Nanopatched Graphene with Molecular Self‐Assembly Toward Graphene–Organic Hybrid Soft Electronics

Increasing the mechanical durability of large‐area polycrystalline single‐atom‐thick materials is a necessary step toward the development of practical and reliable soft electronics based on these materials. Here, it is shown that the surface assembly of organosilane by weak epitaxy forms nanometer‐thick organic patches on a monolayer graphene surface and dramatically increases the material's resistance to harsh postprocessing environments, thereby increasing the number of ways in which graphene can be processed. The nanopatched graphene with the improved mechanical durability enables stable operation when used as transparent electrodes of wearable strain sensors. Also, the nanopatched graphene applied as an electrode modulates the molecular orientation of deposited organic semiconductor layers, and yields favorable nominal charge injection for organic transistors. These results demonstrate the potential for use of self‐assembled organic nanopatches in graphene‐based soft electronics.     

The Extracellular Zn2+ Concentration Surrounding Excited Neurons Is High Enough to Bind Amyloid‐β Revealed by a Nanowire Transistor

The Zn²⁺ stored in the secretory vesicles of glutamatergic neurons is coreleased with glutamate upon stimulation, resulting in the elevation of extracellular Zn²⁺ concentration (). This elevation of regulates the neurotransmission and facilitates the fibrilization of amyloid‐β (Aβ). However, the exact surrounding neurons under (patho)physiological conditions is not clear and the connection between and the Aβ fibrilization remains obscure. Here, a silicon nanowire field‐effect transistor (SiNW‐FET) with the Zn²⁺‐sensitive fluorophore, FluoZin‐3 (FZ‐3), to quantify the in real time is modified. This FZ‐3/SiNW‐FET device has a dissociation constant of ≈12 × 10^?9m against Zn²⁺. By placing a coverslip seeded with cultured embryonic cortical neurons atop an FZ‐3/SiNW‐FET, the elevated to ≈110 × 10^?9m upon stimulation with α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA). Blockers against the AMPA receptor or exocytosis greatly suppress this elevation, indicating that the Zn²⁺ stored in the synaptic vesicles is the major source responsible for this elevation of . In addition, a SiNW‐FET modified with Aβ could bind Zn²⁺ with a dissociation constant of ≈633 × 10^?9m and respond to the Zn²⁺ released from AMPA‐stimulated neurons. Therefore, the can reach a level high enough to bind Aβ and the Zn²⁺ homeostasis can be a therapeutic strategy to prevent neurodegeneration.     

Effect of rare-earth elements on the microstructural characterization in rapidly quenched thermally strengthened aluminium alloys

The influence of rare-earth elements on the microstructural features of rapidly solidified Al93.3-xFe4.3V0.7Si1.7Mmx(x=0, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 6.0) alloy was systematically studied by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Experimental results show that there are different type of phase transformation depending on mischmetal (Mm) concentration. For Al87.3Fe4.3V0.7Si1.7Mm6.0 metallic glass, a shoulder was observed on the high-angle side of the main peak in the X-ray diffraction patterns due to quenched-in aluminium nuclei and a prepeak resulting from Mm–Mm pairs. By means of particle extraction analysis, it has been proved that the -Al13(Fe, V)3Si phase existing in as-cast Al–Fe–V–Si alloy is wholly or partly inhibited for Al93.3-xFe4.3V0.7Si1.7Mmx (x=0.5, 1.0, 3.0) crystalline alloys. In addition, a new phenomenon has been reported that the lattice parameter of as-quenched Al–Fe–V–Si–Mm alloys decrease with increasing Mm content; the "cell lessening effect". This effect is presumably due to the results of composite interactions between rare-earth elements and alloy elements.     

Correlation of grain boundary characteristics with electrical properties in ZnO–glass varistors

Grain boundary glass crystallinity was studied to determine its effect on the electrical properties of ZnO–glass varistors. Si-rich glass at the grain boundary layer transformed into a crystalline zinc silicate phase after heat treatment. However, glass without any SiO₂ was not recrystallized and remained amorphous following the same process. Variations in non-ohmic behaviour of the samples with three different glass additives are attributed to their different crystallinity. According to a proposed defect reaction equation, strong pinning of the barrier height was found in ZnO–glass varistors with crystallized glass phase. This would ultimately cause an increase in the α values, grain boundary barrier height, breakdown voltage per grain and device stability. If charged ions such as V _o ^? , are present due to the formation of the crystalline intergranular phase, the grain boundary barrier height and device stability would initially be enhanced by increased density of interface states, later decreasing due to the migration of zinc interstitials Zn _i ^?? under electrical stress. Furthermore, results of deep-level transient spectroscopy, together with dielectric loss and Auger linescan analyses detected three electron traps: L2 is associated with the energy level of the second ionization of interstitial zinc atoms; and the broadness of the trap L3 is analogous to the energy level of the first ionization of oxygen vacancies; trap L1 has been identified as native defects.     

The design of a real-time neurocomputer based on RBF networks

The design of a real-time neurocomputer (RBF network) subsystem is described. The subsystem is integrated into an avionics system for surveillance and targeting functions. The design of a hardware module based on neurochips that directly support RBF networks, its use for signal peak detection, and the integrated training and testing environment used to train the RBF networks are presented.     

Robust tracking enhancement of robot systems including motordynamics: a fuzzy-based dynamic game approach

A robust tracking control design of robot systems including motor dynamics with parameter perturbation and external disturbance is proposed in this study via adaptive fuzzy cancellation technique. A minimax controller equipped with a fuzzy-based scheme is used to enhance the tracking performance in spite of system uncertainties and external disturbance. The design procedure is divided into three steps. At first, a linear nominal robotic control design is obtained via model reference tracking with desired eigenvalue assignment. Next, a fuzzy logic system is constructed and then tuned to eliminate the nonlinear uncertainties as possibly as it can to enhance the tracking robustness. Finally, a minimax control scheme is specified to optimally attenuate the worst-case effect of both the residue due to fuzzy cancellation and external disturbance to achieve a minimax tracking performance. In addition, an adaptive fuzzy-based dynamic game theory is introduced to solve the minimax tracking problem. The proposed method is appropriate for the robust tracking design of robotic systems with large parameter perturbation and external disturbance. A simulation example of a two-link robotic manipulator driven by DC motors is also given to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed design method's tracking performance     

The anatomy study of high performance task scheduling algorithm for Grid computing system

Large-scale computation is frequently limited to the performance of computer hardware or associated cost. However, as the development of information and network technologies thrives, idle computers all over the world can be utilized and organized to enhance overall computation performance; that is, Grid environments that facilitate distributed computation. Hence, the dispatching and scheduling of tasks should be considered as an important issue. Previous studies have demonstrated Grid environments that are composed of idled computers around the globe and are categorized as a type of Heterogeneous Computing (HC). However, scheduling heuristics currently applied to HC focus on the search of minimum makespan, instead of the reduction of cost. In addition, relevant studies usually presume that HC is based on high-speed bandwidth and the communication time is ignored. Further, in response to the call for user-pay policy, as a user dispatches a job to a Grid environment for computation, each execution task would be charged. It is difficult to estimate a job will be dispatched to which and how many computers; it is impossible to predetermine scheduling heuristic which is proposed in previous studies will result in the optimal makespan, and mention actual cost and risk. Therefore, this study proposes ATCS-MCT (Apparent Tardiness Cost Setups-Minimum Completion Time) scheduling algorithm that composes of execution time, weight, due date, and communication time factors to testify that the ATCS-MCT scheduling algorithm not only achieves better makespan than Min–min scheduling heuristics do but also reduces costs.     

A fuzzy-based Power-aware management for mobile ad hoc networks

In recent years, people have become more dependent on wireless network services to obtain the latest information at any time anywhere. Wireless networks must effectively allow several types of mobile devices send data to one another. The Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) is one important type of non-infrastructure mobile network that consists of many mobile hosts, usually cellular phones. The power consumption rate and bandwidth of each mobile host device becomes an important issue and needs to be addressed. For increasing the reliability of the manager in Hierarchical Cellular Based Management (HCBM), this paper proposed a Power-aware protocol to select a stable manager from mobile hosts by fuzzy based inference systems based on the factors of speed, battery power, and location. Further, our protocol can trigger a mobile agent to distribute the managerial workload.     

120 Hz low cross-talk stereoscopic display with intelligent LED backlight enabled by multi-dimensional controlling IC

This paper proposes to employ multi-dimensional controller for driving LED backlight scanning in a 120 Hz LCD for overcoming the hold-type characteristic of an LCD in time-multiplexed stereoscopic displays. A synchronization signal circuit is developed to connect the time scheme of the vertical synchronization for reducing scanning time. The general strategy is to integrate 3D controller and all relatively small-signal electronic functions into one ASIC to minimize the total number of the components. The display panel, LED backlight scanning, and shutter glass signals could be adjusted by vertical synchronization and modulation to obtain stereoscopic images. Each row of LED in a backlight module is controlled by multi-dimensional data registration and synchronization control circuits for LED backlight scanning to flash in bright or dark. LED backlight scanning stereoscopic display incorporated with shutter glasses is provided to realize stereoscopic images even viewed in a liquid crystal display. The eye shutter signal is alternately switched from the left eye to the right eye with 120 Hz of LCD Vertical synchronization (V-sync). This kind of low cross-talk shutter glasses stereoscopic display with an intelligent multiplexing control of LED backlight scanning has low cross-talk below 1% through a liquid crystal shutter glasses.