| 1. |
- Yu, Xianbin, et al.
(author)
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Photonic-wireless Communication and Sensing in the Terahertz Band
- 2023
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In: 2023 OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION, OFC. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper reviews the potential of THz photonics in communication and sensing by presenting our experimental results in the 300-500 GHz. Benefiting from the large available bandwidth in both THz and photonics, THz communications with high speed and THz imaging with high resolution have been achieved.
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| 2. |
- Wang, Siqi, et al.
(author)
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Adjusting Competitive Reaction to Control Nucleation and Growth of MnO2 for a High-Stress Output Electrochemical Actuator
- 2023
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In: ACS APPLIED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 2637-6113. ; 5:9, s. 4836-4845
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Manganese dioxide (MnO2) with biocompatibility has promising applications in low-voltage electrochemical actuators of implantable medical devices, which can convert electrical energy to mechanical motion. However, the unsatisfactory actuation strain restricts the generation of a larger output stress of MnO2 for practical application. Herein, a competitive reaction-driven-MnO2 (CRD-MnO2) nanorod network was fabricated on a nickel (Ni) thin-film substrate by adjusting the component molar ratios. We find that the competitive reaction between 3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene (EDOT) polymerization and oxidation of Mn2+ controls the nucleation and growth behavior of MnO2. The variation in the electron environment, newly generated oxygen vacancies, and a higher content of structural water effectively improve the electroactivity of MnO2 and simultaneously cause more serious Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion of the crystal octahedrons. Thus, an excellent output performance simultaneously having a much higher actuating strain of 8.3% and an actuation stress of 390.1 MPa is generated during a redox reaction between Mn4+ and Mn3+ under 0-1 V. Moreover, the CRD-MnO2/Ni composite actuating films assembled on a 3D-printed resin model of a human hand with separated finger joints can perform smooth grasping and releasing actions, demonstrating a huge potential for in vitro rehabilitation exercises and implantability for people with finger dyskinesia. This work provides a strategy for actuator material fabrication by controlling a nucleation and growth process by adjusting a competitive reaction.
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| 3. |
- Zhang, Siqi, et al.
(author)
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Boosting the Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by a Multifunctional Composite Photoanode to 14.13 %
- 2023
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In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1433-7851 .- 1521-3773. ; 62:23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report a new strategy to fabricate a multifunctional composite photoanode containing TiO2 hollow spheres (TiO2-HSs), Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and novel NaYF4 : Yb,Er@NaLuF4 : Eu@SiO2 upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). The AuNPs are grown on the photoanode film including TiO2-HSs and UCNPs by a simple in situ plasmonic treatment. As a result, an impressive power conversion efficiency of 14.13 % is obtained, which is a record for N719 dye-based dye-sensitized solar cells, demonstrating great potential for the solar cells toward commercialization. This obvious enhancement is ascribed to a collaborative mechanism of the TiO2-HSs exhibiting excellent light-scattering ability, of the UCNPs converting near-infrared photons into visible photons and of the AuNPs presenting outstanding surface plasmon resonance effect. Notably, a steady-state experiment further reveals that the champion cell exhibits 95.33 % retainment in efficiency even after 180 h of measurements, showing good device stability.
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| 4. |
- Chen, Jie, et al.
(author)
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Bidirectional Mendelian Randomisation Analysis Provides Evidence for the Causal Involvement of Dysregulation of CXCL9, CCL11 and CASP8 in the Pathogenesis of Ulcerative Colitis
- 2023
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In: Journal of Crohn's & Colitis. - : Oxford University Press. - 1873-9946 .- 1876-4479. ; 17:5, s. 777-785
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and Aims Systemic inflammation is well recognised to be associated with ulcerative colitis [UC], but whether these effects are causal or consequential remains unclear. We aimed to define potential causal relationship of cytokine dysregulation with different tiers of evidence. Methods We first synthesised serum proteomic profiling data from two multicentred observational studies, in which a panel of systemic inflammatory proteins was analysed to examine their associations with UC risk. To further dissect observed associations, we then performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation [TSMR] analysis from both forward and reverse directions using five genome-wide association study [GWAS] summary level data for serum proteomic profiles and the largest GWAS of 28 738 European-ancestry individuals for UC risk. Results Pooled analysis of serum proteomic data identified 14 proteins to be associated with the risk of UC. Forward MR analysis using only cis-acting protein quantitative trait loci [cis-pQTLs] or trans-pQTLs further validated causal associations of two chemokines and the increased risk of UC: C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 [CXCL9] [OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.08, 1.95, p = 0.012] and C-C motif chemokine ligand 11 [CCL11] [OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.09, 1.18, p = 3.89 x 10(-10)]. Using both cis- and trans-acting pQTLs, an association of caspase-8 [CASP8] [OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03, 1.05, p = 7.63 x 10(-19)] was additionally identified. Reverse MR did not find any influence of genetic predisposition to UC on any of these three inflammation proteins. Conclusion Pre-existing elevated levels of CXCL9, CCL11 and CASP8 may play a role in the pathogenesis of UC.
