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Desalination techniques using the photothermal effect hold significant potential for producing fresh water from saline or polluted sources due to their low energy consumption. In the case of commercialized carbon materials are related to heat loss resulting from high thermal conductivity, and metal particles still have trouble in commercialization or cost-effectiveness. This is because a photothermal desalination evaporator must simultaneously exhibit high water evaporation performance, excellent energy conversion efficiency, sufficient hydrophilicity, and low heat loss. In this work, developing an efficient in situ energy utilization technology that instant light to heat energy conversion system based on ZIF-8/agarose-derived carbon aerogels, achieved by controlling hydrophilicity, thermal conductivity, and light absorption properties is reported. The carbon aerogel demonstrates excellent performances of improved capillary force, structural stability, and cost-effectiveness. The designed carbon aerogel, with a high surface area (524 m 2 g -1 ), adequate hydrophilicity, and low density (0.07 g cm -3 ), is buoyant enough to float on the water. A water evaporation efficiency of 1.53 kg m -2 h -1 under 1 sun and a light-to-heat conversion of 85% are achieved, along with effective salt blocking through the size-controlled uniform ZIF-8 nanoparticles and optimized composition with agarose., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objective: To identify vulnerable areas and populations with limited access to dental care in Virginia, the study aimed (1) to calculate travel time and accessibility scores to dental care in Virginia using a transit-based accessibility model for all dental clinics and dental clinics participating in the Medicaid dental program and (2) to estimate factors associated with accessibility to dental clinics participating in the Medicaid dental program in Virginia., Methods: The study used building footprints as origins of transit trips to dental care services (or destinations). The study then computed transit-based origin-destination travel time matrices based on the detailed trip information, including in-vehicle and out-of-vehicle travel time. Accessibility scores were calculated by counting the number of dental clinics that can be reached within 60 min. Regression analysis was used to measure factors associated with accessibility scores to dental clinics participating in Medicaid., Results: Residents in smaller regions spent longer travel time to dental clinics by public transit compared with those who resided in larger regions. Medicaid participants also faced longer travel time compared with the general population. Residents spent more than three-fourths of the time waiting for public transit and walking to clinics regardless of where they live and what type of insurance they have. Associations between sociodemographic factors and accessibility scores to dental clinics participating in the Medicaid dental program varied across regions., Conclusions: Disparities in dental care accessibility exist depending on the size of regions and Medicaid participation in Virginia. The disparities in transit-based access to dental clinics and a disproportionate amount of time spent waiting for public transit and walking to dental clinics could be improved through tailored interventions taking into account the sociodemographic and geographic characteristics of each region., (© 2024 The Author(s). Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Significant challenges in ensuring long-term stability, addressing environmental safety issues, and improving efficiency have hindered the commercialization of inverted Pb-based halide perovskite solar cells (PeSCs). One reasonable approach to addressing these issues is to place an effective buffer layer between the perovskite active layer and the electrode. In this study, we demonstrate the use of crown ether, di- tert -butyl dibenzo-18-crown-6, as a single buffer layer to improve the efficiency, long-term stability, and environmental safety of PeSCs for the first time. The crown ether buffer layer suppressed Ag diffusion from the Ag metal electrodes, thereby improving the performance and lifetime of the device. In addition, it effectively captures Pb ions that may leak into the environment during the whole lifetime of devices, thereby enhancing the environmental safety of PeSCs. Furthermore, PeSCs incorporating crown ethers as buffer layers demonstrated enhanced stability in a nitrogen atmosphere and achieved a high power conversion efficiency of 22.8%. Consequently, this crown ether buffer layer offers an effective and straightforward strategy capable of achieving efficient, stable, and environmentally safe PeSCs.

Polymer coatings are widely used in industries for protection, decoration, and specific applications, typically including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to achieve low viscosity. The growing environmental concerns and the anticipated limits on fossil feedstock have driven the coating industry towards eco-friendly alternatives, with UV-curing technology emerging as a promising solution due to its energy efficiency, low-temperature operation, reduced VOC emissions, and high curing speed. Polyurethane acrylates (PUAs) are critical in UV-curable formulations, offering excellent flexibility, impact strength, optical, and adhesion properties. However, UV-cured PUA coatings face limitations in thermal stability and tensile strength, which can be addressed by incorporating fillers. This study investigates the effects of multi-functionalized hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanoparticles on the mechanical, thermal, optical, and adhesion properties of UV-cured PUA films and coatings for pre-coated metals. The results demonstrated that incorporating hBN nanoparticles enhanced the mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposite films, with optimal performance observed at 0.5% hBN loading. Despite the improved properties, the FTIR spectra indicated that the low concentration of hBN did not produce significant changes, potentially due to the overshadowing signals from the difunctional polyurethane acrylate.

The decoupled 8 × 2 transceiver array has been shown to achieve a mean B 1 + of 11.7 uT with a coefficient of variation of ~11% over the intracranial brain volume for 7-T MR imaging. However, this array may be thought to give lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and higher g-factors for parallel imaging compared with a radio frequency (RF) receive-only coil due to the latter's higher coil count and use of coil overlap to reduce the mutual impedance. Nonetheless, because the transceiver's highly decoupled design (pertinent for transmission) should also be constructive for reception, we measured the noise correlation, g-factors, and SNR for the decoupled transceiver in comparison with a commercial reference coil. We found that although the transceiver has half the number of receive elements in comparison with the reference coil (16 vs. 32), comparable g-factors and SNR over the head were obtained. From five subjects, the transceiver versus reference coil SNR was 65 ± 10 versus 67 ± 15. The mean noise correlation for all coil pairs was 10% ± 5% and 12% ± 9% (transceiver and reference coil, respectively). As changes in load impedance may alter the S parameters, we also examined the performance of the transceiver with tuned and matched (TM) versus untuned and unmatched (UTM) conditions on five subjects. We found that the noise correlation and SNR are robust to load variation; a noise correlation of 10% ± 5% and 10% ± 6% was determined with TM versus UTM conditions (SNR UTM /SNR TM  = 0.97 ± 0.08). Finally, we demonstrate the performance of the array in human brain using T2-weighted turbo spin echo imaging, finding excellent SNR performance in both caudal and rostral brain regions., (© 2024 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have shown outstanding potential for new devices based on their interesting electrical properties beyond conventional 3D materials. In recent years, new concepts such as the valley degree of freedom have been studied to develop valleytronics in hexagonal lattice 2D materials. We investigated the valley degree of freedom of GaX and Janus GaXY (X, Y = S, Se, Te). By considering the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effect in the band structure calculations, we identified the Rashba-type spin splitting in band structures of Janus Ga 2 SSe and Ga 2 STe. Further, we confirmed that the Zeeman-type spin splitting at the K and K' valleys of GaX and Janus Ga 2 XY show opposite spin contributions. We also calculated the Berry curvatures of GaX and Janus GaXY. In this study, we find that GaX and Janus Ga 2 XY have a similar magnitude of Berry curvatures, while having opposite signs at the K and K' points. In particular, GaTe and Ga 2 SeTe have relatively larger Berry curvatures of about 3.98 Å 2 and 3.41 Å 2 , respectively, than other GaX and Janus Ga 2 XY.

A major challenge for human neuroimaging using functional MRI is the differentiation of neuronal excitation and inhibition which may induce positive and negative BOLD responses. Here we present an innovative multi-contrast laminar functional MRI technique that offers comprehensive and quantitative imaging of neurovascular (CBF, CBV, BOLD) and metabolic (CMRO 2 ) responses across cortical layers at 7 Tesla. This technique was first validated through a finger-tapping experiment, revealing 'double-peak' laminar activation patterns within the primary motor cortex. By employing a ring-shaped visual stimulus that elicited positive and negative BOLD responses, we further observed distinct neurovascular and metabolic responses across cortical layers and eccentricities in the primary visual cortex. This suggests potential feedback inhibition of neuronal activities in both superficial and deep cortical layers underlying the negative BOLD signals in the fovea, and also illustrates the neuronal activities in visual areas adjacent to the activated eccentricities., Competing Interests: 8.Declaration of Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests.

The design and preparation of dual-functional photocatalysts for simultaneously realizing photocatalytic wastewater purification and hydrogen energy generation pose significant challenges. This article presents the engineering of a binary heterostructured photocatalyst by combining TiO 2 (nanorods) and MoS 2 nanosphere using a straightforward solvothermal method and the assessment of the phase structures, morphologies, and optical properties of the resulting nanocomposites using diverse analytical techniques. The TiO 2 (Rod)/MoS 2 composite exhibits remarkable efficacy in degrading ciprofloxacin, achieving 93% removal rate within 1 h, which is four times higher than that of bare TiO 2 . Moreover, the optimized TiO 2 (Rod)/MoS 2 presents an outstanding hydrogen production rate of 7415 μmol g -1 , which is ∼24 times higher than that of pristine TiO 2 . Under UV-visible light irradiation, the TiO 2 (Rod)/MoS 2 heterojunction displays an exceptional photocatalytic performance in terms of both photodegradation and hydrogen production, surpassing the performance of TiO 2 particle/MoS 2 . The study findings demonstrate that TiO 2 (Rod)/MoS 2 nanocomposites exhibit considerably improved photocatalytic degradation and hydrogen generation activities. Based on the experimental results, a possible mechanism is proposed for the transfer and separation of charge carriers in Z-scheme heterojunctions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The development of advanced technologies for the fabrication of functional nanomaterials, nanostructures, and devices has facilitated the development of biosensors for analyses. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, with unique hierarchical structures, a high surface area, and the ability to be functionalized for target detection at the surface, exhibit high potential for biosensing applications. The electronic properties, mechanical flexibility, and optical, electrochemical, and physical properties of 2D nanomaterials can be easily modulated, enabling the construction of biosensing platforms for the detection of various analytes with targeted recognition, sensitivity, and selectivity. This review provides an overview of the recent advances in 2D nanomaterials and nanostructures used for biosensor and wearable-sensor development for healthcare and health-monitoring applications. Finally, the advantages of 2D-nanomaterial-based devices and several challenges in their optimal operation have been discussed to facilitate the development of smart high-performance biosensors in the future.

Amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs) with low off-currents and processing temperatures offer promising alternative materials for next-generation high-density memory devices. The complex vertical stacking process of memory devices significantly increases the probability of encountering internal contact issues. Conventional surface treatment methods developed for planar devices necessitate efficient approaches to eliminate contact issues at deep internal interfaces in the nanoscale complex structures of AOS devices. In this work, we report the pioneering use of palladium thin film as a high-efficiency active hydrogen transfer pathway from the outside to the internal contact interface via low-temperature postannealing in the H 2 atmosphere, and the formation of highly conductive metallic interlayer effectively solves the contact issues at the deeply buried interfaces in devices. The application of this method reduced the contact resistance of Pd electrodes/amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film by 2 orders of magnitude, and thereby the mobility of thin-film transistor was increased from 3.2 cm 2 V -1 s -1 to nearly 20 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , preserving an excellent bias stress stability. This technology has wide applicability for the solution of contact resistance issues in oxide semiconductor devices with complex architectures.

Sol-gel transition regulates mass transport in fluidic systems. We designed pre-gelators that react with fluoride anions to form a metallogel barrier. A combination of spectroscopic, rheological, and X-ray spectroscopic studies elucidated the mechanism of gelation involving desilylation followed by metal coordination-driven self-assembly, the kinetics of which can be finely controlled by the chemical structure of the silyl substituents. Protonation-induced degelation restores flow, allowing the metallogel to function as a reversible chemical valve .

Importance: Transportation barriers have long been associated with poorer health outcomes; this burden is especially acute for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), a chronic disease often associated with low socioeconomic status. Conventional travel time analyses may not fully account for experiential components of travel, thereby understating the true travel burden and overstating treatment accessibility to opioid treatment programs (OTPs)., Objective: To develop a metric of feels-like accessibility for those using public transit to access OTPs that accounts for the realistic travel burden on individuals with OUD., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study integrated high-resolution transit schedules and operating hours of OTPs to measure feels-like accessibility. Feels-like accessibility considers the differential outcomes of out-of-vehicle travel components and more realistically reflects individuals' transportation burden than conventional accessibility measures. Gini indices and spatial regression models were used to investigate inequities in accessibility. Geocoded data for residential addresses of 1018 overdose fatalities in Connecticut in 2019 were used as a proxy for the treatment needs of individuals with OUD. Data were analyzed between May and August 2023., Main Outcomes and Measures: Conventional and feels-like accessibility scores., Exposures: Fluctuations in public transit frequencies over the course of the day and the limited operating hours of the OTPs., Results: Of the 1018 individuals in the study, the mean (SD) age at death was 43.7 (12.6) years, 784 individuals (77%) were men, 111 (11%) were African American, and 889 (87%) were White, with other racial and ethnic categories including 18 individuals (2%). A total of 264 individuals in the sample (26%) could not access an OTP within 180 minutes. For those who could access these facilities, the average 1-way travel time was 45.6 minutes, with individuals spending approximately 70% of their trip duration on out-of-vehicle travel components. The conventional accessibility metric underestimates individuals' travel burden to OTPs as well as the inequity in accessibility compared with the feels-like accessibility metric. For example, the median (range) conventional accessibility score, defined as the number of OTPs within 120 minutes of transit travel time, was 5.0 (0.0-17.0); the median (range) feels-like accessibility score, defined as the number of OTPs within 120 minutes of transit travel time weighted to account for in- and out-of-vehicle segments, was 1.0 (0.0-10.0). There is a considerable temporal variation in travel time and accessibility depending on the departure times., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of travel burdens, the calculated feels-like accessibility scores, which consider the differential outcomes of out-of-vehicle travel components (eg, walking and waiting), could better and more realistically reflect passengers' transportation burden. Policy recommendations derived from the conventional accessibility metric could be misleading, and decision-makers should use feels-like accessibility metrics that adequately capture individuals' travel burdens. In the context of access to OTPs, the findings from this study suggest that opening new OTP sites to address gaps in access due to distance to services or extending hours of operation at existing sites may ameliorate the travel burden for individuals.

Lithium (Li) metal is considered an ultimate anode owing to its high specific capacity and energy density. However, uncontrolled Li dendrite growth and low Coulombic efficiency have limited the application of Li metal. Among various strategies introduced to address these limitations, the surface modification of polyolefin separators with functional materials has been widely adopted for improving the mechanical and thermal stabilities of polymer separators and to protect the separator from the penetration of Li dendrites. Herein, we report a new functional polymer separator that is surface-altered with a graphene-based Li-ion flux regulator (GLR) to homogenize the Li-ion flux and suppress the growth of sharp dendritic Li in Li metal batteries. The nanopores distributed through the GLR structure serve as channels for ion transport and junctions for electron transfer, facilitating efficient electrolyte penetration and rapid charge transfer between graphene (Gr) sheets. Owing to these favorable features of porous GLR, a Li-Cu cell with the GLR surface-altered polypropylene separator (GLR-PP) delivers excellent cycle and rate performances compared to a Li-Cu cell with a Gr surface-altered polypropylene separator. In addition, among the tested cells, Li-sulfur cells with GLR-PP exhibit the most stable cycle performance over 500 cycles. These results demonstrate that the concept of tailoring the surface of a polymer separator with porous 2D materials is an effective strategy for improving the long-term cycle stability and electrochemical kinetics of Li metal-based batteries and would trigger further relevant studies.

Nanocellulose-based aerogels have been considered as one of the ideal candidates for CO 2 capture in practical applications owing to their lightweight and porous properties. Additionally, various adsorbents with amine groups have been widely used as effective CO 2 capture and storage strategies. Herein, amino-functionalized aerogels were prepared by sol-gel and freeze-drying methods using two typical nanocelluloses (cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)) as substrates. In addition, the reaction parameters for grafting and amino functionalization were optimized. The CNC and CNF aerogels could be easily modified by the hydrothermal growth of the amino group, and they exhibited attractive properties in terms of CO 2 adsorption, recyclability, thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and CO 2 /CH 4 mixture separation. The amino-functionalized CNF aerogel exhibited superior performance to the CNC aerogel, which was attributed to the increased cross-linking binding sites for hydrogen bonding in the CNF aerogel. The results of this study indicated that amino-functionalized nanocellulose aerogels can be considered a promising biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly material for CO 2 capture and removal of CO 2 from CH 4 ., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In this study, we investigate the thermochemical stability of graphene on the GaN substrate for metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-based remote epitaxy. Despite excellent physical properties of GaN, making it a compelling choice for high-performance electronic and light-emitting device applications, the challenge of thermochemical decomposition of graphene on a GaN substrate at high temperatures has obstructed the achievement of remote homoepitaxy via MOCVD. Our research uncovers an unexpected stability of graphene on N-polar GaN, thereby enabling the MOCVD-based remote homoepitaxy of N-polar GaN. Our comparative analysis of N- and Ga-polar GaN substrates reveals markedly different outcomes: while a graphene/N-polar GaN substrate produces releasable microcrystals (μCs), a graphene/Ga-polar GaN substrate yields nonreleasable thin films. We attribute this discrepancy to the polarity-dependent thermochemical stability of graphene on the GaN substrate and its subsequent reaction with hydrogen. Evidence obtained from Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopic analyses, and overlayer delamination points to a pronounced thermochemical stability of graphene on N-polar GaN during MOCVD-based remote homoepitaxy. Molecular dynamics simulations, corroborated by experimental data, further substantiate that the thermochemical stability of graphene is reliant on the polarity of GaN, due to different reactions with hydrogen at high temperatures. Based on the N-polar remote homoepitaxy of μCs, the practical application of our findings was demonstrated in fabrication of flexible light-emitting diodes composed of p-n junction μCs with InGaN heterostructures.

As the scale-down and power-saving of silicon-based channel materials approach the limit, oxide semiconductors are being actively researched for applications in 3D back-end-of-line integration. For these applications, it is necessary to develop stable oxide semiconductors with electrical properties similar to those of Si. Herein, a single-crystal-like indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) layer (referred to as a pseudo-single-crystal) is synthesized using plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition and fabricated stable IGZO transistors with an ultra-high mobility of over 100 cm 2  Vs -1 . To acquire high-quality atomic layer deposition-processed IGZO layers, the plasma power of the reactant is controlled as an effective processing parameter by evaluating and understanding the effect of the chemical reaction of the precursors on the behavior of the residual hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen in the as-deposited films. Based on these insights, this study found that there is a critical relationship between the optimal plasma reaction energy, superior electrical performance, and device stability., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Planar antennas have become an integral component in modern biomedical instruments owing to their compact structure, cost effectiveness, and light weight. These antennas are crucial in realizing medical systems such as body area networks, remote health monitoring, and microwave imaging systems. Antennas intended for the above applications should be conformal and fabricated using lightweight materials that are suitable for wear on the human body. Wearable antennas are intended to be placed on the human body to examine its health conditions. Hence, the performance of the antenna, such as its radiation characteristics across the operating frequency bands, should not be affected by human body proximity. This is achieved by selecting appropriate conformal materials whose characteristics remain stable under all environmental conditions. This paper aims to highlight the effects of human body proximity on wearable antenna performance. Additionally, this paper reviews the various types of flexible antennas proposed for biomedical applications. It describes the challenges in designing wearable antennas, the selection of a flexible material that is suitable for fabricating wearable antennas, and the relevant methods of fabrication. This paper also highlights the future directions in this rapidly growing field. Flexible antennas are the keystone for implementing next-generation wireless communication devices for health monitoring and health safety applications.

In recent decades, antibiotics have been found in aquatic environments, raising severe concerns. In this study, a unique reduced graphene oxide-zinc sulfide-copper sulfide (rGO-ZnS-CuS) nanocomposite (NC) prepared by using a straightforward surfactant-free in situ microwave method was used for antibiotic degradation via photocatalysis. The structural and morphological characteristics of the produced catalysts were characterized using various techniques, confirming the successful development of nanocomposite structures of better quality than that of the pure samples. The photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics containing ofloxacin was also investigated. The results suggest that the rGO-ZCS NC outperformed the other composites in terms of photocatalytic activity toward ofloxacin degradation. Superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were the main active species during the degradation process. According to our results, the catalytic activity of rGO-ZCS NC is much better than that of the other composites., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Universal platforms to analyze biomolecules using sensor devices can address critical diagnostic challenges. Sensor devices like electrical-based field-effect transistors play an essential role in sensing biomolecules by charge probing. Graphene-based devices are more suitable for these applications. It has been previously reported that Graphene Field-Effect Transistor (GFET) devices detect DNA hybridization, pH sensors, and protein molecules. Graphene became a promising material for electrical-based field-effect transistor devices in sensing biomarkers, including biomolecules and proteins. In the last decade, FET devices have detected biomolecules such as DNA molecules, pH, glucose, and protein. These studies have suggested that the reference electrode is placed externally and measures the transfer characteristics. However, the external probing method damages the samples, requiring safety measurements and a substantial amount of time. To control this problem, the graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) device is fabricated with an inbuilt gate that acts as a reference electrode to measure the biomolecules. Herein, the monolayer graphene is exfoliated, and the GFET is designed with an in-built gate to detect the Interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein. IL-6 is a multifunctional cytokine which plays a significant role in immune regulation and metabolism. Additionally, IL-6 subsidizes a variability of disease states, including many types of cancer development, and metastasis, progression, and increased levels of IL-6 are associated with a higher risk of cancer and can also serve as a prognostic marker for cancer. Here, the protein is desiccated on the GFET device and measured, and Dirac point shifting in the transfer characteristics systematically evaluates the device's performance. Our work yielded a conductive and electrical response with the IL-6 protein. This graphene-based transducer with an inbuilt gate gives a promising platform to enable low-cost, compact, facile, real-time, and sensitive amperometric sensors to detect IL-6. Targeting this pathway may help develop treatments for several other symptoms, such as neuromyelitis optica, uveitis, and, more recently, COVID-19 pneumonia.

Lead is the most widely used X-ray-shielding material, but it is heavy (density ≈ 11.34 g/cm 3 ) and toxic. Therefore, the replacement of Pb with lightweight, ecofriendly materials would be beneficial, and such materials would have applications in medicine, electronics, and aerospace engineering. However, the shielding ability of Pb-free materials is significantly lower than that of Pb itself. To maximize the radiation attenuation of non-Pb-based shielding materials, a high-attenuation cross-section, normal to the incoming X-ray direction, must be achieved. In this study, we developed efficient X-ray-shielding materials composed of sulfated cerium oxide (S-CeO 2 ) and bismuth halides. Crucially, the materials are lightweight and mechanically flexible because of the absence of heavy metals (for example, Pb and W). Further, by pre-forming the doped metal oxide as a porous sponge matrix, and then incorporating the bismuth halides into the porous matrix, uniform, compact, and intimate composites with a high-attenuation cross-section were achieved. Owing to the synergetic effect of the doped metal oxide and bismuth halides, the resultant thin (approximately 3 mm) and lightweight (0.85 g·cm -3 ) composite achieved an excellent X-ray-shielding rate of approximately 92% at 60 kV, one of the highest values reported for non-heavy-metal shielding materials.

The architecture of integrated perovskite/organic solar cells (IPOSCs) is a promising strategy to further enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) by extending their photoresponse to the near-infrared range. To maximize the potential benefits of the system, it is crucial to optimize the perovskite crystallinity and intimate morphology of the organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ). More importantly, efficient charge transfer between the interface of the perovskite and BHJ plays a key role in the success of IPOSCs. This paper reports efficient IPOSCs by forming interdigitated interfaces between the perovskite and BHJ layers. Large microscale perovskite grains enable the infiltration of BHJ materials into the perovskite grain boundary, thereby increasing the interface area and promoting efficient charge transfer. Owing to the synergetic effect of the interdigitated interfaces and optimized BHJ nanomorphology, the developed P-I-N-type IPOSC exhibited an excellent PCE of 18.43% with a J sc of 24.44 mA/cm 2 , a V oc of 0.95 V, and a FF of 79.49%, which is one of very efficient hybrid perovskite-polymer solar cells.

Aims: This study aimed to summarize the evidence on sleep alterations in medication-naïve children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)., Methods: We systematically searched PubMed/Medline, Embase and Web of Science databases from inception through March 22, 2021. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021243881). Any observational study was included that enrolled medication-naïve children and adolescents with ASD and compared objective (actigraphy and polysomnography) or subjective sleep parameters with typically developing (TD) counterparts. We extracted relevant data such as the study design and outcome measures. The methodological quality was assessed through the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). A meta-analysis was carried out using the random-effects model by pooling effect sizes as Hedges' g . To assess publication bias, Egger's test and p -curve analysis were done. A priori planned meta-regression and subgroup analysis were also performed to identify potential moderators., Results: Out of 4277 retrieved references, 16 studies were eligible with 981 ASD patients and 1220 TD individuals. The analysis of objective measures showed that medication-naïve ASD patients had significantly longer sleep latency (Hedges' g 0.59; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.26 to 0.92), reduced sleep efficiency (Hedges' g -0.58; 95% CI -0.87 to -0.28), time in bed (Hedges' g -0.64; 95% CI -1.02 to -0.26) and total sleep time (Hedges' g -0.64; 95% CI -1.01 to -0.27). The analysis of subjective measures showed that they had more problems in daytime sleepiness (Hedges' g 0.48; 95% CI 0.26 to 0.71), sleep latency (Hedges' g 1.15; 95% CI 0.72 to 1.58), initiating and maintaining sleep (Hedges' g 0.86; 95% CI 0.39 to 1.33) and sleep hyperhidrosis (Hedges' g 0.48; 95% CI 0.29 to 0.66). Potential publication bias was detected for sleep latency, sleep period time and total sleep time measured by polysomnography. Some sleep alterations were moderated by age, sex and concurrent intellectual disability. The median NOS score was 8 (interquartile range 7.25-8.75)., Conclusion: We found that medication-naïve children and adolescents with ASD presented significantly more subjective and objective sleep alterations compared to TD and identified possible moderators of these differences. Future research requires an analysis of how these sleep alterations are linked to core symptom severity and comorbid behavioural problems, which would provide an integrated therapeutic intervention for ASD. However, our results should be interpreted in light of the potential publication bias.

Achieving high mobility and reliability in atomic layer deposition (ALD)-based IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an amorphous phase is vital for practical applications in relevant fields. Here, we suggest a method to effectively increase stability while maintaining high mobility by employing the selective application of nitrous oxide plasma reactant during plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) at 200 °C process temperature. The nitrogen-doping mechanism is highly dependent on the intrinsic carbon impurities or nature of each cation, as demonstrated by a combination of theoretical and experimental research. The Ga 2 O 3 subgap states are especially dependent on plasma reactants. Based on these insights, we can obtain high-performance indium-rich PEALD-IGZO TFTs (threshold voltage: -0.47 V; field-effect mobility: 106.5 cm 2 /(V s); subthreshold swing: 113.5 mV/decade; hysteresis: 0.05 V). In addition, the device shows minimal threshold voltage shifts of +0.45 and -0.10 V under harsh positive/negative bias temperature stress environments (field stress: ±2 MV/cm; temperature stress: 95 °C) after 10000 s.

