Process for metal deposition for microelectronic interconnections

A method for forming interconnections in microelectronic devices, including interconnections through small vias between different layers in the microelectronic devices include the spin coating of a film comprising a polyoxometalate and an organic material on the substrate. The film is optionally patterned by lithography, the polymer is removed, and the polyoxometalate is reduced to a metal layer. The metal layer may in one embodiment provide a nucleating zone for the deposition of metal.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

The need for monitoring the actual nitric oxide concentration in tumors

The significance of the role of nitric oxide (NO) in cancer is evident from 1,100 publications on the subject; its triggering of apoptosis at high concentrations is documented in 300 publications. While aspects of the rate of generation of NO in tumors have been extensively studied, the rate of its removal from tumors has not been considered, even though it is the difference between the two rates that determines the all important steady-state NO concentration, and thus the likelihood of apoptosis-triggering. The rate of transport of NO scales with its concentration gradient at the interface between a neoplasm and the phase to which it diffuses, which can be air, fat, or blood. Diffusional loss of NO to air would explain the initial two-dimensionality of neoplasms of the skin and lung. The greater solubility of NO in lipids than in aqueous phases should cause its extraction by nearby fat, and would account for the positive correlation between obesity and the incidence of some cancers, such as cancers of the breast. And the rapid consumption of NO by red blood cells implies depletion of excess NO in tumors after they are vascularized: angiogenesis should blunt any apoptosis-triggering NO attack of the immune system. Thus, cancer research and the practice of oncology may benefit of in-tumor monitoring of the actual NO concentration. Miniature NO monitoring electrodes, that might serve the purpose, are reviewed

Knee adduction moment and medial contact force - facts about their correlation during gait

The external knee adduction moment is considered a surrogate measure for the medial tibiofemoral contact force and is commonly used to quantify the load reducing effect of orthopedic interventions. However, only limited and controversial data exist about the correlation between adduction moment and medial force. The objective of this study was to examine whether the adduction moment is indeed a strong predictor for the medial force by determining their correlation during gait. Instrumented knee implants with telemetric data transmission were used to measure tibiofemoral contact forces in nine subjects. Gait analyses were performed simultaneously to the joint load measurements. Skeletal kinematics, as well as the ground reaction forces and inertial parameters, were used as inputs in an inverse dynamics approach to calculate the external knee adduction moment. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between adduction moment and medial force for the whole stance phase and separately for the early and late stance phase. Whereas only moderate correlations between adduction moment and medial force were observed throughout the whole stance phase (R(2)?=?0.56) and during the late stance phase (R(2)?=?0.51), a high correlation was observed at the early stance phase (R(2)?=?0.76). Furthermore, the adduction moment was highly correlated to the medial force ratio throughout the whole stance phase (R(2)?=?0.75). These results suggest that the adduction moment is a surrogate measure, well-suited to predicting the medial force ratio throughout the whole stance phase or medial force during the early stance phase. However, particularly during the late stance phase, moderate correlations and high inter-individual variations revealed that the predictive value of the adduction moment is limited. Further analyses are necessary to examine whether a combination of other kinematic, kinetic or neuromuscular factors may lead to a more reliable prediction of the force magnitud

Materials and methods for photocatalyzing oxidation of organic compounds on water

A bead having an exterior surface which is at least partially coated with a material that under illumination and in the presence of air is capable of accelerating the oxidation of organic compounds floating on water. The coated bead is water floatable and has an equivalent diameter of less than about 2 mm, preferably on the order of 10-30 microns. These coated beads can be used to accelerate under illumination oxidation of a floating oil film (e.g. from an oil spill) by dispersing the coated beads in the film and allowing them to be exposed to solar illumination and oxygen.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Electro-osmotic pumps with electrodes comprising a lanthanide oxide or an actinide oxide

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to methods, devices, and systems for fluid delivery to a subject using pumps, for example, non-gassing, direct current (DC), electro-osmotic pumps. In some embodiments, delivery of an aqueous fluid may be achieved by contacting the aqueous liquid with an electro-osmotic pump comprising (i) a cathode (e.g., a cathode comprising porous carbon coated with a cerium oxide-comprising coating), (ii) an anode (e.g., an anode comprising porous carbon coated with a cerium oxide-comprising coating), and (iii) a ceramic membrane (e.g., a ceramic membrane formed by fusing uncoated silica spheres, phosphosilicic-acid-coated fused silica spheres, or borosilicic-acid-coated fused silica spheres, wherein the fused spheres are randomly packed between the cathode and the anode) and/or optionally applying (a) a constant potential difference or constant voltage between the anode and the cathode of from about 0.1 V to about 3 V between the anode and the cathode of from about 0.1 V to about 3 V such that the aqueous liquid is pumped or (b) constant current to cause a potential difference between the anode and the cathode of from about 0.1 V to about 3 V such that the aqueous liquid is pumped.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Standardized loads acting in knee implants

The loads acting in knee joints must be known for improving joint replacement, surgical procedures, physiotherapy, biomechanical computer simulations, and to advise patients with osteoarthritis or fractures about what activities to avoid. Such data would also allow verification of test standards for knee implants. This work analyzes data from 8 subjects with instrumented knee implants, which allowed measuring the contact forces and moments acting in the joint. The implants were powered inductively and the loads transmitted at radio frequency. The time courses of forces and moments during walking, stair climbing, and 6 more activities were averaged for subjects with I) average body weight and average load levels and II) high body weight and high load levels. During all investigated activities except jogging, the high force levels reached 3,372–4,218N. During slow jogging, they were up to 5,165N. The peak torque around the implant stem during walking was 10.5 Nm, which was higher than during all other activities including jogging. The transverse forces and the moments varied greatly between the subjects, especially during non-cyclic activities. The high load levels measured were mostly above those defined in the wear test ISO 14243. The loads defined in the ISO test standard should be adapted to the levels reported here. The new data will allow realistic investigations and improvements of joint replacement, surgical procedures for tendon repair, treatment of fractures, and others. Computer models of the load conditions in the lower extremities will become more realistic if the new data is used as a gold standard. However, due to the extreme individual variations of some load components, even the reported average load profiles can most likely not explain every failure of an implant or a surgical procedure

Redox potentials of the blue copper sites of bilirubin oxidases

AbstractThe redox potentials of the multicopper redox enzyme bilirubin oxidase (BOD) from two organisms were determined by mediated and direct spectroelectrochemistry. The potential of the T1 site of BOD from the fungus Myrothecium verrucaria was close to 670 mV, whereas that from Trachyderma tsunodae was >650 mV vs. NHE. For the first time, direct electron transfer was observed between gold electrodes and BODs. The redox potentials of the T2 sites of both BODs were near 390 mV vs. NHE, consistent with previous finding for laccase and suggesting that the redox potentials of the T2 copper sites of most blue multicopper oxidases are similar, about 400 mV

Investigating interaction-induced chaos using time-dependent density functional theory

Systems whose underlying classical dynamics are chaotic exhibit signatures of the chaos in their quantum mechanics. We investigate the possibility of using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) to study the case when chaos is induced by electron-interaction alone. Nearest-neighbour level-spacing statistics are in principle exactly and directly accessible from TDDFT. We discuss how the TDDFT linear response procedure can reveal the mechanism of chaos induced by electron-interaction alone. A simple model of a two-electron quantum dot highlights the necessity to go beyond the adiabatic approximation in TDDFT.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure