Search

Objective:To perform a meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effects of curcumin supplementation with different formulations on anthropometric and cardiometabolic indices in patients with metabolism-related diseases (MRDs). Methods: Six databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China national knowledge internet (CNKI), Wanfang and China Biology Medicine (CBM), were systematically searched to find relevant articles from 2011 to July 2021. The effect sizes were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using I2 . Subgroup analysis was conducted to find possible sources of heterogeneity. Curcumin formulations in this study were divided as low bioavailability, high bioavailability and nanocurcumin. Results: Of the retrieved 1585 articles, 31 were included in the final analysis. Combined effect sizes suggested a significant effect of curcumin supplementation on reduced body weight (BW) (WMD: −0.94kg, 95% CI: −1.40, −0.47) and body mass index (BMI) (WMD: −0.40kg/m², 95% CI: −0.60, −0.19), respectively. The results also showed significant improvements of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (WMD: −0.50mg/ dL, 95% CI: −0.72, −0.28), glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac) (WMD: −0.42%, 95% CI: −0.57, −0.26), insulin (INS) (WMD: −1.70 μIU/mL, 95%CI: −2.03, −1.38), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (WMD: −0.71, 95%CI: −1.11, −0.31), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (WMD: 1.73mg/dL, 95%CI: 0.78, 2.68) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) (WMD: −1.11, 95%CI: −2.16, −0.05). Nanocurcumin showed a greater reduction in FPG (WMD: −1.78mg/dL, 95% CI: −2.49, −1.07), INS (WMD: −1.66 μIU/mL, 95% CI: −3.21, −0.11), TC (WMD: −12.64mg/dL (95% CI: −23.72, −1.57) and LDL-C (WMD: −8.95mg/dL, 95% CI: −16.51, −1.38). The dose-effect analysis showed that there were trends of first rising and then falling between the supplemented curcumin dose and BW, BMI, LDL-C, Hb1Ac, which were clearly distinguished at 80mg/d due to the strong effect of nanocurcumin on outcomes. A slow upward trend between the dose of curcumin supplementation and HDL-C. No relationships between dose and outcomes were found for FPG and insulin, except for nanocurcumin at 80mg/d. Conclusions: Our study showed some significant beneficial effects of curcumin supplementation on improving BW, BMI, and the levels of FPG, Hb1Ac, HOMA-IR, HDL-C and Hs-CRP in patients with MRDs. Nanocurcumin may have a greater effect on the reduction of FPG, INS, TC and LDL-C than other curcumin formulations. Considering the potential bias and limitations of studies included, further quality studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firstly, Jiang Shidu and his historical background were introduced. His water control practice and characteristics were analyzed in detail, such as drawing water to irrigate farmland, opening up waterways for grain transportation by ship, guaranteeing the supply of fresh water to salt ponds, transforming drainage channels, establishing urban water supply system, and constructing military defense projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Our study was conducted to evaluate and compare the accuracy of the refractive prediction determined by the calculation formulas for different intraocular lens (IOL) powers for high myopia. Methods: This study reviewed 217 eyes from 135 patients who had received cataract aspiration treatment and IOL implantation. The refractive mean numerical error (MNE) and mean absolute error (MAE) of the IOL power calculation formulas (SRK/T, Haigis, Holladay, Hoffer Q, and Barrett Universal II) were examined and compared. The MNE and MAE at different axial lengths (AL) were compared, and the percentage of every refractive error absolute value for each formula was calculated at ±0.25D, ±0.50D, ±1.00D, and ±2.00D. Results: In all, 98 patients were recruited into this study and 98 eyes of them were analyzed. We found that Barrett Universal II formula had the lowest MNE and MAE, SRK/T and Haigis formulas arrived at similar MNE and MAE, and the MNE and MAE calculated by Holladay and Hoffer Q formula were the highest. Barrett Universal II formulas have the lowest MAE among different AL patients, whereas it reached the highest percentage of refractive error absolute value within 0.5D in this study. The MAE of each formula is positively correlated with AL. Conclusion: Barrett Universal II formula rendered the lowest predictive error compared with SRK/T, Haigis, Holladay, and Hoffer Q formulas. Thus, Barrett Universal II formula may be regarded as a more reliable formula for high myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a highly contagious disease in bovine animals. An outbreak of LSD can cause devastating economic losses to the cattle industry. To investigate the distribution characteristics of historical LSD epidemics, LSD was divided into four phases for directional distribution analysis based on trends in epidemic prevalence. Ecological niche models were developed for LSD as well as for two vectors (Stomoxys calcitrans and Aedes aegypti), and global predictive maps were generated for the probability of LSD occurrence and the potential distribution of the two LSD vectors. The models had good predictive performance (the AUC values were 0.894 for the LSD model, 0.911 for the S. calcitrans model, and 0.950 for the A. aegypti model). The LSD combined vector prediction map was generated by combining the distribution maps of Stomoxys calcitrans and Aedes aegypti with fuzzy overlay tool in ArcGIS. The LSD combined vector prediction map was combined with the LSD prediction map to generate the LSD vector transmission risk map. The eastern and northwestern regions of North America, the eastern and northern regions of South America, the central and southern regions of Africa, the southern region of Europe, the northwestern and southeastern regions of Asia, and the eastern region of Australia were predicted to provide suitable environmental conditions for the occurrence of LSD. Cattle density, buffalo density, and bio2 (mean diurnal range) were identified as key variables for the occurrence of LSD. The fndings of this study can be useful to policymakers in developing and implementing preventive measures of LSD for the health of cattle and the cattle industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within-basket recommendation is to recommend suitable items for the current basket with some already known items. The within-basket auxiliary item recommendation (WBAIR) is to recommend auxiliary items based on the primary items in the basket. Such a task exists in many real-life scenarios. Unlike the associations between items that can be transmitted in both directions, primary and auxiliary