1,919 research outputs found
A Biased Resistor Network Model for Electromigration Failure and Related Phenomena in Metallic Lines
Electromigration phenomena in metallic lines are studied by using a biased
resistor network model. The void formation induced by the electron wind is
simulated by a stochastic process of resistor breaking, while the growth of
mechanical stress inside the line is described by an antagonist process of
recovery of the broken resistors. The model accounts for the existence of
temperature gradients due to current crowding and Joule heating. Alloying
effects are also accounted for. Monte Carlo simulations allow the study within
a unified theoretical framework of a variety of relevant features related to
the electromigration. The predictions of the model are in excellent agreement
with the experiments and in particular with the degradation towards electrical
breakdown of stressed Al-Cu thin metallic lines. Detailed investigations refer
to the damage pattern, the distribution of the times to failure (TTFs), the
generalized Black's law, the time evolution of the resistance, including the
early-stage change due to alloying effects and the electromigration saturation
appearing at low current densities or for short line lengths. The dependence of
the TTFs on the length and width of the metallic line is also well reproduced.
Finally, the model successfully describes the resistance noise properties under
steady state conditions.Comment: 39 pages + 17 figure
Arthroscopic synovectomy in chronic inflammatory rheumatism: clinical and functional aspects
By now many authors regard arthroscopic synovectomy an integral part of therapeutic treatment of many rheumatic diseases with favourable results on post operating course and clinical picture in the long term. The pathologic synovial tissue during articular inflammatory rheumatism is well known to have a damaging effect responsible of early cartilage injury, as well as symptomatic action (e.g. articular stiffness, effusion, pain, functional limitation). Therefore to value the removal of such a tissue you should think of the secondary prevention of cartilage injury, besides the symptomatic point of view. Since 1996 we performed 190 arthroscopic synovectomy, the adopted criteria of judgement were: pain (spontaneous, during active and passive movements), effusion or swelling presence, articular range and cartilage state (evaluated during arthroscopy according to Outerbridg's classification). 70% of the cases showed good results and six years later the beginning of this activity we retain arthroscopic synovectomy as a valid help in articular inflammatory rheumatism treatment
Yellow Flag Fever: Describing Negative Legal Precedent in Citators
In this paper we discuss temporal and spatial patterns of brain hemodynamics under rest and motor stimulation conditions obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging and simultaneous fast multi-channel near-infrared spectro-imaging in the human motor cortex. Our data indicate that the main difference between the brain hemodynamics under the repetitive stimulation and the rest conditions is not in the appearance of hemoglobin concentration changes during the stimulations (since fluctuations occur at rest as well), but in their more regular, Le. phase-synchronous with the stimulation behavior
VITOM-3D assisted neck dissection via a retroauricular approach (RAND-3D): A preclinical investigation in a cadaver lab
Swallowing safety and efficiency after open partial horizontal laryngectomy: A videofluoroscopic study
In vitro and in vivo inhibition of breast cancer cell growth by targeting the Hedgehog/GLI pathway with SMO (GDC-0449) or GLI (GANT-61) inhibitors.
Aberrant Hedgehog (Hh)/glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) signaling has
been implicated in cancer progression. Here, we analyzed GLI1, Sonic Hedgehog
(Shh) and NF-ÎşB expression in 51 breast cancer (ductal carcinoma) tissues using
immunohistochemistry. We found a positive correlation between nuclear GLI1
expression and tumor grade in ductal carcinoma cases. Cytoplasmic Shh staining
significantly correlated with a lower tumor grade. Next, the in vitro effects of two
Hh signaling pathway inhibitors on breast cancer cell lines were evaluated using the
Smoothened (SMO) antagonist GDC-0449 and the direct GLI1 inhibitor GANT-61.
GDC-0449 and GANT-61 exhibited the following effects: a) inhibited breast cancer
cell survival; b) induced apoptosis; c) inhibited Hh pathway activity by decreasing
the mRNA expression levels of GLI1 and Ptch and inhibiting the nuclear translocation
of GLI1; d) increased/decreased EGFR and ErbB2 protein expression, reduced p21-
Ras and ERK1/ERK2 MAPK activities and inhibited AKT activation; and e) decreased
the nuclear translocation of NF-ÎşB. However, GANT-61 exerted these effects more
effectively than GDC-0449. The in vivo antitumor activities of GDC-0449 and GANT-
61 were analyzed in BALB/c mice that were subcutaneously inoculated with mouse
breast cancer (TUBO) cells. GDC-0449 and GANT-61 suppressed tumor growth of
TUBO cells in BALB/c mice to different extents. These findings suggest that targeting
the Hh pathway using antagonists that act downstream of SMO is a more efficient
strategy than using antagonists that act upstream of SMO for interrupting Hh signaling
in breast cancer
Arthroscopic synovectomy in chronic inflammatory rheumatism: clinical and functional aspects
By now many authors regard arthroscopic synovectomy an integral part of therapeutic treatment of many rheumatic diseases with favourable results on post operating course and clinical picture in the long term. The pathologic synovial tissue during articular inflammatory rheumatism is well known to have a damaging effect responsible of early cartilage injury, as well as symptomatic action (e.g. articular stiffness, effusion, pain, functional limitation). Therefore to value the removal of such a tissue you should think of the secondary prevention of cartilage injury, besides the symptomatic point of view. Since 1996 we performed 190 arthroscopic synovectomy, the adopted criteria of judgement were: pain (spontaneous, during active and passive movements), effusion or swelling presence, articular range and cartilage state (evaluated during arthroscopy according to Outerbridg’s classification). 70% of the cases showed good results and six years later the beginning of this activity we retain arthroscopic synovectomy as a valid help in articular inflammatory rheumatism treatment
Couples living with type 1 diabetes : an integrative review of the impacts on health and wellbeing
Impacts of type 1 diabetes and relationship factors on health and wellbeing of both persons with diabetes and partners (T1D partners) have not been investigated. Integrative review methods evaluated the evidence. From 323 titles, we included 24 studies involving 16,083 persons with diabetes and 1020 T1D partners. Studies were quantitative (n = 13), qualitative (n = 9) and mixed methods (n = 2). Maintaining resilient, good quality, intimate relationships optimises physical and psychological outcomes for persons with diabetes. Partners experience disturbed sleep and while general psychological health is maintained, distress surrounding hypoglycaemia is overwhelming for over a third of partners. Nurturing quality relationships could reap significant health benefits
The Penetration–Aspiration Scale: Adaptation to Open Partial Laryngectomy and Reliability Analysis
A standard for assessing swallowing function after open partial horizontal laryngectomy (OPHL) is still not established. The variability in the measures used to investigate swallowing functional outcomes after OPHL limits the communication among clinicians and the possibility to compare and combine results from different studies. The study aims to adapt the PAS to the altered anatomy after OPHLs using fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and to test its reliability. To adapt the PAS, two landmarks were identified: the entry of the laryngeal vestibule and the neoglottis. Ninety patients who underwent an OPHL were recruited (27 type I, 31 type II and 32 type III). FEES was performed and video-recorded. Two speech and language therapists (SLTs) independently rated each FEES using the PAS adapted for OPHL (OPHL-PAS). FEES recordings were rated for a second time by both SLTs at least 15 days from the first video analysis. Inter- and intra-rater agreement was assessed using unweighted Cohen's kappa. Overall, inter-rater agreement of the OPHL-PAS was k\u2009=\u20090.863, while intra-rater agreement was k\u2009=\u20090.854. Concerning different OPHL types, inter- and intra-rater agreement were k\u2009=\u20090.924 and k\u2009=\u20090.914 for type I, k\u2009=\u20090.865 and k\u2009=\u20090.790 for type II, and k\u2009=\u20090.808 and k\u2009=\u20090.858 for type III, respectively. The OPHL-PAS is a reliable scale to assess the invasion of lower airway during swallowing in patients with OPHL using FEES. The study represents the first attempt to define standard tools to assess swallowing functional outcome in this population
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