Dentin is a mesenchymal tissue, and, as such, is based on a collagenous matrix that is reinforced by apatite mineral. Collagen fibrils show piezoelectricity, a phenomenon that is used by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) to obtain high-resolution images. We applied PFM to image human dentin with 10-nm resolution, and to test the hypothesis that zones of piezoactivity, indicating the presence...

A mechanism for the switching behavior of (111)-oriented Pb(Zr, Ti)O3-based 1 × 1.5 μm2 capacitors has been investigated using three-dimensional piezoresponse force microscopy (3D-PFM). A combination of vertical and lateral piezoresponse force microscopy (VPFM and LPFM) has been used to map the out-of-plane and the in-plane components of the polarization. The three-dimensional polarization dist...

Tackling climate change and environmental sustainability requires collaboration of multiple stakeholders, across several sectors. Traditionally, government responses to issues have tended come from regulation, taxation, subsidies. This article is concerned with taking a holistic approach integrating into policy practice through public financial management (PFM) proposes incorporating features l...

We observed a new approach being adopted in the software industry that combines a business model with strong technical support. This Product Flow Model combines aspects of the Product Line model with workflow concepts for virtual enterprises. The Product Flow Model (PFM) addresses the costly ongoing maintenance of major products being delivered to customers. When such maintenance is provided by...

It is essential to have enhanced efficiency for the DC-DC converters operating in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous (DCM). This requires a hybrid controller designed using pulse width modulation (PWM) frequency (PFM) schemes. paper fixates on boundary-based control algorithm second-order converter - switched boost converter. The proposed works PWM scheme CCM operation, whereas ...

OBJECTIVE To determine which anthropometric measurement is the most reliable alternative for fat distribution as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). DESIGN Population-based survey carried out in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A total of 376 individuals (200 women) with a mean age of 36.5 years and mean body mass index (BMI) of 24.0 (+/-3.1) kg/m2 underwent ...

OBJECTIVES To determine the ability of children and adolescents with acute asthma exacerbations to adhere to national guidelines for proper metered-dose inhaler (MDI) and peak flow meter (PFM) technique and to define characteristics associated with improper use. DESIGN A prospective study in which the patients were instructed to use a placebo MDI or a PFM in the emergency department exactly a...

OBJECTIVES This retrospective survey assessed the clinical survival of zirconia-based crowns (PFZ) and conventional porcelain- fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns on posterior teeth in private practice. METHOD AND MATERIALS A print survey of 13 private practitioners was conducted to assess the long-term survival of previously placed full-coverage crowns. The practitioners reported a total of 2,182 pr...

We report here on the extension of Passive Flux Meter (PFM) applications for measuring fluxes of oxyanions in groundwater, and present results for laboratory and field studies. Granular activated carbon, with and without impregnated silver (GAC and SI-GAC, respectively), was modified with a cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA), to enhance the anion exchange capacity (AEC). La...

Inspired by biological information scheme, pulse frequency modulation (PFM) technique is robust for noise sources due to its digital encode of analog signals. In a viewpoint of image sensors, PFM is also useful for a wide dynamic range and has already been demonstrated over 60 dB. We have designed a pixel circuit of a CMOS image sensor using PFM for the next generation architecture of vision ch...