A simple template-free 'sputtering deposition and selective etching' process for nanoporous thin films and its application to dye-sensitized solar cells.

A facile and straightforward method is suggested to synthesize nanoporous-TiO2 thin films for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Silver/TiO2 co-sputtering led to the formation of nanocomposite films which consisted of silver nanoclusters with surrounding TiO2 matrices, and metal particles were subsequently etched by just immersing in nitric acid. Nanoporous-TiO2 DSSCs fabricated by this simple and effective process showed power-conversion efficiencies of up to 3.4% at a thickness of only 1.8 µm, which is much superior to that of conventional nanoparticulate-TiO2 DSSCs with similar thickness.

Polymorphisms of HLA-DRB1 and -DQB1 Genes in Korean Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis / 결핵

BACKGROUND: It is well known that only 10% of those infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis actually develop clinical disease, indicating the existence of host genetic factors regulating disease expression. In this study, we investigated HLA-DRB1 and -DQB1 gene polymorphisms in Korean patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). METHODS: HLA-DRB1 and -DQB1 gene polymorphisms were investigated in 67 PTB patients without previous treatment history, 38 drug-sensitive (DS) and 29 multidrug-resistant (MDR) cases, and 200 healthy controls. HLA-DRB1 typing was done using reverse SSO (sequence specific oligonucleotide) and PCR-SSCP (single strand conformational polymorphism) methods and DQB1 typing was done using PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism), PCR-SSCP and PCR-SSP (sequence specific primer) methods. RESULTS: Among the PTB patients, MDR-TB cases showed frequencies of DRB1*0701 and *08032 increased by about two-fold compared to those of normal controls, and likewise for their associated DQB1 alleles, DQB1*0202 and *0601 (15.5% vs. 34.5%, p=0.01). The frequency of HLA-DQB1*0609 was significantly increased in PTB patients (4.0% vs. 14.9%, p=0.004), showing similar increases in both DS and MDR cases. There was also an association of HLA alleles with the clinical severity of the disease according to the extent of lung lesion. Significantly increased frequencies of DRB1*08032 (4.2% vs. 32.6%, p=0.007) and DQB1*0601 (12.5% vs. 34.9%, p=0.047) were observed in more advanced (moderately & far advanced/DS and far advanced/MDR), compared with less advanced (minimal/DS and moderately advanced/MDR) lung lesions. Although DRB1*0701, DQB1*0202 and DQB1*0609 showed significant increases in different subsets of the disease, these HLA alleles did not show consistent association with disease severity. CONCLUSION: HLA-DRB1*08032 and DQB1*0601 alleles were associated with genetic susceptibility to MDR-TB in Korean patients, and also with disease severity and progression of PTB.