Creat membership Creat membership
Sign in

Forgot password?

Confirm
  • Forgot password?
    Sign Up
  • Confirm
    Sign In
home > search

Now showing items 1 - 16 of 111

  • Gasdermin D Exerts Anti-inflammatory Effects by Promoting Neutrophil Death

    Hiroto Kambara   Fei Liu   Xiaoyu Zhang   Peng Liu   Besnik Bajrami   Yan Teng   Li Zhao   Shiyi Zhou   Hongbo Yu   Weidong Zhou   Leslie E. Silberstein   Tao Cheng   Mingzhe Han   Yuanfu Xu   Hongbo R. Luo  

    Summary Gasdermin D (GSDMD) is considered a proinflammatory factor that mediates pyroptosis in macrophages to protect hosts from intracellular bacteria. Here, we reveal that GSDMD deficiency paradoxically augmented host responses to extracellular Escherichia coli , mainly by delaying neutrophil death, which established GSDMD as a negative regulator of innate immunity. In contrast to its activation in macrophages, in which activated inflammatory caspases cleave GSDMD to produce an N-terminal fragment (GSDMD-cNT) to trigger pyroptosis, GSDMD cleavage and activation in neutrophils was caspase independent. It was mediated by a neutrophil-specific serine protease, neutrophil elastase (ELANE), released from cytoplasmic granules into the cytosol in aging neutrophils. ELANE-mediated GSDMD cleavage was upstream of the caspase cleavage site and produced a fully active ELANE-derived NT fragment (GSDMD-eNT) that induced lytic cell death as efficiently as GSDMD-cNT. Thus, GSDMD is pleiotropic, exerting both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects that make it a potential target for antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapies. Graphical Abstract Highlights • GSDMD-deficient mice display augmented bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli • GSDMD is a key regulator of neutrophil death • Delayed neutrophil death leads to enhanced host defense in GSDMD-deficient mice • GSDMD cleavage in neutrophils is mediated by neutrophil elastase Kambara et al. find that GSDMD deficiency augments host responses to extracellular Escherichia coli , mainly by delaying neutrophil death, establishing GSDMD as a negative regulator of innate immunity. GSDMD cleavage and activation in neutrophils is mediated by ELANE, released from cytoplasmic granules into the cytosol in aging neutrophils.
    Download Collect
  • Mechanism and effect of jet parameters on particle waterjet rock breaking

    Jian Zhao   Guicai Zhang   Yiji Xu   Ruihe Wang   Weidong Zhou   Liexiang Han   Yi Zhou  

    Abstract The particle (spherical steel particles) waterjet is a new type of waterjet that can effectively break rocks and other materials. In this study, the simulation combined with the experimental procedure was conducted for optimization of the jet parameters (such as velocity, water pressure, dwell time, concentration, diameter, and standoff distance) for the rock breaking performance modeling of a particle waterjet. In particular, the changes in rock and particle properties following impact were analyzed based on the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method by using the ANSYS-DYNA software. The rock breaking experiments were performed by altering the particle waterjet parameters, with consideration to field applications. Moreover, the effects of particle waterjet parameters on the impact depth and breaking volume were identified. The rock breaking efficiency factor was analyzed by investigating various jet parameters. Overall, the simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental results. The results demonstrated that the rebound effect constituted an important factor in the crater diameter determination. Both the impact depth and breaking volume efficiency factor decreased with the increase in the water inlet velocity. Owing to the effects of deeper craters on the actual impact velocities of the particles, the impact depth and breaking volume efficiency factor decreased as the dwell time increased. Owing to the interference caused by the collisions between the incident and rebound particles, both the impact depth and breaking volume efficiency factor decreased as the concentration increased. The impact depth increased rapidly when the dwell time was below a critical time (40 s). When the particle concentration exceeded a critical value (3%), both the impact depth and breaking volume increased slowly, thus significantly decreasing the rock breaking efficiency. For the appearance of a deeper and wider crater, the optimized standoff distance was ranged from 20 to 30 mm. This analysis provided a realistic approach for the optimization of the particle waterjet parameters in rock breaking. Graphical abstract Image 3 Highlights • Changes in the rock and particle properties after the impact were obtained. • Effects of jet parameters on the impact depth and breaking volume were identified. • Rock breaking efficiency factors were analyzed by varying different jet parameters. • Optimal jet parameters ( t < 40 s, C p < 3%, ds = 20–30 mm) were achieved. • Results provided guidance for optimization of a particle waterjet in rock breaking.
    Download Collect
  • Origami silicon optoelectronics for hemispherical electronic eye systems

    Kan Zhang   Yei Hwan Jung   Solomon Mikael   Jung-Hun Seo   Munho Kim   Hongyi Mi   Han Zhou   Zhenyang Xia   Weidong Zhou   Shaoqin Gong   Zhenqiang Ma  

    Digital image sensors in hemispherical geometries offer unique imaging advantages over their planar counterparts, such as wide field of view and low aberrations. Deforming miniature semiconductor-based sensors with high-spatial resolution into such format is challenging. Here we report a simple origami approach for fabricating single-crystalline silicon-based focal plane arrays and artificial compound eyes that have hemisphere-like structures. Convex isogonal polyhedral concepts allow certain combinations of polygons to fold into spherical formats. Using each polygon block as a sensor pixel, the silicon-based devices are shaped into maps of truncated icosahedron and fabricated on flexible sheets and further folded either into a concave or convex hemisphere. These two electronic eye prototypes represent simple and low-cost methods as well as flexible optimization parameters in terms of pixel density and design. Results demonstrated in this work combined with miniature size and simplicity of the design establish practical technology for integration with conventional electronic devices.
    Download Collect
  • Storage medium for storing data and servo information

    A storage medium including a servo layer, a data recording layer, a heat sink layer, and a diamond-like carbon layer with a lubricant covering. The servo layer is configured to store servo information on the storage medium. The servo information is used to position a read/write head over the storage medium during a read/write operation performed by the read/write head on the storage medium. The data recording layer is configured to store data on the storage medium during the read/write operation performed by the read/write head on the storage medium. The heat sink layer is disposed between the servo layer and the data recording layer. The diamond-like carbon layer with the lubricant covering is disposed above the data recording layer.
    Download Collect
  • Flexible Phototransistors Based on Single‐Crystalline Silicon Nanomembranes

    Jung‐Hun Seo   Kan Zhang   Munho Kim   Deyin Zhao   Hongjun Yang   Weidong Zhou   Zhenqiang Ma  

    In this work, flexible phototransistors with a back gate configuration based on transferrable single‐crystalline Si nanomembrane (Si NM) have been demonstrated. Having the Si NM as the top layer enables full exposure of the active region to an incident light and thus allows for effective light sensing. Flexible phototransistors are performed in two operation modes: 1) the high light detection mode that exhibits a photo‐to‐dark current ratio of 105 at voltage bias of VGS < 0.5 V, and VDS = 50 mV and 2) the high responsivity mode that shows a maximum responsivity of 52 A W−1 under blue illumination at voltage bias of VGS = 1 V, and VDS = 3 V. Due to the good mechanical flexibility of Si NMs with the assistance of a polymer layer to enhance light absorption, the device exhibits stable responsivity with less than 5% of variation under bending at small radii of curvatures (up to 15 mm). Overall, such flexible phototransistors with the capabilities of high sensitivity light detection and stable performance under the bending conditions offer great promises for high‐performance flexible optical sensor applications, with easy integration for multifunctional applications.
    Download Collect
  • Gas treatment device and medical equipment using the same

    Provided are gas treatment devices and medical equipment thereof. The gas treatment device can include at least a first gas monitoring module and a second gas monitoring module, a master control module and an integrated gas circuit board. A gas outlet, at least one gas inlet and a monitoring interface can be arranged on a surface of the integrated gas circuit board, while a first and a second gas circuits may be arranged inside the integrated gas circuit board. The gas inlet can include a first gas inlet and a second gas inlet. The gas outlet and the first gas inlet can communicate with first and second ends of the first gas circuit, and the second gas inlet can communicate with one end of the second gas circuit. The first and the second gas circuits can communicate with the first and the second gas monitoring modules through corresponding monitoring interfaces.
    Download Collect
  • Sulfur based active material for a positive electrode

    A sulfur based active material has a core-shell structure including a hollow core and a porous carbon shell surrounding the hollow core. Sulfur is present in a portion of the hollow core. A polymer shell coating is formed on the porous carbon shell. The polymer shell coating includes nitrogen atoms that bond to carbon atoms of the porous carbon shell so that the porous carbon shell is a nitrogen-confused porous carbon shell.
    Download Collect
  • Flexible membranes and coated electrodes for lithium based batteries

    An example of a flexible membrane includes a porous membrane and a solid electrolyte coating formed on at least a portion of a surface of the porous membrane, in pores of the porous membrane, or both on the surface and in the pores. The solid electrolyte coating includes i) a polymer chain or ii) an inorganic ionically conductive material. The polymer chain or the inorganic material includes a group to interact or react with a polysulfide through covalent bonding or supramolecular interaction.
    Download Collect
  • Methods for forming porous materials

    In an example of the method disclosed herein, SiOx (0
    Download Collect
  • High-performance flexible microwave passives on plastic

    Zhenqiang Ma   Jung-Hun Seo   Sang June Cho   Weidong Zhou  

    We report the demonstration of bendable inductors, capacitors and switches fabricated on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate that can operate at high microwave frequencies. By employing bendable dielectric and single crystalline semiconductor materials, spiral inductors and metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors with high quality factors and high resonance frequencies and single-pole, single-throw (SPST) switches were archived. The effects of mechanical bending on the performance of inductors, capacitors and switches were also measured and analyzed. We further investigated the highest possible resonance frequencies and quality factors of inductors and capacitors and, high frequency responses and insertion loss. These demonstrations will lead to flexible radio-frequency and microwave systems in the future.
    Download Collect
  • A low computation cost method for seizure prediction

    Yanli Zhang   Weidong Zhou   Qi Yuan   Qi Wu  

    Highlights • The Higuchi fractal dimension (HFD) changes of EEG recordings can serve as a precursor of epileptic seizures and be used for seizure prediction. • The seizure prediction algorithm by combining HFD with Bayesian linear discriminant analysis (BLDA) achieves a high performance. • Both HFD and BLDA classifier have a low computational complexity and are suitable for real-time seizure prediction. Summary The dynamic changes of electroencephalograph (EEG) signals in the period prior to epileptic seizures play a major role in the seizure prediction. This paper proposes a low computation seizure prediction algorithm that combines a fractal dimension with a machine learning algorithm. The presented seizure prediction algorithm extracts the Higuchi fractal dimension (HFD) of EEG signals as features to classify the patient's preictal or interictal state with Bayesian linear discriminant analysis (BLDA) as a classifier. The outputs of BLDA are smoothed by a Kalman filter for reducing possible sporadic and isolated false alarms and then the final prediction results are produced using a thresholding procedure. The algorithm was evaluated on the intracranial EEG recordings of 21 patients in the Freiburg EEG database. For seizure occurrence period of 30 min and 50 min, our algorithm obtained an average sensitivity of 86.95% and 89.33%, an average false prediction rate of 0.20/h, and an average prediction time of 24.47 min and 39.39 min, respectively. The results confirm that the changes of HFD can serve as a precursor of ictal activities and be used for distinguishing between interictal and preictal epochs. Both HFD and BLDA classifier have a low computational complexity. All of these make the proposed algorithm suitable for real-time seizure prediction.
    Download Collect
  • Progress in 2D photonic crystal Fano resonance photonics

    Weidong Zhou   Deyin Zhao   Yi-Chen Shuai   Hongjun Yang   Santhad Chuwongin   Arvinder Chadha   Jung-Hun Seo   Ken X. Wang   Victor Liu   Zhenqiang Ma   Shanhui Fan  

    Abstract In contrast to a conventional symmetric Lorentzian resonance, Fano resonance is predominantly used to describe asymmetric-shaped resonances, which arise from the constructive and destructive interference of discrete resonance states with broadband continuum states. This phenomenon and the underlying mechanisms, being common and ubiquitous in many realms of physical sciences, can be found in a wide variety of nanophotonic structures and quantum systems, such as quantum dots, photonic crystals, plasmonics, and metamaterials. The asymmetric and steep dispersion of the Fano resonance profile promises applications for a wide range of photonic devices, such as optical filters, switches, sensors, broadband reflectors, lasers, detectors, slow-light and non-linear devices, etc. With advances in nanotechnology, impressive progress has been made in the emerging field of nanophotonic structures. One of the most attractive nanophotonic structures for integrated photonics is the two-dimensional photonic crystal slab (2D PCS), which can be integrated into a wide range of photonic devices. The objective of this manuscript is to provide an in depth review of the progress made in the general area of Fano resonance photonics, focusing on the photonic devices based on 2D PCS structures. General discussions are provided on the origins and characteristics of Fano resonances in 2D PCSs. A nanomembrane transfer printing fabrication technique is also reviewed, which is critical for the heterogeneous integrated Fano resonance photonics. The majority of the remaining sections review progress made on various photonic devices and structures, such as high quality factor filters, membrane reflectors, membrane lasers, detectors and sensors, as well as structures and phenomena related to Fano resonance slow light effect, nonlinearity, and optical forces in coupled PCSs. It is expected that further advances in the field will lead to more significant advances towards 3D integrated photonics, flat optics, and flexible optoelectronics, with lasting impact in areas ranging from computing, communications, to sensing and imaging systems. Highlights • Fano resonances are common and ubiquitous in many realms of physical sciences. • Fano resonances for out-of-plane light coupling and manipulation in photonic crystals. • The asymmetric and steep dispersion profile promises high quality factor, slow-light and non-linear devices. • Fano resonance filters, membrane reflectors, lasers, modulators, switches, detectors, and sensors. • Enhanced optical forces and optomechanics in coupled Fano resonance photonic crystal slabs.
    Download Collect
  • Structural and functional properties of C-type starches

