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Zygomatic bone fractures should be effectively diagnosed and treated because they affect how the face is shaped for both aesthetically and functional reasons. It is possible to compare different surgical techniques and their comorbidities objectively through using outcome quantitative assessments, which call for a treatment programme and long-term follow-up. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of two procedures and the effectiveness of the zygomatic bone following open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) employing two-point fixation and ORIF employing three-point fixation. Two groups of twenty patients each were randomly assigned to. Twenty patients in Group A had ORIF treatment using two-point miniplate fixation technique, and twenty patients in Group B received three-point miniplate fixation treatment. Differences between the two categories were ascertained after they had been evaluated in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. We discovered that the two-point fixation group had the fewest facial complications and neurological side effects. At 1 month follow up, Group B's average radiological evaluation score was 2.47ą 0.30, and then at 6 months follow up, it was found out to be 1.87ą0.47. A significant statistical distinction between the average radiological evaluations was observed in study participants of Group A at follow up done after one month and six months of procedure. Student's paired t- statistical test was utilized from this statistical analysis. (t = 6.54, P < 0.01). On carrying out follow up after one month of surgery, average neurological assessment score in study participants of group A was found out to be 0.22ą 0.42, and then at 6 months follow up, it was 0.61ą0.63. The average neurological evaluation score in study participants of Group A on carrying out follow up after one month of surgical procedure and and after six months of surgical procedure months showed a significant statistical distinction when utilizing Student's paired t- statistical test (t = 2.51, P = 0.021).It was determined that the best available rehabilitation for the treatment of zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures is open reduction and internal fixation employing two-point fixation by miniplates.

Using zinc tellurium (ZnTe) as the buffer layer in the Cu

Organic pollutant and dyes released into the environment by industries have been highly harmful and toxic for humans as well as for the environment. Graphene oxide (GO) and its reduction form, one of the allotropes of carbon family, were investigated for the removal of pollutant dyes. GO nano-powder was synthesized using an improved version of Hummer’s method and further thermally reduced at different temperatures 125, 150, 175, and 200 °C in the vacuum ambient. An intense (002) diffraction peak was observed at 2θ=9.136° for the pristine GO in the X-ray diffraction spectra which is gradually shifted towards the higher angles with the reduction, and it disappeared if the GO sample reduced at 200°C. I D /I G ratio for GO nano-powder in the Raman spectra decreased from 0.94 to 0.76 due to reduction. GO shows a characteristic absorption band at 3395 cm -1 in Fourier transform infra-red spectra corresponding to stretching of hydroxyl (–OH) group, this peak is flattened with the thermal reduction but not eliminated completely. The band gap of pristine GO significantly reduced from 2.31 to 0.73 eV with the reduction as measured by UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrophotometer. Dye adsorption and photocatalytic degradation behaviour of the pristine GO and reduced graphene oxides (rGOs) was examined towards methylene blue dye for 10 mg of GO/rGOs powder in 50 ml of 50 ppm solution by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Pristine GO showed potential adsorption capacity and dye was degraded up to 85.78% within 15 minutes and around 97% after 4 hrs. Meanwhile, highest 47.58% photocatalytic degradation of Methylene blue was achieved for the rGO sample reduced at 150°C in the presence of visible light of 100 watt.

The use of ZnTe as the buffer layer in the Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) based solar cells showed the improvement in overall efficiency. It may also reduce the overall cost of these cells as both the layers (absorbing and buffer) are having eco-friendly and earth abundant constitutes. The sol-gel spin coating method is used for the deposition of CZTS thin films on the corning glass substrates. The X-ray diffraction studies showed the peaks corresponding to (112), (200), (220) and (312) planes which confirmed the formation of essential kesterite phase. The optical band gap of the deposited films was found around 1.9 eV by UV-visible spectrophotometer. The optimum thickness of the absorber layer was investigated based on the performance of ZnO:Al/ZnO/ZnTe/CZTS/Mo cell structure by using AMPS-1D simulation tool, while the tool was moulded by the investigated data from the sol-gel deposited CZTS thin films. The efficiency of solar cell was found to be increased till 22.64% with increment in the thickness of absorber buffer layer up to 2500 nm and beyond this it starts to decrease. In addition to this, it was also analysed that the current density is improved with operating temperature as it is one of the requirements in the high solar radiation areas where the temperature rise more than 50ᵒC in summer.

Organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite materials, i.e., ABX3 (A = methylammonium, B = Pb, X = Cl, Br, I) have been proved to be outstanding for solar energy conversion. They provide a solution to renewable energy problems with good efficiency and cost-effective technology. Here, we report the initial calculations done by solving Kohn-Sham equations by the use of density function theory. The electronic structural and band gap of CH3NH3PbI3 material are obtained by using different exchange-correlation potential (PBE, PBE-sol, GGA). Further, solar cell devices with CH3NH3PbI3 as absorption layer and CdS/TiO2/ZnTe as buffer layer have been modeled; device physics is discussed and performance of solar cell structure is analyzed in terms of short circuit current density, open circuit voltage, efficiency, fill factor, and quantum efficiency. The maximum efficiency of CH3NH3PbI3 solar cell is found to be 19.6% with TiO2 buffer layer, whereas efficiency with ZnTe buffer layer is also comparable which is 19.5%. Further the effect of layer thickness and temperature are analyzed for maximum efficiency.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is common in North America, affecting around 25% of the population. A small fraction of these patients develop Barrett esophagus and thus are at a risk of developing esophageal cancer. The progression of Barrett esophagus to esophageal cancer can be prevented with timely examinations and, when necessary, by performing treatments to eradicate it. This review describes the use of endoscopy techniques to diagnose and classify Barrett esophagus among high-risk patients and the use of ablative techniques in patients with dysplasia. The review also describes endoscopic resection techniques for early esophageal cancer, which can provide staging information as well as can be therapeutic in selected cases. This review contains 8 figures and 49 references. Key Words: acid reflux, Barrett esophagus, cryoablation, endoscopic mucosal resection, endoscopic submucosal dissection, esophageal cancer, esophagus ablation, GERD, radiofrequency ablation

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is common in North America, affecting around 25% of the population. A small fraction of these patients develop Barrett esophagus and thus are at a risk of developing esophageal cancer. The progression of Barrett esophagus to esophageal cancer can be prevented with timely examinations and, when necessary, by performing treatments to eradicate it. This review describes the use of endoscopy techniques to diagnose and classify Barrett esophagus among high-risk patients and the use of ablative techniques in patients with dysplasia. The review also describes endoscopic resection techniques for early esophageal cancer, which can provide staging information as well as can be therapeutic in selected cases. This review contains 8 figures and 49 references. Key Words: acid reflux, Barrett esophagus, cryoablation, endoscopic mucosal resection, endoscopic submucosal dissection, esophageal cancer, esophagus ablation, GERD, radiofrequency ablation

The influence of oxygen as an annealing ambient on the native point defects of ZnO thin films has been investigated. ZnO films were derived by sol-gel spin coating method. Films were annealed at 700 °C in vacuum, air and with different oxygen flow rates from 1.5 to 5.0 Standard Cubic Centimetres per Minute (SCCM). Intensity of characteristic XRD peak (002) increased intensively with the increment in oxygen, which indicates the improvement in crystal stoichiometry. In photoluminescence (PL) measurements yellow-green emission reduced while near band edge ultraviolet emission enhanced gradually, which is a sign of reduction in native defects (V O /Zn i ) and improvement in optical quality of films. Resistivity of the films, measured in Van der Pauw geometry, increased significantly as the oxygen flow increased during the annealing. Ferromagnetism in the films was also observed, although at very low scale, which may be due to one or more types of native defects. It is found that saturated magnetic moment (M s ) reduced with the availability of oxygen during annealing.

