Comparison of energy consumption for reader anti-collision protocols in dense RFID networks

Wireless Networks - Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is known as a universal technology and has been in the center of attention in the past few years. Readers and tags constitute the main...     

DMSO Chemically Alters Cell Membranes to Slow Exocytosis and Increase the Fraction of Partial Transmitter Released

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is frequently used as a solvent in biological studies and as a vehicle for drug therapy; but the side effects of DMSO, especially on the cell environment, are not well understood, and controls with DMSO are not neutral at higher concentrations. Herein, electrochemical measurement techniques are applied to show that DMSO increases exocytotic neurotransmitter release, while leaving vesicular contents unchanged. In addition, the kinetics of release from DMSO‐treated cells are faster than that of untreated ones. The results suggest that DMSO has a significant influence on the chemistry of the cell membrane, leading to alteration of exocytosis. A speculative chemical mechanism of the effect on the fusion pore during exocytosis is presented.     

Bones Morphogenic Protein‐4 and retinoic acid combined treatment comparative analysis for in vitro differentiation potential of murine mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue into germ cells

Nowadays, infertility is no longer considered as an unsolvable disorder due to progresses in germ cells derived from stem lineage with diverse origins. Technical and ethical challenges push researchers to investigate various tissue sources to approach more efficient gametes. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the efficacy of a combined medium, retinoic acid (RA) together with Bone Morphogenic Protein‐4 (BMP4), on differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMMSCs) and adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) into germ cells. Murine MSCs were obtained from both Bone Marrow (BM) and Adipose Tissue (AT) samples and were analyzed for surface markers to get further verification of their nature. BMMSCs and ADMSCs were induced into osteogenic and adipogenic lineage cells respectively, to examine their multipotency. They were finally differentiated into germ cells using media enriched with BMP4 for 4 days followed by addition of RA for 7 days (11 days in total). Analyzing of differentiation potential of BMMSCs‐ and ADMSCs were performed via Immunofluorescence, Flowcytometry and Real time‐PCR techniques for germ cell‐specific markers (Mvh, Dazl, Stra8 and Scp3). Mesenchymal surface markers (CD90 and CD44) were expressed on both BMMSCs and ADMSCs, while endothelial and hematopoietic cell markers (CD31 and CD45) had no expression. Finally, all germ‐specific markers were expressed in both BM and AT. Although germ cells differentiated from ADMSCs showed faster growth and proliferation as well as easy collection, they significantly expressed germ‐specific markers lower than BMMSCs. This suggests stronger differentiation potential of murine BMMSCs than ADMSCs.     

Design of MMIC oscillators using GaAs 0.2 μm PHEMT technology

We propose a feedback type oscillator and two negative resistance oscillators.These microwave oscillators have been designed in the S band frequency.A relatively symmetric resonator is used in the feedback type oscillator.The first negative resistance oscillator uses a simple lumped element resonator which is substituted by a microstrip resonator in the second oscillator to improve results.The negative resistance oscillator produces 4.207 dBm and 7.124 dBm output power with the lumped element resonator and microstrip resonator respectively,and the feedback type oscillator produces ?10.707 dBm output power.The feedback type oscillator operates at 3 GHz with phase noise levels at-83.30 dBc/Hz and-103.3 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz and 1 MHz offset frequencies respectively.The phase noise levels of the negative resistance oscillator with the lumped element resonator are-94.64 dBc/Hz and-116 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz and 1 MHz offset frequencies respectively,at an oscillation frequency of 3.053 GHz.With the microstrip resonator the phase noise levels are-99.49 dBc/Hz and-119.641 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz and 1 MHz offset frequencies respectively,at an oscillation frequency of 3.072 GHz.The results showed that both the output power and the phase noise of the negative resistance oscillators were better than those of the feedback type oscillator.     

