Simultaneous large continuous band gap tunability and photoluminescence enhancement in GaSe nanosheets via elastic strain engineering

Wu, Yecun,Fuh, Huei-Ru,Zhang, Duan,Coileá,in, Cormac Ó,Xu, Hongjun,Cho, Jiung,Choi, Miri,Chun, Byong Sun,Jiang, Xuju,Abid, Mourad,Abid, Mohamed,Liu, Huajun,Wang, Jing Jing,Shvets, Igor V. Elsevier 2017 Nano energy Vol.32 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>For applications in wearable human-device interfaces and optoelectronics, flexible materials capable of supporting spatial and uninterrupted bandgap tunability are of immense value. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally the wide bandgap tunability of GaSe nanosheets, with simultaneous PL enhancement, via elastic strain engineering at room temperature. The elastic strain gives rise to a continuously variable electronic band structure profile, with a rate of 40meV/1%, and a 3-fold enhancement in PL intensity is achieved when a uniaxial strain of 1% is introduced. An additional effect is that a new exciton state arises when the strain is raised beyond 0.6%. This work suggests that strain engineering can effectively modulate/control the generation, separation, transport, and recombination of photo-induced charge carriers in GaSe, making it a valuable material for flexible optoelectronic-mechanical applications.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Wide bandgap tunability of GaSe nanosheets, with simultaneous PL enhancement, via elastic strain engineering at room temperature. </LI> <LI> A linear tuning rate of optical band gap of 40 meV/% for uniaxial strain has been achieved, comparable to monolayer MoS2. </LI> <LI> Threefold enhancement in PL intensity achieved with a uniaxial strain of 1%. </LI> <LI> Strain engineering used to control generation, separation, transport, and recombination of photo-induced charge carriers in GaSe. </LI> <LI> New exciton state demonstrated when strain is greater than 0.6%, which shifts in the direction opposite to the main exciton state. </LI> <LI> Suggests route to more efficient capture of optical spectrum, and exciton concentration and trapping by mechanical deformation. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Ultra-sensitive graphene based mid-infrared plasmonic bio-chemical sensing using dielectric beads as a medium

Liu, Xiao,Zhang, Duan,Wu, Ye-Cun,Yang, Mei,Wang, Qian,Coileá,in, Cormac Ó,.,Xu, Hongjun,Yang, Chen,Abid, Mohamed,Abid, Mourad,Liu, Huajun,Chun, Byong Sun,Shi, Qingfan,Wu, Han-Chun Elsevier 2017 Carbon Vol.122 No.-

<P>Graphene is moving beyond the realm of simple electronic devices toward areas such as advanced biochemical sensing. The infrared (IR) response of graphene, characterized by collective long-lived charge-carrier oscillations, could be applied in IR-absorption spectroscopy, typically used for bio-chemical analysis. However, direct light absorption by propagating plasmons in graphene is forbidden due to the large momentum mismatch. Proposed methods to overcome this bottleneck come at a cost, the use of noble metal particles on graphene reduces the spectral bandwidth and nano-structuring graphene is expensive. Here, we propose a simple and cheap method to fabricate large scale ultra-sensitive graphene based mid-IR biosensors, by introducing dielectric beads to excite mid-IR range plasmons. Interference from waves scattered by the beads excite surface plasmon polaritons, which propagate several micrometers in graphene and enhance the interaction between the molecules and mid-IR light. This method opens an interesting window for the application of graphene in bio-chemical sensing. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</P>

An Exploration of International Counseling Students’ Experience of Leadership and Advocacy

Yiying Xiong,Anita Young,Hongjun Tan,Siyao Wu 한국상담학회 2021 Journal of Asia Pacific counseling Vol.11 No.1

International counseling students enrolled in American counseling programs have received limited attention. This study examined the lived experiences of five international counseling students in an American counseling program regarding their experience of leadership and advocacy. The study identified fourteen themes under three categories and provided recommendations to counselor educators, administrators, and international counseling students.

Protein Kinase C Mediates the Corticosterone-induced Sensitization of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons Innervating the Rat Stomach

( Meng Li ),( Lu Xue ),( Hong-yan Zhu ),( Hongjun Wang ),( Xue Xu ),( Ping-an Zhang ),( Geping Wu ),( Guang-yin Xu ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회 2017 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.23 No.3

Background/Aims Gastric hypersensitivity contributes to abdominal pain in patients with functional dyspepsia. Recent studies showed that hormones induced by stress are correlated with visceral hypersensitivity. However, the precise mechanisms underlying gastric hypersensitivity remain largely unknown. The aim of the present study was designed to investigate the roles of corticosterone (CORT) on excitability of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons innervating the stomach. Methods DRG neurons innervating the stomach were labeled by DiI injection into the stomach wall. Patch clamp recordings were employed to examine neural excitability and voltage-gated sodium channel currents. Electromyograph technique was used to determine the responses of neck muscles to gastric distension. Results Incubation of acutely isolated DRG neurons with CORT significantly depolarized action potential threshold and enhanced the number of action potentials induced by current stimulation of the neuron. Under voltage-clamp mode, incubation of CORT enhanced voltage-gated sodium current density of the recorded neurons. Pre-incubation of GF109203X, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, blocked the CORT-induced hyperexcitability and potentiation of sodium currents. However, pre-incubation of H-89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A, did not alter the sodium current density. More importantly, intraperitoneal injection of CORT produced gastric hypersensitivity of healthy rats, which was blocked by pre-administration of GF109203X but not H-89. Conclusions Our data strongly suggest that CORT rapidly enhanced neuronal excitability and sodium channel functions, which is most likely mediated by protein kinase C but not protein kinase A signaling pathway in DRG neurons innervating the stomach, thus underlying the gastric hypersensitivity induced by CORT injection. (J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2017;23:464-476)

Adaptive Pinning Synchronization of Complex Networks with Partial Delay and Noise Coupling

Wang Li,Yue Qiao,Jiaming Wu,Hongjun Shi,Yongzheng Sun 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2023 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.21 No.1

In this paper, we investigate the adaptive pinning synchronization of complex networks with partial delay and noise coupling. First, more realistic complex networks with partial delay and noise perturbation are established. Combining the advantages of the adaptive control method and pinning control technology, a novel coupling is designed to realize the synchronization. Several sufficient criteria for almost sure outer synchronization are developed based on the LaSalle invariance principle for stochastic differential equations. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed synchronization scheme.

Elevated TRAF4 expression impaired LPS-induced autophagy in mesenchymal stem cells from ankylosing spondylitis patients

Jinteng Li,Peng Wang,Zhongyu Xie,Rui Yang,Yuxi Li,Xiaohua Wu,Hongjun Su,Wen Deng,Shan Wang,Zhenhua Liu,Shuizhong Cen,Yi Ouyang,Yanfeng Wu,Huiyong Shen 생화학분자생물학회 2017 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.49 No.-

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of autoimmune disease that predominantly affects the spine and sacroiliac joints. However, the pathogenesis of AS remains unclear. Some evidence indicates that infection with bacteria, especially Gram-negative bacteria, may have an important role in the onset and progression of AS. Recently, many studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) dysfunction may contribute to the pathogenesis of many rheumatic diseases. We previously demonstrated that MSCs from AS patients exhibited markedly enhanced osteogenic differentiation capacity in vitro under non-inflammatory conditions. However, the properties of MSCs from AS patients in an inflammatory environment have never been explored. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a proinflammatory substance derived from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, can alter the status and function of MSCs. However, whether MSCs from AS patients exhibit abnormal responses to LPS stimulation has not been reported. Autophagy is a lysosome-mediated catabolic process that participates in many physiological and pathological processes. The link between autophagy and AS remains largely unknown. The level of autophagy in ASMSCs after LPS stimulation remains to be addressed. In this study, we demonstrated that although the basal level of autophagy did not differ between MSCs from healthy donors (HDMSCs) and ASMSCs, LPS-induced autophagy was weaker in ASMSCs than in HDMSCs. Specifically, increased TRAF4 expression in ASMSCs impaired LPS-induced autophagy, potentially by inhibiting the phosphorylation of Beclin-1. These data may provide further insight into ASMSC dysfunction and the precise mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of AS.

Polymorphisms in Epigenetic and Meat Quality Related Genes in Fourteen Cattle Breeds and Association with Beef Quality and Carcass Traits

Xuan Liu,Tahir Usman,Yachun Wang,Zezhao Wang,Xianzhou Xu,Meng Wu,Yi Zhang,Xu Zhang,Qiang Li,Lin Liu,Wanhai Shi,Chunhua Qin,Fanjun Geng,Congyong Wang,Rui Tan,Xixia Huang,Airong Liu,Hongjun Wu,Shixin Ta 아세아·태평양축산학회 2015 Animal Bioscience Vol.28 No.4

Improvement for carcass traits related to beef quality is the key concern in beef production. Recent reports found that epigenetics mediates the interaction of individuals with environment and nutrition. The present study was designed to analyze the genetic effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in seven epigenetic-related genes (DNMT1, DNMT3a, DNMT3b, DNMT3L, Ago1, Ago2, and HDAC5) and two meat quality candidate genes (CAPN1 and PRKAG3) on fourteen carcass traits related to beef quality in a Snow Dragon beef population, and also to identify SNPs in a total of fourteen cattle populations. Sixteen SNPs were identified and genotyped in 383 individuals sampled from the 14 cattle breeds, which included 147 samples from the Snow Dragon beef population. Data analysis showed significant association of 8 SNPs within 4 genes related to carcass and/or meat quality traits in the beef populations. SNP1 (13154420A>G) in exon 17 of DNMT1 was significantly associated with rib-eye width and lean meat color score (p<0.05). A novel SNP (SNP4, 76198537A>G) of DNMT3a was significantly associated with six beef quality traits. Those individuals with the wild-type genotype AA of DNMT3a showed an increase in carcass weight, chilled carcass weight, flank thicknesses, chuck short rib thickness, chuck short rib score and in chuck flap weight in contrast to the GG genotype. Five out of six SNPs in DNMT3b gene were significantly associated with three beef quality traits. SNP15 (45219258C>T) in CAPN1 was significantly associated with chuck short rib thickness and lean meat color score (p<0.05). The significant effect of SNP15 on lean meat color score individually and in combination with each of other 14 SNPs qualify this SNP to be used as potential marker for improving the trait. In addition, the frequencies of most wild-type alleles were higher than those of the mutant alleles in the native and foreign cattle breeds. Seven SNPs were identified in the epigenetic-related genes. The SNP15 in CAPN1 could be used as a powerful genetic marker in selection programs for beef quality improvement in the Snow Dragon Beef population.