Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is widely utilized to synthesize graphene with controlled properties for many applications, especially when continuous films over large areas are required. Although ...hydrocarbons such as methane are quite efficient precursors for CVD at high temperature (∼1000 °C), finding less explosive and safer carbon sources is considered beneficial for the transition to large-scale production. In this work, we investigated the CVD growth of graphene using ethanol, which is a harmless and readily processable carbon feedstock that is expected to provide favorable kinetics. We tested a wide range of synthesis conditions (i.e., temperature, time, gas ratios), and on the basis of systematic analysis by Raman spectroscopy, we identified the optimal parameters for producing highly crystalline graphene with different numbers of layers. Our results demonstrate the importance of high temperature (1070 °C) for ethanol CVD and emphasize the significant effects that hydrogen and water vapor, coming from the thermal decomposition of ethanol, have on the crystal quality of the synthesized graphene.
The prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer is extremely poor, and current systemic therapies provide marginal survival benefits for treated patients. The era of targeted therapies has offered a ...new avenue to search for potentially more effective strategies. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a member of the erbB/human epidermal growth factor receptor family of tyrosine kinases, which includes erbB2/HER2, erbB3/HER3 and erbB4/HER4. Epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression may be detected in up to 90% of pancreatic tumors. Two pharmacologic approaches have been successfully used to inhibit epidermal growth factor receptor function in cancer treatment: neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and small molecule tyrosine inhibitors. The randomized trials studying the addition of EGFR targeted agents to gemcitabine compared with gemcitabine alone have been disappointing, although results with the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib were statistically significant but clinically of marginal benefit. In this article, we review the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling network in pancreatic cancer, the strategies to increase the effectiveness of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, and the clinical trials of these inhibitors in pancreatic cancer.
The success of agents that reverse T-cell inhibitory signals, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies, has reinvigorated cancer immunotherapy research. However, since only a minority of patients respond to ...single-agent therapies, methods to test the potential anti-tumor activity of rational combination therapies are still needed. Conventional murine xenograft models have been hampered by their immune-compromised status; thus, we developed a hematopoietic humanized mouse model, hu-CB-BRGS, and used it to study anti-tumor human immune responses to triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line and patient-derived colorectal cancer (CRC) xenografts (PDX).
BALB/c-Rag2
Il2rγ
SIRPα
(BRGS) pups were humanized through transplantation of cord blood (CB)-derived CD34+ cells. Mice were evaluated for human chimerism in the blood and assigned into experimental untreated or nivolumab groups based on chimerism. TNBC cell lines or tumor tissue from established CRC PDX models were implanted into both flanks of humanized mice and treatments ensued once tumors reached a volume of ~150mm
. Tumors were measured twice weekly. At end of study, immune organs and tumors were collected for immunological assessment.
Humanized PDX models were successfully established with a high frequency of tumor engraftment. Humanized mice treated with anti-PD-1 exhibited increased anti-tumor human T-cell responses coupled with decreased Treg and myeloid populations that correlated with tumor growth inhibition. Combination therapies with anti-PD-1 treatment in TNBC-bearing mice reduced tumor growth in multi-drug cohorts. Finally, as observed in human colorectal patients, anti-PD-1 therapy had a strong response to a microsatellite-high CRC PDX that correlated with a higher number of human CD8+ IFNγ+ T cells in the tumor.
Hu-CB-BRGS mice represent an in vivo model to study immune checkpoint blockade to human tumors. The human immune system in the mice is inherently suppressed, similar to a tumor microenvironment, and thus allows growth of human tumors. However, the suppression can be released by anti-PD-1 therapies and inhibit tumor growth of some tumors. The model offers ample access to lymph and tumor cells for in-depth immunological analysis. The tumor growth inhibition correlates with increased CD8 IFNγ+ tumor infiltrating T cells. These hu-CB-BRGS mice provide a relevant preclinical animal model to facilitate prioritization of hypothesis-driven combination immunotherapies.
•Graphene/silicon Schottky solar cells are realized by cyclododecane transfer method.•Combined effect of graphene doping and double antireflection coating is investigated.•Measured external quantum ...efficiency is the highest ever reported for these devices.•DARC properties are stable over time and not altered by interaction with doping.•DARC permeability to doping allows to recover the loss of efficiency due to ageing.
Few-layer graphene films were grown by chemical vapor deposition and transferred onto n-type crystalline silicon wafers to fabricate graphene/n-silicon Schottky barrier solar cells. In order to increase the power conversion efficiency of such cells the graphene films were doped with nitric acid vapor and an antireflection treatment was implemented to reduce the sunlight reflection on the top of the device. The doping process increased the work function of the graphene film and had a beneficial effect on its conductivity. The deposition of a double antireflection coating led to an external quantum efficiency up to 90% across the visible and near infrared region, the highest ever reported for this type of devices. The combined effect of graphene doping and antireflection treatment allowed to reach a power conversion efficiency of 8.5% exceeding the pristine (undoped and uncoated) device performance by a factor of 4. The optical properties of the antireflection coating were found to be not affected by the exposure to nitric acid vapor and to remain stable over time.
We investigated the atomic structure of different kinds of grain boundaries on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) by scanning tunneling microscopy. We categorized several grain boundary ...configurations as a function of the misorientation angle between the adjacent grains, highlighting the occurrence of double grain boundaries (i.e., systems of two grain boundaries separated by a nanometric-scale inner region with specific atomic arrangement) for misorientation angles in the range 22°–32°. By using Molecular Dynamics simulations, we analyzed the structure and energy stability of single and double grain boundaries according to the misorientation angle. The experimental evidence is corroborated by Molecular Dynamics results and total energy calculations, which found a comparable stability between single and double grain boundaries for the same misorientation angle range. Our combination of experimental measurements and theoretical calculation extends the understanding of the structural configuration of large angle grain boundaries beyond the range of misorientation angles reported to date.
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The endocannabinoid system comprises the cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2), their endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids), and the proteins responsible for their biosynthesis and ...degradation. This ubiquitous signalling system, that has attracted a great deal of scientist interest in the past 15 years, regulates several physiological and pathological functions. In mammals, among other functions, the endocannabinoid is involved in nervous, cardiovascular, metabolic, reproductive and immune functions. Finally, yet importantly, endocannabinoids are known to exert important antiproliferative actions in a great number of tumor cells including breast, brain, skin, thyroid, prostate and colorectal. The following review describes our current knowledge on the effects of two of the most studied endocannabinoids (AEA and 2-AG) on various types of tumor and summarizes the possible mechanism of observed antitumor effects.
Electrified guided vehicles typically face routes having a large number of acceleration and braking phases. The braking energy, since the feeding line presents nonreversible electrical feeding ...substations, can be recovered in the presence of other nearby vehicles. To improve braking energy recovery, one or more storage systems can be positioned along the track. Analysis of effectiveness for the considered solution requires time-domain simulation models, to be created through suitable simulation general-purpose languages or specialised languages/software. In this paper, three different tools for the considered existing tramway were developed, and the main examined characteristics have been compared to each other. Then, analysis of output results was also performed, demonstrating the real cost-effectiveness of introducing one storage device on the considered tramline in operation.
A controlled layer of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) was grown directly on top of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass electrodes as a surface modifier for improving the performance of polymer ...solar cells. By using low-temperature chemical vapor deposition with short synthesis times, very short MWCNTs were grown, these uniformly decorating the FTO surface. The chemical vapor deposition parameters were carefully refined to balance the tube size and density, while minimizing the decrease in conductivity and light harvesting of the electrode. As created FTO/CNT electrodes were applied to bulk-heterojunction polymer solar cells, both in direct and inverted architecture. Thanks to the inclusion of MWCNT and the consequent nano-structuring of the electrode surface, we observe an increase in external quantum efficiency in the wavelength range from 550 to 650nm. Overall, polymer solar cells realized with these FTO/CNT electrodes attain power conversion efficiency higher than 2%, outclassing reference cells based on standard FTO electrodes.
•Multi-walled carbon nanotubes are grown on the surface of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes by chemical vapor deposition.•Low-temperature (up to 600°C) synthesis of carbon nanotubes does not alter the capability of FTO electrodes but rather improves their electric behavior.•Polymer solar cells with direct and inverted architecture are successfully built and tested with FTO/CNT electrodes.•The carbon nanotube coating on FTO is found to significantly increase the external quantum efficiency of polymer cells.•The higher work function attained by CNT-modified electrodes is beneficial for the energy band alignment of polymer cells in direct architecture.
The paper describes four optimization solutions that can be used to support the transmission system planning. The problems are focused on the identification of the primary transmission system ...operations that optimize the power flows on the transmission lines. The approaches are based on a DC model of the transmission system and the optimization problems can be solved recurring at LP and MILP. The mathematical model and the optimization problems have been described in detail, reporting a list of applications that can be handled by the proposed methodology to evaluate the effects on transmission and generation expansion. A 9 bus test grid has been used to support the methodology explanation.
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