Using Sparse Parts in Fused Information to Enhance Performance in Latent Low-Rank Representation-Based Fusion of Visible and Infrared Images.

Latent Low-Rank Representation (LatLRR) has emerged as a prominent approach for fusing visible and infrared images. In this approach, images are decomposed into three fundamental components: the base part, salient part, and sparse part. The aim is to blend the base and salient features to reconstruct images accurately. However, existing methods often focus more on combining the base and salient parts, neglecting the importance of the sparse component, whereas we advocate for the comprehensive inclusion of all three parts generated from LatLRR image decomposition into the image fusion process, a novel proposition introduced in this study. Moreover, the effective integration of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) technology with LatLRR remains challenging, particularly after the inclusion of sparse parts. This study utilizes fusion strategies involving weighted average, summation, VGG19, and ResNet50 in various combinations to analyze the fusion performance following the introduction of sparse parts. The research findings show a significant enhancement in fusion performance achieved through the inclusion of sparse parts in the fusion process. The suggested fusion strategy involves employing deep learning techniques for fusing both base parts and sparse parts while utilizing a summation strategy for the fusion of salient parts. The findings improve the performance of LatLRR-based methods and offer valuable insights for enhancement, leading to advancements in the field of image fusion.

Recent progress in self-healable energy harvesting and storage devices - a future direction for reliable and safe electronics.

Electronic devices with multiple features bring in comfort to the way we live. However, repeated use causes physical as well as chemical degradation reducing their lifetime. The self-healing ability is the most crucial property of natural systems for survival in unexpected situations and variable environments. However, this self-repair property is not possessed by the conventional electronic devices designed today. To expand their lifetime and make them reliable by restoring their mechanical, functional, and electrical properties, self-healing materials are a great go-to option to create robust devices. In this review the intriguing self-healing polymers and fascinating mechanism of self-healable energy harvesting devices such as triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) and storage devices like supercapacitors and batteries from the aspect of electrodes and electrolytes in the past five years are reviewed. The current challenges, strategies, and perspectives for a smart and sustainable future are also discussed.

Graphene-All-Around Cobalt Interconnect with a Back-End-of-Line Compatible Process.

The graphene-all-around (GAA) structure has been verified to grow directly at 380 °C using hot-wire chemical vapor deposition, within the thermal budget of the back end of the line (BEOL). The cobalt (Co) interconnects with the GAA structure have demonstrated a 10.8% increase in current density, a 27% reduction in resistance, and a 36 times longer electromigration lifetime. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations have revealed the presence of bonding between carbon and Co, which makes the Co atom more stable to resist external forces. The ability of graphene to act as a diffusion barrier in the GAA structure was confirmed through time-dependent dielectric breakdown measurement. The Co interconnect within the GAA structure exhibits enhanced electrical properties and reliability, which indicates compatibility applications as next-generation interconnect materials in CMOS BEOL.

MoS2 as an Effective Cu Diffusion Barrier with a Back-End Compatible Process.

This study demonstrates molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as a superior candidate as a diffusion barrier and liner. This research explores a newly developed process to show how effectively MoS2 can be applied. First, a new approach is developed to prepare molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) by microwave plasma-enhanced sulfurization (MW-PES). MW-PES can rapidly and directly grow on the target substrate at low temperatures, which is compatible with the back-end-of-line (BEOL) technology. Second, the performance of MW-PES MoS2 as a diffusion barrier and liner is reported in the subsequent section. Through time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) measurements, MoS2 is shown to have a barrier property better than that of the current material, Ta, with the same thickness. According to the model fitting, the lifetime of the device is about 45.2 times the lifetime under normal operating conditions. Furthermore, MoS2 shows its superior thermal stability in maintaining the barrier properties. MoS2 is proven to be an excellent interface as a liner as it can provide sufficient adhesion and wettability to further effectively reduce the surface scattering of copper (Cu) and significantly lower the circuit resistance.

PM2.5 Concentration Prediction Model: A CNN-RF Ensemble Framework.

Although many machine learning methods have been widely used to predict PM2.5 concentrations, these single or hybrid methods still have some shortcomings. This study integrated the advantages of convolutional neural network (CNN) feature extraction and the regression ability of random forest (RF) to propose a novel CNN-RF ensemble framework for PM2.5 concentration modeling. The observational data from 13 monitoring stations in Kaohsiung in 2021 were selected for model training and testing. First, CNN was implemented to extract key meteorological and pollution data. Subsequently, the RF algorithm was employed to train the model with five input factors, namely the extracted features from the CNN and spatiotemporal factors, including the day of the year, the hour of the day, latitude, and longitude. Independent observations from two stations were used to evaluate the models. The findings demonstrated that the proposed CNN-RF model had better modeling capability compared with the independent CNN and RF models: the average improvements in root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) ranged from 8.10% to 11.11%, respectively. In addition, the proposed CNN-RF hybrid model has fewer excess residuals at thresholds of 10 µg/m3, 20 µg/m3, and 30 µg/m3. The results revealed that the proposed CNN-RF ensemble framework is a stable, reliable, and accurate method that can generate superior results compared with the single CNN and RF methods. The proposed method could be a valuable reference for readers and may inspire researchers to develop even more effective methods for air pollution modeling. This research has important implications for air pollution research, data analysis, model estimation, and machine learning.

Combination of VSLAM and a Magnetic Fingerprint Map to Improve Accuracy of Indoor Positioning.

With the continual advancement of positioning technology, people's use of mobile devices has increased substantially. The global navigation satellite system (GNSS) has improved outdoor positioning performance. However, it cannot effectively locate indoor users owing to signal masking effects. Common indoor positioning technologies include radio frequencies, image visions, and pedestrian dead reckoning. However, the advantages and disadvantages of each technology prevent a single indoor positioning technology from solving problems related to various environmental factors. In this study, a hybrid method was proposed to improve the accuracy of indoor positioning by combining visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM) with a magnetic fingerprint map. A smartphone was used as an experimental device, and a built-in camera and magnetic sensor were used to collect data on the characteristics of the indoor environment and to determine the effect of the magnetic field on the building structure. First, through the use of a preestablished indoor magnetic fingerprint map, the initial position was obtained using the weighted k-nearest neighbor matching method. Subsequently, combined with the VSLAM, the Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF (ORB) feature was used to calculate the indoor coordinates of a user. Finally, the optimal user's position was determined by employing loose coupling and coordinate constraints from a magnetic fingerprint map. The findings indicated that the indoor positioning accuracy could reach 0.5 to 0.7 m and that different brands and models of mobile devices could achieve the same accuracy.

Inhibition of Neddylation Suppresses Osteoclast Differentiation and Function In Vitro and Alleviates Osteoporosis In Vivo.

Neddylation, or the covalent addition of NEDD8 to specific lysine residue of proteins, is a reversible posttranslational modification, which regulates numerous biological functions; however, its involvement and therapeutic significance in osteoporosis remains unknown. Our results revealed that during the soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (sRANKL)-stimulated osteoclast differentiation, the neddylation and expression of UBA3, the NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE) catalytic subunit, were dose- and time-dependently upregulated in RAW 264.7 macrophages. UBA3 knockdown for diminishing NAE activity or administering low doses of the NAE inhibitor MLN4924 significantly suppressed sRANKL-stimulated osteoclast differentiation and bone-resorbing activity in the macrophages by inhibiting sRANKL-stimulated neddylation and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6)-activated transforming growth factor-ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) downstream signaling for diminishing nuclear factor-activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) expression. sRANKL enhanced the interaction of TRAF6 with the neddylated proteins and the polyubiquitination of TRAF6's lysine 63, which activated TAK1 downstream signaling; however, this process was inhibited by MLN4924. MLN4924 significantly reduced osteoporosis in an ovariectomy- and sRANKL-induced osteoporosis mouse model in vivo. Our novel finding was that NAE-mediated neddylation participates in RANKL-activated TRAF6-TAK1-NFATc1 signaling during osteoclast differentiation and osteoporosis, suggesting that neddylation may be a new target for treating osteoporosis.

Vitamin D supplementation worsens Alzheimer's progression: Animal model and human cohort studies.

Vitamin D deficiency has been epidemiologically linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias, but no interventional studies have proved causality. Our previous work revealed that the genomic vitamin D receptor (VDR) is already converted into a non-genomic signaling pathway by forming a complex with p53 in the AD brain. Here, we extend our previous work to assess whether it is beneficial to supplement AD mice and humans with vitamin D. Intriguingly, we first observed that APP/PS1 mice fed a vitamin D-sufficient diet showed significantly lower levels of serum vitamin D, suggesting its deficiency may be a consequence not a cause of AD. Moreover, supplementation of vitamin D led to increased Aß deposition and exacerbated AD. Mechanistically, vitamin D supplementation did not rescue the genomic VDR/RXR complex but instead enhanced the non-genomic VDR/p53 complex in AD brains. Consistently, our population-based longitudinal study also showed that dementia-free older adults (n = 14,648) taking vitamin D3 supplements for over 146 days/year were 1.8 times more likely to develop dementia than those not taking the supplements. Among those with pre-existing dementia (n = 980), those taking vitamin D3 supplements for over 146 days/year had 2.17 times the risk of mortality than those not taking the supplements. Collectively, these animal model and human cohort studies caution against prolonged use of vitamin D by AD patients.

