Thickness Profile Research Articles

Wide Stromal Mapping Using an Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography.

PurposeTo quantify and assess the reproducibility of the corneal stromal thickness profiles captured by the SD-OCT. Secondly, we correlated the zonal thicknesses to the age, gender and axial length.MethodsWe included 227 normal eyes of 227 patients with a maximum hypermetropia of +5 and myopia of –6 diopters (D). Subjects with an intraocular pressure exceeding 22 mm Hg, evidence of cataract formation, history of ophthalmic surgery or disease were excluded. Lastly, reproducibility was evaluated in a subset of 50 participants by means of an identical scan protocol repeated by 2 different OCT operators.ResultsStromal values were consistently thicker in the peripheral cornea (p<0.001). Age was negatively correlated with approximately every sector of the stroma with notable exceptions of the center (r=0.117, p=0.088) and the superior inner (r=0.057, 0.409), middle (r=0.086, p=0.209) and outer locations (r=0.120, p=0.079). There was no statistical significance in most sectors when looking at the axial length, gender and K1/K2. This method was highly reproducible in terms of both the ICC and COV.ConclusionCorneal stromal mapping is highly reproducible and shows a negative correlation to age. Additionally, the periphery of the stroma is consistently thicker to the center. Other variables like gender and axial length show no relationship to the corneal stroma.

What Are We Missing From Asymmetric Relationship Between the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Profiles and Sphenoid Sinus Volume?

Detailed analysis of retinal structure such as the retinal nerve fiber layer can be performed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). There are no published studies concerning a relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer and human sphenoid sinus volumes. We investigated this relationship. Spectral-domain OCT. The peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and sphenoid sinus volume estimation of both sides of sex-matched patients were retrospectively analyzed. The mean RNFL thicknesses at the left side (91.8 μm) were significantly smaller than the right side (94.5 μm) (P = 0.040). However, the mean left sinus volume (44.5 cm) is larger than the right side, (34.5 mm) (P < 0.005). Left and right differences of both parameters are statistically significant (P < 0.05). There is a negative correlation between mean RNFL thicknesses and mean sinus volumes. To our knowledge, this article is the first report demonstrating the asymmetry relationship between RNFL and sphenoid sinus volumes.

Redistribution of the corneal epithelium after overnight wear of orthokeratology contact lenses for myopia reduction

BackgroundTo investigate changes in the corneal thickness profile in juvenile myopia after overnight wear of orthokeratology lenses (OK). MethodsA total of 53 juveniles (53 right eyes) successfully wore OK between January 2016 and July 2017 and they were reviewed one day, one week and one month after first wearing it. Epithelial and corneal data were obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Changes in uncorrected visual acuity, refractive error, corneal refractive power, and epithelial and corneal thickness were analyzed before and after wear of OK. ResultsThe corneal epithelium was reshaped after 1 day of OK; the myopia degree was reduced, and uncorrected visual acuity reached 0 logMAR at 1 week. The central (2 mm) average epithelial thickness was 52.04 ± 2.35 μm, 49.25 ± 2.67 μm, 45.91 ± 2.80 μm, and 47.53 ± 3.44 μm before and after 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month of OK, respectively (t = 4.497, 9.741, and 7.340, respectively, P<0.001). The central epithelium was thinnest at 1 week, when the average thinning of 6.13 ± 1.67 μm accounted for approximately 11.78 % ± 3.21 % of the total epithelium thickness at baseline. The epithelial thickness of the reverse curve zone was 51.83 ± 2.49 μm, 57.62 ± 3.01 μm, 59.43 ± 3.19 μm, and 60.22 ± 2.75 μm before and after 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month of OK, respectively, showing a significant increase over time (t=-4.752, -6.208, and -6.848, respectively, P < 0.001). ConclusionIn the early stage of OK, the corneal epithelium was redistributed very quickly. The central epithelium became thin, while the epithelium of the reverse curve zone correspondingly thickened. Effectively reduced the refractive power of the cornea equivalent to the effect of adding a concave spectacle lens, which ensures uncorrected vision after removal of the lenses.

A new theory for modeling transport and deposition of solid particles in oil and gas wells and pipelines

The deposition of asphaltene, wax, hydrates, scale, and even transfer of sands in oil wells and pipelines are serious problems that cause production interruptions and lead to substantial economic losses. The present study opens a new window for solving this unresolved problem. Accordingly, an improved Eulerian deposition model that incorporates various mechanisms of particle transport and deposition (e.g., molecular and turbulent diffusion, turbophoresis, thermophoresis, and surface roughness) was extended to predict solid deposition in oil wells. In this paper, to make it possible to predict deposition in inclined and horizontal pipes, the model was modified to include the gravitational settling effect. Moreover, using this model, a new method was proposed to determine the particle size distribution and particle flocculation function. It was first validated by predicting particle deposition in turbulent airflow and showed very good agreement with a wide range of published observation data. Then the model was used for predicting the thickness profile of asphaltene deposition in two laminar flow capillary tube experiments reported in the literature. This model, for the first time, has predicted asphaltene deposition profiles with high accuracy, especially without the use of empirical parameters. The predictions of this model are as accurate as particle tracking methods but at much lower computational costs. This study demonstrates that under certain conditions in laminar flow, deposition is dominated by gravitational settling, while it has been hypothesized previously that asphaltene deposition predominantly occurs by diffusion. The results reveal that particle size distribution plays a vital role in asphaltene deposition modeling. The findings of this study can help for a better understanding of the effective mechanisms of asphaltene deposition. This is the most versatile theory that can be adapted with various flow conditions. Since this approach does not depend on the solid type, it can be similarly applied to predict the behavior of other solid-fluid flow assurances in oil and gas facilities. Modeling the solid solution and multi-solid phase behavior are other capabilities of the developed methodology. The high accuracy of this approach and using minimum adjustable parameters offer many avenues for future development to evaluate particle deposition in real field applications.

Discriminating glaucomatous and compressive optic neuropathy on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with deep learning classifier

Background/aimsTo assess the performance of a deep learning classifier for differentiation of glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) from compressive optic neuropathy (CON) based on ganglion cell–inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and retinal...

Turbine Characteristics of Wave Energy Conversion Device for Extraction Power Using Breaking Waves

A new type of wave energy converter which harnesses electricity from onshore breaking waves has been studied at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) since 2014. This concept has been demonstrated at a coral beach on the Maldives since 2018. Wave energy conversion is possible when waves approaching the shore steepen due to decreased water depth resulting in wave breaks near the surface. A steepened wave reaches the critical velocity of 4~6 m/sec shoreward before it breaks. A rotating blade takes advantage of this breaking phenomenon to convert the wave energy into electricity. The work presented here includes an experimental and numerical investigation of a prototype model of the wave energy converter. The turbine having five blades of variable chord lengths, twist angles, and constant thickness profile from hub to tip was simulated under similar flow as well as testing conditions, to predict the turbine performance. A commercial computational fluid dynamic tool SolidWorks Flow Simulation 2018 was used for the simulations at various rotation speeds with a uniform inlet velocity. The modified k-ε with a two-scale wall function turbulence closure model was selected. The validation performed for different test cases showed that the present computational results match in good agreement with the experimental results. Additionally, details performance of the turbine running, and generator characteristics have been reported in this paper.

Geophysical reconstruction of buried geological features and site effects estimation of the Middle Valle Umbra basin (central Italy)

The Middle Valle Umbra (central Italy) is a NW-SE 20 km long and 10 km wide Quaternary extensional basin located in the internal sector of the Apennine chain. This area historically experienced strong earthquakes that caused significant damages to the outstanding historical heritage. The same area has been recently hit by the 2016 seismic sequence of Amatrice-Visso-Norcia.With the aim to reconstruct the buried geological structures of the basin, a multi-technique geophysical approach was performed. An extended campaign of ambient noise measurements was carried out to investigate the subsurface setting, and to identify the main geological units. We performed three 2D passive arrays to analyze two different sites within the basin; their aperture was between 150 and 752 m for one site and of 48 m for the other site, to characterize the geological units in terms of sediment thickness and shear-wave velocity profile. Data collected were processed with f-k and MSPAC analysis to extract dispersion curves with good resolution in a frequency range of 0.5–10 Hz and 4.5–18 Hz for the two sites respectively. Spectral ratios were computed for every single station ambient noise measurement performed and for all the stations of the bigger array. Our final target is to extend these results to the whole valley, in order to retrieve the attitude of the main geological units and propose a reliable reconstruction of the subsurface geometry of the basin. Another point of this work is to evaluate the site response in the middle of the valley through the analysis of the earthquakes recorded by the accelerometric station IT.CSA (belonging to the Italian Civil Protection) and the corresponding recordings of the nearby rock station IT.ASS.

