Bioinspired Passive Tactile Sensors Enabled by Reversible Polarization of Conjugated Polymers

Tactile perception plays a vital role for the human body and is also highly desired for smart prosthesis and advanced robots.Compared to active sensing devices,passive piezoelectric and triboelectric tactile sensors consume less power,but lack the capability to resolve static stimuli.Here,we address this issue by utilizing the unique polarization chemistry of conjugated polymers for the first time and propose a new type of bioinspired,passive,and bio-friendly tactile sensors for resolving both static and dynamic stimuli.Specifically,to emulate the polarization process of natural sensory cells,conjugated polymers(including poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophen e):poly(styrenesulfonate),polyaniline,or polypyrrole)are controllably polarized into two opposite states to create artificial potential differences.The controllable and reversible polarization process of the conjugated polymers is fully in situ characterized.Then,a micro-structured ionic electrolyte is employed to imitate the natural ion channels and to encode external touch stimulations into the variation in potential difference outputs.Compared with the currently existing tactile sensing devices,the developed tactile sensors feature distinct characteristics including fully organic composition,high sensitivity(up to 773 mV N^(−1)),ultralow power consumption(nW),as well as superior bio-friendliness.As demonstrations,both single point tactile perception(surface texture perception and material property perception)and two-dimensional tactile recognitions(shape or profile perception)with high accuracy are successfully realized using self-defined machine learning algorithms.This tactile sensing concept innovation based on the polarization chemistry of conjugated polymers opens up a new path to create robotic tactile sensors and prosthetic electronic skins.

Passive activity enhances residual control ability in patients with complete spinal cord injury

Patients with complete spinal cord injury retain the potential for volitional muscle activity in muscles located below the spinal injury level.However,because of prolonged inactivity,initial attempts to activate these muscles may not effectively engage any of the remaining neurons in the descending pathway.A previous study unexpectedly found that a brief clinical round of passive activity significantly increased volitional muscle activation,as measured by surface electromyography.In this study,we further explored the effect of passive activity on surface electromyographic signals during volitional control tasks among individuals with complete spinal cord injury.Eleven patients with chronic complete thoracic spinal cord injury were recruited.Surface electromyography data from eight major leg muscles were acquired and compared before and after the passive activity protocol.The results indicated that the passive activity led to an increased number of activated volitional muscles and an increased frequency of activation.Although the cumulative root mean square of surface electromyography amplitude for volitional control of movement showed a slight increase after passive activity,the difference was not statistically significant.These findings suggest that brief passive activity may enhance the ability to initiate volitional muscle activity during surface electromyography tasks and underscore the potential of passive activity for improving residual motor control among patients with motor complete spinal cord injury.

Low-energy-consumption temperature swing system for CO_(2) capture by combining passive radiative cooling and solar heating

Temperature-swing adsorption(TSA)is an effective technique for CO_(2) capture,but the temperature swing procedure is energy-intensive.Herein,we report a low-energy-consumption system by combining passive radiative cooling and solar heating for the uptake of CO_(2) on commercial activated carbons(CACs).During adsorption,the adsorbents are coated with a layer of hierarchically porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene)[P(VdF-HFP)HP],which cools the adsorbents to a low temperature under sunlight through radiative cooling.For desorption,CACs with broad absorption of the solar spectrum are exposed to light irradiation for heating.The heating and cooling processes are completely driven by solar energy.Adsorption tests under mimicked sunlight using the CACs show that the performance of this system is comparable to that of the traditional ones.Furthermore,under real sunlight irradiation,the adsorption capacity of the CACs can be well maintained after multiple cycles.The present work may inspire the development of new temperature swing procedures with little energy consumption.

Influencer identification of dynamical networks based on an information entropy dimension reduction method

Identifying critical nodes or sets in large-scale networks is a fundamental scientific problem and one of the key research directions in the fields of data mining and network science when implementing network attacks, defense, repair and control.Traditional methods usually begin from the centrality, node location or the impact on the largest connected component after node destruction, mainly based on the network structure.However, these algorithms do not consider network state changes.We applied a model that combines a random connectivity matrix and minimal low-dimensional structures to represent network connectivity.By using mean field theory and information entropy to calculate node activity,we calculated the overlap between the random parts and fixed low-dimensional parts to quantify the influence of node impact on network state changes and ranked them by importance.We applied this algorithm and the proposed importance algorithm to the overall analysis and stratified analysis of the C.elegans neural network.We observed a change in the critical entropy of the network state and by utilizing the proposed method we can calculate the nodes that indirectly affect muscle cells through neural layers.

Analysis of a passive ankle exoskeleton for reduction of metabolic costs during walking

Modern conflicts demand substantial physical and psychological exertion,often resulting in fatigue and diminished combat or operational readiness.Several exoskeletons have been developed recently to address these challenges,presenting various limitations that affect their operational or everyday usability.This article evaluates the performance of a dual-purpose passive ankle exoskeleton developed for the reduction of metabolic costs during walking,seeking to identify a force element that could be applied to the target population.Based on the 6-min walk test,twenty-nine subjects participated in the study using three different force elements.The results indicate that it is possible to reduce metabolic expenditure while using the developed exoskeleton.Additionally,the comfort and range of motion results verify the exoskeleton's suitability for use in uneven terrain and during extended periods.Nevertheless,the choice of the force element should be tailored to each user,and the control system should be adjustable to optimise the exoskeleton's performance.

Limit state analysis of rigid retaining structures against seismically induced passive failure in heterogeneous soils

Soils are not necessarily uniform and may present linearly varied or layered characteristics,for example the backfilled soils behind rigid retaining walls.In the presence of large lateral thrust imposed by arch bridge,passive soil failure is possible.A reliable prediction of passive earth pressure for the design of such wall is challenging in complicated soil strata,when adopting the conventional limit analysis method.In order to overcome the challenge for generating a kinematically admissible velocity field and a statically allowable stress field,finite element method is incorporated into limit analysis,forming finiteelement upper-bound(FEUB)and finite-element lower-bound(FELB)methods.Pseudo-static,original and modified pseudo-dynamic approaches are adopted to represent seismic acceleration inputs.After generating feasible velocity and stress fields within discretized elements based on specific criteria,FEUB and FELB formulations of seismic passive earth pressure(coefficient K_(P))can be derived from work rate balance equation and stress equilibrium.Resorting to an interior point algorithm,optimal upper and lower bound solutions are obtained.The proposed FEUB and FELB procedures are well validated by limit equilibrium as well as lower-bound and kinematic analyses.Parametric studies are carried out to investigate the effects of influential factors on seismic K_(P).Notably,true solution of K_(P) is well estimated based on less than 5%difference between FEUB and FELB solutions under such complex scenarios.

A nano-sheet graphene-based enhanced thermal radiation composite for passive heat dissipation from vehicle batteries

In response to thermal runaway(TR)of electric vehicles,recent attention has been focused on mitigation strategies such as efficient heat dredging in battery thermal management.Thermal management with particular focus on battery cooling has been becoming increasingly significant.TR usually happened when an electric vehicle is unpowered and charged.In this state,traditional active battery cooling schemes are disabled,which can easily lead to dangerous incidents due to loss of cooling ability,and advanced passive cooling strategies are therefore gaining importance.Herein,we developed an enhanced thermal radiation material,consisting of~1μm thick multilayered nano-sheet graphene film coated upon the heat dissipation surface,thereby enhancing thermal radiation in the nanoscale.The surface was characterized on the nanoscale,and tested in a battery-cooling scenario.We found that the graphene-based coating's spectral emissivity is between 91% and 95% in the mid-infrared region,and thermal experiments consequently illustrated that graphene-based radiative cooling yielded up to15.1% temperature reduction when compared to the uncoated analogue.Using the novel graphene surface to augment a heat pipe,the temperature reduction can be further enlarged to 25.6%.The new material may contribute to transportation safety,global warming mitigation and carbon neutralization.

LFM Radar Source Passive Localization Algorithm Based on Range Migration

Traditional single-satellite passive localization algorithms are influenced by frequency and angle measurement accuracies,resulting in error estimation of emitter position on the order of kilometers.Subsequently,a single-satellite localization algorithm based on passive synthetic aper-ture(PSA)was introduced,enabling high-precision positioning.However,its estimation of azimuth and range distance is considerably affected by the residual frequency offset(RFO)of uncoopera-tive system transceivers.Furthermore,it requires data containing a satellite flying over the radia-tion source for RFO search.After estimating the RFO,an accurate estimation of azimuth and range distance can be carried out,which is difficult to achieve in practical situations.An LFM radar source passive localization algorithm based on range migration is proposed to address the dif-ficulty in estimating frequency offset.The algorithm first provides a rough estimate of the pulse repetition time(PRT).It processes intercepted signals through range compression,range interpola-tion,and polynomial fitting to obtain range migration observations.Subsequently,it uses the changing information of range migration and an accurate PRT to formulate a system of nonlinear equations,obtaining the emitter position and a more accurate PRT through a two-step localization algorithm.Frequency offset only induces a fixed offset in range migration,which does not affect the changing information.This algorithm can also achieve high-precision localization in squint scenar-ios.Finally,the effectiveness of this algorithm is verified through simulations.

Digital cancellation of multi-band passive inter-modulation based on Wiener-Hammerstein model

Utilizing multi-band and multi-carrier techniques enhances throughput and capacity in Long-Term Evolution(LTE)-Advanced and 5G New Radio(NR)mobile networks.However,these techniques introduce Passive Inter-Modulation(PIM)interference in Frequency-Division Duplexing(FDD)systems.In this paper,a novel multi-band Wiener-Hammerstein model is presented to digitally reconstruct PIM interference signals,thereby achieving effective PIM Cancellation(PIMC)in multi-band scenarios.In the model,transmitted signals are independently processed to simulate Inter-Modulation Distortions(IMDs)and Cross-Modulation Distortions(CMDs).Furthermore,the Finite Impulse Response(FIR)filter,basis function generation,and B-spline function are applied for precise PIM product estimation and generation in multi-band scenarios.Simulations involving 4 carrier components from diverse NR frequency bands at varying transmitting powers validate the feasibility of the model for multi-band PIMC,achieving up to 19 dB in PIMC performance.Compared to other models,this approach offers superior PIMC performance,exceeding them by more than 5 dB in high transmitting power scenarios.Additionally,its lower sampling rate requirement reduces the hardware complexity associated with implementing multi-band PIMC.

Influence of Slope Angle on the Walking of Passive Dynamic Biped Robot

In this paper, we modeled a simple planer passive dynamic biped robot without knee with point feet. This model has a stable, efficient and natural periodic gait which depends on the values of parameters like slope angle of inclined ramp, mass ratio and length ratio. The described model actually is an impulse differential equation. Its corresponding poincare map is discrete case. With the analysis of the bifurcation properties of poincare map, we can effectively understand some feature of impulse model. The ideas and methods to cope with this impulse model are common. But, the process of analysis is rigorous. Numerical simulations are reliable.

Detection of UAV Target Based on Continuous Radon Transform and Matched Filtering Process for Passive Bistatic Radar

Long-time integration technique is an effective way of improving target detection performance for unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)in the passive bistatic radar(PBR),while range migration(RM)and Doppler frequency migration(DFM)may have a major effect due to the target maneuverability.This paper proposed an innovative long-time coherent integration approach,regarded as Continuous Radon-matched filtering process(CRMFP),for low-observable UAV target in passive bistatic radar.It not only mitigates the RM by collaborative research in range and velocity dimensions but also compensates the DFM and ensures the coherent integration through the matched filtering process(MFP).Numerical and real-life data following detailed analysis verify that the proposed method can overcome the Doppler mismatch influence and acquire comparable detection performance.

RESEARCH ON PERFORMANCE INFLUENCE OF DIRECT-PATH SIGNAL FOR DVB-S BASED PASSIVE RADAR

Passive radar detects moving targets by Cross Ambiguity Function (CAF), which is based on the cross correlation process of the direct-path signal in reference channel and echo signal in receive channel. Thus, the performance of direct-path signal is important to system performance for this type of radar. While the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of direct-path signal is low, it will deteriorate the detection performance. In this paper, how SNR of direct-path signal induces degradation on the SNR of CAF, and how the integration gain affects by integration time are analyzed, both with theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, which are valuable for the R&D of passive radar.

