This paper reports a systematic study on the device characteristics of neuromorphic transistors fabricated by using RF magnetron sputtered WO3 thin film as a channel layer upon atomically flat Si ...(100), Si (111) and glass substrates. The synaptic behaviour such as learning and forgetting, which are related to short term memory (STM) and memorizing, related to long term memory (LTM) have been demonstrated based on nanoionics phenomena. The conductance modulation using gate-voltage application conditions controls the synaptic behaviour. The switching period, time between learn and forget, has been optimized with gate voltage of within 3 V for the device fabricated on Si (100) substrate. A systematic investigation of substrate effect on the neuromorphic function of devices fabricated with different substrates reveals that the device fabricated on p-type Si(111) exhibits significantly shorter switching ratio, which makes a possibility to modify the device function by the choice of substrate.
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•The neuromorphic function is demonstrated with device fabricated using low-cost substrates.•The neuromorphic function demonstrated by conductivity switching is enhanced by three orders with three different substrates.•Significant enhancement in the learning forgetting behaviour of the device due to substrate effect.
Sm-doped CeO
2-
δ
(Ce
0.9
Sm
0.1
O
2-
δ
; SDC) thin films were prepared on Al
2
O
3
(0001) substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The prepared thin films were preferentially grown along ...the 111 direction, with the spacing of the (111) plane (
d
111
) expanded by 2.6% to compensate for a lattice mismatch against the substrate. The wet-annealed SDC thin film, with the reduced
d
111
value, exhibited surface protonic conduction in the low-temperature region below 100 °C. The O1
s
photoemission spectrum exhibits H
2
O and OH
−
peaks on the SDC surface. These results indicate the presence of physisorbed water layers and the generation of protons on the SDC (111) surface with oxygen vacancies. The protons generated on the SDC surface were conducted through a physisorbed water layer by the Grotthuss mechanism.
Summary
Background
Gender disparities in adult patients with asthma regarding its prevalence and severity are mainly due to enhanced type 2 T‐helper (Th2) cytokine production in female patients ...compared to that in male patients. However, the pathways mediating this effect remain unclear.
Objective
We aimed to determine the roles of two major subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) in females, specifically those displaying CD11b or CD103, during enhanced Th2 priming after allergen exposure, using an ovalbumin‐induced asthma mouse model.
Methods
Sex‐based differences in the number of DCs at inflamed sites, costimulatory molecule expression on DCs, and the ability of DCs to differentiate naïve CD4+ T cells into Th2 population were evaluated after allergen exposure in asthmatic mice. In addition, we assessed the role of 17β‐oestradiol in CD103+ DC function during Th2 priming in vitro.
Results
The number of CD11bhigh DCs and CD103+ DCs in the lung and bronchial lymph node (BLN) was increased to a greater extent in female mice than in male mice at 16 to 20 hours after ovalbumin (OVA) inhalation. In BLNs, CD86 and I‐A/I‐E expression levels and antigen uptake ability in CD103+ DCs, but not in CD11bhigh DCs, were greater in female mice than in male mice. Furthermore, CD4+ T cells cultured with CD103+ DCs from female mice produced higher levels of interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐13, compared with CD4+ T cells cultured with CD103+ DCs from male mice. The 17β‐oestradiol‐oriented enhancement of CD86 expression on CD103+ DCs after allergen exposure induced the enhanced IL‐5 production from CD4+ T cells.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance
These findings suggest that with regard to asthma, enhanced Th2 cytokine production in females might be attributed to 17β‐oestradiol‐mediated Th2‐oriented CD103+ DCs in the BLN.
Summary
Hip fractures are a large public health problem with significant negative impact on an individual’s overall health and survival. But while the total numbers of persons affected by hip ...fractures may be anticipated to increase, incidence rates appear to be declining.
Introduction
To describe annual hip fracture incidence rate trends in an integrated health-care organization over 1997–2006, during which a proactive bone health program was initiated program-wide and other secular trends occurred in the population.
