Laser assisted ultrasound guided aspiration improves procedure time and reduces number of withdrawals

This study evaluated the performance of in-vitro freehand aspiration of a simulated cyst with ultrasound aspiration guided by a newly designed laser assisted (LA) device. The LA device was equipped with an adjustable light source generating a sector light plane. This laser light plane was parallel to and overlapped the ultrasound acoustical plane, to help with needle positioning. Five operators randomly performed 30 freehand or LA ultrasound guided aspirations of a simulated cyst. The frequency was set at 8 MHz and depth at 4 cm. Procedure time and number of syringe withdrawals were statistically compared before and after using the LA device. Both experienced and inexperienced operators required significantly less time to perform the aspiration and had fewer syringe withdrawals when using the LA device. The LA device provides a reference plane in space, allowing the operator to more accurately position and adjust needle direction. Additional in-vivo testing is required to test the clinical practicability.     

Quantum Deformations of Imaginary Verma Modules

We construct quantum deformations of imaginary Verma modulesover and show that, for generic q, imaginary Verma modules over can be deformed to those over the quantum group in such a way that the dimensions of the weightspaces are invariant under the deformation. We also prove thePBW theorem for with respect to the triangular decomposition induced from the root partitioncorresponding to the imaginary Verma modules. 1991 MathematicsSubject Classification: 17B67, 17B65, 17B10.     

Sublimation of atomic layers from a chromium surface

We employ low-energy electron microscopy to study the kinetics of thermal etching, or sublimation, of Cr(001) at approximately 1100 K. Atomic layers are removed from the surface by spontaneous nucleation and growth of two-dimensional vacancy islands, by rotation of spiral steps, and by island decay. The growth rates of vacancy islands and the rotation frequencies of double spirals are measured as a function of temperature, and the results are correlated with activation barriers of surface processes. Mass transport between the surface and bulk is shown to be unimportant.     

Modification of surface states in ultrathin films via hybridization with the substrate: a study of Ag on Ge

The Shockley surface state of Ag(111) develops unusual band dispersion relations for Ag films of decreasing thicknesses on Ge(111), as observed by angle-resolved photoemission. Its parabolic dispersion in the thick-film limit shifts toward higher binding energies and splits into multiple bands with dispersions that reflect the valence band structure of Ge including the heavy-hole, light-hole, and split-off bands. The results are explained in terms of a hybridization interaction between the Ag surface state and the Ge substrate states.     

Direct observation of localized defect States in semiconductor nanotube junctions

We report scanning tunneling microscopy of semiconductor-semiconductor carbon nanotube junctions with different band gaps. Characteristic features of the wave functions at different energy levels, such as a localized defect state, are clearly exhibited in the atomically resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy. The peaks of the Van Hove singularity on each side penetrate and decay into the opposite side across the junction over a distance of approximately 2 nm. These experimental features are accounted for, with the help of tight-binding calculation, by the presence of pentagon-heptagon pair defects at the junction.     

The effects of multiplicity and excitation on the behavior of 2-methyl-2-phenylpropylidene; the intramolecular chemistry of 2,2-diphenylpropylidene

The intramolecular reactions of 2-methyl-2-phenylpropylidene and 2,2-diphenylpropylidene have been determined.     

Direct extraction of the Eliashberg function for electron-phonon coupling: a case study of Be(10(-)10)

We propose a systematic procedure to directly extract the Eliashberg function for electron-phonon coupling from high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurement. The procedure is successfully applied to the Be(10(-)10) surface, providing new insights into electron-phonon coupling at this surface. The method is shown to be robust against imperfections in experimental data and suitable for wider applications.     

Infrared vacuum-ultraviolet laser pulsed field ionization-photoelectron study of CH3Br+ (X(2)E(3/2))

By preparing methyl bromide (CH3Br) in selected rotational levels of the CH3Br(X(1)A1; v1 = 1) state with infrared (IR) laser excitation prior to vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) laser pulsed field ionization-photoelectron (PFI-PE) measurements, we have observed rotationally resolved photoionization transitions to the CH3Br(+)(X(2)E(3/2); v1(+) = 1) state, where v1 and v1(+) are the symmetric C-H stretching vibrational mode for the neutral and cation, respectively. The VUV-PFI-PE origin band for CH3Br(+)(X(2)E(3/2)) has also been measured. The simulation of these IR-VUV-PFI-PE and VUV-PFI-PE spectra have allowed the determination of the v1(+) vibrational frequency (2901.8 +/- 0.5 cm(-1)) and the ionization energies of the origin band (85 028.3 +/- 0.5 cm(-1)) and the v1(+) = 1 <-- v1 = 1 band (84 957.9 +/- 0.5 cm(-1)).     

Fermentation of rice hull by Aspergillus japonicus under ultrasonic pretreatment

The application of ultrasound for treating rice hull used as the fermentation substrate for xylooligosaccharides production was investigated. Aspergillus japonicus CY6-1 was selected to produce cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes from untreated rice hull (RH) and rice hull treated with ultrasound (USRH-M). The hemicellulose yield was increased to 1.4-fold with ultrasound, and treatment time was greatly shortened from 24 h to 1.5 h at 80 °C and 300 W/28 kHz. The morphology of RH from various pretreatments was observed with field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), revealing the surface structure of USRH-M smoother than that of RH. USRH-M was much easier to be utilized by fungi, to extend the stability of enzyme activity and to increase activities of CMCase, β-glucosidase, and xylanase compared with those of untreated RH. The final fermentative products were xylotetraose, xylohexaose, and higher molecular weight xylooligosaccharides, achieving xylohexaose yield for USRH-M 80% higher than that for RH group.     

Infrared-vacuum ultraviolet-pulsed field ionization-photoelectron study of CH(3)I(+) using a high-resolution infrared laser

By using a high-resolution single mode infrared-optical parametric oscillator laser to prepare CH(3)I in single (J,K) rotational levels of the nu(1) (symmetric C-H stretching) =1 vibrational state, we have obtained rovibrationally resolved infrared-vacuum ultraviolet-pulsed field ionization-photoelectron (IR-VUV-PFI-PE) spectra of the CH(3)I(+)(X(2)E(32);nu(1)(+)=1;J(+),P(+)) band, where (J,K) and (J(+),P(+)) represent the respective rotational quantum numbers of CH(3)I and CH(3)I(+). The IR-VUV-PFI-PE spectra observed for K=0 and 1 are found to have nearly identical structures. The IR-VUV-PFI-PE spectra for (J,K)=(5,0) and (7, 0) are also consistent with the previous J-selected IR-VUV-PFI-PE measurements. The analysis of these spectra indicates that the photoionization cross section of CH(3)I depends strongly on DeltaJ(+)=J(+)-J: but not on J and K. This observation lends strong support for the major assumption adopted for the semiempirical simulation scheme, which has been used for the simulation of the origin bands observed in VUV-PFI-PE study of polyatomic molecules. Using the state-to-state photoionization cross sections determined in this IR-VUV study, we have obtained excellent simulation of the VUV-PFI-PE origin band of CH(3)I(+)(X (2)E(32)), yielding more precise IE(CH(3)I)=76 930.7+/-0.5 cm(-1) and nu(1) (+)=2937.8+/-0.2 cm(-1).