Different patterns of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in the heart are thought to be dependent on altered mechanical and chemical conditions and can contribute to cardiac dysfunction. Cardiac fibroblasts are the primary regulators of the ECM and may respond to mechanical factors in vitro. We hypothesized that different types of in vitro strains, e.g. tensile or compressive, can stimulate ...

ZnO film of 8 mm thickness was grown on a sapphire (0 01) substrate with a GaN buffer layer by a novel growth technique called metal-source vapor phase epitaxy (MVPE). The surface of ZnO film measured by scanning electron microscope (SEM) is smooth and shows many regular hexagonal features. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ZnO(0 02) and (10 2) o-scan rocking curves are 119 and 202 arcse...

The structural, electronic, transport and optical properties of black phosphorus/MoS2 (BP/MoS2) van der Waals (vdw) heterostructure are investigated by using first principles calculations. The band gap of BP/MoS2 bilayer decreases with the applied normal compressive strain and a semiconductor-to-metal transition is observed when the applied strain is more than 0.85 Å. BP/MoS2 bilayer also exhib...

The realization of wearable electronic devices with extremely thin and flexible form factors has been a major technological challenge. While substrates typically limit the thickness of thin-film electronic devices, they are usually necessary for their fabrication and functionality. Here we report on ultra-thin organic transistors and integrated circuits using device components whose substrates ...

The Verwey transition in Fe3O4 is the first metal-insulator transition caused by charge ordering. However, the physical mechanism and influence factors of Verwey transition are still debated. Herewith, the strain effects on the electronic structure of low-temperature phase (LTP) Fe3O4 with P2/c and Cc symmetries are investigated by first-principles calculations. LTP Fe3O4 with each space group ...

Biaxial compressive strain has been used to markedly enhance the ferroelectric properties of BaTiO3 thin films. This strain, imposed by coherent epitaxy, can result in a ferroelectric transition temperature nearly 500 degrees C higher and a remanent polarization at least 250% higher than bulk BaTiO3 single crystals. This work demonstrates a route to a lead-free ferroelectric for nonvolatile mem...

Introduction. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of oral appliances (OAs) on dentition using a strain gauge analysis. Materials/Methods. Eight volunteers, who were mild snorers, participated in this study. OAs were individually constructed, and advancement was defined as two-thirds of the maximum mandibular advancement. Strain gauges were mounted on the right first molar and central inc...

Final conditioning of 25mm thick dried E. camaldulensis lumber was carried out in small capacity batch drying kiln in laboratory, and the elastic (EL) strain and mechano-sorptive (MS) strain was analyzed by slicing method. Mean moisture content(MC) of boards increases 2.5-3.0%, while surface MC increases from 9.8% to 14.2% and center MC always keeps at 12.3% or so. Difference of each slice oven...

BiFeO3 (BFO) multiferroic oxide has a complex phase diagram that can be mapped by using appropriately substrate-induced strain in epitaxial films. By using Raman spectroscopy, we conclusively show that films of the so-called supertetragonal T-BFO phase, stabilized under compressive strain, display a reversible temperature-induced phase transition at about 100 °C, and thus close to room temperat...

The ion-beam channeling technique has been used to characterize the interface and the first few layers of [100] GaSb/AlSb superlattice structures. Strain caused by alternating tensile and compressive stress has been detected by measuring the oscillation of the )110]-aligned direction with depth. From the angular displacement and its oscillation, the amount of strain in the superlattice has been...