Engineering Papers⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Chen, Ping

Publications and source records attributed to Chen, Ping.

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms in Full-thickness Scald Burn Wounds in Rats

Using Sprague-Dawley rats (350–450 g; n = 61) and the recently updated Walker-Mason rat scald burn model, we demonstrated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa readily formed biofilms within full-thickness burn wounds. Following the burn, wounds were surface-inoculated with P. aeruginosa in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), while sterile PBS was used for controls. On post-burn days 1, 3, 7, and 11, animals were euthanized and samples collected for quantitative bacteriology, bacterial gene expression, complete blood cell counts, histology, and myeloperoxidase activity. Robust biofilm infections developed in the full-thickness burn wounds inoculated with 1 × 10 4 CFU of P. aeruginosa . Both histology and scanning electron microscopy showed the pathogen throughout the histologic cross-sections of burned skin. Quantigene analysis revealed significant upregulation of alginate and pellicle biofilm matrix genes of P. aeruginosa within the burn eschar. Additionally, expression of P. aeruginosa proteases and siderophores increased significantly in the burn wound environment. Interestingly, the host’s neutrophil response to the pathogen was not elevated in either the eschar or circulating blood when compared to the control burn. This new full-thickness burn biofilm infection model will be used to test new anti-biofilm therapies that may be deployed with soldiers in combat for immediate use at the site of burn injury on the battlefield.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2019

Poly(ethylene oxide)-assisted energy funneling for efficient perovskite light emission

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) has been demonstrated as an effective polymer additive for fabrication of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite light emitting devices due to its properties enabling pinhole-free film morphology, improved charge injection, and defect passivation. In this paper, we report a new aspect of PEO in assisting the energy funneling in formamidinium lead bromide (FAPbBr 3 ) thin films, leading to a very high photoluminescence quantum yield of ~62.1%. By mixing PEO with FAPbBr 3 at a desired ratio, self-assembled 3D polycrystals with sizes from ~20 to ~1500 nm were formed. The polycrystals contain inhomogeneous domains with a range of energetic excited states. Through fluorescence lifetime image microscopy, the in situ fluorescence emissions and the lifetimes of the domains were measured simultaneously, indicating energy funneling from the wide-bandgap domains (with small-size grains) into the narrow-bandgap domains (with large-size grains). PL spectroscopy on the nano-second scale was used to study the dynamics of charge transfer, which shows a reduced short-wavelength emission and narrowed full width at half maximum with increasing time. Our results also indicate that the optimal PEO doping ratio of 0.35 :1 can facilitate the most efficient charge carrier cascade for energy funneling. Furthermore, this study establishes the role of PEO-assisted energy funneling avoiding the defect-quenching effect in perovskites, for potential applications in perovskite LEDs and lasers.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2019

ASASSN-18tb: a most unusual Type Ia supernova observed by TESS and SALT

ABSTRACT We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of the unusual Type Ia supernova ASASSN-18tb, including a series of Southern African Large Telescope spectra obtained over the course of nearly six months and the first observations of a supernova by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. We confirm a previous observation by Kollmeier et al. showing that ASASSN-18tb is the first relatively normal Type Ia supernova to exhibit clear broad (∼1000 km s−1) H α emission in its nebular-phase spectra. We find that this event is best explained as a sub-Chandrasekhar mass explosion producing $M_{\mathrm{ Ni}} \approx 0.3\,\, \rm {M}_\odot$. Despite the strong H α signature at late times, we find that the early rise of the supernova shows no evidence for deviations from a single-component power-law and is best fit with a moderately shallow power law of index 1.69 ± 0.04. We find that the H α luminosity remains approximately constant after its initial detection at phase +37 d, and that the H α velocity evolution does not trace that of the Fe iii λ4660 emission. These suggest that the H α emission arises from a circumstellar medium (CSM) rather than swept-up material from a non-degenerate companion. However, ASASSN-18tb is strikingly different from other known CSM-interacting Type Ia supernovae in a number of significant ways. Those objects typically show an H α luminosity two orders of magnitude higher than what is seen in ASASSN-18tb, pushing them away from the empirical light-curve relations that define ‘normal’ Type Ia supernovae. Conversely, ASASSN-18tb exhibits a fairly typical light curve and luminosity for an underluminous or transitional SN Ia, with MR ≈ −18.1 mag. Moreover, ASASSN-18tb is the only SN Ia showing H α from CSM interaction to be discovered in an early-type galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

H α emission in the nebular spectrum of the Type Ia supernova ASASSN-18tb

ABSTRACT As part of the 100IAS survey, a program aimed to obtain nebular-phase spectra for a volume-limited and homogeneous sample of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), we observed ASASSN-18tb (SN 2018fhw) at 139 d past maximum light. ASASSN-18tb was a fast-declining, sub-luminous event that fits well within the observed photometric and spectroscopic distributions of the SN Ia population. We detect a prominent H α emission line (LH α = 2.2 ± 0.2 × 1038 ergs s−1) with FWHM ≈ 1100 km s−1 in the nebular-phase spectrum of this SN Ia. High-luminosity H α emission (LH α ≳ 1040 ergs s−1) has previously been discovered in a rare class of SNe Ia-like objects showing circum-stellar medium (CSM) interactions (SNe Ia–CSM). They predominantly belong to overluminous (Mmax < −19 mag in optical) 1991T-like SNe Ia and are exclusively found in star-forming galaxies. By contrast, ASASSN-18tb is a sub-luminous SN Ia (MB,max ∼ −17.7 mag) found in an early-type galaxy dominated by old stellar populations. We discuss possible origins for the observed hydrogen. Of the 75 SNe Ia for which we have so far obtained nebular spectra in 100IAS, no other SN shows a ${\sim } 1000 \, {\rm km\, s^{-1}}$ H α emission line with comparable line luminosity as ASASSN-18tb, emphasizing the rarity of such emission in the nebular phase. Based on preliminary results from our survey, the rate for ASASSN-18tb-like nebular H α emission could be as high as ${\sim } 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ among sub-luminous SNe Ia.

Kollmeier, Juna A.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Reversible Hydrogen Uptake/Release over a Sodium Phenoxide-Cyclohexanolate Pair

Storing hydrogen reversibly in the mass-produced cycloalkane and arene pairs provides a solution to the large-scale energy storage and long-distance hydrogen transportation. Herein, a novel alkali modification strategy for the thermodynamic optimization of cycloalkane-arene pairs is proposed and demonstrated. Our calculations and thermodynamic measurements show that the Na modified phenol-cyclohexanol pair has a dehydrogenation enthalpy change of 52 kJ mol-1 H2 which is significantly reduced by ca. 16 kJ mol-1 H2 from that of the pristine pair. 3 equivalents of H2 can be reversibly stored in the sodium modified phenol-cyclohexanol pair in aqueous solution, where the hydrogenation can take place at ambient temperature and 2 bar hydrogen pressure in the presence of commercial catalysts and, more importantly, dehydrogenation can be accomplished with >99% selectivity to H2 at 100°C.

Yu, Yang↗
DOE OSTI2018

Long non-coding RNA TTN-AS1 promotes cell growth and metastasis in cervical cancer via miR-573/E2F3

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a crucial member of non-coding RNA family, and increasing evidence demonstrates that lncRNAs participate in the initiation and progression of cancers. Our study aimed to explore the role of lncRNA TTN-AS1 in cervical cancer (CC) development. In the present study, our results showed that TTN-AS1 was substantially increased in CC tissues and cell lines, high expression of TTN-AS1 was correlated with advanced FIGO stage, poor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and poor overall survival of CC patients. Function assays showed that TTN-AS1 inhibition decreased the proliferation and invasion of CC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that TTN-AS1 could positively modulate E2F3 expression via sponging miR-573 in CC cells. Together, our study revealed that lncRNA TTN-AS1 was involved in the progression of CC cells by regulation of miR-573-E2F3 axis, which offered a new insight into the treatment strategies of CC.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

CSN5/Jab1 facilitates non-small cell lung cancer cell growth through stabilizing survivin

Highlights: • High CSN5 expression is positively correlated with tumor progression and poor survival in NSCLC patients. • Knockdown of CSN5 can suppress NSCLC cells growth by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis promotion. • CSN5 directly interacts with survivin and inhibits its ubiquitination and stabilizes survivin. • The tumor-suppressive effects of CSN5 knockdown in NSCLC cells was partially reversed by upregulation of survivin. CSN5/JAB1 is a critical subunit of the COP9 signalosome (CSN) and is essentially involved in diverse types of cancer, but little is known about the role of CSN5 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the current study, we found that CSN5 expression was higher in NSCLC tissues compared to the corresponding non-tumor tissues. High CSN5 expression level is closely correlated with tumor progression and poor survival in NSCLC patients. We also found that knockdown of CSN5 remarkably suppressed cell growth by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis promotion in NSCLC cells. Mechanistic investigations revealed that CSN5 directly bound survivin and decreased its ubiquitination to enhance the protein stability of survivin. Additionally, our results confirmed that the tumor-promoting effects of CSN5 in NSCLC cells is at least partly through stabilization of survivin. Overall, our data suggested that CSN5 functions as an oncogenic gene in NSCLC, which could be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for NSCLC.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Gaia17biu/SN 2017egm in NGC 3191: The Closest Hydrogen-poor Superluminous Supernova to Date Is in a “Normal,” Massive, Metal-rich Spiral Galaxy

Hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe-I) have been mainly found in low-metallicity, star-forming dwarf galaxies. Here we identify Gaia17biu/SN 2017egm as an SLSN-I occurring in a "normal" spiral galaxy (NGC 3191) in terms of stellar mass (several times 10 10 M ⊙ ) and metallicity (roughly solar). At redshift z = 0.031, Gaia17biu is also the lowest-redshift SLSN-I to date, and the absence of a larger population of SLSNe-I in dwarf galaxies of similar redshift suggests that metallicity is likely less important to the production of SLSNe-I than previously believed. With the smallest distance and highest apparent brightness for an SLSN-I, we are able to study Gaia17biu in unprecedented detail. Its pre-peak near-ultraviolet to optical color is similar to that of Gaia16apd and among the bluest observed for an SLSN-I, while its peak luminosity (M g = –21 mag) is substantially lower than that of Gaia16apd. Due to the high signal-to-noise ratios of our spectra, we identify several new spectroscopic features that may help to probe the properties of these enigmatic explosions. We detect polarization at the ~0.5% level that is not strongly dependent on wavelength, suggesting a modest, global departure from spherical symmetry. Furthermore, we put the tightest upper limit yet on the radio luminosity of an SLSN-I with <5.4 × 10 26 erg s –1 Hz –1 at 10 GHz, which is almost a factor of 40 better than previous upper limits and one of the few measured at an early stage in the evolution of an SLSN-I. This limit largely rules out an association of this SLSN-I with known populations of gamma-ray-burst-like central engines.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Secretogranin III promotes angiogenesis through MEK/ERK signaling pathway

Highlights: • Scg3 promotes endothelial proliferation, migration and tube formation. • MEK inhibitor blocks Scg3-induced angiogenesis. • ERK inhibitor suppresses Scg3-induced endothelial proliferation and migration. • MEK/ERK signaling pathway is critical to Scg3-induced angiogenesis. Secretogranin III (Scg3) was recently discovered as the first highly diabetic retinopathy-associated angiogenic factor, and its neutralizing antibody alleviated the disease with high efficacy in diabetic mice. Investigation of its molecular mechanisms will facilitate the translation of this novel therapy. Scg3 was reported to induce the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Here we characterized the importance of MEK/ERK activation to Scg3 angiogenic activity. Our results showed that MEK inhibitor PD98059 blocked Scg3-induced proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). This finding was corroborated by PD98059 inhibition of HUVEC migration and tube formation. Furthermore, ERK inhibitor SCH772984 also suppressed Scg3-induced proliferation and migration of HUVECs. Taken together, these findings suggest that MEK-ERK pathway plays an important role in Scg3-induced angiogenesis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Upregulated long non-coding RNA LOC90784 promotes cell proliferation and invasion and is associated with poor clinical features in HCC

A growing amount of literature has indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important factors in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, the significance of lncRNAs in the progression and prognosis of liver cancer is largely unknown. In the present study, upregulated lncRNA LOC90784 was identified through integrative analysis of (GSE58043) and (GSE55191). Furthermore, associations between LOC90784 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients were analyzed with a validated cohort 1 and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort 2. We investigated the mechanisms by which this highly expressed lncRNA promotes HCC proliferation, invasion and migration via qRT-PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) staining, siRNA transfection, cell proliferation assays, Transwell and colony formation assays, flow cytometry analysis and Western blot. The results showed that LOC90784 expression levels were significantly higher in HCC cell lines and tissues and mainly localized in the cytoplasm. Knockdown of lncRNA LOC90784 expression inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by promoting Bax and repressing CDK4 and Cyclin D1 protein expression; it also inhibited invasion and migration by repressing MMP2 and MMP9 expression in HCC cells. LOC90784 overexpression was associated with poor clinical features in the two cohorts and poor overall survival rates in HCC patients with clear resection margins (R0) in cohort 2. These results indicated that LOC90784 upregulation may be a critical oncogene and potential new biomarker in HCC. - Highlights: • LncRNA LOC90784 was overexpressed in HCC tissues and cell lines. • Highly expressed lncRNA LOC90784 was associated with poor clinical features in HCC. • Knockdown of lncRNA LOC90784 expression inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. • Knockdown of lncRNA LOC90784 expression inhibited invasion and migration.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

The ASAS-SN bright supernova catalogue – III. 2016

In this catalogue we summarize information for all supernovae discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) and all other bright (m peak ≤ 17), spectroscopically confirmed supernovae discovered in 2016. We then gather the near-infrared through ultraviolet magnitudes of all host galaxies and the offsets of the supernovae from the centres of their hosts from public data bases. We illustrate the results using a sample that now totals 668 supernovae discovered since 2014 May 1, including the supernovae from our previous catalogues, with type distributions closely matching those of the ideal magnitude limited sample from Li et al. This is then the third of a series of yearly papers on bright supernovae and their hosts from the ASAS-SN team.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The ASAS-SN Bright Supernova Catalog – II. 2015

Here, this paper presents information for all supernovae discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) during 2015, its second full year of operations. The same information is presented for bright (mV ≤ 17), spectroscopically confirmed supernovae discovered by other sources in 2015. As with the first ASAS-SN bright supernova catalogue, we also present redshifts and near-ultraviolet through infrared magnitudes for all supernova host galaxies in both samples. Combined with our previous catalogue, this work comprises a complete catalogue of 455 supernovae from multiple professional and amateur sources, allowing for population studies that were previously impossible. This is the second of a series of yearly papers on bright supernovae and their hosts from the ASAS-SN team.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Pulsed electromagnetic field inhibits RANKL-dependent osteoclastic differentiation in RAW264.7 cells through the Ca{sup 2+}-calcineurin-NFATc1 signaling pathway

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has been reported to improve bone healing in osteoporosis patients. However, the precise mechanism has remained largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PEMF on nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL)-dependent osteoclastic differentiation and the Ca{sup 2+}-calcineurin-NFATc1 signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells in vitro. Treating RAW264.7 cells with RANKL for 4 days induced osteoclastic differentiation in vitro, and the formation of multinucleated osteoclasts, bone resorption-pit formation, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity and the protein levels of cathepsin K, TRAP, Nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) were significantly decreased. The mRNA levels of specific genes related to osteoclastogenesis (TRAP, NFATc1, CTSK and MMP-9) were also reduced. Moreover, the oscillations of intracellular Ca{sup 2+} in RANKL-dependent RAW264.7 cells were suppressed by PEMF, as well as by inhibitors of membrane and store-operated Ca{sup 2+} channels. Meanwhile, calcineurin activity was increased, although its protein level was not changed. PEMF increased phospho-NFATc1 in the cytosol while suppressing the nuclear translocation of NFATc1, thus inhibiting osteoclastic differentiation by suppressing the Ca{sup 2+}-calcineurin-NFATc1 signaling pathway. Although many questions remain unresolved, to our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that PEMF is beneficial against RANKL-dependent osteoclastic differentiation in RAW264.7 cells in vitro via inhibiting the Ca{sup 2+}-calcineurin-NFATc1 signaling pathway.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

The unexpected, long-lasting, UV rebrightening of the superluminous supernova ASASSN-15lh

Given its peak luminosity and early-time spectra, ASASSN-15lh was classified as the most luminous supernova ever discovered. Here, we report a UV rebrightening of ASASSN-15lh observed with Swift during our follow-up campaign. The rebrightening began at t ≃ 90 d (observer frame) after the primary peak and was followed by a p120-d long plateau in the bolometric luminosity, before starting to fade again at t ≃ 210 d. ASASSN-15lh rebrightened in the Swift UV bands by Δm UVW2 ≃ -1.75 mag, Δm UVM2 ≃ -1.25 mag and Δm UVW1 ≃ -0.8 mag, but did not rebrighten in the optical bands. Throughout its initial decline, subsequent rebrightening and renewed decline, the spectra did not show evidence of interactions between the ejecta and circumstellar medium such as narrow emission lines. There are hints of weak Hα emission at late-times, but Margutti et al. have shown that it is narrow line emission consistent with star formation in the host nucleus. By fitting a blackbody, we find that during the rebrightening, the effective photospheric temperature increased from T BB ≃ 11 000 K to T BB ≃ 18 000 K. Over the ~ 550 d since its detection, ASASSN-15lh has radiated ~1.7 -1.9 × 10 52 erg. Although its physical nature remains uncertain, the evolution of ASASSN-15lh's photospheric radius, its radiated energy and the implied event rate, are all more similar to those of H-poor superluminous supernovae than to tidal disruption events.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE ERUPTION OF THE CANDIDATE YOUNG STAR ASASSN-15QI

Outbursts on young stars are usually interpreted as accretion bursts caused by instabilities in the disk or the star–disk connection. However, some protostellar outbursts may not fit into this framework. In this paper, we analyze optical and near-infrared spectra and photometry to characterize the 2015 outburst of the probable young star ASASSN-15qi. The ∼3.5 mag brightening in the V band was sudden, with an unresolved rise time of less than one day. The outburst decayed exponentially by 1 mag for 6 days and then gradually back to the pre-outburst level after 200 days. The outburst is dominated by emission from ∼10,000 K gas. An explosive release of energy accelerated matter from the star in all directions, seen in a spectacular cool, spherical wind with a maximum velocity of 1000 km s{sup −1}. The wind and hot gas both disappeared as the outburst faded and the source returned to its quiescent F-star spectrum. Nebulosity near the star brightened with a delay of 10–20 days. Fluorescent excitation of H{sub 2} is detected in emission from vibrational levels as high as v = 11, also with a possible time delay in flux increase. The mid-infrared spectral energy distribution does not indicate the presence of warm dust emission, though the optical photospheric absorption and CO overtone emission could be related to a gaseous disk. Archival photometry reveals a prior outburst in 1976. Although we speculate about possible causes for this outburst, none of the explanations are compelling.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