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Renal arteriovenous fistula (RAVF) is an uncommon vascular malformation of the kidney, which can be congenital, acquired or idiopathic. Although most patients are asymptomatic, RAVF can lead to hypertension, heart failure, renal insufficiency, hematuria, and progressive increase in size of renal vessels. Diagnosis is aided by radiological studies, with digital subtraction angiography as a gold standard. Besides, ultrasound with color Doppler and computed tomography angiography are noninvasive imaging techniques and can be useful for planning the treatment. A large fistula are generally treated by nephrectomy. Intervention can ameliorate the hemodynamic effects of high flow and to preserve the renal parenchymal function. Although endovascular therapy may be challenging due to the large size and high flow of fistula, this report describes a case of huge RAVF was successfully treated by embolization instead of surgery.

Higher education is used to nurture advanced specialized training; however, nurturing innovative and practical ability is hard to put into practice. In experimental teaching, hands-on activities are offered to promote students’ practical ability, leading to better-specialized training. This study aims to explore students’ engagement, communication and collaborative skills, as well as learning outcomes by integrating hologram experiments into a university course. Eight university students participated in this study for 3-weeks. Hologram theory was taught in the first week, while in the second and third weeks, the students performed experiments. Pre- and post-test data were collected using questionnaires during the first and last week, respectively. Besides, in-depth interviews were conducted. The findings revealed that students were able to interact with each other, which promoted their engagement in experimenting. Moreover, teammates were able to communicate and collaborate effectively, which led to higher achievement in their learning outcomes. Despite the benefits reported, opportunities and challenges were identified for teachers and students to be aware of during hologram experiments to help them develop creative skills and develop an understanding of holography concepts.

An integral analysis methodology for BWR ATWS has been developed. The method covers main scopes about ATWS events, including radiological consequence, primary system integrity, fuel integrity, containment integrity, and long-term shutdown and cooling capability. The primary techniques about this methodology were described herein. The methodology has been applied on Kuosheng nuclear power station to show the applicability. Under this framework, some suggestions were proposed for further development of this methodology. This methodology can give a way to evaluate safety of BWR plants confidently. Further, it can be a tool for developing emergency procedures about severe accidents, or exploring strategies and checking their effectiveness.

Background Early cancer detection could identify tumors at a time when outcomes are superior and treatment is less morbid. This prospective case-control sub-study (from NCT02889978 and NCT03085888) assessed the performance of targeted methylation analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to detect and localize multiple cancer types across all stages at high specificity. Participants and methods The 6689 participants [2482 cancer (>50 cancer types), 4207 non-cancer] were divided into training and validation sets. Plasma cfDNA underwent bisulfite sequencing targeting a panel of >100 000 informative methylation regions. A classifier was developed and validated for cancer detection and tissue of origin (TOO) localization. Results Performance was consistent in training and validation sets. In validation, specificity was 99.3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 98.3% to 99.8%; 0.7% false-positive rate (FPR)]. Stage I–III sensitivity was 67.3% (CI: 60.7% to 73.3%) in a pre-specified set of 12 cancer types (anus, bladder, colon/rectum, esophagus, head and neck, liver/bile-duct, lung, lymphoma, ovary, pancreas, plasma cell neoplasm, stomach), which account for ∼63% of US cancer deaths annually, and was 43.9% (CI: 39.4% to 48.5%) in all cancer types. Detection increased with increasing stage: in the pre-specified cancer types sensitivity was 39% (CI: 27% to 52%) in stage I, 69% (CI: 56% to 80%) in stage II, 83% (CI: 75% to 90%) in stage III, and 92% (CI: 86% to 96%) in stage IV. In all cancer types sensitivity was 18% (CI: 13% to 25%) in stage I, 43% (CI: 35% to 51%) in stage II, 81% (CI: 73% to 87%) in stage III, and 93% (CI: 87% to 96%) in stage IV. TOO was predicted in 96% of samples with cancer-like signal; of those, the TOO localization was accurate in 93%. Conclusions cfDNA sequencing leveraging informative methylation patterns detected more than 50 cancer types across stages. Considering the potential value of early detection in deadly malignancies, further evaluation of this test is justified in prospective population-level studies.

Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) metastatic tumors contribute to nearly 70% of breast cancer-related deaths. Most patients with ER+ metastatic breast cancer (MBC) undergo treatment with the estrogen receptor antagonist fulvestrant (Fulv) as standard-of-care. Yet, among such patients, metastasis in liver is associated with reduced overall survival compared to other metastasis sites. The factors underlying the reduced responsiveness of liver metastases to ER-targeting agents remain unknown, impeding the development of more effective treatment approaches to improve outcomes for patients with ER+ liver metastases. We therefore evaluated site-specific changes in MBC cells and determined the mechanisms through which the liver metastatic niche specifically influences ER+ tumor metabolism and drug resistance. We characterized ER activity of MBC cells both in vitro, using a novel system of tissue-specific extracellular matrix hydrogels representing the stroma of ER+ tumor metastatic sites (liver, lung and bone), and in vivo, in liver and lung metastasis mouse models. ER+ metastatic liver tumors and MBC cells grown in liver hydrogels displayed upregulated expression of glucose metabolism enzymes in response to Fulv. Furthermore, differential ERα activity, but not expression, was detected in liver hydrogels. In vivo, increased glucose metabolism led to increased glycogen deposition in liver metastatic tumors, while a fasting-mimicking diet increased efficacy of Fulv treatment to reduce the metastatic burden.ImplicationsOur findings identify a novel mechanism of endocrine resistance driven by the liver tumor microenvironment. These results may guide the development of dietary strategies to circumvent drug resistance in liver metastasis, with potential applicability in other metastatic diseases.

Dual beam focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) is a critical characterization technique that is used as inline metrology from early stages of process developments until high volume manufacturing (HVM) of magnetic read/write heads in hard disk drive (HDD) due to the complex three-dimensional geometry [1]. Despite its destructive nature, FIB/SEM metrology is critical to support high throughout manufacture process for advanced process control during HVM in HDD industry. Final cross-sectional SEM images typically include several CD measurements and embedded or standalone standard machine vision applications are used as part of the metrology process. However, these applications are typically not able to accommodate various process changes during the rapid process development, and manual engineer assistance are often needed for the accurate cut placement and SEM search. On the other hand, optimization of machine vision application typically requires a reasonable number of images to allow training and optimization of edge finder and pattern recognition functions. Reducing the training and optimization time needed for machine vision applications reduces the learning time during new process development. In this work, we are introducing a machine learning based metrology application that minimizes the need for engineer involvement for recipe optimization during the rapid process development [2]. By addition of the process margin entities to the machine learning model, the recipe robustness is significantly improved at the time of transition to new product introduction (NPI) and high volume manufacturing (HVM). We compare the new machine learning based metrology application against the legacy machine vision application and study its impact on recipe writing time, wafer to wafer variations, and total measurement uncertainty (TMU). The new application allows recipes capable of cross-design metrology.

A sophisticated power supply system was developed, installed, and successfully put into operation for the superconducting insertion devices at the 1.5-GeV Taiwan Light Source. These magnets include a superconducting wavelength shifter, a superconducting multipole wiggler, and three in-achromate superconducting wigglers. The power supply, with ±350-A/±15-V output power, is a four-quadrant bipolar switching step-down converter. The power supply, employing multiple regulation loops, slew rate control, and ultra high precision current transducer for feedback loop, is capable of delivering highly stable and reliable current to the superconducting loads. The topology, control scheme, and its performance are described in this paper. The power supply system's performance and reliability will be further improved and adopted to power low-temperature superconducting devices at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in the future.

This study investigated micromixers formed by a T-junction and a mixing channel consisting of serial modules formed by appropriately arranging the subsections with right shifted T-shaped, left shifted T-shaped and square cross-sections. The T-shaped cross-sections are constructed by protrusions and indentations on the channel wall. The variation of shape and size of the channel cross-section may induce a strong swirl structure of flow to enhance fluid mixing. Four parameters (the lengths of the three aforementioned subsections and the sequence of modules) were selected to optimize the micromixer, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) together with Taguchi method was applied to select the values of the parameters. Then, the micromixer was fabricated by a lithography process and the mixing of pure DI water and a solution of Rhodamine B in DI water in the micromixer was observed by using a confocal spectral microscope imaging system. The numerical and experimental results, compared to those of a straight channel with the same hydrodynamic diameter, show that the novel micromixer with the deliberately designed geometry with a hydrodynamic diameter equal to 120 μm enhances fluid mixing efficiently at relatively low Reynolds numbers (0.01---10), corresponding to the mean velocities from 0.000081 to 0.081 m/s. The effects of the four parameters on fluid mixing in the proposed micromixer are examined by CFD simulation.

For the elderly people, adequate environment to compensate for increasing frailty and sensory loss are crucial. Normal age-related changes to the eye decrease the amount of light reaching the retina impacting both vision and circadian rhythm. Some attempts have been made recently to conduct tunable white lighting and vary lighting levels and Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) for health and wellness. However, how to translate such Human-centric Lighting (HCL) concepts proven in laboratory studies into built environments are still in early stage and lack of largely proven practices and strategies on an operational level. This research project aimed to explore HCL design strategies in nursing homes in Singapore. Firstly, state of the art HCL and aging studies were discussed. We then captured the views to illustrate a HCL framework in a tropical context, whereby the quantitative and qualitative approaches were considered. The preliminary design strategies were developed based on this framework and exemplified in a selected nursing home in Singapore. Also, pre-/post implementation user surveys together with quantitative evaluations (involving horizontal and corneal illuminance measurements) were conducted for assessing the performance of the HCL design strategies. These pilot study findings provide initial insight into HCL design-related knowledge and serve as the solid basis towards the HCL best practices in the environment of nursing home in Singapore.

