Liquid-Phase Chemical Sensing Using Lateral Mode Resonant Cantilevers

Liquid-phase operation of resonant cantilevers vibrating in an out-of-plane flexural mode has to date been limited by the considerable fluid damping and the resulting low quality factors (Q factors). To reduce fluid damping in liquids and to improve the detection limit for liquid-phase sensing applications, resonant cantilever transducers vibrating in their in-plane rather than their out-of-plane flexural resonant mode have been fabricated and shown to have Q factors up to 67 in water (up to 4300 in air). In the present work, resonant cantilevers, thermally excited in an in-plane flexural mode, are investigated and applied as sensors for volatile organic compounds in water. The cantilevers are fabricated using a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible fabrication process based on bulk micromachining. The devices were coated with chemically sensitive polymers allowing for analyte sorption into the polymer. Poly(isobutylene) (PIB) and poly(ethylene-co-propylene) (EPCO) were investigated as sensitive layers with seven different analytes screened with PIB and 12 analytes tested with EPCO. Analyte concentrations in the range of 1−100 ppm have been measured in the present experiments, and detection limits in the parts per billion concentration range have been estimated for the polymer-coated cantilevers exposed to volatile organics in water. These results demonstrate significantly improved sensing properties in liquids and indicate the potential of cantilever-type mass-sensitive chemical sensors operating in their in-plane rather than out-of-plane flexural modes

Effect of Hydrodynamic Force on Microcantilever Vibrations: Applications to Liquid-Phase Chemical Sensing

At the microscale, cantilever vibrations depend not only on the microstructure’s properties and geometry but also on the properties of the surrounding medium. In fact, when a microcantilever vibrates in a fluid, the fluid offers resistance to the motion of the beam. The study of the influence of the hydrodynamic force on the microcantilever’s vibrational spectrum can be used to either (1) optimize the use of microcantilevers for chemical detection in liquid media or (2) extract the mechanical properties of the fluid. The classical method for application (1) in gas is to operate the microcantilever in the dynamic transverse bending mode for chemical detection. However, the performance of microcantilevers excited in this standard out-of-plane dynamic mode drastically decreases in viscous liquid media. When immersed in liquids, in order to limit the decrease of both the resonant frequency and the quality factor, and improve sensitivity in sensing applications, alternative vibration modes that primarily shear the fluid (rather than involving motion normal to the fluid/beam interface) have been studied and tested: these include in-plane vibration modes (lateral bending mode and elongation mode). For application (2), the classical method to measure the rheological properties of fluids is to use a rheometer. However, such systems require sampling (no in-situ measurements) and a relatively large sample volume (a few milliliters). Moreover, the frequency range is limited to low frequencies (less than 200Hz). To overcome the limitations of this classical method, an alternative method based on the use of silicon microcantilevers is presented. The method, which is based on the use of analytical equations for the hydrodynamic force, permits the measurement of the complex shear modulus of viscoelastic fluids over a wide frequency range

Influence of Fluid-Structure Interaction on Microcantilever Vibrations: Applications to Rheological Fluid Measurement and Chemical Detection

At the microscale, cantilever vibrations depend not only on the microstructure’s properties and geometry but also on the properties of the surrounding medium. In fact, when a microcantilever vibrates in a fluid, the fluid offers resistance to the motion of the beam. The study of the influence of the hydrodynamic force on the microcantilever’s vibrational spectrum can be used to either (1) optimize the use of microcantilevers for chemical detection in liquid media or (2) extract the mechanical properties of the fluid. The classical method for application (1) in gas is to operate the microcantilever in the dynamic transverse bending mode for chemical detection. However, the performance of microcantilevers excited in this standard out-of-plane dynamic mode drastically decreases in viscous liquid media. When immersed in liquids, in order to limit the decrease of both the resonant frequency and the quality factor, alternative vibration modes that primarily shear the fluid (rather than involving motion normal to the fluid/beam interface) have been studied and tested: these include inplane vibration modes (lateral bending mode and elongation mode). For application (2), the classical method to measure the rheological properties of fluids is to use a rheometer. To overcome the limitations of this classical method, an alternative method based on the use of silicon microcantilevers is presented. The method, which is based on the use of analytical equations for the hydrodynamic force, permits the measurement of the complex shear modulus of viscoelastic fluids over a wide frequency range

Étude physico-chimique des cendres de quelques végétaux du Benin utilisées dans la fabrication du savon «ACOTO»

Elaeis guineensis, Grossypium arborium, Anogeissus leiocarpus et Acacia sieberiana sont des matériaux végétaux dont incinérées, certaines parties sont utilisées dans la préparation du savon artisanal «ACOTO» au Bénin. Notre travail a pour objectif de déterminer la durée optimale de conservation du substrat de cendres de ces matériaux végétaux utilisés pour l’obtention d’une meilleure qualité de savon puis de faire une caractérisation physico-chimique des cendres de ces matériaux végétaux. Les analyses physico-chimiques ont montré que tous les substrats de cendres issues de ces matériaux végétaux sont alcalins (7,35< pH <10,02) et contiennent pour la plupart une concentration élevée en K+, ce qui confirme leur alcalinité. Les analyses révèlent également que la durée optimale de conservation de tous les substrats sauf ceux de la cendre des tiges de Acacia sieberiana et de la cendre du tronc de Elaeis guineensis est environ d’une (1) heure avant la préparation du savon.Mots clés: Savon «ACOTO», Elaeis guineensis, Grossypium arborium, Anogeissus leiocarpus, Acacia sieberiana, Béni

