bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural determinants of Neosartorya fischeri antifungal protein (NFAP) for folding, stability and antifungal activity
Authors: Galgóczy László , Borics Attila , Virágh Máté , Ficze Hargita , Váradi Györgyi , Kele Zoltán , Marx Florentine
Published: May 2017

The recent global challenges to prevent and treat fungal infections strongly demand for the development of new antifungal strategies. The structurally very similar cysteine-rich antifungal proteins from ascomycetes provide a feasible basis for designing new antifungal molecules. The main structural elements responsible for folding, stability and antifungal activity are not fully understood, although this is an essential prerequisite for rational protein design. In this study, we used the Neosartorya fischeri antifungal protein (NFAP) to investigate the role of the disulphide bridges, the hydrophobic core, and the N-terminal amino acids in the formation of a highly stable, folded, and antifungal active protein. NFAP and its mutants carrying cysteine deletion (NFAPΔC), hydrophobic core deletion (NFAPΔh), and N-terminal amino acids exchanges (NFAPΔN) were produced in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant NFAP showed the same features in structure, folding, stability and activity as the native protein. The data acquired with mass spectrometry, structural analyses and antifungal activity assays of NFAP and its mutants proved the importance of the disulphide bonding, the hydrophobic core and the correct N-terminus for folding, stability and full antifungal function. Our findings provide further support to the comprehensive understanding of the structure-function relationship in members of this protein group.
Complex hierarchical microstructures of Cambrian mollusk Pelagiella: insight into early biomineralization and evolution
Authors: Li Luoyang , Zhang Xingliang , Yun Hao , Li Guoxiang
Published: May 2017

Shell microstructure and mineralogy ofPelagiella madianensisZhou & Xiao, 1984, a globally distributed Cambrian micromollusk, are investigated based on abundant and extraordinarily well-preserved specimens from Xinji Formation, Longxian, Shaanxi, North China. Five types of aragonitic microstructures have been recognized. The lamello-fibrillar microstructure, previously known fromPelagiella, constructs the outermost shell layer, while the remaining four types are reported here for the first time in this genus. They include fibrous foliated, foliated aragonite, crossed foliated lamellar and isolated tablets. The animal constructs these five types of microstructures to build its shell in a complex hierarchical pattern with four orders: crystallite columns, laths, folia and lamellae. These findings demonstrate that the capability of building complex shell microstructures had already evolved by the Cambrian explosion. In addition, this work shows that early aragonitic shells were constructed with fibers, laths, folia and isolated tablets, indicating increased controls over biomineralization by the animal.
Functional roles of cadherin, aminopeptidase-N and alkaline phosphatase from Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) in the action mechanism of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2Aa
Authors: Zhao Man , Yuan Xiangdong , Wei Jizhen , Zhang Wanna , Wang Bingjie , Myint Khaing Myint , Liang Gemei
Published: May 2017

A pyramid strategy combining the Cry1A and Cry2A toxins in Bt crops has been widely used throughout the world to delay pest adaption to transgenic crops and broaden the insecticidal spectrum. Midgut membrane-bound cadherin (CAD), aminopeptidase-N (APN) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) are important for Cry1A toxicity in some lepidopteran larvae, but the proteins that bind Cry2A in the midgut of target insects and their role in the Cry2A mechanism of action are still unclear. In this study, we found that heterologously expressed CAD, APN4 and ALP2 peptides from the midgut of Helicoverpa armigera could bind to the Cry2Aa toxin with a high affinity. Additionally, the efficiency of Cry2Aa insecticidal activity against H. armigera larvae was obviously reduced after the genes encoding these proteins were silenced with specific siRNAs: CAD- and ALP2-silenced larvae showed significantly similar reductions in mortality due to the Cry2Aa toxin (41.67% and 43.06%, respectively), whereas a larger reduction in mortality was observed in APN4-silenced larvae (61.11%) than in controls. These results suggest that CAD, APN4 and ALP2 are involved in the mechanism of action of Cry2Aa in H. armigera and may play important functional roles in the toxicity of the Cry2Aa toxin.
A novel composite scaffold comprising ultralong hydroxyapatite microtubes and chitosan: preparation and application in drug delivery
Authors: Zhang Yong-Gang , Zhu Ying-Jie , Chen Feng , Sun Tuan-Wei
Published: May 2017

The composite scaffold comprising ultralong hydroxyapatite microtubes and chitosan with high drug loading capacity and sustained drug release properties has been successfully prepared.
Lithium trapping in alloy forming electrodes and current collectors for lithium based batteries
Authors: Rehnlund David , Lindgren Fredrik , Böhme Solveig , Nordh Tim , Zou Yiming , Pettersson Jean , Bexell Ulf , Boman Mats , Edström Kristina , Nyholm Leif
Published: May 2017

Significant capacity losses due to lithium trapping are demonstrated for lithium alloy forming anode materials such as silicon and tin.
Fluid shear stress combined with shear stress spatial gradients regulates vascular endothelial morphology
Authors: Yoshino Daisuke , Sakamoto Naoya , Sato Masaaki
Published: May 2017

The magnitude of the relationship between shear stress (SS) and SS gradient plays an important role in regulating endothelial cell (EC) polarity and the resulting morphological changes in ECs in response to fluid flow.
Stabilization of the thermal decomposition process of self-reducible copper ion ink for direct printed conductive patterns
Authors: Huang Kuan-Ming , Tsukamoto Hiroki , Yong Yingqiong , Chiu Hsien-Lung , Nguyen Mai Thanh , Yonezawa Tetsu , Liao Ying-Chih
Published: May 2017

