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Quantum dots (QDs), with their exceptional optical properties, have emerged as promising candidates to replace traditional phosphors in lighting and display technologies. This study delves into the integration strategies of QDs within glass and polymer matrices to engineer advanced quantum dot color converters (QDCCs) at the industrial scale for practical applications. To achieve enhancements in the photostability and thermal stability of QDCCs, we explore two distinct approaches: the dispersion of QDs in a hydrophilic glass matrix via a sol–gel process and the incorporation of QDs into a non-polar acrylate monomer to formulate QD/polymer nanocomposites. This research further investigates the optical behaviors of these composites, focusing on their light-scattering and propagation mechanisms, which are critical for optimizing light extraction efficiency in QDCCs. Additional optical film and light-scattering particles can improve color conversion efficiency by ~140%. These advancements present a significant step forward in the development of high-performance, energy-efficient, QD-based lighting and display systems.

This article proposes a novel variable-flux spoke-type permanent magnet synchronous motor (VFS-PMSM), whose air gap flux density can be adjusted by “swiveling” magnetic pole directions in permanent magnet (PM). This is distinctive from conventional methods that require a large magnetizing field to magnetize and demagnetize (or partially) rotor PM along the same axis for variable flux motors. This paper first compares the proposed VFS-PMSM with two other typical types, i.e., series and parallel arrangements combining high- and low-coercivity PMs to achieve variable flux. It is found that the magnetic circuit of the proposed motor is identical to that of the series type at flux enhancing and to that of the parallel type at flux weakening. Therefore, the wide flux regulation range of the parallel type motors and the excellent on-load demagnetization-resisting capability of the series type motors can both be achieved in the proposed design. Another benefit of the proposed design is that the flux produced by the low-coercivity magnet constantly or aligns with that produced by the high-coercivity one whether the motor is flux enhanced or weakened. This allows the low-coercivity magnet to maintain its operating point within a safe range. These features make the proposed design suitable for electric vehicle tractions. Finite element analysis is used to compare the performance of various types of motors and highlight the advantages of the proposed VFS-PMSM. Experiments are conducted to validate the feasibility of the low-coercivity magnet to be magnetized with the method proposed in this paper. It is found that the field strength to magnetize or demagnetize the rotor can be significantly reduced, which improves the feasibility of this design.

This paper proposes a novel rotor position estimation technique based on stator flux linkage to implement robust sensorless field-oriented control for permanent magnet synchronous motor drives. The proposed method can accurately estimate rotor position by mitigating the dependence on quality of the magnitude and phase angle of the estimated stator flux linkage. A high-accuracy load angle calculation based on $d$ - $q$ -axis current estimation method is first developed for further rotor position determination. In the rotor position calculation, the reference flux linkage magnitude is used instead of the estimated one to avoid the influence of potential high noise levels during low speed operation. As a result, the rotor angle estimation depends only on the phase angle of stator flux linkage, without the effect of its magnitude. The estimation accuracy can thus be improved. Also, by employing a simple stator flux linkage phase lag compensator, the performance of the proposed sensorless method can be dramatically improved at low speed. Moreover, the problem of motor parameter variation (e.g., changes in winding resistance, stator inductances, and permanent magnetic flux linkage) has been analyzed and overcome. Finally, comparisons between conventional and proposed methods are presented with simulations and experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed method.

Abstract In this work, a high-density hydrogen (HDH) treatment is proposed to reduce interface traps and enhance the efficiency of the passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) device. The hydrogen gas is compressed at pressure (~ 70 atm) and relatively low temperature (~ 200 °C) to reduce interface traps without changing any other part of the device’s original fabrication process. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the enhancement of Si–H bonding and secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) confirmed the SiN/Si interface traps after the HDH treatment. In addition, electrical measurements of conductance-voltage are measured and extracted to verify the interface trap density (Dit). Moreover, short circuit current density (Jsc), series resistance (Rs), and fill factor (F.F.) are analyzed with a simulated light source of 1 kW M−2 global AM1.5 spectrum to confirm the increase in cell efficiency. External quantum efficiency (EQE) is also measured to confirm the enhancement in conversion efficiency between different wavelengths. Finally, a model is proposed to explain the experimental result before and after the treatment.

In this paper, we discover an operation method that can effectively decrease the forming voltage in resistance random access memory (RRAM). Forming voltage can be reduced by either increasing the rising time of the forming-waveform or by increasing the temperature in the forming process. However, the resulting electronic RRAM characteristics after each of these methods differ. While increasing the rising time causes greater damage to the switching layer due to longer accumulation of charge, increasing temperature in the forming process does not. The high temperature-formed RRAM excels in retention and endurance tests, proving an effective means to decrease forming voltage.

