Thermal-Aware Test Schedule and TAM Co-Optimization for Three-Dimensional IC

[[abstract]]Testing is regarded as one of the most difficult challenges for three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs). In this paper, we want to optimize the cost of TAM (test access mechanism) and the test time for 3D IC. We used both greedy and simulated annealing algorithms to solve this optimization problem. We compare the results of two assumptions: soft-die mode and hard-die mode. The former assumes that the DfT of dies cannot be changed, while the latter assumes that the DfT of dies can be adjusted. The results show that thermal-aware cooptimization is essential to decide the optimal TAM and test schedule. Blindly adding TAM cannot reduce the total test cost due to temperature constraints. Another conclusion is that soft-die mode is more effective than hard-die mode to reduce the total test cost for 3D IC.[[notice]]補正完畢[[booktype]]電子

Reduced Ca2+ transport across sarcolemma but enhanced spontaneous activity in cardiomyocytes isolated from left atrium-pulmonary veins tissue of myopathic hamster

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several lines of evidence point to a particularly important role of the left atrium (LA) in initiating and maintaining atrial fibrillation (AF). This role may be related to the location of pulmonary veins (PVs) in the LA. The aim of the present study was to investigate the action potential (AP) and ionic currents in LA-PV cardiomyocytes isolated from Bio14.6 myopathic Syrian hamsters (36-57 week-old) versus age-matched F1B healthy control hamsters.</p> <p>Methods and Results</p> <p>Whole-cell patch-clamp techniques were used to record AP in current-clamp mode and ionic currents in voltage-clamp mode. The results obtained show that in both healthy and myopathic LA-PV tissue spontaneously discharging cardiomyocytes can be found, but they are more numerous in myopathic (9/29) than in healthy hamsters (4/42, p < 0.05 by χ²analysis). Myopathic myocytes have shorter AP duration (APD) with smaller I_Ca,Land I_NCXthan the healthy control. The currents I_TO, I_K, I_K1and I_Ca,Tare not significantly different in myopathic versus healthy cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that in myopathic Syrian hamsters LA-PV cardiomyocytes are more prone to automatic rhythms. Also, they show altered electrophysiologic properties, which may be due to abnormal Ca²⁺channels and may account for contractile dysfunction.</p

Cerebral Radionecrosis with Cystic Degeneration Following Radiotherapy for Nasal Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report

A 31-year-old man with nasal cavity squamous cell carcinoma was treated in our hospital with two courses of radiotherapy (120 Gy total dose) followed by surgical tumor resection. Three years after the last irradiation, he developed seizures as well as changes in behavior and consciousness. Medical therapy with diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin(r)) terminated the seizures. Dysphagia, unsteady gait, and right-side limb weakness developed 37 months after the onset of seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a large, cystic mass in the left temporal lobe with left to right midline shift. Following craniotomy with decompression of the cystic mass, the patient improved clinically. No malignant cells were found in the specimen. No further progression of neurologic symptoms was noted after a 1-year follow-up. Cerebral radionecrosis is an uncommon late complication of radiotherapy and needs to be differentiated from tumor recurrence or metastasis if the irradiation field covers the cerebral region in patients with head and neck malignancies

Improved Performance for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using a Compact TiO 2

This work determines the effect of compact TiO2 layers that are deposited onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), to improve the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). A series of compact TiO2 layers are prepared using radio frequency (rf) reactive magnetron sputtering. The films are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results show that when the Ar/O2/N2 flow rates are 36 : 18 : 9, the photo-induced decomposition of methylene blue and photo-induced hydrophilicity are enhanced. After annealing at 450°C in an atmosphere ambient for 30 min, the compact TiO2 layers exhibit higher optical transmittance. The XRD patterns for the TiO2 films for FTO/glass show a good crystalline structure and anatase (101) diffraction peaks, which demonstrate a higher crystallinity than the ITO/glass films. As a result of this increase in the short circuit photocurrent density, the open-circuit photovoltage, and the fill factor, the DSSC with the FTO/glass and Pt counter electrode demonstrates a solar conversion efficiency of 7.65%

Administration of a Decoction of Sucrose- and Polysaccharide-Rich Radix Astragali (Huang Qi) Ameliorated Insulin Resistance and Fatty Liver but Affected Beta-Cell Function in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

The current investigation attempted to confirm the beneficial actions of a chemically characterized Radix Astragali decoction (AM-W) against type 2 diabetic (T2D) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Using a case/control design, after 2 months of treatment with AM-W (500 mg/kg, daily i.p.) in T2D rats therapeutic outcomes were compared. Sucrose and Astragalus polysaccharides (ASPs) were shown to exist in nearly equal proportions in AM-W. Body weight loss, an improvement in insulin sensitivity, and an attenuation of fatty liver after AM-W administration in T2D rats were evident. Surprisingly, blood sugar, beta-cell function, and glucose tolerance in T2D rats did not improve with AM-W treatment. Further investigation indicated the deleterious effects of the addition of sucrose (100 and 500 μg/mL) and APSs (500 μg/mL) on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and viability, respectively. In conclusion, a proper administration dosage and a reduction in the sucrose content are keys to maximizing the merits of this herb

Antiinflammatory and Antioxidant Flavonoids and Phenols from Cardiospermum halicacabum (倒地鈴 Dào Dì Líng)

