A model for accurate predictions of self-diffusivities in liquid metals, semimetals, and semiconductors

By combining the modified Stokes-Einstein formula with the authors’ model for the melting-point viscosity, the authors present a model for accurate predictions of self-diffusivity of liquid metallic elements. The model is expressed in terms of well-known physical quantities and has been applied to various liquid metallic elements for which experimental data are available. The results of calculations show that agreement with experimental data is excellent; the uncertainties in the calculations of the self-diffusivities in various liquid metallic elements are equal to the uncertainties associated with experimental measurements. Also, the authors propose an expression for the temperature dependence of self-diffusivity in liquid metallic elements in terms of melting-point temperature. Using the model, self-diffusivity data are predicted for liquid iron, cobalt, nickel, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, silicon, and so forth.     

Simulation Study of Dielectric Modulated Dual Material Gate TFET Based Biosensor by Considering Ambipolar Conduction

Silicon - In this paper, a dielectric modulated dual material gate TFET (DM-DMG_TFET)based biosensor is proposed. In order to detect various biomolecules, a nanogap cavity is formed by the...     

Effect of Ozone on Aspergillus niger Causing Black Rot Disease in Onion

The effect of ozone on Aspergillus niger causing black rot disease in onion was studied in culture. Ozone induced the spore germination in all treatments and few spores showed rapid swelling, resulting in the production of 2-3 germ tubes per spore compared to control. Although all the ozone treated spores germinated, all of them did not produce uniform colony morphology. Some colonies which developed from ozone treated spores failed to produce spores and such colonies appeared as grey patches of mycelia without spores amidst surrounding black sporulating colonies. Further work is in progress to study the mechanism involved in formation of sterile mycelia by ozone.     

Periodic Exposure of Plasma-Activated Medium Alters Fibroblast Cellular Homoeostasis

Excess amounts of redox stress and failure to regulate homeostatic levels of reactive species are associated with several skin pathophysiologic conditions. Nonmalignant cells are assumed to cope better with higher reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) levels. However, the effect of periodic stress on this balance has not been investigated in fibroblasts in the field of plasma medicine. In this study, we aimed to investigate intrinsic changes with respect to cellular proliferation, cell cycle, and ability to neutralize the redox stress inside fibroblast cells following periodic redox stress in vitro. Soft jet plasma with air as feeding gas was used to generate plasma-activated medium (PAM) for inducing redox stress conditions. We assessed cellular viability, energetics, and cell cycle machinery under oxidative stress conditions at weeks 3, 6, 9, and 12. Fibroblasts retained their usual physiological properties until 6 weeks. Fibroblasts failed to overcome the redox stress induced by periodic PAM exposure after 6 weeks, indicating its threshold potential. Periodic stress above the threshold level led to alterations in fibroblast cellular processes. These include consistent increases in apoptosis, while RONS accumulation and cell cycle arrest were observed at the final stages. Currently, the use of NTP in clinical settings is limited due to a lack of knowledge about fibroblasts’ behavior in wound healing, scar formation, and other fibrotic disorders. Understanding fibroblasts’ physiology could help to utilize nonthermal plasma in redox-related skin diseases. Furthermore, these results provide new information about the threshold capacity of fibroblasts and an insight into the adaptation mechanism against periodic oxidative stress conditions in fibroblasts.     

Resolving Deep Sub-Wavelength Scattering of Nanoscale Sidewalls Using Parametric Microscopy

The quantitative optical measurement of deep sub-wavelength features with sub-nanometer sensitivity addresses the measurement challenge in the semiconductor fabrication process. Optical scatterings from the sidewalls of patterned devices reveal abundant structural and material information. We demonstrated a parametric indirect microscopic imaging (PIMI) technique that enables recovery of the profile of wavelength-scale objects with deep sub-wavelength resolution, based on measuring and filtering the variations of far-field scattering intensities when the illumination was modulated. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical simulation was performed, and the experimental results were compared with atomic force microscopic (AFM) images to verify the resolution improvement achieved with PIMI. This work may provide a new approach to exploring the detailed structure and material properties of sidewalls and edges in semiconductor-patterned devices with enhanced contrast and resolution, compared with using the conventional optical microscopy, while retaining its advantage of a wide field of view and relatively low cost.     

Phospholipid Cyclosporine Prodrugs Targeted at Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Treatment: Design,Synthesis, and in Vitro Validation

Novel phospholipid (PL)-cyclosporine conjugates were prepared and studied as potential prodrugs for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our approach relies on phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂), which is overexpressed in the inflamed intestinal tissues, as the prodrug activator to potentially release cyclosporine at the site of inflammation. PL-cyclosporine prodrug conjugates with methylene linkers of various lengths between the sn-2 position of the PL and cyclosporine were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro activation. Surprisingly, despite previous work indicating that conjugates with six methylene linkers between the lipid and drug would suffer rapid enzymatic hydrolysis, with cyclosporine this was not observed. However, compounds with longer linkers (n=10, 12 methylene units) display complete release of the drug by PLA₂-catalyzed hydrolysis, thus demonstrating the importance and profound impact of structural fine-tuning. This study represents a proof-of-concept for our hypothesis and a first step towards a truly targeted IBD treatment with cyclosporine that could be administered throughout the GI tract.     

Nutritional constituents and antioxidant properties of indigenous kembayau (Dacryodes rostrata (Blume) H. J. Lam) fruits

The nutritional and antioxidant properties of peels, pulp and seeds of kembayau (Dacryodes rostrata) fruits were evaluated. Kembayau seeds and pulp were rich in fat, while peels had the highest ash contents. Potassium was the most prevalent mineral in peels (380.72-1112.00 mg/100 g). In kembayau fruits, total flavonoid content (1012.74-28,022.28 mg rutin equivalent/100 g) was higher than total phenolic and total monomeric anthocyanin contents. Kembayau seeds exhibited high flavonoid and phenolic contents compared to the contents in peels and pulp. Antioxidant capacities were also higher in seeds as typified by trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay (51.39-74.59 mmol TE/100 g), ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (530.05-556.98 mmol Fe²⁺/100 g) and by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging activity (92.18-92.19%) when compared to peels and pulp. Pulp and peels of kembayau fruit may be an important source of energy and minerals for human consumption, while seeds have a good potential as antioxidants.     

Hybrid Paper–Plastic Microchip for Flexible and High‐Performance Point‐of‐Care Diagnostics

A low‐cost and easy‐to‐fabricate microchip remains a key challenge for the development of true point‐of‐care (POC) diagnostics. Cellulose paper and plastic are thin, light, flexible, and abundant raw materials, which make them excellent substrates for mass production of POC devices. Herein, a hybrid paper–plastic microchip (PPMC) is developed, which can be used for both single and multiplexed detection of different targets, providing flexibility in the design and fabrication of the microchip. The developed PPMC with printed electronics is evaluated for sensitive and reliable detection of a broad range of targets, such as liver and colon cancer protein biomarkers, intact Zika virus, and human papillomavirus nucleic acid amplicons. The presented approach allows a highly specific detection of the tested targets with detection limits as low as 10² ng mL^?1 for protein biomarkers, 10³ particle per milliliter for virus particles, and 10² copies per microliter for a target nucleic acid. This approach can potentially be considered for the development of inexpensive and stable POC microchip diagnostics and is suitable for the detection of a wide range of microbial infections and cancer biomarkers.     

Optimal rapid multidisciplinary response networks: RAPIDDISK

The role of uncertainty in information rich design systems is critical to the development of advanced propulsion systems. Future turbine engines would have lower lifetime operating costs similar to current evolving automotive systems. Detailed multi-physics models (thermo-fluid, structural and mechanical systems) and an operational environment are enablers of rapid correction and model-based predictive analyses. Bayesian machine learning paradigms are developed to identify the behavior of turbo-machinery components for preliminary design. The embedded models approach enables systematic evolution from individual components level to the advanced engine. The embedded models approach enables systematic evolution from individual components level to the advanced engine. A rapid response strategy is proposed, for design of turbine disks by using multidisciplinary optimization and neural networks. iSIGHT optimization software is interfaced with ANSYS to find optimum designs for a given set of design boundary conditions (rpm, live rim load, thermals, etc.). The optimum designs obtained from iSIGHT for different set of design conditions are used for machine learning and design knowledge recognition using the neural network technique. The trained network is used to predict responses for design boundary conditions. Responses predicted by the neural network are validated using ANSYS. Discrete design points are chosen from the wide design space of turbine disks. A hierarchical neural network approach provides an ability to quickly train the network and predict responses (weight, stresses, burst margin, etc.) for applied design conditions. This basic building process involves four steps starting from identifying design boundary conditions to the prediction of design shape for the disk. Sensitivity-based scaling rules are developed, to accommodate different materials for the disk. The technique is developed in RAPIDDISK, which provides an optimal preliminary shape and design attributes for a turbine disk.