Influence of Fly Ash on Brick Properties and the Impact of Fly Ash Brick Walls on the Indoor Thermal Comfort for Passive Solar Energy Efficient House

In quest for quality and sustainable development, it is necessary to find alternative materials, methods of brick making and house design. Bricks made in open kilns using locally available materials usually do not meet the requirements of the South African Bureau of Standards;hence it needs to add some ingredients such as fly ash to produce better quality bricks. This paper reports the effects of fly ash on properties of clay bricks that can improve the thermal performance of buildings. Bricks of different clay and fly ash mixing proportions were molded. A passive solar house was designed and constructed using fly ash bricks. Results indicate that thermal conductivity and water absorption decrease with increase in fly ash. Compressive strength was found to in-creases with increase in amount of fly ash. A mixing proportion of 50% of fly ash to 50% clay by volume produced a brick with the highest compressive strength, lowest thermal conductivity and minimum water absorption. The bricks were observed to have uniform size as they experience minimal burning shrinkage. These properties were found to have a significant impact on the thermal performance of the house. The mean indoor temperature swing was found to be 11&degC.

Coarse-fine joint target parameter estimation method based on AN-RSC in OFDM passive radar

In this paper,we study the accuracy of delay-Doppler parameter estimation of targets in a passive radar using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing(OFDM)signal.A coarse-fine joint estimation method is proposed to achieve better estimation accuracy of target parameters without excessive computational burden.Firstly,the modulation symbol domain(MSD)method is used to roughly estimate the delay and Doppler of targets.Then,to obtain high-precision Doppler estimation,the atomic norm(AN)based on the multiple measurement vectors(MMV)model(MMV-AN)is used to manifest the signal sparsity in the continuous Doppler domain.At the same time,a reference signal compensation(RSC)method is presented to obtain highprecision delay estimation.Simulation results based on the OFDM signal show that the coarse-fine joint estimation method based on AN-RSC can obtain a more accurate estimation of target parameters compared with other algorithms.In addition,the proposed method also possesses computational advantages compared with the joint parameter estimation.

The Effects of Thickness and Location of PCMon the Building’s Passive Temperature-Control–A Numerical Study

Building energy consumption and building carbon emissions both account for more than 20%of their total national values in China.Building employing phase change material(PCM)for passive temperature control shows a promising prospect in meeting the comfort demand and reducing energy consumption simultaneously.However,there is a lack of more detailed research on the interaction between the location and thickness of PCM and indoor natural convection,as well as indoor temperature distribution.In this study,the numerical model of a passive temperature-controlled building integrating the developed PCM module is established with the help of ANSYS.In which,the actual weather condition of Beijing city is set as the boundary conditions and the indoor natural convection is simulated with the consideration of radiation model.The effects of PCM’s thickness and location on the internal temperature field are analyzed and discussed.The results show that the room could maintain within the human comfort temperature range with the longest ratio of 94.10%and the shortest ratio of 51.04%as integrating PCM.In comparison,the value is only 26.70%without PCM.The room’s maximum temperature fluctuation can also be improved;it could be lowered by 64.4%compared to the normal condition.When the quantity of PCM is sufficient,further increasing the PCM amount results in a temperature fluctuation reduction of less than 0.1°C and does not increase the comfort time.Placing PCM on the wall induces an apparent variation in indoor temperature along the vertical direction.Conversely,placing PCM on the roof can lead to a heat transfer rate difference of up to seven times.The optimal placement of PCM depends on the difference between the environmental and phase change temperatures.If the difference is positive,placing PCM on the roof is more effective;conversely,the opposite holds.According to the results over the entire cycle,PCM application on vertical walls yields better performance.The significant difference in natural convection caused by the same thickness of PCM but different application positions,coupled with the influence of air movement on the melting and solidification of PCM,further impacts indoor temperature fluctuations and comfort.This study can provide guidance for the application location and thickness of PCM,especially for scenarios where temperature regulation is required at a specific time.

Equalization Reconstruction Algorithm Based on Reference Signal Frequency Domain Block Joint for DTMB-Based Passive Radar

Channel equalization plays a pivotal role within the reconstruction phase of passive radar reference signals.In the context of reconstructing digital terrestrial multimedia broadcasting(DTMB)signals for low-slow-small(LSS)target detection,a novel frequency domain block joint equalization algorithm is presented in this article.From the DTMB signal frame structure and channel multipath transmission characteristics,this article adopts a unconventional approach where the delay and frame structure of each DTMB signal frame are reconfigured to create a circular convolution block,facilitating concurrent fast Fourier transform(FFT)calculations.Following equalization,an inverse fast Fourier transform(IFFT)-based joint output and subsequent data reordering are executed to finalize the equalization process for the DTMB signal.Simulation and measured data confirm that this algorithm outperforms conventional techniques by reducing signal errors rate and enhancing real-time processing.In passive radar LSS detection,it effectively suppresses multipath and noise through frequency domain equalization,reducing false alarms and improving the capabilities of weak target detection.

Joint Active and Passive Beamforming Design for Hybrid RIS-Aided Integrated Sensing and Communication

Integrated sensing and communication(ISAC) is considered an effective technique to solve spectrum congestion in the future. In this paper, we consider a hybrid reconfigurable intelligent surface(RIS)-assisted downlink ISAC system that simultaneously serves multiple single-antenna communication users and senses multiple targets. Hybrid RIS differs from fully passive RIS in that it is composed of both active and passive elements, with the active elements having the effect of amplifying the signal in addition to phase-shifting. We maximize the achievable sum rate of communication users by collaboratively improving the beamforming matrix at the dual function base station(DFBS) and the phase-shifting matrix of the hybrid RIS, subject to the transmit power constraint at the DFBS, the signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio(SINR) constraint of the radar echo signal and the RIS constraint are satisfied at the same time. The builtin RIS-assisted ISAC design problem model is significantly non-convex due to the fractional objective function of this optimization problem and the coupling of the optimization variables in the objective function and constraints. As a result, we provide an effective alternating optimization approach based on fractional programming(FP) with block coordinate descent(BCD)to solve the optimization variables. Results from simulations show that the hybrid RIS-assisted ISAC system outperforms the other benchmark solutions.

Novel Cs-Mg-Al mixed oxide with improved mobility of oxygen species for passive NO_(x)adsorption

The development of passive NO_(x)adsorbers with cost-benefit and high NO_(x)storage capacity remains an on-going challenge to after-treatment technologies at lower temperatures associated with cold-start NO_(x)emissions.Herein,Cs_(1)Mg_(3)Al catalyst prepared by sol-gel method was cyclic tested in NO_(x)storage under 5 vol%water.At 100°C,the NO_(x)storage capacity(1219 μmol g^(-1))was much higher than that of Pt/BaO/Al_(2)O_(3)(610 μmol g^(-1)).This provided new insights for non-noble metal catalysts in low-temperature passive NO_(x)adsorption.The addition of Cs improved the mobility of oxygen species and thus improved the NO_(x)storage capacity.The XRD,XPS,IR spectra and in situ DRIFTs with NH3 probe showed an interaction between CsO_(x)and AlO_(x)sites via oxygen species formed on Cs_(1)Mg_(3)Al catalyst.The improved mobility of oxygen species inferred from O2-TPD was consistent with high NO_(x)storage capacity related to enhanced formation of nitrate and additional nitrite species by NO_(x)oxidation.Moreover,the addition of Mg might improve the stability of Cs_(1)Mg_(3)Al by stabilizing surface active oxygen species in cyclic experiments.

Application of Presumptive Consent in Passive Euthanasia

In the criminological system, passive euthanasia is an act that meets the constitutive elements. We should discard the traditional view of distinguishing between acts and omissions, but use genuine consent or presumptive consent under the patient’s right to self-determination as the basis for its justification. In general, the patient’s genuine consent takes precedence, but in case of the unavail-ability of the patient’s genuine consent, his or her presumptive consent should be applied as a substitute. The judgment of presumptive con-sent should follow the subsequence, with the living will of the patient applied first and then the substitute decision-making. If the patient’s personal will cannot be inferred after exhausting all available possi-bilities, the principle of prioritizing the interests of life should prevail, and the ongoing life-sustaining medical care should not be interrupted or terminated.

The Economic Demands on the Method of Founding a Passive Brick House on Foamed Glass Granulate

The cost of acquisition of a passive house is a little higher than that of a conventional house.Proper design of a passive house should include not only thermal protection and stability of the construction,but it must also take into account the price demands on each of the proposed structures and solution of details.The paper deals with the financial comparison of the traditional method of a foundation on the foundation strips of plain concrete and the modern method of founding a passive house as brick construction on the reinforced concrete slab base with a compact subsoil layer of thermal insulation in the form of granules of foamed glass.