bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compressible and monolithic microporous polymer sponges prepared via one-pot synthesis
Authors: Lim Yoonbin , Cha Min Chul , Chang Ji Young
Published: November 2015

Compressible and monolithic microporous polymers (MPs) are reported. MPs were prepared as monoliths via a Sonogashira–Hagihara coupling reaction of 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene (TEB) with the bis(bromothiophene) monomer (PBT-Br). The polymers were reversibly compressible and were easily cut into any form using a knife. Microscopy studies on the MPs revealed that the polymers had tubular microstructures, resembling those often found in marine sponges. Under compression, elastic buckling of the tube bundles was observed using an optical microscope. MP-0.8, which was synthesized using a 0.8:1 molar ratio of PBT-Br to TEB, showed microporosity with a BET surface area as high as 463 m2g–1. The polymer was very hydrophobic, with a water contact angle of 145° and absorbed 7–17 times its own weight of organic liquids. The absorbates were released by simple compression, allowing recyclable use of the polymer. MPs are potential precursors of structured carbon materials; for example, a partially graphitic material was obtained by pyrolysis of MP-0.8, which showed a similar tubular structure to that of MP-0.8.
Designing overall stoichiometric conversions and intervening metabolic reactions
Authors: Chowdhury Anupam , Maranas Costas D.
Published: November 2015

Existing computational tools for de novo metabolic pathway assembly, either based on mixed integer linear programming techniques or graph-search applications, generally only find linear pathways connecting the source to the target metabolite. The overall stoichiometry of conversion along with alternate co-reactant (or co-product) combinations is not part of the pathway design. Therefore, global carbon and energy efficiency is in essence fixed with no opportunities to identify more efficient routes for recycling carbon flux closer to the thermodynamic limit. Here, we introduce a two-stage computational procedure that both identifies the optimum overall stoichiometry (i.e., optStoic) and selects for (non-)native reactions (i.e., minRxn/minFlux) that maximize carbon, energy or price efficiency while satisfying thermodynamic feasibility requirements. Implementation for recent pathway design studies identified non-intuitive designs with improved efficiencies. Specifically, multiple alternatives for non-oxidative glycolysis are generated and non-intuitive ways of co-utilizing carbon dioxide with methanol are revealed for the production of C2+ metabolites with higher carbon efficiency.
Extraordinary high ductility/strength of the interface designed bulk W-ZrC alloy plate at relatively low temperature
Authors: Xie Z. M. , Liu R. , Miao S. , Yang X. D. , Zhang T. , Wang X. P. , Fang Q. F. , Liu C. S. , Luo G. N. , Lian Y. Y. , Liu X.
Published: November 2015

The refractory tungsten alloys with high ductility/strength/plasticity are highly desirable for a wide range of critical applications. Here we report an interface design strategy that achieves 8.5 mm thick W-0.5 wt. %ZrC alloy plates with a flexural strength of 2.5 GPa and a strain of 3% at room temperature (RT) and ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of about 100 °C. The tensile strength is about 991 MPa at RT and 582 MPa at 500 °C, as well as total elongation is about 1.1% at RT and as large as 41% at 500 °C, respectively. In addition, the W-ZrC alloy plate can sustain 3.3 MJ/m2 thermal load without any cracks. This processing route offers the special coherent interfaces of grain/phase boundaries (GB/PBs) and the diminishing O impurity at GBs, which significantly strengthens GB/PBs and thereby enhances the ductility/strength/plasticity of W alloy. The design thought can be used in the future to prepare new alloys with higher ductility/strength.
IFNL3 mRNA structure is remodeled by a functional non-coding polymorphism associated with hepatitis C virus clearance
Authors: Lu Yi-Fan , Mauger David M. , Goldstein David B. , Urban Thomas J. , Weeks Kevin M. , Bradrick Shelton S.
Published: November 2015

Polymorphisms near the interferon lambda 3 (IFNL3) gene strongly predict clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We analyzed a variant (rs4803217 G/T) located within the IFNL3 mRNA 3′ untranslated region (UTR); the G allele (protective allele) is associated with elevated therapeutic HCV clearance. We show that the IFNL3 3′ UTR represses mRNA translation and the rs4803217 allele modulates the extent of translational regulation. We analyzed the structures of IFNL3 variant mRNAs at nucleotide resolution by SHAPE-MaP. The rs4803217 G allele mRNA forms well-defined 3′ UTR structure while the T allele mRNA is more dynamic. The observed differences between alleles are among the largest possible RNA structural alterations that can be induced by a single nucleotide change and transform the UTR from a single well-defined conformation to one with multiple dynamic interconverting structures. These data illustrate that non-coding genetic variants can have significant functional effects by impacting RNA structure.
Light-matter decoupling and A2 term detection in superconducting circuits
Authors: García-Ripoll J. J. , Peropadre B. , De Liberato S.
Published: November 2015

The spontaneous and stimulated emission of a superconducting qubit in the presence of propagating microwaves originates from an effective light-matter interaction that, similarly to the case of the atomic case, can contain a diamagnetic term proportional to the square vector potential A2. In the present work we prove that an increase in the strength of the diamagnetic term leads to an effective decoupling of the qubit from the electromagnetic field and that this effect is observable at any range of qubit-photon coupling. To measure this effect we propose to use a transmon suspended over a transmission line, where the relative strength of the A2 term is controlled by the qubit-line separation. We show that the spontaneous emission rate of the suspended transmon onto the line can, at short distances, increase with such a separation, instead of decreasing.
Comparative genomics and experimental evolution of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) strains reveal the landscape of toxicity escape from membrane protein overproduction
Authors: Kwon Soon-Kyeong , Kim Seong Keun , Lee Dae-Hee , Kim Jihyun F.
Published: November 2015

Achieving sufficient yields of proteins in their functional form represents the first bottleneck in contemporary bioscience and biotechnology. To accomplish successful overexpression of membrane proteins in a workhorse organism such as E. coli, defined and rational optimization strategies based on an understanding of the genetic background of the toxicity-escape mechanism are desirable. To this end, we sequenced the genomes of E. coli C41(DE3) and its derivative C43(DE3), which were developed for membrane protein production. Comparative analysis of their genomes with those of their ancestral strain E. coli BL21(DE3) revealed various genetic changes in both strains. A series of E. coli variants that are able to tolerate transformation with or overexpression of membrane proteins were generated by in vitro evolution. Targeted sequencing of the evolved strains revealed the mutational hotspots among the acquired genetic changes. By these combinatorial approaches, we found non-synonymous changes in the lac repressor gene of the lac operon as well as nucleotide substitutions in the lacUV5 promoter of the DE3 region, by which the toxic effect to the host caused by overexpression of membrane proteins could be relieved. A mutation in lacI was demonstrated to be crucial for conferring tolerance to membrane protein overexpression.
Modifying the thermal conductivity of small molecule organic semiconductor thin films with metal nanoparticles
Authors: Wang Xinyu , Parrish Kevin D. , Malen Jonathan A. , Chan Paddy K. L.
Published: November 2015

Thermal properties of organic semiconductors play a significant role in the performance and lifetime of organic electronic devices, especially for scaled-up large area applications. Here we employ silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to modify the thermal conductivity of the small molecule organic semiconductor, dinaphtho[2,3-b:2’,3’-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT). The differential 3-ω method was used to measure the thermal conductivity of Ag-DNTT hybrid thin films. We find that the thermal conductivity of pure DNTT thin films do not vary with the deposition temperature over a range spanning 24 °C to 80 °C. The thermal conductivity of the Ag-DNTT hybrid thin film initially decreases and then increases when the Ag volume fraction increases from 0% to 32%. By applying the effective medium approximation to fit the experimental results of thermal conductivity, the extracted thermal boundary resistance of the Ag-DNTT interface is 1.14 ± 0.98 × 10−7 m2-K/W. Finite element simulations of thermal conductivity for realistic film morphologies show good agreement with experimental results and effective medium approximations.
Abnormalities in synaptic dynamics during development in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1
Authors: Hatanaka Yusuke , Watase Kei , Wada Keiji , Nagai Yoshitaka
Published: November 2015

Late-onset neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by neurological symptoms and progressive neuronal death. Accumulating evidence suggests that neuronal dysfunction, rather than neuronal death, causes the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying the dysfunction that occurs prior to cell death remain unclear. To investigate the synaptic basis of this dysfunction, we employed in vivo two-photon imaging to analyse excitatory postsynaptic dendritic protrusions. We used Sca1154Q/2Q mice, an established knock-in mouse model of the polyglutamine disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), which replicates human SCA1 features including ataxia, cognitive impairment and neuronal death. We found that Sca1154Q/2Q mice exhibited greater synaptic instability than controls, without synaptic loss, in the cerebral cortex, where obvious neuronal death is not observed, even before the onset of distinct symptoms. Interestingly, this abnormal synaptic instability was evident in Sca1154Q/2Q mice from the synaptic developmental stage and persisted into adulthood. Expression of synaptic scaffolding proteins was also lower in Sca1154Q/2Q mice than controls before synaptic maturation. As symptoms progressed, synaptic loss became evident. These results indicate that aberrant synaptic instability, accompanied by decreased expression of scaffolding proteins during synaptic development, is a very early pathology that precedes distinct neurological symptoms and neuronal cell death in SCA1.
Compartmentalized microchannel array for high-throughput analysis of single cell polarized growth and dynamics
Authors: Geng Tao , Bredeweg Erin L. , Szymanski Craig J. , Liu Bingwen , Baker Scott E. , Orr Galya , Evans James E. , Kelly Ryan T.
Published: November 2015

Interrogating polarized growth is technologically challenging due to extensive cellular branching and uncontrollable environmental conditions in conventional assays. Here we present a robust and high-performance microfluidic system that enables observations of polarized growth with enhanced temporal and spatial control over prolonged periods. The system has built-in tunability and versatility to accommodate a variety of scientific applications requiring precisely controlled environments. Using the model filamentous fungus, Neurospora crassa, our microfluidic system enabled direct visualization and analysis of cellular heterogeneity in a clonal fungal cell population, nuclear distribution and dynamics at the subhyphal level and quantitative dynamics of gene expression with single hyphal compartment resolution in response to carbon source starvation and exchange. Although the microfluidic device is demonstrated on filamentous fungi, the technology is immediately extensible to a wide array of other biosystems that exhibit similar polarized cell growth, with applications ranging from bioenergy production to human health.
CD44 deficiency inhibits unloading-induced cortical bone loss through downregulation of osteoclast activity
Authors: Li Yuheng , Zhong Guohui , Sun Weijia , Zhao Chengyang , Zhang Pengfei , Song Jinping , Zhao Dingsheng , Jin Xiaoyan , Li Qi , Ling Shukuan , Li Yingxian
Published: November 2015

The CD44 is cellular surface adhesion molecule that is involved in physiological processes such as hematopoiesis, lymphocyte homing and limb development. It plays an important role in a variety of cellular functions including adhesion, migration, invasion and survival. In bone tissue, CD44 is widely expressed in osteoblasts, osteoclasts and osteocytes. However, the mechanisms underlying its role in bone metabolism remain unclear. We found that CD44 expression was upregulated during osteoclastogenesis. CD44 deficiency in vitro significantly inhibited osteoclast activity and function by regulating the NF-κB/NFATc1-mediated pathway. In vivo, CD44 mRNA levels were significantly upregulated in osteoclasts isolated from the hindlimb of tail-suspended mice. CD44 deficiency can reduce osteoclast activity and counteract cortical bone loss in the hindlimb of unloaded mice. These results suggest that therapeutic inhibition of CD44 may protect from unloading induced bone loss by inhibiting osteoclast activity.
No effect on pharmacokinetics of tamoxifen and 4-hydroxytamoxifen by multiple doses of red clover capsule in rats
Authors: Raju Kanumuri Siva Rama , Taneja Isha , Valicherla Guru Raghavendra , Challagundla Murali Krishna , Rashid Mamunur , Syed Anees Ahmed , Gayen Jiaur Rahman , Singh Sheelendra Pratap , Wahajuddin Muhammad
Published: November 2015

Tamoxifen is used in clinical practice for breast cancer patients and to prevent osteoporosis. Red clover (Trifolium pratense) preparations are consumed worldwide as dietary supplements for relieving postmenopausal symptoms. In the present study we investigated the possible herb-drug interaction between red clover and tamoxifen in rats. 15 days pre-treatment with red clover did not alter the tamoxifen and its active metabolite 4-hydroxytamoxifen pharmacokinetics significantly (p > 0.05). Therefore the therapeutic efficacy of the tamoxifen may not be compromised by the co-administration with red clover. Tamoxifen metabolism is primarily mediated by CYP2D6, CYP3A4 with minor contribution from CYP2C9, CYP2E1 and CYP1A2 isoforms. Although, red clover pre-treatment significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the mRNA expression and activity of CYP3a2, no effect on CYP2d4 and increased expression and activity of CYP2c11 could be the plausible reasons for lack of effect on tamoxifen and its metabolite pharmacokinetics in rats. CYP1a1 and CYP2b2 mRNA expression and activity were also significantly reduced by red clover. To extend the clinical utility of the present study, effect of red clover extract on major CYPs using human liver microsomes and HepG2 cell lines were also determined. Similar finding were observed in the human liver preparations as in rats.
Targeted DNA Sequencing Detects Mutations Related to Susceptibility among Familial Non-medullary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Yu Yang , Dong Li , Li Dapeng , Chuai Shaokun , Wu Zhigang , Zheng Xiangqian , Cheng Yanan , Han Lei , Yu Jinpu , Gao Ming
Published: November 2015

Some studies have demonstrated that familial non-medullary thyroid cancer (FNMTC) has a more aggressive clinical behavior compared to sporadic NMTC (SNMTC). However, FNMTC is difficult to differentiate from SNMTC by the morphology and immunohistochemistry. Although genes responsible for FNMTC were unclear, screening for rare germline mutations on known important tumor suppressor genes might offer more insights on predicting susceptibility to FNMTC. Here, a customized panel was designed to capture all exons of 31 cancer susceptive genes possibly related to FNMTC. Using next-generation sequencing we performed deep sequencing to achieve 500× coverage of the targeted regions. At the end 45 variants were identified in 29 of 47 familial patients and 6 of 16 sporadic patients. Notably, several germline mutations were found matching between paired FNMTC patients from the same family, including APC L292F and A2778S, BRAF D22N, MSH6 G355S and A36V, MSH2 L719F, MEN1 G508D, BRCA1 SS955S, BRCA2 G2508S and a GNAS inframe insertion. We demonstrated a novel approach to help diagnose and elucidate the genetic cause of the FNMTC patients and assess whether their family members are exposed to a higher genetic risk. The findings would also provide insights on monitoring the potential second cancers for thyroid cancer patients.
Correction: Corrigendum: Structural Evolution of Chemically-Driven RuO2 Nanowires and 3-Dimensional Design for Photo-Catalytic Applications
Authors: Park Joonmo , Won Lee Jae , Ye Byeong Uk , Chun Sung Hee , Joo Sang Hoon , Park Hyunwoong , Lee Heon , Jeong Hu Young , Kim Myung Hwa , Baik Jeong Min
Published: November 2015

Growth mechanism of chemically-driven RuO2 nanowires is explored and used to fabricate three-dimensional RuO2 branched Au-TiO2 nanowire electrodes for the photostable solar water oxidation. For the real time structural evolution during the nanowire growth, the amorphous RuO2 precursors (Ru(OH)3·H2O) are heated at 180 °C, producing the RuO2 nanoparticles with the tetragonal crystallographic structure and Ru enriched amorphous phases, observed through the in-situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction and the high-resolution transmission electron microscope images. Growth then proceeds by Ru diffusion to the nanoparticles, followed by the diffusion to the growing surface of the nanowire in oxygen ambient, supported by the nucleation theory. The RuO2 branched Au-TiO2 nanowire arrays shows a remarkable enhancement in the photocurrent density by approximately 60% and 200%, in the UV-visible and Visible region, respectively, compared with pristine TiO2 nanowires. Furthermore, there is no significant decrease in the device’s photoconductance with UV-visible illumination during 1 day, making it possible to produce oxygen gas without the loss of the photoactvity.
Adaptation of the autotrophic acetogen Sporomusa ovata to methanol accelerates the conversion of CO2 to organic products
Authors: Tremblay Pier-Luc , Höglund Daniel , Koza Anna , Bonde Ida , Zhang Tian
Published: November 2015

Acetogens are efficient microbial catalysts for bioprocesses converting C1 compounds into organic products. Here, an adaptive laboratory evolution approach was implemented to adapt Sporomusa ovata for faster autotrophic metabolism and CO2 conversion to organic chemicals. S. ovata was first adapted to grow quicker autotrophically with methanol, a toxic C1 compound, as the sole substrate. Better growth on different concentrations of methanol and with H2-CO2 indicated the adapted strain had a more efficient autotrophic metabolism and a higher tolerance to solvent. The growth rate on methanol was increased 5-fold. Furthermore, acetate production rate from CO2 with an electrode serving as the electron donor was increased 6.5-fold confirming that the acceleration of the autotrophic metabolism of the adapted strain is independent of the electron donor provided. Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptomic and biochemical studies revealed that the molecular mechanisms responsible for the novel characteristics of the adapted strain were associated with the methanol oxidation pathway and the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of acetogens along with biosynthetic pathways, cell wall components and protein chaperones. The results demonstrate that an efficient strategy to increase rates of CO2 conversion in bioprocesses like microbial electrosynthesis is to evolve the microbial catalyst by adaptive laboratory evolution to optimize its autotrophic metabolism.
MouseMove: an open source program for semi-automated analysis of movement and cognitive testing in rodents
Authors: Samson Andre L. , Ju Lining , Ah Kim Hyun , Zhang Shenpeng R. , Lee Jessica A. A. , Sturgeon Sharelle A. , Sobey Christopher G. , Jackson Shaun P. , Schoenwaelder Simone M.
Published: November 2015

The Open Field (OF) test is one of the most commonly used assays for assessing exploratory behaviour and generalised locomotor activity in rodents. Nevertheless, the vast majority of researchers still rely upon costly commercial systems for recording and analysing OF test results. Consequently, our aim was to design a freely available program for analysing the OF test and to provide an accompanying protocol that was minimally invasive, rapid, unbiased, without the need for specialised equipment or training. Similar to commercial systems, we show that our software—called MouseMove—accurately quantifies numerous parameters of movement including travel distance, speed, turning and curvature. To assess its utility, we used MouseMove to quantify unilateral locomotor deficits in mice following the filament-induced middle cerebral artery occlusion model of acute ischemic stroke. MouseMove can also monitor movement within defined regions-of-interest and is therefore suitable for analysing the Novel Object Recognition test and other field-related cognitive tests. To the best of our knowledge, MouseMove is the first open source software capable of providing qualitative and quantitative information on mouse locomotion in a semi-automated and high-throughput fashion and hence MouseMove represents a sound alternative to commercial movement analysis systems.
Lats1 suppresses centrosome overduplication by modulating the stability of Cdc25B
Authors: Mukai Satomi , Yabuta Norikazu , Yoshida Kaori , Okamoto Ayumi , Miura Daisaku , Furuta Yasuhide , Abe Takaya , Nojima Hiroshi
Published: November 2015

Numerical aberration of the centrosome results in chromosome missegregation, eventually leading to chromosomal instability, a hallmark of human tumor malignancy. Large tumor suppressors 1 and 2 (Lats1 and Lats2) are central kinases in the Hippo pathway and regulate development and tumorigenesis by coordinating the balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis. Importantly, Lats1 and Lats2 also play pivotal roles in cell cycle checkpoint and mitosis. The Lats proteins localize at centrosomes, but their centrosomal functions remain elusive. Here, we generated Lats1-null knockout (Lats1−/−) mice and established Lats1-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). In Lats1−/− MEFs, centrosomes were markedly overduplicated, leading to severe mitotic defects such as chromosome missegregation and cytokinesis failure. We also found that Lats1 physically interacts with Cdc25B phosphatase that localizes both at the centrosome and in the nucleus and regulates the linkage between the centrosome cycle and mitotic progression. Although Lats1 did not phosphorylate Cdc25B, loss of Lats1 in MEFs caused abnormal accumulation of Cdc25B protein and hyperactivation of Cdk2 toward nucleophosmin (NPM/B23), one of the licensing factors involved in centriole duplication. Taken together, these data suggest that Lats1 regulates Cdc25B protein level and subsequent Cdk2 activity, thereby suppressing centrosome overduplication during interphase.
Tilt engineering of exchange coupling at G-type SrMnO3/(La,Sr)MnO3 interfaces
Authors: Li F. , Song C. , Wang Y. Y. , Cui B. , Mao H. J. , Peng J. J. , Li S. N. , Wang G. Y. , Pan F.
Published: November 2015

With the recent realization of hybrid improper ferroelectricity and room-temperature multiferroic by tilt engineering, “functional” octahedral tilting has become a novel concept in multifunctional perovskite oxides, showing great potential for property manipulation and device design. However, the control of magnetism by octahedral tilting has remained a challenging issue. Here a qualitative and quantitative tilt engineering of exchange coupling, one of the magnetic properties, is demonstrated at compensated G-type antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic (SrMnO3/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3) interfaces. According to interfacial Hamiltonian, exchange bias (EB) in this system originates from an in-plane antiphase rotation (a−) in G-type antiferromagnetic layer. Based on first-principles calculation, tilt patterns in SrMnO3 are artificially designed in experiment with different epitaxial strain and a much stronger EB is attained in the tensile heterostructure than the compressive counterpart. By controlling the magnitude of octahedral tilting, the manipulation of exchange coupling is even performed in a quantitative manner, as expected in the theoretical estimation. This work realized the combination of tilt engineering and exchange coupling, which might be significant for the development of multifunctional materials and antiferromagnetic spintronics.
All-fibre photonic signal generator for attosecond timing and ultralow-noise microwave
Authors: Jung Kwangyun , Kim Jungwon
Published: November 2015

High-impact frequency comb applications that are critically dependent on precise pulse timing (i.e., repetition rate) have recently emerged and include the synchronization of X-ray free-electron lasers, photonic analogue-to-digital conversion and photonic radar systems. These applications have used attosecond-level timing jitter of free-running mode-locked lasers on a fast time scale within ~100 μs. Maintaining attosecond-level absolute jitter over a significantly longer time scale can dramatically improve many high-precision comb applications. To date, ultrahigh quality-factor (Q) optical resonators have been used to achieve the highest-level repetition-rate stabilization of mode-locked lasers. However, ultrahigh-Q optical-resonator-based methods are often fragile, alignment sensitive and complex, which limits their widespread use. Here we demonstrate a fibre-delay line-based repetition-rate stabilization method that enables the all-fibre photonic generation of optical pulse trains with 980-as (20-fs) absolute r.m.s. timing jitter accumulated over 0.01 s (1 s). This simple approach is based on standard off-the-shelf fibre components and can therefore be readily used in various comb applications that require ultra-stable microwave frequency and attosecond optical timing.
A rapid and highly efficient gas chromatographic method for the separation and determination of bromofluorobenzaldehydes with the application of low thermal mass technology (LTM)
Authors: Sajan P. G. , Kumara M. N.
Published: November 2015

A sensitive, rapid and highly efficient low thermal mass (LTM GC) method has been developed for the separation and quantitative determination of 10 isomers of bromofluoro benzaldehyde.
Highly sensitive fluorescent aptasensor for Salmonella paratyphi A via DNase I-mediated cyclic signal amplification
Authors: Yan Xing , Li Wenkai , Liu Keyi , Deng Le
Published: November 2015

An elegant aptasensor was developed for dual fluorimetric determination ofSalmonella paratyphi Athrough DNase I-assisted target recycling enlargement.
High durability and low toxicity antimicrobial coatings fabricated by quaternary ammonium silane copolymers
Authors: Li Hairui , Bao Hongqian , Bok Ke Xin , Lee Chi-Ying , Li Bo , Zin Melvin T. , Kang Lifeng
Published: November 2015

Novel quaternary ammonium silane (QAS) antimicrobial copolymers with improved biocompatibility can form transparent and durable coatingsviaa thermal-curing process.
Substituted ferrocenes and iodine as synergistic thermoelectrochemical heat harvesting redox couples in ionic liquids
Authors: Anari E. H. B. , Romano M. , Teh W. X. , Black J. J. , Jiang E. , Chen J. , To T. Q. , Panchompoo J. , Aldous L.
Published: November 2015

We demonstrate that combining two redox couples, in this case ferrocene–ferrocenium and iodide–triiodide, can result in a synergistic enhancement in the electrochemical thermal energy harvesting properties. Electron withdrawing groups on the ferrocene enhance this effect.
Spatio-temporal control of cellular uptake achieved by photoswitchable cell-penetrating peptides
Authors: Prestel Andreas , Möller Heiko M.
Published: November 2015

A thermostable azobenzene building block serves as a switch for activating cell-penetrating peptides with excellent spatio-temporal control.
Liquid-phase epitaxial growth of a homochiral MOF thin film on poly(l-DOPA) functionalized substrate for improved enantiomer separation
Authors: Gu Zhi-Gang , Fu Wen-Qiang , Wu Xin , Zhang Jian
Published: November 2015

By introducing self-polymerized chiral poly(l-DOPA) with excellent adhesion as the substrate, gas chromatography results showed that the chiral poly(l-DOPA) substrate for MOF growth can enhance the enantiomer separation of the probe molecules methyl lactate and 1-phenylethanol.
Electrochemical primer extension for the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the cardiomyopathy associated MYH7 gene
Authors: Debela A. M. , Thorimbert S. , Hasenknopf B. , O'Sullivan C. K. , Ortiz M.
Published: November 2015

We report the labelling of dideoxy nucleotides (ddNTPs) for use in electrochemical array based primer extension for the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
Scalable synthesis of cubic Cu1.4S nanoparticles with long-term stability by laser ablation of salt powder
Authors: Zhou Y. , Liu H. , Yang J. , Mao J. , Dong C. K. , Ling T. , Du X. W.
Published: November 2015

An intensive laser was employed to irradiate a salt target, and the fierce synthetic conditions result in a large amount of Cu1.4S nanoparticles with exceptional long-term stability.
Blue copper protein analogue: synthesis and characterization of copper complexes of the N2S2 macrocycle 1,8-dithia-4,11-diazacyclotetradecane
Authors: Walker Tia L. , Mula Sam , Malasi Wilhelm , Engle James T. , Ziegler Christopher J. , van der Est Art , Modarelli Jody , Taschner Michael J.
Published: November 2015

We report the synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and X-ray crystal structures of CuI/II complexes prepared from the N2S2 macrocycle 1,8-dithia-4,11-diazacyclotetradecane.
Gd(iii) complexes intercalated into hydroxy double salts as potential MRI contrast agents
Authors: Jin Miao , Spillane Dominic E. M. , Geraldes Carlos F. G. C. , Williams Gareth R. , Bligh S. W. Annie
Published: November 2015

