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Light therapy has attracted medical interests as a safe, alternative treatment for photo-ageing and photo-damaged skin. Recent research suggested the therapeutic activity of red and infrared (IR) lights may be effective at much lower energy levels than those used clinically. This study was to evaluate the efficacy of low-level red plus near IR light emitting diode (LED) combination on collagen and elastin and ATP production.Human dermal fibroblasts or skin tissues were irradiated daily by red (640 nm) plus near IR (830 nm) LED lights combination at 0.5 mW/cmTreatment of human fibroblast cell cultures with low-level red plus near IR lights combination was found to significantly increase LOXL1, ELN and COL1A1 and COL3A1 gene expressions as well as the synthesis of the procollagen type I and elastin proteins. Treating human skin explants with low-level red plus near IR lights combination similarly induced significant increases in the same gene expressions, type III collagen and elastic fibre formation and crosslinks. ATP production was increased in human dermal fibroblasts after red plus near IR lights combination treatment.Low-level red plus near IR lights combination stimulated the production of collagen and elastin production associated with anti-ageing benefits. These findings suggest that low-level red plus near IR LED light combination may provide an effective treatment opportunity for people with photo-aged skin.La luminothérapie a suscité des intérêts médicaux en tant que traitement alternatif sûr pour la photo-vieillissement et la peau endommagée. Des recherches récentes ont suggéré que L'activité thérapeutique des feux rouges et infrarouges (IR) pourrait être efficace à des niveaux d'énergie beaucoup plus faibles que ceux utilisés en clinique. Cette étude avait pour but d'évaluer l'efficacité de la combinaison de diodes électroluminescentes (DEL) rouges de faible intensité et de diodes électroluminescentes (IR) sur la production de collagène, d'élastine et d'ATP. MÉTHODES: Les fibroblastes dermiques humains ou les tissus cutanés ont été irradiés quotidiennement par une combinaison de feux rouges (640nm) et de feux à DEL proches de l'IR (830nm) à 0,5mW/cm2 pendant 10minutes (0,3J/cm2). qPCR, ELISA ou histologie ont été utilisés pour déterminer les expressions géniques et protéiques. Des mesures fluorescentes ont été utilisées pour évaluer les liens croisés du collagène et des fibres élastiques. La production d'ATP a été évaluée au moyen d'un essai ATP. RÉSULTATS: Le traitement de cultures de cellules de fibroblastes humaines avec une combinaison rouge de faible intensité et proche des lumières IR a permis d'augmenter significativement les expressions des gènes LOXL1, ELN et COL1A1 et COL3A1, ainsi que la synthèse des protéines de procollagène de type I et d'élastine. Le traitement des explants de peau humaine avec une combinaison rouge de bas niveau et proche des lumières IR a également induit des augmentations significatives dans les mêmes expressions géniques, la formation de collagène de type III et de fibres élastiques et les liaisons croisées. La production d'ATP a augmenté dans les fibroblastes dermiques humains après le traitement combiné rouge et proche des feux IR.L'association du rouge de bas niveau et des lumières infrarouges a stimulé la production de collagène et d'élastine associée aux bienfaits de l'antivieillissement. Ces résultats suggèrent que la combinaison de faible intensité de rouge plus proche de la lumière IR LED peut fournir une opportunité de traitement efficace pour les personnes ayant la peau photo-âgée.