Methods
For this ecologic trend study, we identified all men and women ≥45 years old as of January 1 of each year. Incident fractures for each year were identified using ICD-9 diagnosis codes 820–820.9, excluding all subjects who had fractures in prior years. Annual person-time at risk for hip fracture was determined from enrollment data. Sex- and age-specific and adjusted annual incidence rates were calculated.
Results
The overall annual hip fracture incidence rate for men declined from 1.52/1,000 person-years in 1997 to 1.29/1,000 person-years in 2006, a 15.3% (95% confidence interval CI=6.2–24.5) decrease. For women, incidence declined from 2.65/1,000 person-years in 1997 to 2.24/1,000 person-years in 2006, a 15.3% (95% CI=8.7–21.9) decrease. Among subjects aged 85 years or older, incidence rates for men declined from 27.0/1,000 to 18.9/1,000 person-years, and for women they declined from 32.7/1,000 to 27.1/1,000 person-years.
Conclusion
Hip fracture incidence has been declining in all age groups over the past 10 years. While many factors may contribute to this decline, the results are consistent with a potential benefit of the active bone health intervention.
An alloy semiconductor Si1−xGex (x~0.5) crystal was grown by the TLZ method in microgravity. Ge concentration was 48.5±1.5at% for the whole region of 10mm diameter and 17.2mm long crystal. ...Compositional uniformity was established but the average concentration was a little deviated from the expected 50at%. For further improving compositional uniformity and for obtaining Si0.5Ge0.5 crystals in microgravity, growth conditions were refined based on the measured axial compositional profile. In determining new growth conditions, difference in temperature gradient in a melt, difference in freezing interface curvature, and difference in melt back length of a seed between microgravity and terrestrial growth were taken into consideration.
•Bulk Si0.5Ge0.5 crystal growth by the traveling liquidus-zone method in microgravity.•Compositional fluctuation less than 1.5at% for 17.2mm length.•Growth conditions were compared with those of terrestrial growth.•Difference in temperature gradient, difference in melt back length and so were detected.
Summary
Background
The prevalence and severity of asthma are higher among boys than girls, but the ratios are reversed after puberty. These observations strongly suggest that sex hormones have a role ...in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, the mechanisms underlying the gender differences in asthma are not fully understood.
Objective
The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in allergic inflammation in terms of immune function.
Methods
Male and female C57BL/6 mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). OVA‐specific IgE in serum and airway inflammation were compared between sexes. Splenocytes from OVA‐sensitized male or female donor mice were transferred to male or female naïve recipient mice. Subsequently, the recipient mice were challenged, followed by the evaluation of OVA‐specific IgE and airway inflammation. Cytokines secreted from splenocytes of the sensitized mice were measured.
Results
The levels of OVA‐specific IgE and the allergen‐induced airway inflammation were higher in female than in the male mice. The contents of T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines, IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13, in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from female mice were higher than those from male mice. The airway inflammation in female recipients transferred with splenocytes from female donors was more severe than that in any other combination of recipients and donors. Splenocytes from the sensitized female mice produced more of the Th2 cytokine, IL‐5, than those from the sensitized male mice upon stimulation with OVA.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that the sex difference in allergic airway inflammation may be attributable to the sex difference in not only the hormonal environment but also in the immune cells themselves.
In order to investigate more suitable sample configurations for obtaining radially larger and more homogeneous compound semiconductor crystals, a two-dimensional model of the traveling liquidus-zone ...method is introduced. From numerical results of the model, it is found that inhomogeneity increases with the thermal conductivity of a crucible wall. This is mainly attributed to the heat flow slanted towards the crucible wall near an interface. The numerical results show, however, that the low thermal conductivity of the crucible does not sufficiently reduce the inhomogeneity, which is caused by the slanted heat flow. We also investigate the influence of a seed crystal. It is found that a seed crystal with large thermal conductivity is far more effective to improve the homogeneity.
► Two-dimensional model of the traveling liquidus-zone method. ► Numerical analyses to obtain larger and more homogeneous crystals. ► Thermal effects of a crucible wall and a seed crystal clarified.
