Search

Unnecessary radiation exposure (URE) during radiographic examination is an issue among infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The causes of URE have not been fully explored. This study investigated the incidence and identified the causes of URE in infants during diagnostic radiography in a NICU. This was a retrospective cohort study. We retrieved and analysed requests and radiographs taken at a tertiary NICU between September and November 2018. URE was defined as the rate of discordance between requests and images taken (DisBRI) and unnecessary radiation exposure in irrelevant regions (UREIR) during radiography. We compared the rates of URE between very low-birth-weight (VLBW, birth weight p Conclusions: URE during diagnostic radiography is common in sick infants and is mainly related to improper positioning and collimation during examinations. Adherence to protocols when performing radiographic examination or using ultrasonography may be a solution to reduce URE in infants in NICUs. What is Known:• The risk of unnecessary radiation exposure (URE) during radiography has been a common and important issue in sick infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).• The new point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) technique decreases the need for chest films and prevents radiation exposure in neonates. What is New:• In the NICU, URE is still a common issue in critically ill infants during radiographic examinations. The causes of URE during diagnostic radiography are mainly due to improper positioning and collimation during examinations.• The incidence of URE in irrelevant regions is higher in very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants than in non-VLBW infants.

The meniscus, composed of fibrocartilage, is a very important part of the human knee joint that behaves like a buffer. Located in the middle of the femoral condyles and the tibial plateau, it is a necessary structure to maintain normal biomechanical properties of the knee. Whether walking or exercising, the meniscus plays a vital role to protect the articular surface of both the femoral condyles and the tibial plateau by absorbing the conveying shock from body weight. However, modern people often suffer from irreversible degeneration of joint tissue due to exercise-induced harm or aging. Therefore, understanding its dynamic characteristics will help to learn more about the actual state of motion and to avoid unnecessary injury. This study uses reverse engineering equipment, a 3D optical scanner, and a plastic teaching human body model to build the geometry of knee joint meniscus. Then, the finite element method (FEM) is employed to obtain the dynamic characteristics of the meniscus. The results show the natural frequencies, mode shapes, and fatigue life analysis of meniscus, with real human material parameters. The achieved results can be applied to do subsequent knee dynamic simulation analysis, to reduce the knee joint and lower external impacts, and to manufacture artificial meniscus through tissue engineering.

CoNi/Ni multisegmented cylindrical nanowires were synthesized via an electrochemical route. The wires are 140 nm in diameter, with 1000 nm long Ni segments and CoNi segments between 600 and 1400 nm in length. The magnetic configuration was imaged by XMCD-PEEM in the demagnetized state and at remanence after magnetizing axially and perpendicularly. Ni segments, with cubic crystal symmetry, show an axial magnetic configuration with a small curling component at the surface. In turn, CoNi segments, with hexagonal crystal symmetry and a strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy perpendicular to the nanowires, show a single vortex state in the shorter segments and multivortex or multitransverse magnetic configurations in medium and long segments, respectively. A detailed study by micromagnetic simulations reveals that the magnetic configuration is determined mainly by the coupling between soft Ni and harder CoNi segments. For short CoNi segments, Ni segments are magnetostatically coupled and the chirality of the single vortex formed in CoNi remains the same as that of the curling in neighboring Ni segments. For longer CoNi segments, the remanent state is either the multivortex or multitransverse state depending on whether the previously applied field was parallel or perpendicular to the magnetocrystalline axis. The results point out the relevance of the cylindrical geometry to promote the occurrence of complex magneto-chiral effects and provide key information for the design of cylindrical magnetic nanowires for multiple applications.

A real-time quantitative analytical approach, differential mobility analysis coupled to gas-phase Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (DMA/FTIR), is demonstrated for an aerosol spray-based synt...

Through interfacial polymerization (IP), a polyamide (PA) layer was synthesized on the top of a commercialized polysulfone substrate to form a thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membrane. Graphene oxide (GO) was dosed during the IP process to modify the NF membrane, termed TFC-GO, to enhance oxidant resistance and membrane performance. TFC-GO exhibited increased surface hydrophilicity, water permeability, salt rejection, removal efficiency of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), and H2O2 resistance compared with TFC. When H2O2 exposure was 0–96,000 ppm-h, the surfaces of the TFC and TFC-GO membranes were damaged, and swelling was observed using scanning electron microscopy. However, the permeate flux of TFC-GO remained stable, with significantly higher NaCl, MgSO4, and PPCP rejection with increasing H2O2 exposure intensity than TFC, which exhibited a 3.5-fold flux increase with an approximate 50% decrease in salt and PPCP rejection. GO incorporated into a PA layer could react with oxidants to mitigate membrane surface damage and increase the negative charge on the membrane surface, resulting in the enhancement of the electrostatic repulsion of negatively charged PPCPs. This hypothesis was confirmed by the significant decrease in PPCP adsorption onto the surface of TFC-GO compared with TFC. Therefore, TFC-GO membranes exhibited superior water permeability, salt rejection, and PPCP rejection and satisfactory resistance to H2O2, indicating its great potential for practical applications.