An alkylamine is added to stabilize the thermal decomposition process and to improve the surface morphology of printed patterns. The adhesion and mechanical stability of the copper thin films are also investigated.
Pyrolysis products and thermal degradation mechanism of intrinsically flame-retardant carrageenan fiber
Authors: Xue Zhixin , Zhang Weiwei , Yan Miao , Liu Jingjing , Wang Bingbing , Xia Yanzhi
Published: May 2017

Carrageenan fiber (CAF) was prepared by a wet spinning method to develop an excellent flame-retardant material.
One-pot homopolymerization of thiophene-fused isoindigo for ambient-stable ambipolar organic field-effect transistors
Authors: Zhang Huanrui , Zhao Zhiyuan , Zhao Na , Xie Yu , Cai Mian , Wang Xiao , Liu Yunqi , Lan Zhenggang , Wan Xiaobo
Published: May 2017

The homopolymer that was directly obtainedviaone-pot polymerization exhibited much higher ambipolar transport behavior than the copolymer.
Biofabrication of Fe nanoparticles in aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa with enhanced photocatalytic activities
Authors: Alshehri Abdulmohsen , Malik Maqsood Ahmad , Khan Zaheer , Al-Thabaiti Shaeel Ahmed , Hasan Nazim
Published: May 2017

Hibiscus sabdariffa is a strongly basic dye with a large number of medicinal applications and is used for various diagnostic purposes.
Effect of applied force and atomic organization of copper on its adhesion to a graphene substrate
Authors: Kumar Sunil
Published: May 2017

Copper/graphene composites are lightweight and possess many attractive properties such as improved mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties.
A Cr2O3/MWCNTs composite as a superior electrode material for supercapacitor
Authors: Chen Bingwei , Wang Yanfang , Li Chunyang , Fu Lijun , Liu Xiang , Zhu Yusong , Zhang Lixin , Wu Yuping
Published: May 2017

A Cr2O3/MWCNTs composite exhibited high specific capacitance and good cycling stability a in 1 M KOH aqueous solution. This suggests that Cr2O3 can be promising for practical applications in supercapacitors.
Morphology and phase tuning of α- and β-MnO2nanocacti evolved at varying modes of acid count for their well-coordinated energy storage and visible-light-driven photocatalytic behaviour
Authors: Kumar Niraj , Sen Arijit , Rajendran Kumuthini , Rameshbabu R. , Ragupathi Jeevani , Therese Helen Annal , Maiyalagan T.
Published: May 2017

α and β of MnO2nanocacti (comprising nanowires with 1–10 nm diameter self assembled by ultrathin sheets) as well as MnO2nanorods (10–40 nm diameter) are synthesized without any seed or template.
Nitrogen-doped carbon composites derived from 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane-based metal–organic frameworks for supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Tong Yongli , Ji Dong , Wang Ping , Zhou Hu , Akhtar Kazim , Shen Xiaoping , Zhang Junhao , Yuan Aihua
Published: May 2017

N-doped carbon composites prepared by calcining TCNQ-based Sr-MOF, as supercapacitors electrode and LIBs anodes, they exhibited excellent specific capacitance and cycle durability.
Electro-ultrafiltration to remove sodium dodecyl sulfate in proteins extracted for proteomics
Authors: Wang H. B. , Zhang Y. , Gui S. Q. , Feng Y. R. , Han H. C. , Mao S. H. , Lu F. P.
Published: May 2017

A creative electro-ultrafiltration method was developed to remove sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from proteins extracted for proteomics analysis.
Quantitative analysis of yeast growth process based on FT-NIR spectroscopy integrated with Gaussian mixture regression
Authors: Wang Wei , Jiang Hui , Liu Guohai , Chen Quansheng , Mei Congli , Li Kangji , Huang Yonghong
Published: May 2017

To improve the yield of industrial fermentation, herein, we report a method based on Fourier-transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) to predict the growth of yeast.
l-Arginine intercedes bio-crosslinking of a collagen–chitosan 3D-hybrid scaffold for tissue engineering and regeneration: in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies
Authors: Udhayakumar Sivalingam , Shankar Krishnakumar Gopal , Sowndarya Sampath , Venkatesh Sankar , Muralidharan Chellappa , Rose Chellan
Published: May 2017

Development ofl-arginine crosslinked three-dimensional collagen/chitosan hybrid scaffold for tissue engineering/regeneration.
Design of 3D WO3/h-BN nanocomposites for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysis
Authors: Yan Jia , Gu Jiemin , Wang Xin , Fan Yamin , Zhao Yan , Lian Jiabiao , Xu Yuanguo , Song Yanhua , Xu Hui , Li Huaming
Published: May 2017

3D WO3 nanoparticle/h-BN nanosheet composites (WO3/BN) have been designed and fabricated by a simple in situ one-step calcination method.
Synthetic approaches and in vitro cytotoxic evaluation of 2-acyl-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyanilino)-1,4-naphthoquinones
Authors: Valderrama Jaime A. , Cabrera Mónica , Benites Julio , Ríos David , Inostroza-Rivera Ricardo , Muccioli Giulio G. , Calderon Pedro Buc
Published: May 2017

2-Acyl-1,4-naphthoquinones react with 3,4,5-trimethoxyaniline, under aerobic conditions, to give benzophenanthridinequinone, benzocarbazole and 2-acyl-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyanilino)-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives.
Synergistic influence of halogenated flame retardants and nanoclay on flame performance of high density polyethylene and wood flour composites
Authors: Zhang Jinlong , Wu Qinglin , Li Guangyao , Li Mei-Chun , Sun Xiuxuan , Ring Dennis
Published: May 2017

