Wafer-Scale Growth and Transfer of High-Quality MoS2 Array by Interface Design for High-Stability Flexible Photosensitive Device.

Transition metal disulfide compounds (TMDCs) emerges as the promising candidate for new-generation flexible (opto-)electronic device fabrication. However, the harsh growth condition of TMDCs results in the necessity of using hard dielectric substrates, and thus the additional transfer process is essential but still challenging. Here, an efficient strategy for preparation and easy separation-transfer of high-uniform and quality-enhanced MoS2 via the precursor pre-annealing on the designed graphene inserting layer is demonstrated. Based on the novel strategy, it achieves the intact separation and transfer of a 2-inch MoS2 array onto the flexible resin. It reveals that the graphene inserting layer not only enhances MoS2 quality but also decreases interfacial adhesion for easy separation-transfer, which achieves a high yield of ≈99.83%. The theoretical calculations show that the chemical bonding formation at the growth interface has been eliminated by graphene. The separable graphene serves as a photocarrier transportation channel, making a largely enhanced responsivity up to 6.86 mA W-1, and the photodetector array also qualifies for imaging featured with high contrast. The flexible device exhibits high bending stability, which preserves almost 100% of initial performance after 5000 cycles. The proposed novel TMDCs growth and separation-transfer strategy lightens their significance for advances in curved and wearable (opto-)electronic applications.

Unveiling the impact of low-frequency electrical stimulation on network synchronization and learning behavior in cultured hippocampal neural networks.

Understanding the dynamics of neural networks and their response to external stimuli is crucial for unraveling the mechanisms associated with learning processes. In this study, we hypothesized that electrical stimulation (ES) would lead to significant alterations in the activity patterns of hippocampal neuronal networks and investigated the effects of low-frequency ES on hippocampal neuronal populations using the microelectrode arrays (MEAs). Our findings revealed significant alterations in the activity of hippocampal neuronal networks following low-frequency ES trainings. Post-stimulation, the neural activity exhibited an organized burst firing pattern characterized by increased spike and burst firings, increased synchronization, and enhanced learning behaviors. Analysis of peri-stimulus time histograms (PSTHs) further revealed that low-frequency ES (1Hz) significantly enhanced neural plasticity, thereby facilitating the learning process of cultured neurons, whereas high-frequency ES (>10Hz) impeded this process. Moreover, we observed a substantial increase in correlations and connectivity within neuronal networks following ES trainings. These alterations in network properties indicated enhanced synaptic plasticity and emphasized the positive impact of low-frequency ES on hippocampal neural activities, contributing to the brain's capacity for learning and memory.

Highly reflective Ni/Pt/Al p-electrode for improving the efficiency of an AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diode.

In this work, we propose a highly reflective Ni/Pt/Al p-electrode for AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a wavelength of 276 nm. AlGaN-based DUV LEDs with traditional Al-based reflectivity electrodes suffer from device degradation and wall-plug efficiency (WPE) droop due to the Al diffusion during electrode annealing. By inserting a Pt layer between the Ni contact layer and the Al reflective layer, the contact characteristics of the p-electrode can be optimized by blocking the diffusion of the O and Al atoms, maintaining a high reflectivity of over 80% near 280 nm. Compared to the AlGaN-based DUV LEDs with Ni/Au traditional p-electrodes and Ni/Al traditional reflective p-electrodes, the WPE of the LED with a highly reflective Ni/Pt/Al p-electrode is improved by 10.3% and 30.5%, respectively. Besides, compared to the other novel reflective p-electrodes using multiple annealing or evaporation processes reported for the AlGaN-based DUV LEDs, we provide a new, to the best of our knowledge, optimization method for single evaporation and annealing p-type reflective electrodes, featured with a simpler and more convenient process flow.

Improved Charge Injection Balance in Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes through Interface Texture.

The existing methods to improve the charge balance of quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) rely on energy-level matching, but these approaches have been limited by material availability and Fermi-level pinning. Here, we propose a solution that does not require changes to the materials' electronic properties. By using nanoimprinting technology to texture the interface between the hole-transporting layer (HTL) and colloidal quantum dot (CQD) layer, we can increase the HTL-CQD contact area. This significantly enhances the hole injection rate while keeping the electron injection rate essentially unchanged. Compared with the conventional planar structure, QLEDs with textured HTL exhibit lower luminance threshold voltage, significantly higher external quantum efficiency at low bias voltages, improved operational stability, and a similar Lambertian factor. Comprehensive measurements confirm that the HTL-CQD interface texture allows more efficient hole injection into CQDs to occur under lower bias, resulting in less CQD charging and more efficient exciton recombination.

