Inverted organic solar cells with ZnO nanowalls prepared using wet chemical etching in a KOH solution.

We report on the photovoltaic (PV) performances of inverted organic solar cells (IOSCs) that were fabricated from PCBM:P3HT polymer with a ZnO thin film and ZnO nanowalls as electron transport and hole block layers. ZnO thin film on ITO/glass substrate was deposited using a simply aqueous solution route. ZnO nanowall structures were obtained via wet chemical etching of ZnO thin films in a KOH solution.

Down-regulation of heat-shock protein 27-induced resistance to photodynamic therapy in oral cancer cells.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cells is a new treatment modality involving selective delivery of a photosensitive dye into target cells, followed by visible light irradiation. PDT induces cell death by excessive ROS generation. The effects of multiple photosensitizers were owing to the difference in cell types involving sensitizer-specific protein changes linked to resistance.

MicroRNAs miR-125a and miR-125b constitutively activate the NF-κB pathway by targeting the tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3, A20).

Constitutive activation of the NF-κB pathway is associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) pathogenesis, but whether microRNA dysfunction can contribute to these events remains unclear. Starting from an integrative screening strategy, we uncovered that the negative NF-κB regulator TNFAIP3 is a direct target of miR-125a and miR-125b, which are commonly gained and/or overexpressed in DLBCL. Ectopic expression of these microRNAs in multiple cell models enhanced K63-linked ubiquitination of proximal signaling complexes and elevated NF-κB activity, leading to aberrant expression of its transcriptional targets and the development of a proproliferative and antiapoptotic phenotype in malignant B cells.

p-Type polymer-hybridized high-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators.

Enhancing the output power of a nanogenerator is essential in applications as a sustainable power source for wireless sensors and microelectronics. We report here a novel approach that greatly enhances piezoelectric power generation by introducing a p-type polymer layer on a piezoelectric semiconducting thin film. Holes at the film surface greatly reduce the piezoelectric potential screening effect caused by free electrons in a piezoelectric semiconducting material.

Gender differences revealed in the right posterior temporal areas during Navon letter identification tasks.

Gender differences in temporo-spectral EEG patterns during verbal cognitive performance are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the event-related dynamics of EEG differ between genders during the performance of Navon letter identification tasks (NLITs). To this end, the EEG patterns of 40 subjects were recorded during the NLIT performance.

High-efficiency generation of monoclonal antibody for Vitreoscilla hemoglobin protein.

Bacterial hemoglobin from Vitreoscilla (VHb) is recognized as a good fusion protein for the soluble expression of foreign protein. In this study, we generated a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against VHb for its detection. For the rapid screening of MAb, a protein chip technology based on the Alexa-488 (A488) dye labeling method was introduced.

Structural basis for specific recognition of Rpt1p, an ATPase subunit of 26 S proteasome, by proteasome-dedicated chaperone Hsm3p.

The 26 S proteasome is a 2.5-MDa molecular machine that degrades ubiquitinated proteins in eukaryotic cells. It consists of a proteolytic core particle and two 19 S regulatory particles (RPs) composed of 6 ATPase (Rpt) and 13 non-ATPase (Rpn) subunits.

Expanding (3+1)-dimensional universe from a lorentzian matrix model for superstring theory in (9+1) dimensions.

We reconsider the matrix model formulation of type IIB superstring theory in (9+1)-dimensional space-time. Unlike the previous works in which the Wick rotation was used to make the model well defined, we regularize the Lorentzian model by introducing infrared cutoffs in both the spatial and temporal directions. Monte Carlo studies reveal that the two cutoffs can be removed in the large-N limit and that the theory thus obtained has no parameters other than one scale parameter.

Large-scale synthesis of high-quality hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets for large-area graphene electronics.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has received a great deal of attention as a substrate material for high-performance graphene electronics because it has an atomically smooth surface, lattice constant similar to that of graphene, large optical phonon modes, and a large electrical band gap. Herein, we report the large-scale synthesis of high-quality h-BN nanosheets in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process by controlling the surface morphologies of the copper (Cu) catalysts. It was found that morphology control of the Cu foil is much critical for the formation of the pure h-BN nanosheets as well as the improvement of their crystallinity.

Inflammatory cytokines are suppressed by light-emitting diode irradiation of P. gingivalis LPS-treated human gingival fibroblasts: inflammatory cytokine changes by LED irradiation.

Human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) play an important role in the inflammatory reaction to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from P. gingivalis, which infects periodontal connective tissue. In addition, although light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation has been reported to have biostimulatory effects, including anti-inflammatory activity, the pathological mechanisms of these effects are unclear.

Gene set enrichment analysis unveils the mechanism for the phosphodiesterase 4B control of glucocorticoid response in B-cell lymphoma.