    Jinwen Cai   Canhui Cai   Jianmin Man   Weidong Zhou   Cunxu Wei  

    Highlights • Starch was isolated from yam rhizome, water chestnut corm, pea and faba bean seed. • Water chestnut and faba bean had C A -type starches, pea and yam had C-type starches. • Starches had different sizes, amylose contents, thermal and pasting properties. • Starches had different hydrolysis degrees of acid, α-amylase and amyloglucosidase. • Water chestnut starch was highly susceptible to heating, acid, enzyme hydrolysis. Abstract This study investigated the structural and functional properties of C-type starches from pea seeds, faba bean seeds, yam rhizomes and water chestnut corms. These starches were mostly oval in shape with significantly different sizes and contents of amylose, damaged starch and phosphorus. Pea, faba bean and water chestnut starches had central hila, and yam starch had eccentric hilum. Water chestnut and yam starches had higher amylopectin short and long chain, respectively. Water chestnut and faba bean starches showed C A -type crystallinities, and pea and yam starches had C-type crystallinities. Water chestnut starch had the highest swelling power, granule swelling and pasting viscosity, lowest gelatinization temperatures and enthalpy. Faba bean starch had the lowest pasting viscosity, whereas yam starch had the highest gelatinization temperatures. Water chestnut and yam starches possessed significantly higher and lower susceptibility to acid and enzyme hydrolysis, the highest and lowest RDS contents, and the lowest and highest RS contents, respectively.
    Download Collect
  • Membrane Reflector Vertical Cavity Lasers at Near- and Midwave-Infrared

    Weidong Zhou   Zhenqiang Ma  

    We carried out both fundamental and developmental research on a novel DBR-free membrane reflector based VCSELs (MR-VCSELs), with the demonstration of 1550 nm lasing operation at room temperature. The laser consists of an InGaAsP QW based heterostructure, sandwiched in between two single-layer photonic crystal Fano resonance silicon nanomembrane reflectors. Detailed theoretical and experimental work has been carried out towards high performance single layer broadband membrane reflector demonstrations, MR-VCSEL cavity design, and optically pumped laser demonstration at room temperature. The thermally engineering membrane reflectors have also been investigated for high performance lasers.
    Download Collect
  • Foam stabilizer composition, foamed cement slurry and additive composition thereof

    The present invention relates to the field of oil and natural gas well cementation engineering, in particular to a foam stabilizer composition, foamed cement slurry and an additive composition thereof. The foam stabilizer composition comprises C6-C20 alkyl amido alkyl amine oxide, C6-C20 alkyl amido alkyl betaine, and triterpenoid saponin compound. The foam stabilizer composition provided in the present invention is helpful for forming foamed cement slurry that has high foam stability, and the foam stabilizer composition can work with other active components in the foamed slurry additive composition provided in the present invention to enable the foamed cement slurry that contains the additive composition to obtain low density, high foam stability, low permeability, and high compressive strength, which is especially applicable to well cementing operation in an oil and natural gas exploration and development process.
    Download Collect
  • Apparatus and method for magnetic-field guided metal-assisted chemical etching

    A magnetic field-guided method of metal-assisted chemical etching comprises immersing a structure that comprises a two-dimensional magnetic pattern layer on a surface thereof in an etchant solution. The magnetic pattern layer sinks into the structure as portions of the structure directly under the magnetic pattern layer are etched. A programmable magnetic field H(t) is applied to the structure during etching to guide the sinking of the magnetic pattern layer, thereby controlling the etching of the structure in three dimensions.
    Download Collect
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Contact

If you have any feedback, Please follow the official account to submit feedback.

Turn on your phone and scan

Submit Feedback