Chelated Gd3+complexes were loaded into hydroxy double salts and found to retain their proton relaxivity properties after intercalation.
Synthesis and stabilization of a hypothetical porous framework based on a classic flexible metal carboxylate cluster
Authors: Wei Yong-Sheng , Shen Jian-Qiang , Liao Pei-Qin , Xue Wei , Zhang Jie-Peng , Chen Xiao-Ming
Published: November 2015

A hypothetical porous network isomeric to MIL-88/MIL-101 has been realized by the introduction of terminal ligands and further stabilized by crosslinking.
Structural specifics of light-induced metastable states in copper(ii)–nitroxide molecular magnets
Authors: Barskaya I. Yu. , Veber S. L. , Fokin S. V. , Tretyakov E. V. , Bagryanskaya E. G. , Ovcharenko V. I. , Fedin M. V.
Published: November 2015

Although thermally- and light-induced structures of molecular magnets Cu(hfac)2LR are principally similar, FTIR reveals differences in packing of peripheral groups.
Tuned synthesis of two coordination polymers of Cd(ii) using substituted bent 3-pyridyl linker and succinate: structures and their applications in anion exchange and sorption properties
Authors: Maity Dilip Kumar , Bhattacharya Biswajit , Halder Arijit , Ghoshal Debajyoti
Published: November 2015

Two new coordination polymers of Cd(ii) have been synthesized using disodium succinate and a substituted bent N,N'-donor ligand where the substitution on N,N'-donor ligand controlled the formation of the product.
Hydrothermal synthesis of oxygen functionalized S–P codoped g-C3N4 nanorods with outstanding visible light activity under anoxic conditions
Authors: Hu Shaozheng , Ma Lin , Xie Ying , Li Fayun , Fan Zhiping , Wang Fei , Wang Qiong , Wang Yanjuan , Kang Xiaoxue , Wu Guang
Published: November 2015

S–P codoping and oxygen functionalization influence the physical property, structural property, optical property and band gap energy of g-C3N4, which increases the anoxic RhB photo-degradation constant by ∼13 times.
A mesofluidic platform integrating restricted access-like sorptive microextraction as a front end to ICP-AES for the determination of trace level concentrations of lead and cadmium as contaminants in honey
Authors: Sixto Alexandra , Fiedoruk-Pogrebniak Marta , Rosende María , Cocovi-Solberg David , Knochen Moisés , Miró Manuel
Published: November 2015

A mesofluidic platform incorporating a RAM in a renewable mode for the detection of metal contamination in honey.
An unprecedented Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling reaction of aromatic carboxylic acids in aqueous medium under air: synthesis of 3-aryl-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines from aryl chlorides
Authors: Mu Bing , Wu Yusheng , Li Jingya , Zou Dapeng , Chang Junbiao , Wu Yangjie
Published: November 2015

An efficient and facile protocol for the synthesis of 3-aryl-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines was investigated via palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative arylation of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3-carboxylic acids.
Waterborne physically crosslinked antimicrobial nanogels
Authors: Chattopadhyay Subrata , Heine Elisabeth , Mourran Ahmed , Richtering Walter , Keul Helmut , Möller Martin
Published: November 2015

Aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene imine) functionalized with decyl- and azetidinium groups form physically cross-linked antimicrobial nanogels.
Effects of a trans- or cis-cyclohexane unit on the thermal and rheological properties of semi-aromatic polyamides
Authors: Zhang Gang , Yan Guang-Ming , Ren Hao-Hao , Li Yan , Wang Xiao-Jun , Yang Jie
Published: November 2015

Polyamides containing trans-formation cyclohexane unit was found to have better physical performance than that of sample with cis-formation such as mechanical, thermal and oxidation resistance properties etc.
Eco-friendly plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)–acetyl tributyl citrate gels for varifocal lens
Authors: Bae Jin Woo , Yeo Myoung , Shin Eun-Jae , Park Won-Hyeong , Lee Jong Eun , Nam Byeong-Uk , Kim Sang-Youn
Published: November 2015

We fabricated an ecofriendly, electroactive, reconfigurable and varifocal PVC–ATBC (ePVC) gel lens. The curvature of the hemispherical plano-convex ePVC gel lens changes with the input voltage. Its focal length increased from 5 to 15 mm upon increasing from 0 to 500 V.
Reactive porous composites for chromium(vi) reduction applications based on Fe/carbon obtained from post-consumer PET and iron oxide
Authors: Carvalho Lílian A. , Ardisson José D. , Lago Rochel M. , Vargas Maria D. , Araujo Maria H.
Published: November 2015

By using post-consumer PET waste and iron oxide (Fe2O3), novel porous magnetic Fe/carbon composites for environmental applications have been obtained by a very simple process.
Differently ordered carbonaceous structures synthesized by bubbled Ar or He plasmas inside methylene blue solutions with contrasting Escherichia coli growth inhibition effects
Authors: Zaharie-Butucel D. , Papp J. , Leordean C. , Anghel S. D.
Published: November 2015

A straightforward carbonaceous structure synthesis from methylene blue aided by Ar/He plasmas with different ordering and E. coli inhibition effects.
A study on deactivation of Cu–Zn–Al catalyst for higher alcohols synthesis
Authors: Liu Yongjun , Liu Chaobo , Deng Xuan , Huang Wei
Published: November 2015