Through interfacial polymerization (IP), a polyamide (PA) layer was synthesized on the top of a commercialized polysulfone substrate to form a thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membrane. Graphene oxide (GO) was dosed during the IP process to modify the NF membrane, termed TFC-GO, to enhance oxidant resistance and membrane performance. TFC-GO exhibited increased surface hydrophilicity, water permeability, salt rejection, removal efficiency of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), and H2O2 resistance compared with TFC. When H2O2 exposure was 0–96,000 ppm-h, the surfaces of the TFC and TFC-GO membranes were damaged, and swelling was observed using scanning electron microscopy. However, the permeate flux of TFC-GO remained stable, with significantly higher NaCl, MgSO4, and PPCP rejection with increasing H2O2 exposure intensity than TFC, which exhibited a 3.5-fold flux increase with an approximate 50% decrease in salt and PPCP rejection. GO incorporated into a PA layer could react with oxidants to mitigate membrane surface damage and increase the negative charge on the membrane surface, resulting in the enhancement of the electrostatic repulsion of negatively charged PPCPs. This hypothesis was confirmed by the significant decrease in PPCP adsorption onto the surface of TFC-GO compared with TFC. Therefore, TFC-GO membranes exhibited superior water permeability, salt rejection, and PPCP rejection and satisfactory resistance to H2O2, indicating its great potential for practical applications.

In recent years, the human gut microbiome has been recognised to play a pivotal role in the health of the host. Intestinal homeostasis relies on this intricate and complex relationship between the gut microbiota and the human host. While much effort and attention has been placed on the characterization of the organisms that inhabit the gut microbiome, the complex molecular cross-talk between the microbiota could also exert an effect on gastrointestinal conditions. Blastocystis is a single-cell eukaryotic parasite of emerging interest, as its beneficial or pathogenic role in the microbiota has been a subject of contention even to-date. In this study, we assessed the function of the Blastocystis tryptophanase gene (BhTnaA), which was acquired by horizontal gene transfer and likely to be of bacterial origin within Blastocystis. Bioinformatic analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction revealed distinct divergence of BhTnaA versus known bacterial homologs. Despite sharing high homology with the E. coli tryptophanase gene, we show that Blastocystis does not readily convert tryptophan into indole. Instead, BhTnaA preferentially catalyzes the conversion of indole to tryptophan. We also show a direct link between E. coli and Blastocystis tryptophan metabolism: In the presence of E. coli, Blastocystis ST7 is less able to metabolise indole to tryptophan. This study examines the potential for functional variation in horizontally-acquired genes relative to their canonical counterparts, and identifies Blastocystis as a possible producer of tryptophan within the gut., Author summary Blastocystis is a genus of microscopic parasites able to infect the human colon. Whether it plays a role in disease has been a topic of debate in the scientific community since its discovery. Some evidence links infection with the parasite to an increase in biodiversity in gut bacteria, which is associated improvements in health. Other evidence links Blastocystis to symptoms of the common gut disease irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. This study shows that Blastocystis interacts with the amino acid tryptophan in an unexpected manner, which may shed light how it might cause disease. We show that it uses an enzyme known as tryptophanase in reverse–in other organisms, tryptophanase converts tryptophan into another molecule known as indole, while Blastocystis converts indole to tryptophan. Cells in the gut called enterochromaffin cells convert tryptophan into the neurotransmitter serotonin. This molecule can influence the behaviour of the gut, and has been linked to symptoms of IBS. We believe that, under some circumstances, an infection with Blastocystis may cause an increase in tryptophan in the gut, which is then converted to serotonin. The excess serotonin would then cause symptoms of the disease.

In this study, we investigated the microstructural and magnetic properties of Pr–Fe–B thin films doped with elemental Cu. The thin coercivity (Hc) of the film was about 200 kA/m in the absence of Cu but increased to about 320 kA/m after adding 8.5–15.3 at.% Cu. A further increase in Cu content led to a decrease in Hc and squareness (S). While adding a small amount of Cu could create pinning sites in the Pr–Fe–B matrix to enhance coercivity, excess Cu addition inhibited the formation of a hard magnetic phase. In this paper, Cu-rich segregation, Pr-rich grain boundaries, de-coupled Pr–Fe–B grains, and exchange coupling between soft and hard phases were the mechanisms used to enhance the magnetic properties of Pr–Fe–B films with Cu. We demonstrated that Pr–Fe–B–Cu thin films containing a suitable amount of Cu are helpful in preparing perpendicular magnetic anisotropic Pr–Fe–B–Cu films.

Co 3 Pt alloy thin films were deposited on the glass substrate at room temperature ( RT ) and 300 °C, which showed high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and isotropy magnetic behaviors, respectively. Co 3 Pt HCP (0002) planes grew along the substrate plane for the films deposited at RT . The easy axis [0001] was consequently vertical to the substrate surface and obtained the predominant PMA. Large magnetic domains and sharp boundary also supported high PMA in RT -deposited samples. On the other hand, the PMA was significantly decreased with increasing the deposition temperature from RT to 300 °C. Hard HCP(0002) and soft A 1(111) co-existed in the film and the magnetic exchanged coupling between these two phases induced isotropy magnetic behavior. In addition, the various thicknesses ( t ) of the RT -deposited Co 3 Pt films were deposited with different base pressures prior to sputtering. The Kerr rotation loops showed high PMA and out-of-plane squareness ( S ⊥ ) of ~0.9 were found in low base pressure chamber. Within high base pressure chamber, Co 3 Pt films just show magnetic isotropy behaviors. This study provides a fabrication method for the preparation of high PMA HCP-type Co 3 Pt films on the glass substrate without any underlayer at RT . The results could be the base for future development of RT- deposited magnetic alloy thin film with high PMA.

The Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) has been proposed for the identification and authentication of devices and cryptographic key generation. A strong PUF provides an extremely large number of device-specific challenge-response pairs (CRP) which can be used for identification. Unfortunately, the CRP mechanism is vulnerable to modeling attack, which uses machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict PUF responses with high accuracy. Many methods have been developed to strengthen strong PUFs with complicated hardware; however, recent studies show that they are still vulnerable by leveraging GPU-accelerated ML algorithms. In this paper, we propose to deal with the problem from a different approach. With a slightly modified CRP mechanism, a PUF can provide poison data such that an accurate model of the PUF under attack cannot be built by ML algorithms. Experimental results show that the proposed method provides an effective countermeasure against modeling attacks on PUF. In addition, the proposed method is compatible with hardware strengthening schemes to provide even better protection for PUFs.

A facile, aerosol-based controlled synthesis of porous Mg-Al-O composite nanoparticle is demonstrated for developing solid base catalysts with high performance for transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel. Pore size, crystallite size and chemical composition of the Mg-Al-O composite nanoparticle are tunable by design. A significantly higher surface area (by 1.8 times) and a smaller pore size (i.e., decreased by 20%) of the Mg-Al-O composite particle achieved by using the aerosol-based synthesis than the conventional method. Hybridization with Al2O3 remarkably increased surface area of the MgO particle by decreasing pore size using homogenous Al precursor or increasing pore volume via choosing heterogeneous Al precursor. The fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) yield catalyzed by Mg-Al-O composite particle was significantly higher in comparison to the results without catalysts (i.e., a maximum of 3.4×). The FAME yield was proportional to methanol-to-oil molar ratio, and the highest yield was identified at Mg/Al = 4, in accordance to the highest number of strong basic site quantified via a CO2-based temperature-programmed desorption study. Operation stability (i.e., FAME yield declined by

L11 structured [Cox/Ptx]n multilayer films (x = 0.1–2 nm and n = 1–20) were prepared by alternate sputtering of Co and Pt layers on glass substrate with textured Pt(111) underlayer. The [Cox/Ptx]n multilayer films showed higher perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and out-of-plane coercivity (Hc ⊥) for x = 0.3–0.5 and n = 4–6. Poor PMA was found when x was below 0.3. Further increase in x and n, the magnetic properties of [Co/Pt]n multilayer films significantly deteriorated. In this study, [Co0.5/Pt0.5]4 multilayer film showed high PMA, high magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant (Ku ~ 2.1 × 106 J/m3), and larger Hc ⊥ (~ 160 kA/m). It is demonstrated that L11 structured [Cox/Ptx]n multilayer films with better perpendicular magnetic properties can be fabricated by alternate sputtering method. The correlation between magnetic properties and microstructures of [Cox/Ptx]n multilayer films with different x and n was also investigated.

In this paper, the vibration and cooling performances of the piezoelectric cooling fan are studied. The finite element and experimental methods are adopted for the analyses. The natural frequency, mode shape, flapping amplitude, and cooling performance are discussed for the primary design. The numerical results have good agreement with the experimental measurements. For the cooling purpose, the piezoelectric cooling fan has to work under the natural frequency. The aspect ratio 2:3 is the optimal geometry of the fan blade.

The Co-rich type Co–Pt alloy thin films were deposited on various thicknesses of Pt underlayer ( $t_{\mathrm {Pt}}$ ) on glass substrates at room temperature. It was observed that the magnetic properties, microstructures, and phase structures of Co–Pt films were significantly affected by Pt(111) underlayer. At $t_{\mathrm {Pt}} = 5$ nm, very small Pt grains induced multiple orientations in Co–Pt films, and then showed the longitudinal magnetic anisotropy (LMA). At $t_{\mathrm {Pt}} = 10$ nm, columnar Co–Pt grains with hcp(002) orientation grew on a single Pt(111) grain, leading $c$ -axis to be normal to the plane. The perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) of the film was enhanced. Further increase the $t_{\mathrm {Pt}}$ above 20 nm, Co–Pt grains exhibited hcp(100) orientation and the LMA is dominated again. In this paper, strong relationship between microstructures and magnetic properties in Co–Pt/Pt bilayer films was observed. The enhanced PMA in the Co–Pt/Pt bilayer film at $t_{\mathrm {Pt}} = 10$ nm is due to the existence of the column-like structure and strong hcp(002) orientations.

High coercivity (Hc) Co-rich type Co–Pt alloy thin films with a columnar grain structure were deposited at room temperature (RT) by magnetron sputtering. Films with a thickness (t) of up to 10 nm had a FCC structure and exhibited soft magnetic properties. When t>25 nm, the magnetic anisotropy changed from in-plane to isotropic. Hc was also enhanced with increasing t and found to be maximum at t=50 nm. The in-plane and out-of-plane Hc of the film was 2.2 and 2.7 kOe, respectively. Further increasing t led to a slight decrease in Hc. Microstructure and phase structure studies revealed columnar Co–Pt grains with a uniform lateral size grown on a 7 nm initial layer. Films with t>25 nm showed a HCP phase, due to the internal stress and volume effect. The microstructural details responsible for the enhanced RT magnetic properties of the HCP Co–Pt alloy thin films were investigated by TEM.

