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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant challenges for adolescent mental health.To survey adolescent students in China to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health.A multicenter cross-sectional comparative investigation was conducted in March 2022. We collected demographic information and survey data related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener scales were used for objective assessment of depression and anxiety.We collected mental health questionnaires from 3184 students. The investigation demonstrated that adolescents most strongly agreed with the following items: Increased time spent with parents, interference with academic performance, and less travel. Conversely, adolescents most strongly disagreed with the following items: Not having to go to school, feeling an increase in homework, and not socializing with people; 34.6% of adolescents were depressed before COVID-19, of which 1.9% were severely depressed. After COVID-19, 26.3% of adolescents were prone to depression, of which 1.4% were severely depressed. 24.4% of adolescents had anxiety before COVID-19, with severe anxiety accounting for 1.6%. After COVID-19, 23.5% of adolescents were prone to anxiety, of which 1.7% had severe anxiety.Chinese adolescents in different grades exhibited different psychological characteristics, and their levels of anxiety and depression were improved after the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in educational management practices since the COVID-19 pandemic may be worth learning from and optimizing in long-term educational planning.

Vascular impairment is a crucial factor associated with chronic muscle pain, but relevant research from the microcirculatory aspect is lacking. Here, we investigated the differences in neck muscle microcirculation detected through laser-doppler flowmetry (LDF) and cervical biomechanics by a videofluoroscopic image in asymptomatic participants and patients with postural neck and shoulder pain. To understand the mechanism behind the effect of myofascial treatment, transverse friction massage (TFM) was applied and the immediate effects of muscular intervention on microcirculation were monitored. In total, 16 asymptomatic participants and 22 patients (mean age = 26.3 ± 2.4 and 25.4 ± 3.2 years, respectively) were recruited. Their neck muscle microcirculation and spinal image sequence were assessed. The differences in the baseline blood flow between the asymptomatic and patient groups were nonsignificant. However, the standard deviations in the measurements of the upper trapezius muscle in the patients were significantly larger (p < 0.05). Regarding the TFM-induced responses of skin microcirculation, the blood flow ratio was significantly higher in the patients than in the asymptomatic participants (p < 0.05). In conclusion, postintervention hyperemia determined through noninvasive LDF may be an indicator for the understanding of the mechanism underlying massage therapies and the design of interventions for postural pain.

With the growing demand of rare earth elements, the recovery of rare earth elements is a major issue for researchers in related fields. Adsorption technology is one of the most effective and popular recovery methods. Therefore, the adsorption mechanism of Yttrium (Y), Neodymium (Nd), and Lanthanum (La) atoms on the kaolinite (001) and (001¯) surfaces was examined by density functional theory (DFT). The most stable adsorption sites on the kaolinite (001) surface for Y atoms was the bridge site, and the hollow site was the most favorable adsorption site for Nd and La atoms with high adsorption energy. However, the adsorption energies of kaolinite (001¯) surface sites for Y, Nd, and La atoms were much lower than the (001) surface sites, indicating that the adsorption capability of the hydroxylated (001) surface is stronger. The effects of coverage on adsorption position, energy, and structures were entirely investigated on top, bridge, and hollow sites of the kaolinite (001) surface from 0.11 to 1.0 monolayers (ML). The adsorption energy of Y, Nd, and La atoms on three kinds of sites increased with increasing of the coverage implied the stronger capability of surface adsorption. The recovery capability of kaolinite for the rare earth atoms was in the order of La &gt, Nd &gt, Y. The changes in the atomic structure, charge density, and electron density of states for Y, Nd, and La/kaolinite (001) before and after adsorption were also analyzed in depth.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified Optineurin (OPTN) as genetically linked to Paget's disease of the bone (PDB), a chronic debilitating bone remodeling disorder characterized by localized areas of increased bone resorption and abnormal bone remodeling. However, only ~10% of mouse models with a mutation in Optn develop PDB, thus hindering the mechanistic understanding of the OPTN-PDB axis. Here, we reveal that 100% of aged Optn global knockout (Optn-/-) mice recapitulate the key clinical features observed in PDB patients, including polyostotic osteolytic lesions, mixed-phase lesions, and increased serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Differentiation of primary osteoclasts ex vivo revealed that the absence of Optn resulted in an increased osteoclastogenesis. Mechanistically, Optn-deficient osteoclasts displayed a significantly decreased type I interferon (IFN) signature, resulting from both defective production of IFNβ and impaired signaling via the IFNα/βR, which acts as a negative feedback loop for osteoclastogenesis and survival. These data highlight the dual roles of OPTN in the type I IFN response to restrain osteoclast activation and bone resorption, offering a novel therapeutic target for PDB. Therefore, our study describes a novel and essential mouse model for PDB and define a key role for OPTN in osteoclast differentiation.

