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Background Adherence to asthma treatment among children is usually poor. We sought to explore whether electronic adherence monitoring combined with weekly feedback regarding adherence along with a reminder to use inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) would lead to improved compliance with ICS in infants and younger children with asthma. Methods 96 recruited children (aged 6 months to 3 years) with mild or moderate persistent asthma who were on regular inhaled corticosteroids were randomly allocated to receive electronic monitoring combined with instant messaging software (IMS)-based weekly feedback regarding adherence along with a reminder to keep taking the ICS (intervention group) and to receive electronic monitoring only (control group). Results The mean device-monitored adherence was significantly higher in the intervention group (80%) than in the control group (45.9%), with a difference of 34.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 26.8–41.3%; P P = 0.452). Conclusions Electronic monitoring combined with IMS-based weekly feedback regarding adherence along with a reminder to keep taking the ICS significantly improved the treatment compliance of infants and younger children with asthma. Caregiver-reported adherence is an unreliable monitoring indicator. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03277664. Registered 11 September 2017—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT03277664

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is a two-dimensional material, which is attracting increasing attention due to its special properties. It can be obtained by laser or ion beam irradiations of pristine ...

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of the blue-light filtering ‘Night Shift’ function on the Apple iPad at night and leptin production, perceived hunger levels and markers of sleep quality and quantity in healthy young adults. In a randomised, crossover design, 13 young adults (6 male/7 female) performed three experimental trials. Two of the interventions included one hour of night-time electronic device use; reading on an iPad ~30 cm from eyes, either with (iPad+NS) or without (iPad) the ‘Night Shift’ blue-light filtering feature turned on. The control trial involved reading a hard-copy book for one hour (CON). Leptin and perceived hunger and tiredness levels were assessed at various time points for the three experimental conditions. Objective sleep indices (actigraphy) and subjective ratings of sleep were recorded. There were no significant interactions for any of the measured variables (p > 0.05). Small to moderate effect sizes were found for perceived sleep quality, with CON (7.3 ± 1.7) having the highest value when compared to iPad+NS (6.6 ± 1.8, d = 0.29) and iPad (5.6 ± 2.3, d = 0.66). Moderate effects were associated with iPad+NS when compared to iPad (d = 0.77) and for iPad compared to CON (d = 0.90) for pre-post change in leptin concentration. Use of electronic devices at night may result in moderate suppression of leptin levels and impaired sleep quality, with negligible differences associated with whether or not the ‘Night Shift’ feature is turned on.

The use of data driven techniques is popular in smart manufacturing. Machine learning, statistics or a combination of both have been used to improve processes in electronic manufacturing. This paper presents the application of classical techniques to reduce production cycle time by compacting a production test sequence. This set of tests is run on stop-on-fail scenario for quality assurance of an electronical device. Data generated in the production test-set on stop-on-fail scenario challenges the traditional application of the data driven techniques, because of the missing data characteristic. The developed computational procedures handle this application-specific data attribute. The novelty of this work is in the algorithm developed, which applies classical techniques in an iterative environment, as a strategy to analyse incomplete datasets. Results show that the method can reduce a production test set with parametric and non-parametric tests by building an accurate prognostic model. The results can reduce production cycle time and costs. The paper details and provides discussions on the advantages and limitations of the proposed algorithms.

With the development of microelectronic devices having miniaturized and integrated electronic components, an efficient thermal management system with lightweight materials, which have outstanding thermal conductivity and processability, is becoming increasingly important. Recently, the use of polymer-based thermal management systems has attracted much interest due to the intrinsic excellent properties of the polymer, such as the high flexibility, low cost, electrical insulation, and excellent processability. However, most polymers possess low thermal conductivity, which limits the thermal management applications of them. To address the low thermal conduction of the polymer materials, many kinds of thermally conductive fillers have been studied, and the carbon-based polymer composite is regarded as one of the most promising materials for the thermal management of the electric and electronic devices. In addition, the next generation electronic devices require composite materials with various additional functions such as flexibility, low density, electrical insulation, and oriented heat conduction, as well as ultrahigh thermal conductivity. In this review, we introduce the latest papers on thermally conductive polymer composites based on carbon fillers with sophisticated structures to meet the above requirements. The topic of this review paper consists of the following four contents. First, we introduce the design of a continuous three-dimensional network structure of carbon fillers to reduce the thermal resistance between the filler–matrix interface and individual filler particles. Second, we discuss various methods of suppressing the electrical conductivity of carbon fillers in order to manufacture the polymer composites that meet both the electrical insulation and thermal conductivity. Third, we describe a strategy for the vertical alignment of carbon fillers to improve the through-plane thermal conductivity of the polymer composite. Finally, we briefly mention the durability of the thermal conductivity performance of the carbon-based composites. This review presents key technologies for a thermal management system of next-generation electronic devices.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the television (TV) viewing and computer and mobile phone usage duration in a community sample of Chinese adults and examine their associations with BMI and obesity.Methods: We conducted a community-based health needs assessment study from February to December 2018 among 2,873 Chinese adults in Nanshan District of Shenzhen, China. We used self-administered questionnaires to collect the data from 24 community health service centers in Nanshan District. The participants individually recorded the time they spent watching TV and using computers and mobile phones. They also answered questions about their sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. We measured their height and weight by using ultrasonic height and weight scales. Then, we calculated and categorized their BMI in accordance with the standards prescribed by the World Health Organization for Asians.Results: Most of the participants were young adults (aged 18–44 years, 74.2%). The overall prevalence of obesity was 15.30%. The prevalence of TV, computer, and mobile phone usage was 75.5, 71.2, and 93.8% in females and 71.1, 75.7, and 94.2% in males, respectively. The youth (18–24 years) and the elderly (65 years or older) had the longest time using mobile phones (3.78 ± 2.51 h) and watching TV programs (2.12 ± 1.38 h), respectively. Longer usage of computers and mobile phones was evident in males (p < 0.05) and participants with a high education level (p < 0.01). The univariate analysis results showed an association between high BMI and obesity and short duration of using computers and mobile phones (all p < 0.05). By contrast, no significant associations were found between the length of TV program viewing and mobile phone usage and BMI (p > 0.05). After we adjusted for potential confounders, we found that computer usage time and the overall usage time of the three electronic devices had an inverse association with BMI (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Mobile phones were the most popular electronic device in Nanshan residents of Shenzhen. Unlike most previous studies, we found an inverse association between screen time and BMI. Nevertheless, scholars should conduct further studies to explore this association. Overall, we strongly encourage the appropriate use of electronic devices.

CEL/TEZA: Upowszechnienie technologii informacyjno-komunikacyjnych, czego odzwierciedleniem jest rosnąca dostępność tekstów w cyfrowej formie, jak i urządzeń umożliwiających ich odbiór (laptopów, tabletów, smartfonów), skłania do objęcia badaniami zachowań czytelniczych w kontekście rosnącej popularności e-tekstów i ich nośników. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie wyników badań percepcji i recepcji tekstu czytanego w wersji drukowanej oraz elektronicznej. Autorzy odpowiadają na pytanie badawcze, czy nośnik tekstu wpływa na percepcję tekstu. KONCEPCJA/METODY BADAŃ: Przeprowadzono eksperyment wśród studentów, których zadaniem było przeczytanie tekstu i udzielenie odpowiedzi na pytania związane z jego treścią. Studenci zostali podzielni na cztery grupy: osoby czytające tekst z kartki A4, z 14-calowego laptopa, 6-calowego czytnika e‑booków oraz 5-calowego telefonu komórkowego. WYNIKI I WNIOSKI: Uzyskane wyniki dały podstawy, aby stwierdzić, że nośnik tekstu nie wpływa na sposób percepcji czytanej za jego pośrednictwem treści. ZASTOSOWANIE PRAKTYCZNE: Rezultaty badań mogą być wykorzystane w metodyce pracy nauczycieli akademickich. ORYGINALNOŚĆ/WARTOŚĆ POZNAWCZA: Innowacyjnością podejścia w badaniach zaprezentowanych w artykule jest zastosowanie eksperymentu w celu zebrania materiału poddanego następnie komparatystycznej analizie i interpretacji. W polskojęzycznej literaturze dotyczącej zagadnień recepcji tekstu takie podejście występuje rzadko.

The methodology, developed for active testing of electronic devices under the radiations, is presented. The test set-up includes a gamma-ray facility, the hardware board/fixtures and the software tools purposely designed and realized. The methodology is so wide-ranging to allow us the verification of different classes of electronic devices, even if only application examples for static random access memory modules are reported.

The environmental monitoring in animal facilities that includes collected data storage in a robust, practical and feasible way is a constant challenge. The aim of this study was to develop a reliable data logger for monitoring the air temperature and air relative humidity of aviaries and to assess the adequacy of the design using commercially available reference standard instruments. The experimental data logger was installed together with a commercial data logger, a mercury thermometer and a calibrated Vaisala HMP110 air relative humidity probe in a meteorological shelter. Linear regression analysis was performed with the collected air temperature and air relative humidity to develop calibration equations. The Nash-Sutcliffe Index and the relative error were calculated to validate the experimental data logger. The air temperature and the air relative humidity calibration equations presented Nash-Sutcliffe of 0.993 and -0.281 for the commercial data logger, and 0.913 and 0.932 for the experimental data. The mean relative error of the air temperature readings was 3 and 1% and for air relative humidity 5 and 20%, for the experimental and commercial logger, respectively. The experimental data logger reliably stored all collected data without error to the micro-SD card. The experimental data logger can be considered low-cost and sufficiently accurate for monitoring air temperature and air relative humidity in aviaries, presenting field performance very close to the commercial data logger for air temperature measurement, and better performance than the commercial data logger for the measurement of air relative humidity. RESUMO O monitoramento ambiental em instalações animais, que inclui o armazenamento de dados coletados de forma robusta, prática e viável, é um desafio constante. O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver um data logger confiável para monitorar a temperatura e umidade relativa do ar dos aviários e avaliar a adequação do projeto usando instrumentos padrão de referência comercialmente disponíveis. O data logger experimental foi instalado junto com um data logger comercial, um termômetro de mercúrio e uma sonda de umidade relativa do ar calibrada Vaisala HMP110 em um abrigo meteorológico. A análise de regressão linear foi realizada com a temperatura e a umidade relativa do ar coletadas, para desenvolver equações de calibração. O índice Nash-Sutcliffe e o erro relativo foram calculados para validar o data logger experimental. As equações de calibração de temperatura do ar e de umidade relativa do ar apresentaram Nash-Sutcliffe de 0,993 e -0,281 para o data logger comercial e, 0,913 e 0,932 para o data logger experimental. O erro relativo médio das leituras de temperatura do ar foi de 3 e 1% e da umidade relativa do ar 5 e 20%, para o data logger experimental e comercial, respectivamente. O data logger experimental armazenou de forma confiável todos os dados coletados, sem erro, no cartão micro-SD. O data logger experimental pode ser considerado de baixo custo e suficientemente preciso para monitoramento da temperatura do ar e da umidade relativa do ar em aviários, apresentando desempenho de campo muito próximo ao data logger comercial para medição da temperatura do ar e melhor desempenho que o data logger comercial para medição da umidade relativa do ar.

Background Non-adherence to r-hGH treatments occurs in a variable percentage of subjects. One problem found when evaluating adherence is the great variability in methods of detection and definitions utilized in studies. This study assessed the level of adherence in subjects receiving r-hGH with the easypod™ electronic device. Methods National, multicenter, prospective and observational study involving 238 subjects (144 with GH deficiency (GHD), and 86 with small for gestational age (SGA), 8 with Turner Syndrome), who received r-hGH with easypod™ for at least 3 months before inclusion. The follow-up period was 4 years. Results Overall adherence was 94.5%; 97.5% after 6 months, 95.3% after 1 year, 93.7% after 2, 94.4% after 3 and 95.5% after 4 years of treatment. No differences in adherence were observed between prepubertal and pubertal groups and GHD and SGA groups. Change in height after 1 and 2 years, change in height SDS after 1 and 2 years, HV after 1 year, HV SDS after at 1 and 4 years, change in BMI after 1 year and change in BMI SDS at 1 and 2 years showed significant correlation with adherence. No significant differences in adherence according to IGF-I levels were found in follow-up visits or between groups. Conclusions The easypod™ electronic device, apart from being a precise and objective measure of adherence to r-hGH treatment, allows high compliance rates to be achieved over long periods of time. Adherence significantly impacts growth outcomes associated with r-hGH treatment.

Thermal Fatigue of flip chip component solder joints is widely existing in thermal energy systems, which imposes a great challenge to operational safety. In order to investigate the influential factors, this paper develops a model to analyze thermal fatigue, based on the Darveaux energy method. Under cyclic thermal loading, a theoretical heat transfer and thermal stress model is developed for the flip chip components and the thermal fatigue lives of flip chip component solder joints are analyzed. The model based simulation results show the effects of environmental and power parameters on thermal fatigue life. It is indicated that under cyclic thermal loading, the solder joint with the shortest life in a package of flip chip components is located at the outer corner point of the array. Increment in either power density or ambient temperature or the decrease in either power conversion time or ambient pressure will result in short thermal fatigue lives of the key solder joints in the flip chip components. In addition, thermal fatigue life is more sensitive to power density and ambient temperature than to power conversion time and ambient air pressure.

Tension Type Headache (TTH) are one of the most common form of primary headache. The presence of headache reported in 80.6% of teenager within age range 14 to 19, with 17.9% in the form of TTH. Easy access to electronic cause worry over its effect on teenager health. Association has been shown between use of telephone and health problems, where 21.65% of subjects reported headache. This research meant to evaluate whether use of electronic device, specifically smartphone within period of time associated with incidence of TTH on teenager. Length of use defined as less or same as 3 hour, and more than 3 hour. This cross-sectional analytic research conducted to whole second year students of National High School 1 Denpasar in form of survey in July 2018. From 129 subjects that responded, 8 subject filled the exclusion criteria, while 22 subjects excluded for filling incorrect or incomplete answer, leaving 99 subjects that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Subjects age range from 15 to 17 years with standard deviation 0.426. 19 subjects (19.2%) reported TTH. 80 subjects (80.8%) admitted for using smartphone over 3 hour a day. There is no significant association between length of use of electronic device and TTH (Chi-square 2.326, p=0.127; OR 2.38; 95% CI 0.72-7.4).

