Key Integration Issues Research Articles

Multi-omics approaches in psychoneuroimmunology and health research: Conceptual considerations and methodological recommendations

The field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) has grown substantially in both relevance and prominence over the past 40 years. Notwithstanding its impressive trajectory, a majority of PNI studies are still based on a relatively small number of analytes. To advance this work, we suggest that PNI, and health research in general, can benefit greatly from adopting a multi-omics approach, which involves integrating data across multiple biological levels (e.g., the genome, proteome, transcriptome, metabolome, lipidome, and microbiome/metagenome) to more comprehensively profile biological functions and relate these profiles to clinical and behavioral outcomes. To assist investigators in this endeavor, we provide an overview of multi-omics research, highlight recent landmark multi-omics studies investigating human health and disease risk, and discuss how multi-omics can be applied to better elucidate links between psychological, nervous system, and immune system activity. In doing so, we describe how to design high-quality multi-omics studies, decide which biological samples (e.g., blood, stool, urine, saliva, solid tissue) are most relevant, incorporate behavioral and wearable sensing data into multi-omics research, and understand key data quality, integration, analysis, and interpretation issues. PNI researchers are addressing some of the most interesting and important questions at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and immunology. Applying a multi-omics approach to this work will greatly expand the horizon of what is possible in PNI and has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of mind–body medicine.

Analysis of EU-DEMO WCLL Power Conversion System in Two Relevant Balance of Plant Configurations: Direct Coupling with Auxiliary Boiler and Indirect Coupling

Among the Key Design Integration Issues (KDIIs) recently selected for the DEMOnstration Fusion Power Plant (DEMO), the operation of the Balance of Plant (BoP) Power Conversion System (PCS) has been recognized as a crucial aspect, due to the typical pulsed regime characterizing the fusion power plant. In the framework of the DEMO Water-Cooled Lead-Lithium Breeding Blanket (WCLL BB) concept, three BoP solutions have been recognized to be able to overcome this issue. They rely on different coupling options between the Primary Heat Transfer Systems (PHTSs) and the PCS: an Indirect Coupling Design (ICD) with Intermediate Heat Transport System (IHTS) and Energy Storage System (ESS), a Direct Coupling Design (DCD) with AUXiliary Boiler (AUXB), and a DCD with small ESS. The present paper deals with a preliminary feasibility assessment of the first two solutions. The analysis, carried out with the GateCycleTM code, referred to a preliminary design phase, devoted to the sizing of the main components, and to a second phase focused on the cycle optimization. The study demonstrated the feasibility of the two BoP concepts. They are able to produce a satisfactory average electric power (>700 MW) with an acceptable average net electric efficiency (33.6% for both concepts). For each solution, the main strengths and weaknesses are compared and discussed.

Conceptual study of the remote maintenance of the DEMO breeding blanket

The development of a remote maintenance concept to replace DEMO in-vessel components after completion of their lifecycle or in case of failure is fundamental to the successful implementation of the EU fusion roadmap. The replacement of the hot breeding blanket (BB), by far the largest in-vessel component, at the end of its lifecycle is particularly important. This includes the removal from the reactor, the transport to the active maintenance facility (AMF) where the BB is decontaminated and prepared for storage as radioactive waste and the preparation and installation of the new BB. Significant effort is made to control and minimize the spread of contamination. All operations are therefore carried out in sealed rooms and corridors.The high mass of the BB segments requires all remote handling equipment to be capable of handling high payloads of more than 100 tons. It must also operate within tight space and based on impaired feedback from control sensors in the radioactive environment. At the same time, it must be highly reliable in accordance with nuclear requirements and be recoverable in case of failure.Some concepts of BB lifting devices were investigated in the past [1] (Keep et al., 2017), but were discontinued due to insufficient payload capacity. Thus, the vertical maintenance of the BB was identified as one of DEMO's key design integration issues since failure to develop a feasible concept would potentially require major changes to the tokamak architecture [2] (Bachmann et al., 2020). A new study had been initiated with a focus on structural integrity and efficient load transfer from the BB through the RH equipment to the VV upper port. A concept of the BB transfer cask and the BB transporter resulting from this study is presented in this article together with a conceptual study of the layout of the tokamak building and the AMF. Studies of alternative concepts for in-vessel maintenance are conducted in parallel but will not be described here.