Objective: Cigarette smoking promotes endothelial dysfunction and is a prominent catalyst for vascular disease. This study employed laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and spectral analysis to investigate the skin microvascular response to relatively mild stimulus of stretching in diabetic smokers. Methods: The study population consisted of thirty type 2 diabetic male patients (15 smokers vs. 15 non-smokers) and 15 normal non-smoking subjects. The cutaneous blood flow of the calf at both lower limbs was measured by LDF at a supine position throughout and after muscle stretching by passive dorsiflexion of the ankle. Results: Following the stretch, post-stretch reactive hyperemia (PSRH) responses were found in all subjects. However, the diabetic non-smokers had relatively higher reactive blood flow than that of the diabetic smokers. The PSRH sustained for a longer time in both diabetic non-smokers and non-diabetic non-smokers in the time domain analysis. By spectral analysis, an observed discrepancy between that of diabetic smokers and diabetic non-smokers was statistically significant. Specifically, the frequency intervals corresponded to a nitric oxide dependent endothelial activity. In addition, an excessive response induced by stretching in frequency intervals of neurogenic activity, when compared with the non-smoking control, was found on diabetic non-smokers. Conclusion: All subjects expressed the PSRH effect in cutaneous microcirculation after a 10-second stretch stimulus; however, this effect was observed at a significantly lower intensity in chronic smokers with diabetes. The spectral analysis of the skin blood flow signals provides a pathological index for the assessment of the endothelial dysfunction induced by cigarette smoking. Furthermore, the discrepancy of neurovascular function between that of diabetic non-smokers and normal subjects could also be distinguished via the variations of the spectrum related to neurogenic activity.

Summary The protocol outlines the steps for growing silica nanowires on various substrates such as glass and stainless-steel foil. Silica nanowires are grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition via a vapor-liquid-solid mechanism, in which silicon wafers are used as silicon sources and platinum films as catalysts. This protocol can be used to grow silica nanowires on other substrates such as quartz filter, quartz sphere, alumina plate, and silicon wafer, provided the substrate materials can tolerate the temperature during process heating. For complete details on the use and execution of this profile, please refer to Lee et al. (2019), Tsai and Shieh (2019), and Tsai et al. (2021)., Graphical abstract, Highlights • A simple, low-cost, and efficient approach for creating surface nanostructures • Protocol facilitates the growth of silica nanowires from silicon wafers • Promising for superwetting and self-jumping properties, The protocol outlines the steps for growing silica nanowires on various substrates such as glass and stainless-steel foil. Silica nanowires are grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition via a vapor-liquid-solid mechanism, in which silicon wafers are used as silicon sources and platinum films as catalysts. This protocol can be used to grow silica nanowires on other substrates such as quartz filter, quartz sphere, alumina plate, and silicon wafer, provided the substrate materials can tolerate the temperature during process heating.

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) requires a sturdy biomaterial for scaffolds for restoration of large bone defects. Ideally, the scaffold should have a mechanical strength comparable to the natural bone in the implanted site. We show that adding cosolvent during the processing of our previously developed composite of hydroxyapatite-gelatin with a silane cross-linker can significantly affect its mechanical strength. When processed with tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the cosolvent, the new hydroxyapatite-gelatin composite can demonstrate almost twice the compressive strength (97 vs 195 MPa) and biaxial flexural strength (222 vs 431 MPa) of the previously developed hydroxyapatite-gelatin composite (i.e., processed without THF), respectively. We further confirm that this mechanical strength improvement is due to the improved morphology of both the enTMOS network and the composite. Furthermore, the addition of cosolvents does not appear to negatively impact the cell viability. Finally, the porous scaffold can be easily fabricated, and its compressive strength is around 11 MPa under dry conditions. All these results indicate that this new hydroxyapatite-gelatin composite is a promising material for BTE application.

How the nervous system regulates bone remodeling is an exciting area of emerging research in bone biology. Accumulating evidence suggest that neurotransmitter-mediated inputs from neurons may act directly on osteoclasts. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that can be released by hypothalamic neurons to regulate bone metabolism through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Dopamine is also present in sympathetic nerves that penetrate skeletal structures throughout the body. It has been shown that dopamine suppresses osteoclast differentiation via a D2-like receptors (D2R)-dependent manner, but the intracellular secondary signaling pathway has not been elucidated. In this study, we found that cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) activity responds to dopamine treatment during osteoclastogenesis. Considering the critical role of CREB in osteoclastogenesis, we hypothesize that CREB may be a critical target in dopamine’s regulation of osteoclast differentiation. We confirmed that D2R is also present in RAW cells and activated by dopamine. Binding of dopamine to D2R inhibits the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway which ultimately decreases CREB phosphorylation during osteoclastogenesis. This was also associated with diminished expression of osteoclast markers that are downstream of CREB. Pharmacological activation of adenylate cyclase (to increase cAMP production) and PKA reverses the effect of dopamine on CREB activity and osteoclastogenesis. Therefore, we have identified D2R/cAMP/PKA/CREB as a candidate pathway that mediates dopamine’s inhibition of osteoclast differentiation. These findings will contribute to our understanding of how the nervous and skeletal systems interact to regulate bone remodeling. This will enable future work toward elucidating the role of the nervous system in bone development, repair, aging, and degenerative disease.

Vascular complications are responsible for most of the morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. Effective strategies to improve circulation appear to be another important issue in addition to the interventions of blood glucose control. Previous studies have shown that the biological effects on humans after using the materials containing ceramic particles emits far infrared radiation (FIR). The present study is to investigate the warming effect of the fabrics containing specified metals in diabetic patients. A total of 28 diabetic patients were blinded and randomly assigned to treatment group ([Formula: see text]) and control group ([Formula: see text]), respectively. The subjects of treatment group were ministered with the blankets with fibers containing the specified metals, while the subjects of control group were provided with blankets of ordinary material. The skin temperature and microcirculatory perfusion were monitored before and after 20-min use of the blankets at shoulder and bilateral calves. After warming with blankets, the treatment group revealed a higher increased ratio of skin perfusion than control ([Formula: see text]), while there was no prominent variation on the wavelet spectrum of the perfusion signal. Although it is already a known fact that passive FIR warming has the advantages of safety and convenience, our results suggest that warming by wearing the textiles containing the specified metals with high FIR emissivity is a solution for daily skin care of diabetic patients.

Li–O 2 cell is considered as an ideal choice for the electric vehicles due to its high energy density, but is now suffering from the large charge polarization and low practical capacity. In this context, three-dimensional network macro-porous CoO synthesized via a sol–gel method is applied as an efficient catalyst in Li–O 2 cells to alleviate this situation. Compared to KB (Ketjen black EC600JD) based cells, the CoO/KB based cell exhibits much improved electrochemical performance at various current densities, including flatter discharge/charge plateau, lower polarization and higher specific capacity. In addition, the CoO/KB based cell maintains the discharge capacity up to 4500 mAh g −1 CoO/KB after being cycled at 0.1 mA cm −2 for 16 days under O 2 atmosphere. This excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the high catalytic activity and abundant macro-pores of our home-made CoO. This strategy of designing CoO might be a feasible way to obtain the Li–O 2 cell with low polarization and high capacity.

The shear behaviors of grain boundaries are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. The Σ 5 〈 001 〉 310 symmetric tilt grain boundary (GB) of body-centered cubic (bcc) Nb is investigated and the simulations are conducted under a series of shear directions at a wide range of temperatures. The results show that the GB shearing along [ 1 3 ¯ 0 ] , which is perpendicular to the tilt axis, has a coupled motion behavior. The coupling factor is predicted using Cahn’s model. The critical stress of the coupling motion is found to decrease exponentially with increasing temperature. The GB under shear deformation along the [ 00 1 ¯ ] direction, which is parallel to the tilt axis, has a pure sliding behavior at most of the temperatures investigated. The critical stress of sliding is found to be much larger than that of the coupled motion at the same temperature. At very low temperatures, pure sliding is not observed, and dislocation nucleating and extending is found on GBs. We observed mixed behaviors when the shear direction is between [ 1 3 ¯ 0 ] and [ 00 1 ¯ ] . The transition region between GB coupled motion and pure sliding is determined. If the shear angles between the shear direction and the tilt axis are larger than a certain value, the GB has a coupled motion behavior similar to the [ 1 3 ¯ 0 ] direction. A GB with a shear angle smaller than the critical angle exhibits mixed mechanisms at low temperatures, such as dislocation, atomic shuffle and GB distortion, whereas for the [ 00 1 ¯ ] -like GB pure sliding is the dominating mechanism at high temperatures. The stresses to activate the coupling and gliding motions are analyzed for shear deformations along different directions at various temperatures.

Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol, increases cellular antioxidant capacity by inducing the expression of a battery of cytoprotective genes through an antioxidant responsive element (ARE). However, upstream signaling events initiated by resveratrol leading to the activation of an ARE enhancer, particularly in immune cells, have not been fully elucidated. In this study, ARE-dependent transcriptional activation of the ferritin heavy chain (ferritin H) gene by resveratrol was further investigated in Jurkat T cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We found that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a key role in the activation of nuclear factor E2-related factor (Nrf2) and subsequent ARE-dependent ferritin H gene transcription by resveratrol. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay for Nrf2 after AMPKα knockdown with siRNA revealed that Nrf2 nuclear accumulation and subsequent binding to the ferritin H ARE induced by resveratrol were dependent on activation of AMPKα, but not PI3K/AKT. Furthermore, AMPKα knockdown blocked resveratrol-induced phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) at Ser9 as well as ARE-dependent transcriptional activation of the ferritin H and HO-1 genes, suggesting that AMPKα is an upstream kinase for GSK3β phosphorylation and activation of the Nrf2-ARE pathway. Consistently, GSK3β knockdown by siRNA enhanced resveratrol-mediated ferritin H mRNA induction, and the inhibition of AMPKα by compound C or siRNA weakened the protective effect of resveratrol against oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity in CD3+ T cells. Collectively, these results suggest that AMPKα plays a significant role in ARE-dependent transcription of ferritin H genes by resveratrol and may influence the redox status in immune cells.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated during mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as well as in cellular response to xenobiotics, cytokines, and bacterial invasion. Oxidative stress refers to the imbalance due to excess ROS or oxidants over the capability of the cell to mount an effective antioxidant response. Oxidative stress results in macromolecular damage and is implicated in various disease states such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, neurodegeneration, and aging. Paradoxically, accumulating evidence indicates that ROS also serve as critical signaling molecules in cell proliferation and survival. While there is a large body of research demonstrating the general effect of oxidative stress on signaling pathways, less is known about the initial and direct regulation of signaling molecules by ROS, or what we term the "oxidative interface." Cellular ROS sensing and metabolism are tightly regulated by a variety of proteins involved in the redox (reduction/oxidation) mechanism. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms through which ROS directly interact with critical signaling molecules to initiate signaling in a broad variety of cellular processes, such as proliferation and survival (MAP kinases, PI3 kinase, PTEN, and protein tyrosine phosphatases), ROS homeostasis and antioxidant gene regulation (thioredoxin, peroxiredoxin, Ref-1, and Nrf-2), mitochondrial oxidative stress, apoptosis, and aging (p66Shc), iron homeostasis through iron-sulfur cluster proteins (IRE-IRP), and ATM-regulated DNA damage response.

