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To construct the schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in Jiangsu Province, and to examine the role and diagnostic efficiency of the reference laboratory.A schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory was built in Jiangsu Province according to the requirements of the construction of the national schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in China. Inter-laboratory comparisons were conducted and the diagnostic capability of grassroots laboratories was evaluated in Jiangsu Province.The organization structure, environmental conditions, administration and quality systems of the schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in Jiangsu Province all met the requirements for construction of the national schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in China, and the schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in Jiangsu Province was issued a certificate of a province-level schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory. During the 6 inter-laboratory comparisons performed by national schistosomiasis diagnostic reference centers of China, the qualitative and quantitative results of each detection item were all in agreement with the reference samples (The schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory has been successfully established and effectively operated in Jiangsu Province, which plays an active role in improving the capability of schistosomiasis diagnostic equality in the province.

Schistosomiasis was once heavily endemic in Jiangsu Province. Following the control efforts for several decades, schistosomiasis was almost eradicated in all endemic counties in Jiangsu Province in 1980, and transmission control was achieved in the province in 2011. According to the principle of "implementing the control measures with adaptation to local circumstances and guiding the control programs with classified interventions", an integrated strategy with emphasis on the management of both infectious sources and snails has been recently employed for schitsosomiasis control in Jiangsu Province. In addition, a sensitive and highly effective surveillance system has been built and the application of novel techniques and information construction has been intensified to effectively interrupt the transmission of schistosomiasis in the Province. Transmission interruption of schistosomiasis was achieved in all endemic counties in Jiangsu Province. The paper summarizes the endemic situation of schistosomiasis, progress of schistosomiasis control, and major schistosomiasis control measures implemented during the stage of transmission interruption in Jiangsu Province.

The optical properties of InxAlyGa1−x−yN quaternary alloys were investigated by photoconductivity (PC), persistent photoconductivity (PPC), photoluminescence (PL), and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) measurements. Quite interestingly, persistent photoconductivity was observed. Through the combination of our optical studies, we show that the PPC effect arises from composition fluctuations in InxAlyGa1−x−yN quaternary alloys. From the analysis of the decay kinetics, the localization depth caused by composition fluctuations was determined. A comparison between the PL, PLE, and PC measurements gives a direct access to the Stokes’ shift. The Stokes’ shift can be explained in terms of localization due to the existence of nanoscale clusters, and it is consistent with the PPC result. The results shown here provide concrete evidence to support our previously proposed model that the existence of InGaN-like clusters is responsible for the strong luminescence in InxAlyGa1−x−yN quaternary alloys.

We have performed a magnetotransport study on an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure at low temperatures. The effective-mass values have been evaluated by analyzing the exact form of the temperature-dependent Shubnikov–de Haas oscillation function. The values obtained increase with the magnetic field. This mass enhancement is attributed to conduction-band nonparabolicity. The effective-mass variation with the magnetic field was extrapolated to zero field, together with further correction due to the triangular confinement of the carriers, yielding an effective mass of 0.185±0.005 of the free-electron mass. Our result is in excellent agreement with the results obtained by first-principle calculations and the tight-binding method, and suggest the significance of magnetic-field-induced nonparabolicity in transport measurements.

The authors apply the microwave-modulated technique to study the transport properties of two-subband-populated AlGaN∕GaN heterostructures. The microwave modulation enhances the small Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations at low magnetic fields, providing a direct way to compare the mobilities of different subbands from the experimental data. In addition, this technique can help us to determine the subband-energy separation, especially when the population of the second subband is much lower than that of the first one. Variation of subband-energy separation due to different spacer thicknesses is obtained. Therefore, the authors showed a powerful way to probe parameters of two-subband-populated AlGaN∕GaN heterostructures.