Electro-Mechanical Impedance (EMI)-Based Incipient Crack Monitoring and Critical Crack Identification of Beam Structures

Fatigue-induced damage is often progressive and gradual in nature. Fatigue is often deteriorated by corrosion in ageing structures, creating maintenance problems, and even causing catastrophic failure. This ushers the development of structural health monitoring (SHM) and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) systems. Recent advent of smart materials applicable in SHM alleviates the shortcomings of the conventional techniques. Autonomous, real-time, remote monitoring becomes possible with the use of smart piezoelectric transducers. For instance, the electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) technique, employing piezoelectric transducers as collocated actuators and sensors, is known for its ability in damage detection and characterization. This article presents a series of lab-scale experimental tests and analysis to investigate the feasibility of fatigue crack detection and characterization employing the EMI technique. This study extends the work by Lim and Soh [1 Y. Y. Lim and C. K. Soh . Smart Materials and Structures 20 : 125001 ( 2011 ).[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]] to incorporate the phases involving crack initiation and critical crack. It is suggested that the EMI technique is effective in characterizing fatigue induced cracking, even in its incipient stage. Micro-crack invisible to the naked eyes can be detected by the technique especially when employing the higher frequency range of 100–200 kHz. A quick and handy qualitative-based critical crack identification method is also suggested by visually inspecting the admittance frequency spectrum.     

High-precision transfer-printing and integration of vertically oriented semiconductor arrays for flexible device fabrication

Flexible electronics utilizing single crystalline semiconductors typically require post-growth processes to assemble and incorporate the crystalline materials onto flexible substrates. Here we present a high-precision transfer-printing method for vertical arrays of single crystalline semiconductor materials with widely varying aspect ratios and densities enabling the assembly of arrays on flexible substrates in a vertical fashion. Complementary fabrication processes for integrating transferred arrays into flexible devices are also presented and characterized. Robust contacts to transferred silicon wire arrays are demonstrated and shown to be stable under flexing stress down to bending radii of 20 mm. The fabricated devices exhibit a reversible tactile response enabling silicon based, nonpiezoelectric, and flexible tactile sensors. The presented system leads the way towards high-throughput, manufacturable, and scalable fabrication of flexible devices.     

Shape‐Shifting 3D Protein Microstructures with Programmable Directionality via Quantitative Nanoscale Stiffness Modulation

The ability to shape‐shift in response to a stimulus increases an organism's survivability in nature. Similarly, man‐made dynamic and responsive “smart” microtechnology is crucial for the advancement of human technology. Here, 10–30 μm shape‐changing 3D BSA protein hydrogel microstructures are fabricated with dynamic, quantitative, directional, and angle‐resolved bending via two‐photon photolithography. The controlled directional responsiveness is achieved by spatially controlling the cross‐linking density of BSA at a nanometer lengthscale. Atomic force microscopy measurements of Young's moduli of structures indicate that increasing the laser writing distance at the z‐axis from 100–500 nm decreases the modulus of the structure. Hence, through nanoscale modulation of the laser writing z‐layer distance at the nanoscale, control over the cross‐linking density is possible, allowing for the swelling extent of the microstructures to be quantified and controlled with high precision. This method of segmented moduli is applied within a single microstructure for the design of shape‐shifting microstructures that exhibit stimulus‐induced chirality, as well as for the fabrication of a free‐standing 3D microtrap which is able to open and close in response to a pH change.     

Design of single peptides for self-assembled conduction channels

Self-assembly of peptides provides the possibility of achieving relatively long range order on surfaces. These ordered peptides can also form channels that can be used as conduction channels. In the past, studies were focused on electron conduction through the secondary structure and amine bond of peptides and these restrict conduction of electrons over a short range (a few nanometers). In this work, we demonstrate the realization of electron conduction over a longer range of a few hundred nanometers via π-π stacking of the phenyl groups in the tyrosine residue of a single peptide. The peptide used in this work was designed with a phenyl ring for π-π stacking at one end and a carboxylic group at the other end for binding to aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) treated silicon wafer. The distance between the peptides is controlled by a disulfide bond formed between neighboring cysteine residue and also by the amine groups of aminopropyltriethoxysilane. We demonstrate that the self-assembled peptide is conducting in the dry state over hundreds of nanometers, realizing the possibility of using peptide as a molecular wire.     

Simultaneous differentiation and quantitation of erythroblasts and white blood cells on a high throughput clinical haematology analyser

Recently published evidence from two large-scale clinical trials conducted in England and in Denmark suggests that faecal occult blood screening for colorectal cancer significantly reduces mortality. However, before screening can be advocated as part of national health policy, its cost-effectiveness must be demonstrated. The English screening trial has been the subject of a detailed economic evaluation over the past 10 years In this paper, cost-effectiveness estimates of screening are presented, based on cost and outcome data combined in a mathematical model developed from the trial's clinical findings The estimates of cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained from colorectal cancer screening show the procedure to be of similar cost-effectiveness to breast cancer screening in the short term. Over the longer term, however, the estimates for colorectal cancer screening appear superior.     

Distinct morphological and mito-inhibitory effects induced by TGF-beta 1, HGF and EGF on mouse, rat and human hepatocytes

TGF-beta 1 is known as a potent inhibitor of proliferation of rat and human hepatocytes. In this study we show that the effects of TGF-beta 1 are quite different on mouse hepatocytes. In rat and human hepatocytes, TGF-beta 1 inhibited DNA synthesis and also inhibited the morphological changes induced by growth factors in rat and human hepatocytes. In contrast, addition of TGF-beta 1 to mouse hepatocytes resulted in pronounced alterations in morphology of these cells. These changes were similar to those induced by HGF and EGF. The induction of structural changes by TGF-beta 1 was noted only in mouse hepatocytes. Mouse hepatocytes were also much more resistant to the mito-inhibitory effect of TGF-beta 1. These findings suggest profound differences in hepatocyte growth regulation between these species and may relate to observed differences in susceptibility to carcinogenesis.     

Observation of Combined Ferromagnetic/Paramagnetic Phase in Ga1?xMnxAs by Magnetic Circular Dichroism

Magnetic properties of a series of Ga_1–xMn_xAs layers with different Mn and hole concentrations has been studied by measuring magneto-absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD). We first focus on comparing the MCD spectra of samples with unambiguous ferromagnetic or paramagnetic magnetization. We then investigate MCD in a sample with parameters between these two extremes, and interpret the observed behavior in terms of the coexistence of ferromagnetic domains and paramagnetic regions that may result, for example, from inhomogeneities in the sample caused, e.g., by compositional or doping fluctuations.