bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrical Structure of the Lithosphere From Rio de la Plata Craton to Paraná Basin: Amalgamation of Cratonic and Refertilized Lithospheres in SW Gondwanaland
Authors: Bologna M. S. , Dragone G. N. , Muzio R. , Peel E. , Nuñez‐Demarco P. , Ussami N.
Published: December 2018

We conducted a magnetotelluric (MT) study from Paleoproterozoic Rio de la Plata Craton, in Uruguay, toward Paleozoic‐Mesozoic Paraná Basin, in Brazil. The 850‐km‐long MT transect comprises 35 evenly spaced broadband electromagnetic soundings sites. In the Paraná Basin, 11 additional long‐period measurements were acquired to extend the maximum depth of investigation. All data were inverted using two‐ and three‐dimensional approaches obtaining the electrical resistivity structure from the surface down to 200 km. The Rio de la Plata Craton is >200‐km thick and resistive (~2,000 Ωm). Its northern limit is electrically defined by a lithosphere scale lateral transition and lower crust conductive anomalies (1–10 Ωm) interpreted as a Paleoproterozoic suture at the southern edge of Rivera‐Taquarembó Block. The latter is characterized by an approximately 100‐km thick and moderate resistive (>500 Ωm) upper mantle. The Ibaré shear zone is another suture where an ocean‐ocean subduction generated the 120‐km thick and resistive (>1,000 Ωm) São Gabriel juvenile arc. Proceeding northward, a 70‐ to 80‐km thick, 150‐km wide, and inclined resistive zone is imaged. This zone could be remnant of an oceanic lithosphere or island arcs accreted at the southern border of Paraná Basin. The MT transect terminates within the southern Paraná Basin where a 150‐ to 200‐km‐thick less resistive lithosphere (<1,000 Ωm) may indicate refertilization processes during plate subduction and ocean closure in Neoproterozoic‐Cambrian time. Our MT data support a tectonic model of NNE–SSW convergence for this segment of SW Gondwanaland.
Enabling thin-film transistor technologies and the device metrics that matter
Authors: Paterson Alexandra F. , Anthopoulos Thomas D.
Published: December 2018

The field-effect transistor kickstarted the digital revolution that propelled our society into the information age. One member of the now large family of field-effect devices is the thin-film transistor (TFT), best known for its enabling role in modern flat-panel displays. TFTs can be used in all sorts of innovative applications because of the broad variety of materials they can be made from, which give them diverse electrical and mechanical characteristics. To successfully utilize TFT technologies in a variety of rapidly emerging applications, such as flexible, stretchable and transparent large-area microelectronics, there are a number of metrics that matter.
Aligning academia and industry for unified battery performance metrics
Authors: Lin Zhan , Liu Tiefeng , Ai Xinping , Liang Chengdu
Published: December 2018

Exceptional performance reported for battery materials and devices in the scientific literature is often measured under conditions that are not aligned with practical applications. Aiming to bridge the gap between academia and industry, this Comment advocates the best practices for gauging performance and proposes guidelines on measurements with respect to a list of key metrics such as capacity, cyclability, Coulombic efficiency and electrolyte consumption.
Modeling genome-wide enzyme evolution predicts strong epistasis underlying catalytic turnover rates
Authors: Heckmann David , Zielinski Daniel C. , Palsson Bernhard O.
Published: December 2018

Systems biology describes cellular phenotypes as properties that emerge from the complex interactions of individual system components. Little is known about how these interactions have affected the evolution of metabolic enzymes. Here, we combine genome-scale metabolic modeling with population genetics models to simulate the evolution of enzyme turnover numbers (kcats) from a theoretical ancestor with inefficient enzymes. This systems view of biochemical evolution reveals strong epistatic interactions between metabolic genes that shape evolutionary trajectories and influence the magnitude of evolved kcats. Diminishing returns epistasis prevents enzymes from developing higher kcats in all reactions and keeps the organism far from the potential fitness optimum. Multifunctional enzymes cause synergistic epistasis that slows down adaptation. The resulting fitness landscape allows kcat evolution to be convergent. Predicted kcat parameters show a significant correlation with experimental data, validating our modeling approach. Our analysis reveals how evolutionary forces shape modern kcats and the whole of metabolism.
Molecular Russian dolls
Authors: Cai Kang , Lipke Mark C. , Liu Zhichang , Nelson Jordan , Cheng Tao , Shi Yi , Cheng Chuyang , Shen Dengke , Han Ji-Min , Vemuri Suneal , Feng Yuanning , Stern Charlotte L. , Goddard William A. , Wasielewski Michael R. , Stoddart J. Fraser
Published: December 2018

The host-guest recognition between two macrocycles to form hierarchical non-intertwined ring-in-ring assemblies remains an interesting and challenging target in noncovalent synthesis. Herein, we report the design and characterization of a box-in-box assembly on the basis of host-guest radical-pairing interactions between two rigid diradical dicationic cyclophanes. One striking feature of the box-in-box complex is its ability to host various 1,4-disubstituted benzene derivatives inside as a third component in the cavity of the smaller of the two diradical dicationic cyclophanes to produce hierarchical Russian doll like assemblies. These results highlight the utility of matching the dimensions of two different cyclophanes as an efficient approach for developing new hybrid supramolecular assemblies with radical-paired ring-in-ring complexes and smaller neutral guest molecules.
GWAS identifies 14 loci for device-measured physical activity and sleep duration
Authors: Doherty Aiden , Smith-Byrne Karl , Ferreira Teresa , Holmes Michael V. , Holmes Chris , Pulit Sara L. , Lindgren Cecilia M.
Published: December 2018

