Three-dimensional micro-channel fabrication in polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) elastomer

This paper describes a fabrication technique for building three-dimensional (3-D) micro-channels in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer. The process allows for the stacking of many thin (less than 100-μm thick) patterned PDMS layers to realize complex 3-D channel paths. The master for each layer is formed on a silicon wafer using an epoxy-based photoresist (SU 8). PDMS is cast against the master producing molded layers containing channels and openings. To realize thin layers with openings, a sandwich molding configuration was developed that allows precise control of the PDMS thickness. The master wafer is clamped within a sandwich that includes flat aluminum plates, a flexible polyester film layer, a rigid Pyrex wafer, and a rubber sheet. A parametric study is performed on PDMS surface activation in a reactive-ion-etching system and the subsequent methanol treatment for bonding and aligning very thin individual components to a substrate. Low RF power and short treatment times are better than high RF power and long treatment times, respectively, for instant bonding. Layer-to-layer alignment of less then 15 μm is achieved with manual alignment techniques that utilize surface tension driven self-alignment methods. A coring procedure is used to realize off-chip fluidic connections via the bottom PDMS layer, allowing the top layer to remain smooth and flat for complete optical access     

Rayonnement en ondes métriques et décimétriques des orages

This article presents the result of the current knowledge on the very high frequency electromagnetic radiation of lightning. A phenomenology analysis of the new results obtained from the study of triggered lightning in New Mexico (TRIP 82) and at Saint-Privat-d’ Allier in Haute-Loire, France (1983) is first described. The authors then present the spectral and temporal characteristics of the VHF/UHF radiation which can be applied to the electromagnetic compatibility of systems. From a synthesis of the experimental and theoretical contributions, they propose a reflection on the lightning initiation process and on the mechanisms generating lightning radiation.     

Catalytic oxidation with Al-Ce-Fe-PILC as a post-treatment system for coffee wet processing wastewater

The effluent from the anaerobic biological treatment of coffee wet processing wastewater (CWPW) contains a non-biodegradable compound that must be treated before it is discharged into a water source. In this paper, the wet hydrogen peroxide catalytic oxidation (WHPCO) process using Al-Ce-Fe-PILC catalysts was researched as a post-treatment system for CWPW and tested in a semi-batch reactor at atmospheric pressure and 25 °C. The Al-Ce-Fe-PILC achieved a high conversion rate of total phenolic compounds (70%) and mineralization to CO(2) (50%) after 5 h reaction time. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) of coffee processing wastewater after wet hydrogen peroxide catalytic oxidation was reduced in 66%. The combination of the two treatment methods, biological (developed by Cenicafé) and catalytic oxidation with Al-Ce-Fe-PILC, achieved a 97% reduction of COD in CWPW. Therefore, the WHPCO using Al-Ce-Fe-PILC catalysts is a viable alternative for the post-treatment of coffee processing wastewater.     

Three tokens in Herman’s algorithm

Herman’s algorithm is a synchronous randomized protocol for achieving self-stabilization in a token ring consisting of N processes. The interaction of tokens makes the dynamics of the protocol very difficult to analyze. In this paper we study the distribution of the time to stabilization, assuming that there are three tokens in the initial configuration. We show for arbitrary N and for an arbitrary timeout t that the probability of stabilization within time t is minimized by choosing as the initial three-token configuration the configuration in which the tokens are placed equidistantly on the ring. Our result strengthens a corollary of a theorem of McIver and Morgan (Inf. Process Lett. 94(2): 79–84, 2005), which states that the expected stabilization time is minimized by the equidistant configuration.     

Crossing safety barriers: influence of children's morphological and functional variables

Thirty-three children between 3 and 6 years of age were asked to climb four different types of safety barriers. Morphological and functional variables of the children, which were expected to influence climbing or passing through skills, were collected. The influence of those variables on children’s success rate and time to cross was tested. No barrier offered a total restraining efficacy. The horizontal bars barrier was crossed by 97% of the children. In the group of children that succeeded in crossing the four barriers, mean time to cross the most difficult barrier was 15 s. Age was the best predictor for success in crossing most barriers but morphology and strength were important predictors of time to cross. The influence of anthropometric variables in time to cross was dependent upon the characteristics of the barrier. A good design of safety barriers should consider children’s age, morphology and strength.     

Mismatches in Social Support and Psychosocial Adjustment to Breast Cancer.

Emotional support is known to provide psychosocial benefits for women with breast cancer, but women can experience a mismatch between support that is wanted and support that is received from their personal supporter. The role of wanted and unwanted support in psychosocial adjustment was examined in 79 women recovering from breast cancer. Four distinct patterns of desired support actions were found using cluster analysis. Patterns of wanted support were not related to better or worse psychosocial adjustment. However, a misalignment of support between the provider and the receiver significantly influenced psychosocial adjustment, and unwanted but received support (support commission) was uniquely associated with poor psychosocial adjustment. Clinical interventions using the support instrument could help match support providers' actions to receivers' preferences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)