Magnetic Field-Induced Polar Order in Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide Transistors.

In semiconducting monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (ML-TMDs), broken inversion symmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling result in spin-valley lock-in effects so that the valley degeneracy may be lifted by external magnetic fields, potentially leading to real-space structural transformation. Here, magnetic field (B)-induced giant electric hysteretic responses to back-gate voltages are reported in ML-MoS field-effect transistors (FETs) on SiO/Si at temperatures < 20 K. The observed hysteresis increases with |B| up to 12 T and is tunable by varying the temperature.

Strongly Enhanced Electronic Bandstructure Renormalization by Light in Nanoscale Strained Regions of Monolayer MoS/Au(111) Heterostructures.

Understanding and controlling the photoexcited quasiparticle (QP) dynamics in monolayer (ML) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) lays the foundation for exploring the strongly interacting, nonequilibrium two-dimensional (2D) QP and polaritonic states in these quantum materials and for harnessing the properties emerging from these states for optoelectronic applications. In this study, scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/scanning tunneling spectroscopy) with light illumination at the tunneling junction is performed to investigate the QP dynamics in ML MoS on an Au(111) substrate with nanoscale corrugations. The corrugations on the surface of the substrate induce nanoscale local strain in the overlaying ML MoS single crystal, which result in energetically favorable spatial regions where photoexcited QPs, including excitons, trions, and electron-hole plasmas, accumulate.

Prefrontal activity and heart rate variability during cognitive tasks may show different changes in young and older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment.

Background: Age-related decline in cognitive function is often linked to changed prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity and heart rate variability (HRV). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia, might have further degeneration beyond aging. This study aimed to investigate the differences between young and older adults with or without MCI in cognitive functions, task-induced PFC activation and HRV changes.

Effects of motor and cognitive complex training on obstacle walking and brain activity in people with Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The difficulties in obstacle walking are significant in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) leading to an increased fall risk. Effective interventions to improve obstacle walking with possible training-related neuroplasticity changes are needed. We developed two different exercise programs, complex walking training and motor-cognitive training, both challenging motor and cognitive function for people with PD to improve obstacle walking.

Effects of physical training on depression and related quality of life in pre-frail and frail older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of physical training on depression and related quality of life in pre-frail and frail individuals.

Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Participants: Pre-frail and frail older adults.

Dramatically Enhanced Valley-Polarized Emission by Alloying and Electrical Tuning of Monolayer WTe S Alloys at Room Temperature with 1T'-WTe -Contact.

Monolayer ternary tellurides based on alloying different transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can result in new two-dimensional (2D) materials ranging from semiconductors to metals and superconductors with tunable optical and electrical properties. Semiconducting WTe S monolayer possesses two inequivalent valleys in the Brillouin zone, each valley coupling selectively with circularly polarized light (CPL). The degree of valley polarization (DVP) under the excitation of CPL represents the purity of valley polarized photoluminescence (PL), a critical parameter for opto-valleytronic applications.

Gait performance and prefrontal cortex activation during single and dual task walking in older adults with different cognitive levels.

Background: Growing evidence shows the cognitive function influences the motor performance. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) as a part of the executive locomotor pathway is also important for cognitive function. This study investigated the differences in motor function and brain activity among older adults with different cognitive levels, and examined the significance of cognition on motor functions.

A randomized trial on the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) has been demonstrated to be beneficial in glycemic control in animal models, but its application in humans has not been well studied. We randomly assigned 160 patients with type 2 diabetes on oral antidiabetic drugs 1:1 to the TENS study device (n = 81) and placebo (n = 79). 147 (92%) randomized participants (mean [SD] age 59 [10] years, 92 men [58%], mean [SD] baseline HbA level 8.

Low-Temperature Direct Growth of Nanocrystalline Multilayer Graphene on Silver with Long-Term Surface Passivation.

A wide variety of transition metals, including copper and gold, have been successfully used as substrates for graphene growth. On the other hand, it has been challenging to grow graphene on silver, so realistic applications by combining graphene and silver for improved electrode stability and enhanced surface plasmon resonance in organic light-emitting diodes and biosensing have not been realized to date. Here, we demonstrate the surface passivation of silver through the single-step rapid growth of nanocrystalline multilayer graphene on silver via low-temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

Mortality and related risk factors in the co-presentation of tuberculosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a population-based study.

Objective: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are often immunosuppressed and susceptible to infectious diseases. We investigated the mortality and related risk factors of active TB disease in patients with T2DM in Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: The data of 1258 patients diagnosed with both T2DM and active TB disease from January 1 to December 31, 2002 (T2DM-TB group) were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

Effects of different dual task training on dual task walking and responding brain activation in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

The concurrent additional tasking impacts the walking performance, and such impact is even greater in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) than in healthy elders. However, effective training program to improve dual task walking ability for the people with MCI is not immediately provided. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of cognitive and motor dual task walking training on dual task walking performance and the responding brain changes in older people with MCI.

Multiarea Brain Activation and Gait Deterioration During a Cognitive and Motor Dual Task in Individuals With Parkinson Disease.

Background And Purpose: In people with Parkinson disease (PD), gait performance deteriorating during dual-task walking has been noted in previous studies. However, the effects of different types of dual tasks on gait performance and brain activation are still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate cognitive and motor dual-task walking performance on multiarea brain activity in individuals with PD.

Control of trion-to-exciton conversion in monolayer WS by orbital angular momentum of light.

Controlling the density of exciton and trion quasiparticles in monolayer two-dimensional (2D) materials at room temperature by nondestructive techniques is highly desired for the development of future optoelectronic devices. Here, the effects of different orbital angular momentum (OAM) lights on monolayer tungsten disulfide at both room temperature and low temperatures are investigated, which reveal simultaneously enhanced exciton intensity and suppressed trion intensity in the photoluminescence spectra with increasing topological charge of the OAM light. In addition, the trion-to-exciton conversion efficiency is found to increase rapidly with the OAM light at low laser power and decrease with increasing power.

Effects of inclined treadmill training on inadequate ankle control during walking in individuals after stroke: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Inadequate ankle control influences walking ability in people after stroke. Walking on inclined surface activates ankle muscles and movements. However, the effect of inclined treadmill training on ankle control is not clear.

Electrically Tunable and Dramatically Enhanced Valley-Polarized Emission of Monolayer WS at Room Temperature with Plasmonic Archimedes Spiral Nanostructures.

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have intrinsic valley degrees of freedom, making them appealing for exploiting valleytronic applications in information storage and processing. WS monolayer possesses two inequivalent valleys in the Brillouin zone, each valley coupling selectively with a circular polarization of light. The degree of valley polarization (DVP) under the excitation of circularly polarized light (CPL) is a parameter that determines the purity of valley polarized photoluminescence (PL) of monolayer WS .

Polymer-Compatible Low-Temperature Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition of Graphene on Electroplated Cu for Flexible Hybrid Electronics.

Flexible hybrid electronics and fan-out redistribution layers rely on electroplating Cu on polymers. In this work, direct low-temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of graphene on electroplated Cu over polyimide substrates is demonstrated, and the deposition of graphene is found to passivate and strengthen the electroplated Cu circuit. The effect of the H/CH ratio on the PECVD graphene growth is also investigated, which is shown to affect not only the quality of graphene but also the durability of Cu.

Significant Capacitance Enhancement via In Situ Exfoliation of Quasi-One-Dimensional Graphene Nanostripes in Supercapacitor Electrodes.

Graphene has received much attention as a supercapacitor electrode material due to its chemical inertness in preventing reaction with electrolytes and the large surface area due to its two-dimensional nature. However, when graphene sheets are processed into electrodes, they tend to stack together and form a turbostratic graphite material with a much reduced surface area relative to the total surface area of individual graphene sheets. Separately, electrochemical exfoliation of graphite is one method of producing single-layer graphene, which is often used to produce graphene for supercapacitor electrodes, although such exfoliated graphene still leads to reduced surface areas due to stacking during electrode fabrication.

Single-Step Direct Growth of Graphene on Cu Ink toward Flexible Hybrid Electronic Applications by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Highly customized and free-formed products in flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) require direct pattern creation such as inkjet printing (IJP) to accelerate product development. In this work, we demonstrate the direct growth of graphene on Cu ink deposited on polyimide (PI) by means of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), which provides simultaneous reduction, sintering, and passivation of the Cu ink and further reduces its resistivity. We investigate the PECVD growth conditions for optimizing the graphene quality on Cu ink and find that the defect characteristics of graphene are sensitive to the H/CH ratio at higher total gas pressure during the growth.

Selective formation of pyridinic-type nitrogen-doped graphene and its application in lithium-ion battery anodes.

We report a high-yield single-step method for synthesizing nitrogen-doped graphene nanostripes (N-GNSPs) with an unprecedentedly high percentage of pyridinic-type doping (>86% of the nitrogen sites), and investigate the performance of the resulting N-GNSPs as a lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode material. The as-grown N-GNSPs are compared with undoped GNSPs using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), helium ion-beam microscopy (HIM), and electrochemical methods. As an anode material we find that pyridinic-type N-GNSPs perform similarly to undoped GNSPs, suggesting that pyridinic sites alone are not responsible for the enhanced performance of nitrogen-doped graphene observed in previous studies, which contradicts common conjectures.

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation followed by exercise on neuropathic pain in chronic spinal cord injury: a double-blinded randomized controlled pilot trial.

Study Design: Double-blinded randomized controlled pilot trial.

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of multiple sessions of tDCS followed by exercise on neuropathic pain and brain activity in individuals with chronic SCI.

Setting: Rehabilitation center in Taipei, Taiwan.

Nanoscale strain engineering of giant pseudo-magnetic fields, valley polarization, and topological channels in graphene.

The existence of nontrivial Berry phases associated with two inequivalent valleys in graphene provides interesting opportunities for investigating the valley-projected topological states. Examples of such studies include observation of anomalous quantum Hall effect in monolayer graphene, demonstration of topological zero modes in "molecular graphene" assembled by scanning tunneling microscopy, and detection of topological valley transport either in graphene superlattices or at bilayer graphene domain walls. However, all aforementioned experiments involved nonscalable approaches of either mechanically exfoliated flakes or atom-by-atom constructions.

Direct large-area growth of graphene on silicon for potential ultra-low-friction applications and silicon-based technologies.

Deposition of layers of graphene on silicon has the potential for a wide range of optoelectronic and mechanical applications. However, direct growth of graphene on silicon has been difficult due to the inert, oxidized silicon surfaces. Transferring graphene from metallic growth substrates to silicon is not a good solution either, because most transfer methods involve multiple steps that often lead to polymer residues or degradation of sample quality.

Effect of Chronic Pancreatitis on Complications and Mortality in DM Patients: A 10-year Nationwide Cohort Study.

Context: Chronic pancreatitis (CP), is a long-term inflammation of the pancreatic parenchyma, and might increase risk of a hyperglycemia crisis or hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM); however, the relationship has not been previously investigated.

Objective: To investigate the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS), hypoglycemia, and long-term outcomes in DM patients with CP.

Design: A population-based cohort study.

Interfacial States and Fano-Feshbach Resonance in Graphene-Silicon Vertical Junction.

Interfacial quantum states are drawing tremendous attention recently because of their importance in design of low-dimensional quantum heterostructures with desired charge, spin, or topological properties. Although most studies of the interfacial exchange interactions were mainly performed across the interface vertically, the lateral transport nowadays is still a major experimental method to probe these interactions indirectly. In this Letter, we fabricated a graphene and hydrogen passivated silicon interface to study the interfacial exchange processes.

Nearly 90% Circularly Polarized Emission in Monolayer WS Single Crystals by Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) in the 2H-phase are promising semiconductors for opto-valleytronic and opto-spintronic applications because of their strong spin-valley coupling. Here, we report detailed studies of opto-valleytronic properties of heterogeneous domains in CVD-grown monolayer WS single crystals. By illuminating WS with off-resonance circularly polarized light and measuring the resulting spatially resolved circularly polarized emission (), we find significantly large circular polarization ( up to 60% and 45% for α- and β-domains, respectively) already at 300 K, which increases to nearly 90% in the α-domains at 80 K.