高光谱成像用高帧频CMOS图像传感器北大核心

针对高帧频、全局曝光和光谱平坦等成像应用需求,设计了一款高光谱成像用CMOS图像传感器。其光敏元采用PN型光电二极管,读出电路采用5T像素结构。采用列读出电路以及高速多通道模拟信号并行读出的设计方案来获得低像素固定图像噪声(FPN)和非均匀性抑制。芯片采用ASMC 0.35μm三层金属两层多晶硅标准CMOS工艺流片,为了抑制光电二极管的光谱干涉效应,后续进行了光谱平坦化VAE特殊工艺,并对器件的光电性能进行了测试评估。电路测试结果符合理论设计预期,成像效果良好,像素具备积分可调和全局快门功能,最终实现的像素规模为512×256,像元尺寸为30μm×30μm,最大满阱电子为400 ke^(-),FPN小于0.2%,动态范围为72 dB,帧频为450 f/s,相邻10 nm波段范围内量子效率相差小于10%,可满足高光谱成像系统对CMOS成像器件的要求。     

广义正交码索引调制系统的性能分析

摘 要：为了提高码索引调制（code index modulation，CIM）系统的传输效率，提出了一种具有更低复杂度的单输入单输出（single input single output，SISO）的广义正交码索引调制（generalized orthogonal code index modulation，GQCIM）系统。CIM 系统使用扩频码和星座符号传输信息，但只能激活两个扩频码索引和一个调制符号。而 GQCIM 系统以一种新颖的方式克服了只激活一个调制符号的限制，同时充分利用了调制符号的正交性，增加扩频码索引以传输更多的额外信息位，提高了系统的传输效率。此外，分析了GQCIM系统的理论性能，推导了误码率性能的上界。通过蒙特卡罗仿真验证了GQCIM系统的性能，对比发现GQCIM系统的理论和仿真性能一致。而且在相同的传输效率下，结果显示GQCIM系统的性能优于同样具有正交性的调制系统，如广义码索引调制（generalized code index modulation，GCIM）系统、CIM系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided quadrature spatial modulation，CIM-QSM）系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided spatial modulation，CIM-SM）系统、脉冲索引调制（pulse index modulation，PIM）系统。     

As the number falls,alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number method: A review

This review examines the application, limitations, and potential alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number (FN) method used in the global wheat industry for detecting the risk of poor end-product quality mainly due to starch degradation by the enzyme α-amylase. By viscometry, the FN test indirectly detects the presence of α-amylase, the primary enzyme that digests starch. Elevated α-amylase results in low FN and damages wheat product quality resulting in cakes that fall, and sticky bread and noodles. Low FN can occur from preharvest sprouting (PHS) and late maturity α-amylase (LMA). Moist or rainy conditions before harvest cause PHS on the mother plant. Continuously cool or fluctuating temperatures during the grain filling stage cause LMA. Due to the expression of additional hydrolytic enzymes, PHS has a stronger negative impact than LMA. Wheat grain with low FN/high α-amylase results in serious losses for farmers, traders, millers, and bakers worldwide. Although blending of low FN grain with sound wheat may be used as a means of moving affected grain through the marketplace, care must be taken to avoid grain lots from falling below contract-specified FN. A large amount of sound wheat can be ruined if mixed with a small amount of sprouted wheat. The FN method is widely employed to detect α-amylase after harvest. However, it has several limitations, including sampling variability, high cost, labor intensiveness, the destructive nature of the test, and an inability to differentiate between LMA and PHS. Faster, cheaper, and more accurate alternatives could improve breeding for resistance to PHS and LMA and could preserve the value of wheat grain by avoiding inadvertent mixing of high- and low-FN grain by enabling testing at more stages of the value stream including at harvest, delivery, transport, storage, and milling. Alternatives to the FN method explored here include the Rapid Visco Analyzer, enzyme assays, immunoassays, near-infrared spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging.     

Upconversion nanoparticles: Recent strategies and mechanism based applications

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) doped with lanthanides can convert near-infrared excitation into UV and visible emissions. Because of their relatively high emission efficiency, UCNPs are appealing materials for use in a variety of sectors. UCNPs are known for low auto-fluorescence, excellent chemical and thermal photo-stability, deep tissue penetration, exceptional biocompatibility, low toxicity, color purity, and ease of surface functionalization. In this review, we explain a few recent strategies to boost the efficiency and luminescence of upconversion nanoparticles and minimize quenching by fabricating them as core/shell, nanofibers, or heavily doped lanthanides. Applications of UCNPs in drug delivery, Photodynamic therapy (PDT), biosensors, bioimaging, and optogenetics are also discussed along with their mechanism of action. Our motivation for this review is to understand the working mechanism of UCNPs and their applications in various fields.     

Revealing Nanomechanical Domains and Their Transient Behavior in Mixed-Halide Perovskite Films

Halide perovskites are a versatile class of semiconductors employed for high performance emerging optoelectronic devices, including flexoelectric systems, yet the influence of their ionic nature on their mechanical behavior is still to be understood. Here, a combination of atomic-force, optical, and compositional X-ray microscopy techniques is employed to shed light on the mechanical properties of halide perovskite films at the nanoscale. Mechanical domains within and between morphological grains, enclosed by mechanical boundaries of higher Young's Modulus (YM) than the bulk parent material, are revealed. These mechanical boundaries are associated with the presence of bromide-rich clusters as visualized by nano-X-ray fluorescence mapping. Stiffer regions are specifically selectively modified upon light soaking the sample, resulting in an overall homogenization of the mechanical properties toward the bulk YM. This behavior is attributed to light-induced ion migration processes that homogenize the local chemical distribution, which is accompanied by photobrightening of the photoluminescence within the same region. This work highlights critical links between mechanical, chemical, and optoelectronic characteristics in this family of perovskites, and demonstrates the potential of combinational imaging studies to understand and design halide perovskite films for emerging applications such as photoflexoelectricity.     

Chloroquine-Induced Accumulation of Autophagosomes and Lipids in the Endothelium

Chloroquine (CQ) is an antimalarial drug known to inhibit autophagy flux by impairing autophagosome–lysosome fusion. We hypothesized that autophagy flux altered by CQ has a considerable influence on the lipid composition of endothelial cells. Thus, we investigated endothelial responses induced by CQ on human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1). HMEC-1 cells after CQ exposure were measured using a combined methodology based on label-free Raman and fluorescence imaging. Raman spectroscopy was applied to characterize subtle chemical changes in lipid contents and their distribution in the cells, while the fluorescence staining (LipidTox, LysoTracker and LC3) was used as a reference method. The results showed that CQ was not toxic to endothelial cells and did not result in the endothelial inflammation at concentrations of 1–30 µM. Notwithstanding, it yielded an increased intensity of LipidTox, LysoTracker, and LC3 staining, suggesting changes in the content of neutral lipids, lysosomotropism, and autophagy inhibition, respectively. The CQ-induced endothelial response was associated with lipid accumulation and was characterized by Raman spectroscopy. CQ-induced autophagosome accumulation in the endothelium is featured by a pronounced alteration in the lipid profile, but not in the endothelial inflammation. Raman-based assessment of CQ-induced biochemical changes offers a better understanding of the autophagy mechanism in the endothelial cells.     

The thermochromic characteristics of Zn-doped VO2 that were prepared by the hydrothermal and post-annealing process and their polyurethane composite films

In this paper, Zn-doped VO₂ nanoparticles have been successfully fabricated by a two-step hydrothermal-annealing process, and the thermally induced visible light transmittance enhancement of Zn-doped VO₂ has been studied for the first time. It is found that Zn-doped VO₂ not only exhibits excellent solar modulation ability (ΔT_sol = 15.27%) but also can reduce the phase transition temperature and increase the visible light transmittance after the heat-induced phase transition (ΔT_lum=+5.78%). Moreover, with the increase of Zn doping concentration, the phase transition temperature (T_c) and phase transition hysteresis (ΔT) both decrease. It is shown that the Zn-doped VO₂-PU films not only have good solar light modulation ability and properties of improving visible light transmission after phase transition, but also have good durability. The research result is of great significance for improving the visible light transmittance after phase transition and realizing the practical application of VO₂ in the field of smart windows.     

The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Progression of Human Neuroblastoma

The long-underestimated role of extracellular vesicles in cancer is now reconsidered worldwide by basic and clinical scientists, who recently highlighted novel and crucial activities of these moieties. Extracellular vesicles are now considered as king transporters of specific cargoes, including molecular components of parent cells, thus mediating a wide variety of cellular activities both in normal and neoplastic tissues. Here, we discuss the multifunctional activities and underlying mechanisms of extracellular vesicles in neuroblastoma, the most frequent common extra-cranial tumor in childhood. The ability of extracellular vesicles to cross-talk with different cells in the tumor microenvironment and to modulate an anti-tumor immune response, tumorigenesis, tumor growth, metastasis and drug resistance will be pinpointed in detail. The results obtained on the role of extracellular vesicles may represent a panel of suggestions potentially useful in practice, due to their involvement in the response to chemotherapy, and, moreover, their ability to predict resistance to standard therapies—all issues of clinical relevance.     

Relaxor behavior and energy storage density induced by B-sites substitutions in (Ca0.28Ba0.72)2.1Na0.8Nb5O15 Tungsten bronze ceramics

Lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics (Ca_0.28Ba_0.72)_2.1Na_0.8Nb_5-xSb_xO₁₅ (CBNNS) and (Ca_0.28Ba_0.72)_2.1Na_0.8Nb_5-yTa_yO₁₅ (CBNNT) with tungsten bronze structure were fabricated via solid-state reactions. The obtained CBNNS and CBNNT ceramics showed different dielectric behaviors. Only the CBNNS ceramics revealed an intensified diffusion and relaxor-like characteristics, which could be verified by the modified Curie–Weiss law. The relaxor behaviors in CBNNS were attributed to the radii difference between Sb⁵⁺ and Nb⁵⁺ ions co-occupying in B-sites. For the substitution of Nb⁵⁺ by Sb⁵⁺ in CBNNS ceramics, the change from macroscopic polarization to local polarization could also give rise to the obvious relaxor behavior. The Raman spectra verified a larger off-centering of the cation and a higher distortion degree for BO₆ octahedron in the ab plane for CBNNS ceramics when compared with those of CBNNT. In addition, the ferroelectric properties of CBNNS ceramics further indicated the relaxor ferroelectric nature, and also confirmed that the relaxor behavior helped to improve the energy-storage performance.