Digital non-Foster-inspired electronics for broadband impedance matching

Narrow bandwidths are a general bottleneck for applications relying on passive, linear, subwavelength resonators. In the past decades, several efforts have been devoted to overcoming this challenge, broadening the bandwidth of small resonators by the means of analog non-Foster matching networks for radiators, antennas and metamaterials. However, most non-Foster approaches present challenges in terms of tunability, stability and power limitations. Here, by tuning a subwavelength acoustic transducer with digital non-Foster-inspired electronics, we demonstrate five-fold bandwidth enhancement compared to conventional analog non-Foster matching. Long-distance transmission over airborne acoustic channels, with approximately three orders of magnitude increase in power level, validates the performance of the proposed approach. We also demonstrate convenient reconfigurability of our non-Foster-inspired electronics. This implementation provides a viable solution to enhance the bandwidth of sub-wavelength resonance-based systems, extendable to the electromagnetic domain, and enables the practical implementation of airborne and underwater acoustic radiators.

Overcoming strength-ductility tradeoff with high pressure thermal treatment

Conventional material processing approaches often achieve strengthening of materials at the cost of reduced ductility. Here, we show that high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) treatment can help overcome the strength-ductility trade-off in structural materials. We report an initially strong-yet-brittle eutectic high entropy alloy simultaneously doubling its strength to 1150 MPa and its tensile ductility to 36% after the HPHT treatment. Such strength-ductility synergy is attributed to the HPHT-induced formation of a hierarchically patterned microstructure with coherent interfaces, which promotes multiple deformation mechanisms, including dislocations, stacking faults, microbands and deformation twins, at multiple length scales. More importantly, the HPHT-induced microstructure helps relieve stress concentration at the interfaces, thereby arresting interfacial cracking commonly observed in traditional eutectic high entropy alloys. These findings suggest a new direction of research in employing HPHT techniques to help develop next generation structural materials.

Probing Particle-Carbon/Binder Degradation Behavior in Fatigued Layered Cathode Materials through Machine Learning Aided Diffraction Tomography

Understanding how reaction heterogeneity impacts cathode materials during Li-ion battery (LIB) electrochemical cycling is pivotal for unraveling their electrochemical performance. Yet, experimentally verifying these reactions has proven to be a challenge. To address this, we employed scanning μ-XRD computed tomography to scrutinize Ni-rich layered LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622) and Li-rich layered Li[Li0.2Ni0.2Mn0.6]O2 (LLNMO). By harnessing machine learning (ML) techniques, we scrutinized an extensive dataset of μ-XRD patterns, about 100,000 patterns per slice, to unveil the spatial distribution of crystalline structure and microstrain. Our experimental findings unequivocally reveal the distinct behavior of these materials. NCM622 exhibits structural degradation and lattice strain intricately linked to the size of secondary particles. Smaller particles and the surface of larger particles in contact with the carbon/binder matrix experience intensified structural fatigue after long-term cycling. Conversely, both the surface and bulk of LLNMO particles endure severe strain-induced structural degradation during high-voltage cycling, resulting in significant voltage decay and capacity fade. This work holds the potential to fine-tune the microstructure of advanced layered materials and manipulate composite electrode construction in order to enhance the performance of LIBs and beyond.

Surface-coated AlF3 nanolayers enable polysulfide confinement within biomass-derived nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon microspheres for improved lithium-sulfur batteries

The electrically insulating and volumetric deformation of sulfur and the shuttle effect of the intermediate lithium polysulfide (LiPSs) have severely hindered the development of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). Herein, a synergistic strategy of hierarchical porous nitrogen-doped carbon microspheres (PNCM) derived from low-cost biomass with surface-coated AlF3 nanolayer as a multifunctional sulfur host (denoted as PNCM@S@AlF3) was developed. The PNCM not only possesses an abundant pore structure, large surface area, and high electrical conductivity but also features an intrinsic N-doped and fluorinated framework, which effectively enhances the physical adsorption and chemical anchoring to LiPSs. In addition, the AlF3 nanolayer protects the open surface of the porous carbon to isolate sulfur species from the electrolyte to reduce irreversible losses while accelerating the redox kinetics of LiPSs through strong polar adsorption and bonding. Hence, the PNCM@S@AlF3 cathode exhibits an initial capacity as high as 1176.2 mAh/g at 0.2C, and the cycling stability and rate capability are superior to that of PNCM@S without AlF3 coating. Impressively, the PNCM@S@AlF3 cathode delivers stable long-term cycling performance at a high rate of 2C, with 95.6% capacity retention after 500 cycles. This work presents a facile, sustainable, and efficient synergistic strategy for developing advanced LSBs.

A laser-engraved wearable gait recognition sensor system for exoskeleton robots

As a reinforcement technology that improves load-bearing ability and prevents injuries, assisted exoskeleton robots have extensive applications in freight transport and health care. The perception of gait information by such robots is vital for their control. This information is the basis for motion planning in assistive and collaborative functions. Here, a wearable gait recognition sensor system for exoskeleton robots is presented. Pressure sensor arrays based on laser-induced graphene are developed with flexibility and reliability. Multiple sensor units are integrated into an insole to detect real-time pressure at key plantar positions. In addition, the circuit hardware and the algorithm are designed to reinforce the sensor system with the capability of gait recognition. The experimental results show that the accuracy of gait recognition by the proposed system is 99.85%, and the effectiveness of the system is further verified through testing on an exoskeleton robot.

Skin-Interfaced Bifluidic Paper-Based Device for Quantitative Sweat Analysis

The erratic, intermittent, and unpredictable nature of sweat production, resulting from physiological or psychological fluctuations, poses intricacies to consistently and accurately sample and evaluate sweat biomarkers. Skin-interfaced microfluidic devices that rely on colorimetric mechanisms for semi-quantitative detection are particularly susceptible to these inaccuracies due to variations in sweat secretion rate or instantaneous volume. This work introduces a skin-interfaced colorimetric bifluidic sweat device with two synchronous channels to quantify sweat rate and biomarkers in real-time, even during uncertain sweat activities. In the proposed bifluidic-distance metric approach, with one channel to measure sweat rate and quantify collected sweat volume, the other channel can provide an accurate analysis of the biomarkers based on the collected sweat volume. The closed channel design also reduces evaporation and resists contamination from the external environment. The feasibility of the device is highlighted in a proof-of-the-concept demonstration to analyze sweat chloride for evaluating hydration status and sweat glucose for assessing glucose levels. The low-cost yet highly accurate device provides opportunities for clinical sweat analysis and disease screening in remote and low-resource settings. The developed device platform can be facilely adapted for the other biomarkers when corresponding colorimetric reagents are exploited.

