215 research outputs found
A hybrid single-mode laser based on slotted silicon waveguides
An InGaAsP-Si hybrid single-mode laser based on etched slots in silicon waveguides was demonstrated operating at 1543 nm. The InGaAsP gain structure was bonded onto a patterned silicon-on-insulator wafer by selective area metal bonding method. The mode-selection mechanism based on a slotted silicon waveguide was applied, in which the parameters were designed using the simulation tool cavity modeling framework. The III-V lasers employed buried ridge stripe structure. The whole fabrication process only needs standard photolithography and inductively coupled plasma etching technology, which reduces cost for ease in technology transfer. At room temperature, a single mode of 1543-nm wavelength at a threshold current of 21 mA with a maximum output power of 1.9 mW in continuous-wave regime was obtained. The side mode suppression ratio was larger than 35 dB. The simplicity and flexibility of the fabrication process and a low cost make the slotted hybrid laser a promising light source
Diverse anisotropy of phonon transport in two-dimensional IV-VI compounds: A comparative study
New classes two-dimensional (2D) materials beyond graphene, including layered
and non-layered, and their heterostructures, are currently attracting
increasing interest due to their promising applications in nanoelectronics,
optoelectronics and clean energy, where thermal transport property is one of
the fundamental physical parameters. In this paper, we systematically
investigated the phonon transport properties of 2D orthorhombic group IV-VI
compounds of , , and by solving the Boltzmann transport
equation (BTE) based on first-principles calculations. Despite the similar
puckered (hinge-like) structure along the armchair direction as phosphorene,
the four monolayer compounds possess diverse anisotropic properties in many
aspects, such as phonon group velocity, Young's modulus and lattice thermal
conductivity (), etc. Especially, the along the zigzag and
armchair directions of monolayer shows the strongest anisotropy while
monolayer and shows an almost isotropy in phonon transport. The
origin of the diverse anisotropy is fully studied and the underlying mechanism
is discussed in detail. With limited size, the could be effectively
lowered, and the anisotropy could be effectively modulated by nanostructuring,
which would extend the applications in nanoscale thermoelectrics and thermal
management. Our study offers fundamental understanding of the anisotropic
phonon transport properties of 2D materials, and would be of significance for
further study, modulation and aplications in emerging technologies.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 2 table
Controlled Human Hookworm Infection: Accelerating Human Hookworm Vaccine Development
Background
Controlled human hookworm infection (CHHI) is a central component of a proposed hookworm vaccination-challenge model (HVCM) to test the efficacy of candidate vaccines. Critical to CHHI is the manufacture of Necator americanus infective larvae (NaL3) according to current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and the determination of an inoculum of NaL3 that is safe and reliably induces patent infection. Methods
cGMP-grade NaL3 were produced for a phase 1 trial in 20 healthy, hookworm-naïve adults in the United States, who received either 25 or 50 NaL3. Participants were monitored for 12–18 weeks postinfection for safety, tolerability, and patency of N. americanusinfection. Results
Both NaL3 doses were well tolerated. Early manifestations of infection included pruritus, pain, and papulovesicular rash at the application site. Gastrointestinal symptoms and eosinophilia appeared after week 4 postinfection. The 50 NaL3 inoculum induced patent N. americanus infection in 90% of this dose group. Conclusions
The inoculum of 50 NaL3 was well tolerated and consistently induced patent N. americanus infection suitable for future HVCM trials. Clinical Trials Registration
NCT01940757
Biaxial strain modulated electronic structures of layered two-dimensional MoSiGeN4 Rashba systems
The two-dimensional (2D) MA2Z4 family has received extensive attention in
manipulating its electronic structure and achieving intriguing physical
properties. However, engineering the electronic properties remains a challenge.
Herein, based on first-principles calculations, we systematically investigate
the effect of biaxial strains on the electronic structures of 2D Rashba
MoSiGeN4 (MSGN), and further explore how the interlayer interactions affect the
Rashba spin splitting in such strained layered MSGNs. After applying biaxial
strains, the band gap decreases monotonically with increasing tensile strains
but increases when the compressive strains are applied. An
indirect-direct-indirect band gap transition is induced by applying a moderate
compressive strain (< 5%) in the MSGNs. Due to the symmetry breaking and
moderate spin-orbit coupling (SOC), the monolayer MSGN possess an isolated
Rashba spin splitting (R) near the Fermi level, which could be effectively
regulated to the Lifshitz transition (L) by biaxial strain. For instance, a
L-R-L transformation of Fermi surface is presented in monolayer and a more
complex and changeable L-R-L-R evolution is observed in bilayer and trilayer
MSGNs as the biaxial strain vary from -8% to 12%, which actually depend on the
appearance, variation, and vanish of the Mexican hat band in the absence of SOC
under different strains. The contribution of Mo-dz2 orbital hybridized with
N-pz orbital in the highest valence band plays a dominant role on the band
evolution under biaxial strains, where the R-L evolution corresponds to the
decreased Mo-dz2 orbital contribution. Our study highlights the biaxial strain
controllable Rashba spin splitting, in particular the introduction and even the
evolution of Lifshitz transition near Fermi surface, which makes the strained
MSGNs as promising candidates for future applications in spintronic devices.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, supplementary informatio
Oxide perovskite BaSnO3: A promising high-temperature thermoelectric material for transparent conducting oxides
The new technology of energy conversion must be developed to ensure energy
sustainability. Thermoelectric (TE) materials provide an effective means to
solve the energy crisis. As a potential TE candidate, the TE properties of
perovskite have received extensively attention. We here investigate the TE
transport properties of the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) BaSnO3 by
first-principles calculations. We find that the BaSnO3 perovskite exhibits
outstanding dynamic and thermal stabilities, which provide excellent electronic
and thermal transport properties simultaneously. These properties contribute to
the remarkable Seebeck coefficient and power factor, which gives rise to the ZT
of n-1.03 and p-3.64 at 900 K. Additionally, doping and nanostructure open
prospects for effectively improving the TE properties of BaSnO3. Our work
provides a basis for further optimizing the TE transport properties of cubic
BaSnO3 and may have worthwhile practical significance for applying cubic
perovskite to the high-temperature thermoelectric field.Comment: 29 pages,6 figures,1 tabl
Fit for Genomic and Proteomic Purposes: Sampling the Fitness of Nucleic Acid and Protein Derivatives From Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded Tissue.
The demand for nucleic acid and protein derivatives from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue has greatly increased due to advances in extraction and purification methods, making these derivatives available for numerous genomic and proteomic platforms. Previously, DNA, RNA, microRNA (miRNA), or protein derived from FFPE tissue blocks were considered “unfit” for such platforms, as the process of tissue immobilization by FFPE resulted in cross-linked, fragmented, and chemically modified macromolecules. We conducted a systematic examination of nucleic acids and proteins co-extracted from 118 FFPE blocks sampled from the AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) at The George Washington University after stratification by storage duration and the three most common tumor tissue types at the ACSR (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and papillary carcinoma). DNA, RNA, miRNA, and protein could be co-extracted from 98% of the FFPE blocks sampled, with DNA and miRNA “fit” for diverse genomic purposes including sequencing. While RNA was the most labile of the FFPE derivatives, especially when assessed by RNA integrity number (RIN), it was still “fit” for genomic methods that use smaller sequence lengths, e.g., quantitative PCR. While more than half of the protein derivatives were fit for proteomic purposes, our analyses indicated a significant interaction effect on the absorbance values for proteins derived from FFPE, implying that storage duration may affect protein derivatives differently by tumor tissue type. The mean absorbance value for proteins derived from more recently stored FFPE was greater than protein derived from older FFPE, with the exception of adenocarcinoma tissue. Finally, the fitness of one type of derivative was weakly associated with the fitness of derivatives co-extracted from the same FFPE block. The current study used several novel quality assurance approaches and metrics to show that archival FFPE tissue blocks are a valuable resource for contemporary genomic and proteomic platforms
Albedo changes caused by future urbanization contribute to global warming
The replacement of natural lands with urban structures has multiple environmental consequences, yet little is known about the magnitude and extent of albedo-induced warming contributions from urbanization at the global scale in the past and future. Here, we apply an empirical approach to quantify the climate effects of past urbanization and future urbanization projected under different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). We find an albedo-induced warming effect of urbanization for both the past and the projected futures under three illustrative scenarios. The albedo decease from urbanization in 2018 relative to 2001 has yielded a 100-year average annual global warming of 0.00014 [0.00008, 0.00021] °C. Without proper mitigation, future urbanization in 2050 relative to 2018 and that in 2100 relative to 2018 under the intermediate emission scenario (SSP2-4.5) would yield a 100-year average warming effect of 0.00107 [0.00057,0.00179] °C and 0.00152 [0.00078,0.00259] °C, respectively, through altering the Earth’s albedo
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