Remarkable Antibacterial Activity of Reduced Graphene Oxide Functionalized by Copper Ions

Despite long-term efforts for exploring antibacterial agents or drugs, potentiating antibacterial activity and meanwhile minimizing toxicity to the environment remains a challenge. Here, it is experimentally shown that the functionality of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through copper ions displays selective antibacterial activity that is significantly stronger than that of rGO itself and no toxicity to mammalian cells. Remarkably, this antibacterial activity is two-orders-of-magnitude greater than the activity of its surrounding copper ions. It is demonstrated that rGO is functionalized through the cation–π interaction to massively adsorb copper ions to form a rGO–copper composite and result in an extremely low concentration level of surrounding copper ions (less than ≈0.5 µm ). These copper ions on rGO are positively charged and strongly interact with negatively charged bacterial cells to selectively achieve antibacterial activity, while rGO exhibits the functionality to not only actuate rapid delivery of copper ions and massive assembly onto bacterial cells but also result in the valence shift in the copper ions from Cu²⁺ into Cu⁺, which greatly enhances the antibacterial activity. Notably, this rGO functionality through cation–π interaction with copper ions can similarly achieve algaecidal activity but does not exert cytotoxicity against neutrally charged mammalian cells.     

Spinel CoFe2O4 /carbon nanotube composites as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reaction

In the development of fuel cells, it is the key to large-scale commercialization of fuel cells to rationally design and synthesize efficient and non-noble metals-based bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this paper, spinel CoFe₂O₄/carbon nanotube composites (CoFe₂O₄/CNTs/FA) were synthesized by solvothermal and calcination method. XRD, TEM, XPS and BET characterizations indicate that the addition of complexing agent fumaric acid can improve the crystal growth kinetics and morphology of CoFe₂O₄/CNTs nanohybirds. The as-synthesized CoFe₂O₄/CNTs/FA pyrolyzed at 500 °C have an outstanding bifunctional catalytic activity for ORR and OER with the potential of 1.62V (vs. RHE) at a current density of 10 mA/cm² and half-wave potential E_1/2 = 0.808V (vs. RHE) in alkaline electrolyte, respectively. It is obviously better than unloaded CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles and commercial CNTs. CoFe₂O₄/CNTs/FA also exhibit better methanol tolerance ability and durability than commercial Pt/C and RuO₂ catalyst. This investigation broadens an idea of simple compounding of spinel with carbon-based materials to improve electrochemical properties.     

Background subtraction based on deep convolutional neural networks features

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Background modeling and subtraction, the task to detect moving objects in a scene, is a fundamental and critical step for many high level computer vision tasks....     

某企业不同工种的放射工作人员发生甲状腺结节风险分析

采用职业健康体检资料和问卷形式,利用单因素和多因素logistic回归模型,分析探讨某企业内不同工种的放射工作人员暴露在低剂量电离辐射环境下发生甲状腺结节的风险。结果表明,放射工作人员中以混合射线组甲状腺结节发生风险最高,随着年龄和放射工龄的增加发生风险会增加;性别不同与甲状腺结节发生风险有关。     

An Improved Torque Sensorless Speed Control Method for Electric Assisted Bicycle With Consideration of Coordinate Conversion

In this paper, we propose an improved torque sensorless speed control method for electric assisted bicycle, this method considers the coordinate conversion. A low-pass filter is designed in disturbance observer to estimate and compensate the variable disturbance during cycling. A DC motor provides assisted power driving, the assistance method is based on the real-time wheel angular velocity and coordinate system transformation. The effect of observer is proved, and the proposed method guarantees stability under disturbances. It is also compared to the existing methods and their performances are illustrated through simulations. The proposed method improves the performance both in rapidity and stability.      

纳米NiO掺杂Carbores'P对Al2O3-C耐火材料力学性能的影响

为提高低碳铝碳耐火材料的力学性能,以≤1 mm的棕刚玉、Si粉和Carbores’P为原料,外加纳米NiO为催化剂,制备Al2O3-C基质试样,利用XRD、SEM、激光拉曼光谱研究纳米NiO对Carbores’P炭化产物的影响。以棕刚玉(粒度为5~3、3-1、≤1 mm)、电熔白刚玉粉、Si粉、鳞片石墨、Carbores’P、纳米NiO为原料制备低碳Al2O3-C试样,研究纳米NiO掺杂Carbore’P对试样力学性能的影响。结果表明:1400℃埋碳热处理后,添加纳米NiO能提高基质的石墨化度,促进碳纳米管和SiC晶须的生成;正是由于它们的生成,提高了Al2O3-C试样的致密度、常温强度和断裂前的位移量,使试样韧性增强。     

基于广义逆矩阵理论的杆系结构形态创构方法#br#

广义逆矩阵理论被广泛应用于不稳定结构的形态分析。不稳定结构在荷载作用下，其形状会发生变化直至其势能达到最低，此时的结构处于无弯矩的平衡状态。根据该原理并结合广义逆矩阵理论提出一种适用于杆系结构的形态创构方法。该方法将杆系模型中杆单元进行分组，在每一组中杆单元总长度不变的条件下，建立控制结构形状变化的移形方程。利用广义逆矩阵理论和势能梯度确定使模型势能下降最快的方向，并逐步调整节点位置直至势能达到最低。临时单元和单元组的引入使得该方法可以应用于多种形式结构的形态创构，合理地设置单元组和临时单元可以实现单元长度与单元内力的重新分配进而实现诸多功能。算例分析说明该方法的特性并验证其有效性。     

Comparative study of the phenolics,antioxidant and metagenomic composition of novel soy whey-based beverages produced using three different water kefir microbiota

Water kefir microbiota was used to develop novel soy whey-based beverages that have antioxidant activity. In the present study, comparative phenolics, antioxidant and metagenomic composition of the soy whey beverages fermented using three different water kefir microbiota, named WKFS-A, WKFS-B and WKFS-C were investigated. WKFS-B beverage had the highest concentrations of isoflavone aglycones (208.73 ± 2.78 mg L⁻¹) and phenolic acids (132.33 ± 3.41 mg L⁻¹) compared with WKFS-A (193.88 ± 1.15 mg L⁻¹) and (91.73 ± 2.34 mg L⁻¹) and WKFS-C (160.63 ± 1.76 mg L⁻¹) and (97.13 ± 2.63 mg L⁻¹), respectively. The WKFS-B also showed higher DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power compared with WKFS-A and WKFS-C beverages. Microbial species diversity index analysis showed that a higher concentration of isoflavone aglycones, phenolic acids and increased antioxidant activity in the WKFS-B beverage correlates with the higher relative abundance of Lactobacillus genus. This study thus revealed that Lactobacillus dominated water kefir microbiota produces soy whey beverages with high phenolic acids, isoflavone aglycones and antioxidant activity.     

Effect of moving pictures on visual task performance and fatigue using 4K OLED and LCD TVs

This study compared the effects of 4K organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) and liquid‐crystal display (LCD) TVs on human visual task performance and fatigue when viewing moving pictures. In experiments conducted, subjects were asked to locate 35 icons among a total of 276 on‐screen icons at four moving picture speeds. From the results obtained, it was determined that OLED TVs (emissive type) exhibit superior characteristics for hit rate and false alarm rate compared with LCD TVs (non‐emissive‐type). The evaluation results of a simulator sickness questionnaire administered to ascertain fatigue levels also indicated that OLED TVs induce relatively little fatigue at fast‐moving picture speeds of 10 ppf or more compared with LCD TVs. Thus, this study confirms that OLED TVs, given their ultrafast response time characteristics, are superior in terms of moving picture images to LCD TVs.