Search

Advancing neuromorphic computing technology requires the development of versatile synaptic devices. In this study, we fabricated a high-performance Al/LiNbO3/Pt memristive synapse and emulated various synaptic functions using its primary key operating mechanism, known as oxygen vacancy-mediated valence charge migration (VO-VCM). The voltage-controlled VO-VCM induced space-charge-limited conduction and self-rectifying asymmetric hysteresis behaviors. Moreover, the device exhibited voltage pulse-tunable multi-state memory characteristics because the degree of VO-VCM was dependent on the applied pulse parameters (e.g., polarity, amplitude, width, and interval). As a result, synaptic functions such as short-term memory, dynamic range-tunable long-term memory, and spike time-dependent synaptic plasticity were successfully demonstrated by modulating those pulse parameters. Additionally, simulation studies on hand-written image pattern recognition confirmed that the present device performed with high accuracy, reaching up to 95.2%. The findings suggest that the VO-VCM-based Al/LiNbO3/Pt memristive synapse holds significant promise as a brain-inspired neuromorphic device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the latest advancements in perovskite solar cell (PSC) components for innovative photovoltaic applications. Perovskite materials have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation solar cells due to their exceptional light-absorbing capabilities and facile fabrication processes. However, limitations in their stability, scalability, and efficiency have hindered their widespread adoption. This review systematically explores recent breakthroughs in PSC components, focusing on absorbed layer engineering, electron and hole transport layers, and interface materials. In particular, it discusses novel perovskite compositions, crystal structures, and manufacturing techniques that enhance stability and scalability. Additionally, the review evaluates strategies to improve charge carrier mobility, reduce recombination, and address environmental considerations. Emphasis is placed on scalable manufacturing methods suitable for large-scale integration into existing infrastructure. This comprehensive review thus provides researchers, engineers, and policymakers with the key information needed to motivate the further advancements required for the transformative integration of PSCs into global energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site selection and characterisation are key factors influencing the safe, stable disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Site selection can be based on geophysical surveys, and geophysical well logging is performed at the detailed survey stage. Typically, gamma – gamma density logging is conducted to continuously obtain in situ density information regarding the well depth. However, gamma – gamma density logging is often influenced by the geological characteristics of the site. The ratio of atomic number to atomic weight is required to convert the electron density obtained through density logging counts into bulk density. Because it is difficult to calculate these ratios for the entire depth, an equation based on water-filled limestone is typically used for conversion. Therefore, as the difference in the ratio of the atomic number and atomic weight increases relative to that of limestone, the difference between the converted bulk density and the actual bulk density increases. In this study, equations were derived for various mineral compositions and applied to the density logging results. Matrix density was analyzed using a pycnometer, and the ratio between the atomic number and weight was calculated according to X-ray fluorescence analysis results. This approach improved the accuracy of the density logging data and reduced density errors. The proposed method is expected to be particularly useful for estimating in situ density at high-level radioactive waste disposal sites without complex geological formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the application of fine-tuned large language models for predicting physicochemical properties, specifically focusing on Abraham model solute descriptors (E, S, A, B, V) and modified solvent parameters (e0, s0, a0, b0, v0). By leveraging ChemLLaMA, a specialized version of the LLaMA model for cheminformatics tasks, we developed the AbraLlama-Solvent and AbraLlama-Solute models using curated datasets of experimentally derived solute descriptors and solvent parameters. Our findings demonstrate that AbraLlama-Solvent and AbraLlama-Solute predict modified solvent parameters and solute descriptors with high accuracy, comparable to existing methods. The AbraLlama-Solvent model shows varying prediction accuracy across different solvents, influenced by their position within the chemical space, while the AbraLlama-Solute model consistently predicts solute descriptors with high accuracy. Both models are available as applications on Hugging Face, facilitating easy predictions from SMILES strings. This research highlights the potential of LLMs in chemistry applications, offering practical tools for solvent comparison and expanding the applicability of Abraham solvation equations to a broader range of organic solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let m and N be positive integers and k be a negative real number. Let χ be a multiplier system of weight k on Γ 0 (N). In this paper, we give an exact formula for the Fourier coefficients of the holomorphic part of a harmonic Maass–Jacobi form of weight k, index m, and multiplier system χ on Γ 0 (N). As an application, we investigate the number of ratios of the Fourier coefficients of the holomorphic parts of two harmonic Maass–Jacobi forms. Moreover, we obtain the equivalent conditions for the principal part of a harmonic Maass–Jacobi form to be the principal part of a weak Jacobi form with poles only at infinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12, BTO) thin films were deposited on a platinized silicon (Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si) substrate using a spin-coating method with varying thicknesses (138–528 nm). XRD results revealed that the growth temperature and film thickness were major factors that influenced the quality and morphology of the film surface. The thickness-dependent structural, morphological, and optical properties of BTO thin films were analyzed. The Bi/Ti ratio was quantitatively assessed through EDS analysis to obtain compositional