Integrated capacitors for conductive lithographic film circuits

This paper reports on fabrication of low-value embedded capacitors in conductive lithographic film (CLF) circuit boards. The CLF process is a low-cost and high speed manufacturing technique for flexible circuits and systems. We report on the construction and electrical characteristics of CLF capacitor structures printed onto flexible substrates. These components comprise a single polyester dielectric layer, which separates the printed electrode films. Multilayer circuit boards with printed components and interconnect can be fabricated using this technique

Characterization of lithographically printed resistive strain gauges

This paper reports progress in sensor fabrication by the conductive lithographic film (CLF) printing process. Work describing strain-sensitive structures manufactured using a modified printing process and conductive inks is addressed. The performance of a "single-ink" strain-sensitive structure when printed on six alternative substrates (GlossArt, PolyArt, Teslin, Mylar C, Melinex, and Kapton) is analyzed. Though not intending to compete with conventional gauges in high-tolerance measurement, the structures exhibit properties that indicate suitability for novel applications

Conductive lithographic film fabricated resistive strain gauges

This paper reports progress in sensor fabrication by the conductive lithographic film (CLF) printing process. Work describing strain sensitive structures manufactured using a modified printing process and conductive inks are addressed. The performance of a 'single ink' strain sensitive structure when printed on six alternative polymer substrates (GlossArt, PolyArt, Teslin, Mylar C, Mylar and Kapton) is analysed. Though not intending to compete with conventional gauges in high tolerance measurement, the structures exhibit properties that indicate suitability for novel applications

Via and embedded resistor production in low cost lithographically printed substrates

Lithographic printing of silver based conductive inks to form circuit tracking provides a very low cost, environmentally friendly method of production. It allows circuits with line widths down to 100 μm and a sheet resistance of 0.3 Ω per square to be produced at rates of up to 10000 impressions per hour. The process makes use of low capital cost equipment and has low set up costs. To date, an equally cost effective method of manufacturing vias in these circuits has not been developed. This paper proposes two new techniques for via production which are compatible with the rest of the manufacturing process. In the first technique, suitably profiled holes are laser drilled for subsequent filling as part of the lithographic printing. In the second technique laser energy is used to melt the substrate material so that it is able to mix with the conductive ink and so form a conductive path. The paper describes the proposed production techniques and discusses the factors affecting each method and in particular the substrate properties affecting production. The substrate materials considered in detail are Glossart and Teslin. The optical absorption and ablation characteristics of these materials for excimer and CO2 lasers are reported, as are the thermal diffusivities

Controversies in the management of primary sclerosing cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) remains a rare but significant disease, which affects mainly young males in association with inflammatory bowel disease. There have been few advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of the condition and no therapeutics with proven mortality benefit aside from liver transplantation. There remain areas of controversy in the management of PSC which include the differentiation from other cholangiopathies, in particular immunoglobulin G4 related sclerosing cholangitis, the management of dominant biliary strictures, and the role of ursodeoxycholic acid. In addition, the timing of liver transplantation in PSC remains difficult to predict with standard liver severity scores. In this review, we address these controversies and highlight the latest evidence base in the management of PSC

The combined molecular adjuvant CASAC enhances the CD8+ T cell response to a tumor-associated self-antigen in aged, immunosenescent mice

BACKGROUND: Ineffective induction of T cell mediated immunity in older individuals remains a persistent challenge for vaccine development. Thus, there is a need for more efficient and sophisticated adjuvants that will complement novel vaccine strategies for the elderly. To this end, we have investigated a previously optimized, combined molecular adjuvant, CASAC (Combined Adjuvant for Synergistic Activation of Cellular immunity), incorporating two complementary Toll-like receptor agonists, CpG and polyI:C, a class-II epitope, and interferon (IFN)-γ in aged mice. FINDINGS: In aged mice with typical features of immunosenescence, antigen specific CD8+ T cell responses were stimulated after serial vaccinations with CASAC or Complete/Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA/IFA) and a class I epitope, deriving either from ovalbumin (SIINFEKL, SIL) or the melanoma-associated self-antigen, tyrosinase-related protein-2 (SVYDFFVWL, SVL). Pentamer analysis revealed that aged, CASAC/SIL-vaccinated animals had substantially higher frequencies of H-2K(b)/SIL-specific CD8+ T cells compared to the CFA/IFA-vaccinated groups. Similarly, higher frequencies of H-2K(b)/SVL-pentamer+ and IFN-γ+ CD8+ T cells were detected in the aged, CASAC + SVL-vaccinated mice than in their CFA/IFA-vaccinated counterparts. In both antigen settings, CASAC promoted significantly better functional CD8+ T cell activity. CONCLUSION: These studies demonstrate that functional CD8+ T cells, specific for both foreign and tumour-associated self-antigens, can be effectively induced in aged immunosenescent mice using the novel multi-factorial adjuvant CASAC