Spatial relationships between clusters of corticothalamic (CT) large terminals originating from cortical domains tuned to different frequencies were examined by pair-injecting two different ...anterograde tracers. Large-terminal CT projection originating from layer 5 was highly divergent with each injection site producing, on average, 15 local clusters distributing throughout non-lemniscal thalamic nuclei following a single anterograde tracer injection in the cat primary auditory cortex. Paired injections in higher- and lower-frequency cortical domains, resulting in labeling of two independent sets of terminal clusters, showed five recognizable patterns of spatial interaction
between them. (1) In the ventral division of the medial geniculate complex (vMGC), sheet-like plexuses of small terminals of different origins were situated in parallel, with minimal overlap. (2) Extensive overlap of two low-density plexuses of differently labeled small terminals was observed in the medial division of the medial geniculate complex (MGC). (3) At the transition zones between the vMGC and the superficial dorsal nucleus of the MGC dorsal division, and between the vMGC and the ventrolateral nucleus, there were relatively broad clusters of a high density of large-terminal structures from the two cortical domains, which overlapped extensively. (4) At multiple loci in the nonlemniscal nuclei, pairing of two small clusters of differently labeled large terminals was observed. (5) Small unpaired clusters of large terminals were also found in the nonlemniscal nuclei. For large terminals, approximately 14%, 59%, and 27% clusters per injection demonstrated patterns 3, 4, and 5, respectively.
The results provide evidence for the precise topographical organization for the large-terminal CT system at the microscopic level despite its highly divergent projection. This microtopographical projection from the tonotopic cortical field to non-tonotopic thalamic nuclei may raise the possibility of presence of a map that has not been defined in auditory non-lemniscal thalamic nuclei yet.
This paper describes the algorithms of the level-2 research (L2r) processing chain developed for the Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES). The chain has been developed in ...parallel to the operational chain for conducting researches on calibration and retrieval algorithms. L2r chain products are available to the scientific community. The objective of version 2 is the retrieval of the vertical distribution of trace gases in the altitude range of 18–90 km. A theoretical error analysis is conducted to estimate the retrieval feasibility of key parameters of the processing: line-of-sight elevation tangent altitudes (or angles), temperature and ozone profiles. While pointing information is often retrieved from molecular oxygen lines, there is no oxygen line in the SMILES spectra, so the strong ozone line at 625.371 GHz has been chosen. The pointing parameters and the ozone profiles are retrieved from the line wings which are measured with high signal to noise ratio, whereas the temperature profile is retrieved from the optically thick line center. The main systematic component of the retrieval error was found to be the neglect of the non-linearity of the radiometric gain in the calibration procedure. This causes a temperature retrieval error of 5–10 K. Because of these large temperature errors, it is not possible to construct a reliable hydrostatic pressure profile. However, as a consequence of the retrieval of pointing parameters, pressure induced errors are significantly reduced if the retrieved trace gas profiles are represented on pressure levels instead of geometric altitude levels. Further, various setups of trace gas retrievals have been tested. The error analysis for the retrieved HOCl profile demonstrates that best results for inverting weak lines can be obtained by using narrow spectral windows.
Neurons of similar frequency preference are arranged in isofrequency bands (IFBs) across the primary auditory cortex (AI) of many mammals. Across the AI of the cat, one of the most frequently studied ...species for auditory anatomy and function, we demonstrate IFB-like responses using optical imaging of intrinsic signals (OIS). Optically defined activations were extensively elongated along the dorsoventral axis of AI (the ratio of the major and minor axes was ∼2:1), and systematically shifted as a function of stimulus frequency. The elongation of this IFB-like zone was more conspicuous at higher frequencies. In the ventral sector of the imaged field, the IFB-like zones of activation evoked at different pure tone frequencies tended to overlap extensively. Electrophysiological recording from loci within the optically defined zones of activation revealed matched responses to the frequencies used for optical imaging at 65% of these loci. The dorsoventral orientation of these zones of activation was also closely matched with the orientation of tangentially spreading intrinsic axon terminals, as revealed anatomically. The visualization of IFB-like architecture and tonotopic organization by OIS provides a basic framework for investigating the relationships of different spectral channels and between multiple acoustic parameters at a neuronal population level.
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