Addressing interconnect challenges for enhanced computing performance.

The advancement in semiconductor technology through the integration of more devices on a chip has reached a point where device scaling alone is no longer an efficient way to improve the device performance. One issue lies in the interconnects connecting the transistors, in which the resistivity of metals increases exponentially as their dimensions are scaled down to match those of the transistors. As a result, the total signal processing delay is dominated by the resistance-capacitance (RC) delay from the interconnects rather than the delay from the transistors' switching speed.

van der Waals Epitaxy, Superlubricity, and Polarization of the 2D Ferroelectric SnS.

Tin monosulfide (SnS) is a two-dimensional layered semiconductor that exhibits in-plane ferroelectric order at very small thicknesses and is of interest in highly scaled devices. Here we report the epitaxial growth of SnS on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) using a pulsed metal-organic chemical vapor deposition process. Lattice matching is observed between the SnS(100) and hBN{11̅0} planes, with no evidence of strain.

High-performance and low-power source-gated transistors enabled by a solution-processed metal oxide homojunction.

Cost-effective fabrication of mechanically flexible low-power electronics is important for emerging applications including wearable electronics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things. Here, solution-processed source-gated transistors (SGTs) with an unprecedented intrinsic gain of ~2,000, low saturation voltage of +0.8 ± 0.

Edge and Interface Resistances Create Distinct Trade-Offs When Optimizing the Microstructure of Printed van der Waals Thin-Film Transistors.

Inks based on two-dimensional (2D) materials could be used to tune the properties of printed electronics while maintaining compatibility with scalable manufacturing processes. However, a very wide range of performances have been reported in printed thin-film transistors in which the 2D channel material exhibits considerable variation in microstructure. The lack of quantitative physics-based relationships between film microstructure and transistor performance limits the codesign of exfoliation, sorting, and printing processes to inefficient empirical approaches.

Strain-Modulated Interlayer Charge and Energy Transfers in MoS/WS Heterobilayer.

Excitonic properties in 2D heterobilayers are closely governed by charge transfer (CT) and excitonic energy transfer (ET) at van der Waals interfaces. Various means have been employed to modulate the interlayer CT and ET, including electrical gating and modifying interlayer spacing, but with limited extent in their controllability. Here, we report a novel method to modulate these transfers in the MoS/WS heterobilayer by applying compressive strain under hydrostatic pressure.

Readily Accessible Metallic Micro-Island Arrays for High-Performance Metal Oxide Thin-Film Transistors.

Thin-film transistors using metal oxide semiconductors are essential in many unconventional electronic devices. Nevertheless, further advances will be necessary to broaden their technological appeal. Here, a new strategy is reported to achieve high-performance solution-processed metal oxide thin-film transistors (MOTFTs) by introducing a metallic micro-island array (M-MIA) on top of the MO back channel, where the MO is a-IGZO (amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide).

Urban life: a model of people and places.

We introduce the Urban Life agent-based simulation used by the Ground Truth program to capture the innate needs of a human-like population and explore how such needs shape social constructs such as friendship and wealth. Urban Life is a spatially explicit model to explore how urban form impacts agents' daily patterns of life. By meeting up at places agents form social networks, which in turn affect the places the agents visit.

Large-Area Dry Transfer of Single-Crystalline Epitaxial Bismuth Thin Films.

We report the first direct dry transfer of a single-crystalline thin film grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A double cantilever beam fracture technique was used to transfer epitaxial bismuth thin films grown on silicon (111) to silicon strips coated with epoxy. The transferred bismuth films retained electrical, optical, and structural properties comparable to the as-grown epitaxial films.

Long-Term Stability and Reliability of Black Phosphorus Field-Effect Transistors.

Black phosphorus has been recently suggested as a very promising material for use in 2D field-effect transistors. However, due to its poor stability under ambient conditions, this material has not yet received as much attention as for instance MoS. We show that the recently demonstrated AlO encapsulation leads to highly stable devices.

Pressure-Induced Charge Transfer Doping of Monolayer Graphene/MoS2 Heterostructure.

A unique way of achieving controllable, pressure-induced charge transfer doping in the graphene/MoS2 heterostructure is proposed. The charge transfer causes an upward shift in the Dirac point with respect to Fermi level at a rate of 15.7 meV GPa(-1) as a function of applied hydrostatic pressure, leading to heavy p-type doping in graphene.

Thermal Oxidation of WSe2 Nanosheets Adhered on SiO2/Si Substrates.

Because of the drastically different intralayer versus interlayer bonding strengths, the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials are highly anisotropic between the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. The structural anisotropy may also play a role in chemical reactions, such as oxidation, reduction, and etching. Here, the composition, structure, and electrical properties of mechanically exfoliated WSe2 nanosheets on SiO2/Si substrates were studied as a function of the extent of thermal oxidation.

Desmopressin improves platelet function in uremic patients taking antiplatelet agents who require emergent invasive procedures.

Uremia is associated with platelet dysfunction and can cause a bleeding tendency resulting in a major bleeding event after an invasive procedure or surgery that may be aggravated by antiplatelet agents. We prospectively investigated the potential of desmopressin to improve platelet dysfunction and to lower bleeding risk after emergent invasive procedures in uremic patients taking antiplatelet drugs. Twenty-three patients were enrolled with a mean age of 60.

Toll-like receptor 4/spleen tyrosine kinase complex in high glucose signal transduction of proximal tubular epithelial cells.

Background/aims: High glucose activates spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) in human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells), which leads to NF-κB activation and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) production. We explored the signal transduction pathway from high glucose to Syk activation.

Methods: The pathway was evaluated by siRNA transfection, immunoprecipitation and Western blot.

Toward air-stable multilayer phosphorene thin-films and transistors.

Few-layer black phosphorus (BP), also known as phosphorene, is poised to be the most attractive graphene analogue owing to its high mobility approaching that of graphene, and its thickness-tunable band gap that can be as large as that of molybdenum disulfide. In essence, phosphorene represents the much sought after high-mobility, large direct band gap two-dimensional layered crystal that is ideal for optoelectronics and flexible devices. However, its instability in air is of paramount concern for practical applications.

Flexible black phosphorus ambipolar transistors, circuits and AM demodulator.

High-mobility two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors are desirable for high-performance mechanically flexible nanoelectronics. In this work, we report the first flexible black phosphorus (BP) field-effect transistors (FETs) with electron and hole mobilities superior to what has been previously achieved with other more studied flexible layered semiconducting transistors such as MoS2 and WSe2. Encapsulated bottom-gated BP ambipolar FETs on flexible polyimide afforded maximum carrier mobility of about 310 cm(2)/V·s with field-effect current modulation exceeding 3 orders of magnitude.

Emodin attenuates radioresistance induced by hypoxia in HepG2 cells via the enhancement of PARP1 cleavage and inhibition of JMJD2B.

Radioresistance in the tumor and radiotoxicity in the non‑tumorous liver significantly restrict efficient radiotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is therefore important to study the radioresistance mechanism and development of radiosensitization to optimize the effect of irradiation on cancer cells. Emodin (1, 3, 8‑trihydroxy‑6‑methylanthraquinone) is a plant‑derived polyphenol, possessing anticancer properties.

Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase inhibits ER stress and renal fibrosis.

It has been suggested that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress facilitates fibrotic remodeling. Therefore, modulation of ER stress may serve as one of the possible therapeutic approaches to renal fibrosis. We examined whether and how activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) suppressed ER stress induced by chemical ER stress inducers [tunicamycin (TM) and thapsigargin (TG)] and also nonchemical inducers in tubular HK-2 cells.

A case of carbon monoxide poisoning with thrombus in right atrium.

Carbon monoxide is a nonirritant, odorless, colorless gas. Its effects are prominent in organs most sensitive to oxygen deprivation, such as the heart, brain, and kidney. Although less frequently, an association between thromboembolic events and carbon monoxide poisoning has been shown in the literatures.

Effect of polyvinyl alcohol on rare earths (Gd and Tb) separation by extraction resin.

Small amounts of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA; 0.5-1.5 wt.

Up-regulation of stromal cell-derived factor 1 (CXCL12) production in rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts through interactions with T lymphocytes: role of interleukin-17 and CD40L-CD40 interaction.

Objective: Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) is a potent chemoattractant for memory T cells in inflamed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovium. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and CD40-CD40L interaction on SDF-1 production in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS).

Methods: Synovial fluid (SF) and serum levels of SDF-1 in RA patients were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

A case of pseudomembranous colitis associated with rifampin.

Pseudomembranous colitis is known to develop with long-term antibiotic administration, but antitubercular agents are rarely reported as a cause of this disease. We experienced a case of pseudomembranous colitis associated with rifampin. The patient was twice admitted to our hospital for the management of frequent bloody, mucoid, jelly-like diarrhea and lower abdominal pain that developed after antituberculosis therapy that included rifampin.