bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular approach to phase transitions in a calamitic ester substituted aroylhydrazone liquid crystal
Authors: Nandi Rajib , Singh Sachin Kumar , Singh Hemant Kumar , Shankar Rao D. S. , Krishna Prasad S. , Singh Bachcha , Singh Ranjan K.
Published: April 2016

Temperature dependent Raman and X‐ray diffraction studies of a calamitic ester substituted aryolhydrazone liquid crystal (LC) system;N‐[4‐(4ʹ‐decyloxy)benzoyloxy benzylidene]‐Nʹ‐[4ʹ‐decyloxybenzoyl]hydrazine (DB2H) have been performed to investigate the molecular arrangement and intermolecular interaction environment in LC phase. X‐ray diffraction study with the help of density functional theoretical study gives the information of molecular tilt angle in SmC layer. Prominent Raman signatures of crystal I → crystal II, crystal II → SmC and SmC → Isotropic phase transitions were identified in terms of changes in peak position and linewidth as well as Raman intensity. Analysis of Raman marker bands gives evidence of residual intermolecular hydrogen bonds between amide groups responsible for tilting arrangement in SmC phase. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intra‐urban nocturnal cooling rates: development and evaluation of the NOCRA model
Authors: Onomura Shiho , Holmer Björn , Lindberg Fredrik , Thorsson Sofia
Published: April 2016

A nocturnal cooling rate model (NOCRAM) to simulate nocturnal air temperature at urban sites is presented. The model is designed for urban planners, practitioners and researchers who demand meteorological information for urban planning and research applications. The model is based on the concept of nocturnal cooling, progressing in two distinct phases, i.e. site‐dependent cooling around sunset and site‐independent cooling from about 1 or 2 h after sunset until sunrise. Cooling rates are usually determined predominantly by prevailing weather conditions (i.e. clearness of the sky and wind speed), followed by maximum daily air temperature and by sky view factors. Second phase cooling is chiefly determined by sky clearness and wind speed. The findings and statistical results from the analysis of observational data during warm months (May–September) from Gothenburg, Sweden, as well as from past studies, were used. The model requires standard meteorological variables (i.e. wind speed, incoming short‐wave radiation, air temperature, relative air humidity, air pressure) at a reference station as well as geometrical information (i.e. the sky view factor of the site and the geographical co‐ordinates of the reference meteorological station). The model simulates the characteristic development of cooling rates in the two phases at open sites and built‐up sites with different sky view factors under a wide range of weather conditions in warm months. Using the modelled cooling rates, nocturnal air temperature is estimated easily with the accuracy of root mean square error (RMSE) ≤1.54 °C and R2 ≥0.78.
Long‐Term Outcomes of Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
Authors: Volker Gerard , van Vree Félicie , Wolterbeek Ron , van Gestel Marc , Smeets Rob , Köke Albère , Vlieland Theodora Vliet
Published: April 2016

Objectives

Evidence for the effectiveness of multidisciplinary rehabilitation for chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) has been reported but its outcomes in the longer term and in mixed groups of chronic pain patients are largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to describe the two‐year outcomes of a 15‐week multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation programme in patients with mixed CMP in terms of pain, activities, participation and healthcare usage.

Methods

Data were recorded routinely at admission, discharge, and at three, 12 and 24 months' follow‐up for all consecutive patients with CMP referred to a rehabilitation programme over a 21‐month period. The 15‐week multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme consisted of cognitive behavioural therapy and exercise, as well as individual and group sessions with additional treatment modalities. Assessments included the Pain Disability Index (PDI), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) and numerical scales for pain and fatigue. Moreover, the RAND‐36‐Item Health Survey (‘RAND‐36’) and questions on healthcare usage and work status were administered at admission, and at 12 and/or 24 months. Paired t‐tests, Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests, McNemar tests and mixed‐model analyses were used to analyse changes over time.

Results

A total of 165 patients were included initially [mean age 44.1 (standard deviation 12.9) years], 143 of whom (87%) were women, with data from 125 (76%) and 120 (73%) patients being available at 12 and 24 months' follow‐up, respectively. All outcomes showed statistically significant improvements between admission and discharge, and at three, 12 and 24 months' follow‐up (p < 0.05). At 24 months, the median number of different healthcare providers visited in the previous year had decreased significantly compared with that at admission [from a median of 4 (range 1–13) to a median of 2 (range 0–9)], and within the group of patients working at admission (50%), the proportion of those working 25 hours or more per week had increased significantly from 16% to 48%.

Conclusions

Improvements in pain and functioning seen directly after a 15‐week multidisciplinary treatment programme for patients with CMP were maintained, health care usage decreased and the number of working hours among working patients increased at 24 months' follow‐up. Future studies are needed to examine if additional interventions after discharge can enhance further the favourable results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synergistic effects of a novel silicon‐containing triazine charring agent on the flame‐retardant properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/hexakis (4‐phenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene composites
Authors: Li Jiawei , Zeng Xiandong , Kong Dizhu , Xu Hong , Zhang Linping , Zhong Yi , Sui Xiaofeng , Mao Zhiping
Published: April 2016

A novel triazine oligoimides containing silicone charring agent (TSCA) was prepared and used as charring agents in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/hexakis (4‐phenoxy) cyclotriphosphazene (PNCP) flame retardant system. Limited oxygen index, microscale combustion calorimetry, thermogravimetric analyses, and environment scanning electron microscopy tests were used to study the flame retardance and mechanism of samples. The results revealed that there was a good synergistic effect between TSCA and PNCP in flame retardant PET. The new flame retardant system induced the acid catalytic charring at higher temperature range, enhanced the formation of the integrity and stable char layer, and significantly reduced heat release capacity. Moreover, the prepared PET/PNC/TSCA composites exhibited improved thermal stability and desirable mechanic properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:858–868, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Polyamide 6 nanocomposites incorporating cellulose nanocrystals prepared by In situ ring‐opening polymerization: Viscoelasticity, creep behavior, and melt rheological properties
Authors: Kashani Rahimi Shahab , Otaigbe Joshua U.
Published: April 2016

The creep behavior and solid and melt linear viscoelasticity of novel polyamide 6 (PA6) nanocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) prepared via in situ anionic ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) were investigated to accelerate research efforts to develop new polymeric materials with improved properties for lightweight, load‐bearing applications. The obtained results showed that incorporation of relatively small amounts of ≤ 2wt% CNCs into the PA6 thermoplastic matrix gave nanocomposite samples with significantly enhanced creep and viscoelastic materials functions of the PA6 as indicated by lower creep strain, lower creep compliance, improved elastic recovery after removal of load, and reduced Arrhenius activation energies for time‐dependent viscoplastic flow. The obtained results were analyzed and interpreted by theoretical equations for predicting the viscoelasticity and creep behavior of polymeric systems. The melt rheological properties showed enhanced melt strength and elasticity. The formation of a percolated network structure of CNC was revealed by morphological observations that were consistent with the dynamic structure break‐up and reformation rheological experiments. The stiffness, rigidity of the CNCs along with their special ROP‐facilitated intrinsic strong chemical interactions with the PA6 matrix is believed to be responsible for the observed superior creep and viscoelastic materials functions even with very little CNC concentration. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 56:1045–1060, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Lactose‐containing hydrogels for enzyme stabilization
Authors: Huang Yongshun , Chai Qinyuan , Warmin Mary R. , Ayres Neil
Published: April 2016

A lactose‐containing monomer, N‐(2‐lactosylethyl)acrylamide, was synthesized and polymerized with N‐hydroxyethyl acrylamide and 1 wt % of N, N'‐methylenebis(acrylamide) and potassium persulfate as the initiator to produce hydrogels. The weight percent of N‐(2‐lactosylethyl)acrylamide were increased from 0 to 100% in increments of 10%. Hydrogels were successfully produced with up to 90 wt % of N‐(2‐lactosylethyl)acrylamide. Gelation was confirmed by inverted vial tests and rheology measurements. The as‐prepared hydrogels were used for papain stabilization against heat burden and papain that was loaded into hydrogels showed 45% more activity after heating as compared to papain that was heated without hydrogel stabilization. This hydrogel stabilization technique has potential applications in preserving enzyme activity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 2507–2514
Privacy‐preserving targeted mobile advertising: requirements, design and a prototype implementation
Authors: Liu Yang , Simpson Andrew
Published: April 2016

With the continued proliferation of mobile devices, the collection of information associated with such devices and their users—such as location, installed applications and cookies associated with built‐in browsers—has become increasingly straightforward. By analysing such information, organisations are often able to deliver more relevant and better focused advertisements. Of course, such targeted mobile advertising gives rise to a number of concerns, with privacy‐related concerns being prominent. In this paper, we discuss the necessary balance that needs to be struck between privacy and utility in this emerging area and propose privacy‐preserving targeted mobile advertising as a solution that tries to achieve that balance. Our aim is to develop a solution that can be deployed by users but is also palatable to businesses that operate in this space. This paper focuses on the requirements and design of privacy‐preserving targeted mobile advertising and also describes an initial prototype. We also discuss how more detailed technical aspects and a complete evaluation will underpin our future work in this area. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantitative Phosphoproteomic Study Reveals that Protein Kinase A Regulates Neural Stem Cell Differentiation Through Phosphorylation of Catenin Beta-1 and Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β
Authors: Wang Shuxin , Li Zheyi , Shen Hongyan , Zhang Zhong , Yin Yuxin , Wang Qingsong , Zhao Xuyang , Ji Jianguo
Published: April 2016

Protein phosphorylation is central to the understanding of multiple cellular signaling pathways responsible for regulating the self-renewal and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Here we performed a large-scale phosphoproteomic analysis of rat fetal NSCs using strong cation exchange chromatography prefractionation and citric acid-assisted two-step enrichment with TiO2 strategy followed by nanoLC-MS/MS analysis. Totally we identified 32,546 phosphosites on 5,091 phosphoproteins, among which 23,945 were class I phosphosites, and quantified 16,000 sites during NSC differentiation. More than 65% of class I phosphosites were novel when compared with PhosphoSitePlus database. Quantification results showed that the early and late stage of NSC differentiation differ greatly. We mapped 69 changed phosphosites on 20 proteins involved in Wnt signaling pathway, including S552 on catenin beta-1 (Ctnnb1) and S9 on glycogen synthase kinase 3β (Gsk3β). Western blotting and real-time PCR results proved that Wnt signaling pathway plays critical roles in NSC fate determination. Furthermore, inhibition and activation of PKA dramatically affected the phosphorylation state of Ctnnb1 and Gsk3β, which regulates the differentiation of NSCs. Our data provides a valuable resource for studying the self-renewal and differentiation of NSCs.
Being targeted: Young women's experience of being identified for a teenage pregnancy prevention programme
Authors: Sorhaindo Annik , Bonell Chris , Fletcher Adam , Jessiman Patricia , Keogh Peter , Mitchell Kirstin
Published: April 2016

