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Correctly identifying multiword expressions (MWEs) is an important task for most natural language processing systems since their misidentification can result in ambiguity and misunderstanding of the underlying text. In this work, we evaluate the performance of the mBERT model for MWE identification in a multilingual context by training it on all 14 languages available in version 1.2 of the PARSEME corpus. We also incorporate lateral inhibition and language adversarial training into our methodology to create language-independent embeddings and improve its capabilities in identifying multiword expressions. The evaluation of our models shows that the approach employed in this work achieves better results compared to the best system of the PARSEME 1.2 competition, MTLB-STRUCT, on 11 out of 14 languages for global MWE identification and on 12 out of 14 languages for unseen MWE identification. Additionally, averaged across all languages, our best approach outperforms the MTLB-STRUCT system by 1.23% on global MWE identification and by 4.73% on unseen global MWE identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the end of the First World War, between Romania and Yugoslavia started a conflict because of the establishment of the borders between the two countries, but also because of the Banat problem. The Romanian-Yugoslavian debate dedicated to Banat is part of a series of conflicts that came at the end of the First World War, when the great empires have disappeared also. Despite of all the disagreements, the two states succeeded to step over the Banat different. Later, the two states, Romania and Yugoslavia were members of the same alliances, the little Antanta and Balkan Antanta and developed interesting and fruitful relationships that helped to the strengthen of their relationships and better communication between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sociological concept of superdiversity (Vertovec 2007) has proved to be conducive to novel insights in the sociolinguistic study of the effects of globalization (see e.g. Blommaert 2010, Blommaert and Rampton 2011) in cities, which are a typical locus of linguistic superdiversity (Calvet 2011). A region exhibiting considerable superdiversity, triggered by both rapid urbanization and a huge inflow of immigrant workers from a variety of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, is the Arabian Gulf (Bassiouney 2009). The language situation is characterized, in addition to diglossia (Standard Arabic - local dialects), by processes such as koinéization and the rise of Arabic urban vernaculars (Miller 2007), the use of English, the emergence of Gulf Pidgin Arabic within the context of untutored adult second language acquisition, and the extensive use of the Foreigner Talk register of Arabic. This paper examines one manifestation of this linguistic superdiversity: the influence of the Foreigner Talk register of Arabic on Gulf Pidgin Arabic. The following structural features of Gulf Pidgin Arabic are considered: 'two' + singular noun; the omission of the definite article; the invariant masculine singular form of adjectives; the independent pronouns; the invariant masculine singular form of the demonstrative; the invariant forms of verbs; the light verb constructions with 'make'; time adverbials to express tense and aspect; fi + adjective; fi + verb; variable word order; lexical items from English and from other languages; lexical polysemy; circumlocutions. It is shown that all these features are also attested in Arabic Foreigner Talk. This suggests that Arabic Foreigner Talk might be one of the sources of Gulf Pidgin Arabic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a test battery was developed with the goal of assessing perception of F0 in linguistic, but language-independent, contexts by listeners from different language backgrounds. Test validation using Dutch, Italian and Romanian listeners generally showed comparable performance. In this study we present cross-language results on how F0 contributes to prominence perception in Dutch (a Germanic language) and Italian and Romanian (Romance languages), as well as on how F0 trades off with duration, a second important cue to prominence. We discuss implications of these results for the language-independent set-up of the test battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to model, design and fabricate a biodynamic analysis microsystem required for determination of various molecular transport properties of the biological fluids. In order to achieve this, a lab-on-a-chip device was fabricated. The microchannel system developed satisfies the objectives for the study of microcirculation and the characterization of cell rheological properties, functions and behavior. The measurement principle of the viscosity of biological fluids is based on the detection of the rotation of a polysilicon gear wheels system. The gear wheels have external diameters of 250μm, 200μm, 160μm and 3μm thickness. The micromachining process combines the undercut and refill technique with pin-joint bearing permitting the fabrication of bushings that were used to elevate the rotor away from the silicon surface. The testing of the microfluidic dynamic system was performed using an electromagnetic micropump and a magnetic controller. Each device was