bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Production of thermotolerant, detergent stable alkaline protease using the gut waste of Sardinella longiceps as a substrate: Optimization and characterization
Authors: Ramkumar Aishwarya , Sivakumar Nallusamy , Gujarathi Ashish M. , Victor Reginald
Published: August 2018

The gut wastes of Sardinella longiceps were used as substrate for protease production. The gut waste has 61.6% proteins, 21.8% lipids, 8.5% carbohydrates on dry weight basis and trace elements. The significant factors of protease fermentation were screened by Plackett-Burman design. A protease activity of 68.56 U/ml was predicted at 46.31 °C, incubation time 71.11 h, inoculum 4.86% (v/v) and substrate concentration 2.66% (w/v), using response surface methodology. However, the validation experiment showed 73.52 U/ml activity. The artificial neural network was found as a better tool to predict the experimental results. The partially purified protease showed higher activity at pH 9 and 10 and retained 90% activity after 120 h at pH 9. It showed maximum activity at 50 °C and retained 88% residual activity until 90 min at 50 °C. Zn++ enhanced the protease activity by 40%. The protease retained an activity of 93, 103, 90 and 98% against urea, β-mercaptoethanol, SDS and tween 80 respectively. The alkaline protease was compatible with all the commercial detergents tested with the residual activity above 90%. The alkaline protease exhibited 22% higher activity on the tryptone soya substrate. The gut waste of S. longiceps is a worthy low cost substrate for the production of industrially important alkaline protease.
ERAP1 deficient mice have reduced Type 1 regulatory T cells and develop skeletal and intestinal features of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: Pepelyayeva Yuliya , Rastall David P. W. , Aldhamen Yasser A. , O’Connell Patrick , Raehtz Sandra , Alyaqoub Fadel S. , Blake Maja K. , Raedy Ashley M. , Angarita Ariana M. , Abbas Abdulraouf M. , Pereira-Hicks Cristiane N. , Roosa Sarah G. , McCabe Laura , Amalfitano Andrea
Published: August 2018

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a prototypical sero-negative autoimmune disease that affects millions worldwide. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) gene have been linked to AS via GWAS studies, however, the exact mechanism as to how ERAP1 contributes to pathogenesis of AS is not understood. We undertook µCT imaging and histologic analysis to evaluate bone morphology of the axial skeletons of ERAP1−/− mice and discovered the hallmark skeletal features of AS in these mice, including spinal ankylosis, osteoporosis, and spinal inflammation. We also confirmed the presence of spontaneous intestinal dysbiosis and increased susceptibility to Dextran Sodium Sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in ERAP1−/− mice, however the transfer of healthy microbiota from wild type mice via cross-fostering experiments did not resolve the skeletal phenotypes of ERAP1−/− mice. Immunological analysis demonstrated that while ERAP1−/− mice had normal numbers of peripheral Foxp3+ Tregs, they had reduced numbers of both “Tr1-like” regulatory T cells and tolerogenic dendritic cells, which are important for Tr1 cell differentiation. Together, our data suggests that ERAP1−/− mice may serve as a useful animal model for studying pathogenesis of intestinal, skeletal, and immunological manifestations of Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Cascaded Raman scattering based high power octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in graded-index multimode fibers
Authors: Teğin Uğur , Ortaç Bülend
Published: August 2018

A new method to generate multi-watt-level, octave-spanning, spectrally flat supercontinua stemmed from cascaded Raman scattering in graded-index multimode fibers is reported. Formation dynamics of supercontinua are investigated by studying the effect of fiber length and core size. High power handling capacity of the graded-index multimode fibers is demonstrated by power scaling experiments. Pump pulse repetition rate is scaled from kHz to MHz while pump pulse peak power remains same and ~4 W supercontinuum is achieved with 2 MHz pump repetition rate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest average power and repetition supercontinuum source ever reported based on a graded-index multimode silica fiber. Spatial properties of the generated supercontinua are measured and Gaussian-like beam profiles obtained for different wavelength ranges. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate underlying nonlinear dynamics in details and well-aligned with experimental observations.
Pore cross-talk in colloidal filtration
Authors: Liot Olivier , Singh Akash , Bacchin Patrice , Duru Paul , Morris Jeffrey F. , Joseph Pierre
Published: August 2018

Blockage of pores by particles is found in many processes, including filtration and oil extraction. We present filtration experiments through a linear array of ten channels with one dimension which is sub-micron, through which a dilute dispersion of Brownian polystyrene spheres flows under the action of a fixed pressure drop. The growth rate of a clog formed by particles at a pore entrance systematically increases with the number of already saturated (entirely clogged) pores, indicating that there is an interaction or “cross-talk” between the pores. This observation is interpreted based on a phenomenological model, stating that a diffusive redistribution of particles occurs along the membrane, from clogged to free pores. This one-dimensional model could be extended to two-dimensional membranes.
CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Generation of Guangxi Bama Minipigs Harboring Three Mutations in α-Synuclein Causing Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Zhu Xiang-Xing , Zhong Yi-Zhi , Ge Yao-Wen , Lu Ke-Huan , Lu Sheng-Sheng
Published: August 2018

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common, progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by classical motor dysfunction and is associated with α-synuclein-immunopositive pathology and the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Several missense mutations in the α-synuclein gene SCNA have been identified as cause of inherited PD, providing a practical strategy to generate genetically modified animal models for PD research. Since minipigs share many physiological and anatomical similarities to humans, we proposed that genetically modified minipigs carrying PD-causing mutations can serve as an ideal model for PD research. In the present study, we attempted to model PD by generating Guangxi Bama minipigs with three PD-causing missense mutations (E46K, H50Q and G51D) in SCNA using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing combining with somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technique. We successfully generated a total of eight SCNT-derived Guangxi Bama minipigs with the desired heterozygous SCNA mutations integrated into genome, and we also confirmed by DNA sequencing that these minipigs expressed mutant α-synuclein at the transcription level. However, immunohistochemical analysis was not able to detect PD-specific pathological changes such as α-synuclein-immunopositive pathology and loss of SN dopaminergic neurons in the gene-edited minipigs at 3 months of age. In summary, we successfully generated Guangxi Bama minipigs harboring three PD-casusing mutations (E46K, H50Q and G51D) in SCNA. As they continue to develop, these gene editing minipigs need to be regularly teseted for the presence of PD-like pathological features in order to validate the use of this large-animal model in PD research.
Feedback Between Behavioral Adaptations and Disease Dynamics
Authors: Chen Jiangzhuo , Marathe Achla , Marathe Madhav
Published: August 2018

We study the feedback processes between individual behavior, disease prevalence, interventions and social networks during an influenza pandemic when a limited stockpile of antivirals is shared between the private and the public sectors. An economic model that uses prevalence-elastic demand for interventions is combined with a detailed social network and a disease propagation model to understand the feedback mechanism between epidemic dynamics, market behavior, individual perceptions, and the social network. An urban and a rural region are simulated to assess the robustness of results. Results show that an optimal split between the private and public sectors can be reached to contain the disease but the accessibility of antivirals from the private sector is skewed towards the richest income quartile. Also, larger allocations to the private sector result in wastage where individuals who do not need it are able to purchase it but who need it cannot afford it. Disease prevalence increases with household size and total contact time but not by degree in the social network, whereas wastage of antivirals decreases with degree and contact time. The best utilization of drugs is achieved when individuals with high contact time use them, who tend to be the school-aged children of large families.
Active-Tuning and Polarization-Independent Absorber and Sensor in the Infrared Region Based on the Phase Change Material of Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST)
Authors: Guo Zhongyi , Yang Xiao , Shen Fei , Zhou Qingfeng , Gao Jun , Guo Kai
Published: August 2018

Phase-change materials (PCMs), possessing thermo-optic and thermo-electric properties, have constantly enabled the rewritable optical data storage and the commercialized phase-change memory devices. In particular, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) has been considered for configurable photonics applications, such as active dielectric metasurface. In this paper, we report an active absorber with metal-insulator-metal (MIM) scheme with GST in the infrared region. The absorber consists of Al disk and reflective Al film with a GST spacer layer. Extraordinary absorption with peaks of more than 90% can be achieved over a broad bandwidth, attributing to highly confined gap surface plasmon resonance. In addition, the absorption can be tuned via adjusting the proportion of GST crystallization, which is a unique advantage to design active device. Meanwhile, the absorption is polarization-independent owing to its structural symmetry. Furthermore, we introduce the designed absorber to the application of sensing. This nearly perfect absorbing strategy offers great potential in sensing applications due to its flexibility and polarization-independence.
Dynamics of biomass and carbon sequestration across a chronosequence of Caragana intermedia plantations on alpine sandy land
Authors: Li Qingxue , Jia Zhiqing , Feng Lili , He Lingxianzi , Yang Kaiyue
Published: August 2018

Considering the variations in carbon concentrations among different plant components can significantly improve carbon storage estimates. The aim of this study was to estimate the biomass and carbon storage and sequestration in Caragana intermedia Kuang et H. C. Fu plantations for six different ages. The biomass and carbon sequestration in shrub biomass were quantified using a destructive method that involved analysing the carbon concentrations in the leaves, branches, stem bark, stem wood, roots > 5 mm, 2 mm < roots ≤ 5 mm, and roots ≤ 2 mm. The biomass and biomass carbon density of the C. intermedia plantations increased with the age of the stands. The biomass carbon density of the woody components was at its maximum in the 30-year-old plantation (14.27 ± 2.71 t·ha−1), indicating that C. intermedia plantations in alpine sandy land are an important carbon pool. The carbon accumulation rate of the woody components was higher during the early stages of plantation development. The carbon concentrations differed significantly among the components but changed only slightly with the stand age. The weighted mean carbon concentration of the woody components, which was found to be 44%, must be considered when estimating the long-term carbon pools in C. intermedia plantations.
Circulating Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 is Associated with Subsequent Renal Injury Events in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography
Authors: Wu Cheng-Hsueh , Chou Ruey-Hsing , Kuo Chin-Sung , Huang Po-Hsun , Chang Chun-Chin , Leu Hsin-Bang , Huang Chin-Chou , Chen Jaw-Wen , Lin Shing-Jong
Published: August 2018

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a regulator of glucose homeostasis, and is suggested to have protective effect on diabetic nephropathy. Its impact on non-diabetic kidney disease is unclear. To investigate the impact of FGF21 on contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), 531 subjects underwent elective coronary angiography (CAG) were enrolled. Baseline creatinine and FGF21 were obtained before CAG. Patients were grouped into tertiles according to their FGF21 concentration. Creatinine was obtained 48 hours after CAG, and every 6 months in the follow-up period. Renal function decline was defined as >30% reduction of eGFR from baseline. All subjects were followed up till December 2016, or till the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Patients with higher FGF21 concentration were older, had higher incidence of hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure. Thirty-four cases of CIN and 111 cases of renal function decline were identified during mean follow-up of 2.3 ± 1.3 years. Circulating FGF21 level was independently associated with CIN (aOR: 4.66, 95% CI: 1.29–16.86, p = 0.019) and renal function decline (aHR: 7.98, 95% CI: 4.07–15.66, p < 0.001) whether diabetes was present or not. In conclusion, circulating FGF21 level is independently associated with the incidence of CIN and subsequent kidney injury in patients undergoing CAG.
α-Synuclein interacts directly but reversibly with psychosine: implications for α-synucleinopathies
Authors: Abdelkarim Hazem , Marshall Michael S. , Scesa Giuseppe , Smith Rachael A. , Rue Emily , Marshall Jeffrey , Elackattu Vince , Stoskute Monika , Issa Yazan , Santos Marta , Nguyen Duc , Hauck Zane , van Breemen Richard , Celej Maria S. , Gaponenko Vadim , Bongarzone Ernesto R.
Published: August 2018

Aggregation of α-synuclein, the hallmark of α-synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease, occurs in various glycosphingolipidoses. Although α-synuclein aggregation correlates with deficiencies in the lysosomal degradation of glycosphingolipids (GSL), the mechanism(s) involved in this aggregation remains unclear. We previously described the aggregation of α-synuclein in Krabbe’s disease (KD), a neurodegenerative glycosphingolipidosis caused by lysosomal deficiency of galactosyl-ceramidase (GALC) and the accumulation of the GSL psychosine. Here, we used a multi-pronged approach including genetic, biophysical and biochemical techniques to determine the pathogenic contribution, reversibility, and molecular mechanism of aggregation of α-synuclein in KD. While genetic knock-out of α-synuclein reduces, but does not completely prevent, neurological signs in a mouse model of KD, genetic correction of GALC deficiency completely prevents α-synuclein aggregation. We show that psychosine forms hydrophilic clusters and binds the C-terminus of α-synuclein through its amino group and sugar moiety, suggesting that psychosine promotes an open/aggregation-prone conformation of α-synuclein. Dopamine and carbidopa reverse the structural changes of psychosine by mediating a closed/aggregation-resistant conformation of α-synuclein. Our results underscore the therapeutic potential of lysosomal correction and small molecules to reduce neuronal burden in α-synucleinopathies, and provide a mechanistic understanding of α-synuclein aggregation in glycosphingolipidoses.
The heritable natural competency trait of Burkholderia pseudomallei in other Burkholderia species through comE and crp
Authors: Heacock-Kang Yun , McMillan Ian A. , Zarzycki-Siek Jan , Sun Zhenxin , Bluhm Andrew P. , Cabanas Darlene , Hoang Tung T.
Published: August 2018

Natural competency requires uptake of exogenous DNA from the environment and the integration of that DNA into recipient bacteria can be used for DNA-repair or genetic diversification. The Burkholderia genus is unique in that only some of the species and strains are naturally competent. We identified and characterized two genes, comE and crp, from naturally competent B. pseudomallei 1026b that play a role in DNA uptake and catabolism. Single-copies of rhamnose-inducible comE and crp genes were integrated into a Tn7 attachment-site in non-naturally competent Burkholderia including pathogens B. pseudomallei K96243, B. cenocepacia K56-2, and B. mallei ATCC23344. Strains expressing comE or crp were assayed for their ability to uptake and catabolize DNA. ComE and Crp allowed non-naturally competent Burkholderia species to catabolize DNA, uptake exogenous gfp DNA and express GFP. Furthermore, we used synthetic comE and crp to expand the utility of the λ-red recombineering system for genetic manipulation of non-competent Burkholderia species. A newly constructed vector, pKaKa4, was used to mutate the aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (asd) gene in four B. mallei strains, leading to the complete attenuation of these tier-1 select-agents. These strains have been excluded from select-agent regulations and will be of great interest to the field.
PPInS: a repository of protein-protein interaction sitesbase
Authors: Kumar Vicky , Mahato Suchismita , Munshi Anjana , Kulharia Mahesh
Published: August 2018

