Highly Sensitive, Low-Energy-Consumption Biomimetic Olfactory Synaptic Transistors Based on the Aggregation of the Semiconductor Films.

Artificial olfactory synaptic devices with low energy consumption and low detection limits are important for the further development of neuromorphic computing and intelligent robotics. In this work, an ultralow energy consumption and low detection limit imitation olfactory synaptic device based on organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) was prepared. The aggregation state of poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole-selenophene) (PTDPP) semiconductor films is modulated by adding unfavorable solvents and annealing treatments to obtain excellent charge transfer and gas synaptic properties. The regulated OFET device can execute basic biological synaptic functions, including excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs), paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), and the transition from short-term to long-term plasticity, at an ultralow operating voltage of -0.0005 V. The ultralow energy consumption during the biomimetic simulation is in the range of 8.94-88 fJ per spike. Noteworthily, the gas detection limit of the device is as low as 50 ppb, well below normal human NO2 gas perception limits (100-1000 ppb). Additionally, high-pass filtering, Pavlovian conditioned reflexes, and decoding of "Morse code" were simulated. Finally, a grid-free conformal device with outstanding flexibility and stability was fabricated. In conclusion, the control of semiconductor thin-film aggregation provides effective guidance for preparing low-energy-consumption, highly sensitive olfactory nerve-mimicking devices and promoting the development of wearable electronics.

Helical Nanofiber Photoelectric Synaptic Devices for an Artificial Vision Nervous System.

Inspired by the helical structure and the resultant exquisite functions of biomolecules, helical polymers have received increasing attention. Here, a series of poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(phenyl isocyanide) (P3HT-b-PPI) copolymers were prepared using a simple one-pot living polymerization method. Interestingly, the P3HT80-b-PPI30 films were found to have a helical nanofiber structure. The corresponding device has superior optoelectronic properties, such as a broadened spectral response range from the visible band to the deep ultraviolet (DUV) and an approximately 5-fold longer carrier decay time after DUV light stimulation. An energy consumption of 1.44 fJ per synaptic event was obtained, which is the lowest energy consumption achieved so far with DUV light stimulation. The encryption and decryption of images are implemented using an array of devices. Finally, a photoreceptor neural pathway was constructed to achieve early warning for the recognition of the display of harmful light. This research provides an effective strategy for the development of a novel optoelectronic synaptic device.

One-Step Preparation of Semiconductor/Dielectric Bilayer Structures for the Simulation of Flexible Bionic Photonic Synapses.

Flexible synaptic devices with information sensing, processing, and storage functions are indispensable in the development of wearable artificial intelligence electronic systems. Here, a semiconductor/dielectric bilayer structure was prepared by a one-step deposition method and used for the first time in a flexible biomimetic photonic synaptic transistor device. Specifically, poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(phenyl isocyanide) with pentafluorophenyl ester (P3HT-b-PPI(5F)) was prepared as the device active layer, where the P3HT segment served as a carrier transport channel and optical gate and the PPI(5F) segment was used for charge trapping. Various biomimetic synaptic behaviors, such as excitatory postsynaptic currents, paired-pulse facilitation, and short-term/long-term memory, were successfully simulated under green light stimulation. An ultra-low energy consumption of 1.82 fJ was achieved with a greatly reduced operating voltage. Further, the "Morse-code" optical decoding was simulated using the excellent synaptic plasticity of the device. In addition, flexible synaptic devices were prepared by a one-step deposition method and can be well-affixed to arbitrary substrates. This has promising applications in the field of wearable bionic electronics.

Insulator polymers achieve efficient catalysis under visible light due to contact electrification.

Under the limitation of the carrier yield and mobility of semiconductor photocatalysts and the reaction domain, it seems that the photocatalytic efficiency cannot be greatly improved. Here, an efficient contact-electro-catalysis (CEC) system based on droplet triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is developed. Instead of using traditional semiconductor catalysts, the electric charge transferred during the electrification process of the contact between water droplets and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is used to participate in catalysis, and the output electrical signal can also monitor the degree of catalysis. The important role of light in the circulation of this CEC system is studied and discussed for the first time. It is proved that the contact electrification at the liquid-solid interface is accompanied by the generation of a large number of strong oxidizing radicals. The efficient transport of charge carriers driven by mechanical force and the active oxygen species distributed in the whole domain greatly improve the degradation rate of dyes. The experimental data show that the degradation efficiency of crystal violet (CV) reaches 90% within 38 s, and the rate constant k is as high as 3.7 min-1. This is a breakthrough in the field of catalysis.

Liquid-liquid triboelectric nanogenerator based on the immiscible interface of an aqueous two-phase system.

Solid nanogenerators often have limited charge transfer due to their low contact area. Liquid-liquid nanogenerators can transfer a charge better than the solid-solid and solid-liquid counterparts. However, the precise manipulation of the liquid morphology remains a challenge because of the fluidity limits of the liquid. In this work, using the surface tension of a droplet to fix its shape, a liquid-liquid triboelectric nanogenerator in Contact-Separation mode is designed using an immiscible aqueous-aqueous interface, achieving a contact surface charge transfer of 129 nC for a single droplet. The configuration is proven to be applicable in humid environments, and the two-phase materials have good biocompatibility and can be used as an effective drug carrier. Therefore, this nanogenerator is useful for designing future implantable devices. Meanwhile, this design also establishes the foundation of aqueous electronics, and additional applications can be achieved using this route.

Deep Ultraviolet Light Stimulated Synaptic Transistors Based on Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Ultrathin Films.

Deep ultraviolet (DUV)-light-stimulated artificial synaptic devices exhibit potential applications in various disciplines including intelligent military monitoring, biological and medical analysis, flame detection, etc. Along these lines, we report here a DUV-light-stimulated synaptic transistor fabricated on a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) ultrathin film that responds selectively to DUV light. Significantly, our devices have the ability to successfully simulate various synapse-like behaviors including excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs), paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), short-term memory (STM), long-term memory (LTM), STM-to-LTM transition, and learning and forgetting behaviors. Moreover, the proposed artificial synaptic structures were also fabricated on flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates and also successfully simulated typical synaptic behaviors, which could be of great importance for wearable applications.

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine injections combined with FOLFOX4 regimen for gastric cancer: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine injections (TCMJs) combined with FOLFOX4 regimen could achieve favorable effects in the treatment of gastric cancer. However, the efficacy and safety of different TCMJs combined with FOLFOX4 in the treatment of gastric cancer have not been fully clarified. Due to the fact that there are as many as 10 kinds of TCMJs, how to choose an appropriate TCMJ has become an urgent clinical problem. The objective of this network meta-analysis is to explore the optimal options among different TCMJs for gastric cancer. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, China Scientific Journal Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wanfang Data were searched to identify randomized controlled trials which focused on TCMJs combined with FOLFOX4 against gastric cancer from its inception to September 2021. Subsequently, 2 researchers will be independently responsible for literature screening, data extraction, and assessment of their quality. Standard pair-wise and Bayesian network meta-analysis will be performed to compare the efficacy and safety of different TCMJs combined with FOLFOX4 regimen via Stata 14.0 and WinBUGS1.4 software. RESULTS: The results of this meta-analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusion of this systematic review will provide evidence for selecting an optimal TCMJ combined with FOLFOX4 for patients with gastric cancer.

One-Step Preparation of a Core-Spun Cu/P(VDF-TrFE) Nanofibrous Yarn for Wearable Smart Textile to Monitor Human Movement.

At present, wearable electronic sensors are widely investigated and applied for human life usage especially for the flexible piezoelectric sensor based on piezoelectric fibers. However, most of these fiber-based piezoelectric sensors are thin films, which might had poor air permeability, or do not adapt to complex body movements. In this study, a piezoelectric sensing fabric was proposed based on core-spun Cu/P(VDF-TrFE) nanofibrous yarns. These yarns were fabricated by P(VDF-TrFE) as a piezoelectric material and Cu wire as an inner electrode layer through a one-step conjugate electrospinning process. The Cu/P(VDF-TrFE) fabrics showed good flexibility, breathability, mechanical stability, and sensing capability after continuous running for 60 min or after washing. A 4 cm × 4 cm fabric could generate a current of 38 nA and voltage of 2.7 V under 15 N pressure. Once the fabric was fixed onto the clothes, human motion could be monitored by collecting its generated current, and the signal could be wirelessly transmitted onto a smartphone. Therefore, this study may provide a simple and promising approach to design a smart textile for human motion monitoring.

Linear hybrid siloxane-based side chains for highly soluble isoindigo-based conjugated polymers.

Three isoindigo-based conjugated polymers modified with linear hybrid siloxane-based side chains were synthesized (PIID-Cm-Si7, m = 5-7). All polymers showed good solubilities in halogenated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, ethers, alkanes, and esters. The polymer films of PIID-C5-Si7, PIID-C6-Si7, and PIID-C7-Si7 achieved mobilities of 0.32, 0.82, and 1.58 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively.

[Analysis on adverse event in acupotomy therapy based on literature research].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the current domestic situation of the adverse event in acupotomy so as to promote the standardization of acupotomy and improve the clinical effect and safety of acupotomy therapy. METHODS: The method of retrospective journal researching was used. The case report about the adverse event in acupotomy from CNKI, WANFANG and VIP databases was retrieved and the types, the features, the causes, the numbers of the papers and the cases were analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-eight papers were included, with total 343 cases. It was indicated that the adverse events in acupotomy were mainly postoperative local pain, hematoma, swelling, nerve damage, tendon rupture, adhesion, injury, infection, syncope, anesthesia accident, undeserved hormone use, etc. The lower level of standardization of acupotomy in the clinical use may lead to adverse events. CONCLUSION: Safe acupotomy treatment for some complicated diseases and dangerous parts remains to be improved, and the standardization of the acupotomy is an important approach to improve its safety. The related work needs to be carried out.

[Preliminary Investigation of Medicinal Plant Resources in Kangle County, Gansu Province].

OBJECTIVE: To study the medicinal plant resources and their diversity in Kangle County, Gansu Province, and to provide scientific basis on utilization and protection of the medicinal plant resources of the county. METHODS: By field survey, sample collection, taxonomic identification and data verification methods. RESULTS: There were 258 species, 65 families in existing medicinal plants, of which 43 species, 39 genera and 24 families were national protection medicinal plants. Dominant families were mainly Asteraceae and Rosaceae. In this area,the plants used whole herbs and roots ( or rhizomes) as medicinal materials represented 40.31% and 25.19% respectively, and antipyretic and rheumatism medicine accounted for 28.68% and 12.79% respectively. 12 medicinal plants were cultivated and the cultivated area was 3,000 hectares. CONCLUSION: However, the reserves of most medicinal plants are less enough and the resources are diminishing increasingly in recent years. So we should accelerate the research progress as well as developing and utilizing rationally on the premise of protection.