Piezotronic neuromorphic devices:principle,manufacture,and applications

With the arrival of the era of artificial intelligence(AI)and big data,the explosive growth of data has raised higher demands on computer hardware and systems.Neuromorphic techniques inspired by biological nervous systems are expected to be one of the approaches to breaking the von Neumann bottleneck.Piezotronic neuromorphic devices modulate electrical transport characteristics by piezopotential and directly associate external mechanical motion with electrical output signals in an active manner,with the capability to sense/store/process information of external stimuli.In this review,we have presented the piezotronic neuromorphic devices(which are classified into strain-gated piezotronic transistors and piezoelectric nanogenerator-gated field effect transistors based on device structure)and discussed their operating mechanisms and related manufacture techniques.Secondly,we summarized the research progress of piezotronic neuromorphic devices in recent years and provided a detailed discussion on multifunctional applications,including bionic sensing,information storage,logic computing,and electrical/optical artificial synapses.Finally,in the context of future development,challenges,and perspectives,we have discussed how to modulate novel neuromorphic devices with piezotronic effects more effectively.It is believed that the piezotronic neuromorphic devices have great potential for the next generation of interactive sensation/memory/computation to facilitate the development of the Internet of Things,AI,biomedical engineering,etc.

Mild hypothermia combined with a scaffold of Ng Rsilenced neural stem cells/Schwann cells to treat spinal cord injury

Because the inhibition of Nogo proteins can promote neurite growth and nerve cell differentiation, a cell-scaffold complex seeded with Nogo receptor （NgR）-silenced neural stem cells and Schwann cells may be able to improve the microenvironment for spinal cord injury repair. Previous studies have found that mild hypothermia helps to attenuate secondary damage in the spinal cord and exerts a neuroprotective effect. Here, we constructed a cell-scaffold complex consisting of a poly（D,L-lactide-co-glycolic acid） （PLGA） scaffold seeded with NgR-silenced neural stem cells and Schwann cells, and determined the effects of mild hypothermia combined with the cell-scaffold complexes on the spinal cord hemi-transection injury in the T9 segment in rats. Compared with the PLGA group and the NgR-silencing cells ＋ PLGA group, hindlimb motor function and nerve electrophysiological function were dearly improved, pathological changes in the injured spinal cord were attenuated, and the number of surviving cells and nerve fibers were increased in the group treated with the NgR-silenced cell scaffold ＋ mild hypothermia at 34℃ for 6 hours. Furthermore, fewer pathological changes to the injured spinal cord and more surviving cells and nerve fibers were found after mild hypothermia therapy than in injuries not treated with mild hypothermia. These experimental results indicate that mild hypothermia combined with NgR gene-silenced cells in a PLGA scaffold may be an effective therapy for treating spinal cord injury.

Reconstruct the Heat Conduction Model with Memory Dependent Derivative

The classical heat conduction equation is derived from the assumption that the temperature increases immediately after heat transfer, but the increase of temperature is a slow process, so the memory-dependent heat conduction model has been reconstructed. Numerical results show that the solution of the initial boundary value problem of the new model is similar to that of the classical heat conduction equation, but its propagation speed is slower than that of the latter. In addition, the propagation speed of the former is also affected by time delay and kernel function.

One-dimensional core-sheath Sn/SnO_(x)derived from MAX phase for microwave absorption

One-dimensional(1D)metals are highly conductive and tend to form networks that facilitate electron hopping and migration.Hence,they have tremendous potential as microwave-absorbing(MA)materials.Traditionally,1D metals are mainly precious metals such as gold,silver,nickel,and their preparation methods often have low yield and are not environmentally friendly,which has limited the exploration in this area.Herein,the unique nanolaminate structure and chemical bond characteristics of Ti_(2)SnC MAX phase is successfully taken advantages for large-scale preparation of Sn whiskers,and then,core-sheath Sn/SnO_(x)heterojunctions are obtained by simply annealing at different temperatures.The heterojunction annealed at 500℃possesses favorable MA performance with an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.3 GHz(only 1.7 mm)and a minimum reflection loss value of51.97 dB;its maximum radar cross section(RCS)reduction value is 29.59 dB·m^(2),confirming its excellent electromagnetic wave attenuation ability.Off-axis electron holography is used to visually characterize the distribution of charge density at the cylindrical heterogenous interface,confirming the enhanced interfacial polarization effect.Given the diversity of MAX phases and the advantages of the fabrication method(e.g.,green,inexpensive,and easily scalable),this work provides significant guidance for the design of 1D metal-based absorbers.

Vegard’s law deviating Ti_(2)(Sn_(x)Al_(1−x))C solid solution with enhanced properties

The achievement of chemical diversity and performance regulation of MAX phases primarily relies on solid solution approaches.However,the reported A-site solid solution is undervalued due to their expected chemical disorder and compliance with Vegard’s law,as well as discontinuous composition and poor purity.Herein,we synthesized high-purity Ti_(2)(Sn_(x)Al_(1−x))C(x=0–1)solid solution by the feasible pressureless sintering,enabling us to investigate their property evolution upon the A-site composition.The formation mechanism of Ti_(2)(Sn_(x)Al_(1−x))C was revealed by thermal analysis,and crystal parameters were determined by Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction(XRD).The lattice constant(a)adheres to Vegard’s law,while the lattice constant(c)and internal free parameter(zM)have noticeable deviations from the law,which is caused by the significant nonlinear distortion of Ti_(6)C octahedron as Al atoms are substituted by Sn atoms.Also,the deviation also results in nonlinear changes in their physicochemical properties,which means that the solid solution often exhibits better performance than end members,such as hardness,electrical conductivity,and corrosion resistance.This work offers insights into the deviation from Vegard’s law observed in the A-site solid solution and indicates that the solid solution with enhanced performance may be obtained by tuning the A-site composition.

原发性眼部淋巴瘤研究进展

原发性眼部淋巴瘤根据累及部位分为原发性眼内淋巴瘤(PIOL)和眼附属器淋巴瘤(POAL)。原发性玻璃体视网膜淋巴瘤(PVRL)是PIOL最常见的形式,是一种侵袭性B细胞恶性肿瘤,被认为是原发性中枢神经系统淋巴瘤(PCNSL)的一种亚型。因其眼部症状的非特异性而经常导致误诊。恶性细胞的细胞病理学/组织病理学鉴定是诊断PVRL的金标准。其他辅助检查,如光学相干断层扫描和眼底自发荧光已被应用于PVRL的诊断。细胞因子测量和B细胞克隆性以及突变分子的测定进一步提高了诊断的准确性。目前PVRL的治疗包括局部放疗,玻璃体内化疗(甲氨蝶呤和利妥昔单抗),根据是否累及非眼部组织选择是否进行全身化疗。眼眶淋巴瘤是POAL的主要形式,绝大多数起源于B细胞。组织病理学亚型和疾病的临床分期是预测预后及选择治疗的最佳指标。在治疗孤立性低级别淋巴瘤时,放射治疗是首选治疗方法。对于播散性和高度恶性淋巴瘤,应选择化疗或放疗联合化疗。