133 research outputs found
An Analysis on Syntactic and Semantic Factors Found in Newspaper Headlines
As a type of media text, newspaper has an important role in human\u27s life because it presents various local, national and International information and events. In order to attract readers\u27 attention, journalists make the headlines as ambiguous and confusing as possible so that readers are curious to know the content of the whole story and they would read it. Moreover, in presenting the information or events, different reporters will have different linguistic choices which include the choice of words and expressions and different linguistic structures. Thus, this paper analyzes how the different linguistic choices and structures used in the headlines of The Jakarta Post and Indonesian Daily News would construct different linguistic representations of events in the world
Numerical Study on Droplet Sliding across Micropillars
Droplet sliding on surfaces is an
important phenomenon since it
widely happens in microfluidic industry. In this article, we simulate droplets sliding across micropillars
on smooth substrates to test how the pillars with different intrinsic
wettability influence the movement of droplets. The simulation is
performed using a particle-based numerical method, many-body dissipative
particle dynamics (MDPD). The simulated results show that the heterogeneous
area (built by arranged micropillars) can influence the dynamical
contact angles significantly. Both the advancing and receding contact
angles increase when the droplet front slides on the heterogeneous
area, and their difference is also enlarged, thus the contact line
may be pinned. The droplet shows a creeping motion style when its
front climbs over each pillar. We also find when the droplet enwraps
all pillars, the composite liquid/solid surfaces have no effect on
the advancing and receding contact angles. The outcomes support the
viewpoint that the wettability is a contact-line-based problem instead
of a contact-area-based one
Covariance Matrix Estimation for High-Throughput Biomedical Data with Interconnected Communities
Estimating a covariance matrix is central to high-dimensional data analysis. Empirical analyses of high-dimensional biomedical data, including genomics, proteomics, microbiome, and neuroimaging, among others, consistently reveal strong modularity in the dependence patterns. In these analyses, intercorrelated high-dimensional biomedical features often form communities or modules that can be interconnected with others. While the interconnected community structure has been extensively studied in biomedical research (e.g., gene co-expression networks), its potential to assist in the estimation of covariance matrices remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, we propose a procedure that leverages the commonly observed interconnected community structure in high-dimensional biomedical data to estimate large covariance and precision matrices. We derive the uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimators for covariance and precision matrices in closed forms and provide theoretical results on their asymptotic properties. Our proposed method enhances the accuracy of covariance- and precision-matrix estimation and demonstrates superior performance compared to the competing methods in both simulations and real data analyses.</p
Hybrid Cross-Linking to Construct Functional Elastomers
ConspectusElastomers
have been extensively used in diverse industrial sectors
such as footwear, seals, tires, and cable jacketing and have attracted
more and more attention in emerging fields such as regenerative medicine,
soft robotics, and stretchable electronics. Global consumption of
natural and synthetic elastomers amounted to nearly 27 million metric
tons in 2020. In addition, to further enhance the common properties
of elastomers, it is highly desired to endow elastomers with functionalities
such as reprocessability, biomimetic mechanical properties, self-healing
ability, bioactivity, and electrical conductivity, which will significantly
broaden their applications. The covalent or noncovalent cross-linked
structure is the essential factor for the elasticity of elastomers.
Traditional elastomers usually comprise a single type of cross-linked
molecular network, for which it is difficult to modulate the properties
and introduce functionalities. Inspired by the simultaneous existence
of multiple cross-linked structures in proteins, researchers have
employed a hybrid cross-linking strategy to construct elastomers.
Various noncovalent interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonds, metal–ligand
coordination, ionic interactions, and chain folding) and dynamic covalent
bonds (e.g., disulfide bonds, oxime–urethane bonds, and urea
bonds) have been integrated in elastomers. Accordingly, the properties
and functionalities of elastomers can be tuned by regulating the types,
ratios, and distributions of cross-links. The hybrid cross-linking
strategy provides a versatile and effective way to construct diverse
functional elastomers for broad applications in various important
fields.In this Account, we present our recent progress on functional
elastomers
constructed by a hybrid cross-linking strategy, including their design,
preparation, properties, and diverse applications. First, we provide
a brief introduction of the basic concept of functional elastomers
and outline general strategies and mechanics for functional elastomers
constructed by hybrid cross-linking. Then, we classify hybrid cross-linked
elastomers by their design strategies, including multiple cross-linking,
topological design, chemical coupling, and multiple networks. The
relationships between the functionalities and hybrid cross-linked
structures are summarized. At the same time, we also introduce diverse
applications of these hybrid cross-linked elastomers in biomedicine,
flexible electronics, soft robotics, 3D printing, and so on. Finally,
we discuss our perspective on open challenges and future development
trends of this rapidly evolving field. This Account highlighting the
diverse hybrid cross-linked elastomers not only provides insights
into strategies for elastomer functionalization but also provides
new ideas for material design and inspires a variety of new applications
Highly Permeable Thin-Film Composite Forward Osmosis Membrane Based on Carbon Nanotube Hollow Fiber Scaffold with Electrically Enhanced Fouling Resistance
Forward
osmosis (FO) is an emerging approach in water treatment,
but its application is restricted by severe internal concentration
polarization (ICP) and low flux. In this work, a self-sustained carbon
nanotube hollow fiber scaffold supported polyamide thin film composite
(CNT TFC-FO) membrane was first proposed with high porosity, good
hydrophilicity and excellent electro-conductivity. It showed a specific
structure parameter as low as 126 ÎĽm, suggesting its weakened
ICP. Against a pure water feed using 2.0 M NaCl draw solution, its
fluxes were 4.7 and 3.6 times as high as those of the commercial cellulose
triacetate TFC-FO membrane in the FO and pressure retarded osmosis
(PRO) modes, respectively. Meanwhile, the membrane showed excellent
electrically assisted resistance to organic and microbial fouling.
