Sign Of Potential Research Articles

Prerequisites and limitations of the use of oral anticoagulants in pregnant women in real-world clinical practice

Relevance. Anticoagulants are commonly used during pregnancy is a fairly common practice. Due to the widespread use of oral anticoagulants in real practice and the high frequency of unplanned pregnancy, physicians should assess the risks and plan pregnancy management strategies.Objective. The purpose of this analysis was to assess the legal background and evidence on the risks associated with the use of oral anticoagulants in pregnant women in real-world clinical practice.Materials and methods. An analysis of the official instructions for the use of oral anticoagulants registered in Russia, an analysis of the published literature on reproductive toxicity and the use of drugs during pregnancy, and a general comparative analysis of the predominance of individual oral anticoagulants in practical healthcare in Russia.Results. The results of the analysis revealed high variability in the restrictions on the use of oral anticoagulants during pregnancy. At the same time, the actual evidence of reproductive toxicity for drugs does not differ significantly and indicates the absence of signals of potential teratogenicity, at least based on the available number of observations. The maximum number of pregnancy observations exceeding the number of observations on warfarin use was reported for the use of rivaroxaban (505 cases in the largest analysis). The remaining representatives are described by several dozen observations. In Russia, the use of oral anticoagulants is also a prerequisite for the more likely use of rivaroxaban and apixaban in cases of unplanned pregnancy.Conclusions. In real-world clinical practice, exposure to oral anticoagulants is a prerequisite for pregnancy, which requires decision-making on strategies for pregnancy management. Instructions for the use of drugs do not contain reasonable information or formulations for decision-making based on accumulated knowledge about reproductive toxicity. Based on published data on the use of drugs in this group during pregnancy in real-world clinical practice, there is no sign of teratogenic potential for all representatives, with the exception of warfarin, whereas the largest number of observations concerns the most commonly used rivaroxaban.

Healthcare seeking for people diagnosed with severe mental illness: Sensations, symptoms and diagnostic work.

For people with mental and somatic illnesses, the interpretive process of attending to a multitude of bodily sensations and recognising them as potential symptoms represents daily and 'chronic homework'. Based on 16 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark, this study explores diagnostic work and healthcare seeking among people with severe mental and somatic illnesses. As multiple studies have shown, the transformation process for a perceived sensation to become a symptom is a socially constructed interpretative process highly dependent on social legitimisation and shaped by prior cultural knowledge. We found that people with severe mental and somatic illnesses often struggle to 'read' the body and its boundaries and to define and distinguish when a symptom becomes a potential sign of illness. Furthermore, they often lack opportunities for social recognition of symptoms due to the absence of social relations. Finally, lifelong experiences with the healthcare system have taught them that they must distinguish between 'mental' and 'somatic' symptoms to fit the systemic organisation of the healthcare system. This deeply rooted mind-body dualism in the organisation of healthcare services and the daily struggles of diagnostic work to comply with this organisation impacted the interlocutors' healthcare seeking strategies. Moreover, even though they 'make up their minds' to seek healthcare, they risk being met with diagnostic overshadowing and reductionist clinical approaches.

Electrophoretic velocity of ion-releasing colloidal particles

By means of a matched asymptotic expansions approach the electrophoretic velocity and zeta potential of a catalytic particle that uniformly releases ions have been investigated. Attention is focused on large, compared to diffuse layer, particles characterized by the surface potential Φs and Damköhler number Da. The latter represents the ratio of the surface reaction rate to the diffusive transfer one. For vanishing Da, we recover the classical Smoluchowski formula for the electrophoretic velocity, which states that the zeta potential of the particle is equal to Φs and that the migration direction is determined by its sign. For small values of Da we show that the migration velocity is controlled mostly by Φs and affected by an ion release only slightly. However, even small Da can induce the electrophoresis of electro-neutral particles that would be immobile if inert. For larger Da the direction of migration and the sign of zeta potential become independent of Φs and are solely determined by the difference in diffusivity of released cations and anions. Still, the surface potential affects the magnitude of the particle velocity.

