Improving Construction for Connected Dominating Set with Steiner Tree in Wireless Sensor Networks

The connected dominating set plays an important role in ad hoc wireless networking. Many constructions for approximating the minimum connected dominating set have been proposed in the literature. In this paper, we propose a new one with Steiner tree, which produces approximation solution within a factor of 6.8 from optimal. This approximation algorithm can also be implemented distributedly.     

Far-infrared signature of animal tissues characterized by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

We present terahertz time-domain spectroscopy characterization of various animal tissues obtained from pork and rats. As the sensitivity of terahertz radiation to polar molecules of water is very high, biological tissues with high level of hydration show strong absorption at terahertz frequencies. The experimental data indicate that skin, fat and lean pork tissues have different frequency-dependent response to terahertz radiation due to the variation in water content. The same type tissue from different animals, however, is observed to show very similar water absorption.     

Facile cyclic ammonium salt with the smallest size for high performance electric double layer capacitors

A novel cyclic ammonium salt, N,N-dimethylpyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate (P₁₁-BF₄), was successfully synthesized for the first time. The smallest cyclic structure of P₁₁-BF₄ induced high solubility and conductivity in PC, which can easier enter the micropores of activated carbon and occupy more surface area during charge/discharge process.     

Gold nanoshells on polystyrene cores for control of surface plasmon resonance

A method is presented for synthesizing core-shell structures consisting of monodisperse polystyrene latex nanospheres as cores and gold nanoparticles as shells. Use of polystyrene spheres as the core in these structures is advantageous because they are readily available commercially in a wide range of sizes, and with dyes or other molecules doped into them. Gold nanoparticles, ranging in size from 1 to 20 nm, are prepared by reduction of a gold precursor with sodium citrate or tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium chloride (THPC). Carboxylate-terminated polystyrene spheres are functionalized with 2-aminoethanethiol hydrochloride (AET), which forms a peptide bond with carboxylic acid groups on their surface, resulting in a thiol-terminated surface. Gold nanoparticles then bind to the thiol groups to provide up to about 50% coverage of the surface. These nanoparticles serve as seeds for growth of a continuous gold shell by reduction of additional gold precursor. The shell thickness and roughness can be controlled by the size of the nanoparticle seeds as well as by the process of their growth into a continuous shell. By variation of the relative sizes of the latex core and the thickness of the gold overlayer, the plasmon resonance of the nanoshell can be tuned to specific wavelengths across the visible and infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, for applications ranging from the construction of photonic crystals to biophotonics. The position and width of the plasmon resonance extinction peak are well-predicted by extended Mie scattering theory.     

Editorial for Special Issue on Terahertz Technologies and Applications

Terahertz radiation,defined in the frequency range of 0.1-10 THz,has been exploited to demonstrate unique properties that do not apply to the adjacent domains of the electromagnetic waves,such as infrared and microwave.Recent advances in terahertz science and technology hold promise for a wide variety of essential applications,particularly in spectroscopy,sensing,imaging,non-destructive detections,and communications.This focus issue is comprised of invited and contributed original     

A rapid and sensitive UHPLC–MS/MS method for the determination of celosin A in rat plasma with application to pharmacokinetic study

Celosin A (CA), a natural compound isolated from Celosia argentea L., has been shown significant hepatoprotective effect on AHNP‐induced liver injury. This study described a rapid and sensitive ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) assay for determination of CA in rat plasma. Methanol‐mediated precipitation was used for sample pretreatment. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a T3 column with gradient elution using water and acetonitrile as mobile phase. Determination was obtained using an electrospray ionization source in negative selected reaction monitoring mode at the transitions of m/z 793.3 → m/z 661.2 and m/z 955.6 → m/z 793.2 for CA and IS, respectively. The assay was linear over the concentration range 0.25–2500 ng/mL (r > 0.995) with a lowest limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.25 ng/mL. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions (RSD) were 1.65–9.84 and 2.46–13.49%, respectively, while accuracy (RR) ranged from 96.21 to 99.45%, respectively. The recovery ranged from 95.09 to 102.22% and the matrix effect from 98.29 to 100.13%. The analyte was stable under the tested storage conditions. The method has been successfully applied to a preclinical pharmacokinetic study in rats after a single intravenous (2 mg/kg) or oral (50 mg/kg) administration. The oral bioavailability of CA was ~1.94%; in addition, there was no difference between male and female rats. This is the first time of the use of an UHPLC–MS/MS method for determination of CA concentration in rat plasma and for evaluation of its pharmacokinetic behavior.     

Synthesis and characterization of π-extended thienoacenes with up to 13 fused aromatic rings

π-Extended thienoacenes that comprise alternatively arranged anthracene and thieno[3,2-b]thiophene moieties and have 8 or 13 aromatic rings were synthesized. The delocalization of their HOMO and LUMO orbitals is over the entire molecules, and low-lying HOMO levels endow them good stability.     

BODIPY-based Fluorescent Probe for Fast Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide and Lysosome-targeting Applications in Living Cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is recognized as an endogenous gaseous signaling agent in many biological activities. Lysosomes are the main metabolic site and play a pivotal role in cells. Herein, we designed and synthesized two new fluorescent probes BDP-DNBS and BDP-DNP with a BODIPY core to distinguish H₂S. The sensing mechanism is based on the inhibition-recovery of the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) process. Through comparing the responsive behaviors of the two probes toward H₂S, BDP-DNBS showed a fast response time (60 s), low limit of detection (LOD, 51 nM), high sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, the reaction mechanism was demonstrated by mass spectrometry and fluorescence off-on mechanism was proved by density functional theory (DFT). Significantly, confocal fluorescence imaging indicated that BDP-DNBS was successfully used to visualize H₂S in lysosomes in living HeLa cells.     

Heat transfer coefficient distribution in inner surface of stator ventilation duct for large capacity air-cooled turbine generator

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The stator ventilation duct is the main path for fluid flowing to cool the stator bar and the core. Considering the complexity of the ventilation...     

Copper-cobalt-nickel oxide nanowire arrays on copper foams as self-standing anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Numerous scientists are in the pursuit of energy storage materials with high energy and high power density by assembly of electrochemically active materials into conductive scaffolds, owing to the emerging need for next-generation energy storage devices. In this architectures, the active materials bonded to the conductive scaffold can provide a robust and free-standing structure, which is crucial to the fabrication of materials with high gravimetric capacity. Thus, hierarchical copper-cobalt-nickel ternary oxide (CuCoNi-oxide) nanowire arrays grown from copper foam were successfully fabricated as free-standing anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). CuCoNi-oxide nanowire arrays could provide more active sites owing to the hyperbranched structure, leading to a better specific capacity of 1191 mAh/g, cycle performance of 73% retention in comparison to CuO nanowire structure, which exhibited a specific capacity of 1029 mAh/g and capacity retention of 43%, respectively.