A high performance surface acoustic wave visible light sensor using novel materials: Bi2S3 nanobelts

Low dimensional Bi2S3 materials are excellent for use in photodetectors with excellent stability and fast response time. In this work, we developed a visible light sensor with good performance based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices using Bi2S3 nanobelts as the sensing materials. The SAW delay-line sensor was fabricated on ST-cut quartz with a designed wavelength of 15.8 microns using conventional photolithography techniques. The measured center frequency was 200.02 MHz. The Bi2S3 nanobelts prepared by a facile hydrothermal process were deposited onto SAW sensors by spin-coating. Under irradiation of 625 nm visible light with a power intensity of 170 μW cm−2, the sensor showed a fast and large response with a frequency upshift of 7 kHz within 1 s. The upshift of the frequency of the SAW device is mainly attributed to the mass loading effect caused by the desorption of oxygen from the Bi2S3 nanobelts under visible light radiation

A high performance surface acoustic wave visible light sensor using novel materials: Bi2S3 nanobelts

Low dimensional Bi2S3 materials are excellent for use in photodetectors with excellent stability and fast response time. In this work, we developed a visible light sensor with good performance based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices using Bi2S3 nanobelts as the sensing materials. The SAW delay-line sensor was fabricated on ST-cut quartz with a designed wavelength of 15.8 microns using conventional photolithography techniques. The measured center frequency was 200.02 MHz. The Bi2S3 nanobelts prepared by a facile hydrothermal process were deposited onto SAW sensors by spin-coating. Under irradiation of 625 nm visible light with a power intensity of 170 μW cm−2, the sensor showed a fast and large response with a frequency upshift of 7 kHz within 1 s. The upshift of the frequency of the SAW device is mainly attributed to the mass loading effect caused by the desorption of oxygen from the Bi2S3 nanobelts under visible light radiation

The major thylakoid protein kinases STN7 and STN8 revisited: effects of altered STN8 levels and regulatory specificities of the STN kinases

Thylakoid phosphorylation is predominantly mediated by the protein kinases STN7 and STN8. While STN7 primarily catalyzes LHCII phosphorylation, which enables LHCII to migrate from photosystem (PS) II to PSI, STN8 mainly phosphorylates PSII core proteins. The reversible phosphorylation of PSII core proteins is thought to regulate the PSII repair cycle and PSII supercomplex stability, and play a role in modulating the folding of thylakoid membranes. Earlier studies clearly demonstrated a considerable substrate overlap between the two STN kinases, raising the possibility of a balanced interdependence between them at either the protein or activity level. Here, we show that such an interdependence of the STN kinases on protein level does not seem to exist as neither knock-out nor overexpression of STN7 or STN8 affects accumulation of the other. STN7 and STN8 are both shown to be integral thylakoid proteins that form part of molecular supercomplexes, but exhibit different spatial distributions and are subject to different modes of regulation. Evidence is presented for the existence of a second redox-sensitive motif in STN7, which seems to be targeted by thioredoxin f. Effects of altered STN8 levels on PSII core phosphorylation, supercomplex formation, photosynthetic performance and thylakoid ultrastructure were analyzed in Arabidopsis thaliana using STN8-overexpressing plants (oeSTN8). In general, oeSTN8 plants were less sensitive to intense light and exhibited changes in thylakoid ultrastructure, with grana stacks containing more layers and reduced amounts of PSII supercomplexes. Hence, we conclude that STN8 acts in an amount-dependent manner similar to what was shown for STN7 in previous studies. However, the modes of regulation of the STN kinases appear to differ significantly

Expression of the mismatch repair gene hMLH1 is enhanced in non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations

Mismatch repair (MMR) plays a pivotal role in keeping the genome stable. MMR dysfunction can lead to carcinogenesis by gene mutation accumulation. HMSH2 and hMLH1 are two key components of MMR. High or low expression of them often mark the status of MMR function. Mutations (EGFR, KRAS, etc) are common in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, it is not clear what role MMR plays in NSCLC gene mutations. The expression of MMR proteins hMSH2 and hMLH1, and the proliferation markers PCNA and Ki67 were measured by immunohistochemistry in 181 NSCLCs. EGFR and KRAS mutations were identified by high resolution melting analysis. Stronger hMLH1 expression correlated to a higher frequency of EGFR mutations in exon 19 and 21 (p<0.0005). Overexpression of hMLH1 and the adenocarcinoma subtype were both independent factors that related to EGFR mutations in NSCLCs (p=0.013 and p<0.0005). The expression of hMLH1, hMSH2 and PCNA increased, while Ki67 expression significantly decreased (p=0.030) in NSCLCs with EGFR mutations. Overexpression of hMLH1 could be a new molecular marker to predict the response to EGFR-TKIs in NSCLCs. Furthermore, EGFR mutations might be an early event of NSCLC that occur before MMR dysfunction.This work was supported by the National Nature Science Funds in China (Fund No. 81071805; URL: http://isisn.nsfc.gov.cn/egrantweb/), and Dalian Merricon Gene Diagnosis Technology Co., Ltd. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

HpSlyD inducing CDX2 and VIL1 expression mediated through TCTP protein may contribute to intestinal metaplasia in the stomach

Helicobacter pylori infection is the most important risk factor for gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM). Our previous study demonstrated that infection with H. pylori HpslyD-positive strains associated with IM. To further investigate the signalling pathway involved in HpSlyD-induced IM, CDX2 and VIL1 expressions were determined before and after HpSlyD application. TCTP was knocked down by siRNA or overexpressed by plasmid transfection. An HpSlyD binding protein was used to block HpSlyD’s enzymatic activity. The expression of CDX2 and TCTP in gastric diseases was measured by immunohistochemistry. Our results showed HpSlyD induced CDX2 and VIL1 expressions. TCTP protein expression was markedly increased after application of HpSlyD and in an HpSlyD-expressing stable cell line. Downregulation of TCTP protein led to decreased HpSlyD-induced CDX2 and VIL1. Overexpression of TCTP protein improved the expression of CDX2 and VIL1. Co-application of HpSlyD and FK506 led to significant reductions in CDX2, VIL1, and TCTP expression. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that CDX2 and TCTP expression was higher in HpslyD-positive specimens compared with HpslyD-negative ones. Expression of CDX2 was positively correlated with TCTP in HpslyD-positive cells. Our study is the first to show that HpSlyD induction of CDX2 and VIL1 expression mediated through TCTP may contribute to IM in the stomach

Multiphysics Structured Eddy Current and Thermography Defects Diagnostics System in Moving Mode

Eddy current testing (ET) and eddy current thermography (ECT) are both important non-destructive testing (NDT) methods that have been widely used in the field of conductive materials evaluation. Conventional ECT systems have often employed to test static specimens eventhough they are inefficient when the specimen is large. In addition, the requirement of high-power excitation sources tends to result in bulky detection systems. To mitigate these problems, a moving detection mode of multiphysics structured ET and ECT is proposed in which a novel L-shape ferrite magnetic yoke circumambulated with array coils is designed. The theoretical derivation model of the proposed method is developed which is shown to improve the detection efficiency without compromising the excitation current by ECT. The specimens can be speedily evaluated by scanning at a speed of 50-250 mm/s while reducing the power of the excitation current due to the supplement of ET. The unique design of the excitation-receiving structure has also enhanced the detectability of omnidirectional cracks. Moreover, it does not block the normal direction visual capture of the specimens. Both numerical simulations and experimental studies on different defects have been carried out and the obtained results have shown the reliability and detection efficiency of the proposed system