Lower Lifetime Research Articles

Analysis of Life Time Improvement Energy Efficient Risk-Free Protocol (ERP) for Data Transmission in Wireless Sensor Networks

Recently, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have come to be seen as the fundamental architecture that paved the way for the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). However, a challenging problem develops when WSNs are connected to the IoT because of their nodes' high energy consumption and low network lifetime. As a result, the core concepts of WSNs include energy limits in sensor nodes, sensor data exchange, and routing protocols. The enhanced smart-energy-efficient routing protocol (ESEERP) presented in this study addresses the aforementioned shortcomings by extending the network's lifespan and enhancing connectivity. Since the Internet of Things (IoT) demands a significant amount of energy for sensing, processing, and data transport, the IoT application in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) poses substantial issues in maintaining network durability. As a result, multiple traditional algorithms incorporate different optimization techniques to improve the performance of WSN networks. We utilize IPv4 in wireless sensor networks to transmit data (packets), however, this strategy prevents users from accessing big amounts of data over long distances since it may need a lot of power to transmit large amounts of data using IPv4. The Internet of Things (IoT) can be used to solve this problem because it connects small battery-operated devices like sensors as well as consumer electronics and home appliances. One of the most often utilised wireless methods for sensor network connectivity is the IEEE 802.11 standard.

Life's Essential 8 and 10-Year and Lifetime Risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in China

Cardiovascular health level according to the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) in China and its effectiveness on the 10-year and lifetime risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases is unclear. This prospective study included 88,665 participants in the China-PAR cohort (data from 1998 to 2020) and 88,995 in the Kailuan cohort (data from 2006 to 2019). Analyses were conducted by November 2022. LE8 was measured according to the American Heart Association's LE8 algorithm, and a high cardiovascular health status was defined as a LE8 score ≥80 points. Participants were followed for the primary composite outcomes, including fatal and nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke. The lifetime risk was estimated from the cumulative risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases through ages 20-85 years, the association of LE8 and LE8 change with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases was assessed with the Cox proportional-hazards model, and partial population-attributable risks evaluated the proportion of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases that could be averted. The mean LE8 score was 70.0 in the China-PAR cohort and 64.6 in the Kailuan cohort, with 23.3% and 8.0% of participants having a high cardiovascular health status, respectively. Participants in the highest quintile had about 60% lower 10-year and lifetime risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in the China-PAR and Kailuan cohorts than participants with the lowest quintile LE8 score. If everyone maintained the highest quintile of LE8 score, approximately half of the atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases could be prevented. The participant with LE8 score that increased from the lowest to the highest tertile during 2006-2012 had a 44% (hazard ratio=0.56; 95% CI=0.45, 0.69) lower observed risk and a 43% (hazard ratio=0.57; 95% CI=0.46, 0.70) lower lifetime risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases than those remaining in the lowest tertile in the Kailuan cohort. The LE8 score was below optimal levels in Chinese adults. A high baseline LE8 score and an improving LE8 score were associated with decreased 10-year and lifetime risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

Heterogeneity In Women’s Trauma Histories: Impact On Substance Use Disorder Severity

ABSTRACT Trauma and substance use disorders (SUDs) frequently co-occur, especially in women. Previous studies have attempted to determine if individual differences in trauma histories could be meaningfully categorized but few studies have focused solely on women, especially those reporting substance use problems. A total of 130 women (M age = 30.7, SD = 7.9) self reporting past-year substance use problems completed comprehensive measures assessing lifetime exposure to a variety of traumatic events as well as substance use patterns and severity. Using latent class analysis, three classes emerged, a Low Lifetime Interpersonal Trauma class (40%, n = 52), a Moderate Lifetime Interpersonal Trauma class (23.8%, n = 31) and a High Lifetime Interpersonal Trauma class (36.2%, n = 47). Groups did not vary on daily/almost daily use of different types of substances and polysubstance use frequency but were significantly different on SUD severity, with the Moderate and the High Lifetime Interpersonal Trauma classes reporting severe SUD severity in comparison to moderate severity for the Low Interpersonal Trauma class. The findings of the current study indicate that women experiencing substance use problems should receive SUD treatment in a trauma-informed manner but that not all may require integrated trauma and substance use interventions.

Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) reduces total lifetime cost compared with posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) for single-level lumbar spinal fusion surgery: a cost-utility analysis in Thailand

BackgroundLumbar interbody fusion techniques treat degenerative lumbar diseases effectively. Minimally invasive lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) decreases soft tissue disruption and accelerates recovery better than standard open posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). However, the material cost of LLIF is high, especially in Thailand. The cost-effectiveness of LLIF and PLIF in developing countries is unclear. This study compared the cost-utility and clinical outcomes of LLIF and PLIF in Thailand.MethodsData from patients with lumbar spondylosis who underwent single-level LLIF and PLIF between 2014 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative and 1-year follow-up EuroQol-5D-5L and healthcare costs were collected. A cost-utility analysis with a lifetime time horizon was performed using a societal perspective. Outcomes are reported as the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. A Thai willingness-to-pay threshold of 5003 US dollars (USD) per QALY gained was used.ResultsThe 136 enrolled patients had a mean age of 62.26 ± 11.66 years. Fifty-nine patients underwent LLIF, while 77 underwent PLIF. The PLIF group experienced greater estimated blood loss (458.96 vs 167.03 ml; P < 0.001), but the LLIF group had a longer operative time (222.80 vs 194.62 min; P = 0.007). One year postoperatively, the groups’ Oswestry Disability Index and EuroQol-Visual Analog Scale scores were improved without statistical significance. The PLIF group had a significantly better utility score than the LLIF group (0.89 vs 0.84; P = 0.023). LLIF’s total lifetime cost was less than that of PLIF (30,124 and 33,003 USD). Relative to PLIF, LLIF was not cost-effective according to the Thai willingness-to-pay threshold, with an ICER of 19,359 USD per QALY gained.ConclusionsLLIF demonstrated lower total lifetime cost from a societal perspective. Regard to our data, at the 1-year follow-up, the improvement in patient quality of life was less with LLIF than with PLIF. Additionally, economic evaluation modeling based on the context of Thailand showed that LLIF was not cost-effective compared with PLIF. A strategy that facilitates the selection of patients for LLIF is required to optimize patient benefits.

Toward commercialization with lightweight, flexible perovskite solar cells for residential photovoltaics

Metal-halide perovskites have emerged as a promising class of next-generation solar cells. Here, we assess what lifetimes and efficiencies perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have to reach to lower the price of commercial residential photovoltaics (PVs) further. We find that using light and flexible substrates, as opposed to heavy and rigid ones, reduces the total installed system cost of PSCs, culminating in a lower balance of system (BOS) cost, as it is possible to use different mounting methods. Concretely, we analyze the scenario when the modules are directly placed onto a roof without requiring a racking system. This reduces both labor and material costs. Furthermore, it effectively lowers the necessary efficiency or lifetime of PSCs (T80 value) to achieve the same electricity cost as commercialized silicon. For 2021, we find that a rigid perovskite module with 17% efficiency would need at least 24 years to become competitive with residential-installed silicon. In comparison, a light, flexible module with the same efficiency would only need to last 19 years. In 2030, with the accordingly projected BOS costs, a 23% efficient perovskite module would need to last 24 years if rigid but only 17 years if flexible. Finally, we extend our analysis toward tandem structures with perovskite-silicon or all-perovskite tandem architectures. We find that flexible PSCs present a promising commercialization route because it can enable low manufacturing and BOS deployment costs, which opens up commercial viability at lower efficiencies or lifetimes. Metal-halide perovskites have emerged as a promising class of next-generation solar cells. Here, we assess what lifetimes and efficiencies perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have to reach to lower the price of commercial residential photovoltaics (PVs) further. We find that using light and flexible substrates, as opposed to heavy and rigid ones, reduces the total installed system cost of PSCs, culminating in a lower balance of system (BOS) cost, as it is possible to use different mounting methods. Concretely, we analyze the scenario when the modules are directly placed onto a roof without requiring a racking system. This reduces both labor and material costs. Furthermore, it effectively lowers the necessary efficiency or lifetime of PSCs (T80 value) to achieve the same electricity cost as commercialized silicon. For 2021, we find that a rigid perovskite module with 17% efficiency would need at least 24 years to become competitive with residential-installed silicon. In comparison, a light, flexible module with the same efficiency would only need to last 19 years. In 2030, with the accordingly projected BOS costs, a 23% efficient perovskite module would need to last 24 years if rigid but only 17 years if flexible. Finally, we extend our analysis toward tandem structures with perovskite-silicon or all-perovskite tandem architectures. We find that flexible PSCs present a promising commercialization route because it can enable low manufacturing and BOS deployment costs, which opens up commercial viability at lower efficiencies or lifetimes.

Accidental persistent spin textures in the proustite mineral family

Persistent spin textures (PSTs) in momentum space have the potential to enable spintronic devices which are currently limited by low spin lifetimes in nonmagnetic spin-orbit coupled materials. We perform a first-principles study on the proustite mineral family, Ag$_3$BQ$_3$} (B=As,\,Sb; Q=S,\,Se), and show these chalcogenides exhibit a non-symmetry protected PST, which we refer to as symmetry-assisted PSTs. Chemical substitution can be used to tune the PST quality and properties, e.g., spin lifetime, and we find that a Rashba anisotropy criterion correlates with the PST area and spin lifetime for two of the three proustites examined. Last, we show that a first-order effective SOC Hamiltonian, often used in two-dimensional systems, is insufficient to describe the PST state in all proustites, suggesting that higher order models are necessary to fully describe PSTs in bulk three-dimensional materials.

Low cycle fatigue lifetime and deformation behaviour prediction of nickel-based single crystal superalloy considering thickness debit effect

Through stress-controlled low cycle fatigue (LCF) experiments, LCF performances for thickness debit effect of nickel-based single crystal superalloy DD6 with [001] orientation are investigated. Based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, the formation mechanism of thickness debit effect and the damage mechanism under LCF loads are revealed. Then, considering the thickness debit effect of nickel-based single crystal superalloy DD6, an improved slip-based damage model is developed. Predicted LCF lifetimes are mainly within a scatter band of factor 2, and the predicted laws between LCF lifetimes and wall-thicknesses are in good agreement with the experimental data, which verifies the rationality and accuracy of the thickness-sensitive LCF damage model established in this paper. Furthermore, a damage-coupled crystallographic constitutive model reflecting thickness debit effect is developed. For DD6 specimens with different wall-thicknesses, the predicted results of the stress-controlled LCF deformation behaviours including the whole-lifetime ratcheting behaviours show good agreement with the experimental data.

CsPbBr3/graphene nanowall artificial optoelectronic synapses for controllable perceptual learning

The rapid development of neuromorphic computing has stimulated extensive research interest in artificial synapses. Optoelectronic artificial synapses using laser beams as stimulus signals have the advantages of broadband, fast response, and low crosstalk. However, the optoelectronic synapses usually exhibit short memory duration due to the low lifetime of the photo-generated carriers. It greatly limits the mimicking of human perceptual learning, which is a common phenomenon in sensory interactions with the environment and practices of specific sensory tasks. Herein, a heterostructure optoelectronic synapse based on graphene nanowalls and CsPbBr3 quantum dots was fabricated. The graphene/CsPbBr3 heterojunction and the natural middle energy band in graphene nanowalls extend the carrier lifetime. Therefore, a long half-life period of photocurrent decay - 35.59 s has been achieved. Moreover, the long-term optoelectronic response can be controlled by the adjustment of numbers, powers, wavelengths, and frequencies of the laser pulses. Next, an artificial neural network consisting of a 28 × 28 synaptic array was established. It can be used to mimic a typical characteristic of human perceptual learning that the ability of sensory systems is enhanced through a learning experience. The learning behavior of image recognition can be tuned based on the photocurrent response control. The accuracy of image recognition keeps above 80% even under a low-frequency learning process. We also verify that less time is required to regain the lost sensory ability that has been previously learned. This approach paves the way toward high-performance intelligent devices with controllable learning of visual perception.