This paper investigates the housing reconstruction approaches of Habitat for Humanity, a Christian international NGO, in Sri Lanka following the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It analyses how Habitat's housing approaches are informed by their religious values, principles of internationally-recognised best practice, and reactions to the broader ‘Buddhist’ and anti-Christian proselytisation politics of Sri Lanka. While much of Habitat's work in housing reconstruction saw it essentially operate as a housing contractor for the government of Sri Lanka and other donors, the projects that lay closer to its philosophical core sought to engage with processes of owner-driven reconstruction, currently recognized as reconstruction best practice. Owner-driven reconstruction informs Habitat's approach to and endorsement of homeowner participation in their housing reconstruction projects. However, Habitat's version of participation differs from international standards as Habitat's reconstruction approaches rework best practice principles for religious ends. This combination has the effect of reducing suspicion of proselytisation, which was a major concern in Sri Lanka during the reconstruction process, while at the same time allowing Habitat to enact its Christian values. As a religious NGO, Habitat therefore adopts multiple reconstruction approaches in order to practice its Christian convictions within a hostile religious-political environment.

Discovery of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in mammalian genomes has excited the field of epigenetics, but information on the genome-wide distribution of 5hmC is limited. Globozoospermia is a rare but severe cause of male infertility. To date, the epigenetic mechanism, especially 5hmC profiles involved in globozoospermia progression, remains largely unknown. Here, utilizing the chemical labeling and biotin-enrichment approach followed by Illumina HiSeq sequencing, we showed that (i) 6664, 9029 and 6318 genes contain 5hmC in normal, abnormal, and globozoospermia sperm, respectively; (ii) some 5hmC-containing genes significantly involves in spermatogenesis, sperm motility and morphology, and gamete generation; (iii) 5hmC is exclusively localized in sperm intron; (iv) approximately 40% imprinted genes have 5hmC modification in sperm genomes, but globozoospermia sperm exhibiting a large portion of imprinted genes lose the 5hmC modification; (v) six imprinted genes showed different 5hmC patterns in abnormal sperm (GDAP1L1, GNAS, KCNK9, LIN28B, RB1, RTL1), and five imprinted genes showed different 5hmC patterns in globozoospermia sperm (KCNK9, LIN28B, RB1, SLC22A18, ZDBF2). These results suggested that differences in genome-wide 5hmC patterns may in part be responsible for the sperm phenotype. All of this may improve our understanding of the basic molecular mechanism underlying sperm biology and the etiology of male infertility.

We present an approach to prepare free-standing tips of micrometer-long nanowires electrodeposited in anodic aluminum oxide nanopores. Such open tips can be further processed, e.g. for vertical interconnects of functional layers or for tailoring the magnetization reversal of ferromagnetic nanowires. The magnetic switching of nanowires is usually initiated by vortex or domain formation at the nanowire tips. We show that coating the tips of FeCo nanowires (diameter 40 nm, length 16 μm) with thin antiferromagnetic FeMn capping layers (thickness ≈10 nm) leads to magnetic hardening with a more than doubled energy product at ambient temperature., RS acknowledges funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under Grant No. SA 3095/2-1. This work has been partly supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under project MAT2013-48054-C2-1-R and MAT2016-76824-C3-1-R.

Co 50−X M X Pt 50 (M = Cu or Ru) films were magnetron sputtered on textured Pt(111) underlayer on glass substrate at 350 °C. The results show that perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of superlattice L 1 1 phase can be maintained well with doping Cu element into CoPt film. Out-of-plane coercivity ( H c ⊥ ) was also increased with the increase of Cu content. However, disordered A 1(111) structure and lower H c ⊥ were obtained with the addition of Ru element in CoPt film. The magnetic force microscopy images indicated that doping Cu diminished the domain size. Oppositely, doping Ru made the domain reversed incompletely. Surface morphology of Co 24 Cu 26 Pt 50 thin film was much smoother than that of Co 23 Ru 27 Pt 50 thin film, indicative of maintenance of the epitaxial growth of L 1 1 (111) from flat Pt(111) underlayer. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the Cu element could be incorporated in L 1 1 CoPt grains; however, the RuPt alloy was segregated at CoPt grain boundary. The cross section TEM pictures showed that the columnar structures starting from Pt(111) underlayer and extending into magnetic CoCuPt(111) layer confirmed that epitaxy existed at CoCuPt/Pt interface. Our research demonstrates that replacing Co with Cu = 23–26 at.% effectively increases the perpendicular magnetic properties of L 1 1 CoPt phase, which largely increase the potential of L 1 1 films for the application of perpendicular magnetic media and advance spintronic device.

In this paper, 4 nm-thick Co 27 Pt 50 Cu 23 magnetic thin films were deposited on a (111)-textured Pt underlayer on a glass substrate at different substrate temperatures (T s ). Hard magnetic behaviors with outstanding perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) were obtained as T s = RT - 400 °C. The result indicates the formation of superstructure L1 1 CoPtCu(111) phase with easy axis aligning perpendicularly to the plane. Above 400 °C, the CoPtCu film showed soft magnetic properties. Ordered L1 1 CoCuPt phase with PMA and high Ku value of about 5.7 × 10 5 J/m 3 is obtained at T s = RT. The result suggests that RT-deposited L1 1 CoPtCu thin film could be a potential candidate for magnetic sensor and spintronic device applications.

Thyroid hormone, L-thyroxine (T4), induces inflammatory genes expressions and promotes cancer growth. It also induces expression of the checkpoint programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which plays a vital role in cancer progression. On the other hand, resveratrol inhibits inflammatory genes expressions. Moreover, resveratrol increases nuclear inducible cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 accumulation, complexes with p53, and induces p53-dependent anti-proliferation. In this study, we investigated the effect of T4 on resveratrol-induced anti-proliferation in oral cancer. T4 increased the expression and cytoplasmic accumulation of PD-L1. Increased expressions of pro-inflammatory genes, interleukin (IL)-1β and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, were shown to stimulate PD-L1 expression. T4 stimulated pro-inflammatory and proliferative genes expressions, and oral cancer cells proliferation. In contrast, resveratrol inhibited those genes and activated anti-proliferative genes. T4 retained resveratrol-induced COX-2 in cytoplasm and prevented COX-2 nuclear accumulation when resveratrol treated cancer cells. A specific signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitor, S31-201, blocked T4-induced inhibition and restored resveratrol-induced nuclear COX-2 accumulation. By inhibiting the T4-activated STAT3 signal transduction axis with S31-201, resveratrol was able to sequentially reestablish COX-2/p53-dependent gene expressions and anti-proliferation. These findings provide a novel understanding of the inhibitory effects of T4 on resveratrol-induced anticancer properties via the sequential expression of PD-L1 and inflammatory genes.

Nd-Fe-B magnetic thin films have been regarded as the potential applications in the permanent magnet and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) because their outstanding magnetic performances [1]. However, the magnetic properties would be deteriorated at 150 K due to the spin reorientation of the hard Nd2Fe14B phase. Therefore, Pr-Fe-B thin film will substitute Nd-Fe-B thin film owing to its very low spin reorientation temperature (∼4.2 K) [2]. However, rare reports investigate about the relation between chemical composition, microstructures, and magnetic properties. In this study, the effect of composition ratio of Pr to Fe on magnetic properties and microstructure would be discussed.

This paper investigates the thermo-electric effects around the crack and notch tips under the electric current load. The research methods include the finite element analysis and thermal imaging experiment. The finite element solutions show that the electric current density field concentrates at the crack tip. Due to the Joule heating, this electric concentration causes the hot spot at the tip zone. From numerical and experimental results, this hot spot is identified. The temperature of the hot spot is affected by the electric load, operation time and geometry of the sample.

Using the numerical and experimental methods, this paper discusses some primary studies on the vibration and cooling performances of the piezoelectric cooling fan with the rectangular blade. When the fan works at its natural frequency, the vibrating displacement is largest and the cooling performance is best. Due to the vibration behavior, the cooling performance is affected by the geometry, material property, and working frequency of the piezoelectric cooling fan., {"references":["M. Toda and S. Osaka, \"Vibrational fan using the piezoelectric polymer \tPVF2,\" Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 67, pp. 1171–1173, 1979.","J.H. Yoo, J.I. Hong and W. Cao, \"Piezoelectric ceramic bimorph coupled \tto thin metal plate as cooling fan for electronic devices,\" Sensors and \tActuators, vol. 79, pp. 8–12, 2000.","T. Acikalin, S.V. Garimella, A. Raman and J. Petroski, \"Characterization \tand optimization of the thermal performance of miniature piezoelectric \tfans,\" International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, vol. 28, pp. \t806–820, 2007.","M. Kimber and S.V. Garimella, \"Measurement and prediction of the \tcooling characteristics of a generalized vibrating piezoelectric fan,\" \tInternational Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 52, pp. \t4470–4478, 2009.","W.J. Sheu, R.T. Huang and C.C. Wang, \"Influence of bonding glues on \tthe vibration of piezoelectric fans,\" Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, \tvol. 148, pp. 115–121, 2008.","J. Yang, The Mechanics of Piezoelectric Structures. New Jersey: World \tScientific Publishing, 2006."]}

This paper aims to develop an on-line Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) framework, where jobs arrive over time, and at any time we lack knowledge concerning future jobs. A due date is determined upon job arrival, and jobs are sequenced on the machine to optimize the sum of weighted lead times with all due dates met. We propose that each ant is associated with a sequence of waiting jobs with quoted due dates. This waiting sequence is constantly updated over time (whenever a job is selected to be processed or a new job arrives). The on-line schedule is constructed by selecting the first job in the waiting list of the "best" ant to process (along with its due date) as the machine becomes available. However, for the ant where this job is not the first one in the list, processing it pushes back the waiting jobs positioned before it. If such push back results in a due date violation, this ant will be eliminated. Further, our ACO framework does not include the iterative procedure due to the characteristics of the on-line problem; this is one difference from the traditional ACO framework besides ant elimination. The computational testing on generated instances shows that our ACO algorithm outperforms an existing effective on-line algorithm in the literature. Also, with local search incorporated using the EDD (Earliest Due Date) rule, improvements can be obtained in both computational outcome and time.

In this paper, we describe a new method of fabricating single CNT emitters by the e-beam lithography process, which is readily available in a modern laboratory. The emission characteristics were systematically studied for samples with various geometries. The field emission results can be fitted using the Fowler–Nordheim (F–N) model. The enhancement factor and turn-on voltage are sensitive to the fine structure of the CNT tip. An explicit expression for the enhancement factor as a function of radius and interelectrode separation is deduced from the experimental results. To our knowledge, this is the first report on this type of equation. The present fabrication offers three advantages over conventional single nanotube emitters: first, the new method allows us to observe the field emission of a single carbon nanotube without a TEM; second, by fabricating CNT emitters with various tube diameters, lengths and interelectrode distances, the dependence of emission properties on the CNT geometry can be systematically studied; finally, by placing the field emitters on a Si substrate, the emitter can be integrated with other miniature devices by applying state-of-the-art nanotechnology. This can open a new field for integrated carbon nanotube devices.

Nd-Fe-B and Pr-Fe-B films are proper magnetic material for application in micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) and magnetic recording media due to their high magnetic performance such as huge magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (K u ), high anisotropy field (H k ), large coercivity (H c ), and huge maximum energy product [(BH) max ] [1-4]. Usually, in order to enhance the magnetic performances of Nd(Pr)-Fe-B films, underlayers with BCC(110) or HCP(0002) structures were adopted [5-9]. When the films were deposited on BCC(110) underlayer, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) dominated the magnetic performance [5-7]. Nevertheless, PMA was declined as the HCP(002) underlayer replaced the BCC(110) underlayer [8,9]. It is notable that an underlayer has their own orientation, for example: W shows BCC(110) [5], and Ti shows HCP(002) [8,9]. The surface energy between Nd(Pr)-Fe-B thin film and underlayer is various in different element under-layers. Therefore, for reducing the variation in underlayers and focus on the change of orientation on the magnetic properties of Nd(Pr)-Fe-B thin film, preparation of an underlayer with two different orientations is necessary, however, the study is still less. Thus, an underlayer with two different phase structures, BCC(110) and HCP(002), was prepared in this study. The effects of different underlayer structures on magnetic properties and microstructures of Pr-Fe-B thin films were investigated.

The HCP structural Co 3 Pt thin film has large magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant (K u ∼ 107 erg/ cm3)[1], relatively lower ordering temperature ( 0 FePt and CoPt phase films for ultrahigh-density magnetic recording media. However, it is difficult to obtain perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) of Co 3 Pt thin films as the film is sputtered on amorphous glass substrate directly. In order to enhance the PMA of the film, inserting an underlayer between magnetic layer and substrate is quite effective method [2-3]. Some efforts have demonstrated that adoption of Pt underlayer can enhance the PMA and magnetic properties of Co 3 Pt thin films [4-5]. Nevertheless, there is less research to discuss the reason that why Pt layer could improve the PMA and magnetic properties of Co 3 Pt thin films. In this study, we inserted a textured Pt (111) underlayer between magnetic Co 3 Pt thin film and glass substrate for study the mechanism to build up the PMA of Co 3 Pt film. This work demonstrated that the PMA of Co 3 Pt film can be improved by inserting a 10nm-thick Pt underlayer. The growth structure of the films plays an important role to enhance the magnetic properties.

L1 0 FePt thin film is regarded as a great potential magnetic material to apply in ultrahigh magnetic recording media owing to its huge coercivity (H c ) and high magnetic anisotropy constant (K u ) [1]. However, too high ordering temperature induced costly production and overload of magnetic head during writing process [2, 3]. it is still difficult to maintain outstanding perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) as the ordering temperature is reduced to lower than 300 °C. L1 1 CoPt phase with rhombohedral lattice could be an alternative magnetic material [4]. The unit cell of L1 1 CoPt phase is constructed respectively by Co and Pt monolayers, rhombohedral superstructure, along [111] easy axis direction [5]. The higher PMA, large K u (similar to L1 0 FePt), and very low ordering temperature (less than L1 0 FePt about 200°C) make L1 1 CoPt film a great opportunity to apply in recording media and spintronic device [6]. Usually, the methods to obtain L1 1 CoPt film focus on co-deposit Co and Pt atoms, which mix both Co and Pt atoms and following deposit them on substrate [7, 8]. Therefore, the atoms incompletely occupied their own superlattice sites, inducing poor magnetic performances. In order to improve the magnetic properties of L1 1 CoPt superstructure films during fabrication process, multilayer structures with alternative stacking of Co and Pt atomic planes was adopted in this study, owing to its special way of layer by layer deposition and controllable diffusion length between layers. We systematically change the Co thickness to Pt thickness ratio and total thickness of [Co/Pt] n multilayers. The results and mechanisms will be discussed in detail in full paper.

