Full-space Cloud of Random Points with a Scrambling Metasurface

Li, Zile,Dai, Qi,Mehmood, Muhammad Q.,Hu, Guangwei,yanchuk, Boris Luk’,Tao, Jin,Hao, Chenglong,Kim, Inki,Jeong, Heonyeong,Zheng, Guoxing,Yu, Shaohua,Alù,, Andrea,Rho, Junsuk,Qiu, Cheng-Wei Nature Publishing Group UK 2018 Light, science & applications Vol.7 No.1

<▼1><P>With the rapid progress in computer science, including artificial intelligence, big data and cloud computing, full-space spot generation can be pivotal to many practical applications, such as facial recognition, motion detection, augmented reality, etc. These opportunities may be achieved by using diffractive optical elements (DOEs) or light detection and ranging (LIDAR). However, DOEs suffer from intrinsic limitations, such as demanding depth-controlled fabrication techniques, large thicknesses (more than the wavelength), Lambertian operation only in half space, etc. LIDAR nevertheless relies on complex and bulky scanning systems, which hinders the miniaturization of the spot generator. Here, inspired by a Lambertian scatterer, we report a Hermitian-conjugate metasurface scrambling the incident light to a cloud of random points in full space with compressed information density, functioning in both transmission and reflection spaces. Over 4044 random spots are experimentally observed in the entire space, covering angles at nearly 90°. Our scrambling metasurface is made of amorphous silicon with a uniform subwavelength height, a nearly continuous phase coverage, a lightweight, flexible design, and low-heat dissipation. Thus, it may be mass produced by and integrated into existing semiconductor foundry designs. Our work opens important directions for emerging 3D recognition sensors, such as motion sensing, facial recognition, and other applications.</P></▼1><▼2><P><B>Metasurfaces: scrambling light for 3D detection and recognition</B></P><P>Firing light at a manufactured 'metasurface'—one carrying patterns at a smaller scale than the wavelength of the light—fills large volumes of space with defined points of light, potentially improving 3-D recognition and sensor applications. Cheng-Wei Qui and colleagues at the National University of Singapore, with co-workers across Asia and in the USA, created their unique metasurface from amorphous silicon. Light is scattered from and transmitted through the material to generate a cloud of data points in the surrounding space in which the structure and motion of objects under study can be analyzed. The initial development work with this “scrambling metasurface” suggests it could improve pattern recognition, including face recognition, motion detection and augmented reality applications. The researchers describe how their innovation overcomes significant limitations of existing methods in these fields.</P></▼2>

Identification of Prostate Cancer LncRNAs by RNA-Seq

Hu, Cheng-Cheng,Gan, Ping,Zhang, Rui-Ying,Xue, Jin-Xia,Ran, Long-Ke Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.21

Purpose: To identify prostate cancer lncRNAs using a pipeline proposed in this study, which is applicable for the identification of lncRNAs that are differentially expressed in prostate cancer tissues but have a negligible potential to encode proteins. Materials and Methods: We used two publicly available RNA-Seq datasets from normal prostate tissue and prostate cancer. Putative lncRNAs were predicted using the biological technology, then specific lncRNAs of prostate cancer were found by differential expression analysis and co-expression network was constructed by the weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Results: A total of 1,080 lncRNA transcripts were obtained in the RNA-Seq datasets. Three genes (PCA3, C20orf166-AS1 and RP11-267A15.1) showed a significant differential expression in the prostate cancer tissues, and were thus identified as prostate cancer specific lncRNAs. Brown and black modules had significant negative and positive correlations with prostate cancer, respectively. Conclusions: The pipeline proposed in this study is useful for the prediction of prostate cancer specific lncRNAs. Three genes (PCA3, C20orf166-AS1, and RP11-267A15.1) were identified to have a significant differential expression in prostate cancer tissues. However, there have been no published studies to demonstrate the specificity of RP11-267A15.1 in prostate cancer tissues. Thus, the results of this study can provide a new theoretic insight into the identification of prostate cancer specific genes.

MoS2/Montmorillonite Nanocomposite: Preparation, Tribological Properties, and Inner Synergistic Lubrication

Lehua Cheng,Enzhu Hu,Xianquan Chao,Renfa Zhu,Kunhong Hu,Xianguo Hu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2018 NANO Vol.13 No.12

A nano-MoS2/montmorillonite K-10 (K10) composite was prepared and characterized. The composite contains two types of 2H-MoS2 nanoparticles. One is the hollow spherical MoS2 with a size range of 75 nm, and the other is the spherical nano cluster of MoS2 with a size range of 30 nm. The two kinds of nano-MoS2 were formed via assembly of numerous MoS2 nano-platelets with a size of ~10 nm. A tribological comparison was then made among nano-MoS2/K10, K10, nano-MoS2 and a mechanical mixture of K10 and nano-MoS2. K10 reduced the wear but slightly increased the friction. Nano-MoS2 remarkably reduced both friction and wear. The mechanical mixture demonstrated better wear resistance than nano-MoS2, indicating a synergistic anti-wear effect of nano-MoS2 and K10. The synergistic effect was reinforced using nano-MoS2/K10 instead of the mechanical mixture. A part of the MoS2 in the contact region always lubricated the friction pair, and the rest formed a tribofilm. K10 segregated the friction pair to alleviate the ablation wear but magnified the abrasive wear. S-MoS2 protects K10 and they together function as both a lubricant and an isolating agent to reduce the ablation and abrasive wear.

Surface modified rice husk ceramic particles as a functional additive: Improving the tribological behaviour of aluminium matrix composites

Lehua Cheng,Dongrui Yu,Enzhu Hu,Yuchao Tang,Kunhong Hu,Karl David Dearn,Xianguo Hu,Min Wang 한국탄소학회 2018 Carbon Letters Vol.26 No.-

An electroless deposition method was used to modify the surface properties of rice husk ceramic particles (RHC) by depositing nano-nickel on the surface of the RHC (Ni-RHC). The dry tribological performances of aluminum matrix composite adobes containing different contents of RHC and Ni-RHC particles have been investigated using a micro-tribometer. Results showed that the Ni–RHC particles substantially improved both the friction and wear properties of the Ni-RHC/aluminum matrix adobes. The optimal concentration was determined to be 15 wt% for both the RHC and Ni–RHC particles. The improvements in the tribological properties of aluminum adobes including the Ni-RHC were ascribed to frictioninduced peeling off of Ni coating and formation of protection layer on the wear zone, both of which led to low friction and wear volume.

Dual-model Predictive Direct Power Control for Grid-connected Three-level Converter Systems

Hu, Bihua,Kang, Longyun,Feng, Teng,Wang, Shubiao,Cheng, Jiancai,Zhang, Zhi The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2018 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.18 No.5

Many researchers devote themselves to develop model-predictive direct power control (MPDPC) so as to accelerate the response speed of the grid-connected systems, but they are troubled its large computing amount. On the basis of MPDPC, dual MPDPC (DMPDPC) is presented in this paper. The proposed algorithm divides the conventional MPDPC into two steps. In the first step, the optimal sector is obtained, which contains the optimal switching state in three-level converters. In the second step, the optimal switching state in the selected sector is searched to trace reference active and reactive power and balance neutral point voltage. Simulation and experiment results show that the proposed algorithm not only decreases the computational amount remarkably but also improves the steady-state performance. The dynamic response of the DMPDPC is as fast as that of the MPDPC.

Alginate and Probiotics Synergistically Reversed Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt (DSS)-Induced Gut Barrier Damage

Cheng Zhao,Qiongyuan Hu,Xiuwen Wu,Guopu Chen,Hua Wu,Jianan Ren 한국고분자학회 2019 Macromolecular Research Vol.27 No.9

Previous studies have established that sole probiotics or fibre could be used to relieve colitis. However, few studies evaluated the synergistical effect of fibre and probiotics in treating colitis. This study, examined the effect of alginate, one of the commonest biomaterials and dietary fibre, and/or probiotics on the gut barrier in colitis mice. A synergistical effect was found between alginate and probiotics in colitis. Dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS), a chemical toxic substance, was used to induce colitis model. Body weight, oxidative stress, inflammatory factors, gut barrier, intestinal morphology and the apoptosis of intestine epithelial cells were analyzed. A combination of probiotics and alginate was used to analyze their synergistic effect. The results showed that the combination of alginate and probiotics had a better therapeutic effect on colitis than using them individually, and they protected the gut barrier from DSS induced oxidative stress. The combination exhibited a greater ability in reducing pro-inflammatory factors and protecting the gut barrier from further damage. The synergistic effect of alginate and probiotics provides a great prospect for biotherapy in bowel diseases and oral drug delivery system.

The <i>Plasmodium vivax</i> Merozoite Surface Protein 1 Paralog Is a Novel Erythrocyte-Binding Ligand of <i>P. vivax</i>

Cheng, Yang,Wang, Yue,Ito, Daisuke,Kong, Deok-Hoon,Ha, Kwon-Soo,Chen, Jun-Hu,Lu, Feng,Li, Jian,Wang, Bo,Takashima, Eizo,Sattabongkot, Jetsumon,Tsuboi, Takafumi,Han, Eun-Taek American Society for Microbiology 2013 Infection and immunity Vol.81 No.5

<P>Merozoite surface protein 1 of <I>Plasmodium vivax</I> (PvMSP1), a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein (GPI-AP), is a malaria vaccine candidate for <I>P. vivax</I>. The paralog of PvMSP1, named <I>P. vivax</I> merozoite surface protein 1 paralog (PvMSP1P; PlasmoDB PVX_099975), was recently identified and predicted as a GPI-AP. The similarities in genetic structural characteristics between PvMSP1 and PvMSP1P (e.g., size of open reading frames, two epidermal growth factor-like domains, and GPI anchor motif in the C terminus) led us to study this protein. In the present study, different regions of the PvMSP1P protein, demarcated based on the processed forms of PvMSP1, were expressed successfully as recombinant proteins [i.e., 83 (A, B, and C), 30, 38, 42, 33, and 19 fragments]. We studied the naturally acquired immune response against each fragment of recombinant PvMSP1P and the potential ability of each fragment to bind erythrocytes. The N-terminal fragment (83A) and two C-terminal fragments (33 and 19) reacted strongly with sera from <I>P. vivax</I>-infected patients, with 50 to 68% sensitivity and 95 to 96% specificity, respectively. Due to colocalization of PvMSP1P with PvMSP1, we supposed that PvMSP1P plays a similar role as PvMSP1 during erythrocyte invasion. An <I>in vitro</I> cytoadherence assay showed that PvMSP1P, especially the 19-kDa C-terminal region, could bind to erythrocytes. We also found that human sera from populations naturally exposed to vivax malaria and antisera obtained by immunization using the recombinant molecule PvMSP1P-19 inhibited <I>in vitro</I> binding of human erythrocytes to PvMSP1P-19. These results provide further evidence that the PvMSP1P might be an essential parasite adhesion molecule in the <I>P. vivax</I> merozoite and is a potential vaccine candidate against <I>P. vivax</I>.</P>

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Promoter-Induced JAB1 Overexpression Enhances Chemotherapeutic Sensitivity of Lung Cancer Cell Line A549 in an Anoxic Environment

Hu, Ming-Dong,Xu, Jian-Cheng,Fan, Ye,Xie, Qi-Chao,Li, Qi,Zhou, Chang-Xi,Mao, Mei,Yang, Yu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

The presence of lung cancer cells in anoxic zones is a key cause od chemotherapeutic resistance. Thus, it is necessary to enhance the sensitivity of such lung cancer cells. However, loss of efficient gene therapeutic targeting and inefficient objective gene expression in the anoxic zone in lung cancer are dilemmas. In the present study, a eukaryotic expression plasmid pUC57-HRE-JAB1 driven by a hypoxia response elements promoter was constructed and introduced into lung cancer cell line A549. The cells were then exposed to a chemotherapeutic drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (C-DDP). qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to determine the mRNA and protein level and flow cytometry to examine the cell cycle and apoptosis of A549 transfected pUC57-HRE-JAB1. The results showed that JAB1 gene in the A549 was overexpressed after the transfection, cell proliferation being arrested in G1 phase and the apoptosis ratio significantly increased. Importantly, introduction of pUC57-HRE-JAB1 significantly increased the chemotherapeutic sensitivity of A549 in an anoxic environment. In conclusion, JAB1 overexpression might provide a novel strategy to overcome chemotherapeutic resistance in lung cancer.

Expression and Significance of TSGF, CEA and AFP in Patients Before and after Radical Surgery for Colon Cancer

Hu, Yi,Wang, Jing-Liang,Tao, Hai-Tao,Wu, Bai-Shou,Sun, Jin,Cheng, Yao,Dong, Wei-Wei,Li, Rui-Xin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.6

Objective: To explore the expression and significance of tumor specific growth factor (TSGF), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in cancer tissue and serum of patients with colon cancer. Materials and Methods: Radical surgery for colon cancer was performed on 43 patients with laparoscopu under conditions of general anesthesia. The Elisa method was used to detect the levels of serum TSGF, CEA and AFP before and after radical operation, and cancer tissue underwent TSGF, CEA and AFP immunohistochemistry staining after laparoscopic surgery. The decreased conditions of serum TSGF, CEA and AFP in patients with colon cancer at different levels of differentiation and clinical stagings were analyzed, and the relationships of expression rates between histological types, colon cancer morphology, lymph node metastasis and TSGF, CEA as well as AFP in cancer tissue were assessed. Results: Compared with before radical surgery, the levels of serum TSGF, CEA and AFP decreased notably in patients after operations (p<0.01). The decreased degree of TSGF and CEA was the largest in patients with poorly differentiated cancer tissue (p<0.01), while that of AFP was noted in patients with moderately differentiated cancer tissue (p<0.01). The decreased degree of TSGF and AFP was the largest in patients at phase Dukes A (p<0.01), while that of CEA in patients at phase Dukes C (p<0.01). There were no significant differences among the positive expression rates of TSGF, CEA and AFP with different histological types and colon cancer morphologies (p>0.05). The positive expression rates of TSGF and CEA in patients with lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those without lymph node metastasis (p<0.01). Conclusions: TSGF, CEA and AFP can be used to evaluate the effect of radical operation for colon cancer, and the changed levels of different markers are associated with tumor differentiation, clinical stating and presence or absence of lymph node metastasis.

Modeling and Design of Zero-Voltage-Switching Controller for Wireless Power Transfer Systems Based on Closed-Loop Dominant Pole

Cheng Chen,Hong Zhou,Qijun Deng,Wenshan Hu,Yanjuan Yu,Xiaoqing Lu,Jingang Lai 전력전자학회 2019 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.19 No.5

Zero-Voltage-Switching (ZVS) operation for a Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system can be achieved by designing a ZVS controller. However, the performance of the controller in some industrial applications needs to be designed tightly. This paper introduces a ZVS controller design method for WPT systems. The parameters of the controller are designed according to the desired performance based on the closed loop dominant pole placement method. To describe the dynamic characteristics of the system ZVS angle, a nonlinear dynamic model is deduced and linearized using the small signal linearization method. By analyzing the zero-pole distribution, a low-order equivalent model that facilitates the controller design is obtained. The parameters of the controller are designed by calculating the time constant of the closed-loop dominant poles. A prototype of a WPT system with the designed controller and a five-stage multistage series variable capacitor (MSVC) is built and tested to verify the performance of the controller. The recorded response curves and waveforms show that the designed controller can maintain the ZVS angle at the reference angle with satisfactory control performance.