p-CuO/n-ZnO Heterojunction Pyro-Phototronic Photodetector Controlled by CuO Preparation Parameters.

The combination of ZnO with narrow bandgap materials such as CuO is now a common method to synthesize high-performance optoelectronic devices. This study focuses on optimizing the performance of p-CuO/n-ZnO heterojunction pyroelectric photodetectors, fabricated through magnetron sputtering, by leveraging the pyro-phototronic effect. The devices' photoresponse to UV (365 nm) and visible (405 nm) lasers is thoroughly examined.

A Low-Cost Flexible Optoelectronic Synapse Based on ZnO Nanowires for Neuromorphic Computing.

Neuromorphic computing, inspired by the brain, holds significant promise for advancing artificial intelligence. Artificial optoelectronic synapses, which can convert optical signals into electrical signals, play a crucial role in neuromorphic computing. In this study, we successfully fabricated a flexible artificial optoelectronic synapse device based on the ZnO/PDMS structure by utilizing the magnetron sputtering technique to deposit the ZnO film on a flexible substrate.

Structure of scavenger receptor SCARF1 and its interaction with lipoproteins.

SCARF1 (scavenger receptor class F member 1, SREC-1 or SR-F1) is a type I transmembrane protein that recognizes multiple endogenous and exogenous ligands such as modified low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and is important for maintaining homeostasis and immunity. But the structural information and the mechanisms of ligand recognition of SCARF1 are largely unavailable. Here, we solve the crystal structures of the N-terminal fragments of human SCARF1, which show that SCARF1 forms homodimers and its epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains adopt a long-curved conformation.

Evolution of Tribotronics: From Fundamental Concepts to Potential Uses.

The intelligent sensing network is one of the key components in the construction of the Internet of Things, and the power supply technology of sensor communication nodes needs to be solved urgently. As a new field combining tribo-potential with semiconductor devices, tribotronics, based on the contact electrification (CE) effect, realizes direct interaction between the external environment and semiconductor devices by combining triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and field-effect transistor (FET), further expanding the application prospects of micro/nano energy. In this paper, the research progress of tribotronics is systematically reviewed.

Piezophototronic Effect Enhanced Flexible Tunneling Devices by Separating the Photosensitive Layer and the Piezoelectric Modulation Layer.

The piezo-phototronic effect uses the piezoelectric potential/piezoelectric charge generated by the piezoelectric semiconductor material to regulate the energy band structure and photogenerated carrier behavior at the interface/junction, thereby modulating the device's performance. The positive/negative piezoelectric charges generated at the interface of piezoelectric semiconductors can reduce the electron/hole barriers and thus enhance the transport of photogenerated carriers. However, electron/hole potential wells are formed when the electron/hole potential barrier caused by positive/negative piezoelectric charges is lowered too much, hindering the transport of photogenerated carriers.

Piezotronic and Piezo-Phototronic Effects-Enhanced Core-Shell Structure-Based Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors.

Piezotronic and piezo-phototronic effects have been extensively applied to modulate the performance of advanced electronics and optoelectronics. In this study, to systematically investigate the piezotronic and piezo-phototronic effects in field-effect transistors (FETs), a core-shell structure-based Si/ZnO nanowire heterojunction FET (HJFET) model was established using the finite element method. We performed a sweep analysis of several parameters of the model.

The Influence of Surface Processing on the Surface Plasmonic Enhancement of an Al-Nanoparticles-Enhanced ZnO UV Photodectector.

Surface Plasmonic Resonance (SPR) induced by metallic nanoparticles can be exploited to enhance the response of photodetectors (PD) to a large degree. Since the interface between metallic nanoparticles and semiconductors plays an important role in SPR, the magnitude of the enhancement is highly dependent on the morphology and roughness of the surface where the nanoparticles are distributed. In this work, we used mechanical polishing to produce different surface roughnesses for the ZnO film.

Pyro-Phototronic Effect for Advanced Photodetectors and Novel Light Energy Harvesting.

Pyroelectricity was discovered long ago and utilized to convert thermal energy that is tiny and usually wasted in daily life into useful electrical energy. The combination of pyroelectricity and optoelectronic yields a novel research field named as , where light-induced temperature variation of the pyroelectric material produces pyroelectric polarization charges at the interfaces of semiconductor optoelectronic devices, capable of modulating the device performances. In recent years, the pyro-phototronic effect has been vastly adopted and presents huge potential applications in functional optoelectronic devices.

On the contact electrification mechanism in semiconductor-semiconductor case by vertical contact-separation triboelectric nanogenerator.

With the speed of industrialization accelerating, the traditional energy is in the predicament of being exhausted. Humans urgently need a clean energy to maintain the peace and development. Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a tiny device that collects and converts the renewable energy, such as wind, vibration and tidal/blue energy, into electrical energy.

Fundamentals and Applications of ZnO-Nanowire-Based Piezotronics and Piezo-Phototronics.

The piezotronic effect is a coupling effect of semiconductor and piezoelectric properties. The piezoelectric potential is used to adjust the p-n junction barrier width and Schottky barrier height to control carrier transportation. At present, it has been applied in the fields of sensors, human-machine interaction, and active flexible electronic devices.

Pyro-Phototronic Effect Enhanced Pyramid Structured p-Si/n-ZnO Nanowires Heterojunction Photodetector.

