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We report on the fabrication and characterization of a Ga 2 O 3 -based UV-C photodetector using the aerosol deposition (AD) method. By optimizing the size and crystallinity of the Ga 2 O 3 powder, we were able to obtain a uniform thin film with high transmittance (70–80%) without the need for additional heat treatment or high vacuum environments. The resulting Ga 2 O 3 film exhibited a high and selective response to 254 nm wavelength light, even without any treatment, and remained stable when exposed to γ-radiation. The photodetector also performed well in extreme temperatures (−196 °C–150 °C), making it suitable for use in harsh environments, such as the space industry. Our findings demonstrate the potential of the AD method for the fabrication of high-quality Ga 2 O 3 thin films for photodetector applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employ tools and techniques from multivariable operator theory to obtain new proofs and extensions of well known inequalities regarding the norm and the numerical radius of elementary operators defined on the C ⁎ –algebra of all bounded operators on Hilbert space, or on the ⁎–ideal of Hilbert-Schmidt operators. In the process, we provide new insights on the study of Heinz-type inequalities related to the arithmetic-geometric mean inequality, and generalize results of several authors, including R. Bhatia, G. Corach, C. Davis, F. Kittaneh, and M.S. Moslehian. To estimate the norm, our approach exploits, in particular, the Spectral Mapping Theorem for the Taylor spectrum, and Ky Fan's Dominance Theorem. For the numerical radius, we use S. Hildebrandt's description of the numerical range of an operator in terms of the norm of its translates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although start-up is a critical procedure in biofilm-based processes, systematic research aimed at improving start-up efficiency in hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactors (H 2 -MBfRs) is lacking. In this study, we investigated the effects of H 2 pressure on the stabilized denitrification performance of H 2 -MBfRs during start-up. Following inoculation with anoxic sludge, the biomass was acclimated to various H 2 pressures. The increase in denitrifying microbial activity under high H 2 pressures (i.e., H 2 flux) shortened the denitrification lag time and reduced NO 3 –N removal flux, indicating an improved acclimation efficiency. The acclimated biomass was attached to membranes under different H 2 pressures. High H 2 pressures impeded biomass attachment, possibly because of bubble-less evaporation. Reducing the H 2 pressure appeared to be necessary for improving the biomass attachment. However, this measure decreased previously acclimated denitrification activity. Therefore, the loss of both acclimation and biomass adhesion must be considered during the attachment phase. The highest removal flux (0.63 e- eq/m2-d) was obtained after just 3.5 d of acclimated biomass attachment (i.e., activated sludge floc) at 1.6 bar. During Phase 3, the initial performance was further improved to 0.89 e- eq/m2-d by gradually increasing the H 2 pressure. These results provide a start-up strategy for improving the initial performance of H 2 -MBfRs. [Display omitted] • The stabilization performance of H 2 -MBfRs was improved by adjusting the H 2 pressure. • High H 2 pressures can increase the acclimation efficiency of the inoculum. • Biomass can be hindered from membrane attachment by high H 2 pressures. • A gradual increase in H 2 pressure can further improve the initial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most critical points in the study of LIB-related materials is the extremely high reactivity of Li. In addition to pure Li metal, many Li-containing materials employed in LIBs are highly reactive under ambient conditions. Therefore, they should be stored and treated in an inert environment, such as vacuum chambers and gloveboxes filled with inert gases. In particular, most pristine cathode materials contain Li and are more reactive in air than pristine anode materials are. For instance, various impurities, mostly Li 2 CO 3 , are grown on the surface of pristine NCA (LiNi x Co y Al z O 2 , x + y + z = 1) materials. The precise characterization of these ambient-induced surface impurities is critical for understanding the intrinsic properties of these cathode materials. In this study, we directly image and characterize ambient-induced surface impurities formed on the surface of high-Ni NCA (LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2) materials using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM). The ambient-induced surface impurities show clearly distinguishable work functions and resistance features compared with the pristine NCA surface. In particular, it is confirmed that the resistance of ambient-induced impurities is significantly higher than that of pristine NCA materials, which can deteriorate the performance of LIB cells. This study provides direction for the fabrication, storage, and processing of LIB cathode materials. • Ambient-induced surface impurities formed on the surface of NCA cathode materials were directly imaged and characterized. • KPFM and SSRM were used for measuring the work function and the resistance of ambient-induced impurities at the nanoscale. • The ambient-induced surface impurities have distinguishable work functions compared with the fresh NCA surface. • The resistance of ambient-induced impurities was significantly higher than that of the fresh NCA surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anterior surgical approach to the cervical spine is known to be safe, and damage to the hypoglossal nerve and trigeminal pathway after the surgery is uncommon. However, once damage to those nerves occurs, the patient's quality of life can be severely impaired by discomfort and disability. We report the case of a 59-year-old male with concomitant and irreversible hypoglossal nerve and trigeminal system dysfunction after cervical spine surgery by the anterior approach confirmed by an electrodiagnostic study. He had undergone anterior cervical disc fusion through right-sided approach for a herniated intervertebral disc on the C3-4 level and direct cord compression. He had difficulty with tongue movement, dysarthria, and hypesthesia along the lower margin of the right mandible immediately after the surgery. An electrodiagnostic study revealed hypoglossal neuropathy and trigeminal somatosensory pathway dysfunction. Even though the patient received rehabilitation therapy for impaired tongue movement for more than 2 years, this function did not recover. It is important to be aware of the complexity of the anatomy of vulnerable structures, including hypoglossal nerves and the trigeminal nerve system at the cervical spine level, to prevent damage to important neural structures during surgical procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to develop a pH-responsive organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposite as an effective oral delivery system for protein drugs. Three different nanocomposites were prepared by using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. A nanocomplex of BSA with 3-aminopropyl functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate (AC-BSA) was obtained via the spontaneous co -assembly and then sequentially coated with glycol-chitosan (GAC-BSA) and the pH sensitive polymer, Eudragit®L100–55 (EGAC-BSA). These organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposites exhibited high entrapment efficiency (86–99%) and their structural characteristics were confirmed by using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and circular dichroism analysis, indicating that the secondary structure of BSA was well retained in the nanocomposites. At pH 1.2, AC-BSA achieved rapid drug release of about 80% within 2 h, while GAC-BSA and EGAC-BSA exhibited slow drug release of 30% and 15%, respectively, indicating that the surface-coated nanocomposites were more stable in the gastric condition. Furthermore, the conformational stability of BSA entrapped in EGAC-BSA was well retained in the presence of proteolytic enzymes, suggesting that EGAC-BSA should be effective in protecting the protein against gastrointestinal harsh environment. Compared to free BSA, all of tested nanocomposites demonstrated 2.1–3.8-fold higher cellular uptake in Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, energy-dependent endocytosis and paracellular pathway contributed to the cellular transport of nanoparticles. After oral administration in rats, EGAC-BSA significantly enhanced the intestinal permeation of BSA compared to free BSA. In conclusion, EGAC-BSA appears to be promising as an effective oral delivery system for proteins with enhanced intestinal absorption. Unlabelled Image • An organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomplex was developed for oral protein delivery. • Conformational stability of BSA was well retained in the nanocomplex (EGAC-BSA). • EGAC-BSA was stable in acidic conditions with minimal protein release. • The oral administration of EGAC-BSA significantly improved the intestinal permeation of BSA in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Navigation on graphs is the problem how an agent walking on the graph can get from a source to a target with limited information about the graph. The information and the way to exploit it can vary. In this paper, we study navigation on temporal networks—networks where we have explicit information about the time of the interaction, not only who interacts with whom. We contrast a type of greedy navigation – where agents follow paths that would have worked well in the past – with two strategies that do not exploit the additional information. We test these on empirical temporal network data sets. The greedy navigation finds the targets faster and more reliably than the reference strategies, meaning that there are correlations in the real temporal networks that can be exploited. We find that both topological and temporal structures affect the navigation. Highlights • Introducing the problem of navigation on temporal networks. • Exploring different ways to operationalize the incomplete information. • Proposing different navigation strategies that are only using ex ante information. • Found that both static and temporal network structure determine the navigability. • Shows that in real networks there are structures that could be exploited in navigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to design the effective formulation of sorafenib (SF) to enhance the oral drug absorption. Three liposomal formulations of SF were prepared including uncoated liposome (SF-Lip), glycol chitosan-coated liposome (GC-SF-Lip), and Eudragit S100-glycol-chitosan coated liposome (SGC-SF-Lip). All formulations showed a narrow size distribution with a high encapsulation efficiency. Both GC-SF-Lip and SGC-SF-Lip exhibited good stability at acidic and neutral pHs without any significant drug leakage, while SF-Lip appeared to be unstable at pH 1.2. In the case of double coated SGC-SF-Lip, its size changed significantly at pH 7.4, due to the dissolution of Eudragit S100 coating layer into the surrounding medium. Compared to SF solution, all liposomal formulations demonstrated a higher cellular uptake in Caco-2 cells. In particular, SGC-SF-Lip displayed a lower cellular uptake than GC-SF-Lip at pH 6.5, but it achieved a similar cellular uptake to GC-SF-Lip at pH 7.4. Consistently, SGC-SF-Lip was less cytotoxic than GC-SF-Lip at pH 6.5, whereas it showed a comparable cytotoxicity to GC-SF-Lip at pH 7.4, implying the removal of the Eudragit S100 coating layer at pH 7.4. After an oral administration to rats, SGC-SF-Lip significantly improved the systemic exposure of SF, where its Cmax and AUC were approximately fourfold higher than the untreated drug. Collectively, SGC-SF-Lip appeared to be promising to enhance the oral absorption of SF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface roughness of a gate dielectric layer has a large effect on the electrical performance of a printed OTFT (Organic Thin Film Transistor). In this study, a treatment process called calendering is proposed to improve the electrical performance of a printed OTFT by reducing the surface roughness of the gate dielectric layer. Bottom-gate, bottom-contact structural p-type OTFT samples were fabricated by gravure printing (gate electrode and gate dielectric), inkjet printing (source/drain electrodes), and spin coating (p-type channel). Various calendering process conditions composed of temperature, speed, and nip pressure were applied in the fabrication process. Then the calendering process was optimized using the grey-based Taguchi method. For validation of the proposed method, surface roughness of the gate dielectric layer and electrical performance of the non-calendered and calendered OTFT samples were compared and analyzed. The experimental results show a significant improvement that is a 15.92% decrease in the surface roughness, a 15.46% increase in the on-off ratio, and a 30.50% increase in the field-effect mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to elucidate correlations among clinical, genetic, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of muscles in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and images of nineteen patients with DM1 from different families. We retrieved the genetic data (CTG repeats) and the clinical data, which included disease duration, creatine kinase level, sum score of manual muscle testing, modified Medical Research Council sum score, and the six-minute walk test results (6MWT). The correlation analyses showed a statistically significant correlation between the modified Medical Research Council sum score and CTG repeat numbers. Among the lower extremity muscles, 6MWT correlated most with the sum of the ankle plantar-flexors (the soleus, medial, and lateral gastrocnemius muscles). Compared to the other plantar-flexor muscles, the soleus muscle presented the highest correlation with the 6MWT. Additionally, our results showed that the CTG repeat numbers did not correlate with the 6MWT. However, it correlated with the modified Medical Research Council sum score. The ankle plantar-flexor muscles were the most severely affected muscles revealed in the whole body MRI, and presented statistically significant correlation with the 6MWT. Among the plantar-flexor muscles, the soleus muscle most influenced the 6MWT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, tidal flats in the west coast of Korea (eastern Yellow Sea) have been extensively investigated to reveal sedimentation and stratigraphic evolution coupled with sea level changes. In spite of such efforts, their sedimentary record and evolution pattern particularly in the deeper subtidal area are relatively little documented. To expand and fulfill our knowledge on sedimentation history from last interglacial to the Holocene, three drilled cores (up to ca. 28 m in length) and Chirp seismic profiles obtained from the subtidal zones along the southwestern coast of Korea were examined, with supplementary OSL and 14 C-AMS age dates. Based on the sedimentary facies analysis correlated with seismic units, the subtidal deposits can be divided into four units: Unit I) basal fluvial deposit (MIS 6?), Unit II) tidal deposits (MIS 5e), Unit III) transition deposits between salt marsh and oxidized inland coastal dune (early Holocene), and Unit IV) Holocene tidal deposits, in ascending order. These units can be then grouped into two sedimentary sequences, a lower sequence S1 (Unit I and II) and an upper S2 (Unit III and IV) separated by an unconformable surface, being responded to two cycles in sea-level fluctuations. Each sequence started with non-marine deposits formed during lowstand in sea-level, and then overlain by tidal successions deposited during transgression. The feature thus indicates two tidal deposits, i.e., last interglacial and the Holocene in ages, preserved in the macrotidal west coast of Korea, possibly being major constituents of coastal successions to be survived in the records. This can be used to correlate with other marine strata in the western (Chinese) Yellow Sea since the last interglacial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a detailed analysis of seismic profile and vibra-/drilling-core sediments (up to 25.5 m long) with AMS 14 C ages from a tidal flat in the mid-western coast of Korea, we reconstruct development of coastal sedimentary sequences in response to sea-level changes for more than about 150 ka, and reveal effect of irregular, complex underlying topography in the Holocene coastal sedimentation. Unit I overlying rock basement and the lower part of Unit II consist of fluvial sediments deposited during sea-level lowstands prior to interglacial period of Eemian Stage (MIS 5e). During the sea-level highstand of MIS 5e, muddy tidal sediments between 7.40 and 10.76 m deep below the present tidal-flat surface were deposited in the upper to middle part of Unit II. The study area had been subaerially exposed for a long duration from MIS 5e to ca. 10 ka. During this period, the muddy tidal sediments in Unit II had been underwent oxidization and significant erosion by fluvial process, forming irregular and complex morphology of the upper boundary of Unit II with a large topographic relief (up to ca. 7 m) even over a short (ca. 560 m) distance. On the upper boundary of Unit II, topographic highs could act as barriers for weakening wave effects from ca. 8–9 ka to 3–4 ka (period of relatively rapid sea-level rise), depositing muddy tidal sediments (Unit III-B). As the muddy tidal sediments (Unit III-B) filled the irregular, complex underlying morphology, surface topography was nearly flat without barriers around about 3–4 ka. Since then, the nearly flat surface morphology without barriers, together with relatively slow sea-level rise and direct exposure of strong onshore winter waves/storms, could promote to deposit wave-/storm-driven sandy sediments (Unit III-A). This study suggests that change in surface morphology could affect stratigraphic evolution of the Holocene coastal sequence by variation in depositional regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives A robust vessel segmentation and tracking method based on a particle-filtering framework is proposed to cope with increasing demand for a method that can detect and track vessel anomalies. Methods We apply the level set method to segment the vessel boundary and a particle filter to track the position and shape variations in the vessel boundary between two adjacent slices. To enhance the segmentation and tracking performances, the importance density of the particle filter is localized by estimating the translation of an object’s boundary. In addition, to minimize problems related to degeneracy and sample impoverishment in the particle filter, a newly proposed weighting policy is investigated. Results Compared to conventional methods, the proposed algorithm demonstrates better segmentation and tracking performances. Moreover, the stringent weighting policy we proposed demonstrates a tendency of suppressing degeneracy and sample impoverishment, and higher tracking accuracy can be obtained. Conclusions The proposed method is expected to be applied to highly valuable applications for more accurate three-dimensional vessel tracking and rendering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Centimeters of thick biofilm accumulated in denitrifying H 2− MBfRs. • Stable denitrification was maintained under shock loadings and low temperatures. • Removal fluxes exceeded the H 2 flux, probably due to endogenous electron donors. • H 2− MBfRs with physically thick biofilms might provide resilient denitrification. In a hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor (H 2 -MBfR), the biofilm thickness is considered to be one of the most important factors for denitrification. Thick biofilms in MBfRs are known for low removal fluxes owing to their resistance to substrate transport. In this study, the H 2 -MBfR was operated under various loading rates of oxyanions, such as NO 3 -N, SO 4 -S, and ClO 4 − at an H 2 flux of 1.06 e − eq/m2-d. The experiment was initiated with NO 3 -N, SO 4 -S, and ClO 4 − loadings of 0.464, 0.026, and 0.211 e − eq/m2-d, respectively, at 20 °C. Under the most stressful conditions, the loading rates increased simultaneously to 1.911, 0.869, and 0.108 e − eq/m2-d, respectively, at 10 °C. We observed improved performance in significantly thicker biofilms (approximately 2.7 cm) compared to previous studies using a denitrifying H 2 -MBfR for 120 days. Shock oxyanion loadings led to a decrease in total nitrogen (TN) removal by 20 to 30%, but TN removal returned to 100% within a few days. Similarly, complete denitrification was observed, even at 10 °C. The protective function and microbial diversity of the thick biofilm may allow stable denitrification despite stress-imposing conditions. In the microbial community analysis, heterotrophs were dominant and acetogens accounted for 11% of the biofilm. Metagenomic results showed a high abundance of functional genes involved in organic carbon metabolism and homoacetogenesis. Owing to the presence of organic compounds produced by acetogens and autotrophs, heterotrophic denitrification may occur simultaneously with autotrophic denitrification. As a result, the total removal flux of oxyanions (1.84 e − eq/m2-d) far exceeded the H 2 flux (1.06 e − eq/m2-d). Thus, the large accumulation of biofilms could contribute to good resilience and enhanced removal fluxes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate improved exciton dissociation and charge transport in trilayer organic solar cells (OSCs). The interlayer with an intermediate energy level between the main donor and acceptor levels assists the dissociation of excitons in the charge transfer state (CT) and aids the charge transport by increasing a CT state energy. Additionally, the total absorption of the OSC was increased due to the complementary absorption of the inserted interlayer. Experimentally, when a chloroaluminum phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) layer was inserted between copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and C 60 in a trilayer OSC, the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) was greatly enhanced by 30% in the wavelength range of 350–550 nm. The enhancement of IQE results in an increase of the power conversion efficiency from 1.30% to 1.69%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to investigate changes in the phenolic acid and vitamin E profiles of germinated rough rice following high hydrostatic pressure treatment (HPT). Rough rice was germinated at 37 °C for two days and subjected to 0.1, 10, 30, 50, and 100 MPa pressures for 24 h. The total phenolic acid content increased from 85.37 μg/g at 0.1 MPa to 183.52 μg/g at 100 MPa. The highest gallic acid (4.29 μg/g), catechin (9.55 μg/g), p -coumaric acid (8.36 