In 2006, breast cancer was the third leading cause of death in American women; however, more women survive breast cancer than any other type of cancer. As the disease progresses, it is important to know how one's health-related quality of life (QOL) is affected for those who receive treatment, those who survive, and those who remain disease-free. The purpose of this study was to summarize the benefits, challenges, and barriers of QOL measurement for female breast cancer patients. A PubMed literature search was conducted using the terms "quality of life" and "breast cancer." The search was then refined with terms related to QOL assessment instruments. The research team reviewed over 100 of the 2,090 articles identified. From the results, a detailed outline of QOL instruments is presented, and the effectiveness of QOL instruments is discussed. In the current literature review, both generic and breast cancer specific QOL instruments, examining computerized and paper-and-pencil versions, are explained as well as the advantages, acceptability, and problems of these assessments. Potential barriers to implementation are also discussed. The implementation of QOL assessment tools in breast cancer clinical practice is discussed, with evidence detailing how such tools would benefit patients.

The reaction conditions for the synthesis of Cu–BTC (BTC = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid) were elucidated using a continuous-flow microreactor-assisted solvothermal system to achieve crystal size and phase control. A high-rate synthesis of Cu–BTC metal–organic frameworks with a BET surface area of more than 1600 m² g⁻¹ (Langmuir surface area of more than 2000 m² g⁻¹) and with a 97% production yield could be achieved with a total reaction time of 5 minutes.

This paper reviews the current progress in mathematical modeling of anti-reflective subwavelength structures. Methods covered include effective medium theory (EMT), finite-difference time-domain (FDTD), transfer matrix method (TMM), the Fourier modal method (FMM)/rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) and the finite element method (FEM). Time-based solutions to Maxwell’s equations, such as FDTD, have the benefits of calculating reflectance for multiple wavelengths of light per simulation, but are computationally intensive. Space-discretized methods such as FDTD and FEM output field strength results over the whole geometry and are capable of modeling arbitrary shapes. Frequency-based solutions such as RCWA/FMM and FEM model one wavelength per simulation and are thus able to handle dispersion for regular geometries. Analytical approaches such as TMM are appropriate for very simple thin films. Initial disadvantages such as neglect of dispersion (FDTD), inaccuracy in TM polarization (RCWA), inability to model aperiodic gratings (RCWA), and inaccuracy with metallic materials (FDTD) have been overcome by most modern software. All rigorous numerical methods have accurately predicted the broadband reflection of ideal, graded-index anti-reflective subwavelength structures; ideal structures are tapered nanostructures with periods smaller than the wavelengths of light of interest and lengths that are at least a large portion of the wavelengths considered.

In this study, we fabricate amorphous indium oxide thin film transistors (TFTs) on a display glass substrate at various annealing temperatures from 200 °C to 300 °C. Using a volatile nitrate precursor, we were able to fabricate TFTs with excellent device performance within this annealing temperature range. Amorphous In₂O₃ films could be obtained by carefully controlling the film thickness and annealing temperature. TFTs based on amorphous In₂O₃ channel layers with an average mobility as high as 7.5 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, an I_on/I_off ratio of 10⁷, and V_on = −5 V could be fabricated at 300 °C annealing temperature in air. The devices prepared at 200 °C still exhibit transistor characteristics with an average mobility of 0.04 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, an I_on/I_off ratio of 10⁵, and V_on = 0 V. The temperature effects on the device performances are elucidated based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis characterization results of precursors and the resulting amorphous In₂O₃ thin films.

Compared to conventional amorphous silicon (a-Si) TFTs, amorphous metal oxide TFTs have superior device performance such as higher mobility, better sub-threshold swing, and lower off-state current. Amorphous metal oxide TFTs have an additional advantage on the device uniformity due to the lack of grain boundary issues in the poly-Si TFTs. Compared with sputtered oxide TFTs, metal oxide TFTs with solution processes have better flexibility and controllability to adjust the composition of chemical solution. Among various solution-based approaches, direct printing is a promising low-cost technique in fabricating TFTs. The printing technique offers several advantages in manufacturing electronics such as a direct writing of materials, reduction of chemical waste, and reproducibility with high-resolution scale, which are not affordable from other solution-based approaches. While many printed OTFTs have been reported, relatively fewer studies, associated with printed metal oxide TFTs, have been pursued. Interests to printed metal oxide TFTs have grown continuously since the first report of a general route toward printed oxide TFTs. A variety of metal oxide materials have been reported as the channel layer of printed metal oxide TFTs. In this mini review paper, the development of printed metal oxide TFTs was discussed including the ink formulations, the types and characteristics of the applied printers, and fabricated thin film transistor characteristics. Lastly the review is concluded with a concise summary and future outlook from an industry perspective.

Low temperature fabrication of printed p-type CuI TFTs was reported for the first time. The printed CuI film was fabricated by printing molecular CuI ink directly onto the device substrate followed by immediate crystallization of CuI nanoparticles as the solvent evaporated. The substrate temperature during inkjet printing was varied in order to obtain continuous CuI films with large grain size for improved device performance. The CuI TFTs printed at 60 °C exhibited an average field-effect mobility of 1.86 ± 1.6 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, with the maximum value of 4.4 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and an average On/Off ratio of 10¹–10². This study demonstrates potential low temperature, directly printed p-type TFTs for constructing transparent, complementary inorganic TFT circuits.