Protein-ProteinInteractionSitesbase (PPInS), a high-performance database of protein-protein interacting interfaces, is presented. The atomic level information of the molecular interaction happening amongst various protein chains in protein-protein complexes (as reported in the Protein Data Bank [PDB]) together with their evolutionary information in Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOPe release 2.06), is made available in PPInS. Total 32468 PDB files representing X-ray crystallized multimeric protein-protein complexes with structural resolution better than 2.5 Å had been shortlisted to demarcate the protein-protein interaction interfaces (PPIIs). A total of 111857 PPIIs with ~32.24 million atomic contact pairs (ACPs) were generated and made available on a web server for on-site analysis and downloading purpose. All these PPIIs and protein-protein interacting patches (PPIPs) involved in them, were also analyzed in terms of a number of residues contributing in patch formation, their hydrophobic nature, amount of surface area they contributed in binding, and their homo and heterodimeric nature, to describe the diversity of information covered in PPInS. It was observed that 42.37% of total PPIPs were made up of 6–20 interacting residues, 53.08% PPIPs had interface area ≤1000 Å2in PPII formation, 82.64% PPIPs were reported with hydrophobicity score of ≤10, and 73.26% PPIPs were homologous to each other with the sequence similarity score ranging from 75–100%. A subset “Non-Redundant Database (NRDB)” of the PPInS containing 2265 PPIIs, with over 1.8 million ACPs corresponding to the 1931 protein-protein complexes (PDBs), was also designed by removing structural redundancies at the level of SCOP superfamily (SCOP release 1.75). The web interface of the PPInS (http://www.cup.edu.in:99/ppins/home.php) offers an easy-to-navigate, intuitive and user-friendly environment, and can be accessed by providing PDB ID, SCOP superfamily ID, and protein sequence.
DNA-launched RNA replicon vaccines induce potent anti-Ebolavirus immune responses that can be further improved by a recombinant MVA boost
Authors: Öhlund Pontus , García-Arriaza Juan , Zusinaite Eva , Szurgot Inga , Männik Andres , Kraus Annette , Ustav Mart , Merits Andres , Esteban Mariano , Liljeström Peter , Ljungberg Karl
Published: August 2018

There are currently no licensed therapeutic treatment or preventive vaccines against Ebolavirus disease, and the 2013–2016 West African outbreak of Ebolavirus disease spread rapidly and resulted in almost 30,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths. However, the devastating outbreak has spurred the development of novel Ebolavirus vaccines. Here, we demonstrate that alphavirus-based DNA-launched self-replicating RNA replicon vaccines (DREP) encoding either the glycoprotein (GP) gene or co-expressing the GP and VP40 genes of Sudan or Zaire Ebolavirus are immunogenic in mice inducing both binding and neutralizing antibodies as well as CD8 T cell responses. In addition, antibodies were cross-reactive against another Ebolavirus, although the specificity was higher for the vaccination antigen. DREP vaccines were more immunogenic than recombinant MVA vaccines expressing the same Ebolavirus antigens. However, a DREP prime followed by an MVA boost immunization regimen improved vaccine immunogenicity as compared to DREP and MVA homologous prime-boost immunizations. Moreover, we show that a bivalent approach targeting both Sudan and Zaire Ebolavirus can be employed without significant loss of immunity. This opens for further investigation of a pan-Ebolavirus or even a pan-filovirus vaccine.
Resonant soft X-ray scattering reveals cellulose microfibril spacing in plant primary cell walls
Authors: Ye Dan , Kiemle Sarah N. , Rongpipi Sintu , Wang Xuan , Wang Cheng , Cosgrove Daniel J. , Gomez Esther W. , Gomez Enrique D.
Published: August 2018

Cellulose microfibrils are crucial for many of the remarkable mechanical properties of primary cell walls. Nevertheless, many structural features of cellulose microfibril organization in cell walls are not yet fully described. Microscopy techniques provide direct visualization of cell wall organization, and quantification of some aspects of wall microstructure is possible through image processing. Complementary to microscopy techniques, scattering yields structural information in reciprocal space over large sample areas. Using the onion epidermal wall as a model system, we introduce resonant soft X-ray scattering (RSoXS) to directly quantify the average interfibril spacing. Tuning the X-ray energy to the calcium L-edge enhances the contrast between cellulose and pectin due to the localization of calcium ions to homogalacturonan in the pectin matrix. As a consequence, RSoXS profiles reveal an average center-to-center distance between cellulose microfibrils or microfibril bundles of about 20 nm.
Machine-learned epidemiology: real-time detection of foodborne illness at scale
Authors: Sadilek Adam , Caty Stephanie , DiPrete Lauren , Mansour Raed , Schenk Tom , Bergtholdt Mark , Jha Ashish , Ramaswami Prem , Gabrilovich Evgeniy
Published: August 2018

Machine learning has become an increasingly powerful tool for solving complex problems, and its application in public health has been underutilized. The objective of this study is to test the efficacy of a machine-learned model of foodborne illness detection in a real-world setting. To this end, we built FINDER, a machine-learned model for real-time detection of foodborne illness using anonymous and aggregated web search and location data. We computed the fraction of people who visited a particular restaurant and later searched for terms indicative of food poisoning to identify potentially unsafe restaurants. We used this information to focus restaurant inspections in two cities and demonstrated that FINDER improves the accuracy of health inspections; restaurants identified by FINDER are 3.1 times as likely to be deemed unsafe during the inspection as restaurants identified by existing methods. Additionally, FINDER enables us to ascertain previously intractable epidemiological information, for example, in 38% of cases the restaurant potentially causing food poisoning was not the last one visited, which may explain the lower precision of complaint-based inspections. We found that FINDER is able to reliably identify restaurants that have an active lapse in food safety, allowing for implementation of corrective actions that would prevent the potential spread of foodborne illness.
FA-PEG decorated MOF nanoparticles as a targeted drug delivery system for controlled release of an autophagy inhibitor
Authors: Shi Zheqi , Chen Xuerui , Zhang Li , Ding Shiping , Wang Xu , Lei Qunfang , Fang Wenjun
Published: August 2018