ATF1 (activating transcription factor 1), a stimulus-induced CREB family transcription factor, plays important roles in cell survival and proliferation. Phosphorylation of ATF1 at Ser63 by PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase) and related kinases was the only known post-translational regulatory mechanism of ATF1. Here, we found that HIPK2 (homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2), a DNA-damage-responsive nuclear kinase, is a new ATF1 kinase that phosphorylates Ser198 but not Ser63. ATF1 phosphorylation by HIPK2 activated ATF1 transcription function in the GAL4-reporter system. ATF1 is a transcriptional repressor of ferritin H, the major intracellular iron storage gene, through an ARE (antioxidant-responsive element). HIPK2 overrode the ATF1-mediated ARE repression in a kinase-activity-dependent manner in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, DNA-damage-inducing agents doxorubicin, etoposide and sodium arsenite induced ferritin H mRNA expression in HIPK2+/+ MEF cells, whereas it was significantly impaired in HIPK2−/− MEF cells. Induction of other ARE-regulated detoxification genes such as NQO1 (NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1), GST (glutathione S-transferase) and HO1 (heme oxygenase 1) by genotoxic stress was also decreased in HIPK2-deficient cells. Taken together, these results suggest that HIPK2 is a new ATF1 kinase involved in the regulation of ferritin H and other antioxidant detoxification genes in genotoxic stress conditions.

Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) is a new CREB kinase for phosphorylation at Ser-271 but not Ser-133 in genotoxic stress and activates CREB transactivation function including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression., CREB (cyclic AMP response element-binding protein) is a stimulus-induced transcription factor that plays pivotal roles in cell survival and proliferation. The transactivation function of CREB is primarily regulated through Ser-133 phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) and related kinases. Here we found that homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2), a DNA-damage responsive nuclear kinase, is a new CREB kinase for phosphorylation at Ser-271 but not Ser-133, and activates CREB transactivation function including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression. Ser-271 to Glu-271 substitution potentiated the CREB transactivation function. ChIP assays in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells demonstrated that CREB Ser-271 phosphorylation by HIPK2 increased recruitment of a transcriptional coactivator CBP (CREB binding protein) without modulation of CREB binding to the BDNF CRE sequence. HIPK2−/− MEF cells were more susceptible to apoptosis induced by etoposide, a DNA-damaging agent, than HIPK2+/+ cells. Etoposide activated CRE-dependent transcription in HIPK2+/+ MEF cells but not in HIPK2−/− cells. HIPK2 knockdown in SH-SY5Y cells decreased etoposide-induced BDNF mRNA expression. These results demonstrate that HIPK2 is a new CREB kinase that regulates CREB-dependent transcription in genotoxic stress.

This paper investigates diamond scribing and laser breaking for LCD glass substrates. A scoring tool was used to generate a groove-crack along the cutting path in a glass surface. The glass substrate was then separated by applying a defocused laser beam along the scribed line to drive the groove-crack through the thickness of the glass. The laser source was a CO2 laser. The relationships between the scribing force, groove depth, median crack depth, and the cutting speed were obtained. Diamond scribing can enhance cutting speed during the cutting process. The scribed groove-crack can determine the direction of crack propagation. The glass substrate separates exactly along the scribing path during the laser-breaking process. The separation process was examined by detecting the extending crack and analyzing the acoustic emission signals. There are two types of glass separation: in one type, the crack tip lags behind the laser spot; in the other, the crack moves ahead of the laser spot. The finite element software ANSYS was employed to calculate the temperature and stress distributions to explain the scribing effect. It was found that the maximum tensile stress of the scribed glass is about twice as high as that of un-scribed glass. Thus, the scribed glass is much easier to separate than un-scribed glass.

Expression of the antioxidant gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is primarily induced through NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated activation of the antioxidant response element (ARE). Gene transcription is coordinately regulated by transcription factor activity at enhancer elements and epigenetic alterations such as the posttranslational modification of histone proteins. However, the role of histone modifications in the Nrf2-ARE axis remains largely uncharacterized. The environmental contaminant arsenite is a potent inducer of both HO-1 expression and phosphorylation of histone H3 serine 10 (H3S10); therefore, we investigated the relationships between Nrf2 and H3S10 phosphorylation in arsenite-induced, ARE-dependent, transcriptional activation of the human HO-1 gene. Arsenite increased phosphorylation of H3S10 both globally and at the HO-1 promoter concomitantly with HO-1 transcription in human HaCaT keratinocytes. Conversely, arsenite-induced H3S10 phosphorylation and HO-1 expression were blocked by N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125, and JNK knockdown (siJNK). Interestingly, ablation of arsenite-induced H3S10 phosphorylation by SP600125 or siJNK did not inhibit Nrf2 nuclear accumulation nor ARE binding, despite inhibiting HO-1 expression. In response to arsenite, binding of Nrf2 to the HO-1 ARE preceded phosphorylation of H3S10 at the HO-1 ARE. Furthermore, arsenite-mediated occupancy of phosphorylated H3S10 at the HO-1 ARE was decreased in Nrf2-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These results suggest the involvement of H3S10 phosphorylation in the Nrf2-ARE axis by proposing that Nrf2 may influence H3S10 phosphorylation at the HO-1 ARE and additional promoter regions. Our data highlights the complex interplay between Nrf2 and H3S10 phosphorylation in arsenite-activated HO-1 transcription.

Antioxidant genes such as ferritin are transcriptionally activated in oxidative stress via the antioxidant responsive element (ARE), to which nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) binds and activates transcription. Histone modification plays a cooperative and essential role in transcriptional regulation; however, its role in antioxidant gene transcription remains elusive. Arsenic exposure activated ferritin transcription via the ARE concomitant with increased methylation of histones H4Arg3 (H4R3) and H3Arg17 (H3R17). To test our hypothesis that histone H4R3 and H3R17 methylation regulates ferritin transcription, H4R3 and H3R17 protein arginine (R) methyltransferases 1 and 4 (PRMT1 and PRMT4) were investigated. Arsenic exposure of human HaCaT keratinocytes induced nuclear accumulation of PRMT1 and PRMT4, histone H4R3 and H3R17 methylation proximal to the ARE, but not to the non-ARE regions of ferritin genes. PRMT1 or PRMT4 knockdown did not block Nrf2 nuclear accumulation but inhibited Nrf2 binding to the AREs by ∼40% (P

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The natural variation in stable water isotope ratio data, also known as water isoscape, is a spatiotemporal fingerprint and a powerful natural tracer that has been widely applied in disciplines as diverse as hydrology, paleoclimatology, ecology and forensic investigation. Although much effort has been devoted to developing a predictive water isoscape model, it remains a central challenge for scientists to generate high accuracy, fine scale spatiotemporal water isoscape prediction. Here we develop a novel approach of using the MODIS-EVI (the Moderate Resolution Imagining Spectroradiometer-Enhanced Vegetation Index), to predict δ(18)O in precipitation at the regional scale. Using a structural equation model, we show that the EVI and precipitated δ(18)O are highly correlated and thus the EVI is a good predictor of precipitated δ(18)O. We then test the predictability of our EVI-δ(18)O model and demonstrate that our approach can provide high accuracy with fine spatial (250×250 m) and temporal (16 days) scale δ(18)O predictions (annual and monthly predictabilities [r] are 0.96 and 0.80, respectively). We conclude the merging of the EVI and δ(18)O in precipitation can greatly extend the spatial and temporal data availability and thus enhance the applicability for both the EVI and water isoscape.

HfO2 is considered a promising gate dielectric material for sub-45 nm CMOS technology. It has been reported that incorporate Al into HfO2 forming Hf aluminates in order to increase the crystallization temperature. However, the growth of the low-k interfacial layer at high-k/Si interface during high-k dielectric deposition would result in reliability degradation. Recently, incorporating nitrogen into HfAlOx gate dielectrics has beneficial effect on reliability performance. In addition, fluorine incorporation into high-k dielectrics also could have several improvements. In this study, dual plasma (CF4 pre-treatment and N2 post-treatment) was performed on HfAlOx MIS capacitor in order to improve interface quality and the reliability properties. According to our experimental results, dual plasma treatment could improve interface quality and enhance reliability properties of HfAlOx thin films.

This paper discusses the supersymmetry and shape invariance?(SI) of the effective screened potential. It is shown that the effective screened potential (ESP) has SI and belongs to the first class of shape-invariant potentials, thence the energy levels of this potential are obtained. Furthermore, by using the method of point canonical transformation we find that the ESP belongs to the same subclass as P?schl-Teller potential?1; the bound-state spectra and the eigenfunctions of this potential are obtained. The results obtained can readily be applied to the special case of the ESP, the famous Hulth?n potential.