Terahertz characterisation of UV offset lithographically printed electronic-ink

Inkjet-printed electronics are showing promising potential in practical applications, but methods for real-time, non-contact monitoring of printing quality are lacking. This work explores Terahertz (THz) sensing as an approach for such monitoring. It is demonstrated that alterations in the localised dielectric characteristics of inkjet-printed electronics can be qualitatively distinguished using quasi-optically-based, sub-THz reflection spectroscopy. Decreased reflection coefficients caused by the sintering process are observed and quantified. Using THz near-field scanning imaging, it is shown that sintering produces a more uniform spatial distribution of permittivity in the printed carbon patterns. Images generated using THz-TDS based imaging are presented, demonstrating the combination of high resolution imaging with quantification of complex permittivities. This work, for the first time, demonstrates the feasibility of quality control in printed electronic-ink with THz sensing, and is of practical significance to the development of in-situ and non-contact commercial-quality characterisation methods for inkjet-printed electronics

Micromachined thick mesh filters for millimeter-wave and terahertz applications

This paper presents several freestanding bandpass mesh filters fabricated using an SU-8-based micromachining technique. The important geometric feature of the filters, which SU8 is able to increase, is the thickness of the cross-shaped micromachined slots. This is five times its width. This thickness offers an extra degree of control over the resonance characteristics. The large thickness not only strengthens the structures, but also enhances the resonance quality factor ( Q-factor). A 0.3-mm-thick, single-layer, mesh filter resonant at 300 GHz has been designed and fabricated and its performance verified. The measured Q-factor is 16.3 and the insertion loss is 0.98 dB. Two multi-layer filter structures have also been demonstrated. The first one is a stacked structure of two single mesh filters producing a double thickness, which achieved a further increased Q-factor of 27. This is over six times higher than a thin mesh filter. The second multilayer filter is an electromagnetically coupled structure forming a two-pole filter. The coupling characteristics are discussed based on experimental and simulation results. These thick mesh filters can potentially be used for sensing and material characterization at millimeter-wave and terahertz frequencies

Comparing Terahertz transmission response on pH-dependent apomyoglobin proteins dynamics with circular dichroism

© 20xx IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.Terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) was used to study the transmission responses of pH-dependent apomyoglobin (ApoMb) dissolved solutions in 0.2-2.2 THz frequency domain, the THz-TDS technique was also benchmarked against circular dichroism (CD) by studying pH-related folding states changes of ApoMb protein. Results revealed that differences of pH-dependent ApoMb/water dynamics can be detected directly by the THz refractive index spectrum, and these differences are further proved to be caused mainly the effect of protonation of water and possibly water response leaded by protein conformation change

Correction: Resolving nanoscopic structuring and interfacial THz dynamics in setting cements

Correction for ‘Resolving nanoscopic structuring and interfacial THz dynamics in setting cements’ by Fu V. Song et al., Mater. Adv., 2022, 3, 4982–4990, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1MA01002F.Funder: Horizon 2020 Framework Programme; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/100010661; Grant(s): ACT, No. 299668 Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100000266; Grant(s): EP/K000128/1, EP/L000202 Funder: Science and Technology Facilities Council; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100000271; Grant(s): RB1100006, RB1110428 and RB1310334 Funder: Sapienza Università di Roma; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100004271 Funder: McMaster University; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/100009776 Funder: University of British Columbia; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100005247 Funder: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/10.13039/501100000038; Grant(s): RGPIN 04598, RY

Atomic and vibrational origins of mechanical toughness in bioactive cement during setting

Bioactive glass ionomer cements (GICs) have been in widespread use for ~40 years in dentistry and medicine. However, these composites fall short of the toughness needed for permanent implants. Significant impediment to improvement has been the requisite use of conventional destructive mechanical testing, which is necessarily retrospective. Here we show quantitatively, through the novel use of calorimetry, terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and neutron scattering, how GIC’s developing fracture toughness during setting is related to interfacial THz dynamics, changing atomic cohesion and fluctuating interfacial configurations. Contrary to convention, we find setting is non-monotonic, characterized by abrupt features not previously detected, including a glass–polymer coupling point, an early setting point, where decreasing toughness unexpectedly recovers, followed by stress-induced weakening of interfaces. Subsequently, toughness declines asymptotically to long-term fracture test values. We expect the insight afforded by these in situ non-destructive techniques will assist in raising understanding of the setting mechanisms and associated dynamics of cementitious materials

