High performance photodetector based on CdS/CdS0.42Se0.58nanobelts heterojunction.

The ternary alloy CdSxSe1-xcombines the physical properties of CdS and CdSe, and its band gap can be adjusted by changing the element composition. The alloy has charming photoelectric properties as well as potential application value in photoelectric devices. In this work, the CdS/CdS0.42Se0.58nanobelt (NB) heterojunction device was prepared by chemical vapor deposition combined with a typical dry transfer technique. The heterojunction photodetector shows high light switching ratio of 6.79 × 104, large spectral responsivity of 1260 A W-1, high external quantum efficiency of 2.66 × 105% and large detectivity of 7.19 × 1015cm Hz1/2W-1under 590 nm illumination and 3 V bias. Its rise and decay time is about 45/90µs. The performance of the heterojunction photodetector was comparable or even better than that of other CdS(Se) based photodetector device. The results indicate that the CdS/CdS0.42Se0.58NB heterojunction possesses a promising potential application in high performance photodetectors.

The Influence of SLC22A3 Genetic Polymorphisms on Susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Chinese Population.

Background: Solute carrier family 22 member 3 (SLC22A3) gene had been reported to be associated with the efficacy of metformin in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, few studies reported the relationship between SLC22A3 polymorphism and T2DM. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of SLC22A3 polymorphism and susceptibility to T2DM in Chinese population. Methods: We identified SLC22A3 rs555754, rs3123636, rs3088442 genotypes of 450 T2DM patients and 220 healthy controls from the Chinese population. The association between SNPs of SLC22A3 and susceptibility of T2DM was evaluated. Results: The clinical characteristics were significantly different between T2DM patients and healthy controls. The polymorphisms of SLC22A3 rs555754 and rs3123636 were obviously associated with the susceptibility of T2DM which was adjusted for age, sex and BMI, while rs3088442 did not. And there was haplotype association of SLC22A3 rs3088442-rs3123636 with T2DM susceptibility. Conclusion: SLC22A3 rs555754 and rs3123636 polymorphisms were associated with the susceptibility to T2DM in Chinese Han population. Large sample size studies would be required to verify this association.

Enhanced Gas Sensitivity of Au-Decorated Flowery WSe2 Nanostructures.

With the continuous improvement in material life, people are paying more and more attention to air quality; therefore, it is critical to design efficient and stable gas sensor devices. In this work, a flowery WSe2 nanostructure and its nanocomposite (Au@WSe2) decorated with Au nanoparticles were fabricated by the hydrothermal method. The performance of a resistive sensor with flowery WSe2 and Au@WSe2 sensors was evaluated by detecting volatile organic compounds such as ethanol, isoamylol, n-butyl alcohol, isopropanol, isobutanol and n-propanol. The results show that Au-nanoparticle-decorated flowery WSe2 can decrease the optimal working temperature from 215 °C to 205 °C and significantly enhance the response of flowery WSe2. The response values to isoamylol are the highest (as high as 44.5) at a low gas concentration (100 ppm), while the response values to ethanol are the highest (as high as 178.5) at a high gas concentration (1000 ppm) among the six different alcohols. Moreover, the response is steady and repeatable. The results demonstrate that the Au@WSe2 substrate has good responsiveness and selectivity, which makes it a promising candidate for gas detection.

High-performance perovskite photodetectors based on CsPbBr3 microwire arrays: erratum.

We correct two errors in our publication [Appl. Opt.60, 8896 (2021)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.437478].

Prioritizing potential circRNA biomarkers for bladder cancer and bladder urothelial cancer based on an ensemble model.

Bladder cancer is the most common cancer of the urinary system. Bladder urothelial cancer accounts for 90% of bladder cancer. These two cancers have high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. The identification of biomarkers for bladder cancer and bladder urothelial cancer helps in their diagnosis and treatment. circRNAs are considered oncogenes or tumor suppressors in cancers, and they play important roles in the occurrence and development of cancers. In this manuscript, we developed an Ensemble model, CDA-EnRWLRLS, to predict circRNA-Disease Associations (CDA) combining Random Walk with restart and Laplacian Regularized Least Squares, and further screen potential biomarkers for bladder cancer and bladder urothelial cancer. First, we compute disease similarity by combining the semantic similarity and association profile similarity of diseases and circRNA similarity by combining the functional similarity and association profile similarity of circRNAs. Second, we score each circRNA-disease pair by random walk with restart and Laplacian regularized least squares, respectively. Third, circRNA-disease association scores from these models are integrated to obtain the final CDAs by the soft voting approach. Finally, we use CDA-EnRWLRLS to screen potential circRNA biomarkers for bladder cancer and bladder urothelial cancer. CDA-EnRWLRLS is compared to three classical CDA prediction methods (CD-LNLP, DWNN-RLS, and KATZHCDA) and two individual models (CDA-RWR and CDA-LRLS), and obtains better AUC of 0.8654. We predict that circHIPK3 has the highest association with bladder cancer and may be its potential biomarker. In addition, circSMARCA5 has the highest association with bladder urothelial cancer and may be its possible biomarker.

Relationship Between Change in Serum Uric Acid and Ischemic Stroke in Chinese Hypertensive Patients.

Background: Limited studies focused on the association between serum uric acid (SUA) change with ischemic stroke, and their results remain controversial. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between change in SUA with ischemic stroke among hypertensive patients. Method: This was a retrospective cohort study. We recruited adult hypertensive patients who had two consecutive measurements of SUA levels from 2013 to 2014 and reported no history of stroke. Change in SUA was assessed as SUA concentration measured in 2014 minus SUA concentration in 2013. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were performed to quantify the difference in cumulative event rate. Additionally, subgroup analysis and interaction tests were conducted to investigate heterogeneity. Results: A total of 4,628 hypertensive patients were included, and 93 cases of ischemic stroke occurred during the mean follow-up time of 3.14 years. Participants were categorized into three groups according to their SUA change tertiles [low (SUA decrease substantially): <-32.6 µmol/L; middle (SUA stable): ≥-32.6 µmol/L, <40.2 µmol/L; high (SUA increase substantially): ≥40.2 µmol/L]. In the fully adjusted model, setting the SUA stable group as reference, participants in the SUA increase substantially group had a significantly elevated risk of ischemic stroke [HR (95% CI), 1.76 (1.01, 3.06), P = 0.0451], but for the SUA decrease substantially group, the hazard effect was insignificant [HR (95% CI), 1.31 (0.75, 2.28), P = 0.3353]. Age played an interactive role in the relationship between SUA change and ischemic stroke. Younger participants (age < 65 years) tended to have a higher risk of ischemic stroke when SUA increase substantially. Conclusion: SUA increase substantially was significantly correlated with an elevated risk of ischemic stroke among patients with hypertension.

High-performance perovskite photodetectors based on CsPbBr3 microwire arrays.

All inorganic perovskite materials have drawn extensive attention, owing to their outstanding performance, facile solution-processed method, and potential applications in optoelectronic devices. However, uncontrollable morphology, high defect density, and instability of perovskites prepared via solution-processed method are the main challenges for their large-scale production and commercialization. Herein, we prepared large-scale CsPbBr3 microwire arrays with highly ordered morphology and high crystalline quality by a template-assisted method. The photodetectors based on CsPbBr3 microwire arrays exhibited remarkable on/off photocurrent ratio of 9.02×103, high detectivity of 1.59×1013 Jones, high responsivity of 4.55 A/W, and fast response speed of 4.9/3 ms. More importantly, the photocurrent of the photodetectors hardly changed in air after being stored for two months, indicating remarkable stability. This study demonstrates that CsPbBr3 microwire arrays provide the possibility for preparing large-scale and high-performance optoelectronic devices.

A U-Shaped Relationship Between Selenium Concentrations and All-Cause or Cardiovascular Mortality in Patients With Hypertension.