Data storage capacity of hard drive disks (HDD) has been increased over time. Partly this has been achieved by shrinking the dimensions of magnetic writing device also called the “main Pole”, a key magnetic flux emanating component in the slider that hovers over the magnetic media disk writing bits in nanoscale magnetic domains along the circular tracks. Even though the writer pole device is a single isolated device, its 3D shape and material composition are quite complex and critical dimensions are sub-50 nm. The reliability and accuracy of writing data in bits of magnetic nano-domains depends on the precise control of the pole shape and dimensions. Its fabrication requires over thousand process steps with many of them being various types of metrology steps. Final shape or back-end shape of the pole is influenced by various process steps and related information is captured by the subsequent metrology. Overlay, optical (thin film thickness using ellipsometry, topography using white light interferometry), CD-SEM, CD-AFM and inline FIB cross sections based metrology is commonly used. All this metrology data during fabrication process is called wafer metrology data. The data about the shape of the pole after device fabrication (lapping) is called back-end data and is obtained by cross section using FIB and SEM. Few device chips are sent ahead to determine the lapping parameters which takes time. This paper is about predicting the back-end shape parameters namely, pole height (PH), pole width (PW), and pole angle (PA), based on wafer data so that the backend metrology process requiring send-ahead can be optimized or even eliminated. Predictive models using machine learning and analytics techniques (neural networks, multivariate regression, and principal components analysis) have been studied and results will be presented and discussed in this paper. In this metrology centric data science study various steps have been pursued from the beginning to retrieve, integrate, transform, model, visualize data and understand the outcomes. Wafer data corresponding to more than seventy different parameters was used in this study. It is not possible to have all metrology data for each device as some techniques are destructive, imputation technique based on nearest neighbour data points is used. Model was trained and validated on a set of data and tested on an independent new data. Based on testing on independent data, study concludes that it is possible to train the model on data from few wafers for technology in production and predict the back-end pole shape parameters with acceptable accuracy for upcoming wafers. This could be very useful in reducing cycle time by minimizing the need for send ahead wafer components and optimizing the tuning of lapping process. Correlation of predicted (Y-axis) and measured (X-axis) values of PW parameters for four wafers is plotted in figure 1 at device level, flash field or exposure field level, and wafer level. The correlation between predicted and measured PW is reasonable for making use of the predictive model at the flash field level and wafer level to optimize the need for send ahead and determine the lapping parameters at back-end process.

A key sensor element in a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) is the read-write head device. The device is complex 3D shape and its fabrication requires over thousand process steps with many of them being various types of image inspection and critical dimension (CD) metrology steps. In order to have high yield of devices across a wafer, very tight inspection and metrology specifications are implemented. Many images are collected on a wafer and inspected for various types of defects and in CD metrology the quality of image impacts the CD measurements. Metrology noise need to be minimized in CD metrology to get better estimate of the process related variations for implementing robust process controls. Though there are specialized tools available for defect inspection and review allowing classification and statistics. However, due to unavailability of such advanced tools or other reasons, many times images need to be manually inspected. SEM Image inspection and CD-SEM metrology tools are different tools differing in software as well. SEM Image inspection and CD-SEM metrology tools are separate tools differing in software and purpose. There have been cases where a significant numbers of CD-SEM images are blurred or have some artefact and there is a need for image inspection along with the CD measurement. Tool may not report a practical metric highlighting the quality of image. Not filtering CD from these blurred images will add metrology noise to the CD measurement. An image classifier can be helpful here for filtering such data. This paper presents the use of artificial intelligence in classifying the SEM images. Deep machine learning is used to train a neural network which is then used to classify the new images as blurred and not blurred. Figure 1 shows the image blur artefact and contingency table of classification results from the trained deep neural network. Prediction accuracy of 94.9 % was achieved in the first model. Paper covers other such applications of the deep neural network in image classification for inspection, review and metrology.

In contrast to semiconductor manufacturing where features are mostly lines or contact holes, the disk drive reader has a complex, nonlinear 3D geometry. Metrology of such geometries is challenging; especially with regard to repeatability of measurements. New methods were needed to keep up with production requirements for metrology regarding uncertainty of critical dimensions (CD). We report a new method developed for CD metrology of the disk drive writer pole. The method demonstrated improved uncertainties compared to the regularly used CD-SEM algorithms and also has capability for side wall angle (SWA) metrology for process control. The method utilizes multiple steps: a) extract contours from SEM images, b) identify exact locations on a curvilinear feature where CD should be measured, and c) provide CD measurements at these locations. SEM images from a variety of production wafers were used for evaluation of the developed method. Multiple series of SEM images were processed using a software utilizing advanced algorithms without using regular brightness threshold CD-SEM methodologies. It was found that CD repeatability was improved by a factor of three compared to the results of the regular threshold based CD-SEM method. TEM imaging is used to measure side wall angle; it takes a lot of efforts for sample preparation and the feedback is slow. If extraction of SWA is possible from top down SEM images it would provide instant feedback to manufacturing and reduce cost. Monte Carlo simulations were used to understand the sensitivity of SWA to the trench CD and depth. Height of features was measured using AFM. A method to extract SWA from top down images was developed. Numerous SEM images were processed; results were compared to experiment and analyzed. It was shown that the 3-sigma repeatability of SWA measurement was 0.15 degree. It was also found that the left and the right SWA were different on multiple wafers, the results were very consistent from one image series to another one, at the same time the SWA difference between the left and right walls was considerably larger than the uncertainty of SWA measurement.

