Electronic phase transition in bilayer P6mmm borophene.

In this study, using the tight-binding model and Green's function technique, we investigate potential electronic phase transitions in bilayer P6mmm borophene under the influence of external stimuli, including a perpendicular electric field, electron-hole coupling between sublayers (excitonic effects), and dopants. Our focus is on key electronic properties such as the band structure and density of states. Our findings reveal that the pristine lattice is metal with Dirac cones around the Fermi level, where their intersection forms a nodal line. The system undergoes transitions to a semiconducting state - elimination of nodal line - with a perpendicular electric field and a semimetallic state - transition from two Dirac cones to a single Dirac cone - with combined electric field and excitonic effects. Notably, with these, the system retains its massless Dirac-like bands characteristic at finite energy. However, introducing a dopant still leads to a metallic phase, but the Dirac-like bands become massive. Considering all these effects, the system ultimately reaches a semiconducting phase with massive Dirac-like bands. These results hold significance for optoelectronic applications.

Disease burden, comorbidities and antecedents of chronic cough phenotypes in Australian adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While adult chronic cough has high burden, its phenotypes, particularly those without aetiologically related underlying conditions, are understudied. We investigated the prevalence, lung function and comorbidities of adult chronic cough phenotypes. METHODS: Data from 3608 participants aged 53 years from the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS) were included. Chronic cough was defined as cough on most days for >3 months in a year. Chronic cough was classified into "explained cough" if there were any one of four major cough-associated conditions (asthma, COPD, gastroesophageal reflux disease or rhinosinusitis) or "unexplained cough" if none were present. Adjusted regression analyses investigated associations between these chronic cough phenotypes, lung function and non-respiratory comorbidities at 53 years. RESULTS: The prevalence of chronic cough was 10% (95%CI 9.1,11.0%) with 46.4% being "unexplained". Participants with unexplained chronic cough had lower FEV1/FVC (coefficient: -1.2% [95%CI:-2,3, -0.1]) and increased odds of comorbidities including obesity (OR=1.6 [95%CI: 1.2, 2.3]), depression (OR=1.4 [95%CI: 1.0, 2.1]), hypertension (OR=1.7 [95%CI: 1.2, 2.4]) and angina, heart attack or myocardial infarction to a lesser extent, compared to those without chronic cough. Participants with explained chronic cough also had lower lung function than both those with unexplained chronic cough and those without chronic cough. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic cough is prevalent in middle-age and a high proportion is unexplained. Unexplained cough contributes to poor lung function and increased comorbidities. Given unexplained chronic cough is not a symptom of major underlying respiratory conditions it should be targeted for better understanding in both clinical settings and research.

On the impact of adsorbed gas molecules on the anisotropic electro-optical properties of ß12-borophene.

We theoretically study the role of adsorbed gas molecules on the electronic and optical properties of monolayer ß12-borophene with {a,b,c,d,e} atoms in its unit cell. We focus our attention on molecules NH3, NO, NO2, and CO, which provide additional states permitted by the host electrons. Utilizing the six-band tight-binding model based on an inversion symmetry (between {a,e} and {b,d} atoms) and the Kubo formalism, we survey the anisotropic electronic dispersion and the optical multi-interband spectrum produced by molecule-boron coupling. We consider the highest possibilities for the position of molecules on the boron atoms. For molecules on {a,e} atoms, the inherent metallic phase of ß12-borophene becomes electron-doped semiconducting, while for molecules on {b,d} and c atoms, the metallic phase remains unchanged. For molecules on {a,e} and {b,d} atoms, we observe a redshift (blueshift) optical spectrum for longitudinal/transverse (Hall) component, while for molecules on c atoms, we find a redshift (blueshift) optical spectrum for longitudinal (transverse/Hall) component. We expect that this study provides useful information for engineering field-effect transistor-based gas sensors.

First-principles examination of two-dimensional Janus quintuple-layer atomic structures XCrSiN2 (X = S, Se, and Te).

In this work, we propose novel two-dimensional Janus XCrSiN2 (X = S, Se, and Te) single-layers and comprehensively investigate their crystal structure, electronic properties, and carrier mobility by using a first-principles method. These configurations are the combination of the CrSi2N4 material and a transition metal dichalcogenide. The X-Cr-SiN2 single-layers are constructed by replacing the N-Si-N atomic layer on one side with chalcogen atoms (S, Se, or Te). The structural characteristics, mechanical or thermal stabilities, and electronic properties are investigated adequately. All three examined configurations are energetically stable and are all small-bandgap semiconductors (<1 eV). Since the mirror symmetry is broken in the Janus material, there exists a remarkable built-in electric field and intrinsic dipole moment. Therefore, the spin-orbit interaction is considered intensively. However, it is observed that the spin-orbit coupling has insignificant effects on the electronic properties of XCrSiN2 (X = S, Se, and Te). Moreover, an external electric field and strain are applied to evaluate the adjustment of the electronic features of the three structures. The transport properties of the proposed configurations are calculated and analyzed systematically, indicating the highly directional isotropy. Our results suggest that the proposed Janus XCrSiN2 could be potential candidates for various applications, especially in nanoscale electronic devices.

Mathematical models to describe the growth curves of Vietnamese Ri chicken / Modelos matemáticos para descrever as curvas de crescimento do frango Ri vietnamita

Ri chicken is the most popular backyard chicken breed in Vietnam, but little is known about the growth curve of this breed. This study compared the performances of models with three parameters (Gompertz, Brody, and Logistic) and models containing four parameters (Richards, Bridges, and Janoschek) for describing the growth of Ri chicken. The bodyweight of Ri chicken was recorded weekly from week 1 to week 19. Growth models were fitted using minpack.lm package in R software and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and root mean square error (RMSE) were used for model comparison. Based on these criteria, the models having four parameters showed better performance than the ones with three parameters, and the Richards model was the best one for males and females. The lowest and highest value of asymmetric weights (α) were obtained by Bridges and Brody models for each of sexes, respectively. Age and weight estimated by the Richard model were 8.46 and 7.51 weeks and 696.88 and 487.58 g for males and for females, respectively. Differences in the growth curves were observed between males and female chicken. Overall, the results suggested using the Richards model for describing the growth curve of Ri chickens. Further studies on the genetics and genomics of the obtained growth parameters are required before using them for the genetic improvement of Ri chickens.

O frango Ri é a raça de frango de quintal mais popular do Vietnã, mas pouco se sabe sobre a curva de crescimento dessa raça. Este estudo comparou o desempenho de modelos com três parâmetros (Gompertz, Brody e Logistic) e modelos contendo quatro parâmetros (Richards, Bridges e Janoschek) para descrever o crescimento do frango Ri. O peso corporal do frango Ri foi registrado semanalmente da semana 1 à semana 19. Os modelos de crescimento foram ajustados usando o pacote minpack.lm no software R e o critério de informação de Akaike (AIC); critério de informação bayesiano (BIC) e erro quadrático médio (RMSE) foram usados para comparação de modelos. Com base nesses critérios, os modelos com quatro parâmetros apresentaram melhor desempenho do que os com três parâmetros, sendo o modelo de Richards o melhor para homens e mulheres. O menor e o maior valor dos pesos assimétricos (α) foram obtidos pelos modelos Bridges e Brody para cada um dos sexos, respectivamente. A idade e o peso estimados pelo modelo de Richard foram de 8,46 e 7,51 semanas e 696,88 e 487,58 g para homens e mulheres, respectivamente. Diferenças nas curvas de crescimento foram observadas entre frangos machos e fêmeas. No geral, os resultados sugeriram o uso do modelo de Richards para descrever a curva de crescimento de frangos Ri. Mais estudos sobre a genética e genômica dos parâmetros de crescimento obtidos são necessários antes de usá-los para o melhoramento genético de frangos Ri.