Exosome engineering in cell therapy and drug delivery.

Cell-derived exosomes have opened new horizons in modern therapy for advanced drug delivery and therapeutic applications, due to their key features such as low immunogenicity, high physicochemical stability, capacity to penetrate into tissues, and the innate capacity to communicate with other cells over long distances. Exosome-based liquid biopsy has been potentially used for the diagnosis and prognosis of a range of disorders. Exosomes deliver therapeutic agents, including immunological modulators, therapeutic drugs, and antisense oligonucleotides to certain targets, and can be used as vaccines, though their clinical application is still far from reality. Producing exosomes on a large-scale is restricted to their low circulation lifetime, weak targeting capacity, and inappropriate controls, which need to be refined before being implemented in practice. Several bioengineering methods have been used for refining therapeutic applications of exosomes and promoting their effectiveness, on the one hand, and addressing the existing challenges, on the other. In the short run, new diagnostic platforms and emerging therapeutic strategies will further develop exosome engineering and therapeutic potential. This requires a thorough analysis of exosome engineering approaches along with their merits and drawbacks, as outlined in this paper. The present study is a comprehensive review of novel techniques for exosome development in terms of circulation time in the body, targeting capacity, and higher drug loading/delivery efficacies.

Numerical and experimental investigation of the removal of Fe impurity during different DS process under axial magnetic field

The effects of axial magnetic field on the different directional solidification (DS) process were studied by using a transient numerical model of heat and mass transfer and corresponding experiments. The shape of melt-crystal (m-c) interface, melt flow morphology, thermal stress and Fe impurity concentration in the crystal for different DS process have been studied. The simulation results indicate that axial magnetic field provided a slight convex m-c interface shape, better flow pattern, lower thermal stress as well as lower Fe impurity concentration throughout the entire DS process. To further verify the simulation results, multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) ingots were prepared and testing were carried out. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results. The experimental results show that a slight convex m-c interface shape was obtained, and the Fe impurity concentration in the middle area of the ingot was lower and higher minority carrier lifetime could be achieved by using the axial magnetic field.

Janus 2H-MXTe (M = Zr, Hf; X = S, Se) monolayers with outstanding thermoelectric properties and low lattice thermal conductivities.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have been one of the most popular objects in the research field of thermoelectric (TE) materials and have attracted substantial attention in recent years. Inspired by the synthesized 2H-MoSSe and numerous theoretical studies, we systematically investigated the electronic, thermal, and TE properties of Janus 2H-MXTe (M = Zr and Hf; X = S and Se) monolayers by using first-principles calculations. The phonon dispersion curves and AIMD simulations confirm the thermodynamic stabilities. Moreover, Janus 2H-MXTe were evaluated as indirect band-gap semiconductors with band gaps ranging from 0.56 to 0.90 eV using the HSE06 + SOC method. To evaluate the TE performance, firstly, we calculated the temperature-dependent carrier relaxation time with acoustic phonon scattering τac, impurity scattering τimp, and polarized scattering τpol. Secondly, the calculation of lattice thermal conductivity (κl) shows that these monolayers possess relatively poor κl with values of 3.4-5.4 W mK-1 at 300 K, which is caused by the low phonon lifetime and group velocity. After computing the electronic transport properties, we found that the n-type doped Janus 2H-MXTe monolayers exhibit a high Seebeck coefficient exceeding 200 μV K-1 at 300 K, resulting in a high TE power factor. Eventually, combining the electrical and thermal conductivities, the optimal dimensionless figure of merit (zT) at 300 K (900 K) can be obtained, which is 0.94 (3.63), 0.51 (2.57), 0.64 (2.72), and 0.50 (1.98) for n-type doping of ZrSeTe, HfSeTe, ZeSTe, and HfSTe monolayers. Particularly, the ZrSeTe monolayer shows the best TE performance with the maximal zT value. These results indicate the excellent application potential of Janus 2H-MXTe (M = Zr and Hf; X = S and Se) monolayers in TE materials.

