Fast prototype and rapid construction of three-dimensional and multi-scaled pitcher for controlled drainage by systematic biomimicry

Biomimetic materials that use natural wisdom to solve practical problems are developing rapidly.The trend for systematic biomimicry is towards in-situ characterization of naturalcreatures with high spatial resolutions.Furthermore,rapid reconstruction of digital twin models with the same complex features as the prototype is indispensable.However,it faces bottlenecks and limits in fast characterization and fabrication,precise parameter optimization,geometricdeviations control,and quality prediction.To solve these challenges,here,we demonstrate astate-of-the-art method taking advantage of micro-computed tomography and three-dimensional printing for the fast characterization of the pitcher plant Nepenthes x ventrata and fabrication of its biomimetic model to obtain a superior drainage controller with multiscale structures withprecise surface morphology optimization and geometric deviation control.Thefilm-rupture-based drainage dynamic and mechanisms are characterized by x-ray and high-speed videography,which determines the crucial structures for unique directionaldrainage.Then the optimized artificial pitchers are further developed into sustained drainage devices with novel applications,such as detection,reaction,and smoke control.

Advances in microfluidic-based DNA methylation analysis

DNA methylation has been extensively investigated in recent years,not least because of its known relationship with various diseases.Progress in analytical methods can greatly increase the relevance of DNA methylation studies to both clinical medicine and scientific research.Microflu-idic chips are excellent carriers for molecular analysis,and their use can provide improvements from multiple aspects.On-chip molecular analysis has received extensive attention owing to its advantages of portability,high throughput,low cost,and high efficiency.In recent years,the use of novel microfluidic chips for DNA methylation analysis has been widely reported and has shown obvious superiority to conventional methods.In this review,wefirst focus on DNA methylation and its applications.Then,we discuss advanced microfluidic-based methods for DNA methylation analysis and describe the great progress that has been made in recent years.Finally,we summarize the advantages that microfluidic technology brings to DNA methylation analysis and describe several challenges and perspectives for on-chip DNA methylation analysis.This review should help researchers improve their understanding and make progress in developing microfluidic-based methods for DNA methylation analysis.

Method of measuring one-dimensional photonic crystal period-structure-film thickness based on Bloch surface wave enhanced Goos–H?nchen shift

This paper puts forward a novel method of measuring the thin period-structure-film thickness based on the Bloch surface wave(BSW) enhanced Goos–Hanchen(GH) shift in one-dimensional photonic crystal(1DPC). The BSW phenomenon appearing in 1DPC enhances the GH shift generated in the attenuated total internal reflection structure. The GH shift is closely related to the thickness of the film which is composed of layer-structure of 1DPC. The GH shifts under multiple different incident light conditions will be obtained by varying the wavelength and angle of the measured light, and the thickness distribution of the entire structure of 1DPC is calculated by the particle swarm optimization(PSO) algorithm.The relationship between the structure of a 1DPC film composed of TiO_(2) and SiO_(2) layers and the GH shift, is investigated.Under the specific photonic crystal structure and incident conditions, a giant GH shift, 5.1 × 10^(3) times the wavelength of incidence, can be obtained theoretically. Simulation and calculation results show that the thickness of termination layer and periodic structure bilayer of 1DPC film with 0.1-nm resolution can be obtained by measuring the GH shifts. The exact structure of a 1DPC film is innovatively measured by the BSW-enhanced GH shift.

Exploration and mitigation of protrusion behavior in Ga-ion doped h-BN memristors

Using hexagonal boron nitride(h-BN)to prepare resistive switching devices is a promising strategy.Various doping methods have aroused great interest in the semiconductor field in recent years,but many researchers have overlooked the various repetitive anomalies that occur during the testing process.In this study,the basic electrical properties and additive protrusion behavior of Ga-ion-doped h-BN memristors at micro–nanoscale during the voltage scanning process are investigated via atomic force microscopy(AFM)and energy dispersive spectroscopy.The additive protrusion behavior is subjected to exploratory research,and it is concluded that it is caused by anodic oxidation.An approach is proposed that involves filling the AFM chamber with nitrogen gas to improve the stability of memristor testing,and this method provides a solution for enhanced testing stability of memristors.

