In this paper, a high‐performance pressure sensor that imitates the sensing functions of human skin is proposed. A rough poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) film transferred from abrasive paper acts as the sensing layer, while silver nanowires deposited on the bottom Ecoflex film with a 3D microstructure serve as the electrodes. Because of the bionic hierarchical structure, the resulting sensor exhibits a high pressure sensitivity of 6.13 kPa−1, low limit of detection (20 Pa), low operating voltage (0.1 V), and broad sensing range (up to 90 kPa). Furthermore, as the sensor is ultrathin, ultraflexible, and stretchable, it can easily conform to the uneven surface of human skin to allow monitoring of physical signals from the human body or detect the tactile stimulation of objects. In addition, a sensor array consisting of 4 × 4 pixels is assembled to realize the precise mapping of spatial pressure distribution. By virtue of its superior performance and low‐cost fabrication, the proposed pressure sensor may potentially be applied to next‐generation wearable devices such as e‐skin, soft robotics, and human–machine interaction systems.

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The aim of this study is to investigate whether the use of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can improve the differential diagnostic performance between hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor (HIPT) and other malignant tumors.Material and methods: Forty-four patients with histological proven HIPTs were included in this retrospective study. The features of conventional ultrasound (US) and CEUS were evaluated.Results: Three kinds of enhanced pattern can be seen in the 44 nodules including homogeneous (n=18, 41%), heterogeneous (n=16, 36%) and rim-like enhancement (n=10, 23%). All of the nodules showed hypo-enhancement during the portal and delayed phase. The dominant nodules (n=29, 66%) presented wash-out within 60 s after contrast injection. Quick wash-in and wash-out was seen in 18 nodules (41%). Eighteen nodules (41%) were correctly diagnosed as HIPT, whereas the remaining 26 cases were misdiagnosed as malignancies (n=20, 45%) or with an uncertain diagnosis (n=6, 14%).Conclusion: CEUS was not enough to differentiate HIPT from hepatic malignancies, especially intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and liver metastasis. However, some CEUS imaging characteristics may be helpful for HIPT diagnosis

A series of Sc:Ru:Fe:LiNbO3 crystals with various levels of Sc2O3(0, 1, 2, and 3 mol%) doping were grown from congruent melts in air by using the Czochralski technique.

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A series of LiNbO 3 crystals tri-doped with Mg 2+ , Yb 3+ , and Ho 3+ are grown by the conventional Czochraski technique. The concentrations of Mg 2+ , Yb 3+ , and Ho 3+ ions in Mg:Yb:Ho:LiNbO 3 crystals are measured by using an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The x-ray diffraction is proposed to determine the lattice constant and analyze the internal structure of the crystal. The light-induced scattering of Mg:Yb:Ho:LiNbO 3 crystal is quantitatively described via the threshold effect of incident exposure energy flux. The exposure energy (E r ) is calculated to discuss the optical damage resistance ability. The exposure energy of Mg(7 mol):Yb:Ho:LiNbO 3 crystal is 709.17 J/cm 2 , approximately 425 times higher than that of the Mg(1 mol):Yb:Ho:LiNbO 3 crystal in magnitude. The blue, red, and very intense green bands of Mg:Yb:Ho:LiNbO 3 crystal are observed under the 980-nm laser excitation to evaluate the up-conversion emission properties. The dependence of the emission intensity on pumping power indicates that the up-conversion emission is a two-photon process. The up-conversion emission mechanism is discussed in detail. This study indicates that Mg:Yb:Ho:LiNbO 3 crystal can be applied to the fabrication of new multifunctional photoluminescence devices.

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