Showing papers by "Southwest University published in 2013"
TL;DR: A new type and high density of surface state of GQDs arises, leading to high yields (more than 70 %) and excitation-independent emission and FLQY = fluorescence quantum yield.
Abstract: Helpful elements: A facile bottom-up method using citric acid and L-cysteine as a precursor has been developed to prepare graphene quantum dots (GQDs) co-doped with nitrogen and sulfur. A new type and high density of surface state of GQDs arises, leading to high yields (more than 70 %) and excitation-independent emission. FLQY = fluorescence quantum yield.
1,887 citations
TL;DR: An outlook to the possible evolution of FDD in industrial automation, including the hybrid FDD and the emerging networked FDD, are presented to reveal the future development direction in this field.
Abstract: This review paper is to give a full picture of fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) in complex systems from the perspective of data processing. As a matter of fact, an FDD system is a data-processing system on the basis of information redundancy, in which the data and human's understanding of the data are two fundamental elements. Human's understanding may be an explicit input-output model representing the relationship among the system's variables. It may also be represented as knowledge implicitly (e.g., the connection weights of a neural network). Therefore, FDD is done through some kind of modeling, signal processing, and intelligence computation. In this paper, a variety of FDD techniques are reviewed within the unified data-processing framework to give a full picture of FDD and achieve a new level of understanding. According to the types of data and how the data are processed, the FDD methods are classified into three categories: model-based online data-driven methods, signal-based methods, and knowledge-based history data-driven methods. An outlook to the possible evolution of FDD in industrial automation, including the hybrid FDD and the emerging networked FDD, are also presented to reveal the future development direction in this field.
482 citations
TL;DR: Potent antitumor efficacy and reduced side effects of drugs delivered by biocompatible aptNTrs were demonstrated in a mouse xenograft tumor model, and fluorophores on nanotrains and drug fluorescence dequenching upon release allowed intracellular signaling of nanotRains and drugs.
Abstract: Nanotechnology has allowed the construction of various nanostructures for applications, including biomedicine. However, a simple target-specific, economical, and biocompatible drug delivery platform with high maximum tolerated doses is still in demand. Here, we report aptamer-tethered DNA nanotrains (aptNTrs) as carriers for targeted drug transport in cancer therapy. Long aptNTrs were self-assembled from only two short DNA upon initiation by modified aptamers, which worked like locomotives guiding nanotrains toward target cancer cells. Meanwhile, tandem “boxcars” served as carriers with high payload capacity of drugs that were transported to target cells and induced selective cytotoxicity. aptNTrs enhanced maximum tolerated dose in nontarget cells. Potent antitumor efficacy and reduced side effects of drugs delivered by biocompatible aptNTrs were demonstrated in a mouse xenograft tumor model. Moreover, fluorophores on nanotrains and drug fluorescence dequenching upon release allowed intracellular signaling of nanotrains and drugs. These results make aptNTrs a promising targeted drug transport platform for cancer theranostics.
463 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the state of electrochemical sensing of H2O2 based on the use of metal nanoparticles is reviewed, which is divided into sections on sensors based on heme proteins and on nonenzymatic sensors.
Abstract: We are reviewing the state of electrochemical sensing of H2O2 based on the use of metal nanoparticles. The article is divided into subsections on sensors based on nanoparticles made from Ag, Pt, Pd, Cu, bimetallic nanoparticles and other metals. Some sensors display high sensitivity, fast response, and good stability. The review is subdivided into sections on sensors based on heme proteins and on nonenzymatic sensors. We also discussed the challenges of nanoscaled sensors and their future aspects.
436 citations
TL;DR: Bombyx mori silk, which has high nitrogen content, is employed as a raw material to prepare photoluminescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots through one-pot hydrothermal synthesis, and it is found that the as-prepared CDs have a photolUMinescence (PL) quantum yield of 13.9%, and display amphoteric properties depending on the pH.
Abstract: Nitrogen-doped carbon dots (CDs) have attracted great interest due to their extraordinary properties, especially their enhanced emission efficiency, and thus a facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped CDs with high emission efficiency is critical for practical applications. To improve the emission efficiency of CDs, herein we employed Bombyx mori silk, which has high nitrogen content, as a raw material to prepare photoluminescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots through one-pot hydrothermal synthesis, and found that the as-prepared CDs have a photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield of 13.9%, and display amphoteric properties depending on the pH, are highly photostable, have low toxicity and are suitable for bioimaging.
432 citations
TL;DR: The Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) as mentioned in this paper is an implementation of the PTA concept based on observations with the Parkes 64m radio telescope, which allows investigation of 'global' phenomena such as a background of gravitational waves or instabilities in atomic timescales that produce correlated timing residuals in the pulsars of the array.
Abstract: A 'pulsar timing array' (PTA), in which observations of a large sample of pulsars spread across the celestial sphere are combined, allows investigation of 'global' phenomena such as a background of gravitational waves or instabilities in atomic timescales that produce correlated timing residuals in the pulsars of the array. The Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) is an implementation of the PTA concept based on observations with the Parkes 64-m radio telescope. A sample of 20 ms pulsars is being observed at three radio-frequency bands, 50 cm (similar to 700MHz), 20 cm (similar to 1400 MHz), and 10 cm (similar to 3100 MHz), with observations at intervals of two to three weeks. Regular observations commenced in early 2005. This paper describes the systems used for the PPTA observations and data processing, including calibration and timing analysis. The strategy behind the choice of pulsars, observing parameters, and analysis methods is discussed. Results are presented for PPTA data in the three bands taken between 2005 March and 2011 March. For 10 of the 20 pulsars, rms timing residuals are less than 1 mu s for the best band after fitting for pulse frequency and its first time derivative. Significant 'red' timing noise is detected in about half of the sample. We discuss the implications of these results on future projects including the International Pulsar Timing Array and a PTA based on the Square Kilometre Array. We also present an 'extended PPTA' data set that combines PPTA data with earlier Parkes timing data for these pulsars.
421 citations
TL;DR: Comparing the genome of Tibetan wild boars with those of neighboring Chinese domestic pigs further showed the impact of thousands of years of artificial selection and different signatures of selection in wild boar and domestic pig.
Abstract: We report the sequencing at 131× coverage, de novo assembly and analyses of the genome of a female Tibetan wild boar. We also resequenced the whole genomes of 30 Tibetan wild boars from six major distributed locations and 18 geographically related pigs in China. We characterized genetic diversity, population structure and patterns of evolution. We searched for genomic regions under selection, which includes genes that are involved in hypoxia, olfaction, energy metabolism and drug response. Comparing the genome of Tibetan wild boar with those of neighboring Chinese domestic pigs further showed the impact of thousands of years of artificial selection and different signatures of selection in wild boar and domestic pig. We also report genetic adaptations in Tibetan wild boar that are associated with high altitudes and characterize the genetic basis of increased salivation in domestic pig.
412 citations
TL;DR: As the first sequenced species in the Ericales, the kiwifruit genome sequence provides a valuable resource not only for biological discovery and crop improvement but also for evolutionary and comparative genomics analysis, particularly in the asterid lineage.
Abstract: The kiwifruit is an economically and nutritionally important fruit crop with high vitamin C content. Here, the authors report the draft genome sequence of a heterozygous kiwifruit and through comparative genomic analysis provide valuable insight into kiwifruit evolution.
402 citations
TL;DR: HCDs used as a delivery system for doxorubicin (DOX) drug delivery system exhibits pH-controlled release, and is rapidly taken up by cells.
392 citations
TL;DR: It is found that decomposition rates of leaves, fine roots and fine stems were coordinated across species worldwide although less strongly within ecosystems, and a major role for below-ground litter as a driver of ecosystem organic matter dynamics is suggested.
Abstract: Conceptual frameworks relating plant traits to ecosystem processes such as organic matter dynamics are progressively moving from a leaf-centred to a whole-plant perspective. Through the use of meta-analysis and global literature data, we quantified the relative roles of litters from above- and below-ground plant organs in ecosystem labile organic matter dynamics. We found that decomposition rates of leaves, fine roots and fine stems were coordinated across species worldwide although less strongly within ecosystems. We also show that fine roots and stems had lower decomposition rates relative to leaves, with large differences between woody and herbaceous species. Further, we estimated that on average below-ground litter represents approximately 33 and 48% of annual litter inputs in grasslands and forests, respectively. These results suggest a major role for below-ground litter as a driver of ecosystem organic matter dynamics. We also suggest that, given that fine stem and fine root litters decompose approximately 1.5 and 2.8 times slower, respectively, than leaf litter derived from the same species, cycling of labile organic matter is likely to be much slower than predicted by data from leaf litter decomposition only. Synthesis. Our results provide evidence that within ecosystems, the relative inputs of above- versus below-ground litter strongly control the overall quality of the litter entering the decomposition system. This in turn determines soil labile organic matter dynamics and associated nutrient release in the ecosystem, which potentially feeds back to the mineral nutrition of plants and therefore plant trait values and plant community composition. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.
372 citations
TL;DR: The whole range of medicinal chemistry in the current developments of coumarin compounds as anticoagulant, antineurodegenerative, anticancer, antioxidative, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, antiinflammatory and analgesic, antidiabetic, antidepressive and other bioactive agents as well as supramolecular medicinal drugs, diagnostic agents and pathologic probes, and biological stains are presented.
Abstract: Coumarin compounds represent an important type of naturally occurring and synthetic oxygen-containing heterocycles with typical benzopyrone framework. This type of special benzopyrone structure enables its derivatives readily interact with a diversity of enzymes and receptors in organisms through weak bond interactions, thereby exhibit wide potentiality as medicinal drugs. So far, some coumarin-based drugs such as anticoagulant and antineurodegenerative agents have been extensively used in clinic. Coumarin-containing supramolecular medicinal agents as a new increasing expansion of supramolecular chemistry in pharmaceutical science have also been actively investigated in recent years. Coumarin-derived artificial ion receptors, fluorescent probes and biological stains are growing quickly and have a variety of potential applications in monitoring timely enzyme activity, complex biological events as well as accurate pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties. This review provides a systematic summary and insight of the whole range of medicinal chemistry in the current developments of coumarin compounds as anticoagulant, antineurodegenerative, anticancer, antioxidative, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, antiinflammatory and analgesic, antidiabetic, antidepressive and other bioactive agents as well as supramolecular medicinal drugs, diagnostic agents and pathologic probes, and biological stains. Some rational design strategies, structure-activity relationships and action mechanisms are discussed. The perspectives of the future development of coumarinbased medicinal chemistry are also presented.
TL;DR: In this article, the characteristics of hydro-climatic changes of the Poyang Lake catchment were analyzed based on the observed data for the period 1960-2007, and the relative effect of climate change and human activities was first empirically distinguished by a coupled water and energy budgets analysis, and then the result was further confirmed by a quantitative assessment.
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors examined features and driving forces of urban sprawl in Hangzhou from 1995 to 2005 by using urban expansion classification, density analysis, spatial metrics, and geospatial analysis.
TL;DR: The results suggest that the high sensitivity of synthesis outcomes to the trace amounts of impurities in a polyol, a major issue for reproducibility and scale up synthesis, did not exist in the present system.
Abstract: This article describes a robust method for the facile synthesis of small Ag nanocubes with edge lengths controlled in the range of 18–32 nm. The success of this new method relies on the substitution of ethylene glycol (EG)—the solvent most commonly used in a polyol synthesis—with diethylene glycol (DEG). Owing to the increase in hydrocarbon chain length, DEG possesses a higher viscosity and a lower reducing power relative to EG. As a result, we were able to achieve a nucleation burst in the early stage to generate a large number of seeds and a relatively slow growth rate thereafter; both factors were critical to the formation of Ag nanocubes with small sizes and in high purity (>95%). The edge length of the Ag nanocubes could be easily tailored in the range of 18–32 nm by quenching the reaction at different time points. For the first time, we were able to produce uniform sub-20 nm Ag nanocubes in a hydrophilic medium and on a scale of ∼20 mg per batch. It is also worth pointing out that the present protoc...
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors developed general models to estimate daily solar radiation (Rs) for different solar radiation zones in mainland China, where daily weather data including Rs, sunshine duration, relative humidity, maximum and minimum temperatures were collected and analyzed from 83 stations.
TL;DR: The genome of a mulberry species Morus notabilis is described, and five predicted mulberry miRNAs are found in the haemolymph and silk glands of the silkworm, suggesting interactions at molecular levels in the plant–herbivore relationship.
Abstract: Human utilization of the mulberry-silkworm interaction started at least 5,000 years ago and greatly influenced world history through the Silk Road. Complementing the silkworm genome sequence, here we describe the genome of a mulberry species Morus notabilis. In the 330-Mb genome assembly, we identify 128 Mb of repetitive sequences and 29,338 genes, 60.8% of which are supported by transcriptome sequencing. Mulberry gene sequences appear to evolve ~3 times faster than other Rosales, perhaps facilitating the species' spread worldwide. The mulberry tree is among a few eudicots but several Rosales that have not preserved genome duplications in more than 100 million years; however, a neopolyploid series found in the mulberry tree and several others suggest that new duplications may confer benefits. Five predicted mulberry miRNAs are found in the haemolymph and silk glands of the silkworm, suggesting interactions at molecular levels in the plant-herbivore relationship. The identification and analyses of mulberry genes involved in diversifying selection, resistance and protease inhibitor expressed in the laticifers will accelerate the improvement of mulberry plants.
TL;DR: In this article, the relationship between the soil total P, Olsen-P and CaCl2-P was evaluated using two-segment linear model to determine the soil P fertility rate and leaching change-point.
Abstract: Sufficient soil phosphorus (P) is important for achieving optimal crop production, but excessive soil P levels may create a risk of P losses and associated eutrophication of surface waters. The aim of this study was to determine critical soil P levels for achieving optimal crop yields and minimal P losses in common soil types and dominant cropping systems in China. Four long-term experiment sites were selected in China. The critical level of soil Olsen-P for crop yield was determined using the linear-plateau model. The relationships between the soil total P, Olsen-P and CaCl2-P were evaluated using two-segment linear model to determine the soil P fertility rate and leaching change-point. The critical levels of soil Olsen-P for optimal crop yield ranged from 10.9 mg kg−1 to 21.4 mg kg−1, above which crop yield response less to the increasing of soil Olsen-P. The P leaching change-points of Olsen-P ranged from 39.9 mg kg−1 to 90.2 mg kg−1, above which soil CaCl2-P greatly increasing with increasing soil Olsen-P. Similar change-point was found between soil total P and Olsen-P. Overall, the change-point ranged from 4.6 mg kg−1 to 71.8 mg kg−1 among all the four sites. These change-points were highly affected by crop specie, soil type, pH and soil organic matter content. The three response curves could be used to access the soil Olsen-P status for crop yield, soil P fertility rate and soil P leaching risk for a sustainable soil P management in field.
TL;DR: A nanosized porous metal-organic framework was facilely prepared with a uniform octahedral shape by the addition of acetic acid, and for the first time was demonstrated to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity, which provided a simple, sensitive and selective method for the colorimetric detection of glucose.
Abstract: In this paper, a nanosized porous metal–organic framework, Fe-MIL-88NH2, was facilely prepared with a uniform octahedral shape by the addition of acetic acid, and for the first time was demonstrated to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity. Kinetic analysis and electron spin resonance measurements indicated that the catalytic behavior was consistent with typical Michaelis–Menten kinetics and follows a ping-pong mechanism. As a novel peroxidase mimic material, Fe-MIL-88NH2 shows the advantages of high catalytic efficiency, ultrahigh stability and high biocompatibility in aqueous medium compared with natural enzymes and other peroxidase nanomimetics. Here, Fe-MIL-88NH2 was used to quickly catalyze oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2 to produce a colored product, which provided a simple, sensitive and selective method for the colorimetric detection of glucose. Glucose could be linearly detected in the range from 2.0 × 10−6 to 3.0 × 10−4 M with a detection limit of 4.8 × 10−7 M, and the color variation for glucose response was also obvious by visual observation at concentrations as low as 2.0 × 10−6 M. More importantly, the colorimetric method could be successfully applied to the determination of glucose in diluted serum samples.
TL;DR: In this article, a robust and stable superhydrophobic surface fabricated on AZ91D magnesium alloy through a process combining both electrodeposition and chemical modification was presented, which exhibited robust super-hydrophobicity for the liquids with corrosive effect and high salinity, showing good chemical stability.
TL;DR: A review of polymer/nanosilver composite coatings for antibacterial applications is presented in this article, where the progress on antibacterial mechanism and cytotoxic effects of nanosilver is discussed.
TL;DR: Personal characteristics predicted SNS use in both cultures but were stronger predictors in an individualistic culture than in a collectivistic, consistent with the emphasis on self in the former and on family, friends and one's groups in the latter.
TL;DR: A new centrality measure is proposed based on the Dempster–Shafer evidence theory, which trades off between the degree and strength of every node in a weighted network.
Abstract: The design of an effective ranking method to identify influential nodes is an important problem in the study of complex networks. In this paper, a new centrality measure is proposed based on the Dempster–Shafer evidence theory. The proposed measure trades off between the degree and strength of every node in a weighted network. The influences of both the degree and the strength of each node are represented by basic probability assignment (BPA). The proposed centrality measure is determined by the combination of these BPAs. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
TL;DR: It is hopeful that azole compounds may continue to serve as an important direction for the exploitation of azole-based antibacterial and antifungal drugs with better curative effect, lower toxicity, less side effects, especially fewer resistances and so on.
Abstract: Azole compounds are an important class of nitrogen heterocycles with electron-rich property. This special structure endows azole-based derivatives easily bind with the enzymes and receptors in organisms through noncovalent interactions such as hydrogen bonds, coordination bonds, ion-dipole, cation-π,π-π stacking and hydrophobic effect as well as van der Waals force etc., thereby possessing various applications in medicinal chemistry, especially their protrudent effects such as imidazoles and triazoles against fungal strains. The design, synthesis and antimicrobial activity of azole derivatives have been extensively investigated and have become one of the highly active highlights in recent years, and the progress is quite rapid. In particular, a large number of azole-based antibacterial and antifungal agents have been penetratingly studied as candidates and even some of them have been used in clinic, which have shown the great potential and development value of azole compounds. Based on our researches on azole compounds and referring to other literature, this work scientifically reviewed the researches and developments of azole-based compounds as antibacterial and antifungal agents, including oxazole, imidazole, benzimidazole, triazole, benzotriazole, pyrazole, thiazole, carbazole as well as tetrazole in recent three years. It is hopeful that azole compounds may continue to serve as an important direction for the exploitation of azole-based antibacterial and antifungal drugs with better curative effect, lower toxicity, less side effects, especially fewer resistances and so on.
TL;DR: It is shown that the histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methyltransferase G9A is required for maintaining the pathway enzyme genes in an active state marked by H3K 9 monomethylation and for the transcriptional activation of this pathway in response to serine deprivation.
TL;DR: A brief but informative compilation of the different essential and desirable traits of probiotics, their mode of action and their useful effects on fishes is presented in this article, which highlights the role of probiotic in helping the fishes to combat against the different physical, chemical and biological stress.
