ZnO thin films were deposited on the glass substrates at different temperatures (room temperature, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500
°C) in the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. The crystal structure ...of the thin film was found to be
c-axis preferred orientation. The crystal quality of the thin film was confirmed by the
ω
scan (rocking curve) by measuring the (0
0
2) orientation. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) value of the thin film deposited at 400
°C was as small as 0.52°. The band gap energies of the thin films were determined by a linear fit of the transmittance spectra. It was found that, with increasing growth temperature, the band gap energy increases and saturates at 3.28
eV. By the fitting of ellipsometry angles (
Ψ
and
Δ
) the optical constants and the thicknesses of the thin films were calculated. The refractive indices of the thin films show normal dispersion behavior and are in the reasonable range compared with ZnO single crystal (2.008 at
6328
Å
). Luminescent measurements were also carried out by spectrometer. There existed two emission peaks in all thin films; one is the near band edge (NBE) emission at about 379
nm; the other is the wide deep level (DL) emission at about 500
nm. With increasing growth temperature, NBE emission enhanced and DL emission quenched. By measuring the photoluminescence (PL) of the samples at different date after deposition, the aging effects were observed. Micro-Raman was used to investigate the vibrational properties of the thin films. E
2 modes at 101 and 438
cm
−1 were observed to locate at 92.1 and 437.6
cm
−1, respectively. This shift was believed to be from the stress in the thin films. Hall measurement indicates that the resistivity decreases and the Hall mobility increases with increasing growth temperature.
We investigated bioadhesion (bacterial and cell adhesion) and biocompatibility of poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoro-3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octenesulfonic acid) (Nafion
™
) and compared the results ...with those obtained with poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)
(PVFHFP). When incubated with bacteria for 4 h to 7 days, Nafion film exhibited scarce bacterial adhesion at 6 h, after which the adhesion gradually increasing to relatively low levels. In contrast, significant bacterial adhesion to PVFHFP film was observed at 4 h, and much higher adhesion
levels were shown thereafter. Although HEp-2 human cells adhered normally to both films, reaching confluence in 7-8 days, the cells adhered to Nafion appeared more lively and stable than those to PVFHFP. Subcutaneous implantation in mice revealed that Nafion elicited a mild acute inflammatory
reaction without chronic inflammation or tissue necrosis, indicating excellent biocompatibility in mice. PVFHFP, however, provoked a moderate and prolonged acute inflammatory response. These differences in the biological characteristics of Nafion and PVFHFP films may be attributable to the
differences in the chemical and physical natures of these polymer films. Nafion film provided a sufficiently solid support, expressing a high surface charge density and good water-wettability. In summary, Nafion is suitable for use in biomedical applications that require biocompatibility with
a reduced possibility of post-operative infections.
Insulin resistance plays an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Scopoletin, a phenolic coumarin, is reported to regulate hyperglycemia and diabetes. To examine its effect ...on insulin resistance, we treated high-glucose-induced, insulin-resistant HepG2 cells with scopoletin and measured phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3 K)-linked protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) phosphorylation. Scopoletin significantly stimulated the reactivation of insulin-mediated Akt/PKB phosphorylation. This effect was blocked by LY294002, a specific PI3 K inhibitor. The ability of scopoletin to activate insulin-mediated Akt/PKB was greater than that of rosiglitazone, a thiazolidinedione, and scopoletin was less adipogenic than rosiglitazone, as shown by the extent of lipid accumulation in differentiated adipocytes. Scopoletin increased the gene expression of both peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ2 (PPARγ2), a target receptor for rosiglitazone, and adipocyte-specific fatty acid binding protein, but not to the level induced by rosiglitazone. However, the PPARγ2 protein level was increased equally by rosiglitazone and scopoletin in differentiated adipocytes. Our results suggest that scopoletin can ameliorate insulin resistance in part by upregulating PPARγ2 expression. With its lower adipogenic property, scopoletin may be a useful candidate for managing metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Massive amounts of anthropogenic radionuclides were released from the nuclear reactors located in Fukushima (northeastern Japan) between 12 and 16 March 2011 following the earthquake and tsunami. ...Ground level air radioactivity was monitored around the globe immediately after the Fukushima accident. This global effort provided a unique opportunity to trace the surface air mass movement at different sites in the Northern Hemisphere. Based on surface air radioactivity measurements around the globe and the air mass backward trajectory analysis of the Fukushima radioactive plume at various places in the Northern Hemisphere by employing the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model, we show for the first time, that the uninterrupted complete revolution of the mid-latitude Surface Westerlies took place in less than 21days, with an average zonal velocity of>60km/h. The position and circulation time scale of Surface Westerlies are of wide interest to a large number of global researchers including meteorologists, atmospheric researchers and global climate modellers.
► Evidence of the South Korea contamination with released radiocesium from Fukushima. ► Field samples and air mass analysis were utilized to elucidate the transport of those radionuclides. ► Characterization of the air mass movements at different sites at the Earth's surface. ► Verification of the uninterrupted complete revolution of the artificial radionuclides released in Fukushima. ► Quantification of the velocity of the artificial radionuclides released in Fukushima.
The search for an ideal magnetic semiconductor with tunable ferromagnetic behaviour over a wide range of doping or by electrical gating is being actively pursued as a major step towards realizing ...spin electronics. A magnetic semiconductor having a high Curie temperature, capable of independently controlled carrier density and magnetic doping, is crucial for developing spin-based multifunctional devices. Cr-doped In(2)O(3) is such a unique system, where the electrical and magnetic behaviour-from ferromagnetic metal-like to ferromagnetic semiconducting to paramagnetic insulator-can be controllably tuned by the defect concentration. An explicit dependence of magnetic interaction leading to ferromagnetism on the carrier density is shown. A carrier-density-dependent high Curie temperature of 850-930 K has been measured, in addition to the observation of clear magnetic domain structures in these films. Being optically transparent with the above optimal properties, Cr-doped In(2)O(3) emerges as a viable candidate for the development of spin electronics.
Titanium oxynitride coatings deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering improve biocompatibility of vascular stents by increasing NO production, viability, and adhesion of EA.hy926 cells. Thus, the ...application of titanium oxynitride coatings is a promising strategy for increasing the biocompatibility of nitinol stents.
Repeated application of noxious stimuli leads to a progressively increased pain perception; this temporal summation is enhanced in and predictive of clinical pain disorders. Its electrophysiological ...correlate is “wind-up,” in which dorsal horn spinal neurons increase their response to repeated nociceptor stimulation. To understand the genetic basis of temporal summation, we undertook a GWAS of wind-up in healthy human volunteers and found significant association with SLC8A3 encoding sodium-calcium exchanger type 3 (NCX3). NCX3 was expressed in mouse dorsal horn neurons, and mice lacking NCX3 showed normal, acute pain but hypersensitivity to the second phase of the formalin test and chronic constriction injury. Dorsal horn neurons lacking NCX3 showed increased intracellular calcium following repetitive stimulation, slowed calcium clearance, and increased wind-up. Moreover, virally mediated enhanced spinal expression of NCX3 reduced central sensitization. Our study highlights Ca2+ efflux as a pathway underlying temporal summation and persistent pain, which may be amenable to therapeutic targeting.
•Significant genetic association between human pain wind-up and the NCX3 locus•NCX3 null mice show hypersensitivity in inflammatory and neuropathic pain models•NCX3 null dorsal horn spinal neurons show increased wind-up and intracellular Ca2+•Virally mediated spinal overexpression of NCX3 reduces pain-related behavior in mice
Repetitive noxious stimuli increase pain perception (wind-up). Trendafilova et al. demonstrate significant genetic association between the sodium-calcium exchanger NCX3 and human wind-up. Mice lacking NCX3 show increased pain-related behavior and spinal hyper-excitability due to slowed Ca2+ clearance. Enhanced spinal expression of NCX3 reduced pain in mice, suggesting therapeutic potential.
1. A total of 240 Hy-line brown laying hens (36-week-old), were used in this 8 week experiment to evaluate the effect of caprylic acid and Yucca schidigera extract (CY) on production performance, egg ...quality, blood characteristics, and excreta microflora.
2. Layers were divided into 5 dietary treatment groups which consisted of: (1) NC, basal diet; (2) PC, basal diet + 110 mg/kg of tylosin; (3) CY1, basal diet + 30 mg/kg caprylic acid + 30 mg/kg Yucca extract; (4) CY2, basal diet + 60 mg/kg caprylic acid + 60 mg/kg Yucca extract; (5) CY3, basal diet + 120 mg/kg caprylic acid + 120 mg/kg Yucca extract. The Yucca extract contained 12·5% saponins.
3. Egg production was unaffected, whereas egg weights and feed efficiency were linearly improved by the addition of CY. There were no differences in the egg quality parameters throughout the experimental period. Plasma total triglyceride and cholesterol concentration in plasma and egg yolk were decreased as utilisation of CY increased. The Escherichia coli counts were linearly inhibited by the CY treatments when compared with the NC treatment at both the 5 and 8 week stages. No difference was observed on the Lactobacillus population through the whole experimental period.
4. In conclusion, the addition of 120 mg/kg caprylic acid and 120 mg/kg Yucca extract exerted positive effects on egg weight and feed efficiency, decreased the serum and yolk cholesterol concentration and reduced the proliferation of Escherichia coli.
In this letter, we propose a new synchronous duplexing scheme for a long distance wireless backhaul system. In conventional time-division duplexing, a backhaul system can transmit its data only after ...the transmission of the opposite backhaul system is finished. Thus, any propagation delay caused by long distances leads to a long guard time. However, in our proposed scheme, both local and remote backhaul systems transmit their down and up-link data to each other simultaneously. Thus, even for a long propagation delay, the time for which the channel is not used, which is called the feedback delay, can be effectively reduced. We conduct a mathematical analysis to derive the theoretical efficiency of the proposed scheme and show simulation results indicating the superiority of the proposed scheme in terms of synchronization error and propagation delay.
PDF
