) and WC and ICA-IMT (ρG=0.32±0.13) after adjusting for covariates, whereas in women the cross-trait genetic correlations were no longer significant after adjusting for the covariates.Conclusions:In this Korean twins and families, we found sex-specific associations between adiposity and anthropometric measures and the IMT at each segment of the carotid artery, and BMI and WC in men can be indicators predicting carotid intima-media thickening regardless of age and CV risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si) subwavelength grating (SWG) structures were fabricated on Si substrates by holographic lithography and subsequent inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching process using SiCl with or without Ar addition for solar cell applications. To ensure a good nanosized pattern transfer into the underlying Si layer, the etch selectivity of Si over the photoresist mask is optimized by varying the etching parameters, thus improving antireflection characteristics. For antireflection analysis of Si SWG surfaces, the optical reflectivity is measured experimentally and it is also calculated theoretically by a rigorous coupled-wave analysis. The reflectance depends on the height, period, and shape of two-dimensional periodic Si subwavelength structures, correlated with ICP etching parameters. The optimized Si SWG structure exhibits a dramatic decrease in optical reflection of the Si surface over a wide angle of incident light ( θ), i.e. less than 5% at wavelengths of 300–1100 nm, leading to good wide-angle antireflection characteristics (i.e. solar-weighted reflection of 1.7–4.9% at θ<50°) of Si solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricate the aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) subwavelength gratings (SWG) on Si and glass substrates by holographic lithography and sequent CH4/H2/Ar reactive ion etching process. The etch selectivity of AZO over photoresist mask as well as the nano-scale shape is optimized for better antireflection performance. To analyze the antireflective properties of AZO SWG surface, the optical reflectivity is measured and then calculated together with a rigorous coupled-wave analysis. The reflectance spectrum can be considerably changed by incorporating the SWG into AZO film. As the SWG height of AZO on Si substrate increases, the magnitude of interference oscillations in the reflectance spectrum tends to be reduced with the larger difference between its maxima. The use of optimized SWG can significantly reduce the surface reflection of AZO film at the desired wavelengths. The measured reflectance data of AZO SWG are reasonably consistent with the simulation results. No considerable change in transmission characteristics is observed for AZO SWG structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the influence of the melatonin in plasma leptin concentration and adipose tissue leptin secretion on mice. It states that the study was made on weaned male mice which underwent melatonin supplementation in the in vivo experiment and studied their epididymal adipose tissue in the in vitro experiment. It reveals that melatonin does not influence adipose tissue leptin secretion but it led for the rise in plasma leptin levels on mice.

To investigate the effect of dopant size, especially that of anion size, on the actuation behaviour of polypyrrole (PPy) actuator, the authors prepared PPy actuators with three types of dopants: sodium perchlorate (NaClO4 with small anion), para-toluene sulfonate (pTS with medium anion) and dodecyl benzene sulfonate (DBS with bulky anion). The largest displacements of 12·95, 8·36 and 9·62 mm were obtained in PPy actuators with NaClO4, pTS and DBS respectively. This result was caused by the cation and anion size of dopant used in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

xCT, the functional subunit of the cystine/glutamate transporter xc- system, plays a critical role in the maintenance of intracellular glutathione and redox balance. Disruption of xCT significantly inhibits the growth of a variety of carcinomas, including lymphoma, glioma, prostate and breast cancer. However, the role of xCT in tumor metastasis remains largely unknown. In this study, both xCT+/+ and xCT−/− melanocytes were used to evaluate the role of xCT in adhesion. xCT activity was suppressed by an inhibitor, sulfasalazine (SASP), or by xCT siRNA in an esophageal cancer cell line, KYSE150. We found that disruption of xCT enhanced homotypic cell–cell adhesion and attenuated cell–extracellular matrix adhesion. SASP significantly inhibited both cell invasion of KYSE150 in vitro and its experimental metastasis in nude mice. Caveolin-1 was upregulated and β-catenin was recruited to the plasma membrane when xCT was deficient, which were followed by the inhibition of β-catenin transcriptional activity. Further study revealed that the upregulation of caveolin-1 and inhibition of tumor cell invasion were mediated by reactive oxygen species-induced p38 MAPK activation. These results first establish the role of xCT in tumor metastasis and implicate a potential target for cancer therapy.Oncogene (2009) 28, 599–609; doi:10.1038/onc.2008.414; published online 17 November 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the simulation of the 980 nm InGaAs intra-cavity-contacted oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (ICOC VCSELs) with separated triplets of quantum wells (STQW) is presented. We analyze the thermal, electrical and optical properties of such devices. Results of simulations show the larger optical power efficiency and higher modulation bandwidth for devices with included STQW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis Epidemiological evidence shows an increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to assess the yearly incidence for this country during 1992-1996. Subjects and methods Data obtained by telephone interviews of 93,484 diagnosed diabetic patients enrolled in Taiwan's National Health Insurance programme formed the basis of this study. A total of 36,153 incident cases of type 2 diabetes (17,097 men and 19,056 women) were identified and incidence rates calculated. The trends of obesity and parental diabetes were also evaluated. Results The overall 5-year incidences for men and women were 187.1 and 218.4 per 100,000 population, respectively. The trends from 1992-1996 were increased for all age groups in men and for most age groups in women. A 2.8-fold increase in incidence was observed for the youngest age group (<35 years), in which the increase in incidence was higher than in the older age groups. Men showed a higher fold increase in incidence than did women (3.5 vs 2.1). Obesity at interview increased from 39.2% in 1992 to 47.6% in 1996 (p<0.001) and was significant for all ages. Parental diabetes showed no yearly change when all patients were analysed together, but there was a trend towards a decrease in the youngest age group (<35 years) and a trend towards an increase in the oldest age groups (≥55 years). Conclusions/interpretation An increasing incidence of diagnosed type 2 diabetes was observed for each sex in most age groups in Taiwan, but was most marked in the youngest age group. A parallel increase in obesity was observed with the increasing incidence of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the importance of different inflammatory markers and traditional risk factors in predicting peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. A cross-sectional analysis of 30 Type 2 diabetic patients with PVD defined by ankle-brachial index (ABI) < 0.9, and 60 Type 2 diabetic patients without PVD (ABI > 1.0). Overnight blood was drawn and sent for study. Longer diabetic duration (15 ± 8 vs. 10 ± 7 years, P = 0.007), higher serum creatinine level (0.11 ± 0.04 vs. 0.09 ± 0.03 mmol/l, P = 0.001), higher total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (TC/HDL-C) ratio (5.2 ± 1.6 vs. 4.3 ± 1.1, P = 0.004) and increased hypertension status (70% vs. 52%, P = 0.014) and cerebral infarction (CI) history (23% vs. 3%, P = 0.009) were noted in Type 2 diabetes with PVD. Those with PVD also showed significantly higher serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (median 0.282 vs. 0.102 mg/dl, P < 0.001) and interleukin (IL)-6 (10.6 ± 1.81 vs 1.6 ± 4.6 pg/ml, P = 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that higher serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), longer diabetic duration, and use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) were independently associated with PVD in Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetic patients with PVD had longer diabetic duration, higher serum creatinine levels, higher TC/HDL-C ratio, higher hypertension and CI history and higher CRP and IL-6 levels. Only serum CRP level, diabetic duration, and use of ACEI were independently associated with PVD in Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabet. Med. (2004) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is devoted to the study of those rings R such that for any ring homomorphism $R\rightarrow S$ the functor ${\rm Hom}_R(S,-):R{\rm -Mod} \rightarrow S{\rm -Mod}$ preserves injective envelopes or injective covers.¶The case of injective envelopes has been studied by T. Würfel ([9]), who gave a characterization of such rings (Theorem 10). In this paper we give another characterization of those rings in Section 2. One of the tools we use is a generalization of a certain type of module initially studied by Northcott ([4]), McKerrow ([3]) and Park ([5] and [6]).¶The case of injective covers is treated in Section 3, where we give a complete characterization of commutative noetherian rings satisfying the property mentioned above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the magnitude and contributory factors of socioeconomic differentials in mortality in a cohort of Korean male civil servants. A prospective observational study of male civil servants followed up for five years after baseline measurement. All civil service offices in Korea. The study was conducted on 759,665 Korean male public servants aged 30-64 at baseline examination in 1992. The grade of monthly salary of these participants divided into four groups, a proxy indicator of socioeconomic status (SES), was the main predictive variable. Mortality of the participants was followed up from 1992 to 1996. The causes of deaths were categorised into four groups according to the medical amenability: avoidable, partly avoidable, non-avoidable, and external causes of death. The risk of mortality associated with SES was estimated using the Cox proportional hazard model. Lowest SES group had significantly higher risk of mortality from most causes compared with the highest SES group in the order of external cause (relative risk (RR): 2.26), avoidable (RR: 1.65), all cause (RR: 1.59), and non-avoidable mortality (RR: 1.54). With the adjustment of known risk factors, significantly higher risks of mortality in lowest SES group were attenuated but persisted. Looking at the deaths from partly avoidable causes, significantly higher risks of mortality in the lowest SES group was observed from cerebrovascular disease but not from coronary heart disease. Socioeconomic differentials in non-avoidable as well as avoidable mortality, persisting even under the control of risk factors, suggest that mortality is influenced not only by the quality of health care and different distribution of risk factors but also by other aspects of SES that are yet unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An initial demonstration is reported in terms of maximising performance of photovoltaic modules. Experimental results of a triple junction solar cell covered with a 3 mm red-emitting luminous glass which can be efficiently excited by ultraviolet light indicate that this combination exhibits significantly enhanced efficiency of 36.5% under one-sun of AM1.5G. Integrating a luminescent (LSC) glass onto modules without converting any fabrication process at the device level is considered to be one of the predominant advantages of this device. Additionally, in order to achieve strong visible emission, it is mandatory to determine a thickness of LSC coverglass due to the edge reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-scale, reflective-type optical displacement sensors have been developed by monolithic integration of vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and resonant cavity-enhanced photodetectors (RCEPDs). This compact sensor (700 × 700 μm) consists of an oxide-confined VCSEL that is surrounded by an RCEPD and can measure the linear distance with a measurement range of ∼10 mm, which is comparable to that of conventional displacement sensors. Fabrication details and sensor performances are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Antireflective properties of AZO subwavelength gratings patterned by holographic lithography," that was published on July 13, 2010 issue is presented.

The possibility of producing attosecond x-rays through Thomson scattering of laser light off laser-driven relativistic electron beams is investigated. For a ≤200-as, tens-MeV electron bunch produced with laser ponderomotive-force acceleration in a plasma wire, exceeding 106 photons/s in the form of ∼160 as pulses in the range of 3-300 keV are predicted, with a peak brightness of ≥5 × 1020 photons/(s mm2 mrad2 0.1% bandwidth). Our study suggests that the physical scheme discussed in this work can be used for an ultrafast (attosecond) x-ray source, which is the most beneficial for time-resolved atomic physics, dubbed 'attosecond physics.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]