Normal Layer Research Articles

Exploring the impact of core expansion on the vortex distribution in superconducting–normal-metal hybrid nanostructures

The superconducting condensate in a bilayer normal-metal--superconducting film has a nonuniform dependence throughout the layer. For sufficiently thin normal metallic films, the superconducting correlations induced by the contacting superconducting layer result in the formation of a minigap and the characteristic length scales governing the response of the condensate will be different. In this work we use scanning tunneling spectroscopy to visualize the vortex states as a function of the applied magnetic field in a Au-MoGe nanostructure. By comparing the obtained zero-bias conductance maps with time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations, we directly confirm that the observed vortex distributions can only be explained by taking into account the impact of the normal metallic layer. We illustrate this impact on the vortex state for two lithographically fabricated mesoscopic bilayer structures containing an identical antidot array but having different lateral sizes.

Field-dependent nonlinear surface resistance and its optimization by surface nanostructuring in superconductors

We propose a theory of nonlinear surface resistance of a dirty superconductor in a strong radio-frequency (RF) field, taking into account magnetic and nonmagnetic impurities, finite quasiparticle lifetimes, and a thin proximity-coupled normal layer characteristic of the oxide surface of many materials. The Usadel equations were solved to obtain the quasiparticle density of states (DOS) and the low-frequency surface resistance $R_s$ as functions of the RF field amplitude $H_0$. It is shown that the interplay of the broadening of the DOS peaks and a decrease of a quasiparticle gap caused by the RF currents produces a minimum in $R_s(H_0)$ and an extended rise of the quality factor $Q(H_0)$ with the RF field. Paramagnetic impurities shift the minimum in $R_s(H_0)$ to lower fields and can reduce $R_s(H_0)$ in a wide range of $H_0$. Subgap states in the DOS can give rise to a residual surface resistance while reducing $R_s$ at higher temperatures. A proximity-coupled normal layer at the surface can shift the minimum in $R_s(H_0)$ to either low and high fields and can reduce $R_s$ below that of an ideal surface. The theory shows that the behavior of $R_s(H_0)$ changes as the temperature and the RF frequency are increased, and the field dependence of $Q(H_0)$ can be very sensitive to the materials processing. Our results suggest that the nonlinear RF losses can be minimized by tuning pairbreaking effects at the surface using impurity management or surface nanostructuring.

Pulsed Magnetization of a Short-Circuited HTSC Coil

We have studied trapped magnetic fields and their relaxation during pulsed magnetization of a 20-turn short-circuited coil made of a stabilized HTSC-2G tape at liquid nitrogen temperature. The highest trapped field is close to the value obtained during field cooling (FC process) and varies insignificantly upon a five-fold increase of the magnetizing pulse amplitude. Copper coating of the tape considerably suppresses pulsed heating effects. Current relaxation at the initial segment is determined by the current passing between superconducting and normal layers and by the form of the current–voltage characteristic. Over long time intervals (t > 100 s), relaxation is determined by the contact resistance of the soldered junction.

Increasing Evapotranspiration on Extensive Green Roofs by Changing Substrate Depths, Construction, and Additional Irrigation

Urban environments are characterized by dense development and paved ground with reduced evapotranspiration rates. These areas store sensible and latent heat, providing the base for typical urban heat island effects. Green roof installations are one possible strategy to reintroduce evaporative surfaces into cities. If green roofs are irrigated, they can contribute to urban water management and evapotranspiration can be enhanced. As part of two research projects, lysimeter measurements were used to determine the real evapotranspiration rates on the research roof of the University of Applied Sciences in Neubrandenburg, Germany. In this paper, we address the results from 2017, a humid and cool summer, and 2018, a century summer with the highest temperatures and dryness over a long period of time, measured in Northeast Germany. The lysimeter measurements varied between the normal green roof layer (variation of extensive green roof constructions) and a special construction with an extra retention layer and damming. The results show that the average daily evapotranspiration rates can be enhanced from 3 to 5 L/m2/day under optimized conditions. A second test on a real green roof with irrigation was used to explain the cooling effects of the surface above a café building in Berlin.

