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The effect of pre-deformation induced by the tensile fracture at room temperature on the microstructure evolution of Ni Al model single crystal superalloy during thermal exposure at 1000 °C, was investigated by scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy. Recrystallization occurs near the fracture surface where the most severe plastic deformation was suffered. The average size of recrystallization grains in front of the recrystallization area is much larger than that of at the fracture surface. Far from the fracture surface, the average size of coarsened γ′ precipitates in the slip bands is larger than that of out of the slip bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-situ tensile experiments of Ni-Al, Ni-Al-Re and Ni-Al-Re-Ru model single-crystal superalloys were performed in scanning electron microscope (SEM) at room temperature. The plastic deformation mechanisms of all the three model superalloys were double-oriented slipping of dislocations. Micro-cracks were often formed at the intersection of two sets of slip lines. The fracture surfaces of Ni-Al and Ni-Al-Re-Ru alloys were nearly parallel to (010) planes and that of the Ni-Al-Re alloys was nearly parallel to (1−11) plane. The dislocation configuration was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The a/2<110> dislocation pairs coupled with antiphase boundary (APB) cut into γʹ phase in the Ni-Al and Ni-Al-Re-Ru model superalloys. In addition to these dislocations, stacking faults also cut into γʹ phase in Ni-Al-Re model superalloys. The different fracture surfaces of different model single-crystal superalloys were attributed to the influence of elements Re and Ru on the dislocation configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and purpose: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressing lung injury initiated by pulmonary inflammation (PI). Bleomycin (BLM) is the most common pathogenesis of PF through early PI and extensive extracellular matrix deposition. This study is aimed to determine whether NO-releasing KMUP-1 inhibits PI and PF, and if so, the benefits of KMUP-1S resulted from simvastatin (SIM)-bonding to KMUP-1. Experiment approach: C57BL/6 male mice were intra-tracheally administered BLM (4 U/kg) at day 0. KMUP-1 (1–5 mg/kg), KMUP-1S (2.5 mg/kg), SIM (5 mg/kg), Plus (KMUP-1 2.5 mg/kg + SIM 2.5 mg/kg), and clarithromycin (CAM, 10 mg/kg) were orally and daily administered for 7 and 28 days, respectively, to mice, sacrificed at day-7 and day-28 to isolate the lung tissues, for examining the inflammatory and fibrotic signaling and measuring the cell population and MMP-2/MMP-9 activity in broncholaveolar lavage fluid (BAL). Key results: KMUP-1 and KUP-1S significantly decreased neutrophil counts in BAL fluid. Fibroblastic foci were histologically assessed by H&E and Masson's trichrome stain and treated with KMUP-1 and references. Lung tissues were determined the contents of collagen and the expressions of TGF-β, α-SMA, HMGB1, CTGF, eNOS, p-eNOS, RhoA, Smad3, p-Smad3, MMP-2 and MMP-9 by Western blotting analyses, respectively. These changes areregulated by NO/cGMP and inhibited by various treatments. KMUP-1 and KMUP-1S predominantly prevented HMGB1/MMP-2 expression at day-7 and reduced TGF-β/phosphorylated Smad3 and CTGF at day-28. Conclusions and implications: KMUP-1 and KMUP-S restore eNOS, inhibit iNOS/ROCKII/MMP-2/MMP-9, attenuate histologic collagen disposition and reduce BALF inflammatory cells, potentially useful for the treatment of BLM-lung PF. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ultrafast optical properties of U-shaped annular aperture arrays (UAAAs) fabricated on a silicon substrate were investigated for varying photodoping levels of the silicon from the back to front interfaces of the sample. Experimental data demonstrate that the transmission modulation depth of the multimode resonance can be realized about 90% under optical power 60 mW, and the off switch of these resonance peaks transmission can be also simultaneously achieved within several picoseconds. Such plasmonic structure is able to be used for ultrafast optical modulators, active terahertz plasmonics, and ultrafast optical off switch. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: A transfer system for liquid nitrogen (LN2) installed at National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) to provide LN2 required for the superconducting equipment and experimental stations has a LN2 transfer line of length 160m and pipeline of inner diameter 25mm, a phase separator (250 L) and an automatic filling station. The end uses include two cryogenic systems, one Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavity, five superconducting magnets, monochromators for the beam line and filling of mobile Dewars. The transfer line is segmented and connected with bayonet couplings. The aim of this work was to investigate, by numerical simulation, the effects on the heat load of the gap thickness of the bayonet assembly and the thickness of vacuum insulation. A numerical correlation was created that has become a basis to minimize the head load for future design of bayonet couplings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on tight-binding approximation, the magnetic moments of chiral “metallic” carbon nanotori (i.e., nanotori formed from metallic carbon nanotubes) are investigated by application of London theory. It is shown that in the vicinity of zero magnetic field, a chiral “metallic” carbon nanotorus would exhibit diamagnetic response, while paramagnetic response for these “metallic” carbon nanotorus , with I an