μg/g), ferulic acid (14.99 μg/g), salicylic acid (14.88 μg/g), naringin (6.18 μg/g), trans -cinnamic acid (45.23 μg/g), and kaempferol (40.95 μg/g) contents occurred in the sample treated at 100 MPa after germination. The maximum vitamin E content of about 2.56 (BG) and 4.34 mg/100 g (AG) were achieved at 30 MPa. These result suggest that a combination of HPT and germination are efficient method for enhancement of functionality in rough rice, and clarify the influence of HPT conditions on the vitamin E and phenolic acid in germination rough rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deposition behavior of silicon films by hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) was approached by non-classical crystallization, where the building block of deposition is a nanoparticle generated in the gas phase of the reactor. The puzzling phenomenon of the formation of an amorphous incubation layer on glass could be explained by the liquid-like property of small charged nanoparticles (CNPs), which are generated in the initial stage of the HWCVD process. Using the liquid-like property of small CNPs, homo-epitaxial growth as thick as ~150 nm could be successfully grown on a silicon wafer at 600 °C under the processing condition where CNPs as small as possible could be supplied steadily by a cyclic process which periodically resets the process. The size of CNPs turned out to be an important parameter in the microstructure evolution of thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pork belly, which contains various components of muscle and fat, is one of the most favorable parts of pork. However, pig-breeding has largely focused on improving longissimus thoracis , representing the lean-meat production capacity, and the quality of pork belly has not improved because of the absence of established standards. Previous studies have suggested a standard for the establishment of such standards and relevant genetic parameters, but no key gene has been identified yet. Here, we predicted key genes, including transcription factors, related to pork belly formation. We analyzed 543 Yorkshire pigs and their SNP chip data and identified 3238 genes and 135,025 edges related to pork belly traits by using the association weight matrix. Based on these results, in silico validation was performed. The predicted nine transcription factors, including the key trio, were enriched in adipogenesis-related signaling pathways. The transcription factors and corresponding genetic network identified in this study may be useful in improving pork belly parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Disruption in the stability of respiratory microbiota is known to be associated with many chronic respiratory diseases. However, only few studies have examined microbiomes in lung cancer. Therefore, we characterized and compared the microbiomes of patients with lung cancer and those with benign mass-like lesions. Materials and methods Bronchoalveolar fluid was collected prospectively to evaluate lung masses in patients who had undergone bronchoscopies from May to September 2015. Twenty-eight patients (20 male, 8 female) were enrolled: 20 diagnosed with lung cancer and 8 diagnosed with benign diseases. Samples were analysed by 16S rRNA-based next-generation sequencing. Results The participants’ mean age was 64 ± 11 years. Bacterial operational taxonomic units were classified into 26 phyla, 44 classes, 81 orders, 153 families, 288 genera, and 797 species. The relative abundance of two phyla ( Firmicutes and TM7 ) was significantly increased in patients with lung cancer (p = 0.037 and 0.035, respectively). Furthermore, two genera ( Veillonella and Megasphaera ) were relatively more abundant in lung cancer patients (p = 0.003 and 0.022, respectively). The area under the curve of a combination of these two genera used to predict lung cancer was 0.888 (sensitivity = 95.0%, specificity = 75.0% and sensitivity = 70.0%, specificity = 100.0%; p = 0.002). Conclusion The results indicate that differences exist in the bacterial communities of patients with lung cancer and those with benign mass-like lesions. The genera Veillonella and Megasphaera showed the potential to serve as biomarkers to predict lung cancer. Thus, the lung microbiota may change the environment in patients with lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the applications such as flexible displays and solar cells, the direct deposition of crystalline silicon films on a flexible polymer substrate has been a great issue. Here, we investigated the direct deposition of polycrystalline silicon films on a polyimide film at the substrate temperature of 200 °C. The low temperature deposition of crystalline silicon on a flexible substrate has been successfully made based on two ideas. One is that the Si–Cl–H system has a retrograde solubility of silicon in the gas phase near the substrate temperature. The other is the new concept of non-classical crystallization, where films grow by the building block of nanoparticles formed in the gas phase during hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD). The total amount of precipitation of silicon nanoparticles decreased with increasing HCl concentration. By adding HCl, the amount and the size of silicon nanoparticles were reduced remarkably, which is related with the low temperature deposition of silicon films of highly crystalline fraction with a very thin amorphous incubation layer. The dark conductivity of the intrinsic film prepared at the flow rate ratio of R HCl =[HCl]/[SiH 4 ]=3.61 was 1.84×10 –6 Scm −1 at room temperature. The Hall mobility of the n-type silicon film prepared at R HCl =3.61 was 5.72 cm 2 V −1 s −1 . These electrical properties of silicon films are high enough and could be used in flexible electric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For 1-variable weighted shifts, it is well known that given three positive numbers α 0 < α 1 < α 2 , we always find Stampfli's subnormal weighted shift whose first three weights are α 0 , α 1 and α 2 (we call it a type-abc completion, or shift .) On the other hand, given four positive numbers α 0 < α 1 < α 2 < α 3 , it is not always possible to find a subnormal weighted shift whose first four weights are α 0 , α 1 , α 2 and α 3 . In this paper, we extend the notion of a type- abc shift to the 2-variable weighted shifts using a localization technique from the theory of truncated moment problems. We next study an inner propagation phenomena of a 2-variable weighted shift whose core is of type- abc . We further establish the necessary and sufficient conditions for the subnormality of one-step extensions of type- abc 2-variable weighted shifts. Finally, we study a certain invariant property under powers for type-abc 2-variable weighted shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Acetate-fed conditions showed higher methanogenesis performance than that of glucose. • Supplemented COD of glucose was cumulated while that of acetate was consumed completely. • Different exo- and endoelectrogens were predominated with varying substrate types. • Burkholderiaceae driven DIET mechanism was predominant in continuous bioreactors. Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) is a syntrophic mechanism for electron transfer between exo- and endoelectrogens. Previous studies have demonstrated that methanogenesis performance was significantly improved via the DIET mechanism through conductive materials (CMs) under batch conditions with a single substrate, while that under continuous condition is still under investigation. To investigate how the DIET via CM on methanogenesis performance was changed in response to the different substrates (acetate versus glucose)-fed in continuous anaerobic bioreactors, continuous bioreactors were operated by cross-feeding with acetate and glucose. Acetate-fed conditions showed 0.40 day shorten lagtime, 1.88- and 1.22-folds higher methane production rate, and ultimate methane production than glucose-fed conditions, respectively. Burkholderiaceae- and Anaerolineaceae -related exo-electrogenic populations were enriched with low abundance of Geobacter species in batch reactors. Furthermore, influent substrates affected the distribution of the enriched populations. Taken together, the results suggested that different syntrophic associations contributed methane production by DIET in continuous bioreactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the characterization of the detection efficiency of a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector in the low energy range, measurements and Monte Carlo simulations were performed with a certified reference material (CRM) and disk sources. The detection efficiency as modeled. In the MCNP simulation, the detection efficiency dropped as expected at 33.17 keV. The X-ray escape correction factors of a 204Tl disk source and MCNP simulations were compared, a factor of the 204Tl was similar. Moreover, Correcting the X-ray escape and using fewer sources than the CRM resulted in better detection efficiency for the NaI(Tl) detector in the low energy range. • An iodine X-ray escape correction factors were calculated using MCNP simulation of a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. • The summing or overlapped peaks of spectra of disk sources and certified reference material were analyzed. • The iodine X-ray esecape of the detection efficiency in a low energy range was corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) via conductive materials can provide significant benefits to anaerobic methane formation in terms of production amount and rate. Although granular activated carbon (GAC) demonstrated its applicability in facilitating DIET in methanogenesis, DIET in continuous flow anaerobic reactors has not been verified. Here, evidences of DIET via GAC were explored. The reactor supplemented with GAC showed 1.8-fold higher methane production rate than that without GAC (35.7 versus 20.1 ± 7.1 mL-CH 4 /d). Around 34% of methane formation was attributed to the biomass attached to GAC. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene demonstrated the enrichment of exoelectrogens (e.g. Geobacter ) and hydrogenotrophic methanogens (e.g. Methanospirillum and Methanolinea ) from the biomass attached to GAC. Furthermore, anodic and cathodic currents generation was observed in an electrochemical cell containing GAC biomass. Taken together, GAC supplementation created an environment for enriching the microorganisms involved in DIET, which increased the methane production rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces an approach to replicate building stock energy data using energy survey data. For demonstration of the approach, the research uses energy consumption data for office buildings in Chicago from Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) 2003. The replication starts from derivation of the energy use distribution for a building stock in a specific location from the survey data. Then probabilistic methods are used to map building stock model space to real-world data space reflecting a weather adjustment of the energy survey data. The approach leverages a linear surrogate model of the physics-based reduced order normative energy model. The normative building energy model can rapidly estimate the building energy performance with respect to its design and operational characteristics. The research investigates a statistical procedure to inversely estimate building parameters using regression and Bayesian inference model based on the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling techniques. The research serves a new paradigm of the building stock aggregation that can lead to an efficient energy model, which contributes the body of knowledge of energy modeling beyond the single building scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify causes affecting the stability of biohydrogen production from the microbial community perspective, a fermentor was operated using galactose as a substrate for 30 days. The fermentor demonstrated that hydrogen production yield gradually increased with concomitant decrease of galactose concentration until day 27. Meanwhile, hydrogen producing clostridia gradually increased their proportion to 75% of bacteria analyzed until day 11, and then gradually decreased to 23% with increases in other groups of bacteria such as Bacilli . After day 27, hydrogen production abruptly failed without deterioration of galactose utilization. At that time, lactic acid accumulated to 920 mg COD/L and Ruminococcaceae increased its proportion to 30%. In conclusion, low substrate levels, beginning on day 11, provided a selective disadvantage to the hydrogen producing clostridia and proliferated other groups of bacteria, which resulted in accumulation of lactic acid and, ultimately, failure of hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the changes in content, purity, physical properties, and in vitro binding properties of barley β-glucan by oxidation treatment. Barleys ( Hordeum vulgare ) were oxidized, using different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (0.2–1.0% H 2 O 2 ). The total and soluble β-glucan contents ranged from 8.41% and 4.81% in the control to 9.48% and 6.45% in the 0.6% H 2 O 2 treatment. With increasing H 2 O 2 concentration, the purity of β-glucan increased from 35% to 70%, whereas molecular weight (MW), viscosity, and water-binding capacities decreased to 2.0 × 10 4 Da, 3.9 cP, and 4.45 g water/g β-glucan, respectively. Oil binding capacities ranged from 8.29 g of oil/g in non-oxidized β-glucan to 9.42 g of oil/g in β-glucan oxidized with 0.6% H 2 O 2 . The MW, viscosity, and binding capacities of waxy barley β-glucan were higher than those of non-waxy barley β-glucan. Oxidation by hydrogen peroxide improved the physical properties and in vitro binding capacity of barley β-glucan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Amundsen Sea is one of the most productive polynyas in the Antarctic per unit area and is undergoing rapid changes including a reduction in sea ice duration, thinning ice sheets, retreat of glaciers and the potential collapse of the Thwaites Glacier in Pine Island Bay. A growing body of research has indicated that these changes are altering the water mass properties and associated biogeochemistry within the polynya. Unfortunately difficulties in accessing the remote location have greatly limited the amount of in situ data that has been collected. In this study data from a Teledyne-Webb Slocum glider was used to supplement ship-based sampling along the Dotson Ice Shelf (DIS). This autonomous underwater vehicle revealed a detailed view of a meltwater laden outflow from below the western flank of the DIS. Circumpolar Deep Water intruding onto the shelf drives glacial melt and the supply of macronutrients that, along with ample light, supports the large phytoplankton blooms in the Amundsen Sea Polynya. Less well understood is the source of micronutrients, such as iron, necessary to support this bloom to the central polynya where chlorophyll concentrations are highest. This outflow region showed decreasing optical backscatter with proximity to the bed indicating that particulate matter was sourced from the overlying glacier rather than resuspended sediment. This result suggests that particulate iron, and potentially phytoplankton primary productivity, is intrinsically linked