Effect of inhaled corticosteroids on bone mineral density in patients with asthma.

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are a safe treatment for asthma. However, at higher doses, ICS use has been reported to inhibit adrenocortical function. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ICS on bone mineral density (BMD) in adult patients with asthma. Ultrasonic bone densitometry was performed in 40 patients (14 men, 26 women, mean age 61.2 years, mean duration of asthma 6.19 years) who were receiving ICS for asthma, and the whole bone density, thickness of cortical bone, and density of cancellous bone of the radius was measured. The age-matched mean was set as 100%. Lifetime cumulative dose of ICS was calculated using all past prescriptions. No significant correlations were observed between lifetime cumulative ICS dose and whole bone density (r² = 0.011), cortical bone thickness (r² = 0.022), and cancellous bone density (r² = 0.004). No significant differences were observed between lower and higher lifetime cumulative ICS dose among these BMD parameters (104% vs 97%, 103% vs 99%, and 106% vs 91%, respectively). No significant correlations or differences in lifetime cumulative ICS dose were observed by asthma severity, asthma duration, and pulmonary function. Also, serum markers of bone metabolism showed no significant correlations or differences with lifetime cumulative ICS dose. In the entire study population, long-term ICS use was safe and was not associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Breaking the trade off between corrosion resistance and fatigue lifetime of the coated Mg alloy through cold spraying submicron-grain Al alloy coatings

Although magnesium (Mg) alloys are the lightest among structural metals, their inadequate corrosion resistance makes them difficult to be used in energy-saving lightweight structures. Moreover, the improvement in corrosion resistance by the conventional surface treatments is always achieved at the expense of sacrificing the fatigue lifetime. In this study, high purity aluminum (Al) and AlMgSi alloy coatings were deposited on Mg alloys via an in-situ micro-forging (MF) assisted cold spray (MFCS) process for simultaneous higher corrosion resistance and longer fatigue lifetime. Besides contributing to a highly dense microstructure, the in-situ MF also greatly refines the grain of the deposited Al alloy coating to the sub-micrometer range due to the enhanced dynamic recrystallization and also generates notable compressive residual stress up to 210 MPa within the AlMgSi coating. The absence of secondary phases in the AlMgSi alloy coatings enable the coated Mg alloy with corrosion resistance, which is even better than its bulk AlMgSi counterparts. The unique combination of refined microstructure and the prominent compressive residual stress within the AlMgSi coatings, effectively delayed the crack initiation upon repeated dynamic loading, thereby leading to ∼10 times increase in the fatigue lifetime of the Mg Alloy. However, although residual stress is also generated in the submmicro-sized grained pure Al coating, the low intrinsic strength of the coating layer leads to a lower fatigue lifetime than the uncoated Mg alloy substrate. The present work is aimed to provide a facile approach to break the trade-off between corrosion resistance improvement and fatigue lifetime of the coated Mg alloys.

Effect of Rear Contact Coverage and Improvement of Efficiency of Crystalline p-Si Solar Cell Compared to State of Art PERC Cell

A device simulation model for localized contact rear side oxide-passivated solar cell was developed to study the effects of rear contact coverage and fixed charge density dependent field-effect passivation on the performance of a p-Si solar cell. Models describing hetero-interface physics related to metal-semiconductor, metal-oxide-semiconductor junctions and interface recombination are considered in the simulation, results of which are verified with the reported experimental data. A detailed analysis of the effect of surface passivation is presented and an analytical design with optimized set of parameters is outlined for fabricating the cell. The results show that the efficiency of the solar cell can be substantially enhanced by controlling parameters such as the ratio between localized back contact to the non-contact area and the fixed charge density at the oxide-interface. A maximum efficiency of ~ 24.5% for a crystalline p-Si solar cell with a comparatively lower lifetime can be obtained by a suitable choice of the design parameters with an added suitable choice of doping concentration in the emitter and absorber and the oxide layer thickness.

Solid state luminescence of phosphine-EWO ligands with fluorinated chalcone skeletons and their PdX2 complexes: metal-promoted phosphorescence enhancement.

Complexes trans-[PdX2L2] (X = Cl and Br), where L is 1-(PR2),2-(CHCH-C(O)Ph)-C6F4 (R = Ph, Cy, and iPr), display phosphorescent emission in the solid state, whereas due to their substantially lower lifetimes, the free ligands exhibit fluorescent behaviour. Alternatively, structurally identical derivatives with halide replaced by CN- or Pd replaced by Pt are non-emissive. DFT calculations explain this diverse behaviour, showing that the hybridization of orbitals of the MX2 moiety with those of the chalcone fragment of ligands is significant only for the LUMO of the emissive compounds. In other words, in our complexes, only MLMCT processes (LM = Metal-perturbed Ligand-centered orbital) lead to observable luminescence.

Low-Cost Zinc–Alginate-Based Hydrogel–Polymer Electrolytes for Dendrite-Free Zinc-Ion Batteries with High Performances and Prolonged Lifetimes

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) represent an attractive choice for energy storage. However, ZIBs suffer from dendrite growth and an irreversible consumption of Zn metal, leading to capacity degradation and a low lifetime. In this work, a zinc-alginate (ZA) hydrogel-polymer electrolyte (HGPE) with a non-porous structure was prepared via the solution-casting method and ion displacement reaction. The resulting ZA-based HGPE exhibits a high ionic conductivity (1.24 mS cm-1 at room temperature), excellent mechanical properties (28 MPa), good thermal and electrochemical stability, and an outstanding zinc ion transference number (0.59). The ZA-based HGPE with dense structure is proven to benefit the prevention of the uneven distribution of ion current and facilitates the reduction of excessive interfacial resistance within the battery. In addition, it greatly promotes the uniform deposition of zinc ions on the electrode, thereby inhibiting the growth of zinc dendrites. The corresponding zinc symmetric battery with ZA-based HGPE can be cycled stably for 800 h at a current density of 1 mA cm-2, demonstrating the stable and reversible zinc plating/stripping behaviors on the electrode surfaces. Furthermore, the quasi-solid-state ZIB with zinc, ZA-based HGPE, and Ca0.24V2O5 (CVO) as the anode, electrolyte, and cathode materials, respectively, show a stable cyclic performance for 600 cycles at a large current density of 3 C (1 C = 400 mA g-1), in which the capacity retention rate is 88.7%. This research provides a new strategy for promoting the application of the aqueous ZIBs with high performance and environmental benignity.

Redesain Cold Heading Dies Melalui Pendekatan Metode FMEA dan DFM di PT. ZYX

PT. ZYX is a foreign company automotive component sector for four-wheeled vehicles. In their third year of mass production, the production capacity reached 116 million pcs, resulting in the high cost of Dies purchase for Cold Heading machines. This condition worsened because things such as Dies having a low lifetime and the lead time for Dies purchasement is in the range of 20-40 days or more, which has the potential to cause machine downtime. This study aims to redesign the Dies of Cold Heading machine used today. Completion of the design uses the Pareto diagram analysis, FMEA, and DFM. The analysis result using the FMEA method shows the highest RPN value of 336 with the potential for insert carbide failure that cracks during assembly. The recommended corrective action is to make assembly support components, namely pokayoke parts, and make work instructions for replacing carbide inserts on Dies. The analysis results using the DFM method shows a change in term of cost. The cost for 1 unit of Dies purchasement was initially Rp. 10,247,113.00, but it dwindles to Rp. 4,623,914.23. Using the redesign to make case dies, lock nuts, collets, and stoppers components, resulted in cost efficiency of 54.87%.

Inequalities in reported use of cervical screening in Estonia: results from cross-sectional studies in 2004–2020

BackgroundDespite the national cervical cancer (CC) screening program established in 2006, the CC incidence in Estonia in 2020 was still one of the highest in Europe. To better understand the possible barriers among women, the aim of this study was to describe the inequalities in the Pap smear uptake trend in 2004–2020 and to analyse the associations between different factors in Estonia.MethodsWeighted data of 25–64-year-old women (N = 6685) from population-based cross-sectional studies of Health Behaviour among Estonian Adult Population in 2004–2020 was used. Linear trends in uptake of Pap smear over time were tested using the Cochrane-Armitage test. Binary logistic regression with interactions was performed to analyse associations between the uptake of Pap smear and sociodemographic, socioeconomic, health-related and lifestyle factors. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.ResultsPrevalence of lifetime uptake of Pap smear increased in 2004–2020 from 50.6 to 86.7% (P < 0.001). From 2004 to 2020, uptake of Pap smear increased significantly among women aged 25–34, 35–44, 45–54 and 55–64, in both ethnicity groups and among women with basic, secondary and higher education (P < 0.001). The gap in Pap smear uptake increased between Estonians and non-Estonians but decreased between education levels over time. Lower lifetime uptake of Pap smear was associated from sociodemographic factors with younger age, being non-Estonian and single, from socioeconomic factors with lower educational level and unemployment, from health indicators with higher body mass index indicating overweight and obesity, presence of chronic disease and depressiveness, and from lifestyle factors with non-smoking.ConclusionsAlthough Pap smear uptake among 25–64 year old women increased significantly in Estonia in 2004–2020, inequalities were found indicating an opportunity for development of targeted CC prevention strategies.

Large Scale Fabrication of Graphene Based Nano‐Electromechanical (NEM) Contact Switches with Sub‐0.5 Volt Actuation

AbstractNano‐electromechanical (NEM) contact switches are extensively studied to suppress the limitations of conventional complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) transistors. The attributes of NEM contact switches includes reduced power consumption, reduced off‐state leakage current, and increased on‐state current and sub‐thermal switching. However, unacceptably high pull‐in voltage and low contact lifetime posed a significant challenge for the use of NEM contact switches in energy efficient CMOS applications. Here, graphene‐based electro‐statically actuated NEM contact switches with ultra‐low pull‐in voltage and significant improvement in the contact lifetime are demonstrated. This is achieved by using the graphene on gold electrode as a contact material. The graphene NEM contact switches with graphene as a contact material exhibit an ultra‐low pull‐in voltage of &lt; 0.5 V and high contact lifetime of more than 1.5× 106 cycles. The switches also show an excellent switching performance with high on/off ratio of ≈108, an extremely low off‐state current of ≈100 fA, and small hysteresis window of &lt; 0.1 V.

Dual Promotion of Phosphorus Groups for Ultralong Room Temperature Phosphorescence with High Efficiency

AbstractOrganic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials have drawn wide attention due to their dynamic phosphorescence performance under ambient conditions. However, most of the pure organic RTP materials show low phosphorescence efficiency and short lifetime because of their weak spin–orbit coupling and fast nonradiative decay process. Introducing halogen heavy atoms can effectively improve the efficiency, while the lifetime would be shortened obviously. Thus, there is still a great challenge especially for developing halogen heavy atom free organic RTP materials, with simultaneously enhanced phosphorescence efficiency and lifetime. Herein, it is demonstrated that triphenylphosphine group possesses a strong n‐electron donating character and adopts a rigid tetrahedral configuration, which are in favor of accelerating intersystem crossing process and suppressing the nonradiative decay process, respectively. Benefited from the dual promotion of triphenylphosphine group, the obtained compound named CzPhP shows a decent phosphorescence efficiency of 14.36% and a prolonged lifetime of 340 ms. Another three pentavalent phosphine‐bearing analogs synthesized, i.e., CzPhPO, CzPhPS, and CzPhPSe, also present different conformational aggregations and good RTP performance. The diversity of the RTP performance of these compounds affords a potential application in anticounterfeiting and data encryption.