Vpp

Direct 3D printing of active microfluidic elements on PCB substrates enables high-speed fabrication of stand-alone microdevices for a variety of health and energy applications. Microvalves are key components of microfluidic devices and liquid metal (LM) microvalves exhibit promising flow control in microsystems integrated with PCBs. In this paper, we demonstrate LM microvalves directly 3D printed on PCB using advanced digital light processing (DLP). Electrodes on PCB are coated by carbon ink to prevent alloying between gallium-based LM plug and copper electrodes...

Silicon microring modulator plays a critical role in energy-efficient optical interconnect and optical computing owing to its ultra-compact footprint and capability for on-chip wavelength-division multiplexing. However, existing silicon microring modulators usually require more than 2 V of driving voltage (Vpp ), which is limited by both material properties and device structures. Here, we present a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor microring modulator through heterogeneous integration between silicon photonics and titanium-doped indium oxide, which is a high-mobility transparent conductive oxide (TCO) with a strong plasma dispersion effect...

Lattice structures are a group of cellular materials composed of regular repeating unit cells. Due to their extraordinary mechanical properties, such as specific mechanical strength, ultra-low density, negative Poisson's ratio, etc., lattice structures have been widely applied in the fields of aviation and aerospace, medical devices, architecture, and automobiles. Hybrid additive manufacturing (HAM), an integrated manufacturing technology of 3D printing processes and other complementary processes, is becoming a competent candidate for conveniently delivering lattice structures with multifunctionalities, not just mechanical aspects...

Microfluidic artificial lungs (μALs) are a new class of membrane oxygenators. Compared to traditional hollow-fiber oxygenators, μALs closely mimic the alveolar microenvironment due to their size-scale and promise improved gas exchange efficiency, hemocompatibility, biomimetic blood flow networks, and physiologically relevant blood vessel pressures and shear stresses. Clinical translation of μALs has been stalled by restrictive microfabrication techniques that limit potential artificial lung geometries, overall device size, and throughput...

Along with the rapid and extensive advancements in the 3D printing field, a diverse range of uses for 3D printing have appeared in the spectrum of medical applications. Vat photopolymerization (VPP) stands out as one of the most extensively researched methods of 3D printing, with its main advantages being a high printing speed and the ability to produce high-resolution structures. A major challenge in using VPP 3D-printed materials in medicine is the general incompatibility of standard VPP resin mixtures with the requirements of biocompatibility and biofunctionality...

This paper aims to compare two ceramic materials available for additive manufacturing (AM) processes-vat photopolymerization (VPP) and material extrusion (MEX)-that result in fully ceramic parts after proper heat treatment. The analysis points out the most significant differences between the structural and mechanical properties and the potential application of each AM technology. The research revealed different behaviors for the specimens obtained via the two mentioned technologies. In the case of MEX, the specimens exhibited similar microstructures before and after heat treatment...

This study proposed a SU-8 based gas sensor, integrated with heater and sensing electrodes, to develop a multi-channel gas sensor with PEG/SWCNTs composite films. The impedance of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on each sensing electrode was well controlled via dielectrophoresis technology. To investigate dielectrophoretic mobility characteristics, the concentric circular sensing electrode has three different spacing between the inner and outer electrodes, including 10 μm, 15 μm, and 20 μm...

With increasing interest in the rapid development of lattice structures, hybrid additive manufacturing (HAM) technology has become a competent alternative to traditional solutions such as water jet cutting and investment casting. Herein, a HAM technology that combines vat photopolymerization (VPP) and electroless/electroplating processes is developed for the fabrication of multifunctional polymer-metal lattice composites. A VPP 3D printing process is used to deliver complex lattice frameworks, and afterward, electroless plating is employed to deposit a thin layer of nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) conductive seed layer...

The effects of optical sampling pulse power, RF power, and electronic back-end bandwidth on the performance of time- and wavelength-interleaved photonic analog-to-digital converter (PADC) with eight-channel 41.6 GHz pulses have been experimentally investigated in detail. The effective number of bits (ENOB) and peak-to-peak voltage ( Vpp ) of converted 10.6 GHz electrical signals were used to characterize the effects. For the 1550.116 nm channel with 5.2 G samples per second, an average pulse power of 0 to -10 dBm input to the photoelectric detector (PD) has been tested...

A rabbit shaped block, single-phase, linear, ultrasonic motor is proposed. The motor is 17.7 × 9.1 × 6 mm3 in size, and the overall mass is 2.3 g. The motor is designed by referring to the rabbit running mode and the principle of a Langevin vibrator concentrator. It can realize bidirectional driving without changing the constraint position. First, the basic structure of the motor is introduced, and the working principle of the motor is discussed. Then, the motion trajectory and driving force of the motor driving foot are theoretically deduced and simulated, and the simulation results are verified by the modal impedance characteristic test...

In this paper, a novel ultra-high timing resolution pulse generator is proposed. It is based on the waveform real-time computation method. Through real-time computing and filtering of the waveform samples, a pulse with a 0.1 ps timing resolution pulse could be generated at a 2.5 GSPS sampling rate. Based on the waveform real-time computation method, jitters are injected into the waveform time parameter to break the harmonic components caused by non-integer multiples of the sampling rate and waveform frequency...

The objective of this paper is to present the technical and feasibility analysis of an innovative mechanical recycling system for exhausted coffee capsules. This recycling process involved the sorting of spent coffee grounds (SGC) and the subsequent drying and melt-mixing of a portion of these grounds with the remaining capsule components, mainly composed of polypropylene (PP), along with optional virgin PP. These newly developed composite materials exhibited mechanical and rheological properties comparable or even surpassing those of virgin PP...

This study aimed to compare diagnostic sensitivities of a rapid test (Rt) and an ELISA kit for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG in virus-RT-PCR-positive (VPP) and virus-RT-PCR-unchecked (VPU) subjects in an Egyptian cohort during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results revealed higher sensitivity of the Rt for detecting IgM/IgG in the VPP subjects. Both the Rt and ELISA showed identical sensitivities for IgM detection in the VPU subjects. The ELISA was more sensitive for detecting IgG in the VPU subjects...

The objective of this study was to explore the molecular targets and mechanism of Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) and Val-Pro-Pro (VPP) on regulating glucose metabolism in hepatic cells and their in vivo hypoglycemic activities in mice. Results showed that both IPP and VPP (600 μM) significantly enhanced the glucose consumption in HepG2 cells and primary hepatocytes ( p < 0.05). They also regulated activities of glucose metabolizing enzymes and increased the protein expression of p -AKT and GLUT2 in HepG2 cells...

Monkeypox virus is a viral disease transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals, such as monkeys and rodents, or through direct contact with the bodily fluids or lesions of infected humans. The aim of this study is to evaluate in silico the inhibition effect of eight Cupressus sempervirens L. ethyl acetate fraction identified molecules using LC-MS on three monkeypox targets such as the vaccinia virus thymidylate kinase (VTK), the viral profilin-like protein (VPP), and the viral RNA polymerase (VRP)...

A wide-field endoscope that is sensitive to fluorescence can be used as an adjunct to conventional white light endoscopy by detecting multiple molecular targets concurrently. We aim to demonstrate a flexible fiber-coupled accessory that can pass forward through the instrument channel of standard medical endoscopes for clinical use to collect fluorescence images. A miniature scan mirror with reflector dimensions of 1.30 × 0.45  mm2 was designed, fabricated, and placed distal to collimated excitation beams at λex  = 488, 660, and 785 nm...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the effect of airborne particle abrasion (APA) and regeneration firing (RF) on the subsurface damage and strength distribution of 3D-printed 3Y-TZP and 5Y-PSZ zirconia parts for dental applications. METHODS: Disc-shaped specimens were prepared using vat photopolymerization (VPP) technology from 3Y and 5Y zirconia ceramics, followed by thermal debinding and sintering. APA treatment with 50 µm Al2 O3 particles and RF at 1000 °C for 15 min were applied...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Abdominal pain is a frequent reason for admission to the Emergency Department. It may be a symptom of an underlying "organic" disease or a "functional" manifestation without an underlying anatomic or physiologic alteration. The evaluation of patients with abdominal pain is a challenge for the emergency physician and the selection of patients for second-level radiological examinations or endoscopic procedures is not always easy to perform. Faecal calprotectin could be a useful diagnostic marker to distinguish between "organic" or "functional" form and its determination could be helpful to select patients for further examinations in the context of an emergency setting...

Human somatic angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (sACE) is composed of a catalytic N- (nACE) and C-domain (cACE) of similar size with different substrate specificities. It is involved in the regulation of blood pressure by converting angiotensin I to the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II and has been a major focus in the development of therapeutics for hypertension. Bioactive peptides from various sources, including milk, have been identified as natural ACE inhibitors. We report the structural basis for the role of two lacototripeptides, Val-Pro-Pro and Ile-Pro-Pro, in domain-specific inhibition of ACE using X-ray crystallography and kinetic analysis...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare efficacy and safety of the vaginal patch plastron (VPP) associated to the anterior sacrospinous fixation (SSLF-A) with a TVM procedure (Uphold™ LITE support-system) for the treatment of the advanced anterior vaginal wall prolapse. STUDY DESIGN: Single-center retrospective study. Women with symptomatic anterior prolapse ≥ III stage according to the POP-quantification (POP-Q) system and submitted to the VPP associated with the SSLF-A or to the Uphold™ procedure were included...