Fast Devices Research Articles

Highly luminescent, fast switching electro-optical device based on core-shell bimetallic nanoparticles/ ferroelectric liquid crystal composites.

Owing to the passive nature of liquid crystal (LC) materials, achieving luminous displays using pure LC materials is challenging. In addition, it is difficult to achieve a fast switching time using pristine ferroelectric LC devices without compromising their cell thickness. Herein, we have developed a fast switching and highly luminescent electro-optical device by dispersing a minute concentration of bimetallic nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) having a spherical gold core and a silver shell within a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) host matrix, ZLI3654. Au@Ag core-shell NPs having synergic attributes of both counterparts were successfully synthesized by a facile seed-mediated route. The Au core helps to tune the shape of the Ag shell and provides enhanced electron density as well as improved stability against oxidation. Introducing nanoparticles induces little structural modifications to the host FLC, resulting in an improvement in the mesogenic alignment. Interestingly, ∼29-fold enhancement in the photoluminescence (PL) intensity is observed on dispersing 0.25 wt% of Au@Ag NPs into the FLC host matrix. The enhanced electromagnetic field in the FLC-nanocomposite is attributed to the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance of Au@Ag NPs, which strengthens the photon absorption rates by the FLC molecules, culminating in the massive enrichment of the PL intensity. In addition, the improved localized electric field inside the FLC device led to a noticeable enhancement in the spontaneous polarization, dielectric permittivity, and, most interestingly, ∼53% fastening in the switching time at an optimum concentration (0.25 wt%) of Au@Ag NPs. The improved electro-optical parameters of the Au@Ag NPs/FLC composite have been compared with the performance of both pristine Au NPs/FLC and Ag NPs/FLC composites, respectively, for the comprehensiveness of the study. The present study paves a systematic way to develop FLC-based advanced electro-optical devices with faster switching and higher luminescence properties.

The Role of lL-6, Vitamin D Deficiency and TSH on Chronic Tonsillitis Children: A Clinical Study

Background. It is very normal for kids to get tonsillitis. Tonsillectomy is the most common surgery done on kids who get tonsils over and over again. When a child is three to ten years old, their tonsils are at their most immune-boosting. Because of this, the tonsils stand out more during this time and eventually show age-dependent involution. Aims of the study. Evaluating the role of vitamin D, interleukin 6, and thyroid-stimulating hormone in tonsilitis and the relationship of these biomarkers in controlling the severity of the disease in children. Methodology. A case- control study was conducted including 30 children with chronic pharyngitis with an average age of 14.19 years, as well as a control group of 25 healthy children. The study took place at the Al-Kadhimiya Teaching Hospital from 10/2/2022 to 10/8/2023, after approval by the Research Committee of the College of Medicine at Al-Nahrain University and obtaining verbal consent from the parents. Blood samples were collected and the necessary analyzes were performed. CRP, ASO, and interleukin-6 levels were measured using an ELISA. The total number of white blood cells was calculated using a Sysmex CBC device, and the ESR was measured with a Fast ESR device. TSH and vitamin D levels were analyzed using a Cobas E411 device. Result. The levels of several biochemical and immune markers were very different between the patient group and the control group (P< 0.001). In the patient group, levels of ASOT, CRP, ESR, WBC, TSH, and IL-6 all went up, while levels of vitamin D went down. The results also showed that TSH and IL-6 levels were different in men and women with chronic tonsillitis. However, there were no statistically significant changes in the other indicators (P> 0.05). Conclusions. The results indicate that there are significant differences in biochemical and immunological indicators between children with chronic tonsillitis and healthy children. This can be explained by the increased inflammatory response in patients, which raises ASOT, CRP, ESR, and IL-6 levels and lowers vitamin D levels.

A meta-analysis of effectiveness of mobile health interventions on health-related outcomes in patients with heart failure.

To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of mobile health (mHealth) interventions on medication adherence in patients with heart failure. The literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library databases, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database and China Scientific Journal Database (VIP). The retrieval period was from the establishment of the database to May 2023. The included studies were trials to explore the effectiveness of mHealth interventions on medication adherence in patients with heart failure. Cochrane collaboration's tool was used for assessing risk of bias in randomized controlled trials. Stata 17.0 software was used to conduct data analysis. Continuous data were expressed as standard mean differences, and dichotomous data were expressed as relative risks with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 13 studies and 2534 participants were included. One study was rated as Grade A, and the other 12 studies were Grade B. The results of meta-analysis indicate that mHealth interventions are effective in improving medication adherence [relative risk (RR) = 1.26, 95% CI 1.10-1.44, P < 0.05 and standard mean difference = 0.80, 95% CI 0.44-1.15, P < 0.05], and reducing readmission rates (RR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.53-0.76, P < 0.05) and mortality (RR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.94, P < 0.05) of patients with heart failure. mHealth interventions are beneficial to improve medication adherence in patients with heart failure, and could effectively reduce the readmission rates and mortality of patients in the studies. There is a need to continuously improve the professional abilities of intervention personnel, carry out teamwork, and extend intervention and follow-up time. Convenient, fast and low-cost mobile medical devices should be adopted to reduce the cost of medical treatment. Scientific and reasonable intervention content will be formulated according to evidence-based guidelines and theoretical basis to enhance patients' ability at self-management and understanding of heart failure knowledge.

Optimization of the properties of nematic matrix suspended with subtle quantities of the nanoparticles for improved alignment and operating voltage

ABSTRACT The current study examines and reflects the effect of minute quantity of Diamond nanoparticles (DNPs) in the Nematic liquid crystal (NLC) matrix. A well structured and strategized study is performed in order to get a deep understanding about the interactions that might have taken place between the guests and the hosts. Our study professed a significant alteration in the number of parameters of guest-host system in comparison to the pure liquid crystal (LC) matrix that could be found extremely promising for the display devices and low-power switching machines. 0.05, 0.07 and 0.1 wt/wt% concentrations of the NPs incorporated in the LC matrix and the composites are prepared with the high precision weight measurement using electrical balance. Dielectric spectrum is catalogued for both the homogeneous and vertical alignments of sample cells. Threshold voltage and operating voltage are found to be significantly decreased for 0.05 wt/wt% composite. Response time for the prepared composites is profoundly abated which is a crucial factor for the fast response devices. Careful examination of pretilt angles is executed and an improvement in the alignment is found as one more perk of this study.

Porphyrin nanoparticles-based portable smartphone platform for visual monitoring heavy metal Cr (Ⅲ) in the environment

Chromium ions exist in various valence states in the environment, and their pollution poses serious harm to social ecology and human health. The existing detection is mostly focused on Cr6+, while the detection related to Cr3+ is often overlooked. Cr3+ has a certain impact on soil, water, and the growth of animals and plants and even disrupts ecological balance. Accordingly, it is necessary to explore sensitive, convenient, and fast detection devices for Cr3+ in the environment. Here, we have designed a ratio fluorescence probe with porphyrin nanoparticles formed by block copolymers as the sensing core for ultra sensitive detection of Cr3+. The porphyrin nanoparticles can effectively bind with Cr3+ to form metal complexes, leading to ligand metal charge transfer (LMCT), which will result in a significant color change of the probe from red to blue. Furthermore, we have developed two portable fluorescence sensors for Cr3+ in soil and water, respectively. These portable sensing platforms based on designed nanoprobes and smartphones can convert the color information of fluorescent photos into digital information for real-time analysis. Thus, the method reported in this article can provide a possibility for rapid on-site and visual inspection of Cr3+ in soil and water from different regions.

Terahertz photon to dc current conversion via magnetic excitations of multiferroics

Direct conversion from terahertz photon to charge current is a key phenomenon for terahertz photonics. Quantum geometrical description of optical processes in crystalline solids predicts existence of field-unbiased dc photocurrent arising from terahertz-light generation of magnetic excitations in multiferroics, potentially leading to fast and energy-efficient terahertz devices. Here, we demonstrate the dc charge current generation from terahertz magnetic excitations in multiferroic perovskite manganites with spin-driven ferroelectricity, while keeping an insulating state with no free carrier. It is also revealed that electromagnon, which ranges sub-terahertz to 2 THz, as well as antiferromagnetic resonance shows the giant conversion efficiency. Polar asymmetry induced by the cycloidal spin order gives rise to this terahertz-photon-induced dc photocurrent, and no external magnetic and electric bias field are required for this conversion process. The observed phenomena are beyond the conventional photovoltaics in semi-classical regime and demonstrate the essential role of quantum geometrical aspect in low-energy optical processes. Our finding establishes a paradigm of terahertz photovoltaic phenomena, paving a way for terahertz photonic devices and energy harvesting.