Physical activity and sleep duration are established risk factors for many diseases, but their aetiology is poorly understood, partly due to relying on self-reported evidence. Here we report a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of device-measured physical activity and sleep duration in 91,105 UK Biobank participants, finding 14 significant loci (7 novel). These loci account for 0.06% of activity and 0.39% of sleep duration variation. Genome-wide estimates of ~ 15% phenotypic variation indicate high polygenicity. Heritability is higher in women than men for overall activity (23 vs. 20%, p = 1.5 × 10−4) and sedentary behaviours (18 vs. 15%, p = 9.7 × 10−4). Heritability partitioning, enrichment and pathway analyses indicate the central nervous system plays a role in activity behaviours. Two-sample Mendelian randomisation suggests that increased activity might causally lower diastolic blood pressure (beta mmHg/SD: −0.91, SE = 0.18, p = 8.2 × 10−7), and odds of hypertension (Odds ratio/SD: 0.84, SE = 0.03, p = 4.9 × 10−8). Our results advocate the value of physical activity for reducing blood pressure.
A framework for the development of effective anti-metastatic agents
Authors: Anderson Robin L. , Balasas Theo , Callaghan Juliana , Coombes R. Charles , Evans Jeff , Hall Jacqueline A. , Kinrade Sally , Jones David , Jones Paul S. , Jones Rob , Marshall John F. , Panico Maria Beatrice , Shaw Jacqui A. , Steeg Patricia S. , Sullivan Mark , Tong Warwick , Westwell Andrew D. , Ritchie James W. A. ,   on behalf of the Cancer Research UK and Cancer Therapeutics CRC Australia Metastasis Working Group
Published: December 2018

Most cancer-related deaths are a result of metastasis, and thus the importance of this process as a target of therapy cannot be understated. By asking ‘how can we effectively treat cancer?’, we do not capture the complexity of a disease encompassing >200 different cancer types — many consisting of multiple subtypes — with considerable intratumoural heterogeneity, which can result in variable responses to a specific therapy. Moreover, we have much less information on the pathophysiological characteristics of metastases than is available for the primary tumour. Most disseminated tumour cells that arrive in distant tissues, surrounded by unfamiliar cells and a foreign microenvironment, are likely to die; however, those that survive can generate metastatic tumours with a markedly different biology from that of the primary tumour. To treat metastasis effectively, we must inhibit fundamental metastatic processes and develop specific preclinical and clinical strategies that do not rely on primary tumour responses. To address this crucial issue, Cancer Research UK and Cancer Therapeutics CRC Australia formed a Metastasis Working Group with representatives from not-for-profit, academic, government, industry and regulatory bodies in order to develop recommendations on how to tackle the challenges associated with treating (micro)metastatic disease. Herein, we describe the challenges identified as well as the proposed approaches for discovering and developing anticancer agents designed specifically to prevent or delay the metastatic outgrowth of cancer.
The small RNA RssR regulates myo-inositol degradation by Salmonella enterica
Authors: Kröger Carsten , Rothhardt Johannes E. , Brokatzky Dominik , Felsl Angela , Kary Stefani C. , Heermann Ralf , Fuchs Thilo M.
Published: December 2018

Small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) with putative regulatory functions in gene expression have been identified in the enteropathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). Two sRNAs are encoded by the genomic island GEI4417/4436 responsible for myo-inositol (MI) degradation, suggesting a role in the regulation of this metabolic pathway. We show that a lack of the sRNA STnc2160, termed RssR, results in a severe growth defect in minimal medium (MM) with MI. In contrast, the second sRNA STnc1740 was induced in the presence of glucose, and its overexpression slightly attenuated growth in the presence of MI. Constitutive expression of RssR led to an increased stability of the reiD mRNA, which encodes an activator of iol genes involved in MI utilization, via interaction with its 5′-UTR. SsrB, a response regulator contributing to the virulence properties of salmonellae, activated rssR transcription by binding the sRNA promoter. In addition, the absence of the RNA chaperone Hfq resulted in strongly decreased levels of RssR, attenuated S. Typhimurium growth with MI, and reduced expression of several iol genes required for MI degradation. Considered together, the extrinsic RssR allows fine regulation of cellular ReiD levels and thus of MI degradation by acting on the reiD mRNA stability.
Voxelwise-based Brain Function Network using Multi-Graph Model
Authors: Wang Zhongyang , Xin Junchang , Wang Xinlei , Wang Zhiqiong , Zhao Yue , Qian Wei
Published: December 2018

In the research of the fMRI based brain functional network, the pairwise correlation between vertices usually means the similarity between BOLD signals. Our analysis found that the low (0:01–0:06 Hz), intermediate (0:06–0:15 Hz), and high (0:15–0:2 Hz) bands of the BOLD signal are not synchronous. Therefore, this paper presents a voxelwise based multi-frequency band brain functional network model, called Multi-graph brain functional network. First, our analysis found the low-frequency information on the BOLD signal of the brain functional network obscures the other information because of its high intensity. Then, a low-, intermediate-, and high-band brain functional networks were constructed by dividing the BOLD signals. After that, using complex network analysis, we found that different frequency bands have different properties; the modulation in low-frequency is higher than that of the intermediate and high frequency. The power distributions of different frequency bands were also significantly different, and the ‘hub’ vertices under all frequency bands are evenly distributed. Compared to a full-frequency network, the multi-graph model enhances the accuracy of the classification of Alzheimer’s disease.
Co-existence of multiple bacterivorous clevelandellid ciliate species in hindgut of wood-feeding cockroaches in light of their prokaryotic consortium
Authors: Vďačný Peter , Érseková Emese , Šoltys Katarína , Budiš Jaroslav , Pecina Lukáš , Rurik Ivan
Published: December 2018

The hindgut of wood-feeding Panesthia cockroaches harbours a diverse microbial community, whose most morphologically prominent members are bacterivorous clevelandellid ciliates. Co-occurrence and correlation patterns of prokaryotes associated with these endosymbiotic ciliates were investigated. Multidimensional scaling based on taxa interaction-adjusted index showed a very clear separation of the hindgut ciliate samples from the ciliate-free hindgut samples. This division was corroborated also by SparCC analysis which revealed strong negative associations between prokaryotic taxa that were relatively more abundant in the ciliate-free hindgut samples and prokaryotic taxa that were more abundant in the ciliate samples. This very likely reflects the grazing behaviour of hindgut ciliates which prefer Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, causing their abundances to be increased in the ciliate samples at the expense of abundances of Euryarchaeota and Bacteroidetes which prevail in the hindgut content. Ciliate species do not distinctly differ in the associated prokaryotes, indicating that minute variations in the proportion of associated bacteria might be sufficient to avoid competition between bacterivorous ciliate species and hence enable their co-occurrence in the same host. The nearest free-living relatives of hindgut ciliates have a different pattern of associations with prokaryotes, i.e., alphaproteobacteria are predominantly associated with free-living ciliates while gammaproteobacteria with hindgut ciliates.
Multiple animal positioning system shows that socially-reared mice influence the social proximity of isolation-reared cagemates
Authors: Endo Nozomi , Ujita Waka , Fujiwara Masaya , Miyauchi Hideaki , Mishima Hiroyuki , Makino Yusuke , Hashimoto Lisa , Oyama Hiroshi , Makinodan Manabu , Nishi Mayumi , Tohyama Chiharu , Kakeyama Masaki
Published: December 2018

Social relationships are a key determinant of social behaviour, and disruption of social behaviour is a major symptom of several psychiatric disorders. However, few studies have analysed social relationships among multiple individuals in a group or how social relationships within a group influence the behaviour of members with impaired socialisation. Here, we developed a video-analysis-based system, the Multiple-Animal Positioning System (MAPS), to automatically and separately analyse the social behaviour of multiple individuals in group housing. Using MAPS, we show that social isolation of male mice during adolescence leads to impaired social proximity in adulthood. The phenotype of these socially isolated mice was partially rescued by cohabitation with group-housed (socially-reared) mice, indicating that both individual behavioural traits and those of cagemates influence social proximity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that low reactive behaviour of other cagemates also influence individual social proximity in male mice.
Decline of coastal apex shark populations over the past half century
Authors: Roff George , Brown Christopher J. , Priest Mark A. , Mumby Peter J.
Published: December 2018

Overexploitation of large apex marine predators is widespread in the world’s oceans, yet the timing and extent of declines are poorly understood. Here we reconstruct a unique fisheries-independent dataset from a shark control programme spanning 1760 km of the Australian coastline over the past 55 years. We report substantial declines (74–92%) of catch per unit effort of hammerhead (Sphyrnidae), whaler (Carcharhinidae), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) and white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). Following onset of the program in the 1960s, catch rates in new installations in subsequent decades occurred at a substantially lower rate, indicating regional depletion of shark populations over the past half a century. Concurrent declines in body size and the probability of encountering mature individuals suggests that apex shark populations are more vulnerable to exploitation than previously thought. Ongoing declines and lack of recovery of vulnerable and protected shark species are a cause for concern.
Catalytic mechanism of graphene-nickel interface dipole layer for binder free electrochemical sensor applications
Authors: Zhang Chunfei , Lee Byong-June , Li Haiping , Samdani Jitendra , Kang Tong-Hyun , Yu Jong-Sung
Published: December 2018

The combination of graphene with metal nanoparticles can produce enhanced catalytic properties because of synergistic effects, and has been used to develop highly active catalysts for different applications. However, the mechanism of the synergistic effect between graphene and metal is poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that graphene-coated nickel foam shows a significant catalytic effect on electrodeless metal (gold, platinum, silver, and copper) deposition without any external reducing agent. This is attributed to the formation of an interface dipole layer, induced by the interaction between graphene and nickel. The interface dipole layer catalytic mechanism accelerates metal reduction reaction and explains the simultaneous formation of nickel hydroxide. The nickel hydroxide-wrapped silver hybrid self-assembly developed on the graphene-coated nickel foam serves as an efficient binder-free electrochemical sensor owing to its hierarchical structure.
Brilliant gamma-ray beam and electron–positron pair production by enhanced attosecond pulses
Authors: Gu Yan-Jun , Klimo Ondrej , Bulanov Sergei V. , Weber Stefan
Published: December 2018

Electron–positron pair production via Breit–Wheeler process requires laser intensities approaching 1024 W cm−2 due to the small cross-section. Here, we propose a mechanism for brilliant γ-ray emission and dense GeV pairs creation accompanied with high-harmonic generation by using plasma mirror and an ultra short pulse with the intensity of 3 × 1023 W cm−2. The laser is reflected by the solid surface after propagating tens of microns in a near-critical density plasma and breaks into short wave packets. The intensity of the reflected high order harmonic field is enhanced by the focusing and compression effects from the deformed oscillating mirror. The radiation trapped electrons emit γ-photons while colliding with the reflected attosecond pulses. The peak intensity of the γ-ray reaches 0.74 PW with the brilliance of 2 × 1024 s−1 mm−2 mrad−2 (0.1%BW)−1 (at 58 MeV). A GeV positron beam is obtained with density of 4 × 1021 cm−3 and a particle number of 5.6 × 109.
Transcript- and protein-level analyses of the response of human eosinophils to glucocorticoids
Authors: Gadkari Manasi , Makiya Michelle A. , Legrand Fanny , Stokes Kindra , Brown Thomas , Howe Katherine , Khoury Paneez , Hu Zonghui , Klion Amy , Franco Luis M.
Published: December 2018

Glucocorticoids are first-line agents for the treatment of many eosinophil-associated disorders; however, their effects on human eosinophils remain poorly understood. To gain an unbiased, genome-wide view of the early transcriptional effects of glucocorticoids on human eosinophils in vivo, RNA sequencing was performed on purified blood eosinophils obtained before and 30, 60, and 120 minutes after administration of a single dose of oral prednisone (1 mg/kg) to three unrelated healthy subjects with hypereosinophilia of unknown significance. The resulting dataset is of high quality and suitable for differential expression analysis. Flow cytometry and qPCR were then performed on three additional cohorts of human subjects, to validate the key findings at the transcript and protein levels. The resulting datasets provide a resource for understanding the response of circulating human eosinophils to glucocorticoid administration.
Unbalanced historical phenotypic data from seed regeneration of a barley ex situ collection
Authors: Gonzalez Maria Y. , Weise Stephan , Zhao Yusheng , Philipp Norman , Arend Daniel , Börner Andreas , Oppermann Markus , Graner Andreas , Reif Jochen C. , Schulthess Albert W.
Published: December 2018

The scarce knowledge on phenotypic characterization restricts the usage of genetic diversity of plant genetic resources in research and breeding. We describe original and ready-to-use processed data for approximately 60% of ~22,000 barley accessions hosted at the Federalex situGenebank for Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Species. The dataset gathers records for three traits with agronomic relevance: flowering time, plant height and thousand grain weight. This information was collected for seven decades for winter and spring barley during the seed regeneration routine. The curated data represent a source for research on genetics and genomics of adaptive and yield related traits in cereals due to the importance of barley as model organism. This data could be used to predict the performance of non-phenotyped individuals in other collections through genomic prediction. Moreover, the dataset empowers the utilization of phenotypic diversity of genetic resources for crop improvement.
An annotated test-retest collection of prostate multiparametric MRI
Authors: Fedorov Andriy , Schwier Michael , Clunie David , Herz Christian , Pieper Steve , Kikinis Ron , Tempany Clare , Fennessy Fiona
Published: December 2018

Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mpMRI) is widely used for characterizing prostate cancer. Standard of care use of mpMRI in clinic relies on visual interpretation of the images by an expert. mpMRI is also increasingly used as a quantitative imaging biomarker of the disease. Little is known about repeatability of such quantitative measurements, and no test-retest datasets have been available publicly to support investigation of the technical characteristics of the MRI-based quantification in the prostate. Here we present an mpMRI dataset consisting of baseline and repeat prostate MRI exams for 15 subjects, manually annotated to define regions corresponding to lesions and anatomical structures, and accompanied by region-based measurements. This dataset aims to support further investigation of the repeatability of mpMRI-derived quantitative prostate measurements, study of the robustness and reliability of the automated analysis approaches, and to support development and validation of new image analysis techniques. The manuscript can also serve as an example of the use of DICOM for standardized encoding of the image annotation and quantification results.
Direct authentication of three Chinese materia medica species of the Lilii Bulbus family in terms of volatile components by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry
Authors: Yuan Zhi-ying , Qu Hao-yu , Xie Meng-zhou , Zeng Guang , Huang Hui-yong , Ren Fang , Chen Nai-hong
Published: December 2018

This research is aimed at establishing a green, rapid method based on HS-GC-IMS to identify three species of Lilii Bulbus.
Stability of doubly and triply H-bonded complexes governed by acidity–basicity relationships
Authors: Vallejo Narváez Wilmer E. , Jiménez Eddy I. , Cantú-Reyes Margarita , Yatsimirsky Anatoly K. , Hernández-Rodríguez Marcos , Rocha-Rinza Tomás
Published: December 2018

The acidity–basicity interplay model allows explaining and tuning the relative stability of doubly and triply H-bonded complexes.
Ion-pairing assemblies based on π-extended dipyrrolylquinoxalines
Authors: Yamakado Ryohei , Ishibashi Haruna , Motoyoshi Yukari , Yasuda Nobuhiro , Maeda Hiromitsu
Published: December 2018

α-Aryl-substituted dipyrrolylquinoxalines were synthesized and were converted to deprotonated forms stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonding, providing π-electronic anions, which act as building units of ion-pairing assemblies in combination with countercations.
Dynamic split G-quadruplex programmed reversible nanodevice
Authors: Yu Yanyan , Zhou Yao , Zhu Min , Su Gaoxing , Deng Haohua , Chen Wei , Peng Huaping
Published: December 2018

We propose a dynamic nanodevice based on a split G-quadruplex (G4).
Key factor governing the physicochemical properties and extent of proton transfer in protic ionic liquids: ΔpKa or chemical structure?
Authors: Miran Muhammed Shah , Hoque Mahfuzul , Yasuda Tomohiro , Tsuzuki Seiji , Ueno Kazuhide , Watanabe Masayoshi
Published: December 2018

A series of protic ionic liquids (PILs) are prepared by neutralisation of bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide acid (H[NTf2]) with various amines, and the properties (especially thermal stability and ionicity) are compared with those of PILs from 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]-7-undecene (DBU) and various acids.
A pentadentate member of the picolinate family for Mn(ii) complexation and an amphiphilic derivative
Authors: Pujales-Paradela Rosa , Carniato Fabio , Uzal-Varela Rocío , Brandariz Isabel , Iglesias Emilia , Platas-Iglesias Carlos , Botta Mauro , Esteban-Gómez David
Published: December 2018

An amphiphilic Mn(ii) complex presents improved relaxation properties thanks to micelle formation and binding to Bovine Serum Albumin.
Betaine increases mitochondrial content and improves hepatic lipid metabolism
Authors: Zhang Lifang , Qi Yilin , ALuo Zhier , Liu Siqi , Zhang Zhiwang , Zhou Lei
Published: December 2018

Betaine enhances both mitochondrial content and ATP levels.
Mechanical-activated digital microfluidics with gradient surface wettability
Authors: Qi Lin , Niu Ye , Ruck Cody , Zhao Yi
Published: December 2018

Long-distance droplet motion and selective droplet manipulation on repeated hydrophobic surface patterns with gradient wettability by in-plane cyclic vibration.
Flow stabilizer on a syringe tip for hand-powered microfluidic sample injection
Authors: Xiang Nan , Han Yu , Jia Yuan , Shi Zhiguo , Yi Hong , Ni Zhonghua
Published: December 2018

We proposed a novel syringe flow-stabilizer for hand-powered, precise, continuous-flow microfluidic sample injection in resource-poor settings.
Self-assembly morphology of block copolymers in sub-10 nm topographical guiding patterns
Authors: Gottlieb S. , Rösner B. , Evangelio L. , Fernández-Regúlez M. , Nogales A. , García-Gutiérrez M. C. , Keller T. F. , Fraxedas J. , Ezquerra T. A. , David C. , Perez-Murano F.
Published: December 2018

Fabrication of sub-10 nm topographical guiding patterns, block copolymer directed self-assembly, thorough morphology analysis and free energy modelling.
Nanoplastics formed during the mechanical breakdown of daily-use polystyrene products
Authors: Ekvall Mikael T. , Lundqvist Martin , Kelpsiene Egle , Šileikis Eimantas , Gunnarsson Stefán B. , Cedervall Tommy
Published: December 2018

Limited mechanical force produces plastic nanoparticles from commonly used plastic objects.
Ultra-stable pulse generation in ytterbium-doped fiber laser based on black phosphorus
Authors: Wang Tao , Jin Xiaoxi , Yang Jie , Wu Jian , Yu Qiang , Pan Zhenghui , Wu Hanshuo , Li Junzi , Su Rongtao , Xu Jiangming , Zhang Kai , He Tingchao , Zhou Pu
Published: December 2018

We demonstrated a ultra-stable pulse based on the high-quality electrochemical delamination exfoliation process black phosphorus.
A novel class of tyrosine derivatives as dual 5-LOX and COX-2/mPGES1 inhibitors with PGE2 mediated anticancer properties
Authors: Puratchikody Ayarivan , Umamaheswari Appavoo , Irfan Navabshan , Sinha Shweta , Manju S. L. , Ramanan Meera , Ramamoorthy Gayathri , Doble Mukesh
Published: December 2018

Leukotriene and prostaglandin pathways are controlled by the enzymes, LOX and COX/mPGES1 respectively and are responsible for inflammatory responses.
A new turn-on fluorescent probe for the detection of palladium(0) and its application in living cells and zebrafish
Authors: Jin Ming , Wei Lihong , Yang Yutao , Run Mingtao , Yin Caixia
Published: December 2018

A new “turn-on” fluorescent probe 1 for the detection of Pd0 has been designed and synthesized.
Exploitation of localized surface plasmon resonance of silver/gold nanoparticles for the fluorescence quantification of angiotensin II receptor antagonists in their tablets and bio-samples
Authors: Alarfaj N. A. , Altamimi S. A. , El-Tohamy M. F. , Almahri A. M.
Published: December 2018

The present study suggested six different fluorimetric systems for the determination of three angiotensin II receptor antagonists, candesartan cilexetil (CDC), valsartan (VAL) and telmisartan (TEL) in their bulk and pharmaceutical dosage forms.
Synthesis, characterization and photophysical studies of a novel polycyclic diborane
Authors: Yao Chang-Jiang , Zhao Kexiang , Long Guankui , Li Xinxiong , Gong Zhong-Liang , Zhong Yu-Wu , Gao Weibo , Li Yongxin , Ganguly Rakesh , Li Gang , Zhang Qichun
Published: December 2018

A long polycyclic diborane (4) with a dihedral angle of 21.75° between the two naphthalene rings has been successfully prepared and fully characterized.
Facile synthesis of N-doped graphene supported porous cobalt molybdenum oxynitride nanodendrites for the oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Sharma Kamaldeep , Hui David , Kim Nam Hoon , Lee Joong Hee
Published: December 2018

Herein, the porous Co–Mo-ON/NG alloy nanodendrites offer comparable ORR activity, superior electrochemical stability, long term durability for 2000 cycles with almost zero degradation and greater resistance to methanol compared to commercial Pt/C catalysts both in acidic and basic media.
A highly conductive, pliable and foldable Cu/cellulose paper electrode enabled by controlled deposition of copper nanoparticles
Authors: Yang Yang , Huang Quanbo , Payne Gregory F. , Sun Runcang , Wang Xiaohui
Published: December 2018

A novel and scalable approach is introduced to fabricate highly flexible and conductive paper with excellent stability and self-cleaning properties.
Enhancing the EMI shielding of natural rubber-based supercritical CO2foams by exploiting their porous morphology and CNT segregated networks
Authors: Zhan Yanhu , Oliviero Maria , Wang Jian , Sorrentino Andrea , Buonocore Giovanna G. , Sorrentino Luigi , Lavorgna Marino , Xia Hesheng , Iannace Salvatore
Published: December 2018

The specific shielding effectiveness of segregated CNT/rubber foams fabricated by the supercritical CO2method reaches 312.69 dB cm2g−1.
Carbon nanotube functionalization as a route to enhancing the electrical and mechanical properties of Cu–CNT composites
Authors: Milowska Karolina Z. , Burda Marek , Wolanicka Lidia , Bristowe Paul D. , Koziol Krzysztof K. K.
Published: December 2018

Density functional theory calculations supported by sonication experiments show that nitrogen doping of CNTs can effectively improve adhesion between them and the Cu matrix, and hence the mechanical properties and most importantly the electrical performance of the composite.
Fast mass transport-assisted convective heat transfer through a multi-walled carbon nanotube array
Authors: Jeon Wonjae , Kim Taehun , Kim Sung-Min , Baik Seunghyun
Published: December 2018

Fast mass transport-assisted forced convection heat transfer of air is realized through the interstitial space of multi-walled carbon nanotube arrays.
Atomic-scale engineering of MOF array confined Au nanoclusters for enhanced heterogeneous catalysis
Authors: Gao Ge , Xi Qiaoyue , Zhang Yanqun , Jin Manyu , Zhao Yongxia , Wu Cunqi , Zhou Hua , Guo Pengran , Xu Jingwei
Published: December 2018

A surface-engineered heterogeneous catalyst with a controllable catalytic interface is the most straightforward approach for boosting catalytic activity.
Interplay between the amphipathic polyoxometalate interactions in solution and at solid–liquid interfaces: a toolbox for the technical application
Authors: Glöβ Maria , Pütt Ricarda , Moors Marco , Kentzinger Emmanuel , Pyckhout-Hintzen Wim , Monakhov Kirill Yu.
Published: December 2018

The correlation between the SAXS and STM data provides remarkable insights into the fundamentally important operational regimes and the interplay of hybrid organic–inorganic POM nanostructures in solution and on physisorbing surfaces.
Yolk–shell-structured microspheres composed of N-doped-carbon-coated NiMoO4 hollow nanospheres as superior performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Park Gi Dae , Hong Jeong Hoo , Lee Jung-Kul , Kang Yun Chan
Published: December 2018

Herein, for the first time, yolk–shell-structured microspheres consisting of N-doped-carbon-coated binary transition-metal oxide hollow nanospheres are designed as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
Unveiling the high reactivity of cyclohexynes in [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions through the molecular electron density theory
Authors: Domingo Luis R. , Ríos-Gutiérrez Mar , Pérez Patricia
Published: December 2018

Strain in cyclohexyne triggers a high reactivity as a consequence of its unusual electronic structure.
Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of cycloalkyl vinyl ketones to allylic alcohols catalyzed by ruthenium amido complexes
Authors: Liu Sensheng , Cui Peng , Wang Juan , Zhou Haifeng , Liu Qixing , Lv Jinliang
Published: December 2018

A chemoselective 1,2-reduction of cycloalkyl vinyl ketones to the corresponding chiral allylic alcohols via asymmetric transfer hydrogenation is described.
Molybdenum-containing dendritic mesoporous silica spheres for fast oxidative desulfurization in fuel
Authors: Zhang Ming , Liu Jiaqi , Yang Jiapeng , Chen Xiao , Wang Miao , Li Hongping , Zhu Wenshuai , Li Huaming
Published: December 2018

4,6-DMDBT is absorbed by dendritic mesoporous Mo-SiO2 and then oxidized to 4,6-DMDBTO2 in the presence of TBHP.
Rational design of ratiometric and lysosome-targetable AIE dots for imaging endogenous HClO in live cells
Authors: Hong Yongxiang , Wang Hong , Xue Mingju , Zhang Peisheng , Liu Wanqiang , Chen Shu , Zeng Rongjin , Cui Jiaxi , Gao Yong , Chen Jian
Published: December 2018

A novel lysosome-targetable ratiometric AIE nanoprobe was rationally designed and synthesized for sensing of endogenous HClO levels in live cells.
A facile synthesis of molybdenum carbide nanoparticles-modified carbonized cotton textile as an anode material for high-performance microbial fuel cells
Authors: Zeng Lizhen , Zhao Shaofei , Zhang Lixia , He Miao
Published: December 2018

A novel macroscale porous structure electrode, molybdenum carbide nanoparticles-modified carbonized cotton textile (Mo2C/CCT), was synthesized by a facile two-step method and used as anode material for high-performance microbial fuel cell (MFC).
Effects of acylation and glycation treatments on physicochemical and gelation properties of rapeseed protein isolate
Authors: Wang Zhigao , Zhang Cheng , Zhang Tian , Ju Xingrong , He Rong
Published: December 2018

Acylated and glycated RPI gels were prepared, but the moderate acylation was more favorable to improve the gelation property of RPI.
Biocompatibility and photo-induced antibacterial activity of lignin-stabilized noble metal nanoparticles
Authors: Rocca Diamela María , Vanegas Julie P. , Fournier Kelsey , Becerra M. Cecilia , Scaiano Juan C. , Lanterna Anabel E.
Published: December 2018

Natural derived compounds, lignins, can be used as reducing and stabilizing agents to synthesize noble metal nanoparticles with antimicrobial properties.
Preparation and performance study of a PVDF–LATP ceramic composite polymer electrolyte membrane for solid-state batteries
Authors: Liang Xinghua , Han Di , Wang Yunting , Lan Lingxiao , Mao Jie
Published: December 2018

Recently, safety issues in conventional organic liquid electrolytes and the interface resistance between the electrode and electrolyte have been the most challenging barriers for the expansion of lithium batteries to a wide range of applications.
The effect of a single injection of uniform-sized insulin-loaded PLGA microspheres on peri-implant bone formation
Authors: Wang Xing , Wang Lu , Qi Feng , Zhao Jing
Published: December 2018

Titanium implants are widely used treatment modalities, with a long list of clinical successes in orthopaedics, orthopedics and maxillofacial surgery.
Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution cascade using α-(pyridin-1-yl)-acetamides formedin situas nucleophiles
Authors: Yao Kun , Yuan Qianjia , Qu Xingxin , Liu Yangang , Liu Delong , Zhang Wanbin
Published: December 2018

A Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution cascade reaction, using α-(pyridin-1-yl)-acetamides (formedin situ) as nucleophiles, has been developed.
Construction of alkyl-substituted pentaphosphido ligands in the coordination sphere of cobalt
Authors: Ziegler Christoph G. P. , Maier Thomas M. , Pelties Stefan , Taube Clemens , Hennersdorf Felix , Ehlers Andreas W. , Weigand Jan J. , Wolf Robert
Published: December 2018

P–P condensation reactions in the coordination sphere of cobalt give access to unique organyl-substituted pentaphosphido complexes.
Label-free plasmonic nanostar probes to illuminate in vitro membrane receptor recognition
Authors: Sloan-Dennison Sian , Schultz Zachary D.
Published: December 2018

Peptide functionalized plasmonic nanostars evince Raman signals from targeted receptors in cells and modulate protein corona formation, improving targeting.
Chemical operations on a living single cell by open microfluidics for wound repair studies and organelle transport analysis
Authors: Mao Sifeng , Zhang Qiang , Liu Wu , Huang Qiushi , Khan Mashooq , Zhang Wanling , Lin Caihou , Uchiyama Katsumi , Lin Jin-Ming
Published: December 2018

We report a laminar flow based approach that is capable of precisely cutting off or treating a portion of a single cell from its remaining portion in its original adherent state.
The influence of plasma treatment on the elasticity of the in situ oxidized gradient layer in PDMS: towards crack-free wrinkling
Authors: Glatz Bernhard Alexander , Fery Andreas
Published: December 2018

Controlled surface wrinkling is widely applied for structuring surfaces in the micro- and nano-range.
Newly designed 1,2,3-triazole functionalized covalent triazine frameworks with exceptionally high uptake capacity for both CO2 and H2
Authors: Mukherjee Soumya , Das Monojit , Manna Anupam , Krishna Rajamani , Das Sanjib
Published: December 2018

Novel microporous triazole functionalized covalent triazine frameworks with dominant ultra-microporosity as task-specific high-capacity storage platforms for both CO2 and H2.
Enhancing the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells by incorporating CdS and Cd(SCN2H4)2Cl2into the CH3NH3PbI3active layer
Authors: Zhu Liangxin , Chen Chong , Li Fumin , Shen Zhitao , Weng Yujuan , Huang Qingsong , Wang Mingtai
Published: December 2018

Highly efficient perovskite solar cells based on C:C:CH3NH3PbI3bulk-heterojunction films.
Ultrasmall FeNi3N particles with an exposed active (110) surface anchored on nitrogen-doped graphene for multifunctional electrocatalysts
Authors: Liu Lina , Yan Feng , Li Kaiyue , Zhu Chunling , Xie Ying , Zhang Xitian , Chen Yujin
Published: December 2018

Ultrasmall FeNi3N particles with an exposed active (110) surface anchored on nitrogen-doped graphene as multifunctional electrocatalysts for both overall water splitting and Zn–air batteries exhibited excellent electrochemical performance.
Insights into Li/Ni ordering and surface reconstruction during synthesis of Ni-rich layered oxides
Authors: Duan Yandong , Yang Luyi , Zhang Ming-Jian , Chen Zonghai , Bai Jianming , Amine Khalil , Pan Feng , Wang Feng
Published: December 2018

Surface reconstruction reactions that would determine the Li/Ni ordering in Ni-rich layered materials are investigated.
Green solvent-processed efficient non-fullerene organic solar cells enabled by low-bandgap copolymer donors with EDOT side chains
Authors: Liao Chentong , Zhang Ming , Xu Xiaopeng , Liu Feng , Li Ying , Peng Qiang
Published: December 2018

By a combination of side chain and ternary blend strategies, novel BDT-TT-based copolymer donors were developed to improve the green solvent solubility, crystallinity, energy level, carrier mobility and blend morphology. Non-fullerene binary and ternary blend devices based on PTB-EDOTS exhibited high PCEs of 10.18% and 12.26%, respectively.
Effect of processing conditions on additive DISC patterning of P3HT films
Authors: Li Jun , Holm Daniella M. , Guda Shravya , Bedolla-Valdez Zaira I. , Gonel Goktug , Jacobs Ian E. , Dettmann Makena A. , Saska Jan , Mascal Mark , Moulé Adam J.
Published: December 2018

There is a critical need to develop a method to pattern semiconducting polymers for device applications on the sub-micrometer scale.
Real‐time comprehensive glass container inspection system based on deep learning framework
Authors: Liang Qiaokang , Xiang Shao , Long Jianyong , Sun Wei , Wang Yaonan , Zhang Dan
Published: December 2018

Reusable glass containers have become extremely popular in recent years due to their cost effectiveness. Quality control such as inspecting and identifying container defects is an essential part of the reusable containers production systems. Many aspects of modern society already benefit from developments in machine learning (ML) technology. However, to the authors’ knowledge, the ML technology approaches have not been extensively applied in the practical inspection instrumentations for glass containers. In this Letter, a comprehensive inspection system for reusable containers based on a deep learning framework is proposed. The experimental results demonstrated that the developed system is capable of inspecting defects of glass containers with superior accuracy and speed. After the success of other practical applications with deep learning approaches, they wish that this Letter could inspire more and more research results in deep learning methods to be widely applied to comprehensive inspection tasks.
Data‐driven direct automatic tuning scheme for fixed‐structure digital controllers of hybrid systems
Authors: Zhang Yakun , Gong Guofang , Yang Huayong , Peng Xiongbin , Li Wenjing
Published: December 2018

In this study, a novel data‐driven direct automatic tuning scheme is proposed for the general form of fixed‐structure digital controllers of hybrid systems. The controller is directly auto‐tuned while it interacts with the real plant; no modelling or plant identification procedure is involved. The auto‐tuning problem is formulated as a controller parameter optimisation problem, which is solved using a quasi‐Newton method. A new method for calculating the gradient of the objective function from closed‐loop experiment data is proposed to reduce the sensitivity to the initial values of the parameters. Domain knowledge of controller design based on pole placement and internal model principle is introduced as a priori information to further improve the performance of the auto‐tuning. Numerical simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme and performances of different objective functions are evaluated. The performance of the proposed scheme is compared with the standard relay feedback and iterative feedback tuning methods. Reliable controllers can be obtained automatically by using the proposed scheme; the only remaining task of the control engineer is to estimate the order of the plant by counting the number of independent energy storage elements.
Robust output‐feedback control for the cart–pole system: a coupled super‐twisting sliding‐mode approach
Authors: Ovalle Luis , Ríos Héctor , Llama Miguel
Published: December 2018

This study presents an output‐feedback controller for a cart–pole system via coupled sliding‐mode algorithms. Due to the fact that this system is underactuated, a special type of sliding surface is employed instead of using a transformation to the regular form. Then, a continuous sliding‐mode controller is designed using the super‐twisting algorithm so that robustness of the control scheme is guaranteed. Since the proposed controller requires the knowledge of the velocities, a homogeneous sliding‐mode observer is introduced to estimate such velocities. Then, in order to improve the control effort, a variable gain super‐twisting algorithm is also proposed. The closed‐loop stability is also guaranteed by means of input‐to‐state stability properties and Lyapunov function approaches. All the results are validated by means of real‐time experiments, providing also a comparison between the proposed controllers and a chattering attenuation approach.
Non‐fragile sampled‐data guaranteed cost control for bio‐economic fuzzy singular Markovian jump systems
Authors: Sakthivel R. , Kanagaraj R. , Wang C. , Selvaraj P. , Anthoni S.M.
Published: December 2018

This study investigates the non‐fragile sampled‐data guaranteed cost control problem for a bio‐economic singular Markovian jump system that is represented by the Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model. The main intention of this study is to design a non‐fragile sampled‐data controller for the considered model to handle the issue of tax fluctuations by means of showing that the closed‐loop system is regular, impulse free and stochastically finite‐time bounded. Sampled‐data controller is the one where the continuous system is controlled by the digital control algorithms. By introducing a proper Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional and using linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach, a new set of criteria is obtained in terms of LMIs for achieving the required result. More precisely, by solving LMIs, an upper bound for the cost function can be obtained. Finally, a simulation result is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control design.
Kalman filtering with state‐dependent packet losses
Authors: Thapliyal Omanshu , Nandiganahalli Jayaprakash Suraj , Hwang Inseok
Published: December 2018

This study addresses the problem of state estimation for discrete‐time, linear time invariant systems subject to packet losses, which occur in specific regions of the state space. Most practical estimation problems are characterised by occurrences of loss of observation packets, which makes the packet arrival process a non‐stationary statistic, making the analysis and design of such an estimator challenging. This estimation problem subject to state‐dependent packet losses is formulated using a state‐dependent hybrid measurement model and solved using the projection theorem‐based approach to obtain minimum mean square error state estimates. By systematically utilising the a priori information of the regions where the packet loss is likely to occur, the proposed estimator takes the Kalman filter structure with the modified algebraic Riccati iteration for the error covariance matrix being stochastic due to the probabilistic packet arrival process. Finally, the proposed estimator is demonstrated using an illustrative two‐dimensional aircraft tracking example with state‐dependent packet loss and is shown to have improved performance over the baseline packet loss algorithm.
Indirect IMC‐PID controller design
Authors: Verma Bharat , Padhy Prabin Kumar
Published: December 2018

The internal model controller‐proportional–integral–derivative (IMC‐PID) is one of the simplest model based proportional–integral–derivative (PID) design methods available in the literature. In IMC‐PID design, the three variable PID design problem is converted into the single variable design problem with the help of the internal model of the process and an internal model controller (IMC) filter. The IMC filter is used to control the robustness of the process and transient performance. The IMC filter, however, introduces additional phase lag in the process, due to which the stability of the process is compromised to maintain the transient response. In this study, a new indirect design approach of IMC‐PID controller is proposed for first‐order filter with dead time (FOPDT) and second‐order filter with dead time (SOPDT) processes, in which the IMC‐PID controller is designed for the pole‐zero shifted process instead of original process and the process robustness is tuned with the help of the proposed shifting constant . The proposed design does not involve any IMC filter, which helps to achieve a better IAE and higher Phase Margin at desired Maximum Sensitivity. The proposed method is validated with the help of real‐time experiment on water level control of Canonical Tank System and MATLAB simulation examples of the FOPDT and SOPDT processes.