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The current work focuses on predicting the buckling and free vibration frequencies (fn) of cenosphere reinforced epoxy based syntactic foam beam under varying loads. Critical buckling loads (Ncr) and fn are predicted using the differential quadrature method (DQM). Ncr and fn have been calculated for beams of varying cenosphere volume fractions subjected to axial load under clamped-clamped (CC), clamped-simply (CS), simply-simply (SS), and clamped-free (CF) boundary conditions (BC′s). Upon increasing the cenosphere volume fraction, Ncr and fn of syntactic foam composites increases. These numerical outcomes are compared with the theoretical values evaluated through the Euler-Bernoulli hypothesis and further compared with experimental outcomes. Results are observed to be in precise agreement. The results of the DQM numerical analysis are given out for the different BC′s, aspect ratios, cenosphere volume fractions, and varying loads. It is perceived that depending on the BC′s, the type of axial varying loads and aspect ratios has a substantial effect on the Ncr and fn behaviour of the syntactic foam beams. A comparative study of the obtained results showed that the beam subjected to parabolic load under CC boundary conditions exhibited a higher buckling load.

The biologically active and thermally stable bivalent Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) complexes (C1, C2, C3, and C4) of novel Schiff base ligand [(5-trifluoromethyl-2-methoxyphenylamino)methyl)-4,6-diiodophenol (L)] have been synthesized. The structural analysis of these complexes have been carried out by elemental analysis, 1 H-NMR, FTIR, ESI mass, UV-visible, ESR, TGA techniques and magnetic measurements. The obtained results were confirmed as square planar geometry for Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes, whereas octahedral geometry for Co(II) and Zn(II) complexes. The geometry optimized structures were developed by employing CHEM 3D software. The DNA binding interaction studies such as UV-vis absorption, viscosity, and fluorescence studies have been confirmed that the mode of binding of complexes with DNA is an intercalative binding. The DNA cleavage studies revealed that all the complexes are found to be potent to cleave the DNA into Form I & II. The in-vitro pathological studies of all the complexes against various microbial strains (Gram + and Gram -), revealed that Cu(II) complexes are more potent compared to other complexes and Schiff base. The anti diabetic activity studies revealed that the Cu(II) complex exhibited slightly higher activity than Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes. The results of antioxidant activity by DPPH method, suggested that the Cu(II) complex has higher activity and comparable with the standard compounds., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Assembling two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW)-layered materials into heterostructures is an exciting development that sparked the discovery of rich correlated electronic phenomena. vdW heterostructures also offer possibilities for designer device applications in areas such as optoelectronics, valley- and spintronics, and quantum technology. However, realizing the full potential of these heterostructures requires interfaces with exceptionally low disorder which is challenging to engineer. Here, we show that thermal scanning probes can be used to create pristine interfaces in vdW heterostructures. Our approach is compatible at both the material- and device levels, and monolayer WS 2 transistors show up to an order of magnitude improvement in electrical performance from this technique. We also demonstrate vdW heterostructures with low interface disorder enabling the electrical formation and control of quantum dots that can be tuned from macroscopic current flow to the single-electron tunneling regime.

