bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Science Centres and Planetaria
Authors: Lomb Nick
Published: March 2016

The school curriculum in many countries includes astronomical topics such as the seasons, phases of the moon, planets and stars. Yet most teachers at all school levels do not know any astronomy and have difficulty teaching that part of the curriculum. Even if they have some knowledge of the subject they may not have the resources to illustrate it and enthuse their students. One solution is to take them to a place specializing in astronomy education – a suitable science center or museum or planetarium or public observatory.
A Note on the Determinants of the Regulation of Religion
Authors: Schleutker Elina
Published: March 2016

The existing studies on the determinants of the regulation of religion are based on the theories of modernization, clash of civilizations, and economics of religion, which do not properly take into account the potential impact of the political environment. The current study aims to address this gap in the research. It discusses some of the ways in which the differences in the political environment in autocratic and democratic countries might influence the regulation of religion. The results of the descriptive analysis for ca. 150 countries show that there is more variation in regulation of religion among the autocratic countries than among the democratic ones, and that in the autocratic countries there is a clear association between patterns of legitimation and regulation. The results on the association between the constitutional structure of the democratic countries and regulation of religion are ambiguous.
Intelligenz: kein Mythos, sondern Realität
Authors: Stern Elsbeth , Neubauer Aljoscha
Published: March 2016

Zusammenfassung. Das Konzept der psychometrischen Intelligenz ist in der Öffentlichkeit sowie auch in Teilen der wissenschaftlichen Psychologie umstritten. Warum Intelligenz so große Abwehrreaktionen auslöst und wie die Begründungen für diese zum Stand der Intelligenzforschung stehen, wird in diesem Artikel behandelt. Dabei behandeln wir drei weit verbreitete Vorurteile: 1) Das Definitionsproblem: Es gibt viele Intelligenzen, und Psychologen können sich sowieso nicht auf eine einheitliche Definition einigen; 2) Die Abseitigkeitsannahme: Die Leistung in Intelligenztests hat nichts mit Kompetenzen im wahren Leben zu tun; 3) Die Ursachenverwirrung: Wenn Intelligenz ein in den Genen verankertes Merkmal ist, bleiben Umwelteinflüsse unwirksam. Auf Basis der aktuellen Intelligenzforschung entkräften wir alle drei Einwände: 1) Intelligenz wird heute vom Großteil der Intelligenzforscher präzise und einheitlich definiert; das Fehlen einer einheitlichen Definition ist kein aktuelles Problem der Intelligenzforschung mehr. 2) Eine Reihe von jüngeren Meta-Analysen hat überzeugend die hohen und stabilen Validitäten von Intelligenztests demonstriert: Intelligenz ist einer der besten Prädiktoren von Lern- und Berufserfolg. 3) Die moderne Verhaltensgenetik hat verdeutlicht, dass Intelligenz in den Genen verankert ist, diese aber nur in einer geistig anregenden Umwelt ihr Potenzial entfalten können. Mit diesem Artikel möchten wir Psychologen Argumente an die Hand geben, mit denen sie eine skeptische Öffentlichkeit von der Wichtigkeit der psychometrischen Intelligenzforschung überzeugen können.
Rationally reduced libraries for combinatorial pathway optimization minimizing experimental effort
Authors: Jeschek Markus , Gerngross Daniel , Panke Sven
Published: March 2016

Rational flux design in metabolic engineering approaches remains difficult since important pathway information is frequently not available. Therefore empirical methods are applied that randomly change absolute and relative pathway enzyme levels and subsequently screen for variants with improved performance. However, screening is often limited on the analytical side, generating a strong incentive to construct small but smart libraries. Here we introduce RedLibs (Reduced Libraries), an algorithm that allows for the rational design of smart combinatorial libraries for pathway optimization thereby minimizing the use of experimental resources. We demonstrate the utility of RedLibs for the design of ribosome-binding site libraries by in silico and in vivo screening with fluorescent proteins and perform a simple two-step optimization of the product selectivity in the branched multistep pathway for violacein biosynthesis, indicating a general applicability for the algorithm and the proposed heuristics. We expect that RedLibs will substantially simplify the refactoring of synthetic metabolic pathways.
Variants near CHRNA3/5 and APOE have age- and sex-related effects on human lifespan
Authors: Joshi Peter K. , Fischer Krista , Schraut Katharina E. , Campbell Harry , Esko Tõnu , Wilson James F.
Published: March 2016

Lifespan is a trait of enormous personal interest. Research into the biological basis of human lifespan, however, is hampered by the long time to death. Using a novel approach of regressing (272,081) parental lifespans beyond age 40 years on participant genotype in a new large data set (UK Biobank), we here show that common variants near the apolipoprotein E and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha 5 genes are associated with lifespan. The effects are strongly sex and age dependent, withAPOEɛ4 differentially influencing maternal lifespan (P=4.2 × 10−15, effect −1.24 years of maternal life per imputed risk allele in parent; sex difference,P=0.011), and a locus nearCHRNA3/5differentially affecting paternal lifespan (P=4.8 × 10−11, effect −0.86 years per allele; sex differenceP=0.075). Rare homozygous carriers of the risk alleles at both loci are predicted to have 3.3–3.7 years shorter lives.
Using higher-order Markov models to reveal flow-based communities in networks
Authors: Salnikov Vsevolod , Schaub Michael T. , Lambiotte Renaud
Published: March 2016

Complex systems made of interacting elements are commonly abstracted as networks, in which nodes are associated with dynamic state variables, whose evolution is driven by interactions mediated by the edges. Markov processes have been the prevailing paradigm to model such a network-based dynamics, for instance in the form of random walks or other types of diffusions. Despite the success of this modelling perspective for numerous applications, it represents an over-simplification of several real-world systems. Importantly, simple Markov models lack memory in their dynamics, an assumption often not realistic in practice. Here, we explore possibilities to enrich the system description by means of second-order Markov models, exploiting empirical pathway information. We focus on the problem of community detection and show that standard network algorithms can be generalized in order to extract novel temporal information about the system under investigation. We also apply our methodology to temporal networks, where we can uncover communities shaped by the temporal correlations in the system. Finally, we discuss relations of the framework of second order Markov processes and the recently proposed formalism of using non-backtracking matrices for community detection.
In-situ Observation of Size and Irradiation Effects on Thermoelectric Properties of Bi-Sb-Te Nanowire in FIB Trimming
Authors: Chien Chia-Hua , Lee Ping-Chung , Tsai Wei-Han , Lin Chien-Hung , Lee Chih-Hao , Chen Yang-Yuan
Published: March 2016

In this report, the thermoelectric properties of a Bi0.8Sb1.2Te2.9 nanowire (NW) were in-situ studied as it was trimmed from 750 down to 490 and 285 nm in diameter by a focused ion beam. While electrical and thermal conductivities both indubitably decrease with the diameter reduction, the two physical properties clearly exhibit different diameter dependent behaviors. For 750 and 490 nm NWs, much lower thermal conductivities (0.72 and 0.69 W/m-K respectively) were observed as compared with the theoretical prediction of Callaway model. The consequence indicates that in addition to the size effect, extra phonon scattering of defects created by Ga ion irradiation was attributed to the reduction of thermal conductivities. As the NW was further trimmed down to 285 nm, both the electrical and thermal conductivities exhibited a dramatic reduction which was ascribed to the formation of amorphous structure due to Ga ion irradiation. The size dependence of Seebeck coefficient and figure of merit (ZT) show the maximum at 750 nm, then decrease linearly with size decrease. The study not only provides the thoroughly understanding of the size and defect effects on the thermoelectric properties but also proposes a possible method to manipulate the thermal conductivity of NWs via ion irradiation.
Analysis of the association between host genetics, smoking, and sputum microbiota in healthy humans
Authors: Lim Mi Young , Yoon Hyo Shin , Rho Mina , Sung Joohon , Song Yun-Mi , Lee Kayoung , Ko GwangPyo
Published: March 2016

Recent studies showing clear differences in the airway microbiota between healthy and diseased individuals shed light on the importance of the airway microbiota in health. Here, we report the associations of host genetics and lifestyles such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity with the composition of the sputum microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequence data generated from 257 sputum samples of Korean twin-family cohort. By estimating the heritability of each microbial taxon, we found that several taxa, including Providencia and Bacteroides, were significantly influenced by host genetic factors. Smoking had the strongest effect on the overall microbial community structure among the tested lifestyle factors. The abundances of Veillonella and Megasphaera were higher in current-smokers, and increased with the pack-year value and the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) score. In contrast, Haemophilus decreased with the pack-year of smoking and the FTND score. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that the taxa were clustered according to the direction of associations with smoking, and that the taxa influenced by host genetics were found together. These results demonstrate that the relationships among sputum microbial taxa are closely associated with not only smoking but also host genetics.
Inversions and adaptation to the plant toxin ouabain shape DNA sequence variation within and between chromosomal inversions of Drosophila subobscura.
Authors: Pegueroles Cinta , Ferrés-Coy Albert , Martí-Solano Maria , Aquadro Charles F , Pascual Marta , Mestres Francesc
Published: March 2016

Adaptation is defined as an evolutionary process allowing organisms to succeed in certain habitats or conditions. Chromosomal inversions have the potential to be key in the adaptation processes, since they can contribute to the maintenance of favoured combinations of adaptive alleles through reduced recombination between individuals carrying different inversions. We have analysed six genes (Pif1A, Abi, Sqd, Yrt, AtpαandFmr1), located inside and outside three inversions of the O chromosome in European populations ofDrosophila subobscura. Genetic differentiation was significant between inversions despite extensive recombination inside inverted regions, irrespective of gene distance to the inversion breakpoints. Surprisingly, the highest level of genetic differentiation between arrangements was found for theAtpαgene, which is located outside the O1and O7inversions. Two derived unrelated arrangements (O3+4+1and O3+4+7) are nearly fixed for several amino acid substitutions at theAtpαgene that have been described to confer resistance in other species to the cardenolide ouabain, a plant toxin capable of blocking ATPases. Similarities in theAtpαvariants, conferring ouabain resistance in both arrangements, may be the result of convergent substitution and be favoured in response to selective pressures presumably related to the presence of plants containing ouabain in the geographic locations where both inversions are present.
Conductivity tensor of graphene dominated by spin-orbit coupling scatterers: A comparison between the results from Kubo and Boltzmann transport theories
Authors: Liu Zhe , Jiang Liwei , Zheng Yisong
Published: March 2016

The diagonal and Hall conductivities of graphene arising from the spin-orbit coupling impurity scattering are theoretically studied. Based on the continuous model, i.e. the massless Dirac equation, we derive analytical expressions of the conductivity tensor from both the Kubo and Boltzmann transport theories. By performing numerical calculations, we find that the Kubo quantum transport result of the diagonal conductivity within the self-consistent Born approximation exhibits an insulating gap around the Dirac point. And in this gap a well-defined quantized spin Hall plateau occurs. This indicates the realization of the quantum spin Hall state of graphene driven by the spin-orbit coupling impurities. In contrast, the semi-classical Boltzmann theory fails to predict such a topological insulating phase. The Boltzmann diagonal conductivity is nonzero even in the insulating gap, in which the Boltzmann spin Hall conductivity does not exhibit any quantized plateau.
Analysis of effects of a new environmental pollutant, bisphenol A, on antioxidant systems in soybean roots at different growth stages
Authors: Zhang Jiazhi , Li Xingyi , Zhou Li , Wang Lihong , Zhou Qing , Huang Xiaohua
Published: March 2016

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an important industrial raw material. Because of its widespread use and increasing release into environment, BPA has become a new environmental pollutant. Previous studies about BPA’s effects in plants focus on a certain growth stage. However, the plant’s response to pollutants varies at different growth stages. Therefore, in this work, BPA’s effects in soybean roots at different growth stages were investigated by determining the reactive oxygen species levels, membrane lipid fatty acid composition, membrane lipid peroxidation and antioxidant systems. The results showed that low-dose BPA exposure slightly caused membrane lipid peroxidation but didn’t activate antioxidant systems at the seedling stage and this exposure did not affect above process at other growth stages; high-dose BPA increased reactive oxygen species levels and then caused membrane lipid peroxidation at all growth stages although it activated antioxidant systems and these effects were weaker with prolonging the growth stages. The recovery degree after withdrawal of BPA exposure was negatively related to BPA dose, but was positively related to growth stage. Taken together, the effects of BPA on antioxidant systems in soybean roots were associated with BPA exposure dose and soybean growth stage.
The Terminal Oxidase Cytochrome bd Promotes Sulfide-resistant Bacterial Respiration and Growth
Authors: Forte Elena , Borisov Vitaliy B. , Falabella Micol , Colaço Henrique G. , Tinajero-Trejo Mariana , Poole Robert K. , Vicente João B. , Sarti Paolo , Giuffrè Alessandro
Published: March 2016

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) impairs mitochondrial respiration by potently inhibiting the heme-copper cytochrome c oxidase. Since many prokaryotes, including Escherichia (E.) coli, generate H2S and encounter high H2S levels particularly in the human gut, herein we tested whether bacteria can sustain sulfide-resistant O2-dependent respiration. E. coli has three respiratory oxidases, the cyanide-sensitive heme-copper bo3 enzyme and two bd oxidases much less sensitive to cyanide. Working on the isolated enzymes, we found that, whereas the bo3 oxidase is inhibited by sulfide with half-maximal inhibitory concentration IC50 = 1.1 ± 0.1 μM, under identical experimental conditions both bd oxidases are insensitive to sulfide up to 58 μM. In E. coli respiratory mutants, both O2-consumption and aerobic growth proved to be severely impaired by sulfide when respiration was sustained by the bo3 oxidase alone, but unaffected by ≤200 μM sulfide when either bd enzyme acted as the only terminal oxidase. Accordingly, wild-type E. coli showed sulfide-insensitive respiration and growth under conditions favouring the expression of bd oxidases. In all tested conditions, cyanide mimicked the functional effect of sulfide on bacterial respiration. We conclude that bd oxidases promote sulfide-resistant O2-consumption and growth in E. coli and possibly other bacteria. The impact of this discovery is discussed.
Connecting the innate and adaptive immune responses in mouse choroidal neovascularization via the anaphylatoxin C5a and γδT-cells
Authors: Coughlin Beth , Schnabolk Gloriane , Joseph Kusumam , Raikwar Himanshu , Kunchithapautham Kannan , Johnson Krista , Moore Kristi , Wang Yi , Rohrer Bärbel
Published: March 2016

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by choroidal neovascularization (CNV). An overactive complement system is associated with AMD pathogenesis, and serum pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-17, are elevated in AMD patients. IL-17 is produced by complement C5a-receptor-expressing T-cells. In murine CNV, infiltrating γδT- rather than Th17-cells produce the IL-17 measurable in lesioned eyes. Here we asked whether C5a generated locally in response to CNV recruits IL-17-producing T-cells to the eye. CNV lesions were generated using laser photocoagulation and quantified by imaging; T-lymphocytes were characterized by QRT-PCR. CNV resulted in an increase in splenic IL-17-producing γδT- and Th17-cells; yet in the CNV eye, only elevated levels of γδT-cells were observed. Systemic administration of anti-C5- or anti-C5a-blocking antibodies blunted the CNV-induced production of splenic Th17- and γδT-cells, reduced CNV size and eliminated ocular γδT-cell infiltration. In ARPE-19 cell monolayers, IL-17 triggered a pro-inflammatory state; and splenocyte proliferation was elevated in response to ocular proteins. Thus, we demonstrated that CNV lesions trigger a systemic immune response, augmenting local ocular inflammation via the infiltration of IL-17-producing γδT-cells, which are presumably recruited to the eye in a C5a-dependent manner. Understanding the complexity of complement-mediated pathological mechanisms will aid in the development of an AMD treatment.
Lipid-laden cells differentially distributed in the aging brain are functionally active and correspond to distinct phenotypes
Authors: Shimabukuro Marilia Kimie , Langhi Larissa Gutman Paranhos , Cordeiro Ingrid , Brito José M. , Batista Claudia Maria de Castro , Mattson Mark P. , de Mello Coelho Valeria
Published: March 2016

We characterized cerebral Oil Red O-positive lipid-laden cells (LLC) of aging mice evaluating their distribution, morphology, density, functional activities and inflammatory phenotype. We identified LLC in meningeal, cortical and neurogenic brain regions. The density of cerebral LLC increased with age. LLC presenting small lipid droplets were visualized adjacent to blood vessels or deeper in the brain cortical and striatal parenchyma of aging mice. LLC with larger droplets were asymmetrically distributed in the cerebral ventricle walls, mainly located in the lateral wall. We also found that LLC in the subventricular region co-expressed beclin-1 or LC3, markers for autophagosome or autophagolysosome formation and perilipin (PLIN), a lipid droplet-associated protein, suggesting lipophagic activity. Some cerebral LLC exhibited β galactosidase activity indicating a senescence phenotype. Moreover, we detected production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α in cortical PLIN+ LLC. Some cortical NeuN+ neurons, GFAP+ glia limitans astrocytes, Iba-1+ microglia and S100β+ ependymal cells expressed PLIN in the aging brain. Our findings suggest that cerebral LLC exhibit distinct cellular phenotypes and may participate in the age-associated neuroinflammatory processes.
Prioritization of anticancer drugs against a cancer using genomic features of cancer cells: A step towards personalized medicine
Authors: Gupta Sudheer , Chaudhary Kumardeep , Kumar Rahul , Gautam Ankur , Nanda Jagpreet Singh , Dhanda Sandeep Kumar , Brahmachari Samir Kumar , Raghava Gajendra P. S.
Published: March 2016

In this study, we investigated drug profile of 24 anticancer drugs tested against a large number of cell lines in order to understand the relation between drug resistance and altered genomic features of a cancer cell line. We detected frequent mutations, high expression and high copy number variations of certain genes in both drug resistant cell lines and sensitive cell lines. It was observed that a few drugs, like Panobinostat, are effective against almost all types of cell lines, whereas certain drugs are effective against only a limited type of cell lines. Tissue-specific preference of drugs was also seen where a drug is more effective against cell lines belonging to a specific tissue. Genomic features based models have been developed for each anticancer drug and achieved average correlation between predicted and actual growth inhibition of cell lines in the range of 0.43 to 0.78. We hope, our study will throw light in the field of personalized medicine, particularly in designing patient-specific anticancer drugs. In order to serve the scientific community, a webserver, CancerDP, has been developed for predicting priority/potency of an anticancer drug against a cancer cell line using its genomic features (http://crdd.osdd.net/raghava/cancerdp/).
Whole blood and semen identification using mid-infrared and Raman spectrum analysis for forensic applications
Authors: Zou Yun , Xia Pan , Yang Feiyu , Cao Fangqi , Ma Ke , Mi Zhongliang , Huang Xiaochun , Cai Nengbin , Jiang Bei , Zhao Xuejun , Liu Wenbin , Chen Xianfeng
Published: March 2016

The identification of body fluids is important in forensic science.
Proline cis–trans isomerization and its implications for the dimerization of analogues of cyclopeptide stylostatin 1: a combined computational and experimental study
Authors: López-Martínez C. , Flores-Morales P. , Cruz M. , González T. , Feliz M. , Diez A. , Campanera Josep M.
Published: March 2016

Derivatives of the cyclic heptapeptide stylostatin 1 exhibit acis–transconformational equilibrium modulated by the hydrogen bond network.
Propagation of the change in the membrane potential using a biocell-model
Authors: Takano Yoshinari , Shirai Osamu , Kitazumi Yuki , Kano Kenji
Published: March 2016

The relation between the magnitude of circulating current and the distance in the axon.
Vibrational signatures of the water behaviour upon confinement in nanoporous hydrogels
Authors: Rossi B. , Venuti V. , Mele A. , Punta C. , Melone L. , D'Amico F. , Gessini A. , Crupi V. , Majolino D. , Trotta F. , Masciovecchio C.
Published: March 2016

Vibrational spectroscopy is used to investigate how the hydrogen-bond dynamics of water is influenced by nano-confinement and hydrophobic/hydrophilic solvation effects.
Proton-conducting oxide with redox protonation and its application to a hydrogen sensor with a self-standard electrode
Authors: Okuyama Yuji , Nagamine Shinya , Nakajima Akira , Sakai Go , Matsunaga Naoki , Takahashi Fusako , Kimata Koji , Oshima Tomoko , Tsuneyoshi Koji
Published: March 2016

The hydrogen sensor using CaZr0.95Mn0.05O3as electrolyte depends only on the hydrogen potential of the working electrode when air was used as the reference gas.
Biorefining of Eruca sativa plant for efficient biofuel production
Authors: Bateni Hamed , Karimi Keikhosro
Published: March 2016

Eruca sativaplant offers a great potential to utilized for multiple biofuel production through a biorefining prospective to maximize the biodiesel, biogas, and ethanol production yields.
Hydrothermal preparation of Fe–Zr catalysts for the direct conversion of syngas to light olefins
Authors: Chen Ning , Zhang Jianli , Ma Qingxiang , Fan Subing , Zhao Tian-Sheng
Published: March 2016

