Selective Deposition of Multiple Sensing Materials on Si Nanobelt Devices through Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition and Device-Localized Joule Heating.

This paper describes a novel method, using device-localized Joule heating (JH) in a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) system, for the selective deposition of platinum (Pt) and zinc oxide (ZnO) in the n- regions of n+/n-/n+ polysilicon nanobelts (SNBs). COMSOL simulations were adopted to estimate device temperature distribution. However, during ALD process, the resistance of SNB device decreased gradually and reached to minima after 20 min JH. As a result, thermal decomposition of precursors occurred during PEALD process. Selective deposition in the n- region was dominated by CVD instead of ALD. Selective deposition of Pt and ZnO films has been achieved and characterized using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.

Hydrogen gas sensors from polysilicon nanobelt devices selectively modified with sensing materials.

Double-junction n+/n-/n+ polysilicon nanobelts featuring selectively deposited sensing materials have been investigated for application as H2 gas sensors. The selective modification of the devices was performed through a combination of localized ablation of a resist and lift-off of a previous catalyst material deposited through e-beam evaporation. Four nanobelt devices, differentiated by their doping concentrations at the n- region (from 2.5 × 1013 to 2.5 × 1014 cm-2), were analyzed in terms of the responses to H2 and their self-heating effects. A low doping concentration improved the response at room temperature, owing to a longer Debye length. The variation in the H2-induced surface potential associated with temperature, accounting for degradation in the response of the nanobelts with Joule heating bias, was analyzed in terms of the I-V characteristics of the double-junction device. Among various catalysts (Pt, Pd, Pt/Pd) evaluated for their H2 sensing characteristics, an ultrathin film of Pt/Pd was most favorable.

A mechanistic study of hydrogen gas sensing by PdO nanoflake thin films at temperatures below 250 °C.

We prepared PdO nanoflake thin films on the SiO2 substrate by reactive sputter deposition, and studied their sensing response to H2 at temperatures between 25 and 250 °C. In addition to the oxygen ionosorption model, which is used to describe the early H2 sensing response over the temperature range studied, the H2 sensing kinetics of the PdO thin films can be separated into three temperature regimes: temperatures below 100 °C, around 150 °C and above 200 °C. At temperatures below 100 °C, PdO reduction is the dominant reaction affecting the H2 sensing behavior. At temperatures around 150 °C, Pd reoxidation kinetically competes with PdO reduction leading to a complicated sensing characteristic. Active PdO reduction by H2 promotes the continuing growth of Pd nanoislands, facilitating dissociative oxygen adsorption and thus the subsequent Pd reoxidation in the H2-dry air gas mixture. The kinetic competition between the PdO reduction and reoxidation at 150 °C leads to the observation of an inverse of the increase in the sensor conductivity. At temperatures above 200 °C, the PdO sensor exhibits a sensor signal monotonically increasing with the H2 concentration, and the H2 sensing behavior is consistent with the Mars-van-Krevelen redox mechanism.

A distant downstream enhancer directs essential expression of Tbx18 in urogenital tissues.

The vertebrate T-box transcription factor gene Tbx18 performs a vital role in development of multiple organ systems. Tbx18 insufficiency manifests as recessive phenotypes in the upper urinary system, cardiac venous pole, inner ear, and axial skeleton; homozygous null mutant animals die perinatally. Here, we report a new regulatory mutation of Tbx18, a reciprocal translocation breaking 78kbp downstream of the gene. 12Gso homozygotes present urinary and vertebral defects very similar to those associated with Tbx18-null mutations, but 12Gso is clearly not a global null allele since homozygotes survive into adulthood. We show that 12Gso down-regulates Tbx18 expression in a manner that is both spatially- and temporally-specific; combined with other data, the mutation points particularly to the presence of an essential urogenital enhancer located near the translocation breakpoint site. In support of this hypothesis, we identify a distal enhancer element, ECR1, which is active in developing urogenital and other tissues; we propose that disruption of this element leads to premature loss of Tbx18 function in 12Gso mutant mice. These data reveal a long-range regulatory architecture extending far downstream of Tbx18, identify a novel and likely essential urogenital enhancer, and introduce a new tool for dissecting postnatal phenotypes associated with dysregulation of Tbx18.

Interfacial energy levels and related properties of atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 films on nanoporous TiO2 electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells.

Low-temperature (approximately 150 degrees C), atomic-layer-deposited Al(2)O(3) films on nanoporous TiO2 electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were investigated using electron spectroscopy. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the DSSCs was increased from 5.7% to 6.5%, an improvement of 14%, with one monolayer of Al(2)O(3) with a thickness of approximately 0.2 nm. The formation of Ti-O-Al(OH)(2) and interfacial dipole layers exhibited a strong influence on the work function of the Al(2)O(3) over-layers, while the thicker Al(2)O(3) over-layers caused the values of valence band maximum and band gap to approach the values associated with pure Al(2)O(3). A work function difference (Delta Phi(A-T)) of 0.4 eV and a recombination barrier height (epsilon(RB)) of 0.1 eV were associated with the highest PCE achieved by the first monolayer of the Al(2)O(3) layer. Thicker Al(2)O(3) over-layers, however, caused significant reduction of PCE with negative Delta Phi(T-A) and increased interfacial energy barrier height ((*)epsilon(IB)) between the N719 dyes and TiO2 electrodes. It was concluded that the PCE of the DSSCs may correlate with Delta Phi(A-T), epsilon(RB), and (*)epsilon(IB) resulting from various thicknesses of the Al(2)O(3) over-layers and that interfacial reactions, such as the formation of Ti-O-Al(OH)(2) and dipole layers, play an important role in determining the interfacial energy levels required to achieve optimal performance of dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells.

Pulse electrodeposition of iridium oxide on silicon nanotips for field emission study.

To improve electron field emission properties of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templated Si nanotips, IrO2 nanoparticles were deposited on the nanotips using bipolar pulse electrodeposition method. The IrO2 nanoparticles had a uniform size distribution with an average value of approximately 4 nm, and well dispersed on the ordered Si nanotips. Due to the small radius and a lower work function, the IrO2/Si nanotip exhibited field emission properties better than the bare Si nanotip with a field enhancement factor of approximately 128. The SEM and TEM were utilized to investigate the structure and morphology. The physical and chemical properties were evaluated XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Glycoproteomic analysis of WGA-bound glycoprotein biomarkers in sera from patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Differential protein expression profiles in the serum samples from patients with lung adenocarcinoma may be associated with glycosylation during cancer development. In this study, we used various glycoproteomic approaches to investigate the different glycoproteomic profiles of human normal and lung adenocarcinoma serum samples and to investigate putative altered glycoprotein biomarkers. In our preliminary screening, FITC-labeled lectin staining was used for the detection of specific glycoprotein profiles. wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) lectin had the highest level of specific binding to glycoproteins in both samples. We enriched for glycoproteins in the serum samples using WGA lectin affinity and then performed co-immunoprecipitation with anti-haptoglobin and 2-DE, 2-D difference in-gel electrophoresis and MS analyses. From these analyses, we identified 39 differentially expressed proteins, including 27 up-regulated proteins and 12 down-regulated proteins. Bioinformatics tools were used to search for protein ontology, category classifications and prediction of glycosylation sites. In addition, three up-regulated glycoproteins (adiponectin, cerulolasmin and glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol-80) and two down-regulated glycoproteins (cyclin H and Fyn) that were found to be correlated with lung cancer development were validated by Western blot analysis. We suggest that these altered glycoproteins may be useful as biomarkers for lung cancer development and progression.

Growth of pagoda-topped tetragonal copper nanopillar arrays.

Growth of arrays of pagoda-topped tetragonal Cu nanopillar (length 1- 6 mum; width 150 +/- 25 nm) with {100} side faces on Au/glass is achieved by a simple electrochemical reduction of CuCl(2)(aq) by Al(s) in aqueous dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride. Field-emission measurement shows that the Cu nanopillars can emit electrons (10 muA cm(-2)) at a turn-on field of 12.4 V mum(-1) with a calculated field enhancement factor of 713.

Facile synthesis of continuous Pt island networks and their electrochemical properties for methanol electrooxidation.

A two-dimensional continuous Pt island network was successfully synthesized by pulse-potentiostatic electrodeposition on a flat silicon substrate, which showed markedly enhanced catalytic activity toward methanol electrooxidation and high CO tolerance, probably due to the synergistic effect of the Pt island catalyst and surrounding SiO(2) surface layer.

Ush1c216A knock-in mouse survives Katrina.

Usher syndrome is the most common cause of inherited deafness found in combination with blindness. All Usher patients suffer progressive retinitis pigmentosa, with the degree of hearing impairment and the presence or absence of vestibular function differing among subtypes. A cryptic splice site mutation (216G-->A) in exon 3 of the USH1C gene on chromosome 11p, which encodes a PDZ-domain protein, harmonin, was found in Acadian Usher type IC patients in south Louisiana. In vitro analysis using constructs containing the mutant 216A and subsequent analysis of patient cell lines revealed a deletion of 35 bases in the transcript. In order to analyze the impact of this frame-shift mutation, we created a knock-in mouse model containing the human 216G-->A mutation. A targeting construct was made containing 5' and 3' homology arms, each 4kb in length, and a 650 base pair fragment containing exons 3 and 4 of human USH1C cloned from an Acadian patient homozygous for the 216A mutation. W4/129S6 embryonic stem (ES) cells were electroporated with the targeting construct, and after 10 days of neomycin selection, clones were picked and screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analysis for homologous recombination. Two positive clones for targeted insertion were microinjected into C57BL/6 blastocysts which were then transplanted into pseudo-pregnant females. Chimeras were bred with Cre recombinase-expressing mice for simultaneous deletion of the neomycin gene and germline transmission of the 216A allele. Homozygous Ush1c216A (216AA) mice are hyperactive, display circling and head tossing behavior, and do not have a Preyer reflex at 21-25 days old. RT-PCR analysis of the cochlea and retina from 216AA mice shows the same 35 base deletion characteristic of Usher IC patients.

