We explore the interrelationships between the green 510 nm emission, the free-carrier concentration, and the paramagnetic oxygen-vacancy density in commercial ZnO phosphors by combining photoluminescence, optical-absorption, and electron-paramagnetic-resonance spectroscopies. We find that the green emission intensity is strongly influenced by free-carrier depletion at the particle surface, particularly for small particles and/or low doping. Our data suggest that the singly ionized oxygen vacancy is responsible for the green emission in ZnO; this emission results from the recombination of a photogenerated hole with the singly ionized charge state of this defect.

The ultraviolet photoluminescence of ZnO/ZnGa 2 O 4 composite layer grown by the thermal oxidation of ZnS with gallium was investigated by the time-resolved pho-toluminescence as a function of measuring temperature and excitation power. With increase of excitation power, the D 0 X emission is easily saturated than the DAP emission from ZnO/ZnGa 2 O 4 composite layer, and which is dramatically enhanced as compared with that from pure ZnO layer grown without gallium. The radiative re-combination process with ultra-long lifetime controlled the carrier recombination of ZnO/ZnGa 2 O 4 composite layer. C

Tuberculosis (TB) is responsible for death of nearly two million people in the world annually. Upon infection, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) causes formation of granuloma where the pathogen goes into dormant state and can live for decades before resuscitation to develop active disease when the immune system of the host is weakened and/or suppressed. In an attempt to better understand host-pathogen interactions, several groups have been developing in vitro models of human tuberculosis granuloma. However, to date, an in vitro granuloma model in which Mtb goes into dormancy and can subsequently resuscitate under conditions that mimic weakening of the immune system has not been reported. We describe the development of a biomimetic in vitro model of human tuberculosis granuloma using human primary leukocytes, in which the Mtb exhibited characteristics of dormant mycobacteria as demonstrated by (1) loss of acid-fastness, (2) accumulation of lipid bodies (3) development of rifampicin-tolerance and (4) gene expression changes. Further, when these micro granulomas were treated with immunosuppressant anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha monoclonal antibodies (anti-TNFα mAbs), resuscitation of Mtb was observed as has been found in humans. In this human in vitro granuloma model triacylglycerol synthase 1deletion mutant (Δtgs1) with impaired ability to accumulate triacylglycerides (TG), but not the complemented mutant, could not go into dormancy. Deletion mutant of lipY, with compromised ability to mobilize the stored TG, but not the complemented mutant, was unable to come out of dormancy upon treatment with anti-TNFα mAbs. In conclusion, we have developed an in vitro human tuberculosis granuloma model that largely exhibits functional features of dormancy and resuscitation observed in human tuberculosis.

Using electron paramagnetic resonance, the motion of oxygen vacancies within the oxygen octahedron in perovskite BaTiO3 is observed via the alignment of oxygen vacancyrelated defect dipoles induced by bias/heat combinations. The vacancy motion is found to have an activation energy of 0.91 eV, in excellent agreement with that predicted. It is found that the onset of resistance degradation is also concurrent with oxygen vacancy motion. This result spectroscopically demonstrates that oxygen vacancy migration in the lattice is likely responsible for the observed degradation.

Switchable polarization can be significantly suppressed in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films by optical, thermal, and electrical processes. The optical (thermal) suppression effects occur by biasing the ferroelectric near the switching threshold and illuminating the material with band-gap light (heating the material to ≊100 °C). The electrical suppression effect, commonly known as electrical fatigue, occurs by subjecting the ferroelectric to repeated polarization reversals. It is found that the suppressed polarization in all three cases can be restored to essentially its initial polarization value by injecting electronic charge carriers into the ferroelectric. This strongly suggests that all three forms of degradation involve locking domains by electronic charge trapping centers.

Nanoparticle technology is undergoing significant expansion largely because of the potential of nanoparticles as biomaterials, drug delivery vehicles, cancer therapeutics, and immunopotentiators. Incorporation of nanoparticle technologies for in vivo applications increases the urgency to characterize nanomaterial immunogenicity. This study explores titanium dioxide, one of the most widely manufactured nanomaterials, synthesized into its three most common nanoarchitectures: anatase (7-10 nm), rutile (15-20 nm), and nanotube (10-15 nm diameters, 70-150 nm length). The fully human autologous MIMIC immunological construct has been utilized as a predictive, nonanimal alternative to diagnose nanoparticle immunogenicity. Cumulatively, treatment with titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the MIMIC system led to elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines and increased maturation and expression of costimulatory molecules on dendritic cells. Additionally, these treatments effectively primed activation and proliferation of naïve CD4 + T cells in comparison to dendritic cells treated with micrometer-sized (>1 μm) titanium dioxide, characteristic of an in vivo inflammatory response.

The primary emphasis of tissue engineering is the design and fabrication of constructs for the replacement of nonfunctional tissue. Because tissue represents a highly organized interplay of cells and extracellular matrix, the fabrication of replacement tissue should mimic this spatial organization. This report details studies evaluating the use of a three-dimensional, direct-write cell deposition system to construct spatially organized viable structures. A direct-write bioassembly system was designed and fabricated to permit layer-by-layer placement of cells and extracellular matrix on a variety of material substrates. Human fibroblasts suspended in polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene were coextruded through a positive displacement pen delivery onto a polystyrene slide. After deposition, approximately 60% of the fibroblasts remained viable. Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) suspended in soluble collagen type I were coextruded via microdispense pen delivery onto the hydrophilic side of flat sheets of polyethylene terephthalate. After deposition with a 25-gauge tip, approximately 86% of the BAECs were viable. When maintained in culture for up to 35 days, the constructs remained viable and maintained their original spatial organization. These results indicate the potential for utilizing a direct-write, three-dimensional bioassembly tool to create viable, patterned tissue-engineered constructs.

Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 and (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films and bulk ceramics are shown to exhibit two distinct, but related types of photoinduced changes in their hysteresis behavior: (1) a photoinduced suppression of the switchable polarization and (2) a photoinduced voltage shift. Both effects give rise to stable and reproducible hysteresis changes and, thus, either could be the basis of an optical memory. Both phenomena can be explained by trapping of photogenerated charge at domain boundaries to minimize internal depolarizing fields. The space-charge field that causes the voltage-shift effect is primarily due to the migration and subsequent trapping of electrons. However, the thickness dependence of the voltage shift implies that the trapped charge is not confined to the interface. The voltage-shift kinetics exhibit a stretched-exponential dependence, whereas the polarization-suppression effect follows an exponential time dependence. However, both effects exhibit similar relaxation times. In addition, the relaxation time for the voltage-shift effect decreases with increasing light intensity according to a power-law relationship, τ∝I−n, where 0.67<n<0.75.