Uniform Integrability Research Articles

Optimizing Ammonia Detection with a Polyaniline-Magnesia Nano Composite.

Polyaniline-magnesia (PANI/MgO) composites with a fibrous nanostructure were synthesized via in situ oxidative polymerization, enabling uniform MgO integration into the polyaniline matrix. These composites were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy to analyze intermolecular bonding, XRD to assess crystallographic structure and phase purity, and SEM to examine surface morphology and topological features. The resulting PANI/MgO nanofibers were utilized to develop ammonia (NH3) gas-sensing probes with evaluations conducted at room temperature. The study addresses the critical challenge of achieving high sensitivity and selectivity in ammonia detection at low concentrations, which is a problem that persists in many existing sensor technologies. The nanofibers demonstrated high selectivity and optimal sensitivity for ammonia detection, which was attributed to the synergistic effects between the polyaniline and MgO that enhance gas adsorption. Furthermore, the study revealed that the MgO content critically influences both the morphology and the sensing performance, with higher MgO concentrations improving sensor response. This work underscores the potential of PANI/MgO composites as efficient and selective ammonia sensors, highlighting the importance of MgO content in optimizing material properties for gas-sensing applications.

Silicon quantum dot-enhanced thin-film nanocomposite membranes for efficient alcohol dehydration via pervaporation: A sustainable approach

This study explores the effectiveness of silicon quantum dots (SiQDs)—specifically, amine-functionalized (NSiQDs) and amine-hydroxyl-functionalized (NOSiQDs)—in optimizing thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes for pervaporation dehydration of various alcohols. The SiQDs were integrated into the membranes via an innovative interfacial polymerization technique, involving the dispersion of SiQDs in an aqueous amine solution followed by polymerization with trimesoyl chloride. This approach ensured uniform integration of SiQDs, significantly enhancing the nanostructure and surface characteristics of the membranes. Such modifications led to improved water transport capabilities, substantially boosting pervaporation efficiency. Exceptional performance was demonstrated by the TFN-NOSiQDs(400) membranes, which achieved a peak permeation flux of 4195.8 g·m−2·h−1 and maintained over 99 wt% water concentration in the permeate when tested with a 70 wt% isopropanol/water solution at 25°C. Comprehensive long-term stability assessments confirmed the robustness and consistent functionality of the membranes, highlighting their suitability for industrial applications that demand reliable and efficient alcohol separation processes.

High-density integration of uniform sub-22 nm silicon nanowires for transparent thin film transistors on glass

Ultrathin catalytical silicon nanowires (SiNWs), grown as orderly arrays upon glass substrates, are ideal 1D channels for the construction of high-performance field effect transistors for low-power and high aperture/transparency electronics. In this work, a rather uniform growth integration of high-density ultrathin SiNWs has been accomplished directly on glass substrate at 290 °C, via an in-plane solid–liquid-solid mechanism. The indium (In) catalyst thickness deposited on the dense guiding terrace steps was identified as a key parameter to suppress the size dispersion of the In droplets, and thus enable a uniform growth of ultrathin SiNWs with diameters down to DNW=21.8 ± 1.8 nm, a close-to-unity guided growth rate and an excellent transparency > 90 % in spectrum ranging from 350 nm to 950 nm. Based on a convenient dry plasma etching and low-temperature passivation procedure, high-performance SiNW transistors have been successfully fabricated upon a dense array of parallel SiNWs as channels with a narrow NW-to-NW spacing of 100 nm. A high current ratio Ion/Ioff > 107, a low off-state current down to 0.1 pA, a steep subthreshold swing of SS∼120 mV dec-1 and excellent positive and negative bias stabilities have been demonstrated, as well as SiNW-based inverter logics that achieve a gain of 14.6 V/V under a drive voltage of 2.25 V. These results highlight the potential of catalytic SiNWs to serve as advantageous 1D channels for large-area display or transparent electronics.

Preparation and sodium storage properties of CoFe2O4 composite S N co-doped RGO

The application value of iron-base binary oxide in sodium-ion batteries has been widely concerned by researchers, and CoFe2O4 has a better development prospect because of its cost efficiency. However, the CoFe2O4 will produce volume expansion during the reaction, resulting in the collapse of the material structure. This paper created the ground-breaking CFO/SNRGO nanocomposite structure by using a microwave approach. This intricate arrangement entails CoFe2O4 nanoparticles firmly adhering to S and N co-doped graphene hybrid nanosheets. The prepared CFO/SNRGO nanocomposite showcased remarkable electrochemical capabilities. Through the uniform integration of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles onto the SNRGO hybrid nanosheets, we managed to minimize the stacking between SNRGO nanosheets and reduce the size of the CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. Additionally, the SNRGO serves as a buffer layer, allowing it to adjust to variations in volume and stop the CoFe2O4 nanoparticles from collapsing while Na+ is being embedded or removed. This cooperative amalgamation of SNRGO and CoFe2O4 contributes to the outstanding electrochemical performance observed in the CFO/SNRGO nanocomposites. After 200 cycles at an electrical concentration of 0.05 A g−1, the CFO/SNRGO nanotechnology demonstrated a notable 357.3 mAh g−1 bidirectional ability. and sustained excellent rate performance. Even when subjected to an increased electrical concentration of 1.5 A g−1, the reversible capacity remained steady at 174 mAh g−1. These impressive outcomes are due to the robust coupling between the CoFe2O4 nanoparticles and SNRGO within the nanocomposites.

On power series statistical convergence and new uniform integrability of double sequences

On power series statistical convergence and new uniform integrability of double sequences

Optimizing transparent electrodes: Interplay of high purity SWCNTs network and a polymer

The discovery of transparent electrodes led to the development of optoelectronic devices such as touchscreens, infrared (IR) sensors, etc. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been a potential replacement for ITO due to their exceptional properties, especially in the IR region. In this work, we present the development of a CNT-polymer composite thin film that exhibits outstanding transparency across visible and IR spectra prepared by layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. This approach ensures uniform integration and crosslinking of CNTs into lightweight matrices, and also represents a cost-effective method for producing transparent electrodes with remarkable properties. The produced films achieved a transparency above 80 % in the UV/VIS range and approximately 70 % in the mid-IR range. The sheet resistance of the fabricated thin films was measured at about 4 kΩ/sq, showing a tendency to decrease with the number of bilayers. In this work we have investigated electrical properties and transport mechanisms in more detail with computational analysis. Computational analysis was performed to better understand the electrical behavior of nanotube-polymer junctions in the interbundle structure. Based on all results, we propose that the transparent electrodes with 4 and 6 bilayers are the most optimal structures in terms of optical and electrical properties.

Graphene nanoribbon hydrogel scaffold for highly conductive and robust polyimide nanocomposite

Although highly loaded graphitic nanocarbon materials effectively enhance the electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of polymeric materials, their practical implementation has been hindered by severe aggregation issues. Here, we propose a method to achieve homogeneous nanocarbon-polyimide (PI) composites by integrating graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs) with polyamic acid ammonium (PAA) salt, a precursor of PI. Self-assembled scaffold structure of GONRs hydrogel enables the uniform integration and immobilization of PAA within the GONR scaffold, mitigating aggregation concerns. The resulting GONR/PAA hydrogel, formed through physical interactions, can be coated onto substrates via a shear stress-induced bar coating method due to its viscoelastic rheological properties. Subsequent heat treatment at 400 °C triggers the imidization reaction of PAA and the reduction of GONR, facilitating the formation of uniformly integrated GNR/PI nanocomposite coatings. Under optimized conditions, incorporating a high-loading GONR content in PAA (95 wt% of GONR and 5 wt% of PAA) yielded GNR/PI composites with excellent mechanical properties, exhibiting a hardness of 0.75 GPa and an elastic modulus of 8.3 GPa. Additionally, this GNR/PI composite displayed a good electrical conductivity of 3890 S/m, attributed to the electrical pathways formed by GNRs within the PI matrix.