Revealing the Mechano-Electrochemical Coupling Behavior and Discharge Mechanism of Fluorinated Carbon Cathodes toward High-Power Lithium Primary Batteries

Unclear reaction mechanisms and unsatisfactory power performance hinder the further development of advanced lithium/fluorinated carbon (Li/CFx ) batteries. Herein, the mechano-electrochemical coupling behavior of a CFx cathode is investigated by in situ monitoring strain/stress using digital image correlation (DIC) techniques, electrochemical methods, and theoretical equations. The DIC monitoring results present the distribution and dynamic evolution of the plane strain and indicate strong dependence toward the material structure and discharge rate. The average plane principal strain of fully discharged 2D fluorinated graphene nanosheets (FGNSs) at 0.5 C is 0.50%, which is only 38.5% that of conventional bulk-structure CFx . Furthermore, the superior structural stability of the FGNSs is demonstrated by the microstructure and component characterization before and after discharge. The plane stress evolution is calculated based on theoretical equations, and the contributions of electrochemical and mechanical factors are examined and discussed. Subsequently, a structure-dependent three-region discharge mechanism for CFx electrodes is proposed from a mechanical perspective. Additionally, the surface deformation of Li/FGNSs pouch cells formed during the discharge process is monitored using in situ DIC. This study reveals the discharge mechanism of Li/CFx batteries and facilitates the design of advanced CFx materials.

Ultra-thin and Mechanically Stable LiCoO2 -Electrolyte Interphase Enabled by Mg2+ Involved Electrolyte

LiCoO2 (LCO) cathode materials have attracted significant attention for its potential to provide higher energy density in current Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the structure and performance degradation are exacerbated by increasing voltage due to the catastrophic reaction between the applied electrolyte and delithiated LCO. The present study focuses on the construction of physically and chemically robust Mg-integrated cathode-electrolyte interface (MCEI) to address this issue, by incorporating Magnesium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Mg[TFSI]2 ) as an electrolyte additive. During formation cycles, the strong MCEI is formed and maintained its 2 nm thickness throughout long-term cycling. Notably, Mg is detected not only in the robust MCEI, but also imbedded in the surface of the LCO lattice. As a result, the parasitic interfacial side reactions, surface phase reconstruction, particle cracking, Co dissolution and shuttling are considerably suppressed, resulting in long-term cycling stability of LCO up to 4.5 V. Therefore, benefit from the double protection of the strong MCEI, the Li||LCO coin cell and the Ah-level Graphite||LCO pouch cell exhibit high capacity retention by using Mg-electrolyte, which are 88.13% after 200 cycles and 90.4% after 300 cycles, respectively. This work provides a novel approach for the rational design of traditional electrolyte additives.

Correction: Luo et al. The Effects of Different Anode Positions on the Electrical Properties of Square-Silicon Drift Detector. Micromachines 2022, 13, 1496

In the original publication [...].

High S-doped amorphous carbon/carbon quantum dots coupled micro-frame for highly efficient potassium storage

Anode materials with excellent rate capability, capacity, and cycle life have been a challenge in obtaining cost-effective K-ion batteries (KIBs). Based on the concept of waste recycling, we prepared the S-doped (21.5%) amorphous carbon/carbon quantum dots coupled micro-frame (SCMF) by combining chemical exfoliation and S/Se-assisted carbonization. SCMF exhibited the advantages of integrating amorphous carbon and carbon quantum dots (CQDs). The CQDs serve as fast electron channels, while amorphous carbon can accommodate more large-size K-ions and mitigate volume expansion. In KIBs, SCMF maintained a high reversible capacity (414.0 mAh g-1, after 100 cycles at 100 mA g-1), a good rate capability (224.0 mAh g-1, 2000 mA g-1), and excellent capacity retention (208.9 mAh g-1, after 2000 cycles at 1000 mA g-1). The molecular dynamic simulation revealed that CQDs provided fast electron transport channels and that C, O and S atoms had suitable interactions with K, facilitating potassium storage. Moreover, the potassium-ion capacitor (PIC) assembled from SCMF and activated carbon exhibited stable electrochemical performance, proving its potential for application. The research provided valuable insights into the reuse of biomass waste in new secondary batteries.

Self-Recovery of a Buckling BaTiO3 Ferroelectric Membrane

The characteristic of self-recovery holds significant implications for upholding performance stability within flexible electronic devices following the release of mechanical deformation. Herein, the dynamics of self-recovery in a buckling inorganic membrane is studied via in situ scanning probe microscopy technology. The experimental results demonstrate that the ultimate deformation ratio of the buckling BaTiO3 ferroelectric membrane is up to 88%, which is much higher than that of the buckling SrTiO3 dielectric membrane (49%). Combined with piezoresponse force microscopy and phase-field simulations, we find that ferroelectric domain transformation accompanies the whole process of buckling and self-recovery of the ferroelectric membrane, i.e., the presence of the nano-c domain not only releases part of the elastic energy of the membrane but also reduces the interface mismatch of the a/c domain, which encourages the buckling ferroelectric membrane to have excellent self-recovery properties. It is conceivable that the evolution of ferroelectric domains will play a greater role in the regulation of the mechanical properties of ferroelectric membranes and flexible devices.

Challenges and approaches of single-crystal Ni-rich layered cathodes in lithium batteries

High energy density and high safety are incompatible with each other in a lithium battery, which challenges today's energy storage and power applications. Ni-rich layered transition metal oxides (NMCs) have been identified as the primary cathode candidate for powering next-generation electric vehicles and have been extensively studied in the last two decades, leading to the fast growth of their market share, including both polycrystalline and single-crystal NMC cathodes. Single-crystal NMCs appear to be superior to polycrystalline NMCs, especially at low Ni content (≤60%). However, Ni-rich single-crystal NMC cathodes experience even faster capacity decay than polycrystalline NMC cathodes, rendering them unsuitable for practical application. Accordingly, this work will systematically review the attenuation mechanism of single-crystal NMCs and generate fresh insights into valuable research pathways. This perspective will provide a direction for the development of Ni-rich single-crystal NMC cathodes.

Surface Engineering of Fluorinated Graphene Nanosheets Enables Ultrafast Lithium/Sodium/Potassium Primary Batteries

Fluorinated carbon (CFx ) is considered as a promising cathode material for lithium/sodium/potassium primary batteries with superior theoretical energy density. However, achieving high energy and power densities simultaneously remains a considerable challenge due to the strong covalency of the C-F bond in the highly fluorinated CFx . Herein, an efficient surface engineering strategy combining surface defluorination and nitrogen doping enables fluorinated graphene nanosheets (DFG-N) to possess controllable conductive nanolayers and reasonably regulated C-F bonds. The DFG-N delivers an unprecedented dual performance for lithium primary batteries with a power density of 77456 W kg-1 and an energy density of 1067 Wh kg-1 at an ultrafast rate of 50 C, which is the highest level reported to date. The DFG-N also achieves a record power density of 15 256 and 17 881 W kg-1 at 10 C for sodium and potassium primary batteries, respectively. The characterization results and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the excellent performance of DFG-N is attributed to surface engineering strategies that remarkably improve electronic and ionic conductivity without sacrificing the high fluorine content. This work provides a compelling strategy for developing advanced ultrafast primary batteries that combine ultrahigh energy density and power density.

High Crystallinity 2D π-d Conjugated Conductive Metal-Organic Framework for Boosting Polysulfide Conversion in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The catalytic performance of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in Li-S batteries is significantly hindered by unsuitable pore size, low conductivity, and large steric contact hindrance between the catalytic site and lithium polysulfide (LPSs). Herein, the smallest π-conjugated hexaaminobenzene (HAB) as linker and Ni(II) ions as skeletal node are in situ assembled into high crystallinity Ni-HAB 2D conductive MOFs with dense Ni-N4 units via dsp2 hybridization on the surface of carbon nanotube (CNT), fabricating Ni-HAB@CNT as separator modified layer in Li-S batteries. As-obtained unique π-d conjugated Ni-HAB nanostructure features ordered micropores with suitable pore size (≈8 Å) induced by HAB ligands, which can cooperate with dense Ni-N4 chemisorption sites to effectively suppress the shuttle effect. Meanwhile, the conversion kinetics of LPSs is significantly accelerated owing to the small steric contact hindrance and increased delocalized electron density endued by the planar tetracoordinate structure. Consequently, the Li-S battery with Ni-HAB@CNT modified separator achieves an areal capacity of 6.29 mAh cm-2 at high sulfur loading of 6.5 mg cm-2 under electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 5 µL mg-1 . Moreover, Li-S single-electrode pouch cells with modified separators deliver a high reversible capacity of 791 mAh g-1 after 50 cycles at 0.1 C with electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 6 µL mg-1 .

Effect of Thermal Shock on Properties of a Strongly Amorphous AlCrTiZrMo High-Entropy Alloy Film

AlCrTiZrMo high-entropy alloy (HEA) films with strong amorphization were obtained by co-filter cathode vacuum arc deposition, and the effect of thermal shock on the films was investigated in order to explore the protection mechanism of HEA films against mechanical components in extreme service environments. The results show that after annealing at 800 °C for 1 h, the formation of a dense ZrTiO4 composite oxide layer on the surface actively prevents the oxidation from continuing, so that the AlCrTiZrMo HEA film exhibits excellent oxidation resistance at 800 °C in air. In the friction-corrosion coupling environment, the AlCrTiZrMo HEA film annealed at 800 °C for 1 h shows the best tribocorrosion resistance due to the stable dense microstructure and excellent mechanical properties, and its ΔOCP, COF and wear rate possess the smallest values of 0.055, 0.04 and 1.34 × 10-6 mm-3·N-1·m-1.

Molecular Dynamics Study on the Mechanism of Gallium Nitride Radiation Damage by Alpha Particles

In special applications in nuclear reactors and deep space environments, gallium nitride detectors are subject to irradiation by α-particles. Therefore, this work aims to explore the mechanism of the property change of GaN material, which is closely related to the application of semiconductor materials in detectors. This study applied molecular dynamics methods to the displacement damage of GaN under α-particle irradiation. A single α-particle-induced cascade collision at two incident energies (0.1 and 0.5 MeV) and multiple α-particle injections (by five and ten incident α-particles with injection doses of 2 × 10¹² and 4 × 10¹² ions/cm², respectively) at room temperature (300 K) were simulated by LAMMPS code. The results show that the recombination efficiency of the material is about 32% under 0.1 MeV, and most of the defect clusters are located within 125 Å, while the recombination efficiency of 0.5 MeV is about 26%, and most of the defect clusters are outside 125 Å. However, under multiple α-particle injections, the material structure changes, the amorphous regions become larger and more numerous, the proportion of amorphous area is about 27.3% to 31.9%, while the material's self-repair ability is mostly exhausted.

Automated Skeletal Bone Age Assessment with Two-Stage Convolutional Transformer Network Based on X-ray Images

Human skeletal development is continuous and staged, and different stages have various morphological characteristics. Therefore, bone age assessment (BAA) can accurately reflect the individual's growth and development level and maturity. Clinical BAA is time consuming, highly subjective, and lacks consistency. Deep learning has made considerable progress in BAA in recent years by effectively extracting deep features. Most studies use neural networks to extract global information from input images. However, clinical radiologists are highly concerned about the ossification degree in some specific regions of the hand bones. This paper proposes a two-stage convolutional transformer network to improve the accuracy of BAA. Combined with object detection and transformer, the first stage mimics the bone age reading process of the pediatrician, extracts the hand bone region of interest (ROI) in real time using YOLOv5, and proposes hand bone posture alignment. In addition, the previous information encoding of biological sex is integrated into the feature map to replace the position token in the transformer. The second stage extracts features within the ROI by window attention, interacts between different ROIs by shifting the window attention to extract hidden feature information, and penalizes the evaluation results using a hybrid loss function to ensure its stability and accuracy. The proposed method is evaluated on the data from the Pediatric Bone Age Challenge organized by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves a mean absolute error (MAE) of 6.22 and 4.585 months on the validation and testing sets, respectively, and the cumulative accuracy within 6 and 12 months reach 71% and 96%, respectively, which is comparable to the state of the art, markedly reducing the clinical workload and realizing rapid, automatic, and high-precision assessment.

Mixed-Cation Halide Perovskite Doped with Rb+ for Highly Efficient Photodetector

Photodetectors are widely employed as fundamental devices in optical communication, automatic control, image sensors, night vision, missile guidance, and many other industrial or military fields. Mixed-cation perovskites have emerged as promising optoelectronic materials for application in photodetectors due to their superior compositional flexibility and photovoltaic performance. However, their application involves obstacles such as phase segregation and poor-quality crystallization, which introduce defects in perovskite films and adversely affect devices' optoelectronic performance. The application prospects of mixed-cation perovskite technology are significantly constrained by these challenges. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate strategies that combine crystallinity control and defect passivation to obtain high-quality thin films. In this study, we incorporated different Rb⁺ ratios in triple-cation (CsMAFA) perovskite precursor solutions and studied their effects on crystal growth. Our results show that a small amount of Rb⁺ was enough to induce the crystallization of the α-FAPbI₃ phase and suppress the formation of the yellow non-photoactive phase; the grain size increased, and the product of the carrier mobility and the lifetime (μτ) improved. As a result, the fabricated photodetector exhibited a broad photo-response region, from ultraviolet to near-infrared, with maximum responsivity (R) up to 11.8 mA W^-1 and excellent detectivity (D*) values up to 5.33 × 10¹¹ Jones. This work provides a feasible strategy to improve photodetectors' performance via additive engineering.

Unveiling the Nature of Ultrastable Potassium Storage in Bi0.48Sb1.52Se3 Composite

The conversion and alloying-type anodes for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have drawn attention. However, it is still a challenge to relieve the huge volume expansion/electrode pulverization. Herein, we synthesized a composite material comprising Bi_0.48Sb_1.52Se₃ nanoparticles uniformly dispersed in carbon nanofibers (Bi_0.48Sb_1.52Se₃@C). Benefiting from the synergistic effects of the high electronic conductivity of Bi_0.48Sb_1.52Se₃ and the mechanical confinement of the carbon fiber that buffers the large chemomechanical stress, the Bi_0.48Sb_1.52Se₃@C//K half cells deliver a high reversible capacity (491.4 mAh g^-1, 100 cycles at 100 mA g^-1) and an extraordinary cyclability (80% capacity retention, 1000 cycles at 1000 mA g^-1). Furthermore, the Bi_0.48Sb_1.52Se₃@C-based PIB full cells achieve a high energy density of 230 Wh kg^-1. In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals an intercalation, conversion, and alloying three-step reaction mechanism and a reversible amorphous transient phase. More impressively, the nanofiber electrode can almost return to its original diameter after the potassiation and depotassiation reaction, indicating a highly reversible volume change process, which is distinct from the other conversion type electrodes. This work reveals the stable potassium storage mechanisms of Bi_0.48Sb_1.52Se₃@C composite material, which provides an effective strategy to enable conversion/alloying-type anodes for high performance PIBs for energy storage applications.

Efficient visible-light-driven S-scheme AgVO3/Ag2S heterojunction photocatalyst for boosting degradation of organic pollutants

The traditional semiconductor photocatalysts for solving the related environmental aggravation are often challenged by the recombination of photogenerated carriers. Designing an S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst is one of the keys to tackling its practical application problems. This paper reports an S-scheme AgVO₃/Ag₂S heterojunction photocatalyst constructed via a straightforward hydrothermal approach that exhibits outstanding photocatalytic degradation performances to the organic dye Rhodamine B (RhB) and antibiotic Tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) driven by visible light. The results show that AgVO₃/Ag₂S heterojunction with a molar ratio of 6:1 (V6S) possesses the highest photocatalytic performances, 99% of RhB can be almost degraded by 0.1 g/L V6S within 25 min light illumination, and about 72% of TC-HCl can be photodegraded with the act of 0.3 g/L V6S under 120 min light irradiation. Meanwhile, the AgVO₃/Ag₂S system exhibits superior stability and maintains high photocatalytic activity after 5 repeated tests. Moreover, the EPR measurement and radical capture test identify that superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals mainly contribute to the photodegradation process. The present work demonstrates that constructing an S-scheme heterojunction can effectively inhibit the recombination of carriers, providing insights into the fabrication of applied photocatalysts for practical wastewater purification treatment.

[Reverse partial pulmonary resection: a new surgical approach for pediatric pulmonary cysts]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of reverse partial lung resection for treatment of pediatric pulmonary cysts combined with lung abscesses or thoracic abscess.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of children undergoing reverse partial lung resection for complex pulmonary cysts in our hospital between June, 2020 and June, 2021.During the surgery, the patients lay in a lateral position, and a 3-5 cm intercostal incision was made at the center of the lesion, through which the pleura was incised and the fluid or necrotic tissues were removed.The anesthesiologist was instructed to aspirate the sputum in the trachea to prevent entry of the necrotic tissues in the trachea.The cystic lung tissue was separated till reaching normal lung tissue on the hilar side.The proximal end of the striated tissue in the lesion was first double ligated with No.4 silk thread, the distal end was disconnected, and the proximal end was reinforced with continuous sutures with 4-0 Prolene thread.The compromised lung tissues were separated, and the thoracic cavity was thoroughly flushed followed by pulmonary inflation, air leakage management and incision suture.

RESULTS

Sixteen children aged from 3 day to 2 years underwent the surgery, including 3 with simple pulmonary cysts, 11 with pulmonary cysts combined with pulmonary or thoracic abscess, 1 with pulmonary cysts combined with tension pneumothorax and left upper lung bronchial defect, and 1 with pulmonary herpes combined with brain tissue heterotaxy.All the operations were completed smoothly, with a mean operation time of 129 min, an mean hospital stay of 11 days, and a mean drainage removal time of 7 days.All the children recovered well after the operation, and 11 of them had mild air leakage.None of the children had serious complications or residual lesions or experienced recurrence of infection after the operation.

CONCLUSION

Reverse partial lung resection is safe and less invasive for treatment of complex pediatric pulmonary cysts complicated by infections.

Large Scale BN-perovskite Nanocomposite Aerogel Scintillator for Thermal Neutron Detection

State-of-the-art thermal neutron scintillation detectors rely on rare isotopes for neutron capture, lack stability and scalability of solid-state scintillation devices, and poorly discriminate between the neutron and gamma rays. The boron nitride (BN)-CsPbBr₃ perovskite nanocomposite aerogel scintillator enables discriminative detection of thermal neutrons, features the largest known size (9 cm across), the lowest density (0.17 g cm^-3 ) among the existing scintillation materials, high BN (50%) perovskite (1%) contents, high optical transparency (85%), and excellent radiation stability. The new detection mechanism relies on thermal neutron capture by ¹⁰ B and effective energy transfer from the charged particles to visible-range scintillation photons between the densely packed BN and CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals. Low density minimizes the gamma ray response. The neutrons and gamma rays are discriminated by complete decoupling of the respective single pulses in time and intensity. These outcomes open new avenues for neutron detection in resource exploration, clean energy, environmental, aerospace, and homeland security applications.

Polytonic Drug Release via Multi-Hierarchical Microstructures Enabled by Nano-Metamaterials

″Nano-metamaterials″, rationally designed novel class metamaterials with multilevel microarchitectures and both characteristic sizes and whole sizes at the nanoscale, are introduced into the area of drug delivery system (DDS), and the relationship between release profile and treatment efficacy at the single-cell level is revealed for the first time. Fe³⁺ -core-shell-corona nano-metamaterials (Fe³⁺ -CSCs) are synthesized using a dual-kinetic control strategy. The hierarchical structure of Fe³⁺ -CSCs, with a homogeneous interior core, an onion-like shell, and a hierarchically porous corona. A novel polytonic drug release profile occurred, which consists of three sequential stages: burst release, metronomic release, and sustained release. The Fe³⁺ -CSCs results in overwhelming accumulation of lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytoplasm ROS, and mitochondrial ROS in tumor cells and induces unregulated cell death. This cell death modality causes cell membranes to form blebs, seriously corrupting cell membranes to significantly overcome the drug-resistance issues. It is first demonstrated that nano-metamaterials of well-defined microstructures can modulate drug release profile at the single cell level, which in turn alters the downstream biochemical reactions and subsequent cell death modalities. This concept has significant implications in the drug delivery area and can serve to assist in designing potential intelligent nanostructures for novel molecular-based diagnostics and therapeutics.

A Study of Al2O3/MgO Composite Films Deposited by FCVA for Thin-Film Encapsulation

Al₂O₃ and MgO composite (Al₂O₃/MgO) films were rapidly deposited at low temperatures using filtered cathode vacuum arc (FCVA) technology, aiming to achieve good barrier properties for flexible organic light emitting diodes (OLED) thin-film encapsulation (TFE). As the thickness of the MgO layer decreases, the degree of crystallinity decreases gradually. The 3:2 Al₂O₃:MgO layer alternation type has the best water vapor shielding performance, and the water vapor transmittance (WVTR) is 3.26 × 10^-4 g·m^-2·day^-1 at 85 °C and 85% R.H, which is about 1/3 of that of a single layer of Al₂O₃ film. Under the action of ion deposition, too many layers will cause internal defects in the film, resulting in decreased shielding ability. The surface roughness of the composite film is very low, which is about 0.3-0.5 nm depending on its structure. In addition, the visible light transmittance of the composite film is lower than that of a single film and increases with the increase in the number of layers.

The Total Ionizing Dose Effects on Perovskite CsPbBr3 Semiconductor Detector

Perovskite CsPbBr₃ semiconductors exhibit unusually high defect tolerance leading to outstanding and unique optoelectronic properties, demonstrating strong potential for γ-radiation and X-ray detection at room temperature. However, the total dose effects of the perovskite CsPbBr₃ must be considered when working in a long-term radiation environment. In this work, the Schottky type of perovskite CsPbBr₃ detector was fabricated. Their electrical characteristics and γ-ray response were investigated before and after ⁶⁰Co γ ray irradiation with 100 and 200 krad (Si) doses. The γ-ray response of the Schottky-type planar CsPbBr₃ detector degrades significantly with the increase in total dose. At the total dose of 200 krad(Si), the spectral resolving ability to γ-ray response of the CsPbBr₃ detector has disappeared. However, with annealing at room temperature for one week, the device's performance was partially recovered. Therefore, these results indicate that the total dose effects strongly influence the detector performance of the perovskite CsPbBr₃ semiconductor. Notably, it is concluded that the radiation-induced defects are not permanent, which could be mitigated even at room temperature. We believe this work could guide the development of perovskite detectors, especially under harsh radiation conditions.

A Dual-Kinetic Control Strategy for Designing Nano-Metamaterials: Novel Class of Metamaterials with Both Characteristic and Whole Sizes of Nanoscale

Increasingly intricate in their multilevel multiscale microarchitecture, metamaterials with unique physical properties are challenging the inherent constraints of natural materials. Their applicability in the nanomedicine field still suffers because nanomedicine requires a maximum size of tens to hundreds of nanometers; however, this size scale has not been achieved in metamaterials. Therefore, "nano-metamaterials," a novel class of metamaterials, are introduced, which are rationally designed materials with multilevel microarchitectures and both characteristic sizes and whole sizes at the nanoscale, investing in themselves remarkably unique and significantly enhanced material properties as compared with conventional nanomaterials. Microarchitectural regulation through conventional thermodynamic strategy is limited since the thermodynamic process relies on the frequency-dependent effective temperature, T_eff (ω), which limits the architectural regulation freedom degree. Here, a novel dual-kinetic control strategy is designed to fabricate nano-metamaterials by freezing a high-free energy state in a T_eff (ω)-constant system, where two independent dynamic processes, non-solvent induced block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly and osmotically driven self-emulsification, are regulated simultaneously. Fe³⁺ -"onion-like core@porous corona" (Fe³⁺ -OCPCs) nanoparticles (the products) have not only architectural complexity, porous corona and an onion-like core but also compositional complexity, Fe³⁺ chelating BCP assemblies. Furthermore, by using Fe³⁺ -OCPCs as a model material, a microstructure-biological performance relationship is manifested in nano-metamaterials.

Black-hole-inspired thermal trapping with graded heat-conduction metadevices

The curved space-time produced by black holes leads to the intriguing trapping effect. So far, metadevices have enabled analogous black holes to trap light or sound in laboratory spacetime. However, trapping heat in a conductive environment is still challenging because diffusive behaviors are directionless. Inspired by black holes, we construct graded heat-conduction metadevices to achieve thermal trapping, resorting to the imitated advection produced by graded thermal conductivities rather than the trivial solution of using insulation materials to confine thermal diffusion. We experimentally demonstrate thermal trapping for guiding hot spots to diffuse towards the center. Graded heat-conduction metadevices have advantages in energy-efficient thermal regulation because the imitated advection has a similar temperature field effect to the realistic advection that is usually driven by external energy sources. These results also provide an insight into correlating transformation thermotics with other disciplines, such as cosmology, for emerging heat control schemes.

Electronic structure and optical properties of doped γ-CuI scintillator: a first-principles study

A cuprous iodide (CuI) crystal is considered to be one of the inorganic scintillator materials with the fastest time response, which is expected to play an important role in the field of γ and X rays detection in the future. To improve the detection performance of the CuI scintillator, the effects of element doping on the electronic structure and optical properties of the γ-CuI were investigated by using the first principles calculation method. It was found that Li and Na doping increases the band gap of the γ-CuI scintillator, while Cs, F, Cl, and Br doping decreases the band gap. The optical absorption coefficient of the γ-CuI scintillator is decreased by the Li and Na doping, and the Cs, F, Cl, and Br doping has little effect on the optical absorption coefficient. The effects of the Tl doping on the electronic structure and optical properties of the γ-CuI scintillator depends on its concentration. Based on the changes in the electronic structure and optical properties, we conclude that the Cs, F, Cl, and Br doping might be a good method that can enhance the detection performance of the γ-CuI scintillator.

Element doping can affect the electronic structure and optical properties of γ-CuI. First principles calculations show that Cs, F, Cl, and Br doping may enhance the detection performance of γ-CuI scintillators.

Association between Intrinsic Capacity and Sarcopenia in Hospitalized Older Patients

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to clarify the association between intrinsic capacity (IC) and sarcopenia in hospitalized older patients.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Hospital-based.

PARTICIPANTS

This study included 381 inpatients aged ≥ 60 years (225 men and 156 women).

MEASUREMENTS

IC was evaluated in five domains defined by the World Health Organization: cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination), locomotion (Short Physical Performance Battery test), vitality (Short-Form Mini Nutritional Assessment), sensory (self-reported hearing and vision) and psychological (5-item Geriatric Depression Scale) capacities. IC composite score (0-5) was calculated based on five domains, with lower scores representing greater IC. Sarcopenia was defined in accordance with the criteria recommended by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019. Multiple linear and logistic regressions were performed to explore the associations between IC composite score and IC domains with sarcopenia and its defining components.

RESULTS

The mean age of 381 patients included was 81.95±8.42 years. Of them, 128 (33.6%) patients had sarcopenia. The median IC composite score was 1 (1, 2). Cognition, locomotion, vitality, sensory and psychological capacities were impaired in 22.6%, 63.5%, 18.9%, 27.3% and 11.3% of patients. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that favorable IC domain scores in cognition, locomotion and vitality were associated with a stronger handgrip strength. A higher vitality score was associated with a greater appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), and a higher locomotion score was associated with a greater gait speed. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that only vitality impairment was associated with sarcopenia. A higher IC composite score was associated with higher risks of sarcopenia, as well as low ASMI, handgrip strength and gait speed.

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that a more serious impairment of IC was associated with a greater risk of sarcopenia. Vitality was the domain most strongly associated with sarcopenia. IC may be employed to detect and manage sarcopenia.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of As-Aged Mg-Zn-Sn-Mn-Al Alloys

The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-aged Mg-6Zn-4Sn-1Mn-xAl (ZTM641-xAl, x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 wt.%) alloys are studied in this paper. In terms of microstructure, the results reveal that the addition of Al mainly leads to the formation of the Al₈Mn₅, Al₁₁Mn₄, Al₂Mg₅Zn₂ and Mg₃₂(Al,Zn)₄₉ phases. With increases in the addition of Al, the average grain size first decreases and then increases, while the undissolved phases increase. The average grain size of the ZTM641-0.5Al alloy is the smallest, and the single-aged and double-aged grain size is 14 μm and 12 μm, respectively. As for mechanical properties, with increases in the Al element, the strength decreases, and the elongation first increases and then decreases. The double-aged ZTM641-0.2Al alloy exhibits favorable mechanical properties at room temperature, and the UTS, YS and elongation are 384 MPa, 360 MPa and 9%, respectively. Further, the double-aged ZTM641-0.2Al alloy exhibits the comprehensive mechanical properties at 150 °C, that is, the UTS, YS and elongation are 212 MPa, 196 MPa and 29%, respectively, which is about 45% higher than that of the elongation of ZTM641. The ZTM641-xAl alloys exhibits mixed fracture at room temperature, and, with increases in the addition of Al, the fracture mechanisms of alloys are mixed fracture, ductile fracture and mixed fracture at 200 °C.

Locally Fluorinated Electrolyte Medium Layer for High-Performance Anode-Free Li-Metal Batteries

Low cycling Coulombic efficiency (CE) and messy Li dendrite growth problems have greatly hindered the development of anode-free Li-metal batteries (AFLBs). Thus, functional electrolytes for uniform lithium deposition and lithium/electrolyte side reaction suppression are desired. Here, we report a locally fluorinated electrolyte (LFE) medium layer surrounding Cu foils to tailor the chemical compositions of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) in AFLBs for inhibiting the immoderate Li dendrite growth and to suppress the interfacial reaction. This LFE consists of highly concentrated LiTFSI dissolved in a fluoroethylene carbonate and/or succinonitrile plastic mixture. The CE of Cu||LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ (NCM811) AFLB increased to a high level of 99% as envisaged, and the cycling ability was also highly improved. These improvements are facilitated by the formation of a uniform, dense, and LiF-rich SEI. LiF possesses high interfacial energy at the LiF/Li interface, resulting in a more uniform Li deposition process as proved by density functional theory (DFT) calculation results. This work provides a simple yet utility tech for the enhancement of future high-energy-density AFLBs.

Study on Bone-like Microstructure Design of Carbon Nanofibers/Polyurethane Composites with Excellent Impact Resistance

It is a challenge to develop cost-effective strategy and design specific microstructures for fabricating polymer-based impact-resistance materials. Human shin bones require impact resistance and energy absorption mechanisms in the case of rapid movement. The shin bones are exciting biological materials that contain concentric circle structures called Haversian structures, which are made up of nanofibrils and collagen. The "soft and hard" structures are beneficial for dynamic impact resistance. Inspired by the excellent impact resistance of human shin bones, we prepared a sort of polyurethane elastomers (PUE) composites incorporated with rigid carbon nanofibers (CNFs) modified by elastic mussel adhesion proteins. CNFs and mussel adhesion proteins formed bone-like microstructures, where the rigid CNFs are served as the bone fibrils, and the flexible mussel adhesion proteins are regarded as collagen. The special structures, which are combined of hard and soft, have a positive dispersion and compatibility in PUE matrix, which can prevent cracks propagation by bridging effect or inducing the crack deflection. These PUE composites showed up to 112.26% higher impact absorbed energy and 198.43% greater dynamic impact strength when compared with the neat PUE. These findings have great implications for the design of composite parts for aerospace, army vehicles, and human protection.

Study on Mechanical Properties and High-Speed Impact Resistance of Carbon Nanofibers/Polyurethane Composites Modified by Polydopamine

Polyurethane elastomers (PUE), with superior mechanical properties and excellent corrosion resistance, are applied widely to the protective capability of structures under low-speed impact. However, they are prone to instantaneous phase transition, irreversible deformation and rupture even arising from holes under high-speed impact. In this paper, mussel adhesion proteins were applied to modify carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in a non-covalent way, and creatively mixed with PUE. This can improve the dispersity and interfacial compatibility of nanofillers in the PUE matrix. In addition, the homogeneous dispersion of modified nanofillers can serve as "reinforcing steel bars". The nanofillers and PUE matrix can form "mud and brick" structures, which show superb mechanical properties and impact resistance. Specifically, the reinforcement of 1.0 wt.% modified fillers in PUE is 103.51%, 95.12% and 119.85% higher than the neat PUE in compression modulus, storage modulus and energy absorption capability, respectively. The results have great implications in the design of composite parts for aerospace and army vehicles under extreme circumstances.

Cryogenic Scintillation Properties of Lead-Free Cs3Cu2I5 Single Crystals

Perovskite scintillators have become increasingly popular in recent years because of their simple production and high sensitivity to X-ray. Due to large Stokes shifts, high light yield, eco-friendly fabrication, and good stability, the lead-free Cu-based perovskites have gained much attention. In this paper, we prepared the Cs₃Cu₂I₅ single crystals (SCs) by the solution-processed method. At room temperature, we measured the emission band at 440 nm with an average decay time of 595 ns under X-ray excitation. Under ¹³⁷Cs γ-ray excitation, we determined that the light yield of Cs₃Cu₂I₅ SCs was 23 000 photons/MeV. Notably, under alpha particle excitation by ²⁴¹Am, the light yield of Cs₃Cu₂I₅ SCs is approximately 3.2 times higher than that of the commercial scintillator LYSO(Ce). In addition, we systematically investigated the cryogenic scintillation properties of Cs₃Cu₂I₅ SCs at the temperature range of 60-300 K. With decreasing temperature, the intensity of the emission band at 440 nm significantly increases, and an additional emission band at 336 nm emerges below 100 K. Meanwhile, the temperature-dependent decay times were determined. The fast and slow decay time of Cs₃Cu₂I₅ SCs are estimated to be 221 and 1193 ns, respectively, at 60 K. Our findings highlight the great potential for Cs₃Cu₂I₅ SCs to be a cryogenic scintillator.

The Effects of Different Anode Positions on the Electrical Properties of Square-Silicon Drift Detector

The Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) with square structure is often used in pixel-type SDD arrays to reduce the dead region considerably and to improve the detector performance significantly. Usually, the anode is located in the center of the active region of the SDD with square structure (square-SDD), but the different anode positions in the square-SDD active area are also allowed. In order to explore the effect on device performance when the anode is located at different positions in the square-SDD active region, we designed two different types of square-SDD in this work, where the anode is located either in the center (SDD-1) or at the edge (SDD-2) of its active region. The simulation results of current density and potential distribution show that SDD-1 and SDD-2 have both formed a good electron drift path to make the anode collect electrons. The experimental results of device performance at the temperature range from -60 °C to 60 °C show that the anode current of the two fabricated SDDs both decreased with the decrease of temperature, but their voltage divider characteristics exhibited high stability resistance value and low temperature coefficient, thereby indicating that they could both provide corresponding continuous and uniform electric field at different temperatures. Finally, SDD-1 and SDD-2 have energy resolutions of 248 and 257 eV corresponding to the 5.9 keV photon peak of the Fe-55 radioactive source, respectively. Our experimental results demonstrate that there is no significant impact on the device performance irrespective of the anode positions in the square-SDD devices.

Constructing robust polymer/two-dimensional Ti3C2TX solid-state electrolyte interphase via in-situ polymerization for high-capacity long-life and dendrite-free lithium metal anodes

We constructed an artificial polymer/two-dimensional Ti₃C₂T_X (MXene) solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on a Li metal surface via an in-situ polymerization strategy. The polymer layer provides excellent interface contact and outstanding adaptability for the volume expansion of Li metal, decreasing interface impedance. On the other hand, the two-dimensional MXene with a low Li nucleation energy barrier is beneficial for uniform Li deposition and restraint of interfacial side reactions. In this work, a dense and durable MXene-integrated SEI between the Li metal anode and solid-state electrolyte (SSE) interface is constructed to render the Li/SSE/Li cell to maintain a stable polarization voltage of approximately 50 mV at a capacity of 0.50 mAh cm^-2 for over 1000 h. It enables the Li/SSE/LiFePO₄ cell to deliver a capacity of 130.1 mAh g^-1 at 1C with a capacity retention of 91.4% after 900 cycles. Therefore, we believe that this facile in-situ polymerization method for constructing a layer of polymer/MXene SEI at the interface between Li metal anodes and SSE can promote the practical applications of Li metal batteries.

Theory-Guided Regulation of FeN4 Spin State by Neighboring Cu Atoms for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis in Flexible Metal-Air Batteries

Iron, nitrogen-codoped carbon (Fe-N-C) nanocomposites have emerged as viable electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to the formation of FeN_x C_y coordination moieties. In this study, results from first-principles calculations show a nearly linear correlation of the energy barriers of key reaction steps with the Fe magnetic moment. Experimentally, when single Cu sites are incorporated into Fe-N-C aerogels (denoted as NCAG/Fe-Cu), the Fe centers exhibit a reduced magnetic moment and markedly enhanced ORR activity within a wide pH range of 0-14. With the NCAG/Fe-Cu nanocomposites used as the cathode catalyst in a neutral/quasi-solid aluminum-air and alkaline/quasi-solid zinc-air battery, both achieve a remarkable performance with an ultrahigh open-circuit voltage of 2.00 and 1.51 V, large power density of 130 and 186 mW cm^-2 , and good mechanical flexibility, all markedly better than those with commercial Pt/C or Pt/C-RuO₂ catalysts at the cathode.

