Chirality-enhanced 2D conductive polymer for flexible electronics and chiral sensing applications

Chiral two-dimensional (2D) conductive polymers, encompassing chiral, 2D, flexible, and conductive properties, constitute a novel class of material that remains largely unexplored. The infusion of chirality into 2D conductive polymers taps into the unique characteristics associated with chirality, presenting opportunities to enhance or tailor the electronic, optical, and structural properties of materials for specific technological applications. In this study, we synthesized a chiral 2D PEDOT:PMo11V nanofilm through interfacial polymerization, effectively integrating a chiral monolayer, conductive polymer, and inorganic cluster. The inclusion of inorganic cluster serves to enhance the conductivity of the resulting chiral nanofilm. Furthermore, we demonstrated the chiral nanofilm as a capable electrochemical sensor for detecting drug enantiomers. The inherent flexibility of the chiral nanofilm also lays the groundwork for the development of chiral flexible/wearable devices.

2D Air-Stable Nonlayered Ferrimagnetic FeCr2S4 Crystals Synthesized via Chemical Vapor Deposition

The discovery of intrinsic 2D magnetic materials has opened up new opportunities for exploring magnetic properties at atomic layer thicknesses, presenting potential applications in spintronic devices. Here a new 2D ferrimagnetic crystal of nonlayered FeCr2S4 is synthesized with high phase purity using chemical vapor deposition. The obtained 2D FeCr2S4 exhibits perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, as evidenced by the out-of-plane/in-plane Hall effect and anisotropic magnetoresistance. Theoretical calculations further elucidate that the observed magnetic anisotropy can be attributed to its surface termination structure. By combining temperature-dependent magneto-transport and polarized Raman spectroscopy characterizations, it is discovered that both the measured Curie temperature and the critical temperature at which a low energy magnon peak disappeared remains constant, regardless of its thickness. Magnetic force microscopy measurements show the flipping process of magnetic domains. The exceptional air-stability of the 2D FeCr2S4 is also confirmed via Raman spectroscopy and Hall hysteresis loops. The robust anisotropic ferrimagnetism, the thickness-independent of Curie temperature, coupled with excellent air-stability, make 2D FeCr2S4 crystals highly attractive for future spintronic devices.

2D and 3D in vitro angiogenesis assays highlight different aspects of angiogenesis

In angiogenesis research, scientists need to carefully select appropriate in vitro models to test their hypotheses to minimize the risk for false negative or false positive study results. In this study, we investigate molecular differences between simple two-dimensional and more complex three-dimensional angiogenesis assays and compare them to in vivo data from cancer-associated angiogenesis using an unbiased transcriptomic analysis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with VEGF in 2D wound healing and proliferation assays and the 3D spheroid sprouting assay. VEGF-induced transcriptomic shifts were assessed in both settings by bulk RNA sequencing. Immunocytochemistry was used for protein detection. The data was linked to the transcriptomic profile of vascular endothelial cells from a single cell RNA sequencing dataset of various cancer tissue compared to adjacent healthy tissue control. VEGF induced a more diverse transcriptomic shift in vascular endothelial cells in a 3D experimental setting (767 differentially expressed genes) compared to the 2D settings (167 differentially expressed genes). Particularly, VEGF-induced changes in cell-matrix interaction, tip cell formation, and glycolysis were pronounced in the 3D spheroid sprouting experiments. Immunocytochemistry for VCAM1 and CD34 confirmed enhanced expression in response to VEGF-treatment in 3D settings. In vivo, vascular endothelial cells within various cancer tissue were characterized by strong transcriptomic changes in cell-matrix interaction and glycolysis similar to the 3D setting. Consequently, 3D assays may better address certain key aspects of angiogenesis in comparison to fast and scalable 2D assays. This should be taken into consideration within the context of each research question.

Substitutional Cd Dopant as Photohole Transfer Mediator Boosting Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion of 2D Cd-ZnIn2 S4 Photoanode

Fast recombination dynamics of photocarriers competing with sluggish surface photohole oxidation kinetics severely restricts the photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion efficiency of photoanode. Here, a defect engineering strategy is developed to regulate photohole transfer and interfacial injection dynamics of 2D ZnIn2 S4 (ZIS). Via selectively introducing substitutional Cd dopant at Zn sites of the ZIS basal plane, energy band structure and surface electrochemical activity are successfully modulated in the Cd-doped ZIS (Cd-ZIS) nanosheet array photoanode. Comprehensive characterizations manifest that a shallow acceptor level induced by Cd doping and superior electrochemical activity make surface Cd dopants simultaneously act as capture centers and active sites to mediate photohole dynamics at the reaction interface. In depth photocarrier dynamics analysis demonstrates that highly efficient photohole capture of Cd dopants brings about effective space separation of photocarriers and acceleration of surface reaction kinetics. Therefore, the optimum 2D Cd-ZIS achieves excellent PEC solar energy conversion efficiency with a photocurrent density of 5.1 mA cm-2 at 1.23 VRHE and a record of applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) of 3.0%. This work sheds light on a microstructure design strategy to effectively regulate photohole dynamics for the next-generation semiconducting PEC photoanodes.

Large Enhancement of Polarization in a Layered Hybrid Perovskite Ferroelectric Semiconductor via Molecular Engineering

Switchable spontaneous polarization is the vital property of ferroelectrics, which leads to other key physical properties such as piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, and nonlinear optical effects, etc. Recently, organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites with 2D layered structure have become an emerging branch of ferroelectric materials. However, most of the 2D hybrid ferroelectrics own relatively low polarizations (<15 µC cm-2 ). Here, a strategy to enhance the polarization of these hybrid perovskites by using ortho-, meta-, para-halogen substitution is developed. Based on (benzylammonium)2 PbCl4 (BZACL), the para-chlorine substituted (4-chlorobenzylammonium)2 PbCl4 (4-CBZACL) ferroelectric semiconductor shows a large spontaneous polarization (23.3 µC cm-2 ), which is 79% larger than the polarization of BZACL. This large enhancement of polarization is successfully explained via ab initio calculations. The study provides a convenient and efficient strategy to promote the ferroelectric property in the hybrid perovskite family.

2D Heterostructure of CoCl2 /Co3 O4 Built for Strong Enhanced Magnetism

As a remarkable structure, 2D magnetic heterojunctions have attracted researchers' attention owing to their controlled manipulation in the electronic device. However, successful fabrication as well as modulation of their structure and compound remain challenging. Herein, a novel method is designed to obtain a CoCl2 /Co3 O4 heterojunction on Si/SiO2 substrate with the assistance of supercritical CO2 (SC CO2 ), and the as-fabricated sample has significantly increased coercivity and saturation magnetization, which is 11 times higher than pure Co3 O4 . Further, it can be found that the CO2 pressure has the decisive effect on the saturation magnetization of the sample. Therefore, it suggests that the tunable electronic-magnetic device can be anticipated to be obtained in the future.

Patient-derived melanoma models

Melanoma is a very aggressive, rapidly metastasizing tumor that has been studied intensively in the past regarding the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms. More recently developed treatment modalities have improved response rates and overall survival of patients. However, the majority of patients suffer from secondary treatment resistance, which requires in depth analyses of the underlying mechanisms. Here, melanoma models based on patients-derived material may play an important role. Consequently, a plethora of different experimental techniques have been developed in the past years. Among these are 3D and 4D culture techniques, organotypic skin reconstructs, melanoma-on-chip models and patient-derived xenografts, Every technique has its own strengths but also weaknesses regarding throughput, reproducibility, and reflection of the human situation. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of currently used techniques and discuss their use in different experimental settings.

Construction of 2D S-Scheme Heterojunction Photocatalyst

Semiconductor photocatalytic technology holds immense promise for converting sustainable solar energy into chemically storable energy, with significant applications in the realms of energy and the environment. However, the inherent issue of rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes hinders the performance of single photocatalysts. To overcome this challenge, the construction of 2D S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts emerges as an effective strategy. The deliberate design of dimensionality ensures a substantial interfacial area; while, the S-scheme charge transfer mechanism facilitates efficient charge separation and maximizes redox capabilities. This review commences with a fresh perspective on the charge transfer mechanism in S-scheme heterojunctions, followed by a comprehensive exploration of preparation methods and characterization techniques. Subsequently, the recent advancements in 2D S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts are summarized. Notably, the mechanism behind activity enhancement is elucidated. Finally, the prospects for the development of 2D S-scheme photocatalysts are presented.

Recent progress in 2D bipolar magnetic semiconductors

Bipolar magnetic semiconductor (BMS) is a class of magnetic semiconductors, whose valence band maximum and conduction band minimum are fully spin-polarized with opposite spin directions. Due to the special energy band, half-metallicity can be easily obtained in BMS by gate voltage, and the spin polarization can be reversed between spin-up and down when the gate voltage switches from positive to negative. BMSs have great potential applications in spintronic devices, such as the field-effect spin valves, spin filters and spin transistors,etc. With the rapid progress of the two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials, researchers have identified a series of potential intrinsic 2D BMS materials using high-throughput computational methods. Additionally, methods such as doping, application of external stress, introduction of external fields, stacking of interlayer antiferromagnetic semiconductors, and construction of Janus structures have endowed existing materials with BMS properties. This paper reviews the research progress of 2D BMS. These advancements provide crucial guidance for the design and synthesis of BMS materials and offer innovative pathways for the future development of spintronics.

Diagnostic assessment of two-dimensional shear wave elastography in relation to dimethyl arginine levels in dogs with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

In veterinary medicine, previous studies regarding the diagnostic performance of shear wave elastography (SWE) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are not consistent with each other. Moreover, there has been no study evaluating the relationship between symmetric dimethyl arginine (SDMA) concentration and renal shear wave velocity (SWV) using two-dimensional SWE (2D SWE) in dogs with CKD.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic capability of 2D SWE in dogs with CKD and to assess the relationship between renal SWV and SDMA concentration.

METHODS

Dogs with healthy kidneys and dogs with CKD underwent 2D SWE and SDMA assay. Renal stiffness was estimated as renal SWV in m/s.

RESULTS

SDMA concentration had a weak positive correlation with the left (r = 0.338, p = 0.022) and right renal SWV (r = 0.337, p = 0.044). Renal SWV was not significantly different between healthy kidney and CKD groups in the left (p = 0.085) and right (p = 0.171) kidneys.

CONCLUSIONS

2D SWE may could not distinguish between dogs with healthy kidney and dogs with early stage of CKD, but it would be useful for assessing the serial change of renal function in dogs.

A Comparison of Colour Doppler Ultrasound and 2D Ultrasound as Promising Prediction Methods for the Treatment effect of Patients with Advanced Cervical Cancer

BACKGROUND

A number of studies have evaluated the effect of colour Doppler ultrasound in patients with cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of colour Doppler ultrasound and two-dimensional ultrasound of monitoring patients with cervical cancer.

METHODS

Colour Doppler ultrasound (Experimental group) and two-dimensional ultrasound (Control group) are used to monitor cervical cancer and assess the treatment effects. PFS, CI, HR, DCR, ORR, PR, SD, PD, ROD, sensitivity, and specificity, accuracy between the two groups were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 50 patients are included in this study, and the results show that PFS (Experimental group (EG) 5.8±2.2 versus Control group (CG) 6.1±2.6), CI (EG 20% versus CG 16%), HR (EG0.31±0.18 versus CG 0.36±0.21), DCR (EG 80% versus CG 84%), ORR(EG 28% versus CG 36%), PR (EG 16% versus CG 20%), SD (EG 48% versus CG 56%), PD (EG 12% versus CG 16%) (EG 12% versus CG 16%), ROD(EG 44% versus CG 52%) between the two groups are >0.05, and the values of sensitivity (EG 75.6% versus CG 40.2%), specificity (EG 78.4% versus CG 43.3%), and accuracy(EG 80.5% versus CG 41.4%) between the two groups are<0.05.

CONCLUSION

Both Colour Doppler ultrasound and two-dimensional ultrasound are effective methods to evaluate the efficacy of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in patients with cervical cancer.

Accuracy of Personalized Computed Tomographic 3D Templating for Acetabular Cup Placement in Revision Arthroplasty

Background: Revision hip arthroplasty presents a surgical challenge, necessitating meticulous preoperative planning to avert complications like periprosthetic fractures and aseptic loosening. Historically, assessment of the accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) versus two-dimensional (2D) templating has focused exclusively on primary hip arthroplasty. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, we examined the accuracy of 3D templating for acetabular revision cups in 30 patients who underwent revision hip arthroplasty. Utilizing computed tomography scans of the patients' pelvis and 3D templates of the implants (Aesculap Plasmafit, B. Braun; Aesculap Plasmafit Revision, B. Braun; Avantage Acetabular System, Zimmerbiomet, EcoFit 2M, Implantcast; Tritanium Revision, Stryker), we performed 3D templating and positioned the acetabular cup implants accordingly. To evaluate accuracy, we compared the planned sizes of the acetabular cups in 2D and 3D with the sizes implanted during surgery. Results: An analysis was performed to examine potential influences on templating accuracy, specifically considering factors such as gender and body mass index (BMI). Significant statistical differences (p < 0.001) in the accuracy of size prediction were observed between 3D and 2D templating. Personalized 3D templating exhibited an accuracy rate of 66.7% for the correct prediction of the size of the acetabular cup, while 2D templating achieved an exact size prediction in only 26.7% of cases. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2D and 3D templating methods regarding gender or BMI. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that 3D templating improves the accuracy of predicting acetabular cup sizes in revision arthroplasty when compared to 2D templating. However, it should be noted that the predicted implant size generated through 3D templating tended to overestimate the implanted implant size by an average of 1.3 sizes.

Multiaxial 3D MRI of the Ankle: Advanced High-Resolution Visualization of Ligaments, Tendons, and Articular Cartilage

MRI is a valuable tool for diagnosing a broad spectrum of acute and chronic ankle disorders, including ligament tears, tendinopathy, and osteochondral lesions. Traditional two-dimensional (2D) MRI provides a high image signal and contrast of anatomic structures for accurately characterizing articular cartilage, bone marrow, synovium, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. However, 2D MRI limitations are thick slices and fixed slice orientations. In clinical practice, 2D MRI is limited to 2 to 3 mm slice thickness, which can cause blurred contours of oblique structures due to volume averaging effects within the image slice. In addition, image plane orientations are fixated and cannot be changed after the scan, resulting in 2D MRI lacking multiplanar and multiaxial reformation abilities for individualized image plane orientations along oblique and curved anatomic structures, such as ankle ligaments and tendons. In contrast, three-dimensional (3D) MRI is a newer, clinically available MRI technique capable of acquiring high-resolution ankle MRI data sets with isotropic voxel size. The inherently high spatial resolution of 3D MRI permits up to five times thinner (0.5 mm) image slices. In addition, 3D MRI can be acquired image voxel with the same edge length in all three space dimensions (isotropism), permitting unrestricted multiplanar and multiaxial image reformation and postprocessing after the MRI scan. Clinical 3D MRI of the ankle with 0.5 to 0.7 mm isotropic voxel size resolves the smallest anatomic ankle structures and abnormalities of ligament and tendon fibers, osteochondral lesions, and nerves. After acquiring the images, operators can align image planes individually along any anatomic structure of interest, such as ligaments and tendons segments. In addition, curved multiplanar image reformations can unfold the entire course of multiaxially curved structures, such as perimalleolar tendons, into one image plane. We recommend adding 3D MRI pulse sequences to traditional 2D MRI protocols to visualize small and curved ankle structures to better advantage. This article provides an overview of the clinical application of 3D MRI of the ankle, compares diagnostic performances of 2D and 3D MRI for diagnosing ankle abnormalities, and illustrates clinical 3D ankle MRI applications.

CNTs Bridged Basal-Plane-Active 2H-MoS2 Nanosheets for Efficient Robust Electrocatalysis

2D 2H-phase MoS2 is promising for electrocatalytic applications because of its stable phase, rich edge sites, and large surface area. However, the pristine low-conductive 2H-MoS2 suffers from limited electron transfer and surface activity, which become worse after their highly likely aggregation/stacking and self-curling during applications. In this work, these issues are overcome by conformally attaching the intercalation-detonation-exfoliated, surface S-vacancy-rich 2H-MoS2 onto robust conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which electrically bridge bulk electrode and local MoS2 catalysts. The optimized MoS2 /CNTs nanojunctions exhibit outstanding stable electroactivity (close to commercial Pt/C): a polarization overpotential of 79 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm-2 and the Tafel slope of 33.5 mV dec-1 . Theoretical calculations unveil the metalized interfacial electronic structure of MoS2 /CNTs nanojunctions, enhancing defective-MoS2 surface activity and local conductivity. This work provides guidance on rational design for advanced multifaceted 2D catalysts combined with robust bridging conductors to accelerate energy technology development.

Low-Dimensional Structures for Smart Materials and Composites: Preparation, Properties and Applications

The Special Issue covers low-dimensional structures or systems with reduced spatial dimensions, resulting in unique properties. The classification of these materials according to their dimensionality (0D, 1D, 2D, etc.) emerged from nanoscience and nanotechnology. One review and eighteen research articles highlight recent developments and perspectives in the field of low-dimensional structures and demonstrate the potential of low-dimensional systems in various fields, from nanomaterials for energy applications to biomedical sensors and biotechnology sector.

Proteomics profiling and in silico analysis of peptides identified during Fusarium oxysporum infection in castor (Ricinus communis)

Castor is industrially important non-edible oil seeds crop severely affected by soil borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ricini which causes heavy economic losses among the castor growing states in India and worldwide. The development of Fusarium wilt resistant varieties in castor is also challenging because the genes identified for resistance are recessive in nature. Unlike transcriptomics and genomics, proteomics is always a method of choice for quick identification of novel proteins expressed during biological events. Therefore, comparative proteomic approach was employed for identification of proteins released in resistant genotype during Fusarium infection. Protein was extracted from inoculated 48-1 resistant and JI-35 susceptible genotype and subjected to 2D-gel electrophoresis coupled with RPLC-MS/MS. This analysis resulted in 18 unique peptides in resistant genotype and 8 unique peptides in susceptible genotype were identified through MASCOT search database. The real time expression study showed that 5 genes namely CCR 1, Germin like protein 5-1, RPP8, Laccase 4 and Chitinase like 6 was found highly up-regulated during Fusarium oxysporum infection. Furthermore, end point PCR analysis of c-DNA showed amplification of three genes namely Chitinase 6 like, RPP8 and β-glucanase exclusively in resistant genotype indicating that these genes may be involved in resistance phenomenon in castor. Up-regulation of CCR-1 and Laccase 4 involved in lignin biosynthesis provides mechanical strength and may help to prevent the entry of fungal mycelia and protein Germin like 5-1 helps to neutralized ROS by SOD activity. The clear role of these genes can be further confirmed through functional genomics for castor improvement and also for development of transgenic in different crops for wilt resistance.

2D Ovarian Cancer Cell Models

Three-dimensional (3D) cancer models are revolutionising research, allowing for the recapitulation of an in vivo-like response through the use of an in vitro system, which is more complex and physiologically relevant than traditional monolayer cultures. Cancers such as ovarian (OvCa) are prone to developing resistance, are often lethal, and stand to benefit greatly from the enhanced modelling emulated by 3D cultures. However, the current models often fall short of the predicted response, where reproducibility is limited owing to the lack of standardised methodology and established protocols. This meta-analysis aims to assess the current scope of 3D OvCa models and the differences in the genetic profiles presented by a vast array of 3D cultures. An analysis of the literature (Pubmed.gov) spanning 2012-2022 was used to identify studies with paired data of 3D and 2D monolayer counterparts in addition to RNA sequencing and microarray data. From the data, 19 cell lines were found to show differential regulation in their gene expression profiles depending on the bio-scaffold (i.e., agarose, collagen, or Matrigel) compared to 2D cell cultures. The top genes differentially expressed in 2D vs. 3D included C3, CXCL1, 2, and 8, IL1B, SLP1, FN1, IL6, DDIT4, PI3, LAMC2, CCL20, MMP1, IFI27, CFB, and ANGPTL4. The top enriched gene sets for 2D vs. 3D included IFN-α and IFN-γ response, TNF-α signalling, IL-6-JAK-STAT3 signalling, angiogenesis, hedgehog signalling, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, hypoxia, and inflammatory response. Our transversal comparison of numerous scaffolds allowed us to highlight the variability that can be induced by these scaffolds in the transcriptional landscape and identify key genes and biological processes that are hallmarks of cancer cells grown in 3D cultures. Future studies are needed to identify which is the most appropriate in vitro/preclinical model to study tumour microenvironments.

Large-Area GeSe Realized Using Pulsed Laser Deposition for Ultralow-Noise and Ultrafast Broadband Phototransistors

Here, we report on the comprehensive growth, characterization, and optoelectronic application of large-area, two-dimensional germanium selenide (GeSe) layers prepared using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Back-gated phototransistors based on few-layered 2D GeSe have been fabricated on a SiO₂/Si substrate for ultrafast, low noise, and broadband light detection, showing spectral functionalities over a broad wavelength range of 0.4-1.5 μm. The broadband detection capabilities of the device have been attributed to the self-assembled GeO_x/GeSe heterostructure and sub-bandgap absorption in GeSe. Besides a high photoresponsivity of 25 AW^-1, the GeSe phototransistor displayed a high external quantum efficiency of the order of 6.14 × 10³%, a maximum specific detectivity of 4.16 × 10¹⁰ Jones, and an ultralow noise equivalent power of 0.09 pW/Hz^1/2. The detector has an ultrafast response/recovery time of 3.2/14.9 μs and can show photoresponse up to a high cut-off frequency of 150 kHz. These promising device parameters exhibited by PLD-grown GeSe layers-based detectors make it a favorable choice against present-day mainstream van der Waals semiconductors with limited scalability and optoelectronic compatibility in the visible-to-infrared spectral range.

Potential use of the cusp and crown areas of the maxillary posterior teeth measured with a two-dimensional stereomicroscope for sex determination

In this study, we aimed to compare the cusp and crown areas of the maxillary first premolar (PM1), second premolar (PM2), and first molar (M1) in males and females in the Malay population and to formulate sex prediction models. For this purpose, the maxillary posterior teeth of 176 dental cast samples (from 88 males and 88 females) were selected and transformed to two-dimensional digital models using 2D-Hirox KH-7700. Cusp and crown area measurements were obtained using Hirox software by tracing the outermost circumference of the tooth cusps. Statistical analysis included independent t-tests, logistic regression analysis, and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves as well as determination of sensitivity and specificity; analysis was performed with SPSS version 26.0. The significance threshold was set at 0.05. All crown and cusp area measurements were significantly larger in males than in females (p < 0.001). The most sexually dimorphic tooth was the first maxillary molar (mean difference, 10.27 mm²), and the most sexually dimorphic cusp was the mesiopalatal cusp (mean difference, 3.67 mm²) of M1. The sex prediction model had a good accuracy, with 80% of selected cases correctly predicted. Hence, we conclude that the maxillary posterior teeth in the Malay population exhibit significant sexual dimorphism, and this information may be used for sex determination as adjuvants along with other procedures.

Nitrogen-Doped Porous Nickel Molybdenum Phosphide Sheets for Efficient Seawater Splitting

Hydrogen is emerging as an alternative clean fuel; however, its dependency on freshwater will be a threat to a sustainable environment. Seawater, an unlimited source, can be an alternative, but its salt-rich nature causes corrosion and introduces several competing reactions, hindering its use. To overcome these, a unique catalyst composed of porous sheets of nitrogen-doped NiMo₃ P (N-NiMo₃ P) having a sheet size of several microns is designed. The presence of large homogenous pores in the basal plane of these sheets makes them catalytically more active and ensures faster mass transfer. The introduction of N and Ni into MoP significantly tunes the electronic density of Mo, surface chemistry, and metal-non-metal bond lengths, optimizing surface energies, creating new active sites, and increasing electrical conductivity. The presence of metal-nitrogen bonds and surface polyanions increases the stability and improves anti-corrosive properties against chlorine chemistry. Ultimately, the N-NiMo₃ P sheets show remarkable performance as it only requires overpotentials of 23 and 35 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction, and it catalyzes full water splitting at 1.52 and 1.55 V to achieve 10 mA cm^-2 in 1 m KOH and seawater, respectively. Hence, structural and compositional control can make catalysts effective in realizing low-cost hydrogen directly from seawater.

3D self-assembled indium sulfide nanoreactor for in-situ surface covalent functionalization: Towards high-performance room-temperature NO2 sensing

Thiol functionalization of two-dimensional (2D) metal sulfides has been demonstrated as an effective approach to enhance the sensing performances. However, most thiol functionalization is realized by multiple-step approaches in liquid medium and depends on the dispersity of 2D materials. Here, we utilize a three-dimensional (3D) In₂S₃ nano-porous structure that self-assembled from 2D components as the nanoreactor, in which the surface-absorbed thiol molecules from the chemical residues of the nanoreactor are used for the in-situ covalent functionalization. Such functionalization is realized by facile heat the nanoreactor at 100 °C, leading to the recombing sulfur vacancies with thiol-terminated groups. The NO₂ sensing performances of such functionalized nanoreactor are investigated at room temperature, in which In₂S₃-100 exhibits a response magnitude of 21.5 towards 10 ppm NO₂ with full reversibility, high selectivity, and excellent repeatability. Such high-performance gas sensors can be attributed to the additional electrons that transferring from the functional group into the host, thus significantly modifying the electronic band structure. This work provides a guideline for the facile in-situ functionalization of metal sulfides and an efficient strategy for the high performances gas sensors without external stimulus.

Accuracy between 2D Photography and Dual-Structured Light 3D Facial Scanner for Facial Anthropometry: A Clinical Study

(1) Background: Facial scanners are used in different fields of dentistry to digitalize the soft tissues of the patient's face. The development of technology has allowed the patient to have a 3-dimensional virtual representation, facilitating facial integration in the diagnosis and treatment plan. However, the accuracy of the facial scanner and the obtaining of better results with respect to the manual or two-dimensional (2D) method are questionable. The objective of this clinical trial was to evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of the 3D method (a dual-structured light facial scanner) and compare it with the 2D method (photography) to obtain facial analysis in the maximum intercuspation position and smile position. (2) Methods: A total of 60 participants were included, and nine facial landmarks and five interlandmarks distances were determined by two independent calibrated operators for each participant. All measurements were made using three methods: the manual method (manual measurement), the 2D method (photography), and the 3D method (facial scanner). All clinical and lighting conditions, as well as the specific parameters of each method, were standardized and controlled. The facial interlandmark distances were made by using a digital caliper, a 2D software program (Adobe Photoshop, version 21.0.2), and a 3D software program (Meshlab, version 2020.12), respectively. The data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test revealed that trueness and precision values were normally distributed (p > 0.05), so a Student's t-test was employed. (3) Results: Statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) were observed in all interlandmark measurements in the 2D group (photography) to compare with the manual group. The 2D method obtained a mean accuracy value of 2.09 (±3.38) and 2.494 (±3.67) in maximum intercuspation and smile, respectively. On the other hand, the 3D method (facial scanner) obtained a mean accuracy value of 0.61 (±1.65) and 0.28 (±2.03) in maximum intercuspation and smile, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences with the manual method. (4) Conclusions: The employed technique demonstrated that it influences the accuracy of facial records. The 3D method reported acceptable accuracy values, while the 2D method showed discrepancies over the clinically acceptable limits.

A Mixed Protonic-Electronic Conductor Base on the Host-Guest Architecture of 2D Metal-Organic Layers and Inorganic Layers

The key to designing and fabricating highly efficient mixed protonic-electronic conductors materials (MPECs) is to integrate the mixed conductive active sites into a single structure, to break through the shortcomings of traditional physical blending. Herein, based on the host-guest interaction, an MPEC is consisted of 2D metal-organic layers and hydrogen-bonded inorganic layers by the assembly methods of layered intercalation. Noticeably, the 2D intercalated materials (≈1.3 nm) exhibit the proton conductivity and electron conductivity, which are 2.02 × 10^-5 and 3.84 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 at 100 °C and 99% relative humidity, much higher than these of pure 2D metal-organic layers (>>1.0 × 10^-10 and 2.01×10^-8 S cm^-1 ), respectively. Furthermore, combining accurate structural information and theoretical calculations reveals that the inserted hydrogen-bonded inorganic layers provide the proton source and a networks of hydrogen-bonds leading to efficient proton transport, meanwhile reducing the bandgap of hybrid architecture and increasing the band electron delocalization of the metal-organic layer to greatly elevate the electron transport of intrinsic 2D metal-organic frameworks.

Polygonal tessellations as predictive models of molecular monolayers

Molecular self-assembly plays a very important role in various aspects of technology as well as in biological systems. Governed by covalent, hydrogen or van der Waals interactions-self-assembly of alike molecules results in a large variety of complex patterns even in two dimensions (2D). Prediction of pattern formation for 2D molecular networks is extremely important, though very challenging, and so far, relied on computationally involved approaches such as density functional theory, classical molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo, or machine learning. Such methods, however, do not guarantee that all possible patterns will be considered and often rely on intuition. Here, we introduce a much simpler, though rigorous, hierarchical geometric model founded on the mean-field theory of 2D polygonal tessellations to predict extended network patterns based on molecular-level information. Based on graph theory, this approach yields pattern classification and pattern prediction within well-defined ranges. When applied to existing experimental data, our model provides a different view of self-assembled molecular patterns, leading to interesting predictions on admissible patterns and potential additional phases. While developed for hydrogen-bonded systems, an extension to covalently bonded graphene-derived materials or 3D structures such as fullerenes is possible, significantly opening the range of potential future applications.

Efficient Synthesis of 2D Mica Nanosheets by Solvothermal and Microwave-Assisted Techniques for CO2 Capture Applications

Mica, a commonly occurring mineral, has significant potential for various applications due to its unique structure and properties. However, due to its non-Van Der Waals bonded structure, it is difficult to exfoliate mica into ultrathin nanosheets. In this work, we report a rapid solvothermal microwave synthesis of 2D mica with short reaction time and energy conservation. The resulting exfoliated 2D mica nanosheets (eMica nanosheets) were characterized by various techniques, and their ability to capture CO₂ was tested by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Our results showed an 87% increase in CO₂ adsorption capacity with eMica nanosheets compared to conventional mica. Further characterization by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as first-principles calculations, showed that the high specific surface area and deposited K₂CO₃ layer contribute to the increased CO₂ adsorption on the mica nanosheets. These results speak to the potential of high-quality eMica nanosheets and efficient synthesis processes to open new avenues for new physical properties of 2D materials and the development of CO₂ capture technologies.

