Piezoelectric nanowires have attracted much scientific interest in the last few years because of their enhanced piezoelectric coefficients at nanometer scale, with promises of efficient mechanical energy harvesters fo...Piezoelectric nanowires have attracted much scientific interest in the last few years because of their enhanced piezoelectric coefficients at nanometer scale, with promises of efficient mechanical energy harvesters for autonomous integrated systems. This paper presents the design and, for the first time, guideline rules, based on simple analytical expressions, to improve the performance of a mechanical energy harvester integrating vertical ZnO piezoelectric nanowires. Additional simulations were carried out to account more realistically for device geometry. The authors discuss the prospects of such an approach, based on design and material improvement.展开更多
Regenerative medicine requires new ways to assemble and manipulate cells for fabrication of tissue-like constructs. Here we report a novel approach for cell surface engineering of human cells using polymer-stabilized ...Regenerative medicine requires new ways to assemble and manipulate cells for fabrication of tissue-like constructs. Here we report a novel approach for cell surface engineering of human cells using polymer-stabilized magnetic nanoparticles （MNPs）. Cationic polyelectrolyte-coated MNPs are directly deposited onto cellular membranes, producing a mesoporous semi-permeable layer and rendering cells magnetically responsive. Deposition of MNPs can be completed within minutes, under cell-friendly conditions （room temperature and physiologic media）. Microscopy （TEM, SEM, AFM, and enhanced dark-field imaging） revealed the intercalation of nanoparticles into the cellular microvilli network. A detailed viability investigation was performed and suggested that MNPs do not inhibit membrane integrity, enzymatic activity, adhesion, proliferation, or cytoskeleton formation, and do not induce apoptosis in either cancer or primary cells. Finally, magnetically functionalized cells were employed to fabricate viable layered planar （two-cell layers） cell sheets and 3D multicellular spheroids.展开更多
An amphiphilic polymer bearing tetraphenylethene (TPE) moiety was synthesized by convenient reactions. The polymer exhibits unique aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics and can self-assemble to size-tunab...An amphiphilic polymer bearing tetraphenylethene (TPE) moiety was synthesized by convenient reactions. The polymer exhibits unique aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics and can self-assemble to size-tunable particles in DMF/water mixtures. The polymer nanoparticles can be used for cell imaging, which provides a potential stable fluorescent tool to monitor the distribution of drugs and bioconjugates in living cells.展开更多
Uniform clusters of Pt have been deposited on the surface of capping-agent-free CeO2 nanooctahedra and nanorods using electron beam （e-beam） evaporation. The coverage of the Pt nanocluster layer can be controlled by...Uniform clusters of Pt have been deposited on the surface of capping-agent-free CeO2 nanooctahedra and nanorods using electron beam （e-beam） evaporation. The coverage of the Pt nanocluster layer can be controlled by adjusting the e-beam evaporation time. The resulting e-beam evaporated Pt nanocluster layers on the CeO2 surfaces have a clean surface and clean interface between Pt and CeO2. Different growth behaviors of Pt on the two types of CeO2 nanocrystals were observed, with epitaxial growth of Pt on CeO2 nanooctahedra and random growth of Pt on CeO2 nanorods. The structures of the Pt clusters on the two different types of CeO2 nanocrystals have been studied and compared by using them as catalysts for model reactions. The results of hydrogenation reactions clearly showed the clean and similar chemical surface of the Pt clusters in both catalysts. The support- dependent activity of these catalysts was demonstrated by CO oxidation. The Pt/CeO2 nanorods showed much higher activity compared with Pt/CeO2 nanooctahedra because of the higher concentration of oxygen vacancies in the CeO2 nanorods. The structure-dependent selectivity of dehydrogenation reactions indicates that the structures of the Pt on CeO2 nanorods and nanooctahedra are different. Thes differences arise because the metal deposition behaviors are modulated by the strong metal-metal oxide interactions.展开更多
A number of solution concepts of normal-form games have been proposed in the literature on subspaces of action profiles that have Nash type stability. While the literature mainly focuses oil the minimal of such stable...A number of solution concepts of normal-form games have been proposed in the literature on subspaces of action profiles that have Nash type stability. While the literature mainly focuses oil the minimal of such stable subspaces, this paper argues that non-minimal stable subspaces represent well the multi-agent situations to which neither Nash equilibrium nor rationalizability may be applied with satisfaction. As a theoretical support, the authors prove the optimal substructure of stable subspaces regarding the restriction of a game. It is further argued that the optimal substructure characterizes hierarchical diversity of coordination and interim phases in learning.展开更多
DNA and silica-coated magnetic particles entangle and form visible aggregates under chaotropic conditions with a rotating magnetic field, in a manner that enables quantification of DNA by image analysis. As a means of...DNA and silica-coated magnetic particles entangle and form visible aggregates under chaotropic conditions with a rotating magnetic field, in a manner that enables quantification of DNA by image analysis. As a means of exploring the mechanism of this DNA quantitation assay, nanoscale SiO2-coated Fe304 （Fe3O4@SiO2） particles are synthesized via a solvothermal method. Characterization of the particles defines them to be -200 nm in diameter with a large surface area （141.89 m2/g）, possessing superparamagnetic properties and exhibiting high saturation magnetization （38 emu/g）. The synthesized Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles are exploited in the DNA quantification assay and, as predicted, the nanoparticles provide better sensitivity than commercial microscale Dynabeads for quantifying DNA, with a detection limit of 4 kilobase-pair fragments of human DNA. Their utility is proven using nanoparticle DNA quantification to guide efficient polymerase chain reaction （PCR） amplification of short tandem repeat loci for human identification.展开更多
文摘Piezoelectric nanowires have attracted much scientific interest in the last few years because of their enhanced piezoelectric coefficients at nanometer scale, with promises of efficient mechanical energy harvesters for autonomous integrated systems. This paper presents the design and, for the first time, guideline rules, based on simple analytical expressions, to improve the performance of a mechanical energy harvester integrating vertical ZnO piezoelectric nanowires. Additional simulations were carried out to account more realistically for device geometry. The authors discuss the prospects of such an approach, based on design and material improvement.
文摘Regenerative medicine requires new ways to assemble and manipulate cells for fabrication of tissue-like constructs. Here we report a novel approach for cell surface engineering of human cells using polymer-stabilized magnetic nanoparticles （MNPs）. Cationic polyelectrolyte-coated MNPs are directly deposited onto cellular membranes, producing a mesoporous semi-permeable layer and rendering cells magnetically responsive. Deposition of MNPs can be completed within minutes, under cell-friendly conditions （room temperature and physiologic media）. Microscopy （TEM, SEM, AFM, and enhanced dark-field imaging） revealed the intercalation of nanoparticles into the cellular microvilli network. A detailed viability investigation was performed and suggested that MNPs do not inhibit membrane integrity, enzymatic activity, adhesion, proliferation, or cytoskeleton formation, and do not induce apoptosis in either cancer or primary cells. Finally, magnetically functionalized cells were employed to fabricate viable layered planar （two-cell layers） cell sheets and 3D multicellular spheroids.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (20974028, 20974098, and 21174120)the National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB623605)+1 种基金the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (603509, HKUST2/CRF/10, 604711, and N_HKUST620/11)B.Z.T. thanks the support from the Cao Guangbiao Foundation of Zhejiang University
文摘An amphiphilic polymer bearing tetraphenylethene (TPE) moiety was synthesized by convenient reactions. The polymer exhibits unique aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics and can self-assemble to size-tunable particles in DMF/water mixtures. The polymer nanoparticles can be used for cell imaging, which provides a potential stable fluorescent tool to monitor the distribution of drugs and bioconjugates in living cells.
文摘Uniform clusters of Pt have been deposited on the surface of capping-agent-free CeO2 nanooctahedra and nanorods using electron beam （e-beam） evaporation. The coverage of the Pt nanocluster layer can be controlled by adjusting the e-beam evaporation time. The resulting e-beam evaporated Pt nanocluster layers on the CeO2 surfaces have a clean surface and clean interface between Pt and CeO2. Different growth behaviors of Pt on the two types of CeO2 nanocrystals were observed, with epitaxial growth of Pt on CeO2 nanooctahedra and random growth of Pt on CeO2 nanorods. The structures of the Pt clusters on the two different types of CeO2 nanocrystals have been studied and compared by using them as catalysts for model reactions. The results of hydrogenation reactions clearly showed the clean and similar chemical surface of the Pt clusters in both catalysts. The support- dependent activity of these catalysts was demonstrated by CO oxidation. The Pt/CeO2 nanorods showed much higher activity compared with Pt/CeO2 nanooctahedra because of the higher concentration of oxygen vacancies in the CeO2 nanorods. The structure-dependent selectivity of dehydrogenation reactions indicates that the structures of the Pt on CeO2 nanorods and nanooctahedra are different. Thes differences arise because the metal deposition behaviors are modulated by the strong metal-metal oxide interactions.
文摘A number of solution concepts of normal-form games have been proposed in the literature on subspaces of action profiles that have Nash type stability. While the literature mainly focuses oil the minimal of such stable subspaces, this paper argues that non-minimal stable subspaces represent well the multi-agent situations to which neither Nash equilibrium nor rationalizability may be applied with satisfaction. As a theoretical support, the authors prove the optimal substructure of stable subspaces regarding the restriction of a game. It is further argued that the optimal substructure characterizes hierarchical diversity of coordination and interim phases in learning.
文摘DNA and silica-coated magnetic particles entangle and form visible aggregates under chaotropic conditions with a rotating magnetic field, in a manner that enables quantification of DNA by image analysis. As a means of exploring the mechanism of this DNA quantitation assay, nanoscale SiO2-coated Fe304 （Fe3O4@SiO2） particles are synthesized via a solvothermal method. Characterization of the particles defines them to be -200 nm in diameter with a large surface area （141.89 m2/g）, possessing superparamagnetic properties and exhibiting high saturation magnetization （38 emu/g）. The synthesized Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles are exploited in the DNA quantification assay and, as predicted, the nanoparticles provide better sensitivity than commercial microscale Dynabeads for quantifying DNA, with a detection limit of 4 kilobase-pair fragments of human DNA. Their utility is proven using nanoparticle DNA quantification to guide efficient polymerase chain reaction （PCR） amplification of short tandem repeat loci for human identification.
