Condition Monitoring of Ground Anchorages by Dynamic Impulses: GRANIT System

The GRANIT system operates by applying an impulse of known force by means of an impact device that is attached to the tendon of the anchorage. The vibration response signals resulting from this impulse are complex in nature and require analysis to be undertaken in order to extract information from the vibrational response signatures that is relevant to the condition of the anchorage. In the system, the complicated relationship that exists between characteristics of an anchorage and its response to an impulse is identified and learned by a novel artificial intelligence network based on artificial intelligence techniques.The results presented in this paper demonstrate the potential of the GRANIT system to diagnose the integrity of ground anchorages at a site near Stone, England, by using a trained neural network capable of diagnosing the post-tension level of the anchorage. This neural network was used for the diagnosis of load in a second ground anchorage adjacent to the original anchorage used for the training of the neural network. Further tests were taken with a different anchor head configuration of the anchorage and a different relationship between the signature response of the anchorage to an applied impulse and its post-tension level was found.Problems encountered during the diagnosis of this second set of test signatures by the trained neural network are investigated with the use of a lumped parameter dynamic model. This model is able to identify the parameters in the anchorage system that affect this change in response signature. The results from the investigation lead to a new form of classification for the installed anchorages, based on their anchor head configuration.Laboratory strand anchorage tests were undertaken in order to compare with and validate the results obtained from the field tests and the lumped parameter dynamic model.     

Signal amplification strategies for DNA and protein detection based on polymeric nanocomposites and polymerization: A review

Demand is increasing for ultrasensitive bioassays for disease diagnosis, environmental monitoring and other research areas. This requires novel signal amplification strategies to maximize the signal output. In this review, we focus on a series of significant signal amplification strategies based on polymeric nanocomposites and polymerization. Some common polymers are used as carriers to increase the local concentration of signal probes and/or biomolecules on their surfaces or in their interiors. Some polymers with special fluorescence and optical properties can efficiently transfer the excitation energy from a single site to the whole polymer backbone. This results in superior fluorescence signal amplification due to the resulting collective effort (integration of signal). Recent polymerization-based signal amplification strategies that employ atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and photo-initiated polymerization are also summarized. Several distinctive applications of polymers in ultrasensitive bioanalysis are highlighted.     

Dual gold nanoparticle lateflow immunoassay for sensitive detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7

Two patterns of signal amplification lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA), which used anti-mouse secondary antibody-linked gold nanoparticle (AuNP) for dual AuNP-LFIA were developed. Escherichia coli O157:H7 was selected as the model analyte. In the signal amplification direct LFIA method, anti-mouse secondary antibody-linked AuNP (anti-mouse-Ab-AuNP) was mixed with sample solution in an ELISA well, after which it was added to LFIA, which already contained anti-E. coli O157:H7 monoclonal antibody-AuNP (anti-E. coli O157:H7-mAb-AuNP) dispersed in the conjugate pad. Polyclonal antibody was the test line, and anti-mouse secondary antibody was the control line in nitrocellulose (NC) membrane. In the signal amplification indirect LFIA method, anti-mouse-Ab-AuNP was mixed with sample solution and anti-E. coli O157:H7-mAb-AuNP complex in ELISA well, creating a dual AuNP complex. This complex was added to LFIA, which had a polyclonal antibody as the test line and secondary antibody as the control line in NC membrane. The detection sensitivity of both LFIAs improved 100-fold and reached 1.14 × 10³ CFU mL⁻¹. The 28 nm and 45 nm AuNPs were demonstrated to be the optimal dual AuNP pairs. Signal amplification LFIA was perfectly applied to the detection of milk samples with E. coli O157:H7 via naked eye observation.     

Comparative and evolutionary studies of mammalian arylsulfatase and sterylsulfatase genes and proteins encoded on the X-chromosome

At least 19 sulfatase genes have been reported on the human genome, including four arylsulfatase (ARS) genes (ARSD; ARSE; ARSF; ARSH) and a sterylsulfatase (STS) gene located together on the X-chromosome. Bioinformatic analyses of mammalian genomes were undertaken using known human STS and ARS amino acid sequences to study the evolution of these genes and proteins encoded on eutherian and marsupial genomes. Several domain regions and key residues were conserved including signal peptides, active site residues, metal (Ca²⁺) and substrate binding sequences, transmembranes and N-glycosylation sites. Phylogenetic analyses describe the relationships and potential origins of these genes during mammalian evolution. Primate ARSH enzymes lacked signal peptide sequences which may influence their biological functions. CpG117 and CpG92 were detected within the 5′ region of the human STS and ARSD genes, respectively, and miR-205 within the 3′-UTR for the human STS gene, using bioinformatic methods A proposal is described for a primordial invertebrate STS-like gene serving as an ancestor for unequal cross over events generating the gene complex on the eutherian mammalian X-chromosome.     

应用相位移法的二维光栅测量

本文介绍了二种二维位移测量的光栅方法。测试系统采用CCD摄象系统记录正交光栅图象,通过调整摄象机变焦镜头的放大倍数来控制采样的空间频率。采样后用数字信号处理的方法,通过软件手段实现水平向和垂直向光栅信号的分离,然后运用了相位移技术及载波—相位移技术得到二维位移。所开发的测试系统除具有高精度、高灵敏度的特点外,还具有较高的空间分辨率。     

Synthesis of voiced sounds using low-dimensional models of the vocal cords and time-varying subglottal pressure

The vocal cords play an important role on voice production. Air coming from the lungs is forced through the narrow space between the two vocal cords that are set in motion in a frequency that is governed by the tension of the attached muscles. The motion of the vocal cords changes the type of flow, that comes from the lungs, to pulses of air, and as the flow passes through the oral and nasal cavities, it is amplified and further modified until it is radiated from the mouth. This complex process can be modeled by a system of integral-differential equations. This paper considers two mechanical models previously used for explaining the dynamics of the vocal cords. It shows that the level of naturalness of the sound generated by these models is rather poor, and it proposes temporal variations of the parameters of the models to increase such level. Examples of synthetic vowels and diphthongs are given to assess the models. In general, the results show that, although the system of voice production is complex, we can achieve satisfactory results with relatively simple low-dimensional models, by suitable temporal variations of the aerodynamic parameters.     

Signal enhancement of a novel multi-address coding lidar backscatters based on a combined technique of demodulation and wavelet de-noising

Multi-address coding (MAC) lidar is a novel lidar system recently developed by our laboratory. By applying a new combined technique of multi-address encoding, multiplexing and decoding, range resolution is effectively improved. In data processing, a signal enhancement method involving laser signal demodulation and wavelet de-noising in the downlink is proposed to improve the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of raw signal and the capability of remote application. In this paper, the working mechanism of MAC lidar is introduced and the implementation of encoding and decoding is also illustrated. We focus on the signal enhancement method and provide the mathematical model and analysis of an algorithm on the basis of the combined method of demodulation and wavelet de-noising. The experimental results and analysis demonstrate that the signal enhancement approach improves the SNR of raw data. Overall, compared with conventional lidar system, MAC lidar achieves a higher resolution and better de-noising performance in long-range detection.     

Sensitive pseudobienzyme electrocatalytic DNA biosensor for mercury(II) ion by using the autonomously assembled hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme nanowires for signal amplification

Herein, a novel sensitive pseudobienzyme electrocatalytic DNA biosensor was proposed for mercury ion (Hg²⁺) detection by using autonomously assembled hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme nanowires for signal amplification. Thiol functionalized capture DNA was firstly immobilized on a nano-Au modified glass carbon electrode (GCE). In presence of Hg²⁺, the specific coordination between Hg²⁺ and T could result in the assembly of primer DNA on the electrode, which successfully triggered the HCR to form the hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme nanowires with substantial redox probe thionine (Thi). In the electrolyte of PBS containing NADH, the hemin/G-quadruplex nanowires firstly acted as an NADH oxidase to assist the concomitant formation of H₂O₂ in the presence of dissolved O₂. Then, with the redox probe Thi as electron mediator, the hemin/G-quadruplex nanowires acted as an HRP-mimicking DNAzyme that quickly bioelectrocatalyzed the reduction of produced H₂O₂, which finally led to a dramatically amplified electrochemical signal. This method has demonstrated a high sensitivity of Hg²⁺ detection with the dynamic concentration range spanning from 1.0 ng L⁻¹ to 10 mg L⁻¹ Hg²⁺ and a detection limit of 0.5 ng L⁻¹ (2.5 pM) at the 3S_blank level, and it also demonstrated excellent selectivity against other interferential metal ions.     

多次放电的激光诱导击穿光谱信号增强

激光诱导击穿光谱技术(LIBS)是一种广泛应用于科学和工程方面的元素分析技术。LIBS测量一些微量元素时存在探测极限高的不足,因此增强LIBS信号强度,降低元素探测极限,对扩展其应用范围有着重要的意义。为了实现LIBS光谱信号的增强,提出多次放电增强激光诱导击穿光谱方法,并以固体铝合金材料为例进行了光谱信号强度增强的研究。实验发现,激光作用在铝合金材料上烧蚀样品产生等离子体并溅射到样品上方高压放电电极所在区域,该区域在等离子体产生之后50 μs之内均可以诱导高压电极放电。因此采用高频脉冲电源可以实现一次LIBS产生的等离子体诱导电极多次放电。多次放电会对等离子体进行多次激发,同时多次放电对等离子的加热作用会延缓等离子体冷却速率从而延长等离子体的持续时间,两者共同作用可以增强LIBS光谱信号强度,进而降低LIBS对微量元素的探测极限。使用频率为100 kHz的高频直流脉冲电源,利用数字延迟脉冲发生器同步激光与高压电源,在激光过后3.6 μs触发高压放电,一次LIBS产生的等离子体可以诱导电极5次放电,即对等离子体进行5次激发和加热。利用光谱仪对5次放电等离子体光谱进行积分测量。实验结果表明：使用多次放电增强之后,等离子体持续时间得到大幅延长,光谱信号强度得到大幅增强,其中,Mg Ⅱ (~279 nm)的信号强度可以增强约48倍,Al Ⅱ (~358 nm)的信号强度可以增强约72倍,微量元素Mn Ⅰ (~403 nm)的信号强度增强约6.3倍,微量元素Cu Ⅰ (~403 nm) 的信号强度增强约8.3倍。Mn Ⅰ (~403 nm)和Cu Ⅰ (~403 nm) 的探测极限分别降低为LIBS单次放电的1/6和1/8。多次放电增强激光诱导击穿光谱方法很好地增强了LIBS的光谱信号强度,降低了对微量元素的探测极限,扩展了LIBS技术的应用范围。该方法有潜力应用到贵重物品、稀有材料及文物的鉴定之中。     

Optimizing thermography depth probing with a dynamic thermal point spread function

Derivation of two point spread functions PSFs suitable for infrared thermograms analysis is illustrated, based on two unique approaches, one based on depth decaying limit and one on diffusion limit. Experimental work using PMMA sample with back drilled holes and pulsed thermographic routine is utilized to show the effectiveness of deconvoluting pixel temperature transient history with suggested PSF’s. Synthetic second time derivative thermograms are utilized for comparison and the signal to noise ratio is used as a figure of merit for quantification.