This paper describes the fabrication of a series of micro ball-ended stylus tips by applying micro-EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) and OPED (One Pulse Electrical Discharge) processes, followed by a manual assembly process of a static tri-switches tactile structure on a micro-CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine). This paper further proves that the essential performance of the proposed system ...

1. The effect of temperature on the reaction time of Mya to light is mainly confined to the latent period. The sensitization period, representing a photochemical process, is changed comparatively little. 2. The relation between the latent period and the temperature is adequately expressed by the Arrhenius equation, for temperatures below 21 degrees C. Above this temperature, the latent period b...

This review discusses from a critical perspective the development of new sensors for the measurement of priority pollutants targeted in the E.U. Water Framework Directive. Significant advances are reported in the paper and their advantages and limitations are also discussed. Future perspectives in this area are also pointed out in the conclusions. This review covers publications appeared since ...

Seawater and plankton samples were collected over a period of 17 months from November 1998 to March 2000 along the coast of Peru. Total DNA was extracted from water and from plankton grouped by size into two fractions (64 micro m to 202 micro m and >202 micro m). All samples were assayed for Vibrio cholerae, V. cholerae O1, V. cholerae O139, and ctxA by PCR. Of 50 samples collected and tested, ...

Micro-organism populations on the leaf surface can be an indicator of environmental health in orchards. A method was developed to detect changes in these populations in apple orchards. Firstly, the variation within orchards was investigated by sampling leaves from seven locations within four trees in spring and autumn. The population density and species richness of micro-organisms when grown on...

Environmental and societal issues are emphasising the social role of enterprises, including all size classes, even the smallest ones, so-called micro enterprises. This paper reflects on Slovenian SMEs. These enterprises are confronting ever increasing and changing expectations, demands and claims for accountability not concerning only economic, but also environmental and social performance. Env...

Small volume operation and rapid thermal cycling have been subjects of numerous reports in micro reactor chip development. Sensitivity aspects of the micro PCR reactor have not been studied in detail, however, despite the fact that detection of rare targets or trace genomic material from clinical and/or environmental samples has been a great challenge for microfluidic devices. In this study, a ...

Microchannels are currently being used in many areas and have high potential for applications in many other areas. The application areas include Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), microfuidics such as microchannel heat sinks for cooling micro-chips and laser diode arrays, LabOn-Chip devices for chemical and bio-medical analyses, biotechnology, telecommunications, metrology, computer techn...

Populations need to adapt to sustained climate change, which requires micro-evolutionary change in the long term. A key question is how the rate of this micro-evolutionary change compares with the rate of environmental change, given that theoretically there is a 'critical rate of environmental change' beyond which increased maladaptation leads to population extinction. Here, we parametrize two ...

Environmental pollution in the urban areas of Hong Kong has become a serious public issue but most urban inhabitants have no means of judging their own living environment in terms of dangerous threshold and overall livability. Currently there exist many low-cost sensors such as ultra-violet, temperature and air quality sensors that provide reasonably accurate data quality. In this paper, the de...