High density polyethylene and wood flour (HDPE/WF) composites containing three flame modifiers (FMs) (i.e., two fire retardants: 1,2-bis(pentabromophenyl) and ethylene bis(tetrabromophthalimide), and one nanoclay), maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (MAPE) and other processing aids were prepared through twin-screw extrusion, and their properties were characterized.
Photoelectrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to methanol at cuprous oxide foam cathode
Authors: Yuan Jiongliang , Wang Xuan , Gu Chunhui , Sun Jianjun , Ding Wenming , Wei Jianjun , Zuo Xiaoyu , Hao Cunjiang
Published: May 2017

Photoelectrocatalytic performance of Cu2O foam electrodes for reduction of CO2 to methanol depends largely on exposed Cu2O{111} facets.
Polyaniline-modified nanocellulose prepared from Semantan bamboo by chemical polymerization: preparation and characterization
Authors: Razalli Rawaida Liyana , Abdi Mahnaz M. , Tahir Paridah M. , Moradbak Amin , Sulaiman Yusran , Heng Lee Yook
Published: May 2017

Polyaniline/crystalline nanocellulose (PANi/CNC) was preparedvia in situoxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of crystalline nanocellulose from Semantan bamboo (Gigantochloa scortechinii).
Confinement of alcohols to enhance CO2 capture in MIL-53(Al)
Authors: González-Martínez Gerardo A. , Zárate J. Antonio , Martínez Ana , Sánchez-González Elí , Álvarez J. Raziel , Lima Enrique , González-Zamora Eduardo , Ibarra Ilich A.
Published: May 2017

CO2 capture of MIL-53(Al) was enhanced by confining small amounts of MeOH and i-PrOH within its micropores.
Pd/APTPOSS@KCC-1 as a new and efficient support catalyst for C–H activation
Authors: Sadeghzadeh Seyed Mohsen , Zhiani Rahele , Emrani Shokufe
Published: May 2017

In this study, KCC-1 was functionalized with APTPOSS groups acting as the strong performers so that the Pd NPs were well-dispersed on the fibers of the KCC-1 microspheres.
Kinetics and gene diversity of denitrifying biocathode in biological electrochemical systems
Authors: Zhang Yongjia , Xu Weiwei , Xiang Yan , Xie Beizhen , Liu Hong , Wu Lina , Liang Dawei
Published: May 2017

Biocathodic nitrogen degradation kinetics match Monod model and Pseudomonas play an important role on denitrification biocathodes with different nitrogen substrates.
Four new phenylethanoid and flavonoid glycoside dimers from the fruits of Forsythia suspensa and their neuroprotective activities
Authors: Zhang Fan , Yang Ya-Nan , Feng Zi-Ming , Jiang Jian-Shuang , Zhang Pei-Cheng
Published: May 2017

Four new phenylethanoid and flavonoid glycoside dimers from the fruits ofForsythia suspensaand their neuroprotective activities.
Synthesis of quinolines from aniline and propanol over modified USY zeolite: catalytic performance and mechanism evaluated by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Huang Chen , Li An , Li Li-Jun , Chao Zi-Sheng
Published: May 2017

Synthetic passway of quinolines from aniline and propanol over modified USY catalyst.
Use of a next generation maleimide in combination with THIOMAB™ antibody technology delivers a highly stable, potent and near homogeneous THIOMAB™ antibody-drug conjugate (TDC)
Authors: Nunes João P. M. , Vassileva Vessela , Robinson Eifion , Morais Maurício , Smith Mark E. B. , Pedley R. Barbara , Caddick Stephen , Baker James R. , Chudasama Vijay
Published: May 2017

Conjugation of next generation maleimides to engineered cysteines in a THIOMAB™ antibody delivers a highly stable and potent THIOMAB™ antibody-drug conjugate.
Carbon-based composite materials for supercapacitor electrodes: a review
Authors: Borenstein Arie , Hanna Ortal , Attias Ran , Luski Shalom , Brousse Thierry , Aurbach Doron
Published: May 2017

Electrochemical capacitors, so-called supercapacitors, play an important role in energy storage and conversion systems.
Hybrid lithium-ion capacitors with asymmetric graphene electrodes
Authors: Sun Yige , Tang Jie , Qin Faxiang , Yuan Jinshi , Zhang Kun , Li Jing , Zhu Da-Ming , Qin Lu-Chang
Published: May 2017

A dual-graphene LIC delivered a high energy density of 222 W h kg−1 with a power density of 410 W kg−1.
General solution-processed formation of porous transition-metal oxides on exfoliated molybdenum disulfides for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Wang Kai , Yang Jing , Zhu Jixin , Li Le , Liu Ying , Zhang Chao , Liu Tianxi
Published: May 2017

High-performance asymmetric supercapacitor is designed with MoS2–NiO or MoS2–Co3O4 as positive electrode material and MoS2–Fe2O3 as negative electrode material via an easy and large-scale fabrication approach.
Interstitial boron-doped anatase TiO2 thin-films on optical fibres: atmospheric pressure-plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition as the key for functional oxide coatings on temperature-sensitive substrates
Authors: Quesada-González Miguel , Baba Kamal , Sotelo-Vázquez Carlos , Choquet Patrick , Carmalt Claire J. , Parkin Ivan P. , Boscher Nicolas D.
Published: May 2017

Synthesis of boron-doped anatase TiO2 thin films on temperature-sensitive polymeric optical fibres by AP-PECVD.
Acetic acid-induced preparation of anatase TiO2 mesocrystals at low temperature for enhanced Li-ion storage
Authors: Li Yong , Wang Shuan , Lei Danni , He Yan-Bing , Li Baohua , Kang Feiyu
Published: May 2017

TiO2 mesocrystals were prepared by a facile and controllable hydrolysis method at low temperature and presented an enhanced electrochemical performance.
Single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerators based on sponge-like porous PTFE thin films for mechanical energy harvesting and self-powered electronics
Authors: Wang Meng , Zhang Nan , Tang Yingjie , Zhang Heng , Ning Chuan , Tian Lan , Li Weihan , Zhang Jiahao , Mao Yanchao , Liang Erjun
Published: May 2017

A single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (S-TENG) based on sponge-like porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thin films was developed.
Polyoxime-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for uranium adsorption with high selectivity over vanadium
Authors: Xu Meiyun , Han Xiaoli , Hua Daoben
Published: May 2017

For the first time polyoxime was designed and conjugated onto magnetic nanoparticles for highly selective sorption of uranium against vanadium.
Synthesis of a nanostructured rutile TiO2 electron transporting layer via an etching process for efficient perovskite solar cells: impact of the structural and crystalline properties of TiO2
Authors: Mali Sawanta S. , Betty C. A. , Patil P. S. , Hong Chang Kook
Published: May 2017

In the present investigation, hollow and split nanostructures of rutile TiO2 have been synthesized using simple hydrothermal and chemical etching processes and applied for perovskite solar cells.
Self-regulating reversible photocatalytic-driven chromism of a cavity enhanced optical field TiO2/CuO nanocomposite
Authors: Gao Minmin , Ng Serene Wen Ling , Chen Lianwei , Hong Minghui , Ho Ghim Wei
Published: May 2017

We demonstrate a cavity enhanced optical field nanocomposite with self-regulating reversible photocatalytic-driven chromism for transmittance modulation and high-resolution ink-free rewritable patterning/printing.
Encapsulating silicon nanoparticles into mesoporous carbon forming pomegranate-structured microspheres as a high-performance anode for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Shen Tong , Xia Xin-hui , Xie Dong , Yao Zhu-jun , Zhong Yu , Zhan Ji-ye , Wang Dong-huang , Wu Jian-bo , Wang Xiu-li , Tu Jiang-ping
Published: May 2017

Pomegranate-structured Si/C mesoporous microspheres are fabricated by a facile one-step hydrothermal method with high cycling stability and superior rate capacity.
Biomedical applications of natural-based polymers combined with bioactive glass nanoparticles
Authors: Leite Á. J. , Mano J. F.
Published: May 2017

The combination of natural polymers with nanoparticles allowed the development of functional bioinspired constructs. This review discusses the composition, design, and applications of bioinspired nanocomposite constructs based on bioactive glass nanoparticles (BGNPs).
Designing polymeric adhesives for antimicrobial materials: poly(ethylene imine) polymer, graphene, graphene oxide and molybdenum trioxide – a biomimetic approach
Authors: Nguyen Hang N. , Nadres Enrico T. , Alamani Bryan G. , Rodrigues Debora F.
Published: May 2017

The synthesis of biocompatible polymers for coating applications has gained significant attention in recent years due to the increasing spread of infectious diseases via contaminated surfaces.
Photoluminescent carbon quantum dot grafted silica nanoparticles directly synthesized from rice husk biomass
Authors: Wang Zhaofeng , Liu Jingjing , Wang Weilin , Wei Zichao , Wang Fan , Gong Peiwei , Wang Jinqing , Li Na , Liu Bin , Zhang Zhengguo , Wang Weixing , Sun Luyi
Published: May 2017

Carbon quantum dots grafted silica nanoparticles with high production yield and versatile photoluminescence are directly fabricated from rice husks.
Matching precursor kinetics to afford a more robust CVD chemistry: a case study of the C chemistry for silicon carbide using SiF4 as Si precursor
Authors: Stenberg Pontus , Danielsson Örjan , Erdtman Edvin , Sukkaew Pitsiri , Ojamäe Lars , Janzén Erik , Pedersen Henrik
Published: May 2017

We show by a combination of experiments and gas phase kinetics modeling that the combinations of precursors with the most well-matched gas phase chemistry kinetics gives the largest area of homoepitaxial growth of SiC.
Fluorescent columnar bis(boron difluoride) complexes derived from tetraketonates
Authors: Chen Ya-Wen , Lin Yen-Chun , Kuo Hsiu-Ming , Lai Chung K.
Published: May 2017

Three new series of bis-(boron difluoride) complexes 1a–c derived from substituted tetraketonates 2a–c are reported, and their mesomorphic and optical properties have been investigated.
Encephalomyocarditis virus 3C protease attenuates type I interferon production through disrupting the TANK–TBK1–IKKε–IRF3 complex
Authors: Huang Li , Xiong Tao , Yu Huibin , Zhang Quan , Zhang Kunli , Li Changyao , Hu Liang , Zhang Yuanfeng , Zhang Lijie , Liu Qinfang , Wang Shengnan , He Xijun , Bu Zhigao , Cai Xuehui , Cui Shangjin , Li Jiangnan , Weng Changjiang
Published: May 2017

