Abstract A compact optical fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) sensor is reported for temperature and strain. The MZI sensor consists of a single-mode fiber (SMF), a seven core fiber (SCF) and a multimode fiber (MMF) with a fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The intensity distribution of the sensor is calculated by the beam propagation method. The light is coupled from the lead-in SMF into the SCF through

Abstract A total scattering neutron instrument is simulated using a ray-tracing package to evaluate the technique and data reduction algorithms. The neutron guide and chopper system were first optimized to obtain the highest neutron flux with satisfactory angular divergence. Next, a series of virtual experiments were conducted using heavy water and calibration vanadium samples. Data analysis algorithms

Abstract The use of impedance spectroscopy is described to diagnose the condition of oil in utility transformers. Actual transformer oil samples having different dissolved fault gas and moisture concentrations were characterized by their impedance spectrum from 1 to 100 kHz using an AD5933 device (Analog Devices). The results show that the impedance spectrum of a transformer oil sample is related to

Abstract Near-infrared spectroscopy has been employed for determination of biochemicals in agricultural products. In this study, a prototype near infrared instrument is reported capable of simultaneously determining primary and secondary biochemical compounds in agricultural products using supervised modeling method. Maize flour was used as the material for model development. Calibration models were

Abstract Colloidal nickel nanoparticles were prepared by a top-down approach using an electric discharge. The method was improved by a computerized control unit implemented with virtual instrumentation. A controlled electric arc discharge between two nickel electrodes generates a plasma, which rapidly disintegrates the nickel to form nanoparticles in deionized water. Dynamic light scattering and scanning

Abstract A practical technique for determining the length of a silicon nanowire (SiNW) array is reported by the analysis of reflected images from a smartphone camera. The SiNW array was prepared by electroless chemical etching and its length controlled by the etching time of a Si wafer. The average lengths for the SiNW array were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The relationship between

Abstract Rapid and sensitive identification of illicit drugs has been a challenge and requires new methods. This study proposes a newly developed electronic nose (e-nose) based on commercially available gas sensors to provide a nondestructive, rapid, low cost, and portable solution for in situ detection for marijuana samples. Samples of seized marijuana, pseudo-narcotic marijuana, and cigarettes were

Abstract High temperature carbonization, an important approach to cleanly and efficiently use coal, refers to a complex process in which a series of physical phenomena and chemical reactions occur when coal is heated to ≥1000 °C in anoxic conditions. A furnace was developed for the in-situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements with the scattering angle

Abstract Patients suffering from upper limb amputation experience a significant reduction in their ability to perform various tasks. The currently available myoelectric prostheses seek to reinstate the lost abilities of the amputees. However, most users abandon their devices due to high cost, large size, heavy weight, complexity, and limited functional control. This paper presents a multifunctional

Abstract An optical fiber magnetic field sensor based on lossy mode resonance (LMR) was designed. Furthermore, a hollow core-offset structure was designed to enhance the performance. Due to the destruction of the circular symmetry structure, the sensor has strong birefringence, resulting in x-polarization and y-polarization with two independent resonance valleys. The refractive index changes from 1

Abstract An optical fiber magnetic field sensor based on lossy mode resonance (LMR) was designed. Furthermore, a hollow core-offset structure was designed to enhance the performance. Due to the destruction of the circular symmetry structure, the sensor has strong birefringence, resulting in x-polarization and y-polarization with two independent resonance valleys. The refractive index changes from 1

Abstract A double D-shaped optical fiber for simultaneous temperature and relative humidity (RH) sensing is described. The flat surfaces of the D-shaped optical fiber are coated with toluene as a thermally sensitive material and polyethylene as a humidity-sensitive material. Using the finite element method, the effects of the metal film thickness and polished depth of the D-shaped optical fiber on

Abstract The influence of thickness of silver-magnesium fluoride bi-layers on the sensitivity of SPR based fiber optic sensor has been experimentally examined. The sensitivity is enhanced with increasing magnesium fluoride layer thickness up to 30 nm and decreases at values exceeding 30 nm. The optimum thickness of magnesium fluoride layer was determined to be 30 nm. A sensor fabricated from bi-layers

Abstract Third-generation synchrotron radiation sources with improving new techniques provide opportunities to perform many promising experiments. X-ray Raman scattering (XRS) is one of the synchrotron radiation based techniques for the investigation of soft X-ray absorption edges (∼50-1000 eV) using hard X-rays (∼10 keV). This technique allows the examination of the K-shell excitations of light elements

Abstract A low-cost differential mobility spectrometer (DMS) was constructed using polytetrafluoroethylene printed circuit boards with two pairs of gold electrodes. The printed circuit boards were used to construct the drift tube into which the gas samples are introduced by a carrier gas and ionized. The ionized gas moves toward the gold electrode to which an asymmetric voltage is applied. Only the