The loss of structural elastin due to intrinsic and extrinsic ageing results in the skin's inability to stretch and recoil (decrease in elasticity) and manifests as loss of skin firmness and sagging. While other extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as collagen and hyaluronic acid are continually synthesized and assembled through life, elastic fibres are not. Elastic fibre assembly and functionality require fibre cross-linking, induced by the lysyl oxidase-like (LOXL) enzymes, which sharply decrease during ageing.To evaluate the enhanced elastogenic effect of a blackberry-dill extract combination, which was hypothesized to induce elastin fibre component synthesis, fibre cross-linking and reduce elastin fibre degradation.The blackberry and the dill extracts were tested separately and in combination to confirm single ingredient bioactivity and synergistic benefits. Human skin explants, dermal fibroblasts, elastase assays, ELISAs, quantitative real-time PCRs and spectrofluorometer measurements were used. Moreover, a double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study was carried out to assess skin elasticity using Cutometer and histologically from biopsies.The blackberry extract induced elastin gene expression, elastin promoter activity and inhibited elastic fibre degradation by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 9 and 12. The dill extract induced elastin, collagen and LOXL1 gene expression, resulting in enhanced fibre cross-linking in human skin explants. Clinically, the blackberry and dill combination treatment displayed synergistic pro-elasticity activity as compared to each ingredient alone and placebo.Taken together, these results demonstrated the two multimodal plant-based extracts complemented each other in terms of bioactivity and resulted in a synergistic elastogenesis induction.CONTEXTE: la perte de l’élastine structurelle causée par un vieillissement intrinsèque et extrinsèque provoque l’incapacité de la peau à s’étirer et à rebondir (diminution de l’élasticité) et se manifeste comme une perte de fermeté et un relâchement de la peau. Alors que d’autres composants de la matrice extracellulaire (MEC), tels que le collagène et l’acide hyaluronique sont continuellement synthétisés et assemblés tout au long de la vie, les fibres élastiques ne le sont pas. L’assemblage et la fonctionnalité des fibres élastiques nécessitent une réticulation des fibres, causée par les enzymes de type lysyle oxydase (LOXL), qui diminuent fortement au cours du vieillissement. OBJECTIF: évaluer l’effet élastogène amélioré d’une combinaison d’extrait de mûre et d’aneth, qui était supposée induire la synthèse des composants des fibres d’élastine, la réticulation des fibres et réduire la dégradation des fibres d’élastine. MÉTHODES: les extraits de mûre et d’aneth ont été testés séparément et ensemble pour confirmer la bioactivité d’un seul ingrédient et les avantages synergiques. Des explants de peau humaine, des fibroblastes cutanés, des dosages d’élastase, des ELISA, des analyses PCR quantitatives en temps réel et des mesures de spectrofluorimètre ont été utilisés. De plus, une étude clinique en double aveugle, contrôlée par placebo, a été réalisée pour évaluer l’élasticité de la peau à l’aide du cutomètre et histologiquement à partir de biopsies. RÉSULTATS: l’extrait de mûre a induit l’expression génique de l’élastine, l’activité de promoteur de l’élastine et a inhibé la dégradation des fibres élastiques par des métalloprotéinases matricielles (MPM) 9 et 12.L’extrait d’aneth a causé l’expression génique de l’élastine, du collagène et du gène LOXL1, entraînant une amélioration de la réticulation des fibres dans les explants de peau humaine. Cliniquement, le traitement par une combinaison de mûre et d’aneth a montré une activité de pro-élasticité synergique par rapport à chaque ingrédient seul et au placebo. CONCLUSION: ensemble, ces résultats ont démontré que les deux extraits de plantes multimodales se complètent en termes de bioactivité et ont entraîné une induction synergique de l’élastogenèse.

In this study, a new lithium-silicon-oxynitride (LiSiON) solid-state thin-film electrolyte was investigated for the first time. The LiSiON thin-film electrolyte was deposited by using the RF sputtering technique. In order to compare the LiSiON thin-film electrolyte to lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LiPON), a conventional thin-film electrolyte, were deposited LiPON thin-film electrolytes by using RF sputtering. Surface morphologies and cross-sectional views of the thin-film electrolytes were characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The thin-films showed smooth surfaces without any cracks and pinholes. The smooth surfaces are thought to decrease the interfacial resistance between the electrolyte and the electrodes. In addition, surface morphologies were characterized by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The sputtering rates were calculated using the thicknesses of the thin-films, as obtained from cross-sectional views. The structural properties of the thin-films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD). All thinfilms showed amorphous properties compared to the target material which is a crystalline material. The ionic conductivity of the LiSiON thin-film was 2.47 × 10 −6 (S/cm), which is slightly higher than that of a common thin-film electrolyte LiPON.

This study reports an integrated device of a lithium-ion battery (LIB) connected with Si solar cells. A Li(Ni0.65Co0.15Mn0.20)O2 (NCM) cathode and a graphite (G) anode were used to fabricate the lithium-ion battery (LIB). The surface and shape morphologies of NCM and graphite powder were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The structural properties of NCM and graphite powder were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. XRD patterns of powders were well matched with those of JCPDS data. To investigate the electrochemical characteristics of NCM and graphite, cycling tests were performed after assembling the NCM-Li, the G-Li half-cell, and the NCM-G full-cell. The discharge capacity of the NCM cathode at 0.1C was 189.82 mAh/g−1. The NCM-graphite full-cell showed 98.25% cycle retention at 1C after 50 cycles. To obtain enough charging voltage for the LIB connected with solar cells in an integrated device, eight single Si solar cells were connected in a series. The short-circuit photocurrent density for Si solar cells was 4.124 mA/cm2. The fill factor and the open circuit voltage were 0.78 and 4.5 V, respectively. These Si solar cells showed a power conversion efficiency of 14.45%. The power conversion andstorage efficiency of the integrated device of the NCM battery and Si solar cells was 7.74%. Charging of the integrated device could be as effective as charging with a battery cycler.

The atomic structural and electrochemical properties of Fe substituted nano porous LiMn 1-x Fe x PO 4 (x = 0–0.8) composites are investigated and compared. X-ray scattering method is used for atomic structural investigation. Rietveld refinement shows that all Fe substituted composites have the same olivine structure ( Pnma ) with lithium occupying octahedral 4a sites, Fe 2+ replacing Mn 2+ at the octahedral 4c sites. The a, b, c parameters and cell volume decrease with the addition of Fe 2+ . When the nano porous LiMn 1-x Fe x PO 4 composites are evaluated as cathode materials in lithium cells at room temperature, x = 0.6, and 0.8 resulted in the best overall electrochemical performance, exhibiting stable cycling and high discharge capacities of 149 and 154 mA h g −1 , respectively. The composites with above x = 0.4 show a fast lithium ions transfer with high electronic conductivity because Fe transition metal substitution reduce the partly occupation of Mn in the M1 (LiO 6 ) sites and thereby Mn block the lithium ion diffusion pathway. We here firstly find the antisite defect in the high Mn content in porous LiMn 1-x Fe x PO 4 composites.

The oxidation behavior of Fe–77Ni alloy scrap was investigated at an oxygen partial pressure of 0.2 atm and temperatures ranging from 400 °C to 900 °C. The corresponding oxidation rate increased with increasing temperature and obeyed the parabolic rate law, as evidenced by its linear proportionality to the temperature. In addition, surface morphologies, cross-sectional views, compositions, structural properties were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Diffusion through either the spinel structure or the NiO layer, which were both present in the alloy during oxidation at elevated temperatures, was deemed the rate-limiting step of the reaction. The oxide powder less than 10 μm was obtained from Fe–77Ni alloy scrap was obtained using ball-milling and sieving processes. In fact, 15 h of milling yielded a recovery ratio of 97%. Using hydrogen gas, the oxide powder was successfully reduced to an alloy powder of Ni 3 Fe and reduction rates of ∼97% were achieved after 3 h at 1000 °C.

Bifunctional catalysts are prominent to attain high capacity, maximum energy efficiency and long cycle-life for aqueous rechargeable Na-air batteries. In this work, we report the synthesis of bi-functional noble metal free, Co3(PO4)2 nanostructures by facile precipitation technique and evaluated its electrocatalytic activity. Co3(PO4)2 nanostructure was investigated as a potential electrocatalyst for rechargeable aqueous Na-air battery for the first time. The synthesized Co3(PO4)2 grain-like nanostructures showed better oxygen evolution activity compared to Pt/C catalyst. The fabricated Na-air battery with the Co3(PO4)2 catalyst as air-cathode delivered low overpotential and its round trip energy efficiency reached up to 83%. The Na-air battery exhibited stable cycle performance up to 50 cycles.

High-purity micro-rod β-Na 0.33 V 2 O 5 particles 2⿿5 μm in width and 3⿿10 μm in length are prepared by the chemical switch method. Electrochemical characterization demonstrates that micro-rod β-Na 0.33 V 2 O 5 as a cathode material for lithium ion batteries provides high discharge capacity, good rate-capability, and cyclic stability. It delivers high discharge capacities of 297, 245, 220, and 178 mAh g ⿿1 at current densities of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 1 C-rate, respectively. The capacity fading rate is less than 1% per cycle, with high volumetric discharge capacities (504 mAh cm ⿿3 at 0.1C and 301 mAh cm ⿿3 at 1 C). Scanning electron microscopy images of the micro-rods during cycling indicate that they have excellent crystal structural reversibility in the voltage range of 1.5⿿4.0 V. These superior electrochemical properties are attributed to the tunneled crystal structure and internal pores formed by crystal defects in the micro-rods.

In this study, amorphous lithium thio-germanate thin-films were prepared as electrolytes for solid-state lithium rechargeable batteries by using RF sputtering deposition in an Ar atmospheres. High quality lithium germanium sulfide, nLi 2 S + GeS 2 (n = 1, 2, and 3) thin-films have been successfully made by RF sputtering and synthesized as solid-state electrolytes. Although these materials are unstable in air the thin-films were thoroughly characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, Infrared spectroscopy (IR), and impedance spectroscopy using special setups to prevent contamination. The ionic conductivities of the thin-films are ∼3 order magnitude higher than reported values for oxide thin-films. In this way, this work may provide a new way for developing new thin-film electrolytes for solid-state lithium ion batteries.

