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Abstract Matching of various chalcogenide films shows the advantage of delivering multilayer heterostructures whose physical properties can be tuned with respect to the ones of the constituent single films. In this work, (Ge–Sb–Te)-based heterostructures were deposited by radio frequency sputtering on Si(100) substrates and annealed up to 400 °C. The as-deposited and annealed samples were studied by means of X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The heterostructures, combining thermally stable thin layers (i. e. Ge-rich Ge5.5Sb2Te5, Ge) and films exhibiting fast switching dynamics (i. e. Sb2Te3), show, on the one side, higher crystallization-onset temperatures than the standard Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy and, on the other side, none to minimal Ge-segregation.

New sociology of childhood has emphasized that children are capable of being reflective, of behaving purposively and are able to influence the environment where they live. This concept is also referred to as ‘children as capable agents’ meaning that they can shape the environment. Despite this, children are rarely given the space for participation. The lack of participation is particularly evident within the child protection system, where the tension between children's right to protection and their right to participation becomes even more pronounced. Preventing them from participation is not only a violation of rights but also impacts their capability to exercise social citizenship. This can be particularly detrimental for care leavers who rank among the most socially excluded and disadvantaged groups of young people. This article addresses these issues by presenting the findings of the action-research project CarINg (Empowering Childcare Systems and Supporting Leaving Care from Inside), implemented in Italy and co-funded by the European Union. This research delved into the participation opportunities for care leavers within the care system, with a dual focus on enhancing the local alternative care system and empowering care leavers to actively voice and influence the status quo. Results show how active involvement of care leavers in the protection system and in the production of knowledge can empower them as individuals and enable them to contribute to bringing about change within the alternative care system. Whether all these changes happen depends on the capacity of the institutions to recognize that children are authentic agents and participants of the society.

Abstract The possibility to engineer (GeTe)m(Sb2Te3)n phase‐change materials to co‐host ferroelectricity is extremely attractive. The combination of these functionalities holds great technological impact, potentially enabling the design of novel multifunctional devices. Here an experimental and theoretical study of epitaxial (GeTe)m(Sb2Te3)n with GeTe‐rich composition is presented. These layered films feature a tunable distribution of (GeTe)m(Sb2Te3)1 blocks of different sizes. Breakthrough evidence of ferroelectric displacement in thick (GeTe)m(Sb2Te3)1 lamellae is provided. The density functional theory calculations suggest the formation of a tilted (GeTe)m slab sandwiched in GeTe‐rich blocks. That is, the net ferroelectric polarization is confined almost in‐plane, representing an unprecedented case between 2D and bulk ferroelectric materials. The ferroelectric behavior is confirmed by piezoresponse force microscopy and electroresistive measurements. The resilience of the quasi van der Waals character of the films, regardless of their composition, is also demonstrated. Hence, the material developed hereby gathers in a unique 2D platform the phase‐change and ferroelectric switching properties, paving the way for the conception of innovative device architectures.

Abstract Van der Waals (vdW) epitaxial growth of large-area and stable two-dimensional (2D) materials of high structural quality on crystalline substrates is crucial for the development of novel device technologies. 2D gallium monochalcogenides with low in-plane symmetry stand out among the layered semiconductor materials family for next-generation optoelectronic and energy conversion applications. Here, we demonstrate the formation of large-area, single crystal and optically active 2D monoclinic gallium telluride (m-GaTe) on silicon substrate via rapid thermal annealing induced phase transformation of vdW epitaxial metastable hexagonal gallium telluride (h-GaTe). Stabilization of multilayer h-GaTe on Si occurs due to the role of the first layer symmetry together with efficient GaTe surface passivation. Moreover, we show that the phase transformation of h-GaTe to m-GaTe is accompanied by the strain relaxation between Si substrate and GaTe. This work opens the way to the fabrication of single-crystal 2D anisotropic semiconductors on standard crystalline wafers that are difficult to be obtained by epitaxial methods.

IntroductionHematopoietic stem cells (HSC) reside in the bone marrow (BM) in specialized niches which provide support for their self-replication and differentiation into the blood cells. Recently, numerous studies using sophisticated molecular and microscopic technology have provided snap-shots information on the identity of the BM niches in mice. In adults, HSC are localized around arterioles and sinusoids/venules whereas in juvenile mice they are in close to the osteoblasts. However, although it is well recognized that in mice the nature of the hematopoietic niche change with age or after exposure to inflammatory insults, much work remains to be done to identify changes occurring under these conditions. The dynamic changes occurring in niche/HSC interactions as HSC enter into cycle are also poorly defined.MethodsWe exploit mice harboring the hCD34tTA/Tet-O-H2BGFP transgene to establish the feasibility to assess interactions of the HSC with their niche as they cycle. In this model, H2BGFP expression is driven by the TET trans-activator under the control of the human CD34 promoter which in mice is active only in the HSC. Since Doxycycline inhibits TET, HSC exposed to this drug no longer express H2BGFP and loose half of their label every division allowing establishing the dynamics of their first 1-3 divisions. To this aim, we first validated user-friendly confocal microscopy methods to determine HSC divisions by hemi-decrement changes in levels of GFP expression. We then tracked the interaction occurring in old mice between the HSC and their niche during the first HSC divisions.ResultsWe determined that in old mice, most of the HSC are located around vessels, both arterioles which sustain quiescence and self-replication, and venules/sinusoids, which sustain differentiation. After just 1 week of exposure to Doxycycline, great numbers of the HSC around the venules lost most of their GFP label, indicating that they had cycled. By contrast, the few HSC surrounding the arterioles retained maximal levels of GFP expression, indicating that they are either dormant or cycle at very low rates.ConclusionThese results reveal that in old mice, HSC cycle very dynamically and are biased toward interactions with the niche that instructs them to differentiate.

Abstract Recent studies demonstrated reduced blood lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) activity in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to verify hepatic LAL protein content and activity in in vitro and in vivo models of fat overload and in NAFLD patients. LAL protein content and activity were firstly evaluated in Huh7 cells exposed to high-glucose/high-lipid (HGHL) medium and in the liver of C57BL/6 mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 and 8 months. LAL protein was also evaluated by immunohistochemistry in liver biopsies from 87 NAFLD patients and 10 controls, and correlated with hepatic histology. Huh7 cells treated with HGHL medium showed a significant reduction of LAL activity, which was consistent with reduced LAL protein levels by western blotting using an antibody towards the N-term of the enzyme. Conversely, antibodies towards the C-term of the enzyme evidenced LAL accumulation, suggesting a post-translational modification that masks the LAL N-term epitope and affects enzymatic activity. Indeed, we found a high rate of ubiquitination and extra-lysosomal localization of LAL protein in cells treated with HGHL medium. Consistent with these findings, inhibition of proteasome triggered dysfunctional LAL accumulation and affected LAL activity. Accumulation of ubiquitinated/dysfunctional LAL was also found in the liver of HFD fed mice. In NAFLD patients, hepatic levels of non-ubiquitinated/functional LAL were lower than in controls and inversely correlated with disease activity and some of the hallmarks of reduced LAL. Fat overload leads to LAL ubiquitination and impairs its function, possibly reducing hepatic fat disposal and promoting NAFLD activity.

The morphological, structural, and electrical properties of as-grown and annealed Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) layers, deposited by RF-sputtering on flexible polyimide, were studied by means of optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and electrical characterization. The X-ray diffraction annealing experiments showed the structural transformation of GST layers from the as-grown amorphous state into their crystalline cubic and trigonal phases. The onset of crystallization of the GST films was inferred at about 140 °C. The vibrational properties of the crystalline GST layers were investigated via Raman spectroscopy with mode assignment in agreement with previous works on GST films grown on rigid substrates. The electrical characterization revealed a good homogeneity of the amorphous and crystalline trigonal GST with an electrical resistance contrast of 8 × 106.

In this study, we deposit a Ge-rich Ge–Sb–Te alloy by physical vapor deposition (PVD) in the amorphous phase on silicon substrates. We study in-situ, by X-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopies (XPS and UPS), the electronic properties and carefully ascertain the alloy composition to be GST 29 20 28. Subsequently, Raman spectroscopy is employed to corroborate the results from the photoemission study. X-ray diffraction is used upon annealing to study the crystallization of such an alloy and identify the effects of phase separation and segregation of crystalline Ge with the formation of grains along the [111] direction, as expected for such Ge-rich Ge–Sb–Te alloys. In addition, we report on the electrical characterization of single memory cells containing the Ge-rich Ge–Sb–Te alloy, including I-V characteristic curves, programming curves, and SET and RESET operation performance, as well as upon annealing temperature. A fair alignment of the electrical parameters with the current state-of-the-art of conventional (GeTe)n-(Sb2Te3)m alloys, deposited by PVD, is found, but with enhanced thermal stability, which allows for data retention up to 230 °C.

In this study, we present a full characterization of the electronic properties of phase change material (PCM) double-layered heterostructures deposited on silicon substrates. Thin films of amorphous Ge-rich Ge-Sb-Te (GGST) alloys were grown by physical vapor deposition on Sb2Te3 and on Ge2Sb2Te5 layers. The two heterostructures were characterized in situ by X-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopies (XPS and UPS) during the formation of the interface between the first and the second layer (top GGST film). The evolution of the composition across the heterostructure interface and information on interdiffusion were obtained. We found that, for both cases, the final composition of the GGST layer was close to Ge2SbTe2 (GST212), which is a thermodynamically favorable off-stoichiometry GeSbTe alloy in the Sb-GeTe pseudobinary of the ternary phase diagram. Density functional theory calculations allowed us to calculate the density of states for the valence band of the amorphous phase of GST212, which was in good agreement with the experimental valence bands measured in situ by UPS. The same heterostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction as a function of the annealing temperature. Differences in the crystallization process are discussed on the basis of the photoemission results.