Design of Plasma Generator Driven by High-frequency High-voltage Power Supply

In this research, a high-frequency high-voltage power supply designed for plasma generator is presented. The powersupply mainly consists of a series resonant converter with a high-frequency high-voltage boost transformer. Due to theindispensable high-voltage inheritance in the operation of plasma generator, the analysis of transformer needconsidering not only winding resistance, leakage inductance, magnetizing inductance, and core-loss resistance, butalso parasitic capacitance resulted from the insulation wrappings on the high-voltage side. This research exhibits asimple approach to measuring equivalent circuit parameters of the high-frequency, high-voltage transformer with straycapacitance being introduced into the conventional modeling. The proposed modeling scheme provides not only aprecise measurement procedure but also effective design information for series-load resonant converter. The plasmadischarging plate is designed as part of the electric circuit in the series load-resonant converter and the circuit modelof the plasma discharging plate is also conducted as well. Thus, the overall model of the high-voltage plasmagenerator is built and the designing procedures for appropriate selections of the corresponding resonant-circuitparameters can be established. Finally, a high-voltage plasma generator with 220V, 60Hz, and 1kW input, along witha 22 kHz and over 8kV output, is realized and implemented

Experimental demonstration of ray-rotation sheets

We have built microstructured sheets that rotate, on transmission, the direction of light rays by an arbitrary, but fixed, angle around the sheet normal. These ray-rotation sheets comprise two pairs of confocal lenticular arrays. In addition to rotating the direction of transmitted light rays, our sheets also offset ray position sideways on the scale of the diameter of the lenticules. If this ray offset is sufficiently small so that it cannot be resolved, our ray-rotation sheets appear to perform generalized refraction

Local BDNF Delivery to the Injured Cervical Spinal Cord using an Engineered Hydrogel Enhances Diaphragmatic Respiratory Function.

We developed an innovative biomaterial-based approach to repair the critical neural circuitry that controls diaphragm activation by locally delivering brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to injured cervical spinal cord. BDNF can be used to restore respiratory function via a number of potential repair mechanisms; however, widespread BDNF biodistribution resulting from delivery methods such as systemic injection or lumbar puncture can lead to inefficient drug delivery and adverse side effects. As a viable alternative, we developed a novel hydrogel-based system loaded with polysaccharide-BDNF particles self-assembled by electrostatic interactions that can be safely implanted in the intrathecal space for achieving local BDNF delivery with controlled dosing and duration. Implantation of BDNF hydrogel after C4/C5 contusion-type spinal cord injury (SCI) in female rats robustly preserved diaphragm function, as assessed b

Chimeric piggyBac transposases for genomic targeting in human cells.

Integrating vectors such as viruses and transposons insert transgenes semi-randomly and can potentially disrupt or deregulate genes. For these techniques to be of therapeutic value, a method for controlling the precise location of insertion is required. The piggyBac (PB) transposase is an efficient gene transfer vector active in a variety of cell types and proven to be amenable to modification. Here we present the design and validation of chimeric PB proteins fused to the Gal4 DNA binding domain with the ability to target transgenes to pre-determined sites. Upstream activating sequence (UAS) Gal4 recognition sites harbored on recipient plasmids were preferentially targeted by the chimeric Gal4-PB transposase in human cells. To analyze the ability of these PB fusion proteins to target chromosomal locations, UAS sites were randomly integrated throughout the genome using the Sleeping Beauty transposon. Both N- and C-terminal Gal4-PB fusion proteins but not native PB were capable of targeting transposition nearby these introduced sites. A genome-wide integration analysis revealed the ability of our fusion constructs to bias 24% of integrations near endogenous Gal4 recognition sequences. This work provides a powerful approach to enhance the properties of the PB system for applications such as genetic engineering and gene therapy

Diffusion-enhanced exciton dissociation in single-material organic solar cells

Single-material organic solar cells have recently attracted research attention due to their simplicity, morphological robustness and high yield of exciton dissociation. Using α-sexithiophene as a model system, we show that the single-event probability of the exciton dissociation at the boundaries of polycrystalline domains with different molecular orientation is extremely low (∼0.5%), while a high efficiency of charge generation is gained via hundred-fold crossings of the domain boundaries due to the long exciton diffusion length (∼45 nm). This journal i

Algal proliferation risk assessment using Vine Copula-based coupling methods in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project of China

The Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project of China (MRSNWDPC), i.e., the longest inter-basin water diversion project (1,432 km) in the world, has delivered more than 60 billion m3 of water resources to North China and benefiting more than 100 million people since December 2014. However, the abnormal algal proliferation in the main canal under low nutrient background has seriously threatened the water quality safety of this mega project. In this research, 3 years of monitoring data matrix, including water temperature (WT), flow discharge (Q), flow velocity (V), dissolved oxygen (DO), and the algal cell density (ACD), from the main canal of the MRSNWDPC were analyzed. The nonlinear relationships were determined based on multiple regression models, and a composite risk analysis model was constructed by Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method coupled with Vine Copula function. The impacts of different hydrological and environmental factors on algal proliferation were comprehensively analyzed by Bayesian theory. The results showed that the WT gradually decreased from upstream to downstream, with a narrow range of 16.6–17.4°C, and the annual average concentrations of DO showed a gradual increase from upstream to downstream. The flow velocity of MRSNWDPC had a tendency to increase year by year, and the maximum flow velocity exceeds 0.8 m/s upstream, midstream and downstream by 2018. The ACD accumulated along the main canal, and the annual average ACDs of downstream were the highest, ranging from 366.17 to 462.95 × 104 cells/L. The joint early-warning method considering both water temperature and flow velocity conditions is an effective way for algal proliferation risk warning management. When water temperatures of the upstream, midstream, and downstream were below 26, 26, and 23°C, respectively, the algal proliferation risk can be controlled under 50% by the flow velocity at 0.3 m/s; otherwise, the flow velocity needs to be regulated higher than 0.8 m/s. In order to keep the midstream and downstream avoid abnormal algal proliferation events (ACD ≥ 500 × 104 cells/L), the corresponding ACDs of the upstream and midstream need to be controlled lower than 319 × 104 cells/L and 470 × 104 cells/L, respectively. This study provides a scientific reference for the long-distance water diversion project’s algal control and environmental protection. The proposed coupling Vine Copula models can also be widely applied to multivariate risk analysis fields

