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A high-speed infrared small-angle infrared thermography system (SATS) has been developed and installed on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) for measuring the surface temperature of the divertor target to calculate the high heat flux induced by Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) and providing observation means for the further physical study of some key parameters, such as power decay length λq and the characteristic time of different types of ELMs. An endoscopic optical system is applied to realize the SATS for clear imaging of the divertor plate area and protection from the harm of impurity deposition and latent tungsten ablation during discharge. The field of view (FOV) of the endoscopic optical system is designed to be 13° in the horizontal direction and 9° in the vertical direction. As a consequence, ∼35° of coverage of the lower-outer divertor and a small part of the lower-inner divertor in toroidal are covered by the FOV with a spatial resolution of around 2 mm/pixel. This paper presents a detailed description of the new SATS and the preliminary experimental diagnostic results. The radial distribution of heat flux induced by an ELM crash was demonstrated.

It is demonstrated that the strained-Si can enhance the channel stress with the contact etching stop layer (CESL) stressor. In addition to CESL, this article also includes ONO spacer and investigates the impact of ONO spacer thickness on the channel stress. It is found that the channel stress increases when the nitride thickness of the ONO spacer increases. On the other hand, the stress distribution is simulated and analyzed for the devices with or without CESL stressor. Generally speaking, based on the simulation results, the channel stress of MOSFET devices increases when the nitride stressor of ONO spacer and/or CESL increases.

In this paper, we present new convergence properties of the augmented Lagrangian method for nonlinear semidefinite programs (NSDP). Convergence to the approximately global solutions and optimal values of NSDP is first established for a basic augmented Lagrangian scheme under mild conditions, without requiring the boundedness condition of the multipliers. We then propose four modified augmented Lagrangian methods for NSDP based on different algorithmic strategies. We show that the same convergence of the proposed methods can be ensured under weaker conditions.

Within the framework of Newtonian magneto-solid-mechanics, relying on equations appropriate for a perfectly conducting elastic continuous medium threaded by a uniform magnetic field, the asteroseismic model of a neutron star undergoing axisymmetric global torsional nodeless vibrations under the combined action of Hooke's elastic and Lorentz magnetic forces is considered with emphasis on a toroidal Alfv\'en mode of differentially rotational vibrations about the dipole magnetic moment axis of the star. The obtained spectral equation for frequency is applied to $\ell$-pole identification of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of X-ray flux during the giant flares of SGR 1806-20 and SGR 1900+14. Our calculations suggest that detected QPOs can be consistently interpreted, within the framework of this model, as produced by global torsional nodeless vibrations of quaking magnetar if they are considered to be restored by the joint action of bulk forces of shear elastic and magnetic field stresses., Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures; accepted in ApJ

The Newtonian solid-mechanical theory of non-compressional spheroidal and torsional nodeless elastic vibrations in the homogenous crust model of a quaking neutron star is developed and applied to the modal classification of the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of X-ray luminosity in the aftermath of giant flares in SGR 1806-20 and SGR 1900+14. Particular attention is given to the low-frequency QPOs in the data for SGR 1806-20 whose physical origin has been called into question. Our calculations suggest that unspecified QPOs are due to nodeless dipole torsional and dipole spheroidal elastic shear vibrations., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures: Mod.Phys.Lett. A23 (2008) 477

The initial demonstration of an enhancement mode MgO/p-GaN metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) utilizing Si+ ion implanted regions under the source and drain to provide a source of minority carriers for inversion was reported. The breakdown voltage for an 80 nm thick MgO gate dielectric was ∼14 V, corresponding to a breakdown field strength of 1.75 MVcm–1 and the p-n junction formed between the p-epi and the source had a reverse breakdown voltage >15 V. Inversion of the channel was achieved for gate voltages above 6 V.The maximum transconductance was 5.4 µSmm–1 at a drain-source voltage of 5 V. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistor(HEMT) structures are excellent candidates for polar liquid detectors, pressure sensors and piezoelectric-related applications. The changes in conductance of the channel of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor structures during application of both tensile and compressive strain are reported. For fixed Al mole fraction, the changes in conductance were roughly linear over the range up to 2.7 × 108 N.cm–2 , with coefficients for planar devices of –6.0 +/–2.5 × 10–10 S.N–1 m–2 for tensile strain and +9.5+/–3.5 × 10–10 S.N–1m–2 for compressive strain . The large changes in conductance demonstrate that simple AlGaN/GaN heterostructures are promising for pressure and strain sensor applications. A gateless HEMT structure was also used for sensing different liquids present in the gate region. The forward current showed significant decreases upon exposure of the gate area to solvents (water, acetone) or acids (HCl). Milli ampere changes in the source-drain current are observed relative to the value measured in air ambient .The pH sensitivity is due to changes in net surface charge that affects the relative depletion in the channel of the transistor. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The fabrication of GaN merged p–i–n/Schottky (MPS) diodes using Si+ ion implantation into p-epi layers on bulk, free-standing GaN substrates is reported. Diode diameters from 50 to 500 μm were investigated. These initial MPS diodes show larger turn-on voltage (∼30 V) than the unimplanted p–i–n diodes (∼10 V) fabricated on the same wafer but lower reverse leakage current density. The Si+ implant activation efficiency is ∼25% for 1150 °C anneals, reaching ∼30% for 1200 °C anneals.

Type conversion of p-GaN by direct Si+ ion implantation and subsequent annealing was demonstrated by the fabrication of lateral Schottky diodes. The Si+ activation percentage was measured as a function of annealing time (30–300 sec) and temperature (1,000–1,200°C), reaching a maximum of ∼30% for 1,200°C, 2-min anneals. The resulting n-type carrier concentration was 1.1×1018 cm−3 for a moderate Si+ ion dose of ∼2×1014 cm−2. The lateral Schottky diodes displayed a negative temperature coefficient of −0.15 V·K for reverse breakdown voltage.

Electrical and electroluminescent properties were studied for GaN/InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with the n-GaN layer up and with the top portion of the n layer made of undoped GaMnN to allow polarization modulation by applying an external magnetic field (so-called “spin-LEDs”). The contact annealing temperature was kept to 750°C, which is the thermal stability limit for retaining room-temperature magnetic ordering in the GaMnN layer. Measurable electroluminescence (EL) was obtained in these structures at threshold voltages of ∼15 V, with a lower EL signal compared to control LEDs without Mn. This is related to the existence of two parasitic junctions between the metal and the lower contact p-type layer and between the GaMnN and the n-GaN in the top contact layer.

GaN/AlGaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were fabricated on layer structures grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on hydride vapor phase epitaxy grown AlN epi-layers on 6H–SiC substrates. The presence of the AlN provides an insulating buffer for effective inter-device isolation, producing isolation currents in the 10−9 A range. These initial HEMTs exhibit saturated drain source current of >400 mA/mm with maximum transconductance of >70 mS/mm. The devices show lower degrees of current collapse relative to more conventional HEMTs fabricated on sapphire substrates, suggesting that the lower defect density is beneficial in reducing surface state trap concentration.

Thermal stability, optical reflectivity, and contact resistivity of Pd∕Ni∕Al∕Ti∕Au ohmic contacts to p-type GaN were investigated. In contrast to its Pd∕Al∕Ti∕Au counterparts, Pd∕Ni∕Al∕Ti∕Au contacts retained their specific contact resistivity ( 76%) after long-term annealing at 150 °C in nitrogen ambient. According to the results of the secondary ion mass spectroscopy study, it is suggested that the Ni layer prevents the penetration of Ti into GaN during thermal treatment.

The electroluminescence efficiency of In0.06Ga0.94N∕GaN multiple-quantum-well UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with emission wavelength of 400nm has been investigated and compared with blue (470nm) LEDs. Based on their injection current-dependent characteristics under dc and pulsed operation, it can be concluded that carrier overflow is the dominant factor that affects the external quantum efficiency of UVLED before thermal effects take over. It is experimentally shown that increasing the number of quantum wells is necessary to alleviate the carrier overflow issue and improve the luminescence efficiency of the UVLEDs.

We report the initial demonstration of an enhancement mode MgO/p-GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) utilizing Si+ ion-implanted regions under the source and drain to provide a source of minority carriers for inversion. The breakdown voltage for an 80-nm-thick MgO gate dielectric was ∼14 V, corresponding to a breakdown field strength of 1.75 MV cm−1 and the p-n junction formed between the p-epi and the source had a reverse breakdown voltage >15 V. Inversion of the channel was achieved for gate voltages above 6 V. The maximum transconductance was 5.4 μS mm−1 at a drain-source voltage of 5 V, comparable to the initial values reported for GaAs MOSFETs.

Spin polarization of GaMnN/InGaN light-emitting diodes grown by molecular beam epitaxy is analyzed. In spite of the ferromagnetic behavior of the GaMnN spin injector, the diodes are shown to exhibit very low efficiency of spin injection. Based on resonant optical orientation spectroscopy, the spin loss in the structures is shown to be largely due to fast spin relaxation within the InGaN spin detector, which itself destroys any spin polarization generated by optical spin orientation or electrical spin injection.

The performance of a 9 device array of 500 × 500 μm2 GaN p-i-n rectifiers fabricated on epitaxial layers grown on a free-standing GaN template is reported. The forward turn-on voltage was ∼5.5 V at 25 °C, with an on-state resistance of ∼5 × 10−3 Ω cm2. The total forward current was 1 A at ∼8.8 V and 2.6 A at 18 V. The power figure-of-merit for the array, VB2/RON, was 0.69 MW cm−2, with a reverse recovery time of ⩽300 ns. The individual p-i-n rectifiers were interconnected using electroplated Au and clamped in a Cu pressure pack for thermal management.

An AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor structure was used for sensing different liquids present in the gate region. The forward current showed significant decreases upon exposure of the gate area to solvents (water, acetone) or acids (HCl). The pH sensitivity is due to changes in net surface charge that affects the relative depletion in the channel of the transistor. The results indicate that nitride-based heterostructures may have application in integrated chemical, gas and fluid monitoring sensors.

The electrical activation characteristics of implanted Si+ in GaN were investigated as a function of annealing temperature (1000 °C–1200 °C). The maximum activation percentage for an ion dose of 2.5×1014 cm−2 was ∼30% with an apparent activation energy for electrical activation of 1.65±0.15 eV obtained from the temperature dependence of the saturated carrier density. Lateral Schottky diodes fabricated on this material showed forward ideality factors of ∼2 and a temperature coefficient of −0.15 V K−1 for their reverse breakdown voltage. These results show the feasibility of creating n+ tubs in p-GaN such as are needed as sources of minority carriers to achieve inversion in GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors.

The changes in the conductance of the channel of Al0.3Ga0.7N/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor structures during the application of both tensile and compressive strain were measured. For a fixed Al mole fraction, the changes in the conductance were roughly linear over the range up to 2.7×108 N cm−2, with coefficients for planar devices of −6.0+/−2.5×10−10 S N−1 m−2 for tensile strain and +9.5+/−3.5×10−10 S N−1 m−2 for compressive strain. For mesa-isolated structures, the coefficients were smaller due to the reduced effect of the AlGaN strain, with values of 5.5+/−1.1×10−13 S N−1 m−2 for tensile strain and 4.8×10−13 S N−1 m−2 for compressive strain. The large changes in the conductance demonstrate that simple AlGaN/GaN heterostructures are promising for pressure and strain sensor applications.

p-i-n rectifiers were fabricated on epitaxial layers grown on free-standing GaN substrates. The forward turn-on voltage, VF was ∼5 V at 300 K and displayed a positive temperature coefficient. The specific on-state resistance (RON) was ∼5 mΩ cm2 at 300 K, with an ideality factor of ∼2 and activation energy for low forward current density of ∼1.6 eV. This is consistent with carrier recombination in the space charge region via a midgap deep level. The figure-of-merit, VB2/RON, where VB is the reverse breakdown voltage, was 0.32 MW cm−2. The reverse recovery time was ⩽600 ns at 300 K. The improved forward characteristics relative to previous heteroepitaxial p-i-n GaN rectifiers show the advantages of employing a GaN substrate to make a true vertical transport geometry device.

Aluminum nitride is a material of great potential for high power electronic devices, UV photonic devices as well as acoustic devices. However, the lack of a good crystal growth technology for bulk material and substrate hinders the development of these AlN-based devices. While AlN has been successfully grown on sapphire substrate for some time, the presence of a large number of dislocations in the material is still a major barrier to overcome [1]. In this work, we demonstrate a low-dislocation-density AlN template on sapphire by inserting an AlN interlayer by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The main idea of our approach is to change the growth mode in the course of the epitaxial growth by decreasing growth temperature and changing V/III ratio. As the growth mode changes, dislocations tend to be redirected and/or form dipole half loops via annihilation processes [2]. The etch-pit-density of the AlN templates is reduced from 3.6×10 9 cm -2 to 1.7×10 9 cm -2 . Accordingly, the full width at half maximum of the (0002) x-ray rocking curve is reduced from 37 arcsec to 12 arcsec. The result indicates that the AlN template has low screw and mixed type dislocations. AlGaN/GaN Schottky diodes fabricated on this high quality AlN template exhibit very high breakdown voltage (> 2000 V), which sets a record-high figure of merit of 1.15 GW/cm 2 .

Using the energy variational method of magneto-solid-mechanical theory of a perfectly conducting elastic medium threaded by magnetic field, the frequency spectrum of Lorentz-force-driven global torsional nodeless vibrations of a neutron star with Ferraro's form of axisymmetric poloidal nonhomogeneous internal and dipole-like external magnetic field is obtained and compared with that for this toroidal Alfv\'en mode in a neutron star with homogeneous internal and dipolar external magnetic field. The relevance of considered asteroseismic models to quasi-periodic oscillations of the X-ray flux during the ultra powerful outbursts of SGR 1806-20 and SGR 1900+14 is discussed., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Science

A new approach is presented for analyzing compressor tip clearance flow. The basic idea is that the clearance velocity field can be (approximately) decomposed into independent through-flow and cross-flow, since chordwise pressure gradients are much smaller than normal pressure gradients in the clearance region. As in the slender body approximation in external aerodynamics, this description implies that the three-dimensional, steady, clearance flow can be viewed as a two-dimensional, unsteady flow. Using this approach, a similarity scaling for the cross-flow in the clearance region is developed and a generalized description of the clearance vortex is derived. Calculations based on the similarity scaling agree well with a wide range of experimental data in regard to flow features such as cross-flow velocity field, static pressure field, and tip clearance vortex trajectory. The scaling rules also provide a useful way of exploring the parametric dependence of the vortex trajectory and strength for a given blade row. The emphasis of the approach is on the vortical structure associated with the tip clearance because this appears to be a dominant feature of the endwall flow; it is also shown that this emphasis gives considerable physical insight into overall features seen in the data.Copyright © 1990 by ASME

Electrical and optical spin injection efficiency of GaMnN/InGaN spin LEDs is evaluated. At room temperature, the spin LEDs are shown to exhibit negligible optical and electrical spin injection efficiency despite that the n‐type GaMnN spin injector employed is ferromagnetic. On the other hand, carrier supply from GaMnN at low temperatures is accompanied by a reduction (by 1–5%) in optical polarization of the InGaN spin detector (SD) from its intrinsic values measured without carrier supply from GaMnN. This observation seems to indicate some degrees of spin injection from GaMnN with the spin orientation opposite to that of the lowest spin state of the SD. The very low degree of polarization, however, implies efficient spin loss during the spin injection process. From cw‐ and transient resonant optical orientation studies, the spin loss is attributed to fast spin relaxation within the InGaN spin detector.

Multiple quantum well (MQW) structure piezoelectric semiconductor can be treated as a piezoelectric transducer to generate nanometer wavelength and THz frequency acoustic waves. The generation mechanism of nano acoustic wave (NAW) in quantum wells induced by femtosecond optical pulses can be modeled by a macroscopic elastic continuum theory. The absorption of the MQW's modulated by NAW's through quantum confined Franz-Keldysh (QCFK) effect allows another femtosecond optical probe pulses to monitor the propagating NAW. Many applications in typical ultrasonics can be achieved by NAWs. The simultaneous waveform synthesis is demonstrated by an optical coherent control technique. The phase of the totally reflected NAW is studied. Acoustic coherent control can be achieved by designing the thickness of the cap layer on the MQW. We also demonstrated the feasibility to apply THz NAWs to acoustically control an electronic device with higher operation speed and spatial accuracy. Seismology, which is the first step toward ultrasonic imaging, was also demonstrated. The arrival time of the echo is obtained by processing the transient transmission changes of the probe. Ultrafast technique and nano technology are ready for nano ultrasonics.

Two emission peaks with different behaviors are observed from the electroluminescence spectrum of AlInGaN laser diode structure. A significant blueshift and a linewidth broadening are measured for the low-energy peak with an injection current, while a slight blueshift and a moderate linewidth narrowing occur for the high-energy peak. Accordingly, these two peaks are assigned to be from localized state and quantum well state emissions, respectively. The quantum well state emission exhibits a biexciton feature in contrast to the localized excitons. Based on the injection current dependent thermal quenching behavior of the localized state, a multiple carrier escaping mechanism is proposed.

The cadherins play key roles in the formation and organization of the mammalian placenta by mediating cellular interactions and the terminal differentiation of trophoblastic cells. Although cadherin function is regulated by the cytoplasmic proteins, known as the catenins, the identity and expression pattern(s) of the catenins present in the trophoblastic cells of the human placenta have not been characterized. In these studies, we have determined that alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenin, and p120(ctn) expression levels are high in villous cytotrophoblasts isolated from the human term placenta but decline as these cells undergo aggregation and fusion to form syncytium with time in culture. In contrast, the expression levels of these four catenin subtypes remained constant in non-fusing JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells at all of the time points examined in these studies. alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenin, and p120(ctn) expression was further immunolocalized to the mononucleate cells present in these two trophoblastic cell cultures. Similarly, intense immunostaining for all four catenins was detected in the mononucleate villous cytotrophoblasts of the human first trimester placenta. Collectively, these observations demonstrate that the expression levels of alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenin, and p120(ctn) are tightly regulated during the formation of multinucleated syncytium in vitro and in vivo.

Radiation treatment planning (RTP), historically an image-intensive discipline and one of the first areas in which 3D information from imaging was clinically applied, has become even more critically dependent on accurate 3D definition of target and non-target structures in recent years with the advent of conformal radiation therapy. In addition to the interactive display of wireframe or shaded surface models of anatomic objects, proposed radiation beams, beam modifying devices, and calculated dose distributions, recently significant use has been made of direct visualization of relevant anatomy from image data. Dedicated systems are commercially available for the purpose of geometrically optimizing beam placement, implementing in virtual reality the functionality of standard radiation therapy simulators. Such "CT simulation" systems rely heavily on 3D visualization and on reprojection of image data to produce simulated radiographs for comparison with either diagnostic-quality radiographs made on a simulator or megavoltage images made using the therapeutic beams themselves. Although calculation and analysis of dose distributions is an important component of radiation treatment design, geometric targeting with optimization based on 3D anatomic information is frequently performed as a separate step independent of dose calculations.

Volume rendering is a visualization technique that has important applications in diagnostic radiology and in radiotherapy but has not achieved widespread use due, in part, to the lack of volumetric analysis tools for comparison of volume rendering to conventional visualization techniques. The volume rendering quantification algorithm (VRQA), a technique for three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of a structure identified on six principal volume-rendered views, is introduced and described. VRQA involves three major steps: 1) preprocessing of the partial surfaces constructed from each of six volume-rendered images; 2) merging these processed partial surfaces to define the boundaries of a volume; and 3) computation of the volume of the structure from this boundary information. After testing on phantoms, VRQA was applied to CT data of patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM's). Because volumetric visualization of the cerebral AVM is relatively insensitive to operator dependencies, such as the choice of opacity transfer function, and because precise volumetric definition of the AVM is necessary for radiosurgical treatment planning, it is representative of a class of structures that is ideal for testing and calibration of VRQA. AVM volumes obtained using VRQA are intermediate to those obtained using axial contouring and those obtained using CT-correlated biplanar angiography (two routinely used visualization techniques for treatment planning for AVM's). Applications and potential expansions of VRQA are discussed.

The cellular mechanisms by which steroids and antisteroidal compounds modulate the function and/or integrity of the human endometrium remain poorly understood. We recently determined that the expression of the novel cadherin subtype, known as cadherin-11, is tightly regulated in endometrial stromal cells undergoing decidualisation in vivo and in vitro. To determine whether the actions of antisteroids on the endometrium are mediated, at least in part, by their ability to regulate the expression of this cell adhesion molecule, we examined the effects of the antiprogestin RU486 and the antiestrogen ICI 182,780 on cadherin-11 mRNA and protein expression levels in human endometrial stromal cells undergoing decidualisation in vitro. RU486 decreased the levels of the cadherin-11 mRNA transcript and protein species present in these cell cultures in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Similarly, ICI 182,780 was capable of reducing stromal cadherin-11 mRNA and protein expression levels in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that the progesterone-mediated increase in cadherin-11 expression levels in human endometrial cells undergoing decidualisation in vitro is dependent on the presence of estrogens. Cadherin-11 expression levels also were reduced in endometrial stromal cell cultures subjected to progesterone withdrawal, an in vitro model for menstrual breakdown. These studies not only give us useful insight into the mechanism(s) by which progesterone regulates stromal cadherin-11 expression, but they strengthen our hypothesis that this cell adhesion molecule plays a central role in the remodeling processes that occur in the human endometrium in response to fluctuations in the levels of gonadal steroids.

The cadherins are key morphoregulators. A switch in the cadherin subtype(s) expressed by a population of cells has been associated with the differentiation and formation of tissues during embryonic development. To date, the role(s) of the cadherins in the highly regulated remodeling processes which occur in the human endometrium in preparation for the implanting embryo remain poorly characterized. Here we report that two atypical cadherins, known as cadherin-6 and cadherin-11, are spatiotemporally expressed in the human endometrium during the menstrual cycle. Cadherin-6 levels are high in both the glandular epithelium and stroma of the endometrium during the follicular phase and decline as the cycle enters the luteal phase. The down-regulation of cadherin-6 in the glandular epithelium during the luteal phase does not effect the levels of cadherin-11 in this cell type. In contrast, the loss of cadherin-6 expression in endometrial stroma cells is concomitant with an increase in the levels of cadherin-11. Collectively, these observations suggest that multiple factors regulate the expression of these two endometrial cadherins. As a first step in identifying these factors, we examined the effects of progesterone on cadherin-6 and cadherin-11 expression in isolated endometrial stromal cells. Progesterone was capable of differentially regulating the expression of these two stromal cell adhesion molecules. These findings lend further support to our hypothesis that steroids are key regulators of cadherin expression in mammalian tissues.

To investigate the combined effects of photofrin (Pf) II and laser irradiation on mice bearing subcutaneous tumors.Ehrlish ascites tumor cells (1 x 10(7)) were implanted subcutaneously into the breast area of ICR mice. The tumors, when grew up to 0.55 +/- 0.15cm3, was administered of laser irradiation (514.5nm, 112.5mW/cm2 for 11.12 min with a total energy 75j/cm2) after intraperitoneal injection of Pf II (5, 7.5, 10 and 15mg/kg body weight) once a day for three successive days.The mortality rate (MR120) in the tumor control was 93.7% and the mean survival time (MST120) was 46.6 days. The best therapeutic effect (50% mortality rate, 53.8% tumor control rate and mean survival time 86 days) was observed in the group treated with 7.5mg of Pf II per kg of body weight and total irradiation energy of 75J/cm2 (112.5mW/cm2 for 11.12 min) with 514.5nm argon ion laser light.The effect on the survival rate of tumor cells and synthetic rates of DNA, RNA and protein were obviously inhibited, as the dose of pf II and laser irradiation increased.

