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cientists have created a material that could make reading biological signals, from heartbeats to brainwaves, much more sensitive. Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are designed to measure signals created by electrical impulses in the body, such as heartbeats or brainwaves. However, they are currently only able to measure certain signals.Now researchers led by a team from Imperial College London have created a material that measures signals in a different way to traditional OECTs that they believe could be used in complementary circuits, paving the way for new biological sensor technologies.Semiconducting materials can conduct electronic signals, carried by either electrons or their positively charged counterparts, called holes. Holes in this sense are the absence of electrons - the spaces within atoms that can be filled by them.Electrons can be passed between atoms but so can holes. Materials that use primarily hole-driven transport are called 'p-type' materials, and those that use primarily electron-driven transport are called, and 'n-type' materials.An 'ambipolar' material is the combination of both types, allowing the transport of holes and electrons within the same material, leading to potentially more sensitive devices. However, it has not previously been possible to create ambipolar materials that work in the body.The current most sensitive OECTs use a material where only holes are transported. Electron transport in these devices however has not been possible, since n-type materials readily break down in water-based environments like the human body.But in research published today in Nature Communications, the team have demonstrated the first ambipolar OECT that can conduct electrons as well as holes with high stability in water-based solutions.The team overcame the seemingly inherent instability of n-type materials in water by designing new structures that prevent electrons from engaging in side-reactions, which would otherwise degrade the device.These new devices can detect positively charged sodium and potassium ions, important for neuron activities in the body, particularly in the brain. In the future, the team hope to be able to create materials tuned to detect particular ions, allowing ion-specific signals to be detected.Lead author Alexander Giovannitti, a PhD student under the supervision of Professor Iain McCulloch, from the Department of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics at Imperial said:"Proving that an n-type organic electrochemical transistor can operate in water paves the way for new sensor electronics with improved sensitivity. "It will also allow new applications, particularly in the sensing of biologically important positive ions, which are not feasible with current devices. For example, these materials might be able to detect abnormalities in sodium and potassium ion concentrations in the brain, responsible for neuron diseases such as epilepsy." Reference:2N3811DMA204020RDMMT5551S-7-F 

when University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers announced in the journal Nature Communications that they had developed transparent sensors for use in imaging the brain, researchers around the world took notice. Then the requests came flooding in. “So many research groups started asking us for these devices that we couldn’t keep up,” says Zhenqiang (Jack) Ma, the Lynn H. Matthias Professor and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in electrical and computer engineering at UW–Madison.Ma’s group is a world leader in developing revolutionary flexible electronic devices. The see-through, implantable micro-electrode arrays were light years beyond anything ever created.Although he and collaborator Justin Williams, the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in biomedical engineering and neurological surgery at UW–Madison, patented the technology through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, they saw its potential for advancements in research.“That little step has already resulted in an explosion of research in this field,” says Williams. “We didn’t want to keep this technology in our lab. We wanted to share it and expand the boundaries of its applications.”As a result, in a paper published in the journal Nature Protocols, the researchers have described in great detail how to fabricate and use transparent graphene neural electrode arrays in applications in electrophysiology, fluorescent microscopy, optical coherence tomography, and optogenetics. “We described how to do these things so we can start working on the next generation,” says Ma.Now, not only are the UW–Madison researchers looking at ways to improve and build upon the technology, they also are seeking to expand its applications from neuroscience into areas such as research of stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, cardiac conditions, and many others. And they hope other researchers do the same.“We didn’t want to keep this technology in our lab. We wanted to share it and expand the boundaries of its applications.”“This paper is a gateway for other groups to explore the huge potential from here,” says Ma. “Our technology demonstrates one of the key in vivo applications of graphene. We expect more revolutionary research will follow in this interdisciplinary field.”Funding for the initial research came from the Reliable Neural-Interface Technology program at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Other authors on the Nature Protocols paper include Dong-Wook Park, Sarah Brodnick, Jared Ness, Lisa Krugner-Higby, Solomon Mikael, Joseph Novello, Hyungsoo Kim, Dong-Hyun Baek, Jihye Bong, Kyle Swanson and Wendell Lake of UW–Madison; Farid Atry, Seth Frye and Ramin Pashaie of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Amelia Sandberg of Medtronic PLC Neuromodulation; Thomas Richner of the University of Washington; and Sanitta Thongpang of Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand.Reference:ISL29120IROZ-T7ADJD-J823TCS3200D-TR Like this Article? Register to receive updates here 

