Palladium diselenide (PdSe2), a peculiar noble metal dichalcogenide, has emerged as a new two-dimensional material with high predicted carrier mobility and a widely tunable band gap for device ...applications. The inherent in-plane anisotropy endowed by the pentagonal structure further renders PdSe2 promising for novel electronic, photonic, and thermoelectric applications. However, the direct synthesis of few-layer PdSe2 is still challenging and rarely reported. Here, we demonstrate that few-layer, single-crystal PdSe2 flakes can be synthesized at a relatively low growth temperature (300 °C) on sapphire substrates using low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The well-defined rectangular domain shape and precisely determined layer number of the CVD-grown PdSe2 enable us to investigate their layer-dependent and in-plane anisotropic properties. The experimentally determined layer-dependent band gap shrinkage combined with first-principle calculations suggest that the interlayer interaction is weaker in few-layer PdSe2 in comparison with that in bulk crystals. Field-effect transistors based on the CVD-grown PdSe2 also show performances comparable to those based on exfoliated samples. The low-temperature synthesis method reported here provides a feasible approach to fabricate high-quality few-layer PdSe2 for device applications.
Organometallic two‐dimensional (2D) nanosheets with tailorable components have recently fascinated the optoelectronic communities due to their solution‐processable nature. However, the poor stability ...of organic molecules may hinder their practical application in photovoltaic devices. Instead of conventional organometallic 2D nanosheets with low weatherability, an air‐stable π‐conjugated 2D bis(dithiolene)iron(II) (FeBHT) coordination nanosheet (CONASH) is synthesized via bottom‐up liquid/liquid interfacial polymerization using benzenehexathiol (BHT) and iron(II) ammonium sulfate Fe(NH4)2(SO4)2 as precursors. The uncoordinated thiol groups in FeBHT are easily oxidized, but the Fe(NH4)2(SO4)2 dissociation rate is slow, which facilitates the protection of sulfur groups by iron(II) ions. The density functional theory calculates that the resultant FeBHT network gains the oxygen‐repelling function for oxidation suppression. In air, the FeBHT CONASH exhibits self‐powered photoresponses with short response times (<40 ms) and a spectral responsivity of 6.57 mA W−1, a specific detectivity of 3.13 × 1011 Jones and an external quantum efficiency of 2.23% under 365 nm illumination. Interestingly, the FeBHT self‐powered photodetector reveals extremely high long‐term air stability, maintaining over 94% of its initial photocurrent after aging for 60 days without encapsulation. These results open the prospect of using organometallic 2D materials in commercialized optoelectronic fields.
The organometallic bis(dithiolene)iron(II) (FeBHT) 2D coordination nanosheets (CONASHs) are used to fabricate self‐powered photodetectors, resulting in a superior UV photoresponse. The effective suppression of oxygen molecule adsorption on FeBHT CONASHs is responsible for the device stability in air. This function provides guidance for the design of unstable organic–inorganic 2D hybrid nanomaterials in practical optoelectronic devices.
We investigated the material properties of Cremonese soundboards using a wide range of spectroscopic, microscopic, and chemical techniques. We found similar types of spruce in Cremonese soundboards ...as in modern instruments, but Cremonese spruces exhibit unnatural elemental compositions and oxidation patterns that suggest artificial manipulation. Combining analytical data and historical information, we may deduce the minerals being added and their potential functions—borax and metal sulfates for fungal suppression, table salt for moisture control, alum for molecular crosslinking, and potash or quicklime for alkaline treatment. The overall purpose may have been wood preservation or acoustic tuning. Hemicellulose fragmentation and altered cellulose nanostructures are observed in heavily treated Stradivari specimens, which show diminished second‐harmonic generation signals. Guarneri's practice of crosslinking wood fibers via aluminum coordination may also affect mechanical and acoustic properties. Our data suggest that old masters undertook materials engineering experiments to produce soundboards with unique properties.
ICP‐MS is used to identify the unique mineral recipe used by Antonio Stradivari to treat his spruce wood, the material for the violin top plate. Chemical manipulation led to hemicellulose fragmentation and cellulose rearrangement. Incorporating engineered wood may contribute to the unique tonal qualities of these acclaimed instruments.
This study explores the synergistic impact of Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) and Protein Kinase B (Akt) overexpression in adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs) for ameliorating cardiac ...dysfunction after myocardial infarction (MI). Post-MI adult Wistar rats were allocated into four groups: sham, MI, ADMSC treatment, and ADMSCs overexpressed with PD-L1 and Akt (AdMSC-PDL1-Akt) treatment. MI was induced via left anterior descending coronary artery ligation, followed by intramyocardial AdMSC injections. Over four weeks, cardiac functionality and structural integrity were assessed using pressure-volume analysis, infarct size measurement, and immunohistochemistry. AdMSC-PDL1-Akt exhibited enhanced resistance to reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro and ameliorated MI-induced contractile dysfunction in vivo by improving the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship and preload-recruitable stroke work, together with attenuating infarct size. Molecular analyses revealed substantial mitigation in caspase3 and nuclear factor-κB upregulation in MI hearts within the AdMSC-PDL1-Akt group. Mechanistically, AdMSC-PDL1-Akt fostered the differentiation of normal T cells into CD25
regulatory T cells in vitro, aligning with in vivo upregulation of CD25 in AdMSC-PDL1-Akt-treated rats. Collectively, PD-L1 and Akt overexpression in AdMSCs bolsters resistance to ROS-mediated apoptosis in vitro and enhances myocardial protective efficacy against MI-induced dysfunction, potentially via T-cell modulation, underscoring a promising therapeutic strategy for myocardial ischemic injuries.
Background
Whether a sex difference exists in long‐term cardiovascular (CV) outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is worth exploration. This study is sought to investigate the ...relationships among sex, age, and the long‐term prognosis after AMI.
Methods
This population‐based retrospective cohort study used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to investigate the sex differences in in‐hospital and long‐term CV outcomes in patients with AMI. We enrolled patients who were first diagnosed with AMI from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2013. The outcomes of interest included all‐cause mortality, CV death, non‐fatal stroke, non‐fatal heart failure, and AMI recurrence during hospitalization and 5‐year follow up. The CV outcomes were also analyzed by age stratification.
Results
Overall, 201 921 patients with AMI were analyzed; 68.72% were men and 31.28% were women, with mean ages of 65.34 ± 14.12 and 73.05 ± 12.22 years, respectively. Major adverse cardiac events during hospitalization and up to 5 years were consistently greater in women than in men. Multivariable regression analysis revealed no sex difference existed in long‐term all‐cause and CV mortality. Men of all age groups consistently showed higher risk of both short‐ and long‐term recurrence of AMI. Nonetheless, the female sex still independently predicted increased risk of non‐fatal stroke and heart failure from hospitalization until 3‐year follow up.
Conclusion
Women with AMI had poorer short‐term and long‐term outcomes. The sex differences in long‐term all‐cause and CV death disappear after multivariate analysis. Nonetheless, female AMI patients independently predicted higher risk of stroke and heart failure from hospitalization until a 3‐year follow‐up. To better understand the pathophysiology of female patients with AMI and develop more effective management, more studies in this field are necessary in the future.
Clarithromycin is an antibiotic commonly used to treat Helicobacter pylori infections. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises caution before prescribing clarithromycin to patients with ...cardiac diseases. This study aimed to evaluate cardiac events after anti-H pylori treatment in patients with coronary artery disease. A retrospective 5-year study was conducted on outpatients who received anti-H pylori therapy. Among the 7855 patients receiving therapy, 228 patients (2.9%) underwent angiography with coronary artery disease before therapy, and 193 patients received clarithromycin. Clarithromycin users seemed not to be at risk for cardiac events as compared with non-clarithromycin users at 3 months (4.7% vs 2.9%, P = .63) and 1 year (10.9% vs 5.7%, P = .35). Neither life-threatening dysrhythmia nor cardiac death was noted. The risk factors for cardiac events within 3 months after therapy were smoker (OR:5.38, 95% CI:1.39-20.78), and events within 1 year were smoker (OR:3.8, 95% CI:1.41-10.22), and diabetes mellitus (OR:5.68, 95% CI:1.9-16.98). Among patients with coronary artery disease who received anti-H pylori therapy, short-term cardiac events did not increase in clarithromycin users but should be considered in diabetic and smoking patients.
The soil variable charges play a unique role in many soil geochemical processes, particularly soil acidification. However, due to the complicated nature of soil particles, a fundamental understanding ...of the acid-base buffer capacities and mechanisms is still lacking. In the present study, red soil samples from different depths were examined. The element compositions, crystal structures, and surface groups were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis was further conducted to examine the soil compositions and the organic matter content. Kaolinite, quartz, and hematite were identified as the dominant mineral components. As the depth of the soils increased, the contents of hematite and kaolinite increased, while the contents of quartz decreased. The weight loss of the soil samples from 200 to 400°C indicated that the organic matter decreased substantially with increasing soil depth. Based on the potentiometric titration, the pHpzc was determined to range from 4.4 to 5.0. The surface complexation model (SCM) was used to further evaluate the acid-base properties of the soils by assuming two pKa for one surface site of the bulk soil. The results showed that the values of the model-derived pHpzc were well matched with those from the titration experiments; therefore, it is feasible to apply the SCM in examining the variable charges of the bulk soils. The calculated surface site concentration Hs, representing the soil buffer capacity, was positively correlated with the contents of the organic matter, implying that the organic matter of the soil plays an important role in the soil acid-base buffer capacity. From the extrapolated pHpzc, it can be proposed that kaolinite was the major soil mineral controlling the pHpzc of soils. This study would provide a quantitative approach for the soil acid-base buffer properties and a fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanisms.
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•The surface complexation model (SCM) was applied for a real red soil.•The acid-base buffer parameters were obtained through SCM and the titration test.•The effect of various pH on the soil surface speciation were predicted via SCM.
Lou and Shu (2017) decompose the Amihud (2002) measure and show that its pricing ability is attributed to the trading volume component. Amihud and Noh (2021) claim that Lou and Shu's (2017) ...decomposition misses a component that is related to illiquidity, and that this illiquidity component affects stock returns significantly. This study extends Amihud and Noh's (2021) analyses to the Taiwan stock market by proposing that the imposition of price limits enhances the pricing ability of trading volume component of the Amihud (2002) measure. Our empirical results confirm this prediction, and further, indicate that the illiquidity component provides no pricing ability in Taiwan.
•Lou and Shu (2017) argue that the pricing ability of the Amihud (2002) measure is attributed to mispricing.•Amihud and Noh (2021) propose an omitted illiquidity-related component that is priced in the U.S. markets.•The mispricing component could play a dominant role in explaining stock returns in Taiwan, a market that imposes price limits.•The illiquidity-related component has no pricing ability in Taiwan.
We propose an electrostatics-based placement algorithm for large-scale mixed-size circuits (ePlace-MS). ePlace-MS is generalized, flat, analytic and nonlinear. The density modeling method eDensity is ...extended to handle the mixed-size placement. We conduct detailed analysis on the correctness of the gradient formulation and the numerical solution, as well as the rationale of dc removal and the advantages over prior density functions. Nesterov's method is used as the nonlinear solver, which shows high yet stable performance over mixed-size circuits. The steplength is set as the inverse of Lipschitz constant of the gradient function, while we develop a backtracking method to prevent overestimation. An approximated nonlinear preconditioner is developed to minimize the topological and physical differences between large macros and standard cells. Besides, we devise a simulated annealer to legalize the layout of macros and use a second-phase global placement to reoptimize the standard cell layout. All the above innovations are integrated into our mixed-size placement prototype ePlace-MS, which outperforms all the related works in literature with better quality and efficiency. Compared to the leading-edge mixed-size placer NTUplace3, ePlace-MS produces up to 22.98% and on average 8.22% shorter wirelength over all the 16 modern mixed-size benchmark circuits with the same runtime.
Peanut allergen Ara h 1 is one of the most common food allergens in the world, and it is highly allergenic owing to its stable structure. Cold plasma is an emerging non-thermal processing technology ...that generates reactive radicals that enable the rapid degradation of allergenic protein. In this study, the effectiveness of two plasma treatment gases on the inhibition of the Ara h 1 allergen in peanut protein extract was investigated as the gases were expected to react with the allergen differently. The results revealed that the antigenicity of Ara h 1 decreased by approximately 55% after 13 min of cold plasma treatment. This may be attributed to the destruction of the α-helix structure. In addition, compared to air cold plasma treatment, nitrogen plasma treatment only caused less than one third of oxidative damage to the samples. In summary, air and nitrogen plasmas are both effective in reducing peanut allergen Ara h 1, but the peanut maintained most of its original quality after nitrogen cold plasma treatment. The result of this study demonstrated that nitrogen cold plasma is a great candidate for reducing Ara h 1 for effective food processing.
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•Cold plasma changed the structure of antigen via free radicals and oxidation.•The α-helix structure and antigenicity reduction were induced by cold plasma.•Nitrogen and air plasma have equivalent efficacy to reduce Ara h 1.•The antigenicity of Ara h 1 was decreased by 55% after cold plasma treatment.•Nitrogen plasma is a better option for reducing allergen that keep a good quality.
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