268 research outputs found
YIELD ENGINEERING AND IMPROVEMENT ON SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
No full textMaster'sMASTER OF SCIENCE IN ADVANCED MATERIALS FOR MICRO- & NANO- SYSTEMSDissertation Advisor: 1. Prof. Wong Chee Cheong. Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Project Supervisor: 1. Dr. Nace Layad
Angiotensin II induces soluble fms-Like tyrosine kinase-1 release via calcineurin signaling pathway in pregnancy
No full textMaternal endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia is associated with increased soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), a circulating antagonist of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a potent vasoconstrictor that increases concomitant with sFlt-1 during pregnancy. Therefore, we speculated that Ang II may promote the expression of sFlt-1 in pregnancy. Here we report that infusion of Ang II significantly increases circulating levels of sFlt-1 in pregnant mice, thereby demonstrating that Ang II is a regulator of sFlt-1 secretion in vivo. Furthermore, Ang II stimulated sFlt-1 production in a dose- and time-dependent manner from human villous explants and cultured trophoblasts but not from endothelial cells, suggesting that trophoblasts are the primary source of sFlt-1 during pregnancy. As expected, Ang II-induced sFlt-1 secretion resulted in the inhibition of endothelial cell migration and in vitro tube formation. In vitro and in vivo studies with losartan, small interfering RNA specific for calcineurin and FK506 demonstrated that Ang II-mediated sFlt-1 release was via Ang II type 1 receptor activation and calcineurin signaling, respectively. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized regulatory role for Ang II on sFlt-1 expression in murine and human pregnancy and suggest that elevated sFlt-1 levels in preeclampsia may be caused by a dysregulation of the local renin/angiotensin system
NIE Family Day 2014 (3 Oct 2014)
No full textThe Staff Welfare Recreation Fund Committee (SWRFC) Organizing Committee of Family Day. Back row, from left: Lee Li Lian Val (NSSE), Nenny Noorman (LIBRIS), Kristina Burgetova (PS), Ho Yen Yen Rebecca (NSSE), Low Li Jia (OAAS), Soo Li Mei Johannah (NSSE), Lim-Ang Ah Buan (NSSE) and Stevenson-Yong Mary Magdalene (NSSE). Front row, from left: Lionel Lim Chee Sin (NSSE), Foo Meng Wei (GPL), Chua Wee Ann (OTE) and Lum Hon Peng (CSC)
Wireless Communication Networks for Gas Turbine Engine Testing
No full textA new trend in the field of Aeronautical Engine Health Monitoring is the implementation of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for data acquisition and condition monitoring to partially replace heavy and complex wiring harnesses, which limit the versatility of the monitoring process as well as creating practical deployment issues. Using wireless technologies instead of fixed wiring will fuel opportunities for reduced cabling, faster sensor and network deployment, increased data acquisition flexibility and reduced cable maintenance costs. However, embedding wireless technology into an aero engine (even in the ground testing application considered here) presents some very significant challenges, e.g. a harsh environment with a complex RF transmission environment, high sensor density and high data-rate. In this paper we discuss the results of the Wireless Data Acquisition in Gas Turbine Engine Testing (WIDAGATE) project, which aimed to design and simulate such a network to estimate network performance and de-risk the wireless techniques before the deployment
"I' ll tell you a story that will make you believe" in narratives: the role of metafiction in the novel and in the film Life of Pi
No full textDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Inglês: Estudos Linguísticos e Literários, Florianópolis, 2015.Recentes estudos propõem que adaptações cinematográficas sejam entendidas como fonte de criação, os quais refletem contextos e interpretações diferentes do texto em que são baseadas. Nessa dissertação, propõe-se uma análise comparativa do romance Life of Pi (2001), de Yann Martel e do filme homônimo dirigido por Ang Lee (2012). A análise tem como objetivo identificar a presença e o modo em que a metaficção é construída no romance e no filme, e quais são alguns significados produzidos por ela em ambos os textos, tanto o literário quanto o fílmico. A concepção de metafição se baseia nas definições de Linda Hutcheon e Patricia Waugh. Por metaficção, entende-se a ficção consciente de si, que expõe o processo de escrita ao leitor e o convida a ter um papel ativo na construção do significado. Após uma análise comparativa dos dois textos, conclui-se que a metaficção está presente em ambos, tanto tematicamente como estruturalmente. As reflexões sobre narrativas apresentadas pelos personagens, o uso de vários níveis narrativos e de intertextualidade revelam diferentes usos da metafição em ambos. A diferença mais importante entre o romance e o filme Life of Pi está no uso dos níveis narrativos. Enquanto o romance possui um ?autor? sem nome que apresenta a história aos leitores, o filme possui um diretor implícito que deixa pistas de qual versão da história de Pi é ?real? no contexto da narrativa. Essa diferença dá ao romance um final aberto, em que o leitor deve escolher qual versão da história ele acredita, enquanto o filme possui uma resolução para essa questão. O filme, então, pode ser entendido como um testemunho, uma narrativa de trauma de um sobrevivente de um naufrágio e da experiência de migração, enquanto o livro não apresenta uma decisão em relação às versões da história, deixando o leitor aberto a qualquer possibilidade.Abstract : Recent studies propose that Film Adaptations should be understood as sources of creation, which also reflect a different context and interpretation from the text upon which they were based. In this thesis, I propose a comparative analysis of the novel Life of Pi (2001), by Yann Martel, and the homonymous film directed by Ang Lee (2012). The analysis has the objective of identifying the presence and the way in which metafiction is constructed in the novel and in the film, and what are some of the meanings produced by it in both texts, the filmic and the literary. The concept of metafiction was based on the definitions by Linda Hutcheon and Patricia Waugh. It is understood as the self-conscious fictional text, which exposes the writing process to the readers and invites them to have an active role in the construction of meaning. In the comparative analyses of the two texts, I have proved that metafiction is present in the two texts, both thematically and structurally. The reflections of the characters on narrative itself as well as the use of different narrative levels and intertextual references reveal different uses of metanarrative in both film and novel. The most important difference between the novel and the film Life of Pi is in their uses of different narrative levels. While the novel has an unnamed =author? who presents the story to the readers, the film has an implicit director who leaves =clues? of which version of Pi?s story is ?real? in the context of the narrative. This difference gives to the novel an open end, facein which the readers must choose which version of the story they believe in, while the film presents a resolution to this question. The film, thus, can be understood as a testimony narrative, a narrative of the trauma of a survivor from a shipwreck and from the experience of migration, while the novel does not decide for one of the versions of the story, enabling a more inconclusive reading
Direct metal-to-metal thermocompression bonding studies
No full text171 p.Three-dimensional integration, which involves stacking devices vertically, promises several attractive benefits such as high functionality, performance and low system power consumption due to shorter signal delays with the elimination of long wires. One of the common bonding techniques used is metal fhermocompression bonding. The greatest stumbling block for using this technique is the need for high bonding temperature and/or pressure to create strong and reliable bonds. This thesis begins with a study on how temperature and pressure affect bonding characteristics and the mechanical integrity of direct gold joints. One important finding of these experiments is the identification of a critical temperature and pressure below which no bonds can be formed. The criteria for bonding to occur include the removal of surface barrier film between contacting sites through sufficient interfacial mechanical and chemical actions. Freshly exposed surfaces are thus activated thermally, leading to an increase in bond strength. Higher bonding pressure increases bond strength but to a maximum. With further geometrical measurements and fracture analysis, the bonding mechanism is elucidated. This thesis also presents, for the first time, a method to lower the required bonding temperature in gold thermocompression bonded joints with the help of self-assembled monolayers [SAMs]. A comparative study on alkanethiols of various chain lengths in influencing its bondability at several temperatures is evaluated.DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (MSE
Development of electrode materials for energy storage in supercapacitor application
No full textThere is a growing interest in developing supercapacitors for the use of energy storage. The current challenge is to develop a supercapacitor that has an energy capacity comparable to traditional batteries, while retaining the fast charging benefits of capacitors. The objective of this research project is to develop a novel ternary composite electrode material made up of conducting polymer, metal oxide and graphene, which can give high capacitance and very high energy density. Polyaniline is the common choice of material for developing conducting polymers due to its large capacitance, ease of production, and low cost. As much research has been done on polyaniline, this research project aims to explore further by working on 2-(Methylthio)aniline, a derivative of polyaniline, in hopes of achieving better results as compared to polyaniline. The conducting polymer made from 2-(Methylthio)aniline was ultimately used in developing a ternary supercapacitor composite and tested for its capacitance as well as power density.MECHANICAL ENGINEERIN
Protocol design of a slot allocation scheme for persistence-reservation-based IEEE 802.16d mesh networks
No full textSynthesis And Activity Studies Of Novel Dispiro Pyrrolidine Compounds As Potential Antimycobacterial Agents
No full textSekumpulan dispiro pirolidina yang mengandungi lima puluh dua sebatian telah berjaya disintesis dengan menggunakan penambahan siklo 1,3 dwikutub. Tindak balas ini terbukti sangat regioselektif, menghasilkan satu set regioisomer
sahaja sebagai produk.
A mini library of fifty two highly functionalized dispiro pyrrolidines were synthesized successfully using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. This reaction is proved to
be highly regioselective, giving only one set of regioisomer as product
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