Solution-processed amorphous niobium oxide as a novel electron collection layer for inverted polymer solar cells

Amorphous niobium oxide (NbOx) as an electron collection layer in inverted polymer solar cells was prepared by a solution process. The power conversion efficiency of inverted polymer solar cells based on a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester was improved to 2.22% by inserting an NbOx layer between the active layer and indium tin oxide electrode. An energy level diagram of component materials in the inverted polymer solar cell indicated that the NbOx layer works as both an electron collection layer and hole blocking layer in polymer solar cells

Emergence of metallic surface states and negative differential conductance in thin β\beta-FeSi2_2 films on Si(001)

The electronic properties of the surface of $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ have been debated for a long while. We studied the surface states of $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ films grown on Si(001) substrates using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS), with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. STM simulations using the surface model proposed by Romanyuk et al. [Phys. Rev. B 90, 155305 (2014)] reproduce the detailed features of experimental STM images. The result of STS showed metallic surface states in accordance with theoretical predictions. The Fermi level was pinned by a surface state that appeared in the bulk band gap of the $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ film, irrespective of the polarity of the substrate. We also observed negative differential conductance at $\sim$0.45 eV above the Fermi level in STS measurements performed at 4.5 K, reflecting the presence of an energy gap in the unoccupied surface states of $\beta$-FeSi$_2$.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure

Epitaxial graphene on SiC formed by the surface structure control technique

The thermal decomposition of silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising method for producing wafer-scale single-crystal graphene. The optimal growth condition for high-mobility epitaxial graphene fabricated by infrared rapid thermal annealing is discussed in this paper. The surface structures, such as step-terrace and graphene coverage structures, on a non-off-axis SiC(0001) substrate were well controlled by varying the annealing time in a range below 10 min. The mobility of graphene grown at 1620 ºC for 5 min in 100 Torr Ar ambient had a maximum value of 2089 cm2V-1s-1. We found that the causes of the mobility reduction were low graphene coverage, high sheet carrier density, and nonuniformity of the step structure

High Thermal Conductivity in Wafer Scale Cubic Silicon Carbide Crystals

High thermal conductivity electronic materials are critical components for high-performance electronic and photonic devices as either active functional materials or thermal management materials. We report an isotropic high thermal conductivity over 500 W m-1K-1 at room temperature in high-quality wafer-scale cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) crystals, which is the second highest among large crystals (only surpassed by diamond). Furthermore, the corresponding 3C-SiC thin films are found to have record-high in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivity, even higher than diamond thin films with equivalent thicknesses. Our results resolve a long-lasting puzzle that the literature values of thermal conductivity for 3C-SiC are perplexingly lower than the structurally more complex 6H-SiC. Further analysis reveals that the observed high thermal conductivity in this work arises from the high purity and high crystal quality of 3C-SiC crystals which excludes the exceptionally strong defect-phonon scatterings in 3C-SiC. Moreover, by integrating 3C-SiC with other semiconductors by epitaxial growth, we show that the measured 3C-SiC-Si TBC is among the highest for semiconductor interfaces. These findings not only provide insights for fundamental phonon transport mechanisms, also suggest that 3C-SiC may constitute an excellent wide-bandgap semiconductor for applications of power electronics as either active components or substrates

Clarifying Demographic Impacts on Embodied and Materially Retained Carbon toward Climate Change Mitigation

Modern lifestyles demand a number of products derived from petroleum-based sources that eventually cause carbon emissions. The quantification of lifestyle and household consumption impacts upon carbon emissions from both the embodied CO2 (EC) and materially retained carbon (MRC) viewpoints is critical to deriving amelioration policies and meeting emission reduction goals.This study, for the first time, details a methodology to estimate both EC and MRC for Japan, focusing on petrochemicals and woody products utilizing the time series input-output table, physical value tables and the national survey of family income and expenditure, leveraging time series input-output-based material flow analysis (IO-MFA), and structural decomposition analysis (SDA).Findings elucidated hot spots of deleterious consumption by age of householder and the critical factors which underpin them including intensity effects, pattern effects, and demographic shifts over time. Although demographic shifts associated with an aging,shrinking population in Japan decreased EC and MRC, the negative effect reduced in size over time during 1990?2005. Policy implications identify the potential to mitigate approximately 21% of required household emission reductions by 2030 through strategies including recycling initiatives and the recovery of carbon from products covered within current recycling laws and hot spot sectors which are not currently considered such as apparel

Gastric T-cell lymphoma associated with hemophagocytic syndrome

BACKGROUND: Lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (LAHS) occurs in mostly extra nodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. LAHS arising from gastrointestinal lymphoma has never been reported. Here we report a case of gastric T-cell lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old woman presented with pain, redness of breasts, fever and hematemesis. Hematological examination revealed anemia. Gastroscopy revealed small bleeding ulcers in the stomach and the computed tomography scan showed liver tumor. She underwent total gastrectomy for gastrointestinal bleeding and the histopathology revealed gastric T-cell lymphoma. She continued to bleed from the anastomosis and died on the 8th postoperative day. Autopsy revealed it to be a LAHS. CONCLUSIONS: If Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) occurs in lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract, bleeding from the primary lesion might be uncontrollable. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are needed for long-term survival

Significance of measurement of tumor marker in primary breast cancer

We investigated a prognosis in the presence or absence of preoperative marker abnormality for 371 cases with primary breast cancer that we experienced in our department this time. 60 (16%) of 371 cases showed the abnormality of the tumor marker and 25 (41.7%) of 60 patients had a recurrence. The positive rate of the marker was 8.1% in CA 15 3, 6.7% in CEA, 4.1% in NCC ST 439, and each rate of recurrence was 56.7%, 48.0%, 33.3%. Rate of recurrence in the negative cases was 12.7%, 13.9, 15.0% respectively and recognized a significant difference statistically (p <0.001) . Of 11 cases (3.8%) shown CA 15 3 abnormal high level, 3 cases (27.2%) had recurrence when we examined in 0 3 metastases to lymph nodes according to markers. 281 cases (96.2%) was normal range in CA15 3. Only 15 cases (5%) had recurrence. It showed a significant difference statistically (p <0.05) . For the cases shown abnormality of the preoperative CA 15 3, careful serial observations are necessary

ハイヨウセイ キン イシュク オ フセグ コウユビキチンカ ペプチド Cblin Cbl-b inhibitor ノ コウキノウカ

Skeletal muscle atrophy caused by unloading is characterized by both decreased responsiveness to myogenic growth factors and increased proteolysis. In our previous studies, it has been shown that ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b interacted and degraded the IGF-1 signaling intermediate IRS-1. We also reported that a peptide mimetic of tyrosin608-phosphorylated IRS-1 （DGpYMP）, named Cblin, Cbl-b inhibitor. However, Cblin may tend to be degraded by aminopeptidase in vivo. We aimed to confirm whether Cblin inhibiter muscle atrophy caused by glucocorticoids in mouse C2C12 myotubes, and effects of the modified Cblin N-terminus to prevent it from degradation. Pretreatment with Cblin significantly prevented the decrease in diameters of C2C12 myotubes treated with dexamethasone, and IRS-1 degradation, expression of atrogenes mRNA was repressed, and phosphorylation of Akt/mTOR was also protected. Moreover, the 50％ inhibitory concentration of N -myristoylated Cblin and Cblin for Cbl-b-mediated IRS-1 ubiquitination was 35μM and 120μM, respectively. In addition, N -myristoylated Cblin significantly inhibited the dexamethasone-induced reduction of myotube diameter. Taken together, these results suggest that Cblin Cblin prevented the dexamethasone induced myotube atrophy, and N -myristoyled Cblin is more effective than nonmodified Cblin in prevention of muscle atrophy

Effects of clozapine and N-desmethylclozapine on synaptic transmission at hippocampal inhibitory and excitatory synapses

Clozapine is the first atypical antipsychotic, and improves positive and negative symptoms of many patients with schizophrenia resistant to treatment with other antipsychotic agents. Clozapine induces minimal extrapyramidal side effects, but is more often associated with seizures. A large number of studies have been conducted to elucidate pharmacological profiles of clozapine and its major active metabolite, N-desmethylclozapine (NDMC). However, there are only a limited number of electrophysiological studies examining their effects on synaptic transmission. In this study, we examined effects of clozapine and NDMC on synaptic transmission by measuring inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic currents in rat cultured hippocampal neurons. We found that clozapine and NDMC have qualitatively similar actions. They depressed the inhibitory transmission at 1-30 μM, and the excitatory transmission at 30 μM, the former being much more sensitive. The depression of IPSCs by 30 μM of these drugs was associated with an increase in the paired-pulse ratio. The GABA-induced currents were suppressed by these drugs, but less sensitive than IPSCs. The AMPA-induced currents were slightly potentiated by these drugs at 30 μM. At 30 μM, clozapine and NDMC slightly suppressed Ca2+ and Na+ channels. These results strongly suggest that clozapine and NMDC depress the inhibitory synaptic transmission mainly by antagonizing postsynaptic GABAA receptors, but at higher concentrations additionally by acting on presynaptic site, possibly in part through inhibition of presynaptic Ca2+ and Na+ channels. Preferential depression of inhibitory synaptic transmission by clozapine and NDMC might contribute to therapeutic actions and/or side-effects of clozapine. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved