Tunnel junctions based on interfacial two dimensional ferroelectrics.

Van der Waals heterostructures have opened new opportunities to develop atomically thin (opto)electronic devices with a wide range of functionalities. The recent focus on manipulating the interlayer twist angle has led to the observation of out-of-plane room temperature ferroelectricity in twisted rhombohedral bilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides. Here we explore the switching behaviour of sliding ferroelectricity using scanning probe microscopy domain mapping and tunnelling transport measurements. We observe well-pronounced ambipolar switching behaviour in ferroelectric tunnelling junctions with composite ferroelectric/non-polar insulator barriers and support our experimental results with complementary theoretical modelling. Furthermore, we show that the switching behaviour is strongly influenced by the underlying domain structure, allowing the fabrication of diverse ferroelectric tunnelling junction devices with various functionalities. We show that to observe the polarisation reversal, at least one partial dislocation must be present in the device area. This behaviour is drastically different from that of conventional ferroelectric materials, and its understanding is an important milestone for the future development of optoelectronic devices based on sliding ferroelectricity.

Axillary reverse lymphatic mapping reduces patient perceived incidence of lymphedema after axillary dissection in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lymphedema is a feared complication of many patients following axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. Axillary reverse lymphatic mapping (ARM) was adopted to decrease the incidence of lymphedema. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on 139 patients with breast cancer who had greater than 10 lymph nodes removed. A survey was sent to patients to identify those with lymphedema. RESULTS: One hundred nine women were contacted via mail survey to determine the presence of lymphedema. Of the 46 surveys returned, the incidence of lymphedema was 39%. Twenty-seven percent of the ARM group identified themselves as having lymphedema compared with 50% in non-ARM group. Eighteen percent of women in the ARM group needed an arm sleeve for treatment compared with 45.8% in the non-ARM group. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of perceived lymphedema and the need for arm compression sleeve devices were lower in the ARM cohort. ARM should be adopted to decrease patient perception of lymphedema.