Search

We present very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) images and kinematics of water maser emission in three active galaxies: NGC 5728, Mrk 1, and IRAS 08452–0011. IRAS 08452–0011, at a distance of ∼200 Mpc, is a triple-peaked H2O megamaser, consistent with a Keplerian rotating disc, indicating a black hole mass of (3.3 |$\pm 0.2)\times 10^{7}\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$|⁠. NGC 5728 and Mrk 1 display double-peaked spectra, and VLBI imaging reveals complicated gas kinematics that do not allow for a robust determination of black hole mass. We show evidence that the masers in NGC 5728 are in a wind while the Mrk 1 maser system has both disc and outflow components. We also find that disturbed morphology and kinematics are a ubiquitous feature of all double-peaked maser systems, implying that these maser sources may reside in environments where active galactic nucleus (AGN) winds are prominent at ∼1 pc scale and have significant impact on the masing gas. Such AGNs tend to have black hole masses |$M_{\rm BH}\, \lt$| 8 × 106 M⊙ and Eddington ratios |$\lambda _{\rm Edd}\, \gtrsim$| 0.1, while the triple-peaked megamasers show an opposite trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin D has antineoplastic effects, but the synthesis of vitamin D requires ultraviolet radiation, a known risk factor for melanoma. Objective: To investigate the correlations between serum vitamin D levels and risk and prognosis of melanoma. Methods: A systematic review and meta‐analysis were conducted. Online databases were searched on 31 Oct 2018. Results: Twenty‐five studies with a total of 11166 patients with melanoma were included. There was no significant difference in serum vitamin D levels between patients with melanoma and controls [standardized mean difference (SMD), −0.185; 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.533 to 0.162]. However, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in patients with melanoma than that in controls (odds ratio, 2.115; 95% CI, 1.151–3.885). In terms of prognosis, serum vitamin D levels were significantly higher in melanoma patients with lower Breslow thickness (≦1 vs. >1 mm: SMD, 0.243; 95% CI, 0.160–0.327). Moreover, melanoma patients with lower vitamin D levels had a significantly higher mortality rate (hazard ratio, 1.558; 95% CI, 1.258–1.931). Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with higher Breslow thickness and mortality in melanoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This study sought to compare the ultrasound tissue characteristics of the muscles (including muscle thickness, echo intensity, and stiffness) and tendons (including thickness, stiffness, and peak spatial frequency radius (PSFR)) of participants with or without diabetes mellitus. Moreover, the study sought to determine any relationships between the muscle stiffness and strength or tendon PSFR and the results of blood tests, including the glycation or lipid profiles, of the diabetics. Methods. Twenty-three participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus and nineteen controls without a history of diabetes were recruited. Results. The diabetic muscles exhibited less thickness (P=0.024), greater echo intensity (P=0.033 and 0.002), and lower muscle stiffness (P=0.015 and 0.009) than the control muscles. Furthermore, the diabetic tendons exhibited a lower PSFR (P ranged between 0.037 and <0.001). There were correlations between the resting stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle and the height of heel lifting (r=0.450, P=0.031), between the PSFR in the patellar tendon and the hemoglobin A1c level (r= -0.539, P=0.017), and between the PSFR in the Achilles tendon and the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (r=0.545, P=0.019). Conclusions. The diabetic muscles and tendons exhibited morphomechanical changes associated with force capacity or markers of insulin resistance. Clinical applications of musculoskeletal ultrasound techniques to diabetics include using them to design exercise strategies and for microstructural screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the variations of the infrared transmission spectra of yttrium-hydride films YH[sub x] during the hydrogen loading process for the frequency range 500-4000 cm-1. The results indicate that the transmittance slightly decreases in the dihydride phase, followed by a significant increase in the trihydride phase. In addition, the carrier concentration decreases, whereas the carrier relaxation time increases with hydrogen content. The hydrogen vibration modes at interstitial sites are completely screened in the dihydride phase. The screening effect decreases as the system goes through the metal-insulator transition. Moreover, the screening effect can be continuously tuned by simply varying the hydrogen content in the yttrium-hydride system. Analysis indicates that the absorption intensity of the vibration mode depends on the carrier concentration. This effect can be used as a diagnostic tool for estimating the carrier concentration and hydrogen content i! n rare-earth hydrides. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we developed an analytical relationship between adhesive digit orientation and adhesive force capacity to describe the tendencies of climbing organisms that use adhesion for climbing to align their toes in the direction of loading, maximizing adhesive force capacity. We fabricated a multi-component adhesive device with multiple contact surfaces, or digits, to act as a model system mimicking the angular motion of a foot and found the synthetic experiments agree with the developed analytical relationship. In turn, we find that observations of gekkonid lizards climbing on vertical substrates correlate well with our analytical relationship; a reduction in toe spacing is seen on the forelimbs when the animals are facing up. Interestingly, the toes on the hindlimbs tend to have an increase in spacing, possibly a mechanism for stabilization rather than load-bearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of salinity on the photodegradation and mineralization of sulfonamides in the UV/TiO2 system were investigated. The goals of this study were to analyze the effects of pH and salinity on the sulfonamide concentration and total organic carbon (TOC) during the removal of sulfonamides in a UV/TiO2 system. Four sulfonamides -- sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethizole (SFZ), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfathiazole (STZ) - were selected as parent compounds. The photodegradation and mineralization rates of sulfonamides in the UV/TiO2 system satisfy pseudo-first-order kinetics. Direct photolysis degraded sulfonamides but sulfonamides cannot be mineralized. The photodegradation and mineralization rate constants in all experiments followed the order pH 5 >pH 7 >pH 9. At pH 5, the mineralization rate constants of SMX, SFZ, SDZ and STZ were 0.015, 0.009, 0.012 and 0.011 min-1, respectively. The addition of NaCl inhibited the mineralization of the four tested sulfonamides more than it inhibited their photodegradation. The inhibitory effect of chloride ions on the removal of sulfonamides in the UV/TiO2 system was attributed to the scavenging by chloride ions of hydroxyl radicals (HO•) and holes and the much lower reactivity of chlorine radicals thus formed, even though the chlorine radicals were more abundant than HO•. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current induced magnetization reversals on the free layer of patterned spin valve ellipse have been investigated using differential magnetoresistance (MR) measurements, in which various direct currents were superimposed to 14 μA alternating current for the MR measurements. Conventional field scanned MR minor loops and subminor loops were measured under different scan ranges of magnetic field to verify the existing metastable states. The magnetization transitions between metastable states were realized in the dc scanned MR loop, in which the resistance levels were identified in accordance with the field scanned MR loop. This phenomenon is believed to be associated with the domain wall motion pushed by the direct current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the classical model of rigid perfectly plastic solids, the strain rate intensity factor has been previously introduced as the coefficient of the leading singular term in a series expansion of the equivalent strain rate in the vicinity of maximum friction surfaces. Since then, many strain rate intensity factors have been determined by means of analytical and semi-analytical solutions. However, no attempt has been made to develop a numerical method for calculating the strain rate intensity factor. This paper presents such a method for planar flow. The method is based on the theory of characteristics. First, the strain rate intensity factor is derived in characteristic coordinates. Then, a standard numerical slip-line technique is supplemented with a procedure to calculate the strain rate intensity factor. The distribution of the strain rate intensity factor along the friction surface in compression of a layer between two parallel plates is determined. A high accuracy of this numerical solution for the strain rate intensity factor is confirmed by comparison with an analytic solution. It is shown that the distribution of the strain rate intensity factor is in general discontinuous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SmFeO3 has attracted considerable attention very recently due to its reported multiferroic properties above room temperature. We have performed powder and single crystal neutron diffraction as well as complementary polarization dependent soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements on floating-zone grown SmFeO3 single crystals in order to determine its magnetic structure. We found a k = 0 G-type collinear antiferromagnetic structure that is not compatible with inverse Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction driven ferroelectricity. While the structural data reveal a clear sign for magneto-elastic coupling at the Neel-temperature of ∼675 K, the dielectric measurements remain silent as far as ferroelectricity is concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study produced immobilized Cu2O via microwave irradiation. The surface properties of Cu2O were assessed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the generated Cu2O was examined for bisphenol (BPA) degradation in Cu2O/H2O2 and visible-light/Cu2O/H2O2 systems under various H2O2 concentrations. Cu2O can decompose H2O2 to generate radicals, similar to the Fenton-like process. The BPA degradation rate followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The optimal H2O2 concentration was 30 mM and the BPA degradation rate under 30 mM H2O2 in the Cu2O/H2O2 and visible-light/Cu2O/H2O2 systems was 1.43 and 2.69 h-1, respectively. The original Cu2O partly oxidized into CuO in the visible-light/Cu2O/H2O2 system and the BPA degradation percentage declined to 51% from 100% after the fifth cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) is a synchrotron radiation facility of medium energy, 3 GeV, and low emittance, under construction at National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC). The multipole errors of lattice magnets were rigorously examined and corrected so as to maintain the dynamic aperture of the electron beam in the storage ring. The lattice magnets were fully inspected at both the vendor and vendee sites. The multipole errors of the lattice magnets were tested and corrected. In particular, the sextupole magnets have the pole position adjusted to correct the multipole errors so as to conform to the specification. The yoke cutting is to correct the octupole error of the long-quadrupole magnets. The shimming of the magnetic center and the final examination of the magnets will be undertaken at NSRRC. In this paper, we report the methods of correcting the multipole errors, the magnetic center, and the performance of the TPS lattice magnets. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Time-resolved single-shot measurement has been investigated to characterize switching times of the free layer in magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs). In this study, a stacked MTJ film is patterned into an elongated, nano-scale device using standard electron beam lithography in conjunction with ion beam etching. Subsequently, current-induced magnetization switching is initiated using a single-shot measurement based on the time-domain transmission method. A current pulse with a duration of 50 ns is utilized to switch the magnetization configuration between parallel and anti-parallel states. After the pulse rises, the transmission profile shows a transition in which resistance varies. That is, the incubation time between pulse onset and resistance change represents the switching time of the free layer. The statistical distribution results of the switching times are obtained. The switching times are strongly dependent on current density and the external magnetic field. By fitting the data points using the Néel-Arrhenius law, the thermal stability factor \Delta and intrinsic current density JC0 are also determined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We present the direct measurement of the Hubble constant, yielding the direct measurement of the angular-diameter distance to NGC 6264 using the H2O megamaser technique. Our measurement is based on sensitive observations of the circumnuclear megamaser disk from four observations with the Very Long Baseline Array, the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), and the Effelsberg telescope. We also monitored the maser spectral profile for 2.3 years using the GBT to measure accelerations of maser lines by tracking their line-of-sight velocities as they change with time. The measured accelerations suggest that the systemic maser spots have a significantly wider radial distribution than in the archetypal megamaser in NGC 4258. We model the maser emission as arising from a circumnuclear disk with orbits dominated by the central black hole. The best fit of the data gives a Hubble constant of H0 = 68 ± 9 km s-1Mpc-1, which corresponds to an angular-diameter distance of 144 ± 19 Mpc. In addition, the fit also gives a mass of the central black hole of (3.09 ± 0.42) ×107M☉. The result demonstrates the feasibility of measuring distances to galaxies located well into the Hubble flow by using circumnuclear megamaser disks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) is a low-emittance synchrotron radiation factory. The lattice magnets are located compactly within the limited space in the storage ring. The mutual proximity of the magnets induces field crosstalk and influences the dynamic aperture of the electron beam. The field becomes distorted, induced by the crosstalk within not only the iron yoke but also the edges of the magnets. Precise measurements with rotating-coil systems were conducted to characterize the integral field quality of the magnets; a new method to detect the center of magnets is presented. Simulation with TOSCA software was undertaken for comparison with these experimental results. We report the field distortions induced by crosstalk on the basis of our measurements and simulations. A misalignment effect between the quadrupole and sextupole magnets is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The septum magnet bends the injection beam before the kicker magnet. The septum magnet is located near the storage ring in the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS). As the space from the magnet wall to the vacuum chamber of the ring is less than 3 mm, the leakage field of the septum magnet thus influences the stability of the electron beam in the storage ring. The main field and the leakage field of a septum of the direct-drive type are compared to one of the eddy-current type. The effects of the vacuum chamber and \mu-metal are simulated with full-sine and half-sine current pulses with the OPERA-2D TR analysis module; measurement results are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study applies photo-Fenton and photo-Fenton-like systems to decolorize Cl. Reactive Red 2 (RR2). The oxidants were H2O2 and Na2S2O8 Fe2+, Fe3t and CO2+ were used to activate these two oxidants. The effects of oxidant concentration (0.3-2 mmol/L) and temperature (25-55 °C) on decolorization efficiency of the photo-Fenton and photo-Fenton-like systems were determined. The decolorization rate constants (k) of RR2 in the tested systems are consistent with pseudo-first-order kinetics. The rate constant increased as oxidant concentration and temperature increased. Activation energies of RR2 decolorization in the UV/H2O2/Fe2+, UV/H2O2/Fe3t UV/Na2/Fe2+ and UV/ Na+ systems were 32.20, 39.54, 35.54, and 51.75 kj/mol, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Cl. Reactive Red 2 (RR2) was removed from aqueous solutions by chitin. Exactly how the RR2 concentration, chitin dosage, pH, and temperature affected adsorption of RR2 by chitin was then determined. After reaction for 120 mm, the amount of 10 and 20 mg/L RR2 absorbed onto chitin was 5.7 and 7.5 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption percentage increased from 56 to 94% when the chitin dosage was increased from 1.5 to 2.5 g/L. Experimental results indicated that the pseudosecond-order model best represents adsorption kinetics. Adsorption of RR2 increased as the temperature increased; however, it decreased with an increased pH. Experimental results further demonstrated that the Freundlich model is superior to the Langmuir model in fitting experimental isotherms. The ΔH° and ΔS° were 16.34 kJ/mol and 152.10 J/mol K, respectively. ΔH° suggested that adsorption of RR2 onto chitin was via physisorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilises a UV/TiO2 system to decolorise C.I. Reactive Black 5 (RB5). The effects of TiO2 dosage, pH, RB5 concentration and light power on the decolorisation efficiency using the UV/TiO2 system were determined. IO4- was employed as an oxidant to increase the photodegradation efficiency of UV/TiO2. The decolorisation rate constants (k) of RB5 in the UV/TiO2 system are consistent with pseudo-first-order kinetics. The k values of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/l TiO2 were 0.53, 0.52, 0.69 and 0.68 h-1, respectively. The rate constant increases with decreasing pH from 10 to 4. The decolorisation rate approximates linear relationship with RB5 concentration, as given by k=1.05[1/RB5]0.98; it varies nonlinearly with light power, as given by k=0.178[power]0.63. The experimental results reveal that the rate of decolorisation obtained using UV/TiO2/IO4-exceeds that obtained using UV/TiO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the use of the high-speed micro-impact testing system for evaluating the properties of lead-free solder joint. It informs that the solder joints are used throughout electronics industry as a mean to attach individual components to printed circuit boards (PCBs). It discusses the experimental impact test performed using an Instron micro-impact system. It states that the load-displacement curves can distinguish between different failure modes.

Heavy metals were removed from industrial sludge by traditional and microwave-assisted acid extraction approaches. The effects of acid concentration, extraction time, sludge particle size and solid/liquid (S/L) ratio on copper-extraction efficiency were assessed. Leaching with increased acid concentrations increased the yield of heavy metals from the industrial sludge. In microwaveassisted acid extraction, reducing the S/L ratio and sludge particle size increased copperextraction efficiency. These experimental findings indicate that S/L ratio most strongly influenced microwave-assisted acid extraction. Both traditional and microwave-assisted acid extraction demonstrate that sulfuric acid was an effective extractant, and the copper fraction in extracted sludge shifted from being primarily bound to Fe-Mn oxides and organic-matter partition, to being mostly bound to organic matter, remaining as a residue during acid extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of hazardous materials and equipment has been extensively employed to produce useful chemicals for our daily lives, but many serious accidents, such as fires, explosions, toxic releases, and so on, that harm hum an beings and impact the environment have occurred during preparation, operation, and transportation of these chemicals, On 17 May 2007, a toxic release from a boiler explosion in a chemical firm triggered a large amount of xylene (7 ton), isopropanol (8 ton), phosphorus trichloride (44.7 ton), and dimethyl formamide (DMF) (1.37 ton) to he released to the atmosphere with total damages of 2000m² level ground. Through concerted efforts from the Yunlin Emergency Response Information Center (YERIC), sponsored by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of Taiwan and other government sectors, this accident was eventually well controlled after 37 h with 107 people being involved in the rescue action. This study could be applied to lessen the degree of hazard for relevant accidents with an emergency response plan (ERP), and, via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and photo ionization detector (PID) the toxic concentrations of airborne chemicals that occurred in the industrial area could be analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental issue for describing gravity-driven flows over general topography is the search for an “optimal” coordinate. Bouchut and Westdickenberg [1] proposed an arbitrary coordinate system (BW) for general topography. The unified coordinate (UC) system (e.g., [2], [3]), which was developed for computational fluid dynamics, combines the advantages of both Eulerian and Lagrangian systems, so that the coordinates can instantaneously move with some singular surface within the flows. By utilizing the benefit of the BW coordinates and UC system, a new model of gravity-driven flows over general topography is derived, in which the erosion and deposition processes at the bed are considered. The depth-integrated mass and momentum equations are presented in the time-dependent and terrain-following coordinate system, which coincides with the interface distinguishing between the static and flowing layers. A shock-capturing numerical scheme is implemented to solve the derived equation system. Simulation results present the new features of this model and reveal a new physical insight of the erosion/deposition processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guzmania lingulata (L.) Mez. 'Cherry' were grown in coco chips and fertigated with half-strength Hoagland solution containing various concentrations of boric acid. Excessive boron induced changes in growth, relative chlorophyll content, and lea fan atomy were investigated. Plants treated with 5 mg⋅L-1 or higher boric acid concentration had reduced SPAD-502 readings and Fv/Fm values and increased leaf necrosis in the lower leaves. Boron was distributed unevenly within a leaf, with the maximum concentration in the leaf tip. Increased necrotic length and new leaves with necrosis were evident where average whole leaf boron concentration was higher than 170 µg⋅g-1 on dry weight basis. More leaf growth and higher transpiration or stomatal conductance were recorded in plants under 40% (average 676 µmol⋅m-2⋅s-1 PPF at noon) than 76% (average 270 µmol⋅m -2⋅s-1 PPF at noon) shade. Excessive boron was not found to affect epidermal cells or water storage tissue, but caused browning and shriveling of the chlorenchyma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine-tuning of stop band positioning, ranging from several nano meters to several tens of nano meters, was achieved through sequential thin layer coating of semiconductor materials onto the constituent particles of a three dimensional silica-based photonic crystal. Several semiconductor materials, including TiO2, CdS, and ZnSe, were successfully used to achieve a controllable red-shift of the stop band position of synthetic opal. The stop band shift observed in the present work can be explained by Bragg’s law. The coating operation is equivalent to replacing the lower dielectric constant of the material, i.e. the air around it, with a higher dielectric constant semiconductor materials, thus increasing the effective refractive index of the structure and giving a red-shift in the stop band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Part I, it was shown that boundary element method calculations could successfully be applied to determine sound amplification by a tyre/road geometry. However, the computations are expensive, limited to frequencies below 2500 Hz, and provide little physical insight. In Part II, two supplementary asymptotic approaches are developed; a ray theory for high frequencies and a compact body scattering model for low frequencies. When tested on a representative tyre geometry, these methods are found to have excellent predictive capabilities, at frequencies above 3k Hz and below 300 Hz respectively. Furthermore, the ray theory shows that the neglect of curvature in Ronneberger''s wedge model (1989 Workshop on Rolling Noise Generation, Institut fur Technische Akustik, Technische Universitat, Berlin) leads to erroneous amplification levels and interference effects, and the scattering model intriguingly predicts that low frequency amplification increases with belt width independently of the tyre diameter. Lastly, this work confirms the importance of numerical calculations for the intermediate frequencies, where tyre noise is most significant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Near the tyre/road contact area, the road surface and the tyre belt form a horn-like geometry, which provides a significant amplification mechanism for sound sources. Measurements have been carried out on a stationary tyre placed on a plane surface in an otherwise anechoic chamber. Following the reciprocal theorem a microphone was placed in the road surface near the contact patch and a white noise source was used in the far field. The amplification by the horn effect can then be determined as a function of frequency for an array of microphone positions relative to the contact patch and the centre of the tyre. These experimental measurements show that the horn effect is responsible for about 10–20dB increase in noise level. The amplification function shows a distinct interference pattern for higher frequencies and is independent of the longitudinal source position for low frequencies and source positions close to the contact patch. Numerical calculations using the indirect boundary element method have been carried out. These show excellent agreement with the measurements in the frequency regime of the BEM, i.e., up to 2500 Hz. The dependence of the horn effect on primary geometrical parameters such as the effect of the radius of curvature of the shoulders, the load and the width of the tyre has been investigated experimentally and numerically. The broad features of the horn effect are given by the cylindrical geometry of the tyre. The rounded edges of the tyre tend to increase the levels of the minima and shift them to higher frequencies, while slightly decreasing the levels of the maxima. Shape variations due to load can be accounted for by correcting the source distance to the edge of the formed contact patch. The amplification at low frequencies increases with width, the results collapsing onto a single curve as a function of the dimensionless widthω /λ. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