Design and feasibility of a pumping concept based on tritium direct recycling

In the DEMO Pre-Concept Design Phase, a novel fuel cycle architecture has been developed that aims at reducing the tritium inventory of the plant. In contrast to previous designs, the central role thereby is taken by an additional direct internal recycling loop. By already separating a significant proportion of the fuel at the pumping duct and providing this purified gas almost directly to the injection systems, the load on the tritium plant as well as the overall plant tritium inventory is reduced substantially. This paper summarizes the activities conducted in regard of integration and presents the results (aka the key design integration issues) for the design and feasibility of a pumping concept based on tritium direct recycling. The focus is on the aspects of integration of such a fuel separation function with the main technologies involved. In the functional position foreseen, these environment conditions mainly are space constraints, strong magnetic field, and the limited amount and restrictions in occupation of suitable ports. Two technical implementations for providing the fuel separation function have been identified: A metal foil pump relying on the physical phenomena of superpermeation of hydrogen through a metal membrane is able to provide continuous gas transfer. A multi-stage cryopump utilizing gas specific cryogenic trapping on several stages. Relying on gas binding, it only can operate intermittently. Within this activity, these variants are specifically reviewed for their suitability also to provide criteria for a future down selection.

The EU DEMO staged design approach in the Pre-Concept Design Phase

This paper provides an overview of the methodology adopted within the EUROfusion framework covering the Pre-Concept Design Phase (2014–2020). The phase activities focused on advancing the technical basis of the design of the European DEMOnstration Fusion Power Plant (DEMO). The emphasis in the latter stages was placed upon an integrated design approach, based on systems engineering, providing a clear direction for urgent technology R&D and addressing the key design integration issues by assessing the critical systems interdependencies and uncertainties of certain design assumptions. The programme has continued to benefit from the ITER return of experience, in terms of design, licensing, and construction and DEMO will maintain a strong link with the ITER schedule in the coming design phases. The growing need for a structured and transparent review process gave rise to the introduction of a phase-gate review process, the implementation of which led to the first formal DEMO-wide gate review held at the end of the Pre-Concept Design Phase. The Gate Panel's recommendations provided clarity on the key priorities for the programme moving forward and serve to underpin the planning for the next phase.

Integration of service pipes into the lower port for the DEMO Double Null Concept Design Study

A study into the viability of a double null concept for DEMO has been undertaken as part of the work to address Key Design Integration Issues within the DEMO powerplant. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a double null architecture featuring split blanket segments to enable a wider range of maintenance options.One of the main challenges found was the integration of the service pipes to provide connections to the cooling and tritium breeding systems for the divertor and breeding blanket. By understanding how these pipes might be integrated, the constraints on key details such as the length of the lower port could be understood. This allowed for progression of other areas of the design and investigations into the remote handling of these pipes during maintenance periods.The key requirements identified for the service pipe routing included determining the removal sequence for the blanket and divertor segments during maintenance; access for the cutting and welding tool at the pipe/blanket interface; pipes grouped as modules per component; and optimisation of port space for the vacuum pumps.Two proposals were considered to investigate their impact on the insertion location for the cutting and welding tool: pipes with large radii, and pipes with smaller radii. The former was found to be preferable due to the remote maintenance advantages, versus the limited space gains offered by the latter. This paper will describe the development of these requirements, both proposals, and discuss the challenges uncovered during the study in more detail.

DEMO single null inner mid-plane limiter RM feasibility study

DEMO is a key part of the EU fusion roadmap, where the programme is reaching the end of the pre-conceptual phase with a gate review in 2020. As part of the work to complete this phase, eight Key Design Integration Issues (KDIIs) have been identified as critical to the programme [1] (Bachmann, 2020). Within KDII#1 (Wall protection to withstand plasma transients) the feasibility of the Inner Mid-plane Limiter (IML) is assessed from a remote maintenance perspective.The IML is an actively cooled component attached to the inner ring of the tokamak torus, with access for removal and installation only possible from the plasma facing side. The IML service life is less than that of the Breeder Blankets (BBs), due to the foreseen transients and/or the CuCrZr cooling pipes that have limited irradiation lifetime. This drives the need to change the IML with the BB in position. When replacing the IML, the pipework is expected to be too highly irradiated to allow re-welding. This drives the need to change the pipework to the IML, a challenging task when the BB are in their installed position.This paper presents the preliminary development of a maintainable IML concept, including: the development of the IML fastening for remote maintenance; a proposal for a new IML cooling pipe chute; and the rationale for the options selected.

