ASAM : Automatic Architecture Synthesis and Application Mapping; dl. 2.2: Report on initial version of the hierarchical application model

No abstract

Integrating Through-Wafer Interconnects with Active Devices and Circuits

Through wafer interconnects (TWIs) enable vertical stacking of integrated circuit chips in a single package. A complete process to fabricate TWIs has been developed and demonstrated using blank test wafers. The next step in integrating this technology into 3D microelectronic packaging is the demonstration of TWIs on wafers with preexisting microcircuitry. The circuitry must be electrically accessible from the backside of the wafer utilizing the TWIs; the electrical performance of the circuitry must be unchanged as a result of the TWI processing; and the processing must be as cost effective as possible. With these three goals in mind, several options for creating TWIs were considered. This paper explores the various processing options and describes in detail, the final process flow that was selected for testing, the accompanying masks that were designed, the actual processing of the wafers, and the electrical test results

Magnetic effects in sulfur-decorated graphene

The interaction between two different materials can present novel phenomena that are quite different from the physical properties observed when each material stands alone. Strong electronic correlations, such as magnetism and superconductivity, can be produced as the result of enhanced Coulomb interactions between electrons. Two-dimensional materials are powerful candidates to search for the novel phenomena because of the easiness of arranging them and modifying their properties accordingly. In this work, we report magnetic effects of graphene, a prototypical non-magnetic two-dimensional semi-metal, in the proximity with sulfur, a diamagnetic insulator. In contrast to the well-defined metallic behaviour of clean graphene, an energy gap develops at the Fermi energy for the graphene/sulfur compound with decreasing temperature. This is accompanied by a steep increase of the resistance, a sign change of the slope in the magneto-resistance between high and low fields, and magnetic hysteresis. A possible origin of the observed electronic and magnetic responses is discussed in terms of the onset of low-temperature magnetic ordering. These results provide intriguing insights on the search for novel quantum phases in graphene-based compounds.Comment: 6 pages and 5 figure

Cervical ripening in the Netherlands: a survey

Objective. We aim to investigate methods and use of cervical ripening in women without and with a prior cesarean delivery in The Netherlands. Methods. In 2010, we conducted a postal survey in all Dutch hospitals with a labor ward. One gynecologist per hospital was addressed and was asked to respond on behalf of the staff. The questionnaire contained 31 questions concerning cervical ripening and induction of labor. We compared this survey to a similar Dutch survey conducted in 2006. Results. Response rate was 78% (70/92 hospitals). In women without a prior cesarean and in need of cervical ripening, all hospitals (100%) applied prostaglandins (either E1 or E2). In women with a prior cesarean, 21.4% of the hospitals performed an elective cesarean section if delivery was indicated (26.0% in 2006). In case of cervical ripening, 72.7% used mechanical methods (49.1% in 2006), 20.0% used prostaglandins (40.4% in 2006), 3.6% used a combination of prostaglandins and mechanical methods, and 3.6% used membrane-sweeping or oxytocin. Conclusions. In 2010, in The Netherlands, prostaglandins and Foley catheters were the preferred methods for cervical ripening in women without and with a prior cesarean, respectively. Use of mechanical methods in women with a prior cesarean has increased rapidly between 2006 and 2010, corresponding with decreasing use of prostaglandins and elective repeat cesarean sections.Claartje M. A. Huisman, Marta Jozwiak, Jan Willem de Leeuw, Ben Willem Mol, and Kitty W. M. Bloemenkam

Obtaining and maintaining cortical hand representation as evidenced from acquired and congenital handlessness

© Lukinova et al. A key question in neuroscience is how cortical organisation relates to experience. Previously we showed that amputees experiencing highly vivid phantom sensations maintain cortical representation of their missing hand (Kikkert et al., 2016). Here, we examined the role of sensory hand experience on persistent hand representation by studying individuals with acquired and congenital hand loss. We used representational similarity analysis in primary somatosensory and motor cortex during missing and intact hand movements. We found that key aspects of acquired amputees’ missing hand representation persisted, despite varying vividness of phantom sensations. In contrast, missing hand representation of congenital one-handers, who do not experience phantom sensations, was significantly reduced. Across acquired amputees, individuals’ reported motor control over their phantom hand positively correlated with the extent to which their somatosensory hand representation was normally organised. We conclude that once cortical organisation is formed, it is remarkably persistent, despite long-term attenuation of peripheral signals

A Mercury Lander Mission Concept Study for the Next Decadal Survey

Mariner 10 provided our first closeup reconnaissance of Mercury during its three flybys in 1974 and 1975. MESSENGERs 20112015 orbital investigation enabled numerous discoveries, several of which led to substantial or complete changes in our fundamental understanding of the planet. Among these were the unanticipated, widespread presence of volatile elements (e.g., Na, K, S); a surface with extremely low Fe abundance whose darkening agent is likely C; a previously unknown landformhollows that may form by volatile sublimation from within rocks exposed to the harsh conditions on the surface; a history of expansive effusive and explosive volcanism; substantial radial contraction of the planet from interior cooling; offset of the dipole moment of the internal magnetic field northward from the geographic equator by ~20% of the planets radius; crustal magnetization, attributed at least in part to an ancient field; unexpected seasonal variability and relationships among exospheric species and processes; and the presence in permanently shadowed polar terrain of water ice and other volatile materials, likely to include complex organic compounds. Mercurys highly chemically reduced and unexpectedly volatile-rich composition is unique among the terrestrial planets and was not predicted by earlier hypotheses for the planets origin. As an end-member of terrestrial planet formation, Mercury holds unique clues about the original distribution of elements in the earliest stages of the Solar System and how planets (and exoplanets) form and evolve in close proximity to their host stars. The BepiColombo mission promises to expand our knowledge of this planet and to shed light on some of the mysteries revealed by the MESSENGER mission. However, several fundamental science questions raised by MESSENGERs pioneering exploration of Mercury can only be answered with in situ measurements from the planets surface

Targeted delivery of C/EBPα -saRNA by pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma-specific RNA aptamers inhibits tumor growth in vivo

The 5-year survival rate for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains dismal despite current chemotherapeutic agents and inhibitors of molecular targets. As the incidence of PDAC constantly increases, more effective multidrug approaches must be made. Here, we report a novel method of delivering antitumorigenic therapy in PDAC by upregulating the transcriptional factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBPα), recognized for its antiproliferative effects. Small activating RNA (saRNA) duplexes designed to increase C/EBPα expression were linked onto PDAC-specific 2′-Fluropyrimidine RNA aptamers (2′F-RNA) - P19 and P1 for construction of a cell type–specific delivery vehicle. Both P19- and P1-C/EBPα-saRNA conjugates increased expression of C/EBPα and significantly suppressed cell proliferation. Tail vein injection of the saRNA/aptamer conjugates in PANC-1 and in gemcitabine-resistant AsPC-1 mouse-xenografts led to reduced tumor size with no observed toxicity. To exploit the specificity of the P19/P1 aptamers for PDAC cells, we also assessed if conjugation with Cy3 would allow it to be used as a diagnostic tool on archival human pancreatic duodenectomy tissue sections. Scoring pattern from 72 patients suggested a positive correlation between high fluorescent signal in the high mortality patient groups. We propose a novel aptamer-based strategy for delivery of targeted molecular therapy in advanced PDAC where current modalities fail