Photoprotective Ability of Sunscreens against Ultraviolet, Visible Light and Near-Infrared Radiation

Despite the widespread prevalence of daily sunscreen usage, solar-induced skin damage continues to occur. We have previously reported that solar visible light and near-infrared, in addition to ultraviolet radiation, perform as aging factors and induce deleterious effects such as photoaging, vasodilation, muscle thinning, skin ptosis, photoimmunosupression and photocarcinogenesis. Despite this, most commonly used sunscreens only block ultraviolet radiation. To evaluate the complete solar-spectrum blocking ability of sunscreens produced by internationally well-known companies, a double-beam spectrophotometer was used to optically measure the transmission spectra. The spectrophotometer utilizes a unique, single monochromatic design covering a wavelength range of 240 to 2600 nm. Sunscreens (thickness, 0.1 mm, SPF50+, PA+++ or ++++) from internationally well-known companies blocked 78.8% - 99.9% of ultraviolet, 33.4% - 99.6% of visible light, and 27.0% - 76.4% of near-infrared. It can be concluded that while most commercially available sunscreens filter ultraviolet radiation, they are not effective at blocking visible light and near-infrared radiation. The results of this study imply that sunscreens that provide comprehensive photoprotection from ultraviolet through to near-infrared should be considered to prevent skin photodamage.

Novel Low Viscosity Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides and Erioglaucine Sunscreen Potential to Protect from Ultraviolet, Visible Light and Near-Infrared Radiation

Despite the widespread recommendation and use of sunscreens and ultraviolet blocking materials, solar-induced skin damage and photoageing continues to pose a problem to human health worldwide. We have previously reported that solar visible light and near-infrared also contribute to skin damage and photo ageing. Most commonly recommended sunscreens are only effective throughout the UV spectrum, offering no protection from visible light and near-infrared. A possible solution could be to augment sunscreens with metal oxides which block visible light and near-infrared radiation. To evaluate the enhanced solar-spectrum blocking ability of novel low viscosity sunscreen containing zinc and iron oxides, a double-beam spectrophotometer was used to optically measure the transmission spectra. The spectrophotometer deploys a unique, single monochromatic design to detect wavelength penetration in the range of 240 to 2600 nm. The Sunscreen base without zinc oxide and iron oxides (control) blocked over 80% of ultraviolet-C and ultraviolet-B but did not block ultraviolet-A, visible light, or near-infrared. The novel low viscosity zinc oxide sample blocked almost over 90% ultraviolet, but did not block visible light and near-infrared sufficiently. However, the samples with the novel low viscosity zinc oxide, iron oxides and erioglaucine blocked almost over 90% of ultraviolet, visible light and near-infrared. It can be concluded that this novel combination of low viscosity zinc oxide, iron oxides and erioglaucine is effective at blocking ultraviolet, visible light and near-infrared radiation. The results of this study imply that sunscreens that provide comprehensive photoprotection from ultraviolet through to near-infrared should be adopted to prevent skin photodamage.

Photoprotective Ability of Colored Iron Oxides in Tinted Sunscreens against Ultraviolet, Visible Light and Near-Infrared Radiation

Solar-induced skin damage continues to pose a problem to human health worldwide, despite the widespread recommendation and use of sunscreens. We have previously reported that solar visible light and near-infrared also contribute to skin damage and photoageing. Most commonly recommended sunscreens are only effective throughout the UV spectrum, offering no protection from visible light and near-infrared. To evaluate the enhanced solar-spectrum blocking ability of iron oxides, a double-beam spectrophotometer was used to optically measure the transmission spectra. The spectrophotometer deploys a unique, single monochromatic design to detect wavelength penetration in the range of 240 to 2600 nm. The sample without iron oxide (control) blocked over 80% of ultraviolet-C and ultraviolet-B but did not block ultraviolet-A, visible light, or near-infrared wavelengths. The samples with yellow, and red iron oxide blocked over 90% ultraviolet, but did not block visible light and near-infrared effectively. The sample with black iron oxide blocked visible light, and near-infrared effectively compared with other samples with yellow, blue, and red iron oxide. The sample with red and black iron oxides, and the sample with yellow, blue, red, and black iron oxides blocked ultraviolet through to near-infrared. It can be concluded that dark colored iron oxide combinations are effective at blocking from ultraviolet through to visible light and near-infrared radiation. The results of this study may also suggest that biological colour of human skin and subcutaneous tissues are conserved for comprehensive photoprotection.

Near-infrared spectroscopy method for rapid proximate quantitative analysis of nutrient composition in Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

Glycogen,amino acids,fatty acids,and other nutrient components affect the flavor and nutritional quality of oysters.Methods based on near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy(NIRS)were developed to rapidly and proximately determine the nutrient content of the Pacific oyster Crassostreagigas.Samples of C.gigas from 19 costal sites were freeze-dried,ground,and scanned for spectral data collection using a Fourier transform NIR spectrometer(Thermo Fisher Scientific).NIRS models of glycogen and other nutrients were established using partial least squares,multiplication scattering correction first-order derivation,and Norris smoothing.The R_(C) values of the glycogen,fatty acids,amino acids,and taurine NIRS models were 0.9678,0.9312,0.9132,and 0.8928,respectively,and the residual prediction deviation(RPD)values of these components were 3.15,2.16,3.11,and 1.59,respectively,indicating a high correlation between the predicted and observed values,and that the models can be used in practice.The models were used to evaluate the nutrient compositions of 1278 oyster samples.Glycogen content was found to be positively correlated with fatty acids and negatively correlated with amino acids.The glycogen,amino acid,and taurine levels of C.gigas cultured in the subtidal and intertidal zones were also significantly different.This study suggests that C.gigas NIRS models can be a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods for the rapid and proximate analysis of various slaughter traits and may also contribute to future genetic and breeding-related studies in Pacific oysters.

Classification of Guizhou Aspidistra Plants by Near-infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy

[Objective] This study was conducted to establish a near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of Guizhou Aspidistra plants. [Method] Twenty three batch- es of Guizhou Aspidistra plants including A. chishuiensis, A. spinula, A. Caespitosa, A. sichuanensis, A. ebianensis, A. retusa, A. guizhouensis and A. liboensis were subjected to drying, pulverization and sieving and then directly determined for near- infrared reflectance spectrums; and the plants in this genus were classified by clus- ter analysis and principal component analysis （PCA）. [Result] The near-infrared re- flectance spectrums of the 23 batches of Guizhou Aspidistra plants showed very high similarity. The spectrums were processed by first derivative method, and the spectral range of 4 000-7 500 cm-1 was selected as the analytical range. Cluster analysis and PCA were employed to mass spectrum variables of plants in Aspidis- tra, fewer new variables became the linear combination of primary variables, and small differences between different varieties were enlarged, thereby facilitating intu- itive classification of plants in this genus. [Conclusion] Near-infrared diffuse re- flectance spectroscopy is nondestructive and rapid for determination of solid sam- pies, and provides a new method for the classification of Guizhou Aspidistra plants combined by information processing techniques.

High efficiency and high transmission asymmetric polarization converter with chiral metasurface in visible and near-infrared region

Polarization manipulation of light is of great importance because it could promote development of wireless communications,biosensing,and polarization imaging.In order to use natural light more efficiently,it is highly demanded to design and fabricate high performance asymmetric polarization converters which could covert the natural light to one particular linearly polarized light with high efficiency.Traditionally,polarizers could be achieved by controllers with crystals and polymers exhibiting birefringence.However,the polarizers are bulky in size and the theoretical conversion efficiency of the polarizers is limited to 0.5 with unpolarized light incidence.In this paper,we propose a polarization converter which could preserve high transmission for one linearly polarized light and convert the orthogonal linearly polarized light to its cross-polarized with high transmittance based on a multi-layer chiral metasurface.Theoretical results show that normally incident y-polarized light preserves high transmittance for the wavelength range from 685 nm to 800 nm while the orthogonal normally incident x-polarized light is efficiently converted to the y-polarized light with high transmittance from 725 nm to 748 nm.Accordingly,for unpolarized light incidence,transmittance larger than 0.5 has been successfully achieved in a broadband wavelength range from 712 nm to 773 nm with a maximum transmittance of 0.58 at 732 nm.

Near-infrared lead chalcogenide quantum dots:Synthesis and applications in light emitting diodes

This paper reviews the recent progress in the synthesis of near-infrared(NIR) lead chalcogenide(PbX;PbX = PbS,PbSe, PbTe) quantum dots(QDs) and their applications in NIR QDs based light emitting diodes(NIR-QLEDs). It summarizes the strategies of how to synthesize high efficiency PbX QDs and how to realize high performance Pb X based NIR-QLEDs.

Rapid Identification for Drought Resistance of Wheat Using Near-infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy

[Objective] This study aimed to establish an identification system for drought-resistance in wheat by using near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. [Method] In 2006-2007, 36 wheat varieties with different drought resistance were selected and were classified according to their drought resistance grades determined by the Technical Specification of Identification and Evaluation for Drought Resistance in Wheat （GB/T 21127-2007）. In addition, the harvested wheat seed samples were spectrally analyzed with FOSS NIRSystems5000 near-infrared spectrum analyzer for grain quality （full spectrum analyzer） and then the forecasted regression equations were established. [Result] After the establishment of a database and validation, dis- criminated functions were obtained. The determination coefficient （RSQ） and coeffi- cients of determination for cross validation （1-VR） in the discriminant function built with seed samples from water stress area were 0.846 0 and 0.781 8, respectively, which indicated that the consistency between drought resistance and spectral charac- teristics in wheat varieties was good, and there was high correlation between the near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectra of seeds and the drought resistance in wheat. [Conclusiou] Under water stress condition, it is feasible to establish a conve- nient, rapid and no-damage identification system for the drought resistance in wheat by using the near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectrum technique to scan wheat seeds.

Use of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy for the rapid determination of the digestible energy and metabolizable energy content of corn fed to growing pigs

Background： The ability of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy（NIRS） to determine the digestible energy（DE）and metabolizable energy（ME） content of corn fed to growing pigs was tested. One hundred and seventeen corn samples, comprising different planting regions and varieties were collected from all over China in a three-year period. The samples were randomly split into a calibration set（n = 88） and a validation set（n = 29）. The actual and calculated DE and ME content of the corn samples was determined by digestion-metabolism experiments and the prediction equations of Noblet and Perez（J Anim Sci. 71：3389–98,1993）. The samples were then subjected to NIRS scanning and calibrations were performed by the modified partial least square（MPLS） regression method based on77 different spectral pre-treatments. The NIRS equations based on the actually determined and calculated DE and ME were built separately and then validated using validation samples.Results： The NIRS equations obtained from actually determined DE, the coefficient of determination for calibration（RSQcal）, cross-validation（R^2CV）, and validation（RSQv） were 0.89, 0.87 and 0.86, and these values for determined ME were 0.87, 0.86 and 0.86. For the NIRS equations built from calculated DE, the RSQcal, R^2CV, and RSQvvalues were 0.88, 0.85 and 0.84, and these values for calculated ME were 0.86, 0.84 and 0.82. Except for the equation based on calculated ME（RPD_v= 2.38, 〈 2.50）, the other three equations built from actually determined energy and calculated DE produced good prediction performance（RPD_vranging from 2.53 to 2.69, 〉 2.50） when applied to validation samples.Conclusion： These results indicate that NIRS can be used as a quantitative method for the rapid determination of the available energy in corn fed to growing pigs, and the NIRS equations based on the actually determined energy produced better predictive performance than those built from calculated energy values.

Application of Short-wave Near-infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy in Controlling Extract of Fructus Cnidii Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Fructus cnidii （Chinese name shechuangzi） is the fruit produced by Cnidium monnieri （L.） Cusson （Umbelliferae）. It is a perennial herb that is used to treat skin-related diseases and gynecopathyell. Recent pharmacological studies have revealed crude extracts or components isolated from fructus cnidii possess antiallergic, antipruritic, antidermatophytic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiosteoporotic activities. Osthole and imperatorin are the major compounds present in shechuangzi. They are often used as standards for the evaluation of the quality of shechuangzi products.

Multi-watt near-infrared light therapy as a neuroregenerative treatment for traumatic brain injury

Infrared light represents a broad spectrum of light with wavelengths from 700 nm to 1 million nm（1,000 microns）.At its shortest wavelengths（referred to as near-infrared）,it merges with the red spectrum of visible light.At the longest end（referred to as far-infrared）,it blends into the range of microwaves.

Geographic Classification of Chinese Grape Wines by Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) was applied to classify grape wines of different geographical origins (Changli, Huailai, and Yantai, China). Near infrared (NIR) spectra were collected in transmission mode in the wavelength range of 800-2500 nm. Wines (n=90) were randomly split into two sets, calibration set (n=54) and validation set (n=36). Discriminant analysis models were developed using BP neural network and discriminant partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The prediction performance of calibration models in different wavelength range was also investigated. BP neural network models and PLS-DA models correctly classified 100% of the wines in calibration set. When used to predict wines in validation set, BP neural network models correctly classified 100%, 81.8%, and 90.9% of the wines from Changli, Huailai, and Yantai respectively, and PLS-DA models correctly classified 100% of all samples. The results demonstrated that NIRS could be used to discriminate Chinese grape wines as a rapid and reliable method.

Rapid, Non-Destructive, Textile Classification Using SIMCA on Diffuse Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectra

Soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) was successful in classifying a large library of 758 commercially available, non-blended samples of acetate, cotton, polyester, rayon, silk and wool 89% - 98% of the time at the 95% confidence level (p = 0.05 significance level). In the present study, cotton and silk had a 62% and 24% chance, respectively, of being classified with their own group and also with rayon. SIMCA correctly identified a counterfeit “silk” sample as polyester. When coupled with diffuse NIR reflectance spectroscopy and a large sample library, SIMCA shows considerable promise as a quick, non-destructive, multivariate method for fiber identification. A major advantage is simplicity. No sample pretreatment of any kind was required, and no adjust-ments were made for fiber origin, manufacturing process residues, topical finishes, weave pattern, or dye content. Increasing the sample library should make the models more robust and improve identification rates over those reported in this paper.

High-entropy rare earth stannate ceramics:Acid corrosion resistant radiative cooling materials with high atmospheric transparency window emissivity and high near-infrared solar reflectivity

In response to the development of the concepts of“carbon neutrality”and“carbon peak”,it is critical to developing materials with high near-infrared(NIR)solar reflectivity and high emissivity in the atmospheric transparency window(ATW;8–13μm)to advance zero energy consumption radiative cooling technology.To regulate emission and reflection properties,a series of high-entropy rare earth stannate ceramics(HE-RE_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7):(Y_(0.2)La_(0.2)Nd_(0.2)Eu_(0.2)Gd_(0.2))_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7),(Y_(0.2)La_(0.2)Sm_(0.2)Eu_(0.2)Lu_(0.2))_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7),and(Y_(0.2)La_(0.2)Gd_(0.2)Yb_(0.2)Lu_(0.2))_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7))with severe lattice distortion were prepared using a solid phase reaction followed by a pressureless sintering method for the first time.Lattice distortion is accomplished by introducing rare earth elements with different cation radii and mass.The as-synthesized HE-RE_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7)ceramics possess high ATW emissivity(91.38%–95.41%),high NIR solar reflectivity(92.74%–97.62%),low thermal conductivity(1.080–1.619 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1)),and excellent chemical stability.On the one hand,the lattice distortion intensifies the asymmetry of the structural unit to cause a notable alteration in the electric dipole moment,ultimately enlarging the ATW emissivity.On the other hand,by selecting difficult excitation elements,HE-RE_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7),which has a wide band gap(Eg),exhibits high NIR solar reflectivity.Hence,the multi-component design can effectively enhance radiative cooling ability of HE-RE_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7)and provide a novel strategy for developing radiative cooling materials.

RAPID DETERMINATION OF PROTEIN IN MILLET BY FOURIER TRANSFORM NEAR-INFRARED(FTNIR)DIFFUSE REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY

In this paper,the Fourier transform near-infrared(FTNIR)diffuse reflectance spectroscopy is applied for the rapid determination of protein in millet.The partial least-squares(PLS)regression is successfully used as an effective multivariate calibration technique.The calibration set is composed of 20 standard millet samples that the protein contents were determined by the traditional Kjeldahl method.The optimal model dimension is found to be 5 by cross-validation.22 millet samples were determined by the proposed FTNIR-PLS method.The correlation coefficient between the concentration values obtained by the FTNIR-PLS method and the traditional Kjeldahl method is 0.9805.The standard error of prediction(SEP)is 0.28% and the mean recovery is 100.2%.The proposed method has been successfully applied for the routine analysis of protein in about 10,000 grain samples.

Biological Defenses against Ultra-Violet, Visible Light, and Near-Infrared Exposure

Objective: Humans are increasingly exposed to artificial light and electromagnetic wave radiation, in addition to solar radiation. Many studies have shown the biological effects of ultra-violet and near-infrared exposure, but few have extensively investigated the innate biological defenses within human tissues against visible light and near-infrared exposure. Herein, we investigated spectral properties of endogenous human biological defenses against ultra-violet to near-infrared. Methods: A double-beam spectrophotometer (190 - 2700 nm) was used to measure the transmission spectra of a saline solution used to imitate perspiration, and oil to imitate sebum, as well as human skin, blood, adipose tissue, and muscle. Results: Saline (thickness, 0.5 mm) blocked 27.5% - 98.6% of ultra-violet, 13.2% - 34.3% of visible light, and 10.7% - 99.8% of near-infrared. Oil (thickness, 0.5 mm) blocked 50.5% - 100% of ultra-violet, 28.7% - 54.8% of visible light, and 19.0% - 98.3% of near-infrared. Blood thicknesses of 0.05 and 0.5 mm blocked over 97.8%, 100% of ultra-violet, over 94.6%, 99.7% of visible light, and over 75.8%, 99.4% of near-infrared, respectively. Skin thicknesses of 0.25 and 0.5 mm blocked over 99.4%, 100% of ultra-violet and over 94.3%, 99.7% of visible light, and over 74.7%, 93.5% of near-infrared, respectively. Adipose tissue thickness of 0.25 and0.5 mm blocked over 98.3%, 100% of ultra-violet, over 94.7%, 99.7% of visible light, and over 88.1%, 98.6% of near-infrared, respectively. Muscle thickness of 0.25 and0.5 mm blocked over 95.4%, 99.8% of ultra-violet, over 93.1%, 99.5% of visible light, and over 86.9%, 98.3% of near-infrared, respectively. Conclusions: Humans possess endogenous biological protection against ultra-violet, visible light and near-infrared exposure on multiple levels, including through perspiration, sebum, blood, skin, adipose tissue, and muscle. Since solar and artificial radiation affects human tissues, biological defenses made of biological materials may be induced to protect subcutaneous tissues against these wavelengths.

Dynamic aggregation of carbon dots self-stabilizes symmetry breaking for exceptional hydrogen production with near-infrared light

Developing new photosystems that integrate broad-band near-infrared(NIR)light harvesting and efficient charge separation is a long-sought goal in the photocatalytic community.In this work,we develop a novel photochemical strategy to prepare light-active carbon dots(CDs)under room temperature and discover that the aggregation of CDs can broaden the light absorption to the NIR region due to the electronic couplings between neighboring CDs.Importantly,the dynamic noncovalent interactions within CD aggregates can stabilize symmetry breaking and thus induce large dipole moments for charge separation and transfer.Furthermore,the weak non-covalent interactions allow for flexible design of the aggregated degrees and the local electronic structures of CD aggregates,further strengthening NIR-light harvesting and charge separation efficiency.As a result,the CD aggregates achieve a record apparent quantum yield of 13.5%at 800 nm,which is one of the best-reported values for NIR-light-driven hydrogen photosynthesis to date.Moreover,we have prepared a series of different CDs and also observed that these CDs after aggregation all exhibit outstanding NIR-responsive photocatalytic hydrogen production activity,suggesting the universality of aggregation-enhanced photocatalysis.This discovery opens a new promising platform for using CD aggregates as efficient light absorbers for solar conversion.

Achieving near-infrared-light-mediated switchable friction regulation on MXene-based double network hydrogels

MXene possesses great potential in enriching the functionalities of hydrogels due to its unique metallic conductivity,high aspect ratio,near-infrared light(NIR light)responsiveness,and wide tunability,however,the poor compatibility of MXene with hydrogels limits further applications.In this work,we report a uniformly dispersed MXene-functionalized poly-N-isopropylacrylamide(PNIPAM)/poly-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid(PAMPS)double network hydrogel(M–DN hydrogel)that can achieve switchable friction regulation by using the NIR light.The dispersity of MXene in hydrogels was significantly improved by incorporating the chitosan(CS)polymer.This M–DN hydrogel showed much low coefficient of friction(COF)at 25℃ due to the presence of hydration layer on hydrogel surface.After illuminating with the NIR light,M–DN hydrogel with good photothermal effect rapidly raised the temperature to above the lower critical solution temperature(LCST),which led to an obvious increase of surface COF owing to the destruction of the hydration layer.In addition,M–DN friction control hydrogel showed good recyclability and controllability by tuning“on-off”of the NIR light.This work highlights the construction of functional MXene hydrogels for intelligent lubrication,which provides insight for interface sensing,controlled transmission,and flexible robotic arms.

pH- and near-infrared light-responsive,biomimetic hydrogels from aqueous dispersions of carbon nanotubes

Owing to their low flexibility,poor processability and a lack of responsiveness,inorganic materials are usually non-ideal for constructing a living organism.Hence,to date,lifelike materials with structural hierarchies and adaptive properties usually rely on light and soft organic molecules,although few exceptions have been acquired using two-dimensional(2D)inorganic nanosheets.Herein,with a systematic study on the gelation behavior of carbon-based 0D quantum dots,1D nanotubes,and 3D fullerenes,we find that acidified 1D carbon nanotubes(CNTs)can serve as an alternative building block for fabricating purely inorganic biomimetic soft materials.The as-prepared CNT gels exhibit not only a pH-or photothermal-triggered mechanical and tribological adaptivity,which allows them to simulate the behavior of sea cucumbers,peacock mantis shrimps,and mammalian muscles or cortical bones,but also a unique damping property that is similar to spider’s cuticular pad.Their high elasticity,effective lubrication,excellent biocompatibility,and controllable friction and wear also allow them to function as a new type of smart lubricants,whose tribological properties can be regulated either by its internal pH changes or spatiotemporally by near-infrared(NIR)light irradiations,free of any toxic and flammable base oils or additives.

Fabrication of PdSe2/GaAs Heterojunction for Sensitive Near-Infrared Photovoltaic Detector and Image Sensor Application

In this study,we have developed a high-sensitivity,near-infrared photodetector based on PdSe2/GaAs heterojunction,which was made by transferring a multilayered PdSe2 film onto a planar GaAs.The as-fabricated PdSe2/GaAs heterojunction device exhibited obvious photovoltaic behavior to 808 nm illumination,indicating that the near-infrared photodetector can be used as a self-driven device without external power supply.Further device analysis showed that the hybrid heterojunction exhibited a high on/off ratio of 1.16×10^5 measured at 808 nm under zero bias voltage.The responsivity and specific detectivity of photodetector were estimated to be 171.34 mA/W and 2.36×10^11 Jones,respectively.Moreover,the device showed excellent stability and reliable repeatability.After 2 months,the photoelectric characteristics of the near-infrared photodetector hardly degrade in air,attributable to the good stability of the PdSe2.Finally,the PdSe2/GaAs-based heterojunction device can also function as a near-infrared light sensor.