Integrated analysis of single-cell sequencing and machine learning identifies a signature based on monocyte/macrophage hub genes to analyze the intracranial aneurysm associated immune microenvironment.

Monocytes are pivotal immune cells in eliciting specific immune responses and can exert a significant impact on the progression, prognosis, and immunotherapy of intracranial aneurysms (IAs). The objective of this study was to identify monocyte/macrophage (Mo/MΦ)-associated gene signatures to elucidate their correlation with the pathogenesis and immune microenvironment of IAs, thereby offering potential avenues for targeted therapy against IAs. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of IAs were acquired from the Gene Expression Synthesis (GEO) database. The significant infiltration of monocyte subsets in the parietal tissue of IAs was identified using single-cell RNA sequencing and high-dimensional weighted gene co-expression network analysis (hdWGCNA). The integration of six machine learning algorithms identified four crucial genes linked to these Mo/MΦ. Subsequently, we developed a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural model for the diagnosis of IAs (independent external test AUC=1.0, sensitivity =100%, specificity =100%). Furthermore, we employed the CIBERSORT method and MCP counter to establish the correlation between monocyte characteristics and immune cell infiltration as well as patient heterogeneity. Our findings offer valuable insights into the molecular characterization of monocyte infiltration in IAs, which plays a pivotal role in shaping the immune microenvironment of IAs. Recognizing this characterization is crucial for comprehending the limitations associated with targeted therapies for IAs. Ultimately, the results were verified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Immunohistochemistry.

Associations between CDH1 gene polymorphisms and the risk of gastric cancer: A meta-analysis based on 44 studies.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have investigated the association between CDH1 polymorphisms and gastric cancer (GC) risk. However, the results have been inconsistent and controversial. To further determine whether CDH1 polymorphisms increase the risk of GC, we conducted a meta-analysis by pooling the data. METHODS: Relevant case-control studies were collected from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane databases up to January 7, 2024. Subsequently, odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of correlations. A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the robustness and reliability of these included studies. RESULTS: A total of 25 articles including 44 studies, were included in this meta-analysis, including 26 studies on rs16260, 6 studies on rs3743674, 7 studies on rs5030625, and 5 studies on rs1801552. The pooled results showed that rs16260 was remarkably associated with an increased GC risk of GC among Caucasians. Moreover, the rs5030625 variation dramatically enhanced GC predisposition in the Asian population. However, no evident correlations between CDH1 rs3743674 and rs1801552 polymorphisms and GC risk were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that CDH1 gene polymorphisms were significantly correlated with GC risk, especially in rs16260 and rs5030625 polymorphisms.

Heterojunction polarization enhancement and shielding for AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet avalanche detectors.

AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet avalanche detectors have huge potentials in the fields of corona discharge monitoring, biological imaging, etc. Here, we study the impact of the heterojunction polarization-related effects on the AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet avalanche detectors. Our work confirms that the polarization heterojunction is beneficial to reducing avalanche bias and lifting avalanche gain by improving the electric field in the depletion region, while the polarization-induced fixed charges will lead to a redistribution of the electrons, in turn shielding the charges and weakening the electric field enhancement effect. This shielding effect will need external bias to eliminate, and that is why the polarization heterojunction cannot work at relatively low bias but has an enhancement effect at high bias. Controlling the doping level between the hetero-interface can affect the shielding effect. An unintentionally doped polarization heterojunction can effectively reduce the shielding effect, thus reducing the avalanche bias. The conclusions also hold true for the negative polarization regime. We believe our findings can provide some useful insights for the design of the AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet detectors.

Ultrabright and stable top-emitting quantum-dot light-emitting diodes with negligible angular color shift.

