Reduced field-of-view diffusion-weighted imaging of the brain at 7 T

Ventral and rostral regions of the brain are of emerging importance for the MRI characterization of early dementia, traumatic brain injury and epilepsy. Unfortunately, standard single-shot echo planar diffusion-weighted imaging of these regions at high fields is contaminated by severe imaging artifacts in the vicinity of air–tissue interfaces. To mitigate these artifacts and improve visualization of the temporal and frontal lobes at 7 T, we applied a reduced field-of-view strategy, enabled by outer volume suppression (OVS) with novel quadratic phase radiofrequency (RF) pulses, combined with partial Fourier and parallel imaging methods. The new acquisition greatly reduced the level of artifacts in six human subjects (including four patients with early symptoms of dementia).     

Fields,particles and universality in two dimensions

We discuss the use of field theory for the exact determination of universal properties in two-dimensional statistical mechanics. After a compact derivation of critical exponents of main universality classes, we turn to the off-critical case, considering systems both on the whole plane and in presence of boundaries. The topics we discuss include magnetism, percolation, phase separation, interfaces, wetting.     

Differentiation and characterization of isotopically modified silver nanoparticles in aqueous media using asymmetric-flow field flow fractionation coupled to optical detection and mass spectrometry

The principal objective of this work was to develop and demonstrate a new methodology for silver nanoparticle (AgNP) detection and characterization based on asymmetric-flow field flow fractionation (A4F) coupled on-line to multiple detectors and using stable isotopes of Ag. This analytical approach opens the door to address many relevant scientific challenges concerning the transport and fate of nanomaterials in natural systems. We show that A4F must be optimized in order to effectively fractionate AgNPs and larger colloidal Ag particles. With the optimized method one can accurately determine the size, stability and optical properties of AgNPs and their agglomerates under variable conditions. In this investigation, we couple A4F to optical absorbance (UV–vis spectrometer) and scattering detectors (static and dynamic) and to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. With this combination of detection modes it is possible to determine the mass isotopic signature of AgNPs as a function of their size and optical properties, providing specificity necessary for tracing and differentiating labeled AgNPs from their naturally occurring or anthropogenic analogs. The methodology was then applied to standard estuarine sediment by doping the suspension with a known quantity of isotopically enriched ¹⁰⁹AgNPs stabilized by natural organic matter (standard humic and fulvic acids). The mass signature of the isotopically enriched AgNPs was recorded as a function of the measured particle size. We observed that AgNPs interact with different particulate components of the sediment, and also self-associate to form agglomerates in this model estuarine system. This work should have substantial ramifications for research concerning the environmental and biological fate of AgNPs.     

Preparation and application of trimethylamine amination polychloromethyl styrene nanolatex coated capillary column for the determination of bromate by field‐amplified sample stacking open‐tubular capillary electrochromatography

A new trimethylamine amination polychloromethyl styrene nanolatex (TMAPL) and TMAPL coated capillary column (ccc‐TMAPL) were successfully prepared. The TMAPL coating was characterized with reversed steady EOF values of ca. ?16.8 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1. It was applied to establish open‐tubular (OT) CEC and field‐amplified sample stacking (FASS) OT‐CEC methods for the determination of bromate in tap water. Compared to OT‐CEC, the LOD with FASS‐OT‐CEC was improved from 80 to 8 ng/mL. The developed FASS‐OT‐CEC method was practically used for the analysis of bromate in tap water samples with recoveries ranging from 93.6 to 103.5%.     

Determination of Anionic Surfactants in Water

The use of ternary complexes in the determination of anionic surfactants has been investigated and an analytical method using linear alkyl sulfonates as a test substance has been developed. The method involves the formation of the chloroform-extractable bisphenanthroline Cu(II)-linear alkyl sulfonate (LAS) complex and the subsequent equilibration of the extract with erythrosine to form the extractable bisphenanthroline Cu(II)-erythrosine complex. In the equilibration step erythrosine displaces LAS quantitatively, allowing the determination of the LAS originally present by measuring the absorbance of the extracted bisphenanthroline-Cu(II)-erythrosine complex. Results are reported of studies made to determine the optimum analytical conditions, the sensitivity, and the precision for the method described.     

基于电源电流和输出电压的模拟电路故障模型研究

基于模拟电路电源电流和输出电压的协同分析,研究了复数域的故障建模方法,提出了一种2D故障模型的数学表达式,该模型为复平面上的一簇圆轨迹。为了扩大故障轨迹之间的距离,在相同测量精度和元件容差条件下提高故障检测率和隔离率,进一步提出了3D复数空间的优化故障模型。两种故障模型都极大简化了测点选择算法和模拟故障状态仿真的复杂度,理论上对模拟电路单故障的覆盖率为100%。基于滤波器电路的实验仿真结果验证了两种故障模型的有效性。     

纳米金刚石掺混纳米氧化锌的场发射特性

利用水热法制备了菊花状的氧化锌纳米棒,并进行表征,将纳米氧化锌掺入纳米金刚石中配制成电泳液,超声分散后电泳沉积到钛衬底上,再经热处理后进行场发射特性的测试.结果表明:未掺混的金刚石阴极样品的开启电场为7.3V/μm,在20V/μm的电场下,场发射电流密度为81μA/cm2;掺混后阴极样品的场发射开启电场降低到4.7~6.0V/μm,在20V/μm电场下,场发射电流密度提高到140~158μA/cm2.原因是纳米ZnO掺入后,增强了涂层的电子输运能力、增加了有效发射体数目,提高了场增强因子β,而金刚石保证了热处理后涂层与衬底的良好键合,形成了欧姆接触,降低了场发射电流的热效应.场发射电流的稳定性随掺混ZnO量的增加而下降,要兼顾场发射电流密度及其稳定性,适量掺入ZnO可有效提高纳米金刚石的场发射性能.     

Effect of gate engineering in JLSRG MOSFET to suppress SCEs: An analytical study

In this work, an analytical model of gate-engineered junctionless surrounding gate MOSFET (JLSRG) has been proposed to uncover its potential benefit to suppress short-channel effects (SCEs). Analytical modelling of centre potential for gate-engineered JLSRG devices has been developed using parabolic approximation method. From the developed centre potential, the parameters like threshold voltage, surface potential, Electric Field, Drain-induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) and subthershold swing are determined. A nice agreement between the results obtained from the model and TCAD simulation demonstrates the validity and correctness of the model. A comparative study of the efficacy to suppress SCEs for Dual-Material (DM) and Single-Material (SM) junctionless surrounding gate MOSFET of the same dimensions has also been carried out. Result indicates that TM-JLSRG devices offer a noticeable enhancement in the efficacy to suppress SCEs by as compared to SM-JLSRG and DM-JLSRG device structures. The effect of different length ratios of three channel regions related to three different gate materials of TM-JLSRG structure on the SCEs have also been discussed. As a result, we demonstrate that TM-JLSRG device can be considered as a competitive contender to the deep-submicron mainstream MOSFETs for low-power VLSI applications.     

A scheme for a topological insulator field effect transistor

We propose a scheme for a topological insulator field effect transistor. The idea is based on the gate voltage control of the Dirac fermions in a ferromagnetic topological insulator channel with perpendicular magnetization connecting to two metallic topological insulator leads. Our theoretical analysis shows that the proposed device displays a switching effect with high on/off current ratio and a negative differential conductance with a good peak to valley ratio.     

Theoretical analysis of the local orientation effect and the lift‐hyperlayer mode of rodlike particles in field‐flow fractionation

We investigated theoretically the effects of the cross‐stream migration and the local average orientation of rodlike particles on the shape‐based separation using field‐flow fractionation. The separation behavior was analyzed by comparing the retention ratios of spheres and rods. The retention ratio of a rod was evaluated through the derivation of its cross‐sectional concentration profile by considering the rod migration and the local average orientation. Our study in various flow conditions showed that the rod migration, caused by the hydrodynamic interaction with a wall, can affect the separation behavior as a lift‐hyperlayer mode. We also demonstrated that the local average orientation, which is a function of a local shear rate and a rotational diffusivity, results in the transverse diffusivity that is different from its perpendicular diffusivity. These results suggest that the experimental separation behaviors of rods in field‐flow fractionation may not be fully explained by the current theory based on the normal mode and the steric mode. We also characterized each condition where one of the normal mode, the steric mode of spheres, and the lift‐hyperlayer mode of rods is dominant.