DEMO double null architectural study

DEMO is a key part of the EU fusion roadmap, and the programme reaches the end of the pre-conceptual phase with a gate review in 2020. As part of the work to complete this phase, eight Key Design Integration Issues (KDII’s) have been identified as critical to the programme. Two of these KDII’s identified a requirement for a more detailed architectural study. Within KDII#3 (advanced divertor configurations) a double null configuration has been developed; in parallel KDII#4 (vertical segment architecture) identified a need to evaluate a split breeding blanket architecture. These two requirements were combined into a single study that assesses the in-vessel architecture for a double null DEMO featuring split breeding blankets.This paper presents the configurations developed and an evaluation of their feasibility with respect to integration of key in-vessel components (breeding blankets, divertors), port hardware (service pipes, shielding, vacuum pumping), and maintenance strategy. Furthermore, wider considerations such as the impact of the port orientation on the building architecture are also included. Finally, this paper will identify the risks and further work required to advance the double null configuration.

Key design integration issues addressed in the EU DEMO pre-concept design phase

The EU fusion roadmap defines the development of a DEMO plant that achieves a long operation time and demonstrates tritium self-sufficiency and net electricity output. The pre-conceptual design phase will be concluded with a gate review in 2020. Eight key design integration issues have been identified as critical, either because the corresponding solution found in ITER is not suitable in DEMO or because the issues are DEMO-specific and not present in ITER. All of these will affect in their resolution the design and possibly the technology of several tokamak and plant systems or even the DEMO architecture: (i) Feasibility of wall protection limiters during plasma transients, (ii) integrated design of breeding blanket and ancillary systems, (iii) power exhaust taking advantage of advanced divertor configurations, (iv) tokamak architecture based on vertical blanket segments, (v) direct or indirect power conversion concept, (vi) configuration of plant systems in the tokamak building, (vii) feasibility of hydrogen separation in the torus vacuum pump and direct internal fuel recycling, and (viii) development of a reliable plasma scenario.

Methodology and teacher training as a key issue for ICTs integration in Education

Las Administraciones Publicas son actores clave para la incorporacion de las Tecnologias de la Informacion y la Comunicacion (TIC) en los colegios. Son los organismos publicos educativos los que establecen los curriculos escolares y los que deciden la dotacion de recursos. Existe consenso sobre la necesidad de que sean las instituciones politicas las que apoyen, desde sus instancias, la incorporacion de las TIC en la ensenanza. Los objetivos de la presente investigacion se centran en conocer las acciones que plantean las politicas publicas para la integracion TIC en la educacion y analizar si dichas iniciativas han logrado sus objetivos. La metodologia utilizada es cualitativa mediante las tecnicas de investigacion de celebracion de un panel de expertos y de 6 entrevistas en profundidad a directores y responsables TIC de centros educativos de Madrid. La conclusion es que los planes de las instituciones publicas para la inclusion digital se han centrado principalmente en cuestiones tecnicas y han obviado las de caracter pedagogico que no depende de los dispositivos electronicos utilizados, sino de los modelos didacticos aplicados. Expertos y equipos directivos consideran que la solucion pasa por mejorar las infraestructuras tecnologicas de los colegios, pero sobre todo en invertir en metodologias que permitan a los profesores innovar en sus practicas pedagogicas e incrementar la formacion del profesorado en competencias y alfabetizacion digital para que puedan utilizar las TIC con finalidades educativas de manera solvente.

Issues of the vertical blanket segment architecture in DEMO: Current progress and resolution strategies

Due to the limited irradiation lifetime of the structural material used for in-vessel components in DEMO, it will be necessary to replace all breeding blankets within the given planned maintenance window in order to meet DEMO availability targets (Romanelli, 2012; Ellis, 2017) [1,2]. It is assumed that failure of in-vessel components cannot be excluded, whilst in-situ repair is unrealistic. Hence the replacement of individual breeder blankets must be technically feasible. As such, remote maintenance replacement of the breeding blankets is a mission critical operation. The baseline concept utilises vertical segment architecture to aid in the removal of the blankets (Iglesias, 2013) [3]. This choice impacts on the tokamak and plant architecture and also affects operational maintenance strategy. Within the EUROfusion PPPT program efforts have been made to perform cross work package investigations on eight Key Integration Issues needed to show the feasibility of the DEMO pre-concept design (Bachmann, 2017) [4]. Key Design Issue 4 is an investigation into the feasibility of the Vertical Segment Architecture blanket feasibility The present work documents the approach, current progress and developments within this investigation. This includes the strategy, identified risks and proposed solutions.

