SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATION OF GRAPHENE/SILVER NANOWIRES/GOLD NANOPARTICLES HYBRID FOR AMMONIA GAS SENSING

Graphene material synthesized from chemical method (reduced Graphene Oxide – rGO) is a promising candidate for gas sensors due to their unique properties. With structure of single layer of bonded sp2 carbons in a two-dimensional (2D) lattice, rGO have large surface to volume ratio, high conductivity and electron mobility at room temperature. Meanwhile, the different oxygen-containing functional groups (contain dangling bonds) decorated on carbon networks make rGO easily respond with compatible gas molecules. However, the investigating of structure of rGO in micrometer scale shows that the chemical method often results in non-uniform film thickness on substrate due to overlap of rGO sheets. These may disrupt the conductive paths in rGO films and decrease their conductivity. Therefore, gas sensing signal of pristine rGO based sensors is tarnished and the sensors do not recover to their baseline at room temperature. In this study, silver nanowires (AgNWs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are combined with rGO material to form rGO/AgNWs/AuNPs hybrid. With one-dimensional nanostructure, the AgNWs connects effectively together many rGO islands and reduce significantly their contact resistance so that NH3 sensing signal is improved and complete recovery of the sensor is nearly achieved at room temperature. Especially, all these signals are further enhanced when the AuNPs (diameter ~ 30 nm) are added into the hybrid

A Distributed Optimization Method for Optimal Energy Management in Smart Grid

This chapter presents a distributed optimization method named sequential distributed consensus-based ADMM for solving nonlinear constrained convex optimization problems arising in smart grids in order to derive optimal energy management strategies. To develop such distributed optimization method, multi-agent system and consensus theory are employed. Next, two smart grid problems are investigated and solved by the proposed distributed algorithm. The first problem is called the dynamic social welfare maximization problem where the objective is to simultaneously minimize the generation costs of conventional power plants and maximize the satisfaction of consumers. In this case, there are renewable energy sources connected to the grid, but energy storage systems are not considered. On the other hand, in the second problem, plug-in electric vehicles are served as energy storage systems, and their charging or discharging profiles are optimized to minimize the overall system operation cost. It is then shown that the proposed distributed optimization algorithm gives an efficient way of energy management for both problems above. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the proposed theoretical approach

Magneto-optical absorption properties of a Weyl semimetal thin film

In this study, we investigate the magneto-optical absorption properties of a Weyl semimetal thin film by calculating the magneto-optical absorption coefficients (MOACs) for both intra-band and inter-band transitions. The wave function and energy spectrum were determined using the Hamiltonian minimal model in the presence of magnetic and electric fields. The expressions for the MOACs in both x- and z-directions are obtained using the compact density matrix approach. The numerical results demonstrate that the MOACs are significantly influenced by temperature, carrier concentration, and magnetic and electric fields

Automated Decompression Table for the Individual and Targeted Treatment of Disc Herniation

AbstractTraction therapy is a common and effective non-surgical treatment of low back pain caused by degenerated or herniated intervertebral disc or other disc deformities. While lying on specially designed treatment tables and fixated on the pelvis, axial traction is applied to the patient's spine to separate the vertebrae and release pressure on the disc. Targeted traction of specific segments instead of pulling the whole spine can increase the efficacy of the traction therapy and reduces side effects due to less application of traction force. This paper presents a design approach of a traction table, which allows the targeted and accurate repeatable treatment of any specific intervertebral disc. Furthermore the treatment of malformations like scoliosis is possible due to the special design of the traction table. The automated measuring of the patient's back on the traction table enables the accurate and effective resp. ergonomic treatment of the patient by the comparison of MRI images and the measured spine shape

Development of an epitope conservancy analysis tool to facilitate the design of epitope-based diagnostics and vaccines

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In an epitope-based vaccine setting, the use of conserved epitopes would be expected to provide broader protection across multiple strains, or even species, than epitopes derived from highly variable genome regions. Conversely, in a diagnostic and disease monitoring setting, epitopes that are specific to a given pathogen strain, for example, can be used to monitor responses to that particular infectious strain. In both cases, concrete information pertaining to the degree of conservancy of the epitope(s) considered is crucial.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To assist in the selection of epitopes with the desired degree of conservation, we have developed a new tool to determine the variability of epitopes within a given set of protein sequences. The tool was implemented as a component of the Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resources (IEDB), and is directly accessible at <url>http://tools.immuneepitope.org/tools/conservancy</url>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>An epitope conservancy analysis tool was developed to analyze the variability or conservation of epitopes. The tool is user friendly, and is expected to aid in the design of epitope-based vaccines and diagnostics.</p

