Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth of Graphene on 200 mm Ge(110)/Si Wafers and Ab Initio Analysis of Differences in Growth Mechanisms on Ge(110) and Ge(001).

For the fabrication of modern graphene devices, uniform growth of high-quality monolayer graphene on wafer scale is important. This work reports on the growth of large-scale graphene on semiconducting 8 inch Ge(110)/Si wafers by chemical vapor deposition and a DFT analysis of the growth process. Good graphene quality is indicated by the small FWHM (32 cm-1) of the Raman 2D band, low intensity ratio of the Raman D and G bands (0.06), and homogeneous SEM images and is confirmed by Hall measurements: high mobility (2700 cm2/Vs) and low sheet resistance (800 Ω/sq). In contrast to Ge(001), Ge(110) does not undergo faceting during the growth. We argue that Ge(001) roughens as a result of vacancy accumulation at pinned steps, easy motion of bonded graphene edges across (107) facets, and low energy cost to expand Ge area by surface vicinals, but on Ge(110), these mechanisms do not work due to different surface geometries and complex reconstruction.

The Analytical Possibilities of FT-IR Spectroscopy Powered by Vibrating Molecules.

This paper discusses the state of advancement in the development of spectroscopic methods based on the use of mid (proper) infrared radiation in the context of applications in various fields of science and technology. The authors drew attention to the most important solutions specific to both spectroscopy itself (ATR technique) and chemometric data processing tools (PCA and PLS models). The objective of the current paper is to collect and consistently present information on various aspects of FT-IR spectroscopy, which is not only a well-known and well-established method but is also continuously developing. The innovative aspect of the current review is to show FT-IR's great versatility that allows its applications to solve and explain issues from both the scientific domain (e.g., hydrogen bonds) and practical ones (e.g., technological processes, medicine, environmental protection, and food analysis). Particular attention was paid to the issue of hydrogen bonds as key non-covalent interactions, conditioning the existence of living matter and determining the number of physicochemical properties of various materials. Since the role of FT-IR spectroscopy in the field of hydrogen bond research has great significance, a historical outline of the most important qualitative and quantitative hydrogen bond theories is provided. In addition, research on selected unconventional spectral effects resulting from the substitution of protons with deuterons in hydrogen bridges is presented. The state-of-the-art and originality of the current review are that it presents a combination of uses of FT-IR spectroscopy to explain the way molecules vibrate and the effects of those vibrations on macroscopic properties, hence practical applications of given substances.

Towards the Growth of Hexagonal Boron Nitride on Ge(001)/Si Substrates by Chemical Vapor Deposition.

The growth of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on epitaxial Ge(001)/Si substrates via high-vacuum chemical vapor deposition from borazine is investigated for the first time in a systematic manner. The influences of the process pressure and growth temperature in the range of 10-7-10-3 mbar and 900-980 °C, respectively, are evaluated with respect to morphology, growth rate, and crystalline quality of the hBN films. At 900 °C, nanocrystalline hBN films with a lateral crystallite size of ~2-3 nm are obtained and confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms an atomic N:B ratio of 1 ± 0.1. A three-dimensional growth mode is observed by atomic force microscopy. Increasing the process pressure in the reactor mainly affects the growth rate, with only slight effects on crystalline quality and none on the principle growth mode. Growth of hBN at 980 °C increases the average crystallite size and leads to the formation of 3-10 well-oriented, vertically stacked layers of hBN on the Ge surface. Exploratory ab initio density functional theory simulations indicate that hBN edges are saturated by hydrogen, and it is proposed that partial de-saturation by H radicals produced on hot parts of the set-up is responsible for the growth.

Characterisation of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in Small Watercourses of the European Central Plains Ecoregion and the Effect of Different Environmental Factors.

Most publications on the influence of environmental factors on macroinvertebrate communities focus on large rivers, whereas relatively few examine small watercourses in agricultural areas, which, due to their size and pressure from intensive agricultural production, are much more susceptible to the effects of unfavourable environmental conditions or anthropopressure. The aim of our study was to compare the biodiversity of macrozoobenthos assemblages and to determine the effects of physicochemical and hydrological conditions on their abundance and density in 10 small rivers in agricultural areas located in northwest (53°23' N 15°14' E) and central (52°11' N 20°48' E) Poland. In total, 105 taxa were recorded, with the majority being euryoecious. Among the assessed physicochemical parameters, oxygenation was found to affect the density and number of taxa; another important factor was the content of nitrate nitrogen. Sensitivity to changes in water temperature was observed in some macrozoobenthos taxa (especially Decapoda). Of the examined hydrological parameters, the greatest effects were exerted by speed, flow, and depth.

Fish size effect on sagittal otolith outer shape variability in round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas 1814).

Round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas 1814) has become a significant component in the diet of piscivorous fish from the Pomeranian Bay (Bornholm Basin, Baltic Sea). Proper identification of fish species in the diet of predators is significant in biological studies of fish and other aquatic animal species, and, with regard to N. melanostomus, it is important to the knowledge of trophic web structures in areas this species has invaded. A total of 142 individuals of N. melanostomus, measuring 16-174 mm standard length, were examined. Seventy-two fishes were caught during monitoring surveys in fishing grounds, whereas 70 were found in the stomachs of European perch Perca fluviatilis, pike-perch Sander lucioperca and Baltic cod Gadus morhua. The objective of the present study was to analyse the sagittal otoliths to identify variations in outer shape with increases in fish length; expand and correct descriptions of the sagitta, lapillus and asteriscus otoliths; and evaluate the relationships among otolith dimensions and fish standard length. The otoliths were described morphologically. The analysis of the outer shape of sagittal otoliths using Fourier analysis and multivariate statistics exhibited great phenotypic variability that was associated with fish length, including within pairs in individuals and/or among individuals in length classes. In addition, the asterisci and lapilli of N. melanostomus from selected specimens, which were described for the first time with regard to fish length, were found to be less variable compared to sagittal otoliths. This study presents the first analysis of intrapopulation phenotypic plasticity of N. melanostomus sagittal otolith morphology as it is linked to fish size.

Investigation of the Oxidation Behavior of Graphene/Ge(001) Versus Graphene/Ge(110) Systems.

The oxidation behavior of Ge(001) and Ge(110) surfaces underneath the chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown graphene films has been investigated experimentally and interpreted on the basis of ab initio calculations. Freshly grown samples were exposed to air for more than 7 months and periodically monitored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The oxidation of Ge(110) started with incubation time of several days, during which the oxidation rate was supposedly exponential. After an ultrathin oxide grew, the oxidation continued with a slow but constant rate. No incubation was detected for Ge(001). The oxide thickness was initially proportional to the square root of time. After 2 weeks, the rate saturated at a value fivefold higher than that for Ge(110). We argue that after the initial phase, the oxidation is limited by the diffusion of oxidizing species through atomic-size openings at graphene domain boundaries and is influenced by the areal density and by the structural quality of the boundaries, whereby the latter determines the initial behavior. Prolonged exposure affected the surface topography and reduced the strain in graphene. In the last step, both the air-exposed samples were annealed in vacuum at 850 °C. This removed oxygen from the substrate and restored the samples to their initial state. These findings might constitute an important step toward further optimization of graphene grown on Ge.

Pleomorphic adenoma - the results of a retrospective analysis of 104 patients treated at the Clinical Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Clinic of Otolaryngology and Laryngologic Oncology of the Military Institute of Medicine.

Pleomorphic adenoma, also known as tumor mixtus, is one of the most common types of benign neoplasm of the salivary gland, which presents as a slow growing, painless tumor. Major salivary glands are the typical localization of this neoplasm. It rarely undergoes malignant transformation, however may recur locally post resection. In this study, we present the results of a retrospective analysis of 104 patients treated at the Clinical Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Clinic of Otolaryngology and Laryngologic Oncology of the Military Institute of Medicine between 2004 and 2015 due to pleomorphic adenoma. The study confirmed the parotid gland as the most common location of tumor mixtus. In some cases, the large size of the tumor and its location were the cause of life-threatening complications.

Parotid gland tumors. Results of retrospective analysis of 149 patients treated at the Clinical Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Clinic of Otolaryngology and Oncologic Laryngology of Military Institute of Medicine in Warsaw in years 2006-2016.

Wstep: Nowotwory majace swoja etiologie w gruczolach slinowych wystepuja rzadko i stanowia ok. 3-10% wszystkich guzów w obrebie glowy i szyi. Material i metody: W latach 2006-2016 w Klinicznym Oddziale Chirurgii Czaszkowo-Szczekowo-Twarzowej Wojskowego Instytutu Medycznego w Warszawie z powodu nowotworów slinianek przyusznych hospitalizowano i leczono 149 pacjentów. Podstawa do analizy byly historie chorób pacjentów, wyniki badan histopatologicznych oraz protokoly zabiegów operacyjnych. Wyniki: W 126 przypadkach guzy byly lagodne, natomiast w 26 guzy zlosliwe. Analizujac wyniki mozna stwierdzic, ze nowotwory - zarówno lagodne, jak i zlosliwe - czesciej wystepowaly u mezczyzn. Sredni wiek calej grupy badanych wynosil 58,3 lat, dla zmian zlosliwych - 65,5 lat, a dla zmian lagodnych byl nieznacznie nizszy i wynosil 56,9 lat. Wsród pacjentów objetych analiza szczyt zachorowalnosci przypadal na przedzial wiekowy 60-69 lat. Ponadto zwraca uwage, iz przedzial ten byl taki sam dla ogólnej liczby guzów, jak i nowotworów lagodnych, natomiast dla nowotworów zlosliwych byl nieznacznie wyzszy i wynosil 70-79 lat. Z analizy zebranego materialu wynika, ze guzy lagodne wystepowaly znamiennie czesciej, stanowiac 84,56% wszystkich guzów. Najczestszymi rozpoznaniami wsród nowotworów lagodnych byly gruczolak wielopostaciowy (adenoma pleomorphicum) oraz gruczolak limfatyczny (adenolymphoma), które stanowily lacznie 93,66%. Rezultaty badan wskazuja, ze wsród nowotworów zlosliwych dominowaly: gruczolakorak polimorficzny o niskiej zlosliwosci (polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma) wystepujacy w 26,07% przypadków, gruczolakorak inaczej nieokreslony (adenocarcinoma NOS) oraz rak zrazikowokomórkowy (acinic cell carcinoma). Kazdy z nich stanowil po 13,04% rozpoznan. Jak wynika z przeprowadzonej analizy najczestsza metoda leczenia bylo leczenie chirurgiczne jako metoda stosowana samodzielnie. Wnioski: Uzyskane z retrospektywnej analizy dane koreluja z pismiennictwem krajowym i swiatowym.

Temporal muscle flap in reconstruction of maxillo-facial tissues.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Presents our experience in reconstruction of postsurgical defects with use of temporal muscle flap. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the years 1996-2010 we treated 10 patients with malignant neoplasms of maxillo-facial region. Following tumor removal the fascia-muscle flaps of temporal muscle were used for reconstruction. Temporal muscle flaps were applied in 5 cases for reconstructing the defect of eye socket tissue after extensive resections and in the other 5 patients was used for reconstructing the defect of palate following maxillary resections. RESULTS: All the flaps of temporal muscle that were used for reconstructing eye sockets incorporated with no local reaction. In one case of flap applied into the oral cavity for tightly separate from nasal, partial necrosis of flap's edge and oro-nasal fistula occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Fascia-muscular flap of temporal muscle is a simple, easy and effective method of tissue reconstruction in maxillo-facial region following extensive oncologic procedures.

[Calcification of heart valves in hemodialized patients and their cardiosurgical correction]. / Kalcyfikacja zastawek serca u chorych hemodializowanych i ich kardiochirurgiczna korekta.

Development of vascular and systemic calcification is one of the more serious and often occurring complications in hemodialyzed patients. The cardiac valves calcifications are of the essential importance. They are result of the very complicated calcification process connected with hyperphosphataemia, hyperparathyroidism, calcium carbonate administering and active vitamin D3 metabolites as well as using dialysis fluids with high concentration of calcium. Elevated P and Ca x P product are both significant predictors of cardiovascular mortality in hemodialized patients. We describe two patients with cardiac failure because of cardiac valves calcification. Both patients underwent artificial valves implantation. The patients showed a marked improvement of the quality of life and haemodynamic status.

Mechanism of the contractile effects of galantide and Galanin(1-14) [alpha-aminobutyric acid]scyliorhinin-I in rat isolated fundus strips.

BACKGROUND: The study was undertaken to establish the pharmacological basis of the stimulatory activity of galantide (M15) and galanin(1-14)-(a-aminobutyric acid8-[Abu8])scyliorhinin-I [Scy-I] in gastric smooth muscle. MATERIAL/METHODS: Isotonic contractions of the isolated, longitudinal rat gastric fundus strips were recorded. RESULTS: Galanin, galanin(1-15)-NH2, M15 and galanin(1-14)-[Abu8]Scy-I elicited concentration-dependent contractions. Their EC50s equaled 12.95, 174, 70.06 and 187 nM respectively. Hill's coefficients for galanin and galanin(1-15)-NH2 were not different from unity, indicating an interaction of one peptide molecule with one receptor according to the principles of classical receptor theory. Hill's coefficients were 0.73 and 1.56 for M15 and galanin (1-14)-[Abu8]Scy-I, respectively, a value significantly different from unity. Cold-storage denervation, tetrodotoxin-TTX (1 mM), spantide (100 mM) and NK1-3 receptor antagonists SR140333, 48968, 142801 (up to 10 mM) notably diminished M15, galanin(1-14)-[Abu8]Scy-I, SP(5-11) and [Abu8]-Scy-I evoked contractions without affecting activities of galanin and galanin(1-15)-NH2. Additionally, cross-desensitization experiments attenuated activity of M15 and galanin(1-14)-[Abu8]Scy-I without any noticeable action on galanin or galanin(1-15)-NH2. CONCLUSIONS: The action of chimeric peptides on the smooth muscle of the rat gastrointestinal tract depended not only on the myogenic interaction of those peptides with galanin binding sites, but also on the activation of tachykinin receptors or the release of endogenous mediators from the presynaptic terminals.