Defects induced by helium implantation in SiC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliviero, E.; Barbot, J.F.; Declemy, A.; Beaufort, M.F.; Oliviero, E.

2008-01-01

SiC is one of the considered materials for nuclear fuel conditioning and for the fabrication of some core structures in future nuclear generation reactors. For the development of this advance technology, a fundamental research on this material is of prime importance. In particular, the implantation/irradiation effects have to be understood and controlled. It is with this aim that the structural alterations induced by implantation/irradiation in SiC are studied by different experimental techniques as transmission electron microscopy, helium desorption, X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. In this work, the different types of defects induced by helium implantation in SiC, point or primary defects (obtained at low energy (∼100 eV) until spread defects (obtained at higher energy (until ∼2 MeV)) are exposed. The amorphization/recrystallization and swelling phenomena are presented too. (O.M.)

Overview of Epidemiology, Genetics, Birth Defects, and Chromosome Abnormalities Associated With CDH

Science.gov (United States)

Pober, Barbara R.

2010-01-01

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a common and well-studied birth defect. The etiology of most cases remains unknown but increasing evidence points to genetic causation. The data supporting genetic etiologies which are detailed below include the association of CDH with recurring chromosome abnormalities, the existence of CDH-multiplex families, and the co-occurrence of CDH with additional congenital malformations. PMID:17436298

Radiation-induced defects formation in Bi-containing vitreous chalcogenides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shpotyuk, O.; Vakiv, M.; Balitska, V.; Kovalskiy, A.

1997-01-01

Processes of formation and annihilation of coordination defects in As 2 Se 3 Bi y and (As 2 Se 3 )(Bi 2 Se 3 ) y amorphous chalcogenide semiconductors induced by influence of Co 60 gamma-irradiation are investigated by photoelectric spectroscopy method. It is obtained that radiation-induced changes of photoelectrical properties on bioconcentration of As 2 Se 3 Bi y glasses are characterized by anomalous concentration dependence. The nature of this effect is associated with diamagnetic coordination defects formation. (author). 19 refs, 3 figs

Graphene defects induced by ion beam

Science.gov (United States)

Gawlik, Grzegorz; Ciepielewski, Paweł; Baranowski, Jacek; Jagielski, Jacek

2017-10-01

The CVD graphene deposited on the glass substrate was bombarded by molecular carbon ions C3+ C6+ hydrocarbon ions C3H4+ and atomic ions He+, C+, N+, Ar+, Kr+ Yb+. Size and density of ion induced defects were estimated from evolution of relative intensities of Raman lines D (∼1350 1/cm), G (∼1600 1/cm), and D‧ (∼1620 1/cm) with ion fluence. The efficiency of defect generation by atomic ions depend on ion mass and energy similarly as vacancy generation directly by ion predicted by SRIM simulations. However, efficiency of defect generation in graphene by molecular carbon ions is essentially higher than summarized efficiency of similar group of separate atomic carbon ions of the same energy that each carbon ion in a cluster. The evolution of the D/D‧ ratio of Raman lines intensities with ion fluence was observed. This effect may indicate evolution of defect nature from sp3-like at low fluence to a vacancy-like at high fluence. Observed ion graphene interactions suggest that the molecular ion interacts with graphene as single integrated object and should not be considered as a group of atomic ions with partial energy.

Mobility of point defects induced by subthreshold collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tenenbaum, A.; Nguyen Van Doan

1976-01-01

The effect of thermal vibrations on atomic collision focusing was studied with the view to demonstrate that such collisions may induce point defect migration through the crystal. The persistence of the phenomenon of focused atomic collisions in a crystal at thermal equilibrium was studied, using a computer simulation by the Molecular Dynamics Technique. In the temperature range (0 to 500K) matter and momentum transfers in c.f.c. crystals proceed mainly by focused collisions along and directions. Their contribution to the induced migration of radiation defects was determined from the threshold energy of every primary able to be involved in the process. As an example, the quantitative model is applied to electron irradiation along the crystallographic directions [fr

Genetic defect causing familial Alzheimer's disease maps on chromosome 21

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

St. George-Hyslop, P.H.; Tanzi, R.E.; Polinsky, R.J.; Haines, J.L.; Nee, L.; Watkins, P.C.; Myers, R.H.; Feldman, R.G.; Pollen, D.; Drachman, D.; Growdon, J.

1987-02-20

Alzheimer's disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the elderly. Several families have been described in which Alzheimer's disease is caused by an autosomal dominant gene defect. The chromosomal location of this defective gene has been discovered by using genetic linkage to DNA markers on chromosome 21. The localization on chromosome 21 provides an explanation for the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in Down syndrome. Isolation and characterization of the gene at this locus may yield new insights into the nature of the defect causing familial Alzheimer's disease and possibly, into the etiology of all forms of Alzheimer's disease.

Radiation-induced defects formation in Bi-containing vitreous chalcogenides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shpotyuk, O.; Vakiv, M.; Balitska, V.; Kovalskiy, A. [Institute of Materials, Lvov (Ukraine)

1997-12-01

Processes of formation and annihilation of coordination defects in As{sub 2}Se{sub 3}Bi{sub y} and (As{sub 2}Se{sub 3})(Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3}){sub y} amorphous chalcogenide semiconductors induced by influence of Co{sup 60} gamma-irradiation are investigated by photoelectric spectroscopy method. It is obtained that radiation-induced changes of photoelectrical properties on bioconcentration of As{sub 2}Se{sub 3}Bi{sub y} glasses are characterized by anomalous concentration dependence. The nature of this effect is associated with diamagnetic coordination defects formation. (author). 19 refs, 3 figs.

Feasibility of identifying families for genetic studies of birth defects using the National Health Interview Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nolan Vikki G

2004-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine whether the National Health Interview Survey is a useful source to identify informative families for genetic studies of birth defects. Methods The 1994/1995 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS was used to identify households where individuals with two or more birth defects reside. Four groups of households were identified: 1 single non-familial (one individual with one birth defect; 2 single familial (more than one individual with one birth defect; 3 multiple non-familial (one individual with more than one birth defect, and 4 multiple familial (more than one individual with more than one birth defect. The March 2000 U.S. Census on households was used to estimate the total number of households in which there are individuals with birth defects. Results Of a total of 28,094 households and surveyed about birth defects and impairments, 1,083 single non-familial, 55 multiple non-familial, 54 single familial, and 8 multiple familial households were identified. Based on the 2000 U.S. census, it is estimated that there are 4,472,385 households where at least one person has one birth defect in the United States and in 234,846 of them there are at least two affected individuals. Western states had the highest prevalence rates. Conclusions Population-based methods, such as the NHIS, are modestly useful to identify the number and the regions where candidate families for genetic studies of birth defects reside. Clinic based studies and birth defects surveillance systems that collect family history offer better probability of ascertainment.

Classification of Atrial Septal Defect and Ventricular Septal Defect with Documented Hemodynamic Parameters via Cardiac Catheterization by Genetic Algorithms and Multi-Layered Artificial Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Yıldız

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: We aimed to develop a classification method to discriminate ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect by using severalhemodynamic parameters.Patients and Methods: Forty three patients (30 atrial septal defect, 13 ventricular septal defect; 26 female, 17 male with documentedhemodynamic parameters via cardiac catheterization are included to study. Such parameters as blood pressure values of different areas,gender, age and Qp/Qs ratios are used for classification. Parameters, we used in classification are determined by divergence analysismethod. Those parameters are; i pulmonary artery diastolic pressure, ii Qp/Qs ratio, iii right atrium pressure, iv age, v pulmonary arterysystolic pressure, vi left ventricular sistolic pressure, vii aorta mean pressure, viii left ventricular diastolic pressure, ix aorta diastolicpressure, x aorta systolic pressure. Those parameters detected from our study population, are uploaded to multi-layered artificial neuralnetwork and the network was trained by genetic algorithm.Results: Trained cluster consists of 14 factors (7 atrial septal defect and 7 ventricular septal defect. Overall success ratio is 79.2%, andwith a proper instruction of artificial neural network this ratio increases up to 89%.Conclusion: Parameters, belonging to artificial neural network, which are needed to be detected by the investigator in classical methods,can easily be detected with the help of genetic algorithms. During the instruction of artificial neural network by genetic algorithms, boththe topology of network and factors of network can be determined. During the test stage, elements, not included in instruction cluster, areassumed as in test cluster, and as a result of this study, we observed that multi-layered artificial neural network can be instructed properly,and neural network is a successful method for aimed classification.

The familial hyperchylomicronemia syndrome: New insights into underlying genetic defects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santamarina-Fojo, S.; Brewer, H.B. (National Inst. of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States))

1991-02-20

This case history reports the diagnosis of familial hyperchylomicronemia, a rare genetic syndrome inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. It is characterized by severe fasting hypertriglyceridemia and massive accumulations of chylomicrons in plasma. The two major molecular defects in the disease are a deficiency of lipoprotein lipase or of apo C-II. The location of the mutations in the human apolipoprotein (apo) C-II gene are identified.

Proinsulin atypical maturation and disposal induces extensive defects in mouse Ins2+/Akita β-cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingxin Yuan

Full Text Available Because of its low relative folding rate and plentiful manufacture in β-cells, proinsulin maintains a homeostatic balance of natively and plentiful non-natively folded states (i.e., proinsulin homeostasis, PIHO through the integration of maturation and disposal processes. PIHO is susceptible to genetic and environmental influences, and its disorder has been critically linked to defects in β-cells in diabetes. To explore this hypothesis, we performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR, metabolic-labeling, immunoblotting, and histological studies to clarify what defects result from primary disorder of PIHO in model Ins2(+/Akita β-cells. We used T antigen-transformed Ins2(+/Akita and control Ins2(+/+ β-cells established from Akita and wild-type littermate mice. In Ins2(+/Akita β-cells, we found no apparent defect at the transcriptional and translational levels to contribute to reduced cellular content of insulin and its precursor and secreted insulin. Glucose response remained normal in proinsulin biosynthesis but was impaired for insulin secretion. The size and number of mature insulin granules were reduced, but the size/number of endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, mitochondrion, and lysosome organelles and vacuoles were expanded/increased. Moreover, cell death increased, and severe oxidative stress, which manifested as increased reactive oxygen species, thioredoxin-interacting protein, and protein tyrosine nitration, occurred in Ins2(+/Akita β-cells and/or islets. These data show the first clear evidence that primary PIHO imbalance induces severe oxidative stress and impairs glucose-stimulated insulin release and β-cell survival as well as producing other toxic consequences. The defects disclosed/clarified in model Ins2(+/Akita β-cells further support a role of the genetic and stress-susceptible PIHO disorder in β-cell failure and diabetes.

Gamma-induced defect production in ZrO2-Y2O3 crystals with different defectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashurov, M.Kh.; Amonov, M.Z.; Rakov, A.F.

2002-01-01

Full text: The defectiveness degree of ZrO 2 -Y 2 O 3 crystals depends on stabilizer concentration. The work is aimed at study gamma-induced defect production in crystals with different concentration of stabilizer and defects generated by neutron irradiation. Absorption spectra were measured with Specord M-40. It was found, that after gamma-irradiation of as-grown crystals up to some dose the intensity of absorption band at 420 nm reaches the maximum level of saturation. The dose of saturation depends of the concentration of stabilizer. It means that gamma-radiation does not produce any additional defects of structure. The oxygen vacancies existing in as-grown crystals are filled by the radiation induced electrons. Since the number of oxygen vacancies depends on the stabilizer concentration, then all these vacancies can be occupied by electrons at different gamma-doses. In crystals pre-irradiated with different neutron fluences followed by gamma-irradiation, the intensity of absorption bands at 420 and 530 nm increases in two stages. The gamma-dose of the second stage beginning decreases as the neutron fluence grows. The first stage of the absorption increase is due to developing of vacancies existing in as-grown crystals. The second stage is caused by generation of additional vacancies as the result of non-radiative exciton decay near the existing structure damages. The decrease of the gamma-dose, when the second stage of vacancy accumulation begins, results from the neutron induced structure damage degree

Shp2 knockdown and Noonan/LEOPARD mutant Shp2-induced gastrulation defects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris Jopling

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Shp2 is a cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine phosphatase that is essential for normal development. Activating and inactivating mutations have been identified in humans to cause the related Noonan and LEOPARD syndromes, respectively. The cell biological cause of these syndromes remains to be determined. We have used the zebrafish to assess the role of Shp2 in early development. Here, we report that morpholino-mediated knockdown of Shp2 in zebrafish resulted in defects during gastrulation. Cell tracing experiments demonstrated that Shp2 knockdown induced defects in convergence and extension cell movements. In situ hybridization using a panel of markers indicated that cell fate was not affected by Shp2 knock down. The Shp2 knockdown-induced defects were rescued by active Fyn and Yes and by active RhoA. We generated mutants of Shp2 with mutations that were identified in human patients with Noonan or LEOPARD Syndrome and established that Noonan Shp2 was activated and LEOPARD Shp2 lacked catalytic protein-tyrosine phosphatase activity. Expression of Noonan or LEOPARD mutant Shp2 in zebrafish embryos induced convergence and extension cell movement defects without affecting cell fate. Moreover, these embryos displayed craniofacial and cardiac defects, reminiscent of human symptoms. Noonan and LEOPARD mutant Shp2s were not additive nor synergistic, consistent with the mutant Shp2s having activating and inactivating roles in the same signaling pathway. Our results demonstrate that Shp2 is required for normal convergence and extension cell movements during gastrulation and that Src family kinases and RhoA were downstream of Shp2. Expression of Noonan or LEOPARD Shp2 phenocopied the craniofacial and cardiac defects of human patients. The finding that defective Shp2 signaling induced cell movement defects as early as gastrulation may have implications for the monitoring and diagnosis of Noonan and LEOPARD syndrome.

Genetic, chromosomal, and syndromic causes of neural tube defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidahmed, Mohammed Z; Abdelbasit, Omer B; Shaheed, Meeralebbae M; Alhussein, Khalid A; Miqdad, Abeer M; Samadi, Abdulmohsen S; Khalil, Mohammed I; Al-Mardawi, Elham; Salih, Mustafa A

2014-12-01

To ascertain the incidence, and describe the various forms of neural tube defects (NTDs) due to genetic, chromosomal, and syndromic causes. We carried out a retrospective analysis of data retrieved from the medical records of newborn infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with NTDs and their mothers spanning 14 years (1996-2009) at the Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The cases were ascertained by a perinatologist, neonatologist, geneticist, radiologist, and neurologist. The literature was reviewed via a MEDLINE search. Only liveborn babies were included. Permission from the Educational Committee at the Security Forces Hospital was obtained prior to the collection of data. Out of 103 infants with NTDs admitted during this period, 20 (19.4%) were found to have an underlying genetic syndromic, chromosomal and/or other anomalies. There were 5 cases of Meckel-Gruber syndrome, 2 Joubert syndrome, one Waardenburg syndrome, one Walker-Warburg syndrome, 2 chromosomal disorders, 2 caudal regression, one amniotic band disruption sequence, one associated with omphalocele, one with diaphragmatic hernia, and 4 with multiple congenital anomalies. There is a high rate of underlying genetic syndromic and/or chromosomal causes of NTDs in the Saudi Arabian population due to the high consanguinity rate. Identification of such association can lead to more accurate provisions of genetic counseling to the family including preimplantation genetic diagnosis or early termination of pregnancies associated with lethal conditions.

Metastable light induced defects in pentacene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liguori, R.; Aprano, S.; Rubino, A. [Department of Industrial Engineering (DIIn), University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano (Italy)

2014-02-21

In this study we analyzed one of the environmental factors that could affect organic materials. Pentacene thin film samples were fabricated and the degradation of their electrical characteristics was measured when the devices were exposed to ultraviolet light irradiation. The results have been reported in terms of a trap density model, which provides a description of the dynamics of light induced electrically active defects in an organic semiconductor.

Influence of radiation induced defect clusters on silicon particle detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Junkes, Alexandra

2011-10-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) addresses some of today's most fundamental questions of particle physics, like the existence of the Higgs boson and supersymmetry. Two large general-purpose experiments (ATLAS, CMS) are installed to detect the products of high energy protonproton and nucleon-nucleon collisions. Silicon detectors are largely employed in the innermost region, the tracking area of the experiments. The proven technology and large scale availability make them the favorite choice. Within the framework of the LHC upgrade to the high-luminosity LHC, the luminosity will be increased to L=10 35 cm -2 s -1 . In particular the pixel sensors in the innermost layers of the silicon trackers will be exposed to an extremely intense radiation field of mainly hadronic particles with fluences of up to Φ eq =10 16 cm -2 . The radiation induced bulk damage in silicon sensors will lead to a severe degradation of the performance during their operational time. This work focusses on the improvement of the radiation tolerance of silicon materials (Float Zone, Magnetic Czochralski, epitaxial silicon) based on the evaluation of radiation induced defects in the silicon lattice using the Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy and the Thermally Stimulated Current methods. It reveals the outstanding role of extended defects (clusters) on the degradation of sensor properties after hadron irradiation in contrast to previous works that treated effects as caused by point defects. It has been found that two cluster related defects are responsible for the main generation of leakage current, the E5 defects with a level in the band gap at E C -0.460 eV and E205a at E C -0.395 eV where E C is the energy of the edge of the conduction band. The E5 defect can be assigned to the tri-vacancy (V 3 ) defect. Furthermore, isochronal annealing experiments have shown that the V 3 defect exhibits a bistability, as does the leakage current. In oxygen

Influence of radiation induced defect clusters on silicon particle detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Junkes, Alexandra

2011-10-15

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) addresses some of today's most fundamental questions of particle physics, like the existence of the Higgs boson and supersymmetry. Two large general-purpose experiments (ATLAS, CMS) are installed to detect the products of high energy protonproton and nucleon-nucleon collisions. Silicon detectors are largely employed in the innermost region, the tracking area of the experiments. The proven technology and large scale availability make them the favorite choice. Within the framework of the LHC upgrade to the high-luminosity LHC, the luminosity will be increased to L=10{sup 35} cm{sup -2}s{sup -1}. In particular the pixel sensors in the innermost layers of the silicon trackers will be exposed to an extremely intense radiation field of mainly hadronic particles with fluences of up to {phi}{sub eq}=10{sup 16} cm{sup -2}. The radiation induced bulk damage in silicon sensors will lead to a severe degradation of the performance during their operational time. This work focusses on the improvement of the radiation tolerance of silicon materials (Float Zone, Magnetic Czochralski, epitaxial silicon) based on the evaluation of radiation induced defects in the silicon lattice using the Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy and the Thermally Stimulated Current methods. It reveals the outstanding role of extended defects (clusters) on the degradation of sensor properties after hadron irradiation in contrast to previous works that treated effects as caused by point defects. It has been found that two cluster related defects are responsible for the main generation of leakage current, the E5 defects with a level in the band gap at E{sub C}-0.460 eV and E205a at E{sub C}-0.395 eV where E{sub C} is the energy of the edge of the conduction band. The E5 defect can be assigned to the tri-vacancy (V{sub 3}) defect. Furthermore, isochronal annealing experiments have shown that the V{sub 3} defect

Genetic, chromosomal, and syndromic causes of neural tube defects

Science.gov (United States)

Seidahmed, Mohammed Z.; Abdelbasit, Omer B.; Shaheed, Meeralebbae M.; Alhussein, Khalid A.; Miqdad, Abeer M.; Samadi, Abdulmohsen S.; Khalil, Mohammed I.; Al-Mardawi, Elham; Salih, Mustafa A.

2014-01-01

Objective: To ascertain the incidence, and describe the various forms of neural tube defects (NTDs) due to genetic, chromosomal, and syndromic causes. Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis of data retrieved from the medical records of newborn infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with NTDs and their mothers spanning 14 years (1996-2009) at the Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The cases were ascertained by a perinatologist, neonatologist, geneticist, radiologist, and neurologist. The literature was reviewed via a MEDLINE search. Only liveborn babies were included. Permission from the Educational Committee at the Security Forces Hospital was obtained prior to the collection of data. Results: Out of 103 infants with NTDs admitted during this period, 20 (19.4%) were found to have an underlying genetic syndromic, chromosomal and/or other anomalies. There were 5 cases of Meckel-Gruber syndrome, 2 Joubert syndrome, one Waardenburg syndrome, one Walker-Warburg syndrome, 2 chromosomal disorders, 2 caudal regression, one amniotic band disruption sequence, one associated with omphalocele, one with diaphragmatic hernia, and 4 with multiple congenital anomalies. Conclusions: There is a high rate of underlying genetic syndromic and/or chromosomal causes of NTDs in the Saudi Arabian population due to the high consanguinity rate. Identification of such association can lead to more accurate provisions of genetic counseling to the family including preimplantation genetic diagnosis or early termination of pregnancies associated with lethal conditions. PMID:25551112

Genetic alterations during radiation-induced carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kodama, Seiji

1995-01-01

This paper reviews radiation-induced genetic alterations and its carcinogenesis, focusing on the previous in vitro assay outcome. A colony formation assay using Syrian hamster fetal cells and focus formation assay using mouse C3H10T1/2 cells are currently available to find malignant transformation of cells. Such in vitro assays has proposed the hypothesis that radiation-induced carcinogenesis arises from at least two-stage processes; i.e., that an early step induced by irradiation plays an important role in promoting the potential to cause the subsequent mutation. A type of genetic instability induced by radiation results in a persistently elevated frequency of spontaneous mutations, so-called the phenomenon of delayed reproductive death. One possible mechanism by which genetic instability arises has been shown to be due to the development of abnormality in the gene group involved in the maintenance mechanism of genome stability. Another possibility has also been shown to stem from the loss of telomere (the extremities of a chromosome). The importance of search for radiation-induced genetic instability is emphasized in view of the elucidation of carcinogenesis. (N.K.)

Change of elastic constants induced by point defects in hop crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tome, C.

1979-10-01

An approximate model is developed to calculate the change of elastic constants induced by point defects in hcp metals, supposed the defect configuration is known. General expressions relating the change of elastic moduli to the final atomic coordinates and to the defect force field are derived using the specific symmetry of the defect. Explicit calculations are done for Mg. The predicted change of elastic moduli turns out to be negative for vacancies and trigonal interstitials while for hexagonal interstitials a positive change is predicted. Compatibility with experimental data would suggest that the trigonal configuration is the stable one. (author)

Modelling ionising radiation induced defect generation in bipolar oxides with gated diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnaby, H.J.; Cirba, C.; Schrimpf, R.D.; Kosier, St.; Fouillat, P.; Montagner, X.

1999-01-01

Radiation-induced oxide defects that degrade electrical characteristics of bipolar junction transistor (BJTs) can be measured with the use of gated diodes. The buildup of defects and their effect on device radiation response are modeled with computer simulation. (authors)

Electron-spin-resonance study of radiation-induced paramagnetic defects in oxides grown on (100) silicon substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y.Y.; Lenahan, P.M.

1988-01-01

We have used electron-spin resonance to investigate radiation-induced point defects in Si/SiO 2 structures with (100) silicon substrates. We find that the radiation-induced point defects are quite similar to defects generated in Si/SiO 2 structures grown on (111) silicon substrates. In both cases, an oxygen-deficient silicon center, the E' defect, appears to be responsible for trapped positive charge. In both cases trivalent silicon (P/sub b/ centers) defects are primarily responsible for radiation-induced interface states. In earlier electron-spin-resonance studies of unirradiated (100) substrate capacitors two types of P/sub b/ centers were observed; in oxides prepared in three different ways only one of these centers, the P/sub b/ 0 defect, is generated in large numbers by ionizing radiation

The influence of radiation-induced defects on thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence of α-Al_2O_3:C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyirenda, A.N.; Chithambo, M.L.

2017-01-01

It is known that when α-Al_2O_3:C is exposed to excessive amounts of ionising radiation, defects are induced within its matrix. We report the influence of radiation-induced defects on the thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measured from α-Al_2O_3:C after irradiation to 1000 Gy. These radiation-induced defects are thermally unstable in the region 450–650 °C and result in TL peaks in this range when the TL is measured at 1 °C/s. Heating a sample to 700 °C obliterates the radiation-induced defects, that is, the TL peaks corresponding to the radiation induced defects are no longer observed in the subsequent TL measurements when moderate irradiation doses below 10 Gy are used. The charge traps associated with these radiation-induced defects are more stable than the dosimetric trap when the sample is exposed to either sunlight or 470-nm blue light from LEDs. TL glow curves measured following the defect-inducing irradiation produce a dosimetric peak that is broader and positioned at a higher temperature than observed in glow curves obtained before the heavy irradiation. In addition, sample sensitization/desensitization occurs due to the presence of these radiation-induced defects. Furthermore, both the activation energy and the kinetic order of the dosimetric peak evaluated when the radiation-induced defects are present in the sample are significantly lower in value than those obtained when these defects are absent. The radiation-induced defects also affect the shape and total light sum of the OSL signal as well as the position and width of the resultant residual phototransferred thermoluminescence main peak.

Genetic interactions between planar cell polarity genes cause diverse neural tube defects in mice

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Jennifer N. Murdoch

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Neural tube defects (NTDs are among the commonest and most severe forms of developmental defect, characterized by disruption of the early embryonic events of central nervous system formation. NTDs have long been known to exhibit a strong genetic dependence, yet the identity of the genetic determinants remains largely undiscovered. Initiation of neural tube closure is disrupted in mice homozygous for mutations in planar cell polarity (PCP pathway genes, providing a strong link between NTDs and PCP signaling. Recently, missense gene variants have been identified in PCP genes in humans with NTDs, although the range of phenotypes is greater than in the mouse mutants. In addition, the sequence variants detected in affected humans are heterozygous, and can often be detected in unaffected individuals. It has been suggested that interactions between multiple heterozygous gene mutations cause the NTDs in humans. To determine the phenotypes produced in double heterozygotes, we bred mice with all three pairwise combinations of Vangl2Lp, ScribCrc and Celsr1Crsh mutations, the most intensively studied PCP mutants. The majority of double-mutant embryos had open NTDs, with the range of phenotypes including anencephaly and spina bifida, therefore reflecting the defects observed in humans. Strikingly, even on a uniform genetic background, variability in the penetrance and severity of the mutant phenotypes was observed between the different double-heterozygote combinations. Phenotypically, Celsr1Crsh;Vangl2Lp;ScribCrc triply heterozygous mutants were no more severe than doubly heterozygous or singly homozygous mutants. We propose that some of the variation between double-mutant phenotypes could be attributed to the nature of the protein disruption in each allele: whereas ScribCrc is a null mutant and produces no Scrib protein, Celsr1Crsh and Vangl2Lp homozygotes both express mutant proteins, consistent with dominant effects. The variable outcomes of these genetic

High-dose irradiation induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and developmental defects during Drosophila oogenesis.

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Hee Jin Shim

Full Text Available Ionizing radiation (IR treatment induces a DNA damage response, including cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, and apoptosis in metazoan somatic cells. Because little has been reported in germline cells, we performed a temporal analysis of the DNA damage response utilizing Drosophila oogenesis as a model system. Oogenesis in the adult Drosophila female begins with the generation of 16-cell cyst by four mitotic divisions of a cystoblast derived from the germline stem cells. We found that high-dose irradiation induced S and G2 arrests in these mitotically dividing germline cells in a grp/Chk1- and mnk/Chk2-dependent manner. However, the upstream kinase mei-41, Drosophila ATR ortholog, was required for the S-phase checkpoint but not for the G2 arrest. As in somatic cells, mnk/Chk2 and dp53 were required for the major cell death observed in early oogenesis when oocyte selection and meiotic recombination occurs. Similar to the unscheduled DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs generated from defective repair during meiotic recombination, IR-induced DSBs produced developmental defects affecting the spherical morphology of meiotic chromosomes and dorsal-ventral patterning. Moreover, various morphological abnormalities in the ovary were detected after irradiation. Most of the IR-induced defects observed in oogenesis were reversible and were restored between 24 and 96 h after irradiation. These defects in oogenesis severely reduced daily egg production and the hatch rate of the embryos of irradiated female. In summary, irradiated germline cells induced DSBs, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and developmental defects resulting in reduction of egg production and defective embryogenesis.

Proton irradiation induced defects in Cd and Zn doped InP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rybicki, G.C.; Williams, W.S.

1993-01-01

Proton irradiation induced defects in Zn and Cd doped InP have been studied by deep level transient spectroscopy, (DLTS). After 2 MeV proton irradiation the defects H4 and H5 were observed in lightly Zn doped InP, while the defects H3 and H5 were observed in more heavily Zn and Cd doped InP. The defect properties were not affected by the substitution of Cd for Zn, but the introduction rate of H5 was lower in Cd doped InP. The annealing rate of defects was also higher in Cd doped InP. The use of Cd doped InP may thus result in an InP solar cell with even greater radiation resistance

Recurrent candidiasis and early-onset gastric cancer in a patient with a genetically defined partial MYD88 defect.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogelaar, Ingrid P; Ligtenberg, Marjolijn J L; van der Post, Rachel S; de Voer, Richarda M; Kets, C Marleen; Jansen, Trees J G; Jacobs, Liesbeth; Schreibelt, Gerty; de Vries, I Jolanda M; Netea, Mihai G; Hoogerbrugge, Nicoline

2016-04-01

Gastric cancer is caused by both genetic and environmental factors. A woman who suffered from recurrent candidiasis throughout her life developed diffuse-type gastric cancer at the age of 23 years. Using whole-exome sequencing we identified a germline homozygous missense variant in MYD88. Immunological assays on peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed an impaired immune response upon stimulation with Candida albicans, characterized by a defective production of the cytokine interleukin-17. Our data suggest that a genetic defect in MYD88 results in an impaired immune response and may increase gastric cancer risk.

Genetic analysis of metabolic defects in the spontaneously hypertensive rat

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pravenec, Michal; Zídek, Václav; Musilová, Alena; Šimáková, Miroslava; Kostka, Vlastimil; Mlejnek, Petr; Křen, Vladimír; Křenová, D.; Bílá, V.; Míková, B.; Jáchymová, M.; Horký, K.; Kazdová, L.; St.Lezin, E.; Kurtz, W. T.

2002-01-01

Roč. 13, č. 5 (2002), s. 253-258 ISSN 0938-8990 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LN00A079; GA ČR GV204/98/K015; GA ČR GA305/00/1646; GA MŠk NB5299 Grant - others:NIH(US) RO1 HL56028; NIH(US) PO1 HL35018; HHMI(US) 55000331 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : metabolic defects * spontaneously hypertensive rat Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.233, year: 2002

Behavior of deep level defects on voltage-induced stress of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, D.W.; Cho, S.E. [Department of Physics and Semiconductor Science, Dongguk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, J.H. [Solar Cell Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Cho, H.Y., E-mail: hycho@dongguk.edu [Department of Physics and Semiconductor Science, Dongguk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-01

The behavior of deep level defects by a voltage-induced stress for CuInGaSe{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells has been investigated. CIGS solar cells were used with standard structures which are Al-doped ZnO/i-ZnO/CdS/CIGSe{sub 2}/Mo on soda lime glass, and that resulted in conversion efficiencies as high as 16%. The samples with the same structure were isothermally stressed at 100 °C under the reverse voltages. The voltage-induced stressing in CIGS samples causes a decrease in the carrier density and conversion efficiency. To investigate the behavior of deep level defects in the stressed CIGS cells, photo-induced current transient spectroscopy was utilized, and normally 3 deep level defects (including 2 hole traps and 1 electron trap) were found to be located at 0.18 eV and 0.29 eV above the valence band maximum (and 0.36 eV below the conduction band). In voltage-induced cells, especially, it was found that the decrease of the hole carrier density could be responsible for the increase of the 0.29 eV defect, which is known to be observed in less efficient CIGS solar cells. And the carrier density and the defects are reversible at least to a large extent by resting at room-temperature without the bias voltage. From optical capture kinetics in photo-induced current transient spectroscopy measurement, the types of defects could be distinguished into the isolated point defect and the extended defect. In this work, it is suggested that the increase of the 0.29 eV defect by voltage-induced stress could be due to electrical activation accompanied by a loss of positive ion species and the activated defect gives rise to reduction of the carrier density. - Highlights: • We investigated behavior of deep level defects by voltage-induced stress. • Defect generation could affect the decrease of the conversion efficiency of cells. • Defect generation could be electrically activated by a loss of positive ion species. • Type of defects could be studied with models of point defects

Genetic Defects Underlie the Non-syndromic Autosomal Recessive Intellectual Disability (NS-ARID

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saleha Shamim

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Intellectual disability (ID is a neurodevelopmental disorder which appears frequently as the result of genetic mutations and may be syndromic (S-ID or non-syndromic (NS-ID. ID causes an important economic burden, for patient's family, health systems, and society. Identifying genes that cause S-ID can easily be evaluated due to the clinical symptoms or physical anomalies. However, in the case of NS-ID due to the absence of co-morbid features, the latest molecular genetic techniques can be used to understand the genetic defects that underlie it. Recent studies have shown that non-syndromic autosomal recessive (NS-ARID is extremely heterogeneous and contributes much more than X-linked ID. However, very little is known about the genes and loci involved in NS-ARID relative to X-linked ID, and whose complete genetic etiology remains obscure. In this review article, the known genetic etiology of NS-ARID and possible relationships between genes and the associated molecular pathways of their encoded proteins has been reviewed which will enhance our understanding about the underlying genes and mechanisms in NS-ARID.

Systematic Analysis of the DNA Damage Response Network in Telomere Defective Budding Yeast

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Eva-Maria Holstein

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Functional telomeres are critically important to eukaryotic genetic stability. Scores of proteins and pathways are known to affect telomere function. Here, we report a series of related genome-wide genetic interaction screens performed on budding yeast cells with acute or chronic telomere defects. Genetic interactions were examined in cells defective in Cdc13 and Stn1, affecting two components of CST, a single stranded DNA (ssDNA binding complex that binds telomeric DNA. For comparison, genetic interactions were also examined in cells with defects in Rfa3, affecting the major ssDNA binding protein, RPA, which has overlapping functions with CST at telomeres. In more complex experiments, genetic interactions were measured in cells lacking EXO1 or RAD9, affecting different aspects of the DNA damage response, and containing a cdc13-1 induced telomere defect. Comparing fitness profiles across these data sets helps build a picture of the specific responses to different types of dysfunctional telomeres. The experiments show that each context reveals different genetic interactions, consistent with the idea that each genetic defect causes distinct molecular defects. To help others engage with the large volumes of data, the data are made available via two interactive web-based tools: Profilyzer and DIXY. One particularly striking genetic interaction observed was that the chk1∆ mutation improved fitness of cdc13-1 exo1∆ cells more than other checkpoint mutations (ddc1∆, rad9∆, rad17∆, and rad24∆, whereas, in cdc13-1 cells, the effects of all checkpoint mutations were similar. We show that this can be explained by Chk1 stimulating resection—a new function for Chk1 in the eukaryotic DNA damage response network.

Annealing of radiation-induced defects in silicon in a simplified phenomenological model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazanu, S.; Lazanu, I.

2001-01-01

The concentration of primary radiation-induced defects has been previously estimated considering both the explicit mechanisms of the primary interaction between the incoming particle and the nuclei of the semiconductor lattice, and the recoil energy partition between ionisation and displacements, in the frame of the Lindhard theory. The primary displacement defects are vacancies and interstitials that are essentially unstable in silicon. They interact via migration, recombination, annihilation or produce other defects. In the present work, the time evolution of the concentration of defects induced by pions in medium and high resistivity silicon for detectors is modelled, after irradiation. In some approximations, the differential equations representing the time evolution processes could be decoupled. The theoretical equations so obtained are solved analytically in some particular cases, with one free parameter, for a wide range of particle fluences and/or for a wide energy range of incident particles, for different temperatures; the corresponding stationary solutions are also presented

Effect of interaction between irradiation-induced defects and intrinsic defects in the pinning improvement of neutron irradiated YBaCuO sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Topal, Ugur; Sozeri, Huseyin; Yavuz, Hasbi

2004-01-01

Interaction between the intrinsic (native) defects and the irradiation-induced defects created by neutron irradiation was examined for the YBCO sample. For this purpose, non-superconducting Y-211 phase was included to the Y-123 samples at different contents as a source of large pinning center. The critical current density enhancement with the irradiation for these samples were analysed and then the role of defects on pinning improvement was discussed

Effect of interaction between irradiation-induced defects and intrinsic defects in the pinning improvement of neutron irradiated YBaCuO sample

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Topal, Ugur; Sozeri, Huseyin; Yavuz, Hasbi

2004-08-01

Interaction between the intrinsic (native) defects and the irradiation-induced defects created by neutron irradiation was examined for the YBCO sample. For this purpose, non-superconducting Y-211 phase was included to the Y-123 samples at different contents as a source of large pinning center. The critical current density enhancement with the irradiation for these samples were analysed and then the role of defects on pinning improvement was discussed.

N+ ion-implantation-induced defects in ZnO studied with a slow positron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z Q; Sekiguchi, T; Yuan, X L; Maekawa, M; Kawasuso, A

2004-01-01

Undoped ZnO single crystals were implanted with multiple-energy N + ions ranging from 50 to 380 keV with doses from 10 12 to 10 14 cm -2 . Positron annihilation measurements show that vacancy defects are introduced in the implanted layers. The concentration of the vacancy defects increases with increasing ion dose. The annealing behaviour of the defects can be divided into four stages, which correspond to the formation and recovery of large vacancy clusters and the formation and disappearance of vacancy-impurity complexes, respectively. All the implantation-induced defects are removed by annealing at 1200 deg. C. Cathodoluminescence measurements show that the ion-implantation-induced defects act as nonradiative recombination centres to suppress the ultraviolet (UV) emission. After annealing, these defects disappear gradually and the UV emission reappears, which coincides with positron annihilation measurements. Hall measurements reveal that after N + implantation, the ZnO layer still shows n-type conductivity

Bremsstrahlung-induced highly penetrating probes for nondestructive assay and defect analysis

CERN Document Server

Selim, F A; Harmon, J F; Kwofie, J; Spaulding, R; Erickson, G; Roney, T

2002-01-01

Nondestructive assay and defect analysis probes based on bremsstrahlung-induced processes have been developed to identify elements and probe defects in large volume samples. Bremsstrahlung beams from (electron accelerators) with end-point energies both above and below neutron emission threshold have been used. Below neutron emission threshold these beams (from 6 MeV small pulsed linacs), which exhibit high penetration, create positrons via pair production inside the material and produce X-ray fluorescence (XRF) radiation. Chemical assays of heavy elements in thick samples up to 10 g/cm sup 2 thick are provided by energy dispersive XRF measurements. The pair-produced positrons annihilate within the material, thereby emitting 511 keV gamma radiation. Doppler broadening spectroscopy of the 511 keV radiation can be performed to characterize the material and measure defects in samples of any desired thickness. This technique has successfully measured induced strain due to tensile stress in steel samples of 0.64 cm...

Radiation induced mutants in elite genetic background for the augmentation of genetic diversity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, V.; Bhagwat, S.G.

2011-01-01

Rice (Oryza sativa L.), an important food crop for India, shows large genetic diversity. However, despite the large genetic resource, high genetic similarity is reported in cultivated varieties indicating genetic erosion. Radiation induced mutations provide genetic variability in elite background. In the present study, twenty gamma ray induced mutants of rice variety WL112 (carrying sd-1 semi-dwarfing gene) were analysed for genetic diversity using microsatellite markers. The high range of genetic diversity among mutants indicated that the mutants possess potential for enhancing variability in rice. Cluster analysis showed presence of five clusters having small sub-clusters. Earliness, semi-dwarf stature or resistance to blast disease observed among the mutants showed that these will be useful in breeding programmes. (author)

Basement Membrane Defects in Genetic Kidney Diseases

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Christine Chew

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The glomerular basement membrane (GBM is a specialized structure with a significant role in maintaining the glomerular filtration barrier. This GBM is formed from the fusion of two basement membranes during development and its function in the filtration barrier is achieved by key extracellular matrix components including type IV collagen, laminins, nidogens, and heparan sulfate proteoglycans. The characteristics of specific matrix isoforms such as laminin-521 (α5β2γ1 and the α3α4α5 chain of type IV collagen are essential for the formation of a mature GBM and the restricted tissue distribution of these isoforms makes the GBM a unique structure. Detailed investigation of the GBM has been driven by the identification of inherited abnormalities in matrix proteins and the need to understand pathogenic mechanisms causing severe glomerular disease. A well-described hereditary GBM disease is Alport syndrome, associated with a progressive glomerular disease, hearing loss, and lens defects due to mutations in the genes COL4A3, COL4A4, or COL4A5. Other proteins associated with inherited diseases of the GBM include laminin β2 in Pierson syndrome and LMX1B in nail patella syndrome. The knowledge of these genetic mutations associated with GBM defects has enhanced our understanding of cell–matrix signaling pathways affected in glomerular disease. This review will address current knowledge of GBM-associated abnormalities and related signaling pathways, as well as discussing the advances toward disease-targeted therapies for patients with glomerular disease.

Thermal conductivity of graphene with defects induced by electron beam irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Malekpour, Hoda; Ramnani, Pankaj; Srinivasan, Srilok; Balasubramanian, Ganesh; Nika, Denis L.; Mulchandani, Ashok; Lake, Roger K.; Balandin, Alexander A.

2016-07-01

We investigate the thermal conductivity of suspended graphene as a function of the density of defects, ND, introduced in a controllable way. High-quality graphene layers are synthesized using chemical vapor deposition, transferred onto a transmission electron microscopy grid, and suspended over ~7.5 μm size square holes. Defects are induced by irradiation of graphene with the low-energy electron beam (20 keV) and quantified by the Raman D-to-G peak intensity ratio. As the defect density changes from 2.0 × 1010 cm-2 to 1.8 × 1011 cm-2 the thermal conductivity decreases from ~(1.8 +/- 0.2) × 103 W mK-1 to ~(4.0 +/- 0.2) × 102 W mK-1 near room temperature. At higher defect densities, the thermal conductivity reveals an intriguing saturation-type behavior at a relatively high value of ~400 W mK-1. The thermal conductivity dependence on the defect density is analyzed using the Boltzmann transport equation and molecular dynamics simulations. The results are important for understanding phonon - point defect scattering in two-dimensional systems and for practical applications of graphene in thermal management.We investigate the thermal conductivity of suspended graphene as a function of the density of defects, ND, introduced in a controllable way. High-quality graphene layers are synthesized using chemical vapor deposition, transferred onto a transmission electron microscopy grid, and suspended over ~7.5 μm size square holes. Defects are induced by irradiation of graphene with the low-energy electron beam (20 keV) and quantified by the Raman D-to-G peak intensity ratio. As the defect density changes from 2.0 × 1010 cm-2 to 1.8 × 1011 cm-2 the thermal conductivity decreases from ~(1.8 +/- 0.2) × 103 W mK-1 to ~(4.0 +/- 0.2) × 102 W mK-1 near room temperature. At higher defect densities, the thermal conductivity reveals an intriguing saturation-type behavior at a relatively high value of ~400 W mK-1. The thermal conductivity dependence on the defect density is

Defect-Induced Hedgehog Polarization States in Multiferroics

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Linze; Cheng, Xiaoxing; Jokisaari, Jacob R.; Gao, Peng; Britson, Jason; Adamo, Carolina; Heikes, Colin; Schlom, Darrell G.; Chen, Long-Qing; Pan, Xiaoqing

2018-03-01

Continuous developments in nanotechnology require new approaches to materials synthesis that can produce novel functional structures. Here, we show that nanoscale defects, such as nonstoichiometric nanoregions (NSNRs), can act as nano-building blocks for creating complex electrical polarization structures in the prototypical multiferroic BiFeO3 . An array of charged NSNRs are produced in BiFeO3 thin films by tuning the substrate temperature during film growth. Atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging reveals exotic polarization rotation patterns around these NSNRs. These polarization patterns resemble hedgehog or vortex topologies and can cause local changes in lattice symmetries leading to mixed-phase structures resembling the morphotropic phase boundary with high piezoelectricity. Phase-field simulations indicate that the observed polarization configurations are mainly induced by charged states at the NSNRs. Engineering defects thus may provide a new route for developing ferroelectric- or multiferroic-based nanodevices.

The influence of radiation-induced defects on thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence of α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}:C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nyirenda, A.N., E-mail: anyirenda@gmail.com; Chithambo, M.L.

2017-04-15

It is known that when α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}:C is exposed to excessive amounts of ionising radiation, defects are induced within its matrix. We report the influence of radiation-induced defects on the thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measured from α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}:C after irradiation to 1000 Gy. These radiation-induced defects are thermally unstable in the region 450–650 °C and result in TL peaks in this range when the TL is measured at 1 °C/s. Heating a sample to 700 °C obliterates the radiation-induced defects, that is, the TL peaks corresponding to the radiation induced defects are no longer observed in the subsequent TL measurements when moderate irradiation doses below 10 Gy are used. The charge traps associated with these radiation-induced defects are more stable than the dosimetric trap when the sample is exposed to either sunlight or 470-nm blue light from LEDs. TL glow curves measured following the defect-inducing irradiation produce a dosimetric peak that is broader and positioned at a higher temperature than observed in glow curves obtained before the heavy irradiation. In addition, sample sensitization/desensitization occurs due to the presence of these radiation-induced defects. Furthermore, both the activation energy and the kinetic order of the dosimetric peak evaluated when the radiation-induced defects are present in the sample are significantly lower in value than those obtained when these defects are absent. The radiation-induced defects also affect the shape and total light sum of the OSL signal as well as the position and width of the resultant residual phototransferred thermoluminescence main peak.

Study of grown-in and radiation-induced defects in indium phosphide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaban, E.H.

1986-01-01

This research is focused on (1) conducting detailed theoretical and experimental study of grown-in and radiation-induced defects in liquid encapsulated Czohralski (LEC) grown, Zn-doped P-type indium phosphide (InP), (2) identifying the physical origin of the defects detected using Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) method, and (3) and developing a second-order model to interpret the presence of nonexponential capacitance transients in DLTS method. Analysis of grown-in and radiation-induced defects in P-type InP is undertaken. The main research results are summarized as follows: (1) DLTS analysis of grown-in defects in liquid LEC-grown, Zn-doped, P-type InP is made in this study. A single-hole trap of E/sub v/ + 0.52 eV is detected with a trap density of 1.8 x 10 15 cm -3 . The physical origin of this hole trap is attributed to a phosphorus vacancy or phosphorus interstitial-related defect. (2) One-MeV electron-irradiated P-type InP introduced two new hole traps, namely E/sub v/ + 0.34 and E/sub v/ + 0.58 eV with introduction rates (dN/sub T/d phi) of 0.4 and 1.2 per electron-cm, respectively. (3) A theoretical model is developed to interpret nonexponential capacitance transients in a deep-level transient spectroscopy method when the capture process competes with the dominant thermal-emission process

N{sup +} ion-implantation-induced defects in ZnO studied with a slow positron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Z Q [Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292, Japan (Japan); Sekiguchi, T [Nanomaterials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Yuan, X L [Nanomaterials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Maekawa, M [Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292, Japan (Japan); Kawasuso, A [Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292, Japan (Japan)

2004-01-21

Undoped ZnO single crystals were implanted with multiple-energy N{sup +} ions ranging from 50 to 380 keV with doses from 10{sup 12} to 10{sup 14} cm{sup -2}. Positron annihilation measurements show that vacancy defects are introduced in the implanted layers. The concentration of the vacancy defects increases with increasing ion dose. The annealing behaviour of the defects can be divided into four stages, which correspond to the formation and recovery of large vacancy clusters and the formation and disappearance of vacancy-impurity complexes, respectively. All the implantation-induced defects are removed by annealing at 1200 deg. C. Cathodoluminescence measurements show that the ion-implantation-induced defects act as nonradiative recombination centres to suppress the ultraviolet (UV) emission. After annealing, these defects disappear gradually and the UV emission reappears, which coincides with positron annihilation measurements. Hall measurements reveal that after N{sup +} implantation, the ZnO layer still shows n-type conductivity.

Effect of Concomitant Birth Defects and Genetic Anomalies on Infant Mortality in Tetralogy of Fallot.

Science.gov (United States)

Jernigan, Eric G; Strassle, Paula D; Stebbins, Rebecca C; Meyer, Robert E; Nelson, Jennifer S

2017-08-15

A substantial proportion of infants born with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) die in infancy. A better understanding of the heterogeneity associated with TOF, including extracardiac malformations and chromosomal anomalies is vital to stratifying risk and optimizing outcomes during infancy. Using the North Carolina Birth Defects Monitoring Program, infants diagnosed with TOF and born between 2003 and 2012 were included. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to estimate cumulative 1-year mortality, stratified by the presence of concomitant birth defects (BDs) and chromosomal anomalies. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the direct effect of each concomitant BD, after adjusting for all others. A total of 496 infants with TOF were included, and 15% (n = 76) died. The number of concomitant BD systems was significantly associated with the risk of death at 1-year, p < 0.0001. Specifically, the risk of mortality was 8% among infants with TOF with or without additional cardiac defects, 16% among infants with TOF and 1 extracardiac BD system, 19% among infants with 2 extracardiac BD systems, and 39% among infants with ≥ 3 extracardiac BD systems. After adjustment, concomitant eye and gastrointestinal defects were significantly associated increased with 1-year mortality, odds ratio 2.83 (95% confidence interval, 1.08-7.32) and odds ratio 4.43 (95% confidence interval, 1.57, 12.45), respectively. Infants with trisomy 13 or trisomy 18 were also significantly more likely to die, p < 0.0001. Both concomitant BDs and genetic anomalies increase the risk of mortality among infants with TOF. Future studies are needed to identify the underlying genetic and socioeconomic risk factors for high-risk TOF infants. Birth Defects Research 109:1154-1165, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Radiation defects in lithium fluoride induced by heavy ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trautmann, C.; Schwartz, K.; Steckenreiter, T. [Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung mbH, Darmstadt (Germany); Costantini, J.M. [CEA Centre d`Etudes de Bruyeres-le-Chatel, 91 (France). DPTA/SPMC; Toulemonde, M. [Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches avec les Ions Lourds (CIRIL), 14 - Caen (France)

1998-07-01

Single crystals of lithium fluoride were irradiated with various species of heavy ions in the energy regime between 1 and 30 MeV/u. The induced radiation damage was studied with techniques such as optical absorption spectroscopy, small-angle x-ray scattering, chemical etching and profilometry, complemented by annealing experiments. Clear evidence is given for a complex track structure and defect morphology. Single defects such as F-centers are produced in a large halo of several tens of nanometers around the ion trajectory. The defect creation in this zone is similar to that under conventional radiation. For heavy ions above a critical energy loss of 10 keV/nm, new effects occur within a very small core region of 2-4 nm in diameter. The damage in this zone is responsible for chemical etching and for a characteristic anisotropic x-ray scattering. It is assumed that in this core, complex defect aggregates (e.g., cluster of color centers, molecular anions and vacancies) are created. Their formation is only slightly influenced by the irradiation temperature and takes place even at 15 K where diffusion processes of primary defects are frozen. Furthermore, irradiation with heavy ions leads to pronounced swelling effects which can be related to an intermediate zone of around 10 nm around the ion path. (orig.) 40 refs.

Atrioventricular canal defect and associated genetic disorders: new insights into polydactyly syndromes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Cristina Digilio

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Atrioventricular canal defect (AVCD is a common congenital heart defect (CHD, representing 7.4% of all cardiac malformations, considered secondary to an extracellular matrix anomaly. The AVCD is associated with extracardiac defects in about 75% of the cases. In this review we analyzed different syndromic AVCDs, in particular those associated with polydactyly disorders, which show remarkable genotype-phenotype correlations. Chromo - some imbalances more frequently associated with AVCD include Down syndrome, deletion 8p23 and deletion 3p25, while mendelian disorders include Noonan syndrome and related RASopathies, several polydactyly syndromes, CHARGE and 3C (cranio-cerebello-cardiac syndrome. The complete form of AVCD is prevalent in patients with chromosomal imbalances. Additional cardiac defects are found in patients affected by chromosomal imbalances different from Down syndrome. Left-sided obstructive lesions are prevalently found in patients with RASopathies. Patients with deletion 8p23 often display AVCD with tetralogy of Fallot or with pulmonary valve stenosis. Tetralogy of Fallot is the only additional cardiac defect found in patients with Down syndrome and AVCD. On the other hand, the association of AVCD and tetralogy of Fallot is also quite characteristic of CHARGE and 3C syndromes. Heterotaxia defects, including common atrium and anomalous pulmonary venous return, occur in patients with AVCD associated with polydactyly syndromes (Ellis-van Creveld, short rib polydactyly, oral-facial-digital, Bardet-Biedl, and Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndromes. The initial clinical evidence of anatomic similarities between AVCD and heterotaxia in polydactyly syndromes was corroborated and explained by experimental studies in transgenic mice. These investigations have suggested the involvement of the Sonic Hedgehog pathway in syndromes with postaxial polydactyly and heterotaxia, and ciliary dysfunction was detected as pathomechanism for these disorders

Vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome in co-occurrence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørsum-Meyer, Thomas; Herlin, Morten; Qvist, Niels

2016-01-01

Background: The vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome are rare conditions. We aimed to present two cases with the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac...... defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser co-occurrence from our local surgical center and through a systematic literature search detect published cases. Furthermore, we aimed to collect existing knowledge...... in the embryopathogenesis and genetics in order to discuss a possible link between the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. Case presentation: Our first case was a white girl...

Effect of radiation-induced substrate defects on microstrip gas chamber gain behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pallares, A.; Brom, J.M.; Bergdolt, A.M.; Coffin, J.; Eberle, H.; Sigward, M.H.; Fontaine, J.C.; Barthe, S.; Schunck, J.P.

1998-01-01

The aim of this work was to quantify the influence of radiation-induced substrate defects on microstrip gas chamber (MSGC) gain behaviour. The first part of this paper focuses on radiation effects on a typical MSGC substrate: Desag D263 glass. Defect generation was studied for Desag D263 with pure silica (Suprasil 1) as a reference. We studied the evolution of defect concentration with respect to accumulated doses up to 480 kGy. Annealing studies of defects in Desag D263 were also performed. In the second part, the radiation sensitivity of Desag D263 glass has been linked to the behaviour of the detector under irradiation. Comparative gain measurements were taken before and after substrate irradiation at 10 and 80 kGy the minimal dose received during LHC operation and the dose for which defect density is maximum (respectively). (orig.)

Sirenomelia: A Multi-systemic Polytopic Field Defect with Ongoing Controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Boer, Lucas L; Morava, Eva; Klein, Willemijn M; Schepens-Franke, Annelieke N; Oostra, Roelof Jan

2017-06-01

The most impressive phenotypic appearance of sirenomelia is the presence of a 180°-rotated, axially positioned, single lower limb. Associated gastrointestinal and genitourinary anomalies are almost always present. This rare anomaly is still the subject of ongoing controversies concerning its nosology, pathogenesis, and possible genetic etiology. Sirenomelia can be part of a syndromic continuum, overlapping with other complex conditions including caudal dysgenesis and VATER/VACTERL/VACTERL-H associations, which could all be part of a heterogeneous spectrum, and originate from an early defect in blastogenesis. It is imaginable that different "primary field defects," whether or not genetically based, induce a spectrum of caudal malformations. In the current study, we review the contemporary hypotheses and conceptual approaches regarding the etiology and pathogenesis of sirenomelia, especially in the context of concomitant conditions. To expand on the latter, we included the external and internal dysmorphology of one third trimester sirenomelic fetus from our anatomical museum collection, in which multiple concomitant but discordant anomalies were observed compared with classic sirenomelia, and was diagnosed as VACTERL-H association with sirenomelia. Birth Defects Research 109:791-804, 2017. © 2017 The Authors. Birth Defects Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 The Authors. Birth Defects Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Formation and properties of radiation-induced defects and radiolysis products in lithium orthosilicate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiliks, J.E.; Kizane, G.K.; Supe, A.A.; Abramenkovs, A.A.; Tiliks, J.J. (Latvian Univ., Riga (Latvia)); Vasiljev, V.G. (Acad. A.A. Bochvar Inst. of Inorganic Materials, Moscow (USSR))

1991-12-01

Formation and properties of radiation-induced defects and radiolysis products in polycrystalline powders and ceramic pellets of Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} were studied under the effect of various types of ionizing irradiation ({gamma} quants, accelerated electrons, reactor irradiation), humidity, temperature, impurities in the samples, etc. The content of radiation defects and radiolysis products poorly depends on irradiation type, dose rate, admixture elements. The concentration of defects highly depends on the temperature of irradiation, humidity, granural size. Empirical dependence of radiolysis degree {alpha} on the dose was found: {alpha}=5x10{sup -2}xD{sup 0.5} for {gamma} and electron irradiation (T{sub rad}=300-350 K) and {alpha}=5x10{sup -3}xD{sup 0.5} for reactor radiation (T{sub rad}=700-800 K); {alpha} - matrix dissociation degree (in %); D - dose (in MGy). Colloidal lithium and silicon, lithium and silicon oxides, and O{sub 2} are the final products of radiolysis. Radiation-induced defects change tritium thermo-extraction parameters, deteriorate mechanical, thermo-physical and electric properties of ceramics. (orig.).

Molecular marker studies in riverine buffaloes, for characterization and diagnosis of genetic defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, B.R.

2005-01-01

The buffalo is probably the last livestock species to have been domesticated, with many genetic, physiological and behavioural traits not yet well understood. Molecular markers have been used for characterizing animals and breeds, diagnosing diseases and identifying anatomical and physiological anomalies. RFLP studies showed low heterozygosity, but genomic and oligonucleotide probes showed species-specific bands useful for identification of carcass or other unknown samples. Use of RAPD revealed band frequencies, band sharing frequencies, genetic distances, and genetic and identity indexes in different breeds. Bovine microsatellite primers indicate that 70.9% of bovine loci were conserved in buffalo. Allele numbers, sizes, frequencies, heterozygosity and polymorphism information content showed breed-specific patterns. Different marker types - genomic and oligonucleotide probes, RAPD and microsatellites - are useful in parent identification. Individual specific DNA fingerprinting techniques were applied with twin-born animal (XX/XY) chimerism, sex identification, anatomically defective and XO individuals. Molecular markers are a potential tool for geneticists and breeders to evaluate existing germplasm and to manipulate it to develop character-specific strains and to provide the basis for effective genetic conservation. (author)

Defect-impurity complex induced long-range ferromagnetism in GaN nanowires

KAUST Repository

Assa Aravindh, S

2015-12-14

Present work investigates the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Gd doped wurtzite GaN nanowires (NWs) oriented along the [0001] direction in presence of intrinsic defects by employing the GGA + U approximation. We find that Ga vacancy (VGa) exhibits lower formation energy compared to N vacancy. Further stabilization of point defects occurs due to the presence of Gd. The strength of ferromagnetism (FM) increases by additional positive charge induced by the VGa. Electronic structure analysis shows that VGa introduces defect levels in the band gap leading to ferromagnetic coupling due to the hybridization of the p states of the Ga and N atoms with the Gd d and f states. Ferromagnetic exchange coupling energy of 76.4 meV is obtained in presence of Gd-VGa complex; hence, the FM is largely determined by the cation vacancy-rare earth complex defects in GaN NWs.

Defect-impurity complex induced long-range ferromagnetism in GaN nanowires

KAUST Repository

Assa Aravindh, S; Roqan, Iman S.

2015-01-01

Present work investigates the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Gd doped wurtzite GaN nanowires (NWs) oriented along the [0001] direction in presence of intrinsic defects by employing the GGA + U approximation. We find that Ga vacancy (VGa) exhibits lower formation energy compared to N vacancy. Further stabilization of point defects occurs due to the presence of Gd. The strength of ferromagnetism (FM) increases by additional positive charge induced by the VGa. Electronic structure analysis shows that VGa introduces defect levels in the band gap leading to ferromagnetic coupling due to the hybridization of the p states of the Ga and N atoms with the Gd d and f states. Ferromagnetic exchange coupling energy of 76.4 meV is obtained in presence of Gd-VGa complex; hence, the FM is largely determined by the cation vacancy-rare earth complex defects in GaN NWs.

Transformation between divacancy defects induced by an energy pulse in graphene.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jun; Liu, XiaoYi; Zhou, Wei; Wang, FengChao; Wu, HengAn

2016-07-08

The mutual transformations among the four typical divacancy defects induced by a high-energy pulse were studied via molecular dynamics simulation. Our study revealed all six possible mutual transformations and found that defects transformed by absorbing energy to overcome the energy barrier with bonding, debonding, and bond rotations. The reversibility of defect transformations was also investigated by potential energy analysis. The energy difference was found to greatly influence the transformation reversibility. The direct transformation path was irreversible if the energy difference was too large. We also studied the correlation between the transformation probability and the input energy. It was found that the transformation probability had a local maxima at an optimal input energy. The introduction of defects and their structural evolutions are important for tailoring the exceptional properties and thereby performances of graphene-based devices, such as nanoporous membranes for the filtration and desalination of water.

Destruction-polymerization transformations as a source of radiation-induced extended defects in chalcogenide glassy semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shpotyuk, Oleh; Filipecki, Jacek; Shpotyuk, Mykhaylo

2013-01-01

Long-wave shift of the optical transmission spectrum in the region of fundamental optical absorption edge is registered for As 2 S 3 chalcogenide glassy semiconductors after γ-irradiation. This effect is explained in the frameworks of the destruction-polymerization transformations concept by accepting the switching of the heteropolar As-S covalent bonds into homopolar As-As ones. It is assumed that (As 4 + ; S 1 - ) defect pairs are created under such switching. Formula to calculate content of the induced defects in chalcogenide glassy semiconductors is proposed. It is assumed that defects concentration depends on energy of broken covalent bond, bond-switching energy balance, correlation energy, optical band-gap and energy of excitation light. It is shown that theoretically calculated maximally possible content of radiation-induced defects in As 2 S 3 is about 1.6% while concentration of native defects is negligible. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Effect of radiation-induced substrate defects on microstrip gas chamber gain behaviour

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pallares, A.; Brom, J.M.; Bergdolt, A.M.; Coffin, J.; Eberle, H.; Sigward, M.H. [Institute de Recherches Subatomiques, 67 - Strasbourg (France); Fontaine, J.C. [Universite de Haute Alsace, GRPHE, 61 rue Albert Camus, 68093 Mulhouse Cedex (France); Barthe, S.; Schunck, J.P. [Laboratoire PHASE (UPR 292 du CNRS), 23 rue du Loess, BP 28, 67037 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France)

1998-08-01

The aim of this work was to quantify the influence of radiation-induced substrate defects on microstrip gas chamber (MSGC) gain behaviour. The first part of this paper focuses on radiation effects on a typical MSGC substrate: Desag D263 glass. Defect generation was studied for Desag D263 with pure silica (Suprasil 1) as a reference. We studied the evolution of defect concentration with respect to accumulated doses up to 480 kGy. Annealing studies of defects in Desag D263 were also performed. In the second part, the radiation sensitivity of Desag D263 glass has been linked to the behaviour of the detector under irradiation. Comparative gain measurements were taken before and after substrate irradiation at 10 and 80 kGy the minimal dose received during LHC operation and the dose for which defect density is maximum (respectively). (orig.) 26 refs.

A polarity-induced defect mechanism for conductivity and magnetism at polar-nonpolar oxide interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Liping; Zunger, Alex

2014-10-13

The discovery of conductivity and magnetism at the polar-nonpolar interfaces of insulating nonmagnetic oxides such as LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 has raised prospects for attaining interfacial functionalities absent in the component materials. Yet, the microscopic origin of such emergent phenomena remains unclear, posing obstacles to design of improved functionalities. Here we present first principles calculations of electronic and defect properties of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces and reveal a unifying mechanism for the origins of both conductivity and magnetism. We demonstrate that the polar discontinuity across the interface triggers thermodynamically the spontaneous formation of certain defects that in turn cancel the polar field induced by the polar discontinuity. The ionization of the spontaneously formed surface oxygen vacancy defects leads to interface conductivity, whereas the unionized Ti-on-Al antisite defects lead to interface magnetism. The proposed mechanism suggests practical design principles for inducing and controlling both conductivity and magnetism at general polar-nonpolar interfaces.

Structural and defects induced phenomena in γ-rays irradiated 6H-SiC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sibuyi, P.; Ngom, B.D.; Kotsedi, L.

2016-01-01

Damages and/or defects induced by γ-rays irradiation on 6H-SiC single crystals in channeled configuration towards 〈006〉/〈0012〉 crystallographic directions are reported in the range of 0–1200 kGy. Atomic force microscopy, X-rays diffraction, Raman and photoluminescence investigations were used to obtain a comprehensive set of informations on the nature and population distribution of the induced defects. Primarily, there was no carbon clusterization upon γ-rays irradiation and hence no formation of others SiC polytypes. In contrast, the γ-rays irradiation has induced an increase of the surface roughness at higher doses, which indicates a structural degradation. Larger doses induced an emergence of deeper shallow traps at energies greater than 350 meV below the bandgap. - Highlights: • No formation of others SiC polytypes. • The gamma rays irradiation has induced a slight surface amorphization. • A re-crystallization at lower and higher doses is noticed. • Larger doses induced a substantial internal stress.

A molecular dynamics simulation study of irradiation induced defects in gold nanowire

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenqiang; Chen, Piheng; Qiu, Ruizhi; Khan, Maaz; Liu, Jie; Hou, Mingdong; Duan, Jinglai

2017-08-01

Displacement cascade in gold nanowires was studied using molecular dynamics computer simulations. Primary knock-on atoms (PKAs) with different kinetic energies were initiated either at the surface or at the center of the nanowires. We found three kinds of defects that were induced by the cascade, including point defects, stacking faults and crater at the surface. The starting points of PKAs influence the number of residual point defects, and this consequently affect the boundary of anti-radiation window which was proposed by calculation of diffusion of point defects to the free surface of nanowires. Formation of stacking faults that expanded the whole cross-section of gold nanowires was observed when the PKA's kinetic energy was higher than 5 keV. Increasing the PKA's kinetic energy up to more than 10 keV may lead to the formation of crater at the surface of nanowires due to microexplosion of hot atoms. At this energy, PKAs started from the center of nanowires can also result in the creation of crater because length of cascade region is comparable to diameter of nanowires. Both the two factors, namely initial positions of PKAs as well as the craters induced by higher energy irradiation, would influence the ability of radiation resistance of metal nanowires.

Schizophrenia with the 22q11.2 deletion and additional genetic defects: case history.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyosima, M; Maekawa, M; Toyota, T; Iwayama, Y; Arai, M; Ichikawa, T; Miyashita, M; Arinami, T; Itokawa, M; Yoshikawa, T

2011-09-01

The 22q11.2 deletion is the most prominent known genetic risk factor for schizophrenia, but its penetrance is at most approximately 50% suggesting that additional risk factors are required for disease progression. We examined a woman with schizophrenia with this deletion for such risk factors. She had high plasma pentosidine levels ('carbonyl stress') and a frameshift mutation in the responsible gene, GLO1. She also had a constant exotropia, so we examined the PHOX2B gene associated with both schizophrenia and strabismus, and detected a 5-alanine deletion. We propose that the combination of these genetic defects may have exceeded the threshold for the manifestation of schizophrenia.

Kinetic model for electric-field induced point defect redistribution near semiconductor surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Gorai, Prashun; Seebauer, Edmund G.

2014-07-01

The spatial distribution of point defects near semiconductor surfaces affects the efficiency of devices. Near-surface band bending generates electric fields that influence the spatial redistribution of charged mobile defects that exchange infrequently with the lattice, as recently demonstrated for pile-up of isotopic oxygen near rutile TiO2 (110). The present work derives a mathematical model to describe such redistribution and establishes its temporal dependence on defect injection rate and band bending. The model shows that band bending of only a few meV induces significant redistribution, and that the direction of the electric field governs formation of either a valley or a pile-up.

Kinetic model for electric-field induced point defect redistribution near semiconductor surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorai, Prashun; Seebauer, Edmund G.

2014-01-01

The spatial distribution of point defects near semiconductor surfaces affects the efficiency of devices. Near-surface band bending generates electric fields that influence the spatial redistribution of charged mobile defects that exchange infrequently with the lattice, as recently demonstrated for pile-up of isotopic oxygen near rutile TiO 2 (110). The present work derives a mathematical model to describe such redistribution and establishes its temporal dependence on defect injection rate and band bending. The model shows that band bending of only a few meV induces significant redistribution, and that the direction of the electric field governs formation of either a valley or a pile-up.

100 MeV silver ions induced defects and modifications in silica glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jadhav, Vijay S.; Deore, Avinash V.; Dahiwale, S.S. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411007 (India); Kanjilal, D. [Inter University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi 110067 (India); Bhoraskar, V.N. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411007 (India); Dhole, S.D., E-mail: sanjay@physics.unipune.ac.in [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411007 (India)

2014-07-15

Highlights: •Study of silver ion induced defects and modifications in silica glass. •Variation in oxygen deficiency centres (ODA-II) and nonbridging oxygen hole centres (NBOHC). •Study of structural damage in terms of Urbach energy. -- Abstract: A few silica glass samples having 1 cm{sup 2} area and 0.1 cm thickness were irradiated with 100 MeV energy Ag{sup 7+} ions for the fluences ranging from 1 × 10{sup 12} ions/cm{sup 2} to 5 × 10{sup 13} ions/cm{sup 2}. The optical properties and the corresponding induced defects were characterised by the techniques such as UV–Visible, Photoluminescence (PL), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The UV–Visible absorption spectra show two peaks, one at 5 eV and another weak peak at 5.8 eV. A peak observed at 5.0 eV corresponds to B{sub 2} band (oxygen deficiency in SiO{sub 2} network) and the peak at 5.8 eV is due to the paramagnetic defects like E′ centre. The intensities of these peaks found to be increased with increase in ion fluence. It attributes to the increase in the concentration of E′ centres and B{sub 2} band respectively. In addition, the optical band gap energy, Urbach energy and the defects concentration have been calculated using Urbach plot. The optical band gap found to be decreased from 4.65 eV to 4.39 eV and the Urbach energy found to be increased from 60 meV to 162 meV. The defect concentration of nonbridging oxygen hole centres (NBOHC) and E′ centres are found to be increased to 1.69 × 10{sup 13} cm{sup −3} and 3.134 × 10{sup 14} cm{sup −3} respectively. In PL spectra, the peak appeared at 1.92 eV and 2.7 eV envisage the defects of nonbridging oxygen hole centres and B{sub 2α} oxygen deficient centres respectively. ESR spectra also confirms the existence of E′ and NBOHC centres. FTIR spectra shows scissioning of Si-O-Si bonds and the formation of Si-H and Si-OH bonds, which supports to the co-existence of the defects induced by Ag

Optical spectroscopy and microscopy of radiation-induced light-emitting point defects in lithium fluoride crystals and films

Science.gov (United States)

Montereali, R. M.; Bonfigli, F.; Menchini, F.; Vincenti, M. A.

2012-08-01

Broad-band light-emitting radiation-induced F2 and F3+ electronic point defects, which are stable and laser-active at room temperature in lithium fluoride crystals and films, are used in dosimeters, tuneable color-center lasers, broad-band miniaturized light sources and novel radiation imaging detectors. A brief review of their photoemission properties is presented, and their behavior at liquid nitrogen temperatures is discussed. Some experimental data from optical spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy of these radiation-induced point defects in LiF crystals and thin films are used to obtain information about the coloration curves, the efficiency of point defect formation, the effects of photo-bleaching processes, etc. Control of the local formation, stabilization, and transformation of radiation-induced light-emitting defect centers is crucial for the development of optically active micro-components and nanostructures. Some of the advantages of low temperature measurements for novel confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy techniques, widely used for spatial mapping of these point defects through the optical reading of their visible photoluminescence, are highlighted.

Vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome in co-occurrence: two case reports and a review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjørsum-Meyer, Thomas; Herlin, Morten; Qvist, Niels; Petersen, Michael B

2016-12-21

The vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome are rare conditions. We aimed to present two cases with the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser co-occurrence from our local surgical center and through a systematic literature search detect published cases. Furthermore, we aimed to collect existing knowledge in the embryopathogenesis and genetics in order to discuss a possible link between the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. Our first case was a white girl delivered by caesarean section at 37 weeks of gestation; our second case was a white girl born at a gestational age of 40 weeks. A co-occurrence of vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome was diagnosed in both cases. We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed ((VACTERL) OR (VATER)) AND ((MRKH) OR (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser) OR (mullerian agenesis) OR (mullerian aplasia) OR (MURCS)) without limitations. A similar search was performed in Embase and the Cochrane library. We added two cases from our local center. All cases (n = 9) presented with anal atresia and renal defect. Vertebral defects were present in eight patients. Rectovestibular fistula was confirmed in seven patients. Along with the uterovaginal agenesis, fallopian tube aplasia appeared in five of nine cases and in two cases ovarian involvement also existed. The co-occurrence of the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal

Identification of equilibrium and irradiation-induced defects in nuclear ceramics: electronic structure calculations of defect properties and positron annihilation characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiktor, Julia

2015-01-01

During in-pile irradiation the fission of actinide nuclei causes the creation of large amounts of defects, which affect the physical and chemical properties of materials inside the reactor, in particular the fuel and structural materials. Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) can be used to characterize irradiation induced defects, empty or containing fission products. This non-destructive experimental technique involves detecting the radiation generated during electron-positron annihilation in a sample and deducing the properties of the material studied. As positrons get trapped in open volume defects in solids, by measuring their lifetime and momentum distributions of the annihilation radiation, one can obtain information on the open and the chemical environments of the defects. In this work electronic structure calculations of positron annihilation characteristics were performed using two-component density functional theory (TCDFT). To calculate the momentum distributions of the annihilation radiation, we implemented the necessary methods in the open-source ABINIT program. The theoretical results have been used to contribute to the identification of the vacancy defects in two nuclear ceramics, silicon carbide (SiC) and uranium dioxide (UO 2 ). (author) [fr

Transmission electron microscope study of neutron irradiation-induced defects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshima, Ryuichiro; Kawano, Tetsuya; Fujimoto, Ryoji

1994-01-01

Commercial Czochralski-grown silicon (Cz-Si) and float-zone silicon (Fz-Si) wafers were irradiated with fission neutrons at various fluences from 10 19 to 10 22 n/cm 2 at temperatures ranging from 473 K to 1043 K. The irradiation induced defect structures were examined by transmission electron microscopy and ultra high voltage electron microscopy, which were compared with Marlowe code computer simulation results. It was concluded that the vacancy-type damage structure formed at 473 K were initiated from collapse of vacancy-rich regions of cascades, while interstitial type defect clusters formed by irradiation above 673 K were associated with interstitial oxygen atoms and free interstitials which diffused out of the cascades. Complex defect structures were identified to consist of {113} and {111} planar faults by the parallel beam illumination diffraction analysis. (author)

Evolution of Radiation Induced Defects in SiC: A Multiscale Simulation Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hao

temperatures beyond that. Even though clusters cannot diffuse by thermal vibrations, we found they can migrate at room temperature under the influence of electron radiation. This is the first direct observation of radiation-induced diffusion of defect clusters in bulk materials. We show that the underlying mechanism of this athermal diffusion is elastic collision between incoming electrons and cluster atoms. Our findings suggest that defect clusters may be mobile under certain irradiation conditions, changing current understanding of cluster annealing process in irradiated SiC. With the knowledge of cluster diffusion in SiC demonstrated in this thesis, we now become able to predict cluster evolution in SiC with good agreement with experimental measurements. This ability can enable us to estimate changes in many properties of irradiated SiC relevant for its applications in reactors. Internal interfaces such as grain boundaries can behave as sinks to radiation induced defects. The ability of GBs to absorb, transport, and annihilate radiation-induced defects (sink strength) is important to understand radiation response of polycrystalline materials and to better design interfaces for improved resistance to radiation damage. Nowadays, it is established GBs' sink strength is not a static property but rather evolves with many factors, including radiation environments, grain size, and GB microstructure. In this thesis, I investigated the response of small-angle tilt and twist GBs to point defects fluxes in SiC. First of all, I found the pipe diffusion of interstitials in tilt GBs is slower than bulk diffusion. This is because the increased interatomic distance at dislocation cores raises the migration barrier of interstitial dumbbells. Furthermore, I show that both the annihilation of interstitials at jogs and jog nucleation from clusters are diffusion-controlled and can occur under off-stoichiometric interstitial fluxes. Finally, a dislocation line model is developed to predict the

Genetic Engineering and the Amelioration of Genetic Defect

Science.gov (United States)

Lederberg, Joshua

1970-01-01

Discusses the claims for a brave new world of genetic manipulation" and concludes that if we could agree upon applying genetic (or any other effective) remedies to global problems we probably would need no rescourse to them. Suggests that effective methods of preventing genetic disease are prevention of mutations and detection and…

Contribution of Metal Defects in the Assembly Induced Emission of Cu Nanoclusters

KAUST Repository

Wu, Zhennan

2017-03-20

Aggregation/assembly induced emission (AIE) has been observed for metal nanoclusters (NCs), but the origin of the enhanced emission is not fully understood, yet. In this work, the significant contribution of metal defects on AIE is revealed by engineering the self-assembly process of Cu NCs using ethanol. The presence of ethanol leads to a rapid assembly of NCs into ultrathin nanosheets, promoting the formation of metal defects-rich surface. Detailed studies and computer simulation confirm that the metal defects-rich nanosheets possess increased Cu(I)-to-Cu(0) ratio, which greatly influences ligand-to-metal-metal charge transfer and therewith facilitates the radiative relaxation of excitons. Consequently, the Cu NCs self-assembly nanosheets exhibit obvious emission enhancement.

Segregation of Spontaneous and Training Induced Recovery from Visual Field Defects in Subacute Stroke Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douwe P. Bergsma

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Whether rehabilitation after stroke profits from an early start is difficult to establish as the contributions of spontaneous recovery and treatment are difficult to tease apart. Here, we use a novel training design to dissociate these components for visual rehabilitation of subacute stroke patients with visual field defects such as hemianopia. Visual discrimination training was started within 6 weeks after stroke in 17 patients. Spontaneous and training-induced recoveries were distinguished by training one-half of the defect for 8 weeks, while monitoring spontaneous recovery in the other (control half of the defect. Next, trained and control regions were swapped, and training continued for another 8 weeks. The same paradigm was also applied to seven chronic patients for whom spontaneous recovery can be excluded and changes in the control half of the defect point to a spillover effect of training. In both groups, field stability was assessed during a no-intervention period. Defect reduction was significantly greater in the trained part of the defect than in the simultaneously untrained part of the defect irrespective of training onset (p = 0.001. In subacute patients, training contributed about twice as much to their defect reduction as the spontaneous recovery. Goal Attainment Scores were significantly and positively correlated with the total defect reduction (p = 0.01, percentage increase reading speed was significantly and positively correlated with the defect reduction induced by training (epoch 1: p = 0.0044; epoch 2: p = 0.023. Visual training adds significantly to the spontaneous recovery of visual field defects, both during training in the early and the chronic stroke phase. However, field recovery as a result of training in this subacute phase was as large as in the chronic phase. This suggests that patients benefited primarily of early onset training by gaining access to a larger visual field sooner.

Genetic and environmental effects on a meat spotting defect in seasoned dry-cured ham

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giulio Pagnacco

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose of this investigation was to determine the nature of a visible spotting defect on the slice of dry-cured ham and assess environmental and genetic causes of this frequent problem. A group of 233 pigs from commercial cross-breeding lines, progeny of ten boars and forty seven sows, was raised in a single herd to obtain the “Italian Heavy Pig”, typically slaughtered at 160 ± 10 kg live weight and older than 9 months of age. A quality evaluation of their right dry-cured hams, seasoned according to the Parma P.D.O. protocol, was undertaken. Each ham was cross-sectioned to obtain a slice of Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus and Biceps Femoris muscles. The focused phenotype was the presence/absence of brownish spots in these muscles, which represent a remarkable meat defect with strong impact on the final sale price. Environmental and management factors were considered in order to evaluate variability related to the phenotype. Animals were raised on two different flooring types (concrete and slatted floor and a Vitamin C diet was also supplemented in the last 45 days before slaughtering to half of the animals. While the pre-planned environmental effects did not show any significant contribution to the total variability of the phenotype, the genetic analysis showed a near to zero value for heritability with a consistent 0.32 repeatability. The proportion of the total phenotypic variance was explained by an important dominance genetic component (0.26 indicating that the technological seasoning process may play a secondary role on the expression of this phenotype.

Effect of irradiation-induced defects on fusion reactor ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clinard, F.W. Jr.

1986-01-01

Structural, thermal, and electrical properties critical to performance of ceramics in a fusion environment can be profoundly altered by irradiation effects. Neutron damage may cause swelling, reduction of thermal conductivity, increase in dielectric loss, and either reduction or enhancement of strength depending on the crystal structure and defect content of the material. Absorption of ionizing energy inevitably leads to degradation of insulating properties, but these changes can be reduced by alterations in structural or compositional makeup. Assessment of the irradiation response of candidate ceramics Al 2 O 3 , MgAl 2 O 4 , SiC and Si 3 N 4 shows that each may find use in advanced fusion devices. The present understanding of irradiation-induced defects in ceramics, while far from complete, nevertheless points the way to methods for developing improved materials for fusion applications

Impurity Role In Mechanically Induced Defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, R.H.; Asoka-Kumar, P.; Hartley, J.; Sterne, P.

2000-01-01

An improved understanding of dislocation dynamics and interactions is an outstanding problem in the multi scale modeling of materials properties, and is the current focus of major theoretical efforts world wide. We have developed experimental and theoretical tools that will enable us to measure and calculate quantities defined by the defect structure. Unique to the measurements is a new spectroscopy that determines the detailed elemental composition at the defect site. The measurements are based on positron annihilation spectroscopy performed with a 3 MeV positron beam [1]. Positron annihilation spectroscopy is highly sensitive to dislocations and associated defects and can provide unique elements of the defect size and structure. Performing this spectroscopy with a highly penetrating positron beam enables flexibility in sample handling. Experiments on fatigued and stressed samples have been done and in situ measurement capabilities have been developed. We have recently performed significant upgrades to the accelerator operation and novel new experiments have been performed [2-4] To relate the spectrographic results and the detailed structure of a defect requires detailed calculations. Measurements are coupled with calculated results based on a description of positions of atoms at the defect. This gives an atomistic view of dislocations and associated defects including impurity interactions. Our ability to probe impurity interactions is a unique contribution to defect understanding not easily addressed by other atomistic spectroscopies

What can we learn from Raman Spectroscopy on irradiation-induced defects in UO2?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desgranges, L.; Martin, Ph.; Simon, P.; Guimbretiere, G.; Baldinozzi, G.

2014-01-01

Recent results on irradiated UO 2 by Raman spectroscopy evidenced Raman lines that are characteristic of irradiation-induced defects. Three main mechanisms are identified to explain their origin: resonant Raman, formation of new molecular entities, or breakdown in symmetry. Arguments are given to consider breakdown in symmetry as the predominant mechanism. A tentative description of the defects at the origin of this symmetry breakdown is proposed in terms of coordination polyhedrons of uranium. This discussion led us to consider that the Raman defect modes could be related to area with different stoichiometry. (authors)

Optical manipulation of photonic defect-modes in cholesteric liquid crystals induced by direct laser-lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Lee, Chee Heng; Miura, Yusuke; Fujii, Akihiko; Ozaki, Masanori

2008-01-01

Manipulation of photonic defect-modes in cholesteric liquid crystals (ChLCs), which are one-dimensional pseudo photonic band-gap materials have been demonstrated by an external optical field. A structural defect in which the pitch length of the ChLC in the bulk and the defect are different was introduced by inducing local polymerization in a photo-polymerizable ChLC material by a direct laser-lithography process, and infiltrating a different ChLC material as the defect medium. When an azobenzene dye-doped ChLC was infiltrated in the defect, the trans-cis isomerization of the dye upon ultraviolet (UV) exposure caused the pitch to shorten, changing the contrast in the pitch lengths at the bulk and the defect, leading to a consequent shifting of the defect-mode. The all-optical manipulation was reversible and had high reproducibility

High resolution deep level transient spectroscopy and process-induced defects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans-Freeman, J.H.; Emiroglu, D.; Vernon-Parry, K.D.

2004-01-01

High resolution, or Laplace, deep level transient spectroscopy (LDLTS) enables the identification of very closely spaced energetic levels in a semiconductor bandgap. DLTS may resolve peaks with a separation of tens of electron volts, but LDLTS can resolve defect energy separations as low as a few MeV. In this paper, we present results from LDLTS applied to ion implantation-induced defects in silicon, with particular emphasis on characterisation of end-of-range interstitial type defects. Silicon was implanted with a variety of ions from mass 28 to 166. A combination of LDLTS and direct capture cross-section measurements was employed to show that electrically active small extended defects were present in the as-implanted samples. Larger dislocations were then generated in Si by oxygenation to act as a control sample. These stacking faults had typical lengths of microns, and their electrical activity was subsequently characterised by LDLTS. This was to establish the sensitivity of LDLTS to defects whose carrier capture is characterised by a non-exponential filling process and an evolving band structure as carrier capture proceeds. The LDLTS spectra show several components in capacitance transients originating from both the end-of-range defects, and the stacking faults, and also clearly show that the carrier emission rates reduce as these extended defects fill with carriers. The end-of-range defects and the stacking faults are shown to have the same electrical behaviour

Taurine protects methamphetamine-induced developmental angiogenesis defect through antioxidant mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao, Xue; Hu, Zhengtao; Hu, Chunyan; Bu, Qian; Yan, Guangyan; Deng, Pengchi; Lv, Lei; Wu, Dan; Deng, Yi; Zhao, Jinxuan; Zhu, Ruiming; Li, Yan; Li, Hongyu; Xu, Youzhi; Yang, Hanshuo; Zhao, Yinglan; Cen, Xiaobo

2012-01-01

Investigations have characterized addictive drug-induced developmental cardiovascular malformation in human, non-human primate and rodent. However, the underlying mechanism of malformation caused by drugs during pregnancy is still largely unknown, and preventive and therapeutic measures have been lacking. Using 1 H NMR spectroscopy, we profiled the metabolites from human embryo endothelial cells exposed to methamphetamine (METH) and quantified a total of 226 peaks. We identified 11 metabolites modified robustly and found that taurine markedly increased. We then validated the hypothesis that this dramatic increase in taurine could attribute to its effect in inhibiting METH-induced developmental angiogenesis defect. Taurine supplement showed a more significant potential than other metabolites in protecting against METH-induced injury in endothelial cells. Taurine strongly attenuated METH-induced inhibition of proliferation and migration in endothelial cells. Furthermore, death rate and vessel abnormality of zebrafish embryos treated with METH were greatly reversed by taurine. In addition, taurine supplement caused a rapid decrease in reactive oxygen species generation and strongly attenuated the excitable arise of antioxidase activities in the beginning of METH exposure prophase. Dysregulations of NF-κB, p-ERK as well as Bax, which reflect apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and oxidative stress in vascular endothelium, were blocked by taurine. Our results provide the first evidence that taurine prevents METH-caused developmental angiogenesis defect through antioxidant mechanism. Taurine could serve as a potential therapeutic or preventive intervention of developmental vascular malformation for the pregnant women with drug use. Highlights: ► Metabonomics findings. ► Abnormal development. ► Dysregulations of key proteins.

Taurine protects methamphetamine-induced developmental angiogenesis defect through antioxidant mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shao, Xue; Hu, Zhengtao; Hu, Chunyan; Bu, Qian; Yan, Guangyan [National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041 (China); Deng, Pengchi [Analytical and Testing Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041 (China); Lv, Lei [National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041 (China); Wu, Dan [College of Basic and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041 (China); Deng, Yi; Zhao, Jinxuan; Zhu, Ruiming; Li, Yan; Li, Hongyu; Xu, Youzhi; Yang, Hanshuo; Zhao, Yinglan [National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041 (China); Cen, Xiaobo, E-mail: xbcenalan@vip.sina.com [National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Lab of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041 (China)

2012-05-01

Investigations have characterized addictive drug-induced developmental cardiovascular malformation in human, non-human primate and rodent. However, the underlying mechanism of malformation caused by drugs during pregnancy is still largely unknown, and preventive and therapeutic measures have been lacking. Using {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy, we profiled the metabolites from human embryo endothelial cells exposed to methamphetamine (METH) and quantified a total of 226 peaks. We identified 11 metabolites modified robustly and found that taurine markedly increased. We then validated the hypothesis that this dramatic increase in taurine could attribute to its effect in inhibiting METH-induced developmental angiogenesis defect. Taurine supplement showed a more significant potential than other metabolites in protecting against METH-induced injury in endothelial cells. Taurine strongly attenuated METH-induced inhibition of proliferation and migration in endothelial cells. Furthermore, death rate and vessel abnormality of zebrafish embryos treated with METH were greatly reversed by taurine. In addition, taurine supplement caused a rapid decrease in reactive oxygen species generation and strongly attenuated the excitable arise of antioxidase activities in the beginning of METH exposure prophase. Dysregulations of NF-κB, p-ERK as well as Bax, which reflect apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and oxidative stress in vascular endothelium, were blocked by taurine. Our results provide the first evidence that taurine prevents METH-caused developmental angiogenesis defect through antioxidant mechanism. Taurine could serve as a potential therapeutic or preventive intervention of developmental vascular malformation for the pregnant women with drug use. Highlights: ► Metabonomics findings. ► Abnormal development. ► Dysregulations of key proteins.

Institute of Genetics. Progress report on research and development activities in 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The Institute of Genetics performed R and D work on the following subjects: Effects induced by radiation, oxygen radicals, and chemical mutagens; Regulation of genetic activity; Mechanisms of tumor spreading; Genetic models of mice for simulation of defects in man; p53 and the 'dioxin' receptor as targets of toxic agents. The research results achieved in the reporting period are reviewed and explained. (orig./MG) [de

Influence of the formation- and passivation rate of boron-oxygen defects for mitigating carrier-induced degradation in silicon within a hydrogen-based model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hallam, Brett; Abbott, Malcolm; Nampalli, Nitin; Hamer, Phill; Wenham, Stuart

2016-01-01

A three-state model is used to explore the influence of defect formation- and passivation rates of carrier-induced degradation related to boron-oxygen complexes in boron-doped p-type silicon solar cells within a hydrogen-based model. The model highlights that the inability to effectively mitigate carrier-induced degradation at elevated temperatures in previous studies is due to the limited availability of defects for hydrogen passivation, rather than being limited by the defect passivation rate. An acceleration of the defect formation rate is also observed to increase both the effectiveness and speed of carrier-induced degradation mitigation, whereas increases in the passivation rate do not lead to a substantial acceleration of the hydrogen passivation process. For high-throughput mitigation of such carrier-induced degradation on finished solar cell devices, two key factors were found to be required, high-injection conditions (such as by using high intensity illumination) to enable an acceleration of defect formation whilst simultaneously enabling a rapid passivation of the formed defects, and a high temperature to accelerate both defect formation and defect passivation whilst still ensuring an effective mitigation of carrier-induced degradation

Effects of point defect trapping and solute segregation on irradiation-induced swelling and creep

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansur, L.K.

1978-01-01

The theory of irradiation swelling and creep, generalized to include impurity trapping of point defects and impurity-induced changes in sink efficiencies for point defects, is reviewed. The mathematical framework is developed and significant results are described. These include the relation between vacancy and interstitial trapping and the effectiveness of trapping as compared to segregation-induced changes in sink efficiencies in modifying void nucleation, void growth, and creep. Current understanding is critically assessed. Several areas requiring further development are identified. In particular those given special attention are the treatment of nondilute solutions and the consequences of current uncertainties in fundamental materials properties whose importance has been identified using the theory

Universal Effectiveness of Inducing Magnetic Moments in Graphene by Amino-Type sp3-Defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Tang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Inducing magnetic moments in graphene is very important for its potential application in spintronics. Introducing sp3-defects on the graphene basal plane is deemed as the most promising approach to produce magnetic graphene. However, its universal validity has not been very well verified experimentally. By functionalization of approximately pure amino groups on graphene basal plane, a spin-generalization efficiency of ~1 μB/100 NH2 was obtained for the first time, thus providing substantial evidence for the validity of inducing magnetic moments by sp3-defects. As well, amino groups provide another potential sp3-type candidate to prepare magnetic graphene.

Origin of the defects-induced ferromagnetism in un-doped ZnO single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, Peng; Xie, Zheng; Li, Zhengcao; Wang, Weipeng; Zhang, Zhengjun; Li, Zhuoxin; Cheng, Guodong; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Baoyi; Cao, Xingzhong

2013-02-01

We clarified, in this Letter, that in un-doped ZnO single crystals after thermal annealing in flowing argon, the defects-induced room-temperature ferromagnetism was originated from the surface defects and specifically, from singly occupied oxygen vacancies denoted as F+, by the optical and electrical properties measurements as well as positron annihilation analysis. In addition, a positive linear relationship was observed between the ferromagnetism and the F+ concentration, which is in support with the above clarification.

[Effect of simvastatin on inducing endothelial progenitor cells homing and promoting bone defect repair].

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Quansheng; Wang, Lingying; Zhu, Jinglin; Han, Xiaoguang; Li, Xu; Yang, Yanlin; Sun, Yan; Song, Chunli

2010-09-01

To investigate the effect of simvastatin on inducing endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) homing and promoting bone defect repair, and to explore the mechanism of local implanting simvastatin in promoting bone formation. Simvastatin (50 mg) compounded with polylactic acid (PLA, 200 mg) or only PLA (200 mg) was dissolved in acetone (1 mL) to prepare implanted materials (Simvastatin-PLA material, PLA material). EPCs were harvested from bone marrow of 2 male rabbits and cultured with M199; after identified by immunohistochemistry, the cell suspension of EPCs at the 3rd generation (2 x 10(6) cells/mL) was prepared and transplanted into 12 female rabbits through auricular veins (2 mL). After 3 days, the models of cranial defect with 15 cm diameter were made in the 12 female rabbits. And the defects were repaired with Simvastatin-PLA materials (experimental group, n=6) and PLA materials (control group, n=6), respectively. The bone repair was observed after 8 weeks of operation by gross appearance, X-ray film, and histology; gelatin-ink perfusion and HE staining were used to show the new vessels formation in the defect. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed to show the EPCs homing at the defect site. All experimental animals of 2 groups survived to the end of the experiment. After 8 weeks in experimental group, new bone formation was observed in the bone defect by gross and histology, and an irregular, hyperdense shadow by X-ray film; no similar changes were observed in control group. FISH showed that the male EPC containing Y chromosome was found in the wall of new vessels in the defect of experimental group, while no male EPC containing Y chromosome was found in control group. The percentage of new bone formation in defect area was 91.63% +/- 4.07% in experimental group and 59.45% +/- 5.43% in control group, showing significant difference (P < 0.05). Simvastatin can promote bone defect repair, and its mechanism is probably associated with inducing EPCs

Maternal obesity and tobacco use modify the impact of genetic variants on the occurrence of conotruncal heart defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xinyu; Nick, Todd G; Cleves, Mario A; Erickson, Stephen W; Li, Ming; Li, Jingyun; MacLeod, Stewart L; Hobbs, Charlotte A

2014-01-01

Conotruncal heart defects (CTDs) are among the most severe birth defects worldwide. Studies of CTDs indicate both lifestyle behaviors and genetic variation contribute to the risk of CTDs. Based on a hybrid design using data from 616 case-parental and 1645 control-parental triads recruited for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study between 1997 and 2008, we investigated whether the occurrence of CTDs is associated with interactions between 921 maternal and/or fetal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and maternal obesity and tobacco use. The maternal genotypes of the variants in the glutamate-cysteine ligase, catalytic subunit (GCLC) gene and the fetal genotypes of the variants in the glutathione S-transferase alpha 3 (GSTA3) gene were associated with an elevated risk of CTDs among obese mothers. The risk of delivering infants with CTDs among obese mothers carrying AC genotype for a variant in the GCLC gene (rs6458939) was 2.00 times the risk among those carrying CC genotype (95% confidence interval: 1.41, 2.38). The maternal genotypes of several variants in the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) family of genes and the fetal genotypes of the variants in the GCLC gene interacted with tobacco exposures to increase the risk of CTDs. Our study suggests that the genetic basis underlying susceptibility of the developing heart to the adverse effects of maternal obesity and tobacco use involve both maternal and embryonic genetic variants. These results may provide insights into the underlying pathophysiology of CTDs, and ultimately lead to novel prevention strategies.

Characterisation of irradiation-induced defects in ZnO single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prochazka, I; Cizek, J; Lukac, F; Melikhova, O; Valenta, J; Havranek, V; Anwand, W; Skuratov, V A; Strukova, T S

2016-01-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) combined with optical methods was employed for characterisation of defects in the hydrothermally grown ZnO single crystals irradiated by 167 MeV Xe 26+ ions to fluences ranged from 3×10 12 to 1×10 14 cm -2 . The positron lifetime (LT), Doppler broadening as well as slow-positron implantation spectroscopy (SPIS) techniques were involved. The ab-initio theoretical calculations were utilised for interpretation of LT results. The optical transmission and photoluminescence measurements were conducted, too. The virgin ZnO crystal exhibited a single component LT spectrum with a lifetime of 182 ps which is attributed to saturated positron trapping in Zn vacancies associated with hydrogen atoms unintentionally introduced into the crystal during the crystal growth. The Xe ion irradiated ZnO crystals have shown an additional component with a longer lifetime of ≈ 360 ps which comes from irradiation-induced larger defects equivalent in size to clusters of ≈10 to 12 vacancies. The concentrations of these clusters were estimated on the basis of combined LT and SPIS data. The PAS data were correlated with irradiation induced changes seen in the optical spectroscopy experiments. (paper)

Characterisation of irradiation-induced defects in ZnO single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Prochazka, I.; Cizek, J.; Lukac, F.; Melikhova, O.; Valenta, J.; Havranek, V.; Anwand, W.; Skuratov, V. A.; Strukova, T. S.

2016-01-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) combined with optical methods was employed for characterisation of defects in the hydrothermally grown ZnO single crystals irradiated by 167 MeV Xe26+ ions to fluences ranged from 3×1012 to 1×1014 cm-2. The positron lifetime (LT), Doppler broadening as well as slow-positron implantation spectroscopy (SPIS) techniques were involved. The ab-initio theoretical calculations were utilised for interpretation of LT results. The optical transmission and photoluminescence measurements were conducted, too. The virgin ZnO crystal exhibited a single component LT spectrum with a lifetime of 182 ps which is attributed to saturated positron trapping in Zn vacancies associated with hydrogen atoms unintentionally introduced into the crystal during the crystal growth. The Xe ion irradiated ZnO crystals have shown an additional component with a longer lifetime of ≈ 360 ps which comes from irradiation-induced larger defects equivalent in size to clusters of ≈10 to 12 vacancies. The concentrations of these clusters were estimated on the basis of combined LT and SPIS data. The PAS data were correlated with irradiation induced changes seen in the optical spectroscopy experiments.

Annealing of hydrogen-induced defects in RF-plasma-treated Si wafers: ex situ and in situ transmission electron microscopy studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghica, C; Nistor, L C; Vizireanu, S; Dinescu, G

2011-01-01

The smart-cut(TM) process is based on inducing and processing structural defects below the free surface of semiconductor wafers. The necessary defects are currently induced by implantation of light elements such as hydrogen or helium. An alternative softer way to induce shallow subsurface defects is by RF-plasma hydrogenation. To facilitate the smart-cut process, the wafers containing the induced defects need to be subjected to an appropriate thermal treatment. In our experiments, (0 0 1) Si wafers are submitted to 200 and 50 W hydrogen RF-plasma and are subsequently annealed. The samples are studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), before and after annealing. The plasma-introduced defects are {1 1 1} and {1 0 0} planar-like defects and nanocavities, all of them involving hydrogen. Many nanocavities are aligned into strings almost parallel to the wafer surface. The annealing is performed either by furnace thermal treatment at 550 deg. C, or by in situ heating in the electron microscope at 450, 650 and 800 deg. C during the TEM observations. The TEM microstructural studies indicate a partial healing of the planar defects and a size increase of the nanometric cavities by a coalescence process of the small neighbouring nanocavities. By annealing, the lined up nanometric voids forming chains in the as-hydrogenated sample coalesced into well-defined cracks, mostly parallel to the wafer surface.

Defects induced ferromagnetism in Mn doped ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chattopadhyay, S.; Neogi, S.K. [Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, 92A P C Road, Kolkata 700009 (India); Sarkar, A. [Department of Physics, Bangabasi Morning College, Kolkata 700009 (India); Mukadam, M.D.; Yusuf, S.M. [Solid State Physics Division, Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Banerjee, A. [Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, 92A P C Road, Kolkata 700009 (India); Bandyopadhyay, S., E-mail: sbaphy@caluniv.ac.i [Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, 92A P C Road, Kolkata 700009 (India)

2011-02-15

Single phase Mn doped (2 at%) ZnO samples have been synthesized by the solid-state reaction technique. Before the final sintering at 500 {sup o}C, the mixed powders have been milled for different milling periods (6, 24, 48 and 96 h). The grain sizes of the samples are very close to each other ({approx}32{+-}4 nm). However, the defective state of the samples is different from each other as manifested from the variation of magnetic properties and electrical resistivity with milling time. All the samples have been found to be ferromagnetic with clear hysteresis loops at room temperature. The maximum value for saturation magnetization (0.11 {mu}{sub B}/Mn atom) was achieved for 96 h milled sample. Electrical resistivity has been found to increase with increase in milling time. The most resistive sample bears the largest saturation magnetization. Variation of average positron lifetime with milling time bears a close similarity with that of the saturation magnetization. This indicates the key role played by open volume vacancy defects, presumably zinc vacancies near grain surfaces, in inducing ferromagnetic order in Mn doped ZnO. To attain optimum defect configuration favorable for ferromagnetism in this kind of samples proper choice of milling period and annealing conditions is required. - Research highlights: 2 at% Mn doped ZnO samples are single phase. All the samples exhibit ferromagnetism at room temperature. Correlation between saturation magnetization and positron annihilation lifetime established.

Defects induced ferromagnetism in Mn doped ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chattopadhyay, S.; Neogi, S.K.; Sarkar, A.; Mukadam, M.D.; Yusuf, S.M.; Banerjee, A.; Bandyopadhyay, S.

2011-01-01

Single phase Mn doped (2 at%) ZnO samples have been synthesized by the solid-state reaction technique. Before the final sintering at 500 o C, the mixed powders have been milled for different milling periods (6, 24, 48 and 96 h). The grain sizes of the samples are very close to each other (∼32±4 nm). However, the defective state of the samples is different from each other as manifested from the variation of magnetic properties and electrical resistivity with milling time. All the samples have been found to be ferromagnetic with clear hysteresis loops at room temperature. The maximum value for saturation magnetization (0.11 μ B /Mn atom) was achieved for 96 h milled sample. Electrical resistivity has been found to increase with increase in milling time. The most resistive sample bears the largest saturation magnetization. Variation of average positron lifetime with milling time bears a close similarity with that of the saturation magnetization. This indicates the key role played by open volume vacancy defects, presumably zinc vacancies near grain surfaces, in inducing ferromagnetic order in Mn doped ZnO. To attain optimum defect configuration favorable for ferromagnetism in this kind of samples proper choice of milling period and annealing conditions is required. - Research highlights: → 2 at% Mn doped ZnO samples are single phase. → All the samples exhibit ferromagnetism at room temperature. → Correlation between saturation magnetization and positron annihilation lifetime established.

Circular patterns of calcium oxalate monohydrate induced by defective Langmuir-Blodgett film on quartz substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He Jieyu [Institute of Biomineralization and Lithiasis Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Institute of Biomineralization and Lithiasis Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Ouyang Jianming [Institute of Biomineralization and Lithiasis Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Institute of Biomineralization and Lithiasis Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China)], E-mail: toyjm@jnu.edu.cn

2009-01-01

The defective Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) on quartz injured by potassium oxalate (K{sub 2}C{sub 2}O{sub 4}) was used as a model system to induce growth of calcium oxalate crystals. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicated that circular defective domains with a diameter of 1-200 {mu}m existed in the LB film. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed circular patterns of aggregated calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystallites were induced by these defective domains. It was ascribed to that the interaction between the negatively-charged oxalate ions and the phosphatidyl groups in DPPC headgroups makes the phospholipid molecules rearranged and exist in an out-of-order state in the LB film, especially at the boundaries of liquid-condensed (LC)/liquid-expanded (LE) phases, which provide much more nucleating sites for COM crystals.

Edge dislocations as sinks for sub-nanometric radiation induced defects in α-iron

Science.gov (United States)

Anento, N.; Malerba, L.; Serra, A.

2018-01-01

The role of edge dislocations as sinks for small radiation induced defects in bcc-Fe is investigated by means of atomistic computer simulation. In this work we investigate by Molecular Statics (T = 0K) the interaction between an immobile dislocation line and defect clusters of small sizes invisible experimentally. The study highlights in particular the anisotropy of the interaction and distinguishes between absorbed and trapped defects. When the considered defect intersects the dislocation glide plane and the distance from the dislocation line to the defect is on the range between 2 nm and 4 nm, either total or partial absorption of the cluster takes place leading to the formation of jogs. Residual defects produced during partial absorption pin the dislocation. By the calculation of stress-strain curves we have assessed the strength of those residues as obstacles for the motion of the dislocation, which is reflected on the unpinning stresses and the binding energies obtained. When the defect is outside this range, but on planes close to the dislocation glide plane, instead of absorption we have observed a capture process. Finally, with a view to introducing explicitly in kinetic Monte Carlo models a sink with the shape of a dislocation line, we have summarized our findings on a table presenting the most relevant parameters, which define the interaction of the dislocation with the defects considered.

In vitro chondrogenesis and in vivo repair of osteochondral defect with human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Ji-Yun; Kim, Kyung-Il; Park, Siyeon; Im, Gun-Il

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the chondrogenic features of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and examine the differences in the chondrogenesis between hiPSCs and human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBMMSCs). Embryoid bodies (EBs) were formed from undifferentiated hiPSCs. After EBs were dissociated into single cells, chondrogenic culture was performed in pellets and alginate hydrogel. Chondro-induced hiPSCs were implanted in osteochondral defects created on the patellar groove of immunosuppressed rats and evaluated after 12 weeks. The ESC markers NANOG, SSEA4 and OCT3/4 disappeared while the mesodermal marker BMP-4 appeared in chondro-induced hiPSCs. After 21 days of culture, greater glycosaminoglycan contents and better chondrocytic features including lacuna and abundant matrix formation were observed from chondro-induced hiPSCs compared to chondro-induced hBMMSCs. The expression of chondrogenic markers including SOX-9, type II collagen, and aggrecan in chondro-induced hiPSCs was comparable to or greater than chondro-induced hBMMSCs. A remarkably low level of hypertrophic and osteogenic markers including type X collagen, type I collagen and Runx-2 was noted in chondro-induced hiPSCs compared to chondro-induced hBMMSCs. hiPSCs had significantly greater methylation of several CpG sites in COL10A1 promoter than hBMMSCs in either undifferentiated or chondro-induced state, suggesting an epigenetic cause of the difference in hypertrophy. The defects implanted with chondro-induced hiPSCs showed a significantly better quality of cartilage repair than the control defects, and the majority of cells in the regenerated cartilage consisted of implanted hiPSCs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polymers under ionizing radiation: the study of energy transfers to radiation induced defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventura, A.

2013-01-01

Radiation-induced defects created in polymers submitted to ionizing radiations, under inert atmosphere, present the same trend as a function of the dose. When the absorbed dose increases, their concentrations increase then level off. This behavior can be assigned to energy transfers from the polymer to the previously created macromolecular defects; the latter acting as energy sinks. During this thesis, we aimed to specify the influence of a given defect, namely the trans-vinylene, in the behavior of polyethylene under ionizing radiations. For this purpose, we proposed a new methodology based on the specific insertion, at various concentrations, of trans-vinylene groups in the polyethylene backbone through chemical synthesis. This enables to get rid of the variety of created defects on one hand and on the simultaneity of their creation on the other hand. Modified polyethylenes, containing solely trans-vinylene as odd groups, were irradiated under inert atmosphere, using either low LET beams (gamma, beta) or high LET beams (swift heavy ions). During irradiations, both macromolecular defects and H 2 emission were quantified. According to experimental results, among all defects, the influence of the trans-vinylene on the behavior of polyethylene is predominant. (author) [fr

In-Situ Photoexcitation-Induced Suppression of Point Defect Generation in Ion Implanted Silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, C.R.; Rozgonyi, G.A.; Yarykin, N.; Zuhr, R.A.

1999-01-01

The formation of vacancy-related defects in n-type silicon has been studied immediately after implantation of He, Si, or Ge ions at 85 K using in-situ DLTS. A-center concentrations in He-implanted samples reach a maximum immediately after implantation, whereas, with Si or Ge ion implanted samples they continuously increase during subsequent anneals. It is proposed that defect clusters, which emit vacancies during anneals, are generated in the collision cascades of Si or Ge ions. An illumination-induced suppression of A-center formation is seen immediately after implantation of He ions at 85 K. This effect is also observed with Si or Ge ions, but only after annealing. The suppression of vacancy complex formation via photoexcitation is believed to occur due to an enhanced recombination of defects during ion implantation, and results in reduced number of vacancies remaining in the defect clusters. In p-type silicon, a reduction in K-center formation and an enhanced migration of defects are concurrently observed in the illuminated sample implanted with Si ions. These observations are consistent with a model where the injection of excess carriers modifies the defect charge state and impacts their diffusion

The genetics of radiation-induced osteosarcoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosemann, M.; Kuosaite, V.; Nathrath, M.; Atkinson, M.J.

2002-01-01

Individual genetic variation can influence susceptibility to the carcinogenic effects of many environmental carcinogens. In radiation-exposed populations those individuals with a greater genetically determined susceptibility would be at greater risk of developing cancer. To include this modification of risk into radiation protection schemes it is necessary to identify the genes responsible for determining individual sensitivity. Alpha-particle-induced osteosarcoma in the mouse has been adopted as a model of human radiation carcinogenesis, and genome-wide screens have been conducted for allelic imbalance and genetic linkage. These studies have revealed a series of genes involved in determining the sensitivity to radiogenic osteosarcoma formation. (author)

Implantation processing of Si: A unified approach to understanding ion-induced defects and their impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holland, O.W.; Roth, E.G.

1997-05-01

A model is presented to account for the effects of ion-induced defects during implantation processing of Si. It will be shown that processing is quite generally affected by the presence of defect excesses rather than the total number of defects. a defect is considered excess if it represents a surplus locally of one defect type over its compliment. Processing spanning a wide range of implantation conditions will be presented to demonstrate that the majority of the total defects played little or no role in the process. This is a direct result of the ease with which the spatially correlated Frenkel pairs recombine either dynamically or during a post-implantation annealing. Based upon this model, a method will be demonstrated for manipulating or engineering the excess defects to modify their effects. In particular high-energy, self-ions are shown to inject vacancies into a boron implanted region resulting in suppression of transient enhanced diffusion of the dopant

Congenital Heart Defects (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... to be associated with genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome . But the cause of most congenital heart defects isn't known. While they can't be prevented, many treatments are available for the defects and related health ...

Investigation of defect-induced abnormal body current in fin field-effect-transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Kuan-Ju; Tsai, Jyun-Yu; Lu, Ying-Hsin; Liu, Xi-Wen; Chang, Ting-Chang; Chen, Ching-En; Yang, Ren-Ya; Cheng, Osbert; Huang, Cheng-Tung

2015-01-01

This letter investigates the mechanism of abnormal body current at the linear region in n-channel high-k/metal gate stack fin field effect transistors. Unlike body current, which is generated by impact ionization at high drain voltages, abnormal body current was found to increase with decreasing drain voltages. Notably, the unusual body leakage only occurs in three-dimensional structure devices. Based on measurements under different operation conditions, the abnormal body current can be attributed to fin surface defect-induced leakage current, and the mechanism is electron tunneling to the fin via the defects, resulting in holes left at the body terminal

Radiation-induced segregation: A microchemical gauge to quantify fundamental defect parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonen, E.P.; Bruemmer, S.M.

1994-12-01

Defect Kinetic are evaluated for austenitic stainless alloys by comparing model predictions to measured responses for radiation-induced grain boundary segregation. Heavy-ions, neutrons and proton irradiations having substantial statistical bases are examined. The combined modeling and measurement approach is shown to be useful for quantifying fundamental defect parameters. The mechanism evaluation indicates vacancy, migration energies of 1.15 eV or less and a vacancy formation energy at grain boundaries of 1.5 eV. Damage efficiencies of about 0.03 were established for heavy-ions and for light-water reactor neutrons. Inferred proton damage efficiencies were about 0.15. Segregation measured in an advanced gas-cooled reactor component was much greater than expected using the above parameters

Radionuclide release from PWR spent fuel specimens with induced cladding defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, C.N.; Oversby, V.M.

1984-03-01

Radionuclide releases from pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent fuel rod specimens containing various artificially induced cladding defects were compared by leach testing. The study was conducted in support of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Waste Package Task to evaluate the effectiveness of failed cladding as a barrier to radionuclide release. Test description and results are presented

Stress-induced variation in evolution: from behavioural plasticity to genetic assimilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Badyaev, Alexander V

2005-05-07

Extreme environments are closely associated with phenotypic evolution, yet the mechanisms behind this relationship are poorly understood. Several themes and approaches in recent studies significantly further our understanding of the importance that stress-induced variation plays in evolution. First, stressful environments modify (and often reduce) the integration of neuroendocrinological, morphological and behavioural regulatory systems. Second, such reduced integration and subsequent accommodation of stress-induced variation by developmental systems enables organismal 'memory' of a stressful event as well as phenotypic and genetic assimilation of the response to a stressor. Third, in complex functional systems, a stress-induced increase in phenotypic and genetic variance is often directional, channelled by existing ontogenetic pathways. This accounts for similarity among individuals in stress-induced changes and thus significantly facilitates the rate of adaptive evolution. Fourth, accumulation of phenotypically neutral genetic variation might be a common property of locally adapted and complex organismal systems, and extreme environments facilitate the phenotypic expression of this variance. Finally, stress-induced effects and stress-resistance strategies often persist for several generations through maternal, ecological and cultural inheritance. These transgenerational effects, along with both the complexity of developmental systems and stressor recurrence, might facilitate genetic assimilation of stress-induced effects. Accumulation of phenotypically neutral genetic variance by developmental systems and phenotypic accommodation of stress-induced effects, together with the inheritance of stress-induced modifications, ensure the evolutionary persistence of stress-response strategies and provide a link between individual adaptability and evolutionary adaptation.

Shock-induced spall in copper: the effects of anisotropy, temperature, loading pulse and defect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Shengnian [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Germann, Timothy C [Los Alamos National Laboratory; An, Qi [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Han, Li - Bo [USTC

2009-07-28

Shock-induced spall in Cu is investigated with molecular dynamics simulations. We examine spallation in initially perfect crystals and defective solids with grain boundaries (columnar bicrystals), stacking faults or vacancies, as well as the effect of temperature and loading pulses. Spall in single crystal Cu is anisotropic, and defects and high temperature may reduce the spall strength. Taylor-wave (triangular shock-release wave) loading is explored in comparison with square wave shock loading.

Radiation induced segregation and point defects in binary copper alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteiro, W.A.

1984-01-01

Considerable progress, both theoretical and experimental, has been made in establishing and understanding the influence of factors such as temperature, time, displacement rate dependence and the effect of initial solute misfit on radiation induced solute diffusion and segregation. During irradiation, the composition of the alloy changes locally, due to defect flux driven non-equilibrium segregation near sinks such as voids, external surfaces and grain boundaries. This change in composition could influence properties and phenomena such as ductility, corrosion resistance, stress corrosion cracking, sputtering and blistering of materials used in thermo-nuclear reactors. In this work, the effect of 1 MeV electron irradiation on the initiation and development of segregation and defect diffusion in binary copper alloys has been studied in situ, with the aid of a high voltage electron microscope. The binary copper alloys had Be, Pt and Sn as alloying elements which had atomic radii less than, similar and greater than that of copper, respectively. It has been observed that in a wide irradiation temperature range, stabilization and growth of dislocation loops took place in Cu-Sn and Cu-Pt alloys. Whereas in the Cu-Be alloy, radiation induced precipitates formed and transformed to the stable γ phase. (Author) [pt

Stereomicroscopic evaluation of dentinal defects induced by new rotary system: "ProTaper NEXT".

Science.gov (United States)

Shori, Deepa Deepak; Shenoi, Pratima Ramakrishna; Baig, Arshia R; Kubde, Rajesh; Makade, Chetana; Pandey, Swapnil

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate dentinal defects formed by new rotary system - Protaper next™ (PTN). Sixty single-rooted premolars were selected. All specimens were decoronated and divided into four groups, each group having 15 specimens. Group I specimens were prepared by Hand K-files (Mani), Group II with ProTaper Universal (PT; Dentsply Maillefer), Group III with Hero Shaper (HS; Micro-Mega, Besancon, France), and Group IV with PTN (Dentsply Maillefer). Roots of each specimen were sectioned at 3, 6, and 9mm from the apex and were then viewed under a stereomicroscope to evaluate presence or absence of dentinal defects. In roots prepared with hand files (HFs) showed lowest percentage of dentinal defects (6.7%); whereas in roots prepared with PT, HS, and PTN it was 40, 66.7, and 26.7%, respectively. There was significant difference between the HS group and the PTN group (P hand instruments induced minimal defects.

Defects induced by swift heavy ions in the 18R martensite of Cu-Zn-Al alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zelaya, Eugenia; Tolley, Alfredo; Condo, Adriana; Lovey, Francisco; Schumacher, G

2003-01-01

The swift heavy ion incidence over the surface of a given material produces a strong energy deposition in a nanometric scale.Swift heavy ions, of the order of one thousand of MeV, deposit their energy as electronic excitations.This highly localized deposition can induce metastable transformations within the material. For example, in martensitic NiTi alloys irradiated with swift heavy ions, it has been observed changes on the martensitic transformation temperature and amorphous areas induced by the irradiation.In this work, the effects produced by swift heavy ions on the martensitic 18R structure of Cu-Zn-Al alloy (Cu - 12.17 Zn - 17.92 Al, in %at) were analyzed.Crystalline samples were irradiated in a direction close to the [2 1 0] of 18R with Xe + 230 MeV, Au + of 350 MeV and Kr + of 200 MeV ion beams.Defects of the order of nanometers induced by the irradiation were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM).It was also observed, that the average size of the irradiation defects induced by Au + ion is larger than those induced by Xe + and Kr + ions.In this case, no relationship between the observed defects and the energy deposition was found in the 23 keV/nn to 48 keV/nn range

Radionuclide release from PWR spent fuel specimens with induced cladding defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, C.N.; Oversby, V.M.

1984-03-01

Radionuclide releases from pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent fuel rod specimens containing various artificially induced cladding defects were compared by leach testing. The study was conducted in support of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Waste Package Task to evaluate the effectiveness of failed cladding as a barrier to radionuclide release. Test description and results are presented. 6 references, 4 figures

Detection of Defective Sensors in Phased Array Using Compressed Sensing and Hybrid Genetic Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shafqat Ullah Khan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A compressed sensing based array diagnosis technique has been presented. This technique starts from collecting the measurements of the far-field pattern. The system linking the difference between the field measured using the healthy reference array and the field radiated by the array under test is solved using a genetic algorithm (GA, parallel coordinate descent (PCD algorithm, and then a hybridized GA with PCD algorithm. These algorithms are applied for fully and partially defective antenna arrays. The simulation results indicate that the proposed hybrid algorithm outperforms in terms of localization of element failure with a small number of measurements. In the proposed algorithm, the slow and early convergence of GA has been avoided by combining it with PCD algorithm. It has been shown that the hybrid GA-PCD algorithm provides an accurate diagnosis of fully and partially defective sensors as compared to GA or PCD alone. Different simulations have been provided to validate the performance of the designed algorithms in diversified scenarios.

Defect induced d0 ferromagnetism in a ZnO grain boundary

KAUST Repository

Devi, Assa Aravindh Sasikala

2015-12-08

Several experimental studies have referred to the grain boundary(GB) defect as the origin of ferromagnetism in zinc oxide (ZnO). However, the mechanism of this hypothesis has never been confirmed. Present study investigates the atomic structure and the effect of point defects in a ZnOGB using the generalized gradient approximation+U approximation. The relaxed GB possesses large periodicity and channels with 8 and 10 numbered atoms having 4 and 3 fold coordination. The Znvacancy (VZn) shows a tendency to be attracted to the GB, relative to the bulk-like region. Although no magnetization is obtained from point defect-free GB, VZn induces spin polarization as large as 0.68 μB/atom to the O sites at the GB.Ferromagnetic exchange energy >150 eV is obtained by increasing the concentration of VZn and by the injection of holes into the system. Electronic structure analysis indicates that the spin polarization without external dopants originates from the O 2p orbitals, a common feature of d0semiconductors.

Defect induced d0 ferromagnetism in a ZnO grain boundary

KAUST Repository

Devi, Assa Aravindh Sasikala; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Roqan, Iman S.

2015-01-01

Several experimental studies have referred to the grain boundary(GB) defect as the origin of ferromagnetism in zinc oxide (ZnO). However, the mechanism of this hypothesis has never been confirmed. Present study investigates the atomic structure and the effect of point defects in a ZnOGB using the generalized gradient approximation+U approximation. The relaxed GB possesses large periodicity and channels with 8 and 10 numbered atoms having 4 and 3 fold coordination. The Znvacancy (VZn) shows a tendency to be attracted to the GB, relative to the bulk-like region. Although no magnetization is obtained from point defect-free GB, VZn induces spin polarization as large as 0.68 μB/atom to the O sites at the GB.Ferromagnetic exchange energy >150 eV is obtained by increasing the concentration of VZn and by the injection of holes into the system. Electronic structure analysis indicates that the spin polarization without external dopants originates from the O 2p orbitals, a common feature of d0semiconductors.

Proteomic approach to characterize biochemistry of meat quality defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Schilling, M W; Suman, S P; Zhang, X; Nair, M N; Desai, M A; Cai, K; Ciaramella, M A; Allen, P J

2017-10-01

Proteomics can be used to characterize quality defects including pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat (pork and poultry), woody broiler breast meat, reddish catfish fillets, meat toughness, and beef myoglobin oxidation. PSE broiler meat was characterized by 15 proteins that differed in abundance in comparison to normal broiler breast meat, and eight proteins were differentially expressed in woody breast meat in comparison to normal breast meat. Hemoglobin was the only protein that was differentially expressed between red and normal catfish fillets. However, inducing low oxygen and/or heat stress conditions to catfish fillets did not lead to the production of red fillets. Proteomic data provided information pertaining to the protein differences that exist in meat quality defects. However, these data need to be evaluated in conjunction with information pertaining to genetics, nutrition, environment of the live animal, muscle to meat conversion, meat quality analyses and sensory attributes to understand causality, protein biomarkers, and ultimately how to prevent quality defects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defect-induced Au precipitation in Fe–Au and Fe–Au–B–N alloys studied by in situ small-angle neutron scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, S.; Kohlbrecher, J.; Tichelaar, F.D.; Langelaan, G.; Brück, E.; Zwaag, S. van der; Dijk, N.H. van

2013-01-01

Nanoscale Au precipitation in high-purity Fe–Au and Fe–Au–B–N alloys has been studied by in situ small-angle neutron scattering during isothermal aging at 550 °C and complementary ex situ transmission electron microscopy. The high temperature precipitation behavior in samples having received different degrees of cold deformation has been studied to explore the potential self-healing of deformation-induced defects by Au precipitation. It is found that dislocations induced by prior plastic deformation strongly facilitate the formation of Au precipitates, as no significant precipitation is observed for undeformed samples. Defect-induced Au precipitates are formed both at dislocations and along grain boundaries where the defect density is high. The fact that the Au atoms only precipitate on deformation-induced defects demonstrates that solute gold atoms act as efficient self-healing agents in the ferrous matrix. The addition of B and N is found to retard the Au precipitation

Recombination of charge carriers on radiation-induced defects in silicon doped by transition metals impurities

CERN Document Server

Kazakevich, L A

2003-01-01

It has been studied the peculiarities of recombination of nonequilibrium charge carriers on radiation-induced defects in received according to Czochralski method p-silicon (p approx 3 - 20 Ohm centre dot cm), doped by one of the impurities of transition metals of the IV-th group of periodic table (titanium, zirconium, hafnium). Experimental results are obtained out of the analysis of temperature and injection dependence of the life time of charge carriers. The results are explained taking into consideration the influences of elastic stress fields created by the aggregates of transition metals atoms on space distribution over the crystal of oxygen and carbon background impurities as well as on the migration of movable radiation-induced defects during irradiation. (authors).

Effects of plasma-induced defects on electrical characteristics of AlGaN/GaN heterostructure before and after low-temperature annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takimoto, Takuma; Takeshita, Koji; Nakamura, Seiji; Okumura, Tsugunori

2014-01-01

We investigated the electrical characteristics of an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure exposed to Ar plasma. In the near-surface region of the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure, we found that plasma-induced defects reduced the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density and mobility at the AlGaN/GaN interface with increasing exposure time. The decrease in 2DEG density suggests that plasma-induced disordering partly extinguishes the piezo-polarization of the AlGaN layer, that the effective Schottky barrier height is increased by the introduction of negatively changed defects, or that the negatively charged defects induced during plasma exposure deactivate or compensate Si donors. In addition, we investigated the postannealing behavior of plasma-induced defects in the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure as well as in the n-GaN layer under an applied bias voltage. - Highlights: • We have investigated the electrical characteristics of the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure. • Electrons under the AlGaN/GaN interface are decreased by plasma exposure. • Post-annealing treatment with gate bias recovers the degradation caused by defects

Defect-induced mix experiment for NIF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schmitt M.J.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The Defect Induced Mix Experiment (DIME-II will measure the implosion and mix characteristics of CH capsules filled with 5 atmospheres of DT by incorporating mid-Z dopant layers of Ge and Ga. This polar direct drive (PDD experiment also will demonstrate the filling of a CH capsule at target chamber center using a fill tube. Diagnostics for these experiments include areal x-ray backlighting to obtain early time images of the implosion trajectory and a multiple-monochromatic imager (MMI to collect spectrally-resolved images of the capsule dopant line emission near bangtime. The inclusion of two (or more thin dopant layers at separate depths within the capsule shell facilitates spatial correlation of mix between the layers and the hot gas core on a single shot. The dopant layers are typically 2 μm thick and contain dopant concentrations of 1.5%. Three dimensional Hydra simulations have been performed to assess the effects of PDD asymmetry on capsule performance.

Irradiation-induced defects in ZnO studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuomisto, F.; Saarinen, K.; Look, D.C.

2004-01-01

We have used positron annihilation spectroscopy to study the point defects induced by 2 MeV electron irradiation (fluence 6 x 10 17 cm -2 ) in single crystal n-type ZnO samples. The positron lifetime measurements have shown that the zinc vacancies in their doubly negative charge state, which act as dominant compensating centers in the as-grown material, are produced in the irradiation and their contribution to the electrical compensation is important. The lifetime measurements reveal also the presence of competing positron traps with low binding energy and lifetime close to that of the bulk lattice. The analysis of the Doppler broadening of the 511 keV annihilation line indicates that these defects can be identified as neutral oxygen vacancies. (copyright 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Formation of radiation-induced defects and their influence on tritium extraction from lithium silicates in out-of-pile experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abramenkovs, A.A.; Tiliks, J.E.

1991-01-01

Formation and properties of radiation-induced defects and radiolysis products in lithium silicates irradiated in nuclear reactor till absorbed doses 1000 MGy were studied. Radiation-induced defects (RD) and radiolysis products (RP) were qualitatively and quantitatively determinated by methods of chemical scavengers (MHS), electron-spin resonance (ESR) and optical spectroscopy. Colloidal silicon and lithium, lithium and silicon oxides, oxygen, silicon and lithium peroxides are the final products of the lithium silicates radiolysis at absorbed energy doses D abs = 1000 MGy. The concentration of radiation defects and products of radiolysis strongly depend on the temperature of irradiation, humidity, granural size. The thermostimulated extraction of tritiated water (95-98% of the released tritium is in chemical form of water) from lithium silicates ceramics proceeds according to two independent mechanisms: a) chemidesorption of surface localized tritiated water (the first order chemical reaction); b) formation of the tritium water molecules limited by triton diffusion to the near-surface layer of grains. It has been found that the concentration of radiation-induced defects considerably affects the tritium localization and releasing processes from lithium silicates. (orig.)

Positron and positronium studies of irradiation-induced defects and microvoids in vitreous metamict silica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, M.; Saneyasu, M.; Tabata, M.; Tang, Z.; Nagai, Y.; Chiba, T.; Ito, Y.

2000-01-01

To study irradiation-induced defects and structural microvoids in vitreous silica (v-SiO 2 ), positron lifetime, angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation (ACAR), and electron spin resonance (ESR) were measured on v-SiO 2 and quartz (c-SiO 2 ) samples irradiated with fast neutrons up to a dose of 4.1x10 20 n/cm 2 . Two kinds of positron-trapping defects have been found to form in v-SiO 2 by fast neutron irradiation: type-I and type-II defects. Similar defects also appear in the irradiated c-SiO 2 , indicating that both the defects are common in v-SiO 2 and c-SiO 2 . The detailed annealing and photo-illumination studies of positron annihilation and ESR for these two defects suggest that the type-I defects are non-bridging oxygen hole centers (NBOHC), while the type-II defects are oxygen molecules which cannot be detected by ESR. Higher dose irradiation than 1.0x10 20 n/cm 2 causes c-SiO 2 to change to metamict (amorphous) phase (m-SiO 2 ). Positronium (Ps) atoms are found to form in microvoids with an average radius of about 0.3 nm in the v-SiO 2 and m-SiO 2 . This suggests that microvoids proved by Ps are structurally intrinsic open spaces and reflect the topologically disordered structure of these phases in the subnanometer scale

Genetic Variant in Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase 3 Alters Lipid Metabolism in Laying Hens in a Diet-Specific Manner

OpenAIRE

Wang, Jing; Long, Cheng; Zhang, Haijun; Zhang, Yanan; Wang, Hao; Yue, Hongyuan; Wang, Xiaocui; Wu, Shugeng; Qi, Guanghai

2016-01-01

Genetic variant T329S in flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) impairs trimethylamine (TMA) metabolism in birds. The TMA metabolism that under complex genetic and dietary regulation, closely linked to cardiovascular disease risk. We determined whether the genetic defects in TMA metabolism may change other metabolic traits in birds, determined whether the genetic effects depend on diets, and to identify genes or gene pathways that underlie the metabolic alteration induced by genetic and die...

A Forward Genetic Screen for Molecules Involved in Pheromone-Induced Dauer Formation in Caenorhabditis elegans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott J. Neal

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Animals must constantly assess their surroundings and integrate sensory cues to make appropriate behavioral and developmental decisions. Pheromones produced by conspecific individuals provide critical information regarding environmental conditions. Ascaroside pheromone concentration and composition are instructive in the decision of Caenorhabditis elegans to either develop into a reproductive adult or enter into the stress-resistant alternate dauer developmental stage. Pheromones are sensed by a small set of sensory neurons, and integrated with additional environmental cues, to regulate neuroendocrine signaling and dauer formation. To identify molecules required for pheromone-induced dauer formation, we performed an unbiased forward genetic screen and identified phd (pheromone response-defective dauer mutants. Here, we describe new roles in dauer formation for previously identified neuronal molecules such as the WD40 domain protein QUI-1 and MACO-1 Macoilin, report new roles for nociceptive neurons in modulating pheromone-induced dauer formation, and identify tau tubulin kinases as new genes involved in dauer formation. Thus, phd mutants define loci required for the detection, transmission, or integration of pheromone signals in the regulation of dauer formation.

Stereomicroscopic evaluation of dentinal defects induced by new rotary system: “ProTaper NEXT”

Science.gov (United States)

Shori, Deepa Deepak; Shenoi, Pratima Ramakrishna; Baig, Arshia R; Kubde, Rajesh; Makade, Chetana; Pandey, Swapnil

2015-01-01

Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate dentinal defects formed by new rotary system — Protaper next™ (PTN). Materials and Methods: Sixty single-rooted premolars were selected. All specimens were decoronated and divided into four groups, each group having 15 specimens. Group I specimens were prepared by Hand K-files (Mani), Group II with ProTaper Universal (PT; Dentsply Maillefer), Group III with Hero Shaper (HS; Micro-Mega, Besancon, France), and Group IV with PTN (Dentsply Maillefer). Roots of each specimen were sectioned at 3, 6, and 9mm from the apex and were then viewed under a stereomicroscope to evaluate presence or absence of dentinal defects. Results: In roots prepared with hand files (HFs) showed lowest percentage of dentinal defects (6.7%); whereas in roots prepared with PT, HS, and PTN it was 40, 66.7, and 26.7%, respectively. There was significant difference between the HS group and the PTN group (P hand instruments induced minimal defects. PMID:26069406

Annealing of radiation-induced defects in vanadium and vanadium-titanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leguey, T.

1996-01-01

The annealing of defects induced by electron irradiation up to a dose of 6.10 21 m -2 at T<293 K has been investigated in single-crystals of pure vanadium and in vanadium-titanium alloys with compositions 0.3, 1 and 5 at.% Ti using positron annihilation spectroscopy. The recovery of the positron annihilation parameters in V single-crystals indicates that the defect annealing takes place in the temperature range 410-470 K without formation of microvoids for the present irradiation conditions. For the alloys the recovery onset is shifted to 460 K, the width of the annealing stage is gradually broadened with increasing Ti content, and microvoids are formed for annealing temperatures at the end of the recovery stage. The results show that the vacancy release from vacancy-interstitial impurity pairs and subsequent recombination with interstitial loops is the mechanism of the recovery in pure V. For V-Ti alloys, vacancy-Ti-interstitial impurity complexes and vacancy-Ti pairs appear to be the defects responsible for the positron trapping. The broadening of the recovery stage with increasing Ti content indicates that solute Ti is a very effective trap for vacancies in V. (orig.)

Annealing study on radiation-induced defects in 6H-SiC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinheiro, M.V.B.; Lingner, T.; Caudepon, F.; Greulich-Weber, S.; Spaeth, J.M.

2004-01-01

We present the results of a systematic isochronal annealing investigation of vacancy-related defects in electron-irradiated n-type 6H-SiC:N. A series of 10 samples cut from a commercial wafer and annealed up to 1200 C after electron-irradiation (1.5 x 10 18 cm -3 ) was characterized with photoluminescence (PL), Magnetic circular dichroism of the absorption (MCDA) and conventional electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Apart from less stable triplet-related defects which vanished between 150 C and 300 C, the thermal behavior of three radiation-induced defects was studied: the silicon vacancy (V Si ), the carbon-antisite-carbon-vacancy pair (C Si -V C ) and the D1 center. Their annealing behavior showed that the destruction of the isolated V Si between 750 C and 900 C is followed by the formation of thermally more stable C Si -V C pairs, a result that has been theoretically predicted recently. By further heating the samples the C Si -V C pairs are annealed out between 900 C and 1050 C and were followed by an increase in the D1 center concentration. (orig.)

Genetics Home Reference: abdominal wall defect

Science.gov (United States)

... are two main types of abdominal wall defects: omphalocele and gastroschisis . Omphalocele is an opening in the center of the ... covering the exposed organs in gastroschisis. Fetuses with omphalocele may grow slowly before birth (intrauterine growth retardation) ...

Irradiation-induced defects in ZnO studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuomisto, F.; Saarinen, K. [Laboratory of Physics, Helsinki University of Technology (Finland); Look, D.C. [Semiconductor Research Center, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio (United States)

2004-08-01

We have used positron annihilation spectroscopy to study the point defects induced by 2 MeV electron irradiation (fluence 6 x 10{sup 17} cm{sup -2}) in single crystal n-type ZnO samples. The positron lifetime measurements have shown that the zinc vacancies in their doubly negative charge state, which act as dominant compensating centers in the as-grown material, are produced in the irradiation and their contribution to the electrical compensation is important. The lifetime measurements reveal also the presence of competing positron traps with low binding energy and lifetime close to that of the bulk lattice. The analysis of the Doppler broadening of the 511 keV annihilation line indicates that these defects can be identified as neutral oxygen vacancies. (copyright 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Evaluation of induced color changes in chicken breast meat during simulation of pink color defect.

Science.gov (United States)

Holownia, K; Chinnan, M S; Reynolds, A E; Koehler, P E

2003-06-01

The objective of the study was to establish a pink threshold and simulate the pink defect in cooked chicken breast meat with treatment combinations that would induce significant changes in the color of raw and cooked meat. The subjective pink threshold used in judging pink discoloration was established at a* = 3.8. Samples of three color groups (normal, lighter than normal, and darker than normal) of boneless, skinless chicken breast muscles were selected based on instrumental color values. The in situ changes were induced using sodium chloride, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite at two levels: present and not present. Fillets in all treatments were subjected to individual injections, followed by tumbling, cooking, and chilling. Samples were analyzed for color [lightness (L*), red/green axis (a*), yellow/blue axis (b*)] and reflectance spectra. Simulation of the pink defect was achieved in eight of the 16 treatment combinations when sodium nitrite was present and in an additional two treatment combinations when it was absent. Pinking in cooked samples was affected (P meat color. Results confirmed that it was possible to simulate the undesired pinking in cooked chicken white meat when in situ conditions were induced by sodium chloride, sodium tripolyphosphate, and sodium nitrite. The continuation of the simulation study can aid in developing alternative processing methods to eliminate potential pink defects.

Stress-induced evolution and the biosafety of genetically modified

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This article is focused on the problems of reduction of the risk associated with the deliberate release of genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) into the environment. Special attention is given to overview the most probable physiological and genetic processes which could be induced in the released GMMs by adverse ...

What Are Congenital Heart Defects?

Science.gov (United States)

... a baby with a congenital heart defect. Family history and genetics Congenital heart disease is not usually passed along ... you or your child to a specialist in genetic testing. Cardiac MRI to diagnose a ... Factors to review family history, smoking, and medicines that increase your risk of ...

Coordination defects in vitreous As2S3 induced by γ-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shpotyuk, O.; Balitska, V.

1997-01-01

Destruction-polymerization transformations in vitreous As 2 S 3 , associated with coordination defects formation process induced by γ-irradiation, were studied by the IR Fourier Spectroscopy method in the region of 400-100 cm -1 . All topological variants of these processes, statistically possible in the investigated samples, were taken into account for physical consideration of the real structural changes. (author)

Radiation induced genetic damage in Aspergillus nidulans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georgiou, J.T.

1984-01-01

The mechanism by which ionizing radiation induces genetic damage in haploid and diploid conidia of Aspergillus nidulans was investigated. Although the linear dose-response curves obtained following low LET irradiation implied a 'single-hit' action of radiation, high LET radiations were much more efficient than low LET radiations, which suggests the involvement of a multiple target system. It was found that the RBE values for non-disjunction and mitotic crossing-over were very different. Unlike mitotic crossing-over, the RBE values for non-disjunction were much greater than for cell killing. This suggests that non-disjunction is a particularly sensitive genetical endpoint that is brought about by damage to a small, probably non-DNA target. Radiosensitisers were used to study whether radiation acts at the level of the DNA or some other cellular component. The sensitisation to electrons and/or X-rays by oxygen, and two nitroimidazoles (metronidazole and misonidazole) was examined for radiation induced non-disjunction, mitotic crossing-over, gene conversion, point mutation and cell killing. It was found that these compounds sensitised the cells considerably more to genetic damage than to cell killing. (author)

Investigation of Near-Surface Defects Induced by Spike Rapid Thermal Annealing in c-SILICON Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guodong; Ren, Pan; Zhang, Dayong; Wang, Weiping; Li, Jianfeng

2016-01-01

The defects induced by a spike rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process in crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells were investigated by the photoluminescence (PL) technique and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Dislocation defects were found to form in the near-surface junction region of the monocrystalline Si solar cell after a spike RTA process was performed at 1100∘C. Photo J-V characteristics were measured on the Si solar cell before and after the spike RTA treatments to reveal the effects of defects on the Si cell performances. In addition, the Silvaco device simulation program was used to study the effects of defects density on the cell performances by fitting the experimental data of RTA-treated cells. The results demonstrate that there was an obvious degradation in the Si solar cell performances when the defect density after the spike RTA treatment was above 1×1013cm-3.

Defect induced d{sup 0} ferromagnetism in a ZnO grain boundary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assa Aravindh, Sasikala Devi; Schwingenschloegl, Udo; Roqan, Iman S, E-mail: iman.roqan@kaust.edu.sa [Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 2955-6900 (Saudi Arabia)

2015-12-14

Several experimental studies have referred to the grain boundary (GB) defect as the origin of ferromagnetism in zinc oxide (ZnO). However, the mechanism of this hypothesis has never been confirmed. Present study investigates the atomic structure and the effect of point defects in a ZnO GB using the generalized gradient approximation+U approximation. The relaxed GB possesses large periodicity and channels with 8 and 10 numbered atoms having 4 and 3 fold coordination. The Zn vacancy (V{sub Zn}) shows a tendency to be attracted to the GB, relative to the bulk-like region. Although no magnetization is obtained from point defect-free GB, V{sub Zn} induces spin polarization as large as 0.68 μ{sub B}/atom to the O sites at the GB. Ferromagnetic exchange energy >150 eV is obtained by increasing the concentration of V{sub Zn} and by the injection of holes into the system. Electronic structure analysis indicates that the spin polarization without external dopants originates from the O 2p orbitals, a common feature of d{sup 0} semiconductors.

Induced membrane technique combined with two-stage internal fixation for the treatment of tibial osteomyelitis defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Fei; Wang, Xiaohua; Wang, Shulin; Fu, Jingshu; Xie, Zhao

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of induced membrane technique combined with two-stage internal fixation in the treatment of tibial osteomyelitis defects. A retrospective analyses for 67 cases of tibialosteomyelitis defects were admitted to our department between September 2012 to February 2015, which were treated with induced membrane technique. At the first stage, implanted with a PMMA cement spacer in the defects after radical debridement and fixed with reconstructive locked plate. Bone grafting and exchanged the plate with intramedullary nail at the second stage. In current study, all patients were followed up for 18-35 months. Sixty-six patients achieved bone union with the average radiographic and clinical healing times of 5.55±2.19 and 7.45±1.69months, respectively. Seven patients required a second debridement before grafting, while four patients experienced a recurrence of infection or a relapse following second stage treatment. Twelve patients experienced either knee or ankle dysfunctions and 2 patients faced delayed wound healing. Donor site complications includes pain and infection were found in 7 and 3 patients, respectively with delayed stress fracture in 1 patient only. Induced membrane technique for the treatment of tibial osteomyelitis defects, seems a reliable method. The use of reconstructive locked plate as a temporary internal fixation at the first stage and exchanged with intramedullary nail at the second stage, potentially achieves good clinical efficacy. Care should be taken to restore the joint function especially in distal tibia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactome of Obesity: Obesidome : Genetic Obesity, Stress Induced Obesity, Pathogenic Obesity Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Geronikolou, Styliani A; Pavlopoulou, Athanasia; Cokkinos, Dennis; Chrousos, George

2017-01-01

Obesity is a chronic disease of increasing prevalence reaching epidemic proportions. Genetic defects as well as epigenetic effects contribute to the obesity phenotype. Investigating gene (e.g. MC4R defects)-environment (behavior, infectious agents, stress) interactions is a relative new field of great research interest. In this study, we have made an effort to create an interactome (henceforth referred to as "obesidome"), where extrinsic stressors response, intrinsic predisposition, immunity response to inflammation and autonomous nervous system implications are integrated. These pathways are presented in one interactome network for the first time. In our study, obesity-related genes/gene products were found to form a complex interactions network.

Characterization of Transformation-Induced Defects in Nickel Titanium Shape Memory Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Bowers, Matthew L.

Shape memory alloys have remarkable strain recovery properties that make them ideal candidates for many applications that include devices in the automotive, aerospace, medical, and MEMS industries. Although these materials are widely used today, their performance is hindered by poor dimensional stability resulting from cyclic degradation of the martensitic transformation behavior. This functional fatigue results in decreased work output and cyclic accumulation of permanent strain. To date, few studies have taken a fundamental approach to investigating the interaction between plasticity and martensite growth and propagation, which is vitally important to mitigating functional fatigue in future alloy development. The current work focuses on understanding the interplay of these deformation mechanisms in NiTi-based shape memory alloys under a variety of different thermomechanical test conditions. Micron-scale compression testing of NiTi shape memory alloy single crystals is undertaken in an effort to probe the mechanism of austenite dislocation generation. Mechanical testing is paired with post mortem defect analysis via diffraction contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Accompanied by micromechanics-based modeling of local stresses surrounding a martensite plate, these results demonstrate that the previously existing martensite and resulting austenite dislocation substructure are intimately related. A mechanism of transformation-induced dislocation generation is described in detail. A study of pure and load-biased thermal cycling of bulk polycrystalline NiTi is done for comparison of the transformation behavior and resultant defects to the stress-induced case. Post mortem and in situ STEM characterization demonstrate unique defect configurations in this test mode and STEM-based orientation mapping reveals local crystal rotation with increasing thermal cycles. Changes in both martensite and austenite microstructures are explored. The results for

On the diffusion process of irradiation-induced point defects in the stress field of a moving dislocation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinbach, E.

1987-01-01

The cellular model of a dislocation is used for an investigation of the time-dependent diffusion process of irradiation-induced point defects interacting with the stress field of a moving dislocation. An analytic solution is given taking into account the elastic interaction due to the first-order size effect and the stress-induced interaction, the kinematic interaction due to the dislocation motion as well as the presence of secondary neutral sinks. The results for the space and time-dependent point defect concentration, represented in terms of Mathieu-Bessel and Mathieu-Hankel functions, emphasize the influence of the parameters which have been taken into consideration. Proceeding from these solutions, formulae for the diffusion flux reaching unit length of the dislocation, which plays an important role with regard to void swelling and irradiation-induced creep, are derived

Acquisition of Genetic Aberrations by Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase (AID) during Inflammation-Associated Carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takai, Atsushi; Marusawa, Hiroyuki; Chiba, Tsutomu

2011-01-01

Genetic abnormalities such as nucleotide alterations and chromosomal disorders that accumulate in various tumor-related genes have an important role in cancer development. The precise mechanism of the acquisition of genetic aberrations, however, remains unclear. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), a nucleotide editing enzyme, is essential for the diversification of antibody production. AID is expressed only in activated B lymphocytes under physiologic conditions and induces somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination in immunoglobulin genes. Inflammation leads to aberrant AID expression in various gastrointestinal organs and increased AID expression contributes to cancer development by inducing genetic alterations in epithelial cells. Studies of how AID induces genetic disorders are expected to elucidate the mechanism of inflammation-associated carcinogenesis

Radiation induced deep level defects in bipolar junction transistors under various bias conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Chaoming; Yang, Jianqun; Li, Xingji; Ma, Guoliang; Xiao, Liyi; Bollmann, Joachim

2015-01-01

Bipolar junction transistor (BJT) is sensitive to ionization and displacement radiation effects in space. In this paper, 35 MeV Si ions were used as irradiation source to research the radiation damage on NPN and PNP bipolar transistors. The changing of electrical parameters of transistors was in situ measured with increasing irradiation fluence of 35 MeV Si ions. Using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), defects in the bipolar junction transistors under various bias conditions are measured after irradiation. Based on the in situ electrical measurement and DLTS spectra, it is clearly that the bias conditions can affect the concentration of deep level defects, and the radiation damage induced by heavy ions.

Exercise-induced thallium-201 myocardial perfusion defects in angina pectoris without significant coronary artery stenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakazato, Masayasu; Maruoka, Yuji; Sunagawa, Osahiko; Kinjo, Kunihiko; Tomori, Masayuki; Fukiyama, Koshiro

1990-01-01

We performed exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy in 32 patients with angina pectoris to study the incidence of perfusion defects, who had no significant organic stenosis on coronary angiography. None of them had myocardial infarction or cardiomyopathy. Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy and 12-lead ECG recording were performed during supine bicycle ergometer exercise. Perfusion defects in thallium-201 scintigrams in SPECT images were assessed during visual analysis by two observers. In the coronary angiograms obtained during intravenous infusion of nitroglycerin, the luminal diameter of 75% stenosis or less in the AHA classification was regarded as an insignificant organic stenosis. Myocardial perfusion defects in the thallium-201 scintigrams were detected in eight (25%) of the 32 patients. Six of these eight patients had variant angina documented during spontaneous attacks with ST elevations in standard 12-lead ECGs. Perfusion defects were demonstrated at the inferior or infero-posterior regions in six patients, one of whom had concomitant anteroseptal defect. The defects were not always accompanied by chest pain. All but one patient demonstrating inferior or inferoposterior defects showed ST depression in leads II, III and aV F on their ECGs, corresponding to inferior wall ischemia. The exception was a case with right bundle branch block. Thus, 25% of the patients with angina pectoris, who had no evidence of significant organic stenosis on their coronary angiograms, exhibited exercise-induced perfusion defects in their thallium-201 scintigrams. Coronary spasms might have caused myocardial ischemia in these patients. (author)

The genetics of radiation-induced and sporadic osteosarcoma: a unifying theory?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosemann, Michael; Kuosaite, Virginija; Nathrath, Michaela; Atkinson, Michael J.

2002-01-01

Cancer is a disease of the genome, with the neoplastic phenotype being passed from one cell generation to the other. Radiation-induced cancer has often been considered to represent a unique entity amongst neoplasia, with the energy deposition being held responsible for both direct (gene mutations) and indirect (bystander effects, induced instability etc) alterations to the cellular genome. However, radiogenic tumours in man and experimental animals appear to be physiologically and genetically indistinguishable from their sporadic counterparts, suggesting that the aetiologies of these two tumour types are in fact closely related. We have conducted a general screen of the genetic alterations in radiation-induced mouse osteosarcoma, a tumour that is histopathologically indistinguishable from human sporadic osteosarcoma. Comparison of the two tumour types indicates the existence of a common set of genetic changes, providing additional evidence to support the concept that the molecular pathology of radiation-induced malignancy is no different to that of sporadic cancers. (author)

Nonhomologous recombination between defective poliovirus and coxsackievirus genomes suggests a new model of genetic plasticity for picornaviruses.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmblat, Barbara; Jégouic, Sophie; Muslin, Claire; Blondel, Bruno; Joffret, Marie-Line; Delpeyroux, Francis

2014-08-05

Most of the circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) implicated in poliomyelitis outbreaks in Madagascar have been shown to be recombinants between the type 2 poliovirus (PV) strain of the oral polio vaccine (Sabin 2) and another species C human enterovirus (HEV-C), such as type 17 coxsackie A virus (CA17) in particular. We studied intertypic genetic exchanges between PV and non-PV HEV-C by developing a recombination model, making it possible to rescue defective type 2 PV RNA genomes with a short deletion at the 3' end by the cotransfection of cells with defective or infectious CA17 RNAs. We isolated over 200 different PV/CA17 recombinants, using murine cells expressing the human PV receptor (PVR) and selecting viruses with PV capsids. We found some homologous (H) recombinants and, mostly, nonhomologous (NH) recombinants presenting duplications of parental sequences preferentially located in the regions encoding proteins 2A, 2B, and 3A. Short duplications appeared to be stable, whereas longer duplications were excised during passaging in cultured cells or after multiplication in PVR-transgenic mice, generating H recombinants with diverse sites of recombination. This suggests that NH recombination events may be a transient, intermediate step in the generation and selection of the fittest H recombinants. In addition to the classical copy-choice mechanism of recombination thought to generate mostly H recombinants, there may also be a modular mechanism of recombination, involving NH recombinant precursors, shaping the genomes of recombinant enteroviruses and other picornaviruses. Importance: The multiplication of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) in poorly immunized human populations can render these viruses pathogenic, causing poliomyelitis outbreaks. Most cVDPVs are intertypic recombinants between a poliovirus (PV) strain and another human enterovirus, such as type 17 coxsackie A viruses (CA17). For further studies of the genetic exchanges

Inherited DNA repair defects in H. sapiens: their relation to uv-associated processes in xeroderma pigmentosum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robbins, J.H.; Kraemer, K.H.; Andrews, A.D.

1976-01-01

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is an autosomal recessive disease in which patients develop pigmentation abnormalities and numerous malignancies on areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Some XP patients have neurological abnormalities in addition to their cutaneous pathology. Genetic defects in DNA repair have now been found in all studied XP patients. Here, we shall review and present studies relating the different inherited DNA repair defects of XP to several uv-associated processes. Peripheral blood lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts obtained from patients were cultured and the uv-induced thymidine incorporation in DNA was measured by autoradiography or by scintillation spectroscopy

Low-dose ionizing radiation alleviates Aβ42-induced defective phenotypes in Drosophila Alzheimer's disease models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, SooJin; Jeong, Hae Min; Nam, Seon Young

2017-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by amyloid plaques, progressive neuronal loss, and gradual deterioration of memory. Amyloid imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers have been developed and approved for clinical use in the evaluation of suspected neurodegenerative disease, including AD. Particularly, previous studies involving low-dose ionizing radiation on Aβ 42-treated mouse hippocampal neurons have suggested a potential role for low-dose ionizing radiation in the treatment of AD. However, associated in vivo studies involving the therapy effects of low-dose ionizing radiation on AD are still insufficient. As a powerful cell biological system, Drosophila AD models have been generated and established a useful model organism for study on the etiology of human AD. In this study, we investigated the hormesis effects of low-dose ionizing radiation on Drosophila AD models. Our results suggest that low-dose ionizing radiation have the beneficial effects on not only the Aβ42-induced developmental defective phenotypes but also motor defects in Drosophila AD models. These results might be due to a regulation of apoptosis, and provide insight into the hormesis effects of low-dose ionizing radiation. Our results suggest that low-dose ionizing radiation have the beneficial effects on not only the Aβ42-induced developmental defective phenotypes but also motor defects in Drosophila AD models. These results might be due to a regulation of apoptosis, and provide insight into the hormesis effects of low-dose ionizing radiation.

Suppression of AKT phosphorylation restores rapamycin-based synthetic lethality in SMAD4-defective pancreatic cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Gendre, Onica; Sookdeo, Ayisha; Duliepre, Stephie-Anne; Utter, Matthew; Frias, Maria; Foster, David A

2013-05-01

mTOR has been implicated in survival signals for many human cancers. Rapamycin and TGF-β synergistically induce G1 cell-cycle arrest in several cell lines with intact TGF-β signaling pathway, which protects cells from the apoptotic effects of rapamycin during S-phase of the cell cycle. Thus, rapamycin is cytostatic in the presence of serum/TGF-β and cytotoxic in the absence of serum. However, if TGF-β signaling is defective, rapamycin induced apoptosis in both the presence and absence of serum/TGF-β in colon and breast cancer cell lines. Because genetic dysregulation of TGF-β signaling is commonly observed in pancreatic cancers-with defects in the Smad4 gene being most prevalent, we hypothesized that pancreatic cancers would display a synthetic lethality to rapamycin in the presence of serum/TGF-β. We report here that Smad4-deficient pancreatic cancer cells are killed by rapamycin in the absence of serum; however, in the presence of serum, we did not observe the predicted synthetic lethality with rapamycin. Rapamycin also induced elevated phosphorylation of the survival kinase Akt at Ser473. Suppression of rapamycin-induced Akt phosphorylation restored rapamycin sensitivity in Smad4-null, but not Smad4 wild-type pancreatic cancer cells. This study shows that the synthetic lethality to rapamycin in pancreatic cancers with defective TGF-β signaling is masked by rapamycin-induced increases in Akt phosphorylation. The implication is that a combination of approaches that suppress both Akt phosphorylation and mTOR could be effective in targeting pancreatic cancers with defective TGF-β signaling. ©2013 AACR.

Targeting a genetic defect: cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulators in cystic fibrosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nico Derichs

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Cystic fibrosis (CF is caused by genetic mutations that affect the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR protein. These mutations can impact the synthesis and transfer of the CFTR protein to the apical membrane of epithelial cells, as well as influencing the gating or conductance of chloride and bicarbonate ions through the channel. CFTR dysfunction results in ionic imbalance of epithelial secretions in several organ systems, such as the pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, liver and the respiratory system. Since discovery of the CFTR gene in 1989, research has focussed on targeting the underlying genetic defect to identify a disease-modifying treatment for CF. Investigated management strategies have included gene therapy and the development of small molecules that target CFTR mutations, known as CFTR modulators. CFTR modulators are typically identified by high-throughput screening assays, followed by preclinical validation using cell culture systems. Recently, one such modulator, the CFTR potentiator ivacaftor, was approved as an oral therapy for CF patients with the G551D-CFTR mutation. The clinical development of ivacaftor not only represents a breakthrough in CF care but also serves as a noteworthy example of personalised medicine.

Dependence of hydrogen-induced lattice defects and hydrogen embrittlement of cold-drawn pearlitic steels on hydrogen trap state, temperature, strain rate and hydrogen content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doshida, Tomoki; Takai, Kenichi

2014-01-01

The effects of the hydrogen state, temperature, strain rate and hydrogen content on hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility and hydrogen-induced lattice defects were evaluated for cold-drawn pearlitic steel that absorbed hydrogen in two trapping states. Firstly, tensile tests were carried out under various conditions to evaluate hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility. The results showed that peak 2 hydrogen, desorbed at temperatures above 200 °C as determined by thermal desorption analysis (TDA), had no significant effect on hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility. In contrast, hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility increased in the presence of peak 1 hydrogen, desorbed from room temperature to 200 °C as determined by TDA, at temperatures higher than −30 °C, at lower strain rates and with higher hydrogen content. Next, the same effects on hydrogen-induced lattice defects were also evaluated by TDA using hydrogen as a probe. Peak 2 hydrogen showed no significant effect on either hydrogen-induced lattice defects or hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility. It was found that hydrogen-induced lattice defects formed under the conditions where hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility increased. This relationship indicates that hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility was higher under the conditions where the formation of hydrogen-induced lattice defects tended to be enhanced. Since hydrogen-induced lattice defects formed by the interaction between hydrogen and strain were annihilated by annealing at a temperature of 200 °C, they were presumably vacancies or vacancy clusters. One of the common atomic-level changes that occur in cold-drawn pearlitic steel showing higher hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility is the formation of vacancies and vacancy clusters

Radiation-induced defects in chalcogenide glasses characterized by combined optical spectroscopy, XPS and PALS methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shpotyuk, O.; Kovalskiy, A.; Jain, H.; Golovchak, R.; Zurawska, A.

2007-01-01

Temperature-dependent optical absorption spectroscopy, high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and positron annihilation lifetimes spectroscopy are utilized to understand radiation-induced changes in Ge-Sb-S chalcogenide glasses. Theoretically predicted topological scheme of γ-induced coordination defect formation in stoichiometric Ge 23.5 Sb 11.8 S 64.7 glass composition is supported by these measurements. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Type 2 diabetes mellitus induces congenital heart defects in murine embryos by increasing oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yanqing; Reece, E Albert; Zhong, Jianxiang; Dong, Daoyin; Shen, Wei-Bin; Harman, Christopher R; Yang, Peixin

2016-09-01

Maternal type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus are strongly associated with high rates of severe structural birth defects, including congenital heart defects. Studies in type 1 diabetic embryopathy animal models have demonstrated that cellular stress-induced apoptosis mediates the teratogenicity of maternal diabetes leading to congenital heart defect formation. However, the mechanisms underlying maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus-induced congenital heart defects remain largely unknown. We aim to determine whether oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and excessive apoptosis are the intracellular molecular mechanisms underlying maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus-induced congenital heart defects. A mouse model of maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus was established by feeding female mice a high-fat diet (60% fat). After 15 weeks on the high-fat diet, the mice showed characteristics of maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus. Control dams were either fed a normal diet (10% fat) or the high-fat diet during pregnancy only. Female mice from the high-fat diet group and the 2 control groups were mated with male mice that were fed a normal diet. At E12.5, embryonic hearts were harvested to determine the levels of lipid peroxides and superoxide, endoplasmic reticulum stress markers, cleaved caspase 3 and 8, and apoptosis. E17.5 embryonic hearts were harvested for the detection of congenital heart defect formation using India ink vessel patterning and histological examination. Maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus significantly induced ventricular septal defects and persistent truncus arteriosus in the developing heart, along with increasing oxidative stress markers, including superoxide and lipid peroxidation; endoplasmic reticulum stress markers, including protein levels of phosphorylated-protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase, phosphorylated-IRE1α, phosphorylated-eIF2α, C/EBP homologous protein, and binding immunoglobulin protein; endoplasmic reticulum chaperone gene

On the influence of extrinsic point defects on irradiation-induced point-defect distributions in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanhellemont, J.; Romano-Rodriguez, A.

1994-01-01

A semi-quantitative model describing the influence of interfaces and stress fields on {113}-defect generation in silicon during 1-MeV electron irradiation, is further developed to take into account also the role of extrinsic point defects. It is shown that the observed distribution of {113}-defects in high-flux electron-irradiated silicon and its dependence on irradiation temperature and dopant concentration can be understood by taking into account not only the influence of the surfaces and interfaces as sinks for intrinsic point defects but also the thermal stability of the bulk sinks for intrinsic point defects. In heavily doped silicon the bulk sinks are related with pairing reactions of the dopant atoms with the generated intrinsic point defects or related with enhanced recombination of vacancies and self-interstitials at extrinsic point defects. The obtained theoretical results are correlated with published experimental data on boron-and phosphorus-doped silicon and are illustrated with observations obtained by irradiating cross-section transmission electron microscopy samples of wafer with highly doped surface layers. (orig.)

An ultrastructural and immunocytochemical study of a rare genetic sperm tail defect that causes infertility in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Baccetti, Baccio; Bruni, Emanuele; Gambera, Laura; Moretti, Elena; Piomboni, Paola

2004-08-01

To characterize and describe the ontogenesis of a rare flagellar defect affecting the whole sperm population of a sterile man. Case report. Regional referral center for male infertility in Siena, Italy. A 28-year-old man with severe asthenozoospermia. Physical and hormonal assays, semen analysis, and testicular biopsy. Semen samples and testicular biopsies were analyzed by light and transmission electron microscopy; immunocytochemical study with anti-beta-tubulin and anti-AKAP 82 antibodies was performed to detect the presence and distribution of proteins. Ultrastructural analysis of ejaculated spermatozoa and testicular biopsy revealed absence of the fibrous sheath in the principal-piece region of the tail. Fibrous sheath-like structures were observed in cytoplasmic residues and residual bodies released by spermatids in the seminiferous epithelium. Other anomalies observed were supplementary axonemes and mitochondrial helix elongation. These features were confirmed by immunocytochemical staining. This rare sperm tail defect, characterized by absence of the fibrous sheath, presence of supplementary axonemes, and an abnormally elongated midpiece, originates in the seminiferous tubules during spermiogenesis, as detected in testicular biopsy sections. These defects occur in the whole sperm population, and therefore a genetic origin could be suggested.

Public health approach to birth defects: the Argentine experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Bidondo, María Paz; Groisman, Boris; Barbero, Pablo; Liascovich, Rosa

2015-04-01

Birth defects are a global problem, but their impact is particularly severe in low and middle income countries, where the conditions for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation are more critical. The epidemiological transition in the infant mortality causes, and the concern of the community and the mass media about the teratogenic risk of environmental pollutants, has made health authorities aware of the importance of birth defects in Argentina. The objective of this paper is to outline those actions specifically taken in Argentina aimed at the prevention of birth defects at a national level. Firstly, we focus on birth defects in Argentina on a general basis, and then we present different laws and actions taken in terms of surveillance and public health programs, primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Finally, we present the Teratology Information Service "Fetal Health Line", and the genetic services organization and health professionals training by the National Center of Medical Genetics and the National Program of Genetics Network. In conclusion, in the country, several programs focus on different approaches to the problem, and the challenge is to coordinate the teamwork between them. Finally, we list tips to address birth defects from the public health perspective.

Radition-induced genetic damage in plutella xylostella

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail bin Bahari; Mahani binti Mohamad

1993-01-01

Radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations in progenies of irradiated Plutella xylostella was determined in a F1 sterility study. A total of 4 types of crosses (irradiated males against unirradiated females, irradiated females against unirradiated males, both parents irradiated and normal) were made following gamma irradiation at the pupal stage. Testes squash preparations made from F1 male larvae revealed 3 main types of chromosomal abberations induced by doses of 100, 150 and 200 Gy. Results obtained indicate the possibility of using chromosome translocations as the genetic marker

Comparison of naturally occurring and ligature-induced peri-implantitis bone defects in humans and dogs.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schwarz, F.; Herten, M. van; Sager, M.; Bieling, K.; Sculean, A.; Becker, J.

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare naturally occuring and ligature-induced peri-implantitis bone defects in humans and dogs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-four partially and fully edentulous patients undergoing peri-implant bone augmentation procedures due to

Channeling study of laser-induced defect generation in InP and InAs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burdel', K.K.; Kashkarov, P.K.; Timoshenko, V.Yu.; Chechenin, N.G.

1992-01-01

Damage production in InP and InAs single crystals induced by a ruby-laser pulse irradiation with τ p =20 ms in the energy density region W=0.05-1.0 J/cm 2 is studied by the channeling and Rutherford backscattering techniques. The defect generation threshold was determined to be equal to 0.2 J/cm 2 and 0.55 J/cm 2 for InP and InAs crystals, respectively. Stoichiometric defects in InP crystals were observed at W>=0.5 J/cm 2 . The temperature fields in InP and InAs under laser irradiation were calculated. The experimental observations are considered as a result of a selective evaporation of the components from the melt

Genetic disassociation of autoimmunity and resistance to costimulation blockade-induced transplantation tolerance in nonobese diabetic mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Todd; Markees, Thomas G; Serreze, David V; Pierce, Melissa A; Marron, Michele P; Wicker, Linda S; Peterson, Laurence B; Shultz, Leonard D; Mordes, John P; Rossini, Aldo A; Greiner, Dale L

2003-07-01

Curing type 1 diabetes by islet transplantation requires overcoming both allorejection and recurrent autoimmunity. This has been achieved with systemic immunosuppression, but tolerance induction would be preferable. Most islet allotransplant tolerance induction protocols have been tested in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, and most have failed. Failure has been attributed to the underlying autoimmunity, assuming that autoimmunity and resistance to transplantation tolerance have a common basis. Out of concern that NOD biology could be misleading in this regard, we tested the hypothesis that autoimmunity and resistance to transplantation tolerance in NOD mice are distinct phenotypes. Unexpectedly, we observed that (NOD x C57BL/6)F(1) mice, which have no diabetes, nonetheless resist prolongation of skin allografts by costimulation blockade. Further analyses revealed that the F(1) mice shared the dendritic cell maturation defects and abnormal CD4(+) T cell responses of the NOD but had lost its defects in macrophage maturation and NK cell activity. We conclude that resistance to allograft tolerance induction in the NOD mouse is not a direct consequence of overt autoimmunity and that autoimmunity and resistance to costimulation blockade-induced transplantation tolerance phenotypes in NOD mice can be dissociated genetically. The outcomes of tolerance induction protocols tested in NOD mice may not accurately predict outcomes in human subjects.

Radiation-induced defects in chalcogenide glasses characterized by combined optical spectroscopy, XPS and PALS methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shpotyuk, O. [Institute of Physics of Jan Dlugosz University, 13/15 al. Armii Krajowej, Czestochowa 42201 (Poland); Lehigh University, 5 East Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18015-3195 (United States); Lviv Institute of Materials of SRC ' ' Carat' ' , 202, Stryjska str., 79031 Lviv (Ukraine); Kovalskiy, A.; Jain, H. [Lehigh University, 5 East Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18015-3195 (United States); Golovchak, R. [Lehigh University, 5 East Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18015-3195 (United States); Lviv Institute of Materials of SRC ' ' Carat' ' , 202, Stryjska str., 79031 Lviv (Ukraine); Zurawska, A. [Opole University of Technology, 75, Ozimska str., Opole 45370 (Poland)

2007-03-15

Temperature-dependent optical absorption spectroscopy, high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and positron annihilation lifetimes spectroscopy are utilized to understand radiation-induced changes in Ge-Sb-S chalcogenide glasses. Theoretically predicted topological scheme of {gamma}-induced coordination defect formation in stoichiometric Ge{sub 23.5}Sb{sub 11.8}S{sub 64.7} glass composition is supported by these measurements. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Mechanical analysis of a heat-shock induced developmental defect

Science.gov (United States)

Crews, Sarah M.; McCleery, W. Tyler; Hutson, M. Shane

2014-03-01

Embryonic development in Drosophila is a complex process involving coordinated movements of mechanically interacting tissues. Perturbing this system with a transient heat shock can result in a number of developmental defects. In particular, a heat shock applied during the earliest morphogenetic movements of gastrulation can lead to apparent recovery, but then subsequent morphogenetic failure 5-6 hours later during germ band retraction. The process of germ band retraction requires an intact amnioserosa - a single layered extra-embryonic epithelial tissue - and heat shock at gastrulation can induce the later opening of holes in the amnioserosa. These holes are highly correlated with failures of germ band retraction. These holes could be caused by a combination of mechanical weakness in the amnioserosa or local increases in mechanical stress. Here, we assess the role of mechanical stress using confocal imaging to compare cell and tissue morphology in the amnioserosa of normal and heat-shocked embryos and laser hole drilling to map the stress field around the times and locations at which heat-shock induced holes open.

Ionization-induced rearrangement of defects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinetskij, V.L.; Manojlo, M.A.; Matvijchuk, A.S.; Strikha, V.I.; Kholodar', G.A.

1988-01-01

Ionizing factor effect on defect rearrangement in silicon including centers with deep local electron levels in the p-n-transition region is considered. Deep center parameters were determined using non-steady-state capacity spectroscopy of deep levels (NCDLS) method. NCDLS spectrum measurement was performed using source p + -n - diodes and after their irradiation with 15 keV energy electrons or laser pulses. It is ascertained that in silicon samples containing point defect clusters defect rearrangement under ionizing factor effect takes place, i.e. deep level spectra are changed. This mechanism is efficient in case of silicon irradiation with subthreshold energy photons and electrons and can cause degradation of silicon semiconducting structures

Study of irradiation induced defects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pal, Gayatri; Sebastian, K.C.; Somayajulu, D.R.S.; Chintalapudi, S.N.

2000-01-01

Pure high resistivity (6000 ohm-cm) silicon wafers were recoil implanted with 1.8 MeV 111 In ions. As-irradiated wafers showed a 13 MHz quadrupole interaction frequency, which was not observed earlier. The annealing behaviour of these defects in the implanted wafers was studied between room temperature and 1073 K. At different annealing temperatures two more interaction frequencies corresponding to defect complexes D2 and D3 are observed. Even though the experimental conditions were different, these are identical to the earlier reported ones. Based on an empirical point charge model calculation, an attempt is made to identify the configuration of these defect complexes. (author)

Study on radiation-induced defects in germanium monocrystals by the X-ray diffusive scattering method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malinenko, I.A.; Perelygina, E.A.; Chudinova, S.A.; Shivrin, O.N.

1979-01-01

The method of X-ray diffusion scattering was used to study the defective structure of germanium monocrystals exposed to 750 keV proton irradiation with 3.8x10 16 -4.6x10 17 cm -2 doses and subjected to the subsequent annealing at temperatures up to 450 deg C. Detected in the crystals were the complex radiation induced structure characterized with oriented vacancy complexes and results from the both effects: irradiation and annealing. Radiation defect sizes in the section (hhO) have been determined. With increasing the annealing temperature the structure reconstruction resulting in the complex dissociation is observed

TEM study of radiation induced defects in baffle-former-barrel assembly from decommissioned NPP Greifswald

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srba, O.; Michalicka, J.; Keilova, E.; Kocik, K.

2013-06-01

A complex transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of reactor vessel internal (RVI) materials from the baffle-former-barrel assembly from NPP Greifswald (VVER 440), Unit 1 decommissioned after 15 service cycles has been undertaken. All parts of the baffle-former-barrel assembly are made from Ti-stabilized austenitic stainless steel 08Ch18N10T. The materials were exposed to different dose of neutron radiation (2.4 - 11.4 dpa) at temperatures 267 - 398 deg. C depending on position in the core. Three types of radiation induced defects were identified and quantified, namely: dislocations, cavities (voids) and fine-scaled precipitated particles of Ni-Si rich phases. Black-dot type defects were observed too. Operation conditions are around ≅ 300 deg. C that is why we have observed defect typical for both low and high regions of irradiation temperatures. (authors)

Response of induced bone defects in horses to collagen matrix containing the human parathyroid hormone gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Backstrom, Kristin C; Bertone, Alicia L; Wisner, Erik R; Weisbrode, Stephen E

2004-09-01

To determine whether human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) gene in collagen matrix could safely promote bone formation in diaphyseal or subchondral bones of horses. 8 clinically normal adult horses. Amount, rate, and quality of bone healing for 13 weeks were determined by use of radiography, quantitative computed tomography, and histomorphometric analysis. Diaphyseal cortex and subchondral bone defects of metacarpi were filled with hPTH(1-34) gene-activated matrix (GAM) or remained untreated. Joints were assessed on the basis of circumference, synovial fluid analysis, pain on flexion, lameness, and gross and histologic examination. Bone volume index was greater for cortical defects treated with hPTH(1-34) GAM, compared with untreated defects. Bone production in cortical defects treated with hPTH(1-34) GAM positively correlated with native bone formation in untreated defects. In contrast, less bone was detected in hPTH(1-34) GAM-treated subchondral bone defects, compared with untreated defects, and histology confirmed poorer healing and residual collagen sponge. Use of hPTH(1-34) GAM induced greater total bone, specifically periosteal bone, after 13 weeks of healing in cortical defects of horses. The hPTH(1-34) GAM impeded healing of subchondral bone but was biocompatible with joint tissues. Promotion of periosteal bone formation may be beneficial for healing of cortical fractures in horses, but the delay in onset of bone formation may negate benefits. The hPTH(1-34) GAM used in this study should not be placed in articular subchondral bone defects, but contact with articular surfaces is unlikely to cause short-term adverse effects.

Iridoschisis: high frequency ultrasound imaging. Evidence for a genetic defect?

Science.gov (United States)

Danias, J; Aslanides, I M; Eichenbaum, J W; Silverman, R H; Reinstein, D Z; Coleman, D J

1996-01-01

AIMS: To elucidate changes in the anatomy of the anterior chamber associated with iridoschisis, a rare form of iris atrophy, and their potential contribution to angle closure glaucoma. METHODS: Both eyes of a 71-year-old woman with bilateral iridoschisis and fibrous dysplasia and her asymptomatic 50-year-old daughter were scanned with a very high frequency (50 MHz) ultrasound system. RESULTS: The symptomatic patient exhibited diffuse changes in the iris stoma with an intact posterior iris pigmented layer in both eyes. These changes were clinically compatible with the lack of iris transillumination defects. Additionally, iris bowing with a resultant narrowing of the angle occurred. The asymptomatic daughter showed discrete, but less severe iris stromal changes. CONCLUSION: This is the first detailed study of high frequency ultrasonic imaging of the iris in iridoschisis. The observed structural changes suggest angle narrowing by forward bowing of the anterior iris stroma may be a mechanism of IOP elevation in this condition. The ultrasonic detection of iris changes in the asymptomatic daughter of the symptomatic patient and the association of iridoschisis with fibrous dysplasia suggest a possible genetic component in the pathogenesis of this condition. Images PMID:9059271

Elastic and failure response of imperfect three-dimensional metallic lattices: the role of geometric defects induced by Selective Laser Melting

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lu; Kamm, Paul; García-Moreno, Francisco; Banhart, John; Pasini, Damiano

2017-10-01

This paper examines three-dimensional metallic lattices with regular octet and rhombicuboctahedron units fabricated with geometric imperfections via Selective Laser Sintering. We use X-ray computed tomography to capture morphology, location, and distribution of process-induced defects with the aim of studying their role in the elastic response, damage initiation, and failure evolution under quasi-static compression. Testing results from in-situ compression tomography show that each lattice exhibits a distinct failure mechanism that is governed not only by cell topology but also by geometric defects induced by additive manufacturing. Extracted from X-ray tomography images, the statistical distributions of three sets of defects, namely strut waviness, strut thickness variation, and strut oversizing, are used to develop numerical models of statistically representative lattices with imperfect geometry. Elastic and failure responses are predicted within 10% agreement from the experimental data. In addition, a computational study is presented to shed light into the relationship between the amplitude of selected defects and the reduction of elastic properties compared to their nominal values. The evolution of failure mechanisms is also explained with respect to strut oversizing, a parameter that can critically cause failure mode transitions that are not visible in defect-free lattices.

Hardening in AlN induced by point defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suematsu, H.; Mitchell, T.E.; Iseki, T.; Yano, T.

1991-01-01

Pressureless-sintered AIN was neutron irradiated and the hardness change was examined by Vickers indentation. The hardness was increased by irradiation. When the samples were annealed at high temperature, the hardness gradually decreased. Length was also found to increase and to change in the same way as the hardness. A considerable density of dislocation loops still remained, even after the hardness completely recovered to the value of the unirradiated sample. Thus, it is concluded that the hardening in AIN is caused by isolated point defects and small clusters of point defects, rather than by dislocation loops. Hardness was found to increase in proportion to the length change. If the length change is assumed to be proportional to the point defect density, then the curve could be fitted qualitatively to that predicted by models of solution hardening in metals. Furthermore, the curves for three samples irradiated at different temperatures and fluences are identical. There should be different kinds of defect clusters in samples irradiated at different conditions, e.g., the fraction of single point defects is the highest in the sample irradiated at the lowest temperature. Thus, hardening is insensitive to the kind of defects remaining in the sample and is influenced only by those which contribute to length change

A study on induced current focusing potential drop (ICFPD) technique. Examination of the sizing accuracy of defects and its frequency dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hoon; Shoji, Tetsuo

1994-01-01

Aiming at nondestructive detection and size prediction of defects with high accuracy and resolution, an Induced Current Focusing Potential Drop (ICFPD) technique has been developed. This technique can be applied for determining the location and size of defects in components with not only simple shape such as plain surface but also more complex shape and geometry such as curved surface and dissimilar joint. This paper describes the basic principle of ICFPD and its probe development. In this ICFPD, current was induced in a conductive material by a straight induction wire, which is electrically isolated, placed on it. The benefits of this new technique compared with the conventional ACPD are: (1) Current is induced and focused only at an explorating region. (2) Applicable to defect detection by scanning the sensor probe in an explorating region. (3) Applicable to defect detection in a weld joint of austenitic stainless steel. As the results of the innovation in instrumentation and the improvement in evaluation procedure by use of suitable parameters, the existence of defects is clearly observed as the variation of potential drops, and the nondimensional parameter (V c,max. /V avg. ) has a direct correlation with crack depth. Especially, for the depth less than 5 mm, the ICFPD shows higher sensitivity than the conventional ACPD at the frequencies of 3, 10 and 30 kHz. (author)

Flux pinning by heavy-ion-irradiation induced linear defects in YBa2Cu3O7 epitaxial films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budhani, R.C.; Zhu, Y.; Suenaga, M.

1992-01-01

We report some transport measurements carried out to study flux pinning by heavy-ion-irradiation induced linear defects in Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7 films. Our results show that in these in situ deposited films containing a large concentration of defects frozen-in at the time of film growth, a marginal enhancement in critical current density occurs when the density of linear defects 10 /cm 2 , and their diameter of the order of coherence length. This criterion is satisfied by Ag +21 ions. The damage due to Au +24 ions is much too severe to improve the J c

Effect of thermal-convection-induced defects on the performance of perovskite solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Fei; Xie, Fengxian; Yin, Maoshu; He, Jinjin; Wang, Yanbo; Tang, Wentao; Chen, Han; Yang, Xudong; Han, Liyuan

2017-07-01

Thermal-convection-induced defects can cause huge loss in the power conversion efficiency of solution-processed perovskite solar cells. We investigated two types of convection in perovskite solution during the formation of perovskite films. By balancing the convection via special configurations of surface tension and boiling point in mixed γ-butyrolactone (GBL) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), we removed microscopic defects such as rings, bumps, and crevices. The deposited perovskite films were smooth and dense, which enabled a high power conversion efficiency of 17.7% in a 1 cm2 cell area. We believe that the present strategy for controlling the convection can be helpful in improving the perovskite film quality for solvent-rich scalable solution processes of solar cells such as doctor blading, soft-cover deposition, printing, and slot-die coating.

[Progress of Masquelet technique to repair bone defect].

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Qudong; Sun, Zhenzhong; Gu, Sanjun

2013-10-01

To summarize the progress of Masquelet technique to repair bone defect. The recent literature concerning the application of Masquelet technique to repair bone defect was extensively reviewed and summarized. Masquelet technique involves a two-step procedure. First, bone cement is used to fill the bone defect after a thorough debridement, and an induced membrane structure surrounding the spacer formed; then the bone cement is removed after 6-8 weeks, and rich cancellous bone is implanted into the induced membrane. Massive cortical bone defect is repaired by new bone forming and consolidation. Experiments show that the induced membrane has vascular system and is also rich in vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor beta1, bone morphogenetic protein 2, and bone progenitor cells, so it has osteoinductive property; satisfactory results have been achieved in clinical application of almost all parts of defects, various types of bone defect and massive defect up to 25 cm long. Compared with other repair methods, Masquelet technique has the advantages of reliable effect, easy to operate, few complications, low requirements for recipient site, and wide application. Masquelet technique is an effective method to repair bone defect and is suitable for various types of bone defect, especially for bone defects caused by infection and tumor resection.

Characterization of deep level defects in Tl6I4S single crystals by photo-induced current transient spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, J A; Liu, Z; Sebastian, M; Wessels, B W; Im, J; Freeman, A J; Nguyen, S; Kanatzidis, M G

2015-01-01

Defect levels in semi-insulating Tl 6 I 4 S single crystals grown by the horizontal Bridgman technique have been characterized using photo-induced current transient spectroscopy (PICTS). These measurements revealed six electron traps located at (0.059  ±  0.007), (0.13  ±  0.012), (0.31  ±  0.074), (0.39  ±  0.019), (0.62  ±  0.110), and (0.597  ±  0.105). These defect levels are attributed to vacancies (V I , V S ) and antisite defects (I S , Tl S , Tl I ) upon comparison to calculations of native defect energy levels using density functional theory and defects recently reported from photoluminescence and photoconductivity measurements. (paper)

The acceptability among young Hindus and Muslims of actively ending the lives of newborns with genetic defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamble, Shanmukh; Ahmed, Ramadan; Sorum, Paul Clay; Mullet, Etienne

2014-03-01

To explore the views in non-Western cultures about ending the lives of damaged newborns. 254 university students from India and 150 from Kuwait rated the acceptability of ending the lives of newborns with genetic defects in 54 vignettes consisting of all combinations of four factors: gestational age (term or 7 months); severity of genetic defect (trisomy 21 alone, trisomy 21 with serious morphological abnormalities or trisomy 13 with impending death); the parents' attitude about prolonging care (unknown, in favour or opposed); and the procedure used (withholding treatment, withdrawing it or injecting a lethal substance). Four clusters were identified by cluster analysis and subjected to analysis of variance. Cluster I, labelled 'Never Acceptable', included 4% of the Indians and 59% of the Kuwaitis. Cluster II, 'No Firm Opinion', had little variation in rating from one scenario to the next; it included 38% of the Indians and 18% of the Kuwaitis. In Cluster III, 'Parents' Attitude+Severity+Procedure', all three factors affected the ratings; it was composed of 18% of the Indians and 16% of the Kuwaitis. Cluster IV was called 'Severity+Parents' Attitude' because these had the strongest impact; it was composed of 40% of the Indians and 7% of the Kuwaitis. In accordance with the teachings of Islam versus Hinduism, Kuwaiti students were more likely to oppose ending a newborn's life under all conditions, Indian students more likely to favour it and to judge its acceptability in light of the different circumstances.

Electron paramagnetic resonance study on the ionizing radiation induced defects of the tooth enamel hydroxyapatite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Liana Macedo de

1995-01-01

Hydroxyapatite is the main constituent of calcified tissues. Defects induced by ionizing radiations in this biomineral can present high stability and then, these are used as biological markers in radiological accidents, irradiated food identifying and geological and archaeological dating. In this work, paramagnetic centers induced on the enamel of the teeth by environmental ionizing radiation, are investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Decay thermal kinetic presents high complexity and shows the formation of different electron ligation energy centers and structures

Blood flow patterns underlie developmental heart defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Midgett, Madeline; Thornburg, Kent; Rugonyi, Sandra

2017-03-01

Although cardiac malformations at birth are typically associated with genetic anomalies, blood flow dynamics also play a crucial role in heart formation. However, the relationship between blood flow patterns in the early embryo and later cardiovascular malformation has not been determined. We used the chicken embryo model to quantify the extent to which anomalous blood flow patterns predict cardiac defects that resemble those in humans and found that restricting either the inflow to the heart or the outflow led to reproducible abnormalities with a dose-response type relationship between blood flow stimuli and the expression of cardiac phenotypes. Constricting the outflow tract by 10-35% led predominantly to ventricular septal defects, whereas constricting by 35-60% most often led to double outlet right ventricle. Ligation of the vitelline vein caused mostly pharyngeal arch artery malformations. We show that both cardiac inflow reduction and graded outflow constriction strongly influence the development of specific and persistent abnormal cardiac structure and function. Moreover, the hemodynamic-associated cardiac defects recapitulate those caused by genetic disorders. Thus our data demonstrate the importance of investigating embryonic blood flow conditions to understand the root causes of congenital heart disease as a prerequisite to future prevention and treatment. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Congenital heart defects result from genetic anomalies, teratogen exposure, and altered blood flow during embryonic development. We show here a novel "dose-response" type relationship between the level of blood flow alteration and manifestation of specific cardiac phenotypes. We speculate that abnormal blood flow may frequently underlie congenital heart defects. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Preferential repair of ionizing radiation-induced damage in the transcribed strand of an active human gene is defective in Cockayne syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leadon, S.A.; Copper, P.K.

1993-01-01

Cells from patients with Cockayne syndrome (CS), which are sensitive to killing by UV although overall damage removal appears normal, are specifically defective in repair of UV damage in actively transcribe genes. Because several CS strains display cross-sensitivity to killing by ionizing radiation, the authors examined whether ionizing radiation-induced damage in active genes is preferentially repaired by normal cells and whether the radiosensitivity of CS cells can be explained by a defect in this process. They found that ionizing radiation-induced damage was repaired more rapidly in the transcriptionally active metallothionein IIA (MTIIA) gene than in the inactive MTIIB gene or in the genome overall in normal cells as a result of faster repair on the transcribed strand of MTIIA. Cells of the radiosensitive CS strain CS1AN are completely defective in this strand-selective repair of ionizing radiation-induced damage, although their overall repair rate appears normal. CS3BE cells, which are intermediate in radiosensitivity, do exhibit more rapid repair of the transcribed strand but at a reduced rate compared to normal cells. Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A cells, which are hypersensitive to UV light because of a defect in the nucleotide excision repair pathway but do not show increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation, preferentially repair ionizing radiation-induced damage on the transcribed strand of MTIIA. Thus, the ability to rapidly repair ionizing radiation-induced damage in actively transcribing genes correlates with cell survival. The results extend the generality of preferential repair in active genes to include damage other than bulky lesions

Annealing of the Sb-vacancy and a closely related radiation induced defect in n-type germanium

Science.gov (United States)

Barnard, Abraham W.; Auret, F. D.; Meyer, W. E.

2018-04-01

Deep level transient spectroscopy was used to study the defects induced by alpha-particle irradiation from an Am241 source in antimony doped n-type germanium. Previous investigations of the well know Sb-vacancy defect have led to the discovery of a second defect with very similar emission properties, referred to as the E‧. Although both defects have similar emission rates, they have very different annealing properties. In this study we further investigated these properties of the E‧ in Sb doped samples irradiated at 270 K with alpha particles from an Am241 source. Laplace deep level transient spectroscopy was used to determine the concentration of each defect. An isothermal annealing study of the E‧ was carried out in the temperature range 300 K to 325 K in 5 K increments, while the Sb-vacancy was annealed out completely at 410 K onwards, long after the E‧ was completely annealed out. The annealing activation energy was determined through isothermal annealing profiles for both the Sb-Vacancy and the E‧ as 1.05 eV and 0.73 eV respectively with a prefactor of 2.05 × 109 s-1 and 2.7 × 108 s-1.

Growth Defects in the Dorsal Pallium after Genetically Targeted Ablation of Principal Preplate Neurons and Neuroblasts: A Morphometric Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin Fisher

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The present study delineates the large-scale, organic responses of growth in the dorsal pallium to targeted genetic ablations of the principal PP (preplate neurons of the neocortex. Ganciclovir treatment during prenatal development [from E11 (embryonic age 11 to E13] of mice selectively killed cells with shared S-phase vulnerability and targeted expression of a GPT [golli promoter transgene; GPT linked to HSV-TK (herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase, τ-eGFP and lacZ reporters] localized in PP neurons and their intermediate progenitor neuroblasts. The volume, area and thickness of the pallium were measured in an E12-P4 (postnatal age 4 longitudinal study with comparisons between ablated (HSV-TK+/0 and control (HSV-TK0/0 littermates. The extent of ablations was also systematically varied, and the effect on physical growth was assessed in an E18 cross-sectional study. The morphological evidence obtained in the present study supports the conclusion that genetically targeted ablations delay the settlement of the principal PP neurons of the dorsal pallium. This leads to progressive and substantial reductions of growth, despite compensatory responses that rapidly replace the ablated cells. These growth defects originate from inductive cellular interactions in the proliferative matrix of the ventricular zone of the pallium, but are amplified by subsequent morphogenic and trophic cellular interactions. The defects persist during the course of prenatal and postnatal development to demonstrate a constrained dose-response relationship with the extent of specific killing of GPT neurons. The defects propagate simultaneously in both the horizontal and vertical cytoarchitectural dimensions of the developing pallium, an outcome that produces a localized shortfall of volume in the telencephalic vesicles.

NDT detection and quantification of induced defects on composite helicopter rotor blade and UAV wing sections

Science.gov (United States)

Findeis, Dirk; Gryzagoridis, Jasson; Musonda, Vincent

2008-09-01

Digital Shearography and Infrared Thermography (IRT) techniques were employed to test non-destructively samples from aircraft structures of composite material nature. Background information on the techniques is presented and it is noted that much of the inspection work reviewed in the literature has focused on qualitative evaluation of the defects rather than quantitative. There is however, need to quantify the defects if the threshold rejection criterion of whether the component inspected is fit for service has to be established. In this paper an attempt to quantify induced defects on a helicopter main rotor blade and Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle (UAV) composite material is presented. The fringe patterns exhibited by Digital Shearography were used to quantify the defects by relating the number of fringes created to the depth of the defect or flaw. Qualitative evaluation of defects with IRT was achieved through a hot spot temperature indication above the flaw on the surface of the material. The results of the work indicate that the Shearographic technique proved to be more sensitive than the IRT technique. It should be mentioned that there is "no set standard procedure" tailored for testing of composites. Each composite material tested is more likely to respond differently to defect detection and this depends generally on the component geometry and a suitable selection of the loading system to suit a particular test. The experimental procedure that is reported in this paper can be used as a basis for designing a testing or calibration procedure for defects detection on any particular composite material component or structure.

Application of ENDOR-induced electron spin resonance to the study of point defects in solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niklas, J.R.; Spaeth, J.M.

1980-01-01

The technique of ENDOR-induced ESR (EI-ESR) is applied to the investigation of several point defects in insulating crystals. It is shown that the lineshape of the EI-ESR spectrum depends on the ENDOR line used for the experiment. The EI-ESR technique allows the separation of overlapping ESR spectra in the presence of several defects. New applications are the selection of spin states and the determination of relative signs of spin-Hamiltonian parameters, the selection of centre orientations and the assignment of nuclei in complex ENDOR spectra, and the determination of quadrupole interactions which are not resolved in the ENDOR spectrum. (author)

Analysis of Manufacturing-Induced Defects and Structural Deformations in Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Computed Tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Wu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Premature battery drain, swelling and fires/explosions in lithium-ion batteries have caused wide-scale customer concerns, product recalls, and huge financial losses in a wide range of products including smartphones, laptops, e-cigarettes, hoverboards, cars, and commercial aircraft. Most of these problems are caused by defects which are difficult to detect using conventional nondestructive electrical methods and disassembly-based destructive analysis. This paper develops an effective computed tomography (CT-based nondestructive approach to assess battery quality and identify manufacturing-induced defects and structural deformations in batteries. Several unique case studies from commercial e-cigarette and smartphone applications are presented to show where CT analysis methods work.

Metastable and bistable defects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukashev, Bulat N; Abdullin, Kh A; Gorelkinskii, Yurii V

2000-01-01

Existing data on the properties and structure of metastable and bistable defects in silicon are analyzed. Primary radiation-induced defects (vacancies, self-interstitial atoms, and Frenkel pairs), complexes of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and other impurity atoms and defects with negative correlation energy are considered. (reviews of topical problems)

Turmeric Extract Rescues Ethanol-Induced Developmental Defect in the Zebrafish Model for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

Science.gov (United States)

Muralidharan, Pooja; Connors, Craig T; Mohammed, Arooj S; Sarmah, Swapnalee; Marrs, Kathleen; Marrs, James A; Chism, Grady W

2017-09-01

Prenatal ethanol exposure causes the most frequent preventable birth disorder, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The effect of turmeric extracts in rescuing an ethanol-induced developmental defect using zebrafish as a model was determined. Ethanol-induced oxidative stress is one of the major mechanisms underlying FASD. We hypothesize that antioxidant inducing properties of turmeric may alleviate ethanol-induced defects. Curcuminoid content of the turmeric powder extract (5 mg/mL turmeric in ethanol) was determined by UPLC and found to contain Curcumin (124.1 ± 0.2 μg/mL), Desmethoxycurcumin (43.4 ± 0.1 μg/mL), and Bisdemethoxycurcumin (36.6 ± 0.1 μg/mL). Zebrafish embryos were treated with 100 mM (0.6% v/v) ethanol during gastrulation through organogenesis (2 to 48 h postfertilization (hpf)) and supplemented with turmeric extract to obtain total curcuminoid concentrations of 0, 1.16, 1.72, or 2.32 μM. Turmeric supplementation showed significant rescue of the body length at 72 hpf compared to ethanol-treated embryos. The mechanism underlying the rescue remains to be determined. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Genetic improvement of black gram using induced mutations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pawar, S.E.; Manjaya, J.G.; Souframanien, J.; Bhatkar, S.M.

2000-01-01

Induced mutagenesis is an important tool for creating genetic variability in crop plants and has played a significant role in the development of many crop varieties. Genetic improvement of black gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) through induced mutations has been in progress at BARC for the past three decades. Mutation studies of genotype EC-168200 have resulted in isolating large number of mutants with distinct morphological characters. TAU-5, an early maturing mutant was identified as a resistant donor for yellow mosaic virus (YMV) disease by the All India Pulse Improvement Project, ICAR, Kanpur. TAU-5 was used in cross breeding with elite cultivars like T-9, TPU-4 and LBG-17. Twelve selections with high yield potential suitable for both kharif and rabi cultivation have been developed. One of the selections TU94-2 has been released for commercial cultivation for southern zone during 1999. The work on the development of YMV resistant genotypes is in progress and will be discussed. (author)

Defect properties of ZnO nanopowders and their modifications induced by remote plasma treatments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paramo, J A; Peters, R M; Quarles, C A; Strzhemechny, Y M [Physics Department, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129 (United States); Vallejo, H [North Side High School, Fort Worth, TX 79129 (United States)

2009-11-15

Photoluminescence (PL) and positron lifetime (LT) measurements were used on several commercial ZnO nanopowders. We observed that sample-to-sample differences in the quality of the powders overshadow any observation of probable size effects. However, the average LT for all nanocrystals is longer than in a bulk sample, consistent with the hypothesis of crystals with surface and subsurface layers rich in defects. Temperature-dependent PL spectra from the ZnO nanopowders were analyzed in detail for the bound-exciton (BEx) range and the numerical fits of the peak positions yielded activation energies that suggested different channels of recombination for the BEx. Also, fits for the full width at half maximum (FWHM) show nonlinear behavior, indicating contribution from surface phonons. We, also, used remote nitrogen and hydrogen plasma treatment on the ZnO nanosystems to manipulate their surface and subsurface defect states. We demonstrated that those plasma species induce a variety of changes in the deep defect visible emission as well as in the BEx luminescence, most likely associated with the surface/subsurface states.

Defect properties of ZnO nanopowders and their modifications induced by remote plasma treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paramo, J A; Peters, R M; Quarles, C A; Strzhemechny, Y M; Vallejo, H

2009-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL) and positron lifetime (LT) measurements were used on several commercial ZnO nanopowders. We observed that sample-to-sample differences in the quality of the powders overshadow any observation of probable size effects. However, the average LT for all nanocrystals is longer than in a bulk sample, consistent with the hypothesis of crystals with surface and subsurface layers rich in defects. Temperature-dependent PL spectra from the ZnO nanopowders were analyzed in detail for the bound-exciton (BEx) range and the numerical fits of the peak positions yielded activation energies that suggested different channels of recombination for the BEx. Also, fits for the full width at half maximum (FWHM) show nonlinear behavior, indicating contribution from surface phonons. We, also, used remote nitrogen and hydrogen plasma treatment on the ZnO nanosystems to manipulate their surface and subsurface defect states. We demonstrated that those plasma species induce a variety of changes in the deep defect visible emission as well as in the BEx luminescence, most likely associated with the surface/subsurface states.

Optical properties of a defective one-dimensional photonic crystal containing graphene nanaolayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Entezar, S. Roshan; Saleki, Z.; Madani, A.

2015-01-01

The transmission properties of a defective one-dimensional photonic crystal containing graphene nanolayers have been investigated using the transfer matrix method. It is shown that two kinds of the defect modes can be found in the band gaps of the structure. One kind is the traditional defect mode which is created in the Bragg gaps of the structure and is due to the breaking of the periodicity of the dielectric lattice. The other one is created in the graphene induced band gap. Such a defect mode which we call it the graphene induced defect mode is due to the breaking of the periodicity of the graphene lattice. However, our investigations reveal that only in the case of wide defect layers one can obtain the graphene induced defect modes. The effects of many parameters such as the incident angle, the state of polarization and the chemical potential of the graphene nanolayers on the properties of the graphene induced defect modes are discussed. Moreover, the possibility of external control of the graphene induced defect modes using a gate voltage is shown.

Irradiation induced defects containing oxygen atoms in germanium crystal as studied by deep level transient spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuoka, Noboru; Kambe, Yoshiyuki; Saito, Haruo; Matsuda, Koji.

1984-05-01

Deep level transient spectroscopy was applied to the electron trapping levels which are associated with the irradiation induced lattice defects in germanium crystals. The germanium crystals used in the study were doped with oxygen, antimony or arsenic and the defects were formed by electron irradiation of 1.5MeV or 10MeV. The nature of so called ''thermal defect'' formed by heat treatment at about 670K was also studied. The trapping levels at Esub(c)-0.13eV, Esub(c)-0.25eV and Esub(c)-0.29eV were found to be associated with defects containing oxygen atoms. From the experimental results the Esub(c)-0.25eV level was attributed to the germanium A-center (interstitial oxygen atom-vacancy pair). Another defect associated with the 715cm -1 infrared absorption band was found to have a trapping level at the same position at Esub(c)-0.25eV. The Esub(c)-0.23eV and Esub(c)-0.1eV levels were revealed to be associated with thermal donors formed by heat treatment at about 670K. Additional two peaks (levels) were observed in the DLTS spectrum. The annealing behavior of the levels suggests that the thermal donors originate from not a single type but several types of defects. (author)

Arsenate-induced maternal glucose intolerance and neural tube defects in a mouse model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, Denise S.; Wlodarczyk, Bogdan J.; Mitchell, Laura E.; Finnell, Richard H.

2009-01-01

Background: Epidemiological studies have linked environmental arsenic (As) exposure to increased type 2 diabetes risk. Periconceptional hyperglycemia is a significant risk factor for neural tube defects (NTDs), the second most common structural birth defect. A suspected teratogen, arsenic (As) induces NTDs in laboratory animals. Objectives: We investigated whether maternal glucose homeostasis disruption was responsible for arsenate-induced NTDs in a well-established dosing regimen used in studies of arsenic's teratogenicity in early neurodevelopment. Methods: We evaluated maternal intraperitoneal (IP) exposure to As 9.6 mg/kg (as sodium arsenate) in LM/Bc/Fnn mice for teratogenicity and disruption of maternal plasma glucose and insulin levels. Selected compounds (insulin pellet, sodium selenate (SS), N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), L-methionine (L-Met), N-tert-Butyl-α-phenylnitrone (PBN)) were investigated for their potential to mitigate arsenate's effects. Results: Arsenate caused significant glucose elevation during an IP glucose tolerance test (IPGTT). Insulin levels were not different between arsenate and control dams before (arsenate, 0.55 ng/dl; control, 0.48 ng/dl) or after glucose challenge (arsenate, 1.09 ng/dl; control, 0.81 ng/dl). HOMA-IR index was higher for arsenate (3.9) vs control (2.5) dams (p = 0.0260). Arsenate caused NTDs (100%, p < 0.0001). Insulin pellet and NAC were the most successful rescue agents, reducing NTD rates to 45% and 35%. Conclusions: IPGTT, insulin assay, and HOMA-IR results suggest a modest failure of glucose stimulated insulin secretion and insulin resistance characteristic of glucose intolerance. Insulin's success in preventing arsenate-induced NTDs provides evidence that these arsenate-induced NTDs are secondary to elevated maternal glucose. The NAC rescue, which did not restore maternal glucose or insulin levels, suggests oxidative disruption plays a role.

Various categories of defects after surface alloying induced by high current pulsed electron beam irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Dian [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Tang, Guangze, E-mail: oaktang@hit.edu.cn [School of Material Science & Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Ma, Xinxin [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Gu, Le [School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Sun, Mingren [School of Material Science & Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Wang, Liqin [School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2015-10-01

Highlights: • Four kinds of defects are found during surface alloying by high current electron beam. • Exploring the mechanism how these defects appear after irradiation. • Increasing pulsing cycles will help to get good surface quality. • Choosing proper energy density will increase surface quality. - Abstract: High current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) is an attractive advanced materials processing method which could highly increase the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However, how to eliminate different kinds of defects during irradiation by HCPEB especially in condition of adding new elements is a challenging task. In the present research, the titanium and TaNb-TiW composite films was deposited on the carburizing steel (SAE9310 steel) by DC magnetron sputtering before irradiation. The process of surface alloying was induced by HCPEB with pulse duration of 2.5 μs and energy density ranging from 3 to 9 J/cm{sup 2}. Investigation of the microstructure indicated that there were several forms of defects after irradiation, such as surface unwetting, surface eruption, micro-cracks and layering. How the defects formed was explained by the results of electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results also revealed that proper energy density (∼6 J/cm{sup 2}) and multi-number of irradiation (≥50 times) contributed to high quality of alloyed layers after irradiation.

Characterization of radiation-induced defects in ZnO probed by positron annihilation spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunner, S.; Puff, W.; Balogh, A.G.; Mascher, P.

2001-01-01

In this study we discuss the microstructural changes after electron and proton irradiation and the thermal evolution of the radiation induced defects during isochronal annealing of single crystals irradiated either with 3 MeV protons or with 1 or 2 MeV electrons, respectively. The investigations were performed with positron lifetime and Doppler-broadening measurements. The differently grown ZnO single crystals show positron bulk lifetimes in the range of 159-173 ps. (orig.)

Characterization of radiation-induced defects in ZnO probed by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunner, S.; Puff, W. [Technische Univ. Graz (Austria). Inst. fuer Technische Physik; Balogh, A.G. [Technische Hochschule Darmstadt (Germany). FB Materialwissenschaft; Mascher, P. [McMaster Univ., Hamilton, ON (Canada). Dept. of Engineering Physics

2001-07-01

In this study we discuss the microstructural changes after electron and proton irradiation and the thermal evolution of the radiation induced defects during isochronal annealing of single crystals irradiated either with 3 MeV protons or with 1 or 2 MeV electrons, respectively. The investigations were performed with positron lifetime and Doppler-broadening measurements. The differently grown ZnO single crystals show positron bulk lifetimes in the range of 159-173 ps. (orig.)

Evaluation of defects induced by neutron radiation in reactor pressure vessels steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez Jimenez, J.

1978-01-01

We have developed a method for calculating the production of neutron induced defects (depleted zone and crowdions) in ferritic pressure vessel steels for different neutron spectra. They have been analysed both the recoil primary atoms produced by elastic and inelastic collisions with fast neutrons and the ones produced by gamma-ray emission by thermal neutron absorption. Theoretical modelling of increasing in the ductile-brittle transition temperature of ferritic steels has been correlated with experimental data at irradiation temperature up to 400 degree centigree (Author) 15 refs

Defect-induced conductance oscillations in short atomic chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wawrzyniak-Adamczewska, M; Kostyrko, T

2012-01-01

Electronic transport through a junction made of two gold electrodes connected with a gold chain containing a silver impurity is analyzed with a tight binding model and the density-functional theory. It is shown that the conductance depends in a simple way on the position of the impurity in the chain and the parity of the total number of atoms of the chain. For an odd chain the conductance takes on a higher value when the Ag impurity substitutes an even Au atom in the chain, and a lower one for an odd position of the Ag atom. In the case of an even chain the conductance hardly depends on the position of the Ag atom. This new kind of a defect-induced parity oscillation of the conductance is significantly more prominent than the well-known even-odd effect related to the dependence of the conductance on the parity of number of atoms in perfect chains. (paper)

X-ray analysis of temperature induced defect structures in boron implanted silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Sztucki, M.; Metzger, T. H.; Kegel, I.; Tilke, A.; Rouvière, J. L.; Lübbert, D.; Arthur, J.; Patel, J. R.

2002-10-01

We demonstrate the application of surface sensitive diffuse x-ray scattering under the condition of grazing incidence and exit angles to investigate growth and dissolution of near-surface defects after boron implantation in silicon(001) and annealing. Silicon wafers were implanted with a boron dose of 6×1015 ions/cm2 at 32 keV and went through different annealing treatments. From the diffuse intensity close to the (220) surface Bragg peak we reveal the nature and kinetic behavior of the implantation induced defects. Analyzing the q dependence of the diffuse scattering, we are able to distinguish between point defect clusters and extrinsic stacking faults on {111} planes. Characteristic for stacking faults are diffuse x-ray intensity streaks along directions, which allow for the determination of their growth and dissolution kinetics. For the annealing conditions of our crystals, we conclude that the kinetics of growth can be described by an Ostwald ripening model in which smaller faults shrink at the expense of the larger stacking faults. The growth is found to be limited by the self-diffusion of silicon interstitials. After longer rapid thermal annealing the stacking faults disappear almost completely without shrinking, most likely by transformation into perfect loops via a dislocation reaction. This model is confirmed by complementary cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy.

Vascular defects in gain-of-function fps/fes transgenic mice correlate with PDGF- and VEGF-induced activation of mutant Fps/Fes kinase in endothelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Sangrar, W; Mewburn, J D; Vincent, S G; Fisher, J T; Greer, P A

2004-05-01

Fps/Fes is a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase that is abundantly expressed in the myeloid, endothelial, epithelial, neuronal and platelet lineages. Genetic manipulation in mice has uncovered potential roles for this kinase in hematopoiesis, innate immunity, inflammation and angiogenesis. We have utilized a genetic approach to explore the role of Fps/Fes in angiogenesis. A hypervascular line of mice generated by expression of a 'gain-of-function' human fps/fes transgene (fps(MF)) encoding a myristoylated variant of Fps (MFps) was used in these studies. The hypervascular phenotype of this line was extensively characterized by intravital microscopy and biochemical approaches. fps(MF) mice exhibited 1.6-1.7-fold increases in vascularity which was attributable to increases in the number of secondary vessels. Vessels were larger, exhibited varicosities and disorganized patterning, and were found to have defects in histamine-induced permeability. Biochemical characterization of endothelial cell (EC) lines derived from fps(MF) mice revealed that MFps was hypersensitive to activation by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). MFps mediates enhanced sensitization to VEGF and PDGF signaling in ECs. We propose that this hypersensitization contributes to excessive angiogenic signaling and that this underlies the observed hypervascular phenotype of fps(MF) mice. These phenotypes recapitulate important aspects of the vascular defects observed in both VEGF and angiopoietin-1 transgenic mice. The fps/fes proto-oncogene product therefore represents a novel player in the regulation of angiogenesis, and the fps(MF) line of mice constitutes a unique new murine model for the study of this process.

Electronic excitation induced defect dynamics in HfO2 based MOS devices investigated by in-situ electrical measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Manikanthababu, N.; Vajandar, S.; Arun, N.; Pathak, A. P.; Asokan, K.; Osipowicz, T.; Basu, T.; Nageswara Rao, S. V. S.

2018-03-01

In-situ I-V and C-V characterization studies were carried out to determine the device quality of atomic layer deposited HfO2 (2.7 nm)/SiO2 (0.6 nm)/Si-based metal oxide semiconductor devices during 120 MeV Ag ion irradiation. The influence of various tunneling mechanisms has been investigated by analyzing the I-V characteristics as a function of ion fluence. The nature of the defects created is tentatively identified by the determination of the significant tunneling processes. While the ion induced annealing of defects is observed at lower fluences, ion induced intermixing and radiation damage is found to be significant at higher fluences. The C-V characteristics also reveal significant changes at the interface and oxide trap densities: an increase in the oxide layer thickness occurs through the formation of an HfSiO interlayer. The interlayer is due to the swift heavy ion induced intermixing, which has been confirmed by X-TEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements.

Genetic analysis of radiation-induced mouse thymic lymphomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kominami, R.; Wakabayashi, Y.; Niwa, O.

2003-01-01

Mouse thymic lymphomas are one of the classic models of radiation-induced malignancies, and the model has been used for the study of genes involved in carcinogenesis. ras oncogenes are the first isolate which undergoes mutations in 10 to 30 % of lymphomas, and p16INK4a and p19ARF in the INK4a-ARF locus are also frequently inactivated. In our previous study, the inactivation of Ikaros, a key regurator of lymphoid system, was found in those lymphomas, and it was suggested that there are other responsible genes yet to be discovered. On the other hand, genetic predisposition to radiation-induced lymphoma often differs in different strains, and this reflects the presence of low penetrance genes that can modify the impact of a given mutation. Little study of such modifiers or susceptibility genes has been performed, either. Recent availability of databases on mouse genome information and the power of mouse genetic system underline usefulness of the lymphoma model in search for novel genes involved, which may provide clues to molecular mechanisms of development of the radiogenic lymphoma and also genes involved in human lymphomas and other malignancies. Accordingly, we have carried out positional cloning for the two different types of tumor-related genes. In this symposium, our current progress is presented that includes genetic mapping of susceptibility/ resistance loci on mouse chromosomes 4, 5 and 19, and also functional analysis of a novel tumor suppressor gene, Rit1/Bcl11b, that has been isolated from allelic loss (LOH) mapping and sequence analysis for γ -ray induced mouse thymic lymphomas

Low-dose ionizing radiation alleviates Aβ42-induced defective phenotypes in Drosophila Alzheimer's disease models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, SooJin; Jeong, Hae Min; Nam, Seon Young [Low-dose Radiation Research Team, Radiation Health Institute, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-04-15

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by amyloid plaques, progressive neuronal loss, and gradual deterioration of memory. Amyloid imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers have been developed and approved for clinical use in the evaluation of suspected neurodegenerative disease, including AD. Particularly, previous studies involving low-dose ionizing radiation on Aβ 42-treated mouse hippocampal neurons have suggested a potential role for low-dose ionizing radiation in the treatment of AD. However, associated in vivo studies involving the therapy effects of low-dose ionizing radiation on AD are still insufficient. As a powerful cell biological system, Drosophila AD models have been generated and established a useful model organism for study on the etiology of human AD. In this study, we investigated the hormesis effects of low-dose ionizing radiation on Drosophila AD models. Our results suggest that low-dose ionizing radiation have the beneficial effects on not only the Aβ42-induced developmental defective phenotypes but also motor defects in Drosophila AD models. These results might be due to a regulation of apoptosis, and provide insight into the hormesis effects of low-dose ionizing radiation. Our results suggest that low-dose ionizing radiation have the beneficial effects on not only the Aβ42-induced developmental defective phenotypes but also motor defects in Drosophila AD models. These results might be due to a regulation of apoptosis, and provide insight into the hormesis effects of low-dose ionizing radiation.

[Use of the induced membrane technique for the treatment of bone defects in the hand or wrist, in emergency].

Science.gov (United States)

Flamans, B; Pauchot, J; Petite, H; Blanchet, N; Rochet, S; Garbuio, P; Tropet, Y; Obert, L

2010-10-01

A prospective study is reported concerning 11 cases of bone defect of the hand and wrist treated by the induced membrane technique. Ten men and one woman with an average age of 49 yrs (17-72) sustained a high-energy trauma with severe mutilation of digit and hand but with intact pulp. Eight cases of open finger fractures with composite loss of substance and three cases of bone and joint infection (thumb, wrist, fifth finger) were included. All cases were treated by the induced membrane technique which consists in stable fixation, flap if necessary, and in filling the bone defect by a cement methyl methacrylate polymere (PMMA) spacer. A secondary procedure at two months is needed where the cement is removed and the void is filled by cancellous bone. The key point of this induced membrane technique is to respect the foreign body membrane which formed around the cement spacer creating a biologic chamber. Bone union was evaluated prospectively by X-ray and CT scan by a surgeon not involved in the treatment. Failure was defined as non-union at one year, or uncontrolled sepsis at one month. Two cases failed to achieve bone union. No septic complications occurred and all septic cases were controlled. In nine cases, bone union was achieved within four months (three to 12). Evidence of osteoid formation was determined by a bone biopsy in one case. Masquelet first reported 35 cases of large tibial non-union defects treated by the induced membrane technique. The cement spacer promotes foreign body membrane induction constituting a biological chamber. Works on animal models reported by Pellissier and Viateau demonstrated membrane properties: secretion of growths factors (VEGF, TGF beta1, BMP2) and osteoinductive cellular activity. The induced membrane seems to mimic a neoperiosteum. This technique is useful in emergency or septic conditions where bone defects cannot be treated by shortening. It avoids microsurgery and is limited by availability of cancellous bone. Copyright �

Surface-defect induced modifications in the optical properties of α-MnO_2 nanorods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

John, Reenu Elizabeth; Chandran, Anoop; Thomas, Marykutty; Jose, Joshy; George, K.C.

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Alpha-MnO_2 nanorods are prepared by chemical method. • Difference in surface defect density is achieved. • Characterized using XRD, Rietveld, XPS, EDS, HR-TEM, BET, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and PL spectroscopy. • Explains the bandstructure modification due to Jahn–Teller distortions using crystal field theory. • Modification in the intensity of optical emissions related to defect levels validates the concept of surface defect induced tuning of optical properties. - Abstract: The science of defect engineering via surface tuning opens a new route to modify the inherent properties of nanomaterials for advanced functional and practical applications. In this work, two independent synthesis methods (hydrothermal and co-precipitation) are adopted to fabricate α-MnO_2 nanorods with different defect structures so as to understand the effect of surface modifications on their optical properties. The crystal structure and morphology of samples are investigated with the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Atomic composition calculated from energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirms non-stoichiometry of the samples. The surface properties and chemical environment are thoroughly studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. Bond angle variance and bond valence sum are determined to validate distortions in the basic MnO_6 octahedron. The surface studies indicate that the concentration of Jahn–Teller manganese (III) (Mn"3"+) ion in the samples differ from each other which results in their distinct properties. Band structure modifications due to Jahn–Teller distortion are examined with the aid of ultraviolet–visible (UV) reflectance and photoluminescence (PL) studies. The dual peaks obtained in derivative spectrum conflict the current concept on the bandgap energy of MnO_2. These studies suggest that

NMDA Receptor Signaling Is Important for Neural Tube Formation and for Preventing Antiepileptic Drug-Induced Neural Tube Defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Sequerra, Eduardo B; Goyal, Raman; Castro, Patricio A; Levin, Jacqueline B; Borodinsky, Laura N

2018-05-16

Failure of neural tube closure leads to neural tube defects (NTDs), which can have serious neurological consequences or be lethal. Use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) during pregnancy increases the incidence of NTDs in offspring by unknown mechanisms. Here we show that during Xenopus laevis neural tube formation, neural plate cells exhibit spontaneous calcium dynamics that are partially mediated by glutamate signaling. We demonstrate that NMDA receptors are important for the formation of the neural tube and that the loss of their function induces an increase in neural plate cell proliferation and impairs neural cell migration, which result in NTDs. We present evidence that the AED valproic acid perturbs glutamate signaling, leading to NTDs that are rescued with varied efficacy by preventing DNA synthesis, activating NMDA receptors, or recruiting the NMDA receptor target ERK1/2. These findings may prompt mechanistic identification of AEDs that do not interfere with neural tube formation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neural tube defects are one of the most common birth defects. Clinical investigations have determined that the use of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy increases the incidence of these defects in the offspring by unknown mechanisms. This study discovers that glutamate signaling regulates neural plate cell proliferation and oriented migration and is necessary for neural tube formation. We demonstrate that the widely used antiepileptic drug valproic acid interferes with glutamate signaling and consequently induces neural tube defects, challenging the current hypotheses arguing that they are side effects of this antiepileptic drug that cause the increased incidence of these defects. Understanding the mechanisms of neurotransmitter signaling during neural tube formation may contribute to the identification and development of antiepileptic drugs that are safer during pregnancy. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/384762-12$15.00/0.

Ion beam induced defects in solids studied by optical techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comins, J.D.; Amolo, G.O.; Derry, T.E.; Connell, S.H.; Erasmus, R.M.; Witcomb, M.J.

2009-01-01

Optical methods can provide important insights into the mechanisms and consequences of ion beam interactions with solids. This is illustrated by four distinctly different systems. X- and Y-cut LiNbO 3 crystals implanted with 8 MeV Au 3+ ions with a fluence of 1 x 10 17 ions/cm 2 result in gold nanoparticle formation during high temperature annealing. Optical extinction curves simulated by the Mie theory provide the average nanoparticle sizes. TEM studies are in reasonable agreement and confirm a near-spherical nanoparticle shape but with surface facets. Large temperature differences in the nanoparticle creation in the X- and Y-cut crystals are explained by recrystallisation of the initially amorphised regions so as to recreate the prior crystal structure and to result in anisotropic diffusion of the implanted gold. Defect formation in alkali halides using ion beam irradiation has provided new information. Radiation-hard CsI crystals bombarded with 1 MeV protons at 300 K successfully produce F-type centres and V-centres having the I 3 - structure as identified by optical absorption and Raman studies. The results are discussed in relation to the formation of interstitial iodine aggregates of various types in alkali iodides. Depth profiling of I 3 - and I 5 - aggregates created in RbI bombarded with 13.6 MeV/A argon ions at 300 K is discussed. The recrystallisation of an amorphous silicon layer created in crystalline silicon bombarded with 100 keV carbon ions with a fluence of 5 x 10 17 ions/cm 2 during subsequent high temperature annealing is studied by Raman and Brillouin light scattering. Irradiation of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films with 1 MeV protons with fluences from 1 x 10 15 to 250 x 10 15 ions/cm -2 induces visible darkening over a broad spectral region that shows three stages of development. This is attributed to the formation of defect clusters by a model of defect growth and also high fluence optical absorption studies. X-ray diffraction studies show

Ion beam induced defects in solids studied by optical techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Comins, J. D.; Amolo, G. O.; Derry, T. E.; Connell, S. H.; Erasmus, R. M.; Witcomb, M. J.

2009-08-01

Optical methods can provide important insights into the mechanisms and consequences of ion beam interactions with solids. This is illustrated by four distinctly different systems. X- and Y-cut LiNbO 3 crystals implanted with 8 MeV Au 3+ ions with a fluence of 1 × 10 17 ions/cm 2 result in gold nanoparticle formation during high temperature annealing. Optical extinction curves simulated by the Mie theory provide the average nanoparticle sizes. TEM studies are in reasonable agreement and confirm a near-spherical nanoparticle shape but with surface facets. Large temperature differences in the nanoparticle creation in the X- and Y-cut crystals are explained by recrystallisation of the initially amorphised regions so as to recreate the prior crystal structure and to result in anisotropic diffusion of the implanted gold. Defect formation in alkali halides using ion beam irradiation has provided new information. Radiation-hard CsI crystals bombarded with 1 MeV protons at 300 K successfully produce F-type centres and V-centres having the I3- structure as identified by optical absorption and Raman studies. The results are discussed in relation to the formation of interstitial iodine aggregates of various types in alkali iodides. Depth profiling of I3- and I5- aggregates created in RbI bombarded with 13.6 MeV/A argon ions at 300 K is discussed. The recrystallisation of an amorphous silicon layer created in crystalline silicon bombarded with 100 keV carbon ions with a fluence of 5 × 10 17 ions/cm 2 during subsequent high temperature annealing is studied by Raman and Brillouin light scattering. Irradiation of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films with 1 MeV protons with fluences from 1 × 10 15 to 250 × 10 15 ions/cm -2 induces visible darkening over a broad spectral region that shows three stages of development. This is attributed to the formation of defect clusters by a model of defect growth and also high fluence optical absorption studies. X-ray diffraction studies show

Impacts of reactor. Induced cladding defects on spent fuel storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, A.B.

1978-01-01

Defects arise in the fuel cladding on a small fraction of fuel rods during irradiation in water-cooled power reactors. Defects from mechanical damage in fuel handling and shipping have been almost negligible. No commercial water reactor fuel has yet been observed to develop defects while stored in spent fuel pools. In some pools, defective fuel is placed in closed canisters as it is removed from the reactor. However, hundreds of defective fuel bundles are stored in numerous pools on the same basis as intact fuel. Radioactive species carried into the pool from the reactor coolant must be dealt with by the pool purification system. However, additional radiation releases from the defective fuel during storage appear tu be minimal, with the possible exception of fuel discharged while the reactor is operating (CANDU fuel). Over approximately two decades, defective commercial fuel has been handled, stored, shipped and reprocessed. (author)

Defect-induced room temperature ferromagnetic properties of the Al-doped and undoped ZnO rod-like nanostructure

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Jule, L

2017-07-01

Full Text Available : 151-155 Defect-induced room temperature ferromagnetic properties of the Al-doped and undoped ZnO rod-like nanostructure Jule L Dejene F Ali AG Roro KT Mwakikunga BW ABSTRACT: In this work, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR...

Defects in CdSe thin films, induced by high energy electron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ion, L.; Antohe, S.; Tutuc, D.; Antohe, V.A.; Tazlaoanu, C.

2004-01-01

Defects induced in CdSe thin films by high energy electron irradiation are investigated by means of thermally stimulated currents (TSC) spectroscopy. Films were obtained by vacuum deposition from a single source and irradiated with a 5 x 10 13 electrons/cm 2 s -1 beam of 6-MeV energy. It was found that electrical properties of the films are controlled by a deep donor state, located at 0.38 eV below the bottom edge of the conduction band. Parameters of the traps responsible for the recorded TSC peaks were determined. (authors)

MD simulations to evaluate effects of applied tensile strain on irradiation-induced defect production at various PKA energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyashiro, S.; Fujita, S.; Okita, T.; Okuda, H.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Strain effects on defect formation were evaluated at various PKA energies by MD. ► Radiation-induced defects were increased numerically by external strain. ► Enhanced formation of larger clusters causes the numerical increase of defects. ► Strain influence on the number of defects was greatest at about 20 keV PKA. ► Cluster size, which is mostly affected by strain, was greater with higher PKA energy. - Abstract: Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to investigate the influence of applied tensile strain on defect production during cascade damages at various Primary Knock-on Atom (PKA) energies of 1–30 keV. When 1% strain was applied, the number of surviving defects increased at PKA energies higher than 5 keV, although they did not increase at 1 keV. The rate of increase by strain application was higher with higher PKA energy, and attained the maximum at 20 keV PKA energy with a subsequent gradual decrease at 30 keV PKA energy The cluster size, mostly affected by strain, was larger with higher PKA energy, although clusters with fewer than seven interstitials did not increase in number at any PKA energy.

Radiation induced defects and thermoluminescence mechanism in aluminum oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atobe, K.; Kobayashi, T.; Awata, T. [Naruto Univ. of Education, Tokushima (Japan); Okada, M. [Kyoto Univ., Kumatori, Osaka (Japan). Research Reactor Inst; Nakagawa, M. [Kagawa Univ., Faculty of Education, Takamatsu, Kagawa (Japan)

2001-01-01

The thermoluminescence of the irradiated aluminum oxides were measured to study the radiation induced defects and their behaviors. Neutron and {gamma}-ray irradiation were performed for a shingle crystal of the high purity aluminum oxide. The thermoluminescence glow curve and its activation energy were measured. The spectroscopy measurement on the thermoluminescence and the absorption are also carried out. The observed 430 and 340 nm peaks are discussed relating to the F{sup +} and F centers, respectively. Activation state of the F center transits to 3P state through 1P state by emitting phonons. Trapped electron on 3P state emits phonon of 2.9 eV (430 nm) during transition to the ground state. The above reaction can be written by the equation. F{sup +} + e {yields} (F){sup *} {yields} F + h{nu}(2.9 eV, 470 nm). (Katsuta, H.)

Congenital heart defects in Williams syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Shi-Min

2017-01-01

Yuan SM. Congenital heart defects in Williams syndrome. Turk J Pediatr 2017; 59: 225-232. Williams syndrome (WS), also known as Williams-Beuren syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder involving multiple systems including the circulatory system. However, the etiologies of the associated congenital heart defects in WS patients have not been sufficiently elucidated and represent therapeutic challenges. The typical congenital heart defects in WS were supravalvar aortic stenosis, pulmonary stenosis (both valvular and peripheral), aortic coarctation and mitral valvar prolapse. The atypical cardiovascular anomalies include tetralogy of Fallot, atrial septal defects, aortic and mitral valvular insufficiencies, bicuspid aortic valves, ventricular septal defects, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, double chambered right ventricle, Ebstein anomaly and arterial anomalies. Deletion of the elastin gene on chromosome 7q11.23 leads to deficiency or abnormal deposition of elastin during cardiovascular development, thereby leading to widespread cardiovascular abnormalities in WS. In this article, the distribution, treatment and surgical outcomes of typical and atypical cardiac defects in WS are discussed.

The evolution of interaction between grain boundary and irradiation-induced point defects: Symmetric tilt GB in tungsten

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hong; Qin, Yuan; Yang, Yingying; Yao, Man; Wang, Xudong; Xu, Haixuan; Phillpot, Simon R.

2018-03-01

Molecular dynamics method is used and scheme of calculational tests is designed. The atomic evolution view of the interaction between grain boundary (GB) and irradiation-induced point defects is given in six symmetric tilt GB structures of bcc tungsten with the energy of the primary knock-on atom (PKA) EPKA of 3 and 5 keV and the simulated temperature of 300 K. During the collision cascade with GB structure there are synergistic mechanisms to reduce the number of point defects: one is vacancies recombine with interstitials, and another is interstitials diffuse towards the GB with vacancies almost not move. The larger the ratio of the peak defect zone of the cascades overlaps with the GB region, the statistically relative smaller the number of surviving point defects in the grain interior (GI); and when the two almost do not overlap, vacancy-intensive area generally exists nearby GBs, and has a tendency to move toward GB with the increase of EPKA. In contrast, the distribution of interstitials is relatively uniform nearby GBs and is affected by the EPKA far less than the vacancy. The GB has a bias-absorption effect on the interstitials compared with vacancies. It shows that the number of surviving vacancies statistically has increasing trend with the increase of the distance between PKA and GB. While the number of surviving interstitials does not change much, and is less than the number of interstitials in the single crystal at the same conditions. The number of surviving vacancies in the GI is always larger than that of interstitials. The GB local extension after irradiation is observed for which the interstitials absorbed by the GB may be responsible. The designed scheme of calculational tests in the paper is completely applicable to the investigation of the interaction between other types of GBs and irradiation-induced point defects.

Prevalence of symptomatic and silent stress-induced perfusion defects in diabetic patients with suspected coronary artery disease referred for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prior, John O.; Calcagni, Maria-Lucia; Bischof Delaloye, Angelika [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV University Hospital), Division of Nuclear Medicine, Lausanne (Switzerland); Monbaron, David; Ruiz, Juan [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV University Hospital), Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Lausanne (Switzerland); Koehli, Melanie [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV University Hospital), Division of Nuclear Medicine, Lausanne (Switzerland); Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV University Hospital), Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Lausanne (Switzerland)

2005-01-01

Silent myocardial ischaemia - as evaluated by stress-induced perfusion defects on myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in patients without a history of chest pain - is frequent in diabetes and is associated with increased rates of cardiovascular events. Its prevalence has been determined in asymptomatic diabetic patients, but remains largely unknown in diabetic patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) in the clinical setting. In this study we therefore sought (a) to determine the prevalence of symptomatic and silent perfusion defects in diabetic patients with suspected CAD and (b) to characterise the eventual predictors of abnormal perfusion. The patient population comprised 133 consecutive diabetic patients with suspected CAD who had been referred for MPS. Studies were performed with exercise (41%) or pharmacological stress testing (1-day protocol, {sup 99m}Tc-sestamibi, {sup 201}Tl or both). We used semi-quantitative analysis (20-segment polar maps) to derive the summed stress score (SSS) and the summed difference score (SDS). Abnormal MPS (SSS{>=}4) was observed in 49 (37%) patients (SSS=4.9{+-}8.4, SDS=2.4{+-}4.7), reversible perfusion defects (SDS{>=}2) in 40 (30%) patients [SSS=13.3{+-}10.9; SDS=8.0{+-}5.6; 20% moderate to severe (SDS>4), 7% multivessel] and fixed defects in 21 (16%) patients. Results were comparable between patients with and patients without a history of chest pain. Of 75 patients without a history of chest pain, 23 (31%, 95% CI=21-42%) presented reversible defects (SSS=13.9{+-}11.3; SDS=7.4{+-}1.2), indicative of silent ischaemia. Reversible defects were associated with inducible ST segment depression during MPS stress (odds ratio (OR)=3.2, p<0.01). Fixed defects were associated with erectile dysfunction in males (OR=3.7, p=0.02) and lower aspirin use (OR=0.25, p=0.02). Silent stress-induced perfusion defects occurred in 31% of the patients, a rate similar to that in patients with a history of chest pain. MPS could identify

Environmental and genetic interactions in human cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paterson, M.C.

Humans, depending upon their genetic make-up, differ in their susceptibility to the cancer-causing effects of extrinsic agents. Clinical and laboratory studies on the hereditary disorder, ataxia telangiectasia (AT) show that persons afflicted with this are cancer-prone and unusually sensitive to conventional radiotherapy. Their skin cells, when cultured, are hypersensitive to killing by ionizing radiation, being defective in the enzymatic repair of radiation-induced damange to the genetic material, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). This molecular finding implicates DNA damage and its imperfect repair as an early step in the induction of human cancer by radiation and other carcinogens. The parents of AT patients are clincally normal but their cultured cells are often moderately radiosensitive. The increased radiosensitivity of cultured cells offers a means of identifying a presumed cancer-prone subpopulation that should avoid undue exposure to certain carcinogens. The radioresponse of cells from patients with other cancer-associated genetic disorders and persons suspected of being genetically predisposed to radiation-induced cancer has also been measured. Increased cell killing by γ-rays appears in the complex genetic disease, tuberous sclerosis. Cells from cancer-stricken members of a leukemia-prone family are also radiosensitive, as are cells from one patient with radiation-associated breast cancer. These radiobiological data, taken together, strongly suggest that genetic factors can interact with extrinsic agents and thereby play a greater causative role in the development of common cancers in man than previously thought. (L.L.)

Adaptive repair induced by small doses of γ radiation in repair-defective human cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zasukhina, G.D.; L'vova, G.N.; Vasil'eva, I.M.; Sinel'shchikova, T.A.; Semyachkina, A.N.

1993-01-01

Adaptive repair induced by small doses of gamma radiation was studied in repair-defective xeroderma pigmentosum, gout, and homocystinuria cells. The adaptation of cells induced by small doses of radiation was estimated after subsequent exposure to gamma radiation, 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide, and N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine by three methods: (1) by the reduction in DNA breaks; (2) by induction of resistant DNA synthesis; and (3) by increased reactivation of vaccinia virus. The three cell types in response to the three different mutagens revealed differences in the mechanism of cell defense in excision repair, in the adaptive response, and in Weigl reactivation

Measurement and simulation of the effects of ion-induced defects on ion beam-induced charge (IBIC) measurements in Si schottky diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hearne, S.M.; Lay, M.D.H.; Jamieson, D.N.

2004-01-01

Full text: The Ion Beam Induced Charge (IBIC) technique is a very sensitive tool for investigating the electronic properties of semiconductor materials and devices. However, obtaining quantitative information from IBIC experiments requires an accurate model of the materials properties. The interaction of high energy ions with crystalline materials is known to create point defects within the crystal. A significant proportion of defects introduced by the interaction of the ion with the crystal are electrically active and are therefore an important consideration when undertaking an IBIC experiment. The goal of this work is to investigate the possibility of including the relevant defect parameters in computer simulations of the IBIC experiment implemented using Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) software. We will present the results from an IBIC study on Si Schottky diodes using 1 MeV alphas. A reduction of greater than 50% in the detected IBIC signal was observed for fluences greater than 5x10 10 He + /cm 2 . The trap parameters following ion irradiation were determined experimentally using DLTS. Comparisons between the experimental IBIC results and TCAD simulations will be discussed

A System for Measuring Defect Induced Beam Modulation on Inertial Confinement Fusion-class Laser Optics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Runkel, M; Hawley-Fedder, R; Widmayer, C; Williams, W; Weinzapfel, C; Roberts, D

2005-01-01

A multi-wavelength laser based system has been constructed to measure defect induced beam modulation (diffraction) from ICF class laser optics. The Nd:YLF-based modulation measurement system (MMS) uses simple beam collimation and imaging to capture diffraction patterns from optical defects onto an 8-bit digital camera at 1053, 527 and 351 nm. The imaging system has a field of view of 4.5 x 2.8 mm 2 and is capable of imaging any plane from 0 to 30 cm downstream from the defect. The system is calibrated using a 477 micron chromium dot on glass for which the downstream diffraction patterns were calculated numerically. Under nominal conditions the system can measure maximum peak modulations of approximately 7:1. An image division algorithm is used to calculate the peak modulation from the diffracted and empty field images after the baseline residual light background is subtracted from both. The peak modulation can then be plotted versus downstream position. The system includes a stage capable of holding optics up to 50 pounds with x and y translation of 40 cm and has been used to measure beam modulation due to solgel coating defects, surface digs on KDP crystals, lenslets in bulk fused silica and laser damage sites mitigated with CO 2 lasers

A System for Measuring Defect Induced Beam Modulation on Inertial Confinement Fusion-class Laser Optics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Runkel, M; Hawley-Fedder, R; Widmayer, C; Williams, W; Weinzapfel, C; Roberts, D

2005-10-18

A multi-wavelength laser based system has been constructed to measure defect induced beam modulation (diffraction) from ICF class laser optics. The Nd:YLF-based modulation measurement system (MMS) uses simple beam collimation and imaging to capture diffraction patterns from optical defects onto an 8-bit digital camera at 1053, 527 and 351 nm. The imaging system has a field of view of 4.5 x 2.8 mm{sup 2} and is capable of imaging any plane from 0 to 30 cm downstream from the defect. The system is calibrated using a 477 micron chromium dot on glass for which the downstream diffraction patterns were calculated numerically. Under nominal conditions the system can measure maximum peak modulations of approximately 7:1. An image division algorithm is used to calculate the peak modulation from the diffracted and empty field images after the baseline residual light background is subtracted from both. The peak modulation can then be plotted versus downstream position. The system includes a stage capable of holding optics up to 50 pounds with x and y translation of 40 cm and has been used to measure beam modulation due to solgel coating defects, surface digs on KDP crystals, lenslets in bulk fused silica and laser damage sites mitigated with CO{sub 2} lasers.

The effect of dithiothreitol on radiation-induced genetic damage in Arabidopsis thaliana (L) Heynh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dellaert, L.M.W.

1980-01-01

A study was made on the effect of dithiothreitol (DTT; present during irradiation) on M 1 ovule sterility, M 2 embryonic lethals, M 2 chlorophyll mutants and M 2 viable mutants induced with fast neutrons or X-rays in Arabidopsis thaliana. DTT provides considerable protection against both fast-neutron and X-ray induced genetic damage. However, a higher protection was observed against M 1 ovule sterility, than against embryonic lethals, chlorophylls and viable mutants. This implies a significant DTT-induced spectral shift (0.01 < p < 0.05), i.e. a shift in the relative frequencies of the different genetic parameters. This spectral shift is explained on the basis of a specific DTT protection against radiation-induced strand breaks, and by differences in the ratio strand breaks/base damage for the genetic parameters concerned, i.e. a higher ratio for ovule sterility than for the other parameters. The induction of the genetic damage by ionizing radiation, either with or without DTT, is described by a mathematical model, which includes both strand breaks and base damage. The model shows that the resolving power of a test for a 'mutation'spectral shift depends on the relative values of the strandbreak reduction factor of -SH compounds and on the ratio strand breaks/base damage of the genetic parameters. For each genetic parameter the DTT damage reduction factor (DRF) is calculated per irradiation dose, and in addition the average (over-all doses) ratio strand breaks/base damage. (orig.)

Spontaneous hyaline cartilage regeneration can be induced in an osteochondral defect created in the femoral condyle using a novel double-network hydrogel.

Science.gov (United States)

Yokota, Masashi; Yasuda, Kazunori; Kitamura, Nobuto; Arakaki, Kazunobu; Onodera, Shin; Kurokawa, Takayuki; Gong, Jian-Ping

2011-02-22

Functional repair of articular osteochondral defects remains a major challenge not only in the field of knee surgery but also in tissue regeneration medicine. The purpose is to clarify whether the spontaneous hyaline cartilage regeneration can be induced in a large osteochondral defect created in the femoral condyle by means of implanting a novel double-network (DN) gel at the bottom of the defect. Twenty-five mature rabbits were used in this study. In the bilateral knees of each animal, we created an osteochondral defect having a diameter of 2.4-mm in the medial condyle. Then, in 21 rabbits, we implanted a DN gel plug into a right knee defect so that a vacant space of 1.5-mm depth (in Group I), 2.5-mm depth (in Group II), or 3.5-mm depth (in Group III) was left. In the left knee, we did not apply any treatment to the defect to obtain the control data. All the rabbits were sacrificed at 4 weeks, and the gross and histological evaluations were performed. The remaining 4 rabbits underwent the same treatment as used in Group II, and real-time PCR analysis was performed at 4 weeks. The defect in Group II was filled with a sufficient volume of the hyaline cartilage tissue rich in proteoglycan and type-2 collagen. The Wayne's gross appearance and histology scores showed that Group II was significantly greater than Group I, III, and Control (p hyaline cartilage regeneration can be induced in vivo in an osteochondral defect created in the femoral condyle by means of implanting the DN gel plug at the bottom of the defect so that an approximately 2-mm deep vacant space was intentionally left in the defect. This fact has prompted us to propose an innovative strategy without cell culture to repair osteochondral lesions in the femoral condyle.

Syndromes and Disorders Associated with Omphalocele (III: Single Gene Disorders, Neural Tube Defects, Diaphragmatic Defects and Others

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Ping Chen

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Omphalocele can be associated with single gene disorders, neural tube defects, diaphragmatic defects, fetal valproate syndrome, and syndromes of unknown etiology. This article provides a comprehensive review of omphalocele-related disorders: otopalatodigital syndrome type II; Melnick–Needles syndrome; Rieger syndrome; neural tube defects; Meckel syndrome; Shprintzen–Goldberg omphalocele syndrome; lethal omphalocele-cleft palate syndrome; cerebro-costo-mandibular syndrome; fetal valproate syndrome; Marshall–Smith syndrome; fibrochondrogenesis; hydrolethalus syndrome; Fryns syndrome; omphalocele, diaphragmatic defects, radial anomalies and various internal malformations; diaphragmatic defects, limb deficiencies and ossification defects of skull; Donnai–Barrow syndrome; CHARGE syndrome; Goltz syndrome; Carpenter syndrome; Toriello–Carey syndrome; familial omphalocele; Cornelia de Lange syndrome; C syndrome; Elejalde syndrome; Malpuech syndrome; cervical ribs, Sprengel anomaly, anal atresia and urethral obstruction; hydrocephalus with associated malformations; Kennerknecht syndrome; lymphedema, atrial septal defect and facial changes; and craniosynostosis- mental retardation syndrome of Lin and Gettig. Perinatal identification of omphalocele should alert one to the possibility of omphalocele-related disorders and familial inheritance and prompt a thorough genetic counseling for these disorders.

Influence of crystal orientation on the formation of femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures and lattice defects accumulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sedao, Xxx; Garrelie, Florence, E-mail: florence.garrelie@univ-st-etienne.fr; Colombier, Jean-Philippe; Reynaud, Stéphanie; Pigeon, Florent [Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5516, Laboratoire Hubert Curien, Université de Saint Etienne, Jean Monnet, F-42023 Saint-Etienne (France); Maurice, Claire; Quey, Romain [Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne, CNRS, UMR5307, Laboratoire Georges Friedel, F-42023 Saint-Etienne (France)

2014-04-28

The influence of crystal orientation on the formation of femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) has been investigated on a polycrystalline nickel sample. Electron Backscatter Diffraction characterization has been exploited to provide structural information within the laser spot on irradiated samples to determine the dependence of LIPSS formation and lattice defects (stacking faults, twins, dislocations) upon the crystal orientation. Significant differences are observed at low-to-medium number of laser pulses, outstandingly for (111)-oriented surface which favors lattice defects formation rather than LIPSS formation.

Electrical Characterisation of electron beam exposure induced Defects in silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danga, Helga T., E-mail: helga.danga@up.ac.za; Auret, Francois D.; Coelho, Sergio M.M.; Diale, Mmantsae

2016-01-01

The defects introduced in epitaxially grown p-type silicon (Si) during electron beam exposure were electrically characterised using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and high resolution Laplace-DLTS. In this process, Si samples were first exposed to the conditions of electron beam deposition (EBD) without metal deposition. This is called electron beam exposure (EBE) herein. After 50 minutes of EBE, nickel (Ni) Schottky contacts were fabricated using the resistive deposition method. The defect level observed using the Ni contacts had an activation energy of H(0.55). This defect has an activation energy similar to that of the I-defect. The defect level is similar to that of the HB4, a boron related defect. DLTS depth profiling revealed that H(0.55) could be detected up to a depth of 0.8 μm below the junction. We found that exposing the samples to EBD conditions without metal deposition introduced a defect which was not introduced by the EBD method. We also observed that the damage caused by EBE extended deeper into the material compared to that caused by EBD.

Annealing temperature effects on the magnetic properties and induced defects in C/N/O implanted MgO

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qiang; Ye, Bonian; Hao, Yingping; Liu, Jiandang; Kong, Wei; Ye, Bangjiao

2013-02-01

Virgin MgO single crystals were implanted with 70 keV C/N/O ions at room temperature to a dose of 2 × 1017/cm2. After implantation the samples showed room temperature hysteresis in magnetization loops. The annealing effects on the magnetic properties and induced defects of these samples were determined by vibrating sample magnetometer and positron annihilation spectroscopy, respectively. The experimental results indicate that ferromagnetism can be introduced to MgO single crystals by doping with C, N or introduction of Mg related vacancy defects. However, the Mg vacancies coexistence with C or N ions in the C-/N-implanted samples may play a negative role in magnetic performance in these MgO samples. The rapid increase of magnetic moment in O-implanted sample is attributed to the formation of new type of vacancy defects.

Genetic Syndromes Associated with Congenital Cardiac Defects and Ophthalmologic Changes - Systematization for Diagnosis in the Clinical Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Priscila H A; Souza, Beatriz S; Pacheco, Eimi N; Menegazzo, Michele S; Corrêa, Ivan S; Zen, Paulo R G; Rosa, Rafael F M; Cesa, Claudia C; Pellanda, Lucia C; Vilela, Manuel A P

2018-01-01

Numerous genetic syndromes associated with heart disease and ocular manifestations have been described. However, a compilation and a summarization of these syndromes for better consultation and comparison have not been performed yet. The objective of this work is to systematize available evidence in the literature on different syndromes that may cause congenital heart diseases associated with ocular changes, focusing on the types of anatomical and functional changes. A systematic search was performed on Medline electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Lilacs) of articles published until January 2016. Eligibility criteria were case reports or review articles that evaluated the association of ophthalmic and cardiac abnormalities in genetic syndrome patients younger than 18 years. The most frequent genetic syndromes were: Down Syndrome, Velo-cardio-facial / DiGeorge Syndrome, Charge Syndrome and Noonan Syndrome. The most associated cardiac malformations with ocular findings were interatrial communication (77.4%), interventricular communication (51.6%), patent ductus arteriosus (35.4%), pulmonary artery stenosis (25.8%) and tetralogy of Fallot (22.5%). Due to their clinical variability, congenital cardiac malformations may progress asymptomatically to heart defects associated with high morbidity and mortality. For this reason, the identification of extra-cardiac characteristics that may somehow contribute to the diagnosis of the disease or reveal its severity is of great relevance.

Reproduction, Smell and Neurodevelopmental disorders: Genetic defects in different hypogonadotropic hypogonadal syndromes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hernan G VALDES-SOCIN

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The neuroendocrine control of reproduction in mammals is governed by a neural hypothalamic network of nearly 1500 gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH secreting neurons that modulate the activity of the reproductive axis across life. Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH is a clinical syndrome that is characterized by partial or complete pubertal failure. HH may result from inadequate hypothalamic GnRH axis activation, or a failure of pituitary gonadotropin secretion/effects. In man, several genes that participate in olfactory and GnRH neuronal migration are thought to interact during the embryonic life. A growing number of mutations in different genes are responsible for congenital HH. Based on the presence or absence of olfaction dysfunction, HH is divided in two syndromes: HH with olfactory alterations (Kallmann syndrome and idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH with normal smell (normosmic IHH. Kallmann syndrome (KS is a heterogeneous disorder affecting 1 in 5000 males, with a 3-5 fold of males over females. KS is associated with mutations in KAL1, FGFR1/FGF8, FGF17, IL17RD, PROK2/PROKR2, NELF, CHD7, HS6ST1, FLRT3, SPRY4, DUSP6, SEMA3A, NELF and WDR11 genes that are related to defects in neuronal migration. These reproductive and olfactory deficits include a variable non reproductive phenotype, including sensorineural deafness, coloboma, bimanual synkinesis, craniofacial abnormalities and/or renal agenesis. Interestingly, defects in PROKR2, FGFR1, FGF8, CHD7, DUSP6, and WDR11 genes are also associated with normosmic IHH, whereas mutations in KISS1/KISSR, TAC3/TACR3, GNRH1/GNRHR, LEP/LEPR, HESX1, FSHB and LHB are only present in patients with normosmic IHH. In this paper, we summarize the reproductive, neurodevelopmental and genetic aspects of HH in human pathology.

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: X chromosome defects and autoimmunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Persani, Luca; Rossetti, Raffaella; Cacciatore, Chiara; Bonomi, Marco

2009-08-01

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a primary ovarian defect characterized by absent menarche or premature depletion of ovarian follicles before the age of 40 years. However, in several instances the distinction between definitive or intermittent POF may be difficult on clinical bases, therefore the more appropriate term Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) has been recently proposed and will be used in this review. POI is a heterogeneous disorder affecting approximately 1% of women disappearance of menstrual cycles (secondary amenorrhea) associated with a defective folliculogenesis. POI is generally characterized by low levels of gonadal hormones (estrogens and inhibins) and high levels of gonadotropins (LH and FSH) (hypergonadotropic amenorrhea). Heterogeneity of POI is reflected by the variety of possible causes, including autoimmunity, toxics, drugs, as well as genetic defects. Several data indicate that POI has a strong genetic component. In this manuscript we discuss the X chromosome abnormalities that are associated with POI.

Surface-defect induced modifications in the optical properties of α-MnO{sub 2} nanorods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John, Reenu Elizabeth [Department of Physics, St. Berchmans College, Changanassery, Kerala 686101 (India); Chandran, Anoop [School of Pure and Applied Physics, MG University, Kottayam, Kerala 686560 (India); Thomas, Marykutty [Department of Physics, BCM College, Kottayam, Kerala 686001 (India); Jose, Joshy [Department of Physics, St. Berchmans College, Changanassery, Kerala 686101 (India); George, K.C., E-mail: drkcgeorge@gmail.com [Department of Physics, St. Berchmans College, Changanassery, Kerala 686101 (India)

2016-03-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Alpha-MnO{sub 2} nanorods are prepared by chemical method. • Difference in surface defect density is achieved. • Characterized using XRD, Rietveld, XPS, EDS, HR-TEM, BET, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and PL spectroscopy. • Explains the bandstructure modification due to Jahn–Teller distortions using crystal field theory. • Modification in the intensity of optical emissions related to defect levels validates the concept of surface defect induced tuning of optical properties. - Abstract: The science of defect engineering via surface tuning opens a new route to modify the inherent properties of nanomaterials for advanced functional and practical applications. In this work, two independent synthesis methods (hydrothermal and co-precipitation) are adopted to fabricate α-MnO{sub 2} nanorods with different defect structures so as to understand the effect of surface modifications on their optical properties. The crystal structure and morphology of samples are investigated with the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Atomic composition calculated from energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirms non-stoichiometry of the samples. The surface properties and chemical environment are thoroughly studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. Bond angle variance and bond valence sum are determined to validate distortions in the basic MnO{sub 6} octahedron. The surface studies indicate that the concentration of Jahn–Teller manganese (III) (Mn{sup 3+}) ion in the samples differ from each other which results in their distinct properties. Band structure modifications due to Jahn–Teller distortion are examined with the aid of ultraviolet–visible (UV) reflectance and photoluminescence (PL) studies. The dual peaks obtained in derivative spectrum conflict the current concept on the bandgap energy of MnO{sub 2}. These

Genetic and molecular analysis of radon-induced rat lung tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guilly, M.N.; Joubert, Ch.; Levalois, C.; Dano, L.; Chevillard, S.

2002-01-01

We have a model of radon-induced rat lung tumours, which allow us to analyse the cytogenetic and molecular alterations of the tumours. The aim is to better understand the mechanisms of radio-induced carcinogenesis and to define if it exists a specificity of radio-induced genetic alterations as compared to the genetic alterations found in the sporadic tumours. We have started our analysis by developing global cytogenetic and molecular approaches. We have shown that some alterations are recurrent. The genes that are potentially involved are the oncogene MET and the tumour suppressor Bene p16, which are also frequently altered in human lung tumours. Simultaneously, we have focussed our analysis by targeting the search of mutation in the tumour suppressor gene TP3. We have found that 8 of 39 tumours were mutated by deletion in the coding sequence of TP53. This high frequency of deletion, which is not observed in the human p53 mutation database could constitute a signature of radio-induced alterations. On this assumption, this type of alteration should not be only found on TP53 Bene but also in other suppressor genes which are inactivated by a mutation such as p16 for example. The work we are carrying out on radio-induced tumours among humans and animals is directed to this end. (author)

Dynamics of defect-induced dark solitons in an exciton-polariton condensate

Science.gov (United States)

Opala, Andrzej; Pieczarka, Maciej; Bobrovska, Nataliya; Matuszewski, Michał

2018-04-01

We study theoretically the emission of dark solitons induced by a moving defect in a nonresonantly pumped exciton-polariton condensate. The number of created dark solitons per unit of time is found to be strongly dependent on the pump power. We relate the observed dynamics of this process to the oscillations of the drag force experienced by the condensate. We investigate the stability of the polariton quantum fluid and present various types of dynamics depending on the condensate and moving obstacle parameters. Furthermore, we provide analytical expressions for dark soliton dynamics using the variational method adapted to the nonequilibrium polariton system. The determined dynamical equations are found to be in excellent agreement with the results of numerical simulations.

Birth Defects in the Newborn Population: Race and Ethnicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander C. Egbe

2015-06-01

Conclusion: This is a comprehensive description of racial differences in the risk of birth defects in the United States. Observed racial differences in the risk of birth defects may be related to genetic susceptibilities, to cultural or social differences that could modify exposures, or to the many potential combinations between susceptibilities and exposures.

Ion-irradiation-induced defects in bundles of carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salonen, E.; Krasheninnikov, A.V.; Nordlund, K.

2002-01-01

We study the structure and formation yields of atomic-scale defects produced by low-dose Ar ion irradiation in bundles of single-wall carbon nanotubes. For this, we employ empirical potential molecular dynamics and simulate ion impact events over an energy range of 100-1000 eV. We show that the most common defects produced at all energies are vacancies on nanotube walls, which at low temperatures are metastable but long-lived defects. We further calculate the spatial distribution of the defects, which proved to be highly non-uniform. We also show that ion irradiation gives rise to the formations of inter-tube covalent bonds mediated by carbon recoils and nanotube lattice distortions due to dangling bond saturation. The number of inter-tube links, as well as the overall damage, linearly grows with the energy of incident ions

Prevalence of symptomatic and silent stress-induced perfusion defects in diabetic patients with suspected coronary artery disease referred for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prior, John O.; Calcagni, Maria-Lucia; Bischof Delaloye, Angelika; Monbaron, David; Ruiz, Juan; Koehli, Melanie

2005-01-01

Silent myocardial ischaemia - as evaluated by stress-induced perfusion defects on myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in patients without a history of chest pain - is frequent in diabetes and is associated with increased rates of cardiovascular events. Its prevalence has been determined in asymptomatic diabetic patients, but remains largely unknown in diabetic patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) in the clinical setting. In this study we therefore sought (a) to determine the prevalence of symptomatic and silent perfusion defects in diabetic patients with suspected CAD and (b) to characterise the eventual predictors of abnormal perfusion. The patient population comprised 133 consecutive diabetic patients with suspected CAD who had been referred for MPS. Studies were performed with exercise (41%) or pharmacological stress testing (1-day protocol, 99m Tc-sestamibi, 201 Tl or both). We used semi-quantitative analysis (20-segment polar maps) to derive the summed stress score (SSS) and the summed difference score (SDS). Abnormal MPS (SSS≥4) was observed in 49 (37%) patients (SSS=4.9±8.4, SDS=2.4±4.7), reversible perfusion defects (SDS≥2) in 40 (30%) patients [SSS=13.3±10.9; SDS=8.0±5.6; 20% moderate to severe (SDS>4), 7% multivessel] and fixed defects in 21 (16%) patients. Results were comparable between patients with and patients without a history of chest pain. Of 75 patients without a history of chest pain, 23 (31%, 95% CI=21-42%) presented reversible defects (SSS=13.9±11.3; SDS=7.4±1.2), indicative of silent ischaemia. Reversible defects were associated with inducible ST segment depression during MPS stress (odds ratio (OR)=3.2, p<0.01). Fixed defects were associated with erectile dysfunction in males (OR=3.7, p=0.02) and lower aspirin use (OR=0.25, p=0.02). Silent stress-induced perfusion defects occurred in 31% of the patients, a rate similar to that in patients with a history of chest pain. MPS could identify these patients with a

Genetic Testing: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Your Family's Health (National Institutes of Health) - PDF Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Genetic Testing updates ... testing and your cancer risk Karyotyping Related Health Topics Birth Defects Genetic Counseling Genetic Disorders Newborn Screening ...

Excessive apoptosis and defective autophagy contribute to developmental testicular toxicity induced by fluoride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shun; Niu, Qiang; Gao, Hui; Ma, Rulin; Lei, Rongrong; Zhang, Cheng; Xia, Tao; Li, Pei; Xu, Chunyan; Wang, Chao; Chen, Jingwen; Dong, Lixing; Zhao, Qian; Wang, Aiguo

2016-01-01

Fluoride, a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, is known to impair testicular functions and fertility; however the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, we used a rat model to mimic human exposure and sought to investigate the roles of apoptosis and autophagy in testicular toxicity of fluoride. Sprague–Dawley rats were developmentally exposed to 25, 50, or 100 mg/L sodium fluoride (NaF) via drinking water from pre-pregnancy to post-puberty, and then the testes of offspring were excised on postnatal day 56. Our results demonstrated that developmental NaF exposure induced an enhanced testicular apoptosis, as manifested by a series of hallmarks such as caspase-3 activation, chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation. Further study revealed that fluoride exposure elicited significant elevations in the levels of cell surface death receptor Fas with a parallel increase in cytoplasmic cytochrome c, indicating the involvement of both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Intriguingly, fluoride treatment also simultaneously increased the number of autophagosomes and the levels of autophagy marker LC3-II but not Beclin1. Unexpectedly, the expression of p62, a substrate that is degraded by autophagy, was also significantly elevated, suggesting that the accumulated autophagosomes resulted from impaired autophagy degradation rather than increased formation. Importantly, these were associated with marked histopathological lesions including spermatogenic failure and germ cell loss, along with severe ultrastructural abnormalities in testes. Taken together, our findings provide deeper insights into roles of excessive apoptosis and defective autophagy in the aggravation of testicular damage, which could contribute to a better understanding of fluoride-induced male reproductive toxicity. - Highlights: • Rats were developmentally exposed to fluoride from pre-pregnancy to post-puberty. • Both excessive apoptosis and defective autophagy are involved in

Quo Vadis, Medical Genetics?

Science.gov (United States)

Czeizel, Andrew E.

The beginning of human genetics and its medical part: medical genetics was promising in the early decades of this century. Many genetic diseases and defects with Mendelian origin were identified and it helped families with significant genetic burden to limit their child number. Unfortunately this good start was shadowed by two tragic events. On the one hand, in the 1930s and early 1940s the German fascism brought about the dominance of an unscientific eugenics to mask vile political crimes. People with genetic diseases-defects were forced to sterilisation and several of them were killed. On the other hand, in the 1950s lysenkoism inhibitied the evolution of genetics in the Soviet Union and their satelite countries. Lysenko's doctrine declared genetics as a product of imperialism and a guilty science, therefore leading geneticists were ousted form their posts and some of them were executed or put in prison. Past decades genetics has resulted fantastic new results and achieved a leading position within the natural sciences. To my mind, however, the expected wider use of new eugenics indicates a new tragedy and this Cassandra's prediction is the topic of this presentation.

An Inherited Platelet Function Defect in Basset Hounds

Science.gov (United States)

Johnstone, I. B.; Lotz, F.

1979-01-01

An inherited platelet function defect occurring in a family of basset hounds has been described. The trait is transmitted as an autosomal characteristic and appears to be expressed clinically only in the homozygous state. The characteristics of this platelet defect include: 1) marked bleeding tendencies and prolonged skin bleeding times in either male or female dogs. 2) normal blood coagulation mechanism. 3) adequate numbers of circulating platelets which appear morphologically normal by light microscopy. 4) normal whole blood clot retraction. 5) deficient in vivo platelet consumption and in vitro platelet retention in glass bead columns. 6) defective ADP-induced platelet aggregation in homozygotes, apparently normal ADP response in heterozygotes, and defective collagen-induced platelet aggregation in both. PMID:509382

Defect production and subsequent effects induced by electronic energy loss of swift heavy ion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Mingdong; Liu Jie; Sun Youmei; Yin Jingmin; Yao Huijun; Duan Jinglai; Mo Dan; Zhang Ling; Chen Yanfeng; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing

2008-01-01

Swift heavy ion in matter is one of forfront fields of nuclear physics in the world. A series of new phenomena were discovered in recent years. The history and sta- tus on the development of this field were reviewed. Electronic energy loss effects induced by swift heavy ion irradiation, such as defect production and evolution, ion latent track formation, phase transformation and anisotropy plastic deformation were introduced emphatically. A trend of future investigation was explored. (authors)

Radiation induced defect flux behaviors at zirconium based component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sang Il; Kim, Ji Hyun; Kwon, Jun Hyun; Lee, Gyeong Geun

2013-01-01

In commercial reactor core, structure materials are located in high temperature and high pressure environment. Therefore, main concern of structure materials is corrosion and mechanical properties change than radiation effects on materials. However, radiation effects on materials become more important phenomena because research reactor condition is different from commercial reactor. The temperature is lower than 100 .deg. C and radiation dose is much higher than that of commercial reactor. Among the radiation effect on zirconium based metal, radiation induced growth (RIG), known as volume conservative distortion, is one of the most important phenomena. Recently, theoretical RIG modeling based on radiation damage theory (RDT) and balance equation are developed. However, these growth modeling have limited framework of single crystal and high temperature. To model theoretical RIG in research reactor, qualitative mechanism must be set up. Therefore, this paper intent is establishing defect flux mechanism of zirconium base metal in research reactor for RIG modeling. After than theoretical RIG work will be expanded to research reactor condition

Inductively coupled plasma-induced defects in n-type GaN studied from Schottky diode characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, W.; Tokuda, Y.; Ueda, H.; Kachi, T.

2006-01-01

Inductively coupled plasma-(ICP-)induced defects in n-type GaN have been studied from current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) for Schottky diodes fabricated on etched surfaces. The samples after ICP etching show the ohmic I-V characteristics. Schottky characteristics are obtained after annealing at 600 and 800 deg. C in N 2 , but are not restored to that of the control samples. DLTS shows that the effect of ICP etching is small on the region beyond 80 nm from the surface. These results suggest that there remain ICP-induced damage in the near-surface region after thermal annealing

α-Synuclein fibril-induced paradoxical structural and functional defects in hippocampal neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Froula, Jessica M; Henderson, Benjamin W; Gonzalez, Jose Carlos; Vaden, Jada H; Mclean, John W; Wu, Yumei; Banumurthy, Gokulakrishna; Overstreet-Wadiche, Linda; Herskowitz, Jeremy H; Volpicelli-Daley, Laura A

2018-05-01

Neuronal inclusions composed of α-synuclein (α-syn) characterize Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Cognitive dysfunction defines DLB, and up to 80% of PD patients develop dementia. α-Syn inclusions are abundant in the hippocampus, yet functional consequences are unclear. To determine if pathologic α-syn causes neuronal defects, we induced endogenous α-syn to form inclusions resembling those found in diseased brains by treating hippocampal neurons with α-syn fibrils. At seven days after adding fibrils, α-syn inclusions are abundant in axons, but there is no cell death at this time point, allowing us to assess for potential alterations in neuronal function that are not caused by neuron death. We found that exposure of neurons to fibrils caused a significant reduction in mushroom spine densities, adding to the growing body of literature showing that altered spine morphology is a major pathologic phenotype in synucleinopathies. The reduction in spine densities occurred only in wild type neurons and not in neurons from α-syn knockout mice, suggesting that the changes in spine morphology result from fibril-induced corruption of endogenously expressed α-syn. Paradoxically, reduced postsynaptic spine density was accompanied by increased frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and presynaptic docked vesicles, suggesting enhanced presynaptic function. Action-potential dependent activity was unchanged, suggesting compensatory mechanisms responding to synaptic defects. Although activity at the level of the synapse was unchanged, neurons exposed to α-syn fibrils, showed reduced frequency and amplitudes of spontaneous Ca 2+ transients. These findings open areas of research to determine the mechanisms that alter neuronal function in brain regions critical for cognition at time points before neuron death.

Dark current spectroscopy of space and nuclear environment induced displacement damage defects in pinned photodiode based CMOS image sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belloir, Jean-Marc

2016-01-01

CMOS image sensors are envisioned for an increasing number of high-end scientific imaging applications such as space imaging or nuclear experiments. Indeed, the performance of high-end CMOS image sensors has dramatically increased in the past years thanks to the unceasing improvements of microelectronics, and these image sensors have substantial advantages over CCDs which make them great candidates to replace CCDs in future space missions. However, in space and nuclear environments, CMOS image sensors must face harsh radiation which can rapidly degrade their electro-optical performances. In particular, the protons, electrons and ions travelling in space or the fusion neutrons from nuclear experiments can displace silicon atoms in the pixels and break the crystalline structure. These displacement damage effects lead to the formation of stable defects and to the introduction of states in the forbidden bandgap of silicon, which can allow the thermal generation of electron-hole pairs. Consequently, non ionizing radiation leads to a permanent increase of the dark current of the pixels and thus a decrease of the image sensor sensitivity and dynamic range. The aim of the present work is to extend the understanding of the effect of displacement damage on the dark current increase of CMOS image sensors. In particular, this work focuses on the shape of the dark current distribution depending on the particle type, energy and fluence but also on the image sensor physical parameters. Thanks to the many conditions tested, an empirical model for the prediction of the dark current distribution induced by displacement damage in nuclear or space environments is experimentally validated and physically justified. Another central part of this work consists in using the dark current spectroscopy technique for the first time on irradiated CMOS image sensors to detect and characterize radiation-induced silicon bulk defects. Many types of defects are detected and two of them are identified

Confocal fluorescence microscopy investigation of visible emitting defects induced by electron beam lithography in LIF films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montereali, R. M.; Bigotta, S.; Pace, A.; Piccinini, M.; Burattini, E.; Grilli, A.; Raco, A.; Giammatteo, M.; L'Aquila Univ., L'Aquila; Picozzi, P.; Santucci, S.; L'Aquila Univ., L'Aquila

2000-01-01

Low energy electron irradiation of lithium fluoride (LiF), in the form of bulk crystals and films, gives rise to the stable formation of primary F defects and aggregated color centers in a thin layer located at the surface of the investigated material. For the first time a confocal light scanning microscope (CLSM) in fluorescence mode was used to reconstruct the depth distribution of efficiently emitting laser active color centers in a stripe-like region induced by 12 and 16 keV electrons on LiF films thermally evaporated on glass. The formation of the F3+ and F2 aggregated defects appears restricted to the electron penetration and proportional to their energy depth profile, as obtained from Monte Carlo simulations [it

Defect-induced transitions in synchronous asymmetric exclusion processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Mingzhe; Wang Ruili; Jiang Rui; Hu Maobin; Gao Yang

2009-01-01

The effects of a single local defect in synchronous asymmetric exclusion processes are investigated via theoretical analysis and Monte Carlo simulations. Our theoretical analysis shows that there are four possible stationary phases, i.e., the (low density, low density), (low density, high density), (high density, low density) and (high density, high density) in the system. In the (high density, low density) phase, the system can reach a maximal current which is determined by the local defect, but independent of boundary conditions. A phenomenological domain wall approach is developed to predict dynamic behavior at phase boundaries. The effects of defective hopping probability p on density profiles and currents are investigated. Our investigation shows that the value of p determines phase transitions when entrance rate α and exit rate β are fixed. Density profiles and currents obtained from theoretical calculations are in agreement with Monte Carlo simulations

Microstructural evolution of radiation induced defects in ZnO during isochronal annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunner, S.; Puff, W.; Balogh, A.G.

1999-01-01

In this study the authors discuss the microstructural changes after electron and proton irradiation and the thermal evolution of the radiation induced defects during isochronal annealing. The nominally undoped samples were irradiated either with 3 MeV protons to a fluence of 1.2 x 10 18 p/cm 2 or with 1 MeV electrons to a fluence of 1 x 10 18 e/cm 2 . The investigation was performed with positron lifetime and Doppler-Broadening measurements. The measurements were done at room temperature and in some cases down to 10 K to investigate the thermal dependence of the trapping characteristics of the positrons

Raman investigation of lattice defects and stress induced in InP and GaN films by swift heavy ion irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, P.P. [Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049 (China); Liu, J., E-mail: J.Liu@impcas.ac.cn [Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000 (China); Zhang, S.X. [Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049 (China); Maaz, K. [Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000 (China); Nanomaterials Research Group, Physics Division, PINSTECH, Nilore, 45650 Islamabad (Pakistan); Zeng, J. [Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000 (China); Guo, H. [Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049 (China); Zhai, P.F.; Duan, J.L.; Sun, Y.M.; Hou, M.D. [Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2016-04-01

InP crystals and GaN films were irradiated by swift heavy ions {sup 86}Kr and {sup 209}Bi with kinetic energies of 25 and 9.5 MeV per nucleon and ion fluence in the range 5 × 10{sup 10} to 3.6 × 10{sup 12} ions/cm{sup 2}. The characteristic optical bands were studied by Raman spectroscopy to reveal the disorder and defects induced in the samples during the irradiation process. The crystallinity of InP and GaN was found to be deteriorated after irradiation by the swift heavy ions and resulted in the amorphous nature of the samples along the ion tracks. The amorphous tracks observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the formation of lattice defects. In typical F{sub 2}(LO) mode, in case of InP, the spectra shifted towards the lower wavenumbers with a maximum shift of 7.6 cm{sup −1} induced by 1030 MeV Bi ion irradiation. While in case of GaN, the typical E{sub 2}(high) mode shifted towards the higher wavenumbers, with maximum shift of 5.4 cm{sup −1} induced by 760 MeV Bi ion irradiation at ion fluence of 1 × 10{sup 12} ions/cm{sup 2}. The observed Raman shifts reveal the presence of lattice defects and disorder induced in the samples after irradiation by the swift heavy ions. This irradiation also generated lattice stress in the samples, which has been investigated and discussed in detail in this work.

A genetic screen reveals Arabidopsis stomatal and/or apoplastic defenses against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiqing Zeng

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Bacterial infection of plants often begins with colonization of the plant surface, followed by entry into the plant through wounds and natural openings (such as stomata, multiplication in the intercellular space (apoplast of the infected tissues, and dissemination of bacteria to other plants. Historically, most studies assess bacterial infection based on final outcomes of disease and/or pathogen growth using whole infected tissues; few studies have genetically distinguished the contribution of different host cell types in response to an infection. The phytotoxin coronatine (COR is produced by several pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae. COR-deficient mutants of P. s. tomato (Pst DC3000 are severely compromised in virulence, especially when inoculated onto the plant surface. We report here a genetic screen to identify Arabidopsis mutants that could rescue the virulence of COR-deficient mutant bacteria. Among the susceptible to coronatine-deficient Pst DC3000 (scord mutants were two that were defective in stomatal closure response, two that were defective in apoplast defense, and four that were defective in both stomatal and apoplast defense. Isolation of these three classes of mutants suggests that stomatal and apoplastic defenses are integrated in plants, but are genetically separable, and that COR is important for Pst DC3000 to overcome both stomatal guard cell- and apoplastic mesophyll cell-based defenses. Of the six mutants defective in bacterium-triggered stomatal closure, three are defective in salicylic acid (SA-induced stomatal closure, but exhibit normal stomatal closure in response to abscisic acid (ABA, and scord7 is compromised in both SA- and ABA-induced stomatal closure. We have cloned SCORD3, which is required for salicylic acid (SA biosynthesis, and SCORD5, which encodes an ATP-binding cassette (ABC protein, AtGCN20/AtABCF3, predicted to be involved in stress-associated protein translation control. Identification of SCORD5 begins to

Defects in medical X-ray equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eder, H.; Wahl, H.; Troeger, W.

1979-01-01

A careful estimate of the effects on the genetically significant radiation load shows that it is in the same order of magnitude as the increase in the skin dose area product. This is to say that of the genetically significant radiation dose of about 500 mJ/kg (50 mrem) per year and person due to medical X-ray diagnostics, about 75 mJ/kg (7.5 mrem) are due to serious defects in X-ray equipment. (orig.) [de

Genetic Syndromes Associated with Congenital Cardiac Defects and Ophthalmologic Changes - Systematization for Diagnosis in the Clinical Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscila H. A. Oliveira

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Numerous genetic syndromes associated with heart disease and ocular manifestations have been described. However, a compilation and a summarization of these syndromes for better consultation and comparison have not been performed yet. Objective: The objective of this work is to systematize available evidence in the literature on different syndromes that may cause congenital heart diseases associated with ocular changes, focusing on the types of anatomical and functional changes. Method: A systematic search was performed on Medline electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Lilacs of articles published until January 2016. Eligibility criteria were case reports or review articles that evaluated the association of ophthalmic and cardiac abnormalities in genetic syndrome patients younger than 18 years. Results: The most frequent genetic syndromes were: Down Syndrome, Velo-cardio-facial / DiGeorge Syndrome, Charge Syndrome and Noonan Syndrome. The most associated cardiac malformations with ocular findings were interatrial communication (77.4%, interventricular communication (51.6%, patent ductus arteriosus (35.4%, pulmonary artery stenosis (25.8% and tetralogy of Fallot (22.5%. Conclusion: Due to their clinical variability, congenital cardiac malformations may progress asymptomatically to heart defects associated with high morbidity and mortality. For this reason, the identification of extra-cardiac characteristics that may somehow contribute to the diagnosis of the disease or reveal its severity is of great relevance.

Genetic Counseling: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Craniosynostosis as a clinical and diagnostic problem: molecular pathology and... Article: GENETICS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Genetic counseling for congenital ... March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Also in Spanish ...

Analysis of genetic variation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The genetic diversity of 100 Malaysian native chickens was investigated using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for two candidate genes: inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS) and natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1). The two genes were selected ...

Alpha-particle irradiation induced defects in SiO2 films of Si-SiO2 structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koman, B.P.; Gal'chynskyy, O.V.; Kovalyuk, R.O.; Shkol'nyy, A.K.

1996-01-01

The aim of the work was to investigate alpha-particle irradiation induced defects in Si-SiO 2 structures by means of the thermostimulated discharge currents (TSDC) analysis. The object of investigation were (p-Si)-SiO 2 structures formed by a combined oxidation of the industrial p-Si wafers in dry and wet oxygen at temperature of 1150 C. The TSD currents were investigated in the temperature range between 90 and 500 K under linear heating rate. Pu 238 isotopes were the source of alpha-particles with an energy of 4-5 MeV and a density of 5.10 7 s -1 cm -2 . The TSD current curves show two peculiar maxima at about 370 and 480 K. Alpha-particle irradiation doesn't affect the general shape of the TSDC curves but leads to a shift of the maximum at 370 K and reduces the total electret charge which is accumulated in the Si-SiO 2 structures during polarization. The energy distribution function of the defects which are involved in SiO 2 polarization has been calculated. It showes that defects with activation energies of about 0.8 and 1.0 eV take part in forming the electret state, and these activation energies have certain energy distributions. It has been found that the TSDC maximum at 370 K has space charge nature and is caused by migration of hydrogen ions. In irradiated samples hydrogen and natrium ions localize on deeper trapping centres induced by alpha-particle irradiation. (orig.)

Developmental defects in zebrafish for classification of EGF pathway inhibitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pruvot, Benoist; Curé, Yoann; Djiotsa, Joachim; Voncken, Audrey; Muller, Marc, E-mail: m.muller@ulg.ac.be

2014-01-15

One of the major challenges when testing drug candidates targeted at a specific pathway in whole animals is the discrimination between specific effects and unwanted, off-target effects. Here we used the zebrafish to define several developmental defects caused by impairment of Egf signaling, a major pathway of interest in tumor biology. We inactivated Egf signaling by genetically blocking Egf expression or using specific inhibitors of the Egf receptor function. We show that the combined occurrence of defects in cartilage formation, disturbance of blood flow in the trunk and a decrease of myelin basic protein expression represent good indicators for impairment of Egf signaling. Finally, we present a classification of known tyrosine kinase inhibitors according to their specificity for the Egf pathway. In conclusion, we show that developmental indicators can help to discriminate between specific effects on the target pathway from off-target effects in molecularly targeted drug screening experiments in whole animal systems. - Highlights: • We analyze the functions of Egf signaling on zebrafish development. • Genetic blocking of Egf expression causes cartilage, myelin and circulatory defects. • Chemical inhibition of Egf receptor function causes similar defects. • Developmental defects can reveal the specificity of Egf pathway inhibitors.

Developmental defects in zebrafish for classification of EGF pathway inhibitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruvot, Benoist; Curé, Yoann; Djiotsa, Joachim; Voncken, Audrey; Muller, Marc

2014-01-01

One of the major challenges when testing drug candidates targeted at a specific pathway in whole animals is the discrimination between specific effects and unwanted, off-target effects. Here we used the zebrafish to define several developmental defects caused by impairment of Egf signaling, a major pathway of interest in tumor biology. We inactivated Egf signaling by genetically blocking Egf expression or using specific inhibitors of the Egf receptor function. We show that the combined occurrence of defects in cartilage formation, disturbance of blood flow in the trunk and a decrease of myelin basic protein expression represent good indicators for impairment of Egf signaling. Finally, we present a classification of known tyrosine kinase inhibitors according to their specificity for the Egf pathway. In conclusion, we show that developmental indicators can help to discriminate between specific effects on the target pathway from off-target effects in molecularly targeted drug screening experiments in whole animal systems. - Highlights: • We analyze the functions of Egf signaling on zebrafish development. • Genetic blocking of Egf expression causes cartilage, myelin and circulatory defects. • Chemical inhibition of Egf receptor function causes similar defects. • Developmental defects can reveal the specificity of Egf pathway inhibitors

Curvature-induced defect unbinding and dynamics in active nematic toroids

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Perry W.; Pearce, Daniel J. G.; Chang, Ya-Wen; Goldsztein, Guillermo; Giomi, Luca; Fernandez-Nieves, Alberto

2018-01-01

Nematic order on curved surfaces is often disrupted by the presence of topological defects, which are singular regions in which the orientational order is undefined. In the presence of force-generating active materials, these defects are able to migrate through space like swimming microorganisms. We use toroidal surfaces to show that despite their highly chaotic and non-equilibrium dynamics, pairs of defects unbind and segregate in regions of opposite Gaussian curvature. Using numerical simulations, we find that the degree of defect unbinding can be controlled by tuning the system activity, and even suppressed in strongly active systems. Furthermore, by using the defects as active microrheological tracers and quantitatively comparing our experimental and theoretical results, we are able to determine material properties of the active nematic. Our results illustrate how topology and geometry can be used to control the behaviour of active materials, and introduce a new avenue for the quantitative mechanical characterization of active fluids.

Advances in improvement of stress tolerance by induced mutation and genetic transformation in alfalfa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Xin; Ye Hongxia; Shu Xiaoli; Wu Dianxing

2008-01-01

In order to provide references for stress-tolerant breeding of alfalfa, genetic basis of stress-tolerant traits was briefly introduced and advanced in improvement of stress-tolerance by induced mutation and genetic transformation in alfalfa were reviewed. (authors)

Methotrexate Toxicity in Growing Long Bones of Young Rats: A Model for Studying Cancer Chemotherapy-Induced Bone Growth Defects in Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiaming Fan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The advancement and intensive use of chemotherapy in treating childhood cancers has led to a growing population of young cancer survivors who face increased bone health risks. However, the underlying mechanisms for chemotherapy-induced skeletal defects remain largely unclear. Methotrexate (MTX, the most commonly used antimetabolite in paediatric cancer treatment, is known to cause bone growth defects in children undergoing chemotherapy. Animal studies not only have confirmed the clinical observations but also have increased our understanding of the mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced skeletal damage. These models revealed that high-dose MTX can cause growth plate dysfunction, damage osteoprogenitor cells, suppress bone formation, and increase bone resorption and marrow adipogenesis, resulting in overall bone loss. While recent rat studies have shown that antidote folinic acid can reduce MTX damage in the growth plate and bone, future studies should investigate potential adjuvant treatments to reduce chemotherapy-induced skeletal toxicities.

Correlation between morphological defects, electron beam-induced current imaging, and the electrical properties of 4H-SiC Schottky diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Y.; Ali, G.N.; Mikhov, M.K.; Vaidyanathan, V.; Skromme, B.J.; Raghothamachar, B.; Dudley, M.

2005-01-01

Defects in SiC degrade the electrical properties and yield of devices made from this material. This article examines morphological defects in 4H-SiC and defects visible in electron beam-induced current (EBIC) images and their effects on the electrical characteristics of Schottky diodes. Optical Nomarski microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to observe the morphological defects, which are classified into 26 types based on appearance alone. Forward and reverse current-voltage characteristics were used to extract barrier heights, ideality factors, and breakdown voltages. Barrier heights decrease about linearly with increasing ideality factor, which is explained by discrete patches of low barrier height within the main contact. Barrier height, ideality, and breakdown voltage all degrade with increasing device diameter, suggesting that discrete defects are responsible. Electroluminescence was observed under reverse bias from microplasmas associated with defects containing micropipes. EBIC measurements reveal several types of features corresponding to recombination centers. The density of dark spots observed by EBIC correlates strongly with ideality factor and barrier height. Most morphological defects do not affect the reverse characteristics when no micropipes are present, but lower the barrier height and worsen the ideality factor. However, certain multiple-tailed defects, irregularly shaped defects and triangular defects with 3C inclusions substantially degrade both breakdown voltage and barrier height, and account for most of the bad devices that do not contain micropipes. Micropipes in these wafers are also frequently found to be of Type II, which do not run parallel to the c axis

A Drosophila model of high sugar diet-induced cardiomyopathy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianbo Na

Full Text Available Diets high in carbohydrates have long been linked to progressive heart dysfunction, yet the mechanisms by which chronic high sugar leads to heart failure remain poorly understood. Here we combine diet, genetics, and physiology to establish an adult Drosophila melanogaster model of chronic high sugar-induced heart disease. We demonstrate deterioration of heart function accompanied by fibrosis-like collagen accumulation, insulin signaling defects, and fat accumulation. The result was a shorter life span that was more severe in the presence of reduced insulin and P38 signaling. We provide evidence of a role for hexosamine flux, a metabolic pathway accessed by glucose. Increased hexosamine flux led to heart function defects and structural damage; conversely, cardiac-specific reduction of pathway activity prevented sugar-induced heart dysfunction. Our data establish Drosophila as a useful system for exploring specific aspects of diet-induced heart dysfunction and emphasize enzymes within the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway as candidate therapeutic targets.

Defective Glycinergic Synaptic Transmission in Zebrafish Motility Mutants

OpenAIRE

Hirata, Hiromi; Carta, Eloisa; Yamanaka, Iori; Harvey, Robert J.; Kuwada, John Y.

2010-01-01

Glycine is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brainstem. Recently, in vivo analysis of glycinergic synaptic transmission has been pursued in zebrafish using molecular genetics. An ENU mutagenesis screen identified two behavioral mutants that are defective in glycinergic synaptic transmission. Zebrafish bandoneon (beo) mutants have a defect in glrbb, one of the duplicated glycine receptor (GlyR) β subunit genes. These mutants exhibit a loss of glycinergic synaptic ...

Genetic polymorphisms of the TYMS gene are not associated with congenital cardiac septal defects in a Han Chinese population.

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Jian-Yuan Zhao

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Clinical research indicates that periconceptional administration of folic acid can reduce the occurrence of congenital cardiac septal defects (CCSDs. The vital roles of folate exhibits in three ways: the unique methyl donor for DNA expression regulation, the de novo biosynthesis of purine and pyrimidine for DNA construction, and the serum homocysteine removal. Thymidylate synthase (TYMS is the solo catalysis enzyme for the de novo synthesis of dTMP, which is the essential precursor of DNA biosynthesis and repair process. To examine the role of TYMS in Congenital Cardiac Septal Defects (CCSDs risk, we investigated whether genetic polymorphisms in the TYMS gene associated with the CCSDs in a Han Chinese population. METHOD: Polymorphisms in the noncoding region of TYMS were identified via direct sequencing in 32 unrelated individuals composed of half CCSDs and half control subjects. Nine SNPs and two insertion/deletion polymorphisms were genotyped from two independent case-control studies involving a total of 529 CCSDs patients and 876 healthy control participants. The associations were examined by both single polymorphism and haplotype tests using logistic regression. RESULT: We found that TYMS polymorphisms were not related to the altered CCSDs risk, and even to the changed risk of VSDs subgroup, when tested in both studied groups separately or in combination. In the haplotype analysis, there were no haplotypes significantly associated with risks for CCSDs either. CONCLUSION: Our results show no association between common genetic polymorphisms of the regulatory region of the TYMS gene and CCSDs in the Han Chinese population.

Genetic and epigenetic variations induced by wheat-rye 2R and 5R monosomic addition lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Shulan; Sun, Chuanfei; Yang, Manyu; Fei, Yunyan; Tan, Feiqun; Yan, Benju; Ren, Zhenglong; Tang, Zongxiang

2013-01-01

Monosomic alien addition lines (MAALs) can easily induce structural variation of chromosomes and have been used in crop breeding; however, it is unclear whether MAALs will induce drastic genetic and epigenetic alterations. In the present study, wheat-rye 2R and 5R MAALs together with their selfed progeny and parental common wheat were investigated through amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) analyses. The MAALs in different generations displayed different genetic variations. Some progeny that only contained 42 wheat chromosomes showed great genetic/epigenetic alterations. Cryptic rye chromatin has introgressed into the wheat genome. However, one of the progeny that contained cryptic rye chromatin did not display outstanding genetic/epigenetic variation. 78 and 49 sequences were cloned from changed AFLP and MSAP bands, respectively. Blastn search indicated that almost half of them showed no significant similarity to known sequences. Retrotransposons were mainly involved in genetic and epigenetic variations. Genetic variations basically affected Gypsy-like retrotransposons, whereas epigenetic alterations affected Copia-like and Gypsy-like retrotransposons equally. Genetic and epigenetic variations seldom affected low-copy coding DNA sequences. The results in the present study provided direct evidence to illustrate that monosomic wheat-rye addition lines could induce different and drastic genetic/epigenetic variations and these variations might not be caused by introgression of rye chromatins into wheat. Therefore, MAALs may be directly used as an effective means to broaden the genetic diversity of common wheat.

Insulating Behavior in Graphene with Irradiation-induced Lattice Defects

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jian-Hao; Williams, Ellen; Fuhrer, Michael

2010-03-01

We irradiated cleaned graphene on silicon dioxide in ultra-high vacuum with low energy inert gas ions to produce lattice defects [1], and investigated in detail the transition from metallic to insulating temperature dependence of the conductivity as a function of defect density. We measured the low field magnetoresistance and temperature-dependent resistivity in situ and find that weak localization can only account for a small correction of the resistivity increase with decreasing temperature. We will discuss possible origins of the insulating temperature dependent resistivity in defected graphene in light of our recent experiments. [4pt] [1] Jian-Hao Chen, W. G. Cullen, C. Jang, M. S. Fuhrer, E. D. Williams, PRL 102, 236805 (2009)

Laser radiation effect on radiation-induced defects in heavy ion tracks in dielectrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egorov, A.N.; Zhiryakov, B.M.; Kushin, V.V.; Lyapidevskij, V.K.; Khokhlov, N.B.

1988-01-01

Possibility of laser radiation resonance effect on radiation-induced defects in heavy ion tracks in dielectric materials is investigated. Absorption spectra in infrared, visible and ultraviolet ranges for cellulose nitrate samples irradiated by 6 MeV/nucleon 58 Ni ions and reactor gamma radiation are measured. Absorption spectra for irradiated and reference samples are presented. Two absorption bands λ 1 =0.33 μm (E 1 =3.9 eV) and λ 2 =0.72 μm (E 2 =1.7 eV) are detected. Etching rate decrease in a track under laser radiation effect is noticed. 3 refs.; 1 fig

Oxygen defects in Fe-substituted Tl-system superconductors

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李阳; 曹国辉; 王耘波; 马庆珠; 熊小涛; 陈宁; 马如璋; 郭应焕; 许祝安; 王劲松; 张小俊; 焦正宽; 彭获田; 周思海

1996-01-01

For Fe-doped T1-1223 phase,the excess oxygen defects induced by Fe dopants are studied by means of Hall coefficient,thermogravimetric measurements,Mossbauer spectroscopy,and the model calculation of the effective bond valence.The extra oxygen defects have effects on carrier density and microstructure of the superconductors.In the light doping level of Fe (x=0-0.05),the superconducting transition and carrier density have significant corresponding relation--the zero resistance temperature Tco and carrier densities decrease linearly with Fe dopants increasing.The thermogravimetric measurements show that the Fe3+ ions’ substituting for Cu2+ ions can bring the extra oxygen into the lattice to form extra oxygen defects.The calculation of the effective bond valence shows that the decrease of carrier density originates the strongly localized binding of the extra oxygen defects.The distortion of Cu-O layer induced by the extra oxygen defects decreases the superconductive transition temperature.The microstructure

Effect of random inhomogeneities in the spatial distribution of radiation-induced defect clusters on carrier transport through the thin base of a heterojunction bipolar transistor upon neutron irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puzanov, A. S.; Obolenskiy, S. V., E-mail: obolensk@rf.unn.ru; Kozlov, V. A. [Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod (NNSU) (Russian Federation)

2016-12-15

We analyze the electron transport through the thin base of a GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor with regard to fluctuations in the spatial distribution of defect clusters induced by irradiation with a fissionspectrum fast neutron flux. We theoretically demonstrate that the homogeneous filling of the working region with radiation-induced defect clusters causes minimum degradation of the dc gain of the heterojunction bipolar transistor.

Defects introduced by Ar plasma exposure in GaAs probed by monoenergetic positron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uedono, Akira; Tanigawa, Shoichiro [Tsukuba Univ., Ibaraki (Japan). Inst. of Materials Science; Kawano, Takao; Wada, Kazumi; Nakanishi, Hideo

1994-10-01

Ar-plasma-induced defects in n-type GaAs were probed by a monoenergetic positron beam. The depth distribution of the defects was obtained from measurements of Doppler broadening profiles of the annihilation radiation as a function of incident positron energy. The damaged layer induced by the exposure was found to extend far beyond the stopping range of Ar ions, and the dominant defects were identified as interstitial-type defects. After 100degC annealing, such defects were annealed. Instead, vacancy-type defects were found to be the dominant defects in the subsurface region. (author).

Defect properties from X-ray scattering experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peisl, H.

1976-01-01

Lattice distortions due to defects in crystals can be studied most directly by elastic X-ray or neutron scattering experiments. The 'size' of the defects can be determined from the shift of the Bragg reflections. Defect induced diffuse scattering intensity close to and between Bragg reflections gives information on the strength and symmetry of the distortion fields and yields the atomic structure of point defects (interstitials, vacancies, small aggregates). Diffuse scattering is a very sensitive method to decide whether defects are present as isolated point defects or have formed aggregates. X-ray scattering has been used to study defects produced in various ionic crystals by γ- and neutron irradiation. After an introduction to the principles of the method the experimental results will be reviewed and discussed in some detail. (orig.) [de

Prevention of congenital defects induced by prenatal alcohol exposure (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Sheehan, Megan M.; Karunamuni, Ganga; Pedersen, Cameron J.; Gu, Shi; Doughman, Yong Qiu; Jenkins, Michael W.; Watanabe, Michiko; Rollins, Andrew M.

2017-02-01

Nearly 2 million women in the United States alone are at risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy, including more than 600,000 who binge drink. Even low levels of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to a variety of birth defects, including craniofacial and neurodevelopmental defects, as well as increased risk of miscarriages and stillbirths. Studies have also shown an interaction between drinking while pregnant and an increase in congenital heart defects (CHD), including atrioventricular septal defects and other malformations. We have previously established a quail model of PAE, modeling a single binge drinking episode in the third week of a woman's pregnancy. Using optical coherence tomography (OCT), we quantified intraventricular septum thickness, great vessel diameters, and atrioventricular valve volumes. Early-stage ethanol-exposed embryos had smaller cardiac cushions (valve precursors) and increased retrograde flow, while late-stage embryos presented with gross head/body defects, and exhibited smaller atrio-ventricular (AV) valves, interventricular septum, and aortic vessels. We previously showed that supplementation with the methyl donor betaine reduced gross defects, improved survival rates, and prevented cardiac defects. Here we show that these preventative effects are also observed with folate (another methyl donor) supplementation. Folate also appears to normalize retrograde flow levels which are elevated by ethanol exposure. Finally, preliminary findings have shown that glutathione, a crucial antioxidant, is noticeably effective at improving survival rates and minimizing gross defects in ethanol-exposed embryos. Current investigations will examine the impact of glutathione supplementation on PAE-related CHDs.

Genetic and epigenetic variations induced by wheat-rye 2R and 5R monosomic addition lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shulan Fu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Monosomic alien addition lines (MAALs can easily induce structural variation of chromosomes and have been used in crop breeding; however, it is unclear whether MAALs will induce drastic genetic and epigenetic alterations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present study, wheat-rye 2R and 5R MAALs together with their selfed progeny and parental common wheat were investigated through amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP and methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP analyses. The MAALs in different generations displayed different genetic variations. Some progeny that only contained 42 wheat chromosomes showed great genetic/epigenetic alterations. Cryptic rye chromatin has introgressed into the wheat genome. However, one of the progeny that contained cryptic rye chromatin did not display outstanding genetic/epigenetic variation. 78 and 49 sequences were cloned from changed AFLP and MSAP bands, respectively. Blastn search indicated that almost half of them showed no significant similarity to known sequences. Retrotransposons were mainly involved in genetic and epigenetic variations. Genetic variations basically affected Gypsy-like retrotransposons, whereas epigenetic alterations affected Copia-like and Gypsy-like retrotransposons equally. Genetic and epigenetic variations seldom affected low-copy coding DNA sequences. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results in the present study provided direct evidence to illustrate that monosomic wheat-rye addition lines could induce different and drastic genetic/epigenetic variations and these variations might not be caused by introgression of rye chromatins into wheat. Therefore, MAALs may be directly used as an effective means to broaden the genetic diversity of common wheat.

Electron irradiation-induced defects in ZnO studied by positron annihilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.Q.; Maekawa, M.; Kawasuso, A.; Sakai, S.; Naramoto, H.

2006-01-01

ZnO crystals were subjected to 3 MeV electron irradiation up to a high dose of 5.5x10 18 cm -2 . The production and recovery of vacancy defects were studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy. The increase of positron lifetime and Doppler broadening S parameter after irradiation indicates introduction of V Zn related defects. Most of these vacancies are annealed at temperatures below 200 o C. However, after annealing at around 400 o C, secondary defects are produced. All the vacancy defects are annealed out at around 700 o C

Genetic analyses of nonfluorescent root mutants induced by mutagenesis in soybean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, S.; Palmer, R.G.

1987-01-01

Nonfluorescent root mutants in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are useful as markers in genetic studies and in tissue culture research. Our objective was to obtain mutagen-induced nonfluorescent root mutants and to conduct genetic studies with them. Thirteen nonfluorescent mutants were detected among 154016 seedlings derived from soybean lines treated with six mutagens. One of these mutants, derived from Williams treated with 20 kR gamma rays, did not correspond to any of the known (standard) nonfluorescent spontaneous mutants. This is the first mutagen-induced nonfluorescent root mutant in soybean. It was assigned Genetic Type Collection no. T285 and the gene symbol fr5 fr5. The fr5 allele was not located on trisomics A, B, or C and was not linked to five chlorophyll-deficient mutants (y9, y11, y12, y13, and y20-k2) or flower color mutant w1. The remaining nonfluorescent root mutants were at the same loci as known spontaneous mutants; i.e., four had the fr1 allele, five had the fr2 allele, and three had the fr4 allele

Analysis of nano-sized irradiation-induced defects in Fe-base materials by means of small angle neutron scattering and molecular dynamics simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, G.

2008-12-01

Thermonuclear fusion of light atoms is considered since decades as an unlimited, safe and reliable source of energy that could eventually replace classical sources based on fossil fuel or nuclear fuel. Fusion reactor technology and materials studies are important parts of the fusion energy development program. For the time being, the most promising materials for structural applications in the future fusion power reactors are the Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic (RAFM) steels for which the greatest technology maturity has been achieved, i.e., qualified fabrication routes, welding technology and a general industrial experience are almost available. The most important issues concerning the future use of RAFM steels in fusion power reactors are derived from their irradiation by 14 MeV neutrons that are the product, together with 3.5 MeV helium ions, of the envisaged fusion reactions between deuterium and tritium nuclei. Indeed, exposure of metallic materials to intense fluxes of 14 MeV neutrons will result in the formation of severe displacement damage (about 20-30 dpa per year) and high amounts of helium, which are at the origin of significant changes in the physical and mechanical properties of materials, such as hardening and embrittlement effects. This PhD Thesis work was aimed at investigating how far the Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) technique could be used for detecting and characterizing nano-sized irradiation-induced defects in RAFM steels. Indeed, the resolution limit of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is about 1 nm in weak beam TEM imaging, and it is usually thought that a large number of irradiation-induced effects have a size below 1 nm in RAFM steels and that these very small defects actually contribute to the irradiation-induced hardening and embrittlement of RAFM steels occurring at irradiation temperatures below about 400 °C. The aim of this work was achieved by combining SANS experiments on unirradiated and irradiated specimens

The defect-induced changes of the electronic and magnetic properties in the inverse Heusler alloy Ti{sub 2}CoAl

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Ying, E-mail: ychenjz@163.com [School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); Wu, Bo [Department of Physics, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi 563002 (China); Yuan, Hongkuan; Feng, Yu [School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); Chen, Hong, E-mail: chenh@swu.edu.cn [School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China)

2015-01-15

The first-principles calculations are performed to investigate the effect of swap, antisite and vacancy defects of three classes on the electronic and magnetic properties in the inverse Heusler alloy Ti{sub 2}CoAl of half-metallicity. Our calculations reveal that Ti(A/B)–Co and Co–Al swaps, Ti(A/B) and Al vacancy defects as well as Co{sub Ti(A)/Al} and Al{sub Ti(A)/Ti(B)} antisite defects are likely to form in a concentration as high as 12.5%. Among them, Co{sub Ti(A)} antisite is detected to be the most probable defect. It is shown that the spin polarizations of Ti{sub 2}CoAl are considerably reduced by the Ti(A/B)–Co swap and Ti(B)/Al vacancy defects, while a quite high spin polarization around 95% is observed in Co–Al swap as well as Ti(A) vacancy. Remarkably, all the likely antisite defects almost retain the half-metallic character in a concentration of 12.5% even if they have the possibility to form. However, induced by antisites, the Fermi levels shift to the edge of band gap with small peaks arising just above the Fermi level, which may destroy the half-metallicity by spin-flip excitation. - Graphical abstract: The spin polarization and formation energy of various possible defects in inverse Heusler alloy Ti{sub 2}CoAl. The triangle, star and square represent the swap, antisite and vacancy defects, respectively. - Highlights: • The swap, antisite, and vacancy defects are studied in half-metallic Ti{sub 2}CoAl. • The Co{sub Ti(A)} antisite is the most probable among the studied defects. • The antisite defects almost retain the half-metallicity. • Most of swap and vacancy defects have degraded the half-metallicity. • High spin polarizations are detected in Co–Al swap and Ti(A) vacancy defects.

Genetic improvement of Sesamun indicum through induced mutations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajput, M.A.; Khan, Z.H.; Jafri, K.A.; Fazal Ali, J.A.

2001-01-01

Pakistan is chronically deficient in the production of edible oils. To enhance local production of edible oils, a mutation breeding project entitled ''Genetic improvement of Sesamum indicum through induced mutations'' was initiated for developing high yielding and widely adapted varieties of sesame. Quite a few mutants having earliness, short stature, semi-indehiscence, compact plant type, heavy bearing and high seed yield have been developed. The true breeding mutant lines developed have exhibited impressive yield potential. (author)

The Role of Hydrogen-Enhanced Strain-Induced Lattice Defects on Hydrogen Embrittlement Susceptibility of X80 Pipeline Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Hattori, M.; Suzuki, H.; Seko, Y.; Takai, K.

2017-08-01

Studies to date have not completely determined the factors influencing hydrogen embrittlement of ferrite/bainite X80 pipeline steel. Hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility was evaluated based on fracture strain in tensile testing. We conducted a thermal desorption analysis to measure the amount of tracer hydrogen corresponding to that of lattice defects. Hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility and the amount of tracer hydrogen significantly increased with decreasing crosshead speed. Additionally, a significant increase in the formation of hydrogen-enhanced strain-induced lattice defects was observed immediately before the final fracture. In contrast to hydrogen-free specimens, the fracture surface of the hydrogen-charged specimens exhibited shallower dimples without nuclei, such as secondary phase particles. These findings indicate that the presence of hydrogen enhanced the formation of lattice defects, particularly just prior to the occurrence of final fracture. This in turn enhanced the formation of shallower dimples, thereby potentially causing premature fracture of X80 pipeline steel at lower crosshead speeds.

Investigation of UFO defect on DUV CAR and BARC process

Science.gov (United States)

Yet, Siew Ing; Ko, Bong Sang; Lee, Soo Man; May, Mike

2004-05-01

Photo process defect reduction is one of the most important factors to improve the process stability and yield in sub-0.18um DUV process. In this paper, a new approach to minimize the Deep-UV (DUV) Chemically Amplified Resist (CAR) and Bottom Anti-Reflective Coating (BARC) induced defect known as UFO (UnidentiFied Object) defect will be introduced. These defects have mild surface topography difference on BARC; it only exists on the wide exposed area where there is no photoresist pattern. In this test, Nikon KrF Stepper & Scanner and TEL Clean track were used. Investigation was carried out on the defect formulation on both Acetal and ESCAP type of photoresist while elemental analysis was done by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) & Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). Result indicated that both BARC and photoresist induce this UFO defect; total defect quantity is related with Post Exposure Bake (PEB) condition. Based on the elemental analysis and process-split test, we can conclude that this defect is caused by lack of acid amount and low diffusivity which is related to PAG (Photo Acid Generator) and TAG (Thermal Acid Generator) in KrF photoresist and BARC material. By optimizing photoresist bake condition, this UFO defect as well as other related defect such as Satellite defect could be eliminated.

Influence of ion beam irradiation induced defects on the structural, optical and electrical properties of tellurium nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Narinder [Department of Physics, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, 125055 (India); Department of Physics, Haryana College of Technology & Management, Kaithal, 136027 (India); Kumar, Rajesh [Department of Physics, RN College of Engineering & Technology, Madlauda, 132104 (India); Kumar, Sushil, E-mail: sushil_phys@rediffmail.com [Department of Physics, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, 125055 (India); Chakarvarti, S.K. [Research and Development, Manav Rachana International University, Faridabad, 121001 (India)

2016-11-01

In this study, tellurium nanowires were electrodeposited into the polymer membranes from aqueous acidic bath containing HTeO{sub 2}{sup +} ions. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images confirmed the formation of uniform and straight nanowires. The influence of 110 MeV Ni{sup 8+} ion irradiation induced defects on the structural, optical and electrical properties of as–deposited tellurium nanowires were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible absorption spectroscopy and current–voltage (I–V) measurements. The XRD data depicted the hexagonal phase of tellurium nanowires and further revealed a variation in the intensity of diffraction peaks of ion irradiated nanowires. Williamson–Hall (WH) analysis is used for convoluting the size and microstrain contributions to the width of diffraction peaks. Tellurium nanowires exhibited a distinct absorbance band in the visible region at 686 nm, while this was absent in bulk tellurium. Electrical properties of nanowires are explored on the basis of I–V curves, which revealed a significant increase in the electrical conductivity of irradiated nanowires. A possible mechanism for the enhanced electrical conductivity is the increase in carrier concentration due to thermally excited defects. The defects produced by ion irradiation play a vital role in modifying the properties of semiconducting nanowires. - Highlights: • 110 MeV Ni{sup 8+} ion beam induced changes in tellurium nanowires have been examined. • Nanowires were prepared using template electrodeposition method. • Irradiation improved the electrical conductivity of tellurium nanowires. • Mechanism for enhanced electrical conductivity of irradiated nanowires was discussed.

Study on the immunological and genetic effects induced by internal exposure to radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Shoupeng; Wang Liuyi; Luan Meiling

1995-02-01

The immune system is the important part of defense mechanism in organism. Studies have demonstrated the high radiosensitivity of the immunocytes to internal radionuclide exposure. It is evident that serious functional disturbances and morphological changes of immune organs are induced by internal contamination of radionuclides, including suppression of division and proliferation of immunocytes, induction of irreversible sequelae, leading to injurious effects on both central and peripheral immune organs. In order to study the consequences of the injuries of genetic material caused by internal contamination of radionuclides, researches have developed from the harmful effects on parental generation to those on the offspring. The present paper reports the study on the genetic injuries of somatic and germ cells induced by internal radionuclide exposure. Emphasis is placed on the molecular basis of radio-genetic effect and the relations of the molecular basis of DNA injury to gene mutation and chromosome aberration

Electron irradiation-induced defects in ZnO studied by positron annihilation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Z.Q. [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan)]. E-mail: zhiquanchen@hotmail.com; Maekawa, M. [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan); Kawasuso, A. [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan); Sakai, S. [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan); Naramoto, H. [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan)

2006-04-01

ZnO crystals were subjected to 3 MeV electron irradiation up to a high dose of 5.5x10{sup 18} cm{sup -2}. The production and recovery of vacancy defects were studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy. The increase of positron lifetime and Doppler broadening S parameter after irradiation indicates introduction of V {sub Zn} related defects. Most of these vacancies are annealed at temperatures below 200 {sup o}C. However, after annealing at around 400 {sup o}C, secondary defects are produced. All the vacancy defects are annealed out at around 700 {sup o}C.

Differential effects of genetic - and diet - induced obesity on fertility, spermatogenesis and sperm epigenome in adult male rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharvari Deshpande

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Obesity is a global health issue affecting millions of people of different age groups. The incidence of male obesity induced infertility is rising in couples undergoing ARTs suggesting that obesity is an established risk factor for male infertility. Recent studies demonstrate that paternal diet induced obesity could induce epigenetic disturbances in offspring. Obesity is a multifactorial disorder with predominantly genetic or environmental causes. No studies have compared the effect of genetic and diet induced obesity on male reproduction. The present study aims to delineate effects of obesity on male fertility, spermatogenesis and sperm epigenome using two rat models: genetically induced obese (GIO – WNIN/OB and diet induced obese (DIO – High fat diet. Body weights were similar in both groups, but, differential effects on hormonal profiles were observed. Fertility assessment showed decreased litter size mainly due to increased pre- and post-implantation loss in DIO group. However, GIO group were infertile due to decrease in libido. We observed a decrease in sperm counts in GIO group but not in DIO group despite the body weights being similar in both the groups. Flow cytometry and cell type specific marker expression studies in testis revealed that both DIO and GIO affect mitosis and differentiation process by increasing spermatogonial proliferation. In DIO group, no effect was observed on meiosis whereas in GIO group, we observed an effect on meiosis. Spermiogenesis process was affected in both the groups. In order to study the effect of genetic and diet induced obesity on different aspects of spermatogenesis, we performed qRT-PCR to study expression of genes involved in spermatocyte progression, spermiogenesis process, reproductive hormone receptors and leptin signaling in testis. Since epigenetic mechanisms are susceptible to environmental and genetic changes, we analyzed the methylation status of Igf2-H19 DMR in spermatozoa of both the

Genetic Rescue of Mitochondrial and Skeletal Muscle Impairment in an Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Model of Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero-Moya, Damià; Santos-Ocaña, Carlos; Castaño, Julio; Garrabou, Gloria; Rodríguez-Gómez, José A; Ruiz-Bonilla, Vanesa; Bueno, Clara; González-Rodríguez, Patricia; Giorgetti, Alessandra; Perdiguero, Eusebio; Prieto, Cristina; Moren-Nuñez, Constanza; Fernández-Ayala, Daniel J; Victoria Cascajo, Maria; Velasco, Iván; Canals, Josep Maria; Montero, Raquel; Yubero, Delia; Jou, Cristina; López-Barneo, José; Cardellach, Francesc; Muñoz-Cánoves, Pura; Artuch, Rafael; Navas, Plácido; Menendez, Pablo

2017-07-01

Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ) plays a crucial role in mitochondria as an electron carrier within the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) and is an essential antioxidant. Mutations in genes responsible for CoQ 10 biosynthesis (COQ genes) cause primary CoQ 10 deficiency, a rare and heterogeneous mitochondrial disorder with no clear genotype-phenotype association, mainly affecting tissues with high-energy demand including brain and skeletal muscle (SkM). Here, we report a four-year-old girl diagnosed with minor mental retardation and lethal rhabdomyolysis harboring a heterozygous mutation (c.483G > C (E161D)) in COQ4. The patient's fibroblasts showed a decrease in [CoQ 10 ], CoQ 10 biosynthesis, MRC activity affecting complexes I/II + III, and respiration defects. Bona fide induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) lines carrying the COQ4 mutation (CQ4-iPSCs) were generated, characterized and genetically edited using the CRISPR-Cas9 system (CQ4 ed -iPSCs). Extensive differentiation and metabolic assays of control-iPSCs, CQ4-iPSCs and CQ4 ed -iPSCs demonstrated a genotype association, reproducing the disease phenotype. The COQ4 mutation in iPSC was associated with CoQ 10 deficiency, metabolic dysfunction, and respiration defects. iPSC differentiation into SkM was compromised, and the resulting SkM also displayed respiration defects. Remarkably, iPSC differentiation in dopaminergic or motor neurons was unaffected. This study offers an unprecedented iPSC model recapitulating CoQ 10 deficiency-associated functional and metabolic phenotypes caused by COQ4 mutation. Stem Cells 2017;35:1687-1703. © 2017 AlphaMed Press.

Mass defect effects in atomic clocks

Science.gov (United States)

Yudin, Valeriy; Taichenachev, Alexey

2018-03-01

We consider some implications of the mass defect on the frequency of atomic transitions. We have found that some well-known frequency shifts (the gravitational shift and motion-induced shifts such as quadratic Doppler and micromotion shifts) can be interpreted as consequences of the mass defect in quantum atomic physics, i.e. without the need for the concept of time dilation used in special and general relativity theories. Moreover, we show that the inclusion of the mass defect leads to previously unknown shifts for clocks based on trapped ions.

Genetic analysis of a Y-chromosome region that induces triplosterile phenotypes and is essential for spermatid individualization in Drosophila melanogaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Timakov, B; Zhang, P

2000-01-01

The heterochromatic Y chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster contains approximately 40 Mb of DNA but has only six loci mutable to male sterility. Region h1-h9 on YL, which carries the kl-3 and kl-5 loci, induces male sterility when present in three copies. We show that three separate segments within the region are responsible for the triplosterility and have an additive effect on male fertility. The triplosterile males displayed pleiotropic defects, beginning at early postmeiotic stages. However, the triplosterility was unaffected by kl-3 or kl-5 alleles. These data suggest that region h1-h9 is complex and may contain novel functions in addition to those of the previously identified kl-3 and kl-5 loci. The kl-3 and kl-5 mutations as well as deficiencies within region h1-h9 result in loss of the spermatid axonemal outer dynein arms. Examination using fluorescent probes showed that males deficient for h1-h3 or h4-h9 displayed a postmeiotic lesion with disrupted individualization complexes scattered along the spermatid bundle. In contrast, the kl-3 and kl-5 mutations had no effect on spermatid individualization despite the defect in the axonemes. These results demonstrate that region h1-h9 carries genetically separable functions: one required for spermatid individualization and the other essential for assembling the axonemal dynein arms. PMID:10790393

Defect-induced luminescence in sol-gel silica samples doped with Co(II) at different concentrations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jimenez-Sandoval, S. [Centro de Investigacion y Estudios Avanzados, Queretaro, Apdo. Postal 1-798, Queretaro, Qro. 76001 (Mexico); Estevez, M. [Fisica Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 1-1010, Queretaro, Qro. 76000 (Mexico); Pacheco, S. [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Av. 100 metros (Mexico); Vargas, S. [Fisica Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 1-1010, Queretaro, Qro. 76000 (Mexico); Rodriguez, R. [Fisica Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 1-1010, Queretaro, Qro. 76000 (Mexico)], E-mail: rogelior@servidor.unam.mx

2007-12-20

The defect-induced luminescence properties of silica samples prepared by the sol-gel method and doped with Co(II) are reported. Silica monoliths doped with different concentrations of Co(II) were laser irradiated (He-Ne 632.8 nm) producing fluorescence. However, this fluorescence is exponentially reduced with the irradiation time, to practically disappear. The rate the fluorescence decays can be well modeled with a double exponential function of the irradiation time, containing two different relaxation times; a baseline is also required to take into account some residual fluorescence. The characteristic times involved in this luminescence quenching process are in the range of seconds. This luminescence suppression can be associated to the local heating produced by the laser irradiation when focused in a small area (2 {mu}m in diameter) on the sample. This heating process reduces physical (grain boundaries, surface states) and chemical (oxygen vacancies produced by the dopant) defects in the sample.

Parenteral monofluorophosphate (MFP) is a more potent inducer of enamel fluorotic defects in neonatal hamster molars than sodium fluoride

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lyaruu, D.M.; Schoonderwoerd, M.; Tio, D.; Tse, C.; Bervoets, T.J.; Denbesten, P.; Bronckers, A.L.J.J.

2014-01-01

Supra-optimal intake of sodium fluoride (NaF) during early childhood results in formation of irreversible enamel defects. Monofluorophosphate (MFP) was considered as less toxic than NaF but equally cariostatic. We compared the potency of MFP and NaF to induce pre-eruptive sub-ameloblastic cysts and

Breakdown, fractoemission, diffusion: role of defects in dielectrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigouroux, J.P.; Serruys, Y.

1987-01-01

During the surface analysis of dielectric materials, the impinging ionising particles induce point defects localised in the band gap and build an electrical charge. The electric field created by the charged defects modifies the physico-chemical properties of surface and bulk. We show that the fundamental study of defects allows a better understanding of technological phenomena such as dielectric breakdown, fracture and diffusion [fr

The relationship between reaction kinetics and mutagenic action of monofunctional alkylating agents in higher eukaryotic systems. IV. The effects of the excision-defective mei-9L1 and mus(2)201D1 mutants on alkylation-induced genetic damage in Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, E W; Dusenbery, R L; Smith, P D

1985-04-01

Repair-defective mutants of Drosophila melanogaster which identify two major DNA excision repair loci have been examined for their effects on alkylation-induced mutagenesis using the sex-linked recessive lethal assay as a measure of genotoxic endpoint. The alkylating agents (AAs) chosen for comparative analysis were selected on the basis of their reaction kinetics with DNA and included MMS, EMS, MNU, DMN, ENU, DEN and ENNG. Repair-proficient males were treated with the AAs and mated with either excision-defective mei-9L1 or mus(2)201D1 females or appropriate excision-proficient control females. The results of the present work suggest that a qualitative and quantitative relationship exists between the nature and the extent of chemical modification of DNA and the induction of of genetic alterations. The presence of either excision-defective mutant can enhance the frequency of mutation (hypermutability) and this hypermutability can be correlated with the Swain-Scott constant S of specific AAs such that as the SN1 character of the DNA alkylation reaction increases, the difference in response between repair-deficient and repair-proficient females decreases. The order of hypermutability of AAs with mei-9L1 relative to mei-9+ is MMS greater than MNU greater than DMN = EMS greater than iPMS = ENU = DEN = ENNG. When the percentage of lethal mutations induced in mei-9L1 females are plotted against those determined for control females, straight lines of different slopes are obtained. These mei-9L1/mei-9+ indices are: MMS = 7.6, MNU = 5.4, DMN = 2.4, EMS = 2.4 and iPMS = ENU = DEN = ENNG = 1. An identical order of hypermutability with similar indices is obtained for the mus(2)201 mutants: MMS(7.3) greater than MNU (5.4) greater than EMS(2.0) greater than ENU(1.1). Thus, absence of excision repair function has a significant effect on mutation production by AAs efficient in alkylating N-atoms in DNA but no measurable influence on mutation production by AAs most efficient in

Tramadol Induced Adrenal Insufficiency: Histological, Immunohistochemical, Ultrastructural, and Biochemical Genetic Experimental Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelaleem, Shereen Abdelhakim; Hassan, Osama A; Ahmed, Rasha F; Zenhom, Nagwa M; Rifaai, Rehab A; El-Tahawy, Nashwa F

2017-01-01

Tramadol is a synthetic, centrally acting analgesic. It is the most consumed narcotic drug that is prescribed in the world. Tramadol abuse has dramatically increased in Egypt. Long term use of tramadol can induce endocrinopathy. So, the aim of this study was to analyze the adrenal insufficiency induced by long term use of tramadol in experimental animals and also to assess its withdrawal effects through histopathological and biochemical genetic study. Forty male albino rats were used in this study. The rats were divided into 4 groups (control group, tramadol-treated group, and withdrawal groups). Tramadol was given to albino rats at a dose of 80 mg/kg body weight for 3 months and after withdrawal periods (7-15 days) rats were sacrificed. Long term use of tramadol induced severe histopathological changes in adrenal glands. Tramadol decreased the levels of serum cortisol and DHEAS hormones. In addition, it increased the level of adrenal MDA and decreased the genetic expression of glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase in adrenal gland tissues. All these changes started to return to normal after withdrawal of tramadol. Thus, it was confirmed that long term use of tramadol can induce severe adrenal insufficiency.

Radiation damage in silicon. Defect analysis and detector properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoenniger, F.

2008-01-15

Silicon microstrip and pixel detectors are vital sensor-components as particle tracking detectors for present as well as future high-energy physics (HEP) experiments. All experiments at the large Hadron Collider (LHC) are equipped with such detectors. Also for experiments after the upgrade of the LHC (the so-called Super-LHC), with its ten times higher luminosity, or the planned International Linear Collider (ILC) silicon tracking detectors are forseen. Close to the interaction region these detectors have to face harsh radiation fields with intensities above the presently tolerable level. defect engineering of the used material, e. g. oxygen enrichment of high resistivity float zone silicon and growing of thin low resistivityepitaxial layers on Czochralski silicon substrates has been established to improve the radiation hardness of silicon sensors. This thesis focuses mainly on the investigation of radiation induced defects and their differences observed in various kinds of epitaxial silicon material. Comparisons with other materials like float zone or Czochralski silicon are added. Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) and Thermally Stimulated Current (TSC) measurements have been performed after {gamma}-, electron-, proton- and neutron-irradiation. The differenced in the formation of vacancy and interstitial related defects as well as so-called clustered regions were investigated for various types of irradiation. In addition to the well known defects VO{sub i}, C{sub i}O{sub i}, C{sub i}C{sub s}, VP or V{sub 2} several other defect complexes have been found and investigated. Also the material dependence of the defect introduction rates and the defect annealing behavior has been studied by isothermal and isochronal annealing experiments. Especially the IO{sub 2} defect which is an indicator for the oxygen-dimer content of the material has been investigated in detail. On the basis of radiation induced defects like the bistable donor (BD) defect and a deep

Radiation damage in silicon. Defect analysis and detector properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoenniger, F.

2008-01-01

Silicon microstrip and pixel detectors are vital sensor-components as particle tracking detectors for present as well as future high-energy physics (HEP) experiments. All experiments at the large Hadron Collider (LHC) are equipped with such detectors. Also for experiments after the upgrade of the LHC (the so-called Super-LHC), with its ten times higher luminosity, or the planned International Linear Collider (ILC) silicon tracking detectors are forseen. Close to the interaction region these detectors have to face harsh radiation fields with intensities above the presently tolerable level. defect engineering of the used material, e. g. oxygen enrichment of high resistivity float zone silicon and growing of thin low resistivityepitaxial layers on Czochralski silicon substrates has been established to improve the radiation hardness of silicon sensors. This thesis focuses mainly on the investigation of radiation induced defects and their differences observed in various kinds of epitaxial silicon material. Comparisons with other materials like float zone or Czochralski silicon are added. Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) and Thermally Stimulated Current (TSC) measurements have been performed after γ-, electron-, proton- and neutron-irradiation. The differenced in the formation of vacancy and interstitial related defects as well as so-called clustered regions were investigated for various types of irradiation. In addition to the well known defects VO i , C i O i , C i C s , VP or V 2 several other defect complexes have been found and investigated. Also the material dependence of the defect introduction rates and the defect annealing behavior has been studied by isothermal and isochronal annealing experiments. Especially the IO 2 defect which is an indicator for the oxygen-dimer content of the material has been investigated in detail. On the basis of radiation induced defects like the bistable donor (BD) defect and a deep acceptor, a model has been introduced to

Primordial inhomogeneities from massive defects during inflation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Firouzjahi, Hassan; Karami, Asieh; Rostami, Tahereh, E-mail: firouz@ipm.ir, E-mail: karami@ipm.ir, E-mail: t.rostami@ipm.ir [School of Astronomy, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 19395-5531, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-10-01

We consider the imprints of local massive defects, such as a black hole or a massive monopole, during inflation. The massive defect breaks the background homogeneity. We consider the limit that the physical Schwarzschild radius of the defect is much smaller than the inflationary Hubble radius so a perturbative analysis is allowed. The inhomogeneities induced in scalar and gravitational wave power spectrum are calculated. We obtain the amplitudes of dipole, quadrupole and octupole anisotropies in curvature perturbation power spectrum and identify the relative configuration of the defect to CMB sphere in which large observable dipole asymmetry can be generated. We observe a curious reflection symmetry in which the configuration where the defect is inside the CMB comoving sphere has the same inhomogeneous variance as its mirror configuration where the defect is outside the CMB sphere.

Genetic determinants of facial clefting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jugessur, Astanand; Shi, Min; Gjessing, Håkon Kristian

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Facial clefts are common birth defects with a strong genetic component. To identify fetal genetic risk factors for clefting, 1536 SNPs in 357 candidate genes were genotyped in two population-based samples from Scandinavia (Norway: 562 case-parent and 592 control-parent triads; Denmark...

Magnetic circular dichroism study of electron-irradiation induced defects in InP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gislason, H.P.

1989-01-01

A strong magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) absorption band centered at 1.07 eV in electron irradiated InP is reported. Temperature and magnetic field dependence of the signal reveal that the centre giving rise to this band is a spin triplet. By simulating neutral and reverse bias conditions of junction measurements through a careful choice of irradiation dose and starting material, the MCD band is shown to have an annealing behaviour closely resembling that of the majority carrier traps which control the Fermi level position in n- and p-type InP. The 1.07 eV MCD band represents the first magneto-optical signal connected with this family of complex irradiation-induced defects in InP. (author) 19 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

Comparative evaluation of dentinal defects induced by hand files, hyflex, protaper next and one shape during canal preparation: A stereomicroscopic study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ekta Garg

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: This study aims to evaluate and compare the incidence of dentinal defects induced by Hand Files, HyFlex CM, ProTaper Next (PTN, and One Shape during canal preparation. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty extracted mandibular premolar teeth with single root canal were selected. Specimens were then divided into five groups with thirty specimens each. Group I: Specimens were prepared with hand instruments. Group II: Specimens were prepared with HyFlex CM rotary files (Coltene using a crown-down technique according to the manufacturer's instructions. Group III: Specimens were prepared with PTN rotary files (Dentsply using a crown-down technique according to the manufacturer's instructions. Group IV: Specimens were prepared with One Shape Single file rotary system (MicroMega using a crown-down technique according to the manufacturer's instructions. Group V: Specimens were used as a control and left unprepared. All roots were cut horizontally at 3, 6, and 9 mm from the apex. Sections were then viewed under stereomicroscope and dentinal defects were registered as “no defect,” “fracture,” and “other defects.” Statistical Analysis: Results of the study were subjected to Chi-square test. Results: Results were expressed as the number and percentage of defected, partially defected and roots with no defects in each groups. Conclusion: Hand files and One Shape file system caused less root defects compared to PTN and HyFlex file systems.

Behavioral and genetic effects promoted by sleep deprivation in rats submitted to pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus.

Science.gov (United States)

Matos, Gabriela; Ribeiro, Daniel A; Alvarenga, Tathiana A; Hirotsu, Camila; Scorza, Fulvio A; Le Sueur-Maluf, Luciana; Noguti, Juliana; Cavalheiro, Esper A; Tufik, Sergio; Andersen, Monica L

2012-05-02

The interaction between sleep deprivation and epilepsy has been well described in electrophysiological studies, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. The present study evaluated the effects of sleep deprivation on locomotor activity and genetic damage in the brains of rats treated with saline or pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). After 50 days of pilocarpine or saline treatment, both groups were assigned randomly to total sleep deprivation (TSD) for 6 h, paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) for 24 h, or be kept in their home cages. Locomotor activity was assessed with the open field test followed by resection of brain for quantification of genetic damage by the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay. Status epilepticus induced significant hyperactivity in the open field test and caused genetic damage in the brain. Sleep deprivation procedures (TSD and PSD) did not affect locomotor activity in epileptic or healthy rats, but resulted in significant DNA damage in brain cells. Although PSD had this effect in both vehicle and epileptic groups, TSD caused DNA damage only in epileptic rats. In conclusion, our results revealed that, despite a lack of behavioral effects of sleep deprivation, TSD and PSD induced genetic damage in rats submitted to pilocarpine-induced SE. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetics of SCID

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cossu Fausto

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Human SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency is a prenatal disorder of T lymphocyte development, that depends on the expression of numerous genes. The knowledge of the genetic basis of SCID is essential for diagnosis (e.g., clinical phenotype, lymphocyte profile and treatment (e.g., use and type of pre-hematopoietic stem cell transplant conditioning. Over the last years novel genetic defects causing SCID have been discovered, and the molecular and immunological mechanisms of SCID have been better characterized. Distinct forms of SCID show both common and peculiar (e.g., absence or presence of nonimmunological features aspects, and they are currently classified into six groups according to prevalent pathophysiological mechanisms: impaired cytokine-mediated signaling; pre-T cell receptor defects; increased lymphocyte apoptosis; defects in thymus embryogenesis; impaired calcium flux; other mechanisms. This review is the updated, extended and largely modified translation of the article "Cossu F: Le basi genetiche delle SCID", originally published in Italian language in the journal "Prospettive in Pediatria" 2009, 156:228-238.

Defective IL-10 signaling in hyper-IgE syndrome results in impaired generation of tolerogenic dendritic cells and induced regulatory T cells

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Masako; Nagasawa, Masayuki; Takada, Hidetoshi; Hara, Toshiro; Tsuchiya, Shigeru; Agematsu, Kazunaga; Yamada, Masafumi; Kawamura, Nobuaki; Ariga, Tadashi; Tsuge, Ikuya; Nonoyama, Shigeaki; Karasuyama, Hajime

2011-01-01

Hyper-IgE syndrome (HIES) is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent staphylococcal infections and atopic dermatitis associated with elevated serum IgE levels. Although defective differentiation of IL-17–producing CD4+ T cells (Th17) partly accounts for the susceptibility to staphylococcal skin abscesses and pneumonia, the pathogenesis of atopic manifestations in HIES still remains an enigma. In this study, we examined the differentiation and function of Th1, Th2, regulatory T cells (Treg cells), and dendritic cells (DCs) in HIES patients carrying either STAT3 or TYK2 mutations. Although the in vitro differentiation of Th1 and Th2 cells and the number and function of Treg cells in the peripheral blood were normal in HIES patients with STAT3 mutations, primary and monocyte-derived DCs showed defective responses to IL-10 and thus failed to become tolerogenic. When treated with IL-10, patient DCs showed impaired up-regulation of inhibitory molecules on their surface, including PD-L1 and ILT-4, compared with control DCs. Moreover, IL-10–treated DCs from patients displayed impaired ability to induce the differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells to FOXP3+ induced Treg cells (iTreg cells). These results suggest that the defective generation of IL-10–induced tolerogenic DCs and iTreg cells may contribute to inflammatory changes in HIES. PMID:21300911

Radiation-induced defect production in MgF2-Co crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuritdinov, I.; Turdanov, K.; Mirinoyatova, N.M.; Rejterov, V.M.

1996-01-01

Impact of Co-admixture on structural radiation defects formation in the MgF 2 crystals is studied. It is found that the Co admixture facilitates the probability of generating the F- and m-type centers of radiation defects as well as creation of the F- and M-centers, perturbed by admixtures. The availability of structural defects leads in its turn to the admixture ions perturbation. It is reflected in the removal of prohibition on spin-prohibited transitions of the Co 2 + ions. It is assumed that creation of the M-centers is the main cause for removal of the prohibition on the spin-prohibited transitions. 8 refs., 4 figs

The role of defects in laser damage of multilayer coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozlowski, M.R.; Chow, R.

1993-01-01

Laser induced damage to optical coatings is generally a localized phenomenon associated with coating defects. The most common of the defect types are the well-known nodule defect. This paper reviews the use of experiments and modeling to understand the formation of these defects and their interaction with laser light. Of particular interest are efforts to identify which defects are most susceptible to laser damage. Also discussed are possible methods for stabilizing these defects (laser conditioning) or preventing their initiation (source stabilization, spatter particle trapping)

Recombination-induced formation of hydrogen-defect complexes in 4H and 6H-SiC: electrical and optical characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koshka, Y.; Los, A.; Mazzola, M.S.; Sankin, I.

2003-01-01

The phenomenon of recombination-induced passivation of defects with hydrogen was investigated in SiC polytypes. Excitation of the hydrogenated samples with above-band gap light at low temperatures resulted in formation of different non-metastable hydrogen-related luminescence centres. Electrical measurements revealed strong recombination-induced passivation of electrical activity of aluminium and boron acceptors in p-type SiC epilayers, which in some cases resulted in inversion of the conductivity type. Athermal migration of hydrogen is considered as a possible mechanism for the observed phenomena

Using induced pluripotent stem cells to explore genetic and epigenetic variation associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Imm, Jennifer; Kerrigan, Talitha L; Jeffries, Aaron; Lunnon, Katie

2017-11-01

It is thought that both genetic and epigenetic variation play a role in Alzheimer's disease initiation and progression. With the advent of somatic cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells it is now possible to generate patient-derived cells that are able to more accurately model and recapitulate disease. Furthermore, by combining this with recent advances in (epi)genome editing technologies, it is possible to begin to examine the functional consequence of previously nominated genetic variants and infer epigenetic causality from recently identified epigenetic variants. In this review, we explore the role of genetic and epigenetic variation in Alzheimer's disease and how the functional relevance of nominated loci can be investigated using induced pluripotent stem cells and (epi)genome editing techniques.

Oxygen defect processes in silicon and silicon germanium

KAUST Repository

Chroneos, A.

2015-06-18

Silicon and silicon germanium are the archetypical elemental and alloy semiconductor materials for nanoelectronic, sensor, and photovoltaic applications. The investigation of radiation induced defects involving oxygen, carbon, and intrinsic defects is important for the improvement of devices as these defects can have a deleterious impact on the properties of silicon and silicon germanium. In the present review, we mainly focus on oxygen-related defects and the impact of isovalent doping on their properties in silicon and silicon germanium. The efficacy of the isovalent doping strategies to constrain the oxygen-related defects is discussed in view of recent infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory studies.

Oxygen defect processes in silicon and silicon germanium

KAUST Repository

Chroneos, A.; Sgourou, E. N.; Londos, C. A.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2015-01-01

Silicon and silicon germanium are the archetypical elemental and alloy semiconductor materials for nanoelectronic, sensor, and photovoltaic applications. The investigation of radiation induced defects involving oxygen, carbon, and intrinsic defects is important for the improvement of devices as these defects can have a deleterious impact on the properties of silicon and silicon germanium. In the present review, we mainly focus on oxygen-related defects and the impact of isovalent doping on their properties in silicon and silicon germanium. The efficacy of the isovalent doping strategies to constrain the oxygen-related defects is discussed in view of recent infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory studies.

Preferential Au precipitation at deformation-induced defects in Fe–Au and Fe–Au–B–N alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, S., E-mail: S.Zhang-1@tudelft.nl [Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands); Langelaan, G. [Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands); Brouwer, J.C.; Sloof, W.G. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands); Brück, E. [Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands); Zwaag, S. van der [Novel Aerospace Materials Group, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS Delft (Netherlands); Dijk, N.H. van [Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands)

2014-01-25

Highlights: • Fe–Au–B–N forms a good model alloy system for self healing of deformation damage. • Solute Au atoms exclusively precipitate at grain boundaries, cracks and cavities. • XPS indicates a strong tendency for Au segregation on free surfaces at 550 °C. • Interstitial B and N form hexagonal BN on free surfaces at 550 °C. • Selective Au precipitation at open volume defects can cause autonomous repair. -- Abstract: The influence of deformation-induced defects on the isothermal precipitation of Au was studied in high-purity Fe–Au and Fe–Au–B–N alloys. Preferential Au precipitation upon annealing at 550 °C is observed at local plastic indentations. In fractured Fe–Au–B–N, solute Au atoms were found to heterogeneously precipitate at grain boundaries and local micro-cracks. This is supported by in-situ creep tests that showed a strong tendency for Au precipitation at cracks and cavities also formed during creep loading at 550 °C. Complementary X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments indicate a strong tendency of Au, B and N segregation onto free surface during aging. The observed site-specific precipitation of Au holds interesting opportunities for defect healing in steels subjected to creep deformation.

Minocycline treatment ameliorates interferon-alpha-induced neurogenic defects and depression-like behaviors in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lian-Shun eZheng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Interferon-alpha (IFN-α is a proinflammatory cytokine that is widely used for the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis and malignancy, because of its immune-activating, antiviral, and antiproliferative properties. However, long-term IFN-α treatment frequently causes depression, which limits its clinical utility. The precise molecular and cellular mechanisms of IFN-α-induced depression are not currently understood. Neural stem cells (NSCs in the hippocampus continuously generate new neurons, and some evidence suggests that decreased neurogenesis plays a role in the neuropathology of depression. We previously reported that IFN-α treatment suppressed hippocampal neurogenesis and induced depression-like behaviors via its receptors in the brain in adult mice. However, it is unclear how systemic IFN-α administration induces IFN-α signaling in the hippocampus. In this study, we analyzed the role of microglia, immune cells in the brain, in mediating the IFN-α-induced neurogenic defects and depressive behaviors. In vitro studies demonstrated that IFN-α treatment induced the secretion of endogenous IFN-α from microglia, which suppressed NSC proliferation. In vivo treatment of adult mice with IFN-α for five weeks increased the production of proinflammatory cytokines, including IFN-α, and reduced neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Both effects were prevented by simultaneous treatment with minocycline, an inhibitor of microglial activation. Furthermore, minocycline treatment significantly suppressed IFN-α-induced depressive behaviors in mice. These results suggest that microglial activation plays a critical role in the development of IFN-α-induced depression, and that minocycline is a promising drug for the treatment of IFN-α-induced depression in patients, especially those who are low responders to conventional antidepressant treatments.

Enhanced defects recombination in ion irradiated SiC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izzo, G.; Litrico, G.; Grassia, F.; Calcagno, L.; Foti, G.

2010-01-01

Point defects induced in SiC by ion irradiation show a recombination at temperatures as low as 320 K and this process is enhanced after running current density ranging from 80 to 120 A/cm 2 . Ion irradiation induces in SiC the formation of different defect levels and low-temperature annealing changes their concentration. Some levels (S 0 , S x and S 2 ) show a recombination and simultaneously a new level (S 1 ) is formed. An enhanced recombination of defects is besides observed after running current in the diode at room temperature. The carriers introduction reduces the S 2 trap concentration, while the remaining levels are not modified. The recombination is negligible up to a current density of 50 A/cm 2 and increases at higher current density. The enhanced recombination of the S 2 trap occurs at 300 K, which otherwise requires a 400 K annealing temperature. The process can be related to the electron-hole recombination at the associated defect.

Polyglutamine toxicity in yeast induces metabolic alterations and mitochondrial defects

KAUST Repository

Papsdorf, Katharina

2015-09-03

Background Protein aggregation and its pathological effects are the major cause of several neurodegenerative diseases. In Huntington’s disease an elongated stretch of polyglutamines within the protein Huntingtin leads to increased aggregation propensity. This induces cellular defects, culminating in neuronal loss, but the connection between aggregation and toxicity remains to be established. Results To uncover cellular pathways relevant for intoxication we used genome-wide analyses in a yeast model system and identify fourteen genes that, if deleted, result in higher polyglutamine toxicity. Several of these genes, like UGO1, ATP15 and NFU1 encode mitochondrial proteins, implying that a challenged mitochondrial system may become dysfunctional during polyglutamine intoxication. We further employed microarrays to decipher the transcriptional response upon polyglutamine intoxication, which exposes an upregulation of genes involved in sulfur and iron metabolism and mitochondrial Fe-S cluster formation. Indeed, we find that in vivo iron concentrations are misbalanced and observe a reduction in the activity of the prominent Fe-S cluster containing protein aconitase. Like in other yeast strains with impaired mitochondria, non-fermentative growth is impossible after intoxication with the polyglutamine protein. NMR-based metabolic analyses reveal that mitochondrial metabolism is reduced, leading to accumulation of metabolic intermediates in polyglutamine-intoxicated cells. Conclusion These data show that damages to the mitochondrial system occur in polyglutamine intoxicated yeast cells and suggest an intricate connection between polyglutamine-induced toxicity, mitochondrial functionality and iron homeostasis in this model system.

Multiscale crystal defect dynamics: A coarse-grained lattice defect model based on crystal microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Dandan; Li, Shaofan

2017-10-01

Crystal defects have microstructure, and this microstructure should be related to the microstructure of the original crystal. Hence each type of crystals may have similar defects due to the same failure mechanism originated from the same microstructure, if they are under the same loading conditions. In this work, we propose a multiscale crystal defect dynamics (MCDD) model that models defects by considering its intrinsic microstructure derived from the microstructure or material genome of the original perfect crystal. The main novelties of present work are: (1) the discrete exterior calculus and algebraic topology theory are used to construct a scale-up (coarse-grained) dual lattice model for crystal defects, which may represent all possible defect modes inside a crystal; (2) a higher order Cauchy-Born rule (up to the fourth order) is adopted to construct atomistic-informed constitutive relations for various defect process zones, and (3) an hierarchical strain gradient theory based finite element formulation is developed to support an hierarchical multiscale cohesive (process) zone model for various defects in a unified formulation. The efficiency of MCDD computational algorithm allows us to simulate dynamic defect evolution at large scale while taking into account atomistic interaction. The MCDD model has been validated by comparing of the results of MCDD simulations with that of molecular dynamics (MD) in the cases of nanoindentation and uniaxial tension. Numerical simulations have shown that MCDD model can predict dislocation nucleation induced instability and inelastic deformation, and thus it may provide an alternative solution to study crystal plasticity.

Piezoelectricity induced defect modes for shear waves in a periodically stratified supperlattice

Science.gov (United States)

Piliposyan, Davit

2018-01-01

Properties of shear waves in a piezoelectric stratified periodic structure with a defect layer are studied for a superlattice with identical piezoelectric materials in a unit cell. Due to the electro-mechanical coupling in piezoelectric materials the structure exhibits defect modes in the superlattice with full transmission peaks both for full contact and electrically shorted interfaces. The results show an existence of one or two transmission peaks depending on the interfacial conditions. In the long wavelength region where coupling between electro-magnetic and elastic waves creates frequency band gaps the defect layer introduces one or two defect modes transmitting both electro-magnetic and elastic energies. Other parameters affecting the defect modes are the thickness of the defect layer, differences in refractive indexes and the magnitude of the angle of the incident wave. The results of the paper may be useful in the design of narrow band filters or multi-channel piezoelectric filters.

Dependence of the saturated light-induced defect density on macroscopic properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon

OpenAIRE

Park, H. R.; Liu, J. Z.; Roca i Cabarrocas, P.; Maruyama, A.; Isomura, M.; Wagner, S.; Abelson, J. R.; Finger, F.

2008-01-01

We report a study of the saturated light-induced defect density Ns,sat in 37 hydrogenated (and in part fluorinated) amorphous silicon [a-Si:H(F)] films grown in six different reactors under widely different conditions. Ns,sat was attained by exposing the films to light from a krypton ion laser (λ=647.1 nm). Ns,sat is determined by the constant photocurrent method and lies between 5×1016 and 2×1017 cm−3. Ns,sat drops with decreasing optical gap Eopt and hydrogen content cH, but is not correlat...

Observation of point defects in impurity-doped zinc selenide films using a monoenergetic positron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyajima, T.; Okuyama, H.; Akimoto, K.; Mori, Y.; Wei, L.; Tanigawa, S.

1992-01-01

We studied point defects in ZnSe films grown by molecular beam epitaxy using the positron annihilation method. We found that doping with Ga atoms induces vacancy-type defects such as Zn vacancies, and that heavy doping with oxygen atoms induces interstitial type defects. We think that these defects are one of the causes of active carrier saturation in doped ZnSe films. (author)

Defect-Tolerant Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pandey, Mohnish; Rasmussen, Filip Anselm; Kuhar, Korina

2016-01-01

Localized electronic states formed inside the band gap of a semiconductor due to crystal defects can be detrimental to the material's optoelectronic properties. Semiconductors with a lower tendency to form defect induced deep gap states are termed defect-tolerant. Here we provide a systematic first...... the gap. These ideas are made quantitative by introducing a descriptor that measures the degree of similarity of the conduction and valence band manifolds. Finally, the study is generalized to nonpolar nanoribbons of the TMDs where we find that only the defect sensitive materials form edge states within......-principles investigation of defect tolerance in 29 monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) of interest for nanoscale optoelectronics. We find that the TMDs based on group VI and X metals form deep gap states upon creation of a chalcogen (S, Se, Te) vacancy, while the TMDs based on group IV metals form only...

Prevention of congenital defects induced by prenatal alcohol exposure (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Sheehan, Megan M.; Karunamuni, Ganga; Pedersen, Cameron J.; Gu, Shi; Doughman, Yong Qiu; Jenkins, Michael W.; Watanabe, Michiko; Rollins, Andrew M.

2017-02-01

Over 500,000 women per year in the United States drink during pregnancy, and 1 in 5 of this population also binge drink. Up to 40% of live-born children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) present with congenital heart defects (CHDs) including life-threatening outflow and valvuloseptal anomalies. Previously we established a PAE model in the avian embryo and used optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging to assay looping-stage (early) cardiac function/structure and septation-stage (late) cardiac defects. Early-stage ethanol-exposed embryos had smaller cardiac cushions (valve precursors) and increased retrograde flow, while late-stage embryos presented with gross head/body defects, and exhibited smaller atrio-ventricular (AV) valves, interventricular septae, and aortic vessels. However, supplementation with the methyl donor betaine reduced gross defects, prevented cardiac defects such as ventricular septal defects and abnormal AV valves, and normalized cardiac parameters. Immunofluorescent staining for 5-methylcytosine in transverse embryo sections also revealed that DNA methylation levels were reduced by ethanol but normalized by co-administration of betaine. Furthermore, supplementation with folate, another methyl donor, in the PAE model appeared to normalize retrograde flow levels which are typically elevated by ethanol exposure. Studies are underway to correlate retrograde flow numbers for folate with associated cushion volumes. Finally, preliminary findings have revealed that glutathione, a key endogenous antioxidant which also regulates methyl group donation, is particularly effective in improving alcohol-impacted survival and gross defect rates. Current investigations will determine whether glutathione has any positive effect on PAE-related CHDs. Our studies could have significant implications for public health, especially related to prenatal nutrition recommendations.

Tramadol Induced Adrenal Insufficiency: Histological, Immunohistochemical, Ultrastructural, and Biochemical Genetic Experimental Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shereen Abdelhakim Abdelaleem

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Tramadol is a synthetic, centrally acting analgesic. It is the most consumed narcotic drug that is prescribed in the world. Tramadol abuse has dramatically increased in Egypt. Long term use of tramadol can induce endocrinopathy. So, the aim of this study was to analyze the adrenal insufficiency induced by long term use of tramadol in experimental animals and also to assess its withdrawal effects through histopathological and biochemical genetic study. Forty male albino rats were used in this study. The rats were divided into 4 groups (control group, tramadol-treated group, and withdrawal groups. Tramadol was given to albino rats at a dose of 80 mg/kg body weight for 3 months and after withdrawal periods (7–15 days rats were sacrificed. Long term use of tramadol induced severe histopathological changes in adrenal glands. Tramadol decreased the levels of serum cortisol and DHEAS hormones. In addition, it increased the level of adrenal MDA and decreased the genetic expression of glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase in adrenal gland tissues. All these changes started to return to normal after withdrawal of tramadol. Thus, it was confirmed that long term use of tramadol can induce severe adrenal insufficiency.

Defect of Fe-S cluster binding by DNA polymerase δ in yeast suppresses UV-induced mutagenesis, but enhances DNA polymerase ζ - dependent spontaneous mutagenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Stepchenkova, E I; Tarakhovskaya, E R; Siebler, H M; Pavlov, Y I

2017-01-01

Eukaryotic genomes are duplicated by a complex machinery, utilizing high fidelity replicative B-family DNA polymerases (pols) α, δ and ε. Specialized error-prone pol ζ, the fourth B-family member, is recruited when DNA synthesis by the accurate trio is impeded by replication stress or DNA damage. The damage tolerance mechanism dependent on pol ζ prevents DNA/genome instability and cell death at the expense of increased mutation rates. The pol switches occurring during this specialized replication are not fully understood. The loss of pol ζ results in the absence of induced mutagenesis and suppression of spontaneous mutagenesis. Disruption of the Fe-S cluster motif that abolish the interaction of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the catalytic subunit of pol ζ with its accessory subunits, which are shared with pol δ, leads to a similar defect in induced mutagenesis. Intriguingly, the pol3-13 mutation that affects the Fe-S cluster in the CTD of the catalytic subunit of pol δ also leads to defective induced mutagenesis, suggesting the possibility that Fe-S clusters are essential for the pol switches during replication of damaged DNA. We confirmed that yeast strains with the pol3-13 mutation are UV-sensitive and defective in UV-induced mutagenesis. However, they have increased spontaneous mutation rates. We found that this increase is dependent on functional pol ζ. In the pol3-13 mutant strain with defective pol δ, there is a sharp increase in transversions and complex mutations, which require functional pol ζ, and an increase in the occurrence of large deletions, whose size is controlled by pol ζ. Therefore, the pol3-13 mutation abrogates pol ζ-dependent induced mutagenesis, but allows for pol ζ recruitment for the generation of spontaneous mutations and prevention of larger deletions. These results reveal differential control of the two major types of pol ζ-dependent mutagenesis by the Fe-S cluster present in replicative pol δ. Copyright © 2016

Electric field dependent paramagnetic defect creation in single step implanted Simox films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leray, J.L.; Margail, J.

1991-01-01

X irradiation induced oxygen-vacancy defect creation has been studied in SIMOX produced by single step implantation and annealing. It is shown that SIMOX is substantially more radiation sensitive (for these defects) than thermal or bulk oxide. Irradiation in the presence of an electric field 0.5 -1 MV cm -1 is found to enhance the rate of defect creation by ≥ 2 times. Further enhanced defect creation is observed in SIMOX samples whose substrate has been chemically thinned prior to irradiation. This enhancement is attributed to modification of the network induced by hydrogen introduced during the thinning process

Energy and orientation dependence of electron-irradiation-induced defects in InP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sibille, A.; Suski, J.; LeRoux, G.

1984-01-01

The concentration of several electron-irradiation-induced deep defect levels in InP has been measured by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) as a function of electron energy. The dominant centers exhibit a threshold at about 100 keV, which clearly points to a primary production event by electron--phosphorus-atom collision. This unambiguous determination allowed a test of the recently proposed orientation dependence technique to find the nature of the sublattice involved in the collision process for III-V compounds. A good quantitative agreement is obtained with a hard-sphere model for secondary collisions if disorientation of the beam in the sample is taken into account. Other traps exhibit higher thresholds which correspond either to indium-atom displacements or to the involvement of secondary collisions in the production event

Survival and SOS response induction in ultraviolet B irradiated Escherichia coli cells with defective repair mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Prada Medina, Cesar Augusto; Aristizabal Tessmer, Elke Tatjana; Quintero Ruiz, Nathalia; Serment-Guerrero, Jorge; Fuentes, Jorge Luis

2016-06-01

Purpose In this paper, the contribution of different genes involved in DNA repair for both survival and SOS induction in Escherichia coli mutants exposed to ultraviolet B radiation (UVB, [wavelength range 280-315 nm]) was evaluated. Materials and methods E. coli strains defective in uvrA, oxyR, recO, recN, recJ, exoX, recB, recD or xonA genes were used to determine cell survival. All strains also had the genetic sulA::lacZ fusion, which allowed for the quantification of SOS induction through the SOS Chromotest. Results Five gene products were particularly important for survival, as follows: UvrA > RecB > RecO > RecJ > XonA. Strains defective in uvrA and recJ genes showed elevated SOS induction compared with the wild type, which remained stable for up to 240 min after UVB-irradiation. In addition, E. coli strains carrying the recO or recN mutation showed no SOS induction. Conclusions The nucleotide excision and DNA recombination pathways were equally used to repair UVB-induced DNA damage in E. coli cells. The sulA gene was not turned off in strains defective in UvrA and RecJ. RecO protein was essential for processing DNA damage prior to SOS induction. In this study, the roles of DNA repair proteins and their contributions to the mechanisms that induce SOS genes in E. coli are proposed.

Genetic and epigenetic alterations induced by different levels of rye genome integration in wheat recipient.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, X L; Zhou, J P; Zang, L L; Tang, A T; Liu, D Q; Deng, K J; Zhang, Y

2016-06-17

The narrow genetic variation present in common wheat (Triticum aestivum) varieties has greatly restricted the improvement of crop yield in modern breeding systems. Alien addition lines have proven to be an effective means to broaden the genetic diversity of common wheat. Wheat-rye addition lines, which are the direct bridge materials for wheat improvement, have been wildly used to produce new wheat cultivars carrying alien rye germplasm. In this study, we investigated the genetic and epigenetic alterations in two sets of wheat-rye disomic addition lines (1R-7R) and the corresponding triticales. We used expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat, amplified fragment length polymorphism, and methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism analyses to analyze the effects of the introduction of alien chromosomes (either the entire genome or sub-genome) to wheat genetic background. We found obvious and diversiform variations in the genomic primary structure, as well as alterations in the extent and pattern of the genomic DNA methylation of the recipient. Meanwhile, these results also showed that introduction of different rye chromosomes could induce different genetic and epigenetic alterations in its recipient, and the genetic background of the parents is an important factor for genomic and epigenetic variation induced by alien chromosome addition.

Histone deacetylase inhibition reduces hypothyroidism-induced neurodevelopmental defects in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Praveen; Mohan, Vishwa; Sinha, Rohit Anthony; Chagtoo, Megha; Godbole, Madan M

2015-11-01

Thyroid hormone (TH) through its receptor (TRα/β) influences spatio-temporal regulation of its target gene repertoire during brain development. Though hypothyroidism in WT rodent models of perinatal hypothyroidism severely impairs neurodevelopment, its effect on TRα/β knockout mice is less severe. An explanation to this paradox is attributed to a possible repressive action of unliganded TRs during development. Since unliganded TRs suppress gene expression through the recruitment of histone deacetylase (HDACs) via co-repressor complexes, we tested whether pharmacological inhibition of HDACs may prevent the effects of hypothyroidism on brain development. Using valproate, an HDAC inhibitor, we show that HDAC inhibition significantly blocks the deleterious effects of hypothyroidism on rat cerebellum, evident by recovery of TH target genes like Bdnf, Pcp2 and Mbp as well as improved dendritic structure of cerebellar Purkinje neurons. Together with this, HDAC inhibition also rescues hypothyroidism-induced motor and cognitive defects. This study therefore provides an insight into the role of HDACs in TH insufficiency during neurodevelopment and their inhibition as a possible therapeutics for treatment. © 2015 Society for Endocrinology.

Unexpected properties of the inductively coupled plasma induced defect in germanium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coelho, S.M.M., E-mail: sergio@up.ac.za; Auret, F.D.; Janse van Rensburg, P.J.; Nel, J.M.

2014-04-15

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching of germanium introduces a single defect, the E{sub 0.31} electron trap, for a large range of argon partial pressures from 4×10{sup –3} to 6.5×10{sup –4} mbar that correspond to ion energies of 8 to 60 eV. Ge of three crystallographic orientations, (1 0 0), (1 1 0) and (1 1 1), treated with 20 and 60 eV ICP had defect concentration profiles that were similar in appearance, with a maximum concentration of 10{sup 14} cm{sup −3} extending more than a µm into the material, approximately three orders of magnitude deeper than what TRIM simulations predicted. All profiles were measured using Laplace deep level transient spectroscopy (L-DLTS), a technique that is sensitive to defect concentrations as low as 10{sup 11} cm{sup −3}. Isochronal annealing of samples showed concentration curves broadening after a 400 K anneal and decreasing to the 10{sup 13} cm{sup −3} level after a 450 K anneal. Unannealed samples measured after a year exhibited similar decreases in defect concentration without broadening of their profiles. A 550 K anneal lowered the defect concentration to levels below the L-DLTS detection limit. Thereafter additional plasma treatment of the surface failed to reintroduce this defect indicating that the structure required for the formation of E{sub 0.31} was no longer present in the region under observation.

The genetic effects induced by an irradiation in low doses at Drosophila melanogaster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zajnullin, V.G.; Taskaev, A.I.; Moskalev, A.A.; Shaposhnikov, M.V.

2006-01-01

The review generalizes the results obtained in researches of genetic radiation effects for Drosophila melanogaster from contamination regions near the Chernobylsk NPP. The results of laboratory investigations of low dose irradiation effects on genotype variability and lifetime of Drosophila are presented too. It supposed that the main effect of low dose irradiation is caused by the induced genetic instability against the background of which the realization of different-directed radiobiological reactions is possible [ru

Noonan syndrome gain-of-function mutations in NRAS cause zebrafish gastrulation defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Runtuwene

2011-05-01

Noonan syndrome is a relatively common developmental disorder that is characterized by reduced growth, wide-set eyes and congenital heart defects. Noonan syndrome is associated with dysregulation of the Ras–mitogen-activated-protein-kinase (MAPK signaling pathway. Recently, two mutations in NRAS were reported to be associated with Noonan syndrome, T50I and G60E. Here, we report a mutation in NRAS, resulting in an I24N amino acid substitution, that we identified in an individual bearing typical Noonan syndrome features. The I24N mutation activates N-Ras, resulting in enhanced downstream signaling. Expression of N-Ras-I24N, N-Ras-G60E or the strongly activating mutant N-Ras-G12V, which we included as a positive control, results in developmental defects in zebrafish embryos, demonstrating that these activating N-Ras mutants are sufficient to induce developmental disorders. The defects in zebrafish embryos are reminiscent of symptoms in individuals with Noonan syndrome and phenocopy the defects that other Noonan-syndrome-associated genes induce in zebrafish embryos. MEK inhibition completely rescued the activated N-Ras-induced phenotypes, demonstrating that these defects are mediated exclusively by Ras-MAPK signaling. In conclusion, mutations in NRAS from individuals with Noonan syndrome activated N-Ras signaling and induced developmental defects in zebrafish embryos, indicating that activating mutations in NRAS cause Noonan syndrome.

Noonan syndrome gain-of-function mutations in NRAS cause zebrafish gastrulation defects

Science.gov (United States)

Runtuwene, Vincent; van Eekelen, Mark; Overvoorde, John; Rehmann, Holger; Yntema, Helger G.; Nillesen, Willy M.; van Haeringen, Arie; van der Burgt, Ineke; Burgering, Boudewijn; den Hertog, Jeroen

2011-01-01

SUMMARY Noonan syndrome is a relatively common developmental disorder that is characterized by reduced growth, wide-set eyes and congenital heart defects. Noonan syndrome is associated with dysregulation of the Ras–mitogen-activated-protein-kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Recently, two mutations in NRAS were reported to be associated with Noonan syndrome, T50I and G60E. Here, we report a mutation in NRAS, resulting in an I24N amino acid substitution, that we identified in an individual bearing typical Noonan syndrome features. The I24N mutation activates N-Ras, resulting in enhanced downstream signaling. Expression of N-Ras-I24N, N-Ras-G60E or the strongly activating mutant N-Ras-G12V, which we included as a positive control, results in developmental defects in zebrafish embryos, demonstrating that these activating N-Ras mutants are sufficient to induce developmental disorders. The defects in zebrafish embryos are reminiscent of symptoms in individuals with Noonan syndrome and phenocopy the defects that other Noonan-syndrome-associated genes induce in zebrafish embryos. MEK inhibition completely rescued the activated N-Ras-induced phenotypes, demonstrating that these defects are mediated exclusively by Ras-MAPK signaling. In conclusion, mutations in NRAS from individuals with Noonan syndrome activated N-Ras signaling and induced developmental defects in zebrafish embryos, indicating that activating mutations in NRAS cause Noonan syndrome. PMID:21263000

Combined computational and experimental study of Ar beam induced defect formation in graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pregler, Sharon K.; Hayakawa, Tetsuichiro; Yasumatsu, Hisato; Kondow, Tamotsu; Sinnott, Susan B.

2007-01-01

Irradiation of graphite, commonly used in nuclear power plants, is known to produce structural damage. Here, experimental and computational methods are used to study defect formation in graphite during Ar irradiation at incident energies of 50 eV. The experimental samples are analyzed with scanning tunneling microscopy to quantify the size distribution of the defects that form. The computational approach is classical molecular dynamic simulations that illustrate the mechanisms by which the defects are produced. The results indicate that defects in graphite grow in concentrated areas and are nucleated by the presence of existing defects

Visualizing Angiogenesis by Multiphoton Microscopy In Vivo in Genetically Modified 3D-PLGA/nHAp Scaffold for Calvarial Critical Bone Defect Repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian; Jahr, Holger; Zheng, Wei; Ren, Pei-Gen

2017-09-07

The reconstruction of critically sized bone defects remains a serious clinical problem because of poor angiogenesis within tissue-engineered scaffolds during repair, which gives rise to a lack of sufficient blood supply and causes necrosis of the new tissues. Rapid vascularization is a vital prerequisite for new tissue survival and integration with existing host tissue. The de novo generation of vasculature in scaffolds is one of the most important steps in making bone regeneration more efficient, allowing repairing tissue to grow into a scaffold. To tackle this problem, the genetic modification of a biomaterial scaffold is used to accelerate angiogenesis and osteogenesis. However, visualizing and tracking in vivo blood vessel formation in real-time and in three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds or new bone tissue is still an obstacle for bone tissue engineering. Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) is a novel bio-imaging modality that can acquire volumetric data from biological structures in a high-resolution and minimally-invasive manner. The objective of this study was to visualize angiogenesis with multiphoton microscopy in vivo in a genetically modified 3D-PLGA/nHAp scaffold for calvarial critical bone defect repair. PLGA/nHAp scaffolds were functionalized for the sustained delivery of a growth factor pdgf-b gene carrying lentiviral vectors (LV-pdgfb) in order to facilitate angiogenesis and to enhance bone regeneration. In a scaffold-implanted calvarial critical bone defect mouse model, the blood vessel areas (BVAs) in PHp scaffolds were significantly higher than in PH scaffolds. Additionally, the expression of pdgf-b and angiogenesis-related genes, vWF and VEGFR2, increased correspondingly. MicroCT analysis indicated that the new bone formation in the PHp group dramatically improved compared to the other groups. To our knowledge, this is the first time multiphoton microscopy was used in bone tissue-engineering to investigate angiogenesis in a 3D bio-degradable scaffold in

Point defects dynamics in a stress field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smetniansky de De Grande, Nelida.

1989-01-01

The dependence of anisotropic defect diffusion on stress is studied for a hexagonal close packed (hcp) material under irradiation and uniaxially stressed. The diffusion is described as a discrete process of thermally activated jumps. It is shown that the presence of an external stress field enhances the intrinsic anisotropic diffusion, being this variation determined by the defect dipole tensors' symmetry in the equilibrium and saddle point configurations. Also, the point defect diffusion equations to sinks, like edge dislocations and spherical cavities, are solved and the sink strengths are calculated. The conclusion is that the dynamics of the interaction between defects and sinks is controlled by the changes in diffusivity induced by stress fields. (Author) [es

Defect generation and activation processes in HfO{sub 2} thin films: Contributions to stress-induced leakage currents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oettking, Rolf; Leitsmann, Roman; Lazarevic, Florian; Plaenitz, Philipp [AQcomputare, Business Unit MATcalc, Chemnitz (Germany); Kupke, Steve; Roll, Guntrade; Slesazeck, Stefan [NaMLab gGmbH, Dresden (Germany); Nadimi, Ebrahim [AQcomputare, Business Unit MATcalc, Chemnitz (Germany); K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Trentzsch, Martin [Globalfoundries Dresden, Dresden (Germany); Mikolajick, Thomas [Technische Universitaet Dresden, Fakultaet Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik, Institut fuer Halbleiter- und Mikrosystemtechnik, Dresden (Germany)

2015-03-01

An important source of degradation in thin dielectric material layers is the generation and migration of oxygen vacancies. We investigated the formation of Frenkel pairs (FPs) in HfO{sub 2} as the first structural step for the creation of new defects as well as the migration of preexisting and newly built oxygen vacancies by nudged elastic band (NEB) calculations and stress induced leakage current (SILC) experiments. The analysis indicates, that for neutral systems no stable intimate FPs are built, whereas for the charge states q = ± 2 FPs are formed at threefold and at fourfold coordinated oxygen lattice sites. Their generation and annihilation rate are in equilibrium according to the Boltzmann statistics. Distant FPs (stable defects) are unlikely to build due to high formation energies and therefore cannot be accounted for the measured gate leakage current increase of nMOSFETs under constant voltage stress. The negatively charged oxygen vacancies were found to be very immobile in contrast to positively charged V{sub 0}'s with a low migration barrier that coincides well with the experimentally obtained activation energy. We show that rather the activation of preexisting defects and migration towards the interface than the defect generation are the cause for the gate oxide degradation. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Defect pin behaviour in the DFR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sloss, W.M.; Bagley, K.Q.; Edmonds, E.; Potter, P.E.

1979-01-01

A program of defective fuel pin irradiations has been carried out in the DFR. This program employed fuel pins which had failed during previous irradiations (natural defects) and pins in which simulated failures (artificial defects) had been induced prior to irradiation or during an intermediate examination stage at moderate or substantial burnups. The artificial defects simulated longitudinal ruptures and were normally located at positions near the top, middle and bottom of the pin where clad temperatures were 450, 540 and 630 0 C respectively. The fuel was mixed U-Pu oxide, and fuel form, stoichiometry, clad type, pin diameter, linear rating, and burnup were among the variables examined. The defect pin tests were normally carried out in single pin or trefoil type vehicles. After irradiation all the pins were subjected to the normal nondestructive examination procedures and the visual, radiographic, gamma-scanning, and dimensional change results are presented. Several pins were destructively examined and the metallographic data are discussed

The effects of defects on copper melting under hydrostatic and shock loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Shengnian [Los Alamos National Laboratory; An, Qi [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Germann, Timothy C [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Han, Li - Bo [USTC

2009-07-24

With molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we investigate the effects of defects on Cu melting under hydrostatic and shock wave loading. We explore preexistent defects including vacancies, stacking faults and grain boundaries, as well as shock-induced defects. Depending on defect characteristics (energy and concentration), defects may have negligible or considerable effects on melting at MD scales However, it is expected that defects have more pronounced effects at heating rates lower than the MD rates.

Use of porous silicon to minimize oxidation induced stacking fault defects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shieh, S.Y.; Evans, J.W.

1992-01-01

This paper presents methods for minimizing stacking fault defects, generated during oxidation of silicon, include damaging the back of the wafer or depositing poly-silicon on the back. In either case a highly defective structure is created and this is capable of gettering either self-interstitials or impurities which promote nucleation of stacking fault defects. A novel method of minimizing these defects is to form a patch of porous silicon on the back of the wafer by electrochemical etching. Annealing under inert gas prior to oxidation may then result in the necessary gettering. Experiments were carried out in which wafers were subjected to this treatment. Subsequent to oxidation, the wafers were etched to remove oxide and reveal defects. The regions of the wafer adjacent to the porous silicon patch were defect-free, whereas remote regions had defects. Deep level transient spectroscopy has been used to examine the gettering capability of porous silicon, and the paper discusses the mechanism by which the porous silicon getters

Genetic variation of soybean agronomic characters induced by irradiation of seed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Zhihong; Wang Jinling

1988-02-01

Dry seeds of three soybean varieties were irradiated by 60 Co γ ray with dosage of 4.1C/kg. The varieties irradiated were Fengshou No. 10, Donghong 74-403 and Heinong No. 26, and nonirradiated seeds of the corresponding variety was used as a control. The following genetic parameters of the nine agronomic characters were estimated, including genotypic coefficient of variation, genotypic variance, broad sense heritanility and genetic advance expected through selection. Three types of plant in M 2 and M 3 were used for the estimation of these parameters which comprise semisterility (MS), fertility (MF) in M 1 and control (CK). The genetic advance expected through selection was compared with the actual effect of selection for date of maturity, seed weigh per plant and 100 seed wight. The pattern of the genetic variation in the early generations of the induced population was analysed. Problems of selection for main agronomic characters in the early generations, and significance of fertility of M 1 plants for mutation breeding were discussed

Tramadol Induced Adrenal Insufficiency: Histological, Immunohistochemical, Ultrastructural, and Biochemical Genetic Experimental Study

OpenAIRE

Abdelaleem, Shereen Abdelhakim; Hassan, Osama A.; Ahmed, Rasha F.; Zenhom, Nagwa M.; Rifaai, Rehab A.; El-Tahawy, Nashwa F.

2017-01-01

Tramadol is a synthetic, centrally acting analgesic. It is the most consumed narcotic drug that is prescribed in the world. Tramadol abuse has dramatically increased in Egypt. Long term use of tramadol can induce endocrinopathy. So, the aim of this study was to analyze the adrenal insufficiency induced by long term use of tramadol in experimental animals and also to assess its withdrawal effects through histopathological and biochemical genetic study. Forty male albino rats were used in this ...

Failure of irradiated beef and ham to induce genetic aberrations of Drosophila

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mittler, S.

1979-01-01

Ham that had been irradiated by electrons and beef which had been exposed to gamma rays from 60 Co were fed to Drosophila melanogaster to determine whether meat sterilized by these methods would induce genetic aberrations. The results showed that for yB/sc 8 y + Y males, fed on irradiated ham or beef, thermally preserved beef or frozen beef for their entire larval life, there was no significant increase in the loss of X or Y chromosomes or non-disjunction of these chromosomes; there was also no significant increase in any of the broods. Similarly for the Oregon R males, there was no significant increase in yield of sex-linked recessive lethals. Thus feeding of irradiated ham and beef to Drosophila males did not induce significant increases in genetic aberrations. The present findings are discussed in relation to the conflicting results of previous studies. (U.K.)

Barrier controlled carrier trapping of extended defects in CdZnTe detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Rongrong; Jie, Wanqi; Xu, Yadong; Yu, Hui; Zha, Gangqiang; Wang, Tao; Ren, Jie

2015-01-01

Transient current techniques using alpha particle source were utilized to study the influence of extended defects on the electron drift time and the detector performance of CdZnTe crystals. Different from the case of trapping through isolated point defect, a barrier controlled trapping model was used to explain the mechanism of carrier trapping at the extended defects. The effect of extended defects on the photoconductance was studied by laser beam induced transient current (LBIC) measurement. The results demonstrate that the Schottky-type depletion space charge region is induced at the vicinity of the extended defects, which further distorts the internal electric field distribution and affects the carrier trajectory in CdZnTe crystals. The relationship between the electron drift time and detector performance has been established. - Highlights: • The barrier controlled trapping model was developed around extended defects. • Electron mobility and E-field distribution were distorted by space charge depletion region. • Extended defects act as a recombination-activated region. • The relationships between extended defects and detector performance were established

An optimization method for defects reduction in fiber laser keyhole welding

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Yuewei; Jiang, Ping; Shao, Xinyu; Wang, Chunming; Li, Peigen; Mi, Gaoyang; Liu, Yang; Liu, Wei

2016-01-01

Laser welding has been widely used in automotive, power, chemical, nuclear and aerospace industries. The quality of welded joints is closely related to the existing defects which are primarily determined by the welding process parameters. This paper proposes a defects optimization method that takes the formation mechanism of welding defects and weld geometric features into consideration. The analysis of welding defects formation mechanism aims to investigate the relationship between welding defects and process parameters, and weld features are considered to identify the optimal process parameters for the desired welded joints with minimum defects. The improved back-propagation neural network possessing good modeling for nonlinear problems is adopted to establish the mathematical model and the obtained model is solved by genetic algorithm. The proposed method is validated by macroweld profile, microstructure and microhardness in the confirmation tests. The results show that the proposed method is effective at reducing welding defects and obtaining high-quality joints for fiber laser keyhole welding in practical production.

Genetic susceptibility factors for alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Aghdassi, Ali A; Weiss, F Ulrich; Mayerle, Julia; Lerch, Markus M; Simon, Peter

2015-07-01

Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive inflammatory disease of the pancreas and frequently associated with immoderate alcohol consumption. Since only a small proportion of alcoholics eventually develop chronic pancreatitis genetic susceptibility factors have long been suspected to contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. Smaller studies in ethnically defined populations have found that not only polymorphism in proteins involved in the metabolism of ethanol, such as Alcohol Dehydrogenase and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, can confer a risk for developing chronic pancreatitis but also mutations that had previously been reported in association with idiopathic pancreatitis, such as SPINK1 mutations. In a much broader approach employing genome wide search strategies the NAPS study found that polymorphisms in the Trypsin locus (PRSS1 rs10273639), and the Claudin 2 locus (CLDN2-RIPPLY1-MORC4 locus rs7057398 and rs12688220) confer an increased risk of developing alcohol-induced pancreatitis. These results from North America have now been confirmed by a European consortium. In another genome wide approach polymorphisms in the genes encoding Fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) non-secretor status and blood group B were not only found in association with higher serum lipase levels in healthy volunteers but also to more than double the risk for developing alcohol-associated chronic pancreatitis. These novel genetic associations will allow to investigate the pathophysiological and biochemical basis of alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis on a cellular level and in much more detail than previously possible. Copyright © 2015 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetics Home Reference: DNMT3A overgrowth syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

... symptoms, including a rounded upper back that also curves to the side ( kyphoscoliosis ), heart defects, flat feet ( ... Information What information about a genetic condition can statistics provide? Why are some genetic conditions more common ...

Radiation-induced segregation on defect clusters in single-phase concentrated solid-solution alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Chenyang; Yang, Taini; Jin, Ke; Gao, Ning; Xiu, Pengyuan; Zhang, Yanwen; Gao, Fei; Bei, Hongbin; Weber, William J.; Sun, Kai; Dong, Yan; Wang, Lumin

2017-01-01

A group of single-phase concentrated solid-solution alloys (SP-CSAs), including NiFe, NiCoFe, NiCoFeCr, as well as a high entropy alloy NiCoFeCrMn, was irradiated with 3 MeV Ni"2"+ ions at 773 K to a fluence of 5 × 10"1"6 ions/cm"2 for the study of radiation response with increasing compositional complexity. Advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) was used to characterize the dislocation loop distribution and radiation-induced segregation (RIS) on defect clusters in the SP-CSAs. The results show that a higher fraction of faulted loops exists in the more compositionally complex alloys, which indicate that increasing compositional complexity can extend the incubation period and delay loop growth. The RIS behaviors of each element in the SP-CSAs were observed as follows: Ni and Co tend to enrich, but Cr, Fe and Mn prefer to deplete near the defect clusters. RIS level can be significantly suppressed by increasing compositional complexity due to the sluggish atom diffusion. According to molecular static (MS) simulations, “disk” like segregations may form near the faulted dislocation loops in the SP-CSAs. Segregated elements tend to distribute around the whole faulted loop as a disk rather than only around the edge of the loop.

Cariogenic properties of Streptococcus mutans clinical isolates with sortase defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapirattanakul, Jinthana; Takashima, Yukiko; Tantivitayakul, Pornpen; Maudcheingka, Thaniya; Leelataweewud, Pattarawadee; Nakano, Kazuhiko; Matsumoto-Nakano, Michiyo

2017-09-01

In Streptococcus mutans, a Gram-positive pathogen of dental caries, several surface proteins are anchored by the activity of sortase enzyme. Although various reports have shown that constructed S. mutans mutants deficient of sortase as well as laboratory reference strains with a sortase gene mutation have low cariogenic potential, no known studies have investigated clinical isolates with sortase defects. Here, we examined the cariogenic properties of S. mutans clinical isolates with sortase defects as well as caries status in humans harboring such defective isolates. Sortase-defective clinical isolates were evaluated for biofilm formation, sucrose-dependent adhesion, stress-induced dextran-dependent aggregation, acid production, and acid tolerance. Additionally, caries indices of subjects possessing such defective isolates were determined. Our in vitro results indicated that biofilm with a lower quantity was formed by sortase-defective as compared to non-defective isolates. Moreover, impairments of sucrose-dependent adhesion and stress-induced dextran-dependent aggregation were found among the isolates with defects, whereas no alterations were seen in regard to acid production or tolerance. Furthermore, glucan-binding protein C, a surface protein anchored by sortase activity, was predominantly detected in culture supernatants of all sortase-defective S. mutans isolates. Although the sortase-defective isolates showed lower cariogenic potential because of a reduction in some cariogenic properties, deft/DMFT indices revealed that all subjects harboring those isolates had caries experience. Our findings suggest the impairment of cariogenic properties in S. mutans clinical isolates with sortase defects, though the detection of these defective isolates seemed not to imply low caries risk in the subjects harboring them. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defects and Disorder in the Drosophila Eye

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sangwoo; Carthew, Richard; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha

Cell division and differentiation tightly control the regular pattern in the normal eye of the Drosophila fruit fly while certain genetic mutations introduce disorder in the form of topological defects. Analyzing data from pupal retinas, we develop a model based on Voronoi construction that explains the defect statistics as a consequence of area variation of individual facets (ommatidia). The analysis reveals a previously unknown systematic long-range area variation that spans the entire eye, with distinct effects on topological disorder compared to local fluctuations. The internal structure of the ommatidia and the stiffness of their interior cells also plays a crucial role in the defect generation. Accurate predictions of the correlation between the area variation and the defect density in both normal and mutant animals are obtained without free parameters. This approach can potentially be applied to cellular systems in many other contexts to identify size-topology correlations near the onset of symmetry breaking. This work has been supported by the NIH (GM098077) and the NSF (Grant No. 1504301).

Electronic and magnetic properties of MoS2 nanoribbons with sulfur line vacancy defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Yang; Zhou, Jian; Dong, Jinming

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We performed DFT calculations on Sulfur line defects embedded MoS 2 . • The defects induced bond strains are larger in the zigzag (ZZ) edge ones. • The ZZ ones are metals, having two degenerate ground states FM and AFM. • The armchair ones are nonmagnetic semiconductors. • The defects can induce some defect states in the electronic structures. - Abstract: Motivated by the recent experimental result that single sulfur vacancies in monolayer MoS 2 are mobile under the electron beam and easily agglomerate into the sulfur line vacancy defects [Physical Review B 88, 035301(2013)] , the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of one dimensional zigzag (ZZ) and armchair (AC) edge MoS 2 nanoribbons with single or double staggered sulfur line vacancy defects (hereafter, abbreviated as SV or DV, respectively), parallel to their edges, have been investigated systematically by density functional theory calculations. It is very interesting to find that the bond strains induced by the sulfur line vacancy defect can cause a much larger out-of plane distortions in the ZZ edge MoS 2 nanoribbon than in the AC edge counterpart. Besides, the defective ZZ edge MoS 2 nanoribbons with SV or DV are both metals, having their two respective degenerate ground states with the same energy, among which one is ferromagnetic (FM “ + +”) and the other is antiferromagnetic (AFM “ + −”). But the AC edge MoS 2 nanoribbons with SV or DV are both nonmagnetic semiconductors, having very different gap values. Finally, the sulfur line vacancy defects would induce some defect states in the electronic structures of the defective MoS 2 nanoribbons. All these important results could provide a new route of tuning the electronic properties of MoS 2 nanoribbons and its derivatives for their promising applications in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics

In situ probing of the evolution of irradiation-induced defects in copper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, N.; Hattar, K.; Misra, A.

2013-01-01

Through in situ Cu 3+ ion irradiation at room temperature in a transmission electron microscope (TEM), we have investigated the evolution of defect clusters as a function of the radiation dose at different distances from the 3 {1 1 2} incoherent twin boundary (ITB) in Cu. Post in situ ion irradiation, high resolution TEM was used to explore the types of defects, which are composed of a high-density of vacancy stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT) and sparsely distributed interstitial Frank loops. During irradiation, defect clusters evolve through four stages: (i) incubation, (ii) non-interaction, (iii) interaction and (iv) saturation; and the corresponding density was observed to initially increase with irradiation dose and then approach saturation. No obvious denuded zone is observed along the 3 {1 1 2} ITB and the configuration of defects at the boundary displays as truncated SFTs. Several defect evolution models have been proposed to explain the observed phenomena

DLTS and capacitance transients study of defects induced by neutron irradiation in MOS structures CCD process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahaitouf, A.; Losson, E.; Charles, J.P.

1999-01-01

The aim of this paper is to study neutron irradiation effects on PMOS capacitors and NMOSFETs transistors. The characterization of induced defects was made by capacitance transients C(t) measurements, DLTS spectroscopy, and optical DLTS (ODLTS). DLTS spectra present three peaks due to deep levels created in the semiconductor and two peaks due to minority carrier generation. Two levels are reported in the literature. Two other minority carrier traps have been observed on ODLTS spectra after irradiation. This can explain the decrease of the minority carrier generation lifetime observed by capacitance transients measurements. (authors)

The incidence and functional consequences of RT-associated cardiac perfusion defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marks, Lawrence B.; Yu Xiaoli; Prosnitz, Robert G.; Zhou Sumin; Hardenbergh, Patricia H.; Blazing, Michael; Hollis, Donna; Lind, Pehr; Tisch, Andrea; Wong, Terence Z.; Borges-Neto, Salvador

2005-01-01

Purpose: Radiation therapy (RT) for left-sided breast cancer has been associated with cardiac dysfunction. We herein assess the temporal nature and volume dependence of RT-induced left ventricular perfusion defects and whether these perfusion defects are related to changes in cardiac wall motion or alterations in ejection fraction. Methods: From 1998 to 2001, 114 patients were enrolled onto an IRB-approved prospective clinical study to assess changes in regional and global cardiac function after RT for left-sided breast cancer. Patients were imaged 30 to 60 minutes after injection of technetium 99m sestamibi or tetrofosmin. Post-RT perfusion scans were compared with the pre-RT studies to assess for RT-induced perfusion defects as well as functional changes in wall motion and ejection fraction. Two-tailed Fisher's exact test and the Cochran-Armitage test for linear trends were used for statistical analysis. Results: The incidence of new perfusion defects 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after RT was 27%, 29%, 38%, and 42%, respectively. New defects occurred in approximately 10% to 20% and 50% to 60% of patients with less than 5%, and greater than 5%, of their left ventricle included within the RT fields, respectively (p = 0.33 to 0.00008). The rates of wall motion abnormalities in patients with and without perfusion defects were 12% to 40% versus 0% to 9%, respectively; p values were 0.007 to 0.16, depending on the post-RT interval. Conclusions: Radiation therapy causes volume-dependent perfusion defects in approximately 40% of patients within 2 years of RT. These perfusion defects are associated with corresponding wall-motion abnormalities. Additional study is necessary to better define the long-term functional consequences of RT-induced perfusion defects

Evaluation of common genetic variants in 82 candidate genes as risk factors for neural tube defects

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Pangilinan, Faith

2012-08-02

AbstractBackgroundNeural tube defects (NTDs) are common birth defects (~1 in 1000 pregnancies in the US and Europe) that have complex origins, including environmental and genetic factors. A low level of maternal folate is one well-established risk factor, with maternal periconceptional folic acid supplementation reducing the occurrence of NTD pregnancies by 50-70%. Gene variants in the folate metabolic pathway (e.g., MTHFR rs1801133 (677 C > T) and MTHFD1 rs2236225 (R653Q)) have been found to increase NTD risk. We hypothesized that variants in additional folate\\/B12 pathway genes contribute to NTD risk.MethodsA tagSNP approach was used to screen common variation in 82 candidate genes selected from the folate\\/B12 pathway and NTD mouse models. We initially genotyped polymorphisms in 320 Irish triads (NTD cases and their parents), including 301 cases and 341 Irish controls to perform case–control and family based association tests. Significantly associated polymorphisms were genotyped in a secondary set of 250 families that included 229 cases and 658 controls. The combined results for 1441 SNPs were used in a joint analysis to test for case and maternal effects.ResultsNearly 70 SNPs in 30 genes were found to be associated with NTDs at the p < 0.01 level. The ten strongest association signals (p-value range: 0.0003–0.0023) were found in nine genes (MFTC, CDKN2A, ADA, PEMT, CUBN, GART, DNMT3A, MTHFD1 and T (Brachyury)) and included the known NTD risk factor MTHFD1 R653Q (rs2236225). The single strongest signal was observed in a new candidate, MFTC rs17803441 (OR = 1.61 [1.23-2.08], p = 0.0003 for the minor allele). Though nominally significant, these associations did not remain significant after correction for multiple hypothesis testing.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, with respect to sample size and scope of evaluation of candidate polymorphisms, this is the largest NTD genetic association study reported to date. The scale of the study and the

Evaluation of common genetic variants in 82 candidate genes as risk factors for neural tube defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pangilinan Faith

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neural tube defects (NTDs are common birth defects (~1 in 1000 pregnancies in the US and Europe that have complex origins, including environmental and genetic factors. A low level of maternal folate is one well-established risk factor, with maternal periconceptional folic acid supplementation reducing the occurrence of NTD pregnancies by 50-70%. Gene variants in the folate metabolic pathway (e.g., MTHFR rs1801133 (677 C > T and MTHFD1 rs2236225 (R653Q have been found to increase NTD risk. We hypothesized that variants in additional folate/B12 pathway genes contribute to NTD risk. Methods A tagSNP approach was used to screen common variation in 82 candidate genes selected from the folate/B12 pathway and NTD mouse models. We initially genotyped polymorphisms in 320 Irish triads (NTD cases and their parents, including 301 cases and 341 Irish controls to perform case–control and family based association tests. Significantly associated polymorphisms were genotyped in a secondary set of 250 families that included 229 cases and 658 controls. The combined results for 1441 SNPs were used in a joint analysis to test for case and maternal effects. Results Nearly 70 SNPs in 30 genes were found to be associated with NTDs at the p MFTC, CDKN2A, ADA, PEMT, CUBN, GART, DNMT3A, MTHFD1 and T (Brachyury and included the known NTD risk factor MTHFD1 R653Q (rs2236225. The single strongest signal was observed in a new candidate, MFTC rs17803441 (OR = 1.61 [1.23-2.08], p = 0.0003 for the minor allele. Though nominally significant, these associations did not remain significant after correction for multiple hypothesis testing. Conclusions To our knowledge, with respect to sample size and scope of evaluation of candidate polymorphisms, this is the largest NTD genetic association study reported to date. The scale of the study and the stringency of correction are likely to have contributed to real associations failing to survive

Persistent genetic instability induced by synergistic interaction between x-irradiation and 6-thioguanine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grosovsky, A.J.; Nelson, S.L.; Smith, L.E.

1995-01-01

Clonal karyotypic analysis was performed using G-banding on four groups of clones derived from TK6 human lymphoblasts: 25 HPRT - total gene deletion mutants induced by exposure to 2 Gy of x-rays; 8 spontaneous HPRT - total gene deletion mutants; 25 clones irradiated with 2 Gy, not selected with 6-thioguanine. Ten to twenty metaphases were examined for each clone. Extensive karyotypic heterogeneity was observed among x-ray induced HPRT - mutants involving translocations, deletions, duplications and aneuploidy; recovery of chromosomal aberrations and karyotypic heterogeneity was greater than the additive effects of clones treated with x-irradiation or 6-thioguanine alone. This synergistic interaction between x-irradiation and 6-thioguanine was observed despite a 7 day phenotypic expression interval between exposure to the two agents. Thus, x-irradiated TK6 cells appear to be persistently hypersensitive to the induction of genetic instability. Several mutants appeared to exhibit evidence of clonal evolution since aberrant chromosomes observed in one metaphase, were found to be further modified in other metaphases. In order to determine if genetic instability, identified by clonal karyotypic heterogeneity, affected specific locus mutation rates, we utilized the heterozygous thymidine kinase (tk) locus as a genetic marker. Four x-ray induced HPRT - mutants with extensive karyotypic heterogeneity, exhibited mutation rates at tk ranging from 5 to 8 fold higher than the parental TK6 cells. Further analysis, using fractionated low dose radiation exposure, is currently in progress

Protective effects of vitamin C against gamma-ray induced wholly damage and genetic damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Chunling; Jiang Weiwei; Zhang Ping; Chen Xiang; Zhu Shengtao

2000-01-01

Objective: Protective effects of supplemental vitamin C against 60 Co-gamma-ray induced wholly damage and genetic damage was investigated in mice. Method: Mice were divided into normal control group, irradiation control group and vitamin C experimental group 1,2,3 (which were orally given vitamin C 15, 30, 45 mg/kg.bw for 10 successive days respectively prior to gamma-ray irradiation). Micronuclei in the bone marrow polychromatophilic erythrocytes in each group of mice were examined and the 30 day survival rate of mice following whole-body 5.0 Gy γ irradiation were also determined. Results: Supplemental vitamin C prior to gamma-rays irradiation can significantly decrease bone marrow PECMN rate of mice and increase 30 day survival rate and prolong average survival time. The protection factor is 2.09. Conclusion: Vitamin C has potent protective effects against gamma irradiation induced damage in mice. In certain dose range, vitamin C can absolutely suppress the gamma-rays induced genetic damage in vivo

Influence of neutrophil defects on Burkholderia cepacia complex pathogenesis

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Laura A. Porter

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc is a group of Gram-negative bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment and have emerged as opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients. The primary patient populations infected with Bcc include individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF, as well as those with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD. While Bcc infection in CF is better characterized than in CGD, these two genetic diseases are not obviously similar and it is currently unknown if there is any commonality in host immune defects that is responsible for the susceptibility to Bcc. CF is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator, resulting in manifestations in various organ systems, however the major cause of morbidity and mortality is currently due to bacterial respiratory infections. CGD, on the other hand, is a genetic disorder that is caused by defects in phagocyte NADPH oxidase. Because of the defect in CGD, phagocytes in these patients are unable to produce reactive oxygen species, which results in increased susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections. Despite this significant defect in microbial clearance, the spectrum of pathogens frequently implicated in infections in CGD is relatively narrow and includes some bacterial species that are considered almost pathognomonic for this disorder. Very little is known about the cause of the specific susceptibility to Bcc over other potential pathogens more prevalent in the environment, and a better understanding of specific mechanisms required for bacterial virulence has become a high priority. This review will summarize both the current knowledge and future directions related to Bcc virulence in immunocompromised individuals with a focus on the roles of bacterial factors and neutrophil defects in pathogenesis.

Study of plasma charging-induced white pixel defect increase in CMOS active pixel sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokashiki, Ken; Bai, KeunHee; Baek, KyeHyun; Kim, Yongjin; Min, Gyungjin; Kang, Changjin; Cho, Hanku; Moon, Jootae

2007-01-01

Plasma process-induced 'white pixel defect' (WPD) of CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) is studied for Si3N4 spacer etch back process by using a magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching (MERIE) system. WPD preferably takes place at the wafer edge region when the magnetized plasma is applied to Si3N4 etch. Plasma charging analysis reveals that the plasma charge-up characteristic is well matching the edge-intensive WPD generation, rather than the UV radiation. Plasma charging on APS transfer gate might lead to a gate leakage, which could play a role in generation of signal noise or WPD. In this article the WPD generation mechanism will be discussed from plasma charging point of view

Vacancy-type defects induced by grinding of Si wafers studied by monoenergetic positron beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uedono, Akira; Yoshihara, Nakaaki [Division of Applied Physics, Faculty of Pure and Applied Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Mizushima, Yoriko [Devices and Materials Labs Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0197 (Japan); ICE Cube Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Kim, Youngsuk [ICE Cube Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Disco Corporation, Ota, Tokyo 143-8580 (Japan); Nakamura, Tomoji [Devices and Materials Labs Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0197 (Japan); Ohba, Takayuki [ICE Cube Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Oshima, Nagayasu; Suzuki, Ryoichi [Research Institute of Instrumentation Frontier, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan)

2014-10-07

Vacancy-type defects introduced by the grinding of Czochralski-grown Si wafers were studied using monoenergetic positron beams. Measurements of Doppler broadening spectra of the annihilation radiation and the lifetime spectra of positrons showed that vacancy-type defects were introduced in the surface region (<98 nm), and the major defect species were identified as (i) relatively small vacancies incorporated in dislocations and (ii) large vacancy clusters. Annealing experiments showed that the defect concentration decreased with increasing annealing temperature in the range between 100 and 500°C. After 600–700°C annealing, the defect-rich region expanded up to about 170 nm, which was attributed to rearrangements of dislocation networks, and a resultant emission of point defects toward the inside of the sample. Above 800°C, the stability limit of those vacancies was reached and they started to disappear. After the vacancies were annealed out (900°C), oxygen-related defects were the major point defects and they were located at <25 nm.

Defects and boundary RG flows in ℂ/ℤ{sub d}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, Melanie; Cabrera, Yaniel [George and Cynthia Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy,Texas A& M University,College Station, TX 77843-4242 (United States); Robbins, Daniel [Department of Physics, University at Albany,1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222 (United States)

2017-02-01

We show that topological defects in the language of Landau-Ginzburg models carry information about the RG flow between the non-compact orbifolds ℂ/ℤ{sub d}. We show that such defects correctly implement the bulk-induced RG flow on the boundary.

A UV-Induced Genetic Network Links the RSC Complex to Nucleotide Excision Repair and Shows Dose-Dependent Rewiring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohith Srivas

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Efficient repair of UV-induced DNA damage requires the precise coordination of nucleotide excision repair (NER with numerous other biological processes. To map this crosstalk, we generated a differential genetic interaction map centered on quantitative growth measurements of >45,000 double mutants before and after different doses of UV radiation. Integration of genetic data with physical interaction networks identified a global map of 89 UV-induced functional interactions among 62 protein complexes, including a number of links between the RSC complex and several NER factors. We show that RSC is recruited to both silenced and transcribed loci following UV damage where it facilitates efficient repair by promoting nucleosome remodeling. Finally, a comparison of the response to high versus low levels of UV shows that the degree of genetic rewiring correlates with dose of UV and reveals a network of dose-specific interactions. This study makes available a large resource of UV-induced interactions, and it illustrates a methodology for identifying dose-dependent interactions based on quantitative shifts in genetic networks.

Surface defects characterization in a quantum wire by coherent phonons scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rabia, M. S. [Laboratoire de Mécanique des Structures et Energétique, Faculté du Génie de la Construction, Université. Mammeri de Tizi-Ouzou, BP 17 RP Hasnaoua II, Tizi-Ouzou 15000, Algérie m2msr@yahoo.fr (Algeria)

2015-03-30

The influence of surface defects on the scattering properties of elastic waves in a quasi-planar crystallographic waveguide is studied in the harmonic approximation using the matching method formalism. The structural model is based on three infinite atomic chains forming a perfect lattice surmounted by an atomic surface defect. Following the Landauer approach, we solve directly the Newton dynamical equation with scattering boundary conditions and taking into account the next nearest neighbour’s interaction. A detailed study of the defect-induced fluctuations in the transmission spectra is presented for different adatom masses. As in the electronic case, the presence of localized defect-induced states leads to Fano-like resonances. In the language of mechanical vibrations, these are called continuum resonances. Numerical results reveal the intimate relation between transmission spectra and localized defect states and provide a basis for the understanding of conductance spectroscopy experiments in disordered mesoscopic systems. The results could be useful for the design of phononic devices.

Surface defects characterization in a quantum wire by coherent phonons scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabia, M. S.

2015-01-01

The influence of surface defects on the scattering properties of elastic waves in a quasi-planar crystallographic waveguide is studied in the harmonic approximation using the matching method formalism. The structural model is based on three infinite atomic chains forming a perfect lattice surmounted by an atomic surface defect. Following the Landauer approach, we solve directly the Newton dynamical equation with scattering boundary conditions and taking into account the next nearest neighbour’s interaction. A detailed study of the defect-induced fluctuations in the transmission spectra is presented for different adatom masses. As in the electronic case, the presence of localized defect-induced states leads to Fano-like resonances. In the language of mechanical vibrations, these are called continuum resonances. Numerical results reveal the intimate relation between transmission spectra and localized defect states and provide a basis for the understanding of conductance spectroscopy experiments in disordered mesoscopic systems. The results could be useful for the design of phononic devices

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models of Progranulin-Deficient Frontotemporal Dementia Uncover Specific Reversible Neuronal Defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Almeida

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The pathogenic mechanisms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD remain poorly understood. Here we generated multiple induced pluripotent stem cell lines from a control subject, a patient with sporadic FTD, and an FTD patient with a novel heterozygous GRN mutation (progranulin [PGRN] S116X. In neurons and microglia differentiated from PGRN S116X induced pluripotent stem cells, the levels of intracellular and secreted PGRN were reduced, establishing patient-specific cellular models of PGRN haploinsufficiency. Through a systematic screen of inducers of cellular stress, we found that PGRN S116X neurons, but not sporadic FTD neurons, exhibited increased sensitivity to staurosporine and other kinase inhibitors. Moreover, the serine/threonine kinase S6K2, a component of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, was specifically downregulated in PGRN S116X neurons. Both increased sensitivity to kinase inhibitors and reduced S6K2 were rescued by PGRN expression. Our findings identify cell-autonomous, reversible defects in patient neurons with PGRN deficiency, and provide a compelling model for studying PGRN-dependent pathogenic mechanisms and testing potential therapies.

Effect of stacking fault energy on the neutron radiation induced defect accumulation in stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiaoqiang; Al Mazouzi Abderrahim

2009-01-01

Current knowledge highlights the radiation induced segregation (RIS) and the radiation hardening as the two main effects on irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC). Stacking fault energy is considered as a key parameter of materials, which can influence IASCC of stainless steels in nuclear light water reactor (LWR), because it plays an important role in every process of plastic deformation, work hardening and creep behaviour. The study of the impact of SFE variations on the plastic deformation and SCC behaviour of irradiated and unirradiated austenitic steels will contribute to the understanding of IASCC mechanism. The objectives of this work, as a task within the FP6-European Project PERFECT, are to investigate the influence of the SFE on IASCC susceptibility of stainless steels, to correlation n-irradiation induced defect production, accumulation and mechanical deformation behaviour with SFE by using the state of the art experimental tools such as transmission electron microscope (TEM), positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), slow strain rate tests (SSRT) in simulated LWR conditions

Mouse Models for Investigating the Developmental Bases of Human Birth Defects

OpenAIRE

MOON, ANNE M.

2006-01-01

Clinicians and basic scientists share an interest in discovering how genetic or environmental factors interact to perturb normal development and cause birth defects and human disease. Given the complexity of such interactions, it is not surprising that 4% of human infants are born with a congenital malformation, and cardiovascular defects occur in nearly 1%. Our research is based on the fundamental hypothesis that an understanding of normal and abnormal development will permit us to generate ...

Temperature dependence of radiation induced defect creation in a-SiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devine, R.A.B.; Grouillet, A.; Berlivet, J.Y.

1988-01-01

The efficiency of oxygen vacancy defect creation in samples of amorphous SiO 2 subjected to ultraviolet laser or ionizing particle radiation (energetic H + ions) has been measured as a function of sample temperature during irradiation. For the case of laser radiation (E photon ≅ 5 eV) we find that vacancy centers are only created when the irradiation temperature is above 150 K. The efficiency of peroxy radical defect creation observed after post irradiation annealing is consistent with the behaviour of the oxygen vacancy creation efficiency. In samples with energetic protons, the opposite behaviour is observed and one finds that defect creation is enhanced as the implantation temperature is lowered. Possible physical mechanisms controlling the defect creation efficiency as a function of sample temperature and radiation are discussed. (orig.)

Chiral filtration-induced spin/valley polarization in silicene line defects

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Chongdan; Zhou, Benhu; Sun, Minglei; Wang, Sake; Li, Yunfang; Tian, Hongyu; Lu, Weitao

2018-06-01

The spin/valley polarization in silicene with extended line defects is investigated according to the chiral filtration mechanism. It is shown that the inner-built quantum Hall pseudo-edge states with identical chirality can serve as a chiral filter with a weak magnetic field and that the transmission process is restrained/strengthened for chiral states with reversed/identical chirality. With two parallel line defects, which act as natural chiral filtration, the filter effect is greatly enhanced, and 100% spin/valley polarization can be achieved.

The multiple genetic causes of central hypothyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Persani, Luca; Bonomi, Marco

2017-03-01

An insufficient stimulation by thyrotropin (TSH) of an otherwise normal thyroid gland represents the cause of Central Hypothyrodism (CeH). CeH is about 1000-folds rarer than Primary Hypothyroidism and often represents a real challenge for the clinicians, mainly because they cannot rely on adequately sensitive parameters for diagnosis or management, as it occurs with circulating TSH in PH. Therefore, CeH diagnosis can be frequently missed or delayed in patients with a previously unknown pituitary involvement. A series of genetic defects have been described to account for isolated CeH or combined pituitary hormone defects (CPHDs) with variable clinical characteristics and degrees of severity. The recently identified candidate gene IGSF1 appears frequently involved. This review provides an updated illustration of the different genetic defects accounting for CeH. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic improvement of 'NPq' rice with induced mutations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ram, Mahabal

1974-01-01

Exposure of the seeds of rice to different doses of gamma-rays increased the total mutation frequency with an increase in the dose rate, and the most economic mutations occurred around 30 kr. Induced mutants with dwarf plant type, early maturity, fine grain, high-yielding ability, and resistance to lodging and major diseases were isolated in the M, and M generations. Genetical studies indicated that height is controlled by 4 pairs of additive genes, grass-clumps by 2 pairs of non-allelic interacting genes (inhibitory), and chlorophyll mutations such as albina by 2 pairs of duplicate genes and xantha by a single gene pair. (author)

Nonhomologous Recombination between Defective Poliovirus and Coxsackievirus Genomes Suggests a New Model of Genetic Plasticity for Picornaviruses

Science.gov (United States)

Holmblat, Barbara; Jégouic, Sophie; Muslin, Claire; Blondel, Bruno; Joffret, Marie-Line

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Most of the circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) implicated in poliomyelitis outbreaks in Madagascar have been shown to be recombinants between the type 2 poliovirus (PV) strain of the oral polio vaccine (Sabin 2) and another species C human enterovirus (HEV-C), such as type 17 coxsackie A virus (CA17) in particular. We studied intertypic genetic exchanges between PV and non-PV HEV-C by developing a recombination model, making it possible to rescue defective type 2 PV RNA genomes with a short deletion at the 3′ end by the cotransfection of cells with defective or infectious CA17 RNAs. We isolated over 200 different PV/CA17 recombinants, using murine cells expressing the human PV receptor (PVR) and selecting viruses with PV capsids. We found some homologous (H) recombinants and, mostly, nonhomologous (NH) recombinants presenting duplications of parental sequences preferentially located in the regions encoding proteins 2A, 2B, and 3A. Short duplications appeared to be stable, whereas longer duplications were excised during passaging in cultured cells or after multiplication in PVR-transgenic mice, generating H recombinants with diverse sites of recombination. This suggests that NH recombination events may be a transient, intermediate step in the generation and selection of the fittest H recombinants. In addition to the classical copy-choice mechanism of recombination thought to generate mostly H recombinants, there may also be a modular mechanism of recombination, involving NH recombinant precursors, shaping the genomes of recombinant enteroviruses and other picornaviruses. PMID:25096874

Investigation of intrinsic defect magnetic properties in wurtzite ZnO materials

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorov, A. S.; Visotin, M. A.; Kholtobina, A. S.; Kuzubov, A. A.; Mikhaleva, N. S.; Hsu, Hua Shu

2017-10-01

Theoretical and experimental investigations of the ferromagnetism induced by intrinsic defects inside wurtzite zinc oxide structures are performed using magnetic field-dependent circular dichroism (MCD-H), direct magnetization measurement (M-H) by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) as well as by generalized gradient density functional theory (GGA-DFT). To investigate localized magnetic moments of bulk material intrinsic defects - vacancies, interstitial atoms and Frenkel defects, various-size periodic supercells are calculated. It is shown that oxygen interstitial atoms (Oi) or zinc vacancies (Znv) generate magnetic moments of 1,98 и 1,26 μB respectively, however, the magnitudes are significantly reduced when the distance between defects increases. At the same time, the magnetic moments of oxygen Frenkel defects are large ( 1.5-1.8 μB) and do not depend on the distance between the defects. It is shown that the origin of the induced ferromagnetism in bulk ZnO is the extra spin density on the oxygen atoms nearest to the defect. Also dependence of the magnetization of ZnO (10 1 ̅ 0) and (0001) thin films on the positions of Oi and Znv in subsurface layers were investigated and it is shown that the magnetic moments of both defects are significantly different from the values inside bulk material. In order to check theoretical results regarding the defect induced ferromagnetism in ZnO, two thin films doped by carbon (C) and having Zn interstitials and oxygen vacancies were prepared and annealed in vacuum and air, respectively. According to the MCD-H and M-H measurements, the film, which was annealed in air, exhibits a ferromagnetic behavior, while the other does not. One can assume annealing of ZnO in vacuum should create oxygen vacancies or Zn interstitial atoms. At that annealing of the second C:ZnO film in air leads to essential magnetization, probably by annihilation of oxygen vacancies, formation of interstitial oxygen atoms or zinc vacancies

Electronic and magnetic properties of MoS{sub 2} nanoribbons with sulfur line vacancy defects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Yang [Group of Computational Condensed Matter Physics, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Zhou, Jian [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Dong, Jinming, E-mail: jdong@nju.edu.cn [Group of Computational Condensed Matter Physics, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • We performed DFT calculations on Sulfur line defects embedded MoS{sub 2}. • The defects induced bond strains are larger in the zigzag (ZZ) edge ones. • The ZZ ones are metals, having two degenerate ground states FM and AFM. • The armchair ones are nonmagnetic semiconductors. • The defects can induce some defect states in the electronic structures. - Abstract: Motivated by the recent experimental result that single sulfur vacancies in monolayer MoS{sub 2} are mobile under the electron beam and easily agglomerate into the sulfur line vacancy defects [Physical Review B 88, 035301(2013)] , the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of one dimensional zigzag (ZZ) and armchair (AC) edge MoS{sub 2} nanoribbons with single or double staggered sulfur line vacancy defects (hereafter, abbreviated as SV or DV, respectively), parallel to their edges, have been investigated systematically by density functional theory calculations. It is very interesting to find that the bond strains induced by the sulfur line vacancy defect can cause a much larger out-of plane distortions in the ZZ edge MoS{sub 2} nanoribbon than in the AC edge counterpart. Besides, the defective ZZ edge MoS{sub 2} nanoribbons with SV or DV are both metals, having their two respective degenerate ground states with the same energy, among which one is ferromagnetic (FM “ + +”) and the other is antiferromagnetic (AFM “ + −”). But the AC edge MoS{sub 2} nanoribbons with SV or DV are both nonmagnetic semiconductors, having very different gap values. Finally, the sulfur line vacancy defects would induce some defect states in the electronic structures of the defective MoS{sub 2} nanoribbons. All these important results could provide a new route of tuning the electronic properties of MoS{sub 2} nanoribbons and its derivatives for their promising applications in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics.

Freely-migrating-defect production during irradiation at elevated temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Hashimoto, T.; Rehn, L. E.; Okamoto, P. R.

1988-12-01

Radiation-induced segregation in a Cu-1 at. % Au alloy was investigated using in situ Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The amount of Au atom depletion in the near surface region was measured as a function of dose during irradiation at 350 °C with four ions of substantially different masses. Relative efficiencies for producing freely migrating defects were evaluated for 1.8-MeV 1H, 4He, 20Ne, and 84Kr ions by determining beam current densities that gave similar radiation-induced segregation rates. Irradiations with primary knock-on atom median energies of 1.7, 13, and 79 keV yielded relative efficiencies of 53, 7, and 6 %, respectively, compared to the irradiation with a 0.83-keV median energy. Despite quite different defect and host alloy properties, the relative efficiencies for producing freely migrating defects determined in Cu-Au are remarkably similar to those found previously in Ni-Si alloys. Hence, the reported efficiencies appear to offer a reliable basis for making quantitative correlations of microstructural changes induced in different alloy systems by a wide variety of irradiation particles.

Effect of He+ fluence on surface morphology and ion-irradiation induced defect evolution in 7075 aluminum alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Kai; Ma, Qian; Wan, Hao; Yang, Bin; Ge, Junjie; Zhang, Lingyu; Si, Naichao

2018-02-01

The evolution of microstructure for 7075 aluminum alloys with 50 Kev helium ions irradiation were studied by using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The fluences of 1 × 1015, 1 × 1016 and 1 × 1017 ions cm-2 were selected, and irradiation experiments were conducted at room temperatures. The transmission process of He+ ions was simulated by using SRIM software, including distribution of ion ranges, energy losses and atomic displacements. Experimental results show that irradiated pits and micro-cracks were observed on irradiation sample surface, and the size of constituent particles (not including Mg2Si) decreased with the increasing dose. The x-ray diffraction results of the pair of peaks is better resolved in irradiated samples might indicate that the stressed structure consequence due to crystal defects (vacancies and interstitials) after He+ implantation. TEM observation indicated that the density of MgZn2 phase was significantly reduced after helium ion irradiation which is harmful to strength. Besides, the development of compressive stress produced a large amount of dislocation defects in the 1015 ions cm-2 sample. Moreover, higher fluence irradiation produced more dislocations in sample. At fluence of 1016 ions cm-2, dislocation wall formed by dislocation slip and aggregation in the interior of grains, leading to the refinement of these grains. As fluence increased to 1017 ions cm-2, dislocation loops were observed in pinned dislocation. Moreover, dislocation as effective defect sink, irradiation-induced vacancy defects aggregated to these sinks, and resulted in the formation of helium bubbles in dislocation.

Formation of radiation-induced point defects in silicon doped thin films upon ion implantation and activating annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bublik, V.T.; Shcherbachev, K.D.; Komarnitskaya, E.A.; Parkhomenko, Yu.N.; Vygovskaya, E.A.; Evgen'ev, S.B.

1999-01-01

The formation and relaxation processes for radiation-induced defects in the implantation of 50 keV Si + ions into gallium arsenide and subsequent 10-min annealing in arsine at 850 deg. C have been studied by the triple-crystal X-ray diffractometry and secondary-ion mass spectroscopy techniques. It is shown that the existence of the vacancy-enriched layer stimulating diffusion of introduced dopants into the substrate surface can significantly affect the distribution profile of the dopant in the course of preparation of thin implanted layers

Tissue culture-induced genetic and epigenetic variation in triticale (× Triticosecale spp. Wittmack ex A. Camus 1927) regenerants.

Science.gov (United States)

Machczyńska, Joanna; Zimny, Janusz; Bednarek, Piotr Tomasz

2015-10-01

Plant regeneration via in vitro culture can induce genetic and epigenetic variation; however, the extent of such changes in triticale is not yet understood. In the present study, metAFLP, a variation of methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis, was used to investigate tissue culture-induced variation in triticale regenerants derived from four distinct genotypes using androgenesis and somatic embryogenesis. The metAFLP technique enabled identification of both sequence and DNA methylation pattern changes in a single experiment. Moreover, it was possible to quantify subtle effects such as sequence variation, demethylation, and de novo methylation, which affected 19, 5.5, 4.5% of sites, respectively. Comparison of variation in different genotypes and with different in vitro regeneration approaches demonstrated that both the culture technique and genetic background of donor plants affected tissue culture-induced variation. The results showed that the metAFLP approach could be used for quantification of tissue culture-induced variation and provided direct evidence that in vitro plant regeneration could cause genetic and epigenetic variation.

Genetic analysis of somaclonal variants and induced mutants of potato ( solanum tuberosum l.) cv. diamant using RAPD markers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afrasiab, H.; Iqbal, J.

2011-01-01

The objective of this work was to genetically analyze somaclonal variants and gamma induced mutants of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Diamant using RAPD-PCR technique. In the present work, callus was induced from nodes, inter nodes and leaf explants in MS medium supplemented with NAA (1.0 mg/l) and BAP (0.5 mg/l) and plants were regenerated from 14-20 weeks old calli. For gamma irradiation, ten-week old well proliferating calli were exposed to doses ranging from 5-50 Gy. All the four selected somaclonal variants and five gamma induced mutants were differentiated by banding patterns obtained from 22 primers that generated 140 polymorphic bands. The presence of polymorphic bands in variants and mutants suggest that genetic variation occurred in all the treatments as compared to control. Similarity and clustered analysis were conducted using Jaccard's coefficients and the un-weighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages. The results summarized in a dendrogram, show genetic diversity among the variants and mutants. The study shows that RAPD markers were efficient in discriminating somaclonal variants and induced mutants of potato. (author)

Metabolically induced heteroplasmy shifting and L-arginine treatment reduce the energetic defect in a neuronal-like model of MELAS

Science.gov (United States)

Desquiret-Dumas, Valerie; Gueguen, Naig; Barth, Magalie; Chevrollier, Arnaud; Hancock, Saege; Wallace, Douglas C; Amati-Bonneau, Patrizia; Henrion, Daniel; Bonneau, Dominique; Reynier, Pascal; Procaccio, Vincent

2012-01-01

The m.3243A>G variant in the mitochondrial tRNALeu (UUR) gene is a common mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation. Phenotypic manifestations depend mainly on the heteroplasmy, i.e. the ratio of mutant to normal mtDNA copies. A high percentage of mutant mtDNA is associated with a severe, life-threatening neurological syndrome known as MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes). MELAS is described as a neurovascular disorder primarily affecting the brain and blood vessels, but the pathophysiology of the disease is poorly understood. We developed a series of cybrid cell lines at two different mutant loads: 70% and 100% in the nuclear background of a neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y). We investigated the impact of the mutation on the metabolism and mitochondrial respiratory chain activity of the cybrids. The m.3243A>G mitochondrial mutation induced a metabolic switch towards glycolysis in the neuronal cells and produced severe defects in respiratory chain assembly and activity. We used two strategies to compensate for the biochemical defects in the mutant cells: one consisted of lowering the glucose content in the culture medium, and the other involved the addition of L-arginine. The reduction of glucose significantly shifted the 100% mutant cells towards the wild-type, reaching a 90% mutant level and restoring respiratory chain complex assembly. The addition of L-arginine, a nitric oxide (NO) donor, improved complex I activity in the mutant cells in which the defective NO metabolism had led to a relative shortage of NO. Thus, metabolically induced heteroplasmy shifting and L-arginine therapy may constitute promising therapeutic strategies against MELAS. PMID:22306605

Confocal fluorescence microscopy investigation of visible emitting defects induced by electron beam lithography in LIF films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montereali, R.M.; Bigotta, S.; Pace, A.; Piccinini, M. [ENEA, Divisione Fisica Applicata, Centro Ricerche Frascati, Frascati, RM (Italy); Burattini, E.; Grilli, A.; Raco, A. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Fisica, Frascati, Rome (Italy); Giammatteo, M. [Unita' Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Frascati, RM (Italy)]|[L' Aquila Univ., L' Aquila (Italy). Centro di Microscopia Elettronica; Picozzi, P.; Santucci, S. [Unita' Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Frascati, RM (Italy)]|[L' Aquila Univ., L' Aquila (Italy). Dipt. di Fisica

2000-07-01

Low energy electron irradiation of lithium fluoride (LiF), in the form of bulk crystals and films, gives rise to the stable formation of primary F defects and aggregated color centers in a thin layer located at the surface of the investigated material. For the first time a confocal light scanning microscope (CLSM) in fluorescence mode was used to reconstruct the depth distribution of efficiently emitting laser active color centers in a stripe-like region induced by 12 and 16 keV electrons on LiF films thermally evaporated on glass. The formation of the F{sub 3}{sup +} and F{sub 2} aggregated defects appears restricted to the electron penetration and proportional to their energy depth profile, as obtained from Monte Carlo simulations. [Italian] L'irraggiamento con elettroni di bassa energia del fluoruro di litio (LiF), in forma di cristalli e film, induce la formazione di difetti primari F e centri di colore aggregati stabili in un sottile strato localizzato alla superficie del materiale investigato. Per la prima volta un microscopio confocale a scansione (CLSM) in modalita' fluorescenza e' stato usato per ricostruire la distribuzione di centri di colore laser attivi ad alta efficienza di emissione nel visibile, in strisce colorate ottenute con elettroni da 12 e 16 keV su film di LiF evaporati termicamente su vetro. La formazione dei difetti aggregati F2 e F3+ risulta ristretta spazialmente nella regione di penetrazione degli elettroni e proporzionale al profilo della distribuzione dell'energia da essi depositata, ricavata tramite simulazioni Monte Carlo.

Genetic and Chemical Correction of Cholesterol Accumulation and Impaired Autophagy in Hepatic and Neural Cells Derived from Niemann-Pick Type C Patient-Specific iPS Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorothea Maetzel

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Niemann-Pick type C (NPC disease is a fatal inherited lipid storage disorder causing severe neurodegeneration and liver dysfunction with only limited treatment options for patients. Loss of NPC1 function causes defects in cholesterol metabolism and has recently been implicated in deregulation of autophagy. Here, we report the generation of isogenic pairs of NPC patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs. We observed decreased cell viability, cholesterol accumulation, and dysfunctional autophagic flux in NPC1-deficient human hepatic and neural cells. Genetic correction of a disease-causing mutation rescued these defects and directly linked NPC1 protein function to impaired cholesterol metabolism and autophagy. Screening for autophagy-inducing compounds in disease-affected human cells showed cell type specificity. Carbamazepine was found to be cytoprotective and effective in restoring the autophagy defects in both NPC1-deficient hepatic and neuronal cells and therefore may be a promising treatment option with overall benefit for NPC disease.

Legal implications of genetics and crime research.

Science.gov (United States)

Denno, D W

1996-01-01

Two controversial topics dominate discussions of the legal implications of genetics and crime research; (1) the viability and politics of such research, which has sparked fervent debate in the USA; and (2) the current status of new or atypical criminal law defences, which would include a genetic-defect defence to criminal behaviour. This chapter begins by examining the scientifically discredited XYY chromosome syndrome defence, the major genetic-defect defence that defendants have attempted, albeit unsuccessfully. It then focuses on attorneys' efforts to test for evidence of genetic abnormality in the recent and highly publicized case involving convicted murderer Stephen Mobley, whose family history reveals four generations of violent, aggressive and behaviourally disordered men and women. Mobley is currently appealing his death sentence before the Georgia Supreme Court on the basis that the trial court denied his request both to have genetic testing performed and to have such testing allowed as evidence into court. This chapter concludes by emphasizing that the question is not whether genetic evidence will ever be admitted into court, but when and under what kinds of circumstances. No doubt, genetic evidence, and comparable kinds of biological evidence, will have a major impact on juries when such evidence is more fully accepted by the legal and scientific communities.

Gum acacia mitigates genetic damage in adenine-induced chronic renal failure in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, B H; Al Balushi, K; Al-Husseini, I; Mandel, P; Nemmar, A; Schupp, N; Ribeiro, D A

2015-12-01

Subjects with chronic renal failure (CRF) exhibit oxidative genome damage, which may predispose to carcinogenesis, and Gum acacia (GumA) ameliorates this condition in humans and animals. We evaluated here renal DNA damage and urinary excretion of four nucleic acid oxidation adducts namely 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoGua), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), 8-oxoguanosine (8-oxoGuo) and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanisone (8-OHdg) in rats with adenine (ADE)-induced CRF with and without GumA treatment. Twenty-four rats were divided into four equal groups and treated for 4 weeks. The first group was given normal food and water (control). The second group was given normal food and GumA (15% w/v) in drinking water. The third group was fed powder diet containing adenine (ADE) (0·75% w/w in feed). The fourth group was fed like in the third group, plus GumA in drinking water (15%, w/v). ADE feeding induced CRF (as measured by several physiological, biochemical and histological indices) and also caused a significant genetic damage and significant decreases in urinary 8-oxo Gua and 8-oxoGuo, but not in the other nucleic acids. However, concomitant GumA treatment reduced the level of genetic damage in kidney cells as detected by Comet assay and significantly reversed the effect of adenine on urinary 8-oxoGuo. Treatment with GumA is able to mitigate genetic damage in renal tissues of rats with ADE-induced CRF. © 2015 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.

Dislocation defect interaction in irradiated Cu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaeublin, R.; Yao, Z.; Spaetig, P.; Victoria, M.

2005-01-01

Pure Cu single crystals irradiated at room temperature to low doses with 590 MeV protons have been deformed in situ in a transmission electron microscope in order to identify the basic mechanisms at the origin of hardening. Cu irradiated to 10 -4 dpa shows at room temperature a yield shear stress of 13.7 MPa to be compared to the 8.8 MPa of the unirradiated Cu. Irradiation induced damage consists at 90% of 2 nm stacking fault tetrahedra, the remaining being dislocation loops and unidentified defects. In-situ deformation reveals that dislocation-defect interaction can take several forms. Usually, dislocations pinned by defects bow out under the applied stress and escape without leaving any visible defect. From the escape angles obtained at 183 K, an average critical stress of 100 MPa is deduced. In some cases, the pinning of dislocations leads to debris that are about 20 nm long, which formation could be recorded during the in situ experiment

Study of irradiation induced defects and phase instability in β phase of Zr Excel alloy with in-situ heavy ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, H.; Yao, Z.; Kirk, M.A.; Daymond, M.R.

2015-01-01

In situ heavy ion irradiation with 1 MeV Kr"2"+ was carried out to study irradiation induced phase change and atomic lattice defects in theβ phase of Zr Excel alloy. No decomposition of β-Zr was observed under irradiation at either 200 "oC or 450 "oC. However, ω-Zr particles experienced shape change and shrinkage associated enrichment of Fe in the β/ω interface at 200 "oC irradiation but not at 450 "oC. The defect evolution in the β-phase was examined with single phase Zr-20Nb alloy. It was found that dislocation loops with Burgers vector 1/2 and both present in β-Zr under room temperature irradiation. (author)

Peripheral neuropathy predicts nuclear gene defect in patients with mitochondrial ophthalmoplegia.

Science.gov (United States)

Horga, Alejandro; Pitceathly, Robert D S; Blake, Julian C; Woodward, Catherine E; Zapater, Pedro; Fratter, Carl; Mudanohwo, Ese E; Plant, Gordon T; Houlden, Henry; Sweeney, Mary G; Hanna, Michael G; Reilly, Mary M

2014-12-01

Progressive external ophthalmoplegia is a common clinical feature in mitochondrial disease caused by nuclear DNA defects and single, large-scale mitochondrial DNA deletions and is less frequently associated with point mutations of mitochondrial DNA. Peripheral neuropathy is also a frequent manifestation of mitochondrial disease, although its prevalence and characteristics varies considerably among the different syndromes and genetic aetiologies. Based on clinical observations, we systematically investigated whether the presence of peripheral neuropathy could predict the underlying genetic defect in patients with progressive external ophthalmoplegia. We analysed detailed demographic, clinical and neurophysiological data from 116 patients with genetically-defined mitochondrial disease and progressive external ophthalmoplegia. Seventy-eight patients (67%) had a single mitochondrial DNA deletion, 12 (10%) had a point mutation of mitochondrial DNA and 26 (22%) had mutations in either POLG, C10orf2 or RRM2B, or had multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions in muscle without an identified nuclear gene defect. Seventy-seven patients had neurophysiological studies; of these, 16 patients (21%) had a large-fibre peripheral neuropathy. The prevalence of peripheral neuropathy was significantly lower in patients with a single mitochondrial DNA deletion (2%) as compared to those with a point mutation of mitochondrial DNA or with a nuclear DNA defect (44% and 52%, respectively; Pperipheral neuropathy as the only independent predictor associated with a nuclear DNA defect (P=0.002; odds ratio 8.43, 95% confidence interval 2.24-31.76). Multinomial logistic regression analysis identified peripheral neuropathy, family history and hearing loss as significant predictors of the genotype, and the same three variables showed the highest performance in genotype classification in a decision tree analysis. Of these variables, peripheral neuropathy had the highest specificity (91%), negative

Anosognosia for obvious visual field defects in stroke patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Baier, Bernhard; Geber, Christian; Müller-Forell, Wiebke; Müller, Notger; Dieterich, Marianne; Karnath, Hans-Otto

2015-01-01

Patients with anosognosia for visual field defect (AVFD) fail to recognize consciously their visual field defect. There is still unclarity whether specific neural correlates are associated with AVFD. We studied AVFD in 54 patients with acute stroke and a visual field defect. Nineteen percent of this unselected sample showed AVFD. By using modern voxelwise lesion-behaviour mapping techniques we found an association between AVFD and parts of the lingual gyrus, the cuneus as well as the posterior cingulate and corpus callosum. Damage to these regions appears to induce unawareness of visual field defects and thus may play a significant role for conscious visual perception.

Restoration of Progranulin Expression Rescues Cortical Neuron Generation in an Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Model of Frontotemporal Dementia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanna Raitano

2015-01-01

Full Text Available To understand how haploinsufficiency of progranulin (PGRN causes frontotemporal dementia (FTD, we created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs from patients carrying the GRNIVS1+5G > C mutation (FTD-iPSCs. FTD-iPSCs were fated to cortical neurons, the cells most affected in FTD. Although generation of neuroprogenitors was unaffected, their further differentiation into CTIP2-, FOXP2-, or TBR1-TUJ1 double-positive cortical neurons, but not motorneurons, was significantly decreased in FTD-neural progeny. Zinc finger nuclease-mediated introduction of GRN cDNA into the AAVS1 locus corrected defects in cortical neurogenesis, demonstrating that PGRN haploinsufficiency causes inefficient cortical neuron generation. RNA sequencing analysis confirmed reversal of the altered gene expression profile following genetic correction. We identified the Wnt signaling pathway as one of the top defective pathways in FTD-iPSC-derived neurons, which was reversed following genetic correction. Differentiation of FTD-iPSCs in the presence of a WNT inhibitor mitigated defective corticogenesis. Therefore, we demonstrate that PGRN haploinsufficiency hampers corticogenesis in vitro.

Misexpression of AtTX12 encoding a Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain induces growth defects and expression of defense-related genes partially independently of EDS1 in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Sang-Kee

2016-12-01

In this study, a tissue-specific GAL4/UAS activation tagging system was used for the characterization of genes which could induce lethality when ubiquitously expressed. A dominant mutant exhibiting stunted growth was isolated and named defective root development 1-D (drd1-D). The T-DNA tag was located within the promoter region of AtTX12, which is predicted to encode a truncated nucleotide-binding leucinerich repeat (NLR) protein, containing a Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain. The transcript levels of AtTX12 and defense-related genes were elevated in drd1-D, and the misexpression of AtTX12 recapitulated the drd1-D phenotypes. In the presence of ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY 1 (EDS1), a key transducer of signals triggered by TIR-type NLRs, a low-level of AtTX12 misexpression induced strong defective phenotypes including seedling lethality whereas, in the absence of EDS1, a high-level of AtTX12 misexpression induced weak growth defects like dwarfism, suggesting that AtTX12 might function mainly in an EDS1-dependent and partially in an EDS1-independent manner. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(12): 693-698].

Radiation-Induced Defects in Kaolinite as Tracers of Past Occurrence of Radionuclides in a Natural Analogue of High Level Nuclear Waste Repository

Science.gov (United States)

Allard, T.; Fourdrin, C.; Calas, G.

2007-05-01

Understanding the processes controlling migrations of radioelements at the Earth's surface is an important issue for the long-term safety assessment of high level nuclear waste repositories (HLNWR). Evidence of past occurrence and transfer of radionuclides can be found using radiation-induced defects in minerals. Clay minerals are particularly relevant because of their widespread occurrence at the Earth's surface and their finely divided nature which provides high contact area with radioactive fluids. Owing to its sensitivity to radiations, kaolinite can be used as natural, in situ dosimeter. Kaolinite is known to contain radiation-induced defects which are detected by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. They are differentiated by their nature, their production kinetics and their thermal stability. One of these defects is stable at the scale of geological periods and provides a record of past radionuclide occurrence. Based on artificial irradiations, a methodology has been subsequently proposed to determine paleodose cumulated by kaolinite since its formation. The paleodose can be used to derive equivalent radioelement concentrations, provided that the age of kaolinite formation can be constrained. This allows quantitative reconstruction of past transfers of radioelements in natural systems. An example is given for the Nopal I U-deposit (Chihuahua, Mexico), hosted in hydrothermally altered volcanic tufs and considered as analogue of the Yucca Mountain site. The paleodoses experienced by kaolinites were determined from the concentration of defects and dosimetry parameters of experimental irradiations. Using few geochemical assumption, a equivalent U-content responsible for defects in kaolinite was calculated from the paleodose, a dose rate balance and model ages of kaolinites constrained by tectonic phases. In a former study, the ages were assumptions derived from regional tectonic events. In thepresent study, ages of mineralization events are measured from U

Chemotherapeutic-Induced Cardiovascular Dysfunction: Physiological Effects, Early Detection—The Role of Telomerase to Counteract Mitochondrial Defects and Oxidative Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Quryshi, Nabeel; Norwood Toro, Laura E.; Ait-Aissa, Karima; Kong, Amanda; Beyer, Andreas M.

2018-01-01

Although chemotherapeutics can be highly effective at targeting malignancies, their ability to trigger cardiovascular morbidity is clinically significant. Chemotherapy can adversely affect cardiovascular physiology, resulting in the development of cardiomyopathy, heart failure and microvascular defects. Specifically, anthracyclines are known to cause an excessive buildup of free radical species and mitochondrial DNA damage (mtDNA) that can lead to oxidative stress-induced cardiovascular apoptosis. Therefore, oncologists and cardiologists maintain a network of communication when dealing with patients during treatment in order to treat and prevent chemotherapy-induced cardiovascular damage; however, there is a need to discover more accurate biomarkers and therapeutics to combat and predict the onset of cardiovascular side effects. Telomerase, originally discovered to promote cellular proliferation, has recently emerged as a potential mechanism to counteract mitochondrial defects and restore healthy mitochondrial vascular phenotypes. This review details mechanisms currently used to assess cardiovascular damage, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and troponin levels, while also unearthing recently researched biomarkers, including circulating mtDNA, telomere length and telomerase activity. Further, we explore a potential role of telomerase in the mitigation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and maintenance of mtDNA integrity. Telomerase activity presents a promising indicator for the early detection and treatment of chemotherapy-derived cardiac damage. PMID:29534446

Minimal Contribution of APOBEC3-Induced G-to-A Hypermutation to HIV-1 Recombination and Genetic Variation.

Science.gov (United States)

Delviks-Frankenberry, Krista A; Nikolaitchik, Olga A; Burdick, Ryan C; Gorelick, Robert J; Keele, Brandon F; Hu, Wei-Shau; Pathak, Vinay K

2016-05-01

Although the predominant effect of host restriction APOBEC3 proteins on HIV-1 infection is to block viral replication, they might inadvertently increase retroviral genetic variation by inducing G-to-A hypermutation. Numerous studies have disagreed on the contribution of hypermutation to viral genetic diversity and evolution. Confounding factors contributing to the debate include the extent of lethal (stop codon) and sublethal hypermutation induced by different APOBEC3 proteins, the inability to distinguish between G-to-A mutations induced by APOBEC3 proteins and error-prone viral replication, the potential impact of hypermutation on the frequency of retroviral recombination, and the extent to which viral recombination occurs in vivo, which can reassort mutations in hypermutated genomes. Here, we determined the effects of hypermutation on the HIV-1 recombination rate and its contribution to genetic variation through recombination to generate progeny genomes containing portions of hypermutated genomes without lethal mutations. We found that hypermutation did not significantly affect the rate of recombination, and recombination between hypermutated and wild-type genomes only increased the viral mutation rate by 3.9 × 10-5 mutations/bp/replication cycle in heterozygous virions, which is similar to the HIV-1 mutation rate. Since copackaging of hypermutated and wild-type genomes occurs very rarely in vivo, recombination between hypermutated and wild-type genomes does not significantly contribute to the genetic variation of replicating HIV-1. We also analyzed previously reported hypermutated sequences from infected patients and determined that the frequency of sublethal mutagenesis for A3G and A3F is negligible (4 × 10-21 and1 × 10-11, respectively) and its contribution to viral mutations is far below mutations generated during error-prone reverse transcription. Taken together, we conclude that the contribution of APOBEC3-induced hypermutation to HIV-1 genetic

Congenital heart malformations induced by hemodynamic altering surgical interventions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madeline eMidgett

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Embryonic heart formation results from a dynamic interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Blood flow during early embryonic stages plays a critical role in heart development, as interactions between flow and cardiac tissues generate biomechanical forces that modulate cardiac growth and remodeling. Normal hemodynamic conditions are essential for proper cardiac development, while altered blood flow induced by surgical manipulations in animal models result in heart defects similar to those seen in humans with congenital heart disease. This review compares the altered hemodynamics, changes in tissue properties, and cardiac defects reported after common surgical interventions that alter hemodynamics in the early chick embryo, and shows that interventions produce a wide spectrum of cardiac defects. Vitelline vein ligation and left atrial ligation decrease blood pressure and flow; and outflow tract banding increases blood pressure and flow velocities. These three surgical interventions result in many of the same cardiac defects, which indicate that the altered hemodynamics interfere with common looping, septation and valve formation processes that occur after intervention and that shape the four-chambered heart. While many similar defects develop after the interventions, the varying degrees of hemodynamic load alteration among the three interventions also result in varying incidence and severity of cardiac defects, indicating that the hemodynamic modulation of cardiac developmental processes is strongly dependent on hemodynamic load.

Defect-Induced Luminescence of a Self-Activated Borophosphate Phosphor

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Bing; Liu, Beibei; Dai, Yazhou; Zhang, Jie

2018-05-01

A self-activated borophosphate phosphor Ba3BPO7 was prepared via typical solid-state reaction in thermal-carbon reduction atmosphere. The structural and luminescence properties were investigated using x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Upon excitation with ultraviolet (UV) light, the as-prepared phosphor shows bright greenish-yellow emission with a microsecond-level fluorescence lifetime, which could result from the oxygen vacancies produced in the process of solid-state synthesis. The possible luminescence mechanism is proposed. Through the introduction of defects in the host, this work realizes visible luminescence in a pure borophosphate compound that does not contain any rare earth or transition metal activators, so it is helpful to develop defect-related luminescent materials in view of energy conservation and environmental protection for sustainable development.

Defect-induced magnetism in undoped and Mn-doped wide band gapzinc oxide grown by aerosol spray pyrolysis

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Motaung, DE

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Surface Science Vol. 311, pp 14-26 Defect-induced magnetism in undoped and Mn-doped wide band gapzinc oxide grown by aerosol spray pyrolysis D.E. Motaunga,∗, I. Kortidise, D. Papadakie, S.S. Nkosib,∗∗, G.H. Mhlongoa,J. Wesley-Smitha, G.F. Malgasc, B....W. Mwakikungaa, E. Coetseed, H.C. Swartd,G. Kiriakidise,f, S.S. Raya aDST/CSIR Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, P.O. Box 395,Pretoria 0001, South Africa b...

Nuclear genetic defects of mitochondrial ATP synthase

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hejzlarová, Kateřina; Mráček, Tomáš; Vrbacký, Marek; Kaplanová, Vilma; Karbanová, Vendula; Nůsková, Hana; Pecina, Petr; Houštěk, Josef

2014-01-01

Roč. 63, Suppl.1 (2014), S57-S71 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP303/11/0970; GA ČR GAP303/12/1363; GA MZd(CZ) NT12370; GA MZd(CZ) NT14050 Grant - others:Univerzita Karlova(CZ) 370411 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : mitochondrial diseases * TMEM70 * ATPAF1 * ATP5A1 * ATP5E Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.293, year: 2014

The Congenital Heart Disease Genetic Network Study: Cohort description.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thanh T Hoang

Full Text Available The Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium (PCGC designed the Congenital Heart Disease Genetic Network Study to provide phenotype and genotype data for a large congenital heart defects (CHDs cohort. This article describes the PCGC cohort, overall and by major types of CHDs (e.g., conotruncal defects and subtypes of conotrucal heart defects (e.g., tetralogy of Fallot and left ventricular outflow tract obstructions (e.g., hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Cases with CHDs were recruited through ten sites, 2010-2014. Information on cases (N = 9,727 and their parents was collected through interviews and medical record abstraction. Four case characteristics, eleven parental characteristics, and thirteen parent-reported neurodevelopment outcomes were summarized using counts and frequencies and compared across CHD types and subtypes. Eleven percent of cases had a genetic diagnosis. Among cases without a genetic diagnosis, the majority had conotruncal heart defects (40% or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (21%. Across CHD types, there were significant differences (p<0.05 in the distribution of all four case characteristics (e.g., sex, four parental characteristics (e.g., maternal pregestational diabetes, and five neurodevelopmental outcomes (e.g., learning disabilities. Several characteristics (e.g., sex were also significantly different across CHD subtypes. The PCGC cohort is one of the largest CHD cohorts available for the study of genetic determinants of risk and outcomes. The majority of cases do not have a genetic diagnosis. This description of the PCGC cohort, including differences across CHD types and subtypes, provides a reference work for investigators who are interested in collaborating with or using publically available resources from the PCGC.

Computer experiment studies on mechanisms for irradiation induced defect production and annealing processes. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beeler, J.R. Jr.; Beeler, M.F.

1979-06-01

This research is based on pair potentials used in the Brookhaven work. It extends their use in defect production simulations to the 5 MeV range and characterizes the short term annealing of the primary defect states. Defect properties and interactions are studied. Defect interactions include carbon, helium, and misfit metallic substitutional impurity interactions with vacancy and interstitial defects as well as vacancy-vacancy, interstitial-interstitial and vacancy-interstitial interactions

Computer experiment studies on mechanisms for irradiation induced defect production and annealing processes. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beeler, J.R. Jr.; Beeler, M.F.

1979-06-01

This research is based on pair potentials used in the Brookhaven work. It extends their use in defect production simulations to the 5 MeV range and characterizes the short term annealing of the primary defect states. Defect properties and interactions are studied. Defect interactions include carbon, helium, and misfit metallic substitutional impurity interactions with vacancy and interstitial defects as well as vacancy-vacancy, interstitial-interstitial and vacancy-interstitial interactions. (FS)

Vortex pinning by point defect in superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao Hongyin; Zhou Shiping; Du Haochen

2003-01-01

We apply the periodic time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau model to study vortex distribution in type-II superconductors with a point-like defect and square pinning array. A defect site will pin vortices, and a periodic pinning array with right geometric parameters, which can be any form designed in advance, shapes the vortex pattern as external magnetic field varies. The maximum length over which an attractive interaction between a pinning centre and a vortex extends is estimated to be about 6.0ξ. We also derive spatial distribution expressions for the order parameter, vector potential, magnetic field and supercurrent induced by a point defect. Theoretical results and numerical simulations are compared with each other and they are consistent

Bidirectional Regulation of Amyloid Precursor Protein-Induced Memory Defects by Nebula/DSCR1: A Protein Upregulated in Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Jillian L; Zhang, Shixing; Chang, Karen T

2015-08-12

Aging individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by impaired memory. Memory problems in both DS and AD individuals usually develop slowly and progressively get worse with age, but the cause of this age-dependent memory impairment is not well understood. This study examines the functional interactions between Down syndrome critical region 1 (DSCR1) and amyloid-precursor protein (APP), proteins upregulated in both DS and AD, in regulating memory. Using Drosophila as a model, we find that overexpression of nebula (fly homolog of DSCR1) initially protects against APP-induced memory defects by correcting calcineurin and cAMP signaling pathways but accelerates the rate of memory loss and exacerbates mitochondrial dysfunction in older animals. We report that transient upregulation of Nebula/DSCR1 or acute pharmacological inhibition of calcineurin in aged flies protected against APP-induced memory loss. Our data suggest that calcineurin dyshomeostasis underlies age-dependent memory impairments and further imply that chronic Nebula/DSCR1 upregulation may contribute to age-dependent memory impairments in AD in DS. Most Down syndrome (DS) individuals eventually develop Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like dementia, but mechanisms underlying this age-dependent memory impairment remain poorly understood. This study examines Nebula/Down syndrome critical region 1 (DSCR1) and amyloid-precursor protein (APP), proteins upregulated in both DS and AD, in regulating memory. We uncover a previously unidentified role for Nebula/DSCR1 in modulating APP-induced memory defects during aging. We show that upregulation of Nebula/DSCR1, an inhibitor of calcineurin, rescues APP-induced memory defects in young flies but enhances memory loss of older flies. Excitingly, transient Nebula/DSCR1 overexpression or calcineurin inhibition in aged flies ameliorates APP-mediated memory problems. These results

Wolbachia-induced paternal defect in Drosophila is likely by interaction with the juvenile hormone pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chen; Wang, Jia-Lin; Zheng, Ya; Xiong, En-Juan; Li, Jing-Jing; Yuan, Lin-Ling; Yu, Xiao-Qiang; Wang, Yu-Feng

2014-06-01

Wolbachia are endosymbionts that infect many insect species. They can manipulate the host's reproduction to increase their own maternal transmission. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is one such manipulation, which is expressed as embryonic lethality when Wolbachia-infected males mate with uninfected females. However, matings between males and females carrying the same Wolbachia strain result in viable progeny. The molecular mechanisms of CI are currently not clear. We have previously reported that the gene Juvenile hormone-inducible protein 26 (JhI-26) exhibited the highest upregulation in the 3rd instar larval testes of Drosophila melanogaster when infected by Wolbachia. This is reminiscent of an interaction between Wolbachia and juvenile hormone (JH) pathway in flies. Considering that Jhamt gene encodes JH acid methyltransferase, a key regulatory enzyme of JH biosynthesis, and that methoprene-tolerant (Met) has been regarded as the best JH receptor candidate, we first compared the expression of Jhamt and Met between Wolbachia-infected and uninfected fly testes to investigate whether Wolbachia infection influence the JH signaling pathway. We found that the expressions of Jhamt and Met were significantly increased in the presence of Wolbachia, suggesting an interaction of Wolbachia with the JH signaling pathway. Then, we found that overexpression of JhI-26 in Wolbachia-free transgenic male flies caused paternal-effect lethality that mimics the defects associated with CI. JhI-26 overexpressing males resulted in significantly decrease in hatch rate. Surprisingly, Wolbachia-infected females could rescue the egg hatch. In addition, we showed that overexpression of JhI-26 caused upregulation of the male accessory gland protein (Acp) gene CG10433, but not vice versa. This result suggests that JhI-26 may function at the upstream of CG10433. Likewise, overexpression of CG10433 also resulted in paternal-effect lethality. Both JhI-26 and CG10433 overexpressing males

Microstructural defects in EUROFER 97 after different neutron irradiation conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Dethloff

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Characterization of irradiation induced microstructural evolution is essential for assessing the applicability of structural steels like the Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic steel EUROFER 97 in upcoming fusion reactors. In this work Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM is used to determine the defect microstructure after different neutron irradiation conditions. In particular dislocation loops, voids and precipitates are analyzed concerning defect nature, density and size distribution after irradiation to 15 dpa at 300 °C in the mixed spectrum High Flux Reactor (HFR. New results are combined with previously obtained data from irradiation in the fast spectrum BOR-60 reactor (15 and 32 dpa, 330 °C, which allows for assessment of dose and dose rate effects on the aforementioned irradiation induced defects and microstructural characteristics.

Defects in low temperature electron irradiated InP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suski, J.; Bourgoin, J.

1984-01-01

n and p-InP has been irradiated at 25K with 1MeV electrons and the created defects were studied by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) in the range 25K-400K. In n-InP, four traps are directly observed, with low introduction rates except for one. They anneal in three stages, and four new centers of still lower concentration appear after 70 0 C heat treatment. In p-InP, two dominant traps stable up to approx.= 400K with introduction rates close to the theoretical ones, which might be primary defects are found, while another one is clearly a secondary defect likely associated to Zn dopant. At least two of the low concentration irradiation induced electron traps, created between 25K and 100K are also secondary defects, which implies a mobility of some primary defects down to 100K at least. (author)

Vacancy defect and defect cluster energetics in ion-implanted ZnO

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yufeng; Tuomisto, F.; Svensson, B. G.; Kuznetsov, A. Yu.; Brillson, Leonard J.

2010-02-01

We have used depth-resolved cathodoluminescence, positron annihilation, and surface photovoltage spectroscopies to determine the energy levels of Zn vacancies and vacancy clusters in bulk ZnO crystals. Doppler broadening-measured transformation of Zn vacancies to vacancy clusters with annealing shifts defect energies significantly lower in the ZnO band gap. Zn and corresponding O vacancy-related depth distributions provide a consistent explanation of depth-dependent resistivity and carrier-concentration changes induced by ion implantation.

Point defect induced degradation of electrical properties of Ga2O3 by 10 MeV proton damage

Science.gov (United States)

Polyakov, A. Y.; Smirnov, N. B.; Shchemerov, I. V.; Yakimov, E. B.; Yang, Jiancheng; Ren, F.; Yang, Gwangseok; Kim, Jihyun; Kuramata, A.; Pearton, S. J.

2018-01-01

Deep electron and hole traps in 10 MeV proton irradiated high-quality β-Ga2O3 films grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) on bulk β-Ga2O3 substrates were measured by deep level transient spectroscopy with electrical and optical injection, capacitance-voltage profiling in the dark and under monochromatic irradiation, and also electron beam induced current. Proton irradiation caused the diffusion length of charge carriers to decrease from 350-380 μm in unirradiated samples to 190 μm for a fluence of 1014 cm-2, and this was correlated with an increase in density of hole traps with optical ionization threshold energy near 2.3 eV. These defects most likely determine the recombination lifetime in HVPE β-Ga2O3 epilayers. Electron traps at Ec-0.75 eV and Ec-1.2 eV present in as-grown samples increase in the concentration after irradiation and suggest that these centers involve native point defects.

Investigation of room temperature UV emission of ZnO films with different defect densities induced by laser irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yan; Jiang, Yijian

2010-08-01

We studied the room temperature UV emission of ZnO films with different defect densities which is fabricated by KrF laser irradiation process. It is shown room temperature UV photoluminescence of ZnO film is composed of contribution from free-exciton (FX) recombination and its longitudinal-optical phonon replica (FX-LO) (1LO, 2LO). With increase of the defect density, the FX emission decreased and FX-LO emission increased dramatically; and the relative strengths of FX to FX-LO emission intensities determine the peak position and intensity of UV emission. What is more, laser irradiation with moderate energy density could induce the crystalline ZnO film with very flat and smooth surface. This investigation indicates that KrF laser irradiation could effectively modulate the exciton emission and surface morphology, which is important for the application of high performance of UV emitting optoelectronic devices. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deformation behaviour induced by point defects near a Cu(0 0 1) surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Said-Ettaoussi, M.; Jimenez-Saez, J.C.; Perez-Martin, A.M.C.; Jimenez-Rodriguez, J.J.

2004-01-01

In order to attain a satisfactory understanding of many of the properties of metallic surfaces, it is necessary to take into account the distorting effect of self-interstitials and vacancies. The present work is focused on the study of the behaviour of neighbouring atoms around point defects. The conjugate gradient method with an empiric many-body potential has been used to study the point defect-surface interaction. Point defects have been generated at several depths under a Cu(0 0 1) surface and then the whole system driven to the minimum energy state. The displacement field has been obtained in the vicinity to the defect. An energetic analysis is also carried out calculating formation and migration energies

Rapid and reliable healing of critical size bone defects with genetically modified sheep muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, F; Ferreira, E; Porter, R M; Glatt, V; Schinhan, M; Shen, Z; Randolph, M A; Kirker-Head, C A; Wehling, C; Vrahas, M S; Evans, C H; Wells, J W

2015-09-21

Large segmental defects in bone fail to heal and remain a clinical problem. Muscle is highly osteogenic, and preliminary data suggest that autologous muscle tissue expressing bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) efficiently heals critical size defects in rats. Translation into possible human clinical trials requires, inter alia, demonstration of efficacy in a large animal, such as the sheep. Scale-up is fraught with numerous biological, anatomical, mechanical and structural variables, which cannot be addressed systematically because of cost and other practical issues. For this reason, we developed a translational model enabling us to isolate the biological question of whether sheep muscle, transduced with adenovirus expressing BMP-2, could heal critical size defects in vivo. Initial experiments in athymic rats noted strong healing in only about one-third of animals because of unexpected immune responses to sheep antigens. For this reason, subsequent experiments were performed with Fischer rats under transient immunosuppression. Such experiments confirmed remarkably rapid and reliable healing of the defects in all rats, with bridging by 2 weeks and remodelling as early as 3-4 weeks, despite BMP-2 production only in nanogram quantities and persisting for only 1-3 weeks. By 8 weeks the healed defects contained well-organised new bone with advanced neo-cortication and abundant marrow. Bone mineral content and mechanical strength were close to normal values. These data demonstrate the utility of this model when adapting this technology for bone healing in sheep, as a prelude to human clinical trials.

Beneficial defects: exploiting the intrinsic polishing-induced wafer roughness for the catalyst-free growth of Ge in-plane nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Persichetti, Luca; Sgarlata, Anna; Mori, Stefano; Notarianni, Marco; Cherubini, Valeria; Fanfoni, Massimo; Motta, Nunzio; Balzarotti, Adalberto

2014-01-01

We outline a metal-free fabrication route of in-plane Ge nanowires on Ge(001) substrates. By positively exploiting the polishing-induced defects of standard-quality commercial Ge(001) wafers, micrometer-length wires are grown by physical vapor deposition in ultra-high-vacuum environment. The shape of the wires can be tailored by the epitaxial strain induced by subsequent Si deposition, determining a progressive transformation of the wires in SiGe faceted quantum dots. This shape transition is described by finite element simulations of continuous elasticity and gives hints on the equilibrium shape of nanocrystals in the presence of tensile epitaxial strain. 81.07.Gf; 68.35.bg; 68.35.bj; 62.23.Eg.

Genetic Alterations of the Thrombopoietin/MPL/JAK2 Axis Impacting Megakaryopoiesis.

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Plo, Isabelle; Bellanné-Chantelot, Christine; Mosca, Matthieu; Mazzi, Stefania; Marty, Caroline; Vainchenker, William

2017-01-01

Megakaryopoiesis is an original and complex cell process which leads to the formation of platelets. The homeostatic production of platelets is mainly regulated and controlled by thrombopoietin (TPO) and the TPO receptor (MPL)/JAK2 axis. Therefore, any hereditary or acquired abnormality affecting this signaling axis can result in thrombocytosis or thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytosis can be due to genetic alterations that affect either the intrinsic MPL signaling through gain-of-function (GOF) activity ( MPL, JAK2, CALR ) and loss-of-function (LOF) activity of negative regulators ( CBL, LNK ) or the extrinsic MPL signaling by THPO GOF mutations leading to increased TPO synthesis. Alternatively, thrombocytosis may paradoxically result from mutations of MPL leading to an abnormal MPL trafficking, inducing increased TPO levels by alteration of its clearance. In contrast, thrombocytopenia can also result from LOF THPO or MPL mutations, which cause a complete defect in MPL trafficking to the cell membrane, impaired MPL signaling or stability, defects in the TPO/MPL interaction, or an absence of TPO production.

Germline cytotoxic lymphocytes defective mutations in Chinese patients with lymphoma

OpenAIRE

Chen, Xue; Zhang, Yang; Wang, Fang; Wang, Mangju; Teng, Wen; Lin, Yuehui; Han, Xiangping; Jin, Fangyuan; Xu, Yuanli; Cao, Panxiang; Fang, Jiancheng; Zhu, Ping; Tong, Chunrong; Liu, Hongxing

2017-01-01

Certain patients with lymphoma may harbor mutations in perforin 1 (PRF1), unc-13 homolog D (UNC13D), syntaxin 11 (STX11), STXBP2 (syntaxin binding protein 2) or SH2 domain containing 1A (SH2D1A), which causes functional defects of cytotoxic lymphocytes. Data regarding the association between genetic defects and the development of lymphoma in Chinese patients are limited to date. In the present study, 90 patients with lymphoma were analyzed for UNC13D, PRF1, STXBP2, STX11, SH2D1A and X-linked ...

Polydispersity-driven topological defects as order-restoring excitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Zhenwei; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica

2014-04-08

The engineering of defects in crystalline matter has been extensively exploited to modify the mechanical and electrical properties of many materials. Recent experiments on manipulating extended defects in graphene, for example, show that defects direct the flow of electric charges. The fascinating possibilities offered by defects in two dimensions, known as topological defects, to control material properties provide great motivation to perform fundamental investigations to uncover their role in various systems. Previous studies mostly focus on topological defects in 2D crystals on curved surfaces. On flat geometries, topological defects can be introduced via density inhomogeneities. We investigate here topological defects due to size polydispersity on flat surfaces. Size polydispersity is usually an inevitable feature of a large variety of systems. In this work, simulations show well-organized induced topological defects around an impurity particle of a wrong size. These patterns are not found in systems of identical particles. Our work demonstrates that in polydispersed systems topological defects play the role of restoring order. The simulations show a perfect hexagonal lattice beyond a small defective region around the impurity particle. Elasticity theory has demonstrated an analogy between the elementary topological defects named disclinations to electric charges by associating a charge to a disclination, whose sign depends on the number of its nearest neighbors. Size polydispersity is shown numerically here to be an essential ingredient to understand short-range attractions between like-charge disclinations. Our study suggests that size polydispersity has a promising potential to engineer defects in various systems including nanoparticles and colloidal crystals.

Genetics Home Reference: X-linked immunodeficiency with magnesium defect, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and neoplasia

Science.gov (United States)

... Conditions XMEN X-linked immunodeficiency with magnesium defect, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and neoplasia Printable PDF Open All Close ... boxes. Description X-linked immunodeficiency with magnesium defect, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and neoplasia (typically known by the acronym ...

Genetics of Congenital Heart Disease: Past and Present.

Science.gov (United States)

Muntean, Iolanda; Togănel, Rodica; Benedek, Theodora

2017-04-01

Congenital heart disease is the most common congenital anomaly, representing an important cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Congenital heart disease represents a group of heart anomalies that include septal defects, valve defects, and outflow tract anomalies. The exact genetic, epigenetic, or environmental basis of congenital heart disease remains poorly understood, although the exact mechanism is likely multifactorial. However, the development of new technologies including copy number variants, single-nucleotide polymorphism, next-generation sequencing are accelerating the detection of genetic causes of heart anomalies. Recent studies suggest a role of small non-coding RNAs, micro RNA, in congenital heart disease. The recently described epigenetic factors have also been found to contribute to cardiac morphogenesis. In this review, we present past and recent genetic discoveries in congenital heart disease.

Ion species dependence of the implantation-induced defects in ZnO studied by a slow positron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.Q.; Maekawa, M.; Kawasuso, A.; Naramoto, H.

2007-01-01

In this work, we implanted B + , O + , Al + , and P + ions into ZnO with energy of 50-380 keV and total doses of 4 x 10 15 cm -2 for each ion. The implantation-induced defects and their thermal recovery were studied using a slow positron beam. Vacancy clusters are produced in all the implanted samples. It is found that the thermal recovery of these vacancies induced by different ions shows much difference. In case of B + and Al + -implantation, the vacancy clusters agglomerate to much larger size and might evolve to microvoids during annealing. However, for O + and P + ions, which are heavier than B + and Al + , the vacancies show a much weaker agglomeration process. The mechanism of such difference is discussed. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Charge mobility modification of semiconducting carbon nanotubes by intrinsic defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Hongcun; Ma, Yujia; Ma, Jinsuo; Mei, Jingnan; Tong, Yan; Ji, Yongqiang

2017-01-01

Charge carrier mobility is a central transport property in nanoscale electronics. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are supposed to have high carrier mobility. The preparation methods of CNTs have been greatly improved, but the defects always exist. This work presented first-principle investigations on the charge carrier mobility of carbon nanotubes containing several intrinsic defects. The charge carrier mobilities of zigzag (10, 0) tubes with Stone–Wales, mono vacant and 5/8/5 defects were studied as an example to explore the role of defects. Most carrier mobilities were decreased, but several values of mobility are unexpectedly increased upon the appearance of the defects. This interesting result is discussed based on the changes of the stretching modulus, the effective mass of the carrier and deformation potential constant induced by the defects. (paper)

Induced defects in neutron irradiated GaN single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, I. W.; Koh, E. K.; Kim, Y. M.; Choh, S. H.; Park, S. S.; Kim, B. G.; Sohn, J. M.

2005-01-01