Showing papers by "University of Nebraska–Lincoln published in 2019"

Imperfections and their passivation in halide perovskite solar cells

Abstract: All highly-efficient organic–inorganic halide perovskite (OIHP) solar cells to date are made of polycrystalline perovskite films which contain a high density of defects, including point and extended imperfections. The imperfections in OIHP materials play an important role in the process of charge recombination and ion migration in perovskite solar cells (PSC), which heavily influences the resulting device energy conversion efficiency and stability. Here we review the recent advances in passivation of imperfections and suppressing ion migration to achieve improved efficiency and highly stable perovskite solar cells. Due to the ionic nature of OIHP materials, the defects in the photoactive films are inevitably electrically charged. The deep level traps induced by particular charged defects in OIHP films are major non-radiative recombination centers; passivation by coordinate bonding, ionic bonding, or chemical conversion have proven effective in mitigating the negative impacts of these deep traps. Shallow level charge traps themselves may contribute little to non-radiative recombination, but the migration of charged shallow level traps in OIHP films results in unfavorable band bending, interfacial reactions, and phase segregation, influencing the carrier extraction efficiency. Finally, the impact of defects and ion migration on the stability of perovskite solar cells is described.

Soil nematode abundance and functional group composition at a global scale

Abstract: Soil organisms are a crucial part of the terrestrial biosphere. Despite their importance for ecosystem functioning, few quantitative, spatially explicit models of the active belowground community currently exist. In particular, nematodes are the most abundant animals on Earth, filling all trophic levels in the soil food web. Here we use 6,759 georeferenced samples to generate a mechanistic understanding of the patterns of the global abundance of nematodes in the soil and the composition of their functional groups. The resulting maps show that 4.4 ± 0.64 × 1020 nematodes (with a total biomass of approximately 0.3 gigatonnes) inhabit surface soils across the world, with higher abundances in sub-Arctic regions (38% of total) than in temperate (24%) or tropical (21%) regions. Regional variations in these global trends also provide insights into local patterns of soil fertility and functioning. These high-resolution models provide the first steps towards representing soil ecological processes in global biogeochemical models and will enable the prediction of elemental cycling under current and future climate scenarios.

Stabilizing halide perovskite surfaces for solar cell operation with wide-bandgap lead oxysalts.

Abstract: We show that converting the surfaces of lead halide perovskite to water-insoluble lead (II) oxysalt through reaction with sulfate or phosphate ions can effectively stabilize the perovskite surface and bulk material. These capping lead oxysalt thin layers enhance the water resistance of the perovskite films by forming strong chemical bonds. The wide-bandgap lead oxysalt layers also reduce the defect density on the perovskite surfaces by passivating undercoordinated surface lead centers, which are defect-nucleating sites. Formation of the lead oxysalt layer increases the carrier recombination lifetime and boosts the efficiency of the solar cells to 21.1%. Encapsulated devices stabilized by the lead oxysalt layers maintain 96.8% of their initial efficiency after operation at maximum power point under simulated air mass (AM) 1.5 G irradiation for 1200 hours at 65°C.

Mental health in elite athletes: International Olympic Committee consensus statement (2019).

Abstract: Mental health symptoms and disorders are common among elite athletes, may have sport related manifestations within this population and impair performance. Mental health cannot be separated from physical health, as evidenced by mental health symptoms and disorders increasing the risk of physical injury and delaying subsequent recovery. There are no evidence or consensus based guidelines for diagnosis and management of mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes. Diagnosis must differentiate character traits particular to elite athletes from psychosocial maladaptations.Management strategies should address all contributors to mental health symptoms and consider biopsychosocial factors relevant to athletes to maximise benefit and minimise harm. Management must involve both treatment of affected individual athletes and optimising environments in which all elite athletes train and compete. To advance a more standardised, evidence based approach to mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes, an International Olympic Committee Consensus Work Group critically evaluated the current state of science and provided recommendations.

Twenty-three unsolved problems in hydrology (UPH)–a community perspective

Abstract: This paper is the outcome of a community initiative to identify major unsolved scientific problems in hydrology motivated by a need for stronger harmonisation of research efforts. The procedure involved a public consultation through online media, followed by two workshops through which a large number of potential science questions were collated, prioritised, and synthesised. In spite of the diversity of the participants (230 scientists in total), the process revealed much about community priorities and the state of our science: a preference for continuity in research questions rather than radical departures or redirections from past and current work. Questions remain focused on the process-based understanding of hydrological variability and causality at all space and time scales. Increased attention to environmental change drives a new emphasis on understanding how change propagates across interfaces within the hydrological system and across disciplinary boundaries. In particular, the expansion of the human footprint raises a new set of questions related to human interactions with nature and water cycle feedbacks in the context of complex water management problems. We hope that this reflection and synthesis of the 23 unsolved problems in hydrology will help guide research efforts for some years to come.