Ball pen probe in strongly magnetised RF plasmas

A study of ball pen probes (BPPs) in a rf strongly magnetised plasma is reported for the first time. These probes have been successfully used in fusion plasmas, with magnetic fields up to 2.5 T, to measure the plasma potential. In this paper experimental results of various ball pen designs (2 and 4 mm diameter with flat and conical collectors) are presented up to 0.5 T in a low pressure capacitively coupled rf plasma. A theory of the BPP is developed, showing that the increase of the collector potential and plateau region, with collector retraction, requires the electron current to decrease faster than the ion current. Experimentally, it is found that to develop effective electron screening the electron Larmor radius should be smaller than the tunnel internal diameter. Smaller tunnels improve screening due to the tunnel entrance wall sheaths. Inside the tunnel a plateau region forms at 81 mT reducing to a broad peak at higher field strengths. Ion shielding and surface losses (for small tunnel diameters) reduce the collector peak width and maximum potential with increasing magnetic field. Conical collectors were found to increase the length of the plateau region and broaden the peak. Particle in cell simulations were in good agreement with the experimental results. The electron shielding and plateau regions were reproduced but not the broad peak at higher field strengths. Good agreement between both 2 mm BPPs and an emissive probe was found only at 81 mT to within 3 V or 1.3 electron temperatures (T e). For all BPPs at higher field strengths (≥ 250 mT) the maximum collector potential underestimated the emissive probe by more than 2.7 T e (7 V). At these field strengths all BPPs agree with each other to within 1.5 T e (4.1 V). Possible reasons for these disagreements are discussed

Is mitochondrial dysfunction a driving mechanism linking COPD to nonsmall cell lung carcinoma?

© ERS 2017. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are at increased risk of developing nonsmall cell lung carcinoma, irrespective of their smoking history. Although the mechanisms behind this observation are not clear, established drivers of carcinogenesis in COPD include oxidative stress and sustained chronic inflammation. Mitochondria are critical in these two processes and recent evidence links increased oxidative stress in COPD patients to mitochondrial damage. We therefore postulate that mitochondrial damage in COPD patients leads to increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, thereby increasing the risk of carcinogenesis. The functional state of the mitochondrion is dependent on the balance between its biogenesis and degradation (mitophagy). Dysfunctional mitochondria are a source of oxidative stress and inflammasome activation. In COPD, there is impaired translocation of the ubiquitin-related degradation molecule Parkin following activation of the Pink1 mitophagy pathway, resulting in excessive dysfunctional mitochondria. We hypothesise that deranged pathways in mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in COPD can account for the increased risk in carcinogenesis. To test this hypothesis, animal models exposed to cigarette smoke and developing emphysema and lung cancer should be developed. In the future, the use of mitochondria-based antioxidants should be studied as an adjunct with the aim of reducing the risk of COPD-associated cancer

Mapping the disease-specific LupusQoL to the SF-6D

Purpose To derive a mapping algorithm to predict SF-6D utility scores from the non-preference-based LupusQoL and test the performance of the developed algorithm on a separate independent validation data set. Method LupusQoL and SF-6D data were collected from 320 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) attending routine rheumatology outpatient appointments at seven centres in the UK. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to estimate models of increasing complexity in order to predict individuals’ SF-6D utility scores from their responses to the LupusQoL questionnaire. Model performance was judged on predictive ability through the size and pattern of prediction errors generated. The performance of the selected model was externally validated on an independent data set containing 113 female SLE patients who had again completed both the LupusQoL and SF-36 questionnaires. Results Four of the eight LupusQoL domains (physical health, pain, emotional health, and fatigue) were selected as dependent variables in the final model. Overall model fit was good, with R2 0.7219, MAE 0.0557, and RMSE 0.0706 when applied to the estimation data set, and R2 0.7431, MAE 0.0528, and RMSE 0.0663 when applied to the validation sample. Conclusion This study provides a method by which health state utility values can be estimated from patient responses to the non-preference-based LupusQoL, generalisable beyond the data set upon which it was estimated. Despite concerns over the use of OLS to develop mapping algorithms, we find this method to be suitable in this case due to the normality of the SF-6D data

Exploring the validity of estimating EQ-5D and SF-6D utility values from the health assessment questionnaire in patients with inflammatory arthritis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Utility scores are used to estimate Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), applied in determining the cost-effectiveness of health care interventions. In studies where no preference based measures are collected, indirect methods have been developed to estimate utilities from clinical instruments. The aim of this study was to evaluate a published method of estimating the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and Short Form-6D (SF-6D) (preference based) utility scores from the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) in patients with inflammatory arthritis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were used from 3 cohorts of patients with: early inflammatory arthritis (<10 weeks duration); established (>5 years duration) stable rheumatoid arthritis (RA); and RA being treated with anti-TNF therapy. Patients completed the EQ-5D, SF-6D and HAQ at baseline and a follow-up assessment. EQ-5D and SF-6D scores were predicted from the HAQ using a published method. Differences between predicted and observed EQ-5D and SF-6D scores were assessed using the paired t-test and linear regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Predicted utility scores were generally higher than observed scores (range of differences: EQ-5D 0.01 - 0.06; SF-6D 0.05 - 0.10). Change between predicted values of the EQ-5D and SF-6D corresponded well with observed change in patients with established RA. Change in predicted SF-6D scores was, however, less than half of that in observed values (p < 0.001) in patients with more active disease. Predicted EQ-5D scores underestimated change in cohorts of patients with more active disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Predicted utility scores overestimated baseline values but underestimated change. Predicting utility values from the HAQ will therefore likely underestimate the QALYs of interventions, particularly for patients with active disease. We recommend the inclusion of at least one preference based measure in future clinical studies.</p