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High-altitude Andean lakes (HAAL) are a treasure chest for microbiological research in South America. Their indigenous microbial communities are exposed to extremely high UV irradiation and to multiple chemical extremes (Arsenic, high salt content, alkalinity). Microbes are found both, free-living or associated into microbial mats with different degrees of mineralization and lithification, including unique modern stromatolites located at 3570 m above sea level. Characterization of these polyextremophilic microbes began only recently, employing morphological and phylogenetic methods as well as high-throughput sequencing and proteomics approach. Aside from providing a general overview on microbial communities, special attention is given to various survival strategies; HAAL's microbes present a complex system of shared genetic and physiological mechanisms (UV-resistome) based on UV photoreceptors and stress sensors with their corresponding response regulators, UV avoidance and protection strategies, damage tolerance and UV damage repair. Molecular information will be provided for what is, so far the most studied HAAL molecule, a CPD-Class I photolyase from Acinetobacter Ver3 (Laguna Verde, 4400 m). This work further proposes some strategies that make an appeal for the preservation of HAAL, a highly fragile environment that offers promising and ample research possibilities. Fil: Albarracín, Virginia Helena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiologicos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina Fil: Gärtner, Wolfgang. Max Planck Institute Fur Chemische Energiekonversion; Alemania Fil: Farias, Maria Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiologicos; Argentina

The structural health monitoring of large-scaled fiber-reinforced composite components plays a crucial role for the further advancement of lightweight design approaches for a large-range application spectrum. Using textile-based and technological integrated stress sensors within the composite’s textile reinforcement, the detection of serious structural damages on early stages as well as an in-situ monitoring of mechanical loading conditions in inaccessible areas within immediate distance of the load-bearing layers of the subsequent composite component can be realized by those in situ condition monitoring systems, enabling the possibility of just in time maintenance or even local repairs before full structural failures occur.

We study the performance of Fiber Specklegram Sensors (FSSs) by using finite element method (FEM). Sensing mechanism is studied by evaluating different stress gauges and numerical apertures of the fibers, which evidence effective design criteria.

In this study, the parameters (i.e., contact stress at the die-sheet interface and the punch velocity) were measured by the installation of film stress sensors in the fine-blanking die. A regression model was established to investigate the degree of importance of the parameters and their interaction on reducing the crack ratio of fine-blanked surface. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was then performed to check the adequacy of the regression model. The optimal results of the regression model agreed well with the experimental result. The regression analysis indicated that the contact stress have a major influence, followed by the interaction and the punch velocity. The importance of the interaction means that the ability of contact stress in crack ratio reduction depends on the level of punch velocity. The result could be useful to facilitate an improvement in the quality of the fine-blanked parts by the optimization parameters.

Plants need to cope with complex environments throughout their life cycle. Abiotic stresses, including drought, cold, salt and heat, can cause a reduction in plant growth and loss of crop yield. Plants sensing stress signals and adapting to adverse environments are fundamental biological problems. We review the stress sensors in stress sensing and the responses, and then discuss ionic stress signaling and the responses. During ionic stress, the calcineurin B-like proteins (CBL) and CBL-interacting protein kinases (CBL−CIPK) complex is identified as a primary element of the calcium sensor for perceiving environmental signals. The CBL−CIPK system shows specificity and variety in its response to different stresses. Obtaining a deeper understanding of stress signaling and the responses will mitigate or solve crop yield crises in extreme environments with fast-growing populations.

