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Online process control is a crucial task in modern production systems that use digital twin technology. The data acquisition from machines must provide reliable and on-the-fly data, reflecting the ...

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by clinical aggressiveness, lack of recognized target therapy, and a dismal patient prognosis. Several studies addressed genomic changes occurring during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) focusing on somatic variants, but without including copy number alterations (CNAs). We analyzed CNA profiles of 31 TNBC primary tumor samples before and after NAC and of 35 single circulating tumor cells (CTCs) collected prior, during and after treatment by using next-generation sequencing targeted profile and low-pass whole genome sequencing, respectively. In pre-treatment tissue samples, the most common gains occurred on chromosomes 1, 2 and 8, and SOX11 and MYC resulted the most altered genes. Notably, amplification of MSH2 (4/4 versus 0/12, p PRDM1 and deletion of PAX3 (4/4 versus 1/12, p MYC, BCL6, SOX2, FGFR4. The phylogenetic analysis of CTCs within a single patient revealed NAC impact on tumor evolution, suggesting a selection of driver events under treatment pressure. In conclusion, our data showed how chemoresistance might arise early from treatment-induced selection of clones already present in the primary tumor, and that the characterization of CNAs on single CTCs informs on cancer evolution and potential druggable targets.

This paper presents the experimental results obtained by applying the results of some recently concluded European projects, whose objective was the development and validation of hardware and control systems for production, based on understanding, evaluating and controlling the performance of a machine tool. It is based on a self-learning controller capable of managing a large quantity of data acquired by sensor systems, as well as on-board artifacts and finished work piece measurements that, associated to operating conditions, permit the accumulation of knowledge regarding the behaviour of machines. Relying on this experience-based approach, the controller can predict the errors that a machining process will present under different conditions and can thus adapt compensation tables. The approach set out has been implemented in a demonstrator consisting of a 5-axis high-precision boring machine, fully functional in an industrial shop floor but used under controlled environmental conditions (thermostatic chamber and special machine foundations). Its software system supports measurement procedures and is able to integrate data acquisition from different sensor systems, to calculate the volumetric error with 3D representations, to provide models for calculation of error functions and to integrate communication processes with the CNC. It can therefore operate in actual production sites, introducing relevant improvements in the machine tools manufacturing field. This paper presents the experimental results obtained during the project validation, including a comparison between on field measurements and compensation tables calculated on the basis of the predictions of the self-learning system. The analysis of the data gathered highlights the system's capability to deal with both simple linear dependencies (e.g. between error and mass variation) and complex, non-linear but repeatable trends. Results discussion, relating to two different and independent axis, demonstrates the applicability of the system under real operating conditions.

This paper is about a mechanical solution to vibration problem of a wrapper flow pack mechanism, which is used in packaging industry. The target mechanism is the welding head of the machine where the vibration is generated, due to eccentric masses rotating with a cut-on-the-fly motion law. Consequently, production rate is limited by the vibration at 200 pieces per minute. To reduce the vibration so that the production rate can exceed over 200 ppm, two ways of improvements are considered. The first one is optimizing the motion law. The other one consists in mechanical modifications which eliminates or balance out the inertia forces derived from the eccentric rotating mass. This research implements the second way of adding balance weights and discusses the properties of it. During analysis, the software ADAMS which provides kinematic simulation is used as the analytical tool to test and examine the solutions proposed.

The vibrational effects created by machines moving parts is strictly related with the characteristics of the law of motion they implement, both in case of cam-follower devices and in case of servo system electronic cam controls. One of the most effective way to prevent these harmful phenomena is to limit the harmonic content of the law of motion by designing their curve as a combination of few, low frequencies, sinusoidal curves, but this often makes difficult to satisfy other functional requirements like precision points or constant speed intervals. In this work an original method to solve this problem is illustrated. It adds to the programming language CamOMiLe new functions to assist the functional design of mechanisms. The combination of the classical theory results with the flexibility of CamOMiLe building block approach makes possible to address a large number of practical applications and two examples of them are illustrated.

1093 Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) expressing epithelial markers (EPCAM, cytokeratin (CK)) and lacking CD45 (a leukocyte marker) have been associated with poor outcome in many cancer types. Nonetheless, the presence of cells expressing both CK and CD45 (CK+/CD45+), circulating in the blood of cancer patients (pts) have also been reported, but not widely investigated. Early evidence indicates that circulating dual-positive cells (DPcells) are hybrids deriving from the fusion of tumor cells and macrophages. We previously reported that it is possible to detect DPcells in the blood of pts with metastatic breast cancer (BC) and that they are associated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS), in pts with pos), whereas DPcell were detected in 152 samples (44.6%, range 0-53), of which 66 (43.4%) were CTCpos and 86 (56.6%) CTCneg. Overall, DPcells were associated with a shorter OS: median OS 24.5 vs 35.0 months, p=0.046. However, when analyzing CTCpos and CTCneg separately, only the latter group showed a difference in OS according to DPcells presence. In particular, among CTCneg pts, those with ≥4 DPcells showed a 2.3-fold shorter OS (26.7 vs 60.6 months, p=0.025). Moreover, pts with ≥4 DPcells were less likely to experience a 6-months PFS clinical benefit (p=0.015). Interestingly, in the analysis by BC subtype, DPcells were confirmed to be associated with worse OS only in pts with triple negative BC (median OS 11.5 vs 16.9, p=0.048). To explore the exiology of DPcells, 2 out of 3 cells analyzed after single-cell isolation from 1 patient were confirmed to have copy number alterations (CNA) consistent with malignant cells. CNA and mutational profiling of additional single DPcells and CTCs are ongoing. Conclusions: DPcells are associated with worse OS in aBC pts, with the prognostic impact primarily in pts with

The term ‘flexural tensegrity’ applies to beam-like structures composed of segments in unilateral contact, whose integrity under flexion is provided by tendons (cables), tensioned and later anchored at the end segments. In addition to the cable tension, the constitutive response depends upon the shape of the contact surfaces between consecutive segments, identified by the corresponding pitch lines and constructed with a double couple of conjugate profiles, in order to achieve an internal constraint equivalent to a spring hinge. The response is non-local in type, because the cable elongation, and consequently the stiffness of the spring hinges, depends upon the rotations of all the segments, but this effect becomes negligible under moderate deflections. In this case, the structure can be approximated with an elastica in the continuum limit. Testing of prototypes, manufactured with a 3D printer, shows a very good agreement with the theoretical predictions for different designs of the spring hinges. The system, whose stiffness can be functionally graded and actively controlled, can be packaged when the cable is slack and deployed by pulling the cable at one extremity. It appears particularly suitable to build soft arms for robotics or deployable compliant booms for aerospace applications.

Early within-season weather conditions forecast and yield prediction can provide useful information to improve farmers' management decisions and to create a unique opportunity for implementing new solutions to specifically address key aspects of agricultural systems.Within the aims of the EU funded Horizon 2020 MED-GOLD project (https://www.med-gold.eu/), a durum wheat case study has been established to assess an innovative climate service tools for the management of climate risks and to increase yield and reduce potential risk.In this study, the added value of seasonal forecast was assessed by looking at the historical yield data and by comparing the data provided by climate service tool with traditional crop forecasting systems.For three hot spot areas (Ravenna, Ancona, and Foggia), the skills of the ECMWF-System5 seasonal time-scale forecasting provided through the Copernicus Data Store (CDS) were evaluated as a driver to the crop modeling system DELPHI, to test their added value to durum wheat yield prediction.Initially, the DELPHI model was run with observed daily weather data from sowing to harvest to obtain the reference yield. Then, yield predictions were calculated at a monthly time step, starting from February 1st and April 1st, by feeding the model with synthetic weather scenarios based on historical observations (dry, average, wet scenario - current mode) and with weather seasonal forecast (new tool) until the end of the growing season. Results for yield prediction on the basis of the current DELPHI System (historical scenarios) and on the basis of seasonal forecast (25 ensembles) were compared against reference yield.For Foggia and Ancona, in low yielding crop years and 4 months before harvest, the mean yield prediction based on the new DELPHI System tool show lower normalized root mean square error values (nRMSE) than yield predictions based on the current DELPHI system, while the latter performs better 2 months before harvest. The opposite conditions arise for the Ravenna area: lower nRMSE for the current DELPHI system 4 months before harvest and lower nRMSE for the new DELPHI system 2 months before harvest. In high yielding crop years, the new DELPHI system performs better than the current one in all the study areas both 4 and 2 months before harvest, except in Foggia where the current DELPHI system shows lower nRMSE 2 months before harvest. In general, the availability of unbiased data slightly improved the yield forecast, with the best result achieved for the high yielding crop year in Ancona, where 2 months before harvest the nRMSE dropped from 20.3% (biased) to 9.3% (unbiased). Based on these first promising results this benchmarking framework will be extended over a wider study area and for the full reanalysis temporal coverage.

IoT (Internet-of-things) platforms can connect sensors and devices along supply chains of production and logistics systems, as well as end users of products, allowing for co-designed and customized solutions. This paper aims to present perspectives for the IoT-based integration of manufacturing lines. More specifically, it will address the implementation of these platforms for the cyber-physical integration of distributed and highly automated manufacturing lines of customized items. A Systematic Literature Review was conducted in order to identify the main characteristics of the research area and to cluster research and practical perspectives. As results, bibliometric analysis has evidenced the continuous growth of the research area and the most important scientific journals publishing content related to IoT-based platforms for distributed manufacturing lines. In the content analysis, the perspectives are clustered in: (i) conceptual propositions and requirements, (ii) new methods and models for supporting decision-making, (iii) development of technology-based approaches, and (iv) empirical studies. As conclusion, the paper wraps up with the description of interesting avenues from both a scientific and a praxis-oriented point-of-view.

The capability of additive manufacturing (AM) to produce one-of-a-kind products makes it suitable to medical and pharmaceutical devices production, enabling the large-scale implementation of the personalized medicine paradigm. In this paper, to support planning, designing, and performance evaluation of an AM plant for large scale production of medical devices for healing chronic wounds, a simulation-based analysis was performed. Obtained results support planning and design decision-making, allowing for a better choice among alternative set-ups, and contribute to the evaluation of potential benefits and economic feasibility of new AM technologies.

This paper is aimed at considering supply chain and related data management within an integrated vision of the product lifecycle management (PLM) implemented through the unified approach which is proper to the Industry 4.0 initiative. In particular, with the proposed manufacturing system architecture, decision support tools can use a unified repository fed by a factory replication application, powered by data from the field, even from remote production units. Such data allow to monitor the behaviour of the digital twin of the real machine and produces a digital twin of the real product, incorporating its actual characteristics measured by means of suitable acquiring systems (in the treated example: a 3D laser scanner). Moreover, it is provided a description of the plant technological subsystems that allow to share designing and manufacturing activities across multiple similar units located in remote areas. In this context of virtual enterprise, the supply chain management results as a key factor in enabling a cooperative approach.

This paper demonstrates that—for high-electric fields and drain current levels—the electroluminescence (EL) versus VGS curves of GaN-on-Si radio frequency HEMTs significantly deviate from the well-known bell-shape, due to the turn-on of a secondary EL process that has not been described so far in the literature. Based on the combined EL measurements, electrical characterization, and thermal analysis, we demonstrate that: 1) for moderate gate and drain voltages, the EL versus VGS curve has the characteristic bell shape, and light emission originates from hot electrons injected from the source; EL signal is stronger at the edges of the gate, due to the higher electric field; 2) at high drain/gate bias and temperature, a second process induces a monotonic increase in the EL versus VGS curve; in this case, the EL signal is stronger at the center of the gate, and the EL intensity is directly correlated with the gate leakage current. Based on the experimental evidence collected within this paper, the secondary luminescence process is ascribed to: 1) the injection of carriers from the gate metal to the channel; 2) the acceleration of these electrons by the high gate–drain field; and c) the subsequent radiative emission.

Cancer treatment options are increasing. However, even among the same tumor histotype, interpatient tumor heterogeneity should be considered for best therapeutic result. Metabolomics represents the last addition to promising “omic” sciences such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. Biochemical transformation processes underlying energy production and biosynthetic processes have been recognized as a hallmark of the cancer cell and hold a promise to build a bridge between genotype and phenotype. Since breast tumors represent a collection of different diseases, understanding metabolic differences between molecular subtypes offers a way to identify new subtype-specific treatment strategies, especially if metabolite changes are evaluated in the broader context of the network of enzymatic reactions and pathways. Here, after a brief overview of the literature, original metabolomics data in a series of 92 primary breast cancer patients undergoing surgery at the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori of Milano are reported highlighting a series of metabolic differences across various molecular subtypes. In particular, the difficult-to-treat luminal B subgroup represents a tumor type which preferentially relies on fatty acids for energy, whereas HER2 and basal-like ones show prevalently alterations in glucose/glutamine metabolism.

This paper proposes a reconfigurability index. Its development is based on five core characteristics, namely modularity, integrability, diagnosability, adaptability and customization. The index takes into consideration the interdependencies that may exist among them. The analytic network process (ANP) method is used to attribute importance weights to each core characteristic. This index can be very useful in practice since it can guide manufacturing companies to a better understanding of the various enablers of reconfigurability, as well as in the decision-making process, to decide which core characteristic requires more attention, in order to further improve the reconfigurability in existing manufacturing systems.

The decoupling of epitaxial factors influencing on the dynamic instabilities of AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator semiconductor high electron mobility transistors is investigated. Three different sets of samples have been analyzed by means of dynamic instabilities in the threshold voltage (V$_{\mathrm{th}}$ shift). Secondary ion mass spectroscopy, steady-state photoluminescence (PL) measurements have been performed in conjunction with electrical characterization. The device dynamic performance is found to be significantly dependent on both the C concentration close to the channel as well as on the distance between the channel and the higher doped C region. Additionally, we note that experiments studying trapping should avoid large variations in the sheet carrier density (N$_{\mathrm{s}}$). This change in the N$_{\mathrm{s}}$ itself has a significant impact on the V$_{\mathrm{th}}$ shift. This experimental trends are also supported by a basic model and device simulation. Finally, the relationship between the yellow luminescence (YL) and the band edge (BE) ratio and the V$_{\mathrm{th}}$ shift is investigated. As long as the basic layer structure is not changed, the YL/BE ratio obtained from steady-state PL is demonstrated to be a valid method in predicting trap concentrations in the GaN channel layer.

The industrial world is undergoing many changes and often all these modifications are referred to as “industry 4.0”, a term introduced in Germany in 2011. There are many doubts about what is going to change within and without a company, in particular as regards the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) concept, and its use in this new industrial framework. Starting from the main concepts of industry 4.0 in this paper the meaning of CPS inside the framework of industry 4.0 is analyzed by defining its main features and comparing it to the business model of the fourth industrial revolution, which is based on a service oriented architecture, SOA, with the aim of a flexible, modular and customized production process.

Through the use of experimental data and Monte Carlo simulations we investigate the shielding properties of spacecraft-shell compositions exposed to 1 GeV/nucleon 56Fe ions, representative of the worst part of the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) spectrum. Through the use of the Geant4 Radiation Analysis for Space (GRAS) tool, the dose reduction and the 56Fe-fragmentation induced by those structures currently used to protect part of the International Space Station (ISS) or designed for future inflatable habitats, are analyzed. The possible effects on spacecraft electronics are discussed.

Probing electrical properties of state-of-the-art electronic devices is one of the key features of Scanning Microwave Microscopy. While providing valuable information on charge carrier properties, the combination of an atomic force microscope cantilever with a microwave signal raises the question on the actual spatial resolution of the system. On the example of the highly confined two-dimensional electron gas of an AlGaN/GaN structure, the effective tip radius is demonstrated to be in the range of the theoretical tip radius for sharp tips, while both values differ for unevenly shaped cantilever tips. The presented method demonstrates the role of the microwave excitation region for the spatial resolution of the system as well as the potential of this method to characterise the effective tip radius.

The augmented demand for medical devices devoted to tissue regeneration and possessing a controlled micro-architecture means there is a need for industrial scale-up in the production of hydrogels. A new 3D printing technique was applied to the automation of a freeze-gelation method for the preparation of chitosan scaffolds with controlled porosity. For this aim, a dedicated 3D printer was built in-house: a preliminary effort has been necessary to explore the printing parameter space to optimize the printing results in terms of geometry, tolerances and mechanical properties of the product. Analysed parameters included viscosity of the starting chitosan solution, which was measured with a Brookfield viscometer, and temperature of deposition, which was determined by filming the process with a cryocooled sensor thermal camera. Optimized parameters were applied to the production of scaffolds from solutions of chitosan alone or with the addition of raffinose as a viscosity modifier. Resulting hydrogels were characterized in terms of morphology and porosity. In vitro cell culture studies comparing 3D printed scaffolds with their homologous produced by solution casting evidenced an improvement in biocompatibility deriving from the production technique as well as from the solid state modification of chitosan stemming from the addition of the viscosity modifier.

There is nowadays a lack of knowledge and structured approaches concerning the transition of additive manufacturing systems from rapid prototyping to large scale production. The fundamental advantage of additive manufacturing to produce at virtually no additional cost complex, one-of-a-kind parts suggest addressing their integration in the direction of arranging them into the consolidated Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) paradigm. In this regard, this paper presents a procedure for the simulation-based analysis of FMS hosting additive manufacturing stations, supporting their planning, design as well as performance evaluation. A discrete-event simulation model was developed and applied for the operational evaluation of an industrial case comprising 3D-printing, automated transport, and storage systems. It has been found that simulation experiments can support planning and design decision-making, allowing for a better choice among alternative set-ups. However, the present research explored an application carried out in an academic environment where the simulation model was employed for evaluating the behaviour of new additive manufacturing technologies.

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly fatal disease mainly treated with standard chemotherapy, albeit with limited efficacy. New therapeutic options are greatly needed, but the use of targeted treatments is often prevented by the impossibility to obtain tissue biopsies for molecular characterization. Here, we propose the use of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as an alternative source of tumor material to perform molecular characterization for the identification of novel therapeutic targets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples (10 ml) from patients with advanced CCA were processed for CTC isolation as follows: -CTC enrichment with Parsortix -identification and single-cell recovery of epithelial CTCs (expressing epithelial markers) and non-conventional CTCs (lacking epithelial and leukocyte markers) using the DEPArray -whole genome amplification and quality check using Ampli1 kit and Ampli1 QC kit -mutational profiling using Ion AmpliSeq Cancer HotSpot Panel v2 and AmpliSeq somatic pipeline for variant calling -copy number alteration (CNA) analysis using Ampli1 LowPass kit, plus unsupervised clustering and frequency alteration analyses. RESULTS: We analyzed 88 single CTCs isolated from 38 blood samples longitudinally collected from 23 patients (12 with intrahepatic, 9 with extrahepatic CCA and 2 with gallbladder cancer). CNA profiles showed a high level of both inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity, with each CTC displaying a unique profile. Intra-patient heterogeneity was further confirmed by clustering analysis as, in most cases, CTCs from the same patient clustered independently. CTC clustering was also not affected by sampling time (before/during chemotherapy), nor by the anatomical location of primary tumor. Conversely, we observed an enrichment of CTCs derived from patients non-responding to therapy (showing a PD according to RECIST criteria) in 2 of the 4 identified clusters (p=0.00041). By pairwise comparison of CNAs among clusters, we identified 2 regions more frequently altered in one cluster enriched for CTCs from non-responders: 10q22.2 and 3p11.1. The latter encodes, among others, for EPHA3, a targetable gene whose involvement in chemoresistance will be investigated by in vitro studies. Mutational profiling of 19 CTCs (from 6 patients) also confirmed the high intra-patient heterogeneity with most mutations being present in only 1 CTC. This limits the applicability of this approach in patients with few CTCs. Nonetheless, in 1 patient presenting 9 CTCs, we identified 1 mutation in KIT shared by 7/9 CTCs, indicating it as a possible treatment target for this patient. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the possibility of using CTC molecular characterization to identify both resistance mechanisms and patient-specific targets, thus opening the way for a shift in treatment management of CCA towards an innovative and personalized therapy. Citation Format: Carolina Reduzzi, Marta Vismara, Marco Silvestri, Monica Niger, Rosita Motta, Giorgia Peverelli, Patrizia Miodini, Luigi Celio, Filippo De Braud, Maria G. Daidone, Vera Cappelletti. Molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells in cholangiocarcinoma patients: A new tool for treatment management [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1390.

