An app to keep: smartphone-based dispatch of community first responder to cardiac arrest.

Background: Smartphone-based alerting of community first responders to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is associated with enhanced survival. Community first responders are volunteers, who are dispatched by the emergency dispatch centre, if they are in close proximity to an OHCA to decrease time until first chest compression. For a community first responder system to be successful, it is essential to recruit and retain as many qualified community first responders as possible.

Student performance and perceptions in a hybrid laboratory model: an exploratory study of interactive virtual simulations and in-person integration in a foundational microbiology course.

Interest in virtual laboratory simulations as a pedagogical tool continues to grow, given the advantages of flexibility, scalability, technology integration, and interactive visualizations. We developed a laboratory model that integrates virtual lab simulations (VLS) and traditional in-person (IP) lab experiences for targeted skill development. In this study, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of VLS versus IP labs in the promotion of procedural, conceptual, and critical thinking levels of understanding.

Mechanically robust and stretchable organic solar cells plasticized by small-molecule acceptors.

Emerging wearable devices would benefit from integrating ductile photovoltaic light-harvesting power sources. In this work, we report a small-molecule acceptor (SMA), also known as a non-fullerene acceptor (NFA), designed for stretchable organic solar cell (-OSC) blends with large mechanical compliance and performance. Blends of the organosilane-functionalized SMA BTP-Si4 with the polymer donor PNTB6-Cl achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of >16% and ultimate strain (ε) of >95%.

An organic electrochemical neuron for a neuromorphic perception system.

Human perception systems are highly refined, relying on an adaptive, plastic, and event-driven network of sensory neurons. Drawing inspiration from Nature, neuromorphic perception systems hold tremendous potential for efficient multisensory signal processing in the physical world; however, the development of an efficient artificial neuron with a widely calibratable spiking range and reduced footprint remains challenging. Here, we report an efficient organic electrochemical neuron (OECN) with reduced footprint (<37 mm) based on high-performance vertical OECT (vOECT) complementary circuitry enabled by an advanced n-type polymer for balanced p-/n-type vOECT performance.

CF-Functionalized Side Chains in Nonfullerene Acceptors Promote Electrostatic Interactions for Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells.

The advent of next-generation nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) has propelled major advances in organic solar cells (OSCs). Here we report an NFA design incorporating CF-terminated side chains having varying -(CH)-CF linker lengths ( = 1, 2, and 3) which introduce new intermolecular interactions, hence strong modulation of the photovoltaic response. We report a systematic comparison and contrast characterization of this NFA series with a comprehensive set of chemical/physical techniques versus the heavily studied third-generation NFA, Y6, revealing distinctive and beneficial properties of this new NFA series.