Template Technology Research Articles

Modelling insertion behaviour of PVP (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) and PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol) microneedles

A comprehensive investigation into the effects of nonlinear material behaviour of polymeric (MN) and skin on the dynamics of the MN insertion in skin was undertaken in this study using experiments and numerical simulations. The nonlinearity of the material behaviour was incorporated by employing the Ramberg–Osgood and neo-Hookean equations for stress–strain relationships for the MN materials and skin, respectively. For this purpose, a characteristic type of dissolving MN array was selected. This type of MN is made by a combination of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). The numerical simulations were validated using experimental investigations where the MNs were fabricated using laser-engineered silicone micromould templates technology. Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and compression breaking force for the MN polymers were determined using a texture analyser. The alignment between experimental findings and simulation data underscores the accuracy of the parameters determined through mechanical testing and mathematical calculations for both MN materials (PVP/PVA) and skin behaviour during the MN insertion. This study has demonstrated a strong alignment between the experimental findings and computational simulations, confirming the accuracy of the established parameters for MNs and skin interactions for modelling MN insertion behaviour in skin, providing a solid foundation for future research in this area.

Formation of smooth and microporous ZnO-based substrate material

The paper investigates the influence of the deposition temperature on the morphology and structural-phase composition of the ZnO-based substrate material with a thickness of over 50 μm during the magnetron sputtering of hot ceramic targets. The study revealed the influence of the deposition temperature on the growth rate, morphology, and structural parameters of the ZnO single crystal precipitate. It was shown that the ZnO deposition rates during the spluttering of hot ceramic targets were ultra-high (up to 1.5 μm/min). The authors propose a method for the formation of both smooth and microporous ZnO-based substrate materials without using template technologies. The results obtained in the work can be widely used in optoelectronics and nitride technologies

Abstract 5036: Analytical and clinical validity of Northstar Select, a quantitatively enhanced liquid biopsy assay for comprehensive genomic profiling of solid tumors

Abstract Background: Liquid biopsy assays have emerged as vital tools in precision oncology. Among these assays, Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP) tests in particular have improved treatment selection for late-stage solid tumor cancer patients by allowing for the detection via circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) of somatic mutations in the tumor, many of which have corresponding targeted therapies. However, technical restrictions in the performance of such tests have limited their utility when ctDNA signal is low. BillionToOne’s Northstar Select assay is a new CGP test that achieves increased performance by addressing these limitations. Innovation: By using Quantitative Counting Template (QCT) technology, Northstar Select is able to track the yield of multiple processing steps, contributing to the higher sensitivity of the assay by maximizing the number of decoded molecules after sequencing. In addition, it employs chemistry and panel design optimizations, as well as novel algorithms for SNV, indel, CNV, fusion, and MSI calling to increase sensitivity and specificity. Analytical Performance: The performance of Northstar Select surpasses that of other commercially available tests for multiple mutation types, detecting more pathogenic and actionable mutations at low tumor DNA fraction while maintaining similarly high specificity. In analytical validation (N=103), limit of detection was determined to be 0.13-0.16% variant allele fraction (VAF) for SNVs and indels, 2.11 copies for copy number amplifications, 1.8 copies for copy number losses, 0.35% VAF for fusions, and 0.07% tumor fraction for MSI. Clinical Performance: Northstar Select was determined to have high clinical utility as well, with a study of clinical samples (N=481) from a variety of tumor types yielding <2% of reports with 0 mutations detected. A head-to-head comparison with other commercial liquid biopsy assays on a subset of the clinical samples (N=192) showed that the assay detected 115 additional pathogenic mutations in total, leading to a higher proportion of patients with at least one pathogenic mutation detected (90%) compared to comparators (79%). Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the Northstar Select assay is an innovative and high-performing diagnostic for treatment selection in oncology, leveraging quantitative approaches in process design, chemistry, and bioinformatics to offer superior analytical and clinical performance compared to the current landscape of liquid biopsy CGP tests. Citation Format: Xavier Bower, Jan Wignall, Joyce Zhu, Naomi Searle, Matthew Varga, Emilio Rosas-Linhard, Jason Luong, Esther Lin, Marie Simon, John ten Bosch, Wen Zhou. Analytical and clinical validity of Northstar Select, a quantitatively enhanced liquid biopsy assay for comprehensive genomic profiling of solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5036.

Eliminating trade-offs between optical scattering and mechanical durability in aerogels as outdoor passive cooling metamaterials.

Passive cooling is a promising approach for reducing the large energy consumption to achieve carbon neutrality. Foams/aerogels can be considered effective daytime cooling materials due to their good solar scattering and thermal insulation capacity. However, the contradiction between the desired high solar reflectivity and mechanical performance still limits their scalable production and real application. Herein, inspired by the "Floor-Pillar" concept in the building industry, a multi-structure assembly-induced ice templating technology was used to construct all-cellulosic aerogels with well-defined biomimetic structures. By using cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) as pillars and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as floors and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) as a crosslinking material, an all-cellulosic aerogel (NCA) exhibiting high mechanical strength (mechanical strength = 0.3 MPa at 80% compression ratio, Young's modulus = 1 MPa), ultralow thermal conductivity (28 mW m-1 K-1), ultrahigh solar reflectance (97.5%), high infrared emissivity (0.93), as well as excellent anti-weather function can be achieved, exceeding the performance of most reported cellulosic aerogels. Furthermore, the mechanisms of the improved mechanical strength and stimulated superior solar reflectance of NCA were studied in detail using finite element simulations and COMSOL Multiphysics. As a result, the NCA can achieve a cooling efficiency of 7.5 °C during the daytime. The building energy stimulus demonstrated that 44% of cooling energy can be saved in China annually if the NCA is applied. This work lays the foundation for the preparation of biomass aerogels for energy-saving applications.

Green and Sustainable Imprinting Technology for Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Water via Selective Adsorption

Revolutionary technological advances have posed new challenges to humans, and modern technology needs to seek new breakthroughs. Imprinting technology, also known as template technology, is a technology based on the interdisciplinary development of polymer chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science. The polymer prepared with imprinting technology, termed as imprinted polymer, has a memory effect on specific ions and can realize the selective recognition and enrichment of target species. Therefore, imprinting technology has great potential for application in water environment remediation and industrial wastewater treatment, especially for the treatment of low-concentration, toxic, and difficult-to-degrade heavy metal-containing wastewater. Herein, an overview of recent advances in imprinting technology in the field of adsorption and separation is presented, focusing on methods for the synthesis of imprinted polymers and their application to the separation and enrichment of metal ions in water. Finally, we propose several key issues that remain to be solved in the near future.

Direct ink writing of hierarchical porous SiC ceramics as catalyst support for hydrogen production

Due to the tunable porosity at multiple scales, hierarchical porous ceramics feature large specific surface area and excellent heat and mass transfer performance, which can effectively improve the catalytic reaction performance. This paper presents a method to fabricate SiC scaffolds with regular and hierarchical pore structures by direct ink writing (DIW) combined with sacrificial template technology, which can be used as methanol steam reforming (MSR) microreactor catalyst supports. Through printing along a defined path, primary pores with a regular pore structure were created. After sintering, the sacrificial template was removed and secondary pores appeared. Four different types of hierarchical porous SiC scaffolds were successfully prepared and the pore structure, total porosity, linear shrinkage and compressive strength of these scaffolds were investigated. The catalyst coating was then loaded onto the scaffold, and the microstructure characterization showed that the pore structure would not be damaged and blocked. Finally, the hydrogen production experiments were carried out on the MSR microreactor, and the results showed that the support with larger and denser secondary pores had the best fluid flow and hydrogen production characteristics. At the temperature of 280 °C and the gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 30000 ml g−1 h−1, the methanol conversion and hydrogen production of the best support can reach 90.95 % and 44.96 ml/min, respectively.

Facile synthesis of two-dimensional carbon/Si composite assembled by ultrasonic atomization-assisted-ice template technology as electrode for lithium-ion battery

Si-based anode materials are desirable candidates for high performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high capacity and low operating voltage. The major challenge is improvement the conductivity of Si-based electrode while maintaining structural stability during cycling. Herein, the two-dimensional (2D) carbon/Si composite materials are designed through a facile ultrasonic atomization-assisted-ice template (UAIT) approach. The high frequency ultrasound incorporate ice template route have the ability to promote the Si NPs uniformly disperse and firmly anchor in nanosheets. The hierarchical interconnected 2D nanosheets can not only ensure an electrically conductive network but also buffer the volume variation of Si nanoparticles (NPs) during (de)lithiation. The NPCN/Si-2 anode delivers improved reversible capacity of 1977 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1, and stable capacity of 889 mAh g−1 even after 1000 cycles at 1000 mAh g−1, respectively. This work provides an environmentally friendly and facile route to fabricate the hybrid of nanoparticles and 2D carbonaceous nanomaterials as electrodes in lithium-ion batteries.

The Application of Electron-Beam Welding in Pellet Mold Preparation

This paper provides insight into the application of electron-beam welding in pellet mold preparation, highlighting the importance of the combination of electron-beam welding and pellet mold preparation in the fields of microstructure joining and micro- and nanostructure preparation. Precise material joining and microstructure fabrication can be achieved by the precise control of electron-beam welding and the shape adjustment of pellet molds. These applications hold significant potential in the modern industrial field, providing robust support for the development of new materials and the growth of the petrochemical industry. This paper asserts that in the future, the ongoing development of electron-beam welding and pelletizing template technology will unlock new possibilities in the field of petrochemicals, fostering progress in science and technology.

Experimental Investigation of Electrochemical Capacitive Responses versus Pore Geometries through Artificial Nanotubes.

Electrochemical supercapacitors have attracted significant attention due to their large capacity, high-power output, and long cycle life. However, despite extensive studies and advancements in developing highly porous electrode materials, little quantitative research on the impact of pore geometry on electrochemical responses has been conducted. This paper presents the first quantitative investigation of the relationship between electrochemical capacitive responses and pore geometries at the nanoscale. To achieve this, we constructed a uniform cylindrical pore array with controllable pore diameter and depth by using anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) to serve as a template and atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology for TiN conductive layer decoration. Our findings reveal that, at the nanoscale, increasing the specific surface area through pore diameter and depth does not proportionally increase the capacitive response, even at low scan rates. Meanwhile, we observe a critical pore parameter (170/5000 nm, diameter/depth), where the specific capacitance density and characteristic frequency dramatically decrease with a further increase in the pore aspect ratio. These results indicate that blindly pursuing the absolute specific surface area of the electrode material is not advisable. Instead, optimal pore geometry should be designed based on the desired operational conditions, and this work may serve as valuable guidance.

Validation of a non-invasive prenatal test for fetal RhD, C, c, E, K and Fya antigens

We developed and validated a next generation sequencing-(NGS) based NIPT assay using quantitative counting template (QCT) technology to detect RhD, C, c, E, K (Kell), and Fya (Duffy) fetal antigen genotypes from maternal blood samples in the ethnically diverse U.S. population. Quantitative counting template (QCT) technology is utilized to enable quantification and detection of paternally derived fetal antigen alleles in cell-free DNA with high sensitivity and specificity. In an analytical validation, fetal antigen status was determined for 1061 preclinical samples with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 99–100%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI 99–100%). Independent analysis of two duplicate plasma samples was conducted for 1683 clinical samples, demonstrating precision of 99.9%. Importantly, in clinical practice the no-results rate was 0% for 711 RhD-negative non-alloimmunized pregnant people and 0.1% for 769 alloimmunized pregnancies. In a clinical validation, NIPT results were 100% concordant with corresponding neonatal antigen genotype/serology for 23 RhD-negative pregnant individuals and 93 antigen evaluations in 30 alloimmunized pregnancies. Overall, this NGS-based fetal antigen NIPT assay had high performance that was comparable to invasive diagnostic assays in a validation study of a diverse U.S. population as early as 10 weeks of gestation, without the need for a sample from the biological partner. These results suggest that NGS-based fetal antigen NIPT may identify more fetuses at risk for hemolytic disease than current clinical practice, which relies on paternal genotyping and invasive diagnostics and therefore is limited by adherence rates and incorrect results due to non-paternity. Clinical adoption of NIPT for the detection of fetal antigens for both alloimmunized and RhD-negative non-alloimmunized pregnant individuals may streamline care and reduce unnecessary treatment, monitoring, and patient anxiety.

Double-Plasma Ti3C2Tx/Ag@SiO2 Gel Micro-/Nanoporous Structures for Improved Water Transport and Efficient Solar Steam Generation

Interfacial solar steam generation is considered the next-generation desalination and sewage treatment technology. However, realizing solar evaporators with broad-spectrum absorption, efficient thermal conversion, and high stability remains a challenge. The high light-trapping surface structure and fast water transport channels of the evaporator improve the evaporation efficiency, and solar evaporators have great potential in the field of solar steam generation. Herein, the mixture of transition-metal carbide (Ti3C2Tx) and core–shell Ag–SiO2 nanoparticles (Ag@SiO2 NPs) is fabricated as a three-dimensional (3D) vertical porous Ti3C2Tx/Ag@SiO2 gel evaporator via ice templating technology. The synergistic interaction between dual Ti3C2Tx–Ag plasma materials confined in a cross-linked microcapillary structure realizes 97.6% wide absorption in the wavelength range of 250–2500 nm. The SiO2 coating on the surface of Ag NPs can inhibit the oxidation of Ag NPs and conduct heat collection management. The 3D vertically cross-linked porous structure promotes efficient water transport and improves the mechanical strength of the evaporator. The Ti3C2Tx/Ag@SiO2 gel evaporator exhibits a high evaporation rate of 1.42 kg m–2 h–1 and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 98% under 1 sun illumination. The Ti3C2Tx/Ag@SiO2 gel evaporator shows great application prospects in seawater desalination and sewage purification.

Microfluidic Templated Stem Cell Spheroid Microneedles forDiabetic Wound Treatment.

Wound dressing patches based on stem cells have demonstrated promising potential in the treatment of diabetic wounds, while their capabilities in the maintenance of cell stemness, effective exchange of cellular substance, and precise targeting of the stem cells remain to be promoted. Here, a novel stem cell spheroid loaded microneedle (MN@SPs) patch is presented using microfluidic templating technology. By leveraging the precise fluid manipulation capabilities of the microfluidic template, stem cell spheroids (SPs) with uniform size can be generated in situ. The resulting SPs exhibit advanced viability and cell functions, as evidenced by the overexpressed genes related to extracellular matrix organization and angiogenesis. By loading these SPs into the microneedles (MNs), the platform enables the precise delivery and exchange of multiple active substances, which contribute to advanced neovascularization, collagen deposition, and tissue reconstruction of diabetic wounds. Overall, this microfluidic-engineered stem cell therapy platform demonstrates significant promise in promoting wound healing.

One-step synthesis of hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolites with low defect density as long-lived MTH catalysts

The combination of introducing mesopores and minimizing framework defects in zeolite catalysts has been proved to be highly effective in improving their catalytic lifetime in the MTH reaction. However, there is currently a lack of simple method to realize these two purposes at the same time. In this work, we report a simple one-step approach which not only completed the introduction of abundant mesopores into zeolite catalyst but also simultaneously realized the reduction of framework defects. Secondary template, fluoride media and post-treatment technology were not used during the synthetic process. As an example, a hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst with low defect density was successfully synthesized. In the MTH reaction, the synergy effect of the hierarchical pore structure and the less framework defects endowed the prepared zeolite catalyst with a very long lifetime, which is 7.1 times that of the reference catalyst.

Well-aligned three-dimensional silk fibroin protein scaffold for orientation regulation of cells

The similar characteristics of biomaterials to the extracellular matrix are essential for efficient tissue repair through dictating cell behaviors. But the scaffold fabrication with complex shapes and controlled alignment have proven to be a difficult task. Herein, a well-designed three-dimensional silk fibroin scaffold is fabricated through ice template technology. The effect of the silk fibroin protein concentration and the freezing temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of scaffolds are investigated systematically. Cells behavior mediated by the obtained silk fibroin scaffolds is detected. The results show that the protein concentration plays a vital role in microstructure and scaffold strength. A well-aligned scaffold can be obtained when silk fibroin solution is kept at 12 wt%, which holds the highest mechanical properties. The pore size can be further adjusted in the range of 5–80 µm by changing the freezing temperature from −60 to −196 °C. The well-oriented scaffold with the appropriate pore size of 10–20 µm has the best ability to guide cell alignment. The resulting scaffolds provide an excellent matrix to guide cells behaviors and have a potential application in tissue engineering.

Optical Filters Based on Cholesteric, Blue and Sphere Mesophases.

An optical filter is one of the indispensable devices in massive and high-speed communication, optical signal processing, and display. Twist-structure liquid crystals, cholesteric liquid crystals, blue-phase liquid crystals, and sphere-phase liquid crystals show potential application in optical filters originating from the periodic nanostructures. Wavelength and bandwidth tuning can be controlled via temperature, electric fields, light, angle, spatial control, and templating technology. In this review, we discuss the recent developments of twist-structure liquid crystal filters.

Elliptical gold nanowires: controlled fabrication and plasmonic Fabry-Pérot resonances.

Nanowires (NWs) are essential building blocks of photonic devices for guiding light waves. However, the controlled synthesis of non-circular NWs remains challenging. Herein, we develop a bottom-up approach for the fabrication of high-quality elliptical gold NWs with finely tuned geometry engineering by using an advanced ion-track template technology. Compared to ordinary NWs, the rotational symmetry breaking leads to highly polarization-dependent plasmonic responses. Modal analysis shows that the lowest dipolar HE1 mode splits into two branches where the attenuation of the long-range branch decreases by 40%, while the short-range branch has a stronger enhanced near-field. Novel, to the best of our knowledge, plasmonic Fabry-Pérot resonances on finite NWs are measured. Our method can be extended to fabricate non-circular NWs with other materials, holding potential for novel applications from quantum to collective scales.

Effects of calcination rate and temperature on microstructure and gaseous iodine capture capacity of 3DOM-SiO2 aerogels

Three-dimensional ordered macropores silica (3DOM-SiO2) aerogels prepared by the sol-gel and colloidal crystal template technology have attracted wide attention in the field of gaseous radioiodine capture. 3DOM effectively reduces the diffusion resistance of gas, increases the specific surface area and improves the capture capacity of the aerogels. The optimization of the calcination process for removing colloidal crystal templates is very important for the construction of 3DOM. The effects of calcination rate and calcination temperature on the microstructure, specific surface area, surface official energy group, phase composition, and iodine adsorption capacity of 3DOM-SiO2 were systematically investigated. The results showed that the calcination rate and temperature affected the iodine capture capacity of 3DOM-SiO2 by affecting the formation of macropores, mesopores, and micropores and the content of adsorbed water in the pore structure. The optimization of the 3DOM preparation process provides a scientific basis for the capture and application of radioactive iodine.

Construction of Knowledge Graph of 3D Clothing Design Resources Based on Multimodal Clustering Network.

The construction of 3D design model is a hotspot of applied research in the fields of clothing functional design system teaching and display. The simple 3D clothing visualization postprocessing lacks interactive functions, which is a hot issue that needs to be solved urgently at present. Based on analyzing the existing clothing modeling technology, template technology, and fusion technology, and based on the multimodal clustering network theory, this paper proposes a 3D clothing design resource knowledge graph modeling method with multiple fusion of features and templates. The position of each joint point is converted into the coordinate system centered on the torso point in advance and normalized to avoid the problem that the relative position of the camera and the collector cannot be determined, and the shape of different collectors is different. The paper provides a multimodal clustering network intelligence method, illustrates the interoperability of users switching between different design networks in the seamless connection movement, and combines the hybrid intelligence algorithm with the fuzzy logic interpretation algorithm to solve the problems in the field of 3D clothing design service quality. During the simulation process, the research scheme builds a logical multimodal clustering network framework, which integrates compatibility access and global access partition fusion of style templates to achieve information extraction of clothing parts. The experimental results show that the realistic 3D clothing modeling can be achieved by layering the 3D clothing map, contour features, clothing size features, and color texture features with the modeling template. The developed ActiveX control is mounted on MSN, and the system is compatible. The performance and integration rate reached 77.1% and 89.7%, respectively, which effectively strengthened the practical role of the 3D clothing design system.

Increased Accuracy in Templating for Total Knee Arthroplasty Using 3D Models Generated from Radiographs.

Templating prior to total hip arthroplasty is a widely adopted practice that aims to improve operative efficiency and reduce clinical outliers. Predicting implant size before total knee arthroplasty (TKA), although less common, could increase operating room efficiency by reducing necessary equipment needed for the procedure. This study compared templating accuracy in TKA using two-dimensional (2D) digital radiographs to a novel imaging technology that generates a three-dimensional (3D) model from these 2D radiographs. Two hundred and two robotic-assisted primary TKA surgical cases using Persona Knee System (Zimmer Biomet, Warsaw, IN) were retrospectively analyzed. For all cases, 3D templating was completed preoperatively using a novel radiographic image acquisition protocol. Using the same radiographs, the knee was templated using a 2D digital templating program. All surgeons were blinded to the final implant sizes, and all templating was done independently. The accuracy of predictions within ± 1 from the final implant size was determined for the femoral and tibial components. The accuracy (within 1 size) of tibial size predictions was comparable between attending surgeons and residents (87 vs. 82%, p = 0.08), but attending surgeons more accurately predicted the femoral size (77 vs. 60%, p < 0.05). The 2D to 3D imaging technology more accurately predicted both tibial and femoral sizes compared with the attending surgeons (99.5 vs. 87%, p < 0.05; 84% vs. 77%, p < 0.05). However, the imaging technology, attending surgeons, and residents were all more likely to overestimate femur size (p < 0.05). Moreover, the 3D imaging technology predicted the exact tibial component size in 93.1% of cases, which was significantly greater compared with residents (40%, p < 0.01) and attending surgeons (53%, p < 0.01). The 2D to 3D imaging technology more accurately predicted tibial and femoral component sizes compared with 2D digital templating done by surgeons. All templating predictions were more accurate for the tibial implant size than for the femoral size. The increased accuracy of implant size predictions from this 3D templating technology has the potential to improve intraoperative efficiency and minimize costs and surgical time.

TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR YOUNGER PUPILS WITH USING INNOVATION TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERNET RESOURCES

The article discusses the main features of the use of Internet resources and technologies in teaching young schoolchildren a foreign language. A form of conducting classes with the use of computer technologies is proposed, and an example of drawing up an assignment using the “drag and drop” template technology is given. The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in foreign language lessons (FL) is characterized by the presence of a high communicative ability and the active involvement of children in the educational activity.