Estimation of FMAX and ISB in microprocessors

Inherent process device variations and fluctuations during manufacturing have a large impact on the microprocessor maximum clock frequency and total leakage power. These fluctuations have a statistical distribution that calls for usage of statistical methods for frequency and leakage analysis. This paper presents a simple technique for accurate estimation of product high-level (Full Chip) parameters such as the maximum frequency (FMAX) distribution and the total leakage (ISB). Moreover, this technique can grade critical paths by their failure probability and perform what-if analysis to estimate FMAX after fixing specific speed paths. Using our FMAX/ISB prediction, we show good correlation with silicon measurements from a production microprocessor.     

Infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis promotes human alveolar macrophage apoptosis

The effect of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection on the viability of healthy (control) human alveolar macrophages was evaluated by staining with ethidium homodimer and calcein to discriminate live from dead cells. Infection with M. tuberculosis H37Ra or H37Rv increased macrophage mortality at 6 days from the control level of 3.8% +/- 0.7% to 28.7% +/- 6.9% or 12.6% +/- 3.1%, respectively (P < 0.001 for comparisons of all conditions). A role for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in the M. tuberculosis-induced cytolysis of alveolar macrophages was demonstrated by increased cytotoxicity following the addition of exogenous TNF-alpha to the cultures and by enhancement of macrophage survival when M. tuberculosis-infected alveolar macrophages were treated with pentoxifylline or anti-TNF-alpha antibody. The cytolytic mechanism was determined to be apoptosis by the demonstration of a characteristic internucleosomal ladder of genomic DNA by agarose gel electrophoresis, by finding nuclear fragmentation and condensation by electron microscopy, and by in situ terminal transferase-mediated nick end labeling of fragmented DNA in alveolar macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis in vitro. The latter technique was employed to reveal extensive apoptosis within caseating granulomas from lung tissue samples from clinical tuberculosis cases. The induction of apoptosis in alveolar macrophages by M. tuberculosis may play a role in the macrophage-pathogen interaction of tuberculosis in vivo.     

The CD4-associated tyrosine kinase p56lck is required for lymphocyte chemoattractant factor-induced T lymphocyte migration

Lymphocyte chemoattractant factor (LCF) is a polypeptide cytokine which induces both cell motility and activation of T lymphocytes. These LCF-induced events demonstrate an absolute requirement for the cell surface expression of CD4. Because many CD4-mediated T lymphocyte activation events have been demonstrated to require the association of the src-related tyrosine kinase p56lck with the cytoplasmic domain of CD4, we examined the role of p56lck in LCF-induced lymphocyte migration in a murine T cell hybridoma line expressing transfected human CD4. LCF induces the catalytic activity of CD4 associated p56lck at chemoattractant concentrations of cytokine. Hybridoma cells that express CD4 with cytoplasmic point mutations which uncouple the CD4-lck association lack both lck enzymatic activity and chemotactic responses to LCF. The enzymatic activity of lck however does not appear to be required for CD4-mediated migratory signal. First, the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A blocked LCF-induced p56lck activation but had no effect on the LCF-induced motile response. Second, T cell hybridomas expressing a chimeric receptor combining the extracellular domain of human CD4 and murine p56lck which lacked the kinase domain had a normal LCF-induced motile response. We conclude from these observations that CD4-lck coupling is essential for LCF-induced T lymphocyte migration but the motile response is independent of the enzymatic activity of CD4-associated p56lck.     

Reliability assessment of dispenser-type thermionic cathodes

An extensive analysis has been performed of life test results obtained in the long-term (15,000 h) operation of both tungsten matrix and tungsten-osmium matrix dispenser cathodes. Sensitive indications of potential life capability for these cathodes are shown to be available via systematic interpretation of temperature-limited emission characteristics over time. These characteristics follow Arrhenius law temperature dependencies, with activation energies either identical with or closely similar to those determined separately for active material dispensation from these cathodes. Optimum temperature settings are determined, for each cathode type, at which projected life is maximized. Only modestly accelerated constant stress and step-stress results yield credible reliability projections at these optimum operational temperatures. Furthermore, there remains some uncertainty concerning the application of a (time)½ dependence to all data generated in testing of the tungsten-osmium, mixed metal matrix cathodes. Nevertheless, it is demonstrated that such cathodes can have mean lifetimes of at least 12 years, and may reach 20 years of serviceable life, sustaining only minor levels of degradation.     