Research on the unintended consequences of targeting ‘high‐risk’ young people for health interventions is limited. Using qualitative data from an evaluation of the Teens & Toddlers Pregnancy Prevention programme, we explored how young women experienced being identified as at risk for teenage pregnancy to understand the processes via which unintended consequences may occur. Schools' lack of transparency regarding the targeting strategy and criteria led to feelings of confusion and mistrust among some young women. Black and minority ethnic young women perceived that the assessment of their risk was based on stereotyping. Others felt their outgoing character was misinterpreted as signifying risk. To manage these imposed labels, stigma and reputational risks, young women responded to being targeted by adopting strategies, such as distancing, silence and refusal. To limit harmful consequences, programmes could involve prospective participants in determining their need for intervention or introduce programmes for young people at all levels of risk.
How does religious attendance shape trajectories of pornography use across adolescence?☆
Authors: Rasmussen Kyler , Alex Bierman
Published: April 2016

Research increasingly calls attention to the possibility of detrimental consequences of pornography use among adolescents. However, few studies examine adolescent pornography consumption longitudinally or consistently examine the role of religion in shaping pornography consumption, despite an established theoretical basis for the moderating effects of religious attendance on pornography consumption. Using a national longitudinal survey that follows respondents from adolescence into young adulthood, we show that pornography use increases sharply with age, especially among boys. Pornography consumption is weaker at higher levels of religious attendance, particularly among boys, and religious attendance also weakens age‐based increases in pornography consumption for both boys and girls. Overall, pornography use increases across adolescence into young adulthood, but immersion in a religious community can help weaken these increases. Future research should follow respondents across adulthood, as well as examine additional aspects of religiosity (e.g., types of religious belief or the regular practice of prayer).
Potential Ceiling Effect of Healthcare Worker Influenza Vaccination on the Incidence of Nosocomial Influenza Infection
Authors: Dionne Brandon , Brett Meghan , Culbreath Karissa , Mercier Renee-Claude
Published: April 2016

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of healthcare worker (HCW) influenza vaccination on the incidence of nosocomial influenza

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional study

SETTING

A 550-bed tertiary-care academic medical center

METHODS

All admitted patients with a direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay positive for influenza ordered between October 1 and May 31 from 2010 to 2015 were eligible for inclusion. Nosocomial influenza was defined as a positive influenza test collected ≥48 hours after admission in patients without influenza-like illness present within 24 hours of admission. Relative nosocomial influenza frequency was calculated by dividing the number of nosocomial cases by the total number of admitted patients with influenza for each season. A univariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between HCW influenza vaccination coverage and nosocomial influenza.

RESULTS

Over 5 seasons, 533 patients had positive influenza tests during their hospitalization; 29 of these patients (5.4%) acquired influenza during their hospitalization. HCW vaccination coverage increased over the 5 seasons from 47% to 90% (P<.001). Despite an initial decrease in relative nosocomial influenza frequency during the first year (9% to 4.9%), subsequent seasons failed to show an additional decrease in nosocomial infections (4.3%, 5.2%, and 4.8%, respectively); the overall decrease in nosocomial influenza from the first season to the final season was not significant (P=.282). No association was detected between HCW vaccination coverage and nosocomial influenza (odds ratio [OR], 0.990; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.970–1.011).

CONCLUSION

HCW vaccination >50% may not have a significant effect on nosocomial influenza.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2016;37:840–844
Blowing a liquid curtain
Authors: Lhuissier H. , Brunet P. , Dorbolo S.
Published: April 2016

We study the response of a steady free-falling liquid curtain perturbed by focused air jets blowing perpendicularly against it. Asymmetric and symmetric perturbations are applied by using either a single pulsed jet or two identical steady jets facing each other. The response strongly depends on the curtain flow rate, and the location and strength of the perturbation. For pulsed asymmetric perturbations of increasing amplitude, sinuous wave, drop ejection, bubble ejection and hole opening are successively observed. For steady symmetric perturbations, a steady hole forms downstream in the wake. For this latter case, we present a model for the curtain thickness and the location of the hole in the wake in terms of the curtain flow rate and the size, flow rate and location of the jets. The adjustable-parameter-free expression we obtain compares favourably to the experiments provided that the perturbation is sufficiently small (jet stagnation pressure smaller than curtain stagnation pressure) and the liquid viscosity is negligible.
Variation in grain size and shape in a population of hull-less barley and its influence on yield and quality traits
Authors: SWANSTON J. S. , THOMAS W. T. B. , KEITH R. P. , MIDDLEFELL-WILLIAMS J. E.
Published: April 2016

Thirty-seven lines from a population derived from the hull-less barley cultivar, Penthouse, were grown in a replicated trial over three seasons and assessed for grain yield. Following harvest, a rapid test to measure grain dimensions was applied to all samples, to look for novel variation in grain size and shape, as a possible way of detecting mutations. A range of grain and malt quality traits was also measured in two of the seasons, to detect genotype × season interactions and determine relationships between the measured traits. There were significant differences between years for all traits and between genotypes for most. Genotype × season interaction was significant for grain dimensions and some malting traits, but a correlation between malting quality and grain dimensions was only observed in one season. Line 30 showed very high yield potential in a comparatively wet season and gave a higher alcohol yield per unit area than a hulled control variety, while lines 21 and 33 contained putative additional mutations. Line 21, previously observed to have higher enzyme activity, appeared to contain an additional dwarfing gene and was characterized by smaller grain, later ear emergence and lower yield. Line 33, with malting potential, showed considerably altered grain length to width ratio and will be further investigated as a possible globosum type.
Charles E. Curran: Catholic Theologian, Priest, Prophet
Authors: Maguire Daniel C.
Published: April 2016

To introduce so dear a friend and so esteemed a colleague, I repair for help to five distinguished, tone-setting keynoters. Each of these keynoters touches themes that reflect the life and the theological mission of Charles E. Curran.

My first keynoter is Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. In his Presidential Address to the Catholic Theological Society of America he said that Vatican II “implicitly taught the legitimacy and even the value of dissent.” The council, said Dulles, conceded “that the ordinary magisterium of the Roman Pontiff had fallen into error, and had unjustly harmed the careers of loyal and able theologians.” He mentioned John Courtney Murray, Teilhard de Chardin, Henri de Lubac, and Yves Congar. He could surely add the name of Charles E. Curran. Dulles said that certain teachings of the hierarchy “seem to evade in a calculated way the findings of modern scholarship. They are drawn up without broad consultation with the theological community. Instead, a few carefully selected theologians are asked to defend a pre-established position….” Dulles aligned himself with those theologians who do not limit the term “magisterium” to the hierarchy. He spoke of “two magisteria—that of the pastors and that of the theologians.” These two magisteria are “complementary and mutually corrective.” The theological magisterium may critique the hierarchical magisterium.
Aristotle on agency, habits and institutions
Authors: CRESPO RICARDO F.
Published: April 2016

This paper introduces Aristotle's conception of agency, habits and institutions as a way of contributing to some current discussions about the definition, nature and theory of institutions. Aristotle developed a theory of human action, where we can find a place for ‘agency’. His views on habits are linked to his theory of virtue and art (skill). Concerning institutions, Aristotle provides a sound social and political philosophy that encompasses the nature and role of institutions. The paper will subsequently present Aristotle's ideas on these three notions – agency, habits and institutions – and will finally establish which of the current accounts of institutions involved in the discussion sparked by Hindriks and Guala's recent paper (2005a) he would support. Given that some realities tackled in the paper are nowadays radically different from Aristotle's times, the paper tries to keep an ‘Aristotelian-minded’ point of view – that is, analysing current topics based on Aristotelian concepts.
Finance Head Urges Strong Climate Mitigation, Adaptation Steps
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: April 2016

Countries ratifying the Paris climate agreement need strong financial incentives to convince them to choose renewables over fossil fuels, according to World Bank president.
Identification of a new electron-transfer relaxation pathway in photoexcited pyrrole dimers
Authors: Neville Simon P. , Kirkby Oliver M. , Kaltsoyannis Nikolas , Worth Graham A. , Fielding Helen H.
Published: April 2016

Photoinduced electron transfer is central to many biological processes and technological applications, such as the harvesting of solar energy and molecular electronics. The electron donor and acceptor units involved in electron transfer are often held in place by covalent bonds, π–π interactions or hydrogen bonds. Here, using time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations, we reveal the existence of a new, low-energy, photoinduced electron-transfer mechanism in molecules held together by an NH⋯π bond. Specifically, we capture the electron-transfer process in a pyrrole dimer, from the excited π-system of the donor pyrrole to a Rydberg orbital localized on the N-atom of the acceptor pyrrole, mediated by an N–H stretch on the acceptor molecule. The resulting charge-transfer state is surprisingly long lived and leads to efficient electronic relaxation. We propose that this relaxation pathway plays an important role in biological and technological systems containing the pyrrole building block.
Phonon arithmetic in a trapped ion system
Authors: Um Mark , Zhang Junhua , Lv Dingshun , Lu Yao , An Shuoming , Zhang Jing-Ning , Nha Hyunchul , Kim M. S. , Kim Kihwan
Published: April 2016

Single-quantum level operations are important tools to manipulate a quantum state. Annihilation or creation of single particles translates a quantum state to another by adding or subtracting a particle, depending on how many are already in the given state. The operations are probabilistic and the success rate has yet been low in their experimental realization. Here we experimentally demonstrate (near) deterministic addition and subtraction of a bosonic particle, in particular a phonon of ionic motion in a harmonic potential. We realize the operations by coupling phonons to an auxiliary two-level system and applying transitionless adiabatic passage. We show handy repetition of the operations on various initial states and demonstrate by the reconstruction of the density matrices that the operations preserve coherences. We observe the transformation of a classical state to a highly non-classical one and a Gaussian state to a non-Gaussian one by applying a sequence of operations deterministically.
Inhaler technique: facts and fantasies. A view from the Aerosol Drug Management Improvement Team (ADMIT)
Authors: Levy Mark L , Dekhuijzen P N R , Barnes P J , Broeders M , Corrigan C J , Chawes B L , Corbetta L , Dubus J C , Hausen Th , Lavorini F , Roche N , Sanchis J , Usmani Omar S , Viejo J , Vincken W , Voshaar Th , Crompton G K , Pedersen Soren
Published: April 2016

Health professionals tasked with advising patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) how to use inhaler devices properly and what to do about unwanted effects will be aware of a variety of commonly held precepts. The evidence for many of these is, however, lacking or old and therefore in need of re-examination. Few would disagree that facilitating and encouraging regular and proper use of inhaler devices for the treatment of asthma and COPD is critical for successful outcomes. It seems logical that the abandonment of unnecessary or ill-founded practices forms an integral part of this process: the use of inhalers is bewildering enough, particularly with regular introduction of new drugs, devices and ancillary equipment, without unnecessary and pointless adages. We review the evidence, or lack thereof, underlying ten items of inhaler ‘lore’ commonly passed on by health professionals to each other and thence to patients. The exercise is intended as a pragmatic, evidence-informed review by a group of clinicians with appropriate experience. It is not intended to be an exhaustive review of the literature; rather, we aim to stimulate debate, and to encourage researchers to challenge some of these ideas and to provide new, updated evidence on which to base relevant, meaningful advice in the future. The discussion on each item is followed by a formal, expert opinion by members of the ADMIT Working Group.
Divergence of ecosystem services in U.S. National Forests and Grasslands under a changing climate
Authors: Duan Kai , Sun Ge , Sun Shanlei , Caldwell Peter V. , Cohen Erika C. , McNulty Steven G. , Aldridge Heather D. , Zhang Yang
Published: April 2016

The 170 National Forests and Grasslands (NFs) in the conterminous United States are public lands that provide important ecosystem services such as clean water and timber supply to the American people. This study investigates the potential impacts of climate change on two key ecosystem functions (i.e., water yield and ecosystem productivity) using the most recent climate projections derived from 20 Global Climate Models (GCMs) of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5). We find that future climate change may result in a significant reduction in water yield but an increase in ecosystem productivity in NFs. On average, gross ecosystem productivity is projected to increase by 76 ~ 229 g C m−2 yr−1 (8% ~ 24%) while water yield is projected to decrease by 18 ~ 31 mm yr−1 (4% ~ 7%) by 2100 as a result of the combination of increased air temperature (+1.8 ~ +5.2 °C) and precipitation (+17 ~ +51 mm yr−1). The notable divergence in ecosystem services of water supply and carbon sequestration is expected to intensify under higher greenhouse gas emission and associated climate change in the future, posing greater challenges to managing NFs for both ecosystem services.
Brief wide-field photostimuli evoke and modulate oscillatory reverberating activity in cortical networks
Authors: Pulizzi Rocco , Musumeci Gabriele , Van den Haute Chris , Van De Vijver Sebastiaan , Baekelandt Veerle , Giugliano Michele
Published: April 2016

Cell assemblies manipulation by optogenetics is pivotal to advance neuroscience and neuroengineering. In in vivo applications, photostimulation often broadly addresses a population of cells simultaneously, leading to feed-forward and to reverberating responses in recurrent microcircuits. The former arise from direct activation of targets downstream and are straightforward to interpret. The latter are consequence of feedback connectivity and may reflect a variety of time-scales and complex dynamical properties. We investigated wide-field photostimulation in cortical networks in vitro, employing substrate-integrated microelectrode arrays and long-term cultured neuronal networks. We characterized the effect of brief light pulses, while restricting the expression of channelrhodopsin to principal neurons. We evoked robust reverberating responses, oscillating in the physiological gamma frequency range and found that such a frequency could be reliably manipulated varying the light pulse duration, not its intensity. By pharmacology, mathematical modelling and intracellular recordings, we conclude that gamma oscillations likely emerge as in vivo from the excitatory-inhibitory interplay and that, unexpectedly, the light stimuli transiently facilitate excitatory synaptic transmission. Of relevance for in vitro models of (dys)functional cortical microcircuitry and in vivo manipulations of cell assemblies, we give for the first time evidence of network-level consequences of the alteration of synaptic physiology by optogenetics.
Sub-kT/q Subthreshold-Slope Using Negative Capacitance in Low-Temperature Polycrystalline-Silicon Thin-Film Transistor
Authors: Park Jae Hyo , Jang Gil Su , Kim Hyung Yoon , Seok Ki Hwan , Chae Hee Jae , Lee Sol Kyu , Joo Seung Ki
Published: April 2016

Realizing a low-temperature polycrystalline-silicon (LTPS) thin-film transistor (TFT) with sub-kT/q subthreshold slope (SS) is significantly important to the development of next generation active-matrix organic-light emitting diode displays. This is the first time a sub-kT/q SS (31.44 mV/dec) incorporated with a LTPS-TFT with polycrystalline-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT)/ZrTiO4 (ZTO) gate dielectrics has been demonstrated. The sub-kT/q SS was observed in the weak inversion region at −0.5 V showing ultra-low operating voltage with the highest mobility (250.5 cm2/Vsec) reported so far. In addition, the reliability of DC negative bias stress, hot carrier stress and self-heating stress in LTPS-TFT with negative capacitance was investigated for the first time. It was found that the self-heating stress showed accelerated SS degradation due to the PZT Curie temperature.
Optical strain based pre-failure indication in failure process of geomaterials
Authors: Bhattacharjee Sudipta , Deb Debasis
Published: April 2016

Multilevel extended digital image correlation (X-DIC) technique based on finite element method (FEM) is applied for measuring deformation of geomaterials under uni-axial loading condition. The concept of Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is introduced for smoothing computed displacements as well as for calculating strain tensors at every nodal point of FEM mesh. Cumulative effective strain estimated from strain tensors is found to be a well suited parameter to identify the change in stress-strain behaviour in experimented samples. Further analysis suggests that onset of microcrack development and yielding in samples can also be identified using this parameter. Based on these findings, an indicator is developed for determining onset of both microcrack development and yielding in geomaterials. This indicator is found to be related to volumetric strains and may also signify dilation of the sample. The potential of the developed indicator is tested by conducting four experimental works with concrete and rock samples.
Highly Efficient F, Cu doped TiO2 anti-bacterial visible light active photocatalytic coatings to combat hospital-acquired infections
Authors: Leyland Nigel S. , Podporska-Carroll Joanna , Browne John , Hinder Steven J. , Quilty Brid , Pillai Suresh C.
Published: April 2016

Bacterial infections are a major threat to the health of patients in healthcare facilities including hospitals. One of the major causes of patient morbidity is infection with Staphylococcus aureus. One of the the most dominant nosocomial bacteria, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been reported to survive on hospital surfaces (e.g. privacy window glasses) for up to 5 months. None of the current anti-bacterial technology is efficient in eliminating Staphylococcus aureus. A novel transparent, immobilised and superhydrophilic coating of titanium dioxide, co-doped with fluorine and copper has been prepared on float glass substrates. Antibacterial activity has demonstrated (by using Staphylococcus aureus), resulting from a combination of visible light activated (VLA) photocatalysis and copper ion toxicity. Co-doping with copper and fluorine has been shown to improve the performance of the coating, relative to a purely fluorine-doped VLA photocatalyst. Reductions in bacterial population of log10 = 4.2 under visible light irradiation and log10 = 1.8 in darkness have been achieved, compared with log10 = 1.8 under visible light irradiation and no activity, for a purely fluorine-doped titania. Generation of reactive oxygen species from the photocatalytic coatings is the major factor that significantly reduces the bacterial growth on the glass surfaces.
Yeast V-ATPase Proteolipid Ring Acts as a Large-conductance Transmembrane Protein Pore
Authors: Couoh-Cardel Sergio , Hsueh Yi-Ching , Wilkens Stephan , Movileanu Liviu
Published: April 2016

The vacuolar H+ -ATPase (V-ATPase) is a rotary motor enzyme that acidifies intracellular organelles and the extracellular milieu in some tissues. Besides its canonical proton-pumping function, V-ATPase’s membrane sector, Vo, has been implicated in non-canonical functions including membrane fusion and neurotransmitter release. Here, we report purification and biophysical characterization of yeast V-ATPase c subunit ring (c-ring) using electron microscopy and single-molecule electrophysiology. We find that yeast c-ring forms dimers mediated by the c subunits’ cytoplasmic loops. Electrophysiology measurements of the c-ring reconstituted into a planar lipid bilayer revealed a large unitary conductance of ~8.3 nS. Thus, the data support a role of V-ATPase c-ring in membrane fusion and neuronal communication.
Genipin crosslinking reduced the immunogenicity of xenogeneic decellularized porcine whole-liver matrices through regulation of immune cell proliferation and polarization
Authors: Wang Yujia , Bao Ji , Wu Xiujuan , Wu Qiong , Li Yi , Zhou Yongjie , Li Li , Bu Hong
Published: April 2016

Decellularized xenogeneic whole-liver matrices are plausible biomedical materials for the bioengineering of liver transplantation. A common method to reduce the inflammatory potential of xenogeneic matrices is crosslinking. Nevertheless, a comprehensive analysis of the immunogenic features of cross-linked decellularized tissue is still lacking. We aimed to reduce the immunogenicity of decellularized porcine whole-liver matrix through crosslinking with glutaraldehyde or genipin, a new natural agent and investigated the mechanism of the immune-mediated responses. The histologic assessment of the host’s immune reaction activated in response to these scaffolds, as well as the M1/M2 phenotypic polarization profile of macrophages, was studied in vivo. The genipin-fixed scaffold elicited a predominantly M2 phenotype response, while the glutaraldehyde-fixed scaffold resulted in disrupted host tissue remodeling and a mixed macrophage polarization profile. The specific subsets of immune cells involved in the responses to the scaffolds were identified in vitro. Crosslinking alleviated the host response by reducing the proliferation of lymphocytes and their subsets, accompanied by a decreased release of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Therefore, we conclude that the natural genipin crosslinking could lower the immunogenic potential of xenogeneic decellularized whole-liver scaffolds.
One-pot non-enzymatic formation of firefly luciferin in a neutral buffer from p-benzoquinone and cysteine
Authors: Kanie Shusei , Nishikawa Toshio , Ojika Makoto , Oba Yuichi
Published: April 2016

Firefly luciferin, the substrate for the bioluminescence reaction of luminous beetles, possesses a benzothiazole ring, which is rare in nature. Here, we demonstrate a novel one-pot reaction to give firefly luciferin in a neutral buffer from p-benzoquinone and cysteine without any synthetic reagents or enzymes. The formation of firefly luciferin was low in yield in various neutral buffers, whereas it was inhibited or completely prevented in acidic or basic buffers, in organic solvents, or under a nitrogen atmosphere. Labelling analysis of the firefly luciferin using stable isotopic cysteines showed that the benzothiazole ring was formed via the decarboxylation and carbon-sulfur bond rearrangement of cysteine. These findings imply that the biosynthesis of firefly luciferin can be developed/evolved from the non-enzymatic production of firefly luciferin using common primary biosynthetic units, p-benzoquinone and cysteine.
Regiospecific synthesis of prenylated flavonoids by a prenyltransferase cloned from Fusarium oxysporum
Authors: Yang Xiaoman , Yang Jiali , Jiang Yueming , Yang Hongshun , Yun Ze , Rong Weiliang , Yang Bao
Published: April 2016

Due to their impressive pharmaceutical activities and safety, prenylated flavonoids have a high potent to be applied as medicines and nutraceuticals. Biocatalysis is an effective technique to synthesize prenylated flavonoids. The major concern of this technique is that the microbe-derived prenyltransferases usually have poor regiospecificity and generate multiple prenylated products. In this work, a highly regiospecific prenyltransferase (FoPT1) was found from Fusarium oxysporum. It could recognize apigenin, naringenin, genistein, dihydrogenistein, kampferol, luteolin and hesperetin as substrates and only 6-C-prenylated flavonoids were detected as the products. The catalytic efficiency of FoPT1 on flavonoids was in a decreasing order with hesperetin >naringenin >apigenin >genistein >luteolin >dihydrogenistein >kaempferol. Chalcones, flavanols and stilbenes were not active when acting as the substrates. 5,7-Dihydroxy and 4-carbonyl groups of flavonid were required for the catalysis. 2,3-Alkenyl was beneficial to the catalysis whereas 3-hydroxy impaired the prenylation reaction. Docking studies simulated the prenyl transfer reaction of FoPT1. E186 was involved in the formation of prenyl carbonium ion. E98, F89, F182, Y197 and E246 positioned apigenin for catalysis.
Hollow Au–Ag bimetallic nanoparticles with high photothermal stability
Authors: Carrillo-Torres R. C. , García-Soto M. J. , Morales-Chávez S. D. , Garibay-Escobar A. , Hernández-Paredes J. , Guzmán R. , Barboza-Flores M. , Álvarez-Ramos M. E.
Published: April 2016

We report the synthesis of hollow Au–Ag bimetallic nanoparticles with high photothermal stability under NIR irradiation.
Electroanalytical sensing of the antimicrobial drug linezolid utilising an electrochemical sensing platform based upon a multiwalled carbon nanotubes/bromocresol green modified carbon paste electrode
Authors: Mohamed Mona A. , Abdelwahab Nada S. , Banks Craig E.
Published: April 2016

The electroanalytical sensing of linezolid is reported using a multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/bromocresol green (BCG) modified carbon paste electrode.
Functional porous composites by blending with solution-processable molecular pores
Authors: Jiang S. , Chen L. , Briggs M. E. , Hasell T. , Cooper A. I.
Published: April 2016

Porous scrambled cages can be homogenously blended with both functional molecules and non-porous polymers to form functional porous composites materials.
Auto-oxidative hydroxysulfenylation of alkenes
Authors: Huo Congde , Wang Yajun , Yuan Yong , Chen Fengjuan , Tang Jing
Published: April 2016

One-pot auto-oxidation mediated hydroxysulfenylation of electron-deficient and electron-rich olefins with phenthiols was explored.
Chemical bonding motifs from a tiling of the many-electron wavefunction
Authors: Liu Yu , Frankcombe Terry J. , Schmidt Timothy W.
Published: April 2016

A method is presented to partition the 3N-dimensional space of a many-electron wavefunction into hyper-regions related by permutation symmetry.
Efficient access to cis-decalinol frameworks: copper(i)-catalyzed borylative cyclization of allene cyclohexanediones
Authors: Zhao Yi-Shuang , Tang Xiao-Qi , Tao Jing-Chao , Tian Ping , Lin Guo-Qiang
Published: April 2016

Cu-catalyzed borylative cyclization of allene cyclohexanediones has been achieved to afford cis-decalinols with excellent yields and diastereoselectivities.
Langmuir monolayer assisted formation of cadmium sulfide nanoparticles at the air–water interface and their role in the alignment of bulk liquid crystals
Authors: Karthik C. , Manjuladevi V. , Gupta R. K.
Published: April 2016

Metal-sulfide nanoparticles can be fabricated by a one-step synthetic route by forming a Langmuir monolayer of long chain fatty acids over a subphase possessing metal ions and H2S gas in an air medium.
Enhancement of hydrocarbon production and catalyst stability during catalytic conversion of biomass pyrolysis-derived compounds over hierarchical HZSM-5
Authors: Shao S. S. , Zhang H. Y. , Shen D. K. , Xiao R.
Published: April 2016

Alkali treated ZSM-5 with sheet-like mesopores showed higher yield of hydrocarbons in CFP of biomass, withstanding long-running over catalysis-regeneration cycles.
(Fe1−xNix)3N nanoparticles: the structure, magnetic and photocatalytic properties for water splitting
Authors: Lei Xiang , Zhang Peng , Wang Xiaobai , Wang Wei , Yang Hua
Published: April 2016

Fe3N and (Fe1−xNix)3N nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via a simple sol–gel method.
Roll coated large area ITO- and vacuum-free all organic solar cells from diketopyrrolopyrrole based non-fullerene acceptors with molecular geometry effects
Authors: Brandt Rasmus Guldbæk , Zhang Fei , Andersen Thomas Rieks , Angmo Dechan , Shi Minmin , Gurevich Leonid , Krebs Frederik C. , Andreasen Jens Wenzel , Yu Donghong
Published: April 2016

We investigate three diketopyrrolopyrrole based small molecular non-fullerene acceptors with molecular geometry effect on mainly their PV performance of both spin-coated ITO based and roll coated large area, ITO- and vacuum-free organic solar cells.
Elucidation of the bonding of a near infrared dye to hollow gold nanospheres – a chalcogen tripod
Authors: Kearns H. , Sengupta S. , Sasselli I. Ramos , Bromley III L. , Faulds K. , Tuttle T. , Bedics M. A. , Detty M. R. , Velarde L. , Graham D. , Smith W. E.
Published: April 2016

Determining how Raman labels orientate on the surface of HGNs to aid in future advancements of designing NIR nanosensors.
Self-assembled, nanostructured coatings for water oxidation by alternating deposition of Cu-branched peptide electrocatalysts and polyelectrolytes
Authors: Farkas Enikő , Srankó Dávid , Kerner Zsolt , Setner Bartosz , Szewczuk Zbigniew , Malinka Wiesław , Horvath Robert , Szyrwiel Łukasz , Pap József S.
Published: April 2016

This work demonstrates the heterogenization of homogeneous water oxidation electrocatalysts in surface coatings produced by combining the substances with a suitable polyelectrolyte.
Essential role of hydride ion in ruthenium-based ammonia synthesis catalysts
Authors: Kitano Masaaki , Inoue Yasunori , Ishikawa Hiroki , Yamagata Kyosuke , Nakao Takuya , Tada Tomofumi , Matsuishi Satoru , Yokoyama Toshiharu , Hara Michikazu , Hosono Hideo
Published: April 2016

Ruthenium-loaded metal hydrides with hydrogen vacancies function as efficient catalysts for ammonia synthesis under low temperature and low pressure conditions.
Is Continuous Low-Dose Prophylaxis Superior to On-Demand Treatment for Patients with Hemophilia?
Authors: Windyga Jerzy
Published: April 2016

Long-term (or continuous) prophylaxis is generally accepted as the best form of treatment for patients with severe hemophilia A and B. Results of recent prospective, randomized clinical trials, as well as observational studies performed in the last decades, have provided strong and convincing evidence that continuous prophylaxis leads to reduction in the number of bleeding episodes, better joint status and improved health-related quality of life as compared with on-demand (or episodic) treatment. Nevertheless, many questions regarding long-term prophylaxis still remain open, for instance: when should prophylaxis be started (before or after the first joint bleeding), what is the optimal dosage to replace the missing factor, when should discontinuation of long-term prophylaxis be considered, what is the best way to measure the outcome of prophylaxis, etc. Moreover, there are numerous obstacles to widespread use of prophylactic therapy. The most challenging seem to be adequate venous access (particularly in younger patients) and patients' adherence. The crucial barrier to long-term prophylaxis is, however, the remarkably high cost of clotting factor concentrates. For most countries high-dose or intermediate-dose prophylaxis regimens are not affordable due to lack of economic resources. So, is continuous prophylaxis reserved exclusively for wealthy societies? Fortunately, there is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that low-dose prophylaxis offers significant benefits over on-demand treatment with comparable amounts of factor concentrate (and much lower amounts if compared with intermediate or high-dose prophylaxis regimens). The aim of this article is to discuss the clinical and economical aspects of continuous prophylaxis in hemophilia with emphasis on the low-dose regimens.
Ferromagnetic resonance of exchange-coupled perpendicularly magnetized bilayers
Authors: Devolder Thibaut
Published: April 2016

Strong ferromagnetic interlayer exchange couplings J in perpendicularly magnetized systems are becoming increasingly desirable for applications. We study whether ferromagnetic interlayer exchange couplings can be measured by a combination of broadband ferromagnetic resonance methods and magnetometry hysteresis loops. For this, we model the switching and the eigenexcitations in bilayer systems comprising a soft layer coupled to a thicker harder layer that possesses higher perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. For large J > 0, the switching fields are essentially independent of J but the frequency of the optical eigenmode of the bilayer and the linewidth of the acoustical and optical eigenmode are directly sensitive to the coupling. We derive a corpus of compact analytical expressions to analyze these frequencies, their linewidth and discuss the meaning thereof. We illustrate this corpus on a system mimicking the fixed layers of a magnetic tunnel junction meant for spin torque applications.
Research Update: Preserving the photoluminescence efficiency of near infrared emitting nanocrystals when embedded in a polymer matrix
Authors: Solomeshch Olga , Tessler Nir
Published: April 2016

Near infrared light emitting nanocrystals are known to lose efficiency when embedded in a polymer matrix. One of the factors leading to reduced efficiency is the labile nature of the ligands that may desorb off the nanocrystal surface when the nanocrystals are in the polymer solution. We show that adding trioctylphosphine to the nanocrystal-poly(methylmethacrylate) solution prior to film casting enhances the photoluminescence efficiency. The solid films’ photoluminescence quantum efficiency values are reduced by less than a factor of two in the solid form compared to the solution case. We demonstrate record efficiency values of 25% for lead sulfide nanocrystals solid films emitting at 1100 nm.