In this paper, the mechanism, inspection, and inline monitor of plasma charging defects found in an active area (AA) corner and edge using a poly-buffer (PB) STI process is reported. These defects are formed by the arcing (or discharging) through weak spots of pad-oxide between the poly-buffer layer and substrate as resulting from the charging of poly buffer layer during reverse-AA oxide etching. Such defect formation is found to be strongly enhanced by the magnetic field used in oxide etchers but not related to etch rate and plasma density. The defect inspection on patterned wafers is found to be strongly correlated to the flat-band voltage (V/sub fb/) and to a lesser extent to oxide charge (Q/sub tot/) degradation on in-line unpatterned oxide wafers. Therefore, the shift of V/sub tb/ and Q/sub tot/ on unpatterned wafers can be effective inline monitors for plasma charging damage during reverse-AA etching in PB-STI process.

Background Infective endocarditis (IE) due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa is rare and accounts for only about 3% of all patients with this disease. Most infections are associated with the use of intravenous drugs. Patients with P. aeruginosa -related IE who do not use intravenous drugs are extremely rare. We carried out a review of the literature to identify the nature and risk factors of this disease. Methods Patients with IE reported between 1993 and 2013 were reviewed by searching the Medline database using the keywords "endocarditis" and " Pseudomonas aeruginosa ". All of the patients included met the definition of the modified Duke criteria. Results Twenty-seven patients in 22 reports were reviewed. IE associated with health care accounted for 20 patients (74%). The mean age of the patients was 53.4 years and there was a predominance of men (81.5%). Native valve endocarditis was seen in 20 (74.1%) patients. Surgery for infection control was performed in 15 (55.6%) patients and the mortality rate in patients who underwent surgery was 33.3% (five patients). A relapse of IE after adequate treatment was seen in nine (33.3%) patients. The mortality rate in all 27 patients was 28.6% (2/7) for those with community-acquired IE and 40% (8/20) for those with IE associated with health care. Univariate analysis showed a higher mortality rate in patients aged >60 years and in those whose source of endocarditis was related to a prosthetic device. Conclusion P. aeruginosa endocarditis has substantial morbidity and mortality. It is characterized by easy relapse and is highly associated with prosthetic devices.

This paper discusses some notes on the vibration design for the piezoelectric cooling fan. After reviewing the fundamental formulas of the cantilever Euler beam, it is not easy to find the optimal design of the piezoelectric fan. The experiments also show the complicated results of the vibration behavior and air flow., {"references":["","M. Toda and S. Osaka, \"Vibrational fan using the piezoelectric polymer PVF2,\"Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 67, pp. 1171–1173, 1979.","J.H. Yoo, J.I. Hong and W. Cao, \"Piezoelectric ceramic bimorph coupled to thin metal plate as cooling fan for electronic devices,\" Sensors and Actuators, vol. 79, pp. 8–12, 2000.","T. Acikalin, S.V. Garimella, A. Raman and J. Petroski, \"Characterization and optimization of the thermal performance of miniature piezoelectric fans,\" International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, vol. 28, pp. 806–820, 2007.","M. Kimber and S.V. Garimella, \"Measurement and prediction of the cooling characteristics of a generalized vibrating piezoelectric fan,\" International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 52, pp. 4470–4478, 2009.","W.J. Sheu, R.T. Huang and C.C. Wang, \"Influence of bonding glues on the vibration of piezoelectric fans,\" Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, vol. 148, pp. 115–121, 2008.","H.K. Ma, H.C. Su, C.L. Liu and W.H. Ho, \"Investigation of a piezoelectric fan embedded in a heat sink,\" International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 39, pp. 603609, 2012.","J. Yang, Analysis of Piezoelectric Devices. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 2006.","T.J.C. Liu, \"Fracture mechanics and crack contact analyses of the active repair of multi-layered piezoelectric patches bonded on cracked structures,\" Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics, vol. 47, pp.120-132, 2007.","J.M. Gere and B.J. Goodno, Mechanics of Materials. 8th Ed., Singapore: Cengage Learning, 2013.\n[10] L. Meirovitch, Fundamentals of Vibrations. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001."]}

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a major causative agent of severe infections, including sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis, and otitis media, and has become a major public health concern. We report the pneumococcal serotype and sequence type (ST) distribution, and antimicrobial resistance of 39 S. pneumoniae strains from seven hospitals in China.Blood/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and sputum isolates from patients were analyzed to determine S. pneumoniae serotypes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the Neufeld Quellung reaction, the multilocus sequence types (MLST) by PCR and sequencing, and susceptibility to antimicrobial agents by the VITEK Gram Positive Susceptibility Card.A total of 39 isolates were collected including 21 blood/CSF and 18 sputum isolates. Conventional serotyping by the Quellung reaction required 749 reactions. In contrast, PCR based typing needed only 106 PCR reactions. The most frequent serotypes from the blood/CSF isolates were 14 (38.1%), 19A (14.3%), 23F (9.5%), and 18C (9.5%). In the sputum isolates the most frequent serotypes were 19F (33.3%), 23F (16.7%), 19A (11.1%), and 3 (11.1%). The incidence of penicillin resistance in the blood/CSF and sputum isolates was 66.7% and 55.6%, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that patients = 5 years old had a higher resistance to penicillin when they compared with the patients = 65 years old (P = 0.011). Serotypes 14, 19A and 19F were significantly associated with penicillin resistance (P0.001). ST320, ST271, and ST876 isolates showed high resistant rates to several antibiotics including penicillin (P = 0.006). All of the isolates of serotype 19A were resistant to both penicillin and erythromycin, and they were all multi-drug resistant (MDR) isolates.The specificity and sensitivity of multiplex-PCR are good, and this method represents a substantial savings of time and money, and can be widely used in the laboratory and clinical practice. Data from this research showed an extremely high prevalence of penicillin resistance and an increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) rate in S. pneumoniae. A distinctive emergence of serotype 19A was observed which was also associated with the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, nationwide surveillance of pneumococcal resistance and serotypes is strongly warranted.

