bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shedding dynamics of Morogoro virus, an African arenavirus closely related to Lassa virus, in its natural reservoir host Mastomys natalensis
Authors: Borremans Benny , Vossen Raphaël , Becker-Ziaja Beate , Gryseels Sophie , Hughes Nelika , Van Gestel Mats , Van Houtte Natalie , Günther Stephan , Leirs Herwig
Published: May 2015

Arenaviruses can cause mild to severe hemorrhagic fevers. Humans mainly get infected through contact with infected rodents or their excretions, yet little is known about transmission dynamics within rodent populations. Morogoro virus (MORV) is an Old World arenavirus closely related to Lassa virus with which it shares the same host species Mastomys natalensis. We injected MORV in its host and sampled blood and excretions at frequent intervals. Infection in adults was acute; viral RNA disappeared from blood after 18 days post infection (dpi) and from excretions after 39 dpi. Antibodies were present from 7 dpi and never disappeared. Neonatally infected animals acquired a chronic infection with RNA and antibodies in blood for at least 3 months. The quantified excretion and antibody patterns can be used to inform mathematical transmission models and are essential for understanding and controlling transmission in the natural rodent host populations.
A micro-patterned silicon chip as sample holder for macromolecular crystallography experiments with minimal background scattering
Authors: Roedig P. , Vartiainen I. , Duman R. , Panneerselvam S. , Stübe N. , Lorbeer O. , Warmer M. , Sutton G. , Stuart D. I. , Weckert E. , David C. , Wagner A. , Meents A.
Published: May 2015

At low emittance synchrotron sources it has become possible to perform structure determinations from the measurement of multiple microcrystals which were previously considered too small for diffraction experiments. Conventional mounting techniques do not fulfill the requirements of these new experiments. They significantly contribute to background scattering and it is difficult to locate the crystals, making them incompatible with automated serial crystallography. We have developed a micro-fabricated sample holder from single crystalline silicon with micropores, which carries up to thousands of crystals and significantly reduces the background scattering level. For loading, the suspended microcrystals are pipetted onto the chip and excess mother liquor is subsequently soaked off through the micropores. Crystals larger than the pore size are retained and arrange themselves according to the micropore pattern. Using our chip we were able to collect 1.5 Å high resolution diffraction data from protein microcrystals with sizes of 4 micrometers and smaller.
Sound can suppress visual perception
Authors: Hidaka Souta , Ide Masakazu
Published: May 2015

In a single modality, the percept of an input (e.g., voices of neighbors) is often suppressed by another (e.g., the sound of a car horn nearby) due to close interactions of neural responses to these inputs. Recent studies have also suggested that close interactions of neural responses could occur even across sensory modalities, especially for audio-visual interactions. However, direct behavioral evidence regarding the audio-visual perceptual suppression effect has not been reported in a study with humans. Here, we investigated whether sound could have a suppressive effect on visual perception. We found that white noise bursts presented through headphones degraded visual orientation discrimination performance. This auditory suppression effect on visual perception frequently occurred when these inputs were presented in a spatially and temporally consistent manner. These results indicate that the perceptual suppression effect could occur across auditory and visual modalities based on close and direct neural interactions among those sensory inputs.
Assessing the potential of atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to probe reversible protein-protein recognition and binding
Authors: Abriata Luciano A. , Dal Peraro Matteo
Published: May 2015

Protein-protein recognition and binding are governed by diffusion, noncovalent forces and conformational flexibility, entangled in a way that only molecular dynamics simulations can dissect at high resolution. Here we exploited ubiquitin’s noncovalent dimerization equilibrium to assess the potential of atomistic simulations to reproduce reversible protein-protein binding, by running submicrosecond simulations of systems with multiple copies of the protein at millimolar concentrations. The simulations essentially fail because they lead to aggregates, yet they reproduce some specificity in the binding interfaces as observed in known covalent and noncovalent ubiquitin dimers. Following similar observations in literature we hint at electrostatics and water descriptions as the main liable force field elements and propose that their optimization should consider observables relevant to multi-protein systems and unfolded proteins. Within limitations, analysis of binding events suggests salient features of protein-protein recognition and binding, to be retested with improved force fields. Among them, that specific configurations of relative direction and orientation seem to trigger fast binding of two molecules, even over 50 Å distances; that conformational selection can take place within surface-to-surface distances of 10 to 40 Å i.e. well before actual intermolecular contact; and that establishment of contacts between molecules further locks their conformations and relative orientations.
Effects of Aβ exposure on long-term associative memory and its neuronal mechanisms in a defined neuronal network
Authors: Ford Lenzie , Crossley Michael , Williams Thomas , Thorpe Julian R. , Serpell Louise C. , Kemenes György
Published: May 2015

Amyloid beta (Aβ) induced neuronal death has been linked to memory loss, perhaps the most devastating symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although Aβ-induced impairment of synaptic or intrinsic plasticity is known to occur before any cell death, the links between these neurophysiological changes and the loss of specific types of behavioral memory are not fully understood. Here we used a behaviorally and physiologically tractable animal model to investigate Aβ-induced memory loss and electrophysiological changes in the absence of neuronal death in a defined network underlying associative memory. We found similar behavioral but different neurophysiological effects for Aβ 25-35 and Aβ 1-42 in the feeding circuitry of the snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Importantly, we also established that both the behavioral and neuronal effects were dependent upon the animals having been classically conditioned prior to treatment, since Aβ application before training caused neither memory impairment nor underlying neuronal changes over a comparable period of time following treatment.
Extreme ultra-low lasing threshold of full-polymeric fundamental microdisk printed with room-temperature atmospheric ink-jet technique
Authors: Yoshioka Hiroaki , Ota Tomoya , Chen Cong , Ryu Soichiro , Yasui Kei , Oki Yuji
Published: May 2015

We experimentally demonstrated an extreme ultra-low lasing threshold from full-polymeric fundamental microdisk cavities fabricated by a novel fabrication method, the ink-jet printing method, which is much simpler and easier than previous methods such as lithography. The ink-jet printing method provides additive, room-temperature atmospheric, rapid fabrication with only two steps: (i) stacking cladding pedestal and waveguiding disk spots using the ink-jet technique and (ii) partial etching of the cladding pedestal envelope. Two kinds of low-viscosity polymers successfully formed microdisks with high surface homogeneity and one of the polymers doped with LDS798 dye yielded whispering-gallery-mode lasing. The fundamental disks exhibited an extremely ultra-low lasing threshold of 0.33 μJ/mm2 at a wavelength of 817.3 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this lasing threshold is the lowest threshold obtained among both organic and inorganic fundamental microdisk cavity lasers with a highly confined structure.
Reduced Carrier Recombination in PbS - CuInS2 Quantum Dot Solar Cells
Authors: Sun Zhenhua , Sitbon Gary , Pons Thomas , Bakulin Artem A. , Chen Zhuoying
Published: May 2015

Energy loss due to carrier recombination is among the major factors limiting the performance of TiO2/PbS colloidal quantum dot (QD) heterojunction solar cells. In this work, enhanced photocurrent is achieved by incorporating another type of hole-transporting QDs, Zn-doped CuInS2 (Zn-CIS) QDs into the PbS QD matrix. Binary QD solar cells exhibit a reduced charge recombination associated with the spatial charge separation between these two types of QDs. A ~30% increase in short-circuit current density and a ~20% increase in power conversion efficiency are observed in binary QD solar cells compared to cells built from PbS QDs only. In agreement with the charge transfer process identified through ultrafast pump/probe spectroscopy between these two QD components, transient photovoltage characteristics of single-component and binary QDs solar cells reveal longer carrier recombination time constants associated with the incorporation of Zn-CIS QDs. This work presents a straightforward, solution-processed method based on the incorporation of another QDs in the PbS QD matrix to control the carrier dynamics in colloidal QD materials and enhance solar cell performance.
Endotoxic shock-expanded murine CD11clowCD45RB+ regulatory dendritic cells modulate inflammatory T cell responses through multiple mechanisms
Authors: Wang Xiaoqian , Wang Qingyang , Zhang Xueying , Li Yajing , Wang Jingyang , Hou Chunmei , Chen Juan , Shen Beifen , Shi Yanchun , Zhang Jiyan
Published: May 2015

Changes in the number and function of dendritic cells (DCs) have been reported to play an important role in endotoxin tolerance. It has been reported that expansion of splenic CD11clowCD45RB+ DCs occurs in mice injected with sublethal doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the function of endotoxic shock-expanded CD11clowCD45RB+ DCs has not been examined. In this work, we show that endotoxic shock promotes the expansion of CD11clowCD45RB+ cells with dendritic morphology and the production of low levels of inflammatory cytokines and costimulatory molecules. The expanded cells induce the generation of regulatory T cells (Tregs), show incapability to stimulate T cells and induce apoptosis of CD4+ T cells in vitro. As compared to CD11chiCD45RB− conventional DCs, the expanded cells exert better protection against colitis induction by CD4+ CD25− T cells, even though both subpopulations show similar ability to induce Tregs in vivo. The better control of proinflammatory cytokine responses in vivo by the expanded cells is associated with more apoptosis in the Payer’s patches and in colonic tissue-infiltrating cells. Thus, the expanded cells can modulate inflammatory T cell responses through multiple mechanisms. Our study facilitates a better understanding how innate immune responses may shape adaptive immunity and immune suppression following LPS-induced acute inflammation.
Detection of Nitro-Based and Peroxide-Based Explosives by Fast Polarity-Switchable Ion Mobility Spectrometer with Ion Focusing in Vicinity of Faraday Detector
Authors: Zhou Qinghua , Peng Liying , Jiang Dandan , Wang Xin , Wang Haiyan , Li Haiyang
Published: May 2015

Ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) has been widely deployed for on-site detection of explosives. The common nitro-based explosives are usually detected by negative IMS while the emerging peroxide-based explosives are better detected by positive IMS. In this study, a fast polarity-switchable IMS was constructed to detect these two explosive species in a single measurement. As the large traditional Faraday detector would cause a trailing reactant ion peak (RIP), a Faraday detector with ion focusing in vicinity was developed by reducing the detector radius to 3.3 mm and increasing the voltage difference between aperture grid and its front guard ring to 591 V, which could remove trailing peaks from RIP without loss of signal intensity. This fast polarity-switchable IMS with ion focusing in vicinity of Faraday detector was employed to detect a mixture of 10 ng 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 50 ng hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD) by polarity-switching and the result suggested that [TNT-H]− and [HMTD+H]+ could be detected in a single measurement. Furthermore, the removal of trailing peaks from RIP by the Faraday detector with ion focusing in vicinity also promised the accurate identification of KClO4, KNO3 and S in common inorganic explosives, whose product ion peaks were fairly adjacent to RIP.
Cross-species comparative analysis of Dicer proteins during Sindbis virus infection
Authors: Girardi Erika , Lefèvre Mathieu , Chane-Woon-Ming Béatrice , Paro Simona , Claydon Bill , Imler Jean-Luc , Meignin Carine , Pfeffer Sébastien
Published: May 2015

In plants and invertebrates RNA silencing is a major defense mechanism against virus infections. The first event in RNA silencing is dicing of long double stranded RNAs into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). The Dicer proteins involved in this process are phylogenetically conserved and have the same domain organization. Accordingly, the production of viral derived siRNAs has also been observed in the mouse, but only in restricted cell types. To gain insight on this restriction, we compare the dicing activity of human Dicer and fly Dicer-2 in the context of Sindbis virus (SINV) infection. Expression of human Dicer in flies inefficiently rescues the production of viral siRNAs but confers some protection against SINV. Conversely, expression of Dicer-2 in human cells allows the production of viral 21 nt small RNAs. However, this does not confer resistance to viral infection, but on the contrary results in stronger accumulation of viral RNA. We further show that Dicer-2 expression in human cells perturbs interferon (IFN) signaling pathways and antagonizes protein kinase R (PKR)-mediated antiviral immunity. Overall, our data suggest that a functional incompatibility between the Dicer and IFN pathways explains the predominance of the IFN response in mammalian somatic cells.
A variant of PSMD6 is associated with the therapeutic efficacy of oral antidiabetic drugs in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients
Authors: Chen Miao , Hu Cheng , Zhang Rong , Jiang Feng , Wang Jie , Peng Danfeng , Tang Shanshan , Sun Xue , Yan Jing , Wang Shiyun , Wang Tao , Bao Yuqian , Jia Weiping
Published: May 2015

The PSMD6 variant rs831571 has been identified as a susceptibility locus for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to investigate the association of this variant with therapeutic effects of oral antidiabetic drugs in Chinese T2DM patients. 209 newly diagnosed T2DM patients were randomly assigned to treatment with repaglinide or rosiglitazone for 48 weeks and the therapeutic effects were compared. In the rosiglitazone cohort, rs831571 showed significant associations with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h glucose and decrement of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels after 24 weeks of treatment (P = 0.0368, 0.0468 and 0.0247, respectively). The C allele was significantly associated with a better attainment of FPG at 24 and 32 weeks (P = 0.0172 and 0.0257, respectively). Survival analyses showed CC homozygotes were more likely to attain a standard FPG level (P = 0.0654). In the repaglinide cohort, rs831571 was significantly associated with decreased HbA1c levels after 24 weeks of treatment, the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance and fasting insulin level after 48 weeks of treatment with repaglinide (P = 0.0096, 0235 and 0.0212, respectively). In conclusion, we observed that the PSMD6 variant rs831571 might be associated with the therapeutic effects of rosiglitazone and repaglinide in Chinese T2DM patients. However, these findings need to be confirmed in the future.
Nonequilibrium fluctuations as a distinctive feature of weak localization
Authors: Barone C. , Romeo F. , Pagano S. , Attanasio C. , Carapella G. , Cirillo C. , Galdi A. , Grimaldi G. , Guarino A. , Leo A. , Nigro A. , Sabatino P.
Published: May 2015

Two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, topological insulators, and two-dimensional electron gases, represent a technological playground to develop coherent electronics. In these systems, quantum interference effects and in particular weak localization, are likely to occur. These coherence effects are usually characterized by well-defined features in dc electrical transport, such as a resistivity increase and negative magnetoresistance below a crossover temperature. Recently, it has been shown that in magnetic and superconducting compounds, undergoing a weak-localization transition, a specific low-frequency 1/f noise occurs. An interpretation in terms of nonequilibrium universal conductance fluctuations has been given. The universality of this unusual electric noise mechanism has been here verified by detailed voltage-spectral density investigations on ultrathin copper films. The reported experimental results validate the proposed theoretical framework and also provide an alternative methodology to detect weak-localization effects by using electric noise spectroscopy.
Complex Interactions Between the Macrophyte Acorus Calamus and Microbial Fuel Cells During Pyrene and Benzo[a]Pyrene Degradation in Sediments
Authors: Yan Zaisheng , Jiang Helong , Cai Haiyuan , Zhou Yanli , Krumholz Lee R.
Published: May 2015

This study investigated the interaction of the macrophyte Acorus calamus and sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFC) during the degradation of high molecular weight-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAHs) in sediments. Over 367-days, the combination of macrophyte and SMFC led to an increase in pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene degradation rates by at least 70% compared to SMFC or macrophyte alone. While either the macrophyte or SMFC increased redox potential in sediments, redox potentials near the anode (approximately 6 cm depth) in the macrophyte-SMFC combination were markedly lower than that in the only macrophyte treatment. Moreover, rhizospheric bacterial communities in macrophyte-SMFC and macrophyte treatments were distinctly different. Aerobic genera (Vogesella, Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium and Rhizobium) and anaerobic genera (Longilinea, Bellilinea, Desulfobacca and Anaeromyxobacter) became dominant in the rhizosphere in macrophyte and macrophyte-SMFC treatments, respectively. In addition, the macrophyte-SMFC combination improved the numbers of not only aerobic but anaerobic PAHs degraders in sediments. So, the SMFC employment facilitated the formation of anoxic zones in sediments with oxygen loss and exudates from the roots. As a result, cooperation of anaerobic/aerobic microbial metabolism for accelerating HMW-PAHs removal occurred within sediments after combining macrophytes with SMFC.
Host species vary in infection probability, sub-lethal effects and costs of immune response when exposed to an amphibian parasite
Authors: Bielby Jon , Fisher Matthew C. , Clare Frances C. , Rosa Gonçalo M. , Garner Trenton W. J.
Published: May 2015

The amphibian parasite Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is regarded as an extreme generalist, infecting over 500 species, but amongst these hosts there exists a great deal of variation in the susceptibility to and the costs of parasite exposure. We use two infection experiments to determine whether inter-specific variation in the sublethal and lethal effects of parasite exposure exist in two host species. We then tested the relative roles of host density and diversity on infection probability of a focal susceptible host. Our results show significant heterogeneity in host species response to parasite exposure and that both lethal and sub-lethal costs exist in individuals that are able to resist infection, indicating that successful immune response to infection comes at a cost. Further, we show that increasing host density significantly increased the likelihood of susceptible individuals becoming infected with Bd irrespective of host diversity and variation in host susceptibility. These results suggest that populations of resistant species are likely to suffer ill-effects of exposure to Bd regardless of their infection status and that at the stage of initial infection there was no support for the dilution of transmission events, in contrast to other studies that focus on subsequent transmission of infection.
Functionalized graphene and other two-dimensional materials for photovoltaic devices: device design and processing
Authors: Liu Zhike , Lau Shu Ping , Yan Feng
Published: May 2015

2D materials have been successfully used in various types of solar cells as transparent electrodes, interfacial and active materials.
Advanced detection methods for traceability of origin and authenticity of olive oils
Authors: Ou Gaozhi , Hu Rui , Zhang Liangxiao , Li Peiwu , Luo Xinjian , Zhang Zhaowei
Published: May 2015

This review focuses on the advances in the sensing and identification of adulteration of olive oil, including optical sensing, chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and DNA-based methods.
Determination of flumetsulam residues in 20 kinds of plant-derived foods by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Wang Pingping , Tian Fajun , Xu Jun , Dong Fengshou , Li Shasha , Zheng Yongquan , Liu Xingang
Published: May 2015

A modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of flumetsulam in 20 kinds of complicated plant-derived foods was developed and validated.
Extending the chemistry of carbones: P–N bond cleavage via an SN2′-like mechanism
Authors: Gurnani Chitra , Đorđević Nemanja , Muthaiah Senthilkumar , Dimić Dušan , Ganguly Rakesh , Petković Milena , Vidović Dragoslav
Published: May 2015

The reaction of a couple of nucleophilic carbone molecules with RN(PCl2)2 (R = Me, Ph) revealed an unexpected and unique P–N bond cleavage via an SN2′-like mechanism.
Qualitative/chiral sensing of amino acids by naked-eye fluorescence change based on morphological transformation and hierarchizing in supramolecular assemblies of pyrene-conjugated glycolipids
Authors: Kameta Naohiro , Masuda Mitsutoshi , Shimizu Toshimi
Published: May 2015

Supramolecular assemblies exhibited fluorescence-color changes in response to not only a specific amino acid but also the chirality of the recognized amino acid.
Pristine hollow microspheres of Mn2O3 as a potential anode for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Sekhar B. Chandra , Kalaiselvi N.
Published: May 2015

Ascorbic acid aided inside-out Ostwald ripening promotes the formation of Mn2O3 microspheres with a hollow interior surface that exhibits an appreciable capacity of 610 mA h g−1, even after completing 100 cycles.
Cu2+ underpotential-deposition assisted synthesis of Au and Au–Pd alloy nanocrystals with systematic shape evolution
Authors: Zhang Lei , Chen Qiaoli , Jiang Zhiyuan , Xie Zhaoxiong , Zheng Lansun
Published: May 2015

With the assistance of Cu2+ underpotential deposition on the Au surface, Au and Au–Pd nanocrystals with systematic shape evolution were successfully synthesized.
Nanosystems: the use of nanoalloys, metallic, bimetallic, and magnetic nanoparticles in biomedical applications
Authors: McNamara Karrina , Tofail Syed A. M.
Published: May 2015

There is a growing interest in the use of nanosystems in biomedical applications. In this perspective, we survey current applications and advances in magnetic nanoparticles used in biomedical applications, so as to understand the material properties that can pave the way for the use of nanoalloys.
Temperature-induced structural transitions in self-assembling magnetic nanocolloids
Authors: Kantorovich Sofia S. , Ivanov Alexey O. , Rovigatti Lorenzo , Tavares Jose M. , Sciortino Francesco
Published: May 2015

With the help of a unique combination of density functional theory and computer simulations, we discover two possible scenarios, depending on concentration, for the hierarchical self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles on cooling.
Can inorganic salts tune electronic properties of graphene quantum dots?
Authors: Colherinhas Guilherme , Fileti Eudes Eterno , Chaban Vitaly V.
Published: May 2015

In this work, we apply density functional theory to study the effect of neutral ionic clusters adsorbed on the GQD surface. We conclude that both the HOMO and the LUMO of GQDs are very sensitive to the presence of ions and to their distance from the GQD surface. However, the alteration of the band gap itself is modest, as opposed to the case of free ions (recent reports). Our work fosters progress in modulating electronic properties of nanoscale carbonaceous materials.
Multifarious facets of sugar-derived molecular gels: molecular features, mechanisms of self-assembly and emerging applications
Authors: Datta Sougata , Bhattacharya Santanu
Published: May 2015

