Magnetoresistance properties in nickel-catalyzed, air-stable, uniform, and transfer-free graphene.

A transfer-free graphene with high magnetoresistance (MR) and air stability has been synthesized using nickel-catalyzed atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition. The Raman spectrum and Raman mapping reveal the monolayer structure of the transfer-free graphene, which has low defect density, high uniformity, and high coverage (>90%). The temperature-dependent (from 5 to 300 K) current-voltage (I-V) and resistance measurements are performed, showing the semiconductor properties of the transfer-free graphene. Moreover, the MR of the transfer-free graphene has been measured over a wide temperature range (5-300 K) under a magnetic field of 0 to 1 T. As a result of the Lorentz force dominating above 30 K, the transfer-free graphene exhibits positive MR values, reaching ∼8.7% at 300 K under a magnetic field (1 Tesla). On the other hand, MR values are negative below 30 K due to the predominance of the weak localization effect. Furthermore, the temperature-dependent MR values of transfer-free graphene are almost identical with and without a vacuum annealing process, indicating that there are low density of defects and impurities after graphene fabrication processes so as to apply in air-stable sensor applications. This study opens avenues to develop 2D nanomaterial-based sensors for commercial applications in future devices.

Recombinant Klotho attenuates IFNγ receptor signaling and SAMHD1 expression through blocking NF-κB translocation in glomerular mesangial cells.

Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is a cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. SAM and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) is an IFNγ-inducible protein that modulates cellular dNTP levels. Mutations in the human SAMHD1 gene cause Aicardi-Goutières (AG) syndrome, an autoimmune disease sharing similar clinical features with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Klotho is an anti-inflammatory protein which suppresses aging through multiple mechanisms. Implication of Klotho in autoimmune response is identified in rheumatologic diseases such as SLE. Little information exists regarding the effect of Klotho in lupus nephritis, one of the prevalent symptoms of SLE. The present study verified the effect of IFNγ on SAMHD1 and Klotho expression in MES-13 glomerular mesangial cells, a special cell type in glomerulus that is critically involved in lupus nephritis. IFNγ upregulated SAMHD1 expression in MES-13 cells through the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (JAK-STAT1) and the nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling pathways. IFNγ decreased Klotho protein expression in MES-13 cells. Treatment of MES-13 cells with recombinant Klotho protein inhibited SAMHD1 expression by blocking IFNγ-induced NFκB nuclear translocation, but showed no effect on JAK-STAT1 signaling. Collectively, our findings support the protective role of Klotho in attenuating lupus nephritis through the inhibition of IFNγ-induced SAMHD1 expression and IFNγ downstream signaling in MES-13 cells.

[A review of research on psychological and behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder during the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic]. / æ–°åž‹å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’æ„ŸæŸ“æµè¡ŒæœŸé—´å­¤ç‹¬ç—‡è°±ç³»éšœç¢å„¿ç«¥å¿ƒç†è¡Œä¸ºé—®é¢˜çš„ç ”ç©¶æ¦‚å†µ.

Since December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been rapidly spreading worldwide and affecting the physical and mental health of the general population. It may have even more serious potential harm to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This paper provides a literature review on the psychological and behavioral problems experienced by children with ASD during the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as the factors influencing these issues. The findings of this review can serve as a basis for clinical research on ASD children.

Upregulation of PRMT6 by LPS suppresses Klotho expression through interaction with NF-κB in glomerular mesangial cells.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) released from gram-negative bacteria stimulates immune responses in infected cells. Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation and protein methylation modulate LPS-induced innate immune gene expressions. Expression of the Klotho protein decreased with LPS treatment in rats. In a cellular model, information regarding the effect of LPS on Klotho expression was meager. In the present study, we demonstrated that LPS triggered global DNA and protein methylation in glomerular mesangial MES-13 cells. LPS upregulated protein expressions of enzymes central to cellular methylation reactions, especially protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) in MES-13 cells. Expression of the Klotho protein was diminished by LPS and was restored by 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-2'-dc), AMI-1, and ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC), but not adenosine aldehyde (AdOx). NF-κB was identified as a substrate for arginine methylation and interacted with PRMT6 in MES-13 cells. Inhibition of PRMT activity by AMI-1 blocked LPS-induced NF-κB nuclear translocation in MES-13 cells. Our data indicate that NF-κB negatively regulated Klotho expression with an interaction with PRMT6, which was upregulated by LPS in MES-13 cells.

Disruption of thalamic connectivity in Alzheimer's disease: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural integrity of the thalamic connectivity of specific fiber tracts in different stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Thirty-five patients with AD and 22 normal control (NC) subjects were recruited. Based on Mini Mental State Examination score, the AD patients were divided into three subgroups for comparison with the NC group: mild (mi-AD, n = 14), moderate (mo-AD, n = 12), and severe (se-AD, n = 9) AD. The fornix (FX), anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and posterior thalamic radiation (PTR) were selected to represent the thalamic connectivity with other brain regions. The fornix was divided into the column and body of the fornix (FX-1) and the bilateral fornix (crus)/stria terminalis (FX-2/ST) based on the atlas. Through the atlas-based analysis and fiber tracking method, we measured fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and tract volume to reflect the microstructural and macrostructural changes of these fibers during AD progression. There were significant differences in the FA and MD of all fibers, except the right PTR, between the AD and NC subjects. Further subgroup analyses revealed that the mi-AD subgroup had decreased FA only in the FX-1 and increased MD in the FX-1 and bilateral ATR, the mo-AD subgroup showed declined FA and increased MD in the FX-1, bilateral FX-2/ST and ATR; the se-AD subgroup exhibited lower FA and higher MD values in all fibers except the right PTR. We also found reduced tract volume values in the FX and left ATR in the AD patients. Further subgroup analyses revealed that these differences only existed in the se-AD patients. Our DTI analyses indicate that the integrity of thalamic connectivity is progressively disrupted following cognitive decline in AD and that DTI parameters in the column and body of the fornix show promise as potential markers for the early diagnosis of AD and for monitoring disease progression.

The status of binocular visual functions among Taiwan high-tech industry engineers and its correlation with computer vision symptom.

To analyze the status of binocular visual functions, the relationship between binocular visual function and computer vision-related symptoms in the high-tech industry group. The study sample was comprised of 33 participants aged between 20 and 40 years of age. After completing basic information and the Computer Vision Symptom Scale (CVSS-17) questionnaire, the participants underwent a comprehensive examination of binocular visual function. All data were statistically analyzed with SPSS V26.0 software. The value of the binocular vision function of the Taiwan high-tech industry group was significantly different compared with the Scheiman and Morgan standard value. Study subjects were generally found to exhibit larger exophoric at distance, which in turn might lead to a lower ability to maintain binocular fusion to a single image, or recover from fusional disruption at distance. Subjects also experienced accommodation and convergence problems at near at the same time. Age, gender, and refractive errors had no significant impact on CVSS-17 scores, only the duration of computer usage showed a significant effect, particularly for internal symptom factor (ISF) dimensions. In addition, the interaction between the ISF and external symptom factor resulted in more severe visual symptoms. Long-term use of electronic devices may lead to an imbalance in binocular vision function, thereby increasing or exacerbating visual symptoms. If the use of electronic devices is an unchangeable trend, interventions in prescription, visual training or the visual design of electronic products become worthwhile topics for development.

Altered TGF-ß2 and bFGF expression in scleral desmocytes from an experimentally-induced myopia guinea pig model.

PURPOSE: To determine changes in expression of transforming growth factor ß-2 (TGF-ß2) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in scleral desmocytes from anterior and posterior portions of experimentally-induced myopic eyes of guinea pigs. METHODS: Three groups (n = 10) of 2-week-old guinea pigs were used to develop concave lens-induced myopia (LIM) in one eye via the out-of-focus method for 6, 15, or 30 days respectively, while the other eye in each guinea pig served as the self-control (SC). After myopia induction, lenses were removed, and scleral fibroblasts were cultured and passaged twice. TGF-ß2 and bFGF expression levels of scleral desmocytes in LIM and SC groups were compared by immunocytochemistry, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analyses. RESULTS: The TGF-ß2 expression of the anterior portion of the sclera in the LIM group was significantly higher at 15 days, and at its highest at 30 days after myopia induction compared with the SC group (P < 0.05). The TGF-ß2 staining of the posterior sclera in the LIM group began to rise significantly at 6 days, peaked at 15 days and remained significantly higher than that of the anterior part, as well as the SC group, even at 30 days after myopia induction (P < 0.05). BFGF levels in scleral desmocytes from the anterior and posterior regions in the LIM group were both significantly lower than those of the SC group at all time points after myopia induction (P < 0.05). Furthermore, as the myopia progressed, bFGF expression in the anterior and posterior sclera in the LIM group gradually and statistically significantly decreased compared with the SC group (P < 0.05); however, no significant differences were observed between the anterior and posterior parts in the LIM group at any time after myopia induction (P > 0.05). All these results were consistent at the mRNA and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: During myopia development in lens-induced guinea pigs, the increase in TGF-ß2 activity of scleral desmocytes initiated at the posterior pole. Along with the induction time, the TGF-ß2 activity in all scleral desmocytes became elevated. By contrast, the bFGF activity showed a general decline in all scleral desmocytes, rather than mainly in the posterior pole. These results imply that expression of TGF-ß2 in scleral desmocytes plays a direct role, while that of bFGF exerts an indirect role in myopia development.

An IoT-based smart mosquito trap system embedded with real-time mosquito image processing by neural networks for mosquito surveillance.

An essential aspect of controlling and preventing mosquito-borne diseases is to reduce mosquitoes that carry viruses. We designed a smart mosquito trap system to reduce the density of mosquito vectors and the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. This smart trap uses computer vision technology and deep learning networks to identify features of live Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus in real-time. A unique mechanical design based on the rotation concept is also proposed and implemented to capture specific living mosquitoes into the corresponding chambers successfully. Moreover, this system is equipped with sensors to detect environmental data, such as CO2 concentration, temperature, and humidity. We successfully demonstrated the implementation of such a tool and paired it with a reliable capture mechanism for live mosquitos without destroying important morphological features. The neural network achieved 91.57% accuracy with test set images. When the trap prototype was applied in a tent, the accuracy rate in distinguishing live Ae. aegypti was 92%, with a capture rate reaching 44%. When the prototype was placed into a BG trap to produce a smart mosquito trap, it achieved a 97% recognition rate and a 67% catch rate when placed in the tent. In a simulated living room, the recognition and capture rates were 90% and 49%, respectively. This smart trap correctly differentiated between Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, and may also help control mosquito-borne diseases and predict their possible outbreak.

Use of unmanned ground vehicle systems in urbanized zones: A study of vector Mosquito surveillance in Kaohsiung.

Dengue fever is a vector-borne disease that has become a serious global public health problem over the past decade. An essential aspect of controlling and preventing mosquito-borne diseases is reduction of mosquito density. Through the process of urbanization, sewers (ditches) have become easy breeding sources of vector mosquitoes. In this study, we, for the first time, used unmanned ground vehicle systems (UGVs) to enter ditches in urban areas to observe vector mosquito ecology. We found traces of vector mosquitoes in ~20.7% of inspected ditches, suggesting that these constitute viable breeding sources of vector mosquitoes in urban areas. We also analyzed the average gravitrap catch of five administrative districts in Kaohsiung city from May to August 2018. The gravitrap indices of Nanzi and Fengshan districts were above the expected average (3.26), indicating that the vector mosquitoes density in these areas is high. Using the UGVs to detect positive ditches within the five districts followed by insecticide application generally yielded good control results. Further improving the high-resolution digital camera and spraying system of the UGVs may be able to effectively and instantly monitor vector mosquitoes and implement spraying controls. This approach may be suitable to solve the complex and difficult task of detecting mosquito breeding sources in urban ditches.