Resonance spin-transfer torque in ferromagnetic/normal-metal/ferromagnetic spin-valve structure of topological insulators

We theoretically study the spin current and spin-transfer torque generation in a conventional spin- valve hybrid structure of type ferromagnetic/normal metal/ferromagnetic (FM/NM/FM) made of the topological insulator (TI), in which a gate voltage is attached to the normal layer. We demonstrate the penetration of the spin-transfer torque into the right ferromagnetic layer and show that, unlike graphene spin-valve junction, the spin-transfer torque in TI is very sensitive to the chemical potential of the NM region. As an important result, by changing the chemical potential of the NM spacer and magnetization directions, one can control all components of the STT. Interestingly, both the resonance spin current and the resonance spin-transfer torque appear for energies determined from a resonance equation. By increasing the chemical potential of the NM spacer, the amplitude of the STTs decreases while at large chemical potentials of $\mu_N$ there are intervals of chemical potential in which both the spin current and the spin-transfer torque become zero. These findings could open new perspectives for applications in spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) devices based on TI.

Nonlinear CNN: improving CNNs with quadratic convolutions

In this work, instead of designing deeper convolutional neural networks, we investigate the relationship between the nonlinearity of convolution layer and the performance of the network. We modify the normal convolution layer by inserting quadratic convolution units which can map linear features to a higher-dimensional space in a single layer so as to enhance the approximability of the network. A genetic algorithm-based training scheme is adopted to reduce the time and space complexity caused by the quadratic convolution. Our method is experimented on classical image classification architectures including VGG-16 Net and GoogLeNet and outperforms the original models on the ImageNet classification dataset. The experimental results also show that better performance of our method can be achieved with a shallower architecture. We notice that VGG-16 model is widely used in popular object detection frameworks such as faster R-CNN and SSD. We adopt our modified VGG-16 model in these frameworks and also achieve improvements on PASCAL VOC2007 and VOC2012 dataset.

Comparative histological study of skin in Jenubi and its crossbreed cow

The aim of this study was to comparative the histological structure of skin in Jenubi cow and its Friesians crossbreed cow. Samples of skin were collected from abdominal regions of Jenubi cow and its Friesians crossbreed cow immediately after slaughter in Governorate of Misan. The results showed similarities in the structure of the normal skin layers which was consists of three layers epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. Sweet glands was more distributed in the region between papillary and reticular layer and are associated with hair follicles. The primary hair follicle was associated with Sebaceous glands which were scattered in the deeper part of the reticular layer in both Jenubi and cross breed skin. The deference’s found in the micrometrical observations in the dermal layer, these variations between breeds in epithelium thickness of sweet glands where small in Jenubi cow while the epithelium thickness of crossbreed cow was more greater. The present study it was revealed that the sweat gland diameter in the skin of Jenubi cow was lower than in crossbreed cow. The conclusion of this study revealed that the location of the papillary layer is superficial and just under the basement membrane while the reticular layer composed the deeper layer in the dermis. The type of sebaceous gland was a simple, branched or compound. The epithelium thickness of sweet glands in crossbreed cow was more greater than Jenubi cow.

Topological defects in smectic islands formed in antiferroelectric freestanding nanofilms

In this work, the authors studied the orientational structure of islands formed in freestanding films as disc-like regions whose number of smectic layers is greater than that in the film. Islands were prepared in thin smectic nanofilms in which the long molecular axes tilt with respect to the normal layer. Geometric restrictions and rigid boundary conditions for the molecular orientation on the boundary of the island and the film induce frustration in the field of molecular ordering and lead to formation of topological defects. Depolarized reflected light microscopy allows the determination of the type of topological defects. Defects with topological charges S = +2, +1, −1, −1/2 were located inside the islands and on their boundary with the film. In the islands, the authors observed unusual structures formed by a complex of defects with positive and negative topological charges. The orientational structure of the field of molecular ordering was calculated taking into account the real and virtual topological defects on the island boundary. Islands with topological defects can be considered as a two-dimensional analogue of a mesoscopic atom.

On the Role of Interfaces on Spin Transport in Magnetic Insulator/Normal Metal Heterostructures

AbstractSpin currents have emerged as a new tool in spintronics, with promises of more efficient devices. A pure spin current can be generated in a nonmagnetic metallic (NM) layer by a charge current (spin Hall effect). When the NM layer is placed in contact with a magnetic material, a magnetoresistance (spin Hall magnetoresistance) develops in the former via the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE). In other novel spin‐dependent phenomena, such as spin pumping or spin Seebeck effect, spin currents are generated by magnetic resonance or thermal gradients and detected via ISHE in a neighboring normal metal layer. All cases involve spin transport across interfaces between nonmagnetic metallic layers and magnetic materials; quite commonly, magnetic insulators. The structural, compositional, and electronic differences between these materials and their integration to form an interface, challenge the control and understanding of the spin transport across it, which is known to be sensitive to sub‐nanometric interface features. Here, the authors review the tremendous progress in material's science achieved during the last few years and illustrate how the spin Hall magnetoresistance can be used as a probe for surface magnetism. The authors end with some views on concerted actions that may allow further progress.

Formulation and evaluation of simvastatin polymeric nanoparticles loaded in hydrogel for optimum wound healing purpose.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to formulate a hydrogel loaded with polymeric nanoparticles (PoNPs) of simvastatin (SIM) for topical wound healing application.Materials and methodsThe SIM PoNPs were prepared by using the nanoprecipitation method to improve the drug solubility and skin permeation. Furthermore, drug content, solubility, particle size, surface charge, and transmission electron microscopy of the prepared PoNPs were evaluated. Then, the PoNPs were loaded on hydrogel, and physical characteristics, in vitro release, and ex vivo permeation of the hydrogel were evaluated. Finally, the prepared gel was applied on rat wounds, and a histopathological study was performed.ResultsThe results showed that the drug content in the PoNPs was 86.4%. The PoNPs were spherical in shape with a smooth surface and a uniform size distribution. The particle size was 268.4±2.6, polydispersity index was ≤0.302, and zeta potential was −33±1.67 mV. The hydrogel loaded with SIM PoNPs was homogenous, and the pH was accepted and compatible with the skin. Moreover, the viscosity and spreadability assured its ease of application. The drug content was 97.25±0.02%. Furthermore, about 81% of SIM was released within 24 hours, while in the ex vivo permeation study 69.19% of SIM passed through the skin after 24 hours. Finally, the histopathological studies confirmed the efficacy of the SIM PoNPs-loaded hydrogel in wound healing due to the formation of the normal epithelial layer on day 11 after wound creation.ConclusionThe hydrogel loaded with SIM PoNPs showed a good efficacy in accelerating the healing of the rat wound with complete epithelialization and minimal inflammatory cell infiltration.

Crystallization of Atomic Layer Deposited MgO Thin Filmsas a Buffer Layer for Rocksalt Beo Film Growth

Rocksalt structure beryllium oxide (BeO) thin film has been highlighted as an exceptional high-k dielectric material for various semiconductor device application because it can have a very high-k value of > 200 and high band gap of ~ 10 eV simultaneously. However, this was an only theoretical expectation based on the first-principles calculation. Also, the stable crystal structure of BeO is wurtzite at normal thermal Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) processing conditions of which k-value is only ~8, whereas the rocksalt structure BeO could be stabilized only under an extremely high-pressure condition (> 100 GPa). Therefore, it is expected that the usual ALD process of BeO film may result in the wurtzite structure film. Considering the interfacial tensile strain offered by the larger MgO lattice parameter with a cubic-based rocksalt crystal structure, which is 4.21 Å while BeO lattice parameter is 2.70 Å for hexagonal-based wurtzite crystal structure and 3.62 Å for cubic-based rocksalt crystal structure, the adoption of cubic-based MgO as a buffer layer may enable the transition of BeO crystal structure from wurtzite to quasi-rocksalt. This work reported the optimization of both Thermal and Plasma-Enhanced ALD (TALD, and PEALD) process and post-annealing conditions of MgO and their influences on the crystallization properties of BeO on top of the MgO buffer layer, observed by X-Ray Diffraction (Figure 1 (a), (b)), Transmission Electron Microscope Selected Area Diffraction. Moreover, the electronic properties of MgO and BeO thin films, especially leakage current and dielectric constant, were verified through the measurement of Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) device (Figure 1 (c)). This work, thus, attempted to grow MgO film by TALD, and PEALD as a buffer layer for the rocksalt BeO film growth. Although the growth of the BeO film on top of the rocksalt MgO film is ongoing project, this work can provide a fundamental step toward the final goal of rocksalt BeO film growth by an ALD method. Figure 1

On the mechanics of granular shear: The effect of normal stress and layer thickness on stick-slip properties

Seismic stress drop is one of the most important earthquake source parameters, playing a key role in elastic energy release and in scaling relations for seismic moment and fault length. While stress drop does not scale systematically with earthquake size, it varies greatly within seismic catalogs and there is much broad interest in understanding how such variations relate to fault zone properties. Here, we address connections between stress drop and fault zone properties via laboratory experiments that investigate the role of normal stress and layer thickness during frictional sliding. We sheared granular layers at normal stresses from 4 to 22 MPa and document both elastic and inelastic processes that couple with layer dilation to determine the granular fragility and stress drop during stick-slip failure. Stick-slip stress drop scales directly with fault normal stress and inversely with layer thickness. Thicker layers exhibit, greater dilation during shear loading, however shear driven dilatant volume strain is independent of layer thickness. We posit that force chains form rapidly after a dynamic slip event and that bulk inelastic creep occurs via formation and destruction of force chains, interparticle slip, and rolling. Stick-slip recurrence time and stress drop vary with fault normal stress and stiffness, which increases with shear strain, consistent with a model in which stiffness increases as porosity decreases and fault zone density increases. We propose a micromechanical model that accounts for force chains and spectator regions where granular processes are dominated by inelastic slip. We document the role of elastic and inelastic processes during three stages of the stick-slip cycle and show how these change systematically as a function of normal stress and layer thickness. Our work shows that dilation during shear loading contributes to frictional strength via volume strain and that apparent friction scales inversely with the granular thinning ratio.

A lane detection network based on IBN and attention

In intelligent transportation system and advanced driving assistant system, lane detection is an indispensable security link. At present, deep learning has been applied to the task of lane detection, and some methods used semantic segmentation to separate lanes from background. This paper presents a modified encoder-decoder network with instance-batch normalization net (IBN-NET) and attention mechanism based on LaneNet structure. In view of the shortcomings of batch normalization (BN) in capturing texture in end-to-end segmentation, we consider further optimizing this part from the idea of image style transfer, which we solve the problem by replacing pixel-wise classification for scene labeling with capturing content images structure. To take advantage of visual and appearance invariance of instance normalization in encoder stage, IBN layers are applied to replace normal BN layers. Secondly, attention mechanism is added to the network, forcing it to focus on lane regions. This structure is very suitable for two-class semantics segmentation task with only lane and background. The experimental results show that the method can improve detection effect.

High-accurate and robust fingerprint anti-spoofing system using Optical Coherence Tomography

Traditional commercial automated fingerprint recognition systems (AFRSs) are vulnerable to fake attacks by the use of artificial fingerprints, due to its limitation on resolution and the difficulty of obtaining depth information. Developing new systems with strong anti-spoofing ability are of increasing concern in the current digital age. Inspired by the observation and comparison of fingertip skin structure and the one dimensional (1D) depth signals derived from OCT acquisition images between real finger and artificial fingerprints, two novel anti-spoofing features, namely depth-double-peak feature and sub-single-peak feature, were specifically defined. Depth-double-peak feature refers that there must be two and only two peaks in the 1D depth signal which reflects the double-peak structure of real fingertip skin. While sub-single-peak feature means that there must be a peak in the 1D depth signal intercepted before the maximum peak which distinguishes the extra layer covered on a real finger. Real and fake images could be presented by these two features and classified by a pre-learned threshold. Four types of artificial fingerprint, i.e., Normal Thickness Fingerprint Layer (NTFL), thin Fingerprint Layer (TFL), Ultra-Thin Fingerprint Layer (UTFL and Artificial Fingers Model (AFM) were collected to verify system robustness. 30 sets of real finger data (each set includes 400 images) and 60 sets of artificial fingerprint data (15 sets of each type) were collected by our designed OCT device. Experimental results show that our proposed anti-spoofing system could achieve 100% accuracy over all four types of artificial fingerprints and outperform the other automated anti-spoofing method in comparison.

Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 in Rats with Episcleral Veins Cauterization, Glaucoma Model, Preserved Retinal and Optic Nerve Integrity

IntroductionWe documented that stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 in rats with episcleral veins cauterization, glaucoma model, preserved retinal and optic nerve integrity. BPC 157 (LD1 not achieved) was implemented as an anti‐ulcer peptide in IBD trials and now in a multiple sclerosis trial (Curr Pharm Des 2018;24(18):1990–2001). Likewise, beneficial effects of BPC 157 on ocular tissues (Eur J Pharmacol 2016; 771: 211–9; Exp Eye Res 2015;136:9–15; Coll Antropol. 2005;29:321–5) are an especial argument. BPC 157 maintained corneal transparency, total debridement of corneal epithelium cured with no corneal neovascularization, perforating corneal incisions in rats successfully closed and no new vessels, providing a particular healing and vascular effect. Previously, in both short and prolonged terms (6 months), BPC 157 counteracts increased intraocular pressure (IOP) in rats underwent episcleral veins cauterization (FASEB J 2016, 30 (1 suppl), 1201.4; 2017, FASEB J 31 (1 suppl), 666.2). Now, rats underwent episcleral veins cauterization instead exhibiting ganglion cell layer and optic nerve thinning/atrophy, showed close to normal ganglion cell layer and optic nerve thickness, given daily, in the period of 24 h, 4 and 6 weeks.MethodsRandomly assigned operated male Wistar rats, 250g, (two dorsal episcleral veins and one temporal episcleral vein isolated from the surrounding tissues; a cautery specifically applied to the selected vein), were further studied. Now, medication (pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (10μg/kg) (Diagen, Slovenia) intraperitoneally) or an equivolume of 0.9%NaCl (5ml/kg) intraperitoneally (controls)) was applied immediately after surgery, and then once time daily. Histopathological retinal and optic nerve samples were obtained after sacrifice at 24h, 4 and 6‐weeks interval.ResultsAt 24h, 4 and 6 weeks after surgery controls exhibited ganglion cell layer (at 24 h 31.43±1.92 mcm; 4 weeks 21.71±3.73 mcm; 6 weeks 20.43±2.93) and optic nerve thinning (at 24h 735±19.5 mcm; 4 weeks 453.14±7.04 mcm; 6 weeks 421.71±5.99 mcm). All BPC 157 rats exhibited only slight or none ganglion cell layer (at 24 h 41±5.15 mcm; 4 weeks 33±0.76 mcm; 6 weeks 31.14±1.11 mcm) or optic nerve thinning (at 24 h 763±10.80 mcm; 4 weeks 731.86±16.05 mcm; 6 weeks 732.86±7.24 mcm). Differences were statistically significant between control and BPC 157 treated animals at an interval of 4 and 6 weeks (p<0,05). So we conclude that microscopy analysis correlates well with ophthalmoscopy findings published in our previous research (i.e., BPC 157 groups diameter of the optic nerve remained close to normal unlike control's atrophy/thinning of the ganglion cell layer and optic nerve) (Figure 1: Rat optic nerve presentation at 6 weeks, HEx20, saline application (right), BPC 157 regimen (left)).ConclusionPentadecapeptide BPC 157 continuously counteracts the effects of episcleral veins cauterization on morphological changes of ganglion cell layer and optic nerve.Support or Funding InformationMinistry of Science, Education and Sports, Republic of Croatia [grant number 108‐1083570‐3635].This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Efficacy evaluation of dry arthroscopy technique in wrist arthroscopy for wrist joint injury

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of dry arthroscopy in the treatment of wrist joint injury. Methods A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 59 patients with wrist joint injuries admitted from January 2013 to January 2016. There were 48 males and 11 females, aged 15-69 years, with an average age of 34 years. Among the patients, there were 32 patients with old scaphoid fractures (including delayed diagnosis and treatment of scaphoid fractures or scaphoid fracture nonunion), 23 patients with intra articular fractures of distal radius, and four patients with chronic instability of lower ulnar radial joint. All patients were treated with dry arthroscopic surgery. During the operation, the operation time of bone grafting and the swelling degree of soft tissue around the joint which needed simultaneous incision were observed. Fracture healing, and joint stability were recorded after operation, and wrist function was evaluated by Mayo wrist function score. Results The average operation time of scaphoid bone grafting was 7 minutes. In patients with distal radius fractures requiring simultaneous incision and reconstruction of the lower ulnar radial ligament, there was no significant periarticular swelling, with normal anatomical layer and clear visual field. All patients were followed up for 6-28 months (average 9 months). All the old scaphoid fractures were healed, with the average healing time of 12.6 weeks. All distal radius fractures were anatomically repositioned during operation. All patients with chronic instability of the lower ulnar radial joint were seen stable recovery of the joint, with negative impact test of the lower ulnar and radial joints. The Mayo wrist function score of all patients averaged 95 points. Conclusion Dry arthroscopic technique can improve the efficiency of bone grafting under wrist arthroscopy, reduce the swelling of soft tissue around the joint, maintain clear anatomical layers of soft tissue, promote fracture healing and improve wrist function, especially applicable for wrist arthroscopy with minimally invasive bone grafting and wrist incision at the same time. Key words: Wrist injuries; Arthroscopy; Scaphoid bone; Radius fractures

Timing Properties of Shocked Accretion Flows around Neutron Stars in the Presence of Cooling

We carry out the first robust numerical simulation of accretion flows on a weakly magnetized neutron star using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). We follow the Two-Component Advective Flow (TCAF) paradigm for black holes, and focus only on the advective component for the case of a neutron star. This low viscosity sub-Keplerian flow will create a normal boundary layer (or, NBOL) right on the star surface in addition to the centrifugal pressure supported boundary layer (or, CENBOL) present in a black hole accretion. These density jumps could give rise to standing or oscillating shock fronts. During a hard spectral state, the incoming flow has a negligible viscosity causing more sub-Keplerian component as compared to the Keplerian disc component. We show that our simulation of flows with a cooling and a negligible viscosity produces precisely two shocks and strong supersonic winds from these boundary layers. We find that the specific angular momentum of matter dictates the locations and the nature of oscillations of these shocks. For low angular momentum flows, the radial oscillation appears to be preferred. For flows with higher angular momentum, the vertical oscillation appears to become dominant. In all the cases, asymmetries w.r.t. the Z=0 plane are seen and instabilities set in due to the interaction of inflow and outgoing strong winds. Our results capture both the low and high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations without invoking magnetic fields or any precession mechanism. Most importantly, these solutions directly corroborate observed features of wind dominated high-mass X-ray binaries, such as Cir X-1.

The efficacy of Ankaferd Blood Stopper® in an experimental Asherman syndrome model created in rats.

Objective:Asherman syndrome (AS) is a progressive disease involving menstrual disorders, recurrent pregnancy losses, and infertility developing as a result of partial or full blockade of the uterine cavity with adhesions. AS generally develops after trauma to the basal layer of the endometrium. In spite of a variety of methods such as adhesiolysis, inserting intrauterine devices, and administering high doses of estrogen, treatments remain insufficient. This study aimed to assess the effects of local intrauterine Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) administration in inducing endometrial proliferation and building a normal endometrial layer in a rat model.Materials and Methods:AS was induced in 30 female Wistar albino rats. The rats were randomized into three groups:Group 1: AS groupGroup 2: AS + serum physiologic (SP) groupGroup 3: AS + ABS groupAS model was induced in all animals. The uterine horns were harvested after 15 days of therapy and investigated for inflammation, fibrosis, and immunohistochemical (IHC) markers.Results:Compared with the other groups, fibrosis, and inflammation were significantly reduced in group 3 (chi-square, p=19.000, 0.001 and 26.365, <0.001, respectively). The IHC assessment showed that the tumor necrosis factor-α receptor levels were not different (Kruskal-Wallis H=0.091, p=0.995), but the interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 expression was reduced significantly in group 3 (H, p=18.706, <0.001, and 22.114, <0.001, respectively).Conclusion:The therapeutic effects of local administration of ABS in rats with AS model were demonstrated histopathologically and immunohistochemically. Based on these results, ABS administration in addition to the current treatments for AS may increase the treatment success and reduce the need for advanced treatment.

Gastroschisis with multiple atresia and impending rupture of small intestine

Abstract We herein report an unusual case of multiple atresia and impending rupture of the small intestine in a patient with gastroschisis. Gradual bowel dilatation and thinning of the bowel wall were confirmed at our institution by fetal imaging, which led to the suspicion of intestinal atresia. The patient underwent repair of the perforation and small intestinal resection, formation of a separate stoma, and primary closure of the abdominal wall defect. The specimen from the impending rupture of the small intestine showed partial absence of the mucosal and muscular layers on the antimesenteric side and irregular thickness of the lamina and tunica muscularis, including the non-dilated intestine. The vascular density was lower in the area with absence of the mucosal and muscular layers than in the area with normal layers. We speculate that the multiple small intestinal lesions resulted from chronic vascular stress and high intestinal internal pressure. Intestinal lesions in patients with gastroschisis cannot be excluded even when dramatic bowel distention and thickening are absent on prenatal ultrasonography. In cases of prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis, cesarean delivery should be performed as soon as possible to minimize the damage caused by intestinal lesions.

Electron energy loss and X-ray absorption behaviour of high density nonmagnetic cobalt

We have studied the absorption behaviour at the L-edge of the recently discovered high density nonmagnetic (HDNM) cobalt in a polycrystalline cobalt thin film. Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (SXAS) experiment has shown a higher edge jump energy for HDNM cobalt compared to normal ferromagnetic cobalt. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) measurement has shown a lower absorption cross-section for HDNM cobalt compared to normal cobalt. As the thin film contained layers of HDNM Co and normal Co at different depths (Sci. Rep. 7, 41856 (2017)) a depth selective SXAS experiment was performed. In SXAS experiment the thin film sample was sputtered in order to obtain absorption spectra from different depths. We clearly observe a shift of the L-III edge energy to lower energy as soon as the high density layer is removed and normal Co layer is exposed to the X-ray beam. EELS experiments were carried out on high density grains, identified by transmission electron microscopy and Co fluorescence imaging. The results were compared with those from lower density or normal density grains. The energy loss peaks are less intense for high density cobalt.