The Adaptive Solar Facade: From concept to prototypes

The Adaptive Solar Facade (ASF) is a modular, highly integrated dynamic building facade.The energetic behavior as well as the architectural expression of the facade can be controlled with high spatio-temporal resolution through individually addressable modules. We present the general design process, the current mechanical design, and simulation results on photovoltaic power production and building energy consumption. We introduce the controller concept and show results on solar tracking as well as user interaction. Lastly, we present our current and planned prototypes.     

Six-layer lamination of a new dry film negative-tone photoresist for fabricating complex 3D microfluidic devices

We present a new epoxy-based negative-tone dry film photoresist (DFR) for fabricating multilayer microfluidic devices using a lamination process combined with a standard photolithography technology. As proof-of-concept, a complex 3D-hydrodynamic focusing device was produced via a six-layer lamination process of 33 µm-thick DFR layers. The bonding strength of the new DFR was tested on silicon, glass, and titanium substrates, respectively. A maximum bonding strength of 37 MPa was obtained for the dry film photoresist laminated on glass. No leakage was found, and burst tests proved excellent robustness and sealing reliability of the microchannels.     

From Single Molecules to Thin Film Electronics,Nanofibers, e‐Textiles and Power Cables: Bridging Length Scales with Organic Semiconductors

Organic semiconductors are the centerpiece of several vibrant research fields from single‐molecule to organic electronics, and they are finding increasing use in bioelectronics and even classical polymer technology. The versatile chemistry and broad range of electronic functionalities of conjugated materials enable the bridging of length scales 15 orders of magnitude apart, ranging from a single nanometer (10^?9 m) to the size of continents (10⁶ m). This work provides a taste of the diverse applications that can be realized with organic semiconductors. The reader will embark on a journey from single molecular junctions to thin film organic electronics, supramolecular assemblies, biomaterials such as amyloid fibrils and nanofibrillated cellulose, conducting fibers and yarns for e‐textiles, and finally to power cables that shuffle power across thousands of kilometers.     

Real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification in nanoliter volumes

Real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) is an isothermal method specifically designed for amplification of RNA. Fluorescent molecular beacon probes enable real-time monitoring of the amplification process. Successful identification, utilizing the real-time NASBA technology, was performed on a microchip with oligonucleotides at a concentration of 1.0 and 0.1 microM, in 10- and 50-nL reaction chambers, respectively. The microchip was developed in a silicon-glass structure. An instrument providing thermal control and an optical detection system was built for amplification readout. Experimental results demonstrate distinct amplification processes. Miniaturized real-time NASBA in microchips makes high-throughput diagnostics of bacteria, viruses, and cancer markers possible, at reduced cost and without contamination.     

Tailor‐made Polymeric Membranes based on Segmented Block Copolymers for CO2 Separation

This paper reports the design of a tailor made polymeric membrane by using poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(butylene terephthalate) (PEO‐PBT) multi‐block copolymers. Their properties are controlled by the fraction of the PEO phase and its molecular weight. To explain the effect of structural changes in copolymer membranes, transport properties of four gases (CO₂, H₂, N₂, and CH₄) are discussed. After characterization, the two best copolymers are selected in order to prepare tailor made blends by adding poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The best selected copolymer that contained 55 wt. % of 4000 g mol⁻¹ PEO produced a blend with high CO₂ permeability (∼190 barrer), which is twice the permeability of the pure copolymer. At the same time, an enhancement of CO₂/H₂ selectivity is observed (∼13). These results suggest that the morphology of PEO‐PBT can be well controlled by the addition of low‐molecular‐weight PEG, and consequently the gas transport properties can be tuned.     

Growth of PZN crystals with improved optical quality using the BSFT technique

The bottom seeded fluxothermal (BSFT) high-temperature solution growth technique was used to grow Pb(Zn/sub 1/3/Nb/sub 2/3/)O/sub 3/ (PZN) relaxor crystals. During the process, the seed was held in a cold spot of a Pt crucible having a relatively high temperature gradient. The method can separate the perovskite and pyrochlore phases, decrease the spontaneous nucleation, and increase the thermodynamic driving force resulting in larger crystals than those obtained by conventional slow-cooling techniques. The BSFT technique also can improve the quality of the structural and morphological characteristics, which has been demonstrated by visual observation, x-ray diffraction, Raman, ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS), and IR absorption measurements. These PZN crystals have less distortion in the unit cell, high optical transparency in the 390 nm-5700 nm range, and improved Pb-related stoichiometry.     

Transfer in artificial grammar learning: The role of repetition information.

In this article, the authors report 2 experiments that investigated the sources of information used in transfer and nontransfer tasks in artificial grammar learning. Multiple regression analyses indicated that 2 types of information about repeating elements were crucial for performance in both tasks: information about the repetition of adjacent elements and information about repetition of elements in the whole item. Similarity of test items to specific training items and chunk information influenced participants' judgments only in nontransfer tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)