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Many challenges exist in understanding transport properties in metal-oxide thin film transistors (MO-TFTs). Microstructural disorder, dielectric/active layer interface trap states, and grain boundaries contribute to reductions in device properties such as transistor output current, mobility, and sheet carrier concentration. In this work, we use scheduled interruptions during atomic layer deposition combined with a series of thermal anneals to control properties of ZnO/ TFTs, and to experimentally decouple physical effects within the TFT affecting device performance. Using concurrent current–voltage and gated Hall effect measurements, we observe two sets of trends for these devices. In the first, increasing post-temperature anneal is shown to improve the device characteristics by reducing grain boundary effects. In the second, exposure to ambient conditions is shown to increase the number of interface trap states. Comparisons of measured values show that these trap states enhance some properties of the lower temperature annealed series, while degrading these values in the higher temperature annealed series. We show that this is due to devices acting in two separate transport regimes: localized, and non-localized. We investigate the position of the Fermi level, adjusted by gate bias, to these two regimes under each test condition, and suggest a simple model to describe the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report 1000-transistor-level monolithic circuit integration of sub-30-nm gate-recessed E/D GaN high-electron-mobility transistors with fT and fmax above 300 GHz. Simultaneous fT/fmax of 348/340 and 302/301 GHz for E- and D-mode devices, respectively, was measured, representing a 58% increase in fT compared with our previous report, due to improved management of RC parasitic delay. Three-terminal E- and D-mode breakdown voltage of 10.7 and 11.8 V, respectively, is limited by gate-drain breakdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A challenge facing many Academic Health Centers (AHCs) attempting to revise health professions education to include the impact of racism as a social and structural determinant of health (SSDoH) is a lack of broad faculty expertise to reinforce and avoid undermining learning modules addressing this topic. To encourage an institutional culture that is in line with new anti-racism instruction, we developed a six-part educational series on the history of racism in America and its impact on contemporary health inequities for teaching structural competency to health professions academicians., Methods: We developed a six-hour elective continuing education (CE) series for faculty and staff with the following objectives: (1) describe and discuss race as a social construct; (2) describe and discuss the decolonization of the health sciences and health care; (3) describe and discuss the history of systemic racism and structural violence from a socio-ecological perspective; and (4) describe and discuss reconciliation and repair in biomedicine. The series was spread over a six-month period and each monthly lecture was followed one week later by an open discussion debriefing session. Attendees were assessed on their understanding of each objective before and after each series segment., Results: We found significant increases in knowledge and understanding of each objective as the series progressed. Attendees reported that the series helped them grapple with their discomfort in a constructive manner. Self-selected attendees were overwhelmingly women (81.8%), indicating a greater willingness to engage with this material than men., Conclusions: The series provides a model for AHCs looking to promote anti-racism and structural competency among their faculty and staff., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Despite exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) being a significant consequence of pancreatic surgery, there is still no consensus on its perioperative management. This study aimed to evaluate unselective pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT)., Methods: A prospective, observational study of patients undergoing partial pancreatectomy was conducted. EPI status was assessed pre- and postoperatively, based on three fecal-elastase measurements each. Characteristic symptoms were evaluated by questionnaire. In 85 post-surgical patients, the subjective burden of PERT was measured., Results: 101 patients were followed prospectively. Preoperative EPI screening was available for 83 patients, of which 48% were diagnosed with preexisting EPI. Of those patients with regular exocrine function, 54% developed EPI de novo; this rate being higher following pancreatic head resections (72%) compared to left-sided pancreatectomies (LP) (20%) (p = 0.016). Overall postoperative EPI prevalence was significantly greater following pancreatic head resections (86%) than LP (33%) (p < 0.001). Only young and female patients described a significant burden related to PERT., Conclusion: For all patients undergoing pancreatic head resection PERT should be considered beginning prior to surgery, due to the subgroup's high EPI rate and the comparatively low burden of PERT. Patients with LP are at lower risk and should be pre- and postoperatively screened and supplemented accordingly., (Copyright © 2023 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Frontal polymerization (FP) is a solvent-free, energy-efficient process where a self-propagating polymerization reaction with a characteristic sharp temperature gradient at the front head propagates through the resin to provide the curing conditions. It relies on the enthalpic balance, which spreads the reaction to unreacted resin in the neighborhood. Therefore, the FP is sensitive to the presence of non-reactive volumes, such as boundaries, fillers, or other additives, that retain heat from the front but produce no enthalpy in return. On the other hand, the front's high temperature could be used to initiate other processes, such as foaming, incorporating them into a simple single-step fabrication procedure. This study used silica particles of two different sizes (14 nm and 200-300 nm) in an epoxy-based FP foam as a representative filler to probe the constraints imposed by non-reactive additives. The presence of particles visibly hindered the front propagation, increased the foam density and even corrupted the frontal regime in some cases. We show that preheating or chemical composition changes are viable approaches to address the fillers' adverse effects. Furthermore, we present evidence that the reduced reaction enthalpy caused by silica nanoparticles, was balanced by the lower heat capacity of our model system. At the same time, the front hindrance was attributed to changes in reaction kinetics and the heat distribution around the front. These results set up essential narratives for the design and practical applications of frontally polymerized foams with non-reactive fillers.