Modified Dijkstra's Routing Algorithm for Security with Different Trust Degrees

A great number of efficient methods to improve the performance of the networks have been proposed in physical-layer security for wireless communications. So far, the security and privacy in wireless communications is optimized based on a fixed assumption about the trustworthiness or trust degrees (TD) of certain wireless nodes. The nodes are often classified into different types such as eavesdroppers, untrusted relays, and trusted cooperative nodes. Wireless nodes in different networks do not completely trust each other when cooperating or relaying information for each other. Optimizing the network based on trust degrees plays an important role in improving the security and privacy for the modern wireless network. We proposed a novel algorithm to find the route with the smallest total transmission time from the source to the destination and still guarantee that the accumulated TD is larger than a trust degree threshold. Simulation results are presented to analyze the affects of the transmit SNR, node density, and TD threshold on different network performance elements

Predicting population coverage of T-cell epitope-based diagnostics and vaccines

BACKGROUND: T cells recognize a complex between a specific major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule and a particular pathogen-derived epitope. A given epitope will elicit a response only in individuals that express an MHC molecule capable of binding that particular epitope. MHC molecules are extremely polymorphic and over a thousand different human MHC (HLA) alleles are known. A disproportionate amount of MHC polymorphism occurs in positions constituting the peptide-binding region, and as a result, MHC molecules exhibit a widely varying binding specificity. In the design of peptide-based vaccines and diagnostics, the issue of population coverage in relation to MHC polymorphism is further complicated by the fact that different HLA types are expressed at dramatically different frequencies in different ethnicities. Thus, without careful consideration, a vaccine or diagnostic with ethnically biased population coverage could result. RESULTS: To address this issue, an algorithm was developed to calculate, on the basis of HLA genotypic frequencies, the fraction of individuals expected to respond to a given epitope set, diagnostic or vaccine. The population coverage estimates are based on MHC binding and/or T cell restriction data, although the tool can be utilized in a more general fashion. The algorithm was implemented as a web-application available at . CONCLUSION: We have developed a web-based tool to predict population coverage of T-cell epitope-based diagnostics and vaccines based on MHC binding and/or T cell restriction data. Accordingly, epitope-based vaccines or diagnostics can be designed to maximize population coverage, while minimizing complexity (that is, the number of different epitopes included in the diagnostic or vaccine), and also minimizing the variability of coverage obtained or projected in different ethnic groups

Drought stress - related functional characterization of transcription factor GmNAC085 in soybean

Studies on soybean GmNAC085 transcription factor revealed that the gene expression in plants was induced by water shortage treatments and its overexpression in the model plant Arabidopsis displayed improved plant tolerance characteristics towards drought stress. In this study, we continued analyzing the biological functions of GmNAC085 using transgenic soybean system overexpressing GmNAC085 gene, by targeting at a number of plant physiological features and biochemical activities in response to limited water growing condition. Compared to the wild-type, the transgenic line demonstrated that it possessed stress tolerance characters, including enhanced elongation of taproot, minimized reduction of shoot growth, lower intracellular H2O2 content and stronger peroxidase enzyme activity under drought condition. The results of this study therefore suggest the transgenic plants had better drought tolerance and the GmNAC085 plays important role in aiding plants to cope with water deficit condition, probably via regulating the growth of roots and shoots, and activities of reactive-oxygen-species- scavenging enzymes

Encouraging Dialogue around Social Issues with Latinx Students Through Literature Discussion and Culturally Relevant Literature

This teacher research study examines literature discussions with fourth and fifth grade Latinx students about books that reflect Latinx experiences. For this study, the following questions are explored (1) What social issues do students discuss in literature groups? (2) How do literary response strategies influence student dialogue? And (3) How does my theoretical frame influence my decision making as a teacher? Theories that informed the construction of the literature discussions and the decision making occurring throughout the study are examined closely. The theories intertwine and bridge education and students’ experiences as a resource in learning more about the educational setting. In this study, the discussions of students and the literature response strategies are explored as the data is analyzed to examine the student discussions around issues of immigration, family separation, borders, and so much more. The findings in this study indicate that the experiences of Latinx students are integral to the educational setting and an education that invites who they are enhances their learning experiences. Latinx students are eager for learning opportunities that invite their voices and stories. It is through the construction and assessment of the educational setting that educators can promote culturally responsive, relevant, and sustaining teaching experiences that go beyond the classroom setting. Latinx students build relationships with each other and their teachers as they engage in discussions that allow them to share and learn with each other. This study is a reminder of the crucial role teachers play in creating such powerful spaces and the value that Latinx students bring into the classroom when invited to discuss, engage, and create powerful learning experiences

Magneto-transport properties of monolayer borophene in perpendicular magnetic field: influence of electron-phonon interaction

The magneto-transport properties of a borophene monolayer in a perpendicular magnetic field B are studied via calculating the conductivity tensor and resistance under electron-optical phonon interaction by using the linear response theory. Numerical results are obtained and discussed for some specific parameters. The magnetic field-dependent longitudinal conductivity shows the magneto-phonon resonance effect that describes the transition of electrons between Landau levels by absorbing/emitting an optical phonon. The Hall conductivity increases first and then decreases with the magnetic field strength. Also, the longitudinal resistance increases significantly with increasing temperature, which shows the metal behaviour of the material. Practically, the observed magneto-phonon resonance can be applied to experimentally determine some material parameters, such as the distance between Landau levels and the optical phonon energy