to the magnitude and duration of sub-glacial melt from Circumpolar Deep Water intrusions onto the shelf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneity of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms is closely related to muscle fiber characteristics, and meat quality in pigs. The fast MyHC gene cluster on porcine chromosome 12 contains MYH2 , MYH1 , and MYH4 , which encode three fast MyHC isoforms expressed in adult skeletal muscle. Here, we identified four intergenic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene cluster. Of these, SNP1 and SNP2, which were located near MYH2 , were genotyped in 199 Berkshire pigs. SNP1 were significantly associated with the total fiber number ( P = 0.046) and intramuscular fat contents ( P = 0.041), and SNP2 had significant effects on type I fiber number/area compositions ( P = 0.039 and P = 0.041, respectively), water holding capacity (drip loss, P = 0.045; cooking loss, P = 0.001), and meat color ( P = 0.003). Taken together, our results suggest that the intergenic SNPs near MYH2 can affect muscle fiber formation and meat quality by modifying the regulatory elements of this gene cluster in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a robust semi-autonomous algorithm for 3D vessel segmentation and tracking based on an active contour model and a Kalman filter. For each computed tomography angiography (CTA) slice, we use the active contour model to segment the vessel boundary and the Kalman filter to track position and shape variations of the vessel boundary between slices. For successful segmentation via active contour, we select an adequate number of initial points from the contour of the first slice. The points are set manually by user input for the first slice. For the remaining slices, the initial contour position is estimated autonomously based on segmentation results of the previous slice. To obtain refined segmentation results, an adaptive control spacing algorithm is introduced into the active contour model. Moreover, a block search-based initial contour estimation procedure is proposed to ensure that the initial contour of each slice can be near the vessel boundary. Experiments were performed on synthetic and real chest CTA images. Compared with the well-known Chan-Vese (CV) model, the proposed algorithm exhibited better performance in segmentation and tracking. In particular, receiver operating characteristic analysis on the synthetic and real CTA images demonstrated the time efficiency and tracking robustness of the proposed model. In terms of computational time redundancy, processing time can be effectively reduced by approximately 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small and medium-sized commercial buildings can be retrofitted to significantly reduce their energy use, however it is a huge challenge as owners usually lack of the expertise and resources to conduct detailed on-site energy audit to identify and evaluate cost-effective energy technologies. This study presents a DEEP (database of energy efficiency performance) that provides a direct resource for quick retrofit analysis of commercial buildings. DEEP, compiled from the results of about ten million EnergyPlus simulations, enables an easy screening of ECMs (energy conservation measures) and retrofit analysis. The simulations utilize prototype models representative of small and mid-size offices and retails in California climates. In the formulation of DEEP, large scale EnergyPlus simulations were conducted on high performance computing clusters to evaluate hundreds of individual and packaged ECMs covering envelope, lighting, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, plug-loads, and service hot water. The architecture and simulation environment to create DEEP is flexible and can expand to cover additional building types, additional climates, and new ECMs. In this study DEEP is integrated into a web-based retrofit toolkit, the Commercial Building Energy Saver, which provides a platform for energy retrofit decision making by querying DEEP and unearthing recommended ECMs, their estimated energy savings and financial payback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retrofit analysis toolkits can be used to optimize energy or cost savings from retrofit strategies, accelerating the adoption of ECMs (energy conservation measures) in buildings. This paper provides an up-to-date review of the features and capabilities of 18 energy retrofit toolkits, including ECMs and the calculation engines. The fidelity of the calculation techniques, a driving component of retrofit toolkits, were evaluated. An evaluation of the issues that hinder effective retrofit analysis in terms of accessibility, usability, data requirement, and the application of efficiency measures, provides valuable insights into advancing the field forward. Following this review the general concepts were determined: (1) toolkits developed primarily in the private sector use empirically data-driven methods or benchmarking to provide ease of use, (2) almost all of the toolkits which used EnergyPlus or DOE-2 were freely accessible, but suffered from complexity, longer data input and simulation run time, (3) in general, there appeared to be a fine line between having too much detail resulting in a long analysis time or too little detail which sacrificed modeling fidelity. These insights provide an opportunity to enhance the design and development of existing and new retrofit toolkits in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To search for evidence of syntrophic acetate oxidation by cluster II Spirochaetes with hydrogenotrophic methanogens, batch reactors seeded with five different anaerobic sludge samples supplemented with acetate as the sole carbon source were operated anaerobically. The changes in abundance of the cluster II Spirochaetes , two groups of acetoclastic methanogens ( Methanosaetaceae and Methanosarcinaceae ), and two groups of hydrogenotrophic methanogens ( Methanomicrobiales and Methanobacteriales ) in the reactors were assessed using qPCR targeting the 16S rRNA genes of each group. Increase in the cluster II Spirochaetes (9.0 ± 0.4-fold) was positively correlated with increase in hydrogenotrophic methanogens, especially Methanomicrobiales (5.6 ± 1.0-fold), but not with acetoclastic methanogens. In addition, the activity of the cluster II Spirochaetes decreased (4.6 ± 0.1-fold) in response to high hydrogen partial pressure, but their activity was restored after consumption of hydrogen by the hydrogenotrophic methanogens. These results strongly suggest that the cluster II Spirochaetes are involved in syntrophic acetate oxidation in anaerobic digesters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Anammox enrichment was conducted to treat low nitrogen loading wastewater. • Increasing nitrogen loading enhanced activity and abundance of anammox bacteria. • Candidatus Jettenia was the most dominant anammox genus in the enrichment. • AnAOB dynamics was correlated with the operational factors and performance. • Resilience of Candidatus Jettenia to nitrogen loading shocks was scrutinized. To apply the anammox processes into the mainstream of domestic wastewater treatment plants, two laboratory-scale sequence batch reactors have been developed and used with two different activated sludges seeded in each sequence batch reactors with gradually increases influent total nitrogen concentrations under low nitrogen loading rates. During 320 days of operation, both sequence batch reactors showed high specific anammox activity (0.68 – 0.75 kgN kg−1VSS d−1) and a nitrogen removal efficiency of 97.50%. To monitor changes in microbial community dynamics during enrichment, high-throughput