Application of LED lights is now common in various types of commercial settings. Irrespective of the type of business you own, you will find usage of commercial LED light within the premise. Reason for this is that such lights are of environment friendly type and give appealing look at different settings. Along with this, LED type of lights gives plenty of benefits and applications in different settings, about which experts have discussed here. In Various Mining EndeavorsToday, most of the mining industries are employing LED area light bulbs in wide range of settings because of their ability to provide outstanding strength, exceptional safety and longevity. Even people will find illuminating caverns comprise of LED lights used mainly in spotlights mounted on helmets and almost in every place, where they require usage of lights. Usage in Hospitality SectorHospitality industry is also a key area, where you will find LED lighting types of projects are making their headways. Majority of people have found significant decrease in the overall utility costs. Along with providing plenty of decorative lighting options to users and enhanced life spans, LED bulbs very hardly require replacements leading to reduction in maintenance costs. Application in City SettingsReplacement of only one traffic light with LED equivalent plays significant role to save the city's costing by about 93 percent of the energy consumed previously. Similarly, city authorities may replace lights displaying exit signs and down lights of vehicles with the help of LED down light options available in the market.  In fact, if you consider about commercial signage, you will find that it leads to about 2 percent of the total electrical consumption in different areas of United States every year. On the other side, by using of LEDs, one can expect to save money with a decrease of 80 percent in actual use. Savings obtained in terms of expenditure of energy for any small city may rise quickly to up to the range of six figures. Pay off associated with investments in cost saving yet affordable LED lights require only a period of about 2 to 3 years. Easy Replacement is PossibleBiggest benefit associated with LED bulbs is that design of those products fits perfectly in almost every possible type of light fixtures available in the market. Whether you own canned lighting type of business, traditional lamps or panels of fluorescent lights, you will expect to save many bucks by accommodating a single type of LED bulb. Reference:EB-251LRW5SM-GZHZ-1ABC02LSM670-H2K1-1

Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited today announced the launch of the 4 Mbit ReRAM MB85AS4MT, the world's largest density mass-produced ReRAM product. This is the first ReRAM product to be jointly developed with Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd.The MB85AS4MT is an SPI-interface ReRAM product that operates with a wide range of power supply voltage, from 1.65V to 3.6V. It features an extremely small average current in read operations of 0.2mA at a maximum operating frequency of 5MHz.It is optimal for battery operated wearable devices and medical devices such as hearing aids, which require high density, low power consumption electronic components.Up to this point, Fujitsu Semiconductor has contributed to resolving issues for clients with a need for specifications with greater performance than conventional non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM and serial flash memory, by providing FRAM products, which have such features as high read/write endurance and low power consumption. By adding the new 4 Mbit ReRAM MB85AS4MT to its lineup, Fujitsu Semiconductor can now further expand the options it offers to meet the diversifying needs of its customers.This product features the ability to operate with a wide range of power supply voltage, from 1.65V to 3.6V, can be operated at a maximum of 5MHz through an SPI interface, and uses extremely small average current during read operations (0.2mA operating at 5MHz). It offers the industry's lowest power consumption for read operations in non-volatile memory.The package is a 209mil 8 pin small outline package (SOP), pin-compatible with other non-volatile memory products such as EEPROM. Fujitsu Semiconductor has mounted a 4 Mbit memory density, exceeding the maximum density of serial interface EEPROM, in a miniature 8-pin SOP package size.Fujitsu Semiconductor expects that the MB85AS4MT, featuring high density and low power consumption, will be used in battery-operated wearable devices, medical devices such as hearing aids, and IoT devices such as meters and sensors.Going forward, Fujitsu Semiconductor will continue to provide products and solutions aimed at improving the value and convenience of customers' applications.Reference:GP1S036PKGS-00GXP1-RRB-3R0232-50PKGS-25SXAP1-R 

