Search

The role of threading dislocations in the intrinsic degradation of lateral GaN devices during high reverse bias stress tests (RBSTs) is largely unknown. We now present the results on lateral p-GaN/AlGaN/2DEG heterojunctions with a width of 200 μm in GaN-on-Si. A time-dependent permanent degradation of the heterojunction under high reverse bias and elevated temperatures can be observed, ultimately leading to a hard breakdown and device destruction. By using an integrated series p-GaN resistor, the device is protected from destruction and, consequently, the influence of dislocations on the degradation mechanism could be studied. Localization by emission microscopy could show that the transient current increase during a RBST is the result of the creation of a limited amount of highly localized leakage paths along the whole device width. We could establish a 1:1 correlation of leakage sites with a structural material degradation within the AlGaN barrier for nine individual positions on two different devices by planar transmission electron microscopy analysis. To unambiguously show whether dislocations in GaN-on-Si even should be considered a potential trigger for the RBST degradation in lateral heterojunctions, a combined planar and cross-sectional lamella approach was used for the first time for larger devices. This enabled the visualization of the three-dimensional propagation path of the dislocations close to the degradation sites. It was found that there is no statistically significant link between the material degradation and pre-existing dislocations. Our findings offer new insights into the GaN-on-Si material system, upon which upcoming power technologies are built upon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has been proved to be a good candidate in photodetectors, and MoS2/graphene (MoS2/G) heterostructure has been widely used to expand the optical response wavelength of MoS2. To clarify the carrier transfer dynamics in the MoS2/G heterostructure, time-resolved transient absorption and two-color pump–probe measurements are performed. By comparing the carrier dynamics in MoS2 and MoS2/G under different pump wavelengths, we find that interfacial excitons are formed in the heterostructure, and fast hot carriers transfer (<200 fs) from graphene to MoS2 are observed. The results indicate that the formed heterostructure with graphene can not only expand the optical response wavelength of MoS2 but also improve the response time of the device in the near-infrared region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate whether one particular automated external defibrillator (AED) is superior to another in use by a layperson such that there is a clinically relevant difference from first contact with the device to the time of shock delivery (TimeToShock (TTS)). Causes for interaction problems and delays were analyzed. The study was conducted as a randomized, two-arm manikin study using the AED training devices "Lifepak CR-T AED Trainer" (Medtronic Physio-Control) and "AED Trainer 3" (Philips Medical Systems). In each study arm, the participants used one of the AEDs in a simulated resuscitation. The interaction was recorded by a mobile eye tracker. The TTS was compared with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The study was conducted with 28 participants inexperienced in AED use. A significant difference (p < 0.05) in TTS was measured at 32.5 s median between the two devices (61 s (IQR: 58 s–76 s, range: 51 s–115 s) for the AED Trainer 3 and 93.5 s (IQR: 91 s–103 s, Range: 80 s–129 s) for the Lifepak CR-T AED Trainer). Causes of delays and interaction problems included differences in the use of voice instruction (length, pauses, and terminology), iconography on the device and electrodes, and device opening mechanisms. The measured clinically relevant difference can be attributed to the usability of the interaction elements, which differ significantly between the devices. Besides specific design elements, the extent of user guidance provided by the AEDs is crucial for efficient and error-free interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Clinical Considerations Conclusions Clinical Significance This article describes a clinical protocol utilizing soft tissue augmentation alone or in combination with guided bone regeneration (GBR), introducing simultaneous application of the one abutment one time concept for three‐dimensional reconstruction of the deficient ridge.Soft and hard tissue quality and dimensions are fundamental elements for long lasting results in implant dentistry. Different techniques have been described for soft and hard tissue augmentation at time of implant placement presenting favorable results. However, multiple abutment disconnections during the prosthetic phase of treatment can compromise the results achieved during surgery. The purpose of this article is to present a surgical protocol that allows three‐dimensional ridge reconstruction involving soft tissue augmentation alone, or in combination with hard tissue augmentation in one single step with the use of an one‐time intermediate abutment as an anchorage device for the regenerative materials. Two clinical cases utilizing the proposed protocol are also presented, demonstrating favorable results.The application of the proposed protocol simplifies the surgical phase of treatment, protects the achieved result and enables a favorable outcome in decreased time.Utilising an intermediate abutment as an anchorage device at time of surgery can be proven an easy to apply and biologically favorable alternative way to other methods of soft tissue graft stabilization proposed in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual active bridge (DAB) is an isolated DC‐DC converter gaining wider attention in power electronics applications. The high frequency (HF) transformer is an integral part of the DAB which is prone to saturation. Silicon carbide (SiC) based DAB are generally preferred for highly efficient power conversions, calling for an extremely low DC resistance of the transformer. This aggravates the DC bias issue significantly. The DC bias current generally flows due to the mismatch in static and transient switching of active devices, leading to eventual saturation of the transformer. This paper proposes an active method to precisely control the dead time of the devices (8–100 ns) without sacrificing the voltage utilization of the converter. This method does not require a sophisticated DC offset current measurement technique. The field programmable gate array (FPGA) based control platform on the gate driver side executes the proposed algorithm. The proposed control is experimentally verified in a 5 kW SiC based converter. The control implementation methodology is discussed with the support of necessary experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of ion‐implanted p‐type dopants in gallium nitride has demonstrated great progress utilizing high pressures to enable novel and traditional device architectures; however, such conditions consistently exhibit anomalously enhanced diffusion up to several microns in very short periods of time for device relevant concentrations. Here, this diffusion is shown to be modulated by unintentional hydrogen content within the anneal ambient and thus controllable by inclusion of a high‐temperature hydrogen getter. Furthermore, diffusion is also shown to be greatly suppressed using co‐implanted oxygen at low concentrations while simultaneously maintaining characteristics of p‐type material in photoluminescence. Subsequently, after annealing at 1300 °C for 30 min in 3.8 kbar of nitrogen pressure, the magnesium concentration in the diffusion tail is suppressed by 28% at 1–1.5 μm in depth using a hydrogen getter alone, which reduces hydrogen uptake by 45% and fully suppressed at >1 μm in depth using co‐implantation alone and further reduced with concurrent use of a hydrogen getter. Co‐implantation alone reduces the in‐diffused magnesium dose by 60% compared to reference samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel dinuclear Pt(II) complexes, Di‐Pt‐CH3 and Di‐Pt‐CD3 with non‐fluorinated n‐hetero cyclic (NHC) ligands are developed. They exhibit phosphorescent emission in the range of 440–460 nm in film state with ≈60% photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and a shorter lifetime due to a moderate Pt‐Pt distance of 3.21 Å. By suitably combining with blue multiresornance thermally activated delay fluorescence ( MR‐TADF) emitters, t‐DABNA and ν‐DABNA, efficient energy transfer is achieved from the triplet intraligand state (3IL) and triplet metal ligand change transfer (3MLCT) mixed states of Pt(II) complexes to the singlet state of the emitters. Importantly, the delayed triplet lifetime of the TADF emitter is shortened through the fast relaxation of triplet metal‐metal to ligand charge transfer (3MMLCT) states, possessing 0.07 eV lower energy compared to the triplet states of the TADF emitters. Di‐Pt‐CH3 and Di‐Pt‐CD3 are employed in phosphorescent and phosphorescent sensitized TADF (PS‐TADF) blue OLEDs, resulting in high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 18.8% and 25.4%, respectively. An extremely low roll‐off characteristic of 9.8% is observed in the PS‐TADF OLED. Additionally, deuterium substitution of the methyl group improved phosphorescent device lifetime by 2.6 times. Notably, Di‐Pt‐CD3 resulted in significant lifetime enhancements: 4.7 times in phosphorescent devices and 6.6 times in PS‐TADF devices, compared with Ir(cb)3‐based devices. The mechanism for the increased lifetime is extensively studied through the magneto‐electroluminescence (MEL) and transient electroluminescence (TrEL) measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind farms with type IV wind turbines from various manufacturers are being massively put into operation. These wind turbines comply with the requirements of the grid codes of the countries where they are designed and/or manufactured, but do not factor in the specific features of the distribution networks of other countries to which they are connected. The study at issue involves a comparative analysis of the requirements of grid codes of different countries for the stable operation of wind turbines under standard disturbances. The low voltage ride through (LVRT) characteristic makes it possible to prevent wind turbine shutdowns in case of short-term voltage dips of a given depth and duration. The calculations of transient processes indicate that wind turbines may not meet the requirements of the grid code of a particular country for their stable operation. As a result, standard disturbances will block the reactive current injection and the wind turbine will be switched off. This is often caused by the relay protection devices with a time delay of 1–2 s, which are used in distribution networks and implement the functions of long-range redundancy. Excessive shutdowns of wind turbines lead to emergency rises in the loads for the generating units of conventional power plants, aggravating the post-accident conditions and disconnecting consumers of electricity. This article presents a method for checking the LVRT characteristic settings for compliance with the technical requirements for wind turbines. To prevent wind turbine outages, one should either change the configuration of the LVRT characteristic, upgrade the relay protection devices in the distribution network adjacent to the wind farm, or implement group or individual technical solutions at the wind farm. The performance of the proposed technical solutions is confirmed by the calculations of transient processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the principle of direct linear transformation (DLT) in close‐range photogrammetry, a method was proposed for reconstructing the motion states of the host vehicle and other vehicles based on vehicle‐mounted videos. To verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the method, validation experiments were designed. Under two typical operating states, steering and straight driving, the motion states of the host vehicle and other vehicles (including trajectory, distance, speed, and acceleration) were reconstructed from the vehicle‐mounted video. In the experiments, high‐precision inertial navigation was installed on the other vehicle to record real‐time motion data of the vehicle. Finally, in order to compare and analyze the reconstructed video results with the vehicle's actual motion data, the recorded motion data were matched and synchronized to the same time axis as the vehicle‐mounted videos through a GPS timing device. The experimental result shows that the reconstructed trajectory results based on this method can generally reflect the vehicle's actual trajectory, with an average deviation of less than 7.4%; the reconstructed distance results have an average deviation of less than 9.3%; the reconstructed speed results have an average deviation of less than 7.3%; the reconstructed acceleration results can reflect the vehicle's acceleration or deceleration states. The results of this study provide an effective solution for obtaining important parameters of vehicles in accident reconstruction research, such as the trajectory, speed, distance, and acceleration or deceleration, and it has significant practical value for applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Methods and results Conclusion The optimal timing for implementing mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in cardiogenic shock (CS) remains indeterminate. This study aims to evaluate patient characteristics and outcome associated with the time interval between CS onset and veno‐arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA‐ECMO) implementation.In this study, patients with CS treated with MCS at 15 tertiary care centres in three countries were enrolled. Patients treated with MCS were stratified into early (<2 h), intermediate (2–12 h) and delayed (≥12–24 h) MCS implantation by using the time interval between CS onset and MCS device implementation. Adjusted logistic and Cox regression models were fitted to assess the association between timing of MCS implementation, patient characteristics and 30‐day mortality. A total of 330 patients with CS treated with VA‐ECMO and/or microaxial flow pump were included in this study; 20.9% received early, 55.8% intermediate, and 23.3% delayed MCS. Although crude 30‐day mortality was slightly lower in patients with early MCS (58.1% vs. 64.7% vs. 64.3%), adjusted analyses showed no significant association between timing of MCS implantation and 30‐day all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] for early vs. intermediate MCS: 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59–1.46, p = 0.74; HR for early vs. delayed MCS: 1.29, 95% CI 0.78–2.13, p = 0.33). Moreover, the incidence of complications, related and unrelated to MCS, did not differ significantly among groups.In this exploratory study of patients with CS treated with MCS, the timing of device implantation within 24 h after CS onset was not associated with mortality. This supports a restrictive MCS approach, reserving its application for patients experiencing CS deterioration despite conventional therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) has gained considerable momentum due to its non-volatility and energy efficiency. Material and device scientists have been proposing novel material stacks that can mimic the "ideal memristor" which can deliver performance, energy efficiency, reliability and accuracy. However, designing RRAM-based systems is challenging. Engineering a new material stack, designing a device, and experimenting takes significant time for material and device researchers. Furthermore, the acceptability of the device is ultimately decided at the system level. We see a gap here where there is a need for facilitating material and device researchers with a "push button" modeling framework that allows to evaluate the efficacy of the device at system level during early device design stages. Speed, accuracy, and adaptability are the fundamental requirements of this modelling framework. In this paper, we propose a digital twin (DT)-like modeling framework that automatically creates RRAM device models from device measurement data. Furthermore, the model incorporates the peripheral circuit to ensure accurate energy and performance evaluations. We demonstrate the DT generation and DT usage for multiple RRAM technologies and applications and illustrate the achieved performance of our GPU implementation. We conclude with the application of our modeling approach to measurement data from two distinct fabricated devices, validating its effectiveness in a neural network processing an Electrocardiogram (ECG) dataset and incorporating Fault Aware Training (FAT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response latency is a critical parameter in studying human behavior, representing the time interval between the onset of stimulus and the response. However, different time between devices can introduce errors. Serial port synchronization signal can mitigate this, but limited information is available regarding their accuracy. Optical signals offer another option, but the difference in the positioning of optical signals and visual stimuli can introduce errors, and there have been limited reports of error reduction. This study aims to investigate methods for reducing the time errors. We used the Psychtoolbox to generate visual stimuli and serial port synchronization signals to explore their accuracy. Subsequently, we proposed a calibration formula to minimize the error between optical signals and visual stimuli. The findings are as follows: Firstly, the serial port synchronization signal presenting precedes visual stimulation, with a smaller lead time observed at higher refresh rates. Secondly, the lead time increases as the stimulus position deviates to the right and downwards. In Linux and IOPort(), serial port synchronization signals exhibited greater accuracy. Considering the poor accuracy and the multiple influencing factors associated with serial port synchronization signals, it is recommended to use optical signals to complete time synchronization. The results indicate that under the darkening process, the time error is – 0.23 ~ 0.08 ms (mean). This calibration formula can help measure the response latency accurately. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing experimental design and improving the accuracy of response latency. Although it only involves visual stimuli, the methods and results of this study can still serve as a reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONMany Canadian manual wheelchair users face many challenges in winter months such as slippage on ice- or snow-covered ramps, snow windrows, and casters becoming stuck in deep or hard packed snow. These barriers impact wheelchair users’ ability to participate in the community. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and feasibility of a winter wheelchair obstacle course known as the Standardized Navigation Of Winter Mobility & Accessibility Network (SNOWMAN). The results demonstrated that the SNOWMAN course authentically represented real-world winter conditions, as confirmed by participant responses and qualitative feedback from four manual wheelchair users. The course was comprehensive, covering a range of winter obstacles typically encountered by wheelchair users. Construct validity was established by differentiating performance between manual wheelchairs and a motorized platform with snow tracks, showcasing varying completion times and device satisfaction levels. Feasibility was also assessed, with the administration protocol being mostly adhered to, safety measures implemented, and usability scores meeting acceptable thresholds. The SNOWMAN course showed promise for evaluating wheelchair adaptations and devices for winter conditions, as well as training users in winter mobility skills. Future research directions include comparing different wheeled mobility devices, exploring adaptations for usability in winter, and developing new technology tailored for challenging terrains and winter conditions. The SNOWMAN course could serve as a valuable tool for both research and clinical applications in enhancing winter mobility for wheelchair users.The SNOWMAN course demonstrates strong potential for ecologically valid evaluation and development of wheelchairs and adaptations specific to winter conditions.The SNOWMAN course provides a venue to safely evaluate and train authentic winter mobility skills and strategies.The SNOWMAN course has the potential to positively impact the broader community by enhancing awareness of winter mobility and accessibility issues.The SNOWMAN course demonstrates strong potential for ecologically valid evaluation and development of wheelchairs and adaptations specific to winter conditions.The SNOWMAN course provides a venue to safely evaluate and train authentic winter mobility skills and strategies.The SNOWMAN course has the potential to positively impact the broader community by enhancing awareness of winter mobility and accessibility issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electroactive polyazomethine was prepared directly on a transparent electrode by the polycondensation of bis(triphenylamine) dialdehyde and its complementary methoxytriphenylamine diamine. The spray-and-bake method of coating the electrode for preparing electrochromic layers could be upscaled to prepare working devices larger than standard test devices. The film prepared by thermally annealing the complementary monomers was both electroactive and switched its color with an applied potential. The yellow electrochromic polyazomethine could be electrochemically oxidized reversibly to obtain a blue film. The electrochromic test device fabricated from the polyazomethine was operated upwards of 1 h for performance assessment. The electrochromic response times of the electrochromic device were ca. 3.3 and 1.2 s for the coloration and bleaching, respectively. The upscaled device prepared by the straightforward coating approach had consistent metrics with the small-area test device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate vaginal delivery in obese women who underwent cervical ripening at term using a dinoprostone vaginal insert or a cervical ripening balloon (CRB), and to assess maternal and neonatal morbidity according to the method. Methods: A prospective cohort study including obese women with a live singleton fetus in cephalic presentation who required cervical ripening at term (≥37 weeks) for maternal and/or fetal disease using a dinoprostone vaginal insert or a CRB. The primary outcome was vaginal delivery. Secondary outcomes were a favorable cervix (Bishop score >6) after 24 h, the time from device insertion to delivery, and composite maternal and neonatal morbidity. Results: In total, 135 consecutive women were analyzed (107 CRB, 79.3%; 28 dinoprostone vaginal insert, 20.7%). Vaginal delivery (86 [80.4%] after CRB vs 19 [67.9%] after dinoprostone vaginal insert; P = 0.248), favorable cervix within 24 h after device placement (52 [48.6%] vs 17 [60.7%]; P = 0.264), and maternal morbidity (12 [11.2%] vs 4 [14.3%]; P = 0.646) were similar between the groups. The time from device insertion to delivery also did not differ between the groups. Neonatal morbidity was significantly higher after the dinoprostone vaginal insert (11 [39.3%] vs 20 [18.7%]; P = 0.030). Cervical ripening using the dinoprostone vaginal insert, compared with the CRB, was significantly associated with neonatal morbidity (adjusted odds ratio 4.00, 95% confidence interval 1.34–12.5), but not with maternal morbidity (adjusted odds ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 0.30–4.38). Conclusions: Vaginal delivery, a favorable cervix after 24 h, the time from device insertion to delivery, and maternal morbidity did not significantly differ between the CRB and the dinoprostone vaginal insert for cervical ripening in obese women at term. Nevertheless, neonatal morbidity was significantly associated with the dinoprostone vaginal insert, compared with the CRB, among obese women who required cervical ripening at term. Synopsis: Neonatal morbidity was associated with vaginal dinoprostone, compared with a CRB, among obese women at term, without a difference in vaginal delivery and maternal morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the rapid development of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry, it is crucial to prevent UAVs from accidentally entering substations. Installation of anti-UAV equipment is the most effective way to address this issue. However, the influence of electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals emitted by anti-UAV equipment on time synchronization devices (TSDs) used in substations has not been investigated in detail. This paper proposes an EMI evaluation method for the effect of anti-UAV equipment on TSDs. Simulations and Experiments were conducted to validate the proposed method with the results indicating that deceptive anti-UAV equipment (DAE) is more suitable for substations than suppressive anti-UAV equipment (SAE). Moreover, it is established that DAE should be installed 60 m away from TSDs in substations. This recommendation offers valuable guidance for the installation and deployment of anti-UAV equipment in substations in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing number of edge layer devices connected to fog servers in fog computing environments has led to a rise in vulnerable and unauthorized actions. Implementing authorized access control with secure key management is essential to address this issue. As the traditional key management methods rely on third-party involvement, which suffers from drawbacks such as single points of failure and inconsistent key management in centralized architecture, so establishing efficient and secure key management between edge devices while ensuring effective access control is the main challenge in the digital environment. This study introduces a novel Blockchain-Based Access Control Protocol in IoT-Enabled Fog Computing (BACP-IeFC) environment for intra-network, inter-network, and mobile device communication models. The BACP-IeFC protocol eliminates the necessity for third-party intermediaries by leveraging Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) for secure data sharing and hash chains for key pair generation. The BACP-IeFC protocol utilizes session keys generated by fog servers, which are securely recorded on a blockchain, ensuring robust authentication at edge devices. A Permissioned Blockchain is also used for secure key storage at the fog layer. The BACP-IeFC security has undergone comprehensive evaluation, including testing its session key (SK) security under the Real-or-Random (ROR) model, confirming its effectiveness in achieving SK security. An informal security analysis confirms the BACP-IeFC protocol resilience against known attacks. For the formal security verification, the BACP-IeFC protocol utilized the ProVerif security tool, and the results show that it is secure against major attacks. Additionally, the performance analysis of the proposed protocol using MIRACL shows a significant improvement in computation overhead, communication, storage cost, and energy consumption cost compared to existing protocols. The scalability and latency analysis of the BACP-IeFC protocol demonstrates that it supports high scalability with low latency costs. The BACP-IeFC protocol is implemented on Truffle Blockchain using Ethereum 2.0, and a lightweight Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus algorithm demonstrates that the BACP-IeFC protocol significantly outperformed existing protocols in terms of average response time for edge device registration time, authentication time, and block preparation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators have recently become desirable devices for simultaneous flow control and ice mitigation applications, with particular interest in wind turbines operating in cold climates. Considering the potential of plasma actuators for these specific applications, it is necessary to deeply understand the thermal effects generated by the plasma-induced flow to proceed with further optimizations. However, due to the local high electric field and high electromagnetic interference generated, there is a lack of experimental studies on the topic. The current work implements an in-house experimental technique based on the background-oriented schlieren principle for plasma-induced flow thermal characterization. Since this technique is based on optical measurements, it is not affected by the electromagnetic interference issues caused by the plasma discharge. A detailed experimental analysis is performed on a conventional Kapton actuator exploiting the relation between the actuator surface temperature and the induced thermal flow. The influence of the input voltage and the transient plasma-induced flow thermal behavior is analyzed. The results demonstrate that plasma actuators are fast response time devices that can heat the adjacent medium in less than a second after starting the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, all‐optical organic–inorganic hybrid waveguide switches are proposed based on the photothermal effect of Au‐MOF composites. The embedded waveguide structure is directly defined using SiO2 grooves on a silicon substrate. Self‐synthesized Au‐MOF/PMMA and SiO2‐TiO2 network grafting PMMA are used as the core and cladding materials, respectively. The organic–inorganic hybrid shielding layer is formed using an oxygen ion etching process to avoid corrosion from the cladding solvent. A directional coupling switching structure is designed and fabricated. The switching time of the all‐optical device is 500 µs, the photothermal tuning sensitivity is 19.10 nm mW−1, the driving optical power consumption is 0.67 mW, and the extinction ratio is close to 9.83 dB. This technique is desirable for photothermal control of light in an all‐optical signal‐processing network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radioimmunoconjugates (RICs) composed of tumor‐targeting monoclonal antibodies and radionuclides have been developed for diagnostic and therapeutic application. A new radiolabeling method using microfluidic devices is expected to facilitate simpler and more rapid synthesis of RICs. In the microfluidic method, microfluidic chips can promote the reaction between reactants by mixing them efficiently, and pumping systems enable automated synthesis. In this study, we synthesized RICs by the pre‐labeling method, in which the radiometal is coordinated to the chelator and then the radiolabeled chelator is incorporated into the antibodies, using microfluidic devices for the first time. As a result of examining the reaction parameters including the material of mixing units, reaction temperature, and flow rate, RICs with radiochemical purity (RCP) exceeding 90% were obtained. These high‐purity RICs were successfully synthesized without any purification simply by pumping three solutions of a chelating agent, radiometal, and antibody into microfluidic devices. Under the same conditions, the RCP of RICs labeled by conventional methods was below 50%. These findings indicate the utility of microfluidic devices for automatic and rapid synthesis of high‐quality RICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Chronic systolic heart failure (CHF) is a major health burden. A relevant number of patients shows asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction (ALVSD) before symptomatic CHF or becomes asymptomatic after initiating heart failure therapy. Clinical course, prognosis, and response to pharmacological and device‐based treatment are largely unknown in these two distinct groups of patients. Current pharmacological and interventional therapies do neither properly address the underlying pathophysiology nor prevent malignant loss of function. New therapeutic paradigms are needed to stop the progression from asymptomatic to symptomatic heart failure. Key questions are what causes progression of clinically asymptomatic New York Heart Association (NYHA) I heart failure to overt heart failure (>NYHA I) in some but not all patients and the underlying reasons for this transition. This requires the identification of disease mechanisms and biomarkers that predict outcome in well‐defined cohorts for innovative preclinical and clinical trials. Methods and results: TransitionCHF is a prospective, multicentre, longitudinal pathophysiological evaluation cohort study in patients with asymptomatic systolic dysfunction NYHA I and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%. The cohort comprises both incidental findings and patients who had become asymptomatic after a previous symptomatic event. TransitionCHF has recruited 1000 patients with ALVSD caused by various aetiologies in 20 university heart failure clinics across Germany. Both patients with and without comorbidities at study entry will be recruited. Patients will be systematically investigated and followed up annually over the course of the study. The primary composite endpoint is time to hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death. The secondary endpoints assess time to all‐cause mortality, to cardiovascular mortality, to heart failure mortality, to all‐cause hospitalization, to heart failure hospitalization, and to recurrent heart failure hospitalizations, as well as time to assist device implantation/transplantation. Additional investigations focusing on biomarkers, comorbidities, gender aspects, nutrition, and functional parameters including quality of life will be performed. Conclusions: TransitionCHF will provide a more thorough pathophysiological understanding of the progression of asymptomatic systolic dysfunction into symptomatic heart failure that will help develop therapies tailored to prevent progressive heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate time synchronisation is critical in modern communication, navigation, and scientific research. In this context, the eLoran receiver, which is an advanced timing device, has attracted increasing scholarly attention. This study aims to comprehensively analyse the performance and potential applications of eLoran systems for timing monitoring and to specifically explore the relevant indices of two eLoran receivers. To this end, we evaluated the performance of these receivers in receiving time signals through both simulated and empirical data and conducted a regularity analysis to uncover their potential value in practical applications. The findings demonstrate that the eLoran receiver excels at timing monitoring and provides highly accurate time information. An analysis of the timing performance of the eLoran system improved its accuracy and integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightweight two-party authentication key agreement protocols allow both communicating parties to establish an equal and secure session key over a public channel. Existing authentication protocols have difficulty in meeting the needs of lightweight, while most lightweight protocols have some security issues. For this reason, an identity-based two-party anonymous lightweight reverse firewall key agreement protocol is proposed. The protocol is proven to be secure under the eCK model in combination with BAN logic. The protocol provides anonymity, perfect forward security, resistance to replay attacks, resistance to Dos attacks, and resistance to man- in- the-middle attacks. Finally, when compared with other lightweight authentication protocols reveals, it is found to have higher security and shorter running time for resource-constrained devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Canine agility competitions are performed on a variety of surfaces. In the equine and human literature, surface type has been associated with speed, performance, and injury risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of general surface type and time of day on calculated speed (yards per second over a measured course distance) and course performance during the UKI Agility International (UKI) U.S. Open. We hypothesized that surface type would affect calculated speed, with sand being the slowest. Materials and methods: Data on course performance from the 2021 and 2022 events were obtained directly from UKI. The officiating judge measured course length, automatic timers recorded dogs’ course times, and speeds were calculated from these values. Three surfaces (dirt, grass, and sand) were compared across three categories of courses (jumpers, standard, and speedstakes). Differences in calculated speeds and qualifying rates were estimated using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for multiple runs by the same handler. Results: Among jumpers courses, those run on sand in 2021 were markedly slower than those run on dirt. Grass and dirt were more similar in terms of average calculated speed, though some courses run on grass were significantly faster than courses run on dirt and vice versa. Time of day effects observed were inconsistent, with more variability observed for dirt and sand than for grass. Discussion: There was a notable variation in calculate speed based on surface with sand being slowest, likely due to the increased energy cost required to run on sand due to its high compliance. Calculated speeds on grass and dirt appeared generally