c-Axis Aligned 3 nm Thick In2O3 Crystal Using New Liquid DBADMIn Precursor for Highly Scaled FET Beyond the Mobility-Stability Trade-off.

Oxide semiconductors (OS) are attractive materials for memory and logic device applications owing to their low off-current, high field effect mobility, and superior large-area uniformity. Recently, successful research has reported the high field-effect mobility (µFE) of crystalline OS channel transistors (above 50 cm2 V-1 s-1). However, the memory and logic device application presents challenges in mobility and stability trade-offs. Here, we propose a method for achieving high-mobility and high-stability by lowering the grain boundary effect. A DBADMIn precursor was synthesized to deposit highly c-axis-aligned C(222) crystalline 3 nm thick In2O3 films. In this study, the 250 °C deposited 3 nm thick In2O3 channel transistor exhibited high µFE of 41.12 cm2 V-1 s-1, Vth of -0.50 V, and SS of 150 mV decade-1 with superior stability of 0.16 V positive shift during PBTS at 100 °C, 3 MV cm-1 stress conditions for 3 h.

Electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and crystal growth of p-type tellurium films through temperature dependent RF sputtering.

Te thin films have recently received considerable attention owing to its superior electrical and thermoelectric properties. During the deposition process, if the temperature of the substrate is raised, high crystallinity and improved electrical properties can be expected. In this study, we used radio frequency sputtering for Te deposition to study the relationship between the deposition temperature, crystal size, and electrical performance. As the deposition temperature is increased from room temperature to 100 °C, we observed an increase in crystal size from the x-ray diffraction patterns and full-width half maximum calculations. With this grain size increment, the Hall mobility and Seebeck coefficient of the Te thin film increased significantly from 16 to 33 cm2V-1s-1and 50 to 138µV K-1, respectively. This study reveals the potential of a facile fabrication method for enhanced Te thin films using temperature control and highlights the importance of the Te crystal structure in determining the electrical/thermoelectrical properties. These findings are particularly significant for the development of semiconductor material systems for various applications, including thermoelectric devices, CMOS, FET, and solar devices.

State of the Art: The Immunomodulatory Role of MSCs for Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) has generally been introduced as a degenerative disease; however, it has recently been understood as a low-grade chronic inflammatory process that could promote symptoms and accelerate the progression of OA. Current treatment strategies, including corticosteroid injections, have no impact on the OA disease progression. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) based therapy seem to be in the spotlight as a disease-modifying treatment because this strategy provides enlarged anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects. Currently, bone marrow, adipose derived, synovium-derived, and Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs are the most widely used types of MSCs in the cartilage engineering. MSCs exert immunomodulatory, immunosuppressive, antiapoptotic, and chondrogenic effects mainly by paracrine effect. Because MSCs disappear from the tissue quickly after administration, recently, MSCs-derived exosomes received the focus for the next-generation treatment strategy for OA. MSCs-derived exosomes contain a variety of miRNAs. Exosomal miRNAs have a critical role in cartilage regeneration by immunomodulatory function such as promoting chondrocyte proliferation, matrix secretion, and subsiding inflammation. In the future, a personalized exosome can be packaged with ideal miRNA and proteins for chondrogenesis by enriching techniques. In addition, the target specific exosomes could be a gamechanger for OA. However, we should consider the off-target side effects due to multiple gene targets of miRNA.

Consumer's Regulatory Knowledge of Prescription Drug Advertising and Health Risk Awareness: The Moderating Role of Risk Information Prominence.

Borrowing insights from the consumer knowledge and the direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising (DTCA) risk communication literature, the current study examined how consumers' regulatory knowledge regarding DTCA affects attention to and awareness of risk information in DTCA. The moderating role of risk information prominence and the mediating mechanism of attention were also explored. Taking an experimental design approach using a sample of US consumers (N = 264), risk information prominence was manipulated using various message attributes (e.g., font, color, size, box line, thickness, proximity). The study found that consumers' higher regulatory knowledge led to greater attention to risk information when the health risks of the advertised drug were presented less prominently, compared with when the risks were salient. The regulatory knowledge enhanced consumer recall and recognition of the drug's health risks through attention, but the indirect effects were dependent on the disclosure prominence level, such that the effects were more apparent when the prominence was low. This study manifests the value of consumers' regulatory literacy of DTCA to make informed prescription medication decisions and advises pharmaceutical marketers to present noticeable health risk information to encourage consumers to consider important health risks of promoted drugs in their decision making.

Effects of risk disclosure prominence in direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs: An integrative cognitive process model.

The literature shows that the prominence of risk disclosure influences consumer responses to direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. However, little is known about the psychological process whereby disclosure prominence exerts its influences on health beliefs and behavior. Based on a review of the literature on health cognition and behavior, the current study proposed and tested a model to show that risk disclosure prominence affects consumers' drug choice intention through the mediating roles of awareness of drug adverse reactions (ARs), perceived control over ARs, and perceived risk of ARs. The findings were discussed in terms of their theoretical and managerial implications.

Anisotropic temperature-dependent thermal conductivity by an Al2O3 interlayer in Al2O3/ZnO superlattice films.

The thermal conductivity of superlattice films is generally anisotropic and should be studied separately in the in-plane and cross-plane directions of the films. However, previous works have mostly focused on the cross-plane thermal conductivity because the electrons and phonons in the cross-plane direction of superlattice films may result in much stronger interface scattering than that in the in-plane direction. Nevertheless, it is highly desirable to perform systematic studies on the effect of interface formation in semiconducting superlattice films on both in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities. In this study, we determine both the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities of Al2O3 (AO)/ZnO superlattice films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on SiO2/Si substrates in the temperature range of 50-300 K by the four-point-probe 3-ω method. Our experimental results indicate that the formation of an atomic AO layer (0.82 nm) significantly contributes to the decrease of the cross-plane thermal conductivity of the AO/ZnO superlattice films compared with that of AO/ZnO thin films. The cross-plane thermal conductivity (0.26-0.63 W m-1 K-1 of the AO/ZnO superlattice films (with an AO layer of ∼0.82 nm thickness) is approximately ∼150%-370% less than the in-plane thermal conductivity (0.96-1.19 W m-1 K-1) of the corresponding film, implying significant anisotropy. This indicates that the suppression of the cross-plane thermal conductivity is mainly attributed to the superlattice, rather than the nanograin columnar structure in the films. In addition, we theoretically analyzed strong anisotropic behavior of the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities of the AO/ZnO superlattice films in terms of temperature dependence.

Optimistic bias, advertising skepticism, and consumer intentions for seeking information about the health risks of prescription medicine.

Based on a survey of prescription drug users (N = 408), this study revealed that: (a) the frequency of consumers' personal experience of prescription medicine adverse reactions negatively related to the extent of their optimistic bias about the chances of such events, (b) consumers' perceived personal control over adverse reactions positively related to optimistic bias, and (c) optimistic bias related more negatively to intentions to seek risk information when consumer skepticism toward direct-to-consumer advertising was high. When skepticism was low to average, optimistic bias did not inhibit such intentions. Implications and recommendations for the practice of direct-to-consumer advertising are provided.

Photonic sintering via flash white light combined with deep UV and NIR for SrTiO3 thin film vibration touch panel applications.

An ultra-high speed photonic sintering method consisting of flash white light (FWL) combined with near infrared (NIR) and deep UV light irradiations was developed to fabricate a SrTiO3 (STO) thin film for application in electro-vibration touch panels. The STO thin film was sintered on PEN by FWL irradiation at room temperature under ambient conditions, which is a dramatically simple and ultrahigh speed fabrication process compared to the conventional high temperature (600 °C-900 °C) thermal sintering process. The effects of the FWL irradiation conditions (energy density, pulse numbers, and pulse duration) on the dielectric constant of the sintered STO thin films were evaluated. Furthermore, the effects of NIR and deep UV irradiation during the FWL sintering process were also investigated.

Prescription drug advertising, disease knowledge, and older adults' optimistic bias about the future risk of Alzheimer's disease.

This study aims to broaden the scope of knowledge on the role of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising (DTCA) in the construction of consumers' optimistic bias regarding health issues and their intentions for coping actions. Based on an online survey of U.S. adults aged 65 years or older (N = 622), this study revealed that (a) respondents were optimistically biased in estimating their future risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD); (b) exposure to DTCA for AD medicine related negatively to optimistic bias when respondents had a low level of knowledge about AD, while the relationship disappeared when knowledge was high; (c) optimistic bias was negatively associated with intentions to seek information about AD and professional help to discuss it; and (d) optimistic bias mediated the relationship between the DTCA exposure × AD knowledge interaction and information- and help-seeking intentions. Implications for the theory and practice of DTCA are discussed.

Communication Strategies in Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising (DTCA): Application of the Six Segment Message Strategy Wheel.

This study addresses a void in the literature on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising (DTCA) with a theory-based content analysis. The findings indicate that Taylor's communication strategy wheel provides insight into what and how pharmaceutical marketers communicate with consumers by means of DTCA. Major findings are summarized as follows: (a) In most DTC ads, informational and transformational message themes and creative approaches were simultaneously used, indicating a combination strategy; (b) DTCA message themes were associated with creative strategies in alignment with Taylor's framework; and (c) message themes and creative strategies varied across therapeutic categories and DTCA categories with different levels of ad spending. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Direct-to-consumer antidepressant advertising and consumers' optimistic bias about the future risk of depression: the moderating role of advertising skepticism.

Although exposure to direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising (DTCA) is reported to influence the public's beliefs about diseases, no research has investigated how DTCA may affect the extent of consumers' optimistic bias about the future risk of diseases. Based on a survey with members of an online consumer panel (n = 699), the current study revealed that: (a) Consumers exhibited a tendency to believe they were at less risk of developing clinical depression in the future than their peers, demonstrating an optimistic bias. (b) Exposure to antidepressant DTCA acted to reduce the extent of such bias, especially when consumers were less skeptical of prescription drug advertising. When consumers were highly skeptical, DTCA exposure did not significantly relate to the extent of optimistic bias. (c) Once formed, the extent of optimistic bias negatively related to consumers' intention to seek information about depression. Implications of the research for the theory and practice of DTCA were discussed.

Sarcopenia in paraspinal muscle as a risk factor of proximal junctional kyphosis and proximal junctional failure after adult spinal deformity surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) and proximal junctional failure (PJF), including paraspinal muscle atrophy. METHODS: Fifty-seven consecutive patients who underwent a long-instrumented fusion for adult spinal deformity (ASD) with a minimum follow-up of 2 years were included in the study. Patient, surgical, and radiological factors were evaluated. Muscle volume was measured using the muscle/vertebra ratio of the multifidus, erector spinae (ES), and psoas muscles, and muscle function was evaluated using the degree of fat infiltration at the L4-5 level. RESULTS: The study included 57 consecutive patients: 25 patients in the combined PJK/PJF group (13 with PJK and 12 with PJF) and 32 in the control group (without PJK or PJF). The mean time to onset of PJK and PJF was 15.7 and 1.7 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that greater pre- and postoperative sagittal vertical axis was associated with the occurrence of PJK/PJF. ES muscle atrophy was more significant in the PJK/PJF group than in the control group, and more severe in the PJF than in the PJK group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that PJF occurred much earlier than PJK after ASD surgery. Paraspinal muscle atrophy was identified as a significant risk factor for PJK and PJF, especially PJF. The possibility of PJK and PJF development should be considered when long-segment fusion is planned for patients with paraspinal muscle atrophy.

C-Axis Aligned Composite InZnO via Thermal Atomic Layer Deposition for 3D Nanostructured Semiconductor.

Amorphous oxide semiconductors have been widely studied for various applications, including thin-film transistors (TFTs) for display backplanes and semiconductor memories. However, the inherent instability, limited mobility, and complexity of multicomponent oxide semiconductors for achieving high aspect ratios and conformality of cation distribution remain challenging. Indium-zinc oxide (IZO), known for its high mobility, also faces obstacles in instability resulting from high carrier doping density and low ionization energy. To address these issues and attain a balance between mobility and stability, adopting a highly aligned structure such as a c-axis aligned crystalline IGZO could be advantageous. However, limited studies have reported enhanced electrical performance using crystalline IZO, likely attributed to the high thermal stability of the individual components (In2O3 and ZnO). Here, we first propose a c-axis aligned composite (CAAC) IZO with superior TFT properties, including a remarkable performance of field-effect mobility (µFE) of 55.8 cm2/(V s) and positive-bias-temperature-stress stability of +0.16 V (2 MV/cm, 60 °C, 1 h), as well as a low subthreshold swing of 0.18 V/decade and hysteresis as 0.01 V, which could be obtained through optimization of growth temperature and composition using thermal atomic layer deposition. These results surpass those of TFTs based on nanocrystalline/polycrystalline/amorphous-IZO. We conducted a thorough investigation of CAAC-IZO and revealed that the growth temperature and cation distribution profoundly influence the crystal structure and device properties. Finally, we observed excellent compositional conformality and 97% step coverage of IZO on a high-aspect-ratio (HAR) structure with an aspect ratio reaching 40:1, which is highly promising for future applications. Our results include a detailed investigation of the influence of the crystal structure of IZO on the film and TFT performance and suggest an approach for future applications.

But it's doctor recommended and I read the fine print: antecedents to drug companies' perceived credibility.

Using 2009 National Consumer Survey data from Experian Simmons, the authors found that dependence on doctor recommendations to assess the integrity of advertised drugs and the extent of reading small print in direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising positively related to consumers' perceived credibility of health information from pharmaceutical companies, which in turn positively influenced willingness to ask their doctor for a specific medicine they saw or heard advertised. The potential effect of small print reading on willingness to request prescription was partially mediated by perceived credibility of information from drug companies. The findings are discussed in light of their practical implications.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) antidepressant advertising and consumer misperceptions about the chemical imbalance theory of depression: the moderating role of skepticism.

Based on a survey with members of an online consumer panel (N= 699), this study revealed that: (a) a substantial percentage of consumers held misperceptions about the chemical imbalance theory of depression; (b) personal and interpersonal experiences with depression positively related to such misperceptions; (c) overall, exposure to direct-to-consumer (DTC) antidepressant advertising did not significantly relate to misperceptions; and (d) DTC exposure magnified misperceptions when consumers were highly trustful of DTC advertising, whereas exposure diluted misperceptions when consumers were highly skeptical. Theoretical and practical implications of the research are discussed, especially in light of the social responsibility of DTC advertising.

Thermally Activated Defect Engineering for Highly Stable and Uniform ALD-Amorphous IGZO TFTs with High-Temperature Compatibility.

Highly stable IGZO thin-film transistors derived from atomic layer deposition are crucial for the semiconductor industry. However, unavoidable defect generation during high-temperature annealing results in abnormal positive bias temperature stress (PBTS). Herein, we propose a defect engineering method by controlling the gate insulator (GI) deposition temperature. Applying a GI deposition temperature of 400 °C to the In0.52Ga0.18Zn0.30O active layer effectively suppresses defects even after 600 °C annealing, preserving the amorphous phase of IGZO. The device exhibits a threshold voltage (VTH) of 0.05 V, a field-effect mobility of 27.6 cm2/Vs, a subthreshold swing of 61 mV/decade, and a hysteresis voltage of 0.01 V, demonstrating highly reliable PBTS and negative bias temperature stress. A power-law fit of the PBTS stability under 2 MV/cm of gate field stress and 120 °C of temperature stress predicts a VTH shift of -0.01 V after 10 years. Moreover, the proposed method ensures reliable uniformity over a large 4 in. area.

Approaches for 3D Integration Using Plasma-Enhanced Atomic-Layer-Deposited Atomically-Ordered InGaZnO Transistors with Ultra-High Mobility.

As the scale-down and power-saving of silicon-based channel materials approach the limit, oxide semiconductors are being actively researched for applications in 3D back-end-of-line integration. For these applications, it is necessary to develop stable oxide semiconductors with electrical properties similar to those of Si. Herein, a single-crystal-like indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) layer (referred to as a pseudo-single-crystal) is synthesized using plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition and fabricated stable IGZO transistors with an ultra-high mobility of over 100 cm2  Vs-1 . To acquire high-quality atomic layer deposition-processed IGZO layers, the plasma power of the reactant is controlled as an effective processing parameter by evaluating and understanding the effect of the chemical reaction of the precursors on the behavior of the residual hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen in the as-deposited films. Based on these insights, this study found that there is a critical relationship between the optimal plasma reaction energy, superior electrical performance, and device stability.

Selectively Nitrogen Doped ALD-IGZO TFTs with Extremely High Mobility and Reliability.

Achieving high mobility and reliability in atomic layer deposition (ALD)-based IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an amorphous phase is vital for practical applications in relevant fields. Here, we suggest a method to effectively increase stability while maintaining high mobility by employing the selective application of nitrous oxide plasma reactant during plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) at 200 °C process temperature. The nitrogen-doping mechanism is highly dependent on the intrinsic carbon impurities or nature of each cation, as demonstrated by a combination of theoretical and experimental research. The Ga2O3 subgap states are especially dependent on plasma reactants. Based on these insights, we can obtain high-performance indium-rich PEALD-IGZO TFTs (threshold voltage: -0.47 V; field-effect mobility: 106.5 cm2/(V s); subthreshold swing: 113.5 mV/decade; hysteresis: 0.05 V). In addition, the device shows minimal threshold voltage shifts of +0.45 and -0.10 V under harsh positive/negative bias temperature stress environments (field stress: ±2 MV/cm; temperature stress: 95 °C) after 10000 s.

Effects of Al concentration on microstructural characteristics and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films on Si substrates by atomic layer deposition.

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films with various Al concentrations were synthesized on Si(001) substrates with native oxide layers by atomic layer deposition process. The effects of the Al concentration on the microstructural characteristics of the AZO thin films grown at 250 degrees C and the correlation between their microstructural characteristics and electrical properties of the AZO thin films were investigated by AFM, XRD, HRTEM and Hall measurements. The XRD and HRTEM results revealed that the crystallinity and electrical properties of the undoped ZnO thin films were enhanced by 2.48 at% Al doping. However, 12.62 at% Al doping induced the deterioration of their crystallinity and electrical properties due to the formation of nano-sized metallic Al clusters and randomly oriented ZnO-based nano-crystals. To enhance the electrical properties of the AZO thin films while maintaining their crystallinity and electrical properties, a moderate Al concentration has to be chosen under the solubility limit of Al in ZnO.

Treatment of Vancouver Type B Periprosthetic Femoral Fractures Using Cortical Strut Allografts.

Introduction: The optimal surgical treatment for Vancouver B2 and B3 fractures has not been determined, and bone defects and delays in fracture healing significantly affect treatment outcomes. Some authors have argued that when a serious bone defect is present, the use of cortical strut allografts for the treatment of type B2 and B3 periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFFs) after hip joint replacement may be beneficial. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of cortical strut allografts based on mid-to long-term clinical radiologic results after surgical treatment of Vancouver B-type PFFs. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 48 patients with postoperative PFFs. The mean duration of follow-up was 6.7 years. The 22 patients were treated with cortical strut allograft. Each case was characterized and described in detail, including the length of allograft and the union period, and possible correlations between allograft length and strut-to-host bone union were analyzed. Clinical evaluations included Parker mobility and Harris hip scores. At the final follow-up, we assessed the radiological results using the Beals and Tower's criteria, stem subsidence, and fracture union time. Results: All 48 fractures united at an average of 21.5 weeks, and strut-to-host bone union was typically observed within 32 months. No positive correlation was identified between the allograft length and incorporation period. There was one deep infection and four cases of dislocation, but there was no fracture or malunion of the cortical strut allografts. No evidence of femoral loosening was observed in any of the patients. Conclusion: Cortical strut allografts used to treat type B PFFs showed high rates of bone union and survival. In mid-to long-term follow-up, the cortical strut allograft length did not affect to incorporation time. The author concluded that cortical strut allografts are useful treatment for PFFs regardless subtype classification of the Vancouver type B.