ADP-ribosylation factor 1 transiently activates high-affinity adaptor protein complex AP-1 binding sites on Golgi membranes

Association of the Golgi-specific adaptor protein complex 1 (AP-1) with the membrane is a prerequisite for clathrin coat assembly on the trans-Golgi network (TGN). The AP-1 adaptor is efficiently recruited from cytosol onto the TGN by myristoylated ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) in the presence of the poorly hydrolyzable GTP analog guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTPgammaS). Substituting GTP for GTPgammaS, however, results in only poor AP-1 binding. Here we show that both AP-1 and clathrin can be recruited efficiently onto the TGN in the presence of GTP when cytosol is supplemented with ARF1. Optimal recruitment occurs at 4 microM ARF1 and with 1 mM GTP. The AP-1 recruited by ARF1.GTP is released from the Golgi membrane by treatment with 1 M Tris-HCl (pH 7) or upon reincubation at 37 degreesC, whereas AP-1 recruited with GTPgammaS or by a constitutively active point mutant, ARF1(Q71L), remains membrane bound after either treatment. An incubation performed with added ARF1, GTP, and AlFn, used to block ARF GTPase-activating protein activity, results in membrane-associated AP-1, which is largely insensitive to Tris extraction. Thus, ARF1. GTP hydrolysis results in lower-affinity binding of AP-1 to the TGN. Using two-stage assays in which ARF1.GTP first primes the Golgi membrane at 37 degreesC, followed by AP-1 binding on ice, we find that the high-affinity nucleating sites generated in the priming stage are rapidly lost. In addition, the AP-1 bound to primed Golgi membranes during a second-stage incubation on ice is fully sensitive to Tris extraction, indicating that the priming stage has passed the ARF1.GTP hydrolysis point. Thus, hydrolysis of ARF1.GTP at the priming sites can occur even before AP-1 binding. Our finding that purified clathrin-coated vesicles contain little ARF1 supports the concept that ARF1 functions in the coat assembly process rather than during the vesicle-uncoating step. We conclude that ARF1 is a limiting factor in the GTP-stimulated recruitment of AP-1 in vitro and that it appears to function in a stoichiometric manner to generate high-affinity AP-1 binding sites that have a relatively short half-life.     

A determinant in the cytoplasmic tail of the cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor prevents trafficking to lysosomes

The bovine cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CD-MPR) is a type 1 transmembrane protein that cycles between the trans-Golgi network, endosomes, and the plasma membrane. When the terminal 40 residues were deleted from the 67-amino acid cytoplasmic tail of the CD-MPR, the half-life of the receptor was drastically decreased and the mutant receptor was recovered in lysosomes. Analysis of additional cytoplasmic tail truncation mutants and alanine-scanning mutants implicated amino acids 34-39 as being critical for avoidance of lysosomal degradation. The cytoplasmic tail of the CD-MPR was partially effective in preventing the lysosomal membrane protein Lamp1 from entering lysosomes. Complete exclusion required both the CD-MPR cytoplasmic tail and transmembrane domain. The transmembrane domain alone had just a minor effect on the distribution of Lamp1. These findings indicate that the cytoplasmic tail of the CD-MPR contains a signal that prevents the receptor from trafficking to lysosomes. The transmembrane domain of the CD-MPR also contributes to this function.     

Characterization of the oligosaccharide units of the fourth component of complement (Ss protein) synthesized by murine macrophages

The glycosylation of murine C4 (Ss protein) synthesized by peritoneal macrophages has been investigated. Both the intracellular precursor, P-C4 (185), and the C4 alpha- and beta-chains that were secreted into medium were found to be glycosylated; however, no carbohydrate units were detected on the gamma-chain. Analyses of the oligosaccharide units showed that P-C4 (185) appears to contain both a "complex" and a "high mannose" carbohydrate group, the alpha-chain a "complex" group and the beta-chain a "high mannose" carbohydrate unit.     

Das Kerbschlagzähigkeitsverhalten von Grobblechen aus Feinkornstählen in verschiedenen Behandlungszuständen

Zugversuche und Kerbschlagbiegeversuche (DVM-Proben und ISO-Spitzkerbproben) an Proben aus zwei rd. 30 mm dicken Blechen eines Feinkornstahles mit rd. 0,15% C, 0,32% Si, 0,70% Mn, 0,025% P, 0,025% S, 0,006% N und 0,05% Al zur Untersuchung des Einflusses verschiedener Behandlungszustände [normalgeglüht, vergütet, nach einem Kaltverformen von 2,5, 5 und 10% künstlich gealtert (250 °C ½ h/Luft) sowie nach einem Kaltverformen um 10% bei 580 °C angelassen] auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften.