Boron nanobelts grown under intensive ion bombardment

High-quality α-tetragonal crystalline boronnanobelts with [001] growth axis were synthesized using a novel method combining e-beam evaporation and plasma ion bombardment techniques. Intensive ion bombardment of the growingboronnanobelts at a high substrate temperature (∼1200°C) was found to be effective in increasing the atomic density, reducing the crystal disorder, and improving the yield of the nanobelts.This work was supported by the Australian Research Council ARC

Gonzalo de Berceo in Spanish Literary Criticism before 1780

In Spanish literature the first poet whose name we know with certainty is Gonzalo de Berceo, who flourished in the first half of the thirteenth century. The first complete edition of his works did not appear until toward the end of the eighteenth century. What happened to them and what was thought of them during the five centuries that intervened between the death of the poet and the year 1780, when the learned Librarian of the King, Don Tomás Antonio Sánchez, published the second volume of his Collección de Poesías Castellanas Anteriores al Siglo XV giving it the subtitle of Poesías de Don Gonzalo de Berceo? The question is not without interest; neither are the results of the investigations that lead us toward the possibility of answering it. Consequently, I propose setting forth with the utmost brevity the results that I have so far been able to obtain from my investigations. In citing the texts that speak of Berceo, I shall not stop to comment on them, nor even to correct the errors–sometimes rather serious-they may contain

Effect of implant temperature on secondary defects created by MeV Sn implantation in silicon

Secondary defects induced by ion implantation in silicon after annealing have been previously shown to vary with the implantation and annealing conditions. However, in the low dose implants, well below the amorphization dose, the defects have been predominantly characterized to be interstitial in nature. In this article, we study the effect of implant temperature on secondary defects created by 1 MeV Sn implantation to a dose of 3×10¹³ cm⁻² after subsequent annealing. We report a variation in the defect microstructure with implant temperature showing preferential formation of small interstitial loops for −191 °C and only rod-like defects for similar implants carried out at 300 °C. We conclude that these microstructures are a result of the dense cascades created by heavy Sn ions, creating local amorphous pockets in the implant damage region at the lowest implant temperatures. The variation of the microstructure with implant temperature is interpreted in terms of the effect of dynamic annealing over the defects formed in silicon.One of the authors (J.W-L.) would like to acknowledge the Australian Research Council for financial support under the ARC fellowship program

OH-bearing planar defects in olivine produced by the breakdown of Ti-rich humite minerals from Dabie Shan (China)

The partial breakdown of Ti-chondrodite and Ti-clinohumite during exhumation from ultra-high pressure to amphibolite facies conditions in garnet-pyroxenites from Dabie Shan (China) produces coronas of olivine coexisting with ilmenite blebs. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of this newly formed olivine exhibit absorption bands in the hydroxyl-stretching region. Two intense peaks were observed at 3,564 and 3,394 cm-1, identical in energy to peaks in Ti-clinohumite. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the same olivine domains revealed the presence of a complex (001) planar intergrowth. These interlayers have a 1.35 nm repeat distance, which is characteristic of clinohumite. Such interlayers are also enriched in Ti with respect to the adjacent olivine as shown by energy dispersive spectrometry. The combined evidence from FTIR spectroscopy and TEM indicates that OH is incorporated along Ti-clinohumite planar defects. This study provides evidence that the nominally anhydrous phase olivine may contain OH as a humite-type defect beyond the breakdown of the hydrous humite minerals and confirms earlier suggestions that Ti plays a key role in OH incorporation in mantle olivine. We suggest that olivine containing Ti-clinohumite defects is an important phase for water transport in subduction zones and for the storage of water in cold subcontinental mantle. However, these defects are unlikely to be stable in hotter parts of the oceanic mantle such as where basaltic magmas are generated

Guanfacine treatment improves ADHD phenotypes of impulsivity and hyperactivity in a neurofibromatosis type 1 mouse model

BACKGROUND: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder with a mutation in one copy of the neurofibromin gene (NF1+/-). Even though approximately 40-60% of children with NF1 meet the criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), very few preclinical studies, if any, have investigated alterations in impulsivity and risk-taking behavior. Mice with deletion of a single NF1 gene (Nf1+/-) recapitulate many of the phenotypes of NF1 patients. METHODS: We compared wild-type (WT) and Nf1+/- mouse strains to investigate differences in impulsivity and hyperactivity using the delay discounting task (DDT), cliff avoidance reaction (CAR) test, and open field. We also investigated whether treatment with the clinically effective alpha-2A adrenergic receptor agonist, guanfacine (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.), would reverse deficits observed in behavioral inhibition. RESULTS: Nf1+/- mice chose a higher percentage of smaller rewards when both 10- and 20-s delays were administered compared to WT mice, suggesting Nf1+/- mice are more impulsive. When treated with guanfacine (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.), Nf1+/- mice exhibited decreased impulsive choice by waiting for the larger, delayed reward. Nf1+/- mice also exhibited deficits in behavioral inhibition compared to WT mice in the CAR test by repetitively entering the outer edge of the platform where they risk falling. Treatment with guanfacine ameliorated these deficits. In addition, Nf1+/- mice exhibited hyperactivity as increased distance was traveled compared to WT controls in the open field. This hyperactivity in Nf1+/- mice was reduced with guanfacine pre-treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our study confirms that Nf1+/- mice exhibit deficits in behavioral inhibition in multiple contexts, a key feature of ADHD, and can be used as a model system to identify alterations in neural circuitry associated with symptoms of ADHD in children with NF1

OREXIN 1 AND 2 RECEPTOR INVOLVEMENT IN CO2 -INDUCED PANIC-ASSOCIATED BEHAVIOR AND AUTONOMIC RESPONSES

BACKGROUND: The neuropeptides orexin A and B play a role in reward and feeding and are critical for arousal. However, it was not initially appreciated that most prepro-orexin synthesizing neurons are almost exclusively concentrated in the perifornical hypothalamus, which when stimulated elicits panic-associated behavior and cardiovascular responses in rodents and self-reported "panic attacks" and "fear of dying" in humans. More recent studies support a role for the orexin system in coordinating an integrative stress response. For instance, orexin neurons are highly reactive to anxiogenic stimuli, are hyperactive in anxiety pathology, and have strong projections to anxiety and panic-associated circuitry. Although the two cognate orexin receptors are colocalized in many brain regions, the orexin 2 receptor (OX2R) most robustly maps to the histaminergic wake-promoting region, while the orexin 1 receptor (OX1R) distribution is more exclusive and dense in anxiety and panic circuitry regions, such as the locus ceruleus. Overall, this suggests that OX1Rs play a critical role in mobilizing anxiety and panic responses. METHODS: Here, we used a CO2 -panic provocation model to screen a dual OX1/2R antagonist (DORA-12) to globally inhibit orexin activity, then a highly selective OX1R antagonist (SORA1, Compound 56) or OX2R antagonist (SORA2, JnJ10397049) to assess OX1R and OX2R involvement. RESULTS: All compounds except the SORA2 attenuated CO2 -induced anxiety-like behaviors, and all but the SORA2 and DORA attenuated CO2 -induced cardiovascular responses. CONCLUSIONS: SORA1s may represent a novel method of treating anxiety disorders, with no apparent sedative effects that were present with a benzodiazepine

Overcoming barriers in the criminal court system : Examining the challenges faced when interviewing legal stakeholders

This collection contributes to, advances and consolidates discussions of the range of methods and approaches in criminology through the presentation of diverse international case studies in which the authors reflect upon their experiences ..

Patient-specific instrumentation does not improve radiographic alignment or clinical outcomes after total knee arthroplasty: A meta-analysis

Background and purpose: Patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been introduced to improve alignment and reduce outliers, increase efficiency, and reduce operation time. In order to improve our understanding of the outcomes of patient-specific instrumentation, we conducted a meta-analysis. Patients and methods: We identified randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing patient-specific and conventional instrumentation in TKA. Weighted mean differences and risk ratios were determined for radiographic accuracy, operation time, hospital stay, blood loss, number of surgical trays required, and patient-reported outcome measures. Results: 21 RCTs involving 1,587 TKAs were included. Patient-specific instrumentation resulted in slightly more accurate hip-knee-ankle axis (0.3°), coronal femoral alignment (0.3°, femoral flexion (0.9°), tibial slope (0.7°), and femoral component rotation (0.5°). The risk ratio of a coronal plane outlier (\u3e 3° deviation of chosen target) for the tibial component was statistically significantly increased in the PSI group (RR = 1.64). No significance was found for other radiographic measures. Operation time, blood loss, and transfusion rate were similar. Hospital stay was significantly shortened, by approximately 8 h, and the number of surgical trays used decreased by 4 in the PSI group. Knee Society scores and Oxford knee scores were similar. Interpretation: Patient-specific instrumentation does not result in clinically meaningful improvement in alignment, fewer outliers, or better early patient-reported outcome measures. Efficiency is improved by reducing the number of trays used, but PSI does not reduce operation time