New approaches are vital for efficiently evaluating human health risk of thousands of chemicals in commerce. In vitro models offer a high-throughput approach for assaying chemical-induced molecular and cellular changes; however, bridging these perturbations to in vivo effects across chemicals, dose, time, and species remains challenging. Technological advances in multiresolution imaging and multiscale simulation are making it feasible to reconstruct tissues in silico. In toxicology, these "virtual" tissues (VT) aim to predict histopathological outcomes from alterations of cellular phenotypes that are controlled by chemical-induced perturbations in molecular pathways. The behaviors of thousands of heterogeneous cells in tissues are simulated discretely using agent-based modeling (ABM), in which computational "agents" mimic cell interactions and cellular responses to the microenvironment. The behavior of agents is constrained by physical laws and biological rules derived from experimental evidence. VT extend compartmental physiologic models to simulate both acute insults as well as the chronic effects of low-dose exposure. Furthermore, agent behavior can encode the logic of signaling and genetic regulatory networks to evaluate the role of different pathways in chemical-induced injury. To extrapolate toxicity across species, chemicals, and doses, VT require four main components: (a) organization of prior knowledge on physiologic events to define the mechanistic rules for agent behavior, (b) knowledge on key chemical-induced molecular effects, including activation of stress sensors and changes in molecular pathways that alter the cellular phenotype, (c) multiresolution quantitative and qualitative analysis of histologic data to characterize and measure chemical-, dose-, and time-dependent physiologic events, and (d) multiscale, spatiotemporal simulation frameworks to effectively calibrate and evaluate VT using experimental data. This investigation presents the motivation, implementation, and application of VT with examples from hepatotoxicity and carcinogenesis.

International audience; Starting as a paradigm for stress responses, the study of the transcription factor (TF) family of heat shock factors (HSFs) has quickly and widely expanded these last decades, thanks to their fascinating and significant involvement in a variety of pathophysiological processes, including development, reproduction, neurodegeneration and carcinogenesis. HSFs, originally defined as classical TFs, strikingly appeared to play a central and often pioneering role in reshaping the epigenetic landscape. In this review, we describe how HSFs are able to sense the epigenetic environment, and we review recent data that support their role as sculptors of the chromatin landscape through their complex interplay with chromatin remodelers, histone-modifying enzymes and non-coding RNAs.

Provide the sensor responses for various bonding power from 76 DAC to 200 DAC and use optical microscopy images, Current-Voltage curves and stress responds to find the regions of bondable and bond failures. When the bonding power increased, the stress magnitude of σx, σy and σz all increased. Good bonding could be achieved with bonding power less than 100 DAC. When bonding power is more than 100 DAC, bond failure or sensor damage could be occurred. The bond failure mechanisms include that under Al pad crack and Silicon cratering after wire bonding.

The effect of bond geometry on bond strength and reliability is studied for 25 µm Au wire bonds on standard CMOS Al pads. An accelerated method for parameter optimization is used to produce ball bonds with optimized shear strength (SS) and target values for ball diameter of 56.5 µm, bonded ball height (BH) of 12 µm, 16 µm, and 20 µm for low, medium, and high BH, respectively. Low BH bonds achieve 126.1 MPa strength and endure up to 41.9% US before deformation begins, whereas high BH bonds achieve only 109.8 MPa strength and withstand a maximum of 39.8% US. Low BH bonds achieve higher SS possibly due to the higher level of US that can be used. Bond reliability is assessed non-destructively in high temperature storage (HTS) tests using piezoresistive stress sensors. The bonds are aged at 200 °C for ∼500 h. From features in the stress sensor signals, a characteristic time (t c ) is derived during aging using an improved method. The t c value indicates the time it takes for the bonds to degrade severely due to intermetallics and crack formation. The t c values for low, medium, and high BH bonds were found to be 199.9±8.7 h, 225.9±9.5 h, and 231.9±6.8 h respectively. The result suggests ball bonds with higher BH values are more reliable than the bonds with lower BH for a constant ball bond diameter. This result is corroborated by the SS before and after aging being the same for the high BH bonds whereas SS dropped by 3% for the low BH bonds. The non-destructive method was demonstrated to have an estimated time resolution better than 10 h which allows for precise comparisons of the reliability of various processes.

© 2015 IEEE. In this work the mechanical stress induced in 3D stacks by different packaging process steps is studied. The 3D stacks used in this work are assembled using two identical dies containing a number of stress sensors which are designed and manufactured in 65nm technology. It is observed that the contribution of the package substrate and the die-attach process to the redistribution of mechanical stress inside the 3D stacked IC is more significant than the one of the EMC and that the influence of packaging on the shape and amplitude of local stress around the inter-die interconnects (micro-bumps) is not significant. These observations are supported by the measurements of stress done using micro-Raman spectroscopy and are correlated with the results of finite element modeling and with optical warpage measurements of different packaging configurations. ispartof: pages:354-361 ispartof: IEEE vol:2015-July pages:354-361 ispartof: 2015 Electronic Components & Technology Conference (ECTC) location:CA, San Diego date:26 May - 29 May 2015 status: published

Protein misfolding in live cells is inherently linked to disease. Afflictions ranging from cancer to viral infection have been related to some form of dysregulation in the protein folding process. ...

In this paper, the application of magnetoelasticity in static tension monitoring for large steel cables is discussed. Magnetoelastic (EM) stress sensors make contact-free tension monitoring possible for hanger cables and post-tensioned cables on suspension and cable-stayed bridges. By quantifying the correlation of magnetic relative permeability with tension and temperature, the EM sensors inspect the load levels in the steel cables. Cable tension monitoring on Qiangjiang (QJ) 4th Bridge demonstrates the reliability of the EM sensors.

Influences of bending stress on an electrical resistivity of carbon fiber are studied as a basic research to develop high sensitive stress sensors. It is confirmed that an initial bending stress reversibly decreases the electrical resistivity, because the initial stress probably decreases the density of electron scattering sites. On the other hand, an excess stress increases the electrical resistivity.

Experiments with instrumented displacement piles have shown that the ultimate shaft friction that can develop in a given sand horizon decreases as the pile tip penetrates to deeper levels. This phenomenon, which is now commonly referred to as friction fatigue, is investigated here using centrifuge model piles equipped with lateral stress sensors, and by drawing on other experimental data from the laboratory and the field. It is shown that the primary mechanism controlling friction fatigue is the cyclic history imparted during pile installation to soil elements at the pile–sand interface. For a given installation method the stationary lateral stress acting at any given level on a displacement pile can be described as a relatively unique function of the cone penetration test end resistance and the number of cycles imposed during installation. The strong influence of cycling, which is also seen in cyclic constant normal stiffness interface shear tests, is attributed to contraction of a narrow shear zone at t...

Felsbaumasnahmen andern die Spannungen im umgebenden Gebirge. Zur Sicherung der Felsbauwerke werden diese Spannungsanderungen mit Druckkissen gemessen. Diese Empfehlung beschreibt den festen Einbau von Spannungsgebern in Fels oder Bauwerke und die Messung der Spannungsanderungen. Die Spannungsgeber bestehen aus dem Druckkissen und der Druckmeseinheit die vollstandig mit einer Druckflussigkeit gefullt sind. Gemessen wird entweder die nderung des Kissenvolumens (Deformationsprinzip) oder der Kissendruck (Kompensationsprinzip). Druckkissen storen die Gebirgsspannungen am wenigsten, wenn ihre Steifigkeit der des umgebenden Gesteins entspricht. Die Konzentration von Spannungen konnen Druckkissen auch durch geeignetes Design und geringes Hohen- zu Breitenverhaltnis mindern. Die erzielbare Mesgenauigkeit wird durch die Auswahl und Kalibrierung des Spannungsgebers, die Qualitat des Einbaus und den Mesbetrag bestimmt. Die Empfehlung schliest mit der Planung und Ausfuhrung von Tunnelquerschnitten zur Messung von Spannungsanderungen, der Datenerfassung und Auswertung, der Darstellung der Mesergebnisse sowie der Dokumentation ab. Measurement of stress changes in rock and rock mass and structures with pressure cells. Excavations change the stresses in the surrounding rock mass. To safeguard engineered structures the rock stresses are measured with pressure cells. This recommendation describes the emplacement of pressure cells into engineered structures and the surrounding rock mass and the measurement of stress changes. Pressure cells combine with stress sensors to stress measuring devices and are filled with hydraulic fluid. The stress sensors measure either the volume change (deformation principle) or the hydraulic pressure (compensation principle) in the pressure cells. Pressure cells disturb the rock stresses least if there stiffness is equal to that of the surrounding rock. Stress concentrations can also be limited by a suitable design and a low height/width ratio of the pressure cells. The attainable measuring accuracy is determined by the selected type and calibration of the pressure cell, the quality of the emplacement, and the value of the measured stress change. The recommendation concludes with the planning and implementation of tunnel cross-sections for stress change measurements, the data acquisition and evaluation, the reporting, and the documentation.

Piezoresistive stress sensors are widely used to characterize semiconductor die stresses. Packaging stresses induce a small change in resistance in the sensors and they are highly sensitive to factors such as temperature and processing conditions. Thus, accurate stress prediction requires calibration and knowledge of all sources of variation in the resistance response of the sensors. This paper quantifies the effect of process variations and demonstrates that die level tracability is critical to ensure accurate stress prediction.

Ever since the 1980s, the resistor sensors for stress measurement in plastic encapsulated electronic packages of IC have been studied. Nowadays, many well-developed designs and applications of stress sensors have been realized. Calibrations of those stress sensors for accurately evaluating their piezoresistive coefficients, however, have not developed so fast. Among those calibration methods, the four-point-bending (4PB) method, which has been used since the 1980s, is still the most popular one. In the first part of this paper the advantages and disadvantages of three kinds of calibration methods are introduced and compared. The theories on the popular 4PB method are presented in the second part. For better use of the 4PB method during calibration, some improvement on the basis of traditional 4PB fixture is made. In the third part, the analysis of how the improvement works is described in details and a comparison between the improved 4PB fixture and the traditional one is also presented. A prototype of a new 4PB fixture is shown at the end of this part. Finally, preliminary test results and future development are given in the 4th and 5th part respectively.

In this work, a simple assembled structure was designed and fabricated so that the calibration procedures on piezoresistive stress sensors for microelectronic packaging can be simpler, more accurate, and more efficient. After comparing with the previous work results, validity of the aforementioned new structure has been demonstrated through experimental data. Since many accessory experimental facilities employed in traditional calibrations become unnecessary, the new methodology takes great advantage on piezoresistive coefficient extractions, especially for calibration at temperature other than room temperature.

Principles of remote-interrogated stress sensors based on high-frequency magnetic materials showing the inverse magnetostrictive or magnetoimpedance effects are presented. The magnetoelastic behaviour of amorphous single layer films and amorphous/nanocrystalline multilayers is characterized in a frequency range between 10 MHz and 8 GHz with a high-frequency permeameter by applying tensile or compressive stress to the sample. Magnetron-sputtered (Fe50Co50/Co80B20) multilayers have been developed which show ferromagnetic resonance frequencies up to 5 GHz as well as good magnetoelastic properties in the GHz range.

Under the proper orientations and excitations, the transverse output of rotationally symmetric four-contact van der Pauw (VDP) stress sensors depends upon only the in-plane shear stress or the difference of the in-plane normal stresses on (100) silicon. In bridge-mode, each sensor requires only one four-wire measurement and produces an output voltage with a sensitivity that is 3.16 times that of the equivalent resistor rosettes or bridges, just as in the normal VDP sensor mode that requires two separate measurements. Both numerical and experimental results are presented to validate the conjectured behavior of the sensor. Similar results apply to sensors on (111) silicon. The output voltage results provide a simple mathematical expression for the offset voltage in Hall effect devices or the response of pseudo Hall-effect sensors. Bridge operation facilitates use of the VDP structure in embedded stress sensors in integrated circuits.

Different approaches combining Finite Element Simulations and in-situ electrical measurement of stress sensors during a BABSI test are proven to be ideal combination to quantitatively compare the strength of BEOL layers. It is shown that detectable mechanical failures during a shear or BABSI test are insufficient to detect early opens of the metal interconnections. A good agreement was found between the applied loads to the BEOL stack, the response of stress sensors below the Cu pillar and finite element simulations. Next, the risk of cohesive and adhesive failures in the Cu/low-k layers is evaluated in function of stiffness of low-k and design of metal interconnections.

In this work the effects of 3D stacking technology on the performance of devices are systematically studied. For this study a special chip consisting of a number of stress sensors and vertical interconnect loops was designed and manufactured in 65 nm technology. Local variations of stress with a magnitude of up to 300 MPa are detected at different locations along the chip and are being characterized using finite element modeling and micro-Raman spectroscopy measurements.

In order to use NiTi wires as strain or stress sensors, the variations of electrical resistance of Ti-50.8 at%Ni wires during thermo-mechanical loading are studied in this paper. The results show that it is possible to use the NiTi wires as strain sensors, but it is difficult to use NiTi wires as stress sensors.

Stress measurements in microelectronic packaging through piezoresistive sensors take the advantage of both in-situ and nondestructive. In this study, test chips with both p-type and n-type piezoresistive stress sensors, as well as a heat source, were first designed, then manufactured by a commercialized foundry so that the uniformity of the test chips was expected. Both temperature and stress calibrations were next performed through a special designed MQFP (Metal Quad Flat Package) and four-point bending (4PB) structure, respectively. Measurements of stresses which are produced due to both manufacturing process and thermal effects on the test chips were finally executed, and approximately linear relationships were observed between stress and temperature as well as stress and input power. It is concluded that n-type piezoresistive stress sensors are able to extract stress in microelectronic packaging with good accuracy.

On sport players using raket and bat and general persons, sensory evaluation of the optimum diameter in grasping cylindical object and the movable angle of wrist joint under the grasping were investigated, and the effcts of the fingers in the six movements of wrist joint (Horizontal movement : Palmar-flexion and Dorsi-flexion, Vertical movement : Radial-flexion and Ulnar-flexion, Twist movement : Supination and Pronation) were investigated using stress sensors attached on the fingers. The subjects were ordinary persons and players of badminton, baseball and tennis, and the obtained data were compared to each other. The optimum diameters of the grasping evaluated by sport players were ranging from 30 mm to 40 mm, these values were same as that of ordinary persons, and the average values of optimum diameter were almost same as grip diameters of raket and bat. About movable angle of wrist joint under the grasping, badminton players could move horizontally and twist at larger angle and fielders could move vertically at larger angle. About the grasping force of fingers, the maximum force was exhibited at the tip of index finger for sport players, on the other hand, it was exhibited at the tip of middle finger for ordinary persons. It was considered that the specific training has effect on the sport players in the movable angle of wrist joint and in the finger's way of using at the movement of wrist joint.

The influence of mechanical stresses upon the offset of merged lateral bipolar magnetotransistors (LMTs) is studied. The experimental setup for analyzing the response of such structures to torsional and flexural stresses is briefly described. It has been found that their sensitivity to torsional stresses is much higher than to flexural stresses, and this may be explained in terms of the piezojunction effect which gives rise to emitter injection modulation (EIM), a phenomenon analogous to the one previously reported to explain the magnetic response of some types of LMTs. Other analogies between the response to mechanical stresses and to a magnetic field are described. Two different modes of electrical connections of the four collectors of the device are analyzed: cross-coupled and parallel. The parallel connection allows some degree of compensation of the offset due to torsional stresses, whereas the cross-coupled one is more sensitive to flexural stresses. It is concluded that: (1) the response to a magnetic field and a mechanical stress have many common aspects; (2) the piezojunction effect is the fundamental mechanism behind the measured sensitivity; and (3) these devices are potentially excellent stress sensors.

Pressure and frictional stress acting on the ripper point surface have been directly measured in the actual rock ripping process using stress sensors embedded in the top part of the ripper point. In the case of ripping sand stone ground, applied stresses are relatively low but sometimes increase rapidly, unless the traction force is constant. In the case of ripping conglomerate ground, large stress is applied to the top of the point surface and changes in proportion with the traction force. Point surface temperature has been also measured using an embedded temperature sensor. The temperature increases intermittently during the ripping process.

