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Ferroelectric bismuth lanthanum titanate (Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12; BLT) thin films were deposited on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrate by chemical solution deposition method. The films were crystallized in the temperature range of 600–700 °C. The spontaneous polarization (Ps) and the switching polarization (2Pr) of BLT film annealed at 700 °C for 30 min were 22.6 μC/cm2 and 29.1 μC/cm2, respectively. Moreover, the BLT capacitor did not show any significant reduction of hysteresis for 90 min at 300 °C in the forming gas atmosphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

(Bi,La)4Ti3O12 (BLT) thin films were prepared on Pt-coated Si (Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100)) substrates by chemical solution deposition method. The effect of heating process on structural and electrical properties of BLT thin films was investigated. The c-axis preferentially oriented films were obtained by lower drying temperature with heating from bottom by a hot plate or IR lamp heater. On the other hand, randomly oriented films were obtained by higher drying temperature with heating from top of films by IR lamp heater or with heating substrate all around by tube type furnace. The orientation of BLT thin films deposited on Pt-coated substrates can be controlled by heating process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of post-annealing on the properties of Ru films formed by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition were investigated, aiming to the application to the bottom electrode of ferroelectric capacitors. Ruthenium films were deposited at a temperature of 350°C using a liquid-type source of Ru[EtCp]2 without introducing O2. Post-annealing was performed in vacuum at a temperature of 400°C. Surface morphology and crystallinity of Ru were very similar between as-deposited and post-annealed Ru films. In addition, the Pt/BLT/Ru structure exhibits similar polarization hysteresis loops regardless of the annealing duration. However, leakage current density was drastically decreased as the annealing duration was increased. It is presumed from the thermal desorption spectroscopy that decrease of out-diffused gas from Ru film by post-annealing is a main reason for the improvement of leakage current characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mo-doped Bi3.35La0.75Ti3O12 (BLTM) films were deposited on Pt/Ti bottom electrodes by using a sol-gel method and crystallized at 700°C for 30 min in O2 atmosphere. The ferroelectric properties were greatly improved by substituting B-site ions with Mo ions and the BLTM films showed strong preferred (117) orientation. Typical remanent polarization (2Pr) and coercive field (2Ec) values were 32.0 μC⋅cm-2 and 158 kV⋅cm-1, respectively. It was also found that the leakage current densities in the BLTM films were lower than those in Bi3.35La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voltage and temperature dependence of leakage currents densities of ferroelectric Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) thin films using Pt electrode has been studied. The BLT thin films were prepared by metal organic decomposition (MOD) and the spin coating method onto a Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) studies revealed that BLT thin films were crystallized in the layered structure after annealing at 600 °C. The remanent polarization (2Pr) and coercive field of BLT films annealed at 650 °C were 25.66 μC/cm2 and 84.75 kV/cm, respectively. The BLT thin films showed good fatigue endurance up to 3.5×109 bipolar cycling at 5 V and 50 kHz. The d.c. leakage current densities of the BLT thin films as a function of applied voltage and temperature can be explained by the Schottky emission model. The Schottky barrier height of the BLT thin films was estimated to be approximately 1.06 eV. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We have investigated the structure and ferroelectric properties of the Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) thin films on Pt(1 1 1)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate fabricated by a metalorganic decomposition deposition. The BLT films were grown with various pyrolysis processing conditions used in the film process. Both the grain growth behavior and ferroelectric properties such as remanent polarization were found to be dependent on various orientations of the BLT thin films. As a result, the highly random oriented BLT thin films exhibited higher remanent polarization (2Pr=37.6 μC/cm2) compared with (1 1 7)-oriented BLT thin films (2Pr=30.3 μC/cm2). At the same time, the (0 0 1)-oriented BLT thin films are characterized by the lowest polarization (2Pr=7.7 μC/cm2). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ferroelectric Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) thin films with Bi4Ti3O12 (BTO) seeding layers were deposited onto a Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate using a metalorganic decomposition method. The effects of variation in the thickness on the microstructural and ferroelectric characteristics were investigated. The BLT thin films with 5-nm-thick BTO seeding layers with a Pt bottom electrode showed that the presence of BTO seeding layer induced a significant change in the crystallinity. This results in an improvement of the (1 1 7) orientation compared with BLT thin films without the BTO seeding layer. The 5-nm-thick BTO seeding layer in the BLT/BTO/Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si structure also prevents the diffusion of Bi into the Pt bottom electrode. The BLT thin films with 5-nm-thick BTO seeding layers showed larger remanent polarization and better fatigue properties compared with the films without the seeding layer. The remanent polarization (2Pr) of BLT thin films without seeding layer and with 5-nm-thick BTO seeding layer annealed at 650 °C were 20.6 and 30 μC/cm2, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) capacitors were fabricated using a metal organic decomposition (MOD) method. The CeO2 thin films were deposited as a buffer layer on Si substrate and Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) thin films were used as a ferroelectric layer. The electrical and structural properties of the MFIS structure were investigated by varying the CeO2 layer thickness. The width of the memory window in the capacitance–voltage (C–V) curves for the MFIS structure decreased with increasing thickness of the CeO2 layer. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) show no interdiffusion by using the CeO2 film as buffer layer between the BLT film and Si substrate. The experimental results show that the BLT-based MFIS structure is suitable for non-volatile memory field-effect-transistors (FETs) with large memory window. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lanthanum-modified bismuth titanate, Bi4-xLaxTi3O12 (BLT), thin films with a La concentration ranging from 0 to 0.75 were grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using a polymeric precursor solution and spin-coating method. The scanning electron microscopy shows a change of morphology with increasing the lanthanum concentration. The BLT films show well-saturated polarization-electric field curves whit remnant polarizations of 14.7, 20.5, 21.5, and 20.4 µC/cm² for x = 0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75, respectively. The dielectric constant of BLT (x = 0.75 mol% La) is equal to 158 while dielectric loss remain low (tanδ = 0.0018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruthenium films formed by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition were investigated, taking account of the application to the bottom electrode of ferroelectric capacitors. Ruthenium films were deposited using a liquid-type source of Ru[EtCp] 2 in a cold-wall type reactor with infrared lamps. A smooth and flat Ru film was successfully formed on a SiO 2 -covered Si substrate without a seed layer. As the deposition temperature increased to 400°C, the crystallinity of the Ru film improved and the film exhibited high c-axis orientation. After forming a Bi 4 - x La x Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) film by a sol-gel technique, a Pt/BLT/Ru capacitor was fabricated on the Ru film. Good hysteresis loops with 2 P r = 20 μC/cm 2 and 2 V c = 3.4 V were successfully obtained and the ferroelectric property did not depend on the deposition temperature of Ru in the temperature range from 325°C to 400°C. On the contrary, the leakage current density was significantly suppressed down to 1/100 as the deposition temperature of Ru increased from 325°C to 400°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric Bi 3.35 La 0.75 Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) film was prepared by using a sol-gel method on Pt electrode with (Cr, Ti)N/TiN/Ti barrier layers. The BLT films crystallized by conventional annealing conditions (700°C, 30 min, 0.8°C/sec, O 2 ) showed hysteretic polarization-voltage ( P-V ) curves, but the leakage current density was high. Thus, a flash-annealing method (750°C 30 sec, 70°C/sec, O 2 ) was attempted to minimize the thermal budget to the ferroelectric films and the underlying structures. It was found in this method that the leakage current was remarkably decreased from 40.9 μA/cm 2 to 322 nA/cm 2 at an applied voltage of 3 V. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction peak intensity of the perovskite-type BLT phase was much stronger in the BLT film crystallized by the flash-annealing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gate-connected 1T2C-type ferroelectric memory, in which the bottom electrodes of paired ferroelectric capacitors are connected to the gate electrode of an underlying FET (field effect transistor) on the field oxide region, was fabricated using a Bi 4 - x La x Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) film and its electrical properties were characterized. The I D -V G (drain current-gate voltage) characteristics of a FET combined with a single ferroelectric capacitor showed that the paired capacitors had almost the same ferroelectric property. It was found in the readout operation that there existed an optimum voltage to maximize the drain current on/off ratio between datum '1' and datum '0,' and that the maximum ratio was as large as 6 × 10 4 . It was also found that the drain current level remained constant, even if the readout operation was repeatedly conducted. It was concluded from these results that the 1T2C-type memory was successfully fabricated using the proposed process and operated properly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) thin film has recently been established to be a promising candidate for ferroelectric field effect transistor applications. BLT offers many advantages due to its unique combination of large remnant polarization, low processing temperature, high fatigue resistance and no health or environmental hazard. In this work, we report the characteristics of metal ferroelectric insulator semiconductor (MFIS) structure using chemical solution deposited BLT as the ferroelectric layer. The crystalline BLT films can be achieved by rapid thermal annealing at 650 °C for 180 s. The bismuth layered perovskite structure of BLTx films was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The films were random oriented either on platinized silicon substrate or on oxidized silicon substrate. The surface morphology was smooth and uniform as recorded by scanning electron microscope. Ferroelectricity of BLT films was revealed by hysteresis measurements using a metal–ferroelectric–metal structure. Memory window and leakage current of Au/BLTx/SiO2/Si MFIS structure were measured and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A (Bi,La)4Ti3O12 acetate–citrate gel, prepared from an aqueous solution, was subjected to thermal decomposition in dry air and in inert atmosphere. In order to acquire the insight into its decomposition pathway, several hyphenated thermal analysis techniques were used. The evolved gases were characterized by TGA–MS and TGA–FTIR, while any changes in the solid phase upon heating were detected by means of HT-DRIFT.In dry air, the decomposition consists of four steps, centered at 80, 190, 340 and 455 °C. After drying of the sample in the first step, the second step is ascribed to the decomposition of ammonium acetate and citrate. Any metal acetates present in the gel would also decompose here. The third step comprises the decomposition/combustion of the citrate ligands. The last step consists of the combustion of all residual organic matter. In the third and fourth step, O2 plays an important role. XRD has proven that the desired Aurivillius oxide phase forms from the synthesized gel after an appropriate heat treatment in dry air.In inert atmosphere six steps can be distinguished, situated at 70, 200, 330, 420, 590 and 910 °C. The steps at 70, 200 and 330 °C correspond to the steps at 80, 190 and 340 °C in dry air. It is proposed that the steps above 400 °C correspond to the gradual decomposition of the residual organic matter. It has turned out to be impossible to remove all organic matter from the gel below 700 °C in inert atmosphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

16M FeRAM was successfully developed using a (Bi 1 - X La X ) 4 Ti 3 O 12 , BLT, film with excellent imprint characteristic as a ferroelectric film to decrease capacitor size, current gain cell operation (CGCO) sensing scheme, and split word line (SWL) cell array architecture with hierarchical-double bit line in order to increase cell array efficiency. The chip size of 16M FeRAM could be reduced down to about 63% compared with a conventional one by the adoption of the novel ferroelectric material and the design architectures. The read/write access time and cycle time are 70 ns and 100 ns in operation voltage of 3.0 at room temperature, respectively. The operation and standby current are less than 20 mA and 10 μA, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated MFIS (metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor) diodes with ((Bi,La) 4 Ti 3 O 12 : BLT) films and lanthanum silicate (La 2 SiO 5 : LSO)-added BLT films formed on LaAlO 3 /Si(100) structures. LaAlO 3 films were prepared by an MBD (molecular beam deposition) method. After the film deposition, they were subjected to ex site N 2 annealing in a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) furnace at 800°C for 1 min. BLT films and LSO-added BLT films were deposited on these LaAlO 3 /Si structures using a sol-gel technique. The memory windows of BLT and LSO-added BLT films were 3.0 V and 2.1 V, respectively. It was found from the current density-voltage (I-V) characteristics that the insulation property of the LSO-added BLT film was superior to that of the BLT film. We conclude from these results that LaAlO 3 is an excellent candidate of a buffer layer for forming ferroelectric-gate FETs and that the LSO-added BLT film is suitable for low voltage operation of the FETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the ferroelectric behavior of (Bi,La) 4 Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) films deposited on Si(100) substrates by using LaAlO 3 buffer layers. LaAlO 3 films were prepared by molecular beam deposition method. Then, they were subjected to ex situ dry N 2 annealing in a rapid thermal annealing furnace. From the capacitance-voltage measurement, the dielectric constant of LaAlO 3 was estimated to be 20 to 26. On these structures, BLT films were deposited by sol-gel method and they were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found from capacitance-voltage measurements that the characteristics showed a hysteresis loop and the memory window was about 0.5 V for the voltage sweep of ±9 V. It was also found from the retention measurement that the higher and lower capacitance values in the hysterisis loop could be distinguished at least for 3 days. It is concluded from these results that the BLT/LaAlO 3 /Si(100) structure is one of the most promising structures for realizing MFISFETs (metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor field effect transistors). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase formation and electrical properties of (Bi 3.15 La 0.85 )Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) thin films prepared by the chemical solution deposition method on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrates have been investigated. It was observed that the microstructure and electrical properties of BLT thin films dramatically varied with the excess Bi content. The crystallographic orientation of BLT films was varied with excess Bi content and the intermediate rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. While BLT thin films prepared without intermediate RTA process have <117> orientation irrespective of excess Bi content, BLT thin films with RTA process at 450°C have an orientation change with excess Bi content. The leakage current of BLT thin films slightly increased with increasing excess Bi content up to 6.5% and then considerably decreased in BLT film with 10% Bi, where was revealed to be almost stoichiometric composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric Bi 4-x La x Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) films were prepared by using a sol-gel method on Pt/(Cr, Ti)N/TiN/Ti bottom electrode. The BLT films crystallized by a flash-annealing (750°C, 30 sec, O 2 ) were found to show excellent shapes of