Introduction Traditional classroom teaching involves a process where knowledge is disseminated to students by the teachers through a one-way process. Such a learning environment makes students passive and muted, which can be improved by alternative teaching and learning (TL) methods like the flipped classroom (FC) technique. The FC approach involves a student-inclusive TL process. FC is a student-centered approach that benefits teachers and students by emphasizing the key information during the learning process. The present study aimed to understand the efficacy of the FC TL method and evaluate students' perception of FC among underachieving first-year medical students in learning physiology. Methods This prospective, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 underachieving first-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students in the Department of Physiology at a tertiary care teaching hospital. All the participants were taught cardiovascular physiology through the FC method. The study subjects were asked to take a pretest including multiple choice questions a week before the study. The study period was four weeks, following which the students were asked to take a post-test. A questionnaire was used to understand the student's perception of FC. The responses to the questionnaire were graded based on the Likert scale.  Results The mean scores of the post-test (19.40±4.22) were significantly (p< 0.05) greater than those of the pre-test (12.43±4.26). Regarding the perception of FC, 68% (68/100) of students agreed that the objectives, methodology, and outcomes were well-defined. Around 39% (39/100) of students strongly agreed that the study material was adequate, relevant, and easy to learn. Nearly 58% (58/100) of the students agreed that the competencies are dealt with completely in every session. Roughly 16% (16/100) of students agreed that the classroom time is sufficiently utilized for peer-based learning. Many (61%, 61/100) students agreed that sufficient time was given for learning. About 34% (34/100) of the students strongly agreed that the assessment tools were relevant. About 56% (56/100) of students agreed and 21% (21/100) strongly agreed that the FC method helped them to improve their understanding of the subject. More than half (54%, 54/100) of the students agreed and 18% (18/100) strongly agreed that the FC promoted self-directed learning. Most students (71%, 71/100) believed FC to be an interesting and satisfactory learning experience. Conclusions The results indicate that most students believed FC was an effective and innovative TL technique. The FC method could help underachievers improve their cognitive skills and analytical thinking and enhance exam performance., Competing Interests: This project was accomplished as part of the Advanced Course in Medical Education (ACME) being implemented by the National Medical Commission(NMC) and carried out under the guidance of the nodal center for National Faculty Development, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Puducherry. The first author would like to acknowledge the support of Dr. Madusudhanan. P, Dr. Sree Rekha. J, Dr. Kadambari. D, Dr. Ravi Venkatachalam (college principal, Government Medical College, Srikakulam), and Dr. Ram Prasad (coordinator of Medical Education Unit, Government Medical College, Srikakulam), (Copyright © 2024, Shireesha et al.)

Here, we have approached the synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) Schiff base (5-trifluoromethoxy-2-(((2chloro-5-(methyl)phenyl)imino)methyl)phenol)). The synthesized CuNPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, PL, FTIR, powder XRD, and TEM analysis. From the UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, an absorption peak was observed at 585 nm. As a result of the powder XRD and TEM studies, spherical particle sizes ranged between 4 and 10 nm. FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups ‒OH, C=C, -C=N-, and C‒H triggers the synthesis of CuNPs. Further, the catalytic property of the CuNPs were revealed by the degradation of pharmaceutical drugs such as Capecitabine (CAP) and Ciprofloxacin (CIP) in 90 min of reaction time in the presence of NaBH 4 . The reaction kinetics followed pseudo-first-order with k-values (rate constant) 0.248 min -1 and 0.307 min -1 . In addition, the synthesized CuNPs have exhibited selective sensing detection of Cd 2+ metal ions in different range of concentration (10-100 µM) by spectrofluorometrically with the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.0284 nM and limit of quantification (LOQ) is 0.0586 nM. The CuNPs revealed significant antioxidant activities against DPPH as a common free radical at 50 µg/mL with 71.24% of scavenging activity. The maximum antimicrobial potential and zone of inhibition of P. Aeruginosa is 17.25±0.8 mm and A. niger is 12.1 mm by using CuNPs., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of visual impairment globally. It occurs due to long-term diabetes with fluctuating blood glucose levels. It has become a significant concern for people in the working age group as it can lead to vision loss in the future. Manual examination of fundus images is time-consuming and requires much effort and expertise to determine the severity of the retinopathy. To diagnose and evaluate the disease, deep learning-based technologies have been used, which analyze blood vessels, microaneurysms, exudates, macula, optic discs, and hemorrhages also used for initial detection and grading of DR. This study examines the fundamentals of diabetes, its prevalence, complications, and treatment strategies that use artificial intelligence methods such as machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and federated learning (FL). The research covers future studies, performance assessments, biomarkers, screening methods, and current datasets. Various neural network designs, including recurrent neural networks (RNNs), generative adversarial networks (GANs), and applications of ML, DL, and FL in the processing of fundus images, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and their variations, are thoroughly examined. The potential research methods, such as developing DL models and incorporating heterogeneous data sources, are also outlined. Finally, the challenges and future directions of this research are discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2024 Bhulakshmi and Rajput.)