Although adaptive strategies based on the Measure-and-Control (M&C) design paradigm have been proven to be effective methods to achieve aging resilient circuits, their implementation requires accurate monitoring architectures and integrated aging sensors. This paper presents a new on-chip, fully digital monitoring architecture for tracking BTI-induced aging effects on digital ICs. The proposed solution is based on delay-to-threshold coherency of MOS devices and measures differential delay across pass-transistor chains. The aging monitor is conceived and designed as a self-contained standard gate consisting of reference and under stress sensors with embedded measurement circuitries and a control structure for data capturing. To guarantee independent measurements of both Positive- and Negative-BTI, two separate aging sensor blocks are used. Detailed SPICE simulations conducted for a low-power 40nm CMOS technology indicates the actual capability of the proposed circuit to capture BTI-induced aging.

This article has processed the experimental study of stress wave propagation using Hopkinson Pressure Bar, and measured with groups of PVDF stress sensors, obtained the waveform characteristics and the attenuation constant, and got the dynamic constitutive relations using Lagrangian analysis method.

Cobalt ferrite has been shown to be an excellent candidate material for high sensitivity magnetic stress sensors due to its large magnetomechanical effect and high sensitivity to strain. However, near room temperature, the material exhibits some magnetomechanical hysteresis, which becomes negligible for temperatures of 60/spl deg/C and above. Measurements indicate that doping the cobalt ferrite with silicon lowers the Curie temperature of the material. It was also found that the Curie temperature of the material depends on the fabrication and processing procedure. These results offer the possibility of decreasing the room temperature magnetomechanical hysteresis through control of the Curie temperature, thereby altering the temperature dependence of magnetic and magnetomechanical properties.

The MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effective-Transistor) has the potential to be a suitable chip stress monitoring tool for microelectronic packaging because the measurements are nondestructive, in-situ, real-time, and the sensor is relatively small. To this end, this paper studies the stress behaviors of both types of the MOSFET micro stress sensors. In this work, a self-developed four-point bending (4PB) measurement methodology is employed and the stress coefficient calibrations on the MOSFET sensors were next performed. After measurements, stress coefficients for both types of the MOSFET were successfully extracted with discussions. After comparing with the previous extracted temperature coefficients on the same devices, it is also concluded that the temperature effect is extremely important for the MOSFET sensor applications.

This paper discusses the adaptation of a novel bionic approach of AI to an Assisted Powered Wheelchair (APW) controller, in order to facilitate its driving by people with severe impairments. The control unit offers three modes of operation and this proposal refers to the second control that assists the wheelchair user in driving tasks like passing a door or avoiding obstacles. The user's psychic condition is considered in the APW navigation decision and it is determined by a stress detection system composed by electrocardiogram and skin conductance sensors. The control unit has to deal with environmental and stress data and must trigger actuating commands. The prototype implementation will be done within the platform STAGE and afterwards it will be embedded in a real powered wheelchair.

Decision making in trading can be compromised when traders are under stress. In this paper is presented a case study where ambient intelligence has been used to provide traders with self-awareness of their stress levels. We illustrate how using specific stress sensors improved the results of the trading process by avoiding bad decision making at crucial moments.

The behaviors of piezoresistivity in a new series of composite materials composed of TiC particles in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) insulating polymer are investigated. Experimental results show a pronounced change in resistivity with pressure, making the composite materials attractive candidates for pressure or stress sensors with sensitivities much higher than the conventional semiconductive silicon materials. Piezoresistive effect of TiC-PVC composite is related to the difference in the elastic properties of the TiC particles and PVC polymer, and to the large changes in resistivity with concentration close to 25 vol%TiC in composite.

Upon endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, ER-located transmembrane stress sensors evoke diverse protective responses. Although ER stress-dependent activation of the sensor proteins is partly explained through their negative regulation by the ER-located chaperone BiP under non-stress conditions, each of the sensors is also regulated by distinct mechanism(s). For instance, yeast Ire1 is fully activated via its direct interaction with unfolded proteins accumulated in the ER. This insight is consistent with a classical notion that unfolded proteins per se trigger ER-stress responses, while various stress stimuli also seem to activate individual sensors independently of unfolded proteins and in a stimuli-specific manner. These properties may account for the different responses observed under different conditions in mammalian cells, which carry multiple ER-stress sensors.