Abstract Concentration procedures have always been implemented when trace analysis of compounds in real matrices is contemplated. A variety of concentration strategies have been reported aiming at decreasing the limits of detection (LODs). The optical concentration of the substance in solution is one of the novel concepts for the enhancement of the analytical sensitivity. In this study, the optical

Abstract The influence of sample thickness to the background region in energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) system was investigated. The investigated spectrum was from 4.09 keV to 79.03 keV and was divided into 8 regions. Some of these regions include contributions by photons from tails of fluorescent lines. HgO samples with thicknesses from 0.010 to 0.335 cm were prepared. The samples were

Abstract A practical method is presented to prepare films of a composite material constituted of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and polystyrene (PS) that are used for transduction applications. The method, which can be carried out by employing usual lab equipment, is simple, low-cost, rapid, and nonpolluting. Furthermore, it is compatible with microelectronic fabrication technology and is scalable

Abstract An optical fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer based on double S-tapers is proposed for strain sensing. The double S-taper strain sensor is formed by two steps. The fiber is pulled during arc discharging, and a second arc discharge is performed while the fixtures are misaligned to form a S-taper. The transmission spectra were collected with different structural parameters, including the axial

Abstract Pixelated scintillators arrays are widely used in X-ray radiographic applications and provide the sensitivity and resolution of detectors, which are determined by the pixel size and thickness. The design of pixelated scintillator arrays is impeded by the absence of a suitable method to simulate and predict the performance. A method of design and optimization based on a Monte Carlo simulation

Abstract Antibiotic resistant bacteria are an important threat to human and animal health. Accurate antibiotic susceptibility test results are essential in medical control. We present a low-cost, simple, and rapid multichannel system for the registration of bacteria pH changes in time and the phenomena used to follow the microbial metabolic activity to evaluate the response to antibiotics. Small size

Abstract 3D printers are more accessible in both academic and research groups, becoming instruments to facilitate the construction of high-quality scientific equipment for laboratories. In the present study, a 3D printed integrating sphere was validated to acquire diffuse reflectance and transmittance on turbid samples in order to compute optical absorption and reduced scattering through the inverse

Abstract Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) named Fe3O4@coPANI-PTH were synthesized by coating Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) with a polyaniline (PANI)/polythiophene (PTH) co-polymer. The feasibility of Fe3O4@coPANI-PTH as the nanosorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) was evaluated for the determination of Co(II) in real samples using microsample injection system – flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Herein, a surface-sensitive sensor was reported as an optical waveguide (OWG) gas sensor. The sensor exhibited some advantages, including simple preparation and high sensitivity. Further, it could be operated at room temperature. TiO2 and ZnFe2O4 were employed as sensitive materials to prepare a sensor with a high response to styrene gas. The TiO2–ZnFe2O4 sol was prepared by doping ZnFe2O4 via the

Abstract Herein, a surface-sensitive sensor was reported as an optical waveguide (OWG) gas sensor. The sensor exhibited some advantages, including simple preparation and high sensitivity. Further, it could be operated at room temperature. TiO2 and ZnFe2O4 were employed as sensitive materials to prepare a sensor with a high response to styrene gas. The TiO2–ZnFe2O4 sol was prepared by doping ZnFe2O4

Abstract A method for determining seven microcystins and nodularin in surface water at nanogram per liter concentrations was developed based on on-line solid-phase extraction ultra-performance liquid chromatography – electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (on-line SPE-UPLC-MS/MS). Aliquots of 5 mL water sample were directly injected into on-line SPE after passage through a membrane filter

Abstract Auroras can be observed at the north and south pole of the Earth. At these locations, the Earth magnetic field enters the atmosphere, causing ionization of the atmospheric constituents. Due to this phenomenon, different optical wavelengths are emitted from these constituents, causing the typical spectacular displays. Several optical wavelengths are representative for the auroral emission.

Abstract Batch adsorption is very important for characterization, screening and industrial applications. In this paper, a new Y-shaped absorption vessel with an incorporated membrane was designed and combined with a fiber-optic sensing spectrometer to realize in-situ automatic measurement of liquid-phase kinetics in batch adsorption. The main parameters which affect the mass transfer such as geometric

Abstract This paper focuses on four structural parameters of reflective microfiber coupler (MFC), including taper length, taper width, coupling length, and coupling diameter. The influences of those parameters upon the performance of MFC are identified through simulation and are justified through mathematical and coupling theory. Subsequently, refractive index (RI) sensing experiments were conducted