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| 5. |
- Geng, Huifang, et al.
(author)
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Controlled synthesis of highly stable lead-free bismuth halide perovskite nanocrystals : tructures and photophysics
- 2023
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In: SCIENCE CHINA Materials. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2095-8226 .- 2199-4501. ; 66:5, s. 2079-2089
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recently, cesium bismuth halide perovskites have emerged as potential substitutes to their counterparts, cesium lead halide perovskites, owing to their low toxicity. However, the photophysics of cesium-bismuth halides nanocrystals (NCs) have not yet been fully rationalized because their structures remain highly debated. The ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption along with other photophysical properties such as the nature and lifetime of the excited states vary considerably across the previous reports. Here, we successfully synthesize pure Cs3BiBr6 and Cs3Bi2Br9 NCs via a modified hot-injection method, where the structure can be easily controlled by tuning the reaction temperature. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of the pure Cs3Bi2Br9 NCs features two characteristic peaks originating from the absorption of the first exciton and second exciton, respectively, which ultimately clarifies the debate in the previous reports. Using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, we systematically investigate the excited state dynamics of the Cs3Bi2Br9 NCs and reveal that the photoexcited carriers undergo a self-trapping process within 3 ps after excitation. More intriguingly, the Cs3Bi2Br9 NCs prepared by this method show much better photostability than those prepared by the ligand-assisted reprecipitation process. Photodetectors based on these Cs3Bi2Br9 NCs show a sensitive light response, demonstrating the definite potential for breakthrough optoelectronic applications. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].
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| 6. |
- Li, Xin, et al.
(author)
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Halide Double Perovskite Nanocrystals Doped with Rare-Earth Ions for Multifunctional Applications
- 2023
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In: Advanced Science. - 2198-3844. ; 10:20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Most lead-free halide double perovskite materials display low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) due to the indirect bandgap or forbidden transition. Doping is an effective strategy to tailor the optical properties of materials. Herein, efficient blue-emitting Sb3+-doped Cs2NaInCl6 nanocrystals (NCs) are selected as host, rare-earth (RE) ions (Sm3+, Eu3+, Tb3+, and Dy3+) are incorporated into the host, and excellent PLQY of 80.1% is obtained. Femtosecond transient absorption measurement found that RE ions not only served as the activator ions but also filled the deep vacancy defects. Anti-counterfeiting, optical thermometry, and white-light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) are exhibited using these RE ions-doped halide double perovskite NCs. For the optical thermometry based on Sm3+-doped Cs2NaInCl6:Sb3+ NCs, the maximum relative sensitivity is 0.753% K−1, which is higher than those of most temperature-sensing materials. Moreover, the WLED fabricated by Sm3+-doped Cs2NaInCl6:Sb3+ NCs@PMMA displays CIE color coordinates of (0.30, 0.28), a luminous efficiency of 37.5 lm W−1, a CCT of 8035 K, and a CRI over 80, which indicate that Sm3+-doped Cs2NaInCl6:Sb3+ NCs are promising single-component white-light-emitting phosphors for next-generation lighting and display technologies.
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| 7. |
- Liu, Juan, 1994, et al.
(author)
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Restricting Promiscuity of Plant Flavonoid 3'-Hydroxylase and 4'-O-Methyltransferase Improves the Biosynthesis of (2S)-Hesperetin in E. coli
- 2023
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In: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. - 0021-8561 .- 1520-5118. ; 71:25, s. 9826-9835
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Enzyme promiscuity is evolutionarily advantageous to plants for gaining new enzyme functions when adapting to environmental challenges. However, this promiscuity can negatively affect the expression of genes encoding for plant enzymes in microorganisms. Here, we show that refining the promiscuity of flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'H) and 4'-O-methyltransferase (F4'OMT) improves (2S)-hesperetin production in Escherichia coli. First, we employed inverse molecular docking to screen a highly substrate-specific ThF3'H from Tricyrtis hirta, which could selectively convert 100 mg L-1 (2S)-naringenin to (2S)-eriodictyol but not (2S)-isosakuranetin, with a cytochrome P450 reductase from Arabidopsis thaliana. Second, we employed a directed evolution approach to restrict the promiscuity of MpOMT from Mentha x piperita. The strain harboring the MpOMT(S142V) mutant presented a remarkably increased preference for (2S)-eriodictyol. Finally, 27.5 mg L-1 (2S)-hesperetin was produced, while only minor amounts of (2S)-eriodictyol and (2S)-isosakuranetin accumulated as byproducts. This value represents a 14-fold increase in (2S)-hesperetin compared to the parental strain, along with a dramatic reduction in side products. Our work highlights the benefit of alleviating the promiscuity of plant enzymes when engineering production of natural products by microbial cell factories.
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| 8. |
- Rai, Masna, et al.
(author)
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Heat-related cardiorespiratory mortality : effect modification by air pollution across 482 cities from 24 countries
- 2023
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In: Environment International. - : Elsevier. - 0160-4120 .- 1873-6750. ; 174
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Evidence on the potential interactive effects of heat and ambient air pollution on cause-specific mortality is inconclusive and limited to selected locations. Objectives: We investigated the effects of heat on cardiovascular and respiratory mortality and its modification by air pollution during summer months (six consecutive hottest months) in 482 locations across 24 countries.Methods: Location-specific daily death counts and exposure data (e.g., particulate matter with diameters ≤ 2.5 µm [PM2.5]) were obtained from 2000 to 2018. We used location-specific confounder-adjusted Quasi-Poisson regression with a tensor product between air temperature and the air pollutant. We extracted heat effects at low, medium, and high levels of pollutants, defined as the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile of the location-specific pollutant concentrations. Country-specific and overall estimates were derived using a random-effects multilevel meta-analytical model.Results: Heat was associated with increased cardiorespiratory mortality. Moreover, the heat effects were modified by elevated levels of all air pollutants in most locations, with stronger effects for respiratory than cardiovascular mortality. For example, the percent increase in respiratory mortality per increase in the 2-day average summer temperature from the 75th to the 99th percentile was 7.7% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 7.6–7.7), 11.3% (95%CI 11.2–11.3), and 14.3% (95% CI 14.1–14.5) at low, medium, and high levels of PM2.5, respectively. Similarly, cardiovascular mortality increased by 1.6 (95%CI 1.5–1.6), 5.1 (95%CI 5.1–5.2), and 8.7 (95%CI 8.7–8.8) at low, medium, and high levels of O3, respectively.Discussion: We observed considerable modification of the heat effects on cardiovascular and respiratory mortality by elevated levels of air pollutants. Therefore, mitigation measures following the new WHO Air Quality Guidelines are crucial to enhance better health and promote sustainable development.
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| 9. |
- Xiao, Zhiqiang, et al.
(author)
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Systematic Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Chassis for Efficient Flavonoid-7-O-Disaccharide Biosynthesis
- 2023
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In: ACS Synthetic Biology. - 2161-5063. ; 12:9, s. 2740-2749
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Flavonoids are an essential class of secondary metabolites found in plants and possess various nutritional, medicinal, and agricultural properties. However, the poor water solubility of flavonoid aglycones limits their potential applications. To overcome this issue, glycosylation is a promising approach for improving water solubility and bioavailability. In this study, we constructed a flavonoid-7-O-disaccharide biosynthetic pathway with flavonoid aglycones as substrates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Subsequently, through metabolic engineering and promoter strategies, we constructed a UDP-rhamnose regeneration system and optimized the UDP-glucose (UDPG) synthetic pathway. The optimized strain produced up to 131.3 mg/L eriocitrin. After this, the chassis cells were applied to other flavonoids, with substrates such as (2S)-naringenin, (2S)-hesperetin, diosmetin, and (2S)-eriodictyol, which resulted in the synthesis of 179.9 mg/L naringin, 276.6 mg/L hesperidin, 249.0 mg/L neohesperidin, 30.4 mg/L diosmin, and 100.7 mg/L neoeriocitrin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the biosynthesis of flavonoid-7-O-disaccharide.
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