Polarization squeezing with cold atoms

We study the interaction of a nearly resonant linearly polarized laser beam with a cloud of cold cesium atoms in a high finesse optical cavity. We show theoretically and experimentally that the cross-Kerr effect due to the saturation of the optical transition produces quadrature squeezing on both the mean field and the orthogonally polarized vacuum mode. An interpretation of this vacuum squeezing as polarization squeezing is given and a method for measuring quantum Stokes parameters for weak beams via a local oscillator is developed

Initial assessment and treatment of refugees in the Mediterranean Sea (a secondary data analysis concerning the initial assessment and treatment of 2656 refugees rescued from distress at sea in support of the EUNAVFOR MED relief mission of the EU)

Excerpt of the underlying study variables with explanations and degree. (DOCX 100 kb

Coherent Backscattering of Ultracold Atoms

We report on the direct observation of coherent backscattering (CBS) of ultracold atoms, in a quasi-two-dimensional configuration. Launching atoms with a well-defined momentum in a laser speckle disordered potential, we follow the progressive build up of the momentum scattering pattern, consisting of a ring associated with multiple elastic scattering, and the CBS peak in the backward direction. Monitoring the depletion of the initial momentum component and the formation of the angular ring profile allows us to determine microscopic transport quantities. The time resolved evolution of the CBS peak is studied and is found a fair agreement with predictions, at long times as well as at short times. The observation of CBS can be considered a direct signature of coherence in quantum transport of particles in disordered media. It is responsible for the so called weak localization phenomenon, which is the precursor of Anderson localization.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

A linear CO chemistry parameterization in a chemistry-transport model: evaluation and application to data assimilation

This paper presents an evaluation of a new linear parameterization valid for the troposphere and the stratosphere, based on a first order approximation of the carbon monoxide (CO) continuity equation. This linear scheme (hereinafter noted LINCO) has been implemented in the 3-D Chemical Transport Model (CTM) MOCAGE (MOdèle de Chimie Atmospherique Grande Echelle). First, a one and a half years of LINCO simulation has been compared to output obtained from a detailed chemical scheme output. The mean differences between both schemes are about ±25 ppbv (part per billion by volume) or 15% in the troposphere and ±10 ppbv or 100% in the stratosphere. Second, LINCO has been compared to diverse observations from satellite instruments covering the troposphere (Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere: MOPITT) and the stratosphere (Microwave Limb Sounder: MLS) and also from aircraft (Measurements of ozone and water vapour by Airbus in-service aircraft: MOZAIC programme) mostly flying in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). In the troposphere, the LINCO seasonal variations as well as the vertical and horizontal distributions are quite close to MOPITT CO observations. However, a bias of ~−40 ppbv is observed at 700 Pa between LINCO and MOPITT. In the stratosphere, MLS and LINCO present similar large-scale patterns, except over the poles where the CO concentration is underestimated by the model. In the UTLS, LINCO presents small biases less than 2% compared to independent MOZAIC profiles. Third, we assimilated MOPITT CO using a variational 3D-FGAT (First Guess at Appropriate Time) method in conjunction with MOCAGE for a long run of one and a half years. The data assimilation greatly improves the vertical CO distribution in the troposphere from 700 to 350 hPa compared to independent MOZAIC profiles. At 146 hPa, the assimilated CO distribution is also improved compared to MLS observations by reducing the bias up to a factor of 2 in the tropics. This study confirms that the linear scheme is able to simulate reasonably well the CO distribution in the troposphere and in the lower stratosphere. Therefore, the low computing cost of the linear scheme opens new perspectives to make free runs and CO data assimilation runs at high resolution and over periods of several years

Many-body quantum dynamics of polarisation squeezing in optical fibre

We report new experiments that test quantum dynamical predictions of polarization squeezing for ultrashort photonic pulses in a birefringent fibre, including all relevant dissipative effects. This exponentially complex many-body problem is solved by means of a stochastic phase-space method. The squeezing is calculated and compared to experimental data, resulting in excellent quantitative agreement. From the simulations, we identify the physical limits to quantum noise reduction in optical fibres. The research represents a significant experimental test of first-principles time-domain quantum dynamics in a one-dimensional interacting Bose gas coupled to dissipative reservoirs.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Abaloparatide in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis and Type 2 Diabetes: A Post Hoc Analysis of the ACTIVE Study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increases fracture risk despite normal or increased BMD. Abaloparatide reduces fracture risk in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO); however, its efficacy in women with T2DM is unknown. This post hoc analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of abaloparatide in patients with T2DM. The analysis included patients with T2DM from the Abaloparatide Comparator Trial In Vertebral Endpoints (ACTIVE), a phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo- and active-controlled trial. In ACTIVE, participants were randomized 1:1:1 to daily s.c. injections of placebo, abaloparatide (80 μg), or open-label teriparatide (20 μg) for 18 months. A total of 198 women with PMO and T2DM from 21 centers in 10 countries were identified from ACTIVE through review of their medical records. The main outcomes measured included effect of abaloparatide versus placebo on BMD and trabecular bone score (TBS), with secondary outcomes of fracture risk and safety, in patients from ACTIVE with T2DM. Significant (p < 0.001) improvements in BMD at total hip (mean change 3.0% versus -0.4%), femoral neck (2.6% versus -0.2%), and lumbar spine (8.9% versus 1.3%) and TBS at lumbar spine (3.72% versus -0.56%) were observed with abaloparatide versus placebo at 18 months. Fracture events were fewer with abaloparatide treatment in patients with T2DM, and differences were not significant between groups except nonvertebral fractures in the abaloparatide versus placebo groups (p = 0.04). Safety was consistent with the ACTIVE population. In conclusion, in women with PMO and T2DM, abaloparatide treatment resulted in significant improvements in BMD and TBS versus placebo, consistent with the overall ACTIVE population © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research