similar, but there was substantial variability of calculated speed among various courses, making comparison of surface effects challenging. Variables within the surface itself (such as compaction level and moisture content) likely play a role in the effects of surface on speed and performance. This study provides insight into the complexity of surface effects on performance in agility dogs and highlights the need for canine-specific surface studies on the effect of surface variables and how these relate to risk of development of musculoskeletal injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circadian clocks are internal timing devices that have evolved as an adaption to the omnipresent natural 24 h rhythmicity of daylight intensity. Properties of the circadian system are photoperiod dependent. The phase of entrainment varies systematically with season. Plastic photoperiod-dependent re-arrangements in the mammalian circadian core pacemaker yield an internal representation of season. Output pathways of the circadian clock regulate photoperiodic responses such as flowering time in plants or hibernation in mammals. Here, we review the concepts of seasonal entrainment and photoperiodic encoding. We introduce conceptual phase oscillator models as their high level of abstraction, but, yet, intuitive interpretation of underlying parameters allows for a straightforward analysis of principles that determine entrainment characteristics. Results from this class of models are related and discussed in the context of more complex conceptual amplitude–phase oscillators as well as contextual molecular models that take into account organism, tissue, and cell-type-specific details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Load balancing plays a critical role in ensuring system stability and optimal performance, and as such, it has been a subject of extensive research across diverse computing domains, particularly in heterogeneous systems. Such systems integrate various computing devices with distinct architectures and computational power, each designed to execute a particular type of workload having diverse and immediate requirements. This research introduces a novel load balancing approach that utilizes machine learning to monitor the load distribution of heterogeneous systems in real-time. It estimates the load of the system's devices according to our proposed definition of the load. This definition provided us with an accurate measurement of the actual load, enabling our approach to detect imbalances and locate underloaded devices. Subsequently, our approach assigns applications to these underloaded devices to achieve load balance. We conducted a comparative analysis between our proposed approach and various established load balancing methods from diverse computing domains. This evaluation included three critical criteria: load balancing, workload execution time, and energy consumption. Additionally, we introduced a novel metric called "IMBALANCE" that quantifies the difference in load distribution among the system devices. We implemented each load balancing approach in a real-time heterogeneous system consisting of a master host and three worker servers each equipped with a Central Processing Unit and Graphical Processing Unit. To ensure a comprehensive validation of our approach, we conducted experiments in three distinct scenarios, involving different types of workloads having varying levels of computing intensity. The experimental results consistently demonstrate significant performance improvements of our approach across all scenarios. Our approach excels in minimizing system imbalance, which, in turn, enhances load balancing. This leads to reduced workload execution times and minimized device idle periods, ultimately improving energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Left atrial appendage (LAA) occluder embolization is an infrequent but serious complication. We aim to describe timing, management and clinical outcomes of device embolization in a multi-center registry. Patient characteristics, imaging findings and procedure and follow-up data were collected retrospectively. Device embolizations were categorized according to 1) timing 2) management and 3) clinical outcomes. Sixty-seven centers contributed data. Device embolization occurred in 108 patients. In 70.4 % of cases, it happened within the first 24 h of the procedure. The device was purposefully left in the LA and the aorta in two (1.9 %) patients, an initial percutaneous retrieval was attempted in 81 (75.0 %) and surgery without prior percutaneous retrieval attempt was performed in 23 (21.3 %) patients. Two patients died before a retrieval attempt could be made. In 28/81 (34.6 %) patients with an initial percutaneous retrieval attempt a second, additional attempt was performed, which was associated with a high mortality (death in patients with one attempt: 2.9 % vs. second attempt: 21.4 %, p < 0.001). The primary outcome (bailout surgery, cardiogenic shock, stroke, TIA, and/or death) occurred in 47 (43.5 %) patients. Other major complications related to device embolization occurred in 21 (19.4 %) patients. The majority of device embolizations after LAA closure occurs early. A percutaneous approach is often the preferred method for a first rescue attempt. Major adverse event rates, including death, are high particularly if the first retrieval attempt was unsuccessful. This dedicated multicenter registry examined timing, management, and clinical outcome of device embolization. Early embolization (70.4 %) was most frequent. As a first rescue attempt, percutaneous retrieval was preferred in 75.0 %, followed by surgical removal (21.3 %). In patients with a second retrieval attempt a higher mortality (death first attempt: 2.9 % vs. death second attempt: 24.1 %, p < 0.001) was observed. Mortality (10.2 %) and the major complication rate after device embolization were high. Central Figure. Two patients died before any further intervention could be carried out which is the reason why they are not represented in this figure among the approaches. [Display omitted] • A percutaneous retrieval attempt was most often chosen as the primary rescue option. • Though the majority of embolization were detected within 24 hours, a considerable number of embolized occluders were detected later (29.6%). • 76.8 % were asymptomatic upon emblization detection, the primary outcome occurred in 43.5 % and other major complications in 19.4 % of patients. • About one third of patients required a second rescue attempt, which was associated with higher mortality (first: 2.9% vs. second attempt: 21.4%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Single Lung Ventilation or One-Lung ventilation (OLV) is often necessary for thoracic surgeries involving lung, esophagus, aorta, or mediastinum. Various airway devices, like DLTs and bronchus blockers, facilitate one lung ventilation, with DLTs being the most widely used globally. However, DLT intubation has drawbacks, prompting the development of bronchus blockers like EZ-Blocker. The EZ-Blocker features a Y-shaped design with cuffs on both ends, simplifying placement and reducing complications. Limited trials have compared EZ-Blocker to DLT or other blockers. This study aims to evaluate EZ-Blocker against DLT for Lung Isolation Surgeries in Indian settings, filling a gap in existing research. Methods: 46 adult patients who had to undergo elective thoracic surgery requiring thoracotomy and SLV were included in this prospective, randomized, single-blinded study with blinding of the outcome assessor. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the 2 groups: DLT or EZ Blocker group. The time for placement of device, which included time for device preparation and time for placement of the device, was recorded along with the number of repositioning after positioning of patient. After the surgery, the surgeon rated the quality of the collapse of lung and patient's sore throat, and hoarseness were recorded. Results: The time for placement of DLT (170.47 sec) was significantly faster than EZ Blocker (230.7 sec), as was the time for successful intubation and time for preparation for DLT faster than EZ. Number of repositioning required were more in the EZ Blocker group (52.2%) compared to DLT Group (43.5%). Quality of lung collapse was rated better for DLT (60.9%) than EZ Blocker (39.2%) whereas post-operative complications of intubation were more in the DLT group owing to its larger external diameter. Conclusion: EZ Blocker is a reliable option for single lung ventilation (SLV) during thoracic surgery, particularly in patients with limited mouth opening. Despite having fewer post-operative complications like sore throat and hoarseness compared to the DLT, the DLT outperforms the EZ Blocker in terms of preparation time, placement time, number of repositioning needed, and surgeon satisfaction score. Therefore, for lung isolation surgeries, the DLT is the preferred choice for achieving optimal one lung ventilation (OLV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative, sensitive, and accurate method for liquid-liquid extraction using an ultrasonic device is presented in this work. A working system was created, consisting of two basic components: the ultrasonic device and the pump device, to pump or withdraw the organic layer. a study of the key variables derived from the liquid-liquid system was carried out in the system containing Dithizone ( 1 x 10ˆ-3 M) in (Chloroform) CHCl3 solvent. and aqueous copper (II) chloride(CuCl2.2H2O) ( 6 M) solution to determine the degree to which they affect the extraction performance attained in this manner. The effect of initial sample copper concentration and ultrasonic time, temperature effect, and pump speed, were studied, establishing the best conditions for a sample of (10 mL) aqueous solution of Cu (II) chloride, the optimum copper (II) concentration in the analyzed sample is (1x 10ˆ-6 M), the ultrasonic time for the device is (8 min), and the flow rate of the pump is (3mL/30sec) and a temperature (27ºC) and (pH=1). The extraction degree was optimum under these conditions (96±2%) and the relative standard deviation (RSD)% (0.29%), In this work, a simple method is proposed to extract and concentrate copper in aqueous copper chloride using an ultrasonic device in the presence of dithizone solvent. The main parameters affecting the extraction method such as copper ion concentration, pump speed, temperature, device time, and the effect of equal and different volumes were evaluated. The proposed method was applied for the determination of copper in aqueous copper chloride samples. Accuracy was assessed by comparing the results with a conventional extraction method (traditional methods). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare two commercially available specular microscopes (Tomey EM-4000 and Nidek CEM-530) in a real-life clinical setting in terms of intra- and interdevice variability. The study was conducted on all patients seen in a clinical practice specializing in anterior segment pathologies, regardless of the purpose of their visit. Materials and Methods: In total, 112 eyes of 56 patients (age 23–85 years old) were included in the study. Each eye was measured three times with each device (for a total of six measurements), and results for central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) were recorded. The results were then evaluated with the D'Agostino–Pearson normality test and compared with a Wilcoxon signed-rank test, t-test, ANOVA or Mann–Whitney test for intra- and interdevice variability. Results: Both specular microscopes produced very reliable reproducible intradevice results: The Tomey EM-4000 measured an ECD of 2390 ± 49.57 cells/mm2 (mean ± standard error of mean); the range was 799–3010 cells/mm2. The determined CCT was 546 ± 5.104 µm (mean ± standard error of mean [SEM]); the range was 425–615 µm. The measurements with the Nidek CEM-530 revealed an ECD of 2417 ± 0.09 cells/mm2 (mean ± SEM); the range was 505–3461 cells/mm2 (mean ± SEM). The mean CCT detected was 546.3 ± 4.937 µm (mean ± SEM); the range was 431–621 µm. The interdevice differences were statistically significant for both parameters, ECD (p = 0.0175) and CCT (p = 0.0125) (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The Nidek CEM-530 and the Tomey EM-4000 both produced reliable and reproducible results in terms of ECD and CCT. The absolute measurements were statistically significantly different for CCT and ECD for both devices; the Nidek produces slightly higher values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relative humidity is a crucial parameter in several fields, such as air quality monitoring, food storage, or control of industrial processes. In this study, we propose a wireless humidity sensor based on magnetoelastic resonance sensors functionalized with Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs). Different MOF water harvesters were tested as sensor active coatings: MOF-801, MOF-808, UiO-66-NH2, Al-Fumarate, and CAU-23. Their water absorption capacity and overall performance, when integrated into the sensors, were evaluated. As expected, the selected MOFs showed promising water harvesting capacity, enabling a successful sensor response to humidity in a wide range of relative humidity: 3%–85%. These humidity sensors showed a great sensitivity, stability, and selectivity to water molecules. The response time of the devices was around 15 s, with stabilization and recovery times in adsorption and desorption processes of less than 1 min for certain ranges of operation. In addition to the satisfactory behavior as humidity sensors, magnetoelastic resonators have emerged as a promising tool for the characterization of the dynamic adsorption capacity of MOF materials, as they easily provide a quantitative measure of the water mass adsorbed by the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an early exploration into the application of a self‐powered photodetector based on titanium zinc nitride (TiZnN) films in power electronics, aiming to overcome inherent limitations of conventional optocouplers such as low switching speed and specific operating voltage requirements. The fabricated device demonstrates excellent performance metrics, including photosensitivity of 136, the responsivity of 3.22 mA W−1 at −8 V bias, and a peak detectivity of 1.76 × 108 Jones at 0 V bias. Remarkably, ultrafast rise (τs) and decay times (τd) of 0.11 and 0.10 ms, respectively, are achieved, alongside broad‐band spectral absorption characteristics. Experimental validation showcases the efficacy of the TiZnN‐based optocoupler in practical applications, notably in power electronics triggerable relay systems and AC–AC converters. Leveraging the self‐powering capability inherent to the TiZnN photodetector, this optocoupler eliminates external power source dependencies, thereby enhancing its versatility and applicability in diverse electronic systems. The rapid response time of the device and broad spectral absorption further underscore its suitability for high‐speed signal transmission across varied operating conditions. This research paves a path for developing stable, cost‐effective, and self‐powered ultrafast optocouplers, eliminating concerns about compromising electrical signal transit. These advancements hold significant implications for enhancing electronic system performance, reliability, and functionality in critical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response time is a crucial factor limiting the performance of two-dimensional material-based photodetectors. The underlying mechanisms of response have recently garnered significant attention in the ongoing research. Supported ReS2 on substrates has been found to be predominantly governed by the photofloating gate effect, known to be slower compared to photoelectric effects. In this study, we present findings demonstrating suspended ReS2 devices. Removing the substrate results in a substantial enhancement in optical response by an order of magnitude compared to substrate-supported devices. Deep trap states induced by inherent defects are identified as the primary contributors to prolonged response times. Engineering these ReS2 trap states through defect manipulation can significantly improve response times. Here, we effectively modulate the response speed of ReS2 through gentle oxygen plasma treatments. The response speed of ReS2 is improved by two orders of magnitude. Under the optimal processing conditions of 50 W, 30 Pa, and 10 s, we observed rising and falling response times of 45 and 106 ms, respectively, under illumination at a wavelength of 637 nm. Additionally, we demonstrate that the input–output characteristic of photocurrent provides valuable insights into the underlying opto-physical processes responsible for generating photocurrent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, the issue of degradation of touch-trigger probe accuracy during measurements on CNC machines has not been addressed. In the article, for the first time, a procedure for testing and predicting the accuracy and reliability of probes used in machine tools was proposed and experimentally verified. Reliability test procedure covering 30 million triggers was performed under laboratory conditions. Based on the obtained results, a concept of the probe reliability testing procedure was proposed, and an attempt was made to assess the impact of the operational process on the probe's metrological parameters. An important issue of this work is to develop a concept for the analysis and interpretation of the results of such a process by determining which parameters of the probe description provide the most information about the degradation process and how to predict the operating time of such a device. • For the first time, the phenomenon of degradation of probe accuracy during measurements on CNC machines was investigated. • It was examined which parameters of the probe description provide the most information about the degradation process. • Reliability test procedure covering 30 million triggers was performed under laboratory conditions. • The most important reliability characteristics of the probes were determined-for two examples of soft failure limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the semiconducting properties of imidazole based organic compound 3- (4, 5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl) phenol (DHIP) was investigated as an active sensing material to further fabricate surface-type humidity sensor. Aluminum (Al) having thickness of 100 nm was deposited on 25 × 25 mm2 glass substrate by vacuum thermal evaporator. The gap between electrodes was kept ~ 40 micrometer (µm). The DHIP material was deposited between the Al-electrodes in order to form Al/DHIP/Al sensor. The SEM image of the DHIP material shows that the structure consists of petals and needles like structure having pores and pore channels. The change in capacitance of the device as a function of relative humidity (RH) was measured at applied frequencies of 120 Hz and 1 kHz. The capacitance of the device was increased from 15 pF to 22 pF, and from 15 pF to 17.1 pF when humidity was changed from 45% RH to 95% RH at applied frequencies of 120 Hz, and 1 kHz, respectively. The response time of the device was 22 s and recovery time of the device was 54 s at applied frequencies of 120 Hz. The values of R2, i.e. goodness of fit, were 0.96 and 0.98 for the chemisorbed and physisorbed layers, respectively. These R2 values are close to unity, which showed highest response in comparison to the reported sensors based on different materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous diagnosis of multiple cables is a new research topic that focuses on reducing the weight, volume and computing time of fault-locating devices. For condition monitoring of energised cables, Spread Spectrum Reflectometry (SSR) has been extensively used. SSR includes Sequence Time Domain Reflectometry (STDR) and Spread Spectrum Time Domain Reflectometry (SSTDR) techniques. Recent research works have proposed the use of STDR for the simultaneous diagnosis of multiple cables. However, noise and interference limit the system's ability to identify small faults. In this paper, we conduct a detailed analysis of the application of the SSR method to simultaneous diagnosis of noisy cable bundles. The system is evaluated using the Detection Error Rate (DER) as a function of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), false alarm threshold, and fault location. To select the optimal spreading sequences' set for SSR, the performances of various sequences with good correlation properties were compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The recent development of a portable investigational handheld OCT-angiography (OCTA) device has allowed for expansion of imaging into the operating room (OR) in addition to standard in-clinic imaging. The aim of this study was to assess intravisit repeatability and intervisit reproducibility of retinal microvasculature measures and central retinal thickness for in-clinic table-top and portable OR compatible OCTA devices. Methods: Repeated 10 × 10 OCTA images were acquired in 20 healthy adult participants on two separate visit days using Spectralis spectral-domain OCTA table-top and investigational armature suspended Flex systems. Intravisit and intervisit intraclass correlation coefficients and average absolute percent difference were calculated for quantitative microvasculature measures and CRT. Results: 120 OCTA images were acquired from 20 subjects (n = 20, mean age 26.7 ± 1.61 years, range 24–30 years) with both devices across two separate imaging days. FAZ and CRT measurements had near complete intravisit and intervisit agreement with ICCs between.97 and 1 for both table-top (FAZ ICC.97,.97; CRT ICC.98–1,.98–.99) and Flex (FAZ ICC.97,.95; CRT ICC.99–1,.98–.99) devices. Vessel density measures demonstrated greater variance with only fair to strong agreement (ICC.32–.75) and average absolute percent differences ranging from 2.96 to 6.63%. Conclusion: FAZ and CRT measures for both devices demonstrated high repeatability and reproducibility; retinal vessel density measures demonstrated less. Differences of less than 7% for retinal microvasculature measurements across time and devices are most likely attributable to expectable variance between repeat scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LoRa (Low Range) is one of LPWA (Low-Power Wide Area) networks and is used in various IoT (Internet of Things) services. In LoRa networks, as the number of devices or transmission time increases, the probability of collision increases rapidly and throughput decreases significantly. In LoRa, various SF (Spreading Factor) allocation techniques have been studied to solve the problem of throughput reduction due to inter-packet interference and collisions. In this paper, we propose an SF allocation method that distributes traffic load for a multi-service environment with different traffic characteristics. The proposed SF allocation method was able to increase the packet transmission success rate by maximizing the capture effect and lowering the packet collision probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel high-speed and process-compatible carrier-stored trench-gate bipolar transistor (CSTBT) combined with split-gate technology is proposed in this paper. The device features a split polysilicon electrode in the trench, where the left portion is equipotential with the cathode. This design mitigates the impact of the anode on the trench gate, resulting in a reduction in the gate-collector capacitance (CGC) to improve the dynamic characteristics. On the left side of the device cell, the P-layer, the carrier-stored (CS) layer and the P-body are formed from the bottom up by ion implantation and annealing. The P-layer beneath the trench bottom can decrease the electric field at the bottom of the trench, thereby improving breakdown voltage (BV) performance. Simultaneously, the highly doped CS layer strengthens the hole-accumulation effect at the cathode. Moreover, the PNP doping layers on the left form a self-biased pMOS. In a short-circuit state, the self-biased pMOS turns on at a certain collector voltage, causing the potential of the CS-layer to be clamped by the hole channel. Consequently, the short-circuit current no longer increases with the collector voltage. The simulation results reveal significant improvements in comparison with the conventional CSTBT under the same on-state voltage (1.48 V for 100 A/cm2). Specifically, the turn-off time (toff) and turn-off loss (Eoff) are reduced by 38.4% and 41.8%, respectively. The short-circuit current is decreased by 50%, while the short-circuit time of the device is increased by 2.46 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical devices can seek patent term extensions (PTEs), which extend market exclusivity to compensate for delays related to clinical trials and regulatory review. Pharmaceutical companies commonly use PTEs, but their use by medical device companies has not been clear. We examined the use of PTEs by medical device companies between 1984 and 2024 using a database published in the Federal Register and a list published by the Patent and Trademark Office. Only 178 medical device submissions were linked to a PTE application. They were mostly concentrated in 116 product codes associated with 15 medical specialties; nearly half were associated with cardiovascular devices. Numbers increased significantly in the past decade. Successful applications restored 987 days on average. The patent restoration opportunity appears underutilized. It is unclear whether some companies do not recognize the opportunity it promises, or whether it does not meet their needs. Different business features and marketing strategies in device versus pharmaceutical industries may decrease the usefulness of the PTE program for these types of medical products. However, the finding that a small subset of manufacturers operating in competitive markets adopted patent extension strategies more commonly suggests a significant competitive advantage when competition increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A charge and discharge management scheme is proposed. The stored electric energy in distributed storage devices will converge to the consistent. The consistency of the stored electric energy of the devices helps to maintain the maximum load capacity and maximum consumption capacity of distributed storage devices. The charging and discharging process is constructed as a time-varying optimization problem, and the proposed algorithm can respond to the time-varying parameters of the distributed storage devices in real time. The time-varying neurodynamic algorithms can obtain time-varying optimal solution trajectories to give the optimal charging and discharging strategy in real time. In addition, the proposed approach in this paper focuses on the privacy protection of device data. Each device can calculate the power of discharging or charging by communicating with the partially connected nodes. Numerical simulations of the proposed scheme in the paper are given to verify the effectiveness of the scheme. Numerical simulations show that our scheme can make the electric energy stored in each storage device converge and maintain the maximum load capacity or maximum consumption capacity of the whole distributed storage device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), infrared imaging faces challenges such as low quality, difficulty in detecting small targets, high false alarm rates, and computational resource constraints. To address these issues, we introduce AIMED-Net, an enhancing infrared small target detection net in UAVs with multi-layer feature enhancement for edge computing. Initially, the network encompasses a multi-layer feature enhancement architecture for infrared small targets, including a generative adversarial-based shallow-feature enhancement network and a detection-oriented deep-feature enhancement network. Specifically, an infrared image-feature enhancement method is proposed for the shallow-feature enhancement network, employing multi-scale enhancement to bolster target detection performance. Furthermore, within the YOLOv7 framework, we have developed an improved object detection network integrating multiple feature enhancement techniques, optimized for infrared targets and edge computing conditions. This design not only reduces the model's complexity but also enhances the network's robustness and accuracy in identifying small targets. Experimental results obtained from the HIT-UAV public dataset indicate that, compared to YOLOv7s, our method achieves a 2.5% increase in F1 score, a 6.1% rise in AP for detecting OtherVehicle targets, and a 2.6% improvement in mAP across all categories, alongside a 15.2% reduction in inference time on edge devices. Compared to existing state-of-the-art approaches, our method strikes a balance between detection efficiency and accuracy, presenting a practical solution for deployment in aerial edge computing scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient three-dimension exploration of a complex indoor environment remains a difficult duration in mapping accuracy requirements for geometric data. Indoor and outdoor mapping, which has been done with classical measuring devices for a long time, has come a long way with the use of laser scanning technology in this field. Although terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) point cloud recording provides great convenience in indoor and outdoor mapping, it is disadvantageous in terms of time and cost. Therefore, in our study, we propose a new indoor mapping strategy with wearable mobile laser scanning (WMLS) approach, which uses the simultaneous localization and mapping algorithm, which has been tried recently, as an alternative to TLS point cloud. In this strategy, four test areas with different geometric structures were scanned. A comparative analysis was performed after each test area was scanned with TLS and WMLS devices. For accuracy analysis, reference data were measured with a precision measuring device, and both scan data were compared on a spatial and length basis. The study results showed that the proposed strategy could be an alternative to TLS in terms of accuracy and the time advantage of the WMLS method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a flexible additive model that adequately describes complex reliability and survival data. The proposed methodology, referred to as the flexible exponential power-Gompertz (FEPG4) distribution, is able to characterize the behavior of a complex system whose failure times have bathtub-shaped, with clear burn-in and wear-out change points and a low, yet lengthy, flat middle segment as its underlying failure rate distribution. We discuss some properties of the model. Parameter inferences are proposed under maximum likelihood and Bayesian techniques. We determine the Bayes estimators of the FEPG4 parameters and used Hamiltonian Monte Carlo for posterior simulations. Extensive simulation experiments are performed to validate the proposed estimators. For assessing the potential of the FEPG4, the model is compared with other recent bathtub distributions constructed via the same approach on devices' failure and running times (censored and non-censored case) and failure times of some devices, each with the bathtub failure rate. Seven parametric and non-parametric selection criteria and other supporting plots are utilized for comparison purposes. Findings indicate that the FEPG4 model might be the best alternative for representing device failure times, particularly when the bathtub-shaped failure rate of the available data clearly illustrates its three phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Adaptive Data Rate (ADR) mechanism used by Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) for resource allocation, is slow and ideal for static applications. However, a network with unsteady channel conditions due to mobility makes the ADR operation more difficult. Therefore, this paper proposes a Rapid Intervention-based Adaptive Data Rate (RIADR) for Mobile LoRaWAN applications. The proposed system rapidly interferes with any instability in the channel status between end devices and LoRaWAN gateways. It efficiently allocates the Spreading Factor (SF) for end devices on time. RIADR adapts itself to the dynamic link conditions caused by mobility to achieve optimal use of LoRaWAN. The proposed system was implemented and evaluated in the OMNeT++ network simulator using the FloRa framework. The simulation result indicates that the proposed system has outperformed the Blind ADR (BADR), which was proposed by Semtech for Mobile LoRaWAN applications. The ability to deliver traffic to the network server is improved by 5% and more while number of collisions is reduced almost 100 k times by the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, to realize device sustainability and prolong device working time, energy harvest (EH) has been introduced into D2D communication networks that allow each D2D equipment (DUE) harvesting the radio frequency energy from the facilities in proximity. However, in such EH-enabled D2D network, it is challenging to integrate EH with the device pairing mechanism that is critical to the performance of the network. To this problem, we propose an optimization algorithm in this paper that jointly optimizes the energy harvesting time and the pairing for each DUE in a close-form to obtain the maximum throughput of the EH-enabled D2D network. In the proposed algorithm, each DUE will go through two mutually influenced stages, i.e., EH stage and information transmit stage, in which the device pairing will take the energy status of the candidate DUEs into consideration. The numerical results demonstrate that the joint optimization algorithm has a significant increased throughput for the EH-enabled D2D network, compared with other benchmark solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooperative, connected, and automated mobility (CCAM) infrastructure plays a key role in understanding and enhancing the environmental perception of autonomous vehicles (AVs) driving in complex urban settings. However, the deployment of CCAM infrastructure necessitates the efficient selection of the computational processing layer and deployment of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models to achieve greater performance of AVs in complex urban environments. In this paper, we propose a computational framework and analyze the effectiveness of a custom-trained DL model (YOLOv8) when deployed in diverse devices and settings at the vehicle-edge-cloud-layered architecture. Our main focus is to understand the interplay and relationship between the DL model's accuracy and execution time during deployment at the layered framework. Therefore, we investigate the trade-offs between accuracy and time by the deployment process of the YOLOv8 model over each layer of the computational framework. We consider the CCAM infrastructures, i.e., sensory devices, computation, and communication at each layer. The findings reveal that the performance metrics results (e.g., 0.842 mAP@0.5) of deployed DL models remain consistent regardless of the device type across any layer of the framework. However, we observe that inference times for object detection tasks tend to decrease when the DL model is subjected to different environmental conditions. For instance, the Jetson AGX (non-GPU) outperforms the Raspberry Pi (non-GPU) by reducing inference time by 72%, whereas the Jetson AGX Xavier (GPU) outperforms the Jetson AGX ARMv8 (non-GPU) by reducing inference time by 90%. A complete average time comparison analysis for the transfer time, preprocess time, and total time of devices Apple M2 Max, Intel Xeon, Tesla T4, NVIDIA A100, Tesla V100, etc., is provided in the paper. Our findings direct the researchers and practitioners to select the most appropriate device type and environment for the deployment of DL models required for production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs is crucial for the construction of high-performance and wide-band responsive photodetectors. The type-I heterojunction as a photodetector is seldomly studied due to its limited separation of the carriers and narrow optical response. In this work, we demonstrated that the high performance of type-I heterojunction as a broadband photodetector can be obtained by rational design of the band alignment and proper modulation from external electric field. The heterojunction device is fabricated by vertical stacking of non-layered MnS and WSe2 flakes. Its type-I band structure is confirmed by the first-principles calculations. The MnS/WSe2 heterojunction presents a wide optical detecting range spanning from 365 nm to 1550 nm. It exhibits the characteristics of bidirectional transportation, a current on/off ratio over 103, and an excellent photoresponsivity of 108 A W−1 in the visible range. Furthermore, the response time of the device is 19 ms (rise time) and 10 ms (fall time), which is much faster than that of its constituents MnS and WSe2. The facilitation of carrier accumulation caused by the interfacial band bending is thought to be critical to the photoresponse performance of the heterojunction. In addition, the device can operate in self-powered mode, indicating a photovoltaic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]