e15637 Background: In cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), molecular analysis during disease progression is rarely feasible due to low access to tissue. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) could overcome this issue. Data on CTCs in CCA are presently insufficient to promote their use in clinical management due to their low detection rates. Improved methods to capture all CTC subpopulation are therefore needed. Methods: Peripheral blood (PB) was longitudinally collected from patients with metastatic/unresectable CCA (intrahepatic, extrahepatic and gallbladder). CTCs were enriched from PB (10mL) with Parsortix, labeled for epithelial and leukocyte markers, and analyzed in the DEPArray to collect i) single CTCs positive for epithelial markers (eCTC) and ii) single double negative cells (DNC) lacking epithelial and leukocyte markers. DNCs underwent WGA and low-pass WGS to detect copy number alterations. DNCs with aberrant genotype were defined as non-conventional CTCs (ncCTCs). Results: Forty-one blood samples were collected from 21 patients receiving gemcitabine and/or platinum-based regimens. We detected 18 eCTCs and 73 ncCTCs, respectively in 8/41 (19%, median number = 1.5, range 1-5) and 31/41 (76%, median number = 2, range 1-7) samples. By considering also ncCTCs, CTC-positivity increased by 4.4-fold (83% of CTC+ samples). All untreated patients were CTC+, and CTC- samples (n = 7) were collected only on-treatment. In 18 patients, the detection of eCTCs ( ≥1eCTC/10mL blood) at baseline was associated with a shorter overall survival than in eCTC- patients (7.0 vs 19 months, p = 0.03). CTC count fluctuations during treatment mirrored patient response. Indeed, in responding patients CTCs were not detectable. In some patients, CTC counts were more informative on treatment outcome than imaging and Ca19.9 levels. Conclusions: We developed a new single-cell protocol to detect two distinct CTC subpopulations (eCTC and ncCTC) in patients with CCA. Baseline eCTCs detected by our method inform prognosis whereas ncCTCs provide hints on treatment response. The possibility to collect and molecularly characterize CTC from all patients with our protocol, opens the way to future treatment planning based on CTC molecular asset.

The potential of 3D printing technology was here exploited to prepare tailored polylactic acid (PLA) supports for desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) experiments. PLA rough solid supports presenting wells of different shape (i.e. cylindrical, cubic and hemispherical cavities) were designed to accommodate samples of different physical state. The potentials of such supports in terms of sample loading capacity, sensitivity, signal stability were tested by analysing a peptide (i.e. insulin) and an aminoglycoside antibiotic (i.e. gentamicin sulphate) from solution and a chitosan-based gel. The results obtained were compared with those obtained by using a traditional polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) support and discussed. By using PLA support on the flat side, signal intensity improved almost twice with respect to PTFE support, whereas with spherical wells a five times improved signal sensitivity and good stability (RSD6%) were obtained for the analysis of two model molecules. Limits of detection were in the 3-10nM range and linearity was demonstrated for both analytes in the 0.05-0.5μM range for semi-quantitative or quantitative purposes. The use of a well and the set-up of optimal source parameters allowed the analysis of samples in a gel state with good precision (RSD10%) and accuracy (86±6-102±9%), otherwise difficult to analyse on a flat smooth surface. These findings are of great interest and stimulus to exploit the advantages of 3D printing technology for the development of devices for a DESI source, presenting different shapes or configuration as a function of the sample types.

This work illustrates the results obtained integrating the most recent laser scanner within machine tools for precision machining. The main aspects addressed include an in-depth analysis of currently available devices and their test on a specially adapted measuring machine, the use of the same axis that move the tool to achieve the scan and the use of sensors that provide different measurements types combined together. Achieved results demonstrated the possibility, for the chosen measurement system, to directly measure the position of geometric features with an accuracy of less than 2 μm and to identify their position through 3D matching with an error, calculated along repeatability tests, always less than 18 µm.

Through the use of the Geant4 Radiation Analysis for Space (GRAS) Monte Carlo tool, we present new results on the impact of different space habitat shell compositions on on-board electronics Soft Error Rate (SER) induced by Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). The comparison with the aluminum-equivalent approach is performed using the standard CREME96 tool on a heterogeneous set of representative devices. In particular, the iron-ion spectrum has been taken as representative of the whole GCR spectrum due to its Linear Energy Transfer (LET), material penetration, and abundance characteristics. The results of this work show that the device soft error rate, calculated with the two approaches, in the particular case of human exploration habitats, can be overestimated or underestimated up to 50%, depending on the device type and shielding configuration especially when Commercial Off-The Shelf (COTS) components are used.

The effect of processing on mycotoxin content in milling fractions has been investigated in 10 samples of durum wheat contaminated with T-2 and HT-2 toxins at levels ranging from 97 to 5,954 ?g/kg (sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins). Either naturally contaminated samples or samples artificially inoculated with Fusarium sporotrichioides under field conditions were used. A method based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry coupled with immunoaffinity column cleanup was validated in-house for the simultaneous analysis of both toxins in a variety of matrices, including uncleaned wheat, cleaned wheat, screenings, bran, red dog, fine middlings, and semolina. Mean recoveries from samples spiked with T-2 and HT-2 toxins at levels of 100 ?g/kg ranged from 85 to 107%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 14%. The milling process led to an increase of T-2 and HT-2 toxin contents up to 13-and 5-fold in screenings and bran, respectively, compared with occurrence in the uncleaned wheat; however, an overall reduction of T-2 and HT-2 toxins by 54% (RSD, 20%) and 89% (RSD, 3%) was observed in cleaned wheat and in semolina, respectively. Copyright © International Association for Food Protection.

Dynamic on-resistance (RON) in heavily carbon-doped AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors is shown to be associated with the semi-insulating carbon-doped buffer region. Using transient substrate bias, differences in RON dispersion between transistors fabricated on nominally identical epilayer structures were found to be due to the band-to-band leakage resistance between the buffer and the 2-DEG. Contrary to normal expectations, suppression of dynamic RON dispersion in these devices requires a high density of active defects to increase reverse leakage current through the depletion region allowing the floating weakly p-type buffer to remain in equilibrium with the 2-DEG.

Manipulation of starch composition in cereals and particularly in wheat is receiving increasing attention due to recognition of its important role in food and nonfood applications. The amylose/ amylopectin ratio influences the physicochemical properties of starches and nutritional value of derived end products. Identification of the key enzymes involved in the starch biosynthetic pathway has opened new avenues for altering the amylose and amylopectin content in durum and bread wheat. The granule bound starch synthases (GBSSI), or waxy proteins, are the enzymes responsible for amylose synthesis in storage tissues; amylopectin is produced by the concerted action of different enzymes, including starch synthases (SS), branching (SBE), and debranching enzymes (DBE). By altering the level of key enzymes involved in the regulation of starch synthesis, it is possible to generate novel starches with unique functional properties. In this respect, both low and high amylose starches are particularly interesting because they are associated with industrial and processing properties as well as with human health and nutrition. So far, major attention has addressed the manipulation of starch composition in bread wheat,whereas durum wheat has been investigated to a much lesser extent. Approaches currently available to alter amylose/amylopectin ratio and tailor starch composition in durum wheat are presented.

The relationship between proton-induced defects and gate-lag in GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) is examined using simulations and experiments. Surface traps are primarily responsible for the pre-irradiation gate-lag. Experimental data and detailed two-dimensional device simulations demonstrate that bulk traps increase the amount of observed gate-lag after irradiation to high-proton fluences.

We investigate how X-ray exposure impact the long term reliability of 130-nm NMOSFETs as a function of device geometry and irradiation bias conditions. This work focuses on electrical stresses on n-channel MOSFETs performed after irradiation with X-ray up to 136 Mrad(SiO2) in different bias conditions. Irradiation is shown to negatively affect the degradation during subsequent hot carrier injection. Increasing the bias during irradiation slightly reduces the impact on following electrical stress in core MOSFETs. Through device simulations, we attribute these effects to an enhanced impact ionization at the bulk-STI interfaces due to radiation-induced trapped charge and defects.

