A Broadband Dual-Polarized ME-Dipole Antenna Array for Millimeter-Wave Applications

A magneto-electric dipole implemented using substrate integrated blocks (SIBs) is proposed for broadband dual-polarized array application. Facilitated by the SIB-based design approach, an interlaced arrangement of the perpendicular feeding probes is developed for dual-polarization excitation. While maintaining the wideband feature and single-layered antenna structure, nearly identical radiation characteristics for the two polarizations have been achieved. Additionally, the enlarged probe-to-probe distance increases the degree of design freedom for the feeding network. As a proof-of-concept, a 3 × 3 single-layered antenna array fed by single-layered dualpolarization microstrip-line feeding network is designed and fabricated at the 5G millimeter-wave frequency band. The measured results indicate that the array prototype has a wide overlapped impedance bandwidth of 36.2% covering from 21.3 to 30.7 GHz, within which a maximum gain of 14.7 dBi and a gain variation of 2 dB are maintained. The broadband performance, single-layered radiating structure, and nearly identical performance of two polarizations make the proposed design attractive for applications including 5G and beyond

Enhanced survival and regeneration of axotomized retinal ganglion cells by a mixture of herbal extracts

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Panax quinquefolius L. extract (PQE), Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), and Hypericum perforatum extract (HPE), in combination or alone, on the survival and regeneration of axotomized retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in an optic nerve transection model in adult hamsters. Unilateral transection of the optic nerve was performed to evaluate the effects of herbal extracts on the survival of axotomized RGCs. Effects of the herbal extracts on axonal regeneration of axotomized RGCs, on the other hand, were studied by attaching a peripheral nerve graft onto the transected ocular stump to induce regeneration. Operated animals received daily oral administration of vehicle or herbal extracts (PQE, GBE, and HPE), alone or in combination, for 7 and 21 days, respectively, in the survival and regeneration experiments. Surviving and regenerating RGCs were retrogradely labeled with Fluoro-Gold. The eyes were then enucleated and the retinas were flat-mounted for the counting of the labeled RGCs. Treatment with PQE, GBE and HPE alone failed to offer neuroprotection to injured RGCs. However, treatment with Menta-FX, a mixture of PQE, GBE, and HPE, significantly augmented RGC survival 7 days postaxotomy. Treatment with Menta-FX also induced a significant (87%) increase in the number of regenerating RGCs 21 days after optic nerve transection. This study demonstrates that herbs can act as a potential neuroprotective agent for damaged RGCs. It also suggests that the therapeutic value of herbal remedies can be maximized by the use of mixtures of appropriate herbs.published_or_final_versio

Exploiting Magnetic Resonance Angiography Imaging Improves Model Estimation of BOLD Signal

The change of BOLD signal relies heavily upon the resting blood volume fraction () associated with regional vasculature. However, existing hemodynamic data assimilation studies pretermit such concern. They simply assign the value in a physiologically plausible range to get over ill-conditioning of the assimilation problem and fail to explore actual . Such performance might lead to unreliable model estimation. In this work, we present the first exploration of the influence of on fMRI data assimilation, where actual within a given cortical area was calibrated by an MR angiography experiment and then was augmented into the assimilation scheme. We have investigated the impact of on single-region data assimilation and multi-region data assimilation (dynamic cause modeling, DCM) in a classical flashing checkerboard experiment. Results show that the employment of an assumed in fMRI data assimilation is only suitable for fMRI signal reconstruction and activation detection grounded on this signal, and not suitable for estimation of unobserved states and effective connectivity study. We thereby argue that introducing physically realistic in the assimilation process may provide more reliable estimation of physiological information, which contributes to a better understanding of the underlying hemodynamic processes. Such an effort is valuable and should be well appreciated

Quantum Models for Psychological Measurements: An Unsolved Problem

There has been a strong recent interest in applying quantum theory (QT) outside physics, including in cognitive science. We analyze the applicability of QT to two basic properties in opinion polling. The first property (response replicability) is that, for a large class of questions, a response to a given question is expected to be repeated if the question is posed again, irrespective of whether another question is asked and answered in between. The second property (question order effect) is that the response probabilities frequently depend on the order in which the questions are asked. Whenever these two properties occur together, it poses a problem for QT. The conventional QT with Hermitian operators can handle response replicability, but only in the way incompatible with the question order effect. In the generalization of QT known as theory of positive-operator-valued measures (POVMs), in order to account for response replicability, the POVMs involved must be conventional operators. Although these problems are not unique to QT and also challenge conventional cognitive theories, they stand out as important unresolved problems for the application of QT to cognition. Either some new principles are needed to determine the bounds of applicability of QT to cognition, or quantum formalisms more general than POVMs are needed

Ultra-strong Adhesion of Graphene Membranes

As mechanical structures enter the nanoscale regime, the influence of van der Waals forces increases. Graphene is attractive for nanomechanical systems because its Young's modulus and strength are both intrinsically high, but the mechanical behavior of graphene is also strongly influenced by the van der Waals force. For example, this force clamps graphene samples to substrates, and also holds together the individual graphene sheets in multilayer samples. Here we use a pressurized blister test to directly measure the adhesion energy of graphene sheets with a silicon oxide substrate. We find an adhesion energy of 0.45 \pm 0.02 J/m2 for monolayer graphene and 0.31 \pm 0.03 J/m2 for samples containing 2-5 graphene sheets. These values are larger than the adhesion energies measured in typical micromechanical structures and are comparable to solid/liquid adhesion energies. We attribute this to the extreme flexibility of graphene, which allows it to conform to the topography of even the smoothest substrates, thus making its interaction with the substrate more liquid-like than solid-like.Comment: to appear in Nature Nanotechnolog

New Non-invasive Techniques to Quantify Skin Surface Strain and Sub-surface Layer Deformation of Finger-pad during Sliding

Studies on the variation of skin properties with gender, age and anatomical region, with regards to interaction with different materials have resulted in significant research output. Investigations on skin surface strain and sub-surface layer deformation during sliding, however, have not received as much attention. This novel study uses two non-invasive techniques, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and digital image correlation (DIC), to measure properties of the index finger of a 25 year old female when under normal and shear loading. Measurements were taken during static, and for the first time, dynamic phases. It was observed that the number of ridges in contact with a Quartz glass surface, observed under OCT, reduced when the finger started sliding. The sliding also resulted in deformation at the stratum corneum junction. The surface strain, analysed using DIC was higher nearer to the distal interphalangeal joint compared to the fingertip. This newly developed approach provides a powerful and non-invasive method to study the structural changes of finger-pad skin during loading and sliding. This approach can now be repeated at different anatomical locations for medical, bioengineering and consumer applications