bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cholinergic neural activity directs retinal layer-specific angiogenesis and blood retinal barrier formation
Authors: Weiner G. A. , Shah S. H. , Angelopoulos C. M. , Bartakova A. B. , Pulido R. S. , Murphy A. , Nudleman E. , Daneman R. , Goldberg J. L.
Published: June 2019

Blood vessels in the central nervous system (CNS) develop unique features, but the contribution of CNS neurons to regulating those features is not fully understood. We report that inhibiting spontaneous cholinergic activity or reducing starburst amacrine cell numbers prevents invasion of endothelial cells into the deep layers of the retina and causes blood-retinal-barrier (BRB) dysfunction in mice. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which drives angiogenesis, and Norrin, a Wnt ligand that induces BRB properties, are decreased after activity blockade. Exogenous VEGF restores vessel growth but not BRB function, whereas stabilizing beta-catenin in endothelial cells rescues BRB dysfunction but not vessel formation. We further identify that inhibiting cholinergic activity reduces angiogenesis during oxygen-induced retinopathy. Our findings demonstrate that neural activity lies upstream of VEGF and Norrin, coordinating angiogenesis and BRB formation. Neural activity originating from specific neural circuits may be a general mechanism for driving regional angiogenesis and barrier formation across CNS development.
NREM sleep in the rodent neocortex and hippocampus reflects excitable dynamics
Authors: Levenstein Daniel , Buzsáki György , Rinzel John
Published: June 2019

During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, neuronal populations in the mammalian forebrain alternate between periods of spiking and inactivity. Termed the slow oscillation in the neocortex and sharp wave-ripples in the hippocampus, these alternations are often considered separately but are both crucial for NREM functions. By directly comparing experimental observations of naturally-sleeping rats with a mean field model of an adapting, recurrent neuronal population, we find that the neocortical alternations reflect a dynamical regime in which a stable active state is interrupted by transient inactive states (slow waves) while the hippocampal alternations reflect a stable inactive state interrupted by transient active states (sharp waves). We propose that during NREM sleep in the rodent, hippocampal and neocortical populations are excitable: each in a stable state from which internal fluctuations or external perturbation can evoke the stereotyped population events that mediate NREM functions.
The footprint of column collapse regimes on pyroclastic flow temperatures and plume heights
Authors: Trolese Matteo , Cerminara Matteo , Esposti Ongaro Tomaso , Giordano Guido
Published: June 2019

The gravitational collapse of eruption columns generates ground-hugging pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) with highly variable temperatures, high enough to be a threat for communities surrounding volcanoes. The reasons for such great temperature variability are debated in terms of eruptive versus transport and emplacement processes. Here, using a three-dimensional multiphase model, we show that the initial temperature of PDCs linearly correlates to the percentage of collapsing mass, with a maximum temperature decrease of 45% in the case of low percentages of collapse (10%), owing to an efficient entrainment of air into the jet structure. Analyses also demonstrate that column collapse limits the dispersal capabilities of volcanic plumes, reducing their maximum height by up to 45%. Our findings provide quantitative insights into the mechanism of turbulent mixing, and suggest that temperatures of PDC deposits may serve as a marker for determining column collapse conditions, which are of primarily importance in hazard studies.
Hypervirulent Listeria monocytogenes clones’ adaption to mammalian gut accounts for their association with dairy products
Authors: Maury Mylène M. , Bracq-Dieye Hélène , Huang Lei , Vales Guillaume , Lavina Morgane , Thouvenot Pierre , Disson Olivier , Leclercq Alexandre , Brisse Sylvain , Lecuit Marc
Published: June 2019

Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a major human and animal foodborne pathogen. Here we show that hypervirulent Lm clones, particularly CC1, are strongly associated with dairy products, whereas hypovirulent clones, CC9 and CC121, are associated with meat products. Clone adaptation to distinct ecological niches and/or different food products contamination routes may account for this uneven distribution. Indeed, hypervirulent clones colonize better the intestinal lumen and invade more intestinal tissues than hypovirulent ones, reflecting their adaption to host environment. Conversely, hypovirulent clones are adapted to food processing environments, with a higher prevalence of stress resistance and benzalkonium chloride tolerance genes and a higher survival and biofilm formation capacity in presence of sub-lethal benzalkonium chloride concentrations. Lm virulence heterogeneity therefore reflects the diversity of the ecological niches in which it evolves. These results also have important public health implications and may help in reducing food contamination and improving food consumption recommendations to at-risk populations.
Loci for human leukocyte telomere length in the Singaporean Chinese population and trans-ethnic genetic studies
Authors: Dorajoo Rajkumar , Chang Xuling , Gurung Resham Lal , Li Zheng , Wang Ling , Wang Renwei , Beckman Kenneth B. , Adams-Haduch Jennifer , M Yiamunaa , Liu Sylvia , Meah Wee Yang , Sim Kar Seng , Lim Su Chi , Friedlander Yechiel , Liu Jianjun , van Dam Rob M. , Yuan Jian-Min , Koh Woon-Puay , Khor Chiea Chuen , Heng Chew-Kiat
Published: June 2019

