TherMos3, a tool for 3D electrothermal simulation of Smart Power Mosfets

In this paper we report on a novel simulation tool designed for the 3D coupled electro-thermal simulation of Smart Power Mosfets, that is a tool capable of taking into account not only the electrical (and thermal) behaviour of the power device but also the different driving strategies as they are imposed by a control logic circuit which usually resides on the same chip. The simulator is fully developed under Matlab and solves, self consistently, the 3D heat equation with proper boundary conditions and heat sources. An adaptive meshing algorithm based on temperature gradients and an optimized time stepping strategy have also been developed to reduce computational load and speed up simulation time without loosing accuracy. To validate this approach, simulator results are finally compared to experimental data obtained on a commercial Smart Power device used in automotive applications.Comment: Submitted on behalf of TIMA Editions (http://irevues.inist.fr/tima-editions

A Comparative Study of Radiation-Tolerant Fiber Optic Sensors for Relative Humidity Monitoring in High-Radiation Environments at CERN

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The role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2) in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated colitis-associated neoplasia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We have previously found that TLR4-deficient (TLR4-/-) mice demonstrate decreased expression of mucosal PGE ₂and are protected against colitis-associated neoplasia. However, it is still unclear whether PGE ₂is the central factor downstream of TLR4 signaling that promotes intestinal tumorigenesis. To further elucidate critical downstream pathways involving TLR4-mediated intestinal tumorigenesis, we examined the effects of exogenously administered PGE ₂in TLR4-/- mice to see if PGE ₂bypasses the protection from colitis-associated tumorigenesis.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Mouse colitis-associated neoplasia was induced by azoxymethane (AOM) injection followed by two cycles of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) treatment. Two different doses of PGE ₂(high dose group, 200 μg, n = 8; and low dose group, 100 μg, n = 6) were administered daily during recovery period of colitis by gavage feeding. Another group was given PGE ₂during DSS treatment (200 μg, n = 5). Inflammation and dysplasia were assessed histologically. Mucosal Cox-2 and amphiregulin (AR) expression, prostanoid synthesis, and EGFR activation were analyzed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In control mice treated with PBS, the average number of tumors was greater in WT mice (n = 13) than in TLR4-/- mice (n = 7). High dose but not low dose PGE ₂treatment caused an increase in epithelial proliferation. 28.6% of PBS-treated TLR4-/- mice developed dysplasia (tumors/animal: 0.4 ± 0.2). By contrast, 75.0% (tumors/animal: 1.5 ± 1.2, P < 0.05) of the high dose group and 33.3% (tumors/animal: 0.3 ± 0.5) of the low dose group developed dysplasia in TLR4-/- mice. Tumor size was also increased by high dose PGE ₂treatment. Endogenous prostanoid synthesis was differentially affected by PGE ₂treatment during acute and recovery phases of colitis. Exogenous administration of PGE ₂increased colitis-associated tumorigenesis but this only occurred during the recovery phase. Lastly, PGE ₂treatment increased mucosal expression of AR and Cox-2, thus inducing EGFR activation and forming a positive feedback mechanism to amplify mucosal Cox-2.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results highlight the importance of PGE ₂as a central downstream molecule involving TLR4-mediated intestinal tumorigenesis.</p

SND@LHC: The Scattering and Neutrino Detector at the LHC

SND@LHC is a compact and stand-alone experiment designed to perform measurements with neutrinos produced at the LHC in the pseudo-rapidity region of ${7.2 < \eta < 8.4}$. The experiment is located 480 m downstream of the ATLAS interaction point, in the TI18 tunnel. The detector is composed of a hybrid system based on an 830 kg target made of tungsten plates, interleaved with emulsion and electronic trackers, also acting as an electromagnetic calorimeter, and followed by a hadronic calorimeter and a muon identification system. The detector is able to distinguish interactions of all three neutrino flavours, which allows probing the physics of heavy flavour production at the LHC in the very forward region. This region is of particular interest for future circular colliders and for very high energy astrophysical neutrino experiments. The detector is also able to search for the scattering of Feebly Interacting Particles. In its first phase, the detector will operate throughout LHC Run 3 and collect a total of 250 $\text{fb}^{-1}$

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018):a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV-associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018): a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV-associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points

Sviluppo di una tecnica ottica per la caratterizzazione di giunzioni micrometriche e submicrometriche in silicio

Il programma scientifico dell'unità dell'Università di Napoli Federico II consiste nella progettazione, la realizzazione e la caratterizzazione elettrica di strutture di test tese a verificare l'affidabilità della nuova tecnica ottica per la misura di profili di drogaggio proposta. Nella prima fase verrà effettuata la scelta dei parametri di processo per la definizione dei profili di drogaggio da ricostruire con la tecnica ottica proposta. Queste scelte saranno concordate con l'unità della Seconda Università di Napoli al fine di definire i campi di variazione di drogaggio, le profondità di giunzione, la forma dei profili più interessanti al fine di verificare la bontà dell'approccio proposto. Si definiranno inoltre le dimensioni delle aree dedicate alle misure ottiche, da svolgersi presso l'unità dell'Università del Sannio.Le strutture di test verranno quindi progettate prevedendo anche strutture speciali che, mediante misure elettriche, permettano di controllare la rispondenza ai parametri di processo imposti prima di passare alla caratterizzazione dei profili. Nella seconda fase si prevede la realizzazione delle strutture progettate e l'esecuzione di misure ottiche preliminari standard per la determinazione di una stima delle profondità delle giunzioni realizzate. Si appalterà poi a laboratori esterni (nazionali e/o internazionali) la caratterizzazione dei profili realizzati mediante tecniche elettriche(spreading resistance e/o SIMS). In questo modo, alla conclusione del progetto, si potrà disporre di diverse caratterizzazioni delle strutture realizzate da utilizzare come confronto e verifica della tecnica ottica proposta. Nell'ultima fase si proseguirà con le caratterizzazioni mediante tecniche classiche e contemporaneamente si invieranno i campioni già caratterizzati all'unità dell'Università del Sannio per l'esecuzione delle misure ottiche previste dal progetto