Episodic ferricretization of the Deccan Laterites (India): Inferences from ore microscopy, mineral magnetic and XRD spectroscopic studies

Studies based on sampling a ~40 m thick profile comprising the basalt protolith, saprolitic horizon and various levels of ferricretization in the Deccan upland lateritic sequence of the western Maharashtra (India), indicated episodic nature of lateritization. Mineral magnetism precisely demarcated the ferrimagnetic to anti-ferromagnetic (fm/afm) boundary at the base followed by various stages of lateritic developments in the upper horizons. The fm/afm boundary can be traced in field using magnetic susceptibility and therefore provide a datum for laterite base-level mapping. Ore microscopy details the inter-association and paragenesis of amorphous and crystalline varieties of iron oxide minerals (hematite, limonite, goethite) that are further modified by allochthonous inputs and changes in porosity. The lowermost horizons show silcretization, while the XRD studies record sporadic kaolinitic occurrence throughout the profile with gibbsite appearing in the upper part of the profile. Combination of mineral magnetic and ore microscopic observations depict frequent lateral inputs possibly during periods of heavy precipitation arresting and further reclaiming the process of lateritization to produce large composite thicknesses of the Deccan lateritic sequence without matured lateritization.

In-vivo Three-dimensional Characteristics of Bowman’s Layer and Endothelium/Descemet’s Complex Using Corneal Microlayer Tomography in Healthy Subjects

ABSTRACTPurpose: To characterize the three-dimensional (3D) thickness profile and age-related changes of Bowman’s layer (BL), and endothelium/Descemet’s membrane (En/DM) complex among healthy individuals using Corneal Microlayer Tomography (CML-T), and to describe its repeatability and accuracy.Methods: Sixty-six eyes of 41 healthy volunteers; 27 eyes (< 40 years old), and 39 eyes (>40 years old) were imaged using HD-OCT. Automatic and manual segmentation of the corneal layers was performed, and 3D thickness maps were generated, using custom-built CML-T software. A regional analysis of mean thickness parameters between the 2 age groups was performed. A regression analysis was used to assess the correlation between age, and thickness maps. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), Coefficients of Variation (COV), and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the reliability of the repeated measurements in 198 locations.Results: CML-T successfully mapped the BL and En/DM in all included eyes. Thickness maps showed a significant increase in corneal thickness (CT), BL thickness (BMT), and En/DM complex thickness (DMT) toward the periphery with a mean difference 28 µm (p < .001), 1.1 µm (p < .001), and 1.4 µm (p < .001), respectively. There was a strong correlation between age and central DMT (r = 0.61; p < .001), while there was no correlation between age and both CT, and BMT. ICC values ranged from 0.9 (BMT) to 0.997 (DMT), and from 0.808 (BMT) to 0.979 (CT) for intraoperator repeatability of manual measurements, and the accuracy of auto matic measurements, respectively. COV values were lower than 7.5% in all cases.Conclusion: CML-T is a novel tool that can generate 3D-thickness maps of both BL and En/DM. CT, BMT, and DMT increase toward the periphery in healthy corneas. DMT increases with aging, while BMT does not. We also report excellent repeatability, accuracy and good agreement between automatic and manual measurements.

Mass Loss from a Stretching Semitransparent Sheet of Liquid Tin

We experimentally study the morphology of a radially expanding sheet of liquid tin, formed by nanosecond-pulse Nd:YAG laser impact on a spherical microdroplet. Specifically, the sheet thickness profile and its time evolution are captured in detail over a range of laser-pulse energies and for two droplet sizes. Two complementary methods to determine this thickness are employed and shown to be in excellent agreement. All obtained thickness profiles collapse onto a single self-similar curve. Spatial integration of the thickness profiles allows us to determine the volume of the sheet. Remarkably, less than half of the initial amount of tin remains in the sheet under conditions relevant for industrial sources of extreme ultraviolet light, where these thin tin sheets serve as target material. Further analysis shows that the dominant fraction of the mass lost from the sheet during its expansion ends up as fine fragments. We propose that such mass loss can be minimized by producing the sheet targets on the shortest possible time scale. These findings may be particularly valuable for ongoing developments in state-of-the-art nanolithography.

