Circuits and AMOLED display with self‐aligned a‐IGZO TFTs on polyimide foil

A process to make self‐aligned top‐gate amorphous indium‐gallium‐zinc‐oxide (a‐IGZO) thin‐film transistors (TFTs) on polyimide foil is presented. The source/drain (S/D) region's parasitic resistance reduced during the SiN interlayer deposition step. The sheet resistivity of S/D region after exposure to SiN interlayer deposition decreased to 1.5 kΩ/□. TFTs show field‐effect mobility of 12.0 cm²/(V.s), sub‐threshold slope of 0.5 V/decade, and current ratio (I_ON/OFF) of >10⁷. The threshold voltage shifts of the TFTs were 0.5 V in positive (+1.0 MV/cm) bias direction and 1.5 V in negative (?1.0 MV/cm) bias direction after extended stressing time of 10⁴ s. We achieve a stage‐delay of ~19.6 ns at V_DD = 20 V measured in a 41‐stage ring oscillator. A top‐emitting quarter‐quarter‐video‐graphics‐array active‐matrix organic light‐emitting diode display with 85 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution has been realized using only five lithographic mask steps. For operation at 6 V supply voltage (V_DD), the brightness of the display exceeds 150 cd/m².     

Further Insight into Crystal Structures of Escherichia coli IspH/LytB in Complex with Two Potent Inhibitors of the MEP Pathway: A Starting Point for Rational Design of New Antimicrobials

IspH, also called LytB, a protein involved in the biosynthesis of isoprenoids through the methylerythritol phosphate pathway, is an attractive target for the development of new antimicrobial drugs. Here, we report crystal structures of Escherichia coli IspH in complex with the two most potent inhibitors: (E)-4-mercapto-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate (TMBPP) and (E)-4-amino-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate (AMBPP) at 1.95 and 1.7 Å resolution, respectively. The structure of the E. coli IspH:TMBPP complex exhibited two conformers of the inhibitor. This unexpected feature was exploited to design and evolve new antimicrobial candidates in silico.     

Effect of the spray drying conditions on the physicochemical and structural characteristics and the stability of chia oil microparticles

Chia oil has a high content of linolenic and linoleic acids, which are essential for the human body. However, their high degree of unsaturation (double bonds) makes the oil very susceptible to oxidation. In this context, the use of spray drying can be useful strategy to minimize the oxidation of this oil. Thus, the aim was to assess the effects of inlet temperature and feed rate conditions involved in the spray drying process on the physicochemical and morphological characteristics, and stability of the chia oil microparticles with maltodextrin and GA. The microparticles were obtained with a yield of 50%, encapsulation efficiency greater than 87%, low-moisture content, and mean particle sizes ranging from 3.01 to 4.11 μm. The thermal evaluation and storage evidenced an increase in stability. The ¹H HR-MAS NMR technique showed that the microparticles maintained the characteristic fatty acid profile of chia oil and seeds. Results indicate that the microencapsulation methodology was suitable for preparing microparticles containing chia oil.     

Vascular Inflammation and Dysfunction in Lupus-Prone Mice-IL-6 as Mediator of Disease Initiation

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease and patients are under an increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality. The increased CV risk for patients with SLE seems to be caused by a premature and accelerated atherosclerosis, attributable to lupus-specific risk factors (i.e., increased systemic inflammation, altered immune status), apart from traditional CV risk factors. To date, there is no established experimental model to explore the pathogenesis of this increased CV risk in SLE patients. Methods: Here we investigated whether MRL-Fas^lpr mice, which develop an SLE-like phenotype, may serve as a model to study lupus-mediated vascular disease. Therefore, MRL-Fas^lpr, MRL-++, and previously generated Il6^−/− MRL-Fas^lpr mice were used to evaluate vascular changes and possible mechanisms of vascular dysfunction and damage. Results: Contrary to MRL-++ control mice, lupus-prone MRL-Faslpr mice exhibited a pronounced vascular and perivascular leukocytic infiltration in various organs; expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the aorta and kidney was augmented; and intima-media thickness of the aorta was increased. IL-6 deficiency reversed these changes and restored aortic relaxation. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the MRL-Fas^lpr mouse model is an excellent tool to investigate vascular damage in SLE mice. Moreover, IL-6 promotes vascular inflammation and damage and could potentially be a therapeutic target for the treatment of accelerated arteriosclerosis in SLE.     