Combined measurements of Higgs boson couplings in proton–proton collisions at √s=13Te

Abstract: Combined measurements of the production and decay rates of the Higgs boson, as well as its couplings to vector bosons and fermions, are presented. The analysis uses the LHC proton–proton collision data set recorded with the CMS detector in 2016 at $\sqrt{s}=13\,\text {Te}\text {V} $ , corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 ${\,\text {fb}^{-1}} $ . The combination is based on analyses targeting the five main Higgs boson production mechanisms (gluon fusion, vector boson fusion, and associated production with a $\mathrm {W}$ or $\mathrm {Z}$ boson, or a top quark-antiquark pair) and the following decay modes: $\mathrm {H} \rightarrow \gamma \gamma $ , $\mathrm {Z}\mathrm {Z}$ , $\mathrm {W}\mathrm {W}$ , $\mathrm {\tau }\mathrm {\tau }$ , $\mathrm {b} \mathrm {b} $ , and $\mathrm {\mu }\mathrm {\mu }$ . Searches for invisible Higgs boson decays are also considered. The best-fit ratio of the signal yield to the standard model expectation is measured to be $\mu =1.17\pm 0.10$ , assuming a Higgs boson mass of $125.09\,\text {Ge}\text {V} $ . Additional results are given for various assumptions on the scaling behavior of the production and decay modes, including generic parametrizations based on ratios of cross sections and branching fractions or couplings. The results are compatible with the standard model predictions in all parametrizations considered. In addition, constraints are placed on various two Higgs doublet models.

Simultaneously Dual Modification of Ni-Rich Layered Oxide Cathode for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract: A critical challenge in the commercialization of layer-structured Ni-rich materials is the fast capacity drop and voltage fading due to the interfacial instability and bulk structural degradation of the cathodes during battery operation. Herein, with the guidance of theoretical calculations of migration energy difference between La and Ti from the surface to the inside of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, for the first time, Ti-doped and La4NiLiO8-coated LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathodes are rationally designed and prepared, via a simple and convenient dual-modification strategy of synchronous synthesis and in situ modification. Impressively, the dual modified materials show remarkably improved electrochemical performance and largely suppressed voltage fading, even under exertive operational conditions at elevated temperature and under extended cutoff voltage. Further studies reveal that the nanoscale structural degradation on material surfaces and the appearance of intergranular cracks associated with the inconsistent evolution of structural degradation at the particle level can be effectively suppressed by the synergetic effect of the conductive La4NiLiO8 coating layer and the strong TiO bond. The present work demonstrates that our strategy can simultaneously address the two issues with respect to interfacial instability and bulk structural degradation, and it represents a significant progress in the development of advanced cathode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Highly stable and efficient all-inorganic lead-free perovskite solar cells with native-oxide passivation.

Abstract: There has been an urgent need to eliminate toxic lead from the prevailing halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs), but the current lead-free PSCs are still plagued with the critical issues of low efficiency and poor stability. This is primarily due to their inadequate photovoltaic properties and chemical stability. Herein we demonstrate the use of the lead-free, all-inorganic cesium tin-germanium triiodide (CsSn0.5Ge0.5I3) solid-solution perovskite as the light absorber in PSCs, delivering promising efficiency of up to 7.11%. More importantly, these PSCs show very high stability, with less than 10% decay in efficiency after 500 h of continuous operation in N2 atmosphere under one-sun illumination. The key to this striking performance of these PSCs is the formation of a full-coverage, stable native-oxide layer, which fully encapsulates and passivates the perovskite surfaces. The native-oxide passivation approach reported here represents an alternate avenue for boosting the efficiency and stability of lead-free PSCs. Replacing the toxic lead in the state-of-the-art halide perovskite solar cells is highly desired but the device performance and stability are usually compromised. Here Chen et al. develop inorganic cesium tin and germanium mixed-cation perovskites that show high operational stability and efficiency over 7%.

Origin and evolution of the octoploid strawberry genome.

