Microbeam RBS on flat panel displays

We have demonstrated the utility of microbeam-Rutherford BackScattering (μ-RBS) in spatially resolved studies of operational plasma effects on the interior surfaces of plasma flat panel displays manufactured by Photonics Imaging. The experiments were performed at the Sandia Nuclear microprobe using a 2.8 MeV He beam with an average beam spot size of less than 8 μm. The interior surface of the top panes of the flat panels is composed of approximately 800 nm of MgO on top of a 2000 nm thick PbO layer. μ-RBS of sample panels operated under varying conditions measured changes in the surface MgO film thickness due to plasma erosion and redeposition as accurately as ± 1.5 nm. The high accuracy in the MgO thickness measurement was achieved by inferring the MgO thickness from the shift of the Pb front edge in the RBS spectrum. An estimate for the thickness accuracy as a function of the acquired statistics is presented. The surface of the flat panels' bottom panes is also comprised of MgO on top of PbO. However, troughs 100 μm wide by 10 μm deep were partially filled with phosphor and cover the entire width of the surface. This leaves only 100 μm long sections of MgO within the trough exposed. Using μ-RBS, we were able to analyze the surface composition of these regions.     

Tissue fixation security in transosseous rotator cuff repairs: a mechanical comparison of simple versus mattress sutures

The primary purpose of this investigation was to compare tissue fixation security by simple sutures versus mattress sutures in transosseous rotator cuff repair. These two repair techniques were each performed in 17 human cadaver shoulders, with two bone tunnels being used for the repair by two simple sutures and two other bone tunnels being used for the repair by one mattress suture. The repairs were loaded to failure in a servohydraulic materials test system. Rotator cuff repair by simple sutures was found to be significantly stronger than repair by mattress sutures (P = .0007). The average ultimate load to failure for the simple suture construct (189.62 N) was 39.72% greater than that for the mattress suture construct (135.71 N). Most of the failures occurred by suture breakage at the knot. Load-sharing by multiple suture tails and multiple knots in the simple suture configuration likely contributed to its superior strength characteristics compared with the mattress suture configuration.     

Bicyclische Oxalamidine – Bausteine für hochsubstituierte 2,2′-Bipyridine und Benzolderivate

Bicyclic Oxalic Amidines as Building Blocks for Highly Substituted 2,2′-Bipyridines and Benzene Derivatives The bis-imidoylchlorides 1 derived from oxalic acid exhibit a high regio- and chemoselectivity. As in the case of 2-picolylamine 2 the acylation with oxalyl chloride furnished the expected open chained oxalic diamides 3a while the imidoylchlorides 1 yield exclusively the new pyrido[1,2-a]-pyrazines 4 . These heterocycles represent readily crystallisable and orange-red coloured compounds with a mesomeric dipolar aromatic substructure. The synthetic value of 4 is based on their easy transformation into highly substituted arenes and hetarenes. Thus, electron deficient dienophiles as dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate lead to the bipyridines 6 via Hetero-Diels-Alder-Reaction and subsequent 1,5-hydrogen shift. In a complex reaction the derivatives of maleic acid 7a – c yield the bipyridines of type 9 while the new hexasubstituted arenes 10 can be isolated under anaerobic conditions and with an excess of dienophilic component. A x-ray structural determination of 10b shows an alternation of bond lenghts in the benzene ring. This can be considered as a distinct disturbance of aromaticity caused by the arrangement of substituents.     

Structural diversity and solution behavior of low-valent iridium complexes bearing 1,4-diazabutadiene ligands

Three types of 1,4-diazabutadiene stabilized low-valent iridium complexes, namely [IrCl(cod)(MesDAB)] (1), [IrCl(coe)(MesDAB)] (2) and [IrCl(MesDAB)₂] (3), have been prepared from 1,4-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene (MesDAB) and [IrCl(cod)]₂ or [IrCl(coe)₂]₂, respectively. The complexes have been investigated by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction experiments. While tetra-coordinated 2 and penta-coordinated 3 maintain their solid state structure in solution, penta-coordinated 1 shows fluxional behavior. The crystal structures determined indicate strong π-backbonding towards the MesDAB ligand in all cases.     

Reverse Phase-Controlled Dimmer for Incandescent Lighting

The reverse phase-controlled dimmer is an alternate method for varying the intensity of incandescent lights. Unlike conventional phase-controlled dimmers, the thyristors are triggered into conduction immediately following the zero crossing of the ac line rather than being delayed into the half-cycle. After an appropriate delay the silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCR's) are turned off by forced commutation. Manufacturers of conventional phase-controlled dimmers place a large inductor in series with the lamp load to reduce both lamp acoustical noise and radio-frequency interference (RFI) to acceptable levels. Instead of an inductor, reverse phase control connects a snubber capacitor in parallel with the main SCR's. The capacitor filters the output much like an inductor would, but without the inherent disadvantages. Eliminating the inductor makes more power available to the load since there is no reactive power loss in the main current path. Furthermore, without the inductor the dimmer will run quieter, because the inductor is a major source of acoustical noise. The control circuit incorporates an open loop scheme that provides line voltage regulation and fast response. A combination of analog and digital techniques tracks the amount of power available from the power line and meters out only the desired amount of the load. The dimmer responds to changes in control signal and line voltage within one half-cycle. Power levels are programmed by an 8 bit data word.     

Iso‐geometric Finite Element Analysis Based on Catmull‐Clark : ubdivision Solids

We present a volumetric iso‐geometric finite element analysis based on Catmull‐Clark solids. This concept allows one to use the same representation for the modeling, the physical simulation, and the visualization, which optimizes the design process and narrows the gap between CAD and CAE. In our method the boundary of the solid model is a Catmull‐Clark surface with optional corners and creases to support the modeling phase. The crucial point in the simulation phase is the need to perform efficient integration for the elements. We propose a method similar to the standard subdivision surface evaluation technique, such that numerical quadrature can be used. Experiments show that our approach converges faster than methods based on tri‐linear and tri‐quadratic elements. However, the topological structure of Catmull‐Clark elements is as simple as the structure of linear elements. Furthermore, the Catmull‐Clark elements we use are C²‐continuous on the boundary and in the interior except for irregular vertices and edges.     

The growth of InAsSb/InAsP strained-layer superlattices for use in infrared emitters

We describe the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of InAsSb/InAsP strained-layer superlattice (SLS) active regions for use in mid-infrared emitters. These SLSs were grown at 500°C, and 200 Torr in a horizontal quartz reactor using TMIn, TESb, AsH₃, and PH₃. By changing the layer thickness and composition, we have prepared structures with low temperature (≤20K) photoluminescence wavelengths ranging from 3.2 to 4.4 μm. Excellent performance was observed for a SLS light emitting diode (LED) and both optically pumped and electrically injected SLS lasers. An optically pumped, double heterostructure laser emitted at 3.86 μm with a maximum operating temperature of 240K and a characteristic temperature of 33K. We have also made electrically injected lasers and LEDs utilizing a GaAsSb/InAs semi-metal injection scheme. The semi-metal injected, broadband LED emitted at 4 μm with 80 μW of power at 300K and 200 mA average current. The InAsSb/InAsP SLS injection laser emitted at 3.6 μm at 120K.     

Purification and characterization of a Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7942 polypeptide structurally similar to the stress-induced Dps/PexB protein of Escherichia coli

A stable DNA/protein complex having an apparent molecular mass of approximately 150 kDa was purified from nitrate-limited cultures of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7942. Amino-terminal peptide sequencing indicated that the polypeptide was structurally similar to the Dps protein of Escherichia coli; Dps is also known as the product of the starvation- and stationary-phase-inducible gene, pexB. The 150-kDa complex dissociated into a 22-kDa protein monomer after boiling in 2% SDS. The 150-kDa complex preparation had approximately a 10% nucleic acid content and upon dissociation released DNA fragments that were sensitive to S1 nuclease digestion. Immunoblot data indicated that the complex accumulates during stationary phase and during nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus limitation. DNA-binding assays indicated that the protein nonspecifically binds both linear and supercoiled DNA. Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that the Synechococcus sp. Dps-like protein contains extensive regions of alpha-helical secondary structure. We propose that the 150-kDa complex represents a hexameric aggregate of the Dps-like protein complexed with single-stranded DNA and serves to bind a portion of the chromosomal DNA under nutrient-limited conditions.