sequencing analysis was performed. Members taxonomically affiliated with Candidatus Jettenia were markedly enriched and predominant in both sequence batch reactors in response to the increasing influent total nitrogen concentrations. These results suggest that Candidatus Jettenia might be a prominent anammox genus under low nitrogen loading rate with high total nitrogen concentration conditions and could be suitably applied to the mainstream process of domestic wastewater treatment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuously feeding influent wastewater containing diverse bacterial species to a wastewater treatment activated sludge bioreactor may influence the activated sludge bacterial community temporal dynamics. To explore this possibility, this study tracked influent wastewater and activated sludge bacterial communities by pyrosequencing 16S rRNA genes from four full-scale wastewater treatment plants over a 9-month period. The activated sludge communities showed significantly higher richness and evenness than the influent wastewater communities. Furthermore, the two communities were different in composition and temporal dynamics. These results demonstrate that the impact of the influent wastewater communities on the activated sludge communities was weak. Nevertheless, 4.3–9.3% of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) detected in the activated sludge were shared with the influent wastewater, implying contribution from influent wastewater communities to some extent. However, the relative OTU abundance of the influent wastewater was not maintained in the activated sludge communities (i.e., weak neutral assembly). In addition, the variability of the communities of the shared OTUs was moderately correlated with abiotic factors imposed to the bioreactors. Taken together, temporal dynamics of activated sludge communities appear to be predominantly explained by species sorting processes in response to influent wastewater communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One serious problem encountered in hydrogen storage based on metal-decorated porous materials is the oxidation of metal atoms as it is irreversible due to strong oxygen-binding and blocks the adsorption of molecular hydrogen. We study the adsorption of molecular oxygen on graphyne decorated with alkali (AM) and alkali earth metals (AEM) using first-principles calculations. For comparison, we also calculate the adsorption characteristics of metal atoms and subsequent molecular oxygen in pristine and boron-doped graphene. We find that the binding energy of molecular oxygen on AM–graphyne complexes, especially Li–graphyne complex, is much smaller than that on AM in graphene or comparable to that in boron-doped graphene. We show that the binding strength of molecular oxygen is mainly affected by the center of empty p - or d -band of AM or AEM on adsorbents and by the work-function of metal-adsorbent complexes. We investigate the effect of biaxial tensile strain as a means of controlling the binding strength of molecular oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to evaluate the enhancement of functional components of germinated rough rice. Rough rice was germinated at 37°C for 6days, and subjected to a high hydrostatic pressure treatment (HPT) at 30MPa for 24h (HP24) and 48h (HP48). Germinated rough rice without HPT (HP0), HP24, and HP48 were analysed for their functional components. The highest γ-aminobutyric acid, total arabinoxylan, and tricin 4′-O-(threo-β-guaiacylglyceryl) ether contents were 121.21mg/100g, 10.6%, and 85.82μg/g, respectively, after HP48 for 2days. γ-Oryzanol contents increased from 23.19-36.20mg/100g (at HP0) to 31.80-40.32mg/100g (at HP48). The highest vitamin B (60.99mg/100g) and E (4.07mg/100g) contents were observed after HP24 for 5 and 2days, respectively. These results suggest that a combination of HPT and germination efficiently enhances the functional characteristics of rough rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) seems to be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but its site-specific expression in lung tissue and the relationship with hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) expression in chronic bronchitis (CB) type COPD have not been studied. Design and methods: We evaluated the expression of VEGF and its receptors in various compartments of lung tissue in three groups: non-smokers with normal lung function (non-smokers, n =10), smokers without COPD (healthy smokers, n =10) and smokers with CB (CB, n =10), using immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting. The expression of HIF-1α was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Compared with healthy smokers, VEGF expression in CB was significantly increased in bronchiolar epithelium, vascular endothelium and vascular smooth muscle (p <0.05). VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-2 expression in CB was also increased in bronchiolar smooth muscle, vascular endothelium and vascular smooth muscle compared with healthy smokers (p <0.05). The level of HIF-1α was increased in CB compared with healthy smokers and positively correlated with those of VEGF (r =0.64, p <0.05). Conclusion: VEGF and VEGFR-2 expressions were up-regulated in CB and increased expression of VEGF was related with HIF-1α. HIF-1α-regulated VEGF overexpression may be a characteristic of chronic bronchitis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Bacterial community compositions were explored in hydrogen fermentation of galactose. [•] Cluster I Clostridium was ubiquitous and predominant in dark fermentation. [•] The abundance of cluster I Clostridium was proportional to hydrogen production. [•] Cluster I Clostridium was the key in hydrogen fermentation of galactose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Electrochemical treatment of nitrate (NO3 −), nitrite (NO2 −) and mixtures of nitrate and nitrite was evaluated with microbial catalysts on a cathode in three different bioelectrochemical denitrification systems (BEDS). The removal rates and removal percentage of nitrogen (N) compounds varied during biotic and abiotic operations. The biotic cathode using NO3 −-N as an electron acceptor showed enhanced removal percentages (88%) compared to the operation with NO2 −-N (85%). The simultaneous reduction of NO3 −-N and NO2 −-N occurred in the operation with a mixture of N compounds. The bacterial diversity from the initial inoculum (return sludge) changed at the end of bioelectrochemical denitrification operation after 55 days. The microbial community composition was different depending on the type of electron acceptor. BEDS operation with NO3 −-N and NO2 −-N was enriched with Proteobacteria and Firmicutes respectively. BEDS with a mixture of N electron acceptors showed enrichment with Proteobacteria. There was no clear, distinct microbial community between the cathode biofilm and suspended biomass. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A detailed analysis of the MR1 (11–12kHz) sonar images, chirp (2–7kHz) profiles, core sediments and 14C ages from the latest Quaternary lobated bodies (LB) on the deep (>2100m water depth) basin plain of the western Ulleung Basin reveals depositional features and context of co-genetic turbidite–debrite beds in the LB on the distal setting and a plausible mechanism for generating these beds. Eight LB are present in the basin plain, ca. 30–60km beyond the base-of-slope, and were generally deposited retrogressively. Older and more distal LB 1–4 have large dimensions (>27km long, 15–25km wide). In contrast, younger and less distal LB 5–8 are small (8.8–31.5km long, 1.2–12km). The muddier, larger LB 1 and 2 were most likely originated from the relatively large-scale sediment failures on the muddy upper slopes (>350–400m water depth) between 18.5 and 20.0cal. ka B.P. On other hand, the sandier, smaller LB 6 and 7 were deposited between 17.0 and 17.5cal. ka B.P., probably by the relatively small-scale sediment failures on the sandy uppermost slope, shallower than 350–400m water depth. In LB 1, a lower sandy-mud turbidite is transitional upward into an upper mud-matrix debrite having small, rounded mud clasts. In contrast, LB 6 exhibits a gradual upward change from a lower clay-poor, sandy turbidite to an upper clay-rich, sand-matrix debrite with large, interlocking mud clasts. Each mixed bed in LB 1 and 6 can represent a co-genetic (or linked) turbidite–debrite bed formed by the down-dip flow transformation from turbidity current to debris flow at a point during the same event. The abundant large-scale (up to 20–25m deep, 3–5km long) erosions of fine-grained substrates near the base-of-slope area suggest that the down-dip transformation was driven by incorporation of mud via erosional bulking by turbidity currents reaching the base-of-slope area. The different clay/sand content and size/shape of mud clasts in the co-genetic turbidite–debrite beds between LB 1 and 6 imply that the composition (sandy or muddy) and dimension of initial turbidity current approaching the base-of-slope, the volume of eroded masses from the fine-grained substrates, and the transport distance of sediment gravity flows from the erosional areas of muddy substrates can be all important factors controlling the depositional styles of co-genetic turbidite–debrite beds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To investigate the distribution and abundance of spirochaetal communities within anaerobic digesters, pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was conducted. Phylogenetic analysis identified a cluster which included the majority of core spirochaetal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and environmental clones but no pure-culture strains. Distribution of the core OTUs demonstrated an importance of local factors in shaping the structure of Spirochaetes. Spirochaetal to bacterial 16S rRNA gene copy numbers varied from 1.3% to 30.0% depending on digester samples. Environmental variables were found to influence the relative abundance of Spirochaetes. In a batch anaerobic digestion experiment testing the response to different substrates, acetate most stimulated the activity of Spirochaetes, suggesting possible acetate oxidation by syntrophic acetate oxidation process. Taken together, the results obtained in this study provides an insight into the ecology of Spirochaetes in anaerobic digesters and a basis for future studies examining ecological function of these bacteria. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Metagenomics to explore microbial metabolism in anaerobic digestion were reviewed. • Community and functional dynamics of microbes in anaerobic digestion were reviewed. • Gene-centric and genome-centric metagenomic approaches were compared. • Metabolic functions in response to the types of anaerobic digestion were compared. • Perspectives for genome-centric applications in anaerobic digestion are outlined. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a technique that can be used to treat high concentrations of various organic wastes using a consortium of functionally diverse microorganisms under anaerobic conditions. Methane gas, a beneficial by-product of the AD process, is a renewable energy source that can replace fossil fuels following purification. However, detailed functional roles and metabolic interactions between microbial populations involved in organic waste removal and methanogenesis are yet to be known. Recent metagenomic approaches based on advanced high-throughput sequencing techniques have enabled the exploration of holistic microbial taxonomy and functionality of complex microbial populations involved in the AD process. Gene-centric and genome-centric analyses based on metagenome-assembled genomes are a platform that can be used to study the composition of microbial communities and their roles during AD. This review looks at how these up-to-date metagenomic analyses can be applied to promote our understanding and improved the development of the AD process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of HCl addition on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of p-type silicon films, prepared by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD), was investigated. As the ratio of HCl to SiH4 increased, the amount of amorphous silicon decreased and the crystalline volume fraction increased in the deposited film. To investigate the effect of HCl addition on the deposition behavior in the initial stage, the transmission electron microscope (TEM) grid membrane was exposed for 10 s using a shutter above the grid membrane during HWCVD and the grid membrane was observed by TEM. When HCl was not added, a continuous film was observed on a grid membrane, consisting of crystalline nanoparticles embedded in an amorphous matrix whereas when HCl is added, isolated individual crystalline nanoparticles without amorphous silicon were observed. The HCl addition increased the dark conductivity of films by about 3 orders of magnitude but decreased the optical band gap slightly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bacterial community composition was investigated in a biocathode of an external-powered bio-electrochemical denitrifying system (BEDS), by analyzing 16S rRNA gene sequences determined from a high-throughput 454 pyrosequencing technology. The bacterial community of the inoculum sludge was mainly composed of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Acidobacteria. Over 45 days of the BEDS, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were enriched on the biocathode. Putative denitrifying Clostridia belonging to the Firmicutes were distinctively detected on the biocathode via phylogenetic analysis and appeared to be ubiquitous in various autotrophic, heterotrophic, and BEDSs. Elucidation of the bacterial community composition in the denitrification system deepens our knowledge about the bacteria involved in bio-electrochemical denitrification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We designed, fabricated and evaluate the novel air flowmeter with corrugation structure for the detection of low air velocity. For measuring the low air flow rate, the sensitivity related factors, the air drag force and the output signal, should be improved at the given air flow. The device has the paddle structure, and the maximized air drag force is obtained with vertical air flow. The output signal is also improved with the corrugation structure and measured with piezoresistive detection. The low air flow rate with less than 1m/s air velocity are applied, and the fabricated flowmeter with corrugation structure shows the better sensitivity and the response time than those of flat one. Various experiments about repeated measurements also show the stabilized signals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For a primitive digraph of order and a positive integer such that , the -competition index of is defined as the smallest positive integer such that for every pair of vertices and , there exist distinct vertices such that there are directed walks of length from to and from to for in . In this study, we investigate -competition indices of symmetric primitive digraphs and provide the upper and lower bounds. We also characterize the set of -competition indices of symmetric primitive digraphs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]