Background: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a blood cancer that remains challenging to cure due to drug resistance and side effects from current BCR-ABL inhibitors. There is an urgent need for novel and more effective BCR-ABL targeting inhibitors and therapeutic strategies to combat this deadly disease.
Method: We disclose an "OH-implant" strategy to improve a noncovalent BCR-ABL inhibitor, PPY-A, by adding a hydroxyl group to its scaffold.
Ultrasonic wireless power transfer technology (UWPT) represents a key technology employed for energizing implantable medical devices (IMDs). In recent years, aluminum nitride (AlN) has gained significant attention due to its biocompatibility and compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. In the meantime, the integration of scandium-doped aluminum nitride (AlScN) is an effective solution to address the sensitivity limitations of AlN material for both receiving and transmission capabilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
April 2024
In this paper, we propose a novel method for temperature measurement using surface acoustic wave (SAW) temperature sensors on curved or irregular surfaces. We integrate SAW resonators onto flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) to ensure better conformity of the temperature sensor with the surface of the object under test. Compared to traditional rigid PCBs, FPCBs offer greater dynamic flexibility, lighter weight, and thinner thickness, which make them an ideal choice for making SAW devices working for temperature measurements under curved surfaces.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
April 2024
The surface acoustic wave (SAW) temperature sensor has received significant attention due to its wirelessly powered, battery-free, and chipless capabilities. This paper proposes a wireless sensing system comprising a one-port SAW resonator, helix antenna, and transceiver circuit. The SAW resonator used in this system is based on aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film, which exhibits high velocity and excellent piezoelectric properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile hydrometallurgy is the primary technology for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries due to various advantages, it still involves substantial consumption of chemical reagents and poses challenges in wastewater emission. Herein, we report the realization of cathode recycling under lean-leachate conditions by dynamically stabilizing hole-mediated diffusion kinetics, which is enabled by synchronizing the extraction step during the leaching stage, thus continuously removing the dissolved ions out of the leachate. Theoretical molecular dynamics simulations predict that preventing the accumulation of the dissolved ions is efficient for keeping the leaching process proceeding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
February 2024
Ultrasonic nondestructive testing (NDT) usually utilizes conventional bulk piezoelectric transducers as transceivers. However, the complicated preparation and assembly process of bulk piezoelectric ceramics limits the development of NDT probes toward miniaturization and high frequency. In this paper, a 4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetabolic reprogramming of cells, from the normal mode of glucose metabolism named glycolysis, is a pivotal characteristic of impending cancerous cells. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), an important enzyme that catalyzes the final rate-limiting stage during glycolysis, is highly expressed in numerous types of tumors and aids in development of favorable conditions for the survival of tumor cells. Increasing evidence has suggested that PKM2 is one of promising targets for innovative drug discovery, especially for the developments of antitumor therapeutics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
May 2023
In this paper, a high-sensitivity microelectromechanical system (MEMS) piezoelectric accelerometer based on a Scandium-doped Aluminum Nitride (ScAlN) thin film is proposed. The primary structure of this accelerometer is a silicon proof mass fixed by four piezoelectric cantilever beams. In order to enhance the sensitivity of the accelerometer, the ScAlN piezoelectric film is used in the device.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this paper, the temperature performance of AlN-SAW resonators and AlScN-SAW resonators is studied. They are simulated by COMSOL Multiphysics, and their modes and the S11 curve are analyzed. The two devices were fabricated using MEMS technology and tested using VNA, and the test results were consistent with the simulation results.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransit-time ultrasonic flowmeters (TTUFs) are among the most widely used devices for flow measurements. However, traditional TTUFs are usually based on a bulk piezoelectric transducer, which limits their application in small-diameter channels. In this paper, we developed a miniaturized TTUF based on scandium-doped aluminum nitride (ScAlN) piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
March 2023
In this paper, an ultrasonic target detection system based on Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (PMUTs) is proposed, which consists of the PMUTs based ultrasonic sensor and the sensor system. Two pieces of 3 × 3 PMUTs arrays with the resonant frequency of 115 kHz are used as transmitter and receiver of the PMUTs-based ultrasonic sensor. Then, the sensor system can calculate the target's position through the signal received by the above receiver.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
March 2023