A novel drug delivery system with pH-responsive release and specific targeting identification was developed to control the release of an autophagy inhibitor.
Unveiling the mechanisms and secrets of chemoselectivities in Au(i)-catalyzed diazo-based couplings with aryl unsaturated aliphatic alcohols
Authors: Pei Guojing , Liu Yuxia , Chen Guang , Yuan Xiangai , Jiang Yuan-Ye , Bi Siwei
Published: August 2018

The mechanisms and origins of the unsaturated-aliphatic-alcohols-modulated chemoselectivity of Au-catalyzed carbene transfers from diazo compounds are disclosed by DFT studies.
Dynamics of silver nanoparticles at the solution/biofilm/mineral interface
Authors: Desmau Morgane , Gélabert Alexandre , Levard Clément , Ona-Nguema Georges , Vidal Vladimir , Stubbs Joanne E. , Eng Peter J. , Benedetti Marc F.
Published: August 2018

For the first time, a quantitative distribution of AgNPs at the biofilm/mineral interface was obtained using LP-XSW-FY.
Metal dyshomeostasis based biomarkers of lung cancer using human biofluids
Authors: Callejón-Leblic Belén , Gómez-Ariza José Luis , Pereira-Vega Antonio , García-Barrera Tamara
Published: August 2018

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in the world and it is well known that trace elements play important roles in the carcinogenic process activating and inhibiting enzymatic reactions and metalloproteins, in which they usually participate as cofactors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 48 lung cancer patients and 39 controls (56 men and 31 women), aged 44–76 years between March 2011 and June 2012. Eleven elements have been included in the study: V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo, Cd, and Pb, some of them considered toxic (V, Cd, Cr and Pb), while others are essential (Co, Mo, Se, Fe and Zn), and they have been analyzed by ICP-QQQ-MS in serum, urine and for the first time in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In order to understand the involvement of metals in this process, an analytical metallomic approach based on non-denaturing precipitation of proteins (NDPP) has been optimized for the fractionation of high molecular mass (HMM) and low molecular mass (LMM) metal species, in order to distinguish between metal species that affect the biological activity and toxicological potential of the elements. In this work, the NDPP followed by the analysis of metals by ICP-QQQ-MS has been applied for the first time to serum, urine and BALF samples from lung cancer patients and controls in order to get metal-size molecule profiles (MSMP), which can be used as metal-based biomarkers of altered metabolic processes such as oxidative stress and homeostasis. In this sense, we have demonstrated that several metals are good biomarkers when they are related to labile complexes, complexed with low molecular mass ligands, or in the form of metalloproteins (i.e. V and Cr in HMM and Cu in LMM), which has been described for the first time. On the other hand, metal dyshomeostasis biomarkers are proposed using metal ratios and correlations. Finally, the ratios between elements were shown to be important biomarkers for lung cancer in serum (V/Mn, V/Pb, V/Zn, Cr/Pb), urine (Cr/Cd, Mn/Cd, V/Cd, Co/Cd, Cd/Pb) and BALF (V/Cu), which reflects the dyshomeostasis of metals in lung cancer. In this sense, several metals are correlated to others suggesting also the existence of an interconnected homeostasis in lung cancer.
Polyethenetetrathiolate or polytetrathiooxalate? Improved synthesis, a comparative analysis of a prominent thermoelectric polymer and implications to the charge transport mechanism
Authors: Tkachov Roman , Stepien Lukas , Grafe Robert , Guskova Olga , Kiriy Anton , Simon Frank , Reith Heiko , Nielsch Kornelius , Schierning Gabi , Kasinathan Deepa , Leyens Christoph
Published: August 2018

Polymerisation of the “true monomer” results in a high quality product with improved and good reproducible characteristics.
High electrochemical performance of nanocrystallized carbon-coated LiFePO4 modified by tris(pentafluorophenyl) borane as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Wu Yifang , Chong Shaokun , Liu Yongning , Guo ShengWu , Wang Pengwei , Bai Lifeng , Li Chengshan
Published: August 2018

C18BF15 was first adopted as a boron source and has demonstrated its clear modification effects, as shown by the high rate capability.
Determination of solubility, stability and degradation kinetics of morin hydrate in physiological solutions
Authors: Jangid Ashok Kumar , Pooja Deep , Kulhari Hitesh
Published: August 2018

The stability of morin hydrate depends on pH, temperature, and light.
Detection of chymase activity using a specific peptide probe conjugated onto gold nanoparticles
Authors: Chang Hui-Fang , Sun Yu-Ling , Yeh Fang-Yuan , Tseng I-Hua , Chang Chia-Chu , Lin Chih-Sheng
Published: August 2018

The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) peptide probe functionalized with specific peptide sequences was developed for the sensitive and efficient detection of chymase activity.
Biofabricated BiOI with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation
Authors: Garg Seema , Yadav Mohit , Chandra Amrish , Sapra Sameer , Gahlawat Soniya , Ingole Pravin P. , Pap Zsolt , Hernadi Klara
Published: August 2018

The use of plant extract eliminates the usage of harmful chemicals and serves as an eco-friendly approach for environmental remediation.
Effect of the itinerant electron density on the magnetization and Curie temperature of Sr2FeMoO6 ceramics
Authors: Wang Jin-Feng , Shi Teng-Fei , Zhuang Zhao-Tong , Gao Qian-Qian , Zhang Yan-Ming
Published: August 2018

TC of C6 exhibits a significant rise of 75 K over that of C2, resulting from introducing excess Mo in Sr(2−y)NayFe(1−x)Mo(1+x)O6.
Correction: Patchouli oil isolated from the leaves of Pogostemon cablin ameliorates ethanol-induced acute liver injury in rats via inhibition of oxidative stress and lipid accumulation
Authors: Huang Qiong-Hui , Wu Xue , Chen Xiao-Hong , Wu Jia-Zhen , Su Zi-Ren , Liang Jia-Li , Li Yu-Cui , Lai Xiao-Ping , Chen Jian-Nan , Liu Yu-Hong
Published: August 2018

Correction for ‘Patchouli oil isolated from the leaves of Pogostemon cablin ameliorates ethanol-induced acute liver injury in rats via inhibition of oxidative stress and lipid accumulation’ by Qiong-Hui Huang et al., RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 24399–24410.
Rapid and durable electrochemical storage behavior enabled by V4Nb18O55 beaded nanofibers: a joint theoretical and experimental study
Authors: Qian Shangshu , Yu Haoxiang , Cheng Xing , Zheng Runtian , Zhu Haojie , Liu Tingting , Shui Miao , Xie Ying , Shu Jie
Published: August 2018

V4Nb18O55 beaded nanofibers demonstrated highly reversible storage of lithium ions and transportation performance via a joint theoretical and experimental study.
Gd@C82(OH)22harnesses inflammatory regeneration for osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells through JNK/STAT3 signaling pathway
Authors: Lin Jiao , Cai Rong , Sun Baoyun , Dong Jinquan , Zhao Yuliang , Miao Qing , Chen Chunying
Published: August 2018

Gd@C82(OH)22dose-dependently manipulates osteogenesis of MSCs in inflammatory microenvironment, which is capable for bone tissue engineering as an immunomodulatory nanoparticle.
An inorganic–organic hybrid framework from the assembly of an electron-rich diphosphonate and electron-deficient tripyridyl moiety
Authors: Ma Yu-Juan , Han Song-De , Pan Jie , Mu Ying , Li Jin-Hua , Wang Guo-Ming
Published: August 2018

The combination of an electron-rich zinc diphosphonate layer and an electron-deficient tripyridine moiety generates a 3D hybrid framework with excellent photochromism with a wide rapid photoresponse upon exposure to X-rays, UV light and sunlight at ambient temperature.
Hydrogen bond induced high performance ternary fullerene-free organic solar cells with increased current density and enhanced stability
Authors: Kong Xiao , Lin Hui , Du Xiaoyang , Li Lijuan , Li Xinrui , Chen Xinwei , Zheng Caijun , Wang Dongsheng , Tao Silu
Published: August 2018

We demonstrated that introducing hydrogen bonds is a promising strategy to fabricate high performance and stable organic solar cells.
CsPbBr3/EuPO4dual-phase devitrified glass for highly sensitive self-calibrating optical thermometry
Authors: Wang Congyong , Lin Hang , Xiang Xiaoqiang , Cheng Yao , Huang Qingming , Gao Yan , Cui Xiangshui , Wang Yuansheng
Published: August 2018

A novel CsPbBr3/EuPO4dual-phase glass ceramic was fabricated for highly sensitive self-calibrating optical thermometry.
A novel wide temperature range and multi-mode optical thermometer based on bi-functional nanocrystal-doped glass ceramics
Authors: Cai Zhenlu , Kang Shiliang , Huang Xiongjiang , Song Xiaoqian , Xiao Xiudi , Qiu Jianrong , Dong Guoping
Published: August 2018

A multi-mode optical thermometer was developed using novel nanocomposite glass ceramics, containing bi-functional NaYF4:Yb3+/Nd3+ and NaAlSiO4:Cr3+ nanocrystals.
Distributional Cues to Language Learning in Children With Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Kover Sara T.
Published: August 2018

Purpose

In typical development,
distributional cues
—patterns in input—are related to language acquisition processes. Statistical and implicit learning refer to the utilization of such cues. In children with intellectual disability, much less is known about the extent to which distributional cues are harnessed in mechanisms of language learning.

Method

This tutorial presents what is known about the process of language learning in children with language impairments associated with different sources of intellectual disability: Williams syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and fragile X syndrome.

Results

A broad view is taken on distributional cues relevant to language learning, including statistical learning (e.g., transitional probabilities) and other patterns that support lexical acquisition (e.g., sensitivities to sound patterns, cross-situational word learning) or relate to syntactic development (e.g., nonadjacent dependencies).

Conclusions

Critical gaps in the literature are highlighted. Research in this area is especially limited for Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome. Future directions for taking learning theories into account in interventions for children with intellectual disability are discussed, with a focus on the importance of language input.
Learning Without Trying: The Clinical Relevance of Statistical Learning
Authors: Plante Elena , Gómez Rebecca L.
Published: August 2018

Purpose

Statistical learning research seeks to identify the means by which learners, with little perceived effort, acquire the complexities of language. In the past 50 years, numerous studies have uncovered powerful learning mechanisms that allow for learning within minutes of exposure to novel language input.

Method

We consider the value of information from statistical learning studies that show potential for making treatment of language disorders faster and more effective.

Results

Available studies include experimental research that demonstrates the conditions under which rapid learning is possible, research showing that these findings apply to individuals with disorders, and translational work that has applied learning principles in treatment and educational contexts. In addition, recent research on memory formation has implications for treatment of language deficits.

Conclusion

The statistical learning literature offers principles for learning that can improve clinical outcomes for children with language impairment. There is potential for further applications of this basic research that is yet unexplored.
Automated verification of input completeness for NCL circuits
Authors: Le S. , Srinivasan S.K. , Smith S.C.
Published: August 2018

An automated formal verification approach for ensuring input completeness of NULL Convention Logic (NCL) circuits is proposed. NCL circuits have the benefit that they can operate in extreme environments where traditional synchronous circuits fail due to significant fluctuations in circuit timing. Input completeness is a critical property to ensure correct functioning of NCL circuits in extreme environments and therefore is required to be verified. Note that an NCL circuit can be functionally correct and still not be input complete, which could cause the circuit to operate correctly under normal conditions, but malfunction only when the circuit timing is substantially changed (e.g. operating in a very hot or cold environment such as outer space).
Dual‐band circular polarised square‐ring patch antenna loaded lumped capacitors
Authors: Hyeon Mooyeol , Sung Youngje , Kim Eungsoo
Published: August 2018

Herein, a dual‐band circularly polarised (CP) antenna for adjustable frequency ratio is proposed. The proposed antenna consists of two square‐ring patches with a gap on the stacked substrates. A capacitor is inserted within the gap of each square‐ring patch. The two square‐ring patches have two resonant frequencies, because the additional resonant frequency is generated by the gap. The two first resonant frequencies of each square‐ring patch combine to form the low band and two second resonant frequencies combine to make the high band. In the low band, as the gaps of the two square‐ring patches are located on different diagonals, the two first resonant frequencies are orthogonal to each other. In the high band, as the second resonant frequency is perpendicular to the first resonant frequency, the two second resonant frequencies are also orthogonal to each other. In the measurement results, the low and high bands achieve −10 dB bandwidths (BWs) of 3.75 and 2.49%, 3 dB axial ratio BWs of 0.99 and 0.53%, and gains of 1.89 dBi and 0.64 dBi, respectively. By appropriately changing the values of two capacitors, frequency ratio has an available range from 1.065 to 1.336.
Dual‐band ridged tapered waveguide slot array antenna with cross‐polarisation reduction
Authors: Khorramizadeh Mohammad , Mallahzadeh Ali Reza , Jesri Rahmat , Mohammad‐Ali‐Nezhad Sajad
Published: August 2018

A novel dual‐band waveguide slot array antenna with low cross‐polarisation is proposed. The main structure of the proposed antenna consists of two waveguides in which the top broad wall of the smaller waveguide, a WR‐28 Ka‐band waveguide, is connected to the top broad wall of the larger waveguide, a WR‐90 X‐band waveguide. The WR‐28 waveguide operating in the higher frequency band of the proposed antenna acts as a ridge inside the WR‐90 waveguide operating in the lower frequency band. For achieving a suitable side lobe level (SLL) and cross‐polarisation in the lower frequency band, the slots are placed close to the higher frequency waveguide and side ridges are placed beside each slot. A 2D graph is presented in which the normalised resonance conductance versus the offset of a side ridge from the outer edge of the lower frequency waveguide is shown, while the slot is located between the higher frequency waveguide and the side ridge. By applying proper coefficients to this graph, appropriate offsets from the outer edge of the lower frequency waveguide for the side ridges are obtained so that a low SLL can be realised.
Efficient and robust ANN‐based method for an improved protection of VSC‐HVDC systems
Authors: Merlin Victor Luiz , Santos Ricardo Caneloi dos , Le Blond Simon , Coury Denis Vinicius
Published: August 2018

This study presents a method based on an artificial neural network (ANN) for protecting voltage source converters (VSC)‐high‐voltage direct current (HVDC) systems. The proposed method takes advantage of ANNs’ excellent capabilities in pattern recognition and classification. The solution presented here is able to detect a fault condition in the whole HVDC system based only on voltage waveforms measured at the rectifier substation, which is an important advantage over other fault detection methods. For any given fault condition, the faulty zone is identified and then the fault is classified concerning the phases or poles involved. The proposed method is shown to be both robust against false operations and very reliable with respect to fault detection and classification. A large number of simulations were performed and results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Different operational conditions and fault cases were considered to evaluate the proposed algorithm, ensuring excellent performance concerning a wide range of possible situations in VSC‐HVDC systems.
Wide area oscillation damping controller for DFIG using WAMS with delay compensation
Authors: Simon Likin , Swarup K. Shanti , Ravishankar Jayashri
Published: August 2018

