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This study presents findings indicating that the ferroelectric tunnel junction (FTJ) or resistive random-access memory (RRAM) in one cell can be intentionally selected depending on the application. The HfAlO film annealed at 700 °C shows stable FTJ characteristics and can be converted into RRAM by forming a conductive filament inside the same cell, that is, the process of intentionally forming a conductive filament is the result of defect generation and redistribution, and applying compliance current prior to a hard breakdown event of the dielectric film enables subsequent RRAM operation. The converted RRAM demonstrated good memory performance. Through current–voltage fitting, it was confirmed that the two resistance states of the FTJ and RRAM had different transport mechanisms. In the RRAM, the 1/f noise power of the high-resistance state (HRS) was about ten times higher than that of the low-resistance state (LRS). This is because the noise components increase due to the additional current paths in the HRS. The 1/f noise power according to resistance states in the FTJ was exactly the opposite result from the case of the RRAM. This is because the noise component due to the Poole–Frenkel emission is added to the noise component due to the tunneling current in the LRS. In addition, we confirmed the potentiation and depression characteristics of the two devices and further evaluated the accuracy of pattern recognition through a simulation by considering a dataset from the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome resulting from the translocation of t(9;22)(q34;q11), producing the BCR::ABL1 fusion gene. Variant Ph chromosome translocations, involving rearrangements in chromosomes other than 9 and 22, occur in 5–10% of CML cases. Herein, we report a unique case of a 36-year-old male with a four-way variant Ph chromosome. Conventional chromosomal analysis performed on bone marrow aspirate samples showed 46, XY, t(1;9;22;16)(q21;q34;q11.2;q24). Nested RT-PCR of the BCR::ABL1 gene revealed a major BCR::ABL rearrangement. The treatment with nilotinib achieved a complete hematologic, cytogenetic, and molecular response after 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation sequencing technology has improved molecular genetic analysis, and many molecular genetic studies have been utilized for diagnostic classification, risk stratification, and prognosis prediction of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Inactivation of neurofibromin or Nf1, a protein derived from the NF1 gene, causes Ras pathway regulation failure, which is related to leukemogenesis. Pathogenic variants of the NF1 gene in B-cell lineage ALL are uncommon, and in this study, we reported a pathogenic variant that is not registered in any public database. The patient diagnosed with B-cell lineage ALL had no clinical symptoms of neurofibromatosis. Studies on the biology, diagnosis, and treatment of this uncommon disease, as well as other related hematologic neoplasms, such as acute myeloid leukemia and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, were reviewed. Biological studies included epidemiological differences among age intervals and pathways for leukemia, such as the Ras pathway. Diagnostic studies included cytogenetic, FISH, and molecular tests for leukemia-related genes and ALL classification, such as Ph-like ALL or BCR-ABL1-like ALL. Treatment studies included pathway inhibitors and chimeric antigen cell receptor T-cells. Resistance mechanisms related to leukemia drugs were also investigated. We believe that these literature reviews will enhance medical care for the uncommon diagnosis of B-cell lineage ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frame memory compression (FMC) saves power by reducing the data bandwidth for accessing reference frames of video coding standards in the external memory. However, since the continuously accumulated data loss degrades the performance of video coding standards, the quality of the reconstructed reference frame must be improved. Previous lossy frame memory compression methods focused on processing speed or simplicity, but their performance remains limited in terms of the quality of the reconstructed frame. In this study, a Huffman coding with a fixed codebook designed to considerably reduce the latency caused by arithmetic coding in lossless compression schemes is proposed. A novel lossy frame memory compression technique based on the Hadamard transform that does not require additional memory access using a lookup table is also proposed. The result of experiments on several reconstructed videos preprocessed with HEVC show that the proposed method improves BDPSNR by 10.7 dB and BDBR by 40.4% compared with the DWT+SPIHT‐based compression technique which is widely used for lossy frame memory compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. A combination of the reduction mammoplasty technique and breast reconstruction allows surgeons to lift ptotic breasts through local flaps and skin reduction during surgery for breast cancer. This study presents a reliable course for the combination of partial and skin or nipple-sparing mastectomy with reduction-reconstruction surgery. Methods. Fifty-seven patients underwent a partial mastectomy before reduction mammoplasty of both breasts during the same time period between 2014 and 2021 at our institution and thirteen patients underwent skin or nipple-sparing mastectomy, breast reconstruction with an extended latissimus dorsi flap or silicone implant, and aesthetic reduction mammoplasty of the contralateral breast during the same time period. Additional photos were obtained preoperatively, immediately after the operation, and at one, three, six, and twelve months postoperatively. Patient satisfaction was evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively and postoperative complications were noted. Results. Among the patients who underwent a partial mastectomy, the mean age was 45.18 ± 11.05 years, the mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.74 ± 3.53 kg/m2, and the mean preoperative right and left breast volumes were 663.85 (±28.12) cc and 664.34 (±37.13) cc, respectively, and the mean excised mass weight was 177.74 (±213.93) g. Among the patients who underwent a skin-sparing mastectomy, the mean age was 51.62 ± 8.96 years, the mean BMI was 26.91 ± 4.34 kg/m2, and the mean preoperative right and left breast volumes were 624.17 (±98.52) cc and 562.31 (±80.81) cc, respectively, and the mean excised mass weight was 618.05 (±338.17) g. Four patients (5.3%) in the partial mastectomy group had fat necrosis. The mean patient satisfaction score was higher postoperatively in both groups. Conclusion. Patients with breast cancer and large and/or ptotic breasts can successfully undergo reduction mammoplasty for both breasts immediately following partial mastectomy and nipple or skin-sparing mastectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the demand for spatial structures such as retractable dome roofs is increasing. The safety of dome roofs must be ensured even when they are open. Hence, studies analyzing the peak pressure coefficients of spherical dome roofs are actively being conducted. However, no peak pressure coefficients for the cladding design of elliptical retractable dome roofs have been proposed. Although several studies on elliptical open dome roofs that open from the edge to the center have been conducted, studies on those that open from the center to the edge are still insufficient. This study investigated the peak pressure coefficients of elliptical center-open dome roofs. For wind tunnel tests, a model was fabricated with an opening ratio of 30%. Under experimental conditions, five different wall height-to-span ratios (from 0.1 to 0.5) were used, with the roof rise-to-span ratio set at 0.1. Accordingly, the experimental values of the peak pressure coefficients of elliptical center-open dome roofs were compared with those of the closed dome roofs proposed in the Korean and Japanese wind load codes. Subsequently, their efficiency was verified. The findings were also compared with previous research outcomes. Based on the results, peak net pressure coefficients are proposed for cladding designs suitable for elliptical center-open dome roofs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective harnessing of renewable solar energy in interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) is a promising solution for addressing freshwater scarcity worldwide. Therefore, the development of photothermal materials plays a pivotal role in achieving efficient ISSG performance. This paper reports on an innovative photothermal material, copper phosphate (Cu 3 P 2 O 8 ; CuPO), with broadband visible-to-near-infrared (Vis-to-NIR) absorption for ISSG. CuPO exhibited favorable characteristics, including extensive light absorption across the Vis to NIR spectrum (500–2200 nm), low thermal conductivity (0.64 W/m·K), high photon-to-heat conversion efficiency (87.9 %), and inherent hydrophilicity. When subjected to simulated sunlight (AM1.5G, 100 mW/cm2), the CuPO-coated polyurethane membrane demonstrated remarkable water evaporation performance (2.05 kg/m2·h) and ISSG efficiency (95.0 %). Notably, employing an ultraviolet cutoff filter (< 450 nm) revealed a substantial NIR absorption contribution of CuPO, surpassing 80 % of its overall performance. Moreover, the CuPO photothermal membrane exhibited durable ISSG performance over 25 cycles, underscoring the structural robustness and resilience of CuPO. Our findings offer a promising foundation for designing cost-effective, high-performance ISSG systems utilizing copper-based complex oxides. • Copper phosphate (Cu 3 P 2 O 8 ; CuPO) showed broadband and strong visible-to-near-infrared absorption properties. • CuPO exhibited low thermal conductivity, high photothermal efficiency, and inherent hydrophilicity. • Remarkable water evaporation performance (2.1 kg/m2·h) and ISSG efficiency (95.0 %) are demonstrated. • CuPO photothermal membrane exhibited durable and steady ISSG performance over 25 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a reflection pattern (RP) designfor reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems. Fast-moving-vehicle environments necessitate developing more intuitive RP alignment technique that aligns a predefined codeword to the dominant channel directions. To support a fast RP alignment in RIS-assisted V2V systems, we provide a design guideline of the RP codebook by considering passive reflecting elements at the RIS. We analyze distributions of the incident and reflection channels by taking the street geometry in V2V networks into consideration. By using the statistical information on the difference in spatial frequencies between the incident and reflection channels, we define a set of ideal RPs that are likely to maximize a reflection beamforming gain. The RP codebook is constructed by designing a set of reflecting codewords that can generate actual RPs close to predefined ideal RPs. Numerical results verify that the proposed RP codebook provides a higher link gain than previously reported codebooks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index has been considered as insulin resistance (IR) assessment index. The current study aimed to verify the reliability of the TyG index as an IR assessment marker; the study of plasma fatty acids and body fat composition to determine potential metabolic syndrome (MetS) participants with a body mass index (BMI) of between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m2. Methods: The study included 378 overweight participants with a body mass index of between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m2. They were divided into tertiles according to the homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) or the TyG index. The role of the IR assessment index and the relationship with IR-related diseases and the risk factors using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry, computed tomography, and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, was investigated. Results: It was only in the TyG index tertile that the higher TyG index participants showed considerably higher LDL-cholesterol levels. More markedly, a close relationship was observed between the TyG index and the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids compared with the HOMA-IR. Unlike HOMA-IR, with regard to the risks of developing chronic diseases, the MetS, the third tertile of the TyG index, showed an approximately 33.7 times greater odds ratio (OR) of the MetS occurring, compared with the first tertile of the TyG index. Conclusions: The TyG index may be considered as an IR assessment index. In addition, the TyG index is an advanced tool that reflects the relevance of pro-inflammation levels and the presence of IR-related chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the post-entry quarantine inspection of olive seedlings imported from the Netherlands, the olive psyllid, Euphyllura olivina (Costa, 1839), was accidentally intercepted in June 2020. This study reports the presence of the olive psyllid for the first time in the East Palaearctic region, South Korea. The damage inflicted by the insect through direct feeding, wax secretion, and abundant honeydew production results in the growth of sooty mold and may be of phytosanitary concern. Until now, the settlement of the psyllid in the Netherlands and South Korea has not been confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DNA microarray method has sufficient accuracy for simultaneously detecting known HPV subtypes, so a combination of at least two HPV testing methods including DNA microarray is a good choice for diagnosis. Keywords: Human papillomavirus (HPV); Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC); 8th edition of AJCC; Microarray technology; TNM staging system EN Human papillomavirus (HPV) Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) 8th edition of AJCC Microarray technology TNM staging system 4643 4645 3 08/11/22 20220901 NES 220901 This comment refers to the article available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-05979-9. [Extracted from the article]

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are congenital vascular anomalies with a poor prognosis. AVMs are considered intractable diseases, as there is no established approach for early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to provide new evidence by analyzing microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with AVM. We present fundamental evidence for the early diagnosis and treatment of AVM by analyzing miRNAs in the endothelial cells of AVMs. This study performed sequencing and validation of miRNAs in endothelial cells from normal and AVM tissues. Five upregulated and two downregulated miRNAs were subsequently analyzed under hypoxia and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Under hypoxic conditions, miR-135b-5p was significantly upregulated in the AVM compared to that under normal conditions, corresponding to increased endothelial activity (p-value = 0.0238). VEGF treatment showed no significant increase in miR-135b-5p under normal conditions, however, a surge in AVM was observed. Under both hypoxia and VEGF treatment, comparison indicated a downregulation of miR-135b-5p in AVM. Therefore, miR-135b-5p was assumed to affect the pathophysiological process of AVM and might play a vital role as a potential biomarker of AVMs for application related to diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a computationally efficient technique for decomposing non-orthogonally superposed $k$ geometric