ABSTRACTSeventeen compounds, quercetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnoside (1), kaempferol-3-O-α-l-rhamnoside (2), apigenin-7-O-β-d-glucuronide (3), apigenin 7-O-β-d-glucuronide methyl ester (4), apigenin 7-O-β-d-glucuronide ethyl ester (5), chrysoeriol (6), apigenin (7), kaempferol (8), luteolin (9), quercetin (10), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (11), p-coumaric acid (12), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (13), hydroquinone (14), protocathehuic acid (15), gallic acid (16), and indole-3-carboxylic acid (17), were isolated from the ethanol extract of Taiwanese Cardiospermum halicabum. All chemical structures were determined by physical and extensive spectroscopic analyses such as 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR), 13C NMR, 1H-1H Correlation spectroscopy (1H-1H COSY), Heteronuclear Multiple Quantum Coherence spectroscopy (HMQC), Heteronuclear Multiple-bond Correlation spectroscopy (HMBC), and Nuclear Overhauser Effect spectroscopy (NOESY), as well as comparison with literature values. Furthermore, the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) fingerprint profile was established for the determination of major constituents in the EtOAc extract and retention times of the isolated compounds. All isolated compounds were also evaluated for antiinflammatory and antioxidant activities

Long-term follow-up of patients with surgical intractable acromegaly after linear accelerator radiosurgery

Background/PurposeRadiotherapy is a crucial treatment for acromegalic patients with growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary tumors. However, its effect takes time. We retrospectively reviewed the long-term outcome of linear accelerator stereotactic radiosurgery (LINAC SRS) for patients with acromegaly from the perspective of biochemical remission and associated factors.MethodsTwenty-two patients presenting with residual or recurrent (GH)-secreting functional pituitary tumor between 1994 and 2004 who received LINAC SRS were enrolled and followed up for at least 3 years. Residual or recurrent tumor was defined as persistent elevated GH or insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) level and image-confirmed tumor after previous surgical treatment. Biochemical remission was defined as fasting GH less than 2.5 ng/mL with normal sex-and-age adjusted IGF-1.ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 94.7 months (range 36–161 months). Overall mean biochemical remission time was 53 months (median 30 months). Biochemical control was achieved in 15 patients (68.2%) over the follow up period. One patient experienced recurrence after SRS and underwent another operation. Initial GH at diagnosis and pre-SRS GH correlated with biochemical control (p = 0.005 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Further evaluation demonstrated that biochemical control stabilized after 7.5 years. Overall post-SRS hormone deficit persisted in five patients (22.7%).ConclusionIn comparison to other radiosurgery modalities, LINAC radiosurgery also provides a satisfactory outcome. SRS has maximum effect over the first 2 years and stabilizes after 7.5 years. Moreover, SRS elicits long-term biochemical effects and requires longer follow-up for better biochemical remission

Proteomic profiling reveals α1-antitrypsin, α1-microglobulin, and clusterin as preeclampsia-related serum proteins in pregnant women

AbstractObjectivePreeclampsia is a major cause of mortality in pregnant women but the underlying mechanism remains unclear to date. In this study, we attempted to identify candidate proteins that might be associated with preeclampsia in pregnant women by means of proteomics tools.Materials and methodsDifferentially expressed proteins in serum samples obtained from pregnant women with severe preeclampsia (n = 8) and control participants (n = 8) were identified using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). Additional serum samples from 50 normal and 41 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia were analyzed by immunoassay for validation.ResultsTen protein spots were found to be upregulated significantly in women with severe preeclampsia. These protein spots had the peptide mass fingerprints matched to α1-antitrypsin, α1-microglobulin, clusterin, and haptoglobin. Immunoassays in an independent series of serum samples showed that serum α1-antitrypsin, α1-microglobulin, and clusterin levels of severe preeclampsia patients (n = 41) were significantly higher than those in the normal participants (n = 50; α1-antitrypsin 295.95 ± 50.94 mg/dL vs. 259.31 ± 33.90 mg/dL, p = 0.02; α1-microglobulin 0.029 ± 0.004 mg/mL vs. 0.020 ± 0.004 mg/mL, p < 0.0001; clusterin 77.6 ± 16.15 μg/dL vs. 67.6 ± 15.87 μg/dL, p < 0.05).ConclusionIdentification of these proteins by proteomics analysis enables further understanding of the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role of these biomarkers in prediction of this disease

Lack of Association between CLEC5A Gene Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Kawasaki Disease in Taiwanese Children

Background. Kawasaki disease is characterized by systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. Previous genetic studies have identified certain candidate genes associated with susceptibility to KD and coronary artery lesions. Host innate immune response factors are involved in modulating the disease outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate CLEC5A (C-type lectin domain family 5) genetic polymorphisms with regards to the susceptibility and outcome of KD. Methods. A total of 1045 subjects (381 KD patients and 664 controls) were enrolled to identify 4 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) of CLEC5A (rs1285968, rs11770855, rs1285935, rs1285933) by using the TaqMan Allelic Discrimination Assay. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was assessed in cases and controls, and genetic effects were evaluated by the chi-square test. Results. No significant associations were noted between the genotypes and allele frequency of the 4 CLEC5A tSNPs between controls and patients. In the patients, polymorphisms of CLEC5A showed no significant association with coronary artery lesion formation and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment response. Conclusions. This study showed for the first time that polymorphisms of CLEC5A are not associated with susceptibility to KD, coronary artery lesion formation, and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment response in a Taiwanese population