A Chemical, High-Temperature Way to Ag_1.9Te via Quasi-Topotactic Reaction of Stuetzite-type Ag_1.54Te: Structural and Thermoelectric Properties

Semiconducting silver tellurides gained reasonable interest in the past years due to its thermoelectric, magneto-caloric, and nonlinear optic properties. Nanostructuring has been frequently used to address quantum-confinement effects of minerals and synthetic compounds in the Ag–Te system. Here, we report on the structural, thermal, and thermoelectric properties of stuetzite-like Ag_1.54Te (or Ag_4.63Te₃) and Ag_1.9Te. By a quasi-topotactic reaction upon tellurium evaporation Ag_1.54Te can be transferred to Ag_1.9Te after heat treatment. Crystal structures, thermal and thermoelectric properties of stuetzite-like Ag_1.54Te (or Ag_4.63Te₃) and Ag_1.9Te were determined by ex situ and in situ experiments. This method represents an elegant chemical way to Ag_1.9Te, which was so far only accessible electrochemically via electrochemical removal of silver from the mineral hessite (Ag₂Te). The mixed conductors show reasonable high total electric conductivities, very low thermal conductivities, and large Seebeck coefficients, which result in a significant high thermoelectric figure of 0.57 at 680 K

Polymorphism in Zintl Phases ACd₄Pn₃: Modulated Structures of NaCd₄Pn₃ with Pn = P, As

NaCd₄P₃ and NaCd₄As₃ were synthesized via short-way transport using the corresponding elements and CdI₂ as mineralizer. At room temperature, the two β-polymorphs adopt the RbCd₄As₃ structure type which has been recently reported for alkali metal (A)–d¹⁰ transition metal (T)–pnictides (Pn). The title compounds crystallize rhombohedrally in space group <i>R</i>3̅<i>m</i> at room temperature and show reversible phase transitions to incommensurately modulated α-polymorphs at lower temperatures. The low-temperature phases are monoclinic and can be described in space group <i>Cm</i>(α0γ)<i>s</i> with <i>q</i> vectors of <i>q</i> = (−0.04,0,0.34) for α-NaCd₄P₃ and <i>q</i>₁ = (−0.02,0,0.34) for α-NaCd₄As₃. Thermal properties, Raman spectroscopy, and electronic structures have been determined. Both compounds are Zintl phases with band gaps of 1.05 eV for β-NaCd₄P₃ and ∼0.4 eV for β-NaCd₄As₃

Synthesis, Characterization, and Device Application of Antimony-Substituted Violet Phosphorus: A Layered Material

Two-dimensional (2D) nanoflakes have emerged as a class of materials that may impact electronic technologies in the near future. A challenging but rewarding work is to experimentally identify 2D materials and explore their properties. Here, we report the synthesis of a layered material, P_20.56(1)Sb_0.44(1), with a systematic study on characterizations and device applications. This material demonstrates a direct band gap of around 1.67 eV. Using a laser-cutting method, the thin flakes of this material can be separated into multiple segments. We have also fabricated field effect transistors based on few-layer P_20.56(1)Sb_0.44(1) flakes with a thickness down to a few nanometers. Interestingly, these field effect transistors show strong photoresponse within the wavelength range of visible light. At room temperature, we have achieved good mobility values (up to 58.96 cm²/V·s), a reasonably high on/off current ratio (∼10³), and intrinsic responsivity up to 10 μA/W. Our results demonstrate the potential of P_20.56(1)Sb_0.44(1) thin flakes as a two-dimensional material for applications in visible light detectors

Efficacy and safety of crisaborole ointment, a novel, nonsteroidal phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor for the topical treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children and adults

BACKGROUND: Additional topical treatments for atopic dermatitis (AD) are needed that provide relief while minimizing risks. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the efficacy and safety of crisaborole ointment, a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, in two phase III AD studies (AD-301: NCT02118766; AD-302: NCT02118792). METHODS: Two identically designed, vehicle-controlled, double-blind studies enrolled and randomly assigned (2:1, crisaborole:vehicle) patients aged 2 years or older with an Investigator\u27s Static Global Assessment (ISGA) score of mild or moderate for twice-daily application for 28 days. The primary end point was ISGA score at day 29 of clear (0)/almost clear (1) with 2-grade or greater improvement from baseline. Additional analyses included time to success in ISGA score, percentage of patients achieving clear/almost clear, reduction in severity of AD signs, and time to improvement in pruritus. RESULTS: More crisaborole- than vehicle-treated patients achieved ISGA score success (clear/almost clear with ≥2-grade improvement; AD-301: 32.8% vs 25.4%, P = .038; AD-302: 31.4% vs 18.0%, P \u3c .001), with a greater percentage with clear/almost clear (51.7% vs 40.6%, P = .005; 48.5% vs 29.7%, P \u3c .001). Crisaborole-treated patients achieved success in ISGA score and improvement in pruritus earlier than those treated with vehicle (both P ≤ .001). Treatment-related adverse events were infrequent and mild to moderate in severity. LIMITATIONS: Short study duration was a limitation. CONCLUSIONS: Crisaborole demonstrated a favorable safety profile and improvement in all measures of efficacy, including overall disease severity, pruritus, and other signs of AD

INTEGRATING RACE, PLACE AND MOTIVE IN SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION THEORY: LESSONS FROM A COMPARISON OF BLACK AND LATINO HOMICIDE TYPES IN TWO IMMIGRANT DESTINATION CITIES*

In this paper, we examine and compare the impact of social disorganization, including recent immigration, and other predictors on community counts of black and Latino motive‐specific homicides in Miami and San Diego. Homicides for 1985 to 1995 are disaggregated into escalation, intimate, robbery and drug‐related motives. Negative binomial regression models with corrections for spatial autocorrelation demonstrate that there are similarities and differences in effects of social disorganization and other predictors by motive‐specific outcomes, as well as for outcomes across ethnic groups within cities and within ethnic groups across cities. Recent immigration is negatively or not associated with most outcomes. Overall, the study shows the importance of disaggregating homicide data by race/ethnicity and motive and demonstrates that predictions based on existing theories are qualified on local conditions

Sujetos de la masa. Visiones del nacionalismo después de la Primera Guerra Mundial

One of the most popular or widespread theories of nationalism postulates the existence of dark, atavistic forces, the outbreak of irrational compulsions and the regression to barbarism, in a collective process that would in any case pass through the control and unconscious manipulation of the masses. What is the origin of such an interpretation? In this article we explore the influence of biology and turn-of-the-century psychiatry in the academic representation of nationalism at the end of the Great War. As we shall see, the representation of nationalism after the war would incorporate the concepts and terms atavism, degenerationism and mass psychology, thus initiating an epistemological turn that would not be complete until mid-century, with the popularization of psychoanalysis and denunciation of the Holocaust