Electric-field-induced strong enhancement of electroluminescence in multilayer molybdenum disulfide.

The layered transition metal dichalcogenides have attracted considerable interest for their unique electronic and optical properties. While the monolayer MoS2 exhibits a direct bandgap, the multilayer MoS2 is an indirect bandgap semiconductor and generally optically inactive. Here we report electric-field-induced strong electroluminescence in multilayer MoS2. We show that GaN-Al2O3-MoS2 and GaN-Al2O3-MoS2-Al2O3-graphene vertical heterojunctions can be created with excellent rectification behaviour. Electroluminescence studies demonstrate prominent direct bandgap excitonic emission in multilayer MoS2 over the entire vertical junction area. Importantly, the electroluminescence efficiency observed in multilayer MoS2 is comparable to or higher than that in monolayers. This strong electroluminescence can be attributed to electric-field-induced carrier redistribution from the lowest energy points (indirect bandgap) to higher energy points (direct bandgap) in k-space. The electric-field-induced electroluminescence is general for other layered materials including WSe2 and can open up a new pathway towards transition metal dichalcogenide-based optoelectronic devices

Proses Pembelajaran Saksofon untuk Pemula di Sekolah Musik Indonesia Yogyakarta

Lembaga musik non formal khususnya di bidang pembelajaran saksofon kini semakin banyak, salah satu lembaga non formal yang menawarkan program pembelajaran saksofon yaitu Sekolah Musik Indonesia Yogyakarta yang berlokasi di jalan C. Simanjuntak. Pada pembelajaran saksofon tentunya terdapat suatu proses dan beberapa kendala baik dari faktor internal maupun eksternal, yang akhirnya mengarah terhadap bagaimana proses pembelajaran saksofon di Sekolah Musik Indonesia Yogyakarta dan apa saja kendala-kendala dalam proses pembelajaran saksofon di Sekolah Musik Indonesia yogyakarta. Pada proses pembelajaran terdapat metode yang merupakan suatu cara yang digunakan untuk mencapai suatu tujuan yang telah ditetapkan. Metode pembelajaran saksofon untuk pemula yang digunakan yaitu metode menurut George M. Bundy “The Selmer Elementary” dan metode menurut Hendry Linderman “Method for Saxophone”, adapun metode pembelajaran lainnya yang digunakan pada proses pembelajaran saksofon di Sekolah Musik Indonesia Yogyakarta sangatlah bervariasi sehingga proses pembelajaran tidak membosankan. Metode pengajaran secara umum yang digunakan yaitu metode eksperimen, tugas, diskusi, demonstrasi, tanya jawab, latihan, dan ceramah. Pada proses pembelajaran saksofon terdapat beberapa kendala baik dari faktor internal maupun eksternal yaitu meliputi lingkungan, guru, metode, kurikulum, program, materi, sarana dan prasarana. Namun di Sekolah Musik Indonesia Yogyakarta proses pembelajaran saksofon berjalan cukup baik walaupun terdapat beberapa kendala. Kata Kunci: Proses pembelajaran, Saksofon, Sekolah Musik Indonesia Yogyakart

Electric field induced strong enhancement of electroluminescence in multi-Layer MoS2

The layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted considerable interest due to their unique electronic and optical properties. Here we report electric field induced strong electroluminescence in multi-layer MoS2 and WSe2. We show that GaN-Al2O3-MoS2 and GaN-Al2O3-MoS2-Al2O3-graphene vertical heterojunctions can be created with excellent rectification behaviour. Electroluminescence studies demonstrate prominent direct bandgap excitonic emission in multi-layer MoS2 over the entire vertical junction area. Importantly, the electroluminescence efficiency observed in multi-layer MoS2 is comparable to or even higher than that in monolayers, corresponding to a relative electroluminescence enhancement factor of >1000 in multi-layer MoS2 when compared to its photoluminescence. This striking enhancement of electroluminescence can be attributed to the high electric field induced carrier redistribution from low energy points (indirect bandgap) to high energy points (direct bandgap) of k-space, arising from the unique band structure of MoS2 with a much higher density of states at high energy points. The electric field induced electroluminescence is general for other TMDs including WSe2, and can provide a fundamental platform to probe the carrier injection, population and recombination in multi-layer TMDs and open up a new pathway toward TMD based optoelectronic devices.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Electroluminescence and photocurrent generation from atomically sharp WSe2/MoS2 heterojunction p-n diodes

