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Abstract We will browse a series of results on elliptic equations and systems, with particular nonlinear lower order terms and measure right-hand side, obtained in the last years in the papers (Cirmi and Leonardi, 2014; Cianci et al., 2017; Cirmi et al., 2014, 2017, 2018). Namely we take into account equations whose prototypes are: − Δ u + u | D u | 2 = f or − Δ u + | D u | 2 u θ = f , θ ∈ ] 0 , 1 [ , where the right-hand side f belongs to a suitable Morrey space, for instance to L 1 , λ , 0 < λ ≤ N − 2 , and we prove corresponding Morrey estimates for the gradient of a solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to quantify and compare the interactive effects of liner compression, milking vacuum level, and pulsation settings on average milk flow rates for liners representing the range of liner compression of commercial liners. A secondary objective was to evaluate a methodology for assessing liner performance that can be applied on commercial dairy farms. Eight different liner types were assessed using 9 different combinations of milking system vacuum and pulsation settings applied to a herd of 80 cows with vacuum and pulsation conditions changed daily for 36 d using a central composite experimental design. Liner response surfaces were created for explanatory variables milking system vacuum (Vsystem) and pulsator ratio (PR) and response variable average milk flow rate (AMF = total yield/total cups-on time) expressed as a fraction of the within-cow average flow rate for all treatments (average milk flow rate fraction, AMFf). Response surfaces were also created for between-liner comparisons for standardized conditions of claw vacuum and milk ratio (fraction of pulsation cycle during which milk is flowing). The highest AMFf was observed at the highest levels of Vsystem, PR, and overpressure. All liners showed an increase in AMF as milking conditions were changed from low to high standardized conditions of claw vacuum and milk ratio. Differences in AMF between liners were smallest at the most gentle milking conditions (low Vsystem and low milk ratio), and these between-liner differences in AMF increased as liner overpressure increased. Differences were noted with vacuum drop between Vsystem and claw vacuum depending on the liner venting system, with short milk tube vented liners having the greater vacuum drop than mouthpiece chamber vented liners. The accuracy of liner performance assessment in commercial parlors fitted with milk meters can be improved by using a central composite experimental design with a repeated center point treatment, rotating different clusters to different stalls (milk meters), and adjusting performance estimates for similar claw vacuum and pulsation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to compare 2 methods of measuring overpressure (OP) using a new test device designed to make OP measurements more quickly and accurately. Overpressure was measured with no pulsation (OPnp) and with limited pulsation (OPlp) repeatedly on the same cow during a single milking. Each of the 6 liners (3 round liners and 3 triangular liners) used in this study were tested on the same 6 experimental cows. Both OPnp and OPlp were measured on all 4 teats of each experimental cow twice for each liner. The order of OPnp and OPlp alternated sequentially for each cow test. The OP results for the 6 liners were also compared with liner compression estimated on the same liners with a novel artificial teat sensor (ATS). The OPlp method showed small but significantly higher values than the OPnp method (13.9 vs. 13.4 kPa). The OPlp method is recommended as the preferred method as it more closely approximates normal milking condition. Overpressure values decreased significantly between the first and the following measurements, (from 15.0 to 12.4 kPa). We recommend performing the OP test at a consistent time, 1 min after attaching the teatcup to a well-stimulated teat, to reduce the variability produced by OP changing during the peak flow period. The new test device had several advantages over previously published methods of measuring OP. A high correlation between OP and liner compression estimated by the ATS was found, but difficulties were noted when using the ATS with triangular liners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of decomposition by using accumulated degree days (ADDs) has been suggested not only in terrestrial decay but also for water-related deaths. Previous studies have demonstrated that the accumulation of thermal energy as a function of the post-mortem submersion interval (PMSI) can be derived from a descriptive decompositional scoring system (DSS). In order to verify how useful can the total aquatic decomposition score (TADS) for ADD prediction be, a comparative taphonomic study has been performed between two series of bodies: 16 corpses found floating in shallower waters with a presumptive PMSI from 3 to 118 days and exposed to water temperatures (Tw) between 10.5 and 20.3 °C approximately equating from a minimum of 46 to 1.392 ADD; 52 bodies, all victims of a single shipwreck, found in sequestered environments and subjected to constant Tw of 4 °C for 210 days approximately equating to 840 ADD. The two series of bodies have revealed different stages of decay and a large DSS variability. In most of bodies, freshly formed adipocere was able to delay the appearance of later decompositional stages explaining why most of the bodies were in relatively good condition. Although promising, the accuracy of the TADS model can be affected by adipocere and animal activity. The TADS model suffers of the same limitations for ADD calculations as they can give a false perception of accuracy due to the complexity of integrating all changing factors affecting human decay in sequestered and non-sequestered marine environments (currents, animal activity, water temperatures, depth of submersion). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Mn(Phimp)2](ClO4) complex was utilized for the electrochemical sensing of ascorbic acid (AA) with disposable gold-based compact disks (G-CDs) electrodes. On the Mn(III) complex-modified electrode the oxidation of AA can be carried out at lower potential and with higher current, due to the electrocatalytic activity of the Mn(III) complex layer. Furthermore, it exhibited an excellent selectivity to AA in the presence of possible interference compounds. The electrocatalytic mechanism was postulated to be governed by the Mn(III)/Mn(II) redox couple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We study the higher differentiability of the very weak solution of the Cauchy–Dirichlet problem associated to the linear parabolic system of the form under a weak Hölder continuity condition on the coefficients and the right-hand side belonging to the Morrey space . In such a way we extend to the vectorial parabolic setting the result by Di Castro and Palatucci (2013). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We study the existence, the uniqueness and the regularity of the suitable defined solution of the Cauchy–Dirichlet problem associated to the linear parabolic system with VMO coefficients and measure the right-hand side of the form [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gender-related differences in medulloblastoma (MB) development have been reported with a higher incidence in males (slightly above 60%) than in females, female gender being also a significantly favorable prognostic factor in MB. The present study focused on the evaluation of the mechanisms by which estrogens protect against MB formation. To this end, we used a well characterized mouse model of MB - the Patched1 heterozygous mice. Ovariectomized mice were treated with 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionitrile (DPN), a highly potent ERβ agonist, or 4,4',4″-(4-propyl-[1H]-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl) trisphenol (PPT), a highly potent ERα agonist. Our results show that the ERβ selective agonist DPN significantly inhibits development of MB preneoplastic lesions when compared with untreated ovariectomized mice, restoring the final incidence to that observed in the intact controls, and that these effects were achieved via activation of anti-proliferative and pro-apototic pathways. On the other hand, the ERα selective agonist PPT did not influence MB tumorigenesis relative to untreated ovariectomized mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) phenotype DQ2 is considered the most important genetic marker for un-responsiveness to hepatitis B vaccine. Since celiac disease (CD) is also strongly associated with the same haplo-type it may be hypothesized that celiac patients are less able to respond to the vaccine. We report a retrospective study on celiac patients vaccinated with three doses of 10μg at 3, 5 and 11 months of age by an intramuscular injection of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix B). We found 30 of 60 celiac patients (50%) unresponsive to vaccination and a significant higher number of responders among patients younger than 18 months at the time of celiac disease diagnosis. Our study confirms that celiac patients have a lower percentage of response to hepatitis B vaccination than healthy subjects. These findings provide useful information to evaluate if current vaccine strategies should be reassessed and if revaccination should be recommended. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We consider the Dirichlet problem associated with equations whose prototype is where , , , is the -Laplacian operator and belongs to the Morrey space with . Firstly, we prove that the gradient of the truncation belongs to for all and, as a consequence, we establish regularity results in suitable weak Morrey spaces for and its gradient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We prove that if a vector-function belongs to the Morrey space , with , , , , and is the solution of the system then belongs to the space , for any , provided the matrix of bounded measurable coefficients has sufficiently small dispersion of the eigenvalues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The impact of forest management on genetic diversity and mating was examined in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Ten beech stands located in Europe were studied in pair-wise plots, differing in management intensity. The stands were genotyped with four highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Comparison for genetic diversity measures between the stands with limited management and the high management-intensity stands (mostly shelter wood system) revealed no significant differences for allelic richness (A), effective number of alleles (A e), number of rare alleles (A rare), neither for observed (H o) nor expected heterozygosity (H e). In all stands a significant excess of homozygotes was found, which is in agreement with previous isozyme publications. However, the increase in the inbreeding coefficient (F is) in the stands with limited management was significantly higher than in the highly managed stands. Expectedly a low, but significant, differentiation among all stands was found (F st =0.058) which still reveals a clear geographic structure. The results indicate that the shelter wood system has no or minimum impact on the genetic diversity in European beech. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We prove, at first, the Hölder continuity up to the boundary of a convex nonsmooth domain of the weak solution of a linear second-order elliptic system in divergence form with discontinuous coefficients under a suitable condition on the dispersion of the eigenvalues of the coefficients matrix. We apply the above result to some classes of quasilinear and nonlinear elliptic systems. Moreover, we show existence and uniqueness of a very weak solution of a linear second-order elliptic system with discontinuous coefficients and -right-hand side extending an analogous result for one single equation due to Stampacchia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The organised motion in a turbulent channel flow with a succession of square bars on the bottom wall has been investigated using direct numerical simulations. Several values of the ratio w/k, where k is the bar height and w is the longitudinal separation between consecutive bars have been examined in detail. Relative to a smooth surface, the streamwise extent of the near-wall structures is decreased while their spanwise extent is increased. As w/k increases, the coherence decreases in the streamwise direction having a minimum for w/k=7. This is due to the outward motion occurring, most of all, near the leading edge of the elements. The Reynolds stress anisotropy tensor and its invariants show a closer approach to isotropy over the rough wall than over a smooth wall. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The benefits of mobility in later life and active ageing have been widely documented and evidenced. Despite its clear benefits, physical activity levels among older people fall short of recommended levels. Older people can have feelings of fear when walking in the outdoor environment. In order to facilitate mobility in later life, it is important that accessible, clearly structured and predictable urban environments are provided. This study wants to understand which aspects and measures the elderly consider more important in order to encourage and improve neighbourhood walkability, considering the influence of age-related declines and experience as road users. A survey was developed in the urban area of Catania (Italy). The total sample comprised 645 participants (355 men and 290 women) aged over 70. A Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) was developed to analyse the data. Results show that elderly pedestrians with minor age-related declines give stronger importance to the walkability along the road, but also focus on improper or aggressive driving behaviours. Pedestrians with major age-related declines give instead more importance to the level of comfort and safety when they cross the road. The driving experience was found to have little influence on elderly priorities for neighbourhood walkability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a nonlinear Robin problem driven by the p -Laplacian plus an indefinite potential. The conditions on the source term are minimal. We prove two multiplicity theorems with sign information for all the solutions. In the semilinear case (p = 2), we show that we can have multiple nodal solutions. We apply our results to a special class of logistic equations with equidiffusive reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to develop a method to quantify the milking conditions under which circulatory impairment of teat tissues occurs during the peak flow period of milking. A secondary objective was to quantify the effect of the same milking conditions on milk flow rate during the peak flow rate period of milking. Additionally, the observed milk flow rate was a necessary input to the calculation of canal area, our quantitative measure of circulatory impairment. A central composite experimental design was used with 5 levels of each of 2 explanatory variables (system vacuum and pulsator ratio), creating 9 treatments including the center point. Ten liners, representing a wide range of liner compression (as indicated by overpressure), were assessed, with treatments applied using a novel quarter-milking device. Eight cows (32 cow-quarters) were used across 10 separate evening milkings, with quarter being the experimental unit. The 9 treatments, with the exception of a repeated center point, were randomly applied to all quarters within each individual milking. Analysis was confined to the peak milk flow period. Milk flow rate (MFR) and teat canal cross sectional area (CA) were normalized by dividing individual MFR, or CA, values by their within-quarter average value across all treatments. A multiple explanatory variable regression model was developed for normalized MFR and normalized CA. The methods presented in this paper provided sufficient precision to estimate the effects of vacuum (both at teat-end and in the liner mouthpiece), pulsation, and liner compression on CA, as an indicator of teat-end congestion, during the peak flow period of milking. Liner compression (as indicated by overpressure), teat-end vacuum, vacuum in the liner mouthpiece, milk-phase time, and their interactions are all important predictors of MFR and teat-end congestion during the peak milk flow period of milking. Increasing teat-end vacuum and milk-phase time increases MFR and reduces CA (indicative of increased teat-end congestion). Increasing vacuum in the liner mouthpiece also acts to reduce CA and MFR. Increasing liner compression reduces the effects of teat-end congestion, resulting in increased MFR and increased CA at high levels of teat-end vacuum and milk-phase time. These results provide a better understanding of the balance between milking speed and milking gentleness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Often in the numerical simulations of turbulent heat transfer in a channel, the temperature is assigned as boundary condition at the wall. This condition is rather different from that in real experiments, where solid walls are thick and a constant temperature is imposed at the exterior of the walls. In the present work, rough channel flows with a Prandtl number Pr F = ν / α F = 1 have been simulated transporting thermal fields in presence of walls with two different thermal diffusivities α Si . In one case, the thermal diffusivity corresponds to that of a material with conductivity 10 times greater than copper. In the other, the thermal diffusivity is that of glass. The upper wall of the channel is smooth and 0.5 h thick ( h being the half height of the channel). The lower wall is made of a rough layer of height k = 0.2 h superimposed to a uniform layer 0.3 h thick. Several simulations were performed varying the roughness elements. Above the crests plane the total stress has a linear behaviour as in a smooth channel. By normalising the total stress with the stress at the smooth wall, it has been found that the surface made by three-dimensional staggered cubes leads to a drag 2.3 times greater than that of smooth walls. On the other hand, for triangular longitudinal bars the drag reduces. The heat transfer is reduced for low conducting walls, however the influence of the shape of the roughness is similar to that for high conducting walls. This has been observed through flow visualizations and joint pdf between velocity and temperature fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airway inflammation plays a central role in cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease, and biomarkers of inflammation, such as high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) could be used to monitor disease activity. The main aim of this study was to confirm the role of HMGB1 in CF patients, correlating its serum and sputum levels with pulmonary function and inflammation. Serum and sputum HMGB1 were evaluated in a cohort of 31 CF patients and 30 non-smoking healthy subjects (HS group). Acute pulmonary exacerbation events and lung function decline have been also evaluated during a 3-year follow-up period. Serum HMGB1 levels were significantly higher than those measured in HS, such as sputum HMGB1. Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that patients with high HMGB1 values experienced a significantly faster evolution to decline of lung function. A multiple Cox regression analysis assessed that an increase of serum HMGB1 was associated with 5% increased risk of pulmonary disease progression, whereas elevated sputum HMGB1 was related to a 10% increased risk of lung function decline. In CF patients, HMGB1 closely reflects the entity of pulmonary impairment and represents a strong and independent risk marker for progression of lung function decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of buffaloes to automatic milking, examining the relationships between milking interval, milk production, and milking time for this species. A total of 7,550 milking records from an average of 40 buffaloes milked by an automatic milking system (AMS) were analyzed during a 3-mo experimental period at a commercial farm with Italian Mediterranean buffaloes in southern Italy. Date and time of animal identification, milk yield, milking duration, milking interval, and average milk flow rate were determined for each milking. The results were also used to predict the maximum number of milkings per day and the optimal number of buffaloes per AMS for different levels of milk production. The average interval period between 2 consecutive milkings was 10.3 h [standard deviation (SD) 3.3]. Overall, 3.4 and 25.7% of the milkings had an interval of ≤6 h or >12 h, respectively. Milking duration averaged 8.3 min per buffalo per milking (SD 2.7). The average milk flow rate was 1.3 kg/min (SD 0.5) at a milk yield of 2.8 kg per milking (SD 1.4). Assuming that the milking station is occupied 80% of the time, the number of milkings ranged from 136 to 152 per day and the optimal number of buffaloes per AMS ranged from 59 to 66 when the production level increased from 2 to 5 kg of milk per milking. Automatic milking systems are suitable for buffalo, opening new options for the management of dairy buffalo farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bicyclists ride faster on roundabouts with big diameter. • Bicyclists ride closer to the central island on roundabouts with big diameter. • The closest interactions are situations