TRAF family member-associated NF-κB activator (TANK) is a scaffold protein that assembles into the interferon (IFN) regulator factor 3 (IRF3)-phosphorylating TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1)–(IκB) kinase ε (IKKε) complex, where it is involved in regulating phosphorylation of the IRF3 and IFN production. However, the functions of TANK in encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) infection-induced type I IFN production are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrated that, instead of stimulating type I IFN production, the EMCV-HB10 strain infection potently inhibited Sendai virus- and polyI:C-induced IRF3 phosphorylation and type I IFN production in HEK293T cells. Mechanistically, EMCV 3C protease (EMCV 3C) cleaved TANK and disrupted the TANK–TBK1–IKKε–IRF3 complex, which resulted in the reduction in IRF3 phosphorylation and type I IFN production. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that EMCV adopts a novel strategy to evade host innate immune responses through cleavage of TANK.
Long noncoding RNA HEIH promotes melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion via inhibition of miR-200b/a/429
Authors: Zhao Haiying , Xing Guoping , Wang Yingying , Luo Zengxiang , Liu Guoyan , Meng Huijuan
Published: May 2017

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are frequently dysregulated and have important roles in many diseases, particularly cancers. lncRNA-HEIH was first identified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression, clinical significance and roles of lncRNA-HEIH in melanoma are still unknown. In the present study, we found that lncRNA-HEIH is highly expressed in melanoma tissues and cell lines, associated with advanced clinical stages, and predicts poor outcomes in melanoma patients. Functional assays showed that ectopic expression of lncRNA-HEIH promotes melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Knockdown of lncRNA-HEIH inhibits melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Mechanistically, we revealed that lncRNA-HEIH directly binds to miR-200b/a/429 promoter and represses miR-200b/a/429 transcription. The expression of miR-200b is inversely associated with lncRNA-HEIH in melanoma tissues. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-200b/a/429 abrogates melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion enhanced by lncRNA-HEIH. In conclusion, we identified lncRNA-HEIH as a key oncogene in melanoma via transcriptional inhibition of miR-200b/a/429. Our data suggested that lncRNA-HEIH may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma.
Memory scheduling robust filter‐based fault detection for discrete‐time polytopic uncertain systems over fading channels
Authors: Feng Jian , Han Kezhen , Zhao Qing
Published: May 2017

A novel memory scheduling robust fault detection filter (FDF) is proposed for a class of discrete‐time polytopic uncertain systems with fading channel communication networks. The main merit of this filter‐based fault detection method is that it can significantly improve the robustness of FDF to attenuate influences from external disturbance, channel fading and model uncertainty on fault detection accuracy. Designing such FDF involves three main stages. First of all, a memory scheduling FDF structure is proposed based on the utilisation of weighted historical filter's states over interval instants, and a residual error system is formulated based on time partition and state augmented approaches. Then, the parameter‐dependent Lyapunov method is further utilised to analyse the stochastic stability of the residual error system with the help of Finsler equivalent transformation. In the following, a two‐stage optimisation algorithm combined with scalar parameters method is constructed to design memory scheduling FDF in a less conservative linear matrix inequality manner. Finally, a random numerical verification with 300 test systems and a case study of an industrial continuous‐stirred tank reactor are exploited to show the effectiveness of obtained results.
Reliable filtering for fuzzy Markov stochastic systems with sensor failures and packet dropouts
Authors: Lu Renquan , Peng Hui , Liu Shuang , Xu Yong , Li Xiao‐Meng
Published: May 2017

This study addresses the filter design issue for fuzzy Markov stochastic systems with sensor failures and packet dropouts. A more general failure model is used for Markov systems to better describe the sensor failures, and the packet dropouts are assumed to obey a series of Bernoulli processes which are formed into a diagonal matrix. Sufficient condition is established to guarantee that the filtering error system is stochastically stable and achieves the given performance. The parameters of the filter are then derived by solving linear matrix inequalities. Simulation results are given to demonstrate the usefulness and availability of the proposed method.
Dynamic RGB‐to‐CMYK conversion using visual contrast optimisation
Authors: Chen Zhihua , Wang Zhenzhu , Sheng Bin , Li Chao , Shen Ruimin , Li Ping
Published: May 2017

As the standard colour space used by printers, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (CMYK) colour model is a subtractive colour space used to describe the printing process. Existing CMYK conversion methods rely on static conversion table, which may not preserve the subtle visual structures of images, due to the local visual contrast loss caused by the static colour mapping. Therefore, the authors propose a novel dynamic Red, Green, Blue (RGB)‐to‐CMYK colour conversion, which utilises the weighted entropy to extract the pixels with filter response change dramatically. They obtain the image activity map by combining these pixels with high skin probability regions, and optimise the colour conversion of each pixel to ensure that the ink used for each pixel can be saved, while the visual contrast can be preserved with ink‐saving. In this way, their proposed technique can achieve dynamic CMYK colour conversion, in which the consumption of ink can be reduced without the loss of visual contrast. The experimental results have shown that their dynamic CMYK colour conversion saved 10–25% ink consumption compared with the static conversion method, while with high visual quality for the converted images.
High‐efficiency broadband slotted waveguide array antenna
Authors: Tyagi Yogesh , Mevada Pratik , Chakrabarty Soumyabrata , Jyoti Rajeev
Published: May 2017

This study describes design and development of a novel X‐band high‐efficiency broadband slotted waveguide array (SWA) antenna. Broadband nature of SWA has been achieved using differential feeding mechanism which bifurcates large resonating SWA into wideband sub‐arrays by creating virtual short. The performance of such type of broadband SWA is also compared with conventionally designed edge fed SWA and coupling slot fed SWA. The proposed broadband SWA features high efficiency, high power handling capacity and low fabrication tolerances as compared with conventional SWA designs. The design and prototype development of ten‐elements linear SWA with differential feeding mechanism is presented. The developed prototype array antenna demonstrates measured return loss (RL) performance better than 17 dB with 90.2% antenna efficiency over 7.6% bandwidth. The realised gain of 16.32 dBi at 9.65 GHz is measured and the proposed antenna also shows significant improvement in gain flatness. Ten elements linear broadband SWA has also been extended to 2 × 10 planar broadband SWA and its prototype development and characterisation has also been presented.
Free energy calculations along entropic pathways. III. Nucleation of capillary bridges and bubbles
Authors: Desgranges Caroline , Delhommelle Jerome
Published: May 2017