data. The decreasing of the substrate clamping effect and the interfacial-layer effect caused the dielectric constant to increase the thickness. A series capacitor model was used to illustrate the relationship between dielectric behavior and thickness. The optimum value of the dielectric constant (4228 at 100 Hz) and dielectric loss (0.074) was observed for the PT/BTO/Pt interfacial layer with a film thickness of 528 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, two types of Si3N4 ball bearings for integrated-type EV reducers developed via different manufacturing processes were analyzed to study the microstructure of the balls and the defects that may occur during the manufacturing process. Three types of defects were confirmed that can reduce the fatigue life of Si3N4 ball bearings in operating environments. The microstructure was analyzed to identify the main additive components of each bearing, and pore defects with a size of less than 1 μm, and the types (particle defects or surface defects) and sizes of defects, were analyzed using LSCM, OM, and SEM. Hardness and fracture toughness, which are representative mechanical properties of ceramic materials, were evaluated. The results, evaluated using a Vickers indentation crack-based method, were statistically analyzed to confirm differences in hardness and fracture toughness between the two samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing the ecofriendly and high-fidelity electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential to foster effective production of environmentally friendly hydrogen. Herein, we fabricated the highly efficient OER electrocatalysts of the activated carbon-decorated vanadium pentoxide (AC-V2O5) nanocomposites using a facile hydrothermal technique. The AC-V2O5 nanocomposites displayed an aggregated structure of the AC nano-sheet-anchored orthorhombic V2O5 nanorods. When performing the OER process in an alkaline electrolyte at 10 mA/cm2, AC-V2O5 exhibited the low overpotential (~230 mV), small Tafel slope (~54 mV/dec), and excellent stability. These substantial OER performances of AC-V2O5 could be ascribed to the synergistic effects from both the electrochemically active V2O5 nanorods and the highly conductive AC nanosheets. The results infer that the AC-V2O5 nanocomposites possess a substantial aptitude as a high-performance OER electrocatalyst for production of the future green energy source—hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological insulators have recently received attention in optoelectronic devices because of their high mobility and broadband absorption resulting from their topological surface states. In particular, theoretical and experimental studies have emerged that can improve the spin generation efficiency in a topological insulator‐based p–n junction structure called a TPNJ, drawing attention in optospintronics. Recently, research on implementing the TPNJ structure is conducted; however, studies on the device characteristics of the TPNJ structure are still insufficient. In this study, the TPNJ structure is effectively implemented without intermixing by controlling the annealing temperature, and the photocharacteristics appearing in the TPNJ structure are investigated using a cross‐pattern that can compare the characteristics in a single device. Enhanced photo characteristics are observed for the TPNJ structure. An optical pump Terahertz probe and a physical property measurement system are used to confirm the cause of improved photoresponsivity. Consequently, the photocharacteristics are improved owing to the change in the absorption mechanism and surface transport channel caused by the Fermi level shift in the TPNJ structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pursuit of realizing neuromorphic computing devices, we demonstrated the high-performance synaptic functions on the top-to-bottom Au/ZnVO/Pt two-terminal ferroelectric Schottky junction (FSJ) device architecture. The active layer of ZnVO exhibited the ferroelectric characteristics because of the broken lattice-translational symmetry, arising from the incorporation of smaller V5+ ions into smaller Zn2+ host lattice sites. The fabricated FSJ devices displayed an asymmetric hysteresis behavior attributed to the ferroelectric polarization-dependent Schottky field-emission rate difference in between positive and negative bias voltage regions. Additionally, it was observed that the magnitude of the on-state current could be systematically controlled by changing either the amplitude or the width of the applied voltage pulses. Owing to these voltage pulse-tunable multi-state memory characteristics, the device revealed diverse synaptic functions such as short-term memory, dynamic range-tunable long-term memory, and versatile rules in spike time-dependent synaptic plasticity. For the pattern-recognition simulation, furthermore, more than 95% accuracy was recorded when using the optimized experimental device parameters. These findings suggest the ZnVO-based FSJ device holds significant promise for application in next-generation brain-inspired neuromorphic computing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a cost-effective and environment-friendly technique for producing oxygen and hydrogen through the oxygen/hydrogen evolution reaction (OER/HER). Developing the highly active and stable electrocatalyst, particularly for bifunctional water electrolysis (i.e., both OER and HER), is still a formidable challenge. Herein, we demonstrated the enhanced bifunctional water splitting activities by utilizing the molybdenum trioxide-anchored activated carbon (MoO3/AC) nanocomposites. The MoO3/AC samples were fabricated by the ultrasonication method using sol-gel synthesized MoO3 and biomass-derived AC, and they displayed a nanostreusel-like morphology with spherical MoO3 nanoparticle-decorated AC nanosheets. For the water electrolysis test, the MoO3/AC nanocomposites exhibited the excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic OER and HER performances with low overpotential and small Tafel slope values. Through analyzing the material characteristics and the electrochemical properties of MoO3/AC, it was found that the superb bifunctional OER-HER activities were attributed to the synergistic effects from the hybridization of highly conductive AC and electrochemically active α-MoO3. The results pronounce that the MoO3/AC nanocomposites possess an aptitude as a superb bifunctional OER/HER electrocatalyst for high-performance water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport characteristics of a gate-all-around Si multiple-quantum-dot (QD) transistor were studied by means of experimental parametrization using theoretical models. The device was fabricated by using the e-beam lithographically patterned Si nanowire channel, in which the ultrasmall QDs were self-created along the Si nanowire due to its volumetric undulation. Owing to the large quantum-level spacings of the self-formed ultrasmall QDs, the device clearly exhibited both Coulomb blockade oscillation (CBO) and negative differential conductance (NDC) characteristics at room temperature. Furthermore, it was also observed that both CBO and NDC could evolve along the extended blockade region within wide gate and drain bias voltage ranges. By analyzing the experimental device parameters using the simple theoretical single-hole-tunneling models, the fabricated QD transistor was confirmed as comprising the double-dot system. Consequently, based on the analytical energy-band diagram, we found that the formation of ultrasmall QDs with imbalanced energetic natures (i.e., imbalanced quantum energy states and their imbalanced capacitive-coupling strengths between the two dots) could lead to effective CBO/NDC evolution in wide bias voltage ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ size is maintained by the controlled proliferation of distinct cell populations. In the mouse liver, hepatocytes in the midlobular zone that are positive for cyclin D1 (CCND1) repopulate the parenchyma at a constant rate to preserve liver mass. Here, we investigated how hepatocyte proliferation is supported by hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), pericytes that are in close proximity to hepatocytes. We used T cells to ablate nearly all HSCs in the murine liver, enabling the unbiased characterization of HSC functions. In the normal liver, complete loss of HSCs persisted for up to 10 weeks and caused a gradual reduction in liver mass and in the number of CCND1+ hepatocytes. We identified neurotrophin-3 (Ntf-3) as an HSC-produced factor that induced the proliferation of midlobular hepatocytes through the activation of tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB). Treating HSC-depleted mice with Ntf-3 restored CCND1+ hepatocytes in the midlobular region and increased liver mass. These findings establish that HSCs form the mitogenic niche for midlobular hepatocytes and identify Ntf-3 as a hepatocyte growth factor. Editor's summary: When activated by liver injury, hepatic stellate cells promote repair and regeneration but also drive fibrogenesis and cancer. Trinh et al. explored the role of quiescent hepatic stellate cells in the uninjured liver (see also the Focus by Schönberger and Tchorz). Hepatic stellate cell ablation in adult mice using engineered T cells caused the liver to shrink over time because the hepatocytes stopped proliferating, leading to gradual tissue loss as hepatocytes reached the end of their normal life span and were not replaced. Hepatic stellate cells were a source of neurotrophin-3 (NTF-3), which drove hepatocyte proliferation in vitro and in hepatic stellate cell–depleted mice by stimulating the receptor TRKB. These findings demonstrate that hepatic stellate cells are important for liver homeostasis and that NTF-3 is a hepatocyte mitogen. —Annalisa M. VanHook [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the effect of side reactions on the reversibility of epoxy with thermoreversible Diels–Alder (DA) cycloadducts based on furan and maleimide chemistry. The most common side reaction is the maleimide homopolymerization which introduces irreversible crosslinking in the network adversely affecting the recyclability. The main challenge is that the temperatures at which maleimide homopolymerization can occur are approximately the same as the temperatures at which retro-DA (rDA) reactions depolymerize the networks. Here we conducted detailed studies on three different strategies to minimize the effect of the side reaction. First, we controlled the ratio of maleimide to furan to reduce the concentration of maleimide groups which diminishes the effects of the side reaction. Second, we applied a radical-reaction inhibitor. Inclusion of hydroquinone, a known free radical scavenger, is found to retard the onset of the side reaction both in the temperature sweep and isothermal measurements. Finally, we employed a new trismaleimide precursor that has a lower maleimide concentration and reduces the rate of the side reaction. Our results provide insights into how to minimize formation of irreversible crosslinking by side reactions in reversible DA materials using maleimides, which is important for their application as novel self-healing, recyclable, and 3D-printable materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-fullerene acceptor-based polymer solar cells (NFA-PSCs) can exhibit high morphological stability under thermal stress, often resulting in the fabrication of thermally stable NFA-PSCs. Here, our stability study with systematic steps shows that high morphological stability of active layers does not necessarily guarantee high thermal stability for NFA-PSCs. Furthermore, a degradation pathway is elucidated by using two NFA-PSCs comprising well-known polymer donors and non-fullerene acceptors such as PTB7-Th, PBDB-T-2Cl, and ITIC-4F. Morphologies of the PTB7-Th:ITIC-4F and PBDB-T-2Cl:ITIC-4F blends are highly stable at a high temperature of 110 °C. However, the corresponding NFA-PSCs degrade severely at the same temperature. For example, all the NFA-PSCs show an efficiency reduction of greater than 30% within an hour, particularly owing to the significant decrease in the short-circuit current density (JSC) and fill factor (FF). A series of experiments, including time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements, demonstrate that the penetration of metal oxide molecules into the photoactive layer occurs upon heating, resulting in degradation. The diffused molecules can act as charge recombination centers, leading to decreases in JSC and FF. Finally, we provide insights, from a material design perspective, into the prevention of undesirable penetration of metal oxide molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for place retrieval and route guidance services of indoor environments has increased owing to the extensive development of large complexes. In comparison to increasingly customizable and diversified general place retrieval services, indoor place‐related services currently