Two-dimensional molybdenum ditelluride waveguide-integrated near-infrared photodetector.

Low-cost, small-sized, and easy integrated high-performance photodetectors for photonics are still the bottleneck of photonic integrated circuits applications and have attracted increasing attention. The tunable narrow bandgap of two-dimensional (2D) layered molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) from ∼0.83 to ∼1.1 eV makes it one of the ideal candidates for near-infrared (NIR) photodetectors. Herein, we demonstrate an excellent waveguide-integrated NIR photodetector by transferring mechanically exfoliated 2D MoTe2onto a silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguide. The photoconductive photodetector exhibits excellent responsivity (R), detectivity (D*), and external quantum efficiency at 1550 nm and 50 mV, which are 41.9 A W-1, 16.2 × 1010Jones, and 3360%, respectively. These optoelectronic performances are 10.2 times higher than those of the free-space device, revealing that the photoresponse of photodetectors can be enhanced due to the presence of waveguide. Moreover, the photodetector also exhibits competitive performances over a broad wavelength range from 800 to 1000 nm with a highRof 15.4 A W-1and a largeD* of 59.6 × 109Jones. Overall, these results provide an alternative and prospective strategy for high-performance on-chip broadband NIR photodetectors.

Characteristics of tunable aluminum-doped Ga2O3thin films and photodetectors.

Aluminum-doped Ga2O3(AGO) thin films were prepared by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD). The growth mechanism, surface morphology, chemical composition, and optical properties of AGO films were systematically investigated. The bandgap of AGO films can be theoretically set between 4.65 and 6.8 eV. Based on typical AGO films, metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors (PDs) were created, and their photoelectric response was examined. The preliminary results show that PE-ALD grown AGO films have high quality and tunable bandgap, and AGO PDs possess superior characterizations to undoped films. The AGO realized using PE-ALD is expected to be an important route for the development of a new generation of gallium oxide-based photodetectors into the deep-ultraviolet.

Investigation of Needle Characteristics Using an Animal Model for Improved Outcomes in Anterior Chamber Paracentesis.

Background/Aims: The current standard of care to perform an anterior chamber paracentesis involves the use of a multipurpose market needle and syringe. The use of standard needles for this purpose may result in injury to the patient due to increased force with insertion and increased globe displacement during the procedure. This research investigates the current market needle characteristics and the impact of each needle characteristic on force. Methods: Several comparative trials were conducted to evaluate the needles. Needle characteristics of interest were gauge, primary bevel angle, number of bevels in the lancet, and needle hub geometry. Measurements of corneal insertion forces were made using a synthetic thermoplastic polyurethane medium, and bovine and porcine models. Needle safety was investigated with corneal abrasion experiments. Results: Reduced insertion force was observed with lower lancet primary angle. There was no difference based on the number of bevels in the lancet. Rounded hub geometry had minimal distribution to the corneal epithelium. Conclusions: Needle characteristics impact the force needed for needle insertion into the tissue. Since higher force can lead to increased risk and less efficiency during the procedure, reducing this force may improve the outcomes of the procedure. Needle entry can be reduced by designing an improved needle that includes a lower gauge and reduced primary angle of the lancet.

Is moderate resistance training adequate for older adults with sarcopenia? A systematic review and network meta-analysis of RCTs.

BACKGROUND: Resistance training (RT) and nutritional supplementation are recommended for the management of sarcopenia in older adults. However, optimal RT intensity for the treatment of sarcopenia has not been well investigated. METHODS: This network meta-analysis aims to determine the comparative effectiveness of interventions for sarcopenia, taking RT intensity into consideration. RT intensity was classified into light-to-moderate intensity RT(LMRT), moderate intensity RT(MRT), and moderate-to-vigorous intensity RT(MVRT) based on percentage of one repetition maximum (%1RM) and/or rating of perceived exertion. RESULTS: A total of 50 RCTs (N = 4,085) were included after screening 3,485 articles. The results confirmed that RT with or without nutrition was positively associated with improved measures of muscle strength and physical performance. Regarding RT intensity, LMRT only demonstrated positive effects on hand grip (aerobic training + LMRT + nutrition: mean difference [MD] = 2.88; 95% credential intervals [CrI] = 0.43,5.32). MRT provided benefits on improvement in the 30-s chair stand test (repetitions) (MRT: MD = 2.98, 95% CrI = 0.35,5.59), timed up and go test (MRT: MD = -1.74, 95% CrI: = -3.34,-0.56), hand grip (MRT: MD = 2.44; 95% CrI = 0.03,5.70), and leg press (MRT: MD = 8.36; 95% CrI = 1.87,13.4). MVRT also improved chair stand test repetitions (MVRT: MD = 5.64, 95% CrI = 0.14,11.4), gait speed (MVRT + nutrition: MD = 0.21, 95% CrI = 0.003,0.48), appendicular skeletal muscle index (MVRT + nutrition: MD = 0.25, 95% CrI = 0.01,0.5), and leg press (MVRT: MD = 14.7, 95% CrI: 5.96,22.4; MVRT + nutrition: MD = 17.8, 95% CrI: 7.55,28.6). CONCLUSION: MVRT had greater benefits on muscle mass, lower extremity strength, and physical performance compared to MRT. Increasing RT intensity may be recommended for sarcopenic older adults.

