Microfabricated photoplastic cantilever with integrated photoplastic/carbon based piezoresistive strain sensor

L. Gammelgaard, P. A. Rasmussen, M. Calleja, P. Vettiger, and A. Boisen Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark We present an SU-8 micrometer sized cantilever strain sensor with an integrated piezoresistor made of a conductive composite of SU-8 polymer and carbon black particles. The composite has been developed using ultrasonic mixing. Cleanroom processing of the polymer composite has been investigated and it has been shown that it is possible to pattern the composite by standard UV photolithography. The composite material has been integrated into an SU-8 microcantilever and the polymer composite has been demonstrated to be piezoresistive with gauge factors around 15–20. Since SU-8 is much softer than silicon and the gauge factor of the composite material is relatively high, this polymer based strain sensor is more sensitive than a similar silicon based cantilever sensor.Peer reviewe

Associations between adherence, depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life in young adults with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life shortening disease, however prognosis has improved and the adult population is growing. Most adults with cystic fibrosis live independent lives and balance the demands of work and family life with a significant treatment burden. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among treatment adherence, symptoms of depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population of young adults with CF. METHODS: We administered three standardized questionnaires to 67 patients with CF aged 18–30 years; Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, Major Depression Inventory, and Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised. RESULTS: There was a response rate of 77 % and a majority of the young adults (84 %) were employed or in an education program. Most participants (74 %) reported low adherence to medications. One third (32.8 %) of the participants reported symptoms of depression. HRQoL scores were especially low on Vitality and Treatment Burden, and symptoms of depression were associated with low HRQoL scores (p < 0.01) with medium to large deficits across on all HRQoL domains (Cohen’s d 0.60–1.72) except for the domain treatment burden. High depression symptom scores were associated with low adherence (r = −0.412, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite improved physical health, many patients with CF report poor adherence, as well as impaired mental wellbeing and HRQoL. Thus, more attention to mental health issues is needed

Electronic Processes at the Breakdown of the Quantum Hall Effect

Microscopic processes giving the energy gain and loss of a two-dimensional electron system in long-range potential fluctuations are studied theoretically at the breakdown of the quantum Hall effect in the case of even-integer filling factors. The Coulomb scattering within a broadened Landau level is proposed to give the gain, while the phonon scattering to give the loss. The energy balance equation shows that the electron temperature T_e and the diagonal conductivity sigma_{xx} exhibit a bistability above the lower critical electric field E_{c1}. Calculated values of E_{c1} as well as T_e and sigma_{xx} at E_{c1} are in agreement with the observed values in their orders of magnitude.Comment: 4 pages, 2 Postscript figures, submitted to the Journal of the Physical Society of Japa