SrFe12O19 based ceramics with ultra-low dielectric loss in the millimetre-wave band

The following article appeared in Applied Physics Letters, 112,143501 and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5022271. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing.Non-reciprocal devices such as isolators and circulators, based mainly on ferromagnetic materials, require extremely low dielectric loss in order for strict power-link budgets to be met for millimetre (mm)-wave and terahertz (THz) systems. The dielectric loss of commercial SrFe12O19 hexaferrite was significantly reduced to below 0.002 in the 75 - 170 GHz band by thermal annealing. While the overall concentration of Fe2+ and oxygen vacancy defects is relatively low in the solid, their concentration at the surface is significantly higher, allowing for a surface sensitive technique such as XPS to monitor the Fe3+/Fe2+ redox reaction. Oxidation of Fe2+ and a decrease in oxygen vacancies is found at the surface on annealing, which is reflected in the bulk sample by a small change in unit cell volume. The significant decrease in dielectric loss property can be attributed to the decreased concentration of charged defects such as Fe2+ and oxygen vacancies through annealing process, which demonstrated that thermal annealing could be effective in improving the dielectric performance of ferromagnetic materials for various applications

The 10th Biennial Hatter Cardiovascular Institute workshop: cellular protection—evaluating new directions in the setting of myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, and cardio-oncology

Due to its poor capacity for regeneration, the heart is particularly sensitive to the loss of contractile cardiomyocytes. The onslaught of damage caused by ischaemia and reperfusion, occurring during an acute myocardial infarction and the subsequent reperfusion therapy, can wipe out upwards of a billion cardiomyocytes. A similar program of cell death can cause the irreversible loss of neurons in ischaemic stroke. Similar pathways of lethal cell injury can contribute to other pathologies such as left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure caused by cancer therapy. Consequently, strategies designed to protect the heart from lethal cell injury have the potential to be applicable across all three pathologies. The investigators meeting at the 10th Hatter Cardiovascular Institute workshop examined the parallels between ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), ischaemic stroke, and other pathologies that cause the loss of cardiomyocytes including cancer therapeutic cardiotoxicity. They examined the prospects for protection by remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) in each scenario, and evaluated impasses and novel opportunities for cellular protection, with the future landscape for RIC in the clinical setting to be determined by the outcome of the large ERIC-PPCI/CONDI2 study. It was agreed that the way forward must include measures to improve experimental methodologies, such that they better reflect the clinical scenario and to judiciously select combinations of therapies targeting specific pathways of cellular death and injury

Volumetric and spatial accuracy of CTP estimated ischemic core volume in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Background and Purpose— The volume of estimated ischemic core using computed tomography perfusion (CTP) imaging can identify ischemic stroke patients who are likely to benefit from reperfusion, particularly beyond standard time windows. We assessed the accuracy of pretreatment CTP estimated ischemic core in patients with successful endovascular reperfusion. Methods— Patients from the HERMES (Highly Effective Reperfusion Evaluated in Multiple Endovascular Stroke Trials) and EXTEND-IA TNK (Tenecteplase Versus Alteplase Before Endovascular Therapy for Ischemic Stroke) databases who had pretreatment CTP, >50% angiographic reperfusion, and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging at 24 hours were included. Ischemic core volume on baseline CTP data was estimated using relative cerebral blood flow <30% (RAPID, iSchemaView). Follow-up diffusion magnetic resonance imaging was registered to CTP, and the diffusion lesion was outlined using a semiautomated algorithm. Volumetric and spatial agreement (using Dice similarity coefficient, average Hausdorff distance, and precision) was assessed, and expert visual assessment of quality was performed. Results— In 120 patients, median CTP estimated ischemic core volume was 7.8 mL (IQR, 1.8–19.9 mL), and median diffusion lesion volume at 24 hours was 30.8 mL (IQR, 14.9–67.6 mL). Median volumetric difference was 4.4 mL (IQR, 1.2–12.0 mL). Dice similarity coefficient was low (median, 0.24; IQR, 0.15–0.37). The median precision (positive predictive value) of 0.68 (IQR, 0.40–0.88) and average Hausdorff distance (median, 3.1; IQR, 1.8–5.7 mm) indicated reasonable spatial agreement for regions estimated as ischemic core at baseline. Overestimation of total ischemic core volume by CTP was uncommon. Expert visual review revealed overestimation predominantly in white matter regions. Conclusions— CTP estimated ischemic core volumes were substantially smaller than follow-up diffusion-weighted imaging lesions at 24 hours despite endovascular reperfusion within 2 hours of imaging. This may be partly because of infarct growth. Volumetric CTP core overestimation was uncommon and not related to imaging-to-reperfusion time. Core overestimation in white matter should be a focus of future efforts to improve CTP accuracy

Imaging features and safety and efficacy of endovascular stroke treatment: a meta-analysis of individual patient-level data

Background: Evidence regarding whether imaging can be used effectively to select patients for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is scarce. We aimed to investigate the association between baseline imaging features and safety and efficacy of EVT in acute ischaemic stroke caused by anterior large-vessel occlusion. Methods: In this meta-analysis of individual patient-level data, the HERMES collaboration identified in PubMed seven randomised trials in endovascular stroke that compared EVT with standard medical therapy, published between Jan 1, 2010, and Oct 31, 2017. Only trials that required vessel imaging to identify patients with proximal anterior circulation ischaemic stroke and that used predominantly stent retrievers or second-generation neurothrombectomy devices in the EVT group were included. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane handbook methodology. Central investigators, masked to clinical information other than stroke side, categorised baseline imaging features of ischaemic change with the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) or according to involvement of more than 33% of middle cerebral artery territory, and by thrombus volume, hyperdensity, and collateral status. The primary endpoint was neurological functional disability scored on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days after randomisation. Safety outcomes included symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage, parenchymal haematoma type 2 within 5 days of randomisation, and mortality within 90 days. For the primary analysis, we used mixed-methods ordinal logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, intravenous alteplase, and time from onset to randomisation, and we used interaction terms to test whether imaging categorisation at baseline modifies the association between treatment and outcome. This meta-analysis was prospectively designed by the HERMES executive committee but has not been registered. Findings: Among 1764 pooled patients, 871 were allocated to the EVT group and 893 to the control group. Risk of bias was low except in the THRACE study, which used unblinded assessment of outcomes 90 days after randomisation and MRI predominantly as the primary baseline imaging tool. The overall treatment effect favoured EVT (adjusted common odds ratio [cOR] for a shift towards better outcome on the mRS 2·00, 95% CI 1·69–2·38; p<0·0001). EVT achieved better outcomes at 90 days than standard medical therapy alone across a broad range of baseline imaging categories. Mortality at 90 days (14·7% vs 17·3%, p=0·15), symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (3·8% vs 3·5%, p=0·90), and parenchymal haematoma type 2 (5·6% vs 4·8%, p=0·52) did not differ between the EVT and control groups. No treatment effect modification by baseline imaging features was noted for mortality at 90 days and parenchymal haematoma type 2. Among patients with ASPECTS 0–4, symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage was seen in ten (19%) of 52 patients in the EVT group versus three (5%) of 66 patients in the control group (adjusted cOR 3·94, 95% CI 0·94–16·49; pinteraction=0·025), and among patients with more than 33% involvement of middle cerebral artery territory, symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage was observed in 15 (14%) of 108 patients in the EVT group versus four (4%) of 113 patients in the control group (4·17, 1·30–13·44, pinteraction=0·012). Interpretation: EVT achieves better outcomes at 90 days than standard medical therapy across a broad range of baseline imaging categories, including infarcts affecting more than 33% of middle cerebral artery territory or ASPECTS less than 6, although in these patients the risk of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage was higher in the EVT group than the control group. This analysis provides preliminary evidence for potential use of EVT in patients with large infarcts at baseline. Funding: Medtronic