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Wafer-scale growth of metallic films into single crystals is challenging owing to the large lattice mismatch and uncontrollable stacking of atoms during deposition. Here, single-crystal Ag(111) films are grown on flat Cu(111) buffer layers using atomic sputtering epitaxy, notwithstanding the large (approximately 13%) Ag/Cu lattice mismatch. Phenomenologically, the mismatch strain is localised to the first Ag monoatomic interface layer, without spreading into adjacent Ag layers. This perfect strain absorber occurs owing to regulated in-plane displacements of Ag atoms at the periodic colocalisation loci of Ag and Cu atoms. This extreme case does not require collective cooperation of dislocated atoms as opposed to the case of strain relaxation, thereby enabling defect-free growth of Ag films. The resulting film surfaces are inherently ultraflat and thus advantageous for perfect reflectors and plasmonic devices.

The intrinsic nature of electronic transport has been screened by the carrier scattering at grain boundaries in two-dimensional noble metals, such as copper. Here, by realizing the impossible assumption of growing without grain boundaries in thin films, we demonstrate that the transport by hole carriers in 2D copper is the intrinsic nature, which has been screened by the scattering of carriers at grain boundaries. Unlike the grain boundaries, twin boundaries are invisible to conduction carriers, but even a slight tilt from regular twin boundaries is recognized as grain boundaries to electrons, so only complete suppression of grain boundaries can reveal the hidden hole-like characteristic of 2D-single crystal copper. The hole carriers can be explained by the concave Fermi surface of the 2D single-crystal copper, which suggests a breakthrough in manipulating the polarity of majority carriers in metals based on grain boundary engineering in a 2D geometry.

Can we control the flatness of the surface of a thin film down to the level of individual atoms? Can we further make such an ultraflat surface on a wafer scale? For such purposes, the current deposition methods, including molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), atomic layer deposition (ALD) and conventional sputtering methods, are still not adequate. In this article, we introduce a novel thin film deposition technique developed by modifying a simple sputtering method to make atomically flat metallic surfaces and a new way to investigate the structural details of thin films grown at the atomic level. For thin film, heteroepitaxial growth of a crystalline film on a different crystalline substrate is usual, and the lattice mismatch between the crystalline film and the substrate occurring in heteroepitaxy produces many misfits at the interface, which create various defects, including dislocations and grain boundaries that eventually lead to a rough surface and the deterioration of the overall quality of the crystal. The metamorphic growth method utilizing the extended atomic distance mismatch (EADM) helps to achieve successful growth of thin films in spite of a large lattice mismatch by calculating the match for a relatively long period in advance. Having an ultraflat surface for thin films made of metals such as copper has many advantages. Several advantages and possible applications of metal thin films with ultraflat surfaces are introduced.

Constructing a mono-atom step-level flat material surface is challenging, especially for thin films, because it is prohibitively difficult for trillions (1012) of clusters nucleated on a 2-inch wafer to coherently merge into a single-orientation thin film. The rough metal surface limits surface–plasmon propagation and acts as a valley for atoms deposited during the growth of the two-dimensional material. Recently, various flat-surface-assisted phenomena have been discovered, including large oxidation resistance of an atomically flat copper (Cu) surface. In this study, we describe in detail the initial growth of Cu(111) thin films with mono-atom step-level flat surfaces. We demonstrated experimentally that the individual deposition of single atoms using atomic sputtering epitaxy induces trillions of islands to coherently merge into a coplanar layer, eventually forming a mono-atom step-level flat surface. Theoretical calculations supported the fact that, when the sputtered particles are single atoms, rapid surface diffusion ensures the formation of highly aligned single-crystal nanodroplets that can be merged into a large domain with a coherent coplanar layer. These findings will open a new avenue in thin-film growth research and represent a watershed in terms of improved efficiency and lifespan of devices in most fields using metal electrodes, as well as metal nanoscience research.