Influences of dielectric constant and scan rate on hysteresis effect in perovskite solar cell with simulation and experimental analyses.

In this work, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with different transport layers were fabricated to understand the hysteresis phenomenon under a series of scan rates. The experimental results show that the hysteresis phenomenon would be affected by the dielectric constant of transport layers and scan rate significantly. To explain this, a modified Poisson and drift-diffusion solver coupled with a fully time-dependent ion migration model is developed to analyze how the ion migration affects the performance and hysteresis of PSCs. The modeling results show that the most crucial factor in the hysteresis behavior is the built-in electric field of the perovskite. The non-linear hysteresis curves are demonstrated under different scan rates, and the mechanism of the hysteresis behavior is explained. Additionally, other factors contributing to the degree of hysteresis are determined to be the degree of degradation in the perovskite material, the quality of the perovskite crystal, and the materials of the transport layer, which corresponds to the total ion density, carrier lifetime of perovskite, and the dielectric constant of the transport layer, respectively. Finally, it was found that the dielectric constant of the transport layer is a key factor affecting hysteresis in perovskite solar cells.

Effect of resistance training on satellite cells in old mice - a transcriptome study : implications for sarcopenia.

AIMS: The decrease in the number of satellite cells (SCs), contributing to myofibre formation and reconstitution, and their proliferative capacity, leads to muscle loss, a condition known as sarcopenia. Resistance training can prevent muscle loss; however, the underlying mechanisms of resistance training effects on SCs are not well understood. We therefore conducted a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of SCs in a mouse model. METHODS: We compared the differentially expressed genes of SCs in young mice (eight weeks old), middle-aged (48-week-old) mice with resistance training intervention (MID+ T), and mice without exercise (MID) using next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics. RESULTS: After the bioinformatic analysis, the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and the regulation of actin cytoskeleton in particular were highlighted among the top ten pathways with the most differentially expressed genes involved in the young/MID and MID+ T/MID groups. The expression of Gng5, Atf2, and Rtor in the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway was higher in the young and MID+ T groups compared with the MID group. Similarly, Limk1, Arhgef12, and Araf in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton pathway had a similar bias. Moreover, the protein expression profiles of Atf2, Rptor, and Ccnd3 in each group were paralleled with the results of NGS. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that age-induced muscle loss might result from age-influenced genes that contribute to muscle development in SCs. After resistance training, age-impaired genes were reactivated, and age-induced genes were depressed. The change fold in these genes in the young/MID mice resembled those in the MID + T/MID group, suggesting that resistance training can rejuvenate the self-renewing ability of SCs by recovering age-influenced genes to prevent sarcopenia. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2022;11(2):121-133.

Non-genomic rewiring of vitamin D receptor to p53 as a key to Alzheimer's disease.

Observational epidemiological studies have associated vitamin D deficiency with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, whether vitamin D deficiency would result in some impacts on the vitamin D binding receptor (VDR) remains to be characterized in AD. Vitamin D helps maintain adult brain health genomically through binding with and activating a VDR/retinoid X receptor (RXR) transcriptional complex. Thus, we investigated the role of VDR in AD using postmortem human brains, APP/PS1 mice, and cell cultures. Intriguingly, although vitamin D was decreased in AD patients and mice, hippocampal VDR levels were inversely increased. The abnormally increased levels of VDR were found to be colocalized with Aß plaques, gliosis and autophagosomes, implicating a non-genomic activation of VDR in AD pathogenesis. Mechanistic investigation revealed that Aß upregulated VDR without its canonical ligand vitamin D and switched its heterodimer binding-partner from RXR to p53. The VDR/p53 complex localized mostly in the cytosol, increased neuronal autophagy and apoptosis. Chemically inhibiting p53 switched VDR back to RXR, reversing amyloidosis and cognitive impairment in AD mice. These results suggest a non-genomic rewiring of VDR to p53 is key for the progression of AD, and thus VDR/p53 pathway might be targeted to treat people with AD.