In conventional HfO2-based resistive random access memory (RRAM), SiO2 is usually adopted as side wall spacer (low-k spacer) to define the device feature size. It is found that the forming voltage of the conventional HfO2 RRAM with SiO2 spacer rises when the device size is scaling down from 16.0 μm2 to 0.16 μm2, which is detrimental for application of high density HfO2-based RRAM. In this study, a high permittivity side wall spacer (high-k spacer) Ta2O5 is introduced to replace SiO2 spacer. The Ta2O5 side wall effectively suppress the forming voltage rising issues during RRAM device scaling without introducing costly processing steps. Moreover, compared to the conventional HfO2-based RRAM, the side wall enhanced device exhibits faster switching speed, smaller operation voltage, and higher reliabilities, including endurance and retention. As a result, the use of Ta2O5 side wall significantly enhances the overall switching characteristics of the HfO2-based RRAM device.

Here, staple carbon fiber fabric-reinforced polycarbonate (PC)- and epoxy (EP)-based composites with different impregnating resin levels were fabricated using a modified film stacking process. The effects of surface topographies and resin types on the tribological properties of stable carbon fabric composites (sCFC) were investigated. Friction and wear tests on the carbon composites were conducted under unlubricated sliding using a disk-on-disk wear test machine. Experimental results showed that the coefficient of friction (COF) of the sCFC was dominated by matrix type, followed by peak material portion (Smr1) values, and finalized with core height (Sk) values. The COF of composites decreased by increasing the sliding speed and applied pressure. This also relied on surface topography and temperature generated at the worn surface. However, the specific wear rate was strongly affected by resin impregnation. Partially-impregnated composites showed lower specific wear rate, whereas fully-impregnated composites showed a higher wear rate. This substantially increased by increasing the sliding speed and applied pressure. Scanning electron microscopy observations of the worn surfaces revealed that the primary wear mechanisms were abrasion, adhesion, and fatigue for PC-based composites. For EP-based composites, this was primarily abrasion and fatigue. Results proved that partially-impregnated composites exhibited better tribological properties under severe conditions.

This paper demonstrates that the optimal light extraction enhancement of the 2-D photonic crystals (PhCs) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) among different air duty cycles (ADADCsCs) is independent of the geometry and the shape of the 2-D PhCs. Moreover, it also discusses that the side-directional emission property of the 2-D PhCs LEDs in hexagonal lattice arrangement (HLA) is better than that in square lattice arrangement (SLA). Finally, the light output power of the 2-D PhCs LEDs in SLA and in HLA with the ADC of 51% are significantly improved by 60.4% and 81.9%, respectively, as compared with the reference LED at an injection current of 350 mA.

Clostridium difficile colitis and cytomegalovirus colitis coinfection has been documented in immunocompromised patients. However, this kind of coinfection has rarely been reported in immunocompetent patients. We present a 90-year-old, critically ill, immunocompetent patient, who had a C. difficile and cytomegalovirus colitis coinfection. Although the common risk factors of both types of colitis are well known, clinical physicians still need to be alert to this coinfection because severe complications of CMV colitis have been reported previously. Physicians should be more aggressive in the management of elderly immunocompetent patients with refractory symptoms of colitis.

Fifty-seven compounds were purified from the stems of Tinospora sinensis, including three new compounds characterized as a lignan (1), a pyrrole alkaloid (11), and a benzenoid (17), respectively. Their structures were elucidated and established by various spectroscopic and spectrometric analytical methods. Among the isolates, fifteen compounds were examined for their anti-inflammatory potential in vitro. The results showed that several compounds displayed moderate inhibition of N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine/cytochalasin B (fMLP/CB)-induced superoxide anion generation and elastase release.

Cd(2+) causes damages to several human tissues. Although the toxicological and carcinogenetic mechanisms of Cd(2+) have been previously established, some basic questions on this toxicant remain unclear. In this study, we constructed Met-cad 1.57, a new fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based Cd(2+) indicator, which contains a portion of a Cd(2+)-binding protein (CadR) obtained from Pseudomonas putida as the Cd(2+) sensing key. We produced a human embryonic kidney cell line HEK-MCD157 which stably expresses the Met-cad 1.57 for further investigations. Both fluorescence spectroscopy and FRET microscopic ratio imaging were used to monitor the Cd(2+) concentration within the living HEK-MCD157 cells. The dissociation constant of Met-cad 1.57 was approximately 271 nM. The function of Ca(2+) channels as a potential Cd(2+) entry gateway was further confirmed in the HEK-MCD157 cells. The organelle-targeted property of the protein-based Cd(2+) indicator directly reveals the nucleus accumulation phenomena. In summary, a human kidney cell line that stably expresses the FRET-based Cd(2+) indicator Met-cad 1.57 was constructed for reliable and convenient investigations to determine the Cd(2+) concentration within living cells, including the identification of the entry pathway of Cd(2+) and sub-cellular sequestration.

