A reconfigurable balanced phase shifter is designed in this paper, which can achieve stable differential mode (DM) phase shift and high common mode (CM) suppression. The proposed balanced phase ...shifter is mainly composed of micro strip/slot line transition structure and π‐shape slot line. The U‐shaped micro strip line and the stepped impedance slot line are employed to form the differential input and output ports, which can make the DM response and the CM one are independent. By switching the PIN diode on or off, a stable 180° DM phase shift difference is achieved between two states. In order to verify the design, a 180° balanced phase shifter with a central frequency of 4.7 GHz was simulated and fabricated. DM insertion loss of the design is 1.1 dB, DM phase deviation range is ±5°, 10 dB DM impedance matching fractional bandwidth is 45%, and phase fractional deviation bandwidth is 42%. Meanwhile, the CM rejection can reach about 35 dB. The simulation and measurement are in good agreement with the theory.
In this article, a balanced filtering antenna array with quasi‐Yagi performance is presented. The proposed design is composed of a balanced‐to‐single‐ended power division network, two bandpass ...filtering units and a linear quasi‐Yagi array including four elements. A steep differential‐mode (DM) passband frequency response is obtained by introducing the triple‐mode folded cross stub‐loaded resonators (FC‐SLRs) in the power division network. The fractional bandwidth and center frequency can be controlled conveniently by adjusting the dimensions of FC‐SLRs. Further, the design procedure is simplified due to the DM responses which are independent of the common‐mode (CM) ones. The proposed antenna array with high gains, good CM rejections, and low cross‐polarization levels is achieved. In addition, three radiation nulls are engendered on the sidebands to improve the selectivity. For demonstrating its feasibility, the balanced antenna prototype is fabricated and measured. The good performances of the proposed balanced filtering antenna array are observed.
Aiming at the targeted construction of coordination polymer luminophores, the engineering of host–guest architectures with charge transfer based emissions is performed by utilizing the interactions ...between the electron-deficient 2,4,6-tri(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (tpt) and electron-rich polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) motifs as acceptors and donors, respectively. Through guest modulation of a prototype coordination polymer Cd(tpt)(1,4-pda)(H2O)2·(tpt)·(H2O)2 (1) (1,4-H2pda = 1,4-phenylenediacetic acid), a series of coordination polymers with different PAHs as guests, Cd2(tpt)2(1,4-pda)2·guest (2–5) (guest = triphenylene for 2, pyrene for 3, coronene for 4, and perylene for 5), are successfully fabricated. Distinct from 1, coordination polymers 2–5 reveal unique bilayer structures with PAHs interlayer and good stability, owing to the enhanced stacking interactions between tpt motifs and PAH guests. Moreover, their emissions cover a wide range of wavelength due to the effective guest to host charge transfer interactions between donor and acceptor motifs. Their readily tunable host–guest charge transfer based emissions make them good candidates as potential luminophores.
This study revealed the effect of protein-polysaccharide extracted from Auricularia auricula-judae fruiting bodies (AAP) on the textural properties and microstructures of Chinese wheat noodles. In ...addition, the underlying mechanisms were explored. AAP is a protein polysaccharide with a molecular weight of more than 104 Da. According to the RVA and DSC results, AAP increased the pasting (PV and FV) and thermal properties parameters (To, Tp, and Tc) of wheat starch. AAP also significantly increased β-sheet and β-turn (p < 0.05) in the secondary structure of gluten but decreased α-helix content and the sulfhydryl group. Additionally, AAP increased the hardness, adhesion, tensile force, and tension distance of wheat noodles and significantly reduced the cooking yield and cooking loss (p < 0.05). The cross-linking of protein molecular networks was promoted to enhance the compact microstructure of the dough detected by CLSM. Moreover, the water status was changed by AAP, forming more combined water in contact with gluten and starch through hydrogen bonds. A theoretical basis for the positive effects of mushroom polysaccharides on the quality of wheat food from the perspectives of physicochemical characteristics of wheat starch and gluten was provided in this study.
•AAP is a water-soluble protein-polysaccharide which acted as a food thickener to improve the quality of noodles.•AAP changed the gelatinization and thermodynamic characteristics of starch, and gluten secondary structure.•Textural and cooking properties improved along with the increasing AAP below 1.5%.•Internal microstructure of dough became more compact after adding AAP.•Moisture in noodles was redistributed with different content of AAP.
Multiple structural phases of tellurium (Te) have opened up various opportunities for the development of two-dimensional (2D) electronics and optoelectronics. However, the phase-engineered synthesis ...of 2D Te at the atomic level remains a substantial challenge. Herein, we design an atomic cluster density and interface-guided multiple control strategy for phase- and thickness-controlled synthesis of α-Te nanosheets and β-Te nanoribbons (from monolayer to tens of μm) on WS
substrates. As the thickness decreases, the α-Te nanosheets exhibit a transition from metallic to n-type semiconducting properties. On the other hand, the β-Te nanoribbons remain p-type semiconductors with an ON-state current density (I
) up to ~ 1527 μA μm
and a mobility as high as ~ 690.7 cm
V
s
at room temperature. Both Te phases exhibit good air stability after several months. Furthermore, short-channel (down to 46 nm) β-Te nanoribbon transistors exhibit remarkable electrical properties (I
= ~ 1270 μA μm
and ON-state resistance down to 0.63 kΩ μm) at V
= 1 V.
Microorganisms play an important role in the bioremediation process for the decommissioned acid
leaching uranium mine. It is crucial to understand the original microbial community characteristics ...before the
bioremediation. However, there are limited studies on the groundwater microbial characteristics in the decommissioned acid
uranium mine. To this end, we collected groundwater samples, including the groundwater that originally residual in the borehole (RW) and the aquifer water (AW), from a decommissioned acid
uranium mine in the southern margin of Ili Basin in Xinjiang, China. The occurrence characteristics of the groundwater microbial communities and their correlation with environmental factors were systematically studied based on the high throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing data and geochemical data. Results found that the AW samples had higher alpha- and beta- diversity than the RW samples. The relative abundance of
,
,
and
were significantly different in the AW and RW samples, which had significant correlation with pH, metals, and sulfate, etc. A series of reducing microorganisms were discovered, such as sulfate reduction (e.g.,
) and metal reduction (e.g.,
,
,
,
, and
), which have the potential to attenuate sulfate and uranium in groundwater. In addition, we found that pH and redox potential (Eh) were the dominant environmental factors affecting the microbial composition. This study extends our knowledge of microbial community structure changes in the decommissioned acid
uranium mine and has positive implications for assessing the potential of natural attenuation and bioremediation strategies.
The size, shape, and composition of coherent nanostructures in hydrocarbon resources from natural gas to bitumen continue to be debated. Much research has focused on asphaltenes and other fractions ...separated chemically from their underlying hydrocarbon resources and their behaviors exhibited when these materials are remixed or added to other fluids. In this contribution, we step back and pose a simple question: “what can be learned about nanostructure size and composition in hydrocarbon resources using a simple physical separation technique?” To this end, Athabasca bitumen and Maya crude oil were partitioned, without solvent addition, using nanofilters at 473 K. These feeds possess significant asphaltene contents and, in the case of Athabasca bitumen, significant mineral matter content, which facilitate the measurement and interpretation of standard chemical analyses obtained for the feeds, and for permeates and retentates produced. Organic and inorganic elemental composition and saturate, aromatic, resin, and asphaltene fractions were obtained. Details of the experimental and analytical techniques employed and their limitations are presented. Pentane asphaltene-enriched nanostructures, and mineral-matter-rich nanostructures, with distinct size distributions, and independent behaviors are identified. The asphaltene-rich nanostructures are shown to possess a broad size distribution, and they do not associate preferentially with other constituents such as resins. Implications of these key results are discussed.
Ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death by lipid peroxidation, was currently considered as a key factor affecting the occurrence and progression in various cancers. Andrographolide (ADE), a major ...effective ingredient of Andrographis paniculate, has proven to have a substantial anti-tumor effect on multiple cancer types. However, the function and underlying mechanism of ADE in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer remain unclear.
CCK8 assay, colony-formation assay, flow cytometry, scratch test, transwell assay, western blotting, ferroptosis analysis and mitochondria analysis were performed to reveal the role and underlying mechanisms of ADE in NSCLC cell lines (H460 and H1650). In vivo, xenograft model and lung metastatic model were performed to verify the effect of ADE on the growth and metastasis of NSCLC.
In this present study, we demonstrated that treatment with ADE could inhibit cell growth and metastases through eliciting ferroptosis in vitro an in vivo. The IC50 of ADE in H460 and H1650 cells were 33.16 μM and 32.45 μM respectively. In Lewis xenografted animals, i.p. ADE repressed relative tumor growth (p < 0.01) and inhibited metastases (p < 0.01). Notably, the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 abrogated the anti-tumor capacity of ADE. Induction of ferroptosis by ADE was confirmed by elevated levels of reactive oxygen sepsis (ROS), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), intracellular iron content and lipid ROS reduced glutathione (GSH) accumulation (p < 0.01). Furthermore, ADE inhibited the expression of ferroptosis-related protein GPX4 and SLC7A11. Simultaneously, it also disclosed that ADE enhanced mitochondrial dysfunction, as evidenced by increased mitochondrial ROS release, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) depolarization, and decreased mitochondrial ATP. Most interestingly, Mito-TEMPO, a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, rescued ADE-induced ferroptosis.
Our data validated that ADE treatment could restrain proliferation and metastases of NSCLC cells through induction of ferroptosis via potentiating mitochondrial dysfunction.
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A balanced microstrip bandpass filter (BPF) with quasi-reflectionless (QR) characteristics on both input and output ports and good common-mode (CM) rejection is proposed in this brief. The presented ...QR BPF consists of a Pi-shaped BPF and two absorptive bandstop filters (ABSFs). Good QR performance is achieved by the complementary duplexer architecture formed with these two parts. The balanced microstrip-to-slotline (MSTS) transition structures are used to achieve exceptional CM rejection without deteriorating differential-mode (DM) transmission. The in-band energy is transmitted by the BPF section, where the ABSFs appear as open circuits. The out-of-band energy is absorbed by a pair of loaded resistors in the bandstop section. Through detailed analysis, it shows that by loading the ABSF structures at both ends of the BPF section, the DM passband selectivity is improved and six quasi-transmission poles (Quasi-TPs) are generated on both sides of the DM passband to eliminate out-of-band reflections. To verify the feasibility of the proposed model, a prototype was designed and fabricated, whose simulations and measurements are in good agreement.
A three-dimensional (3-D) printed conformal polarization converter, based on a novel dielectric unit cell, is proposed for linear-to-circular polarization conversion. The designed dielectric unit ...cell comprises a cuboid-shaped dielectric block and a thin square dielectric substrate layer for ease of fabrication with 3-D printing technology. Meanwhile, the unit cell can achieve linear-to-circular polarization conversion performance from 14.2 to 20.1 GHz with 3 dB axial ratios of 34% and good angular stability within 40°. Then, the unit cell is applied to design the conformal dielectric linear-to-circular polarization converters for cylindrical and spherical surfaces, respectively. To verify the feasibility, three kinds of dielectric converters including planar, cylindrical, and spherical shapes are fabricated and measured. The measured results demonstrate that the proposed dielectric polarization converters with different shapes can produce almost similar linear-to-circular polarization performances with low loss, high conversion efficiency, and angular stability within 40°.