A Cu–Zn–Al catalyst without promoters was prepared using a complete liquid-phase method and tested for a deactivation study in the higher alcohols synthesis from syngas.
Electrospun porous CuCo2O4 nanowire network electrode for asymmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Wang Qiufan , Chen Di , Zhang Daohong
Published: November 2015

A porous network CuCo2O4 nanostructure has been fabricated by a simple spinning method, which shows excellent electrochemical performance for asymmetric supercapacitor.
Self organization of main-chain/side-chain liquid crystalline polymer based on “jacketing” effect with different lengths of spacer: from smectic to hierarchically ordered structure
Authors: Xie He-lou , Ni Bin , Liu Quan , Wang Jun , Yang Shuang , Zhang Hai-liang , Chen Er-qiang
Published: November 2015

A series of combined main-chain/side-chain liquid crystalline polymers based on the “jacketing” effect, with different alkyl spacer lengths (n= 2–10), have been successfully synthesized and their self-organization behavior has been investigated.
Simple efficient one-pot synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and 2,5-diformylfuran from carbohydrates
Authors: Girka Quentin , Estrine Boris , Hoffmann Norbert , Le Bras Jean , Marinković Siniša , Muzart Jacques
Published: November 2015

A one-pot procedure for the synthesis of DFF starting from mono-, di- or polysaccharides or from primary biomass has been developed. HMF is formed as intermediate and can also be isolated.
Thermolysis of 1,3-dioxin-4-ones: fast generation of kinetic data using in-line analysis under flow
Authors: Durand Thomas , Henry Cyril , Bolien David , Harrowven David C. , Bloodworth Sally , Franck Xavier , Whitby Richard J.
Published: November 2015

Rapid acquisition of kinetic data for thermolysis of 1,3-dioxin-4-ones is demonstrated with a commercial meso-scale flow reactor, using a step-change in flow rate or ‘push-out’ from the flow line.
Engineering of hole-selective contact for low temperature-processed carbon counter electrode-based perovskite solar cells
Authors: Zhang Fuguo , Yang Xichuan , Cheng Ming , Li Jiajia , Wang Weihan , Wang Haoxin , Sun Licheng
Published: November 2015

Improved performance and stability of low temperature printable carbon counter electrode based perovskite solar cells by interfacial engineering of the hole selective contact with TPDI.
Flexible organic transistors based on a solution-sheared PVDF insulator
Authors: Georgakopoulos S. , del Pozo F. G. , Mas-Torrent M.
Published: November 2015

A highly scalable solution shearing technique for processing an organic semiconductor and an insulator has resulted in reproducible transistors on plastics.
A light/pH/multiple ion-driven smart switchable module for computing sequential logic operations via a resettable dual-optical readout
Authors: Singh Alok Kumar , Yadav Promod Kumar , Kumari Niraj , Nagarajan Rajamani , Mishra Lallan
Published: November 2015

A switchable module comprising pendant pyridine groups, an amide linkage and a photoswitchable functionality is designed for computing sequential logic operations via a resettable dual-optical readout.
Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Brain Imaging Investigation of Phonological Awareness and Passage Comprehension Abilities in Adult Recipients of Cochlear Implants
Authors: Bisconti Silvia , Shulkin Masha , Hu Xiaosu , Basura Gregory J. , Kileny Paul R. , Kovelman Ioulia
Published: November 2015

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine how the brains of individuals with cochlear implants (CIs) respond to spoken language tasks that underlie successful language acquisition and processing.

Method

During functional near-infrared spectroscopy imaging, CI recipients with hearing impairment (
n
= 10, mean age: 52.7 ± 17.3 years) and controls with normal hearing (
n
= 10, mean age: 50.6 ± 17.2 years) completed auditory tasks—phonological awareness and passage comprehension—commonly used to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders of language and literacy.

Results

The 2 groups had similar reaction time and performance on experimental tasks, although participants with CIs had lower accuracy than controls. Overall, both CI recipients and controls exhibited similar patterns of brain activation during the tasks.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that CI recipients show an overall neurotypical pattern of activation during auditory language tasks on which individuals with neurodevelopmental language learning impairments (e.g., dyslexia) tend to show atypical brain activation. These findings suggest that advancements in functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging with CI recipients may help shed new light on how varying types of difficulties in language processing affect brain organization for language.
The Role of Somatosensory Information in Speech Perception: Imitation Improves Recognition of Disordered Speech
Authors: Borrie Stephanie A. , Schäfer Martina C. M.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

Perceptual learning paradigms involving written feedback appear to be a viable clinical tool to reduce the intelligibility burden of dysarthria. The underlying theoretical assumption is that pairing the degraded acoustics with the intended lexical targets facilitates a remapping of existing mental representations in the lexicon. This study investigated whether ties to mental representations can be strengthened by way of a somatosensory motor trace.

Method

Following an intelligibility pretest, 100 participants were assigned to 1 of 5 experimental groups. The control group received no training, but the other 4 groups received training with dysarthric speech under conditions involving a unique combination of auditory targets, written feedback, and/or a vocal imitation task. All participants then completed an intelligibility posttest.

Results

Training improved intelligibility of dysarthric speech, with the largest improvements observed when the auditory targets were accompanied by both written feedback and an imitation task. Further, a significant relationship between intelligibility improvement and imitation accuracy was identified.

