High-end Devices Research Articles

A fundus image enhancer based on illumination-guided attention and optic disc perception GAN

High-quality fundus images are essential for ophthalmologists in clinical diagnosis of eye diseases. For reasons such as the acquisition process and the retinal disease, most fundus images may suffer poor illumination, blur, and low contrast. In order to obtain high-quality fundus images, a novel network model for fundus image enhancement is constructed in this paper. The model introduces a generated adversarial network (GAN) with illumination-guided attention and optic disc perception. A U-Net with illumination-guided attention is used as the generator, and a global discriminator and a local discriminator with optic disc segmentation are used in the learning process. The model can improve the exposure level of overexposed and underexposed fundus images and also stretch the contrast. Experiments are performed on multiple fundus image datasets taken by the handheld device and high-end device to verify the robustness of the proposed illumination-guided attention and optic disc perception GAN (IGAODPGAN). The retinal structure and pathological characteristics are highlighted significantly after enhancement. Our method is superior to other state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of both subjective and objective assessment, which can provide an efficient solution for fundus image enhancement, especially for the non-uniform illuminated fundus images.

Handheld Echocardiography Measurements Concordance and Findings Agreement: An Exploratory Study

The professional association has already developed guidelines on the appropriate use of handheld ultrasound devices, especially in an emergency setting. Handheld ultrasound devices are seen as the 'stethoscope of the future' to assist in physical examination. Our exploratory study evaluated whether the measurements of cardiovascular structures and the agreement in identifying aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valve pathology made by a resident with a handheld device (HH, Kosmos Torso-One) reach the results reported by an experienced examiner who used a high-end device (STD). Patients referred for cardiology examination in a single center from June to August 2022 were eligible for the study. Patients who agreed to participate underwent two heart ultrasound examinations scanned by the same two operators. A cardiology resident performed the first examination with a HH ultrasound device, and an experienced examiner performed the second examination with an STD device. Forty-three consecutive patients were eligible, and forty-two were included in the study. One obese patient was excluded because none of the examiners succeeded in performing the heart examination. The measurements obtained with HH were generally higher than those obtained with STD, with the highest mean difference of 0.4 mm, but without significant differences (all 95% confidence intervals of the differences contain the value of 0). For valvular disease, the lowest agreement was observed for mitral valve regurgitation (26/42, with a Kappa concordance coefficient of 0.5321), which was missed in almost half of the patients with mild regurgitation and underestimated in half of the patients with moderate mitral regurgitation. The measurements performed by the resident with the handheld Kosmos Torso-One device showed high concordance with those conducted by the experienced examiner with a larger high-end ultrasound device. The learning curve of the resident could explain the limited performance in identifying valvular pathologies between examiners.

An enhanced opportunistic rank-based parent node selection for sustainable & smart IoT networks

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of interconnected devices that includes low-end devices (sensors) and high-end devices (servers). The routing protocol used the Low-Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) protocol, which was designed to collect data in Low-Power and Lossy Networks (LLN) efficiently and reliably. The RPL rank property specifies how sensor nodes are placed in Destination Oriented Directed Acyclic Graphs (DODAG) based on an Objective Function (OF). The OF includes information such as the Expected Transmission Count (ETX) and packet delivery rate. The rank property aids in routing path optimization, reducing control overhead, and maintaining a loop-free topology by using rank-based data path validation. However, it causes many issues, such as optimal parent selection, next-hop node selection, and network instability. We proposed an Enhanced Opportunistic Rank-based Parent Node Selection for Sustainable and Smart IoT Networks to address these issues. The optimal parent node is determined by forecasting the expected energy of each node using Received Signal Strength (RSS) and an enhanced reinforcement learning algorithm. The proposed method addresses the issue of selecting the next-hop neighbor node and improves routing stability. Furthermore, when a large number of new nodes try to join the sustainable IoT-based smart cities, the proposed technique provides optimal load balance.

Agreement and reliability of lower limb muscle architecture measurements using a portable ultrasound device

Although ultrasonography is commonly used to assess muscle architecture, high-end ultrasonography devices lack in portability and are expensive. Recently, ultrasonography devices consisting solely of a probe, an app, and/or a mobile display were introduced. These devices have lower acquisition costs than high-end devices and demonstrate higher portability. Portable systems would allow for cost-effective, on-site athlete or patient screenings of muscle architecture as well as diagnosis of pathologies or injury. Furthermore, portable systems can be easily transported to allow for uncomplicated assessment of athletes belonging to different teams or patients in different hospital units. Nonetheless, the reliability of portable systems and the comparability to high-end devices for muscle architecture assessment have not been investigated.
 We investigated the agreement and reliability of a portable and handheld ultrasonography system for muscle architecture measurements in human lower limb muscles. We acquired images of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL) and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) in 36 active healthy participants (15 female, 21 male) at 50% of muscle length using the handheld Lumify (L12-4, linear array 37 mm, Philips Healthcare, Amsterdam, Netherlands) and a high-end laboratory device (ACUSON Juniper, linear-array 54 mm, 12L3, SIEMENS Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany). Muscle length was determined as distance between the proximal and distal muscle tendon junction. We compared measurements of muscle fascicle length, pennation angle and thickness. To assess inter-session reliability of the Lumify system, participants were measured twice within 1 week.
 Comparing RF architecture measurements of both devices resulted in intra-class correlations (ICCs) ranging from 0.46–0.82 and standardized mean difference (SMDs) ranging from −0.45–0.05. For VL, ICCs ranged from 0.60–0.89 and SMDs ranged from −0.11–0.13. ICCs and SMDs for the GM ranged from 0.82–0.86 and −0.07–0.07. Calculating inter-session reliability for RF resulted in ICCs ranging from 0.44–0.76 and SMDs ranging from −0.38–0.15. For VL, ICCs and SMDs ranged from 0.57–0.75 and −0.13–0.02. ICCs for GM ranged from 0.75–0.92 and SMDs ranged from −0.15–0.16. The highest agreement (ICC ≥ 0.82) and reliability (ICC ≥ 0.75) across all muscles was demonstrated for the measurement of muscle thickness.
 The Lumify system was comparable to a high-end device and reliable for GM measurements. Nevertheless, agreement and reliability were lower for the RF and VL. Thus, when interpreting longitudinal observed changes in muscle architecture assessed with the Lumify system, measurement errors should be considered. Future investigations should consider including different participant populations, comparing the reliability of different portable systems for muscle architecture assessment as well as including different muscle groups.

Performance Analysis on Eigenmode Beamforming for Reduced Capability Device in Massive MIMO Systems

Recently, a new type of device that enables reduced capability (RedCap) has been identified and standardized in the fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR). Because RedCap user equipment (UE) is designed to have low device cost and complexity compared with high-end devices, single-layer transmission is mainly considered for RedCap UE. For single-layer transmission, traditional eigenmode beamforming, which transmits a data stream through the maximum eigenmode direction, is applicable for base stations (BSs), and a simple matched filter can be used on the UE side. Under this operation scenario, the performance of eigenmode beamforming is analyzed in this study, and the effect of the number of UE antennas on the achievable rate is investigated. The asymptotic achievable rate for eigenmode beamforming with practical channel training for both the uplink and downlink is derived as a closed-form expression for any number of UE antennas <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">n</i> . For the analysis, the statistics of the maximum eigenvalue are derived using the Tracy-Widom distribution. The results of the analysis show that the maximum eigenvalue is a concave function in terms of <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">n</i> , and there is an optimal number of UE antennas <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">n</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">opt</sub> that maximizes the achievable rate. Simulations verify the analytical results and show that <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">n</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">opt</sub> maximizing the achievable rate decreases as the numbers of BS antennas and co-scheduled UEs increase.

Numerical analysis on flow and surface topography of the molten pool in laser additive remanufacturing

Laser additive remanufacturing technology is an important technology in the field of manufacturing technology innovation and development, which has largely revolutionized the design and manufacturing mode of high-end devices to a large extent, and is a key component of green remanufacturing that can effectively promote the sustainable and sound development of the manufacturing industry. A multiphase model of laser additive remanufacturing with pulsed lasers is developed to analyze the evolution of the molten pool, the trend of the surface tension for different process parameters, and their relation to the molten pool morphology. The results demonstrate that the maximum flow velocity at the surface of the molten pool is inversely proportional to the pulsed laser frequency and to the duty ratio. While the trend of the height of the cladding layer corresponds to the trend of the heat accumulation in the molten pool, the width and penetration depth of the cladding layer are governed by the size of the heat-affected zone. The cladding layer and substrate will have poor metallurgical bonding if the pulsed laser frequency is too high. When the duty ratio is too large, the likelihood of over-melting increases, affecting the substrate properties and increasing the surface roughness, which is detrimental to the surface finish of the cladding layer.

Design of Hybrid Full Adder using 6T-XOR-Cell for High Speed Processor Designs Applications

Hybrid-logic implementation is highly suitable in the design of a full adder circuit to attain high-speed low-power consumption, which helps to design n any high speed ALUs that can be used in varies processors and applicable for high speed IoT- Application. XOR/XNOR-cell, Hybrid Full Adder (HFA) are the fundamental building block to perform any arithmetic operation. In this paper, different types of high-speed, low-power 6T-XOR/XNOR-cell designs are being proposed and simulated results are presented. The proposed HFA is simulated using a cadence virtuoso environment in a 45nm technology with supply voltage as 0.8V at 1GHz. The proposed HFA consumes a power of 1.555uw, and the delay is 36.692ns. Layout designs are drawn for both 6T-XOR/XNOR-cell, and 1- bit HFA designs. XOR/XNOR-cells are designed based on the combination of normal CMOS-inverter and Pass Transistor Logic (PTL). Which is used in the design of high end device processors such as ALU that can be implemented for the IoT- design applications?

Exploration on the Integration of Electronic Product Quality Control

An electronic control system that can realize the functions of detecting and measuring the steps and time display is designed. The design content of the system in this paper is roughly divided into two levels: software and hardware. In the hardware design level, a STC89C51 single chip computer with 8-bit data operation capability is selected, which is used as the main control core of this type of electronic pedometer system. It combines the LCD1602 display A series of high-end devices, such as ADXL345 module and real-time clock chip, have designed the hardware architecture of this electronic pedometer system through efficient and stable circuit layout construction. In terms of software program construction, this graduation design divides the system architecture of this model of electronic pedometer control system into main program and several subprogram modules, Realize the design of each expected functional index of this type of electronic pedometer control system. Finally, after a long test run, the design results of this type of electronic pedometer control system show high efficiency and stability, and a large number of test data show that all indicators meet the initial goals.

Key Points to Select a Device for Dermatologic Ultrasound.

What points to consider when selecting a device for practicing dermatologic ultrasound is an excellent question. After we met the requisites published in the guidelines for practicing dermatologic ultrasound, it is necessary to consider the main objectiveof the use because it is not the same to be focused mostly on the avoidance of the puncture of important facial vessels such as the case of injectors of cosmetic fillers in comparison to the use of operators that need to deal with the diagnosis and monitoring of a wide range of dermatologic pathologies. Currently, a broad variety of ultrasound devices meets the minimum requirements for practicing these examinations in the market. Thus, small, portable, and high-end devices may present advantages and limitations that must be balanced according to the primary purposesand the budget. Moreover, the shape and footprint of the probes can make difficult or facilitate a dermatologic procedure. Other points to consider are the type of storage and the need for technical service. In summary, there are key points that we need to consider when we select a dermatologic ultrasound device in dermatology or aesthetics.

Erebus

In data streaming, why-provenance can explain why a given outcome is observed but offers no help in understanding why an expected outcome is missing. Explaining missing answers has been addressed in DBMSs, but these solutions are not directly applicable to the streaming setting, because of the extra challenges posed by limited storage and by the unbounded nature of data streams. With our framework, Erebus , we tackle the unaddressed challenges behind explaining missing answers in streaming applications. Erebus allows users to define expectations about the results of a query, verifying at runtime if such expectations hold, and also providing explanations when expected and observed outcomes diverge (missing answers). To the best of our knowledge, Erebus is the first such solution in data streaming. Our thorough evaluation on real data shows that Erebus can explain the (missing) answers with small overheads, both in low- and higher-end devices, even when large portions of the processed data are part of such explanations.

Agreement and reliability of lower limb muscle architecture measurements using a portable ultrasound device.

High end ultrasonography devices lack in portability and are expensive. We investigated the agreement and reliability of a handheld and portable ultrasound system for human lower limb muscle architecture measurements. We captured ultrasound images of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL) and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) in 36 active healthy participants (15 female, 21 male) at 50% of muscle length using the handheld Lumify (L12-4, linear-array 37 mm, Philips Healthcare, Amsterdam, Netherlands) and a high-end laboratory device (ACUSON Juniper, linear-array 54 mm, 12L3, SIEMENS Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany). We compared measurements of muscle fascicle length, pennation angle and thickness. To assess inter-session reliability of the Lumify system, participants were measured twice within 1 week. Comparing RF architecture measurements of both devices resulted in intra-class correlations (ICCs) ranging from 0.46–0.82 and standardized mean difference (SMDs) ranging from −0.45–0.05. For VL, ICCs ranged from 0.60–0.89 and SMDs ranged from −0.11–0.13. ICCs and SMDs for the GM ranged from 0.82–0.86 and −0.07–0.07. Calculating inter-session reliability for RF resulted in ICCs ranging from 0.44–0.76 and SMDs ranging from −0.38–0.15. For VL, ICCs and SMDs ranged from 0.57–0.75 and −0.13–0.02. ICCs for GM ranged from 0.75–0.92 and SMDs ranged from −0.15–0.16. Measurement of muscle thickness demonstrated the highest agreement (ICC ≥0.82) and reliability (ICC ≥0.75) across all muscles. The Lumify system was comparable to a high-end device and reliable for GM measurements. However, agreement and reliability were lower for the RF and VL. Of all evaluated architectural parameters, muscle thickness exhibited highest agreement and reliability.

Enhancement of fatigue resistance by recrystallization and grain growth to eliminate bonding interfaces in Cu–Cu joints

Cu–Cu joints have been adopted for ultra-high density of packaging for high-end devices. However, cracks may form and propagate along the bonding interfaces during fatigue tests. In this study, Cu–Cu joints were fabricated at 300 °C by bonding 〈111〉-oriented nanotwinned Cu microbumps with 30 μm in diameter. After temperature cycling tests (TCTs) for 1000 cycles, cracks were observed to propagate along the original bonding interface. However, with additional 300 °C-1 h annealing, recrystallization and grain growth took place in the joints and thus the bonding interfaces were eliminated. The fatigue resistance of the Cu–Cu joints is enhanced significantly. Failure analysis shows that cracks propagation was retarded in the Cu joints without the original bonding interface, and the electrical resistance of the joints did not increase even after 1000 cycles of TCT. Finite element analysis was carried to simulate the stress distribution during the TCTs. The results can be correlated to the failure mechanism observed by experimental failure analysis.

Modified fuzzy C-means and K-means clustering based spectrum sensing using cooperative spectrum for cognitive radio networks applications

The recent decade has seen a rapid evolution of communication technologies and standards with the ultimate goal of providing global users with seamless connectivity a data access. Conventional methods of communication have been completely replaced by state-of-the-art hand-held gadgets and portable devices that enable users to communicate at high transmission rates. However, as high-end devices and gadgets become more popular and their demand for operating frequency which is essentially the Radio Frequency (RF) band in the EM (Electro Magnetic) spectrum tends to force the limits to the higher end of the RF spectrum. Due to the limitation of RF band availability, a spectrum is constructed for the requesting user for promising solution, and a difficult task. The emerging cognitive radio networks are a set of intelligent tools and scheme of identify the vacant spots in the band through effective sensing and allocating the spectrum to the requesting users. A modified cluster-based model has been proposed as part of extensive research on spectrum sensing. In the proposed work, a two-phase clustering model in the form of modified Fuzzy C-Means (FCM), and K-Means clustering is used, in which FCM is used as a training module on the channel features. K-Means is effectively used as an unsupervised classifier model. The proposed classification model was tested in a densely populated cognitive radio network compared to standard methods such as SVM (Support Vector Machine), FCM, and K-Means. Superior performance in terms of quality metrics like 90% classification accuracy, 91% spectral utility 90% are notable findings of this research work.

Echoscopy in scanning abdominal diseases in acritical care setting.

Targeted ultrasound examinations with portable ultrasound device (handheld ultrasound system [HHUS]) have been defined as "echoscopy" by the European Federation of Societies of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB). For abdominal diseases it has been shown that echoscopy is sensitive and specific. The aim of this study is to show that the use of HHUS for abdominal ultrasonography is possible under the conditions prevailing in emergency and intensive care medicine and that it is not inferior to high-end devices (high-end ultrasound systems [HEUS]). Examinations were carried out with afirst-generation Vscan™ (GE Medical Systems, Solingen, Germany) and HEUS device (Siemens Acuson X‑300 or X‑700, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). The HEUS device was seen as standard. The examinations were randomized and blinded and carried out by two examiners within 30 min in order to avoid falsifications due to time delay. They took place in the intensive care unit, the emergency room and the emergency medical service. The results had to be recorded in an examination sheet. In all, 86patients (54men and 32women, aged 73 ± 14.58 [28-95] years) were included. In 45.35% (39/86) of the ultrasound examinations using HEUS and in 41.86% (36/89) of the cases using HHUS the examination conditions were optimal. Furthermore, 76.19% of the examinations were carried out by both examiners in the same scanning position. For the detection of liver tumours, HHUS shows asensitivity of 70% and specificity of 100%. With regard to identifying signs of cholecystitis, i.e., evidence of surrounding inflammation(a) or hydrops(b), HHUS shows asensitivity of 66.67%(a) and 60%(b) and aspecificity of 97.06%(a) and 96.86%(b). The diagnosis of an ileus is successful with asensitivity of 87.5% and aspecificity of 60%. The respiratory variability of the inferior vena cava has asensitivity of 100% and aspecificity of 40% using HHUS. Ascites and pleural effusions can be diagnosed with asensitivity of 89% and aspecificity of 93.1%. When using the FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma) protocol, HHUS has asensitivity of 80% and aspecificity of 90.9%. With the exception of kidney cysts and inferior vena cava, the measurement of the diameter has apositive correlation. Echoscopy of the abdomen in emergency and intensive care medicine is possible despite restrictive circumstances. The inferior vena cava can only be assessed to alimited extent with the first generation of Vscan™. In order to use sonography in emergency and intensive care medicine, astandardized procedure is to be aimed for and training in emergency sonography is necessary.

Gas-Sensing Properties of a Carbyne-Enriched Nanocoating Deposited onto Surface Acoustic Wave Composite Substrates with Various Electrode Topologies

The application of carbyne-enriched nanomaterials opens unique possibilities for enhancing the functional properties of several nanomaterials and unlocking their full potential for practical applications in high-end devices. We studied the ethanol-vapor-sensing performance of a carbyne-enriched nanocoating deposited onto surface acoustic wave (SAW) composite substrates with various electrode topologies. The carbyne-enriched nanocoating was grown using the ion-assisted pulse-plasma deposition technique. Such carbon nanostructured metamaterials were named 2D-ordered linear-chain carbon, where they represented a two-dimensionally packed hexagonal array of carbon chains held by the van der Waals forces, with the interchain spacing approximately being between 4.8 and 5.03 Å. The main characteristics of the sensing device, such as dynamic range, linearity, sensitivity, and response and recovery times, were measured as a function of the ethanol concentration. To the authors’ knowledge, this was the first time demonstration of the detection ability of carbyne-enriched material to ethanol vapors. The results may pave the path for optimization of these sensor architectures for the precise detection of volatile organic compounds, with applications in the fields of medicine, healthcare, and air composition monitoring.

Examining the Ability of Two Actigraph Models to Detect and Discriminate Between Low Frequency Movements

Recently, there has been a notable shift to increasingly more sedentary lifestyles, yet it remains unclear whether inexpensive accelerometers, such as those contained in Actigraph devices, can provide consistent measurements of low magnitude accelerations. This study sought to explore the ability of two Actigraph models to differentiate low frequency oscillations, in reference to higher-end accelerometers with the idle sleep mode disabled (ISM) (Part 1) and enabled (Part 2) in a controlled environment. Eight GT9X, fifteen wGT3X-BT and two higher-end accelerometers (Triaxial ICP) were mounted to a 6-degree of freedom robot, which introduced frequencies ranging from 0.5-2.0 Hz (Part 1) and 0.5-4.0 Hz (Part 2). To compare the models, the minimum, maximum and range of outputs were calculated for each of the frequencies. Part 1 revealed that the Actigraph monitors were able to detect low frequency oscillations; the captured output was similar across the different Actigraph models but was significantly greater than the higher-end devices. Part 2 demonstrated that amplitudes greater than the described 40 m g (0.392 m/s <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> ) threshold were required for the Actigraph monitors to wake up. This study demonstrates that the GT9X and wGT3X-BT Actigraph accelerometers can detect low magnitude movements when the ISM is disabled.

Robust growth of two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides and their alloys by active chalcogen monomer supply

The precise precursor supply is a precondition for controllable growth of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Although great efforts have been devoted to modulating the transition metal supply, few effective methods of chalcogen feeding control were developed. Here we report a strategy of using active chalcogen monomer supply to grow high-quality TMDs in a robust and controllable manner, e.g., MoS2 monolayers perform representative photoluminescent circular helicity of ~92% and electronic mobility of ~42 cm2V−1s−1. Meanwhile, a uniform quaternary TMD alloy with three different anions, i.e., MoS2(1-x-y)Se2xTe2y, was accomplished. Our mechanism study revealed that the active chalcogen monomers can bind and diffuse freely on a TMD surface, which enables the effective nucleation, reaction, vacancy healing and alloy formation during the growth. Our work offers a degree of freedom for the controllable synthesis of 2D compounds and their alloys, benefiting the development of high-end devices with desired 2D materials.

Nitrogen-Containing Perylene Diimides: Molecular Design, Robust Aggregated Structures, and Advances in n-Type Organic Semiconductors.

ConspectusOrganic semiconductors (OSCs) have attracted much attention because of their potential applications for flexible and printed electronic devices and thus have been extensively investigated in a variety of research fields, such as organic chemistry, solid-state physics, and device physics and engineering. Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), a class of OSC-based devices, have been expected to be an alternative of silicon-based metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), which is the indispensable element for most of the current electronic devices. However, the noncovalently aggregated, van der Waals solid nature of the OSCs, by contrast to covalently bound silicon, conventionally exhibits lower carrier mobilities, limiting the practical applications of OTFTs. In particular, electron-transporting (i.e., n-type) OSCs lag behind their hole-transporting (p-type) counterparts in carrier mobility and ambient stability as OTFTs. This is primarily because of the difficulty in achieving compatibility between the aggregated structure exhibiting excellent carrier mobility and that with enough electron affinity. Recent understandings of carrier transport in OSCs explain that large and two-dimensionally isotropic transfer integrals coupled with small fluctuations are crucial for high carrier mobilities. In addition, from a practical point of view, the compatibility with practical device processes is highly required. Rational molecular design principles, therefore, are still demanded for developing OSCs and OTFTs toward high-end device applications.Herein, we will show our recent progress in the development of n-type OSCs with the key π-electron core (π-core) of benzo[de]isoquinolino[1,8-gh]quinolinetetracarboxylic diimide (BQQDI) on the basis of single-crystal OTFT technologies and the band-transport model enabled by two-dimensional molecular packing arrangements. The critical point is the introduction of electronegative nitrogen atoms into the π-core: the nitrogen atoms in BQQDI not only deepen the molecular orbital energies but also allow hydrogen-bonding-like attractive intermolecular interactions to control the aggregated structures, unlike the conventional role of the nitrogen introduced into OSCs only for the former role. Hence, the BQQDI analogues exhibit air-stable OTFT behavior and two-dimensional brickwork packing structures. Specifically, phenethyl-substituted analogue (PhC2-BQQDI) has been shown as the first principal BQQDI-based material, demonstrating solution-processable thin-film single crystals, fewer anisotropic transfer integrals, and an effective suppression of molecular motions, leading to band-like electron-transport properties and stress-durable n-channel OTFT performances, in conjunction with the support of computational calculations. Insights into more fundamental points of view have been found by side-chain derivatization and OTFT studies on polycrystalline and single-crystal films. We hope that this Account provides readers with new strategies for designing high-performance OSCs by two-dimensional control of the aggregated structures.

Atomic-scale manufacture of metre-sized two-dimensional single crystals by interfacial modulation

With the shrinkage of the chip feature size, the short-channel effect becomes more and more predominate. The development of new quantum materials for high-performance devices has become imperative for the current technological development. Two-dimensional (2D) materials, due to their excellent physical and chemical properties, are thought to be the promising candidate of quantum materials for achieving the high-end electronic and optoelectronic devices. Like the development of silicon-based chips, the wafer-scale device applications of 2D materials must be based on the fabrication of high-quality, large-size 2D single crystals. However, the existing manufacturing techniques of the well-studied bulk single crystals cannot be fully applied to the fabrication of 2D single crystals due to the interfacial characteristics of 2D materials. So far, single crystals of metre-sized graphene, decimetre-sized hBN and wafer-sized TMDCs have been successfully prepared by chemical vapor deposition, but the sizes of other 2D single crystals are still very limited and not in the same league as conventional semiconductor materials. Therefore, it is urgent to develop an effective preparation strategy for the manufacture of various 2D single crystals. In this review, we mainly overview the fabrication techniques for the meter-scale growth of 2D single crystals, and propose three key modulation aspects in the atomic-scale manufacture, i.e. the growth modulation of 2D single nucleus, the preparation of single-crystal substrates, and the alignment control of 2D single-crystal domains, in order to provide a universal method of fabricating the large-size 2D single crystals. Finally, the prospect of chip devices based on these high-quality large-size novel 2D single crystals is discussed, thereby paving the way for the future industrial applications of electronics and optoelectronics.

Load Classification: A Case Study for Applying Neural Networks in Hyper-Constrained Embedded Devices

The application of Artificial Intelligence to the industrial world and its appliances has recently grown in popularity. Indeed, AI techniques are now becoming the de-facto technology for the resolution of complex tasks concerning computer vision, natural language processing and many other areas. In the last years, most of the the research community efforts have focused on increasing the performance of most common AI techniques—e.g., Neural Networks, etc.—at the expenses of their complexity. Indeed, many works in the AI field identify and propose hyper-efficient techniques, targeting high-end devices. However, the application of such AI techniques to devices and appliances which are characterised by limited computational capabilities, remains an open research issue. In the industrial world, this problem heavily targets low-end appliances, which are developed focusing on saving costs and relying on—computationally—constrained components. While some efforts have been made in this area through the proposal of AI-simplification and AI-compression techniques, it is still relevant to study which available AI techniques can be used in modern constrained devices. Therefore, in this paper we propose a load classification task as a case study to analyse which state-of-the-art NN solutions can be embedded successfully into constrained industrial devices. The presented case study is tested on a simple microcontroller, characterised by very poor computational performances—i.e., FLOPS –, to mirror faithfully the design process of low-end appliances. A handful of NN models are tested, showing positive outcomes and possible limitations, and highlighting the complexity of AI embedding.