Integration Technology of Micro-LED for Next-Generation Display.

Inorganic micro light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) based on III-V compound semiconductors have been widely studied for self-emissive displays. From chips to applications, integration technology plays an indispensable role in micro-LED displays. For example, large-scale display relies on the integration of discrete device dies to achieve extended micro-LED array, and full color display requires integration of red, green, and blue micro-LED units on the same substrate. Moreover, the integration with transistors or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor circuits are necessary to control and drive the micro-LED display system. In this review article, we summarized the 3 main integration technologies for micro-LED displays, which are called transfer integration, bonding integration, and growth integration. An overview of the characteristics of these 3 integration technologies is presented, while various strategies and challenges of integrated micro-LED display system are discussed.

New Triterpenoids and Anti-Inflammatory Constituents from Glinus oppositifolius.

Three new triterpenoids-spergulagenin B (1), spergulagenin C (2), and spergulagenin D (3)-were isolated from the aerial part of Glinus oppositifolius, along with 17 known compounds (4-20). The structures of these new compounds were identified by spectroscopic and MS analyses. Compounds 3, 5, 19, and 20 were evaluated for inhibition of nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values of 17.03, 18.21, 16.30, and 12.64 µM, respectively. Compounds 3, 5, and 20 exhibited inhibitory effects on LPS-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values of 18.35 ± 1.34, 17.56 ± 1.41, and 14.27 ± 1.29 µM, respectively.

Tyrosinase Inhibitors Derived from Chemical Constituents of Dianella ensifolia.

Dianella ensifolia is a perennial herb with thickened rhizome and is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. This plant has the potential to be used as a source of herbal medicine. This study investigated further phytochemistry and tyrosinase inhibitory effect of some constituents isolated from D. ensifolia. Four new flavans, (2S)-4'-hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavan (1), (2S)-3',4'-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-8-methylflavan (2), (2S)-2'-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavan (3), and (2S,1'S)-4-hydroxy-4-(7-methoxy-8-methylchroman-2-yl)-cyclohex-2-enone (4), together with 67 known compounds, including 10 flavans (5−14), 5 flavanones (15−19), 3 flavone (20−22), 5 chalcones (23−27), 3 chromones (28−30), 15 aromatics (31−45), 7 phenylpropanoids (46−52), one lignan (53), 7 steroids (54−60), one monoterpene (61), one diterpene (62), 4 triterpenes (63−66), a carotenoid (67), 2 alkaloids (68 and 69), and 2 fatty acids (70 and 71) were isolated from D. ensifolia. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physical and spectroscopic data analyses. Moreover, compounds 1−4, 8, 10−15, 20, 21, and 41 were evaluated for their mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory effect. Compounds 11 and 14 strongly inhibited mushroom tyrosinase activity with IC50 values of 8.6 and 14.5 µM, respectively.

Chemical constituents and their anti-neuroinflammatory activities from the bark of Taiwan incense cedar, Calocedrus formosana.

One undescribed C40 terpenoid, calomacroquinoic acid; four undescribed diterpenes, 5α,6α-epoxy-7α-hydroxyferruginol, 15-ethoxysugiol, 7-methoxy-6,7-secoabieta-8,11,13-triene-6,12-diol, and ethyl 7,8-secoabieta-11,14-dioxo-7-ate; two compounds isolated from Nature for the first time, 6ß,7α-dihydroxyferruginol and 12-O-methyltaxochinon; and six known compounds were successfully identified from the bark of Taiwan incense cedar Calocedrus formosana. Structures of all isolates were elucidated by physical data (appearance, ultraviolet, infrared, specific rotation, and X-ray) and spectroscopic data (1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance, and high-resolution electron ionization mass spectrometry). The biosynthetic pathway of calomacroquinoic acid is also described in the current study. Nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 microglia cells was inhibited by 6,7-dehydroferruginol, 7α,11-dihydroxy-12-methoxy-8,11,13-abietriene, and trans-communic acid. Altogether, the bark of C. formosana possessed several potential natural therapeutics against inflammation-related neuronal diseases.

A Heterostructured Graphene Quantum Dots/ß-Ga2O3 Solar-Blind Photodetector with Enhanced Photoresponsivity.

The superior optical and electronic characteristics of quasi-two-dimensional ß-Ga2O3 make it suitable for solar-blind (200-280 nm) photodetectors (PDs). The metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) PDs commonly suffer from low photoresponsivity, slow response speed, and a narrow detection wavelength range despite their simple fabrication process. Herein, we report a high-performance MSM PD by integrating exfoliated ß-Ga2O3 flakes with zero-dimensional graphene quantum dots (GQDs), which exhibits the advantages of enhancing the photoresponsivity, shortening the photoresponse time, and stimulating a broad range of photon detection. The hybrid GQDs/ß-Ga2O3 heterostructure PD is sensitive to deep-ultraviolet (DUV) light (250 nm) with an ultrahigh responsivity (R of ∼2.4 × 105 A/W), a large detectivity (D* of ∼4.3 × 1013 Jones), an excellent external quantum efficiency (EQE of ∼1.2 × 108%), and a fast photoresponse (150 ms), which is superior to the bare ß-Ga2O3 PD. These improvements result from effective charge transfer due to the introduction of GQDs, which enhance the light absorption and the generation of electron-hole pairs. In addition, the hybrid GQDs/ß-Ga2O3 PD also exhibits better photoelectric performance than the bare ß-Ga2O3 PD at a 1000 nm wavelength. As a conclusion, the hybrid GQDs/ß-Ga2O3 DUV photodetector shows potential applications in commercial optoelectronic products and provides an alternative solution for the design and preparation of high-performance photodetectors.

High optoelectronic performance of a local-back-gate ReS2/ReSe2 heterojunction phototransistor with hafnium oxide dielectric.

A high optoelectronic performance ReS2/ReSe2 van der Waals (vdW) heterojunction phototransistor utilizing thin hafnium oxide (HfO2) as a local-back-gate dielectric layer was prepared and studied. The heterojunction-based phototransistor exhibits a superior electrical performance with a large rectification ratio of ∼103. Furthermore, unlike diode-like heterojunction devices, the innovative introduction of a local-back-gate in this phototransistor provides an outstanding gate-tunable capability with an ultra-low off-state current of 433 fA and a high on/off current ratio of over 106. And under optical excitation of a wide spectrum from 400 to 633 nm, an excellent photodetection responsivity at the 104 A W-1 level and the maximum normalized detectivity of 1.8 × 1015 Jones @ 633 nm have been demonstrated. Such high performances are attributed to the band alignment of the type-II heterojunction and the suppression of dark current by the local-back-gate. This work provides a promising reference for two-dimensional (2D) Re-based heterojunction optoelectronic devices.

Heat dissipation in quasi-ballistic single-atom contacts at room temperature.

We report on evaluations of local heating in Au single-atom chains at room temperature. We performed onsite thermometry of atomic-scale Au junctions under applied sinusoidal voltage of variable amplitudes. The AC approach enabled to preclude electromigration effects for characterizing the influence of energy dissipations on the lifetime. We elucidated nonlinear increase in the effective temperature of the current-carrying single-atom chains with the voltage amplitudes, which was attributed to subtle interplay between electron-phonon scattering and electron-mediated thermal transport in the quasi-ballistic conductor. We also found that only 0.2% of the electric power contributed to local heating while the majority was consumed at the diffusive bank. The present findings can be used for thermal management of future integrated nanoelectronics.

Continuance compliance of privacy policy of electronic medical records: the roles of both motivation and habit.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals have increasingly realized that wholesale adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) may introduce differential tangible/intangible benefits to them, including improved quality-of-care, reduced medical errors, reduced costs, and allowable instant access to relevant patient information by healthcare professionals without the limitations of time/space. However, an increased reliance on EMR has also led to a corresponding increase in the negative impact exerted via EMR breaches possibly leading to unexpected damage for both hospitals and patients. This study investigated the possible antecedents that will influence hospital employees' continuance compliance with privacy policy of Electronic Medical Records (EMR). This is done from both motivational and habitual perspectives; specifically, we investigated the mediating role of habit between motivation and continuance compliance intention with EMR privacy policy. METHODS: Data was collected from a large Taiwanese medical center by means of survey methodology. A total of 312 responses comprised of various groups of healthcare professionals was collected and analyzed via structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, and facilitating conditions may significantly predict hospital employees' compliance habit formation, whereas habit may significantly predict hospital employees' intention to continuance adherence to EMR privacy policy. Further, habit partially mediates the relationships between self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions and continuance adherence intention. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, the study suggests that healthcare facilities should take measures to promote their employees' habitualization with continuous efforts to protect EMR privacy parameters. Plausible strategies include improving employees' levels of self-efficacy, publicizing the effectiveness of on-going privacy policy, and creating a positive habit-conducive environment leading to continued compliance behaviors.

High-Content Screening of a Taiwanese Indigenous Plant Extract Library Identifies Syzygium simile leaf Extract as an Inhibitor of Fatty Acid Uptake.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common liver disease in the recent decades in both developed and developing countries, and is predicted to be the major etiology for liver transplantation in the next decade. Thus, pharmacological strategies to treat NAFLD are urgently needed. Natural products are considered an excellent source for drug discovery. By utilizing an image-based high-throughput screening with a library containing 3000 Taiwanese indigenous plant extracts, we discovered that the extract of Syzygium simile leaves (SSLE) has an anti-lipid droplet (LD) accumulation effect in hepatic cell lines. Analyses of the expression profile of genes involved in lipid metabolism revealed that SSLE suppressed the mRNA expression of CD36, fatty acid translocase. In agreement with this observation, we showed that SSLE inhibited CD36 protein expression and fatty acid uptake and has only limited effects on pre-formed LDs. Moreover, SSLE reduced LD accumulation and CD36 expression in enterocyte and macrophage cell lines. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SSLE could serve as a potential source for the discovery of novel therapeutic modalities for NAFLD and that the suppression of CD36 expression and fatty acid uptake could contribute to the lipid-lowering effect of SSLE.

A Flavone Constituent from Myoporum bontioides Induces M-Phase Cell Cycle Arrest of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells.

Myoporum bontioides is a traditional medicinal plant in Asia with various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial characteristics. To identify the bioactive constituents from M. bontioides, a newly-identified flavone, 3,4'-dimethoxy-3',5,7-trihydroxyflavone (compound 1), along with eight known compounds, were investigated in human MCF-7 breast cancer, SCC4 oral cancer, and THP-1 monocytic leukemia cells. Among these compounds, compound 1 exhibited the strongest antiproliferative activity with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranging from 3.3 µM (MCF-7) to 8.6 µM (SCC4). Flow cytometric analysis indicated that compound 1 induced G2/M cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 cells. Mechanistic evidence suggests that the G2/M arrest could be attributable to compound 1's modulatory effects on the phosphorylation and expression of numerous key signaling effectors, including cell division cycle 2 (CDC2), CDC25C, and p53. Notably, compound 1 downregulated the expression of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) and HDAC4, leading to increased histone H3 acetylation and p21 upregulation. Together, these findings suggest the translational potential of compound 1 as a breast cancer treatment.

Band-Engineered Local Cooling in Nanoscale Junctions.

The stability and performance of nanoscale junctions are closely related to the local effective temperature. The local effective temperature is mainly caused by the competition between heating and cooling processes in inelastic electron-phonon scat- tering. Local cooling occurs when the rate of energy in cooling exceeds that in heating. Previous research has been done using either specific potential configuration or an adatom to achieve local cooling. We propose an engineer-able local-cooling mechanism in asymmetric two-terminal tunneling junctions, in which one electrode is made of metal, whereas the other is made of a selectable bad-metal, such as heavily-doped polysilicon. The width of energy window of the selectable material, defined as the width covering all possible energy states counting from the conduction band minimum, can be engineered through doping. Interestingly, we have shown that substantial local cooling can be achieved at room temperature when the width of energy window of the low-density electrode is comparable to the energy of the phonon. The unusual local cooling is caused by the narrowed width of energy window, which obstructs the inelastic scattering for heating.

[Effects of Different Culture Systems on the Hematopoietic Differentiation Ability of iPS Cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the in vitro effects of different culture systems on hematopoietic differentiation ability of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. METHOD: Two culture systems including E8 and mTESR(freeder-free medium), and the classical ES culture medium were chosen for culture of iPS cells. The iPS cells maintaining in above mentioning culcure systems were co-cultured with OP9 cells(murine bone marrow stromal cells) in vitro to be induced to differentiate into hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Flow cytometry and real-time quantitative PCR were used to detect the expression of specific hematopoietic markers and the effects of different culture systems on the differentiation of iPS in vitro. RESULT: iPS cultured in the 3 selected medium could be differentiated into hematopoietic stem cells. Efficiency of hematopoietic differentiation was up to 28.4% in classical ES culture system, which was significantly higher than that in E8 and mTESR system. CONCLUSION: Under the co-culture with OP9, iPS can differentiate into hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, which shows higher efficiency when iPS maintained in the ES medium.

Volatile compounds from roots, stems and leaves of Angelica acutiloba growing in Taiwan.

The present study analyzed and compared the volatile compounds in fresh Angelica acutiloba roots, stems and leaves both qualitatively and quantitatively. The volatile compounds were isolated by either steam distillation (SD) or headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME). A total of 61 compounds were identified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). All 61 compounds were verified by SD, with 3n-butyl phthalide, gamma-terpinene, p-cymene and cis-beta-ocimene as the main compounds. Thirty-three compounds were verified by HS-SPME, with gamma-terpinene and p-cymene as the main compounds. The leaf samples contained the highest essential oil content. Compared with SD, HS-SPME sampling resulted in relatively higher amounts of highly volatile monoterpenes and lower amounts of less volatile compounds such as 3n-butyl phthalide. These findings demonstrate that A. acutiloba roots, stems and leaves have high 3n-butyl phthalide contents; thus, all parts of A. acutiloba may be used for further application and development.

Programmable redox state of the nickel ion chain in DNA.

DNA is a nanowire in nature which chelates Ni ions and forms a conducting chain in its base-pairs (Ni-DNA). Each Ni ion in Ni-DNA exhibits low (Ni(2+)) or high (Ni(3+)) oxidation state and can be switched sequentially by applying bias voltage with different polarities and writing times. The ratio of low and high oxidation states of Ni ions in Ni-DNA represents a programmable multistate memory system with an added capacitive component, in which multistate information can be written, read, and erased. This study also indicates that the biomolecule-based self-organized nanostructure can be used as a template for nanodevice fabrication.

Inhibitory effects of cultured Dendrobium tosaense on atopic dermatitis murine model.

Dendrobium tosaense is one of the most valuable Chinese medicines and well developed health food. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease that occurs mainly in childhood. The pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis had been studied in BALB/c mice modeling by skin-inoculated ovalbumin (OVA) with 2,4,6-trinitro-1-chrolobenzene (TNCB). These mice exhibit features of chronic dermatitis, including skin rash, mast cells infiltration, and elevated serum anti-OVA specific IgE and cytokines modulation. In this study, a standardized ethyl acetate extract of D. tosaense (DtE) was used to protect these mice from the OVA/TNCB-induced skin lesions of atopic dermatitis. The results indicated an increased population of natural T regulatory cell was accompanied by immunosuppression in cytokine profiles and anti-OVA IgE level to significantly reduce Th2 polarization. Finally, toluidine blue staining indicated mast cell infiltration and degranulation was reduced in skin lesion. Our results were shed light on the usage of D. tosaense in AD.

Anti-inflammatory components from the root of Solanum erianthum.

Two new norsesquiterpenoids, solanerianones A and B (1-2), together with nine known compounds, including four sesquiterpenoids, (-)-solavetivone (3), (+)-anhydro-ß-rotunol (4), solafuranone (5), lycifuranone A (6); one alkaloid, N-trans-feruloyltyramine (7); one fatty acid, palmitic acid (8); one phenylalkanoid, acetovanillone (9), and two steroids, ß-sitosterol (10) and stigmasterol (11) were isolated from the n-hexane-soluble part of the roots of Solanum erianthum. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physical and spectroscopic data analyses. The anti-inflammatory activity of these isolates was monitored by nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The cytotoxicity towards human lung squamous carcinoma (CH27), human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep 3B), human oral squamous carcinoma (HSC-3) and human melanoma (M21) cell lines was also screened by using an MTT assay. Of the compounds tested, 3 exhibited the strongest NO inhibition with the average maximum inhibition (Emax) at 100 µM and median inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 98.23% ± 0.08% and 65.54 ± 0.18 µM, respectively. None of compounds (1-9) was found to possess cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines at concentrations up to 30 µM.