In the present work structural, electronic and optical properties of methylammonium lead iodide have been investigated by full potential linearised augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method with the local density approximation. The structural properties; lattice constants, bulk modulus and derivative of bulk modulus are calculated. The direct energy band gap of is found to be 1.52 eV at an R-R point which makes the material suitable for photovoltaic applications. The optical properties; dielectric function, extinction coefficient, refractive index, absorption coefficient, reflectivity, electron energy loss function and photoconductivity of CH3NH3PbI3 are discussed and the analysis confirms reliability of CH3NH3PbI3 material for the solar cell absorption layer.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is very rarely reported in the literature. It is one of the immunoglobulin-G (IgG) related diseases that commonly presents with abdominal pain, mass, jaundice, and weight changes. The disease also has extrapancreatic manifestations, of which the most common is autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis. We report a case of autoimmune pancreatitis that was further found to be associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and sclerosing cholangitis. The clinical manifestations vary and it is important to exclude pancreatic malignancy before diagnosing any patient with AIP. Although further studies need to be done, currently the treatment of choice is steroid therapy. Physicians should also screen patients for other autoimmune diseases to rule out any concern.

RNA secondary structure prediction uses techniques like crystallography, NMR spectroscopy etc. Computation based techniques estimate the possible base pairs that could be formed in RNA. Soft computing techniques generally select some random pair or pair sequences and then check them according to some parameters. The final sequence of RNA which is closest to the required fitness is selected as the final structure. The cuckoo search approach is good for finding the feasible search space locations. Cuckoo search approach feasibly provides results for the detection of base pairs in the RNA and the RNA secondary structure.

There are some techniques like spectrometry or crystallography for the determination of DNA, RNA or protein structures. These processes provide very accurate results for the structure estimation. But these conventional techniques are very slow and could be applied over a few special cases only. Soft computing techniques guarantee a near appropriate results in much smaller time and have very large applicability. These techniques are much easier to apply. Different approaches have been used in soft computing including nature inspired computing for estimation of genome structures with a considerable accuracy of results. This paper provides a review over different soft computing techniques been applied along with application method for the determination of genome structure.

Zn1–xMgxO thin films were deposited by sol–gel route on p–type Si (100) and quartz substrates. It is ob-served that the incorporation of Mg and morphological features of the sol–gel derived Zn1–xMgxO thin films extremely depend upon the selection of doping (Mg) precursor salts. Investigation of different doping precursors such as magnesium acetate, magne-sium chloride and magnesium nitrate have been carried out. Zn1–xMgxO (x = 0.15) thin films deposited us-ing each doping source were annealed at 300, 500, 700 and 900 °C in the presence of oxygen for one hour. The results showed that the magnesium nitrate required lower annealing temperature and provided good quality of films, However traces of N were observed in the films. The surface morphology and microstructure of the depos-ited thin films were analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The crystallite dimension, shape and the growth rate were found to be significantly affected by dopant precursors. The chemical compositions were determined by elemen-tal dispersive spectra. The band gap modulation is stud-ied by varying the magnesium content from x = 0.00 to 0.40 for each type of salt for Mg doping. The Zn1–xMgxO films deposited using magnesium chloride exhib-ited poor band gap modulation and lower quality of mi-crostructure. The films deposited using magnesium ace-tate exhibited minimum defects, good crystallinity and higher band gap modulation. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Zinc oxide thin films have been spun coated on p-Si (100) substrates by sol–gel route. These films were annealed at different annealing temperatures from 300 to 1,000 °C in the oxygen ambient. In this way a suitable annealing temperature window for the sol–gel derived ZnO films exhibiting minimum defects (points and dislocations) and better quality (crystal and optical) was investigated. The structural and optical features of ZnO thin films have been examined by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectra. The results revealed that the crystallization in the films initiated at 300 °C, improved further with annealing. All the deposited films exhibited wurtzite phase with c-axis orientations. The variations in the position of characteristic (002) peak, stress, strain and lattice parameters are investigated as a function of annealing temperature. The optical band gap is not significantly affected with annealing as observed by UV–Vis transmission spectroscopy. The Photoluminescence spectra exhibited three luminescence centers. The near band edge esmission was observed in UV region which enhanced with the heat treatment, is an indication of improvement in the optical quality of films. The other two visible emissions are related to native defects in ZnO lattice were appeared only for higher annealing (≥700 °C).