P‐264: Fast‐Response FFS LC Device with Multi‐rubbing Angle for VR Applications

In this paper, we propose new fast response FFS LC devices with virtual walls by using alternating (or multi) rubbing directions, which can be generated by using photo‐alignment. These new devices can offer much‐enhanced response‐speed compared to the conventional FFS LC device. By choosing different types of “local” LC molecular arrangements or designs (easily achievable by using photo‐alignment), we may be able to alter the virtual wall pitch length, and hence also alter the response speed and transmission of these fast response LC devices. These new designs can provide a new and alternative approach to generating virtual walls by “locally” varying the rubbing angle using photo‐alignment. These devices are attractive for VR applications where high speed operation of liquid crystal devices is required.

Measuring red blood cell deformability and its heterogeneity using a fast microfluidic device

Measuring red blood cell deformability and its heterogeneity using a fast microfluidic device

Spread-out Bragg peak measurements using a compact quality assurance range calorimeter at the Clatterbridge cancer centre

Objective. The superior dose conformity provided by proton therapy relative to conventional x-ray radiotherapy necessitates more rigorous quality assurance (QA) procedures to ensure optimal patient safety. Practically however, time-constraints prevent comprehensive measurements to be made of the proton range in water: a key parameter in ensuring accurate treatment delivery. Approach. A novel scintillator-based device for fast, accurate water-equivalent proton range QA measurements for ocular proton therapy is presented. Experiments were conducted using a compact detector prototype, the quality assurance range calorimeter (QuARC), at the Clatterbridge cancer centre (CCC) in Wirral, UK for the measurement of pristine and spread-out Bragg peaks (SOBPs). The QuARC uses a series of 14 optically-isolated 100 × 100 × 2.85 mm polystyrene scintillator sheets, read out by a series of photodiodes. The detector system is housed in a custom 3D-printed enclosure mounted directly to the nozzle and a numerical model was used to fit measured depth-light curves and correct for scintillator light quenching. Main results. Measurements of the pristine 60 MeV proton Bragg curve found the QuARC able to measure proton ranges accurate to 0.2 mm and reduced QA measurement times from several minutes down to a few seconds. A new framework of the quenching model was deployed to successfully fit depth-light curves of SOBPs with similar range accuracy. Significance. The speed, range accuracy and simplicity of the QuARC make the device a promising candidate for ocular proton range QA. Further work to investigate the performance of SOBP fitting at higher energies/greater depths is warranted.

All-in-One fast response electrochromic devices based on PAAm/P2W18 hydrogel without additional electrolytes

All-in-one electrochromic devices (ECDs) have potential applications in wearable stretchable electronics. However, ECDs today are inflexible, slow to respond and at risk of electrolyte leakage. We have prepared a novel electrochromic hydrogel by introducing polyoxometalates [P2W18O62] 6− (P2W18) into polyacrylamide (PAAm) via ionic and covalent cross-linking. Negatively charged P2W18 have ionic conductive properties, thus the hydrogel is able to undergo electrochromic behavior without the addition of electrolytes. PAAm/P2W18 hydrogel has good flexibility and tensile properties, high transparency and a simple preparation process. The PAAm/P2W18 hydrogel is reversibly switchable between colorless and dark blue over a voltage range from 0 V to −2.8 V. The ECDs had a large transmittance contrast (53.7 %), fast response time (coloring/bleaching times of 6.9 s and 5.6 s) and satisfactory coloring efficiency (125.5 cm2/C). PAAm/P2W18 hydrogel has good open-circuit memory properties which maintains coloring state after 7 days of power off. The sandwich-structured (ITO/hydrogel/ITO) electrochromic device based on this hydrogel is simple to manufacture, low in cost and fast in response, which have potential applications in the fields of smart windows, energy-saving displays, and anti-glare mirrors.

Large Tunable Spin-to-Charge Conversion in Ni80Fe20/Molybdenum Disulfide by Cu Insertion.

