ESD Protection Design: Fundamentals and Advanced Strategies

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) remains a critical reliability issue in CMOS technologies. This paper reviews the fundamentals of ESD phenomena and introduces representative on-chip protection structures. To address the shrinking margin between supply voltage and gate oxide breakdown, the concept of the ESD design window is introduced as a fundamental constraint for selecting and sizing protection devices. The inherent trade-off between ESD robustness and latch-up immunity is also addressed, highlighting strategies to prevent accidental activation during normal operation. It is further indicated that effective ESD protection is a comprehensive chip-level requirement that extends beyond I/O pads to include robust power-rail clamping and internal protection. Diode-based protection, SCR-based devices, and MOS clamps are discussed with emphasis on their operating principles, discharge paths, and design trade-offs. The coordination between I/O protection and power-rail clamps is highlighted as an essential requirement for forming complete discharge paths during ESD events. In addition to presenting the key device and circuit concepts, this paper also clarifies how these structures are typically integrated into practical chip designs, providing readers with both intuitive understanding and circuit-level design guidelines that can be directly applied in design practice. Finally, future challenges are outlined, including the impact of advanced technology scaling, three-dimensional integration, chiplet-based architectures, and increasingly stringent system-level standards. By combining fundamental insights with circuit-level perspectives, this paper aims to serve as a clear and accessible tutorial foundation, helping circuit designers and researchers build a comprehensive understanding of ESD protection for modern and future semiconductor technologies, and supporting continued progress in reliable electronic system design.

A Two-Stage Self-Supervised Speech Representation Learning for Acoustic, Phonetic and Semantic Modeling

Previous self-supervised speech representation learning (SSRL) has primarily focused on encoding acoustic and phonetic information, while overlooking the encoding of semantic information. In this paper, we propose a two-stage SSRL approach that jointly encodes acoustic, phonetic as well as semantic information. Specifically, in the first stage, the Semantic Modeling Stage, semantic knowledge from a text encoder is distilled into a speech encoder, yielding a semantic speech encoder. In the second stage, the Hierarchical Modeling Stage, this semantic encoder serves as a teacher to guide the semantic modeling in a new speech encoder. At the same time, this new speech encoder is simultaneously pre-trained to capture acoustic and phonetic information through masked prediction of pseudo units. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach achieves competitive performance across acoustic, phonetic and semantic tasks on SUPERB and SLUE, two standard speech benchmarks. In addition, we show that our speech encoder can serve as a more effective encoder when integrating with Large Language Models.

The association between family environment and food addiction in children and adolescents: A prospective cohort study

Abstract Background and aims Food addiction is a dysfunctional chronic psychological disease. Family environment, a modifiable factor, has demonstrated considerable contribution to food addiction. Our objective was to analyze the relationship between family environment and food addiction. Design, setting and participants The study included 5554 participants aged 9–19 years enrolled in the School‐based Evaluation Advancing Response for Child Health (SEARCH) in China. Our study used the first three waves of data. Measurements The exposure was family environment, assessed by Family Environment Scale‐Chinese Version (FES‐CV) at baseline. The FES‐CV includes seven subscales: cohesion, active‐recreational orientation, achievement orientation, control, intellectual‐cultural orientation, conflict and organization. The outcome was food addiction status, measured using the Chinese version of the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 at one year follow‐up. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the prospective associations between exposure and outcome. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify distinct characteristics of family environment. Mediation analyses assessed the mediating effects of psychological distress. Findings We observed that six subscales of family environment were statistically significantly associated with food addiction in adjusted model. Control [odds ratio (OR) = 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04–1.22] and conflict (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.11–1.28) subscales were positively associated, whereas cohesion (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.77–0.88), active‐recreational orientation (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.85–0.97), intellectual‐cultural orientation (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.84–0.98) and organization (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.81–0.94) subscales were inversely associated. The clustering of family environments demonstrated that compared with children and adolescents in playful families, those in conflict‐ridden families had a 1.92‐fold greater risk (OR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.86–4.58) of food addiction. Further, we observed that depression and stress partially mediated this association, with the mediated proportions ranging from 18.0%–21.0%. Conclusions There appears to be a positive association between a conflict‐ridden family environment and food addiction among children and young adults in China. Considering family environment is a modifiable factor, improvement of family environment may be an effective strategy to reduce food addiction by enhancing the psychological well‐being of children and adolescents.

