bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gene Expression Analyses in Non Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Reveals a Role for Alternative Splicing and Tp53 Status
Authors: Dueñas Marta , Pérez-Figueroa Andrés , Oliveira Carla , Suárez-Cabrera Cristian , Sousa Abel , Oliveira Patricia , Villacampa Felipe , Paramio Jesús M. , Martínez-Fernández Mónica
Published: July 2019

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) represents a crucial problem for the national health care systems due to its high rates of recurrence and the consequent need of frequent follow-ups. Here, gene expression analyses in patients diagnosed as NMIBC were performed to determine those molecular pathways involved in tumor initiation, finding that both MYC and E2F are up regulated and helps to tumor initiation and progression. Our results also support an important involvement of alternative splicing events, modifying key pathways to favour bladder tumor evolution. Finally, since MDM2 showed differential exon usage, mutations in TP53 and its protein expression have been also studied in the same patients. Our data support that recurrence is epigenetically mediated and favoured by an increase protein expression of TP53, which appears more frequently mutated in advanced stages and grades, being associated to a worse prognosis. Therefore, TP53 mutational status could be used as a potential biomarker in the first stages of NMIBC to predict recurrence and prognosis.
Paired RNA Radiocarbon and Sequencing Analyses Indicate the Importance of Autotrophy in a Shallow Alluvial Aquifer
Authors: Mailloux Brian J. , Kim Carol , Kichuk Tess , Nguyen Khue , Precht Chandler , Wang Shi , Jewell Talia N. M. , Karaoz Ulas , Brodie Eoin L. , Williams Kenneth H. , Beller Harry R. , Buchholz Bruce A.
Published: July 2019

Determining the carbon sources for active microbial populations in the subsurface is a challenging but highly informative component of subsurface microbial ecology. This work developed a method to provide ecological insights into groundwater microbial communities by characterizing community RNA through its radiocarbon and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) signatures. RNA was chosen as the biomolecule of interest because rRNA constitutes the majority of RNA in prokaryotes, represents recently active organisms, and yields detailed taxonomic information. The method was applied to a groundwater filter collected from a shallow alluvial aquifer in Colorado. RNA was extracted, radiometrically dated, and the 16S rRNA was analyzed by RNA-Seq. The RNA had a radiocarbon signature (Δ14C) of −193.4 ± 5.6‰. Comparison of the RNA radiocarbon signature to those of potential carbon pools in the aquifer indicated that at least 51% of the RNA was derived from autotrophy, in close agreement with the RNA-Seq data, which documented the prevalence of autotrophic taxa, such as Thiobacillus and Gallionellaceae. Overall, this hybrid method for RNA analysis provided cultivation-independent information on the in-situ carbon sources of active subsurface microbes and reinforced the importance of autotrophy and the preferential utilization of dissolved over sedimentary organic matter in alluvial aquifers.
Fluorescence Imaging of Actin Turnover Parses Early Stem Cell Lineage Divergence and Senescence
Authors: Mishra Prakhar , Martin Daniel C. , Androulakis Ioannis P. , Moghe Prabhas V.
Published: July 2019

This study describes a new approach to discern early divergence in stem cell lineage progression via temporal dynamics of the cytoskeletal protein, F-actin. The approach involves real-time labeling of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and longitudinal tracking of the turnover dynamics of a fluorogenic F-actin specific probe, SiR-actin (SA). Cells cultured in media with distinct lineage factors and labeled with SA showed lineage specific reduction in the actin turnover shortly after adipogenic (few minutes) and chondrogenic (3–4 hours) commitment in contrast to osteogenic and basal cultured conditions. Next, composite staining of SA along with the competing F-actin specific fluorescent conjugate, phalloidin, and high-content image analysis of the complementary labels showed clear phenotypic parsing of the sub-populations as early as 1-hour post-induction across all three lineages. Lastly, the potential of SA-based actin turnover analysis to distinguish cellular aging was explored. In-vitro aged cells were found to have reduced actin turnover within 1-hour of simultaneous analysis in comparison to cells of earlier passage. In summary, SiR-actin fluorescent reporter imaging offers a new platform to sensitively monitor emergent lineage phenotypes during differentiation and aging and resolve some of the earliest evident differences in actin turnover dynamics.
All-2D ReS2 transistors with split gates for logic circuitry
Authors: Kwon Junyoung , Shin Yongjun , Kwon Hyeokjae , Lee Jae Yoon , Park Hyunik , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Kim Jihyun , Lee Chul-Ho , Im Seongil , Lee Gwan-Hyoung
Published: July 2019

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and black phosphorus, are the most promising channel materials for future electronics because of their unique electrical properties. Even though a number of 2D-materials-based logic devices have been demonstrated to date, most of them are a combination of more than two unit devices. If logic devices can be realized in a single channel, it would be advantageous for higher integration and functionality. In this study we report high-performance van der Waals heterostructure (vdW) ReS2 transistors with graphene electrodes on atomically flat hBN, and demonstrate a NAND gate comprising a single ReS2 transistor with split gates. Highly sensitive electrostatic doping of ReS2 enables fabrication of gate-tunable NAND logic gates, which cannot be achieved in bulk semiconductor materials because of the absence of gate tunability. The vdW heterostructure NAND gate comprising a single transistor paves a novel way to realize “all-2D” circuitry for flexible and transparent electronic applications.
Dynamic Bayesian network in infectious diseases surveillance: a simulation study
Authors: Zhang Tao , Ma Yue , Xiao Xiong , Lin Yun , Zhang Xingyu , Yin Fei , Li Xiaosong
Published: July 2019