Top emission can enhance luminance, color purity, and panel-manufacturing compatibility for emissive displays. Still, top-emitting quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) suffer from poor stability, low light outcoupling, and non-negligible viewing-angle dependence because, for QLEDs with non-red emission, the electrically optimum device structure is incompatible with single-mode optical microcavity. Here, we demonstrate that by improving the way of determining reflection penetration depths and creating refractive-index-lowering processes, the issues faced by green QLEDs can be overcome. This leads to advanced device performance, including a luminance exceeding 1.6 million nits, a current efficiency of 204.2 cd A-1, and a T95 operational lifetime of 15,600 hours at 1000 nits. Meanwhile, our design does not compromise light outcoupling as it offers an external quantum efficiency of 29.2% without implementing light extraction methods. Lastly, an angular color shift of Δu'v' = 0.0052 from 0° to 60° is achieved by narrowing the emission linewidth of quantum dots.

Directional surface plasmon polariton scattering using single magnetic nanoparticles.

Directional surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are expected to promote the energy efficiency of plasmonic devices, via limiting the energy in a given spatial domain. The directional scattering of dielectric nanoparticles induced by the interference between electric and magnetic responses presents a potential candidate for directional SPPs. Magnetic nanoparticles can introduce permeability as an extra manipulation, whose directional scattered SPPs have not been investigated yet. In this work, we demonstrated the directional scattered SPPs by using single magnetic nanoparticles via simulation and experiment. By increasing the permeability and particle size, the high-order TEM modes are excited inside the particle and induce more forward directional SPPs. It indicated that the particle size manifests larger tuning range compared with the permeability. Experimentally, the maximum forward-to-backward (F-to-B) SPP scattering intensity ratio of 118.52:1 is visualized by using a single 1 µm Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticle. The directional scattered SPPs of magnetic nanoparticles are hopeful to improve the efficiency of plasmonic devices and pave the way for plasmonic circuits on-chip.

Comprehensive single-cell analysis deciphered microenvironmental dynamics and immune regulator olfactomedin 4 in pathogenesis of gallbladder cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Elucidating complex ecosystems and molecular features of gallbladder cancer (GBC) and benign gallbladder diseases is pivotal to proactive cancer prevention and optimal therapeutic intervention. DESIGN: We performed single-cell transcriptome analysis on 230 737 cells from 15 GBCs, 4 cholecystitis samples, 3 gallbladder polyps, 5 gallbladder adenomas and 16 adjacent normal tissues. Findings were validated through large-scale histological assays, digital spatial profiler multiplexed immunofluorescence (GeoMx), etc. Further molecular mechanism was demonstrated with in vitro and in vivo studies. RESULTS: The cell atlas unveiled an altered immune landscape across different pathological states of gallbladder diseases. GBC featured a more suppressive immune microenvironment with distinct T-cell proliferation patterns and macrophage attributions in different GBC subtypes. Notably, mutual exclusivity between stromal and immune cells was identified and remarkable stromal ecosystem (SC) heterogeneity during GBC progression was unveiled. Specifically, SC1 demonstrated active interaction between Fibro-iCAF and Endo-Tip cells, correlating with poor prognosis. Moreover, epithelium genetic variations within adenocarcinoma (AC) indicated an evolutionary similarity between adenoma and AC. Importantly, our study identified elevated olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) in epithelial cells as a central player in GBC progression. OLFM4 was related to T-cell malfunction and tumour-associated macrophage infiltration, leading to a worse prognosis in GBC. Further investigations revealed that OLFM4 upregulated programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression through the MAPK-AP1 axis, facilitating tumour cell immune evasion. CONCLUSION: These findings offer a valuable resource for understanding the pathogenesis of gallbladder diseases and indicate OLFM4 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for GBC.

Associations of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms with risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Vitamin D is a lipid soluble steroid hormone, which plays a critical role in the calcium homeostasis, neuronal development, cellular differentiation, and growth by binding to vitamin D receptor (VDR). Associations between VDR gene polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) risk has been investigated extensively, but the results remain ambiguous. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the correlations between four VDR polymorphisms (FokI, BsmI, TaqI, and ApaI) and susceptibility to AD, PD, and MCI. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to determine the relationship of interest. Pooled analyses suggested that the ApaI polymorphism decreased the overall AD risk, and the TaqI increased the overall PD susceptibility. In addition, the BsmI and ApaI polymorphisms were significantly correlated with the overall MCI risk. Stratified analysis by ethnicity further showed that the TaqI and ApaI genotypes reduced the AD predisposition among Caucasians, while the TaqI polymorphism enhanced the PD risk among Asians. Intriguingly, carriers with the BB genotype significantly decreased the MCI risk in Asian descents, and the ApaI variant elevated the predisposition to MCI in Caucasians and Asians. Further studies are need to identify the role of VDR polymorphisms in AD, PD, and MCI susceptibility.