Abstract: Cultivated strawberry emerged from the hybridization of two wild octoploid species, both descendants from the merger of four diploid progenitor species into a single nucleus more than 1 million years ago. Here we report a near-complete chromosome-scale assembly for cultivated octoploid strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) and uncovered the origin and evolutionary processes that shaped this complex allopolyploid. We identified the extant relatives of each diploid progenitor species and provide support for the North American origin of octoploid strawberry. We examined the dynamics among the four subgenomes in octoploid strawberry and uncovered the presence of a single dominant subgenome with significantly greater gene content, gene expression abundance, and biased exchanges between homoeologous chromosomes, as compared with the other subgenomes. Pathway analysis showed that certain metabolomic and disease-resistance traits are largely controlled by the dominant subgenome. These findings and the reference genome should serve as a powerful platform for future evolutionary studies and enable molecular breeding in strawberry.

Fatty acid transport protein 2 reprograms neutrophils in cancer

Abstract: Polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) are pathologically activated neutrophils that are crucial for the regulation of immune responses in cancer. These cells contribute to the failure of cancer therapies and are associated with poor clinical outcomes. Despite recent advances in the understanding of PMN-MDSC biology, the mechanisms responsible for the pathological activation of neutrophils are not well defined, and this limits the selective targeting of these cells. Here we report that mouse and human PMN-MDSCs exclusively upregulate fatty acid transport protein 2 (FATP2). Overexpression of FATP2 in PMN-MDSCs was controlled by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, through the activation of the STAT5 transcription factor. Deletion of FATP2 abrogated the suppressive activity of PMN-MDSCs. The main mechanism of FATP2-mediated suppressive activity involved the uptake of arachidonic acid and the synthesis of prostaglandin E2. The selective pharmacological inhibition of FATP2 abrogated the activity of PMN-MDSCs and substantially delayed tumour progression. In combination with checkpoint inhibitors, FATP2 inhibition blocked tumour progression in mice. Thus, FATP2 mediates the acquisition of immunosuppressive activity by PMN-MDSCs and represents a target to inhibit the functions of PMN-MDSCs selectively and to improve the efficiency of cancer therapy.

Freestanding crystalline oxide perovskites down to the monolayer limit

Abstract: Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and transition-metal dichalcogenides reveal the electronic phases that emerge when a bulk crystal is reduced to a monolayer1-4. Transition-metal oxide perovskites host a variety of correlated electronic phases5-12, so similar behaviour in monolayer materials based on transition-metal oxide perovskites would open the door to a rich spectrum of exotic 2D correlated phases that have not yet been explored. Here we report the fabrication of freestanding perovskite films with high crystalline quality almost down to a single unit cell. Using a recently developed method based on water-soluble Sr3Al2O6 as the sacrificial buffer layer13,14 we synthesize freestanding SrTiO3 and BiFeO3 ultrathin films by reactive molecular beam epitaxy and transfer them to diverse substrates, in particular crystalline silicon wafers and holey carbon films. We find that freestanding BiFeO3 films exhibit unexpected and giant tetragonality and polarization when approaching the 2D limit. Our results demonstrate the absence of a critical thickness for stabilizing the crystalline order in the freestanding ultrathin oxide films. The ability to synthesize and transfer crystalline freestanding perovskite films without any thickness limitation onto any desired substrate creates opportunities for research into 2D correlated phases and interfacial phenomena that have not previously been technically possible.

Drought Stress Tolerance in Wheat and Barley: Advances in Physiology, Breeding and Genetics Research.

Abstract: Climate change is a major threat to most of the agricultural crops grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas globally. Drought stress is one of the consequences of climate change that has a negative impact on crop growth and yield. In the past, many simulation models were proposed to predict climate change and drought occurrences, and it is extremely important to improve essential crops to meet the challenges of drought stress which limits crop productivity and production. Wheat and barley are among the most common and widely used crops due to their economic and social values. Many parts of the world depend on these two crops for food and feed, and both crops are vulnerable to drought stress. Improving drought stress tolerance is a very challenging task for wheat and barley researchers and more research is needed to better understand this stress. The progress made in understanding drought tolerance is due to advances in three main research areas: physiology, breeding, and genetic research. The physiology research focused on the physiological and biochemical metabolic pathways that plants use when exposed to drought stress. New wheat and barley genotypes having a high degree of drought tolerance are produced through breeding by making crosses from promising drought-tolerant genotypes and selecting among their progeny. Also, identifying genes contributing to drought tolerance is very important. Previous studies showed that drought tolerance is a polygenic trait and genetic constitution will help to dissect the gene network(s) controlling drought tolerance. This review explores the recent advances in these three research areas to improve drought tolerance in wheat and barley.

Markedly Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Activity of Single-Atom Fe Catalysts via Integration with Fe Nanoclusters

Abstract: Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as one of the most promising alternatives to noble metal-based catalysts for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). While SACs can offer notable benefits in terms of lowering overall catalyst cost, there is still room for improvement regarding catalyst activity. To this end, we designed and successfully fabricated an ORR electrocatalyst in which atomic clusters are embedded in an atomically dispersed Fe-N-C matrix (FeAC@FeSA-N-C), as shown by comprehensive measurements using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-STEM) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The half-wave potential of FeAC@FeSA-N-C is 0.912 V (versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)), exceeding that of commercial Pt/C (0.897 V), FeSA-N-C (0.844 V), as well as the half-wave potentials of most reported non-platinum-group metal catalysts. The ORR activity of the designed catalyst stems from single-atom active centers but is markedly enhanced by the presence of Fe nanoclusters, as confirmed by both experimental measurements and theoretical calculations.

Tailoring solvent coordination for high-speed, room-temperature blading of perovskite photovoltaic films

Abstract: The efficiencies of small-pixel perovskite photovoltaics have increased to above 24%, while most reported fabrication methods cannot be transferred to scalable manufacturing process. Here, we report a method of fast blading large-area perovskite films at an unprecedented speed of 99 mm/s under ambient conditions by tailoring solvent coordination capability. Combing volatile noncoordinating solvents to Pb2+ and low-volatile, coordinating solvents achieves both fast drying and large perovskite grains at room temperature. The reproducible fabrication yields a certified module efficiency of 16.4%, with an aperture area of 63.7 cm2. This method can be applied for various perovskite compositions. The perovskite modules also show a small temperature coefficient of −0.13%/°C and nearly fully recoverable efficiency after 58 cycles of shading, much better than commercial silicon and thin-film solar modules.

Advances in nanostructures fabricated via spray pyrolysis and their applications in energy storage and conversion.

Abstract: Functional nanostructured materials have attracted great attention over the past several decades owing to their unique physical and chemical properties, while their applications have been proven to be advantageous not only in fundamental scientific areas, but also in many technological fields. Spray pyrolysis (SP), which is particularly facile, effective, highly scalable and suitable for on-line continuous production, offers significant potential for the rational design and synthesis of various functional nanostructured materials with tailorable composition and morphology. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in various functional nanostructured materials synthesized by SP and their potential applications in energy storage and conversion. After a brief introduction to the equipment, components, and working principles of the SP technique, we thoroughly describe the guidelines and strategies for designing particles with controlled morphology, composition, and interior architecture, including hollow structures, dense spheres, yolk–shell structures, core–shell structures, nanoplates, nanorods, nanowires, thin films, and various nanocomposites. Thereafter, we demonstrate their suitability for a wide range of energy storage and conversion applications, including electrode materials for rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, highly active catalysts for hydrogen production, carbon dioxide reduction and fuel cells, and photoelectric materials for solar cells. Finally, the potential advantages and challenges of SP for the preparation of nanostructured materials are particularly emphasized and discussed, and several perspectives on future research and development directions of SP are highlighted. We expect that this continuous, one-pot, and controllable synthetic technology can serve as a reference for preparing various advanced functional materials for broader applications.

Piezoresponse force microscopy and nanoferroic phenomena.

Abstract: Since its inception more than 25 years ago, Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) has become one of the mainstream techniques in the field of nanoferroic materials. This review describes the evolution of PFM from an imaging technique to a set of advanced methods, which have played a critical role in launching new areas of ferroic research, such as multiferroic devices and domain wall nanoelectronics. The paper reviews the impact of advanced PFM modes concerning the discovery and scientific understanding of novel nanoferroic phenomena and discusses challenges associated with the correct interpretation of PFM data. In conclusion, it offers an outlook for future trends and developments in PFM.

Unveiling the operation mechanism of layered perovskite solar cells

Abstract: Layered perovskites have been shown to improve the stability of perovskite solar cells while its operation mechanism remains unclear. Here we investigate the process for the conversion of light to electrical current in high performance layered perovskite solar cells by examining its real morphology. The layered perovskite films in this study are found to be a mixture of layered and three dimensional (3D)-like phases with phase separations at micrometer and nanometer scale in both vertical and lateral directions. This phase separation is explained by the surface initiated crystallization process and the competition of the crystallization between 3D-like and layered perovskites. We further propose that the working mechanisms of the layered perovskite solar cells involve energy transfer from layered to 3D-like perovskite network. The impact of morphology on efficiency and stability of the hot-cast layered perovskite solar cells are also discussed to provide guidelines for the future improvement.

Resource Trading in Blockchain-Based Industrial Internet of Things

Abstract: Past few years have witnessed the compelling applications of the blockchain technique in our daily life ranging from the financial market to health care. Considering the integration of the blockchain technique and the industrial Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain may act as a distributed ledger for beneficially establishing a decentralized autonomous trading platform for industrial IoT (IIoT) networks. However, the power and computation constraints prevent IoT devices from directly participating in this proof-of-work process. As a remedy, in this treatise, the cloud computing service is introduced into the blockchain platform for the sake of assisting to offload computational task from the IIoT network itself. In addition, we study the resource management and pricing problem between the cloud provider and miners. More explicitly, we model the interaction between the cloud provider and miners as a Stackelberg game, where the leader, i.e., cloud provider, makes the price first, and then miners act as the followers. Moreover, in order to find the Nash equilibrium of the proposed Stackelberg game, a multiagent reinforcement learning algorithm is conceived for searching the near-optimal policy. Finally, extensive simulations are conducted to evaluate our proposed algorithm in comparison to some state-of-the-art schemes.

Improved Outcomes Associated with the use of Shock Protocols: Updates from the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative

Abstract: Background The National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative is a single-arm, prospective, multicenter study to assess outcomes associated with early mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock (AMICS) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods Between July 2016 and February 2019, 35 sites participated and enrolled into the study. All centers agreed to treat patients with AMICS using a standard protocol emphasizing invasive hemodynamic monitoring and rapid initiation of MCS. Inclusion and exclusion criteria mimicked those of the "SHOCK" trial with an additional exclusion criteria of intra-aortic balloon pump counter-pulsation prior to MCS. Results A total of 171 consecutive patients were enrolled. Patients had an average age of 63 years, 77% were male, and 68% were admitted with AMICS. About 83% of patients were on vasopressors or inotropes, 20% had a witnessed out of hospital cardiac arrest, 29% had in-hospital cardiac arrest, and 10% were under active cardiopulmonary resuscitation during MCS implantation. In accordance with the protocol, 74% of patients had MCS implanted prior to PCI. Right heart catheterization was performed in 92%. About 78% of patients presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction with average door to support times of 85 ± 63 min and door to balloon times of 87 ± 58 min. Survival to discharge was 72%. Creatinine ≥2, lactate >4, cardiac power output (CPO) Conclusion In contemporary practice, use of a shock protocol emphasizing best practices is associated with improved outcomes.

Performance of missing transverse momentum reconstruction in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV using the CMS detector

Abstract: The performance of missing transverse momentum (Tmiss) reconstruction algorithms for the CMS experiment is presented, using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected at the CERN LHC in 2016. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb-1. The results include measurements of the scale and resolution of Tmiss, and detailed studies of events identified with anomalous Tmiss. The performance is presented of a Tmiss reconstruction algorithm that mitigates the effects of multiple proton-proton interactions, using the "pileup per particle identification" method. The performance is shown of an algorithm used to estimate the compatibility of the reconstructed Tmiss with the hypothesis that it originates from resolution effects.

A multifunctional shape-morphing elastomer with liquid metal inclusions

Abstract: Natural soft tissue achieves a rich variety of functionality through a hierarchy of molecular, microscale, and mesoscale structures and ordering. Inspired by such architectures, we introduce a soft, multifunctional composite capable of a unique combination of sensing, mechanically robust electronic connectivity, and active shape morphing. The material is composed of a compliant and deformable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) matrix that can achieve macroscopic shape change through a liquid crystal phase transition. The matrix is dispersed with liquid metal (LM) microparticles that are used to tailor the thermal and electrical conductivity of the LCE without detrimentally altering its mechanical or shape-morphing properties. Demonstrations of this composite for sensing, actuation, circuitry, and soft robot locomotion suggest the potential for versatile, tissue-like multifunctionality.