The surveillance of infectious diseases relies on the identification of dynamic relations between the infectious diseases and corresponding influencing factors. However, the identification task confronts with two practical challenges:small sample sizeanddelayed effect. To overcome both challenges to imporve the identification results, this study evaluated the performance of dynamic Bayesian network(DBN) in infectious diseases surveillance. Specifically, the evaluation was conducted by two simulations. The first simulation was to evaluate the performance of DBN by comparing it with the Granger causality test and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method; and the second simulation was to assess how the DBN could improve the forecasting ability of infectious diseases. In order to make both simulations close to the real-world situation as much as possible, their simulation scenarios were adapted from real-world studies, and practical issues such asnonlinearityandnuisance variableswere also considered. The main simulation results were: ① When the sample size was large (n = 340), the true positive rates (TPRs) of DBN (≥98%) were slightly higher than those of the Granger causality method and approximately the same as those of the LASSO method; the false positive rates (FPRs) of DBN were averagely 46% less than those of the Granger causality test, and 22% less than those of the LASSO method. ② When the sample size was small, the main problem was low TPR, which would be further aggravated by the issues ofnonlinearityandnuisance variables. In the worst situation (i.e., small sample size, nonlinearity and existence of nuisance variables), the TPR of DBN declined to 43.30%. However, it was worth noting that such decline could also be found in the corresponding results of Granger causality test and LASSO method. ③ Sample size was important for identifying the dynamic relations among multiple variables, in this case, at least three years of weekly historical data were needed to guarantee the quality of infectious diseases surveillance. ④ DBN could improve the foresting results through reducing forecasting errors by 7%. According to the above results, DBN is recommended to improve the quality of infectious diseases surveillance.
Rapid Discovery and Structure-Property Relationships of Metal-Ion Fluorescent Sensors via Macroarray Synthesis
Authors: Promchat Apiwat , Wongravee Kanet , Sukwattanasinitt Mongkol , Praneenararat Thanit
Published: July 2019

A macroarray immobilisation of fluorophores on filter papers for sensing metal ions by in-situ reductive amination and carbodiimide coupling is reported herein. Chemometric approaches resulted in a rapid discovery of sensors that can synergistically discriminate up to 12 metal ions with great prediction accuracies. Covalently bound on paper, sensoring scaffolds that were synthesised from the macroarray format can readily be adopted as practical paper-based sensors with great reusability and sensitivity, achieving the limit of detection at low nanomolar level with some repeating spotting. Lastly, the discovered scaffolds were also confirmed to be functional as unbound molecules, thus paving the way for more diverse applications.
Possible increased critical temperature Tc in anisotropic bosonic gases
Authors: Treumann R. A. , Baumjohann W.
Published: July 2019

A finite thermal anisotropy, if maintained for times longer than thermal relaxation times, may have a positive effect on the critical temperature in Bose-Einstein condensation of a dilute boson gas not in thermal equilibrium or quasi-particle fermi fluid consisting of spin-compensated electron pairs. It raises the transition temperature while increasing the condensate density.
Silencing RORγt in Human CD4+ T cells with CD30 aptamer-RORγt shRNA Chimera
Authors: Shi Xiaofei , Song Pingfang , Tao Shao , Zhang Xiaowei , Chu Cong-Qiu
Published: July 2019

Targeting specific T cell subtypes and intervening in their function are emerging a critical strategy for treatment of autoimmune diseases. Here we report that an RNA CD30 aptamer was utilized to deliver short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to CD30+T cells to target retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt), leading to impaired expression of RORγt and suppression of IL-17A and IL-17F. A DNA template consisting of CD30 aptamer and RORγt shRNA sequences was synthesized and was transcribed CD30 aptamer-RORγt shRNA chimera (CD30-AshR-RORγt). Insertion of 2′-F-dCTP and 2′-FdUTP was incorporated during CD30-AshR-RORγt transcription to increase its resistance to RNase. CD30-AshR-RORγt was specifically up-taken by CD30+Karpas 299 cells, but not by Jurkat cells which lack CD30. It was also up-taken by activated, CD30 expressing human CD4+T cells, but not by resting CD4+T cells. The RORγt shRNA moiety of CD30-AshR-RORγt chimera was cleaved and released by Dicers. Then, CD30-AshR-RORγt suppressed RORγt gene expression in Karpas 299 cells and activated human CD4+T cells. Consistently, silence of Th17 cell differentiation and IL-17A and IL-17F synthesis with CD30-AshR-RORγt was demonstrated in activated human CD4+T cells from healthy donors and RA patients. CD30-AshR-negative control chimera and prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-AshR-RORγt had no significant impact on the expression of RORγt or IL-17A and IL-17F. These data present a novel strategy for shRNA delivery using CD30 RNA aptamers to down-regulate CD30+Th17 cells and can be developed as a targeted therapy for treating Th17 cell mediated conditions.
Optical and Electrical Analysis of Annealing Temperature of High-Molecular Weight Hole Transport Layer for Quantum-dot Light-emitting Diodes
Authors: Han Young Joon , An Kunsik , Kang Kyung Tae , Ju Byeong-Kwon , Cho Kwan Hyun
Published: July 2019