fabricated by silicon micromachining technology and tested to obtain the specific characteristics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we present for the first time a field-effect-transistor (FET) having a 10 nm thick tin sulfide (SnS) channel fabricated at the wafer scale with high reproducibility. SnS-based FETs are in on-state for increasing positive back-gate voltages up to 6 V, whereas the off-state is attained for negative back-gate voltages not exceeding âˆ'6 V, the on/off ratio being in the range 102â€"103 depending on FET dimensions. The SnS FETs show a subthreshold slope (SS) below 60 mV/decade thanks to the in-plane ferroelectricity of SnS and attaining a minimum value SS = 21 mV/decade. Moreover, the low SS values can be explained by the existence of a negative value of the capacitance of the SnS thin film up to 10 GHz (for any DC bias voltage between 1 and 5 V), with the minimum value being âˆ'12.87 pF at 0.1 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystalline graphite/graphene (NCG) has been studied well before graphene was successfully produced in 2004. Despite the fact that NCG thin films cannot reach the high performance of large‐area graphene in some of its properties, they are able to provide significant benefits for various applications, besides being easier to produce and integrate into devices with current processing technologies. We present here, a comprehensive account of the large variety of synthesis methods, as well as of the already large range of potential applications for NCG thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastasis is the main cause of death in cancer patients worldwide. During metastasis, cancer cells detach from the primary tumor and invade distant tissue. The cells that undergo this process are called circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Studies show that the number of CTCs in the peripheral blood can predict progression-free survival and overall survival and can be informative concerning the efficacy of treatment. Research is now concentrated on developing devices that can detect CTCs in the blood of cancer patients with improved sensitivity and specificity that can lead to improved clinical evaluation. This review focuses on devices that detect and capture CTCs using different cell properties (surface markers, size, deformability, electrical properties, etc.). We also discuss the process of tumor cell dissemination, the biology of CTCs, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and several challenges and clinical applications of CTC detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yttrium-based phosphor materials belonging to the class known as garnets have witnessed a strong return with the development of the first white LEDs. Among these materials, yttrium aluminum garnet doped with cerium has become the best known, being successfully used in generating white light, due to its capacity to convert the blue light emitted by a GaN chip. But its use in optoelectronic applications is subject to the achievement of parameters such as: purity of the crystal phase and particles size in the nanoscale range. In this study, we present a modified sol-gel method for the synthesis of yttrium aluminum garnet doped with cerium (YAG:Ce). In the end, heat treatment will be carried out at various temperatures and the effect of sintering temperature on the crystal phase and morphology will be studied. To highlight the phase transition from amorphous to crystalline state, a Rigaku SmartLab X-ray Diffraction System was used. Moreover, by the X-Ray diffraction pattern we evidenced the presence of the intermediate phases such as the main oxides, the metastable phases with perovskite (YAP) and monoclinic (YAM) structure and finally the garnet phase (YAG). The presence of the dopant in the crystalline structure was demonstrated. The microstructure and morphology evolution of the particles were assessed by using the FEI Nova NanoSEM system. Getting garnet phase and particles with spherical and smooth surfaces at the nanoscale range after a sintering treatment at 1100° C indicates a phosphor applicable in optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we show in a series of experiments on 10 nm thick SnS thin film-based back-gate transistors that in the absence of the gate voltage, the drain current versus drain voltage (I D– V D) dependence is characterized by a weak drain current and by an ambipolar transport mechanism. When we apply a gate voltage as low as 1 μ V, the current increases by several orders of magnitude and the I D– V D dependence changes drastically, with the SnS behaving as a p -type semiconductor. This happens because the current flows from the source (S) to the drain (D) electrode through a discontinuous superficial region of the SnS film when no gate voltage is applied. On the contrary, when minute gate voltages are applied, the vertical electric field applied to the multilayer SnS induces a change in the flow path of the charge carriers, involving the inner and continuous SnS layer in the electrical conduction. Moreover, we show that high gate voltages can tune significantly the SnS bandgap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a versatile technique for the characterization of materials belonging to the carbon family. Based on the interaction of the IR radiation with matter this technique may be used for the identification and characterization of chemical structures. Most important features of this method are: non-destructive, real-time measurement and relatively easy to use. Carbon basis for all living systems has found numerous industrial applications from carbon coatings (i.e. amorphous and nanocrystalline carbon films: diamond-like carbon (DLC) films) to nanostructured materials (fullerenes, nanotubes, graphene) and carbon materials at nanoscale or carbon dots (CDots). In this paper, we present the FTIR vibrational spectroscopy for the characterization of diamond, amorphous carbon, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), fullerene and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), without claiming to cover entire field. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As metasurfaces begin to find industrial applications there is a need to develop scalable and cost-effective fabrication techniques which offer sub-100 nm resolution while providing high throughput and large area patterning. Here we demonstrate the use of UV-Nanoimprint Lithography and Deep Reactive Ion Etching (Bosch and Cryogenic) towards this goal. Robust processes are described for the fabrication of silicon rectangular pillars of high pattern fidelity. To demonstrate the quality of the structures, metasurface lenses, which demonstrate diffraction limited focusing and close to theoretical efficiency for NIR wavelengths λ ∈ (1.3 μm, 1.6 μm), are fabricated. We demonstrate a process which removes the characteristic sidewall surface roughness of the Bosch process, allowing for smooth 90-degree vertical sidewalls. We also demonstrate that the optical performance of the metasurface lenses is not affected adversely in the case of Bosch sidewall surface roughness with 45 nm indentations (or scallops). Next steps of development are defined for achieving full wafer coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper we have studied the possibility to obtain nanocomposites by embedding yttrium aluminum garnet doped with Ce3+ and Gd3+ (YAG:Ce,Gd) phosphor in different polymer matrices, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and epoxy resin (RE), for deposition on blue chips with the applicable purpose of generating white light. In order to obtain the nanocomposites, the ex-situ method which is based on the formation of a homogeneous mixture between phosphor and the polymeric matrix was chosen. YAG:Ce,Gd phosphor is previously dispersed in a suitable solvent for increasing the degree of compatibility with the polymer matrix. The device obtained to demonstrate the possibility of using the composites in white light emission, consists of a printed circuit containing pads on which 12 blue chips can be mounted. After welding the chips and connecting them using gold wire, YAG:Ce,Gd-based nanocomposites were injected and a thermal treatment was performed for cross-linking the composite at temperatures below 120 °C. The maximum temperature is imposed by the functionality parameters of a blue chip. The developed materials were analyzed from a morphological, structural and optical point of view using FTIR spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, AFM microscopy and photoluminescence spectrometry as characterization techniques. The quality of the light emitted was studied from the photometric point of view, finding an improvement of the CRI parameter compared to a commercial white LED. The chromaticity coordinates were studied and a "warm white" light was found for the RE-YAG:Ce,Gd and "cold white" composite for the PDMS-YAG:Ce,Gd and PMMA-YAG:Ce,Gd composites. Image 1 • In the present paper we are using a YAG:Ce,Gd phosphor obtained by co-precipitation and polymers (PDMS, PMMA, epoxy resin). • We have obtained nanocomposites for the development of white light emission lighting systems. • The matrix devices based on YAG based nanocomposite exhibit white light emission. • "Warm white" light was found for the RE-YAG:Ce,Gd and "cold white" composite for PDMS-YAG:Ce,Gd and PMMA-YAG:Ce,Gd composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single layer graphene was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition method (CVD), on copper foil, and then transferred on gold structured electrodes. The transferred single layer graphene has high electrical conductivity and high specific surface area, these properties are very applicable for enhanced sensor performance. A detailed analysis of the transferred graphene on the gold structured electrodes was performed by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Raman spectroscopy indicates that the single layer graphene film was transferred successfully on the gold/glass substrate. The gold structure coverage and the transferred layer uniformity were performed by SEM, in order to determine the graphene morphology after transfer. The influence of single layer graphene on electrochemical performance for working electrodes was studied by CV and EIS. The results established performance through: 1) the capacitance of double layer for gold electrodes reached up to 0.5 mF; 2) the graphene on gold electrodes exhibited significant better capacitance of double layer: 0.13 mF and the superior electrochemical properties. Unlabelled Image • Single layer graphene was prepared by CVD method • Single layer