The emergence of nanomaterials has brought about the development of miniature photodetectors into a new stage, and ZnO nanomaterials are currently one of the most popular research objects. Here, the performance of a photodetector consisting of micropyramid structured p-Si/n-ZnO NWs heterojunction constructed by an anisotropic chemical etching and hydrothermal method is optimized by using the pyro-phototronic effect, and the photoresponses of the device to 405 and 648 nm lasers are investigated. The results show that, with the introduction of pyro-phototronic effect, the photoresponsivity increases to 208 times that of when the wavelength is 405 nm and the optical power density is 0.

Novel protein kinase inhibitor TT-00420 inhibits gallbladder cancer by inhibiting JNK/JUN-mediated signaling pathway.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of our chemically synthesized TT-00420, a novel spectrum-selective multiple protein kinase inhibitor, in cultured cells and animal models of gallbladder cancer (GBC) and explore its potential mechanism.

Methods: Multiple GBC models were established to assess the anti-tumor efficiency, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics of TT-00420. Integrated transcriptomic, proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis was conducted to identify potential downstream effectors of TT-00420.

Measurement of total electron emission yield of insulators based on self-terminating charge neutralization.

For insulators, the accumulated charge on the surface after electron bombardment will interfere with the total electron emission yield (TEEY) measurement. This work develops a novel method to automatically measure the TEEY of insulators based on self-terminating charge neutralization using two neutralization electron guns. We perform theoretical analysis and experimental design for the neutralization of positive and negative charges.

Cancellation method to improve signal to noise ratio of an electrodeless microwave-biased ZnO single crystal x-ray detector.

Semiconductor x-ray detectors are usually fabricated with proper ohmic or Schottky contact electrodes, which make the fabrication process complex and even unable to realize, especially for new materials. In this paper, we demonstrated an electrodeless ZnO single crystal x-ray detector using microwave (MW) bias with a high signal-to-noise ratio obtained by a cancellation method. The MW-biased x-ray detector is fabricated using the split-ring-resonator with the ZnO crystal mounted on the split-ring gap.

Analytical Transient Responses and Gain-Bandwidth Products of Low-Dimensional High-Gain Photodetectors.

Low-dimensional photodetectors, in particular those in photoconductive mode, often have extraordinarily high photogain. However, high gain always comes along with a slow frequency response. The gain-bandwidth product (GBP) is a figure of merit to evaluate the performance of a photodetector.

Assembly and recognition of keratins: A structural perspective.

Keratins are one of the major components of cytoskeletal network and assemble into fibrous structures named intermediate filaments (IFs), which are important for maintaining the mechanical properties of cells and tissues. Over the past decades, evidence has shown that the functions of keratins go beyond providing mechanical support for cells, they interact with multiple cellular components and are widely involved in the pathways of cell proliferation, differentiation, motility and death. However, the structural details of keratins and IFs are largely missing and many questions remain regarding the mechanisms of keratin assembly and recognition.

FLT4/VEGFR3 activates AMPK to coordinate glycometabolic reprogramming with autophagy and inflammasome activation for bacterial elimination.

Macrophages rapidly undergo glycolytic reprogramming in response to macroautophagy/autophagy, inflammasome activation and pyroptosis for the clearance of bacteria. Identification the key molecules involved in these three events will provide critical potential therapeutic applications. Upon infection, FLT4/VEGFR3 and its ligand VEGFC were inducibly expressed in macrophages, and FLT4 signaling inhibited CASP1 (caspase 1)-dependent inflammasome activation and pyroptosis but enhanced MAP1LC3/LC3 activation for elimination of the bacteria.

Glycometabolism regulates hepatitis C virus release.

HCV cell-culture system uses hepatoma-derived cell lines for efficient virus propagation. Tumor cells cultured in glucose undergo active aerobic glycolysis, but switch to oxidative phosphorylation for energy production when cultured in galactose. Here, we investigated whether modulation of glycolysis in hepatocytes affects HCV infection.

Recognition of lipoproteins by scavenger receptor class A members.

Scavenger receptor class A (SR-A) proteins are type II transmembrane glycoproteins that form homotrimers on the cell surface. This family has five known members (SCARA1 to 5, or SR-A1 to A5) that recognize a variety of ligands and are involved in multiple biological pathways. Previous reports have shown that some SR-A family members can bind modified low-density lipoproteins (LDLs); however, the mechanisms of the interactions between the SR-A members and these lipoproteins are not fully understood.

Structural basis for the multi-activity factor Rad5 in replication stress tolerance.

The yeast protein Rad5 and its orthologs in other eukaryotes promote replication stress tolerance and cell survival using their multiple activities, including ubiquitin ligase, replication fork remodeling and DNA lesion targeting activities. Here, we present the crystal structure of a nearly full-length Rad5 protein. The structure shows three distinct, but well-connected, domains required for Rad5's activities.

Conductivity Extraction Using a 180 GHz Quasi-Optical Resonator for Conductive Thin Film Deposited on Conductive Substrate.

Measurement of electrical conductivity of conductive thin film deposited on a conductive substrate is important and challenging. An effective conductivity model was constructed for a bilayer structure to extract thin film conductivity from the measured Q-factor of a quasi-optical resonator. As a demonstration, aluminium films with thickness of 100 nm were evaporated on four silicon wafers whose conductivity ranges from ~10 to ~10 S/m (thus, the proposed method can be verified for a substrate with a wide range of conductivity).