sequences. The method, which is named as geometric sequence decomposition with $k$ -simplexes transform (GSD-ST), is based on the concept of transforming an observed sequence to multiple $k$ -simplexes in a virtual $k$ -dimensional space and correlating the volumes of the transformed simplexes. Hence, GSD-ST turns the problem of decomposing $k$ geometric sequences into one of solving a $k$ -th order polynomial equation. Our technique has significance for wireless communications because sampled points of a radio wave comprise a geometric sequence. This implies that GSD-ST is capable of demodulating randomly combined radio waves, thereby eliminating the effect of interference. To exemplify the potential of GSD-ST, we propose a new radio access scheme, namely non-orthogonal interference-free radio access (No-INFRA). Herein, GSD-ST enables the collision-free reception of uncoordinated access requests. Numerical results show that No-INFRA effectively resolves the colliding access requests when the interference is dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we identified a new strain of the genus Neocypholaelaps from the beehives of Apis mellifera colonies in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The Neocypholaelap sp. KOR23 mites were collected from the hives of honeybee apiaries in Wonju, Gangwon-do, in May 2023. Morphological and molecular analyses based on 18S and 28S rRNA gene regions conclusively identified that these mites belong to the genus Neocypholaelaps, closely resembling Neocypholaelaps sp. APGD-2010 that was first isolated from the United States. The presence of 9 of 25 honeybee pathogens in these mite samples suggests that Neocypholaelaps sp. KOR23 mite may act as an intermediate vector and carrier of honeybee diseases. The identification of various honeybee pathogens within this mite highlights their significance in disease transmission among honeybee colonies. This comprehensive study provides valuable insights into the taxonomy and implications of these mites for bee health management and pathogen dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapidly growing demand for high-performance deep learning vision models on mobile and edge devices, this paper emphasizes the importance of compact deep learning-based vision models that can provide high accuracy while maintaining a small model size. In particular, based on the success of transformer models in natural language processing and computer vision tasks, this paper offers a comprehensive examination of the latest research in redesigning the Vision Transformer (ViT) model into a compact architecture suitable for mobile/edge devices. The paper classifies compact ViT models into three major categories: (1) architecture and hierarchy restructuring, (2) encoder block enhancements, and (3) integrated approaches, and provides a detailed overview of each category. This paper also analyzes the contribution of each method to model performance and computational efficiency, providing a deeper understanding of how to efficiently implement ViT models on edge devices. As a result, this paper can offer new insights into the design and implementation of compact ViT models for researchers in this field and provide guidelines for optimizing the performance and improving the efficiency of deep learning vision models on edge devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we exploit the concept of array pattern synthesis to design cluster beamformers with partial channel state information for non-orthogonal multiple access downlink multiuser transmission in millimeter wave channels. Using the information on angle-of-departure region for each user, we formulate an array pattern nulling problem to design each cluster beamformer for minimizing inter-cluster interferences, which is solved by using semidefinite programing. Further, we exploit linear programing to solve a power allocation problem for each user in the cluster to achieve a target signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio. Numerical results are presented to verify the validity of the proposed schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) signaling has been shown to inhibit osteogenesis. However, therapeutic efficacy of inhibiting PDGF signaling to bone regeneration in vivo and the specific mechanisms by which PDGFR signaling inhibits osteogenic differentiation remain unclear. In the present study, we examined the osteogenic effect of inhibiting PDGFR using trapidil, a PDGFR antagonist, in vivo and in vitro , and evaluated its mechanisms. A rat calvarial defect model was analyzed by micro-computed tomography and histology to determine the pro-osteogenic effect of trapidil in vivo . In addition, primary mouse calvarial osteoblast precursors were cultured in osteogenic differentiation medium with trapidil to study the mechanisms. Trapidil greatly promoted bone regeneration in a rat calvarial defect model and osteogenic differentiation of calvarial osteoblast precursors. For the mechanisms, trapidil induced phosphorylation of Smad1/5/9 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) leading to enhance expression of Runx2, crucial transcription factor for osteogenesis. The pro-osteogenic effects of trapidil were inhibited by LDN193189, specific inhibitor of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor, ALK2 and ALK3, and by depletion of ALK3, and treatment with noggin, an antagonist of BMPs. Moreover, trapidil showed a synergistic effect with BMP2 on osteogenic differentiation. In conclusion, trapidil induced BMPR activity through upregulation of BMP signaling, leading to promoted osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo . Attenuated BMPR activity may be involved in the inhibition of osteogenesis by PDGFR signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that is characterized by uncontrolled joint inflammation and destruction of bone and cartilage. Previous studies have shown that C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) has important roles in RA development and that blocking CXCL10 expression effectively inhibits arthritis progression in animal models. However, clinical study using anti-CXCL10 monoclonal antibody (MDX-1100) to block CXCL10 expression in patients with RA did not show significant effectiveness. Therefore, we turned our attention to C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3), which is a receptor for CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, to treat RA. In the present study, administration of JN-2, our newly developed CXCR3 antagonist, ameliorated the progression of arthritis in a collagen-induced arthritis animal model. JN-2 also inhibited CXCR3-induced cell migration and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression of bone marrow–derived macrophages and CD4 + T cells in vitro. In addition, we found that CXCL10 formed an auto-amplification loop through activation of NFκB. Furthermore, Phosphorylation of p65 at serine 536 played an important role in the auto-amplification of CXCL10. Overall, the present results demonstrated that JN-2 decreased inflammation by inhibiting CXCR3-enhanced cell migration and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, which then ameliorated arthritis progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation and characterization of SiN thin films using an aerosol-type liquid precursor delivery system (LDS) for application as a water-vapor permeation barrier layer in organic electronic devices is described. The proposed LDS consisted of three major parts: 1) an aerosol generator that transformed the liquid precursor to an aerosol molecule using a piezoelectric ultrasonic vibrator, 2) a vaporizer that transformed the injected aerosol molecules to a vapor state, and 3) a vapor storage canister. The instant evaporation fraction and maximum evaporation mass rate