Introduction: The interval from J-point to T-wave peak (JTp) in ECG is a new biomarker able to identify drugs that prolong the QT interval but have different ion channel effects. If JTp is not prolonged, the prolonged QT may be associated with multi ion channel block that may have low torsade de pointes risk. From the automatic ECG measurement perspective, accurate and repeatable measurement of JTp involves different challenges than QT. We evaluated algorithm performance and JTp challenges using the Philips DXL diagnostic 12/16/18-lead algorithm. Measurement of JTp represents a different use model. Standard use of corrected QT interval is clinical risk assessment on patients with cardiac disease or suspicion of heart disease. Drug safety trials involve a very different population - young healthy subjects - who commonly have J-waves, notches and slurs. Drug effects include difficult and unusual morphology such as flat T-waves, gentle notches, and multiple T-wave peaks. Methods: The JTp initiative study provided ECGs collected from 22 young subjects (11 males and females) in randomized testing of dofetilide, quinidine, ranolazine, verapamil and placebo. We compare the JTp intervals between DXL algorithm and the FDA published measurements. The lead wise, vector-magnitude (VM), root-mean-square (RMS) and principal-component-analysis (PCA) representative beats were used to measure JTp and QT intervals. We also implemented four different methods for T peak detection for comparison. Results: We found that JTp measurements were closer to the reference for combined leads RMS and PCA than individual leads. Differences in J-point location led to part of the JTp measurement difference because of the high prevalence of J-waves, notches and slurs. Larger differences were noted for drug effect causing multiple distinct T-wave peaks (Tp). The automated algorithm chooses the later peak while the reference was the earlier peak. Choosing among different algorithmic strategies in T peak measurement results in the tradeoff between stability and the accurate detection of calcium or sodium channel block. Conclusion: Measurement of JTp has different challenges than QT measurement. JTp measurement accuracy improved with combined leads RMS and PCA over lead II or V5.

This study investigates the linear and nonlinear causality among nuclear energy consumption (NEC), non-nuclear energy consumption (N-NEC), and real gross domestic product (RGDP) for Taiwan data from 1980–2010. The Hiemstra and Jones (1994) test for nonlinear causality reveals the absence of linear Granger causality among NEC, N-NEC and RGDP which supports the unidirectional causality from NEC (RGDP) to RGDP (N-NEC). This result provides empirical evidence for the energy policy formulators to encourage NEC and limit N-NEC to achieve economic growth.

Funding: European Coal and Steel Community, Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award. Previous experimental results have shown that a system with molten carbonate and solid oxide electrolyte is feasible for Direct Carbon Fuel Cell (DCFC). A study is presented to investigate cell performance with a range of solid carbon (i.e. coals, biochars, graphite) and operation mode in this hybrid electrolyte system. The results show that less crystalline coal with high fixed carbon, low sulfur, medium volatile material and moisture is best suited to this system. Using high rank of fuel such as anthracite coal, good cell performance can be obtained only by elevating temperature and with adequate pretreatment to remove impurities. Discussion of cell operation indicates that cell degradation and operation failure were due to coal agglomeration, ash buildup, and limited fuel supply in potentiostatic mode. Instead, galvanostatic operation gave stable cell performance over 60 hours. This result allows better understanding of anode reaction mechanism on the hybrid electrolyte system. Thus, long-term operation is promised when suitable solid fuel and optimized operation parameters are applied. (C) 2014 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved. Publisher PDF