In this study, we introduce optimization of the annealing conditions for improvement of hardness and hole transporting properties of high-molecular weight poly [9, 9-dioctylfluorene-co-N-(4-(3-methylpropyl)) diphenylamine] (TFB) film used as a Hole Transport Layer (HTL) of Quantum-dot Light-emitting Diodes (QLEDs). As annealing temperatures were increased from 120 °C to 150 °C or more, no dissolving or intermixing phenomena at the interface between HTL and Quantum-Dot Emission Layer (QDs EML) was observed. However, when the annealing temperatures was increased from 150 °C to 210 °C, the intensity of the absorbance peaks as determined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) measurement was found to relatively decrease, and hole transporting properties were found to decrease in the measurement of current density - voltage (CD - V) and capacitance - voltage (C - V) characteristics of Hole Only Devices (HODs) due to thermal damage. At the annealing temperature of 150 °C, the QLEDs device was optimized with TFB films having good hardness and best hole transporting properties for solution processed QLEDs.
Analysis of the 4q35 chromatin organization reveals distinct long-range interactions in patients affected with Facio-Scapulo-Humeral Dystrophy
Authors: Gaillard Marie-Cécile , Broucqsault Natacha , Morere Julia , Laberthonnière Camille , Dion Camille , Badja Cherif , Roche Stéphane , Nguyen Karine , Magdinier Frédérique , Robin Jérôme D.
Published: July 2019

Facio-Scapulo Humeral dystrophy (FSHD) is the third most common myopathy, affecting 1 amongst 10,000 individuals (FSHD1, OMIM #158900). This autosomal dominant pathology is associated in 95% of cases with genetic and epigenetic alterations in the subtelomeric region at the extremity of the long arm of chromosome 4 (q arm). A large proportion of the remaining 5% of cases carry a mutation in the SMCHD1 gene (FSHD2, OMIM #158901). Here, we explored the 3D organization of the 4q35 locus by three-dimensions DNA in situ fluorescent hybridization (3D-FISH) in primary fibroblasts isolated from patients and healthy donors. We found that D4Z4 contractions and/or SMCHD1 mutations impact the spatial organization of the 4q35 region and trigger changes in the expression of different genes. Changes in gene expression were corroborated in muscle biopsies suggesting that the modified chromatin landscape impelled a modulation in the level of expression of a number of genes across the 4q35 locus in FSHD. Using induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSC), we further examined whether chromatin organization is inherited after reprogramming or acquired during differentiation and showed that folding of the 4q35 region is modified upon differentiation. These results together with previous findings highlight the role of the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat in the topological organization of chromatin and further indicate that the D4Z4-dependent 3D structure induces transcriptional changes of 4q35 genes expression.
Favourable outcome of pathologic downstaging by locoregional treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma in liver transplantation
Authors: Kim Deok Gie , Lee Jae Geun , Joo Dong Jin , Kim Soon Il , Kim Myoung Soo
Published: July 2019

No distinct guidelines are available regarding the effect of pretransplant locoregional treatment (LRT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) staging system. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognosis of pathologic downstaging (PDS) by the exclusion of total necrosis after liver transplantation. We conducted a study of 326 HCC patients who underwent liver transplantation between September 2005 and December 2016. Two hundred twenty-two patients received pretransplant LRT and 102 patients did not. Among the former group, 74 (33.0%) achieved PDS while 150 (67.0%) showed unchanged T stage after the exclusion of total necrosis. Five-year HCC recurrent free survival (RFS) of PDS group (85.1%) was similar to that of the no LRT group (88.8%) but higher than that of the non-PDS group (68.9%; P < 0.001). Based on T stage adjusted with total necrosis and PDS status, RFS was similar in the PDS T1 (82.4%) and non-PDS T1 (86.5%) groups. Non-PDS T2 cancers had worse outcome regardless of the Milan (P = 0.982) or University of California San Francisco criteria (P = 0.466). On preoperative examination, parameters like less than 1 viable tumor, less than 1 cm of tumor size, and less than 20 ng/mL of serum alpha fetoprotein were associated with PDS. This study showed that PDS by LRT was associated with favorable outcome in HCC patients after liver transplantation.
Systematic evaluation of library preparation methods and sequencing platforms for high-throughput whole genome bisulfite sequencing
Authors: Zhou Li , Ng Hong Kiat , Drautz-Moses Daniela I. , Schuster Stephan C. , Beck Stephan , Kim Changhoon , Chambers John Campbell , Loh Marie
Published: July 2019

Whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), with its ability to interrogate methylation status at single CpG site resolution epigenome-wide, is a powerful technique for use in molecular experiments. Here, we aim to advance strategies for accurate and efficient WGBS for application in future large-scale epidemiological studies. We systematically compared the performance of three WGBS library preparation methods with low DNA input requirement (Swift Biosciences Accel-NGS, Illumina TruSeq and QIAGEN QIAseq) on two state-of-the-art sequencing platforms (Illumina NovaSeq and HiSeq X), and also assessed concordance between data generated by WGBS and methylation arrays. Swift achieved the highest proportion of CpG sites assayed and effective coverage at 26x (P < 0.001). TruSeq suffered from the highest proportion of PCR duplicates, while QIAseq failed to deliver across all quality metrics. There was little difference in performance between NovaSeq and HiSeq X, with the exception of higher read duplication rate on the NovaSeq (P < 0.05), likely attributable to the higher cluster densities on its flow cells. Systematic biases exist between WGBS and methylation arrays, with lower precision observed for WGBS across the range of depths investigated. To achieve a level of precision broadly comparable to the methylation array, a minimum coverage of 100x is recommended.
Chemopreventive Effect of Phytosomal Curcumin on Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma in A Transgenic Mouse Model
Authors: Teng Chiao-Fang , Yu Chun-Hui , Chang Hong-Yi , Hsieh Wen-Chuan , Wu Tzu-Hua , Lin Jia-Hui , Wu Han-Chieh , Jeng Long-Bin , Su Ih-Jen
Published: July 2019

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Hepatitis B X protein (HBx) and pre-S2 mutant have been proposed as the two most important HBV oncoproteins that play key roles in HCC pathogenesis. Curcumin is a botanical constituent displaying potent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties without toxic side effects. Phytosomal formulation of curcumin has been shown to exhibit enhanced bioavailability, improved pharmacokinetics, and excellent efficacy against many human diseases. However, effectiveness of phytosomal curcumin for HCC treatment remains to be clarified. In this study, we evaluated chemopreventive effect of phytosomal curcumin on HBV-related HCC by using a transgenic mouse model specifically expressing both HBx and pre-S2 mutant in liver. Compared with unformulated curcumin, phytosomal curcumin exhibited significantly greater effects on suppression of HCC formation, improvement of liver histopathology, decrease of lipid accumulation and leukocyte infiltration, and reduction of total tumor volume in transgenic mice. Moreover, phytosomal curcumin exerted considerably stronger effects on activation of anti-inflammatory PPARγ as well as inhibition of pro-inflammatory NF-κB than unformulated curcumin. Furthermore, phytosomal curcumin showed a comparable effect on suppression of oncogenic mTOR activation to unformulated curcumin. Our data demonstrated that phytosomal curcumin has promise for HCC chemoprevention in patients with chronic HBV infection.
Chlorantraniliprole against the black cutworm Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): From biochemical/physiological to demographic responses
Authors: He Falin , Sun Shiang , Tan Haili , Sun Xiao , Qin Chao , Ji Shoumin , Li Xiangdong , Zhang Jiwang , Jiang Xingyin
Published: July 2019

Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a major underground pest that damages many agricultural crops in China and other countries. A diet-incorporation-based bioassay was conducted to evaluate the sublethal effects of the novel anthranilic diamide chlorantraniliprole on the nutritional physiology, enzymatic properties and population parameters of this cutworm. Chlorantraniliprole exhibited signs of active toxicity against third instar larvae of A. ipsilon, and the LC50 was 0.187 μg.g−1 of artificial diet after treatment for 72 h. The development time of the larval, pupal and adult stages was significantly affected after chlorantraniliprole exposure, compared to the control treatment. Relative to the control treatment, chlorantraniliprole decreased pupal and adult emergence rates, fecundity and fertility and increased the proportions of developmental deformities, the adult preoviposition period (APOP) and the total preoviposition period (TPOP). Furthermore, compared to those treated with the control, A. ipsilon larvae treated with low doses of chlorantraniliprole decreased food utilization and nutrient content (protein, lipid, carbohydrate, trehalose), showed lower pupal weights and growth rates. Compared with the control treatment, chlorantraniliprole significantly reduced digestive enzyme activities and observably increased detoxifying and protective enzyme activities and hormone titers. Importantly, these chlorantraniliprole-induced changes affected life table parameters of the cutworm. These results suggest that chlorantraniliprole at low concentrations can impair A. ipsilon development duration, normal food consumption and digestion process, enzymatic properties, hormone levels, fecundity and population levels. Chlorantraniliprole exhibit the potential to be exploited as a control strategy for this cutworm.
Thermodynamic analysis of thermal convection based on entropy production
Authors: Ban Takahiko , Shigeta Keigo
Published: July 2019

Flow patterns have a tendency to break the symmetry of an initial state of a system and form another spatiotemporal pattern when the system is driven far from equilibrium by temperature difference. For an annular channel, the axially symmetric flow becomes unstable beyond a given temperature difference threshold imposed in the system, leading to rotational oscillating waves. Many researchers have investigated this transition via linear stability analysis using the fundamental conservation equations and the generic model amplitude equation, i.e., the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation. Here, we present a quantitative study conducted of the thermal convection transition using thermodynamic analysis based on the maximum entropy production principle. Our analysis results reveal that the fluid system under nonequilibrium maximizes the entropy production induced by the thermodynamic flux in a direction perpendicular to the temperature difference. Further, we show that the thermodynamic flux as well as the entropy production can uniquely specify the thermodynamic states of the entire fluid system and propose an entropy production selection rule that can be used to specify the thermodynamic state of a nonequilibrium system.
Uncoupling of p97 ATPase activity has a dominant negative effect on protein extraction
Authors: Rycenga Halley B. , Wolfe Kelly B. , Yeh Elizabeth S. , Long David T.
Published: July 2019

p97 is a highly abundant, homohexameric AAA+ ATPase that performs a variety of essential cellular functions. Characterized as a ubiquitin-selective chaperone, p97 recognizes proteins conjugated to K48-linked polyubiquitin chains and promotes their removal from chromatin and other molecular complexes. Changes in p97 expression or activity are associated with the development of cancer and several related neurodegenerative disorders. Although pathogenic p97 mutations cluster in and around p97’s ATPase domains, mutant proteins display normal or elevated ATPase activity. Here, we show that one of the most common p97 mutations (R155C) retains ATPase activity, but is functionally defective. p97-R155C can be recruited to ubiquitinated substrates on chromatin, but is unable to promote substrate removal. As a result, p97-R155C acts as a dominant negative, blocking protein extraction by a similar mechanism to that observed when p97’s ATPase activity is inhibited or inactivated. However, unlike ATPase-deficient proteins, p97-R155C consumes excess ATP, which can hinder high-energy processes. Together, our results shed new insight into how pathogenic mutations in p97 alter its cellular function, with implications for understanding the etiology and treatment of p97-associated diseases.
Developmental trends in CO2 methanation using various catalysts
Authors: Sreedhar I. , Varun Yaddanapudi , Singh Satyapaul A. , Venugopal A. , Reddy Benjaram M.
Published: July 2019

Co2 methanation-two edged sword to counter global warming and energy crisis.
Phoenix dactyliferaL. seeds: a by-product as a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties
Authors: Djaoudene Ouarda , López Víctor , Cásedas Guillermo , Les Francisco , Schisano Connie , Bachir Bey Mostapha , Tenore Gian Carlo
Published: July 2019

Date (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) seeds are a valuable and abundant by-product with various potential food applications and a source of functional and bioactive ingredients.
Effect of chrysin on changes in intestinal environment and microbiome induced by fructose-feeding in rats
Authors: Andrade Nelson , Marques Cláudia , Andrade Sara , Silva Cláudia , Rodrigues Ilda , Guardão Luísa , Guimarães João T. , Keating Elisa , Calhau Conceição , Martel Fátima
Published: July 2019

Chrysin is able to interfere with the effects of fructose at the intestinal level, which may contribute to the fructose-induced metabolic syndrome features.
Gramicidin S-inspired antimicrobial cyclodextrin to disrupt gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial membranes
Authors: Yamamura Hatsuo , Isshiki Kana , Fujita Yusuke , Kato Hisato , Katsu Takashi , Masuda Kazufumi , Osawa Kayo , Miyagawa Atsushi
Published: July 2019

Microwave-assisted click reaction endowed cyclodextrin with amphiphilic structure leading to bacteriocidal membrane disruption, no development of resistance, and no haemolysis.
The effect of compositional engineering of imidazolium lead iodide on the resistive switching properties
Authors: Choi Eun-Suk , Yang June-Mo , Kim Seul-Gi , Cuhadar Can , Kim So-Yeon , Kim Seong Hun , Lee Donghwa , Park Nam-Gyu
Published: July 2019

Studies on the compositional engineering of imidazolium lead iodide revealed that 1-dimensional hexagonal stoichiometric (Im)PbI3 showed the best endurance and retention characteristics.
Remote and real time control of an FVIO–enzyme hybrid nanocatalyst using magnetic stimulation
Authors: Xiong Ran , Zhang Wenting , Zhang Yifan , Zhang Ye , Chen Yimin , He Yuan , Fan Haiming
Published: July 2019

Rapid and effective local heating was achieved by alternating magnetic field stimulation of the ferrimagnetic vortex-domain nanoring (FVIO) structure, enabling real-time and specific modulation of the nanosized FVIO–enzyme hybrid catalyst.
Ultrathin atomic Mn-decorated formamide-converted N-doped carbon for efficient oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Xiong Xuya , Li Yajie , Jia Yin , Meng Yu , Sun Kai , Zheng Lirong , Zhang Guoxin , Li Yaping , Sun Xiaoming
Published: July 2019

Maximum catalysts utilization and enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen reduction performance was achieved by ultrathin deposition of atomically dispersed M-NC on conductive CNT via pyrolysis-free method.
Realizing lamellar nanophase separation in a double-cable conjugated polymer via a solvent annealing process
Authors: Liang Shijie , Xu Yunhua , Li Cheng , Li Junyu , Wang Dong , Li Weiwei
Published: July 2019

A double-cable conjugated polymer based on crystalline polythiophene backbone and perylene bisimide side units was developed to realize ordered lamellar structures via solvent annealing process.
Fe/N-doped carbon nanofibers with Fe3O4/Fe2C nanocrystals enchased as electrocatalysts for efficient oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Li Mengfei , Xiao Zhenyu , Fan Lili , Wang Fengmei , Du Xinxin , Kang Zixi , Fan Weidong , Guo Ziyang , Sun Daofeng
Published: July 2019

A Fe-based carbon material with multi active sites of Fe–Nx, Fe3O4 and Fe2C for oxygen reduction was synthesized through facile pyrolysis of a Fe–porphyrin conjugated microporous polymer.
Construction of flower-like ZnSnO3/Zn2SnO4 hybrids for enhanced phenylamine sensing performance
Authors: Du Liyong , Zhang Hongpeng , Zhu Mingming , Zhang Mingzhe
Published: July 2019

Novel flower-like ZnSnO3/Zn2SnO4 hybrids were synthesized and showed excellent phenylamine sensing performance.
Carbon–oxygen-bridged hexacyclic non-fullerene acceptors with chlorinated end groups
Authors: Liu Tao , Zhao Qiaoqiao , Wang Huan , Qu Jianfei , Chao Pengjie , Zheng Nan , Lai Hanjian , Mo Daize , He Feng
Published: July 2019

Three chlorinated NFAs (COi6-2Cl-γ, COi6-2Cl-δ and COi6-2Cl-m) were synthesized for nonfullerene OSCs with the highest PCE of 9.30%.
Packaging vertically aligned carbon nanotubes into a heat-shrink tubing for efficient removal of phenolic pollutants
Authors: Moon Seung Min , Min Hyegi , Park Sanghwan , Zhexembekova Anar , Suh Jung Ki , Lee Chang Young
Published: July 2019

An adsorption tube prepared by heat-shrinkage of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes provides high adsorption capacity for phenolic compounds.
A titanium tetrachloride-based effective methodology for the synthesis of dipeptides
Authors: Comandè Alessandra , Greco Marianna , Belsito Emilia Lucia , Liguori Angelo , Leggio Antonella
Published: July 2019

