Integration of MoS2 Memtransistor Devices and Analogue Circuits for Sensor Fusion in Autonomous Vehicle Target Localization.

In contemporary autonomous driving systems relying on sensor fusion, traditional digital processors encounter challenges associated with analogue-to-digital conversion and iterative vector-matrix operations, which are encumbered by limitations in terms of response time and energy consumption. In this study, we present an analogue Kalman filter circuit based on molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) memtransistor, designed to accelerate sensor fusion for precise localization in autonomous vehicle applications. The nonvolatile memory characteristics of the memtransistor allow for the storage of a fixed Kalman gain, which eliminates the data convergence and thus accelerates the processing speeds. Additionally, the modulation of multiple conductance states by the gate terminal enables fast adaptability to diverse autonomous driving scenarios by tuning multiple Kalman filter gains. Our proposed analogue Kalman filter circuit accurately estimates the position coordinates of target vehicles by fusing sensor data from light detection and ranging (LiDAR), millimeter-wave radar (Radar), and camera, and it successfully solves real-word problems in a signal-free crossroad intersection. Notably, our system achieves a 1000-fold improvement in energy efficiency compared to that of digital circuits. This work underscores the viability of a memtransistor for achieving fast, energy-efficient real-time sensing, and continuous signal processing in advanced sensor fusion technology.

CMOS backend-of-line compatible memory array and logic circuitries enabled by high performance atomic layer deposited ZnO thin-film transistor.

The development of high-performance oxide-based transistors is critical to enable very large-scale integration (VLSI) of monolithic 3-D integrated circuit (IC) in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) backend-of-line (BEOL). Atomic layer deposition (ALD) deposited ZnO is an attractive candidate due to its excellent electrical properties, low processing temperature below copper interconnect thermal budget, and conformal sidewall deposition for novel 3D architecture. An optimized ALD deposited ZnO thin-film transistor achieving a record field-effect and intrinsic mobility (µFE /µo) of 85/140 cm2/V·s is presented here. The ZnO TFT was integrated with HfO2 RRAM in a 1 kbit (32 × 32) 1T1R array, demonstrating functionalities in RRAM switching. In order to co-design for future technology requiring high performance BEOL circuitries implementation, a spice-compatible model of the ZnO TFTs was developed. We then present designs of various ZnO TFT-based inverters, and 5-stage ring oscillators through simulations and experiments with working frequency exceeding 10's of MHz.

The Effect of Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Plasma Treatment on the Nutritional and Physicochemical Characteristics of Various Legumes.

High activity of lipoxygenase (LOX) has been identified as a primary cause of oxidative rancidity in legumes. In this study, the application of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) (5 W, 10 min) resulted in an obvious decrease in LOX activity in mung bean (MB), kidney bean (KB), and adzuki bean (AB) flours by 36.96%, 32.49%, and 28.57%, respectively. Moreover, DBD-ACP induced significant increases (p < 0.05) in content of soluble dietary fiber, saturated fatty acids, and methionine. The starch digestibility of legumes was changed, evidenced by increased (p < 0.05) slowly digestible starch and rapidly digestible starch, while resistant starch decreased. Furthermore, DBD-ACP treatment significantly affected (p < 0.05) the hydration and thermal characteristics of legume flours, evidenced by the increased water absorption index (WAI) and gelatinization temperature, and the decreased swelling power (SP) and gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH). Microscopic observations confirmed that DBD-ACP treatment caused particle aggregation.

Transcriptome analysis of Cryptocaryon irritans tomont responding to Bacillus licheniformis treatment.

Cryptocaryon irritans is a ciliated obligate parasite that causes cryptocaryonosis (white spot disease) and poses great threat to marine fish farming. In recent years, the use of probiotics protects fish from pathogens, which has been identified as the sustainable and environmentally friendly tool to maintain the health and well-being of the host. Accordingly, Cryptocaryon irritans tomont and probiotic Bacillus strain (B.licheniformis, previously isolated from aquaculture water) were co-cultured to detect whether B. licheniformis has anti-C. irritants effect. The result showed that during 4-day incubation, B. licheniformi with 1 × 107 CFU/mL and 1 × 108 CFU/mL concentration effectively inhibited the incubation of C. irritans tomont, indicating that B. licheniformi could inhibit the transformation from reproductive tomont to infective theront of C. irritans. Later, C. irritans samples in the control (without B. licheniformi supplementation) and 1 × 107 CFU/mL B. licheniformi treatment group were sent for transcriptome analysis. Compare with the control group, a total of 3237 differentially expressed genes were identified, among which 626 genes were up-regulated and 2611 genes were down-regulated in 1 × 107 CFU/mL B. licheniformi group. Further Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways analysis showed that anti-C. irritans mechanism of B. licheniformi was mainly involved in the energy metabolism (carbon metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, biosynthesis of amino acids), transcription and translation (Ribosomes, spliceosomes, RNA transport, etc), lysosome-based degradation (lysosome, phagosome, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum) and PI3K-Akt pathways. Our study findings raised the possibility of using marine microorganism B. licheniformi in handling aquaculture associated pathogen C. irritans, and preliminarily clarified the molecular mechanism.