Spin-to-charge conversion at the interface between magnetic materials and transition metal dichalcogenides has drawn great interest in the research efforts to develop fast and ultralow power consumption devices for spintronic applications. Here, we report room temperature observations of spin-to-charge conversion arising from the interface of Ni80Fe20 (Py) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). This phenomenon can be characterized by the inverse Edelstein effect length (λIEE), which is enhanced with decreasing MoS2 thicknesses, demonstrating the dominant role of spin-orbital coupling (SOC) in MoS2. The spin-to-charge conversion can be significantly improved by inserting a Cu interlayer between Py and MoS2, suggesting that the Cu interlayer can prevent magnetic proximity effect from the Py layer and protect the SOC on the MoS2 surface from exchange interactions with Py. Furthermore, the Cu-MoS2 interface can enhance the spin current and improve electronic transport. Our results suggest that tailoring the interface of magnetic heterostructures provides an alternative strategy for the development of spintronic devices to achieve higher spin-to-charge conversion efficiencies.

Nanoimprinting Solution-Derived Barium Titanate for Electro-Optic Metasurfaces.

Electro-optic metasurfaces have demonstrated significant potential in enhancing the modulation speed and efficiency for fast and large-scale free-space optical devices. Barium titanate has a strong electro-optic Pockels coefficient, but its availability in thin-film form is restricted due to costly growth processes or low thickness. Here, we fabricated active metasurfaces using an etch-free bottom-up process with sol-gel-based polycrystalline barium titanate with a large electro-optic coefficient similar to bulk lithium niobate. We achieve strong hybrid Mie/surface lattice resonances with a quality-factor of 200 at 633 nm wavelength, enhancing the light-matter interaction and therefore the Pockels effect. The metasurface transmission is electro-optically modulated with up to 5 MHz driving frequency at low voltages of less than 1 V thanks to resonant enhancement of the modulation amplitude by 2 orders of magnitude. This successful demonstration of electro-optic modulation in nanoimprinted barium titanate structures paves the way for low-cost and large-scale free-space modulators or tunable metalenses.

A High Sensitivity and Fast Responsive Fluorescence-Based Device for Detection of Biomolecules to Enhance Security against Biowarfare and Pandemics

A High Sensitivity and Fast Responsive Fluorescence-Based Device for Detection of Biomolecules to Enhance Security against Biowarfare and Pandemics

Low-Cost Sensor System for Air Purification Process Evaluation.

With the development of civilisation, the awareness of the impact of versatile aerosol particles on human health and the environment is growing. New advanced materials and techniques are needed to purify the air to reduce this impact. This brings the necessity of fast and low-cost devices to evaluate the air quality from particulate and gaseous impurities, especially in a place where gas chromatography (GC) techniques are unavailable. Small portable and low-cost systems may work separately or be incorporated into devices responsible for air-cleaning processes, such as filters, smoke adsorbers, or plasma air cleaners. Given the above, this study proposes utilising a self-assembled low-cost system to evaluate air quality, which can be used in many outdoor and indoor applications. ESP32 boards with the wireless communication protocol ESP-NOW were used as the framework of the system. The concentration of aerosol particles was measured using Alphasense sensors. The concentrations of the following gases were measured: NO2, SO2, O3, CO, CO2, and H2S. The system was used to evaluate the quality of air containing tobacco smoke after passing through an actual DBD plasma reactor where the purification occurred. A high amount of reduction in aerosol particles and a reduction in the SO2 concentration were detected. An increase in the NO2 concentration was seen as an undesirable effect. The aerosol particle measurements were compared with those using a professional device (GRIMM, Hamburg, Germany), which showed the same trends in aerosol particle behaviour. The obtained results are auspicious and are a step towards producing a low-cost, efficient system for evaluating air quality as well as indoor and outdoor conditions.

Assessing Intel OneAPI capabilities and cloud-performance for heterogeneous computing

This work presents a performance-oriented study of a heterogeneous application developed with Intel OneAPI to solve two well-known diffusion problems: heat diffusion and image denoising. We have explored CPU+iGPU and CPU+FPGA schemes, applying dynamic load balancing and conducting experiments on Intel DevCloud. The results demonstrate that the CPU+iGPU scheme outperforms the execution times achieved by the fastest device when the problem is sufficiently computationally demanding. We also found that the performance of the CPU+FPGA scheme is heavily affected by bandwidth limitations and specific strategies to manage memory efficiently are required. Moreover, it was demonstrated that dynamic workload balancing is crucial due to possible performance fluctuations in any of the implicated devices. In conclusion, Intel OneAPI provides a helpful tool for multi-platform development using a unique high-level language, DPC++. However, developing specific code for each platform is necessary to achieve optimal performance.

Full-Stokes metasurface polarimetry requiring only a single measurement

Polarization is crucial in various fields such as imaging, sensing, and substance detection. A compact, fast, and accurate polarization detection device is vital for these applications. Herein, we demonstrate a multifocus metalens for terahertz polarization detection that requires only a single measurement to obtain complete polarization parameters and reconstruct the polarization state of the incident field. The individual subarrays of this metalens convert each of the six polarized components into the same polarization, which in turn links the Stokes parameters to these six foci. The incident linear polarizations and elliptical polarizations are characterized by Stokes parameters and polarization ellipses. Simulations and experimental results show that the scheme can accurately detect the incident polarization with a single measurement. The proposed metasurface polarimetry may find applications in the fields of real-time terahertz detection and integrated optics.

DC to GHz measurements of a near-ideal 2D material: P+ monolayers

P+ monolayers in Si are of great scientific and technological interest, both intrinsically as a material in the “ideal vacuum” of crystalline Si and because they are showing great promise as qubits of electron and nuclear spin. The GHz complex conductivity σ(ω) can allow one to elucidate basic physical properties and is also important for fast devices, but measuring σ(ω) in 2D materials has not been easy. We report on such measurements, including showing (i) qualitatively a lack of any resonances up to 5 GHz (indicating no energy splittings below about 0.02 meV); and (ii) the quantitatively ideal Drude behavior of this novel material up to 5 GHz, showing a lower bound on the scattering rate of about 2 × 1010 s−1. We also discuss deconvolving the confounding effect of the distributed resistance and capacitance of the monolayer.

Designing high-performance polyaniline @MoS2@AC hybrid electrode for electrochemical–based Next-generation battery-supercapacitor hybrid energy storage device and hydrogen evolution reaction

Polyaniline (PANI), a conducting polymer, has attracted the attention of researchers as a potential candidate due to its higher capacitance and outstanding electrochemical reversibility. In this research, we used the hydrothermal approach to synthesize MoS2@PANI hybrid electrode material that may overcome the low cyclic stability of PANI. The composite material MoS2/PANI (with M/P-25/75 wt%) demonstrated a specific capacity (Qs) with the amount 1087.5 C g−1 or 1812.5 F/g, much more advanced than reference samples due to the hybrid structural integrity and enhancement of the specific surface area of MoS2 and PANI interaction through electrostatic repulsion and hydrogen bonding. The asymmetric device (MoS2/PANI-25/75wt%//AC) demonstrated an extraordinary value of a Qs of 361 C g−1 over pure PANI. This novel supercapattery device showed a supreme high energy density of 65.33 Wh kg−1 and a power density of 1668.83 W/kg. Further, the hybrid electrode is used for the hydrogen evolution reactions and obtained the value of over potential is 43 mV. A small value of the Tafel slope of 39 mV/dec is observed with high stability. The improved energy storage capabilities of MoS2/PANI hybrid electrodes with multiple applications provide a new paragon to design unusual and fast multi-functional devices.

Breast cancer prediction based on the machine learning algorithm LightGBM

Nowadays, the idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) medical detection has aroused great interest around the world. AI has the potential to strengthen medicine in both observation and operation. For instance, AI could catch crucial details that are not intuitive to humans. Robots controlled by AI could also do micro-operations that are extremely hard on human hands. In this study, the author utilizes one of the most focused traditional machine-learning methods, that is the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) algorithm for breast cancer prediction. The LightGBM performs both well on accuracy and speed in the studys experiment. The study applies the bootstrap aggregating (Bagging) method to cope with the over-fitting problem. As the significance of the study, the study shows that the LightGBM can be utilized in designing accurate, fast and cheap medical detection devices. Nevertheless, programmers should handle the over-fitting problem cautiously while building models based on LightGBM. This could help doctors in impoverished areas realize accurate medical detection. People could also do accurate self-diagnosing with a cheap, portable device at home.

Hydrodynamic, electronic and optic analogies with heat transport in extended thermodynamics

Abstract Over the last twenty-five years, the search for generalized equations that allow us to better understand the phenomenon of heat conduction has become an active frontier both in transport theory, and in non-equilibrium thermodynamics, due to the growing interest in nanotechnologies, thermal metamaterials and fast devices. Here we review how some mathematical analogies between generalized heat-transport equations and well-known equations in hydrodynamics, electronics and optics have been helpful to infer new forms of heat transfer arising in extended thermodynamics and to inspire the consideration of new phenomena. We also examine in each case the thermodynamic basis of the respective formulation.