Electric tools have become indispensable in various industries owing to their convenient portability, high energy efficiency, and capability to operate without being constrained by power cords when using batteries. Referring to the currently marketed ST-64 specification gas-powered or compressed-air-powered nail guns commonly used for concrete and steel beams, we propose a linear motor design with superior output power and operational speed for use in electric nail guns. The design process begins with designing and simulating the stator and mover of the motor using Altair Flux 3D finite element analysis software. The stator is a combination of permanent magnets and electromagnetic iron and designed to possess magnetic field properties similar to those of the Halbach magnet array. On the other hand, the mover utilizes permanent magnets with different magnetic field directions to achieve a Halbach magnet array design, resulting in a magnetic field direction opposite to that of the stator. The linear motor, formed by a combination of the stator and mover, is then analyzed and adjusted through Flux 3D finite element analysis to design a short-stroke, high-thrust linear motor leveraging the concentrated magnetic field characteristics of the magnet array. Finally, it is experimentally verified that the linear motor designed in the experiment can achieve an output force of up to an average of 90 N even when using an inferior core, reinforcing the potential and reliability of this design for practical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorich®EnergyBoost, a water extract obtained from Chlorella sorokiniana, has been proposed to enhance physical performance and provide anti-fatigue effects. This study assessed the impact of Chlorich®EnergyBoost supplementation on physical performance and its anti-fatigue properties. Twenty-four mice were allocated into four groups: (1) the control group receiving only water,;(2) the 1X group (49.2 mg/kg/day); (3) the 2X group (98.4 g/kg/day); and (4) the 5X group (246 g/kg/day). All groups were orally administered the supplements for four consecutive weeks. The evaluation included grip strength, swimming endurance, an exhaustion test, and serum biochemistry analysis. Additionally, the study examined the bioactive peptides through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and conducted bacterial reverse mutation and acute oral toxicity tests for safety assessment. The findings indicated that Chlorich®EnergyBoost supplementation led to a significant reduction in serum lactate levels by 14.08% to 22.54% and blood urea nitrogen levels by 12.23% to 16.76%, an increase in the lactate clearance rate by 0.28 to 0.35, an enhancement of muscle glycogen storage by 1.10 to 1.44-fold, and hepatic glycogen storage by 1.41 to 1.47-fold. These results demonstrated dose-dependent effects. MALDI-TOF analysis revealed the expression of dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase. Both the bacterial reverse mutation and acute oral toxicity tests showed no adverse effects.

The penetration of sonic booms into the ocean and an estimation of the extent of their influence are important topics for supersonic and hypersonic aviation. Most prior studies were conducted assuming a flat-water surface. However, it is known that the effect of the surface waviness is not negligible in the case of real ocean environments. In the present study, the numerical method analyzes the two-dimensional flow field of sonic boom propagation across the air and water is proposed. When the flight Mach number of an aircraft is higher than 4.4, the underwater flow field becomes supersonic, and a sonic boom is generated there. The numerical results show that, in the underwater subsonic regime, the penetrating waves have the form of evanescent waves under either flat or wavy water surface, but the waviness-induced ripples with the smaller decay rate are responsible for deeper penetration. In contrast, in the supersonic underwater flow, the surface waviness hardly affects the penetration depth of underwater sonic booms, although it can slightly weaken the boom intensity. The effect of the amplitude of surface waviness on the underwater penetrating wave was also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an ITO/Ga2O3:ITO/TiN structured resistance random access memory is introduced. Either interface or filament conduction mechanism can be induced depending on the forming compliance current, which has not been investigated before. Material analyses and electrical I-V measurements on this ITO/Ga2O3:ITO/TiN have also been carried out. The interface conduction mechanism was confirmed by a size-effect experiment, where resistance varied inversely to via size. In addition, the current fitting results show that Schottky emission dominates the on- and off-state currents. All physical mechanisms of device resistive switching behaviors are explained by our models and also confirmed by I-V characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study aimed to explore parameters which will predict good control of HbA1c after adding a second anti-diabetic drug in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) inadequately controlled with metformin monotherapy. Methods Fifty-one patients (M/F: 25/26, mean age: 53.7 ± 8.2 years, mean glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] 8.4 ± 1.2%) with T2DM inadequately controlled with metformin were randomized to add-on glibenclamide or acarbose for 16 weeks. Before and after combination therapy, the subjects underwent a 2-hour liquid mixed meal tolerance test to determine insulin secretion (HOMA-β, insulinogenic index, and disposition index [DI]) and insulin sensitivity (HOMAIR and Matsuda insulin sensitivity index). Results At baseline, there was a significant inverse relationship between DI120 and HbA1c (p = 0.001) in all subjects. The addition of glibenclamide and acarbose improved HbA1c significantly from 8.6 ± 1.6% to 7.4 ± 1.2% (p < 0.001), and from 8.2 ± 0.8% to 7.5 ± 0.8% (p < 0.001), respectively. In the glibenclamide group, DI120 significantly increased from 51.2 ± 24.2 to 74.9 ± 41.9 (p < 0.05), and in the acarbose group, from 62.5 ± 31.4 to 91.7 ± 36.2 (p < 0.05), respectively. Multiple regression analyses showed that both baseline HbA1c and DI120 independently predicted reduction of HbA1c as well as final HbA1c after combination therapy. Conclusions In patients with T2DM inadequately controlled with metformin, add-on oral anti-diabetic agent with glibenclamide or acarbose resulted in the significant HbA1c reduction and improvement of β-cell function. Subjects with greater baseline β-cell function reserve displayed better glycemic response in the combination therapy of metformin with glibenclamide or acarbose. Trial registration This study was registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov with registration number of NCT00417729. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Pt@TiO2@AAO membrane nanoreactor was fabricated by atomic layer deposition. The photodegradation test of methylene blue demonstrated that the nanoreactor shows efficient photocatalysis performance. It exhibited ~28% photodegradation of methylene blue after ten flow-through cycles, corresponding to about 2.7 × 10-2 s of contact time of methylene blue with Pt@TiO2 nanotubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the bioactive constituents in the methanol extracts of Coptis Rhizome prepared by ultrafining technology. The indicator compound was identified by spectroscopic method and its purity was determined by HPLC. Moreover, the crude extracts and indicator compound were examined for their ability to inhibit the growth of Rhizoctonia solani Kühn AG-4 on potato dextrose agar plates. The indicator compound is a potential candidate as a new plant derived pesticide to control Rhizoctonia damping-off in vegetable seedlings. In addition, the extracts of Coptis Rhizome prepared by ultrafining technology displayed higher contents of indicator compound; they not only improve their bioactivity but also reduce the amount of the pharmaceuticals required and, thereby, decrease the environmental degradation associated with the harvesting of the raw products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For nonlinear discrete-time stochastic systems, a fuzzy controller design methodology is developed in this paper subject to state variance constraint and passivity constraint. According to fuzzy model based control technique, the nonlinear discrete-time stochastic systems considered in this paper are represented by the discrete-time Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy models with multiplicative noise. Employing Lyapunov stability theory, upper bound covariance control theory, and passivity theory, some sufficient conditions are derived to find parallel distributed compensation based fuzzy controllers. In order to solve these sufficient conditions, an iterative linear matrix inequality algorithmis applied based on the linear matrix inequality technique. Finally, the fuzzy stabilization problem for nonlinear discrete ship steering stochastic systems is investigated in the numerical example to illustrate the feasibility and validity of proposed fuzzy controller design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the number of transmission control protocol sessions usually varies from time to time, a perturbed Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model is used in this paper to represent the dynamic transmission control protocol network systems. According to the proposed perturbed Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model, a robust fuzzy controller design approach is investigated to achieve the congestion avoidance for the transmission control protocol network systems. In order to accomplish the above mission, some sufficient conditions are derived based on the Lyapunov stability theory. By solving these sufficient stability conditions, an active queue management router can be obtained via the proposed robust fuzzy congestion control technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a procedure for refining depth maps acquired using RGB-D (depth) cameras. With numerous new structured-light RGB-D cameras, acquiring high-resolution depth maps has become easy. However, there are problems such as undesired occlusion, inaccurate depth values, and temporal variation of pixel values when using these cameras. In this paper, a proposed method based on an exemplar-based inpainting method is proposed to remove artefacts in depth maps obtained using RGB-D cameras. Exemplar-based inpainting has been used to repair an object-removed image. The concept underlying this inpainting method is similar to that underlying the procedure for padding the occlusions in the depth data obtained using RGB-D cameras. Therefore, our proposed method enhances and modifies the inpainting method for application in and the refinement of RGB-D depth data image quality. For evaluating the experimental results of the proposed method, our proposed method was tested on the Tsukuba Stereo Dataset, which contains a 3D video with the ground truths of depth maps, occlusion maps, RGB images, the peak signal-to-noise ratio, and the computational time as the evaluation metrics. Moreover, a set of self-recorded RGB-D depth maps and their refined versions are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Traditionally, metal is used for the top electrode (TE) in HfO2-based resistance random access memory. When transparent indium–tin–oxide (ITO) is used as the TE, different forming processes, including lower forming voltages and higher forming currents, are exhibited. This work investigates the forming process with such a transparent TE under UV illumination. In addition, different TE thicknesses and device cell sizes are also investigated to confirm the results. Finally, a possible conduction model is provided to explain the mechanisms under UV-light illumination for the transparent TE during the forming process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating dynamic resistance switching behaviors is important for real applications for resistance random access memory (RRAM). In this study, we demonstrate a voltage induced positive-feedback effect which occurs during the reset process under specific conditions, and propose an explanatory mechanism. Since instantaneous change of current always appears with the self-compliance characteristic, research was carried out to clarify the mechanism. We found that the cause is a positive-feedback effect which induces a sudden change in the voltage allocation to the RRAM. A mathematical proof was also carried out to confirm this mechanism, and was used to predict reset behavior when under a specific condition. These experimental and simulation results can help provide a better understanding of the RRAM dynamic reset mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we demonstrate a forming technique that enables us to control whether the switching layer of a Pt/In2O3/TiN device is near the Pt electrode or the TiN electrode. This means that In2O3-based resistive random access memory (RRAM) can be switched at either the active or inert electrode. The resistive switching current–voltage (I–V) curves for both electrodes exhibit stable memory windows. Through material and electrical analyses, we found that the reason for switching at the inert electrode is the oxygen-vacancy-rich characteristic of In2O3. Finally, a physical model is proposed to explain this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful recovery of resistive switching random access memory (RRAM) devices that have undergone switching failure is achieved by introducing a low-temperature supercritical-fluid process that passivates the switching layer. These failed RRAM devices, which are incapable of switching between high- and low-resistance states, were treated with supercritical carbon dioxide with pure water at 120 °C for 1 h. After the treatment, the devices became operational again and showed excellent current–voltage (I–V) characteristics and reliability as before. On the basis of the current conduction mechanism fitting results, we propose a model to explain the phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forming process is a necessary and irreversible process to activate the resistance switching behavior in a resistance random access memory (RRAM) device. However, during the forming process, an overshoot current leads to device damage and causes inferior resistance switching characteristics; consequently, the process is considered to be a key factor in device degradation. In this paper, we find that a discontinuous conduction path can be formed by a pulse forming process such that the operation current can be reduced. We further investigate how the charge quantity during the forming process affects the carrier conduction mechanism of HRS, with all experiments and results demonstrated on one-transistor–one-resistor (1T1R) devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an adjustable built-in resistor was observed on an indium–tin oxide (ITO)-capped resistance random access memory (RRAM) device, which has the potential to reduce operating power. Quite notably, the high-resistance state (HRS) current of the device decreased with decreasing current compliance, and a special situation, that is, a gradual change in current always appears and climbs slowly to reach the compliance current in the set process even when the compliance current decreases, was observed. Owing to this observed phenomenon, the device is regarded to be equipped with an adjustable built-in resistor, which has the potential for low-power device application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we inserted a low dielectric constant (low-k) or high dielectric constant (high-k) material as a switching layer in indium–tin-oxide-based resistive random-access memory. After measuring the two samples, we found that the low-k material device has very low operating voltages (−80 and 110 mV for SET and RESET operations, respectively). Current fitting results were then used with the COMSOL software package to simulate electric field distribution in the layers. After combining the electrical measurement results with simulations, a conduction model was proposed to explain resistance switching behaviors in the two structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identical insulators and bottom electrodes were fabricated and capped by an indium tin oxide (ITO) film, either undoped or doped with erbium (Er), as a top electrode. This distinctive top electrode dramatically altered the resistive random access memory (RRAM) characteristics, for example, lowering the operation current and enlarging the memory window. In addition, the RESET voltage increased, whereas the SET voltage remained almost the same. A conduction model of Er-doped ITO is proposed through current–voltage (I–V) measurement and current fitting to explain the resistance switching mechanism of Er-doped ITO RRAM and is confirmed by material analysis and reliability tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]