Flexible broadband WS_(2)/Si optical position-sensitive detector with high sensitivity and fast speed

Si-based optical position-sensitive detectors(PSDs)have stimulated the interest of researchers due to their wide range of practical applications.However,due to the rigidity and fragility of Si crystals,the applications of flexible PSDs have been limited.Therefore,we presented a flexible broadband PSD based on a WS_(2)/Si heterostructure for the first time.A scalable sputtering method was used to deposit WS_(2)thin films onto the etched ultrathin crystalline Si surface.The fabricated flexible PSD device has a broad spectral response in the wavelength range of 450-1350 nm,with a high position sensitivity of~539.8 mV·mm^(−1)and a fast response of 2.3μs,thanks to the strong light absorption,the built-in electrical field at the WS_(2)/Si interface,and facilitated transport.Furthermore,mechanical-bending tests revealed that after 200 mechanical-bending cycles,the WS_(2)/Si PSDs have excellent mechanical flexibility,stability,and durability,demonstrating the great potential in wearable PSDs with competitive performance.

Relationship of High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein with Cardiovascular, Diabetic, and Hepatic Biomarkers

Biomarkers are early predictors of various disorders, circulating level of C-reactive protein is a sensitive biomarker of systemic inflammation and may also be associated with the development of diabetic, hepatic, and cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between circulating levels of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and various biomarkers for hepatic, diabetic, and cardiovascular health. The retrospective analysis included 438 individuals who were tested for these panels simultaneously at Vibrant America Clinical Laboratory. The study population included free-living individuals without any preexisting clinical conditions. Among the cardiovascular markers, a positive correlation and significant association was found between high levels of hs-CRP and serum levels of triglycerides (r = 0.0964, p −0.1423, p −0.1216, p < 0.0105) with circulating levels of hs-CRP. Among all the diabetic markers, glucose (r = 0.1547, p < 0.0011) and glycated serum protein (r = 0.1725, p < 0.0003) were positively correlated with circulating hs-CRP. In the hepatic panel, AST, a transaminase that plays a vital role in amino acid metabolism, was found to have a strong positive correlation with hs-CRP (r = 0.2139, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the results clearly show the association of hs-CRP with diabetic, hepatic, and cardiovascular risk factors indicating its central value as a key marker for several lifestyle-associated disorders.

High sensitivity C-reactive protein and cardfiac resynchronization therapy in patients with advanced heart failure

Background The data on the prognostic values of high sensitivity C-reactive protein （hsCRP） levels in patients with advanced symp-tomatic heart failure （HF） receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy （CRT） are scarce. The aim of present study was to investigate the association of serum hsCRP levels with left ventricle reverse remodeling after six months of CRT as well as long-term outcome. Methods A total of 232 CRT patients were included. The assessment of hsCRP values, clinical status and echocardiographic data were performed at baseline and after six months of CRT. Long-term follow-up included all-cause mortality and hospitalizations for HF. Results During the mean follow-up periods of 31.3 ± 31.5 months, elevated hsCRP （〉3 mg/L） prior to CRT was associated with a significant 2.39-fold increase （P=0.006） in the risk of death or HF hospitalizations. At 6-month follow-up, patients who responded to CRT showed significant reductions or maintained low in hsCRP levels （–0.5 ± 4.1 mg/L reduction） compared with non-responders （1.7 ± 6.1 mg/L increase, P=0.018）. Com-pared with patients in whom 6-month hsCRP levels were reduced or remained low, patients in whom 6-month hsCRP levels were increased or maintained high experienced a significantly higher risk of subsequent death or HF hospitalizations （Log-rank P〈0.001）. The echocardio-graphic improvement was also better among patients in whom 6-month hsCRP levels were reduced or remained low compared to those in whom 6-month hsCRP levels were raised or maintained high. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that measurement of baseline and follow-up hsCRP levels may be useful as prognostic markers for timely potential risk stratification and subsequent appropriate treatment strategies in patients with advanced HF undergoing CRT.

High Sensitivity Acquisition Algorithm for DSSS Signal with Data Modulation

In direct sequence spread spectrum communication both for satelliteto-ground and inter-satellite links, the system constrains due to radio frequency spectral occupation, channel data throughput and link performances in terms of data channel coding which might result in a signal structure where the symbol duration is shorter than the pseudo code period. This can generate some difficulties in the DSSS signal acquisition due to the polarity inversion caused by the data modulation. To eliminate the influence due to polarity inversion, this paper proposes a novel acquisition algorithm based on the simultaneous search of the code phase, data phase and Doppler frequency. In the proposed algorithm the data phase is predicted and the correlation period for the coherent integration can be set equal to the symbol duration. Then non-coherent accumulation over different symbol is implemented in order to enhance the acquisition algorithm sensitivity; the interval of non-coherent accumulation is the least common multiple between the symbol duration and the pseudo code period. The algorithm proposed can largely minimize the SNR loss caused by data polarity inversion and enhance acquisition performance without a noticeable increase in hardware complexity. Theoretical analysis, simulation and measured results verify the validity of the algorithm.

HIGH RESOLUTION, HIGH SENSITIVITY MOIRE METHOD

Based on geometric moire method, moire interferometry and microscopic moire interferometry, a high spatial resolution and high sensitivity geometric microscopic moire method is presented. Geometric micron-moire patterns are produced by the superposition of two high frequency gratings through a microscope system. Compared with other grating-based photo-mechanics methods, microscopic moire method could provide whole-field moire patterns of both high spatial resolution and high sensitivity. The frequency of specimen and reference gratings used in this method can be from 1 line/mm to 10000 lines/mm. Additionally, a 4F optical filter system is used to enhance the contrast of microscopic moire patterns effectively.

Relationship between high sensitivity C-reactive protein and angiographic severity of coronary artery disease

Background Coronary artery disease(CAD)remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.Cytokines play a potential role in atherosclerosis pathogenesis and progression.We investigated the association between high sensitive C-reactive protein(hs CRP)and severity of CAD.Methods CAD patients were stratified according to hs CRP cut-off value into high levels hs CRP group(≥8.4 mg/L)and low levels hs CRP group(<8.4 mg/L).Severity of CAD was assessed according to artery stenosis degree and the number of vessel involved.Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS,version 23.0).Results The mean age was 60.3±11.0 years.The level of hs CRP was increased and ranged from 0.2 to 1020.0 mg/L.Biochemical risk factors and severity of CAD didn’t show significant differences between the two groups.In multivariate linear analysis,cardiac troponin I(c Tn I)and serum amyloid A(SAA)were predictors of hs CRP.As shown in receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis performed in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)and compared to myonecrosis biomarkers,hs CRP(area under the curve(AUC):0.905;95%CI:0.844-0.966;P<0.001)could be a powerful predictor marker in evaluating the infarct size after myocardial infarction but not better than c Tn I.Conclusions Hs CRP levels were not associated with the severity of CAD but could be useful in the evaluation of myocardial necrosis in patients with STEMI.

Metal-free Optical Pressure Sensor with High Sensitivity and Extensive Range

Pressure monitoring of a transformer oil tank can grasp the pressure change process caused by gas production when severe internal defects occur and take timely measures to ensure the safe operation of the transformer.Existing pressure sensors generally use metal encapsulation or have an air cavity structure,threatening the transformer’s insulation if it is directly used inside the transformer.To this end,this paper proposes a method for developing a high-sensitivity,large-range,and metallizationfree optical pressure sensing device with temperature compensation.Fiber grating is encapsulated by fluorosilicone rubber and supplemented by an epoxy resin shielding shell on the outside.At the same time,a double-grating vertical arrangement is adopted to improve pressure measurement sensitivity,further avoiding the influence of temperature rise caused by a defect of the transformer on the measurement result of the sensor.In addition,by optimizing the geometric structure of the internal sensitizing element,pre-stretching length of the fiber grating,gap distance,and other parameters,probe size can be reduced while ensuring the sensor’s performance.Results show the proposed method can meet the requirements of sensor fabrication with different sensitivities and ranges,and to a certain extent,both high sensitivity and extensive ranges can be taken into account.The sensitivity of the fabricated prototype is 15 pm/kPa,and the range is about 0.2 MPa.At the same time,the metal-free feature of the sensor makes it suitable for use in various oil-immersed power equipment.It records oil pressure changes caused by oil discharge breakdown,making it sensitive to small pressure changes in early failures.

Wide measurement range and high sensitivity spongy MWCNT/polydimethylsiloxane pressure sensor based on a single-electrode enhanced triboelectric nanogenerator

Flexible pressure sensors have broad application prospects,such as human motion monitoring and personalized recognition.However,their applicability is limited by complex structures,low output performance,low sensitivity,and narrow measurement range.In this study,we report a single-electrode spongy triboelectric sensor(SSTS)mainly composed of spongy composite multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polydimethylsiloxane(MWCNT/PDMS)film and conductive fabric,which can simultaneously generate contact electrification and electrostatic induction coupling in a single-electrode contact-separation mode.The SSTS combines the triboelectric effect,properties of doping material,and spongy porous structure(soft sugar as a sacrificial template).An SSTS with an MWCNT content of 10 wt%and a porosity of 64%exhibits high sensitivity,a wide measurement range,and excellent linearity.It also displays two sensitivity regions(slopes):1.324 V/kPa from 1.5 to 28 kPa in the low-pressure range and 0.096 V/kPa from 28 to 316.5 kPa in the high-pressure range,with linearities of 0.980 and 0.979,respectively.Furthermore,the SSTS delivers a high-performance output and high stability,thus enhancing the monitoring of hand pressure changes,human movement,personalized spatial recognition,and other detection tasks.This new strategy for human motion monitoring shows great potential in the healthcare fields,sports rehabilitation,and human-computer interactions.

Relationship between coronary atherosclerosis plaque characteristics and high sensitivity C-reactive proteins, interleukin-6

Background The relationship between inflammatory markers and the characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis plaques is uncertain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis plaques and inflammatory markers such as high sensitivity C-reactive proteins （Hs-CRP） and interleukin-6 （IL-6）. Methods All patients suspected of having coronary heart disease （CHD） underwent Siemens 64-slice CT angiography （64-SCTA） to distinguish the quality of plaque of coronary artery lesions. Blood samples were taken to measure levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 in different plaque groups and the control group and compared with the value of 64-SCTA for detection of coronary artery plaque. Results The sensitivity of detecting coronary artery plaque by 64-SCTA was 87.4%, the specificity was 87.1%, the positive predictive value was 82.2%, and the negative predictive value was 91.0%. Comparing the levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 among plaque groups, the mean levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 in three plaque groups were significantly higher than those in the control group （P 〈0.01）. The mean levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 in the soft plaque group and mixed plaque group were significantly higher than those in hard plaque group （P〈0.01）. Plaque burden in the soft plaque group and mixed plaque group was significantly higher than in the hard plaque group （P 〈0.01）, but there was no statistical difference between the soft plaque group and mixed plaque group （P=-0.246）. There was a negative correlation between the CT scale and Hs-CRP and IL-6 levels in the soft plaque group （r= -0.621, P〈0.01, and r= -0.593, P 〈0.01 respectively）. There was a positive correlation between the plaque burden and Hs-CRP and IL-6 levels in the soft plaque group （r=0.579, P〈0.05 and r=0.429, P〈0.05 respectively）. Conclusions 64-SCTA is an effective way to distinguish the different quality of coronary atherosclerosis plaque. Serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 levels can be considered as the indexes to judge the degree of CHD and may reflect the activity of plaque in CHD patients. Thus it is important for clinical diagnosis and risk evaluation of acute coronary syndrome （ACS） patients.

Comparision of high sensitivity C-reactive protein and matrix metalloproteinase 9 in patients with unstable angina between with and without significant coronary artery plaques

Background Inflammation within vulnerable coronary plaques may cause unstable angina by promoting rupture and erosion. C-reactive protein （CRP） is the most reliable and accessible test method for clinical use for identifying coronary artery disease event. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 （MMP-9） is highly over-expressed in the vulnerable regions of a plaque. Our aim was to evaluate the plasma levels of MMP-9 and hsCRP in subjects with both unstable angina and coronary plaques, as well as in those with unstable angina without coronary plaques.

A high sensitivity spectrometer with tunable diode laser for ambient methane monitoring

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy （TDLAS） has been widely employed in atmospheric trace gases detection. In the measurement of these trace gases, harmonic detection combined with a multi-pass white cell could remarkably enhance the detection sensitivity. In this paper, a portable TDLAS system built specifically for long time monitoring methane in the atmosphere is introduced. The detection limit is below 100 ppb that is enough for the monitoring of ambient methane, and the long time monitoring results obtained in Beijing are given, which is well coincident with that of the Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy.

Facilely prepared layer-by-layer graphene membrane-based pressure sensor with high sensitivity and stability for smart wearable devices

With the prosperous development of artificial intelligence,medical diagnosis and electronic skins,wearable electronic devices have drawn much attention in our daily life.Flexible pressure sensors based on carbon materials with ultrahigh sensitivity,especially in a large pressure range regime are highly required in wearable applications.In this work,graphene membrane with a layer-by-layer structure has been successfully fabricated via a facile self-assembly and air-drying(SAAD)method.In the SAAD process,air-drying the self-assembled graphene hydrogels contributes to the uniform and compact layer structure in the obtained membranes.Owing to the excellent mechanical and electrical properties of graphene,the pressure sensor constructed by several layers of membranes exhibits high sensitivity(52.36 kPa……-1)and repeatability(short response and recovery time)in the loading pressure range of 0–50 kPa.Compared with most reported graphene-related pressure sensors,our device shows better sensitivity and wider applied pressure range.What’s more,we demonstrate it shows desired results in wearable applications for pulse monitoring,breathing detection as well as different intense motion recording such as walk,run and squat.It’s hoped that the facilely prepared layer-by-layer graphene membrane-based pressure sensors will have more potential to be used for smart wearable devices in the future.

High sensitivity and high selectivity terahertz biomedical imaging

We demonstrate two distinct emerging terahertz （THz） biomedical imaging techniques.One is based on the use of a new single frequency THz quantum cascade laser and the other is based on broadband THz time domain spectrocopy.The first method is employed to derive a metastasis lung tissue imaging at 3.7 THz with clear contrast between cancerous and healthy areas.The second approach is used to study an osseous tissue under several imaging modalities and achieve full THz spectroscopic imaging based on the frequency domain or on a fixed THz propagation time-delay.Sufficient contrast is achieved which facilitated the identification of regions with different cellular types and density compositions.

High-Sensitivity Acquisition of Ultrahigh Dynamic Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Signals in Space Communications

According to the requirements of the high-sensitivity acquisition of Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum(DSSS) signals under ultrahigh dynamic environments in space communications, a three-dimensional joint search of the phase of Pseudo-Noise-code(PN-code),Doppler frequency and its rate-of-change is presented to achieve high sensitivity in sensing high-frequency dynamics. By eliminating the correlation peak loss caused by ultrahigh Doppler frequency and its rate-of-change offset,the proposed method improves the acquisition sensitivity by increasing the non-coherent accumulation time. The validity of the algorithm is proved by theoretical analysis and simulation results. It is shown that signals with a carrier- to-noise ratio as low as 39 dBHz can be captured with high performance when the Doppler frequency is up to ±1 MHz and its rate-of-change is up to ±200 kHz/s.

High sensitivity D-shaped hole fiber temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonance with liquid filling

A high sensitivity D-shaped hole double-cladding fiber temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonance(SPR)is designed and investigated by a full-vector finite element method.Within the D-shaped hole doublecladding fiber,the hollow D-section is coated with gold film and then injected in a high thermo-optic coefficient liquid to realize the high temperature sensitivity for the fiber SPR temperature sensor.The numerical simulation results show that the peaking loss of the D-shaped hole double-cladding fiber SPR is hugely influenced by the distance between the D-shaped hole and fiber core and by the thickness of the gold film,but the temperature sensitivity is almost insensitive to the above parameters.When the thermo-optic coefficient is -2.8×10^(-4)∕℃,the thickness of the gold film is 47 nm,and the distance between the D-shaped hole and fiber core is 5μm,the temperature sensitivity of the D-shaped hole fiber SPR sensor can reach to -3.635 nm∕℃.