Environmental-Friendly Ag2S QD-Multilayer MoSe2 van Der Waals Heterostructure for High-Performance Broadband Photodetection.

Broadband photodetectors have drawn intensive attention owing to their wide application prospects in optical communication, imaging, astronomy, and so on. Two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are considered as highly potential candidates for photodetection applications, benefiting from their excellent photoelectric properties. However, most of the photodetectors based on TMDs suffer from low performance in the near-infrared (NIR) region due to the weak optical absorption efficiency near their absorption band edge, which severely constrains their usage for broadband optoelectronics. Here, by taking advantage of the high absorption coefficient and environment-friendly property of Ag2S quantum dots (QDs), the hybrid of multilayer MoSe2/Ag2S QDs is demonstrated with a high-performance broadband photodetection capability (532-1270 nm). The favorable energy band alignment of MoSe2/Ag2S QDs facilitates effective separation and collection of photogenerated carriers, and the heterostructure device exhibits significant enhancement of performance compared to the bare MoSe2 device. High responsivity, detectivity, and external quantum efficiency of 25.5 A/W, 1.45 × 1011 Jones, and 1070% are obtained at a low working voltage of 1 V under 980 nm illumination. The responsivity of the device can reach up to 1.2 A/W at 1270 nm wavelength, which is competitive to the commercial NIR photodetectors. Meanwhile, broadband imaging capability is demonstrated. Our work may open up a facile and eco-friendly approach to construct high-performance broadband photodetectors for next-generation compact optoelectronic applications.

MiR-134-5p inhibits the malignant phenotypes of osteosarcoma via ITGB1/MMP2/PI3K/Akt pathway.

Micro RNAs (miRs) have been implicated in various tumorigenic processes. Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary bone malignancy seen in adolescents. However, the mechanism of miRs in OS has not been fully demonstrated yet. Here, miR-134-5p was found to inhibit OS progression and was also expressed at significantly lower levels in OS tissues and cells relative to normal controls. miR-134-5p was found to reduce vasculogenic mimicry, proliferation, invasion, and migration of OS cells, with miR-134-5p knockdown having the opposite effects. Mechanistically, miR-134-5p inhibited expression of the ITGB1/MMP2/PI3K/Akt axis, thus reducing the malignant features of OS cells. In summary, miR-134-5p reduced OS tumorigenesis by modulation of the ITGB1/MMP2/PI3K/Akt axis, suggesting the potential for using miR-134-5p as a target for treating OS.

Architecting the metabolic reprogramming survival risk framework in LUAD through single-cell landscape analysis: three-stage ensemble learning with genetic algorithm optimization.

Recent studies have increasingly revealed the connection between metabolic reprogramming and tumor progression. However, the specific impact of metabolic reprogramming on inter-patient heterogeneity and prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) still requires further exploration. Here, we introduced a cellular hierarchy framework according to a malignant and metabolic gene set, named malignant & metabolism reprogramming (MMR), to reanalyze 178,739 single-cell reference profiles. Furthermore, we proposed a three-stage ensemble learning pipeline, aided by genetic algorithm (GA), for survival prediction across 9 LUAD cohorts (n = 2066). Throughout the pipeline of developing the three stage-MMR (3 S-MMR) score, double training sets were implemented to avoid over-fitting; the gene-pairing method was utilized to remove batch effect; GA was harnessed to pinpoint the optimal basic learner combination. The novel 3 S-MMR score reflects various aspects of LUAD biology, provides new insights into precision medicine for patients, and may serve as a generalizable predictor of prognosis and immunotherapy response. To facilitate the clinical adoption of the 3 S-MMR score, we developed an easy-to-use web tool for risk scoring as well as therapy stratification in LUAD patients. In summary, we have proposed and validated an ensemble learning model pipeline within the framework of metabolic reprogramming, offering potential insights for LUAD treatment and an effective approach for developing prognostic models for other diseases.

Clinical study on the prediction of ALN metastasis based on intratumoral and peritumoral DCE-MRI radiomics and clinico-radiological characteristics in breast cancer.

Objective: To investigate the value of predicting axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis based on intratumoral and peritumoral dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) radiomics and clinico-radiological characteristics in breast cancer. Methods: A total of 473 breast cancer patients who underwent preoperative DCE-MRI from Jan 2017 to Dec 2020 were enrolled. These patients were randomly divided into training (n=378) and testing sets (n=95) at 8:2 ratio. Intratumoral regions (ITRs) of interest were manually delineated, and peritumoral regions of 3 mm (3 mmPTRs) were automatically obtained by morphologically dilating the ITR. Radiomics features were extracted, and ALN metastasis-related radiomics features were selected by the Mann-Whitney U test, Z score normalization, variance thresholding, K-best algorithm and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm. Clinico-radiological risk factors were selected by logistic regression and were also used to construct predictive models combined with radiomics features. Then, 5 models were constructed, including ITR, 3 mmPTR, ITR+3 mmPTR, clinico-radiological and combined (ITR+3 mmPTR+ clinico-radiological) models. The performance of models was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, F1 score and area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC), calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: A total of 2264 radiomics features were extracted from each region of interest (ROI), 3 and 10 radiomics features were selected for the ITR and 3 mmPTR, respectively. 5 clinico-radiological risk factors were selected, including lesion size, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression, vascular cancer thrombus status, MR-reported ALN status, and time-signal intensity curve (TIC) type. In the testing set, the combined model showed the highest AUC (0.839), specificity (74.2%), accuracy (75.8%) and F1 Score (69.3%) among the 5 models. DCA showed that it had the greatest net clinical benefit compared to the other models. Conclusion: The intra- and peritumoral radiomics models based on DCE-MRI could be used to predict ALN metastasis in breast cancer, especially for the combined model with clinico-radiological characteristics showing promising clinical application value.

In Situ Growth of Wafer-Scale Patterned Graphene and Fabrication of Optoelectronic Artificial Synaptic Device Array Based on Graphene/n-AlGaN Heterojunction for Visual Learning.

The unique optical and electrical properties of graphene-based heterojunctions make them significant for artificial synaptic devices, promoting the advancement of biomimetic vision systems. However, mass production and integration of device arrays are necessary for visual imaging, which is still challenging due to the difficulty in direct growth of wafer-scale graphene patterns. Here, a novel strategy is proposed using photosensitive polymer as a solid carbon source for in situ growth of patterned graphene on diverse substrates. The growth mechanism during high-temperature annealing is elucidated, leading to wafer-scale graphene patterns with exceptional uniformity, ideal crystalline quality, and precise control over layer number by eliminating the release of volatile from oxygen-containing resin. The growth strategy enables the fabrication of two-inch optoelectronic artificial synaptic device array based on graphene/n-AlGaN heterojunction, which emulates key functionalities of biological synapses, including short-term plasticity, long-term plasticity, and spike-rate-dependent plasticity. Moreover, the mimicry of visual learning in the human brain is attributed to the regulation of excitatory and inhibitory post-synapse currents, following a learning rule that prioritizes initial recognition before memory formation. The duration of long-term memory reaches 10 min. The in situ growth strategy for patterned graphene represents the novelty for fabricating fundamental hardware of an artificial neuromorphic system.

Effect and Regulation Mechanism of Post-deposition Annealing on the Ferroelectric Properties of AlScN Thin Films.

Integrating ferroelectric AlScN with III-N semiconductors to enhance the performance and tunability of nitride devices requires high-quality AlScN films. This work focuses on the effect and regulation mechanism of post-annealing in pure N2 on the crystal quality and ferroelectric properties of AlScN films. It is found that the crystal quality improves with increasing annealing temperatures. Remarkably, the leakage current of AlScN films caused by grain boundaries could be reduced by four orders of magnitude after annealing at 400 °C. The crystal growth dynamics simulations and band structure calculations indicate that the energy supplied by the temperature facilitates the evolution of abnormally oriented grains to have a better c-axis orientation, resulting in the defect states at the Fermi-level disappearing, which is mainly the reason for the leakage current decrease. More interestingly, the reduction of leakage current leads to the previously leaking region exhibiting ferroelectric properties, which is of great significance to improve the ferroelectricity of AlScN and ensure the uniformity of devices. Furthermore, annealing enhances the tensile strain on the film, which flattens the energy landscape of ferroelectric switching and reduces the coercive field. However, the risk of incorporation of oxygen will also be increased if the annealing temperatures are higher than 400 °C, which will not only reduce the relative displacement of metal atoms and nitrogen atoms in AlScN but also enhance the ferroelectric depolarization field, leading to the remnant polarization decreasing dramatically. These discoveries facilitate a deeper understanding of the influencing mechanism on the ferroelectric properties of AlScN films and provide a direction for obtaining high-quality AlScN.

Scaffold Adhering to Peptide-Based Biomimetic Extracellular Matrix Composite Nanobioglass Promotes the Proliferation and Migration of Skin Fibroblasts Through the GSK-3ß/ß-Catenin Signaling Axis.

Introduction: Nano-mesoporous bioactive glass and RGD peptide-coated collagen membranes have great potential in wound healing. However, the application of their compound has not been further studied. Our purpose is to prepare a novel bioactive collagen scaffold containing both NMBG stent and adhesion peptides (BM), which then proves its promising prospect the assessment of physical properties, biocompatibility, GSK-3ß/ß-catenin signaling axis and toxicological effects. Methods: The structural and morphological changes of BM were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). In vivo, wound healing of BM was assessed in SD rats through dynamic monitoring and calculation of wound healing rate. Immunohistofluorescence (IHF), H&E, and Masson staining were utilized; in vitro, primary cell culture, and a variety of assays including CCK-8, Transwell, Scratch, Immunocytofluorescence (ICF), and Western blot (WB) were performed, both for morphology and molecular analysis. Results and Discussion: Preparation of BM involved attaching NMBG to RGD-exposed collagen while avoiding the use of toxic chemical reagents. BM exhibited a distinctive superficial morphology with increased Si content, indicating successful NMBG attachment. In vivo studies on SD rats demonstrated the superior wound healing capability of BM, as evidenced by accelerated wound closure, thicker epithelial layers, and enhanced collagen deposition compared to the NC group. Additionally, BM promoted skin fibroblast migration and proliferation, possibly through activation of the GSK-3ß/ß-catenin signaling axis, which was crucial for tissue regeneration. This study underscored the potential of BM as an effective wound-healing dressing. Conclusion: A new method for synthesizing ECM-like membranes has been developed using nano-mesoporous bioactive glass and collagen-derived peptides. This approach enhances the bioactivity of biomaterials through surface functionalization and growth factor-free therapy.

Nonvolatile and reconfigurable two-terminal electro-optic duplex memristor based on III-nitride semiconductors.

With the fast development of artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of things (IOT), etc, there is an urgent need for the technology that can efficiently recognize, store and process a staggering amount of information. The AlScN material has unique advantages including immense remnant polarization, superior temperature stability and good lattice-match to other III-nitrides, making it easy to integrate with the existing advanced III-nitrides material and device technologies. However, due to the large band-gap, strong coercive field, and low photo-generated carrier generation and separation efficiency, it is difficult for AlScN itself to accumulate enough photo-generated carriers at the surface/interface to induce polarization inversion, limiting its application in in-memory sensing and computing. In this work, an electro-optic duplex memristor on a GaN/AlScN hetero-structure based Schottky diode has been realized. This two-terminal memristor shows good electrical and opto-electrical nonvolatility and reconfigurability. For both electrical and opto-electrical modes, the current on/off ratio can reach the magnitude of 104, and the resistance states can be effectively reset, written and long-termly stored. Based on this device, the "IMP" truth table and the logic "False" can be successfully reproduced, indicating the huge potential of the device in the field of in-memory sensing and computing.

Hole-Injection-Barrier Effect on the Degradation of Blue Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

Inefficient hole injection presents a major challenge in achieving stable and commercially viable solution-processed blue electroluminescent devices. Here, we conduct an in-depth study on quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) to understand how the energy levels of common electrodes and hole-transporting layers (HTL) affect device degradation. Our experimental findings reveal a design rule that may seem nonintuitive: combining an electrode and HTL with matched energy levels is most effective in preventing voltage rise and irreversible luminance decay, even though it causes a significant energy offset between the HTL and emissive quantum dots. Using an iterative electrostatic model, we discover that the positive outcomes, including a T95 lifetime of 109 h (luminance = 1000 nits, CIE-y = 0.087), are due to the enhanced p-type doping in the HTL rather than the assumed reduction in barrier heights. Furthermore, our modified hole injection dynamics theory, which considers distributed density-of-states, shows that the increased HTL/quantum-dot energy offset is not a primary concern because the effective barrier height is significantly lower than conventionally assumed. Following this design rule, we expect device stability to be enhanced considerably.