Home Automation Using Augmented Reality (HAAR)

Wireless Personal Communications - The development of Smart Home Controllers has seen rapid growth in recent years, especially for smart devices, that can utilize the Internet of Things (IoT)....     

Photoluminescence and optical absorption properties of silicon quantum dots embedded in Si-rich silicon nitride matrices

Silicon nitride (SiN_x) films were prepared with a gas mixture of SiH₄ and NH₃ on Si wafers using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and infrared absorption have been used to reveal the existence of the Si quantum dots (Si QDs) and to determine the chemical composition of the silicon nitride layers. The optical properties of these structures were studied by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and indicate that emission mechanisms are dominated by confined excitons within Si QDs. The peak position of PL could be controlled in the wavelength range from 1.5 to 2.2 eV by adjusting the flow rates of ammonia and silane gases. Absorbance spectra obtained in the transmission mode reveal optical absorption from Si QDs, which is in good correlation with PL properties. These results have implications for future nanomaterial deposition controlling and device applications.     

Short-Term Effects of Endotracheal Intubation on Voice

The objective of this study was to examine the vocal symptoms and acoustic changes perceived in the short period after endotracheal intubation, and to find the association between these changes and the endotracheal tube parameters. A total of 35 subjects were included. They were examined preoperatively, and 2 and 24 hours postoperatively. The vocal symptoms of hoarseness, vocal fatigue, loss of voice, throat clearing, globus pharyngeus, throat pain, and the acoustic variables mainly average fundamental frequency, relative average perturbation, shimmer, noise to harmony ratio, voice turbulence index, habitual pitch, and maximum phonation time (MPT) were assessed as such and in relation to the following endotracheal tube parameters: duration of anesthesia, number of intubation attempts, size of the tube, cuff volume, cuff mean pressure, and the emergence. The association between anesthesia parameters with incidence of vocal complaints and changes in acoustic parameters were examined using logistic and linear regression. Vocal fatigue was associated significantly with the increase in cuff volume and the number of intubation attempts. Throat clearing was associated significantly with the increase in cuff mean pressure. Only the increase in habitual pitch was associated significantly with the increase in cuff volume. The acute short-term effect of endotracheal intubation on voice is significant. The most important endotracheal tube parameters that affect the vocal changes are the cuff mean pressure and volume. The laryngeal contribution to these vocal changes seems to be minimal. All vocal symptoms increased significantly except for globus pharyngeus at 2 hours postoperatively. The acoustic parameters did not change significantly except for a decrease in MPT. At 24 hours postoperatively, all vocal symptoms subsided with no significant difference to baseline value. The habitual pitch increased significantly, and the rest of the parameters remained comparable to baseline value.     

Determination of the electrical properties of 2.5 nm thick silicon-based dielectric films: thermally grown SiOx

Ultra-thin (<5 nm thick) thermal oxide and oxynitride films with different compositions are candidates for complementary metal/oxide/semiconductor technology in ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) applications. The latter are expected to offer the best compromise between nitrides and oxides. The aim of this work is to measure the electrical properties of a leaky 2.5 nm thick thermally grown oxide film using the high frequency capacitance–voltage (HF C(V)) measurements. The cleanliness and the surface roughness of the Si(1 0 0) surface were measured prior to in situ oxidation by means of, respectively, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The physical–chemical properties of the thermal oxide film were measured by AES (film thickness, composition), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) (composition, vibration modes), cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (film thickness, homogeneity) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) (gap width determination). The results are compared to those obtained for the native oxide film and a chemical oxide film. The latter was first grown on the silicon substrate to prevent contamination and surface disorder after flash heating in vacuum prior to oxide growth. The substrate Si(1 0 0) surface cleaned in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) was then oxidized in a 10⁻³ mbar oxygen (O₂) gas pressure at 900°C to get the 2.5 nm thick oxide film. The grafting of a self-assembled insulating monolayer (SAM) of organic molecules on the grown oxide film permits us to obtain analysable capacitance as a function of voltage data. Indeed, this monolayer made up of octadecyltrichlorosilane molecules leads to a reduction of the leakage current through the aluminium/self-assembled monolayer/oxide/silicon heterostructure. The resulting current as a function of voltage data were compared to those of a standard 2.5 nm thick oxide film. The method proposed here to extract the electrical parameters of the thermal oxide film is demonstrated to be valid. We show mainly that the reduction of the leakage current through the aluminium/self-assembled monolayer/thermal oxide/silicon heterostructure is seven orders of magnitude bigger than in the case of the native oxide film.     

Preparation of electrospun luminescent polyimide/europium nanofibers by simultaneous in situ sol-gel and imidization processes

Comicellization of a star block copolymer poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-poly(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (S(PCL-b-PDEAEMA)) and a linear block copolymer methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (mPEG-b-PCL) was developed to enhance the stability and lower the cytotoxicity of the micelles. The two copolymers self-assembled into the mixed micelles with a common PCL core surrounded by a mixed PDEAEMA/mPEG shell in aqueous solution. This core-shell structure was transformed to the core-shell-corona structure at high pH due to the collapse of the PDEAEMA segment. The properties of the polymeric micelles were greatly dependent on the weight ratio of the two copolymers and the external pH. As increasing the mPEG-b-PCL content, the size and the zeta potential of the mixed micelles were lowered while the pH-dependent stability and the biocompatibility were improved. Moreover, an increase in pH accelerated the release of indomethacin (IND) from the mixed micelles in vitro. These results augured that the mixed micelles could be applied as a stable pH-sensitive release system.     

Effect of Pregnancy on the Speaking Voice

The study aims to investigate the vocal symptoms and acoustic changes in pregnant women pre- and postpartum in comparison to the controls. A total of 25 pregnant women who presented for delivery were enrolled in this study. Twenty-one nonpregnant women were matched as controls. Vocal symptoms such as hoarseness, vocal fatigue, and aphonia were assessed. Acoustic analysis included fundamental frequency (F₀), habitual pitch, relative average perturbation (RAP), shimmer, noise-to-harmony ratio (NHR), and maximum phonation time (MPT). There were no significant differences in the incidence of vocal symptoms in pregnant women versus controls. However, vocal fatigue was more prevalent in the pregnant group. With respect to the acoustic parameters, there was a significant decrease in the MPT at term. The rest of the variables were comparable. Postpartum, the MPT significantly increased and there was an increase in F₀ and a significant decrease in the voice turbulence index (VTI). Pregnant women have more vocal fatigue and a reduction in MPT compared to the controls. Immediately after delivery, there is a significant increase in MPT.     

Characterization of crystalline MOCVD SrTiO3 films on SiO2/Si(100)

SrTiO₃ thin films (STO), were deposited on Si(100) covered by 2 nm of SiO₂, at different temperatures from 450 °C to 850 °C using liquid injection MOCVD, the bimetallic precursor being Sr₂Ti₂(OiPr)₈(tmhd)₄. The STO films were analysed by XRD, FTIR, SIMS and TEM. An amorphous layer was observed between STO and SiO₂/Si. The nature and thickness of the interlayer were determined, as well as the most favourable conditions for a good quality crystalline STO film, and a reduced interlayer.