High-performance MIM capacitor using ALD high-k HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate dielectrics

For the first time, we successfully fabricated and demonstrated high performance metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors with HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate dielectric using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. Our data indicates that the laminate MIM capacitor can provide high capacitance density of 12.8 fF//spl mu/m/sup 2/ from 10 kHz up to 20 GHz, very low leakage current of 3.2 /spl times/ 10/sup -8/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 3.3 V, small linear voltage coefficient of capacitance of 240 ppm/V together with quadratic one of 1830 ppm/V/sup 2/, temperature coefficient of capacitance of 182 ppm//spl deg/C, and high breakdown field of /spl sim/6 MV/cm as well as promising reliability. As a result, the HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate is a very promising candidate for next generation MIM capacitor for radio frequency and mixed signal integrated circuit applications.     

Fixed-order H∞ compensator design

A method is presented for the construction of fixed-order compensators to provide H_∞ norm constraint for linear control systems with exogenous disturbances. The method is based on the celebrated bounded-real lemma that predicates the H_∞ norm constraint via a Riccati inequality. The synthesis of fixed-order controllers whose dimensions are less than the order of a given plant, is demonstrated by a set of sufficient conditions along with a numerical algorithm.     

Selection of network and learning parameters for an adaptive neural robotic control scheme

This paper presents the results of a study in the design of a neural network based adaptive robotic control scheme. The neural network used here is a two hidden layer feedforward network and the learning scheme is the well-known backpropagation algorithm. The neural network essentially provides the inverse of the plant and acts in conjunction with a standard PD controller in the feedback loop. The objective of the controller is to accurately control the end position of a single link manipulator in the presence of large payload variations, variations in the link length and also variations in the damping constant. Based on results of this study, guidelines are presented in selecting the number of neurons in the hidden layers and also the parameters for the learning scheme used for training the network. Results also indicate that increasing the number of neurons in the hidden layer will improve the convergence speed of learning scheme up to a certain limit beyond which the addition of neurons will cause oscillations and instability. Guidelines for selecting the proper learning rate, momentum and fast backpropagation constant that ensure stability and convergence are presented. Also, a relationship between the r.m.s. error and the number of iterations used in training the neural network is established.     

Pervasive 2007: It's about the User

Pervasive computing is as much about the user as it is about the technology. So, the Fifth International Conference on Pervasive Computing emphasized desirability rather than just feasibility. Featured themes included user benefits, human-computer interaction, group and social interactions, context awareness, finding and positioning people and objects, and personal privacy.     

Robust State Feedback Control Through Actuators With Generalized Sector Nonlinearities And Saturation

In control systems, actuators often have nonlinear characteristics that can not be neglected. For linear systems driven by actuators satisfying the generalized sector condition, a robust state feedback controller synthesis method is proposed to achieve the ultimate boundedness control. The method is based on the linear matrix inequality approach and is easy to apply. As an important special case of the generalized sector condition, the saturation characteristic of actuators is discussed separately, and non‐conservative results are obtained.     

ERCP and CT findings of ectopic drainage of the common bile duct into the duodenal bulb

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate ERCP and CT findings of ectopic drainage of the common bile duct into the duodenal bulb. CONCLUSION: Although rare, the diagnosis of ectopic drainage of the common bile duct into the duodenal bulb is important to prevent inadvertent damage during biliary tract or gastric surgery and to clarify the cause of chronic peptic ulcers.     

Coding region of NKX3.1, a prostate-specific homeobox gene on 8p21, is not mutated in human prostate cancers

Loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 8p21-22 is common in human prostate cancer, suggesting the presence of one or more tumor suppressor genes at this locus. A homeobox gene that is expressed specifically in adult human prostate, NKX3.1, the expression of which is regulated by androgen, maps to chromosome 8p21. Fine structure in situ mapping showed that NKX3.1 is proximal to MSR32 (macrophage scavenger receptor type II) and LPL (human lipoprotein lipase) and very close to NEFL (human neurofilament light chain) on 8p21. Single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis of 48 radical prostatectomy cancer specimens and 3 metastases for the entire coding region of NKX3.1 showed no tumor-specific sequence alterations in 50 specimens and total absence of the gene in 1 specimen known to have a biallelic deletion of 8p21. NKX3.1 was found to have a polymorphism at nucleotide 154 in codon 52 that resulted in a CGC-->TGC sequence change and an Arg-->Cys amino acid alteration (R52C). This polymorphism was present in 20% of DNA samples. If NKX3.1 is a target of the 8p21 LOH, it is not via disruption of the coding region of the gene.     

Memory beyond the hippocampus

Cultured hepatocytes of silver eel actively secreted only chylomicron-like lipoprotein. The rate of secretion per mg cellular protein per 24 hr was 2.2 times higher compared with that by yellow eel hepatocytes. Silver eel hepatocytes secreted lipids 2.5 times higher through the lipoprotein than yellow eel hepatocytes. Main lipid was triacylglycerol in either secreted lipoprotein and composition of apolipoproteins of both secreted lipoproteins was the same. The incorporation of 3H-leucine into the lipoprotein secreted by silver eel hepatocytes was 2.4 times higher, but that of 14C-acetate was not significantly different. Protein and lipids composition of plasma lipoproteins of silver eel was significantly higher and lower compared with those of yellow eel, respectively. We suggest that the secreted lipoprotein of silver eel hepatocytes transport much more lipids to other tissues than that of yellow eel hepatocytes.