81 research outputs found
Finite coupling effects in double quantum dots near equilibrium
A weak coupling quantum master equation provides reliable steady-state results only in the van Hove limit, i.e., when the system-lead coupling approaches zero. Recently, J. Thingna et al. [Phys. Rev. E 88, 052127 (2013)PLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.88.052127] proposed an alternative approach, based on an analytic continuation of the Redfield solution, to evaluate the steady-state reduced density matrix up to second order in the system-bath coupling. The approach provides accurate results for harmonic oscillator and spin-bosonic systems. We apply this approach to study steady-state fermionic systems and the calculation on an exactly solvable double quantum dot system shows that the method is rigorously valid up to second order in system-lead coupling only near equilibrium, i.e., linear response regime. We further compare to the Redfield and the secular Redfield (Lindblad-type) master equations that are inaccurate in all parameter regimes. Lastly, we consider the nontrivial problem of strong Coulomb interaction and illustrate the interplay between system-lead coupling, interdot tunneling, and Coulomb strength that can be captured only via the analytic continuation method
3D Plasmonic Ensembles of Graphene Oxide and Nobel Metal Nanoparticles with Ultrahigh SERS Activity and Sensitivity
We describe a comparison study on 3D ensembles of graphene oxide (GO) and metal nanoparticles (silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), gold nanoparticles (GNPs), and gold nanorods (GNRs)) for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) application. For the first time, GNRs were successfully assembled on the surfaces of GO by means of electrostatic interactions without adding any surfactant. The SERS properties of GO/AgNPs, GO/GNPs, and GO/GNRs were compared using 2-mercaptopyridine (2-Mpy) as probing molecule. We found that GO/AgNPs and GO/GNPs substrates are not suitable for detecting 2-Mpy due to the very strong π-π stacking interaction between the 2-Mpy molecules and sp2 carbon structure of GO. Conversely, the GO/GNRs substrates show ultrahigh SERS activity and sensitivity of 2-Mpy with the detection limit as low as ~10-15 M, which is ~2-3 orders of magnitude higher than that of the corresponding GNRs
Biomimetic one-pot synthesis of gold nanoclusters/nanoparticles for targeted tumor cellular dual-modality imaging
Development of a multivariable prediction model for severe COVID-19 disease: a population-based study from Hong Kong
Recent studies have reported numerous predictors for adverse outcomes in COVID-19 disease. However, there have been few simple clinical risk scores available for prompt risk stratification. The objective is to develop a simple risk score for predicting severe COVID-19 disease using territory-wide data based on simple clinical and laboratory variables. Consecutive patients admitted to Hong Kong’s public hospitals between 1 January and 22 August 2020 and diagnosed with COVID-19, as confirmed by RT-PCR, were included. The primary outcome was composite intensive care unit admission, need for intubation or death with follow-up until 8 September 2020. An external independent cohort from Wuhan was used for model validation. COVID-19 testing was performed in 237,493 patients and 4442 patients (median age 44.8 years old, 95% confidence interval (CI): [28.9, 60.8]); 50% males) were tested positive. Of these, 209 patients (4.8%) met the primary outcome. A risk score including the following components was derived from Cox regression: gender, age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, dementia, liver diseases, gastrointestinal bleeding, cancer, increases in neutrophil count, potassium, urea, creatinine, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, bilirubin, D-dimer, high sensitive troponin-I, lactate dehydrogenase, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, and C-reactive protein, as well as decreases in lymphocyte count, platelet, hematocrit, albumin, sodium, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, glucose, and base excess. The model based on test results taken on the day of admission demonstrated an excellent predictive value. Incorporation of test results on successive time points did not further improve risk prediction. The derived score system was evaluated with out-of-sample five-cross-validation (AUC: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.82–0.91) and external validation (N = 202, AUC: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.85–0.93). A simple clinical score accurately predicted severe COVID-19 disease, even without including symptoms, blood pressure or oxygen status on presentation, or chest radiograph results
Label-Free 3D Ag Nanoflower-Based Electrochemical Immunosensor for the Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Pathogens
Development of a multivariable prediction model for severe COVID-19 disease: a population-based study from Hong Kong
Recent studies have reported numerous predictors for adverse outcomes in COVID-19 disease. However, there have been few simple clinical risk scores available for prompt risk stratification. The objective is to develop a simple risk score for predicting severe COVID-19 disease using territory-wide data based on simple clinical and laboratory variables. Consecutive patients admitted to Hong Kong’s public hospitals between 1 January and 22 August 2020 and diagnosed with COVID-19, as confirmed by RT-PCR, were included. The primary outcome was composite intensive care unit admission, need for intubation or death with follow-up until 8 September 2020. An external independent cohort from Wuhan was used for model validation. COVID-19 testing was performed in 237,493 patients and 4442 patients (median age 44.8 years old, 95% confidence interval (CI): [28.9, 60.8]); 50% males) were tested positive. Of these, 209 patients (4.8%) met the primary outcome. A risk score including the following components was derived from Cox regression: gender, age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, dementia, liver diseases, gastrointestinal bleeding, cancer, increases in neutrophil count, potassium, urea, creatinine, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, bilirubin, D-dimer, high sensitive troponin-I, lactate dehydrogenase, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, and C-reactive protein, as well as decreases in lymphocyte count, platelet, hematocrit, albumin, sodium, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, glucose, and base excess. The model based on test results taken on the day of admission demonstrated an excellent predictive value. Incorporation of test results on successive time points did not further improve risk prediction. The derived score system was evaluated with out-of-sample five-cross-validation (AUC: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.82–0.91) and external validation (N = 202, AUC: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.85–0.93). A simple clinical score accurately predicted severe COVID-19 disease, even without including symptoms, blood pressure or oxygen status on presentation, or chest radiograph results
Disease Burden of Clostridium difficile Infections in Adults, Hong Kong, China, 2006-2014
Cross-sectional studies suggest an increasing trend in incidence and relatively low recurrence rates of Clostridium difficile infections in Asia than in Europe and North America. The temporal trend of C. difficile infection in Asia is not completely understood. We conducted a territory-wide population-based observational study to investigate the burden and clinical outcomes in Hong Kong, China, over a 9-year period. A total of 15,753 cases were identified, including 14,402 (91.4%) healthcare-associated cases and 817 (5.1%) community-associated cases. After adjustment for diagnostic test, we found that incidence increased from 15.41 cases/100,000 persons in 2006 to 36.31 cases/100,000 persons in 2014, an annual increase of 26%. This increase was associated with elderly patients, for whom incidence increased 3-fold over the period. Recurrence at 60 days increased from 5.7% in 2006 to 9.1% in 2014 (p<0.001). Our data suggest the need for further surveillance, especially in Asia, which contains ≈60% of the world’s population
Interfacial polymerization of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) on polymeric substrates for molecular separations
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) represent a new family of porous polymers with highly ordered two or three-dimensional channels. Although numerous studies have been focused on the design and synthesis of COF in the form of powders, the development of COF-based separation membranes is still hampered by the challenges of COF particles agglomeration and harsh synthetic conditions. In this work, interfacial polymerization (IP) directly performed on polymeric substrates as employed in the traditional IP process of polyamide (PA) membranes is developed for the synthesis of COF-based membranes. With the moderate reaction rate between monomer pairs in corresponding aqueous and organic solutions, a conformal growth of COF crystallites directly composited with the polysulfone (PSF) ultrafiltration substrates can be realized within 1 min. The synthesis parameters including reaction time and precursor concentrations are optimized, and thus-synthesized COF/PSF membrane presents a stable rejection to dye (Congo red) of 99.5% with a high water permeance of up to 50 L m h bar, which is 2–10 times higher than that of many other membranes with similar rejection. This convenient IP process is expected to facilitate the up-scaling and real-world applications of COF-based membranes
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