ICR mice were each infected with 35 Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae. One group of mice received an intraperitoneal injection of anti-CCR3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) (50 microg) at 10 days post-infection (dpi), while another similarly-treated group also received a booster injection (25 microg) at 12 dpi. All the mice were sacrificed at 14 dpi for pathological examination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis and RNA extraction. The infiltration of eosinophils and the severity of eosinophilic meningitis were reduced in both the mAb-treated groups, relative to infected but untreated animals. The levels of CCL11 (eotaxin) in the peripheral circulation and the expression of the Th2-type cytokine interleukin-5 in the brains were significantly reduced. A. cantonensis infection is the major cause of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in Taiwan, and the results of this study could be useful for the development of strategies to reduce the neurological damage caused by this infection.

Sterically hindered water-soluble iron(III) tetrakis(sulfonatomesityl)porphine (FeTSMP) exists exclusively in its monomer form in neutral and basic aqueous solutions. The acid dissociation constant (pKa) for FeIIITSMP is 6.6. The FeIII/IITSMP couple has a formal reduction potential at −0.22 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in an acidic buffer solution. The E°-pH diagram shows that E° is independent of pH until the pH is larger than the pKa. The acid dissociation constant for FeIITSMP is 11.7. The redox potential of FeIII/IITSMP shifts positively when imidazole is present, indicating the ligation of imidazole to FeIITSMP. At pH 4.0 and 10.2 buffer solutions, two imidazoles are found to ligate at the iron(III) center with β2 = 104.7 and 104.1, respectively. The E°-pH diagram indicates that the pKa of (ImH)2FeIIITSMP is 11.3 at 0.03 M imidazole solution. The oxidation of FeIIITSMP could involve two one-electron transfer processes, namely, one electron oxidation at the iron center, while another at the porphyrin ring. The two one-electron oxidations are found to overlap at pH = 5.5 and separate as the pH increases by shifting of the potential at the iron center, which is pH dependent. The radical cation of porphyrin ring is not stable and decomposes rapidly in water.

Background/Purpose Acute respiratory tract infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. Most have a viral etiology, with pneumococcus as an important pathogen. This single-center study compared the use of conventional diagnostic tools and two multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) examinations for determining pathogens in lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) among children aged Methods From July to October 2010, 45 patients aged 2 months to 60 months and diagnosed as having LRTIs were enrolled. Their nasopharyngeal aspirates were evaluated through viral culture and two multiplex PCR examinations. The patients' clinical course, symptoms, signs, and laboratory findings were recorded and analyzed. Results Among the 45 patients, 38 (84.4%) had detectable pathogens. Conventional viral and blood cultures had 35.6% positive rate, which increased to 51.1% when the quick antigen tests (Influenza A+B test and respiratory syncytial virus) and urine pneumococcal antigen test were combined. The positive rate further increased to 84.4% when the two multiplex PCR methods were combined. Twelve patients had co-infection, including 10 detected by the multiplex PCR methods. The co-infection rate was 26.7% (12/45). Conclusion Most LRTIs in children have a viral etiology. Multiplex PCR tests are rapid assays that can increase the diagnostic yield rate and detect slow-growing viruses and can detect more pathogens than conventional viral culture to enable, thereby helping clinicians to provide appropriate and timely treatment.

Background Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) play an important role in pediatric diseases; however, there are limited data about LRTIs in Southern Taiwan. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and epidemiological data of LRTIs in this area. Methods Children aged under 5 years who were hospitalized at a medical center in Southern Taiwan with acute LRTIs from July 2010 to October 2010 (summer) and from March 2011 to May 2011 (spring) were prospectively enrolled. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were obtained and sent for viral cultures, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and traditional quick tests. The clinical features, laboratory data, and imaging findings were recorded and analyzed. Results A total of 90 children were enrolled, 70 of whom had detectable pathogens. The positive rate of conventional viral and bacterial cultures was 25.6%, which increased to 77.77% after combining with the two multiplex PCR methods. Adenovirus and enterovirus were the most common viral etiologies identified (26.5% of cases) and Streptococcus pneumoniae was the leading bacterial etiology (46.4%). The seasonal trend of viral infections in Southern Taiwan was different from Northern Taiwan. There were no differences in demographic data, severity of disease, or hospital stay between single and mixed infections. A similar result was found between nonpneumococcal and pneumococcal infections. Conclusion Viral infections were the main etiologies of LRTIs in young children. Multiplex PCR methods are rapid assays that can increase the diagnostic yield rate. Mixed infections do not seem to affect the severity of disease. Early detection may aid clinicians in appropriate decision-making and treatment.