To make and maintain deep underground openings, it is important to predict the mechanical phenomena accompanying their excavations in terms of the rockmass properties and the geological structures. In this paper, a large-scaled two dimensional strata model testing method has been developed to approach these problems. In the adopted system, it is possible to excavate cavities in the model under loading condition.At first, some preliminary tests were performed to ensure the stress state created in the model by the loading system as well as the sensitivities of the built-in type sensors employed. Then, the test for a closely located two parallel excavations was performed. Two types of fractures were developed from the openings, which are interpreted, based on the corresponding finite element calculations, to be shear and tensile failures. The stress sensors recorded the local changes (increase and relief) in the model, with accompanying progress of excavation. P-wave velocity and the amplitude of its first motion increased with stress, and decreased on failure.It is concluded that this testing method can almost simulate various circumstances for the underground openings.

In accordance with the theory of magnetoelasticity, the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic materials depend dramatically on the stress level. As an engineering application of the said theory, the magnetoelastic (EM) stress sensor has been used in the stress monitoring of civil infrastructure. In this section, the theoretical background of EM stress sensors is reviewed, its technical methodology is introduced, and the influence of temperature is clarified. Through the application of EM stress sensors in representative infrastructures, their promising engineering advantages have been demonstrated, which is a prelude to a viable application stage.

This paper is focus on the applications of EM sensor on cable force measurement for large bridges. The sensors are entirely suitable for sheathed cables and require no physical contact with the cable itself. In order to meet the requirement of observing structure behavior under extreme events, a high sampling rate of EM technology has been developed. The sampling rate of the EM sensor can be as high as 0.1 Hz which is faster than the current available technology for sensor size of up to 250mm. Both laboratory and field calibrations were conducted. The relationship between the relative incremental permeability and tensile stress is derived from these calibrations. Field measurements on tendons for Stonecutters Bridge in Hong Kong demonstrate the reliability and accuracy of the EM stress sensors using the updated technology.

As so-called wooden rounds, which are intended to sit stably in storage for extended periods and then function precisely as desired at a moment's notice, missiles would appear to be an ideal application for health monitoring. However, the solid rocket motors that serve as the propulsion system for these missiles present a number of unique challenges for the development of integrated vehicle health monitoring systems. Mechanical and chemical complexity, long service lives, aging materials, and designs with small margins are typical for solid motors, but the payoff for health monitoring is extreme as well. Maintaining a healthy and capable fleet—ensuring the viability of the missiles in the fleet, while not retiring or destroying good assets before it is necessary—could save as much as 50% in costs over a 50-year life cycle. In this article, a number of unique aspects of solid rocket motors are explored, the difficulties and successes in the development of sensors and diagnostic systems are discussed, and a path to further continue the development of these systems is proposed. Keywords: solid rocket motors; stress sensors; bondline; chemical aging; mechanical damage

The tumor suppressor ARF is one of the most important oncogenic stress sensors in mammalian cells. Its effect is exerted through the interaction with different cellular partners, often resulting in their functional inactivation. This review focuses on the role played by the proteasome in ARF regulation of protein turnover and the function of most of its interacting partners. Specific proteasome components appear to be involved in the regulation of ARF turnover, bringing to light a complex network of interactions between ARF and the proteasome.

We propose a tactile sensing cube that is a rectangular rigid body with symmetrically-located stress sensors and embedded in an elastic body. The sensor measures stress tensor applied to the elastic body and can distinguish between shear and non-uniformly distributing normal stress applied to the surface of the body. The previously reported tactile sensors could not distinguish these stresses. In this paper, we verify the detection principle qualitatively by FEM simulation of two dimensional model and we show the result of basic experiments using a prototype.