The impact of the hybrid platform of internet of things and cloud computing on healthcare systems: opportunities, challenges, and open problems

Cloud Computing (CC) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have emerged as new platforms in the ICT revolution of the twenty-first century. The adoption of the CloudIoT paradigm in the healthcare field can bring several opportunities to medical IT, and experts believe that it can significantly improve healthcare services and contribute to its continuous and systematic innovation. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the current literature on integration of CC and IoT to solving various problems in healthcare applications such as smart hospitals, medicine control, and remote medical services. Also, a brief introduction to cloud computing and internet of things with an application to health care is given. This paper presents a new concept of the integration of CC and IoT for healthcare applications, which is what we; call the CloudIoT-Health paradigm. The term CloudIoT-Health and some key integration issues are presented in this paper to offer a practical vision to integrate current components of CC and the IoT in healthcare applications. Also, this paper aims to present the state of the art and gap analysis of different levels of integration components, analyzing different existing proposals in CloudIoT-Health systems. Finally, related researches of CC and IoT integration for healthcare systems have been reviewed. Challenges to be addressed and future directions of research are identified, and an extensive bibliography is presented.

Single- and multilayer graphene wires as alternative interconnects

In this work, we evaluate the material properties of graphene and assess the potential application of graphene to replace copper wires in Back-End-Of-Line (BEOL) interconnects. Based on circuit and system-level simulations, high restrictions are imposed to graphene with respect to contact resistance and mean free path. Experimentally we evaluate single and multi-layer graphene wires and we measure carrier mean free paths (MFPs) above ~110nm. However, contact engineering will be the key issue for integration of graphene as interconnect.

Thermal Stress and Failure Location Analysis for Through Silicon via in 3D Integration

AbstractThrough silicon via (TSV) is the critical structure for three dimensional (3D) integration, which provides vertical interconnection between stacking dies. In TSV structure, large coefficient differences of thermal expansion exist between silicon substrate, dielectric material, and filled metal. Due to the large thermal mismatch, the high thermal stress occurring at the interface of different materials would result in delamination. Therefore, thermal-mechanical reliability is a key issue for 3D integration. In this study, we investigated the thermal-mechanical stress distribution of TSV under the condition of the accelerated thermal cycling loading by finite element analysis based on a 3D model of TSV structure. Due to the thermal expansion, that the TSV structure squeezed the surface area between TSVs at a high temperature resulted in compressive stresses at the surface area between TSVs. Therefore, a proper distance between the stress-sensitive device and the TSV should be kept. The stress analysis shows that the maximum thermal stress occurs in the outside region of TSV interface and in the annular region of TSV at a high temperature and at a low temperature, respectively. This study helps to obtain a clear thermal stress distribution of TSV and possible failure regions can be determined.

Science and policy integration issues for stream and wetland jurisdictional determinations in a semi-arid region of the western U.S.

In the semi-arid western U.S., rivers and streams are becoming increasingly stressed and degraded, and wetlands lost, due to human development and associated management policies and actions that are generally ineffective for aquatic resources protection and restoration. There is often a significant disconnect between policy and management with science that leads to continued degradation of surface waters. Recent Supreme Court decisions and subsequent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency guidance regarding determination of jurisdiction as ‘waters of the US’ that can be protected under Clean Water Act Section 404 (permitting discharge of dredged and fill materials into wetlands and other waters) is an example of this gap. This study identifies and evaluates key science and policy integration issues for stream and wetland jurisdictional determinations (JDs) in a semi-arid region of the western U.S., including much of the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and Colorado Plateau. Issues discussed include identification and evaluation of navigable waters, hydrologic permanence/flow duration of perennial and intermittent/ephemeral streams, stream order, significant nexus, aggregation of waters and effects, human impacts and changes, resource inventories and tools, and JD outcomes. Recommendations are also presented to help address the identified issues for more effective management.

Integration challenges of copper Through Silicon Via (TSV) metallization for 3D-stacked IC integration

In this paper we will highlight key integration issues that were encountered during the development of the 3D-stacked IC Through Silicon Via (TSV) module and present solutions to achieve a robust copper TSV. Electrical performance of the obtained TSV module is discussed based on a lumped RC model for 3D ring oscillators containing TSVs between bottom and top tiers.