Macrocell corrosion of steel in concrete: Characterization of anodic behavior in relation to the chloride content

This study presents the determination of electrochemical properties of active steel in mortar, based on inverse numerical modeling that focuses on their dependency on chloride content. An experimental campaign, consisting of galvanic coupling tests between anode samples contaminated with different chloride concentrations and cathode samples without chlorides, was carried out. Cathode polarization tests allowed for directly determining passive steel electrochemical parameters. Anode polarization tests coupled with a numerical optimization were then performed for quantifying active steel parameters and focusing on chloride's effect on the iron anodic Tafel coefficient. Furthermore, the steel electrochemical properties were successfully used as input parameters to model the galvanic experiments.     

Assessment of the ability of five culture media for the detection of Escherichia coli O157

Cattle are a common reservoir for Escherichia coli O157:H7. Prior to confirming its presence in a sample, proper isolation of E. coli O157 is necessary. Consequently, this study evaluated the ability of five commercial plating media to isolate E. coli O157 from 138 samples of fresh cattle faeces, water from water trough and pond, and surfaces of water trough and hay bunk. For the isolation of E. coli O157, samples were enriched in tryptic soya broth, followed by immunoseparation and then plating on SMAC, CT‐SMAC, CHROMagar^? O157, Tellurite CHROMagar^? O157 and Vancomycin Cefixime Cefsoludin CHROMagar^? O157. Real‐time PCR targeting genes stx₁, stx₂ and wzy_O157 was used to confirm selected isolates. When analysed together, CT‐SMAC and CHROMagar^? O157 were the best combination for isolating E. coli O157, giving 79% true‐positive results and only 0.05% false‐negative results.     

Inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis alters oviposition behavior in female crickets.

The role of polyamines in the expression of cricket oviposition, a juvenile hormone-dependent behavior, was investigated using a specific inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, α-difluoromethylornithine (α-DFMO). The fat body of treated female house crickets (Acheta domesticus) did not show any putrescine and presented reduced levels of spermidine, whereas spermine titres were significantly enhanced. In nervous tissue, α-DFMO did not affect spermine titres but induced a severe drop in spermidine levels. In polyamine depleted females, the expression of egg-laying behavior was delayed and was expressed less frequently compared with controls. As drug treatment did not seem to affect juvenile hormone titres, the data suggest that juvenile hormone might act on behavior by way of polyamine metabolism. These results support the view that, in insects, as in vertebrates, the ornithine decarboxylase-polyamine system is involved in the maturation of complex behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Qualification of parallel kinematics machines in high-speed milling on free form surfaces

Serial milling machines may one day find their limits in high-speed milling due to their limited dynamic characteristics. Indeed, the major drawback of a serial structure is that it consists of a pile of actuated joints; hence the mass on board for the axis underneath can be huge. This is mainly the reason why parallel structures are of interest in milling: in order to go faster.Such structures have been developed since 1980 for robotic tasks, while the first parallel kinematics machine tool appeared only 14 years later. Since then, very few papers have been published that deal with the potential of these structures in milling. The objective of this study is to show the potentialities of parallel structures in milling and especially in high-speed milling of free form surfaces, in comparison to serial structures. To do so, experiments have been realised on four serial kinematics machines (SKMs) and four parallel kinematics machines (PKMs). These experiments were of two kinds: either a real piece has been milled, or the output axis encoder data have been saved (this method of measurement has been previously developed in our team).So far, a comparison between the two structures (serial and parallel) has been possible, which permitted us to show that PKMs can provide interesting results in terms of time and precision. Hence, the goal of this study has been reached, as the PKMs potentialities in milling free form surfaces have been highlighted. With more experiments, a generalisation, by taking into account all the parameters (shape and material of the part, structure of the machine, etc.), will be attempted. In parallel, the development of our simulator for PKMs is necessary in order to be able to predict milling on these machines.