A 322 MHz random-cycle embedded DRAM with high-accuracy sensing and tuning

A 16 Mb embedded DRAM macro in a fully CMOS logic compatible 90 nm process with a low noise core architecture and a high-accuracy post-fabrication tuning scheme has been developed. Based on the proposed techniques, 61% improvement of the sensing accuracy is realized. Even with the smallest 5 fF/cell capacitance, a 322 MHz random-cycle access while 32 ms data retention time which contributes to save the data retention power down to 60 /spl mu/W are achieved.     

Giant plexiform schwannoma: a report of two cases with soft tissue and visceral involvement

We report two cases of massive, solitary, plexiform schwannoma. One was a 9-cm subcutaneous lesion on the hip of a 72-year-old man who had become aware of the slow-growing tumor 50 years earlier; the other is the first reported plexiform schwannoma to arise in a visceral organ: it arose in the ascending colon of a 54-year-old man and exhibited a dumbbell configuration with submucosal and subserosal components. Neither patient had neurofibromatosis or schwannomatosis. Both tumors were well-circumscribed and multinodular, and both showed a plexiform architecture. Microscopically, the nodules were composed primarily of Antoni A tissue, replete with nuclear palisading and Verocay bodies. Examination by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy demonstrated the features of well-differentiated Schwann cells; nodules were surrounded by attenuated, residual perineurium. Both patients followed a benign clinical course, without recurrence or metastasis. Neither the large tumor size nor the unusual locations affected the biologic behavior of these neoplasms. A massive plexiform schwannoma must be distinguished from a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor and from a plexiform neurofibroma, a tumor prone to malignant transformation.     

Temperature and pressure effects on supercritical CO2 extraction of tomato seed oil

Tomato seed oil was extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide in a semibatch-flow extractor within the temperature range 313–343 K and the pressure range 10.8–24.5MPa. The extraction rates increased with pressure, but decreased with temperature increase because of the variation in solvent density and resultant differences in oil solubility. The fatty acid composition of the extracted oil was similar to that of soybean oil.     

Doubly Bonded C60 Dimers and Congeners: Computational Studies of Structures, Bond Energies and Transformations

Initial steps of thermal transformation from doubly bonded [2+2] (1) and [4+4] (2) dimers of C₆₀ have been analyzed on the basis of computed structural features and Pople's energy partition scheme. Completely conjugated C₁₂₀ structures 3 and 4 are found to be considerably stable and proposed to be important intermediates. The linkage patterns in 3 and 4 are also likely to appear in the repeating units of the metastable dimer and polymer phases of A₁ crystals.     

d-Tubocurarine accentuates the burn-induced upregulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at the muscle membrane

BACKGROUND: Increases in acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at the muscle membrane, induced by burn injury, have been associated with a hyperkalemic response to succinylcholine and resistance to d-tubocurarine-like drugs. Muscle relaxants often are administered to burn-injured patients in the intensive care unit to facilitate mechanical ventilation. This study in rats tested whether continuous administration of d-tubocurarine in subparalytic doses exaggerates the upregulation of AChRs induced by burn trauma. Subparalytic doses were used to avoid the confounding effects of immobilization. METHODS: Three days after an approximate 50% body surface area burn or sham injury, the animals received an infusion of 3.03 +/- 0.05 micrograms/h of d-tubocurarine or equal volume of saline directly to the left gastrocnemius muscle via catheter connected to a subcutaneously implanted osmotic pump. After 7 days of d-tubocurarine or saline infusion, the AChRs were quantitated using 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin. The AChRs on the d-tubocurarine or saline-infused left gastrocnemius were compared to the contralateral gastrocnemius in the same group. The right or left gastrocnemius AChRs were compared to the ipsilateral muscles between groups. These intra- and intergroup comparisons allowed the delineation of the effects of catheter irritation, burns, or d-tubocurarine on AChRs. RESULTS: Daily examination of the withdrawal response to toe-pinch revealed no evidence of paralysis. Weight loss in the burn-injury animals receiving d-tubocurarine or saline was similar, confirming that the infusion of d-tubocurarine did not impair the mobility of the animals to move and feed. The plasma d-tubocurarine concentration after 7 days of infusion was 26.0 +/- 12 ng/ml (mean +/- SE). Regardless of burn or sham injury or of d-tubocurarine or saline infusion, the concentration of AChRs on the left was consistently greater than in the contralateral right gastrocnemius muscles within the same group, indicating that manipulation of the area alone can result in upregulation of AChRs. The AChRs in the right gastrocnemius of burn-injured animals were greater than those in the same muscle of sham-injured animals, regardless of saline (7.24 +/- 0.9 vs. 5.7 +/- 0.5 fmoles/mg protein, P = 0.06) or d-tubocurarine (7.3 +/- 0.4 vs. 5.7 +/- 0.5, P < 0.05) infusion to the burn-injury groups. AChRs in the left gastrocnemius of burn-injury animals receiving d-tubocurarine were significantly greater than those in burn- or sham-injury animals receiving saline (13.9 +/- 1.1 vs. 9.8 +/- 1.2 and 7.1 +/- 0.5 fmoles/mg protein, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Burn-induced upregulation of AChRs is accentuated by infusion of subparalytic doses of d-tubocurarine. Concomitant administration of d-tubocurarine to burn-injured patients may result in further exaggeration of the aberrant responses to neuromuscular relaxants.     

Partial scan design and test sequence generation based on reduced scan shift method

This paper presents a partial scan algorithm, calledPARES (PartialscanAlgorithm based onREduced Scan shift), for designing partial scan circuits. PARES is based on the reduced scan shift that has been previously proposed for generating short test sequences for full scan circuits. In the reduced scan shift method, one determines proch FFs must be controlled and observed for each test vector. According to the results of similar analysis, PARES selects these FFs that must be controlled or observed for a large number of test vectors, as scanned FFs. Short test sequences are generated by reducing scan shift operations using a static test compaction method. To minimize the loss of fault coverage, the order of test vectors is so determined that the unscanned FFs are in the state required by the next test vector. If there are any faults undetected yet by a test sequence derived from the test vectors, then PARES uses a sequential circuit test generator to detect the faults. Experimental results for ISCAS'89 benchmark circuits are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of PARES.     

Complexity of the color appearance of objects with nonuniform illumination

An inversion relationship is clarified between lightness and brightness, and also between chroma and colorfulness under nonuniform illumination with different illuminance levels (high and low) within the same visual field. Brightness (or colorfulness) of object color with low lightness (or chroma) under high illuminance level is perceived higher than that of another object color with high lightness (or chroma) under low illuminance level. Two color images are given for showing the inversion phenomena on brightness–lightness and colorfulness–chroma between object colors under different illuminance levels. These color images are useful for making researchers on color understand the differences in concept between brightness and lightness, and also between colorfulness and chroma. In particular, the concept of colorfulness is important, but difficult to understand. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 32, 372–377, 2007     

Woodceramics Prepared from Wood Powder/Phenolated Wood Composite

In this paper, composites were made from wood powder and its phenolated product, and then were carbonized into woodceramics. The effects of the content of the phenolated wood in the composites on the forming ability, size, density, compressive strength, volume electrical resistivity, and specific surface area of the woodceramics were investigated. It is suggested that in the preparation of woodceramics, phenolic resin can possibly be substituted totally by phenolated wood that is the main constituent of liquefied wood.