Modulation of renal injury in pcy mice by dietary fat containing n−3 fatty acids depends on the level and type of fat

Low-fat diets and diets containing n−3 fatty acids (FA) slow the progression of renal injury in the male Han:Sprague-Dawley (SPRD)-cy rat model of polycystic kidney disease. To determine whether these dietary fat effects are similar in females and in another model of renal cystic disease, in this study we used both male and female pcy mice to examine the effects of fat level and type on disease progression. Adult pcy mice were fed 4, 10, or 20 g soybean oil/100 g diet for 130 d in study 1. In study 2, weanling pcy mice were fed high or low levels of fat rich in 18∶2n−6 (corn oil, CO) 18∶3n−3 (flaxseed oil/CO 4∶1 g/g, FO), or 22∶6n−3 (algal oil/CO 4∶1 g/g, DO) for 8 wk. In adult pcy mice, low-compared with high-fat diets lowered kidney weights (2.4±0.2 vs. 3.1±0.2 g/100 g body weight, P=0.006) and serum urea nitrogen (SUN) (9.6±0.6 vs. 11.9±0.6 mmol/L, P=0.009), whereas in young pcy mice it reduced renal fibrosis volumes (0.44±0.04 vs. 0.62±0.04 mL/kg body weight, P<0.0001). FO feeding in young pcy mice mitigated the detrimental effects of high fat on fibrosis while not altering kidney size, function, and oxidative damage when compared with the CO-fed mice. In contrast, DO-compared with CO-fed mice had higher kidney weights (2.64±0.07 vs. 2.24±0.08 g/100 g body weight, P=0.005), SUN (9.4±0.57 vs. 7.0±0.62 nmol/L, P<0.0001), and cyst volumes (7.9±0.28 vs. 6.2±0.30 mL/kg body weight, P<0.0001) and similar levels of oxidative damage and fibrosis. The FA compositions of the diets were reflected in the kidneys: 18∶2n−6, 18∶3n−3, and 22∶6n−3 were the highest in the CO, FO, and DO diets, respectively. Dietary effects on kidney disease progression were similar in males and females. A low-fat diet slows progression of renal injury in male and female pcy mice, consistent with findings in the male Han:SPRD-cy rat. Dietary fat type also influenced renal injury, with flaxseed oil diets rich in 18∶3n−3 slowing early fibrosis progression compared with diets rich in 18∶2n−6 or in 22∶6n−3.     

The Effects of Heat Treatment on the Corrosion Behavior of HVOF-sprayed WC-17 wt % Co Coatings

Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces - A WC-17 wt % Co coating was deposited onto a ST37 mild steel substrate by HVOF-spray technique and then vacuum heat treated at 1100°C....     

Regioselective synthesis of new 5-methyl-5H-pyrimido[4′,5′:4,5][1,3]thiazino [3,2-a]perimidines

A convenient and efficient regioselective synthesis of new pyrimido[4′,5′:4,5] [1,3]thiazino[3,2-a]perimidines is described through intermolecular heterocyclization of 2,4-dichloro-5-(chloromethyl)-6-methylpyrimidine and 1H-perimidine-2(3H)-thione in short reaction times under mild conditions.     

An optical channel modeling of a single mode fiber

The evaluation of the optical channel model that accurately describes the single mode fibre as a coherent transmission medium is reviewed through analytical, numerical and experimental analysis. We used the numerical modelling of the optical transmission medium and experimental measurements to determine the polarization drift as a function of time for a fixed length of fibre. The probability distribution of the birefringence vector was derived, which is associated to the ‘Poole’ equation. The theory and experimental evidence that has been disclosed in the literature in the context of polarization mode dispersion – Stokes & Jones formulations and solutions for key statistics by integration of stochastic differential equations has been investigated. Besides in-depth definition of the single-mode fibre-optic channel, the modelling which concerns an ensemble of fibres each with a different instance of environmental perturbation has been analysed.     

Structural Behavior and In Vitro Bioactivity Evaluation of Sol-Gel Derived Glass-Ceramics Based on SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>- CaO- P<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript>- ZnO System

Glass and glass-ceramics, which are important bioceramics, have established an essential group of silicon-based materials having wide applications in medicine. Bioactive glass-ceramics have proved to be able to chemically bond to living bones due to forming an apatite-like layer on their surfaces. In this study, bioactive glass-ceramics of (64-X) SiO₂- 31 CaO- 5 P₂O₅- X ZnO based on mol% were synthesized by the sol–gel process. The bioactive glass-ceramics were analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) before and after being exposed to simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. The results show that an increase in ZnO will cause the ability of calcium phosphate apatite formation on the glass-ceramic surfaces to first rise by 8 % but subsequently to decline by 12 %. The bioactivity of synthesized glass-ceramics can be confirmed by SEM and XRD due to the presence of a rich bone-like apatite layer.     

Design of MMIC oscillators using GaAs 0.2 μm PHEMT technology

We propose a feedback type oscillator and two negative resistance oscillators.These microwave oscillators have been designed in the S band frequency.A relatively symmetric resonator is used in the feed...