If water megamaser disk activity is intimately related to the circumnuclear activity from accreting supermassive black holes, a thorough understanding of the co-evolution of galaxies with their central black holes should consider the degree to which the maser production correlates with traits of their host galaxies. This contribution presents an investigation of multiwavelength nuclear and host properties of galaxies with and without water megamasers, that reveals a rather narrow multi-dimensional parameter space associated with the megamaser emission. This "goldilocks" region embodies the availability of gas, the degree of dusty obscuration and reprocessing of the central emission, the black hole mass, and the accretion rate, suggesting that the disk megamaser emission in particular is linked to a short-lived phase in the intermediate-mass galaxy evolution, providing new tools for both 1) further constraining the growth process of the incumbent AGN and its host galaxy, and 2) significantly boosting the maser disk detection by efficiently confining the 22 GHz survey parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertically aligned TiO2 nanorods were prepared by its sol-gel which is spun coat onto aluminum anodic oxide template pregrown on an indium tin oxide glass substrate. The poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), a conjugate polymer infiltrated into the nanorod arrays, and the combined system were used as the active layer. The nanorods/P3HT solar cell with cell size of 0.06 cm2 demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of 0.512% while the bilayer TiO2 film/P3HT cell was 0.12%. The current work provides fabrication method for a stable well aligned nanorods/polymer hybrid solar cell production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report investigates the current-induced switching of exchange bias without an external magnetic field in nano-scaled magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) cells. An MTJ stack film was patterned into an ellipse with dimensions of 120 nm × 270 nm by using standard electron beam lithography in combination with ion beam etching. A spin-polarized current pulse with a duration of 100 ns was used to switch the exchange bias direction of the synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) pinned layer. It is worth noting that the MTJ cell was initialized in a high resistance state before applying the current pulse. For the application of both positive and negative current pulses, the resistance can be switched from the high (antiparallel) state to the low (parallel) one at 2.95 and -2.80 mA, respectively. After the current-induced switching, it was found that the magnetoresistance curve is reversed relative to the one before the current-induced switching. Predominantly, this behavior is independent of the polarity of the current pulse. As a result, it is shown that the exchange bias in the SAF pinned layer changes its direction with a sufficient supply of current pulse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of hysteresis loops with off-axial external magnetic fields have been measured to identify magnetization reversal properties as well as coupling effects in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). MTJ films, consisting of a synthetic artificial antiferromagnetic pinned layer of CoFeB/Ru/CoFe/IrMn, were patterned into an elliptical cell array with sizes of 200 × 300 nm and 500 × 750 nm. The hysteresis loops were measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer with various directions of the external magnetic field; the angle θ between the external magnetic field (Hvector E) and the biasing field of the pinned layer (Hvector B) was varied from 0° to 90°. The two significant coupling effects, ascribed to exchange bias between CoFe/IrMn and Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida-like coupling in CoFeB/Ru/CoFe, can be observed in these hysteresis loops. The angular dependence of the hysteresis loops is employed to characterize the variation of these coupling effects in extended and patterned MTJ films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency modulation (FM) response of a 1.3 μm two-electrode distributed feedback laser is studied in detail. We found that by adjusting the injection current applied to the modulated section, the FM bandwidth can be increased to a value as high as 900 MHz. However, as the bandwidth increases, the FM sensitivity decreases proportionally. This behavior is described satisfactorily by below-threshold carrier rate equation and shown to be closely related to the injected carrier lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the local Ru 4d electronic structure of α-RuCl3 by means of polarization-dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ru L2,3 edges. We observed a vanishingly small linear dichroism indicating that electronically the Ru 4d local symmetry is highly cubic. Using full multiplet cluster calculations we were able to reproduce the spectra excellently and to extract that the trigonal splitting of the t2g orbitals is -12 ± 10 meV, i.e., negligible as compared to the Ru 4d spin-orbit coupling constant. Consistent with our magnetic circular dichroism measurements, we found that the ratio of the orbital and spin moments is 2.0, the value expected for a Jeff = 1/2 ground state. We have thus shown that as far as the Ru 4d local properties are concerned, α-RuCl3 is an ideal candidate for the realization of Kitaev physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a combined soft x-ray absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) study at the Co-L3,2 edge on the hybrid 3d/5d solid state oxide Sr2Co0.5Ir0.5O4 with K2NiF4 structure. Our data indicate unambiguously a pure high spin state (S=2) for the Co3+ (3d6) ions with a significant unquenched orbital moment Lz/2Sz=0.25 despite the sizable elongation of the CoO6 octahedra. Using quantitative model calculations based on parameters consistent with our spectra, we have investigated the stability of this high spin state with respect to the competing low spin and intermediate spin states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on photoluminescence and photominescence excitation spectroscopy which is from triple barrier resonant tunneling structures. Purpose of the spectroscopic techniques; Details on the charging behavior; Evidence for negatively charged exciton formation in the first quantum well.

The performance of a miniature 60 GHz branch-line coupler (BLC) based on a slow-wave coplanar waveguide (SW-CPW), implemented in the back-end-of-the-line of a low-cost 90 nm digital CMOS technology, is reported. Design insights addressing the coupler structural dimensions, artificial dielectric, and loss are discussed. The BLC achieves a measured insertion loss of 2.8 dB, isolation of 25 dB at 60 GHz, and return losses (all four ports) of greater than 10 dB from 46 GHz to at least 67 GHz. The measured amplitude imbalance and phase difference are 0.8 dB and 90.3° at 60 GHz, respectively. By utilising the slow-wave technique, an area reduction of >75% compared to a conventional CPW design has been accomplished with a compact coupler core size of only 290×285 µm2 (0.083 mm2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral reefs in the Central Indo-Pacific region comprise some of the most diverse and yet threatened marine habitats. While reef monitoring has grown throughout the region in recent years, studies of coral reef benthic cover remain limited in spatial and temporal scales. Here, we analysed 24,365 reef surveys performed over 37 years at 1972 sites throughout East Asia by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network using Bayesian approaches. Our results show that overall coral cover at surveyed reefs has not declined as suggested in previous studies and compared to reef regions like the Caribbean. Concurrently, macroalgal cover has not increased, with no indications of phase shifts from coral to macroalgal dominance on reefs. Yet, models incorporating socio-economic and environmental variables reveal negative associations of coral cover with coastal urbanisation and sea surface temperature. The diversity of reef assemblages may have mitigated cover declines thus far, but climate change could threaten reef resilience. We recommend prioritisation of regionally coordinated, locally collaborative long-term studies for better contextualisation of monitoring data and analyses, which are essential for achieving reef conservation goals. An overview of coral reefs across East and Southeast Asia spanning >24,000 surveys in almost 2,000 sites finds that coral and macroalgal cover are surprisingly stable through time, though correlated environmental variables reveal hidden impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present observations of the H2O megamasers in the accretion disk of NGC 6323. By combining interferometric and spectral monitoring data, we estimate km s–1 Mpc–1, where the low strength of the systemic masers (<15 mJy) limits the accuracy of this estimate. The methods developed here for dealing with weak maser emission provide guidance for observations of similar sources, until significant increases in radio telescope sensitivity, such as anticipated from the next generation Very Large Array, are realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetarian diet is usually thought to be healthy for the population; however, an unbalanced vegetarian diet may result in hyperlipidemia. Here, we report the case of a 55-year-old lacto-ovo vegetarian with hypercholesterolemia who underwent an effective dietary intervention. After the dietitian's assessment, an educational and individual meal plan was designed, which complied with the Taiwan vegetarian guideline. Results indicated that the total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein levels returned to their normal ranges within 4 weeks of intervention. Therefore, the intervention (i.e., dietitian's individual nutritional education) and consuming 2 meals per day, designed to comply with the Taiwan vegetarian guideline, could be beneficial for serum lipid profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Miniature 60 GHz slow-wave CPW branch-line coupler using 90 nm digital CMOS process" is presented.