A controlled randomized double-blinded clinical study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the efficacy of three methods of preventing pain during injection of propofol on induction of anesthesia. Patients were randomly allocated to six groups: saline pretreatment, followed by induction with propofol at room temperature plus saline; lidocaine pretreatment, followed by induction with propofol at room temperature plus saline; saline pretreatment, followed by induction with propofol at a temperature of 4 degrees C plus saline; lidocaine pretreatment, followed by induction with propofol at a temperature of 4 degrees C plus saline; saline pretreatment, followed by induction with propofol at room temperature plus lidocaine 40 mg; saline pretreatment, followed by induction with propofol at a temperature of 4 degrees C plus lidocaine 40 mg. Pretreatment with lidocaine reduced the incidence of pain and discomfort significantly compared with unpretreated groups. Groups which received propofol mixed with lidocaine also showed a significant reduced incidence of pain. induction with cold 4 degrees C propofol showed no significant difference in reduction of injection pain.

A method for registering three-dimensional CT, MR, and PET data sets that require no special patient immobilization or other precise positioning measures was adapted to high-resolution SPECT and MRI and was applied in 14 subjects (five normal volunteers, four patients with dementia (Alzheimer's disease), two patients with recurrent glioblastoma, and three patients with focal lesions (stroke, arachnoid cyst and head trauma]. T2-weighted axial magnetic resonance images and transaxial 99mTc-HMPAO and 201Tl images acquired with an annular gamma camera were merged using an objective registration (translation, rotation and rescaling) program. In the normal subjects and patients with dementia and focal lesions, focal areas of high uptake corresponded to gray matter structures. Focal lesions observed on MRI corresponded to perfusion defects on SPECT. In the patients who had undergone surgical resection of glioblastoma followed by interstitial brachytherapy, increased 201Tl corresponding to recurrent tumor could be localized from the superimposed images. The method was evaluated by measuring the residuals in all subjects and translational errors due to superimposition of deep structures in the 12 subjects with normal thalamic anatomy and 99mTc-HMPAO uptake. This method for superimposing magnetic resonance and high-resolution SPECT images of the brain is a useful technique for correlating regional function with brain anatomy.

This work elucidates the two-stage growth of GaN on V-grooved (001)Si substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The first growth stage proceeds on the {111}Si sidewalls until GaN fills the V grooves. Then the second stage continues and leads to a semipolar surface with the {1-101}GaN facets. GaN films with thickness of over 1μm can be obtained without cracks by this two stage-growth. Excitation-power-dependent and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements confirm that the internal electric field in the InGaN∕GaN multiple-quantum well (MQW) grown on this GaN template is indeed smaller than that of the MQW grown on (0001)GaN.

Image correlation techniques can provide objective spatial registration between multimodality data sets acquired during the planning and follow-up phases of radiation therapy. Correlation of pre-CT/MRI with follow-up CT/MRI and 3D dose matrices may provide insights into normal tissue tolerance. Correlation of SPECT and planar scintigraphs with anatomical maps derived from CT/MRI may be useful in the precise localization of disease and in the evaluation of new modalities, such as radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies, in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Correlation of PET and MRI may lead to a more precise understanding of structure-function relationships of the brain. The development and refinement of multimodality image-correlation techniques is a logical step in the evolving role of imaging in radiation therapy.

The authors report on the growth of GaN on AlGaN∕(111)Si micropillar array by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Using the substrates with micropillar array, 2-μm-thick GaN films without cracks can be achieved. Transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and micro-Raman studies indicate that the dislocation density and residual stress of the GaN grown on micropillar array are also reduced. The results reveal the potential of this type of substrates for growing GaN-based devices as well as preparing GaN freestanding substrates.

This letter examines the anharmonic decay in GaN of subthermal (ℏω⪡kBT) coherent longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonons with a frequency in the subterahertz range. In a collisionless regime (ωτ>1), the anharmonic decay rate of subterahertz coherent LA phonons in GaN shows square dependence on the phonon frequency and cubic dependence on the crystal temperature. As confirmed by the authors experiments, this behavior agrees with a model based on Herring scattering, indicating its importance for the estimation of acoustic attenuation in the subterahertz range.

In this study, photonic crystals have been designed, fabricated, and characterized in GaN bulk materials. The energy dependent measurement showed that the emission peak width can be significantly reduced as the pumping pulse energy was larger than 0.7μJ at room temperature. The mode at the wavelength of 371nm emitted from the defect due to the structure disorder unintentionally introduced during the fabrication process of the GaN photonic crystals can be obtained.

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The thermal stability, optical reflectivity, and contact resistivity of Pd∕NiO∕Al∕Ti∕Au ohmic contacts to p-type GaN were investigated. In contrast to Pd∕Ni∕Al∕Ti∕Au counterparts, the ohmic contacts Pd∕NiO∕Al∕Ti∕Au retained their specific contact resistivity ( 75% @ 370 nm) after a long thermal aging at 200 °C for 100 h in nitrogen ambient. According to the results of the secondary ion mass spectroscopy in-depth profiles study, it is found that the NiO layer is more transparent and a better diffusion barrier than Ni to prevent the penetration of upper metals into p-type GaN during thermal treatment.

Transient magneto-optical spectroscopy of InGaNGaN and InGaNGaMnN quantum wells reveals a spin relaxation process with a characteristic time of 50 ps. We show that the observed spin relaxation is m ...

Unpassivated AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) on freestanding GaN substrates show less electron accumulation in the gate-drain surface region than do comparable devices on Al 2 O 3 substrates. This suggests that a significant portion of the degraded output power under large signal conditions is due to surface states associated with screw-type dislocations. Subsequent passivation by low-temperature (100°C) deposition of Sc 2 O 3 layers by molecular beam epitaxy showed more dramatic improvements in drain current in HFETs on Al 2 O 3 substrates than similar devices on GaN substrates and points to the advantage of using the latter for optimum device performance.

The spin injection dynamics of GaMnN∕InGaN multiquantum well (MQW) light emitting diodes (LEDs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy were examined using picosecond-transient and circularly polarized photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Even with the presence of a room temperature ferromagnetic GaMnN spin injector, the LEDs are shown to exhibit very low efficiency of spin injection. Based on resonant optical orientation spectroscopy, the spin loss in the structures is shown to be largely due to fast spin relaxation within the InGaN MQW, which itself destroys any spin polarization generated by optical spin orientation or electrical spin injection. Typical photoluminescence decay times were 20–40ns in both commercial GaN MQW LEDs with emission wavelengths between 420–470nm and in the GaMnN∕InGaN multi-quantum well MQW LEDs. In the wurtzite InGaN∕GaN system, biaxial strain at the interfaces give rise to large piezoelectric fields directed along the growth axis. This built-in piezofield breaks the reflection symmet...

AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) were grown by metallorganic chemical vapor deposition on either sapphire or freestanding GaN substrates. The devices in the latter case show consistently lower knee voltage, higher output resistance, less self-heating (the thermal conductivity of GaN is ∼1.5 W mm - 1 compared to 0.5 W mm - 1 for sapphire), higher transconductance, and a much lower degree of current collapse due to surface states in the gate-drain region than do HFETs grown on sapphire. The reduced current collapse suggests that at least some surface states in conventional heteroepitaxial HFETs on sapphire may be associated with the higher dislocation density in this material. The results are consistent with the improved performance of GaN-based photonic devices when grown on bulk GaN.