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[Display omitted] The bulk-boundary correspondence is a critical concept in topological quantum materials. For instance, a quantum spin Hall insulator features a bulk insulating gap with gapless helical boundary states protected by the underlying Z 2 topology. However, the bulk-boundary dichotomy and distinction are rarely explored in optical experiments, which can provide unique information about topological charge carriers beyond transport and electronic spectroscopy techniques. Here, we utilize mid-infrared absorption micro-spectroscopy and pump–probe micro-spectroscopy to elucidate the bulk-boundary optical responses of Bi 4 Br 4 , a recently discovered room-temperature quantum spin Hall insulator. Benefiting from the low energy of infrared photons and the high spatial resolution, we unambiguously resolve a strong absorption from the boundary states while the bulk absorption is suppressed by its insulating gap. Moreover, the boundary absorption exhibits strong polarization anisotropy, consistent with the one-dimensional nature of the topological boundary states. Our infrared pump–probe microscopy further measures a substantially increased carrier lifetime for the boundary states, which reaches one nanosecond scale. The nanosecond lifetime is about one to two orders longer than that of most topological materials and can be attributed to the linear dispersion nature of the helical boundary states. Our findings demonstrate the optical bulk-boundary dichotomy in a topological material and provide a proof-of-principal methodology for studying topological optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of nanoporous carbon (NPC) was synthesized using dandelion pappus as a cost-effective carbon source through chemical activation with phosphoric acid. Notably, NPC is first considered to be used as an enhanced electrode material for the analysis of tryptophan (Trp). The high electrical conductivity of nanoporous carbon modified electrode (NPC/GCE) was better demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry using the ferricyanide system as a probe. Furthermore, the NPC/GCE exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic activity toward Trp oxidation with a decreased overpotential and improved current response, mainly due to the porous structure and large specific surface of nanoporous carbon. The electrocatalytic oxidation mechanism of Trp at the modified electrode was also investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The amperometric response of NPC-based sensor is linear in the 1 μM to 103 μM concentration range and the sensitivity is 171.43 μA mM −1  cm −2 . The proposed sensor was also successfully applied to the determination of Trp in real samples, and the satisfactory recoveries were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islet β-cell dysfunction is a basic pathophysiological characteristic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Appropriate assessment of islet β-cell function is beneficial to better management of T2DM. Protecting islet β-cell function is vital to delay the progress of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, the Pancreatic Islet β-cell Expert Panel of the Chinese Diabetes Society and Endocrinology Society of Jiangsu Medical Association organized experts to draft the " Clinical expert consensus on the assessment and protection of pancreatic islet β-cell function in type 2 diabetes mellitus." This consensus suggests that β-cell function can be clinically assessed using blood glucose-based methods or methods that combine blood glucose and endogenous insulin or C-peptide levels. Some measures, including weight loss and early and sustained euglycemia control, could effectively protect islet β-cell function, and some newly developed drugs, such as Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor and Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, could improve islet β-cell function, independent of glycemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have studied the influence of sodium in CuZnSnS (CZTS) solar cells. The CZTS films were prepared on soda lime glass substrates with and without sodium barrier layers (the glass substrate served as a sodium source). Alternatively, a 40 nm NaF layer was deposited on the metallic precursor using glass substrates with a sodium barrier layer. The SEM showed a bi-layer structure of CZTS films. The bottom layer with small grains became thicker with sodium doping. Using the UV-Raman spectroscopy, ZnS phase was observed both in the surface and interface for the sample prepared with NaF. XPS indicated that sodium was rich on the film surface and at the CZTS/Mo interface. Simultaneously the surface and interface identified to be low concentrations of Cu as well as high concentrations of Zn. The I–V curve under light indicated that the performance could be improved by controlling the amount sodium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to assess whether insulin secretion patterns during oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) could predict future