Probing a Device's Active Atoms

Materials science and device studies have, when implemented jointly as “operando” studies, better revealed the causal link between the properties of the device's materials and its operation, with applications ranging from gas sensing to information and energy technologies. Here, as a further step that maximizes this causal link, the paper focuses on the electronic properties of those atoms that drive a device's operation by using it to read out the materials property. It is demonstrated how this method can reveal insight into the operation of a macroscale, industrial‐grade microelectronic device on the atomic level. A magnetic tunnel junction's (MTJ's) current, which involves charge transport across different atomic species and interfaces, is measured while these atoms absorb soft X‐rays with synchrotron‐grade brilliance. X‐ray absorption is found to affect magnetotransport when the photon energy and linear polarization are tuned to excite Fe? O bonds parallel to the MTJ's interfaces. This explicit link between the device's spintronic performance and these Fe? O bonds, although predicted, challenges conventional wisdom on their detrimental spintronic impact. The technique opens interdisciplinary possibilities to directly probe the role of different atomic species on device operation, and shall considerably simplify the materials science iterations within device research.     

Locking and Unlocking the Molecular Spin Crossover Transition

The Fe(II) spin crossover complex [Fe{H₂B(pz)₂}₂(bipy)] (pz = pyrazol‐1‐yl, bipy = 2,2′‐bipyridine) can be locked in a largely low‐spin‐state configuration over a temperature range that includes temperatures well above the thermal spin crossover temperature of 160 K. This locking of the spin state is achieved for nanometer thin films of this complex in two distinct ways: through substrate interactions with dielectric substrates such as SiO₂ and Al₂O₃, or in powder samples by mixing with the strongly dipolar zwitterionic p ‐benzoquinonemonoimine C₆H₂(—? NH₂)₂(—? O)₂. Remarkably, it is found in both cases that incident X‐ray fluences then restore the [Fe{H₂B(pz)₂}₂(bipy)] moiety to an electronic state characteristic of the high spin state at temperatures of 200 K to above room temperature; that is, well above the spin crossover transition temperature for the pristine powder, and well above the temperatures characteristic of light‐ or X‐ray‐induced excited‐spin‐state trapping. Heating slightly above room temperature allows the initial locked state to be restored. These findings, supported by theory, show how the spin crossover transition can be manipulated reversibly around room temperature by appropriate design of the electrostatic and chemical environment.     

The effect of multidisciplinary collaborations on research diversification

This work verifies whether research diversification by a scientist is in some measure related to their collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. The analysis considers the publications achieved by 5300 Italian academics in the sciences over the period 2004–2008. The findings show that a scientist’s outputs resulting from research diversification are more often than not the result of collaborations with multidisciplinary teams. The effect becomes more pronounced with larger and particularly with more diversified teams. This phenomenon is observed both at the overall level and for the disciplinary macro-areas.     

Attribute control charts for monitoring the covariance matrix of bivariate processes

In this article, we consider the use of 3 attribute charts—the np_xy, the np_w and the Max D charts—to control the covariance matrix of bivariate processes. In comparison with the generalized variance |S| chart, the 3 attribute charts signal faster, with smaller samples, all kind of disturbances, except when the 2 variables are highly correlated. To compete with the VMAX chart, the Max D chart needs larger samples, but no more than twice bigger. An example illustrates the monitoring of the covariance matrix using the Max D and np_w.     

Synthesis of biodegradable films based on cassava starch containing free and nanoencapsulated β‐carotene

β‐Carotene may represent an excellent natural antioxidant, and nanoscale encapsulation may contribute to development of a new technique for addition of antioxidants in active packaging. The objective of this work was to develop active biodegradable films with addition of free β‐carotene or β‐carotene–loaded lipid‐core nanocapsules and to evaluate the interaction with the polymeric matrix. The addition of free β‐carotene led to a decrease in the mechanical properties of films, result of their hydrophobic character and less interaction with the matrix. β‐Carotene nanocapsules caused the increase of colour intensity of films, elongation at rupture, and less light transmission, with the gradual increase according to increase in concentration. Films with β‐carotene nanocapsules presented greater protection of sunflower oil, with lower formation of oxidation products. The lower stability of free antioxidant led to behavior similar to control film, with less oxidation protection. The addition of nanocapsules can provide better interaction with the structure, since the encapsulated carotenoid exhibits solubility in aqueous medium and present better distribution, without altering the rapid biodegradability and thermal stability of films. The results show that encapsulated bioactive compounds can be used as hydrophobic natural antioxidants and added in active biodegradable packages for maintaining food safety and extending the shelf life.     

Whey protein active films incorporated with a blend of essential oils: Characterization and effectiveness

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) films incorporated with a blend of Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oils were characterized and evaluated for their effectiveness as an antioxidant for food applications. The effect of the incorporation of essential oils (EOs) at different concentrations (1, 2, 2.7, and 5% w/w) in WPC were studied by measuring their physical, optical, mechanical, and microstructural properties, in order to evaluate their behavior as a food packaging. The effectiveness of these active WPC films as a packaged was evaluated using a fatty food model (salami). The state of the salami oxidation was measured by the TBARs and hexanal assays during 180 days of storage. A yellowish characteristic color and opacity of WPC‐based films tend to increase with the increase of the EO concentration in the film formulation. While films containing 1 and 2% of EOs showed to be the most hydrophobic and present the lowest moisture content and solubility in water, films with higher EOs % (2, 2.7, and 5%, w/w) presented the highest water vapor transmission rate. The developed WPC active films showed to be heterogeneous, presenting cracks and pores due to the weakening of the polymer chain interaction forces by the EOs, which affected their mechanical behavior. WPC films incorporated with EOs may retard lipid oxidation induced by UV light in food. Besides, they showed to be very effective in the reduction of lipid oxidation in a previous assay with salami, with a longer storage time.     

Effect of ultrafiltration on placental‐fetal blood flow in pregnancy of woman undergoing chronic hemodialysis

Introduction: Patient who was undergoing hemodialysis (HD) thrice weekly usually gain 1 to 4 kg of weight in interdialytic period, mainly due to fluid accumulation by ingestion of water. Ultrafiltration (UF) during HD will be need to remove fluid excess to avoid severe medical complications secondary to fluid overload. However, in pregnant woman UF can increase the episodes of intradialytic hypotension which may lead to placental ischemic injury and predispose to fetal distress. There is little information about safe fluid amount withdrawn by UF during pregnancy. Methods: We prospectively study by obstetric Doppler ultrasonography the fluxometric parameters: pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) of fetal middle cerebral, uterine, and umbilical artery obtained at the beginning and the end of HD session, the acute and chronic effect of UF on placenta and fetus blood flow, as well as the fetal outcome in 1 pregnant woman on chronic HD. Findings: We did not observe any acute harmful effect on fetal middle cerebral, placental and umbilical artery blood flow when UF rate of 2.1 ± 0.04 L (6 < 8 mL/h/kg) during HD session, no significant statistical difference was observed when compared PI and RI before and after UF and also when we compared these data with reference value on normal pregnancy to the same gestational age. Discussion: UF rate of 6 < 8 mL/h/kg during HD did not bring any acute harmful effect on fetal middle cerebral, placental, and umbilical blood flow and the UF rate of 1.4 6 0.4 L (< 6 mL/h/kg) / HD session that was done in all others HD during pregnancy was safe, without any chronic fetal deleterious effect. Obstetric Doppler ultrasonography is a simple and noninvasive method to fetal follow‐up and can aid to determine safe UF rate in pregnant women during gestation.     

Combining per-pixel and object-based classifications for mapping land cover over large areas

A plethora of national and regional applications need land-cover information covering large areas. Manual classification based on visual interpretation and digital per-pixel classification are the two most commonly applied methods for land-cover mapping over large areas using remote-sensing images, but both present several drawbacks. This paper tests a method with moderate spatial resolution images for deriving a product with a predefined minimum mapping unit (MMU) unconstrained by spatial resolution. The approach consists of a traditional supervised per-pixel classification followed by a post-classification processing that includes image segmentation and semantic map generalization. The approach was tested with AWiFS data collected over a region in Portugal to map 15 land-cover classes with 10 ha MMU. The map presents a thematic accuracy of 72.6 ± 3.7% at the 95% confidence level, which is approximately 10% higher than the per-pixel classification accuracy. The results show that segmentation of moderate-spatial resolution images and semantic map generalization can be used in an operational context to automatically produce land-cover maps with a predefined MMU over large areas.     

Land cover update by supervised classification of segmented ASTER images

The revision of the 1995 land cover dataset for the Vale do Sousa region, in the northwest of Portugal, was carried out by supervised classification of a multi‐spectral image from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER) sensor. The nine reflective bands of ASTER were used, covering the spectral range from 0.52–2.43?µm. The image was initially ortho‐rectified and segmented into 51?186 objects, with an average object size of 135?pixels (about 3?ha). A total of 582 of these objects were identified for training nine land cover classes. The image was classified using an algorithm based on a fuzzy classifier, Support Vector Machines (SVM), K Nearest Neighbours (K‐NN) and a Logistic Discrimination (LD) classifier. The results from the classification were evaluated using a set of 277 validation sites, independently gathered. The overall accuracy was 44.6% for the fuzzy classifier, 70.5% for the SVM, 60.9% for the K‐NN and 72.2% for the LD classifier. The difficulty in discriminating between some of the forest land cover classes was examined by separability analysis and unsupervised classification with hierarchical clustering. The forest classes were found to overlap in the multi‐spectral space defined by the nine ASTER bands used.