Necrotrophism Is a Quorum-Sensing-Regulated Lifestyle in Bacillus thuringiensis

How pathogenic bacteria infect and kill their host is currently widely investigated. In comparison, the fate of pathogens after the death of their host receives less attention. We studied Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) infection of an insect host, and show that NprR, a quorum sensor, is active after death of the insect and allows Bt to survive in the cadavers as vegetative cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that NprR regulates at least 41 genes, including many encoding degradative enzymes or proteins involved in the synthesis of a nonribosomal peptide named kurstakin. These degradative enzymes are essential in vitro to degrade several substrates and are specifically expressed after host death suggesting that Bt has an active necrotrophic lifestyle in the cadaver. We show that kurstakin is essential for Bt survival during necrotrophic development. It is required for swarming mobility and biofilm formation, presumably through a pore forming activity. A nprR deficient mutant does not develop necrotrophically and does not sporulate efficiently in the cadaver. We report that necrotrophism is a highly regulated mechanism essential for the Bt infectious cycle, contributing to spore spreading

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome associated with COVID-19: An Emulated Target Trial Analysis.

RATIONALE: Whether COVID patients may benefit from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) compared with conventional invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the effect of ECMO on 90-Day mortality vs IMV only Methods: Among 4,244 critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 included in a multicenter cohort study, we emulated a target trial comparing the treatment strategies of initiating ECMO vs. no ECMO within 7 days of IMV in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (PaO2/FiO2 <80 or PaCO2 ≥60 mmHg). We controlled for confounding using a multivariable Cox model based on predefined variables. MAIN RESULTS: 1,235 patients met the full eligibility criteria for the emulated trial, among whom 164 patients initiated ECMO. The ECMO strategy had a higher survival probability at Day-7 from the onset of eligibility criteria (87% vs 83%, risk difference: 4%, 95% CI 0;9%) which decreased during follow-up (survival at Day-90: 63% vs 65%, risk difference: -2%, 95% CI -10;5%). However, ECMO was associated with higher survival when performed in high-volume ECMO centers or in regions where a specific ECMO network organization was set up to handle high demand, and when initiated within the first 4 days of MV and in profoundly hypoxemic patients. CONCLUSIONS: In an emulated trial based on a nationwide COVID-19 cohort, we found differential survival over time of an ECMO compared with a no-ECMO strategy. However, ECMO was consistently associated with better outcomes when performed in high-volume centers and in regions with ECMO capacities specifically organized to handle high demand. This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Diamond-based heat spreaders for power electronic packaging applications

As any semiconductor-based devices, power electronic packages are driven by the constant increase of operating speed (higher frequency), integration level (higher power), and decrease in feature size (higher packing density). Although research and innovation efforts have kept these trends continuous for now more than fifty years, the electronic packaging technology is currently facing a challenge that must be addressed in order to move toward any further improvements in terms of performances or miniaturization: thermal management. Thermal issues in high-power packages strongly affect their reliability and lifetime and have now become one of the major limiting factors of power modules development. Thus, there is a strong need for materials that can sustain higher heat flux levels while safely integrating into the electronic package architecture. In such context, diamond is an attractive candidate because of its outstanding thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion, and high electrical resistivity. Its low heat capacity relative to metals such as aluminum or copper makes it however preferable for heat spreading applications (as a heat-spreader) rather than for dissipating the heat flux itself (as a heat sink). In this study, a dual diamond-based heat-spreading solution is proposed. Polycrystalline diamond films were grown through laser-assisted combustion synthesis on electronic substrates (in the U.S) while, in parallel, diamond-reinforced copper-matrix composite films were fabricated through tape casting and hot pressing (in France). These two types of diamond-based heat-spreading films were characterized and their microstructure and chemical composition were related to their thermal performances. Particular emphasize was put on the influence of interfaces on the thermal properties of the materials, either inside a single material (grain boundaries) or between dissimilar materials (film/substrate interface, matrix/reinforcement interface). Finally, the packaging potential of the two heat-spreading solutions invoked was evaluated. This study was carried out within the framework of a French-American collaboration between the Electrical Engineering department of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (United States, U.S.) and the Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry of the University of Bordeaux (France). This study was financed by the Office of Naval Research in the U.S., and by the Région Aquitaine in France