This review discusses various facets of sugar-derived LMWGs, uncovering their mechanisms of gelation, structure–property relationships, scope and numerous applications.
Dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers
Authors: Caminade Anne-Marie , Yan Deyue , Smith David K.
Published: May 2015

Guest editors Anne-Marie Caminade, Deyue Yan and David K. Smith introduce the Dendrimers and Hyperbranched Polymers issue of Chemical Society Reviews
Graphene-supported metal/metal oxide nanohybrids: synthesis and applications in heterogeneous catalysis
Authors: Cheng Yi , Fan Yiqiu , Pei Yan , Qiao Minghua
Published: May 2015

This minireview outlines recent advances in the design and catalytic applications of graphene-supported metal/metal oxide nanohybrids.
Copper(i) complexes with phosphine derived from sparfloxacin. Part I – structures, spectroscopic properties and cytotoxicity
Authors: Komarnicka Urszula K. , Starosta Radosław , Kyzioł Agnieszka , Jeżowska-Bojczuk Małgorzata
Published: May 2015

New, water and air stable, CuI/CuNCS complexes with hydroxymethyldiphenylphosphine or phosphine derivatives of sparfloxacin and diimines are presented. Cytotoxic activity of these complexes is strongly dependent on the type of diimine and phosphine.
Investigations of freezing and cold storage for the analysis of peatland dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and absorbance properties
Authors: Peacock Mike , Freeman Chris , Gauci Vincent , Lebron Inma , Evans Chris D.
Published: May 2015

The loss of peatland dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in filtered samples under long-term storage (4 °C in the dark) can be modelled simply using a calculated half-life.
Assessment of functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles in vitro: introduction to integrated nanoimpact index
Authors: Bayat N. , Lopes V. R. , Sanchez-Dominguez M. , Lakshmanan R. , Rajarao G. K. , Cristobal S.
Published: May 2015

The integrated nanoimpact index (INI) is an early warning scale of nano-impact based on a combination of toxicological end points and can be helpful in assessing the risks of exposure of any novel engineered nanoparticle such as the SPIONs presented here.
Molecular iodine catalysed one-pot synthesis of chromeno[4,3-b]quinolin-6-ones under microwave irradiation
Authors: Sashidhara Koneni V. , Palnati Gopala Reddy , Singh L. Ravithej , Upadhyay Amit , Avula Srinivasa Rao , Kumar Abdhesh , Kant Ruchir
Published: May 2015

A one pot protocol for the generation of diverse libraries of medicinally important chromeno[4,3-b]quinolin-6-one hybrids is presented.
High mobility flexible graphene field-effect transistors and ambipolar radio-frequency circuits
Authors: Liang Yiran , Liang Xuelei , Zhang Zhiyong , Li Wei , Huo Xiaoye , Peng Lianmao
Published: May 2015

Field-effect transistors (GFETs) were fabricated on mechanically flexible substrates using chemical vapor deposition grown graphene.
Fast assembling microarrays of superparamagnetic Fe3O4@Au nanoparticle clusters as reproducible substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Authors: Ye Min , Wei Zewen , Hu Fei , Wang Jianxin , Ge Guanglu , Hu Zhiyuan , Shao Mingwang , Lee Shuit-Tong , Liu Jian
Published: May 2015

A method featuring fast assembling microarrays of superparamagnetic Fe3O4@Au nanoparticle clusters as highly reproducible SERS substrates is reported.
Reductive alkylation of active methylene compounds with carbonyl derivatives, calcium hydride and a heterogeneous catalyst
Authors: Guyon Carole , Duclos Marie-Christine , Sutter Marc , Métay Estelle , Lemaire Marc
Published: May 2015

A one-pot two-step reaction (Knoevenagel condensation – reduction of the double bond) has been developed using calcium hydride as a reductant in the presence of a supported noble metal catalyst.
A bifunctional colorimetric fluorescent probe for Hg2+and Cu2+based on a carbazole–pyrimidine conjugate: chromogenic and fluorogenic recognition on TLC, silica-gel and filter paper
Authors: Kaur Matinder , Ahn Ye-Hee , Choi Kihang , Cho Min Ju , Choi Dong Hoon
Published: May 2015

A bifunctional fluorescent probe based on a carbazole–pyrimidine conjugate exhibited a colorimetric and ratiometric turn-on response towards Hg2+/Cu2+in the nanomolar range.
The direct synthesis of interface-decorated reactive block copolymer nanoparticles via polymerisation-induced self-assembly
Authors: Jiang Yanyan , Xu Na , Han Jie , Yu Qiuping , Guo Lei , Gao Pan , Lu Xinhua , Cai Yuanli
Published: May 2015

Enzyme inspired interface-decorated media-accessible reactive nanoparticles are now available via PISA by aqueous dispersion RAFT of commodity-DAAM with minimal NH3+-monomer.
The effect of molecular weight on the porosity of hypercrosslinked polystyrene
Authors: Ratvijitvech Thanchanok , Barrow Michael , Cooper Andrew I. , Adams Dave J.
Published: May 2015

Microporous polymers can be prepared by crosslinking polystyrenes, with the surface areas being dependent on the degree of polymerisation.
pH sensitive smart gels of cetylpyridinium chloride in binary solvent mixtures: phase behaviour, structure and composition
Authors: Ramakanth Illa , Pištora Jaromír
Published: May 2015

Figure showing the effect of pH on CPC gel formation at 25 °C and fluorescence emission spectra of CPC solutions at pH ∼ 11.8.
Cu doped Fe3O4 magnetic adsorbent for arsenic: synthesis, property, and sorption application
Authors: Wang Ting , Yang Weichun , Song Tingting , Li Chaofang , Zhang Liyuan , Wang Haiying , Chai Liyuan
Published: May 2015

Cu doping greatly facilitates the arsenic absorbance of Fe3O4 through catalyzing the oxidation of As(iii) by O2 followed by ready adsorption of As(v).
Effect of a hierarchical hybrid micro/nanorough strontium-loaded surface on osseointegration in osteoporosis
Authors: Li Yongfeng , Fu Qian , Qi Yaping , Shen Mingming , Niu Qiang , Hu Kaijin , Kong Liang
Published: May 2015

This study evaluated the effect of a hierarchical hybrid micro/nanorough titanium strontium-loaded (MNT-Sr) surface on osseointegration under osteoporotic conditions.
Magnetic, thermal, mesomorphic and thermoelectric properties of mononuclear, dimeric and polymeric iron(ii) complexes with conjugated ligands
Authors: Abdullah Norbani , Elsheikh Mohamed Hamid , Nik Ibrahim Nik Muhd Jazli , Mohd Said Suhana , Mohd Sabri Mohd Faizul , Haji Hassan Masjuki , Marlina Anita
Published: May 2015

Monomeric, dimeric and polymeric iron(ii) complexes of conjugated ligands exhibited differences in magnetic, mesomorphic and thermoelectric properties.
Influence of hollow carbon microspheres of micro and nano-scale on the physical and mechanical properties of epoxy syntactic foams
Authors: Li Xiudi , Zhu Ming , Tang Xuemei , Zhang Qingjie , Yang Xiaoping , Sui Gang
Published: May 2015

The introduction of hollow carbon microspheres at different content and particle size led to various impacts on the physical and mechanical properties of epoxy syntactic foams due to the diversity in the interfacial interactions and microstructure.
Facile synthesis of high dispersion γ-Fe2O3–Au nanoparticles within mesoporous silica spheres
Authors: Song Huiyu , Zhang Xiaona , Zhang Jiaxi , Liu Dandan , Shu Ting , Yang Xu , Du Li , Liao Shijun
Published: May 2015

γ-Fe2O3–Au@m-SiO2 composite were successfully prepared by a facile one-pot method, which showed good magnetic property, high nanoparticles dispersion, uniform mesopore size, high surface area and big pore volume.
Preparation and anti-oxidation properties of Si(O)C coated carbon-bonded carbon fibre composites
Authors: Niu Min , Wang Hongjie , Wen Jiangbo , Ma Mingbo , Fan Xingyu
Published: May 2015

An oxidation protective Si(O)C coating was fabricated on the carbon fibres of carbon-bonded carbon fibre (CBCF) composites using sol–gel method using dimethoxydimethylsilane and methyltrimethoxysilane as precursors.
Non-covalent functionalization of carbon nano-onions with pyrene–BODIPY dyads for biological imaging
Authors: Bartelmess Juergen , Frasconi Marco , Balakrishnan Preethi B. , Signorelli Angelo , Echegoyen Luis , Pellegrino Teresa , Giordani Silvia
Published: May 2015

We report a novel approach based on non-covalent interactions for the functionalization of carbon nano-onions (CNOs) with fluorophores.
Morphology and electrical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube/carbon aerogel prepared by using polyacrylonitrile as precursor
Authors: Dourani A. , Hamadanian M. , Haghgoo M. , Jahannama M. R. , Goudarzi H.
Published: May 2015

MWCNT/PAN aerogel composites were synthesized using the Thermal Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) procedure.
A rapid metal free synthesis of 5-substituted-1H-tetrazoles using cuttlebone as a natural high effective and low cost heterogeneous catalyst
Authors: Ghodsinia Sara S. E. , Akhlaghinia Batool
Published: May 2015

A convenient, rapid and metal free synthesis of 5-substituted-1H-tetrazoles by [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of nitriles with sodium azide. Cuttlebone as a natural low cost heterogeneous catalyst affords 5-substituted-1H-tetrazoles rapidly with high efficiency.
Preparation and evaluation of a novel pADM-derived micro- and nano electrospun collagen membrane
Authors: Liu Xinhua , Dan Weihua , Ju Haiyan , Dan Nianhua , Gong Juxia
Published: May 2015

A novel pADM-derived micro- and nano electrospun collagen membrane (PDEC) was successfully prepared by the electrospinning technique.
A copper-catalyzed multi-component reaction accessing fused imidazo-heterocycles via C–H functionalization
Authors: Kumar G. Santosh , Ragini S. Pushpa , Kumar A. Sanjeeva , Meshram H. M.
Published: May 2015

An efficient synthesis of fused imidazo-heterocycles is described using Cu(OTf)2in [bmim]BF4by the multi-component reaction of pyridin-2(1H)-one or thiazol/benzo[d]thiazol-2(3H)-ones withO-tosylhydroxyl amine and acetophenones under microwave irradiation.
Sensitive and highly selective determination of vitamin B1 in the presence of other vitamin B complexes using functionalized gold nanoparticles as fluorophore
Authors: Shankar Sekar , John S. Abraham
Published: May 2015

This work describes the spectrofluorimetric determination of thiamine in the presence of vitamin B complexes using 4-amino-6-hydroxy-2-mercaptopyrimidine as fluorophore. The detection limit was found to be 6.8 fM L−1 (S/N = 3).
Nanoarrays: design, preparation and supercapacitor applications
Authors: Guo Di , Lai Linfei , Cao Anmin , Liu Huakun , Dou Shixue , Ma Jianmin
Published: May 2015

