A three phase serpentine micro electrode array for AC electroosmotic flow pumping

A new three-phase electrode array with a serpentine electrode is designed and prototyped using PolyMUMPs process for micro flow pumping. Numerical model of the micropump has been developed using COMSOL Multiphysics™. Experimental testing is conducted and time-averaged flow velocities from testing and simulation agree well. Peak time-averaged flow velocity of 270 μm/s is achieved at 30 Hz using ethanol.     

Experimental Evaluation and Formal Analysis of High‐Level Tasks with Dynamic Obstacle Anticipation on a Full‐Sized Autonomous Vehicle

Certifying the behavior of autonomous systems is essential to the development and deployment of systems in safety‐critical applications. This paper presents an approach to using a correct‐by‐construction controller with the probabilistic results of dynamic obstacle anticipation, and validates the approach with experimental data obtained from Cornell's full‐scale autonomous vehicle. The obstacle anticipation (used to calculate the probability of collision with dynamic obstacles around the vehicle) is abstracted to a set of Boolean observations, which are then used by the synthesized controller (a state machine generated from temporal logic task specifications). The obstacle anticipation, sensor abstraction, and synthesized controller are implemented on a full‐scale autonomous vehicle, and experimental data are collected and compared with a formal analysis of the probabilistic behavior of the system. A comparison of the results shows good agreement between the formal analysis and the experimental results.     

Practical considerations for high spatial and temporal resolution dynamic transmission electron microscopy

Although recent years have seen significant advances in the spatial resolution possible in the transmission electron microscope (TEM), the temporal resolution of most microscopes is limited to video rate at best. This lack of temporal resolution means that our understanding of dynamic processes in materials is extremely limited. High temporal resolution in the TEM can be achieved, however, by replacing the normal thermionic or field emission source with a photoemission source. In this case the temporal resolution is limited only by the ability to create a short pulse of photoexcited electrons in the source, and this can be as short as a few femtoseconds. The operation of the photo-emission source and the control of the subsequent pulse of electrons (containing as many as 5 x 10(7) electrons) create significant challenges for a standard microscope column that is designed to operate with a single electron in the column at any one time. In this paper, the generation and control of electron pulses in the TEM to obtain a temporal resolution <10(-6)s will be described and the effect of the pulse duration and current density on the spatial resolution of the instrument will be examined. The potential of these levels of temporal and spatial resolution for the study of dynamic materials processes will also be discussed.     

Analogues of capsaicin with agonist activity as novel analgesic agents; structure-activity studies. 3. The hydrophobic side-chain "C-region"

Structural variants of the hydrophobic side chain ("C region") of the capsaicin molecule have been incorporated into a series of vanillylamides and vanillylthioureas. These compounds have been tested in an in vitro assay for agonism (45Ca2+ influx into dorsal root ganglia neurones), previously shown to be predictive of analgesic activity. The results of this study have established the requirement for a hydrophobic substituent of limited size (molar refractivity, MR, < 55) in order to obtain high potency. Combination of the information gained here about the "C-region" of the capsaicin molecule with the studies described in the preceding two papers provides a rational basis for the design of compounds of increased potency.     

One canonical form for higher-index linear time-varying singular systems

One form of the singular systemAx+Bx=f is considered. The analytic solution, perturbation, and numerical solution of this form are examined. A class of systems which may be transformed into this form without altering these properties is characterized.Research sponsored by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Air Force Systems Command, under Grant No. AFOSR-81-0052A. The United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for governmental purposes not with-standing any copyright notation here on.     

The "hidden observer" phenomenon in hypnosis: Some additional findings.

23 highly hypnotizable undergraduates (Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility) underwent 2 specially constructed 7-item hypnotic inductions. Over the 14 items, the main finding was of a relationship between E. R. Hilgard's (1973, 1977, 1979) "hidden observer" effect and 2 aspects of hypnotic age regression. Ss reporting a hidden observer experienced duality during regression to age 5, in which they were aware of being both adult and child. When asked to write a complex sentence, most did so, usually without spelling errors. The Ss not reporting this effect experienced quasi-lateral age regression in which they had the exclusive feeling of being 5 yrs old, with no sense of an adult identity. Most of these Ss were unable to write the same complex sentence when requested to during age regression. The study replicated Hilgard's finding of the hidden observer phenomenon in terms of its incidence and obtained similar verbal reports from Ss experiencing it. At the same time, the results suggest that a neodissociation account of hypnosis may need some modifications to accommodate these additional findings. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Observations of NBTI-induced atomic-scale defects

A combination of MOSFET gate-controlled diode measurements and a very sensitive electron spin resonance technique called spin-dependent recombination was utilized to observe and identify defect centers generated by a negative bias temperature stress in fully processed SiO/sub 2/-based pMOSFETs. In SiO/sub 2/ devices, the defects include two Si/SiO/sub 2/ interface silicon dangling bond centers (P/sub b0/ and P/sub b1/) and may also include an oxide silicon dangling bond center (E'). The observations indicate that both P/sub b0/ and P/sub b1/ defects play major roles in these SiO/sub 2/-based devices and suggest that E' centers could play an important role.     

Gold Nanocages: Engineering Their Structure for Biomedical Applications

The galvanic replacement reaction between a Ag template and HAuCl₄ in an aqueous solution transforms 30–200 nm Ag nanocubes into Au nanoboxes and nanocages (nanoboxes with porous walls). By controlling the molar ratio of Ag to HAuCl₄, the extinction peak of resultant structures can be continuously tuned from the blue (400 nm) to the near‐infrared (1200 nm) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. These hollow Au nanostructures are characterized by extraordinarily large cross‐sections for both absorption and scattering. Optical coherence tomography measurements indicate that the 36 nm nanocage has a scattering cross‐section of ～ 0.8 × 10^–15 m² and an absorption cross‐section of ～ 7.3 × 10^–15 m². The absorption cross‐section is more than five orders of magnitude larger than those of conventional organic dyes. Exposure of Au nanocages to a camera flash resulted in the melting and conversion of Au nanocages into spherical particles due to photothermal heating. Discrete‐dipole‐approximation calculations suggest that the magnitudes of both scattering and absorption cross‐sections of Au nanocages can be tailored by controlling their dimensions, as well as the thickness and porosity of their walls. This novel class of hollow nanostructures is expected to find use as both a contrast agent for optical imaging in early stage tumor detection and as a therapeutic agent for photothermal cancer treatment.