Surface Wettability for Skin-Interfaced Sensors and Devices

The practical applications of skin-interfaced sensors and devices in daily life hinge on the rational design of surface wettability to maintain device integrity and achieve improved sensing performance under complex hydrated conditions. Various bio-inspired strategies have been implemented to engineer desired surface wettability for varying hydrated conditions. Although the bodily fluids can negatively affect the device performance, they also provide a rich reservoir of health-relevant information and sustained energy for next-generation stretchable self-powered devices. As a result, the design and manipulation of the surface wettability are critical to effectively control the liquid behavior on the device surface for enhanced performance. The sensors and devices with engineered surface wettability can collect and analyze health biomarkers while being minimally affected by bodily fluids or ambient humid environments. The energy harvesters also benefit from surface wettability design to achieve enhanced performance for powering on-body electronics. In this review, we first summarize the commonly used approaches to tune the surface wettability for target applications toward stretchable self-powered devices. By considering the existing challenges, we also discuss the opportunities as a small fraction of potential future developments, which can lead to a new class of skin-interfaced devices for use in digital health and personalized medicine.

Cryogenic Scintillation Performance of Cs4PbI6 Perovskite Single Crystals

All-inorganic Cs₄PbI₆ single crystals (SCs) is emerging scintillators for radiation detection. In this study, we report on the X-ray scintillation properties of Cs₄PbI₆ SCs at the temperature range of 50-290 K. The temperature-dependent radioluminescence (RL) spectrum and decay time were investigated. It was found that the RL spectra show very pronounced temperature-dependent changes in the overall shape. The RL intensity increases with a decrease in the temperature under X-ray excitation. The emission bands at 318, 360, and 554 nm are attributed to the near-band-edge emission in Cs₄PbI₆ SCs, the ³P₁ → ¹S₀ transition of the Pb²⁺ ion, and the emission of δ-CsPbI₃ aggregates dispersed in the Cs₄PbI₆ SC matrix, respectively. With decreasing temperature, the fast and slow decay times tend to slow down and are estimated to be 46.0 ns (33.22%) and 820 ns (66.78%) at 50 K, which are far superior to that of the common cryogenic scintillator. These cryogenic scintillation characteristics of Cs₄PbI₆ SCs demonstrate its potential for cryogenic detection.

Tribological Behaviors of Super-Hard TiAlN Coatings Deposited by Filtered Cathode Vacuum Arc Deposition

High hardness improves the material’s load-bearing capacity, resulting in the enhancement of tribological properties. However, the high hardness is difficult to achieve for TiAlN coating due to the transformation of the close-packed structure from cubic to hexagonal and the increase in the grain size when the Al content is high. In the present study, the ultrahard TiAlN coatings (hardness > 40 GPa) are successfully developed by filtered cathodic vacuum arc technology to study the effect of nitrogen flux rate on tribological behaviors. The highest hardness of 46.39 GPa is obtained by tuning the nitrogen flux rate to achieve the regulation of Al content and the formation of nanocrystalline. The stable fcc TiAlN phase is formed via the solid-phase reaction under a high nitrogen concentration, and more aluminum atoms replace the titanium atoms in the (Ti, Al)N solid solution. The high Al content of the Ti0.35Al0.65N coating has a nanocrystalline structure and the average crystalline size is 16.52 nm. The TiAlN coating deposited at a nitrogen flux rate of 60 sccm exhibits the best properties of a combination of microhardness = 2972.91 Hv0.5, H = 46.39 GPa, E = 499.4 Gpa, ratio H/E* = 0.093 and ratio H3/E*2 = 0.403. Meanwhile, the TiAlN coating deposited at 60 sccm shows the lowest average friction coefficient of 0.43 and wear rate of 1.3 × 10−7 mm3 N−1 m−1 due to the best mechanical properties.

Moisture-resistant MXene-sodium alginate sponges with sustained superhydrophobicity for monitoring human activities

Wearable mechanical sensors are easily influenced by moisture resulting in inaccuracy for monitoring human health and body motions. Though the superhydrophobic barrier has been extensively explored as passive water repel strategy on the sensor surface, the dense superhydrophobic surface not only limits the sensor working under large deformations but also inevitable degradation in high humidity or saturation water vapor environments. This work reports a superhydrophobic MXene-sodium alginate sponge (SMSS) pressure sensor with a low voltage Joule heating effect to provide sustain moisture-insensitive property for both sensing performance and superhydrophobicity by heating-driven water molecules away. Because of the positive temperature coefficient under pressure applied, the Joule heating can provides a stable temperature to the moisture-insensitivity property during the whole dynamic pressure cycled. Therefore, the pressure sensor with a simple spray-coating superhydrophobic coating on the outer layer demonstrates key capabilities even in extreme use scenarios with high humidity or water vapor and also provides stable and reliable bio-signal monitoring.

Anomalous Blue Shift of Exciton Luminescence in Diamond

Generally speaking, for a semiconductor, the temperature dependence of excitonic emission corresponds to that of its band gap. However, an anomalous behavior is exhibited by the excitonic luminescence of diamond where as the temperature increases (from 10 to 300 K), its indirect exciton luminescence peak displays a spectral-distinguishable blue shift, whereas the indirect band-gap absorption shows a weak red shift. According to experimental high-resolution deep-ultraviolet spectra and theoretical analysis, the weak red shift of its indirect band gap is ascribed to its large Debye temperature (Θ_D ≈ 2220 K), which makes the lattice constant change comparatively little in a large temperature range, so the change of its band gap is relatively small; in this case, as the temperature rises, the thermal population of valence-band holes that moves to a high-energy state far away from the Fermi surface contributes to the macroscopic blue shift of its excitonic emission.

SGTools: a suite of tools for processing and analyzing large data sets from in situ X-ray scattering experiments

In situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a powerful tool for studying dynamic processes during material preparation and application. The processing and analysis of large data sets generated from in situ X-ray scattering experiments are often tedious and time consuming. However, data processing software for in situ experiments is relatively rare, especially for grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). This article presents an open-source software suite (SGTools) to perform data processing and analysis for SAXS and GISAXS experiments. The processing modules in this software include (i) raw data calibration and background correction; (ii) data reduction by multiple methods; (iii) animation generation and intensity mapping for in situ X-ray scattering experiments; and (iv) further data analysis for the sample with an order degree and interface correlation. This article provides the main features and framework of SGTools. The workflow of the software is also elucidated to allow users to develop new features. Three examples are demonstrated to illustrate the use of SGTools for dealing with SAXS and GISAXS data. Finally, the limitations and future features of the software are also discussed.