Unresponsiveness induced by sevoflurane and propofol is associated with reduced basal forebrain cholinergic nuclei functional connectivity in humans, a pilot exploratory study

Studies suggest the cholinergic system is involved in anesthesia-induced unconsciousness, hence unresponsiveness. A significant source of cholinergic innervation comes from basal forebrain cholinergic nuclei (BFCN), with bi-directional connections between anterior BFCN and the default mode network (DMN). Since DMN functional connectivity (FC) is consistently reduced during anesthesia-induced unresponsiveness in humans, we hypothesized that BFCN-FC during anesthesia-induced unresponsiveness is reduced and particularly, anterior BFCN-FC reductions might be related to DMN-FC reductions. Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) signal correlations (i.e., a proxy for FC) were calculated. FC seeds were anterior and posterior BFCN and the DMN. Rs-fMRI data come from healthy male controls during wakefulness and anesthesia with sevoflurane (n = 15) (at fixed concentrations: 2 and 3 vol%) and propofol titrated to the endpoint of clinical unresponsiveness (n = 12), respectively. FC state differences were tested via paired t-tests; FC changes for anterior BFCN and DMN were associated via correlation analysis. We found reduced anterior and posterior BFCN-FC with sevoflurane and propofol compared to wakefulness. The correlation between reduced DMN-FC-and anterior BFCN-FC reductions was r = 0.57 (p = 0.01) for sevoflurane 3 vol%, r = 0.34 (p = 0.11) for sevoflurane 2 vol% and r = 0.47 (p = 0.06) for propofol. In summary, in this exploratory pilot study, we demonstrated reduced BFCN-FC and a potential correlation between reduced anterior BFCN-FC and DMN-FC during sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia. This suggests DMN changes as a potential factor of anterior BFCN-FC reductions during anesthesia-induced unresponsiveness and BFCN-FC reduction as a potential sign of such state.

Spontaneous Headshake after a Kinematic Event (SHAAKE): Evaluating the Utility of a Potential New Sign in the Diagnosis of Concussion.

Background/Objectives: Diagnosing concussions is problematic, in part due to the invisible nature of concussion symptoms, in addition to personal and interpersonal factors that influence symptom reporting. As a result, observable signs of concussion can ensure concussions are identified and appropriately treated. Here, we define a potential novel sign, the spontaneous headshake after a kinematic event (SHAAKE) and evaluate its utility in the diagnosis of concussion. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study of 347 athletes (age 27, IQR: 25-29; 47.6% female; highest level of play: college-46.1%, high school-41.2%) identified whether SHAAKE occurred, the reasons underlying SHAAKEs, and its utility for self-reported concussion. Sensitivity and positive predictive value were calculated across all sports and these parameters, as well as estimates for specificity and negative predictive value leveraging published helmet sensor data, were calculated for football players. Results: The median number of times participants reported SHAAKE was 5 (IQR: 3-10), with 4 (IQR: 2-7) associated with a self-reported concussion. Overall, 84.9% of participants reported concussion symptoms as the most common reason for their SHAAKEs. Across all sports, SHAAKE had a sensitivity of 49.6% and positive predictive value 72.4% for diagnosing concussion. In football players, SHAAKE had a sensitivity of 52.3%, estimated specificity of 99.9%, positive predictive value of 91.9%, and estimated negative predictive value of 99.5% for diagnosing self-reported concussion. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that nearly three-quarters of athletes reported a SHAAKE associated with a self-reported concussion, which supports the potential for SHAAKE to be used as a concussion screening tool.

Is informedness the key? An empirical analysis of VET dropouts in Germany

In 2022, one in four vocational education and training (VET) contracts resulted in premature termination—a potential sign of inefficiency in the training of urgently needed skilled professionals. This study focuses on the level of perceived informedness of trainees and its potential influence on dropout. This includes trainees’ perceived level of information about the characteristics and requirements of an occupation, which may result from various sources of information in the form of social contacts. We draw on theories from the field of career choice and job search to argue that a better level of informedness can reduce uncertainty and enable individuals to make better-informed decisions about their careers. With better informedness, there is a higher probability of finding a suitable match between a trainee and their chosen occupation, ultimately increasing their likelihood of job persistence. This should also lead to a lower probability of dropout among VETs. Using data from the National Educational Panel Study, starting cohort 4, we employed event history analysis. We show that good perceived informedness on the requirements of one’s vocational training and the perception of good school-based vocational preparation reduce the probability of dropping out. In contrast, good informedness about alternative training programs increases dropout risk. We also see that the distinction between closer or more distant groups of people from the social network (strong or weak ties) who provide information about training is not decisive.

Parallel pigmented network in lentigo maligna: a case series and correlation with in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy.

Lentigo maligna (LM) often poses a diagnostic challenge due to its clinical and dermoscopic mimicry of benign lesions, leading to delayed diagnosis. Focal areas of reticular disruption have been described as one of the earliest dermoscopic signs observed. To describe a novel dermoscopic sign in LM, namely the presence of a parallel pigmented network. Case series of 22 histopathologically-proven LM and lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM), diagnosed between 2018 and 2023, at a tertiary centre. All lesions showed a parallel network upon dermoscopy, in the form of parallel reticular lines, light or dark brown in colour, not emanating from the follicle, with an asymmetrical distribution. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) images were reviewed to correlate these areas. The median age of patients was 73 years old. The majority of lesions were in situ (91%) and extrafacial (82%). Lesions showed minimal signs of atypia other than a parallel network and mostly focal erased areas (100%), followed by perifollicular linear projections (18%) and asymmetrical follicular pigmentation (18%). On RCM, focally areas correlated with atypical junctional thickenings distributed in a parallel fashion (100%) and mitochondria-like structures (23%). Most cases (88%) showed atypical cells in the epidermis, mostly in the form of isolated dendritic cells (41%). Parallel network emerges as a potential dermoscopic sign associated with LM. We hypothesize that in early stages of LM transformation, disruption of the reticular network manifests as parallel lines and/or radial perifollicular lines. Validation with larger studies is warranted.

Transvaginal sonographic appearance of Surgicel®: A case series report

BackgroundSurgicel® (oxidized regenerated cellulose) is widely used for hemostasis in gynecological surgery. Although intended to be absorbed within weeks, it can persist and be visualized on transvaginal ultrasound, potentially mimicking ovarian pathologies. The purpose of this study was to describe the appearance of Surgicel® on post-ovarian cystectomy and provide guidance on differentiating it from other conditions. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed postoperative transvaginal sonographic examinations of 6 patients after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy in which Surgicel® was used for hemostasis. Ultrasonographic evaluations were performed as part of routine postoperative assessment without any specific timing protocol. Sonographic examinations were performed up to 335 days after surgery. Images were reviewed for echogenicity, vascularization (color doppler) and acoustic properties. Surgical reports confirmed the use of Surgicel®in each patient. ResultsSurgicel® displayed varying ultrasonographic characteristics, lacking a uniform appearance. In all cases, it appeared as a hyperechoic, avascular lesion, sometimes with posterior acoustic shadowing and occasionally accompanied by a cystic component. In one patient, serial scans revealed a gradual reduction in size and changes in sonographic features over time. ConclusionSurgicel® can present with diverse ultrasound features. However, a hyperechoic avascular lesion is a key potential sign for distinguishing it from other conditions. Awareness of these sonographic appearances is essential to avoid misdiagnosis, highlighting the importance of collaboration between sonographers and surgeons to prevent unnecessary interventions.