Genetic factors underlying leukocyte telomere length (LTL) may provide insights into telomere homeostasis, with direct links to disease susceptibility. Genetic evaluation of 23,096 Singaporean Chinese samples identifies 10 genome-wide loci (P < 5 × 10−8). Several of these contain candidate genes (TINF2, PARP1, TERF1, ATM and POT1) with potential roles in telomere biology and DNA repair mechanisms. Meta-analyses with additional 37,505 European individuals reveals six more genome-wide loci, including associations at MPHOSPH6, NKX2-3 and TYMS. We demonstrate that longer LTL associates with protection against respiratory disease mortality [HR = 0.854(0.804–0.906), P = 1.88 × 10−7] in the Singaporean Chinese samples. We further show that the LTL reducing SNP rs7253490 associates with respiratory infections (P = 7.44 × 10−4) although this effect may not be strongly mediated through LTL. Our data expands on the genetic basis of LTL and may indicate on a potential role of LTL in immune competence.
Two-dimensional semiconducting covalent organic frameworks via condensation at arylmethyl carbon atoms
Authors: Bi Shuai , Yang Can , Zhang Wenbei , Xu Junsong , Liu Lingmei , Wu Dongqing , Wang Xinchen , Han Yu , Liang Qifeng , Zhang Fan
Published: June 2019

Construction of organic semiconducting materials with in-plane π-conjugated structures and robustness through carbon-carbon bond linkages, alternatively as organic graphene analogs, is extremely desired for powerfully optoelectrical conversion. However, the poor reversibility forsp2carbon bond forming reactions makes them unavailable for building high crystalline well-defined organic structures through a self-healing process, such as covalent organic frameworks (COFs). Here we report a scalable solution-processing approach to synthesize a family of two-dimensional (2D) COFs withtrans-disubstituted C = C linkages via condensation reaction at arylmethyl carbon atoms on the basis of 3,5-dicyano-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine and linear/trigonal aldehyde (i.e., 4,4″-diformyl-p-terphenyl, 4,4′-diformyl-1,1′-biphenyl, or 1,3,5-tris(4-formylphenyl)benzene) monomers. Suchsp2carbon-jointed-pyridinyl frameworks, featuring crystalline honeycomb-like structures with high surface areas, enable driving two half-reactions of water splitting separately under visible light irradiation, comparable to graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) derivatives.
Probing the formation and degradation of chemical interactions from model molecule/metal oxide to buried polymer/metal oxide interfaces
Authors: Pletincx Sven , Fockaert Laura Lynn I. , Mol Johannes M. C. , Hauffman Tom , Terryn Herman
Published: June 2019

The mechanisms governing coating/metal oxide delamination are not fully understood, although adhesive interactions at the interface are considered to be an important prerequisite for excellent durability. This review aims to better understand the formation and degradation of these interactions. Developments in adhesion science made it clear that physical and chemical interfacial interactions are key factors in hybrid structure durability. However, it is very challenging to get information directly from the hidden solid/solid interface. This review highlights approaches that allow the (in situ) investigation of the formation and degradation of molecular interactions at the interface under (near-)realistic conditions. Over time, hybrid interfaces tend to degrade when exposed to environmental conditions. The culprits are predominantly water, oxygen, and ion diffusion resulting in bond breakage due to changing acid–base properties or leading to the onset of corrosive de-adhesion processes. Therefore, a thorough understanding on local bond interactions is required, which will lead to a prolonged durability of hybrid systems under realistic environments.
Author Correction: The effects of aquarium culture on coral oocyte ultrastructure
Authors: Lin Chiahsin , Zhuo Jian-Ming , Chong Gabriella , Wang Li-Hsueh , Meng Pei-Jie , Tsai Sujune
Published: June 2019

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Cheese whey to biohydrogen and useful organic acids: A non-pathogenic microbial treatment by L. acidophilus
Authors: Pandey Anjana , Srivastava Saumya , Rai Priya , Duke Mikel
Published: June 2019

The burgeoning organic waste and continuously increasing energy demands have resulted in significant environmental pollution concerns. To address this issue, the potential of different bacteria to produce biogas/biohydrogen from organic waste can be utilized as a source of renewable energy, however these pathogenic bacteria are not safe to use without strict contact isolation. In this study the role of safe food grade lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus spp.) was investigated for production of biogas from cheese waste with starting hexose concentration 32 g/L. The bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus was identified as one of the major biogas producers at optimum pH of 6.5. Further the optimum inoculum conditions were found to be 12.5% at inoculum age of 18 h. During the investigation the maximum biogas production was observed to be 1665 mL after 72 hours of incubation at pH 6.5. The biogas production was accompanied with production of other valuable metabolites in the form of organic acids including pyruvate, propionate, acetate, lactate, formate and butyrate. Thus this research is paving way for nonpathogenic production of biohydrogen from food waste.
The vertical distribution and biological transport of marine microplastics across the epipelagic and mesopelagic water column
Authors: Choy C. Anela , Robison Bruce H. , Gagne Tyler O. , Erwin Benjamin , Firl Evan , Halden Rolf U. , Hamilton J. Andrew , Katija Kakani , Lisin Susan E. , Rolsky Charles , S. Van Houtan Kyle
Published: June 2019

Plastic waste has been documented in nearly all types of marine environments and has been found in species spanning all levels of marine food webs. Within these marine environments, deep pelagic waters encompass the largest ecosystems on Earth. We lack a comprehensive understanding of the concentrations, cycling, and fate of plastic waste in sub-surface waters, constraining our ability to implement effective, large-scale policy and conservation strategies. We used remotely operated vehicles and engineered purpose-built samplers to collect and examine the distribution of microplastics in the Monterey Bay pelagic ecosystem at water column depths ranging from 5 to 1000 m. Laser Raman spectroscopy was used to identify microplastic particles collected from throughout the deep pelagic water column, with the highest concentrations present at depths between 200 and 600 m. Examination of two abundant particle feeders in this ecosystem, pelagic red crabs (Pleuroncodes planipes) and giant larvaceans (Bathochordaeus stygius), showed that microplastic particles readily flow from the environment into coupled water column and seafloor food webs. Our findings suggest that one of the largest and currently underappreciated reservoirs of marine microplastics may be contained within the water column and animal communities of the deep sea.
α′ formation kinetics and radiation induced segregation in neutron irradiated 14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloys
Authors: Aydogan E. , Martinez E. , March K. , El-Atwani O. , Krumwiede D. L. , Hosemann P. , Saleh T. , Maloy S. A.
Published: June 2019

Nanostructured ferritic alloys are considered as candidates for structural components in advanced nuclear reactors due to a high density of nano-oxides (NOs) and ultrafine grain sizes. However, bimodal grain size distribution results in inhomogeneous NO distribution, or vice versa. Here, we report that density of NOs in small grains (<0.5 µm) is high while there are almost no NOs inside the large grains (>2 µm) before and after irradiation. After 6 dpa neutron irradiation at 385–430 °C, α′ precipitation has been observed in these alloys; however, their size and number densities vary considerably in small and large grains. In this study, we have investigated the precipitation kinetics of α′ particles based on the sink density, using both transmission electron microscopy and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. It has been found that in the presence of a low sink density, α′ particles form and grow faster due to the existence of a larger defect density in the matrix. On the other hand, while α′ particles form far away from the sink interface when the sink size is small, Cr starts to segregate at the sink interface with the increase in the sink size. Additionally, grain boundary characteristics are found to determine the radiation-induced segregation of Cr.
Defective Zn2+ homeostasis in mouse and human platelets with α- and δ-storage pool diseases
Authors: Kiran Gotru Sanjeev , van Geffen Johanna P. , Nagy Magdolna , Mammadova-Bach Elmina , Eilenberger Julia , Volz Julia , Manukjan Georgi , Schulze Harald , Wagner Leonard , Eber Stefan , Schambeck Christian , Deppermann Carsten , Brouns Sanne , Nurden Paquita , Greinacher Andreas , Sachs Ulrich , Nieswandt Bernhard , Hermanns Heike M. , Heemskerk Johan W. M. , Braun Attila
Published: June 2019

Zinc (Zn2+) can modulate platelet and coagulation activation pathways, including fibrin formation. Here, we studied the (patho)physiological consequences of abnormal platelet Zn2+ storage and release. To visualize Zn2+ storage in human and mouse platelets, the Zn2+ specific fluorescent dye FluoZin3 was used. In resting platelets, the dye transiently accumulated into distinct cytosolic puncta, which were lost upon platelet activation. Platelets isolated from Unc13d−/− mice, characterized by combined defects of α/δ granular release, showed a markedly impaired Zn2+ release upon activation. Platelets from Nbeal2−/− mice mimicking Gray platelet syndrome (GPS), characterized by primarily loss of the α-granule content, had strongly reduced Zn2+ levels, which was also confirmed in primary megakaryocytes. In human platelets isolated from patients with GPS, Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) and Storage Pool Disease (SPD) altered Zn2+ homeostasis was detected. In turbidity and flow based assays, platelet-dependent fibrin formation was impaired in both Nbeal2−/− and Unc13d−/− mice, and the impairment could be partially restored by extracellular Zn2+. Altogether, we conclude that the release of ionic Zn2+ store from secretory granules upon platelet activation contributes to the procoagulant role of Zn2+ in platelet-dependent fibrin formation.
Biology and Bias in Cell Type-Specific RNAseq of Nucleus Accumbens Medium Spiny Neurons
Authors: Kronman Hope , Richter Felix , Labonté Benoit , Chandra Ramesh , Zhao Shan , Hoffman Gabriel , Lobo Mary Kay , Schadt Eric E. , Nestler Eric J.
Published: June 2019

Subcellular RNAseq promises to dissect transcriptional dynamics but is not well characterized. Furthermore, FACS may introduce bias but has not been benchmarked genome-wide. Finally, D1 and D2 dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are fundamental to neuropsychiatric traits but have only a short list of canonical surface markers. We address these gaps by systematically comparing nuclear-FACS, whole cell-FACS, and RiboTag affinity purification from D1- and D2-MSNs. Using differential expression, variance partitioning, and co-expression, we identify the following trade-offs for each method. RiboTag-seq best distinguishes D1- and D2-MSNs but has the lowest transcriptome coverage. Nuclear-FACS-seq generates the most differentially expressed genes and overlaps significantly with neuropsychiatric genetic risk loci, but un-annotated genes hamper interpretation. Whole cell-FACS is more similar to nuclear-FACS than RiboTag, but captures aspects of both. Using pan-method approaches, we discover that transcriptional regulation is predominant in D1-MSNs, while D2-MSNs tend towards cytosolic regulation. We are also the first to find evidence for moderate sexual dimorphism in these cell types at baseline. As these results are from 49 mice (nmale = 39, nfemale = 10), they represent generalizable ground-truths. Together, these results guide RNAseq methods selection, define MSN transcriptomes, highlight neuronal sex differences, and provide a baseline for D1- and D2-MSNs.
Topological Optimization of Phononic Crystal Thin Plate by a Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Han X. K. , Zhang Z.
Published: June 2019

Genetic algorithm (GA) is used for the topological optimization of phononic crystal thin plate composed of aluminum and epoxy resin. Plane wave expansion (PWE) method is used for calculations of band gaps. Fourier displacement property is used to calculate the structure function in PWE. The crossover rate and the mutation rate are calculated according to the adaptive GA method. Results indicate that filling rates, symmetry, polymerization degree and material parameters are key factors for design of topological configurations. The relations between the key factors and different topologies are studied in detail.
QTL-seq identifies cooked grain elongation QTLs near soluble starch synthase and starch branching enzymes in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Arikit Siwaret , Wanchana Samart , Khanthong Srisawat , Saensuk Chatree , Thianthavon Tripop , Vanavichit Apichart , Toojinda Theerayut
Published: June 2019

Grain quality is one of the main targets that rice breeders focus on to improve elite rice varieties. Several characteristics are considered when determine rice grain quality, such as aroma, amylose content (AC), gelatinization temperature (GT) and, especially, lengthwise grain elongation (GE). GE is a desirable feature in premium rice of high quality, such as India and Pakistan’ Basmati. Inheritance of GE in rice has not been clearly elucidated due to its complex and inconsistent pattern. In this study, we identified QTLs for GE in rice using bulk-segregant analysis (BSA) and whole-genome sequencing based on an F2 population segregated for GE as well as AC and GT. We identified two QTLs on chromosome 6, qGE6.1 and qGE6.2, and another QTL on chromosome 4, qGE4.1. qGE6.1 and qGE6.2 were located near starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) and starch branching enzyme III (SBEIII), respectively, and qGE4.1 was located near starch branching enzyme IIa (SBEIIa). qGE6.1 was considered to be the major QTL for GE based on this population, and SSIIa was suggested to be the best candidate gene associated with the GE trait. The results of this study may be useful for breeding rice with increased grain elongation and different starch properties.
Contact-free determination of viscosity in multiple parallel samples
Authors: Sieben Michaela , Hanke René , Büchs Jochen
Published: June 2019

Viscosity is an inherent characteristic of fluids and is therefore an important parameter in many different processes. Current methods to measure viscosity involve direct contact with the liquid sample, which is often undesirable. Here we present a simple, precise and robust contact-free method to determine viscosity, using a single drive motor, inexpensive components and disposable sample vessels. The measurement principle involves the detection of viscosity-dependent angular positions in a rotating liquid relative to the direction of centrifugal acceleration in an orbitally shaken vessel. The signal can be detected using different optical methods, as shown here using fluorescence and transmitted light. The sensitivity of the system can be adjusted over a wide range by varying the sample volume or the shaking diameter, and multiple samples can be analysed in parallel. This novel viscometer is also applicable to characterize non-Newtonian shear rate-dependent fluids.
The human glomerular endothelial cells are potent pro-inflammatory contributors in an in vitro model of lupus nephritis
Authors: Dimou Paraskevi , Wright Rachael D. , Budge Kelly L. , Midgley Angela , Satchell Simon C. , Peak Matthew , Beresford Michael W.
Published: June 2019

Juvenile-onset lupus nephritis (LN) affects up to 80% of juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients (JSLE). As the exact role of human renal glomerular endothelial cells (GEnCs) in LN has not been fully elucidated, the aim of this study was to investigate their involvement in LN. Conditionally immortalised human GEnCs (ciGEnCs) were treated with pro-inflammatory cytokines known to be involved in LN pathogenesis and also with LPS. Secretion and surface expression of pro-inflammatory proteins was quantified via ELISA and flow cytometry. NF-κΒ and STAT-1 activation was investigated via immunofluorescence. Serum samples from JSLE patients and from healthy controls were used to treat ciGEnCs to determine via qRT-PCR potential changes in the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory genes. Our results identified TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-13, IFN-γ and LPS as robustin vitrostimuli of ciGEnCs. Each of them led to significantly increased production of different pro-inflammatory proteins, including; IL-6, IL-10, MCP-1, sVCAM-1, MIP-1α, IP-10, GM-CSF, M-CSF, TNF-α, IFN-γ, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, PD-L1 and ICOS-L. TNF-α and IL-1β were shown to activate NF-κB, whilst IFN-γ activated STAT-1. JSLE patient serum promoted IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA expression. In conclusion, ourin vitromodel provides evidence that human GEnCs play a pivotal role in LN-associated inflammatory process.
Filling the gap between collection, transport and storage of the human gut microbiota
Authors: Martínez Noelia , Hidalgo-Cantabrana Claudio , Delgado Susana , Margolles Abelardo , Sánchez Borja
Published: June 2019

Stool collection devices minimizing the exposure of gut bacteria to oxygen are critical for the standardization of further microbiota-based studies, analysis and developments. The aim of this work was to evidence that keeping anaerobiosis has a deep impact on the viability and diversity of the fecal microbiota that is recovered in the laboratory. Recovering certain microbial populations, such as obligate anaerobic bacteria, is particularly critical if the purpose of the study is to envisage personalized therapeutic purposes, such as autologous Fecal Microbiota Transplant. In this study the same fecal specimens were sampled in conventional stool containers and GutAlive, a disposable device that minimizes exposure of the gut microbiota to oxygen. Samples from five healthy donors were analysed and 150 differential colonies were recovered and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Globally, GutAlive maintained extremely oxygen sensitive (EOS) populations that were lost in conventional stool containers, and thus viability of species such as as Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and a novel member of the Clostridiales order was kept. These obligate anaerobes were not recovered using the conventional stool collection device. In conclusion, the use of GutAlive for stool collection and transport optimized the viability and recovery of EOS bacteria in the lab by diminishing oxygen toxicity.
On neighbourhood degree sequences of complex networks
Authors: Smith Keith M.
Published: June 2019

Network topology is a fundamental aspect of network science that allows us to gather insights into the complicated relational architectures of the world we inhabit. We provide a first specific study of neighbourhood degree sequences in complex networks. We consider how to explicitly characterise important physical concepts such as similarity, heterogeneity and organization in these sequences, as well as updating the notion of hierarchical complexity to reflect previously unnoticed organizational principles. We also point out that neighbourhood degree sequences are related to a powerful subtree kernel for unlabeled graph classification. We study these newly defined sequence properties in a comprehensive array of graph models and over 200 real-world networks. We find that these indices are neither highly correlated with each other nor with classical network indices. Importantly, the sequences of a wide variety of real world networks are found to have greater similarity and organisation than is expected for networks of their given degree distributions. Notably, while biological, social and technological networks all showed consistently large neighbourhood similarity and organisation, hierarchical complexity was not a consistent feature of real world networks. Neighbourhood degree sequences are an interesting tool for describing unique and important characteristics of complex networks.
Vitis vinifera ‘Pinot noir’ leaves as a source of bioactive nutraceutical compounds
Authors: Maia Marisa , Ferreira António E. N. , Laureano Gonçalo , Marques Ana Patrícia , Torres Vukosava M. , Silva Anabela Bernardes , Matos Ana Rita , Cordeiro Carlos , Figueiredo Andreia , Sousa Silva Marta
Published: June 2019

V. vinifera ‘Pinot noir’ leaves have a high content of biologically active phytochemical compounds of interest for pharmaceutical and food industries.
High throughput metabolomics-proteomics investigation on metabolic phenotype changes in rats caused byRadix Scrophulariaeusing ultra-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry
Authors: Lu Fang , Zhang Ning , Ye Tao , Zhao Hongwei , Pang Mu , Liu Shu-min
Published: June 2019

Radix Scrophulariae, a traditional Chinese herb, is used to treat various diseases, including H2O2-induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, HaCaT cells, hyperuricaemia, and depression.
Toward ultrasensitive and fast colorimetric detection of indoor formaldehyde across the visible region using cetyltrimethylammonium chloride-capped bone-shaped gold nanorods as “chromophores”
Authors: Duan Wei , Liu Ao , Li Qing , Li Zhiwei , Wen Cong-ying , Cai Zhixiong , Tang Shiming , Li Xiyou , Zeng Jingbin
Published: June 2019

A colorimetric method for detecting formaldehyde was developed by coupling bone-shaped gold nanorods (AuNRs) with silver mirror reaction, which enables low detection limit, wide linear range and high visual resolution.
The use of conductive polymers as a substrate for paper spray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Borges Marcella M. C. , Santos Heloá , Vasconcelos Géssica A. , Nascimento Tienne A. , Dutra Flávia V. A. , Pires Bruna C. , Allochio Filho João Francisco , Aquije Gloria M. F. V. , Borges Warley S. , Lacerda Valdemar , Vaz Boniek G. , Arroyo-Mora Luis E. , Romão Wanderson , Borges Keyller B.
Published: June 2019

The use of conductive polymers (CPs) as a substrate in ambient paper spray ionization was achieved under high DC voltage.
Droplet-based PCR in a 3D-printed microfluidic chip for miRNA-21 detection
Authors: Jiao Zhiqiang , Zhao Lei , Tang Chu , Shi Hongyan , Wang Fu , Hu Bo
Published: June 2019

Droplet-based PCR detection of miRNA-21 was achieved using a 3D-printed microfluidic chip.
Robust scalable synthesis of a bis-urea derivative forming thixotropic and cytocompatible supramolecular hydrogels
Authors: Rutgeerts Laurens A. J. , Soultan Al Halifa , Subramani Ramesh , Toprakhisar Burak , Ramon Herman , Paderes Monissa C. , De Borggraeve Wim M. , Patterson Jennifer
Published: June 2019

Cytocompatible nanofibrous thixotropic supramolecular hydrogel based on a low molecular weight bis-urea derivative.
Towards reliable ab initio sublimation pressures for organic molecular crystals – are we there yet?
Authors: Červinka Ctirad , Beran Gregory J. O.
Published: June 2019

State-of-the-art ab initio predictions of sublimation pressures, matching experiment to a factor of 2–10, outperform the reliability of empirical estimates.
Reply to the ‘Comment on ““Where does the fluorescing moiety reside in a carbon dot?” – Investigations based on fluorescence anisotropy decay and resonance energy transfer dynamics”’ by H. C. Joshi, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, DOI: 10.1039/c9cp00136k
Authors: Das Ananya , Roy Debjit , De Chayan K. , Mandal Prasun K.
Published: June 2019

Claims made in the Comment are perhaps incorrect and misleading. These claims have been negated with proper analytical reasoning.
Acetylenic linkage dependent electronic and optical behaviour of morphologically distinct ‘-ynes’
Authors: Jana Susmita , Bandyopadhyay Arka , Jana Debnarayan
Published: June 2019

We have critically examined the key role of acetylenic linkages (–CC–) in determining the opto-electronic responses of the dynamically stable tetragonal (T) ‘-ynes’ with the help of density functional theory.
Zeolite-supported metal catalysts for selective hydrodeoxygenation of biomass-derived platform molecules
Authors: Luo Wenhao , Cao Wenxiu , Bruijnincx Pieter C. A. , Lin Lu , Wang Aiqin , Zhang Tao
Published: June 2019

Key concepts and challenges of zeolite-supported metal catalysts for hydrodeoxygenation of selected biomass-derived platform molecules.
Binding site characterization – similarity, promiscuity, and druggability
Authors: Ehrt Christiane , Brinkjost Tobias , Koch Oliver
Published: June 2019

Promiscuity as key to drug repurposing, off-target prediction, polypharmacology: What can be learned based on the comparison of binding sites and the description of their properties? Herein, we discuss binding site similarities with a special focus on medicinal chemistry.
Is it time for artificial intelligence to predict the function of natural products based on 2D-structure
Authors: Liu Miaomiao , Karuso Peter , Feng Yunjiang , Kellenberger Esther , Liu Fei , Wang Can , Quinn Ronald J.
Published: June 2019

One of chemistry's grand challenges is to find a function for every known metabolite. We explore the opportunity for artificial intelligence to provide rationale interrogation of metabolites to predict their function.
Cholesterol linked benzothiazole: a versatile gelator for detection of picric acid and metal ions such as Ag+, Hg2+, Fe3+ and Al3+ under different conditions
Authors: Mondal Subhendu , Raza Rameez , Ghosh Kumaresh
Published: June 2019

The interaction of compound 1 with nitrophenols and metal ions has been studied in sol–gel medium. The nitrobenzene gel selectively recognizes picric acid, Ag+ and Hg2+ ions. In CH3CN, compound 1 further shows affinity towards Fe3+, Al3+ and Hg2+.
Ternary organic solar cells: using molecular donor or acceptor third components to increase open circuit voltage
Authors: Dayneko Sergey V. , Hendsbee Arthur D. , Cann Jonathan R. , Cabanetos Clément , Welch Gregory C.
Published: June 2019

The addition of donor or acceptor type molecular semiconductors to PBDB-T:PC60BM based organic photovoltaics leads to increases in open circuit-voltages and overall power conversion efficiencies.
Samarium(iii) and terbium(iii) ion-doped NaLa(MoO4)2 phosphors for versatile applications
Authors: Hua Yongbin , Khaja Hussain Sk. , Yu Jae Su
Published: June 2019

The Sm3+ and Tb3+ ion-doped NaLa(MoO4)2 can be used for optical temperature sensors, safety signs, and warm WLEDs.
A path to improve proton conductivity: from a 3D hydrogen-bonded organic framework to a 3D copper-organic framework
Authors: Sun Zhi-Bing , Li Yi-Lin , Zhang Zhe-Hua , Li Zi-Feng , Xiao Bo , Li Gang
Published: June 2019

The proton conduction in one HOF and related MOF have been investigated and discussed.
Facile and visual detection of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors by carbon quantum dots
Authors: Reshma Reshma , Gupta Bhanushree , Sharma Rahul , Ghosh Kallol K.
Published: June 2019

Sensitive and rapid detection of organophosphate toxicants is highly relevant and important in environmental protection and food safety.
Patterned plasmonic gradient for high-precision biosensing using a smartphone reader
Authors: Bian Jie , Xing Xing , Zhou Shuang , Man Zaiqin , Lu Zhenda , Zhang Weihua
Published: June 2019

Patterned plasmonic gradient converts tiny environmental changes into size changes of its resonance ring, and can be directly read by a smartphone with high precision in real time, providing a high performance sensing solution for remote areas.
Brilliant blue, green, yellow, and red fluorescent diamond particles: synthesis, characterization, and multiplex imaging demonstrations
Authors: Nunn Nicholas , Prabhakar Neeraj , Reineck Philipp , Magidson Valentin , Kamiya Erina , Heinz William F. , Torelli Marco D. , Rosenholm Jessica , Zaitsev Alexander , Shenderova Olga
Published: June 2019

Rapid thermal annealing of electron irradiated nanoscale type Ib diamond particles facilitates formation of various nitrogen-related fluorescent color centers, providing either red, yellow, green, or blue fluorescence for downstream multiplex imaging applications.
Bifunctional nano-Ag3PO4 with capabilities of enhancing ceftazidime for sterilization and removing residues
Authors: Zhang Yahui , Zhang Xiaochen , Hu Ruiming , Yang Yang , Li Ping , Wu Qingsheng
Published: June 2019

Since the efficacy of antibiotics towards bacteria is decreasing over time, the rising of antibiotic emission has become an increasingly grave issue.
Sealing porous anodic layers on AA2024-T3 with a low viscosity benzoxazine resin for corrosion protection in aeronautical applications
Authors: Renaud Alexis , Paint Yoann , Lanzutti Alex , Bonnaud Leïla , Fedrizzi Lorenzo , Dubois Philippe , Poorteman Marc , Olivier Marie-Georges
Published: June 2019

In this paper, a 4-ethylphenol-para-phenylenediamine (4EP-pPDA) benzoxazine has been applied and cured on previously anodized AA2024-T3 substrates.
Tailor-made high-performance reverse osmosis membranes by surface fixation of hydrophilic macromolecules for wastewater treatment
Authors: Liu Chao , Guo Yongqiang , Zhang Jiaming , Tian Bo , Lin Oukai , Liu Yawei , Zhang Chunhua
Published: June 2019

Polyamide aromatic (PA) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are currently the most important materials in the seawater desalination and wastewater treatment industry.
Mott variable-range hopping transport in a MoS2 nanoflake
Authors: Xue Jianhong , Huang Shaoyun , Wang Ji-Yin , Xu H. Q.
Published: June 2019

The transport characteristics of a disordered, multilayered MoS2 nanoflake in the insulator regime are studied by electrical and magnetotransport measurements.
Effects of the N-alicyclic cation and backbone structures on the performance of poly(terphenyl)-based hydroxide exchange membranes
Authors: Pham Thanh Huong , Olsson Joel S. , Jannasch Patric
Published: June 2019

By using different synthetic strategies, the structures of the cyclic cation and the backbone polymer of hydroxide exchange membranes were systematically varied to study the effects on stability and conductivity.
Dual-responsive polyphosphazene as a common platform for highly efficient drug self-delivery
Authors: Hou Sheng-Lei , Chen Shuang-Shuang , Huang Zhang-Jun , Lu Qing-Hua
Published: June 2019

A drug self-framed delivery system (DSFDS) with dual-stimuli-responsive drug release and superhigh drug loaded capacity for efficient cancer chemotherapy is proposed.
Directed polymorphism and mechanofluorochromism of conjugated materials through weak non-covalent control
Authors: Sharber Seth A. , Mann Arielle , Shih Kuo-Chih , Mullin William J. , Nieh Mu-Ping , Thomas Samuel W.
Published: June 2019

Understanding and manipulating crystal polymorphism can provide novel strategies for materials discovery in organic optoelectronics.
Poly(ethylene oxide)-assisted energy funneling for efficient perovskite light emission
Authors: Xu Tianfei , Meng Yan , Wang Miaosheng , Li Mingxing , Ahmadi Mahshid , Xiong Zuhong , Yan Shubin , Chen Ping , Hu Bin
Published: June 2019

Poly(ethylene oxide)-assisted energy funneling was explored in perovskite polycrystals, achieving a very high PLQY of 62.1% in the poly(ethylene oxide):FAPbBr3 film.
The self-assembly and chiroptical properties of tetraphenylethylene dicycle tetracholesterol with an AIE effect
Authors: Yuan Ying-Xue , Xiong Jia-Bin , Luo Jun , Hu Ming , Jiang Hejin , Liu Minghua , Zheng Yan-Song
Published: June 2019

TPE dicycle tetracholesterol aggregates into nano-tubes and emits strong CPL light, whereas its suspension emits inverse CPL one. In contrast, TPE tetracholesterol without cycle self-assembles into nano-noodles and shows very weak CPL emission.
Achieving ultrahigh dielectric breakdown strength in MgO-based ceramics by composite structure design
Authors: Zhang Chi , Chen Ying , Zhou Mingxing , Li Xin , Wang Lei , Xia Liansheng , Shen Yi , Dong Xianlin
Published: June 2019

The pursuit of electronic materials and devices with high dielectric breakdown strength (DBS), and the clarification of the dielectric breakdown mechanism are of great importance to scientific research and industry applications.
Automatic metrics learning with low‐noise embedding for zero‐shot learning
Authors: Lu Zi‐Qian , Lu Zhe‐Ming
Published: June 2019

This Letter presents a new improved zero‐shot learning (ZSL) method based on meta‐learning that automatically adjusts metrics by multi‐layer perceptrons instead of using traditional Euclidean distance, cosine distance and other fixed metrics. In this way, the authors directly train the visual and semantic joint information of the images without adding additional auxiliary, which simply and effectively avoids the error derivation of unseen classes due to improper fixed metrics. Smooth one‐hot encoding rule is used to make the calculation of loss more reasonable. They also discuss the embedding methods to find a suitable low‐noise embedding space and analyse the model performance under the conventional setting and popular generalised ZSL setting. Experimental results show that the proposed automatic metrics method outperforms existing state‐of‐the‐art approaches in some parts of AwA2 and CUB datasets.
Multimode orbital angular momentum antenna based on four‐arm planar spiral
Authors: Yi Ziqiang , Tian Shuai , Liu Yafei , Xiao Sibo , Tang Hongyan , Kang Kai , Wu Yunqiu
Published: June 2019

An orbital angular momentum (OAM) antenna based on four‐arm planar spiral for multiple OAM modes generation is proposed in this Letter. There are four OAM modes generated by employing different phase feeding arrangements for the four ports. By adjusting the branch between the feeding port and the corresponding spiral arm, a good match can be easily obtained. The characteristics of the OAM antenna with modes of at the operating frequency of 5.8 GHz are presented both in simulation and experiment, with 10‐dB return loss from 5.6 to 6.0 GHz. The measured near‐field phase distributions clearly indicate the OAM vortex characteristic which are consistent with the simulations. The proposed design shows great potential for the application of reconfigurable OAM wireless communication systems.
Efficient medical image enhancement based on CNN‐FBB model
Authors: Qiu Tao , Wen Chang , Xie Kai , Wen Fang‐Qing , Sheng Guan‐Qun , Tang Xin‐Gong
Published: June 2019

Medical image quality requirements have been increasingly stringent with the recent developments of medical technology. To meet clinical diagnosis needs, an effective medical image enhancement method based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and frequency band broadening (FBB) is proposed. Curvelet transform is used to deal with medical data by obtaining the curvelet coefficient in each scale and direction, and the generalised cross‐validation is implemented to select the optimal threshold for performing denoising processing. Meanwhile, the cycle spinning scheme is used to wipe off the visible ringing effects along the edges of medical images. Then, FBB and a new CNN model based on the retinex model are used to improve the processed image resolution. Eventually, pixel‐level fusion is made between two enhanced medical images from CNN and FBB. In the authors’ study, 50 groups of medical magnetic resonance imaging, X‐ray, and computed tomography images in total have been studied. The experimental results indicate that the final enhanced image using the proposed method outperforms other methods. The resolution and the edge details of the processed image are significantly enhanced, providing a more effective and accurate basis for medical workers to diagnose diseases.
Visual tracking with tree‐structured appearance model for online learning
Authors: Lv Yun‐Qiu , Liu Kai , Cheng Fei , Li Wei
Published: June 2019

Deep learning has been widely used in many visual recognition tasks owing to its powerful representation ability. However, online learning is a bottleneck to obstruct the application of deep learning in visual tracking. Although many algorithms have discarded the process of online learning during tracking, they demonstrate poor robustness to the online adaptation to appearance changes of the target. In this study, the authors design a tree structure specifically for online learning, which enables the appearance model to be updated smoothly. Once the target appearance has changed severely, a new branch is generated to avoid the fuzzy boundary of classification. In addition, active learning technique and artificial data are employed in the update to make the best of the limited knowledge about the interesting object during the tracking process. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on OTB2013 and VOT2017 benchmark and outperforms many state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Lung segmentation based on random forest and multi‐scale edge detection
Authors: Liu Caixia , Zhao Ruibin , Pang Mingyong
Published: June 2019

To achieve an automatic and accurate segmentation of lungs and improve the clinical efficiency of computer‐aided diagnosis, the authors present a lung segmentation algorithm based on the random forest method and a multi‐scale edge detection technique. The algorithm carries a first step of lung region extraction and a second step of lung nodule segmentation. By combining texture information, the improved superpixel generation method can better deal with initial segmentation on lung computed tomography images with inhomogeneous intensity. Then, the lung region is further extracted by using the random forest classifier on the superpixel features, and the lung contours are corrected with a proposed circle tracing technique. Finally, the segmentation is further refined by employing a multi‐scale edge detection technique, which enables their method to detect suspicious nodules with various intensities and sizes adaptively. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated on a group of datasets by comparing with the corresponding ground truths as well as the classical algorithms. Experimental results show that the proposed method has a higher precision than the compared algorithms in a fully automatic fashion.
Broadband, dual‐band reflectarray with dual orthogonal polarisation for single and multi‐beam patterns
Authors: Karimipour Majid , Komjani Nader , Aryanian Iman
Published: June 2019

Two single‐layered broadband dual‐band dual orthogonal polarisation reflectarrays are designed and developed in the X‐ and Ku‐bands. The well‐known holographic technique is employed such that one antenna generates a single radiation beam in two bands and another generates a five‐beam pattern in two bands simultaneously. For both antennas, a subwavelength Jerusalem‐Shaped unit cell is employed to independently realise two impedance distributions for each band and, consequently, not only broaden the operational bandwidths for both bands, but also limit the mutual coupling between two sets of impedances. As a typical case, an X/Ku band 20 cm × 20 cm five‐beam dual‐band reflectarray with dual linear polarisation is designed and fabricated for the experimental verification. The measurement results show that the fabricated antenna has 21% 1‐dB gain bandwidth (from 8.5 to 10.5 GHz) with vertical polarisation and has 8.8% 1‐dB gain bandwidth (from 14.65 to 16 GHz) with horizontal polarisation. Furthermore, the maximum measured aperture efficiencies in the X‐ and Ku‐bands are 57 and 69%, respectively.
Robust variability index CFAR for non‐homogeneous background
Authors: Raman Subramanyan Narasimhan , Kalpathi R. Ramakrishnan , A. Vengadarajan
Published: June 2019

Radar signal detection using constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detectors encounters many non‐ideal situations making it difficult to characterise the background. These include the presence of multiple targets, clutter edges and their combination in the reference window. Designing an efficient CFAR for these situations is a non‐trivial problem. Algorithms based on ordered statistics (OS), outlier rejection using sorting and sample by sample hypothesis testing, variability index (VI), ordered data VI are proposed in the literature. These approaches require expensive sorting or prior information on the depth of censoring. In this study, the authors propose robust VI CFAR (RVI‐CFAR) that obviates sorting. RVI‐CFAR computes the threshold in multiple stages. The first stage uses VI‐CFAR to determine an adaptive threshold. Outlier rejection in the computation of background, mean ratio (MR) and VI is carried out in subsequent stages. The updated MR and VI statistics are used to refine switching decisions at every stage of processing. RVI‐CFAR exhibits low CFAR loss in homogeneous and multiple target scenarios, meanwhile achieving superior performance compared to other censored CFAR techniques. The proposed RVI‐CFAR is evaluated and shown to be robust for all the cases of non‐homogeneity compared to OS CFAR.
Finite element analysis of a modular brushless wound rotor synchronous machine
Authors: Le Luong Huong Thao , Hénaux Carole , Messine Frederuc , Bueno‐Mariani Guilherme , Voyer Nicolas , Mollov Stefan
Published: June 2019

This study presents a comparative study of different modular brushless wound rotor synchronous machines (MB‐WRSM) using non‐overlapping fractional slot double‐layer concentrated windings. The goal of the study is to highlight the structure which offers the best fault‐tolerance capability and the highest output performance. The fundamental winding factor is calculated by using the method based on voltage phasors as a significant criterion to select the preferred numbers of phases, stator slots, and poles. With the limited number of poles for a small machine (3.67 kW/7000 rpm), 15 different machines for different phase/slot/pole combinations are analysed using two‐ dimensional (2D) finite element method and compared according to three criteria: torque density, torque ripple, and machine efficiency. The seven‐phase/seven‐slot/six‐pole machine is chosen with the best compromise of high torque density, small torque ripple (3.89%), and high nominal efficiency (95%). This machine is then compared with a reference design surface‐mounted permanent magnet synchronous machine (SM‐PMSM). The simulation results are discussed and demonstrate that the MB‐WRSM presents interesting performance features, such as extended field weakening range, with overall performance closely matching that of an equivalent SM‐PMSM.