Using molecular simulation, we analyze the capillary condensation and evaporation processes for argon confined in a cylindrical nanopore. For this purpose, we define the entropy of the adsorbed fluid as a reaction coordinate and determine the free energy associated with both processes along entropic pathways. For capillary condensation, we identify a complex free energy profile resulting from the multi-stage nature of this phenomenon. We find capillary condensation to proceed through the nucleation of a liquid bridge across the nanopore, followed by its expansion throughout the pore to give rise to the stable phase of high density. In the case of capillary evaporation, the free energy profile along the entropy pathway also exhibits different regimes, corresponding to the initial destabilization of the layered structure of the fluid followed by the formation, and subsequent expansion, of a bubble across the nanopore.
Size-dependent persistent photocurrent and its origin in dc sputtered indium oxide films under UV and sub-band gap illuminations
Authors: Sen Prabal , Balasubrahmaniyam M. , Kar Durgesh , Kasiviswanathan S.
Published: May 2017

The size and spectral dependence of the persistent photocurrent (PPC) of dc sputtered indium oxide (IO) films has been studied under UV and sub-band gap illuminations. PPC follows bi-exponential decay with a fast and a slow process having time constants (denoted by τf and τs, respectively) that differ by about two orders of magnitude. τs is associated with carrier scattering from an initial surface state to a surface or bulk state with the former dominating below a characteristic length scale of ∼60 nm. On the other hand, τf is characterized by the process where both the initial and final states are surface related. Treating the IO film surface with tetramethyl tetraphenyl trisiloxane (TTTS) decreases τs by a factor of 5 with τf remaining almost unaffected, which is a clear indication of reduction of defects specific to the slow relaxation process. Based on the molecular structure and chemical activity of TTTS, it is suggested that TTTS may passivate mainly the dangling oxygen-bonds at the film surface. The spectral dependence of τs indicates that the associated surface states exhibit a maximum around 2.5 eV above the level from where strong optical transitions are allowed.
Performance of beryllium targets with full-scale capsules in low-fill 6.72-mm hohlraums on the National Ignition Facility
Authors: Simakov A. N. , Wilson D. C. , Yi S. A. , Loomis E. N. , Kline J. L. , Kyrala G. A. , Zylstra A. B. , Dewald E. L. , Tommasini R. , Ralph J. E. , Strozzi D. J. , MacPhee A. G. , Milovich J. L. , Rygg J. R. , Khan S. F. , Ma T. , Jarrott L. C. , Haan S. W. , Celliers P. M. , Marinak M. M. , Rinderknecht H. G. , Robey H. F. , Salmonson J. D. , Stadermann M. , Baxamusa S. , Alford C. , Wang Y. , Nikroo A. , Rice N. , Kong C. , Jaquez J. , Mauldin M. , Youngblood K. P. , Xu H. , Huang H. , Sio H.
Published: May 2017

When used with 1.06-mm beryllium (Be) capsules on the National Ignition Facility, gold hohlraums with the inner diameter of 5.75 mm and helium gas fill density of 1.6 mg/cm3 exhibit significant drive degradation due to laser energy backscatter (of order 14%–17%) and “missing” X-ray drive energy (about 32% during the main pulse). Also, hard to simulate cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) must be used to control the implosion symmetry. Larger, 6.72-mm hohlraums with fill densities ≤0.6 mg/cm3 generally offer improved drive efficiency, reduced hot-electron preheat, and better control of the implosion symmetry without CBET. Recently, we carried out an exploratory campaign to evaluate performance of 1.06-mm Be capsules in such hohlraums and determine optimal hohlraum parameters. Specifically, we performed a hohlraum fill-density scan with a three-shock, 9.5-ns laser pulse and found that an appropriate axial laser repointing and azimuthal outer-quad splitting resulted in significantly improved hohlraum energetics at fill densities ≤0.3 mg/cm3 (with backscattered and “missing” energies being of about 5% and 23% of the total laser energy, respectively). The capsule shape at stagnation was slightly oblate and improved with lowering the fill density. We also performed an implosion with a lower-picket, 12.6-ns pulse at the hohlraum fill density of 0.15 mg/cm3 to observe comparable hohlraum energetics (about 3% of backscattered and 27% of “missing” energy) but an even more oblate implosion shape. Thus, achieving symmetric implosions of 1.06-mm Be capsules in low-fill, 6.72-mm gold hohlraums with reasonably low-adiabat pulses may not be feasible. However, symmetric implosions have recently been successfully demonstrated in such hohlraums with 0.8-mm Be capsules.
Density modulation-induced absolute laser-plasma-instabilities: Simulations and theory
Authors: Li J. , Yan R. , Ren C.
Published: May 2017

Fluid simulations show that when a sinusoidal density modulation is superimposed on a linear density profile, convective instabilities can become absolutely unstable. This conversion can occur for two-plasmon-decay and stimulated Raman Scattering instabilities under realistic direct-drive inertial confinement fusion conditions and can affect hot electron generation and laser energy deposition. Analysis of the three-wave model shows that a sufficiently large change of the density gradient in a linear density profile can turn convective instabilities into absolute ones. An analytical expression is given for the threshold of the gradient change for a two-slope density profile, which depends on the convective gain only.
Direct observation of inclined a-type threading dislocation with a-type screw dislocation in GaN
Authors: Matsubara Tohoru , Sugimoto Kohei , Goubara Shin , Inomoto Ryo , Okada Narihito , Tadatomo Kazuyuki
Published: May 2017