Rare A-Type, Spiro-Type, and Highly Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins from \u3cem\u3ePinus massoniana\u3c/em\u3e

An investigation of the dental bioactive proanthocyanidin (PAC) oligomer fractions led to three structurally distinct new PACs (1–3) from pine bark. Pinutwindoublin (1) is the first reported trimer with double A-type interflavanyl linkages (2α→O→5,4α→6 and 2α→O→7,4α→8). Pinuspirotetrin (2) represents the first reported PAC tetramer with a heterodimeric framework consisting of one spiro-type and one A-type dimer. Pinumassohexin (3) was elucidated as a mixed A + B-type hexamer that consists of a peanut-derived tetramer, peanut procyanidin E, and an A-type dimer (5). Compound 3 increased the modulus of elasticity of dentin by an impressive 4.3 times at a concentration of 0.65%

Algal proliferation risk assessment using Vine Copula-based coupling methods in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project of China

The Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project of China (MRSNWDPC), i.e., the longest inter-basin water diversion project (1,432 km) in the world, has delivered more than 60 billion m3 of water resources to North China and benefiting more than 100 million people since December 2014. However, the abnormal algal proliferation in the main canal under low nutrient background has seriously threatened the water quality safety of this mega project. In this research, 3 years of monitoring data matrix, including water temperature (WT), flow discharge (Q), flow velocity (V), dissolved oxygen (DO), and the algal cell density (ACD), from the main canal of the MRSNWDPC were analyzed. The nonlinear relationships were determined based on multiple regression models, and a composite risk analysis model was constructed by Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method coupled with Vine Copula function. The impacts of different hydrological and environmental factors on algal proliferation were comprehensively analyzed by Bayesian theory. The results showed that the WT gradually decreased from upstream to downstream, with a narrow range of 16.6–17.4°C, and the annual average concentrations of DO showed a gradual increase from upstream to downstream. The flow velocity of MRSNWDPC had a tendency to increase year by year, and the maximum flow velocity exceeds 0.8 m/s upstream, midstream and downstream by 2018. The ACD accumulated along the main canal, and the annual average ACDs of downstream were the highest, ranging from 366.17 to 462.95 × 104 cells/L. The joint early-warning method considering both water temperature and flow velocity conditions is an effective way for algal proliferation risk warning management. When water temperatures of the upstream, midstream, and downstream were below 26, 26, and 23°C, respectively, the algal proliferation risk can be controlled under 50% by the flow velocity at 0.3 m/s; otherwise, the flow velocity needs to be regulated higher than 0.8 m/s. In order to keep the midstream and downstream avoid abnormal algal proliferation events (ACD ≥ 500 × 104 cells/L), the corresponding ACDs of the upstream and midstream need to be controlled lower than 319 × 104 cells/L and 470 × 104 cells/L, respectively. This study provides a scientific reference for the long-distance water diversion project’s algal control and environmental protection. The proposed coupling Vine Copula models can also be widely applied to multivariate risk analysis fields

Cost-effective telecom/datacom semiconductor lasers

The recent development of semiconductor laser technologies for cost-effective telecom/datacom applications is reviewed in details in this paper. This includes the laser design, laser chip technology, laser packaging technology and other low cost lasers (chip + packaging). Some design and simulation examples in Archcom laser production are described first. A latest trend in the wafer scale testing/characterization/screening technology for low cost semiconductor laser mass production is discussed then. An advanced long wavelength high power single mode surface emitting laser with wafer scale characterization using our unique mask free focused ion beam (FIB) etching technology is also demonstrated. Detailed descriptions on our wide temperature range (-50 °C to +105 °C) G-PON distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers with high performance and low cost wafer design are included. Cost reduction innovations in laser package with our beam profile improved laser and optical feedback insensitive (OFBI) laser are also addressed

Tri- and Tetrameric Proanthocyanidins with Dentin Bioactivities from \u3cem\u3ePinus massoniana\u3c/em\u3e

Guided by dentin biomechanical bioactivity, this phytochemical study led to the elucidation of an extended set of structurally demanding proanthocyanidins (PACs). Unambiguous structure determination involved detailed spectroscopic and chemical characterization of four A-type dimers (2 and 4–6), seven trimers (10–16), and six tetramers (17–22). New outcomes confirm the feasibility of determining the absolute configuration of the catechol monomers in oligomeric PACs by one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR. Electronic circular dichroism as well as phloroglucinolysis followed by mass spectrometry and chiral phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis generated the necessary chiral reference data. In the context of previously reported dentin-bioactive PACs, accurately and precisely assigned 13C NMR resonances enabled absolute stereochemical assignments of PAC monomers via (i) inclusion of the 13C NMR γ-gauche effect and (ii) determination of differential 13C chemical shift values (ΔδC) in comparison with those of the terminal monomer (unit II) in the dimers 2 and 4–6. Among the 13 fully elucidated PACs, eight were identified as new, and one structure (11) was revised based on new knowledge gained regarding the subtle, stereospecific spectroscopic properties of PACs