Specific buffer effects on the formation of BSA protein corona around amino-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles

The effect of buffer species on biomolecules and biomolecule-nanoparticle interactions is a phenomenon that has been either neglected, or not understood. Here, we study the formation of a BSA protein corona (PC) around amino-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN-NH2) in the presence of different buffers (Tris, BES, cacodylate, phosphate, and citrate) at the same pH (7.15) and different concentrations (10, 50, and 100 mM). We find that BSA adsorption is buffer specific, with the adsorbed amount of BSA being 4.4 times higher in the presence of 100 mM Tris (184 ± 3 mg/g) than for 100 mM citrate (42 ± 2 mg/g). That is a considerable difference that cannot be explained by conventional theories. The results become clearer if the interaction energies between BSA and MSN-NH2, considering the electric double layer (EEDL) and the van der Waals (EvdW) terms, are evaluated. The buffer specific PC derives from buffer specific zeta potentials that, for MSN-NH2, are positive with Tris and negative with citrate buffers. A reversed sign of zeta potentials can be obtained by considering polarizability-dependent dispersion forces acting together with electrostatics to give the buffer specific outcome. These results are relevant not only to our understanding of the formation of the PC but may also apply to other bio- and nanosystems in biological media.

Development of huge keloid at donor site and recurrent keloid at graft site after excision of pubic keloid followed by split-thickness skin graft: A case report.

Keloids are the result of abnormal tissue scarring that occur after skin injuries leading to pain, psychological distress, and impaired quality of life. Despite the high recurrence rate after surgical treatment, excision is often inevitable for symptom control. A 32-year-old female presented with a huge keloid on the pubic area accompanied by severe pain, pruritus, and infectious discharge. She also had multiple keloids on her chest and shoulders, indicating a strong predisposition to keloid formation. While high potential for recurrence was anticipated, surgical excision was inevitable for symptom control. Complete keloid excision followed by split-thickness skin graft was performed. Pathological report revealed keloid accompanied by ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst. Although postoperative care was highly recommended for prevention of keloid recurrence, the patient refused any additional management due to her financial difficulties. At postoperative 8 months, mild degree of keloid or hypertrophic scar at marginal area of the graft was observed, suggesting the potential sign of keloid recurrence. The patient voluntarily discontinued the outpatient follow-up for 2 years, and then returned with huge keloid not only at the graft site but also at the donor site. Keloid with inflamed epidermal inclusion cyst can cause severe pain where surgical excision is unavoidable, regardless of the high potential for recurrence. Additional postoperative care is necessary to prevent recurrence. Furthermore, attempts to minimize new keloid formation at the donor site after split-thickness skin graft, such as thin skin harvest or selecting the scalp as the donor site, should be considered.

Unveiling the True Nature of Plasma Dynamics from the Reference Frame of a Superpenumbral Fibril

The magnetic geometry of the solar atmosphere, combined with projection effects, makes it difficult to accurately map the propagation of ubiquitous waves in fibrillar structures. These waves are of interest due to their ability to carry energy into the chromosphere and deposit it through damping and dissipation mechanisms. To this end, the Interferometric Bidimensional Spectrometer at the Dunn Solar Telescope was employed to capture high-resolution Hα spectral scans of a sunspot, with the transverse oscillations of a prominent superpenumbral fibril examined in depth. The oscillations are reprojected from the helioprojective Cartesian frame to a new frame of reference oriented along the average fibril axis through nonlinear force-free field extrapolations. The fibril was found to be carrying an elliptically polarized, propagating kink oscillation with a period of 430 s and a phase velocity of 69 ± 4 km s−1. The oscillation is damped as it propagates away from the sunspot with a damping length of approximately 9.2 Mm, resulting in the energy flux decreasing at a rate on the order of 460 W m−2/Mm. The Hα line width is examined and found to increase with distance from the sunspot, a potential sign of a temperature increase. Different linear and nonlinear mechanisms are investigated for the damping of the wave energy flux, but a first-order approximation of their combined effects is insufficient to recreate the observed damping length by a factor of at least 3. It is anticipated that the reprojection methodology demonstrated in this study will aid with future studies of transverse waves within fibrillar structures.

"They still phone even though they know I'm deaf": exploring experiences of deaf people in health services in Wales, UK.

