Paths to light trapping in thin film GaAs solar cells

It is now well established that light trapping is an essential element of thin film solar cell design. Numerous light trapping geometries have already been applied to thin film cells, especially to silicon-based devices. Less attention has been paid to light trapping in GaAs thin film cells, mainly because light trapping is considered less attractive due to the material's direct bandgap and the fact that GaAs suffers from strong surface recombination, which particularly affects etched nanostructures. Here, we study light trapping structures that are implemented in a high-bandgap material on the back of the GaAs active layer, thereby not perturbing the integrity of the GaAs active layer. We study photonic crystal and quasi-random nanostructures both by simulation and by experiment and find that the photonic crystal structures are superior because they exhibit fewer but stronger resonances that are better matched to the narrow wavelength range where GaAs benefits from light trapping. In fact, we show that a 1500 nm thick cell with photonic crystals achieves the same short circuit current as an unpatterned 4000 nm thick cell. These findings are significant because they afford a sizeable reduction in active layer thickness, and therefore a reduction in expensive epitaxial growth time and cost, yet without compromising performance

A Novel Systems Pharmacology Method to Investigate Molecular Mechanisms of Scutellaria barbata D. Don for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most ordinary type of lung cancer which leads to 1/3 of all cancer deaths. At present, cytotoxic chemotherapy, surgical resection, radiation, and photodynamic therapy are the main strategies for NSCLC treatment. However, NSCLC is relatively resistant to the above therapeutic strategies, resulting in a rather low (20%) 5-year survival rate. Therefore, there is imperative to identify or develop efficient lead compounds for the treatment of NSCLC. Here, we report that the herb Scutellaria barbata D. Don (SBD) can effectively treat NSCLC by anti-inflammatory, promoting apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and angiogenesis. In this work, we analyze the molecular mechanism of SBD for NSCLC treatment by applying the systems pharmacology strategy. This method combines pharmacokinetics analysis with pharmacodynamics evaluation to screen out the active compounds, predict the targets and assess the networks and pathways. Results show that 33 compounds were identified with potential anti-cancer effects. Utilizing these active compounds as probes, we predicted that 145 NSCLC related targets mainly involved four aspects: apoptosis, inflammation, cell cycle, and angiogenesis. And in vitro experiments were managed to evaluate the reliability of some vital active compounds and targets. Overall, a complete overview of the integrated systems pharmacology method provides a precise probe to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of SBD for NSCLC. Moreover, baicalein from SBD effectively inhibited tumor growth in an LLC tumor-bearing mice models, demonstrating the anti-tumor effects of SBD. Our findings further provided experimental evidence for the application in the treatment of NSCLC

Resistance to autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease in an APOE3 Christchurch homozygote: a case report.

We identified a PSEN1 (presenilin 1) mutation carrier from the world's largest autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease kindred, who did not develop mild cognitive impairment until her seventies, three decades after the expected age of clinical onset. The individual had two copies of the APOE3 Christchurch (R136S) mutation, unusually high brain amyloid levels and limited tau and neurodegenerative measurements. Our findings have implications for the role of APOE in the pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Numerical Analysis on Rib-Tubes of Seawater Open Rack Vaporizer With the Spoiler Lever

In order to explore a more reasonable structure and operating parameter, guide the design and improve the gasification of seawater Open Rack Vaporizer (ORV), Research on the rules of seawater that flows and heat transfer in the ORV tube was studied in this paper. By simplifying the model, heat transfer tube model with spoiler lever was obtained and simulated, the distribution of temperature field, gas ratio, velocity field and press field in rib tube were analyzed, and different inlet velocity of LNG, roughness of the tube wall both effected on the overall gasification, the results shows that the actual gasification efficiency from heat transfer tube is higher than normal, small difference of gas ratio outlet, velocity and temperature are both lower, LNG could be easer gasified at operating temperature between -162°C~+3°C than that between -162°C~+0°C

Systems Pharmacology-Dissection of the Molecular Mechanisms of Dragon’s Blood in Improving Ischemic Stroke Prognosis

Ethnopharmacological Relevance. Dragon’s blood (DB) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine that has many pharmacological effects, including antiplatelet aggregation, promoting epidermal growth, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The main component of Longxuetongluo capsule and Dragon’s blood dropping pills is DB’s standard phenolic extract, which was used for ischemic stroke prognosis in China. Aim of Study. To dissect the molecular mechanisms of Dragon’s blood (DB) in improving ischemic stroke prognosis. Materials and Methods. (1) Based on system-pharmacology platform, the potential active compounds of DB are screened out according to ADME. (2) The ischemic stroke-related targets are predicted by utilizing these active compounds as probes, mapping the targets to the CTD database to establish a molecular-target-disease network. (3) To analyze the mechanism of DB treatment for the prognosis of ischemic stroke, we used the Metascape and DAVID databases to construct “ischemic stroke pathways”. (4) PC12 cells were used to explore the protective effect of loureirin B on oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) injury, and BV-2 cells were used to determine the anti-inflammation effect of 4′,7-dihydroxyflavone. Results. Finally, we obtained 38 active compounds and 58 stroke-related targets. Network and pathway analysis indicate that DB is effective in the treatment of ischemic stroke by enhancing cell survival and inhibiting inflammatory and antiplatelet activation. In in vitro experiments, the main component loureirin B promoted the expression of HO-1 and Bcl-2 via positive regulation of PI3K/AKT/CREB and Nrf2 signaling pathways in PC12 cells against OGD/R damage. And the anti-inflammatory activity of 4′,7-dihydroxyflavone was related to the inhibition of COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 in LPS-induced BV-2 cells. Conclusions. In our study, the results illustrated that DB in improving ischemic stroke prognosis may involve enhancing cell survival and antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and antiplatelet activities

Use of the active-phase Cu3Si alloy as superior catalyst to direct synthesis of trichlorosilane via silicon hydrochlorination

Here we report the first synthesis of nearly pure-phase Cu3Si alloy that can be a highly efficient catalyst in the hydrochlorination of silicon reaction. This material was prepared by a high-temperature (1050 degrees C) calcination method in which copper and silicon powders were used as the reactants. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study revealed that the Cu and Si atoms in the Cu3Si alloy carried part of positive and negative charge, respectively. When employed as the catalyst in the silicon hydrochlorination to SiHCl3 (TCS) for the production of Si polycrystals for Solar cell, the sample Cu3Si exhibited excellent low-temperature catalytic performance: the Si conversion and TCS selectivity respectively achieved 41.1% and 96.1% at 250 degrees C. Notably, its TCS yield at 250 degrees C was 1.2 times higher than that of the industrial catalyst-free system at 350 degrees C. Detailed analysis of the reaction process showed that the positively charged Cu atoms and negatively charged Si atoms in Cu3Si alloy could cleave the H-Cl bond in the reactant HCl and make the combination of H and Cl atom with Si atoms easier. Meanwhile, the reaction between the remaining Cu atom and Si was accelerated, leading to the generation of more active Cu6.69Si and ultimately superior catalytic performance. This work deepens the fundamental understanding of the hydrochlorination of silicon reaction, and provides an avenue for the synthesis of Si-based alloy catalysts

Anti-ribosomal P protein antibodies and insomnia correlate with depression and anxiety in patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective: Anxiety and depression in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) complicate clinical treatment and can seriously affect prognosis. The present study aims to investigate the effects of the anti-ribosomal P protein antibody (anti-RibP) in the peripheral blood and insomnia on the severity of anxiety and depression in case of SLE. The study compared both the results of the investigation on the objective perceptions of physicians concerning mood changes in patients with SLE and the results of self-rating scales that were completed by the enrolled patients. The conclusion of the comparation is used to determine the probability of the accurate detection of anxiety and depression by physicians. The study aims to assist in the early detection in clinical practice of abnormal emotions in patients with SLE and to summarize common clinical interventions for anxiety and depression. Method: The relationship between anxiety and depression was evaluated by the Zung self-rating anxiety/depression scale (SAS/SDS). Basic information (e.g., blood type, smoking history, drinking history, educational background, duration of illness), the insomnia severity index (ISI) results, and anti-RibP in the peripheral blood, were investigated in 107 patients with SLE in northeastern China to further analyze the correlation between the severity of depression and anti-RibP, together with the consistency between results of the questionnaire for physicians and the self-rating scale for patients. Results: Gender, smoking history, drinking history, educational background, and duration of illness were correlated with the SAS/SDS scores (P < 0.05). Family history had a significant effect on the SAS score (P = 0.031), while the SDS score was significantly correlated with blood type (P = 0.021). The ISI score was significantly and positively correlated with the SAS/SDS score (P < 0.001). The titer of anti-RibP showed a correlation with the SDS score (P < 0.05) but not with the SAS score (P = 0.198). The titer of anti-RibP was significantly higher in patients with major depression compared with those with no depression, patients with mild depression, and those with moderate depression (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Anxiety and depression in patients with SLE were correlated with sleeping, educational background, blood type, smoking history, and alcohol consumption. Although anti-RibP was not significantly correlated with anxiety, it indicated a significant correlation with major depression. Clinicians were more accurate in assessing anxiety compared with depression

Application of Flow Cytometry in Agricultural Research

Flow cytometry is a biological technique for counting and sorting out tiny particles suspended in fluid based on flow cytometer through the detection of scattering or coupled fluorescence signals to obtain a series of important biophysical and biochemical related characteristics of suspended particles (usually cells, bacteria and other tiny particles) in a quick, accurate, objective and high-throughput way, and to automatically analyze and sort out specific populations according to the pre-selected parameter range of cells, bacteria and other tiny particles. Flow cytometry is widely used in many scientific fields, especially biotechnology and medicine. Although the application of flow cytometry in agricultural research started relatively late, great progress has been made. With the continuous improvement of the performance of flow cytometer, the continuous development and improvement of labeling methods and detection technologies, the application prospect of flow cytometry will become wider, and it will also play an increasingly important role in the agricultural field. In this review, it introduces the working principle and functional classification of flow cytometer, discusses the application and research progress of flow cytometry in agricultural fields such as crop genome and protoplast analysis, stress resistance research, animal immunity and trace element analysis, sperm quality and sex control, toxin toxicity analysis, pathogenic bacteria and virus analysis, and then looks forward to the development prospect of this research field, providing a new direction for the potential application of flow cytometry in agricultural fields