Films diamantés pour applications en packaging électronique de puissance

This PhD work deals with the development of diamond-based heat-spreading films for power electronic packaging applications. In the frame of a French-American dual PhD agreement, a double research approach was adopted. In France, the fabrication of copper-matrix diamond-reinforced composite films through tape casting and hot pressing has been endeavoured. In the US, the efforts were focused on the growth of diamond films through laser-assisted combustion synthesis. In both cases, relationships between the microstructure and the interfaces (scanning and transmission electron microscopy), the chemical composition (Auger, Raman, and XPS spectroscopy), and the thermal properties (flash laser radiometry, infrared photothermal radiometry, dilatometry, thermal cycling) of the final materials were established. Finally, the behaviour of the materials in operating environment was simulated.Ce travail de thèse porte sur le développement de films diamantés pour des applications de dissipation de chaleur dans les circuits électroniques de puissance. Dans le cadre d’un accord de cotutelle franco-américain, une approche duale a été adoptée. En France, la fabrication de films composites à matrice cuivre et renforts diamant par métallurgie des poudres a été privilégiée. Aux Etats-Unis, les efforts se sont concentrés sur la croissance de films de diamant par une méthode de combustion de flamme assistée laser. Dans chacune des approches, les corrélations entre microstructure et interfaces (microscopies à balayage et à transmission), composition chimique (spectroscopies Auger, Raman, XPS), et propriétés thermiques (radiométrie flash laser, radiométrie photothermique infrarouge, dilatométrie, cyclage thermique) ont été établies. Enfin, la simulation du comportement des matériaux en situation de fonctionnement opératoire à été abordée

Diamond-based heat spreaders for power electronic packaging applications

As any semiconductor-based devices, power electronic packages are driven by the constant increase of operating speed (higher frequency), integration level (higher power), and decrease in feature size (higher packing density). Although research and innovation efforts have kept these trends continuous for now more than fifty years, the electronic packaging technology is currently facing a challenge that must be addressed in order to move toward any further improvements in terms of performances or miniaturization: thermal management. Thermal issues in high-power packages strongly affect their reliability and lifetime and have now become one of the major limiting factors of power modules development. Thus, there is a strong need for materials that can sustain higher heat flux levels while safely integrating into the electronic package architecture. In such context, diamond is an attractive candidate because of its outstanding thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion, and high electrical resistivity. Its low heat capacity relative to metals such as aluminum or copper makes it however preferable for heat spreading applications (as a heat-spreader) rather than for dissipating the heat flux itself (as a heat sink). In this study, a dual diamond-based heat-spreading solution is proposed. Polycrystalline diamond films were grown through laser-assisted combustion synthesis on electronic substrates (in the U.S) while, in parallel, diamond-reinforced copper-matrix composite films were fabricated through tape casting and hot pressing (in France). These two types of diamond-based heat-spreading films were characterized and their microstructure and chemical composition were related to their thermal performances. Particular emphasize was put on the influence of interfaces on the thermal properties of the materials, either inside a single material (grain boundaries) or between dissimilar materials (film/substrate interface, matrix/reinforcement interface). Finally, the packaging potential of the two heat-spreading solutions invoked was evaluated. This study was carried out within the framework of a French-American collaboration between the Electrical Engineering department of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (United States, U.S.) and the Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry of the University of Bordeaux (France). This study was financed by the Office of Naval Research in the U.S., and by the Région Aquitaine in France

Diamond-based heat spreaders for power electronic packaging applications

Ce travail de thèse porte sur le développement de films diamantés pour des applications de dissipation de chaleur dans les circuits électroniques de puissance. Dans le cadre d’un accord de cotutelle franco-américain, une approche duale a été adoptée. En France, la fabrication de films composites à matrice cuivre et renforts diamant par métallurgie des poudres a été privilégiée. Aux Etats-Unis, les efforts se sont concentrés sur la croissance de films de diamant par une méthode de combustion de flamme assistée laser. Dans chacune des approches, les corrélations entre microstructure et interfaces (microscopies à balayage et à transmission), composition chimique (spectroscopies Auger, Raman, XPS), et propriétés thermiques (radiométrie flash laser, radiométrie photothermique infrarouge, dilatométrie, cyclage thermique) ont été établies. Enfin, la simulation du comportement des matériaux en situation de fonctionnement opératoire à été abordée.This PhD work deals with the development of diamond-based heat-spreading films for power electronic packaging applications. In the frame of a French-American dual PhD agreement, a double research approach was adopted. In France, the fabrication of copper-matrix diamond-reinforced composite films through tape casting and hot pressing has been endeavoured. In the US, the efforts were focused on the growth of diamond films through laser-assisted combustion synthesis. In both cases, relationships between the microstructure and the interfaces (scanning and transmission electron microscopy), the chemical composition (Auger, Raman, and XPS spectroscopy), and the thermal properties (flash laser radiometry, infrared photothermal radiometry, dilatometry, thermal cycling) of the final materials were established. Finally, the behaviour of the materials in operating environment was simulated