Conclusions

This study suggests that somatosensory information can strengthen the activation of speech sound maps of dysarthric speech. The findings, therefore, implicate a bidirectional relationship between speech perception and speech production as well as advance our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie perceptual learning of degraded speech.
Student Clinicians Self-Evaluating Performance by Reviewing Session Videos and Using a Rubric
Authors: Smith Holly C.
Published: November 2015

Development of self-evaluation skills in student clinicians is a crucial element of clinical education. This article reviews pertinent information regarding supervisors' responsibilities related to teaching supervisees to self-evaluate. Previously identified methods of facilitating these skills are discussed. The use of video self-analyses paired with self-evaluation rubrics is explored.
Measurements and modelling of three‐ and five‐limb transformer behaviour during large voltage and frequency disturbances
Authors: Persson Mattias , Baig Waqas , Thiringer Torbjörn
Published: November 2015

This study presents the modelling of transformers for voltage disturbances. The focus in this study is on the security of the power supply for sensitive loads, for instance, the auxiliary systems for a nuclear power station feeding, for instance, pumps for emergency systems. Both steady‐state operation as well as transient conditions have been analysed. A five‐limb as well as a three‐limb 4 kVA transformer was designed in order to verify theoretical assumptions with experimental results. The results show that the theoretical models provided results in conformity to the actual experiments with an average discrepancy of 3%. Moreover, it is shown that a five‐limb transformer gives lower inrush currents, especially in the highly saturated region. In addition, it was demonstrated that an inductive load gives much higher inrush currents compared with a resistive load. A final observation was that the current drawn by the two transformers in their saturated state differ severely depending on the topology of the core.
Capacity withholding analysis in transmission‐constrained electricity markets
Authors: Salarkheili Saeed , Setayesh Nazar Mehrdad
Published: November 2015

In an oligopoly electricity market, generation companies (GenCos) are often able to exercise market power through capacity withholding. This study proposes a comprehensive approach for evaluating the capacity withholding of GenCos in the presence of network constraints in electricity markets. The Cournot‐Nash equilibrium model for GenCos is considered, and then various scenarios in terms of network constraints and GenCos parameters are analysed. The purpose of this study is to propose and examine a set of comparison indices for capacity withholding assessment in transmission‐constrained electricity markets. In the proposed indices, three types of electricity markets are considered: oligopoly market, perfectly competitive market, and perfectly competitive market with the nodal prices of oligopoly market. The effectiveness of the proposed indices is shown based on IEEE 30‐bus and IEEE 118‐bus test systems. The results demonstrate that GenCos' capacity withholding can be influenced by their parameters, network constraints, and demand elasticity.
Road surface layers geometric parameters estimation by ground penetrating radar using Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Techniques method
Authors: Sun Meng , Le Bastard Cédric , Pinel Nicolas , Wang Yide , Li Jianzhong
Published: November 2015

In civil engineering, ground penetrating radar is widely used to assess the roadway structures. This study evaluates the influence of interface roughness. A modified estimation of signal parameters by rotational invariance techniques algorithm is proposed with a spectral smoothing technique for efficiently estimating the time delay, the permittivity of the layers and the interface roughness. To reduce the impact of noise, a preprocessing method called propagator is used to estimate the noise variance. The algorithm is tested on simulated data obtained by the rigorous numerical method called PILE (propagation inside layer expansion). Numerical simulations are conducted to assess the performance of the algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can estimate road parameters with small relative root mean square error.
Development of backscatter sounding single‐site location system
Authors: Zhu Peng , Zhang Yuannong , Yang Guobin , Zhou Chen , Jiang Chunhua , Cui Xiao
Published: November 2015

Unlike the present single‐site location systems, the background ionospheric parameters of which are obtained by the vertical‐incident sounding or the oblique‐incident sounding, a system based on the technique of ionospheric backscatter sounding which is able to monitor a large region of the ionosphere at a single site is introduced in this study. The system obtains the quasi‐real‐time ionospheric data by the auto‐scaled backscatter ionograms and the parametric inversion. A numeric ray‐tracing method, taking into consideration of the gradients of the electron density, has been improved to calculate the ground range between the signal and the receiver of the system using the two‐dimensional electron density profiles. By integrating the ionospheric sounding module, the direction‐finding module and the single‐site location module together, the system outputs the geo‐location of the transmitter automatically at one station. To validate the single‐site location system, experiments are carried out and show the effectiveness of the estimating of the signal geo‐locations.
A general method for molecular modeling of nucleation from the melt
Authors: Santiso Erik E. , Trout Bernhardt L.
Published: November 2015

Crystallization is one of the fundamental phase transition processes, and it is also important practically, for example, in the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Despite its importance, however, our basic understanding of crystallization, and especially crystal nucleation, at the molecular level is still incomplete. In this work, we present a general molecular simulation approach that can be used to investigate the nucleation of crystals from a subcooled liquid. Our method combines a previously proposed general method to construct structure-based order parameters [E. E. Santiso and B. L. Trout, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 064109 (2011)] with the string method in collective variables [L. Maragliano et al., J. Chem. Phys. 125, 024106 (2006)] to obtain a minimum free energy path connecting the liquid and solid basins. We then use Markovian milestoning with Voronoi tessellations [E. Vanden-Eijnden and M. Venturoli, J. Chem. Phys. 130, 194101 (2009); L. Maragliano et al., J. Chem. Theory Comput. 5, 2589–2594 (2009)] to obtain the free energy profile along the path and the nucleation kinetics. We illustrate the application of this method to the nucleation of Benzene-I crystals from the melt, and compare the results to those previously found using transition path sampling [M. Shah et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 115, 10400–10412 (2011)].