Oxygen vacancy control of electrical,optical, and magnetic properties of Fe0.05Ti0.95O2 epitaxial films

High-quality Fe-doped TiO₂ films are epitaxially grown on MgF₂ substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The x-ray diffraction and Raman spectra prove that they are of pure rutile phase. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further demonstrates that the epitaxial relationship between rutile-phased TiO₂ and MgF₂ substrates is 110 TiO₂₂. The room temperature ferromagnetism is detected by alternative gradient magnetometer. By increasing the ambient oxygen pressure, magnetization shows that it decreases monotonically while absorption edge shows a red shift. The transport property measurement demonstrates a strong correlation between magnetization and carrier concentration. The influence of ambient oxygen pressure on magnetization can be well explained by a modified bound magnetization polarization model.     

Enhancements of the Gaussian network model in describing nucleotide residue fluctuations for RNA

Gaussian network model (GNM) is an efficient method to investigate the structural dynamics of biomolecules. However, the application of GNM on RNAs is not as good as that on proteins, and there is still room to improve the model. In this study, two novel approaches, named the weighted GNM (wGNM) and the force-constant-decayed GNM (fcdGNM), were proposed to enhance the performance of ENM in investigating the structural dynamics of RNAs. In wGNM, the force constant for each spring is weighted by the number of interacting heavy atom pairs between two nucleotides. In fcdGNM, all the pairwise nucleotides were connected by springs and the force constant decayed exponentially with the separate distance of the nucleotide pairs. The performance of these two proposed models was evaluated by using a non-redundant RNA structure database composed of 51 RNA molecules. The calculation results show that both the proposed models outperform the conventional GNM in reproducing the experimental B-factors of RNA structures. Compared with the conventional GNM, the Pearson correlation coefficient between the predicted and experimental B-factors was improved by 9.85% and 6.76% for wGNM and fcdGNM, respectively. Our studies provide two candidate methods for better revealing the dynamical properties encoded in RNA structures.     

复杂网络上的意见动力学对谣言传播的影响

通过在SIR(susceptible-infected-recovered)模型中引入抑制者对谣言的辟谣机制研究了在线社交网络上的意见动力学对谣言传播的影响.在这一模型中,节点可以与自身的邻居组成1个群,传播者可以通过该群传播信息,抑制者也可以在此群中对信息发表意见进行辟谣.辟谣机制在降低未知者对于谣言的接受概率的同时也可以促使传播者向抑制者转变.本文采用ER(Erd?s-Rényi)随机网络、无标度网络以及真实的社交网络研究了抑制者的沉默概率对于谣言传播范围的影响.首先发现,谣言传播的过程以传播者的峰值为界可以分为两个阶段,即谣言自由传播的前期以及抑制者和传播者互相制衡的后期;其次,谣言的传播会随着抑制者的沉默概率的增大而突然暴发.在谣言暴发阈值之下,沉默概率的增大不会导致谣言传播范围显著增大,这是由于未知者在感知到谣言并转变为传播者后又迅速转变为抑制者;而当沉默概率达到谣言暴发阈值时,抑制者将不能控制传播者对谣言的传播从而导致抑制者的降低和谣言的暴发;最后,无标度上的谣言自由传播的前期阶段比随机网络持续的时间更短,从而使无标度上的谣言更难以暴发.本文的模型综合考虑了意见动力学和谣言传播的相互作用,更加真实地模拟了真实世界社交网络中的谣言传播过程.为谣言传播的控制和干预提供了一些有用的思路和见解.     

基于Faster-RCNN和Level-Set的桥小脑角区肿瘤自动精准分割

桥小脑角区（CPA）肿瘤的精准分割在手术治疗、放疗中有重要影响,本文结合更快速区域卷积神经网络（Faster-RCNN）和水平集（Level-Set）方法对CPA肿瘤的自动分割进行了研究.首先,采集317名CPA肿瘤患者的T₁WI-SE序列磁共振图像,使用基于Faster-RCNN主干网络VGG16提取特征,结合区域建议网络（RPN）进行学习训练,建立带有CPA肿瘤位置信息的定位模型,再应用Level-Set对肿瘤进行精准分割.本文对比了不同CPA肿瘤区域勾画范围对分割结果产生的影响,并以精确率、召回率、均值平均精度值（mAP）和戴斯系数（Dice系数）等指标评估了模型定位和分割的性能.实验结果表明,结合Faster-RCNN和Level-Set建立的模型能更有效对CPA肿瘤进行精准分割,减轻临床医生的负担,并提升治疗效果.     

Atomically flat single terminated oxide substrate surfaces

Scientific interest in atomically controlled layer-by-layer fabrication of transition metal oxide thin films and heterostructures has increased intensely in recent decades for basic physics reasons as well as for technological applications. This trend has to do, in part, with the coming post-Moore era, and functional oxide electronics could be regarded as a viable alternative for the current semiconductor electronics. Furthermore, the interface of transition metal oxides is exposing many new emergent phenomena and is increasingly becoming a playground for testing new ideas in condensed matter physics. To achieve high quality epitaxial thin films and heterostructures of transition metal oxides with atomically controlled interfaces, one critical requirement is the use of atomically flat single terminated oxide substrates since the atomic arrangements and the reaction chemistry of the topmost surface layer of substrates determine the growth and consequent properties of the overlying films. Achieving the atomically flat and chemically single terminated surface state of commercially available substrates, however, requires judicious efforts because the surface of as-received substrates is of chemically mixed nature and also often polar. In this review, we summarize the surface treatment procedures to accomplish atomically flat surfaces with single terminating layer for various metal oxide substrates. We particularly focus on the substrates with lattice constant ranging from 4.00 Å to 3.70 Å, as the lattice constant of most perovskite materials falls into this range. For materials outside the range, one can utilize the substrates to induce compressive or tensile strain on the films and explore new states not available in bulk. The substrates covered in this review, which have been chosen with commercial availability and, most importantly, experimental practicality as a criterion, are KTaO₃, REScO₃ (RE = Rare-earth elements), SrTiO₃, La_0.18Sr_0.82Al_0.59Ta_0.41O₃ (LSAT), NdGaO₃, LaAlO₃, SrLaAlO₄, and YAlO₃. Analyzing all the established procedures, we conclude that atomically flat surfaces with selective A- or B-site single termination would be obtained for most commercially available oxide substrates. We further note that this topmost surface layer selectivity would provide an additional degree of freedom in searching for unforeseen emergent phenomena and functional applications in epitaxial oxide thin films and heterostructures with atomically controlled interfaces.     