The Concept of Integration in the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights

Abstract Integration has become a recurring theme of national immigration policies; and there has been a corresponding normative development of the concept to a certain degree in the European Union, both in soft policy and through references to integration in legally binding immigration measures. The difficulty in defining integration is a pervasive problem encountered by lawyers and sociologists attempting to understand the phenomenon. This article argues that the development of the concept of integration by the European Court of Human Rights has an important contribution to make to the debate, with the potential to provide a legal framework within which to situate integration policies at the national and the EU level. It assesses the concept of integration employed by the European Court of Human Rights, analysing the Court’s Article 8 immigration jurisprudence in terms of two core issues: first, the conception of integration employed in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights; and second, the implications of the development of the concept in terms of impacting on the right to remain in a State Party and family reunification, each a key integration issue. The article concludes that while the jurisprudence relating to what actually constitutes ‘integration’ is very much in its infancy, the express consideration of integration as a factor in the balancing exercise undertaken by the Court in the expulsion cases signifies the start of a normative development of the concept of integration by the European Court of Human Rights. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the increased emphasis of the Court on the integration criterion in the Article 8 expulsion cases influences the Court’s approach to key integration issues such as family reunification and in turn whether this filters down to legislators and policymakers at the national level.

Detecting inconsistency in biological molecular databases using ontologies

The rapid growth of life science databases demands the fusion of knowledge from heterogeneous databases to answer complex biological questions. The discrepancies in nomenclature, various schemas and incompatible formats of biological databases, however, result in a significant lack of interoperability among databases. Therefore, data preparation is a key prerequisite for biological database mining. Integrating diverse biological molecular databases is an essential action to cope with the heterogeneity of biological databases and guarantee efficient data mining. However, the inconsistency in biological databases is a key issue for data integration. This paper proposes a framework to detect the inconsistency in biological databases using ontologies. A numeric estimate is provided to measure the inconsistency and identify those biological databases that are appropriate for further mining applications. This aids in enhancing the quality of databases and guaranteeing accurate and efficient mining of biological databases.

A 5-GHz 108-Mb/s 2$\times$2 MIMO Transceiver RFIC With Fully Integrated 20.5-dBm ${\rm P}_{\rm 1dB}$ Power Amplifiers in 90-nm CMOS

Multiple antenna transceivers combined with MIMO signal processing offer the potential for increased data rates and/or range in wireless systems. This paper presents a fully integrated 5-GHz 2times2 MIMO WLAN transceiver RFIC implemented in 90-nm CMOS. The paper identifies the key MIMO integration issues and proposes techniques to optimize MIMO performance. It is shown that crosstalk between the multiple transceivers residing on the same die can degrade MIMO performance and has to be carefully minimized, especially when power amplifiers are integrated on-die. A shared LO generation and distribution network is designed to maximize MIMO phase noise immunity without introducing undesired crosstalk. The fabricated MIMO receiver achieves a sensitivity of -63 dBm while receiving 108Mb/s in MIMO spatial multiplexing mode in the presence of a 25-ns Rayleigh fading channel. The sensitivity of a single receiver in the presence of AWGN noise is -76 dBm. Linearized 3.3-V 5-GHz power amplifiers with P1dB=20.5 dBm deliver an average power of +13/+16 dBm each, in MIMO/SISO modes respectively (EVM=-27/-25 dB). The measured performance demonstrates the effectiveness of the isolation techniques employed. The system in a package includes an 18 mm2 die and microstrip front-end matching networks implemented on a flip-chip package

Integration of Gas Turbines Adapted for Syngas Fuel With Cryogenic and Membrane-Based Air Separation Units: Issues to Consider for System Studies

The purpose of this paper is to aid systems analysts in the design, modeling, and assessment of advanced, gasification-based power generation systems featuring air separation units (ASUs) integrated with gas turbines adapted for syngas fuel. First, the fundamental issues associated with operating a gas turbine on syngas will be reviewed, along with the motivations for extracting air from the turbine-compressor and/or injecting nitrogen into the turbine expander. Configurations for nitrogen-only and air-nitrogen ASU integration will be described, including the benefits and drawbacks of each. Cryogenic ASU technology will be summarized for both low-pressure and elevated-pressure applications and key design and integration issues will be identified and discussed. Finally, membrane-based ASU technology will be described and contrasted with cryogenic technology in regard to system design and integration.