Background & Aim Cell therapy for patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), which is associated with high short-term mortality, is a promising strategy. We reasoned that administering stromal vascular cell (SVF) therapy to achieve cell-mediated microenvironment modulation for liver regeneration and hepatocyte replenishment in ACLF is an attractive alternative strategy to liver transplantation. We evaluated the perturbation of microenvironment by CD34+/CD34− SVF cells in hepatocyte cotransplantation in a rat model of ACLF regarding selected gene expression. Methods, Results & Conclusion Donor hepatocytes (1 × 107/1mL) and SVF cells (1 × 106/0.5mL) were isolated from Tg(UBC–emGFP) rats and human adipose tissues, respectively, and were intraportally transplanted into ACLF rats. SVF cells were divided into CD34+ and CD34− groups. The surviving animals were sacrificed at 1 and 2 weeks after the transplantation. Gene expression levels, measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, were normalized against endogenous glyceraldehyde-3-phosphatedehydrogenase control. Histologically, prominent biliary ductular proliferation and significantly progression of fibrosis (P = 0.005) were observed in the CD34− group than in the CD34+ group. Genes directly related to the end result of fibrosis (collagen type I, MMP9, and TIMP1) showed significantly higher expression in the CD34− group than in the CD34+ group at 1 week after cell transplantation (P In conclusion, hepatic gene expression in the rat model of ACLF after cytotherapy of SVF cells and hepatocytes were differed with CD34 positivity. CD34+ SVF was instrumental in mediating hepatic repair.

The influence of thermal stability on microstructure, surface morphology and residual stress for gate stack structure of HfZrO2 dielectrics grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were investigated. The difference of spectra, residual stress, and structures for HfZrO2 films are obtained by the changed thermal energy. A tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation is observed during high temperature annealing for HfZrO2 films. The variations of spectra can be attributed to the different residual stress of ALD HfZrO2 films induced by the annealing temperature. The tensile residual stress of HfZrO2 films were increased when increasing annealing temperature either for N2 or O2 annealing. This work provides an extensive study for the interface characteristics of high-k/metal (HKMG) stacks at 28nm advanced CMOS technology node.

This study investigates electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory activity in the brain for bilingual participants with Asperger's syndrome (AS) and bilingual healthy control participants during visual recognition of syntactic errors in traditional Mandarin Chinese (native) and English (foreign) sentences. Reading performance is similar for the two groups in both languages. While reading Mandarin Chinese, the control group showed a left-hemispheric specialization within the 400–600 ms interval in delta synchronization. However, delta synchronizations were widely distributed in all scalp regions and lasted longer than 600 ms in the AS group. One possible interpretation of our data is the hypothesis that the AS group has more difficulty in brain organization of semantic and syntactic processes than the control group when reading their native language, because Chinese syntactic structure requires more work to be done by the perceiver. Nevertheless, other brain mechanisms (e.g., top-down regulation), can partially compensate for this difficulty, allowing AS subjects to attain the same level of response activity as the controls.

Hospital roommates are cohorted with similarly colonized patients to decrease methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission risk. However, little is known about differences in S aureus nasal and extranasal carriage between hospital roommates who are in MRSA or non-MRSA designated rooms.Patients sharing hospital rooms were cultured for S aureus in the nose, throat, and other body sites. Differences in S aureus methicillin and mupirocin susceptibility and USA300 type were evaluated.Eighty-two patients comprising 48 roommate pairs were studied. Among 6 roommate pairs in MRSA rooms, 3 (50%) had differences in carriage based on having methicillin-susceptible S aureus at an extranasal body site. In non-MRSA rooms, 19 (45%) roommate pairs had differences in S aureus carriage. Extranasal colonization was significantly associated with discordance between roommates, P.001. Antibiotic exposure, ward type, and the duration of room sharing were not associated with discordance.Patients have almost a 50% chance of having differences in S aureus colonization compared with their hospital roommate, even in MRSA-designated rooms. Cohorting by MRSA status at the time of admission may not be as effective a control strategy as horizontal measures that do not rely on known colonization with S aureus or other pathogens.

This article discusses a self-healing 60-GHz transceiver architecture which employs information collected from on-chip sensors to intelligently adjust various tuning knobs and significantly improve the post-healing performance yield.

Locally strained Si technology using embedded SiGe has been used to improve pMOSFET device performance through hole mobility enhancement. Embedded SiGe is achieved by selectively growing epitaxial SiGe film in recessed Si pMOSFET source and drain areas. Prior to selective SiGe epi growth, a thin layer of Si seed was employed to help nucleate following low-temperature selective SiGe epitaxial film in recessed source and drain areas. In combination with pre-epi wet clean and low-temperature chemical bake, use of Si seed resulted in improved SiGe film morphology and micro-loading effect, and further improved device performance.

Single-crystalline AlN thin films were epitaxially deposited on GaN/sapphire at a low temperature of 300 °C using a helicon sputtering system. The crystallinity of the AlN films and the in-plane axes relation between the films and substrates were characterized by X-ray rocking curve and phi-scan measurements. The two-dimensional electron gases induced at the AlN/GaN heterojunction were investigated and a sheet carrier concentration up to 1.24 × 1013 cm–2 was observed by Hall effect measurement. The results justify the attraction of this low temperature grown AlN/GaN heterostructure for use in high-power, high-speed and high-temperature electronics. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

There are no approved medical therapies for the treatment of pediatric central giant cell granuloma (CGCG), a benign but potentially aggressive tumor of the jaw. Zoledronic acid (ZA), a third-generation bisphosphonate, has been used in CGCG occurring in adults. We describe 4 patients with CGCG treated with ZA, 3 of whom achieved resolution of disease up to 4 years of follow-up. Our experience suggests that ZA may be considered as treatment for pediatric CGCG.

This study evaluates and compares two methodologies, Monte Carlo simple genetic algorithm (MCSGA) and noisy genetic algorithm (NGA), for cost-effective sampling network design in the presence of uncertainties in the hydraulic conductivity (K) field. Both methodologies couple a genetic algorithm (GA) with a numerical flow and transport simulator and a global plume estimator to identify the optimal sampling network for contaminant plume monitoring. The MCSGA approach yields one optimal design each for a large number of realizations generated to represent the uncertain K-field. A composite design is developed on the basis of those potential monitoring wells that are most frequently selected by the individual designs for different K-field realizations. The NGA approach relies on a much smaller sample of K-field realizations and incorporates the average of objective functions associated with all K-field realizations directly into the GA operators, leading to a single optimal design. The efficacy of the MCSGA-based composite design and the NGA-based optimal design is assessed by applying them to 1000 realizations of the K-field and evaluating the relative errors of global mass and higher moments between the plume interpolated from a sampling network and that output by the transport model without any interpolation. For the synthetic application examined in this study, the optimal sampling network obtained using NGA achieves a potential cost savings of 45% while keeping the global mass and higher moment estimation errors comparable to those errors obtained using MCSGA. The results of this study indicate that NGA can be used as a useful surrogate of MCSGA for cost-effective sampling network design under uncertainty. Compared with MCSGA, NGA reduces the optimization runtime by a factor of 6.5. � 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This paper covers the blast-resistant analysis for a tunnel passing beneath Taipei Shongsan airport. It briefly discusses the overall analysis process to obtain the maximum lining thrust caused by a bomb explosion for use in the structural lining design. Because there have not been any established common standards or practices governing the design of such a structure, a series of parametric studies have been carried out in order to evaluate the significance and sensitivity of several parameters on the lining thrust. The parameters evaluated are: intensity of blast loading, size of crater, dynamic undrained shear strength, dynamic Young’s modulus, and soil-damping ratio. It was concluded that a designer should adopt dynamic soil parameters, obtained from good ground investigation and soil testing, as favorable dynamic soil properties can result in a more economical analysis. For parameters (e.g. bomb type) that are beyond the control of the designer, an additional protective layer over the tunnel structure may be considered in order to minimize the impact of the explosion, instead of designing a more costly rigid structure.

A 3.2 T superconducting wiggler with a periodic length of 6 cm and 32 poles was designed and fabricated as an X-ray source. The beam duct of this magnet is a semi-cold, ultra-high vacuum chamber that consists of an aluminum and stainless steel taper. The number of poles in this magnet design is even, to minimize the integral strengths of the multipole components. Two measurement systems—involving room-temperature and cryogenic Hall probes—were set up to measure the field of the superconducting wiggler. A cryogenic plant that supplied liquid helium and nitrogen to the superconducting wiggler has already been established. The performance of magnet construction is good and the commissioning of the superconducting wiggler in the storage ring has been successful. No trim coil compensation on the magnet is required to adjust the electron beam orbit. Furthermore, the electron beams exhibit no loss and remain highly stable after the superconducting wiggler has been quenched.

T cells have been demonstrated to modulate ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in kidney, lung, liver and intestine. The underlying mechanisms for T-cell engagement in IRI are unknown. We hypothesized that the T-cell receptor (TCR) plays a role in renal IRI, and examined the effects of TCR alpha/beta (alphabeta) and gamma/delta (gammadelta) deficiency on ischemic acute renal failure (ARF). TCR-specific deficiency in specific mice was confirmed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis using monoclonal antibodies (Abs). IRI was induced by bilateral clamping of kidney pedicles for 30 min, followed by reperfusion. Serum creatinine and kidney histopathology were used to assess the severity of experimental ARF. TCR alphabeta-deficient mice were significantly protected from kidney dysfunction compared to wild-type (WT) littermates after IRI (P0.05). Histologic analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in renal tubular injury in both TCR alphabeta- and gammadelta-deficient mice compared to WT mice postischemia. TCR alphabeta-deficient mice had reduced tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 protein expression in kidney tissue compared to WT mice at 24 h postischemia using a microbead-based protein detection platform. Relative protection from kidney IRI did not correlate with neutrophil and macrophage infiltration of kidney tissue. Thus, the TCR plays a direct but modest pathophysiological role in kidney IRI. These data suggest that alloantigen-independent activation in IRI can lead to engagement of antigen-specific molecules on T cells. Furthermore, given that the TCR is already a target for diagnostics and therapeutic strategies in immune diseases, these approaches can now be harnessed for IRI.

Future inter- and intra-ULSI interconnect systems demand extremely high data rates (up to 100 Gbps/pin or 20-Tbps aggregate) as well as bidirectional multiI/O concurrent service, re-configurable computing/processing architecture, and total compatibility with mainstream silicon system-on-chip and system-in-package technologies. In this paper, we review recent advances in interconnect schemes that promise to meet all of the above system requirements. Unlike traditional wired interconnects based solely on time-division multiple access for data transmission, these new interconnect schemes facilitate the use of additional multiple access techniques including code-division multiple access and frequency-division multiple access to greatly increase bandwidth and channel concurrency as well as to reduce channel latency. The physical transmission line is no longer limited to a direct-coupled metal wire. Rather, it can be accomplished via either wired or wireless mediums through capacitor couplers that reduce the baseband noise and dc power consumption while simplifying the fabrication process by eliminating vertical metal studs needed in three-dimensional ICs. These new advances in interconnect schemes would fundamentally alter the paradigm of ULSI data communications and enable the design of next-generation computing/processing systems.

Several compounds with high birefringence and having tolane structure were synthesized. For a high polarizability, isothiocyanato (NCS) terminal group was introduced. Another goal of this study was reduction of melting point and smectic phases by introduction of fluorine as lateral substituent. The transition temperatures for all the synthesized compounds and the refractive and dielectric indices for one of the compounds have been determined. Electro-optic (EO) measurements were also performed.

We present novel scattering-type displays using antiferroelectric smectic phases of liquid crystals of bent-shaped molecules. There can be two distinct states (‘racemic’ and ‘chiral’) that work in opposite ways. The racemic structure is scattering in the OFF state and is optically clear under electric fields. The chiral structure is transparent at zero fields and is scattering in the field ON state. These two structures may be reversibly interchanged, implying their use in devices that consume energy only during switching from one stable state to the other.

Background: Levofloxacin, a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone, may enhance digoxin bioavailability by eliminating intestinal flora that metabolize digoxin. Moreover, levofloxacin, which is eliminated primarily by glomerular filtration and active tubular secretion, may alter the elimination rate of digoxin. Because of the narrow therapeutic index of digoxin, it is important to evaluate the potential for interaction with levofloxacin when administered concomitantly. Methods: This was a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, two-phase crossover study. Twelve healthy subjects (six males and six females) received 500 mg twice/day oral doses of levofloxacin or placebo for 6 days and a single oral dose of 0·4 mg digoxin on the morning of study day 5 along with levofloxacin or placebo. Results: There was no significant effect of levofloxacin on the pharmacokinetics (Cmax, AUC, and other disposition parameters) of oral digoxin. Steady-state levofloxacin absorption and disposition kinetics were also similar in the presence or absence of digoxin. Conclusions: Results of this study suggest that an important pharmacokinetic interaction between levofloxacin and digoxin is unlikely to occur when administered concomitantly.

Polymer-stabilized liquid crystal microgratings are made using a focused Gaussian UV laser beam to photopolymerize 3 wt % reactive monomer in a cholesteric liquid crystal host. In a typical case, round gratings of 300 μm diameter and 10 μm pitch are produced. The microgratings highlight interesting differences between mesogenic and non-mesogenic monomers in the assembly and spatial distribution of polymer networks formed in a cholesteric host. We also observe a corresponding variation in the electro-optical properties of the stabilized gratings. In the mesogenic case, the grating state of the liquid crystal is faithfully captured even for relatively short UV exposures and over regions only a few pitch lengths in size. These findings are consistent with phase separation of the mesogenic monomer into regular domains templated by periodic, macroscopic variations in orientational order of the host. This templating effect is significantly reduced in the non-mesogenic case.

The study of different stress on device characteristics of AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs PHEMTs has been researched and developed in this report. Many catastrophic degradation mechanisms such as hot-electron, gate-drain breakdown,IDS,IG,VPand gate Schottky barrier effects are discussed in detail. In addition, the accelerated testing of the temperature-dependent effects onID,Gmand Schottky barrier are examined.

To enhance the stability of beam orbit, a Fast Orbit Feedback System (FOFB) eliminating undesired disturbances was installed and tested in the 3rd generation synchrotron light source of Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) of National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC). The effectiveness of the FOFB greatly depends on the output performance of Fast Corrector Power Supply (FCPS); therefore, the design and implementation of an accurate FCPS is essential. A rigorous mathematical modelling is very useful to shorten design time and improve design performance of a FCPS. A rigorous mathematical modelling derived by the state-space averaging method for a FCPS in the FOFB of TPS composed of a full-bridge topology is therefore proposed in this paper. The MATLAB/SIMULINK software is used to construct the proposed mathematical modelling and to conduct the simulations of the FCPS. Simulations for the effects of the different resolutions of ADC on the output accuracy of the FCPS are investigated. A FCPS prototype is realized to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed rigorous mathematical modelling for the FCPS. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed mathematical modelling is helpful for selecting the appropriate components to meet the accuracy requirements of a FCPS.

Optimization of halo profile for advanced MOSFET device is important to control device short channel effect as well as device leakage. Multiple halo implants, such as mixture of Indium and boron to tailor the halo formation, have been used widely for n-FET devices. Amid its AMU and solubility, Gallium has a potential for better halo activation than Indium and reduced lateral straggling than boron. Therefore, Gallium could be a promising specie for device improvement through 1) halo optimization in planar devices, or 2) ground plane for retrograde well for better FinFET leakage characteristics. In this paper, Gallium is used to replace high scattering P dopant (HS-P) halo for SRAM or HS-P cluster halo for core NFET using a poly-SiON 28nm process with bare wafers and device splits. Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) was employed for dopant profiles for as-implanted and after thermal process. It is shown that when replacing HS-P or HS-P cluster halo by Gallium an excessive device shift is observed. The overlap capacitance indicates that overlap lateral diffusion regions are significant different with Gallium halo than established process flow. The paper will discuss potential underlying physical mechanisms.

Optimization of halo profile for advanced MOSFET device is known to be very critical and challenging. Halo profiles around channel can cause carrier mobility degradation, leakage and higher Vt mismatch. Indium and high scattering P-type dopant (HS-P) mixed halo formation have been used widely for n-FET devices. Gallium has a better activation than Indium and is heavier specie than HS-P. Gallium could be promising specie for device improvement through halo optimization in planar devices or ground plane/retrograde well for better FinFET leakage characteristics. In this paper, Gallium is used to replace Indium halo on bare and device wafers using a poly-SiON 28nm process. Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) was employed for dopant profiles after anneals. Device gain in drive current with better Drain Induced Barrier Lowering or DIBL by 12mV was observed when Gallium replaced Indium in the HS-P/Indium mixed halo. The observed excessive device shift when Gallium was used to replace HS-P halo will be discussed in a future study. Ga for halo formation is not an plug/play and the interaction among the co-implant and dopant through implant induced damage should be investigated in the integration flow.

This paper studies how boron thermal diffusion in SiGe heterostructure are influenced by different source drain extension high-energy fluorine implant after SiGe thermal process for advanced HKMG SRAM device. Different fluorine profiles may introduce different fluorine concentration along Si/SiGe interface and result in fluorine interstitial cluster at different SiGe positions after SiGe 700°C thermal process. Blanket wafer secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) profiles were compared for different implant schemes and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs to establish the conditions under which F high energy implant suppresses B diffusion and cause breakthough dislocation at the bottom of SiGe. By tuning F co-implant from high energy into low energy, the breakthrough dislocations at the bottom of SiGe can be eliminated due to less clusters were formed. From real HKMG SRAM p-MOSFET device learning, better junction leakage improvement was found by Flow energy co-implant due to the elimination of cluster-induced dislocations. Ion/Ioff performance enhancement can also be found by suppresing boron transient enhanced diffusion (TED) from in-situ boron doped SiGe. Possible germanium concentration change inside SiGe with different boron diffusion mechanism by different fluorine co-implants may also influence the strain inside SiGe heterostructure and result in electrical device performance.

We have successfully demonstrated longitudinal recording at areal densities greater than 60 Gb/in/sup 2/ at data rates as high as 160 Mbps (20 MB/s) and at a Bit-Aspect-Ratio (BAR) of 5.7, using merged inductive-write/spin-valve-read heads with microactuators on low noise thin film disks. The heads were fabricated with standard photolithography and wafer pole trimming used in currently available commercial products. At track densities of 60 KTPI and higher, traditional servoing mechanisms are not adequate. With the use of a microactuator, we can further improve the track density by 15%, the linear density by 10% and the areal density by more than 20%. Thus, using a microactuator with the 50 Gb/in/sup 2/ head/media combination, we have increased our areal density achievement up to 63.2 Gb/in/sup 2/.

The use of a fingerprint texture of a cholesteric liquid crystal is demonstrated as a template to direct the formation of periodically ordered micro-size polymer walls. The morphology-property correlation of polymer-stabilized cholesteric gratings (PSCGs) was established for mesogenic and non-mesogenic reactive monomers. These PSCGs are suitable for laser beam steering, control of fibre optic signal and dynamic focus lenses.

Waste containment facilities are often composed of barriers such as liners, grout curtains, and slurry walls. The primary design objective for such systems is to mitigate against the release and transport of contaminants. It is often necessary to quantify barrier effectiveness in order to conduct risk and exposure assessments. The extent to which a barrier material is effective can be assessed using analytical methods, laboratory testing, and field monitoring. Obviously, there is a great deal of time and expense associated with both laboratory and field monitoring, making modeling an attractive first alternative. There are, however, numerous solutions to the well-known advection-dispersion equation that vary in accuracy and applicability, depending on initial and boundary conditions. Moreover, most of the equations formulated for transport through porous media were developed for use in aquifer rather than barrier material. Prudent model selection involves matching the conditions to be analyzed with the ap...