Band engineering of KNbO3 through 3d transition metal substitution of Nb.

Functional oxides on silicon have been the subject of in-depth research for more than 20 years. Much of this research has been focused on the quality of the integration of materials due to their intrinsic thermodynamic incompatibility, which has hindered the flourishing of the field of research. Nevertheless, growth of epitaxial transition metal oxides on silicon with a sharp interface has been achieved by elaborated kinetically controlled sequential deposition while the crystalline quality of different functional oxides has been considerably improved. In this Research Update, we focus on three applications in which epitaxial ferroelectric oxides on silicon are at the forefront, and in each of these applications, other aspects of the integration of materials play an important role. These are the fields of piezoelectric microelectromechanical system devices, electro-optical components, and catalysis. The overview is supported by a brief analysis of the synthesis processes that enable epitaxial growth of oxides on silicon. This Research Update concludes with a theoretical description of the interfaces and the possibility of manipulating their electronic structure to achieve the desired coupling between (ferroelectric) oxides and semiconductors, which opens up a remarkable perspective for many advanced applications.

Leukocytes play a pivotal role in the onset and progression of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We evaluated the relationship between leukocyte count and coronary lesion severity of AMI. We carried out a retrospective study involving 815 patients with AMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention from 2005 to 2014 at a cardiovascular center. We recorded their risk factors, routine blood parameters, and cardiovascular events during hospitalization. When thrombus and nonthrombus burden groups were compared, leukocyte count (9.55 [7.80, 12.29] vs 10.70 [8.67, 13.04]×10/L, P = .005), neutrophil count (7.48 [5.65, 10.18] vs 8.61 [6.61, 10.80]×10/L, P = .001), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR; 4.99 [2.97, 7.16] vs 10.70 [8.67, 13.04], P = .003) were significantly different. Patients in the total occlusion group showed higher leukocyte count, neutrophil count, and NLR compared to the nontotal occlusion group. After multivariate logistic analysis, a neutrophil count ≥8.355 × 10/L was independently associated with high thrombus burden and total coronary occlusion. Leukocyte count, neutrophil count, or NLR was not significantly related to cardiovascular events during hospitalization. In conclusion, the neutrophil count might be an independent predictor of high thrombus burden and total coronary occlusion.

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