High-Performance Atomically-Thin Room-Temperature NO2 Sensor.

The development of room-temperature sensing devices for detecting small concentrations of molecular species is imperative for a wide range of low-power sensor applications. We demonstrate a room-temperature, highly sensitive, selective, stable, and reversible chemical sensor based on a monolayer of the transition-metal dichalcogenide Re0.5Nb0.5S2. The sensing device exhibits a thickness-dependent carrier type, and upon exposure to NO2 molecules, its electrical resistance considerably increases or decreases depending on the layer number. The sensor is selective to NO2 with only minimal response to other gases such as NH3, CH2O, and CO2. In the presence of humidity, not only are the sensing properties not deteriorated but also the monolayer sensor shows complete reversibility with fast recovery at room temperature. We present a theoretical analysis of the sensing platform and identify the atomically sensitive transduction mechanism

The Manufacturing Sector in the Greater Northeastern/Northern Region of Pennsylvania

This report summarizes the findings of an in-depth study of the manufacturing sector in the Greater Northeastern/Northern region of Pennsylvania. The objective of the first section is to draw attention to the role manufacturing plays in the regional economy. It compares manufacturing to other sectors of the economy in terms of employment, gross regional product, wages, productivity, and number of establishments (See Table E-1). It also briefly describes trends in the value of shipments of manufacturing goods as a proxy for exports, manufacturers’ investments in capital expenditures as a measure of capital intensity and adoption of technology, and patenting activity as one measure of research and development (Figure E-1 and Appendix A.1). The second section of the report analyzes the performance of 11 manufacturing driver industries, those industries that drive the regional economy, and identifies growing and large industries among the non-driver manufacturing industries. The third section discusses the competitive advantage of Pennsylvania’s Greater Northeastern/Northern region in regards to manufacturing using data, previous expertise, and an extensive literature review. The fourth and fifth sections describe challenges faced by manufacturers and offers recommendations for growth to the region’s manufacturers, based on research and interviews. Finally, the sixth section summarizes the economic impact of the manufacturing companies assisted by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) over the last five years

Thermal Model Performance for the James Webb Space Telescope OTIS Cryo-Vacuum Test

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), set to launch in mid-2020, is currently undergoing a series of system-level environmental tests to verify its workmanship and end-to-end functionality. As part of this series, the Optical Telescope Element and Integrated Science Instrument Module (OTIS) Cryo-Vacuum (CV) test, the most complex cryogenic test executed to date by NASA, has recently been completed at the Johnson Space Center's Chamber A facility. The OTIS CV test was intended as a comprehensive test of the integrated instrument and telescope systems to fully understand its optical, structural, and thermal performance within its intended flight environment. Due to its complexity, extensive pre-test planning was required to ensure payload safety and compliance with all limits and constraints. A system-level pre-test thermal model was constructed which fully captured the behavior of the payload, ground support equipment, and surrounding test chamber. This thermal model simulated both the transient cooldown to and warmup from a 20 K flight-like environment, as well as predicted the payload performance at cryo-stable conditions. The current work is an assessment of thermal model pre-test prediction performance against actual payload response during the OTIS CV test. Overall, the thermal model performed exceedingly well at predicting schedule and payload response. Looking in depth, this work examines both the benefits and shortcomings of assumptions made pre-test to simplify model execution when compared against test data. It explores in detail the role of temperature-dependent emissivities during transition to cryogenic temperatures, as well as the impact that model geometry simplifications have on tracking of critical hardware limits and constraints. This work concludes with a list of recommendations to improve the accuracy of thermal modeling for future large cryogenic tests. The insight gained from the OTIS CV test thermal modeling will benefit planning and execution for upcoming cryogenic missions

A new potential for methylammonium lead iodide.

We present a new set of interatomic potentials for modelling methylammonium lead iodide. The potential model uses existing potentials for lead iodide and methylammonium, and new functions are fitted to enable these pre-existing potentials to be used together, while still being capable of modelling lead iodide and methylammonium iodide as separate materials. Fitting was performed using a combination of ab initio and experimental reference data. Our simulations are in agreement with experiment and reveal the short and long range ordering of the molecular cations and lead iodide octahedra

A generalized Tullock contest

We construct a generalized Tullock contest under complete information where contingent upon winning or losing, the payoff of a player is a linear function of prizes, own effort, and the effort of the rival. This structure nests a number of existing contests in the literature and can be used to analyze new types of contests. We characterize the unique symmetric equilibrium and show that small parameter modifications may lead to substantially different types of contests and hence different equilibrium effort levels

Strategically Equivalent Contests

Using a two-player Tullock-type contest, we show that intuitively and structurally different contests can be strategically equivalent. Strategically equivalent contests generate the same best response functions and, as a result, the same equilibrium efforts. However, strategically equivalent contests may yield different equilibrium payoffs. We propose a simple two-step procedure to identify strategically equivalent contests. Using this procedure, we identify contests that are strategically equivalent to the original Tullock contest, and provide new examples of strategically equivalent contests. Finally, we discuss possible contest design applications and avenues for future theoretical and empirical research

Wnt-regulated lncRNA discovery enhanced by in vivo identification and CRISPRi functional validation

Background Wnt signaling is an evolutionarily conserved developmental pathway that is frequently hyperactivated in cancer. While multiple protein-coding genes regulated by Wnt signaling are known, the functional lncRNAs regulated by Wnt signaling have not been systematically characterized. Results We comprehensively mapped lncRNAs from an orthotopic Wnt-addicted pancreatic cancer model, identifying 3,633 lncRNAs, of which 1,503 were regulated by Wnt signaling. We found lncRNAs were much more sensitive to changes in Wnt signaling in xenografts than in cultured cells. To functionally validate Wnt-regulated lncRNAs, we performed CRISPRi screens to assess their role in cancer cell proliferation. Consistent with previous genome-wide lncRNA CRISPRi screens, around 1% (13/1,503) of the Wnt-regulated lncRNAs could modify cancer cell growth in vitro. This included CCAT1 and LINC00263, previously reported to regulate cancer growth. Using an in vivo CRISPRi screen, we doubled the discovery rate, identifying twice as many Wnt-regulated lncRNAs (25/1,503) that had a functional effect on cancer cell growth. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the value of studying lncRNA functions in vivo, provides a valuable resource of lncRNAs regulated by Wnt signaling and establishes a framework for systematic discovery of functional lncRNAs

Control of magnetic anisotropy by orbital hybridization in (La0.67Sr0.33MnO3)n/(SrTiO3)n superlattice

The asymmetry of chemical nature at the hetero-structural interface offers an unique opportunity to design desirable electronic structure by controlling charge transfer and orbital hybridization across the interface. However, the control of hetero-interface remains a daunting task. Here, we report the modulation of interfacial coupling of (La0.67Sr0.33MnO3)n/(SrTiO3)n superlattices by manipulating the periodic thickness with n unit cells of SrTiO3 and n unit cells La0.67Sr0.33MnO3. The easy axis of magnetic anisotropy rotates from in-plane (n = 10) to out-of-plane (n = 2) orientation at 150 K. Transmission electron microscopy reveals enlarged tetragonal ratio > 1 with breaking of volume conservation around the (La0.67Sr0.33MnO3)n/(SrTiO3)n interface, and electronic charge transfer from Mn to Ti 3d orbitals across the interface. Orbital hybridization accompanying the charge transfer results in preferred occupancy of 3d3z2-r2 orbital at the interface, which induces a stronger electronic hopping integral along the out-of-plane direction and corresponding out-of-plane magnetic easy axis for n = 2. We demonstrate that interfacial orbital hybridization in superlattices of strongly correlated oxides may be a promising approach to tailor electronic and magnetic properties in device applications

Quenching-assisted actuation mechanisms in core-shell structured BiFeO3-BaTiO3 piezoceramics

Electromechanical actuation in piezoceramics is usually enhanced by creating chemically homogeneous materials with structurally heterogeneous morphotropic phase boundaries, leading to abrupt changes in ion displacement directions within the perovskite unit cell. In the present study, an alternative mechanism to enhance electromechanical coupling is found in both chemically and structurally heterogeneous BiFeO3-BaTiO3 lead-free piezoceramics. Such a mechanism is observed in a composition exhibiting core-shell type microstructure, associated with donor-type substitution of Ti4+ for Fe3+, and is primarily activated by thermal quenching treatment. Here, we describe the use of in situ high-energy synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction upon the application of a high electric field to directly monitor the ferroelectric and elastic interactions between these composite-like components, formed as core and shell regions within grains. Translational short or long-range ordering is observed in the BiFeO3-depleted shell regions which undergo significant structural alterations from pseudocubic Pm3m relaxor-ferroelectric in slow-cooled ceramics to rhombohedral R3c or R3m with long-range ferroelectric order in the quenched state. The strain contributions from each component are calculated, leading to the conclusion that the total macroscopic strain arises predominantly from the transformed shell after quenching. Such observations are also complemented by investigations of microstructure and electrical properties, including ferroelectric behaviour and temperature-dependent dielectric properties