Multifunctional wood-bamboo hybrid materials for effective electromagnetic interference shielding

With the emergence of industries such as custom home furnishing and prefabricated construction, the demand for functional engineered wood products is increasing. However, traditional engineered wood products have low strength and limited functionality. To address concerns about electromagnetic radiation and other safety hazards in household environments, we developed a multifunctional material with a wood-bamboo multilayer structure, where a bamboo layer with excellent electromagnetic shielding and mechanical properties is bonded to the wood surface. Uniform integration of copper nanoparticles endows the bamboo layer with excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI, 40 dB), shielding effectiveness (SE) and good hydrophobic properties. The wood-bamboo hybrid materials demonstrate excellent flexural strength (70.1 MPa) and flame-retardant performance (self-extinguishing within 10 seconds after ignition). The potential applications of wood-bamboo hybrid materials can extend to various fields such as construction engineering, building decoration and electronic products.

Characterizing eco-composite boards with non-woven polypropylene from disposable face masks and bamboo reinforcement

This study investigates the development of eco-composite panels using treated and untreated nonwoven polypropylene (PP) extracted from disposable medical face masks, reinforced with bamboo particles. Treated PP underwent a washing process with detergent. Panels were fabricated with varying PP-to-bamboo particle ratios of 100:0, 75:25, and 50:50. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis indicated minimal impact of washing on the intrinsic properties of the PP material, as confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Both analyses showed similar intensities of functional groups and thermal trends in treated and untreated recycled PP (rPP) samples. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the uniform integration of bamboo particles within the PP matrix by detecting silicon and potassium elements. Chemical interactions between bamboo fibres and the PP matrix were also evident in the form of reduced peak intensities in FT-IR spectra. Despite these interactions, limited adhesion between bamboo fibres and the PP matrix led to reduced stability and mechanical strength in the eco-composite panels. A direct correlation was observed between board thickness and the proportion of bamboo particles, with the 50:50 formulation showing the greatest thickness. Conversely, board strength decreased as bamboo particle concentration increased due to weak interfacial adhesion. Notably, panels made from treated rPP exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to those from untreated rPP, achieving a modulus of rupture (MOR) of 36.259 MPa and a modulus of elasticity (MOE) of 2048.215 MPa. These findings underscore the potential of utilizing nonwoven PP from disposable medical face masks, reinforced with bamboo fibre particles, to create eco-composite materials with enhanced sustainability and mechanical properties.

Uniform stability, boundedness and square integrability for non-autonomous third-order neutral differential equations with delay

Uniform stability, boundedness and square integrability for non-autonomous third-order neutral differential equations with delay

A Working Framework to Address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Health disparities exist among groups that are based on race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and geography. Often, interventions directed at addressing these disparities are episodically incorporated into health professions education as opposed to a more uniform integration throughout a curriculum. Thus, a working framework for integrating and assessing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) specifically into foundational science teaching in health professions' education is needed. Current frameworks are theoretically based and often bereft of practical examples that basic science and clinical educators would find useful in educational settings. Here we analyzed examples in pharmacology, therapeutics, and clinical medicine to create a tool aimed at identifying and remediating biases and disparities across the undergraduate medical education (UME) curriculum. We initially focused on pharmacology examples and performed a literature search followed by an in-depth analysis of the literature together with our experiences teaching topics with a DEI component. It became clear that, in addition to pure pharmacology topics, there are many pharmacology- and therapeutics-related topics that also involve race, gender, and sexual orientation. These include clinical guidelines and clinical screening criteria. Further analysis of all of the examples derived from our multi-faceted analysis revealed common themes that we, in turn, compiled into a framework. This framework can be used by foundational science and clinical educators to help both students and faculty understand how to navigate DEI-associated foundational science content.

Regulatory and investor demands to use ESG performance metrics in executive compensation: right instrument, wrong method

ABSTRACT The growing acknowledgment of the need to transition to sustainability in corporate governance has led to the scrutiny of and the infusion of non-financial environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals into the traditional incentive-based executive remuneration frameworks. The swift adoption of ESG metrics in executive compensation by global corporations and their endorsement by influential institutional investors and various regulatory bodies highlight this trend. This article challenges the effectiveness and necessity of universally applying standard ESG metrics in compensation structures and aims to construct a framework for a more contextual and nuanced application of ESG-linked executive compensation. The analysis highlights the limitations of ESG objectives unrelated to shareholder value and demonstrates the limited circumstances where some company specific ESG objectives can drive rapid changes in targeted performance by drawing attention to these objectives. These findings question the evolving practice of a uniform integration of ESG metrics in compensation plan design of all companies and urge regulators, institutional investors, and corporate boards to adopt a more tailored, focused, and selective strategy in integrating ESG metrics into executive pay.

Studying the history of histopathology in preclinical medical education as a guide for the uniform integration of radiology in medical education

Radiology and pathology, though distinct fields within medical education, share a common foundation in their essential roles for accurate diagnosis and understanding of diseases. While pathology, particularly histopathology, has long been integrated into preclinical medical education in the United States, radiology education has traditionally been less emphasized. This paper examines the historical development of histopathology training in medical education and its central role, contrasting it with the comparatively peripheral position of radiology education. We explore the historical context of medical education in the United States, tracing the integration of histopathology following the Flexner Report of 1910. In contrast, radiology, emerging later as a specialized field, has faced challenges in achieving comparable integration into medical curricula. Despite the increasing importance of medical imaging in diagnosis and treatment, radiology education remains variable and often lacking in standardization across medical schools. We highlight the need for greater emphasis on radiology education to better prepare medical students for modern clinical practice, where medical imaging plays an increasingly pivotal role. A call for a comprehensive assessment of radiology education and advocacy for its integration into preclinical curricula is made, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between the radiology profession and accrediting bodies to ensure competence in imaging across medical specialties. As medical imaging continues to advance and become more integral to healthcare, it is imperative that medical education reflects this evolution by establishing radiology as a fundamental component of preclinical training.

Deterministic Single-Row-Droplet Catalyst Formation for Uniform Growth Integration of High-Density Silicon Nanowires.

Planar silicon nanowires (SiNWs), grown by using low temperature catalytic approaches, are excellent 1D channel materials for developing high-performance logics and sensors. However, a deterministic position and size control of the metallic catalyst droplets, that lead to the growth of SiNWs, remains still a significant challenge for reliable device integration. In this work, we present a convenient but powerful edge-trimming catalyst formation strategy, which can help to produce a rather uniform single-row of indium (In) catalyst droplets of Dcat = 67 ± 5 nm in diameter, with an exact one-droplet-on-one-step arrangement. This approach marks a significant achievement in self-assembled catalyst formation and offers a foundation to attain a reliable and scalable growth of density SiNW channels, via an in-plane solid-liquid-solid (IPSLS) mechanism, with a uniform diameter down to Dnw = 35 ± 4 nm, and do not rely on high-precision lithography techniques. Prototype SiNW-based field effect transistors (FETs) are also fabricated, with a high Ion/Ioff current ratio and small subthreshold swing of >107 and 262 mV·dec-1, respectively, indicating a reliable new routine to integrate a wide range of SiNW-based logic, sensor, and display applications.

A detachable interface for stable low-voltage stretchable transistor arrays and high-resolution X-ray imaging

Challenges associated with stretchable optoelectronic devices, such as pixel size, power consumption and stability, severely brock their realization in high-resolution digital imaging. Herein, we develop a universal detachable interface technique that allows uniform, damage-free and reproducible integration of micropatterned stretchable electrodes for pixel-dense intrinsically stretchable organic transistor arrays. Benefiting from the ideal heterocontact and short channel length (2 μm) in our transistors, switching current ratio exceeding 106, device density of 41,000 transistors/cm2, operational voltage down to 5 V and excellent stability are simultaneously achieved. The resultant stretchable transistor-based image sensors exhibit ultrasensitive X-ray detection and high-resolution imaging capability. A megapixel image is demonstrated, which is unprecedented for stretchable direct-conversion X-ray detectors. These results forge a bright future for the stretchable photonic integration toward next-generation visualization equipment.

In Situ Construction of Interface with Photothermal and Mutual Catalytic Effect for Efficient Solar-Driven Reversible Hydrogen Storage of MgH2.

Hydrogen storage in MgH2 is an ideal solution for realizing the safe storage of hydrogen. High operating temperature, however, is required for hydrogen storage of MgH2 induced by high thermodynamic stability and kinetic barrier. Herein, flower-like microspheres uniformly constructed by N-doped TiO2 nanosheets coated with TiN nanoparticles are fabricated to integrate the light absorber and thermo-chemical catalysts at a nanometer scale for driving hydrogen storage of MgH2 using solar energy. N-doped TiO2 is in situ transformed into TiNxOy and Ti/TiH2 uniformly distributed inside of TiN matrix during cycling, in which TiN and Ti/TiHx pairs serve as light absorbers that exhibit strong localized surface plasmon resonance effect with full-spectrum light absorbance capability. On the other hand, it is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that the intimate interface between TiH2 and MgH2 can not only thermodynamically and kinetically promote H2 desorption from MgH2 but also simultaneously weaken Ti─H bonds and hence in turn improve H2 desorption from the combination of weakened Ti─H and Ti─H bonds. The uniform integration of photothermal and catalytic effect leads to the direct action of localized heat generated from TiN on initiating the catalytic effect in realizing hydrogen storage of MgH2 with a capacity of 6.1wt.% under 27 sun.

Creation of Wood-Based Hierarchical Superstructures via In Situ Growth of ZIF-8 for Enhancing Mechanical Strength and Electromagnetic Shielding Performance.

Given the escalating prevalence of electromagnetic pollution, there is an urgent need for the development of high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Herein, wood-based electromagnetic shielding materials have gained significant popularity due to their exceptional performance as building materials. In this study, a novel wood-based composite with electromagnetic shielding properties is developed. Through the in situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) crystals on wood fibers, coupled with uniform integration of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), a multifunctional composite named ZIF-8/Poplar-CNT composite is synthesized via a one-step thermoforming process. The incorporation of CNTs endows the composites with excellent EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE). Among these elements, despite ZIF-8 crystals not possessing intrinsic electromagnetic shielding functionality, their distinctive dodecahedral structure proves adept at scattering and reflecting electromagnetic waves within the composites, further improving the electromagnetic shielding effect. Hence, the ZIF-8/Poplar-CNT composite (56.95dB) has ≈10dB higher EMI SE compared to that of the composites without ZIF-8 crystals. Meanwhile, ZIF-8 crystals endow the materials with excellent tensile strength (54.84MPa, enhanced by 4 times). Moreover, the introduction of Zn2+ provides superior antibacterial properties. The potential applications of ZIF-8/Poplar-CNT composites extend to diverse areas such as building decoration, electronic products, and medical equipment.

On the uniform convergence and integrability of special trigonometric integrals

On the uniform convergence and integrability of special trigonometric integrals

Interpenetrating gel-enabled uniform integration of metal and carbon dual matrices with nanoporous silicon for high-performance lithium storage

An interpenetrating gel-enabled methodology has been developed for uniformly integrating metal and carbon with nanoporous silicon, enabling enhanced lithium-storage performance of Si–M–C ternary anodes.

Expected integration approximation under general equal measure partition

In this paper, we first use an L2−discrepancy bound to give the expected uniform integration approximation for functions in the Sobolev space H1(K) equipped with a reproducing kernel. The concept of stratified sampling under general equal measure partition is introduced into the research. For different sampling modes, we obtain a better convergence order O(N−1−1d) for the stratified sampling set than for the Monte Carlo sampling method and the Latin hypercube sampling method. Second, we give several expected uniform integration approximation bounds for functions equipped with boundary conditions in the general Sobolev space Fd,q∗, where 1p+1q=1. Probabilistic Lp−discrepancy bound under general equal measure partition, including the case of Hilbert space-filling curve-based sampling are employed. All of these give better general results than simple random sampling, and in particular, Hilbert space-filling curve-based sampling gives better results than simple random sampling for the appropriate sample size.