1,678 research outputs found
Au-SN Flip-Chip Solder Bump for Microelectronic and Optoelectronic Applications
As an alternative to the time-consuming solder pre-forms and pastes currently
used, a co-electroplating method of eutectic Au-Sn alloy was used in this
study. Using a co-electroplating process, it was possible to plate the Au-Sn
solder directly onto a wafer at or near the eutectic composition from a single
solution. Two distinct phases, Au5Sn and AuSn, were deposited at a composition
of 30at.%Sn. The Au-Sn flip-chip joints were formed at 300 and 400 degrees
without using any flux. In the case where the samples were reflowed at 300
degrees, only an (Au,Ni)3Sn2 IMC layer formed at the interface between the
Au-Sn solder and Ni UBM. On the other hand, two IMC layers, (Au,Ni)3Sn2 and
(Au,Ni)3Sn, were found at the interfaces of the samples reflowed at 400
degrees. As the reflow time increased, the thickness of the (Au,Ni)3Sn2 and
(Au,Ni)3Sn IMC layers formed at the interface increased and the eutectic
lamellae in the bulk solder coarsened.Comment: Submitted on behalf of TIMA Editions
(http://irevues.inist.fr/tima-editions
Breakdown of the lattice polaron picture in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 single crystals
When heated through the magnetic transition at Tc, La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 changes
from a band metal to a polaronic insulator. The Hall constant R_H, through its
activated behavior and sign anomaly, provides key evidence for polaronic
behavior. We use R_H and the Hall mobility to demonstrate the breakdown of the
polaron phase. Above 1.4Tc, the polaron picture holds in detail, while below,
the activation energies of both R_H and the mobility deviate strongly from
their polaronic values. These changes reflect the presence of metallic,
ferromagnetic fluctuations, in the volume of which the Hall effect develops
additional contributions tied to quantal phases.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, final version to appear in Phys. Rev. B Rapi
Anti-fibrotic effects of Rhus javanica Linn (Anacardiaceae) extract against Activated hepatic stellate cells via regulation of TGF-beta and smad signaling
Purpose: To evaluate the anti-fibrotic effects of ethanol extract of Rhus javanica Linn. (Anacardiaceae) (RJE) in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) as well as explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods: The cytotoxic effect of RJE (100, 300 and 500 μg/mL) was analyzed using 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in Chang liver cells. The mRNA expression of collagen type I, alpha 2 (COL1A2), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) were determined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in HSCs. Protein expression of collagen and Smad were measured by Western blot analysis.Results: Treatment with RJE extract at 100, 300 and 500 μg/mL did not show any signs of cytotoxicity to Chang liver cells. RJE at 500 μg/mL concentration influenced the morphology, reduced the stretched fiber and decreased the number of viable cells in activated HSCs. The increased expressional levels of fibrosis mediators such as COL1A2, TGF-β, α-SMA were decreased by RJE (500 μg/mL) pre-treatment. Quantification data showed that the increased band intensity of COL1A2 (1.41 ± 0.08), TGF-β (1.23 ± 0.13), α-SMA (1.71 ± 0.14) were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced to 0.39 ± 0.12, 0.35 ± 0.11 and 0.04 ± 0.08, respectively upon RJE treatment. However, RJE did not suppress the expression of PDGF gene. Mechanistic study revealed that RJE prevented fibrosis in HSCs via regulation of TGF-β and Smad signaling pathways.Conclusion: The findings show that RJE inhibits fibrosis production in HSCs and can be developed as a novel therapy for hepatic fibrosis. This is the first report showing the beneficial effects of R. javanica as an anti-fibrotic agent
Giant transition-state enhancement of quasiparticle spin-Hall effect in an exchange-spin-split superconductor detected by non-local magnon spin-transport
Although recent experiments and theories have shown a variety of exotic
transport properties of non-equilibrium quasiparticles (QPs) in superconductor
(SC)-based devices with either Zeeman or exchange spin-splitting, how QP
interplays with magnon spin currents remains elusive. Here, using non-local
magnon spin-transport devices where a singlet SC (Nb) on top of a ferrimagnetic
insulator (Y3Fe5O12) serves as a magnon spin detector, we demonstrate that the
conversion efficiency of magnon spin to QP charge via inverse spin-Hall effect
(iSHE) in such an exchange-spin-split SC can be greatly enhanced by up to 3
orders of magnitude compared with that in the normal state, particularly when
its interface superconducting gap matches the magnon spin accumulation. Through
systematic measurements with varying the current density and SC thickness, we
identify that superconducting coherence peaks and exchange spin-splitting of
the QP density-of-states, yielding a larger spin excitation while retaining a
modest QP charge-imbalance relaxation, are responsible for the giant QP iSHE.