Biochemical and immunological studies of nucleocapsid proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome and 229E human coronaviruses.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a serious health threat and its early diagnosis is important for infection control and potential treatment of the disease. Diagnostic tools require rapid and accurate methods, of which a capture ELISA method may be useful. Toward this goal, we have prepared and characterized soluble full-length nucleocapsid proteins (N protein) from SARS and 229E human coronaviruses. N proteins form oligomers, mostly as dimers at low concentration. These two N proteins degrade rapidly upon storage and the major degraded N protein is the C-terminal fragment of amino acid (aa) 169-422. Taken together with other data, we suggest that N protein is a two-domain protein, with the N-terminal aa 50-150 as the RNA-binding domain and the C-terminal aa 169-422 as the dimerization domain. Polyclonal antibodies against the SARS N protein have been produced and the strong binding sites of the anti-nucleocapsid protein (NP) antibodies produced were mapped to aa 1-20, aa 150-170 and aa 390-410. These sites are generally consistent with those mapped by sera obtained from SARS patients. The SARS anti-NP antibody was able to clearly detect SARS virus grown in Vero E6 cells and did not cross-react with the NP from the human coronavirus 229E. We have predicted several antigenic sites (15-20 amino acids) of S, M and N proteins and produced antibodies against those peptides, some of which could be recognized by sera obtained from SARS patients. Antibodies against the NP peptides could detect the cognate N protein clearly. Further refinement of these antibodies, particularly large-scale production of monoclonal antibodies, could lead to the development of useful diagnostic kits for diseases associated with SARS and other human coronaviruses.

Protein microarray using alpha-amino acids as metal tags on chips.

Procedures for synthesizing alpha-amino acids on a chip for coordination with transitional metal ions and a His-Tagged protein have been successfully developed as a stable protein microarray. Using the recombinant His-Tagged 3CL-protease (3CLpro) as a model for attachment to chips containing D-/L-Glu, Asp, Orn, Ser via different transitional metal ions, it was found that the Orn chip was the best of affinity binding and stability by which Zn2+ was the best metal ion for affinity while Co2+ was the best metal ion for stability. Thus, this protein microarray can be alternatively used as a high throughput screening method for rapid detection against SARS CoV 3CLpro and/or efficient purification of other Tagged proteins.

Facile synthesis of metal-chelating peptides on chip for protein array.

A unique peptide sequence of HGGHHG screening from a combinatorial synthetic peptide library showed a good chelating ability to bind a transition metal on a chip better than hexa-His peptide. It was directly conjugated with a His-Tagged proteins onto a chip in a mild aqueous solution and can be used this chip as a high throughput technique for protein array in order to detect and purify the His-Tagged proteins.

Proteomic study of cold shock protein in Bacillus stearothermophilus P1: Comparison of temperature downshifts.

The thermophilic bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus P1 is unique in its ability to thrive in extreme environments such as high temperatures or high pH conditions. The study of cold shock response is very interesting and interpreted as a shock response to express the genes involved in synthesis of specific proteins. This study investigated the study of cold shock protein of B. stearothermophilus P1 when the cell culture temperature shifted from 65 degrees C to 37 degrees C and 25 degrees C. Cell growth at 37 degrees C weakly increased in the previous 3 h and then slowly decreased. In contrast, cell growth at 25 degrees C was slowly decreased. The protein contents after temperature downshifts were analyzed by proteomic techniques using protein chip and two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis that are highly effective and useful for protein separation and identification. The different proteins after a temperature decrease from 65 degrees C to 37 degrees C and 25 degrees C were expressed on 2-D gel patterns and the cold shock protein was detected in the acidic area with the isoelectric point and molecular mass approximately 4.5 and 7.3 kDa, respectively. The NH(2)-terminal sequence of a major cold shock protein from B. stearothermophilus P1 was MQRGKVKWFNNEKGFGFIEVEGGSD, similar to other cold shock proteins from Bacillus sp. up to 96% identity, but different from the other bacteria with homology less than 80% identity.

Cyclin D3 is essential for intestinal epithelial cell proliferation.

Intestinal epithelium is a complex organ that undergoes continuous proliferation. D-type cyclins bind cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdk4 and Cdk6) and are expressed during the transition from G0 into the S phase. Previously, we reported that cyclins D1 and D3 are induced by growth factors in two rat intestinal epithelial cell lines, IEC-6 and RIE-1. However, transforming growth factor beta induces G1 arrest in both intestinal cell lines without inhibiting cyclin D3, suggesting that cyclin D3 may not have essential functions in the gut. In the present study, we determined whether cyclin D3 is required for the transition from G0 into the S phase in intestinal epithelial cells. Microinjection of anti-cyclin D3 antiserum inhibited quiescent IEC-6 and RIE-1 cells from entering the S phase, while cells microinjected with a nonspecific mouse immunoglobin G continued to progress into the S phase. We also examined the expression of cyclin D3 in rat jejunal mucosa after fasting and refeeding. Cyclin D3 levels were not altered by fasting and refeeding; however, Cdk4 expression was suppressed by fasting and returned to control levels after refeeding. Our results suggest that cyclin D3 is essential for intestinal epithelial cell proliferation, although its expression is not regulated by dietary restriction.