Si Deposition Research Articles

Impact of the spatial structure of alkyl chains on properties of thiophene-substituted diketopyrrolopyrroles: Part I – Langmuir layer study

Slight changes in the dye structures may cause significant differences in molecular organization and aggregation ability of the dyes that determine their properties and usefulness for particular applications. The objects of our study were the dyes from the oligothiophene-substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) group with alkyl chains in the terminal and side positions. The subject of our interest was to check the effect of the spatial structure (straight or branched) of DPP’s side alkyl chains on the dyes’ behavior in two-dimensional systems, the process of creating Langmuir layers at the air-water interface and the properties of Langmuir-Schaefer layers on a solid substrate. The course of isotherms of the dyes recorded during the compression process of Langmuir layers showed notable differences, and for the dye with a branched side alkyl chain, an isotherm inflection below 10 mN/m was observed. The process of layer formation was also thoroughly investigated using a Brewster angle microscope and measurements of changes in surface potential. Analysis of isotherms supported by density functional theory calculations suggests that the layers formed at the air-water interface are not monomolecular, consisting of monomers, but are built of aggregated (dimeric or tetrameric) dye forms. More stable layers were formed for the straight than branched alkyl side chains attached to the dyes. Morphologies of Langmuir-Schaefer layers transferred onto quartz were studied using confocal microscopy. The results confirmed that even a slight change in the spatial structure of the side alkyl chains of the investigated dyes determines their thermodynamic properties and organization of the thin film. Finally, a model of the arrangement of DPP dye molecules in thin layers was proposed.

Aroylhydrazone appended cinnamate based calamitic liquid crystal:Effect of alkoxy side chain and position of terminal pyridine core on mesomorphic properties

Eight newly synthesized liquid crystalline materials containing aroylhydrazone and cinnamate linking units, connected by three phenyl rings and flexible alkoxy side chains, were designed and synthesized. The confirmation of their structures was characterized by using FT-IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR, and elemental analysis. The phase behavior of these materials was investigated using crossed polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Additionally, their thermal stability was assessed using thermo gravimetric analysis. In the two series of materials studied, those with shorter alkoxy side chains exhibited a smectic C phase along with a nematic mesophase, while compounds with longer alkoxy chains showed only smectic A type mesogenic behavior. The structure-property relationship of these aroylhydrazone-based homologous series was discussed to understand the impact of side alkoxy tail length and the position of the terminal isonicotinic/nicotinic hydrazide core on the liquid crystalline properties. All four materials displayed a wide temperature range of mesophases and exhibited high thermal stability. To gain further insights into their mesomorphic properties, we employed density functional theory to conduct theoretical calculations on various structural and chemical parameters of these materials, including reactivity, energy bad gap, and dipole moment.

Superatom Molecular Orbitals of Endohedral C82.

Understanding superatom molecular orbital (SAMO) states in fullerene derivatives has been in the limelight ever since the first discovery of SAMOs owing to the fundamental interest in this topic as well as to the possible applications in molecular switches and other organic electronics. Nevertheless, very few reports have been published on SAMO states of larger fullerenes so far. Using density functional theory, we attempt to partially remedy this situation by presenting a study on SAMO states in C82 and its Ca and Sc endohedrally doped derivatives, comparing results with previous relevant findings for C60. We find that C82 possesses higher SAMO energies compared to C60, as associated with the symmetry of the molecule, and that endohedral doping leads to energetically favorable side positions of Ca and Sc inside the C82 cage. Among the two, Sc@C82 has more stable SAMO states compared to Ca@C82 as reflected by the shift in the density of states, while the charge states are found to be similar. In the case of the monolayer form, the pz- and 2s-SAMO orbitals overlap with the nearest neighbors, causing parabolic band dispersion with the formation of near free electron states and that the SAMO state energies move closer to the Fermi energy compared to the related molecules. These findings provide promising information about the distribution of SAMO states in C82 fullerene, which can be further relevant in studies of SAMO states of higher fullerenes and for coming applications of these systems.

Investigation of Two Zr-p-NO2Bn-DOTA Isomers via NMR and Quantum Chemical Studies.

A combination of NMR studies and quantum chemical calculations were employed to investigate the structure and energetics of Zr4+ chelates of pNO2Bn-DOTA. We have demonstrated that two discrete regioisomeric chelates are generated during the complex formation. The nitrobenzyl substituent can adopt either an equatorial corner or side position on the macrocyclic ring. These regioisomers are incapable of interconversion and were isolated by HPLC. The corner isomer is more stable than the side, and the SAP conformer of both regioisomers is energetically more favorable than the corresponding TSAP conformer.

