Femtosecond-laser-induced suprawavelength two-dimensional ZnO microstructures for multi-wavelength photodetector devices.

Herein, we report on two-dimensional (2D) suprawavelength crystalline ZnO microstructures induced by a single ultraviolet (UV) femtosecond laser beam (400 nm, 35 fs, 666 Hz) with significant absorption enhancement. The achieved absorption values of 90-99% and 75-80% in the UV and visible spectral regions, respectively, were approximately 1.16 and 12 times higher than those of the blank ZnO crystal.

Green manure () cover promotes tea plant growth by regulating soil carbon cycling.

Introduction: In mountainous tea plantations, which are the primary mode of tea cultivation in China, issues such as soil erosion and declining soil fertility are particularly severe. Although green manure cover is an effective agricultural measure for restoring soil fertility, its application in mountainous tea plantations has been relatively understudied.

Methods: This study investigated the effects of continuous green manure cover using the slope-protecting plant on tea plant growth and soil microbial community structure.

"NO" controversy?: A controversial role in insulin signaling of diabetic encephalopathy.

Insulin, a critical hormone in the human body, exerts its effects by binding to insulin receptors and regulating various cellular processes. While nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in insulin secretion and acts as a mediator in the signal transduction pathway between upstream molecules and downstream effectors, holds a significant position in the downstream signal network of insulin. Researches have shown that the insulin-NO system exhibits a dual regulatory effect within the central nervous system, which is crucial in the regulation of diabetic encephalopathy (DE).

Stimulated-responsive refractive-diffractive biological hydrogel micro-optical element enabling achromatism via femtosecond laser lithography.

Herein, we report a novel biological hydrogel-based achromatic refractive-diffractive micro-optical element with single-material apochromatism. Benefiting from the stimulated responsive property of the hydrogel, pH modulation yielded swelling and affected the refractive index of the element, enabling multi-wavelength focusing performance tuning and chromatic aberration adjustment. Using femtosecond laser lithography, we fabricated a separate hydrogel microlens and Fresnel zone plate and measured the tunable focusing performance while varying pH; the results were consistent with our simulation results.

Contribution of traditional deep fermentation to volatile metabolites and odor characteristics of Wuyi rock tea.

Fermentation is extremely important for the formation of the special flavor of Wuyi rock tea. This study determined volatile metabolite contents using GC-MS technique and futher analyzed their odor characteristics during the traditional deep fermentation technology of Wuyi rock tea. The results showed that 17 characteristic compounds significantly changed during the first stage of the preliminary processing, namely fresh leaves, withering and fermentation.

Femtosecond-scale all-optical switching in oxyfluorogallate glass induced by nonlinear multiphoton absorption.

Herein, all-optical switching based on a new type of oxyfluorogallate glass with high switching efficiency and ultrafast response time was reported in the near-infrared wavelength range, which is of great importance for applications in optical telecommunication. The structural and optical properties, as well as the nonlinear optical effects, of the oxyfluorogallate glass were investigated, demonstrating a good figure of merit applicable to nonlinear optical devices. Using pump-probe experiments, we found that the switching time in the oxyfluorogallate glass due to nonlinear multiphoton absorption was approximately 350 fs, which was limited by the pulse duration of the near-infrared probe pulse.

Phase-Type Fresnel Zone Plate with Multi-Wavelength Imaging Embedded in Fluoroaluminate Glass Fabricated via Ultraviolet Femtosecond Laser Lithography.

Herein, we report a novel optical glass material, fluoroaluminate (AlF) glass, with excellent optical transmittance from ultraviolet to infrared wavelength ranges, which provides more options for application in optical devices. Based on its performance, the phase-type Fresnel zone plate (FZP) by ultraviolet femtosecond (fs) laser-inscribed lithography is achieved, which induces the refractive index change by fs-laser tailoring. The realization of ultraviolet fs-laser fabrication inside glass can benefit from the excellent optical performance of the AlF glass.

Two-dimensional suprawavelength periodic surface structuring of a ZnO single crystal with a UV femtosecond laser.

Herein, we report on the one-step formation of a novel microstructure on the surface of crystalline ZnO in ambient air excited by a single femtosecond laser beam (central wavelength 400 nm, pulse duration 35fs), which has photon energy close to the bandgap of ZnO. A two-dimensional surface structure with a controlled period of ∼2-6 μm is observed, with its orientation independent on the status of laser polarization (linear, circular, or elliptical polarization). We find that the orientation of this two-dimensional structure is defined by the direction of the crystal a and c axes.

Impact of regulatory T cells on the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

Background: This meta-analysis aimed to systematically review current available literature to assess the impact of regulatory T cells (Tregs) on the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We will browse the online databases of PubMed and Cochrane Library. The summary hazard ratio (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) will be combined to present the value reported in the study.

Smart bio-gel optofluidic Mach-Zehnder interferometers multiphoton-lithographically customized with chemo-mechanical-opto transduction and bio-triggered degradation.

Stimulus-responsive optical polymers, especially gels, are enabling new-concept energy-transducing "smart" optics. Full exploitation of their molecule-derived tuning and integration with traditional micro/nano-optics/optoelectronics rely on the implementation of devices by advanced "intelligent" micro/nano-manufacturing technologies, especially photolithographies with wide compatibility. In light of the increasing need for an organic combination of smart optical materials and digital micro/nano-manufacturing, novel "smart" optical micro-switches, namely, stimulus-actuated Mach-Zehnder interferometers as a proof-of-concept demonstration, were prototyped with protein-based hydrogels via aqueous multiphoton femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW).

Near-field imaging of the multi-resonant mode induced broadband tunable metamaterial absorber.

Metamaterial absorbers with tunability have broad prospects for mid-infrared absorption applications. While various methods have been proposed to control absorption, how to analyse and present the physical image of absorption mechanism in depth is still expected and meaningful. Here, we present experimental spatial near-field distributions of a multi-resonant mode induced broadband tunable metamaterial absorber by using near-field optical microscopy.

Double-layer metal mesh etched by femtosecond laser for high-performance electromagnetic interference shielding window.

An excellent transparent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding window is proposed and demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. The window is composed of double layers of Au-Ni composite mesh, separated by the quartz-glass substrate. The simulation exhibits that the shielding effectiveness (SE) of the double-layer mesh can be improved by increasing the thickness of the substrate in the low frequency range far below the first interfere valley.

Homology modeling and epitope prediction of Der f 33.

Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f), one of the main species of house dust mites, produces more than 30 allergens. A recently identified allergen belonging to the alpha-tubulin protein family, Der f 33, has not been characterized in detail. In this study, we used bioinformatics tools to construct the secondary and tertiary structures and predict the B and T cell epitopes of Der f 33.

Belowground Interactions Impact the Soil Bacterial Community, Soil Fertility, and Crop Yield in Maize/Peanut Intercropping Systems.

Intercropping has been widely used to control disease and improve yield in agriculture. In this study, maize and peanut were used for non-separation intercropping (NS), semi-separation intercropping (SS) using a nylon net, and complete separation intercropping (CS) using a plastic sheet. In field experiments, two-year land equivalent ratios (LERs) showed yield advantages due to belowground interactions when using NS and SS patterns as compared to monoculture.

Temperature dependent thermal conductivity and transition mechanism in amorphous and crystalline SbTe thin films.

SbTe thin films are widely used in high density optical and electronic storage, high-resolution greyscale image recording, and laser thermal lithography. Thermal conductivity and its temperature dependence are critical factors that affect the application performance of thin films. This work aims to evaluate the temperature dependence of thermal conductivity of crystalline and amorphous SbTe thin films experimentally and theoretically, and explores into the corresponding mechanism of heat transport.

Extending resolution of scanning optical microscopy beyond the Abbe limit through the assistance of InSb thin layers.

The resolution of light imaging is required to extend beyond the Abbe limit to the subdiffraction, or even nanoscale. In this Letter, we propose to extend the resolution of scanning optical microscopy (SOM) beyond the Abbe limit as a kind of subdiffraction imaging technology through the assistance of InSb thin layers due to obvious nonlinear saturation absorption and reversible formation of an optical pinhole channel. The results show that the imaging resolution is greatly improved compared with the SOM itself.

Yellow-light generation and engineering in zinc-doped cadmium sulfide nanobelts with low-threshold two-photon excitation.

Through a simple doping route with zinc ion as a dopant in cadmium sulfide nanobelts, a bright yellow-colored light was obtained. The detailed chromaticity and brightness of the light can be engineered by the dopant concentration and the pumping power, which are used to control the dominant wavelength to any fine yellow color, and even cover the sodium-yellow-line of 589 nm. The nanobelts were synthesized through a chemical vapor deposition method.

Monolithic bifocal zone-plate lenses for confocal collimation of laser diodes.

An elliptical monolithic bifocal zone plate as a collimating lens, whose two focal lengths in the orthogonal directions match the different beam waist positions of the fast and slow axes' light from edge-emitting laser diodes, is proposed and experimentally demonstrated by employing femtosecond laser direct writing technology. The high-quality eight-level zone plate exhibits a diffraction efficiency of 92.9%, which is much higher than those ever reported.

Residual hepatocellular carcinoma after oxaliplatin treatment has increased metastatic potential in a nude mouse model and is attenuated by Songyou Yin.

Background: The opposite effects of chemotherapy, which enhance the malignancy of treated cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), are not well understood. We investigated this phenomenon and corresponding mechanisms to develop a novel approach for improving chemotherapy efficacy in HCC.

Methods: Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines HepG2 (with low metastatic potential) and MHCC97L (with moderate metastatic potential) were used for the in vitro study.

Herbal extract "Songyou Yin" inhibits tumor growth and prolongs survival in nude mice bearing human hepatocellular carcinoma xenograft with high metastatic potential.

Purpose: Chinese herbs have become a focus of interest in cancer treatment. This study evaluates the effect of the herbal compound extract "Songyou Yin" (containing Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.-danshen and other four herbs) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).