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Intrinsic charge trap capacitive non-volatile flash memories take a significant share of the semiconductor electronics market today. It is challenging to create intrinsic traps in the dielectric layer without high temperature processing steps. The main issue is to optimize the leakage current and intrinsic trap density simultaneously. Moreover, conventional memory devices need the support of tunneling and blocking layers since the charge trapping dielectric layer is incapable of preventing the memory leakage. Here we report a tunable flash memory device without tunneling and blocking layer by combining the discovery of high intrinsic charge traps of more than 10 12  cm −2 , together with low leakage current of less than 10 −7  A cm −2 in solution derived, inorganic, spin-coated dielectric films which were heated at 200 °C or below. In addition, the memory storage capacity is tuned systematically upto 96% by controlling the trap density with increasing heating temperature. Realizing efficient non-volatile flash memories that do not require high temperature processing to create suitable charge trapping remains a challenge. Here, the authors report low-temperature solution-processed oxide-based flash memories with low leakage, tunable memory storage and good retention.

Quantum dots (QDs) have sparked great interest due to their unique electronic, optical, and structural properties. In this review, we provide a critical analysis of the latest advances in the synthesis, properties, and applications of QDs. We discuss synthesis techniques, including colloidal and hydrothermal synthesis, and highlight how the underlying principles of these techniques affect the resulting properties of QDs. We then delve into the wide range of applications of QDs, from QDs based color conversion, light-emitting diodes and biomedicine to quantum-based cryptography and spintronics. Finally, we identify the current challenges and future prospects for quantum dot research. By reading this review, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the current state-of-the-art in QDs research and the potential for future development.

Space has an essential role in determining the spatial pattern of household quality of living. Cities and towns also have influence on the manifestation of that spatial pattern. The prime objective of this study is to understand the spatial pattern of household quality of living with respect to the location of cities and towns in West Bengal. Household quality of living depends on the quality of housing, access to basic amenities and asset ownership of the household. The spatial pattern of household quality of living index in West Bengal is shown with the application of Anselin Moran I and Getis-Ord G* statistics. The results implicate that most of the high–high clusters and the hotspots are formed in cities and towns and around the peripheral rural areas of them. Three major zones of high–high clusters and hotspots are formed in and around the surrounding areas of Kolkata, Asansol–Raniganj–Durgapur belt and Darjeeling–Kurseong area. So, it can be articulated that urban areas influence the household quality of living in peripheral rural areas. As the zones of high–high clusters are extended differently in a different direction from the city, it can be argued that cities do not have uniform influence in all the directions. As the city can influence the household quality of living in peripheral rural areas, the government should initiate a policy for balanced urbanization. The government should promote urbanization in those areas where the low–low clusters and cold spots are formed.

The study was conducted to explore the influence of geomorphic features scattered throughout the area on the occurrence and distribution of arsenic in shallow groundwater. GIS techniques were frequently used to identify the geomorphic features and to correlate with arsenic distribution patterns. The study shows that the occurrence of geomorphic features and their distribution have a vital role in the heterogeneous distribution pattern of arsenic in shallow groundwater. The frequency distribution of geomorphic features is found similar to the arsenic distribution pattern. The moderate to highly contaminated zones are mostly consolidated to the central and southeastern part of the study area. Arsenic contamination levels are varying in different fluvial plains of the study area following the trend of Older Deltaic Plain (ODP) > Older Flood Plain (OFP) > Active Flood Plain (AFP). It has also been observed that arsenic contamination along the different geomorphic features follows the trend of abandoned channels > back swamps > other water bodies > swamps > cut-off meanders > meander scars > ponds > oxbow lakes > channel bar > point bars >channel islands. The present study indicates that the geomorphic features play a significant role in the mobilization of arsenic in shallow groundwater by supplying accumulated organic matter.

Microbial concrete has high potential for superior strength and durability, provided the optimal combination of bacterial cell concentration and water/cement (w/c) ratio is used. Despite there being a considerable volume of the literature on microbial concrete, no work has so far dealt with the prediction of compressive strength and water absorption, the most essential properties of concrete, at different levels of bacterial concentrations and w/c ratios. In addition, there has been no investigation on the optimization of bacterial concentration and w/c ratio with respect to these properties, which is very important from the microbial concrete mix design point of view. The present work addresses these issues and develops models to predict the compressive strength and water absorption of mortar mix within a range of commonly used w/c ratios, namely 0.40, 0.45 and 0.50, and cell concentrations of Bacillus subtilis, namely 103, 105 and 107 cells/ml of water, to circumvent detailed case-specific experimental investigation. This is achieved by applying response surface methodology using the Design-Expert software to experimental data obtained for nine combinations of w/c ratios and bacterial cell concentrations. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is carried out to acquire simplified updated models. Optimal values of cell concentration and w/c ratio that maximize mortar compressive strength and minimize its water absorption are obtained, which lies between 105.719 and 105.8 cells/ml at w/c ratio of 0.40. Further, the optimal cell concentration for a preset w/c ratio is provided, which is highly pertinent from the practical application point of view. Finally, a microstructure analysis is carried out to offer insight into the obtained optimal cell concentrations.

To study biological signalling, great effort goes into designing sensors whose fluorescence follows the concentration of chemical messengers as closely as possible. However, the binding kinetics of the sensors are often overlooked when interpreting cell signals from the resulting fluorescence measurements. We propose a method to reconstruct the spatiotemporal concentration of the underlying chemical messengers in consideration of the binding process. Our method fits fluorescence data under the constraint of the corresponding chemical reactions and with the help of a deep-neural-network prior. We test it on several GCaMP calcium sensors. The recovered concentrations concur in a common temporal waveform regardless of the sensor kinetics, whereas assuming equilibrium introduces artifacts. We also show that our method can reveal distinct spatiotemporal events in the calcium distribution of single neurons. Our work augments current chemical sensors and highlights the importance of incorporating physical constraints in computational imaging. A key aspect of biosensor design is ensuring that fluorescent signals follow the concentration of the analytes as closely as possible, but binding kinetics are often overlooked. Here authors propose a method for reconstructing the spatiotemporal concentration of the underlying chemical messengers by considering the binding process.

Side Channel Attacks (SCA) exploit physical information leakage from devices performing cryptographic operations, posing significant security threats. While SCA has been extensively studied in the context of block ciphers, similar analyses on stream ciphers and constructions like authenticated encryption are less explored. In this paper, we present a novel enhancement to existing SCA techniques based on the hamming weight model for stream ciphers. We have identified critical oversights in previous SCA attack models, allowing us to introduce additional inequalities that enhance the model’s effectiveness. For TRIVIUM and GRAIN-128-AEAD, we demonstrate that a practical state recovery attack can be achieved in significantly less time than existing attacks on the HW/32 model. Furthermore, we show that our improved model is capable of handling the HW/64 model and can recover the state even with noisy traces within a few hours. Additionally, we extend our model to the authenticated encryption schemes ACORN-128 v3 and ASCON-128a, demonstrating its broader applicability.

This paper presents the feasibility of using solar photovoltaics (Solar PV) as the energy source for cooking with special focus on the loss mechanisms and possible remedial measures. If the heat loss is minimized, to reduce the temperature losses, it is possible to cook with a low power source less than 500 W. A slogan has been adopted by the researchers—‘It is temperature that cooks food not heat’, meaning that it is not the flow of energy that cooks food, but rather, that food is cooked when held at a key temperature for a time. The slogan draws attention to the core concept that if heat loss is minimized, maintaining the temperature inside the cooker and the cooking pan, then the cooking process becomes very energy efficient. The paper considers ways to maintain temperature, but with due reference to the ‘art of cooking’, those all-important cultural processes that determine how meals are made. A prototype solar home system e-cooker was designed, fabricated and tested for cooking different foods in Bangladesh. Experimental results are presented to show that cooking is possible using much less power and energy than is commonly thought. A cost analysis is also presented to show that such a cooker can be cost effective in off-grid areas if connected to a properly designed Solar Home System.

In this study, the detection and quantification of multiple classes of antibiotics in water matrices are proposed using a lab-made solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The lab-made fiber was prepared using a graphene oxide (G), carbon nanotubes (C), and tin dioxide (T) composite, namely GCT, with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as supporting material. The detected antibiotics were enrofloxacin, sulfathiazole, erythromycin, and trimethoprim. The custom-made fiber was found to be superior compared with a commercial C18 fiber. The excellent reproducibility and lower intra-fiber relative standard deviations (RSDs 1.8% to 6.8%) and inter-fiber RSDs (4.5% to 8.8%) made it an ideal candidate for the detection of traces of antibiotics in real environmental samples. The proposed validated method provides a satisfactory limit of detection and good linear ranges with higher (>0.99) coefficient of determination in the aqueous system. Application of the method was made in different real water systems such as river, pond and tap water using the standard spiking method. Excellent sensitivity, reproducibility, lower amount of sample detection and higher recovery was found in a real water sample. Therefore, the extraction method was successfully applied to the detection and quantification of multiple classes of antibiotics in different aqueous systems with satisfactory results.

Sol–gel processed thin-film transistors (TFTs) have emerged as a promising technology for next-generationelectronics. TFTs are widely used as switching devices in a various applications, like sensors, displays, memory, and logic circuits. The use of solution process technology offers several advantages, such as low cost, simple process, high throughput, homogeneity, and excellent compositional control. The solution-based fabrication process enables the deposition of thin films on a wide range of substrates, including flexible and curved surfaces. Recently, significant progress has been made in the field of oxide semiconductors and oxide dielectrics for solution-processed TFTs. These developments have led to improved device performance, including higher operating voltage, mobility, and on/off current ratio, among other factors. In this article, we discuss the progress made in the development of oxide semiconductors and oxide dielectrics for sol–gel processed TFTs. This study aims to present a comprehensive understanding of the latest advancements in sol–gel processed TFTs. First, we present comprehensive summary of the key parameters of solution-processed metal oxides that are critical for building high-performance thin film transistors (TFTs), including sol–gel derived binary and ternary metal oxide dielectrics and semiconductors. Following that a detailed performance analysis of solution-processed TFTs in terms of their operating voltage, mobility, and on/off current ratio (I on /I off ), among other factors has been summarized. Afterward, the applications of solution-processed TFTs fabricated using various techniques (e.g., spin coating, screen printing, and inkjet printing) are also discussed. We explore the function of sol–gel processed high-k dielectrics and the challenges associated with their growth for fabrication of high-performance TFTs. Finally, the future perspectives on how to improve the performance of solution-processed TFTs. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the potential of solution-processed materials for use in next-generation portable electronics.