The p-n diodes represent the most fundamental device building block for diverse optoelectronic functions, but are difficult to achieve in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) due to the inability to selectively dope them into p- or n-type semiconductors. Here we report the first demonstration of an atomically thin and atomically sharp heterojunction p-n diode by vertically stacking p-type monolayer tungsten diselenide (WSe2) and n-type few-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). Electrical measurement demonstrates excellent diode characteristics with well-defined current rectification behaviour and an ideality factor of 1.2. Photocurrent mapping shows fast photoresponse over the entire overlapping region with a highest external quantum efficiency up to 12 %. Electroluminescence studies show prominent band edge excitonic emission and strikingly enhanced hot electron luminescence. A systematic investigation shows distinct layer-number dependent emission characteristics and reveals important insight about the origin of hot-electron luminescence and the nature of electron-orbital interaction in TMDs. We believe that these atomically thin heterojunction p-n diodes represent an interesting system for probing the fundamental electro-optical properties in TMDs, and can open up a new pathway to novel optoelectronic devices such as atomically thin photodetectors, photovoltaics, as well as spin-/valley-polarized light emitting diodes and on-chip lasers.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figure

Structural determinants of alternating (α1 → 4) and (α1 → 6) linkage specificity in reuteransucrase of Lactobacillus reuteri

The glucansucrase GTFA of Lactobacillus reuteri 121 produces an α-glucan (reuteran) with a large amount of alternating (α1 → 4) and (α1 → 6) linkages. The mechanism of alternating linkage formation by this reuteransucrase has remained unclear. GTFO of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 shows a high sequence similarity (80%) with GTFA of L. reuteri 121; it also synthesizes an α-glucan with (α1 → 4) and (α1 → 6) linkages, but with a clearly different ratio compared to GTFA. In the present study, we show that residues in loop977 ((970)DGKGYKGA(977)) and helix α4 ((1083)VSLKGA(1088)) are main determinants for the linkage specificity difference between GTFO and GTFA, and hence are important for the synthesis of alternating (α1 → 4) and (α1 → 6) linkages in GTFA. More remote acceptor substrate binding sites (i.e.+3) are also involved in the determination of alternating linkage synthesis, as shown by structural analysis of the oligosaccharides produced using panose and maltotriose as acceptor substrate. Our data show that the amino acid residues at acceptor substrate binding sites (+1, +2, +3…) together form a distinct physicochemical micro-environment that determines the alternating (α1 → 4) and (α1 → 6) linkages synthesis in GTFA

Relevance of PUFA-derived metabolites in seminal plasma to male infertility

AimThis study aims to investigate the biological effects of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-derived metabolites in seminal plasma on male fertility and to evaluate the potential of PUFA as a biomarker for normozoospermic male infertility.MethodsFrom September 2011 to April 2012, We collected semen samples from 564 men aged 18 to 50 years old (mean=32.28 years old)ch., residing in the Sandu County, Guizhou Province, China. The donors included 376 men with normozoospermia (fertile: n=267; infertile: n=109) and 188 men with oligoasthenozoospermia (fertile: n=121; infertile: n=67). The samples thus obtained were then analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to detect the levels of PUFA-derived metabolites in April 2013. Data were analyzed from December 1, 2020, to May 15, 2022.ResultsOur analysis of propensity score-matched cohorts revealed that the concentrations of 9/26 and 7/26 metabolites differed significantly between fertile and infertile men with normozoospermia and oligoasthenozoospermia, respectively (FDR < 0.05). In men with normozoospermia, higher levels of 7(R)-MaR1 (HR: 0.4 (95% CI [0.24, 0.64]) and 11,12-DHET (0.36 (95% CI [0.21, 0.58]) were significantly associated with a decreased risk of infertility, while higher levels of 17(S)-HDHA (HR: 2.32 (95% CI [1.44, 3.79]), LXA5 (HR: 8.38 (95% CI [4.81, 15.24]), 15d-PGJ2 (HR: 1.71 (95% CI [1.06, 2.76]), and PGJ2 (HR: 2.28 (95% CI [1.42, 3.7]) correlated with an increased risk of infertility. Our ROC model using the differentially expressed metabolites showed the value of the area under the curve to be 0.744.ConclusionThe PUFA-derived metabolites 7(R)-MaR1, 11,12-DHET, 17(S)-HDHA, LXA5, and PGJ2 might be considered as potential diagnostic biomarkers of infertility in normozoospermic men

Wafer-scale growth of large arrays of perovskite microplate crystals for functional electronics and optoelectronics

Methylammonium lead iodide perovskite has attracted intensive interest for its diverse optoelectronic applications. However, most studies to date have been limited to bulk thin films that are difficult to implement for integrated device arrays because of their incompatibility with typical lithography processes. We report the first patterned growth of regular arrays of perovskite microplate crystals for functional electronics and optoelectronics. We show that large arrays of lead iodide microplates can be grown from an aqueous solution through a seeded growth process and can be further intercalated with methylammonium iodide to produce perovskite crystals. Structural and optical characterizations demonstrate that the resulting materials display excellent crystalline quality and optical properties. We further show that perovskite crystals can be selectively grown on prepatterned electrode arrays to create independently addressable photodetector arrays and functional field effect transistors. The ability to grow perovskite microplates and to precisely place them at specific locations offers a new material platform for the fundamental investigation of the electronic and optical properties of perovskite materials and opens a pathway for integrated electronic and optoelectronic systems.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Dietary Supplementation With Chinese Herbal Residues or Their Fermented Products Modifies the Colonic Microbiota, Bacterial Metabolites, and Expression of Genes Related to Colon Barrier Function in Weaned Piglets

To explore the feasibility of dietary Chinese herbal residue (CHR) supplementation in swine production with the objective of valorization, we examined the effects of dietary supplementation with CHR or fermented CHR products on the colonic ecosystem (i.e., microbiota composition, luminal bacterial metabolites, and expression of genes related to the intestinal barrier function in weaned piglets). We randomly assigned 120 piglets to one of four dietary treatment groups: a blank control group, CHR group (dose of supplement 4 kg/t), fermented CHR group (dose of supplement 4 kg/t), and a positive control group (supplemented with 0.04 kg/t virginiamycin, 0.2 kg/t colistin, and 3000 mg/kg zinc 0.04 kg/t virginiamycin, 0.2 kg/t colistin, and 3000 mg/kg zinc oxide). Our results indicate that dietary supplementation with CHR increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA level corresponding to E-cadherin compared with that observed in the other three groups, increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA level corresponding to zonula occludens-1, and decreased (P < 0.05) the quantity of Bifidobacterium spp. When compared with the blank control group. Dietary supplementation with fermented CHR decreased (P < 0.05) the concentration of indole when compared to the positive control group; increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids compared with the values measured in the CHR group, as well as the mRNA levels corresponding to interleukin 1 alpha, interleukin 2, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. However, supplementation with fermented CHR decreased (P < 0.05) interleukin 12 levels when compared with the blank control group. Collectively, these findings suggest that dietary supplementation with CHR or fermented CHR modifies the gut environment of weaned piglets

l-Arginine stimulates proliferation and prevents endotoxin-induced death of intestinal cells

This study tested the hypothesis that l-arginine (Arg) may stimulate cell proliferation and prevent lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced death of intestinal cells. Intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-1) were cultured for 4 days in Arg-free Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s-F12 Ham medium (DMEM-F12) containing 10, 100 or 350 μM Arg and 0 or 20 ng/ml LPS. Cell numbers, protein concentrations, protein synthesis and degradation, as well as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathways were determined. Without LPS, IPEC-1 cells exhibited time- and Arg-dependent growth curves. LPS treatment increased cell death and reduced protein concentrations in IPEC-1 cells. Addition of 100 and 350 μM Arg to culture medium dose-dependently attenuated LPS-induced cell death and reduction of protein concentrations, in comparison with the basal medium containing 10 μM Arg. Furthermore, supplementation of 100 and 350 μM Arg increased protein synthesis and reduced protein degradation in both control and LPS-treated IPEC-1 cells. Consistent with the data on cell growth and protein turnover, addition of 100 or 350 μM Arg to culture medium increased relative protein levels for phosphorylated mTOR and phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 kinase-1, while reducing the relative levels of TLR4 and phosphorylated levels of nuclear factor-κB in LPS-treated IPEC-1 cells. These results demonstrate a protective effect of Arg against LPS-induced enterocyte damage through mechanisms involving mTOR and TLR4 signaling pathways, as well as intracellular protein turnover