In-situ sub-angstrom characterization of laser-lubricant interaction in a thermo-tribological system.

Laser-lubricant interaction has been a critical reliability issue in a thermo-tribological system named heat-assisted magnetic recording, one of the next generation hard disk drive solutions to increasing data storage. The lubricant response under laser irradiation and the subsequent lubricant recovery are crucial to the system's reliability and longevity, however, they cannot be diagnosed locally and timely so far. Here, we propose a thermal scheme to in-situ characterize the mechanical laser-lubricant interaction.

Novel Hemodynamic, Vascular Lesion, and Cytokine/Chemokine Differences Regarding Sex in a Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Model.

Sex differences are recognized in pulmonary hypertension. However, the progression of disease with regard to vascular lesion formation and circulating cytokines/chemokines is unknown. To determine whether vascular lesion formation, changes in hemodynamics, and alterations in circulating chemokines/cytokines differ between males and females, we used a progressive model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), Sugen/hypoxia, and analyzed cohorts of male and female rats at time points suggested to indicate worsening disease.

Protocol for nanoscale thermal mapping of electronic devices using atomic force microscopy with phase change material.

In this protocol, we present a facile nanoscale thermal mapping technique for electronic devices by use of atomic force microscopy and a phase change material GeSbTe. We describe steps for GeSbTe thin film coating, GeSbTe temperature calibration, thermal mapping by varying heater power, and thermal mapping by varying heating time. The protocol can be applied for resolving surface temperatures of various operational microelectronic devices with a nanoscale precision.

Air quality, metal(loid) sources identification and environmental assessment using (bio)monitoring in the former mining district of Salsigne (Orbiel valley, France).

The former mining district of Salsigne is situated in the Orbiel valley. Until the 20th century, it was the first gold mine in Europe and the first arsenic mine in the world. Rehabilitation has been performed during the 20 years that followed closure of the mines and factories, which led to the accumulation of storage of several million tons of waste in this valley.

Chemical status of zinc in plant phytoliths: Impact of burning and (paleo)environmental implications.

Phytoliths are microscopic structures made of amorphous opal (opal-A), an amorphous hydrated silica, dispersed within plant tissues and persisting after the decay of the plant. Silicon is known to alleviate metal toxicity in plants, but the role of phytoliths in metal sequestration and detoxification is unclear. Dry ashing, the most common protocol for phytolith extraction, was previously shown to lead to sequestration of metals by the phytoliths; however, the mechanisms of this process remained elusive.