VirtualScan: a new compressed scan technology for test cost reduction

This work describes the VirtualScan technology for scan test cost reduction. Scan chains in a VirtualScan circuit are split into shorter ones and the gap between external scan ports and internal scan chains are bridged with a broadcaster and a compactor. Test patterns for a VirtualScan circuit are generated directly by one-pass VirtualScan ATPG, in which multi-capture clocking and maximum test compaction are supported. In addition, VirtualScan ATPG avoids unknown-value and aliasing effects algorithmically without adding any additional circuitry. The VirtualScan technology has achieved successful tape-outs of industrial chips and has been proven to be an efficient and easy-to-implement solution for scan test cost reduction.2004 International Conference on Test, 26-28 October 2004, Charlotte, NC, USA, US

The PD algorithm: a simulation based partitioning algorithm for ATPG

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [email protected], referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references.The fast progressing of Integrated Circuit demands a highly efficient Automatic Test Pattern Generation algorithm. The problem in ATPG is how to minimize the huge redundant space in a highly reconvergent fanout circuit. This thesis presents an improved ATPG algorithm. Many techniques are combined into the algorithm to be able to identify the redundancy quickly. A circle concept is proposed to find the redundancy in a small search space instead of searching through the whole space. The PD concept combined with the simulation and improved implication procedures can discover necessary assignments, which is mandatory either to control the fault or to propagate the good/faulty difference, before we must make any decision. A complete implementation is shown in details. The experimental results taken from the ISCAS benchmark combinational circuits are compared to several ATPG algorithms

Evaluation of the anti-fibrosis effects of Vaccaria segetalis (Neck.) Garcke crude extracts in rat fibroblasts

糖尿病腎病變是末期腎疾病（ESRD）的主要原因之一，而末期腎臟疾病患者患中有很重要的發病率和致死率且占全球近百分之十的人口數。末期腎臟疾病患者普遍都存在腎臟纖維化問題。替代性醫療或健康食品在已開發國家中愈來愈多人使用，在多樣化傳統中醫學中卻鮮少有科學家用科學法分析其療效建構完整理論基礎和確立疾病之治療途徑。近來有些跡象逐漸顯露出科學家建議中草藥抗纖維化的訊息開發是個很重要的議題。 根據具有活血功效之中藥研究文獻中，中草藥王不留行具有催乳、活血去瘀、利尿、婦女經閉痛經、乳汁不通之功效。在一些抗肝或肺纖維化的文獻中提到了王不留行可有效抑制TGF-β（乙型轉型生長因子）所誘導之纖維化。TGF-β不論在胚胎發育或細胞分裂、分化或者在纖維化和癌症中都扮演著很重要的角色，早期的文獻中也證實TGF-β是個導致纖維化的因子，因而把中草藥王不留行粗萃物外加到大鼠纖維母細胞中去探討是否透過調控TGF-β以及TGF-β下游訊息傳遞分子（Smad2/3等相關分子）和Smad7來評估其抗腎纖維化之影響。 腎纖維化模式是透過體外細胞培養（NRK-49F）外加入藥物（TGF-β1）處理。我們利用西方墨點法分析TGF-β和相關調控蛋白，例如，TGF-β受器（type I TGF-β receptor）、Smad2/3、pSmad2/3、Smad7、Smad4；利用酵素連結免疫吸附法分析細胞上清液中fibornectin生物活性。我們發現利用不同劑量王不留行粗萃物（25、50、100 μg/ml）可抑制TGF-β1（5 ng/ml）在大鼠纖維母細胞中所誘導纖維化所造成之TGF-β受器表現和降解下游訊息分子（例如，Smads）。除此之外，王不留行粗萃物還有增強Smad7和抑制Smad4表現。因此，我們證實王不留行粗萃物抑制TGF-β1所誘導之腎纖維化，也透過研究TGF-β1相關蛋白來證明王不留行粗萃物在大鼠纖維母細胞中之生物效應。結論：王不留行粗萃物可透過抑制TGF-β1分泌來抑制細胞纖維化。藉此，我們認為王不留行粗萃物是個新穎具有潛在性抑制TGF-β訊息傳遞之腎纖維阻抗劑。Diabetic nephropathy is a kidney disease that develops as a result of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients, and affects approximately 10% of global world population. The most common patients of ESRD almost always follow renal fibrosis. Alternative and complementary medicine has been increasingly utilized by patients in developed countries. Among the various forms of traditional Chinese medicine are fewer scientific metrologies that have constructed theoretical frameworks well and established treatment approaches for diseases. Recent scientists have revealed growing evidence, which suggest that development of Chinese herbs antagonizing fibrogenic signals is a critical issue. According to studies in the blood-circulation-promoting Chinese herb, Vaccaria segetalis (Neck.) Garcke (caryophyllaceae), its main role is to stimulate lactation (milk production) in females during pregnancy, and maintain milk supply during breastfeeding, improve bloodstream and amenorrhea and be a diuretic. Some studies of anti-fibrogenic effects of this Chinese herb in liver or lung revealed that these effects are through inhibiting signal transduction pathway of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), a potent fibrogenic growth factor. TGF-β is a crucial factor involved in not only embryonic development but also cell differentiation, proliferation, fibrogenesis and tumorigenesis. Previous studies determined that TGF-β1 is a credible fibrogenetic factor. Thus, the role of TGF-β and the effects of its downstream Smad2/3 and Smad7 in rat fibroblasts (NRK-49F) were investigated by treating Chinese herb Vaccaria segetalis (Neck.) Garcke (caryophyllaceae) extract (VSE). Renal fibrosis model was established in vitro with NRK-49F treated with TGF-β1. Western blotting was used to examine protein expression of TGF-β-regulated signaling proteins such as type I TGF-β receptor, Smad2/3, pSmad2/3, Smad4, and Smad7. ELISA was used to analyze bioactive levels of extracellular matrix in the culture media, such as fibronectin. VSE significantly inhibited TGF-β-induced fibronectin levels in NRK-49F cells concomitantly with dose-dependent inhibition of the type I TGF-β receptor and its downstream signals (i.e., Smads). Moreover, VSE dose-dependently enhanced inhibitory Smad7 or inhibited Smad4 production. Thus, VSE suppresses cellular model of renal fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β autocrine loop. Therefore, we suggested that VSE is a novel renal fibrosis antagonist and a potential inhibitor of renal fibrosis, which functionally downregulates TGF-β signals. Conclusion: we demonstrated that VSE significantly presents anti-fibrogenic effects by suppressing TGF-β without affecting cellular viability. We also found regulators of TGF-β signal, Smad2/3, pSmad2/3, Smad4, fibronectin and type I TGF-β receptor were inhibited but Smad7 was increased when treating VSE under TGF-β1-induced fibrosis model in normal rat kidney fibroblasts (NRK-49F).ABBREVIATION LIST.....................................IV ABSTRACT (Chinese) ....................................V ABSTRACT ............................................VI CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION...............................01 1.1 Diabetic nephropathy..............................01 1.2 Vaccaria segetalis Garcke.........................01 1.3 Overview of TGF-beta signaling pathway............02 1.4 Renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy complications.........................................04 1.5 Schematic diagram.................................06 1.5.1 TGF-beta signaling pathway .....................06 1.5.2 Experimental purpose............................06 CHAPTER 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS......................07 2.1 Reagents and materials............................07 2.2 Extraction of Chinese herbs.......................07 2.3 Cell culture .....................................08 2.4 Cell viability assay .............................08 2.5 Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ................09 2.6 Western blotting assay............................09 2.7 Immunofluorescence assay..........................10 2.8 Image acquisition.................................11 2.9 Statistics and assay .............................11 CHAPTER 3. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION.....................12 3.1 Woodblocks and flowchart of Vaccaria segetalis extraction ...........................................12 3.2 Effects of various dose-dependent treatment of VSE on TGF-β1-induced in fibroblasts .......................12 3.3 Bioactivity assay of secreted fibronectin on TGF-β1 mediated and treatment of Vaccaria segetalis extract ..............................................12 3.4 Effect of treatment of TGF-β1 and Vaccaria segetalis extract on intracellular protein expression of downstream TGF-β receptor ......................................13 3.5 Effect of chcloheximide treatment of VSE on degradation of type I TGF-β receptor ............................14 3.6 Immunofluorescence analysis of fibronectin in normal rat kidney fibroblasts................................15 3.7 Figure list.......................................16 CHAPTER 4. DISCUSSION.................................27 PROPOSED MECHANISM....................................30 REFERENCES............................................31 APPENDIX .............................................37 AUTHOR................................................3

Effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa extract on high fat diet–induced obesity and liver damage in hamsters

Background: Obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder associated with an increase in adipogenesis and often accompanied with fatty liver disease. Objective: In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa water extract (HSE) in vivo. Method: Eight-weeks-old male mice were divided into six groups (n=8 per group) and were fed either normal feed, a high fat diet (HFD), HFD supplemented with different concentrations of HSE, or HFD supplemented with anthocyanin. After 10 weeks of feeding, all the blood and livers were collected for further analysis. Results: Mesocricetus auratus hamster fed with a high-fat diet developed symptoms of obesity, as determined from their body weight change and from their plasma lipid levels. Meanwhile, HSE treatment reduced fat accumulation in the livers of hamsters fed with HFD in a concentration-dependent manner. Administration of HSE reduced the levels of liver cholesterol and triglycerides, which were elevated by HFD. Analysis of the effect of HSE on paraoxonase 1, an antioxidant liver enzyme, revealed that HSE potentially regulates lipid peroxides and protects organs from oxidation-associated damage. The markers of liver damage such as serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels that were elevated by HFD were also reduced on HSE treatment. The effects of HSE were as effective as treatment with anthocyanin; therefore the anthocyanins present in the HSE may play a crucial role in the protection established against HFD-induced obesity. Conclusions: In conclusion HSE administration constitutes an effective and viable treatment strategy against the development and consequences of obesity

Expressions of CD14+ monocytes in healthy subjects and CAD patients.

<p>CD14 surface expressions were measured by flow cytometry as described in the Methods section. The numbers of CD14+ monocytes were determined before carrying out coronary angiography on patients. There was a significant difference in CD14+ monocyte counts between healthy subjects and CAD patients. Arrows indicate monocyte fractions which were estimated by the gating procedure according to forward scatter/sideward scatter (FSC/SSC) dot plot.</p

Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) plots of urinary CD14 for diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

<p>Using a threshold value of 3.51, urinary CD14 has a sensitivity of 0.838 and a specificity of 0.703, a fairly good and significant biomarker for the prediction of CAD.</p

Clinical Proteomics Identifies Urinary CD14 as a Potential Biomarker for Diagnosis of Stable Coronary Artery Disease

<div><p>Inflammation plays a key role in coronary artery disease (CAD) and other manifestations of atherosclerosis. Recently, urinary proteins were found to be useful markers for reflecting inflammation status of different organs. To identify potential biomarker for diagnosis of CAD, we performed one-dimensional SDS-gel electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Among the proteins differentially expressed in urine samples, monocyte antigen CD14 was found to be consistently expressed in higher amounts in the CAD patients as compared to normal controls. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to analyze the concentrations of CD14 in urine and serum, we confirmed that urinary CD14 levels were significantly higher in patients (n = 73) with multi-vessel and single vessel CAD than in normal control (n = 35) (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis further showed that urinary CD14 concentration level is associated with severity or number of diseased vessels and SYNTAX score after adjustment for potential confounders. Concomitantly, the proportion of CD14+ monocytes was significantly increased in CAD patients (59.7 ± 3.6%) as compared with healthy controls (14.9 ± 2.1%) (P < 0.001), implicating that a high level of urinary CD14 may be potentially involved in mechanism(s) leading to CAD pathogenesis. By performing shotgun proteomics, we further revealed that CD14-associated inflammatory response networks may play an essential role in CAD. In conclusion, the current study has demonstrated that release of CD14 in urine coupled with more CD14+ monocytes in CAD patients is significantly correlated with severity of CAD, pointing to the potential application of urinary CD14 as a novel noninvasive biomarker for large-scale diagnostic screening of susceptible CAD patients.</p></div