Purpose: Resistance to glucocorticoid (GC) is a significant problem in the clinical management of lymphoid malignancies. Addressing this issue via a mechanistic understanding of relevant signaling pathways is more likely to yield positive outcomes.

Experimental Design: We used gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), multiple genetic models of gain and loss of function in B-cell lymphoma cell lines, in vitro and in vivo, and primary patient samples to characterize a novel relationship between the cyclic AMP/phosphodiesterase 4B (cAMP/PDE4B), AKT/mTOR activities, and GC responses.

Antimigration property of a newly designed covered metal stent for esophageal stricture: an in vivo animal study.

Background: Covered self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) are associated with a higher migration rate than uncovered SEMSs.

Objective: The antimigration property of a novel covered SEMS was investigated in a canine esophageal stricture model.

Design: The new stent (80 mm in length, 20 or 24 mm in diameter) has multiple protuberances on its body that were designed to be separated from the inner silicone membrane so that they could be embedded into the mucosa after deployment.

Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and X-ray crystallographic analysis of Rv3168 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv.

Tuberculosis is a widespread and deadly infectious disease, with one third of the human population already being infected. Aminoglycoside antibiotics have become less effective in recent years owing to antibiotic resistance, which arises primarily through enzymatic modification of the antibiotics. The gene product Rv3168, a putative aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (APH), from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method in the presence of 0.

Controlled growth of semiconducting nanowire, nanowall, and hybrid nanostructures on graphene for piezoelectric nanogenerators.

Precise control of morphologies of one- or two-dimensional nanostructures during growth has not been easy, usually degrading device performance and therefore limiting applications to various advanced nanoscale electronics and optoelectronics. Graphene could be a platform to serve as a substrate for both morphology control and direct use of electrodes due to its ideal monolayer flatness with π electrons. Here, we report that, by using graphene directly as a substrate, vertically well-aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires and nanowalls were obtained systematically by controlling gold (Au) catalyst thickness and growth time without inflicting significant thermal damage on the graphene layer during thermal chemical vapor deposition of ZnO at high temperature of about 900 °C.

Peritumoral brain edema in meningiomas : correlation of radiologic and pathologic features.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to perform a retrospective evaluation of the radiological and pathological features influencing the formation of peritumoral brain edema (PTBE) in meningiomas.

Methods: The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathology data for 86 patients with meningiomas, who underwent surgery at our institution between September 2003 and March 2009, were examined. We evaluated predictive factors related to peritumoral edema including gender, tumor volume, shape of tumor margin, presence of arachnoid plane, the signal intensity (SI) of the tumor in T2-weighted image (T2WI), the WHO histological classification (GI, GII/GIII) and the Ki-67 antigen labeling index (LI).

The effects of cadmium on VEGF-mediated angiogenesis in HUVECs.

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic element that causes morphologic alterations and dysfunction in blood vessels. The altered vascular function caused by cadmium has been implicated in a range of chronic diseases, including hypertension. The effects of cadmium are a multisystem phenomenon involving inflammation, hypertrophy, apoptosis, angiogenesis and important processes involved in vascular remodeling systems.

Inhibition Effects of Silver Nanoparticles against Powdery Mildews on Cucumber and Pumpkin.

Powdery mildew is one of the most devastating diseases in cucurbits. Crop yield can decline as the disease severity increases. In this study, we evaluated the effect of silver nanoparticles against powdery mildew under different cultivation conditions in vitro and in vivo .

Context-dependent transcriptional regulations between signal transduction pathways.

Background: Cells coordinate their metabolism, proliferation, and cellular communication according to environmental cues through signal transduction. Because signal transduction has a primary role in cellular processes, many experimental techniques and approaches have emerged to discover the molecular components and dynamics that are dependent on cellular contexts. However, omics approaches based on genome-wide expression analysis data comparing one differing condition (e.

Optimization of an Electron Transport Layer to Enhance the Power Conversion Efficiency of Flexible Inverted Organic Solar Cells.

The photovoltaic (PV) performance of flexible inverted organic solar cells (IOSCs) with an active layer consisting of a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6, 6]-phenyl C(61)-butlyric acid methyl ester was investigated by varying the thicknesses of ZnO seed layers and introducing ZnO nanorods (NRs). A ZnO seed layer or ZnO NRs grown on the seed layer were used as an electron transport layer and pathway to optimize PV performance. ZnO seed layers were deposited using spin coating at 3,000 rpm for 30 s onto indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated polyethersulphone (PES) substrates.

Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus (Lacidofil® cap) for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study.

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is a common complication of antibiotic use. There is growing interest in probiotics for the treatment of AAD and Clostridium difficile infection because of the wide availability of probiotics. The aim of this multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was to assess the efficacy of probiotic Lactobacillus (Lacidofil® cap) for the prevention of AAD in adults.