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CheerUp: A Real-time Ambient Visualization of Cheerleading Pose Similarity
No full textCheerleading is a highly structured, synchronized activity to cheer the team up as a form of encouragement. However, it is challenging for the cheerleaders and the spectators to understand such meanings in their intensive movement. To our best knowledge, there is no real-time interactive system designed to aim to integrate multi-pose estimation, pose-similarity computations, and ambient visualization. To address the gap, we propose a real-time interactive visualization system, CheerUp, that can integrate these three components. CheerUp can import not only the pre-recorded video clips but also can support real-time 1080p at 60fps webcam live video. CheerUp can compare up to six cheerleaders' pose similarities using a Body-part-level Pose Distance(BPD) and transform them into an abstract ambient visualization that symbolizes the intensity of the movement and similarity. We hope this work can support the cheerleading team's dance practice and help the spectators can understand the meanings underlying in the intensive movement
Zn-Ion Transporting, In Situ Formed Robust Solid Electrolyte Interphase for Stable Zinc Metal Anodes over a Wide Temperature Range
No full textHydrogen evolution, corrosion, and dendrite for-mation in the Zn anodes limit their practical applications in aqueous Zn metal batteries. Herein, we propose an interfacial chemistry regulation strategy that uses hybrid electrolytes of water and a polar aprotic N,N-dimethylformamide to modify the Zn2+- solvation structure and in situ form a robust and Zn2+-conducting Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the Zn surface to achieve stable and dendrite-free Zn plating/stripping over a wide temperature range. As confirmed by 67Zn nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry, electrochemical characteriza-tions, and molecular dynamics simulation, the electrochemically and thermally stable Zn5(OH)6(CO3)2-contained SEI achieved a high ionic conductivity of 0.04 to 1.27 mS cm-1 from -30 to 70 degrees C and a thermally activated fast Zn2+ migration through the [010] plane. Consequently, extremely stable Zn-ion hybrid capacitors in hybrid electrolytes are demonstrated with high capacity retentions and Coulombic efficiencies over 14,000, 10,000, and 600 cycles at 25, -20, and 70 degrees C, respectively
Protein-Precoated Surface of Metal-Organic Framework Nanoparticles for Targeted Delivery
No full textMetal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles have recently emerged as a promising vehicle for drug delivery with high porosity and feasibility. However, employing a MOF-based drug delivery system remains a challenge due to the difficulty in controlling interfaces of particles in a biological environment. In this paper, protein corona-blocked Zr-6-based MOF (PCN-224) nanoparticles are presented for targeted cancer therapy with high efficiency. The unmodified PCN-224 surface is precoated with glutathione transferase (GST)-fused targetable affibody (GST-Afb) proteins via simple mixing conjugations instead of chemical modifications that can induce the impairment of proteins. GST-Afb proteins are shown to stably protect the surface of PCN-224 particles in a specific orientation with GST adsorbed onto the porous surface and the GST-linked Afb posed outward, minimizing the unwanted interfacial interactions of particles with external biological proteins. The Afb-directed cell-specific targeting ability of particles and consequent induction of cell death is demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo by using two kinds of Afb, which targets the surface membrane receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This study provides insight into the way of regulating the protein-adhesive surface of MOF nanoparticles and designing a more effective MOF-hosted targeted delivery system
Highly Improved Photocurrent Density and Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells via Inclined Fluorine Sputtering Process
No full textIncrease in incident light and surface modification of the charge transport layer are powerful routes to achieve high-performance efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by improving the short-circuit current density (J(SC)) and charge transport characteristics, respectively. However, few techniques are studied to reduce reflection loss and simultaneously improve the electrical performance of the electron transport layer (ETL). Herein, an inclined fluorine (F) sputtering process to fabricate high-performance PSCs is proposed. The proposed process simultaneously implements the antireflection effect of F coating and the effect of F doping on a TiO2 ETL, which increases the amount of light transmitted into the PSC due to the extremely low refractive index (approximate to 1.39) and drastically improves the electrical properties of TiO2. Consequently, the J(SC) of the F coating and doping perovskite solar cell (F-PSC) increased from 25.05 to 26.01 mA cm(-2), and the power conversion efficiency increased from 24.17% to 25.30%. The unencapsulated F-PSC exhibits enhanced air stability after 900 h of exposure to ambient environment atmosphere (30% relative humidity, 25 degrees C under dark condition). The inclined F sputtering process in this study can become a universal method for PSCs from the development stage to commercialization in the future
On the uniqueness of linear convection-diffusion equations with integral boundary conditions
No full textWe investigate a class of convection-diffusion equations in an expanding domain involving a parameter, where we consider integral boundary conditions that depend non-locally on unknown solutions. Generally, the uniqueness result of this type of equation is unclear. In this work, we obtain a uniqueness result when the domain is sufficiently large or small. This approach has the advantage of transforming the integral boundary conditions into new Dirichlet boundary conditions so that we can obtain refined estimates, and the comparison theorem can be applied to the equations. Furthermore, we show a domain such that under different boundary data, the equation in this domain can have infinitely numerous solutions or no solution. This work may contribute to the first understanding of the domain size's effect on the existence and uniqueness of the linear convection-diffusion equation with integral-type boundary conditions
Ion Exchange Induced Efficient N-Type Thermoelectrics in Solid-State
No full textHigh-performance n-type solid-state ionic thermoelectrics (SS i-TEs) for low-grade heat harvesting are highly desired and challenging. Here, the design and synthesis of an efficient n-type mixed conductor via ion pair modulation is demonstrated, which consists of biguanide hydrochloride (MfmCl) and a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) polymeric complex in a solid film. Theoretical calculations and nano/microstructure characterization reveal that the binding preference of ion pairs offers energetically favorable ion exchange in the matrix, which induces not only tightly bound Mfm PSS species but also favorable anion diffusion channels. Consequently, an enhanced ionic conductivity of 1.40 S m(-1) with a record highest negative thermopower of -46.97 mV K-1 is achieved for the n-type mixed conductor thus far
Preparation of wafer-scale highly conformalamorphous hafnium dioxide thin films by atomic layer deposition using a thermally stable boratabenzene ligand-containing hafnium precursor
No full textIn the present study, HfO2 thin films were fabricated via atomic layer deposition (ALD) using a novel heteroleptic metal organic precursor [tris (dimethylamino) dimethylaminoboratabenzene hafnium] [eta(6):eta(1)-(C5H5BNMe2)Hf (NMe2)(3); (BBHf)] along with O-2 as the oxygen source at a range of growth temperatures (i.e., 150-350 degrees C). This novel precursor is a heteroleptic complex synthesized by the introduction of a boratabenzene ligand (BB) into the parent Hf metal sphere to achieve an enhanced thermal stability. In this system, O-2 is used as a mild oxygen-containing reactant to replace the typically employed ozone (O-3). Distinctive self-limiting deposition was established with a comparatively high growth per cycle value of 0.068 nm, and linear growth was observed as a function of the ALD cycle number. Thermal decomposition was not detected at or below 350 degrees C, thereby indicating the improved thermal stability compared to when frequently used Cp (cyclopentadienyl)-amide precursors are employed. Under the ALD deposition conditions employed herein (275 degrees C), a complete step coverage was achieved with a good conformality on high aspect ratio dual trenches [top and bottom widths = 40 and 15 nm, respectively, aspect ratio (AR) approximate to 6.3], and uniformity was obtained on the large planar substrate (15 cm diameter). Upon annealing at 700 degrees C, the as-grown film formed an amorphous structure with a slightly enhanced crystallinity, while annealing at 850 degrees C led to the generation of nanocrystalline HfO2 films with amorphous structures, as indicated by X-ray diffraction measurements. The as-grown films were determined to be slightly rich in oxygen compared to the stoichiometry of HfO2, although they also contained significant amounts of residual impurities, such as H, B, and C (similar to 6, 6, and 7 at.%, respectively), as confirmed by Rutherford back-scattering spectrometry and elastic recoil detection analyses. The impurity levels were further reduced by increasing the growth temperature and by subsequent post-annealing, as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary-ion mass spectrometry analyses. Finally, ellipsometry analysis was performed to measure the optical properties of the prepared ALD-HfO2 thin films. It is expected that the described process may be of significance in the preparation of high-k films wherein thermally stable amorphous films with extremely conformal and uniform coatings are required to fabricate next-generation electronic devices
Photo-response modulation of organic transistors for multi-level light sensing using active layer microstructure control
No full textAnnealing processes are widely used to alter the morphology of organic films and optimize the electrical properties of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). However, the impact of annealing processes on the photo-response characteristics of phototransistors is not widely studied. We analyze the photo-response modulation of OFETs functioning as multi-level light sensors using active layer microstructure control through annealing processes. We apply solvent vapor annealing with dichloromethane vapor or thermal annealing to an N,N '-ditridecyl-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide film, a widely used photosensitive n-type active layer. The annealing processes lead to significant changes in the morphology of the film, altering the charge transport and trapping processes. These changes affect the charge carrier mobility and photo-response characteristics of the device. The difference in static and dynamic photo-response of the OFET devices with respect to the processing conditions is believed to be due to changes in the mechanism of charge transport and the trapping of photogenerated charge carriers in the active layers with altered morphologies. We analyze the active layer morphologies considering the processing conditions and explain their impact on device characteristics based on the charge transport and photo-response characteristics. We demonstrate that simple annealing processes enable the control of charge carrier mobility and photosensitivity of OFETs which highlights the importance of morphology control in the semiconductor film when fabricating multi-level light sensor