Its flux was improved by about 50% during oil–water simulation
separation under 2.0 V voltage. These results indicate that the CNT
TFC-FO membrane opens up a frontier for stably and effectively recycling
potable water from electrochemical FO process
Analysis of NHE1 localization.
<p><b>A, Localization of wild type and mutant NHE1 proteins in AP1 cells.</b> Wild type (full length) and mutant NHE1 proteins were expressed in AP1 cells and examined for localization using antibodies against the HA-tag present on each protein. Left column shows the staining for NHE1 protein of the wild type or mutant NHE1 protein. Centre column shows DAPI staining and the right column shows merger of the two images. <b>B, Effect of co-expression of wild type and mutant NHE1 proteins on protein targeting.</b> All experiments in this Fig were using CHO cells which posses their own, endogenous NHE1 protein. <b>DAPI</b>, column 1, DAPI staining. <b>NHE1</b>, column 2, staining with monoclonal anti NHE1 antibody against the distal end of the C-terminal tail. Second antibody was coupled to Alex 488. <b>HA-tag</b>, column 3, staining with polyclonal antibody against the HA-tag present on NHE1 proteins transfected into cells. Second antibody was coupled to Alexa 647. <b>Merge</b>, column 4, merger of columns 1–3. <b>Endogenous NHE1</b>, row 1, CHO cells were not transfected with plasmid expressing NHE1 protein but possess their own endogenous NHE1 protein. <b>735</b>, row 2, CHO cells containing their own endogenous NHE1 protein, were transfected with the 735-NHE1 protein. <b>321</b>, row 3, CHO cells containing their own endogenous NHE1 protein, were transfected with the 321-NHE1 protein.</p
Analysis of Na<sup>+</sup>/H<sup>+</sup> exchanger activity of wild type (WT) and mutant NHE1 proteins in AP1 cells.
<p>Na<sup>+</sup>/H<sup>+</sup> exchanger activity was assayed in stably transfected AP1 cells grown on coverslips as described above. <b>A</b>, Example of NHE1 activity of AP1 cells containing stably transfected wild type NHE1 and NHE1 mutant proteins. For clarity, only the recovery from ammonium chloride induced acidosis is shown for the mutant NHE1 proteins. NH<sub>4</sub>Cl, treatment with ammonium chloride. To induce acidosis following NH<sub>4</sub>Cl treatment there is a brief “Na Free” treatment. NaCl, = recovery period from acidosis in NaCl containing buffer. <b>B,</b> Summary of activity of WT and mutant (321, 449, 543 and 735 as indicated) NHE1 proteins in stably transfected AP1 cells. The NHE1 activity was measured after an ammonium chloride prepulse as illustrated in “A”. The initial rate of recovery in NaCl-containing medium was measured as ΔpH/s. Mutants activity are presented relative to that of the wild type protein, which was set at 100%. * indicates significantly different from wild type *P < 0.0001, n>8. The mean value of the wild type NHE1 activity was 0.026 <b>Δ</b>pH/s. <b>C</b>, Summary of Na<sup>+</sup>/H<sup>+</sup> exchanger activity of NHE1-735 protein in comparison to wild type NHE1 protein. The 735-NHE1protein activity is displayed as a percent of the wild type (WT). 735c is the activity of the 735-NHE1 protein that has been corrected to the expression levels and surface targeting of the wild type NHE1 protein *P < 0.05, <sup>+</sup>P < 0.01, n>8. <b>D</b>, Resting pH<sub>i</sub> of wild type and 735-NHE1 protein containing cells at various times prior to and during ammonium chloride induced acidosis. pHrest, resting pHi prior to treatment with ammonium chloride; pHinitial, initial pH<sub>i</sub> after ammonium chloride treatment and prior to recovery in sodium containing medium; pHfinal, final pH<sub>i</sub> 3 minutes after recovery from ammonium chloride in sodium containing medium. n>8, ***P < 0.001. <b>E</b>, Characterization of Na<sup>+</sup>/H<sup>+</sup> exchanger activity of wild type and 735-NHE1protein over different intracellular pHs (pH<sub>i</sub>). Cells containing wild type or 735-NHE1 protein were acidified to different levels by addition of varying amounts of ammonium chloride as described in the “Materials and Methods”. The initial rate of recovery was measured and recorded and <b>Δ</b> pH/s.</p
Improvement of Water-, Sulfur Dioxide-, and Dust-Resistance in Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> with NH<sub>3</sub> Using a Wire-Mesh Honeycomb Catalyst
A novel V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub>/Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/wire-mesh honeycomb (WMH) catalyst
was prepared for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> with NH<sub>3</sub>. The resistances to H<sub>2</sub>O, SO<sub>2</sub>, and dust were investigated for the WMH catalyst,
which were compared with those for ceramic honeycomb (CH) catalysts.
The results showed that the WMH catalyst kept above 95% NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> conversion in the broad temperature window (250–425
°C) and provided nearly 92% NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> conversion
during H<sub>2</sub>O and SO<sub>2</sub> durability test, which might
be attributed to the unique three-dimensional structure. Furthermore,
the WMH catalyst could provide nearly 90% NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> conversion during 40 h dust exposure experiment owing to the
little dust deposition of 2.9 g/m<sup>2</sup>, whereas the amount
of dust deposited on the CH catalyst with the same cell density reached
6.7 g/m<sup>2</sup>, which resulted in a decrease of the NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> conversion from 72% to 58%
Wild type (WT) NHE1 protein expression and characterization.
<p><b>A</b>, Model of the NHE1 protein within the plasma membrane [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0162902#pone.0162902.ref018" target="_blank">18</a>]. The approximate position of the shortened NHE1 proteins is indicated in red. B, Western blot of whole cell lysates of stably transfected cell lines. Mutants are with NHE1 protein terminated at amino acid, 321, 449, 543 and 735 as indicated. AP1 indicates mock transfected AP1 cells. Right arrows indicate the HA immunoreactive band of the 735, 543, 449 and 321 proteins. Right arrow with asterisk indicates non-specific immunoreactive band present in all cell lysates. Left arrow indicates HA immunoreactive band of WT NHE1 protein. <b>C</b>, Western blot of whole cell lysates of transiently transfected AP1 cells. Mutants are with NHE1 protein sequence terminated at amino acid, 321, 449, 543 and 735 as indicated. Right arrows indicate the HA immunoreactive bands as above. Left arrow with asterisk indicates non-specific immunoreactive band present in all cell lysates. <b>D</b>, Summary of levels of expression of stably expressed NHE1 protein in AP1 cells. Numbers are percent of the expression levels of mutants in comparison to wild type protein, mean ± S.E. n = at least 3 determinations.</p
Enhancement of Catalytic Activity Over the Iron-Modified Ce/TiO<sub>2</sub> Catalyst for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> with Ammonia
A series of iron-modified Ce/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalysts
with different Fe/Ti molar ratios were prepared by an impregnation
method and used for selective catalytic reaction (SCR) of NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> with NH<sub>3</sub>. The Fe–Ce/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalyst with a Fe/Ti molar ratio of 0.2 had good low-temperature
activity and sulfur-poisoning resistance compared with the Ce/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalyst. The introduction of Fe could increase the amount
of Ce<sup>3+</sup> and chemisorbed oxygen species on the catalyst
surface and thereafter generate more ionic NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> and in situ formed NO<sub>2</sub>, respectively. In addition, the
dispersion of cerium oxide could be improved by the addition of iron,
and no visible phase of iron oxide could be observed at low Fe/Ti
molar ratios (≤0.2). All of these factors played significant
roles in the enhanced catalytic activity, especially the low-temperature
activity. Furthermore, mechanisms of the SCR reaction and the SO<sub>2</sub> poisoning of the Fe(0.2)–Ce/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalyst
were studied using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform
spectroscopy. Coordinated NH<sub>3</sub> and ionic NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> species as well as adsorbed NO<sub>2</sub> might be the key
intermediates in the SCR reaction in the relatively low-temperature
range. The formation of ammonium sulfate appeared to be the dominant
cause for the catalyst deactivation in SO<sub>2</sub>-containing gases
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