were measured to be 98.3% and 2.55 g/min, respectively. The temperature in the vaporizer was stable, showing a 1 °C variation from the set temperature. As the LDS temperature increased, the evaporation mass rate also increased from 0.035 to 2.55 g/min. A 30 nm thick SiN layer was prepared to evaluate the performance of the LDS, which was attached to a cyclic chemical vapor deposition system. The prepared SiN layer had a smooth surface with no defects or pinholes; the root mean square surface roughness of the prepared SiN film was measured to be 0.185 nm, which is adequate to be used as encapsulation layers in organic electronic devices. The water vapor transmission rate through the 30 nm thick SiN layer was calculated to be 1.31 × 10 −6 g/m 2 /day by Ca-degradation test. The results indicated that the produced films meets the requirement for application as an encapsulation layer to protect the organic layer in organic electronic devices from water vapor penetration, especially in organic light-emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report enhanced light extraction efficiency in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) fabricated on a self-textured aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) anode layer. The self-textured AZO (ST-AZO) layer was fabricated by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering with a short period of thermal treatment without employing any additional etching processes. The green-emitting OLEDs exhibited a maximum power efficiency of 56.1 lm/W with 33.7% external quantum efficiency (EQE). We achieved a 3.24-fold enhancement in power efficiency and 2.55-fold increase in EQE for the OLED fabricated on the ST-AZO anode compared to that fabricated on the ITO anode. Furthermore, a low driving voltage and high current efficiency were obtained simultaneously for the OLED fabricated on the ST-AZO layer compared to that fabricated on the flat ITO anode layer. The ST-AZO layer acted as a random scattering layer that enabled the efficient extraction of generated light and served as the anode layer instead of the commonly used ITO. Our study showed that the ST-AZO layer fabricated by a simple sputtering process effectively improved the optical and electrical properties of the OLED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of equipment such as dental handpieces and ultrasonic tips in the dental environment has potentially heightened the generation and spread of aerosols, which are dispersant particles contaminated by etiological factors. Although numerous types of personal protective equipment have been used to lower contact with contaminants, they generally do not exhibit excellent removal rates and user-friendliness in tandem. To solve this problem, we developed a prototype of an air-barrier device that forms an air curtain as well as performs suction and evaluated the effect of this newly developed device through a simulation study and experiments. The air-barrier device derived the improved design for reducing bioaerosols through the simulation results. The experiments also demonstrated that air-barrier devices are effective in reducing bioaerosols generated at a distance in a dental environment. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that air-barrier devices in dental environments can play an effective role in reducing contaminating particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the low-frequency noise characteristics of the 2,7-dioctyl[1] benzothieno[3,2-b][1] benzothiophene organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) having a CYTOP dielectric layer. Specifically, the fabricated OTFT exhibits 1/f noise, and its behavior is explained via a carrier number fluctuation model. Additionally, the volume trap density (NT) of the gate dielectric is quantitatively evaluated and compared with its counterpart having SiO2 dielectric layer. The analysis of the results shows that the hydrophilic entities of the dielectric layer strongly influence the NT, while the CYTOP having hydrophobic properties provides less NT than that of SiO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, numerous studies have focused on the development of scaffolds for skeletal tissue engineering and regeneration with various structures. Among various structures,in situforming hydrogels have attracted considerable attention because they can provide 3D microenvironments for cells, and their stiffness and elasticity can be easily controlled by physical or chemical means. Over the last decade, graphene oxide (GO) has been widely explored as a potential candidate for biomaterials because of its excellent physicochemical properties and outstanding biocompatibility. In this study, horseradish peroxide-reactive gelatin polymer (GH) hydrogels incorporated with GO were prepared and their physicochemical and biomechanical properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, ther-mogravimetric analysis, and rheological study. The cellular behaviors of the C2C12 myoblasts within the GO-incorporated GH (GH/GO) hydrogels were examined by a cell counting kit-8 assay and immunocytochemistry. GO was uniformly distributed inside the GH hydrogels without affecting their physicochemical and biomechanical properties. GH/GO hydrogels facilitated the myogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells without hindering their proliferation. These results suggest that GH/GO hydrogels can be exploited to craft a range of strategies for the development of promising scaffolds to accelerate skeletal tissue regeneration because of their potential to stimulate myogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a technique where a barrier membrane is placed over the bone defect to prevent cell growth from the connective tissue and epithelium. Titanium (Ti) has excellent mechanical properties and is one of the most frequently used materials in implant dentistry. This study examined how graphene oxide (GO)-coated Ti (GO-Ti) membranes can enhance the osteogenesis of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts and promote new bone formation for potential applications to GBR. The physicochemical properties of GO-Ti membranes were characterized by atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and contact angle measurements. The cellular behaviors of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts on GO-Ti membranes were examined by cell counting kit-8 and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assays. The effects of GO-Ti membranes on bone regeneration were evaluated by implanting them into rat calvarial defects. GO was coated uniformly on Ti substrates, which allowed a decrease in surface roughness and contact. GO-Ti membranes stimulated significantly ALP activity without interfering with their proliferation. Furthermore, GO-Ti membranes enhanced new bone formation significantly in full-thickness calvarial defects without inflammatory responses. Therefore, this suggests that GO-Ti membranes can be applied effectively to GBR because these graphene-coated Ti membranes have potent effects on stimulating osteogenic differentiation and exhibit superior bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, we consider analog cancelation for full-duplex wireless multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems in multipath self-interference channels, where a full-duplex node is equipped with multiple transmit and receive antennas. For analog cancelation in full-duplex MIMO systems, we propose baseband self-interference signal emulation approaches, where the baseband self-interference signals from all transmit antennas are emulated in the baseband at each receive antenna, and the emulated baseband self-interference signals are upconverted to obtain the emulated radio-frequency (RF) self-interference signals. Numerical results are presented to verify the self-interference suppression performance in MIMO multipath self-interference channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraperitoneal injections (ip) of lithium chloride at large doses induce c-Fos expression in the brain regions implicated in conditioned taste aversion (CTA) learning, and also activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and increase the plasma corticosterone levels in rats. A pharmacologic treatment blunting the lithium-induced c-Fos expression in the brain regions, but not the HPA axis activation, induced CTA formation. Synthetic glucocorticoids at conditioning, but not glucocorticoid antagonist, attenuated the lithium-induced CTA acquisition. The CTA acquisition by ip lithium was not affected by adrenalectomy regardless of basal corticosterone supplement, but the extinction was delayed in the absence of basal corticosterone. Glucocorticoids overloading delayed the extinction memory formation of lithium-induced CTA. ip lithium consistently induced the brain c-Fos expression, the HPA activation and CTA formation regardless of the circadian activation of the HPA axis. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of lithium at day time also increased the brain c-Fos expression, activated the HPA axis and induced CTA acquisition. However, icv lithium at night, when the HPA axis shows its circadian activation, did not induce CTA acquisition nor activate the HPA axis, although it increased the brain c-Fos expression. These results suggest that the circadian activation of the HPA axis may affect central, but not peripheral, effect of lithium in CTA learning in rats, and the HPA axis activation may be necessary for the central effect of lithium in CTA formation. Also, glucocorticoids may be required for a better extinction; however, increased glucocorticoids hinder both the acquisition and the extinction of lithium-induced CTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoprogenitor cells, known as preosteoblasts, that arise from mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow are types of cells that work in the growth or repair of bones. These cells possess the prominent potential to differentiate toward the osteogenic lineage, and therefore offer promising opportunities for bone tissue engineering and regenerative therapy. However, to fully exploit the application of osteoprogenitor cells in bone regeneration, it is critical to develop biochemical, physical or pharmaceutical factors that can precisely control their osteogenic differentiation. In this study, we hypothesized that reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) composites could synergistically enhance the osteogenic differentiation of preosteoblasts. Without interference with the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts, rGO/HAp composites synergistically enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of the preosteoblasts, which had been confirmed by determining alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization of calcium and phosphate as early and late stage markers of osteogenic differentiation. This osteogenic activity mediated by rGO/HAp composites was further accelerated under osteogenic culture conditions. It is suggested that rGO/HAp hybrid composites can serve as biocompatible, transferable, and implantable scaffolds for bone regeneration because these graphene-based composite materials have the potential to promote spontaneous osteogenesis in the absence of any osteogenic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A boron and nitrogen co-doped titania catalyst was synthesized by micro-arc oxidation to obtain high efficiency and wide application through the extension of photocatalytic activity into the visible-light region. During micro-arc oxidation process, which is known as an energy saving and environmentally friendly method, boron and nitrogen ions in the electrolyte were incorporated into the interstitial site of TiO 2 . The presence of B and N as doping elements was confirmed by XPS analysis. The surface characteristics of the synthesized B,N co-doped titania film were investigated by SEM and XRD. The synthesized TiO 2 film showed an excellent adherence to the titanium substrate. For estimation of photocatalytic activity, photocurrent response and dye decomposition tests were performed, and the B, N co-doped TiO 2 exhibited much higher dye degradation rate, rate constant, and photocurrent response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manual calibration is common in rainfall-runoff model applications. However, rainfall-runoff models include several complicated parameters; thus, significant time and effort are required to manually calibrate the parameters individually and repeatedly. Automatic calibration has relative merit regarding time efficiency and objectivity but shortcomings regarding understanding indigenous processes in the basin. In this study, a watershed model calibration framework was developed using an influence coefficient algorithm and genetic algorithm (WMCIG) to automatically calibrate the distributed models. The optimization problem used to minimize the sum of squares of the normalized residuals of the observed and predicted values was solved using a genetic algorithm (GA). The final model parameters were determined from the iteration with the smallest sum of squares of the normalized residuals of all iterations. The WMCIG was applied to a Gomakwoncheon watershed located in an area that presents a total maximum daily load (TMDL) in Korea. The proportion of urbanized area in this watershed is low, and the diffuse pollution loads of nutrients such as phosphorus are greater than the point-source pollution loads because of the concentration of rainfall that occurs during the summer. The pollution discharges from the watershed were estimated for each land-use type, and the seasonal variations of the pollution loads were analyzed. Consecutive flow measurement gauges have not been installed in this area, and it is difficult to survey the flow and water quality in this area during the frequent heavy rainfall that occurs during the wet season. The Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) model was used to calculate the runoff flow and water quality in this basin. Using the water quality results, a load duration curve was constructed for the basin, the exceedance frequency of the water quality standard was calculated for each hydrologic condition class, and the percent reduction required to achieve the water quality standard was estimated. The R 2 value for the calibrated BOD 5 was 0.60, which is a moderate result, and the R 2 value for the TP was 0.86, which is a good result. The percent differences obtained for the calibrated BOD 5 and TP were very good; therefore, the calibration results using WMCIG were satisfactory. From the load duration curve analysis, the WQS exceedance frequencies of the BOD 5 under dry conditions and low-flow conditions were 75.7% and 65%, respectively, and the exceedance frequencies under moist and mid-range conditions were higher than under other conditions. The exceedance frequencies of the TP for the high-flow, moist and mid-range conditions were high and the exceedance rate for the high-flow condition was particularly high. Most of the data from the high-flow conditions exceeded the WQSs. Thus, nonpoint-source pollutants from storm-water runoff substantially affected the TP concentration in the Gomakwoncheon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of hysteresis phenomenon in floating-gate (FG) NAND flash memory cells in cell strings was identified. To analyze the hysteresis phenomenon in FG NAND flash memory strings, pulsed I – V and fast transient bitline current ( I\textrm {BL} ) measurements were used in this study. It was found that the hysteresis phenomenon is originated by traps in the bottom oxide of the oxide/nitride/oxide interpoly dielectric. When the control-gate voltage ( V\textrm {CG} ) of a selected cell in the erased state is 5 V, the electrons in the FG are captured in the traps, because the trap energy level ( ET ) is lower than the Fermi energy level ( EF ) of the FG ( ET- EF<0 ), which leads to the increase in I\textrm {BL} . When the V\textrm {CG} of the selected cell is V\textrm {th} , trapped electrons are emitted to the FG, because the ET is higher than the EF of the FG ( ET- EF>0 ), which leads to the decrease in I\textrm {BL} . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The total and partial electronic conductivities of gadolinium doped ceria (Ce0.95Gd0.1O1.95−δ : GDC) with nanometer grain size have been evaluated in an attempt to identify the nanosize effect in heavily doped ceria. Nanocrystalline GDC bulk specimens with relatively high densities (≥96% of theoretical density) and various grain sizes (70, 100, 170nm) were successfully fabricated by a conventional solid-state sintering method. According to the measurements of total and partial electronic conductivity via AC-impedance and DC polarization methods, respectively, no significant grain size dependence appeared for either type of conductivity. Furthermore, both total and partial electronic conductivity were not significantly different from those of microcrystalline GDC, which indicated that, upon nanostructuring within the examined grain size range, nanostructured bulk GDC was not affected by any nanosize effect: either space charge layer effect or grain boundary blocking effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bone is a preferred site of metastasis from breast cancer, and increased osteoclast activity is implicated in breast cancer outgrowth in the bone microenvironment. Our previous observation of an anti-osteoclastic activity of Trolox, a vitamin E analog, led us to investigate whether Trolox inhibits bone metastasis and osteolysis caused by breast cancer. Administration of Trolox markedly inhibited osteolytic bone metastasis in an experimental metastasis model by intracardiac injection of 4T1 breast cancer cells. Trolox inhibited proliferation of 4T1 cells in the bone marrow but not in the mammary fat pad. In addition, Trolox could reduce tumor burden, osteolysis, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production induced by direct inoculation of 4T1 cells into the marrow cavity of the tibia. Trolox decreased the migratory and invasive activities of 4T1 cells via PGE2-dependent and independent mechanisms. It also inhibited the ability of 4T1 cells to stimulate the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), a key cytokine for osteoclast differentiation factor, in osteoblasts. In addition, Trolox suppressed RANKL expression in osteoblasts induced by soluble factors from 4T1 cells. Furthermore, Trolox suppressed 4T1 cell-induced osteoclast differentiation in the co-culture of bone marrow cells and osteoblasts via both PGE2-dependent and independent mechanisms. Taken together, these results suggest that Trolox inhibits breast cancer cell-induced osteoclast differentiation and the invasive behavior of cancer cells through PGE2-dependent and independent mechanisms, thereby suppressing osteolytic bone metastasis of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power line communication (PLC) networks for a smart grid require high reliability for data communications. In order to improve the reliability of PLC networks, we consider a maximal ratio combining (MRC) diversity scheme for a power line orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system. An optimal subcarrier pairing scheme is proposed to maximize the MRC gain. Numerical results are presented to verify that the proposed scheme provides enhanced performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on a new cost-effective fabrication technology for large-area organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices that we have developed. We fabricated OLED lighting devices on a directly patterned backplane using a dry process without employing conventional photolithography patterning technology. The indium-tin-oxide (ITO) anode, metal cathode, insulator, and emissive organic layer patterns were all formed directly on the substrates during the sputtering and evaporation steps by using a shadow mask without using etching or lift-off methods. We fabricated and characterized green phosphorescent emission OLED devices with an emission area of 30 × 120 mm2, based on backplanes formed by direct patterning technology. Application of direct patterning technology reduced the total number of processing steps to 4 from the 26 steps required by conventional photo-patterning technology, making it possible to reduce large-scale production cost. Although the process steps were reduced considerably, the typical characteristics were comparable to those of photo-patterned OLEDs. Furthermore, the lifetime of the OLEDs based on direct patterned backplane was observed to be 27,200 h, which is approximately 97% of the lifetime of conventionally patterned OLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the parallel use of power-line and wireless communication networks with multihop relaying is considered for enhancing the robustness and stability of smart-grid communication. We propose receive and transmit diversity relaying schemes for a unified power-line/wireless relay structure. The performance of the proposed relaying schemes is analyzed in an information-theoretic framework. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed schemes provide enhanced performance compared to the separate use of relays in the power-line and wireless channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Post-treatment effects of ITO on performance of OLEDs devices are investigated. [•] ITO patterns have been formed by using shadow mask technology. [•] Optimal thermal and plasma treatment conditions are obtained to improve characteristics of ITO. [•] OLEDs devices are fabricated and characterized to examine the post-treatment effects of ITO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we propose an analog self-interference cancelation scheme for full-duplex wireless orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. Since the delay of the echo path is presented as a phase rotation of the baseband transmit signal at each subcarrier, the proposed scheme uses the rotated baseband signals to emulate self-interference signals for analog cancelation. While the conventional analog cancelation schemes are matched only to a single frequency, the proposed scheme can perfectly cancel self-interference at all subcarriers, as long as the phase and the gain of the echo path are given precisely. To obtain accurate estimates of the phase and the gain, we also suggest a maximum-likelihood (ML) estimator for use in the proposed scheme. Numerical results verify that the proposed scheme provides significantly enhanced suppression performance compared with the conventional scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study concentrates on the potential application of conjugated polyelectrolytes ( CPEs) to cell imaging and DNA delivery. Four different types of polyfluorene copolymers, namely, PAHFP- Br, PAEFP- Br, PAHFb T- Br, and PSBFP- Na, which have the same π-conjugated backbone but different side chains, were synthesized. For cytotoxicity testing, L-929 fibroblastic cells were treated with increasing concentrations (0-50 µM) of each CPE and then cell viability was determined by WST-8 assay. Cellular uptake of CPEs into cultured L-929 cells was observed by fluorescence microscopy. To examine DNA delivery by CPEs, the cells were incubated for 1 H with PAHFP- Br/fluorescein ( Fl)-labeled single-stranded DNA (ss DNA- Fl) complex and then visualized by fluorescence microscopy. Cytotoxicity of CPEs was increased in a dose-dependent manner but at lower than 10 µM, PAHFP- Br, PAEFP- Br, and PSBFP- Na did not show any cytotoxic effects on the cells. When added to cell cultures at 1 µM, PAHFP- Br/ss DNA- Fl complex was delivered and then dissociated into PAHFP- Br and ss DNA- Fl within the cells. This result implies that PAHFP- Br can enable cell imaging and DNA delivery into fibroblastic cells. Therefore, it is suggested that PAHFP- Br with various advantages such as low cytotoxicity and high fluorescence efficiency can be extensively used as a potential agent for cell imaging and gene delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millimeter-wave vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems with multiple-input multiple-output antenna array have drawn significant attention because it is expected to satisfy the growing bandwidth requirements for the cooperative intelligent transportation systems. However, maintaining high-quality communication links between communicating vehicles without high overhead is a challenging problem due to the high mobility of vehicles. In this paper, we propose a beam management algorithm with spatially distributed antenna subarrays instead of a single co-located antenna array. Unlike existing methods, we use distributed antenna subarrays to exploit the geometric relationship of the beam directions and the relative distance between communicating vehicles. We reduce the beam alignment errors by minimizing the sum of squared errors between the estimated beam direction after the beam training process and the refined beam direction derived from the measured position and velocity data. Additionally, a position data request protocol is devised to reduce the beam refining errors. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed beam management algorithm successfully reduces the beam alignment errors and it is robust to position and velocity measurement errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various array types of 1-diode and 1-resistor stacked crossbar array (1D1R CA) devices composed of a Schottky diode (SD) (Pt/TiO2/Ti/Pt) and a resistive switching (RS) memory cell (Pt/TiO2/Pt) are fabricated and their performances are investigated. The unit cell of the 1D1R CA device shows high RS resistance ratio (≈103 at 1.5 V) between low and high resistance state (LRS and HRS), and high rectification ratio (≈105) between LRS and reverse-state SD. It also shows a short RS time of <50 ns for SET (resistance transition from HRS to LRS), and ≈600 ns for RESET (resistance transition from LRS to HRS), as well as stable RS endurance and data retention characteristics. It is experimentally confirmed that the selected unit cell in HRS (logically the 'off' state) is stably readable when it is surrounded by unselected LRS (logically the 'on' state) cells, in an array of up to 32 × 32 cells. The SD, as a highly non-linear resistor, appropriately controls the conducting path formation during the switching and protects the memory element from the noise during retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a distributed beamforming scheme to realize a full-duplex relay (FDR) in multiuser multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) relaying systems. In the proposed scheme, each mobile and relay station performs distributed transmit beamforming and receive combining, whereas the base station performs ordinary multiuser MIMO transmission. Using the channel reciprocity, the proposed FDR scheme can be realized in an iterative way with no cooperation among nodes. Numerical results show that the proposed scheme provides substantial performance improvement compared with the half-duplex relay. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: We investigated the effect of hydrogen plasma on the growth behavior of Ir thin films using hybrid plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD). To increase the rate of adsorption onto the surface of Si substrates, which is considered to be the bottleneck in Ir ALD, hydrogen was co-fed into the chamber with an Ir metalorganic precursor formed by mixing the Ir precursor and reactant species in the same cycle. The hydrogen plasma effectively decomposes the Ir metalorganic precursors, resulting in an increase in the adsorption rate. A uniform, 5-nm-thick Ir thin film was grown on a Si substrate with a sharp interface between the substrate and film in less than 50 deposition cycle. Moreover, the dependence of the thickness on the number of deposition cycles shows a linear relationship, which is characteristic of the self-limiting nature of ALD. Compared with conventional oxygen and ammonia reactants, the process time required to deposit a 5-nm-thick Ir layer was remarkably reduced from 200 to 50cycles by mixing the reactant species with the metal precursor. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that poly-crystalline Ir was grown with preferential growth in the (111) direction. Our study suggests that the hybrid ALD method can be applied to a mass production line to reduce process time while maintaining the same film quality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A 3.2-nm-thick Ir layer was grown by a cyclic chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-like hybrid atomic layer deposition (ALD) method on non-patterned Si substrate and a 32-nm-wide TaN-coated nano-trench. Ir metalorganic precursors were mixed with hydrogen reactant and co-fed into the chamber in the same cycle. The Ir metalorganic precursors were effectively decomposed in the gas phase, as in a CVD process, and on the surface of the substrate, as in ALD by hydrogen plasma, which was turned on at feeding time. The nucleation density, which caused a relatively long incubation time, was considerably increased as compared to the conventional ALD process by combining the CVD process with the ALD process. The number of deposition cycles required to obtain a 3.2-nm-thick Ir film on a non-patterned Si substrate was remarkably reduced from 200 to 50 deposition cycles, resulting in a low incubation time. Furthermore, the thickness of the Ir layer increased linearly as the number of deposition cycles increased, which shows the self-limiting nature of typical ALD. The thickness of the Ir layer saturated after 10s as the precursor injection time was increased, which is further clear evidence of the self-limited nature of ALD. The conformal deposition of Ir was performed on a 32-nm-wide, 3-nm-thick TaN-coated nano trench. The thicknesses of the Ir layer on the top, bottom, left side, and right side were measured to be 3.5, 2.9, 3.3, and 3.4nm, respectively, as measured by HR-TEM. The calculated conformality was 0.88, which was close to the ideal value without overhang, which often occurs in PVD processes. Our study suggest that this CVD-like hybrid ALD process can be applied to prepare barrier layers with a reduced number of deposition cycles without degradation of the quality of the film, compared to those prepared by the conventional ALD process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes play important roles in physiological and pathological processes by catalyzing the deacetylation of lysine residues in histone and non-histone proteins. Inhibition of HDACs has emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy for various diseases including cancer and inflammatory diseases. We recently found that MS-275, a class I-specific HDAC inhibitor, exhibits an anabolic effect on bone through promoting expression of alkaline phosphatase in osteoblasts. MS-275 has also been suggested to inhibit inflammatory bone destruction, but the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanism of action of MS-275 on osteoclast differentiation and activation. We found that MS-275 inhibits osteoclast differentiation in coculture of osteoblasts