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Background Ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is an important determinant of delayed graft function (DGF) affecting allograft function. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is released upon cell death and platelet activation into the extracellular environment and has been suggested to be a biomarker in several diseases. Whether extracellular mtDNA accumulates in plasma and/or urine upon renal IR and predisposes DGF is unknown. Methods C57BL/6J wild-type mice were subjected to renal IR. In addition, an observational case–control study was set up enrolling 43 patients who underwent kidney transplantation. One day post-IR in mice and a few days following renal transplantation in human, blood and urine were collected. Patients were stratified into DGF and non-DGF groups. Results mtDNA-encoded genes accumulate in urine and plasma in both mice subjected to renal IR injury and in humans following renal transplantation. In human renal transplant recipients, cold ischaemia time and renal function correlate with urinary mtDNA levels. Urinary mtDNA levels but not urinary nuclear DNA levels were significantly higher in the DGF group compared with the non-DGF group. Multiple receiver operating characteristic curves revealed significant diagnostic performance for mtDNA-encoded genes cytochrome c oxidase III (COXIII); nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen subunit 1 (NADH-deh); mitochondrially encoded, mitochondrially encoded nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase 2 (MT-ND2) with an area under the curve of, respectively, 0.71 [P = 0.03; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54–0.89], 0.75 (P = 0.01; 95% CI 0.58–0.91) and 0.74 (P = 0.02; 95% CI 0.58–0.89). Conclusions These data suggest that renal ischaemia time determines the level of mtDNA accumulation in urine, which associates with renal allograft function and the diagnosis of DGF following renal transplantation.

We propose an approach to designing smart wearables that act as partners to help people cope with stress in daily life. Our approach contributes to the developing field of smart wearables by addressing how technological capabilities can be designed to establish partnerships that consider the person, the situation, and the appropriate type of support. As such, this study also contributes to healthcare by opening up novel technology-supported routes to stress treatment and care. We present the results of a phenomenological study conducted with three war veterans who suffer from chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. We describe how their experiences of dealing with their stress informed our design approach, and discuss the implications of these results on smart wearables and stress management in general. We conclude by reflecting on the limitations of this study and directions for future work.

This paper presents numerical and experimental studies on semi-active seismic response control of structures equipped with variable stiffness and damping structural joints. Such adaptive joints, which are comprised of a shape memory polymer (SMP) core reinforced by an SMP-aramid composite skin, function as load-transfer components as well as semi-active control devices. The SMP core material can transition from a glassy to a rubbery state through thermal actuation resulting in a shift of the structural natural frequencies and a parallel increase of damping ratio, which enables a new semi-active control strategy. Control performance has been evaluated on a three-story frame equipped with 12 adaptive joints and subjected to seismic excitations. Full-transient analysis has shown that when the joints are thermally actuated to the transition temperature (65 degrees C), acceleration and base shear are reduced by up to 62% and 65%, respectively. Shake-table tests have been carried out on a 1/10-scale prototype, confirming that through thermal actuation of the adaptive joints the structural damping ratio increases from 2.6% to 11.3% and the first natural frequency shifts by up to 37%. As the structure becomes more flexible, an increase of displacements and interstory drift might occur. However, depending on the seismic excitation, top-story acceleration and base shear are significantly reduced in the range 43%-50% and 35%-51%, respectively. These results confirm that semi-active control through thermal actuation of variable stiffness and damping structural joints is effective to mitigate the structure response under seismic excitation.

This article presents a novel smart sensor garment with integrated miniaturized inertial measurements units (IMUs) that can be used to monitor lower body kinematics during daily training activities, without the need of extensive technical assistance throughout the measurements. The smart sensor tights enclose five ultra-light sensor modules that measure linear accelerations, angular velocities, and the earth magnetic field in three directions. The modules are located at the pelvis, thighs, and shanks. The garment enables continuous measurement in the field at high sample rates (250 Hz) and the sensors have a large measurement range (32 g, 4,000°/s). They are read out by a central processing unit through an SPI bus, and connected to a centralized battery in the waistband. A fully functioning prototype was built to perform validation studies in a lab setting and in a field setting. In the lab validation study, the IMU data (converted to limb orientation data) were compared with the kinematic data of an optoelectronic measurement system and good validity (CMCs >0.8) was shown. In the field tests, participants experienced the tights as comfortable to wear and they did not feel restricted in their movements. These results show the potential of using the smart sensor tights on a regular base to derive lower limb kinematics in the field.

By embedding conductive yarns in, or onto, knitted textile fabrics, simple but robust stretch sensor garments can be manufactured. In that way resistance based sensors can be fully integrated in textiles without compromising wearing comfort, stretchiness, washability, and ease of use in daily life. The many studies on such textile strain sensors that have been published in recent years show that these sensors work in principle, but closer inspection reveals that many of them still have severe practical limitations like a too narrow working range, lack of sensitivity, and undesired time-dependent and hysteresis effects. For those that intend to use this technology it is difficult to determine which manufacturing parameters, shape, stitch type, and materials to apply to realize a functional sensor for a given application. This paper therefore aims to serve as a guideline for the fashion designers, electronic engineers, textile researchers, movement scientists, and human–computer interaction specialists planning to create stretch sensor garments. The paper is limited to textile based sensors that can be constructed using commercially available conductive yarns and existing knitting and embroidery equipment. Within this subtopic, relevant literature is discussed, and a detailed quantitative comparison is provided focusing on sensor characteristics like the gauge factor, working range, and hysteresis.

This paper introduces a new semi-active strategy for vibration control of truss and frame structures equipped with variable stiffness and damping joints which consist of a shape memory polymer (SMP) core reinforced by an SMP-aramid composite skin. When the joints are actuated to the transition temperature through thermal actuation, the SMP core transitions from a glassy to a rubbery state through a viscoelastic region, which causes a stiffness reduction and an increase of damping. The mechanic behavior of the joint can be thought of as transitioning from a moment to a pin connection. This way, it is possible to cause a shift of the structure natural frequencies and to increase damping, which is employed to obtain a significant reduction of the dynamic response. This paper comprises two parts: (1) characterization of a variable stiffness and damping material model through experimental testing; (2) numerical simulations of a truss bridge and a four-story frame, which are equipped with variable stiffness and damping joints. The truss bridge (case A) is subjected to a resonance and a moving load while the four-story frame (case B) is subjected to El Centro earthquake loading. For case A under resonance loading, the dynamic response can be reduced exclusively through a frequency shift and ignoring viscoelastic effects. For case A under moving load and case B under earthquake loading, vibration suppression is mostly caused by the increase of damping due to viscoelastic effects. Control time delays due to joint heating have been included in the analysis. When the joints are actuated to the transition range 55°C–65°C, which is specific to the SMP adopted in this study, the acceleration peak amplitude reduces by up to 95% and 87%, for case A and case B, respectively. For both cases, damping increases by up to 2.2% from undamped conditions (25°C). This work has shown that the adoption of variable stiffness and damping structural joints has great potential to enable a new and effective semi-active control strategy to significantly reduce the structure response under a wide range of dynamic loading conditions.

Background: Bipolar sealing devices are routinely used to seal blood vessels. The aim of the study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of colonic sealing with the use of the bipolar energy devices in rats as model for experimental appendectomy. Methods: Seventy-five male Wistar rats underwent a cecal resection with four different bipolar sealing devices or a linear stapler. The harvesting procedure was performed immediately or at postoperative day (POD) 7. The sealing front bursting pressure (BP) was measured in both groups. At POD7, the resection line was clinically examined and the hydroxyproline (HDP) levels were determined. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining was used for histopathological evaluation of the sealing front as well. Results: There was no mortality and no insufficiency. The BPs between the bipolar sealing devices showed no statistical differences. The early phase of the seal (POD 0) provides a low BP with an 30.8% increase until POD 7. The BPs in the stapler group showed significant better values. The hydroxyproline levels did not differ statistically between the groups. Histopathologically, there were more signs of ischemic necrosis in the stapler group than in the sealing devices groups. Conclusion: The resection and sealing of the cecum as an experimental appendectomy model with the use of bipolar energy devices proved feasible and safe in rats. The different energy devices in this study produce comparable results. To justify clinical practice in humans, several studies on the underlying mechanisms of early stage wound healing are needed.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), a major public health problem associated with high mortality and increased risk of progression towards end-stage renal disease, is characterized by the activation of intra-renal haemostatic and inflammatory processes. Platelets, which are present in high numbers in the circulation and can rapidly release a broad spectrum of bioactive mediators, are important acute modulators of inflammation and haemostasis, as they are the first cells to arrive at sites of acute injury, where they interact with endothelial cells and leukocytes. Diminished control of platelet reactivity by endothelial cells and/or an increased release of platelet-activating mediators can lead to uncontrolled platelet activation in AKI. As increased platelet sequestration and increased expression levels of the markers P-selectin, thromboxane A2, CC-chemokine ligand 5 and platelet factor 4 on platelets have been reported in kidneys following AKI, platelet activation likely plays a part in AKI pathology. Results from animal models and some clinical studies highlight the potential of antiplatelet therapies in the preservation of renal function in the context of AKI, but as current strategies also affect other cell types and non-platelet-derived mediators, additional studies are required to further elucidate the extent of platelet contribution to the pathology of AKI and to determine the best therapeutic approach by which to specifically target related pathogenic pathways.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is characterized by the activation of the innate immune system resulting in stimulation of inflammatory responses, coagulation, and platelet activation that may contribute to complication such as the development of acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI importantly worsens the outcome of SIRS, implying the existence of a detrimental cross talk via systemic messages. Mitochondria are a source of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and are thought to form a molecular link between tissue injury and stimulation of innate immunity. The role of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the cross talk between the onset of SIRS and subsequent development of AKI is unknown. Hence, we performed a case control study in critically ill patients with SIRS diagnosed with or without AKI, in which we determined mtDNA levels in plasma and urine, and correlated these to markers of renal impairment, inflammation, coagulation, and platelet activation. In addition, we exposed mice, primary renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs), and platelets to mtDNA or purified mitochondrial ligands, and measured their response to elucidate underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Our data reveal that increased systemic mtDNA levels in SIRS patients do not correlate with systemic inflammation and renal disease activity. Moreover, AKI does not have an additional effect on circulating mtDNA levels. In contrast, we found that urinary mtDNA levels correlate with an elevated albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) as well as with increased urinary markers of inflammation, coagulation, and platelet activation. Both renal TECs and platelets respond to mtDNA and mtDNA ligands, leading to increased expression of, respectively, inflammatory cytokines and P-selectin. Moreover, activation of platelets results in mtDNA release. Together, these data suggest that circulating mtDNA is probably not important in the detrimental cross talk between SIRS and AKI, whereas renal mtDNA accumulation may be related to intrarenal inflammation, coagulation processes, and renal dysfunction in the pathophysiology of SIRS.

Sweat sensor patches offer new opportunities for unobtrusive monitoring of an athlete’s physical status. This paper presents a novel sweat rate and sweat conductivity patch that is easy to prototype and can be made with common low-cost production techniques: laser cutting and standard printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. The device consists of a patch made from hydrophilic PET foil, a double-sided adhesive and a thin PCB with gold electrodes. Two electrodes, which are continuously in contact with the inflowing fluid, measure the sweat conductivity and a separate system with interdigitated electrodes measures the filling process of the reservoirs. Impedance measurement results of both systems demonstrate the working of the concept.

Two patients are described with large stones in the common bile duct. Standard ERCP was not possible. Both patients were successfully treated with percutaneous access and use of the ureteroscope with the holmium laser.

Smart textiles are garments with integrated sensors and actuators which have a large potential of being beneficial in our future society. These textiles can monitor our health condition during daily life, remind us to do some extra fitness activities or warn us when our blood pressure is too high or when our heart beating becomes irregular. They can be used in hospitals for the continuous monitoring of patients but also to help soldiers navigating the dark and athletes to optimize their performance. During the last 10 years three major smart textile related developments can be noted. First of all the sensors for wearables have become smaller, more reliable and easier to use. Next to that in the field of textile engineering new, and better electrical conducting yarns were developed which can be handled in textile production processes such as knitting and weaving. Thirdly, in the field of information technologies much more efficient algorithms for data processing and interpretation have been developed and more can be expected from the developments in artificial intelligence. Based on this the market for smart textiles is expected to grow exponentially but although researchers have been working on smart textiles already for a long time, we do not see them in the shop next-door yet. In this paper we will discuss the developments and trends, list the challenges and propose a strategy to come to the next generation of Smart Textiles.

Summary Background To date, the accuracy of bio-impedance (BIA) to assess body composition & sarcopenia in persons aged 80 and over remains unclear. Objective We aimed to evaluate the agreement between dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and BIA equations to determine lean mass, as well as their suitability to identify sarcopenia. Design 174 community dwelling well-functioning persons (83 women, 91 men) aged 80 and over were included. Appendicular lean mass (ALM) was predicted using BIA-based equations available in literature, and compared to DXA outcomes. Through cross-validation and stepwise multiple linear regression, a new ALM-formula was generated suitable for this population. Results Literature-based BIA equations systematically overestimated ALM. The new prediction formula that we propose for the 80+ is: ALM = 0,827+(0,19*Impedance Index)+(2,101*Sex)+(0,079*Weight); R2 = 0,888; SEE = 1,450 kg. Sarcopenia classification based on our new BIA equation for ALM showed better agreement with DXA (k ≥ 0,454) compared to literature-based BIA equations (k Conclusions Despite the high correlation between both methods, literature-based BIA equations consistently overestimate ALM compared to DXA in persons aged 80 and over. We proposed a new equation for ALM, reaching higher agreement with DXA and thus improving the accuracy of BIA for this specific age group.

The pathophysiology of renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is characterized by excessive activation of inflammation and coagulation processes followed by abnormal renal tissue repair, resulting in renal injury and function loss. Platelets are important actors in these processes, however to what extent platelets contribute to the pathophysiology of renal I/R injury still needs to be elucidated. In the current study, we treated wild-type mice with a platelet depleting antibody, which caused thrombocytopenia. We then investigated the role of platelets during the pathophysiology of renal I/R by subjecting control wild-type mice with normal platelet counts and thrombocytopenic wild-type mice to renal I/R injury. Our results showed that in the early phase of renal I/R injury, thrombocytopenia 24 hours after ischemia reperfusion does not influence renal injury, neutrophil infiltration and accumulation of inflammatory chemokines (e.g. keratinocyte chemoattractant, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, tumor necrosis factor alpha). In the recovery and regeneration phase of I/R injury, respectively 5 and 10 days post-ischemia, thrombocytopenia did also not affect the accumulation of intra-renal neutrophils and macrophages, renal injury, and renal fibrosis. Together, these results imply that lowering platelet counts do not impact the pathogenesis of I/R injury in mice.

Ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury triggers the activation of coagulation and inflammation processes involved in the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury (AKI). Coagulation proteases upregulated upon renal I/R injury activate protease activated receptors (PARs), which form an important molecular link between inflammation and coagulation. PAR4 is the major thrombin receptor on mouse platelets, and the only PAR that is expressed on both human and murine platelets. In addition, PAR4 is expressed on other cells including podocytes. We here sought to determine the contribution of PAR4 in the host response to renal I/R injury. Hence, we subjected PAR4 knockout and wild-type mice to renal I/R injury. PAR4 knockout mice exhibited an increased tolerance to renal tubular necrosis and showed a decreased neutrophil influx in response to renal I/R, independent from platelet PAR4. On the other hand, PAR4 deficiency resulted in albumin cast formation in peritubular capillaries and showed a tendency towards albuminuria. Transmission Electron Microscopy revealed an increase in podocyte foot process effacement. Our findings suggest that PAR4 contributes to renal injury likely through facilitating neutrophil migration, independent from platelet PAR4. In addition, PAR4 fulfils an important function in the maintenance of podocyte integrity following renal I/R insult. Subsequently, loss of PAR4 results in albuminuria.

This paper comprises the numerical approach and the experimental validation technique developed to obtain the residual stresses building up during encapsulation process of integrated circuits. Residual stresses can be divided into cure and cooling induced parts. The curing originated stress had been mostly neglected in the literature and a special attention had always been given to detection of the thermal induced stress. In this study, both of the residual stresses, evolving during packaging, were investigated independently. The material behavior of the epoxy molding compound, EMC, was determined by the series of characterization experiments. The volumetric behavior of the EMC was investigated using PVT analysis, in which the total cure shrinkage of an initially uncured sample and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the same sample after full conversion were determined. The cure kinetics was studied using differential scanning calorimetry, DSC. The dynamic mechanical behavior was examined by dynamic mechanical analysis, DMA, at a fixed frequency. Besides, the time dependent behavior of the EMC was also determined by implementing the time–temperature superposition, TTS, test set-up in DMA. The shift factor was modeled using the combination of the WLF equation and the polynomial of second degree. The constitutive equations were developed based on the applied boundary conditions and the epoxy compound's mechanical behavior in the respective stage. A two dimensional numerical model was constructed using a commercially available finite element software package. For the experimental verification of the numerically obtained residual stresses a flexible board with the stress measuring chip was encapsulated. The real-time stress data were measured during the encapsulation. Using this technique, the in-plane stresses and the temperature changes during the die encapsulation were measured successfully. Furthermore, the measured stress data was compared with the predicted numerical results of the cure and the thermal stages, independently.

PMMA material is widely used in LED-based luminaires due to several advantages such as excellent optical transparency, durability against radiation, surface hardness (scratch free), rigidity and strength and can be completely recycled. However, few studies have been reported on the colour shift and failure mechanisms caused by this type of material. This paper experimentally investigated PMMA materials with different aging conditions. The following conclusions could be drawn. (1) Discolouration was not observed for any sample subjected to aging of 85 °C for 5000 h, or with additional blue light irradiation for 5000 h, or with additional humidity of 85%RH for 5000 h, or even with aging of 100 °C for 3000 h. (2) The specimen subjected to aging of 150 °C for 360 h has a surface discoloration and has a significant wavelength dependent degradation in the transmission spectrum caused by oxidation. The specimen with aging of 100 °C for 3000 h has a less oxidation, although no significant transmission spectrum reduction was observed. (3) Using such aged specimen as a diffuser mounted on a LED-based luminaire, the radiant flux peak intensity in the blue light area has a more severe reduction than that in the yellow light area, which results in a reduction of the radiant flux intensity ratio of blue light to yellow light and hence induces the colour shift to yellow. The colour shift investigated is 0.005, very close to the general failure criterion of 0.007, while the lumen decay is 10.2%, far less than the failure criterion of 30%.

Smart textiles are textiles with integrated sensors, data processing, communication and power units and can be regarded as a new application field for microelectronic devices. It largely benefits from a series of recent developments: sensors become smaller, more reliable and require less power and, on the other hand, energy harvesting techniques are continuously improving as well as energy storage devices as flexible batteries and super capacitors. Based on these rapid developments it is not unlikely to expect that in the near future we indeed will have textiles with an integrated battery less sensor network which will continuously monitor the health of patients, soldiers or you yourself.In this paper we show that before these e-textiles are as widely spread and accepted as our cell phones, a number of hurdles must be taken first.

In microelectronic packages, generally the chip is encapsulated by a molding compound (MC). The MC provides a mechanical support for the chip and isolates it from the environment and as a result protects the encapsulated chip. It is well known that MC's are polymer-based materials. When packages are exposed to a harsh environment such as to high-temperature storage or to thermal cycling, the mechanical properties of the MC's can change significantly. Consequently this could result into reliability issues of these packages. For a long time, there was no simple and efficient model method available to simulate the mechanical behavior of these packages under thermal aging conditions. As a result, it was hard to forecast the package reliability after a period of thermal aging. Since in our previous work [1,2] the thermomechanical properties of MC's before and after thermal aging were systematically characterized, the above problem was merely solved. A simple and efficient modeling method was proposed to simulate the thermal aging effects on MC's [2]. In this paper, a bi-material sample consisting of a MC layer on a Copper substrate is prepared and used to verify the proposed modeling method at two different thermal conditions: High-temperature storage (HTS) and Temperature cycling (TC). Based on the proposed modeling method the mechanical behavior of the bi-material sample after aging under these (different) thermal conditions are established throug FEM simulation. The simulation results match the experiment results quite well.

BackgroundCardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis is of pivotal importance for patients with cardiac arrhythmias and ischemia to minimize the consequences like strokes and myocardial infarctions. The chance of capturing signals of arrhythmias or ischemia is substantially high when a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) can be recorded at the moment when a patient experiences the symptoms. However, until now, available diagnostic systems (Holter monitors and other wearable ECG sensors) have not enabled patients to record a reliable 12-lead ECG at home. ObjectiveThe objective of this project was to develop a user-friendly system that enables persons with cardiac complaints to record a reliable 12-lead ECG at home to improve the diagnostic process and, consequently, reduce the time between the onset of symptoms and adequate treatment. MethodsUsing an iterative design approach, ECGraph was developed. The system consists of an ECG measurement system and a mobile app, which were developed with the help of several concept tests. To evaluate the design, a prototype of the final design was built and a final technical performance test and usability test were executed. ResultsThe ECG measurement system consists of a belt and 4 limb straps. Ten wet Ag/AgCl electrodes are placed in the belt to optimize skin-electrode contact. The product is controlled via an app on the mobile phone of the user. Once a person experiences symptoms, he or she can put on the belt and record ECGs within a few minutes. Short instructions, supported by visualizations, offer guidance during use. ECGs are sent wirelessly to the caregiver, and the designated expert can quickly interpret the results. Usability tests with the final prototype (n=6) showed that the participants were able to put on the product within 8 minutes during first-time use. However, we expect that the placement of the product can be executed faster when the user becomes more familiar with the product. Areas of improvement focus mainly on confidence during product use. In the technical performance test, a 12-lead ECG was made and reproduced 6 times. ConclusionsWe developed a new 12-lead ECG system for home use. The product is expected to be more user-friendly than current hospital ECG systems and is designed to record more reliable data than current ECG systems for home use, which makes it suitable for expert interpretation. The system has great potential to be incorporated into an outpatient practice, so that arrhythmias and ischemia can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

Recently, color shift of LED-based lighting products has attracted much attention due to its increasing impact on the field application. However, significant research investigations on the color shift mechanisms are not publically available especially for important transmission materials used for secondary optical design. In this paper, broadly used such commercial materials (BPA-PC and PMMA) are experimentally investigated on the color shift effects during aging. Besides this, color shift mechanisms of degradation of transmittance are also studied. Results revealed: (1) Inconsistent degradation of wavelength–dependent transmittance induces the decrease of the blue/yellow light intensity ratio and thus gives rise to the color shift toward the yellow field, which is the color shift mechanism of BPA-PC; (2) Even for the non-aged BPA-PC, the transmittance varies with wavelength in the visible light field due to the chemistry of the material, which caused the change of intensify ratio of blue light to yellow light in the SPD, leading to color change in perception; (3) Oxidation plays a key role in the degradation of transmittance at around the peak wavelength of the blue light field, which is in correlation with the discoloration of thermally-aged BPA-PC materials. By contrast, for the PMMA specimen aged up to 3000 h, oxidation was neither occurred at 85 °C, nor with additional exposure to blue light, nor even with additional humidity of 85%RH.

The ActivAge project is currently exploring heterogeneous IoT solutions for AHA over 9 different European Deployment Sites (DS), in an interoperable network. In this work, we present main features of the DS-RER experimentation, being implemented in the Emilia-Romagna Region (RER, Italy) and mostly aimed at effectively embedding IoT-enabled solutions within the actual organization and practices of regional social and health-care services, to support users over 65 suffering post-stroke conditions.

In this paper we investigate how autonomy, animism and presence of interactive products in daily life can positively influence people to change their behavior. Three interactive products were reviewed and compared on each of these concepts. Based on this comparison we propose that a product's autonomy is a prerequisite to initiate behavior change when people are unwilling, unable or unware to act, while animism creates a sense of social engagement between user and product. Presence refers to the availability and readiness of a product to engage people on a daily basis. We conclude with discussing the potentiality of these concepts in developing an integrated design strategy for behavior change.

In semiconductor technologies thermally and electrically conductive adhesives are widely used to attach the die to the substrate. Focus of this work are Isotropic Conductive Adhesives (ICA) with a high amount of electrically conductive filler particles and the characterization of such materials.

Background Despite improvements in liver surgery over the past decades, hemostasis during hepatic resections remains challenging. This multicenter randomized study compares the hemostatic effect of a collagen hemostat vs. a carrier-bound fibrin sealant after hepatic resection. Methods Patients scheduled for elective liver resection were randomized intraoperatively to receive either the collagen hemostat (COLL) or the carrier-bound fibrin sealant (CBFS) for secondary hemostasis. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with hemostasis after 3 min. Secondary parameters were the proportions of patients with hemostasis after 5 and 10 min, the total time to hemostasis, and the complication rates during a 3 months follow-up period. Results A total of 128 patients were included. In the COLL group, 53 out of 61 patients (86.9 %) achieved complete hemostasis within 3 min after application of the hemostat compared to 52 out of 65 patients (80.0 %) in the CBFS group. The 95 % confidence interval for this difference [−6.0 %, 19.8 %] does not include the lower noninferiority margin (−10 %). Thus, the COLL treatment can be regarded as noninferior to the comparator. The proportions of patients with hemostasis after 3, 5, and 10 min were not significantly different between the two study arms. Postoperative mortality and morbidity were similar in both treatment groups. Conclusion The collagen hemostat is as effective as the carrier-bound fibrin sealant in obtaining secondary hemostasis during liver resection with a comparable complication rate. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00423-014-1203-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In this investigation, the accelerated optical degradation of two different commercial Bisphenol-A Polycarbonate (BPA-PC) grades under elevated temperature stress is studied. The BPA-PC plates are used both in light conversion carriers in LED modules and encapsulants in LED packages. BPA-PC plates are exposed to temperatures in the range of 100–140 °C. Optical properties of the thermally-aged plates were studied using an integrated sphere. The results show that increasing the exposure time leads to degradation of BPA-PC optical properties, i.e. decrease of light transmission and increase in the yellowing index (YI). An exponential luminous decay model and Arrhenius equation are used to predict the lumen depreciation over different time and temperatures. Accelerated thermal stress tests together with the applied reliability model are used to predict the lifetime of plastic lens in LED lamps in real life conditions.

In this investigation, the degradation mechanisms of Bisphenol A Polycarbonate (BPA–PC) plates under blue light radiation are studied. The BPA–PC plates are used both in light conversion carriers in LED modules and encapsulantes in LED packages. Optical degradation of the products is mainly due to the degradation of BPA–PC encapsulants under blue light radiation. In this study, BPA–PC plates are irradiated with blue light at elevated temperature of 140 °C for a period up to 1920 h. Optical and chemical properties of the photo-aged plates were studied using UV–Vis spectrophotometer, FTIR-ATR spectrometer, integrated sphere, and Lambda 950 spectrophotometer. The results show that increasing the exposure time leads to the discoloration, loss of optical properties, decrease of light transmission, decrease in the relative radiant power value, and increase in the yellowing index (YI) of BPA–PC plates. The results also show that there are two stages in the yellowing of polycarbonate plates. The first stage is the so-called induction period in which there is no major change in the value of YI and the rate of yellowing is very slow. This stage takes until 500 h, followed by the second yellowing regime, where the yellowing is accelerated and the rate of yellowing is comparatively faster. Both photo-Fries and photo-oxidation products are identified as the mechanisms of photo-degradation, with photo-Fries predominating as ageing time increases.

This article presents a smart composite that shows a reversible bending deformation from an initial flat configuration into a 90° angle controlled by local thermal activation. The novelty lies within the structural fixation of the deformation at room temperature without continuous energy input. The new structural architecture of antagonistic performing shape memory alloy actuators embedded in a shape memory polymer matrix is presented. The shape memory polymer is locally heated from the rigid glassy state to the easily deformable rubbery state by integrated heating wires. By subsequent activation of the different shape memory alloy actuators by resistive heating, the reversible performance can be realized. By deactivation of the heating wires in the shape memory polymer, the shape memory polymer fixates the deformation in its rigid condition. The actuation characteristics of the smart composite are investigated by thermo-mechanical experiments. The performance of the smart composite was investigated by thermo-mechanical experimentation of the individual components. The results show that a 90° bending deformation is feasible with the current material dimensions, but repeated deformation is restricted due to fatigue of the alloy. By superposition of the bending forces of the individual components, it is possible to estimate the bending angle of the composite material.

Introduction Anxiety is a core feature of schizophrenia and the creation of a non-threatening atmosphere is essential in acute psychiatric therapy. Domesticated dogs provide feelings of safety, well-being and comfort. Several authors hypothesized that dogs decrease stress and anxiety. Materials and methods In this pre- and post-treatment controlled crossover study, we measured state anxiety with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in 14 acute schizophrenic patients. Result STAI was reduced after an interview with the presence of friendly dogs when compared to the control interview situation ( F = 106.19; df = 1; p Conclusion This finding suggests that the assistance of dogs reduces anxiety in a clinically relevant dimension in acute schizophrenic patients.

We present a time-dependent numerical model for corrosion in microelectronics, focusing on aluminum bondpads, which can be very beneficial for the design as well as the interpretation of reliability data of microelectronics. The model includes charge transport through the polymer microelectronics encapsulant as well as the formation of layers of space charge at all polymer interfaces, which strongly influences the electrochemical charge transfer rate at the polymer–metal interfaces via the generalized Frumkin–Butler–Volmer equation. The system we consider consists of two parallel gold bondwires that are each electrically connected to two aluminum bondpads, which are assumed to contain weak spots in the protective native oxide layer, i.e. pits. This system is encapsulated in an epoxy molding compound, which is the usual low-conductive, and slightly hydrophilic, microelectronic encapsulant. We assume that a cathodic reaction takes place at the gold wires, and an anodic reaction at the weak spots of the aluminum bondpads. Furthermore, we assume the presence of a large excess of inert supporting salt compared to the reactive hydroxyl ions. Numerical calculations were made in a two-dimensional geometry as function of the applied voltage difference between the two wires, the concentration of absorbed moisture in the encapsulation, and the ambient temperature. We show that the model results predict trends similar to the empirical industrial standards for failure of microelectronic products due to corrosion.

For the purpose of rapidly identifying the functional weak points of SiP products and defining appropriate design rules, a new methodology is proposed to achieve fast reliability qualification. This new methodology is based on the moisture absorption behavior along the critical interface of a SiP carrier and on the most sensitive zone to delamination of the SiP carrier, determined by simulation and experimentally checked. In this paper, a new accelerated preconditioning is proposed and a new non destructive thermal method to monitor the delamination is presented. The effectiveness of this new stress test to accelerate the failure mechanism of the SiP carrier and the ability to detect delamination are evaluated by performing a DOE.

In this paper we determined the water uptake of a die attach and a molding compound. The two types of polymer which were selected are a die attach filled with silver particles and an epoxy molding compound filled with silica particles. The water absorption is carried out in an adjustable thermal and humidity chamber, SGA-100, at different temperatures and humidity levels. Moisture absorption equilibrium of test data were obtained by experiment. The moisture absorption equilibrium prediction equation was modeled by using the extrapolated experimental data. Diffusion coefficients at different temperature were obtained from the moisture absorption experiments.

The principle of interval mapping for quantitative trait loci (QTL) was originally developed for the analysis of single backcross data but it has been increasingly applied to more complicated experimental designs and data structures. It is important to study whether accounting for the heterogeneity of variance would improve the precision of QTL mapping based on data of multiple populations or families. This study compared homogeneous and heterogeneous maximum likelihood approaches for QTL mapping. The data consisted of 433 sons from six sire families with 69 microsatellite markers distributed over 12 chromosomes. The results of this study indicate that the heterogeneous approach generally produced a smaller residual variance and thus provided a better fit to the data than the homogeneous approach, meaning that the heterogeneous approach offers better precision in estimating both positions and effects of QTL. The results further showed that accounting for the heterogeneity of residual variance led to different statistical inferences from ignoring the heterogeneity of variance in QTL mapping. The heterogeneous approach is useful for QTL mapping based on the joint data of diverse reference populations or heteroscedastic data obtained from crossing animals with different genetic backgrounds.

Warpage is a critical issue for QFN array molding process. In this paper, a cure-dependent viscoelastic constitutive model is established to model the cure-induced warpage in array molding process. For the relaxation modulus functions of the packaging polymer, the equilibrium moduli are modeled with a model based on scaling analysis and the relaxation behavior of the transient part is described by the cure-dependent relaxation amplitude and reduced relaxation times which are based on the time-conversion superposition principle. The cure-dependent parameters are characterized by using an integrated approach of dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Finite element modeling is carried out for three configurations of a carrier package map mould and the warpage induced during the curing process and cooling down is predicted. The results show that warpage induced during the curing process has significant contribution on the total warpage of the map.

Among various materials, polymers are widely used in microelectronics as different product constituents, such as encapsulants, conductive or non-conductive adhesives, underfills, molding compounds, insulators, dielectrics, and coatings. The behavior of these polymer constituents determines the performance, such as functionality and reliability, of the final products. Therefore, the successful development of microelectronics depends on, to some extent, the optimal design and processing of polymer materials. Due to the development trends of microelectronics, characterized mainly by ongoing miniaturization down to the nano scale, technology and functionality integration, eco-designing, shorter-time-to-market, development and application of polymers become one of the bottlenecks for microelectronic industry. Aiming at optimizing the product/process development, we have been spending a lot of effort to understand and design polymer behavior in microelectronics, such as material pre-selection, processing, characterization and modeling. Although these efforts are necessary, the ultimate benefits can only be realized if the relationship between chemistry and the behavior can be understood and predicted. This paper presents some results of our effort to establish the links between chemical details of the polymers and microelectronics reliability.

SummaryAcute renal failure, a serious condition characterised by a drastic decline in renal function, often follows ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) episodes. I/R is characterised by necrosis, inflammation and activation of coagulation, in concert causing renal tissue damage. In this context, activated protein C (APC) might be of importance in the pathogenesis of renal I/R. APC is a serine protease which has anticoagulant but also several anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects such as protection of endothelial barrier function. It was our objective to study the role of cytoprotective and anticoagulant functions of APC during renal I/R. C57BL/6j mice subjected to renal I/R were treated with intraperitoneally injected exogenous human APC, or two mutant forms of APC(200 µg/kg) which specifically lack anticoagulant or signalling properties. In a different experiment mice received specific monoclonal antibodies (20 mg/kg) that block the cytoprotective and/or anticoagulant properties of endogenous APC. Treatment with APC reduced tubular injury and enhanced renal function without altering the inflammatory response and did reduce renal fibrin deposition. Administration of APC mutant lacking anticoagulant properties reduced renal damage and enhanced renal function. Blocking the anticoagulant and cytoprotective functions of endogenous APC resulted in elevated tubular damage and reduced tubular cell proliferation, however, without influencing renal function or the inflammatory response. Furthermore, blocking both the anticoagulant and cytoprotective effects of APC resulted in dramatic renal interstitial haemorrhage, indicative of impaired vascular integrity. Blocking only the anticoagulant function of APC did not result in interstitial bleeding. In conclusion, the renoprotective effect of APC during I/R is independent of its anticoagulant properties.