Lightning and lightning induced effects have significant influence on many aspects affecting the public, which makes the research of lightning and lightning protection very important. However, due to the strong randomness and complex discharge mechanisms of lightning, the understanding of lightning is still far from satisfactory. On the basis of the International Conference on Lightning Protection 2014, this study gives a review of recent progress on lightning and lightning protection research covering the following aspects: lightning locating and observation, lightning physics, lightning electromagnetic transients, and lightning protection for various systems. The goals of this study are to give readers an overall introduction to the recent progress in lightning and lightning protection research, and to motivate them to conduct further studies to address the unsolved problems in lightning-related research.

Background No study has comprehensively investigated the association between the usage of typical screen-based electronic media devices and sleep quality in a Chinese population with individuals in a wide range of ages. Objective This study aimed to understand the characteristics of television (TV) viewing, computer usage, and mobile phone usage in a representative Chinese population in Macau and to examine their roles in predicting the variations in sleep quality. Methods This cross-sectional study was an analysis of 1500 Macau residents aged 15 to 90 years based on a community-based health needs assessment study entitled, “Healthy Living, Longer Lives.” Data collection was conducted in 7 districts of Macau from 2017 to 2018 through face-to-face interviews. The durations of daily TV viewing, computer usage, and mobile phone usage were recorded in a self-administered questionnaire. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess the sleep quality. Results The prevalence of TV, computer, and mobile phone usage was 78.4% (1176/1500), 51.6% (769/1490), and 85.5% (1276/1492), respectively. The average daily hours of usage were 1.75 (1.62), 1.53 (2.26), and 2.85 (2.47) hours, respectively. Females spent more time watching TV (P=.03) and using mobile phones (P=.02) and less time on the computer (P=.04) as compared to males. Older adults were more likely to watch TV while young people spent more time using the computer and mobile phones (P for all trends5), respectively. Conclusions The mobile phone was the most popular screen-based electronic device used in the Macau population, especially among young people. “J” shape associations were observed between sleep quality and the duration of TV viewing, computer usage, and mobile phone usage, indicating that the extreme use of screen-based electronic devices predicted poorer sleep status, whereas moderate use would be acceptable.

Hybrid thermionic-photovoltaic (TIPV) converters are efficient and clean solutions for the direct conversion of thermal energy to electricity, taking advantage of both the photovoltaic and thermionic phenomena. An important hurdle for their efficient operation is the overheating of the PV cell integrated within the TIPV anode, due to partial conversion of the emitted electron and photon fluxes to thermal heat. This obstacle needs to be overcome with an efficient, yet practical, cooler. In this work, a copper plate heat spreader is experimentally tested for TIPV cathode temperatures up to 1450 degrees C, whilst its performance is also assessed using a validated CFD model for temperatures up to similar to 2000 degrees C. A multi-parametric analysis is conducted testing two coolants: i) a water/ethylene glycol mixture at various temperatures (-5-40 degrees C) and mass flow rates (0.05-0.4 kg.s(-1)), and, ii) cryogenic liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 degrees C and mass flow rate of 0.074 kg.s(-1). Numerical results reveal that with water/ethylene mixture the PV can withstand heat fluxes up to 360 W.cm(-2), without its temperature exceeding 100 degrees C. For higher thermal fluxes (360-600 W.cm(-2)), cryogenic liquid nitrogen is found to prevent the PV overheating and, therefore, is an attractive coolant; however, it poses safety concerns due to its possible boiling. Finally, two additional cooling system designs are proposed, a heat sink with straight fins and another with copper pipes, which offer higher heat transfer areas, but are more difficult to manufacture, than the copper plate heat spreader.

In order to protect electronic systems against the effects of transient electromagnetic interferences, shields made of electrically conductive material can be used. The subject of this paper is an electrically conductive textile. When applying the shield, a reliable measure is needed in order to determine the effectiveness of the shield to protect against electromagnetic pulses. For this purpose, a time domain measurement technique is presented using double exponential pulses. With these pulses, the susceptibility of an operating electronic device with and without the shield is determined. As a criterion of quality of a shield, the breakdown failure rate found in both cases is compared.

A simple but dependable electronic device, Con-Dis, has been developed to gain reliable information on elderly persons’ perceptions of their well-being. The device has been tested and proven to be technically functional and dependable. It was tested in two care homes for the elderly and two private homes to evaluate whether it provided reliable information about the service quality. This report illustrates the practical usage of the device and shows its efficiency in gathering reliable service quality information from the focus group. The results suggest that Con-Dis is suitable for measuring the perceived service quality and seems to reduce the risk of too-positive evaluations.

