Hong Liu

Bio: Hong Liu is an academic researcher from Shandong University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Materials science. The author has an hindex of 100, co-authored 1905 publications receiving 57561 citations. Previous affiliations of Hong Liu include Shanghai University & Guangzhou University.

Introducing kalium into copper sulfide for the enhancement of thermoelectric properties

Abstract: Advanced thermoelectric technology offers the potential to convert waste heat into useful electricity, and a mechanism of transmission-free methods for solid state cooling. A low thermal conductivity is a prerequisite for obtaining high efficiency thermoelectric materials. It is a challenge to achieve low thermal conductivity without simultaneously destroying the electric conductivity, for which a ‘phonon glass/liquid–electron crystal’ is proposed. To realize the phonon glass–electron crystal, a host–guest cage crystal system is considered, while to realize the phonon liquid–electron crystal, superionic conductivity is needed. Here we report a novel material, a KCu7−xS4 nanowire, which exhibits enhanced thermoelectric properties compared to the traditional chalcogenide Cu7S4 nanostructure. The presence of K ions not only forms a clathrate and a superionic fluid structure, which provides the phonon glass and liquid–electron crystal, but also adjusts the product to give a nanowire-like morphology. A low thermal conductivity and large Seebeck coefficient can be achieved when the nanowires are pressed into a bulk material. Higher electrical conductivity is also obtained below 420 K. In addition, the numerous grain boundaries, Cu deficiency and the orientated nanowires further increase the thermoelectric properties. The results indicate a new strategy to obtain high efficiency thermoelectric materials by introducing kalium into copper chalcogenides to form a new crystal structure with ‘phonon glass and liquid–electron crystal’ properties.

Validation study of HLA-B*13:01 as a biomarker of dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome in leprosy patients in Indonesia

Abstract: Leprosy is a stigmatizing, chronic infection which degenerates the nervous system and often leads to incapacitation. Multi-drug therapy which consists of dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine has been effective to combat this disease. In Indonesia, especially in Papua Island, leprosy is still a problem. Furthermore, there had been higher reports of Dapsone Hypersensitivity Syndrome (DHS) which also challenges leprosy elimination in certain aspects. Globally, DHS has a prevalence rate of 1.4% and a fatality rate up to 13%. The aim of this study is to validate HLA-B*13:01, a previously discovered biomarker for DHS in the Chinese population, as a biomarker for DHS in the Papua population.This is a case-control study of 34 leprosy patients who presented themselves with DHS (case subjects) and 52 leprosy patients without DHS (control subjects). Patients were recruited from 2 provinces: Papua and West Papua. DNA was extracted from 3 ml blood specimens. HLA-B alleles were typed using the gold-standard sequence based typing method. Results were then analysed using logistic regression and risk assessment was carried out. The results of HLA-typing showed that HLA-B*13:01 was the most significant allele associated with DHS, with odds ratio = 233.64 and P-value = 7.11×10-9, confirming the strong association of HLA-B*13:01 to DHS in the Papua population. The sensitivity of this biomarker is 91.2% and specificity is 96.2%, with an area under the curve of 0.95. HLA-B*13:01 is validated as a biomarker for DHS in leprosy patients in Papua, Indonesia, and can potentially be a good predictor of DHS to help prevent this condition in the future.

Emerging Tumor-on-Chips with Electrochemical Biosensors

Abstract: Cancer, one of the most dangerous diseases with a high mortality rate, has attracted much attention and interest. Advances in tissue engineering and microfluidics have led to the development of tumor-on-chips (TOCs) capable of in-vitro modeling the dynamic microenvironment, growth, and inter-cellular interactions of tumor tissues, providing a promising platform for oncology research. The search for powerful analytical tools for TOCs has facilitated the integration of electrochemical biosensors due to their high sensitivity and selectivity, low cost, portability, ease of fabrication, and low sample consumption. Recent reports have demonstrated promising applications of integrated electrochemical biosensors in cancer research at cellular and molecular levels in TOCs. In this review, we will introduce TOCs that model different stages of the tumor and highlight the use of electrochemical biosensors for the analysis of tumor cells and biomarkers. Future work may focus on the development of flexible and robust electrochemical biosensors with high mechanical compliance with tumor tissues for long-term monitoring of the tumor microenvironment.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

The chemistry of two-dimensional layered transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheets

Abstract: Ultrathin two-dimensional nanosheets of layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are fundamentally and technologically intriguing. In contrast to the graphene sheet, they are chemically versatile. Mono- or few-layered TMDs - obtained either through exfoliation of bulk materials or bottom-up syntheses - are direct-gap semiconductors whose bandgap energy, as well as carrier type (n- or p-type), varies between compounds depending on their composition, structure and dimensionality. In this Review, we describe how the tunable electronic structure of TMDs makes them attractive for a variety of applications. They have been investigated as chemically active electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and hydrosulfurization, as well as electrically active materials in opto-electronics. Their morphologies and properties are also useful for energy storage applications such as electrodes for Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors.