A Study of Parameters Related to the Etch Rate for a Dry Etch Process Using NF 3

The characteristics of the dry etching of SiNx:H thin films for display devices using SF6/O2 and NF3/O2 were investigated using a dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (CCP-RIE) system. The investigation was carried out by varying the RF power ratio (13.56 MHz/2 MHz), pressure, and gas flow ratio. For the SiNx:H film, the etch rates obtained using NF3/O2 were higher than those obtained using SF6/O2 under various process conditions. The relationships between the etch rates and the usual monitoring parameters—the optical emission spectroscopy (OES) intensity of atomic fluorine (685.1 nm and 702.89 nm) and the voltages VH and VL—were investigated. The OES intensity data indicated a correlation between the bulk plasma density and the atomic fluorine density. The etch rate was proportional to the product of the OES intensity of atomic fluorine (I(F)) and the square root of the voltages (Vh+Vl) on the assumption that the velocity of the reactive fluorine was proportional to the square root of the voltages

Lack of Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Divergence between Two Subspecies of the Siberian Weasel from Korea: Mustela sibirica coreanus from the Korean Peninsula and M. s. quelpartis from Jeju Island

The objective of this study was to determine the degree of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) divergence between two subspecies of Mustela sibirica from Korea (M. s. coreanus on the Korean Peninsula and M. s. quelpartis on Jeju Island) and to examine the taxonomic status of M. s. quelpartis. Thus, we obtained complete sequences of mtDNA cytochrome b gene (1,140 bp) from the two subspecies, and these sequences were compared to a corresponding haplotype of M. s. coreanus, downloaded from GenBank. From this analysis, it was observed that the sequences from monogenic M. s. quelpartis on Jeju Island were identical to the sequences of four M. s. coreanus from four locations across the Korean Peninsula, and that the two subspecies formed a single clade; the average nucleotide distance between the two subspecies was 0.26% (range, 0.00 to 0.53%). We found that the subspecies quelpartis is not genetically distinct from the subspecies coreanus, and that this cytochrome b sequencing result does not support the current classification, distinguishing these two subspecies by pelage color. Further systematic analyses using morphometric characters and other DNA markers are necessary to confirm the taxonomic status of M. s. quelpartis

Control of fluid balance guided by body composition monitoring in patients on peritoneal dialysis (COMPASS): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: The clinical benefits of bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS)-guided fluid management in patients on hemodialysis have been widely demonstrated. However, no previous reports have evaluated the effect of regular and serial BIS-guided fluid management on the residual renal function (RRF) in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Therefore, we will evaluate the clinical efficacy of BIS-guided fluid management for preserving RRF and protecting cardiovascular events in patients on PD. Methods/design: This is a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial. A total of 138 participants on PD will be enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either BIS-guided fluid management or fluid management based only on the clinical information for 1 year. The primary outcome is the change in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) between months 0 and 12 after starting treatment. The secondary outcomes will include GFR at month 12, time to the anuric state (urine volume <100 ml/day), and fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events during treatment. Discussion: This is the first clinical trial to investigate the effect of BIS-guided fluid management on RRF and for protecting against cardiovascular events in patients on PD.Peer Reviewe

Effectiveness Analysis for Smart Construction Safety Technology (SCST) by Test Bed Operation on Small- and Medium-Sized Construction Sites

In the global construction industry, government policies have recently focused on smart construction technologies, such as those concerning the &ldquo;smartization&rdquo; of construction, improvements of productivity, and automation technologies. In addition, smart construction safety technologies (SCSTs) have been developed to ensure workers&rsquo; safety, under the initiative of the private sector. In regards to overseas occupational safety, wearable technologies have been developed for various types of industries, and the integrated platform developments needed to link them have become mainstream. In South Korea, individual companies are focusing on developing basic SCSTs and platforms for integrated control, aiming to prevent accidents in the construction field. The goal of this study was to identify the pros and cons of SCSTs through test bed operation and to derive improvement directions. Therefore, a test bed embedded with SCSTs was built and operated to provide effective safety management for small- and medium-sized sites exposed to fatal accidents. From analyzing the data from the test bed, it was found that it is difficult to change the tendencies of workers&rsquo; behaviors based solely on the introduction of SCSTs. This indicates that the effects of SCSTs are insignificant without the cooperation of workers. In addition, technical problems in field application were identified for each sensor and equipment, and the necessity, problems, and effectiveness of SCSTs were analyzed. As a result, both the installation and attachment types were found to be effective; however, workers avoided wearing certain attachment types. Based on the results derived through analysis of the pros and cons of SCSTs, the directions and guidelines were suggested for future use. This result can be used for future technology development directions, and policy establishment. Additionally, for the activation of SCSTs in the field, the cooperation of workers and the interest of managers remain essential factors, and improvements to the equipment are required

Social Networks for the Next Media Literacy

This collection of papers is based on the international seminar "Social Networks for the Next Media Literacy" report. The seminar was held in February 2021, and the final event of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research "The New Literacy for Media Infrastructure" project, which Shin Mizukoshi led for three years, starting in 2018. In the following articles, Mizukoshi first outlines the aims and results of this research project. According to their country of origin, three pieces will then be presented in the following order: Belgium, Korea, and Japan. First, Jacques and Verbesselt examined the "In the Shoes of an Algorithm" project, which started in Belgium in 2018, intending to develop an educational response to the issues raised by recommendation algorithms used in digital media. The project provided a pen-and-paper educational game in which participants work together in teams to design their recommendation algorithm. Second, Ahn, Oh, and Jeong discussed the possibilities and challenges of using the University Gallery, GINUESIUM at Gyeongin National University of Education for media art and literacy education. They found the space has been played a role of convergence platform through participation and convergence of university people and local residents. GINUESIUM is a space where artists, visitors, curators, and educators communicate, and it is a physical space where constant participation and interaction are made to meet their needs and values. Finally, Mizukoshi reexamined the concept of the media biotope, which he coined around the year 2000, as a space for people to improve their media literacy in a fully digitalized environment. Under the digital transformation of media, the new media biotope should be a shelter and sanctuary of learning, caring, where adults are rehabilitated in their engagement with the media. It will be a place where the real and virtual intertwine. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of considering the next generation of media literacy education community-based and advocating the significance of these communities' collaboratory development

Antibacterial Activity of Cinnamaldehyde and Estragole Extracted from Plant Essential Oils against Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae Causing Bacterial Canker Disease in Kiwifruit

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) causes bacterial canker disease in kiwifruit. Antibacterial activity of plant essential oils (PEOs) originating from 49 plant species were tested against Psa by a vapor diffusion and a liquid culture assays. The five PEOs from Pimenta racemosa, P. dioica, Melaleuca linariifolia, M. cajuputii, and Cinnamomum cassia efficiently inhibited Psa growth by either assays. Among their major components, estragole, eugenol, and methyl eugenol showed significant antibacterial activity by only the liquid culture assay, while cinnamaldehyde exhibited antibacterial activity by both assays. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of estragole and cinnamaldehyde by the liquid culture assay were 1,250 and 2,500 ppm, respectively. The MIC of cinnamaldehyde by the vapor diffusion assay was 5,000 ppm. Based on the formation of clear zones or the decrease of optical density caused by these compounds, they might kill the bacterial cells and this feature might be useful for managing the bacterial canker disease in kiwifruit

Facile Synthesis of Highly Conductive Platinum Nanofiber Mats as Conducting Core for High Rate Redox Supercapacitor

We report the fabrication and characterization of conductive Pt fiber mats as the conducting core of a high rate redox supercapacitor. Electrospun Pt fiber mats calcined at 350 degrees C exhibited a high electrical conductivity of 412 S cm(-1) as well as highly porous morphologies composed of 10 nm crystalline Pt nanoparticles. The Pt fiber mats served as the conducting core for electrochemically deposited hydrous RuO(2) overlayers. The hybrid electrode utilizing hydrous RuO(2)-coated Pt fiber mats showed a high specific capacitance of similar to 409.4 F g(-1) and high rate capability with a capacity loss of only 21.4% from 10 to 1000 mV s(-1)

Coreolanceolins A–E, New Flavanones from the Flowers of Coreopsis lanceolate, and Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects

(1) Background: Many flavonoids derived from natural sources have been reported to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Our preliminary study suggested that Coreopsis lanceolata flowers (CLFs) include high flavonoid content; (2) Methods: CLFs were extracted in 80% (v/v) aqueous methanol and fractionated into ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water fractions. Repeated column chromatographies for the organic fractions led to the isolation of seven flavanones. Quantitative analysis of the flavanones was carried out using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. All flavanones were evaluated for their antioxidant and pro-inflammatory inhibition effects; (3) Results: Spectroscopic analyses revealed the chemical structure of five new flavanones, coreolanceolins A&ndash;E, and two known ones. The content of the seven flavanones in extracts were determined from 0.8 &plusmn; 0.1 to 38.8 &plusmn; 0.3 mg/g. All flavanones showed radical scavenging activities (respectively 104.3 &plusmn; 1.9 to 20.5 &plusmn; 0.3 mg vitamin C equivalents (VCE)/100 mg and 1278.6 &plusmn; 26.8 to 325.6 &plusmn; 0.2 mg VCE/100 mg) in the DPPH and 2,2&prime;-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays and recovery activities in Caco-2 (59.7 to 41.1%), RAW264.7 (87.8 to 56.0%), and PC-12 (100.5 to 69.9%) cells against reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, all flavanones suppressed nitric oxide production (99.5% to 37.3%) and reduced iNOS and COX-2 expression in lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW 264.7 cells; (4) Conclusions: Five new and two known flavanones were isolated from CLF, and most of them showed high antioxidant and pro-inflammatory inhibition effects