Thick Architected Silicon Composite Battery Electrodes Using Honeycomb Patterned Carbon Nanotube Forests

To meet the growing performance demands for personal electronics and electric vehicles the energy density of lithium-ion batteries can be increased by incorporating thicker electrodes. We present thick “honeycomb” electrodes based on patterned, vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on Cu foils. Thick electrodes are created by Si deposition on >100 μm tall honeycomb patterned CNTs. Si-CNT electrodes are cycled in half-cells, demonstrating electronic connection between the Si and Cu foil via the aligned CNTs. For ~4.7 mAh cm−2 capacity the honeycomb patterning improves capacity retention (78%) over 30 cycles compared to non-patterned electrodes (58%). We attribute this improvement to the honeycomb’s ability to accommodate Si expansion, thereby reducing cracking that causes active material loss and solid electrolyte interphase instability, and to provide pathways for Li-ion transport into the electrode. The Si-CNT electrode capacity is further increased to 20 mAh cm−2 by increasing the Si loading. Finally, a fluoroethylene carbonate containing electrolyte is used to increase cell lifetime. Here, the honeycomb electrodes have a higher areal (~10.2 mAh cm−2) and retained (65%) capacity over 180 cycles, and exhibit superior rate performance to their non-patterned counterparts. Our work demonstrates the role of patterning in enabling aligned CNTs as a robust template for thick battery electrodes.

Coexistence of Cervical Disc Herniation and Shoulder Soft Tissue Pathologies and the Effect of Sleeping Positions and Orthopedic Pillows.

Background/aim This study investigates the degree of coexistence of cervical disc herniation and shoulder soft tissue pathology, as well as the effect of sleeping positions and orthopedic pillow use. Materials and methods This present study was conducted on 72 patients with shoulder/arm pain operated on for cervical disc herniation. Two groups were examined according to the presence of shoulder soft tissue pathology, four common sleeping positions, and the use of an orthopedic pillow. Preoperative and postoperative shoulder/arm visual analog scale (VAS) scores were compared. Results The preoperative VASvalues were 7.35, while the postoperative VAS values were 3.32. Twenty-one patients (29.2%) had a disc at the C3-4 level, a rate equal to that for the C5-6 level. Twenty-four patients (33.3%) had a disc at the C4-5 level. Thirty-two cases (44.4%) slept in a side-lying position on the same side as their disc herniation. Among those with a herniated disc at the C3-4 level, 8 (53.3%) preferred sleeping side-lying on the opposite side of the disc. In contrast, those with a herniated disc at the C4-5 level more frequently (40.6%) slept side-lying on the same side as the disc. Mean VAS scores were significantly higher in cases with shoulder soft tissue pathology and were significantly lower in the group that used orthopedic pillows (p<0.001). Conclusion Shoulder soft tissue pathologies should be considered in postoperative shoulder pain. The use of orthopedic pillows is effective in preoperative and postoperative pain. Sleeping positions do not affect the shoulder/arm pain before and after the operation, but they affect the level of cervical disc herniations.

Investigation of a strain-gauge dynamometer for measuring boundary layer friction force on the wind tunnel wall

A one-component strain-gauge dynamometer with a measuring range of 0-0.33 N was developed and manufactured at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute to measure directly the unsteady friction force of the boundary layer on the wall of a wind tunnel at very high Reynolds numbers. The subject of this study is to investigate the static and dynamic characteristics of the dynamometer and its systematic errors. The effects of the temperature, longitudinal, normal, and side forces and position of the longitudinal force application were investigated during the calibration. A block was designed and manufactured to calibrate the dynamometer using the dead weights in a wind tunnel. The calibration was carried out in laboratory conditions to determine friction force in the block. The developed dynamometer is a dynamic system with its own natural frequency of oscillations. The correction for the dynamometer's own dynamics is suggested on the basis of the method developed earlier. To calculate the correction to dynamometer dynamics the mass of the metric part of the dynamometer, its natural frequency in the absence of damping and the damping coeffi cient were determined. The correction is verifi ed by experiment with application of a step force. Effect of static and dynamic temperature components on dynamometer readings is investigated. Corrections are proposed to eliminate the systematic errors due to the effect of temperature on the basis of the previously developed method. It is shown that the side force does not affect the dynamometer readings, while the effect of the normal force is 1.1 % of the main sensitivity coeffi cient. The effect of the static temperature component on the sensitivity coeffi cient of the dynamometer is 0.017 %/°C. The total measurement uncertainty of the friction force dynamometer is estimated – the standard deviation of the measurement results does not exceed 0.076 % of the measurement range and the relative standard deviation of the main sensitivity coeffi cient is 0.03 %. The standard deviation of measurement of the nonstationary friction force will not exceed 0.86 % of the range of the dynamometer in the presence of oscillations of the sensitive element at its natural frequency.

Zero-Direct-Carbon-Emission Production of Si Epitaxy Enabled by Solid Oxide Membrane (SOM) Electrolysis

State-of-the-art Solar-grade silicon production is energy intensive and has a negative impact on the environment. Due to the rapid growth of the Si-based photovoltaic (PV) industry, it is necessary to develop a greener technology for silicon production. Solid oxide membrane (SOM) electrolysis is a proven versatile green technology that can be developed to economically produce many important metal or metal compounds from their oxides. This work will discuss the application of SOM electrolysis to produce solar-grade silicon epitaxially from silica in a single-step, which results in net zero-carbon emission. The high-temperature SOM electrolysis cell employs stable molten oxide-fluoride bath with silicon wafer cathode and stabilized zirconia membrane-based novel anodes. The cell design and process parameters are selected to enable high-efficiency silicon deposition on the Si-wafer cathode and mitigate undesired side-reactions. The SOM process is electrochemically characterized with detailed microstructural analysis of the Si deposit on the Si wafer cathode.

In-situ coating of silicon-rich films on tokamak plasma-facing components with real-time Si material injection

Abstract Experiments have been conducted in the DIII-D tokamak to explore the in-situ growth of silicon-rich layers as a potential technique for real-time replenishment of surface coatings on plasma-facing components (PFCs) during steady-state long-pulse reactor operation. Silicon (Si) pellets of 1 mm diameter were injected into low- and high-confinement (L-mode and H-mode) plasma discharges with densities ranging from 3.9– 7.5 × 10 19 m−3 and input powers ranging from 5.5 to 9 MW. The small Si pellets were delivered with the impurity granule injector at frequencies ranging from 4 to 16 Hz corresponding to mass flow rates of 5–19 mg s−1 (1– 4.2 × 10 20 Si s−1) at cumulative amounts of up to 34 mg of Si per five-second discharge. Graphite samples were exposed to the scrape-off layer and private flux region plasmas through the divertor material evaluation system to evaluate the Si deposition on the divertor targets. The Si II emission at the sample correlates with silicon injection and suggests net surface Si-deposition in measurable amounts. Post-mortem analysis showed Si-rich coatings containing silicon oxides, of which SiO2 is the dominant component. No evidence of SiC was found, which is attributed to low divertor surface temperatures. The in-situ and ex-situ analysis found that Si-rich coatings of at least 0.4–1.2 nm thickness have been deposited at 0.4–0.7 nm s−1. The technique is estimated to coat a surface area of at least 0.94 m2 on the outer divertor. These results demonstrate the potential of using real-time material injection to form Si-enriched layers on divertor PFCs during reactor operation.

Study on effectiveness of treating femoral neck fractures based on theory of "positive support"

To explore effectiveness of positive support reduction and internal fixation in the treatment of femoral neck fractures. A clinical data of 74 patients with femoral neck fractures treated with hollow screw internal fixation between September 2017 and September 2021 was retrospectively analyzed. Based on the quality of fracture reduction, they were divided into positive support reduction group (group A, n=25), negative support reduction group (group B, n=21), and anatomical reduction group (group C, n=28). There was no significant difference in baseline data such as gender, age, cause of injury, disease duration, fracture side, Garden classification, and fracture line position classification between groups (P>0.05). The occurrence of complications such as early fixation failure, femoral neck shortening, non-union of fractures, and femoral head necrosis in three groups, as well as the Harris score of the hip joint were recorded and compared. All patients had primary healing of incisions after operation and were followed up more than 12 months. The follow-up time for groups A, B, and C was (21.1±5.7), (22.6±4.3), and (21.9±4.1) months, respectively; there was no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidences of non-union of fractures, early internal fixation failure, and the femoral head necrosis between groups (P>0.05). The incidence and length of femoral neck shortening, and the hip Harris score at last follow-up in groups A and C were all superior to those in the group B, with significant difference (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators between groups A and C (P>0.05). Positive support reduction can provide a good biomechanical environment for the healing of femoral neck fractures, thereby achieving a higher fracture healing rate, reducing the occurrence of femoral neck shortening, minimizing the function of hip joint, and achieving effectiveness similar to anatomical reduction.

Computation of Electric Field and Potential Distribution of 110KV Polymer Insulator

The electric field (E-Field) and potential distribution are more important in deciding the lifetime of the insulator. Different climate conditions and several pollution conditions lead to the deterioration and degradation of the insulator's properties, increasing the electric stress and exceeding the threshold value during long working conditions, leading to the failure of the insulator. This project mainly focuses on improving the reduction of electric stress by using different side positions of the corona ring an optimizing corona ring placement on a 110 kV AC transmission line composite insulator. The Corona ring plays a significant role in the reduction of electric stress. Analyze the performance of three different positions of the corona ring: HV and LV side, LV side, and HV side, and implement the three different optimizations in the Bobyqa, Nelder-Mead, and Cobyla optimizations to achieve uniform distribution. The results show that HV-side corona ring placement significantly reduces electric stress, and Bobyqa optimization greatly reduces electrical stress compared to other optimization techniques.

The Effect of Elbow Flexion On Valgus Carrying Angle

This study aimed to examine the effect of flexion on valgus carrying angle in the human elbow using a dynamic elbow testing apparatus. Active elbow motion was simulated in seven cadaveric upper extremities. Six electromechanical actuators simulated muscle action, while 6 degrees-of-freedom joint motion was measured with an optical tracking system to quantify the kinematics of the ulna with respect to the humerus as the elbow was flexed at the side position. Repeatability of the testing apparatus was assessed in a single elbow over five flexion-extension cycles. The varus angle change of each elbow was compared at different flexion angles with the arm at 0° of humerothoracic abduction or dependent arm position. The testing apparatus achieved excellent kinematic repeatability (intraclass correlation coefficient, >0.95) throughout flexion and extension. All elbows decreased their valgus carrying angle during flexion from 0° to 90° when the arm was maintained at 0° of humerothoracic abduction. Elbows underwent significant total varus angle change from full extension of 3.9° ± 3.4°(P = .007), 7.3° ± 5.2°(P = .01), and 8.9° ± 7.1°(P = .02) at 60°, 90°, and 120° of flexion, respectively. No significant varus angle change was observed between 0° and 30° of flexion(P = .66), 60° and 120° of flexion(P = .06), and 90° and 120° of flexion(P = .19). The dynamic elbow testing apparatus characterized a decrease of valgus carrying angle during elbow flexion and found that most varus angle changes occurred between 30° and 90° of flexion. All specimens underwent varus angle change until at least 90° of flexion. Our model establishes the anatomic decrease in valgus angle by flexion angle invitro and can serve as a baseline for testing motion profiles of arthroplasty designs and ligamentous reconstruction in the dependent arm position. Future investigations should focus on characterizing motion profile change as the arm is abducted away from the body.

Simple Synthesis and Characterization of Ball Milled SiOx for Use as a Negative Electrode Material

SiOxis an attractive anode material given its high specific capacity and its increased lifetime due to its supporting matrix of lithium silicates irreversibly formed during its first lithiation. While SiOxis normally created by simultaneous evaporation and vapor deposition of Si and SiO2powders, this can be very difficult and energy consuming method. It is shown here that SiOxwith controlled oxygen content can be made by ball milling crystalline silicon powder in an oxidizing medium using two different milling techniques. To characterize the SiOxpowders, oxygen content is quantified using a KOH-based method and BET surface area is measured. Electrochemical testing using coin cells is completed and the results are compared to commercially available SiO samples. The results show that SiOxwith competitive properties can be made by ball milling. Further work is required to reduce the specific surface area of the material made by ball milling.

The influence of dune lee side shape on time-averaged velocities and turbulence

Abstract. Underwater dunes are found in various environments with strong hydrodynamics and movable sediment such as rivers, estuaries and continental shelves. They have a diversity of morphology, ranging from low- to high-angle lee sides and sharp or rounded crests. Here, we investigate the influence of lee side morphology on flow properties (time-averaged velocities and turbulence). To do so, we carried out a large number of numerical simulations of flow over dunes with a variety of morphologies using Delft3D. Our results show that the value of the mean lee side angle in addition to the value and position of the maximum lee side angle have an influence on the flow properties investigated. We propose a classification with the following three types of dunes: (1) low-angle dunes (mean lee side &lt; 10∘), over which there is generally no flow separation and over which only little turbulence is created; (2) intermediate-angle dunes (mean lee side 10–17∘), over which an intermittent flow separation is likely over the trough; and (3) high-angle dunes (mean lee side &gt; 17∘), over which the flow separates at the brink point and reattaches shortly after the trough and over which turbulence is high. The influence of maximum lee side slope value and position on flow characteristics depends on the dune type. We discuss the implications of the proposed dune classification on the interaction between dune morphology and flow.

Efektifitas Posisi Meneran Semi-Fowler Dengan Posisi Berbaring Miring Ke Kiri Terhadap Kejadian Ruptur Perinieum Di Puskesmas Poned Jayakerta

Introduction: Perineal rupture occurs in almost all deliveries causing bleeding and infection, if not treated immediately it can cause death. One effort to reduce the occurrence of perineal rupture is the pressing position. Poned Jayakerta Health Center Karawang Regency in 2020 it was found that 66,8% had a perineal rupture, in 2021 it was found that 64,7% had a perineal rupture. When giving birth, the position that is often used is the semi-fowler and side-lying position. Methods: This research is quantitative analytic research with a post-test-only design with control groups. The sample in this study were mothers giving birth at the Poned Jayakerta Health Center Karawang Regency totaling 30 respondents with a total sampling technique. The research instrument uses an observation sheet. The data is primary data analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test. Results: The results of univariate analysis of the incidence of perineal rupture in the semi-fowler pressing position group with an average = 0,93; the incidence of perineal rupture in the supine position lying on its side with an average = 1,67. There is an effectiveness of the semi-fowler pressing position with a side-lying position on the incidence of perineal rupture with a p-value = 0,009. Discussion: The semi-fowler pressing position is more effective than the side-lying position in reducing the incidence of perineal rupture. Mothers in labor are expected to cooperate with midwives when facing the 2nd stage of labor so that mothers can follow guidance and direction from midwives when carrying out the pressing position and are able to press properly which has an impact on reducing the incidence of perineal rupture.

Structural Analysis of Si(OEt)4 Deposits on Au(111)/SiO2 Substrates at the Nanometer Scale Using Focused Electron Beam-Induced Deposition.

The focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) process was used by employing a GeminiSEM with a beam characteristic of 1 keV and 24 pA to deposit pillars and line-shaped nanostructures with heights between 9 nm and 1 μm and widths from 5 nm to 0.5 μm. All structures have been analyzed to their composition looking at a desired Si/O/C content measuring a 1:2:0 ratio. The C content of the structure was found to be ∼over 60% for older deposits kept in air (∼at room temperature) and less than 50% for later deposits, only 12 h old. Upon depositing Si(OEt)4 at high rates and at a deposition temperature of under 0 °C, the obtained Si content of our structures was between 10 and 15 atom % (compositional percentage). The FEBID structures have been deposited on Au(111)/SiO2. The Au(111) was chosen as a substrate for the deposition of Si(OEt)4 due to its structural and morphological properties. With its surface granulation following a Chevron pattern and surface defects having an increased contribution to the changes in the composition of the final structure content, the Au(111) surface characteristic behavior at the deposition of Si(OEt)4 is an increase in the O ratio and a reduction in the nanodeposit heights.

Effects of flexible sacrum position at birth on maternal and neonatal outcomes: A retrospective cohort study.

To examine the differences in both maternal and neonatal outcomes between flexible and non-flexible sacrum positions at birth. A descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study was carried out on a sample oflow-risk pregnant women. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions and multivariate linear regressions were conducted to estimate the association between our discrete or continuous variables of interest. Maternal outcomes were perineal tear, maternal blood loss, second stage length; neonatal outcomes were Apgar scores and neonatal asphyxia. Results were adjusted for maternal age, neonatal birth weight, and epidural analgesia. We considered for final analysis 2198 women. In primiparous women, women giving birth in the all-fours position were significantly more likely to have an intact perineum (P = 0.011) and a shorter length of the second stage of labor (P = 0.022). Maternal age (P = 0.005) and neonatal weight (P = 0.013) significantly increased perineal tearing; maternal age (P = 0.004) and neonatal birth weight (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with a higher amount of blood loss. Maternal age (P = 0.002) and neonatal weight (P < 0.001) significantly increased the length of the second stage of labor. For multiparous women, the side-lying position was significantly correlated with an intact perineum (P = 0.031); maternal age and intact perineum were statistically inversely associated. Epidural analgesia significantly increased the length of the second stage of labor in both nulliparous (P < 0.001) and pluriparous women (P < 0.001). No significant differences were found in neonatal outcomes. Women with a low-risk labor should be free to choose their birth position as flexible sacrum positions are shown to increase maternal well-being and do not affect neonatal health.

In-Home Monitoring Sleep Turnover Activities and Breath Rate via WiFi Signals

In-home sleep monitoring is essential for evaluating sleep quality of individuals. Although many sleep monitoring systems have been developed recently, they have limitations in achieving a good performance at low cost. To address this issue, this article proposes a new system based on channel-state information of domestic WiFi network to monitor both turnover activities and breathing rate of sleepers. Unlike recent approaches placing receiving antennas close to each other, scattered placement is adopted to fully exploit spatial diversity of receiving antennas. More importantly, a new error correction method is proposed to accurately recognize turnover activities. Based on the interrelation between consecutive activities, the proposed method can effectively correct the recognition errors of existing methods including convolutional neural network. Then, for accurately estimating breathing rate, both a new subcarrier selection method and a new peak identification method are proposed. Experiment results show that our system can significantly improve the recognition accuracy of eight typical sleep turnover activities and four typical sleep postures. We can achieve the mean accuracy of 94.59% and 95.83% on the recognition of turnover activities and sleep postures, respectively. Besides, our system can also significantly improve the estimation accuracy of breathing rate especially in tough scenarios, such as prone and side-lying positions.

Effect of Scapular Retraction on Lower Trapezius, Infraspinatus, and Deltoid Muscle Electromyographic Activity During the Side-Lying Abduction Exercise.

The lower trapezius (LT) muscle, which stabilizes the scapula posteriorly during arm elevation, has been interesting to both clinicians and researchers for its importance in throwing-related shoulder rehabilitation and injury prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the electromyographic activity of the LT and other relevant muscles during scapular and shoulder activities in the side-lying position. Twenty collegiate baseball players volunteered to participate in this study. Electromyographic (EMG) output of the lower trapezius, infraspinatus, posterior deltoid, middle deltoid, serratus anterior, and upper trapezius muscles were collected. All the subjects performed isometric resistance exercises in four arm positions: 0° horizontal abduction from the coronal plane (NEUT) with protraction (NEUT-PRO), 15° horizontal adduction from the coronal plane (HADD) with protraction (HADD-PRO), and NEUT with retraction (NEUT-RET), and HADD-RET in a side-lying isometric abduction exercise with two external loads: a 9.1 kg dumbbell and 40% of the manual muscle test (MMT). The subjects also performed two more isometric resistance exercises: supine protraction and side-lying external rotation (ER) of the glenohumeral (GH) joint in GH adduction at 90° of GH ER or with as much ER as possible. All raw EMG data were normalized to maximal voluntary isometric contraction (% MVIC) of the corresponding muscle. LT activity was significantly greater in HADD-RET with 9.1 kg than that of HADD-PRO (p < 0.001) (55 vs 21% MVIC) while middle deltoid muscle activity was significantly decreased in both NEUT and HADD-RET compared to that of NEUT and HADD-PRO (p < 0.001). In contrast, IS muscle activity was significantly increased in HADD-RET with 9.1 kg compared with that 40% MMT (p < 0.001) (41 vs 22% MVIC). LT activity was modulated by changes in scapulothoracic and glenohumeral joint positioning during a side-lying isometric abduction exercise. These findings may help clinicians to select exercises to improve scapular muscle balance ratios during rehabilitation of the shoulder complex. Level 3b, Controlled laboratory study.

Lamina-specific localization of silicon accumulation in two broadleaf tree species.

Silicon (Si) accumulation differs greatly among plant species, as revealed by an increasing number of studies reporting whole-leaf Si concentration for a wide range of land plants. Yet, we have limited knowledge about Si distribution across leaf parts (e.g., lamina vs. veins) within a leaf of eudicots. Here, we report how Si accumulation with leaf age differs among petiole, midrib, and lamina in two broad-leaved trees, Acer rufinerve and Ficus erecta. We marked a pair of neighboring leaves in each marked shoot and harvested one in May and the other in October to measure Si concentration. In both species, the lamina showed much higher Si concentration than the petiole and vein in both young and old leaves, and only the lamina showed clear increases in Si concentration from young to old leaves. Si accumulation rate correlated positively with shoot size and leaf production in F. erecta but not in A. rufinerve. These results strongly suggest that, in eudicot species, Si is deposited mostly in leaf lamina but in only a negligible amount in petioles and veins through which Si dissolved in water is transported. Future research on physiological regulations of Si accumulation in eudicot species should consider which specific cells in leaf lamina are responsible for such highly localized Si deposition.