COMPARISON OF CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES IN P-ON-N HgCdTe LWIR PHOTODIODES TECHNOLOGY 

IntroductionAt present Hg Cd Te is the most widely used variable-gap semiconductor for infrared( IR) photodetectors.Over the years it has successfully fought off majorchallenges from extrinsic silicon and lead- tin telluridedevices despite that it has more competitors todaythan ever before.These include Schottky barriers onsilicon,Si Ge heterojunctions,Al Ga As multiplequantum wells,Ga In Sb strained layer superlattices,high temperature superconductors and especially twotypes of thermal …     

Tailoring of LaxSr1‐xCoyFe1‐yO3‐δ Nanostructure by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) was used to prepare thin films with the nominal composition La_0.58Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3‐δ (LSCF). The thin film microstructure was investigated as a function of PLD deposition parameters such as: substrate temperature, ambient gas pressure, target‐to‐substrate distance, laser fluence and frequency. It was found that the ambient gas pressure and the substrate temperature are the key PLD process parameters determining the thin film micro‐ and nanostructure. A map of the LSCF film nanostructures is presented as a function of substrate temperature (25–700 °C) and oxygen background pressure (0.013–0.4 mbar), with film structures ranging from fully dense to highly porous. Fully crystalline, dense, and crack‐free LSCF films with a thickness of 300 nm were obtained at an oxygen pressure lower than 0.13 mbar at a temperature of 600 °C. The obtained knowledge on the structure allows for tailoring of perovskite thin film nanostructure, e.g., for solid oxide fuel cell cathodes. A simple geometrical model is proposed, allowing estimation of the catalytic active surface area of the prepared thin films. It is shown that voids at columnar grain boundaries can result in an increase of the surface area by approximately 25 times, when compared to dense flat films.     

A 7-bit 500 kS/s 1 V micro-power SAR A/D converter for pixel systems

The design and measurement results of a micro-power successive approximation charge redistribution ADC implemented in CMOS 180 nm technology are presented. The project has been optimized for very low area occupancy in order to utilize it in multichannel neural signal recording pixel systems for future application. The design has been fabricated, experimentally characterized and it exhibits good performance, especially from the silicon area occupation point of view. The presented converter achieves 500 kS/s sampling rate with ENOB of 6.54 at 4.45 μW and occupies only 90 μm×95 μm of silicon area.     

Redox reactions on modified bilayer lipid membranes for biosensing device

Suitably modified bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) offer exceptionally good opportunities for probing the electric field effects on charge transfer and redox reactions in biosensor and molecular electronics research and development. This work presents an attempt to form an ultrathin electron-conducting matrix for a biosensing redox device on the basis of a BLM modified with tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQ), a well-known compound forming charge transfer complexes of ‘organic metal’ behavior. The rationale behind the choice of membrane modifier was the reports of its unusual rectifying current–voltage characteristics when incorporated into BLMs alone or as part of an σ-bridged donor–acceptor molecule of C₁₆H₃₃–Q3CNQ (Z-β-(1-hexadecyl-4-quinolinium)-α-cyano-4-styryldicyano methanide) deposited in the form of a Langmuir–Blodgett film.     

Plasticizer properties of some acrylonitrile-eleostearate adducts and their hydrogenated derivatives

Summary The addition products obtained by the Diels-Alder reaction of acrylonitrile with the methyl, ethyl, and butyl eleostearates have been prepared in good yields and purified by means of high-vacuum distillation. It has been possible to saturate preferentially by hydrogenation both the cyclic and exocyclic double bonds of the acrylonitrile adducts without material reduction of the nitrile group. Also the acrylonitrile adduct of tung oil has been prepared. All these adducts have been intercompared with DOP and evaluated as primary plasticizers for vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer. These products, with the exception of the nonhydrogenated ethyl and butyl derivatives, were found to be satisfactory as primary plasticizers. The results obtained indicate that hydrogenation greatly improves the compatibility of the adducts without changing their other plasticizing characteristics appreciably. The outstanding characteristic of all the adducts is their high plasticizing efficiency, as reflected by their low modulus at 100% elongation. One of the laboratories of the Southern Utilization Research and Development Division, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.     

Dialdehyde Starch Nanocrystals as a Novel Cross-Linker for Biomaterials Able to Interact with Human Serum Proteins

In recent years, new cross-linkers from renewable resources have been sought to replace toxic synthetic compounds of this type. One of the most popular synthetic cross-linking agents used for biomedical applications is glutaraldehyde. However, the unreacted cross-linker can be released from the materials and cause cytotoxic effects. In the present work, dialdehyde starch nanocrystals (NDASs) were obtained from this polysaccharide nanocrystal form as an alternative to commonly used cross-linking agents. Then, 5–15% NDASs were used for chemical cross-linking of native chitosan (CS), gelatin (Gel), and a mixture of these two biopolymers (CS-Gel) via Schiff base reaction. The obtained materials, forming thin films, were characterized by ATR-FTIR, SEM, and XRD analysis. Thermal and mechanical properties were determined by TGA analysis and tensile testing. Moreover, all cross-linked biopolymers were also characterized by hydrophilic character, swelling ability, and protein absorption. The toxicity of obtained materials was tested using the Microtox test. Dialdehyde starch nanocrystals appear as a beneficial plant-derived cross-linking agent that allows obtaining cross-linked biopolymer materials with properties desirable for biomedical applications.     

Maternal Separation Alters Ethanol Drinking and Reversal Learning Processes in Adolescent Rats: The Impact of Sex and Glycine Transporter Type 1 (GlyT1) Inhibitor

Adverse early life experiences are associated with an enhanced risk for mental and physical health problems, including substance abuse. Despite clinical evidence, the mechanisms underlying these relationships are not fully understood. Maternal separation (MS) is a commonly used animal model of early neglect. The aim of the current study is to determine whether the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)/glycine sites are involved in vulnerability to alcohol consumption (two-bottle choice paradigm) and reversal learning deficits (Barnes maze task) in adolescent rats subjected to the MS procedure and whether these effects are sex dependent. By using ELISA, we evaluated MS-induced changes in the NMDAR subunits (GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2B) expression, especially in the glycine-binding subunit, GluN1, in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and ventral striatum (vSTR) of male/female rats. Next, we investigated whether Org 24598, a glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitor, was able to modify ethanol drinking in adolescent and adult male/female rats with prior MS experience and reversal learning in the Barnes maze task. Our findings revealed that adolescent MS female rats consumed more alcohol which may be associated with a substantial increase in GluN1 subunit of NMDAR in the PFC and vSTR. Org 24598 decreased ethanol intake in both sexes with a more pronounced decrease in ethanol consumption in adolescent female rats. Furthermore, MS showed deficits in reversal learning in both sexes. Org 24598 ameliorated reversal learning deficits, and this effect was reversed by the NMDAR/glycine site inhibitor, L-701,324. Collectively, our results suggest that NMDAR/glycine sites might be targeted in the treatment of alcohol abuse in adolescents with early MS, especially females.     

Biochemical,Structural Analysis,and Docking Studies of Spiropyrazoline Derivatives

In this study, we evaluated the antiproliferative potential, DNA damage, crystal structures, and docking calculation of two spiropyrazoline derivatives. The main focus of the research was to evaluate the antiproliferative potential of synthesized compounds towards eight cancer cell lines. Compound I demonstrated promising antiproliferative properties, especially toward the HL60 cell line, for which IC₅₀ was equal to 9.4 µM/L. The analysis of DNA damage by the comet assay showed that compound II caused DNA damage to tumor lineage cells to a greater extent than compound I. The level of damage to tumor cells of the HEC-1-A lineage was 23%. The determination of apoptotic and necrotic cell fractions by fluorescence microscopy indicated that cells treated with spiropyrazoline-based analogues were entering the early phase of programmed cell death. Compounds I and II depolarized the mitochondrial membranes of cancer cells. Furthermore, we performed simple docking calculations, which indicated that the obtained compounds are able to bind to the PARP1 active site, at least theoretically (the free energy of binding values for compound I and II were −9.7 and 8.7 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively). In silico studies of the influence of the studied compounds on PARP1 were confirmed in vitro with the use of eight cancer cell lines. The degradation of the PARP1 enzyme was observed, with compound I characterized by a higher protein degradation activity.     

The oxidation properties of U-16.6 at.% Nb-5.6 at.% Zr and U-21 at.% Nb

The fundamental oxidation characteristics of two U-base alloys, U-16.6 at.% Nb-5.6 at.% Zr and U-21at.% Nb, in the temperature range 500–1000° C in oxygen at 0.05 Torr are described. Both alloys undergo large dimensional changes during oxidation at temperatures above 650° C due to stresses generated in the oxide during oxidation. Oxidation rate curves for both alloys were determined at 100° C intervals between 500 and 1000° C; the activation energy for the process is shown to be small. The morphology of the oxide scale formed on the two alloys is complex and is described in detail. Stresses estimated at 10⁶ psi are shown to develop in oxidizing specimens, and a mechanism for the generation of these stresses is proposed.Research sponsored by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission under contract with the Union Carbide Corporation.     

Wide Scale Characterization and Modeling of the Vibration and Damping Behavior of CFRP-Elastomer-Metal Laminates—Comparison and Discussion of Different Test Setups

Applied Composite Materials - The investigated hybrid carbon fiber reinforced plastics-elastomer-metal laminates (HyCEML) offer the potential of tailored structural materials with adaptable damping...