An adaptive joining mechanism for improving the connection ratio of ZigBee wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are well suited to many applications, including environment surveillance and target tracking. ZigBee is an IEEE 802.15.4‐based standard that is considered suitable for WSNs. The functional operations of a ZigBee network rely on self‐organized network connections and the proper deployment of sensor devices. However, the devices comprising a ZigBee network may become isolated from the network after the joining phase due to the configuration constraints of the ZigBee standard. This means that some deployed devices cannot join the network even though they can communicate with other joined nodes. These isolated devices reduce the efficiency of network operation and increase deployment costs. This paper proposes a ZigBee‐compatible adaptive joining mechanism with connection shifting schemes to improve the connectivity of ZigBee networks, allowing them to operate at the expected efficiency. Simulation results show that the proposed mechanism significantly improves the join ratio of deployed sensor devices in ZigBee WSNs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Uniform hematite nanocapsules based on an anode material for lithium ion batteries

Uniform α-Fe₂O₃ nanocapsules with a high surface area were synthesized by a novel wrap–bake–peel approach consisting of silica coating, heat treatment and finally the removal of the silica coating layer. The length, diameter and shell thickness of the hematite nanocapsules were about 65, 15 and 5 nm, respectively. The electrochemical properties of the α-Fe₂O₃ nanocapsules were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and charge/discharge measurements. The α-Fe₂O₃ nanocapsules showed a high reversible capacity of 888 mAh/g in the initial cycle and 740 mAh/g after 30 cycles as well as good capacity retention. This excellent electrochemical performance was attributed to the high surface area, thin shell and volume space of the hollow structure.     

Enhancing the stability and performance of a battery cathode using a non-aqueous electrolyte

For conductive polymers to be considered materials for energy storage, both their electroactivity and stability must be optimized. In this study, a non-aqueous electrolyte (0.2 M LiClO₄ in acetonitrile) was studied for its effect on the charge storage capacity and stability of two materials used in batteries developed in our laboratory, polypyrrole (pPy) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiaxoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS). The results are compared to the performance of these materials in an aqueous electrolyte (0.2 M HCl/aq). Loss of ABTS dopant was eliminated principally due to the low solubility of ABTS in acetonitrile, resulting in cathode materials with improved stability in terms of load cycling and performance.     

Mesoscale Surface Patterning of a Laterally‐Grafted Rod Amphiphile: Rings And Fibers

An aromatic amphiphilic molecule based on branched oligo(ethylene oxide) was synthesized. Evaporation‐driven ring formation and Langmuir–Blodgett films are investigated by utilizing this rigid–flexible block molecule. The size of the rings is strongly dependent on the solvent evaporation rate and the concentration of the molecule. In case of fast evaporation, volcano‐like rings are formed by evaporating solution of high concentration. Perfectly symmetrical rings with diameters in the range of 2–6 μm are obtained by evaporating solution of low concentration. The formation mechanism of the ring is briefly discussed. The molecule at the air–water interface exhibits excellent amphiphilic properties. Upon transferring the monolayer onto solid substrates, AFM revealed the formation of fine and long, straight fibers. By combining the data obtained from the isotherms, AFM, water contact angle measurements, and UV/Vis and fluorescence spectra, the fibers are suggested to be formed by π–π stacking interaction of the aromatic rod segments as the oligo(ethylene oxide) branches are submerged in the water subphase upon compression. The fiber formation is associated with the transformation of the aromatic rod segments from the face‐on conformation to the edge‐on conformation.     

Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometric method for the screening and quantification of illicit drugs and their metabolites in human urine using solid‐phase extraction and trimethylsilyl derivatization

A simple and rapid GC‐MS method has been developed for the screening and quantification of many illicit drugs and their metabolites in human urine by using automatic SPE and trimethylsilylation. Sixty illicit drugs, including parent drugs and their metabolites that are possibly abused in Korea, can be monitored by this method. Among them, 24 popularly abused illicit drugs were selected for quantification. Very delicate optimizations were carried out in SPE, trimethylsilylation derivatization, and GC/MS to enable such remarkable achievements. Trimethylsilylated analytes were well separated within 21 min by GC‐MS. In the validation results, the LOD of all the analytes were in the range of 2–75 ng/mL. The LOQ of the quantified analytes were in the range of 5–98 ng/mL. The linearity (r²) of the quantified analytes ranged 0.990–1.000 in each concentration range between 10 and 1000 ng/mL. The mean recoveries ranged from 62 to 126% at three different concentrations of each analyte. The inter‐day and inter‐person accuracies were within ?13.3～14.9%, and ?10.1～13.0%, respectively, and the inter‐day and inter‐person precisions were less than 12.9%. The method was reliable and efficient for the screening and quantification of abused illicit drugs in routine urine analysis.     

Synthesis of poly(p‐phenylenediamine‐ co‐o‐aminophenol)/multi‐walled carbon nanotube composites by emulsion polymerization

Organic–inorganic composites composed of electrically conducting copolymer p‐phenylenediamine‐ co‐o‐aminophenol and carboxylic acid functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes [poly(pPD‐co‐oAP)/c‐MWNTs] were prepared via in situ emulsion pathway using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as an emulsifier and potassium persulphate as an oxidant. Acid functionalized MWNTs were used as cores in the formation of tubular shells of the composites. TEM and FESEM analysis showed that a tubular layer of coated copolymer film of several nanometer thicknesses is present on the c‐MWNTs surfaces. FT‐IR spectra endorsed the formation of composites. TGA results indicated that the decomposition temperatures of composites were higher than the bare copolymer. UV‐visible absorption spectra of diluted colloidal dispersion of composites were similar to those of the bare copolymer. The composites were also confirmed by XRD and XPS. Room‐temperature conductivity increases with an increasing fraction of c‐MWNTs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

TGF-��-treated antigen presenting cells suppress collagen-induced arthritis through the promotion of Th2 responses

Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is mediated by self-reactive CD4⁺ T cells that produce inflammatory cytokines. TGF-β₂-treated tolerogenic antigen-presenting cells (Tol-APCs) are known to induce tolerance in various autoimmune diseases. In this study, we investigated whether collagen-specific Tol-APCs could induce suppression of CIA. We observed that Tol-APCs could suppress the development and severity of CIA and delay the onset of CIA. Treatment of Tol-APCs reduced the number of IFN-γ- and IL-17-producing CD4⁺ T cells and increased IL-4- and IL-5-producing CD4⁺ T cells upon collagen antigen stimulation in vitro. The suppression of CIA conferred by Tol-APCs correlated with their ability to selectively induce IL-10 production. We also observed that treatment of Tol-APCs inhibited not only cellular immune responses but also humoral immune responses in the process of CIA. Our results suggest that in vitro-generated Tol-APCs have potential therapeutic value for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis as well as other autoimmune diseases.     

S-Adenosyl-L-methionine ameliorates TNF��-induced insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

An association between inflammatory processes and the pathogenesis of insulin resistance has been increasingly suggested. The IκB kinase-β (IKK-β)/ nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway is a molecular mediator of insulin resistance. S-Adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) has both antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated the effects of SAM on the glucose transport and insulin signaling impaired by the tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. SAM partially reversed the basal and insulin stimulated glucose transport, which was impaired by TNFα. The TNFα-induced suppression of the tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and Akt in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was also reversed by SAM. In addition, SAM significantly attenuated the TNFα-induced degradation of IκB-α and NF-κB activation. Interestingly, SAM directly inhibited the kinase activity of IKK-β in vitro. These results suggest that SAM can alleviate TNFα mediated-insulin resistance by inhibiting the IKK-β/NF-κB pathway and thus can have a beneficial role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.