and bone marrow cells without affecting expression of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), a key cytokine for osteoclast differentiation, in osteoblasts. MS-275 inhibited RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation from its precursors by suppressing RANKL-induced expression of c-Fos, a crucial transcription factor for osteoclastogenesis. The inhibitory effect of MS-275 on osteoclast differentiation was blunted by ectopic overexpression of c-Fos. In addition to osteoclast differentiation, MS-275 decreased bone resorbing activity of mature osteoclasts. Consistent with the in vitro effects, MS-275 decreased osteoclast number and bone destruction in IL-1-induced mouse calvarial bone destruction model. Taken together, our results demonstrate that MS-275 suppresses bone destruction by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and activation, suggesting a potential therapeutic value of MS-275 for bone disorders associated with increased bone resorption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Yb-doped BaZrO3 samples with relative densities higher than 98% were obtained by the addition of 4mol% stoichiometric ZnO, excess ZnO, and excess BaZnO2, and sintering at 1300°C for 10h. The stoichiometric addition of ZnO was most effective in obtaining a homogeneous distribution of Zn throughout the grains and grain boundaries. The Yb-doped BaZrO3 obtained using a stoichiometric addition of ZnO had the cubic perovskite structure, whereas the others had monoclinic perovskite structures. The highest proton conductivity was obtained when ZnO was added stoichiometrically; the conductivity of Yb-doped BaZrO3 with stoichiometric ZnO and excess ZnO at 500°C was 0.0012Scm−1 and 0.0004Scm−1, respectively. The results are discussed from the viewpoint of the crystal structure and the defect chemistry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Glass-based seals for planar solid-oxide fuel-cell (SOFC) stacks are open to uncontrolled deformation and mechanical damages, limiting both sealing integrity and stack reliability, particularly in thermal cycle operations. If the glass-based seals work like an elastomer-based compressive seal, SOFC stacks may survive unprecedented numbers of thermal cycles. A novel composite sealing gasket is successfully developed to mimic the unique features of the elastomer-based compressive seal by controlling the composition and packing behavior of binary ceramic fillers. A single-cell SOFC stack undergoes more than 100 thermal cycles with little performance loss, during which the sealing integrity is lost/recovered repeatedly upon cooling and reheating, corresponding to unloading/loading of the elastomer-based compressive seal. The thermal-cycle responses of the SOFC stack are explained in sequence by the concurrent events of elastic deformation/recovery of ceramic filler network and corresponding redistribution of sealing glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this review article, basic properties of NAND flash memory cell strings which consist of cells with virtual source/drain (S/D) (or without S/D) were discussed. The virtual S/D concept has advantages of better scalability, less cell fluctuation due to effectively longer channel length at the same technology node, and less program disturbance. The fringing electric field from the control-gate and/or the floating-gate is essential to induce the virtual S/D (charges) in the space region of the body between control-gates and becomes effective as cell size shrinks. A cell string consisting of planar channel silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) cells formed in bulk Si substrate needs to have a bit-line body doping of ∼5×1017 cm−3 in the channel and a less doping in the space region to keep high bit-line read current. The floating gate (FG) flash memory cell string gives larger bit-line current compared to that of SONOS flash memory cell string at given similar body doping. Non-planar channel cells like arch and fin-type body structures were more effective to focus the fringing electric field on the space region. The virtual S/D concept is also useful in 3-dimensional (3-D) stacked NAND flash memory where thin film (or nanowire, nanotube) body is adopted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and Objectives Platelet-rich plasma ( PRP) is an autologous concentration of human platelets contained in a small volume of plasma and has recently been shown to accelerate wound healing and rejuvenate aging skin. The current study was conducted to determine whether there are additional effects of PRP combined with fractional laser therapy. Materials and Methods Twenty-two Korean women underwent three sessions of fractional laser; 11 were treated with topical application of PRP combined with fractional laser. Evaluations were done at baseline and 1 month after the final treatment. The outcome assessments included subjective satisfaction scale; blinded clinical assessment; and the biophysical parameters of roughness, elasticity, skin hydration, and the erythema and melanin index. Biopsies were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin, Masson-trichrome, and immunohistochemistry for matrix metalloproteinase-1. Results PRP combined with fractional laser increased subject satisfaction and skin elasticity and decreased the erythema index. PRP increased the length of the dermoepidermal junction, the amount of collagen, and the number of fibroblasts. Conclusion PRP with fractional laser treatment is a good combination therapy for skin rejuvenation. Keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation and collagen production can explain the capacity of PRP to increase dermal elasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the formulas of 1/f noise in Schottky barrier diodes under reverse bias condition. The derived formulas show that the electron density near the metal–semiconductor interface plays an important role in determining the power spectral density of 1/f noise current in Schottky diodes under reverse bias. The formulas give information on how to calculate the low-frequency noise in metal–semiconductor (or oxide)–metal devices such as resistive switching devices or memristors which have structures of two back-to-back Schottky barrier diodes as well as in the reverse-biased Schottky diodes. The formulas show that the power spectral density of the flicker noise in reverse-biased Schottky barrier diodes increases proportional to the square of the dc current in thermionic emission-limited condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary 1. The inflammatory state, which is associated with the current pandemic of obesity, has been established as an important contributing pathogenic factor to the increased prevalence of the so-called metabolic syndrome. Many studies have focused on the contribution of various adipokines to this phenomenon, and in the present study, we provide an update on the emerging evidence that the pro-inflammatory factor, lipocalin-2, might influence various aspects of metabolic syndrome. 2. Previous reports indicate a positive correlation of serum lipocalin-2 with fasting glucose, the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index, and the inflammatory marker high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, even after adjustment for body mass index, suggesting that it is an independent risk factor for insulin resistance, diabetes, and inflammation. Direct analysis of lipocalin-2 action now also shows effects on peripheral metabolism and on cardiovascular function. 3. A better understanding of how lipocalin-2 is regulated locally and systemically is crucial for adding to our understanding of the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, and to uncover potential new avenues for therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]