hysteresis loop in the P - E (polarization vs. field) characteristics. It was also found that the recovery-annealing (600°C, 60 min, O 2 ) after the flash-annealing was exceedingly effective to decrease the leakage current of the films and to keep the ferroelectric property good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We realized excellent ferroelectric properties with sol-gel derived (Bi,La) 4 Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) films by modifying dry gel structures just before the crystallization annealing. The dry gel structures were controlled by the oxygen pressure during baking process at 350°C. By this simple process, dried gel became very porous and thus crystallization mechanism was greatly enhanced. The maximum remanent polarization (Pr) of 27 μC/cm 2 was achieved with an 80 nm BLT film. Although the Pr is greatly enhanced, the coercive field (Ec) was kept less than 55 kV/cm (Vc∼0.4 V). And, this film also shows the excellent fatigue property up to 10 10 stress cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric Bi 4-x La x Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) thin films with various compositions (x=0.65, 0.70, 0.75) were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrate by MOD method. SEM showed uniform surfaces composed of rod-like grains after annealing at 650. The Bi 3.30 La 0.70 Ti 3 O 12 thin film capacitor showed better ferroelectric properties than other films with different compositions. The remanent polarization and the coercive field of Bi 4-x La x Ti 3 O 12 (x=0.70) thin film were 31.3 C/cm 2 and 117.2kV/cm, respectively. Moreover the capacitor did not show any significant fatigue up to 3×10 10 switching cycles at 5V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of excess Bi content on (Bi,La) 4 Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) thin film fabricated by sol-gel synthesis was investigated. The films were formed on Pt/IrO 2 /SiO 2 /Si. Excess Bi promoted the formation of a secondary phase around BLT particles during the crystallization process, and this secondary phase promoted the crystallization and grain growth of the film and improved its ferroelectric properties. A BLT thin film crystallized at 600°C had good ferroelectric properties: its remanent polarization was 26.2 μC/cm 2 and its coercive field was 53.1 KV/cm. After 10 9 switching cycles, its remanent polarization had decreased less than 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Bi,La) 4 Ti 3 O 12 /Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 /(Bi,La) 4 Ti 3 O 12 multilayer thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrates by a chemical solution deposition method, with the intention of combining the good ferroelectric properties of PZT thin films and good fatigue-free characteristics of BLT thin films. The multilayer structure showed fatigue-free characteristics at least up to 10 10 switching bipolar pulse cycles under 8 V, excellent retention properties, and well-defined hysteresis loops with the remanent polarization (2Pr) of 8.8 μC/cm 2 and the coercive field (Ec) of 47 kV/cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scanning probe microscope with a dc bias and an ac modulation signal applied to the probing tip has been quite successful for investigating the characteristics in a sub-micron scale for the high density ferroelectric memory application field. The degradation of ferroelectric films—PbZr0.4Ti0.6O3 (PZT) and Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT)—caused by the hydrogen forming gas annealing is investigated in a microscopic scale by using an electrostatic force microscope (EFM). From the first harmonic signal of EFM, we obtained different polarization behaviors from as-grown and hydrogen-annealed ferroelectric films. We found that the hydrogen forming gas annealing is degrading the ferroelectric film with no catalyst top electrode on top of the film. It is believed that the annealing process causes the diffusion of hydrogen into the ferroelectric film resulting in the destruction of polarization in these materials. We speculate that the different degradation behavior among these materials (PZT and BLT) is due to the different cohesivity of hydrogen in these materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Multiple humanized mouse models have been produced for the study of HIV-1 infection and treatment. Humanized mice produced using the bone marrow, liver, thymus (BLT) method particularly have well-reconstituted and functional human immune systems, providing an excellent model for HIV-1 cure strategies that aim to harness the human immune system as part of the cure approach. The TKO-BLT humanized mouse model is especially useful for long-term studies as it is highly resistant to the wasting syndrome and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD ) that can limit the use of other BLT-models. Here we describe the methods used to induce latency in TKO-BLT mice, using both injectable and free-fed combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) regimens, for use in the study of HIV-1 latency and evaluation of HIV-1 cure interventions., (© 2022. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Abstract: Ferroelectric Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) thin films were deposited on indium–tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates by pulsed-laser-ablation method. Films deposited at 400°C and annealed at 650°C resulted in remnant polarization and coercive field values of 14–16μC/cm2 and 90–100kV/cm, respectively. The fatigue measurements were conducted until 1×1011 cycles but the individual switched and unswitched polarizations showed unequal magnitudes. Such an unequal switching polarization proves that an extrinsic effect mainly associated with the electrode exists in this thin film capacitor. The overall switching polarizations showed no polarization degradation, suggesting that BLT films are fatigue resistive even on hybrid-metal-oxide electrodes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Human immune system (HIS) mice are a subset of humanized mice that are generated by xenoengraftment of human immune cells or tissues and/or their progenitors into immunodeficient mice. Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) cause severe disease in humans, typically with high case fatality rates. HIS mouse studies have been performed to investigate the pathogenesis and immune responses to VHFs that must be handled in high-containment laboratory facilities. Here, we summarize studies on filoviruses, nairoviruses, phenuiviruses, and hantaviruses, and discuss the knowledge gained from using various HIS mouse models. Furthermore, we discuss the complexities of designing and interpreting studies utilizing HIS mice while highlighting additional questions about VHFs that can still be addressed using HIS mouse models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humanized bone marrow-liver-thymus (HuBLT) mice are a revolutionary small-animal model that has facilitated the study of human immune function and human-restricted pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). These mice recapitulate many aspects of acute and chronic HIV-1 infection, but exhibit weak and variable T-cell responses when challenged with HIV-1, hindering our ability to confidently detect HIV-1-specific responses or vaccine effects. To identify the cause of this, we comprehensively analyzed T-cell development, diversity, and function in HuBLT mice. We found that virtually all HuBLT were well-reconstituted with T cells and had intact TCRβ sequence diversity, thymic development, and differentiation to memory and effector cells. However, there was poor CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responsiveness to physiologic stimuli and decreased TH1 polarization that correlated with deficient reconstitution of innate immune cells, in particular monocytes. HIV-1 infection of HuBLT mice showed that mice with higher monocyte reconstitution exhibited greater CD8+ T cells responses and HIV-1 viral evolution within predicted HLA-restricted epitopes. Thus, T-cell responses to immune challenges are blunted in HuBLT mice due to a deficiency of innate immune cells, and future efforts to improve the model for HIV-1 immune response and vaccine studies need to be aimed at restoring innate immune reconstitution., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Garcia-Beltran, Claiborne, Maldini, Phelps, Vrbanac, Karpel, Krupp, Power, Boutwell, Balazs, Tager, Altfeld and Allen.)

Background: Bright light therapy (BLT) has been increasingly used as an experimental treatment in non-seasonal unipolar depression. While clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of BLT in ameliorating depression for outpatients, studies examining BLT in the psychiatric inpatient setting are currently lacking., Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore whether BLT as adjunctive treatment for depressive symptoms on an acute psychiatric floor is feasible and explore associated changes in depressive symptoms., Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate 4B acute inpatient psychiatric unit. BLT was administered to participating patients as adjunctive therapy to their psychopharmacological and psychotherapy treatments on a daily basis throughout their hospitalization. Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), and Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 (OQ-45.2) were administered before commencing BLT and after their last BLT session. Changes to the aforementioned measures before and after BLT treatment, the dose response of measure changes based on number of sessions, and the hospital length of stay along with the secondary factors such as age, gender, other psychiatric comorbidities, social factors, and psychiatric medications were analyzed., Results:  BLT is feasible on acute psychiatric inpatient floor with adherence of 94% and has very few side effects. The repeated measures of depression and functioning demonstrated significant decrease in depression and improvement in functioning. Although not statistically significant, clinical meaningful dose-response relationship was found between a number of BLT sessions and improvement in depressive symptoms with five BLT sessions being an optimal amount for depression amelioration., Conclusion: BLT combined with the ongoing psychopharmacological treatment was well tolerated and easy to administer. It offers a simple, safe, and cost-effective approach to augmenting depressive treatment on an acute psychiatric floor., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Trinh et al.)

Mice are a suitable animal model for sepsis studies because they recapitulate many aspects of the pathophysiology observed in septic human patients. It is ethically preferable to use mice for research over higher sentient species, when scientifically appropriate. Mice are also advantageous for research due to their small size, modest housing needs, the availability of genetically modified strains, and the broad range of reagents available for scientific assays on this species. Nevertheless, there are some intrinsic differences between mice and humans that should be recognized when considering the translational potential of sepsis therapies. It is often wise to complement traditional mouse studies with animal models that exhibit even greater similarity to humans, and in particular, models that better recapitulate the human immune response. Humanized mice are a promising tool to bridge this interspecies research gap. Herein, we provide a protocol to generate BLT humanized mice and describe their sepsis phenotype after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP).