Optimal second-order small-signal model for long- and short-channelthree-terminal MOSFET/MODFET wave equation

An optimal second-order small-signal model is developed for the long-channel three-terminal MOSFET/MODFET wave equation. The resulting Y parameters admit the correct fourth-order frequency power series expansion and exhibit a graceful degradation at high frequencies compared to a previously reported second-order model. This model can be integrated in the velocity-saturated MOSFET/MODFET equivalent circuit and is demonstrated to greatly improve the frequency range of validity of this short-channel model. The excellent results obtained demonstrate the validity of both the equivalent-circuit synthesis procedure and the correctness of the equivalent circuit proposed     

Simulation of hot-electron trapping and aging of nMOSFETs

An analysis of the degradation of 1-μm-gate-length nMOSFET operating under normal biasing conditions at room temperature is reported. A physical model of hot-electron trapping in SiO₂ is developed and is used with a two-dimensional device simulator (PISCES) to simulate the aging of the device under normal biasing conditions. The initial degradation takes place near the high-field drain region and spreads over a long time toward the source. The degraded I-V characteristics of the MOSFET exhibit a shift of the pinchoff voltage and a compression of the transconductance, for forward and reverse operation, respectively. The simulated degradation qualitatively agrees with reported experimental data. Large shifts of the MOSFET threshold voltage for small drain voltages result as the degradation is spreading toward the source. An inflection point arises for low gate and drain voltages in the drain I-V characteristics of the MOSFET. This inflection point originates when the pinchoff of the channel-induced trapped-electron charge is overcome by the drain voltage; the drain acts as a second gate (short-channel effect). The estimation of the device's lifetime by simulated aging is proposed     

Experimental and theoretical studies of the aureole about a point source that is due to atmospheric scattering in the middle ultraviolet

In the atmosphere, pointlike sources are surrounded by aureoles because of molecular and aerosol scattering. In various meteorological conditions, this variance field can be a nonnegligible part of the signal detected by a large-field-of-view sensor. A model based on a Monte Carlo technique has been developed to simulate the propagation of radiation coming from a UV point source. The model was validated with an experimental comparison by a photon-counting technique, and good agreement between experimental and theoretical results was found.     

The role for public health in reducing iatrogenic patient injuries

The authors argue that accidental patient deaths are a significant public health concern and that public health professionals are well positioned to contribute to ongoing efforts to protect the public from unintended injuries in the hospital.     

Can inspection methods generate valid new knowledge in HCI? The case of semiotic inspection

HCI evaluation methods tend to be proposed and used to verify the interactive qualities of specific systems and design strategies. A discussion about the scientific merits of such methods to advance knowledge in HCI as a field is very rare, although much needed. This paper shows that, under certain conditions, inspection methods can be safely used in scientific research in HCI and extend their advantages beyond the territory of professional practice. Taking the Semiotic Inspection Method (SIM) as an example, we argue that its interpretive results are objective, can be validated, and produce scientific knowledge comparable to that generated by more widely accepted methods.     

GGM: efficient navigation and mining in distributed genomedical data

The integration of genomics and patient related data is considered as one of the most promising investigation topic in health care research. Started in 2004, the Grid for Geno Medicine (GGM) project aims at providing a comprehensive grid software infrastructure designed to allow biologists to mine and analyze relationships between medical, genetic, and genomic data stored in distributed datawarehouses. The proposed layered service oriented architecture offers a number of independent but compliant services that can be deployed in a grid environment. This paper presents these services insisting on their integration into a common software platform, the use case that is carried out. It also presents the current state of the developments and of the performance evaluations.     

Molecular typing of industrial strains of Pseudomonas spp. isolated from milk and genetical and biochemical characterization of an extracellular protease produced by one of them

P. fluorescens is responsible for the highest depredation of milk because of its capacity to synthesize extracellular lipase and protease which hydrolyze milk fat and proteins. Several P. fluorescens synthesize an extracellular caseinolytic metalloprotease, called AprX. It is important to rapidly detect the presence of a contamination of raw milk by a strain, especially a P. fluorescens strain, having a high potential of depredation. If standard plate count procedures are often employed, they are time consuming and do not permit to rapidly evaluate the potential of depredation. An alternative method consists to search the aprX gene, but such a method remains of low sensitivity and does not allow evaluating the real potential of depredation of the contaminant. After a milk depredation event, three strains of Pseudomonas spp. (F, 2312 and 2313) have been isolated from a dairy plant. Using molecular and phenotypic approaches, these strains were identified as P. fluorescens strains. Their respective extracellular caseinolytic potential was characterized as well as that of several collection strains of P. fluorescens. It appeared that these strains secreted one protease of about 45 kDa, that their extracellular caseinolytic potential was highly variable for one strain to another and that the one of strain F was the highest. The protease secreted by the strain F was purified and its N-terminal sequence established. It shared 100% identity with the domain 14-34 of extracellular alkaline endoprotease sequences which are called AprX for some of them. Its gene was sequenced as well as that of two collection strains of P. fluorescens having a significant lower extracellular caseinolytic potential. The genomic environment of the aprX gene as well as its expression during the strain growth was investigated. It appears that the difference of extracellular caseinolytic potential which has been observed between the three strains does not mainly result from the AprX sequence/structure but it might rather result from the aprX level of expression.     

Solving a dial-a-ride problem with a hybrid evolutionary multi-objective approach: Application to demand responsive transport

Demand responsive transport allows customers to be carried to their destination as with a taxi service, provided that the customers are grouped in the same vehicles in order to reduce operational costs. This kind of service is related to the dial-a-ride problem. However, in order to improve the quality of service, demand responsive transport needs more flexibility. This paper tries to address this issue by proposing an original evolutionary approach. In order to propose a set of compromise solutions to the decision-maker, this approach optimizes three objectives concurrently. Moreover, in order to intensify the search process, this multi-objective evolutionary approach is hybridized with a local search. Results obtained on random and realistic problems are detailed to compare three state-of-the-art algorithms and discussed from an operational point of view.