In this work, a miniaturized, low-cost, low-power and high-sensitivity AlN-based micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) hydrophone is proposed for monitoring water pipeline leaks. The proposed MEMS Hydrophone consists of a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) array, an acoustic matching layer and a pre-amplifier amplifier circuit. The array has 4 (2 × 2) PMUT elements with a first-order resonant frequency of 41.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a clinically approved prodrug involved in intracellular Heme biosynthesis to produce the natural photosensitizer (PS) Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). ALA based photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used to treat various malignant and non-malignant diseases. However, natural ALA has disadvantages such as weak lipophilicity, low stability and poor bioavailability, greatly reducing its clinical performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPartial discharge (PD) localization is important for monitoring and maintaining high-voltage equipment, which can help to prevent accidents. In this work, an acoustic localization sensor based on microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microphone array is proposed, which can detect and locate the partial discharge through a beam-forming algorithm. The MEMS microphone array consists of eight commercial MEMS microphones (SPV08A0LR5H-1, Knowles Electronics, IL, USA) with an aperture size of about 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBowel sounds contain some important human physiological parameters which can reflect information about intestinal function. In this work, in order to realize real-time monitoring of bowel sounds, a portable and wearable bowel sound electronic monitor based on piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) is proposed. This prototype consists of a sensing module to collect bowel sounds and a GUI (graphical user interface) based on LabVIEW to display real-time bowel sound signals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper reports on an aluminum nitride (AlN) piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (PMUT) array for photoacoustic (PA) imaging, where the high-order resonance modes of the PMUT are utilized to improve imaging resolution. A flexural vibration mode (FVM) PMUT is fabricated and applied in a photoacoustic imaging (PAI) system. Specifically, the microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based PMUT is suitable for PA endoscopic imaging of blood vessels and bronchi due to its miniature size and high sensitivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
September 2022
Microglia are the central nervous system (CNS)-resident macrophages involved in neural inflammation, neurogenesis, and neural activity regulation. Previous studies have shown that naturally occurring neuronal apoptosis plays a critical role in regulating microglial colonization of the brain in zebrafish. However, the molecular signaling cascades underlying neuronal apoptosis-mediated microglial colonization and the regulation of these cascades remain undefined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSensors (Basel)
September 2021
In this paper, a novel ring-down suppression system based on transfer function is proposed for the first time to suppress the ring-down time and decrease the blind area of PMUTs (Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers). This suppression system includes a transfer function and a simple P (proportion) controller, which can reduce the ring-down time without degrading any performances of PMUTs. The transfer function serves as a virtual PMUT device, feeding its output into the P controller; then, the P controller generates a suppression signal to the actual PMUT device.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this work, three-dimensional finite element analysis (3D FEA) of quasi-surface acoustic wave (QSAW) resonators with high accuracy is reported. The QSAW resonators consist of simple molybdenum (Mo) interdigitated transducers (IDT) on solidly mounted stacked layers of AlN/Mo/Si. Different to the SAW resonators operating in the piezoelectric substrates, the reported resonators are operating in the QSAW mode, since the IDT-excited Rayleigh waves not only propagate in the thin piezoelectric layer of AlN, but also penetrate the Si substrate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMitochondrion is a promising target in cancer therapy. However, gaining access to this organelle is difficult due to the obstacles to cross the complicated mitochondrial membrane. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) with mitochondrion-targeting ability, named mitochondrion-targeting peptides (MTPs), are efficient tools to deliver exogenous therapeutics into mitochondria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroglia are tissue-resident macrophages residing in the central nervous system (CNS) and play critical roles in removing cellular debris and infectious agents as well as regulating neurogenesis and neuronal activities. Yet, the molecular basis underlying the establishment of microglia pool and the maintenance of their homeostasis in the CNS remain largely undefined. Here we report the identification and characterization of a mutant zebrafish, which harbors a point mutation in the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD) like receptor gene nlrc3-like, resulting in the loss of microglia in a temperature sensitive manner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnnu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc
March 2011
This paper describes the design of a tri-axial microelectromechanical force sensor (FS) that can be mounted on the tip of the guidewire. Piezoresistive silicon nanowires (SiNW) are embedded into a cross cantilever design with a manoeuvrable stylus to allow the detection of force in all directions. The electrical resistance changes in the four SiNWs are used to decode an arbitrary force applied onto the FS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhether the Troxler effect (TE) has to do with interocular suppression and/or summation was studied with dichoptically matched (binocular or dioptic) and unmatched (monocular) stimulus presentations. Perceptual disappearance was found to occur more slowly under the binocular condition (mean=14.2s) than the monocular condition (mean=8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe apparent size of an afterimage viewed from distances between 5 cm and 580 cm was matched to that of a size-adjustable stimulus at a fixed distance (20, 30, 90, and 200 cm). The experiment was conducted under normal indoor illumination with a procedure that facilitated matching for angular size. The matched size was found to increase with focal distance within 1 m and very little beyond 1 m.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF