Realization of Colored Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells with SiO 2

We presented a method to use SiO2/SiNx:H double layer antireflection coatings (DARC) on acid textures to fabricate colored multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cells. Firstly, we modeled the perceived colors and short-circuit current density (Jsc) as a function of SiNx:H thickness for single layer SiNx:H, and as a function of SiO2 thickness for the case of SiO2/SiNx:H (DARC) with fixed SiNx:H (refractive index n=2.1 at 633 nm, and thickness = 80 nm). The simulation results show that it is possible to achieve various colors by adjusting the thickness of SiO2 to avoid significant optical losses. Therefore, we carried out the experiments by using electron beam (e-beam) evaporation to deposit a layer of SiO2 over the standard SiNx:H for 156×156 mm2 mc-Si solar cells which were fabricated by a conventional process. Semisphere reflectivity over 300 nm to 1100 nm and I-V measurements were performed for grey yellow, purple, deep blue, and green cells. The efficiency of colored SiO2/SiNx:H DARC cells is comparable to that of standard SiNx:H light blue cells, which shows the potential of colored cells in industrial applications

Two new chalcones from <i>Shuteria sinensis</i>

<div><p>Two new chalcones, 2′,3,4,4′-tetrahydroxy-2-prenylchalcone (<b>1</b>) and 3-methoxy-2′,4,4′-trihydroxy-2-prenylchalcone (<b>2</b>), together with two known compounds, munsericin (<b>3</b>) and 3,4-dihydroxylonchocarpin (<b>4</b>), were isolated from the ethanol extract of the whole plant of <i>Shuteria sinensis</i>. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis methods, such as 1D and 2D NMR, along with HR-MS data. Glucose metabolism activity of four compounds was tested, compounds <b>3</b> and <b>4</b> showed effect on the glucose consumption of insulin-resistant HepG2 cells.</p></div

Dynamic distribution of Lactobacillus in the GI tract of neonatal rats.

<p>Neonatal rats were fed with <i>L. casei</i> expressing mRFP1. Animals were sacrificed on Days 1, 2, 3 and 4 after gavage. The gastrointestinal homogenates were diluted and plated on MRS plate in the presence of erythromycin. Control rats were fed with saline only. Homogenates from experimental groups were plated on the left half of each plate and those from controls on the right half (A–C). Colonies were found in animals fed with labeled bacteria on Day 1. A) Stomach; B) cecum; C) colon. Scale bars, 10 mm. D) Entire colony counts. Samples were collected on Days 1 (blue), 2 (red) and 3 (green). Note: standard deviation was used to measure variability.</p

Summary of bacterial strains and plasmids used in this work.

<p>Emr, erythromycin resistant; Ampr, ampicillin resistant.</p

Different expression levels of Lactobacillus-based expression vectors.

<p>A) Different levels of mRFP1 expression in <i>Lactobacillus casei</i> were detected by Western blot. A total of 0.9 µg of the whole lysate was loaded into each lane. Lane 1, pLEM415-ldhL-mRFP1; lane 2, pLEM415-emr-mRFP1; lane 3, pLEM415-P59-mRFP1; lane 4, pUCYIT-ldhL-mRFP1; lane 5, pUCYIT-emr-mRFP1; lane 6, pUCYIT-P59-mRFP1. B) Quantification of band intensities from Western blot in Panel A. The expression level of pLEM415-ldhL-mRFP1 was set to 100%. Sample numbers correspond to lanes shown in Panel A. C) Wild type <i>Lactobacillus casei</i> colonies under visible light. D) Colonies of <i>Lactobacillus casei</i> transformed with pLEM415-ldhL-mRFP1 appeared pink under visible light. Scale bars, 100 µm.</p

Primers used in this work.

<p>Restriction sites introduced in primers are underlined.</p

mRFP1 can be expressed broadly in Lactobacillus.

<p>The pLEM415-ldhL-mRFP1 vector was transformed into <i>L. casei</i> (B) and <i>L. delbrueckii</i> (D). mRFP1 was detected in both strains. Wild type strains were used as control (A,C). mRFP1 expression (red) is shown in the left panels and DIC images (purple) in the middle. Merged views are shown in the right panels. Scale bars, 20 µm.</p

Activation of Nurr1 with Amodiaquine Protected Neuron and Alleviated Neuroinflammation after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats

Background. Nurr1, a member of the nuclear receptor 4A family (NR4A), played a role in neuron protection, anti-inflammation, and antioxidative stress in multidiseases. We explored the role of Nurr1 on subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) progression and investigated the feasibility of its agonist (amodiaquine, AQ) as a treatment for SAH. Methods. SAH rat models were constructed by the endovascular perforation technique. AQ was administered intraperitoneally at 2 hours after SAH induction. SAH grade, mortality, weight loss, neurological performance tests, brain water content, western blot, immunofluorescence, Nissl staining, and qPCR were assessed post-SAH. In vitro, hemin was introduced into HT22 cells to develop a model of SAH. Results. Stimulation of Nurr1 with AQ improved the outcomes and attenuated brain edema. Nurr1 was mainly expressed in neuron, and administration of AQ alleviated neuron injury in vivo and enhanced the neuron viability and inhibited neuron apoptosis and necrosis in vitro. Besides, AQ reduced the amount of IL-1β+Iba-1+ cells and inhibited the mRNA level of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α) and the M1-like phenotype markers (CD68 and CD86). AQ inhibited the expression of MMP9 in HT22 cells. Furthermore, AQ reduced the expression of nuclear NF-κB and Nurr1 while increased cytoplasmic Nurr1 in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion. Pharmacological activation of Nurr1 with AQ alleviated the neuron injury and neuroinflammation. The mechanism of antineuroinflammation may be associated with the Nurr1/NF-κB/MMP9 pathway in the neuron. The data supported that AQ might be a promising treatment strategy for SAH