Set voltage distribution stabilized by constructing an oxygen reservoir in resistive random access memory

In this letter, the instability mechanism of RRAM was investigated, and a technique was developed to stabilize the distribution of high resistance state (HRS) and better concentrate the SET voltage. In previous research, we found that an interface-type switching characteristic was observed on the I-V curve beneath the filament-type switching behavior, owing to the oxygen accumulation effect. In this letter, this interface-type switching characteristic is used to fit the natural distribution of HRS for an analysis of the instability mechanism. According to the results, the reason for the HRS distribution is the accumulation of extra oxygen ions which are left over from a lower degree of oxygen and oxygen vacancy recombination during the reset process. We propose a solution which creates an extra oxygen reservoir by changing the surface topography of the electrode to store the surplus oxygen ions from the reset process, eliminating the accumulation effect, and indeed improving stability. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Prognostic Factors Influencing the Patency of Hemodialysis Vascular Access: Literature Review and Novel Therapeutic Modality by Far Infrared Therapy

In Taiwan, more than 85% of patients with end-stage renal disease undergo maintenance hemodialysis (HD). The native arteriovenous fistula (AVF) accounts for a prevalence of more than 80% of the vascular access in our patients. Some mechanical factors may affect the patency of hemodialysis vascular access, such as surgical skill, puncture technique and shear stress on the vascular endothelium. Several medical factors have also been identified to be associated with vascular access prognosis in HD patients, including stasis, hypercoagulability, endothelial cell injury, medications, red cell mass and genotype polymorphisms of transforming growth factor-β1 and methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase. According to our previous study, AVF failure was associated with a longer dinucleotide (GT)n repeat (n ≥ 30) in the promoter of the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene. Our recent study also demonstrated that far-infrared therapy, a noninvasive and convenient therapeutic modality, can improve access flow, inflammatory status and survival of the AVF in HD patients through both its thermal and non-thermal (endothelial-improving, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antioxidative) effects by upregulating NF-E2-related factor-2-dependent HO-1 expression, leading to the inhibition of expression of E-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1

Eye-of-the-Tiger sign is not Pathognomonic of Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration in Adult Cases

An eye-of-the-tiger sign is previously known to have one-to-one correlation with pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN). Reviewing the literature on this subject, the correlation between eye-of-the-tiger sign and PKAN seems to show an interesting hypothesis that differs from conventional conclusion. We analyze the published papers in an attempt to reflect this trend and illustrate our points with findings in a 39-year-old man. His brain magnetic resonance imaging study shows typical eye-of-the-tiger sign suggestive of PKAN. Genetic analyses revealed no mutations in pantothenate kinase 2

A Fringe Center Detection Technique Based on a Sub-Pixel Resolution, and Its Applications Using Sinusoidal Gratings

A common problem in optical profilometry is the accuracy in locating fringe centers. This paper presents an accurate fringe center detection technique based on sub-pixel resolution using the fringe projection method. An optimum reconstruction filter is developed which has low sensitivity to noise. In fringe center detection, computer simulation results of using one-pixel and sub-pixel resolutions are compared. The detection technique is then applied to radius measurement of cylindrical objects and surface profile measurement of diffuse objects. The experimental results thus obtained through the proposed optimum reconstruction filter show significant improvement in measurement accuracy

A supersymmetric electroweak scale seesaw model

In this paper we propose a novel supersymmetric inverse seesaw model which has only one additional $Z_6$ symmetry. The field content is minimal to get a viable neutrino spectrum at tree-level. Interestingly, the inverse seesaw scale in our model is related to the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking. Due to that origin we are less biased about hierarchies and discuss three different types of the inverse seesaw mechanism with different phenomenologies. We can successfully reproduce neutrino masses and mixing and our model is consistent with current bounds on neutrinoless double beta decay, non-unitarity of the PMNS matrix and charged lepton flavor violation.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure; version published in JHE

A Fringe Center Detection Technique Based on a Sub-Pixel Resolution, and Its Applications Using Sinusoidal Gratings

A common problem in optical profilometry is the accuracy in locating fringe centers. This paper presents an accurate fringe center detection technique based on sub-pixel resolution using the fringe projection method. An optimum reconstruction filter is developed which has low sensitivity to noise. In fringe center detection, computer simulation results of using one-pixel and sub-pixel resolutions are compared. The detection technique is then applied to radius measurement of cylindrical objects and surface profile measurement of diffuse objects. The experimental results thus obtained through the proposed optimum reconstruction filter show significant improvement in measurement accuracy