Reversible Crumpling of 2D Titanium Carbide (MXene) Nanocoatings for Stretchable Electromagnetic Shielding and Wearable Wireless Communication

In the emerging Internet of Things, stretchable antennas can facilitate wireless communication between wearable and mobile electronic devices around the body. The proliferation of wireless devices transmitting near the human body also raises interference and safety concerns that demand stretchable materials capable of shielding electromagnetic interference (EMI). Here, an ultrastretchable conductor is fabricated by depositing a crumple‐textured coating composed of 2D Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets (MXene) and single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) onto latex, which can be fashioned into high‐performance wearable antennas and EMI shields. The resulting MXene‐SWNT (S‐MXene)/latex devices are able to sustain up to an 800% areal strain and exhibit strain‐insensitive resistance profiles during a 500‐cycle fatigue test. A single layer of stretchable S‐MXene conductors demonstrate a strain‐invariant EMI shielding performance of ≈30 dB up to 800% areal strain, and the shielding performance is further improved to ≈47 and ≈52 dB by stacking 5 and 10 layers of S‐MXene conductors, respectively. Additionally, a stretchable S‐MXene dipole antenna is fabricated, which can be uniaxially stretched to 150% with unaffected reflected power <0.1%. By integrating S‐MXene EMI shields with stretchable S‐MXene antennas, a wearable wireless system is finally demonstrated that provides mechanically stable wireless transmission while attenuating EM absorption by the human body.     

Catalyst‐Free GaN Nanorods Synthesized by Selective Area Growth

GaN nanorod formation on Ga‐polar GaN by continuous mode metalorganic chemical vapor deposition selective area growth (MOCVD SAG) is achieved under a relatively Ga‐rich condition. The Ga‐rich condition, provided by applying a very low V/III ratio, alters the growth rates of various planes of the defined nanostructure by increasing relative growth rate of the semi‐polar tilted m‐plane {1–101} that usually is the slowest growing plane under continuous growth conditions. This increased growth rate relative to the non‐polar m‐plane {1–100} and even the c‐plane (0001), permits the formation of GaN nanorods with nonpolar sidewalls. In addition, a new growth mode, called the NH₃‐pulsed mode, is introduced, utilizing the advantages of both the continuous mode and the lower growth rate pulsed mode to form nanorods. Finally, nanorods grown under the different growth modes are compared and discussed.     

Energy Quantization in Solution‐Processed Layers of Indium Oxide and Their Application in Resonant Tunneling Diodes

The formation of quantized energy states in ultrathin layers of indium oxide (In₂O₃) grown via spin coating and thermally annealed at 200 °C in air is studied. Optical absorption measurements reveal a characteristic widening of the optical band gap with reducing In₂O₃ layer thickness from ≈43 to ≈3 nm in agreement with theoretical predictions for an infinite quantum well. Through sequential deposition of In₂O₃ and gallium oxide (Ga­₂O₃) layers, superlattice‐like structures with controlled dimensionality and spatially varying conduction band characteristics are demonstrated. This simple method is then explored for the fabrication of functional double‐barrier resonant tunneling diodes. Nanoscale current mapping analysis using conductive atomic force microscopy reveals that resonant tunneling is not uniform but localized in specific regions of the apparent device area. The latter observation is attributed to variation in the layer(s) thickness of the In₂O₃ quantum well and/or the Ga₂O₃ barrier layers. Despite the nonidealities, the tremendous potential of solution‐processable oxide semiconductors for the development of quantum effect devices that have so far been demonstrated only via sophisticated growth techniques is demonstrated.     

Nonuniformly spaced array imaging

An image reconstruction algorithm for randomly spaced array imaging is developed. Based on the fact that the sampled bistatic Fourier space data can occupy almost the same region as that for rotating object imaging if the angular coverage is suitably defined, the range-Doppler reconstruction method developed in the rotating object imaging can be applied to the uniformly spaced circular array imaging case. When the array elements are randomly spaced, three more steps, a range alignment, a phase compensation, and an interpolation, are required to preprocess the measured signals. Experimental and numerical results have shown the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm     

Solvent fractionation of petroleum pitch for mesophase formation

Petroleum pitch (Ashland A240) has been subjected to thermal treatment and solvent fractionation to produce refined pitches to be evaluated as impregnants for C-C composites. The solvent fractions were obtained by sequential Soxhlet extraction with solvents such as hexane, benzene, and pyridine. Thermal treatment to 408 °C produced a mesophase pitch (≈50% mesophase); an appreciable portion of the mesophase was soluble in strong solvents. There were substantial differences in chemical composition and in pyrolysis behaviour of the fractions. As the depth of fraction increased, the pyrolysis yield and bloating increased, and the microstructure of the coke became finer until glassy microconstituents were formed in the deepest fractions.     

Cortisol in physiological concentrations acts within minutes to modify effects of prolactin and growth hormone on prostaglandin secretion: importance of effect in modulating cellular responses to calcium and cyclic nucleotides

We propose that intracellular prostaglandins (PGs) are essential for the final expression of the effects of second messengers in most cells. We suggest that the amounts of PGs required are very small (in the picomolar range) and are much lower than those used in most current PG studies. We suggest that while therapeutic levels of inhibitors of PG synthetase may be adequate to block the overflow of PGs from cells, they are in most cases unlikely to reduce intracellular PGs sufficiently to test the role of such PGs. We propose that there is a basal level of PG synthesis unaffected by hormones but that above this level PG synthesis is regulated by the interplay between physiological levels of cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone and thyroid hormones. For the most part prolactin seems to stimulate PG synthesis and cortisol to inhibit it: cortisol has, however, no inhibitory effect on basal PG synthesis. In reducing prolactin-stimulated PG synthesis cortisol is 1000-2000 times more potent than indomethacin on a molar basis. We suggest that the regulation of intracellular PG levels is the mechanism of the so-called "permissive" actions of these hormones. These concepts could prove important in the understanding of many aspects of physiology and pathophysiology including diurnal and seasonal changes in hormone responsiveness. They are also relevant to the use of established drugs and the design of new ones.     

The airway resistance-lung volume plot as a measurement of the closing volume

Following abdominal surgery, insulin and glucose concentrations in the portal vein, and a peripheral vein are compared in patients during control periods and after oral administration of glucose. During the control period, the glucose concentrations are identical in both veins. After glucose loads with the prompt increase of portal glucose concentration the portal-peripheral difference also increases (p less than 0.01). During the control period the insulin concentration in the portal vein is double as compared to peripheral blood (p less than 0.005). After glucose load the increasing portal insulin as well as the peripheral and portal glucose correlate with the portal-peripheral insulin difference (p less than 0.001). Furthermore, there is a significant positive correlation between the peripheral glucose area as a parameter of glucose tolerance and the portal insulin area as a semiquantitative parameter of insulin secretory capacity (p less than 0.001). It can be concluded that in the early postoperative period in patients with a diminished oral glucose tolerance (large glucose areas) there is an even greater insulin response in comparison to patients with normal oral glucose tolerance. On the other hand, however, in those patients with diminished glucose tolerance, the insulin response is essentially delayed.