Stimulus-sensitive hydrogels and their applications in chemical (micro)analysis

In this tutorial review the use of stimulus-sensitive hydrogels as sensors and actuators for (micro)analytical applications is discussed. The first part of the article is aimed at making the reader familiar with stimulus-sensitive hydrogels, their chemical composition and their chemo-physical behavior. The prior art in the field, that comprises a number of sensors ranging from metal ion-sensitive sensors to antigen-sensitive sensors and a few actuators, is also treated in this part. The second part of the article focusses on the use of stimulus-sensitive hydrogels for microsensors and microactuators as well as their application in micro total analysis systems. The benefits of stimulus-sensitive hydrogels, their miniaturisation and the use of 365 nm UV-photolithography as a fast economical manufacturing technique are discussed.     

A Direct Method for the Identification of the Permeability Field Based on Flux Assimilation by a Discrete Analog of Darcy's Law

Inverse models to determine the permeability are generally based on existing forward models for the pressure. The permeabilities are adapted in such a way that the calculated pressures match the specified pressures in a number of points. To assimilate a priori knowledge about the flux, we introduce the flux assimilation method, which is based on the vector potential–pressure formulation of Darcy's law. Thanks to an unconventional discretization technique – the edge-based face element method – not only the specified pressures, but also specified information about the flux density can easily be assimilated. A relatively simple, but insightful analytical example illustrates the potential of this method.     

Methodological aspects of an adaptive multidirectional pattern search to optimize speech perception using three hearing-aid algorithms

In this study we investigated the reliability and convergence characteristics of an adaptive multidirectional pattern search procedure, relative to a nonadaptive multidirectional pattern search procedure. The procedure was designed to optimize three speech-processing strategies. These comprise noise reduction, spectral enhancement, and spectral lift. The search is based on a paired-comparison paradigm, in which subjects evaluated the listening comfort of speech-in-noise fragments. The procedural and nonprocedural factors that influence the reliability and convergence of the procedure are studied using various test conditions. The test conditions combine different tests, initial settings, background noise types, and step size configurations. Seven normal hearing subjects participated in this study. The results indicate that the reliability of the optimization strategy may benefit from the use of an adaptive step size. Decreasing the step size increases accuracy, while increasing the step size can be beneficial to create clear perceptual differences in the comparisons. The reliability also depends on starting point, stop criterion, step size constraints, background noise, algorithms used, as well as the presence of drifting cues and suboptimal settings. There appears to be a trade-off between reliability and convergence, i.e., when the step size is enlarged the reliability improves, but the convergence deteriorates.     

The Signed Loop Approach to the Ising Model: Foundations and Critical Point

The signed loop approach is a beautiful way to rigorously study the two-dimensional Ising model with no external field. In this paper, we explore the foundations of the method, including details that have so far been neglected or overlooked in the literature. We demonstrate how the method can be applied to the Ising model on the square lattice to derive explicit formal expressions for the free energy density and two-point functions in terms of sums over loops, valid all the way up to the self-dual point. As a corollary, it follows that the self-dual point is critical both for the behaviour of the free energy density, and for the decay of the two-point functions.     

Influence of fullerene photodimerization on the PCBM crystallization in polymer: Fullerene bulk heterojunctions under thermal stress

For an increased lifetime of polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, an understanding of the chemical and morphological degradation phenomena taking place under operational conditions is crucial. Phase separation between polymer and fullerene induced by thermal stress has been pointed out as a major issue to overcome. While often the effect of thermal stress on the morphology of polymer:fullerene BHJ is investigated in the darkness, here we observe that light exposure slows down fullerene crystallization and phase separation induced at elevated temperatures. The observed photo‐stabilizing effect on active layer morphology is quite independent on the polymer and is attributed to light‐induced dimerization of the fullerene. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013 , 51, 1209–1214     

Lagrangian Markovianized field approximation for turbulence

In a previous communication (W.J.T. Bos and J.-P. Bertoglio 2006, Phys. Fluids, 18, 031706), a self-consistent Markovian triadic closure was presented. The detailed derivation of this closure is given here, relating it to the Direct Interaction Approximation and Quasi-Normal types of closure. The time-scale needed to obtain a self-consistent closure for both the energy spectrum and the scalar variance spectrum is determined by evaluating the correlation between the velocity and an advected displacement vector-field. The relation between this latter correlation and the velocity–scalar correlation is stressed, suggesting a simplified model of the latter. The resulting closed equations are numerically integrated and results for the energy spectrum, scalar fluctuation spectrum and velocity–displacement correlation spectrum are presented for low, unity and high values of the Schmidt number.     

Functional off‐stoichiometry thiol‐ene‐epoxy thermosets featuring temporally controlled curing stages via an UV/UV dual cure process

We present a facile two‐stage UV/UV activation method for the polymerization of off‐stoichiometry thiol‐ene‐epoxy, OSTE+, networks. We show that the handling and processing of these epoxy‐based resins is made easier by introducing a material with a controlled curing technique based on two steps, where the first step offers excellent processing capabilities, and the second step yields a polymer with suitable end‐properties. We investigate the sequential thiol‐ene and thiol‐epoxy reactions during these steps by studying the mechanical properties, functional group conversion, water absorption, hydrolytic stability, and thermal stability in several different thiol‐ene‐epoxy formulations. Finally, we conclude that the curing stages can be separated for up to 24 h, which is promising for the usefulness of this technique in industrial applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2604‐2615     

No more conventional reference electrode: Transition time for determining chloride ion concentration

Ion selective electrodes (ISE) are used extensively for the potentiometric determination of ion concentrations in electrolytes. However, the inherent drift in these measurements and the requirement of a stable reference electrode restrict the feasibility of this method for long-term in-situ applications. This work presents a chronopotentiometric approach to minimize drift and avoid the use of a conventional reference electrode for measuring chloride ion concentration. An anodic current pulse is applied to a Ag/AgCl working electrode which initiates a faradaic reaction that depletes the chloride ions near the electrode surface. The rate of change in potential at the Ag/AgCl electrode, due to chloride ion depletion, reaches an inflection point once the chloride ions deplete completely near the electrode surface. The moment of the inflection point, also known as the transition time, is a function of the chloride ion concentration and is described by the Sand equation. It is shown that the square root of the transition time is linearly proportional to the chloride ion concentration. Drift in the response over two weeks is negligible: 59 μM/day when measuring 1 mM of Cl⁻ ions using a 10 A m⁻² current pulse. The transition time at a specific ion concentration can be tuned by the applied current pulse, e.g., in a solution containing 5 mM chloride ions, the transition times with current pulses of 10 and 20 A m⁻² are 1.56 and 0.25 s, respectively. The moment of inflection determines the response, and thus is independent of the absolute potential of reference electrode. Therefore, any metal wire can act as a pseudo-reference electrode, enabling this approach for long-term and integrated-sensor applications such as measurement inside concrete structures.