Bacterial skin colonization and systemic antibiotic treatment in patients with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma

Summary Background and Objectives Bacterial colonization, particularly by Staphylococcus aureus (SA), is prevalent on the skin of patients with primary cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL). This study aimed to investigate risk factors for cutaneous bacterial and Staphylococcus aureus colonization and to evaluate their impact, together with systemic antibiotic use, on the prognosis of patients with CTCL. Methods This retrospective study included 113 CTCL patients who underwent skin swab testing at Peking University First Hospital from 2010 to 2024. Results Eighty‐five patients (75.2%) tested positive for bacterial skin colonization (SA, 60.2%). Ulcerated lesions significantly increased the likelihood of a positive result in bacterial/SA skin cultures (multivariate analysis). Additionally, advanced stages, the presence of tumors, erythroderma, lymphopenia, and eosinophilia were associated with an increased risk of positive skin cultures (Univariate analysis). Cox regression analysis indicated that skin bacterial/SA colonization and antibiotic intervention, were not correlated with overall survival (p > 0.05). Conclusions This retrospective study presents data on the prevalence of bacterial skin colonization in Asian CTCL patients. Ulcerated lesions emerged as the most significant risk factor associated with cutaneous bacterial/SA colonization. In Asian patients with CTCL, neither bacterial or Staphylococcus aureus skin colonization was associated with a poorer prognosis, nor did short‐term systemic antibiotic therapy improve outcomes.

Bakterielle Hautkolonisation und systemische Antibiotikatherapie bei Patienten mit kutanem T‐Zell‐Lymphom

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund und Zielsetzung Eine bakterielle Kolonisation, insbesondere durch Staphylococcus aureus (SA), ist auf der Haut von Patienten mit primärem kutanen T‐Zell‐Lymphom (CTCL) prävalent. Die vorliegende Studie hatte das Ziel, Risikofaktoren für kutane bakterielle und SA‐Besiedelungen sowie deren Einfluss auf die Prognose von Patienten mit CTCL zusammen mit der Einnahme systemischer Antibiotika zu untersuchen. Methoden Diese retrospektive Studie umfasste 113 Patienten mit CTCL, bei denen zwischen 2010 und 2024 am Peking University First Hospital ein Hautabstrich durchgeführt wurde. Ergebnisse Fünfundachtzig Patienten (75,2%) wurden positiv auf bakterielle Kolonisationen der Haut getestet (SA, 60,2%). Ulzerierte Läsionen erhöhten die Wahrscheinlichkeit positiver Ergebnisse bei bakteriellen/SA‐Hautkulturen signifikant (multivariate Analyse). Außerdem waren fortgeschrittene Stadien, Tumoren, Erythrodermie, Lymphopenie und Eosinophilie mit erhöhtem Risiko für positive Hautkulturen verbunden (univariate Analyse). Die Cox‐Regressionsanalyse zeigte, dass die bakterielle/SA‐Kolonisation der Haut und die antibiotische Intervention nicht mit dem Gesamtüberleben korrelierten ( p > 0,05). Schlussfolgerungen Diese retrospektive Studie berichtet Daten zur Prävalenz bakterieller Kolonisationen der Haut asiatischer Patienten mit CTCL. Ulzerierte Läsionen erwiesen sich als wichtigster Risikofaktor für kutane bakterielle/SA‐Besiedelungen. Bei den asiatischen Patienten mit CTCL war weder die bakterielle Besiedelung der Haut noch eine solche mit Staphylococcus aureus mit einer schlechteren Prognose assoziiert, noch verbesserte eine kurzzeitige systemische Antibiotikatherapie die Ergebnisse.

Long‐term weight maintenance and risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and its subtypes in middle‐aged and older adults: A pooled landmark analysis in China and the UK

Abstract Aims Cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) is a growing global health challenge. Traditional body mass index (BMI) metrics, such as baseline values or simple change, fail to capture the dynamic nature of long‐term weight maintenance. We aimed to evaluate the association between time in target range for BMI (TTR‐BMI)—a composite metric of weight stability and magnitude—and the risk of incident CMM and its subtypes in middle‐aged and older adults. Materials and Methods We conducted a pooled analysis of 9167 participants aged ≥45 years from two prospective cohorts: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). A landmark analysis design was employed to minimise immortal time bias. TTR‐BMI was calculated via linear interpolation based on cohort‐specific normal weight ranges. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident CMM, adjusting for sociodemographics, lifestyle factors, baseline BMI, and pre‐existing cardiometabolic burden. Results During the follow‐up period, higher TTR‐BMI was linearly associated with a lower risk of incident CMM. In fully adjusted models, each 1‐SD increase in TTR‐BMI was associated with a lower risk of CMM (HR 0.896, 95% CI 0.845–0.950). Compared with participants “never in range” (TTR = 0), those “always in range” (TTR = 1) had a 23.8% lower risk of CMM (HR 0.762, 95% CI 0.669–0.868). Subtype analysis revealed that the inverse association was most pronounced for metabolic‐dominant phenotypes, particularly the co‐occurrence of diabetes and dyslipidaemia (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.59–0.98). The associations were robust across cohorts and stronger in men and individuals aged ≥60 years. Conclusions Higher TTR‐BMI is an independent predictor of lower CMM risk in middle‐aged and older adults, offering superior prognostic value for metabolic multimorbidity patterns. These findings highlight the clinical importance of prioritising long‐term weight maintenance within a target range, rather than single time‐point assessments, as a key strategy for delaying the onset of cardiometabolic disease.

