Identification of Immunotopes against Mycobacterium leprae as Immune Targets Using PhDTm- 12mer Phage Display Peptide Library

Purpose: To determine the surface epitopes of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) and evaluate their efficacy in the production of anti-M. leprae antibodies in an animal model.Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 34 patients suffering from lepromatous leprosy. Antibodies were obtained from the samples, semi-purified and used to coat the wells of ELISA microplate, and M13 random-peptides library was added to the wells. After four rounds of panning, three clones were isolated and their peptide mimotopes were sequenced. Western blot was used to evaluate the interaction of the isolated mimotopes.Results: Three selective clones were tested by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot. anti-leprae antibodies in various dilutions and were found to be serological active. Sequencing of the isolated peptides showed identities between the two clones that were able to successfully induce anti-Leprae humoral response in mice.Conclusion: The findings indicate that the isolated peptides can potentially be used for early diagnosis. However, further research is required to improve their potency as new vaccines against leprosy.Keywords: Bacteriophage, Vaccine, Leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae, Random Peptide Phage Display Librar

Laminated Perovskite Photovoltaics: Enabling Novel Layer Combinations and Device Architectures

High‐efficiency perovskite‐based solar cells can be fabricated via either solution‐processing or vacuum‐based thin‐film deposition. However, both approaches limit the choice of materials and the accessible device architectures, due to solvent incompatibilities or possible layer damage by vacuum techniques. To overcome these limitations, the lamination of two independently processed half‐stacks of the perovskite solar cell is presented in this work. By laminating the two half‐stacks at an elevated temperature (≈90 °C) and pressure (≈50 MPa), the polycrystalline perovskite thin‐film recrystallizes and the perovskite/charge transport layer (CTL) interface forms an intimate electrical contact. The laminated perovskite solar cells with tin oxide and nickel oxide as CTLs exhibit power conversion efficiencies of up to 14.6%. Moreover, they demonstrate long‐term and high‐temperature stability at temperatures of up to 80 °C. This freedom of design is expected to access both novel device architectures and pairs of CTLs that remain usually inaccessible

Chemical vapor deposited polymer layer for efficient passivation of planar perovskite solar cells

Reducing non-radiative recombination losses by advanced passivation strategies is pivotal to maximize the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Previously, polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethylene oxide), and polystyrene were successfully applied in solution-processed passivation layers. However, controlling the thickness and homogeneity of these ultra-thin passivation layers on top of polycrystalline perovskite thin films is a major challenge. In response to this challenge, this work reports on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization of poly(p-xylylene) (PPX) layers at controlled substrate temperatures (14–16 °C) for efficient surface passivation of perovskite thin films. Prototype double-cation PSCs using a ∼1 nm PPX passivation layer exhibit an increase in open-circuit voltage (V$_{OC}$) of ∼40 mV along with an enhanced fill factor (FF) compared to a non-passivated PSC. These improvements result in a substantially enhanced PCE of 20.4% compared to 19.4% for the non-passivated PSC. Moreover, the power output measurements over 30 days under ambient atmosphere (relative humidity ∼40–50%) confirm that the passivated PSCs are more resilient towards humidity-induced degradation. Considering the urge to develop reliable, scalable and homogeneous deposition techniques for future large-area perovskite solar modules, this work establishes CVD polymerization as a novel approach for the passivation of perovskite thin films

Oncolytic adenovirus: A tool for cancer therapy in combination with other therapeutic approaches

Cancer therapy using oncolytic viruses is an emerging area, in which viruses are engineered to selectively propagate in tumor tissues without affecting healthy cells. Because of the advantages that adenoviruses (Ads) have over other viruses, they are more considered. To achieve tumor selectivity, two main modifications on Ads genome have been applied: small deletions and insertion of tissue- or tumor-specific promoters. Despite oncolytic adenoviruses ability in tumor cell lysis and immune responses stimulation, to further increase their antitumor effects, genomic modifications have been carried out including insertion of checkpoint inhibitors and antigenic or immunostimulatory molecules into the adenovirus genome and combination with dendritic cells and chemotherapeutic agents. This study reviews oncolytic adenoviruses structures, their antitumor efficacy in combination with other therapeutic strategies, and finally challenges around this treatment approach. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Optimization of SnO2_{2} electron transport layer for efficient planar perovskite solar cells with very low hysteresis†

Nanostructured tin oxide (SnO$_{2}$) is a very promising electron transport layer (ETL) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) that allows low-temperature processing in the planar n–i–p architecture. However, minimizing current–voltage (J–V) hysteresis and optimizing charge extraction for PSCs in this architecture remains a challenge. In response to this, we study and optimize different types of single- and bilayer SnO$_{2}$ ETLs. Detailed characterization of the optoelectronic properties reveals that a bilayer ETL composed of lithium (Li)-doped compact SnO$_{2}$ (c(Li)-SnO$_{2}$) at the bottom and potassium-capped SnO$_{2}$ nanoparticle layers (NP-SnO$_{2}$) at the top enhances the electron extraction and charge transport properties of PSCs and reduces the degree of ion migration. This results in an improved PCE and a strongly reduced J–V hysteresis for PSCs with a bilayer c(Li)-NP-SnO$_{2}$ ETL as compared to reference PSCs with a single-layer or undoped bilayer ETL. The champion PSC with c(Li)-NP-SnO$_{2}$ ETL shows a high stabilized PCE of up to 18.5% compared to 15.7%, 12.5% and 16.3% for PSCs with c-SnO$_{2}$, c(Li)-SnO$_{2}$ and c-NP-SnO$_{2}$ as ETL, respectively

Development and initial validation of the Farsi Mood Scale

The present study developed and provided initial validation statistics for the Farsi Mood Scale (FARMS), a shortened version of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) designed for use in an Iranian context. Following translation of the BRUMS into Farsi using the translation-back translation method, the FARMS was administered to 405 Iranian university students (136 males, 269 females; age: range = 18-34 yr., M = 21.1 yr., SD = 2.2). Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for a 14-item, six-factor measurement model. Gender differences in mood responses were found, with males reporting higher vigour scores than females. Athletes reported higher vigour scores than non-athletes. The FARMS showed acceptable psychometric properties and may have several applications among Farsi-speaking populations. A preliminary table of normative data is provided

Micron-scale rod-like scattering particles for light trapping in nanostructured thin film solar cells

Spherical dielectric particles, nanofibers, and nanorods have been widely used as embedded scattering objects in nanostructured thin film solar cells. Here we propose micron-scale rod-like dielectric particles as a more effective alternative to the spherical ones for light trapping in thin film solar cells. The superior performance of these micro-rods is attributed to their larger scattering efficiency relative to the spherical particles as evidenced by full-wave optical calculations. Using a one-pot process, 1.7 mu m-long bullet-shaped silica rods with 330 nm diameter are synthesized and their concentration in a N719-sensitized solar cell is optimized. A solar cell with an optimal concentration of rod-like particles delivers 8.74% power conversion efficiency (PCE), given the 6.33% PCE of the cell without any scattering particle. Moreover, a silver layer is deposited by chemical reduction of AgNO3 (Tollens' process) on the rear-side of the counter electrode, and hence the PCE of the optimal cell reaches 9.94%, showing 14% extra improvement due to the presence of the silver back-reflector. The rod-like scattering particles introduced here can be applied to other sensitized solar cells such as quantum-dot and organometallic perovskite solar cells

Early and Late Brain Mechanisms Underlying Prediction Error Detection

In the framework of visual cognition and predictive coding models, we tested the hypotheses that visual prediction influences detection of stimuli violating expectation, and that early and late (conscious) behavioral and brain responses to deviant stimuli are related to processing of different aspects of prediction error. To this aim combined recordings of saccadic eye movements and fMRI data were performed on twelve participants performing a visual detection task. Participants were required to detect moving stimuli that were suddenly displaced with respect to their current trajectory (deviant stimuli). Displacement varied in amplitude and orientation. Psychophysical reverse correlation analysis evidenced different perceptual levels of prediction error processing. Analysis of conscious responses revealed reduced detection of visual inputs for stimuli with small deviation from expected behavior with respect to large deviant stimuli as indicated by increased eccentricity of the psychophysical kernel. fMRI data analysis showed that higher-level late conscious processing, mainly associated with cortical activity in fronto-parietal areas as well as subcortical regions such as caudate nucleus and thalamus, seems to be required to detect prediction error and to assess the degree of violation of expectations. Lower-level early processing, associated with dorsal activity in the right angular gyrus, also enables detection of violation of prediction but it does not permit discrimination among large and small deviating stimuli as indicated by almost null eccentricity of psychophysical kernel. These findings highlight at least two primary brain mechanisms, an early and a late stage, subserving detection of visual inputs deviating from perceptual expectations