integer. This prediction differs from previous conclusions, which can be ascribed to curvature effect considered in our calculation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Taking the curvature and disorder into account, the electron transport in a carbon molecular device consisting of a toroidal carbon nanotube connected with two semi-infinite metallic carbon nanotubes, has been investigated by using the tight-binding Green''s function method and the Landauer–Büttiker formula. It is shown that the current through the device can be modulated by the disorder in the molecular device and/or the torus-tube distance. The negative differential conductance is obtained at relatively large bias, while the current has little increase for small voltages. The results are in good agreement with the experimental observation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thin films of CuInSe2 can be completely converted to CuInS2 after annealing in elemental sulfur vapor. The conversion process was done in an MBE chamber and the film was exposed to a heated sulfur source. Our experiments showed that complete conversion of a 1.0 μm-thick CuInSe2 film into CuInS2 was achieved when the film was annealed in a sulfur beam flux of 4.5×1016 atoms/cm2 s at 450 °C for 5 min. This is the shortest conversion time ever reported for the same annealing temperature. The speed of conversion process depended on sulfur vapor flux, film crystallinity and original film composition. Among them, the film composition was the most important factor and confirmed by KCN etching of a Cu-rich sample. The PL spectrum of a converted Cu-rich CuInS2 film showed a broad emission peak at about 1.34 eV that was caused by the donor–acceptor transition and might be associated with the S-vacancy and the In-vacancy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Little is known about the characteristics of dissolved organic matter derived from precipitation, throughfall, stemflow, and streamwater in subtropical forest ecosystems. Water samples were, thus, collected from rainfall, throughfall and stemflow of a China-fir plantation, a secondary hardwood and a natural hardwood, and streams in forest ecosystems in the central part of subtropical Taiwan on March 31 and May 8, 1999. We examined pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved organic carbon, and acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) in the samples. Furthermore, the humic polymers (MW>1000) and fulvic acids (FAs; MW>1000) were isolated from the water samples and characterized by elemental analyses and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Results showed that the contents of carboxylic acid of both humic polymers (MW>1000) and FAs (MW>1000) contributed to the water sample ANC, ranging from 8.7 to 61.2% and 0.2 to 38.1%, respectively. FTIR and elemental analyses of isolated humic polymers (MW>1000) and FAs (MW>1000) from throughfall and stemflow had characteristics previously reported for humic substances. The study showed that throughfall and stemflow, not affected by soils, may be additional sources of humic substances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on the multiple-quantum-well (MQW) asymmetric fabry-perot modulators (AFPM) for microwave photonic applications. Characterizations of MQW; Measurements of MQW at high frequencies and high optical powers; Linearity of the AFPM modulation characteristic.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent and costly disease associated with the elderly. Evidence on recent trends regarding first-line anti-osteoporotic drug use is lacking, especially after the introduction of newer drug classes (e.g. RANKL inhibitors, denosumab). The consumption of an individual anti-osteoporotic drug in each calendar year was measured by defined daily dose (DDD) based on the WHO methodology of Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification; medication costs of anti-osteoporotic drugs were converted and standardized into 2018 US$ value. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: Present work is to analyze the performance of a permanent-magnetic (PM) stepping motor with claw poles by using the magnetic-circuit simulation technique. In this paper, we calculate the torque characteristics of the motor, such as the detent and the holding torques, and the step-position error by changing the gap between the upper and the lower stators and the staggered angle between the two stators. Through comparison of numerical data with experiment measurements, we found that the detent torque could be effectively reduced by increasing the stator-to-stator gap and further by decreasing the step-position error. Furthermore, the holding torque could be unchanged as the stator assemblage changed; however, it would be degenerated under the condition of low magnetization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, long-term thermal treatment of a binary Ni–Al model nickel-based superalloy was performed at 1000 °C for 50 h, 100 h and 200 h. The evolution of the γ/γ′ interface was studied. As the treatment time increased, the γ′ precipitates coarsened and grew. Regular interface instability was observed that the shape of the γ/γ′ interface changed from flat to wavy. This interfacial instability was caused by the dynamic balance of strain energy and surface energy at the interface between the two phases. In addition, secondary γ′ precipitates were observed after long-term treatment and some of the larger ones took on pillow-like shapes. The pillow-shaped distortion was because that the growth rate of the cube vertices was faster than that of other locations due to the different strain states at different locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study systematically investigates the effects of magnetic field on the defects suppression in hydrothermally synthesized ZnO nanorods. A clear correlation between the crystalline quality and magnetic field-induced suppression of defect-related emission intensity is demonstrated. The density of defects in the nanorods is reduced by increasing the strength of the applied magnetic field, drastically reducing the intensity of visible photoluminescence. The mechanism of the magnetic field-induced suppression of defect-related emissions in hydrothermally synthesized nanorods is explained by a model-based analysis of the paths of the electrical currents and the resulting Lorentz force in the related neighboring pair of rolling cellular patterns that are generated from Rayleigh–Benard convection. This work provides a new means of controlling the defects in nanomaterials, improving the crystalline quality of such materials, and thereby adjusting their light-emitting properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This research article describes the large scale fabrication of ZnO nanorods of various shapes on Si(100) substrate, by using metalorganic precursor of Zn in solutions with microwave as the source of energy. This is a low temperature, environmental friendly and rapid thin film deposition process, where ZnO nanorods (1–3 μm length) were grown only in 1–5 min of microwave irradiation. All as-synthesized nanorods are of single crystalline grown along the <0001> crystallographic direction. The coated nanorods were found to be highly dense having a thickness of ∼1–3 μm over the entire area 20 mm × 20 mm of the substrate. The ZnO thin film comprising of nanorods exhibits good adhesion with the substrate. A possible mechanism for the initial nucleation and growth of ZnO is discussed. A cross over from a strong visible light emission to an enhanced UV emission is observed, when the nature of the surfactants are varied from polymeric to ionic and nonionic. The position of the chromaticity coordinates in yellow region of the color space gives an impression of white light generation from these coatings by exciting with a blue laser. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to help water supply utilities improve water supply management, offer early warning and control water pipeline leakage, so as to provide clean water to residents, many instruments are installed to monitor hydraulic and water quality conditions along the water pipelines. However, one of the challenges of such tremendous monitor system is its limited power resources to make the smart sensors and sensor networks operate continuously and safely due to poor site conditions. In this paper, a novel vertical-axis water turbine has been developed for hydropower harness inside water pipelines when extra water head can be consumed. The small hydro power generated can be used for power supply to the data collection systems in underground and congested locations or to maintenance work at remote locations. The device was developed through CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) simulation and lab tests. The performance of the developed water turbines and the flow characteristics inside water pipes were simulated using the ANSYS CFD packages: FLUENT and Gambit. After the simulation, a number of prototypes were fabricated and tested to measure the real power output and verify the simulated results. The results indicate that the simulation outcomes can offer a good guidance for the rotor design even though the difference between the simulation and experimental results is fairly large. The results also show that the rotor with a hollow structure combined with an eye-shaped slanted block in a pipeline could generate the maximum power as compared with other types of vertical-axis rotors. Furthermore, the simulation and test results of different generation turbines offer valuable information for developing hydropower harness device in confined conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Maxwell equations determine that a shaped electromagnetic pulse in vacuum can be an azimuthally polarized (ap) cylindrical vector (CV) beam. High-order harmonics generation (HHG) by the ap–CV beam can effectively yield hard X-ray photons (). By controlling relative positions of atoms to the axis of driving laser pulse, we can adjust the generated HHG spectrum and the temporal shape of the driven pulse. Calculations confirm that the duration of driven pulse can be achieved to sub-femtosecond level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As the cost of drug development is always many times more than that of drug discovery, predictive methods aiding in the screening of bioavailable drug candidates are of profound significance. In this paper, a novel method for screening bioactive compounds from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) was developed by using living cell extract and gas chromatography (GC)–mass spectrometer (MS). The method was validated by using elemene emulsion injection (EEI), a typical TCM with known active compound, to interact with murine ascites hepatocarcinoma cell strain with high metastatic potential (HCa-F). Finally, the method was applied to screen the bioactive compounds from multi-component zedoary turmeric oil and glucose injection (ZTOGI). After HCa-F cells was incubated in ZTOGI, ethyl acetate (EtOAc) was used to extract the compounds in the cells for GC–MS analysis. Fourteen compounds were detected in the desorption eluate of HCa-F cell extract of ZTOGI, and further identified by MS. Curzerene and β-elemene were found to be two major bioactive compounds in ZTOGI. These results show that the method developed may be applied to quickly screen the potential bioactive components in TCMs interacting with the target cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The reduction of the copper dishing was investigated by optimizing the copper CMP processes. The reduction method is a novel copper slurry with the organic passivation agent used during the copper polishing to reduce the copper dishing level. The passivation mechanism of the copper polishing was proposed. With the optimized condition of the copper ECD and CMP, the resistivity deviation of 180-μm square metal pads with 10–80% pattern densities was reduced from over 30% to less than 10%. The amount of the copper dishing was reduced from around 150 nm to less than 30 nm. Finally, 10% increase of wafer yield and better process reliability were achieved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

According to rapid development of CMP technology, the difference of polishing methods would be applied for copper damascene interconnect. These methods include conventional rotary, linear, oscillation platform. The advantages of these platform would highlighted in uniformity control, stability of removal rate, planarization efficiency, throughput promotion, lower cost of ownership, even dishing and erosion effect integrated with slurry. This paper presented our experience to compare the uniformity, removal rate and planarization efficiency of Cu-CMP between various polishing platforms. In convection, the rotary or oscillation platform would be usually applied in oxide and tungsten CMP, due to the robust air-back carrier and rigid platen to polish the wafer, which performs the good reliability on wafer-to-wafer thickness and endpoint detection. However, the linear polisher is made of the air-bearing moving belt and self-rotated carrier and would provide the wider uniformity and planarization control window than others. In addition, the simulation model would explain the difference from mechanic design and wafer moving paths between various polishing techniques. Hence, the trade-off advantage and application between various platforms would be compensated and integrated with slurry, conditioners and coming thickness profile from copper plating. It can achieve the optimization of Cu-CMP process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recently, fluorosilicate glass (FSG) has received much attention for application in microelectronics manufacturing due to its low dielectric constant and stable gap-filling ability. Although FSG films have been demonstrated as potential inter metal dielectrics (IMD) for sub-micron devices, integrating a stack of two fluorine doped silicon oxide film deposited on a high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) system for gap filling and a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system for throughput has not been fully investigated. In this research, an excellent and exceptionally stable process was demonstrated for a stack of HDP-CVD FSG and PECVD FSG layers. Cracks that result from multi-level metal technology were eliminated when higher compressive stress PECVD FSG film was implemented as a capping layer. An 11% capacitance reduction was achieved when comparing a stack of FSG films to undoped silicon oxide. No problem occurred for photo, via etching and chemical mechanical polishing of FSG film. The FSG layer stack’s via resistance (Rc_Via) as well as a full HDP-FSG scheme is comparable. These results are very promising for the integration of FSG films as inter metal dielectric for devices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents a study that proposed a simple lumped circuit modeling approach for describing noncontact electromagnetic interference (EMI) coupling mechanisms in switching power converters. Lumped circuit model for non-contact EMI based on essential coupling paths; Illustrative example of parameter estimation and EMI prediction; Application and experiment verification.

The article describes the methodology and the processes of modeling the function and the motion of left ventricle using trans-esophageal echocardiograph. The parameters can be used in studying the functionality of left ventricle, the status of abnormality of myocardial, and the geometric and morphological of left ventricle in shape analysis. The parameters describes the motion of left ventricle are the left ventricular (LV) floating long axis, the morphological parameters. The LV morphological parameters describe the wall motion, the LV chamber cavity variation, the effective R-ratio of endomyocardial chamber of LV, the area surface curvature, and the global surface curvature circularity. The parameters such as stroke volume, ejection fraction used in evaluation of LV functions are also extracted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ex-situ and quasi in-situ thermal exposure experiments have been conducted to explore the coarsening behavior of γ′ phases in the Ni-Al binary model single crystal superalloy at 1000 °C. It is obtained in ex-situ experiments that the number density and volume fraction of γ′ phases decrease with the exposure time increasing, while the average size increases. The coarsening of γ′ phases in the width direction obeys the cubic law described by the LSW theory, while the average size change in length is much greater than that in width. In quasi in-situ experiments, it is observed that small γ′ phases shrink or dissolute, the large ones tend to grow up. The coalescence of γ′ phases is also observed, which induces a sharp increase in the length direction. • Ex-situ and quasi in-situ thermal exposure experiments are carried out at 1000 °C. • Shrinkage or dissolution, growth and coalescence of γ′ phases are observed. • The smaller the size is, the faster the γ′ phases decrease. • The coarsening of γ′ phases in the width direction follows the LSW theory. • The coalescence of γ′ phases leads to a deviation from the LSW theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hard and superlight thin films laminated with boron carbide have been proposed as candidates for strategic use such as armor materials in military and space applications. Aluminum magnesium boride (AlMgB) films are excellent candidates for these purposes. We prepared AlMgB films by sputter deposition using multiple unbalanced planar magnetrons equipped with two boron and one AlMg targets. The film morphology changed and the film''s root mean square (rms) roughness varied from 1.0 to 18nm as the power density of the AlMg target increased from 0.2 to 1.0W/cm2 while the power density of each boron target was maintained at 2W/cm2. Chemical analyses show dominating Al, Mg, B and trace elements of oxygen, carbon and argon. The film composition also varies with altering the power density supplied to the AlMg target. The film with an atomic ratio of Al:Mg:B=1.38:0.64:1 exhibits the highest hardness (~30GPa). This value surpasses the hardness of hydrogenated diamond-like carbon films (24–28GPa) prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To better understand the photodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in solid phase in natural environment, laboratory experiments were conducted to study the influencing factors, kinetics and intermediate compound of pyrene photodegradation by iron oxides. The results showed that the pyrene photodegradation rate followed the order of α-FeOOH>α-Fe2O3 >γ-Fe2O3 >γ-FeOOH at the same reaction conditions. Lower dosage of α-FeOOH and higher light intensity increased the photodegradation rate of pyrene. Iron oxides and oxalic acid can set up a photo-Fenton-like system without additional H2O2 in solid phase to enhance the photodegradation of pyrene under UV irradiation. All reaction followed the first-order reaction kinetics. The half-life (t 1/2) of pyrene in the system showed the higher efficiencies of using iron oxide as photocatalyst to degrade pyrene. Intermediate compound pyreno was found during photodegradation reactions by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The photodegradation efficiency for PAHs in this photo-Fenton-like system was also confirmed by using the contaminated soil samples. This work provides some useful information to understand the remediation of PAHs contaminated soils by photochemical techniques under practical condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The separation of In(III), Ga(III) and Zn(II) from sulfate solution has been studied using an extraction resin containing 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester (P507 extraction resin). The effect of pH on the extraction of each metal was determined. Extraction isotherms were then constructed at selected pH. Results show that In(III) is first extracted from aqueous solutions at pH 2.0 using this resin while Ga(III) and Zn(II) are co-extracted at pH 3.0. Their separation can be carried out using HCl of different concentrations as eluants. The saturation adsorption capabilities of indium(III) and gallium(III) were evaluated as 47.2 and 31.0 mg/g or 0.41 and 0.44 mmol/g, respectively. The molar ratio of metal ion: P507 reagent on resin was about 1:3. Loaded resins can be regenerated, and the metals can be recovered selectively. Two fixed-bed columns arranged in-series were successfully used for the separation and recovery of these three metal ions from a multi-component solution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is now becoming apparent that a common pathway of protein aggregation involves the unimolecular structural rearrangement from the native state to a slightly expanded aggregation-competent species. It is the goal of this study to understand the aggregation and the effects of buffer on the stability of IFN-tau. In this study, the thermally-induced aggregation of interferon-tau (IFN-tau) is described. By monitoring the aggregation rate in the presence of increasing amounts of sucrose, the relative change in surface area (Δs) for conversion to the aggregation-competent state can be determined. Under conditions of pH 7 and in 20 mM buffer, the protein displays different aggregation rates depending on the nature of the buffer species. The protein aggregates mostly quickly in phosphate buffer, slower in the presence of Tris and slowest in the presence of histidine. The largest value for Δs occurs for the histidine-containing samples, where aggregation proceeds via a slightly expanded aggregation competent state with a surface area increase of 7.6%. Furthermore, it appears that histidine binds to the native state of IFN-tau, thereby stabilizing the native state and retarding aggregation. Measurement of the second virial coefficient, B22, for different formulations indicates that inclusion of histidine has only a small effect on repulsion between protein molecules, suggesting that colloidal stabilization is not the dominant mechanism for stabilization of IFN-tau. This study represents the first detailed biophysical study of specific buffer-induced stabilization, resulting in shifting the equilibrium towards the native state and away form the expanded aggregation-competent species. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 95:1212–1226, 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Taiwan, the average sulfate and nitrate deposited by acid rain as precipitation amount to 50 kg SO4 2− and 15–50 kg NO3 − ha−1 year−1, respectively. The reactions of sulfate and nitrate with forest soils were not fully understood. Thus, we selected two forest pedons, namely the Dystrochrept and Hapludult of the Lien-Hua-Chi watershed in central Taiwan, to study their sorption and desorption of sulfate. Soil samples were leached with simulated acid rain solutions of various acidity and sulfate concentrations to assess their retention of cations and sulfate. The amounts of sorbed-SO4 2− of two pedons extracted with NaH2PO4 (0.016 M) solutions in the range 0.14–1.09 mmol kg−1 soil were higher than that of native water-soluble sulfate (i.e., extracted with H2O), in the range 0.15–0.41 mmol kg−1 soil. The amounts of native sorbed-SO4 2− of two pedons correlated significantly with the exchangeable Al (r =0.91). The sorption of sulfate did not fit well the Langmuir equation. The native sulfate contents of all tested pedons were near the maximum sulfate sorption capacity. The sulfate sorption capacity and the amount of released Al correlated well with increasing acidity of simulated acid rain added. Introducing solutions of various acidity and sulfate concentrations into the leaching solution flowing through the soil column resulted in sharp increases in amount of sulfate and aluminum released in percolates after several pore volumes were replaced. High clay and sesquioxide contents at soil depths of 30–50 cm (Bw horizon) and 50–80 cm (BC) of pedon 1 retained part of the sulfate added serving as the sulfate sink. Released K, Mg and Ca showed two periods of higher leaching pattern, having a trend similar to that the electrical conductivity (EC) pattern. After leaching of simulated acid rain through the soil column, the soil exchangeable cations were decreased. The tested soils possess an acid-buffering capacity in pedon 1. Pedon 1 is composed of high clay and sesquioxide contents and possesses greater buffer capacity than that of pedon 2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Interferon-tau (IFN-tau) is a novel cytokine that appears during fetal development of mammals. It is currently being investigated for treatment of viral infections and autoimmune diseases. In order to develop a commercial product, a stable formulation will need to be identified. In this study, the solution behavior of IFN-tau was studied using a variety of biophysical methods. The overall structure of IFN-tau is well defined, with the polypeptide chain folding into a four-helix bundle structure, much like other type 1 interferons. However, its solution behavior has not been characterized. The globular structure has a free energy of unfolding of ∼4 kcal/mole at room temperature. IFN-tau was found to remain monomeric upon increasing the protein concentration, even up to 60 mg/mL. The overall structure of IFN-tau is maintained across a pH range of 2–8, but is significantly altered in the presence of nonaqueous solvents. However, IFN-tau appears to refold efficiently when diluted into an aqueous medium from a nonaqueous solution. This behavior allows the protein to be formulated in low water content formulations suitable for use in capsules. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 94:2703–2715, 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new modified low pressure chemical-vapor deposition process for stacked polysilicon (poly-Si) films is developed in this study. The proposed stacked film process combines polysilicon with amorphous silicon films. In this process, polysilicon film was deposited first at 630 °C, followed by a continuous temperature decrease down to 560 °C for the deposition of amorphous silicon film. It was found that the doped stacked polysilicon films deposited by this process result in lowering of surface roughness, together with reduction of the (311) phase of the doped amorphous silicon and (110) phase of the doped polysilicon. As a consequence, device performance based on the stacked films also improves. Results of surface roughness analysis indicated that the doped stacked polysilicon film has a root-mean square surface roughness (Rrms) of 78 Å, which is smaller than those of doped conventional (630 °C) polysilicon film (Rrms=97 Å), and doped amorphous silicon film (Rrms=123 Å, deposited at 560 °C). Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation performed at oxide/polysilicon interface showed that the conventional (630 °C) oxide/polysilicon interface has high angle grain boundaries on the polysilicon side, which may induce leakage current around the interfacial area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The low dielectric constant (low-k) of organo-silica-glass (OSG) and fluorine-incorporated OSG (OFSG) materials produced from plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of trimethylsilane are thermally stable to greater than 600 °C. FTIR analysis indicates that Si&z.sbnd;CH3 bonds and Si&z.sbnd;F bonds remain intact to temperatures well above that normally encountered during integrated circuit manufacture, allowing these materials to maintain a low-k value. While OFSG materials proved to have less hydrolytic resistant than their non-fluorinated analogs during high pressure, high temperature water exposure (pressure cooker test), their leakage current was found to be lower than OSG films before and after wafer exposure. The measured properties of OFSG blanket films suggest that this material is sufficiently robust to ensure stability of reliability after the fabrication. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]