The use of titanium tetrachloride as a condensing agent for the synthesis of dipeptide systems is reported.
Conceptual similarities between zeolites and artificial enzymes
Authors: Gallego Eva M. , Paris Cecilia , Cantín Ángel , Moliner Manuel , Corma Avelino
Published: July 2019

Inspired by artificial enzymes, we have designed zeolites acting as scaffolds for a given Diels–Alder reaction using mimics of the reaction transition state.
Highly efficient CsPbIBr2 perovskite solar cells with efficiency over 9.8% fabricated using a preheating-assisted spin-coating method
Authors: Guo Yuxiao , Yin Xingtian , Liu Jie , Que Wenxiu
Published: July 2019

An efficient and facile one-step spin-coating method assisted by a preheating process was applied for the fabrication of high-quality CsPbIBr2 films.
Cyclophosphazene-based hybrid polymer electrolytes obtained via epoxy–amine reaction for high-performance all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Zuo Cai , Yang Mengling , Wang Zhijun , Jiang Ke , Li Sibo , Luo Wen , He Dan , Liu Chengmei , Xie Xiaolin , Xue Zhigang
Published: July 2019

This article reports a cyclophosphazene-based hybrid polymer electrolyte formed via the epoxy–amine reaction for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.
Amorphous multinary phyllosilicate catalysts for electrochemical water oxidation
Authors: Kim Byunghoon , Kim Ju Seong , Kim Hyunah , Park Inchul , Seong Won Mo , Kang Kisuk
Published: July 2019

For the high-performance oxygen evolution reaction catalysts, we introduce amorphous cobalt–iron phyllosilicates (ACFPs), which explore the chemical space of phyllosilicate materials.
A borate-rich, cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte with near-single ion conduction for lithium metal batteries
Authors: Dai Kuan , Ma Cheng , Feng Yiming , Zhou Liangjun , Kuang Guichao , Zhang Yun , Lai Yanqing , Cui Xinwei , Wei Weifeng
Published: July 2019

A borate-rich polymer electrolyte with near-single ion conduction and a stable solid electrolyte interphase for high performance lithium metal batteries.
Two-step growth of CsPbI3−xBrx films employing dynamic CsBr treatment: toward all-inorganic perovskite photovoltaics with enhanced stability
Authors: Parida Bhaskar , Ryu Jun , Yoon Saemon , Lee Seojun , Seo Yejin , Cho Jung Sang , Kang Dong-Won
Published: July 2019

The dynamic CsBr treatment on α-CsPbI3 significantly improves the power conversion efficiency, reproducibility, and stability of all-inorganic CsPbI3−xBrx perovskite solar cells.
Ni3S2/Ni nanosheet arrays for high-performance flexible zinc hybrid batteries with evident two-stage charge and discharge processes
Authors: Huang Zhaodong , Li Xinliang , Yang Qi , Ma Longtao , Mo Funian , Liang Guojin , Wang Donghong , Liu Zhuoxin , Li Hongfei , Zhi Chunyi
Published: July 2019

Ni3S2 materials were utilized for both zinc ion batteries and zinc ion hybrid batteries. Through the introduction of OER and ORR, the zinc ion hybrid batteries displayed an evident two-stage charge and discharge process.
Development of novel oxygen carriers by coupling hemoglobin to functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes
Authors: Zhang Ke , Xiao Xiongfu , Li Linhao , Fan Yubo , Cai Qiang , Lee In-Seop , Li Xiaoming
Published: July 2019

Heparization could significantly improve the Hb-loading capability and biocompatibility of MWCNTs, and a novel oxygen carrier was prepared by coupling Hb with MWCNT-Hep through electrostatic interactions.
Molecular modulator for stable inverted planar perovskite solar cells with efficiency enhanced by interface engineering
Authors: Zhao Z. Q. , You S. , Huang J. , Yuan L. , Xiao Z. Y. , Cao Y. , Cheng N. , Hu L. , Liu J. F. , Yu B. H.
Published: July 2019

A novel interface-management strategy has been developed. Benefiting from optimized energy level alignment and interface contact, the Ca(acac)2-based layer significantly enhances the performance of PSCs, yielding an impressive efficiency of 20.15%.
Terahertz optical scanning imaging of motionless polyurethane insulation materials
Authors: Qiu Fu Cheng , Tan Zhiyong , Wang Chang , Fu Zhanglong , Wan Wenjian , Cao Juncheng
Published: July 2019

The authors demonstrate a terahertz optical scanning imaging system which utilises a combined 3D translation platform. Three mirrors are installed on the three sliders of the platform to realise the terahertz beam scanning of the motionless object. A pulsed quantum‐cascade laser at the frequency of 4.3 THz and a fast quantum‐well photodetector are employed in this terahertz imaging system to research the polyurethane insulation materials. A Fourier transform spectrometer is applied to measure the transmittance of the polyurethane insulation materials from 2 to 8 THz. The terahertz images of the polyurethane foams with a badge or three drops of water are obtained with great contrast.
Holistic assessment of driver assistance systems: how can systems be assessed with respect to how they impact glance behaviour and collision avoidance?
Authors: Bärgman Jonas , Victor Trent
Published: July 2019

This study demonstrates the need for a holistic safety‐impact assessment of an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and its effect on eye‐glance behaviour. It implements a substantial incremental development of the what‐if (counterfactual) simulation methodology, applied to rear‐end crashes from the SHRP2 naturalistic driving data. This assessment combines (i) the impact of the change in drivers’ off‐road glance behaviour due to the presence of the ADAS, and (ii) the safety impact of the ADAS alone. The results illustrate how the safety benefit of forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, in combination with adaptive cruise control (ACC) and driver assist (DA) systems, may almost completely dominate the safety impact of the longer off‐road glances that activated ACC and DA systems may induce. Further, this effect is shown to be robust to induced system failures. The accuracy of these results is tempered by outlined limitations, which future estimations will benefit from addressing. On the whole, this study is a further step towards a successively more accurate holistic risk assessment which includes driver behavioural responses such as off‐road glances together with the safety effects provided by the ADAS.
Transient stability‐oriented assessment and application of preventive control action for power system
Authors: Soni Bhanu P. , Saxena Akash , Gupta Vikas , Surana Simrath L.
Published: July 2019

The modern power system is becoming more complex and dynamic because of increasing penetration of renewable energy resources, operating closer to system capacity for economic benefits. In order to maintain the system stability, the system operator is required to initiate appropriate preventive control action under severe contingencies while satisfying the system operating constraints. Real time transient stability assessment (TSA) of power system is proposed in this paper by using wide area measurement system (WAMS) and phasor measurement units (PMUs). An architecture based on least square support vector machine (LS‐SVM) has been developed to identify the system stability state in real time. Also, this paper proposes a coherency based selection method to identify the appropriate members for generation rescheduling as preventive operation in insecure operating contingency. Rotor angle trajectories based transient stability index (TSI) is employed to classify the generators as either critical or non‐critical generators in a power network. Accordingly preventive control action in the form of generation rescheduling can be initiated to achieve stability. The method has been demonstrated on the IEEE 10‐machines, 39‐bus system. The proposed methodology is effective and capable of handling complex power system models with multiple contingencies.
Silicon‐based on‐chip four‐channel phased‐array radar transmitter with ferroelectric thin film at 100 GHz
Authors: Liu Jingtian , Chen Shuming , Huang Hui , Xiao Ke , Chen Xiaowen
Published: July 2019

A silicon‐based phased‐array transmitter working at 100 GHz is proposed in this study. Planar array ferroelectric film phase shifters (FPSs) are realised with patch antennas, DC bias lines, microstrip lines and power dividers on a monolithic silicon substrate. The system enables full process compatibility and avoids loss caused by multichip interconnection. The isolation layer uses benzocyclobutene polymer film with low permittivity and low loss tangent, providing large thickness physical isolation. The FPS has a compact length of 0.45 mm, and simulation results show that its phase shift degree at 100 GHz is 125.7° with 3.95 dB insertion loss and 11.4 dB reflection loss. The patch antenna shows that the maximum simulated radiation gain of the single antenna is 4 dBi and the four‐element antenna array is 9.7 dBi at 100 GHz. The beam can be steered to ±10°. The proposed system lays an important foundation for the realisation of silicon‐based system‐on‐chip radar RF front‐end system.
DC transformer requirements and fault operation analysis in PV medium voltage DC power collection system
Authors: Xinze Xi , Jianhua Wang , Shang Gao , Mingqin Zhang , Peixin Li , Fangfang Luo , Wei Gu
Published: July 2019

The large PV medium‐voltage (MV) DC power collection system is more efficient than the traditional AC collection system, which provides an alternative for future PV applications. As one of the core components of the PV MVDC power collection system, key techniques of DC transformer are presented here in detail, including the technical requirements, and fault operation analysis in the DC collection system. When part of the PV DC module in the low‐voltage (LV) side of DC transformer fails and bypassed, the DC collection system continues working normally with only part of power lost. When the MV side of DC transformer is shorted, all the PV modules exist and the collection system splits without ride‐through techniques. The fault operation principle of DC transformer in PV MVDC power collection system is verified by simulations.
Effects of organic solvents on morphologies, photoluminescence, and photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanostructures
Authors: Liang Ce , He Xian , Cai Zhiwei , Chang Gang , Lin Sen , Hao Yanan , Du Yinxiao , Fan Dongyu , Wang Yonggang , Bi Ke , Lei Ming
Published: July 2019

Employing organo‐metal zinc acetylacetonate (Zn(acac)2) as the zincic source, various zinc oxide (ZnO) products with different morphologies have been synthesised via a typical solvothermal method in different polar organic solvents. Quasi‐spherical and rod‐like structures with diverse sizes are successfully fabricated in the methanol, ethanol, 1‐propanol, isopropanol, and acetone solutions of NaOH, respectively. Moreover, their microstructures and morphologies have been investigated by X‐ray powder diffraction and electron microscopy. A possible growth mechanism has been proposed. The various morphologies of ZnO are attributed to the discrepant polarity and viscosity of organic solvents and the supersaturation levels of reactants. Furthermore, the size‐depended photoluminescence and photocatalytic properties of various structures of ZnO are also studied. It is believed that the different but regular photoelectric behaviours are resulting from the surface states and specific surface areas which are related to the exposed polarity facets as well as the size of ZnO particles.
An experimental test for effective medium approximations (EMAs)
Authors: Millán C. , Santonja C. , Domingo M. , Luna R. , Satorre M. Á.
Published: July 2019

Aims.The effective medium approximations (EMAs), or the Lorentz–Lorenz, Maxwell-Garnett, and Bruggeman models, largely used to obtain optical properties and porosities of pure and ice mixtures, have been experimentally tested in this work. The efficiency of these approximations has been studied by obtaining the porosity value for carbon dioxide ice grown at low temperatures. An explanation of the behaviour of the experimental results for all temperatures is given. The analysis carried out for CO2can be applied to other molecules.

Methods.An optical laser interference technique was carried out using two laser beams falling on a growing film of ice at different incident angles which allowed us to determine the refractive index and the thickness of the film. The mass deposited is recorded by means of a quartz crystal microbalance. Porosity is determined from its equational definition by using the experimental density previously obtained.

Results.From the experimental results of the refractive index and density, porosity values for carbon dioxide ice films grown on a cold surface at different temperatures of deposition have been calculated and compared with the results obtained from the EMA equations, and with recent experimental results.

Conclusion.The values of porosity obtained with the EMA models and experimentally, show similar trends. However, theoretical values overestimate the experimental results. We can conclude that using the EMAs to obtain this parameter from an ice mixture must be carefully considered and, if possible, an alternative experimental procedure that allows comparisons to be made should be used.
Survey of asteroids in retrograde mean motion resonances with planets
Authors: Li Miao , Huang Yukun , Gong Shengping
Published: July 2019

Aims.Asteroids in mean motion resonances (MMRs) with planets are common in the solar system. In recent years, increasingly more retrograde asteroids are discovered, several of which are identified to be in resonances with planets. We here systematically present the retrograde resonant configurations where all the asteroids are trapped with any of the eight planets and evaluate their resonant condition. We also discuss a possible production mechanism of retrograde centaurs and dynamical lifetimes of all the retrograde asteroids.

Methods.We numerically integrated a swarm of clones (ten clones for each object) of all the retrograde asteroids (condition codeU< 7) from −10 000 to 100 000 yr, using the MERCURY package in the model of solar system. We considered all of thep/−qresonances with eight planets where the positive integerspandqwere both smaller than 16. In total, 143 retrograde resonant configurations were taken into consideration. The integration time was further extended to analyze their dynamical lifetimes and evolutions.

Results.We present all the meaningful retrograde resonant configurations wherepandqare both smaller than 16 are presented. Thirty-eight asteroids are found to be trapped in 50 retrograde mean motion resonances (RMMRs) with planets. Our results confirm that RMMRs with giant planets are common in retrograde asteroids. Of these, 15 asteroids are currently in retrograde resonances with planets, and 30 asteroids will be captured in 35 retrograde resonant configurations. Some particular resonant configurations such as polar resonances and co-orbital resonances are also identified. For example, Centaur 2005 TJ50 may be the first potential candidate to be currently in polar retrograde co-orbital resonance with Saturn. Moreover, 2016 FH13 is likely the first identified asteroid that will be captured in polar retrograde resonance with Uranus. Our results provide many candidates for the research of retrograde resonant dynamics and resonance capture. Dynamical lifetimes of retrograde asteroids are investigated by long-term integrations, and only ten objects survived longer than 10 Myr. We confirmed that the near-polar trans-Neptunian objects 2011 KT19 and 2008 KV42 have the longest dynamical lifetimes of the discovered retrograde asteroids. In our long-term simulations, the orbits of 12 centaurs can flip from retrograde to prograde state and back again. This flipping mechanism might be a possible explanation of the origins of retrograde centaurs. Generally, our results are also helpful for understanding the dynamical evolutions of small bodies in the solar system.
Utilisation d’outils numériques dans le cadre d’un dispositif hybride pour l’apprentissage par problème de la physiologie en deuxième année des études médicales. Étude de faisabilité du recours au laboratoire numérique de physiologie « e-ϕsioLab ».
Authors: Gouzi Fares , Bughin François , Barateau Lucie , Hubert Agathe , Volland Savine , Laoudj-Chenivesse Dalila , Passerieux Emilie , Lopez Régis , Perez-Martin Antonia , Schuster-Beck Iris , Matecki Stephan , Dauzat Michel , Dauvilliers Yves , Hayot Maurice , Mercier Jacques
Published: July 2019

Contexte : À l’Université de Montpellier, l’enseignement de la physiologie passe par une initiation à la démarche expérimentale, effectuée sous forme d’un apprentissage par problème (APP) au cours d’enseignements dirigés (ED) ou travaux pratiques (TP). Actuellement, les ED/TP de physiologie en 2e année de Diplôme de formation générale en sciences médicales (DFGSM2) posent un problème de faisabilité. But(s) : Nous avons évalué la faisabilité d’un dispositif hybride « Laboratoire numérique de physiologie (e-ϕsioLab) » combinant ED présentiels (EDP) au tableau blanc interactif (TBI) + supports multimédias, et ED dématérialisés (EDD) sur plate-forme pédagogique Moodle, pour la résolution de problèmes de physiologie en DFGSM2. Méthodes : Pour les EDP, nous avons évalué les travaux des étudiants et comparé la participation des étudiants ayant bénéficié de ces ED e-ϕsioLab vs. ED classique. Pour les EDD, nous avons évalué les travaux et la participation des étudiants. Résultats : Les travaux ont révélé que les étudiants avaient effectué les tâches d’apprentissage visées pour l’APP (élaboration d’hypothèses, manipulation de paramètres, interprétation, retour sur problème) à l’aide du dispositif hybride. Durant les EDP, la participation et les échanges entre les étudiants étaient supérieurs aux ED classiques. Etudiants et enseignants ont utilisé les fonctionnalités de l’e-ϕsioLab, permettant la production de travaux originaux et en phase avec les objectifs pédagogiques. Conclusion : Notre dispositif hybride e-ϕsioLab à forte hybridation présentiel/à distance apparaît faisable pour l’APP en physiologie. Son utilisation a révélé une forte participation des étudiants, et poussé à la transformation de l’enseignement de physiologie vers les pédagogies actives.