We investigated both the atomic arrangements in the core structure of threading dislocations (TDs) and their behaviors in unintentionally doped c-plane-GaN layers grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy and hydride vapor phase epitaxy using high angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). The extra image contrast near the core was attributed to an extra displacement in a-type TDs in addition to the core structures revealed in previous reports; we used the notation “with displacement” to describe the new core structure. We found that TDs incline towards both the m- and a-directions from the c-direction. The transition of a-type TDs from the conventional core structure to the structure with displacement was deduced from its relationship to the TD inclination. We also found similarities between a-type screw dislocations and a-type TDs with displacement in the atomic-scale HAADF-STEM images. We concluded that a-type TDs could incline towards the a-direction via a-type screw dislocations, and that these inclined a-type TDs are observed as the core structure with displacement.
Energization of charged particles in regular and chaotic magnetic fields
Authors: Samanta Subha , Kumar Shaw Pankaj , Janaki M. S. , Dasgupta Brahmananda
Published: May 2017

The dynamics of charged particles is studied in stationary magnetic fields that are obtained as solutions of nonlinear coupled equations varying in one dimension. The chosen equation can give both regular and chaotic solutions depending on the chosen coupling parameter. For chaotic numerical solution of the equation, rms values of fluctuation are increased by changing the coupling parameter, whereas for regular analytical solution, rms values of fluctuation are increased by changing the amplitude of fluctuation. Energy gain of an ensemble of particles is studied in both cases in the presence of a uniform electric field. Ensemble averaged energy gain is shown to decrease with the increase in rms values of fluctuation in the first case and increase with the increase in rms values of fluctuation in the second case.
Nonlinear dynamics of polar regions in paraelectric phase of (Ba1-x,Srx)TiO3 ceramics
Authors: Hashemizadeh Sina , Damjanovic Dragan
Published: May 2017

The dynamic dielectric nonlinearity of barium strontium titanate (Ba1-x,Srx)TiO3 ceramics is investigated in their paraelectric phase. With the goal to contribute to the identification of the mechanisms that govern the dielectric nonlinearity in this family, we analyze the amplitude and the phase angles of the first and the third harmonics of polarization. Our study shows that an interpretation of the field-dependent polarization in paraelectric (Ba1-x,Srx)TiO3 ceramics in terms of the Rayleigh-type dynamics is inadequate for our samples and that their nonlinear response rather resembles that observed in canonical relaxor Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3.
Line patterning of anisotropic spin chains by polarized laser for application in micro-thermal management
Authors: Terakado Nobuaki , Takahashi Ryosuke , Takahashi Yoshihiro , Fujiwara Takumi
Published: May 2017

The control of heat flow has become increasingly important in energy saving and harvesting. Among various thermal management materials, spinon thermal conductivity materials are promising for heat flow control at microscales because they exhibit high, anisotropic thermal conductivity resulting from spin chains. However, there has been only little development of the materials for controlling heat flow. Here, we present the line patterning of the spin chain structure on a SrCuO2 nanocrystalline film by laser scanning. When the polarization direction of laser light was orthogonal to the scanning direction, we found that the spin-chain structure anisotropically grew on the patterned line.
Fast-responsive hydrogel as an injectable pump for rapid on-demand fluidic flow control
Authors: Luo Rongcong , Dinh Ngoc-Duy , Chen Chia-Hung
Published: May 2017

Chemically synthesized functional hydrogels have been recognized as optimized soft pumps for on-demand fluidic regulation in micro-systems. However, the challenges regarding the slow responses of hydrogels have very much limited their application in effective fluidic flow control. In this study, a heterobifunctional crosslinker (4-hydroxybutyl acrylate)-enabled two-step hydrothermal phase separation process for preparing a highly porous hydrogel with fast response dynamics was investigated for the fabrication of novel microfluidic functional units, such as injectable valves and pumps. The cylinder-shaped hydrogel, with a diameter of 9 cm and a height of 2.5 cm at 25 °C, achieved a size reduction of approximately 70% in less than 30 s after the hydrogels were heated at 40 °C. By incorporating polypyrrole nanoparticles as photothermal transducers, a photo-responsive composite hydrogel was approached and exhibited a remotely triggerable fluidic regulation and pumping ability to generate significant flows, showing on-demand water-in-oil droplet generation by laser switching, whereby the droplet size could be tuned by adjusting the laser intensity and irradiation period with programmable manipulation.
Do subjective assessments of running patterns reflect objective parameters?
Authors: Lussiana Thibault , Gindre Cyrille , Mourot Laurent , Hébert‐Losier Kim
Published: May 2017

Running patterns are often categorized into subgroups according to common features before data analysis and interpretation. The Volodalen® method is a simple field‐based tool used to classify runners into aerial or terrestrial using a 5‐item subjective rating scale. We aimed to validate the Volodalen® method by quantifying the relationship between its subjective scores and 3D biomechanical measures. Fifty‐four runners ran 30 s on a treadmill at 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 km h−1 while their kinematics were assessed subjectively using the Volodalen® method and objectively using 3D motion capture. For each runner and speed, two researchers scored the five Volodalen® items on a 1‐to‐5 scale, which addressed vertical oscillation, upper‐body motion, pelvis and foot position at ground contact, and footstrike pattern. Seven 3D biomechanical parameters reflecting the subjective items were also collected and correlated to the subjective scores. Twenty‐eight runners were classified as aerial and 26 as terrestrial. Runner classification did not change with speed, but the relative contribution of the biomechanical parameters to the subjective classification was speed dependent. The magnitude of correlations between subjective and objective measures ranged from trivial to very large. Five of the seven objective parameters significantly differed between aerial and terrestrial runners, and these parameters demonstrated the strongest correlations to the subjective scores. Our results support the validity of the Volodalen® method, whereby the visual appreciation of running gait reflected quantifiable objective parameters. Two minor modifications to the method are proposed to simplify its use and improve agreement between subjective and objective measures.
IGESS: a statistical approach to integrating individual-level genotype data and summary statistics in genome-wide association studies
Authors: Dai Mingwei , Ming Jingsi , Cai Mingxuan , Liu Jin , Yang Can , Wan Xiang , Xu Zongben
Published: May 2017

Motivation

Results from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) suggest that a complex phenotype is often affected by many variants with small effects, known as ‘polygenicity’. Tens of thousands of samples are often required to ensure statistical power of identifying these variants with small effects. However, it is often the case that a research group can only get approval for the access to individual-level genotype data with a limited sample size (e.g. a few hundreds or thousands). Meanwhile, summary statistics generated using single-variant-based analysis are becoming publicly available. The sample sizes associated with the summary statistics datasets are usually quite large. How to make the most efficient use of existing abundant data resources largely remains an open question.

Results

In this study, we propose a statistical approach, IGESS, to increasing statistical power of identifying risk variants and improving accuracy of risk prediction by integrating individual level genotype data and summary statistics. An efficient algorithm based on variational inference is developed to handle the genome-wide analysis. Through comprehensive simulation studies, we demonstrated the advantages of IGESS over the methods which take either individual-level data or summary statistics data as input. We applied IGESS to perform integrative analysis of Crohns Disease from WTCCC and summary statistics from other studies. IGESS was able to significantly increase the statistical power of identifying risk variants and improve the risk prediction accuracy from 63.2% (±0.4%) to 69.4% (±0.1%) using about 240 000 variants.

Availability and implementation

The IGESS software is available at https://github.com/daviddaigithub/IGESS.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The neXtProt peptide uniqueness checker: a tool for the proteomics community
Authors: Schaeffer Mathieu , Gateau Alain , Teixeira Daniel , Michel Pierre-André , Zahn-Zabal Monique , Lane Lydie
Published: May 2017

The neXtProt peptide uniqueness checker allows scientists to define which peptides can be used to validate the existence of human proteins, i.e. map uniquely versus multiply to human protein sequences taking into account isobaric substitutions, alternative splicing and single amino acid variants.

Availability and implementation

The pepx program is available at https://github.com/calipho-sib/pepx and can be launched from the command line or through a cgi web interface. Indexing requires a sequence file in FASTA format. The peptide uniqueness checker tool is freely available on the web at https://www.nextprot.org/tools/peptide-uniqueness-checker and from the neXtProt API at https://api.nextprot.org/.
MAGenTA: a Galaxy implemented tool for complete Tn-Seq analysis and data visualization
Authors: McCoy Katherine Maia , Antonio Margaret L , van Opijnen Tim
Published: May 2017

Motivation

Transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-Seq) is a microbial systems-level tool, that can determine on a genome-wide scale and in high-throughput, whether a gene, or a specific genomic region, is important for fitness under a specific experimental condition.

Results

Here, we present MAGenTA, a suite of analysis tools which accurately calculate the growth rate for each disrupted gene in the genome to enable the discovery of: (i) new leads for gene function, (ii) non-coding RNAs; (iii) genes, pathways and ncRNAs that are involved in tolerating drugs or induce disease; (iv) higher order genome organization; and (v) host-factors that affect bacterial host susceptibility. MAGenTA is a complete Tn-Seq analysis pipeline making sensitive genome-wide fitness (i.e. growth rate) analysis available for most transposons and Tn-Seq associated approaches (e.g. TraDis, HiTS, IN-Seq) and includes fitness (growth rate) calculations, sliding window analysis, bottleneck calculations and corrections, statistics to compare experiments and strains and genome-wide fitness visualization.

Availability and implementation

MAGenTA is available at the Galaxy public ToolShed repository and all source code can be found and are freely available at https://vanopijnenlab.github.io/MAGenTA/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Are star formation rates of galaxies bimodal?
Authors: Feldmann Robert
Published: May 2017

Star formation rate (SFR) distributions of galaxies are often assumed to be bimodal with modes corresponding to star-forming and quiescent galaxies, respectively. Both classes of galaxies are typically studied separately, and SFR distributions of star-forming galaxies are commonly modelled as lognormals. Using both observational data and results from numerical simulations, I argue that this division into star-forming and quiescent galaxies is unnecessary from a theoretical point of view and that the SFR distributions of the whole population can be well fitted by zero-inflated negative binomial distributions. This family of distributions has three parameters that determine the average SFR of the galaxies in the sample, the scatter relative to the star-forming sequence and the fraction of galaxies with zero SFRs, respectively. The proposed distributions naturally account for (i) the discrete nature of star formation, (ii) the presence of ‘dead’ galaxies with zero SFRs and (iii) asymmetric scatter. Excluding ‘dead’ galaxies, the distribution of log SFR is unimodal with a peak at the star-forming sequence and an extended tail towards low SFRs. However, uncertainties and biases in the SFR measurements can create the appearance of a bimodal distribution.