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The economically important nut crop pecan (Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch) is seriously affected by increasing incidence of fungal disease worldwide (Xiao et al 2021). The top leaves of the pecan variety ‘Pawnee’ in the orchard of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhejiang, China were damaged by massive dark brown plaques in summer to autumn 2021. The causal agent was isolated from leaves with target plaques following the steps: sterilized with 70% alcohol (30 s × 2), rinsed with sterilized water (3 ×) before and after 5% sodium hypochlorite (30 s), excised the plaques, and placed on PDA medium at 28℃ in a dark incubator for 3-d. The mycelium on the edge of each colony was transferred to fresh SNA medium in dark for 2 weeks to induce conidia formation. A few conidia-germinated mycelia were transferredand inoculated on new plates containing fresh PDA medium to obtain the purified cultures. Koch’s postulates were applied to validate the pathogenicity of the purified isolates. Non-woundedly healthy leaves (disinfected with 5% sodium hypochlorite) of ‘Pawnee’ seedlings were inoculated with 5 mm 7-d old purified cultures. Dark-brown spots appeared on the leaves 2 days post inoculation at 25℃. The spots became larger accompanied by partially cracking and slight deformation of inoculated leaves from day 2 to day 4, while the control leaves remained asymptomatic. A re-isolated strain ZJ-6 from these infected leaves was identified as the pathogenic isolate with the same symptom as the previous one. Morphologically, aerial mycelia of the pathogenic isolate ZJ-6 cashmere and white. The reverse of colony orange. The edge of the colony appeared gradually thinner, the aerial mycelia loose and flocky, and the matrix mycelium whitened. Hyphae were septate, translucent with smooth wall and 1.47-7.14 µm in width. Microconidia (n = 20) obovoid to fusoid, mainly with 0-septate, 4.45-7.78×4.79-16.25 µm. Macroconidia (n = 20) sickle, mainly with 3-5 septa, 5.56-10.28×56.67-114.54 µm. Simultaneous of monophialidic and polyphialidic conidiophores. Conidiophore width 1.47-3.68 µm, slightly smaller than vegetative hyphae. The morphological characteristics matched with previous descriptions of Fusarium species (Nirenberg and O’Donnell 1998; Wang et al 2013). The identity of ZJ-6 was confirmed by phylogenetic reconstruction using the concatenated sequences of the ATP citrate lyase (ACL1), Calmodulin (CaM), the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA region, ribosomal RNA gene (LSU), the largest subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (RPB1), partial translation elongation factor-1 alpha (TEF) and β-Tubulin (TUB). To this end, the genomic DNA of ZJ-6 was extracted by the M5 hipermix-MF859 (Mei5 Biotechnology) and submitted to GenBank under the accession numbers OP933646, OP933647, OP925890, OP925889, OP933396, OP933648, and OP933397, respectively. The obtained sequences of ZJ-6 were used for nucleotide BLAST against thetandard databases, respectively, and the strains with sequence identification values above 98% were selected to construct multiple alignment for building a phylogenetic tree. This analyses allowed the identification of ZJ-6 as Fusarium concentricum Nirenberg & O'Donnell, a species with few reports that can cause serious damage to the fruits and branches of other hosts (Hasan et al 2020; Huda-Shakirah et al 2020; Wang et al 2013). This is the first report of pathogenic F. concentricum on pecan in Southeast China that caused no harvest of infected plants.

Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is an economically important nut crop worldwide (Xiao et al 2021). Anthracnose symptoms were found on pecan fruits and leaves in plantations in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, China in August 2019. Irregular, dark brown or black spotted lesions firstly appeared on the surface and inside of fruits, and spread to all leaves. The symptoms resulted in 30% to 50% leaf drop and nearly a half of fruit decay in almost all trees of the susceptible cv. Wichita. The causal agent were isolated from fruits with target symptoms following the steps: surface disinfected with 75% ethanol (2×, 30 s), rinsed with sterile deionized water (3×), ~ 0.5 cm small fragments of the fruits excised and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and incubated at 28 °C in dark for 3-d. Mycelium of each colony was picked and incubated on fresh PDA at 25 °C with a 12-hour light/dark cycle for 6-d to induce conidia formation. One 5-mm hyphal plug produced from each single spore isolate was transferred onto fresh PDA to obtain the pure cultures. Koch’s postulates was employed for pathogenicity determination of the isolates. Non-wounded healthy leaves from seedlings of the disease susceptible cv. Pawnee were disinfected with 1% NaClO and inoculated with 5-mm 5-d hyphal of each isolate at 25 ℃. Tiny lesion spots were visible on the leaves after 2 days post inoculation (DPI) with isolate W-6 (the only pathogenic one among all isolates), and expanded over time until to the leaves withered, while the control leaves and leaves inoculated with other isolates remained asymptomatic. The pathogenicity of W-6 were confirmed using leaves and fruits of living Pawnee trees growing in Linglong Mountain Plantation, Lin’an, Hangzhou, China (119⁰38′51″E, 30⁰12′39″N, elevation: 119m). Three experimental replicates were conducted separately with three bio-replicates for all pathogenetic testing. The same symptoms were observed on both detached leaves and leaves and fruits of living trees.. The colony of W-6 have round cottony mycelium with complete edges and showed the fastest growth rate 3 - 4 DPI. After 7 DPI, white aerial mycelium turned yellowish brown and formed Acervulus in the mycelium. Conidia (n=50) one-celled, 12.0 - 20.0 μm × 3.5 to 6.0 μm width. Hyaline cylindrical with slightly rounded ends and two or three large guttulate at the centre. Most Acervulus dark brown and slightly irregular in shape, 12.70 × 18.79 μm (n=10). Setae were dark brown in color with average length around 34.10 μm (n=10). These characteristics matched previous descriptions of Colletotrichum orchidearum species complex, including C. plurivorum (Damm et al 2019). The identity of W-6 was confirmed by multi-locus phylogenetic analysis using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA region and partial sequences of the conserved genes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (ACT), beta-tubulin 2 (TUB2), and chitin synthase (CHS). The sequences of W-6 were used for Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) against NCBI GenBank and the sequences with 100% identity to that of W-6 were achieved, respectively. The concatenated sequences of the ACT-CHS-GAPDH-ITS-TUB2 was used for building a phylogenetic tree. The molecular analyses allowed the identification of the pathogen as C. plurivorum. It was known that 9 of the 11 Colletotrichum species causing pecan anthrax worldwide were reported in southern China (Brenneman 1989; Oh et al 2021). This is the first report of C. plurivorum as causal agent of pecan in China.

The pecan (Carya illinoinensis) industry is largely affected by the increased incidence of diseases (Xiao et al 2021). Leaf spot symptoms were identified in an orchard of cultivar Pawnee pecan trees at Zhejiang AF University, Zhejiang, China in August 2020. Small black spots occurred on the veins and edges of the leaves and nearby tissues turned yellow and slightly deformed (May to July). The spots (0.5-1.5cm) spread to all leaves with 25% to 40% leaf drop occurring in almost all trees between August and October. The causal pathogen was isolated from leaves with target symptoms using the following method: surface sterilized with 70% alcohol (2×, 30 s), rinsed with sterilized water (3×), leaf spots excised and placed on PCA media, and left to incubate at 28℃ in the dark for 3-d. Mycelium on the edge of each clone was excised and incubated on fresh oatmeal agar medium with a 12-hour light/dark cycle for 7-d to obtain conidia. Single spore isolates were germinated on PDA medium under the same conditions as previously described, one 5-mm hyphal plug was transferred to fresh PCA media to obtain the pure cultures. The pathogenicity of the isolates were verified using Koch's postulates. Non-wounded healthy leaves (disinfected with 1% NaClO) of cv. Pawnee (disease susceptible) were obtained from seedlings grown in green-house at 26 ℃ and inoculated with 5-mm hyphal plugs and a conidia-hyphae suspension (~106/mL) containing one-week old purified cultures. After 3-15 days post-inoculation, small black spots appeared on the leaves inoculated with isolate P-6 (the only pathogenic isolate from the leaf spots in the orchard) and grew larger until the whole leaf wilted while the control leaves remained asymptomatic. The experiment was repeated two times with two bio-replicates each run. Finally, the pathogen was re-isolated from infected leaves, which showed the same symptoms as the previous isolate. Aerial mycelia of P-6 turned from white to gray and substrate mycelia from brown to black. Colonies had a fimbriate margin before mycelia filled the medium. Hyphae were septate, branched, brown or black, smooth wall and 1.4-10 µm in width. Conidiophore single-branch, dark brown, curved or straight, 1.93-5.51×44.12-104.41 μm width, conidiogenous cells 6.66-16.67 µm (terminal) and 8.82-23.33 µm (intercalary) length, mono- to polytretic, proliferating sympodially. Conidia (n=20) four cells, 15.7 - 25.7 μm × 7.1 - 11.4 μm wdth, swelling and curving from the basal cell to the third. The bending angle was 5° to 80°. The middle two cells were brown and usually verruculose, the basal and apical cells paler and less ornamented. No sexual morph observed. The morphological characteristics matched previous descriptions of Curvularia species (Madrid et al 2014). The identity of P-6 was confirmed by phylogenetic reconstruction using the concatenated sequences of ITS rDNA, partial GAPDH, LSU, TEF-1α and RPB2 regions (Raza et al 2019). The genomic DNA of P-6 was extracted by the M5 hipermix-MF859 (Mei5 Biotechnology). The sequences of P-6 were used for nucleotide BLAST against the Standard databases and model strains were selected to construct the concatenated sequences of GAPDH-ITS-LSU-TEF-1α-RPB2 for building a phylogenetic tree. This analysis identified P-6 as a strain of C. muehlenbeckiae, a species with few reports other than in gramineous crops (Raza et al 2019; Chen et al 2021; Cui et al 2020; Ni et al 2016). This is the first report of C. muehlenbeckiae on pecan in China and worldwide.

Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is a tree nut crop of worldwide economic importance that is rich in health-promoting factors. However, pecan production and nut quality are greatly challenged by environmental stresses such as the outbreak of severe fungal diseases. Here, we report a high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assembly of the controlled-cross pecan cultivar ‘Pawnee’ constructed by integrating Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technologies. Phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses reveal two whole-genome duplication (WGD) events and two paleo-subgenomes in pecan and walnut. Time estimates suggest that the recent WGD event and considerable genome rearrangements in pecan and walnut account for expansions in genome size and chromosome number after the divergence from bayberry. The two paleo-subgenomes differ in size and protein-coding gene sets. They exhibit uneven ancient gene loss, asymmetrical distribution of transposable elements (especially LTR/Copia and LTR/Gypsy), and expansions in transcription factor families (such as the extreme pecan-specific expansion in the far-red impaired response 1 family), which are likely to reflect the long evolutionary history of species in the Juglandaceae. A whole-genome scan of resequencing data from 86 pecan scab-associated core accessions identified 47 chromosome regions containing 185 putative candidate genes. Significant changes were detected in the expression of candidate genes associated with the chitin response pathway under chitin treatment in the scab-resistant and scab-susceptible cultivars ‘Excell’ and ‘Pawnee’. These findings enable us to identify key genes that may be important susceptibility factors for fungal diseases in pecan. The high-quality sequences are valuable resources for pecan breeders and will provide a foundation for the production and quality improvement of tree nut crops., A high-quality, chromosome-scale reference genome of pecan reveals two paleo-subgenomes that show asymmetry in their features and evolution. Resequencing of pecan scab-associated core accessions identified several key genes in the chitin response pathway that may be important susceptibility factors for fungal diseases. This assembly is a valuable resource for pecan breeders and supports the production and quality improvement of tree nut crops.

