FeFETs with 5-nm-thick Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 (HZO) have been demonstrated in memory operations for the ON/OFF current ratio >10 4 at zero gate voltage and a memory window (MW) of 0.6-0.7 V. A gradual ...transition of the ferroelectricity with an increasing crystallization temperature for the gate-last process was presented. The excellent data retention are the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">{\sim }\textsf {2}\times \textsf {10}^{\textsf {4}} </tex-math></inline-formula> ON/OFF ratio and 0.67 V extrapolated to ten years with V P/E = ±4.8 V. The MW remains >0.2 V after 10 6 cycles for read and vanishes with cycles of 10 3 −10 4 for write, which is the bottleneck for ferroelectric (FE)-type memories. The mechanism of retention and endurance is discussed. The characteristic of this letter is an unaffected coercive-field (~1 MV/cm) with scaling FE-HZO down to 5-nm thickness, which is beneficial for reducing the operation voltage. A comparable performance with thick HZO (>5 nm) on high data retention and endurance with low voltage for read is achieved. The ultrathin FE layer proposes a realistic emerging memory for 1T architecture.
Summary
Background
Acral melanoma (AM) is the most common histopathological subtype of malignant melanoma in Asians. However, differences in the mutational profiles underlying AM and nonacral ...cutaneous melanoma (NAM) in Asians are not well understood.
Objectives
To augment the understanding of the prevalence, patterns and associations of various mutations between different subtypes of melanoma.
Methods
We performed comprehensive genomic profiling of 409 cancer‐associated genes, using next‐generation sequencing, in 66 primary melanomas comprised of 45 AMs and 21 NAMs.
Results
Most of the AMs (n = 27/45; 60%), but only five of 21 (24%) NAMs, were triple wild‐type (triple‐WT) tumours. Compared with AMs, NAMs exhibited a significantly higher frequency of BRAF mutations. The frequencies of NRAS/KRAS mutations, cell‐cycle aberrations, copy number gains in BIRC2, BIRC3 and BIRC5, and gains of receptor tyrosine kinase genes were significantly higher in AMs. Ulceration was found at significantly higher rates in the AMs and NAMs with cell‐cycle aberrations and gains of receptor tyrosine kinase genes. Notably, cell‐cycle aberrations and copy number gains in BIRC2, BIRC3 and BIRC5 were significantly associated with poor melanoma‐specific survival in the 66 patients with melanoma and especially in the 45 patients with AM. Multivariate analysis showed that lymph node metastasis and cell‐cycle aberrations were independent prognostic factors of melanoma‐specific survival.
Conclusions
This study strengthens our understanding of the patterns and clinical associations of oncogenic mutations in AMs and NAMs in Asians.
What's already known about this topic?
Mutation frequencies of driver genes vary between melanoma subtypes.
Acral melanoma is the most common subtype of melanoma in Asians.
KIT mutations and copy number variations occur more frequently in the acral subtype of melanoma than in the nonacral subtype
What does this study add?
NRAS/KRAS mutations, cell‐cycle aberrations, copy number gains in BIRC2, BIRC3 and BIRC5, and amplifications of receptor tyrosine kinase genes were significantly enriched in acral melanoma and could be potential targets for treatment.
Melanomas with cell‐cycle aberrations and gains in receptor tyrosine kinase genes were significantly more likely to contain ulceration.
What is the translational message?
Cell‐cycle aberrations and copy number gains in BIRC2, BIRC3 and BIRC5 were significantly associated with poor melanoma‐specific survival.
These observations should be explored further for future drug development.
Linked Comment: Johansson. Br J Dermatol 2020; 182:1085.
Plain language summary available online
With the usage of gas ferrocene Fe(C 5 H 5 ) 2 as a reactant, which is different from the traditional thin Fe film, to grow the high-quality carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the high aspect ratio (AR) ...trench structure, it has many advantages to be the through-silicon vias (TSVs) material for the three-dimensional (3-D) stacking technology. In this work, we successfully demonstrate the full process flow, including CNT growing, chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP), and wafer temporary bonding for CNTs as TSVs in the 3-D stacking connection. The flexibility for this demonstrated process flow makes the integration of real high dense devices and CNTs as TSVs for the 3-D connection more easily.
Through silicon via (TSV) is the key technology for 3-D integrated circuits (3-DICs) which could vertically stack homogeneous or heterogeneous dies with the high performance and density. To evaluate ...the electrical characteristics of TSV at the high-frequency transmission, the skin effect and surface roughness effect are necessary to be considered. However, these effects would significantly result in the TSV equivalent resistance under the high operating frequency. Thus, it is important to investigate the carbon nano tubes (CNTs) TSV which has less skin effect intrinsically. In this work, we analyze the advantage of CNTs as TSV compared to the conventional filling materials such as copper (Cu). Furtherly, we also propose the equivalent circuit model of TSV and its multi-layer structure to simulate the electrical behaviors with different TSV pitch, height, diameter, and stacking layers by using ANSYS designer and high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS). Based on the frequency-domain analysis, it can be found that CNTs TSV has the lower frequency-dependent loss than Cu due to the lower equivalent resistance. In a summary, CNTs could be a promising TSV filling material at the high-speed transmission frequency based on our study.
In nowadays 3-D integrated circuits (3DICs) technology, through silicon via (TSV) is the most important component, which connects homogeneous or heterogeneous dies vertically with each other. Based ...on our previous research, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been considered as TSV filling materials due to their outstanding mechanical and electrical properties. However, the operating temperatures would significantly affect the performance of signal transmission in CNT TSV. To evaluate the electrical characteristics of CNT TSV with different realistic temperatures, the considerations of temperature-dependent electron mean free path (MFP, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">\lambda </tex-math></inline-formula>), and number of conducting channels of CNTs are necessary. In this work, the equivalent circuit model of CNTs as TSV is presented and the simulated electrical behaviors are benchmarked with other literatures. Based on our proposed model, multiwall (MW) CNTs' electrical performance in multilayers stacking system under different operating temperatures is investigated. In addition, we also compare the electrical performance of CNTs as TSV with the conventional filling material (Cu). It shows that CNT TSV has more advantages than Cu TSV when the operating temperature becomes higher. In summary, the proposed equivalent circuit model in this work is more comprehensive and yields more realistic results. Meanwhile, CNT is a promising material for TSV under varying operation temperatures.
The optical design and performance of the recently opened 13A biological small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) beamline at the 3.0 GeV Taiwan Photon Source of the National Synchrotron Radiation ...Research Center are reported. The beamline is designed for studies of biological structures and kinetics in a wide range of length and time scales, from angstrom to micrometre and from microsecond to minutes. A 4 m IU24 undulator of the beamline provides high‐flux X‐rays in the energy range 4.0–23.0 keV. MoB4C double‐multilayer and Si(111) double‐crystal monochromators (DMM/DCM) are combined on the same rotating platform for a smooth rotation transition from a high‐flux beam of ∼4 × 1014 photons s−1 to a high‐energy‐resolution beam of ΔE/E ≃ 1.5 × 10−4; both modes share a constant beam exit. With a set of Kirkpatrick–Baez (KB) mirrors, the X‐ray beam is focused to the farthest SAXS detector position, 52 m from the source. A downstream four‐bounce crystal collimator, comprising two sets of Si(311) double crystals arranged in a dispersive configuration, optionally collimate the DCM (vertically diffracted) beam in the horizontal direction for ultra‐SAXS with a minimum scattering vector q down to 0.0004 Å−1, which allows resolving ordered d‐spacing up to 1 µm. A microbeam, of 10–50 µm beam size, is tailored by a combined set of high‐heat‐load slits followed by micrometre‐precision slits situated at the front‐end 15.5 m position. The second set of KB mirrors then focus the beam to the 40 m sample position, with a demagnification ratio of ∼1.5. A detecting system comprising two in‐vacuum X‐ray pixel detectors is installed to perform synchronized small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering data collections. The observed beamline performance proves the feasibility of having compound features of high flux, microbeam and ultra‐SAXS in one beamline.
