Expanding the thermodynamical potential and the analysis of the possible phase diagram of deconfinement in FL model

The deconfinement phase transition is studied in the FL model at finite temperature and chemical potential. At MFT approximation, the phase transition can only be the first order in the whole $\mu-T$ phase plane. By a Landau expansion we further study the phase transition order and the possible phase diagram of deconfinement. We discuss the possibilities of second order phase transitions in FL model. By our analysis the cubic term in the Landau expansion could be cancelled by the high order fluctuations. By an ansatz of the Landau parameters, we obtain the possible phase diagram with both first and second order phase transition including the tricritical point which is similar to that of the chiral phase transition.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics

Before the Morning After

This paper presents a wearable biopatch prototype for body surface potential measurement. It combines three key technologies, including mixed-signal system on chip (SoC) technology, inkjet printing technology, and anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) bonding technology. An integral part of the biopatch is a low-power low-noise SoC. The SoC contains a tunable analog front end, a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter, and a reconfigurable digital controller. The electrodes, interconnections, and interposer are implemented by inkjet-printing the silver ink precisely on a flexible substrate. The reliability of printed traces is evaluated by static bending tests. ACA is used to attach the SoC to the printed structures and form the flexible hybrid system. The biopatch prototype is light and thin with a physical size of 16 cm x 16 cm. Measurement results show that low-noise concurrent electrocardiogram signals from eight chest points have been successfully recorded using the implemented biopatch.QC 20130805. Updated from accepted to published.</p

Rapid Invasion of Spartina Alterniflora in the Coastal Zone of Mainland China: Spatiotemporal Patterns and Human Prevention

Given the extensive spread and ecological consequences of exotic Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora) over the coast of mainland China, monitoring its spatiotemporal invasion patterns is important for the sake of coastal ecosystem management and ecological security. In this study, Landsat series images from 1990 to 2015 were used to establish multi-temporal datasets for documenting the temporal dynamics of S. alterniflora invasion. Our observations revealed that S. alterniflora had a continuous expansion with the area increasing by 50,204 ha during the considered 25 years. The largest expansion was identified in Jiangsu Province during the period of 1990-2000, and in Zhejiang Province during the periods 2000-2010 and 2010-2015. Three noticeable hotspots for S. alterniflora invasion were Yancheng of Jiangsu, Chongming of Shanghai, and Ningbo of Zhejiang, and each had a net area increase larger than 5000 ha. Moreover, an obvious shrinkage of S. alterniflora was identified in three coastal cities including the city of Cangzhou of Hebei, Dongguan, and Jiangmen of Guangdong. S. alterniflora invaded mostly into mudflats (>93%) and shrank primarily due to aquaculture (55.5%). This study sheds light on the historical spatial patterns in S. alterniflora distribution and thus is helpful for understanding its invasion mechanism and invasive species management

Bose-Einstein condensation in linear sigma model at Hartree and large N approximation

The BEC of charged pions is investigated in the framework of O(4) linear sigma model. By using Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis formalism, we have derived the gap equations for the effective masses of the mesons at finite temperature and finite isospin density. The BEC is discussed in chiral limit and non-chiral limit at Hartree approximation and also at large N approximation.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure

Cochlear homeostasis and its role in genetic deafness

AbstractEach component of the human ear performs a specific function in hearing. The actual process of sound transduction takes place in the auditory portion of the inner ear, the fluid-filled cochlea. In the cochlea, the sensitivity and efficiency of sensory apparatus to convert mechanical energy into neural activity, largely depends on the fluidic and ionic environment. In the lateral wall of cochlea, the secretory epithelium stria vascularis plays an important role in the maintenance of fluidic and ionic homeostasis. A variety of gene mutations disturbs the cochlear homeostasis and subsequently leads to hearing impairment. The review covers several aspects of cochlear homeostasis, from cochlear fluid and the functional role of stria vascularis, cochlear K+recycling and its molecular substrates to genetic deafness with abnormal cochlear homeostasis

Employing a Narrow-Band-Gap Mediator in Ternary Solar Cells for Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance.

Ternary organic solar cells (OSCs) provide a convenient and effective means to further improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of binary ones via composition control. However, the role of the third component remains to be explored in specific binary systems. Herein, we report ternary blend solar cells by adding the narrow-band-gap donor PCE10 as the mediator into the PBDB-T:IDTT-T binary blend system. The extended absorption, efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer, enhanced charge dissociation, and induced tighter molecular packing of the ternary blend films enhance the photovoltaic properties of devices and deliver a champion PCE of 10.73% with an impressively high open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.03 V. Good miscibility and similar molecular packing behavior of the components guarantee the desired morphology in the ternary blend films, leading to solar cell devices with over 10% PCEs at a range of compositions. Our results suggest that ternary systems with properly aligned energy levels and overlapping absorption among the components hold great promises to further enhance the performance of corresponding binary ones

Preparation of Tradescantia pallida-mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles and their activity against cervical cancer cell lines

Purpose: To synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using Tradescantia pallida. (Commelinaceae) and determine their fluorescent and cytotoxic properties.Methods: ZnO NPs were synthesized according to a simple protocol using T. pallida aqueous leaf extract (TPALE). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and  transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the morphology of the ZnO NPs. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transforminfrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements were performed to determine their crystalline nature and functional groups, respectively. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to assess the  photoluminescence properties of ZnO NPs. Upon confirmation of ZnO NP synthesis, cytotoxicity tests were carried out against HeLa cell line by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.Results: The agglomerated ZnO NPs were rod-shaped and had a mean particle size of 25 ± 2 nm. Further, they exhibited good photoluminescence with correlation to ZnO crystals. MTT assay results indicated significant cytotoxicity against HeLa cervical cancer cell line.Conclusion: A simple approach for ZnO NP synthesis based on TPALE has been developed successfully. The synthesized ZnO NPs demonstrate good luminescence properties and cytotoxicity against cervical cancer line.Keywords: Commelinaceae, Cytotoxicity, Photoluminescence, Setcreasea pallida, Setcreasea purpurea, Tradescantia pallida, ZnO nanoparticle