Molecules as Lubricants at the Nanoscale:Tunable Growth of Organic Structures from Nano- to Millimeter-Scale Using Solvent Vapour Annealing.

The creation of ordered structures of molecules assembled from solution onto a substrate is a fundamental technological necessity across various disciplines, spanning from crystallography to organic electronics. However, achieving macroscopic order poses significant challenges, since the process of deposition is inherently impacted by factors like solvent evaporation and dewetting flows, which hinder the formation of well-organized structures. Traditional methods like drop casting or spin coating encounter limitations due to the rapid kinetics of solvent evaporation, leading to limited control over final uniformity and order.

Fabrication of nitrogen-hyperdoped silicon by high-pressure gas immersion excimer laser doping.

In recent years, research on hyperdoped semiconductors has accelerated, displaying dopant concentrations far exceeding solubility limits to surpass the limitations of conventionally doped materials. Nitrogen defects in silicon have been extensively investigated for their unique characteristics compared to other pnictogen dopants. However, previous practical investigations have encountered challenges in achieving high nitrogen defect concentrations due to the low solubility and diffusivity of nitrogen in silicon, and the necessary non-equilibrium techniques, such as ion implantation, resulting in crystal damage and amorphisation.

Polarized Raman mapping and phase-transition by CW excitation for fast purely optical characterization of VO thin films.

Vanadium dioxide has attracted much interest due to the drastic change of the electrical and optical properties it exhibits during the transition from the semiconductor state to the metallic state, which takes place at a critical temperature of about 68 °C. Much study has been especially devoted to developing advanced fabrication methodologies to improve the performance of VO thin films for phase-change applications in optical devices. Films structural and morphological characterisation is normally performed with expensive and time consuming equipment, as x-ray diffractometers, electron microscopes and atomic force microscopes.

Microwave field mapping for EPR-on-a-chip experiments.

Electron paramagnetic resonance-on-a-chip (EPRoC) devices use small voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) for both the excitation and detection of the EPR signal, allowing access to unique sample environments by lifting the restrictions imposed by resonator-based EPR techniques. EPRoC devices have been successfully used at multiple frequencies (7 to 360 gigahertz) and have demonstrated their utility in producing high-resolution spectra in a variety of spin centers. To enable quantitative measurements using EPRoC devices, the spatial distribution of the field produced by the VCOs must be known.

Design of High-Performance Molecular Imprinted Magnetic Nanoparticles-Loaded Hydrogels for Adsorption and Photodegradation of Antibiotics from Wastewater.

A hydrogel formulation of 2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (HEMA) containing covalently linked magnetite nanoparticles was developed to actively facilitate the selective removal and photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics. To this purpose, the hybrid materials were molecularly imprinted with Lomefloxacin (Lome) or Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), achieving a selectivity of 60% and 45%, respectively, starting from a solution of XX concentration. After the adsorption, the embedded magnetite was used with the double function of (i) magnetically removing the material from water and (ii) triggering photo-Fenton (PF) reactions assisted by UVA light and HO to oxidize the captured antibiotic.

Discussion and Demonstration of RF-MEMS Attenuators Design Concepts and Modules for Advanced Beamforming in the Beyond-5G and 6G Scenario-Part 2.

In this paper, different concepts of reconfigurable RF-MEMS attenuators for beamforming applications are proposed and critically assessed. Capitalizing on the previous part of this work, the 1-bit attenuation modules featuring series and shunt resistors and low-voltage membranes (7-9 V) are employed to develop a 3-bit attenuator for fine-tuning attenuations (<-10 dB) in the 24.25-27.

Polystyrene Brush Evolution by Grafting to Reaction on Deglazed and Not-Deglazed Silicon Substrates.

Two model substrates for the grafting to reaction are considered: not-deglazed silicon, whose surface is coated by a thin oxide layer with reactive silanol groups on its surface; and deglazed silicon, where the oxide layer is removed by treatment with hydrofluoric acid. The reactive polymers are hydroxy-terminated polystyrenes with molecular weights ranging from 3.9 to 13.

Stable chalcogenide Ge-Sb-Te heterostructures with minimal Ge segregation.

Matching of various chalcogenide films shows the advantage of delivering multilayer heterostructures whose physical properties can be tuned with respect to the ones of the constituent single films. In this work, (Ge-Sb-Te)-based heterostructures were deposited by radio frequency sputtering on Si(100) substrates and annealed up to 400 °C. The as-deposited and annealed samples were studied by means of X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy.

Locating Nesting Sites for Critically Endangered Galápagos Pink Land Iguanas ().

Invasive alien species control is recognized worldwide as a priority action to preserve global biodiversity. However, a lack of general life history knowledge for threatened species can impede the effectiveness of conservation actions. Galápagos pink land iguanas () are endemic to Wolf Volcano, Galápagos, Ecuador.

Eco-Friendly Production of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Carboxymethyl Cellulose Wound Healing Dressing Containing Sericin.

Wound dressing production represents an important segment in the biomedical healthcare field, but finding a simple and eco-friendly method that combines a natural compound and a biocompatible dressing production for biomedical application is still a challenge. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop wound healing dressings that are environmentally friendly, low cost, and easily produced, using natural agents and a physical crosslinking technique. Hydrogel wound healing dressings were prepared from polyvinyl alcohol/carboxymethyl cellulose and sericin using the freeze-thawing method as a crosslinking method.

Green silver nanoparticles: Prospective nanotools against neurodegenerative cell line model.

Neurodegenerative diseases represent an increasingly burdensome challenge of the past decade, primarily driven by the global aging of the population. Ongoing efforts focus on implementing diverse strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of neurodegeneration, with the goal of decelerating the pathology progression. Notably, in recent years, it has emerged that the use of nanoparticles (NPs), particularly those obtained through green chemical processes, could constitute a promising therapeutic approach.

Advanced Modeling and Simulation of Multilayer Spin-Transfer Torque Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory with Interface Exchange Coupling.

In advancing the study of magnetization dynamics in STT-MRAM devices, we employ the spin drift-diffusion model to address the back-hopping effect. This issue manifests as unwanted switching either in the composite free layer or in the reference layer in synthetic antiferromagnets-a challenge that becomes more pronounced with device miniaturization. Although this miniaturization aims to enhance memory density, it inadvertently compromises data integrity.

All van der Waals Semiconducting PtSe Field Effect Transistors with Low Contact Resistance Graphite Electrodes.

Contact resistance is a multifaceted challenge faced by the 2D materials community. Large Schottky barrier heights and gap-state pinning are active obstacles that require an integrated approach to achieve the development of high-performance electronic devices based on 2D materials. In this work, we present semiconducting PtSe field effect transistors with all-van-der-Waals electrode and dielectric interfaces.

Non-uniform magnetic fields for single-electron control.

Controlling single-electron states becomes increasingly important due to the wide-ranging advances in electron quantum optics. Single-electron control enables coherent manipulation of individual electrons and the ability to exploit the wave nature of electrons, which offers various opportunities for quantum information processing, sensing, and metrology. Here we explore non-uniform magnetic fields, which offer unique mechanisms for single-electron control.

Boosting Contact Electrification by Amorphous Polyvinyl Alcohol Endowing Improved Contact Adhesion and Electrochemical Capacitance.

Ion conductive hydrogels are relevant components in wearable, biocompatible, and biodegradable electronics. Polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) homopolymer is often the favored choice for integration into supercapacitors and energy harvesters as in sustainable triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). However, to further improve hydrogel-based TENGs, a deeper understanding of the impact of their composition and structure on devices performance is necessary.

Graphsene as a novel porous two-dimensional carbon material for enhanced oxygen reduction electrocatalysis.

Graphene allotropes with varied carbon configurations have attracted significant attention for their unique properties and chemical activities. This study introduces a novel two-dimensional carbon-based material, termed Graphsene (GrS), through theoretical study. Comprising tetra-, penta-, and dodeca-carbon rings, GrS's cohesive energy calculations demonstrate its superior structural stability over existing graphene allotropes, including graphyne and graphdiyne families.

Aluminum Nitride Thin Film Piezoelectric Pressure Sensor for Respiratory Rate Detection.

In this study, we propose a low-cost piezoelectric flexible pressure sensor fabricated on Kapton (™ ) substrate by using aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film, designed for the monitoring of the respiration rate for a fast detection of respiratory anomalies. The device was characterized in the range of 15-30 breaths per minute (bpm), to simulate moderate difficult breathing, borderline normal breathing, and normal spontaneous breathing. These three breathing typologies were artificially reproduced by setting the expiratory to inspiratory ratios (E:I) at 1:1, 2:1, 3:1.

Bismuth-Based Perovskite Derivates with Thermal Voltage Exceeding 40 mV/K.

Heat is an inexhaustible source of energy, and it can be exploited by thermoelectronics to produce electrical power or electrical responses. The search for a low-cost thermoelectric material that could achieve high efficiencies and can also be straightforwardly scalable has turned significant attention to the halide perovskite family. Here, we report the thermal voltage response of bismuth-based perovskite derivates and suggest a path to increase the electrical conductivity by applying chalcogenide doping.

Defects of mitochondria-lysosomes communication induce secretion of mitochondria-derived vesicles and drive chemoresistance in ovarian cancer cells.

Background: Among the mechanisms of mitochondrial quality control (MQC), generation of mitochondria-derived vesicles (MDVs) is a process to avoid complete failure of mitochondria determining lysosomal degradation of mitochondrial damaged proteins. In this context, RAB7, a late endocytic small GTPase, controls delivery of MDVs to late endosomes for subsequent lysosomal degradation. We previously demonstrated that RAB7 has a pivotal role in response to cisplatin (CDDP) regulating resistance to the drug by extracellular vesicle (EVs) secretion.

Coupled Micromachined Magnetic Resonators for Microwave Signal Processing.

In this paper, the theory, micromachining technology, and experimental results of the coupling of integrated magnetic film-based resonators for microwave signal filtering are presented. This is an extended contribution to the field of magnetostatic wave coupled resonators, including details about the technological results, circuit theory, and perspective applications for tunable integrated coupled magnetic resonators. An analytical approach using the magnetostatic wave approximation is used to derive the coupling coefficient between adjacent resonators coupled by the electromagnetic field decaying outside the resonators.

A Deep Learning-Based Platform for Workers' Stress Detection Using Minimally Intrusive Multisensory Devices.

The advent of Industry 4.0 necessitates substantial interaction between humans and machines, presenting new challenges when it comes to evaluating the stress levels of workers who operate in increasingly intricate work environments. Undoubtedly, work-related stress exerts a significant influence on individuals' overall stress levels, leading to enduring health issues and adverse impacts on their quality of life.

Label-free electrochemical biosensor for direct detection of Oncostatin M (OSM) inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) biomarker in human serum.

Oncostatin M (OSM) is an interleukin-6 (IL-6) member family cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). OSM is a novel diagnostic biomarker over-expressed in the serum of IBD patients. This paper reports on the first electrochemical OSM immunosensor, developed using a multistep fabrication process aimed at covalently immobilizing OSM antibodies on a mixed self-assembled monolayer coated gold working electrode.

Pain-Free Alpha-Synuclein Detection by Low-Cost Hierarchical Nanowire Based Electrode.

Analytical methods for the early detection of the neurodegenerative biomarker for Parkinson's disease (PD), α-synuclein, are time-consuming and invasive, and require skilled personnel and sophisticated and expensive equipment. Thus, a pain-free, prompt and simple α-synuclein biosensor for detection in plasma is highly demanded. In this paper, an α-synuclein electrochemical biosensor based on hierarchical polyglutamic acid/ZnO nanowires decorated by gold nanoparticles, assembled as nanostars (NSs), for the determination of α-synuclein in human plasma is proposed.