Design and error analysis of a high accurate star simulator based on optical splicing technology

Dynamic tar simulator has been widely used in calibration and validation for star trackers.To achieve both high accuracy and large view field,a dynamic star simulatorbased on optical splicing technology with 2 1920 × 1080- LCDs and a half-transmission and half- reflection prisms was proposed in this paper.The physical principal and error model due to the splicing structure has been discussed and analyzed in detail.Based on the Tsinghua Micro star tracker,the error effect and system accuracy has been carefully tested and calibrated.The result showed that this simulator can get the accuracy of 10.4 "(3sigma) within a field of view of,which can meet the simulating requirement of modern star tracker,whose accuracy can reach 3"(3sigma) 。

Investigation of high-quality-factor aluminum nitride MEMS cantilever resonators

This paper presents the design,fabrication,and characterization of cantilever-type resonators with a novel stacked structure.Aluminum nitride is adopted as the material for both the structural layer and the piezoelectric layer;this simplifies the fabrication process and improves the quality factor of the resonator.Both in-plane and out-of-planeflexural modes were investigated.The effect of the structural dimensions and electrode patterns on the resonator’s performance were also studied.Finite-element simulations and experiments examining anchor loss and thermoelastic damping,which are the main loss mechanisms affecting the quality factor of these resonators,were carried out.The optimal structural dimensions and electrode patterns of the cantilever-type resonators are presented.A quality factor of 7922 with a motional impedance of 88.52 kΩand a quality factor of 8851 with a motional impedance of 67.03 kΩwere achieved for the in-plane and out-of-planeflexural-mode resonators,respectively.The proposed resonator design will contribute to the development of high-performance devices such as accelerometers,gyroscopes,and pressure sensors.

Molecular dynamics simulation study of nitrogen vacancy color centers prepared by carbon ion implantation into diamond

Nitrogen vacancy(NV)color centers in diamond have useful applications in quantum sensing andfluorescent marking.They can be gen-erated experimentally by ion implantation,femtosecond lasers,and chemical vapor deposition.However,there is a lack of studies of the yield of NV color centers at the atomic scale.In the molecular dynamics simulations described in this paper,NV color centers are pre-pared by ion implantation in diamond with pre-doped nitrogen and subsequent annealing.The differences between the yields of NV color centers produced by implantation of carbon(C)and nitrogen(N)ions,respectively,are investigated.It is found that C-ion implantation gives a greater yield of NV color centers and superior location accuracy.The effects of different pre-doping concentrations(400–1500 ppm)and implantation energies(1.0–3.0 keV)on the NV color center yield are analyzed,and it is shown that a pre-doping concentra-tion of 1000 ppm with 2 keV C-ion implantation can produce a 13%yield of NV color centers after 1600 K annealing for 7.4 ns.Finally,a brief comparison of the NV color center identification methods is presented,and it is found that the error rate of an analysis utiliz-ing the identify diamond structure coordination analysis method is reduced by about 7%compared with conventional identification+methods.

Cylindrical coordinate measuring machines: probe offset and workpiece clamping error

A cylindrical coordinate measuring machine for the detection of large-size rotational parts is introduced. The measuring machine can simultaneously measure the geometrical dimensions, form and position errors of the inner and outer surfaces. Since the maximum length of the workpiece can reach 2 000 mm , it is difficult to be clamped and adjusted and easy to produce clamping error. The eccentricity can be up to 1.5 mm, which has an interaction effect with the probe mounting offset. We mainly study the probe offset of the measuring machine and the influence of the workpiece clamping error on the measurement. A method of controlling the offset of the measuring probe is proposed. The effect of the clamping error is eliminated through the space coordinate transformation of the workpiece axis, and the axis is fitted by the least square method. Finally, a common fixture can be realized to meet the clamping requirements of the workpiece.

Stylus deformation calibration and scale value extraction of REVO five-axis measuring system

REVO?is a dynamic measuring head and probe system,which is designed and applied in orthogonal coordinatemeasuring machines(CMMs)to maximize measurement throughput whilst maintaining high system accuracy.A calibration approachto the stylus deformation of REVO head is proposed and the scale value of each CMM axis is separated from the limiteddata returned from the measuring system according to the application of REVO head in non-orthogonal CMM.Experimentsshow that the calibration method presented and extraction of scale value are of effectiveness and correctness.Results demonstratethat the maximum measurement error has decreased from0.2021mm to0.0009mm and the variation of scale value ofeach CMM axis is two orders lower after the stylus deformation is compensated.

Orthogonally Linearly Polarized Dual Frequency Nd：YAG Lasers with Tunable Frequency Difference and Its Application in Precision Angle Measurement

The orthogonally linearly polarized dual frequency Nd： YA G lasers with two quarter wave plates in laser resonator are proposed. The intra-cavity variable birefringence, which is caused by relative rotation of these two wave plates in laser inner cavity, results in the frequency difference of the dual frequency laser also changeable. The theory model based on the Jones matrix is presented, as well as experimental results. The potential application of this phenomenon in precision roll-angle measurement is also discussed.

Effects of surface adsorbed oxygen, applied voltage, and temperature on UV photoresponse of ZnO nanorods

The ultraviolet（UV） photoresponses of ZnO nanorods directly grown on and between two micro Au-electrodes by using electric-field-assisted wet chemical method are measured comprehensively under different conditions, including ambient environment, applied bias voltage, gate voltage and temperature. Experimental results indicate that the photoresponses of the ZnO nanorods can be modulated by surface oxygen adsorptions, applied voltages, as well as temperatures. A model taking into account both surface adsorbed oxygen and electron-hole activities inside ZnO nanorods is proposed. The enhancement effect of the bias voltage on photoresponse is also analyzed. Experimental results shows that the UV response time（to 63%） of ZnO nanorods in air and at 59°C could be shortened from 34.8 s to 0.24 s with a bias of 4 V applied between anode and cathode.

3D Characteristic Diagram of Acoustically Induced Surface Vibration with Different Landmines Buried

The 3D characteristic diagram of acoustically induced surface vibration was employed to study the influence of different buried landmines on the acoustic detection signal. By using the vehicular experimental system for acoustic landmine detection and the method of scanning detection, the 3D characteristic diagrams of surface vibration were measured when different objects were buried underground, including big plastic landmine, small plastic landmine, big metal landmine and bricks. The results show that, under the given conditions, the surface vibration amplitudes of big plastic landmine, big metal landmine, small plastic landmine and bricks decrease in turn. The 3D characteristic diagrams of surface vibration can be used to further identify the locations of buried landmines.

Measurement of Temperature and Residual Strain during Fatigue of a CFRP Composite Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

Fatigue behaviour has important implications for engineering composite structures in sectors ranging from automotive to aerospace. Optical sensing technology displays excellent performance in these fields for monitoring. In this paper, temperature and residual strain during fatigue of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer（CFRP） are investigated. Four autoclaved CFRP beam specimens, with fiber Bragg grating（FBG） sensors and thermocouples embedded at selected locations, are subjected to three-point bending cyclic loading on the BOSE testing machine for fatigue testing. Thennocouples are used to measure the temperature while FBGs can sense the temperature and strain as well. Seven tests in total are conducted at different frequencies, and each test lasts for several days. From the experimental results, transient steep peaks of temperature increases （up to 2.3℃） are discovered at the beginning of the load. The following constant temperature increments are around 1.0℃, which is not relevant to frequencies from 0.1 Hz to 20 Hz and suspected due to fatigue. Residual strains of 1×10^-5-2×10^-5 during fatigue, fading away rapidly when unloading, are also reported. Embedded FBGs here are validated to sense temperature and strains in composite structures, which demonstrates promising potentials in structure monitoring fields. CFRP are verified to have an excellent performance during fatigue with low temperature increase and residual strain.

