Optical chemical sensors using polythiophene derivatives as active layer for detection of volatile organic compounds

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Impedance spectroscopy analysis of TiO(2) thin film gas sensors obtained from water-based anatase colloids

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Piezoelectric effect in composite polyurethane-ferroelectric ceramics

Flexible and free-standing films of piezoelectric composites made up of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic powder dispersed in a castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) matrix were obtained by spin coating and characterized as materials for sensor applications. The piezoelectric coefficients d 31 and d 33 were measured with the usual technique. The piezoelectric charge constant d 33 yields values up to ≤24 pC/N, even at lower PZT content (33 vol%). Some desirable properties like piezoelectricity, flexibility and good mechanical resistance show this new material to be a good alternative for use as sensors and actuators.

Optimal placement of sensors/actuators in truss structures with known disturbances

An important stage in the solution of active vibration control in flexible structures is the optimal placement of sensors and actuators. In many works, the positioning of these devices in systems governed for parameter distributed is, mainly, based, in controllability approach or criteria of performance. The positions that enhance such parameters are considered optimal. These techniques do not take in account the space variation of disturbances. An way to enhance the robustness of the control design would be to locate the actuators considering the space distribution of the worst case of disturbances. This paper is addressed to include in the formulation of problem of optimal location of sensors and piezoelectric actuators the effect of external disturbances. The paper concludes with a numerical simulation in a truss structure considering that the disturbance is applied in a known point a priori. As objective function the C norm system is used. The LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator) controller was used to quantify performance of different sensors/actuators configurations.

Environment for teaching and development of mobile robot systems

Using robots for teaching is one approach that has gathered good results on Middle-School, High-School and Universities. Robotics gives chance to experiment concepts of a broad range of disciplines, principally those from Engineering courses and Computer Science. However, there are not many kits that enables the use of robotics in classroom. This article describes the methodologies to implement tools which serves as test beds for the use of robotics to teach Computer Science and Engineering. Therefore, it proposes the development of a flexible, low cost hardware to integrate sensors and control actuators commonly found on mobile robots, the development of a mobile robot device whose sensors and actuators allows the experimentation of different concepts, and an environment for the implementation of control algorithms through a computer network. This paper describes each one of these tools and discusses the implementation issues and future works. © 2010 IEEE.

Measurements of simulated periodontal bone defects in inverted digital image and film-based radiograph: An in vitro study

Purpose: This study was performed to compare the inverted digital images and film-based images of dry pig mandibles to measure the periodontal bone defect depth. Materials and Methods: Forty 2-wall bone defects were made in the proximal region of the premolar in the dry pig mandibles. The digital and conventional radiographs were taken using a Schick sensor and Kodak F-speed intraoral film. Image manipulation (inversion) was performed using Adobe Photoshop 7.0 software. Four trained examiners made all of the radiographic measurements in millimeters a total of three times from the cementoenamel junction to the most apical extension of the bone loss with both types of images: inverted digital and film. The measurements were also made in dry mandibles using a periodontal probe and digital caliper. The Student's t-test was used to compare the depth measurements obtained from the two types of images and direct visual measurement in the dry mandibles. A significance level of 0.05 for a 95% confidence interval was used for each comparison. Results: There was a significant difference between depth measurements in the inverted digital images and direct visual measurements (p>|t|=0.0039), with means of 6.29 mm (IC95%:6.04-6.54) and 6.79 mm (IC95%:6.45-7.11), respectively. There was a non-significant difference between the film-based radiographs and direct visual measurements (p>|t|=0.4950), with means of 6.64mm (IC95%:6.40-6.89) and 6.79mm(IC95%:6.45-7.11), respectively. Conclusion: The periodontal bone defect measurements in the inverted digital images were inferior to film-based radiographs, underestimating the amount of bone loss. copy; 2012 by Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology.

Detection of cavitated approximal surfaces using cone beam CT and intraoral receptors

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare cone beam CT (CBCT) in a small field of view (FOV) with a solid-state sensor and a photostimulable phosphor plate system for detection of cavitated approximal surfaces. Methods: 257 non-filled approximal surfaces from human permanent premolars and molars were recorded by two intraoral digital receptors, a storage phosphor plate (Digora Optime, Soredex) and a solid-state CMOS sensor (Digora Toto, Soredex), and scanned in a cone beam CT unit (3D Accuitomo FPD80, Morita) with a FOV of 4 cm and a voxel size of 0.08 mm. Image sections were carried out in the axial and mesiodistal tooth planes. Six observers recorded surface cavitation in all images. Validation of the true absence or presence of surface cavitation was performed by inspecting the surfaces under strong light with the naked eye. Differences in sensitivity, specificity and agreement were estimated by analysing the binary data in a generalized linear model using an identity link function. Results: A significantly higher sensitivity was obtained by all observers with CBCT (p,0.001), which was not compromised by a lower specificity. Therefore, a significantly higher overall agreement was obtained with CBCT (p,0.001). There were no significant differences between the Digora Optime phosphor plate system and the Digora Toto CMOS sensor for any parameter. Conclusions: CBCT was much more accurate in the detection of surface cavitation in approximal surfaces than intraoral receptors. The differences are interpreted as clinically significant. A CBCT examination performed for other reasons should also be assessed for approximal surface cavities in teeth without restorations. © 2013 The British Institute of Radiology.

Evaluation of the interactions of DNA with the textile dyes Disperse Orange 1 and Disperse Red 1 and their electrolysis products using an electrochemical biosensor

A disposable pencil graphite electrode modified with dsDNA was used in combination with square wave voltammetry in order to evaluate the interaction of DNA with the textile dyes Disperse Orange 1 (DO1) and Disperse Red 1 (DR1), and with the products of their electrolysis. Significant changes in the characteristic oxidation peaks of the guanine and adenine moieties of immobilized dsDNA were observed after incubation of the modified electrode for 180 s in solutions of the dyes in their original forms. The same was observed using the electrolysis products obtained by oxidation and reduction conversions. The oxidation peak currents of the guanine and adenine moieties decreased when the concentrations of DO1 and DR1 were increased up to 5.0 × 10 -6 and 1.0 × 10-6 mol L-1, respectively; the signal decreases were more pronounced after interaction with the oxidized dyes, compared to the reduced compounds. The interactions between DNA and DO1, DR1, and the electrolyzed dyes were further investigated by UV-vis spectrophotometry in solution, and different effects such as hypochromism and hyperchromism were observed in the resulting DNA spectra. The investigated interactions showed clear evidence of changes in the DNA structure, and suggested a predominant intercalation mode leading to damage in the biomolecule. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Giant Chemo-Resistance of SnO disk-like structures

Single crystalline SnO micro-disks, synthesized by a carbothermal reduction process, exhibited a nearly 1000-fold increase in resistance upon exposure to 100 ppm of NO2 without addition of catalysts or dopants nor the existence of nano-sized dimensions. Moreover, the SnO displayed a greater than 100-fold selectivity to NO2 over potential interferents including CO, H2 and CH4. The high sensor signal and exceptional selectivity for this novel sensor material are attributed to the existence of a high density of active lone pair electrons on the exposed (0 0 1) planes of the single crystalline SnO disks. This, thereby, identifies new means, not utilizing nano-dimensions, to achieve high gas sensitivity. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modelagem de estruturas piezelétricas para aplicação em localização de falhas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Controle ativo de vibrações e localização ótima de sensores e atuadores piezelétricos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Modelagem de estruturas inteligentes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Implementação de um sistema eletrônico para medir taxa de fluência de energia de radiação na faixa de radioterapia com sensor piroelétrico

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Microfluidic electronic tongue

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A synergistic combination of reduced graphene oxide and antimony nanoparticles for estriol hormone detection

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)