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is the most water-efficient cereal and one of the earliest domesticated plants. Here we report its high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assembly using a combination of short-read sequencing, single-molecule real-time sequencing, Hi-C, and a high-density genetic map. Phylogenetic analyses reveal two sets of homologous chromosomes that may have merged ~5.6 million years ago, both of which exhibit strong synteny with other grass species. Broomcorn millet contains 55,930 protein-coding genes and 339 microRNA genes. We find Paniceae-specific expansion in several subfamilies of the BTB (broad complex/tramtrack/bric-a-brac) subunit of ubiquitin E3 ligases, suggesting enhanced regulation of protein dynamics may have contributed to the evolution of broomcorn millet. In addition, we identify the coexistence of all three C4 subtypes of carbon fixation candidate genes. The genome sequence is a valuable resource for breeders and will provide the foundation for studying the exceptional stress tolerance as well as C4 biology., Broomcorn millet is one of the earliest domesticated plants and has the highest water use efficiency among cereals. Here, the authors report its genome assembly and annotation, which provides a valuable resource for breeders and paves the way for studying plant drought tolerance and C4 photosynthesis.

Background: Chinese hickory ( Carya cathayensis ) and pecan ( C. illinoinensis ) are popular nut trees with high economic value in the family Juglandaceae, due to the richness in nutrients and multiple health factors in their nut kernels. However, the considerable in-situ germination of the nut seeds severely impact the quality of the kernels. The fundamental meta bolic mechanism of in-situ germination has been widely reported in major crops but rare in nut crops. Results: We sampled non- and pre-sprouted Chinese hickory nut kernels and performed liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)-based metabolomic analyses. Comparative metabolomic analyses revealed 35 6 significantly-changed metabolites during in-situ germination. Detailed analysis emphasized the increasing accumulation and dynamic changes in compounds of primary mechanism and energy supply for in-situ germination. The results highlighted the importance of allocation shift and accumulation on four classes of primary metabolites and their derivatives, and two secondary metabolite classes between the transitions of germination initiation and germination and seedling establishment during the process. Metabolites related to carbohydrates and nitrogen metabolism, and few harmful to human health also demonstrated increasing accumulation along the process. Conclusions: The findings flourish our understanding of the metabolic mechanisms of in-situ germination and will be useful for future application in molecular breeding in Chinese hickory.

The moss Physcomitrella patens, a model system for basal land plants, tolerates several abiotic stresses, including dehydration. We previously reported that Physcomitrella patens survives equilibrium dehydration to -13 MPa in a closed system at 91% RH. Tolerance of desiccation to water potentials below -100 MPa was only achieved by pretreatment with exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). We report here that gametophores, but not protonemata, can survive desiccation below -100 MPa after a gradual drying regime in an open system, without exogenous ABA. In contrast, faster equilibrium drying at 90% RH for 3-5 days did not induce desiccation tolerance in either tissue. Endogenous ABA accumulated in protonemata and gametophores under both drying regimes, so did not correlate directly with desiccation tolerance. Gametophores of a Ppabi3a/b/c triple knock out transgenic line also survived the gradual dehydration regime, despite impaired ABA signaling. Our results suggest that the initial drying rate, and not the amount of endogenous ABA, may be critical in the acquisition of desiccation tolerance. Results from this work will provide insight into ongoing studies to uncover the role of ABA in the dehydration response and the underlying mechanisms of desiccation tolerance in this bryophyte.

In this paper, the fault diagnosis of attitude control thruster based on the extended state observer is studied. The unexpected torque caused by the fault is regarded as a kind of interference, and the observation is made by the extended state observer, and the corresponding fault detection and positioning scheme is designed to achieve fault diagnosis accurately. Simulation results show that this method can diagnose the specific faults of attitude control thruster accurately and quickly.

Background Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) and Chinese hickory (C. cathayensis) are important commercially cultivated nut trees in the genus Carya (Juglandaceae), with high nutritional value and substantial health benefits. Results We obtained >187.22 and 178.87 gigabases of sequence, and ∼288× and 248× genome coverage, to a pecan cultivar (“Pawnee”) and a domesticated Chinese hickory landrace (ZAFU-1), respectively. The total assembly size is 651.31 megabases (Mb) for pecan and 706.43 Mb for Chinese hickory. Two genome duplication events before the divergence from walnut were found in these species. Gene family analysis highlighted key genes in biotic and abiotic tolerance, oil, polyphenols, essential amino acids, and B vitamins. Further analyses of reduced-coverage genome sequences of 16 Carya and 2 Juglans species provide additional phylogenetic perspective on crop wild relatives. Conclusions Cooperative characterization of these valuable resources provides a window to their evolutionary development and a valuable foundation for future crop improvement.

Microcrystalline silicon carbide alloys (μc-SiC:H) have attracted attention as a potential window layer for thin film silicon solar cells and silicon heterojunction solar cells. Thanks to the combination of high transparency and conductivity. At present, identification of electronically active impurities and defects is highly relevant for application of μc-SiC:H. Electron paramagnetic resonance has been successfully applied to investigate defects and impurities in crystalline SiC. Continuous wave X-band EPR measurements performed earlier on a number of μc-SiC:H samples show intensive and complex spectra with multiple overlapped components. In order to resolve components of the μc-SiC:H spectra, we performed a series of pulsed EPR measurements in S-, X-, and Q-band completed with a Q-band ENDOR experiment. The experiment was successful to resolve hidden complexity of the EPR spectra of μc-SiC:H and determine the nucleus responsible for the hyperfine pattern observed in previous studies.

It is widely accepted that neuroinflammation in the spinal cord contributes to the development of central sensitization in neuropathic pain. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation plays a vital role in the development of neuroinflammation in the spinal cord. In this study, we investigated the effect of bexarotene (bex), a retinoid X receptor agonist, on MAPKs activation in chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain. The data showed that daily treatment with bex 50 mg/kg significantly alleviated CCI-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity in rats. Bex 50 mg/kg/day inhibited CCI-induced MAPKs (p38MAPK, ERK1/2, and JNK) activation and upregulation of proinflammatory factors (IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-6). Bex also reversed CCI-induced microglia activation in the ipsilateral spinal cord. Furthermore, bex treatment significantly upregulated MKP-1 in the spinal cord. These effects were completely abrogated by MKP-1 inhibitor BCI. These results indicated that bex relieved CCI-induced neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain by targeting MKP-1. Therefore, bex might be a potential agent for the treatment of neuropathic pain. PERSPECTIVE: Bex could relieve neuropathic pain behaviors in animals by reversing MKP-1 downregulation and MAPKs activation in the spinal cord. Therapeutic applications of bex may be extended beyond cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key phytohormone that controls plant growth and stress responses. It is sensed by the pyrabactin resistance 1 (PYR1)/PYR1-like (PYL)/regulatory components of the ABA receptor (RCAR) family of proteins. Here, we utilized CRISPR/Cas9 technology to edit group I ( PYL1 – PYL6 and PYL12 ) and group II ( PYL7 – PYL11 and PYL13 ) PYL genes in rice. Characterization of the combinatorial mutants suggested that genes in group I have more important roles in stomatal movement, seed dormancy, and growth regulation than those in group II. Among all of the single pyl mutants, only pyl1 and pyl12 exhibited significant defects in seed dormancy. Interestingly, high-order group I mutants, but not any group II mutants, displayed enhanced growth. Among group I mutants, pyl1/4/6 exhibited the best growth and improved grain productivity in natural paddy field conditions, while maintaining nearly normal seed dormancy. Our results suggest that a subfamily of rice PYLs has evolved to have particularly important roles in regulating plant growth and reveal a genetic strategy to improve rice productivity.

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of a mindfulness intervention program on focus of attention and increased blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. An experimental study with a 8-month follow-up was designed with an intervention group and control group. The intervention program of this study was developed for patients with type 2 diabetes (intervention group: n = 31; control group: n = 26), age range 20-65 years old. We included a 10-week intervention comprising the quadruple mindfulness steps and homework. The Focus of Attention Questionnaire (FAQ) was used to measure the variable focus of attention. The results showed that the intervention program can protect patients with type 2 diabetes from an increase in blood sugar at the glucose control period.

Gene therapy is becoming an important treatment modality for gravely ill patients, and today's medical students and postgraduates are both potential consumers and future providers of gene therapy. Therefore, their attitudes and concerns about gene therapy may directly influence its long-term development and implementation in the clinic. We performed a cross-sectional survey of medical students and postgraduates at West China Medical School of Sichuan University. A custom-designed questionnaire was distributed to 600 students, and 579 were valid (96.98% response). Most respondents (84.46%) indicated little prior knowledge about gene therapy. The proportion of respondents considering gene therapy as acceptable ranged from 63.73% for serious illness to 17.72% for genetic enhancement. Adverse side effects were the most frequent concern among respondents when asked to imagine that they would receive gene therapy to treat a severe brain-related illness. These results suggest that medical students in China consider gene therapy's acceptability to be rather low, and are most concerned about its adverse side effects.

Background Telehealth aims to revolutionize health care by migrating health care from hospitals and satellite clinics directly into the home and onto mobile devices. Telehealth has the potential to increase public access to healthcare in China, where large segments of the population remain underserved, yet little is known about current attitudes and use of telehealth in the country. Objective Our aim was to determine attitudes and use of telehealth in China among medical professionals and patients, as well as identify factors that may affect its use. Methods Using a custom-designed questionnaire, we performed a cross-sectional survey of medical professionals, medical students and patients at three large hospitals in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. We used a structural model to analyze the influence of factors that may affect use of telehealth. Results Of 600 questionnaires that were distributed, 550 (96.49%) were analyzed. Most respondents (63.28%) were familiar with using telehealth to “schedule medical appointments/pay medical fees online”, but relatively few (28.55%) used this feature. Nearly half of respondents were familiar with the concept of a “virtual visit” (46.18%), but only 12.18% had ever engaged in such visits. Medical professionals and students generally showed higher awareness and greater use of telehealth than patients. The strongest concern about telehealth among respondents was “authenticity and reliability of data from remote monitoring of patients” (75.17%). The proportion of respondents concerned about the potential disadvantages of telehealth was highest among students and lowest among patients. Awareness and use of telehealth were associated with previous experience with health-related use of the Internet and experience with traditional forms of telehealth, but not with social status or attitude toward telehealth. Conclusions Medical professionals and patients alike in China have a high awareness of telehealth, primarily traditional forms of telehealth, but only a small percentage actually use it. Patients have much lower awareness and use of telehealth than medical professionals and medical students, though they have generally positive attitudes towards telehealth. Telehealth is still in its infancy in China, and the environment for its development is largely favorable among current and future medical professionals.

SnO2 nanoparticles with various morphologies were successfully prepared and characterized. Although SnO2 nano-rods with preferentially exposed (110) crystal planes have the lowest surface area and lack active oxygen species, it is the most active catalyst for CO oxidation, and its catalytic behavior is similar to that of a noble metal catalyst.

A cubic Li5La3Nb2O12 phase with a garnet framework was synthesized by the sol–gel process, in which lithium hydroxide, niobium oxide and acetic lanthanum were used as starting materials, while water was used as solvent. Pure garnet-like Li5La3Nb2O12 powders were obtained after heating the gel precursor at 700 °C for 6 h with 10 % excess lithium salt. The calcination temperature is nearly 250 °C lower than that by the solid state reaction. The phase transforms from cubic to tetragonal symmetry with loss of lithium at 717 °C, but the garnet framework remains stable to above 900 °C. A pellet annealed at 900 °C for 6 h had a room-temperature Li+-ion conductivity σLi (22 °C) = 1.0 × 10−5 S cm−1, a little higher than that attained by solid-state synthesis. The Li5La3Nb2O12 compound was chemically stable against two commonly used cathode materials, LiMn2O4 and LiCoO2, up to 900 °C and against metallic lithium.

In this paper, we present a study on the overlay (OVL) shift issue in contact (CT) layer aligned to poly-silicon (short as poly) layer (prior layer) in an advanced technology node [1, 2]. We have showed the wafer level OVL AEI-ADI shift (AEI: After Etch Inspection; ADI: After Developing Inspection; AEI-ADI: AEI minus ADI). Within the shot level map, there exists a center-edge difference. The OVL focus subtraction map can well match the OVL AEI-ADI shift map. Investigation into this interesting correlation finally leads to the conclusion of PR tilt. The film stress of the thick hard mask is responsible for the PR tilt. The method of OVL focus subtraction can therefore be a powerful and convenient tool to represent the OVL mark profile. It is also important to take into account the film deposition when investigating OVL AEI-ADI shift.

A two-step post-metallization annealing (PMA) process has been developed and it has demonstrated its significant benefit for high-k metal gate (HKMG) in reducing post chemical mechanical polish (CMP) Al corrosion defects. After metal gate CMP, samples are firstly treated with N2O plasma in a 400°C PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) chamber for surface oxidization, before which the chamber has been cycled with pumping through N2 and noble gas mixture so as to remove moisture and/or particles on chamber wall. Then, N2O gas switched off and NH3/N2 mixture plasma turned on to nitridize the metal oxides. A multi-variable (e.g. Gas ratio, RF power, plasma treatment time, chamber pressure, etc.) statistical design of experiment (DOE) was performed to optimize processes for growing ultra-thin metal oxynitride (e.g. AlON, TiON, TaON, etc.) on top surface of the metal gate, which will work as the 2nd etch stop layer (ESL) as well. TEM results showed that metal has been dragged upwards desirably and 30∼60A self-aligned insulated film grown upon Al/HfO2 capacitor, but 50–100A diffusing layer was also observed unavoidably, which may induce metal loss and lead to a higher electrical resistance. With PMA treatment, PMOS post-CMP corrosion defects have been reduced significantly by ∼85% in isolated SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), by ∼50% in dense area, and by ∼75% at the gate boundary area. The correlation of IOFF v.s IDSAT and IDSAT v.s VDSAT (saturation voltage at sub-threshold regime) demonstrated a comparable performance with that of non-PMA process. In light of the findings from this study, a trade-off between defect reduction and N/O atom diffusion downward metal gate should achieve with further PMA optimization.

With technology scaling towards 14nm and beyond, it becomes extremely difficult for conventional planar Field Effect Transistors (FETs) to suppress a short channel effect (SCE). FinFET technology is a promising candidate for further generation to overcome those issues. The gate of a FinFET wraps around the channel without heavy doping offers an improved electrostatic control to yield a tighter distribution and optimized CMOS circuit performance. Although a large part of well-established conventional CMOS processes can be used for FinFET fabrication, there are still a lot of new processes, applications and challenges that need to address, in order to meet stringent requirements of FinFET. In this paper, some new processes and applications of dielectric films at 14nm FinFET technology and beyond will be discussed, such as ALD BSG and PSG films for solid-state doping (SSD), flowable CVD (FCVD) film applied for STI and ILD gapfill, nitride films for self-aligned contact (SAC), etc. Furthermore, the preliminary evaluation result of those processes will also be discussed. Then, some challenges of those applications will be illustrated in details. Their improvement approaches of those dielectric films for different applications will be explored to address those challenges in order to meet fabrication requirements.

Accurate evaluation of the defect density (ND) is of high relevance for the optimization of thin film silicon. The spin density (NS) measured in ESR experiments is often used as a measure for the density of deep defects in the material, assuming that all defects are in a paramagnetic charge state. However, exposure to air, water, or acid during ESR sample preparation can potentially change the NS in a sample and lead to misinterpretation of ND. We have investigated how the preparation procedures of a Si thin film ESR sample may affect the properties of its ESR spectrum. Samples of different structural composition from highly crystalline μc-Si:H to a-Si:H deposited by PECVD on Mo-foil, Al-foil and ZnO:Al were studied for different states of exposure to ambient conditions and annealing. NS measured directly after sample preparation and after air exposure was found to be higher than NS measured in the annealed state. Particularly in highly crystalline material this discrepancy may reach one order of magnitude. On the other hand in a-Si:H and medium crystalline μc-Si:H relevant for applications, the difference in NS between air-exposed and annealed conditions is smaller. ESR measurements performed at 40 K suggest that atmospheric exposure leads to charging of the defect states, which in turn influences the evaluated spin density.

Al-doped p-type μc-SiC:H is prepared in a wide range of HWCVD preparation parameters like Al-doping ratio, deposition pressure, substrate and filament temperatures. We investigate the structural and electrical properties, and focus on identification of paramagnetic defect states by electron spin resonance (ESR). Nominally undoped μc-SiC:H is of a high n-type conductivity (σD = 10− 6–10− 1 S/cm) and shows a narrow central ESR line (g ≈ 2.003, peak-to-peak linewidth ∆Hpp ≈ 4 G) with two pairs of satellites and a spin density NS = 1019 cm− 3. Al-doping results in the compensation of dark conductivity to as low as σD = 10− 11 S/cm and at higher doping concentrations to effective p-type material. Increase of Al-doping results in reduction of crystallinity (ICIR), ESR line shifts to g ≈ 2.01 and becomes as broad as ∆Hpp ≈ 30 G, not unlike to the resonance of singly occupied paramagnetic valence band tail states in a-Si:H. ESR spectrum of highly crystalline Al-doped μc-SiC:H however has a g-value very close to undoped μc-SiC:H. Electron spin density in compensated material decreases to 5 × 1017 cm− 3 before it increases again for the highly doped material.

Electronic transport and paramagnetic defects detected by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) in both intrinsic and -type silicon oxide prepared by PECVD were investigated. The structure and alloy composition of the material were varied all the way from microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) to amorphous silicon oxide (a-SiOX:H). The transition-phase-mixture material is called “microcrystalline silicon oxide” (µc-SiOX:H). In undoped samples we find a strong reduction of the dark conductivity from 10-3to 10-12 S/cm and an increase of the spin density from1017 to 3×1019 cm-3 as the crystallinity decreases from 80% to 0%. The variation of the dark conductivity in phosphorous doped samples was even higher from 101 to 10-12 S/cm. ESR spectra of intrinsic material consist of a single featureless line with g-values in the range of 2.0043…2.005 depending on the structure and alloying. The spectra of -type material exhibit a broader range of g-values of 1.998…2.0043 due to strong variations of the Fermi level over the entire crystallinity range. The results are discussed within the frame of current understanding of µc-SiOX:H as a phase mixture of µc-Si:H crystallites embedded in a-SiOX:H matrix (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The cases of caozheng 漕政 (The government administration of the collection and transport of grain taxes by water in the former times) are present in all stages in the Qing Dynasty. The social interaction and interest dispute involve the commoners, officials, and gentries in the localities in all kinds of caozheng cases. Caozheng cases that are inspired by lofty motives and filed under the established procedure are often mingled with trumped-up charges that are pressed through illegitimate means. They are employed as conventional methods by both commoners and officials for their own interests. By virtue of an in-depth analysis of such representative cases as the lawsuit issued by Kuang Guangwen, it is plainly evident that caozheng cases happen on many occasions because the long-standing malpractices spread uncontrollably in the middle and late stages of the Qing. It is both the attitude taken by the local officials towards the management of caozheng and their rationale behind the exercise of power that always dictated how such incidents take place and come to an end and therein lies the crux of a persistent problem. The caozheng cases reflects the pervasive influence that the collection of grain taxes extends on the life of the gentries and commoners, and the far-reaching effect that the taxation exerts on the change of the social order in the localities. In essence the cases reveal, to a greater or lesser degree, the circumstances under which the national affairs of Qing are administered in society in the localities, and the tendencies that are displayed in the social order in the localities.

Crystalline silicon carbide alloys have a very high potential as transparent conductive window layers in thin-film solar cells provided they can be prepared in thin-film form and at compatible deposition temperatures. The low-temperature deposition of such material in microcrystalline form (µc-Si:C:H) was realized by use of monomethylsilane precursor gas diluted in hydrogen with the Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition process. A wide range of deposition parameters has been investigated and the structural, electronic and optical properties of the µc-SiC:H thin films have been studied. The material, which is strongly n-type from unintentional doping, has been used as window layer in n-side illuminated microcrystalline silicon solar cells. High short-circuit current densities are obtained due to the high transparency of the material resulting in a maximum solar cell conversion efficiency of 9.2%.

A series of poly(ether sulfone)s copolymers (BP-COPPESs) based on phthalazinone and biphenyl moieties were synthesized by nucleophilic displacement reaction from 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-phthalazin-1-one (DHPZ), biphenol (BP) and bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone (BCS). The experimental results indicated that the higher initial concentration of the polymerization reaction resulted in lower cyclics content and narrower molecular weight distribution of resultant copolymers. Moreover, the molecular weight decreased with increasing content of phthalazinone moiety of the main chain. These copolymers showed high glass transition temperatures ( Tg values) together with superior thermal properties. These copolymers were soluble in various aprotic solvents and were amorphous as evidenced by wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The molecular weights of BP-COPPES64 (60% phthalazinone moiety) could be controlled by utilizing excess molar content of BCS monomer. The rheological property test of copolymers indicated that the torque values decreased with increasing biphenyl group and ether linkage content.

Nanosized Gd 1.92− x − y Zn x Li y Eu 0.08 O 3− δ phosphor was fabricated by combustion synthesis. The effect of Zn 2+ and Li + ions on the crystallization behavior, morphology, and luminescence property of Gd 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ was investigated. The results indicated that incorporation of Zn 2+ and Li + ions into Gd 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles (NPs) could lead to a remarkable increase of photoluminescence or X-ray excited luminescence, and the intensity at 612 nm was increased by a factor of 7.1 or 21.5 in comparison with that of undoped sample. The enhanced luminescence was regarded as the results of the creation of oxygen vacancies due to the Gd 3+ sites occupied by Li + ions, the alteration of the crystal field surrounding the activator Eu 3+ ions owing to the incorporation Zn 2+ ions into interstitial sites, and the flux effect of Zn 2+ and Li + ions. The Zn- and Li-codoped Gd 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ phosphor with highly enhanced luminescence is very encouraging for applications in high-resolution display devices.

(Gd0.92−xMx)TaO4:Eu0.08 (M=Li+, Na+,K+,Mg2+,Zn2+,Ca2+,Ba2+,Al3+) phosphors were synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction. The effect of codoping M ions on enhanced photoluminescence (PL) of GdTaO4:Eu3+ was investigated. It was found that the improvement of PL intensity was closely related to the effective ionic radius of codopant and the mismatch in Pauling’s electronegativity between codopant and Gd. The PL intensity of GdTaO4:Eu3+ phosphor was improved evidently by codoping with Li+,Mg2+,Zn2+, or Al3+ whose radius is less than that of Gd3+, and hardly with Na+,K+,Ca2+, or Ba2+ whose radius is larger than that of Gd3+. Meanwhile, the intensity increased with the electronegativity mismatch for codoping with Li+,Mg2+,Zn2+, or Al3+. It was proposed that the effect of codopants on enhanced luminescence was mainly regarded as the result of a suitable local distortion of crystal field surrounding the Eu3+ activator. These results will play an important role in seeking some more effective codopants.

The effect of K + ions on GdTaO 4 :Eu 3+ thin-film phosphors was investigated in order to improve their luminescent properties. The GdTaO 4 :Eu 0.1 , K x thin films were synthesized by sol–gel process, and characterized through measuring their microstructure and luminescence. The results indicated that photoluminescence (PL) intensity of GdTaO 4 :Eu 3+ film was improved remarkably by K doping. There were two maxima in the curve of PL intensity against K + dopant concentration, where one was improved up to 2.1 times at x = 0.001 and the other was enhanced up to 2.7 times at x = 0.05. The first maximum was regarded as the alteration of the local environment surrounding the Eu 3+ activator by incorporation of K + ions, and the second maximum was due to the flux effect. Additionally, the luminescence increased with the increase of firing temperature from 800 °C to 1200 °C.

“Drying without dying” is an essential trait in land plant evolution. Unraveling how a unique group of angiosperms, the Resurrection Plants, survive desiccation of their leaves and roots has been hampered by the lack of a foundational genome perspective. Here we report the ∼1,691-Mb sequenced genome of Boea hygrometrica, an important resurrection plant model. The sequence revealed evidence for two historical genome-wide duplication events, a compliment of 49,374 protein-coding genes, 29.15% of which are unique (orphan) to Boea and 20% of which (9,888) significantly respond to desiccation at the transcript level. Expansion of early light-inducible protein (ELIP) and 5S rRNA genes highlights the importance of the protection of the photosynthetic apparatus during drying and the rapid resumption of protein synthesis in the resurrection capability of Boea. Transcriptome analysis reveals extensive alternative splicing of transcripts and a focus on cellular protection strategies. The lack of desiccation tolerance-specific genome organizational features suggests the resurrection phenotype evolved mainly by an alteration in the control of dehydration response genes.

Methods to modify the film surface of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C: H) produced by PECVD have been studied. One way is to expose the film to O 2 -H 2 plasma atmosphere, the topographical nature of the resulting surface can be modified substantially due to reaction of O 2 -H 2 plasma with active ions and radicals, and therefore ashed carbon away with thickness decrease. The other way is to immerse films into O3-diluted deionized (DI) water. Free radicals produced at the surface during the PECVD process were quenched by reaction with oxygen and/or water and an oxidized hydrophilic layer was formed at the surface. Therefore, the film thickness, either optically measured by KLA tools or physically demonstrated with TEM images, has proven to be increased, different from that of dry physical etching.

Being used as an advanced patterning film, hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C: H) is prepared in a wide range of PECVD process parameters like showerhead-to-heater spacing, process pressure, radio frequency, deposition time, and so on. We investigated the deposition non-uniformity (NU%), in-film thickness variation, optical refractive index and extinction coefficient. A multi-variable statistical design of experiment (DOE) was performed to tune key process parameters in a scientific way in order to improve uniformity and reduce thickness variation with significant cost reduction. A reduction of NU% from 1.37 to 0.89% and thickness variation from 108.69 to 70.55 Å has been achieved, which was demonstrated by both DOE estimates and experiments. Both have proven the strongest effects of process pressure on film uniformity properties.

Transparent Li-doped Gd 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ thin-film phosphors were prepared by a modified sol–gel method. The effect of the Li + ions on luminescent properties of the thin film was investigated. The results indicated that incorporation of Li + ions into Gd 2 O 3 lattice could result in a remarkable increase on photoluminescence or X-ray excited luminescence, and the strongest emission was observed from Gd 1.84 Li 0.08 Eu 0.08 O 3− δ film, in which the intensity was increased by a factor of 1.9 or 2.3 in comparison with that of Gd 1.92 Eu 0.08 O 3 film. And it could be achieved the highest intensity for sintering the Gd 1.84 Li 0.08 Eu 0.08 O 3− δ film at 700 °C. Such a temperature is much lower than the typical solid-state reaction temperature for its powder phosphors. This kind of transparent thin-film phosphors may promise for application to micro X-ray imaging system.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of the random forest algorithm that combines data on transrectal ultrasound findings, age, and serum levels of prostate-specific antigen to predict prostate carcinoma. Clinico-demographic data were analyzed for 941 patients with prostate diseases treated at our hospital, including age, serum prostate-specific antigen levels, transrectal ultrasound findings, and pathology diagnosis based on ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the prostate. These data were compared between patients with and without prostate cancer using the Chi-square test, and then entered into the random forest model to predict diagnosis. Patients with and without prostate cancer differed significantly in age and serum prostate-specific antigen levels (P < 0.001), as well as in all transrectal ultrasound characteristics (P < 0.05) except uneven echo (P = 0.609). The random forest model based on age, prostate-specific antigen and ultrasound predicted prostate cancer with an accuracy of 83.10%, sensitivity of 65.64%, and specificity of 93.83%. Positive predictive value was 86.72%, and negative predictive value was 81.64%. By integrating age, prostate-specific antigen levels and transrectal ultrasound findings, the random forest algorithm shows better diagnostic performance for prostate cancer than either diagnostic indicator on its own. This algorithm may help improve diagnosis of the disease by identifying patients at high risk for biopsy.

Nitric oxide (NO) participates in the regulation of diverse functions in plant cells. However, different NO concentrations may trigger different pathways during the plant development. At basal levels of NO, plants utilize the NO signaling transduction pathway to facilitate plant growth and development, whereas higher concentrations trigger programmed cell death (PCD). Our results show that NO lower than the levels causing PCD, but higher than the basal levels induce DNA damage in root cells in Arabidopsis as witnessed by a reduction in root growth, rather than cell death, since cells retain the capacity to differentiate root hairs. The decrease in meristematic cells and increase in DNA damage signals in roots in responses to NO are in a dose dependent manner. The restraint of root growth is due to cell cycle arrest at G1 phase which is caused by NO induced DNA damage, besides a second arrest at G2/M existed in NO supersensitive mutant cue1. The results indicate that NO restrain root growth via DNA damage induced cell cycle arrest.

Three photochemical catalysis water treatment processes that combined by H 2 O 2 , AC, O 3 with small current corrugated plating are studied in this paper. The results show that each process has a pretty high COD removal rate, especially the UV/H 2 O 2 /AC process whose removal rate reaches 83.6%. At the same time, the clad layer of the process UV/H 2 O 2 /AC has a good quality, and the treated water can be used directly in the bright plating technique in theory.

GdTaO 4 :Eu 0.1 Zn x phosphors were synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction. The effects of Zn 2+ ions on the crystallization behavior, morphology and photoluminescence (PL) properties of GdTaO 4 :Eu 3+ were investigated. The results indicate that the PL intensity of GdTaO 4 :Eu 3+ phosphor was improved remarkably by Zn 2+ doping. There were two maxima in PL intensity against Zn 2+ dopant concentration, one was improved up to 2.7 times at x = 0.01 and the other was enhanced up to 3.2 times at x = 0.13. The first maximum was regarded as the incorporation of Zn 2+ ions altering the local environment of activator Eu 3+ ions and the second maximum was due to the flux effect of Zn 2+ ions. And the phases of ZnO and GdTa 7 O 19 were observed in excessive Zn 2+ doping range ( x > 0.13). The considerably enhanced PL brightness and shorten luminescent lifetime of Zn-doped GdTaO 4 :Eu 3 is very encouraging for the display applications.

Background Regulation of gene expression plays a pivotal role in controlling the development of multicellular plants. To explore the molecular mechanism of plant developmental-stage transition and cell-fate determination, a genome-wide analysis was undertaken of sequential developmental time-points and individual tissue types in the model moss Physcomitrella patens because of the short life cycle and relative structural simplicity of this plant. Results Gene expression was analyzed by digital gene expression tag profiling of samples taken from P. patens protonema at 3, 14 and 24 days, and from leafy shoot tissues at 30 days, after protoplast isolation, and from 14-day-old caulonemal and chloronemal tissues. In total, 4333 genes were identified as differentially displayed. Among these genes, 4129 were developmental-stage specific and 423 were preferentially expressed in either chloronemal or caulonemal tissues. Most of the differentially displayed genes were assigned to functions in organic substance and energy metabolism or macromolecule biosynthetic and catabolic processes based on gene ontology descriptions. In addition, some regulatory genes identified as candidates might be involved in controlling the developmental-stage transition and cell differentiation, namely MYB-like, HB-8, AL3, zinc finger family proteins, bHLH superfamily, GATA superfamily, GATA and bZIP transcription factors, protein kinases, genes related to protein/amino acid methylation, and auxin, ethylene, and cytokinin signaling pathways. Conclusions These genes that show highly dynamic changes in expression during development in P. patens are potential targets for further functional characterization and evolutionary developmental biology studies.