The chainsaw is a portable machine used for multi-purpose operations and can be used by professional and non-professional workers. Forestry and related tree operations represent one of the most hazardous working sectors of human activity. At the moment operations with chainsaws are conducted by all persons and are not solely restricted to professional lumberjacks. Serious or lethal lesions, due to the use of manual or electric chainsaws, are often encountered by emergency doctors or forensic pathologists. Such serious accidents often occur during occupational activities and are essentially due to kickback, uncorrected use of the tool and in case of lost implement control due to falling or slipping of the operator. We developed and adopted an innovative safety device able to stop an electric chainsaw when needed. The device is based on a Wiimote controller (NintendoTM) which includes two accelerometers and two gyroscopes for detection of rotation and inclination. A Bluetooth wireless technology is used to transfer data to a portable computer. Collected data about linear and angular acceleration are filtered by an algorithm based on the Euclid norm which differentiates between normal and dangerous chainsaw movements. The results showed a good response of the safety device which sent an alarm signal when a dangerous situation occurred in order to stop the cutting chain. The device demonstrated correct behavior in all tested dangerous situations. We encourage extending its use to chainsaws with combustion engine, as well as to other portable equipment used in agriculture and forestry operations. For these applications the safety device was also patented.

The use of technological devices has widespread around the world. It is known that inappropriate or prolonged use of electronic devices can cause musculoskeletal discomfort or even illness. However, there are not many studies that evaluate the associated risks on the children’s health. This paper describes a pilot ergonomic study for the analysis of the postures of a five-year old girl while using a laptop computer, a tablet, and a smart phone. The analysis was done using the software Delmia to generate 3D models of the child body, that were created based on photographs. We considered five positions: desk sitting, sitting cross legged, lying supine, lying prone and standing. The results suggest that the safest positions are sitting on a desk and standing, and the greatest risk is in the area of necktrunk. However, further investigation is needed to validate the musculoskeletal risks associated to the use of electronic devices by children. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017.

Memristor as a novel and emerging electronic device having vast range of applications suffer from poor frequency response and saturation length. In this paper, the authors present a novel and an innovative device structure for the memristor with two active layers and its non-linear ionic drift model for an improved frequency response and saturation length. The authors investigated and compared the I-V characteristics for the proposed model with the conventional memristors and found better results in each case (different window functions) for the proposed dual sided doped memristor. For circuit level simulation, they developed a SPICE model of the proposed memristor and designed some logic gates based on hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductor memristive logic (memristor ratioed logic). The pro- posed memristor yields improved results in terms of noise margin, delay time and dynamic hazards than that of the conventional memristors (single active layer memristors).

Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) has emerged as a rapidly evolving diagnostic tool for infectious diseases. However, the optimal imaging time in this clinical setting is not clear yet. The aim of this study is to investigate whether delayed (3 hours) FDG PET-CT could increase the diagnostic accuracy of this technique compared to standard (1 hour) imaging in the detection of septic foci involving the pocket and/or pacing leads in patients with suspected cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infection scheduled for device removal.Twenty-seven patients underwent standard and delayed imaging. PET-CT results were compared to bacteriological cultures after CIED removal. Fifteen controls free of infection underwent PET-CT imaging as part of investigation of malignancy. The diagnostic accuracy of delayed imaging was significantly higher than 1-hour scan for lead infection (70% vs 51%, P = .024). No significant difference was found between standard and delayed diagnostic accuracy for pocket or device infection. Semi-quantitative analysis showed that mean pocket and lead target-to-background ratio were significantly higher on delayed compared to standard imaging (3.7 ± 1.9 vs 1.6 ± 1.1, P = .0002; 3.0 ± 1.3 vs 0.7 ± 1.0, P = .01).Delayed FDG PET-CT imaging should be considered at least in patients with negative 1-hour scan and founded suspicion of pacing lead infection.

Organic semiconductor materials have been the center of attention because they are scalable, low-cost for device fabrication, and they have good optical properties and mechanical flexibility, which encourages their research. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) have potential applications, specifically in flexible and low-cost electronics such as portable and wearable technologies. In this work we report the fabrication of an InClPc base flexible bottom-gate/top-contact OFET sandwich, configured by the high-evaporation vacuum technique. The gate substrate consisted of a bilayer poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and indium&ndash, tin oxide (ITO) with nylon 11/Al2O3. The device was characterized by different techniques to determine chemical stability, absorbance, transmittance, bandgap, optical properties, and electrical characteristics in order to determine its structure and operational properties. IR spectroscopy verified that the thin films that integrated the device did not suffer degradation during the deposition process, and there were no impurities that affected the charge mobility in the OFET. Also, the InClPc semiconductor IR fingerprint was present on the deposited device. Surface analysis showed evidence of a nonhomogeneous film and also a cluster deposition process of the InClPc. Using the Tauc model, the device calculated indirect bandgap transitions of approximately 1.67 eV. The device&rsquo, s field effect mobility had a value of 36.2 cm2 V&minus, 1 s&minus, 1, which was superior to mobility values obtained for commonly manufactured OFETs and increased its potential to be used in flexible organic electronics. Also, a subthreshold swing of 80.64 mV/dec was achieved and was adequate for this kind of organic-based semiconductor device. Therefore, semiconductor functionality is maintained at different gate voltages and is transferred accurately to the film, which makes these flexible OFETs a good candidate for electronic applications.

Today, data storage applications rely mainly on two types of materials: chalcogenides for optical storage (e.g. Blu-Ray) and silicon for electronic storage (e.g. Flash memory). While these materials have proven to be the most efficient for widespread applications, both have limitations. Recently, with the rise of graphene, carbon allotropes have been studied both for their intrinsic properties and for applications; graphene and other carbon allotropes have very interesting electronic, thermal and mechanical properties that can make these materials more efficient than either chalcogenides or silicon for certain applications. In this thesis, we study the feasibility and potential of the usage of carbon as a data storage material.Firstly, we focus on developing optical data storage. It is found that both continuous-wave and pulsed lasers can be used to induce reversible phase changes in carbon thin films, thus opening the way toward carbon-based data storage. Along the way, several phenomena are discovered, shown and explained by using advanced characterization techniques and thermal modelling.Secondly, we focus on electronic data storage by developing graphene-based memories that are found to switch reliably between two well-separated resistance states for a large number of cycles. To assess the potential of this new technology, we characterize the switching mechanism and develop an electro-mechanical model enabling to predict the best performances attainable: these memories would potentially be much faster than Flash memories while playing the same role (non-volatile storage).; Aujourd’hui, les applications de stockage de données utilisent principalement deux types de matériaux : les chalcogénures pour le stockage optique (e.g. Blu-Ray) et le silicium pour le stockage électronique (e.g. mémoires Flash). Malgré le fait qu’ils se soient avérés les plus efficaces pour des applications répandues, ces matériaux ont des limitations. Récemment, avec la montée en puissance du graphene, les allotropes du carbone ont été étudiés à la fois pour leurs propriétés intrinsèques et pour des applications ; ils ont des propriétés électroniques, thermiques et mécaniques très intéressantes qui peuvent rendre ces matériaux plus efficaces que les chalcogénures ou le silicium pour certaines applications. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions la faisabilité et le potentiel du carbone comme matériau pour le stockage de données.Nous nous concentrons d’abord sur le développement de stockage optique. Nous découvrons que les lasers continus et pulsés peuvent être utilisés pour induire des changements de phase réversibles dans des couches minces de carbone, confirmant la possibilité d’utiliser le carbone comme un matériau pour le stockage optique. De plus, nous découvrons plusieurs nouveaux phénomènes, que nous expliquons en utilisant des techniques de caractérisation avancées et de la modélisation par ordinateur de la propagation thermique dans le carbone.Ensuite, nous nous concentrons sur le stockage de données électronique en développant des mémoires à base de graphene qui peuvent être dans deux états de résistance bien séparés pour un grand nombre de cycles. Pour évaluer le potentiel de cette technologie, on caractérise le mécanisme de changement de résistance et on développe un modèle électromécanique qui permet de prédire les meilleures performances atteignables : ces mémoires ont le potentiel de commuter bien plus rapidement que les mémoires Flash tout en étant non-volatiles.

Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI) are going to represent the backbone of all the Smart City projects where metering and other public services are supposed to be smart. The scenario proposed b ...

International audience; In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of research on electrical and charge transport properties of spin crossover complexes. This includes both the effect of spin-state switching on the dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity of the material and vice versa the influence of an applied electrical field (or current) on the spin-state of the system. The survey covers different size scales from bulk materials and thin films to nanoparticles and single molecules and embraces the presentation of several device prototypes and hybrid materials as well.

Memory is a prerequisite for many electronic devices. Organic non-volatile memory devices based on ferroelectricity are a promising approach towards the development of a low-cost memory technology based on a simple cross-bar array. In this review article we discuss the latest developments in this area with a focus on the most promising opto-electronic device concept, i.e., bistable rectifying diodes. The integration of these diodes into larger memory arrays is discussed. Through a clever design of the electrodes we demonstrate light emitting diodes with integrated built-in switches that can be applied in signage applications. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

This is a follow-up study to a previous experiment that evaluated the feasibility of a simple monitoring device, Con-Dis, in assessing perceived well-being (PWB) among elderly people. Additionally, in the present study Con-Dis was used at the same time as blood pressure and heart rate monitors and pedometers to see the possible correlation between PWB, blood pressure, heart rate, and time spent on outdoor activity. The Con-Dis device proved technically functional, feasible, and informative throughout the four-week follow-up test period among elderly test subjects. In addition, PWB (measured by Con-Dis) appeared to correlate with mood, QoL, and time spent on outdoor activity.

The World Bank’s Africa region gender innovation lab (GIL) conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) impact evaluation of the women in agribusiness leadership network (WALN), a transformational project implemented in Ethiopia by agricultural cooperative development international (ACDI) and volunteers in overseas cooperative assistance (VOCA), and supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID). WALN, as a project, aims to increase participants’ business skills and self-confidence, enabling them to be community leaders and change makers. WALN also seeks to improve agribusiness outcomes by addressing gender differences in productivity, profitability, participation, and leadership in the sector. The ongoing impact evaluation is assessing the impact of participating in WALN activities on the overall performance of the selected high-potential women leaders in the agribusiness sector. In order to assess and interpret the impact evaluation outcomes, it is important to understand the specific business environment, as well as the needs and constraints faced by local entrepreneurs. Outcome data for this impact evaluation is being collected through survey instruments, administrative data, intensive qualitative interviews, and implicit association tests (IATs).

The breakdown behavior of electronics exposed to single transient electromagnetic pulses is subject of investigations for several years. State-of-the-art pulse generators additionally provide the possibility to generate pulse sequences with variable pulse repetition rate. In this article the influence of this repetition rate variation on the breakdown behavior of electronic systems is described. For this purpose microcontroller systems are examined during line-led exposure to pulses with repetition rates between 1 KHz and 100 KHz. Special attention is given to breakdown thresholds and breakdown probabilities of the electronic devices.

The P -matrix is commonly used to analyse surface acoustic waves (SAW) elements such as the interdigital transducer (IDT) but, when some IDTs are connected through their acoustic ports, their frequency response could be calculated easily in terms of their admittances. Instead of the P -matrix, Y -matrix also allows coupling of the system to another electric or electronic device. Here, the authors present a general method to obtain the Y -matrix (with size N × N) of a SAW device with N electrical terminals connected to N different voltage sources. This method considers the reflections from the edges or any other non-electrical elements that can cause reflections beyond P -matrices. In addition, it has been shown that when there are no reflections and there are two P -matrices, this method converges to well-known previous results. Furthermore, the authors present two cases that could be used to analyse a SAW device: the input admittance and the equivalent P -matrix for a SAW device when a Y -matrix is connected to the electrical port of the SAW device. Also, the authors have calculated the acoustic relations for two SAW devices connected through their electric ports. Furthermore, these methods are exemplified through their application to a SAW system composed of three different IDTs and to an IDT and an inductor connected to its electrical port.

A prospective quasi-experimental study was undertaken in 218 patients with suspicion of nosocomial infection hospitalized in a polyvalent ICU where a new electronic device (GERB) has been designed for antibiotic prescriptions. Two GERB-based applications were developed to provide local resistance maps (LRMs) and preliminary microbiological reports with therapeutic recommendation (PMRTRs). Both applications used the data in the Laboratory Information System of the Microbiology Department to report on the optimal empiric therapeutic option, based on the most likely susceptibility profile of the microorganisms potentially responsible for infection in patients and taking into account the local epidemiology of the hospital department/unit. LRMs were used for antibiotic prescription in 20.2% of the patients and PMRTRs in 78.2%, and active antibiotics against the finally identified bacteria were prescribed in 80.0% of the former group and 82.4% of the latter. When neither LMRs nor PMRTRs were considered for empiric treatment prescription, only around 40% of the antibiotics prescribed were active. Hence, the percentage appropriateness of the empiric antibiotic treatments was significantly higher when LRM or PMRTR guidelines were followed rather than other criteria. LRMs and PMRTRs applications are dynamic, highly accessible, and readily interpreted instruments that contribute to the appropriateness of empiric antibiotic treatments., This study was developed within the Research Project “Análisis de los niveles de antibióticos y su aplicación en las guías electrónicas de resistencias como estrategia para optimizar su uso clínico” (P108/90354) funded by the Carlos III Health Institute of the Spanish Ministry of Health through the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria.

Radio imaging allows to locate and track passive targets (i.e., not carrying electronic device) moving in an area monitored by a dense network of low-power and battery-operated wireless sensors. The technology is promising for a wide number of applications ranging from intrusion detection to emergency and rescue operations in critical areas. In this paper, a new approach is proposed where both the average and the variance of the fluctuations of the received signal strength (RSS) induced by the target movement over the links are jointly and optimally exploited for sensing the target location. A link-layer protocol is developed on top of an existing IEEE 802.15.4 compliant PHY/MAC layer to allow the wireless nodes to cooperatively exchange RSS measurements. A log-normal model is defined to relate these measurements to the target location. Grid-based Bayesian estimation is proposed for real-time mobile positioning. The proposed system is validated by an indoor experimental study that analyzes the problem of model calibration and compares the performance of different localization algorithms.