Increasing energy and power demands have continued to stimulate the development of new electrochemical energy storage devices.
Dynamics and yielding of binary self-suspended nanoparticle fluids
Authors: Agrawal Akanksha , Yu Hsiu-Yu , Srivastava Samanvaya , Choudhury Snehashis , Narayanan Suresh , Archer Lynden A.
Published: May 2015

Yielding and flow transitions in bi-disperse suspensions of self-suspended spherical nanoparticles are studied by varying the size ratio and fraction of larger particles in the blends.
Morphing of geometric composites via residual swelling
Authors: Pezzulla Matteo , Shillig Steven A. , Nardinocchi Paola , Holmes Douglas P.
Published: May 2015

Understanding and controlling the shape of thin, soft objects has been the focus of significant research efforts among physicists, biologists, and engineers in the last decade.
Carbon nanofiber bridged two-dimensional titanium carbide as a superior anode for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Lin Zongyuan , Sun Dongfei , Huang Qing , Yang Jun , Barsoum Michel W. , Yan Xingbin
Published: May 2015

With the help of CNF conductive bridges, Ti3C2/CNF hybrid particles exhibited significantly enhanced reversible capacity and excellent rate performance.
Enhanced visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of CuS/ZnS nanoflower spheres
Authors: Hong Yangping , Zhang Jun , Huang Feng , Zhang Jiye , Wang Xian , Wu Zhicheng , Lin Zhang , Yu Jiaguo
Published: May 2015

The ZnS nanoflower architectures reach a high visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production activity with the deposition of a small portion of CuS nanoparticles.
Judicious design of lithium iron phosphate electrodes using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) for high performance batteries
Authors: Cíntora-Juárez Daniel , Pérez-Vicente Carlos , Kazim Samrana , Ahmad Shahzada , Tirado José Luis
Published: May 2015

Designing of lithium iron phosphate electrodes using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) for high performance batteries.
A reactive azobenzene liquid-crystalline block copolymer as a promising material for practical application of light-driven soft actuators
Authors: Lv Jiu-an , Wang Wei , Wu Wei , Yu Yanlei
Published: May 2015

The freestanding fiber and film comprised of a reactive liquid-crystalline block copolymer were fabricated by facile techniques such as dip-drawing or casting and thereafter immersion to undergo the post-crosslinking. Both of the CLCP fiber and film showed reversible bending and unbending behaviors in response to UV and visible light, respectively.
From FePt–Fe3O4 to L10-FePt–Fe nanocomposite magnets with a gradient interface
Authors: Yang Weiwei , Lei Wenjuan , Yu Yongsheng , Zhu Wenlei , George T. A. , Li X.-Z. , Sellmyer D. J. , Sun Shouheng
Published: May 2015

Exchange-coupling L10-FePt–bcc-Fe nanocomposites with a gradient interface is obtained from annealing FePt and FePt–Fe3O4 dumbbell shaped NPs.
Power quality improvement in a low‐voltage DC ceiling grid powered system
Authors: Nallusamy Subashini , Velayutham Dharmalingam , Govindarajan Uma , Parvathyshankar Deivasundari
Published: May 2015

Power quality is an important issue in low‐voltage DC (LVDC) grids which drives light‐emitting diode lighting system and many other DC loads in residential applications. The requirement of high‐quality power to the lighting system necessitates power factor correction (PFC). This study presents a three‐phase modular AC‐to‐DC converter with a simple controller for PFC in LVDC grids under balanced and unbalanced supply voltage conditions. The proposed circuit consists of three separate single‐phase boost converter modules. Each module includes a diode rectifier at the front end, followed by a boost converter. The main advantage of this converter is module loss operation where the DC supply given to the lighting system and other DC loads will be continued even in case of failure of one module. The 24 V DC output voltage is regulated using an outer proportional‐integral controller and the input current wave shape in each phase is improved by three individual hysteresis controllers. The controller works successfully in tracking the reference voltage changes in order to vary the regulated DC output voltage. The effectiveness of the controller has been verified by the results obtained through MATLAB/SIMULINK. A prototype model has been developed to validate this system and tested using dSPACE1104 processor.
Simple control scheme for single‐phase uninterruptible power supply inverters with Kalman filter‐based estimation of the output voltage
Authors: Razi Reza , Monfared Mohammad
Published: May 2015

The major drawback of most control methods for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) inverters is complexity. In this study, a simple voltage sensorless multi‐loop control method is proposed for the single‐phase UPS inverter and the parameters are designed systematically based on a frequency domain method. The suggested control scheme uses two nested simple proportional controllers instead of proportional–integral/resonant controllers to regulate the output voltage and produce active resonance damping. In addition, a feedforward compensation of the reference voltage is used to enhance the performance of the control system. The proposed controller does not need any reference frame transformation or integration/derivation of measured quantities in its structure. To reduce the cost and at the same time to improve the reliability of the converter system, the output voltage sensor is replaced by a simple estimation algorithm based on the digital Kalman filter. Experimental results with a 500 VA prototype, as well as simulation results validate the excellent performance of the suggested estimation and control scheme.
Solid‐state controller for three‐phase permanent magnet synchronous generator‐based diesel generator set feeding single‐phase loads
Authors: Niwas Ram , Singh Bhim
Published: May 2015

This study deals with the voltage control and power quality improvement of a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)‐based diesel generator (DG) set feeding single‐phase loads using a solid‐state controller. The proposed system consists of a PMSG driven by a diesel engine at constant speed, a three‐leg voltage source converter (VSC) with a capacitor on its DC link and single‐phase load connected between two terminals of the generator. Most of the domestic loads are single phase but three‐phase generation is more reliable and efficient than single‐phase generation. Therefore a three‐phase PMSG is proposed for feeding such types of loads. The VSC is used as a solid‐state controller to control the terminal voltage, to eliminate harmonics from the source currents and voltage and to provide load balancing while feeding single‐phase loads from three‐phase PMSG. An adaptive theory‐based improved linear sinusoidal tracer (ILST)‐based control algorithm with selectable frequency (ωo) and bandwidth (Δ) is used to estimate balanced reference source currents. The main contribution of this study is the power quality improvement of PMSG‐based DG set using a solid‐state controller along with hardware implementation of a novel ILST‐based control algorithm for voltage control across the load.
Modified Ćuk converter for high‐performance power factor correction applications
Authors: Bodetto Mirko , Marcos‐Pastor Adria , El Aroudi Abdelali , Cid‐Pastor Angel , Vidal‐Idiarte Enric
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a modified Ćuk (m‐Ćuk) converter to reduce the total harmonic distortion in single‐stage power factor correction AC–DC circuits. This modification allows the converter to operate in continuous conduction mode even in the zero‐crossing area avoiding distortion in its vicinity. The proposed converter is analysed, designed and implemented. The simulation results and experimental measurements verify the feasibility of the proposed m‐Ćuk converter.
Critical Evaluation of Thermochemical Properties of C1–C4 Species: Updated Group-Contributions to Estimate Thermochemical Properties
Authors: Burke S. M. , Simmie J. M. , Curran H. J.
Published: May 2015

A review of literature on enthalpies of formation and molar entropies for alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, hydroperoxides, and their associated radicals has been compiled and critically evaluated. By comparing literature values, the overall uncertainty in thermochemical properties of small hydrocarbons and oxygenated hydrocarbons can be highlighted. In general, there is good agreement between heat of formation values in the literature for stable species; however, there is greater uncertainty in the values for radical species and for molar entropy values. Updated values for a group-additivity method for the estimation of thermochemical properties based on the evaluated literature data are proposed. The new values can be used to estimate thermochemical data for larger, combustion-relevant species for which no calculations or measurements currently exist, with increased confidence.
Spin Nernst effect and intrinsic magnetization in two-dimensional Dirac materials
Authors: Gusynin V. P. , Sharapov S. G. , Varlamov A. A.
Published: May 2015

We begin with a brief description of the role of the Nernst-Ettingshausen effect in the studies of the high-temperature superconductors and Dirac materials such as graphene. The theoretical analysis of the NE effect is involved because the standard Kubo formalism has to be modified by the presence of magnetization currents in order to satisfy the third law of thermodynamics. A new generation of the low-buckled Dirac materials is expected to have a strong spin Nernst effect that represents the spintronics analog of the NE effect. These Dirac materials can be considered as made of two independent electron subsystems of the two-component gapped Dirac fermions. For each subsystem the gap breaks a time-reversal symmetry and thus plays a role of an effective magnetic field. We explicitly demonstrate how the correct thermoelectric coefficient emerges both by the explicit calculation of the magnetization and by a formal cancelation in the modified Kubo formula. We conclude by showing that the nontrivial dependences of the spin Nersnt signal on the carrier concentration and electric field applied are expected in silicene and other low-buckled Dirac materials.
Microwave detectors based on the spin-torque diode effect
Authors: Prokopenko O. V. , Slavin A. N.
Published: May 2015

The spin-transfer torque (STT) effect provides a new method of manipulation of magnetization in nanoscale objects. The STT effect manifests itself as a transfer of spin angular momentum between the parallel magnetic layers separated by a nonmagnetic spacer and traversed by a dc electric current. The transfer of the spin angular momentum from one layer to another could result in the excitation of the microwave-frequency magnetization dynamics in one of the magnetic layers. On the other hand, when a magnetization dynamics is excited in a magnetic layered structure by an external microwave signal both the structure electrical resistance and current through the structure will acquire microwave components resulting in the appearance of a rectified dc voltage on the magnetic structure. This “spin-torque diode effect” can be used for the development of ultra-sensitive spin-torque microwave detectors (STMD). Below we present a brief review of our recent work on the general properties of STMDs, analyze the performance of the “resonance-type” and “threshold-type STMD” and consider the possible applications for such microwave detectors.
Molecular dynamics simulation of joining process of Ag-Au nanowires and mechanical properties of the hybrid nanojoint
Authors: Ding Su , Tian Yanhong , Jiang Zhi , He Xiaobin
Published: May 2015

The nanojoining process of Ag-Au hybrid nanowires at 800K was comprehensively studied by virtue of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Three kinds of configurations including end-to-end, T-like and X-like were built in the simulation aiming to understand the nanojoining mechanism. The detailed dynamic evolution of atoms, crystal structure transformation and defects development during the nanojoining processes were performed. The results indicate that there are two stages in the nanojoining process of Ag-Au nanowires which are atom diffusion and new bonds formation. Temperature is a key parameter affecting both stages ascribed to the energy supply and the optimum temperature for Ag-Au nanojoint with diameter of 4.08 nm has been discussed. The mechanical properties of the nanojoint were examined with simulation of tensile test on the end-to-end joint. It was revealed that the nanojoint was strong enough to resist fracture at the joining area.