graphene was transferred on gold electrodes • Samples were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, SEM, CV, EIS • Graphene on gold electrodes exhibited the superior electrochemical properties [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A thick nano-crystalline graphite film (NCG, ∼350 nm) was grown on dielectric substrate (SiO 2 , ∼110 nm) using plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) aiming the development of an electrochemical sensor for caffeic acid. The obtained sensor was characterised using several investigation techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The data evidenced the coexistence in the investigated sample of the nano-crystalline graphite/graphene domains, while the NCG sheet resistance (∼340 Ω/sq.) is matching well the value reported for few-layers graphene film, revealing for the nano-crystalline graphite film a better ordered graphene structure and an improved electrical conduction in the interconnected graphene domains. The sensor for caffeic acid, operating at an applied potential of +0.4 V vs. Hg/Hg 2 Cl 2 reference electrode showed a linear working range comprised between 5.0 × 10−5 and 1.0 × 10−3 M, and very good capabilities against real samples analysis. The reproducibility of the developed sensor was assessed in the presence of 0.1 mM caffeic acid and the relative standard deviation was 5.84% (n = 11). Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Nano-crystalline graphite (NCG) grown on dielectric substrate (SiO 2). • NCG sheet resistance (∼340 Ω/sq.) analogous to few-layer graphene film. • NCG film was used as sensing layer for caffeic acid determination in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the therapeutic antitumour effect of magnetic hyperthermia enhanced by ?-Fe2O3 superparamagnetic nanoparticles in B16 mouse melanoma. Therapeutic protocol consisted of two sessions of intravenous nanoparticle administration, followed by a local exposure to a magnetic field concentrator for 10 minutes and to an external alternating magnetic field (120 kHz and 18 mT) for 30 minutes, tumour being heated to 43°C. The results revealed a strong decrease in tumour volumes at the end of therapy, thus confirming the effectiveness of local magnetic hyperthermia. FTIR and Raman characterization after treatment revealed cellular apoptosis through the occurrence of the oxidative process in the tumoral tissues and the detection of the phosphatidylserine bond. The apoptosis of B16 melanoma cells was studied by FTIR and Raman spectrometry. The results clearly suggest the apoptosis of melanoma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of their photo-optical distinctiveness and biocompatibility, gold nanoparticles have proven to be powerful tools in various nanomedical applications. In this article, we discuss the advantage of gold nanoparticles in image diagnostic application of melanoma. It has demonstrated the potential role of gold nanoparticles in the study of tumour tissue architecture and the utility of gold nanoparticles in the hystopathological exam of B16 melanoma with the benefit of fluorescence emission of gold nanoparticles in UV spectrum. The optical properties of colloidal gold nanoparticles allow spectroscopic detection and identification of melanoma cells. The method proposed is easy, inexpensive and reliable for hystopathological analysis of melanoma. The fluorescence images in the cryosections of tissues depicted a strong luminescence property of gold nanoparticles uptaken in melanoma, results that confirm the role of the gold nanoparticles in biological labelling and imaging applications. To emphasize the AuNPs influence over the biological tissues, a study of the chemical bonds configuration was performed using Raman spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The auditory speech sounds evaluation 2009 test battery for assessment of speech pitch perception is presented. It was designed to (a) assess perception of pitch in linguistic contexts without the confounds of secondary acoustic cues, (b) be usable with listeners from different language backgrounds, and (c) be suitable for use in a clinical setting. The need for this test battery arises from increased awareness of the importance of prosody in clinical practice, and the development of methods for improving pitch perception in listeners with profound hearing losses. Methods Identification and discrimination tasks based on linguistic contexts were developed to establish listeners' just noticeable differences (JNDs) for pitch changes. Stimuli were pseudosentences and pseudowords based on speech from a female speaker, overlain with stylized pitch contours. Target pitch excursions were varied from the 200 Hz baseline to a maximum of 349 Hz. Ninety normal-hearing listeners participated in test validation that assessed goals (a)-(c), established test-retest reliability, and gathered normative data. Results The JNDs on non-linguistic, control tasks were lower than on linguistic ones, showing that non-linguistic tasks may overestimate pitch perception in speech. Listeners from different language backgrounds scored comparably on most linguistic tasks, and test-retest differences were non-significant. Test usability as evidenced by task duration and subject experience seemed satisfactory for clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]