Valence fragmentation dynamics of a promising low global warming etching gas CFCHCF.

CHF (CFCHCF, KSG14), a promising low global warming potential (GWP < 1) alternative to traditional perfluorocarbon etching gases for advanced integrated circuit manufacturing, particularly for high-aspect-ratio SiO/SiN stacked layers in 3D flash memory. This study investigates the dissociative photoionization dynamics of CHF across 10.0-26.

Time-Resolved Probing of the Iodobenzene C-Band Using XUV-Induced Electron Transfer Dynamics.

Time-resolved extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy was used to investigate photodissociation within the iodobenzene C-band. The carbon-iodine bond of iodobenzene was photolyzed at 200 nm, and the ensuing dynamics were probed at 10.3 nm (120 eV) over a 4 ps range.

A hyaluronic acid-containing reagent compatible with glass-bottom dishes and capable of sustained binding of human spermatozoa.

Objective: Commercial products currently available for sperm selection utilizing hyaluronic acid (HA) binding prior to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are widely used but have some disadvantages. To potentially circumvent these limitations, we compared ICSI using a self-made hyaluronic acid (smHA) reagent with ICSI using SpermSlow.

Methods: The binding of the reagents to spermatozoa on plastic- or glass-bottom dishes was quantitated using spermatozoa that were isolated by density-gradient centrifugation and swim-up procedures (N = 10/group).

The Role of Momentum Partitioning in Covariance Ion Imaging Analysis.

We present results from a covariance ion imaging study, which employs extensive filtering, on the relationship between fragment momenta to gain deeper insight into photofragmentation dynamics. A new data analysis approach is introduced that considers the momentum partitioning between the fragments of the breakup of a molecular polycation to disentangle concurrent fragmentation channels, which yield the same ion species. We exploit this approach to examine the momentum exchange relationship between the products, which provides direct insight into the dynamics of molecular fragmentation.

Exploring the ultrafast and isomer-dependent photodissociation of iodothiophenes site-selective ionization.

C-I bond extension and fission following ultraviolet (UV, 262 nm) photoexcitation of 2- and 3-iodothiophene is studied using ultrafast time-resolved extreme ultraviolet (XUV) ionization in conjunction with velocity map ion imaging. The photoexcited molecules and eventual I atom products are probed by site-selective ionization at the I 4d edge using intense XUV pulses, which induce multiple charges initially localized to the iodine atom. At C-I separations below the critical distance for charge transfer (CT), charge can redistribute around the molecule leading to Coulomb explosion and charged fragments with high kinetic energy.

Evaluation of Lipopolysaccharide and Interleukin-6 as Useful Screening Tool for Chronic Endometritis.

Universal diagnostic criteria for chronic endometritis (CE) have not been established due to differences in study design among researchers and a lack of typical clinical cases. Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) have been reported to cause inflammation in the reproductive systems of several animals. This study aimed to elucidate the influence of LPS in the pathogenesis of CE in humans.

Chiroptical Performances in Self-Assembled Hierarchical Nanosegregated Chiral Intermediate Phases Composed of Two Different Achiral Bent-Core Molecules.

In this paper, chiral intermediate phases composed of two achiral molecules are fabricated by utilizing nanophase separation and molecular hierarchical self-organization. An achiral bent-core guest molecule, exhibiting a calamitic nematic and a dark conglomerate phase according to the temperature, is mixed with another achiral bent-core host molecule possessing a helical nanofilament to separate the phases between them. Two nanosegregated phases are identified, and considerable chiroptical changes, such as circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence, are detected at the transition temperatures between the different nanophase-separated states.

The effect of the structure of a helical nanofilament of the B4 phase of bent-core liquid crystals on the nano-phase separation mixed with a rod-like cholesteric liquid crystal mixture.

We studied the structure of a helical nano-filament of the B4 phase in mixtures of a cholesteric liquid crystal mixture and a bent-core molecule using a resonant soft X-ray scattering (RSoXS) technique. In this system, nanophase separation occurs and it was already found that an unexpected new functional chiral smectic structure in the rod-like molecule rich region is constructed by the strong interaction between bent-core and rod-like molecules. In this paper, we focused on the structure of the helical filament in the bent-core liquid crystalline molecule rich region in this mixing system, and it was found that the pitch of the helical filament decreases and the coherence of the helical structure increases.

Disentangling sequential and concerted fragmentations of molecular polycations with covariant native frame analysis.

We present results from an experimental ion imaging study into the fragmentation dynamics of 1-iodopropane and 2-iodopropane following interaction with extreme ultraviolet intense femtosecond laser pulses with a photon energy of 95 eV. Using covariance imaging analysis, a range of observed fragmentation pathways of the resulting polycations can be isolated and interrogated in detail at relatively high ion count rates (∼12 ions shot). By incorporating the recently developed native frames analysis approach into the three-dimensional covariance imaging procedure, contributions from three-body concerted and sequential fragmentation mechanisms can be isolated.

Quantitative evaluation of intercellular local deformation of human oocytes during Piezo-assisted intracytoplasmic sperm injection using video-based motion analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the quantitative properties of local deformation of the ooplasm during Piezo-assisted intracytoplasmic sperm injection (Piezo-ICSI) and oocyte developmental fate after Piezo-ICSI.

Design: Video-based motion analysis and case-control study.

Setting: Private fertility center.

Specific chemical bond relaxation unraveled by analysis of shake-up satellites in the oxygen single site double core hole spectrum of CO.

We recently developed [A. Ferté, , , 2020, , 4359] a method to compute single site double core hole (ssDCH or K) spectra. We refer to that method as NOTA+CIPSI.

Multi-channel photodissociation and XUV-induced charge transfer dynamics in strong-field-ionized methyl iodide studied with time-resolved recoil-frame covariance imaging.

The photodissociation dynamics of strong-field ionized methyl iodide (CH3I) were probed using intense extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation produced by the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser (SACLA). Strong-field ionization and subsequent fragmentation of CH3I was initiated by an intense femtosecond infrared (IR) pulse. The ensuing fragmentation and charge transfer processes following multiple ionization by the XUV pulse at a range of pump-probe delays were followed in a multi-mass ion velocity-map imaging (VMI) experiment.

Photoelectron based soft x-ray detector for removing high order x rays.

Soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in the low energy region below 200 eV is important to investigate chemical and biological phenomena under an atmospheric condition since it covers K-edges of Li and B and L-edges of Si, P, S, and Cl. Monochromatic soft x rays usually include not only first order x rays but also high order x rays due to the high order diffraction of a plane grating monochromator. It is difficult to measure XAS in the low energy region under an atmospheric helium condition since the transmitted soft x rays mostly consist of the high order x rays due to the low transmission of the first order x rays.

Advanced Computation Method for Double Core Hole Spectra: Insight into the Nature of Intense Shake-up Satellites.

Double core hole spectroscopy is an ideal framework for investigating photoionization shake-up satellites. Their important intensity in a single site double core hole (ssDCH) spectrum allows the exploration of the subtle mix of relaxation and correlation effects associated with the inherent multielectronic character of the shake-up process. We present a high-accuracy computation method for single photon double core-shell photoelectron spectra that combines a selected configuration interaction procedure with the use of non-orthogonal molecular orbitals to obtain unbiased binding energy and intensity.

Zeeman quantum beats of helium Rydberg states excited by synchrotron radiation.

Quantum beats in fluorescence decay from Zeeman-split magnetic sublevels have been measured for helium Rydberg states excited by synchrotron radiation. The Zeeman quantum beats observed in this prototypical case were fitted with an equation from a theoretical formulation. It is proposed that Zeeman quantum beat measurement can be a useful way to simply evaluate the polarization characteristics of extreme ultraviolet light.

Probing molecular bond-length using molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions.

The molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions (MFPADs) in O 1s photoemission from CO molecule were measured. Patterns due to photoelectron diffractions were observed in the MFPADs. The polarization-averaged MFPADs were compared with theoretical calculation and were found to be useful in determining the molecular bond-length, which is a component to determine molecular structures.

