Silicon Labs (United States)

The rapid development of digital technology has significantly transformed the banking sector, leading to the emergence of electronic banking (e-banking) services. E-banking allows customers to perform various banking transactions such as fund transfers, balance inquiries, bill payments, and account management through internet and mobile platforms without visiting bank branches. Despite the convenience and efficiency offered by e-banking services, several challenges continue to affect their adoption and usage among bank customers. This study aims to identify the major challenges faced by customers in adopting and using e-banking services and to analyze the factors influencing the adoption of e-banking services among bank customers in Bangalore. The study is based on primary data collected from 180 bank customers using a structured questionnaire. Convenience sampling technique was used for selecting the respondents. The collected data were analyzed using statistical tools such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis with the help of SPSS software. The results of the study reveal that security and privacy concerns, fear of financial fraud, lack of technical knowledge, and poor internet connectivity are some of the major challenges faced by customers in using e-banking services. The statistical analysis further indicates that factors such as security perception, ease of use, awareness of digital banking services, and internet accessibility have a significant positive influence on the adoption of e-banking services. The findings suggest that improving digital literacy, strengthening cybersecurity measures, and increasing customer awareness can enhance the adoption of e-banking services. The study provides useful insights for banks and policymakers to develop strategies that encourage customers to adopt digital banking platforms more effectively.

Determining the atomic structure of reduced rutile TiO2(110) remains a long-standing challenge due to the complex rearrangements of Ti and O atoms and the vast configurational space accessible under reducing conditions. Here, we employ an advanced global structuresearch framework that integrates deep-potential energy surfaces with particle-swarm optimization, enabling efficient and unbiased exploration across multiple reduction states. Our search identifies a previously unreported Ti3O2-(2×1) reconstruction that is thermodynamically more stable than the earlier Ti3O2-(1×2) model. Simulated STM images of this newly identified structure reproduce the experimentally observed rosette motifs with a high degree of similarity. Electronic-structure analysis shows that its enhanced stability originates from strengthened orbital hybridization between the occupied Ti3+ 3d states and the O 2p states. This work refines the atomic-level understanding of a widely studied TiO2(110) reconstruction and highlights the capability of machine-learning-accelerated global search to resolve complex oxide surface structures with direct experimental relevance.

The practical deployment of alkaline water electrolysis remains constrained by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Although the nickel oxide electrocatalyst exhibits strong intrinsic activity, its poor electronic conductivity and structural instability under high anodic bias limit sustained performance. Graphene is frequently employed as a conductive additive, and achieving its optimal integration without blocking active sites or pores remains a key unresolved challenge. We make an attempt to overcome these limitations by integrating picosecond laser-ablated NiO with electrophoretically deposited graphene to form a binder-free, hierarchically porous, and coupled heterointerface. Picosecond laser processing generates oxygen-deficient, high-surface-area NiO with exposed Ni redox centers, while controlled graphene electrophoretic deposition (EPD) establishes a continuous conductive network without obstructing catalytic accessibility. Two NiO base samples fabricated at low and high laser powers were further modified by EPD of graphene for 30 min at 5 and 2.5 V, and their OER performance was evaluated in 1 M KOH. A comprehensive mathematical model rationalizes the existence of an optimal graphene coverage window at lower EPD voltage and short-to-medium deposition times (∼30 min), where a continuous conductive network forms without blocking the porosity. The optimized NiO/graphene electrode (10 W laser power, 2.5 V EPD) delivers an overpotential of 347 mV at 10 mA cm–2, Tafel slope of 53 mV dec–1, and mass activity of ∼4000 A g–1, outperforming pristine NiO and many reported Ni-based TMOs. Chronoamperometry at 100 mA cm–2 shows exceptional stability over 70 h, attributed to graphene-assisted suppression of surface reconstruction and dissolution. The large-scale electrocatalyst synthesis and scalable electrode fabrication always remain as a significant challenge. This hybrid laser-EPD approach can make cost-efficient roll-to-roll manufacturing plausible, taking green hydrogen production toward widespread deployment.

This study presents a method for enriching oil-suspended particles within a rectangular microfluidic channel using acoustic standing waves. A modified Helmholtz equation is solved to establish the acoustic field model, and the equilibrium between acoustic radiation forces and viscous drag is described by combining Gor’kov potential theory with the Stokes drag model. Based on this force balance, the particle motion equation is derived, enabling the determination of the critical particle size necessary for efficient enrichment in oil-filled microchannels. A two-dimensional standing-wave microchannel model is subsequently developed, and the influences of acoustic, fluidic, and particle parameters on particle migration and aggregation are systematically investigated through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. The results indicate that when the channel dimension and acoustic wavelength satisfy the half-wavelength resonance condition, a stable standing-wave field forms, effectively focusing suspended particles at the acoustic pressure nodes. Enrichment efficiency is found to be strongly dependent on inlet flow velocity, particle diameter, acoustic frequency, temperature, and particle density. Lower flow velocities and larger particle sizes result in higher enrichment efficiencies, with the most uniform and stable pressure distribution achieved when the acoustic frequency matches the resonant channel width. Increases in temperature and particle density enhance the acoustic radiation force, thereby accelerating the aggregation of particles. These findings offer theoretical foundations and practical insights for acoustically assisted online monitoring of wear particles in lubricating oils, contributing to advanced condition assessment and fault diagnosis in mechanical systems.

We revisit the premise that spacetime geometry must be quantized and show that this assumption is not physically required. Just as one does not quantize pressure or temperature, quantizing the metric treats a macroscopic continuum variable as if it were microscopic. We develop an alternative approach, Chronon Field Theory (ChFT), in which a smooth timelike covector Φμ obeys a unified variational principle—the Temporal Coherence Principle (TCP). In appropriate long-wavelength and low-vorticity regimes, the TCP dynamics yield an emergent Lorentzian metric and reproduce the Einstein field equations to leading order. Phase-coherent excitations exhibit a universal invariant speed and admit an eikonal limit that reproduces Hamilton–Jacobi and Schrödinger-type dynamics. Despite the presence of a microscopic causal alignment field, exact operational Lorentz invariance is preserved because all observers and measuring devices co-emerge from the same causal medium. The framework predicts small higher-order dispersive corrections to relativistic propagation while maintaining a universal causal cone, with effects constrained by fast radio burst and multi-messenger observations. ChFT thus provides a compact effective description in which gravitational and quantum dynamics emerge from a single coherence principle, without postulating quantum geometry at the fundamental level.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Serum uric acid (SUA) has been associated with cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause mortality; however, its interpretation is influenced by renal function. The serum uric acid to creatinine ratio (SUA/sCr) has been proposed as a refined marker, integrating urate burden with renal excretory capacity. Evidence from real-world populations with preserved renal function remains limited. METHODS A retrospective observational analysis was performed using administrative and laboratory databases from nine Italian healthcare entities, covering more than 7.6 million individuals. Eligible subjects were 18–95 years old, with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m², serum creatinine (sCr) ≤1.8 mg/dL, and no prior urate-lowering therapy. The index date was defined as the first SUA measurement between January 2017 and March 2022. A total of 739,950 participants were stratified into quintiles of SUA/sCr ratio. Outcomes were two-year all-cause mortality and CV events, including ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, and coronary revascularization. RESULTS All-cause mortality exhibited a U-shaped distribution, with the lowest risk in mid-quintiles and the highest in extreme quintiles (6.2% in quintile 1, 7.0% in quintile 5). Cardiovascular events showed a progressive increase, from 9.9% in quintile 1 to 11.6% in quintile 5. Sex-stratified analyses indicated higher absolute risks in men, whereas women demonstrated steeper relative increases across higher quintiles. In individuals with hyperuricemia, mortality and CV events rose consistently with increasing SUA/sCr values. CONCLUSIONS The SUA/sCr ratio is an independent predictor of short-term mortality and cardiovascular events in individuals with preserved renal function. Its incorporation into routine risk stratification may support earlier identification of high-risk patients, particularly those with elevated SUA. CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE What Is New? In this large, real-world study of nearly 740,000 adults with preserved renal function, the serum uric acid to serum creatinine (SUA/sCr) ratio emerged as a strong, independent predictor of two-year all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The prognostic value of SUA/sCr was particularly evident in patients with hyperuricemia, where higher quintiles were associated with progressively increased risk of death and cardiovascular events. What Are the Clinical Implications? The SUA/sCr ratio, based on two inexpensive and widely available laboratory parameters, provides a practical tool for early cardiovascular risk stratification in patients without overt kidney disease.

Abstract Laser voltage probing of decap fill cells in standard-cell logic is explored for on-die measurement of dynamic voltage droop and other applications. These FinFET based decaps offer unprecedented access to the local power grid for making non-contact noise measurements because they are widespread in modern CMOS logic ICs. Compared to logic cells, their waveform interpretation is simplified because they are non-switching and less impacted by signal crosstalk. Examples of this novel use of decaps will be provided for 5 nm and 3 nm test vehicles. Possible methods for voltage calibration will be discussed and some examples provided. Other potential applications of decap laser voltage probing and imaging will also be discussed.