Temperature dependence of gate induced drain leakage current insilicon CMOS devices

The temperature dependence of the gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) current in CMOS devices is investigated from 20K up to 300K. It is shown that, at sufficiently high electric field, the conventional band-to-band tunnelling GIDL current law is applicable down to near-liquid helium temperatures for both nand p-channel devices. The exponential factor B of the GIDL current law is found to be nearly independent of temperature. Moreover, the decrease of the GIDL current as the temperature is lowered, is shown to originate from the temperature variation of the pre-exponential coefficient A of the GIDL current law     

Structural,elastic, electronic and thermodynamic properties of the filled skutterudite CeOs4Sb12 determined by density functional theory

Structural, elastic, electronic and thermodynamic properties of the ternary cubic filled skutterudite CeOs₄Sb₁₂ compound were calculated using the full-potential linear muffin-tin orbital implementation of density functional theory. The exchange-correlation potential was treated with the local density approximation. The calculated ground state quantities such as the lattice parameter, atomic position parameters of Sb atoms, bulk modulus and its pressure derivative are compared to the available experimental data. We have computed the elastic moduli and their pressure dependence, which have not been calculated or measured yet. The Debye temperature is estimated from the average sound velocity. From the elastic parameter behavior, it is inferred that this compound is elastically stable and brittle in nature. The electronic band structure calculations revealed metallic behavior for the herein studied compound at zero pressure, but under pressure effect, the metallic character disappears and the compound becomes a narrow indirect band gap semiconductor. Through the quasi-harmonic Debye model, in which phononic effects are considered, the effect of pressure P and temperature T on the lattice constant, bulk modulus, heat capacity, thermal expansion coefficient and Debye temperature are investigated.     

Roundwood pre-grading with longitudinal acoustic waves for production of structural boards

The assessment of timber quality at any stage of the production chain promises to be an advantage for the forest and timber industry. This paper presents results of wood pre-grading by means of the dynamic modulus of elasticity, which was performed along the complete processing chain—from standing trees to sawn timber. The measurements were conducted on 154 forty-year-old trees of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) from two forest experimental stands in Southern Germany. Long logs of about 13 m were bucked into short logs of 4.1 m; the dataset contained 1,820 boards cut out of 332 short logs. Pre-grading was performed at different levels: standing tree, long log, and short log. The boards were machine strength graded by a ViSCAN-COMPACT grading machine. The investigation showed high correlations between different stages in the production chain of timber. For strength classes C24 and C30 an increase in yield of about 10 percentage points by rejecting the 25 % worst logs (short or long) was observed. It did not matter if pre-grading was realized at the stage of long logs or short logs. However, methods of pre-grading at standing tree must be improved to obtain reliable prediction of dry sawn timber quality of managed forest stands (r² = 0.17).     

Green Lithography for Delicate Materials

A variety of unconventional materials, including biological nanostructures, organic and hybrid semiconductors, as well as monolayer, and other low-dimensional systems, are actively explored. They are usually incompatible with standard lithographic techniques that use harsh organic solvents and other detrimental processing. Here, a new class of green and gentle lithographic resists, compatible with delicate materials and capable of both top-down and bottom-up fabrication routines is developed. To demonstrate the excellence of this approach, devices with sub-micron features are fabricated on organic semiconductor crystals and individual animal's brain microtubules. Such structures are created for the first time, thanks to the genuinely water-based lithography, which opens an avenue for the thorough research of unconventional delicate materials at the nanoscale.     

Enhanced decision making in multi-scenarios for autonomous vehicles using alternative bidirectional Q network

Neural Computing and Applications - To further enhance decision making in autonomous vehicles field, grant more safety, comfort, reduce traffic, and accidents, learning approaches were adopted,...     

Antiviral Activity of Baicalein and Quercetin against the Japanese Encephalitis Virus

Japanese encephalitis (JE), a mosquito-borne viral disease, is endemic to the entire east and southeast Asia, and some other parts of the world. Currently, there is no effective therapeutic available for JE; therefore, finding the effective antiviral agent against JEV replication is crucial. In the present study, the in vitro antiviral activity of baicalein and quercetin, two purportedly antiviral bioflavonoids, was evaluated against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) replication in Vero cells. Anti-JEV activities of these compounds were examined on different stages of JEV replication cycle. The effects of the compounds on virus replication were determined by foci forming unit reduction assay (FFURA) and quantitative RT-PCR. Baicalein showed potent antiviral activity with IC₅₀ = 14.28 μg/mL when it was introduced to the Vero cells after adsorption of JEV. Quercetin exhibited weak anti-JEV effects with IC₅₀ = 212.1 μg/mL when the JEV infected cells were treated with the compound after virus adsorption. However, baicalein exhibited significant effect against JEV adsorption with IC₅₀ = 7.27 μg/mL while quercetin did not show any anti-adsorption activity. Baicalein also exhibited direct extracellular virucidal activity on JEV with IC₅₀ = 3.44 μg/mL. However, results of quantitative RT-PCR experiments confirmed the findings from FFURA. This study demonstrated that baicalein should be considered as an appropriate candidate for further investigations, such as the study of molecular and cellular mechanism(s) of action and in vivo evaluation for the development of an effective antiviral compound against Japanese encephalitis virus.     

Foreign bodies of the bladder and urethra. Apropos of 2 cases

The bladder and urethra can be the site of various types of foreign bodies. The authors report two cases of low urinary tract foreign bodies. The first case concerned a young man with psychiatric disorders who introduced a condom into his bladder and the second case was an elderly patient with a history of self-dilation who introduced a safety pin into his urethra. In the light of these two cases, the authors review the diagnostic features and management of bladder and urethral foreign bodies.     

Effect of cobalt bis(dicarbollides) on electrochemical oxygen reduction on Pt electrode in methanol-acid solution

Electrochemical oxygen reduction on a platinum electrode has been investigated in methanol-0.05 M H₂SO₄ aqueous solutions in the presence of acids of cobalt bis(dicarbollide) (H⁺B⁻, H⁺[(1,2-C₂B₉H₁₁)₂-3-Co]⁽⁻⁾) or its hexachlorinated derivative (H⁺BCl⁻, H⁺ [(8,8′,9,9′,12,12′-Cl₆-(1,2-C₂B₉H₈)₂-3-Co)]⁽⁻⁾). Methanol oxidation was suppressed with H⁺BCl⁻ significantly, and selective oxygen reduction was achieved on a platinum electrode. The efficiency of oxygen reduction to H₂O, which depended on the electrode potential, was lower by 2% to 20% than that without H⁺BCl⁻. The mechanism was investigated by surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS). H⁺BCl⁻ suppresses formation of both the catalytic poison, linear CO (ads.), from methanol and the formate, the intermediate of the non-CO path of methanol oxidation.