The latter exchange-field-modified QP relaxation is experimentally proved by
spatially resolved measurements with varying the separation of electrical
contacts on the spin-split Nb.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figure
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MMP9 Processing of HSPB1 Regulates Tumor Progression
Matrix metalloproteinases regulate pathophysiological events by processing matrix proteins and secreted proteins. Previously, we demonstrated that soluble heat shock protein B1 (HSPB1) is released primarily from endothelial cells (ECs) and regulates angiogenesis via direct interaction with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Here we report that MMP9 can cleave HSPB1 and release anti-angiogenic fragments, which play a key role in tumorprogression. We mapped the cleavage sites and explored their physiological relevance during these processing events. HSPB1 cleavage by MMP9 inhibited VEGF-induced ECs activation and the C-terminal HSPB1 fragment exhibited more interaction with VEGF than did full-length HSPB1. HSPB1 cleavage occurs during B16F10 lung progression in wild-type mice. Also, intact HSPB1 was more detected on tumor endothelium of MMP9 null mice than wild type mice. Finally, we confirmed that secretion of C-terminal HSPB1 fragment was significantly inhibited lung and liver tumor progression of B16F10 melanoma cells and lung tumor progression of CT26 colon carcinoma cells, compared to full-length HSPB1. These data suggest that in vivo MMP9-mediated processing of HSPB1 acts to regulate VEGF-induced ECs activation for tumor progression, releasing anti-angiogenic HSPB1 fragments. Moreover, these findings potentially explain an anti-target effect for the failure of MMP inhibitors in clinical trials, suggesting that MMP inhibitors may have pro-tumorigenic effects by reducing HSPB1 fragmentation
Intercultural New Media Studies: The Next Frontier in intercultural Communication
New media (ICT\u27s) are transforming communication across cultures. Despite this revolution in cross cultural contact, communication researchers have largely ignored the impact of new media on intercultural communication. This groundbreaking article defines the parameters of a new field of inquiry called Intercultural New Media Studies (INMS), which explores the intersection between ICT\u27s and intercultural communication. Composed of two research areas—(1) new media and intercultural communication theory and (2) culture and new media—INMS investigates new digital theories of intercultural contact as well as refines and expands twentieth-century intercultural communication theories, examining their salience in a digital world. INMS promises to increase our understanding of intercultural communication in a new media age and is the next frontier in intercultural communication
Charge Transport in Manganites: Hopping Conduction, the Anomalous Hall Effect and Universal Scaling
The low-temperature Hall resistivity \rho_{xy} of La_{2/3}A_{1/3}MnO_3 single
crystals (where A stands for Ca, Pb and Ca, or Sr) can be separated into
Ordinary and Anomalous contributions, giving rise to Ordinary and Anomalous
Hall effects, respectively. However, no such decomposition is possible near the
Curie temperature which, in these systems, is close to metal-to-insulator
transition. Rather, for all of these compounds and to a good approximation, the
\rho_{xy} data at various temperatures and magnetic fields collapse (up to an
overall scale), on to a single function of the reduced magnetization
m=M/M_{sat}, the extremum of this function lying at m~0.4. A new mechanism for
the Anomalous Hall Effect in the inelastic hopping regime, which reproduces
these scaling curves, is identified. This mechanism, which is an extension of
Holstein's model for the Ordinary Hall effect in the hopping regime, arises
from the combined effects of the double-exchange-induced quantal phase in
triads of Mn ions and spin-orbit interactions. We identify processes that lead
to the Anomalous Hall Effect for localized carriers and, along the way, analyze
issues of quantum interference in the presence of phonon-assisted hopping. Our
results suggest that, near the ferromagnet-to-paramagnet transition, it is
appropriate to describe transport in manganites in terms of carrier hopping
between states that are localized due to combined effect of magnetic and
non-magnetic disorder. We attribute the qualitative variations in resistivity
characteristics across manganite compounds to the differing strengths of their
carrier self-trapping, and conclude that both disorder-induced localization and
self-trapping effects are important for transport.Comment: 29 pages, 20 figure
Colossal Magnetoresistance is a Griffiths Singularity
It is now widely accepted that the magnetic transition in doped manganites
that show large magnetoresistance is a type of percolation effect. This paper
demonstrates that the transition should be viewed in the context of the
Griffiths phase that arises when disorder suppresses a magnetic transition.
This approach explains unusual aspects of susceptibility and heat capacity data
from a single crystal of LaCaMnOComment: 4 page
On the uncertain future of the volumetric 3D display paradigm.
Volumetric displays permit electronically processed images to be depicted within a transparent physical volume and enable a range of cues to depth to be inherently associated with image content. Further, images can be viewed directly by multiple simultaneous observers who are able to change vantage positions in a natural way. On the basis of research to date, we assume that the technologies needed to implement useful volumetric displays able to support translucent image formation are available and so primarily focus on other issues that have impeded the broad commercialization and application of this display paradigm. This is of particular relevance given the recent resurgence of interest in developing commercially viable, general purpose, volumetric systems. We particularly consider image and display characteristics, usability issues and identify several advantageous attributes that need to be exploited in order to effectively capitalize on this display modality.N/
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