LED technology has evolved as very efficient solution for all our lighting needs in our homes, offices, parking lots, industries, streets and many other areas. However the application of LED as LED Industrial light, LED flood light and LED parking light is the biggest revolution as it has cut down the energy requirement significantly and offered a very durable lighting option that can last for years without needing replacement. The use of LED in industries and streets offers a very high quality lighting solution at reasonable cost. In fact, the lifetime cost of LED turns out to be much lesser than the HID lighting, which is gradually being replaced by LED. One of the main reasons for lesser lifetime cost is the long life of LED with very low power consumption. LED lighting offers a very promising solution for our future as the cost of LED will continue to drop as it has in the last few years because of the improving manufacturing techniques providing more efficient and cost effective production of LED for industries. LED light systems, like LED flood light systems offer many advantages over traditional lighting. Some of them are as follows: 1.    Extremely low power consumption2.    Long Life of Lights leading to excellent life for overall system3.    Excellent ability of color rendering according to the application 4.    Higher initial cost but better lifetime cost as compared to any other option.LED industrial light not only offers a very efficient alternative but also an environment friendly options that will help us cut down on the critical carbon emissions leading to a better future for the upcoming generations. The main reasons that make LED Industrial Lighting a perfect solution are as follows:Long Life: In terms of life expectancy, LED lighting turns out to be 20 times better as compared to the incandescent bulbs. The average life of LEDs is about 60,000 hours whereas a normal incandescent bulb lasts for about merely 1500 hours on an average. When compared to fluorescent bulbs. LEDs last 10 longer which is still a significant difference.Low Power Consumption: When it comes to power, LEDs offer a very efficient option with extremely less power consumption. It is estimated that by using LEDs in US, about 348 terawatt hours of electricity can be saved which costs huge amount of $30 billion. Better Distribution of Light: LED Lighting offers much better focusing properties which results in better distribution of light in the desired direction as compared to other sources of light which throws the light in every direction resulting into wastage of energy. Reference:ASMT-UYBG-NACJ8XRCWHT-L1-0000-004E6LCWW5AM-KXKY-4U8X 

A molecule that transports oxygen in blood could be key to developing the next generation of batteries, and in a way that's environmentally friendly.Lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries have emerged in recent years as a possible successor to lithium-ion batteries—the industry standard for consumer electronics—due to their potential for holding a charge for a very long time. Electronic devices would go for weeks without charging, for instance; electric cars could travel four to five times longer than the current standard.But before this could happen, researchers need to make the Li-O2 batteries efficient enough for commercial application and prevent the formation of lithium peroxide, a solid precipitate that covers the surface of the batteries' oxygen electrodes. One obstacle is finding a catalyst that efficiently facilitates a process known as oxygen evolution reaction, in which lithium oxide products decompose back into lithium ions and oxygen gas.The Yale lab of Andre Taylor, associate professor of chemical and environmental engineering, has identified a molecule known as heme that could function as a better catalyst. The researchers demonstrated that the heme molecule improved the Li-O2 cell function by lowering the amount of energy required to improve the battery's charge/discharge cycle times.The results appear Oct. 19 in Nature Communications. The lead author is Won-Hee Ryu, a former postdoctoral researcher in Taylor's lab, who is now an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Sookmyung Women's University in South Korea.The heme is a molecule that makes up one of the two parts of a hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood of animals. Used in an Li-O2 battery, Ryu explained, the molecule would dissolve into the battery's electrolytes and act as what's known as a redox mediator, which lowers the energy barrier required for the electrochemical reaction to take place."When you breathe in air, the heme molecule absorbs oxygen from the air to your lungs and when you exhale, it transports carbon dioxide back out," Taylor said. "So it has a good binding with oxygen, and we saw this as a way to enhance these promising lithium-air batteries."The researchers added that their discovery could help reduce the amount of animal waste disposal."We're using a biomolecule that traditionally is just wasted," said Taylor. "In the animal products industry, they have to figure out some way to dispose of the blood. Here, we can take the heme molecules from these waste products and use it for renewable energy storage."By using recyclable biowaste as a catalyst material, the technology is both effective and could be preferential in developing green energy applications.Reference:ML-621S/ZTNMS412FE-FL26EMS518SE-FL35E