Automated design of integrated circuits with area-distributed input-output pads

We present a method for automating the creation of complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits that successfully utilizes a large number of area-distributed pads for input-output communication. This method uses Duet Technologies' epoch computer-aided-design tool for automated placement and routing of CMOS circuitry, given a schematic netlist as an input. The novelty of this approach is that it uses Duet Technologies' eggo program to place and route area-pad signals. To verify this methodology, it is applied to the design of a digital signal-processing circuit, with 200 optical area-pad input-outputs and 44 perimeter-pad input-outputs, that is being fabricated with Bell Labs 1997 CMOS-multiple-quantum-well foundry. The layout results are as good as or better than the results obtained by manual layout.     

In Vivo Detection of Gold Nanoshells in Tumors Using Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy

This study demonstrates the use of diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) for the noninvasive measurement of gold nanoshell concentrations in tumors of live mice. We measured the diffuse optical spectra (500-800 nm) using an optical fiber probe placed in contact with the tissue surface. We performed in vitro studies on tissue phantoms illustrating an accurate measurement of gold-silica nanoshell concentration within 12.6% of the known concentration. In vivo studies were performed on a mouse xenograft tumor model. DOS spectra were measured at preinjection, immediately postinjection, 1 and 24 h postinjection times, and the nanoshell concentrations were verified using neutron activation analysis.     

Synergistic strengthening of composite films by crosslinking graphene oxide reinforcement and poly(vinyl alcohol) with dicarboxylic acids

High‐strength plastic materials with excellent biodegradability, non‐toxicity and economically wide availability are in high demand. Herein, we demonstrate graphene oxide (GO) composite of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a potential bioplastic material by chemical crosslinking. For a potential bioplastic material, PVA has to be addressed for its high water absorbing capacity along with improvement in tensile strength and thermal stability. These issues were addressed by enhancing the interfacial binding between PVA and GO, covalent bonds between the two being introduced by crosslinking with dicarboxylic acids, namely succinic acid (SuA) and adipic acid (AdA). Crosslinking of neat PVA with dicarboxylic acids also resulted in enhanced swelling resistance and thermal stability. The greatest improvement in tensile strength and swelling resistance was observed for a GO crosslinked with diacids due to the synergistic effect of reinforcement and crosslinking. Improvements of 225 and 234% in the tensile strength of PVA (31.19 MPa) were observed for 5% GO–PVA samples crosslinked with 6.25 mmol AdA and 7.5 mmol SuA, respectively. For the same samples, water uptake was 44 and 29%, respectively, compared to the non‐crosslinked PVA (359%). © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Template‐free electrochemical synthesis and electrochemical supercapacitors application of polyaniline nanobuds

One‐step and template‐free synthesis of polyaniline nanobuds (PANI NBs), synthesized using anodic electrochemical polymerization method, is reported at room temperature onto a conducting indium‐tin‐oxide glass substrate. The PANI NBs are characterized for their structural, morphological, and electrochromic properties. Scanning electron microscopy image reveals NBs type architecture, perpendicular to the substrate surface. These NBs are broader at their bottoms and narrower at the tops. Individual NB has confirmed 30 nm top diameter and 100–200 nm length. Electrochemical supercapacitive behavior of the PANI NBs electrode is investigated by measuring cyclic voltammetry curves. Moderate specific capacitance of 128 F/g is achieved in the potential range of ?0.2 to 1.0 V at 10 mV/s sweep rate in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. Influence of inner and outer charges on a resultant specific capacitance is also investigated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Heterogeneous catalyst mixtures for the polymerization of ethylene

Heterogeneous cocatalysts, catalysts, and catalyst mixtures for the polymerization of ethylene were prepared applying “fumed silica” and mesoporous MCM-41 support materials and zirconocene dichloride, titanocene dichloride, and a bis(arylimino)pyridine iron complex as catalyst precursors. The catalyst mixtures produced polyethylenes which exhibit the properties of two single polymers. Polyethylenes with the desired bimodal molecular weight distributions could be obtained with a series of ternary Zr/Ti/Fe catalysts. The ability of the zirconium and titanium species to copolymerize short-chain 1-olefins produced by the iron centers (“in situ” copolymerization) is useful for the production of copolymers from only one monomer (ethylene).     

A transfer-appropriate processing account of context effects in word-fragment completion.

The claim that priming on implicit memory tasks such as word-fragment completion is sensitive to context effects was tested by using homographs (e.g., board) to manipulate context. On the basis of previous findings, it was assumed that presentation of only the perceptual cue at test (oa d) should activate the dominant meaning, thereby creating the same context for homographs encoded for their dominant encoding and a different context for homographs encoded for their nondominant meaning. As expected, little or no effect of varying context was observed on a perceptual implicit task (Experiments 1–2B). When explicit retrieval instructions were given in Experiment 3, same-context encoding led to greater recall of homographs from word-fragment cues relative to different-context encoding. These results are consistent with the predictions of the transfer-appropriate-processing view because little advantage for the same-context condition was obtained in implicit tests in the absence of conceptual cues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pulse Anodizing—An Overview

Anodizing is a versatile method used to prevent a metal from corrosion by forming an oxide coating over its surface. Various power supplies such as D.C., A.C. and A.C. superimposed on D.C. are used in industrial anodizing depending upon the different fields of application. For specific applications, especially for hard anodizing of aluminium containing high copper and silicon, the importance of the pulse current technique has been recognised. This paper reviews the entire history of pulse anodizing of metals such as aluminium, drawbacks of other existing power sources, advancement of pulse power sources and applications of pulse current techniques in various types of anodizing such as general pulse anodizing, pulse hard anodizing and pulse colour anodizing.     

Growth and characterization of electrodeposited Cu(In,Al)Se2 thin films

Thin films of CuIn_1 − xAl_xSe₂ were grown using a cathodic electrodeposition technique. The CuIn_1 − xAl_xSe₂ films were electrodeposited on SnO₂ coated glass from aqueous baths containing different Al contents using deposition potentials ranging from − 650 mV to − 850 mV versus a saturated calomel electrode. The electrodeposited films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, atomic force microscopy, and UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy. The results show that single phase CuIn_1 − xAl_xSe₂ films with Al content x around 0.27-0.33 having good stoichiometry can be produced in the above potential range. XRD and SEM studies show that films deposited at − 650 mV and − 750 mV have good crystallinity while those grown at − 850 mV have comparatively poorer crystallinity. SEM studies show that the particle size of the films grown at − 650 and − 750 mV is in the micron range but is around 100 nm when grown at − 850 mV. Optical studies show that the optical band gap shifts with Al content from 1.21 eV for x = 0.27 to about 1.42 eV for x = 0.33. The as-grown as well as vacuum annealed films were n-type in conductivity with resistivity in the range 3-5 × 10⁻³ Ω cm.