Zn1−yCdyO ternary alloyed thin films with different Cd volume ratios (y = 0.01 to 0.35) were successfully deposited by sol–gel spin coating method on p–Si (100) and quartz glass substrates. XRD results revealed that the thin films were polycrystalline in nature and their crystallinity was reduced with Cd content. Phase segregation as cubic CdO was observed for Cd content y≥ 0.15. Residual stress in the films was strongly influenced by Cd concentrations and its maximum value was observed near the phase segregation limit. Raman results also confirmed that the higher Cd contents distorted the wurtzite structure. UV–Vis transmission spectra exhibited reduction in bandgap of ZnCdO films with increase of Cd incorporation. The photoluminescence spectra showed near band edge emission in the blue region at lower Cd contents (y = 0.12). This emission splits into UV and green–yellow emissions for y ≥ 0.15. The Hall measurements were performed to estimate the carrier concentration and mobility as a function of Cd doping. © 2013 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.001309jss] All rights reserved.

Zn1-xCdxO nanocrystalline thin films with different Cd volume ratios (x = 0.00 to 0.35) were successfully deposited by sol-gel spin coating method on p-Si (100) and quartz glass substrates. Thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Atomic force microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy and Photoluminescence spectroscopy. XRD results revealed that thin films were polycrystalline in nature and crystallinity reduced with Cd contents. Phase segregation as cubic CdO was observed for x ≥ 0.15. Stress and strain in the films were strongly influenced by Cd contents. The optical reflectance spectra indicated that the optical quality of thin films was degraded with larger cadmium content. The band gap of samples was determined through UV-Vis transmission spectra and it is found that the band gap of ZnCdO thin films decreased exponentially with amount of Cd. Photoluminescence spectra exhibited single near band edge emission in visible violet region for lower Cd contents. This emission surprisingly splits in UV and green- yellow emissions for x ≥ 0.15.

Ternary ZnCdO thin films oriented along c-axis have been successfully deposited on p-Si (1 0 0) substrates using sol–gel spin coating route. To optimize most suitable annealing temperature for the Zn1−xCdxO thin films; these films with selected cadmium content x = 0.10 were treated at annealing temperatures from 300 °C up to 800 °C in oxygen ambient after deposition. The structural and optical properties of deposited thin films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectra. The results show that the obtained films possess high crystallinity with wurtzite structure. The crystallite size, lattice parameters, lattice strain and stress in the deposited films are determined from X-ray diffraction analysis. The band gap energy increased as a function of annealing temperatures as observed from optical reflectance spectra of samples. The presence of Cd in the deposited films is confirmed by energy dispersive spectrum and it is observed that Cd re-evaporate from the lattice with annealing. The photoluminescence measurements as performed at room temperature did not exhibit any luminescence related to oxygen vacancies defects for lower annealing temperatures, as normally displayed by ZnO films. The green yellow luminescence associated to these defects was observed at higher annealing temperatures (≥700 °C).

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the extent to which preexisting mental disorders influence diagnosis, treatment, and survival in older adults with colon cancer. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)‐Medicare linked database. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty thousand six hundred seventy participants, aged 67 and older with a diagnosis of colon cancer. MEASUREMENTS: The association between the presence of a preexisting mental disorder and the stage of colon cancer at diagnosis, receipt of cancer treatment, and overall and colon cancer-specific mortality were assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression and logistic regression. RESULTS: Participants with mental disorders were more likely to have been diagnosed with colon cancer at autopsy (4.4% vs 1.1%; Po.001) and at an unknown stage of cancer (14.6% vs 6.2%; Po.001); to have received no surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy (adjusted risk ratio (ARR) 52.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 51.86‐2.35); and to have received no chemotherapy for Stage 3 cancer (ARR 51.63, 95% CI 51.49‐1.79). The rate of overall mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 51.33, 95% CI 51.31‐1.36) and colon cancer-specific mortality (HR 51.23, 95% CI 51.19‐1.27) was substantially higher in participants with a preexisting mental disorder than in their counterparts. All of these associations were particularly pronounced in participants with psychotic disorders and those with dementia.

The magnesium doped zinc oxide is a promising optical material to enhance the luminescence for possible application in solid state lighting. Magnesium doped zinc oxide thin films (Zn 0.85 Mg 0.15 O) were deposited by sol–gel route on p-type silicon and annealed at different temperatures in oxygen environment for an hour. The doping of magnesium in zinc oxide was confirmed by X-Ray diffraction and the samples were found to have wurtzite crystal structure with (002) preferred orientation. The films were characterized by Hall-effect, atomic force microscopy, UV–VIS spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and work function measurements. The different studies exhibited an anomalous behavior for the film annealed at 900 °C. The Hall effect, work function measurements and UV–VIS spectroscopy indicated that the resistivity, work function and optical band gap increased as a function of annealing temperature (from 300 °C to 700 °C) however these parameters were found to decrease for the films annealed above 700 °C. The particle size increased with the annealing but for the samples annealed at 900 °C, the shape of the grains changed and became elongated like fibers as observed by the atomic force microscopy. The PL measurements displayed the existence of oxygen vacancies defects for the samples annealed at and above 600 °C. The possible mechanism for this anomaly has been discussed in this work.

The Ni–P and Ni-Co-P alloy thin films were deposited on silicon substrates with electroless technique. The solid state metallurgical reactions were investigated with silicon for the viewpoint of Co co-deposition effect. The alloy film kept amorphous state with increasing Co content even though the P content decreased. The films become more amorphous, and the thermal stability increased with increment of Co content in the deposit. The Co content was varied from 11.013 to 45.068 wt% while P content was decreased from 9.340 to 6.491 wt% by varying the concentration of components in electroless deposition baths. The thermal stability was examined by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), four probe, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results indicated the Ni-Co-P alloy films with lower P content show the higher thermal stability then the ordinary Ni–P films and prevent the silicidation at low temperature because the Ni crystallization formation suppressed by the co-deposition of Co.

Summary. Patients with genotype I chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with late virological response to therapy have low sustained viral response (SVR) with standard 48 weeks of therapy and may benefit from extended therapy. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of five studies to compare the outcome of 48 weeks vs 72 weeks treatment in treatment naive chronic hepatitis C genotype I patients with late virological response. The end of treatment response with extended 72 weeks of treatment compared to standard 48 weeks of treatment was similar 48% and 56%, respectively, with pooled odds ratio (OR) (0.85; 95% CI 0.52–1.37). However, the SVR rates were higher with 72 weeks of treatment compared to 48 weeks treatment 32%vs 25% with pooled OR of 1.67 in favour of extended duration therapy (95% CI 1.16–2.40). This was because of lower relapse rates with extended duration therapy (35%vs 55%) with OR of 0.39 in favour of 72 weeks therapy (95% CI 0.25–0.61). There was no heterogeneity. No publication bias was noted as assessed by Egger’s test. Extending the treatment duration from 48 to 72 weeks in genotype 1 infected patients with late virological response improves SVR. Thus, therapy extension in genotype 1 late viral responders (LVR) may be a consideration to improve treatment response; however, the proportion of patients with LVR that might benefit from 72-week therapy appears to be small.

The magnesium doped ZnO polycrystalline thin film (Zn0.75Mg0.25O) film was grown by sol-gel method on p-type silicon substrate. The film was annealed at 1000°C in oxygen rich environment. The aluminum thin layer was used for back contact and Indium dots were used for top contacts. The doping of magnesium in lattice structure of Zinc oxide was examined by X-ray spectra. The ferroelectricity in the deposited film was confirmed by polarization and electric field (P/E) curve showing a well defined hysteresis loop. Maximum value of the spontaneous polarization (Ps) and coercive field was found to be 0.29 μC/Cm2 and 18 kV/cm respectively. The clockwise rotation in capacitance and voltage (C-V) hysteresis loop of the deposited film on p-type Si was indicated that the charge compensation on the Si surface was induced by the ferroelectric polarization existed in the film. The grain size and grain structure was analyzed by atomic force microscopy.

In this paper we report on the formation of nickel silicide by electroless process. The nickel plating solution was composed of a mixture of NiSO"4.6H"2O, NaH"2PO"2.H"2O, Na"3C"6H"5O"7, and NH"4Cl, where NiSO"4.6H"2O is the main nickel source and NaH"2PO"2.H"2O is the reducing agent. The nickel silicide formation was carried out by heating the deposited samples in vacuum at temperatures from 100^oC to 800^oC. The evolution of NiSi phase from the nickel film was verified using the X-ray diffraction technique and Raman spectroscopy. The surface morphology was studied using AFM technique. The electroless plating technique can provide a cheap and easy process for forming nickel silicide, and has potentiality of application for the electronic device industries.

Background & Aims: Despite being widely used in more than 20 countries for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis for several decades, domperidone is approved only on an investigational basis in the United States. However, because its use is increasing, it is important for gastroenterologists in this country to understand its effectiveness in this condition. The literature on this subject varies considerably with respect to the methods and outcome measures, making a meta-analysis unfeasible. Methods: Our objective was to systematically analyze studies of the efficacy of domperidone in diabetic gastroparesis, with a focus on their methodologic and scientific merit. Information from 28 trials (11 full articles and 17 abstracts) from 1981 to 2007 was analyzed. Results: The average study quality score was 8.3 out of a possible 15 and the total sample size equaled 1016. Overall, 64% of the studies showed significant efficacy of domperidone on the improvement of symptoms. Sixty percent of the studies showed an efficacy in gastric emptying and 67% of the studies proved the drug effective in reducing hospital admissions. Conclusions: Overall, our assessment is that there is level 3 evidence for the efficacy of domperidone in diabetic gastroparesis, leading to a grade C recommendation for its use in this condition. These results need to be interpreted very cautiously because of significant methodologic limitations of these studies, including the fact that most positive studies lacked a control arm. It is clear that larger and better-designed studies are needed to further validate the use of this drug in diabetic gastroparesis.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET), and metastatic lesions (pMET) are the most common neoplastic solid pancreatic lesions (SPLs). Early diagnosis enables prompt treatment.To identify factors differentiating PDAC from non-PDAC lesions and assess the accuracy of EUS-guided FNA.Retrospective tertiary center.Consecutive patients referred for EUS evaluation of SPLs from 2004 to 2011.Pretest (preceding EUS-guided FNA [EUS-FNA]) predictors of PDAC among neoplastic SPLs and accuracy of EUS-FNA.A total of 1333 EUS scans with 1108 EUS-FNAs were performed for pancreatic lesions. Of the 672 patients with neoplastic SPLs, 528 had PDAC and 144 non-PDAC. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and accuracy of EUS-FNA for the diagnosis of PDAC were 97.3%, 99.3%, 99.8%, and 97.8%, respectively. Years of EUS experience significantly correlated with fewer needle passes (Rs = -0.18, P .001). Controlling for all potential confounders, multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that patients with PDAC compared with pNETs and pMETs were older (odds ratio [OR] 4.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1-9.5; P .001), had weight loss (OR 3.0; 95% CI, 1.6-5.4; P .001), hyperbilirubinemia (OR 3.7; 95% CI, 1.8-7.5; P .001), elevated CA19-9 (OR 6.9; 95% CI, 2.4-20.3; P .01), evidence of arterial invasion (OR 6.5; 95% CI, 2.7-15.4; P .001), and PD dilation (OR 3.3; 95% CI, 1.8-5.9; P .001).Retrospective design, single center.When evaluating neoplastic SPLs, demographic, clinical, laboratory, and imaging characteristics can reliably discern and suggest PDAC. In addition, EUS-FNA is exceedingly sensitive and specific for PDAC.