relationships are unidirectional. Then, the suitable matching patterns between primary and auxiliary items cannot be explored by traditional directionless methods. Therefore, we design the Matc4Rec algorithm to integrate the primary and auxiliary factors, and finally recommend items that not only match the interests of users but also satisfy the primary and auxiliary relationships between items. Specifically, we capture the pattern from three aspects: matchability within-basket, matchability between baskets, and ubiquity. By exploiting this pattern, the designed algorithm not only achieves good results on real-world datasets but also improves the interpretability of recommendations. As a result, we can know which commodities are suitable as auxiliary items. The experiment results demonstrate that our algorithm can also alleviate the cold start problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material of the paederine genera Domene Fauvel, 1873 and Lathrobium Gravenhorst, 1802 from the Dayao Mountains, southern China, is examined. Eight species are identified, three of them described previously and five undescribed. Four species are described and illustrated for the first time: Domene hei Peng & Li, sp. n., Lathrobium jinxiuense Peng & Li, sp. n., L. kuan Peng & Li, sp. n. and L. leii Peng & Li, sp. n. One probably undescribed species of Lathrobium remains unnamed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red phosphors of Li-doped CaTiO3:Eu3+ that enhance photoluminescence have been synthesized by a solid-state method, and their structure and morphology were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The luminescence property was measured using photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra, respectively. The effect of sintered temperature and Eu3+ and Li+ concentration in as-prepared series phosphors was studied. Results indicate that the optimal luminescence properties of CaTiO3:Eu3+ (CTE) phosphors are typically obtained at 1300 °C with 12 mol% of Eu3+ concentration, and the emission intensity can be greatly enhanced by the incorporation of Li+ into the CTE phosphors, attributing that Li not only compensates positive charge defect by replacement of Ca2+ with Eu3+, but also plays a role of flux, which could enhance the crystallinity of the phosphors. The intensity of the optimal Li-doped CaTiO3:Eu3+ phosphor (CLTE) is 2.3 times of that of CTE. PL spectrum showed that CLTE phosphor was efficiently excited by near-ultraviolet light at wavelength around 398 nm and emitted intensive red light with a peak around 616 nm corresponding to the 5D0→7F2 transition of Eu3+. Furthermore, this phosphor has very good thermal stability and high color purity, implying the potential to be a promising red phosphor in white light emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the power quality of traction power system, a novel active power quality compensator (APQC) and a new compensating currents detection method are proposed. The APQC consists of a three-phase voltage source converter and a Scott transformer. The Scott transformer, taken as an isolation transformer, not only connects the three-phase converter to the traction power system, but also converts the traction power system to a nearly balanced three-phase power system. Therefore, a general three-phase converter could be used in APQC. Regarding the traction substation as a compensating object, the power quality of a traction substation can be improved integrally. Simulation and prototype experimental results show that the proposed APQC is able to compensate reactive power, harmonic, and negative-sequence currents in two feeders of a traction substation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of bispectral index (BIS) to reduce intra-operative awareness (IOA) have reported conflicting results. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to consolidate results from RCTs to assess the efficacy of BIS in reducing IOA when compared to controls. Secondary outcomes included time to extubation, time to spontaneous and/or verbal eye opening, PACU discharge time, and utilization of inhaled anesthetics. Methods: RCTs which reported on one of the primary and/or secondary outcomes were included. Literature search utilized keywords "randomized control trial" and "intraoperative awareness." Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5. Results: Twenty-seven RCTs were included in the study with a total of 35,585 patients, with 18,146 patients in the BIS and 17,439 in the control group. Eighteen of 14,062 patients (0.12%) and 42 of 16,765 (0.25%) reported definite IOA in the BIS and control group, respectively, with no statistically significant difference. BIS was effective in reducing the time to spontaneous eye opening by an average of 1.3 minutes and the time to extubation by an average of 1.97 minutes. There was no difference in PACU discharge times among the groups. There was a significant decrease in consumption of sevoflurane but no difference in desflurane and propofol compared to the control group. Conclusion: While BIS monitoring results in decreased incidence of intra-operative awareness by half, it was not statistically significant. BIS provides modest benefits with regard to reducing the time to extubation, the time to spontaneous eye opening, and consumption of sevoflurane. Level of evidence: I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polymer polyoxyethylene(20) cetyl ether (C56H114O21, POELE20) and three salts (K2C2O4, K2C4H4O6, and K3C6H5O7) were the phase-forming materials to build the aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) at the temperatures 288.15, 298.15, and 308.15 K. The data of the phase diagram including binodal curve data and tie-line data were determined and fitted by classical equations, and they obtained the satisfactory correlation effect. The phase-forming ability of salt composed of the same cation was investigated by three factors, namely, the valence of the anion, the Gibbs free energy of the anion, and the value of effective excluded volume (EEV). It was found that the phase-forming ability of salt strengthened when the values of said three factors went up. The results of the analysis on the data from the present work and that in our previous paper showed that the order of the phase-forming ability of salts was KOH > K2C2O4 > K2C4H4O6 > K2CO3 > K3C6H5O7 > K3PO4. The effect of temperature on phase-forming of the studied ATPSs was discussed through the phase diagram and EEV value, and it was showed that the increase in temperature is beneficial to separating two phases for ATPSs. For the investigated systems, the effect of temperature on the liquid-liquid equilibrium of ATPSs was studied by the phase diagram and the slope of the tie-line (STL), and it was