Computing-in-memory (CIM) based on embedded nonvolatile memory is a promising candidate for energy-efficient multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) operations in artificial intelligence (AI) edge devices. ...However, circuit design for NVM-based CIM (nvCIM) imposes a number of challenges, including an arealatency-energy tradeoff for multibit MAC operations, patterndependent degradation in signal margin, and small read margin. To overcome these challenges, this article proposes the following: 1) a serial-input non-weighted product (SINWP) structure; 2) a down-scaling weighted current translator (DSWCT) and positive-negative current-subtractor (PN-ISUB); 3) a currentaware bitline clamper (CABLC) scheme; and 4) a triple-margin small-offset current-mode sense amplifier (TMCSA). A 55-nm 1-Mb ReRAM-CIM macro was fabricated to demonstrate the MAC operation of 2-b-input, 3-b-weight with 4-b-out. This nvCIM macro achieved T MAC = 14.6 ns at 4-b-out with peak energy efficiency of 53.17 TOPS/W.
This brief proposes a digital-to-analog-converter-based (DAC-based) bypass window switching method for the successive-approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC). The proposed method ...defines the size of the bypass window by switching the designated capacitor in the DAC capacitor array to achieve low power for a small input amplitude. If the input falls within the window, some switching phases can be skipped to save power consumption. Since this switching method only utilizes the existing DAC capacitor array and a few additional digital circuits for window definition, it can be employed in SAR ADC architectures with a variable input common-mode voltage during conversion operation, such as set-and-down SAR ADCs. The operation of the proposed bypass window switching is verified with a 12-bit set-and-down SAR ADC fabricated in TSMC <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">0.18~\mu \text{m} </tex-math></inline-formula> CMOS process. At the sampling rate of 50 kHz, the total power consumption is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">1.54~\mu \text{W} </tex-math></inline-formula> from a 0.6-V supply with a 760-mVpp 24.95-kHz input. The power consumption with a 20-mVpp input that all falls in the window can be significantly reduced to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">0.49~\mu \text{W} </tex-math></inline-formula>. The measured signal-to-noise and distortion ratio and spurious-free dynamic range with 760-mVpp 24.95-kHz input and 50-kS/s sampling rate are 62.67 and 82.44 dB, respectively, resulting in the effective number of bits of 10.12. Based on the power consumption of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">1.54~\mu \text{W} </tex-math></inline-formula>, the Walden figure of merit is 27.7 fJ/conversion-step.
Objective
Tracheal replacement is a crucial operation to enhance the quality of life for patients with extensive tracheal lesions. The most suitable surgical techniques for different clinical ...conditions remain a topic of debate. Through a reviewing of the relevant literature, this study investigated the association between surgical techniques and mortality rate.
Data Sources
Studies were collected from PubMed, Embase, the Web of Science, the Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov.
Methods
This systematic review encompassed literature from the inception of each database to May 10, 2023, focusing on tracheal replacement for patients who underwent circumferential resection of the trachea or partial resection with preservation of the posterior membranous wall. Non‐human and non‐clinical studies were excluded.
Results
About 31 studies were included in the assessment comprising a combination of case reports and case series, and 118 patients underwent tracheal replacement through four underlying methodologies, including tracheal allotransplantation, autologous tissue reconstruction, bioprosthetic reconstruction, or tissue engineering surgery. Each modality exhibits unique advantages and disadvantages, leading to variable outcomes in clinical application.
Conclusion
Tracheal replacement is challenging due to the absence of an ideal substitution or graft material. Despite limited clinical successes observed across various modalities, we believe autologous tissue reconstruction for tracheal replacement has the advantage of broadest indications, low rejection rate, and avoidance of immunosuppressive agents. Future research should focus on achieving tracheal replacement that preserves mucociliary clearance, lateral rigidity, and longitudinal flexibility.
Level of Evidence
NA Laryngoscope, 134:1517–1522, 2024
Tracheal replacement is challenging due to the lack of ideal graft materials. We believe that autologous tissue reconstruction is a promising approach due to its broad applicability, lower risks of rejection, and avoids the need for immunosuppression. Future research should aim to preserve essential tracheal function during replacement.
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•Microalgal cultivation is an eco-friendly way for wastewater bioremediation.•Chlorella sorokiniana AK-1 has high tolerance to swine wastewater.•Biomass concentration of 6.5 g/L was ...attained with 50% wastewater as medium.•Cell immobilization using sponge as carrier improved biomass production to 8 g/L.•Over 92% removal efficiency of COD, TN and TP was obtained with the algal treatment.
Swine wastewater is rich in nitrogen and organic carbon which are essential macronutrients for microalgal growth. Three indigenous microalgal strains (Chlorella sorokiniana AK-1, Chlorella sorokiniana MS-C1, and Chlorella sorokiniana TJ5) were examined for their growth capability in untreated swine wastewater. C. sorokiniana AK-1 showed the best tolerance towards swine wastewater, and obtained the highest biomass concentration (5.45 g/L) and protein productivity (0.27 g/L/d) when grown in 50% strength swine wastewater. Cell immobilization using sponge as the solid carrier further enhanced maximal biomass concentration and protein productivity to 8.08 g/L and 0.272 g/L/d, respectively. Reuse of microalgae loaded sponge resulted in an average biomass production and protein productivity of 6.51 g/L and 0.15 g/L/d, respectively. The COD, TN and TP removal efficiency for the swine wastewater was 90.1, 97.0 and 92.8%, respectively. This innovative swine wastewater treatment method has demonstrated excellent performance on simultaneous swine wastewater treatment and protein-rich microalgal biomass production.
The bulk composition of Earth is dramatically carbon-poor compared to that of the interstellar medium, and this phenomenon extends to the asteroid belt. To interpret this carbon deficit problem, the ...carbonaceous component in grains must have been converted into the gas phase in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) prior to planetary formation. We examine the effect of carbon grain destruction on the chemical structure of disks by calculating the molecular abundances and distributions using a comprehensive chemical reaction network. When carbon grains are destroyed and the elemental abundance of the gas becomes carbon-rich, the abundances of carbon-bearing molecules, such as HCN and carbon-chain molecules, increase dramatically near the midplane, while oxygen-bearing molecules, such as and , are depleted. We compare the results of these model calculations with the solid carbon-to-silicon fraction in the solar system. Although we find a carbon depletion gradient, there are some quantitative discrepancies: the model shows a higher value at the position of the asteroid belt and a lower value at the location of Earth. In addition, using the obtained molecular abundance distributions, coupled with line radiative transfer calculations, we make predictions for ALMA to potentially observe the effect of carbon grain destruction in nearby PPDs. The results indicate that HCN, , and c- may be good tracers.
We have demonstrated that the hydroxyl radicals (OH•) and hydrogen gas can be generated by the application of mechanical force to the active edge sites of the MoS2 nanoflowers in a dark environment. ...The non-centrosymmetric structure of the single- and few-layered MoS2 nanoflowers were uniformly dispensed in the aqueous solution. A mechanical force was applied to the aqueous solution, and the hydroxyl radicals were generated from the MoS2 nanoflowers because a piezoelectric spontaneous polarization was created around the single- and odd number of layers. To exclude the dye adsorption effect during the decomposition process, the MoS2 nanoflowers with 99.9 wt% were removed from the solution by the centrifuged process to obtain the solution without the nanoflowers. Interestingly, the solution can decompose the organic dye (i.e. Rhodamine B) instantly (see the video recording in the Supporting Information). Based on the fluorescence (FL) spectra, the solution contained with the highly oxidized free radicals, which was strongly dependent on the concentration of the MoS2 nanoflowers in the aqueous solution. The formation of the M- (VMo′′′′) and S-vacancies (VS••) sites on the single-layer MoS2 acted as the F-center defects, leading to the hydroxyl radicals being accommodated on the sites to decompose the organic dye molecules and prolong the radical's lifetime up to 6 h. More importantly, with applying the ultrasonic vibration to the MoS2 nanoflowers in the deionized water and ethanol solution, a remarkable hydrogen peak was observed by the gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Moreover, as increasing the concentration of the MoS2 nanoflowers in the solution, the intensity of the hydrogen generation was increased. This is the first work to demonstrate that the dye molecule can be instantly decomposed by the free radicals solution and produced the hydrogen gas using the piezoelectricity of the MoS2 nanoflowers with the application of mechanical force in a dark environment.
Direct watering splitting was contributed from the MoS2 nanoflowers by piezo-catalytic effect. The transparent radical solution as prepared from the MoS2 nanoflowers can instantly decompose the organic dyes. Display omitted
•Direct watering splitting was contributed from the MoS2 nanoflowers by piezocatalytic effect.•Transparent radical solution as prepared from the MoS2 nanoflowers can instantly decompose the organic dyes.•The F-center defects bonds the hydroxyl radicals to prolong their lifetime up to 6 h.
Objective
To evaluate the associations between dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and clinicopathological characteristics of oral cancer.
Methods
Four loci of DPP4 ...SNPs (rs7608798 A/G, rs3788979 C/T, rs2268889 T/C, and rs6741949 G/C) were genotyped by using the TaqMan allelic discrimination in 1238 oral cancers patients and 1197 non‐cancer individuals.
Results
The percentage of DPP4 SNP rs2268889 TC + CC was significantly higher in the oral cancer participants compared to the control group (odds ratio OR: 1.178, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.004–1.382, p = 0.045). Among 1676 smokers, DPP4 polymorphisms carriers with betel quid chewing were found to have an 8.785‐ to 10.903‐fold risk to have oral cancer compared to DPP4 wild‐type carriers without betel quid chewing. Similar trend was found in individuals with alcohol consumption. Moreover, the oral cancer individuals without cigarette smoking history with at least one varied C allele of DPP4 rs2268889 had a significantly higher percentage of large tumor size with the wild‐type TT homozygote (p = 0.011).
Conclusions
The DPP4 SNP may correlate to the development of oral cancer in those with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Besides, the DPP4 SNP rs2268889 could relate to worse clinical course of oral cancer in non‐smokers.
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•Undiluted piggery wastewater was directly treated with an integrated strategy.•C. sorokiniana AK-1 cultivation in semi-batch operation is optimal.•Dual carriers application improved ...the effectiveness of algae-based wastewater treatment.•A 100% wastewater loading resulted in >94% nutrient removal efficiency.•Residual COD and BOD satisfied Taiwan piggery wastewater discharge standards.
In this study, process optimization for the microalgae-based piggery wastewater treatment was carried out by growing Chlorella sorokiniana AK-1 on untreated piggery wastewater with efficient COD/BOD/TN/TP removal and high biomass/protein productivities. Integration of the immobilization carriers (sponge, activated carbon) and semi-batch cultivation resulted in the effective treatment of raw untreated piggery wastewater. With 100% wastewater, 0.2% sponge and 2% activated carbon, the semi-batch cultivation (90% media replacement every 6 days) exhibited a COD, BOD, TN and TP removal efficiency of 95.7%, 99.0%, 94.1% and 96.9%, respectively. The maximal protein content, protein productivity, lutein content, and lutein productivity of the obtained microalgal biomass was 61.1%, 0.48 g/L/d, 4.56 mg/g, and 3.56 mg/L/d, respectively. The characteristics of the treated effluent satisfied Taiwan Piggery Wastewater Discharge Standards (COD < 600 mg/L, BOD < 80 mg/L). This innovative approach demonstrated excellent performance for simultaneous piggery wastewater treatment and microalgal biomass production.
In this study, we successfully synthesized two-phase titanium oxide (TiOx) heterogeneous nanoparticles (NPs) using an advanced sol-gel method, a significant stride in developing efficient, room ...temperature (RT) NO2 gas sensors. The prepared two-phase TiOx heterogeneous NPs exhibited exceptional sensitivity to low concentrations of NO2 gas at RT. The heightened gas response was attributed to a significant presence of oxygen vacancies, creating intermediate states within the two-phase heterostructures and thus narrowing the band gap. This facilitated electron transport from the valence band (VB) to the conduction band (CB), resulting in increased current at RT. The XPS analysis confirmed a substantial amount of chemisorbed oxygen O2(ads)- within the two-phase heterostructures, providing more chemisorption sites for nitrogen dioxide gas. This increase in chemisorption sites significantly improved the gas response. Furthermore, the introduction of zinc into the TiOx NPs reduced their band gap, enhancing the background resistance signal-to-noise ratio and increasing the response while maintaining remarkable stability. In summary, our work introduces a promising RT NO2 sensor based on two-phase TiOx heterogeneous NPs, holding great potential for applications in environmental monitoring and gas sensing technology. In future work, we aim to delve deeper into the capabilities of the sensor, exploring broader applications and refining its design for enhanced practicality in environmental monitoring.
Objective
Electrical stimulation of the hippocampus offers the possibility to treat patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) who are not surgical candidates. We report long‐term follow‐up ...results in five patients receiving low or high frequency hippocampal stimulation for drug‐resistant MTLE.
Materials and Methods
The patients underwent stereotactic implantation of quadripolar stimulating electrodes in the hippocampus. Two of the patients received unilateral electrode implantation, while the other three received bilateral implantation. Stimulation of the hippocampal electrodes was turned ON immediately after the implantation of an implantable pulse generator, with initial stimulation parameters: 1 V, 90–150 μs, 5 or 145 Hz. The frequency of seizures was monitored and compared with preimplantation baseline data.
Results
Two men and three women, aged 27–61 years were studied, with a mean follow‐up period of 38.4 months (range, 30–42 months). The baseline seizure frequency was 2.0–15.3/month. The five patients had an average 45% (range 22–72%) reduction in the frequency of seizures after hippocampal stimulation over the study period. Low frequency hippocampal stimulation decreased the frequency of seizures in two patients (by 54% and 72%, respectively). No implantation‐ or stimulation‐related side effects were reported.
Conclusions
Electrical stimulation of the hippocampus is a minimally invasive and reversible method that can improve seizure outcomes in patients with drug‐resistant MTLE. The optimal frequency of stimulation varied from patient to patient and therefore required individual setting. These experimental results warrant further controlled studies with a large patient population to evaluate the long‐term effect of hippocampal stimulation with different stimulation parameters.
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