Thermo-elastoplastic behavior of a rotating sandwich disc made of temperature-dependent functionally graded materials

In this paper, the thermo-elastoplastic behaviors of rotating sandwich nonuniform thickness annular discs made of functionally graded materials are evaluated using the numerical finite difference method. The sandwich disc is composed of number of equal width layers, and each layer has its own volume fraction. The temperature dependency of the constituent materials is considered; hence, the thermomechanical properties are functions of both position and temperature. The plasticity analysis is accomplished based on the modified Tamura–Tomota–Ozawa model and von Mises yielding criterion. The effects of angular speed, number of layers, thickness profile, and boundary conditions on the stresses and displacements are investigated. Since failure may occur at the interface between the successive layers, the circumferential stress-jumps at the interfaces are also considered. Results ascertain that the temperature dependency of the properties highly influences the disc behaviors. In addition, better disc performance is obtained by increasing the number of layers and/or decreasing the angular speed.

Experimental investigations on inelastic behaviour and modified Gerber joint for double-span steel trapezoidal sheeting

Cold-formed steel trapezoidal profiles provide efficient solutions for roofing and often use the Gerber joint to effectively utilize capacities. The previous design of Gerber joint was sensitive to uneven distribution of loads and accidental loads, which imposed bending moments in the joint and lead to its failure. In this experimental program, the design of Gerber joint has been modified to work as a hinge under service loads and carry moments in accidental conditions. Also, the design of CFS is based on elastic methods that underestimate their capacity, especially for multi-span systems. Full-scale tests were conducted on highly stiffened double-span trapezoidal sheeting profiles with modified Gerber joint to investigate elastic capacity, inelastic behaviour, moment redistribution in the post-elastic phase, ultimate load capacity and feasibility of modified Gerber joint. Comparison of elastic load capacity with EWM and DSM predictions revealed that EWM design predictions were conservative by 30% while DSM predictions were accurate. For multi-span application, residual moment capacity ratios of 0.76 and 0.81 in the post-elastic phase allowed for moment redistribution and increased ultimate load capacity by 7.14% and 8.80% for 0.85 mm and 1 mm thick profiles respectively. Performance of modified Gerber joint to behave as a hinge under service loads and as continuous in the post-elastic phase was also found to be satisfactory. The study concluded that the economy in design and capacity utilization of multi-span CFS profiles can be improved by allowing for moment redistribution and using the modified Gerber joint.

Liquid film entrainment during dip coating on a saturated porous substrate

The present work examines the effect of substrate surface porosity on the coating thickness and meniscus profile during dip coating under saturated porous media conditions. The classical Landau-Levich formulation is modified by encoding the influence of porosity in an effective Navier slip boundary condition at the porous substrate surface. It is shown that simplified Navier slip-based model works well for creeping flow through the porous medium. The film height profile equation is derived as a function of a rescaled capillary number (Ca‾) and a substrate permeability factor, with inertial effects neglected. Numerical solutions show that the classical 2/3rd power dependence of film thickness on capillary number is recovered only at sufficiently high Ca‾ values. As Ca‾ is decreased, a marked deviation is seen. The shrinking of the entrainment meniscus and the change in meniscus curvature are analyzed in detail. The theoretical results are also validated with a suitable experimental system.

Profiles of Ganglion Cell-Inner Plexiform Layer Thickness in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study

To examine the normative profile and determinants of macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness based on spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) in a nonglaucoma, multi-ethnic Asian population. Population-based, cross-sectional study. Ethnic Chinese, Malay, and Indian adults aged ≥40 years recruited from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study. All participants underwent standardized examinations. The GCIPL thickness was measured using Cirrus HD-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA). Participants with glaucoma or poor-quality scans were excluded. Eye-specific data were used. Associations of ocular and systemic factors with GCIPL thickness parameters were investigated using multivariable linear regression with generalized estimating equation models to account for correlation between both eyes. GCIPL thickness. A total of 4464 participants (7520 eyes) consisting of 1625 Chinese, 1212 Malay, and 1627 Indian adults contributed to this analysis. Average GCIPL thickness was 82.6±6.1 μm in Chinese, 81.5±6.8 μm in Malays, and 78.0±6.9 μm in Indians (P < 0.001 by analysis of variance). The 5th percentile limit of average GCIPL thickness was 72 μm in Chinese, 70 μm in Malays, and 67 μm in Indians. In multivariable analysis adjusting for age, gender, axial length, presence of cataract, OCT signal strength, disc area, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, eyes of Indians were observed to have 3.43 μm thinner GCIPL on average compared with Chinese (P < 0.001) and 3.36 μm thinner GCIPL compared with Malays (P<0.001). In addition, older age (per decade; β=-2.51), female (β=-1.57), longer axial length (per mm; β=-1.54), and presence of chronic kidney disease (β=-1.49) were significantly associated with thinner average GCIPL (all P ≤ 0.008). Larger optic disc area (per mm2; β= 0.78; P < 0.001) was associated withthicker GCIPL. These factors were consistently observed to be significant for superior and inferior hemisphere GCIPL thickness. GCIPL thickness profiles were significantly thinner in Indians compared with Chinese and Malays. Our findings further highlight the need of a more refined, ethnic-specific normative database for GCIPL thickness, which in turn may improve the detection and diagnosis of glaucoma in Asians.

Contribution of bacterially-induced oxidation of Fe-silicates in iron-rich ore to laterite formation, Salobo IOCG mine, Brazil

A diverse array of microorganisms, found within the uppermost lithosphere, can mediate the dissolution and precipitation of minerals and therefore contribute to the formation of laterites. The Salobo iron-oxide copper gold (IOCG) mine in Brazil is an ideal environment to examine the specific interaction between iron-oxidising bacteria and ferrous iron-bearing minerals during formation of a ~60 m thick laterite weathering profile. We identified bacteria using DNA extracted from samples in active weathering zones. Many of the identified species are capable of oxidising the ferrous iron and/or reduced sulphur that occurred in minerals associated with the unweathered rocks of the deposit. Fe-bearing phyllosilicates have been variably altered to clays along cleavage planes by bacterial iron oxidation. Accelerated weathering of fresh rocks in laboratory-scale leaching column experiments was conducted using an endemic Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ssp. previously cultured from the Salobo mine. There were strong similarities between field samples from the Salobo laterite zone, and experimental leachate chemistry, associated precipitates, and fossilised bacteria remnants, particularly with respect to ferric (oxyhydr)oxide formation. Groundwaters in the Salobo laterite zone have circumneutral pH, whereas some iron-oxidising bacteria thrive in, and locally create, more acidic conditions (~pH 3). The leaching experiments showed that bacterially-facilitated silicate weathering, and bornite (Cu5FeS4) oxidation, can consume acid generated by bacterial oxidation reactions, creating an effective equilibrium with ferric (oxyhydr)oxide precipitation. However, the current acid neutralisation capacity of the ferricrete horizon at the top of the laterite zone was minimal. While bacterial activity promoted mineral oxidation and decomposition within the thick laterite at the Salobo mine, related iron mobility is restricted to the micrometre scale by essentially instantaneous precipitation of ferric (oxyhydr)oxide that eventually transforms via inorganic dehydration to goethite and hematite. Similar processes to those described in this study have likely occurred during the formation of many other iron-rich laterites.

Consistency and reproducibility in atomic layer deposition

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a thin film synthesis technique that can provide exquisite accuracy and precision in film thickness and composition even on complex, large area substrates. Based on self-limiting surface chemistry, ALD can be insensitive to process conditions and reactor designs, allowing an ALD process developed in one lab to be easily reproduced in other labs. In practice, however, ALD is sometimes difficult to reproduce or replicate, and the results can vary substantially between ALD reactors and between labs. This is exemplified by large deviations in reports on the growth of, e.g., Al2O3, FeOx, and TiO2 given the same precursors under similar conditions. Furthermore, the problem of irreproducibility seems to be growing as ALD is adopted by more researchers and integrated into new applications. In this article, the authors highlight some of the major sources of variations and errors and common misconceptions related to ALD. In particular, the authors focus on issues related to precursors, substrates, and deposition tools. The authors illustrate these problems through examples from the literature, and they present results from numerical simulations that describe how nonidealities would manifest in thickness profiles in a typical cross-flow reactor. They also describe how reproducibility in ALD is linked to consistent experimental practice and reporting between labs. The authors’ hope is that by educating newcomers to ALD and advocating for consistent reporting of deposition conditions, they can minimize irreproducibility and enable ALD practitioners to realize the full potential afforded by self-limiting surface chemistry.

Effect of annealing on the magnetic states of FEBID‐grown cobalt nanopatterns examined by off‐axis electron holography

The growth of cobalt nanopatterns (NPs) using focused electron-beam induced deposition (FEBID) for localised magnetic studies is presented. The initial FEBID products are shown to be polycrystalline and form hetero-structured core-shell NPs through surface oxidation. Off-axis electron holography is performed to reconstruct their morphology, thickness profile and image their individual magnetic vortex domain states. In situ annealing to 400°C promoted migration of the Co-overspray to grow the Co NPs and improved their crystallinity through coarsening, as well as induced diffusion of embedded carbon out of their surface. It is found that the change in their morphology and chemical instability under heating restricts their suitability for examining thermally induced magnetic variations. LAY DESCRIPTION: In this paper, electron microscopy is used to deposit magnetic cobalt nanopatterns and characterise the effect of in-situ heating on their chemistry, structure and magnetic properties. The electron beam of the secondary electron microscope is used to dissociate an injected precursor gas near the SiN membrane substrate of in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) chips and locally deposit the elemental Co in circular patterns ∼ 90 nm in diameter. TEM reveals formation of a Co-oxide shell and embedding of carbon from the precursor gas during growth. The technique of electron holography is used to image the magnetism of the core-shell Co / Co-oxide nanopatterns, which are shown to exhibit magnetic vortex states. In-situ annealing results in migration of the Co overspray to increase their height and carbon diffusion from their surface, as well as change in their original magnetic state through change of orientation. It is found that the change in the morphology and chemistry of Co nanopatterns under heating limits their use for studying the effect of temperature on their magnetism in isolation.

Diagnosing Glaucoma With Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Using Deep Learning Classifier.

The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of a deep learning classifier for the detection of glaucomatous change based on SD-OCT. Three hundred fifty image sets of ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) SD-OCT for 86 glaucomatous eyes and 307 SD-OCT image sets of 196 healthy participants were recruited and split into training (197 eyes) and test (85 eyes) datasets based on a patient-wise split. The bottleneck features extracted from the GCIPL thickness map, GCIPL deviation map, RNFL thickness map, and RNFL deviation map were used as predictors for the deep learning classifier. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated and compared with those of conventional glaucoma diagnostic parameters including SD-OCT thickness profile and standard automated perimetry (SAP) to evaluate the accuracy of discrimination for each algorithm. In the test dataset, this deep learning system achieved an AUC of 0.990 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.975-1.000] with a sensitivity of 94.7% and a specificity of 100.0%, which was significantly larger than the AUCs with all of the optical coherence tomography and SAP parameters: 0.949 (95% CI, 0.921-0.976) with average GCIPL thickness (P=0.006), 0.938 (95% CI, 0.905-0.971) with average RNFL thickness (P=0.003), and 0.889 (0.844-0.934) with mean deviation of SAP (P<0.001; DeLong test). An SD-OCT-based deep learning system can detect glaucomatous structural change with high sensitivity and specificity.

Key Role of Very Low Energy Electrons in Tin-Based Molecular Resists for Extreme Ultraviolet Nanolithography.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography (13.5 nm) is the newest technology that allows high-throughput fabrication of electronic circuitry in the sub-20 nm scale. It is commonly assumed that low-energy electrons (LEEs) generated in the resist materials by EUV photons are mostly responsible for the solubility switch that leads to nanopattern formation. Yet, reliable quantitative information on this electron-induced process is scarce. In this work, we combine LEE microscopy (LEEM), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study changes induced by electrons in the 0-40 eV range in thin films of a state-of-the-art molecular organometallic EUV resist known as tin-oxo cage. LEEM-EELS uniquely allows to correct for surface charging and thus to accurately determine the electron landing energy. AFM postexposure analyses revealed that irradiation of the resist with LEEs leads to the densification of the resist layer because of carbon loss. Remarkably, electrons with energies as low as 1.2 eV can induce chemical reactions in the Sn-based resist. Electrons with higher energies are expected to cause electronic excitation or ionization, opening up more pathways to enhanced conversion. However, we do not observe a substantial increase of chemical conversion (densification) with the electron energy increase in the 2-40 eV range. Based on the dose-dependent thickness profiles, a simplified reaction model is proposed where the resist undergoes sequential chemical reactions, first yielding a sparsely cross-linked network and then a more densely cross-linked network. This model allows us to estimate a maximum reaction volume on the initial material of 0.15 nm3 per incident electron in the energy range studied, which means that about 10 LEEs per molecule on average are needed to turn the material insoluble and thus render a pattern. Our observations are consistent with the observed EUV sensitivity of tin-oxo cages.

Investigation of thickness and bead profile effects on fatigue strength of welded joints based on relative stress gradient

In this study, by focusing on the relative stress gradient at weld toes, a prediction method was derived for the thickness and bead profile effects on fatigue limit for welded joints. Based on the results of stress analyses for several types of welded joints, relative stress gradient was clarified as contingent only on weld toe radius, regardless of welded joint, and loading types. Accordingly, the proposed prediction method represents a unified approach that does not depend on welded joint types. The proposed method indicated as being able to successfully predict geometric effect via comparison of experimental data.