Currently, ultrasound imaging necessitates using large, specialized equipment only available in hospitals and doctor’s offices. On the other hand, a new design could make the technology as wearable and accessible as buying Band-Aids at the pharmacy. A new ultrasound sticker, the size of a stamp, adheres to the skin and can provide continuous ultrasound imaging [..]

A new study looks at conjugating 2D perovskites with optically active transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). The study can improve optoelectronic device performance and extend the functionalities of the perovskites. Despite their structural differences, 2D perovskites and TMDs can form clean interfaces due to van der Waals interactions between the stacked layers. Using accurate first-principles calculations, [..]

Researchers have been experimenting with ways to reach people as VR technology improves, becomes cheaper, and more accessible – everything from treating PTSD to performing operas. Visual artists are the most recent to wonder how technology might push the boundaries of their field, looking for new ways to express themselves and share their work. However, [..]

Carbon-based materials have enormous potential for constructing a sustainable future; however, material scientists require tools to properly analyze their atomic structure, which determines their functional properties. One of the tools used for this is X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), but the results can be challenging to interpret. Now, researchers have created the XPS Prediction Server, a [..]

Respiratory motion can influence the efficacy and safety of radiation therapy in the thorax and abdomen. Free-breathing 4D-MRI is a promising alternative to 4D-CT for motion management in MRI-guided linac treatments, providing excellent soft-tissue contrast with no ionizing radiation. High-quality MR images free of motion artifacts can distinguish lesions from normal tissue. MRI techniques, however, [..]

Using carbon nanotubes, a new strain-sensing smart skin monitors and detects damage in large structures. The coating detects surface deformation by stress by utilizing the fluorescent properties of nanotubes. As part of the S4 non-contact optical monitoring system, the multilayered coating can be applied to large surfaces — bridges, buildings, ships, and airplanes, to name [..]

Mutations in RAS genes, which cause tumor growth in about a quarter of all cancer patients, are among the most infamous cancer drivers. Scientists have solved the molecular structure of SHOC2, a RAS-pathway protein, and two other proteins (that it binds to). The SHOC2-MRAS-PP1C (“SMP”) complex, a three-protein assembly, regulates the RAS signaling pathway and [..]

Researchers have developed a new, lighter convolutional neural network (CNN) model for facial expression recognition. The findings describe an Xception-based model that balances training speed, memory usage, and recognition accuracy. The original Xception model has 71 layers and can load a pre-trained version of the network trained on over a million images from the ImageNet [..]

Detecting gases is critical for pollution monitoring, public safety, and personal health care. The sensors must be small, lightweight, inexpensive, and simple in various environments and substrates, such as clothing or piping. A research team has created the first highly customizable microscale gas sensing devices by combining laser writing and responsive sensor technologies. The challenge [..]

Researchers have created a self-calibrated photonic chip that builds bridges between data superhighways, revolutionizing the connectivity of current optical chips and replacing bulky 3D optics with a wafer-thin slice of silicon. This development can warp-speed the global advancement of artificial intelligence and offers significant real-world applications such as: autonomous vehicles that interpret their surroundings rapidly [..]

A new holographic platform generates realistic holographic patient scenarios for training purposes. The first module covers common respiratory problems and emergencies. Mixed reality is becoming more popular as a method of simulator training. As institutions scale their procurement, there is a growing demand for platforms that provide utility and ease of mixed reality learning management. [..]

Researchers have shown that a new mid-infrared spectrometer can precisely measure the ratios of different forms of water — known as isotopologues — in atmospheric water vapor through open air in a little over 15 minutes. The new open-path mid-infrared dual-comb spectrometer (DCS) uses near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses and specially designed waveguides to create broadband [..]

2D semiconductor materials are making their way into optoelectronic devices — the sort used in telecommunication. These devices have started to surpass the performance of conventional switches made with silicon and III-V semiconductors (compounds with elements from columns III and V on the periodic table). Optical computing, an early approach that was later abandoned in [..]

Metamaterials are artificial composites that can interact with electromagnetic waves, including visible light. Our brains generate electromagnetic waves as they process information. The brain waves can trigger changes in metamaterials. Not exactly like telekinesis and telepathy in science fiction, but the research can have applications in real-life scenarios.  In a study, researchers used a brainwave [..]

Researchers have developed a nonlinear optical crystal-based compact terahertz (THz)-microfluidic chip with several I-design meta-atoms for attomole (amol)-level sensing of trace amounts of solution samples. The I-design meta-atoms consist of metallic strips with micrometer-sized gaps sandwiched by other metallic strips, periodically arrayed in a row of 1 × 5 units. A point THz source (locally [..]

Lithium Niobate (LN) does not exist in the natural world and is a purely artificial inorganic material. It is composed of lithium, niobium, and oxygen. People usually refer to LN as a distorted perovskite type of crystal. LN has many unique features, such as a wide operational wavelength window, electro-optic (Pockels) effect, nonlinear optical polarizability, [..]

Researchers have built erbium-doped waveguide amplifier (EDWA) based on silicon nitride (Si3N4) photonic integrated circuits of a length up to a half-meter on a millimeter-scale footprint. The device generates a record output power of more than 145 mW. It provides a small-signal net gain above 30 dB, translating to over 1000-fold amplification in the telecommunication [..]

Researchers have developed a nanofluidic scattering microscopy technique to study biomolecules in their natural state. ​When developing medicines and vaccines, it is crucial to study individual proteins’ behavior and interaction with each other. The new microscopy method can help find the most promising candidates at an early stage. The technique also has the potential for [..]

Imaging techniques are essential in cancer diagnosis and treatment, but their use remains limited in prostate cancer surgeries. Systematic prostate biopsies locate cancerous tissue and guide treatment. While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can yield greater insight into tumor characteristics, the extent to which it improves treatment outcomes needs a national scale. The new research demonstrates [..]

A novel somatostatin-receptor (SSTR) targeting peptide — 18F-SiTATE — has provided excellent imaging in meningioma patients, identifying bone involvement and lesions previously undetected on standard morphological imaging. The PET imaging agent, 18F-SiTATE, has a longer half-life and can be produced in large quantities by a cyclotron, which offers significant logistical advantages over the 68Ga-labeled ligands [..]