Several studies have reported the improvement of system stability with a doubly‐fed induction generator (DFIG) based wind turbines. Due to the remote location of DFIG, the local signals measured may not contain the complete oscillation information of the power system. This study describes an optimisation enabled wide area damping control (WADC) for DFIG to mitigate both local and inter area oscillations. Wide area measurement systems (WAMSs) which include phasor measurement units and synchrophasors are used for a centralised controller for damping inter‐area and local oscillatory modes. The proposed damping controller parameters are optimised along with the local power system stabiliser settings for maximising the impact on system modal damping. The challenging shortcoming of WAMS based controller is the variable communication latency which can adversely affect the controller if not accounted in the controller design process. The proposed WADC algorithm addresses this issue and compensates for the delayed and time stamped error signals. The variable latencies are normalised in the optimisation algorithm in the design of controller parameters. The proposed algorithm is verified with transient simulation in PSCAD/EMTDC for the most severe three‐phase faults. A set of comprehensive case studies are performed to analyse the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for the noisy, delayed communication signals.
Cosmic dance in the Shapley Concentration Core
Authors: Di Gennaro G. , Venturi T. , Dallacasa D. , Giacintucci S. , Merluzzi P. , Busarello G. , Mercurio A. , Bardelli S. , Gastaldello F. , Grado A. , Haines C. P. , Limatola L. , Rossetti M.
Published: August 2018

Context. The Shapley Concentration (⟨z⟩ ≈ 0.048) covers several degrees in the southern hemisphere, and includes galaxy clusters in advanced evolutionary stages, groups of clusters in the very early stages of merger, fairly massive clusters with ongoing accretion activity, and smaller groups located in filaments in the regions between the main clusters.

Aims. With the goal to investigate the role of cluster mergers and accretion on the radio galaxy population, we performed a multi-wavelength study of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and of the galaxies showing extended radio emission in the cluster complexes of Abell 3528 and Abell 3558. In total, our study is based on a sample of 12 galaxies.

Methods. We observed the clusters with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at 235, 325, and 610 MHz, and with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 8.46 GHz. We complemented our study with the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS) at 150 MHz, the Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey (SUMSS) at 843 MHz, and the Australia Telescope Compact array (ATCA) at 1380, 1400, 2380, and 4790 MHz data. Finally, optical imaging with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) is also available for the host galaxies as well as the mid-infrared coverage with the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).

Results. We found significant differences in the properties of the radio emission of the BCGs in the two cluster complexes. The BCGs in the A 3528 complex and in A 3556, which are relaxed cool-core objects, are powerful active radio galaxies. They also present hints of restarted activity. On the contrary, the BCGs in A 3558 and A 3562, which are well-known merging systems, are very faint, or quiet, in the radio band. The optical and infrared properties of the galaxies, on the other hand, are fairly similar in the two complexes, showing all passive red galaxies.

Conclusions. Our study shows remarkable differences in the radio properties of the BGCs, which we relate to the different dynamical state of the host cluster. On the contrary, the lack of changes between such different environments in the optical band suggests that the dynamical state of galaxy clusters does not affect the optical counterparts of the radio galaxies, at least over the lifetime of the radio emission.
Multiplicity among solar-type stars
Authors: Halbwachs J.-L. , Mayor M. , Udry S.
Published: August 2018

Context. The statistical properties of binary stars are clues for understanding their formation process. A radial velocity survey was carried on amongst nearby G-type stars and the results were published in 1991.

Aims. The survey of radial velocity measurements was extended towards K-type stars.

Methods. A sample of 261 K-type stars was observed with the spectrovelocimeter CORAVEL (COrrelation RAdial VELocities). Those stars with a variable radial velocity were detected on the basis of the P(Χ2) test. The orbital elements of the spectroscopic binaries were then derived.

Results. The statistical properties of binary stars were derived from these observations and published in 2003. We present the catalogue of the radial velocity measurements obtained with CORAVEL for all the K stars of the survey and the orbital elements derived for 34 spectroscopic systems. In addition, the catalogue contains eight G-type spectroscopic binaries that have received additional measurements since 1991 and for which the orbital elements are revised or derived for the first time.
Probing the nature and origin of dust in the reddened quasar IC 4329A with global modelling from X-ray to infrared
Authors: Mehdipour Missagh , Costantini Elisa
Published: August 2018

Cosmic dust is a key tracer of structure formation and evolution in the universe. In active galactic nuclei (AGN) the origin and role of dust are uncertain. Here, we have studied dust in the X-ray bright and reddened type-1 quasar IC 4329A, which exhibits an ionised AGN wind. We incorporated high-resolution X-ray and mid-IR spectroscopy, combined with broad-band continuum modelling, to investigate the properties of dust in this AGN. We used new chandra HETGS observations taken in June 2017, as well as archival data from XMM-Newton, Swift, HST, Spitzer, IRAS, and Herschel for our IR-optical-UV-X-ray modelling. Two distinct components of dust in IC 4329A are found. One component is in the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy, and the other is a nuclear component in the AGN torus and its associated wind. The emitting dust in the torus is evident in mid-IR emission (9.7 and 18 μm features), while dust in the wind is present through both reddening and X-ray absorption (O, Si, and Fe edge features). The gas depletion factors into dust for O, Si, and Fe are measured. We derive an intrinsic reddening E(B – V) ≈ 1.0, which is most consistent with a grey (flat) extinction law. The AGN wind consists of three ionisation components. From analysis of long-term changes in the wind, we determine limits on the location of the wind components. The two lowest ionisation components are likely carriers of dust from the AGN torus. We find that the dust in the nuclear component of IC 4329A is different from dust in the Milky Way. The dust grains in the AGN torus and wind are likely larger than the standard Galactic dust, and are in a porous composite form (containing amorphous silicate with iron and oxygen). This can be a consequence of grain coagulation in the dense nuclear environment of the AGN.