A New Hand-Held Microsystem Architecture for Biological Analysis

This paper presents a hand-held microsystem based on new fully integrated magnetoresistive biochips for biomolecular recognition (DNA hybridization, antibody antigen interaction, etc.). Magnetoresistive chip surfaces are chemically treated, enabling the immobilization of probe biomolecules such as DNA or antibodies. Fluid handling is also integrated in the biochip. The proposed microsystem not only integrates the biochip, which is an array of 16times16 magnetoresistive sensors, but it also provides all the electronic circuitry for addressing and reading out each transducer. The proposed architecture and circuits were specifically designed for achieving a compact, programmable and portable microsystem. The microsystem also integrates a hand-held analyzer connected through a wireless channel. A prototype of the system was already developed and detection of magnetic nanoparticles was obtained. This indicates that the system may be used for magnetic label based bioassays     

A New Comb Circular Polarizer Suitable for Millimeter‐Band Application

This letter presents a new polarizer which has a simple comb structure inside a circular waveguide. The electrical performance of the proposed comb polarizer is optimized by a circular waveguide radius and by the physical parameters of the comb plates. This polarizer is suitable for providing good performance in millimeter‐band application because of its simple structure and low fabrication cost. In our experiments the dual‐band comb polarizer designed in band 1(K) and band 2(Ka) showed good electrical performance without any tuning elements.     

Pathogenicity of three species of entomopathogenic nematodes to some major stored-product insect pests

Entomopathogenic nematodes (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae) are commonly used biological control agents of insects in cryptic habitats, but their potential for suppressing stored-product insects in these habitats has not been explored previously. Here, we provide data from the first step in a program to evaluate entomopathogenic nematodes in the genus Steinernema as biological control agents of stored-product pests by determining their pathogenicity to some of the major stored-product pest species. When evaluated against larvae, pupae and adults of six pest species (Plodia interpunctella, Ephestia kuehniella, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Tenebrio molitor, Tribolium castaneum, and Trogoderma variabile), and the adults of two additional pest species (Sitophilus oryzae and Rhyzopertha dominica), Steinernema riobrave was either the most pathogenic or of similar pathogenicity compared to S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae. A dose of 10 infective juveniles of S. riobrave caused 80% or higher mortality against larvae of P. interpunctella, E. kuehniella, T. castaneum, and O. surinamensis, pupae of T. castaneum and T. molitor, and adults of T. molitor and the two moth species. All stages of Trogoderma variabile exhibited 70% or higher mortality. Adults of S. oryzae and R. dominica exhibited low susceptibility with 15% and 35% mortality, respectively. On the basis of these results, S. riobrave was selected for further evaluation under more field-like conditions.     

On the Feasibility of Growing Pb[(Zn1/3Nb2/3)0.91Ti0.09]O3 Single Crystals

Pb[(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)_0.91Ti_0.09]O₃ (PZNT91/9) single crystals were grown by two methods: from solution using PbO as a self‐fluxing agent (SC method) and directly from the melt without fluxing (MC method). In both growth methods, an allomeric Pb[(Mg_1/3‐Nb_2/3)_0.69Ti_0.31]O₃ (PMNT69/31) single crystal was used as a seed. X‐ray diffraction patterns of ground crystals showed that phase‐pure perovskite PZNT91/9 single crystals were successfully fabricated by the above two methods. The composition of the crystals obtained by both the SC and MC methods was analyzed using X‐ray fluorescence, which confirmed that the crystal composition is close to the nominal value, although volatilization of PbO and segregation during crystal growth are inevitable. The MC PZNT91/9 crystals exhibit excellent piezoelectric properties, with the piezoelectric constant, d₃₃, in the range of 1800–2200 pC N^–1. This value is comparable to that of the SC crystals. However, the MC crystals show an abnormal dielectric behavior. In contrast with the SC crystals, in the MC crystals a much broader dielectric peak appears in the dielectric response curves, accompanied by a much lower peak temperature of around 105 °C. Furthermore, frequency dispersion is apparent over a much wider temperature range (even more apparent than in pure relaxors), where a large, i.e., about 70 °C, full width at half maximum (FWHM) for the dielectric peaks is observed in the dielectric response. It is speculated that such an unusual phenomenon correlates with defects, microinhomogeneities, and polar regions in the as‐grown MC crystals. The origins of this abnormality have not been interpreted in detail until now. However, optical observation of the domain structure confirms that both the SC and MC crystals possess complex structural states.     