Co (III) doped titanium dioxide (Ti1- xCoxO2) thin films with different Co volume ratios (x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) were successfully deposited using Sol-Gel route. X-ray Diffraction patterns revealed that the films were deposited with amorphous, anatase and rutile phases. These phases strongly influenced by annealing temperatures and doping profiles. By annealing at 500°C, the structure has changed from amorphous to the anatase crystalline state. The phase transformation from anatase to rutile was observed in the temperature range 600-700°C. However, with the doping of Co resulted in extended phase transformation temperature upto 700 °C. The lattice constants `a' and `c' were calculated from TiO2 (200), TiO2 (101) peaks and grain size using the Scherrer's formula for TiO2 (101) peak and these parameters increased with increasing the annealing temperature.

This paper deals with the characterization of smart-material combinations based on the principle of phase transformation; that may provide drastic change in resistance with a small change in pressure. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) has been selected as a base material for the development of smart-material combinations and pressure-sensitive devices were fabricated using the same. The devices have been characterized with change in pressure. Both dynamic and static pressures were used for characterization of the devices. Fast switching action i.e. large change in resistance with pressure has been observed and discussed. The reliability tests on the devices have also been performed to establish their long-term stability.

Graphene thin film has been synthesize by thermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) formed by modified Hummer’s method. GO solution was prepared in DI water and subsequently deposited on the SiO2/Si substrate by spin casting at 2000rpm. The prepared samples were thermally reduced at different temperature in vacuum. The XRD results confirms the reduction of GO. Four probe conductivity measurement technique was used for the conductivity measurement.

We report the local electronic structure study of Zn0.8Mg0.2O thin films using x-ray absorption spectroscopy. The films were deposited on p-Si (100) substrates by sol-gel method and then annealed in O2 ambient for 1 hour. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the single phase wurtzite structure with a (002) preferred orientation. The near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectrum collected at O K–edge indicates the presence of some oxygen vacancies in the film. The NEXAFS at Mg K-edge confirms the Mg doping into ZnO lattice. Zn L3-edge spectra feature reflects no Zn defect related features.

Self Assembled Monolayer was deposited on silicon substrate using 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS). The diffusion barrier properties of this layer against copper diffusion were studied. For this purpose, Cu/SiO2/Si and Cu/SAM/SiO2/Si structures were compared. The samples were annealed at various temperatures in vacuum ambient. The characterization was performed using X-Ray diffraction, Four Probe Resistivity measurement and Capacitance-Voltage technique. C-V measurement was performed by applying Bias Thermal Stress (BTS). XRD Results indicated that combination of SiO2/SAM worked as diffusion barrier layer up to 600 °C whereas SiO2 could work as barrier only up to 400 °C. C-V and resistivity plots also supported the possibility of using SAM as a good barrier for copper metallization in VLSI systems.

Background Self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) are used to relieve malignant biliary obstruction. Objective To compare outcomes between covered self-expandable metal stents (CSEMSs) and uncovered self-expandable metal stents (USEMSs) in malignant biliary obstruction. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary cancer center. Patients Patients with malignant biliary obstruction. Interventions Placement of CSEMS or USEMS. Main outcome measurements Time to recurrent biliary obstruction (TRO), overall survival (OS), and adverse events. Results From January 2000 to June 2011, 749 patients received SEMSs: 171 CSEMSs and 578 USEMSs. At 1 year, there was no significant difference in the percentage of patients with recurrent obstruction (CSEMSs, 35% vs USEMSs, 38%) and survival (CSEMSs, 45% vs USEMSs, 49%). There was no significant difference in the median OS (CSEMSs, 10.4 months vs USEMSs, 11.8 months; P = .84) and the median TRO (CSEMSs, 15.4 months vs USEMSs, 26.3 months; P = .61). The adverse event rate was 27.5% for the CSEMS group and 27.7% for the USEMS group. Although tumor ingrowth with recurrent obstruction was more common in the USEMS group (76% vs 9%, P P P Limitations Retrospective study. Conclusions There was no significant difference in the patency rate or overall survival between CSEMSs and USEMSs for malignant distal biliary strictures. The CSEMS group had a significantly higher rate of migration and pancreatitis than the USEMS group. No significant SEMS-related adverse events were observed in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation or surgical resection.

Background & Aims Patients treated with surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) should undergo colonoscopy examinations 1, 4, and 9 years later, to check for cancer recurrence. We investigated the use patterns of surveillance colonoscopies among Medicare patients. Methods We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)–Medicare linked database to identify patients who underwent curative surgery for colorectal cancer from 1992 to 2005 and analyzed the timing of the first 3 colonoscopies after surgery. Early surveillance colonoscopy was defined as a colonoscopy, for no reason other than surveillance, within 3 months to 2 years after a colonoscopy examination with normal results. Results Approximately 32.1% and 27.3% of patients with normal results from their first and second colonoscopies, respectively, underwent subsequent surveillance colonoscopies within 2 years (earlier than recommended). Of patients who were older than 80 years at their first colonoscopy, 23.6% underwent a repeat procedure within 2 years for no clear indication. In multivariable analysis, early surveillance colonoscopy was not associated with sex, race, or patients' level of education. There was significant regional variation in early surveillance colonoscopies among the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results regions. There was a significant trend toward reduced occurrence of second early surveillance colonoscopies. Conclusions Many Medicare enrollees who have undergone curative resection for colorectal cancer undergo surveillance colonoscopy more frequently than recommended by the guidelines. Reducing overuse could free limited resources for appropriate colonoscopy examinations of inadequately screened populations.

All relevant authorities recommend an interval of 10 years between normal screening colonoscopies. We assessed the timing of repeated colonoscopies after a negative screening colonoscopy finding in a population-based sample of Medicare patients.A 5% national sample of Medicare enrollees from 2000 through 2008 was used to identify average-risk patients undergoing screening colonoscopy between 2001 and 2003. Colonoscopy was classified as a negative screening examination finding if no indication other than screening were in the claims and if no biopsy, fulguration, or polypectomy was performed. Time to repeated colonoscopy was calculated.Among 24,071 Medicare patients who had a negative screening colonoscopy finding in 2001 through 2003, 46.2% underwent a repeated examination in fewer than 7 years. In 42.5% of these patients (23.5% of the overall sample), there was no clear indication for the early repeated examination. In patients aged 75 to 79 years or 80 years or older at the time of the initial negative screening colonoscopy result, 45.6% and 32.9%, respectively, received a repeated examination within 7 years. In multivariable analyses, male sex, more comorbidities, and colonoscopy by a high-volume colonoscopist or in an office setting were associated with higher rates of early repeated colonoscopy without clear indication, while those 80 years or older had a reduced risk. There were also marked geographic variations, from less than 5% in some health referral regions to greater than 50% in others.A large proportion of Medicare patients who undergo screening colonoscopy do so more frequently than recommended. Current Medicare regulations intending to limit reimbursement for screening colonoscopy to every 10 years would not appear to be effective.