Perovskite solar cells (PeSCs) using FAPbI 3 perovskite films often exhibit unfavorable phase transitions and defect-induced nonradiative interfacial recombination, resulting in considerable energy loss and impairing the performance of PeSCs in terms of efficiency, stability, and hysteresis. In this work, a facile interface engineering strategy to control the surface structure and energy-level alignment of perovskite films by tailoring the interface between the FAPbI 3 film and hole-transporting layer using 4-hydroxypicolinic acid (4HPA) is reported. According to density functional theory studies, 4HPA has prominent electron delocalization distribution properties that enable it to anchor to the perovskite film surface and facilitate charge transfer at the interface. By enabling multiple bonding interactions with the perovskite layer, including hydrogen bonds, PbO, and PbN dative bonds, 4HPA passivation significantly reduces the trap density and efficiently suppresses nonradiative recombination. The obtained perovskite films exhibit superior optoelectronic properties with improved crystallinity, pure α-phase FAPbI 3 , and favorable energy band bending. Following this strategy, 4HPA post-treatment PeSCs achieve a champion power conversion efficiency of 23.28% in 0.12 cm 2 cells and 19.26% in 36 cm 2 modules with excellent environmental and thermal stabilities., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Energy storage and conversion are critical components of modern energy systems, enabling the integration of renewable energy sources and the optimization of energy use. These technologies play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable development. Supercapacitors play a vital role in the development of energy storage systems due to their high power density, long life cycles, high stability, low manufacturing cost, fast charging-discharging capability and eco-friendly. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) has emerged as a promising material for supercapacitor electrodes due to its high surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, and good stability. Its unique layered structure also allows for efficient ion transport and storage, making it a potential candidate for high-performance energy storage devices. Additionally, research efforts have focused on improving synthesis methods and developing novel device architectures to enhance the performance of MoS 2 -based devices. This review article on MoS 2 and MoS 2 -based nanocomposites provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in the synthesis, properties, and applications of MoS 2 and its nanocomposites in the field of supercapacitors. This article also highlights the challenges and future directions in this rapidly growing field.

Blue-emitting Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 has attracted attention owing to its near-unity PL quantum yield and applications in DUV photodetectors and scintillators. Its PL properties originate from the unique local structure around the luminescent center, the [Cu 2 I 5 ] 3- polyhedron iodocuprate anion consisting of the edge-shared CuI 3 triangle and the CuI 4 tetrahedron dimer, which is isolated by Cs + ions. We found that solid-state reactions between CsI and CuI occur near room temperature (RT) to form Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 and/or CsCu 2 I 3 phases. High-quality thin films of these phases were obtained by the sequential deposition of CuI and CsI by thermal evaporation. We elucidated that the formation of interstitial Cu + and the antisite of I - at the Cs + site in the CsI crystal through Cu + and I - diffusion results in the RT synthesis of Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 . The unique structure formation of the luminescent center was revealed using a model based on the low packing density of the CsCl-type crystal structure, similar sizes of Cs + and I - ions, and the high diffusivity of Cu + . The self-aligned patterning of the luminous regions on thin films was demonstrated.

With the rapid development of virtual reality (VR) technology and the market growth of social network services (SNS), VR-based SNS have been actively developed, in which 3D avatars interact with each other on behalf of the users. To provide the users with more immersive experiences in a metaverse, facial recognition technologies that can reproduce the user's facial gestures on their personal avatar are required. However, it is generally difficult to employ traditional camera-based facial tracking technology to recognize the facial expressions of VR users because a large portion of the user's face is occluded by a VR head-mounted display (HMD). To address this issue, attempts have been made to recognize users' facial expressions based on facial electromyogram (fEMG) recorded around the eyes. fEMG-based facial expression recognition (FER) technology requires only tiny electrodes that can be readily embedded in the HMD pad that is in contact with the user's facial skin. Additionally, electrodes recording fEMG signals can simultaneously acquire electrooculogram (EOG) signals, which can be used to track the user's eyeball movements and detect eye blinks. In this study, we implemented an fEMG- and EOG-based FER system using ten electrodes arranged around the eyes, assuming a commercial VR HMD device. Our FER system could continuously capture various facial motions, including five different lip motions and two different eyebrow motions, from fEMG signals. Unlike previous fEMG-based FER systems that simply classified discrete expressions, with the proposed FER system, natural facial expressions could be continuously projected on the 3D avatar face using machine-learning-based regression with a new concept named the virtual blend shape weight, making it unnecessary to simultaneously record fEMG and camera images for each user. An EOG-based eye tracking system was also implemented for the detection of eye blinks and eye gaze directions using the same electrodes. These two technologies were simultaneously employed to implement a real-time facial motion capture system, which could successfully replicate the user's facial expressions on a realistic avatar face in real time. To the best of our knowledge, the concurrent use of fEMG and EOG for facial motion capture has not been reported before.

To explore the larvicidal activity of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using the ethanolic Catharanthus roseus flower extract (CRE) against the larvae of Aedes aegypti ( A. aegypti ), AgNPs were synthesized by an eco-friendly method and characterized by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Particle Size Analysis, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-Ray spectrometry (EDX) analysis. The resultant AgNPs showed a spherically well-defined, highly stable, and monodispersed shape with an average particle size ranging from 15 to 25 nm. The absorbance of the AgNPs was measured by using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 416 nm. The presence and binding of the phenolic functional group with the AgNPs were confirmed using FTIR analysis. Particle size analysis revealed an average particle diameter of 90 nm with 80 % distribution. XRD analysis revealed the highly crystalline nature of the CRE-AgNPs. The LC 50 and LC 90 values of CRE-AgNPs and the extract were calculated. The mortality percentage of the extract and synthesized CRE-AgNPs was observed after 24 h. The maximum larvicidal activity with 100 % mortality of A. aegypti was observed in AgNPs synthesized using ethanolic CRE. The LC 50 and LC 90 values are 8.963 and 20.515 ppm for CRE-AgNPs against A. aegypti larvae, respectively. The CRE-AgNPs revealed superior antibacterial activity against human pathogenic bacteria; the zone of inhibition (ZOI) was measured for all of the pathogens, and the results revealed that different concentrations of CRE-AgNPs showed a remarkable ZOI of about (a) 10-14 mm for Salmonella typhimurium , (b) 6-11 mm for Bacillus subtilis , (c) 11-14 mm for Enterococcus faecalis , and (d) 9-10 mm for Shigella boydii . The maximum ZOI was observed in E. faecalis . Impeccably, the cytotoxicity of CRE-AgNPs at 250 μg/mL is 82% against the HaCaT cell lines. The synthesized CRE-AgNPs showed maximum effectiveness of paradoxical activity on mosquito larvae., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Methanol, a raw material for C1 chemistry, is industrially produced under harsh conditions using Cu/ZnO-based catalysts. The synthesis of methanol under mild conditions is a challenging subject using an improved catalyst. Here, Zn 1- x Si x O (ZSO) nanoparticles were synthesized by a thermal plasma method, and their work function and carrier concentration could be tuned by the Zn:Si ratio. The electrically conductive ZSO nanoparticles with a low work function enhanced the donation of electrons to loaded Cu and significantly promoted hydrogenation of CO to methanol, whereas insulating ZSO nanoparticles with a similar low work function did not. These results reveal that efficient electronic promotion by the transfer of electrons from a support to loaded Cu plays a key role in low-temperature methanol synthesis.

Hydride ions (H - ) in solvents are chemically active anions with strong electron-donating ability and are used as reducing agents in organic chemistry. Here, we evaluate the energy level of 1s-electrons in H - accommodated in solid lanthanum hydrides, LaH x (2 ≤ x ≤ 3), by photoemission (ultraviolet photoelectron and photoelectron yield spectroscopies) measurements and density functional theory calculations. We show that a very shallow valance band maximum with an ionization potential of 3.8 eV is attained in LaH 3 and that the primary cause is attributed to the small electronegativity of hydrogen and the significant bonding-antibonding interaction between neighboring H - s with a close separation originating from the H-stuffed fluorite-related structure. These results encourage the challenge for p-type conduction in hydride semiconductors and provide a clue to the chemical understanding of polyhydride superconductors.

Li metal has been intensively investigated as a next-generation rechargeable battery anode. However, its practical application as the anode material is hindered by the deposition of dendritic Li. To suppress dendritic Li growth, introducing a modified separator is considered an effective strategy since it promotes a uniform Li ion flux and strengthens thermal and mechanical stability. Herein, we present a strategy for the surface modification of separator, which involves coating the separator with a piezoelectric material (PM). The PM-coated separator shows higher thermal resistance than the pristine separator, and its modified surface properties enable the homogeneous regulation of the Li-ion flux when the separator is punctured by Li dendrite. Furthermore, PM was synthesized in different solvents via solvothermal method to explore the size effect. This strategy would be helpful to overcome the intrinsic Li metal anode problems.

Cross-linked membranes for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell application are prepared using highly sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) and polymeric cross-linkers having different hydrophilicities by facile in-situ casting and heating processes. From the advantage of the cross-linked structures made with the use of polymeric cross-linkers, a stable membrane can be obtained even though the polymer matrix with a very high degree of sulfonation was used. In particular, hydrophilic cross-linker is found to be effective in improving physicochemical properties of the cross-linked membranes and at the same time showing reasonable proton conductivity. Accordingly, membrane electrode assembly made from the cross-linked membrane prepared by using hydrophilic polymeric cross-linker exhibits outstanding cell performance under high temperature and low relative humidity conditions (e.g., maximum power density of 176.4 mW cm -2 at 120 °C and 40% RH).

At public bus stops, NO X pollutants discharged by regularly stopping buses quickly accumulate, exposing waiting passengers to high levels of air pollutants, which creates a threat to public health. The environmental protection agency (EPA) presents air quality standards for NO X , a significant pollutant that causes lung diseases such as asthma when exposed to the human body. To handle this problem, air purification systems are installed inside bus stops in many public places. However, it is challenging to maintain a low concentration of NO X inside public bus stops due to the persistent inflow of bus exhaust gas. Therefore, it is crucial to design an optimal location for an air purification system to meet air environment standards for respiratory areas. This study proposed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based optimal installation strategy for an air purification system to minimize NO X exposure inside a public bus stop. The CFD model was developed to numerically analyze NO 2 exposure with the actual design value for a public bus stop in Ulsan, South Korea. The local NO 2 concentration was evaluated in the human breathing zone. The case study was performed according to the locations of the inlet and outlet of the air purification system. A transient CFD simulation was performed to analyze the effect of the air purification system on pollutants generated from the stationary bus by time flow in various cases. NO 2 concentration and exposure reduction effectiveness (ERE) were analyzed and compared for each case in the breathing zone. In the optimal case, the ERE of NO 2 was confirmed to be 35.9 %, and the NO 2 concentration according to the air quality standards of EPA could be maintained at 0.1 ppm or less. The theoretical framework proposed in this study can be generalized to design air purification systems for general external facilities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Manufacturing polypropylene (PP) composites to meet customers' needs is difficult, time-consuming, and costly, owing to the ever-increasing diversity and complexity of the corresponding specifications and the trial-and-error method currently used to satisfy the required physical properties. To address this issue, we developed three models for predicting the physical properties of PP composites using three machine learning (ML) methods: multiple linear regression (MLR), deep neural network (DNN), and random forest (RF). Further, the industrial data of 811 recipes were acquired to verify the developed models. Data categorization was performed to account for the differences between data and the fact that different recipes require different materials. The three models were then deployed to predict the flexural strength (FS), melting index (MI), and tensile strength (TS) of the PP composites in nine case studies. The predictive performance results differed according to the physical properties of the composites. The FS and MI prediction models with MLR exhibited the highest R 2 values of 0.9291 and 0.9406. The TS model with DNN exhibited the highest R 2 value of 0.9587. The proposed models and study findings are useful for predicting the physical properties of PP composites for recipes and the development of new recipes with specific physical properties.

Recently, an "interlayer" has been often adopted in organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). The term "interlayer" infers that the layer function is not clear, but it improves electroluminescence (EL) performance. In this respect, it is of interest to determine the exact role of the interlayer and how it works in PeLEDs. In this study, the interlayer is determined to play a crucial role in suppressing the chemical reaction between the metal oxide and hybrid perovskite layers. Nevertheless, the use of an interlayer, a wide gap insulator, does not guarantee the best PeLED performance because it hinders charge injection into the emission layer. Here, a method is proposed that does not apply an "interlayer" but enables simultaneous attainment of high EL performance and outstanding device stability. 18-crown 6-ether (18C6) additive (2.5 mg mL -1 ) is found to fully suppress the chemical reaction between the metal oxide and hybrid perovskite layers. With the 18C6 additive, an 82-fold longer device lifetime and very low operating voltage (3.2 V at 10 000 cd m -2 ) are demonstrated in a PeLED., (© 2022 The Authors. Small published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Copper iodide (CuI) is a promising p-type transparent semiconductor with excellent carrier mobility. However, the high hole concentration in conventionally fabricated CuI including the single crystal hinders its applicability to the channel layer of thin-film transistors. We found that Zn substitution into Cu + sites can effectively reduce the hole concentration. Experimental and computational examinations showed that the dominant mechanism involved the formation of a defect pair, the Zn-substituted Cu site (Zn Cu ) and Cu vacancy (V Cu ), and the simultaneous suppression of V Cu arising from the stabilization of Cu + in the Zn-substituted CuI lattice, rather than hole compensation by the electrons generated from Zn 2+ substitution into Cu + sites. Our results show that the hole concentration of Zn-substituted CuI is tunable in the range of 10 14 -10 18 cm -3 , making it suitable for thin-film transistors and hole transport layers in OLEDs.

This research examines water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) accessibility and opportunity in Kibera and Mathare during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Kibera and Mathare are two of the largest urban informal settlements in Nairobi (the capital city of Kenya) as well as Sub-Saharan Africa. Accessibility indicates how easily a person can reach WASH facilities from their home by walking. Opportunity represents how many WASH options a person has near their home. We utilize the data on water and toilet facilities collected by GroundTruth Initiative in partnership with Map Kibera Trust (local community partners) between February and April 2021 - amid the COVID-19 pandemic. By conducting quantitative geospatial analysis, we illustrate WASH accessibility and related issues that were not evident in previous studies: (1) 77.4% of people living in Kibera have limited WASH facility accessibility or opportunity; (2) 60.6% of people living in Mathare have limited WASH facility accessibility or opportunity; (3) there is a clear geographic pattern in WASH facility accessibility and opportunity; and (4) overall accessibility and opportunity is better in Mathare than in Kibera. This study is one of the first studies to examine WASH accessibility and opportunity in urban informal settlements during the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing the current data and quantitative geospatial methods. Based on the results, we discuss important public health policy implications for people living in urban informal settlements to improve their WASH facility accessibility and opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Explosive waste is very dangerous, and it should be incinerated under safe conditions. Currently, a rotary kiln is used to incinerate explosive waste; however, it creates air pollutants such as NO x more than the government regulation (90 ppm). To this end, the fluidized bed was suggested, and previous study showed that it could be a new-generation incineration method since it creates NO x less than regulation. Despite impressive results and many approaches to reduce NO x emissions, it is still insufficient to apply the explosive waste incineration process. This is because this process has been studied only for NO x emissions so far. Therefore, in this study, the heat exchanger network (HEN) was grafted and optimized to save the energy used in the process as much as possible based on the operating condition from previous study, which can emit the minimum NO x . As a result, it was possible to save 44% of the total cost compared to the existing method without changing the operating conditions. This result is meaningful in that it is important not only to optimize the design condition of the reactor but also to apply the HEN which will be effective to save the process cost., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

In this work, alternative evaporation processes for PLA production were designed with economic assessment. The suggested processes are the multiple-effect evaporation (MEE) process and thermal vapor recompression (TVR)-assisted evaporation process. First, the MEE process can efficiently reuse waste heat by additional column installation, thereby reducing the steam energy consumption. The proposed MEE process involves five columns, and after the evaporation in each column, the waste heat of the emitted vapor is reused to heat steam in the reboiler of the next column. Second, the suggested TVR-assisted evaporation process utilizes an additional steam ejector and recovers waste heat from the emitted vapor by increasing the pressure using high-pressure driving steam at the steam ejector. Each alternative process was modeled to predict the steam energy consumption, and to determine the cost-optimal process; the total annualized cost (TAC) of each alternative process was calculated as evaluation criteria. In the simulation results, the alternative processes using MEE and TVR reduced the steam consumption by 71.36% and 89.97%, respectively, compared to the conventional process. As a result of economic assessment, the cost-optimal process is the alternative process using TVR and the TAC can be decreased by approximately 90%.

Resistive switching induced by ion migration is promising for applications such as random-access memory (ReRAM) and neuromorphic transistors. Hydride ions (H - ) are an interesting candidate as the migration ion for resistive switching devices because they have fast diffusion in several compounds at room temperature and doping/dedoping can be used effectively to achieve significant changes in the electronic conductivity. Here, we report reversible resistive switching characteristics in rare-earth oxyhydrides ( RE H x O (3- x )/2 ) induced by field insertion/extraction of H - . The current-voltage measurements revealed that the resistive switching response, hysteresis, and switching voltage vary greatly with the H - /O 2- ratio in the films. We fabricated a ReRAM device using Ti/YH 1.3 O 0.85 /MoO x structure and confirmed the bipolar-type operation with the resistance switching ratio of 1 order of magnitude over 1000 cycles. The composition gradient of H - /O 2- in YH x O (3- x )/2 films, in addition to the hydrogen-absorbing ability of the top electrode, is essential for effective device operation. Our findings show that hydride-conducting solid-state electrolytes are suitable for resistive switching device development.

The sulfur on the sulfur-assisted reduced graphene oxide (SrGO) surface provides the origin of poly(phenylene sulfide) PPS-grafting via S N Ar mechanism. In-situ polymerization from sulfur on SrGO afforded surface modification of SrGO, resulting in enhanced dispersibility in PPS. The tensile strength, electrical and thermal conductivities, and flame retardancy of PPS-coated SrGO were efficiently enhanced using highly concentrated SrGO and masterbatch (MB) for industrial purposes. Three-dimensional X-ray microtomography scanning revealed that diluting MB in the PPS resin afforded finely distributed SrGO across the PPS resin, compared to the aggregated state of graphene oxide. For the samples after dilution, the thermal conductivity and flame retardancy of PPS/SrGO are preserved and typically enhanced by up to 20%. The proposed PPS/SrGO MB shows potential application as an additive for reinforced PPS due to the ease of addition during the extrusion process.

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are plausible candidates for practical p-type semiconductors. However, in thin film transistor (TFT) applications, both 2D PEA 2 SnI 4 and 3D FASnI 3 MHPs have different drawbacks. In 2D MHP, the TFT mobility is seriously reduced by grain-boundary issues, whereas 3D MHP has an uncontrollably high hole density, which results in quite a large threshold voltage (V th ). To overcome these problems, a new concept based on a 2D-3D core-shell structure is herein proposed. In the proposed structure, a 3D MHP core is fully isolated by a 2D MHP, providing two desirable effects as follows. (i) V th can be independently controlled by the 2D component, and (ii) the grain-boundary resistance is significantly improved by the 2D/3D interface. Moreover, SnF 2 additives are used, and they facilitate the formation of the 2D/3D core-shell structure. Consequently, a high-performance p-type Sn-based MHP TFT with a field-effect mobility of ≈25 cm 2 V -1 s -1 is obtained. The voltage gain of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) inverter comprising an n-channel InGaZnO x TFT and a p-channel Sn-MHP TFT is ≈200 V/V at V DD = 20 V. Overall, the proposed 2D/3D core-shell structure is expected to provide a new route for obtaining high-performance MHP TFTs., (© 2021 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The spread of the Dengue virus over the world, as well as multiple outbreaks of different serotypes, has resulted in a large number of deaths and a medical emergency, as no viable medications to treat Dengue virus patients have yet been found. In this paper, we provide an in silico virtual screening and molecular dynamics-based analysis to uncover efficient Dengue infection inhibitors. Based on a Google search and literature mining, a large phytochemical library was generated and employed as ligand molecules. In this investigation, the protein target NS2B/NS3 from Dengue was employed, and around 27 compounds were evaluated in a docking study. Phellodendroside (-63 kcal/mole), quercimeritrin (-59.5 kcal/mole), and quercetin-7- O -rutinoside (-54.1 kcal/mole) were chosen based on their binding free energy in MM-GBSA. The tested compounds generated numerous interactions at Lys74, Asn152, and Gln167 residues in the active regions of NS2B/NS3, which is needed for the protein's inhibition. As a result, the stable mode of docked complexes is defined by various descriptors from molecular dynamics simulations, such as RMSD, SASA, Rg, RMSF, and hydrogen bond. The pharmacological properties of the compounds were also investigated, and no toxicity was found in computational ADMET properties calculations. As a result, this computational analysis may aid fellow researchers in developing innovative Dengue virus inhibitors.

Silicon, as a promising next-generation anode material, has drawn special attention from industries due to its high theoretical capacity (around 3600 mAh g -1 ) in comparison with conventional electrodes, e.g., graphite. However, the fast capacity fading resulted by a large volume change hinders the pragmatic use of Si anodes for lithium ion batteries. In this work, we propose an efficient strategy to improve the cyclability of upcycled Si nanomaterials through a simple battery operation protocol. When the utilization degree of Si electrodes was decreased, the electrode deformation was significantly alleviated. This directly led to an excellent electrochemical performance over 100 cycles. In addition, the average charge (delithation) voltage was shifted to a lower voltage, when the utilization degree of electrodes was controlled. These results demonstrated that our strategic approach would be an effective way to enhance the electrochemical performance of Si anodes and improve the cost-effectiveness of scaling-up the decent nanostructured Si material.

Using density functional theory calculations, atomic and electronic structure of defects in monolayer GeS were investigated by focusing on the effects of vacancies and substitutional atoms. We chose group IV or chalcogen elements as substitutional ones, which substitute for Ge or S in GeS. It was found that the bandgap of GeS with substitutional atoms is close to that of pristine GeS, while the bandgap of GeS with Ge or S vacancies was smaller than that of pristine GeS. In terms of formation energy, monolayer GeS with Ge vacancies is more stable than that with S vacancies, and notably GeS with Ge substituted with Sn is most favorable within the range of chemical potential considered. Defects affect the piezoelectric properties depending on vacancies or substitutional atoms. Especially, GeS with substitutional atoms has almost the same piezoelectric stress coefficients eij as pristine GeS while having lower piezoelectric strain coefficients dij  but still much higher than other 2D materials. It is therefore concluded that Sn can effectively heal Ge vacancy in GeS, keeping high piezoelectric strain coefficients.

South Korea has been evaluated as a country that is responding well to COVID-19. The Government of the Republic of Korea discloses where, when, and by which means of transportation people confirmed to have the virus have visited. Although disclosure of movement has contributed to flattening the curve and providing timely medical service, concerns about privacy infringement have also been raised. This article determines what factors influence privacy risk tolerance, looking specifically at threat severity, vulnerability, response efficacy, and response cost. We also provide implications for the preparation of better countermeasures for the government to implement., (© 2021 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Over the past several decades, tin monoxide (SnO) has been studied extensively as a p-type thin film transistor (TFT). However, its TFT performance is still insufficient for practical use. Many studies suggested that the instability of the valence state of Sn (Sn 2+ /Sn 4+ ) is a critical reason for the poor performance such as limited mobility and low on/off ratio. For SnO, the Sn 5s-O 2p hybridized state is a key component for obtaining p-type conduction. Thus, a strategy for stabilizing the SnO phase is essential. In this study, we employ a variety of analytical methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and Hall measurement to identify the main contributors to the physical properties of SnO. It is revealed that precision control of the process temperature is needed to achieve both the crystallinity and thermal stability of SnO. In other words, it would be ideal to obtain high-quality SnO thin films at low temperature. We find that atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a quite advantageous process for obtaining high-quality SnO thin films by the following two-step process: (i) growth of highly c -axis oriented SnO at the initial stage and (ii) further crystallization along the in-plane direction by a postannealing process. Consequently, we obtained a highly dense SnO thin film (film density: 6.4 g/cm 3 ) with a high Hall mobility of ∼5 cm 2 /(V·s). The fabricated SnO TFTs exhibit a field-effect mobility of ∼6.0 cm 2 /(V·s), which is a quite high value among the SnO TFTs reported to date, with long-term stability. We believe that this study demonstrates the validity of the ALD process for SnO TFTs.

In this work, high-performance amorphous In 0.75 Ga 0.23 Sn 0.02 O ( a -IGTO) transistors with an atomic layer-deposited Al 2 O 3 dielectric layer were fabricated at a maximum processing temperature of 150 °C. Hydrogen (H) and excess oxygen (O i ) in the Al 2 O 3 film, which was controlled by adjusting the oxygen radical density (P O2 : flow rate of O 2 /[Ar+O 2 ]) in the radio-frequency (rf) plasma during ALD growth of Al 2 O 3 , significantly affected the performance and stability of the resulting IGTO transistors. The concentrations of H and O i in Al 2 O 3 /IGTO stacks according to P O2 were characterized by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and thermal desorption spectroscopy. The high concentration of H at a low P O2 of 2.5% caused heavy electron doping in the underlying IGTO during thermal annealing at 150 °C, leading to a conductive behavior in the resulting transistor without modulation capability. In contrast, a high P O2 condition of 20% introduced O 2 molecules (or O i ) into the Al 2 O 3 film, which negatively impacted the carrier mobility and caused anomalous photo-bias instability in the IGTO transistor. Through in-depth understanding of how to manipulate H and O i in Al 2 O 3 by controlling the P O2 , we fabricated high-performance IGTO transistors with a high field-effect mobility (μ FE ) of 58.8 cm 2 /Vs, subthreshold gate swing ( SS ) of 0.12 V/decade, threshold voltage ( V TH ) of 0.5 V, and I ON/OFF ratio of ∼10 9 even at the maximum processing temperature of 150 °C. Simultaneously, the optimized devices were resistant to exposure to external positive gate bias stress (PBS) and negative bias stress (NBS) for 3600 s, where the V TH shifts for exposure to PBS and NBS for this duration were 0.1 V and -0.15 V, respectively.