Characterization of a velocity-tunable ^(87)Rb cold atomic source with a high-speed imaging technology

This paper has developed and characterized a method to produce a velocity-tunable ^87Rb cold atomic source for atomic interferometry application. Using a high speed fluorescence imaging technology, it reports that the dynamic process of the atomic source formation is observed and the source performances including the flux and the initial velocity are characterized. A tunable atomic source with the initial velocity of 1.4-2.6 m/s and the atomic source flux of 2× 10^8 - 6 × 10^9 atoms/s has been obtained with the built experimental setup.

Highly sensitive and stretchable piezoelectric strain sensor enabled wearable devices for real-time monitoring of respiratory and heartbeat simultaneously

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic.The demand for devices or systems to diagnose and track COVID-19 infections noninvasively not only in hospitals but also in home settings has led to increased interest in consumer-grade wearables.A common symptom of COVID-19 is dyspnea,which may manifest as an increase in respiratory and heart rates.In this paper,a novel piezoelectric strain sensor is presented for real-time monitoring of respiratory and heartbeat signals.A highly sensitive and stretchable piezoelectric strain sensor is fabricated using a piezoelectric film with a serpentine layout.The thickness of the patterned PVDF flexible piezoelectric strain sensor is only 168μm,and the voltage sensitivity reaches 0.97 mV/με.The effective modulus is 13.5 MPa,which allows the device to fit to the skin and detect the small strain exhibited by the human body.Chest vibrations are captured by the piezoelectric sensor,which produces an electrical output voltage signal conformally mapped with respiratory–cardiac activities.The separate heart activity and respiratory signals are extracted from the mixed respiratory–cardiac signal by an empirical mode decomposition data processing algorithm.By detecting vital signals such as respiratory and heart rates,the proposed device can aid early diagnosis and monitoring of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.

Analysis and Prevention for Oscillation Failure of Capacitive Micro-accelerometers

As actuator of the force-rebalanced servo loop, the electrostatic force generator of the micro-accelerometer shows high nonlinearity while the interpole of the micro-electro-mechanical system（MEMS） sensor is far away from its balance position. The control system cannot rebalance itself with the limited bandwidth after an external long overload, because the characteristics of the force generator differ from normal case. Although for similar problems, solutions with cascading lead-lag blocks, with the anti-windup（AW） technology, or with the sliding-mode control, are widely reported, the problems such as performance loss or difficulty to synthesize a digital controller still remain. Based on existing researches, remedies are developed by analyzing the characteristic of the system not only near the balance position, but also corresponding to the whole moveable range of the interpole, and a new controller is proposed. The solution is compared with the common solutions of cascading lead-lag blocks method, AW methods, and sliding mode methods. Comparison results show that the proposed solution avoid performance loss, compared to cascading lead-lag blocks solution; the proposed solution is easily synthesized and implemented in the analog servo loop of the micro-accelerometer, compared to digital AW methods; at the same time, the proposed solution avoids suffering the chattering effect problem but just utilize it, compared to the sliding-mode control solution. Nevertheless, comparison results show the solution is lack of commonality, since the solution is only more suitable to micro electrostatic force-rebalance system. The SIMULINK models with and without the proposed solution, taking typical micro-accelerometer parameters, have been set up for simulation; corresponding experiments utilizing electrometric method are also conducted after the successful simulations. Simulation and experiment results verify that the micro-accelerometer will reliably return to normal operation after external long overload with the proposed solution. Therefore, it is expected to design the analog servo loop of high performance micro electrostatic force-rebalance system so as to ensure the rebalance after long overload without performance loss.

Cold atom clocks and their applications in precision measurements

Cold atom clocks have made remarkable progresses in the last two decades and played critical roles in precision measurements. Primary Cs fountain frequency standards have achieved a total uncertainty of a few parts in 1016, and the best optical clock has reached a type B uncertainty below 10-18. Besides applications in the metrology, navigation, etc.,ultra-stable and ultra-accurate atomic clocks have also become powerful tools in the basic scientific investigations. In this paper, we focus on the recent developments in the high-performance cold atomic clocks which can be used as frequency standards to calibrate atomic time scales. The basic principles, performances, and limitations of fountain clocks and optical clocks based on signal trapped ion or neutral atoms are summarized. Their applications in metrology and other areas are briefly introduced.

Model analysis and resonance suppression of wide-bandwidth inertial reference system

In the fields of earth observation,deep space detection,laser communication,and directional energyweapon,the target needs to be observed and pointed at accurately.Acquisition,tracking,and pointing(ATP)systems are usually designed to stabilize the line of sight(LOS)within sub-micro radian levels.In the case of an ATP system mounted on a mobile platform,angular disturbances experienced by the mobile platform will seriously affect the LOS.To overcome the problemthat the sampling frequency of detectors is usually limited and achieving several hundreds of hertz is difficult,thewide-bandwidth inertial reference system(WBIRS)and fast steeringmirror are usually integrated into ATP systems to mitigate these angular disturbances.To reduce the structural stress,a flexible support providing two rotational degrees of freedomis usually adopted for the system.However,the occurrence of resonant points within the bandwidthwill be inevitable.Measurements have to be taken to compensate these low-frequency resonant points to realize a wide bandwidth and high precision.In this paper,the lowfrequency resonant points of a systemwere simulated using finite element analysis and tested by a systemidentification method.The results show that the first-order resonance happened at 34.5 Hz with a gain of 28 dB.An improved double-T notch filter was designed and applied in a real-time system to suppress the resonance at 34.5 Hz.The experimental results show that the resonance was significantly suppressed.In particular,the resonance peak was reduced by 79.37%.In addition,the closed-loop system settling time was reduced by 36.2%.

Comparison Between MIR and NIR Spectroscopic Techniques for the Determination of Fat and Protein Contents in Milk

To compare mid-infrared(MIR)and near-infrared(NIR)spectroscopies for the determination of the fat and protein contents in milk,the same sample sets with varying concentrations of fat and protein were measured in the MIR range of 3 200-700 cm-1 and NIR range of 9 000-4 000 cm-1.The spectral features in the two regions were analyzed.The MIR spectra of milk were characteristic due to the MIR inherent molecular specificity,whereas the NIR spectra were relatively characterless due to the NIR low selectivity.Partial least squares(PLS)regression models for fat and protein were developed by using both MIR and NIR spectra.MIR data with no pretreatment gave better results than NIR data.The square correlation coefficient(R2)and the root mean square error of prediction(RMSEP)were 0.98 and 0.10 g/dL for fat and 0.97 and 0.11 g/dL for protein.With NIR techniques,satisfactory results were not obtained with raw data.However,NIR data after pretreatment gave similarly good results to the ones using MIR method.This paper indicates that either of the MIR and NIR spectral methods is reliable for the determination of the fat and protein contents.

Automatic Recognition Method for Optical Measuring Instruments Based on Machine Vision

Based on a comprehensive study of various algorithms, the automatic recognition of traditional ocular optical measuring instruments is realized. Taking a universal tools microscope(UTM) lens view image as an example, a 2-layer automatic recognition model for data reading is established after adopting a series of pre-processing algorithms. This model is an optimal combination of the correlation-based template matching method and a concurrent back propagation(BP) neural network. Multiple complementary feature extraction is used in generating the eigenvectors of the concurrent network. In order to improve fault-tolerance capacity, rotation invariant features based on Zernike moments are extracted from digit characters and a 4-dimensional group of the outline features is also obtained. Moreover, the operating time and reading accuracy can be adjusted dy-namically by setting the threshold value. The experimental result indicates that the newly developed algorithm has optimal recognition precision and working speed. The average reading ratio can achieve 97.23%. The recognition method can automatically obtain the results of optical measuring instruments rapidly and stably without modifying their original structure, which meets the application requirements.