Generic dynamic molecular devices by quantitative non-steady-state proton/water-coupled electron transport kinetics.

Dynamic molecular devices operating with time- and history-dependent performance raised new challenges for the fundamental study of microscopic non-steady-state charge transport as well as functionalities that are not achievable by steady-state devices. In this study, we reported a generic dynamic mode of molecular devices by addressing the transient redox state of ubiquitous quinone molecules in the junction by proton/water transfer. The diffusion limited slow proton/water transfer-modulated fast electron transport, leading to a non-steady-state transport process, as manifested by the negative differential resistance, dynamic hysteresis, and memory-like behavior. A quantitative paradigm for the study of the non-steady-state charge transport kinetics was further developed by combining the theoretical model and transient state characterization, and the principle of the dynamic device can be revealed by the numerical simulator. On applying pulse stimulation, the dynamic device emulated the neuron synaptic response with frequency-dependent depression and facilitation, implying a great potential for future nonlinear and brain-inspired devices.

Reply to the 'Comment on "A single level tunneling model for molecular junctions: evaluating the simulation methods"' by I Baldea, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2024, 26, D2CP05110A (http://D2CP05110A).

We respond to the recent comment by Dr. Ion Bâldea concerning our work, "A single level tunneling model for molecular junctions: evaluating the simulation methods [E. M. Opodi et al.,Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022, 24, 11958]". Dr. Bâldea has raised concerns about the applicability map we developed based on the comparison study of the 3 analytical models used in the study of molecular electronics. In our response, we have dissected Dr. Bâldea's critique into four primary points. For each, we have provided comprehensive replies that address and rectify the misinterpretations of our initial study. We'd like to thank Dr. Ion Bâldea for his comments, which have resulted in further clarification of the applicability of the analytical models for the study of molecular electronics.

Terrace-confined guided growth of high-density ultrathin silicon nanowire array for large area electronics.

Ultrathin silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are ideal 1D channels to construct high performance nanoelectronics and sensors. We here report on a high-density catalytic growth of orderly ultrathin SiNWs, with diameter down toDnw=27±2nmand narrow NW-to-NW spacing of onlySnw âˆ¼80 nm, without the use of high-resolution lithography. This has been accomplished via a terrace-confined strategy, where tiny indium (In) droplets move on sidewall terraces to absorb precoated amorphous Si layer as precursor and produce self-aligned SiNW array. It is found that, under proper parameter control, a tighter terrace-step confinement can help to scale the dimensions of the SiNW array down to the extremes that have not been reported before, while maintaining still a stable guiding growth over complex contours. Prototype SiNW field effect transistors demonstrate a highIon/Ioffcurrent ratio ∼107, low leakage current of ∼0.3 pA and steep subthreshold swing of 220 mV dec-1. These results highlight the unexplored potential of catalytic growth in advanced nanostructure fabrication that is highly relevant for scalable SiNW logic and sensor applications.

Paratesticular metastasis from colorectal adenocarcinoma presenting as hydrocele: a rare case report and literature review.

Colorectal cancer, with the liver being the most common site of distant metastasis, followed by the lungs and bones. Although reports of metastasis to the testis exist, paratesticular metastasis is extremely rare. A 37-year-old male presented with scrotal swelling. Ultrasound revealed hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis. The patient underwent routine surgical treatment, and postoperative pathology of the tunica vaginalis indicated adenocarcinoma of gastrointestinal origin. Colonoscopic biopsy confirmed adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon. After six months of systemic therapy, tumor reduction surgery was performed in conjunction with tunica vaginalis excision. Postoperative pathology suggested histological similarity in both sites, with immunohistochemistry results supporting the diagnosis of sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma metastasizing to the tunica vaginalis. We conducted a literature review, summarizing and discussing clinical presentations, metastatic pathways, and diagnostic approaches.

Unifying Fourteen Post-Hoc Attribution Methods With Taylor Interactions.

Various attribution methods have been developed to explain deep neural networks (DNNs) by inferring the attribution/importance/contribution score of each input variable to the final output. However, existing attribution methods are often built upon different heuristics. There remains a lack of a unified theoretical understanding of why these methods are effective and how they are related. Furthermore, there is still no universally accepted criterion to compare whether one attribution method is preferable over another. In this paper, we resort to Taylor interactions and for the first time, we discover that fourteen existing attribution methods, which define attributions based on fully different heuristics, actually share the same core mechanism. Specifically, we prove that attribution scores of input variables estimated by the fourteen attribution methods can all be mathematically reformulated as a weighted allocation of two typical types of effects, i.e., independent effects of each input variable and interaction effects between input variables. The essential difference among these attribution methods lies in the weights of allocating different effects. Inspired by these insights, we propose three principles for fairly allocating the effects, which serve as new criteria to evaluate the faithfulness of attribution methods. In summary, this study can be considered as a new unified perspective to revisit fourteen attribution methods, which theoretically clarifies essential similarities and differences among these methods. Besides, the proposed new principles enable people to make a direct and fair comparison among different methods under the unified perspective.