| 1. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(författare)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 2. |
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- 2019
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 3. |
- Li, Zeyu, et al.
(författare)
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A phase conversion method to anchor ZIF-8 onto a PAN nanofiber surface for CO2 capture
- 2022
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Ingår i: RSC Advances. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2046-2069. ; 12:2, s. 664-670
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning and coated with zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) by a phase conversion growth method and investigated for CO2 capture. The PAN nanofibers were pre-treated with NaOH, and further coated with zinc hydroxide, which was subsequently converted into ZIF-8 by the addition of 2-methyl imidazolate. In the resulting flexible ZIF-8/PAN composite nanofibers, ZIF-8 loadings of up to 57 wt% were achieved. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed the formation of evenly distributed submicron-sized ZIF-8 crystals on the surface of the PAN nanofibers with sizes between 20 and 75 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) investigations indicated electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds between the ZIF-8 structure and the PAN nanofiber. The ZIF-8/composite nanofibers showed a high BET surface area of 887 m2 g−1. CO2 adsorption isotherms of the ZIF-8/PAN composites revealed gravimetric CO2 uptake capacities of 130 mg g−1 (at 298 K and 40 bar) of the ZIF-8/PAN nanofiber and stable cyclic adsorption performance.
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| 4. |
- Zhou, Yin, et al.
(författare)
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Inflammation and Apoptosis: Dual Mediator Role for Toll-like Receptor 4 in the Development of Necrotizing Enterocolitis
- 2017
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Ingår i: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 1078-0998 .- 1536-4844. ; 23:1, s. 44-56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the leading cause of neonatal gastrointestinal mortality; effective interventions are lacking with limited understanding of the pathogenesis of NEC. The importance of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling in NEC is well documented; however, the potential mechanisms that regulate enterocyte inflammation and apoptosis remain unclear. The aim of this study was to characterize the role of TLR4-mediated inflammation and apoptosis in the development of NEC and to determine the major apoptotic pathways and regulators in the process. Methods: TLR4-deficient C57BL/10ScNJ mice and lentivirus-mediated stable TLR4-silent cell line (IEC-6) were used. NEC was induced by formula gavage, cold, hypoxia, combined with lipopolysaccharide in vivo or lipopolysaccharide stimulation in vitro. Enterocyte apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL or Annexin analysis. The expression of TLR4, caspase3, caspase8, caspase9, Bip, Bax, Bcl-2, and RIP was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-2 were examined by Luminex. Results: Defect of TLR4 led to suppressed enterocytes apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo; the expression of caspase3, caspase8, Bip, and Bax was decreased; and caspase9 and Bcl-2 were increased. NEC severity was attenuated in TLR4-deficient mice compared with wild-type counterparts, and enterocytes apoptosis was correlated with NEC severity. RIP and cytokine level of tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-2 were also decreased. Conclusions: TLR4-induced inflammation and apoptosis play a critical role in the pathogenesis of NEC. TLR4 inhibition, combined with extrinsic (caspase8) and/or endoplasmic reticulum stress (Bip) apoptosis signaling blockade could serve as a potential effective treating strategy for NEC.
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| 5. |
- Chen, Hui, et al.
(författare)
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Adaptive migratory orientation of an invasive pest on a new continent
- 2023
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Ingår i: iScience. - 2589-0042. ; 26:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many species of insects undertake long-range, seasonally reversed migrations, displaying sophisticated orientation behaviors to optimize their migratory trajectories. However, when invasive insects arrive in new biogeographical regions, it is unclear if migrants retain (or how quickly they regain) ancestral migratory traits, such as seasonally preferred flight headings. Here we present behavioral evidence that an invasive migratory pest, the fall armyworm moth (Spodoptera frugiperda), a native of the Americas, exhibited locally adaptive migratory orientation less than three years after arriving on a new continent. Specimens collected from China showed flight orientations directed north-northwest in spring and southwest in autumn, and this would promote seasonal forward and return migrations in East Asia. We also show that the driver of the seasonal switch in orientation direction is photoperiod. Our results thus provide a clear example of an invasive insect that has rapidly exhibited adaptive migratory behaviors, either inherited or newly evolved, in a completely alien environment.
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| 6. |
- Dong, Yibo, et al.
(författare)
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Transfer-free, lithography-free and fast growth of patterned CVD graphene directly on insulators by using sacrificial metal catalyst
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nanotechnology. - : IOP Publishing. - 1361-6528 .- 0957-4484. ; 29:36
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chemical vapor deposited graphene suffers from two problems: transfer from metal catalysts to insulators, and photoresist induced degradation during patterning. Both result in macroscopic and microscopic damages such as holes, tears, doping, and contamination, translated into property and yield dropping. We attempt to solve the problems simultaneously. A nickel thin film is evaporated on SiO2 as a sacrificial catalyst, on which surface graphene is grown. A polymer (PMMA) support is spin-coated on the graphene. During the Ni wet etching process, the etchant can permeate the polymer, making the etching efficient. The PMMA/graphene layer is fixed on the substrate by controlling the surface morphology of Ni film during the graphene growth. After etching, the graphene naturally adheres to the insulating substrate. By using this method, transfer-free, lithography-free and fast growth of graphene realized. The whole experiment has good repeatability and controllability. Compared with graphene transfer between substrates, here, no mechanical manipulation is required, leading to minimal damage. Due to the presence of Ni, the graphene quality is intrinsically better than catalyst-free growth. The Ni thickness and growth temperature are controlled to limit the number of layers of graphene. The technology can be extended to grow other two-dimensional materials with other catalysts.
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| 7. |
- Duan, Shanghong, 1992, et al.
(författare)
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BUILDING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SYMMETRIC STRUCTURAL BATTERY
- 2022
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Ingår i: ECCM 2022 - Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Composite Materials: Composites Meet Sustainability. ; 3, s. 1169-1174
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recently, a structural battery with multifunctional carbon fibre anode has been reported. The energy density of active material is not fully extracted due to the low ionic conductivity inside the battery. To identify the main region that attributes to the low ion transportation, we assemble a symmetric structural battery with one anode layer in the centre sandwiched between two cathode layers. Such a design can also be treated as a combination of two asymmetric batteries with one full thickness cathode layer plus one half thickness anode layer. Thus, the travelled distance of lithium ions is shortened only in the anode part. It is found that the area energy density of the symmetric structural battery is doubled compared to a reference asymmetric battery. Thus, the additional cathode layer activates the double amount of carbon fibres in the anode. A plausible reason is that only the carbon fibres next to the separator is activated in the battery.
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| 8. |
- Han, Yuchen, et al.
(författare)
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Characteristics and Application Analysis of a Novel Full Fresh Air System Using Only Geothermal Energy for Space Cooling and Dehumidification
- 2024
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Ingår i: Buildings. - : MDPI. - 2075-5309. ; 14:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To effectively reduce building energy consumption, a novel full fresh air system with a heat source tower (HST) and a borehole heat exchanger (BHE) was proposed for space cooling and dehumidification in this paper. The cooling system only adopts geothermal energy to produce dry and cold fresh air for space cooling and dehumidification through the BHE and HST, which has the advantage of non-condensate water compared to BHE systems integrated with a fan coil or chilled beam. Based on the established mathematical model of the cooling system, this paper analyzed the system characteristics, feasibility, operation strategy, energy performance, and cost-effectiveness of the proposed model in detail. The results show that the mathematical model has less than 10% error in estimating the system performance compared to the practical HST-BHE experimental set up. Under the specific boundary conditions, the cooling and dehumidification capacity of this system increases with the decrease in the air temperature, air moisture content, and inlet water temperature of the HST. The optimal cooling capacity and the system COP can be achieved when the air-water flow ratio is at 4:3. A case study was conducted in a residential building in Shenyang with an area of about 1800 m2. It was found that this system can fully meet the cooling and dehumidification demand in such a residential building. The operation strategy of the cooling system can be optimized by adjusting the air-water flow ratio from 4:3 to 3:2 during the early cooling season (7 June-1 July) and end cooling season (3 August-1 September). As a result, the average COP of the cooling system during the whole cooling season can be improved from 6.1 to 8.7. Compared with the air source heat pump (ASHP) and the ground source heat pump (GSHP) for space cooling, the proposed cooling system can achieve an energy saving rate of 123% and 26%, respectively. Considering that the BHE of the GSHP can be part of the proposed HST-BHE cooling system, the integration of the HST and GHSP for space cooling (and heating) is strongly recommended in actual applications.
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| 9. |
- He, Yibo, et al.
(författare)
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A subset of antibodies targeting citrullinated proteins confers protection from rheumatoid arthritis.
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 14:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although elevated levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the in vivo functions of these antibodies remain unclear. Here, we have expressed monoclonal ACPAs derived from patients with RA, and analyzed their functions in mice, as well as their specificities. None of the ACPAs showed arthritogenicity nor induced pain-associated behavior in mice. However, one of the antibodies, clone E4, protected mice from antibody-induced arthritis. E4 showed a binding pattern restricted to skin, macrophages and dendritic cells in lymphoid tissue, and cartilage derived from mouse and human arthritic joints. Proteomic analysis confirmed that E4 strongly binds to macrophages and certainRA synovial fluid proteins such as α-enolase. The protective effect of E4 was epitope-specific and dependent on the interaction between E4-citrullinated α-enolase immune complexes with FCGR2B on macrophages, resulting in increased IL-10 secretion and reduced osteoclastogenesis. These findings suggest that a subset of ACPAs have therapeutic potential in RA.
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