Li

AIM To investigate the diagnostic performance of 18F-fluciclovine positron-emission tomography (PET) or combined PET and computed tomography (PET/CT) for diagnosis of primary cancer, preoperative lymph node (LN) staging, and detection of recurrent disease of prostate cancer (PCa) through a systematic review and meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched from the earliest available date of indexing through 31 December 2018, for studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of 18F-fluciclovine PET or PET/CT for the management of PCa patients. The sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-) across the studies were calculated and summary receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed. RESULTS Across 13 studies (563 patients), the pooled sensitivity for 18F-fluciclovine PET or PET/CT for diagnosis of primary PCa was 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77–0.93) and a pooled specificity of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.68–0.93). For LN staging, the pooled sensitivity was 0.56 (95% CI: 0.37–0.74) and a pooled specificity of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.88–1.00). For detection of recurrent disease, the pooled sensitivity was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.60–0.91) and a pooled specificity of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.59–0.77). In meta-regression analysis, no definite variable was the source of the study heterogeneity. CONCLUSION The current meta-analysis showed the moderate sensitivity and specificity of 18F-fluciclovine PET or PET/CT for the diagnosis of primary cancer, preoperative LN staging, and detection of recurrent PCa. Further large multicentre studies will be necessary to substantiate the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT for management of PCa patients.

High-quality epitaxial Cu2O (111) thin films were obtained from single-crystal Cu (111) thin films by rapid thermal oxidation at 800 °C. X-ray diffraction and electron backscattering diffraction analyses indicated that the films were pure Cu2O phase and well aligned along the [111] direction. Microscopic imaging of the films revealed a unique surface morphology in the form of a plateau grain network a few microns in size, which has never been achieved previously in this semiconductor. From the absorption coefficient and its first derivative, all of the characteristic optical transitions from the yellow to the indigo series, as well as excitonic transitions, were consistent with those observed from high-quality bulk Cu2O. The exceptional quality of our films was further verified by a very weak defect-induced photoluminescence, which typically dominates in natural-growth Cu2O crystals. We believe that our study represents a step towards the synthesis of high-quality oxide films having unusual surface morphologies.

The single-crystalline copper (Cu) thin film is a platform substrate for the growth of numerous materials and has been a significant issue for the scientific community. The primary concern is the i...

We synthesized polycrystalline ZnFe2O4 nanofibers via a facile electrospinning and annealing process. The ZnFe2O4 nanofibers exhibit continuous frameworks and uniform porosity through the abrupt combustion of the polymer and crystallization of inorganic elements. This well-defined structure and morphology facilitates Li+ transport, enhances the effective contact area with the electrolyte, and offers abundant active sites. For the ZnFe2O4 nanofiber anode, the reversible capacity reaches 753 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at the high current density of 5 A g−1 and the anode shows excellent rate performance. The enhanced electrochemical performance can be attributed to the one-dimensional nanostructure and shortened diffusion pathways, which ensure full conversion reactions during lithiation-delithiation between Zn, Fe, and Li+, relieve volume expansion, and prevent pulverization/aggregation upon prolonged cycling at high current densities. Thus, we believe that ZnFe2O4 nanofibers present great potential as anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

Oxidation can deteriorate the properties of copper that are critical for its use, particularly in the semiconductor industry and electro-optics applications1–7. This has prompted numerous studies exploring copper oxidation and possible passivation strategies8. In situ observations have, for example, shown that oxidation involves stepped surfaces: Cu2O growth occurs on flat surfaces as a result of Cu adatoms detaching from steps and diffusing across terraces9–11. But even though this mechanism explains why single-crystalline copper is more resistant to oxidation than polycrystalline copper, the fact that flat copper surfaces can be free of oxidation has not been explored further. Here we report the fabrication of copper thin films that are semi-permanently oxidation resistant because they consist of flat surfaces with only occasional mono-atomic steps. First-principles calculations confirm that mono-atomic step edges are as impervious to oxygen as flat surfaces and that surface adsorption of O atoms is suppressed once an oxygen face-centred cubic (fcc) surface site coverage of 50% has been reached. These combined effects explain the exceptional oxidation resistance of ultraflat Cu surfaces.

