Ambient-noise Free Generation of Clean Underwater Ship Engine Audios from Hydrophones using Generative Adversarial Networks

Generative adversarial networks (GANs) have been extensively used in image domain showing promising results in generating and learning data distributions in the absence of clean data. However, the audio domain, specially underwater acoustics are not yet fully explored in reporting the efficiency and applicability of GANs. We propose an audio GAN framework called ambient noise-free GAN (AN-GAN) to address the underwater acoustic signal denoising problem by removing the background ambient noise. The proposed AN-GAN can learn a clean audio generation with improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) given only the noisy samples from the underwater audio dataset. The simulated and real-time data collected from online available source ShipsEar, is used for the analysis and validation purpose. The comparative analysis shows an average percentage improvement of proposed AN-GAN with GAN-based and conventional statistical underwater denoising methods as 6.27% for UWAR-GAN, 227% for Wavelet denoising, 247% for EMD and 65% for Wiener technique

Design and Fabrication of a Robust Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Humidity Sensor energized by a Piezoelectric Generator

Due to their rapid growth in industrial and environmental applications, there is a need to develop self-powered humidity sensor systems with improved sensitivity, a wide detection range, and an eco-friendly nature. In this study, an aqueous solution of chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was blended to yield a composite film material with enhanced humidity detection properties. Meanwhile, a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF)-loaded chitosan composite film was developed and employed as a piezoelectric generator. Moreover, the developed composite materials for both devices (the piezoelectric generator and the humidity sensor) were optimized based on output performance. The piezoelectric generator generates a maximum of 16.2 V when a force of 10 N is applied and works as a power source for the humidity-sensing film. The sensing film swells in response to changes in relative humidity, which affects film resistance. This change in resistance causes a change in voltage through the piezoelectric generator and allows the precise measurement of relative humidity (RH). The fabricated sensor showed a linear response (R2 = 0.981) with a reasonable sensitivity (0.23 V/% RH) in an environment with an RH range of 21–89%. In addition, the device requires no external power, and therefore, it has numerous sensing applications in various fields

Design and Fabrication of a Robust Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Humidity Sensor energized by a Piezoelectric Generator

Due to their rapid growth in industrial and environmental applications, there is a need to develop self-powered humidity sensor systems with improved sensitivity, a wide detection range, and an eco-friendly nature. In this study, an aqueous solution of chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was blended to yield a composite film material with enhanced humidity detection properties. Meanwhile, a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF)-loaded chitosan composite film was developed and employed as a piezoelectric generator. Moreover, the developed composite materials for both devices (the piezoelectric generator and the humidity sensor) were optimized based on output performance. The piezoelectric generator generates a maximum of 16.2 V when a force of 10 N is applied and works as a power source for the humidity-sensing film. The sensing film swells in response to changes in relative humidity, which affects film resistance. This change in resistance causes a change in voltage through the piezoelectric generator and allows the precise measurement of relative humidity (RH). The fabricated sensor showed a linear response (R2 = 0.981) with a reasonable sensitivity (0.23 V/% RH) in an environment with an RH range of 21–89%. In addition, the device requires no external power, and therefore, it has numerous sensing applications in various fields

Flexible Fluidic-Type Strain Sensors for Wearable and Robotic Applications Fabricated with Novel Conductive Liquids: A Review

Flexible strain sensors with high sensitivity, wide sensing range, and excellent long-term stability are highly anticipated due to their promising potential in user-friendly electronic skins, interactive wearable systems, and robotics. Fortunately, there have been more flexible sensing materials developed during the past few decades, and some important milestones have been reached. Among the various strain sensing approaches, liquid-type (fluidic type) sensing has attracted great attention due to its appealing qualities, including its high flexibility, broad electrochemical window, variety in design, minimal saturated vapor pressure, and outstanding solubility. This review provides the comprehensive and systematic development of fluidic-type flexible strain sensors, especially in the past 10 years, with a focus on various types of liquids used, fabrication methods, channel structures, and their wide-range applications in wearable devices and robotics. Furthermore, it is believed that this work will be of great help to young researchers looking for a detailed study on fluidic strain sensors