Mathematical models to describe the growth curves of Vietnamese Ri chicken

Abstract Ri chicken is the most popular backyard chicken breed in Vietnam, but little is known about the growth curve of this breed. This study compared the performances of models with three parameters (Gompertz, Brody, and Logistic) and models containing four parameters (Richards, Bridges, and Janoschek) for describing the growth of Ri chicken. The bodyweight of Ri chicken was recorded weekly from week 1 to week 19. Growth models were fitted using minpack.lm package in R software and Akaikes information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and root mean square error (RMSE) were used for model comparison. Based on these criteria, the models having four parameters showed better performance than the ones with three parameters, and the Richards model was the best one for males and females. The lowest and highest value of asymmetric weights () were obtained by Bridges and Brody models for each of sexes, respectively. Age and weight estimated by the Richard model were 8.46 and 7.51 weeks and 696.88 and 487.58 g for males and for females, respectively. Differences in the growth curves were observed between males and female chicken. Overall, the results suggested using the Richards model for describing the growth curve of Ri chickens. Further studies on the genetics and genomics of the obtained growth parameters are required before using them for the genetic improvement of Ri chickens.

Resumo O frango Ri é a raça de frango de quintal mais popular do Vietnã, mas pouco se sabe sobre a curva de crescimento dessa raça. Este estudo comparou o desempenho de modelos com três parâmetros (Gompertz, Brody e Logistic) e modelos contendo quatro parâmetros (Richards, Bridges e Janoschek) para descrever o crescimento do frango Ri. O peso corporal do frango Ri foi registrado semanalmente da semana 1 à semana 19. Os modelos de crescimento foram ajustados usando o pacote minpack.lm no software R e o critério de informação de Akaike (AIC); critério de informação bayesiano (BIC) e erro quadrático médio (RMSE) foram usados para comparação de modelos. Com base nesses critérios, os modelos com quatro parâmetros apresentaram melhor desempenho do que os com três parâmetros, sendo o modelo de Richards o melhor para homens e mulheres. O menor e o maior valor dos pesos assimétricos () foram obtidos pelos modelos Bridges e Brody para cada um dos sexos, respectivamente. A idade e o peso estimados pelo modelo de Richard foram de 8,46 e 7,51 semanas e 696,88 e 487,58 g para homens e mulheres, respectivamente. Diferenças nas curvas de crescimento foram observadas entre frangos machos e fêmeas. No geral, os resultados sugeriram o uso do modelo de Richards para descrever a curva de crescimento de frangos Ri. Mais estudos sobre a genética e genômica dos parâmetros de crescimento obtidos são necessários antes de usá-los para o melhoramento genético de frangos Ri.

Mathematical models to describe the growth curves of Vietnamese Ri chicken / Modelos matemáticos para descrever as curvas de crescimento do frango Ri vietnamita

Abstract Ri chicken is the most popular backyard chicken breed in Vietnam, but little is known about the growth curve of this breed. This study compared the performances of models with three parameters (Gompertz, Brody, and Logistic) and models containing four parameters (Richards, Bridges, and Janoschek) for describing the growth of Ri chicken. The bodyweight of Ri chicken was recorded weekly from week 1 to week 19. Growth models were fitted using minpack.lm package in R software and Akaike's information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and root mean square error (RMSE) were used for model comparison. Based on these criteria, the models having four parameters showed better performance than the ones with three parameters, and the Richards model was the best one for males and females. The lowest and highest value of asymmetric weights (α) were obtained by Bridges and Brody models for each of sexes, respectively. Age and weight estimated by the Richard model were 8.46 and 7.51 weeks and 696.88 and 487.58 g for males and for females, respectively. Differences in the growth curves were observed between males and female chicken. Overall, the results suggested using the Richards model for describing the growth curve of Ri chickens. Further studies on the genetics and genomics of the obtained growth parameters are required before using them for the genetic improvement of Ri chickens.

Resumo O frango Ri é a raça de frango de quintal mais popular do Vietnã, mas pouco se sabe sobre a curva de crescimento dessa raça. Este estudo comparou o desempenho de modelos com três parâmetros (Gompertz, Brody e Logistic) e modelos contendo quatro parâmetros (Richards, Bridges e Janoschek) para descrever o crescimento do frango Ri. O peso corporal do frango Ri foi registrado semanalmente da semana 1 à semana 19. Os modelos de crescimento foram ajustados usando o pacote minpack.lm no software R e o critério de informação de Akaike (AIC); critério de informação bayesiano (BIC) e erro quadrático médio (RMSE) foram usados ​​para comparação de modelos. Com base nesses critérios, os modelos com quatro parâmetros apresentaram melhor desempenho do que os com três parâmetros, sendo o modelo de Richards o melhor para homens e mulheres. O menor e o maior valor dos pesos assimétricos (α) foram obtidos pelos modelos Bridges e Brody para cada um dos sexos, respectivamente. A idade e o peso estimados pelo modelo de Richard foram de 8,46 e 7,51 semanas e 696,88 e 487,58 g para homens e mulheres, respectivamente. Diferenças nas curvas de crescimento foram observadas entre frangos machos e fêmeas. No geral, os resultados sugeriram o uso do modelo de Richards para descrever a curva de crescimento de frangos Ri. Mais estudos sobre a genética e genômica dos parâmetros de crescimento obtidos são necessários antes de usá-los para o melhoramento genético de frangos Ri.

Relationship of Recurrence Rate with some Characteristics in Patients with Thyroid Carcinoma.

Background: Determining the clinical and subclinical characteristics related to the recurrence status in patients with a thyroid carcinoma has great significance for prognosis, prediction of recurrence and monitoring of treatment outcomes. This study aimed to determine the association between recurrence rate and some characteristics in patients with thyroid carcinoma. Patients and Methods: The study was conducted by descriptive method with longitudinal follow-up on 102 thyroid carcinoma patients at 103 Military Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam, from July 2013 to December 2016. Results: Univariate analysis showed that there was a relationship between the recurrence characteristics in the studied patients and the characteristics of lymph node metastasis (P = 0.026; OR = 15; 95% CI = 1.4-163.2) and BRAF V600E mutation status (P = 0.01; OR = 3.41; 95% CI = 1.31-8.88). When analysing the multivariable Logistic regression model, there was a positive correlation between the occurrence of BRAF V600E gene mutation (P = 0.032; OR = 17.649; 95% CI = 1.290-241.523) and male sex (P = 0.036; OR = 12.788; 95% CI = 1.185-137.961) and the occurrence of recurrence in study patients. The mean time to relapse was earlier in male patients than in female patients (P = 0.02). The mean time to relapse in patients with the BRAF V600E mutation (31.81 ± 1.14 months) was shorter than the mean time to relapse in the group without the mutation (57.82 ± 2.08 months) (P = 0.01). The group of patients with mutations in the BRAF V600E gene increased the risk of recurrence compared with the group without the mutation (HR = 9.14, P = 0.04). Conclusion: There is a positive correlation between recurrence and masculinity, lymph node metastasis and the occurrence of BRAF V600E mutations in thyroid carcinoma patients.

Kinetic study on methylene blue removal from aqueous solution using UV/chlorine process and its combination with other advanced oxidation processes.

This study investigated the kinetic degradation of methylene blue (MB) by a UV/chlorine process and its combination with other advanced oxidation processes. The ∙OH and reactive chlorine species (RCS: Cl∙, ClO∙, etc.) were the primary reactive species, which accounted for 56.7% and 37.6% of MB degradation at pH 7, respectively. The second-order rate constant of Cl∙ towards MB was calculated to be 2.8 × 109 M-1 s-1. When the pH increased from 3 to 7, kMB by ∙OH increased from 0.15 to 0.21 min-1 before being reduced to 0.11 min-1 at pH 11. kMB by RCS continuously reduced from 0.16 to 0.13 min-1 when the pH was increased to 11. Humic acid (HA), Br-, and Cl- inhibited the degradation with kMB in the order: kMB (in HA) < kMB (in Br-) < kMB (in Cl-). HCO3- increased kMB from 0.37 to 0.48 min-1. The experimental and modeling methods fit well, indicating the effectiveness of using Kintecus® in predicting concentrations of free radicals in complex water matrices. TOC removal was achieved at 60% after 30 min in a control process and it was strongly inhibited by the presence of HA, with 22% removal achieved at 5 mgc L-1 HA. UV/chlorine/electrochemical oxidation (UV/chlorine/EO) significantly improves kMB from 0.37 to 0.94 min-1 at a high current (240 mA), while UV/chlorine/H2O2 decreased kMB at a low concentration of 0.01 mM H2O2 (kMB decreased by 6.1%). The results indicate that the energy cost for UV irradiation was the main cost in MB treatment in both UV/chlorine and UV/persulfate (UV/PS) processes, accounting for 91% and 84%, respectively.

Theoretical prediction of Janus PdXO (X = S, Se, Te) monolayers: structural, electronic, and transport properties.

Due to the broken vertical symmetry, the Janus material possesses many extraordinary physico-chemical and mechanical properties that cannot be found in original symmetric materials. In this paper, we study in detail the structural, electronic, and transport properties of 1T Janus PdXO monolayers (X = S, Se, Te) by means of density functional theory. PdXO monolayers are observed to be stable based on the analysis of the vibrational characteristics and molecular dynamics simulations. All three PdXO structures exhibit semiconducting characteristics with indirect bandgap based on evaluations with hybrid functional Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE06). The influences of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) on the band diagram of PdXO are strong. Particularly, when the SOC is included, PdTeO is calculated to be metallic by the HSE06+SOC approach. With high electron mobility, Janus PdXO structures have good potential for applications in future nanodevices.

Role Played by Edge-Defects in the Optical Properties of Armchair Graphene Nanoribbons.

We explore the implementation of specific optical properties of armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGNRs) through edge-defect manipulation. This technique employs the tight-binding model in conjunction with the calculated absorption spectral function. Modification of the edge states gives rise to the diverse electronic structures with striking changes in the band gap and special flat bands at low energy. The optical-absorption spectra exhibit unique excitation peaks, and they strongly depend on the type and period of the edge extension. Remarkably, there exist the unusual transition channels associated with the flat bands for selected edge-modified systems. We discovered the special rule governing how the edge-defect influences the electronic and optical properties in AGNRs. Our theoretical prediction demonstrates an efficient way to manipulate the optical properties of AGNRs. This might be of importance in the search for suitable materials designed to have possible technology applications in nano-optical, plasmonic and optoelectronic devices.

Mathematical models to describe the growth curves of Vietnamese Ri chicken.

Ri chicken is the most popular backyard chicken breed in Vietnam, but little is known about the growth curve of this breed. This study compared the performances of models with three parameters (Gompertz, Brody, and Logistic) and models containing four parameters (Richards, Bridges, and Janoschek) for describing the growth of Ri chicken. The bodyweight of Ri chicken was recorded weekly from week 1 to week 19. Growth models were fitted using minpack.lm package in R software and Akaike's information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and root mean square error (RMSE) were used for model comparison. Based on these criteria, the models having four parameters showed better performance than the ones with three parameters, and the Richards model was the best one for males and females. The lowest and highest value of asymmetric weights (α) were obtained by Bridges and Brody models for each of sexes, respectively. Age and weight estimated by the Richard model were 8.46 and 7.51 weeks and 696.88 and 487.58 g for males and for females, respectively. Differences in the growth curves were observed between males and female chicken. Overall, the results suggested using the Richards model for describing the growth curve of Ri chickens. Further studies on the genetics and genomics of the obtained growth parameters are required before using them for the genetic improvement of Ri chickens.

Tuning electronic phase in noncentrosymmetric quantum spin Hall insulators through physical stimuli.

In this work, the perturbation-induced phase transitions in noncentrosymmetric quantum spin Hall insulators (QSHIs) are analytically addressed. In particular, the dilute charged impurity, the electric field, and the Zeeman splitting field are considered within the tight-binding Hamiltonian model, Green's function approach, and the Born approximation. Following theC3vsymmetry breaking in the PbBiI compound as a representative QSHI, the band gap becomes larger via the electric field, while the system transits to the semimetallic phase via the dilute charged impurities and Zeeman field, modifying the degenerate states in the electronic density of states. While the coexistence of electric field and impurities demonstrate that the system backs to its initial semiconducting phase, the combined Zeeman field and impurities do not alter the robust semimetallic phase.

Electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties of Janus In-based monochalcogenides.

Inspired by the successfully experimental synthesis of Janus structures recently, we systematically study the electronic, optical, and electronic transport properties of Janus monolayers In2XY(X/Y= S, Se, Te withX≠Y) in the presence of a biaxial strain and electric field using density functional theory. Monolayers In2XYare dynamically and thermally stable at room temperature. At equilibrium, both In2STe and In2SeTe are direct semiconductors while In2SSe exhibits an indirect semiconducting behavior. The strain significantly alters the electronic structure of In2XYand their photocatalytic activity. Besides, the indirect-direct gap transitions can be found due to applied strain. The effect of the electric field on optical properties of In2XYis negligible. Meanwhile, the optical absorbance intensity of the Janus In2XYmonolayers is remarkably increased by compressive strain. Also, In2XYmonolayers exhibit very low lattice thermal conductivities resulting in a high figure of meritZT, which makes them potential candidates for room-temperature thermoelectric materials.

Electric field and charged impurity doping effects on the Schottky anomaly of ß12-borophene.

Due to the coexistence of Dirac and triplet fermions, monolayer ß12-borophene has recently attracted both experimental and theoretical researchers. In particular, various phase transitions have been recently reported in the structure, in the presence of dilute charged impurity and a perpendicular electric field, leading to interesting electronic heat capacity (HC). In this paper, we systematically examine the effects of charged impurity doping and electric field on the HC of monolayer ß12-borophene. To do this, we utilize the five-band tight-binding Hamiltonian model, the Green's function, T-matrix, and the Born approximation for different models considering the substrate effects. Numerical analysis reveals that the inversion symmetric model is the proper model in the pristine and perturbed metallic ß12-borophene, leading to a regular reduction of HC with both charged impurity and electric field. Moreover, the pristine and perturbed Schottky anomaly alterations are fully addressed. Unforeseeably, HC irregularly fluctuates with impurity in the homogeneous model. We believe that our results provide new physical insights into the thermal properties of monolayer ß12-borophene.

Impurity scattering effects on the validity of Fermi liquid theory in topological crystalline insulator SnTe (001) thin films.

We study the electronic heat capacity (EHC) and the Pauli spin paramagnetic susceptibility (PSPS) of topological crystalline insulator SnTe (001) thin film in the presence of dilute charged impurities in an effective Hamiltonian model for the low-energy regime such as impurity concentration and impurity scattering potential effects. To calculate the EHC and PSPS using the Boltzmann method, we first calculate the electronic density of states by means of the Green's function approach. Also, the impurity effects are considered with the aid of the T-matrix approximation. We demonstrate that the hybridization potential between the front and back surfaces in SnTe (001) thin films leads to the band gap opening and to the zero PSPS at low temperatures obeying the Fermi liquid theory. In particular, we demonstrate two scenarios including the possibilities of the same and different impurity doping. It is shown that in both cases the midgap states emerge, the cation-anion symmetry breaks down and the Fermi liquid theory loses its validity. Moreover, the critical scattering potential with respect to the hybridization potential is found for the validity limit of the Fermi liquid theory. Finally, the Schottky anomaly and the crossover in EHC and PSPS, respectively, are discussed. Our results have strong implications for applications based on SnTe (001) thin films.

Stark and Zeeman effects on the topological phase and transport properties of topological crystalline insulator thin films.

The fundamental investigation of topological crystalline insulator (TCI) thin films is essential for observing interesting phenomena. In practice, a promising pathway involves the application of electric and magnetic fields to tune the topological phases of TCI thin films. To achieve this, we applied a perpendicular electric field and an in-plane magnetic field to not only tune the Dirac gap of a SnTe(001) thin film and find the phase transition but also to directly connect them with their effects on the group velocity of both massless and massive surface Dirac fermions. The TCI thin film is an inherent insulator due to the hybridization between the front and back surfaces, and it transitions to a semimetal phase at a critical perpendicular electric field due to the Stark effect. Correspondingly, the anisotropic group velocity of the upper (lower) conduction (valence) band decreases (increases) with the electric field at certain momenta. We found that when one of the in-plane Zeeman field components becomes stronger than the intrinsic hybridization potential, the anisotropic Weyl cones with opposite chiralities retrieve at the critical momenta and the corresponding group velocities become zero. Further, the isotropic in-plane Zeeman field leads to rotation of the band structure, as expected, resulting in non-zero group velocities along all directions. Finally, for the sake of completeness, the combined Stark and Zeeman effects are tracked and the results show that the system is an insulator at all fields and the group velocities are altered more than when the individual Stark and Zeeman effects are applied. Our findings may provide interesting physical insights for practical applications in nanoelectronics and spintronics.

On the in-plane electronic thermal conductivity of biased nanosheet ß12-borophene.

The unique physical and chemical properties of ß12-borophene stem from the coexistence of the Dirac and triplet fermions. The metallic phase of ß12-borophene transitions to the semiconducting one when it is subjected to a perpendicular electric field or bias voltage. In this work, with the aid of a five-band tight-binding Hamiltonian, the Green's function approach and the Kubo-Greenwood formalism, the electronic thermal conductivity (ETC) of the semiconducting phase of ß12-borophene is studied. Two homogeneous (H) and inversion symmetric (IS) models are considered depending on the interaction of the substrate and boron atoms. In addition, due to the anisotropic structure of ß12-borophene, the swapping effect of bias poles is addressed. First of all, we find the pristine ETCIS < ETCH independent of the temperature. Furthermore, a decrease of 74.45% (80.62%) is observed for ETCH (ETCIS) when strong positive bias voltages are applied, while this is 25.2% (47.48%) when applying strong negative bias voltages. Moreover, the shoulder temperature of both models increases (fluctuates) with the positive (negative) bias voltage. Our numerical results pave the way for setting up future experimental thermoelectric devices in order to achieve the highest performance.

Collocated burn and fracture injuries in major trauma: a 10 year experience.

INTRODUCTION: Collocated burn and fracture injuries, defined as a burn overlying the site of a fracture, represent a serious subset of major burns and trauma. The literature pertaining to these rare injuries is inconclusive. Recent studies cast doubt on the safety of operative fixation in this population. No study to date has examined outcomes of collocated burn and fracture injuries compared with control. The aim of this study was to compare characteristics, injury patterns and complication rates in major burns and fracture patients with a collocated injury to those without. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all consecutive patients with dermal burns and major fractures were undertaken between January 2005 and December 2015 at a tertiary referral trauma hospital. Outcomes assessed included demographics, injury characteristics and complications, including infection. Orthopaedic infection was defined as orthopaedic surgical site infection or osteomyelitis. RESULTS: Of the 40 patients identified, 21 subjects sustained collocated injuries. Patients with collocated injuries demonstrated a trend towards higher injury severity, higher percentage of total body surface area affected, longer length of stay and greater overall and orthopaedic complication rate. Significant predictors of orthopaedic infection were related to injury severity rather than collocation or operative management. CONCLUSION: There are differences in the characteristics and complication rates between collocated and non-collocated burn and fracture injuries. Collocated injuries tend to result from greater energy mechanisms, undergo longer inpatient stays and demonstrate increased morbidity. Injury severity appears to be the most important factor in determining postoperative orthopaedic infection. These characteristics must be considered when managing these rare but significant injuries.

Computational insights into structural, electronic and optical characteristics of GeC/C2N van der Waals heterostructures: effects of strain engineering and electric field.

Vertical heterostructures from two or more than two two-dimensional materials are recently considered as an effective tool for tuning the electronic properties of materials and for designing future high-performance nanodevices. Here, using first principles calculations, we propose a GeC/C2N van der Waals heterostructure and investigate its electronic and optical properties. We demonstrate that the intrinsic electronic properties of both GeC and C2N monolayers are quite preserved in GeC/C2N HTS owing to the weak forces. At the equilibrium configuration, GeC/C2N HTS forms the type-II band alignment with an indirect band gap of 0.42 eV, which can be considered to improve the effective separation of electrons and holes. Besides, GeC/C2N vdW-HTS exhibits strong absorption in both visible and near ultra-violet regions with an intensity of 105 cm-1. The electronic properties of GeC/C2N HTS can be tuned by applying an electric field and vertical strains. The semiconductor to metal transition can be achieved in GeC/C2N HTS in the case when the positive electric field of +0.3 V Å-1 or the tensile vertical strain of -0.9 Å is applied. These findings demonstrate that GeC/C2N HTS can be used to design future high-performance multifunctional devices.