Thermoelectrochemically Activated MoO2 Powder Electrode for Lithium Secondary Batteries

The high temperature lithiation behavior of the MoO2 electrode is examined, which is lithiated by one-electron reduction (by addition reaction) at room temperature. At elevated temperatures, this electrode is lithiated with four-electron reduction by addition and continued conversion reaction. As a result of four-electron reduction, the initial crystalline MoO2 phase is decomposed into a nanosized mixture of metallic Mo and Li2O, which is in turn converted to nanosized MoO2 upon forthcoming delithiation. An interesting feature here is that as-generated nanosized MoO2 is now fully lithiated up to four-electron reduction even at room temperature. This phenomenon is named thermoelectrochemical activation because the extension from one- to four-electron reduction is achieved by a simple charge–discharge cycling made at elevated temperatures. The thermoelectrochemically activated MoO2 electrode delivers a reversible specific capacity that is close to the theoretical four-electron capacity (838 mAh g−1) with an excellent cycle performance at room temperature.This work was supported by the WCU program through KOSEF funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (no. 400-2008-0230). The authors also acknowledge the Research Center for Energy Conversion and Storage for financial support

Surface energy-mediated construction of anisotropic semiconductor wires with selective crystallographic polarity.

ZnO is a wide band-gap semiconductor with piezoelectric properties suitable for opto-electronics, sensors, and as an electrode material. Controlling the shape and crystallography of any semiconducting nanomaterial is a key step towards extending their use in applications. Whilst anisotropic ZnO wires have been routinely fabricated, precise control over the specific surface facets and tailoring of polar and non-polar growth directions still requires significant refinement. Manipulating the surface energy of crystal facets is a generic approach for the rational design and growth of one-dimensional (1D) building blocks. Although the surface energy is one basic factor for governing crystal nucleation and growth of anisotropic 1D structures, structural control based on surface energy minimization has not been yet demonstrated. Here, we report an electronic configuration scheme to rationally modulate surface electrostatic energies for crystallographic-selective growth of ZnO wires. The facets and orientations of ZnO wires are transformed between hexagonal and rectangular/diamond cross-sections with polar and non-polar growth directions, exhibiting different optical and piezoelectrical properties. Our novel synthetic route for ZnO wire fabrication provides new opportunities for future opto-electronics, piezoelectronics, and electronics, with new topological properties

Sox2 Cooperates with Inflammation-Mediated Stat3 Activation in the Malignant Transformation of Foregut Basal Progenitor Cells

SummarySox2 regulates the self-renewal of multiple types of stem cells. Recent studies suggest it also plays oncogenic roles in the formation of squamous carcinoma in several organs, including the esophagus where Sox2 is predominantly expressed in the basal progenitor cells of the stratified epithelium. Here, we use mouse genetic models to reveal a mechanism by which Sox2 cooperates with microenvironmental signals to malignantly transform epithelial progenitor cells. Conditional overexpression of Sox2 in basal cells expands the progenitor population in both the esophagus and forestomach. Significantly, carcinoma only develops in the forestomach, where pathological progression correlates with inflammation and nuclear localization of Stat3 in progenitor cells. Importantly, co-overexpression of Sox2 and activated Stat3 (Stat3C) also transforms esophageal basal cells but not the differentiated suprabasal cells. These findings indicate that basal stem/progenitor cells are the cells of origin of squamous carcinoma and that cooperation between Sox2 and microenvironment-activated Stat3 is required for Sox2-driven tumorigenesis

Annealing-Dependent Magnetic Depth Profile in Ga[1-x]Mn[x]As

We have studied the depth-dependent magnetic and structural properties of as-grown and optimally annealed Ga[1-x]Mn[x]As films using polarized neutron reflectometry. In addition to increasing total magnetization, the annealing process was observed to produce a significantly more homogeneous distribution of the magnetization. This difference in the films is attributed to the redistribution of Mn at interstitial sites during the annealing process. Also, we have seen evidence of significant magnetization depletion at the surface of both as-grown and annealed films.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Single nanowire-based UV photodetectors for fast switching

Relatively long (30 µm) high quality ZnO nanowires (NWs) were grown by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) technique. Schottky diodes of single NW were fabricated by putting single ZnO NW across Au and Pt electrodes. A device with ohmic contacts at both the sides was also fabricated for comparison. The current-voltage (I-V) measurements for the Schottky diode show clear rectifying behavior and no reverse breakdown was seen down to -5 V. High current was observed in the forward bias and the device was found to be stable up to 12 V applied bias. The Schottky barrier device shows more sensitivity, lower dark current, and much faster switching under pulsed UV illumination. Desorption and re-adsorption of much smaller number of oxygen ions at the Schottky junction effectively alters the barrier height resulting in a faster response even for very long NWs. The NW was treated with oxygen plasma to improve the switching. The photodetector shows high stability, reversibility, and sensitivity to UV light. The results imply that single ZnO NW Schottky diode is a promising candidate for fabricating UV photodetectors

BMP-driven NRF2 activation in esophageal basal cell differentiation and eosinophilic esophagitis

Tissue homeostasis requires balanced self-renewal and differentiation of stem/progenitor cells, especially in tissues that are constantly replenished like the esophagus. Disruption of this balance is associated with pathological conditions, including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), in which basal progenitor cells become hyperplastic upon proinflammatory stimulation. However, how basal cells respond to the inflammatory environment at the molecular level remains undetermined. We previously reported that the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway is critical for epithelial morphogenesis in the embryonic esophagus. Here, we address how this pathway regulates tissue homeostasis and EoE development in the adult esophagus. BMP signaling was specifically activated in differentiated squamous epithelium, but not in basal progenitor cells, which express the BMP antagonist follistatin. Previous reports indicate that increased BMP activity promotes Barrett’s intestinal differentiation; however, in mice, basal progenitor cell–specific expression of constitutively active BMP promoted squamous differentiation. Moreover, BMP activation increased intracellular ROS levels, initiating an NRF2-mediated oxidative response during basal progenitor cell differentiation. In both a mouse EoE model and human biopsies, reduced squamous differentiation was associated with high levels of follistatin and disrupted BMP/NRF2 pathways. We therefore propose a model in which normal squamous differentiation of basal progenitor cells is mediated by BMP-driven NRF2 activation and basal cell hyperplasia is promoted by disruption of BMP signaling in EoE

Do asian patients require only half of the clozapine dose prescribed for caucasians? A critical overview

© 2020 Indian Psychiatric Society - South Zonal Branch | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow. Since 1997, studies have found that Asians need lower clozapine doses than Caucasians. Caucasians with average clozapine metabolism may need from 300 to 600 mg/day to reach the therapeutic range (350 ng/ml). Thus, serum clozapine concentration-to-dose (C/D) ratios typically range between 0.60 (male smokers) and 1.20 (female non-smokers). A 2019 systematic review of clozapine levels demonstrated weighted mean C/D ratios of 1.57 in 876 East Asians and 1.07 in 1147 Caucasians (

Digenean parasites of Chinese marine fishes: a list of species, hosts and geographical distribution

In the literature, 630 species of Digenea (Trematoda) have been reported from Chinese marine fishes. These belong to 209 genera and 35 families. The names of these species, along with their hosts, geographical distribution and records, are listed in this paper