MetaMembranes for the Sensitivity Enhancement of Wearable Piezoelectric MetaSensors.

The low stretchability of plain membranes restricts the sensitivity of conventional diaphragm-based pressure and inflatable piezoelectric sensors. Using theoretical and computational tools, we characterized current limitations and explored metamaterial-inspired membranes (MetaMems) to resolve these issues. This paper develops two MetaMem pressure sensors (MPSs) to enrich the sensitivity and stretchability of the conventional sensors.

Distance and Angle Correction System (DACS) for a kHz A-Scan Rate Pump-Probe Laser-Ultrasound Inspection.

Non-contact optical detection of ultrasound critically depends on the amount of light collected from the detection surface. Although it can be optimized in multiple ways for an ideal flat polished surface, industrial non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) usually requires optical detectors to be robust for unpolished material surfaces that are usually rough and curved. Confocal detectors provide the best light collection but must trade off sensitivity with depth of field.

Highly Sensitive Built-In Strain Sensors for Polymer Composites: Fluorescence Turn-On Response through Mechanochemical Activation.

A new class of rationally designed mechanophores is developed for highly sensitive built-in strain sensors in polymer composites. These mechanophores are designed to regenerate the π-conjugation pathway between the electron donor and electron acceptor by force-induced cleavage of the covalent bond to form a fluorescent dipolar dye.

Antioxidant enzyme activities are decreased in preterm infants and in neonates born via caesarean section.

Objectives: To investigate the antioxidant defense potential of human neonates according to gestational age and mode of delivery.

Study Design: Four study groups were established, full-term normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (FT-NSVD, n=24), full-term caesarean section (FT-CS, n=19), preterm normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (PT-NSVD, n=15) preterm caesarean section (PT-CS, n=21). The activity of catalase (CAT), glutathion peroxidase (GPX), Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) were determined from cord blood.

Arylsulfatase-A in umbilical cord blood: gestational age and mode of delivery do not influence enzyme activity.

The possibility of using umbilical cord blood for transplantation in several enzyme deficiencies has received increasing attention because of the availability of cord blood, the reduced incidence of post-transplantation complications, such as graft-versus-host disease and the possible accomplishment of good corrective results following transplantation, even in cases of greater HLA disparity. The use of hematopoietic stem cells from unrelated donors is even more highly recommended for the treatment of inherited enzyme deficiencies, because it might reduce the risk of the transplanted cells originating from a carrier of the defect, which might have an inadequate corrective ability. Our study was designed to elucidate whether the gestational age and mode of delivery influences the arylsulfatase-A activity in the umbilical cord blood.