When dealing with geophysical flows across three-dimensional topography or other thin layer flows, for the physical modelling and for computational reasons, it is more convenient to use curvilinear coordinates adapted to the basal solid surface, instead of the Cartesian coordinates. Using such curvilinear coordinates, e.g. introduced by Bouchut and Westdickenberg,3 and the corresponding contravariant components of vector and tensor fields, we derive in full generality the governing equations for the avalanche mass. These are next used to deduce (i) the thin layer equations for arbitrary topography, when the flowing mass is an ideal fluid, and (ii) the thin layer equations corresponding to arbitrary topography and to a viscous fluid that experiences bottom friction, modelled by a viscous sliding law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Films of L11-type CoPt/NiFe exchange springs were grown with different NiFe (Permalloy) layer thickness (tNiFe=0-10 nm). X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the characteristic peak position of NiFe(111) is not affected by the CoPt-layer-confirming the absence of any inter-diffusion between the CoPt and NiFe layers. Magnetic studies indicate that the magnetization orientation of NiFe layer can be tuned through varying tNiFe and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of L11-type CoPt/NiFe films cannot sustain for tNiFe larger than 3.0 nm due to the existence of exchange interaction at the interface of L11-CoPt and NiFe layers. Magnetic force microscopy analysis on the as-grown samples shows the changes in morphology from maze-like domains with good contrast to hazy domains when tNiFe≥3.0 nm. The three-dimensional micro-magnetic simulation results demonstrate that the magnetization orientation in NiFe layer is not uniform, which continuously increases from the interface to the top of NiFe layer. Furthermore, the tilt angle of the topmost NiFe layers can be changed over a very wide range from a small number to about 75° by varying tNiFe from 1 to 10 nm. It is worth noting that there is an abrupt change in the magnetization direction at the interface, for all the tNiFe investigated. The results of present study demonstrate that the tunable tilted exchange springs can be realized with L11-type CoPt/NiFe bilayers for future applications in three-axis magnetic sensors or advanced spintronic devices demanding inclined magnetic anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition is an important issue in hospitalized patients. Poor nutrition may lead to increased risk of morbidity and death, impaired mental and physical conditions, apathy, depression, self-neglect, increased risk of medical complications, increased risk of pressure ulcers, reduced immune response, delayed wound healing, longer hospital stays, and reduced quality of life. However, few studies have investigated malnutrition in psychiatric patients. Psychiatric patients are known to have an increased risk of malnutrition, but psychiatric hospitals rarely conduct physical examinations and nutritional assessments. In this preliminary study, patients from a psychiatric ward of the Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital were chosen using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. We used the before-and-after analysis to test the effect of a nutrition intervention on the selected parameters. We found that patients who had an impaired nutritional status showed significant increases in body weight (mean: 43.6 ± 7.5 vs. 46.5 ± 8.2 kg; P < 0.001), BMI (mean: 16.8 ± 2.0 vs. 17.9 ± 2.1 kg/m2; P < 0.001), and total calorie intake (mean: 1128 ± 230 vs. 1378 ± 320 Kcal; P < 0.001). Nutritional intervention significantly improved body weight, BMI, and total calorie intake. Nutritional intervention may help prevent malnutrition and improve the management of psychiatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a study of magnetization reversal process on a tall magnetic nano-ring with a wall height-to-thickness ratio of up to 21. Samples in a hexagonal lattice pattern of ring array with an outer/inner diameter of 300/260 nm and a ring height of 420 nm are fabricated using electron beam lithography in conjunction with an ion beam etching technique. A longitudinal magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) measurement reveals that meta-stable states exist during the magnetization reversal process. In particular, the exact magnetization configurations at the top end of the nano-ring are illustrated using magnetic force microscopy (MFM) that is facilitated with a photoresist etch-back technique. Most interestingly, MFM images of two sets of head-to-head (H2H)/tail-to-tail (T2T) domain walls are captured during the magnetization reversal process. It is believed that the domain walls formation and evolution processes at the top end of the nano-ring are mediated by the anti-symmetrical distribution of the vortex domain wall on the tubular sidewalls. Simulation results using Object Oriented Micromagnetic Framework confirm the MOKE hysteresis loop and MFM imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controllable remanent states have been studied on the microstructured magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) rings through magnetoresistance measurements. These rings were designed accordingly with an outer/inner diameter of 2/1 and 1/0.5 µm to reveal two and one metastable states, respectively, during the magnetization reversal process on the free layer. The distinct magnetoresistance levels based on the tunneling magnetoresistance effect are associated with the relative alignment of magnetization of free layer and pinned layer. As a result, four and three controllable remanent magnetic states on the free layer were manipulated by ramping external magnetic fields, applied in the biasing direction, with various field ranges, giving rise to four and three stable mangetoresistance values at zero field. These results may provide a great potential in magnetic multibit memory applications using ring-shaped cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructured magnetic tunnel junction rings have been fabricated by a top-down technique combining electron beam lithography and ion milling process. Four-terminal magnetoresistance measurements and magnetic force microscopy were used to successfully explore a four-transition process within the free layer throughout the magnetization reversal. Various magnetization configurations were identified to be the onion state, vortex-pair state, vortex state, vortex-core state, and reverse onion state. In addition, the various durations of each magnetic state observed in the magnetoresistance curve can be utilized for the study of a coupling effect between the pinned layer and the free layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation antipsychotic drug-induced microRNA modulations in glial cells were analysed through microRNA expression in antipsychotic drugs-treated C6 cells using a microRNA microarray. Seventeen miRNAs were upregulated by haloperidol and 10 miRNAs were upregulated by risperidone in C6 cells. Thirty-six microRNAs were downregulated by clozapine in C6 cells. Six microRNAs (rno-let-7a-5p, rno-miR-221-3p, rno-miR-152-3p, rno-miR-345-5p, rno-miR-3473 and rno-miR-551b-5p) were selected for validation by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, the results of which showed almost the same expression trends as the microarray results. MicroRNA and protein expression of potential targets for some validated microRNAs was examined using reverse transcriptionquantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining. Reduction of microRNA (rno-let-7a-5p, rno-miR-152-3p and rno-miR-221-3p) caused by clozapine treatment could further induce expressions of predicted target genes/proteins (atg12, cdkn1b, c-myc and K-ras) in C6 cells. MicroRNAs regulation induced by haloperidol or risperidone were not closely related to predicted target genes/proteins expressions. It was concluded that the regulatory trends between antipsychotic druginduced microRNA and the mRNA/protein expression of potential targets of the examined microRNAs were not quite the same. Clozapine, but not haloperidol or risperidone, could modulate microRNA expression to further regulate protein expression in C6 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acupuncture has been used for many breast cancer treatment-related problems, but how long the effect lasts is unknown. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate how long the effect of acupuncture on breast cancer-related hot flushes and menopause symptoms lasts.Methods: The research design followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement, without language restrictions. Seven databases from inception through February 2019 were accessed; only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that examined the maintenance effect of acupuncture on hot flushes or menopause symptoms after treatment were included. Cochrane criteria were followed and RevMan 5.2 software was used to analyze trials.Results: In total, 943 patients from 13 RCTs were analyzed. The meta-analysis showed that acupuncture had no significant long-term maintenance effect on the frequency or severity of hot flushes (p = 0.29; p = 0.34), but had a significant 3-month maintenance effect of ameliorating menopause symptoms at 3 months after treatment ended (p = 0.001). No adverse events were reported.Conclusions: Acupuncture significantly alleviated menopause symptoms for at least 3 months, but not hot flushes. Breast cancer patients concerned about the adverse effects of hormone therapy could consider acupuncture as an alternative. Additional acupuncture at 3 months after the initial treatment course could be considered. A large-scale study may help to define the optimal guideline for this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. An essential part of the paradigm describing active galactic nuclei is the alignment between the radio jet and the associated rotation axis of the sub-pc accretion disks. Because of the small linear and angular scales involved, this alignment has not yet been checked in a sufficient number of low luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs). Aims. The project examines the validity of this paradigm by measuring the radio continuum on the same physical scale as the accretion disks to investigate any possible connection between these disks and the radio continuum. Methods. We observed a sample of 18 LLAGNs in the 4.8 GHz (6 cm) radio continuum using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) with 3.3–6.5 ms resolution. The sources were selected to show both an edge-on accretion disk revealed by 22 GHz H2O megamaser emission and signatures of a radio jet. Furthermore, the sources were previously detected in 33 GHz radio continuum observations made with the Very Large Array. Results. Five out of 18 galaxies observed were detected at 8σ or higher levels (Mrk 0001, Mrk 1210, Mrk 1419, NGC 2273, and UGC 3193). While these five sources are known to have maser disks, four of them exhibit a maser disk with known orientation. For all four of these sources, the radio continuum is misaligned relative to the rotation axis of the maser disk, but with a 99.1% confidence level, the orientations are not random and are confined to a cone within 32° of the maser disk's normal. Among the four sources the misalignment of the radio continuum with respect to the normal vector to the maser disk is smaller when the inner radius of the maser disk is larger. Furthermore, a correlation is observed between the 5 GHz VLBA radio continuum and the [OIII] luminosity and also with the H2O maser disk's inner radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The multi-pass PIV approach to granular flows is systematically investigated. • Various granular media and flow geometries are studied by open-source code PIVlab. • The influence of the interrogation windows sizes on PIV estimations is investigated. • The accuracy of velocity and granular temperature estimations is assessed. • Homogeneous guidelines about the most reliable PIV settings emerge from experiments. Abstract Measuring velocity fields plays a crucial role in investigating the dynamics of granular flows, which can improve the modeling of hazardous geophysical flows (e.g. avalanches and debris flows) and the control of powder flows in industrial applications. Non-invasive optical methods are invaluable tools for estimating this physical quantity at the laboratory scale. Despite the recent improvements of particle image velocimetry (PIV) algorithms, the employment of PIV to granular flows is still a non-trivial application, where there are several specific aspects to be carefully addressed. Here, we address the main challenges of granular PIV applications and systematically test the open-source window deformation multi-pass code, PIVlab [Thielicke and Stamhuis, J. Open Res. Soft. , 2014], for dry granular flows in rotating drum and chute flow experiments. Three granular media (glass spheres, Ottawa sand and acetalic resin beads) with different optical properties are used as a broad test bench for validating the PIV approach. As well, comparisons between the estimations by PIVlab and those obtained by the commercial code, IDT ProVision-XS, are reported, where the advantages of the multi-pass approach are highlighted. This extensive experimental investigation allowed the evaluation of the accuracy of PIVlab in granular flow applications and also helped to assess the reliability of measurements of second-order statistics, such as the granular temperature. Finally, a guideline for setting a reliable PIV arrangement is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]