An analytic method to compute the stress dependence on the dimensions and its influence in the characteristics of triple gate devices

Triple-gate devices are considered a promising solution for sub-20 nm era. Strain engineering has also been recognized as an alternative due to the increase in the carriers mobility it propitiates. The simulation of strained devices has the major drawback of the stress non-uniformity, which cannot be easily considered in a device TCAD simulation without the coupled process simulation that is time consuming and cumbersome task. However, it is mandatory to have accurate device simulation, with good correlation with experimental results of strained devices, allowing for in-depth physical insight as well as prediction on the stress impact on the device electrical characteristics. This work proposes the use of an analytic function, based on the literature, to describe accurately the strain dependence on both channel length and fin width in order to simulate adequately strained triple-gate devices. The maximum transconductance and the threshold voltage are used as the key parameters to compare simulated and experimental data. The results show the agreement of the proposed analytic function with the experimental results. Also, an analysis on the threshold voltage variation is carried out, showing that the stress affects the dependence of the threshold voltage on the temperature. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavior of triple-gate Bulk FinFETs with and without DTMOS operation

In this paper, the combination of the Dynamic Threshold (DT) voltage technique with a non-planar structure is experimentally studied in triple-gate FinFETs. The drain current, transconductance, resistance, threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and Drain Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) will be analyzed in the DT mode and the standard biasing configuration. Moreover, for the first time, the important figures of merit for the analog performance such as transconductance-over-drain current, output conductance. Early voltage and intrinsic voltage gain will be studied experimentally and through three-dimensional (3-D) numerical simulations for different channel doping concentrations in triple-gate DTMOS FinFETs. The results indicate that the DTMOS FinFETs always yield superior characteristic; and larger transistor efficiency. In addition, DTMOS devices with a high channel doping concentration exhibit much better analog performance compared to the normal operation mode, which is desirable for high performance low-power/low-voltage applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of temperature variation influence on the analog performance of 45 degrees rotated triple-gate nMuGFETs

This work presents the analog performance of n-type triple-gate MuGFETs with high-k dielectrics and TiN gate material fabricated in 45 degrees rotated SOI substrates comparing their performance with standard MuGFETs fabricated without substrate rotation. Different fin widths are studied for temperatures ranging from 250 K up to 400 K. The results of transconductance, output conductance, transconductance over drain current ratio, intrinsic voltage gain and unit-gain frequency are studied. It is observed that the substrate rotation improves the carrier mobility of narrow MuGFETs at any temperature because of the changing in the conduction plane at the sidewalls from (1 1 0) to (1 0 0). For lower temperatures, the improvement of the carrier mobility of rotated MuGFETs is more noticeable as well as the rate of mobility improvement with the temperature decrease is larger. The output conductance is weakly affected by the substrate rotation. Although this improvement in the transconductance of rotated MuGFETs is negligibly transferred to the intrinsic voltage gain, the unity-gain frequency of rotated device is improved due to the larger carrier mobility in the entire range of temperatures studied. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the ZZ production cross section and limits on anomalous neutral triple gauge couplings with ATLAS

The main work of this thesis concerns the measurement of the production cross section using LHC 2011 data collected at a center-of-mass energy equal to 7 TeV by the ATLAS detector and resulting in a total integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse fb. The ZZ total cross section is finally compared with the NLO prediction calculated with modern Monte Carlo generators. In addition, the three differential distributions (∆φ(l,l), ZpT and M4l) are shown unfolded back to the underlying distributions using a Bayesian iterative algorithm. Finally, the transverse momentum of the leading Z is used to provide limits on anoumalus triple gauge couplings forbidden in the Standard Model.

Feasibility and diagnostic effectiveness of new capsule endoscopy techniques

Since its approval by FDA in 2001, capsule endoscopy revolutionized the study of small bowel. One of the main limitations of its diffusion has been the high cost. More recently, a new videocapsule system (OMOM CE) has been developed in China and obtained the CE mark. Its cost is approximately half that of other capsule systems. However, there are few studies regarding the clinical experience with this new videocapsule system and none of them has been performed in the western world. Among the limitations of capsule endoscopy, there is also one linked to the diagnostic yield. The rapid transit of the device in the proximal segments implies a high risk of false negatives; an indirect confirmation of this limit is offered by the poor ability to identify the papilla of Vater. In addition, recent studies show that in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, the negative outcome of capsule endoscopy is correlated to a significant risk of recurrence of anemia in the short term, as well as the presence of small bowel lesions documented by a second capsule endoscopy. It was recently approved the use of a new device called "CapsoCam" (CapsoVision, Inc. Saratoga) characterized by four side cameras that offer a panoramic view of 360 degrees, instead of the front to 160°. Two recent pilot studies showed comparable safety profiles and diagnostic yield with the more standardized capsule. Namely, side vision has made possible a clear visualization of the papilla in 70% of cases. The aim of our study is to evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic yield of these two new devices, which first may allow a reduction in costs. Moreover, their complementary use could lead to a recovery diagnostic in patients with false negative results in an initial investigation.

La traduzione audiovisiva: Doppiaggio e sottotitolaggio di Triple Standard

La tesi analizza il procedimento di doppiaggio e sottotitolaggio in italiano del cortometraggio in lingua inglese Triple Standard

Etablierung eines Triple-Kultur-Modells der oberen Atemwege unter Einbeziehung immunkompetenter Zellen

Organophosphate können chronische Lungenerkrankungen und Vergiftungen hervorrufen. Bei der Vergiftung erfolgt eine Immunreaktion, welche noch nicht erforscht ist. In dieser Arbeit wurden Toxizitätsstudien an dendritischen Zellen und einem bronchialen Triple-Kultur-Modell durchgeführt. Dendritische Zellen spielen bei der ersten Immunabwehr in der Lunge eine große Rolle. Aus der Zell-Linie THP-1 und primären Monozyten wurden reife dendritische Zellen differenziert und mittels Durchflusszytometrie und Immunfluoreszenz auf spezifische Zellmarker, wie zum Beispiel CD11c, CD83 oder auch CD209, charakterisiert und etabliert. Durch die Vergiftung der Zellen mit Dimethoat und Chlorpyrifos konnte eine Erhöhung des Zelltodes, die Sekretion von proinflammatorischen Mediatoren, Veränderungen in der Morphologie der Zellen und ein Effekt auf den Proteinkinase-Signalweg festgestellt werden. Spezifische dendritische Zellmarker (CD83, CD209) wurden inhibiert und die Dendriten der Dendritischen Zellen kürzer und beschädigt. Die Schädigung von Chlorpyrifos war erheblich größer, als die bei Dimethoat.rnDie weiteren Toxizitätsstudien wurden an einem bronchialen Triple-Kultur-Modell durchgeführt. Hierzu wurden auf Transwell-Filtermembranen bronchiale Epithelzellen, Fibroblastenzellen und Dendritische Zellen verwendet. Die bronchialen Epithelzellen und Fibroblastenzellen waren hier physiologisch voneinander getrennt, konnten aber durch Poren in der Membran miteinander interagieren. Die Etablierung des Triple-Kultur-Modells erfolgte durch die Untersuchung von Entzündungsprozessen, durch Stimulation mit LPS, TNF-alpha und Interferon-gamma. In der Ko-Kultur konnten Zell-Zell-Kontakt Schädigungen und Erhöhung von proinflammatorischen Markern, wie zum Beispiel IL-1ß, IL-6 oder auch IL-8 gemessen werden. Versuche in der Triple-Kultur zeigten den positiven Effekt von Dendritischen Zellen. Bei höheren Konzentrationsbereichen von Dimethoat und Chlorpyrifos konnte ein Wandern der Zellen zu den geschädigten Zell-Zell-Kontakten nachgewiesen werden. Die Ausschüttung der proinflammatorischen Mediatoren wurde inhibiert, vor allem bei IL-10 war eine deutliche Reduktion, um mehr als 70% messbar. Ebenso konnten Veränderungen in dem Apoptose-Signalblick festgestellt werden. Vor allem anti-apoptotische Proteine wurden nach einer Vergiftung der Triple-Kultur induziert. Interventionsstudien mit Vitamin C zeigten allerdings keinen positiven Effekt.

Measurement of the ZZ production cross section and limits to the anomalous triple gauge couplings with forward electrons with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of the self coupling between bosons are important to test the electroweak sector of the Standard Model (SM). The production of pairs of Z bosons through the s-channel is forbidden in the SM. The presence of physics, beyond the SM, could lead to a deviation of the expected production cross section of pairs of Z bosons due to the so called anomalous Triple Gauge Couplings (aTGC). Proton-proton data collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) recorded by the ATLAS detector at a center of mass energy of 8 TeV were analyzed corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb-1. Pairs of Z bosons decaying into two electron-positron pairs are searched for in the data sample. The effect of the inclusion of detector regions corresponding to high values of the pseudorapidity was studied to enlarge the phase space available for the measurement of the ZZ production. The number of ZZ candidates was determined and the ZZ production cross section was measured to be: rn7.3±1.0(Stat.)±0.4(Sys.)±0.2(lumi.)pb, which is consistent with the SM expectation value of 7.2±0.3pb. Limits on the aTGCs were derived using the observed yield, which are twice as stringent as previous limits obtained by ATLAS at a center of mass energy of 7 TeV.

Lie algebras and triple systems

This thesis is dedicated to the Tits-Kantor-Koecher (TKK) construction which establishes a bijective correspondence between unital Jordan algebras and shortly graded Lie algebras with Z-grading induced by an sl_2-triple. It is based on the observation that if g is a Lie algebra with a short Z-grading and f lies in g_1, then the formula ab=[[a,f],b] defines a structure of a Jordan algebra on g_{-1}. The TKK construction has been extended to Jordan triple systems and, more recently, to the so-called Kantor triple systems. These generalizations are studied in the thesis.

Detection of dentinal cracks after root-end resection: an ex vivo study comparing microscopy and endoscopy with scanning electron microscopy

Dentinal cracks are occasionally observed at the cut root face after root-end resection in apical surgery. The objective of this ex vivo study was to evaluate and compare the efficiency of visual aids to identify root-end dentinal cracks.

An in vitro triple cell co-culture model with primary cells mimicking the human alveolar epithelial barrier

A triple cell co-culture model was recently established by the authors, consisting of either A549 or 16HBE14o- epithelial cells, human blood monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells, which offers the possibility to study the interaction of xenobiotics with those cells. The 16HBE14o- containing co-culture model mimics the airway epithelial barrier, whereas the A549 co-cultures mimic the alveolar type II-like epithelial barrier. The goal of the present work was to establish a new triple cell co-culture model composed of primary alveolar type I-like cells isolated from human lung biopsies (hAEpC) representing a more realistic alveolar epithelial barrier wall, since type I epithelial cells cover >93% of the alveolar surface. Monocultures of A549 and 16HBE14o- were morphologically and functionally compared with the hAEpC using laser scanning microscopy, as well as transmission electron microscopy, and by determining the epithelial integrity. The triple cell co-cultures were characterized using the same methods. It could be shown that the epithelial integrity of hAEpC (mean ± SD, 1180 ± 188 Ω cm(2)) was higher than in A549 (172 ± 59 Ω cm(2)) but similar to 16HBE14o- cells (1469 ± 156 Ω cm(2)). The triple cell co-culture model with hAEpC (1113 ± 30 Ω cm(2)) showed the highest integrity compared to the ones with A549 (93 ± 14 Ω cm(2)) and 16HBE14o- (558 ± 267 Ω cm(2)). The tight junction protein zonula occludens-1 in hAEpC and 16HBE14o- were more regularly expressed but not in A549. The epithelial alveolar model with hAEpC combined with two immune cells (i.e. macrophages and dendritic cells) will offer a novel and more realistic cell co-culture system to study possible cell interactions of inhaled xenobiotics and their toxic potential on the human alveolar type I epithelial wall.

Air suctioning during colon biopsy forceps removal reduces bacterial air contamination in the endoscopy suite

Bacterial contamination of endoscopy suites is of concern; however studies evaluating bacterial aerosols are lacking. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of air suctioning during removal of biopsy forceps in reducing bacterial air contamination.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone type II antagonist induces apoptosis in MCF-7 and triple-negative MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Triple-negative breast cancer does not express estrogen and progesterone receptors, and no overexpression/amplification of the HER2-neu gene occurs. Therefore, this subtype of breast cancer lacks the benefits of specific therapies that target these receptors. Today chemotherapy is the only systematic therapy for patients with triple-negative breast cancer. About 50% to 64% of human breast cancers express receptors for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which might be used as a target. New targeted therapies are warranted. Recently, we showed that antagonists of gonadotropin-releasing hormone type II (GnRH-II) induce apoptosis in human endometrial and ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. This was mediated through activation of stress-induced mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), followed by activation of proapoptotic protein Bax, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and activation of caspase-3. In the present study, we analyzed whether GnRH-II antagonists induce apoptosis in MCF-7 and triple-negative MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells that express GnRH receptors. In addition, we ascertained whether knockdown of GnRH-I receptor expression affects GnRH-II antagonist-induced apoptosis and apoptotic signaling.