In microelectronic industry, thin polymer layers are one of the more commonly used product constituents. Examples are glue layers, coatings, and dielectric layers. The thicknesses of these films vary from a few tens of nanometers to over a hundred micrometers. Since at film thicknesses below 100nm the thermal and mechanical properties start to deviate from those in the bulk, adequate characterization techniques are required. In the present paper we will report the results of an extensive literature search on the state-of-the-art of thermo-mechanical thin film characterization methods, such as the substrate curvature test, nanoindentation technique, bulge test, and impulsive stimulated thermal scattering.

Continuous measurement of lactate is potentially useful for detecting physical exhaustion and for monitoring critical care conditions characterized by hypoperfusion, such as heart failure. In some conditions, it may be desirable to monitor more than one metabolic parameter concurrently. For this reason, we designed and fabricated twisted wire-based microelectrodes that can measure both lactate and glucose. These dual-analyte sensors were characterized in vitro by measuring their response to the analyte of interest and to assess whether they were susceptible to interference from the other analyte. When measured in stirred aqueous buffer, lactate sensors detected a very small amount of crosstalk from glucose in vitro, although this signal was less than 3% of the response to lactate. Glucose sensors did not detect crosstalk from lactate. Sensors were implanted subcutaneously in rats and tested during infusions of lactate and glucose. Each sensing electrode responded rapidly to changes in its analyte concentration, and there was no evidence of in vivo crosstalk. This study constitutes proof of the concept that oxidase-based, amperometric wire microsensors can detect changes in glucose and lactate during subcutaneous implantation in rats.

To establish the effect of three frequently used chemotherapeutic agents in childhood cancer on the skeleton, growing male Wistar rats were studied. Treatment with doxorubicin, methotrexate, and cisplatin reduces the proximal tibial growth plate shear strength because of a decreased surface area and maximum shear stress. After treatment the bone fracture risk of the tibia and femur is increased because of decreased bending resistance. Doxorubicin and cisplatin reduce the maximum shear stress of the proximal tibial growth plate, none of the chemotherapeutic agents inhibit bone mineralization. These effects are caused by treatment-induced malnutrition and the accompanying weight reduction and a direct effect of the chemotherapeutic agents on the skeleton. The current study confirmed the importance of preventing malnutrition during chemotherapeutic treatment in view of possible skeletal complications. During followup of children treated with chemotherapy, attention should be given to signs and symptoms suggestive of such complications.

Microelectronic devices integrate more and more diverse materials in order to miniaturize the packages. Epoxy resins enable smaller electronic devices with promising features [1]. The performance and the reliability of the product are highly dependent on the material behavior of the components and on their interaction under different loading situation.

Thermoset-based adhesives are used as thermal and electrical interfaces. These adhesives are filled with different particles in order to meet heat transfer and electrical properties. In automotive applications, they are required to have excellent adhesion since delamination may precipitate other electrical, thermal or mechanical failure mechanisms. A vast amount of literature is available on the investigation of solder die-attach reliability where lap shear experiments are frequently used in microelectronics industry. Both environmental and performance requirements resulted in replacing solder die-attach with lead-free alternatives like electronically conductive adhesives. However, only very few studies so far focus on fundamental understanding of fatigue degradation of these materials. The present paper addresses the above issue. To authors' best knowledge; it is the first time that in lap shear testing of adhesives, the specimens are obtained directly from production line and tested for their fatigue behavior. Authors present a novel, 28 mm long lap shear sample which is made by identical fabrication processes as in the microelectronic component. Thin quad flat packages (TQFP) are inspected with scanning acoustic microscope for possible initial defects right after the production. A cutting process, using a dicing saw, is developed to produce lap shear samples from the packages. The cut samples are investigated by optical and scanning acoustic microscope to improve cutting and test results. Mechanical response of the electrically conductive adhesive is investigated under cyclic loading conditions at 25°C and 100°C for different stress ratios and frequencies. Finally, the stiffness degradation during testing is analyzed and the crosssections of the samples are examined on bulk cracking. The presented method can be used to test different adhesives under production conditions in a fast manner which will decrease product development time and the dependence on time-consuming temperature cycle tests.

This article describes the work that is currently being carried out by the Technical Sub-Working Group of ISO/TC23/SC19/WG3 on the definition of an extended standard for advanced transponders. This extended standard will be a logical continuation of the existing International Standardization Organization (ISO) 1996a, 11784 and 1996b, ISO 11785, an International Standard on Radio Frequency Identification of Animals (RFID) transponders. A number of transponder types and authentication methods which will be included in the extended standard are discussed, together with the solutions for the communication protocols which will be needed.