SEARCH FOR PULSED γ-RAY EMISSION FROM GLOBULAR CLUSTER M28

Wu, J. H. K.,Hui, C. Y.,Wu, E. M. H.,Kong, A. K. H.,Huang, R. H. H.,Tam, P. H. T.,Takata, J.,Cheng, K. S. IOP Publishing 2013 ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS - Vol.765 No.2

<P>Using the data from the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, we have searched for gamma-ray pulsations from the direction of the globular cluster M28 (NGC 6626). We report the discovery of a signal with a frequency consistent with that of the energetic millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR B1821-24 in M28. A weighted H-test test statistic of 28.8 is attained, which corresponds to a chance probability of similar to 10(-5) (4.3 sigma detection). With a phase-resolved analysis, the pulsed component is found to contribute similar to 25% of the total observed gamma-ray emission from the cluster. However, the unpulsed level provides a constraint for the underlying MSP population and the fundamental plane relations for the scenario of inverse Compton scattering. Follow-up timing observations in radio/X-ray are encouraged to further investigate this periodic signal candidate.</P>

A Markov jump model approach to reliable event-triggered retarded dynamic output feedback H_~ control for networked systems

Wang, J.,Chen, M.,Shen, H.,Park, J.H.,Wu, Z.G. Elsevier Science B. V., Amsterdam 2017 NONLINEAR ANALYSIS HYBRID SYSTEMS Vol.26 No.-

In this paper, the problem of reliable event-triggered H<SUB>~</SUB> control is addressed for networked control systems by using retarded dynamic output feedback. The randomness of actuators failures is modeled by a stochastic variable in a Markov jump model framework. To guarantee the considered closed-loop system is stochastically stable with a prescribed H<SUB>~</SUB> performance level, a Markov jump event-triggered retarded dynamic output feedback H<SUB>~</SUB> controller is designed in this paper, which is the main purpose of our study. By using the stochastic analysis techniques and novel integral inequalities, some sufficient conditions for the solvability of the addressed problem are derived. Finally, an example using a satellite control system model is provided to explain the validity of the proposed method.

Evaluation of mango saponin in broilers: effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and plasma biochemical indices

Y.N. Zhang,J. Wang,B. Qi,S.G. Wu,H.R. Chen,H.Y. Luo,D.J. Yin,F.J. Lu,H.J. Zhang,G.H. Qi 아세아·태평양축산학회 2017 Animal Bioscience Vol.30 No.8

Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine whether mango saponin (MS) could be used as a feed additive in broiler chicks by evaluating growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and plasma biochemical indices. Methods: A total of 216 1-d-old Arbor Acres male broiler chicks were randomly assigned into three dietary treatments supplemented with 0 (control), 0.14% (MS 0.14%), or 0.28% (MS 0.28%) MS. Each treatment had six replicates (cages) with 12 chicks each. The feeding trial lasted for six weeks. Results: Compared with the control, dietary supplemented with 0.14% or 0.28% MS increased average daily weight gain of chicks in the grower (22 to 42 d) and the whole (1 to 42 d) phases, and the final body weight of chicks on d 42 was higher in MS supplemented groups (p<0.05). Lower L45 min* (lightness) and L24 h* values, lower b24 h* (yellowness) value, and higher a45 min* (redness) and a24 h* values of the breast muscle were observed in chicks fed with 0.28% MS on d 42 (p<0.05). The total antioxidant capacity in plasma increased in MS 0.14% group on d 21 (p<0.001). Lower contents of plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride were observed in chicks fed with 0.28% MS on d 21 and d 42, whereas the group supplemented with 0.14% MS only decreased plasma triglyceride content on d 21 (p<0.05). The glucose content in plasma decreased in MS 0.28% group on d 42 (p<0.001). Conclusion: Overall, MS could be used as a feed additive in broiler chicks, and the supplemental level of 0.28% MS in diet could improve growth performance, meat quality, and plasma lipid metabolism in broiler chicks.

Study of the dry methane reforming process using a rotating gliding arc reactor

Wu, A.,Yan, J.,Zhang, H.,Zhang, M.,Du, C.,Li, X. Pergamon Press 2014 International journal of hydrogen energy Vol.39 No.31

Dry methane reforming (DMR) via rotating gliding arc (RGA) discharge, co-driven by a magnetic field and tangential flow, was investigated in this study. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was used to characterize the major active species (energetic electrons, radicals, ions, atoms and excited molecules) in the DMR chemical process. The influence of the operational conditions (applied voltage and CH<SUB>4</SUB>/CO<SUB>2</SUB> ratio) on the basic spectroscopic parameters (electron excitation temperature, electron density and rotational temperature) was determined by spectroscopic methods. The rotational and electron excitation temperatures were approximately 1100-1200 K and 1.1-1.7 eV, respectively, indicating the non-thermal equilibrium characteristics of the RGA discharge. The electron density was approximately 5-20 x 10<SUP>21</SUP> m<SUP>-3</SUP> by fitting the line shape of H<SUB>α</SUB> at 656 nm. The conversions of the reactants (CH<SUB>4</SUB> and CO<SUB>2</SUB>) and the selectivities of the products (H<SUB>2</SUB>, CO and C<SUB>2</SUB> hydrocarbon) were analyzed using a gas chromatograph (GC) under different energy inputs or feed gas proportions. The structure and morphology of carbon black produced during the chemical process was characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman spectroscopy, indicating the properties of electrical conductivity and high absorption capacity that can be useful for potential application.

Boron adsorption mechanism of a hybrid gel derived from tetraethoxysilane and bis(trimethoxysilylpropyl)amine

Liu, H.,Qing, B.,Ye, X.,Guo, M.,Li, Q.,Wu, Z.,Lee, K.,Lee, D.,Lee, K. 한국물리학회 2009 Current Applied Physics Vol.9 No.4_SUP

An organic/inorganic hybrid gel was prepared with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and bis(trimethoxysilylpropyl)amine (TSPA) as precursors. The adsorption of boron on the hybrid gel in aqueous solutions was investigated comprehensively by varying the initial boron concentration, pH, ionic strength, and temperature. The equilibrium adsorption amount of boron increases with the increase in initial boron concentration and ionic strength, but decreases with the increase in temperature. The adsorption amount exhibits a maximum at initial pH of 4-10. Boron appears to be adsorbed in both H<SUB>3</SUB>BO<SUB>3</SUB> and B(OH)<SUB>4</SUB><SUP>-</SUP> forms through the hydrogen bonding, electrostatic and hydrophobic attractions.

Evaluation of a commercial orthopaedic metal artefact reduction tool in radiation therapy of patients with head and neck cancer.

Kwon, H,Kim, K S,Chun, Y M,Wu, H-G,Carlson, J N K,Park, J M,Kim, J-I British Institute of Radiology 2015 The British journal of radiology Vol.88 No.1052

<P>To assess the image quality and dosimetric effects of the Philips orthopaedic metal artefact reduction (OMAR) (Philips Healthcare System, Cleveland, OH) function for reducing metal artefacts on CT images of head and neck (H&N) patients.</P>

Effects of deposition parameters on the structure and mechanical properties of high-entropy alloy nitride films

T.H. Hsieh,C.H. Hsu,C.Y. Wu,J.Y. Kao,C.Y. Hsu 한국물리학회 2018 Current Applied Physics Vol.18 No.5

High-entropy alloy (AlCrNbSiTiV)N nitride films are prepared using direct current (dc) reactive magnetron sputtering, with an equiatomic AlCrNbSiTiV alloy target. Experiments using the grey-Taguchi method are conducted to determine the effect of deposition parameters (dc power, substrate temperature, N2/(N2+Ar) flow rate and substrate bias) on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties. Orthogonal array (L9 34), signal-to-noise ratio and analysis of variance are used to analyze the effect of the deposition parameters. The coated films are examined using scanning electron microscopy, an atomic force microscope, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a tribometer and a nanoindenter. The TEM patterns confirm that the (AlCrNbSiTiV)N nitride films have a simple face-center-cubic structure. The experimental results show that a (AlCrNbSiTiV)N film coating significantly improves the mechanical properties. In the confirmation runs, using grey relational analysis, the improvement in friction coefficient is 32.5%, in corrosion current is 28.6%, in hardness H is 29.4%, in elastic modulus E is −18.3%, in H/E is 57.1 and in H3/E2 is 225.0%. The samples with (AlCrNbSiTiV)N film coating are classified as HF1 and exhibit good adhesive strength.

Association of Genetic Variants in Complement Factor H and Factor H-Related Genes with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Susceptibility

Zhao, Jian,Wu, Hui,Khosravi, Melanie,Cui, Huijuan,Qian, Xiaoxia,Kelly, Jennifer A.,Kaufman, Kenneth M.,Langefeld, Carl D.,Williams, Adrienne H.,Comeau, Mary E.,Ziegler, Julie T.,Marion, Miranda C.,Adl Public Library of Science 2011 PLoS genetics Vol.7 No.5

<▼1><P>Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a complex polygenic autoimmune disease, is associated with increased complement activation. Variants of genes encoding complement regulator factor H (CFH) and five CFH-related proteins (CFHR1-CFHR5) within the chromosome 1q32 locus linked to SLE, have been associated with multiple human diseases and may contribute to dysregulated complement activation predisposing to SLE. We assessed 60 SNPs covering the <I>CFH</I>-<I>CFHRs</I> region for association with SLE in 15,864 case-control subjects derived from four ethnic groups. Significant allelic associations with SLE were detected in European Americans (EA) and African Americans (AA), which could be attributed to an intronic <I>CFH</I> SNP (rs6677604, in intron 11, <I>P</I><SUB>meta</SUB> = 6.6×10<SUP>−8</SUP>, OR = 1.18) and an intergenic SNP between <I>CFHR1</I> and <I>CFHR4</I> (rs16840639, <I>P</I><SUB>meta</SUB> = 2.9×10<SUP>−7</SUP>, OR = 1.17) rather than to previously identified disease-associated <I>CFH</I> exonic SNPs, including I62V, Y402H, A474A, and D936E. In addition, allelic association of rs6677604 with SLE was subsequently confirmed in Asians (AS). Haplotype analysis revealed that the underlying causal variant, tagged by rs6677604 and rs16840639, was localized to a ∼146 kb block extending from intron 9 of <I>CFH</I> to downstream of <I>CFHR1</I>. Within this block, the deletion of <I>CFHR3</I> and <I>CFHR1</I> (<I>CFHR3-1</I>Δ), a likely causal variant measured using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, was tagged by rs6677604 in EA and AS and rs16840639 in AA, respectively. Deduced from genotypic associations of tag SNPs in EA, AA, and AS, homozygous deletion of <I>CFHR3-1</I>Δ (<I>P</I><SUB>meta</SUB> = 3.2×10<SUP>−7</SUP>, OR = 1.47) conferred a higher risk of SLE than heterozygous deletion (<I>P</I><SUB>meta</SUB> = 3.5×10<SUP>−4</SUP>, OR = 1.14). These results suggested that the <I>CFHR3-1</I>Δ deletion within the SLE-associated block, but not the previously described exonic SNPs of <I>CFH</I>, might contribute to the development of SLE in EA, AA, and AS, providing new insights into the role of complement regulators in the pathogenesis of SLE.</P></▼1><▼2><P><B>Author Summary</B></P><P>Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease, associated with increased complement activation. Previous studies have provided evidence for the presence of SLE susceptibility gene(s) in the chromosome 1q31-32 locus. Within 1q32, genes encoding complement regulator factor H (CFH) and five CFH-related proteins (CFHR1-CFHR5) may contribute to the development of SLE, because genetic variants of these genes impair complement regulation and predispose to various human diseases. In this study, we tested association of genetic variants in the region containing <I>CFH</I> and <I>CFHRs</I> with SLE. We identified genetic variants predisposing to SLE in European American, African American, and Asian populations, which might be attributed to the deletion of <I>CFHR3</I> and <I>CFHR1</I> genes but not previously identified disease-associated exonic variants of <I>CFH</I>. This study provides the first evidence for consistent association between <I>CFH/CFHRs</I> and SLE across multi-ancestral SLE datasets, providing new insights into the role of complement regulators in the pathogenesis of SLE.</P></▼2>

Photocatalytic performance of highly transparent and mesoporous molybdenum-doped titania films fabricated by templating cellulose nanocrystals

Yoon, Y.H.,Lee, S.Y.,Gwon, J.G.,Cho, H.J.,Wu, Q.,Kim, Y.H.,Lee, W.H. Elsevier 2018 CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL Vol.44 No.14

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>In this paper, the synthesis of mesoporous Mo-doped titania films templated by cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and their photocatalytic performance are reported for the first time. The prepared titania composite precursors containing the CNCs and molybdenum chloride were spin-coated on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate, followed by calcining at 400 °C for 1 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and UV–vis spectrometer were employed to characterize the phase composition, pore structure, morphology, and optical property of the titania films in relation to CNCs templating and Mo doping. Photocatalytic performances of the titania films were also evaluated on the photodegradation of trichloroethylene under a fluorescent light source. The Mo-doped titania films with CNCs templating were highly transparent and mesoporous, exhibiting only anatase phase, high specific surface areas ranging in 135.4 – 149.0 m<SUP>2</SUP>/g, and small crystallite sizes of 9.5 – 11.1 nm. The results indicate that Mo ions were successfully doped by substituting for Ti ions in the titania lattice. The Mo doping stabilized the anatase phase and also increased the surface area of the CNCs-templated titania film while decreasing the mean pore width. Notably, the visible light absorption capacity and photocatalytic activity of the CNCs-templated titania films doped with Mo were dramatically greater than those of the pure and the CNCs-templated titania films, which is ascribed to the decreased recombination rate of photoexcited charges and the increased surface area with aids of the CNCs templating and the Mo doping.</P>

A two-photon fluorescent probe for specific detection of hydrogen sulfide based on a familiar ESIPT fluorophore bearing AIE characteristics

Chen, L.,Wu, D.,Lim, C.,Kim, D.,Nam, S. J.,Lee, W.,Kim, G.,Kim, H.,Yoon, J. unknown 2017 Chemical communications Vol. No.

<P>Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a signaling gasotransmitter, which plays various roles in modulating the functions of different systems. In this study, a 'turn-on'' fluorescent probe for H2S was developed. The probe, whose design is based on a familiar excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) fluorophore bearing aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics, was found to exhibit an 80-fold fluorescence enhancement along with a large Stokes shift upon the addition of H2S. Furthermore, the probe was successfully utilized to detect H2S in HeLa cells with both one-photon and two-photon microscopy.</P>