Effect of carminomycin on the enzyme systems of the metabolism of active forms of oxygen and on free-radical lipid oxidation in August rats with Walker carcinosarcoma 256

The influence of carminomycin (CM) on enzymic systems of metabolism of oxygen active forms, free radical lipid peroxidation and microviscosity of membrane lipids as well as toxic and antitumour action of CM were studied in normal and tumour-bearing rats. Detected responses of the system of superoxide anion- and H2O2 metabolism reflected the role of active oxygen forms in CM toxicity. The investigation results of the lipid peroxidation fluorescent products level and microsomal lipid phase microviscosity did not suppose stimulation of lipid peroxidation as key mechanism for CM toxic effects. Problems on the prevention and treatment of anthracyclines side effects are discussed.     

Explosive emission phenomena in the metal-insulator-vacuum system

The process resulting in the high voltage breakdown of a vacuum gap has been considered. It is shown that the reason for this breakdown is likely to be the presence of non-metallic microsites or layers in the field cathode. In this case, in the metal-insulator-vacuum (MIV) systems being considered, some processes occur that are analogous to those accompanying the functioning of thin-film forming cathodes of the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) sandwich type. Proceeding from this assumption, a method for estimating the (I-V) characteristics of a pre-explosion current has been proposed and experimental results agree with each other.     

A Nonstationary Model for the Electromyogram

A theoretical model of the electromyographic (EMG) signal has been developed. In the model, the neural pulse train inputs were considered to be point processes which passed through linear, time-invariant systems that represented the respective motor unit action potential. The outputs were then summed to produce the EMG. It was assumed, that in the production of muscle force, the controlled parameter was the number of active motor units, n(t). The model then showed that the EMG can be represented as an amplitude modulation process of the form EMG = [Kn(t)1/2 w(t) with the stochastic process, w(t), having the spectral and probability characteristics of the EMG during a constant contraction. Various assumptions made in the model development have been verified by experiments.     

A fuzzy logic control for antilock braking system integrated in the IMMa tire test bench

The use of fuzzy control strategies has recently gained enormous acknowledgement for the control of nonlinear and time-variant systems. This article describes the development of a fuzzy control method for a tire antilock system in vehicles while braking, integrated in a tire test bench, thereby allowing us to imitate the functioning and to understand the behavior of these systems in a reliable way. One of the inconveniences found in the development of these systems has been the difficulty of adjustment to the real conditions of a functioning vehicle. The main advantage obtained when using the tire test bench is the possibility of being able to reproduce the conditions established as fundamental to the operation of the antilock brake system (ABS) in a reliable and repetitive way, and to adjust these systems until optimal performance is obtained. The fuzzy control system has been developed and tested in the tire test bench to be able to refine its fundamental parameters, obtaining adequate results in all the studied conditions. The ease of the bench for the development and verification of new control systems for ABS has been demonstrated.     

MXene-ZnO Memristor for Multimodal In-Sensor Computing

Recently, in-sensor computing with individual sensors or multiple connected sensors directly processing information has been proposed to improve energy, area, and time efficiency of artificial intelligence systems. Current investigations mainly focus on a single sensory processing such as auditory, visual, tactile, olfactory, and so on. However, a human perception system can sense and process different types of information with a complex environment and small perceptive field simultaneously. For example, the recognition accuracy of human eyes is highly affected by the environment such as extremely low or high relative humidity (RH). Here, a multi-modal MXene-ZnO memristor that combines visual data sensing, RH sensing, and pre-processing functions to emulate the unique environmental adaptive behavior of the human eye is designed and constructed. The multi-field controlled resistive switching of the MXene-ZnO memristor is originated from the photon-/protons-regulated formation of oxygen vacancies filaments. Finally, in-sensor computing with a MXene-ZnO memristor functioning as both filter to preprocess the information and synapse to implement a weight updating process with different humidity adaptability has been demonstrated. Multimodal in-sensor computing provides the potential to reduce the underlying circuitry complexity of the traditional neuromorphic visual system and contributes to the development of intelligence in device-level implementations.     

Tribotronics for Active Mechanosensation and Self‐Powered Microsystems

Tribotronics has attracted great attention as a new research field that encompasses the control and tuning of semiconductor transport by triboelectricity. Here, tribotronics is reviewed in terms of active mechanosensation and human–machine interfacing. As a fundamental unit, contact electrification field‐effect transistors are analyzed, in which the triboelectric potential can be used to control electrical transport in semiconductors. Several tribotronic functional devices have been developed for active control and information sensing, which has demonstrated triboelectricity‐controlled electronics and established active mechanosensation for the external environment. In addition, the universal triboelectric power management strategy and the triboelectric nanogenerator‐based constant sources are also reviewed, in which triboelectricity can be managed by electronics in the reverse action. With the implantation of triboelectric power management modules, the harvested triboelectricity by various kinds of human kinetic and environmental mechanical energy can be effectively managed as a power supply for self‐powered microsystems. In terms of the research prospects for interactions between triboelectricity and semiconductors, tribotronics is expected to demonstrate significant impact and potential applications in micro‐electro‐mechanical systems/nano‐electro‐mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), flexible electronics, robotics, wireless sensor network, and Internet of Things.     

A model of molecular electronics based on the concept of conjugated lonic–hydrogen bond systems

A new model of lmolecular electronics is proposed as an alternative to the ‘soliton logic’ developed by Carter. The model is based on the principles of continuity of conjugated ionic–hydrogen bond systems (CIHBSs) in the construction of supramolecular structures and conjugation through the hydrogen bond in energy transduction. It is presumed that these principles are realized in biostructures. The Concept implies a symmetrica oligomeric organisation of supramolecular structures and an oscillatory mode of their functioning. The basic architecture and basic elements have been identified. The basic architecture is determined by periodic CIHBSs. The latter have been analysed in proteins, nucleoproteids and biomembranes. The basic elements contain groups capable of building in CIHBSs. Charge generators, valves and other basic elements contain groups capable of building in CIHBSs. Charge generators, valves and other basic elements have been distinguished among biomolecules. Oligomeric enzymes have been suggested as functional prototypes of molecular processors–multivibrators where CIHBSs form Feedback loops and Provide energy recuperation. Technologcal aspects of designing molecular electronic devices on CIHBS principles have been considered. The most challenging and complicated problem is the creation of supramolecular structures with properties which can be specified in advance. Synthesis of membrane two-dimensional active media capable of storing and processing information in the mode of parallel fluxes is suggested as the most promising route for the fabrication of biochips.     

Electrical characterization of crystal defects and oxygen in czochralski silicon using a gate-controlled diode

Defect generation in Czochralski (CZ) silicon crystal during heat treatment and effect of the defects on generation currents, measured by gate controlled diodes, were investigated. Sample wafers were obtained from an as-grown CZ silicon ingot which has a wide range of oxygen concentration but keeps other characteristics nearly constant. In the diode fabrication process, a two-step heat treatment method was utilized to control defect generation. It was found that stacking faults and dislocation loops, whose densities depend on oxygen concentration, increase the reverse current of the diode and the reverse current increases caused by defects vary with heat treatment condition. The most noticeable result was that the reverse current is enhanced by increasing oxygen concentration, even if no defect is observed in the device active region because of low defect density induced by heat treatment or of denuded zone formation. This result suggests the existence of some kind of electrically active defect caused by oxygen atoms in the crystal. Surface generation current is independent of crystal quality and two-step heat treatment conditions.     

衬底温度对ZnO薄膜氧缺陷的影响

采用射频磁控溅射在石英玻璃和单晶硅Si(100)衬底上制备了ZnO薄膜，研究了衬底温度对ZnO薄膜中氧缺陷的影响。实验发现，ZnO薄膜c轴取向性随温度的升高而增强；当衬底温度达到550。C时，XRD谱上仅出现一个强的(002)衍射峰和一个弱的(004)衍射峰，显示ZnO具有优异c轴取向性。同时，随着温度的升高，ZnO薄膜的紫外透射截止边带向高波长方向漂移，其电导率也随衬底温度的升高逐渐增大，表明薄膜中的氧缺陷逐渐增多。这种氧缺陷是由于ZnO的氧平衡分压高于Zn所致，可通过提高溅射气体中氧含量来改善。     

基于跟踪精度控制的传感器管理方法研究

军用多传感器系统往往需要在保证完成任务的同时,尽可能地隐蔽自己,为此要求传感器管理系统必须能够在满足跟踪精度要求的前提下,最大限度地降低对资源的使用,特别是减少主动传感器的开机时间。基于该目的,讨论了一种基于跟踪精度控制的传感器管理方法,该方法利用协方差控制技术,保证系统在满足给定性能指标的前提下,对传感器资源的利用最少,从而提高了系统的抗毁性。同时对给定精度过高,造成的系统无解情况给出了一种解决方案,并通过对一个单目标跟踪场景的仿真,验证了该方法的有效性。     

Kinetics of growth and plasma destruction of polymer films deposited in a glow discharge in methane

The kinetics of the deposition of polymer films in methane plasma and the kinetics of their plasma destruction in argon and oxygen has been investigated experimentally. It has been shown that, in the studied range of conditions, both processes are stationary and proceed in the kinetic mode; moreover, the dependences of the deposition rate on the external parameters of the discharge correspond to a radical or radicalionic polymerization mechanism. It has been proposed that the rate of polymer film destruction in the argon and oxygen plasma is controlled by heterogeneous processes with the participation of intrinsic plasma ultraviolet radiation.     

