Characterization and Modeling of Laser Micromachined Periodically Corrugated Metallic Terahertz Wire Waveguides

Finite element method simulations of periodically corrugated metal terahertz wire waveguides have been conducted with concurrent analysis done on both the near-field confinement properties and the far-field emission properties at the end of the waveguides. This modeling was used to guide the choice of design parameters for the fabrication of waveguides with laser micromachining. The waveguides were characterized with a fiber-coupled terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and imaging system. The propagation properties as well as the frequency dependent diffraction at the end of the wire waveguides were examined and compared to straight, non-engineered metallic wire waveguides.     

Stress and failure probability analysis for a transversely isotropic, brittle, elastic cylinder subjected to internal pressure and axisymmetric thermal loading

Procedures are developed for the determination of the stresses in and thence the probability of failure of a transversely isotropic cylinder made of a brittle material and loaded by an internal pressure and an axisymmetric radial temperature gradient. As examples of the application of the procedures a cylinder is analysed first with isotropic material properties, then with various degrees of anisotropy including both the “fibrous” and “laminar” types. The treatment is non-dimensional; results are presented graphically in the form of failure probability “contours”. For the dimensions and materials considered it is shown that the probability of failure is affected only slightly by the fibrous form of anisotropy but markedly by the laminar form when the thermal loading predominates.     

FPGA中专用可重构乘法器的设计

提出了一种新的嵌入在FPGA中可重构的流水线乘法器设计.该设计采用了改进的波茨编码算法,可以实现18×18有符号乘法或17×17无符号乘法.还提出了一种新的电路优化方法来减少部分积的数目,并且提出了一种新的乘法器版图布局,以便适应tilebased FPGA芯片设计所加的约束.该乘法器可以配置成同步或异步模式,也町以配置成带流水线的模式以满足高频操作.该设计很容易扩展成不同的输入和输出位宽.同时提出了一种新的超前进位加法器电路来产生最后的结果.采用了传输门逻辑来实现整个乘法器.乘法器采用了中芯国际0.13μm CMOS工艺来实现,完成18×18的乘法操作需要4.1ns.全部使用2级的流水线时,时钟周期可以达到2.5ns.这比商用乘法器快29.1%,比其他乘法器快17.5%.与传统的基于查找表的乘法器相比,该乘法器的面积为传统乘法器面积的1/32.     

PHOLED显示技术

PHOLED的诞生 PHOLED(磷光有机发光器件)是有机发光二极管(OLED)的一种,它的效率可以高达传统荧光OLED的4倍.OLED是单片固态器件,通常由被两层薄膜导电电极夹在中间的一系列有机薄膜组成.如果在OLED上加电,导电载流子(空穴和电子)将从电极注入到有机薄膜.然后,在电场的作用下,这些载流子在器件内部迁移,直到复合形成激子.一旦形成,这些激子或激发态,将通过发光和/或发热的方式下降到较低的能级.     

Thermally Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanohybrids of Chiral Functional Naphthalenediimides for Prostate Cancer Cells Bioimaging

This study reports on the supramolecular assemblies formed between planar carbon systems (PCSs) such as thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) and its small‐molecule model system coronene and a series of d ‐ and l ‐α amino acid derivatized naphthalenediimides (NDIs) where the halogen substituents (X = F, Cl, Br, I) are varied systematically. Confocal fluorescence microscopy of NDIs, NDI?coronene, and NDI?TRGO complexes is performed proving the uptake and stability of such complexes in the cellular environment and suggesting their potential as prostate cancer imaging agents. ¹H NMR and UV–vis spectroscopy studies support the formation of charge transfer complexes whereby the increasing polarizability and general electronegativity of the aryl halide substituted at the NDI periphery influence the magnitude of the association constants in the ground state between NDI and coronene. Complexation between NDIs and PCSs also results in stable photoexcited assemblies within the solution (coronene) as well as the dispersed phased (TRGO). Fluorescence emission titrations and 2‐photon time correlated single photon counting measurements suggest the existence of dynamic quenching mechanisms upon the excitation of the fluorophore in the presence of the carbon substrates, as these methods are sensitive proves for the subtle changes in the NDI environment. The series of halogenated species used exerts supramolecular control over the degree of surface assembly on the TRGO and over the interactions with the coronene molecule, and this is of relevance to the assembly of future biosensing platforms as these materials can both be viewed as congeners of graphene. Finally, MTT assays carried out in PC‐3 cells demonstrate that the stable noncovalent functionalization of TRGO and coronene with either l or d NDIs remarkably improves the cellular viability in the presence of such graphene‐like materials. These phenomena are of particular relevance for the understanding of the direct donor–acceptor interactions in solutions which govern the design of nanomaterials with future biosensing and bioimaging applications.     

Reinventing Butyl Rubber for Stretchable Electronics

The development of stretchable electronic devices that are soft and conformable has relied heavily on a single material—polydimethylsiloxane—as the elastomeric substrate. Although polydimethylsiloxane has a number of advantageous characteristics, its high gas permeability is detrimental to stretchable devices that use materials sensitive to oxygen and water vapor, such as organic semiconductors and oxidizable metals. Failing to protect these materials from atmosphere‐induced decomposition leads to premature device failure; therefore, it is imperative to develop elastomers with gas barrier properties that enable stretchable electronics with practical lifetimes. Here, butyl rubber—a material with an intrinsically low gas permeability traditionally used in the innerliners of tires to maintain air pressure—is reinvented for stretchable electronics. This new material is smooth and optically transparent, possesses the low gas permeability typical of butyl rubber, and vastly outperforms polydimethylsiloxane as an encapsulating barrier to prevent the atmospheric degradation of sensitive electronic materials and the premature failure of functioning organic devices. The merits of transparent butyl rubber presented here position this material as an important counterpart to polydimethylsiloxane that will enable future generation stretchable electronics.     

Active sites for outer-sphere, inner-sphere, and complex multistage electrochemical reactions at polycrystalline boron-doped diamond electrodes (pBDD) revealed with scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM)

The local rate of heterogeneous electron transfer (HET) at polycrystalline boron-doped diamond (pBDD) electrodes has been visualized at high spatial resolution for various aqueous electrochemical reactions, using scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM), which is a technique that uses a mobile pipet-based electrochemical cell as an imaging probe. As exemplar systems, three important classes of electrode reactions have been investigated: outer-sphere (one-electron oxidation of ferrocenylmethyltrimethylammonium (FcTMA(+))), inner-sphere (one-electron oxidation of Fe(2+)), and complex processes with coupled electron transfer and chemical reactions (oxidation of serotonin). In all cases, the pattern of reactivity is similar: the entire pBDD surface is electroactive, but there are variations in activity between different crystal facets which correlate directly with differences in the local dopant level, as visualized qualitatively by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). No evidence was found for enhanced activity at grain boundaries for any of the reactions. The case of serotonin oxidation is particularly interesting, as this process is known to lead to deterioration of the electrodes, because of blocking by reaction products, and therefore cannot be studied with conventional scanning electrochemical probe microscopy (SEPM) techniques. Yet, we have found this system nonproblematic to study, because the meniscus of the scanning pipet is only in contact with the surface investigated for a brief time and any blocking product is left behind as the pipet moves to a new location. Thus, SECCM opens up the possibility of investigating and visualizing much more complex heterogeneous electrode reactions than possible presently with other SEPM techniques.     

Endogenous Polyamines and Ethylene Biosynthesis in Relation to Germination of Osmoprimed Brassica napus Seeds under Salt Stress

Currently, seed priming is reported as an efficient and low-cost approach to increase crop yield, which could not only promote seed germination and improve plant growth state but also increase abiotic stress tolerance. Salinity represents one of the most significant abiotic stresses that alters multiple processes in plants. The accumulation of polyamines (PAs) in response to salt stress is one of the most remarkable plant metabolic responses. This paper examined the effect of osmopriming on endogenous polyamine metabolism at the germination and early seedling development of Brassica napus in relation to salinity tolerance. Free, conjugated and bound polyamines were analyzed, and changes in their accumulation were discussed with literature data. The most remarkable differences between the corresponding osmoprimed and unprimed seeds were visible in the free (spermine) and conjugated (putrescine, spermidine) fractions. The arginine decarboxylase pathway seems to be responsible for the accumulation of PAs in primed seeds. The obvious impact of seed priming on tyramine accumulation was also demonstrated. Moreover, the level of ethylene increased considerably in seedlings issued from primed seeds exposed to salt stress. It can be concluded that the polyamines are involved in creating the beneficial effect of osmopriming on germination and early growth of Brassica napus seedlings under saline conditions through moderate changes in their biosynthesis and accumulation.     

Physiologic Insulin Resensitization as a Treatment Modality for Insulin Resistance Pathophysiology

Prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased from 2.5% of the US population in 1990 to 10.5% in 2018. This creates a major public health problem, due to increases in long-term complications of diabetes, including neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, skin ulcers, amputations, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In this review, we evaluated the scientific basis that supports the use of physiologic insulin resensitization. Insulin resistance is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance leads to increasing insulin secretion, leading to beta-cell exhaustion or burnout. This triggers a cascade leading to islet cell destruction and the long-term complications of type 2 diabetes. Concurrent with insulin resistance, the regular bursts of insulin from the pancreas become irregular. This has been treated by the precise administration of insulin more physiologically. There is consistent evidence that this treatment modality can reverse the diabetes-associated complications of neuropathy, diabetic ulcers, nephropathy, and retinopathy, and that it lowers HbA1c. In conclusion, physiologic insulin resensitization has a persuasive scientific basis, significant treatment potential, and likely cost benefits.