This paper presents a sensitivity-enhanced gas sensor based on a film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR). It was designed and fabricated with micro through-holes in its top electrode for sensitivity enhancement. The sensor was driven by a Colpitts oscillator circuit, and the output signal had characteristics of a power of −2.6 dBm@3 V and a phase noise of −90 dBc/Hz@100 kHz. In order to test the performance of the sensor, it was used for the detection of relative humidity (RH) and ethanol. When the relative humidity ranged from 25% to 88%, the frequency shift of the sensor was 733 kHz, which was 3.2 times higher than that of the existing FBAR sensor with a complete top electrode. Fitting results of the frequency shift and the relative humidity indicated that the measurement error was within ±0.8% RH. When the ethanol concentration ranged from 0 to 0.2355 g/L, the frequency shift of the sensor was 365 kHz. The effect of the oscillator circuit on the adsorption reaction and temperature response of the FBAR sensor device was analyzed to optimize its detection application. Full article

This article reviews recent developments in droplet microfluidics enabling high-throughput single-cell analysis. Five key aspects in this field are included in this review: (1) prototype demonstration of single-cell encapsulation in microfluidic droplets; (2) technical improvements of single-cell encapsulation in microfluidic droplets; (3) microfluidic droplets enabling single-cell proteomic analysis; (4) microfluidic droplets enabling single-cell genomic analysis; and (5) integrated microfluidic droplet systems enabling single-cell screening. We examine the advantages and limitations of each technique and discuss future research opportunities by focusing on key performances of throughput, multifunctionality, and absolute quantification. Full article

Grain separation losses is a key parameter to weigh the performance of combine harvesters, and also a dominant factor for automatically adjusting their major working parameters. The traditional separation losses monitoring method mainly rely on manual efforts, which require a high labor intensity. With recent advancements in sensor technology, electronics and computational processing power, this paper presents an indirect method for monitoring grain separation losses in tangential-axial combine harvesters in real-time. Firstly, we developed a mathematical monitoring model based on detailed comparative data analysis of different feeding quantities. Then, we developed a grain impact piezoelectric sensor utilizing a YT-5 piezoelectric ceramic as the sensing element, and a signal process circuit designed according to differences in voltage amplitude and rise time of collision signals. To improve the sensor performance, theoretical analysis was performed from a structural vibration point of view, and the optimal sensor structural has been selected. Grain collide experiments have shown that the sensor performance was greatly improved. Finally, we installed the sensor on a tangential-longitudinal axial combine harvester, and grain separation losses monitoring experiments were carried out in North China, which results have shown that the monitoring method was feasible, and the biggest measurement relative error was 4.63% when harvesting rice. Full article