A series of chelated metal complexes, [Co(L I ) 2 ] (1), [Ni(L I ) 2 ] (2), [Cu(L I ) 2 ] (3) [Co(L II ) 2 ] (4), [Ni(L II ) 2 ] (5) and [Cu(L II ) 2 ] (6) were designed and synthesized from newly synthesized Schiff bases, L I  = 2-((E)-(5-(4-fluorophenyl)isoxazol-3-ylimino)methyl)-5-methylphenol and L II  = 2-((E)-(5-(4-fluorophenyl)isoxazol-3-ylimino)methyl)-4-chlorophenol. The synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), electronic spectroscopy (UV-Vis), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), magnetic susceptibility (µ eff ), electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and powder X-ray diffraction analysis (P-XRD). The spectral investigations have been clearly suggested 1:2 (metal: ligand) stoichiometric complexes with square planar geometrical arrangement around the metal ion. The thermal gravimmetric analysis (TGA) of these complexes indicates greater thermal stability and various steps involved in thermal decomposition of metal complexes. The binding ability between these metal complexes and calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was investigated by UV-Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy and viscometric experiments, which disclosed that, the complexes interacted to CT-DNA via an intercalation binding mode. The cleavage property of metal complexes against pBR322 DNA has been explored by gel electrophoresis technique mediated by UV-illumination and H 2 O 2 , showed momentous cleavage activity. Antioxidant activity of all complexes was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging experiment and showed prominent antioxidant activity. Further, the antibacterial and antifungal activities of all compounds were screened against bacterial and fungal strains via in-vitro disc diffusion method. These studies revealed that the complexes showed comparatively more antimicrobial activity than free ligands against tested microbial strains., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Nuclear spins with hyperfine coupling to single electron spins are highly valuable quantum bits. Here we probe and characterize the particularly rich nuclear-spin environment around single silicon vacancy color centers (V2) in 4H-SiC. By using the electron spin-3/2 qudit as a four level sensor, we identify several sets of ^{29}Si and ^{13}C nuclear spins through their hyperfine interaction. We extract the major components of their hyperfine coupling via optical detected nuclear magnetic resonance, and assign them to shells in the crystal via the density function theory simulations. We utilize the ground-state level anticrossing of the electron spin for dynamic nuclear polarization and achieve a nuclear-spin polarization of up to 98±6%. We show that this scheme can be used to detect the nuclear magnetic resonance signal of individual spins and demonstrate their coherent control. Our work provides a detailed set of parameters and first steps for future use of SiC as a multiqubit memory and quantum computing platform.

We present here the distal-C-H activation/functionalization of biphenyl scaffolds using aliphatic nitrile templates. The approach has demonstrated good to exclusive meta selectivities over a wide range of olefination and acetoxylation substrates. In addition, bis-olefination has been accomplished in a one-pot, sequential manner. Notably, this technique highlights the diversification of pharmaceuticals and natural products. Consequently, the temporary directing aliphatic template has been recovered quantitively from the coupled product.