Two-step hydrothermal preparation of Fe/Zr–K catalysts could improve the olefin selectivity and product distribution by reducing the secondary hydrogenation ability and suppressing the formation of heavy hydrocarbons during CO hydrogenation.
Bisphenol a electrochemical sensor based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polythiophene/Pt nanocomposites modified electrode
Authors: Wan Jun , Si Yuxiao , Li Chao , Zhang Kun
Published: March 2016

A facile and eco-friendly electrochemical sensor based on a multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polythiophene/Pt nanocomposites-modified glassy carbon electrode for determination of bisphenol A (BPA) was constructed using the MWCNT/PTh/Pt nanocomposites to modify glassy carbon (GC).
Re-engineering a NiFe hydrogenase to increase the H2production bias while maintaining native levels of O2tolerance
Authors: Flanagan Lindsey A. , Wright John J. , Roessler Maxie M. , Moir James W. , Parkin Alison
Published: March 2016

A single site amino acid exchange yields a NiFe hydrogenase with increased bias towards hydrogen production but conserved oxygen tolerance.
Biosensing made easy with PEG-targeted bi-specific antibodies
Authors: Raftery Lyndon J. , Grewal Yadveer S. , Howard Christopher B. , Jones Martina L. , Shiddiky Muhammad J. A. , Carrascosa Laura G. , Thurecht Kristofer J. , Mahler Stephen M. , Trau Matt
Published: March 2016

Whilst recent advances in nanotechnology have yielded many new biosensing capabilities, innovative biological attachment and detection modalities remain relatively underdeveloped.
3-Dimensional ZnO/CdS nanocomposite with high mobility as an efficient electron transport layer for inverted polymer solar cells
Authors: Wang Yilin , Fu Haiyan , Wang Ying , Tan Licheng , Chen Lie , Chen Yiwang
Published: March 2016

A 3-dimensional ZnO/CdS nanocomposite with high mobility as an electron transport layer boosts device efficiency to 8.0% for inverted polymer solar cells.
Strange kinetics of bulk-mediated diffusion on lipid bilayers
Authors: Krapf Diego , Campagnola Grace , Nepal Kanti , Peersen Olve B.
Published: March 2016

Diffusion at solid–liquid interfaces, which is crucial in many technological and biophysical processes, shows large fluctuations in time averages, dependence on observation time, and strong anomalous diffusion.
The inhibitory mechanism of a fullerene derivative against amyloid-β peptide aggregation: an atomistic simulation study
Authors: Sun Yunxiang , Qian Zhenyu , Wei Guanghong
Published: March 2016

Fullerene inhibits the formation of inter-peptide β-sheets and β-hairpin motifs of toxic Aβ oligomers by binding to F4, Y10, L17–A21 and I31–V40 residues.
Ambient pressure XPS and IRRAS investigation of ethanol steam reforming on Ni–CeO2(111) catalysts: an in situ study of C–C and O–H bond scission
Authors: Liu Zongyuan , Duchoň Tomáš , Wang Huanru , Grinter David C. , Waluyo Iradwikanari , Zhou Jing , Liu Qiang , Jeong Beomgyun , Crumlin Ethan J. , Matolín Vladimír , Stacchiola Dario J. , Rodriguez José A. , Senanayake Sanjaya D.
Published: March 2016

In situinvestigation of the surface chemistry of ethanol steam reforming & metal-oxide interactions over Ni–CeOx(111).
Prediction of neutral noble gas insertion compounds with heavier pnictides: FNgY (Ng = Kr and Xe; Y = As, Sb and Bi)
Authors: Ghosh Ayan , Manna Debashree , Ghanty Tapan K.
Published: March 2016

Neutral noble gas insertion compounds involving arsenic, antimony and bismuth atoms wherein the triplet electronic state is the ground state are predicted for the first time.
Enhancement of encaged electron concentration by Sr2+ doping and improvement of Gd3+ emission through controlling encaged anions in conductive C12A7 phosphors
Authors: Zhang Meng , Liu Yuxue , Zhu Hancheng , Yan Duanting , Yang Jian , Zhang Xinyang , Liu Chunguang , Xu Changshan
Published: March 2016

Conductive C12A7:0.1%Gd3+,y%Sr2+ phosphors have been prepared through hydrogen route in combination with subsequent UV-irradiation.
Cooperative capture synthesis: yet another playground for copper-free click chemistry
Authors: Hou Xisen , Ke Chenfeng , Fraser Stoddart J.
Published: March 2016

Mechanistic considerations have led to the development of a highly efficient copper-free click reaction for the synthesis of oligo- and polyrotaxanes with potential commercial value.
Enhanced anti-oxidative effect of fermented Korean mistletoe is originated from an increase in the contents of caffeic acid and lyoniresinol
Authors: Kim Se-Yong , Yang Eun-Ju , Son Youn Kyoung , Yeo Joo-Hong , Song Kyung-Sik
Published: March 2016

The crude enzyme extract derived from Aspergillus kawachii increased the anti-oxidants, caffeic acid and lyoniresinol, in Korean mistletoe.
Design, synthesis and antimetastatic evaluation of 1-benzothiazolylphenylbenzotriazoles for photodynamic therapy in oral cancer cells
Authors: Senadi Gopal Chandru , Liao Chieh-Ming , Kuo Kung-Kai , Lin Jian-Cheng , Chang Long-Sen , Wang Jeh Jeng , Hu Wan-Ping
Published: March 2016

We have designed and synthesized a new series of 1-benzothiazolylphenylbenzotriazoles 9a–p and studied their antimetastatic mechanism involved in photosensitive effects induced by UVA in oral cancer cell Ca9-22.
A novel porphyrin-containing polyimide for memory devices
Authors: Tsai Ming-Chi , Wang Chin-Li , Lin Ching-Yao , Tsai Chia-Liang , Yen Hung-Ju , You Huei-Chi , Liou Guey-Sheng
Published: March 2016

A novel porphyrin-based polyimide ZnPor-t-DSDA was synthesized for memory applications and exhibits symmetric biswitching characteristic with a short retention time due to the coplanar structure between donor and acceptor units.
One-pot development of water soluble copper nanoclusters with red emission and aggregation induced fluorescence enhancement
Authors: Li Dan , Chen Zhenhua , Wan Zhanghui , Yang Tiezhu , Wang Hao , Mei Xifan
Published: March 2016

The binding of Zn2+ and Al3+ to OH on the copper core of Cu NCs promotes the formation of Cu NC–OH–Zn–OH–Cu NCs and Cu NC–OH–Al–OH–Cu NCs aggregates, which enables aggregation induced fluorescence enhancement.
The synthesis and comparison of chondroitin sulfate-modified PDMAEMA with chondroitin sulfate-modified PEI as a potential gene delivery vector
Authors: Lo Yu-Lun , Wang Hung-Wei , Liao Zi-Xian , Wang Li-Fang
Published: March 2016

CS-PDMAEMA obtained by reacting HS-PDMAEMA with CSMA via Michael addition, shows lower cytotoxicity and better transfection efficiency than PDMAEMA. The transfection efficiency is higher in 3T3 cells than in U87 cells owing to higher expression of ASGP-R.
Hydroxyalkylation of phenol to bisphenol F over Al-pillared clay
Authors: Wu Xianzhang , Xia Xinnian , Liu Ran , Chen You
Published: March 2016

Hydroxyalkylation of phenol to bisphenol F over the intercalation of aluminum hydroxy oligomeric into layered montmorillonite K10 was investigated.
Antiferromagnetic coupling between surface and bulk magnetization and anomalous magnetic transport in electro-deposited cobalt film
Authors: Singh Surendra , Prajapat C. L. , Bhattacharya D. , Ghosh S. K. , Gonal M. R. , Basu S.
Published: March 2016

Correlation of morphology and structure and magnetization depth profiles of Co films grown by two different techniques, e.g. electrodeposition (S1) and sputtering (S2).
Covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) from triptycene and fluorene motifs for CO2adsorption
Authors: Dey Subarna , Bhunia Asamanjoy , Esquivel Dolores , Janiak Christoph
Published: March 2016

Two microporous CTFs with triptycene (TPC) and fluorene (FL) have been synthesized through a mild AlCl3-catalyzed Friedel–Crafts reaction, with the highest surface area of up to 1668 m2g−1for non-ionothermal CTFs. CTF-TPC and CTF-FL show an excellent carbon dioxide uptake capacity of up to 4.24 mmol g−1at 273 K and 1 bar.
Improving the performance of TFC membranes via chelation and surface reaction: applications in water desalination
Authors: Ali Mohamed E. A. , Hassan Fathy M. , Feng Xianshe
Published: March 2016

We modified TFC membranesviaa series of chemical and surface reactions. A nascent polyamide (PA) active layer was prepared by interfacial polymerization and composited with GO nanosheets then reacted with CuCl2·2H2O. Finally, the composite membrane was treated with NH4OH solutions.
Behavioral/Nonpharmacological Approaches to Addressing Cognitive-Linguistic Symptoms in Individuals With Dementia
Authors: Murray Laura L. , Paek Eun Jin
Published: March 2016

Despite current barriers to developing and implementing nonpharmacological or behavioral cognitive-linguistic treatments for dementia, a growing evidence base indicates that individuals with dementia may indeed benefit from a range of nonpharmacological intervention approaches in terms of helping them maintain and/or improve their language and cognitive abilities as well as general functioning and emotional well being. With respect to the current dementia literature, this article describes restorative and compensatory approaches for cognitive symptoms, including direct stimulation of cognitive functions and internal and external strategies to maximize use of residual cognitive skills. We also summarize various language treatment techniques designed to address word retrieval deficits or functional communication issues in a range of dementia types and severity. Broader stimulation approaches such as Montessori-based treatment, reminiscence therapy, and exercise/movement therapy are also reviewed given their potential to benefit not only the cognitive-linguistic symptoms of individuals with dementia, but also other aspects of physical, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Last, we conclude by highlighting limitations in the current research literature along with factors to consider for maximizing nonpharmacological treatment effects (i.e., generalization and maintenance of treatment gains) in clinical or research settings.
Robust moving object detection based on spatio‐temporal confidence relationship
Authors: Fan Zhihui , Wang Hui
Published: March 2016

It is still an open problem in the context of complex scenarios like dynamic background and illumination variations, although numerous moving object detection schemes have been demonstrated. Great efforts have been made to develop some probability distribution pixels obey, for which samples are collected from spatial domain and/or temporal domain. However, significant attention has not been paid to the confidence relationship between pixels and its spatio‐temporal neighbours in previous works. In this Letter, a confidence relationship model is proposed to complete the moving object detection task in complex environments. Experiments on typical surveillance scenes verify that the proposed algorithm has attractive robustness and high accuracy for illumination variations and dynamic background against state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Robust seizure detection in EEG using 2D DWT of time‐frequency distributions
Authors: Yusaf M. , Nawaz R. , Iqbal J.
Published: March 2016

