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Yu and colleagues report a modified and flexible Evans-Perkins heat pump cycle integrating heat recovery and storage and demonstrate its application in a prototype heat pump. The recovered heat can be used as an ancillary heat source for the heat pump’s operation and to defrost the heat pump evaporator as necessary.
Shaoyan Zhang and colleagues describe a combined all-optical ultrasound imaging and laser ablation tool. The device, less than 1mm in diameter, enables ablation and simultaneous real-time ablation monitoring of tissue at the mm scale. The device could be used for minimally invasive surgical applications.
Debuisschert and colleagues describe a radio frequency signal analyzer platform utilizing the quantum properties of the nitrogen-vacancy center in single crystal diamond. This platform enables millisecond detection of complex microwave signals over a broad tunable frequency range up to 25 GHz.
Nidhi Sinha, Haowen Yang and colleagues report a microfluidic large-scale integration chip to probe temporal single-cell signalling networks via the delivery of patterns of input signalling molecules. The researchers use their device to investigate drug-induced cancer cell apoptosis and single cell transcription (STAT-1) protein signalling dynamics.
Xumin Gao and colleagues report a robust and waterproof monolithic GaN optoelectronic chip that integrates an energy harvester, light emitting diode and Bragg reflector. The units transform external light into electrical energy and directly activate the integrated LEDs even when attached to freely swimming Carassius auratus fish.
Omid Yaghmazadeh and colleagues explore non-thermal responses to RF radiation in live rodent brains using electrophysiology and 1-photon Ca2+ imaging. They saw no impact of RF energy in metal-free recordings at levels higher than regulatory limits.
Anastasia Koivikko and colleagues report pneumatic strain gauges integrated into a soft robotic gripper which can recognize objects and close autonomously. The approach enables entirely fluidic robotic systems with no need for electrical or optical sensors.
Murray and colleagues report strain distributions in Si/SiGe nanosheet heterostructures using synchrotron x-ray nanodiffraction techniques. The observations and underlying mechanisms provide insights for future nanodevice design and performance prediction.
Hari Vishnu and colleagues use signal processing that exploits sparsity information to visualise dolphin echolocation signals during object interrogation. The approach is then combined with transmission of dolphin-like click signals towards a compact acoustic imaging tool.
A 3D model of a lithium-ion battery reveals that in-plane temperature nonuniformity within electrodes as they charge and discharge is strongly affected by solid-state diffusion processes. The findings hint at methods to diagnose the microscopic mechanisms underlying battery performance.
Space is becoming congested. To manage satellite traffic, Nils Bartels and colleagues introduce and test the feasibility of polarization-modulated satellite laser ranging. This concept could enable precise orbit determination and rapid satellite identification.
Conventional electromagnetic servomotors are incompatible with MRI scanners. Here, Lorne Hofstetter and colleagues design and build an electromagnetic servomotor constructed from non-magnetic components and test their device in a robot operating in a clinical MRI during imaging.
Kevin Wyss and colleagues report the flash synthesis of graphene from end-of-life vehicle plastic waste. A polyurethane/flash graphene composite is also re-flashed back into more graphene. A life cycle assessment suggests environmental benefits compared to other graphene synthetic routes.
Pierre-Alexis Mouthuy and colleagues report the actuation of cell-material constructs in flexible bioreactor chambers inserted into musculoskeletal humanoid robots. This opens up the opportunity of applying realistic biomechanical stresses to tissue engineered constructs during culture.
Michele Polese and colleagues report a dual-band backhaul prototype operating above 100 GHz. It can be dynamically re-configured in real time to avoid interference to passive satellite sensing systems, enabling safe coexistence of active and passive users in this portion of the spectrum.
