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Backgrounds: Bone marrow stem cell can differentiate to osteoblast by growth factors, pulsed low-intensity ultrasound and electric magnetic field. In the research, bone marrow stem cells were cultured; bone marrow stem cells in culture can be stimulated by platelet-rich plasma and electric field. Methods: The culture well of the co-cultivation device has a radius of 7.5 mm and a depth of 7 mm. It is divided into two sub-chambers separated by a 3 mm high and 1 mm wide barrier. The bone marrow stem cells were seeded at a density of 2 × 104 cells and the medium volume was 120μl. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or platelet-poor plasma (PPP) was added to the other sub-chamber at a volume of 10μl. The bone marrow stem cells were subjected to different electric fields (0 ~ 1 V/cm) at a frequency of 70 kHz for 60 min. Results: The highest osteogenic capacity of bone marrow stem cells was achieved by addition of PRP to electric field stimulation (0.25 V/cm) resulted in a proliferation rate of 599.78%. In electric field stimulation (0.75 V/cm) with PPP, the proliferation rate was only 10.46%. Conclusions: Bone marrow stem cell with PRP in the co-culture device combined with electric field at 0.25 V/cm strength significantly promoted the growth of bone marrow stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a simple method for diagnosing peripheral artery disease (PAD) but has limited reliability in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) because of medial artery calcification. Our study aims to investigate whether the toe brachial index (TBI) or the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) has a better detection over the ABI for diagnosing PAD in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Materials and Methods: A cohort of 368 patients (mean age 68.59 ± 13.14 years, 190 males and 178 females) with type 2 DM underwent ABI, TBI, and CAVI measurements at our outpatient clinic. Results: Of all enrolled patients, the TBI is significant in evaluating PAD, especially in patients whose chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3a with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 6.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.63–25.97, p = 0.0080, stage 3b AOR = 7.47, 95% CI 1.52–36.81, p = 0.0135, and stage 4–5 AOR = 20.13, 95% CI 1.34–94.24, p = 0.0116. CAVI is also significant in CKD stage 1 with AOR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.03–0.77, p = 0.0223, stage 2 with AOR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.04–0.74, p = 0.0180, and stage 3a AOR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.10–0.93, p = 0.0375. Conclusion: TBI has a better yield of detection of PAD compared to ABI among Taiwanese patients with DKD. CAVI may play a role in the early stage of DKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Case Series and Technical Note, Objective: UBS has been extensively used in open surgery. However, the use of UBS during UBESS has not been reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to describe a new spinal surgical technique using an ultrasonic bone scalpel (UBS) during unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery (UBESS) and to report the preliminary results of this technique. Methods: We enrolled patients diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis who underwent single-level UBESS. All patients were followed up for more than 12 months. A unilateral laminotomy was performed after bilateral decompression under endoscopy. We used the UBS system after direct visualization of the target for a bone cut. We evaluated the demographic characteristics, diagnosis, operative time, and estimated blood loss of the patients. Clinical outcomes included the visual analog scale (VAS), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the modified MacNab criteria, and postoperative complications. Results: A total of twenty patients (five males and fifteen females) were enrolled in this study. The mean follow-up period was 13.2 months (range 12–17 months). The VAS score, ODI, and modified MacNab criteria classification improved after the surgery. A minimal mean blood loss of 22.1 mL was noted during the operation. Only one patient experienced neuropraxia, which resolved within 2 weeks. There was no durotomy, iatrogenic pars fracture, or infection. Conclusions: In conclusion, our study represents the first report of the use of UBS during UBESS. Our findings demonstrate that this technique is safe and efficient, with improved clinical outcomes and minimal complications. These preliminary results warrant further investigation through larger clinical studies with longer follow-up periods to confirm the effectiveness of this technique in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling regulates neural induction, neuronal specification, and neuronal differentiation. However, the role of BMP signaling in neural progenitors remains unclear. This is because interruption of BMP signaling before or during neural induction causes severe effects on subsequent neural developmental processes. To examine the role of BMP signaling in the development of neural progenitors in zebrafish, we bypassed the effect of BMP signaling on neural induction and suppressed BMP signaling at different time points during gastrulation using a temporally controlled transgenic line carrying a dominant-negative form of Bmp receptor type 1aa and a chemical inhibitor of BMP signaling, DMH1. Inhibiting BMP signaling from 8 hpf could bypass BMP regulation on neural induction, induce the number of proliferating neural progenitors, and reduce the number of neuronal precursors. Inhibiting BMP signaling upregulates the expression of the Notch downstream gene hairy/E(spl)-related 2 (her2). Inhibiting Notch signaling or knocking down the Her2 function reduced neural progenitor proliferation, whereas inactivating BMP signaling in Notch-Her2 deficient background restored the number of proliferating neural progenitors. These results reveal the time window for the proliferation of neural progenitors during zebrafish development and a fine balance between BMP and Notch signaling in regulating the proliferation of neural progenitor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the noble-metal-nanoparticle-coated zinc or zinc-tin oxide surfaces. Among the six catalytic structures, the adsorption free energy of Au/ZnO structure is closest to zero. The relative energy diagrams reveal that Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism on the NP (oxide) reactive site dominants the HER process on NP/ZTO (Pt/ZnO and Au/ZnO) structures. However, comparing the adsorption free energy and primary energy barrier of the prefer path of each structure, the Pt/ZnO structure shows the best performance for the HER process. • The HER performance of NPs-coated oxide were studied by first principle calculation. • The NPs surface of Au/ZnO structure shows the lowest adsorption free energy. • Pt cluster is the preferred surface for hydrogen spillover according to Bader charge. • Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism on NPs surface of Pt/ZnO has the best HER performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy is one of the elements that have been used as a resource in the green energy field. Hydrogen, as an energy carrier, can be produced from many kinds of sources, including solar energy. Here, we present two-dimensional (2D)perovskite material derived from the Dion-Jacobson phase (DJ), Ca 2 Na n-3 Nb n O 3n+1 - (CNNO−) nanosheets, with the number of layer n = 4–6 synthesized via microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The starting material KCa 2 Nb 3 O 10 (KCNO) is made from two methods. The solid-state calcination KCNO product has more than two-phase, while the molten-salt synthesis produces a well cubic KCNO crystalline. TThe thickness of the 2D CNNO− nanosheets is increasing, in dependence on the n value. Meanwhile, the estimated optical band gap is decreasing, in dependence on the n value. 2D CNNO− nanosheets show the absorbance under ultraviolet (UV) light, which confirms their semiconducting nature. The capability of these 2D nanosheets to generate hydrogen is presented via photo-electrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The molten-salt fabricated CNNO− nanosheets CNNO6 shows better performance with the highest efficiency ɳ up to 0.110% when applied to the PEC device. • Synthesis methods for KCNO greatly affect the HER efficiency of CNNO− nanosheets. • Molten-salt synthesis of KCNO can produce a well closed-pack cubic KCNO crystalline. • The molten salt lowers reaction temperature, increasing the homogeneity and purity. • High purity of KCNO increases the HER efficiency of CNNO− nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Congenital anomalies of the large airways are occasionally asymptomatic and are incidentally discovered through radiography, often using computed tomography. Bronchoscopy can aid in the direct visual examination of the large airway abnormalities detected on radiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy saving is one of the most important issues for Internet of Things (IoT). An intuitive way to save energy of IoT devices is to reduce the reporting frequency to the IoT server. However, to do so, the time-variant values are distorted, which may be influential to the measured results. In this paper, we take PM2.5 application as an example to discuss the relation between energy efficiency and data accuracy. Through analyzing PM2.5 concentration collected via LoRa at National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) from 2016 to present, two reporting mechanisms based on timer and threshold, respectively, are proposed. The experimental results demonstrate that the threshold-based reporting outperforms the timer-based reporting by more than 37% in energy saving when the accuracies of these two reporting mechanisms are the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A considerable propotion of patients with cancer got thoracolumbar vertebral metastatic epidural spinal cord compression, which affected their quality of life. Traditional surgical management involves early decompression with concomitant spine stabilization with long instrumentation. However, complications are caused by massive blood loss and long operation time. This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of short posterior instrumentation with kyphoplasty and the traditional method for thoracolumbar metastatic epidural spinal cord compression. Between January 2004 and December 2015, a retrospective study was conducted on 120 patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression from T6 to L5 and divided into 2 groups: short posterior instrumentation with the balloon kyphoplasty group (group I, n = 50) and the long posterior instrumentation group (group II, n = 70). The clinical and radiographic parameters of patients in the 2 groups were compared with a nonrandomized cohort method. Patients were followed up from 3 to 40 months after surgery according to survival time. In group I, the surgery had a mean blood loss of 650 mL and a survival time of 19.1 months. In group II, the surgery had a mean blood loss of 2100 mL and a survival time of 14.14 months. A significant difference in blood loss amount (P = 0.002) was observed. Complications, including deep wound infection, durotomy, and uncontrolled bleeding, were observed in both groups. No postoperative cement-induced neurologic deterioration, implant failure occurred. Kyphoplasty with short posterior instrumentation is a novel technique that can be performed safely and effectively for the treatment of thoracolumbar metastatic epidural spinal cord compression. Rigid stability, reduced blood loss, and short fixation decrease surgical morbidity of spinal metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation and analysis have been conducted on a newly developed chemiresistive-type sensor to detect hydrogen gas. The studied senor is synthesized with an indium gallium oxide (IGO) thin film formed by RF magnetron sputtering and palladium (Pd) nanoparticles (NPs) deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation. The utilize of Pd NPs can significantly improve the sensing response and sensing speed for hydrogen gas. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are employed for the analyses of the relevant structure, element, and composition properties. The sensing mechanism for hydrogen gas is elucidated in this work. In this experiment, the studied Pd NP/IGO sensor exhibits an ultra high sensing response S R of 1.39 × 107 under 1% H 2 /air gas at 300°C.. The studied sensor can be operated at room temperature with a significant S R of 304.3. Besides, the studied sensor shows good repetitive operation performance. Hence, the studied Pd NP/IGO structure offers a great potential for the development of hydrogen sensing applications with outstanding performance. • A new Pd NP/ IGO based chemiresistive-type sensor was fabricated and well studied. • The Pd NP/ IGO sensor exhibited good sensing performance and sustains stability for long-term test. • The Pd NP/ IGO sensor can be operated at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The postoperative infection rates for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) have ranged from <2% to 4%. However, no consensus has been reached on the treatment strategies. TLIF cage preservation or revision surgery for lumbar spine reconstruction are 2 possible treatments. We aimed to determine the most effective method for organ/space infection control. The data from 4923 patients who had undergone TLIF with cage and posterior pedicle-screw instrumentation for spondylolysis or degenerative spondylolisthesis from January 2008 to December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 4923 patients, 32 (0.65%) had developed organ/space infection of the interbody cage and were divided into 2 groups: those whose interbody cage was removed for revision (group 1) and those who interbody cage was retained (group 2). We compared the initial management of both groups in terms of age, sex, elapsed time to diagnosis, changes in spinal lordotic angle, visual analog scale score, fusion status, and Kirkaldy-Willis functional outcomes. The 32 patients with organ/space infection had a mean age of 66.3 years and a follow-up period of 23.8 months. Significant differences were observed in the mean elapsed time to diagnosis (P = 0.004), lordotic angle correction at the disease level (P = 0.03), and Kirkaldy-Wallis functional outcomes (P = 0.01). Of the 17 patients undergoing debridement for implant retention, 9 (52.9%) exhibited poor results. The most important factor contributing to TLIF cage retention failure was epidural fibrosis of the previous transforaminal route and biofilm adhesion on interbody devices affecting infection clearance. Thus, we would recommend a combined anterior and posterior approach or the transforaminal route for radical debridement with cage removal and fusion to achieve better clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Traditionally, nonoperative management with long-term antibiotics and bed rest has been recommended as first-line treatment for most patients with postoperative discitis. A recent trend in treatment under a limited range of indications has been to perform surgical débridement followed by long-term administration of antibiotics. This descriptive study investigated whether transforaminal lumbar interbody débridement and fusion (TLIDF) combined with intravenous antibiotics is appropriate to manage postdiscectomy discitis. Methods This study retrospectively analyzed demographic data, laboratory data, and radiography and magnetic resonance imaging of 10 patients with postoperative discitis who underwent surgical TLIDF followed by antibiotic treatment. Preoperative and postoperative spine sagittal alignment, visual analog scale scores, and Kirkaldy-Willis criteria for functional outcomes were evaluated. Results An infection clearance rate of 100% was ultimately achieved for the patients who underwent TLIDF with short posterior instrumentation. TLIDF yielded better outcomes than traditional conservative treatment in terms of spine alignment correction, functional outcomes, and quality of life. Conclusions Based on previously reported data and the findings of this study, we suggest that surgical intervention should be used in certain cases, as it can achieve better outcomes than conservative treatment. We recommend a novel single posterior approach with TLIDF and posterior pedicle screw instrumentation for management of postdiscectomy discitis. Highlights • A retrospective study analyzed clinical data in 10 patients with postdiscectomy discitis who underwent TLIDF. • TLIDF and IV antibiotics achieved better functional outcomes and higher infection clearance than conservative treatment. • We present a novel single posterior approach with TLIDF and short posterior pedicle screw instrumentation. • Our novel approach is a safe and effective treatment for postdiscectomy discitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

8-Hydroxygenistein is one of the orthohydroxygenisteins, which are derivatives of genistein. Although 8-hydroxygenistein is generally produced through the biotransformation of soya isoflavones by using specific microorganisms, the yield of produced 8-hydroxygenistein is low. In this study, we optimized the cultivation medium for 8-hydroxygenistein production. The results of the central composite design indicated that the optimal nutrient concentrations were 35 g/L of glucose, 22 g/L of malt extract, and 4.75 g/L of soya peptone. The maximum product concentration of 8-hydroxygenistein obtained was 77.76 mg/L. Based on literature review, this concentration of 8-hydroxygenistein is the highest yet reported. The effects of operating conditions on the concentration of 8-hydroxygenistein were also determined using a fermenter. After investigating the effects of the agitation speed and aeration rate, a final product concentration of 83.01 mg/L was obtained. Thus, large-scale biotransformation of genistein to 8-hydroxygenistein can be performed usingAspergillus oryzae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the translational potential of a novel combined construct using an FDA-approved decellularized porcine small intestinal submucosa extracellular matrix (SIS-ECM) seeded with human or porcine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for cardiovascular indications. With the emerging success of individual component in various clinical applications, the combination of SIS-ECM with MSCs could provide additional therapeutic potential compared to individual components alone for cardiovascular repair. We tested the in vitro effects of MSC-seeding on SIS-ECM on resultant construct structure/function properties and MSC phenotypes. Additionally, we evaluated the ability of porcine MSCs to modulate recipient graft-specific response towards SIS-ECM in a porcine cardiac patch in vivo model. Specifically, we determined: 1) in vitro loading-capacity of human MSCs on SIS-ECM, 2) effect of cell seeding on SIS-ECM structure, compositions and mechanical properties, 3) effect of SIS-ECM seeding on human MSC phenotypes and differentiation potential, and 4) optimal orientation and dose of porcine MSCs seeded SIS-ECM for an in vivo cardiac application. In this study, histological structure, biochemical compositions and mechanical properties of the FDA-approved SIS-ECM biomaterial were retained following MSCs repopulation in vitro. Similarly, the cellular phenotypes and differentiation potential of MSCs were preserved following seeding on SIS-ECM. In a porcine in vivo patch study, the presence of porcine MSCs on SIS-ECM significantly reduced adaptive T cell response regardless of cell dose and orientation compared to SIS-ECM alone. These findings substantiate the clinical translational potential of combined SIS-ECM seeded with MSCs as a promising therapeutic candidate for cardiac applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we successfully introduced the sputtered AlN/patterned sapphire substrate template into hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) using a two-step growth method. This method simplified the procedure, realized uninterrupted growth, and improved the crystal quality of GaN films. The effects of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on a 10- \mu \textm -thick GaN film through HVPE were also compared with those of the LEDs grown on a 2.4- \mu \textm -thick GaN film through metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Compared with the LEDs grown on the 2.4- \mu \textm -thick GaN film through MOCVD, the LEDs grown on the 10- \mu \textm -thick GaN film through HVPE had significantly enhanced light output power (3.24–4.79 mW) and extended saturation current (300–355 mA). These improvements of the LEDs were attributed to the better thermal conductivities and better crystal quality of the 10- \mu \textm -thick GaN film through HVPE than those of the 2.4- \mu \textm -thick GaN film through MOCVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network-wide traffic measurement is of interest to network operators to uncover global network behavior for the management tasks of traffic accounting, debugging or troubleshooting, security, and traffic engineering. Increasingly, sophisticated network measurement tasks such as anomaly detection and security forensic analysis are requiring in-depth fine-grained flow-level measurements. However, performing in-depth per-flow measurements (e.g., detailed payload analysis) is often an expensive process. Given the fast-changing Internet traffic landscape and large traffic volume, a single monitor is not capable of accomplishing the measurement tasks for all applications of interest due to its resource constraint. Moreover, uncovering global network behavior requires network-wide traffic measurements at multiple monitors across the network since traffic measured at any single monitor only provides a partial view and may not be sufficient or accurate. These factors call for coordinated measurements among multiple distributed monitors. In this paper, we present a centralized optimization framework, LEISURE (Load- EqualIzed mea SUREment), for load-balancing network measurement workloads across distributed monitors. Specifically, we consider various load-balancing problems under different objectives and study their extensions to support both fixed and flexible monitor deployment scenarios. We formulate the latter flexible monitor deployment case as an MILP (Mixed Integer Linear Programming) problem and propose several heuristic algorithms to approximate the optimal solution and reduce the computation complexity. We evaluate LEISURE via detailed simulations on Abilene and GEANT network traces to show that LEISURE can achieve much better load-balanced performance (e.g., 4.75\times smaller peak workload and 70 \times smaller variance in workloads) across all coordinated monitors in comparison to a naive solution (uniform assignment) to accomplish network-wide traffic measurement tasks under the fixed monitor deployment scenario. We also show that under the flexible monitor deployment setting, our heuristic solutions can achieve almost the same load-balancing performance as the optimal solution while reducing the computation times by a factor up to 22.5\times in Abilene and 800\times in GEANT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have enormous potential for the treatment of inherited and acquired disorders. Recently, antigen-specific T lymphocytes derived from hiPSCs have been reported. However, T lymphocyte populations with broad T cell receptor (TCR) diversity have not been generated. We report that hiPSCs derived from skin biopsy are capable of producing T lymphocyte populations with a broad TCR repertoire. In vitro T cell differentiation follows a similar developmental program as observed in vivo, indicated by sequential expression of CD7, intracellular CD3 and surface CD3. The γδ TCR locus is rearranged first and is followed by rearrangement of the αβ locus. Both γδ and αβ T cells display a diverse TCR repertoire. Upon activation, the cells express CD25, CD69, cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2) and cytolytic proteins (Perforin and Granzyme-B). These results suggest that most, if not all, mechanisms required to generate functional T cells with a broad TCR repertoire are intact in our in vitro differentiation protocol. These data provide a foundation for production of patient-specific T cells for the treatment of acquired or inherited immune disorders and for cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and Angelman syndrome (AS) among fetuses with suspicious deletion of the chromosomal region 15q11-q13.Methods: In a retrospective study, data were assessed from fetuses missing chromosomal band 15q12 that underwent molecular diagnosis at the National Chen-Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan, between January 2001 and December 2012. Amniocytes were subjected to molecular testing, including fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, methylation-specific PCR (M-PCR), and methylation-specific multiplex-ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA).Results: During the 12-year study period, 26 041 amniocyte samples were analyzed at the study center and 27 (0.1%) were found to have a missing 15q12 band. A further 16 samples with a missing 15q12 band were received from other cytogenetic laboratories; as a result, 43 amniocyte samples lacking chromosomal band 15q12 underwent further molecular testing. Among these samples, 3 fetuses (7.0%) were found to have PWS (n=1) or AS (n=2).Conclusion: A minority of cases with missing 15q12 had deletion of the PWS/AS critical region. This finding draws attention to the subtle structural rearrangements that occur on 15q11-q13 and provides useful information for prenatal diagnosis of PWS and AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To identify Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) and Angelman syndrome (AS) among fetuses with suspicious deletion of the chromosomal region 15q11-q13. Methods: In a retrospective study, data were assessed from fetuses missing chromosomal band 15q12 that underwent molecular diagnosis at the National Chen-Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan, between January 2001 and December 2012. Amniocytes were subjected to molecular testing, including fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, methylation-specific PCR (M-PCR), and methylation-specific multiplex-ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA). Results: During the 12-year study period, 26 041 amniocyte samples were analyzed at the study center and 27 (0.1%) were found to have a missing 15q12 band. A further 16 samples with a missing 15q12 band were received from other cytogenetic laboratories; as a result, 43 amniocyte samples lacking chromosomal band 15q12 underwent further molecular testing. Among these samples, 3 fetuses (7.0%) were found to have PWS (n=1) or AS (n=2). Conclusion: A minority of cases with missing 15q12 had deletion of the PWS/AS critical region. This finding draws attention to the subtle structural rearrangements that occur on 15q11-q13 and provides useful information for prenatal diagnosis of PWS and AS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this letter, multiple forward and inverse fast algorithm based transforms and their hardware-sharing design for 2 $\,\times\,$ 2, 4 \,\times\,$ 4, and 8 \,\times\,$ 8 transforms in H.264/AVC, and the 8 \,\times\,$ 8 transform in audio video coding standard, 4 \,\times\,$ 4 and 8 -math notation="TeX" CMOS technology, the proposed 2-D transform architecture has less normalized power per mode and larger normalized hardware efficiency than the previous multiple-standard designs. The cost-effective 2-D full pipelined transform achieves multistandard real-time 1080HD at 60-Hz video encoding and decoding applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A low voltage, wide locking range and operation range divide-by-4 injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) is proposed in the paper and the ILFD was fabricated in the TSMC 90 nm RF-CMOS process. The divide-by-4 ILFD uses a cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with a parallel-tuned LC resonator and a three-transistor composite that acts as a linear and nonlinear mixer. At a drain-source bias of 0.6 V and at an incident power of 0 dBm, the operation range of the divide-by-4 ILFD is 5.3 GHz, from the incident frequency 21.1 GHz to 26.4 GHz, and the percentage of operation range is 22.31%. The locking range of the divide-by-4 ILFD is 1.4 GHz, from the incident frequency 21.1 GHz to 22.5 GHz, and the percentage of locking range is 6.42%. The core power consumption is 2.58 mW. The die area is 0.86 × 0.75 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We show an association between parameters of nerve conduction and electromyography (EMG) in carpal tunnel syndrome. [•] Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes of the median nerve are the best predictors of spontaneous EMG activity in the abductor pollicis brevis muscle in carpal tunnel syndrome. [•] Being able to predict the findings of spontaneous EMG activity in carpal tunnel syndrome based on non-invasive nerve conduction parameters and to spare patients from undergoing painful examinations are our goals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, a renewable polymeric material, refined oriental lacquer (ROL), used as a wood protective coating, and the Acacia confusa Merr. heartwood extractive, which was added as a natural photostabilizer for improving the lightfastness of ROL, were investigated. The best extract conditions for preparing heartwood extractives and the most suitable amount of addition (0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 phr) were investigated. The lightfastness index including brightness difference (ΔL *), yellowness difference (ΔYI), and color difference (ΔE *), and their applied properties of coating and film were measured. In the manufacture of heartwood extractives, the yield of extractives with acetone solvent was 9.2%, which was higher than that from toluene/ethanol solvent of 2.6%, and also had the most abundant total phenolic contents (535.2 mgGAE/g) and total flavonoid contents (252.3 μgRE/g). According to the SEM inspection and FTIR analysis, the plant gums migration to the surface of films and cracks occurred after UV exposure. The phenomena for photodegradation of ROL films were reduced after the addition of heartwood extractives. Among the different amounts of the heartwood extractives, the 10 phr addition was the best choice; however, the 1 phr heartwood extractive addition already showed noticeable lightfastness improvement. The drying times of ROL were extended and film performances worse with higher additions of heartwood extractives. Among the ROL films with different heartwood extractive additions, the ROL film with 1 phr addition had superior films properties, regarding adhesion and thermal stability, compared with the films of raw oriental lacquer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manufacture and properties of waterborne UV-cured coatings (WUV coatings) by acetone process based on urushiol for wood finishing were investigated. Firstly, epoxide urushiol (EU) was prepared by reacting urushiol with epichlorohydrin. Secondly, the EU was reacted with acrylic acid to obtain acrylic epoxide urushiol (AEU). Next, the prepolymers were synthesized by the reaction of AEU, 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (DMPA), and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), respectively, using acetone as a solvent. The prepolymers were further neutralized by triethylamine (TEA) to obtain ionomers and dispersed in the water. After removing the acetone by vacuum distillation, the polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) were obtained. Finally, the WUV coatings were performed by adding a photoinitiator (Irgacure 2959). The products in the synthesized processes and the properties of the WUV coatings were examined. The results showed that the EU, AEU, prepolymers, and ionomers could be synthesized stably. The PUDs synthesized by the IPDI and HDI had a similar solid content of 25.2% and 26.2%, and similar pH values of 7.8 and 7.6. However, the IPDI-containing PUD displayed lower viscosity, smaller particle size, and a more even polydispersity index. The IPDI-containing WUV film displayed a higher hardness, gloss, and lightfastness. The HDI-containing WUV film possessed superior impact resistance. Both IPDI-containing and HDI-containing WUV films showed excellent adhesion, bending resistance, and mass retention, and demonstrated a potential for wood finishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We used linseed oil to produce the waterborne UV/air during cured wood coatings. [•] The UV/air dual-cured coating could be rapidly cured under UV irradiation. [•] The UV/air dual-cured coating could also be dried through oxidation polymerization. [•] The dual-cured coating can overcome the shortcoming of traditional UV coatings. [•] The method is suitable for wood furniture finishing with a complicated configuration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new CMOS quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator (QVCO) is proposed. The LC-tank QVCO consists of two balanced complementary Colpitts VCOs with differential outputs. The tail inductor output of the first balanced VCO is injected to the gate of the tail transistor in the second balanced VCO and vice versa to ensure the two balanced VCOs operate in quadrature. At the supply voltage of 1.2 V, the total power consumption is 4.32 mW. The free-running frequency tuning range is 13.4%, tunable from 5.92 to 6.77 GHz as the tuning voltage is varied from 0 to 2 V. The QVCO has been implemented with the TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS technology and the die area is 0.843 × 1.024 mm2. The measured phase noise at 1 MHz offset is −121.67 dBc/Hz at the oscillation frequency of 6.74 GHz and the figure of merit of the proposed QVCO is about −191.89 dBc/Hz. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:700-703, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI: 10.1002/mop.27433 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-chip high-frequency frequency sources suffer from quality (Q)-factor degradation of varactors.Injection-locked frequency multipliers allow the design of oscillators running at a frequency lower than required to take the advantage of higher Q-factor varactor. This article proposes a fully integrated CMOS LC-tank injection-locked frequency quadrupler fabricated in the TSMC 90 nm RF-CMOS process and describes the circuit design, operation principle, and measurement results of the quadrupler. The injection-locked frequency quadrupler comprises a first-harmonic injection-locked oscillator with dual-injection ports, two frequency doublers and a transformer balun. At the supply voltage of 0.7 V, the dc power consumption is 9.1 mW. At the incident power of 0 dBm, the injection-locked frequency quadrupler can provide an output signal with the frequency from 24 to 29.6 GHz, while the frequency of the injection signal varies from 6 to 7.4 GHz. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:266-269, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27291 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low power wide locking range divide-by-4 injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) is proposed in the letter and was implemented in the TSMC 0.18 μm SiGe BiCMOS process. The divide-by-4 ILFD uses a cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator with an active inductor and a three-transistor composite consisted of two nMOSFETs and one pMOSFET to serve as an injection device with the function of linear and nonlinear mixers. At the supply voltage of 1.5 V and at the incident power of 0 dBm, the operation range of the divide-by-4 is 2.3 GHz, from the incident frequency 14.5 to 16.8 GHz, the percentage is 14.7%. The locking range of the divide-by-4 is 1.7 GHz, from the incident frequency from 14.6 to 16.3 GHz, the percentage is 11%. The core power consumption is 1.5 mW. The die area is 0.465 × 0.317 mm2. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:2825-2828, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27204 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of four kinds of hardener on the properties of castor oil (CO) based 2-package waterborne polyurethane (2K-WPU) wood coatings were examined. Modified castor oil (MCO) was prepared by transesterification of glycerol and CO at the molar ratio of 2.0. The waterborne polyurethane-dispersed polyol (PUDp), one component of the 2K-WPU, was synthesized from MCO, dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) by the acetone process to provide a prepolymer with a carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Then the prepolymer was neutralized by triethylamine (TEA) and dispersed into water. After vacuum distillation to remove acetone, the PUDp was obtained and then mixed with four different hardeners: IPDI, hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified PIPDI (polymeric IPDI) and PEG-modified PHDI (polymeric HDI). The NCO/OH molar ratio of 1.5 was used and a 2K-WPU coating was obtained. The results showed that the film of the 2K-WPU coatings obtained from IPDI hardener had excellent gloss and hardness. On the contrary, the film containing PEG-modified PIPDI hardener (PEG-PIPDI) had lower hardness and gloss but higher tensile strength. The film containing PEG-modified PHDI hardener (PEG-PHDI) showed the best elongation at break, abrasion resistance and impact resistance, though it had the worst hardness. The film with HDI hardener had the best hardness and highest tensile strength and superior water resistance among all the films with different hardeners, and it was suitable for wood coatings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This letter proposes a wide locking range and operation range divide-by-4 injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) in the TSMC 0.18-μm 1P6M RF-CMOS process.The divide-by-4 ILFD uses an active inductor to increase the tuning range and a transistor composite to serve an injection device with two linear mixers to enhance the locking range of ILFD. At the supply voltage of 1.7 V, and at the incident power of 0 dBm the operation range of the divide-by-4 is about 5.8 GHz, from the incident frequency 3.6 to 9.4 GHz, the percentage is 89.2%. The locking range of the divide-by-4 is 1.8 GHz, from the incident frequency 6.8 to 8.6 GHz, the percentage is about 23.4%. The core power consumption is 7.6 mW. The die area is 0.503 × 0.36 mm2. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:1359-1362, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26854 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a new LC-ring quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator (QVCO) is proposed. The proposed 0.18-μm CMOS QVCO uses a new composite LC resonator, and it occupies the die area of 0.61 × 0.95 mm2. At the supply voltage of 1.2 V, the total power consumption is 3.7 mW. The free-running frequency of the QVCO is tunable from 3.86 to 4.22 GHz as the tuning voltage is varied from 0.0 to 1.2 V. The measured phase noise at 1 MHz frequency offset is −123.42 dBc/Hz at the oscillation frequency of 3.94 GHz and the figure of merit of the proposed QVCO is −190.38 dBc/Hz. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett, 54:474-477, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26549 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a dual-resonance CMOS LC-tank injection-locked frequency doubler (ILFD) fabricated in the 0.18 μm CMOS process and describes the circuit design, operation principle, and measurement results of the ILFD. The ILFD circuit is composed of a dual-resonance first-harmonic injection-locked oscillator with dual-injection ports, a wide-band frequency doubler, and a transformer balun. At the supply voltage of 0.7 V, the dc power consumption is 5.39 mW. At the incident power of 0 dBm, the ILFD has high/low operation range from the incident frequency 3.9/1.7 to 6.1/2 GHz to provide a dual-band signal source with the frequency 7.8/3.4-12.2/4 GHz. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:193-196, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26501 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Virus detection is frequently based on antibody-based arrays and polymerase chain reactions. However, these methodologies have time-consuming incubation steps and obtaining clearly isolated target species is a complex process. In the present study, inverted triangular Au nano-cavities with various indentation depths and tip-to-tip displacements are well arrayed as a substrate for qualitative virus detection. The substrate is competent to entrap size-comparable target virus into nano-cavities, which as one, exerts its activity to form surface-enhanced Raman scattering particularly by the edges and cavities of the substrate. Through the induction of the electromagnetic effect by the substrate, the virus can be distinguished from the amino acids on its surface. The detectable concentration for encephalomyocarditis virus or adenovirus is 106 PFU/ml and that for influenza virus is 104 PFU/ml. The tailored substrate is enabled for fast-screening detection of target virus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gold nanorod (GNR) has great potential in the field of cancer therapy because of its photophysical property in converting near-infrared (NIR) laser light into heat. Fabrication of GNRs by seed-mediated growth method with the aid of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is a popular approach. However, due to high cytotoxicity of CTAB, it is necessary to modify the surface of CTAB-passivated GNRs for cell-related studies. In this study, thiolated chitosan was synthesized and harnessed to replace CTAB originally used to stabilize GNRs. The average size and morphological shape of CTAB-passivated GNRs (66.0 nm) and thiolated chitosan-modified GNRs (CGNRs) (84.9 nm) were determined by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to confirm the existence of Au-S binding energy at 162.4 eV. Cytotoxicity study revealed that CGNRs were much biocompatible than CTAB-stabilized GNRs. Our results showed that CGNRs functionalized with folic acid (FA) could be internalized by human colon HT-29 cancer cells via folate-mediated endocytosis. From the viability of CGNR-laden HT-29 cells irradiated with 808-nm NIR laser light, we demonstrated that CGNR is a potential photothermal nano-absorber for the ablation of malignant cells under NIR laser exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Micro/nano-lithographic techniques are usually employed as a straightforward process for roughening a thin-film Au surface for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). However, a topographical pattern with deepened edges is difficult to control in a rapid and environmental-friendly way. In this study, a simple physical procedure is proposed for tailoring a thin-film Au surface with triangular nanostructures using nano-indentation technique. The as-fabricated nano-indented cavities on Au (nAu) were structured as a characterization substrate for SERS. By calculating the geometries of nAu and the increase of surface area as a function of the concentration of chemically adsorbed 2-nitro-5-thiobenzoic acid (NTB), a combined chemical and electromagnetic effect was estimated. Particularly-made nAu was adjusted for examining chemically adsorbed NTB molecules with differently intensified Raman-active groups by tuning the indentation depth and the tip-to-tip displacement. SERS enhancement factor on a specific NTB/nAu could be increased to 2.1×106. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A population-based study was performed to characterize the genotype and drug-resistant patterns of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Taiwan. From 2007 to 2008, we analyzed 494 MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates using spacer oligonucleotide typing and drug susceptibility testing. The majority of cases occurred in the age groups of 45–54 (24.3%) and ≥65 (23.1%). Of the 494 MDR isolates, 25.1% were resistant to ethambutol, 15.6% were resistant to streptomycin, 27.1% were resistant to all four first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs, 28.9% were resistant to ofloxacin, and 8.7% were extensively drug-resistant (XDR). Compared with the SpolDB4, 86 spoligotypes were identified in 492 isolates. We observed 427 (86.8%) isolates belonging to 49 known spoligotypes and 65 isolates (13.2%) in 37 undesignated spoligotypes. Beijing lineages (50.0%) were the predominant genotype, followed by Haarlem (18.2%) and East-African-Indian (EAI) (5.7%). Geographically, Beijing lineages were predominant in all regions, whereas Haarlem lineages were predominant only in the east (28.1%) and EAI (11.3%) only in the south. Beijing lineages are statistically associated with MDR in younger age groups and eastern Taiwan. Furthermore, we found that Beijing ST1 (46.1%), Haarlem3 ST50 (7.1%) and ST742 (4.7%), and EAI2_MANILA ST19 (3.9%) were the prevalent groups. Thus, continuous surveillance with more thorough genotyping and epidemiological investigation is crucial for the prevention of further dissemination, the determination of the temporal and spatial trends of multi-drug resistance, and the emergence of XDR-TB in Taiwan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Well-ordered nano-mechanically made Au-cavities array (nAu) is tailored as a functional surface with high density tip-to-tip cavities, adjustable indentation depths, and a number of edges within the nanostructures. In this study, the nAu was fabricated by a physical way and utilized as a characterization tool with the advantage of preventing samples from chemical or residual contaminations. Two types of molecular probe solutions: 5,5′-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and Rhodamine 6G (R6G) were evaluated. For DTNB solution, the chemically adsorbed monolayer was formed upon the nAu, which resulted in the effect of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), mainly induced by the combined chemical and electromagnetic effects. Within the range of 1×10−23 to 3.2×10−22 mole, Raman intensity and the quantity of DTNB molecules exhibited a sharp exponential relationship. For R6G solution within the equivalent nAu and the identical range, the relationship exhibited nearly linear; however, within an extended range of 1×10−23 to 3.2×10−21 mole, a moderate exponential relationship was obtained. The enhancement factors for detecting DTNB and R6G solutions using the nAu could be optimized to 1.62×108 and 4.60×107, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The field-emission electrical properties of hydrothermally synthesized zinc-oxide nanowires grown on SiO2–Si substrate are reported. Vertically aligned single-crystalline emitters with distinct length L and diameter D are realized by controlling the assisted growth of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. Field-emission measurement revealed that these field emitters exhibited controllable turn-on field E to and the field enhancement factor β. Sample with feature size of L =500nm and D =80nm was prepared and then used as a basis for examining the size effect. Lower E to and higher β were observed consistently for increasing the aspect ratio L/D. The enhanced properties of E to =1.48V/μm and β up to 6100 are achieved for L/D =53 (L =1600nm and D =30nm). Optimal characterizing parameters of E to and β will be reached while pursuing extreme L/D practically. Factors such as the geometric limit of AAO template manufacture and the filling efficiency of ZnO into AAO pores will exert influence on the size-dependent effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Er3+-doped Y2Ti2O7 and Er2Ti2O7 thin films were fabricated by sol–gel spin-coating method. A well-defined pyrochlore phase Er x Y2- x Ti2O7 was observed while the annealing temperature exceeded 800°C. The average transmittance of the Er x Y2- x Ti2O7 thin films annealed at 400 to 900°C reduces from ∼87 to ∼77%. The refractive indices and optical band gaps of Er x Y2- x Ti2O7 (x =0–2) annealed at 800°C/1h vary from 2.20 to 2.09 and 4.11 to 4.07eV, respectively. The ∼1.53μm photoluminescence spectrum of Er3+ (5mol%)-doped Y2Ti2O7 thin films annealed at 700°C/1h exhibits the maximum intensity and full-width at half maximum (∼60nm). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper proposes a top-series-injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) with a tunable active inductor with variable division ratio and studies the effect of injection methods on the property of ILFD. With only the differential injection method the ILFD has the modulus of 1,2,3,4, and 5. The ILFD was fabricated in the 0.18μm 1P6M CMOS technology, and at the supply voltage of 1.5V, the free-running divider is tunable from 0.13GHz to 2.93GHz. The ILFD has wide-operation locking ranges in both divide-by-2 and divide-by-3 mode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This work presents visualization and measurement of the evaporation resistance for operating flat-plate heat pipes with sintered multi-layer copper-mesh wick. A glass plate was adopted as the top wall for visualization. The multi-layer copper-mesh wick was sintered on the copper bottom plate. With different combinations of 100 and 200 mesh screens, the wick thickness ranged from 0.26mm to 0.8mm. Uniform heating was applied to the base plate near one end with a heated surface of 1.1 × 1.1cm2. At the other end was a cooling water jacket. At various water charges, the evaporation resistances were measured with evaporation behavior visualized for heat fluxes of 16–100W/cm2. Quiescent surface evaporation without nucleate boiling was observed for all test conditions. With heat flux increased, the water film receded and the evaporation resistance reduced. The minimum evaporation resistances were found when a thin water film was sustained in the bottom mesh layer. With heat flux further increased, partial dryout appeared with dry patches in the bottom mesh holes, first at the upstream end of the heated area and then expanded across the evaporator. The evaporation resistance re-rose in response to the appearance and expansion of partial dryout. When the fine 200 mesh screen was used as the bottom layer, its thinner thickness and stronger capillarity led to smaller minimum evaporation resistances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An aromatic triamine-based flame-retardant benzoxazine (3), which could not be prepared by the traditional approaches, was successfully prepared by a three-step procedure. The first step is the condensation of 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde with an aromatic triamine, forming intermediate (1) with an imine linkage. The second step is the reduction of the imine linkage by sodium borohydride, resulting in intermediate (2) with a secondary amine linkage. The third step is the ring closure condensation of (2), leading to benzoxazine (3). The structures of (1–3) were confirmed by IR, high-resolution mass, 1H and 31P NMR spectra. Benzoxazine (3) was copolymerized with commercial benzoxazines. According to the measurements, thermal properties, flame retardancy, dimensional stability of commercial polybenzoxazines were significantly improved via the incorporation of (3). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In our previous report, the antibacterial agents with different metals, mono(hydroxyethoxyethyl)phthalate [M(HEEP)2, M = Zn, Mn, and Ca], were synthesized. For increasing their yields, modified synthesis and purified processes were further investigated. The result of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed the M(HEEP)2 could be stable and successfully synthesized, and their yields were raised to 73–85% from our previous report of 43–55%. For ultraviolet-cured wood floor coating application, the Zn(HEEP)2 was selected as an antibacterial agent and mixed with commercial UV wood floor coating. The effects on the antibacterial activity of UV films with different Zn(HEEP)2 additions of 0, 4, 8, and 12 phr as well as the commercial nano-Ag of 12 phr against Escherichia coli were evaluated. In the static antibacterial test, the UV films with Zn(HEEP)2 additions had similar antibacterial activity of 57–59%. In another dynamic shaking antibacterial test, the film containing 12 phr Zn(HEEP)2 had the best antibacterial activity among all the UV films. On the film properties, the Zn(HEEP)2-containing UV films had lower gloss and abrasion resistance, and slightly increased the hardness than those of UV film without Zn(HEEP)2 addition. However, there were no noticeable differences in mass retention, lightfastness, and thermal stability between UV films with and without the Zn(HEEP)2 addition. In this study, the 12 phr Zn(HEEP)2-containing UV film provided the best antibacterial activity against E. coli and had the balanced film properties for application on the UV wood floor coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study utilizes two ion-implantation methods, plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) and metal vapor vacuum arc (MeVVA), to prepare Ti–N phases on the surface of Ti–6Al–4V. By the nitrogen PIII method, both nitrogen and minor oxygen species are simultaneously attracted by the negatively charged substrate. The penetration of N and O interstitial elements to an extensible depth is possible owing to the effect from the negatively charged target. The nitrogen PIII treatment does not produce a novel Ti–N phase. As a result, the modified surface does not behave anticorrosive. The H n and the E determined by nanoindentation also remain unchanged. It is still potential to apply this non-directional treatment by increasing bias voltage of the target, coating pure titanium on Ti–6Al–4V, and adjusting the regeneration process of nitrogen ions. The MeVVA treatment creates a novel αTiN0.3 (011) phase on Ti–6Al–4V in present study. It signifies that the interactions between kinetic Ti ions of varied energies and minor nitrogen molecules, with minor participation of oxygen, are highly feasible. The novel ion-implanted Ti–N phase is corrosion resistant, which is capable to reduce passivation current density by forming a passive film. Moreover, the MeVVA-treated surface is surface-hardened; the E is simultaneously increased. The increase of nano mechanical properties can be visualized by 3D images using Nano Vision and determined by analyzing the tip/surface impact structure on the indentation site. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pain and itch are both important manifestations of various disorders, such as herpes zoster, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis. Growing evidence suggests that both sensations have shared mediators, overlapping neural circuitry, and similarities in sensitization processes. In fact, pain and itch coexist in some disorders. Determining pharmaceutical agents and targets for treating pain and itch concurrently is of scientific and clinical relevance. Here we review the neurobiology of pain and itch and discuss the pharmaceutical targets as well as novel compounds effective for the concurrent treatment of these sensations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new wide locking range active-inductor divide-by-3 injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) using a standard 0.18-μm CMOS process is presented.The push-push ILFD circuit is realized with a push-push cross-coupled n-core MOS LC-tank oscillator. The core power consumption of the ILFD core is 7.41 mW. The divider's free-running frequency is tunable from 1.39 to 3.18 GHz by tuning the varactor's control bias, and at the incident power of 0 dBm the maximum locking range is 2.9 GHz (43.6%), from the incident frequency 5.2 to 8.1 GHz. The operation range is 5.9 GHz (80.27%), from 4.4 to 10.3 GHz. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2771-2773, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26426 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diode-ring coupling technique has been used to design quadrature voltage-controlled oscillators (QVCOs), which consist of two n-core VCOs.The proposed CMOS QVCOs have been implemented with the TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS technology. A single-band and a dual-band QVCOs have been implemented to support the feasibility of the coupling technique. The die area of the single-band QVCO is 0.506 × 0.905 mm. At the supply voltage of 0.54 V, the total power consumption is 1.78 mW. The free-running frequency of the QVCO is tunable from 4.295 to 5.185 GHz as the tuning voltage is varied from 0.0 to 1.1 V. The measured phase noise at 1 MHz frequency offset is −114 dBc/Hz at the oscillation frequency 4.587 GHz, and the figure of merit of the proposed QVCO is −184.73 dBc/Hz. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:551-553, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25774 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: By applying dynamic contact module and particular measurement of phase angles, harmonic contact stiffness (S) along with the measured displacement (D) of different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) adsorbed on Au can be distinguished. The relatively ordered and hydrophobic ODT and DDT molecules adsorbed on Au form high contact stiffness, which are presumably unfavorable substrates for a cell to adhere upon. Short-chain MUA molecules adsorbed on Au provides a hydrophilic characteristic with a relatively low contact stiffness, which may significantly promote cell adhesion. It is, therefore, estimated that the behavior of a cell adhered on SAMs/Au is correlated not only with their outermost chemical species but also with a proper dS/dD matrix acting as a cushion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Oriental lacquer is a natural polymeric coating with a satiny texture and excellent characteristics, such as chemical resistance and durability. However, the poor lightfastness resulted in the natural aromatic structures of the urushiol structures limited its suitability for outdoor application. This study aimed at the improvement of the lightfastness by adding the different hindered amine light stafbilizers (HALS) with 2 phr addition as well as the effects on the coating and film property of the refined oriental lacquers (RL). The Cryptomeria japonica plate, glass sheets, and the other substrates were used for finishing. The results showed that the lightfastness of RL film was obviously improved by adding 2 phr HALS of Bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate (H90) containing -NH group and Bis (1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl)-[[3,5-bis(1,1-dimethyl ethyl) -4-hydroxyphenyl] methyl] butylmalonate (H60) containing -NCH3 groups. The HALS additions increased the pH value of RL and improved the activities of laccase-catalyzed reaction. Meanwhile, the oxidative polymerization of the side chains of RL was inhibited, caused by a radical scavenging ability of HALS. The changes in the drying process affected not only the curing time, but also the film properties. Among the 2 phr additions of different HALS, the film containing H90 had the best lightfastness. Meanwhile, it kept the most similar properties with RL and shortened the drying time of RL, and it was selected as the best HALS addition under 2 phr in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion behaviour and intergranular corrosion (IGC) sensitivity of 6061 aluminium alloy were investigated using electrochemical polarisation. A 10% tensile stretching was carried out on as-quenched 6061 alloys to understand the effect of pre-deformation on precipitation during subsequent aging treatments. Grain boundary (GB) TEM micrographs were taken to correlate the relationship between the changes in microstructure and corrosion resistance. For artificially aged 6061 alloys, the introduction of the 10% pre-deformation reduces the corrosion rate, but is unable to change their IGC susceptible nature. Conversely, pre-deformation dramatically reduces the pitting depth and pit distribution of naturally aged 6061 alloys. Needle-like β″ precipitates were found homogeneously distributed in the matrix and the GB areas in the pre-deformed and naturally aged 6061-T3. It is suggested that strain-induced dislocations and misorientation sites cover the lack of vacancies around the as-quenched GBs, therefore promote homogeneous precipitation across the GBs which improves resistance against localised corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]