Seizure is a psychological disorder which is observed through electroencephalography (EEG) by monitoring the electrical activity inside our brain. Joint time‐frequency (TF) analysis is helpful for capturing the dynamic property of EEG signals as solely time or frequency analysis is not sufficient to clearly depict the non‐stationary electrical activity. This study is based on the use of 2D discrete wavelet transform (DWT) for feature extraction from the TF image with seizure classification performed through support vector machine. For classifier evaluation a dataset of 80 seizure and 80 non‐seizure samples are used, with leave‐one‐out cross‐validation method. The proposed scheme achieved an impressive accuracy of 99.375% and has outperformed state of the art by 6%. This work will assist physicians in seizure detection, particularly in neonatal case where it can cause a life‐time disability.
First experimental impulse‐radio ultra‐wideband transmission under the Russian spectral emission mask
Authors: Grakhova E.P. , Rommel S. , Jurado‐Navas A. , Sultanov A.Kh. , Vegas Olmos J.J. , Tafur Monroy I.
Published: March 2016

Ultra‐wideband impulse‐radio wireless transmission under the stringent conditions and complex shape of the Russian spectral emission mask is experimentally demonstrated for the first time. Transmission of 1 and 1.25 Gbit/s signals over distances of 6 and 3 m is achieved with a bit error rate below 3.8 × 10−3.
Tapered optical fibre coated with chitosan for lead (II) ion sensing
Authors: Ibrahim S.A. , Ridzwan A.H. , Mansoor A. , Dambul K.D.
Published: March 2016

This Letter reports a lead (II) ion sensor composed of a tapered multimode fibre (MMF) coated with chitosan. The diameter and length of the tapered fibre region is 20 µm and 1 cm, respectively. Tapered MMF is used because it is more flexible and compact compared with plastic clad silica. Chitosan is chosen as the sensing layer because it can absorb heavy metal ions due to its unique properties as polyelectrolyte and chelating agent. The refractive index of the chitosan layer changes as it absorbs lead (II) ion and this leads to an increase in the absorbance measured by the spectrophotometer. This is tested by immersing the sensor in a solution that contains lead (II) ion with different concentrations, from 0.2 to 1 ppm. The results show that the absorbance measured by the spectrophotometer increased as the concentration of the lead (II) ion increased. The sensor's average sensitivity is measured as 40.554 abs/ppm. This sensor is simpler compared with surface plasmon resonance‐based lead (II) ion sensor because it does not require metal coating prior to the sensing layer coating.
Generalisation of an averaged model approach to estimate the period‐doubling bifurcation onset in power converters
Authors: Gavagsaz‐Ghoachani Roghayeh , Phattanasak Matheepot , Martin Jean‐Philippe , Pierfederici Serge , Nahid‐Mobarakeh Babak , Davat Bernard
Published: March 2016

The usual method of estimating the onset of bifurcation and studying non‐linear phenomena in power electronic devices consists of defining the discrete‐time model. This model provides more precise results than an averaged model. However, the discrete‐time model cannot be developed easily for some particular systems. In this study, a continuous‐time averaging model is developed for a boost converter in the continuous‐conduction mode (CCM). This proposed model is used to obtain the eigenvalues of the system to predict the stable operation of the period‐1 orbit. It is observed that the loss of the asymptotic stability of the proposed model corresponds to the onset of period‐doubling bifurcation in the discrete‐time model. The generalisation of this method is investigated by applying the proposed method to a DC active filter converter connected in parallel with a CCM boost converter. Using this model, it is possible to obtain the eigenvalues of the system to investigate robustness properties with regards to system parameter variations. To confirm the validity of the proposed method, simulation and experimental results are presented.
Overcurrent estimation in a doubly‐fed induction generator‐DC system during a voltage dip in the dc grid
Authors: Marques Gil , Iacchetti Matteo
Published: March 2016

This study analyses the voltage dip behaviour of the doubly‐fed induction generator (DFIG) connected to a common dc link on both the stator and rotor sides, via a diode bridge and a voltage source inverter (VSI), respectively. After a voltage dip in the dc grid, the rotor VSI can transiently lose control so that rotor currents circulate through the VSI free‐wheeling diodes. However, during the uncontrolled period, both stator and rotor voltages are clamped to the same dc‐link voltage and no rotor overvoltage occurs. In order to analyse the behaviour of the system during the first periods of the uncontrolled current transients, this study presents a simplified average model which is validated through simulations. Voltage dips are classified into three types depending on their severity. A simple analytical expression is derived for the maximum amplitude of the current during the voltage dip, and an overcurrent chart in the plane ‘rotor speed – dip amplitude’ is deduced. These results provide deep insight into the DFIG‐DC system behaviour and are useful for design purpose.
Compact branch‐line coupler with meander high‐impedance transmission line and port impedance matching
Authors: He Jun , Wang Bing‐Zhong
Published: March 2016

A novel compact branch‐line coupler with meander high‐impedance transmission line and port impedance matching is presented in this study. The proposed circular coupler effectively reduces occupied area to 29.1% of conventional rectangular one. The design is validated both by simulation and measurement.
Spectral characterisation of the silver nanoparticles biosynthesised using Ambrosia maritima plant
Authors: El‐Kemary Maged , Zahran Moustafa , Khalifa Shaden A.M. , El‐Seedi Hesham R.
Published: March 2016

