Digital Detection of Single Virus Particles by Multi-Spot,Label-Free Imaging Biosensor on Anti-Reflective Glass

Rapid detection of whole virus particles in biological or environmental samples represents an unmet need for the containment of infectious diseases. Here, an optical device enabling the enumeration of single virion particles binding on antibody or aptamers immobilized on a surface with anti-reflective coating is described. In this regime, nanoparticles adhering to the sensor surface provide localized contributions to the reflected field that become detectable because of their mixing with the interfering waves in the reflection direction. Thus, these settings are exploited to realize a scan-free, label-free, micro-array-type digital assay on a disposable cartridge, in which the virion counting takes place in wide field-of-view imaging. With this approach we could quantify, by enumeration, different variants of SARS-CoV-2 virions interacting with antibodies and aptamers immobilized on different spots. For all tested variants, the aptamers showed larger affinity but lower specificity relative to the antibodies. It is found that the combination of different probes on the same surface enables increasing specificity of detection and dynamic range.     

What kind of intimacy is meaningful to you? How intimate interactions foster individuals' sensemaking of innovation

This study examines how intimacy affects individuals' sensemaking of innovation in their organization. Although sensemaking facilitates understanding innovation and envisioning new worldviews, it involves a delicate process of self-disclosure, reflection, personal contact and communication. Intimacy focuses on time-bounded interactions that foster individuals' progressive self-disclosure and perceptions of mutual understanding. Therefore, drawing on intimacy theories, we investigate from a microlevel perspective how temporally bounded intimate interactions foster the meaningfulness of innovation for individuals. As sensemaking processes differ in large-scale radical and incremental innovations, we examine both contexts in a post hoc analysis. Through a field study, we show that different intimacy dynamics (emotional, cognitive and listening) influence meaningfulness perceptions. In particular, we find that the emotional intimacy dynamics positively influence meaningfulness perceptions in the context of radical innovation initiatives, while the cognitive and listening intimacy dynamics positively influence meaningfulness perceptions in the context of incremental innovation initiatives. This study contributes to the sensemaking innovation literature by introducing intimacy as an enabler of sensemaking. Our study also suggests that managers should encourage moments of intimate interaction when pursuing innovation to facilitate sensemaking of change.     

High Frequency Solution-Processed Organic Field-Effect Transistors with High-Resolution Printed Short Channels

Organic electronics is an emerging technology that enables the fabrication of devices with low-cost and simple solution-based processes at room temperature. In particular, it is an ideal candidate for the Internet of Things since devices can be easily integrated in everyday objects, potentially creating a distributed network of wireless communicating electronics. Recent efforts allowed to boost operational frequency of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), required to achieve efficient wireless communication. However, in the majority of cases, in order to increase the dynamic performances of OFETs, masks based lithographic techniques are used to reduce device critical dimensions, such as channel and overlap lengths. This study reports the successful integration of direct written metal contacts defining a 1.4 µm short channel, printed with ultra-precise deposition technique (UPD), in fully solution fabricated n-type OFETs. An average transition frequency as high as 25.5 MHz is achieved at 25 V. This result demonstrates the potential of additive, high-resolution direct-writing techniques for the fabrication of organic electronics operating in the high-frequency regime.