Feasibility of multiwavelength Raman spectroscopy was studied as a potentialin-line monitoring technique for grain size distribution in channel poly-Si usedin three dimensional stacked NAND (3D NAND) Flash memory devices. Variouschannel poly-Si materials in 3D-NAND Flash memory devices, converted fromchemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown a-Si, were characterized usingnon-contact, multiwavelength Raman spectroscopy and high resolutioncross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (HRXTEM). The Ramancharacterization results were compared with HRXTEM images. The correlationbetween the grain size distribution characterized by multiwavelength Ramanspectroscopy and “on current” (ION) of 3D NANDFlash memory devices was investigated. Good correlation between these techniqueswas seen. Multiwavelength Raman spectroscopy is very promising as anon-destructive in-line monitoring technique for grain size distribution inchannel poly-Si used in 3D NAND Flash memory devices.

A total of 27 accessions from ten Vicia species were investigated for flavonoid contents, total polyphenol contents, and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS [2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline 6-sulfonic acid)] free radical-scavenging activities. The results revealed that NAC17 (V. monantha) and NAC14 (V. hyrcanica) had the highest total flavonoid content (1.42 ± 0.09 mg/g) and total polyphenol content [124.2 ± 0.5 μg/gallic acid equivalents (GAE) mg], respectively. Among four flavonoids, naringenin was detected at high concentrations in Vicia species. The DPPH and ABTS assays showed values in the range of 57.2 (IC50) (NAC13, V. faba) to 6530.0 (IC50) (NAC24, V. sativa subsp. nigra) and 19.1 μg/Trolox mg (NAC7, V. cracca) to 253.4 μg/Trolox mg (NAC13, V. faba), respectively. Among ten Vicia species, V. monantha and V. hyrcanica had the highest flavonoid content (1.31 ± 0.09 mg/g) and total polyphenol content (116.5 ± 2.0 μg/GAE mg), respectively. The highest antioxidant activity was detected in V. faba. These results will expand the flavonoid database and provide valuable information on Vicia species for the development of functional foods or feed-additive resources.

A 44-year-old man developed sudden non-fluent aphasia and right hemiplegia due to left striatocapsular infarction (Figure). Neurologic examination revealed gaze deviation to the right with eyes closed, but not with eyes open (Video). There was no spontaneous or gaze-evoked nystagmus, even after elimination of visual fixation. Leftward pursuit was impaired in a craniotopic frame of reference, and horizontal saccades were hypometric in both directions. Head impulse test was normal in the horizontal plane and there were no visual field defects. The contralesional gaze deviation with eye closure persisted for ten days.

Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) is a critical molecule for the self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. Recent reports have shown that Oct4 also controls cell-cycle progression and enhances the proliferation of various types of cells. As the high proliferation of donor fibroblasts is critical to the production of transgenic pigs, using the somatic cell nuclear transfer technique, we analysed the effect of Oct4 overexpression on the proliferation of porcine fibroblasts and embryos. Porcine endogenous Oct4 cDNA was cloned, sequenced and inserted into an expression vector. The vector was transfected into porcine fibroblasts, and a stable Oct4-overexpressed cell line was established by antibiotic selection. Oct4 expression was validated by the immunostaining of Oct4. Cell morphology was changed to sharp, and both proliferation and migration abilities were enhanced in Oct4-overexpressed cells. Real-time RT-PCR results showed that p16, Bcl2 and Myc were upregulated in Oct4-overexpressed cells. Somatic cell nuclear transfer was performed using Oct4-overexpressed cells, and the development of Oct4 embryos was compared with that of wild-type cloned embryos. The cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were improved in the Oct4 embryos. Interestingly, blastocyst formation of the Oct4 embryos was observed as early as day 5 in culture, while blastocysts were observed from day 6 in wild-type cloned embryos. In conclusion, the overexpression of Oct4 enhanced the proliferation of both porcine fibroblasts and embryos.

Genetic variation in wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.) is a valuable resource for crop improvement efforts. Soybean is believed to have originated from China, Korea, and Japan, but little is known about the diversity or evolution of Korean wild soybean. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the genetic diversity and population structure of 733 G. soja accessions collected in Korea using 21 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The SSR loci produced 539 alleles (25.7 per locus) with a mean genetic diversity of 0.882 in these accessions. Rare alleles, those with a frequency of less than 5%, represented 75% of the total number. This collection was divided into two populations based on the principal coordinate analysis. Accessions from population 1 were distributed throughout the country, whereas most of the accessions from population 2 were distributed on the western side of the Taebaek and Sobaek mountains. The Korean G. soja collection evaluated in this study should provide useful background information for allele mining approach and breeding programmes to introgress alleles into the cultivated soybean (G. max (L). Merr.) from wild soybean.

Cast AZ31B-H24 magnesium alloy, comprising Mg with 3.27 wt% Al and 0.96 wt% Zn, was cold rolled and subsequently annealed. Global texture evolutions in the specimens were observed by X-ray diffractometry after the thermomechanical processing. Image-based microstructure and texture for the deformed, recrystallized, and grown grains were observed by electron backscattered diffractometry. Recrystallized grains could be distinguished from deformed ones by analyzing grain orientation spread. Split basal texture of ca. ±10–15° in the rolling direction was observed in the cold-rolled sample. Recrystallized grains had widely spread basal poles at nucleation stage; strong {0001} basal texture developed with grain growth during annealing.

We report the demonstration of low power phase change memory (PCM) by forming thin self-assembled SiOx nanostructures between Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) and a TiN heater layer utilizing a block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly technology. The reset current was decreased about three-fold as fill factor, which is the occupying area fraction of self-assembled SiOx nanostructures on a TiN heater layer, increased to 75.3%. The electro-thermal simulation shows the better heat efficiency due to the nano-patterned insulating oxide.

Background: Mortality associated with depression may be influenced by severity of depression and gender. We investigated the differential impacts on all-cause mortality of late-life depression by the type of depression (major depressive disorder, MDD; minor depressive disorder, MnDD; subsyndromal depression, SSD) and gender after adjusting comorbid conditions in the randomly sampled elderly.

Methods: One thousand community-dwelling elderly individuals were enrolled. Standardized face-to-face clinical interviews, neurological examination, and physical examination were conducted to diagnose depressive disorders and comorbid cognitive disorders. Depressive disorders were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) criteria and SSD to study-specific operational criteria. Five-year survivals were compared between groups using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: By the end of 2010, 174 subjects (17.4%) died. Depressive disorder (p = 0.001) and its interaction term with gender (p < 0.001) were significant in predicting five-year survival. MDD was an independent risk factor for mortality in men (hazard ratio = 3.65, 95% confidence interval = 1.67–7.96) whereas MnDD and SSD were not when other risk factors were adjusted.

Conclusions: MDD may directly confer the risk of mortality in elderly men whereas non-major depression may be just an indicator of increased mortality in both genders.

Background: The influences of demographics, culture, language, and environmental changes on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores are considerable.

Methods: Using a sample of 7452 healthy, community-dwelling elderly Koreans, aged 55 to 94 years, who participated in the four ongoing geriatric cohorts in Korea, we investigated demographic influences on MMSE scores and derived normative data for this population. Geropsychiatrists strictly excluded subjects with cognitive disorders according to the protocol of the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (CERAD-K) Clinical Assessment Battery (CERAD-K-C).

Results: Education (standardized β = 0.463), age (standardized β = −0.303), and gender (standardized β = −0.057) had significant effects on MMSE scores (p < 0.001). The score of MMSE increase 0.379 point per 1-year education, decrease 0.188 per 1-year older, and decrease 0.491 in women compared to men. Education explained 30.4% of the scores’ total variance, which was much larger than the variances explained by age (8.4%) or gender (0.3%). Accordingly, we present normative data for the MMSE stratified by education (0, 1–3, 4–6, 7–9, 10–12, and ≥ 13 years), age (60–69, 70–79, and 80–89 years), and gender.

Conclusions: We provide contemporary education-, age-, and gender-stratified norms for the MMSE, derived from a large, community-dwelling elderly Korean population sample, which could be useful in evaluating individual MMSE scores.

We evaluated the optical and electrical characteristics of SnO2 hybrid films with various contents (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 at.%) of Pt nanoparticles. The Pt nanoparticles were synthesized by a methanol reduction method, and their size was restricted to an average of 3 nm using poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) as a protecting agent. An enhancement in electrical properties was observed due to the addition of Pt nanoparticles; the lowest resistivity (1.36 × 10−2 Ω·cm) and the highest figure of merit (1.18 × 10−4 Ω−1) were obtained with SnO2 film containing 0.15 at.% Pt nanoparticles after annealing at 600 °C, and the average transmittance in the visible region was 86.61%. Well-defined 30-μm-wide direct-patterned SnO2 films containing Pt nanoparticles were formed by photochemical metal-organic deposition through a simple process including a photosensitive starting precursor, ultraviolet exposure, and removal of the unexposed area with solvent rinsing.

ZnS:Cu,Cl,Mn,Te, which shows red AC powder electroluminescence (ACPEL) emission, was synthesized using a conventional wet synthesis and a sealed vessel method. The photoluminescence (PL) and ACPEL were characterized. After the second firing, 0.5 wt% tellurium (Te)-doped ZnS:Cu,Cl,Mn,Te phosphor shows almost red PL emission from the 4T1–6A1 transition of Mn2+ ions, which are affected by the Te. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure analysis on the Mn K edge proved that the substitution of sulfur (S) with Te changes the local crystal field of the Mn2+ ions and shifts an orange emission (∼588 nm) to a red emission (∼650 nm). A red ACPEL emission is first shown in 0.5 wt%Te-doped ZnS:Cu,Cl,Mn,Te after the third firing phosphor even though its luminance is not very high. The origin of the ACPEL emission is assumed to be not a CuxS–ZnS p–n junction but a CuxTe–ZnS p–n junction. Raman spectra were characterized to support that the red ACPEL emission is probably attributed to a CuxTe–ZnS p–n junction.

In this study, we investigated the effect of two oxygen concentrations (5 and 20%) during in vitro maturation (IVM) and during in vitro culture (IVC) on porcine embryo development and analysed differences in gene expression between cumulus–oocyte complexes matured under 5 or 20% oxygen and the resulting blastocysts cultured under 5% or 20% oxygen following parthenogenetic activation. There was no significant difference in oocyte maturation rate. However, the numbers of resulting blastocysts were significantly increased in the 5% IVC group compared with the 20% IVC group. Moreover, the M20C5 treatment group (23.01%) supported greater blastocyst development compared with the M5C5 (14.32%), M5C20 (10.30%), and M20C20 (17.88%) groups. However, total cell numbers were not significantly different among groups. According to mRNA abundance data of multiple genes, each treatment altered the expression of genes in different patterns. GLUT1, G6PD and LDHA were up-regulated in cumulus cells that had been matured in low oxygen, suggesting a higher glucose uptake and an increase in anaerobic glycolysis, whereas cyclin B1 (CCNB) and MnSOD (Mn-superoxide dismutase) were upregulated in cumulus cells that had been matured in high oxygen, which suggests a higher activity of mitosis-promoting factor and antioxidant response. In spite of these differential effects on cumulus cells, oocytes could mature normally regardless of different oxygen concentrations. Therefore, it can be concluded that high oxygen concentration during in vitro maturation and low oxygen during in vitro culture may alter the expression of multiple genes related to oocyte competence and significantly improves embryo development (p < 0.05) but not blastocyst quality.

This study investigated the relationships of three major aquatic assemblages (diatom, macroinvertebrate, and fish) and environmental variables, including sub-basin, hydrology, land cover, and water quality variables on multiple scales. Samples were collected at 720 sampling sites on the Korean nationwide scale. Geological variables, including altitude and slope, showed a strong positive correlation with proportions of forest in land cover types and cobbles in substrates, while they were negatively correlated with water quality variables, including conductivity and total phosphorus. Considering the concordance of the different assemblages, species richness of fish and macroinvertebrates displayed significant correlation, and diatoms were significantly correlated with fish. However, diatoms did not show significant correlation with macroinvertebrates. Altitude and slope showed significant correlation with all biological variables of the three assemblages. Macroinvertebrates and fish showed positive relations with large substrate sizes. Indices of diatoms and macroinvertebrates well reflected the perturbation of water quality variables. However, fish indices showed a relatively low association with water quality variables, compared with those of diatoms and macroinvertebrates. These patterns were also confirmed by the ordination and prediction of biological indices with environmental variables through the learning process of a self-organizing map as well as random forest. Overall, our study supports the concept of multi-scale habitat filters and functional organization in streams, and is consistent with the recommended use of multiple biological indices with more than one assemblage for the assessment of the biotic integrity of aquatic ecosystems.

Decision making in an emotionally conflicting situation is important in social life. We aimed to address the similarity and disparity of neural correlates involved in processing ambivalent stimuli in patients with schizophrenia and patients with depression. Behavioral task-related hemodynamic responses were measured using [15O]H2O positron emission tomography (PET) in 12 patients with schizophrenia and 12 patients with depression. The task was a modified word-stem completion task, which was designed to evoke ambivalence in forced and non-forced choice conditions. The prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum were found to show increased activity in the healthy control group. In the schizophrenia group, activity in these two regions was negligible. In the depression group, the pattern of activity was altered and a functional compensatory recruitment of the inferior parietal regions was suggested. The prefrontal cortex seems to be associated with the cognitive control to resolve the conflict toward the ambivalent stimuli, whereas the cerebellum reflects the sustained working memory to search for compromise alternatives. The deficit of cerebellar activation in the schizophrenia group might underlie the inability to search and consider compromising responses for conflict resolution. (JINS, 2009, 15, 990–1001.)

Nitrogen and tellurium co-doped ZnO (ZnO:[N+Te]) films have been grown on (0001) ZnO substrate by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The electron concentration of tellurium doped ZnO (ZnO:Te) gradually increases, compared that of undoped ZnO (u-ZnO). On the other hand, conductivity of ZnO:[N+Te] changes from n-type to p-type characteristic with a hole concentration of 4×1016 cm-3. However, nitrogen doped ZnO film (ZnO:N) still remain as n-type conductivity with a electron concentration of 2.5×1017 cm-3. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy reveals that nitrogen concentration ([N]) of ZnO:[N+Te] film (2×1021 cm-3) is relatively higher than that of ZnO:N film (3×1020 cm-3). 10 K photoluminescence spectra shows that considerable improvement of emission properties of ZnO:[N+Te] with an emergence of narrow acceptor bound exciton (A°X, 3.359 eV) and donor-acceptor pair (DAP, 3.217 eV), compared with those of u-ZnO. Consequently, high quality p-type ZnO with high N concentration is realized by using Te and N co-doping technique due to reduction of Madelung energy.