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesised by reducing silver nitrate (AgNO3) using Ambrosia maritima aqueous leaves extract. The biosynthesised AgNPs were characterised by transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and zeta potential analyser. The nanoparticles were generally found to be spherical in shape with average size of 30 nm and were stable at zeta potential of −26.29 mV. The data collected by cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometer and spectrofluorophotometer proved the characteristic electrochemical and optical properties of the biosynthesised AgNPs. The metallic nanoparticles showed an anodic peak at 0.4 mV, a surface plasmon resonance peak at 437 nm and a fluorescence emission peak at the wavelength of 467 nm. In conclusion, AgNPs biosynthesised using A. maritima proved to be compatible and feasible to be studied further in in vitro and in vivo systems. Overall, the biosynthesised AgNPs can be used as a tool applied in a broad range of industrial and medical applications.
An improved quasi-diabatic representation of the 1, 2, 31A coupled adiabatic potential energy surfaces of phenol in the full 33 internal coordinates
Authors: Zhu Xiaolei , Malbon Christopher L. , Yarkony David R.
Published: March 2016

In a recent work we constructed a quasi-diabatic representation, Hd, of the 1, 2, 31A adiabatic states of phenol from high level multireference single and double excitation configuration interaction electronic structure data, energies, energy gradients, and derivative couplings. That Hd accurately describes surface minima, saddle points, and also regions of strong nonadiabatic interactions, reproducing the locus of conical intersection seams and the coordinate dependence of the derivative couplings. The present work determines the accuracy of Hd for describing phenol photodissociation. Additionally, we demonstrate that a modest energetic shift of two diabats yields a quantifiably more accurate Hd compared with experimental energetics. The analysis shows that in favorable circumstances it is possible to use single point energies obtained from the most reliable electronic structure methods available, including methods for which the energy gradients and derivative couplings are not available, to improve the quality of a global representation of several coupled potential energy surfaces. Our data suggest an alternative interpretation of kinetic energy release measurements near λphot ∼ 248 nm.
Two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy of vibrational polaritons of molecules in an optical cavity
Authors: Saurabh Prasoon , Mukamel Shaul
Published: March 2016

Strong coupling of molecular vibrations to an infrared cavity mode affects their nature by creating dressed polariton states. We show how the single and double vibrational polariton manifolds may be controlled by varying the cavity coupling strength and probed by a time domain two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) technique, double quantum coherence. Applications are made to the amide-I (CO) and amide-II (CN) bond vibrations of N-methylacetamide.
Sampling the isothermal-isobaric ensemble by Langevin dynamics
Authors: Gao Xingyu , Fang Jun , Wang Han
Published: March 2016

We present a new method of conducting fully flexible-cell molecular dynamics simulation in isothermal-isobaric ensemble based on Langevin equations of motion. The stochastic coupling to all particle and cell degrees of freedoms is introduced in a correct way, in the sense that the stationary configurational distribution is proved to be consistent with that of the isothermal-isobaric ensemble. In order to apply the proposed method in computer simulations, a second order symmetric numerical integration scheme is developed by Trotter’s splitting of the single-step propagator. Moreover, a practical guide of choosing working parameters is suggested for user specified thermo- and baro-coupling time scales. The method and software implementation are carefully validated by a numerical example.
Predicting radiative transport properties of plasma sprayed porous ceramics
Authors: Wang B. X. , Zhao C. Y.
Published: March 2016

The typical yttria-stabilized zirconia material for making the thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is intrinsically semitransparent to thermal radiation, and the unique disordered microstructures in TBCs make them surprisingly highly scattering. To quantitatively understand the influence of disordered microstructures, this paper presents a quantitative prediction on the radiative properties, especially the transport scattering coefficient of plasma sprayed TBC based on microstructure analysis and rigorous electromagnetic theory. The impact of the porosity, shape, size, and orientation of different types of voids on transport scattering coefficient is comprehensively investigated under the discrete dipole approximation. An inverse model integrating these factors together is then proposed to quantitatively connect transport scattering coefficient with microstructural information, which is also validated by available experimental data. Afterwards, an optimization procedure is carried out based on this model to obtain the optimal size and orientation distribution of the microscale voids to achieve the maximal radiation insulation performance at different operating temperatures, providing guidelines for practical coating design and fabrication. This work suggests that the current model is effective and also efficient for connecting scattering properties to microstructures and can be implemented as a quantitative tool for further studies like non-destructive infrared imaging as well as micro/nanoscale thermal design of TBCs.
Elastomeric composites for flexible microwave substrates
Authors: Awang Robiatun A. , Baum Thomas , Berean Kyle J. , Yi Pyshar , Kalantar-zadeh Kourosh , Sriram Sharath , Rowe Wayne S. T.
Published: March 2016

Manipulating dielectric properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is an important consideration for flexible, low-loss device design. This paper presents a method for reducing dielectric loss (tan δ) by forming PDMS composites loaded with various concentrations of either alumina (Al2O3) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particles. The structural, mechanical, and electrical properties of the composites are investigated. Theoretical mixing models were used to predict the relative permittivity (εr) of PDMS composites, and good similarity with the measured εr was observed. The incorporation of either low dielectric loss filler in the PDMS matrix (up to 50 wt. % filler loading) is shown to reduce the dielectric loss while maintaining the flexibility of the host matrix. The fillers can also control the permittivity of the composite, either increasing or decreasing relative permittivity from that of PDMS. Interestingly, a strain of ∼500% can be applied to 15 wt. % PDMS/PTFE composites, compared with ∼350% for pure PDMS.