High-Sensitivity Measurement of Thermal Deformation in a Stacked Multichip Package

The thermal deformation of a stacked multichip package, which is a newly developed electronic package, was measured by phase-shifting moireacute interferometry. We developed this method using a wedged glass plate as a phase shifter to obtain displacement fields having a sensitivity of 30nm/line. This method also enabled the quantitative determination of the strain distributions in all observation areas. Thermal loading was applied from room temperature (25degC) to elevated temperatures of 75degC and 100degC where the thermal strains were examined and compared. The results showed that the longitudinal strain epsiv_xx was concentrated at the ends of two silicon chips, and the longitudinal strain epsiv_yy increased between the two silicon chips. The shear strain gamma_xy increased at the end of the lower silicon chip from 0.17% to 0.30% when the temperature increased by 25degC     

Development of New Sliver Probe for Cooling Power Test of Polymer Quenchants

Working group on cooling power test of quenchants of Japanese Heat Treatment Society hits studied on the new method for testing cooling power of aqueous quenchants. This method employed the cooling curve test of a new sliver rod probe, which has a metal-sheathed thermocouple at its geometrical center. The experimental study has clarified that the new silver probe has more excellent durability than the JIS silver probe employed for cooling power test of heat treating oils (JIS K 2242) and an aluminum alloy probe. Good repeatability, and reproducibility of the cooling curves during polymer quenching have been confirmed. This new method is useful especially for cooling power test of aqueous quenchants used for solution heat treatment of aluminum alloys. This new silver rod probe is expected to be adopted for the revised version of JIS K 2242 as the cooling power test method for aqueous quenchants.     

Homogeneous alkylation of poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide)

Homogeneous alkylation of poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) was carried out in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Alkyl halides such as benzyl bromide and allyl bromide were reacted with sodium-metallated PMIA. When the Taft equation was applied to this substitution reaction, the linear relationship was apparently obtained between log k/k₀ and σ^*. The molecular weight of alkylated PMIA decreased by sodium-metallation and alkylation reactions. The weight loss of PMIA derivatives on heating increased with an increasing degree of substitution of the benzyl group, but it was improved by the reaction of the unsaturated alkyl group with 1,2-ethanedithiol.     

Components of the Porous Maize Starch Granule Prepared by Amylase Treatment

Porous starch granules were prepared from normal and waxy maize starch with amylase (from Aspergillus sp.) treatment, but we failed to make it from amylostarch under the same condition. The porous normal starch samples of some digestive stage were analyzed to X-ray diffraction, DSC and GPC after debranching process. The X-ray diffraction patterns were changed following with proceed of digestion, but the values obtained from DSC and GPC were not changed. These observations suggest that crystal region may be more sensitive to the amylase than amorphous one, and amylose may be homogeneously distributed in the both regions.     

Circulating ICAM-1, E-selectin, IL-2 receptor, and HLA class I in human small bowel, liver, and small bowel-plus-liver transplant recipients

Recently, soluble(s) circulating isoforms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and sE-selectin (formerly endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1) have been described in normal human serum. Elevated levels have been reported in acute and chronic inflammatory disorders, including allograft rejection. In this study, plasma levels of sICAM-1 and sE-selectin were determined in groups of tacrolimus (FK 506)-treated adult patients following either isolated small bowel (SB), liver, or combined SB plus liver (SB/L) transplantation. Each molecule was measured at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks (all patients) and at 6, 9, and 12 months after transplantation (SB and SB/L only) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Levels were compared with those of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R; a marker of lymphocyte activation) and soluble HLA class I (which has been reported to be elevated in liver transplant-related complications). Elevations above normal in mean plasma levels of sICAM-1 (2.4-fold), sE-selectin (1.8-fold), sIL-2R (10.6-fold), and sHLA class I (1.3-fold) were found in patients with stable isolated SB grafts during the first 12 weeks posttransplant. Except for sHLA class I, levels of each protein were subsequently reduced, up to 1 year posttransplant. However, further increases in sICAM-1 and in sIL-2R and sE-selectin levels were observed during episodes of SB rejection compared with stable grafts. Mean levels of all molecules were higher in patients with isolated SB grafts compared with those given liver or combined (SB/L) transplants, either during stable SB graft function (up to 12 weeks posttransplant) or rejection. The data demonstrate increased adhesion molecule production/shedding following SB transplantation and are suggestive of a reduced overall level of immune activation in liver and SB/L compared with isolated SB transplantation.     