found that the absolute value of the STL increased with rising temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In narrow water channels, ship traffic may be affected by water flows and ship interactions. Studying their effects can help maritime authorities to establish appropriate management strategies. In this study, a two-lane cellular automation model is proposed. Further, the behavior of ship traffic is analyzed by setting different water flow velocities and considering ship interactions. Numerical experiment results show that the ship traffic density-flux relation is significantly different from the results obtained by classical models. Furthermore, due to ship interactions, the ship lane-change rate is influenced by the water flow to a certain degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A self-powered field emission device (FED) driven by a single-electrode tribo-electric nanogenerator (TENG) is demonstrated. The mechanical motion works as both a power supply to drive the FED and a control unit to regulate the amount of emitted electrons. By using the Fowler-Nordheim equation and Kirchhoff laws, a theoretical model of this self-powered FED is proposed, and accordingly the real-time output characteristics of the device are systematically investigated. It is found that the motion distance of the TENG controls switch-on of the FED and determines the charge amount for emission, while the motion velocity regulates the amplitude of emission current. The minimum contact area for the TENG to generate field emission is about 9 cm², which can be improved by optimizing FED structure and the tribo-materials of TENG. The demonstrated concept of this self-powered FED as well as the proposed physical analysis can serve as guidance for further applications of FED in such fields of self-powered electronics and soft electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roadside noise barriers (RNBs) are important urban infrastructures to develop a liveable city. However, the absence of accurate and large-scale geospatial data on RNBs has impeded the increasing progress of rational urban planning, sustainable cities, and healthy environments. To address this problem, this study proposes a geospatial artificial intelligence framework to create a vectorized RNB dataset in China using street view imagery. To begin, intensive sampling is performed on the road network of each city based on OpenStreetMap, which is used as the geo-reference to download 5.6 million Baidu Street View (BSV) images. Furthermore, considering the prior geographic knowledge contained in street view images, convolutional neural networks incorporating image context information (IC-CNNs) based on an ensemble learning strategy are developed to detect RNBs from the BSV images. Subsequently, the RNB dataset presented by polylines is generated based on the identified RNB locations, with a total length of 2,227 km in 215 cities. At last, the quality of the RNB dataset is evaluated from two perspectives: first, the detection accuracy; second, the completeness and positional accuracy. Specifically, based on a set of randomly selected samples containing 10,000 BSV images, four quantitative metrics are calculated, with an overall accuracy of 98.61 %, recall of 87.14 %, precision of 76.44 %, and F1-score of 81.44 %. 30 Moreover, a total length of 254 km of roads in different cities are manually surveyed using BSV images to evaluate the mileage deviation and overlap level between the generated and surveyed RNBs. The root-mean-squared error for mileage deviation is 0.08 km, and the intersection over union for overlay level is 88.08 % ± 2.95 %. The evaluation results suggest that the generated RNB dataset is of high quality and can be applied as an accurate and reliable dataset for a variety of large-scale urban studies. The generated vectorized RNB dataset and the labelled BSV image benchmark dataset are publicly available at https://doi.org/10.11888/Others.tpdc.271914 (Chen, 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Location-based services (LBSs) play a very important role in pervasive computing environment, and QoS (quality of service) is one of the key evaluations for LBS. To maintain high QoS, the traditional approaches rely on accurate and continuous localization. However, the energy consumption of the mobile device under this situation is often too high for practical applications. Thus, it seems that the energy consumption and QoS become two conflicting factors in LBS systems. In this article, a new adaptive goal-aware computing framework (Adaware) is proposed to solve this contradiction. We show that the QoS of LBS can be evaluated by recognizing user goals. We design new algorithms to mine user goals from discontinuous location data to reduce the energy consumption while keeping a high QoS at the same time. More specifically, Adaware employs an accelerometer to implement motion-based localization, which greatly reduces the unnecessary energy consumption on Wi-Fi scanning compared to the original continuous localization methods. Then based on the estimated discontiguous critical point traces which have been postprocessed by our proposed Localization Confident Coefficient filter method, a novel N-gram goal inference algorithm is used to predict the accurate goal. The experimental results in real-world wireless network environments validate the effectiveness of our framework. We can get 80% QoS under 70% location estimation accuracy within 10 meters and 30% energy saving compared to continuous Wi-Fi scanning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoluminescence, photoabsorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study revealed that an optical transition of porous silicon from red-shift to blue-shift, and Si-2p binding energy transition from low to high at a critical anodization temperature, 343 K. Possible origin for the reverse variations happening at temperature below and above the critical temperature is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Low energy ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) was employed to prepare Ag films on Mo/Si (100) substrate. It was found that Ag films deposited by sputtering method without ion beam bombardment were preferred (111) orientation. When the depositing film was simultaneously bombardment by Ar+ beam perpendicular to the film surface at ion/atom arrival ratio of 0.18, the prepared films exhibited weak (111) and (200) mixed orientations. When the direction of Ar+ beam was off-normal direction of the film surface, Ag films showed highly preferred (111) orientation. Monte Carlo method was used to calculate the sputtering yields of Ar+ ions at various incident and azimuth angles. The effects of channeling and surface free energy on the crystallographic