Circuit sensitivity to interconnect variation

Deep submicron technology makes interconnect one of the main factors determining the circuit performance. Previous work shows that interconnect parameters exhibit a significant amount of spatial variation. In this work, we develop approaches to study the influence of the interconnect variation on circuit performance and to evaluate the circuit sensitivity to interconnect parameters. First, an accurate interconnect modeling technique is presented, and an interconnect model library is developed. Then, we explore an approach using parameterized interconnect models to study circuit sensitivity via a ring oscillator circuit. Finally, we present an alternative approach using statistical experimental design techniques to study the sensitivity of a large and complicated circuit to interconnect variations     

Sizing and characterization of ultrasonic indications using imaging techniques

For discontinuity analysis more and more sophisticated methods are used in the nuclear industry. The rapid development of computer technology offers the possibility to use imaging techniques. Instead of specialized focusing transducers the more flexible synthetic focusing techniques can be used. Presupposing that the material is ultrasonically isotropic and homogeneous, imaging techniques make it possible to visualize the reflectivity of the volume to be tested.Siemens developed the high speed holographic instrument Holo 3000 in cooperation with the University of Bochum. In this paper the method of Broad Band Holography is presented in the context of other imaging techniques.Different filtering methods have been investigated in order to achieve highest resolution and best signal to noise ratio with a given dataset. Different transducers respective wave modes have been applied to austenitic welds and claddings. The reconstructed image was evaluated using image processing techniques in order to investigate the possibilities to produce results easier to be quantifed than the original reconstruction.The results presented show a reliable expert tool for analysis measurements which also can be used for flaw detection.     

Perceived numerosity of spatiotemporal events

Numerosity discrimination was examined when items were varied in space-time position rather than in space only. Observers were instructed to indicate which of two adjacent streams of visual events contained more items. The precision of numerosity discrimination of dynamic events was not remarkably different from that of static patterns. Two basic numerosity biases previously found for static dot patterns--inhibitory overestimation and satellite underestimation--were demonstrated for items distributed randomly over a spatiotemporal interval. It was also demonstrated that two streams, equated in the number and luminous energy of items, are not judged equal in their visible number if items in one of these two streams have longer duration than items in the second stream. These findings can be accounted for by the occupancy model of perceived numerosity (Allik & Tuulmets, 1991a) if it is supposed that the impact that each element has on its neighborhood is spread along both spatial and temporal coordinates. Perceived numerosity decreases with both spatial and temporal proximity between the visual items. Space and time have interchangeable effects on perceived numerosity: the amount of numerosity bias caused by the spatial proximity of items can also be produced by the properly chosen temporal proximity of items.     

Silver dissolution on copper-based alloys

Electrical resistivity measurements and scanning electron microscopy was used to study the dissolution of silver on Cu-Ag and Cu-Al-Ag alloys. The results seem to indicate that the dissolution temperature is affected by the addition of aluminium.     

Excessive closure of the right eye: a new sign of infarction in the territory of the ipsilateral right middle cerebral artery

In right middle cerebral territory infarction a new sign, excessive closure of the right eye ipsilateral to the lesion and mild closure of the left eye on command, was noted. The excessive ipsilateral eye closure was not observed on spontaneous eye closure.     

Relative involvement of protein kinase C and of the estrogen receptor in the cytotoxic action of a population of triphenylethylenes on MCF7 cells as revealed by correspondence factorial (CF) analysis

A multivariate statistical method, correspondence factorial (CF) analysis, was used to examine the correlations among the protein binding and cell proliferation effects of a series of 36 di- and triphenylethylenes (DPEs and TPEs). The analysis was applied to a study which measured their competition for estradiol binding to cytosol estrogen receptor (ER), their influence on protein kinase C (PKC) activity under different conditions of enzyme activation, their ability to promote the growth of a breast cancer cell line and to inhibit growth at high concentrations (cytotoxicity). The CF analysis revealed several levels of correlation. First, it distinguished those molecules within the population that stimulated rather than inhibited PKC activity. Second, it made apparent a strong correlation between cytotoxicity and inhibition of Ca++ and phosphatidylserine-dependent PKC activity, which was most marked when the enzyme had been activated by diacylglycerol indicating that PKC inhibition under physiological conditions might contribute to the overall cytotoxicity of these compounds. Third, a lower level of correlation was established between competition for ER binding and cytotoxicity. Taken together, the results suggest that MCF7 cells might be most sensitive to a cytotoxic effect of TPEs (via PKC and other targets) when they at the same time decrease estrogen-stimulated proliferation via an ER-mediated antiestrogenic effect.