Search Results (169)

Intermediate-band photovoltaics promise single-junction efficiencies that exceed the Shockley and Queisser limit, yet viable material platforms and device geometries remain under debate. Here, we perform comprehensive two-dimensional device-scale simulations using Silvaco Atlas TCAD to analyze p-i-n In_0.20Ga_0.80N solar cells in which the intermediate band is supplied by In_0.35Ga_0.65N quantum dots located inside the intrinsic layer. Quantum-dot diameters from 1 nm to 10 nm and areal densities up to 116 dots per period are evaluated under AM 1.5G, one-sun illumination at 300 K. The baseline pn junction achieves a simulated power-conversion efficiency of 33.9%. The incorporation of a single 1 nm quantum-dot layer dramatically increases efficiency to 48.1%, driven by a 35% enhancement in short-circuit current density while maintaining open-circuit voltage stability. Further increases in dot density continue to boost current but with diminishing benefit; the highest efficiency recorded, 49.4% at 116 dots, is only 1.4 percentage points above the 40-dot configuration. The improvements originate from two-step sub-band-gap absorption mediated by the quantum dots and from enhanced carrier collection in a widened depletion region. These results define a practical design window centred on approximately 1 nm dots and about 40 dots per period, balancing substantial efficiency gains with manageable structural complexity and providing concrete targets for epitaxial implementation. Full article

In this study, we evaluated genetic parameters and progress in growth traits and heat tolerance across four Thai native synthetic chicken lines—Kaimook e-san, Soi Pet, Soi Nin, and Kaen Thong—over seven generations. Growth traits, including body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and breast circumference (BrC), were recorded and analyzed from hatching to 14 weeks of age, with heat stress assessed based on the temperature–humidity index (THI). Genetic parameters were estimated using a multi-trait animal model incorporating THI thresholds. Significant differences in growth traits were observed among the lines (p < 0.05). Kaimook e-san consistently exhibited superior performance, with males outperforming females, while Kaen Thong showed the lowest performance across all traits. Heritability estimates declined with age, with higher values observed in early growth stages, indicating stronger genetic influence during early development. Strong negative genetic correlations between heat tolerance and growth traits were observed in Kaimook e-san, while Kaen Thong showed weaker correlations, suggesting greater potential for simultaneous improvement in growth and heat tolerance. All lines demonstrated genetic progress in growth traits across generations, with Kaimook e-san achieving the highest gains, although these were accompanied by a decline in heat tolerance. The findings highlight the trade-offs between growth and thermal resilience and underscore the importance of multi-trait selection strategies for sustainable poultry breeding in tropical environments. Full article

Background: Bambusaoldhamii is an important economic bamboo species. However, flowering occurred after its introduction and cultivation, resulting in damage to the economy of bamboo forests. Currently, the molecular mechanism of flowering induced by introduction stress is still unclear. This study systematically explored the key genes and regulatory pathways of flowering in Bambusaoldhamii under introduction stress through field experiments combined with transcriptome sequencing and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), with the aim of providing a basis for flower-resistant cultivation and molecular breeding of bamboo. Results: The study conducted transcriptome sequencing on flowering and non-flowering Bambusaoldhamii bamboo introduced from Youxi, Fujian Province for 2 years, constructed a reference transcriptome containing 213,747 Unigenes, and screened out 36,800–42,980 significantly differentially expressed genes (FDR < 0.05). The results indicated that the photosensitive gene CRY and the temperature response gene COR413-PM were significantly upregulated in the flowering group; the expression level of the heavy metal detoxification gene MT3 increased by 27.77 times, combined with the upregulation of the symbiotic signaling gene NIN. WGCNA analysis showed that the expression level of the flower meristem determination gene AP1/CAL/FUL in the flowering group was 90.38 times that of the control group. Moreover, its expression is regulated by the cascade synergy of CRY-HRE/RAP2-12-COR413-PM signals. Conclusions: This study clarifies for the first time that the stress of introducing Bambusaoldhamii species activates the triad pathways of photo-temperature signal perception (CRY/COR413-PM), heavy metal detoxification (MT3), and symbiotic regulation (NIN), collaboratively driving the AP1/CAL/FUL gene expression network and ultimately triggering the flowering process. Full article