A comprehensive review of mung bean proteins: Extraction, characterization, biological potential, techno-functional properties, modifications, and applications.

The popularity of plant-based proteins has increased, and mung bean protein (MBP) has gained immense attention due to its high yield, nutritional value, and health benefits. MBP is rich in lysine and has a highly digestible indispensable amino acid score. Dry and wet extractions are used to extract MBP flours and concentrates/isolates, respectively. To enhance the quality of commercial MBP flours, further research is needed to refine the purity of MBPs using dry extraction methods. Furthermore, MBP possesses various biological potential and techno-functional properties, but its use in food systems is limited by some poor functionalities, such as solubility. Physical, biological, and chemical technologies have been used to improve the techno-functional properties of MBP, which has expanded its applications in traditional foods and novel fields, such as microencapsulation, three-dimensional printing, meat analogs, and protein-based films. However, study on each modification technique remains inadequate. Future research should prioritize exploring the impact of these modifications on the biological potential of MBP and its internal mechanisms of action. This review aims to provide ideas and references for future research and the development of MBP processing technology.

A review of extraction, purification, structural properties and biological activities of legumes polysaccharides.

In recent years, polysaccharides derived from legumes polysaccharides have aroused worldwide interests. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies have studied the physicochemical properties (emulsification, stability and foaming) and demonstrated the biological activities (immune regulation, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and intestinal flora regulation) of legumes polysaccharides. Besides, it is reported that the extraction methods will affect the structural features of polysaccharides, thus further changing their physicochemical properties and biological activities. This review appraised the available literatures described the extraction, purification, structural characterization, biological activity and functional properties of legumes polysaccharides in recent years. It can provide useful research underpinnings and updated information for the development and application of related polysaccharides in functional food and medicinal field.

Self-Selective Multi-Terminal Memtransistor Crossbar Array for In-Memory Computing.

Two-terminal resistive switching devices are commonly plagued with longstanding scientific issues including interdevice variability and sneak current that lead to computational errors and high-power consumption. This necessitates the integration of a separate selector in a one-transistor-one-RRAM (1T-1R) configuration to mitigate crosstalk issue, which compromises circuit footprint. Here, we demonstrate a multi-terminal memtransistor crossbar array with increased parallelism in programming via independent gate control, which allows in situ computation at a dense cell size of 3-4.5 F2 and a minimal sneak current of 0.1 nA. Moreover, a low switching energy of 20 fJ/bit is achieved at a voltage of merely 0.42 V. The architecture is capable of performing multiply-and-accumulate operation, a core computing task for pattern classification. A high MNIST recognition accuracy of 96.87% is simulated owing to the linear synaptic plasticity. Such computing paradigm is deemed revolutionary toward enabling data-centric applications in artificial intelligence and Internet-of-things.

Preparation of hemoglobin (Hb)-imprinted poly(ionic liquid)s via Hb-catalyzed eATRP on gold nanodendrites.

Hemoglobin (Hb)-imprinted poly(ionic liquid)s (HIPILs) were prepared on the surface of Au electrode modified with gold nanodendrites (Au/ND/HIPILs). HIPILs were synthesized with 1-vinyl-3-propyl imidazole sulfonate ionic liquids as functional monomers via electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (eATRP) catalyzed by Hb. The Au/ND/HIPILs electrode was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Au/ND/HIPILs electrode was also used as an electrochemical sensor to determine Hb by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Under the optimal conditions, the detection range of Hb was from 1.0 × 10-14 to 1.0 × 10-4 mg/mL with a limit of detection of 5.22 × 10-15 mg/mL (S/N = 3). Compared with other methods, the sensor based on poly(ionic liquid)s had the broader linear range and lower detection limit. Graphical Abstract.

Efficient and reliable surface charge transfer doping of black phosphorus via atomic layer deposited MgO toward high performance complementary circuits.

Black phosphorus (BP), a fast emerging 2D material, has shown great potential in future electronics and optoelectronics owing to its outstanding properties including sizable band gap and ambipolar transport characteristics. However, its hole conduction dominance, featured by a much larger hole mobility and the corresponding on-current than that of the electrons, renders the reliable modulation of its carrier type and density a key challenge, thereby hindering its application to complementary electronics. Here, we demonstrate an efficient and reliable n-type doping for BP transistors via surface functionalization by atomic layer deposited magnesium oxide (MgO) with favorable controllability. By optimizing the MgO thickness, an electron mobility of up to 95.5 cm2 V-1 s-1 is reached with a simultaneous significant suppression of hole conduction. Subsequently, a high-performance complementary logic inverter is demonstrated within a single BP flake, which operates well with a supply voltage as low as <0.5 V, outperforming reported BP inverters in terms of logic level match, power consumption and process feasibility. Our findings suggest that surface charge transfer doping via MgO can be used as a promising technique towards high performance BP-based functional nanoelectronics.

Tunable black phosphorus heterojunction transistors for multifunctional optoelectronics.

Many, black phosphorus (BP) based field-effect transistors, homojunctions, and vertical van der Waals structures have been developed for optoelectronic applications, with few studies being conducted on exploring the potential of their naturally formed heterojunctions. Here, we report a novel thickness-modulated, gate-tunable BP heterojunction phototransistor for multiple purposes and high performance optoelectronics. Despite its thickness of less than 5 nm, the device, whose fabrication spares the need for split-gate or chemical doping or vertical stacking requirements, achieves an excellent photoresponsivity of 383 A W-1 at 1550 nm under zero gate bias, which is among the best photoresponse performance of all-BP-based photodetectors in this spectral range. Furthermore, it exhibits a shot-noise-limited noise equivalent power (NEPshot) of less than 10-2 pW Hz-1/2, making it very promising for ultra-low power detection. Additionally, owing to the heterojunction-induced built-in electric field, the device can be readily used for infrared photovoltaic devices in the absence of source-drain bias (Vd), a feature that is distinctively superior to traditional phototransistors. The multifunctionality demonstrated in our BP heterojunction transistor paves the way towards realizing tunable improved performance optoelectronics based on 2D materials platform.

Few-Layer Black Phosphorus Carbide Field-Effect Transistor via Carbon Doping.

Black phosphorus carbide (b-PC) is a new family of layered semiconducting material that has recently been predicted to have the lightest electrons and holes among all known 2D semiconductors, yielding a p-type mobility (≈105 cm2 V-1 s-1 ) at room temperature that is approximately five times larger than the maximum value in black phosphorus. Here, a high-performance composite few-layer b-PC field-effect transistor fabricated via a novel carbon doping technique which achieved a high hole mobility of 1995 cm2 V-1 s-1 at room temperature is reported. The absorption spectrum of this material covers an electromagnetic spectrum in the infrared regime not served by black phosphorus and is useful for range finding applications as the earth atmosphere has good transparency in this spectral range. Additionally, a low contact resistance of 289 Ω µm is achieved using a nickel phosphide alloy contact with an edge contacted interface via sputtering and thermal treatment.

Impact and Origin of Interface States in MOS Capacitor with Monolayer MoS2 and HfO2 High-k Dielectric.

Two-dimensional layered semiconductors such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) at the quantum limit are promising material for nanoelectronics and optoelectronics applications. Understanding the interface properties between the atomically thin MoS2 channel and gate dielectric is fundamentally important for enhancing the carrier transport properties. Here, we investigate the frequency dispersion mechanism in a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor (MOSCAP) with a monolayer MoS2 and an ultra-thin HfO2 high-k gate dielectric. We show that the existence of sulfur vacancies at the MoS2-HfO2 interface is responsible for the generation of interface states with a density (Dit) reaching ~7.03 × 1011 cm-2 eV-1. This is evidenced by a deficit S:Mo ratio of ~1.96 using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, which deviates from its ideal stoichiometric value. First-principles calculations within the density-functional theory framework further confirms the presence of trap states due to sulfur deficiency, which exist within the MoS2 bandgap. This corroborates to a voltage-dependent frequency dispersion of ~11.5% at weak accumulation which decreases monotonically to ~9.0% at strong accumulation as the Fermi level moves away from the mid-gap trap states. Further reduction in Dit could be achieved by thermally diffusing S atoms to the MoS2-HfO2 interface to annihilate the vacancies. This work provides an insight into the interface properties for enabling the development of MoS2 devices with carrier transport enhancement.

Black Phosphorus Based Field Effect Transistors with Simultaneously Achieved Near Ideal Subthreshold Swing and High Hole Mobility at Room Temperature.

Black phosphorus (BP) has emerged as a promising two-dimensional (2D) material for next generation transistor applications due to its superior carrier transport properties. Among other issues, achieving reduced subthreshold swing and enhanced hole mobility simultaneously remains a challenge which requires careful optimization of the BP/gate oxide interface. Here, we report the realization of high performance BP transistors integrated with HfO2 high-k gate dielectric using a low temperature CMOS process. The fabricated devices were shown to demonstrate a near ideal subthreshold swing (SS) of ~69 mV/dec and a room temperature hole mobility of exceeding >400 cm(2)/Vs. These figure-of-merits are benchmarked to be the best-of-its-kind, which outperform previously reported BP transistors realized on traditional SiO2 gate dielectric. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis further reveals the evidence of a more chemically stable BP when formed on HfO2 high-k as opposed to SiO2, which gives rise to a better interface quality that accounts for the SS and hole mobility improvement. These results unveil the potential of black phosphorus as an emerging channel material for future nanoelectronic device applications.

Effects and relationship of intermittent hypoxia on serum lipid levels, hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the influence of intermittent hypoxia on serum lipid level, hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP)1, and hepatic hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and the underlying mechanisms of action. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to different levels of hypoxia. After 1-4 weeks hypoxemia, routine blood tests were performed and the levels of LRP1 and HIF-1α in liver were examined. Intermittent hypoxia (IH) was induced in HepG2 cells with or without HIF-1α inhibitor YC-1 pretreatment, and the levels of LRP1 and HIF-1α in cells were examined. RESULTS: IH caused elevated serum triglyceride, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein in rats. IH caused elevated hepatic levels of LRP1 and HIF-1α. After pretreatment with YC-1, HIF-1α protein expression decreased but mRNA expression did not change in HepG2 cells. CONCLUSIONS: IH caused dyslipidemia and elevated LRP1 and HIF-1α. Elevated LRP1 expression was caused by HIF-1α.

Decreased levels of serum omentin-1 in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is involved in the mechanism of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Omentin, a newly discovered adipokine, is implicated to play an anti-inflammatory role. This study aims to determine whether serum levels of omentin-1 are associated with the presence and severity of OSAS. METHODS: This study consisted of 192 patients with OSAS and 144 healthy subjects. Serum levels of omentin-1 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Serum omentin-1 levels were significantly decreased in OSAS patients compared with healthy controls. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that serum omentin-1 levels were inversely associated with the presence of OSAS (odds ratio 0.520, 95% confidence interval 0.433 to 0.623; P < 0.001). Severe OSAS patients had significantly lower serum omentin-1 levels compared with mild and moderate OSAS patients. Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum omentin-1 levels were correlated with the severity of OSAS. Simple linear regression analysis showed that the serum levels of omentin-1 were negatively correlated with waist circumference, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and apnoea-hypopnoea index in patients with OSAS. Furthermore, only HOMA-IR and CRP remained inversely associated with serum omentin-1 after multiple stepwise regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Decreased serum omentin-1 levels could be considered as an independent predictive marker of the presence and severity of OSAS.

Osthole suppresses migration and invasion of A549 human lung cancer cells through inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metallopeptidase-9 in vitro.

Osthole, a natural compound, may be extracted from Cnidium monnieri and other medicinal plants. Previous studies have shown that osthole has anticancer effects in various human cancer cell lines. There is, however, no available information concerning the effects of osthole on the migration and invasion of human lung cancer cells. In the current study, we used Transwell assays to demonstrate that osthole inhibited the migration and invasion of A549 human lung cancer cells. Western blot analysis revealed that osthole reduced the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) in the A549 human lung cancer cells. Our findings indicate that osthole may have a novel function as an inhibitor of the metastasis of human lung cancer.

Elevated nocturnal and morning blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The nocturnal nondipping and elevated morning blood pressure (BP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have not yet been well investigated in Chinese patients. This study aimed to describe the BP profile, and to elucidate the relationships between daytime BP and nighttime BP, and between evening BP and morning BP in patients with OSAS. METHODS: Twenty teaching hospital sleep centers in China were organized by the Chinese Medical Association to participate in this study and 2297 patients were recruited between January 2004 and April 2006. BP assessments were made at four time points (daytime, evening, nighttime and morning) and polysomnography (PSG) was performed and subjects were classified into four groups by their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): control, n = 213 with AHI < 5; mild, n = 420 with AHI ≥ 5 and < 15; moderate, n = 460 with AHI ≥ 15 and < 30; and severe, n = 1204 with AHI ≥ 30. SPSS 11.5 software package was used for statistical analysis and figure drawing. RESULTS: All the average daytime, nighttime, evening and morning BPs were positively correlated with AHI and negatively correlated with nadir nocturnal oxygen saturation. The ratios of nighttime/daytime and morning/evening average BP were positively correlated with AHI. The ratio of nighttime/daytime systolic BP became a "reversed BP dipping" pattern until the classification reached severe, while the ratio of nighttime/daytime diastolic BP became reversed at moderate. Similarly, the ratio of morning/evening diastolic BP becomes reversed even at mild. CONCLUSIONS: OSAS may result in higher BP levels at all four time points. The ratios of nighttime/daytime and morning/evening BP increase with increased AHI. The increasing of diastolic BP, which is inclined to rise more quickly, is not parallel with increasing systolic BP.

Elevated levels of serum chemerin in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

CONTEXT: Chemerin is implicated to be correlated with obesity and inflammation. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate whether serum chemerin is associated with the presence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). METHODS: A total of 132 patients with OSAS and 108 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. RESULTS: Serum chemerin levels were significantly elevated in OSAS patients (120.93 ± 25.84 µg/L vs. 107.51 ± 20.41 µg/L). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that serum chemerin levels were an independent determinant of the presence of OSAS (OR 1.030, 95% CI 1.016-1.045; p < 0.001). Serum chemerin levels in severe OSAS patients were significantly higher compared with those in mild and moderate OSAS patients (p = 0.015 and p = 0.020, respectively). Spearman correlation analysis indicated that serum chemerin levels were correlated with the severity of OSAS (r = 0.210, p = 0.016). Serum chemerin were positively correlated with waist circumference (r = 0.164, p = 0.008), body mass index (r = 0.158, p = 0.014), systolic blood pressure (r = 0.135, p = 0.037), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (r = 0.140, p = 0.031), C-reactive protein (r = 0.202, p = 0.002), and apnea-hypopnea index (r = 0.152, p = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Elevated serum chemerin levels could be an independent predicting marker of the presence and severity of OSAS.

[Retrospective analysis of related factors for patients with weaning difficulties in medical intensive care unit].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the related factors of difficult-to-wean patients in medical intensive care unit (MICU). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 112 patients placed on mechanical ventilation. There were 63 males and 49 females with a mean age of (58 ± 26) years. Their primary diseases included acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) (n = 27), pneumonia (n = 20), asthma (n = 12) and neuromuscular diseases (n = 8). Basic admission profiles, underlying diseases, accompanying diseases and pre-weaning changes in physiological indicators were recorded. They were divided into 2 groups: successfully-weaned group and different-to-wean group. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors correlated with the difficult withdrawal of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: There were 27 (24.1%) difficult-to-wean patients on mechanical ventilation in MICU. Some underlying diseases had statistical significance in both groups, including AECOPD (χ(2) = 6.238, P = 0.028), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (χ(2) = 5.232, P = 0.025) and neuromuscular disease (χ(2) = 14.635, P = 0.007). The ratios of difficult-to-wean patients were 9/27, 2/6 and 6/8 respectively. There was statistical significance of pre-admission and pre-weaning oxygenation index between two groups (t = 2.183, 2.162, P < 0.05). Zubrod score at pre-weaning was also significantly different between two groups (t = 9.037, P < 0.05). Logistic regression indicated that the patients with severe heart failure (OR = 5.781), psychological disorders (OR = 4.654), obstructive sleep apnea (OR = 4.012), AECOPD (OR = 3.617) and neuromuscular diseases (OR = 2.885) were more vulnerable to weaning difficulties. CONCLUSION: The major risk factors of difficult-to-wean patients in MICU include severe heart failure, psychological diseases, obstructive sleep apnea, neuromuscular disease and AECOPD. And oxygenation and self-care capability may also affect weaning significantly.