Although many plasmonic nanosensors have been established for the detection of analytes, few of them are feasible for analyzing natural samples with very complex matrices because of insufficient method selectivity. To address this challenge, we propose an epitaxial and lattice-mismatch approach to the synthesis of a unique Pd/Ag 2 S nanostructure, which consists of a Pd segment with excellent plasmonic characteristics, and a highly stable Ag 2 S portion with minimum solubility product (Ksp(Ag 2 S) = 6.3 × 10 - 50 ). Hence, Ag 2 S nanoparticles (NPs) and optimized (10.05 mmol/L) Pd/Ag 2 S composite were prepared using a hydrothermal method. The fabricated samples were characterized using different tools including UV-vis DRS, PL, powder XRD, TEM, and BET surface area measurements. Furthermore, the fluorometric sensing performance of the Ag 2 S and Pd/Ag 2 S samples was examined in the detection of organophosphate pesticides such as MLT, PRT, DZN, FNT, DCL, MCP, and CPS pesticides at room temperature. The quantitative detection of MLT, PRT, DZN, FNT, DCL, MCP, and CPS pesticides was achieved based on the Pd/Ag 2 S composite and organophosphate group-specific interaction. The optimized sensor exhibited a lower limit of detection (3.08 µM), excellent reproducibility, selectivity, and stability with an enhanced sensitivity of - 207.1 µA/µM cm 2 (R 2  = 0.98) in the range of 10 µM-100 µM for the detection of CPS pesticide. In addition, the fluorometric sensor has excellent selectivity, reproducibility, and stability, providing a feasible method for not only the detection of CPS pesticides but also other analytes in the future., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The clinical profile of hospitalized moderate-category COVID-19 patients has been understudied globally and in India., Aim: The present study was conducted to study the clinical profile and assess the proportions of patients who progressed to severe disease and its predictors among moderate COVID-19 patients., Materials and Methods: In this single-center observational study, 100 moderate-category COVID-19 patients as per Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) criteria of age ≥18 years of either sex, excluding pregnant females from February to November 2021, were studied by analyzing their clinical profiles and assessing Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS-2), and chest computed-tomography severity score (CTSS) to predict progression to severe disease. Severe disease was defined as per MoHFW criteria., Results: Out of 100 moderate-category COVID-19 patients, progression to severe disease was seen in 11 patients (11%), among which eight patients had expired, three patients were discharged, and the rest of the 89 patients (89%) who did not progress to severe disease were discharged. A higher age (62.2± 19.5 vs 54.8 ± 14.6 years), along with multivariate analysis revealing male sex (1.25 times), chronic kidney disease (2.86 times), leukocytosis (6.10 times), thrombocytopenia (1.04 times), anemia (9.3 times), a higher qSOFA score (3.6 times), and a higher NEWS-2 score on admission (1.56 times) had higher odds of progression to severe disease. A significant correlation ( P < .05) of qSOFA score with serum LDH, ferritin, and hs-CRP levels; CT severity score with the serum ferritin, IL-6, and LDH levels; and NEWS-2 with serum LDH, hs-CRP, and ferritin levels were found. Moreover, the NEWS-2 score was found slightly better than qSOFA on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, with an area under the curve of 85.8% and 83.2%, respectively, predicting progression to severe disease., Conclusion: Our study revealed male gender, chronic kidney disease, leukocytosis, anemia, thrombocytopenia, a higher qSOFA and NEWS-2 score on admission, and further, NEWS-2 score better than qSOFA on ROC curve analysis, with an area under the curve of 85.8% and 83.2%, respectively, in predicting severe disease among hospitalized moderate COVID-19 patients., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Herein, we report the meta -C-H olefination of arylmethanesulfonates aided by a potentially versatile aliphatic nitrile-directing group under microwave irradiation conditions with fair to very good yields and good to outstanding regioselectivities. Significantly, the protocol showed broad substrate scope including olefin-derived drugs and cyclic olefins. Remarkably, a dual meta -C-H bond was amenable to generating the bis-olefination products.

Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused enormous adverse socioeconomic impacts worldwide. Evidence suggests that the diagnostic accuracy of clinical features of COVID-19 may vary among different populations., Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and the WHO Global Health Library for studies evaluating the accuracy of clinical features to predict and prognosticate COVID-19. We used the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool to evaluate the risk of bias, and the random-effects approach to obtain pooled prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios., Results: Among the 189 included studies (53 659 patients), fever, cough, diarrhoea, dyspnoea, and fatigue were the most reported predictors. In the later stage of the pandemic, the sensitivity in predicting COVID-19 of fever and cough decreased, while the sensitivity of other symptoms, including sputum production, sore throat, myalgia, fatigue, dyspnoea, headache, and diarrhoea, increased. A combination of fever, cough, fatigue, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus increases the odds of having a COVID-19 diagnosis in patients with a positive test (positive likelihood ratio (PLR) = 3.06)) and decreases the odds in those with a negative test (negative likelihood ratio (NLR) = 0.59)). A combination of fever, cough, sputum production, myalgia, fatigue, and dyspnea had a PLR = 10.44 and an NLR = 0.16 in predicting severe COVID-19. Further updating the umbrella review (1092 studies, including 3 342 969 patients) revealed the different prevalence of symptoms in different stages of the pandemic., Conclusions: Understanding the possible different distributions of predictors is essential for screening for potential COVID-19 infection and severe outcomes. Understanding that the prevalence of symptoms may change with time is important to developing a prediction model., Competing Interests: Disclosure of interest: The authors completed the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and disclose no relevant interests., (Copyright © 2023 by the Journal of Global Health. All rights reserved.)

Aim and Objectives: This study aims to determine the effect on shear bond strength (SBS) and adhesive remnant score between two color change adhesives (CCAs) with reduced curing time using different high-intensity light emitting diode (LED) units., Materials and Methods: A total of 108 human first maxillary premolar teeth were randomly allocated into three principal groups (n = 36) based on the type of adhesives used. The adhesives include two CCAs: Transbond   Plus Color Change Adhesive (3M, St. Paul, MN, USA) and Grengloo (Ormco, Orange, CA, USA), and the conventional tooth-colored adhesive: Transbond XT (3M). Each principal group was further divided into three sub-groups (n = 12 each) based on the curing time and type of high-intensity LED units used for bonding the stainless steel brackets. Woodpecker iLED Light Curing Unit (Guilin Woodpecker Medical Instrument Co., Ltd., Guilin, China) was cured for three and six seconds, and the ELIPAR S10 LED Curing Light (3M) was cured for 20 seconds. Bonding of the brackets was done in a standardized manner following the manufacturers' instructions. All the samples were submerged in distilled water at 37 0 C for 24 hours. SBS testing was performed using an Instron machine, and adhesive residue on the debonded surface was examined and scored using a stereomicroscope. Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test., Results:  The results showed significant differences in SBS based on curing time and the type of adhesive resin used. The six seconds curing group exhibited the higher SBS values (15.5 - 22.82 Megapascals [MPa]) followed by the 20 seconds (12.17 - 18.14 MPa) and three seconds (11.31 - 11.74 MPa) groups. Grengloo adhesive demonstrated the highest SBS values among the three types of adhesives. The predominant adhesive remnant scores were 2 and 3., Conclusions:  Grengloo adhesive demonstrates superior bond strength compared to Transbond Plus and Transbond XT. Both Transbond Plus and Grengloo adhesives experience bond failure within the adhesive layer, regardless of the curing intensity or time., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Guravaiah et al.)

The near-infrared (NIR) light-absorbing AgBiS 2 nanoparticles can be excited by single-wavelength light, which is the primary characteristic of a photo responsive platform. Chemical synthesis of nanomaterials inevitably requires long-chain organic surfactants or polymers to stabilize them in the nano regime. These stabilizing molecules barricade the interaction of nanomaterials with biological cells. We have produced stabilizer-free (sf-AgBiS 2 ) and polymer-coated (PEG-AgBiS 2 ) nanoparticles; and assessed their NIR mediated anticancer and antibacterial activity to evaluate the effect of stabilizers. sf-AgBiS 2 showed better antibacterial activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and displayed excellent cytotoxicity against HeLa cells and live 3-D tumour spheroids compared to PEG-AgBiS 2 both in presence and absence of NIR radiation. The photothermal therapy (PTT) results illustrated the tumour ablation ability of sf-AgBiS 2 , which converted light into heat effectively up to 53.3 °C under NIR irradiation. This work demonstrates the importance of synthesizing stabilizer-free nanoparticles to produce safe and highly active PTT agents., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are approved antidiabetic drugs with a beneficial effect on reducing major adverse cardiac events and heart failure hospitalization. Among them, canagliflozin has the least selectivity toward SGLT-2 over the SGLT-1 isoform. Canagliflozin can inhibit SGLT-1 at therapeutic levels; however, the underlying molecular mechanism is not understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of canagliflozin on SGLT1 expression in an animal model of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) and its associated effects. In vivo studies were carried out in the most clinically relevant high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced type-2 diabetes model of diabetic cardiomyopathy, and in vitro studies were performed using cultured rat cardiomyocytes stimulated with high glucose and palmitic acid. DCM was induced in male Wistar rats for 8 weeks with or without 10 mg/kg canagliflozin treatment. At the end of the study, systemic and molecular characteristics were measured using immunofluorescence, quantitative RT‒PCR, immunoblotting, histology, and FACS analysis. SGLT-1 expression was upregulated in DCM hearts and was associated with fibrosis, apoptosis, and hypertrophy. Canagliflozin treatment attenuated these changes. The histological evaluation showed improved myocardial structure, and in vitro results revealed improved mitochondrial quality and biogenesis after canagliflozin treatment. In conclusion, canagliflozin protects the DCM heart by inhibiting myocardial SGLT-1 and associated hypertrophy, fibrosis, and apoptosis. Thus, developing novel pharmacological inhibitors targeting SGLT-1 could be a better strategy for treating DCM and associated cardiovascular complications., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Despite over a decade of intense research efforts, the full potential of two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides continues to be limited by major challenges. The lack of compatible and scalable dielectric