A density functional theory (DFT) investigation was conducted to study the O₂ and CO₂ adsorption on very small Pd_3−nNi_n (n = 0–2) clusters supported on N-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs). The study was carried out in two stages. First, the interaction between Pd_3−nNi_n (n = 0–2) clusters and N-GQDs was analyzed. Subsequently, the adsorption behavior of O₂ and CO₂ molecules on the supported clusters was examined. The calculated interaction energies (E_int) of Pd_3−nNi_n (n = 0–2) clusters on N-GQDs were found to be higher than those on pristine graphene, indicating enhanced cluster stability on N-GQDs. Furthermore, the adsorption energies (E_ads) of the O₂ molecule on the Pd₃ and Pd₂Ni clusters deposited on N-GQDs were similar. Meanwhile, the PdNi₂ cluster deposited on N-GQDs exhibited the highest E_ads (−1.740). The E_ads of CO₂ on Pd_3−nNi_n (n = 0–2) clusters embedded in N-GQDs were observed to be close to or exceed 1 eV. Upon adsorption of O₂ and CO₂ on the Pd_3−nNi_n (n = 0–2) clusters supported on N-GQDs, an elongation of the O–O and C–O bond lengths was observed, respectively. This structural change may facilitate the dissociation of these molecules on the supported clusters. Full article

316L stainless steel is widely employed in various industrial sectors, including shipbuilding, offshore plants, high-temperature/high-pressure (HTHP) piping systems, and hydrogen infrastructure, due to its excellent mechanical stability, superior corrosion resistance, and robust resistance to hydrogen embrittlement. This study presents 316L stainless steel alloys fabricated via hot isostatic pressing (HIP), conducted at 1300 °C and 100 MPa for 2 h, incorporating Cr₂N powder and an optimized Ni/Mn ratio based on the nickel equivalent (Ni_eq). During HIP, Cr₂N decomposition yielded a uniformly refined, dense austenitic microstructure, with enhanced corrosion resistance and mechanical performance. Corrosion resistance was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization in 3.5 wt.% NaCl after 1 h of OCP stabilization, using a scan range of −0.25 V to +1.5 V (Ag/AgCl) at 1 mV/s. Optimization of the Ni/Mn ratio effectively improved the pitting corrosion resistance and mechanical strength. It is cost-effective to partially substitute Ni with Mn. Of the various alloys, C13Ni-N exhibited significantly enhanced hardness (~30% increase from 158.3 to 206.2 HV) attributable to nitrogen-induced solid solution strengthening. E11Ni-HM exhibited the highest pitting corrosion resistance given the superior PREN value (31.36). In summary, the incorporation of Cr₂N and adjustment of the Ni/Mn ratio effectively improved the performance of 316L stainless steel alloys. Notably, alloy E11Ni-HM demonstrated a low corrosion current density of 0.131 μA/cm², indicating superior corrosion resistance. These findings offer valuable insights for developing cost-efficient, mechanically robust corrosion-resistant materials for hydrogen-related applications. Further research will evaluate alloy resistance to hydrogen embrittlement and investigate long-term material stability. Full article

To address the challenges of accurate indoor positioning in complex environments, this paper proposes a two-stage indoor positioning method, ResT-IMU, which integrates the ResNet and Transformer architectures. The method initially processes the IMU data using Kalman filtering, followed by the application of windowing to the data. Residual networks are then employed to extract motion features by learning the residual mapping of the input data, which enhances the model’s ability to capture motion changes and predict instantaneous velocity. Subsequently, the self-attention mechanism of the Transformer is utilized to capture the temporal features of the IMU data, thereby refining the estimation of movement direction in conjunction with the velocity predictions. Finally, a fully connected layer outputs the predicted velocity and direction, which are used to calculate the trajectory. During training, the RMSE loss is used to optimize velocity prediction, while the cosine similarity loss is employed for direction prediction. Theexperimental results demonstrate that ResT-IMU achieves velocity prediction errors of 0.0182 m/s on the iIMU-TD dataset and 0.014 m/s on the RoNIN dataset. Compared with the ResNet model, ResT-IMU achieves reductions of 0.19 m in ATE and 0.05 m in RTE on the RoNIN dataset. Compared with the IMUNet model, ResT-IMU achieves reductions of 0.61 m in ATE and 0.02 m in RTE on the iIMU-TD dataset and reductions of 0.32 m in ATE and 0.33 m in RTE on the RoNIN dataset. Compared with the ResMixer model, ResT-IMU achieves reductions of 0.13 m in ATE and 0.02 m in RTE on the RoNIN dataset. These improvements indicate that ResT-IMU offers superior accuracy and robustness in trajectory prediction. Full article

Background/Objectives: Indigo naturalis (IN) is a traditional Chinese medicine concocted from medicinal plants such as Baphicacanthus cusia (Nees) Bremek. IN has multifaceted pharmacological activities. Recent research highlights the remarkable efficacy of IN in treating ulcerative colitis (UC). This study investigates the efficacy of Indigo Naturalis prepared using a novel method (NIN) in ameliorating UC. Methods: We have developed a new IN processing technology without the use of lime. Correspondingly, the content of active ingredients has relatively increased in NIN. In this study, dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) induced UC models among male KM mice, and the protective effects of NIN on UC were verified. Results: NIN could significantly improve weight loss, diarrhea and prolapse, bloody stools, elevated Disease Activity Index (DAI) and alleviate the colitis symptoms of mice; it could also improve the shortening of colon, disappearance of intestinal crypts, epithelial cell destruction and inflammatory infiltration caused by UC; and it could also significantly reduce the Histological Index (HI). In addition, NIN relieved the inflammatory response by decreasing the content of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β and elevating the content of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and IL-22. It also restored the intestinal mucosal barrier by increasing the level of MUC2 protein expression at the site of colonic injury. Conclusions: The significant effects of NIN on UC were verified for the first time, suggesting that NIN was worth further developing into a novel therapeutic drug and, necessarily, further safety evaluations and comparisons with traditional IN will help in the application of NIN. Full article

The hospital-at-home (HaH) model offers hospital-level care within patients’ homes and has proven effective for managing conditions such as pneumonia. The point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) is a key diagnostic tool in this model, especially when traditional imaging modalities are unavailable. This review explores how PoCUS can be optimized to manage pneumonia in HaH settings, focusing on its diagnostic accuracy in patients with comorbidities, differentiation from mimickers, and role in assessing disease severity. Pulmonary comorbidities, such as heart failure and interstitial lung disease (ILD), can complicate lung ultrasound (LUS) interpretation. In heart failure, combining lung, cardiac, and venous assessments (e.g., IVC collapsibility, VExUS score) improves diagnostic clarity. In ILD, distinguishing chronic changes from acute infections requires attention to B-line patterns and pleural abnormalities. PoCUS must differentiate pneumonia from conditions such as atelectasis, lung contusion, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, eosinophilic pneumonia, and neoplastic lesions—many of which present with similar sonographic features. Serial LUS scoring provides useful information on pneumonia severity and disease progression. Studies, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, show correlations between worsening LUS scores and poor outcomes, including increased ventilator dependency and mortality. Furthermore, LUS scores correlate with inflammatory markers and gas exchange metrics, supporting their prognostic value. In conclusion, PoCUS in HaH care requires clinicians to integrate multi-organ ultrasound findings, clinical context, and serial monitoring to enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes. Mastery of LUS interpretation in complex scenarios is crucial to delivering personalized, high-quality care in the home setting. Full article

In our research aimed at replacing precious transition metals like platinum with abundant base metals such as nickel for efficient triplet emitters, we synthesized and studied Ni(II) complexes [Ni(L^NHR)Cl]. These complexes containing the N^C^N cyclometalating dipyridyl-phenide ligand, equipped with pending H-bonding amine groups (NH(C₆H₅) (L^NHPh) and NH(C₆H₅CH₂), ClL^NHBn). Molecular structures determined from experimental X-ray diffractometry and density functional theory (DFT) calculations in the ground state showed marked deviation of the Cl⁻ coligand (ancillary ligand) from the ideal planar coordination, with τ₄ values of 0.35 and 0.33, respectively, along with hydrogen bonding interactions of the ligand NH function with the Cl⁻ coligand. The complexes exhibit long-wavelength absorption bands at approximately 425 nm in solution, with the experimental spectra being accurately reproduced through time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. Vibrationally structured emission profiles and steady-state photoluminescence quantum yields of 30% for [Ni(L^NHPh)Cl] and 40% for [Ni(L^NHBn)Cl] (along with dual excited state lifetimes in the ns and in the ms range) were found in frozen 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran (2MeTHF) glassy matrices at 77 K. Furthermore, within a poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix, the complexes showed emission bands centered at around 550 nm within a temperature range from 6 K to 300 K with lifetimes similar to 77 K. Based on TD-DFT potential scans along the metal–ligand (Ni–N) coordinate, we found that in a rigid environment that restricts the geometry to the Franck-Condon region, either the triplet T₅ or the singlet S₄ state could contribute to the photoluminescence. Full article

Background/Objectives: The pullout failure of conventional locking screws (LSs, screws with a locking mechanism) may occur in patients with osteoporosis, particularly when inserted near joints or across periarticular fractures (e.g., proximal humerus). The two-part locking cancellous screw modification (TP-LCS, screws composed of two parts) in metaphyseal cancellous bone is hypothesized to increase bone purchase and holding power. This study aimed to test the hypothesized advantages of TP-LCS over LSs. Methods: An MTS 370 series frame with an axial/torsional load cell was used to test driving torque and axial pullout strength, following ASTM F543-07 standards. The TP-LCS group featured a newly modified screw design made from titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V), while conventional LSs (Synthes) were used for the control group. Statistical significance was assessed for selected comparisons relevant to the research objectives, including driving torque and axial pullout strength. Results: The driving torque test showed that TP-LCS had a significantly higher maximum insertion torque (4.9 ± 0.4 N·cm) compared to LSs (4.2 ± 0.4 N·cm) (p = 0.0269), although no significant difference was found in maximum removal torque (p = 0.1046). The axial pullout test revealed that TP-LCS had significantly higher pullout strength (223.5 ± 12.2 N) compared to LSs (203.5 ± 11.5 N) (p = 0.0284). Failure during the axial pullout test often involved cracking of the test block material around the screw threads, causing the screw to pull out. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that TP-LCS may offer improved axial pullout resistance compared to LSs, making it a potentially beneficial modification for LSs in osteoporotic metaphyseal regions or near joints. This study provides biomechanical insights into the advantages of the modified screw design over conventional LSs. Full article

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) represents a promising approach for achieving CO₂ resource utilization. Carbon-based materials featuring single-atom transition metal-nitrogen coordination (M-N_x) have attracted considerable research attention due to their ability to maximize catalytic efficiency while minimizing metal atom usage. However, conventional synthesis methods often encounter challenges with metal particle agglomeration. In this study, we developed a Ni-doped polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fiber membrane via electrospinning, subsequently transformed into a nitrogen-doped three-dimensional self-supporting single-atom Ni catalyst (Ni-N-CF) through controlled carbonization. PVDF was partially defluorinated and crosslinked, and the single carbon chain is changed into a reticulated structure, which ensured that the structure did not collapse during carbonization and effectively solved the problem of runaway M-Nx composite in the high-temperature pyrolysis process. Grounded in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), nitrogen coordinates with nickel atoms to form a Ni-N structure, which keeps nickel in a low oxidation state, thereby facilitating CO₂RR. When applied to CO₂RR, the Ni-N-CF catalyst demonstrated exceptional CO selectivity with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 92%. The unique self-supporting architecture effectively addressed traditional electrode instability issues caused by catalyst detachment. These results indicate that by tuning the local coordination structure of atomically dispersed Ni, the original inert reaction sites can be activated into efficient catalytic centers. This work can provide a new strategy for designing high-performance single-atom catalysts and structurally stable electrodes. Full article

We study the collective spontaneous emission of two quantum emitters (QEs) placed near a semiconductor hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) composed of a multilayer quantum well (MQW) and doped n⁺-In_0.53Ga_0.47As. The spontaneous emissions of two identical QEs in reflection and transmission configurations are both investigated in detail. It is found that the collective spontaneous emission is strongly dependent on whether there is strong coupling in the HMM or not. In the reflection configuration, the spontaneous emission changes more intensively with the transition wavelength of QEs when strong coupling is present compared to the situation without strong coupling. In the transmission configuration, the maximum spontaneous emission decay rate of two QEs can be obtained near the HMM for the given transition wavelength. In addition, the thickness of the HMM also has an important effect on the collective spontaneous emission in the transmission configuration. The results in this work have potential applications in the field of light-emitting devices, lasers, and quantum information processing. Full article

Objective: With rapid urbanization in countries like India, understanding the nutritional status and needs of urban populations, particularly among underprivileged groups such as people living in slums, is crucial. This study investigates the prevalence, characteristics, and determinants of child malnutrition in the urban slums of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) in West Bengal, India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 736 children aged 6–59 months. Data were collected using structured interviews to gather socioeconomic, demographic, and dietary information, alongside anthropometric measurements. The analysis employed the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF), and multiple linear regression (MLR) models to identify key factors influencing malnutrition. Results: The findings revealed a high prevalence of stunting (24.1%), underweight (22.3%), and wasting (15.4%) among children aged 6–59 months, with significant variations observed between the two study sites. Key predictors of anthropometric malnutrition include low household income, incidence of recent illness, low maternal nutrition, and delayed initiation of breastfeeding. Conclusions: Addressing child malnutrition in urban slums requires integrated strategies encompassing income-generation opportunities, health-sensitive urban planning, and focused maternal and child health interventions. Full article

The TGA (TGACG motif-binding factor) transcription factors are integral to root growth and development, and are pivotal in mediating plant responses to abiotic stresses. Nonetheless, their role in the nutrient absorption processes of banana plants has not been extensively investigated. This research conducted a comprehensive analysis of the MaTGA gene family, emphasizing their physicochemical characteristics, phylogenetic relationships, gene duplication events, promoter cis-regulatory elements and protein interaction networks. Furthermore, this study investigated the expression patterns of MaTGA family members under varying nitrogen conditions. A total of 18 MaTGA members were identified within the banana genome, each encoding proteins characterized by the presence of bZIP and DOG domains. These genes exhibited an uneven distribution across eight chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis further classified the MaTGA family into four distinct subgroups (I–IV), consisting of three, seven, three, and five members, respectively. An analysis of promoter cis-elements indicated that over 50% of the MaTGA gene family members contain hormone-responsive elements associated with abscisic acid (ABRE), ethylene (ERE), and salicylic acid (SARE), in addition to stress-responsive elements related to drought (MBS) and low temperature (LTR). Regarding gene expression, MaTGA7, MaTGA8, and MaTGA15 exhibited significantly elevated expression levels in the leaves and roots relative to other tissues. Under varying nitrogen conditions, 13 members, including MaTGA7 and MaTGA8, demonstrated the highest expression levels under reduced nitrogen (70%) treatment, followed by low nitrogen (20%) conditions, and the lowest expression levels were observed under nitrogen-deficient conditions. These findings imply that MaTGA genes may play crucial roles in enhancing nitrogen use efficiency. Protein interaction predictions suggest that MaTGA7, MaTGA8, and MaTGA15 may interact with nitrogen-related proteins, including Nitrate Transporter 2 (NRT2.1 and NRT2.2), NIN-Like Protein 7 (NLP7), and Nitrate Transporter 1.1 (NPF6.3). In summary, MaTGA7, MaTGA8, and MaTGA15 are likely involved in the processes of nitrogen absorption and utilization in bananas. The present findings establish a basis for subsequent investigations into the functional roles of MaTGA genes in augmenting nutrient use efficiency and mediating responses to abiotic stresses in banana plants. Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate how biomass production and element distribution (nutrients and heavy metals) among plant organs (roots, stems, and leaves) were influenced by substrate physical and chemical properties, using acidophilic plants of Vaccinium corymbosum cultivars Bluecrop and Duke. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted with highbush blueberry plants grown in an uncontaminated acidic peat-based control substrate (TS0) and two alkaline substrates enriched with remediated sediment (TS50 and TS100), characterized by high pH, Ca, and heavy metal concentrations. Both plant cultivars that were cultivated in sediment–based substrates exhibited a substantial reduction in plant growth, biomass production, and leaf chlorophyll levels. Limited translocation of microelements from belowground organs to leaves was observed across all plant samples. Cu, Fe, and Pb were predominantly accumulated in the roots of plants grown in TS-based substrates, with both cultivars acting as excluders for these metals by restricting their transport from roots to shoots. Mn and Zn were primarily retained in the stems and roots of highbush blueberry plants, with lower leaf accumulation. Notably, only Mn exhibited high translocation and bioaccumulation factor values (on average, 3.43 and 6.68, respectively), highlighting the species’ strong capacity for Mn accumulation. Specifically, control plants showed significantly higher Mn concentrations than those grown in TS-enriched substrates, likely due to the acidic conditions that enhance the bioavailability of this metal and the low Ca concentration in TS0, which is known to disrupt Mn accumulation in shoots. However, this accumulation did not reach toxic levels for the plants and did not negatively impact the physiological processes of control plants, which remained particularly efficient in the Duke cv, known for its Mn resistance. This study highlights the ability of highbush blueberry plants to selectively accumulate heavy metals when grown in polluted substrates under suitable conditions, making them a valuable model for understanding metal accumulation mechanisms in the Ericaceae family. Full article