At present, we suffer from various environmental issues such as air pollution and rapid weather change. Air pollution is usually caused by the use of fossil fuels. To overcome the environmental issues, LIBs are reasonable candidates. In these days, lithium ion batteries (LIB) are very promising power suppliers for electronic devices, electrical vehicles (EV), and energy storage system (ESS) because of their high power densities.[1] Although the LIB has advantages compared to other power sources, LIBs with a liquid electrolyte have safety issues such as explosion and fire contributed by thermal or chemical instability. All-solid-state batteries are the solution to the problem of LIBs with liquid electrolytes. All-solid-state batteries have many advantages such as high energy densities, high stability, and applying high voltages compared to conventional LIBs.[2] As the portable and miniaturization of electronic devices and the development of wearable devices are to be in the spotlight, the development of a power supply for drive them is indispensable. The type of batteries that can meet this demand is an all-solid-state thin-film battery. Thickness of thin-film batteries is about 10 μm, which makes it suitable for power source of miniaturized electronic devices such as smart cards, RFID tags and medical devices. All-solid-state thin-film batteries also have better thermal stability than conventional Li-ion batteries. Higher capacity of thin-film batteries can be realized by applying high voltages. The key to the performance of all-solid-state thin-film batteries is a solid electrolyte. In order to deposit thin-film electrolytes, there are various available techniques such as a sputter, plasma laser deposition (PLD), e-beam evaporator, and so on. Among these techniques, the sputtering technique has an advantage compared to other deposition techniques. The sputtering techniques could deposit oxide and nitride materials. In addition, sputtering techniques are simple process and can be deposition with thin films uniformly. Comparing PLD and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), the sputtering techniques are lower cost and low temperature for deposition. Therefore, sputters are suitable for commercialization. Generally, solid electrolytes are classified under oxide system and sulfide system. While sulfide electrolytes have high ionic conductivity and instability, oxide electrolytes have low ionic conductivity and high stability. A lot of oxide based solid state electrolytes were researched. The oxide-based solid electrolytes include LiPON, Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO), Li1+xAlxTi2-x(PO4)3(LATP), and lithium boron oxynitride. Among them, LiPON thin-film electrolytes are representative and commonly used as a thin-film electrolyte. However, since the ionic conductivity of LiPON is relatively low, it is necessary to improve the low ionic conductivity. In this study, a new lithium silicon oxynitride (LiSiON) thin-film electrolyte was deposited by RF sputtering technique. Surface morphologies and cross-sectional views of the thin-film electrolyte were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The thin film showed smooth surface without any cracks and pinholes. It can be thought that the smooth surface could decrease interfacial resistance between electrolyte and electrodes. In addition, surface morphologies were also characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The sputtering rates were calculated by thickness of thin films on cross sectional views. Structural properties of the thin films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The thin film showed amorphous properties compared to the target material which is a crystalline material. In addition, structural properties of the thin film were also characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The thin film showed also amorphous properties with partially crystalline in LiSiON structures deposited by RF sputtering. Ionic conductivity of LiSiON was measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Cu thin films used as blocking electrodes with 150nm thickness were deposited by a direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering using a target with 2-inch diameter. The DC power and working pressure were set on 30W and 7 mTorr in Ar atmosphere, respectively. LiSiON thin film was deposited by an RF magnetron sputter at 200W power using Li4SiO4 target with 4-inch diameter in Ar/N2 (2:8) atmosphere. Ionic conductivity of the LiSiON thin film showed 2.47 ´ 10-6 (S/cm) which is similar to other lithium oxide thin films. For this reason, LiSiON thin-film electrolytes are research-worthy materials for use in all-solid-state thin-film batteries. Reference [1] M. Armand, J. Tarascon, Nature, 451, 652 (2008). [2] Q. Wang, P. Ping, X. Zhao, G. Chu, J. Sun, et al., J. Power Sources, 208, 210 (2012).

The necessity of developing new types of energy conversion and storage systems is evident by the rapidly decreasing fossil fuels and the continuously growing environmental issues. Coupling of lithium ion secondary batteries and photovoltaic cells is a reasonable candidate of new types of energy transform and storage system to reduce environmental concerns. Solar cells can ensure sustainable access to electrical power for charging LIBs anywhere around the world with no air pollution, hazardous waste or noise. Accordingly, the solar cell technology that generates electricity from the sunlight [1], could offer a viable approach to ‘self-charging’ of LIBs. However, most current solar cells, especially polymer solar cells, generally show low current densities and power conversion efficiencies, and to improve this we used perovskite solar cell for power supply of self-chargeable batteries. The recent availability of high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs) could not only facilitate the development of highly efficient (up to ~ 20 %) [2] and low cost solar cells for practical applications but also allow for the integration of PSCs into various energy systems. One of the important problems of PSC-LIB coupling is that when charging, the voltage of the PSCs must be higher than the operating voltage of the LIBs. If the above conditions are not established, PSCs may cause discharge of the LIBs. The most structurally stable LiFePO4(LFP)-LTO(Li4Ti5O12) batteries were used for coupling. In the case of LFP-LTO batteries, the OCV(open circuit voltage) value has a low voltage of 1.85V. It was confirmed that stable self-charging is achieved by connecting it to a manufactured PSCs pack with a charging voltage of 2.1 V. This work clearly indicates that the PSC-LIB units developed in this study hold great promise for potential applications as self-chargeable batteries to various portable electronics. In this study, we have fabricated lithium-ion pouch cell and coin cell based on LFP and (LTO) as a cathode and an anode, respectively. The cathode was fabricated by blending LFP powder with carbon black (Super P) and polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) at a weight ratio of 8:1:1. The anode was also prepared in the same way as the cathode using LTO powder and N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was used as the solvent, respectively. The Electrolyte was used 1.2 M LiPF6 in a 1:1(v/v, %) mixture of ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate. Pouch cell was fabricated with size of 3 cm x 5 cm. Ni and Al were used as cathode and anode lead tabs, respectively. The LIBs were assembled as the CR 2032 coin-type cells and pouch cells in an Ar-filled glove box. Structural properties and chemical compositions of LFP and LTO powders were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XRD pattern shows that the LiFePO4 cathode sheets are crystalline. The powder and surface morphologies of electrode sheet were characterized by FE-SEM. The primary particles size was identified as approximately 50 to 150 nm and the secondary particles size approximately 10mm. The electrochemical performance of LFP and LTO half cells and the LFP-LTO full cell were conducted by cyclic voltammetry and charge/discharge cycle tests at various current densities in the voltage ranges. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed in frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 1 MHz, using 10 mV ac signals at room temperatures. LFP-LTO pouch cells showed good cycling stability a wide range of C-rates from 0.1 to 1.0 C with charge/discharge capacities of 142/138 mAhg-1 at 0.1 C and 152/144 mAhg-1 at 1.0 C. As a result, LiB-PSC coupling enabled the implementation of self-chargeable batteries. Finally, Perovskite solar cells and the Li-ion battery coupling were tested for a self-chargeable device. References Green, M. A. Solar cells: Operating Principles, Technology, and System Applications (Prentice-Hall, 1982). Lee, M. M., Teuscher, J ., Miyasaka, T., Murakami, T. N. & Snaith, H. J. Efficient hybrid solar cells based on meso-superstructured organometal halide perovskites. Science 338, 643-647 (2012)

In this study, lithium thio-germanate thin amorphous films were prepared as electrolytes for lithium rechargeable batteries by RF sputtering deposition in Ar atmosphere. The targets for RF sputtering were prepared by milling the appropriate amounts of the starting materials in the nLi2S+GeS2(n = 1, 2, and 3), Li2GeS3, Li4GeS4 and Li6GeS5, binary system. The ~1 μm thin film electrolytes were grown onto a variety of substrates using 50 W power and 25 mtorr gas pressure. Films were sputtered in inactive Ar atmospheres. IR, Raman spectroscopy and XRD were used to characterize the chemical bonding and the local structures in the films. XPS spectroscopy was used to further characterize the composition and electronic structures of the films. Ionic conductivity measurements of the electrolyte film using impedance spectroscopy were used to examine the Li2S dependence of the conductivity. The conductivities of the thin films at 25 C is 1.7 × 10 (S/cm). This ionic conductivities of the thin films are two order magnitude higher than oxide thin films (LiPON) which are commercial thin film electrolytes. Therefore, lithium thio-germanate thin film electrolytes are very promising materials for use Li-ion batteries.

In this paper, high quality chalcogenide infrared-transmitting As 40 Se 60 and As 38.8 Se 61.2 glasses were prepared and characterized for single mode glass fibers. In order to obtain high purity glasses, the starting materials, As and Se (99.9999%), were purified using a distillation method, which required heat treatment under vacuum using silica tubes and a liquid N 2 trap system. As 40 Se 60 and As 38.8 Se 61.2 glasses are chosen as core and cladding, respectively. From the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results, the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of the As 40 Se 60 and As 38.8 Se 61.2 glasses was 183 °C and 173 °C, respectively. Infrared transmission of the two glasses shows good transmittance over the range of 1–12 μm. There is a slight absorption in both glasses at ∼4.4 μm which is related to Se–H bonds. In order to measure the refractive index over the range of ∼2 –12 μm, prisms of 40 mm × 40 mm × 15 mm with 20° angles were made and were carefully polished. It was found that the refractive indices of As 40 Se 60 were slightly higher than those of the As 38.8 Se 61.2 .

25Ga2S3-(75 − x)GeS2-xCsCl (x = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50) compositions were synthesized and characterized. The glass-forming ability of each sample corresponds to the quantity of GeS2 and CsCl present in the sample. The density of the glasses sample was determined. Raman and Infrared (IR) spectra were conducted to determine the structures of the glasses. In the Raman spectra, the dominant GeS2 peak is assigned at ∼340 cm−1. As the CsCl content increases over 20 mol.%, the peak broadens and separates at ∼40 mol.% CsCl. As the CsCl content continues to increase, the intensity of the peak at ∼315 cm−1, which is assigned to Ga2S3-Cl, also increases. For the IR transmittance spectra of the glasses, five representative samples, 25Ga2S3-(75 − x)GeS2-xCsCl glasses (x = 5, 15, 30, 45, and 50), were prepared. As CsCl content increases, the absorption bands at 2.8 μm (3600 cm−1) and 6.3 μm (1600 cm−1), which are related to H2O, increases. The absorption band at 7.7 μm (1600 cm−1), which is assigned to OH− bonding, were not changed significantly with addition of CsCl. The Tg’s range from ∼400°C to 260°C as the amount of CsCl increases from 5 mol.% to 50 mol.%. The index of refraction of the Ga2S3-GeS2 system is ∼2.4, whereas the index of refraction of CsCl is ∼1.5. Therefore, by increasing the amount of CsCl in the system, the index of refraction decreases.

A new thio-germanium sulfide Li 2 GeGa 2 S 6 (LGGS) has been synthesized for the first time. In order to determine the structure of the LGGS, the material was synthesized by being melted in a carbon-coated silica tube and being slowly cooled to make a crystalline structure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was performed. The experimental XRD powder pattern of the LiGeGa 2 S 6 appears to closely match the calculated data, Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards (JCPDS). The host structure is built of GaS 4 tetrahedra linked by corners to GeS 4 tetrahedra to create a 3D framework forming tunnels along the c -axis, in which the Li + ions are located. To further characterize the structure of the phase, the Raman and infrared (IR) spectra of LGGS were performed. The strongest intensity peak in the Raman spectra is observed at ~ 337 cm –1 assigned to symmetric stretch vibrations of S atoms (Ge–S–Ge symmetrical bridge-stretching mode) in GeS 4 and GaS 4 units. This symmetric sulfur bridge stretching mode is also observed at ~ 338 cm − 1 in the IR spectra. The ionic conductivities of the LGGS were conducted with various temperatures. The ionic conductivity of 3.8 × 10 − 8 S/cm was observed at room temperature. Electrochemical stability was evaluated from the cyclic voltammogram of a Li/Li 2 GeGa 2 S 6 /Au cell with a lithium reference electrode. The material shows high decomposition potential up to 6 V.

Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) transparent conducting oxide was grown by oxygen plasma-enhanced pulsed laser deposition. GZO grown in the presence of oxygen radicals had resistivity of 1 × 10−3 Ω cm and average visible (500–700 nm) transmittance of 92.5%. A low specific contact resistance of 6.5 × 10−4 Ω cm2 of GZO on p-GaN was achieved by excimer laser annealing (ELA) treatment of p-GaN before GZO electrode deposition. The ELA-treated light emitting diode (LED) fabricated with the GZO electrode as a current-spreading layer resulted in light-output power enhanced by 56.2% at 100 mA compared with that fabricated with a conventional Ni/Au metal electrode. The high-light output and low degradation of light-output power were attributed to the decrease in contact resistance between the p-GaN layer and the GZO electrode and uniform current spreading over the p-GaN layer. In addition, low contact resistance results in a decrease of self-heat generation during current drive.

xNa 2 S + (1 − x)P 2 S 5 amorphous and partially crystalline materials were prepared by melt-quenching and mechanical milling. These products were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Raman spectroscopy. Compared to the narrower x-ray amorphous range for this system obtained through melt-quenching as found in this study, 0.50 ≤ x ≤ 0.67, the x-ray amorphous range for this system could be extended from the low-alkali ultra-thiophosphate composition of x ~ 0.25 to slightly above the high-alkali pyro-thiophosphate composition of x ~ 0.70 using mechanical milling. Mechanically milled samples with Na 2 S of composition x = 0.75 yielded a partially crystalline material that had diffuse XRD peaks associated to the α-Na 3 PS 4 phase. A similar result was obtained for the x = 0.80 composition except that, as expected, it also showed peaks for unreacted (over stoichiometric) Na 2 S. The melt-quenched and mechanically milled samples with the same compositions 0.50 ≤ x ≤ 0.67 showed similar FT-IR and Raman spectra, indicating very similar chemical short-range structures are present in both of these amorphous materials. It was found that the Na 2 S + P 2 S 5 system exhibited similar behavior to that of the Li 2 S + P 2 S 5 in that chemical reaction between Na 2 S and P 2 S 5 could be induced by mechanical milling near room temperature to produce both amorphous and polycrystalline materials.

In this study, lithium thio-germanate thin-film electrolytes for lithium rechargeable batteries have been successfully prepared by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering deposition in Ar gas atmospheres. The targets for RF sputtering were prepared by melting, milling and pressing the appropriate amounts of the starting materials in the nLi2S + GeS2, n = 1–4, binary system. 2 mm wide × 18 mm long Au electrodes with a parallel configuration of 2 mm spacing were sputtered to ∼100 nm thick at a sputtering rate at ∼5 nm min−1 on Al2O3 single crystal substrates. Thin-film electrolytes were grown on this electrode assembly at 50 W power and 25 mtorr in Ar gas pressure. The ionic conductivities of the thin-film electrolytes were measured from −25 °C to 100 °C with 25 °C increments over the frequency range 0.1 Hz–1 MHz. The d.c. ionic conductivities determined from complex plane plots of the impedance of the Li2GeS3, Li4GeS4, Li6GeS5, and Li8GeS6 amorphous thin films at 25 °C were found to be 1.1 × 10−4 S cm−1, 7.5 × 10−4 S cm−1, 1.7 × 10−3 S cm−1, and 7.0 × 10−5 S cm−1, respectively. As the Li2S content in the thin film increases, the ionic conductivities of the thin films increase from n = 1 to n = 3. However, for the n = 4 Li8GeS6 thin film, the ionic conductivity decreased and the activation energy increased. The maximum in the conductivity for the n = 3 film is among the highest ever reported for an amorphous solid state Li+ ion conductor.

In this study, amorphous lithium thio-germanate thin films were prepared by radio frequency (RF) sputtering deposition in Ar atmospheres. For the first time, new high quality lithium germanium sulfide nLi2S þGeS2 thin films, n ¼1, 2, and 3, have been successfully made by RF sputtering and synthesized as new solid state electrolytes. Although these materials are unstable in air, the starting materials, target materials, and thin films made from them were thoroughly characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, SEM, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and impedance spectroscopy using special setups to prevent contamination. These high quality thin films did not show any cracks and pits on the surface and the ionic conductivities of the thin films are 2‐3 orders of magnitude higher than reported values for similar lithium containing oxide thin films. In this way, this work may provide a new way for developing new thin-film electrolytes for solid state lithium ion batteries.

A new thio-germanium sulfide Li2Ga2GeS6 has been synthesized for the first time and its structure was found to be isomorphous with AgGaGeS4, which is well-known as a promising infrared NLO material...

The heterogeneous fluorination reactions of CF3CH2Cl were performed over CrF3 supported on MgF2–AlF3 and the catalytic activities were compared with those of single support catalysts, CrF3/MgF2 and CrF3/AlF3, in order to see any enhancing effect of the mixed support on the catalytic activity. The catalytic activities of CrF3/MgF2–AlF3 catalysts were considerably low compared to those of single support catalysts, CrF3/MgF2 and CrF3/AlF3, indicating the existence of an antisynergy between MgF2 and AlF3. XRD measurements show that such an antisynergy effect is mostly attributed to the formation of MgAlF5·1.5H2O which seems ineffective as a supporting material. The observation of β-AlF3 in the XRD patterns of the aluminum-rich (Al/Mg>1) catalysts implies that MgAlF5·1.5H2O or MgF2 might be responsible for the transformation of γ-AlF3 into β-AlF3. FT-IR studies reveal that the fluorination activity is highly dependent on the strength of Lewis and Bronsted acidities on the catalyst. The IR spectra of adsorbed CF3CH2Cl show that the intensities of adsorption bands of CF3CH2Cl diminish as the amount of MgAlF5·1.5H2O in the catalyst support increases.

The stratum corneum (SC) serves a primary function of skin barrier and understanding the kinetics of SC formation may provide great insight for skin diagnosis and evaluation of therapies. Besides trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), few methods have been characterized to assess skin barrier non- invasively in vivo, particularly for dynamic measurements on the same specimen over time. The objective of this study was to characterize alternative non-invasive methods to evaluate the dynamic processes involved in the recovery of normal human SC after total removal. TEWL, tryptophan fluorescence and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) were used to determine skin barrier function, cell turnover and epidermal morphology over a period of 10 days after total removal of the SC Abbreviations by tape stripping. The results show a biphasic recovery of TEWL over time, which contrasted with a linear increase of 2.3 lm/day in SC thickness. Tryptophan assessment of cell turnover also demonstrated a biphasic pattern attaining a maximum three to four times the levels of the control site 3 days after injury that slowly returned to baseline and displayed great correlation (R 2 > 0.95) to viable epidermis thickness that also achieved a maximum about 3 days after injury with an approximate increase of 55%. When plotting the change of TEWL versus SC thickness, a single exponential function is observed (D-TEWL = 55 exp (! 0.1579)) which contrasts with other proposed models. These methods were able to present rates for SC recovery processes beyond skin barrier (TEWL) that may provide new insights on kinetics of barrier formation for evaluation of skin conditions and treatments. Abbreviations: SC, stratum corneum; TEWL, trans-epidermal water loss; RCM, reflectance confocal microscopy; SG, stratum granulosum; ROI, region of interest.

Research on lithium-ion secondary batteries began in the 1980s because of the growing demand for power sources for portable electronic devices. After the early 1990s, the demands for higher capacities and even smaller sizes energy systems significantly increased. Further, the explosive growth in the use of limited fossil fuels and their associated environmental issues and economical aspects are major concerns. Hence, the enormous growth in the demand for low-cost, environmentally friendly energy sources over the past decade has generated a significant need for high energy density portable energy sources.

Colorimetry has been used as an objective measure of perceived skin color by human eye to document and score physiological responses of the skin from external insults. CIE color space values (L*, a* and b*) are the most commonly used parameters to correlate visually perceived color attributes such as L* for pigment, a* for erythema, and b* for sallowness of the skin. In this study, we investigated the relation of Lab color scale to the amount of major skin chromophores (oxy-, deoxyhemoglobin and melanin) calculated from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Thirty two healthy human subjects with ages from 20 to 70 years old, skin types I-VI, were recruited for the study. DRS and colorimetry measurements were taken from the left and right cheeks, and on the right upper inner arm. The melanin content calculated from 630-700 nm range of DRS measurements was shown to correlate with the lightness of skin (L*) for most skin types. For subjects with medium-to-light complexion, melanin measured at the blue part spectrum and hemoglobin interfered on the relation of lightness of the skin color to the melanin content. The sallowness of the skin that is quantified by the melanin contribution at the blue part spectrum of DRS was found to be related to b* scale. This study demonstrates the importance of documenting skin color by assessing individual skin chromophores with diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, in comparison to colorimetry assessment.

