Integration scheme of nanoscale resistive switching memory using bottom-up processes at room temperature for high-density memory applications

A facile and versatile scheme is demonstrated to fabricate nanoscale resistive switching memory devices that exhibit reliable bipolar switching behavior. A solution process is used to synthesize the copper oxide layer into 250-nm via-holes that had been patterned in Si wafers. Direct bottom-up filling of copper oxide can facilitate fabrication of nanoscale memory devices without using vacuum deposition and etching processes. In addition, all materials and processes are CMOS compatible, and especially, the devices can be fabricated at room temperature. Nanoscale memory devices synthesized on wafers having 250-nm via-holes showed reproducible resistive switching programmable memory characteristics with reasonable endurance and data retention properties. This integration strategy provides a solution to overcome the scaling limit of current memory device fabrication methods.1165Ysciescopu

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Solution-Processed Flexible Threshold Switch Devices

Flexible threshold switch devices are essential for low-power and high-speed semiconductor devices. Especially, bidirectional threshold switch has been regarded as the ideal switching device for ultrahigh-density crosspoint memory devices. Here, a flexible Pt/Ag-doped ZnO/Pt switch on the flexible plastic substrate synthesized by electrochemical bottom-up deposition is introduced. The flexible switch has bidirectional threshold switching behavior with ultralow off-current, high selectivity (approximate to 10(7)), and super-steep threshold slope. The bidirectional threshold switching behavior is related to migration of silver ions to form Ag filament. This device shows stable electrical properties, endures constant voltage stress, and retains good reliability under mechanical stress. It is believed that this study would open up new possibilities for high-density flexible memory devices by introducing flexible novel bidirectional, high-performance switching devices for emerging flexible electronics.114sciescopu

Impact of Time-To-Surgery on the Prognosis of Patients with T1 Renal Cell Carcinoma: Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, elective surgery has to undergo longer wait times, including nephrectomy for T1 renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to investigate the time-to-surgery (TTS) of Chinese T1 RCC patients and its influencing factors, and to illustrate the impact of TTS on the prognosis of T1 RCC. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 762 Chinese patients with pathological T1 RCC that underwent nephrectomy. To discover the impact of TTS on survival outcomes, we explored the possible delay intervals by week using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard models with inverse probability-treatment weighting (IPTW) were used to assess the association between TTS and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: The median TTS of T1 RCC patients was 15 days. The Charlson comorbidity index, the Preoperative Aspects and Dimensions Used for an Anatomical (PADUA) score, and the maximal tumor diameter on presentation were independent influencing factors for TTS. The cut-off point of TTS was selected as 5 weeks according to the Log-rank analysis. For T1a RCC, patients with TTS > 5 weeks had similar DFS (HR = 2.39; 95% CI, 0.82–6.94; p = 0.109) and OS (HR = 1.28; 95% CI, 0.23–7.16; p = 0.779) compared to patients with TTS ≤ 5 weeks. For T1b RCC, patients with TTS > 5 weeks had shorter DFS (HR = 2.90; 95% CI = 1.46–5.75; p = 0.002) and OS (HR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.09–5.70; p = 0.030) than patients with TTS ≤ 5 weeks. Conclusions: Prolonged TTS had no impact on the prognosis of T1a RCC while surgery delayed for over 5 weeks may lead to worse survival in T1b RCC

Human bloodstream infection caused by Staphylococcus pettenkoferi

Staphylococcus pettenkoferi is a recently isolated human pathogen with only a few reported cases of infection. We report a case of bloodstream infection caused by S. pettenkoferi in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis.Rintala H, 2008, BMC MICROBIOL, V8, DOI 10.1186/1471-2180-8-56Tang YW, 2008, DIAGN MICR INFEC DIS, V60, P351, DOI 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2007.11.005Trulzsch K, 2007, INT J SYST EVOL MICR, V57, P1543, DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.64381-0Loiez C, 2007, J CLIN MICROBIOL, V45, P1069, DOI 10.1128/JCM.02328-06Lau SKP, 2006, J CLIN PATHOL, V59, P219, DOI 10.1136/jcp.2004.025247Mellmann A, 2006, EMERG INFECT DIS, V12, P333Fontana C, 2005, J CLIN MICROBIOL, V43, P615, DOI 10.1128/JCM.43.2.615-619.2005Woo PCY, 2003, J CLIN MICROBIOL, V41, P1996, DOI 10.1128/JCM.41.5.1996-2001.2003Trulzsch K, 2002, DIAGN MICR INFEC DIS, V43, P175Drancourt M, 2002, J CLIN MICROBIOL, V40, P1333, DOI 10.1128/JCM.40.4.1333-1338.2002Kim SD, 2000, INFECT CONT HOSP EP, V21, P213Pfaller MA, 1999, DIAGN MICR INFEC DIS, V33, P283Huebner J, 1999, ANNU REV MED, V50, P223

Usefulness of the whole-blood interferon-gamma release assay for diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis

The whole-blood interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (QuantiFERON-TB Gold [QFT-G]; Cellestis, Carnegie, Australia) has been studied mainly for diagnosing active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) or latent TB. We prospectively evaluated its diagnostic usefulness in patients suspected with extrapulmonary TB (EP-TB). Of the 100 adult patients with suspected EP-TB, 43 were classified as "confirmed" EP-TB and 5 as "probable" EP-TB. Of the 48 with EP-TB, 27 (56%) were diagnosed with TB lymphadenitis and 11 (17%) with skeletal TB. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the assay were 69% (95% confidence interval [CI(95)], 53-81%) and 82% (CI(95), 69-91%), respectively. Among 44 patients presented with cervical lymphadenopathy, the QFT-G assay showed 86% (CI(95), 64-97%) sensitivity and 87% (CI(95), 66-97%) specificity, whereas in 28 with skeletal involvement, the sensitivity and specificity of the assay were 45% (CI(95), 17-77%) and 81% (CI(95), 54-96%), respectively. These suboptimal diagnostic performances suggest that the QFT-G assay alone is not sufficient for the diagnosis of EP-TB