An optimal continuous time control strategy for active suspensions with preview

A continuous time control strategy for an active suspension with preview, based on optimal control theory, is presented. No approximation is needed to model the time delay between the excitation of the front and the rear wheels. The suspension is applied to a two DOF model of the rear side of the tractor of a tractor-semitrailer. The purpose of the suspension is to reduce either the required suspension working space or the maximum absolute acceleration of the sprung mass, without an increase of the dynamic tire force variation. For a step function as road input, reductions of 65% and 55%, respectively, are possible compared with a passive suspension

Fast temperature cycling stress-induced and electromigration-induced interlayer dielectric cracking failure in multilevel interconnection

There is an increasing reliability concern of thermal stress-induced and electromigration-induced failures in multilevel interconnections in recent years. This paper reports our investigations of thin film cracking of a multilevel interconnect due to fast temperature cycling and electromigration stresses. The fast temperature cycling tests have been performed in three temperature cycle ranges. The failure times are represented well by a Weibull distribution. The distributions are relatively well behaved with generally similar slope (shape factor). The failure mechanism is well fitted by the Coffin-Manson equation\ud indicating a uniform acceleration. The observation of cracking in the interlayer dielectric due to fast temperature cycling stress from failure analysis agrees well with the failure mechanism modeling and the calculated Coffin- Manson exponent. Electromigration experiments have shown that devices failed due to extrusion-shorts without increasing of resistance of metal line. The failure times are represented better by the Weibull distribution than by the lognormal distribution (normally used for electromigration data). A simulation of stress build-up in metal line using an electromigration simulator confirmed that the cracking of interlayer dielectric is the weakest spot and most likely to cause electromigration failure

Patient-derived fibroblasts indicate oxidative stress status and may justify antioxidant therapy in OXPHOS disorders.

Item does not contain fulltextOxidative phosphorylation disorders are often associated with increased oxidative stress and antioxidant therapy is frequently given as treatment. However, the role of oxidative stress in oxidative phosphorylation disorders or patients is far from clear and consequently the preventive or therapeutic effect of antioxidants is highly anecdotic. Therefore, we performed a systematic study of a panel of oxidative stress parameters (reactive oxygen species levels, damage and defense) in fibroblasts of twelve well-characterized oxidative phosphorylation patients with a defect in the POLG1 gene, in the mitochondrial DNA-encoded tRNA-Leu gene (m.3243A>G or m.3302A>G) and in one of the mitochondrial DNA-encoded NADH dehydrogenase complex I (CI) subunits. All except two cell lines (one POLG1 and one tRNA-Leu) showed increased reactive oxygen species levels compared with controls, but only four (two CI and two tRNA-Leu) cell lines provided evidence for increased oxidative protein damage. The absence of a correlation between reactive oxygen species levels and oxidative protein damage implies differences in damage prevention or correction. This was investigated by gene expression studies, which showed adaptive and compensating changes involving antioxidants and the unfolded protein response, especially in the POLG1 group. This study indicated that patients display individual responses and that detailed analysis of fibroblasts enables the identification of patients that potentially benefit from antioxidant therapy. Furthermore, the fibroblast model can also be used to search for and test novel, more specific antioxidants or explore ways to stimulate compensatory mechanisms.1 november 201