Embedding Ru Clusters and Single Atoms into Perovskite Oxide Boosts Nitrogen Fixation and Affords Ultrahigh Ammonia Yield Rate

Ammonia is a key chemical feedstock worldwide. Compared with the well-known Haber-Bosch method, electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) can eventually consume less energy and have less CO₂ emission. In this study, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method is used to anchor transition metal element onto 2D conductive material. Among all attempts, Ru single-atom and Ru-cluster-embedded perovskite oxide are discovered with promising electrocatalysis performance for ENRR (NH₃ yield rate of up to 137.5 ± 5.8 µg h^-1  mg_cat ^-1 and Faradaic efficiency of unexpected 56.9 ± 4.1%), reaching the top record of Ru-based catalysts reported so far. In situ experiments and density functional theory calculations confirm that the existence of Ru clusters can regulate the electronic structure of Ru single atoms and decrease the energy barrier of the first hydrogenation step (*NN to *NNH). Anchoring Ru onto various 2D perovskite oxides (LaMO-Ru, MCr, Mn, Co, or Ni) also show boosted ENRR performance. Not only this study provides an unique strategy toward transition-metal-anchored new 2D conductive materials, but also paves the way for fundamental understanding the correlation between cluster-involved single-atom sites and catalytic performance.

High-Throughput Screening Assay for Detecting Drug-Induced Changes in Synchronized Neuronal Oscillations and Potential Seizure Risk Based on Ca2+ Fluorescence Measurements in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (hiPSC)-Derived Neuronal 2D and 3D Cultures

Drug-induced seizure liability is a significant safety issue and the basis for attrition in drug development. Occurrence in late development results in increased costs, human risk, and delayed market availability of novel therapeutics. Therefore, there is an urgent need for biologically relevant, in vitro high-throughput screening assays (HTS) to predict potential risks for drug-induced seizure early in drug discovery. We investigated drug-induced changes in neural Ca²⁺ oscillations, using fluorescent dyes as a potential indicator of seizure risk, in hiPSC-derived neurons co-cultured with human primary astrocytes in both 2D and 3D forms. The dynamics of synchronized neuronal calcium oscillations were measured with an FDSS kinetics reader. Drug responses in synchronized Ca²⁺ oscillations were recorded in both 2D and 3D hiPSC-derived neuron/primary astrocyte co-cultures using positive controls (4-aminopyridine and kainic acid) and negative control (acetaminophen). Subsequently, blinded tests were carried out for 25 drugs with known clinical seizure incidence. Positive predictive value (accuracy) based on significant changes in the peak number of Ca²⁺ oscillations among 25 reference drugs was 91% in 2D vs. 45% in 3D hiPSC-neuron/primary astrocyte co-cultures. These data suggest that drugs that alter neuronal activity and may have potential risk for seizures can be identified with high accuracy using an HTS approach using the measurements of Ca²⁺ oscillations in hiPSC-derived neurons co-cultured with primary astrocytes in 2D.

2D/3D Wound Segmentation and Measurement Based on a Robot-Driven Reconstruction System

Chronic wounds, are a worldwide health problem affecting populations and economies as a whole. With the increase in age-related diseases, obesity, and diabetes, the costs of chronic wound healing will further increase. Wound assessment should be fast and accurate in order to reduce possible complications and thus shorten the wound healing process. This paper describes an automatic wound segmentation based on a wound recording system built upon a 7-DoF robot arm with an attached RGB-D camera and high-precision 3D scanner. The developed system represents a novel combination of 2D and 3D segmentation, where the 2D segmentation is based on the MobileNetV2 classifier and the 3D component is based on the active contour model, which works on the 3D mesh to further refine the wound contour. The end output is the 3D model of only the wound surface without the surrounding healthy skin and geometric parameters in the form of perimeter, area, and volume.

Synchronous Metal Rearrangement on Two-Dimensional Equatorial Surfaces of Au-Cu Alloy Nanoclusters

Understanding the growth of nanoclusters and the relationship between structure-activity depends on the precise arrangement of metals on their surface. In this work, we realized the synchronous rearrangement of metal atoms on the equatorial plane of Au-Cu alloy nanoclusters. Upon adsorption of the phosphine ligand, the Cu atoms on the equatorial plane of the Au₅₂Cu₇₂(SPh)₅₅ nanocluster are irreversibly rearranged. The whole metal rearrangement process can be understood from a synchronous metal rearrangement mechanism initiated by the adsorption of the phosphine ligand. Furthermore, this metal rearrangement can effectively improve the efficiency of A³ coupling reactions without increasing the amount of catalyst.

Brain dynamics of visual anticipation during spatial occlusion tasks in expert tennis players

Stimulus identification and action outcome understanding for a rapid and accurate response selection, play a fundamental role in racquet sports. Here, we investigated the neurodynamics of visual anticipation in tennis manipulating the postural and kinematic information associated with the body of opponents by means of a spatial occlusion protocol. Event Related Potentials (ERPs) were evaluated in two groups of professional tennis players (N = 37) with different levels of expertise, while they observed pictures of opponents and predicted the landing position as fast and accurately as possible. The observed action was manipulated by deleting different body districts of the opponent (legs, ball, racket and arm, trunk). Full body image (no occlusion) was used as control condition. The worst accuracy and the slowest response time were observed in the occlusion of trunk and ball. The former was associated with a reduced amplitude of the ERP components likely linked to body processing (the N1 in the right hemisphere) and visual-motor integration awareness (the pP1), as well as with an increase of the late frontal negativity (the pN2), possibly reflecting an effort by the insula to recover and/or complete the most correct sensory-motor representation. In both occlusions, a decrease in the pP2 may reflect an impairment of decisional processes upon action execution following sensory evidence accumulation. Enhanced amplitude of the P3 and the pN2 components were found in more experienced players, suggesting a greater allocation of resources in the process connecting sensory encoding and response execution, and sensory-motor representation.

Label-free cell segmentation of diverse lymphoid tissues in 2D and 3D

Unlocking and quantifying fundamental biological processes through tissue microscopy requires accurate, in situ segmentation of all cells imaged. Currently, achieving this is complex and requires exogenous fluorescent labels that occupy significant spectral bandwidth, increasing the duration and complexity of imaging experiments while limiting the number of channels remaining to address the study's objectives. We demonstrate that the excitation light reflected during routine confocal microscopy contains sufficient information to achieve accurate, label-free cell segmentation in 2D and 3D. This is achieved using a simple convolutional neural network trained to predict the probability that reflected light pixels belong to either nucleus, cytoskeleton, or background classifications. We demonstrate the approach across diverse lymphoid tissues and provide video tutorials demonstrating deployment in Python and MATLAB or via standalone software for Windows.

Compact Modeling of Two-Dimensional Field-Effect Biosensors

A compact model able to predict the electrical read-out of field-effect biosensors based on two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors is introduced. It comprises the analytical description of the electrostatics including the charge density in the 2D semiconductor, the site-binding modeling of the barrier oxide surface charge, and the Stern layer plus an ion-permeable membrane, all coupled with the carrier transport inside the biosensor and solved by making use of the Donnan potential inside the ion-permeable membrane formed by charged macromolecules. This electrostatics and transport description account for the main surface-related physical and chemical processes that impact the biosensor electrical performance, including the transport along the low-dimensional channel in the diffusive regime, electrolyte screening, and the impact of biological charges. The model is implemented in Verilog-A and can be employed on standard circuit design tools. The theoretical predictions obtained with the model are validated against measurements of a MoS₂ field-effect biosensor for streptavidin detection showing excellent agreement in all operation regimes and leading the way for the circuit-level simulation of biosensors based on 2D semiconductors.

Chemical Tuning Meets 2D Molecular Magnets

2D magnets provoke a surge of interest in large anisotropy in reduced dimensions and are promising for next-generation information technology where dynamic magnetic tuning is essential. Until recently, the crucial metal-organic magnet Cr(pyz)₂ ·xLiCl·yTHF with considerable high coercivity and high-temperature magnetic order opens up a new platform to control magnetism in metal-organic materials at room temperature. Here, an in-situ chemical tuning route is reported to realize the controllable transformation of low-temperature magnetic order into room-temperature hard magnetism in Cr(pyz)₂ ·xLiCl·yTHF. The chemical tuning via electrochemical lithiation and solvation/desolvation exhibits continuously variable magnetic features from cryogenic magnetism to the room-temperature optimum performance of coercivity (H_c ) of 8500 Oe and energy product of 0.6 MGOe. Such chemically flexible tunability of room-temperature magnetism is ascribed to the different degrees of lithiation and solvation that modify the stoichiometry and Cr-pyrazine coordination framework. Furthermore, the additively manufactured hybrid magnets show air stability and electromagnetic induction, providing potential applications. The findings here suggest chemical tuning as a universal approach to control the anisotropy and magnetism of 2D hybrid magnets at room temperature, promising for data storage, magnetic refrigeration, and spintronics.

Topological-Preserving Membrane Skeleton Segmentation in Multiplex Immunofluorescence Imaging

Multiplex immunofluorescence (MxIF) is an emerging imaging technology whose downstream molecular analytics highly rely upon the effectiveness of cell segmentation. In practice, multiple membrane markers (e.g., NaKATPase, PanCK and β-catenin) are employed to stain membranes for different cell types, so as to achieve a more comprehensive cell segmentation since no single marker fits all cell types. However, prevalent watershed-based image processing might yield inferior capability for modeling complicated relationships between markers. For example, some markers can be misleading due to questionable stain quality. In this paper, we propose a deep learning based membrane segmentation method to aggregate complementary information that is uniquely provided by large scale MxIF markers. We aim to segment tubular membrane structure in MxIF data using global (membrane markers z-stack projection image) and local (separate individual markers) information to maximize topology preservation with deep learning. Specifically, we investigate the feasibility of four SOTA 2D deep networks and four volumetric-based loss functions. We conducted a comprehensive ablation study to assess the sensitivity of the proposed method with various combinations of input channels. Beyond using adjusted rand index (ARI) as the evaluation metric, which was inspired by the clDice, we propose a novel volumetric metric that is specific for skeletal structure, denoted as c l D i c e S K E L . In total, 80 membrane MxIF images were manually traced for 5-fold cross-validation. Our model outperforms the baseline with a 20.2% and 41.3% increase in c l D i c e S K E L and ARI performance, which is significant (p<0.05) using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Our work explores a promising direction for advancing MxIF imaging cell segmentation with deep learning membrane segmentation. Tools are available at https://github.com/MASILab/MxIF_Membrane_Segmentation.

Screening Evaluation of Antiproliferative, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of Lichen Extracts and Secondary Metabolites In Vitro

Lichen metabolites represent a wide range of substances with a variety of biological effects. The present study was designed to analyze the potential antiproliferative, antimicrobial and antioxidative effects of several extracts from lichens (Pseudevernia furfuracea, Lobaria pulmonaria, Cetraria islandica, Evernia prunastri, Stereocaulon tomentosum, Xanthoria elegans and Umbilicaria hirsuta) and their secondary metabolites (atranorin, physodic acid, evernic acid and gyrophoric acid). The crude extract, as well as the isolated metabolites, showed potent antiproliferative, cytotoxic activity on a broad range of cancer cell lines in 2D (monolayer) and 3D (spheroid) models. Furthermore, antioxidant (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazylhydrate (DPPH) and in vitro antimicrobial activities were assessed. Data showed that the lichen extracts, as well as the compounds present, possessed biological potential in the studied assays. It was also observed that the extracts were more efficient and their major compounds showed strong effects as antiproliferative, antioxidant and antibacterial agents. Moreover, we demonstrated the 2D and 3D models' importance to drug discovery for further in vivo studies. Despite the fact that lichen compounds have been neglected by the scientific community for long periods, nowadays they are objects of investigation based on their promising effects.

Fractured morphology of femoral head associated with subsequent femoral neck fracture: Injury analyses of 2D and 3D models of femoral head fractures with computed tomography

Background: The injury of femoral head varies among femoral head fractures (FHFs). In addition, the injury degree of the femoral head is a significant predictor of femoral neck fracture (FNF) incidence in patients with FHFs. However, the exact measurement methods have yet been clearly defined based on injury models of FHFs. This study aimed to design a new measurement for the injury degree of the femoral head on 2D and 3D models with computed tomography (CT) images and investigate its association with FHFs with FNF. Methods: A consecutive series of 209 patients with FHFs was assessed regarding patient characteristics, CT images, and rate of FNF. New parameters for injury degree of femoral head, including percentage of maximum defect length (PMDL) in the 2D CT model and percentage of fracture area (PFA) in the 3D CT-reconstruction model, were respectively measured. Four 2D parameters included PMDLs in the coronal, cross-sectional and sagittal plane and average PMDL across all three planes. Reliability tests for all parameters were evaluated in 100 randomly selected patients. The PMDL with better reliability and areas under curves (AUCs) was finally defined as the 2D parameter. Factors associated with FNF were determined by binary logistic regression analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and positive and negative predictive values for different cut-off values of the 2D and 3D parameters were employed to test the diagnostic accuracy for FNF prediction. Results: Intra- and inter-class coefficients for all parameters were ≥0.887. AUCs of all parameters ranged from 0.719 to 0.929 (p < 0.05). The average PMDL across all three planes was defined as the 2D parameter. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that average PMDL across all three planes and PFA were the significant predictors of FNF (p < 0.05). The cutoff values of the average PMDL across all three planes and PFA were 91.65% and 29.68%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, predictive positive value and negative predictive value of 2D (3D) parameters were 91.7% (83.3%), 93.4% (58.4%), 13.8 (2.0), 0.09 (0.29), 45.83% (10.87%), and 99.46% (98.29%). Conclusion: The new measurement on 2D and 3D injury models with CT has been established to assess the fracture risk of femoral neck in patients with FHFs in the clinic practice. 2D and 3D parameters in FHFs were a feasible adjunctive diagnostic tool in identifying FNFs. In addition, this finding might also provide a theoretic basis for the investigation of the convenient digital-model in complex injury analysis.

Intestinal Cell Differentiation and Phenotype in 2D and 3D Cell Culture Models

Three-dimensional (3D) culture models are more physiologically relevant than two-dimensional (2D) cell culture models. 2D approaches cannot reproduce the complexity of the tumor microenvironment and are less able to translate biological insights; and drug response studies have many limitations to be extrapolated to the clinics. Here, we use the Caco-2 colon cancer cell line, which is an immortalized human epithelial cell line that under specific conditions can polarize and differentiate into a villus-like phenotype. We describe cell differentiation and cell growth in both 2D and 3D culture conditions, concluding that cell morphology, polarity, proliferation and differentiation are highly dependent on the type of cell culture system.

Decoupling 1D and 2D features of 2D sp-nanoribbons-the megatom model

The dependence of the electron energy band gap on the width of ansp-nanoribbon is investigated using a generalization of the 1D tight binding model for a chain of atoms. Within the proposed generalization, small linear atomic formations along lines perpendicular to the 2D ribbon axis are modeled as single large atoms calledmegatomswhose properties depend on the type, the size and the atomic conformation. Replacement of a 1D chain of atoms by that of the megatoms is accompanied by the incorporation of zeroth order 2D features into the 1D model approximation of the nanoribbon. We use this model to investigate the oscillating band gap of ansp-nanoribbon in terms of the ribbon's width. Results are presented for the width dependence of the energy gap of the zig-zag Si₂BN nanoribbons.

Decoding the Virtual 2D Map of the Chloroplast Proteomes

BACKGROUND

The chloroplast is a semi-autonomous organelle having its own genome and corresponding proteome. Although chloroplast genomes have been reported, no reports exist on their corresponding proteomes. Therefore, a proteome-wide analysis of the chloroplast proteomes of 2893 species was conducted, and a virtual 2D map was constructed.

RESULTS

The resulting virtual 2D map of the chloroplast proteome exhibited a bimodal distribution. The molecular mass of the chloroplast proteome ranged from 0.448 to 616.334 kDa, and the isoelectric point (pI) ranged from 2.854 to 12.954. Chloroplast proteomes were dominated by basic pI proteins with an average pI of 7.852. The molecular weight and isoelectric point of chloroplast proteome were found to show bimodal distribution. Leu was the most abundant and Cys the least abundant amino acid in the chloroplast proteome. Notably, Trp amino acid was absent in the chloroplast protein sequences of Pilostyles aethiopica. In addition, Selenocysteine (Sec) and Pyrrolysine (Pyl) amino acids were also found to be lacking in the chloroplast proteomes.

CONCLUSION

The virtual 2D map and amino acid composition of chloroplast proteome will enable the researchers to understand the biochemistry of chloroplast protein in detail. Further, the amino acid composition of the chloroplast proteome will also allow us to understand the codon usage bias. The codon usage bias and amino acid usage bias of chloroplast will be crucial to understanding their relationship.

A High-Sensitivity Dual-Axis Accelerometer with Two FP Cavities Assembled on Single Optical Fiber

In this paper, a dual-axis Fabry-Pérot (FP) accelerometer assembled on single optical fiber is proposed. The sensor is equipped with a special beam-splitting prism to split the light into two perpendicular directions (the X- and Y-axes); the prism surface coated with semi-permeable film and the reflective sheet on the corresponding Be-Cu vibration-sensitive spring form two sets of FP cavities of different sizes. When the Be-Cu spring with a proof mass (PM) is subjected to the vibration signal, the cavity length of the corresponding FP cavity is changed and the interference signal returns to the collimator through the original path of the prism. After bandpass filtering and demodulation, the two cavity lengths are obtained, and the acceleration measurement in dual-axis directions is completed. The resonant frequency of the proposed dual-axis fiber optic accelerometer is around 280 Hz. The results of the spectral measurements show 3.93 μm/g (g = 9.8 m/s²: gravity constant) and 4.19 μm/g for the applied acceleration along the X- and Y-axes, respectively, and the cross-axis sensitivity is below 5.1%. Within the angle range of 180°, the maximum error of measured acceleration is less than 3.77%. The proposed fiber optic dual-axis FP accelerometer has high sensitivity and strong immunity to electromagnetic interference. The size of the sensor mainly depends on the size of the prism, which is easy to reduce and mass produce. Moreover, this FP construction method has high flexibility and development potential.

High interfacial charge separation in visible-light active Z- scheme g-C3N4/MoS2 heterojunction: Mechanism and degradation of sulfasalazine

Examination of highly proficient photoactive materials for the degradation of antibiotics from the aqueous solution is the need of the hour. In the present study, a 2D/2D binary junction GCM, formed between graphitic-carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂), was synthesized using facile hydrothermal method and its photo-efficacy was tested for the degradation of sulfasalazine (SUL) from aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation. Morphological analysis indicated the nanosheets arrangement of MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄. The visible-light driven experiments indicated that 97% antibiotic was degraded by GCM-30% within 90 min which was found to be quite high than pristine g-C₃N₄ and MoS₂ at solution pH of 6, GCM-30% dose of 20 mg, and SUL concentration of 20 mgL^-1. The degradation performance of GCM-30% was selectively improved due to enhanced visible-light absorption, high charge carrier separation, and high redox ability of the photogenerated charges which was induced by the effective Z-scheme 2D/2D heterojunction formed between g-C₃N₄ and MoS₂. The reactive radicals as determined by the scavenging study were •O₂^-, and h⁺. A detailed degradation mechanism of SUL by GCM-30% was also predicted based on the detailed examination of the band gaps of g-C₃N₄ and MoS₂.

Enhancement of the CAST Block Algorithm Based on Novel S-Box for Image Encryption

BACKGROUND AND AIM

due to the rapid growth of data communication and multimedia system applications, security becomes a critical issue in the communication and storage of images. This study aims to improve encryption and decryption for various types of images by decreasing time consumption and strengthening security.

METHODOLOGY

An algorithm is proposed for encrypting images based on the Carlisle Adams and Stafford Tavares CAST block cipher algorithm with 3D and 2D logistic maps. A chaotic function that increases the randomness in the encrypted data and images, thereby breaking the relation sequence through the encryption procedure, is introduced. The time is decreased by using three secure and private S-Boxes rather than using six S-Boxes, as in the traditional method. Moreover, the CAST encryption algorithm was modified to be used on the private keys and substitution stage (S-Boxes), with the keys and S-Boxes of the encryption algorithm being generated according to the 2D and 3D chaotic map functions. The proposed system passed all evaluation criteria, including (MSE, PSNR, EQ, MD, SC, NC, AD, SNR, SIM, MAE, Time, CC, Entropy, and histograms).

RESULTS

Moreover, the results also illustrate that the created S-Boxes passed all evaluation criteria; compared with the results of the traditional method that was used in creating S-Box, the proposed method achieved better results than other methods used in the other works. The proposed solution improves the entropy which is between (7.991-7.999), reduces the processing time which is between (0.5-11 s/Images), and improves NCPR, which is between (0.991-1).

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed solution focuses on reducing the total processing time for encryption and decryption and improving transmission security. Finally, this solution provides a fast security system for surgical telepresence with secure real-time communication. The complexity of this work needs to know the S-Box creation method used, the chaotic method, the values of the chaotic parameters, and which of these methods was used in the encryption process.

2D Bismuth@N-Doped Carbon Sheets for Ultrahigh Rate and Stable Potassium Storage

Metallic Bi, as an alloying-type anode material, has demonstrated tremendous potential for practical application of potassium-ion batteries. However, the giant volume expansion, severe structure pulverization, and sluggish dynamics of Bi-based materials result in unsatisfied rate performance and unstable cycling stability. Here, 2D bismuth@N-doped carbon sheets with BiOC bond and internal void space (2D Bi@NOC) are successfully fabricated via a self-template strategy to address these issues, which own ultrafast electrochemical kinetics and impressive long-term cycling stability for delivering an admirable capacity of 341.7 mAh g^-1 after 1000 cycles at 10 A g^-1 and impressive rate capability of 220.6 mAh g^-1 at 50 A g^-1 . Particularly, the in situ transmission electron microscopy observations visualize the real-time alloying/dealloying process and reveal that plastic carbon shell and void space can availably relieve dramatic volume stress and powerfully maintain structural integrity. Density functional theory calculation and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy test certify that the robust BiOC bond is thermodynamically and kinetically beneficial for adsorption/diffusion of K⁺ . This work will light on designing advanced high-performance energy materials and provide important evidence for understanding the energy storage mechanism of alloy-based materials.

Two-Dimensional Crystals as a Buffer Layer for High Work Function Applications: The Case of Monolayer MoO3

We propose that the crystallinity of two-dimensional (2D) materials is a crucial factor for achieving highly effective work function (WF) modification. A crystalline 2D MoO₃ monolayer enhances substrate WF up to 6.4 eV for thicknesses as low as 0.7 nm. Such a high WF makes 2D MoO₃ a great candidate for tuning properties of anode materials and for the future design of organic electronic devices, where accurate evaluation of the WF is crucial. We provide a detailed investigation of WF of 2D α-MoO₃ directly grown on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite, by means of Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS). This study underlines the importance of a controlled environment and the resulting crystallinity to achieve high WF in MoO₃. UPS is proved to be suitable for determining higher WF attributed to 2D islands on a substrate with lower WF, yet only in particular cases of sufficient coverage. KPFM remains a method of choice for nanoscale investigations, especially when conducted under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Our experimental results are supported by density functional theory calculations of electrostatic potential, which indicate that oxygen vacancies result in anisotropy of WF at the sides of the MoO₃ monolayer. These novel insights into the electronic properties of 2D-MoO₃ are promising for the design of electronic devices with high WF monolayer films, preserving the transparency and flexibility of the systems.

In Situ Surface-Directed Assembly of 2D Metal Nanoplatelets for Drug-Free Treatment of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

The development of antibiotic resistance among bacterial strains is a major global public health concern. To address this, drug-free antibacterial approaches are needed. Copper surfaces have long been known for their antibacterial properties. In this work, a one-step surface modification technique is used to assemble 2D copper chloride nanoplatelets directly onto copper surfaces such as copper tape, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids, electrodes, and granules. The nanoplatelets are formed using copper ions from the copper surfaces, enabling their direct assembly onto these surfaces in a one-step process that does not require separate nanoparticle synthesis. The synthesis of the nanoplatelets is confirmed with TEM, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Antibacterial properties of the Cu nanoplatelets are demonstrated in multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli, MDR Acinetobacter baumannii, MDR Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Streptococcus mutans. Nanoplatelets lead to a marked improvement in antibacterial properties compared to the copper surfaces alone, affecting bacterial cell morphology, preventing bacterial cell division, reducing their viability, damaging bacterial DNA, and altering protein expression. This work presents a robust method to directly assemble copper nanoplatelets onto any copper surface to imbue it with improved antibacterial properties.

Photocatalytic Water Splitting Promoted by 2D and 3D Porphyrin Covalent Organic Polymers Synthesized by Suzuki-Miyaura Carbon-Carbon Coupling

This work deals with the synthesis of metal-free and porphyrin-based covalent organic polymers (COPs) by the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling carbon-carbon bond forming reaction to study the photocatalytic overall water splitting performance. Apart from using 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis-(4-bromophenyl)porphyrin, we have chosen different cross-linker monomers to induce 2-dimensional (2D) or 3-dimensional (3D) and different rigidity in their resulting polymeric molecular structure. The synthesised COPs were extensively characterised to reveal that the dimensionality and flexibility of the molecular structure play an intense role in the physical, photochemical, and electronic properties of the polymers. Photoinduced excited state of the COPs was evaluated by nanosecond time-resolved laser transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) by analysing excited state kinetics and quenching experiments, photocurrent density measurements and photocatalytic deposition of Ru³⁺ to RuO_2, and photocatalysis. In summary, TAS experiments demonstrated that the transient excited state of these polymers has two decay kinetics and exhibit strong interaction with water molecules. Moreover, photocurrent and photocatalytic deposition experiments proved that charges are photoinduced and are found across the COP molecular network, but more important charges can migrate from the surface of the COP to the medium. Among the various COPs tested, COP-3 that has a flexible and 3D molecular structure reached the best photocatalytic performances, achieving a photocatalytic yield of 0.4 mmol H₂ × g_COP-3^-1 after 3 h irradiation.

Growth and Characterization of Ultrathin Vanadium Oxide Films on HOPG

Integration of graphene into various electronic devices requires an ultrathin oxide layer on top of graphene. However, direct thin film growth of oxide on graphene is not evident because of the low surface energy of graphene promoting three-dimensional island growth. In this study, we demonstrate the growth of ultrathin vanadium oxide films on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface, which mimics the graphene surface, using (oxygen-assisted) molecular beam epitaxy, followed by a post-annealing. The structural properties, surface morphology, and chemical composition of the films have been systematically investigated by in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction during the growth and by ex situ techniques, such as atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Crystalline monolayer vanadium oxide can be achieved on HOPG by systematically tuning the deposition time of V atoms and by subsequent annealing at 450 °C in controlled atmospheres. Increasing the partial pressure of O₂ during the deposition seems to decrease the mobility of V atoms on the graphitic surface of HOPG and promote the formation of a two-dimensional (2D) vanadium oxide. The obtained oxide layers are found to be polycrystalline with an average grain size of 15 nm and to have a mixed-valence state with mainly V⁵⁺ and V⁴⁺. Moreover, XPS valence band measurements indicate that the vanadium oxide is insulating. These results demonstrate that a 2D insulating vanadium oxide can be grown directly on HOPG and suggest vanadium oxide as a promising candidate for graphene/oxide heterostructures.

Dimensional Transformation of Molecular Magnetic Materials

Two-dimensional (2D) magnetic layered materials have revolutionized size dependent magnetism to manipulate spin-based devices. However, it has been challenging to artificially create 2D magnetic materials from three-dimensional (3D) crystal structures with a variety of material groups. Here, we present the dimensionality manipulation via cation exchange of a 3D Prussian blue analogue [RbMnFe(CN)₆] toward a 2D magnetic sheet [(K,Rb)(V,Mn)(Cr,Fe)(CN)₆] with the magnetic ordering temperature rising from 12 to 330 K. Such a 2D magnetic sheet achieves crystalline V-Cr coordination in the Prussian blue lattice with pronounced anisotropy and stimuli responsiveness. The pressure dependent magnetic tunability of such 2D networks is predicted using first-principles calculations and demonstrated using the phase transitions of the hydrogel. This previously unobserved phenomenon of dimensional manipulation of a bulk crystal structure provides a rational strategy to expand the diversity and chemical compositions of 2D molecular magnetic material libraries.

Electrochemical Construction of Edge-Contacted Metal-Semiconductor Junctions with Low Contact Barrier

2D semiconductors, such as MoS₂ have emerged as promising ultrathin channel materials for the further scaling of field-effect transistors (FETs). However, the contact barrier at the metal-2D semiconductor junctions still significantly limits the device's performance. By extending the application of electrochemical deposition in 2D electronics, a distinct approach is developed for constructing metal-2D semiconductor junctions in an edge-contacted configuration through the edge-guided electrodeposition of varied metals. Both high-resolution microscopic imaging and electrical transport measurements confirm the successful creation of high-quality Pd-2D MoS₂ junctions in desired geometry by combining electrodeposition with lithographic patterning. FETs are fabricated on the obtained Pd-2D MoS₂ junctions and it is confirmed that these junctions exhibit a reduced contact barrier of ≈20 meV and extremely low contact resistance of 290 Ω µm and thus increase the averaged mobility of MoS₂ FETs to ≈108 cm² V ^-1 s^-1 . This approach paves a new way for the construction of metal-semiconductor junctions and also demonstrates the great potential of the electrochemical deposition technique in 2D electronics.

Evaluation of 3D and 2D chronomorphometrics for latent fingermark aging studies

Latent fingermark age determination is a relatively new subdiscipline of friction ridge pattern analysis that has the potential to ascertain two key pieces of information: the "who" and the "when" from a single evidence item. In this proof-of-concept study, the sensitivity and suitability of a series of 3D and 2D chronomorphometrics, ie, quantitative measurement of form as a function of time, are examined under various temperatures (55, 21, 4, and -20°C) at 6 months. 3D imaging with an optical profiler (OP) in tandem with a conventional 2D fingermark enhancing method, ie powdering with titanium dioxide, is the technique selected. From a chronomorphometric perspective, the 3D-OP detects micrometer variations in surface texture with regard to the heights (Sa and Ra) and volume (Vu) of the ridges, whereas 2D imaging provides information on color contrast (MI and IA), the fingermark visual quality score (QS), and the relative area extension of color-coded maps of ridge clarity (BlueGreen, BG). Statistical analyses have revealed different degrees of sensitivity of the 2D and 3D metrics for detecting the effect of temperature and time, being 3D the most discriminating. In these tested conditions, warmer temperatures (55 and 21°C) have shown the most impact on ridge degradation with the lowest levels observed at -20°C. The concurrent application of 2D and 3D metrics would be considered the best approach to advance the knowledge on fingermark aging processes and possible mathematical models.