Quasi-static stress fields for a crack inclined to the property gradation in functionally graded materials

Summary.  Quasi-static stress fields for a crack inclined to the direction of property gradation in functionally graded materials (FGMs) are obtained through an asymptotic analysis coupled with Westergaard's stress function approach. The elastic modulus of the FGM is assumed to vary exponentially along the gradation direction. The mode mixity due to the inclination of the property gradient is accommodated in the analysis through superposition of opening and shear modes. The first four terms in the expansion of the stress field are derived to explicitly bring out the influence of nonhomogeneity on the structure of the stress field. Using these stress field contours of constant maximum shear stress, constant maximum principal stress, constant first stress invariant and constant out of plane displacement are generated, and the effect of inclination of the property gradation direction on these contours is discussed. Received September 22, 2002 Published online: May 20, 2003 The financial support of National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant no. CMS 99000138 is gratefully acknowledged.     

Graphitization of porous 6H-SiC layers during thermal treatment in vacuum

We have studied the effect of thermal treatment in vacuum on the optical transmission of 6H-SiC samples with a porous layer on the Si face in the visible and near infrared spectral range. An analysis of changes in the absorption coefficient shows that the process of graphitization begins at a temperature below 70°C.     

Relevance of coupling effects on DRA array design

A finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) approach is proposed in order to obtain suitable criteria for the design of a four-element dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) array. The numerical analysis is focused on the study of the electromagnetic coupling phenomena arising between DRA fed by a microstrip-slot transition. Scattering parameters behavior and radiation patterns are determined by taking advantage of the geometrical symmetry of the structure, analyzing only one half or one quarter of the entire domain through two or four separate FDTD runs.     

Full-diversity, high-rate space-time block codes from division algebras

We present some general techniques for constructing full-rank, minimal-delay, rate at least one space-time block codes (STBCs) over a variety of signal sets for arbitrary number of transmit antennas using commutative division algebras (field extensions) as well as using noncommutative division algebras of the rational field /spl Qopf/ embedded in matrix rings. The first half of the paper deals with constructions using field extensions of /spl Qopf/. Working with cyclotomic field extensions, we construct several families of STBCs over a wide range of signal sets that are of full rank, minimal delay, and rate at least one appropriate for any number of transmit antennas. We study the coding gain and capacity of these codes. Using transcendental extensions we construct arbitrary rate codes that are full rank for arbitrary number of antennas. We also present a method of constructing STBCs using noncyclotomic field extensions. In the later half of the paper, we discuss two ways of embedding noncommutative division algebras into matrices: left regular representation, and representation over maximal cyclic subfields. The 4/spl times/4 real orthogonal design is obtained by the left regular representation of quaternions. Alamouti's (1998) code is just a special case of the construction using representation over maximal cyclic subfields and we observe certain algebraic uniqueness characteristics of it. Also, we discuss a general principle for constructing cyclic division algebras using the nth root of a transcendental element and study the capacity of the STBCs obtained from this construction. Another family of cyclic division algebras discovered by Brauer (1933) is discussed and several examples of STBCs derived from each of these constructions are presented.     

High-efficiency LEDs of 1.6–2.4 µm spectral range for medical diagnostics and environment monitoring

High efficient LED structures covering the spectral range of 1.6–2.4 μm have been developed on the basis of GaSb and its solid solutions. The electroluminescent characteristics and their temperature and current dependences have been studied. The radiative and nonradiative recombination mechanisms and their effect on the quantum efficiency have been investigated. A quantum efficiency of 40–60% has been obtained in the quasi-steady mode at room temperature. A short-pulse optical power of 170 mW was reached. __________ Translated from Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov, Vol. 37, No. 8, 2003, pp. 996–1009. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2003 by Stoyanov, Zhurtanov, Astakhova, Imenkov, Yakovlev.