Thermal endurance and microstructural evolution of PtGe for high-performance nano-scale Ge-on-Si MOSFETS

The thermal endurance and microstructural evolution of Ni-germanide (NiGe) and Pt-germanide (PtGe) on a Ge-on-Si substrate were compared in this paper. In case of the Ni/TiN structure, the sheet resistance exhibited a stable RTP window of 350 to 600 degrees C, while that of the Pt/TiN structure showed more stable characteristics up to 700 degrees C. Furthermore, after post-germanidation annealing, NiGe exhibited the formation of islands due to the severe agglomeration as well as a prominent grain boundary grooving, which accounts for the sharp increase of the sheet resistance from 550 degrees C, whereas PtGe showed a smooth and continuous surface morphological stability without signs of agglomeration even up to 600 degrees C. Although about two times higher resistivity (31.5 micro ohms-cm) and greater Ge consumption (3.27 nm) were shown, PtGe showed more stable sheet resistance, better surface and interface morphological stability and a wider thermal processing window above 100 degrees C than NiGe. Therefore, PtGe is more suitable for the germanided shallow source/drain for nano-scale Ge MOSFETs than NiGe.     

Mechanism of Hydrolysis of Native and Cooked Starches from Different Botanical Sources in the Presence of Tea Extracts

Abstract: A series of experiments were conducted to highlight the mechanism of inhibition of hydrolysis and differences in hydrolysis among starches from different sources in the presence of green or black tea extract. The first experiment showed that black tea extract was more effective at reducing final viscosity for all starches. The second experiment showed that black tea was more effective at inhibiting starch hydrolysis compared to green tea when starch, tea extract, and pancreatin were added at the beginning of pasting. The third experiment, when starches were pretreated with tea extracts, showed that both treatments reduced starch hydrolysis. Analysis of supernatant free phenolic content and of soluble dextrins showed that amyloglucosidase activity was affected, with exceptions for potato starch. These observations suggest that starch hydrolysis is affected by interactions and also by the impact on specific enzymes based on starch structure.     

Perspectives on the history of research on starch

Starch has been used over several millennia for a number of different applications. However, research on understanding this substance only spans about three centuries starting with Leeuwenhoek who observed it in 1716. This story of discovery of the molecular structure and architectural makeup of starch is chronicled in a series of six essays of which this is the third with a focus on contemporary terminologies used in the 19th and early 20th centuries and its impact on advances in starch. Following the discovery of diastase, researchers focused on understanding the action of diastase on “transforming” starch into sugar. Besides maltose, they found that the products consisted of a range of dextrins with different abilities to complex with iodine. However, the nomenclature of the products that were obtained under a myriad of experimental conditions gave rise to confusions and misinterpretations, which transpired for over 30 years. Researchers also attempted to understand starch structure through systematic analyses of the different stages of starch breakdown. A new era of confusion in both nomenclature and structural interpretation started in the early 20th century with the discovery of cyclodextrins that were obtained from starch using the microorganism B. macerans. This gave rise to the school of “the low molecular elementary unit hypothesis” for starch structure, which lasted for about 25 years.

     

Perspectives on the history of research on starch Part II: On the discovery of the constitution of diastase

Starch has been used over several millennia for a number of different applications. However, research on understanding this substance only spans about three centuries starting with Leeuwenhoek who observed it in 1716. This story of discovery of the molecular structure and architectural makeup of starch is chronicled in a series of six essays of which this is the second with a focus on diastase. Malted barley has been used in the brewing industry for millennia. However, it was not until 1833 that the active substance was identified and called diastase. Much of the research on diastase, interestingly, developed in the context of improving beer production efficiency and quality. Research in this area has given us the terms maltose, dextrin, and maltodextrin, which are still in use today. It was only in 1886 that the active substance was identified as a protein and soon thereafter as two distinct proteins. Finally, it was around mid 1900s that it was recognized that diastase contained several isoforms of the enzymes. This review on diastase spans over a period of 130 years.     

Prediction of Japanese color score

Relationships between Japanese color score (JCS) and pork quality attributes were studied and three equations were developed to predict JCS. Averages for population one (n = 781) traits were used to develop initial prediction equations and traits from population two (n = 684) were used to evaluate the success of the prediction equations. The first equation was: JCS = 12.698 − (0.01128 × firmness) + (0.09008 × pH) − (0.00007199 × drip loss) − (0.266 × L^*) + (0.06923 × a^*) − (0.201 × b^*) + (0.02143 × hue angle); r² = 0.916. The second equation was: JCS = 15.255 − (0.259 × L^*) − (0.213 × b^*) + (0.02518 × hue angle); r² = 0.931. The third equation was: JCS = 12.920 − (0.219 × L^*) + (0.07342 × a^*) − (0.02166 × b^*); r² = 0.906. All equations predicted 92% or more Japanese color scores within ±0.50. Requiring fewer measurements, the second and third equations would be advantageous when sorting pork on the basis of JCS.     

Measurement and analysis of international air parcel shipping environment for DHL and FedEx between Europe and United States

Various studies have been conducted to determine the dynamics that single packages undergo during distribution between destinations as a function of package size and weight and carrier. Previous studies have normally focused on regional and domestic measurements of these environments in Europe and North America. However, no information is available to determine the international handling and shipping environment of single parcels between the two continents. This study used instrumented packages containing triaxial accelerometers. The measured shocks were analysed to determine the velocity change levels as a function of the events measured in the distribution environment and to develop data for drop heights that can be used for package testing. This study provides a comparison of DHL and FedEx, the two largest international parcel carriers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants: Brassinosteroids Navigate Competently

Brassinosteroid hormones (BRs) multitask to smoothly regulate a broad spectrum of vital physiological processes in plants, such as cell division, cell expansion, differentiation, seed germination, xylem differentiation, reproductive development and light responses (photomorphogenesis and skotomorphogenesis). Their importance is inferred when visible abnormalities arise in plant phenotypes due to suboptimal or supraoptimal hormone levels. This group of steroidal hormones are major growth regulators, having pleiotropic effects and conferring abiotic stress resistance to plants. Numerous abiotic stresses are the cause of significant loss in agricultural yield globally. However, plants are well equipped with efficient stress combat machinery. Scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a unique mechanism to combat the deleterious effects of abiotic stresses. In light of numerous reports in the past two decades, the complex BR signaling under different stress conditions (drought, salinity, extreme temperatures and heavy metals/metalloids) that drastically hinders the normal metabolism of plants is gradually being untangled and revealed. Thus, crop improvement has substantial potential by tailoring either the brassinosteroid signaling, biosynthesis pathway or perception. This review aims to explore and dissect the actual mission of BRs in signaling cascades and summarize their positive role with respect to abiotic stress tolerance.