Abstract: A method for promoting growth of a probiotic microorganism includes cultivating the probiotic microorganism in a growth medium containing a fermented culture of lactic acid bacterial strains that include Lactobacillus salivarius subsp. salicinius AP-32 deposited at the China Center for Type Culture Collection (CCTCC) under CCTCC M 2011127, Lactobacillus plantarum LPL28 deposited at the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center (CGMCC) under CGMCC 17954, Lactobacillus acidophilus TYCA06 deposited at the CGMCC under CGMCC 15210, and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis BLI-02 deposited at the CGMCC under CGMCC 15212.

Abstract: A method in certain embodiments includes using a computer system that includes an EDA tool to generate a layout of an IC device; searching, using a statistical method such as Bayesian optimization process, for one or more input variable parameters, such as the dimensions of the IC device and the dimensions of the voltage areas in the IC device, that results in an optimal characteristic, such as power, performance or area (PPA) of the IC device, subject to a limiting condition, such as one determined using a cost function. A computer system including one or more EDAs configured to perform the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A flyback power converter includes a power transformer, a first lossless voltage conversion circuit, a first low-dropout linear regulator and a secondary side power supply circuit. The first low-dropout linear regulator (LDO) generates a first operation voltage as power supply for being supplied to a sub-operation circuit. The secondary side power supply circuit includes a second lossless voltage conversion circuit and a second LDO. The second LDO generates a second operation voltage. The first operation voltage and the second operation voltage are shunted to a common node. When a first lossless conversion voltage is greater than a first threshold voltage, the second LDO is enabled to generate the second operation voltage to replace the first operation voltage as power supply supplied to the sub-operation circuit; wherein the second lossless conversion voltage is lower than the first lossless switching voltage.

Abstract: A method of depositing a plasma enhanced CVD metal nitride layer over an exposed copper surface in a semiconductor wafer manufacturing process to improve the metal nitride layer adhesion and to reduce copper hillock formation including providing a process surface which is an exposed copper surface; preheating the process surface; plasma sputtering the exposed copper surface in-situ to remove copper oxides; and, depositing a metal nitride layer in-situ according to a plasma enhanced CVD process at a selected deposition pressure to reduce plasma ion bombardment energy transfer and to suppress-copper hillock formation.