The Influence of Helium Dielectric Barrier Discharge Jet (DBDjet) Plasma Treatment on Bathocuproine (BCP) in p-i-n-Structure Perovskite Solar Cells.

A bathocuproine (BCP) layer is typically used as the hole-blocking layer in p-i-n-structure perovskite solar cells (PSCs) between PC61BM and Ag electrodes. Before evaporating the Ag, we used a low-temperature (<40 °C) atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge jet (DBDjet) to treat the BCP with different scan rates. The main purpose of this was to change the contact resistance between the BCP layer and the Ag electrodes through surface modification using a DBDjet. The best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.11% was achieved at a DBDjet scan rate of 2 cm/s. The He DBDjet treatment introduced nitrogen to form C-N bonds and create pits on the BCP layer. This deteriorated the interface between the BCP and the follow-up deposited-Ag top electrode. Compared to the device without the plasma treatment on the BCP layer, the He DBDjet treatment on the BCP layer reduced photocurrent hysteresis but deteriorated the fill factor and the efficiency of the PSCs.

Solution-processed, semitransparent organic photovoltaics integrated with solution-doped graphene electrodes.

In this work, by applying a transfer method simultaneously with a solution doping process for graphene as top electrodes, we demonstrate a solution-processed semitransparent organic photovoltaics (OPV). The work function of doped graphene under various doping conditions was investigated via photoemission spectroscopy. The transparent device was fabricated using PEDOT-doped graphene as electrodes, which provide an energetically favorable band alignment for carrier extractions. The solution-processed semitransparent organic photovoltaics exhibit the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.2%, which is 85.7% of the PCE of control devices based on metallic reflecting electrodes, while maintaining good transparency at most visible wavelengths.

VEGF Production by Ly6C+high Monocytes Contributes to Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical ventilation is a life-saving procedure for patients with acute respiratory failure, although it may cause pulmonary vascular inflammation and leakage, leading to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Ly6C+high monocytes are involved in the pathogenesis of VILI. In this study, we investigated whether pulmonary infiltrated Ly6C+high monocytes produce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and contribute to VILI. METHODS: A clinically relevant two-hit mouse model of VILI, with intravenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 20 ng/mouse) immediately before high tidal volume (HTV, 20 mL/kg) ventilation (LPS+HTV), was established. Blood gas and respiratory mechanics were measured to ensure the development of VILI. Flow cytometry and histopathological analyses revealed pulmonary infiltration of leukocytes subsets. Clodronate liposomes were intravenously injected to deplete pulmonary monocytes. In vitro endothelial cell permeability assay with sorted Ly6C+high monocytes condition media assessed the role of Ly6C+high monocytes in vascular permeability. RESULTS: LPS+HTV significantly increased total proteins, TNF-α, IL-6, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and mononuclear cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Pulmonary Ly6C+high monocytes (SSClowCD11b+F4/80+Ly6C+high), but not Ly6C+low monocytes (SSClowCD11b+F4/80+Ly6C+low), were significantly elevated starting at 4 hr. Clodronate liposomes were able to significantly reduce pulmonary Ly6C+high monocytes, and VEGF and total protein in BALF, and restore PaO2/FiO2. There was a strong correlation between pulmonary Ly6C+high monocytes and BALF VEGF (R2 = 0.8791, p<0.001). Moreover, sorted Ly6C+high monocytes were able to produce VEGF, resulting in an increased permeability of endothelial cell monolayer in an in vitro endothelial cell permeability assay. CONCLUSION: VEGF produced by pulmonary infiltrated Ly6C+high monocytes regulates vasculature permeability in a two-hit model of HTV-induced lung injury. Ly6C+high monocytes play an important role in the pathogenesis of VILI.

Effects on Organic Photovoltaics Using Femtosecond-Laser-Treated Indium Tin Oxides.

The effects of femtosecond-laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on an indium tin oxide (ITO) surface applied to an organic photovoltaic (OPV) system were investigated. The modifications of ITO induced by LIPPS in OPV devices result in more than 14% increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) and short-circuit current density relative to those of the standard device. The basic mechanisms for the enhanced short-circuit current density are attributed to better light harvesting, increased scattering effects, and more efficient charge collection between the ITO and photoactive layers. Results show that higher PCEs would be achieved by laser-pulse-treated electrodes.

The Influence of Work-Related Fatigue, Work Conditions, and Personal Characteristics on Intent to Leave Among New Nurses.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to (a) test the fit of the hypothesized model for new nurses' intent to leave and (b) determine the extent to which personal characteristics, work conditions, and work-related fatigue predict intent to leave among new nurses. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey study. A total of 162 new nurses were recruited. A hypothesized model was proposed for model testing. Structural equation modelling was used for data analysis. FINDINGS: Work conditions only had an effect through work-related fatigue on new nurses' intent to leave. Personal characteristics did not have a significant effect on new nurses' intent to leave. The final model showed a good fit. Work-related fatigue, work conditions, and health explained 65% of the variance in new nurses' intent to leave. CONCLUSIONS: Work-related fatigue was a major determinant of new nurses' intent to leave. More attention should be paid to fatigue reduction strategies among new nurses. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Work-related fatigue should be monitored, particularly for new nurses who work more than 10 hr per day and who have greater workloads.

Graphene Anodes and Cathodes: Tuning the Work Function of Graphene by Nearly 2 eV with an Aqueous Intercalation Process.

To expand the applications of graphene in optoelectronics and microelectronics, simple and effective doping processes need to be developed. In this paper, we demonstrate an aqueous process that can simultaneously transfer chemical vapor deposition grown graphene from Cu to other substrates and produce stacked graphene/dopant intercalation films with tunable work functions, which differs significantly from conventional doping methods using vacuum evaporation or spin-coating processes. The work function of graphene layers can be tuned from 3.25 to 5.10 eV, which practically covers the wide range of the anode and cathode applications. Doped graphene films in intercalation structures also exhibit excellent transparency and low resistance. The polymer-based solar cells with either low work function graphene as cathodes or high work function graphene as anodes are demonstrated.

Using lithium carbonate-based electron injection structures in high-performance inverted organic light-emitting diodes.

A lithium carbonate-based bi-layered electron injection layer was introduced into inverted organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) to reduce operation voltages and achieve carrier balance. Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy was used to confirm the existence of an interfacial dipole between the organic and lithium carbonate layers, which is a dominating factor related to the device performance. The respective maximum efficiencies of 15.9%, 16.9%, and 8.4% were achieved for blue, green, and red phosphorescent inverted OLEDs with identical architectures, indicating that carrier balance was easily obtained. Moreover, adoption of this sophisticated electron injection layer design resulted in respective turn on voltages of only 3.4 V, 3.2 V, and 3.2 V. Furthermore, the inverted OLEDs equipped with silicon dioxide nanoparticle based light-extraction films achieved an approximately 1.3 fold efficiency improvement over pristine devices due to the low refractive index of the silicon dioxide nanoparticles along with an effective scattering function. The blue, green, and red inverted OLEDs with the nanocomposite layer achieved respective peak efficiencies of 20.9%, 21.3%, and 10.1%.

Use of ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy to demonstrate the effect of annealing on the performance of P3HT:PCBM solar cells.

The organic solar cells of heterojunction system, ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Al, with a thermal annealing after deposition of Al exhibit better performance than those with an annealing process before deposition of Al. In this study, ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy is employed to reveal the underlying mechanism of annealing effects on the performance of P3HT:PCBM solar cell devices. The analyses of all decomposed relaxation processes show that the postannealed devices exhibit an increase in charge transfer, in the number of separated polarons and a reduction in the amount of recombination between excited carriers. Moreover, the longer lifetime for the excited carriers in postannealed devices indicates it is more likely to be dissociated into photocarriers and result in a larger value for photocurrent, which demonstrates the physical mechanism for increased device performance.

Silver-decorated hierarchical cuprous oxide micro/nanospheres as highly effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates.

A facile and simple route to manufacture active surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate based on Ag-decorated Cu2O micro/nanospheres on Cu foil was systematically investigated. Hierarchical Cu2O micro/nanostructure transfers from CuO nanosheets and Cu(OH)2 nanowires by means of thermally reducing the oxides from Cu2+ to Cu1+ at temperature of 500 °Cunder nitrogen atmosphere. The subsequent decoration of Ag on Cu2O nanostructural substrate was carried out by means of thermal evaporator deposition. Using 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) as probing molecules, the SERS experiments showed that the Ag-decorated Cu2O micro/nanospheres exhibit excellent detecting performance, which could be used as effective SERS substrate for ultrasensitive detection. Additionally, these novel hierarchical SERS substrates showed good reproducibility and a linear dependence between analyte concentrations and intensities, revealing the advantage of this method for easily scale-up production.