Wide tuning of SiN microring resonators by auto-realigning nematic liquid crystal.

We present wide electrical tuning of microring resonators with auto-realigned nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cladding. By applying electric field, homeotropically-aligned negative Δε NLC with non-rubbed alignment layers is auto-realigned along the microring waveguide due to the protruding of the ridge structure. The consistent cladding index distribution along the microring waveguide produces effective tuning of the resonant wavelength. It achieves a large tuning range of 13nm for TM mode and 2.1nm for TE mode. The NLC reorientation characteristics are investigated by minimizing Oseen-Frank energy. The proposed microring resonator owns the features of large tuning range and bi-polarization wavelength tuning.

Mechanical behavior of scleral fibroblasts in experimental myopia.

BACKGROUND: The study aims to determine the changes in the biomechanical properties of the anterior and extreme posterior portions of experimental near-sighted eyes by examining the mechanical behavior of guinea pig scleral desmocytes, thus finding a new approach to the pathogenesis of myopia and their corresponding therapies. METHODS: Guinea pigs (2 weeks old) were numbered and assigned into three groups (A, B, and C) with ten guinea pigs each. Concave lens-induced myopic (LIM) animal models were prepared via the out-of-focus method. The other eye in the same guinea pig served as the self-control (SC) group. After modeling groups A, B, and C for 6, 15, and 30 days respectively, the lenses from the guinea pigs in the experimental group were removed. The scleral fibroblasts in each group were cultured, and passaged twice in vitro. The micropipette aspiration technique coupled with a viscoelastic solid model was utilized to investigate the viscoelastic properties of the scleral fibroblasts in normal and myopic guinea pigs. The mechanical behavior of the scleral desmocytes of the LIM and SC groups were compared. RESULTS: The mechanical behavior of the scleral desmocytes was compared between the LIM and SC groups. The Young's modulus at equilibrium and the apparent cellular viscosity of the anterior portion of the sclera in the LIM group at 6 days and 15 days after myopic induction were not significantly different from that of the SC group (P < 0.05). However, the results for the anterior portions of the sclera in the LIM group at 30 days were significantly higher than those of the LIM group at 6 and 15 days, as well as those in the SC group (P < 0.05). The Young's modulus at equilibrium and the apparent cellular viscosity of the extreme posterior portions of the sclera in the LIM group at 6 days after myopic induction not significantly from those of the SC group (P < 0.05). However, the results for the extreme posterior portions of the sclera in the LIM group after 15 days and 30 days were significantly higher than those in the LIM group at 6 days and the SC group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Young's modulus at equilibrium or apparent cellular viscosity of all the anterior portions of the sclera in the LIM group were longer than those in the SC group at 30 days after the induction, and the results for all the extreme posterior portions of the LIM group were larger than those of the SC group on the 15th and 30th day. Therefore, the Young's modulus and apparent viscosity of the anterior and extreme posterior portions of the sclera changed on the 15th and 30th day after induction respectively.

First-Principles Study on Possible Half-Metallic Ferrimagnetism in Double Perovskites Pb2XX'O6 (X = Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta, X' = Tc, Ru, Os and Rh).

Pb-based double perovskite compounds with chemical formula Phey have abundant physical properties in the spintronic field. Among all the features, the spin interaction of half-metallic (HM) is regarded as an important performance measure because of its high potential in spintronic devices. In this research study, we calculate density of state (DOS) to investigate possible half-metal candidates by executing structural optimization based on the method of generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and strong correlation effect (GGA + U). Furthermore, following the earlier methods by calculating and comparing energy difference of various compounds with the four initial magnetic states: ferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic, antiferromagnetic and nonmagnetic, we can determine which magnetic state is more stable. Results indicate that there are 13 possible ferrimagnetic HM candidates in these combinations, including Pb2NbTcO6, Pb2TaTcO6, Pb2TiRuO6, Pb2ZrRuO6, Pb2HfRuO6, Pb2VRuO6, Pb2NbRuO6, Pb2TadRuO6, Pb2ZrOsO6, Pb2HfOsO6, Pb2VOsO6, Pb2ZrRhO6 and Pb2HfRhO6 under GGA and GGA + U schemes. The stability of analysis by analyzing the energy gap illustrates that all 13 possible candidates are half metals and ferrimagnetic states, so our studies could provide guidelines for scientists to fabricate new double perovskites in future.

Lab-scale characterization and semi-field trials of Wolbachia Strain wAlbB in a Taiwan Wolbachia introgressed Ae. aegypti strain.

Dengue fever is one of the most severe viral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, with traditional approaches of disease control proving insufficient to prevent significant disease burden. Release of Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes offers a promising alternative control methodologies; Wolbachia-transinfected female Aedes aegypti demonstrate reduced dengue virus transmission, whilst Wolbachia-transinfected males cause zygotic lethality when crossed with uninfected females, providing a method for suppressing mosquito populations. Although highly promising, the delicate nature of population control strategies and differences between local species populations means that controlled releases of Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes cannot be performed without extensive testing on specific local Ae. aegypti populations. In order to investigate the potential for using Wolbachia to suppress local Ae. aegypti populations in Taiwan, we performed lab-based and semi-field fitness trials. We first transinfected the Wolbachia strain wAlbB into a local Ae. aegypti population (wAlbB-Tw) and found no significant changes in lifespan, fecundity and fertility when compared to controls. In the laboratory, we found that as the proportion of released male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia was increased, population suppression could reach up to 100%. Equivalent experiments in semi-field experiments found suppression rates of up to 70%. The release of different ratios of wAlbB-Tw males in the semi-field system provided an estimate of the optimal size of male releases. Our results indicate that wAlbB-Tw has significant potential for use in vector control strategies aimed at Ae. aegypti population suppression in Taiwan. Open field release trials are now necessary to confirm that wAlbB-Tw mediated suppression is feasible in natural environments.

Synthesis of SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires with good optical properties on Ni/SiO2/Si substrate via ferrocene pyrolysis at low temperature.

In this study, the high-density SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires were synthesized on the nickel coated SiO2 (100 nm)/Si substrate by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method with ferrocene precursor at temperature 1000 °C compared to previous studies (1300-1600 °C). The present work provides an efficient strategy for the production of SiC/SiO2 nanowires with uniform morphology and good optical properties, where the Ni layer plays important roles for this fabrication at low temperature which reduces the decomposition temperature of hydrocarbon gases and improves the growth quality of SiC nanowires. The as-synthesized SiC/SiO2 nanowires consist of single crystal 3C structures as well as 3C structures with defects along [111] direction. In the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum, the SiC/SiO2 core-shell nanowires revealed an obvious blueshift. The blueshift is due to the formation of nanoscale silicon carbide polytypism caused by the stacking faults in 3C-SiC and the nanoscale polytypism also caused the transition from indirect to direct bandgap which explains why the stacking faults percentage in SiC confirmed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) is 19%, but ultimately makes the strongest emission intensity. Finally, the PL characteristics are further improved by changing the diameter of the SiC nanowire and etching and an approximate model followed by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism was proposed to explain the possible growth mechanism of the SiC/SiO2 nanowires.

Conjugated topological interface-states in coupled ring resonators.

The optical properties of topological photonics have attracted much interest recently because its potential applications for robust unidirectional transmission that are immune to scattering at disorder. However, researches on topological series coupled ring resonators (T-SCRR) have been much less discussed. The existence of topological interface-states (TIS) in the T-SCRR is described for the first time in this article. An approach has been developed to achieve this goal via the band structure of dielectric binary ring resonators and the Zak phase of each bandgap. It is found that an ultra-high-Q with complete transmission is obtained by the conjugated topological series coupled ring resonators due to the excitation of conjugated topological interface-states, which is different from those in conventional TIS. Furthermore, the problem of transmission decreases resulting from high-Q increases in the traditional photonic system is significantly improved by this approach. These findings could pave a novel path for developing advanced high-Q filters, optical sensors, switches, resonators, communications and quantum information processors.

Radiation-induced hypothyroidism in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy: Development of a nomogram based on the equivalent dose.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish a nomogram for predicting radiation-induced hypothyroidism (RHT) based on an equivalent dose at 2 Gy per fraction (EQD2) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with or without chemotherapy. METHODS: Two hundred forty-four eligible patients with NPC were recruited for this study. Patients' clinical factors and dose-volume parameters of the thyroid gland were retrieved from medical records and the IMRT treatment planning system, respectively. The irradiation doses were converted into EQD2 for analysis. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify optimal predictors of RHT for constructing the nomogram. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 63.0 months, the cumulative incidence rates of RHT at 3 months and 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5- year after IMRT were 10.2%, 36.2%, 47.6%, 54.2%, 58.8% and 69.4%, respectively. Four independent factors for predicting RHT, including gender, age, pretreatment volume of the thyroid gland and V35Gy(3Gy) of the thyroid gland, were identified and incorporated into the nomogram. The area under the ROC curve of the nomogram was 0.747 (95% confidence interval 0.685 - 0.809). Calibration curves and DCA curves showed that the nomogram was in good agreement with the actual observations and clinical usefulness. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram proposed in this study provides a reliable estimate of RHT risk in patients with NPC after IMRT and appears to have the potential to be a useful tool for widespread clinical applications.

Whole transcriptome analysis on blue light-induced eye damage.

AIM: To analyze abnormal gene expressions of mice eyes exposed to blue light using RNA-seq and analyze the related signaling pathways. METHODS: Kunming mice were divided into an experimental group that was exposed to blue light and a control group that was exposed to natural light. After 14d, the mice were euthanized and their eyeballs were collected. Whole transcriptome analysis was attempted to analyze the gene expression of the eyeballs using RNA-seq to reconstruct genetic networks. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were used to reveal the related signaling pathways. RESULTS: The 737 differentially expressed genes were identified, including 430 up and 307 down regulated genes, by calculating the gene FPKM in each sample and conducting differential gene analysis. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that blue light damage may associated with the visual perception, sensory perception of light stimulus, phototransduction, and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Differential lncRNA, circRNA and miRNA analysis showed that blue light exposure affected pathways for retinal cone cell development and phototransduction, among others. CONCLUSION: Exposure to blue light can cause a certain degree of abnormal gene expression and modulate signaling pathways in the eye.

Ultrasound as an effective technique to reduce higher alcohols of wines and its influencing mechanism investigation by employing a model wine.

In this paper, in order to investigate the effects of ultrasound irradiation on the higher alcohols of wines, the parameters including ultrasound time, temperature and power were optimized by the response surface methodology, and the model wine solution was employed to explore the mechanism of ultrasonically decreasing the higher alcohols. The results indicate that the maximum decreasing of higher alcohols could be obtained under the ultrasound conditions of 30 min, 30 °C and 150 W, and the final content was 306.75 mg/L with the reduction rate of 40.44%, suggesting a modification of wine quality due to the negative effects of excessive contents on wine. Regarding the results of model wine, it indicates that the decrease could be definitely affected by factors, such as tartaric acid and ions in wine, which might be attributed to the free radicals generated from ultrasound cavitation and its subsequent reactions. In summary, all the results may help to understand the effects of ultrasound irradiation on improving the sensory properties of wine by decreasing the higher alcohols.

Magnon profile on SrRuO3 films studied by inelastic neutron scattering.

In this study, the inelastic neutron scattering probe of SIKA in ANSTO is employed to investigate the magnon dispersion curve in ferromagnetic SrRuO3 single crystal epitaxial films and to better understand the underlying mechanisms. This report presents the successful measurement of a magnon peak from the SrRuO3 films which contained an amount of material of only 0.9 mg. We reveal one significant magnon dispersion curve along [002] following the quadratic E ∝ Q 2 ) relation, which shows a magnon gap of 0.32 meV. We have discussed several possible mechanisms, such as the higher symmetry structure and the impurity levels, which may contribute to this smaller gap.