α-tocopherol affects the urinary and biliary excretion of 2,7,8-trimethyl-2(2′-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxychroman, γ-tocopherol metabolite, in rats

In this study, we investigated a change in the excretory content of 2,7,8-trimethyl-2(2′-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxychroman (γ-CEHC), a γ-tocopherol (γ-Toc) metabolite, in rat urine and bile by using a new high-performance liquid chromatography-elelectrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) method. In this determination, CEHC [α- and γ-CEHC, where α-CEHC-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2(2′-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxychioman] in the biological specimens were treated with 3 N methanolic HCl to hydrolyze conjugates and to promote esterification. The methylated samples were extracted by n-hexane/water (1∶2). The analyses of the methyl esters of α-CEHC and γ-CEHC were performed by an HPLC-ECD using an ODS-3 column at 35°C. The mobile phase was acetonitrile/water (45∶55, vol/vol) containing 50 mM sodium perchlorate. After rat urine and bile samples, respectively, were methylated as described above, methylated biliary metabolites were identified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry as methyl esters of γ-CEHC. Furthermore, we examined the differences in the excretion of γ-CEHC between rat urine and bile after an oral administration of γ-Toc or α- +γ-Toc by the above HPLC method. In the γ-Toc group, each vitamin E-deficient rat was given 0.5 mL of a stripped corn oil preparation containing 10 mg of γ-Toc. In the α- +γ-Toc group, the rat was given 10 mg of α-Toc and 10 mg of γ-Toc. The content of γ-CEHC in rat urine from the α- +γ-Toc group was increased more in comparison to the γ-Toc group at 18–36 h after oral administration. Moreover, the content of γ-CEHC in rat bile in the α- +γ-Toc group was increased more in comparison to the γ-Toc group at 6–18 h after oral administration. Therefore, we have suggested that γ-CEHC was shifted mainly to urinary excretion after γ-CEHC had been excreted into the bile. Furthermore, we assume that α-Toc may affect the metabolism of γ-Toc to γ-CEHC in the body.     

A proactive secret image sharing scheme with resistance to machine learning based steganalysis

Multimedia Tools and Applications - In secret image sharing (SIS) schemes, a secret image is shared among a set of n images called stego-images. Each stego-image is preserved by a participant. In...     

Graph planarization problem optimization based on triple‐valued gravitational search algorithm

This article presents a triple‐valued gravitational search algorithm (TGSA) to tackle the graph planarization problem (GPP). GPP is one of the most important tasks in graph theory, and has proved to be an NP‐hard problem. To solve it, TGSA uses a triple‐valued encoding scheme and models the search space into a triangular hypercube quantitatively based on the well‐known single‐row routing representation method. The agents in TGSA, whose interactions are driven by the gravity law, move toward the global optimal position gradually. The position updating rule for each agent is based on two indices: one is a velocity index which is a function of the current velocity of the agent, and the other is a population index based on the cumulative information in the whole population. To verify the performance of the algorithm, 21 benchmark instances are tested. Experimental results indicate that TGSA can solve the GPP by finding its maximum planar subgraph and embedding the resulting edges into a plane simultaneously. Compared with traditional algorithms, a novelty of TGSA is that it can find multiple optimal solutions for the GPP. Comparative results also demonstrate that TGSA outperforms the traditional meta‐heuristics in terms of the solution qualities within reasonable computational times. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Changes in the crystallinity and mechanical properties of poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactate) blend with annealing process

Biodegradable polymer blends of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(butylene succinate-co-l-lactate) (PBSL) at various blending ratios are prepared. The blending of PLLA with PBSL results in an increase in the ductility and thermal stability of the blend. However, flexural strength and modulus, as well as loss modulus, decrease with an increase in PBSL content. Annealing is employed to increase blend crystallinity and subsequently improve the mechanical properties of the PLLA/PBSL blend. The influences of annealing time on the crystal modification, thermal properties, and mechanical properties of the PLLA/PBSL blend are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and three-point bending test, respectively. Crystalline peaks are found in the XRD patterns of all annealed samples. DSC analysis reveals that the degree of crystallinity is enhanced with an increase in annealing time. The flexural modulus also increases with annealing time due to the change in crystalline phases. However, longer periods of annealing, especially over 20 h, result in thermal degradation and subsequently reduce the modulus value of the PLLA/PBSL blend.