Abstract: To meet the ever-increasing demand for animal protein, aquaculture continuously requires new techniques to increase the production yield. However, with every step towards intensification of aquaculture practices, there is an increase in stress level on the animal as well as on the environment. Feeding practices in aqua farming usually plays an important role, and the addition of various additives to a balanced feed formula to achieve better growth is a common practice among the fish and shrimp culturists. Probiotics, also known as 'bio-friendly agents', such as LAB (Lactobacillus), yeasts and Bacillus sp., can be introduced into the culture environment to control and compete with pathogenic bacteria as well as to promote the growth of the cultured organisms. In addition, probiotics are non-pathogenic and non-toxic micro-organisms, having no undesirable side effects when administered to aquatic organisms. Probiotics are also known to play an important role in developing innate immunity among the fishes, and hence help them to fight against any pathogenic bacterias as well as against environmental stressors. The present review is a brief but informative compilation of the different essential and desirable traits of probiotics, their mode of action and their useful effects on fishes. The review also highlights the role of probiotics in helping the fishes to combat against the different physical, chemical and biological stress.
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that thermodynamic cloak can be achieved with homogeneous and finite conductivity only employing naturally available materials and the thermal localization inside the coating layer can be tuned and controlled robustly by anisotropy, which enables an incomplete cloak to function perfectly.
Abstract: Invisible cloak has long captivated the popular conjecture and attracted intensive research in various communities of wave dynamics, eg, optics, electromagnetics, acoustics, etc However, their inhomogeneous and extreme parameters imposed by transformation-optic method will usually require challenging realization with metamaterials, resulting in narrow bandwidth, loss, polarization-dependence, etc In this paper, we demonstrate that thermodynamic cloak can be achieved with homogeneous and finite conductivity only employing naturally available materials It is demonstrated that the thermal localization inside the coating layer can be tuned and controlled robustly by anisotropy, which enables an incomplete cloak to function perfectly Practical realization of such homogeneous thermal cloak has been suggested by using two naturally occurring conductive materials, which provides an unprecedentedly plausible way to flexibly realize thermal cloak and manipulate heat flow with phonons
TL;DR: This work is the largest collection of gonadal transcriptome data in tilapia and lays the foundation for future studies into the molecular mechanisms of sex determination and maintenance of phenotypic sex in non-model teleosts.
Abstract: Four pairs of XX and XY gonads from Nile tilapia were sequenced at four developmental stages, 5, 30, 90, and 180 days after hatching (dah) using Illumina HiseqTM technology. This produced 28 Gb sequences, which were mapped to 21,334 genes. Of these, 259 genes were found to be specifically expressed in XY gonads, and 69 were found to be specific to XX gonads. Totally, 187 XX- and 1,358 XY-enhanced genes were identified, and 2,978 genes were found to be co-expressed in XX and XY gonads. Almost all steroidogenic enzymes, including cyp19a1a, were up-regulated in XX gonads at 5 dah; but in XY gonads these enzymes, including cyp11b2, were significantly up-regulated at 90 dah, indicating that, at a time critical to sex determination, the XX fish produced estrogen and the XY fish did not produce androgens. The most pronounced expression of steroidogenic enzyme genes was observed at 30 and 90 dah for XX and XY gonads, corresponding to the initiation of germ cell meiosis in the female and male gonads, respectively. Both estrogen and androgen receptors were found to be expressed in XX gonads, but only estrogen receptors were expressed in XY gonads at 5 dah. This could explain why exogenous steroid treatment induced XX and XY sex reversal. The XX-enhanced expression of cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b at all stages suggests an important role for estrogen in female sex determination and maintenance of phenotypic sex. This work is the largest collection of gonadal transcriptome data in tilapia and lays the foundation for future studies into the molecular mechanisms of sex determination and maintenance of phenotypic sex in non-model teleosts.
TL;DR: It is discovered that the Co3O4/rGO nanocomposites possess intrinsic peroxidase- like activity and catalase-like activity, and could catalytically oxidize 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to produce a intensified colour reaction.