type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Chinese normal glucose tolerance (NGT) subjects.Methods: A total of 558 NGT, 419 newly diagnosed impaired glucose tolerance, and 694 newly diagnosed T2D patients were assessed. NGT subjects were grouped based on the time of peak insulin secretion during a 3h- OGTT; at 30min (InsP30), 60min (InsP60), 120min (InsP120), or 180min (InsP180), respectively. NGT subjects were followed up for an average duration of 5.58±1.08years. Beta-cell function was estimated by Stumvoll insulin secretion.Results: The InsP120 and InsP180 groups had lower Stumvoll first-phase insulin secretion levels compared with InsP30. At 5.58±1.08years, 25 (5.39%) NGT subjects had developed T2D. The cumulative incidence rate of diabetes was higher in the InsP120 and InsP180 groups (8.94%), compared with InsP30 (1.48%) (P<0.05). The adjusted relative risk for incident diabetes was 7.30 (95% CI: 1.53-34.72) times higher in the InsP120 and InsP180 groups.Conclusions: NGT subjects with late insulin responses had defective early insulin secretion and were at higher risk of developing diabetes. Insulin secretion patterns could be a useful T2D predictor in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we reported TEM observations of several CdS thin films prepared by close space submission, sputtering, chemical bath deposition and electronic deposition technologies. The CdS layers prepared by close space submission and sputtering methods had larger grains (50–80 nm), while the CdS layers deposited by chemical bath had very small grains with the size of 5–10 nm. Electro deposited CdS yielded more like an epitaxial film. The optical and chemical properties showed good quality of CdS films prepared by all methods. In this work we proposed a suitable CdS multilayer structure to use it as a window layer in thin film solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin films were prepared by sputtering CIGS quaternary target and subsequent annealing in the 450–550 °C range. For analyses purpose, the films were peeled off from Mo-coated glass and both parts were named as ‘CIGS side’ and ‘Mo side’ respectively. Raman spectroscopy and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) were performed to identify crystalline phases and chemical compositions. On the ‘Mo side’, a MoSe x layer was evidenced with increased thickness for higher annealing temperature. On the ‘CIGS side’, XPS highlighted a continuous Ga enrichment and a Cu content decrease with increasing temperature. Na was detected on both Mo and CIGS sides. Its concentration and distribution relied on the temperature. Finally, relationships between interface modifications and annealing temperature were discussed . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, bilayer ZnS/CdS film was prepared as an improved window layer of CdTe solar cell. TEM was used to observe the cross section of the bilayer structure. The total thickness of ZnS/CdS film was about 60nm, which could allow more photons to pass through it and contribute to the photocurrent. Optical properties of the bilayers were investigated using UV–vis spectroscopy. Compared with poor transmission of standard CdS film in the short wavelength range of 350–550nm, the transmission of ZnS/CdS was improved and reached above 50%. The ZnS/CdS was annealed with CdCl2. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to investigate its chemical properties. A possible diffusion between CdS and ZnS was observed after annealing. The efficiency of standard CdS/CdTe solar cell was 9.53%. The device based on ZnS/CdS window layer had a poor 6% efficiency. With annealing treatment on ZnS/CdS layer, the performance was improved and reached 10.3%. In addition, the homogeneity of solar cell performance was improved using ZnS/CdS window layer. A thin ZnS layer was quite effective to reduce the possible shunt paths and short parts of window layer and consequently contributed to fabrication of a homogeneous CdTe solar cell. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report a study of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin film growth in the annealing process at temperature range from 120°C to 600°C. Thin films were prepared by sputtering metal precursors and subsequent selenization process. Surface morphologies of thin films were observed by using high resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Phases in quaternary systems Cu–In–Ga–Se were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Evolution of crystalline structure in the film surface was studied by Raman spectra. A possible reaction path from metallic precursors to a single CIGS phase was obtained by merging all results of SEM, XRD and Raman. Above 210°C, selenium reacted with Cu and In to form binary selenide. CuSe crystalline platelets were observed clearly in the film surfaces. When temperature was reaching 380°C, Cu2−x Se and InSe reacted with excess Se to form CuInSe2 (CIS) and contributed to the grain growth. Above 410°C, Ga-rich phase was detected in the films. With increased temperature, Ga diffused into CIS crystalline lattices. Finally, at 600°C, a single phase of Cu‐In‐Ga‐Se quaternary system was formed. A large number of triangular and hexagonal structures were observed in the film due to a re-crystalline process at a high annealing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: CdS layers grown by ‘dry’ (close space sublimation) and ‘wet’ (chemical bath deposition) methods are deposited and analyzed. CdS prepared with close space sublimation (CSS) has better crystal quality, electrical and optical properties than that prepared with chemical bath deposition (CBD). The performance of CdTe solar cell based on the CSS CdS layer has higher efficiency than that based on CBD CdS layer. However, the CSS CdS suffers from the pinholes. And consequently it is necessary to prepare a 150nm thin film for CdTe/CdS solar cell. To improve the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells, a thin multilayer structure of CdS layer (∼80nm) is applied, which is composed of a bottom layer (CSS CdS) and a top layer (CBD CdS). That bi-layer film can allow more photons to pass through it and significantly improve the short circuit current of the CdS/CdTe solar cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CdS layers grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) are treated in different ways to improve the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells. It has been found that the open circuit voltage of the CdS/CdTe solar cell increases when the CBD CdS is annealed with CdCl2 before the deposition of CdTe by close spaced sublimation (CSS). A thin CBD CdS (∼80nm) with bi-layer structure can significantly improve the short circuit current of the CdS/CdTe solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: CdS layers grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) are annealed in the oxygen and argon–hydrogen atmosphere respectively. It has been found that the open circuit voltage of the CdS/CdTe solar cell increases when the CBD CdS is annealed with oxygen before the deposition of CdTe by close spaced sublimation (CSS), while the performance of the solar cell decreases when the CBD CdS is annealed with argon–hydrogen. Electronic properties of the CdS films are investigated using X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), which indicates that the Fermi level is shifting closer to the conduction band after annealing in the oxygen and consequently a higher open circuit voltage of the solar cell can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The performance of the back contact is one of the major issues of CdTe solar cell research. Standard nitric–phosphoric (NP) acid chemical etching before metallization is widely used to improve contact formation. However, previous studies of this traditional etching method indicated a blocking Schottky barrier at the back contact, and a roll-over phenomenon was found in the J–V curves of the CdTe solar cells. In this work, a new etching solution, i.e. a nitric–acetic (NA) acid was employed. The etching rate was slow and a Te-rich layer was formed on the surface, which was less than 1nm. The CdTe solar cell with this new etching method showed no roll-over phenomenon and displayed a good ohmic back contact performance. XPS analysis demonstrated that the back contact barrier height was close to those of CdTe with standard NP etching. A possible mechanism was presented for the improvement of back contact properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The computational prediction of peptides that bind to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules has practical importance for the development of epitope-based vaccines. The performance of the prediction methods depends on the verified peptides. However, the available peptide datasets of most alleles contain significant biases. An investigation to the effect of the peptides in the training dataset on the performance of the generated model indicated that there was a discrepancy between the classification of binders from biological data and classification of binders from super-motif-sharing peptides, which was induced by the non-motif-containing peptides. Most human MHC (called HLA) class I molecules could be assigned to supertypes based on their overlapping peptide-binding specificities, therefore, we proposed a supertype-based method for the modeling of the HLA class I-peptide binding: candidates of peptides binding to alleles in a given supertypes were screened using the super-motifs, and then the peptides binding to specific allele in the supertype were predicted by the model trained on the super-motif-sharing peptides. The efficacy of this supertype-based method was examined in two matrix-based methods and one machine learning method for 20 alleles in HLA supertypes A1, A2, A3, A24, B44 and B7. Evaluations on several benchmark datasets indicated that the supertype-based method achieved remarkable success in improving the prediction of HLA-binding peptides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Using electrochemical biosensors for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 gene fragments. • Electrode material selection is Bi2Se3 single crystal obtained by mechanical peeling. • The peak current has a linear