Wide band gap (WBG) alkaline-earth stannate transparent oxide semiconductors (TOSs) have attracted increasing attention in recent years for their high carrier mobility and outstanding optoelectronic properties, and have been applied widely in various devices, such as flat-panel displays. Most alkaline-earth stannates are grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE); there are some intractable issues with the tin source including the volatility with SnO and Sn sources and the decomposition of the SnO2 source. In contrast, atomic layer deposition (ALD) serves as an ideal technique for the growth of complex stannate perovskites with precise stoichiometry control and tunable thickness at the atomic scale. Herein, we report the La-SrSnO3/BaTiO3 perovskite heterostructure heterogeneously integrated on Si (001), which uses ALD-grown La-doped SrSnO3 (LSSO) as a channel material and MBE-grown BaTiO3 (BTO) as a dielectric material. The reflective high-energy electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction results indicate the crystallinity of each epitaxial layer with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.62°. In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirm that there was no Sn0 state in ALD-deposited LSSO. Besides, we report a strategy for the post-treatment of LSSO/BTO perovskite heterostructures by controlling the oxygen annealing temperature and time, with a maximum oxide capacitance Cox of 0.31 μF cm-2 and a minimum low-frequency dispersion for the devices with 7 h oxygen annealing at 400 °C. The enhancement of capacitance properties is primarily attributed to a decrease of oxygen vacancies in the films and interface defects in the heterostructure interfaces during an additional ex situ excess oxygen annealing. This work expands current optimization methods for reducing defects in epitaxial LSSO/BTO perovskite heterostructures and shows that excess oxygen annealing is a powerful tool for enhancing the capacitance properties of LSSO/BTO heterostructures.

Sesquioxides are an important class of compounds which are used in various applications such as optical glasses, high-power electronics, and gate dielectrics. Using density functional theory, we investigated bixbyite La2O3, In2O3, and Ga2O3 ; hexagonal La2O3; corundum In2O3; and monoclinic Ga2O3. We compared the predicted structural properties for each material using the local density approximation (LDA) and the generalized-gradient approximation [GGA PBE (Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof)]. We found that LDA predicts the correct ground state structure for all three sesquioxides; however, GGA PBE predicts the incorrect ground state structure for La2O3. To gain better insight on why this happens, we calculated the phonon properties and the free energy for all structures to determine phase transition temperatures. Additionally, we determined the transition pressure for In2O3. We also studied several surface terminations for each compound and determined the lowest-energy surface for each structure as well as the interfacial energy for La2O3.

BaTiO3 (BTO) is an emergent material in the field of silicon-integrated photonics, as its thin films have been demonstrated to have a very large electro-optic (Pockels) coefficient that can be used for optical modulators. However, BTO grown directly on SrTiO3 (STO)-buffered Si (STO is required for epitaxial growth) initially grows with a polarization direction not suitable for the geometries currently used in photonic devices. Here, we grow BTO on a BaSnO3-buffered STO substrate to form orthorhombic mm2 BTO, which has in-plane polarization orientation needed for photonic devices. Extensive crystalline characterization is done to confirm the high quality of the films, along with electro-optic measurements. Theoretical simulations coupled with the experimental results provide a foundational understanding of the properties of strain-stabilized orthorhombic BTO. Large electro-optic coefficients of 121 pm/V are observed in films as thin as 40 nm.

Purpose: Emerging evidence suggests that short sleep duration and delayed sleep timing may be independently related to insulin resistance (IR), although findings are mixed. Our aim was to investigate associations between sleep duration and timing with insulin resistance among adolescents. Methods: The analytic sample included 384 Mexican adolescents from a birth cohort study who took part in a follow-up study beginning in 2015. Insulin and glucose were measured in fasting serum, and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated (marker of insulin resistance; [insulin x glucose]/22.5). Sleep duration and midpoint were measured by actigraphy for 7 days after the visit and for analysis were separated by weekdays and weekends. In full and sex-stratified regression analysis, sleep duration and midpoint were exposures, and the log HOMA-IR was the outcome, adjusting for age. Results: The mean age of the sample was 13.8 f 1.93 with 51% female. Shorter sleep duration on weekdays was associated with higher log HOMA-IR (13 =-.049, 95% confidence interval [CI]-.097 to-.00 09). Later midpoints on weekdays and the weekend were independently associated with higher log HOMA-IR (13 = .0408, 95% CI-.0049 to .087, and 13 = .0486, 95% CI .0042 to .093, respectively). Girls showed stronger associations than boys for both sleep duration and timing with HOMA-IR. Conclusions: Sleep duration and sleep timing were independently associated with insulin resistance, and associations were more pronounced among girls. (c) 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.