Abstract This study employed Raman spectroscopy for the identification of spectral differences in automotive lubricant oils with different SAE specifications. Samples of 18 lubricant oils were obtained from a local auto parts store. Spectra were obtained with a dispersive Raman spectrometer (830 nm) and separated according to the type of base oil in the samples: mineral, semi-synthetic and synthetic

Abstract A wearable sensor was fabricated to provide simultaneous electromyography (EMG) and force myography (FMG) information, from the same muscle location for controlling multi-functional hand prosthesis. The typical mechanical arrangement of the sensor constitutes silver electrodes and a force-sensitive resistor embedded inside the sensor chassis for detecting the electrical and mechanical activity

Abstract Nucleic acids containing genetic information are used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of genetic diseases. Herein, silver nanoparticles were utilized as probes to detect single stranded nucleic acids by self-assembly of DNA nanomaterials by spectrophotometry. The target DNA specifically triggered two hairpin DNA molecules to hybridize, generating linear double stranded DNA. This approach effectively

Abstract This article reports a flexible and attachable inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based motion capture system for the accurate measurement of hand kinematics. Twelve 6-axis IMUs are used in the system for capturing hand kinematics and analyzing continuous hand movements. Each IMU is bonded to a flexible adapter and then attached to the back of the hand. Compared with traditional glove-based hand

Here we present a cloud platform for e-health analysis. The goal of this research is to offers a standardized way to secure registry and share biometric impedance data from many volunteers of distinct locations. We perform the corporal analysis of a dataset from elderly volunteers who perform regular gym exercises. Our goal is to follow the evolution of health quality according to the percentage of

A reflective seawater salinity and temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect with multimode single-mode (MS) fiber structure has been proposed and demonstrated. Firstly, the sensing mechanism of the optical fiber SPR sensor was analyzed. Next, the influence of the type of metal, the thickness of the metal film, and the length of sensing area upon the SPR spectrum were simulated

Metal perovskite halides have led to the development of light-emitting diodes due to their excellent optical and electrical properties. However, compared to near-infrared, red, and green perovskite light-emitting diodes, blue-emitting light-emitting diodes lag far behind in development due to poor stability and low quantum efficiency. In this review, the latest advances in blue perovskite light-emitting

The selection of anode materials for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) has been a great challenge for the further development. As a promising anode material, Fe2O3 can effectively improve the energy density of supercapacitors. This article reviews the modification methods of Fe2O3 anodes based on different elements, which improves the conductivity and specific capacitance. In terms of carbon modification

Atomic force microscope (AFM), as a type scanning probe microscope (SPM), offers advantages that include high resolution, real-time analysis, in-situ imaging, few environmental restrictions, and simple operation. So far, AFM has been applied to a wide variety of scientific fields. This paper reviews several advanced research results using AFM in the micro-nano science community to operate in the four

Abstract A gold electrode was modified with cysteamine by a self-assembly monolayer technique and covalently coupled with 3-mercaptopropionic acid functionalized silver nanoparticles. The free carboxylic acid groups of the 3-mercaptopropionic acid functionalized silver nanoparticles assembled on gold electrode were bonded with the amine groups of biotin or avidin trough amide linkages. The changes

Abstract Lead-based perovskites have attracted great attention as promising candidates for the next generation of solar cells. Nevertheless, issues of toxicity to humans and pollution to the environment notably hinder the commercial application of lead-based perovskites. Hence, there is an urgent need to find favorable candidates to replace lead-based perovskites. In this review, state-of-the-art achievements

Abstract Optical fiber phase optical time domain reflectometry (phase-OTDR) has been applied on the West-East Gas Pipeline Project (WEPP) of China for vibration monitoring. In order to improve the accuracy of the threat identification, a machine learning algorithm from the voice recognition is introduced. The feature extraction and pre-emphasis processes were modified to characterize the vibrations

Abstract Human motion mode detection is of great value in evaluating motor ability. In this study, a method of human motion mode detection based on an acceleration sensor was characterized. A human motion mode detection system was designed using the standard deviation, peak, valley and peak-valley interval as characteristic values and a particle swarm optimization – support vector machine (PSO-SVM)

Abstract Radioactive solutions containing graphene, graphene oxide, single-walled carbon nanotube and -COOH functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes were prepared. Iodine-131 was used as the radioactive material. A high purity germanium detector with a resolution of 490 eV at 122 keV was used to measure the photon intensities emitted from the iodine-131 solutions by gamma ray spectroscopy. The

Abstract A small and simple device for the in-situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurement of carbon fibers graphitization by direct electrical heating was developed. The graphitization process of polyacrylonitrile-based T700 carbon fibers from 1450 °C to 2100 °C with this device was followed in-situ by synchrotron radiation SAXS. The results show that there are needle-shaped voids oriented