Deaf and hard of hearing people persistently experience barriers accessing health services, largely due to ineffective communication systems, a lack of flexible booking arrangements, and a lack of Deaf awareness training for health professional staff. Face to face focus groups were conducted with 66 Deaf and hard of hearing people in Deaf clubs across Wales, UK. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Responses identified from focus groups are reported as barriers faced using health services, improvements that would make a difference, impact of accessibility of health services, and a potential Sign language badge for healthcare staff. Deaf people report that health professionals lack training on Deaf awareness and do not know how to communicate effectively with Deaf and hard of hearing people. Further research into Deaf awareness and training resources for health professionals are needed to establish what improves Deaf cultural competencies, and ultimately makes healthcare experiences more positive for people who are Deaf.

Epidemiology of marine turtle fibropapillomatosis and tumour-associated chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5; Scutavirus chelonidalpha5) in North-Western Mexico: a scoping review implementing the one health approach

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) - tumour-associated chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5; Scutavirus chelonidalpha5) - is a disease that affect marine turtles around the world, and characterized by the formation of cutaneous tumours that can appear anywhere on the body. We carried out a thorough literature search (from 1990 to 2024) in the feeding sites of North-western Mexico, a region that hosts important habitats for feeding, development, and reproduction for five of the seven existing sea turtle species. We found 18 reports recording a total of 32 cases of FP and/or ChHV5/Scutavirus chelonidalpha5 in coastal and insular areas of North-western Mexico. Baja California Sur resulted with the highest number of cases (75%). While the first case of ChHV5/Scutavirus chelonidalpha5 infection was reported in 2004, the presence of FP tumours was reported in 2014 and became more frequent between 2019 and 2024. The affected species were black, Chelonia mydas (50%), olive ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea (46.8%) and loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta (3.2%). Tumours occurred mainly in anterior flippers (46.1%) and neck (22.5%), and most had a nodular and verrucous appearance with a rough surface. In the study region, there is a potential sign of the emergence of the ChHV5/Scutavirus chelonidalpha5 infections and FP disease during the last 20 years, with a rapid increase during the last 10 years. As long as infections by ChHV5/Scutavirus chelonidalpha5 and the prevalence of the FP disease may be potentially influenced by anthropogenic activities, a One Health approach is needed to understand and improve sea turtles’ health.

The polyphony of deviance: the impact of deviant workplace behavior on digital transformation

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of deviant workplace behavior on digital transformation in the public sector. This contributes to the current literature on public sector digital transformation as well as to that of deviant workplace behavior in public sector contexts. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct a qualitative case study of a digital transformation initiative in a Swedish municipality. Findings The authors identify three types of institutional drift related to digital transformation, i.e. decelerating digital transformation, maintaining infrastructural stability and accelerating digital transformation. The authors categorize mediators for said drift and theorize on the role of deviant workplace behavior as a strategic driver for digital transformation in public sector organizations. Research limitations/implications With the study being a qualitative case study, it is limited in terms of generalizability and transferability. Through this study, the authors sensitize the notion of digital transformation and show how deviant behavior results in strategic polyphony. Future studies are informed through offering a new perspective to public sector digital transformation strategy. Practical implications Practice should view deviant workplace behavior as simultaneously constructive and destructive in lieu of planned digital transformation, as well as see its presence as a potential sign of subpar prerequisites for digital transformation in the public sector. Social implications Through this study, deviant workplace behavior is highlighted as a source of strategic polyphony and hence an important aspect of public sector digital transformation strategy. Originality/value Through being the first paper, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to apply the theory of institutional drift to digital transformation settings as well as identifying the impact of deviant workplace behavior on digital transformation, the study offers novel insights.

Electrophoretic deposition of ceramic coatings from modified suspensions of microsized powders of doped BaCeO3 and BaCeO3–BaZrO3 proton-conducting electrolytes

This work investigates the influence of molecular iodine introduced as a charging agent into the suspensions based on the BaCe0.8Sm0.19Cu0·01O3 (BCSCuO), BaCe0·5Zr0·3Y0.1Yb0.1O3-δ (BCZYYbO) and BaCe0.89Gd0.1Cu0·01O3-δ (BCGCuO) proton-conducting electrolytes at concentrations up to 1.0 g/L on their electrokinetic properties. The peculiarities of changes in zeta potential, pH, conductivity of the suspensions, the thickness and morphology of the coatings depending on the amount of iodine added are determined. It has been established that when the iodine concentration increases to 1 g/L, the electrical charge of the particles and the sign of the zeta potential undergo a reversal. Additionally, there is a natural decrease in the pH value towards the acidic side and a corresponding increase in the suspension conductivity. The research has demonstrated that in the suspension with a high iodine content (1 g/L), cathodic and anodic deposition can occur simultaneously under electrophoretic deposition (EPD) conditions at low voltage values (below 8 V). However, as the voltage increases, only cathodic deposition occurs. Therefore, the impact of altering the type of the EPD is threshold in nature relative to the magnitude of the EPD voltage. It has been shown that in order to practically implement EPD of ceramic coatings from modified suspensions of microsized powders of doped BaCeO3 and BaCeO3–BaZrO3 proton-conducting electrolytes, it is necessary to select a small amount of added iodine (0.1–0.2 g/L) to initiate a stable deposition process and to ensure continuity and uniformity of the coatings. This article discusses possible mechanisms of zeta potential inversion, electrophoretic mobility, and the EPD nature under conditions of high concentrations of iodide ions in the suspension bulk. The experiments have demonstrated the viability of the EPD process for the formation of a uniform BCSCuO coating (∼10 μm) on a supporting NiO–BCSCuO anode substrate using an iodine-modified suspension. This coating was subsequently sintered into a dense ceramic film at 1450 °C. In addition to the fundamental significance, the study results have implications for the practical use to improve and simplify the thin-film SOFC technology.

Примесный состав берилла из сподуменовых пегматитов месторождения Пашки (провинция Нуристан, Афганистан)

The SIMS method (secondary ions mass-spectrometry) determined the impurity composition of a beryl crystals (aquamarine) from the pegmatites of the Pashki lithium deposit (Nuristan province, Afghanistan). 12 local determinations of the content of 20 chemical elements (including halogens and water) were performed. In comparison with aquamarine from rare metals, including spodumene pegmatites from other regions of the world, the studied beryl is significantly enriched with large ion lithophile elements: Li (about 1100 ppm), Na (4500 ppm) and K (300 ppm). High concentrations of alkaline elements in the beryl of lithium pegmatites are considered as a genetic sign of the high potential of alkalis created during the crystallization of spodumene associated with beryl and other lithium minerals. This well-known genetically determined feature of beryl, characteristic of productive lithium pegmatites, therefore is promising in the development of search and evaluation criteria for lithium pegmatites of Nuristan and other pegmatite provinces.

Perceptual Expectations Are Reflected by Early Alpha Power Reduction.

The predictability of a stimulus can be characterized by its transitional probability. Perceptual expectations derived from the transitional probability of the stimulus were found to modulate the early alpha oscillations in the sensory regions of the brain when neural responses to expected versus unexpected stimuli were compared. The objective of our study was to find out the extent to which this low-frequency oscillation reflects stimulus predictability. We aimed to detect the alpha-power difference with smaller differences in transitional probabilities by comparing expected stimuli with neutral ones. We studied the effect of expectation on perception by applying an unsupervised visual statistical learning paradigm with expected and neutral stimuli embedded in an image sequence while recording EEG. Time-frequency analysis showed that expected stimuli elicit lower alpha power in the window of 8-12 Hz and 0-400 msec after stimulus presentation, appearing in the centroparietal region. Comparing previous findings of expectancy-based alpha-band modulation with our results suggests that early alpha oscillation shows an inverse relationship with stimulus predictability. Although current data are insufficient to determine the origin of the alpha power reduction, this could be a potential sign of expectation suppression in cortical oscillatory activity.

Addressing Challenges in Ion-Selectivity Characterization in Nanopores.

Ion selectivity is the basis for designing smart nanopore/channel-based devices, e.g., ion separators and biosensors. Quantitative characterization of ion selectivities in nanopores often employs the Nernst or Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz (GHK) equation to interpret transmembrane potentials. However, the direction of the measured transmembrane potential drop is not specified in these equations, and selectivity values calculated using absolute values of transmembrane potentials do not directly reveal the ion for which the membrane is selective. Moreover, researchers arbitrarily choose whether to use the Nernst or GHK equation and overlook the significant differences between them, leading to ineffective quantitative comparisons between studies. This work addresses these challenges through (a) specifying the transmembrane potential (sign) and salt concentrations in terms of working and reference electrodes and the solutions in which they reside when using the Nernst and GHK equations, (b) reporting of both Nernst-selectivity and GHK-selectivity along with solution compositions and transmembrane potentials when comparing different nanopores/channels, and (c) performing simulations to define an ideal selectivity for nanochannels. Experimental and modeling studies provide significant insight into these fundamental equations and guidelines for the development of nanopore/channel-based devices.

Bio‐inspired Two‐dimensional Nanofluidic Ionic Transistor for Neuromorphic Signal Processing

AbstractVoltage‐gated ion channels prevalent in neurons play important roles in generating action potential and information transmission by responding to transmembrane potential. Fabricating bio‐inspired ionic transistors with ions as charge carriers will be crucial for realizing neuro‐inspired devices and brain‐liking computing. Here, we reported a two‐dimensional nanofluidic ionic transistor based on a MXene membrane with sub‐1 nm interlayer channels. By applying a gating voltage on the MXene nanofluidic, a transmembrane potential will be generated to active the ionic transistor, which is similar to the transmembrane potential of neuron cells and can be effectively regulated by changing membrane parameters, e.g., thickness, composition, and interlayer spacing. For the symmetric MXene nanofluidic, a high on/off ratio of ~2000 can be achieved by forming an ionic depletion or accumulation zone, contingent on the sign of the gating potential. An asymmetric PET/MXene‐composited nanofluidic transitioned the ionic transistor from ambipolar to unipolar, resulting in a more sensitive gate voltage characteristic with a low subthreshold swing of 560 mV/decade. Furthermore, ionic logic gate circuits, including the “NOT”, “NAND”, and “NOR” gate, were implemented for neuromorphic signal processing successfully, which provides a promising pathway towards highly parallel, low energy consumption, and ion‐based brain‐like computing.

Bio-inspired Two-dimensional Nanofluidic Ionic Transistor for Neuromorphic Signal Processing.

Voltage-gated ion channels prevalent in neurons play important roles in generating action potential and information transmission by responding to transmembrane potential. Fabricating bio-inspired ionic transistors with ions as charge carriers will be crucial for realizing neuro-inspired devices and brain-liking computing. Here, we reported a two-dimensional nanofluidic ionic transistor based on a MXene membrane with sub-1 nm interlayer channels. By applying a gating voltage on the MXene nanofluidic, a transmembrane potential will be generated to active the ionic transistor, which is similar to the transmembrane potential of neuron cells and can be effectively regulated by changing membrane parameters, e.g., thickness, composition, and interlayer spacing. For the symmetric MXene nanofluidic, a high on/off ratio of ~2000 can be achieved by forming an ionic depletion or accumulation zone, contingent on the sign of the gating potential. An asymmetric PET/MXene-composited nanofluidic transitioned the ionic transistor from ambipolar to unipolar, resulting in a more sensitive gate voltage characteristic with a low subthreshold swing of 560 mV/decade. Furthermore, ionic logic gate circuits, including the "NOT", "NAND", and "NOR" gate, were implemented for neuromorphic signal processing successfully, which provides a promising pathway towards highly parallel, low energy consumption, and ion-based brain-like computing.