At least half of the local galaxies reside in galaxy groups, which indicates that the group is the common environment where galaxies evolve. Therefore, it is important to probe how significantly galaxies are affected by group environmental processes, in order to obtain a better understanding of galaxy evolution. We carried out a new CO imaging survey for 31 galaxies in the IC 1459 and NGC 4636 groups, using the Atacama Compact Array, to study the effect of the group environment on the molecular gas properties and the star formation activity. With our resolved CO data, combined with high-resolution H i images, we find asymmetric CO and H i distributions in the group galaxies. Compared to isolated galaxies, group members have relatively low molecular gas fraction and low star formation rate. These results suggest that the group environment can change the properties of cold gas components and star formation in group galaxies.

This study investigated the reciprocal relationship between parental caregiving and labour force participation to determine whether (1) caregiving related to subsequent employment; (2) employment related to subsequent caregiving; (3) caregiving and labour force participation had a reciprocal relationship across time; and (4) gender differences existed in these relationships. A cross-lagged panel design was applied with structural equation modeling. The study sample included adult children aged 51 or older with living parents or parents-in-law. No reciprocal relationship was found between caregiving and labour force participation, but gender differences were evident. Women caregivers in 2006 were less likely to be working in 2008, whereas employment status was not related to subsequent caregiving. In contrast, men working in 2008 were less likely to be caregiving in 2010, whereas caregiving was not related to subsequent employment status. Findings suggest that gender plays an important role in the relationship between caregiving and labour force participation.

Dietary intake of marine n-3 PUFA has been negatively associated with the risk of CHD among subjects with known CHD, whereas an effect in healthy subjects is less documented. We assessed the hypothesis that dietary intake of marine n-3 PUFA is negatively associated with the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in healthy subjects. In the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort study, 57 053 participants were enrolled. Dietary intake of total n-3 PUFA, including EPA, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and DHA, was assessed. During a mean follow-up period of 7·6 years, we identified all cases (n 1150) from this cohort with an incident ACS diagnosis in the Danish National Patient Registry or the Cause of Death Registry. Diagnoses were verified through medical record review. In Cox proportional hazard models, we adjusted for established risk factors for CHD. Men in the four highest quintiles of n-3 PUFA intake (>0·39 g n-3 PUFA per d) had a lower incidence of ACS compared with men in the lowest quintile. The hazard ratio was 0·83 (95 % CI 0·67, 1·03) when we compared men in the second lowest and lowest quintile of n-3 PUFA intake. Higher intake of n-3 PUFA did not strengthen this association. Associations for EPA, DPA and DHA were all negative, but less consistent. No convincing associations were found among women. In conclusion, we found borderline significant negative associations between the intake of marine n-3 PUFA and ACS among healthy men.

As a part of the optimization study for achieving the highest possible Hanford and Savannah River Site waste loading into acceptable borosilicate glasses, thirty glass compositions were selected for testing at KRI. These thirty test matrix glasses were designed to augment existing data within the compositional regions of interest with relatively high concentration of Al2O3 between 10 and 20 wt%.

This paper reports experimental data on liquidus temperature (TL) and crystallization behavior of all synthesized glasses as well as durability of quenched and heat-treated glasses. The results of this study will be used to develop glass formulations for specific DOE waste streams to maintain or meet waste loading and/or waste throughput expectations while satisfying critical process and product performance related constraints.

We report the development of oxygen sensors using polymer photonic bandgap structure and CMOS chips. These integrated sensors provide a new platform for the development of low cost, low (battery) powered, light weight, robust, fast and small sensors. We demonstrate an approach to encapsulation of chemical and biological recognition elements within the porous structures. This sensing platform is built on our recently demonstrated nanofabrication technique using holographic interferometry of a photo-activated mixture that includes a volatile solvent as well as monomers, photoinitiators, and co-initiators. Resulting structure is nanoporous polymer 1D photonic bandgap structures that has reflection grating property and can be directly integrated into optical sensor systems that we have previously developed. For optical sensor system, CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) detectors that include phototransistors, trans impedance amplifier, and other signal processing units are used. Combining CMOS chip and nano-porous polymer reflection grating, we demonstrate an oxygen sensor as a prototype by encapsulating the fluorophore (tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenathroline)ruthenium(II) using fluorescence intensity.

The film properties of two PECVD deposited dielectric copper barrier filmshave been optimized to improve BEOL device reliability in terms ofelectromigration. Two critical aspects that affect electromigration are thedielectric barrier film hermeticity and adhesion to copper. We use a methodto quantify the barrier film hermeticity and have optimized the hermeticityof the BLOκ™ low-κ dielectric barrier film to be similar to that of siliconnitride. By using FT-IR we find that the film porosity has a much strongereffect than the film stoichiometry on hermeticity. In addition, theinterfaces between Damascene Nitride™ with copper, as well as BLOκ withcopper have been engineered to improve the interfacial adhesion energy to>10 J/m2 for both Damascene Nitride and BLOκ.

A Pecvd silicon nitride film, Damascene Nitride™, is deposited in a PECVD chamber with a hollow cathode faceplate using silane and ammonia as precursor gases. Various techniques (FTIR, RBS-HFS, SIMS, TDS and BTS) were used to characterize the structure, composition, density and wet etch rate of the film. FTIR analysis indicates that Damascene Nitride is very similar to a high density plasma (HDP) nitride film. HFS analysis shows the film's hydrogen content to be 13%,∼6% less than other PECVD nitride films, leading to a 20% improvement in etch selectivity to FSG. The film wet etch rate is 2 times slower than that of other PECVD nitrides, and the dielectric constant k was measured to be 6.8, which is lower compared to other PECVD nitrides and HDP CVD nitrides where k∼ 7.0 and 7.5, respectively. SIMS analysis shows that Cu diffusion is <250Å in the nitride, and low leakage current (10-10 A) is confirmed through BTS testing. The higher density of Damascene Nitride leads to higher etch selectivity and better Cu barrier properties, allowing a thinner nitride film to be used. Thinner nitride layers, in addition to the lower k of Damascene Nitride, leads to a 5-6% reduction in RC delay when Damascene Nitride is used with low k dielectric materials.

The translocation stage of protein synthesis is a highly conserved process in all cells. Although the components necessary for translocation have been delineated, the mechanism of this activity has not been well defined. Ribosome movement on template mRNA must allow for displacement of tRNA–mRNA complexes from the ribosomal A to P sites and P to E sites, while ensuring rigid maintenance of the correct reading frame. In Escherichia coli, translocation of the ribosome is promoted by elongation factor G (EF-G). To examine the role of EF-G and rRNA in translocation we have characterized mutations in rRNA genes that can suppress a temperature-sensitive (ts) allele of fusA, the gene in E. coli that encodes EF-G. This analysis was performed using the ts E. coli strain PEM100, which contains a point mutation within fusA. The ts phenotype of PEM100 can be suppressed by either of two mutations in the decoding region of the 16S rRNA when present in combination with a mutation at position 2058 in the peptidyltransferase domain of the 23S rRNA. Communication between these ribosomal domains is essential for coordinating the events of the elongation cycle. We propose a model in which EF-G promotes translocation by modulating this communication, thereby increasing the efficiency of this fundamental process.