Effects of rapid thermal process on the junction properties of aluminum rear emitter solar cells

N-type silicon with aluminum emitters for rear junctions was studied; aluminum back surface fields were replaced with n-type silicon wafers. Aluminum rear emitters for n-type silicon solar cells were studied with various rapid thermal processing conditions. With fast ramping-up and fast cooling, an aluminum rear junction was formed uniformly with low emitter recombination current. The effects of junction quality on solar cell efficiency were investigated.     

The Effect of Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton (Zingiberaceae) Extract on Prion Propagation in Cell-Based and Animal Models

Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders in humans and animals for which no therapies are currently available. Here, we report that Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton (Zingiberaceae) (CpV) extract was partly effective in decreasing prion aggregation and propagation in both in vitro and in vivo models. CpV extract inhibited self-aggregation of recombinant prion protein (PrP) in a test tube assay and decreased the accumulation of scrapie PrP (PrP^Sc) in ScN2a cells, a cultured neuroblastoma cell line with chronic prion infection, in a concentration-dependent manner. CpV extract also modified the course of the disease in mice inoculated with mouse-adapted scrapie prions, completely preventing the onset of prion disease in three of eight mice. Biochemical and neuropathological analyses revealed a statistically significant reduction in PrP^Sc accumulation, spongiosis, astrogliosis, and microglia activation in the brains of mice that avoided disease onset. Furthermore, PrP^Sc accumulation in the spleen of mice was also reduced. CpV extract precluded prion infection in cultured cells as demonstrated by the modified standard scrapie cell assay. This study suggests that CpV extract could contribute to investigating the modulation of prion propagation.     

Erratum to: Charge transfer in graphene/polymer interfaces for CO2 detection

Nano Research - The order of the authors in the original version of this article was unfortunately incorrect on the first page and the first page of the ESM. Instead of Myungwoo Son1, Yusin Pak1,...     

Exsolution of Ru Nanoparticles on BaCe0.9Y0.1O3-δ Modifying Geometry and Electronic Structure of Ru for Ammonia Synthesis Reaction Under Mild Conditions

Green ammonia is an efficient, carbon-free energy carrier and storage medium. The ammonia synthesis using green hydrogen requires an active catalyst that operates under mild conditions. The catalytic activity can be promoted by controlling the geometry and electronic structure of the active species. An exsolution process is implemented to improve catalytic activity by modulating the geometry and electronic structure of Ru. Ru nanoparticles exsolved on a BaCe_0.9Y_0.1O_3-δ support exhibit uniform size distribution, 5.03 ± 0.91 nm, and exhibited one of the highest activities, 387.31 mmol_NH3 g_Ru⁻¹ h⁻¹ (0.1 MPa and 450 °C). The role of the exsolution and BaCe_0.9Y_0.1O_3-δ support is studied by comparing the catalyst with control samples and in-depth characterizations. The optimal nanoparticle size is maintained during the reaction, as the Ru nanoparticles prepared by exsolution are well-anchored to the support with in-plane epitaxy. The electronic structure of Ru is modified by unexpected in situ Ba promoter accumulation around the base of the Ru nanoparticles.     

N-Palmitoyl Serinol Stimulates Ceramide Production through a CB1-Dependent Mechanism in In Vitro Model of Skin Inflammation

Ceramides, a class of sphingolipids containing a backbone of sphingoid base, are the most important and effective structural component for the formation of the epidermal permeability barrier. While ceramides comprise approximately 50% of the epidermal lipid content by mass, the content is substantially decreased in certain inflammatory skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD), causing improper barrier function. It is widely accepted that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) can modulate a number of biological responses in the central nerve system, prior studies revealed that activation of endocannabinoid receptor CB1, a key component of ECS, triggers the generation of ceramides that mediate neuronal cell fate. However, as the impact of ECS on the production of epidermal ceramide has not been studied, we here investigated whether the ECS stimulates the generation of epidermal ceramides in an IL-4-treated in vitro model of skin inflammation using N-palmitoyl serinol (PS), an analog of the endocannabinoid N-palmitoyl ethanolamine. Accordingly, an IL-4-mediated decrease in cellular ceramide levels was significantly stimulated in human epidermal keratinocytes (KC) following PS treatment through both de novo ceramide synthesis- and sphingomyelin hydrolysis-pathways. Importantly, PS selectively increases ceramides with long-chain fatty acids (FAs) (C22–C24), which mainly account for the formation of the epidermal barrier, through activation of ceramide synthase (CerS) 2 and Cer3 in IL-4-mediated inflamed KC. Furthermore, blockade of cannabinoid receptor CB1 activation by AM-251 failed to stimulate the production of total ceramide as well as long-chain ceramides in response to PS. These studies demonstrate that an analog of endocannabinoid, PS, stimulates the generation of specific ceramide species as well as the total amount of ceramides via the endocannabinoid receptor CB1-dependent mechanism, thereby resulting in the enhancement of epidermal permeability barrier function.     

The influence of beverages on residual spiciness elicited by eating spicy chicken meat: time‐intensity analysis

This study aimed to determine whether five types of beverage, milk (3.3% fat), oolong tea, tomato juice, sparkling water and spring water, reduce the residual spiciness elicited by eating spicy chicken over time. After tasting a piece of spicy popcorn chicken, participants were asked to drink one of five beverages one after another and rate the spiciness intensity using the time‐intensity (TI) analysis. Based on the TI parameters, milk was found to be the best beverage to reduce residual spiciness of spicy chicken over time. Participants rated milk the most effective in decreasing residual spiciness of spicy chicken. Partial least squares regression revealed that the three TI parameters, area under the curve, decreasing area and increasing area, are the best predictors of the self‐reported ratings for spiciness‐reduction effect of individual beverages. In conclusion, this study shows that milk (3.3% fat) can be used as a palate cleanser for spicy chicken.     

Advanced yield strength of interconnector ribbon for photovoltaic module using crystallographic texture control

This paper reports a study on reducing the yield strength of Cu ribbon wire used for Si solar cell interconnections in solar panels. Low yield strength Cu core should be used as the interconnector ribbon to minimize the fracture of Si solar cells during the tabbing process. We lowered the yield strength of Cu ribbon by controlling the crystallographic texture without increasing the annealing time and temperature. The crystallographic texture was controlled by lubrication in a cold rolling process. The crystallographic texture was observed by scanning electron microscopy with electron back scattered diffraction. A tensile test was performed for the comparison of the mechanical properties of Cu with and without lubrication. The average yield strength was 91.2 MPa with lubrication whereas the yield strength was 99.6 MPa without lubrication. The lower value of the lubricated samples seemed to be caused by the higher cube texture intensity than that of the samples without lubrication.