Background: Given the antioxidant activity of selenium, it has been reported benefits for blood pressure control and hypertension prevention, but few studies have investigated the association between serum selenium with mortality in hypertensive population. Methods: All participants with hypertension aged ≥18 years at baseline were recruited from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2003-2004, and followed for mortality through December 31, 2015. Subjects were categorized by quartiles of serum selenium (Q1: ≤124 µg/L, Q2: 125-135 µg/L, Q3: 136-147 µg/L, Q4: ≥148 µg/L). Multivariate Cox regression were implemented to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Restricted cubic spline analysis and two-piecewise linear regression were used to evaluate the relationship of serum selenium with mortality. Survival curves were used to depict cause-specific mortalities. Results: A total of 929 participants (52.53% were male) were eligible for the current study with the average age of 63.10 ± 12.59 years. There were 307 deaths occurred including 56 cardiovascular death events during the mean follow-up time of 121.05 ± 40.85 months. A U-shaped association was observed between serum selenium and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality. In fully adjusted model, comparisons among quartiles revealed that risks of all-cause [HR (95%CI), 0.57 (0.39-0.81)] and cardiovascular death [HR (95%CI), 0.33 (0.13-0.86)] were lower in Q3. The nadir mortality of all-cause and cardiovascular was occurred at the serum selenium level of 136 µg/L and 130 µg/L, respectively. Conclusion: Serum selenium concentration showed a U-shaped association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Association Between Vascular Overload Index and New-Onset Ischemic Stroke in Elderly Population with Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Vascular overload index (VOI) is a marker of arterial stiffness and arteriolar resistance, which predicts the increasing risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate the association between VOI and new-onset ischemic stroke in an elderly population with hypertension. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 3315 hypertensive participants aged 60 years or more. Ischemic stroke was diagnosed according to cranial computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain or cerebrovascular angiography. The calculation of VOI was based on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. VOI was divided by quartiles (<7.88 mmHg, 7.88-16.10 mmHg, 16.10-27.14 mmHg, ≥27.14 mmHg) and evaluated the association with new-onset ischemic stroke by multivariable Cox regression models. RESULTS: A total of 3315 participants (55.5% female) aged 71.4±7.20 years were included in the analysis. The median follow-up period was 5.5 years, and 206 participants reached the endpoint, new-onset ischemic stroke. With per standard deviation increment in VOI, the risks of new-onset ischemic stroke increased in non-adjusted model (Hazard ratio [HR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.22; p = 0.001), adjusted model (HR, 1.11; 95% CI: 1.04-1.22; p = 0.003) and fully-adjusted model (HR, 1.15; 95% CI: 1.08-1.26; p<0.001), respectively. In multivariate fully adjusted model, the risks of ischemic stroke increased in higher quartiles in comparison to the first quartiles (p for trend <0.001). CONCLUSION: In an elderly hypertensive population, VOI is significantly associated with the incidence of new-onset ischemic stroke. Elevated VOI is the cardiovascular risk factor and increases the probability of new-onset ischemic stroke.

Termination dependence and electric field modification of band alignment in a CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) and perovskite composite materials possessing the combined advantages of CNTs and perovskites have drawn substantial attention due to their promising applications in photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. Understanding the band alignment of heterojunctions is crucial for further performance improvement. Here, we systematically investigated the interfacial electronic structure and optical absorption of a semiconducting CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction via density functional theory calculations. It was found that the CNT/PbI2-terminated CH3NH3PbI3 (001) surface heterojunction is a type-I band alignment, while the CNT/CH3NH3I-terminated CH3NH3PbI3 (001) surface heterojunction is a type-II band alignment, suggesting the different charge carrier transfer processes as well as termination dependence of band alignment in the CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction. Further investigation indicated that applying electric fields can modify the band alignment type in the CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction. Our results provide the first insight into the interfacial electronic structure of the CNT/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction, which may give a new route for designing optoelectronic devices.

Glucose metabolism-related gene polymorphisms as the risk predictors of type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex polygenic metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose. Multiple environmental and genetic factors can increase the risk of T2DM and its complications, and genetic polymorphisms are no exception. This review is mainly focused on the related genes involved in glucose metabolic, including G6PC2, GCK, GCKR and OCT3. In this review, we have summarized the results reported globally and found that the genetic variants of GCK and OCT3 genes is a risk factor for T2DM while G6PC2 and GCKR genes are controversial in different ethnic groups. Hopefully, this summary could possibly help researchers and physicians understand the mechanism of T2DM so as to diagnose and even prevent T2DM at early time.

The role of pyruvate kinase M2 in anticancer therapeutic treatments.

Cancer cells are characterized by a high glycolytic rate, which leads to energy regeneration and anabolic metabolism; a consequence of this is the abnormal expression of pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2). Multiple studies have demonstrated that the expression levels of PKM2 are upregulated in numerous cancer types. Consequently, the mechanism of action of certain anticancer drugs is to downregulate PKM2 expression, indicating the significance of PKM2 in a chemotherapeutic setting. Furthermore, it has previously been highlighted that the downregulation of PKM2 expression, using either inhibitors or short interfering RNA, enhances the anticancer effect exerted by THP treatment on bladder cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. The present review summarizes the detailed mechanisms and therapeutic relevance of anticancer drugs that inhibit PKM2 expression. In addition, the relationship between PKM2 expression levels and drug resistance were explored. Finally, future directions, such as the targeting of PKM2 as a strategy to explore novel anticancer agents, were suggested. The current review explored and highlighted the important role of PKM2 in anticancer treatments.

