Mid-aortic syndrome is an uncommon vascular disease characterised by lower thoracic and upper abdominal aorta stenosis and can occur even in neonatal or infant periods. Here, we report an interesting case of a 2-month-old female with diffuse hypoplasia of the lower abdominal aorta and secondary dilated cardiomyopathy. In our patient, her abdominal aortic narrowing spontaneously normalised over time with the administration of consistent and goal-directed heart failure therapy, supporting adequate growth and natural recovery.

Allicin (AL) regulates the cellular redox, proliferation, viability, and cell cycle of different cells against extracellular-derived stress. This study investigated the effects of allicin treatment on porcine oocyte maturation and developmental competence. Porcine oocytes were cultured in medium supplemented with 0 (control), 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 or 100 μM AL, respectively, during in vitro maturation (IVM). The rate of polar body emission was higher in the 0.1 AL-treated group (74.5% ± 2.3%) than in the control (68.0% ± 2.6%) (P < 0.1). After parthenogenetic activation, the rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation were significantly higher in the 0.1 AL-treated group than in the control (P < 0.05). The reactive oxygen species level at metaphase II did not significantly differ among all groups. In matured oocytes, the expression of both BAK and CASP3, and BIRC5 was significantly lower and higher, respectively, in the 0.1 AL-treated group than in the control. Similarly, the expression of BMP15 and CCNB1, and the activity of phospho-p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), significantly increased. These results indicate that supplementation of oocyte maturation medium with allicin during IVM improves the maturation of oocytes and the subsequent developmental competence of porcine oocytes.

The modified TiO2 nanoparticles were incorporated into the Bulk heterojunction system of P3HT:PCBM to improve the performance of P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction organic solar cells. The organically-modified TiO2 nanoparticle compounds were synthesized in aqueous media at room temperature. These TiO2 compounds in various solution concentrations were deposited on the top of the P3HT:PCBM active layer by spin coating. The performance of organic solar cells was carefully investigated in the respect of the scattering and the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) that couple strongly to the incident light. In addition to the device, P3HT:PCBM solar cells with the use of the TiO2 nanoparticles, enhanced Fill Factor (FF) due mainly to improved shunt resistance (Rsh). The TiO2 plays a critical role in improving the interface between P3HT:PCBM active layer and Al electrode.

Si/Si0.8Ge0.2/Si(001) structures were grown at various growth temperatures (250 ∼ 760 °C) using molecular beam epitaxy, and the variation of strain and microstructure of the film was investigated using double crystal X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. SiGe films with good single crystallinity were obtained at the growth temperatures of 440 ∼ 600 °C. For the samples grown below 350 °C, an amorphous SiGe film was developed over the SiGe single crystalline layer with a jagged amorphous/crystalline (a/c) interface, and many defects such as stacking faults and microtwins were formed below the a/c interface. Dislocations were developed through out the films for the samples grown above 680 °C. In addition, for the samples grown below 680 °C, the amount of in-plane strain of the SiGe film was found to be about − 8×l0−3 without strain relaxation. However, the SiGe films grown at 760 °C have small in-plain strain of − 4×l0−3 and large strain relaxation of 50%.

Heterostructural properties of pseudomorphic (AlGaAs/GaAs), partially strained (GaInAs/GaAs), and highly strained (GaAs/Si) semiconductor systems have been studied using High Resolution Double-Crystal X-ray Diffraction (DXRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Using the high resolution DXRD with CuKα1 and two-reflection Si (220) monochromator, we obtained (004) symmetric and (115) or (224) asymmetric reflection rocking curves for samples grown by molecular beam epitaxy. With 0.5 μm thick samples, perpendicular and in-plane lattice mismatches were calculated using elastic theory and compared with each other. The different degree of relaxation for these samples was observed and correlated with the lattice mismatch, X-ray layer peak broadening (i.e., full width at half maximum), and SEM surface morphology. For a GaInAs/GaAs sample, the strain relaxation along one of the <110> directions was more than the other direction, that is, the strain relaxation is not isotrophic. Also we observed that the lines were mainly parallel in one direction, i.e., they did not form a cross-hatch pattern. TEM images from both cross-sectional and planar views of the samples will be presented.

The effects of hydrogen plasma exposure upon electron Hall mobilities in InSb heteroepitaxial film grown on GaAs substrate have been investigated. After exposure to a hydrogen plasma at 250°C, the electron Hall mobility is significantly increased at low temperatures and the temperature dependence of the mobility is reduced. For the film with a broad x-ray rocking-curve width, 4 h-hydrogen plasma exposure can give rise to the enhancement of the mobility up to 6 times at low temperature. The mobility for the film with a narrow line width is enhanced around 1.5 times. These enhanced mobilities are nearly restored by 350°C rapid thermal annealing. The enhancement of the mobility due to hydrogenation is attributed to the satisfaction of the dangling bonds generated by the misfit dislocations.

For the GaAs buffer layer deposited on Si substrate at 80°C and annealed at 300°C for 10 min, the size of most GaAs islands was observed as ∼ 10 nm but large islands (∼ 40 nm) were also seen. According to the calculation of spacing of moire fringes, large GaAs islands are considered to be rotated about 4 ° with respect to the Si substrate normal. However, for the main GaAs film overgrown on the GaAs buffer layer at 580 °C, moire fringes with the spacing of 5 nm (GaAs film without rotation) completely covered the surface of Si substrate. Misfit dislocations and stacking faults were already formed at the growth stage of buffer layer. Stacking faults and misfit dislocations consisting of Lomer and 60 ° dislocations were observed in GaAs films grown at 580 °C. However, after rapid thermal annealing at 900 °C for 10 sec, only Lomer dislocations with 1/2[110] and 1/2[-110] Burgers vectors were observed.