Pressure-induced local symmetry breaking upon liquid-liquid transition of GeI and SnI.

SnI and GeI have been confirmed to have another liquid state appearing on compression. To identify the microscopic pathway from the low- to high-pressure liquid states, the structure of these liquids in the appropriate thermodynamic regions was analyzed using a reverse Monte Carlo method. The occurrence of pressure-induced symmetry lowering of molecules, from regular tetrahedral to ammonia-like pyramidal symmetry, was then recognizable in these systems.

Superfluorescence, Free-Induction Decay, and Four-Wave Mixing: Propagation of Free-Electron Laser Pulses through a Dense Sample of Helium Ions.

We report an experimental and numerical study of the propagation of free-electron laser pulses (wavelength 24.3 nm) through helium gas. Ionization and excitation populates the He^{+} 4p state.

Observation of an optical vortex beam from a helical undulator in the XUV region.

The observation of an optical vortex beam at 60 nm wavelength, produced as the second-harmonic radiation from a helical undulator, is reported. The helical wavefront of the optical vortex beam was verified by measuring the interference pattern between the vortex beam from a helical undulator and a normal beam from another undulator. Although the interference patterns were slightly blurred owing to the relatively large electron beam emittance, it was possible to observe the interference features thanks to the helical wavefront of the vortex beam.

Hard-X-Ray-Induced Multistep Ultrafast Dissociation.

Creation of deep core holes with very short (τ≤1  fs) lifetimes triggers a chain of relaxation events leading to extensive nuclear dynamics on a few-femtosecond time scale. Here we demonstrate a general multistep ultrafast dissociation on an example of HCl following Cl 1s→σ^{*} excitation. Intermediate states with one or multiple holes in the shallower core electron shells are generated in the course of the decay cascades.

sHLA-G and sHLA-I levels in follicular fluid are not associated with successful implantation.

In the field of in vitro fertilization (IVF), useful markers for the prediction of successful implantation for oocyte or embryo selection are essential. It has been reported that sHLA-G (sHLA-G1/HLA-G5) could be detected in the supernatant of the fertilized embryo and in follicular fluid samples (FFs), and that the presence of sHLA-G was related to successful implantation. If sHLA-G could be used as a marker of oocyte selection from multiple FFs, oocytes could be selected without physical contact, thus reducing the likelihood of damage.

Successful pregnancy by vitrified-warmed embryo transfer for a woman with Kallmann syndrome.

Purpose: Kallmann syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia. We report the case of a 31-year-old woman with Kallmann syndrome who successfully gave birth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and vitrified-warmed embryo transfer, despite relatively ineffective ovarian stimulation.

Method: A 30 year-old woman with primary amenorrhea wished to achieve pregnancy.

Double core-hole creation by sequential attosecond photoionization.

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrates that a single core-hole krypton with a 170-as lifetime can be photoionized again to a double core-hole state by an intense x-ray pulse. The observation indicates that unconventional interaction between intense x rays and atoms is no more negligible in applications with x-ray free-electron lasers. Quantitative analysis of the double core-hole creation including effects of a pulsed and spiky temporal structure enables estimation of the x-ray pulse duration in the sub-10-fs range.

Demonstration of up-conversion fluorescence from Ar clusters in intense free-electron-laser fields.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) fluorescence emitted from Ar clusters irradiated by intense EUV free electron laser (FEL) pulses has been investigated. The EUV fluorescence spectra display rich structure at wavelengths shorter than the incident FEL wavelength of 51 nm. The results suggest that multiply-charged ions are produced following the ion-electron recombination processes which occur in the nanoplasma created by multi-photon excitation during the intense EUV-FEL pulses.

Observation of free-electron-laser-induced collective spontaneous emission (superfluorescence).

We have observed and characterized 501.6 nm collective spontaneous emission (superfluorescence) following 1s(2) → 1s3p excitation of helium atoms by 53.7 nm free-electron laser radiation.