Data Analysis of Two-Phase Flow Simulation Experiment of Array Optical Fiber and Array Resistance Probe

To solve the problem that traditional single-probe instruments cannot accurately measure the gas and water holdup, the domestic design of the array holdup measuring instrument Array of Optical and Resistance Tool (AORT), composed of five sets of optical fiber probes and five sets of resistance probes, is carried out in both gas–water and oil–water. Simulated measurement experiments were conducted under different water cut in phase flow. Through the analysis of the experimental data, the response relationship between the optical fiber probe and the resistance probe of the AORT instrument in different fluids was obtained. Then, the data under different conditions of fluid, flowrate and water cut in the experiment were compared by drawing. Interpolation algorithm was used to perform two-maintenance holdup imaging, and finally the holdup image was compared with the pictures of the flow in the pipe recorded during the experiment. The results show that the resistance probe has a better response under low water cut conditions, and the optical fiber probe has a better response under high gas cut conditions, which is consistent with the theoretical analysis. The imaging diagram and the flow pattern in the pipe during the experiment are in good agreement. It can be seen that the accuracy of the holdup measured by the AORT instrument under the test conditions is verified, and can provide technical support for further carrying out the measurement and interpretation of the holdup in future, as well as the improvement of the instrument and on-site testing.

Nano- and Micropatterning on Optical Fibers by Bottom-Up Approach: The Importance of Being Ordered

The realization of advanced optical fiber probes demands the integration of materials and structures on optical fibers with micro- and nanoscale definition. Although researchers often choose complex nanofabrication tools to implement their designs, the migration from proof-of-principle devices to mass production lab-on-fiber devices requires the development of sustainable and reliable technology for cost-effective production. To make it possible, continuous efforts are devoted to applying bottom-up nanofabrication based on self-assembly to decorate the optical fiber with highly ordered photonic structures. The main challenges still pertain to “order” attainment and the limited number of implementable geometries. In this review, we try to shed light on the importance of self-assembled ordered patterns for lab-on-fiber technology. After a brief presentation of the light manipulation possibilities concerned with ordered structures, and of the new prospects offered by aperiodically ordered structures, we briefly recall how the bottom-up approach can be applied to create ordered patterns on the optical fiber. Then, we present un-attempted methodologies, which can enlarge the set of achievable structures, and can potentially improve the yielding rate in finely ordered self-assembled optical fiber probes by eliminating undesired defects and increasing the order by post-processing treatments. Finally, we discuss the available tools to quantify the degree of order in the obtained photonic structures, by suggesting the use of key performance figures of merit in order to systematically evaluate to what extent the pattern is really “ordered”. We hope such a collection of articles and discussion herein could inspire new directions and hint at best practices to fully exploit the benefits inherent to self-organization phenomena leading to ordered systems.

Controlling silver morphology on a cramped optical fiber facet via a PVP-assisted silver mirror reaction for SERS fiber probe fabrication

Controlling the morphology of silver nanoparticles on a cramped and curved optical fiber facet is urgently needed to obtain SERS optical fiber probes with high performance.

Perturbation of amygdala-cortical projections reduces ensemble coherence of palatability coding in gustatory cortex

ABSTRACTTaste palatability is centrally involved in consumption decisions—we ingest foods that taste good and reject those that don’t. Gustatory cortex (GC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) almost certainly work together to mediate palatability-driven behavior, but the precise nature of their interplay during taste decision-making is still unknown. Here, we take a step toward filling this gap in our knowledge, by investigating the specific role that activity in the BLA→GC pathway plays in the emergence of palatability-related firing in GC response dynamics (which influence consumption decisions). We implanted electrode/optical-fiber probes in virally-prepared female Long-Evans rats, such that we could optogenetically hyperpolarize BLA→GC axons, perturbing activity in these axons without affecting BLA and GC somas, while recording GC neural responses to intra-oral presentations of a diverse taste battery. This inter-regional axonal perturbation strongly altered GC taste responses, but despite the laser illumination being tonic for the first 2s that the taste was on the tongue, the alterations were far from monolithic: rather than changing all moments of the response equally, or causing a simple exponential decay of changes, the perturbation was most strongly felt at the onset times of previously-described response epochs; furthermore, the effect was epoch-specific—perturbations had little impact on the amount of taste identity information in the “middle epoch” of the responses, but reduced evidence of palatability-related activity in the “late-epoch.” Finally, BLA→GC axon inhibition affected the nature of the epochal dynamics themselves, such that the normal abruptness of the behaviorally-relevant ensemble transitions into the palatability-related epoch was greatly diminished. These results suggest that BLA “organizes” behavior-related GC taste dynamics.

A Novel Micro-Displacement Sensor Based on Double Optical Fiber Probes Made through Photopolymer Materials

In this paper, a novel micro-displacement sensor with double optical fiber probes is proposed and designed, which can realize the highly sensitive sensing of longitudinal or lateral micro-displacements. The optical fiber probes are made through photopolymer formulation, and the effects of reaction time and optical power on the growth length of the probe are illustrated. The relationship between light intensity and longitudinal micro-displacement is a power function in the range of 0–100 μm at room temperature with a correlation coefficient of 98.92%. For lateral micro-displacement, the sensitivity is −2.9697 dBm/μm in the range of 0–6 μm with a linear fit of 99.61%. In addition, the linear correlation coefficient decreases as the initial longitudinal distance increases, and the function of these correlation coefficients is also linear with a linearity of 96.14%. This sensor has a simple manufacturing process, low cost, high sensitivity, and fast response speed. It is suitable for harsh environments such as strong electromagnetic interference and corrosivity, and has a broad application prospect in the field of micro-displacement sensing.