Wavelength-Controlled Photodetector Based on Single CdSSe Nanobelt.

CdSSe nanobelts (NBs) are synthesized by thermal evaporation and then characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL), and cathodoluminescence (CL). It is found that the CdSSe NBs have a good morphology and microstructure without defects. CL is sensitive to the defects of CdSSe NBs; thus, we can select single nanobelt with homogeneous CL emission to prepare a detector. Based on it, the photodetector of single CdSSe NB was developed and its photoelectric properties were investigated in detail. It is found that under illumination of white light and at the bias voltage of 1 V, the photocurrent of a single CdSSe nanobelt device is 1.60 × 10-7 A, the dark current is 1.96 × 10-10 A, and the ratio of light current to dark one is 816. In addition, the CdSSe nanobelt detector has high photoelectric performance with spectral responsivity of 10.4 AW-1 and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 19.1%. Its rise/decay time is about 1.62/4.70 ms. This work offers a novel strategy for design wavelength-controlled photodetectors by adjusting their compositions.

Magnetic Properties and Spontaneous Polarization of La-, Mn- and N-Doped Tetragonal BiFeO3: A First-Principles Study.

Multiferroic materials have been receiving attention for their potential applications in multifunctional devices. Chemical substitution is an effective method for improving the physical properties of BiFeO3 (BFO). However, different experimental results have been reported for Lanthanum- (La-) and Manganese (Mn) -doped BFO ceramics. Here, we systematically studied the magnetic properties and spontaneous polarization of La-, Mn-, and Nitrogen (N) -doped tetragonal BiFeO3 using density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation and U-value method. The calculated results demonstrated that the systems show ferromagnetism with Mn and N doping, whereas no magnetization was found with La doping in G- and C-type antiferromagnetic orderings. Our research further revealed that the ferromagnetism is attributed to the p-d orbital hybridization. Berry-phase polarization calculations predicted a large polarization of 149.2 µC/cm² along the [001] direction of pure tetragonal BFO. We found that La and N substitution had little influence on the spontaneous polarization, whereas Mn substitution reduced the spontaneous polarization. The reduced energy barrier heights of the doped systems indicate the reduced stability of the off-centering ferroelectricity against the thermal agitation. These findings provide greater understanding for controlling and tuning the multiferroic properties of BFO.

Enhanced magnetic properties and tunable Dirac point of graphene/Mn-doped monolayer MoS2 heterostructures.

Graphene is one of the most promising spintronic materials due to its high carrier mobility. However, the absence of a band gap and ferromagnetic order in graphene seriously limit its applications in spintronics. How to utilize its high carrier mobility as well as mediate its electronic structure remains a challenge. Herein, we design a novel composite, which is composed of graphene and Mn-doped monolayer MoS2. The magnetic properties and electronic structures of graphene/Mn-doped monolayer MoS2 heterostructures were studied by using density functional theory (DFT) with the van der Waals (vdW) correlations (DFT-D). We found that the heterostructures show increased magnetic moments and more stable ferromagnetic (FM) states compared with that of isolated Mn-doped MoS2 monolayer. Our further studies show that many electrons are transferred to Mn-doped MoS2 monolayer from graphene, which causes the Fermi level to shift down below the Dirac cone about 0.59 eV. The transfered electrons also enhance the FM coupling between Mn ions. Graphene is partially spin polarized because of the magnetic proximity effect, which leads to the spin-dependent gaps for spin-up (16.1 meV) and spin-down (5 meV) at Dirac point, respectively. The introduction of sulfur (S) vacancy to the interface results in a much more stable FM structure and a higher total magnetic moment of the FM state; furthermore, it raises the spin polarization of graphene π orbitals and opens up a small band gap of about 7 meV. These findings propose a new route to facilitate the design of spintronic devices which both need stable ferromagnetism and finite band gap.

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Dominated Micron-Wide Stripe Patterned-Based Ferroelectric Field-Effect Transistors with HfO2 Defect Control Layer.

Ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs) with single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) dominated micron-wide stripe patterned as channel, (Bi,Nd)4Ti3O12 films as insulator, and HfO2 films as defect control layer were developed and fabricated. The prepared SWCNT-FeFETs possess excellent properties such as large channel conductance, high on/off current ratio, high channel carrier mobility, great fatigue endurance performance, and data retention. Despite its thin capacitance equivalent thickness, the gate insulator with HfO2 defect control layer shows a low leakage current density of 3.1 × 10-9 A/cm2 at a gate voltage of - 3 V.