Short Wire Research Articles

Utility of a breast biopsy clip and a point marker system in tailored axillary surgery for patients with breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Tailored axillary surgery (TAS) is a new approach for selective removal of metastatic lymph nodes. This study evaluated the safety and utility of TAS using a breast biopsy clip inserted into a metastatic lymph node and a point marker consisting of a short hook wire and nylon thread to remove the clipped lymph node. Patients with breast cancer and clinically confirmed metastases to one-to-three axillary lymph nodes were included in this study. A breast biopsy clip was inserted into the metastatic lymph nodes before neoadjuvant chemotherapy. TAS was performed in patients with ycN0 disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The lymph nodes containing the clips were removed using a point marker. The success criteria for TAS were the removal of the lymph node into which the clip was inserted using a point marker and the identification of the sentinel lymph node. The false-negative rate was calculated for cases in which TAS and axillary lymph node dissection were performed. Thirty individuals from two institutions were enrolled between May 2021 and November 2022, of whom 20 underwent TAS. Ten patients had clinically positive axillary lymph nodes and underwent axillary lymph node dissection. No adverse events were observed in any patient using the clips or point markers. TAS was successful in 18 of the 20 patients (90%). Seven patients underwent TAS and axillary lymph node dissection with a false-negative rate of 0%. The use of clips and point markers to perform TAS is clinically feasible.

Exploring the Growth Dynamics of Size-Selected Carbon Atomic Wires with In Situ UV Resonance Raman Spectroscopy.

Short carbon atomic wires, the prototypes of the lacking carbon allotrope carbyne, represent the fundamental 1D system and the first stage in carbon nanostructure growth, which still exhibits many open points regarding their growth and stability. An in situ UV resonance Raman approach is introduced for real-time monitoring of the growth of carbon atomic wires during pulsed laser ablation in liquid without perturbing the synthesis environment. Single-chain species' growth dynamics are tracked, achieving size selectivity by exploiting the peculiar optoelectronic properties of carbon wires and the tunability of synchrotron radiation. Diverse solvents are systematically explored, finding size- and solvent-dependent production rates linked to the solvent's C/H ratio and carbonization tendency. Carbon atomic wires' growth dynamics reveal a complex interplay between formation and degradation, leading to an equilibrium. Water, lacking in carbon atoms and reduced polyynes solubility, yields fewer wires with rapid saturation. Organic solvents exhibit enhanced productivity and near-linear growth, attributed to additional carbon from solvent dissociation and low relative polarity. Exploring the dynamics of the saturation regime provides new insights into advancing carbon atomic wires synthesis via PLAL. Understanding carbon atomic wires' growth dynamics can contribute to optimizing PLAL processes for nanomaterial synthesis.

Heat Transfer Application of Nanofluids and Testing of Thermal Conductivity

In response to the growing demand for more efficient heat transfer technologies in various industrial processes, the development of nanofluids has emerged as a promising solution. Traditional heat transfer fluids like mineral oil, ethylene glycol, and water have relatively low thermal conductivities compared to solids, limiting the compactness and efficiency of heat exchangers. Nanofluids, which are created by suspending ultrafine metallic or nonmetallic solid powders in base fluids, exhibit enhanced thermal properties due to the superior thermal conductivities of solid materials. This paper reviews the preparation, thermal conductivity measurement, and influencing factors of nanofluids, with a focus on thermal conductivity as the primary driver for improved heat transfer. The preparation of nanofluids involves either a one-step or two-step method, with the two-step method being more commonly used for oxide nanoparticles (NPs) such as Al2O3, ZnO, MgO, TiO2, and SiO2. The study discusses stabilization techniques like ultrasonication and magnetic force agitation to ensure homogeneous suspension and long-term stability of the nanofluids. The thermal conductivity measurements are conducted using short hot wire (SHW) and transient hot wire (THW) techniques, with considerations of the nonsteady-state nature and potential error sources. The research underscores the importance of rigorous experimental design and accurate data analysis to address the complexities and variability in thermal conductivity measurements, ultimately contributing to the advancement of nanofluid technologies for efficient heat transfer solutions.

The Conductance Isotope Effect in Oligophenylene Imine Molecular Wires Depends on the Number and Spacing of 13C-Labeled Phenylene Rings.

We report a strong and structurally sensitive 13C intramolecular conductance isotope effect (CIE) for oligophenyleneimine (OPI) molecular wires connected to Au electrodes. Wires were built from Au surfaces beginning with the formation of 4-aminothiophenol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) followed by subsequent condensation reactions with 13C-labeled terephthalaldehyde and phenylenediamine; in these monomers the phenylene rings were either completely 13C-labeled or the naturally abundant 12C isotopologues. Alternatively, perdeuterated versions of terephthalaldehyde and phenylenediamine were employed to make 2H(D)-labeled OPI wires. For 13C-isotopologues of short OPI wires (<4 nm) in length where the charge transport mechanism is tunneling, there was no measurable effect, i.e., 13C CIE ≈ 1, where CIE is defined as the ratio of labeled and unlabeled wire resistances, i.e., CIE = Rheavy/Rlight. However, for long OPI wires >4 nm, in which the transport mechanism is polaron hopping, a strong 13C CIE = 4-5 was observed. A much weaker inverse CIE < 1 was evident for the longest D-labeled wires. Importantly, the magnitude of the 13C CIE was sensitive to the number and spacing of 13C-labeled rings, i.e., the CIE was structurally sensitive. The structural sensitivity is intriguing because it may be employed to understand polaron hopping mechanisms and charge localization/delocalization in molecular wires. A preliminary theoretical analysis explored several possible explanations for the CIE, but so far a fully satisfactory explanation has not been identified. Nevertheless, the latest results unambiguously demonstrate structural sensitivity of the heavy atom CIE, offering directions for further utilization of this interesting effect.

Structural basis of pH-dependent activation in a CLC transporter.

CLCs are dimeric chloride channels and anion/proton exchangers that regulate processes such as muscle contraction and endo-lysosome acidification. Common gating controls their activity; its closure simultaneously silences both protomers, and its opening allows them to independently transport ions. Mutations affecting common gating in human CLCs cause dominant genetic disorders. The structural rearrangements underlying common gating are unknown. Here, using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, we show that the prototypical Escherichia coli CLC-ec1 undergoes large-scale rearrangements in activating conditions. The slow, pH-dependent remodeling of the dimer interface leads to the concerted opening of the intracellular H+ pathways and is required for transport. The more frequent formation of short water wires in the open H+ pathway enables Cl- pore openings. Mutations at disease-causing sites favor CLC-ec1 activation and accelerate common gate opening in the human CLC-7 exchanger. We suggest that the pH activation mechanism of CLC-ec1 is related to the common gating of CLC-7.

Design and structural analysis for a camber-morphing wing with deformable truss

A camber-morphing wing based on a deformable truss is proposed in this paper. And then the structural analysis of the proposed camber-morphing wing is achieved. Compared with the existing concept of camber-morphing wings, the deformation mode of this wing is easier to manufacture and implement in engineering. Due to the fact that the wing is driven by multiple motors, it has the characteristic of multiple degrees of freedom in camber-morphing, which can achieve various deformation controls. Establishing corresponding finite element models, the deformation ability under different driving conditions is simulated. The results indicate that compared with driving short metal wires, driving long metal wires results in a greater degree of trailing edge deflection due to a greater driving force. Based on finite element analysis of deformation capability, the camber-morphing wing exhibits satisfactory deformation capability. Furthermore, based on the analysis of load-bearing capacity, it is indicated that the camber-morphing wing has sufficient load-bearing capacity.

Molecular-orientation-dependent magnetic properties of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) thin films and microwires

The development of molecular magnets plays a major role in emerging organic spintronics applications, as it exhibits both semiconducting and magnetic properties. Herein, we report on the molecular-orientation-dependent magnetic properties of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) thin films and microwires. FePc thin films grown on SiO2 and flexible kapton substrates clearly reveal that the morphology is strongly influenced by the substrates and film thickness. Meanwhile, the molecular stacking orientation of FePc thin films can be tuned by 3, 4, 9, 10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) templating layer and film thickness. Magnetic hysteresis loops show that the iron atoms are strongly magnetically coupled into ferromagnetic chains at low temperature with high coercivity at 1000 Oe. The magnetization and susceptibility of FePc thin films are dependent on the molecular orientation, and the Curie–Weiss constant is modulated from 24 ± 2 K K to 35 ± 2 K through the templating effect, in which the molecular stacking orientation changes from standing-up to lying-down arrangement. Furthermore, strong orientation dependent ferromagnetism is also observed in low-dimensional η-FePc microwires, in which the Curie–Weiss constants change from 20 ± 2 K to 35 ± 2 K when magnetic field rotated from short wire axis to long wire axis. The ability to fabricate FePc thin films on flexible substrate with controllable molecular orientation and ferromagnetism makes them promising candidates for flexible spintronic devices.

The design and fabrication of a broadband meta-material absorber based on a double-layer ring structure

A double-layer meta-material absorber based on two “ring” structures is designed and fabricated in this paper. Each layer contains a different additional microstructure, which has the property of broadening the microwave absorption band. On the top layer we introduce a split on the ring structure, and on the bottom layer we bring in a short wire. According to the simulation results, the absorption band below −10 dB expands beyond 8.6 GHz compared to the original configuration. Moreover, there is a favorable coincidence between the experimental results and the simulations. The surface current and energy distribution of different meta-material structures are compared and analyzed to explain the absorption band expansion. It is shown that the varied distribution pattern of the surface current leads to multiple absorption peaks, which are connected to each other to form a broad absorption band. Moreover, the results illustrate that it is the splitting that causes the decoherence between the surface currents, which generates the frequency dispersion and hence the broadening of the absorption band. The distribution of the electric energy is analyzed and the results show it is the additional wire that forms a toroidal capacitor with the bottom ring to deepen the absorbing band. These results imply a different way of expanding the absorption band of metamaterial absorbers.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound: the pilot is only as good as the co-pilot – what do nurses need to know?

Endoscopy procedures require a collaborative team approach. Flight simulator training is an advanced method used to enhance the stress resilience and communication skills of nurses, which are crucial for successful execution. Novices need sufficient time to acquire expertise, so clear learning outcomes should be established for nurses in endoscopy. The European Society of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Nurses and Associates has developed a job profile and core curriculum for endoscopy nursing. Various simulators, including those using tubes and virtual reality, are available for training, with the Erlangen active simulator for interventional endoscopy being the most suitable. Monitoring the frequency of procedures allows for individual competency assessment. Effective communication is essential for success and safety. Postgraduate training programmes should be provided for individuals lacking endoscopy education. National and international meetings should attract doctors and nurses to promote teamwork and knowledge exchange. Advancements in technology will shape the job profile of endoscopy professionals, including short wire systems, single-operator cholangiocytes, nurse endoscopists, nurse-assisted propofol sedation, artificial intelligence, endoscopy robots and hybrid procedures.

Proof of concept of a self-tightening needle-less suture using a NiTi shape memory alloy

Among surgical procedures, suturing is considered simple. However, in some situations, suturing is not easy or feasible. Here, we present proof of concept of a new self-tightening needle-less suture made of a NiTi alloy. The new device is designed to overcome two demanding steps of traditional suturing: needle introduction and manual knotting. Our novel suture is composed only of a short NiTi wire that is able to change shape by exploiting a thermoelastic phase transition. This shape change is achieved by increasing the temperature from that of the operating room (e.g., 20–22 °C) to 32 °C using warm water. Suturing consists of two steps: suture introduction, in which the suture is in an open configuration, and shape recovery (i.e., closed configuration). The closed configuration is maintained at human body temperature thanks to peculiar pseudoelastic properties of the NiTi material. Finally, thermal and functional characterization verified the simplicity and effectiveness of the proposed device.Graphic abstract

Wire Length-Matching Aware Placement Method for Rapid Single Flux Quantum Logic Circuits

This paper proposes a fast automatic gate placement method for gate-level-pipelined Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) circuits that are designed to have a high throughput. In such circuits, the gates in a pipeline stage are placed in a column and wires are routed in the area between adjacent columns. In wire routing, wire length-matching is performed. The proposed method performs gate placement for a given netlist to minimize the sum of the maximum distance between connected gates in each pair of adjacent columns. It leads to short wire extensions in wire length matching for increasing the operation frequency and small circuit area. The proposed method consists of a recursive procedure including two placements, selecting a pivot column, and determining the gate placement in the pivot column. The netlist is divided into two netlists with the pivot column. The recursive procedure performs gate placements for the two divided netlist. It is repeated until the location of every gate is determined. We implemented a placement tool by the proposed method and performed the gate placement for three circuits including several hundreds of gates. The proposed placement was 14 to 40 times faster than a placement based on simulated annealing where the sum of the maximum distance between connected gates is approximately the same.

Dual-frequency resonant coil design for low-γ X-nuclear and proton magnetic resonance imaging at ultrahigh fields.

Low-γ X-nuclear MRS and imaging have played a key role in studying metabolism and physiopathology, especially at ultrahigh fields. We design and demonstrate a novel and simple dual-frequency RF resonant coil that can operate at both low-γ X-nuclear and proton frequencies. The dual-frequency resonant coil comprises an LC coil loop and a tuning-matching circuit bridged by two short wires of the desired length to generate two resonant modes: one for proton MRI and the other for low-γ X-nuclear MRS imaging with a large difference in their Larmor frequencies at ultrahigh fields. The coil parameters for the desired coil size and resonant frequencies can be determined via numerical simulations based on LC circuit theory. We designed, constructed, and evaluated several prototype surface coils and quadrature array coils for 1 H and 2 H or 17 O imaging, with small-sized (diameter ≤ 5cm) coils evaluated using a 16.4 T animal scanner, and a large-sized (15 cm diameter) coil on a 7 T human scanner. All coils could be tuned/matched and driven in the single coil or array coil mode to the resonant frequencies of 1 H (698 and 298 MHz), 2 H (107 and 45.8MHz), or 17 O (94.7 and 40.4MHz) for imaging measurements and evaluation at 16.4and 7 T, respectively. The dual-frequency resonant coil or array provides adequate detection sensitivity for 1 H MRI and excellent performance for low-γ X-nuclear MRS imaging applications, and excellent coil decoupling efficiency between the array coils at both resonant frequencies with an optimal geometric overlap. It provides a simple, cost-effective dual-frequency RF coil solution to perform low-γ X-nuclear MRS imaging for preclinical and human applications, especially at ultrahigh fields.

A Development and a Physical Properties Characterization of a Conductive Polymer Composite Reinforced with Metallic Particulates and Short Wire Fillers

A Development and a Physical Properties Characterization of a Conductive Polymer Composite Reinforced with Metallic Particulates and Short Wire Fillers

Study of Helical Antenna Endowing Short Wire Length and Compact Structure for High-Frequency Operations and Its Exclusive Manufacturing Process

In this paper a study of a helical antenna resonating at high-frequency (HF) band with a very compact structure is reported. The designed antenna's S11 parameter magnitude change with frequency was calculated for different geometrical parameters. For each case, first, only a single parameter was changed. Then for a fair comparison, multiple parameters were changed simultaneously while the total wire length was set to be constant. Also, shifts in resonance frequencies and variations in -10 dB bandwidths were investigated. Our results show that resonance behaviour changes distinctively with the geometrical parameters and it allows shortening of the antenna wire length. For the designed antenna, the resonances shift to lower frequencies and -10 dB bandwidths around the resonances decrease as the winding wire thickness, number of turns, and turn radius increase. Whereas as the turn spacing increases the resonances shift to higher frequencies and -10 dB bandwidths widen, although the total wire length of the antenna increases. To verify the simulation results, the designed antenna was fabricated with an exclusive manufacturing process and characterized. The measurement results are in good agreement with the simulation results. It demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed manufacturing technique, which is new in the literature and enables accurate and rigid antenna fabrication with simple and low-cost steps.

A 224 Gb/s EML Sub-Assembly With Electro Optical Bandwidth of 60 GHz for 800GbE Applications

An EML sub-assembly with a terminating resistor optimized for maximum electro-optical bandwidth was successfully demonstrated for 800 GbE applications. To improve the 3-dB electro-optical bandwidth, we employed a newly developed EML with a shorter EA modulator less than 120 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> long, and adjusted the terminating resistance of the transmission line. The fabricated EML sub-assembly exhibited a wide 3-dB bandwidth of 60 GHz without resorting to special assembly techniques such as flip-chip bonding and very short wiring. Furthermore, clear eye openings were obtained for 98 Gbaud PAM4 operation and also 112 Gbaud PAM4 with no sign of excess jitter or overshoot due to pattern effects caused by the modified terminating resistor.

Flexural properties of a MgB2 thin-film wire

Aiming to understand the bending characteristics of a MgB2 thin-film wire and utilize the wire in the design of superconducting magnets, we examined the degradation of critical current density J c due to bending. Six short MgB2 thin-film wires with a thickness of 1 μm were prepared under the same deposition conditions. They were bent in different radii, and their J c were compared. The allowable bending radius at which J c does not degrade was 25.0 mm. As for MgB2 thin-film wires, thickening the film effectively increases the engineering critical current density J e. On the basis of material mechanics, the allowable bending radius was estimated to be 25.5 mm when the film thickness increased to 10 μm. The allowable bending radius of the MgB2 thin-film wire is sufficiently smaller than the radius of a typical superconducting coil, so it is not considered to be a barrier to fabricating a coil with the wire.

Nanowire melting modes during the solid–liquid phase transition: theory and molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular dynamics simulations have shown that after initial surface melting, nanowires can melt via two mechanisms: an interface front moves towards the wire centre; the growth of instabilities at the interface can cause the solid to pinch-off and breakup. By perturbing a capillary fluctuation model describing the interface kinetics, we show when each mechanism is preferred and compare the results to molecular dynamics simulation. A Plateau-Rayleigh-type of instability is found and suggests longer nanowires will melt via an instability mechanism, whereas in shorter nanowires the melting front will move closer to the centre before the solid pinch-off can initiate. Simulations support this theory; preferred modes that destabilise the interface are proportional to the wire length, with longer nanowires preferring to pinch-off and melt; shorter wires have a more stable interface close to their melting temperature, and prefer to melt via an interface front that moves towards the wire centre.

Practical Schemes on Lightning Energy Suppression in Arresters for Transformers on 10 kV Overhead Distribution Lines

This paper presented an assessment of lightning energy absorption by dedicated surge arresters (SA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">DT</sub> ), which are provided to protect the distribution transformers on 10kV overhead distribution lines (OHLs). A hybrid Partial Element Equivalent Circuit-Multi-conductor Transmission Line (PEEC-MTL) code was applied to evaluate lightning surges on SA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">DT</sub> . This method has the capability of modeling both short and long wires in OHL systems and is verified numerically and experimentally. A Monte Carlo procedure was adopted to assess the fault rate (FR) of SA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">DT</sub> . It is found that the direct lightning strokes to the phase wire are the primary threat to the SA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">DT</sub> , compared with the strokes to the poles as well as indirect strokes to the ground or structure nearby. Several protection schemes are identified, and their performance is evaluated from the aspects of lightning protection and economic cost. The full shielding wire (SW) scheme performs the best, but with the most expensive protection cost. The lightning energy absorption by SA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">DT</sub> can be suppressed significantly by installing extra SAs on the adjacent poles. The scheme of two or four extra SAs together with a partial SW can achieve a balanced performance of protection effect and economic cost for the OHL. The SW for a section of the OHL alone is not enough to the lightning protection for SA <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">DT</sub> .

Research on metal wire blowing mechanism and performance

A short metal wire can be used as a fuse in a circuit. Using ANSYS software simulations combined with experiments, it was verified that the highest temperature region during the blowing process of the wire and the most blowing position is near the middle When a direct current flow through. A measurement circuit was established to study the effect of fuse length, and current on fuse blowing time. The results show that for 0.05 mm diameter copper wire, the blowing time decreases rapidly with the increase of length when the length is within 1cm under the action of 3.16A direct current, and the blowing time is basically stable at 0.04s when the length exceeds 1 cm due to the limitation of heat transfer distance. The blowing time of copper wire decreases with the increase of current, and the blowing time is basically stable at 0.05s after the current reaches 3.5A; the melting time of three materials (Cu, Ag, Pb-Sb) all satisfy the theoretical prediction that the product of current density squared and time is constant; the equivalent current density is introduced to modify the theoretical formula, which makes the theory and experiment more in agreement. This study provides a more comprehensive description of the blowing time and characteristics of short metal wires under the action of high current (DC) from both theoretical and experimental aspects.

Quality factor for zero-bias conductance peaks in Majorana nanowire

Despite recent experimental progress towards observing large zero-bias conductance peaks (ZBCPs) as signatures of Majorana modes, confusion remains about whether Majorana modes have been observed. This is in part due to the theoretical prediction of fine-tuned trivial (i.e., non-topological) zero-bias peaks that occur because of uncontrolled quantum dots or disorder potentials. While many aspects of the topological phase can be somewhat fine-tuned because the topological phase space is often small, the quantized height of the ZBCP associated with a Majorana mode is known to be robust at sufficiently low temperatures even as the tunnel barrier is pinched off to vanishingly small normal-state conductance. The key shortcoming of the existing experimental works is an acute lack of stability of the putative Majorana mode features, indicating the probable absence of a topological phase, and the current paper suggests specific experimentally accessible measures for a careful quantitative analysis of the measured ZBCP stability. In this paper, we study how the counter-intuitive robustness of the ZBCP height to the tunnel barrier strength can be used to distinguish Majorana modes from non-topological ZBCPs. To this end, we introduce a dimensionless quality factor $F$ to quantify the robustness of the ZBCP height based on the range of normal-state (i.e. above-gap) conductance (which depends crucially on the tunnel barrier height) over which the ZBCP height remains within a pre-specified range of quantization. By computing this quality factor $F$ together with the topological characteristics for a wide range of models and parameters, we find that Majoranas are significantly more robust (i.e., have a higher value of $F$) compared with non-topological ZBCPs in the ideal low-temperature limit. Even at a temperature as high as the experimentally used $20$ mK, we find that we can set a threshold value of $F\sim 2.5$ (for $\epsilon=0.1$) so that ZBCPs associated with a quality factor $F>2.5$ are likely topological and $F\ll 2.5$ are topologically trivial. More precisely, the value of $F$ is operationally related to the degree of separation of the Majorana modes in the system, although $F$ uses only the experimentally measured tunnel conductance properties. Finally, we discuss how the quality factor $F$ measured in a transport setup can help estimate the quality of topological qubits made from Majorana modes. In particular, we show that if the induced gap can be enhanced somehow beyond the currently available $\sim 30$ $\mu$eV in InAs/Al samples, large (small) values of $F$ could easily distinguish between stable topological (unstable trivial) ZBCPs with the quantum dot induced quasi-Majorana bound states occasionally behaving similar to topological Majorana modes in short wires.