offer few features. Existing knowledge graphs mostly deal with limited spatial context based on geographic location, and hence do not cover indoor environments. In this study, we propose a framework for a Spatial‐Semantic integrated Indoor Knowledge Graph (SSIKG) as a multi‐layered model of the indoor environment. The spatial layer involves knowledge of navigable paths by preserving network‐based topological relationships between places. Concurrently, the semantic layer expresses features from an end‐user perspective. To assess framework utility, place retrieval tests with resulting graphs were performed for six practical use cases, returning lists of the places and their corresponding optimal paths. Finally, the results were reviewed in terms of spatial inference and expansion of our graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let F be a newform of weight 2k on Γ 0 (N) with an odd integer N and a positive integer k, and ℓ be a prime larger than or equal to 5 with (ℓ , N) = 1 . For each fundamental discriminant D, let χ D be a quadratic character associated with quadratic field Q (D) . Assume that for each D, the ℓ -adic valuation of the algebraic part of L (F ⊗ χ D , k) is non-negative. Let W ℓ + (resp. W ℓ - ) be the set of positive (resp. negative) fundamental discriminants D with (D , N) = 1 such that the ℓ -adic valuation of the algebraic part of L (F ⊗ χ D , k) is zero. We prove that for each sign ϵ , if W ℓ ϵ is a non-empty finite set, then W ℓ ϵ ⊂ 1 , (- 1) ℓ - 1 2 ℓ. By this result, we prove that if ϵ is the sign of (- 1) k , then k ≥ ℓ - 1 or k = ℓ - 1 2. These are applied to obtain a lower bound for # { D ∈ W ℓ ϵ : | D | ≤ X } and the indivisibility of the order of the Shafarevich–Tate group of an elliptic curve over Q . To prove these results, first we refine Waldspurger's formula on the Shimura correspondence for general odd levels N. Next we study mod ℓ modular forms of half-integral weight with few non-vanishing coefficients. To do this, we use the filtration of mod ℓ modular forms and mod ℓ Galois representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-performance room-temperature-operating Si single-electron transistors (SETs) were devised in the form of the multiple quantum-dot (MQD) multiple tunnel junction (MTJ) system. The key device architecture of the Si MQD MTJ system was self-formed along the volumetrically undulated [110] Si nanowire that was fabricated by isotropic wet etching and subsequent oxidation of the e-beam-lithographically patterned [110] Si nanowire. The strong subband modulation in the volumetrically undulated [110] Si nanowire could create both the large quantum level spacings and the high tunnel barriers in the Si MQD MTJ system. Such a device scheme can not only decrease the cotunneling effect, but also reduce the effective electron temperature. These eventually led to the energetic stability for both the Coulomb blockade and the negative differential conductance characteristics at room temperature. The results suggest that the present device scheme (i.e., [110] Si MQD MTJ) holds great promise for the room-temperature demonstration of the high-performance Si SETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IL-32 plays a contradictory role such as tumor proliferation or suppressor in cancer development depending on the cancer type. In most cancers, it was found that the high expression of IL-32 was associated with more proliferative and progression of cancer. However, studying the isoforms of IL-32 cytokine has placed its paradoxical role into a wide range of functions based on its dominant isoform and surrounding environment. IL-32β, for example, was found mostly in different types of cancer and associated with cancer expansion. This observation is legitimate since cancer exhibits some hypoxic environment and IL-32β was known to be induced under hypoxic conditions. However, IL-32θ interacts directly with protein kinase C-δ reducing NF-κB and STAT3 levels to inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This effect could explain the different functions of IL-32 isoforms in cancer. However, pro- or antitumor activity which is dependant on obesity, gender, and age as it relates to IL-32 has yet to be studied. Obesity-related IL-32 regulation indicated the role of IL-32 in cancer metabolism and inflammation. IL-32-specific direction in cancer therapy is difficult to conclude. In this review, we address that the paradoxical effect of IL-32 on cancer is attributed to the dominant isoform, cancer type, tumor microenvironment, and genetic background. IL-32 seems to have a contradictory role in cancer. However, investigating multiple IL-32 isoforms could explain this doubt and bring us closer to using them in therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokines are significantly associated with the homeostasis of immune responses in health and disease. Interleukin-32 (IL-32) is a cytokine originally discovered in natural killer cell transcript 4. IL-32 with different disorders has been described in terms of pathogenesis and the progression of diseases. Clinical studies have investigated IL-32 under various conditions, such as viral infection, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, certain types of cancer, vascular disease, and pulmonary diseases. The high expression of IL-32 was identified in different tissues with various diseases and found to have multiple transcripts of up to seven isoforms. However, the purification and biological activities of these isoforms have not been investigated yet. Therefore, in this study, we purified and compared the biological activity of recombinant IL-32 (rIL-32) isoforms. This is the first time for seven rIL-32 isoforms (α, β, δ, γ, ϵ, ζ, and θ) to be cloned and purified using an Escherichia coli expression system. Next, we evaluate the biological activities of these seven rIL-32 isoforms, which were used to treat different types of cells by assessing the levels of inflammatory cytokine production. The results revealed that rIL-32θ possessed the most dominant biological activity in both immune and non-immune cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease is comprised of either simple steatosis (non‐alcoholic fatty liver) or a more advanced inflammatory and fibrogenic stage (non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH]). NASH affects a growing proportion of the global adult and pediatric population, leading to rising rates of liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NASH is a multifactorial