Abstract A new method to improve the sensitivity of a fiber-based dissolved oxygen sensor by enhancing the evanescent field on the surface of optic fiber has been proposed and verified. The finite difference beam propagation method was used to simulate the transmission of light into the fiber. According to the simulation results, the evanescent field intensities of the step type fiber and tapered fiber

Abstract A new voltammetric method was developed for the simple, rapid and inexpensive determination of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) on a modified electrode obtained by the electrodeposition of 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid (ANSA) on the surface of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The electrode interfacial properties were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical

A new voltammetric method was developed for the simple, rapid and inexpensive determination of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) on a modified electrode obtained by the electrodeposition of 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid (ANSA) on the surface of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The electrode interfacial properties were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical response

A highly sensitive and selective voltammetric method was developed for the determination of curcumin using sodium dodecyl sulfate modified carbon nanocomposite paste electrode. The electrochemical performance for curcumin was characterized by the use of linear sweep voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and differential pulse voltammetry. These measurements showed that the sodium dodecyl sulfate modified

Wearable pressure sensors have great potential for applications in electronic skin, patient rehabilitation, and touch interfaces. In this paper, state-of-the-art achievements on typical low-dimensional nanostructured wearable pressure sensors and hybrid wearable pressure sensors are reviewed. In the two-dimensional-nanostructure section, two-dimensional transition metal carbides (MXenes) have a large

In a badminton game, dexterous fine hand movements are essential for the player to perform with extraordinary skill. Thus, this paper proposes a smart glove with proper sensing functions for finger pressures and bending angles for this sport to measure the kinematics and kinetics during the forehand grip and backhand grip. Twenty-one pressure sensors and eleven flex sensors are employed to construct

Film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs) are widely applied as gravimetric sensors for gas and biochemical analysis. For these devices, the sensing layer is usually coated on to the FBAR for qualitative analysis based on the frequency response according to the Sauerbrey relationship. Various polymers have been used as the sensing films for volatile organic compound (VOC) monitoring. The most significant

A handheld biological particle monitoring system that analyzes airborne biological particles in real time was designed, fabricated and its performance was investigated. An ultraviolet-light emitting diode (UV-LED) light source with a 280-nm wavelength was used. The design of an optical module that is composed of an ultraviolet source, a nozzle and flow controller, an ultraviolet cell, and a detection

The present study reports an electrochemical biosensor for the rapid and selective detection of L-arginine in leukemic blood samples. The biosensor was fabricated using a nanocomposite (PANI/MWCNTs/Fe3O4) film modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The partially purified arginine deiminsae (ADI) enzyme from P. putida was immobilized on the modified GCE by cross linking with gluteraldehyde. The characterization

This paper presents the preparation of stable fluorescence sensor slides for Hg2+ by covalent attachment of a fluorophore which can selectively chelate with the analyte. The fluorophore, dansyl chloride, was immobilized on the glass slide through an amide bond formation reaction with the amino group functionalized on the substrate using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as the salinization agent. The dansyl

A D-shaped optical-fiber refractive index sensor based on surface plasmon resonance is reported. Rigorous coupled-wave analysis was used to simulate the numerical modeling. The influences of different metal grating parameters on the coupling efficiency were studied and an optimal phase match was obtained. The results show that wavelength sensitivity of the proposed optical fiber sensor is as high as

Raman spectroscopy is a rapid technique that allows the simultaneous determination of several components of urine to assess the metabolic status. In this study, the urine composition was evaluated in volleyball and soccer athletes using Raman spectroscopy to identify biomarkers of sports performance. Urine samples were collected from 20 athletes before and after exercise to be analyzed with a Raman

In our previous work, four environment parameters including temperature, pressure, relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentration in a long gauge block interferometer chamber were measured continuously for 24 h. The refractive index of air in the chamber depending on three measured parameters was determined using the updated Edlén equation by assuming that CO2 concentration is constant at 450 ppm

The objective of the present work is to experimentally study the pressure recovery process that occurs in supersonic ejectors. Pressure measurements are achieved using a specific sliding measuring system for the centerline static pressure. The axial displacement of this weakly intrusive system allows the measurement of axial distribution of static pressure inside the mixing zone where the shock train

The goal of this work was to establish a method to identify and quantify the primary active components in Angelicae pubescentis Radix quickly, simply, and accurately. This article first reported a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method that simultaneously determined and quantified osthol, isoimperatorin, and columbianadin using a quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker

Electronic switches fabricated with single molecules are expected to break through the bottleneck in the development of semiconductor device miniaturization. However, at present time, most development on single molecule switches only provides one-way switching functions. Stable bidirectional reversible single-molecule switches are rarely reported. This paper reviews the recent studies on single-molecule