Nitrogen-doped carbon-coated and graphene oxide-wrapped Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared using the electrostatic force between polyethyleneimine-functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles and graphene oxide layers, followed by annealing in an N2 atmosphere (Fe3O4@NCG). The electrochemical performance of Fe3O4@NCG was superior to that of graphene oxide- or reduced graphene oxide-wrapped Fe3O4 nanoparticles and carbon-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Fe3O4@NCG exhibited stable specific capacity of ∼895 mAh g−1 after 350 cycles over the voltage range 0.001–3.0 V vs. Li/Li+. The superior performance of Fe3O4@NCG was attributed to the presence of a nitrogen-doped carbon layer and networks of reduced graphene oxide. The chemical route-derived Fe3O4@NCG may be a promising anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

AIM To investigate the predictive value of integrated 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy- d- glucose (18F-FDG) positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for the prediction of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in solid tumours via a systematic review and meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases, from the earliest available date of indexing through 31 October 2020, were searched for studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT for prediction of PD-L1 expression in solid tumours other than lung cancer. RESULTS Across seven studies (473 patients), the pooled sensitivity for 18F-FDG PET/CT was 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65–0.82) without heterogeneity (I2 = 47.2, p=0.08) and a pooled specificity of 0.73 (95% CI: 0.64–0.81) with heterogeneity (I2 = 53.8, p=0.04). Likelihood ratio (LR) syntheses gave an overall positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 2.8 (95% CI: 2.1–3.7) and negative likelihood ratio (LR–) of 0.35 (95% CI: 0.26–0.47). The pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 8 (95% CI: 5–13). Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and indicates that the area under the curve was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.77–0.84). CONCLUSION The current meta-analysis showed a moderate sensitivity and specificity of 18F-FDG PET/CT for the prediction of PD-L1 expression in solid tumours. At present, the literature regarding the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT for the prediction of PD-L1 expression in solid tumours still limited; thus, further large multicentre studies would be necessary to substantiate the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for prediction of PD-L1 expression in solid tumours.

Li+ intercalates into a pure face-centered-cubic (fcc) C60 structure instead of being adsorbed on a single C60 molecule. This hinders the excess storage of Li ions in Li-ion batteries, thereby limiting their applications. However, the associated electrochemical processes and mechanisms have not been investigated owing to the low electrochemical reactivity and poor crystallinity of the C60 powder. Herein, a facile method for synthesizing pure fcc C60 nanoparticles with uniform morphology and superior electrochemical performance in both half- and full-cells is demonstrated using a 1 m LiPF6 solution in ethylene carbonate/diethyl carbonate (1:1 vol%) with 10% fluoroethylene carbonate. The specific capacity of the C60 nanoparticles during the second discharge reaches ≈750 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 , approximately twice that of graphite. Moreover, by applying in situ X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and first-principles calculations, an abnormally high Li storage in a crystalline C60 structure is proposed based on the vacant sites among the C60 molecules, Li clusters at different sites, and structural changes during the discharge/charge process. The fcc of C60 transforms tetragonal via orthorhombic Lix C60 and back to the cubic phase during discharge. The presented results will facilitate the development of novel fullerene-based anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

We prepared single-crystal Si nanoparticles (Si NPs) ∼50 nm in diameter using a laser photopyrolysis technique and formed a nitrogen-doped carbon layer on them using pyrrole and FeCl 3 to increase the cycle stability of the Si anodes during volume expansion and contraction. The surface chemical bonding states of the nitrogen-doped carbon-coated Si NPs were investigated. The specific capacity and capacity retention of the sample with 1 g of FeCl 3 were the highest at approximately 967.1 mAh g −1 and 87.3% after 300 cycles at 1 C, respectively. The diffusion coefficient of Li ions after 1000 test cycles was 9.64 × 10 −8 cm 2 s -1 . The higher cycling stability of the Si@NC NPs could be attributed to the nitrogen-doped carbon layers, which provided an efficient transport pathway for the electrons.

We synthesized polycrystalline Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 nanofibers (NFs) via a simple post-annealing process of as-electrospun polymeric NFs as an anode material for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). During the first discharge/charge process, the Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 NFs annealed at 900 °C exhibited insertion/extraction capacities of up to 344 and 304 mAh g −1 , corresponding to 19.1 and 16.7 mol Li + per formula unit, respectively. This material exhibited excellent rate capability (93 mAh g −1 at 15 A g −1 ) and a higher average diffusion coefficient (D Li = ∼1.5 × 10 −12 cm 2 s −1 ) than Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 powder (∼6.9 × 10 −13 cm 2 s −1 ). This performance can be attributed to the unique nanostructure of firmly interconnected, highly crystalline Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 nano-grains, which facilitates the Li + and electron transport. The kinetics obtained from current-voltage curves indicate a mixture of diffusion-limited and capacitive processes. The suggested electro-spinning/post annealing approach can effectively provide a simple route towards high-quality Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 NF-based anodes for high-performance LIBs.

SnO 2 hollow nanofibers (SnO 2 hNFs) are prepared through electrospinning and annealing processes. The polypyrrole layers coated onto the surface of the SnO 2 hNFs are annealed in a nitrogen atmosphere. The nitrogen-doped carbon-coated SnO 2 hNFs (SnO 2 /NC hNFs) are composed of SnO 2 hNFs with a wall thickness of 60–80 nm and a nitrogen-doped carbon layer ∼10 nm thick. The nitrogen content in the carbon layer is approximately 7.95%. Owing to the nitrogen-doped carbon shell layers, the specific reversible capacity of SnO 2 /NC hNFs at a current density of 0.2 A g −1 after 100 cycles is 1648 mAh g −1 , which is 427% higher than that of (386 mAh g −1 ) SnO 2 hNFs. This strategy may open new avenues for the design of other composite architectures as electrode materials in order to achieve high-performance lithium ion batteries.

Stochastic inhomogeneous oxidation is an inherent characteristic of copper (Cu), often hindering color tuning and bandgap engineering of oxides. Coherent control of the interface between metal and metal oxide remains unresolved. We demonstrate coherent propagation of an oxidation front in single-crystal Cu thin film to achieve a full-color spectrum for Cu by precisely controlling its oxide-layer thickness. Grain boundary-free and atomically flat films prepared by atomic-sputtering epitaxy allow tailoring of the oxide layer with an abrupt interface via heat treatment with a suppressed temperature gradient. Color tuning of nearly full-color RGB indices is realized by precise control of oxide-layer thickness; our samples covered ~50.4% of the sRGB color space. The color of copper/copper oxide is realized by the reconstruction of the quantitative yield color from oxide pigment (complex dielectric functions of Cu2O) and light-layer interference (reflectance spectra obtained from the Fresnel equations) to produce structural color. We further demonstrate laser-oxide lithography with micron-scale linewidth and depth through local phase transformation to oxides embedded in the metal, providing spacing necessary for semiconducting transport and optoelectronics functionality., Comment: 38 pages

Realizing laterally continuous, ultraflat silver (Ag) single-crystal films is a significant technological challenge. Ag thin film grown on various hetero-substrates has been used in numerous applications, due to its superior electrical and optical properties. To exploit these properties without degradation and apply these films to high-precision patterning, surface plasmonics, and so on, a high-quality thin film having an ultraflat surface and few grain boundaries is needed. A zinc oxide (ZnO) buffer layer can be used to facilitate the growth of a single-crystalline Ag thin film on a sapphire (Al2O3) substrate. ZnO films deposited on Al2O3 substrates have grain boundaries; however, Ag films grown on ZnO are nearly grain-free and close to single-crystalline quality. This can be explained by the exceptionally small extended atomic distance mismatch, of ~0.08%, between Ag and Al2O3, in which the ninth Ag atom and the eighth Al atom are matched in terms of coherence and periodicity. A modified radio frequency sputtering system with a single-crystal Ag target enabled wafer-scale growth of ultraflat, grain-free Ag films. The proposed approach using a ZnO buffer provides a new method for fabricating Ag films with high adhesion, anti-oxidative stability, and superior optical properties, and allows for easy nano-patterning.

