A software development environment utilizing PAMELA

Hardware capability and efficiency has increased dramatically since the invention of the computer, while software programmer productivity and efficiency has remained at a relatively low level. A user-friendly, adaptable, integrated software development environment is needed to alleviate this problem. The environment should be designed around the Ada language and a design methodology which takes advantage of the features of the Ada language as the Process Abstraction Method for Embedded Large Applications (PAMELA)

Indium oxide diffusion barriers for Al/Si metallizations

Indium oxide (In2O3) films were prepared by reactive rf sputtering of an In target in O2/Ar plasma. We have investigated the application of these films as diffusion barriers in Si/In2O3/Al and Si/TiSi2.3/In2O3/Al metallizations. Scanning transmission electron microscopy together with energy dispersive analysis of x ray of cross-sectional Si/In2O3/Al specimens, and electrical measurements on shallow n + -p junction diodes were used to evaluate the diffusion barrier capability of In2O3 films. We find that 100-nm-thick In2O3 layers prevent the intermixing between Al and Si in Si/In2O3/Al contacts up to 650°C for 30 min, which makes this material one of the best thin-film diffusion barriers on record between Al and Si. (The Si-Al eutectic temperature is 577°C, Al melts at 660°C.) When a contacting layer of titanium silicide is incorporated to form a Si/TiSi2.3/In2O3/Al metallization structure, the thermal stability of the contact drops to 600°C for 30 min heat treatment

Cultural basis of social ‘deficits’ in autism spectrum disorders

There is very little research that specifically looks at how autism spectrum disorders are perceived in various communities. This qualitative research was conducted with parents who had children on the autistic spectrum belonging to four different ethnic communities (White British, Somali, West African and South Asian- 63 in total) and living in the UK. The study found that the importance that the parents give to various social skills varied on the basis of their cultural background and the gender of the parent. This is an important aspect to consider while providing support and services to individuals on the autism spectrum and their family members if the services have to be appropriate for their needs. This consideration would also enable the individuals on the autism spectrum to develop appropriate social skills required within their cultural groups. This is a preliminary study and further research on the topic is required

Sixteen years of bathymetry and waves at San Diego beaches.

Sustained, quantitative observations of nearshore waves and sand levels are essential for testing beach evolution models, but comprehensive datasets are relatively rare. We document beach profiles and concurrent waves monitored at three southern California beaches during 2001-2016. The beaches include offshore reefs, lagoon mouths, hard substrates, and cobble and sandy (medium-grained) sediments. The data span two energetic El Niño winters and four beach nourishments. Quarterly surveys of 165 total cross-shore transects (all sites) at 100 m alongshore spacing were made from the backbeach to 8 m depth. Monthly surveys of the subaerial beach were obtained at alongshore-oriented transects. The resulting dataset consists of (1) raw sand elevation data, (2) gridded elevations, (3) interpolated elevation maps with error estimates, (4) beach widths, subaerial and total sand volumes, (5) locations of hard substrate and beach nourishments, (6) water levels from a NOAA tide gauge (7) wave conditions from a buoy-driven regional wave model, and (8) time periods and reaches with alongshore uniform bathymetry, suitable for testing 1-dimensional beach profile change models

Detection and modeling of hole capture by single point defects under variable electric fields

Understanding carrier trapping in solids has proven key to semiconductor technologies but observations thus far have relied on ensembles of point defects, where the impact of neighboring traps or carrier screening is often important. Here, we investigate the capture of photo-generated holes by an individual negatively-charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond at room temperature. Using an externally gated potential to minimize space-charge effects, we find the capture probability under electric fields of variable sign and amplitude shows an asymmetric-bell-shaped response with maximum at zero voltage. To interpret these observations, we run semi-classical Monte Carlo simulations modeling carrier trapping through a cascade process of phonon emission, and obtain electric-field-dependent capture probabilities in good agreement with experiment. Since the mechanisms at play are insensitive to the trap characteristics, the capture cross sections we observe - largely exceeding those derived from ensemble measurements - should also be present in materials platforms other than diamond

What is new in microcirculation and tissue oxygenation monitoring?

Ensuring and maintaining adequate tissue oxygenation at the microcirculatory level might be considered the holy grail of optimal hemodynamic patient management. However, in clinical practice we usually focus on macro-hemodynamic variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, and sometimes cardiac output. Other macro-hemodynamic variables like pulse pressure or stroke volume variation are additionally used as markers of fluid responsiveness. In recent years, an increasing number of technological devices assessing tissue oxygenation or microcirculatory blood flow have been developed and validated, and some of them have already been incorporated into clinical practice. In this review, we will summarize recent research findings on this topic as published in the last 2 years in the Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing (JCMC). While some techniques are already currently used as routine monitoring (e.g. cerebral oxygenation using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)), others still have to find their way into clinical practice. Therefore, further research is needed, particularly regarding outcome measures and cost-effectiveness, since introducing new technology is always expensive and should be balanced by downstream savings. The JCMC is glad to provide a platform for such research

The Code

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