In this study, lithium thio-germanate thin film electrolytes have been successfully prepared by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering deposition in Ar gas atmospheres. The targets for RF sputtering were prepared by milling and pressing appropriate amounts of the melt-quenched starting materials in the nLi(2)S + GeS(2) (n = 1, 2, and 3) binary system. Approximately 1 μm thin films were grown on Ni coated Si (Ni/Si) substrates and pressed CsI pellets using 50 W power and 25 mtorr (∼3.3 Pa) Ar gas pressures to prepare samples for Raman and Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, respectively. To improve the adhesion between the silicon substrate and the thin film electrolyte, a sputtered Ni layer (∼120 nm) was used. The surface morphologies and thickness of the thin films were determined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The structural properties of the starting materials, target materials, and the grown thin films were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and IR spectroscopy.

The stratum corneum (SC) serves a primary function of skin barrier and its maintenance is vital for the existence of terrestrial life. Few studies have been performed for evaluation of human SC repair in vivo, non-invasively. In the present study tape stripping was performed on the arms and legs of seven volunteers until all the SC was removed. The injured site and a control adjacent site were measured over a period of 10 days after the injury to assess functionality and repair. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), tryptophan fluorescence and reflectance confocal microscopy were used to determine permeability of the skin barrier, cell turnover and epidermis morphology, respectively. The results show an exponential rate of recovery for the skin permeability (TEWL) which contrasted with a linear increase in the thickness of the SC as determined by confocal microscopy. Cell turnover increased rapidly immediately after the injury to 2.5 times the levels of the control site, attaining a maximum of 3.5-4 times greater levels after three days and slowly returned to baseline levels after the ten days. Correlation of the cell turnover to the thickness of the viable epidermis was observed and further studies are under way to interpret these results.

Summary In the first three cases considered the causes forchanges in absorbance were determined to be re-lated in a linear fashion to the independent variable,the irritant concentration, applied pressure and thedose of SSR. Mild allergic reactions which are oftenconfused with irritant induced reactions are differentin their expression and warrant further study [33]. Inthe next two cases, SSR induced erythema and hista-mine induced edema, the changes in absorbance re- 025 50 75 100-0.20.00.20.40.60.81.01.2 (a) CONCENTRATION CHANGETIME (sec) HbO 2 Hb0 204060 80 100-0.10.00.10.20.30.40.50.60.7 HbO 2 (b) CONCENTRATION CHANGETIME (sec)Figure 6 (online color at: www.biophotonics-journal.org)(a) The apparent concentration of oxyhemoglobin anddeoxyhemoglobin in the skin of the foot versus time in thecase of dependency. It may be noted that the apparentconcentration of oxyhemoglobin remains essentially con-stant while the concentration of deoxyhemoglobin at firstincreases almost linearly followed by a slower increase. (b)The changes of oxyhemoglobin concentration over timefor reactive hyperemia in the foot.8 N. Kollias, I. Seo, and P. R. Bargo: Interpretation of skin reactions with chromophores

The activity of certain bacteria in skin is known to correlate to the presence of porphyrins. In particular the presence of coproporphyrin produced by P.acnes inside plugged pores has been correlated to acne vulgaris. Another porphyrin encountered in skin is protoporphyrin IX, which is produced by the body in the pathway for production of heme. In the present work, a fluorescence spectroscopy system was developed to measure the characteristic spectrum and quantify the two types of porphyrins commonly present in human facial skin. The system is comprised of a Xe lamp both for fluorescence excitation and broadband light source for diffuse reflectance measurements. A computer-controlled filter wheel enables acquisition of sequential spectra, first excited by blue light at 405 nm then followed by the broadband light source, at the same location. The diffuse reflectance spectrum was used to correct the fluorescence spectrum due to the presence of skin chromophores, such as blood and melanin. The resulting fluorescence spectra were employed for the quantification of porphyrin concentration in a population of healthy subjects. The results show great variability on the concentration of these porphyrins and further studies are being conducted to correlate them with skin conditions such as inflammation and acne vulgaris.

A new thio-germanium sulfide Li2Ga2GeS6 has been synthesized for the first time and its structure was found to be isomorphous with AgGaGeS4, which is well-known as a promising infrared NLO material...

In this study, amorphous lithium thio-germanate thin films were prepared by radio frequency (RF) sputtering deposition in Ar atmospheres. For the first time, new high quality lithium germanium sulfide nLi2S þGeS2 thin films, n ¼1, 2, and 3, have been successfully made by RF sputtering and synthesized as new solid state electrolytes. Although these materials are unstable in air, the starting materials, target materials, and thin films made from them were thoroughly characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, SEM, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and impedance spectroscopy using special setups to prevent contamination. These high quality thin films did not show any cracks and pits on the surface and the ionic conductivities of the thin films are 2‐3 orders of magnitude higher than reported values for similar lithium containing oxide thin films. In this way, this work may provide a new way for developing new thin-film electrolytes for solid state lithium ion batteries.