materials and integration techniques restrict device performances and their commercial applications. Conventional dielectric integration techniques for bulk semiconductors are difficult to adapt for atomically thin two-dimensional materials. This review provides a brief introduction into various common and emerging dielectric synthesis and integration techniques and discusses their applicability for 2D transition metal dichalcogenides. Dielectric integration for various applications is reviewed in subsequent sections including nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, flexible electronics, valleytronics, biosensing, quantum information processing, and quantum sensing. For each application, we introduce basic device working principles, discuss the specific dielectric requirements, review current progress, present key challenges, and offer insights into future prospects and opportunities.

Herein, we report the first microwave-assisted remote-C-H functionalization aided by a simple nitrile directing template. Notably, the present protocol showed a broad substrate scope VIA enabling meta -C-H arylation, acetoxylation, and cyanation. Significantly, the microwave-accelerated meta -C-H functionalization was effective with short reaction times without compromising yields and site selectivity. In addition, ibuprofen drug diversification was accomplished by carrying out arylation, acetoxylation, and cyanation. Importantly, meta -dual-hetero functionalization has been presented.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors are promising channel materials for continued downscaling of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic circuits. However, their full potential continues to be limited by a lack of scalable high- k dielectrics that can achieve atomically smooth interfaces, small equivalent oxide thicknesses (EOTs), excellent gate control, and low leakage currents. Here, large-area liquid-metal-printed ultrathin Ga 2 O 3 dielectrics for 2D electronics and optoelectronics are reported. The atomically smooth Ga 2 O 3 /WS 2 interfaces enabled by the conformal nature of liquid metal printing are directly visualized. Atomic layer deposition compatibility with high- k Ga 2 O 3 /HfO 2 top-gate dielectric stacks on a chemical-vapor-deposition-grown monolayer WS 2 is demonstrated, achieving EOTs of ∼1 nm and subthreshold swings down to 84.9 mV/dec. Gate leakage currents are well within requirements for ultrascaled low-power logic circuits. These results show that liquid-metal-printed oxides can bridge a crucial gap in dielectric integration of 2D materials for next-generation nanoelectronics.

Organic π-systems with strong absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region are promising candidates for photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, the synthesis of NIR π-systems involves several steps and many of them display poor photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE). Here we present the synthesis of a tetraimide-based donor-acceptor NIR π-system, 2EHex-B having absorbance in the range of 350-900 nm. Importantly, 2EHex-B is synthesized in two steps with a 70 % high yield. Moreover, 2EHex-B shows excellent PTCE up to 50 % and good biocompatibility when encapsulated in liposomes. The liposome coated 2EHex-B, (L-2EHex-B) showed good thermal stability and efficiently kills cancer cells via PTT. Additionally, L-2EHex-B shows good reactive singlet oxygen generation ability when irradiated with a 750 nm laser. 3D cell culture model - multicellular spheroids test was performed to evaluate the efficiency of PTT. The spheroids treated with L-2EHex-B after NIR light irradiation showed increased cell death from the core of the tumor toward the periphery. The easy access to 2EHex-B makes it a potential candidate for minimally invasive cancer treatment., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Magnetometers based on color centers in diamond are setting new frontiers for sensing capabilities due to their combined extraordinary performances in sensitivity, bandwidth, dynamic range, and spatial resolution, with stable operability in a wide range of conditions ranging from room to low temperatures. This has allowed for its wide range of applications, from biology and chemical studies to industrial applications. Among the many, sensing of bio-magnetic fields from muscular and neurophysiology has been one of the most attractive applications for NV magnetometry due to its compact and proximal sensing capability. Although SQUID magnetometers and optically pumped magnetometers (OPM) have made huge progress in Magnetomyography (MMG) and Magnetoneurography (MNG), exploring the same with NV magnetometry is scant at best. Given the room temperature operability and gradiometric applications of the NV magnetometer, it could be highly sensitive in the pT / Hz -range even without magnetic shielding, bringing it close to industrial applications. The presented work here elaborates on the performance metrics of these magnetometers to the state-of-the-art techniques by analyzing the sensitivity, dynamic range, and bandwidth, and discusses the potential benefits of using NV magnetometers for MMG and MNG applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhang, Zhang, Widmann, Benke, Kübler, Dasari, Klotz, Gizzi, Röhrle, Brenner and Wrachtrup.)

In the present study, we have successfully synthesized and characterized carboxy methyl cashew gum modified gold nanoparticles (CMCG-AuNPs) via a microwave-assisted method and used as a calorimetric probe for selective detection of Hg 2+ ions as well as catalytic reduction of methyl red in an aqueous medium. The effect of different parameters including concentration and irradiation time on the formation of CMCG-AuNPs was also investigated. The presence of strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak in the visible region indicated the formation of AuNPs. The characterization techniques were identified the interaction between the CMCG and AuNPs with estimation of size and morphology. The face centred cubic (FCC) crystal structure was identified by using XRD and supporting with SAED pattern. TEM images of CMCG-AuNPs were exhibited as polydispersed with spherical in shape and the average particle size was 12 ± 3 nm. The synthesized CMCG-AuNPs were utilized to sensing Hg 2+ ions in an aqueous medium, the presence of Hg 2+ ions selectively among other metal ions, the CMCG-AuNPs were aggregated by changing the color from wine red to purple blue accompanied by change in the position of SPR peak and intensity. It was observed as a strong linear relationship based on the change in intensity, the limit of detection was determined to be 0.277 nM. The catalytic activity was also examined for the reduction of methyl red (MR) in the presence of CMCG-AuNPs was completed within 12 min and followed pseudo-first order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.261 min -1 . From the obtained results, the synthesized CMCG-AuNPs were useful for detection of heavy metal ions as well as toxic pollutants degradation via a green method, and utilized sensing, environmental, and biomedical application in future., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early diagnosis and effective therapeutic interventions are critical determinants that can improve survival and quality of life in breast cancer patients. Nanotheranostics are emerging interventions that offer the dual benefit of in vivo diagnosis and therapeutics through a single nano-sized carrier. Rare earth metal-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with their ability to convert near-infrared light to visible light or UV light in vivo settings have gained special attraction due to their unique luminescence and tumor-targeting properties. In this review, we have discussed applications of UCNPs in drug and gene delivery, photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT) and tumor targeting in breast cancer. Further, present challenges and future opportunities for UCNPs in breast cancer treatment have also been mentioned., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cooperative supramolecular polymerization is important for the synthesis of functional supramolecular homo and block-copolymers of π-systems. Current strategies indicate the need of strong hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) and/or dipolar interactions in the π-systems to achieve cooperativity. In sharp contrast, here we report the cooperative supramolecular polymerization in alkyl chain substituted perylene diimides (alkyl PDIs) driven by dispersive interactions with molecular level understanding. Moreover, alkyl PDIs follow cooperative mechanism with cooperativity similar to the strong H-bonded π-systems (σ ∼10 -5 ) despite the lack of strong H-bonding and dipolar interactions. Computer simulations show that this surprising phenomenon in alkyl PDIs is driven by the efficient dispersive interactions among the alkyl chains and π-cores due to their zigzag arrangement in the supramolecular polymer. Importantly, alkyl PDIs display cooperative supramolecular polymerization in both polar and non-polar solvents which is difficult for H-bonded/dipolar π-systems thus highlighting the advantages of dispersive interactions., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)