In situ PM‐IRRAS studies of organothiols and organosilane monolayers–ZnO interfaces at high water activities

In situ photoelastic‐modulated Fourier transform infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy has been applied for the investigation of interfacial stability of organothiol and organosilane monolayer films on nanocrystalline zinc oxide thin films. It has been shown that for octadecyltriethoxysilane films, exposure to high water activities results in physisorption of water in the cross‐linked film. This high water activity at the interface leads to a reversible wet de‐adhesion of the interfacial silanol groups from the ZnO surface. However, the organothiol seems to form a denser monolayer and a stable by S–Zn bond that is resistant to the competition with adsorbed water. The reversible attachment for cross‐linked organosilanol films has been demonstrated for the first time by means of an in situ spectroscopic method on model ZnO surfaces. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microstructure of nickel nanoparticles embedded in carbon films: case study on annealing effect by micromorphology analysis

The presented study is aimed at analyzing the surface texture of amorphous hydrogenated carbon layers containing nickel nanoparticles (Ni‐NPs@a‐C:H) within their structure, which were deposited by Radio Frequency (RF) sputtering and RF‐Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (RF‐PECVD) methods on glass substrates. Prepared films were then used as research material following their annealing at two different temperatures of 250 °C and 350 °C in an inert argon atmosphere. Series of height samples were taken with the help of atomic force microscopy (AFM) operating in a non‐contact mode and examined in order to determine their fractal characteristics. Raw AFM data were first plane‐fitted to remove the surface bow exhibiting the so‐called residual surface, and then numerically processed to calculate the Areal Autocorrelation Function (AACF), which was later used to compute the Structure Function (SF). The log–log plots of the latter served for calculation of fractal properties of surfaces under investigation, including fractal dimension D, and pseudo‐topothesy K. The analysis of 3‐D surface texture helps to understand their essential characteristics and their implications as well as graphical models and their implementation in computer simulation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrical,optical, and structural characterization of p‐type N‐doped SnO thin films prepared by thermal oxidation of sputtered SnNx thin films

We present a study of electrical and optical properties of nitrogen‐doped tin oxide thin films deposited on glass by the DC Magnetron Sputtering method. The deposition conditions to obtain p‐type thin films were a relative partial pressure between 7% and 11% (N₂ and/or O₂), a total working pressure of 1.8 mTorr and a plasma power of 30 W. The deposited thin films were oxidized after annealing at 250°C for 30 minutes. X‐ray diffraction results showed that the as‐deposited thin films exhibit a Sn tetragonal structure, and after annealing, they showed SnO tetragonal structure. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed the presence of nitrogen in the samples before and after annealing. The measured physical parameters of the thin films were optical band gap between 1.92 and 2.68 eV, resistivity between 0.52 and 5.46 Ωcm, a concentration of p‐type carriers between 10¹⁸ and 10¹⁹ cm^?3, and a Hall mobility between 0.1 and 1.94 cm²V^?1s^?1. These thin films were used to fabricate p‐type thin film transistors.     

Effects of solar irradiation on the properties of ethylene-norbornene composites containing solvent dyes

This study investigates the effects of irradiation with artificial solar light on the resistance to aging of ethylene-norbornene (EN) copolymer with different solvent dyes and commercial stabilizers. The mechanical properties of the samples were measured before and after ageing using tensile tests. FTIR spectroscopy was used to evaluate the carbonyl index as a measure of photooxidation after irradiation. It was found that the carbonyl index of the samples depended on the type of additive in the composite. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) was used to analyze the chemical composition of the sample surfaces. The degree of oxidative aging was evaluated by measuring the intensities of secondary C_xH_yO_z⁺ type ions. Samples containing anthraquinone solvent dyes, such as Solvent Blue 97 or Solvent Green 28, showed the most significant improvements in durability in an aging test. Some of the applied solvent dyes showed much greater ability than the studied stabilizers to protect EN films exposed to the full solar spectrum.     

Crosslinking network structure governing particle shape and size distribution by one-step emulsion polymerization in the presence of particle coagulation

In this study, sub-200?nm, crosslinked latex particles with a narrow particle size distribution were prepared by one-step emulsion polymerization in the presence of particle coagulation. The relationship between the particle shape and particle coagulation was investigated by varying the time of crosslinking network structure formation and particle coagulation. Particles with irregular shapes such as doublet, triplet, and ellipsoid were obtained using divinylbenzene (DVB) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinking agents, because the crosslinking network structure of particles was formed before the particle coagulation. In contrast, latex particles with a uniform spherical shape were also prepared using triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) or dihydrodicyclopentadienyl acrylate (DCPA) as the crosslinking agents by delaying the time of crosslinking network structure formation. Alternatively, uniform spherical latex particles were prepared by bringing forward the particle coagulation time using cationic initiator, 2, 2′-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH). This study presents a new idea that would further broaden the application of particle coagulation in emulsion polymerization.