disease that is part of a systemic metabolic disorder. Here, we provide an overview of the metabolic underpinnings of NASH pathogenesis and established drivers of inflammation and fibrosis. Clarification of underlying fibrogenic and inflammatory mechanisms will advance the development of novel treatment strategies as there are no approved therapies at present. We discuss emerging experimental approaches and potential novel investigational strategies derived from animal models including the inflammasome, epigenetic reprogramming, Hippo signaling, Notch signaling, engineered T cells to remove fibrogenic HSCs, and HSC‐specific targeting therapies. Recently completed and ongoing clinical trials and antifibrotics are discussed, illuminating the growing expectation that one or more therapies will yield clinical benefit in NASH in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsupervised clustering models have been widely used for multimetric phenotyping of complex and heterogeneous diseases such as diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to more precisely characterize the disease beyond simplistic conventional diagnosis standards. However, the number of clusters and key phenotypic features have been subjectively selected, reducing the reliability of the phenotyping results. Here, to minimize such subjective decisions for highly confident phenotyping, we develop a multimetric phenotyping framework by combining supervised and unsupervised machine learning. This clusters 2277 OSA patients to six phenotypes based on their multidimensional polysomnography (PSG) data. Importantly, these new phenotypes show statistically different comorbidity development for OSA-related cardio-neuro-metabolic diseases, unlike the conventional single-metric apnea–hypopnea index-based phenotypes. Furthermore, the key features of highly comorbid phenotypes were identified through supervised learning rather than subjective choice. These results can also be used to automatically phenotype new patients and predict their comorbidity risks solely based on their PSG data. The phenotyping framework based on the combination of unsupervised and supervised machine learning methods can also be applied to other complex, heterogeneous diseases for phenotyping patients and identifying important features for high-risk phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the effects of Ti-codoping on the structural and electrical properties of the ZnCrTiO layers grown on the Pt (111)/Ti/Al2O3 (0001) substrates by co-sputtering of ZnCrO and Ti. The ZnCrTiO layers with the Ti contents of 0.2-0.3 at. % reveal the enhanced disorder-activated Raman modes, attributing to increased lattice-displacement-induced phonon scattering due to the incorporation of Ti additives. In comparison with ZnCrO, the ZnCrTiO layers exhibit the improved ferroelectric properties with one order of magnitude-increased remnant polarization. This causes a polarization-dependent asymmetric hysteresis behavior in the Pt/ZnCrTiO/Pt top-to-bottom metal-ferroelectric-metal device, suggesting potential applications for two-terminal ferroelectric-tunneling resistive memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a Bayesian nonparametric joint mixture model for clustering spatially correlated time series based on both spatial and temporal similarities. In the temporal perspective, the pattern of a time series is flexibly modeled as a mixture of Gaussian processes, with a Dirichlet process (DP) prior over mixture components. In the spatial perspective, the spatial location is incorporated as a feature for clustering, like a time series being incorporated as a feature. Namely, we model the spatial distribution of each cluster as a DP Gaussian mixture density. For the proposed model, the number of clusters does not need to be specified in advance, but rather is automatically determined during the clustering procedure. Moreover, the spatial distribution of each cluster can be flexibly modeled with multiple modes, without determining the number of modes or specifying spatial neighborhood structures in advance. Variational inference is employed for the efficient posterior computation of the proposed model. We validate the proposed model using simulated and real-data examples. for the article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of mobile network technologies has made it possible to collect location data of mobile devices through various positioning technologies. The location data can be used to estimate the spatial density of mobile devices, which in turn can be used by mobile service providers to plan for network capacity improvements. The two most prevalent positioning technologies are the assisted global positioning system (AGPS) and cell tower triangulation (CTT) methods. AGPS data provide more accurate location information than CTT data but can cover only a fraction of mobile devices, while CTT data can cover all mobile devices. Motivated by this problem, we propose a Bayesian nonparametric mixture measurement error model to estimate the spatial density function by integrating both noise-free data (i.e., AGPS data) and data contaminated with measurement errors (i.e., CTT data). The proposed model estimates the true latent locations from contaminated data, and the estimated latent locations, combined with noise-free data, are used to infer the model parameters. We model the true density function using a Dirichlet process (DP) mixture model with a bivariate beta distribution for the mixture kernel and a DP prior for the mixing distribution. The use of bivariate beta distributions for the mixture kernel allows the density function to have various shapes with a bounded support. Moreover, the use of a DP prior for the mixing distribution allows the number of mixture components to be determined automatically without being specified in advance. Therefore, the proposed model is very flexible. We demonstrate the effective performance of the proposed model via simulated and real-data examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glass transition temperature (Tg) is a key property that dictates the applicability of conjugated polymers. The Tg demarks the transition into a brittle glassy state, making its accurate prediction for conjugated polymers crucial for the design of soft, stretchable, or flexible electronics. Here we show that a single adjustable parameter can be used to build a relationship between the Tg and the molecular structure of 32 semiflexible (mostly conjugated) polymers that differ drastically in aromatic backbone and alkyl side chain chemistry. An effective mobility value, ζ, is calculated using an assigned atomic mobility value within each repeat unit. The only adjustable parameter in the calculation of ζ is the ratio of mobility between conjugated and non-conjugated atoms. We show that ζ correlates strongly to the Tg, and that this simple method predicts the Tg with a root-mean-square error of 13 °C for conjugated polymers with alkyl side chains. The glass transition temperature (Tg) is a key property that dictates the applicability of conjugated polymers. Here the authors use one adjustable parameter to build a relationship between the Tg and the molecular structure of semiflexible polymers that differ in aromatic backbone and alkyl side chain chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of two conducting polymers containing 3‐hexylthiophene and 3‐[2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy]thiophene is demonstrated. In thin‐film transistors, the high‐molecular‐weight polymer shows an average mobility of 4.2 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1. Most importantly, the polymers have high conductivity upon doping with iodine and also have high stability in the doped state with high conductivities measured even after 1 month. Furthermore, the doping causes transparency to thin films of the polymer and the films are resistant to common organic solvents. All these properties indicate a great potential for the iodine‐doped polymer to be used as an alternative to commercially available poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate). © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1079–1086 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resonant soft x-ray scattering (RSoXS) leverages chemical specificity to characterize thin films but is limited near the nitrogen edge. The challenge is that commercially available x-ray transparent substrates are composed of Si3N4 and thereby absorb incident x-rays and generate incoherent fluorescence. To overcome this challenge, we designed and fabricated Al2O3 free-standing films for use as RSoXS windows. Al2O3 films offer higher x-ray transmittance and minimal fluorescence near the nitrogen edge. As an example, Al2O3 windows allow for nitrogen RSoXS of conjugated block copolymer thin films that reveal domain spacings, which are not apparent with commercially available Si3N4 substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent development of small molecule non-fullerene acceptors has led to remarkable performance when incorporated in organic photovoltaic devices. These non-fullerene acceptors typically consist of about 10 aromatic rings arranged in an alternating electron-rich/electron-deficient architecture reminiscent of push–pull polymers, making them “push–pull oligomers”. Without the extended conjugation length of a polymer, it is perhaps surprising that devices incorporating oligomeric non-fullerene acceptors perform so well. To investigate exciton dissociation as a function of chain length, we synthesized a series of donor–acceptor block copolymers consisting of a conjugated homopolymer electron donor, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT), covalently linked to a push–pull polymer electron acceptor, poly-((2,5-dihexylphenylene)-1,4-diyl-alt-[4,7-bis(3-hexylthiophen-5-yl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole]-2′,2′′-diyl) (PPT6BT). By adjusting synthetic parameters, the chain length of each block is selectively tuned. The block copolymers are dissolved as isolated chains in dilute solutions and intramolecular charge transfer is quantified. When the P3HT block is very short (＜3 nm), charge transfer is inhibited. Nevertheless, efficient charge transfer is observed for PPT6BT block lengths ranging from essentially a single repeat unit to 16 nm. This indicates that the polarized nature and charge transfer character of excited states generated along push–pull polymers facilitate exciton dissociation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triplet population dynamics of solution cast films of isolated polymorphs of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-Pn) provide quantitative experimental evidence that triplet excitation energy transfer is the dominant mechanism for correlated triplet pair (CTP) separation during singlet fission. Variations in CTP separation rates are compared for polymorphs of TIPS-Pn with their triplet diffusion characteristics that are controlled by their crystal structures. Since triplet energy transfer is a spin-forbidden process requiring direct wavefunction overlap, simple calculations of electron and hole transfer integrals are used to predict how molecular packing arrangements would influence triplet transfer rates. The transfer integrals reveal how differences in the packing arrangements affect electronic interactions between pairs of TIPS-Pn molecules, which are correlated with the relative rates of CTP separation in the polymorphs. These findings suggest that relatively simple computations in conjunction with measurements of molecular packing structures may be used as screening tools to predict a priori whether new types of singlet fission sensitizers have the potential to undergo fast separation of CTP states to form multiplied triplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated block copolymers simultaneously control the mesoscale morphology and interfacial structure of the active layer in organic electronic devices. Fully conjugated block copolymers, where both backbones are conjugated, are commonly synthesized in two steps. First, poly(3-alkylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) is synthesized by Kumada catalyst transfer/Grignard metathesis polymerization. The second block, typically a push–pull alternating copolymer, is added on to the P3HT macroreagent in a chain-extension reaction using either a Suzuki or a Stille polycondensation. Consequently, products can be a mixture of homopolymers, diblock copolymers, and multi-block copolymers. We demonstrate the optimum reaction conditions for the two-step synthesis of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl)-block-poly((9,9-bis-(2-octyl)fluorene-2,7-diyl)-alt-(4,7-di(thiophene-2-yl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)-5′,5′′-diyl) (P3HT-b-PFTBT), a block copolymer that can be used as the sole active-layer material in organic photovoltaic devices. In the first reaction, preventing excess Grignard reagent to avert excess in the