Intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) is mainly composed of several fibrils (known as total collagen (TCol)) linked between each other by different chemical cross-links (CLs), the whole being embedded in a matrix of proteoglycans (PGs). In the field of beef quality, there is limited information on the role of CLs and PGs. Accordingly, several authors suggest that, to investigate the role of IMCT, it is important to investigate them just like TCol and insoluble collagen (ICol). In muscle, there are two other components, the muscle fibres and intramuscular fat (IMF) content. There are limited data on the relationships between these three components of muscle and then on possibility to independently manipulate these characteristics in order to control the final quality of meat. The present study aimed to investigate whether consistent relationships exist between these different components of muscle. Therefore, the present study compared four muscles of two cattle types (dairy and beef) to determine associations between TCol, ICol, CLs and PGs. Data were analysed across and within muscle (M) and animal type (AT) based on residuals. There was a strong M and AT effect for all muscle characteristics and an interaction M × AT for type I muscle fibres and IMF. Correlations between TCol, ICol and their CLs were M- and AT-independent. Total proteoglycans were positively correlated with TCol and ICol in a muscle-dependent manner irrespective of AT, but no correlation was found with CLs. On the contrary, CLs were negatively correlated with the ratio TPGs : TCol in an M-dependent manner, irrespective of AT. TCol, ICol and CLs were positively and negatively correlated with type IIA and IIB+X muscle fibres only in longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle, regardless the AT. Insoluble collagen was the only parameter of IMCT to be correlated with type I muscle fibres but only in LT muscle, irrespective of AT. There was no correlation between PGs and muscle fibre types, but PGs were the only IMCT component to be related with IMF in an M-dependent manner, irrespective of AT. Finally, there was no correlation between muscle fibre types and IMF content within M and AT. This study revealed that there is a strong relationship between IMCT components irrespective of M, an M-dependent relationship between the IMCT components and muscle fibre types and few (only with PGs) or no relationship between IMF and IMCT and muscle fibres.

Background: Radiotherapy with procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine improves overall survival (OS) in patients with 1p19q co-deleted anaplastic oligodendroglioma/anaplastic oligoastrocytoma. Methods: This retrospective analysis investigated outcomes in patients with 1p19q co-deleted/partially deleted oligodendroglioma, oligoastrocytoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, or anaplastic oligoastrocytoma. OS and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and prognostic factors using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: A total of 106 patients (between December 1997 and December 2013) were included. Median age was 40 years (19-66), 58 were male (55%), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status was 0 in 80 patients (75%). 1p19q status was co-deleted in 66 (62%), incompletely co-deleted in 27 (25%), and 1p or 19q loss alone in four (4%) and nine (8%) patients, respectively. Isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 R132H mutation was found in 67 of 85 patients with sufficient material. Upfront treatment was given in 72 (68%) patients and temozolomide alone in 52 (49%). Median time to radiotherapy in 47 patients (44%) was 34.7 months and 41.2 months in 9 patients with co-deleted/incompletely co-deleted anaplastic oligodendroglioma/anaplastic oligoastrocytoma who received upfront temozolomide alone. Median OS was not reached and 5-year OS was 91% for all groups (median follow-up, 5.1 years). On multivariable analysis for all patients, receipt of therapy upfront versus none (p=0.04), PS 1 versus 0 (p<0.001) and 1p19q co-deletion/incomplete deletion versus 1p or 19q loss alone (p=0.005) were prognostic for PFS. Isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 status was not prognostic for PFS. Conclusions: With similar survival patterns in low-grade/anaplastic gliomas, molecular characteristics may be more important than histological grade. Longer follow-up and results of prospective trials are needed for definitive guidance on treatment of these patients.

The mango blossom gall midge, Procontarinia mangiferae, is a multivoltine species that induces galls in inflorescences and leaves of the mango tree, Mangifera indica. In subtropical Reunion Island, populations of P. mangiferae are observed all-year round, but the pattern and the role of dormancy in their life cycle have never been documented. We performed field and laboratory experiments using more than 15,000 larvae. We demonstrated that a larval diapause may affect a part of the midge population, regardless of the season. The total duration of the diapause varied from 6 weeks to more than 1 year. One year of field monitoring showed that the highest incidence of diapause was observed in larvae collected during the summer from mango leaves, where it affected approximately one-third of the individuals. This facultative diapause allows the permanent presence of P. mangiferae in the orchards. By recording diapause duration during 22 weeks under controlled conditions, we showed that high temperatures (26 °C) increased diapause duration and extended the range of the dates of diapause emergence, whereas cool temperatures (20 °C) shortened diapause duration and shortened the range of the dates of emergence from diapause. A temperature decrease from 26 to 20 °C triggered the emergence of diapausing individuals. These mechanisms ensure the synchronization of the emergence of diapausing individuals with the appearance of mango inflorescences, which is also induced by cool winter temperatures.

Background: A randomized controlled trial has shown that supervised, facility-based exercise training is effective in improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. However, these programs are associated with additional costs. This analysis assessed the cost-effectiveness of such programs.

Methods: Analysis used data from the Diabetes Aerobic and Resistance Exercise (DARE) clinical trial which compared three different exercise programs (resistance, aerobic or a combination of both) of 6 months duration with a control group (no exercise program). Clinical outcomes at 6 months were entered for individual patients into the UKPDS economic model for type 2 diabetes adapted for the Canadian context. From this, expected life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and costs were estimated for all patients within the trial.

Results: The combined exercise program was the most expensive ($40,050) followed by the aerobic program ($39,250), the resistance program ($38,300) and no program ($31,075). QALYs were highest for combined (8.94), followed by aerobic (8.77), resistance (8.73) and no program (8.70). The incremental cost per QALY gained for the combined exercise program was $4,792 compared with aerobic alone, $8,570 compared with resistance alone, and $37,872 compared with no program. The combined exercise program remained cost-effective for all scenarios considered within sensitivity analysis.

Conclusions: A program providing training in both resistance and aerobic exercise was the most cost-effective of the alternatives compared. Based on previous funding decisions, exercise training for individuals with diabetes can be considered an efficient use of resources.

In this work we examine the development of ion beam modified oxide-nitride-oxide structures formed by low-energy (1 keV) implantation of Si, N and Ar ions (1x1016 ions/cm2) into oxide-nitride gate stacks and subsequent wet-oxidation to form the blocking oxide. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that the thickness of the blocking oxide layer is strongly affected by the implantation process going from 1 nm (non-implanted sample) to 4-5 nm (N and Ar implants) and 7.5 nm (Si implant). The Si implanted stacks exhibit the highest attainable memory window (∼ 8.5 V for a 1 ms pulse regime), which involve both electron and hole storage. In contrast the thinner blocking oxide that develops to the nitrogen and argon implanted stacks limits the memory window which is due only to electron trapping. Room temperature charge retention measurements of the programming state reveal that the electron loss rate is faster in samples implanted with Si than N, allowing for a memory window of 1.7 V and 2.5 V respectively after ten years extrapolation. This retention behavior is mainly attributed to the different nature of the traps generated in the implanted materials.

We investigated the fabrication and the memory characteristics of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with GaN quantum-dots (QDs) embedded in the gate insulator. The GaN-QDs, which act as discrete charge storage nodes, were deposited by radio-frequency molecular-beam-deposition (RF-MBD). The influence of the deposition dose on the QDs size and density was investigated by TEM studies. Subsequent electrical characterization measurements on memory capacitors revealed enhanced electron charge trapping leading to significant memory windows. Charge retention measurements at room temperature showed that the sample with the lowest concentration of QDs exhibits a significant programming window after ten-years.

To support experimental investigations, a model based on ChemkinTM software was used to simulate gas phase and surface chemistry during plasma-enhanced catalytic CVD of carbon nanotubes. According to these calculations, gas phase composition, etching process and growth rates are calculated. The role of several carbon species, hydrocarbon molecules and ions in the growth mechanism of carbon nanotubes is presented in this study. Study of different conditions of gas phase activation sources and pressure is performed.

The electron field emission properties of different graphitic and diamond-like nanostructures films are compared. They are prepared in the same CVD chamber on SiO2/Si(100) and Si(100) flat surfaces, respectively. These nanostructures are thoroughly characterized by scanning electron emission (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Films of dense aligned carbon nanotubes by far display the lowest threshold fields around few V/ $\mu $ m and the largest emission currents. Carbon nanofibers, with platelet arrangement of the graphitic planes parallel to the substrate, exhibit higher emission thresholds around 10 V/ $\mu $ m. Diamond nanostructures, either modified through ammonia incorporation within the gas phase or not, exhibit the largest emission threshold around 25 V/ $\mu $ m. The high enhancement factors, deduced from the Fowler-Nordheim plots, can explain the low emission thresholds whereas limitations to the electron transport ever occur through different processes (i) surface modifications of the surface, as the transformation of the SiO2 barrier layer into SiNx in the presence of ammonia evidenced by XPS; (ii) different orientation of the graphitic basal planes relative to the direction of electron transport (carbon nanofiber) and (iii) presence of a graphitic nest at the interface of the carbon nanostructure and the substrate, observed when catalyst is deposited through mild evaporation.

A method of forming a sheet of Ge nanocrystals in a SiO2 layer based on molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and rapid thermal processing (RTP) is presented. The method takes advantage of the very high precision by which a very thin Ge layer can be deposited by MBE. With proper choice of process parameters the nanocrystal size can be varied between ∼3 and ∼8 nm and the area-density between ∼1×1011 and ∼1×1012 dots/cm2. The tunneling oxide thickness is determined by the thickness of a thermally grown SiO2 layer, and is typically 4 nm. C-V measurements of MOS capacitors reveal hole and electron injection from the substrate into the nanocrystals. Memory windows of about 0.2 and 0.5 V for gate-voltage sweeps of 3 and 6 V, respectively, are achieved.

The effect of annealing in diluted oxygen on the structural characteristics of thin silicon dioxide layers with embedded Si nanocrystals fabricated by ultra-low energy ion implantation (1 keV) is reported. The nanocrystal characteristics (size, density, coverage) have been measured by spatially resolved Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy using the spectrum-imaging mode of a Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope. Their evolution has been studied as a function of the annealing duration under N2+O2 at 900°C. An extended spherical Deal-Grove model for the self-limiting oxidation of embedded silicon nanocrystals has been carried out. It shows that stress effects, due to the deformation of the oxide, slows down the chemical oxidation rate and leads to a self-limiting oxide growth. The model predictions show a good agreement with the experimental results.

In this work, we demonstrate a MISFET memory device that incorporates a monolayer of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposited gold nanoparticles as floating gate charge storage elements. The FET device is fabricated on a SOI substrate using conventional silicon processing. The nanoparticle layer is separated from the channel area of the FET with a 5 nm thermal SiO2 layer and is isolated from Al gate contact with a LB-deposited organic insulator layer. The memory effect is tested using voltage pulses on the gate of the device and monitored through drain current measurements. The nanocrystals can be charged either from the channel through the thermal oxide layer by applying pulses smaller than 5 V or from the gate through the organic insulator for higher voltage depending on the pulse duration.

Current research directions and recent advances in the area of semiconductor nanocrystal floating-gate memory devices are herein reviewed. Particular attention is placed on the advantages, limitations and perspectives of some of the principal new alternatives suggested for improving device performance and reliability. The attractive option of generating Si nanocrystal memories by ion-beam-synthesis (IBS) is discussed with emphasis on the ultra-low-energy (ULE) regime. Pertinent issues related to the fabrication of low-voltage memory cells and the integration of the ULE-IBS technique in manufactory environment are discussed. The effect on device performance of parasitic transistors that form at the channel corner of shallow trench isolated transistors is described in details. It is shown that such parasitic transistors lead to a substantial degradation of the electrical properties of the intended devices and dominates the memory behavior of deep submicronic cells.

In silicon nanocrystal (nc) based metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) memory structures a fine control of the Si nc location in the gate oxide is required for the pinpointing of optimal device architectures. In this work, we show how to manipulate and control the depth-position, size and surface density of two dimensional (2D) arrays of Si ncs embedded in thin (<10 nm) SiO2 layers, fabricated by ultra-low-energy (typically 1 keV) ion implantation and subsequent annealing. Particular emphasis is placed upon the influence of implantation, annealing conditions and oxide thickness on the nanocrystal characteristics (e.g. size, density) and the charge storage properties of associated MOS structures. Structural investigation is performed by using specific characterization methods including Fresnel imaging for the measurement of the injection distance between the substrate and the nc band, as well as spatially resolved Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy using the spectrum-imaging mode of a Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope to evaluate the size distribution and density of the ncs.

The high precision X-ray spectroscopy studies of plasma created from the CO2 clusters in gas jet targets by the ultrashort laser pulses (35 and 60 fs duration) were performed at the intensities IL ∼ 1017–1018 W cm−2. The spectral line shape of the H-like and He-like oxygen ions gains an asymmetry with increasing the laser pulse intensity. Theoretical modeling of the line shape shows that the asymmetry can be explained by absorption of the Doppler-shifted line radiation from the essential fraction of ions (over 10−3) with energies above 1 MeV due to photoionization of inner shells of carbon ions. The results obtained demonstrate measurement capabilities of the X-ray spectral measurements of multicharged ions accelerated during the interaction with a laser radiation.

The restoration and preservation of metallic archaeological objects made of ferrous materials require the elimination of the chlorinated components contained in the corrosion products. Otherwise, after excavation of the artefact, corrosion will continue, sometimes at an accelerated rate. Different treatments may be applied for that purpose: electrolytic or alkaline sulphite baths, cold hydrogen plasma. This paper describes the hydrogen plasma treatment reactor in use at the Archaeological Museum of "Val d'Oise" , in France. Results of plasma treatments on artefacts are presented, together with optical measurements made at the reactor during the treatments.

In this paper we report measurement of the silicon diffusion coefficient in silicon dioxide films using isotopically enriched 28Si silicon dioxide layers. 30Si atoms are introduced in excess in a stoichiometric isotopically pure silicon dioxide layer either by ion implantation or by a predeposition technique and the time evolution of the 30Si concentration profile under various thermal conditions is monitored using SIMS. The estimated diffusivity values are significantly higher than previouslyreported values for Si diffusion within a stoichiometric oxide and closer to reported values for excess Si diffusion within an oxide.

Penicillium nodositatum induces the formation of nodules on the roots of Alnus. The analysis of RFLPs in the PCR-amplified ITS1-5·8S-ITS2 ribosomal sequence demonstrates that all the nodule-inducing strains isolated belong to a homogeneous taxon, P. nodositatum, distinct from other morphologically close species of Penicillium. A gene tree inferred from the ITS1-5·8S-ITS2 PCR/RFLP data shows that the P. nodositatum sequence clusters with those of Penicillium species belonging to subgenus Biverticillium. RAPDs generated using four 10-mer primers, allowed us to identify four distinct groups of strains in a sample of 28 strains of P. nodositatum collected in 10 different geographic sites. Only one group was found in each sampled site. No link could be established between RAPD-based groups and the geographic origin of the strains. However, our results suggest a possible link between these groups and Alnus species and/or habitats associated with each of the four French Alnus species.