The optical design and performance of the BioSAXS beamline at the Taiwan Photon Source are reported
Many patients with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies present with variants in genes coding for GABA
receptors. These variants are presumed to cause loss-of-function receptors leading to ...reduced neuronal GABAergic activity. Yet, patients with GABA
receptor variants have diverse clinical phenotypes and many are refractory to treatment despite the availability of drugs that enhance GABAergic activity. Here we show that 44 pathogenic GABRB3 missense variants segregate into gain-of-function and loss-of-function groups and respective patients display distinct clinical phenotypes. The gain-of-function cohort (n = 27 patients) presented with a younger age of seizure onset, higher risk of severe intellectual disability, focal seizures at onset, hypotonia, and lower likelihood of seizure freedom in response to treatment. Febrile seizures at onset are exclusive to the loss-of-function cohort (n = 47 patients). Overall, patients with GABRB3 variants that increase GABAergic activity have more severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. This paradoxical finding challenges our current understanding of the GABAergic system in epilepsy and how patients should be treated.
Objectives
This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a multidomain intervention program on the change in functional status of hospitalized older adults.
Design
This single-arm, prospective, ...non-randomized interventional study investigates the efficacy of a multidomain interventional program including cognitive stimulation activity, simple exercises, frailty education, and nutrition counseling.
Setting and Participants
At a tertiary hospital in southern Taiwan, 352 eligible patients were sequentially enrolled. Included patients were aged ≥65 years (mean age, 79.6 ± 9.0 years; 62% male), scored 3–7 on the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), and were hospitalized in the geriatric acute ward.
Intervention
Those receiving standard care (physical rehabilitation and nutrition counseling) during January–July 2019 composed the historical control group. Those receiving the multidomain intervention during August–December 2019 composed the intervention group.
Measurements
The primary outcome was the change in activities of daily life (ADL) and frailty status, as assessed by Katz Index and Clinical Frailty Scale, with using the generalized estimating equation model. The length of hospital stay, medical costs, and re-admission rates were secondary outcomes.
Results
Participants undergoing intervention (n = 101; 27.9%) showed greater improvements in the ADL and CFS during hospitalization (ADL adjusted estimate, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.11–1.11; p = 0.02; CFS adjusted estimate, −1.11; 95% CI, −1.42–−0.80; p < 0.01), shorter length of hospital stay (adjusted estimate, -5.00; 95% CI, −7.99–−2.47; p < 0.01), lower medical costs (adjusted estimate, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.49–0.69; p < 0.01), and lower 30- and 90-day readmission rates (30-day adjusted OR aOR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.27–0.50; p < 0.01; 60-day aOR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.01–0.33; p < 0.01) than did controls.
Conclusions
Participation in the multidomain intervention program during hospitalization improved the functional status and decreased the hospital stay length, medical costs, and readmission rates of frail older people.
Blue electrophosphorescence in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) is enhanced by the use of 3,6‐bis(triphenylsilyl)carbazole (see figure). This carbazole derivative with sterically bulky and ...large‐gap triphenylsilyl groups is an electrochemically and morphologically stable efficient host material for blue electrophosphorescence. When utilized in OLEDs, high efficiencies of up to 16 %, 30.6 cd A–1, and 26.7 lm W–1 are achieved.
The 3D vertical ferroelectric tunneling junction (FTJ) of bilayer antiferroelectric (AFE) Hf 1-x Zr x O 2 (HZO) and Al 2 O 3 has been demonstrated for NAND-compatible feasibility. A bilayer-type FTJ ...is explored for the designs of the dielectric interlayer Al 2 O 3 0 nm to 4 nm and the ferroelectric type, while the current mechanism is revealed. The multilevel AFE-FTJ is exhibited for both the Program and Erase operations and realizes a synaptic device. High-density emerging memory and computing-in-memory (CiM) are in high demanded for the future era and can be feasible by the proposed vertical FTJ.