stoichiometry between Grignard reagent and monomer ensures end-group control of the P3HT macroreagent. In the second reaction, asymmetric monomer feed ratios with excess fluorene promotes coupling of PFTBT to P3HT. Using P3HT-b-PFTBT as an example, we demonstrate the synthetic parameters that are important to produce diblock copolymers with minimal impurities. This, in turn, promotes microphase separation in block copolymer films and leads to enhanced power conversion efficiencies in block copolymer solar cell devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin (IL)-33 is an inflammatory cytokine and belongs to the IL-1 family of cytokines. There are eleven members of the IL-1 family of cytokines and all have important roles in host defense against infections. Their levels are increased during infection and in various auto-inflammatory diseases. IL-33 is also associated with autoimmune diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis. IL-33 receptors consist of IL-1R4 and IL-1R3 to induce both Th1 and Th2 type immune response. Here we present the development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against human mature IL-33. Recombinant human mature IL-33 protein was expressed inE. coliand purified by multi-step affinity chromatography. The human IL-33 activity was examined in HMC-1 and Raw 264.7 cells. Mice were immunized with the biologically active mature IL-33 to generate mAb against IL-33. The anti-IL-33 mAb (clone/4) was used as a capture antibody for a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This assay detects mature IL-33 with a high sensitivity (80 pg/mL) but does not recognize the biologically inactive precursor IL-33. This article describes the methods for a newly developed IL-33 ELISA kit that is specific for mature IL-33 and may be used to analyze bioactive mature IL-33 in various immunological diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interleukin (IL)-1 family is the largest family of interleukins. Eleven members of the IL-1 family of ligands are intracellular molecules, except a single isoform of an IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra; also known as IL-1RN), which contains a signal peptide at the N-terminus for effective secretion. The inflammasome is a complex of intracellular molecules that is responsible for the processing of IL-1β and IL-18, whereas the remaining IL-1 family members, including IL-1α, are processed in an inflammasome caspase-1-independent pathway. Among the eleven members of the IL-1 family ligands, precursor IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-33 have comparatively long pro-peptides of approximately 110 amino acid residues at the N-terminus. However, the other IL-1 members, except for IL-37 (also known as IL-1F7), have relatively short propeptides with fewer than 40 amino acid residues at the N-terminus. Most cytokines, including interferons and interleukins, possess a hydrophobic signal sequence for secretion. Therefore, soluble cytokines readily act on cell surface receptors immediately after their release from cells. Unlike other cytokine families, IL-1 family ligands exhibit two-step regulation: transcriptional induction at the mRNA level and post-translational modification at the protein level because of the lack of a hydrophobic signal sequence at the N-terminus. Various processing enzymes involved in the activation of intracellular IL-1 family cytokines likely provide effective immune regulation to protect the host from infections. In this review, we describe all eleven IL-1 family ligand processing enzymes, mature ligand functions, and mode of receptor conformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrosis is the wound-healing response of tissues to injury. Extensive characterization of organ fibrosis mechanisms has identified common core pathways in renal, pulmonary, skin, and liver fibrosis that offer novel antifibrotic approaches across tissues, in addition to organ-specific and/or disease-specific pathways. A growing number of small molecules and biologics have been identified that are reaching clinical trials for one or more fibrotic diseases, making new antifibrotic options for liver fibrosis an emerging reality. The accelerating pace of drug development, which will also include drug repurposing or combination therapies, heightens the need for novel methods for noninvasive fibrosis assessment without liver biopsy, which is critical to establishing surrogate endpoints for patients in clinical trials who have a low risk of hepatic decompensation. In this article the authors reviewmechanisms of liver fibrosis and outline potential therapeutic targets and antifibrotic therapies in preclinical studies and clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The identification of predictors for body image distortion would be an especially important first step in targeting a vulnerable population and developing a nutrition intervention program. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of body image distortion and the factors associated with body image distortion among Korean high school students.Methods: We selected 20,264 normal weight high school students from the 10(th) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey using nationally representative data in 2014. With multivariate logistic regression, we assessed the association of body image distortion with individual demographic and socio-economic factors, weight control behaviors, and mental health characteristics.Results: The over-estimation group of body weight status, compared with the correct estimation group, was significantly more likely to be a 3(rd) year high school student [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-1.39], to be female [AOR: 3.52, 95% CI: 3.25-3.81], to employ unhealthy weight control behaviors [AOR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.37-1.72], and to have a sadness [AOR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.16-1.35] and suicidal ideation [AOR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.08-1.33]. The under-estimation group, compared with the correct estimation group, was significantly less likely to be female [AOR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.21-0.25] and to employ unhealthy weight control behaviors [AOR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.43-0.59] but were more likely to have a sadness [AOR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03-1.21] and suicidal ideation [AOR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.00-1.25].Conclusions: Not only the over-estimation but also the under-estimation of body weight is prevalent among high school students in South Korea. Body image distortion was significantly associated with sadness and suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the performance of organic electronic devices depends on exploiting the complex nanostructures formed in the active layer. Current imaging methods based on transmission electron microscopy provide limited chemical sensitivity, and thus the application to materials with compositionally similar phases or complicated multicomponent systems is challenging. Here, it is demonstrated that monochromated transmission electron microscopes can generate contrast in organic thin films based on differences in the valence electronic structure at energy losses below 10 eV. In this energy range, electronic fingerprints corresponding to interband excitations in organic semiconductors can be utilized to generate significant spectral contrast between phases. Based on differences in chemical bonding of organic materials, high-contrast images are thus obtained revealing the phase separation in polymer/fullerene mixtures. By applying principal component analysis to the spectroscopic image series, further details about phase compositions and local electronic transitions in the active layer of organic semiconductor mixtures can be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-conjugated block copolymers bring together hole- and electron-conductive polymers and can be used as the active layer of solution-processed photovoltaic devices, but it remains unclear how molecular structure, morphology, and electronic properties influence performance. Here, the role of the chemical linker is investigated through analysis of two donor-linker-acceptor block copolymers that differ in the chemistry of the linking group. Device studies show that power conversion efficiencies differ by a factor of 40 between the two polymers, and ultrafast transient absorption measurements reveal charge separation only in block copolymers that contain a wide bandgap monomer at the donor-acceptor interface. Optical measurements reveal the formation of a low-energy excited state when donor and acceptor blocks are directly linked without this wide bandgap monomer. For both samples studied, it is found that the rate of charge recombination in these systems is faster than in poly­mer-polymer and polymer-fullerene blends. This work demonstrates that the linking group chemistry influences charge separation in all-conjugated block copolymer systems, and further improvement of photovoltaic performance may be possible through optimization of the linking group. These results also suggest that all-conjugated block copolymers can be used as model systems for the donor-acceptor interface in bulk heterojunction blends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reversibility of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis following antiviral therapy for hepatitis B or C has advanced the prospect of developing antifibrotic therapies for patients with chronic liver diseases, especially non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Mechanisms of fibrosis have focused on hepatic stellate cells, which become fibrogenic myofibroblasts during injury through 'activation', and are at the nexus of efforts to define novel drug targets. Recent studies have clarified pathways of stellate cell gene regulation and epigenetics, emerging pathways of fibrosis regression through the recruitment and amplification of fibrolytic macrophages, nuanced responses of discrete inflammatory cell subsets and the identification of the 'ductular reaction' as a marker of severe injury and repair. Based on our expanded knowledge of fibrosis pathogenesis, attention is now directed towards strategies for antifibrotic therapies and regulatory challenges for conducting clinical trials with these agents. New therapies are attempting to: 1) Control or cure the primary disease or reduce tissue injury; 2) Target receptor-ligand interactions and intracellular signaling; 3) Inhibit fibrogenesis; and 4) Promote resolution of fibrosis. Progress is urgently needed in validating non-invasive markers of fibrosis progression and regression that can supplant biopsy and shorten the duration of clinical trials. Both scientific and clinical challenges remain, however the past three decades of steady progress in understanding liver fibrosis have contributed to an emerging translational success story, with realistic hopes for antifibrotic therapies to treat patients with chronic liver disease in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xbp1, a key mediator of the unfolded protein response (UPR), is activated by IRE1_-mediated splicing, which results in a frameshift to encode a protein with transcriptional activity. However, the direct function of Xbp1 in epithelial cells during mammary gland development is unknown. Here we report that the loss of Xbp1 in the mammary epithelium through targeted deletion leads to poor branching morphogenesis, impaired terminal end bud formation, and spontaneous stromal fibrosis during the adult virgin period. Additionally, epithelial Xbp1 deletion induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the epithelium and dramatically inhibits epithelial proliferation and differentiation during lactation. The synthesis of milk and its major components, α/β-casein and whey acidic protein (WAP), is significantly reduced due to decreased prolactin receptor (Prlr) and ErbB4 expression in Xbp1-deficient mammary epithelium. Reduction of Prlr and ErbB4 expression and their diminished availability at the cell surface lead to reduced phosphorylated Stat5, an essential regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation during lactation. As a result, lactating mammary glands in these mice produce less milk protein, leading to poor pup growth and postnatal death. These findings suggest that the loss of Xbp1 induces a terminal UPR which blocks proliferation and differentiation during mammary gland development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thin film of quantum dots (QD) was used to visualize the local photo-response of polycrystalline CdTe solar cells by down-converting an electron beam of high energy to photons of visible light. The efficient photon generation in the QD film is compared to cathodoluminescence of the high-purity bulk semiconductors and phosphor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]