A rapid method for spectrophotometric determination of phosphine residues in wheat has been developed. Phosphine-fumigated wheat kernels were added with 10% sulfuric acid in a gas-tight flask, and phosphine was released into the headspace by microwave irradiation. Phosphine was spectrophotometrically determined after reaction with silver nitrate. A good linearity of the calibration curve was obtained with wheat spiked at levels ranging from 0.035 to 0.230 μg/g with correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9965 and a detection limit of 0.026 μg/g. The total time of analysis was 10 min. Headspace analysis was also performed by micro-gas chromatography (GC) with a thermal conductivity detector (micro-GC-TCD). Results obtained with the spectrophotometric and micro-GC-TCD methods showed good correlations with those obtained with the most widely used GC with nitrogen–phosphorus detector with r values of 0.9940 and 0.9946, respectively.

Leveraged buy-outs (‘LBOs’) are often perceived as an indirect and fraudulent instance of financial assistance and, as such, are not immune to the ban imposed by Article 23 of Directive 77/91/EEC. In several LBO cases, Italian courts have enforced this type of financial assistance prohibition under Article 2358 Cod. civ. This treatment still largely applies to those leveraged transactions that lie outside the scope of the recently enacted Article 2501 bis Cod. civ., which de facto legitimises merger leveraged buy-outs (‘MLBOs’) subject to the fulfilment of additional information disclosure requirements. In this respect, Italian LBO regulation is broadly similar to that of other European countries. In contrast, US law, which largely relies on fraudulent conveyance statutes, stands at the opposite end of the spectrum. American courts acknowledge the social utility of LBOs and are reluctant to take a negative prejudicial stance against this acquisition method. The US legal treatment draws an ex post distinction between ‘illegal’ and ‘legal’ LBOs on the basis of whether or not such transfers are intentionally fraudulent.

The aim of this paper is to give a~complete classification for the module orderings which are compatible with their ring ordering and that gives the same ordering on every module component (Riquier orderings). These orderings have simple classifications, based on the classification of ring orderings. The orderings encountered in practice in commutative computer algebra usually are Riquier orderings.

AlGaN/GaN field effect transistors (FETs) have shown tremendous advances in performance and reliability over recent years. They are unique in that they operate under the presence of a high density of defects, imperfect surfaces and interfaces. We review key challenges related to defects in these transistors, and recent novel characterization techniques and approaches to study the impact of these imperfections on the device thermal characteristics and reliability, as basis for developing devices with an increased safe operating area (SOA). This includes the development of a nanometer resolution junction temperature analysis using SiC solid immersion lenses, results on hot electron effects and on the role of dislocations and point defects for device reliability. In addition techniques such as dynamic transconductance to access traps near the channel are presented. The approaches shown take advantage of the complementary nature of electrical, optical and microstructural device analysis, combined with thermal and electrical device simulations.

Complementary studies of atom probe tomography, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and vertical current-voltage measurements are carried out in order to unravel the influence of C-doping of GaN on the vertical leakage current of AlN/AlGaN/GaN:C heterostructures. A systematic increment of the vertical blocking voltage at a given current density is observed in the structures, when moving from the nominally undoped conditions—corresponding to a residual C-background of ∼1017 cm−3—to a C-content of ∼1019 cm−3 in the GaN layer. The value of the vertical blocking voltage saturates for C concentrations higher than ∼1019 cm−3. Atom probe tomography confirms the homogeneity of the GaN:C layers, demonstrating that there is no clustering at C-concentrations as high as 1020 cm−3. It is inferred that the vertical blocking voltage saturation is not likely to be related to C-clustering.

This paper presents and analyzes the results of neutron experiments on 40nm Graphic Processing Units. We have measured the internal memory resources cross sections, and define a new threads cross section to characterize the computing units sensitivity to radiation. We experimentally evaluate the matrix multiplication application error rate and built an analytical model to predict algorithms neutron-induced failures.

We investigate how X-ray exposure impact the long term reliability of 130-nm NMOSFETs as a function of device geometry and irradiation bias conditions. This work focuses on electrical stresses on n-channel MOSFETs previously irradiated with X-ray up to 136 Mrad(SiO2) in different bias conditions. Irradiation is shown to negatively affect the degradation during subsequent hot carrier injection. Increasing the bias during irradiation slightly reduces the impact on electrical stress in core MOSFETs. We attribute these effects to an enhanced impact ionization at the bulk-STI interfaces due to radiation-induced trapped charge and defects.