Diamond-based heat spreaders for power electronic packaging applications

Ce travail de thèse porte sur le développement de films diamantés pour des applications de dissipation de chaleur dans les circuits électroniques de puissance. Dans le cadre d’un accord de cotutelle franco-américain, une approche duale a été adoptée. En France, la fabrication de films composites à matrice cuivre et renforts diamant par métallurgie des poudres a été privilégiée. Aux Etats-Unis, les efforts se sont concentrés sur la croissance de films de diamant par une méthode de combustion de flamme assistée laser. Dans chacune des approches, les corrélations entre microstructure et interfaces (microscopies à balayage et à transmission), composition chimique (spectroscopies Auger, Raman, XPS), et propriétés thermiques (radiométrie flash laser, radiométrie photothermique infrarouge, dilatométrie, cyclage thermique) ont été établies. Enfin, la simulation du comportement des matériaux en situation de fonctionnement opératoire à été abordée.This PhD work deals with the development of diamond-based heat-spreading films for power electronic packaging applications. In the frame of a French-American dual PhD agreement, a double research approach was adopted. In France, the fabrication of copper-matrix diamond-reinforced composite films through tape casting and hot pressing has been endeavoured. In the US, the efforts were focused on the growth of diamond films through laser-assisted combustion synthesis. In both cases, relationships between the microstructure and the interfaces (scanning and transmission electron microscopy), the chemical composition (Auger, Raman, and XPS spectroscopy), and the thermal properties (flash laser radiometry, infrared photothermal radiometry, dilatometry, thermal cycling) of the final materials were established. Finally, the behaviour of the materials in operating environment was simulated

Diamond-based heat spreaders for power electronic packaging applications

Ce travail de thèse porte sur le développement de films diamantés pour des applications de dissipation de chaleur dans les circuits électroniques de puissance. Dans le cadre d’un accord de cotutelle franco-américain, une approche duale a été adoptée. En France, la fabrication de films composites à matrice cuivre et renforts diamant par métallurgie des poudres a été privilégiée. Aux Etats-Unis, les efforts se sont concentrés sur la croissance de films de diamant par une méthode de combustion de flamme assistée laser. Dans chacune des approches, les corrélations entre microstructure et interfaces (microscopies à balayage et à transmission), composition chimique (spectroscopies Auger, Raman, XPS), et propriétés thermiques (radiométrie flash laser, radiométrie photothermique infrarouge, dilatométrie, cyclage thermique) ont été établies. Enfin, la simulation du comportement des matériaux en situation de fonctionnement opératoire à été abordée.This PhD work deals with the development of diamond-based heat-spreading films for power electronic packaging applications. In the frame of a French-American dual PhD agreement, a double research approach was adopted. In France, the fabrication of copper-matrix diamond-reinforced composite films through tape casting and hot pressing has been endeavoured. In the US, the efforts were focused on the growth of diamond films through laser-assisted combustion synthesis. In both cases, relationships between the microstructure and the interfaces (scanning and transmission electron microscopy), the chemical composition (Auger, Raman, and XPS spectroscopy), and the thermal properties (flash laser radiometry, infrared photothermal radiometry, dilatometry, thermal cycling) of the final materials were established. Finally, the behaviour of the materials in operating environment was simulated

Innovative process for submicronic Cu particle deposition onto various substrates

The efficiency of composite materials heavily relies on the ability of assembled materials to form strong interfaces, for allowing a good transfer of properties. High chemical affinity between the assembled materials is beneficial to the composite, whereas the assembly of materials with a weak mutual affinity is more difficult. When the interface is known to be non-cohesive, additional elements are commonly used to bond the matrix to the reinforcements. In the case of copper and carbon bonding, boron and chromium layers are frequently used [1], [2] and [3]. These additional bonding layers can, however, affect the properties of the composite, degrading for instance its mechanical or thermal properties. We report here an innovative process enabling the selective deposition of copper nanoparticles on substrates of various types (carbon fibers (CF) or nanofibers (CNF), diamond particles, silicon (Si) wafer, alumina plate) and shapes (1D, 2D, 3D). The deposition process involves a phosphate reagent used to functionalize the substrates. Cu nanoparticles deposit precisely onto the functionalized sites of the substrate and can then be used to bond the matrix to reinforcements with weak chemical affinity, such as copper with carbon fibers or diamond particles, therefore avoiding the use of interlayers which might be detrimental to the assembly properties. From a broader perspective, we anticipate that the method described here could enable the deposition of particles of many materials (Cu, Mn, Ti, Ni) onto substrates of various shapes and dimensions, creating bonding layers between materials of low chemical affinity and making easier their assembly without degrading its properties

Simple fabrication and characterization of discontinuous carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite for lightweight heat sink applications

International audienceThe constant increase in power and heat flux densities encountered in electronic devices fuels a rising demand for lightweight heat sink materials with suitable thermal properties. In this study, discontinuous pitch-based carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix (Al-CF) composites with aluminum-silicon alloy (Al-Si) were fabricated through hot pressing. The small amount of Al-Si contributed to enhance the sintering process in order to achieve fully dense Al-CF composites. A thermal conductivity and CTE of 258 W/(m K) and 7.0 9 10-6 /K in the in-plane direction of the carbon fibers were obtained for a (Al 95 vol% ? Al-Si 5 vol%)-CF 50 vol% composite. Carbon fiber provides the reducing of CTE while the conservation of thermal conductivity and weight of Al. The achieved CTEs satisfy the standard requirements for a heat sink material, which furthermore possess a specific thermal conductivity of 109 W cm 3 /(m K g). This simple process allows the low-cost fabrication of Al-CF composite, which is applicable for a lightweight heat sink material