orientation of Ag films were discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A two-step extraction method was used to extract proteins from Caragana korshinskii Kom., including a NaOH solution extraction followed by a water extraction. A power-law model, three-site kinetic extraction model, and second-order model were utilized to investigate the mechanism of the water extraction process and the key factors affecting the protein yield. The experimental data fitted well with the three-site kinetic model, indicating that the water extraction process included washing and faster and slower stages. In addition, the slower stage was the rate-limiting step. For the water extraction process, the protein yield was increased by decreasing the particle size, increasing the NaOH concentration, or raising the extraction temperature, among which the extraction temperature was the critical factor for controlling the protein yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacitive neutralization dialysis energy (CNDE) is proposed as a novel energy-harvesting technique that is able to utilize waste acid and alkaline solutions to produce electrical energy. CNDE is a modification based on neutralization dialysis. It was found that a higher NaCl concentration led to a higher open-circuit potential when the concentrations of acid and alkaline solutions were fixed. Upon closing of the circuit, the membrane potential was used as a driving force to move counter ions into the electrical double layers at the electrode-liquid interface, thereby creating an ionic current. Correspondingly, in the external circuit, electrons flow through an external resistor from one electrode to the other, thereby generating electrical energy directly. The influence of external resistances was studied to achieve greater energy extraction, with the maximum output of 110 mW/m² obtained by employing an external resistance of 5 Ω together with the AC-coated electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to investigate how to overcome immunorejection associated with allogeneic stem cell therapy in the infarcted heart. Allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation increases major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) expression, inducing transition from immunoprivileged to immunogenic phenotype. MHC II expression is regulated by the class II transactivator (CIITA). We isolated and characterized mouse and human MSCs and knocked down CIITA expression. Wild-type (WT) or CIITA-knockout (CIITA-) mouse MSCs were implanted into infarcted mouse myocardia, and recipient allo-antibody formation, cell survival, and cardiac function were measured. WT mouse and human MSCs that were myogenically differentiated showed increased MHC II and CIITA expression. Differentiated CIITA- MSCs lacked MHC II induction and showed reduced cytotoxicity in allogeneic leukocyte coculture. Differentiation of human MSCs increased MHC II expression, which resulted in cytotoxicity in allogeneic leukocyte coculture and was prevented by CIITA small interfering RNA. In contrast to WT MSCs, CIITA- MSCs did not initiate recipient allo-antibody formation and instead survived in the injured myocardium and significantly improved ventricular function. Decreasing CIITA expression in allogeneic MSCs abolished MHC II induction during myogenic differentiation and prevented immunorejection of these cells from the infarcted myocardium, which enhanced beneficial functional effects of MSC implantation on myocardial repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During interphase, the inactive X chromosome (Xi) is largely transcriptionally silent and adopts an unusual 3D configuration known as the "Barr body." Despite the importance of X chromosome inactivation, little is known about this 3D conformation. We recently showed that in humans the Xi chromosome exhibits three structural features, two of which are not shared by other chromosomes. First, like the chromosomes of many species, Xi forms compartments. Second, Xi is partitioned into two huge intervals, called "superdomains," such that pairs of loci in the same superdomain tend to colocalize. The boundary between the superdomains lies near DXZ4, a macrosatellite repeat whose Xi allele extensively binds the protein CCCTC-binding factor. Third, Xi exhibits extremely large loops, up to 77 megabases long, called "superloops." DXZ4 lies at the anchor of several superloops. Here, we combine 3D mapping, microscopy, and genome editing to study the structure of Xi, focusing on the role of DXZ4.We show that superloops and superdomains are conserved across eutherian mammals. By analyzing ligation events involving three or more loci, we demonstrate that DXZ4 and other superloop anchors tend to colocate simultaneously. Finally, we show that deleting DXZ4 on Xi leads to the disappearance of superdomains and superloops, changes in compartmentalization patterns, and changes in the distribution of chromatin marks. Thus, DXZ4 is essential for proper Xi packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An equivalent load-based method is proposed for vehicle weight identification. • Matrix regularization is used to identify equivalent loads via measured responses. • Vehicle weight is estimated from equivalent loads rather than moving forces. • Time-varying positions of moving vehicle are not needed. • Identified result of vehicle weight has high accuracy and strong robustness. • Not only vehicle weight but also information of moving forces can be identified. Moving force identification (MFI) is an effective way for closely monitoring vehicle weight in a dynamic state. Time-varying position of vehicle is usually needed. This applying condition may limit the applicability because the measurement of time-varying position has certain difficulty. To tackle this problem, this study proposes an equivalent load-based method for identifying the gross weight of a vehicle moving on a beam-like bridge. The proposed method is developed based on an innovative concept of equivalent load and the application of force reconstruction. Herein, the equivalent loads are expressed as some concentrated loads whose acting positions are time invariant. Modal forces induced by the equivalent loads are equal to the ones caused by the vehicle-induced moving forces. Under the crucial assumption of equivalent loads, the first key step is to reconstruct the equivalent loads by using a force identification method that is implemented via matrix regularization. Since the equivalent loads have been estimated, the second step aims to introduce a practical strategy for identifying the vehicle weight from the sum of the identified equivalent loads rather than the sum of moving forces. Because of this, a highlight is that time-varying position of vehicle is not needed. To verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method, beam structures with single span are carried out for numerical simulations and experimental validations. Illustrated results show that the proposed method can be applied for identifying the gross weight of a vehicle moving on a beam-like bridge with high accuracy and strong robustness. Some related issues are discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In liner shipping, liner carriers operate and cooperate as an alliance by sharing (or exchanging) ship capacities in order to compete with other liner carriers. Because of the long-term or short-term shipment contracts signed by shippers, the container demands transported by liner carriers can be classified as fixed demands or variable demands, respectively. We present an integrated mixed-integer linear programming model to solve the relevant problems on liner alliances including shipping network design with ship fleet deployment, allocation of the variable demands, capacities exchanged among liner carriers, and container routing. In our model, liner carriers are guided to pursue an optimal collaborative solution. As an added incentive, the capacity exchange costs are paid to liner carriers for sharing capacities and following the optimal collaborative solution. The computation of capacity exchange costs is obtained by using the inverse optimization technique. Finally, the numerical experiments for Asia-Europe-Oceania shipping services are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highquality CdS/ZnS:Cu quantum dots (QDs) were first synthesizedvia a green microwave irradiation route. As-prepared core/shell dopedQDs presented a strong absorption in the blue light region and highlyefficient red to deep red emission with a maximum quantum yield of40%. The composite formed by dispersing CdS/ZnS:Cu QDs into siliconeresin showed an excellent photostability under blue illumination.Finally, high color rendition white light was generated from the CdS/ZnS:CuQDs-assisted phosphor-converted white light-emitting diode (WLED)in which there was no reabsorption between quantum dots and phosphors.Under operation of 40 mA forward bias current, the fabricated WLEDemitted bright natural white light with a high color rendering indexof 90, a luminous efficiency of 46.5 lm/W, and the correlated colortemperature of 6591 K. Simultaneously, the good color stability wasaccompanied by the CIE color coordinates of (0.3155, 0.3041) underdifferent forward bias currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field emission devices using a wet-processed composite cathode of carbon nanotube films coated with titanium dioxide exhibit outstanding field emission characteristics, including ultralow turn on field of 0.383 V μm-1 and threshold field of 0.657 V μm-1 corresponding with a very high field enhancement factor of 20000, exceptional current stability, and excellent emission uniformity. The improved field emission properties are attributed to the enhanced edge effect simultaneously with the reduced screening effect, and the lowered work function of the composite cathode. In addition, the highly stable electron emission is found due to the presence of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the carbon nanotubes, which prohibits the cathode from the influence of ions and free radical created in the emission process as well as residual oxygen gas in the device. The high-performance solution-processed composite cathode demonstrates great potential application in vacuum electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field emission devices using a wet-processed composite cathode of carbon nanotube films coated with titanium dioxide exhibit outstanding field emission characteristics, including ultralow turn on field of 0.383 V μm-1 and threshold field of 0.657 V μm-1 corresponding with a very high field enhancement factor of 20000, exceptional current stability, and excellent emission uniformity. The improved field emission properties are attributed to the enhanced edge effect simultaneously with the reduced screening effect, and the lowered work function of the composite cathode. In addition, the highly stable electron emission is found due to the presence of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the carbon nanotubes, which prohibits the cathode from the influence of ions and free radical created in the emission process as well as residual oxygen gas in the device. The high-performance solution-processed composite cathode demonstrates great potential application in vacuum electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO-NaSrBO3:Tb3+ (ZNT) composites were successfully synthesized via microwave-assisted reaction of the ZnO precursor with a NaSrBO3:Tb3+ suspension using a microwave synthesis system. The morphology, structure and photocatalytic performance in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectrophotometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The results show that the ZNT composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of MB with a maximum degradation rate of 97% under visible light irradiation compared with pure ZnO (12%), which is ascribed to the increased light absorption and the reduction of photoelectron-hole pair recombination in ZnO with the introduction of NaSrBO3:Tb3+, as well as the light down-converting effect of NaSrBO3:Tb3+, which facilitates the self-sensitized degradation of MB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long afterglow Sr4Al14O25:Eu,Dy phosphors were introduced into the TiO2 photoanode of CdS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) as both a scattering and down converting layer, and the photovoltaic performances of the cells were investigated. The results show that the cell with Sr4Al14O25:Eu,Dy achieves a power conversion efficiency of 1.40%, which is an increase of 38% compared to the cell without Sr4Al14O25:Eu,Dy (1.02%). The performance improvement is attributed to enhanced light harvesting via improved light absorption and scattering processes. After a single sun illumination for 1 min and subsequent removal of the light source, the cell with Sr4Al14O25:Eu,Dy could be driven even in the dark by the long persistent light from Sr4Al14O25:Eu,Dy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen-doped carbon microspheres (NCSs) were fabricated via a simple, fast and energy-saving microwave-assisted method followed by thermal treatment under an ammonia atmosphere. NCSs thermally treated at different temperatures were investigated as anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The results show that NCSs treated at 900 °C exhibit a maximum reversible capacity of 816 mA h g-1 at a current density of 50 mA g-1 and preserve a capacity of 660 mA h g-1 after 50 cycles, and even at a high current density of 1000 mA g-1, a capacity of 255 mA h g-1 is maintained. The excellent electrochemical performance of NCSs is due to their porous structure and nitrogen-doping. The present NCSs should be promising low-cost anode materials with a high capacity and good cycle stability for LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn2+ doped-AlN red phosphors were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction, SEM-EDS, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence were utilized to characterize the prepared phosphor. Under UV light or electron beam excitation, the AlN:Mn2+ phosphors exhibit a strong red emission centered at 600 nm, which is ascribed to the characteristic 4T1(4G)–6A1(6S) transition of Mn2+. Energy level diagrams were constructed to discuss the photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence processes of the AlN:1% Mn2+ phosphor. The oxygen-related defects in AlN have great influence on the photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties of the AlN:1% Mn2+ phosphor. The dependence of brightness on accelerating voltage or electric current, the decay behavior of CL intensity under the electron bombardment, and the stability of CIE chromaticity coordinates were investigated in detail. The results indicate that the AlN:Mn2+ phosphor exhibits a higher brightness, higher color purity, and lower saturation compared to the red Y2O3:Eu3+ phosphor, which gives the AlN:Mn2+ phosphor great potential as a red phosphor for full color FEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO thin film was fabricated on tin-doped indium oxide electrode as an electron selective layer of inverted polymer solar cells using magnetron sputtering deposition. Ionic liquid-functionalized carbon nanoparticles (ILCNs) film was further deposited onto ZnO surfaces by drop-casting ILCNs solution to improve interface properties. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs) with only ZnO layer was quickly decreased from 2.7% to 2.2% when the thickness of ZnO layer was increased from 15 nm to 60 nm. However, the average PCE of inverted PSCs with ZnO layer modified with ILCNs only decreased from 3.5% to 3.4%, which is comparable to that of traditional PSCs with poly(3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) anode buffer layer. The results suggested that the contact barrier between ZnO layer and poly(3-hexylthiophene) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methylester (P3HT:PCBM) blended film compared to ZnO bulk resistance can more significantly influence the performance of inverted PSCs with sputtered ZnO layer. The vanishment of negative capacitive behavior of inverted PSCs with ILCNs modified ZnO layer indicated ILCNs can greatly decrease the contact barrier of ZnO/P3HT:PCBM interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore a simple and eco-friendly approach for preparing CZTS powders and a screen-printing process for Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanoparticles have been synthesized via a hydrazine-free solvothermal approach without the assistance of organic ligands. CZTS has been prepared by directly drop-casting the CZTS ink on the cleaned FTO glass, while CZTSSe CEs have been fabricated by screen-printing CZTS pastes, followed by post selenization using Se vapor obtained from elemental Se pellets. The crystal structure, composition and morphology of the as-deposited CZTS nanoparticles and CZTSSe electrodes are characterized by X-ray diffractometer, energy dispersive spectrometer, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of CZTS, CZTSSe and Pt CE based DSCs are examined and analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The prepared CZTS and CZTSSe CEs exhibit a cellular structure with high porosity. DSCs fabricated with CZTSSe CEs achieve a power conversion efficiency of 5.75% under AM 1.5 G illumination with an intensity of 100 mW/cm2, which is higher than that (3.22%) of the cell using the CZTS CE. The results demonstrate that the CZTSSe CE possesses good electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of charge carriers in electrolyte. The comprehensive CZTSSe CE process is cheap and scalable. It can make large-scale electro-catalytic film fabrication cost competitive for both energy harvesting and storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate the role of miR-17 in cardiac matrix remodeling following myocardial infarction (MI). Using real-time PCR, we quantified endogenous miR-17 in infarcted mouse hearts. Compared with related microRNAs, miR-17 was up-regulated most dramatically: 3.7-fold and 2.4-fold in the infarct region 3 and 7 d post-MI, respectively, and 2.4-fold in the border zone at d 3 compared to sham control (P<0.01). Chimeric luciferase reporter constructs were cloned for miR-17 target validation. miR-17 targeted the 3'-UTR of TIMP2 and the protein coding region of TIMP1. The miR-17 mimic decreased TIMP2 (P<0.01) and TIMP1 (P<0.05) protein expression compared with the scrambled control. Inhibition of endogenous miR-17 by in vivo antagomir delivery enhanced TIMP2 (P<0.01) and TIMP1 (P<0.05) protein expression compared to the mismatch group, decreased MMP9 activity (P<0.05), reduced infarct size as early as 7 d post-MI (P<0.05), and improved cardiac function (fractional shortening and fractional area contraction, P<0.05) at d 21 and 28 post-MI. Transgenic mice overexpressing miR-17 in the heart confirmed the deleterious role of miR-17 in matrix modulation. Our study suggests that miR-17 participates in the regulation of cardiac matrix remodeling and provides a novel therapeutic approach using miR-17 inhibitors to prevent remodeling and heart failure after MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The graphene double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT) hybrid films were prepared by vacuum filtration and screen printing. Their electron field emission properties have been studied systematically. The electron emission properties of the hybrid films are much better than those of pure DWCNT films and pure graphene films. Comparing with the screen printed films, the vacuum filtered films have many advantages, such as lower turn-on field, higher emission current density, better uniformity, better long term stability, and stronger adhesive strength with conductive substrates. The optimized hybrid films with 20% weight ratio of graphene, which were fabricated by vacuum filtration, show the best electron emission performances with a low turn-on field of 0.50V μm-1 (at 1 μAcm-2) and a high field enhancement factor β of 27000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a low-cost yellow-orange emitting Y3Al5−xSixO12−xNx:Ce3+ phosphor with excellent color rendering for warm white LEDs. It was synthesized by a simple gas pressure sintering (GPS). The effect of Si4+—N3− incorporation on the optical properties of Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ phosphor was investigated. The addition of Si3N4 leads to an obvious shift of its emission spectra toward the red region and an increase of FWHM accompanying a significant decrease of photoluminescent intensity, which is assigned to incorporation of N3− in Ce3+ nearest neighbor coordination. Adding nanosized amorphous Si3N4 or flux can greatly improve the emission intensity of Y2.925Ce0.075Al5−xSixO12−xNx phosphor. Finally, the white LED flat lamp with a CRI as high as 83, luminous efficiency of 65 lm/W, and CCT of about 3700 K is successfully realized by using a single oxynitride phosphor combined with a blue LED chip, which is acceptable for general indoor illuminations to replace fluorescent or incandescent lamps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer gel electrolytes based on poly(acrylic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PAA-PEG) hybrid have been prepared and applied to developed quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). PAA-PEG hybrid was synthesized by polymerization reaction. Quasi-solid-state DSCs were fabricated with synthesized PAA-PEG electrolyte. The effects of alkali iodides LiI, KI, and I concentrations on liquid electrolyte absorbency and ionic conductivity of PAA-PEG were investigated. The evolution of the solar cell parameters with polymer gel electrolyte compositions was revealed. DSCs based on PAA-PEG with optimized KI/I concentrations showed better performances than those with optimized LiI/I concentrations. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique was employed to examine the electron lifetime in the TiO electrode and quantify charge transfer resistances at the TiO/dye/electrolyte interface and the counter electrode in the solar cells based on the PAA-PEG hybrid gels. A maximum conversion efficiency of 4.96% was obtained for DSCs using KI based quasi-solid electrolyte under 100 mW cm. Our work suggests that KI can be the promising alkali metal iodide for improving the performance of PAA-PEG hybrid gel DSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent, conductive, and flexible silver nanowire (AgNW) films have been fabricated by a facile two-step method. Firstly, the well-dispersed AgNW suspension is vacuum filtered using mixed esters of cellulose (MCE) membranes as filters. Then, the AgNW-MCE films are treated with acetone vapor. After the infiltration of acetone vapor, the white and porous MCE membranes change into transparent and pore-free, and AgNW-MCE films are obtained with extraordinary optical, conductive, and mechanical properties. An optimal result is obtained with transmittance of 85% at 550nm and sheet resistance about 50Ohm/sq.The flexibility of AgNW-MCE films is remarkable, which is comparable to that of the AgNW film on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET). More important, AgNW-MCE films show an excellent adhesion to the substrate, which causes a stable electrical conductivity even after scotch tape test and finger friction test. As a result of improved adhesion to the substrate, the sheet resistance of AgNW-MCE films is about 20% smaller than that of AgNW-PET films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetics, thermodynamics, and isotherms during electrical removal of Cu2+ by carbon nanotube and carbon nanofiber (CNTCNF) electrodes in CuCl2 solution were studied under different solution temperatures, initial Cu2+ concentrations, and applied voltages. The result shows that Langmuir isotherm can describe experimental data well, indicating monolayer adsorption, and higher Cu2+ removal and rate constant are achieved at higher voltage, lower initial Cu2+ concentration, and higher solution temperature. Meanwhile, the thermodynamics analyses indicate that the electrical removal of Cu2+ onto CNT-CNF electrodes is mainly driven by a physisorption process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a novel technology that has been developed for removal of charged ionic species from salty water, such as salt ions. The basic concept of CDI, as well as electrosorption, is to force charged ions toward oppositely polarized electrodes through imposing a direct electric field to form a strong electrical double layer and hold the ions. Once the electric field disappears, the ions are instantly released back to the bulk solution. CDI is an alternative low-energy consumption desalination technology. Graphene-like nanoflakes (GNFs) with relatively high specific surface area have been prepared and used as electrodes for capacitive deionization. The GNFs were synthesized by a modified Hummers' method using hydrazine for reduction. They were characterized by atomic force microscopy, N2 adsorption at 77 K and electrochemical workstation. It was found that the ratio of nitric acid and sulfuric acid plays a vital role in determining the specific surface area of GNFs. Its electrosorption performance was much better than commercial activated carbon (AC), suggesting a great potential in capacitive deionisation application. Further, the electrosorptive performance of GNFs electrodes with different bias potentials, flow rates and ionic strengths were measured and the electrosorption isotherm and kinetics were investigated. The results showed that GNFs prepared by this process had the specific surface area of 222.01 m²/g. The specific electrosorptive capacity of the GNFs was 23.18 μmol/g for sodium ions (Na+) when the initial concentration was at 25 mg/L, which was higher than that of previously reported data using graphene and AC under the same experimental condition. In addition, the equilibrium electrosorption capacity was determined as 73.47 μmol/g at 2.0 V by fitting data through the Langmuir isotherm, and the rate constant was found to be 1.01 min-1 by fitting data through pseudofirst-order adsorption. The results suggested that the chemically synthesized GNFs can be used as effective electrode materials in CDI process for brackish water desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low cost and large scale carbon nanotube and nanofibre (CNT-CNF) composite films have been fabricated and employed as electrodes for electrosorption of cupric ions. The regeneration of the saturated CNT-CNF film electrode has been investigated. Three methods (short-circuiting, short-circuiting and then reversing voltage, reversing voltage and then short-circuiting) are used for regeneration. The results show that low regeneration efficiency of CNT-CNF film electrode due to electrodeposition of Cu on the electrode surface can be highly improved by regeneration applying reverse voltage combined with short circuit. 93% regeneration efficiency can be achieved when 0.8 V reverse voltage is applied before short-circuiting during regeneration of CNT-CNF film electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A performance analysis is presented for amplify- and-forward (AF) cooperative relay networks employing transmit antenna diversity with orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs), where multiple antennas are equipped at the transmitter. We develop a symbol-error-rate (SER) and outage performance analysis for OSTBC transmissions with and without cooperative diversity over flat Rayleigh fading channels. We first derive exact probability density functions (pdf's) and cumulative distribution functions (cdf's) for the system SNR without direct transmission with an arbitrary number of transmit antennas and then present the exact closed-form SER and outage probability expressions. Next, we derive the moment-generating function (MGF) for the overall system SNR with direct transmission and present the exact SER and outage probability with joint transmit antenna diversity and cooperative diversity. The theoretical analysis is validated by simulations, which indicate an exact match between them. The results also show how the transmit antenna diversity and the cooperative diversity affect the overall system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotubes and nanofibres (CNTs-CNFs) films have been grown on Ni sheets by low pressure chemical vapor deposition system and show good physical adsorption capability for ferric (Fe3+) ions. The studies of adsorption kinetics and isotherms indicate that Fe3+ adsorption process was regarded as first-order model and followed a Langmuir isotherm indicating monolayer adsorption. The saturated CNTs-CNFs film is easy to be regenerated by electrodesorption with direct voltage applied. The result shows that the combination of adsorption and electrodesorption by CNTs-CNFs is a promising technology to remove the Fe3+ contamination in solution, which can be further extended to the process of other heavy metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth of carbon nanotube (CNT) films with good field emission properties on glass is very important for low cost field emission display (FED) applications. In addition to Ni, Co and Fe, Cu can be a good catalyst for CNT growth on glass, but due to diffusion into SiO2 it is difficult to control the CNTs density and uniformity. In this paper, four metal barrier layers (W, Ni, Cr, Ti) were deposited by dc magnetron sputtering on glass to reduce the Cu diffusion. As-grown CNT films showed various morphologies with the use of different barrier metals. CNTs with uniform distribution and better crystallinity can be synthesized only on Ti/Cu and W/Cu. Voltage current measurements indicate that better field emission properties of CNT films can be obtained on titanium and tungsten barriered Cu, while chromium and nickel are not suitable barrier candidates for copper in CNT-FED applications because of the reduced emission performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CdS–reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites are successfully synthesized viathe microwave-assisted reduction of graphite oxide in a CdS precursor solution using a microwave synthesis system. The photocatalytic performances of CdS–RGO composites in the reduction of Cr(vi) are investigated. The results show that CdS–RGO composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic performance for the reduction of Cr(vi) with a maximum removal rate of 92% under visible light irradiation as compared with pure CdS (79%) due to the increased light absorption intensity and the reduction of electron–hole pair recombination in CdS with the introduction of RGO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freestanding two-dimensional (2D) few-layer graphene was formed through laser exfoliation of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite, using a pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. Graphene sheets of several nanometers in thickness and micrometers in size were obtained. The laser exfoliation process was investigated at different laser fluences and distances between target and substrate. Three different phases, amorphous carbon, few-layer graphene sheets, and thin graphite films, were obtained as the laser fluence increased. This study reveals an existing route of forming freestanding 2D nanostructures through laser exfoliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the size- and shape-induced blueshift in the photoluminescence and photoabsorption of nanostructured ZnO has been extensively investigated, the underlying mechanism remains yet unclear. Here we show that theoretical reproduction of the observed trends clarifies that the blueshift originates from the Hamiltonian perturbation due to the broken-bond-induced local strain and quantum trapping and electron-phonon coupling in the surface skin up to two atomic layers in depth while bonds in the core interior retain their bulk nature. The extent of the blue shift depends on the tunable fraction of undercoordinated atoms in the surface skin. Therefore, the quantum confinement effect is indeed more “superficial” than first thought [H. Winn, OE Mag. 8, 10 (2005)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, hybrid transparent conductive films (TCFs) are designed by combining silver nanowires with the single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and the transparent heating films (THFs) based on the TCFs are evaluated for possible vehicle applications. By comparing the properties, including the transmittance, sheet resistance, microstructure and heating curves, we found that the SWCNTs/AgNWs are considerably suitable for making THFs. The after-treatment methods, such as physical method (hot roll pressing) and chemical method (nitric acid and Poly (diallydimethylammonium chloride) solution, (PDAC)) were researched in detail to optimize the sheet resistance and transparency to fit the THF requirements. A careful study of the different after-treatment methods revealed that hot roll pressing can quickly and efficiently improve the properties, while the nitric acid is more helpful than PDAC for the long-term stability. The results showed that a small amount of SWCNTs addition can promote the endurable maximum electric current by spreading the heat fast and efficiently, and the maximum current flow can be as high as 4 A. The thermal stability of the THFs and the de-frog performance were tested, indicating that the hybrid film had an advantage in resisting current shock and good thermal efficiency was obtained. The fabricated TCFs of stable thermal properties are qualified as a windshield-glass heater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]