Homogeneous and Universal Detection of Various Targets with a Dual-Step Transduced Toehold Switch Sensor

Toehold switch sensors represent a class of new advances that allow specific targets to trigger in situ expression of a protein reporter. Although they offer unique advantages of a label-free nature and high portability, they generally require repeated sequence design, high expenditure, and laborious optimization of toehold switch sequences according to different targets. To simplify the sensing process further and to improve its practicability, we innovatively introduce a dual-step pre-transduction upon traditional toehold switch sensor. Through two successive toehold-mediated strand-displacement reactions that are initiated, respectively, by a linear and an associative trigger, different DNAs, RNAs, or ligands of functional nucleic acids can be generally transduced into the input of one high-performance toehold switch sensor. This advance greatly increases the target range. Furthermore, the whole process is signal-on, homogeneous, and free of any requirements for complicated operations such as probe labeling, separation, and reconstruction of the toehold switch, being promising and practical even in portable or point-of-care assays.     

基于超声导波的水下管道缺陷检测

文中介绍一套可拆式传感器系统设计与制作,利用超声导波原理对水下管道的腐蚀进行检测,基于厚度剪切模式的压电陶瓷和可拆式固定装置组成,可拆式传感器系统包括传感器PZT特别设计,并且可以把传感器装置夹在要检测的管道上。当对水下设备的管道进行了一系列的测试,结果表明传感器系统能够有效地激发和接收T（0,1）模式的超声导波,由于T（0,1）模式超声导波能够在水下管道上长距离传播,因此适用于缺陷检测。人为缺口的回波信号与缺口的尺寸以及位置具有良好的相关性。研究表明这一可拆式传感器系统能够利用导波有效地对水下管道进行检测。     

Mathematical Analysis of Piezoelectric Sandwich Torsion Transducers Based on the d36-Effect

In the present article, we analyze a d₃₆-effect piezoelectric torsion transducer following the Saint-Venant torsion theory taking the electrical field into account. A representation of the stress function, the electric potential, and the warping function are derived and solved with finite differences. Then, the one-dimensional governing equations at the structural beam level, including the constitutive relations as well as the balance equations for the dynamics of the transducer, are presented. The axial moment and the total charge are computed as functions of the rate of twist and the applied potential difference. As an example, a cantilevered transducer is studied.     

The influence of temperature and humidity on the sensitivity of torque transducers

This paper presents a study of the effect of temperature and relative humidity on the sensitivity and the characteristics of torque transducers such as residual zero torque, reversibility and creep. Temperature and humidity coefficients of the sensitivity take positive as well as negative values. Linear dependence is found between the influence of temperature/relative humidity and the applied load. For some torque transducers, under temperature change the sensitivity has a transient overshoot reaching up to 3 times the steady amplitude. Also there is a small effect of temperature/relative humidity on the transducer’s parameters such as residual zero torque, reversibility and creep. Equations are presented to predict the effect of temperature/relative humidity changes on the sensitivity of torque transducers.     

Modelling of attenuation of Lamb waves using Rayleigh damping: Numerical and experimental studies

In this study, the Lamb mode attenuation constants were derived in terms of the attenuation coefficient, group velocity and central frequency of excitation of the Lamb mode, using the Rayleigh damping model. Attenuation of Lamb waves, both fundamental symmetric and anti-symmetric modes, propagating through viscoelastic media (cross-ply glass/epoxy laminate) was modelled using the Finite Element Method. Numerically simulated attenuation of Lamb waves using Lamb mode attenuation constants was found to be in good agreement with the assumed attenuation. Experiments were performed on a quasi-isotropic laminate, employing air-coupled ultrasonic transducers, to measure the attenuation coefficient. Lamb mode attenuation constants, computed using the attenuation coefficient, were used to model the attenuation of the Lamb mode in quasi-isotropic laminates. Numerically simulated amplitude variation was found to be in good agreement with that computed from experiments.     

Finite element analysis of piezoelectric underwater transducers for acoustic characteristics

This paper presents a simulation technique for analyzing acoustic characteristics of piezoelectric underwater transducers. A finite element method is adopted for modeling piezoelectric coupled problems including material damping and fluid-structure interaction problems by taking system matrices in complex form. For the finite element modeling of unbounded acoustic fluid, infinite wave envelope element (IWEE) is adopted to take into account the infinite domain. An in-house finite element program is developed and technical issues for implementing the program are explained. Using the simulation program, acoustic characteristics of tonpilz transducer are analyzed in terms of modal analysis, radiated pressure distribution, pressure spectrum, transmitting-voltage response and impedance analysis along with experimental comparison. The developed simulation technique can be used for designing ultrasonic transducers in the areas of nondestructive evaluation, underwater acoustics and bioengineering. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Maenghyo Cho Jaehwan Kim received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Inha University, in 1985. He received his M.S. degree from KAIST in 1987 and his Ph.D. degree from The Pennsylvania State University in 1995. Dr. Kim is currently a Professor of the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at Inha University, Inchoen, Korea. He serves as an Associate Editor of Smart Materials and Structures. He is the director of Creative Research Center for EAPap Actuator supported by KOSEF. Dr. Kim’s research interests are smart materials such as piezoelectric materials, electroactive polymers and their applications including sensors, actuators, motors and MEMS devices. Heung Soo Kim received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in the Department of Aerospace Engineering from Inha University, Korea in 1997 and 1999, respectively. He obtained his Ph. D degree in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Arizona State University in 2003. He is now working as an assistant professor in the School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Catholic University of Daegu. His main research interests are in biomimetic actuators and sensors, structural health monitoring, smart materials and structures as applied to aerospace structures and vehicles.     

汽车变速器模糊综合评价系统的研究

运用模糊综合评价方法对汽车变速器的燃油经济性、动力性、寿命和噪声目标进行了总体评价,结合CA141 汽车变速器对该评价系统进行验证,其结果能客观地反映汽车变速器的性能等级     

宽带水声发射系统换能器分段匹配方法研究

换能器与功率放大器之间的匹配网络设计是宽带大功率水声发射系统的关键技术之一。把水声换能器、功率放大器及其联系两者的匹配网络视为一整体,从系统的观点出发,提出了一种分频段匹配宽带水声换能器的处理方法。通过对水声换能器的导纳特性和发射电压响应的分析,合理地选择匹配网络参数。该方法能充分发挥换能器在不同频段中的特性,实现水声发射系统的宽频带工作。水池实验验证了该方案的有效性:在2~16 kHz带宽范围内,发射电压响应级起伏ΔTVR和发射声源级起伏ΔSL均得到改善,尤其在感兴趣的4~15 kHz的宽带范围内,功率因数得到显著改善,功放管耗明显降低,发射电压响应级起伏ΔTVR从21 dB降到14 dB,发射电压声源级起伏ΔSL从24 dB降到7 dB,但对功放的安全保护电路提出了更高的要求。     

航空发动机试验传感器温漂数据有效性验证

针对航空发动机在台架试车中出现的传感器温漂故障,提出了基于经验模式分解(EMD)和Hilbert变换的航空发动机传感器数据有效性验证方法。首先,介绍了航空发动机传感器常见的失效模式以及EMD分解和Hilbert变换方法,并将其引入航空发动机传感器信号分析领域;然后,利用该方法对传感器故障信号进行分解,提取航空发动机传感器故障信号特征,通过故障信号重构和残差向量分析判断故障的严重程度,将原始信号中的故障信号予以剔除;最后,重构有效的信息成分,实现对数据的有效性验证。实例计算与分析验证了该方法在航空发动机传感器温漂数据有效性验证方面是有效的。