Wide-Range Humidity–Temperature Hybrid Flexible Sensor Based on Strontium Titanate and Poly 3,4 Ethylenedioxythiophene Polystyrene Sulfonate for Wearable 3D-Printed Mask Applications

In this paper, we report a fast, linear wide-range hybrid flexible sensor based on a novel composite of strontium titanate (SrTiO3) and poly 3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS) as a sensing layer. Inter-digitate electrodes (IDEs) were printed for humidity monitoring (finger: 250 µm; spacing: 140 µm; length: 8 mm) whilst a meander-based pattern was printed for the temperature measurement (meander thickness: 180 µm; spacing: 400 µm) on each side of the PET substrate using silver ink. Moreover, active layers with different concentration ratios were coated on the electrodes using a spray coating technique. The as-developed sensor showed an excellent performance, with a humidity measurement range of (10–90% RH) and temperature measurement range of (25–90 °C) with a fast response (humidity: 5 s; temperature: 4.2 s) and recovery time (humidity: 8 s; temperature: 4.4 s). The reliability of the sensor during mechanical bending of up to 5.5 mm was validated with a reliable performance. The sensor was also used in real-world applications to measure human respiration. For this, a suggested sensor-based autonomous wireless node was included in a 3D-printed mask. The manufactured sensor was an excellent contender for wearable and environmental applications because of its exceptional performance, which allowed for the simultaneous measurement of both quantities by a single sensing device

A comprehensive review of key factors affecting the efficacy of antibody drug conjugate

Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) is an emerging technology to overcome the limitations of chemotherapy by selectively targeting the cancer cells. ADC binds with an antigen, specifically over expressed on the surface of cancer cells, results decrease in bystander effect and increase in therapeutic index. The potency of an ideal ADC is entirely depending on several physicochemical factors such as site of conjugation, molecular weight, linker length, Steric hinderance, half-life, conjugation method, binding energy and so on. Inspite of the fact that there is more than 100 of ADCs are in clinical trial only 14 ADCs are approved by FDA for clinical use. However, to design an ideal ADC is still challenging and there is much more to be done. Here in this review, we have discussed the key components along with their significant role or contribution towards the efficacy of an ADC. Moreover, we also explained about the recent advancement in the conjugation method. Additionally, we spotlit the mode of action of an ADC, recent challenges, and future perspective regarding ADC. The profound knowledge regarding key components and their properties will help in the synthesis or production of different engineered ADCs. Therefore, contributes to develop an ADC with low safety concern and high therapeutic index. We hope this review will improve the understanding and encourage the practicing of research in anticancer ADCs development

Extracellular Matrix Optimization for Enhanced Physiological Relevance in Hepatic Tissue-Chips

The cellular microenvironment is influenced explicitly by the extracellular matrix (ECM), the main tissue support biomaterial, as a decisive factor for tissue growth patterns. The recent emergence of hepatic microphysiological systems (MPS) provide the basic physiological emulation of the human liver for drug screening. However, engineering microfluidic devices with standardized surface coatings of ECM may improve MPS-based organ-specific emulation for improved drug screening. The influence of surface coatings of different ECM types on tissue development needs to be optimized. Additionally, an intensity-based image processing tool and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) sensor may assist in the analysis of tissue formation capacity under the influence of different ECM types. The current study highlights the role of ECM coatings for improved tissue formation, implying the additional role of image processing and TEER sensors. We studied hepatic tissue formation under the influence of multiple concentrations of Matrigel, collagen, fibronectin, and poly-L-lysine. Based on experimental data, a mathematical model was developed, and ECM concentrations were validated for better tissue development. TEER sensor and image processing data were used to evaluate the development of a hepatic MPS for human liver physiology modeling. Image analysis data for tissue formation was further strengthened by metabolic quantification of albumin, urea, and cytochrome P450. Standardized ECM type for MPS may improve clinical relevance for modeling hepatic tissue microenvironment, and image processing possibly enhance the tissue analysis of the MPS