Silicon membranes are widely used for sensor applications because of their mechanical and electrical properties. Because of the high heat conductance of silicon, they are often required for thermal insulation of sensor devices like gas-sensing elements and electronic circuits. In the present paper a method to improve the thermal insulation of single-crystal silicon membranes is presented. SIMOX technology is employed for the fabrication of silicon membranes with a thickness of 5 μm, where the buried oxide layer is used as a stop for backside etching. This technique allows batch processing and is compatible to a standard CMOS process, so that electronic devices can be placed directly on the membrane. Improvement of the lateral thermal insulation is achieved by etching trenches into the outer region of the silicon membrane and filling them with a thermally grown oxide. For a typical 600 μm×600 μm silicon membrane, the measured thermal resistance amounts to about 200 K/W. By the use of 18 trenches the thermal resistance can be increased to 1700 K/W (960 nm oxide). For comparison, a pure oxide membrane shows a thermal resistance of about 3500 K/W. These experimental data are in good agreement with simulations done by the ANSYS finite-element program.

Spinal cord stimulators (SCS) are a well-recognised treatment modality in the management of a number of chronic neuropathic pain conditions, particularly failed back syndrome and radiculopathies. The implantable pulse generator (IPG) component of the SCS is designed and operates in a similar fashion to that of a cardiac pacemaker. The IPG consists of an electrical generator, lithium battery, transmitter/receiver and a minicomputer. When stimulated, it generates pulsed electrical signals which stimulate the dorsal columns of the spinal cord, thus alleviating pain. Analogous to a cardiac pacemaker, it can be potentially damaged by ionising radiation from a linear accelerator, in patients undergoing radiotherapy. Herein we report our clinical management of the first reported case of a patient requiring adjuvant breast radiotherapy who had a SCS in situ. We also provide useful practical recommendations on the management of this scenario within a radiation oncology department.

Ion electron emission microscopy (IEEM) can provide an alternative approach to microbeams for micrometric characterization of the sensitivity map to single event effects (SEE) of an electronic device. In IEEM technique, a broad (not focused) ion beam is sent onto the device under test (DUT). Secondary electrons emitted by the target surface during each ion impact are collected and focused by a system of electrostatic lenses and finally imaged by a high-rate and high-resolution position detector. We will report on the IEEM working at the SIRAD irradiation facility located at the 15 MV Tandem of INFN Legnaro National Laboratories. To estimate the IEEM resolution, a SDRAM is a good candidate to be used as a reference target, thanks to the micrometric feature size of the array of memory cells and the precise knowledge of their physical locations. Since an electronic device is not a good secondary electrons emitter, to ensure a copious and uniform emission of secondary electrons from the DUT, a very thin (100 nm) self-standing silicon nitride (Si3N4) membrane with a Au deposition (40 nm) is mounted on the top of the SDRAM. The Au/Si3N4 membrane and the underlying SDRAM are irradiated with a heavy ion beam. The physical map of ion impacts detected by the SDRAM is then compared with the one reconstructed by the IEEM in the same 500 ms time interval.

We examined the advantages of embedded systems on cloud computing. Specifically, we left only minimum functions (controller and communication) in the end device while implementing remaining functions (other controller / data processing / storage) into the server on cloud computing. As an experiment, we developed a system capable of recognizing car number plate. Leveraging cloud computing allows us to obtain such benefits as smooth performance, reduced development time, simpler embedded system and potential of functionality and performance that were thought impossible. Through developing the number plate recognition system, we are convinced of realizing such potential.

Many observations in scanning electron microscopy need a very stable beam current. With a field emission gun, the beam current cannot be stabilized by modifying the electrodes bias without defocusing, as it can be done with thermoionic guns. An electronic device has been adapted which permits to remove almost all influence of beam fluctuations on the video signal.

There is increasing interest in the use of soft materials in robotic applications ranging from wearable devices to soft grippers. While soft structures provide a number of favorable properties to robotic systems, sensing of large deformable soft structures is still a considerable challenge; sensors must not inhibit the mechanical properties of the soft body, and the potential infinite degree-of-freedom deformations mean that there is an intrinsically limited resolution of the sensing receptors. An approach to address these challenges using a conductive thermoplastic elastomer is proposed. This allows sensory strain information to be gained from deforming structures without disturbing the dynamics of the system enabling coverage of large soft surfaces. In this article, a theoretical framework is developed, which provides a set of design principles to optimize and characterize sensor implementation, allowing maximum information about location, posture, and shape of the object to be determined. The proposed approach has been tested experimentally for the case study of the universal gripper; investigating how a sensorized gripper can allow a robot to identify grasped objects to enable improved gripping and manipulation performance. © Copyright 2018, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2018.