relationship with the logarithm of DNA concentration. • There is excellent specificity in identifying DNA, RNA, and viruses. • Sensors can clearly distinguish between positive and negative results. In this study, we have designed an electrochemical biosensor based on topological material Bi 2 Se 3 for the sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 pandemic. Flake-shaped Bi 2 Se 3 was obtained directly from high-quality single crystals using mechanical exfoliation, and the single-stranded DNA was immobilized onto it. Under optimal conditions, the peak current of the differential pulse voltammetry method exhibited a linear relationship with the logarithm of the concentration of target-complementary-stranded DNA, ranging from 1.0 × 10-15 to 1.0 × 10-11 M, with a detection limit of 3.46 × 10-16 M. The topological material Bi 2 Se 3 , with Dirac surface states, enhanced the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio of the electrochemical measurements, thereby improving the sensitivity of the sensor. Furthermore, the electrochemical sensor demonstrated excellent specificity in recognizing RNA. It can detect complementary RNA by amplifying and transcribing the initial DNA template, with an initial DNA template concentration ranging from 1.0 × 10-18 to 1.0 × 10-15 M. Furthermore, the sensor also effectively distinguished negative and positive results by detecting splitting-synthetic SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus with a concentration of 1 copy/μL input. Our work underscores the immense potential of the electrochemical sensing platform based on the topological material Bi 2 Se 3 in the detection of pathogens during the rapid spread of acute infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• β-Conglycinin was resistant to gastrointestinal digestion in early weaned piglets. • The resultant digestion-resistant fragments were absorbed into the intestinal mucosa. • These fragments were observed to be absorbed through transcellular pathway. • The absorption occurred in the form of IgE-allergen complex with CD23 as the receptor. To date, it still remains unknown how β-conglycinin, a major soybean allergen, crosses intestinal epithelial barrier to reach immune cells. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the pathway and molecular mechanism of β-conglycinin absorption and transport across intestinal mucosal epithelium using a β-conglycinin allergic piglet model. Ten-day old piglets were orally sensitized with diets containing 2% and 4% β-conglycinin. The digestion, absorption and transport of β-conglycinin in gastrointestinal tract was investigated. The results showed that β-conglycinin had a certain resistance to gastrointestinal digestion, and the digestion-resistant subunits and fragments were absorbed into the intestinal mucosa and then induced an anaphylaxis in early weaned piglets. The absorption occurred in the form of IgE-allergen immune complex through transcellular pathway with CD23 as the receptor. These results provided important clues for using the pathway and molecule as inhibitor target to prevent and alleviate soybean β-conglycinin allergy in infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The vehicle theodolite has been the trend of the optical shooting range survey. While tracking and imaging of the long-distance dim targets have not been solved perfectly in this field, so this paper presents one active polarization imaging technology to find a way to deal with it. Firstly, we put forward a new active polarization imaging system with the lighting mode of circularly polarized laser and receives the reflected light by the mode of range-gating technique; secondly, deduces the pulse laser beam pointing algorithm; thirdly, describes the extended Kalman filtering algorithm to compensate the delay in the process and the calculation of the polarization angle, the attitude angle of flight target using single station cosine method and the depolarization of the circularly polarized laser. Finally, the result of this active polarization imaging technology which is simulated and analyzed in Simulink shows that the pointing precision can reach 0.0075 degrees. Then the analysis in this paper provide a theoretical basis for the application of the active polarization imaging technology in the field of the optical shooting range survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlight • Wide photoresponse in the visible to near infrared wavelength. • High optical absorption coefficient. • New materials used in the field of infrared detector. Abstract In this work, we prepared BiCuSeO polycrystalline films by evaporating precursors following with selenization treatment. Their optical and photoelectrical properties were investigated from visible to infrared light. Optical absorption spectrum indicated that the absorption coefficient was 104–105 cm−1 from 0.4 μm to 2 μm. Photo induced voltages were clearly detected when the film surfaces were irradiated by the lasers with various wavelengths and powers. The voltage had a linear dependence with the laser illumination intensity, which indicated the main response mechanism of photo-thermal electric effect in the films. All the results suggested that the BiCuSeO film was a potential material for near infrared detector application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposed a new analytical method for determining the length of collimators based on a Gradient-index lens with an angle polish. • Beam-steering technology make the system less sensitive to misalignment and fabrication tolerance. • Among the three deviations of the coupling mismatch, the angular deviation has the greatest influence. As high coupling efficiency and return loss are crucial in fiber-optic transmission systems, they have attracted widespread attention. This study proposes a ray-transfer matrix-based mathematical analysis method and experimentally demonstrates a collimator based on a gradient-index lens with an angle polish. The propagation characteristics and coupling mechanisms of the collimators are introduced. A beam-steering technology based on a wedge prism and flat glass is proposed to improve the coupling efficiency of the Gaussian beam using collimators. The proposed method is validated via simulation and experiment. The results are significant in free-space optical communication, optical signal processing, and optical fiber connectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport properties of a series of refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) with single-phase body-centered cubic structures are investigated based on both experiments and first-principles calculations. The measured residual electrical resistivities are high in general and cover a wide range, from 35 to 100 μΩ⋅cm. As opposed to the broadly studied 3 d -transition-metal HEAs with face-centered cubic structures, in which chemical disorder plays the key role on transport properties, pronounced lattice distortion and its remarkable influence on residual resistivities are demonstrated here in RHEAs. Moreover, the temperature dependence of resistivity in RHEAs are systematically smaller than those in the 3 d -transition-metal HEAs at similar resistivity values. Furthermore, the compositional dependence of thermal conductivity is not fully in line with that of electrical conductivity, indicating different fraction of contributions from the lattice and electronic systems to the thermal transport. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we designed a facile and label-free electrochemical biosensor based on intrinsic topological insulator (TI) Bi 2 Se 3 and peptide for the detection of immune checkpoint molecules. With topological protection, Bi 2 Se 3 could have robust surface states with low electronic noise, which was beneficial for the stable and sensitive electron transport between electrode and electrolyte interface. The peptides are easily synthesized and chemically modified, and have good biocompatibility and bioavailability, which is a suitable candidate as the recognition units for immune checkpoint molecules. Therefore, the peptide/Bi 2 Se 3 was developed as a suitable working electrode for the electrochemical biosensor. The basic performance of the designed peptide/Bi 2 Se 3 biosensor was investigated to determine the Anti-HA Tag Antibody and PD-L1 molecules. The linear detection range was from 3.6 × 10−10 mg mL−1 to 3.6 × 10−5 mg mL−1, and the detection limit was 1.07 × 10−11 mg mL−1. Moreover, the biosensor also displayed good selectivity and stability. [Display omitted] • Sensitive electrochemical biosensors combined with topological materials and peptides. • High-quality and large-scale topological crystal with few defects as electrodes. • Effective recognition units of peptides for the immune checkpoint. • A large detection range, good selectivity and stability with low detection limit of the sensing assay. • Excellent discernment in the complicated serum environment for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper indium gallium selenide (Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 , CIGS) absorbers have been prepared by sputtering a CIGS quaternary target and imposing a subsequent annealing process. The influences of annealing temperatures on the morphology, chemical composition, microstructure and electronic properties as well as phase transformations have been investigated. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Energy-dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Hall analysis have been employed to analyze the morphology, chemical composition, microstructure and electronic properties, respectively. The results show that a phase separation process occurs in the CIGS absorbers when the as-deposited CIGS samples are annealed at the temperatures between 210 and 380 °C. The surfaces are partly covered by regular shaped grains and platelets, which are corresponding to Cu–Se phases. When the absorbers are annealed at the temperature higher than 410 °C, the CIGS absorbers recrystallize. This process improves the grains size and makes the absorbers become homogeneous and compact. Hall analysis shows the variation of electronic properties with the increase of annealing temperatures. The relationships between the electronic properties and the microstructure have been discussed in the paper as well. The solar cells have been fabricated with an optimized annealing temperature of 550 °C. The highest efficiency of the CIGS solar cell devices reaches 13.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel C 2 N based electrode for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER). • C 2 N based electrode has an excellent stability for HER. • Pt coated C 2 N shows a Tafel slope of 53 mV/dec and an overpotential 33 mV. In this work, a novel catalyst based on holey nitrogenated graphene (C 2 N) was developed for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). C 2 N nanosheets were deposited on Fluorine doped Tin Oxide substrate by using a facile drop-coating method. Electrochemical tests indicated that C 2 N based work electrode exhibited excellent stability in acidic environment. To improve its catalytic performance, various noble-metal nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of C 2 N using physical vapor deposition, including Au, Cu, Co, Ni and Pt. The size most particles was observed to be 3–5 nm, which was beneficial for catalyst reaction. Among those samples with different metal particles, Pt coated C 2 N multi-catalysts exhibited an overpotential of 33 mV and Tafel slope of 53 mV/dec, which outperformed other metal particles, and also pure Pt particles or C 2 N nanosheets without metallic particles, demonstrating its great potential of multi-catalyst Pt/C 2 N for HER application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The red-emitting phosphor (Y,Gd)BO3:Eu3+ was prepared by high temperature ball milling in order to improve the color purity and decrease the calcining temperature. The phosphor was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and luminescence spectra. The results showed that the phosphor(Y,Gd)BO3:Eu3+ could be obtained at 600°C, i.e. at a much lower temperature in contrast to conventional solid state reaction. The phosphor can be effectively excited by VUV radiation at 147nm. In its emission spectrum, the strongest peak at 628nm correlating to red emission was ascribed to the forced electric dipole transition 5D0→7F2 of Eu3+ ions. Its chromaticity coordinates (CIE) were calculated to be x=0.65, y=0.35. Significantly, the intensity ratio of Y0.65Gd0.1Eu0.25BO3 phosphors of the red (5D0→7F2) to the orange (5D0→7F1) transition (R/O value) is 2.39, which is higher than 2.15 of the phosphor prepared by solid state reaction. The color purity was significantly improved. The particles with narrow distribution range and spherical morphology were approximately 200nm in size. The luminescent properties of the (Y,Gd)BO3:Eu3+ sample with 25mol% doping concentration of Eu3+ were optimal. Therefore, high temperature ball milling is of help to (Y,Gd)BO3:Eu3+ phosphor for improving the color purity and decreasing the calcining temperature in the future applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of red-emitting Y1−x−y Gd y Eu x Al3(BO3)4 (x=0–0.15, y=0–0.25) phosphors were prepared by precipitation method. Their structure and morphology were characterized by XRD and SEM, and their photoluminescent properties under VUV and UV excitation were investigated. The results indicate that the phosphors are suitable to the excitation at VUV light of 147nm and UV light of 254nm. A set of the optimized process parameters (the calcination temperature at 1000°C, 10mol% Eu3+ and 20mol% Gd3+ doping concentrations) can help the phosphors to improve their luminescent properties. Therefore, the optimized process parameters enable Y1−x−y Gd y Eu x Al3(BO3)4 (x=0–0.15, y=0–0.25) phosphors to have great potential to be used in PDP and mercury-free fluorescent lamp in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We prepared CZTSe films by selenization of co-electrodeposited Cu–Zn–Sn precursors. [•] Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and conventional furnace annealing were performed. [•] RTA is conducive to the formation of pure phase CZTSe films with large grains. [•] A solar cell with efficiency of 4.5% using RTA–CZTSe absorber was achieved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Upon ligation with its ligands, the activating receptor NKG2D stimulates or costimulates CD8+ T cells or NK cells. The inducible gene MHC class I chain-related molecules (MICs), which belong to the NKG2D ligand family and usually initiate the process of lymphocyte activation, have been found to be broadly expressed on epithelial tumor cells. Sustained localized expression or release of soluble forms of MICs (sMICs) by tumor cells play key roles in tumor evasion via the impairment of T cell and NK cell functions. NKG2D is also expressed on the surface of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells, which participate in tumor rejection via direct cytolysis. We speculated whether sMICs have the same impact on NKT-like cells. In this study, we demonstrated that in vitro killing by freshly isolated NKT-like cells was principally mediated by NKG2D, and the cytotoxic function of NKT-like cells isolated from cancer patients was obviously compromised. We found a significant correlation between elevated tumor-derived sMICs and down-modulation of NKG2D expression on NKT-like cell surfaces in human ovarian cancer and prostate cancer patients. We determined that elevated serum sMIC impairs the lytic activity via downregulation of the NKG2D receptor because incubation of NKT-like cells with sera obtained from cancer patients down-modulated surface NKG2D expression, whereas the addition of neutralizing anti-MIC mAbs restored surface NKG2D expression. We suggest that tumors shedding MICs may promote immune evasion by impairing NKT-like cell cytotoxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, a novel pseudo receptor-based QSAR method is proposed as pseudo receptor probes (PRP), including 6 pseudo-probe types defined as empty, electrostatic, steric, hydrophobic, hydrogen bond donor and receptor probes. On that basis, pseudo probe‑ligand interaction is simulated by Gaussian distance-dependent function, predictability of the constructed model is taken as fitness function, and characteristic parameters and arrangements of pseudo probes are optimized by mutational particle swarm optimization (MPSO) algorithm, thereby yielding a “profile” imitating receptor active site. Then by applying PRP, a statistical quantitative structure‑activity relationship (QSAR) model is constructed over 36 newly-discovered selective vascular endothelial growth factor-2 receptor (VEGFR-2) inhibitors of benzoxazole derivatives. Subsequently, the distribution plot of virtual probes is contoured, interpreted from points of statistics and molecular graphics. Thereby, PRP is confirmed of competence to construct robust and predictable pseudo receptor-based QSAR model which possibly provides valuable information on receptor active sites, amenable to definite physicochemical significance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: NKG2D receptor–ligand interaction triggers NK cell-mediated cytolysis and IFN-γ secretion. IFN-γ produced by NK cells has been found to promote the interaction between NK cells and monocytes; however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. We demonstrate here that IFN-γ exclusively induced or upregulated the expression of MHC class I chain-related (MIC) molecules, which are ligands of the NKG2D receptor, on the surface of human monocytes of the PBMC population. The IFN-γ-induced MIC molecules on monocytes played an essential role in triggering the activation of NK cells because mAb-mediated masking of the MIC molecules and the inhibition of cell-to-cell contact using transwell inserts significantly abolished NK cell activation. Meanwhile, membrane-bound IL-15 (mIL-15) was concomitantly induced with MIC molecules on IFN-γ-treated monocytes and played an essential role in protecting NK cells cocultured with monocytes from MIC-induced NKG2D down-modulation. Therefore, we conclude that the IFN-γ-induced MIC molecules participated in monocyte/NK cell interaction and that this interaction also involved mIL-15. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This purpose was to discuss optimal reference value for normal glucose tolerance (NGT) at different time points during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. One thousand seven hundred and forty-six subjects from March 2004 to March 2005 were given 75g OGTT and the blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 120 and 180min for glucose measurement. Other demographic data (e.g. age, sex, body mass index, BMI) were also recorded. The status of NGT, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and DM was determined according to American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. IGT and IFG were merged as impaired glucose regulation (IGR). Using IGR as the assumed test, the cutoff values at 0, 30, 60, 120 and 180min during OGTT for normal reference range were calculated by ROC analysis. The cutoff values were 5.6, 9.5, 10.1, 7.8 and 6.1mmol/l at 0, 30, 60, 120 and 180min, respectively, in whole subjects. In addition, we provided the ROC information in age-stratified groups since there are differences among different age groups. When the results of OGTT were considered, the present study provided a reference range value to evaluate the status of glucose tolerance. Because of the heterogeneity of diabetes, further studies are necessity. And the sample collection is continuing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The immune system plays an important role in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Identification of leukemia-associated antigens (LAAs) eliciting an immune response in patients is a prerequisite for specific immunotherapy of CML. To identify new LAAs in CML, We utilized a novel approach based serology and proteomics technologies. LAAs were identified by comparing the reactivity of proteins resolved by 2-DE with sera from CML patients and healthy donors. Several new LAAs were identified including alpha enolase, aldolase A, HSP70 protein8, beta-tubulin and tropomyosin isoforms. Although, the functions of these identified proteins in CML need further investigation, the detection of autoantibodies in CML may have value on CML screening, diagnosis, or follow-up. Additionally, identification of LAAs in CML may also be of vital importance in antigen-based immunotherapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this work, we reported on the synthesis of atomically thick WSe 2 nanoribbons with straight edges and a maximum lateral size of 85 μm on SiO 2 /Si substrates via a one-step chemical vapour deposition. Optical microscope, atomic force microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were used to characterize the morphologies and chemical composition of the as-grown WSe 2 nanoribbons. Photoluminescence spectra and Raman spectra indicated that the interlayer coupling may be varied with different stacking manner. A vapour–liquid–solid mechanism was proposed to rationalize the formation of WSe 2 nanoribbons. Moreover, we showed that WSe 2 nanoribbons could also be grown on MoSe 2 flakes with the same approach, demonstrating the extendibility of this strategy. Our work provides an efficient method to obtain WSe 2 nanoribbons for novel application in catalysts and electronic devices. [Display omitted] • Epitaxial growth of atomically thick WSe 2 nanoribbons via a one-step CVD. • A 3R phase was observed at the corner of multilayer WSe 2 nanoribbons. • Epitaxial growth of WSe 2 nanoribbons on monolayer MoSe 2 substrates. • DFT calculations unravel that the edges of the WSe 2 nanoribbons are active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) absorbers were prepared by sputtering a CIGS quaternary target followed by a subsequent annealing process. The electronic properties and microstructure of the CIGS films with various annealing time were investigated. The various annealing time changes the content of the Cu–Se compounds. A high Cu–Se content leads to a high carrier concentration and a low mobility. An improved efficiency of the solar cell device was found to be highly correlated with the decrease of the Cu–Se content. By decreasing the Cu–Se content, a device with a highest efficiency of 8.63% was achieved in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A potential photo-catalyst thin film material; • High optical absorption in visible light range; • A great amount of nanoflake structures at the BiCuSeO surface. Photoelectrochemical cells with semiconductor photoelectrodes for water splitting have attracted increased interest in the field of solar energy, which requires suitable photoelectrode materials with excellent electrical properties and a visible light response. In this article, BiCuSeO thin films were obtained by evaporating CuBi precursors followed by a selenization treatment. The annealing temperatures (350 - 475°C) and oxygen concentrations (0 - 33%) were optimized to obtain high-quality thin films. A great number of thin flakes were found on the surface of the optimized films, which could benefit the catalyst application. The optical absorption measurement indicated a high absorption coefficient for BiCuSeO thin films in the 300 nm to 700 nm range. Photoelectrochemical analyses of BiCuSeO thin films showed that a large photocurrent density of 10 mA/cm2 was achieved at a relatively low bias, −0.55 V, versus reversible hydrogen electrode, significant for a strong photoresponse for BiCuSeO thin films exhibiting flakes on the surface. These results indicate that BiCuSeO is a potential material for photocatalyst applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For realizing the engineering application of key technologies in the long-range active polarization imaging system, an experimental platform is built to study the static active polarization imaging technology and related image fusion algorithm in the smoke and dust environment. In the experiments, 532 nm CW laser is used as illumination source after collimation and beam expansion, metal bullet model is used as detection target, smoke environment is created through smoke generator in organic glass hood, polarization direction can be rotated by the polarizer, the images are collected by Lumerera-LM135 camera. The analysis and handling on the images are conducted by the use of the MATLAB software. In the aspects of image information entropy, average gradient, spatial frequency and standard deviation, the polarization imaging effects in various environments are quantitatively compared and analyzed, and the imaging advantages of laser illumination and polarization imaging technology in smoke and dust environment and dim conditions are verified. In order to further improve the imaging quality of active polarization imaging technology, a polarization image fusion algorithm based on fuzzy adaptive is proposed after analyzing a large number of data acquired in the experiment. The experimental results show that the active polarization imaging technology and the improved image fusion algorithm can improve the detection distance of optical system and image contrast, expand the digestible information of images for the long-range dim target imaging in low visibility environment, and provide important data reference and technology support for the application of this technology in shooting range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]