BACKGROUND High dietary sodium intake is a significant public health problem in the U.S. The average sodium intake for Americans is approximately 3,460 mg per day, but current federal guidelines advocate a daily sodium intake of less than 2,300 mg. Higher sodium consumption is associated with increase blood pressure and greater risk of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of a just-in-time adaptive mobile application intervention, LowSalt4Life, on reducing sodium intake. METHODS In a single center prospective open label randomized controlled trial, 50 patients aged ≥18 years with treated hypertension were randomized (1:1, stratified by gender) to the mobile application (LowSalt4Life) or usual care (No App) for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion estimated from spot urine by the Kawasaki equation, analyzed using unpaired t-testing. Secondary outcomes include the change in sodium intake measured by FFQ and 24-hour urinary sodium excretion, as well as self-reported confidence in following a low sodium diet, and blood pressure (BP). RESULTS From baseline to week 8, there was a reduction in the Kawasaki estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion calculated from spot urine in the App compared to the No App group (-462±1220 mg vs. 381±1460 mg, p=0.03). The change in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion was -637±1524 mg in the App compared to -322±1485mg in the No App group (p=0.47). The change in estimated sodium intake by 24-hour dietary recall was -1537±2693 vs. -233±2150 mg (p=0.07) and by Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was -1553±1764 vs. -515±1081 mg (p=0.01) in the App group compared to No App group. The systolic BP change from baseline to week 8 in the App was -7.5 and No App group was -0.7 mmHg (p=0.12), but self-confidence in following a low sodium diet did not change between the groups. CONCLUSIONS In a randomized controlled pilot study in adults with hypertension, a contextual just-in-time mobile application intervention demonstrated a greater reduction in dietary sodium intake measured by estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion from a spot urine and FFQ compared to control over 8 weeks. There was not a statistically significant difference in self-confidence following a low sodium diet, 24-hour urinary sodium excretion or dietary intake of sodium measured by 24-hour dietary recall compared to control over 8 weeks. A larger clinical trial is warranted to further elucidate the effects of the LowSalt4Life intervention on sodium intake and blood pressure. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03099343 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03099343). INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.2196/11282.

BaTiO3 (BTO) and LaxSr1 − xTiO3 (x ≤ 0.15) perovskite heterostructures are deposited epitaxially on SrTiO3 (STO)-buffered Si(001) via atomic layer deposition (ALD) to explore the formation of a quantum metal layer between a ferroelectric film and silicon. X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy show the crystallinity of the heterostructure deposited by ALD. After postdeposition annealing of the La-doped STO film in ultrahigh vacuum at 600 °C for 5 min, x-ray photoelectron spectra show the lack of La-dopant activation when the film is deposited on 10 nm-thick BTO. The same postdeposition annealing condition activates the La-dopant when LaxSr1 − xTiO3 films are deposited on STO-buffered Si(001) surfaces consisting of 2.8 nm of STO(001) on Si(001). Annealing of LaxSr1 − xTiO3 films sandwiched between BTO and STO-buffered Si(001) layers in air at temperatures ≤350 °C preserves the La-dopant activation. Piezoresponse force microscopy demonstrates the ferroelectric behavior of BTO films grown on LaxSr1 − xTiO3 surfaces. Sheet resistance and capacitance-voltage measurements further demonstrate the conductivity of the LaxSr1 − xTiO3 films sandwiched between the BTO film and the Si(001) substrate.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between calorie intake and post-discharge outcomes in hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF). BACKGROUND Malnutrition increases adverse outcomes in HF, and dietary sodium restriction may inadvertently worsen nutritional intake. METHODS In a dietary intervention trial, baseline nutritional intake in HF inpatients was estimated using the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) was calculated. Insufficient calorie intake was defined as <90% of metabolic needs, and a 15-point micronutrient deficiency score was created. Adjusted linear, logistic, and negative binomial regression were used to evaluate associations between insufficient calorie intake and quality of life (using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Clinical Summary [KCCQ-CS]), readmission risk, and days rehospitalized over 12 weeks. RESULTS Among 57 participants (70 +/- 8 years of age; 31% female; mean body mass index 32 +/- 8 kg/m(2)); median sodium and calorie intake amounts were 2,987 mg/day (interquartite range [IOR]: 2,160 to 3,540 mg/day) and 1,602 kcal/day (IQR: 1,201 to 2,142 kcal/day), respectively; 11% of these patients were screened as malnourished by the NRI. All patients consuming <2,000 mg/day sodium had insufficient calorie intake; this group also more frequently had dietary micronutrient and protein deficiencies. At 12 weeks, patients with insufficient calorie intake had less improvement in the KCCQ-CS score (beta = -14.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 27.3 to 1.9), higher odds of readmission (odds ratio: 14.5; 95% CI: 2.2 to 94.4), and more days rehospitalized (incident rate ratio: 31.3; 95% CI: 4.3 to 229.3). CONCLUSIONS Despite a high prevalence for obesity and rare overt malnutrition, insufficient calorie intake was associated with poorer post-discharge quality of life and increased burden of readmission in patients with HF. Inpatient dietary assessment could improve readmission risk stratification and identify patients for nutritional intervention. (C) 2020 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.

Background High dietary sodium intake is a significant public health problem in the United States. High sodium consumption is associated with high blood pressure and high risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a just-in-time adaptive mobile app intervention, namely, LowSalt4Life, on reducing sodium intake in adults with hypertension. Methods In this study, 50 participants aged ≥18 years who were under treatment for hypertension were randomized (1:1, stratified by gender) into 2 groups, namely, the App group (LowSalt4Life intervention) and the No App group (usual dietary advice) in a single-center, prospective, open-label randomized controlled trial for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion estimated from spot urine by using the Kawasaki equation, which was analyzed using unpaired two-sided t tests. Secondary outcomes included the change in the sodium intake measured by the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion, blood pressure levels, and the self-reported confidence in following a low-sodium diet. Results From baseline to week 8, there was a significant reduction in the Kawasaki-estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion calculated from spot urine in the App group compared to that in the No App group (–462 [SD 1220] mg vs 381 [SD 1460] mg, respectively; P=.03). The change in the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion was –637 (SD 1524) mg in the App group and –322 (SD 1485) mg in the No App group (P=.47). The changes in the estimated sodium intake as measured by 24-hour dietary recall and by FFQ in the App group were –1537 (SD 2693) mg and –1553 (SD 1764) mg while those in the No App group were –233 (SD 2150) mg and –515 (SD 1081) mg, respectively (P=.07 and P=.01, respectively). The systolic blood pressure change from baseline to week 8 in the App group was –7.5 mmHg while that in the No App group was –0.7 mmHg (P=.12), but the self-confidence in following a low-sodium diet was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Conclusions This study shows that a contextual just-in-time mobile app intervention resulted in a greater reduction in the dietary sodium intake in adults with hypertension than that in the control group over a 8-week period, as measured by the estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion from spot urine and FFQ. The intervention group did not show a significant difference from the control group in the self-confidence in following a low sodium diet and in the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion or dietary intake of sodium as measured by the 24-hour dietary recall. A larger clinical trial is warranted to further elucidate the effects of the LowSalt4Life intervention on sodium intake and blood pressure levels in adults with hypertension. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03099343; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03099343 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/11282

Few studies have described dietary deficiencies in older patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF). We hypothesized that insufficient caloric intake (iCI) would predict poorer post-discharge quality of life (QOL) and greater readmission burden in HF. The GOURMET-HF study randomized HF inpatients

The authors report epitaxial BaSnO3(001) and SrSnO3(001) growth on SrTiO3(001) (STO) substrates via atomic layer deposition (ALD) at 180 °C, where the BaSnO3 growth rate is 0.46 ± 0.03 Å and the SrSnO3 growth rate is 0.69 ± 0.04 Å per ALD unit cycle. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and rocking curve analyses verify the single crystalline nature of BaSnO3(001) and SrSnO3(001) thin films on STO(001), while the atomic force microscopy analyses reveal the smooth surface of the stannate films with rms roughness values of ∼0.4 nm, which is only slightly higher than the STO substrate roughness of 0.32 nm. Out-of-plane XRD and reciprocal space mapping show that both BaSnO3(001) and SrSnO3(001) (∼10 nm) are fully relaxed on STO(001), owing to the large lattice mismatches (5.1% for BaSnO3/STO and 3.2% for SrSnO3/STO). The visible light transmittance spectra indicate that ALD-grown BaSnO3 and SrSnO3 thin films have high transparency at 400–800 nm that matches the transparency of STO(001) substrates.

Introduction: Interventions that lower sodium intake can decrease blood pressure and improve cardiovascular outcomes. Methods: This single center, prospective, open-label study evaluated a new mobile app to reduce sodium intake. Patients > 18 years of age diagnosed with hypertension and on antihypertensive therapy for at least 3 months were enrolled. Participants were randomized 1:1, stratified by gender, to receive the mobile app, or usual dietary advice for 8 weeks. The app provides a multifaceted intervention based on just-in-time contextual tailored messages. The primary endpoint was the change in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion. Secondary outcomes included the change in estimated sodium intake from a Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), 24-hr dietary recall, Self-care Confidence in Following a Low-Sodium Diet (SCFLSD) survey and blood pressure (BP). Results: Fifty patients (24 App, 26 No App) were randomized. Baseline demographics were similar between the groups. The average age was 57 years and BP 131/83 mmHg. The reduction in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion from baseline was greater in the App compared to No App group (p=0.30). The reduction in FFQ (p=0.008) and 24-hr dietary recall (p=0.11) sodium intake from baseline were greater in the App compared to No App group. Systolic BP was reduced from baseline in the App compared to No App group (-7.5 vs. -0.7 mmHg, p=0.12). No significant change was shown in the SCFLSD survey. Conclusions: Patients randomized to the app had a greater reduction in measures of sodium intake and systolic BP from baseline to 8 weeks compared to those that did not receive the application. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.

Patterned, crystalline BaTiO3 (BTO) films were formed directly on STO(001) surfaces using atomic layer deposition and restricting Ba and Ti precursor adsorption to STO(001) by passivating regions of the substrate with a polystyrene blocking layer. Patterns were prepared by spin-coating polystyrene onto STO(001), UV-crosslinking the polystyrene, and rinsing away uncrosslinked polystyrene with toluene. Amorphous 9-12 nm thick BTO films were deposited at 225 degrees C on polystyrene-patterned STO(001) surfaces. These films were crystallized upon annealing at elevated temperatures. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy were used after growth of BTO and removal of polystyrene resist and reveal BTO features with dimensions similar to the shadow mask. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction show that BTO epitaxially crystallizes to the substrate, forming BTO(001), after annealing under vacuum at >= 770 degrees C with an oxygen partial pressure of 1 X 10(-6) Torr.

La2O3 has been reported as a good gate dielectric for GaN-based high electron mobility transistor and metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor applications. In this study, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was selected as the deposition technique, and the growth behavior and structure of La2O3 films on GaN(0001) were investigated. Unlike La2O3 deposited by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at 450 °C that can form a two-dimensional film directly on GaN(0001), island growth mode was observed when a La2O3 film was deposited directly on GaN(0001) at 250 °C by ALD using tris(N,N′-diisopropylformamidinato)-lanthanum as the precursor and H2O as the coreactant. Only with the use of a template layer, a 2 nm-thick hexagonal La2O3 film deposited by MBE or a 3 nm-thick cubic Er2O3 film deposited by ALD, can a two-dimensional crystalline ALD-La2O3 thin film be formed on GaN(0001). Reflection high-energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and scanning transmission electron microscopy were conducted to verify the films’ crystalline nature and structure. The ALD-La2O3 film retains a cubic structure on ALD-Er2O3 templated-GaN(0001), while it transforms from the cubic phase to a mix of cubic and hexagonal phases on MBE-La2O3 templated-GaN(0001) when the film is thicker than 15 nm. The stabilization of a thin cubic La2O3 phase could be related to a difference in the surface energy and the ALD growth temperature.

Heteroepitaxial growth of crystalline SrZrO3 (SZO) on Ge (001) by atomic layer deposition is reported. Ge (001) surfaces are pretreated with 0.5-monolayers (ML) of Ba and an amorphous ∼3-nm SZO layer is grown from strontium bis(triisopropylcyclopentadienyl), tetrakis (dimethylamido) zirconium, and water at 225 °C. This ∼3-nm layer crystallizes at 590 °C and subsequent SZO growth at 225 °C leads to crystalline films that do not require further annealing. The film properties are investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, aberration-corrected electron microscopy, and capacitance-voltage measurements of metal-oxide semiconductor capacitor structures. Capacitance-voltage measurements of the SrZrO3/Ge heterojunctions reveal a dielectric constant of 30 for SrZrO3 and a leakage current density of 2.1 × 10−8 A/cm2 at 1 MV/cm with an equivalent oxide thickness of 0.8 nm. Oxygen plasma pretreatment of Ge (001), Zintl layer formation with 0.5 ML Ba, and atomic deuterium post-growth treatment were explored to lower interface trap density (Dit) and achieved a Dit of 8.56 × 1011 cm−2 eV−1.

Growth of crystalline Er2O3, a rare earth sesquioxide, on GaN(0001) is described. Ex situ HCl and NH4OH solutions and an in situ N2 plasma are used to remove impurities on the GaN surface and result in a Ga/N stoichiometry of 1.02. Using atomic layer deposition with erbium tris(isopropylcyclopentadienyl) [Er(iPrCp)3] and water, crystalline cubic Er2O3 (C-Er2O3) is grown on GaN at 250 °C. The orientation relationships between the C-Er2O3 film and the GaN substrate are C-Er2O3(222) ǁ GaN(0001), C-Er2O3⟨-440⟩ ǁ GaN ⟨11-20⟩, and C-Er2O3⟨-211⟩ ǁ GaN ⟨1-100⟩. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy are used to examine the microstructure of C-Er2O3 and its interface with GaN. With post-deposition annealing at 600 °C, a thicker interfacial layer is observed, and two transition layers, crystalline GaNwOz and crystalline GaErxOy, are found between GaN and C-Er2O3. The tensile strain in the C-Er2O3 film is studied with x-ray diffraction by changes in both out-of-plane and in-plane d-spacing. Fully relaxed C-Er2O3 films on GaN are obtained when the film thickness is around 13 nm. Additionally, a valence band offset of 0.7 eV and a conduction band offset of 1.2 eV are obtained using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Human-aided movement of species populations in large-scale reforestation programs could be a potent and cost-effective climate change adaptation strategy. Such large-scale management interventions, however, tend to entail the risks of unintended consequences, and we propose that three conditions should be met before implementing assisted migration in reforestation programs: (1) evidence of a climate-related adaptational lag, (2) observed biological impacts, and (3) robust model projections to target assisted migration efforts. In a case study of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michaux.) we use reciprocal transplant experiments to study adaptation of tree populations to local environments. Second, we monitor natural aspen populations using the MODIS enhanced vegetation index as a proxy for forest health and productivity. Last, we report results from bioclimate envelope models that predict suitable habitat for locally adapted genotypes under observed and predicted climate change. The combined results support assisted migration prescriptions and indicate that the risk of inaction likely exceeds the risk associated with changing established management practices. However, uncertainty in model projections also implies that we are restricted to a relatively short 20-year planning horizon for prescribing seed movement in reforestation programs. We believe that this study exemplifies a safe and realistic climate change adaptation strategy based on multiple sources of information and some understanding of the uncertainty associated with recommendations for assisted migration. Ad hoc migration prescriptions without a similar level of supporting information should be avoided in reforestation programs.