Biological Redox Mediation in Electron Transport Chain of Bacteria for Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts in Lithium–Oxygen Batteries

Governing the fundamental reaction in lithium–oxygen batteries is vital to realizing their potentially high energy density. Here, novel oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts capable of mediating the lithium and oxygen reaction within a solution‐driven discharge, which promotes the solution‐phase formation of lithium peroxide (Li₂O₂), are reported, thus enhancing the discharge capacity. The new catalysts are derived from mimicking the biological redox mediation in the electron transport chain in Escherichia coli, where vitamin K2 mediates the oxidation of flavin mononucleotide and the reduction of cytochrome b in the cell membrane. The redox potential of vitamin K2 is demonstrated to coincide with the suitable ORR potential range of lithium–oxygen batteries in aprotic solvent, thereby enabling its successful functioning as a redox mediator (RM) triggering the solution‐based discharge. The use of vitamin K2 prevents the growth of film‐like Li₂O₂ even in an ether‐based electrolyte, which has been reported to induce surface‐driven discharge and early passivation of the electrode, thus boosting the discharge capacity by ≈30 times. The similarity of the redox mediation in the biological cell and lithium–oxygen “cell” inspires the exploration of redox active bio‐organic compounds for potential high‐performance RMs toward achieving high specific energies for lithium–oxygen batteries.     

Diminution des densités de courant de seuil dans le cas d’une structure planaire antiguidante de type GaSb/GalnAsSb/GaSb par adjonction d’une couche métallique

The propagating optical modes in antiguiding GaSb/ GaInAsSb/GaSb heterostructures are studied. Experiments have shown that laser action can be obtained in these heterostructures in spite of the fact that the active GaInAsSb refractive index is lower than that of GaSb. Our calculations show that if a reflecting gold coating is introduced at the appropriate distance from the active layer the gain in the active layer required to achieve a net positive gain for the guided wave is significantly reduced. This configuration is equivalent to a pair of antiguiding layers. It should lead to a significant reduction in threshold current. The threshold current has been calculated and compared with that of a simple thick antiguiding layer having the same composition.     

Sliding-mode control of a nonlinear-input system: application to amagnetically levitated fast-tool servo

Magnetic servo levitation (MSL) is currently being investigated as an alternative to drive fast-tool servo systems that could overcome the range limitations inherent to piezoelectric driven devices while operating over a wide bandwidth. To control such systems, a feedback-linearized controller coupled with a Kalman filter has been previously described. Performance limitations that degrade tracking accuracy suggest the use of a more robust controller design approach, such as sliding-mode control. Current literature on sliding mode deals almost exclusively with systems that are affine on the input, while the magnetic fast-tool servo is nonlinear on it when the control action is current command. This paper discusses a sliding mode-based controller that overcomes the aforementioned problem by defining a modified sliding condition to calculate control action. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of achieving long-range fast tracking with magnetically levitated devices by using sliding-mode control     

A new 3-D finite-element model based on thin-film approximation for microelectrode array recording of extracellular action potential.

A transient finite-element model has been developed to simulate an extracellular action potential recording in a tissue slice by a planar microelectrode array. The thin-film approximation of the active neuron membrane allows the simulation within single finite-element software of the intracellular and extracellular potential fields. In comparison with a compartmental neuron model, it is shown that the thin-film approximation-based model is able to properly represent the neuron bioelectrical behavior in terms of transmembrane current and potential. Moreover, the model is able to simulate extracellular action potential recordings with properties similar to those observed in biological experiments. It is demonstrated that an ideal measurement system model can be used to represent the recording microelectrode, provided that the electronic recording system adapts to the electrode-tissue interface impedance. By comparing it with a point source approximated neuron, it is also shown that the neuron three-dimensional volume should be taken into account to simulate the extracellular action potential recording. Finally, the influence of the electrode size on the signal amplitude is evaluated. This parameter, together with the microelectrode noise, should be taken into account in order to optimize future microelectrode designs in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio.     

Piezoelectric Nanogenerators Derived Self-Powered Sensors for Multifunctional Applications and Artificial Intelligence

With the arrival of the Internet of Things (IoTs) era, there is a growing requirement for systems with many sensor nodes in a variety of fields of applications. The demands for wireless, sustainable and independent operation are becoming more and more important for large-scale sensor networks and systems. For these purposes, a self-powered sensory system that can utilize the self-harvested energy from its surroundings to drive the sensors and directly sense external stimuli has attracted great attention. The invention and rapid development of piezoelectric generators (PENGs), which take Maxwell's displacement current as the driving force, has been pushing forward research on self-powered active mechanical sensors, electronic skins, and human-robotic interaction. Here, this review starts with a brief introduction of piezoelectric materials, fabrication, and performance improvement. Then, the energy harvesters used for self-power systems based on recent progress are reviewed. After that, PENGs applications toward recent self-powered active sensors are divided into four aspects and highlighted, respectively. Moreover, some challenges and future directions for the self-powered multifunctional sensors are put forward. It is believed that through the continuous investigations into PENG-based self-powered active sensors, they will soon be used in touch screens, electronic skins, health care, environmental monitoring, and intelligence systems.     

Electrochemical behavior of copper and cobalt in post-etch cleaning solutions

Cleaning is one of the key steps of the integration of self aligned barriers (SAB) in microelectronic devices for 32 nm technology and below. It is hence important to investigate the impact of different cleaning solutions on the metallic components of SAB, mainly in which concerns their surface stability. In this sense, the electrochemical behavior of copper and cobalt was studied under potentiodynamic conditions in different aqueous solutions of glycolic acid (GA) with and without benzotriazole (BTA) inhibitor.It has been observed that the presence of glycolic acid induces a monotonic increase of copper corrosion and a slight decrease in the case of cobalt. The cobalt dissolution remains nonetheless very active and is shown to be governed by oxygen reduction reaction. The addition of BTA, a well-known corrosion inhibitor for copper has shown to be also effective in the case of Co surfaces, with a ca 15-fold reduction of the intrinsic Co corrosion current density.The possibility of galvanic coupling between both metals, supposed to enhance the Co dissolution, has also been qualitatively investigated and seems not to be a determinant factor in these conditions.     

Generator Operation of a Switched Reluctance Starter/Generator at Extended Speeds

Switched reluctance (SR) drive systems are a candidate technology for electric vehicle applications, particularly where a high degree of component integration is required within a thermally demanding environment-typical of engine-mounted power-assist solutions. This paper discusses the design, prototype realization, and test validation of an SR machine for a mild-hybrid power-assist starter/alternator application that has performance requirements of both high starting torque and a wide speed range at full power. While a number of papers on SR machine design for automotive starter/alternator applications have been published, a comprehensive case study discussing the design and application issues has not been published. This paper focuses on the impact of the performance requirements and volumetric and environmental constraints on the machine design. It is shown that a higher number of stator and rotor poles is more appropriate for the utilization of the available active volume. While various operation and fault scenarios have been presented for SR drive systems, this paper also discusses test observations that suggest the potential for the transient self-excitation of the SR generator via residual magnetization of the machine rotor-a fault scenario that has only been briefly reported on.     

A distributed location system for the active office

Distributed systems for locating people and equipment will be at the heart of tomorrow's active offices. Computer and communications systems continue to proliferate in the office and home. Systems are varied and complex, involving wireless networks and mobile computers. However, systems are underused because the choices of control mechanisms and application interfaces are too diverse. It is therefore pertinent to consider which mechanisms might allow the user to manipulate systems in simple and ubiquitous ways, and how computers can be made more aware of the facilities in their surroundings. Knowledge of the location of people and equipment within an organization is such a mechanism. Annotating a resource database with location information allows location-based heuristics for control and interaction to be constructed. This approach is particularly attractive because location techniques can be devised that are physically unobtrusive and do not rely on explicit user action. The article describes the technology of a system for locating people and equipment, and the design of a distributed system service supporting access to that information. The application interfaces made possible by or that benefit from this facility are presented     

Active learning in robotics: A review of control principles

Active learning is a decision-making process. In both abstract and physical settings, active learning demands both analysis and action. This is a review of active learning in robotics, focusing on methods amenable to the demands of embodied learning systems. Robots must be able to learn efficiently and flexibly through continuous online deployment. This poses a distinct set of control-oriented challenges—one must choose suitable measures as objectives, synthesize real-time control, and produce analyses that guarantee performance and safety with limited knowledge of the environment or robot itself. In this work, we survey the fundamental components of robotic active learning systems. We discuss classes of learning tasks that robots typically encounter, measures with which they gauge the information content of observations, and algorithms for generating action plans. Moreover, we provide a variety of examples – from environmental mapping to nonparametric shape estimation – that highlight the qualitative differences between learning tasks, information measures, and control techniques. We conclude with a discussion of control-oriented open challenges, including safety-constrained learning and distributed learning.