where the bicyclist has a leading role. • In the most common close interactions the bicyclist enters the roundabout. Although converting an intersection into a roundabout has been shown to result in fewer injury accidents for both motor vehicle drivers and pedestrians, the effect on bicyclists' safety is unclear or even negative. This study focuses on roundabouts without bicycle facilities (i.e., mixed traffic conditions) and makes use of semi-automated video observation software with the aim of analysing bicyclists' behaviour and safety on roundabouts with different diameter. Four urban roundabouts in Belgium are observed. Interactions between bicyclists and other vehicles are analysed using speed, lateral position and five indicators to describe the closeness of interactions (TTC min , PET, T 2 min , lateral overtaking proximity and minimum distance headway). Additionally, the lateral position and riding speed of bicyclists that are in interaction with other vehicles is compared with the behaviour of bicyclists that are not in interaction with other vehicles. The behavioural analysis revealed that regardless of the type of condition (free-flow bicyclists or different interactions bicyclist-car), bicyclists always ride faster on roundabouts with big diameter and slower on roundabouts with small diameter. Moreover, bicyclists ride closer to the central island on roundabouts with big diameter compared to roundabouts with small diameter for all the conditions analysed. The analysis of surrogate safety indicators (TTC min , PET, T 2 min) revealed that close interactions between bicyclists and cars are relatively frequent at both small and big roundabouts. The percentages of close interactions are more or less equal for roundabouts with big diameter (7.86% of observed interactions) and roundabouts with small diameter (8.24%). The analysis of the indicators to describe the closeness of interactions also showed that the closest interactions at roundabouts are all situations where the bicyclist has a leading role. The analysis of the most common types of close interactions revealed indeed that the most common close interactions are interactions where the bicyclist is entering the roundabout. The analysis of lateral overtaking proximity showed that bicyclists who overtake a car take smaller lateral overtaking proximities compared to cars overtaking a bicyclist. The analysis of minimum distance headway finally revealed that bicyclists who ride behind a car take smaller distance headways compared to cars driving behind a bicyclist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Differential effects of NHEJ and HR deficiency in Ptch1-dependent MB risk at low doses. • Suppression of MB tumorigenesis through increased DSBs and apoptosis after DNA-PK inactivation. • Radiation hypersensitivity through p53 activation and cell cycle arrest in DNA-PK mutants. • DNA-PKcs inhibition by NU7441 radio-sesitize human MB cells. Abstract DSBs are harmful lesions produced through endogenous metabolism or by exogenous agents such as ionizing radiation, that can trigger genomic rearrangements. We have recently shown that exposure to 2 Gy of X-rays has opposite effects on the induction of Shh -dependent MB in NHEJ- and HR-deficient Ptch1+/− mice. In the current study we provide a comprehensive link on the role of HR/NHEJ at low doses (0.042 and 0.25 Gy) from the early molecular changes through DNA damage processing, up to the late consequences of their inactivation on tumorigenesis. Our data indicate a prominent role for HR in genome stability, by preventing spontaneous and radiation-induced oncogenic damage in neural precursors of the cerebellum, the cell of origin of MB. Instead, loss of DNA-PKcs function increased DSBs and apoptosis in neural precursors of the developing cerebellum, leading to killing of tumor initiating cells, and suppression of MB tumorigenesis in DNA-PKcs-/- / Ptch1+/− mice. Pathway analysis demonstrates that DNA-PKcs genetic inactivation confers a remarkable radiation hypersensitivity, as even extremely low radiation doses may deregulate many DDR genes, also triggering p53 pathway activation and cell cycle arrest. Finally, by showing that DNA-PKcs inhibition by NU7441 radiosensitizes human MB cells, our in vitro findings suggest the inclusion of MB in the list of tumors beneficiating from the combination of radiotherapy and DNA-PKcs targeting, holding promise for clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radial joints are defined as the contact part between precast segments in each ring of mechanical excavated tunnel lining. The behavior of flat radial joints without connectors is investigated in this paper through full-scale experimental tests on fiber reinforced concrete elements without any traditional reinforcement. The tests were performed by imposing a joint opening, as typical can occur when higher level of ovalization in the lining are required. The results showed the effect of concrete crushing as well as the bursting phenomena. Finally, an analytical interpretation of the behavior is presented, providing useful information that can support the design of this type of joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to control the three-dimensional architecture of graphene-based materials following a rational design is essential for technological applications. Here we demonstrate that the electrochemical etching can be used as a surgical