Facial Skin Mycobiome in Atopic Dermatitis With and Without Facial Involvement and Healthy Controls: A Case–Control Study

ABSTRACT With the growing interest in the skin microbiome in atopic dermatitis (AD), alterations in cutaneous fungal communities have garnered increasing attention. However, their role in AD pathogenesis and their association with clinical parameters remain unclear. This study characterised the facial skin mycobiome in AD patients with and without facial involvement, compared to healthy controls. Fungal composition was analysed across multiple taxonomic levels, along with assessments of alpha and beta diversity and predicted functional pathways. Basidiomycota and Ascomycota were the predominant phyla across all groups, with Malassezia as the dominant genus. At the species level, Malassezia_globosa and Malassezia_japonica were enriched in AD patients with facial involvement, whereas Malassezia_restricta was reduced compared with the other groups. In the full cohort, no significant differences in overall fungal diversity were observed; however, richness‐based alpha diversity indices differed between facial AD and healthy controls in an adult‐only sensitivity analysis, while Shannon and Simpson indices remained comparable. Notably, distinct differences in predicted metabolic pathways were identified among groups. Correlation analyses showed that Malassezia_restricta abundance was positively associated with body mass index (BMI), whereas Malassezia_globosa was negatively associated with disease severity. Collectively, these findings indicate that facial AD is associated with distinct mycobiome alterations, with potential age‐related effects on specific taxa and diversity metrics. Further longitudinal and mechanistic studies are warranted to elucidate causal relationships and explore therapeutic implications.

Comment on: “Analysis of the Current Status and Associated Factors of Premature Frailty in Adults Aged 18–59 Years Based on the NHANES Database”

As Climate Risks Intensify: How Do Key Digital Technologies Promote Pollution Reduction and Carbon Mitigation? Evidence From China

ABSTRACT Key digital technology (KDT) serves as a critical technological foundation for advancing pollution reduction and carbon mitigation (PRCM), while increasingly reshaping regional environmental governance capacity. However, the institutional fluctuations and governance uncertainties induced by intensifying climate risks have introduced both challenges and opportunities for the environmental effectiveness of KDT. Drawing on panel data from 276 prefecture‐level cities in China between 2011 and 2021, this study investigates the impact of KDT on PRCM synergy across heterogeneous regional contexts. The findings reveal that KDT significantly enhances the degree of PRCM synergy, highlighting its dual environmental benefits. Moreover, climate risks play differentiated moderating roles in this process. Specifically, climate transition risks amplify the PRCM effect of KDT, reflecting the greater marginal adaptability of technological governance under institutional risk scenarios. In contrast, the overall moderating role of climate physical risks is limited. Heterogeneity analysis suggests that under transition risks, KDT possesses compensatory capacities to address institutional uncertainty, whereas under physical risks, its effectiveness is conditioned by regional structural characteristics and governance capacity. Mechanism analysis further demonstrates that KDT influences PRCM synergy through a chain pathway encompassing “source prevention–process control–end‐stage blocking.” Spatial effect analysis indicates a siphon effect of KDT, with significant negative spillovers on the PRCM synergy of adjacent regions, implying the risk of widening inter‐regional disparities in environmental governance outcomes.

Injectable Thermo‐Responsive Dentine Matrix Hydrogel for Enhancing Dentine Regeneration

ABSTRACT Aim This study aimed to develop an injectable thermo‐responsive composite paste based on digested dentine matrix extract (DDME) for dentine regeneration, with potential applications in vital pulp therapy. Methodology An injectable PLGA–PEG–PLGA/DDME paste was developed and characterized using FTIR. The injectability and self‐curing behavior of the composite were evaluated. Its biocompatibility and odontogenic potential were assessed in vitro using human dental pulp cells (hDPCs). Dentine‐forming capacity was investigated in an in situ rat model. The effect of the paste on protein expression in hDPCs was examined by label‐free proteomic analysis, and the underlying mechanism of DDME‐induced odontogenesis was screened. Data were analyzed using Student's t‐test and one‐way analysis of variance. Results The PLGA–PEG–PLGA/DDME paste exhibited excellent injectability and temperature‐dependent self‐curing. Rheological analysis confirmed shear‐thinning behaviour and enhanced viscoelastic properties compared to Water/DDME controls. PLGA–PEG–PLGA significantly improved the handling characteristics of DDME while preserving its bioactivity. In vitro, the paste supported human dental pulp cell viability, migration and odontogenic differentiation, upregulating RUNX2, DMP‐1, DSPP and ALP, and enhancing mineralized nodule formation. In situ evaluation in a rat dentine defect model demonstrated that the paste promoted the formation of dentine bridges. Proteomic analysis revealed mTOR signalling as a key pathway, and inhibition experiments with rapamycin confirmed its role in mediating DDME‐induced odontogenesis. Conclusions The PLGA‐PEG‐PLGA/DDME composite paste is a promising injectable biomaterial for dentine regeneration, with mTOR modulation offering a potential strategy to optimize outcomes.