We have investigated Li effects on the structural property change in LixNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO, x = 1, 0.7, 0.5, 0.3, 0.1, 0) by using Rietveld refinement with neutron diffraction measurements. The polycrystalline LNMO samples were synthesized using the sol–gel process and were calcinated at 1000 °C for 10 h. It was found that all the structures of LNMO belong to the face-centered cubic spinel structure Fd3m, irrespective of Li amount, and that there exists a small amount of the NiO secondary phase for x = 1. As lithium is extracted from LNMO, oxygen reduction also follows, and the amount of oxygen released (y) from the sample changes in the manner to keep both the amount and the oxidation state of Ni/Mn cations; the total chemical formula can be written as (Lix)x+(Ni0.5Mn1.5)6.25+(O4–y)−(6.25+x) for x ≤ 0.7 and LiNi0.5–δMn1.5O4–y–δ + δNiO with δ = 0.012 for x = 1. Both the lattice constant of a unit cell and the nearest neighbor bond distances of ions in LNMO continuously decrease with the increase of Li co...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Epitope spreading is one of valid mechanisms operating in immunopathological processes of infection-induced autoimmune diseases. We hypothesized that the peptide 19 from Porphyromonas gingivalis heat shock protein (HSP) 60 (Pep19) may be the dominant epitope from which epitope-specific immune response to subdominant epitopes may diversify sequentially into autoimmune responses directed at human neoepitopes in P. gingivalis-induced periodontitis and autoimmune diseases. However, the exact feature and mechanism on how Pep19 may drive epitope spreading into human autoantigens in chronic periodontitis or P. gingivalis-induced experimental periodontitis has not been clarified. The present study was performed with the following specific aims: (i) to delineate retrospectively the features of epitope spreading by human cross-sectional analysis; (ii) to demonstrate prospectively the epitope spreading into new antigenic determinants in an ordered, predictable and sequential manner in experimental periodontitis; and (iii) to clarify the mechanism on how immunization with Pep19 may mobilize helper T cells or elicit B-cell responses to human autoantigens and neoantigen. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was devised for two independent investigations - a cross-sectional analysis on clinical subjects and a prospective analysis on experimental periodontitis - each being subdivided further into two additional independent observations. Cross-sectional dot immunoblot pattern against a panel of peptides of P. gingivalis HSP60 and human HSP60 was performed among age-dependent healthy subjects and between healthy subjects, patients with chronic periodontitis and patients with autoimmune disease, to identify epitope spreading. A peptide-specific T-cell line was established for phenotype analysis and for proliferation assay to an array of identical peptides. An identical prospective analysis was performed in P. gingivalis-induced experimental periodontitis or in Pep19-immunized mice. Cross-reactivity of anti-Pep19 monoclonal antibody was also investigated. RESULTS A dominant immune response exclusively to Pep19 prevailed in healthy human subjects (before the age of 40) and mice that persisted in chronic periodontitis and autoimmune diseases without being replaced further by subsequent subdominant epitopes. A sequential epitope spreading provoked by Pep19 to subdominant autoantigen peptide 19 from human HSP60 (Hu19) in most healthy human subjects and mice, and to autoantigen peptide 9 from human HSP60 (Hu9) and neoantigen oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in P. gingivalis-induced chronic periodontitis and autoimmune diseases could be demonstrated in a reproducible and predictable manner. T-cell proliferative activity to multiple autoantigens Hu19, Hu9 and ox-LDL, and cross-reactivity of anti-Pep19 monoclonal antibody to these epitopes may be proposed as cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the phenomenon. Moreover, the predictive value of Pep19 for Hu9 increased remarkably in the disease group when compared with that of the healthy group. CONCLUSION Taken together, epitope spreading to Hu19, Hu9 and ox-LDL provoked by Pep19 could be proposed as a solid phenomenon observed in P. gingivalis-induced chronic periodontitis and infection-induced autoimmune diseases in a reproducible and predictable manner. T-cell proliferative activity to these peptides and cross-reactivity of anti-Pep19 antibodies to multiple human autoantigens could be proposed as cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon.

Pedestrians not only walk along pedestrian pathways, but also choose unusual routes such as passing through buildings or crossing large scale open spaces. This study defines these unusual paths as social path, and includes them into one of the pedestrian road categories. Previous pedestrian accessibility and route choice studies could not evaluate correctly the space connectivity or optimal route because the social path was not considered properly. Therefore, this study analyzes the effectiveness of the social path in view of space connectivity focused on Coex and Seoul stations in Seoul, which are representative transit oriented development(TOD) areas. Global integration, which is widely used in network analysis, is selected (as performance index) to identify the space hierarchy and define new pedestrian links. The study results show that the network connectivity is improved especially in the main streets and social paths. This study demonstrated that the social path should be considered in finding the pedestrian optimal route from the practical perspective. Keywords global integration; pedestrian accessibility; pedestrian route choice; social path; space syntax ; 공간 통합도; 보행 접근성; 보행 경로 선택 Language: ko

This study analyzes the influence factors on elderly pedestrian accident. Elderly people are easy to be badly injured by car accidents compared to younger people. Therefore, various plans and measures are required to protect elderly pedestrian from accidents. However, pedestrian accidents studies only focused on microscopic factors such as attribute of driver, pedestrian, road design. In order to prevent pedestrian accident and reduce the severity of the accident, not only microscopic factors but macroscopic variables suc h as urban planning and facility should be considered. In this regard, this study develops an ordered probit model introduced the characteristics of urban facility which were not considered in the previous studies. The result shows that there is higher level of accident severity in such areas as large commercial area, well-developed area with transportation infrastructure service and non-pedestrian safety zone. Thus, various and appropriate countermeasures should be prepared in order that pedestrian accident can be prevented in the areas mentioned above. In addition to the aforementioned variables, it is revealed that other variables including vehicle speed, gender and age of pedestrian, weather condition, type of vehicle, etc. partly affect the severity of pedestrian accident.

The oxide-ion conductivity of NdBaInO4 has been increased by Sr doping. Nd0.9Sr0.1BaInO3.95 showed the highest electrical conductivity among Nd1−xSrxBaInO4−x/2 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3). The oxide-ion conductivity σion of Nd0.9Sr0.1BaInO3.95 (σion = 7.7 × 10−4 S cm−1) is about 20 times higher than that of NdBaInO4 (σion = 3.6 × 10−5 S cm−1) at 858 °C, and the activation energy of oxide-ion conduction is a little lower for Nd0.9Sr0.1BaInO3.95 (0.795(10) eV) than that for NdBaInO4 (0.91(4) eV). The structure analysis based on neutron powder diffraction data revealed that the Sr exists at the Nd site and oxygen vacancies are observed in Nd0.9Sr0.1BaInO3.95. This result indicates that the increase of the oxide-ion conductivity is mainly due to the increase of the carrier concentration. The bond valence-based energy landscape indicated two-dimensional oxide-ion diffusion in the (Nd,Sr)2O3 unit on the bc-plane and a decrease of the energy barrier by the substitution of Nd with Sr cations.

Background: F-18 FDG PET/CT is superior to CT imaging in identifying metastatic mediastinal lymph node (MLN) involvement in NSCLC. However, the accuracy of PET in nodal staging is substantially reduced by false increases in the inflammatory nodes. The efficacy of this technique is controversial, especially in regions endemic for the granulomatous disease. Here, we determined the qualitative and quantitative parameters of PET/CT for evaluation of mediastinal nodes to distinguish between malignant and benign lesions. Methods: 27 patients with pathologically documented NSCLC who showed bilateral F-18 FDG-avid MLNs on pre-treatment staging PET/CT image were included. 104 MLNs were analysed through EBUS-TBNA or MLN dissection. The MLN with prominent F-18 FDG uptake compared with other F-18 FDG-avid LNs via visual assessment was qualitatively considered as metastasis. The SUVmax of LN and SUVmax of LN to the liver and blood pool were calculated. SUVmax/contra was obtained to identify metastatic MLNs. Results: The qualitative evaluation showed sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for separating metastatic LN from benign reactive hyperplasia of 66.7%, 87.0%, 74.3%, and 88.2%, respectively. SUVmax/contra was significantly higher for metastatic LNs than benign lesions. Conclusions: Qualitative interpretation of PET/CT was superior to quantitative parameters in discriminating metastatic LNs from benign reactive hyperplasia in patients with bilateral F-18 FDG-avid mediastinal LNs. We suggest SUVmax/contra may aid in the interpretation of mediastinal nodal staging in patients with NSCLC.

The competition between interactions in frustrated magnets allows a wide variety of new ground states, often exhibiting emergent physics and unique excitations. Expanding the suite of lattices available for study enhances our chances of finding exotic physics. ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{forms}$ in a chiral, kagome-based structure in which a fourth member is added to the kagome-plane triangles to form an armchair unit and link adjacent kagome planes. This structural motif may be viewed as intermediate between the triangles of the kagome network and the tetrahedra in the pyrochlore lattice. ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{exhibits}$ two distinct magnetic phase transitions, at 11.1 and 14.2 K, at least one of which has a weak ferromagnetic component. The magnetic propagation vector does not change through the lower transition, suggesting a metamagnetic transition or a transition involving a multicomponent order parameter. Although previously reported in the $P{3}_{1}21$ space group, ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{actually}$ crystallizes in $P2$, which allows ferroelectricity, and we show clear evidence of magnetoelectric coupling indicative of multiferroic order. The quasi-two-dimensional ``armchair-kagome'' lattice presents a promising platform for probing chiral magnetism and the effect of dimensionality in highly frustrated systems.

High-quality, single-crystal-like Cu2O thin films of various thicknesses (10 nm–45 nm) were prepared at a low temperature (150 °C) by controlling layer-by-layer oxidation of wafer-scale Cu thin films sputtered along the (111) direction using a pure single-crystal Cu target. The cross-sectional images of the thin films reveal high crystallinity of Cu2O layers except for 60° twinning in the sequential stacking order as evidenced by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, which is consistent with the absence of the photoluminescence (PL) signals arising from atomic-scale vacancies. The optical properties of our Cu2O films were investigated using temperature-dependent PL and Raman spectroscopy. All of the Cu2O thin films exhibit characteristic band-to-band transitions together with the series of yellow excitonic transitions slightly below the fundamental bandgap. The spectral locations for the PL are approximately consistent with those for the bulk counterpart. The excellent optical quality of our Cu2O was further demonstrated by significantly reduced quasi-direct transition that occurs at symmetry-breaking crystal imperfection, which relaxes the stringent momentum conservation rule. We identified the three main Raman scattering modes of the Cu2O thin films, where the two forbidden modes of Γ15(1) and Γ12−+Γ25− are resonantly allowed by the proximity of the incident photon energy to the green bandgap. We believe that our synthesis technique can be utilized for the preparation of single-crystal-like metal oxide thin films at low production temperatures with precise thickness control for the development of novel optoelectronic devices and for the exploration of the nanoscale light-matter interaction as well.

Jeong E, Lee J-Y, Kim S-J, Choi J. Predominant immunoreactivity of Porphyromonas gingivalis heat shock protein in autoimmune diseases. J Periodont Res 2012; 47: 811–816. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S Background and Objective: Autoimmune diseases, including atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis, can be triggered and aggravated by the pathogen-driven antigenic peptide from Porphyromonas gingivalis HSP60. P. gingivalis is the major pathogen of chronic periodontitis, which is a global epidemic prevalent in two-thirds of the adult population. The monoclonal antibody raised against peptide 19 (Pep19: TLVVNRLRGSLKICAVKAPG) from P. gingivalis HSP60 was polyreactive to the human homolog. The aim of this study was to determine if Pep19 from P. gingivalis HSP60 manifests itself as a predominant antigen in infection-triggered autoimmune diseases. Material and Methods: Pep19 from P. gingivalis HSP60, Mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP60 and Chlamydia pneumoniae HSP60 was synthesized for comparative recognition by the sera from patients with atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, all with ongoing periodontal disease, and by the sera of a control group of patients with periodontal disease but with no history of atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. Results: Of the Pep19 peptides from P. gingivalis HSP60, M. tuberculosis HSP60 and C. pneumoniae HSP60, Pep19 from P. gingivalis HSP60 was the peptide epitope predominantly and most consistently recognized by the serum samples of the four disease groups (chronic periodontitis, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis). Conclusion: Seroreactivity to Pep19 of P. gingivalis HSP60, an oral pathogen, was predominant in patients with autoimmune disease with ongoing periodontal disease.

There have been many studies of ferromagnetism in ZnCoO, and the results have been controversial. Secondary phases, such as Co oxides and Co metal clusters, in ZnCoO are easily produced during trea...

The scientific community has attempted to fabricate superconductors that work at room temperature; however, this goal has not yet been achieved. Considering miniaturization of devices and the requirement of low-power consumption in electronics, it is important to enhance room-temperature conductivity. We prepared the best conductor using crystallization and enhanced its conduction using high-pressure annealing. Single-crystal copper showed a conductivity enhancement of 12–14% after treatment under high pressure and temperature compared with that of oxygen-free copper, which has the highest conductivity for a metal. The contribution of grain boundaries to the Debye temperature was calculated and the phonon excitation was maximized at a lower temperature in grain-free copper. This study aimed to develop a new conductor, in which phonon–electron scattering is reduced at high temperatures. Single-crystal copper could be used for large-scale production of Bitter magnets to generate a high magnetic field and for applications of crystal engineering.

This study investigated the bonding nature and electrostatic potential of asymmetric Li ionic mobility in Li 2 B 4 O 7 crystals using the maximum entropy method (MEM) combined with Rietveld refinement and Ewald’s technique. Compared with the interaction between oxygen and boron, Li + ions exhibited weak interactions with both oxygen and boron. Furthermore, electrostatic-potential-distribution analysis showed that Li + ions had a much weaker interaction with the matrix along the c -axis channel, suggesting that higher ionic conductivity occurred along the c -axis than along the a - and b -axes.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage for symptomatic gallbladder disease is a safe and effective bridge therapy in patients at high risk for surgery or who have terminal liver disease and are awaiting transplantation. However, there are few reports on long-term results in terms of stent patency and clinical course. Our study was designed to investigate the long-term patency and clinical course after endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder stenting (ETGS) in patients with symptomatic gallbladder disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 29 patients who were unsuitable for cholecystectomy underwent ETGS from June 2006 to March 2010 using a 7-Fr double-pigtail stent between the gallbladder and the duodenum. Their clinical progress, adverse events, and stent patency after ETGS were recorded prospectively in two tertiary referral centers. RESULTS: Technically, ETGS was successful in 23 (79.3 %) of the 29 patients. The mean procedure time was 22.4 ± 11.5 min. Postprocedure adverse events were mild pancreatitis (8.7 %) and cholestasis (8.7 %), all of which resolved with conservative management. During the follow-up period (median 586 days, range 11 – 1403 days), 20 patients were analyzed as per protocol, and scheduled follow-up was performed. Late adverse events developed in four patients (20 %), including distal migration (n = 2), cholangitis (n = 1), and recurrent biliary pain (n = 1). The remaining 16 patients were followed for more than 12 months (nine patients were followed for more than 24 months). Median stent patency was 760 days, as determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. CONCLUSIONS: As a primary therapy, ETGS is technically feasible and effective in patients who are unsuitable for cholecystectomy. ETGS may also provide long-term stent patency without the need for scheduled stent exchanges.