tool to tailor the morphology of graphene electrodes and to impart special features, like micrometric channels and controlled mesoporosity (foams). The final materials, thanks to the high surface area, can represent a promising class of carbon-based supercapacitors. Otherwise, new materials can be prepared using a bottom-up strategy that exploits the self-assembly of the graphene oxide quantum dots produced during the electrochemical erosion. The advantages of this second approach reside not only in the possibility to downscale the control over the spatial organization as compared to the use of conventional micrometric graphene sheets, but also in the introduction of the intrinsic luminescent properties of the quantum dots in the final material. As a proof of concept we report the preparation of luminescent nanospheres by exploiting the self-organization of the graphene oxide quantum dots around frozen water nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study we aimed to combine knowledge of the ecophysiology and genetics of European beech to assess the potential of this species to adapt to environmental change. Therefore, we performed field and experimental studies on the genetic and ecophysiological functioning of beech. This information was integrated through a coupled genetic–ecophysiological model for individual trees that was parameterized with information derived from our own studies or from the literature. Using the model, we evaluated the adaptive response of beech stands in two ways: firstly, through sensitivity analyses (of initial genetic diversity, pollen dispersal distance, heritability of selected phenotypic traits, and forest management, representing disturbances) and secondly, through the evaluation of the responses of phenotypic traits and their genetic diversity to four management regimes applied to 10 study plots distributed over Western Europe. The model results indicate that the interval between recruitment events strongly affects the rate of adaptive response, because selection is most severe during the early stages of forest development. Forest management regimes largely determine recruitment intervals and thereby the potential for adaptive responses. Forest management regimes also determine the number of mother trees that contribute to the next generation and thereby the genetic variation that is maintained. Consequently, undisturbed forests maintain the largest amount of genetic variation, as recruitment intervals approach the longevity of trees and many mother trees contribute to the next generation. However, undisturbed forests have the slowest adaptive response, for the same reasons. Gene flow through pollen dispersal may compensate for the loss in genetic diversity brought about by selection. The sensitivity analysis showed that the total genetic diversity of a 2ha stand is not affected by gene flow if the pollen distance distribution is varied from highly left-skewed to almost flat. However, a stand with a prevailing short-distance gene flow has a more pronounced spatial genetic structure than stands with equal short- and long-distance gene flows. The build-up of a spatial genetic structure is also strongly determined by the recruitment interval. Overall, the modelling results indicate that European beech has high adaptive potential to environmental change if recruitment intervals are short and many mother trees contribute to the next generation. The findings have two implications for modelling studies on the impacts of climate change on forests. Firstly: it cannot be taken for granted that parameter values remain constant over a time horizon of even a few generations – this is particularly important for threshold values subject to strong selection, like budburst, frost hardiness, drought tolerance, as used in species area models. Secondly: forest management should be taken into account in future assessments, as management affects the rate of adaptive response and thereby the response on trees and forests to environmental change, and because few forests are unmanaged. We conclude that a coupled ecophysiological and quantitative genetic tree model is a useful tool for such studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work we present a study of the electrical stability of self-aligned p-channel TFTs fabricated using excimer laser annealing. The electrical stability was tested performing bias stress experiments and accelerated stability tests and we found that the device characteristics were seriously degraded upon application of large negative gate bias. From extensive analysis of the phenomenon through numerical simulations, we found that the device degradation could be perfectly reproduced by positive charge injection into the gate oxide in narrow (300–400nm) regions at the edges of the gate, near the source and drain contacts. From the present results we conclude that the observed degradation is closely related to the residual damage, induced by ion implantation, present in the gate oxide near the gate edges. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Granuloma annulare has been widely described in adults in association with systemic diseases such as type 1 diabetes mellitus. However in childhood this relationship remains unclear. We report the case of an 8-year-old girl, with multiple granuloma annulare as first clinical manifestation of type one diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]