Abstract: Microelectronic devices include a lower deck and an upper deck, each comprising a stack structure with a vertically alternating sequence of insulative structures and conductive structures arranged in tiers. First and second arrays of pillars extend through the stack structure of the lower and upper decks, respectively. In one or more of the first and second pillar arrays, at least some pillars exhibit a greater degree of bending away from a vertical orientation than at least some other pillars. The pillars of the first array align with the pillars of the second array along an interface between the lower and upper decks. Related methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for measuring overlay between an interest level and a reference level of a wafer includes applying a magnetic field to a wafer, detecting at least one residual magnetic field emitted from at least one registration marker of a first set of registration markers within the wafer, responsive to the detected one or more residual magnetic fields, determining a location of the at least one registration marker of the first set registration markers, determining a location of at least one registration marker of a second set of registration markers, and responsive to the respective determined locations of the at least one registration marker of the first set of registration markers and the at least one registration marker of the second set of registration markers, calculating a positional offset between an interest level of the wafer and a reference level of the wafer. Related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a blockchain sharding method, system, and server based on locally repairable system codes. The blockchain sharding system includes k original shards and n?k encoding shards. In each round of consensus, each original shard and m corresponding encoding shards form a local verification group (m<<n?k), and each encoding shard and t original shards participating in generation of the encoding shard form local recovery groups (t<<k). The local verification group is responsible for verifying whether a to-be-verified transaction is legitimate. When a single shard in the verification group is corrupted, the remaining m shards can reach a consistent verification result. According to the principle that the minority is subordinate to the majority, the verification group can still correctly verify the legitimacy of the transaction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, uses, and compositions for the treatment of cancer (e.g., a lung cancer; a cervical cancer; a breast cancer; a head and neck cancer; a liver cancer; a bladder cancer; a gastric cancer; an esophageal cancer; a pancreatic cancer; a kidney or renal cancer; a melanoma; an ovarian cancer; or a colorectal cancer). More specifically, the invention concerns the treatment of patients having cancer with an anti-TIGIT antagonist antibody, including treatment with an anti-TIGIT antagonist antibody in a combination therapy.

Abstract: Microelectronic devices include a lower deck and an upper deck, each comprising a stack structure with a vertically alternating sequence of insulative structures and conductive structures arranged in tiers. First and second arrays of pillars extend through the stack structure of the lower and upper decks, respectively. In one or more of the first and second pillar arrays, at least some pillars exhibit a greater degree of bending away from a vertical orientation than at least some other pillars. The pillars of the first array align with the pillars of the second array along an interface between the lower and upper decks. Related methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a security protection method for a sharded blockchain system, and the sharded blockchain system includes one core shard and multiple common shards. A node in the common shard can additionally store historical blocks of other shards in addition to storing historical blocks of the shard in which the node is located. When a single shard in the system is corrupted, the corrupted shard cannot provide a valid verification result for a transaction that the corrupted shard is responsible for verifying. In this case, honest nodes that store historical blocks of the corrupted shard can submit reports on a transaction verification result to the core shard. The core shard confirms validity of the report, and the system performs reward or punishment on the node submitting the report according to whether the report is valid.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a blockchain sharding method, system, and server based on locally repairable system codes. The blockchain sharding system includes k original shards and n?k encoding shards. In each round of consensus, each original shard and m corresponding encoding shards form a local verification group (m<<n?k), and each encoding shard and t original shards participating in generation of the encoding shard form local recovery groups (t<<k). The local verification group is responsible for verifying whether a to-be-verified transaction is legitimate. When a single shard in the verification group is corrupted, the remaining m shards can reach a consistent verification result. According to the principle that the minority is subordinate to the majority, the verification group can still correctly verify the legitimacy of the transaction.

Abstract: We found mutations of the R132 residue of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) in the majority of grade II and III astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas as well as in gliblastomas that develop from these lower grade lesions. Those tumors without mutations in IDH1 often had mutations at the analogous R172 residue of the closely related IDH2 gene. These findings have important implications for the pathogenesis and diagnosis of malignant gliomas.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and system for constructing a fusion covert channel. A time covert channel is constructed by rearranging data packets of different terminals in the Internet of Things in a manner of carrying secret information, a storage covert channel is constructed by replacing a TCP sequence number field of a data packet with secret information, and a fusion covert channel is constructed by fusing the time covert channel and the storage covert channel. In this way, advantages of the two channels can be complemented, so that covertness of the fusion covert channel is improved and a capacity of the covert channel is increased.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprise laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Operative channel-material strings of memory cells extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. Insulative pillars are laterally-between and longitudinally-along immediately-laterally-adjacent of the memory blocks. The pillars comprise vertically-spaced and radially-projecting insulative rings in the conductive tiers as compared to the insulative tiers. Other embodiments, including methods, are disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a structure including an upper insulating material overlying a lower insulating material, a conductive element underlying the lower insulating material, and a conductive material comprising a metal line and a contact. The conductive material extends from an upper surface of the upper insulating material to an upper surface of the conductive element. The structure also comprises a liner material adjacent the metal line. A width of an uppermost surface of the conductive material of the metal line external to the contact is relatively less than a width of an uppermost surface of the conductive material of the contact. Related methods, memory devices, and electronic systems are disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a saline wastewater treatment system using solar-assisted heat pump. A method of solar thermal collector coupled with a heat pump can treat saline wastewater at low carbon and high efficiency, and industrial salt and fresh water can be obtained by concentration. The system includes a wastewater pretreatment system, a wastewater heating system, and a wastewater evaporation and concentration treatment system. The wastewater pretreatment system is connected to the wastewater heating system; and the wastewater heating system is connected to the wastewater evaporation and concentration treatment system.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a structure including an upper insulating material overlying a lower insulating material, a conductive element underlying the lower insulating material, and a conductive material comprising a metal line and a contact. The conductive material extends from an upper surface of the upper insulating material to an upper surface of the conductive element. The structure also comprises a liner material adjacent the metal line. A width of an uppermost surface of the conductive material of the metal line external to the contact is relatively less than a width of an uppermost surface of the conductive material of the contact. Related methods, memory devices, and electronic systems are disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a saline wastewater treatment system using solar-assisted heat pump. A method of solar thermal collector coupled with a heat pump can treat saline wastewater at low carbon and high efficiency, and industrial salt and fresh water can be obtained by concentration. The system includes a wastewater pretreatment system, a wastewater heating system, and a wastewater evaporation and concentration treatment system. The wastewater pretreatment system is connected to the wastewater heating system; and the wastewater heating system is connected to the wastewater evaporation and concentration treatment system.

Abstract: Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes tiers located one over another; a first staircase structure formed in the tiers; a second staircase structure formed in the tiers adjacent the first staircase structure, respective portions of conductive materials in the tiers forming a part of the first and second staircase structure and a part of respective control gates associated with memory cells; a first trench structure formed in the tiers adjacent the first staircase structure and the second staircase structure, the first trench structure including length in a direction from the first staircase structure to the second staircase structure; and a second trench structure formed in the tiers adjacent the first trench structure, the second trench structure including a length in the direction from the first staircase structure to the second staircase structure.

Abstract: A variety of applications can include apparatus having a memory device structured with a circuit under array (CuA) architecture. A page buffer region in the CuA can be formed with a periphery region that is horizontally adjacent to the page buffer region. Contacts to gates for transistors in the page buffer region can be formed to land only on these gates, separating and electrically isolating the contacts and associated gates from each other in the page buffer region. Contacts to gates for transistors in the periphery region can be formed to land on conductive regions disposed on gates for transistors in the periphery region.

Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures. Memory cells vertically extend through the stack structure, and comprise a channel material vertically extending through the stack structure. An additional stack structure vertically overlies the stack structure and comprises additional conductive structures and additional insulative structures. First pillar structures extend through the additional stack structure and vertically overlie a portion of the memory cells. Second pillar structures are adjacent to the first pillar structures and extend through the additional stack structure and vertically overlie another portion of the memory cells. Slot structures are laterally adjacent to the first pillar structures and to the second pillar structures and extend through at least a portion of the additional stack structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and system for constructing a fusion covert channel. A time covert channel is constructed by rearranging data packets of different terminals in the Internet of Things in a manner of carrying secret information, a storage covert channel is constructed by replacing a TCP sequence number field of a data packet with secret information, and a fusion covert channel is constructed by fusing the time covert channel and the storage covert channel. In this way, advantages of the two channels can be complemented, so that covertness of the fusion covert channel is improved and a capacity of the covert channel is increased.

Abstract: A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Operative channel-material strings of memory cells extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. Intervening material is laterally-between and longitudinally-along immediately-laterally-adjacent of the memory blocks. The intervening material comprises longitudinally-alternating first and second regions that individually have a vertically-elongated seam therein. The vertically-elongated seam in the first regions are taller than in the second regions. Additional embodiments, including method, are disclosed.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprise laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers. Operative channel-material strings of memory cells extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. Insulative pillars are laterally-between and longitudinally-along immediately-laterally-adjacent of the memory blocks. The pillars comprise vertically-spaced and radially-projecting insulative rings in the conductive tiers as compared to the insulative tiers. Other embodiments, including methods, are disclosed.