High sensitivity ratiometric fluorescence temperature sensing using the microencapsulation of CsPbBr3 and K2SiF6:Mn4+phosphor

A dual emission sensing film has been prepared for colorimetric temperature sensing using CsPbBr_(3)perovskite nanocrystals(CsPbBr_(3)NCs)and manganese doped potassium fluorosilicate(K_(2)SiF_(6):Mn^(4+),KSF)encapsulated in polystyrene by a microencapsulation strategy.The CsPbBr_(3)-KSF-PS film shows good temperature sensing response from 30℃to 70℃,with a relative temperature sensitivity(Sr)up to 10.31%℃^(−1) at 45℃.Meanwhile,the film maintains more than 95%intensity after 6 heating-cooling cycles and keeps its fluorescence characteristics after 3 months.The film can be used to monitor temperature change by naked eye under a UV lamp.In particular,the temperature discoloration point of the sensing film can be controlled by the ratio change of CsPbBr_(3):KSF to expand its applications.The study of the CsPbBr_(3)-KSF-PS sensing mechanism in this work is helpful to provide effective strategies for the design of reliable,high sensitivity and stable temperature sensing system using CsPbBr_(3)NCs.

High Sensitivity Gas Sensor Based on IR Spectroscopy Technology and Application

Due to extremely effective advantages of the quantum cascade laser spectroscopy and technology for trace gas detection, this paper presents spectroscopy scanning, the characteristics of temperature tuning, system resolution, sensitivity, and system stability with the application of the presented gas sensor. Experimental results showed that the sensor resolution was 〈0.01cm-1 （equivalent to 0.06nm）, and the sensor sensitivity was at the level of 194 ppb with the application of HzCO measurement.

A high sensitivity tune measurement system for BEPCII

Background The tune is one of the most important parameters of the storage ring which play a crucial role in the brightness optimization.The synchrotron radiation will suppress the oscillation and make the detection unusual difficulty without any kicker excitation.Purpose A new high sensitivity tune measurement system is developed to show the real-time tune during the colliding.Method Peak diode detectors are used to convert short beam pulses from a button BPM into slowly varying signals.Their DC components,constituting a large background related to beam offsets,are suppressed by series capacitors,while the small signals related to beam oscillations are passed to the subsequent stages for amplification and filtering.Conclusion A direct diode detection technique based on the diode peak hold circuit could increase the sensitivity by hundreds time which gets a clearly tune peak even with synchrotron radiation and bunch-by-bunch feedback damping.

Highly sensitive and stable probe refractometer based on configurable plasmonic resonance with nano-modified fiber core

A dispersion model is developed to provide a generic tool for configuring plasmonic resonance spectral characteristics.The customized design of the resonance curve aiming at specific detection requirements can be achieved.According to the model,a probe-type nano-modified fiber optic configurable plasmonic resonance(NMF-CPR)sensor with tip hot spot enhancement is demonstrated for the measurement of the refractive index in the range of 1.3332-1.3432 corresponding to the low-concentration biomarker solution.The new-type sensing structure avoids excessive broadening and redshift of the resonance dip,which provides more possibilities for the surface modification of other functional nanomaterials.The tip hot spots in nanogaps between the Au layer and Au nanostars(AuNSs),the tip electric field enhancement of AuNSs,and the high carrier mobility of the WSe_(2)layer synergistically and significantly enhance the sensitivity of the sensor.Ex-perimental results show that the sensitivity and the figure of merit of the tip hot spot enhanced fiber NMF-CPR sensor can achieve up to 2995.70 nm/RIU and 25.04 RIU^(−1),respectively,which are 1.68 times and 1.29 times higher than those of the conventional fiber plasmonic resonance sensor.The results achieve good agreements with numerical simulations,demonstrate a better level compared to similar reported studies,and verify the correctness of the dispersion model.The detection resolution of the sensor reaches up to 2.00×10^(−5)RIU,which is obviously higher than that of the conventional side-polished fiber plasmonic resonance sensor.This indicates a high detection accuracy of the sensor.The dense Au layer effectively prevents the intermediate nanomaterials from shedding and chemical degradation,which enables the sensor with high stability.Furthermore,the terminal reflective sensing structure can be used as a practical probe and can allow a more convenient operation.

Optical Properties of High Sensitivity Fiber Bragg Grating on Temperature Sensor

In this paper, the spectrum shift properties of the center reflection wavelength detected to be based on the FBG sensor with ambient temperature change. The basic theoretical methods and numerical simulation for the spectral properties of uniform Bragg grating is analyzed by using coupling mode theory which is optical properties of high sensitivity fiber Bragg grating on temperature sensor in accordance with experiment.